Pre-Marketing 1.10.11

* Are we at a peak for corporate earnings?

* Exodus: The last of the prop traders prepare to leave Goldman Sachs

* Leigh Drogan says the Street is flat: “Just as globalization opened up the world’s markets to a few billion more people, technology and social will do the same for finance.

* Morning Call: U.S. futures point lowerLondon drops early and European shares fall on lingering debt concerns. The Nikkei is closed.

* Are you long the cupcake craze? Then there is about to be a stock for you.

* James Surowiecki: “The Great Depression invigorated the modern American labor movement. The Great Recession has crippled it.”

* Vaughan Bell: We’re too quick to use “mental illness” as an explanation for violence

* The op-ed everyone is talking about: Amy Chua on why Chinese mothers are superior to Western mothers

* Stephen Grocer: Qualcomm’s bid to buy Atheros was one piece of information about Atheros that didn’t leak.

* BIG deals of the day: DuPont (DD) pushes further into food, agreeing to buy Danisco for $5.8 billion. Duke Energy (DUK) offers $13.7 billion for Progress Energy.

* We’re just one day away from the big Verizon iPhone announcement. Seems that the new carrier will offer unlimited data plans, and that AT&T isn’t going to take its new competition sitting down.

* Jason Pollock: 5 amazing musical performances with the iPad

* Tweet of the Day: @KieranO LinkedIn should have evolved into what Quora has become. Start with CV, then build authority, following, celebrity in your subject domain.