Some links to kick off your Thursday…
* Blackstone Group: We don’t need bankers.
* JPMorgan: Yes you do.
* What was Northern Rock doing before it went belly-up? Buying rugby fields, of course.
* Latest MicroHoo rumor: Google might try buying up around 20% of Yahoo, to block the deal.
* FTC chairwoman Deborah Platt Majoras is leaving for a job at Procter & Gamble, according to The Deal.
* The New York Times goes in-depth on ADIA, the sovereign wealth fund of Abu Dhabi.
* Bill Gates quit Facebook, but joins LinkedIn.
* Are Japanese conglomerates gearing up for an M&A spending spree?.