YUM! Brands, Inc., which operates KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Long John Silver’s and A&W All-American Food Restaurants, is seeking to acquire a majority interest in Little Sheep. From the YUM! most-recent quarterly report:

We currently own 27% of the outstanding shares of Little Sheep Group Limited (“Little Sheep”), a Hot Pot concept headquartered in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China. On April 26, 2011, we announced that we have submitted a preliminary proposal to Little Sheep under which we would offer to acquire all outstanding shares of Little Sheep, other than a minority interest to be held by the chairman and other founding shareholders of Little Sheep. No formal offer has been made at this stage and any such offer, should one be made, would be made only after we have obtained all necessary regulatory approvals for the transaction. There can be no assurance that the current discussions between YUM and Little Sheep regarding the proposal will ultimately lead to an offer being made or, if an offer is made, that it will result in a completed transaction.

Please don’t. I like Little Sheep just as it is.

During a recent trip to China, I stopped by a store in Wuxi that displayed this slogan:

Wuxinees Admire Virtues and Wuxi is A Trustworthy City For Consumption

I am certain that the sign would have been better off without the English translation. The sign isn’t suffering from the typical “Chinglish” problem. Instead, the slogan seems like a line taken out of a Cultural Revolution poster with the effect that it instantly breeds suspicion and distrust. And, this is not just a Chinese issue. When any salesperson starts bragging about how trustworthy they are, clutch your wallet or purse tightly, real tightly because someone is about to get fleeced.

I spotted this funny line in the San Francisco Chronicle:

But [the Chevrolet Malibu], in this country, should be outselling the Camry and Accord. It’s surprising to me how much bias there still is among U.S. consumers against their own country’s car brands, and in favor of the Japanese models.

Merriam-Webster defines bias as “an inclination of temperament or outlook, especially a personal and sometimes unreasoned judgment.” The distrust for Detroit is anything but unreasoned. Detroit has let down the American consumer. And, it is not the consumer’s fault for preferring more reliable brands.

New York Times: China Drawing High-Tech Research From U.S.:

For years, many of China’s best and brightest left for the United States, where high-tech industry was more cutting-edge. But Mark R. Pinto is moving in the opposite direction.

It’s one thing for a Chinese engineer to return back to China for better career opportunities. However, when a CTO of a major American company relocates to China, that really caught my attention. I still remember the misplaced fear in the 80s that Japan Inc. will surpass our economy. That didn’t happen. The other instructive point from the New York Times article is how it shreds the long-time rap against Asian countries: the one about being a nation of copiers. If the R&D and innovation is moving to China, watch out.

Yesterday, I heard a PRI report on Violins – Made in China. Initially, I was quite surprised to learn that China manufactures 70% of all the world’s violins. 70%!! However, after some reflection, I realized that China’s manufacturing prowess should not have been that shocking. As an experiment, I’m looking at the place of manufacture for various items within my immediate grasp.

1. iPhone: Assembled in China.
2. Children’s Melamine Cup: Made in China
3. Casio Calculator: Made in China
4. Gordini Woman’s Baselayer: Made in China
5. Peak 15x Loupe: Japan
6. Disney Little Mermaid Personal CD Player: Made in China
7. Head Gloves: Made in China
8. X-Acto 16701 Battery Pencil Sharpener: Made in China
9. Nexcare Wrist Carpal Tunnel Brace: Made in China
10. Punchodex P-39 3-Hole Punch: Made in U.S.A.

So, 80% of the items within my immediate reach with stated places of manufacture were produced in China. As for the lone Made in U.S.A. item, is it an antique? How come I cannot find any reference to Punchodex on the Rolodex website? Great. The only item I possess that was manufactured in the U.S.A. just might have been discontinued. I’ll have to bring it to Antique Roadshow one of these days. Remember when we used to manufacture products in this country?

iTunes is selling Jackie Chan’s: The Myth for $9.99. However, a better deal is watching the film on Hulu for free. Preferably sometime within the next 48 hours because streaming rights expire on 12/31/2009 at 11:45 PM PST.

Sure, Hulu can run its Cadillac ads, but I think something is missing in the equation. Why isn’t Hulu selling complementary products like the soundtrack from the movie? I’m looking for a copy of Endless Love (美麗的神話):

If you are going to let me watch your movie for free on Hulu, at least let me pay you for a copy of this song on iTunes or Amazon.

Apple launched iTunes back in April 2003. 6 1/2 years ago. Why isn’t every song in the world already on iTunes? Totally frustrating.

Last weekend, I received my AG-13 batteries from Publications International Ltd. Needless to say, the shipment did not require the stated 4-6 weeks. More like just under two weeks. If I had known that the turnaround time was that fast, I would have ordered them a year ago instead of hunting around on and off at a bunch of local electronics stores.

I have quite a few electronic books, all of which need new batteries. Unfortunately, I have not been able to secure a reliable and inexpensive supply of the needed AG-13 batteries. Fry’s sells them for about $2.00 per battery, but doesn’t have a large supply on hand. At 3 batteries per book, I need a LOT of batteries. Radio Shack has a lot of batteries for sale, but at about $5.00 per battery, it would be cheaper for me to buy a new book instead of a set of replacement batteries.

Well, Publications International Ltd. sells replacement batteries. However, I’m not a big fan of the 4-6 weeks for delivery. I just noticed that I could have called in the order at (800) 700-4710 instead of mailing in my payment. I suppose that could have shaved off a couple days in the fulfillment process. Still, 4-6 weeks? After getting accustomed to Amazon Prime, 4-6 weeks just feels Jurassic.

Last year, I purchased Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive. It just dawned on me that book put a name to the practice I have been following for several decades: social proof. When visiting a Chinese restaurant for the first time, what’s the most important factor you should consider? Not the menu. Not the region of the cuisine. The most important factor is the clientele. That, more than anything, tells me what type of Chinese food the restaurant serves and whether the food will be to my taste.

Has Volvo, the premier family car manufacturer, lost its way? Even though Ford now owns this Swedish company, I somehow suspect that Volvo isn’t building cars targeted at the American market, hence its late arrival in the SUV market. Still, for families with children, which I think is Volvo’s core market, nothing beats the convenience of a minivan in terms of passenger space and accessibility. So, where’s the Volvo minivan? I looked at some of Volvo’s concept cars and didn’t spot a minivan among them. Too bad. In a day and age when two infant car seats can completely crowd out the entire rear row of a sedan or wagon, having the full-sized third row becomes more of a necessity than a luxury.