It was June 7, 2006 when I set up a tracking portfolio for our great eight stocks. AOL Money & Finance started BloggingStocks with a focus on these companies based on investor interest. Today, they still stimulate a lot of interest, and comments.

The following share prices are from the original tracking date now updated to last Friday's close, April 11, 2008. Earnings season is upon us again. The Iraq war is still in the headlines, as are the presidential elections, energy prices, recession fears and our latest calamity -- the shameful Washington/Wall Street axis of financial evil. Here are the BloggingStocks eight:

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) was $60.00 and is up to $147.14 gaining 145%.

eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) was $32.00 and is down to $30.87 losing 3.35%.

General Electric (NYSE: GE) was $34.50 and is down to $32.05 losing 7.1%.

Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) was $380.00 and is up to $457.45 gaining 20.38%.

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) was $22.50 and is up to $28.28 gaining 25.69%.

Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) was $17.50 and is down to $14.27 losing 18.46%.

Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) was $47.00 and is up to $54.80 gaining 16.6%.

Yahoo Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) was $31.00 and is down to $28.34 losing 8.58%.

So after 22 months we find four stocks are up and four stocks are down. Apple is the clear winner and remains the company to watch going forward. New trend-setting products are introduced regularly and few companies can match its inventiveness or marketing genius. Steve Jobs has hit a grand slam. Microsoft, the perennial cash generating machine, came in second with very strong results given the current state of the economy.

Among the surprises and the one I have taken the most flack for is that Google has not done very well in my eyes. It has been highly volatile and makes for a good trading stock, but if you add the dividend of 3.48% to Wal-Marts appreciation you have about the same growth with one tenth the downside risk.

eBay and GE are remarkable for having achieved nothing over our review period, and although they are down now I consider them break-even investments because they have been trading a few bucks higher and a few lower the entire period. Lots of promise, little results.

Lastly, Time Warner and Yahoo! are big disappointments. Time Warner (owner of BloggingStocks) has a new CEO and change is in the air. Yahoo! is in Microsoft's cross-hairs and looks like it will be something else in a few months. Ironically the two companies are in the midst of discussions to find a way to help each other out of their stagnation. I hope they succeed. Both have great franchises that are struggling to gain traction. Both must contend with Google and Microsoft.

Going forward Apple may be the best bet and Microsoft will probably continue to mint money. The others may just tread water for a while.

Sheldon Liber is the CEO of a small private investment company and the principal for design and research at an architecture & planning firm. He writes the columns Chasing Value and Serious Money. Disclosure: I own shares of EBAY, and TWX.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Luqman Arnold, the former UBS AG (NYSE: UBS) president forced out in 2001, wants the firm to split its investment bank from the private client bank, and look at selling the investment bank and asset management business, according to the Wall Street Journal's "Heard on the Street".
• Microsoft Corporation's (NASDAQ: MSFT) bid to acquire Yahoo! Inc (NASDAQ: YHOO) has not gained any steam even though executives of the two companies met this week, the Wall Street Journal reported.
• The Financial Times reported that the landmark merger that created Citigroup Incorporated (NYSE: C) was a "mistake" that failed to benefit the financial services giant's investors, customers and employees, said John Reed, who masterminded the $166B deal with Sandy Weill in 1998. Reed, the former head of Citicorp, has advised Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit at least to consider spin-offs, sources said.

WEB SITES:

• Walgreen Co (NYSE: WAG) is branching out by acquiring two companies that provide health-care services, BusinessWeek reported, following in its competitor CVS Caremark Corporation's (NYSE: CVS) shoes. Some investors are wary of Walgreen's move, but Mark Wiltamuth of Morgan Stanley sees it as a new growth avenue and as a push into services complementary to drugstores.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• If Yahoo! Inc (NASDAQ: YHOO) accepts a buyout offer from Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), it will have to be at the software maker's original offer of $44.6B. Microsoft won't raise the price, the Wall Street Journal reported, and the state of the economy might work in their favor.
• The FAA said that landing gear made by Illinois-based AAR Corporation (NYSE: AIR), and used on hundreds of Boeing Company (NYSE: BA)-built aircraft, includes "unapproved" parts, the Wall Street Journal also reported.
• Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc (NYSE: LEH) is thinking of not allowing its two British subprime mortgage units to provide any new loans. The Financial Times reported that the company may also order the units to put additional pressure on borrowers with a spotty credit history whose mortgages are coming to the end of fixed-rate terms.

OTHER PAPERS:

• According to the Detroit News, people familiar with the matter said that the strike at American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc (NYSE: AXL) could threaten production of General Motors Corporation's (NYSE: GM) Chevrolet Malibu sedan.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• Jarrett Lilien, E-Trade Financial Corporation's (NASDAQ: ETFC) president and COO, who lost out on the CEO job last month to Donald Layton, is going to resign from the online brokerage firm, the Wall Street Journal reported; Layton doesn't plan to fill the position.
• Chinese Internet search firm Baidu.com Inc (NASDAQ: BIDU) is poised for aggressive growth but must also confront a number of obstacles, according to the Wall Street Journal's "Heard in Asia," including a number of lawsuits regarding its music services and a vacancy in the CFO position.
• Alibaba Group, a Chinese Internet company , is in advanced talks with investors to finance its acquisition of Yahoo! Inc's (NASDAQ: YHOO) stake to expand its management independence, the Wall Street Journal reported.

OTHER PAPERS:

• According to inside sources, the New York Post reported that billionaire Joseph Lewis and former Bear Stearns Companies Inc (NYSE: BSC) CEO Jimmy Cayne are looking for a white knight that could surpass JPMorgan Chase & Co's (NYSE: JPM) takeover offer for Bear Lewis and Cayne have reportedly reached out to several private equity firms and overseas banks, including Barclays Plc (NYSE: BCS) and Credit Suisse Group (NYSE: CS).

WEB SITES:

• Medical supplies boss Michael Mastromarino, accused of stealing the body parts of around 1,000 corpses, has pleaded guilty to several charges in a deal with prosecutors. The BBC News reported that the Biomedical Tissue Services company shipped bones, skin and tendons to tissue-processing companies such as LifeCell Corporation (NASDAQ: LIFC) and Tutogen Medical Inc (AMEX: TTG), which are in turn facing hundreds of civil lawsuits.

You can call on numerous issues for today's big market rally. Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE: GS) led the brokerage firms higher after beating earnings expectations, and that may have been equally as important to traders as today's three-quarters of the way interest rate cut when it took Fed Funds down to 2.25%. Many traders were looking for a full 1% rate cut on the Fed Funds and Discount Rate. The Fed even delivered a cut after seeing a strong PPI number that was much more realistic than the CPI number of last week.

• DJIA 12,392.66 (+420.41; +3.51%)
• S&P500 1,330.74 (+54.14; +4.24%)
• NASDAQ 2,268.26 (+91.25; +4.19%)
• 10YR-TBond 3.451% (+0.137%)

The list of 52-week lows is far smaller on a giant rally like this, but as usual there are always some feature stocks that can't manage to rally. There were some others noted this morning that just failed to participate, mostly from analyst downgrades.

Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) believes it is worth more money than what Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) is currently willing to pay for it. That isn't a surprising fact. According to the following article, Yahoo! is confident that it will be doing pretty well over the next couple years, and that Microsoft shouldn't have a problem with paying somewhere around $40 per share, a price which is significantly higher than Mr. Softy's original bid of $31 per share.

There's a lot of speculation as to what will happen. Many observers believe that Microsoft will stand tough and get its price (I'm in that camp at this time). Even though Yahoo! has released some data that suggests that it will be doing well enough in terms of revenues and cash flow to justify the $40-per-share price, I personally wish Microsoft would just forget the whole thing.

Yes, Yahoo! is a huge brand and a major force on the web, and yes, I guess this would help Microsoft against Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) and such. But I just don't buy the thesis that Microsoft, no matter what, absolutely needs Yahoo! to grow its business. I think the software giant could easily invest in its own internet properties to further enhance its value in this area. Plus, the Internet is changing so fast all the time, who's to say that Yahoo! will be the right investment for Microsoft? Would that takeover capital be better off invested elsewhere, such as in the Xbox division, which is really doing well right now? Would a higher dividend be in order?

While Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) is cozying up to Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) in preparation for the software company acquiring the internet visionary, Yahoo! still wants to be somewhat innovative. In that vein, Yahoo! has said that it wants to incorporate pieces of the "semantic web" into its search index. You know, the one that comes a long second place to Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG)search engine -- but one that is still used heavily all over the world.

The semantic web is like a second version of the "world wide web" that looks for the actual meaning of data on a given website instead of just topic relevance to a search like it stands today. The semantic web draws many more variables between web content to really produce valuable feedback to web searchers. Web indexers would need to determine "meaning" of website content instead of just "relevance."

Would this make any difference to Yahoo!?Even if the company's search engine were to give back more meaningful search results (instead of the most topical), trying to get this concept across to the average web surfer would be extremely difficult. This would not be a competitive advantage against Google (that battle has already been fought), but would give Yahoo! a different search product in a manner of speaking. That is, unless Google begins offering "semantic web" search results as well.

Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) YouTube continues to gain visitors. It competitors have to be dismayed. Why bother posting video content at all when YouTube owns the market.

According to comScore, YouTube had a 34.3% share of all videos watched in the U.S. during January, an improvement of 1.7 share points over the previous month.

The competition barely registered. AOL, Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO), Viacom (NYSE: VIA), and Disney (NYSE: DIS) had embarrassing share figures, none posting a figure better than 3.2%.

Visitors to Google video sites spent an average of almost 110 minutes per viewer. No other large internet site was above 33 minutes.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

It is no secret that AOL has been under the microscope of Wall Street, Main Street, and even Silicon Valley. There has been growing talk that a deal could be in the air, and talk may ultimately lead to reality. The New York Times notes that Time Warner Inc.'s (NYSE: TWX) CEO Jeff Bewkes may be open to a deal or "whatever configuration makes it the strongest and the most valuable."

AOL's primary strategy is to expand its advertising on Platform A, which is a combination of advertising and technology companies that AOL has purchased over the years. Executives see the expansion of their advertising network as the only way to compete and have discussed spinning off the dial-up portion of the business.

Two years ago, Time Warner discussed a merger with AOL and Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) for its online operation and has recently explored a potential deal of some sort with Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO). Keep in mind, Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) owns a 5% stake in AOL, so the world can still change rapidly.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• According to people familiar with the matter, Yahoo! Inc (NASDAQ: YHOO) has stepped up talks with Time Warner Inc (NYSE: TWX) to possibly create an alternative to the unsolicited bid Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) made for Yahoo!, the Wall Street Journal reported. Though a Microsoft acquisition of Yahoo! is considered the "most likely outcome," Yahoo! and Time Warner have been in talks to incorporate the AOL Internet unit into Yahoo!
• The Financial Times reported that the European Commission is probing the process under which an important Microsoft document format could be adopted as an industry standard, according to The Financial Times. This move would carry substantial commercial benefits for the company.
• The Financial Times also reported that Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) will start selling wine in the U.S. in an effort to enlarge its expanding non-perishable groceries business.

WEB SITES:

• According to the chairman of parent group CITIC Group, Kong Dan, Reuters reported that CITIC Securities is in talks to acquire a larger stake in The Bear Stearns Companies (NYSE: BSC) in order to reflect the drop in shares of the broker.

LinkedIn has become a great tool to help improve your business. For example, Brant Bukowsky, the founder of LakeRentals.com, used the online service to locate a prospect for a management buyout. Or take MyBlogLog. The company found its CEO with LinkedIn and a year later, the company sold to Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO);

So, how can you use LinkedIn for your business?

Well, I recently had a chance to meet up with Allen Blue, the Vice President of Product Strategy of LinkedIn and the company's co-founder.

In fact, he provided a framework on how to use LinkedIn. Let's take a look:

Yahoo, Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO) sure does seem to have a big head on its shoulders these days. After Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) stated its intention to by Yahoo! almost a month ago, the shots started flying. At first, Yahoo! seemed to be considering the bid. Google, Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) started crying foul, claiming that this combination would limit internet innovation.

Yahoo! then rebuffed the offer from Microsoft, stating that the $44 billion offer was too low. For a company that's ran a decent business in the last few years -- but has been sideswiped by Google in every possible way -- what did Yahoo! expect? A $75 billion buyout package? Rumor has it that current CEO and co-founder Jerry Yang loathed the idea of being part of Microsoft. Personal distaste, though, should never get in the way of what's best for Yahoo!'s shareholders, right?

Yahoo! has looked a some partnerships in February that would keep it from Microsoft's clutches, but is now stating that the software maker's attempt to buy it is distracting its own workforce. Bull. Yahoo!'s workforce apparently is already highly distracted if it can't seem to find a business model that would sustain innovation and profitable growth. Yahoo! says the bid is making it harder to hire and retain "key employees and hire new talent."

Are you serious, Yahoo!? The company may be thinking too highly of itself, and if so, it needs to put its ego on the shelf and find a way to partner with somebody -- anybody -- to help it compete against Google. There is no way it can do this itself, as it's been shown for years now. Until then, distractions from the Microsoft bid are the order of the day. Get used to it, Yahoo! -- and don't give a lame excuse of "distracting the company" while it happens. Shareholders know better.

A memo by a senior Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) executive sets out some of the reasons for the company's bid for Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO). According to The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), "Kevin Johnson, president of Microsoft's Platforms and Services Division, reiterated the Redmond, Wash., software maker's reasons behind its unsolicited offer, writing that a combination would provide a compelling alternative in search and online advertising." The note goes further to indicate that Microsoft values both the Yahoo! brands and the technical skills of its engineers.

Yahoo! should not take the memo seriously. It would be hard to name a company that Microsoft has purchased that still maintains its own brands and independent operations. Bill Gates has said that the software company will put its full engineering skill behind an effort to build better search technology than Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) has. It may be an audacious and arrogant approach to catching the industry leader, but Microsoft has never looked for outside help to solve its most urgent problems.

All Yahoo! shareholders can look for in the generous Microsoft buy-out offer is a good payday. The world's largest software company looks at Yahoo! as a step in advancing its own agenda and nothing more.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

Alibaba, the big Chinese e-commerce company is 39% owned by Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO). That has been OK for Alibaba; Yahoo! has not taken any role in running the company. But, the firm and the Chinese government are a little worried that Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) will not see it that way if it buys Yahoo!

According to The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), "Alibaba has already been contacted by Chinese regulators seeking information on how it could be affected by a Microsoft purchase." The concern is perverse for two reasons.

China thinks nothing of allowing its sovereign funds to put capital into U.S. financial companies. Congress has already begun to worry in public that the Chinese might exert unwanted pressure on the managements of some of Wall Street's biggest companies. The Chinese cannot have it both ways, buying into American businesses while setting limitations on investments in its country.

What is even more obvious is that one solution is to have Microsoft simply enter into a legal agreement that makes its shares in Alibaba non-voting. This allows the big software company the advantage of an investment that will probably grow in value, and one that it will probably eventually sell back to Alibaba or even to the Chinese government.

Why make the issue more complicated than it really is?

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: W.W. Grainger, American Express and Microsoft were today's noteworthy downgrades:

• Baird downgraded W.W. Grainger Inc (NYSE: GWW) to Neutral from Outperform, citing concerns regarding the the federal lawsuit accusing the company of overcharging the U.S. Government.
• American Express Company (NYSE: AXP) was lowered to Market Perform from Outperform to reflect their assumption for a weaker economy.
• RBC Capital downgraded Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) to Sector Perform from Outperform citing Yahoo! Inc's (NASDAQ: YHOO) rejection of its $31/share bid and a counteroffer of $40/share. The firm expects a deal to get done between $35.00-$40.00 per share, resulting in increased dilution.

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• Citigroup downgraded Telecom Italia SpA (NYSE: TI) to Hold from Buy.
• Thomas Weisel downgraded Zumiez Inc (NASDAQ: ZUMZ) to Market Weight from Overweight.
• Oppenheimer downgraded Independent Bank Corporation (NASDAQ: IBCP) to Underperform from Perform.