(09-28) 09:11 PDT SEATTLE, (AP) —

Microsoft Corp.’s Excel 2007 spreadsheet program is going to have to relearn part of its multiplication table.

In a blog post, Microsoft employee David Gainer said that when computer users tried to get Excel 2007 to multiply some pairs of numbers and the result was 65,535, Excel would incorrectly display 100,000 as the answer.

Gainer said Excel makes mistakes multiplying 77.1 by 850, 10.2 by 6,425 and 20.4 by 3,212.5, but the program appears to be able to handle 16,383.75 times 4.

“Further testing showed a similar phenomenon with 65,536 as well,” Gainer wrote Tuesday.

He said Excel was actually performing the calculations correctly, but when it comes time to show the answer on the screen, it messes up.

Gainer said the bug is limited to six numbers from 65,534.99999999995 to 65,535, and six numbers from 65,535.99999999995 to 65,536, and that Microsoft is working hard to fix the problem.

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(MarketWatch)Are you being persecuted by a workplace bully? You’re not alone. A poll by the Employment Law Alliance, a labor and employment lawyers’ group, finds that 44 percent of Americans say they have suffered abuse at the office.

Many people caught in the clutches of the office tyrant decide to quit, but not everyone has the freedom to job hop. For those who can’t escape, Robert Sutton, professor of management at Stanford University and author of a new book: “The No A%$hole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t,” offers these three techniques for surviving the workplace bully:

Don’t blame yourself.
If you are the victim of a workplace tyrant, it’s easy to internalize blame and feel helpless. But falling into this negativity trap can take its toll on your health and self-esteem. Instead, Sutton recommends reminding yourself that you are a good person trapped in a bad situation. As he writes, “Research on ‘learned optimism’ shows that when people view difficulties as temporary and not their fault . . . [it] protects their mental and physical health.”

Hope for the best, but be realistic.
You may think that looking on the sunny side is keeping you upbeat, but there are limits. “When you are subjected to mean-spirited people for long stretches of time, unbridled optimism can be dangerous for your spirit and esteem,” Sutton writes. Hoping that the office tough guy will change his stripes every time you interact with him is a recipe for constant disappointment, so try to keep your expectations realistic.

Find a safe haven.
It’s important to share your feelings with like-minded people in the office. Open communication and mutual support can help buffer you against stress. But remember: Emotions are contagious and bitterness often breeds more bitterness, so don’t go overboard with complaining.

SINGAPORE: Asian stocks advanced after prices of oil and metals gained and researchers at Chinas central bank raised their forecast for economic growth.

PetroChina and BHP Billiton rose to record levels, after crude oil, copper and zinc climbed on speculation that a further cut in U.S. interest rates and faster expansion in China would sustain demand for raw materials. Ping An Insurance Group led the benchmark CSI 300 index in China to a fresh high.

“Commodity prices will continue to be well supported because of strong demand from China and India,” said Grace Tam of JF Asset Management. “In the near term, earnings growth at commodity companies is still very good.”

Hynix Semiconductor of South Korea climbed after it stopped selling its products on the spot market, fueling speculation that chip prices are set to rebound as supplies drop. TPV Technologies rose the most in four years as Chi Mei Optoelectronics of Taiwan agreed to buy a stake in the maker of computer monitors.

The Morgan Stanley Capital International Asia-Pacific index rose 0.5 percent to 162.87 points by evening in Tokyo. The measure has added 4.6 percent this week and is poised for a fifth quarterly advance, its longest rally since 1999. Zijin Mining, operator of the largest Chinese gold mine, made the biggest advance this quarter of any stock on the benchmark.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 average slid 0.3 percent to 16,785.69 points. Mitsubishi Estate declined after the unemployment rate rose unexpectedly and consumer prices dropped for a seventh month.

The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong rose 0.3 percent, completing a quarterly advance of 25 percent.

Benchmarks gained elsewhere, except for New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. Taiwan was little changed.

Energy companies aided gains in the region. PetroChina, the largest oil explorer in that country, jumped 4.8 percent to 14.74 Hong Kong dollars. Inpex Holdings, the largest oil explorer in Japan, added 0.9 percent to 1.18 million. Woodside Petroleum, a large Australian oil and natural gas producer, advanced 2.6 percent to 50.20 Australian dollars.

The U.S. stock market rose Thursday to the highest level since July as investors speculated that a big plunge in prices for new homes would give the Federal Reserve more reason to lower borrowing costs.

In Europe, the Dow Jones EuroStoxx 50 fell 10.90 points to 4378.08.

The FTSE fell 51.40 points to 6435. The CAC fell 24.85 points to 5708.52, while the DAX fell 10.29 points to 7843.50.