Microsoft put offer on table for Yahoo to mimic Google (via Wall Street Journal article). Microsoft wants to be Google by buying Yahoo, a company that isn't as good as Google. AOL bought Time Warner.

Starbucks isn't doing well (via WSJ). Stock is around $20 and not recommended to buy. McDonalds, in last 5 years, slowed building of new stores to almost zero while improving their existing stores, made their marketing snazzier and offering interesting choices in food and drink. Starbucks will "only" build 2k new stores, start 5 brand initiatives (to be announced at March shareholder meeting), stop selling breakfast sandwiches (which I was shocked they even introduced in the first place and only brought in $35k a year per store), have slower same-store sales, discontinue announcing same-store growth (like Young Frankenstein did about not announcing their weekly grosses, which is voluntary). I think Starbucks will figure it out. One initiative they announced: audience segmentation ($1 coffee for the poor people, like the gateway Louis Vuitton key fob).

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