It seems that whenever I'm at the mall, the airport or watching TV, I'll wind-up seeing a Rosetta Stone (RST) commercial. They are actually good marketing pieces. And who doesn't know the name? Yes, the company is a dominant player in the language market.

The problem is that it has been tough to boost overall sales. Less than two weeks ago, Rosetta Stone gave a warning about its fourth-quarter results. So the stock price fell 17% on the news.

Positive earnings reports have pushed the major stock indexes to levels not seen in more than two years -- and today's market is continuing along the same path. Recent political unrest in Bahrain, Yemen, and Libya has not had an impact yet on equities, but there could be added political risk to the supply of oil from the Middle East. Oil prices are up above $87/barrel again, and gold is nearing $1,400/ounce again. Currency markets are bullish on the euro and the British pound, with the dollar giving up some power on expectations of interest rate hikes in both the UK and the Eurozone.

Here are the numbers for late afternoon trading today:

Dow Jones 12,391.25 +73.11 (0.59%)
S&P 500 1,343.01 +2.58 (0.19%)
Nasdaq 2,833.95 +2.37 (0.08%)

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage on BloggingStocks:

• American International Group Inc. (AIG) posted a big loss and warned it may require additional assistance.
• Athenahealth (ATHN) shares sank after it delayed earnings and its annual report, and warned of restatements.
• Barnes & Noble Inc. (BKS) Q3 sales jumped on popularity of the Nook reader but same-store sales declined.
• Brocade Communications Systems Inc. (BRCD) disappointing report and guidance caused a sell-off in shares.
• Dell Inc. (DELL) acquisitions and better-than-expected earnings may not be enough to stop shrinking market share.
• Gap Inc. (GPS) rose after it beat earnings estimates, raised its dividend and announced stock buybacks.

Look, 2009 was a "flush" year. Market rallies were constrained by the low baseline set at the end of 2008, unemployment was high and caution defined nearly every corporate decision. The travel market sucked. The art market sucked. The financial industry labored on with the support of taxpayer money while 140 banks were forced to call it quits. So, we turn to the new year, as yet undefined, for excitement of the type we want ... and it seems likely to deliver. As Nero played from the rooftops, the social media industry inched forward to the climax we hope to see this year -- the initial public offering.

The action hasn't really begun, and the signals emitted are open to various interpretations. Nonetheless, Facebook's new dual-class stock structure is hard to miss, as it would protect the influence of early entrants to the company -- either as investors or options-compensated employees in the event that the 350 million-strong social networking site brings ownership opportunities to the public.

The Tiger Woods drama has ballooned since I last looked at the situation. Of course, I focused a tad more on the situation for Tiger's sponsors. I want to continue that look, but I want to look at why Tiger's sponsors will stand by him, why we are so fascinated by the situation, and the difference between Tiger and Michael Phelps (a.k.a. Aquaman).

First things first, this will not impact Tiger's relationship with any of his sponsors. No matter what you think happened or why the situation happened, Tiger was cited for a traffic violation and will pay the fine with money out of his change jar. Was his act immoral? Yes. Was the act inexcusable? Yes. Is the act something he will be reminded of publicly (and privately) on a near daily basis? Yes. Should his sponsors jump ship and run? No.

"The hottest IPO of late has been the offering from language instruction company Rosetta Stone (NYSE: RST)," notes Bill Martin.

In his BullMarket.com, he suggests, "The desire, not to mention need, to learn other languages in a global economy means the company is looking at a potentially huge market." Here's his review of the IPO:

"Shares of Rosetta Stone were priced at $18, which itself was above the anticipated range, but the price surged in the company's first day of trading on April 16th. The stock rose to $32.54 before retreating.

IPO. Initial public offering. Or as they used to be known among the Wall Street cynics: "It's probably overpriced." Not any more. Nothing that is too expensive will fly these days. In fact, if it's not a bargain, don't bother to talk with the bankers. Investors want history, especially ones with increasing sales and profits.

The year 2009 has already produced more IPOs than all of 2008. Sound impressive? Here are the numbers: this year there have been seven. So there aren't a lot of companies going public right now, but still, there are some. And most of them are doing well.

Rosetta Stone Inc (NYSE: RST) was recently up 64 cents to $29.60. RST, a provider of technology based language learning solutions, is scheduled to report Q1 EPS after the market close today. RST June option implied volatility of 75 was above its two-week average of 68, according to Track Data, suggesting slightly larger price movement.

NASDAQ 100 (NASDAQ-QQQQ) overall implied volatility was at 31; 26-week average was 39.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com