This was in spite of very little in the way of positive news, either on the US economy or the Euro debt crisis.

FORBES: The Week Ahead: Can Doom and Gloom Save the Market?

The problem is that this pattern does not appear each and every year, so the majority of investors remain skeptics, and in spite of their performance history believe there must be a way to be right 100% of the time.

FORBES: Fiscal Cliff Could Be One Mean Grinch For Stocks

The first is the simple good manners both correspondents evidence in the way they address one another and present their arguments, in spite of the real, keenly felt differences of opinion.

BBC: A Point of View: Mourning the loss of the written word

Instead, he argues, respecting paying players is the best way to make money in spite of piracy.

FORBES: DRM Hurts Companies More than Piracy, Developer Argues

"We have succeeded in preventing Iraq from going into sectarian war -- which threatened our dear Iraq -- and I am fully confident that national reconciliation is our only way that takes Iraq into safety in spite of all the destabilizing actions by local and international groups, " said Nuri al-Maliki, who addressed the country's parliament, the Council of Representatives.

CNN: Iraq PM: Govt 'prevented sectarian war'

In spite of cleaning car tyres and workers boots, the heavy black crude made its way into the streets, shops and homes.

BBC: Torrey Canyon seabed returns to normal after oil spill

In spite of the dominance of Wall Street short-term financialism, not all businesses operate that way.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Though the Spanish government has no stake in Arcelor, the Luxembourg-based company employs 15, 000 people in the Iberian country, which goes some way to explaining its reticence, in spite of Mittal's reassurances.

FORBES: Magazine Article