Late Friday, Dow Jones & Co (NYSE: DJ) said that Financial Times publisher Pearson Plc (NYSE: PSO) has been trying to find partners to pursue an acquisition of Dow Jones, people familiar with the matter said. Shares of Dow Jones & Co. jumped 3% on the news.

It's amazing what can happen over a weekend.

Today's Wall Street Journal, owned, of course, by Dow Jones, reported that General Electric (NYSE: GE) and Pearson are talking about a joint-bid for Dow Jones that would allow the Dow Jones's controlling Bancroft family to maintain a minority interest. The joint-bid would combine GE's CNBC, the Financial Times and Dow Jones into a privately-held joint venture, owned in three equal parts by the three companies. The potential new company would also control Barron's, half the Economist magazine, MarketWatch.com and interests in various business newspapers around the worldwide

Sound like a business news monopoly? Hum.

Another name recently floated as a potential suitors for Dow Jones was billionaire Ron Burkle, who has teamed with the union representing the employees of Dow Jones, and Philadelphia newspaper executive Brian Tierney. Warren Buffet last month said it was "very, very unlikely" that his Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) would bid for Dow Jones, citing the $5B bid from Rupert Murdoch's News Corp (NYSE: NWS).

Wait. Does that mean that the Oracle of Omaha considers News Corp's $5 billion bid too much? Jonathan Berr of BloggingStocks believes that Murdoch wants the Journal so badly that he's willing to pay an "outrageously high price." Peter Cohan, also of BloggingStocks, thinks the GE/Pearson bid could prevail.

Regardless of Mr. Buffet's opinion, the "lamest bidding war ever," as coined by CNNMoney's Paul R. La Monica, has just started to heat up.

Warren Buffett got married yesterday, and if you're a follower of the Warren Buffett saga (and aren't we all, here in investing land?), you know that Buffett lived separately from his first wife, Susan Thompson Buffett, for decades. She died two years ago. This news prompted the BloggingStocks team to ask: Is Warren Buffett more billionaire, or more regular ol' guy from Omaha? Let's look at the evidence:

1. Diet. Warren Buffett feasts on hamburgers, Omaha steaks, and Cherry Coke. Advantage: regular Omaha guy.
2. Homes. Warren still lives in a home in Omaha he bought for $31,500, although he does have a vacation home in Laguna Beach. Still ... Advantage: regular Omaha guy.
3. Jet set or no jet set? Warren was famous for his modest string of Lincoln Town Cars, but he bought a corporate jet in 1989 ... and then bought a whole jet company. Advantage: billionaire.
4. Friends. Sure, Warren counts Bill Gates, fellow richest man in the world, as a friend. But they're both gigantic nerds and play golf and -- I am not making this up -- bridge rather than high-stakes poker. Advantage: regular Omaha guy.
5. Media saturation. What's this? Warren is working on his very own TV series. I know you're saying, like, ohmigod Sarah! That's so totally billionaire behavior. Ahem. But it's an animated series about investing. Haha! Advantage: regular Omaha guy.
6. Parties. Oh you're very funny. Warren Buffett at a party? As if. Advantage: regular Omaha guy.
7. Women. Warren Buffett just got married, and it's only his second wife, after all. But Astrid Menks used to be a cocktail waitress. What's more, at 60 to Buffett's 76, she's a much younger woman. Advantage: billionaire!

We all know that you don't have money like Warren Buffett does (unless you is Bill Gates, and then you're probably not wondering about this, now are you?). But that shouldn't prevent you from giving money the same way he does. Even if it's a lot less money, it's still fun to use the same buzzwords.

And this buzz phrase, from the Wall Street Journal today [subscription required]: "giving while living." Often called "charitable gift annuities" after one of the most popular forms of high-dollar charity, the sort of thing Warren Buffett has done with his substantial fortune is really quite common. Other than the value of seeing the reaction to your largess while you're still alive to have an ego, there are tax and control benefits to giving while living (one: "you can keep an eye on how your legacy is fulfilled," according to NYU professor Jan T. Vilcek).

We non-billionaires can get more satisfaction, too, from getting involved in the charities who receive our substantial living gift. "It's the opposite of just saying, 'Here's the check, good luck,'" says one charitable advisor. Think of it as the non-profit answer to a venture capitalist -- you can provide both funds and strategic assistance.