Last year, San Francisco entrepreneur Jason OHara surveyed dog owners in preparation for opening a do-it-yourself dog-grooming salon.

WSJ: A 'Comb on a Stick' Creates

What do people think of McKinsey and similar consulting firms as preparation for working in startups?

FORBES: What Value Do Consulting Firms Like McKinsey, Bain, Et Al. Really Add To An Operation?

Analysis from the commentariat complains that the ad fails to illustrate what the phone can do, which you might think would be good market preparation for its March US debut.

ENGADGET: Editorial: BlackBerry slumps into history of Super Bowl tech ads

Now, more and better hams are coming to the U.S. market, prices have dropped and companies are specifying pedigree in preparation for upcoming legislation in Spain that will require them to do so.

WSJ: Debut: Jam��n It Up, Legitimately: Get Iberian Ham in the U.S.

And there was a report sourced for the ISI that the noncombatants had been -- had had their hands tied in preparation for taking them away on the helicopter, which they could not do because one of the helicopters had been damaged.

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing

Merck says that plaintiff lawyers have selectively culled a handful of documents from millions of others amassed in preparation for trial, that these documents have been taken out of context, and that they do not accurately represent the conduct of its employees.

ECONOMIST: Big trouble for Merck