http://www.assetinternational.com/AI500060http://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=2147483832&blogid=103We are in London this week, focusing on client and team meetings. This is the replacement trip for the one that was canceled in March. Spring has arrived and the first four days have seen fabulous weather, but I trust that the rain and wind will catch up with us, starting today.Bob KayneWed, 08 May 2013 07:40:18 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=2147483784&blogid=103Unfortunately, due to a canceled flight on United Airlines to London from San Francisco and United's inability to reschedule our flight for several days with the original non-stop itinerary, Mary Claire and I found ourselves at home in Blackhawk this past week. I believe that United Airlines is still finding their fleet compromised with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner continuing to be grounded around the globe. We certainly had many things to catch up on, as we had not been home in the Bay Area for more than a month, but Mary Claire suggested that a Friday trip to Napa Valley would be a welcome addition to our schedule.Bob KayneSun, 03 Mar 2013 05:09:10 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=2147483771&blogid=103On Saturday, February 2nd, Groundhog Day, Staten Island Chuck did not spot his shadow at the Staten Island Zoo. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg decided to pass on this event, leaving City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who will campaign for the Mayor's job when his third term comes to end, to represent the city. Staten Island Chuck has been notorious for biting Mayor Bloomberg in 2009, so this is one annual event he does not always attend. Mayor Bloomberg will be missed by most of us when his third term expires, perhaps even by Staten Island Chuck.Bob KayneTue, 19 Feb 2013 05:06:55 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=2147483715&blogid=103After spending the holidays in New York City, Mary Claire and I flew home to Blackhawk late last week. We are anticipating the start of a heavy travel schedule in late January as we continue to look for above average growth around the globe. Bob KayneWed, 09 Jan 2013 06:00:25 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=2147483670&blogid=103A headline in yesterday's New York Times caught my eye, "Seeing Threat, British Press Hails Cameron as Defender" by Sarah Lyall: "It is hard to find much common ground among Britain's squabbling, competing newspapers. Not only do they naturally mistrust one another, but they also tend to divide along party lines, so that The Daily Telegraph, for instance, is generally pro-Tory, while The Guardian is generally pro-Labour. (The papers owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation support whomever Mr. Murdoch supports.)"Bob KayneSun, 02 Dec 2012 11:04:19 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=11&blogid=103The Sunday prior to the U.S. presidential election, I flew west to start a trip to the Asia/Pacific region. I stayed in Blackhawk to watch the outcome. After months of hearing about the swing states and importance of Ohio, I anticipated a late evening. But when the votes were counted it became very clear that, with the exception North Carolina, Governor Romney had lost every swing state to President Obama, who was re-elected by a wide electoral vote margin.Bob KayneSat, 17 Nov 2012 16:08:13 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=2712&blogid=103I have heard from many of you over the past several months that it has been awhile since I wrote about wines and wine country. After making a stop in New York City after our trip to London, Mary Claire and I headed west to take friends, who had never visited Napa or Sonoma counties, to Northern California's wine country. Bob KayneSun, 21 Oct 2012 07:17:56 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=2688&blogid=103This past Monday, Strategic Insight launched our first big data product: SimFund Pro 7.0. On IBM’s website, Bringing big data to the enterprise, it states, “Every day, we create 2.5 quintillion bytes of data – so much that 90% of the data in the world has been created in the last two years alone.” For Strategic Insight, this is the first time in 20 years that we have taken our iconic fund flow database, SimFund and enhanced its usefulness for our clients by combining it with another powerful database.Bob KayneSat, 06 Oct 2012 17:19:34 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=2644&blogid=103Most of us in the U.S. return to work today from the last long weekend of the summer. We are now looking forward to National Football League's first week of games, starting on Wednesday evening, with the Super Bowl Champion Giants hosting the Dallas Cowboys. This past weekend while we were visiting with friends and family in Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island, the collegiate football season began in earnest. And we also watched Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan officially nominated by the Republicans to challenge President Obama and Vice President Biden, who the Democrats will nominate this week in Charlotte. Bob KayneMon, 03 Sep 2012 19:16:22 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=2600&blogid=103The world's attention has turned to the Summer Olympics. NBC Universal/NBC Sports Group, which has the Olympics franchise in the U.S., has once again brought into our homes the human drama, both in victory and defeat, that the Olympics provide every two years. The opening ceremony was uniquely British and showcased London and the U.K. to the world.Bob KayneSun, 05 Aug 2012 06:52:39 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=2538&blogid=103As the world watched the Greek elections last Sunday with the question of Greece remaining in the Eurozone hanging in the balance, it was clear that the uncertainty of a solution had stalled the global markets. In the end, the Greeks voted by a small margin for the conservative New Democracy party, enabling them to form a government that favors remaining part of the Eurozone while renegotiating some of their previously agreed to austerity terms.Bob KayneSat, 23 Jun 2012 10:50:44 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=2508&blogid=103I am writing this as I watch Jack Nicklaus' Memorial Tournament, which precedes the U.S. Open in two weeks. This year the U.S. Open will return for the fifth time to The Olympic Club in San Francisco at the Lakeside Course. Rory Mcllroy, who is one of the best golfers in the world at 23 and won last year's U.S. Open at the Congressional Country Club's Blue Course, has missed the last three cuts on the tour, which has created much discussion on how he will fare on the Lake Course in two weeks.Bob KayneSun, 03 Jun 2012 14:56:35 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=2401&blogid=103Asset International continues to grow through organic growth of our core businesses and brands as well as through acquisition.  As we expand, it remains important that the senior management team continues to provide a culture that allows both individuals and teams to perform at a high level and deliver on the goals we have established for the company.Bob KayneSun, 03 Jun 2012 14:52:11 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=2369&blogid=103Today I want to focus on the funding of retirement liabilities and will address energy independence in a future column. Retirement funding is not an issue that is limited to one country or one form of government. It is a real issue for democracies in continental Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as Canada and Australia. It is also a very real issue for China, as the effects of the "one child" policy come into focus. And it is a real issue for the Latin American countries, too, with Brazil and Chile taking leadership roles. Bob KayneSun, 01 Apr 2012 15:33:41 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=2328&blogid=103After one of the warmest winters on record in New York City, we are starting to look forward to spring and Opening Day of the Major League Baseball season. It is a good point, as well, to look back and see how the two different paths traveled by the Cameron coalition government and the Obama administration to foster the fragile recovery from the Great Recession have performed.  Bob KayneSun, 04 Mar 2012 06:56:59 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=2295&blogid=103Two weeks ago I was able to meet with our expanded London team and together one evening we hosted an event for our London-based clients to meet the editors and directors of research at our new offices in The City. It was my pleasure to announce that John Lee, from whom we bought The Trade in 2009, would be assuming the role of Managing Director of Europe for Asset International.Bob KayneSun, 12 Feb 2012 08:39:54 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=2238&blogid=103This weekend of NFL wild-card football has provided significant entertainment, with the New Orleans Saints, lead by Drew Brees, advancing to play the resurgent San Francisco 49ers, the Houston Texans advancing for the first time to Baltimore to play the Ravens, the New York Giants, lead by the other Manning, once again headed to Lambeau Field in Green Bay to face the defending Super Bowl champion and their MVP, Aaron Rodgers, and the surprising Denver Broncos and the amazing Tim Tebow are headed to New England, after an overtime victory against the Steelers, to play the Patriots and their field general Tom Brady.Bob KayneSun, 08 Jan 2012 18:28:42 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=2228&blogid=103In my last column in early December, I forecast that the U.S. recovery would continue, which was confirmed later in the month. I also forecast that even though the Eurozone would enter a mild recession while the member countries continued to wrestle with the debt crisis, the United Kingdom would experience slow growth but would not join the countries on the continent in recession. Shortly after this column appeared Prime Minister David Cameron became the target of French President Nicolas Sarkozy's ire when he stood alone at the December EU summit and did not vote for the new treaty.Bob KayneMon, 02 Jan 2012 13:25:39 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=2182&blogid=103As we move further into the holiday season, it is clear that we have avoided a double-dip recession in the U.S., which was on everyone’s mind this spring, but the global economy remains under pressure, particularly in the Eurozone where long-term solutions remain elusive. It will be difficult to avoid a European recession in 2012.Bob KayneTue, 06 Dec 2011 09:00:40 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=2104&blogid=103While European economies continue to weaken and the U.S. manages very slow growth that has kept unemployment over 9%, it appears that the 17 sovereign countries that comprise the Eurozone are unable to commit to a comprehensive solution to Greece’s crushing debt load.  The Greek problems have been known to everyone for close to two years, but during this time it has proved impossible to put together a comprehensive solution, particularly one that the two largest members of the Eurozone, France and Germany, can support.Bob KayneSun, 23 Oct 2011 15:58:57 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=2095&blogid=103As I was planning to leave Reed Elsevier's Reed Business Information division in January of 2007, I was looking forward to building an integrated professional information services company with a strong, single market focus. After having met with many other private equity teams, I decided to partner with Austin Ventures' Growth Equity team.Application AdministratorMon, 21 Nov 2011 02:54:13 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=2005&blogid=103As we observe the still-unresolved Greek debt crisis, it is important to realize that the deleveraging we are undergoing in the Euro Zone, the U.K. and the U.S. is a painful process.  This painful and slow-moving process in Greece and the European Union has been going on much longer than the debate in the U.S. over raising the debt ceiling.Bob KayneTue, 20 Sep 2011 12:40:57 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1955&blogid=103As we awaited Hurricane Irene's arrival Saturday evening in New York City, it was a good time to reflect on how we can restore growth to a sluggish global economy and the important role entrepreneurs need to play. Two weeks ago I wrote, Entrepreneurs & a Week of Volatility in the U.S. & U.K.! and stated, "I believe that we need to unleash entrepreneurs in both the U.S. & U.K. and let them, once again, create the jobs that will drive more revenue into the government coffers from an engaged workforce that has been idled by unemployment for too long."Bob KayneSat, 27 Aug 2011 16:59:24 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1928&blogid=103Normally, the dog days of summer are a quiet time around the globe, when there are always preparations under way for the fall. For example, on Thursday evening the first preseason National Football League games were played. With the players strike at an end and a new 10-year collective bargaining agreement in place, the teams are starting to prepare for the regular season. Even the baseball division and wild card races do not normally draw much attention until September, but this year it has been different.Bob KayneSat, 13 Aug 2011 20:09:16 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1897&blogid=103In the middle of the countdown to default and the ongoing search for political compromise, we learned yesterday that the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annual rate of less than 1 percent in the first half ofBob KayneSun, 31 Jul 2011 06:14:30 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1867&blogid=103I have enjoyed my several weeks in Blackhawk, but I am preparing to return to New York City on Monday. The first two weeks of July are normally a quiet time for news, with many families starting vacations that often go into August. In most years this is true for New York, Washington D.C. and London, but this year it has been very different.Bob KayneMon, 18 Jul 2011 08:30:06 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1847&blogid=103The Monaco Fund Forum International is always of major importance for the industry – in its 21st year, it is the world’s largest asset management event, and Julian Kirby, Jenny Adams, Ed Jones and team again outdid themselves. It also was a major event for Strategic Insight and Asset International this year, since we came to Monaco with almost a dozen representatives, including our chairman and CEO, Jim Casella.   Jag, Rita, Mike, Jason, Jamie, Lise, Andreas, Ilaria and other colleagues from AI attended – at the same time, we had a big Strategic Insight event in NY on Monday/Tuesday as well, led by  Avi Nachmany, Kevin and the US team, with close to 200 senior executives of the US fund industry – a big week all around.Bob KayneSun, 03 Jul 2011 12:36:26 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1845&blogid=103I am heading to Monaco tomorrow to join 10 members of our Strategic Insight team for Fund Forum International 2011, which is billed as The World’s Largest Asset Management Event. Daniel Enskat, who directs our global advisory and consulting services, will open the Distribution Summit on Monday morning with a presentation entitled, New Research: A Global Survey of the New Professional Fund Buyer & Their Changing Product Requirements.Bob KayneSun, 26 Jun 2011 07:25:19 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1844&blogid=103During the recent global financial crisis there were many predictions that live events, whether they were conferences or large expositions, would not recover until 2012 at the earliest, based on the fact that they are considered trailing indicators of a recovery. Historically this has been tied to the commitment and reservation process.  Professional communities, though, have proven much more resilient in 2011 than forecast.Bob KayneMon, 20 Jun 2011 04:29:03 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1831&blogid=103Two weeks ago I sat in my hotel room in Boston and watched HBO's <strong>"Too Big to Fail,"</strong> a made-for-television movie by Andrew Ross Sorkin, The characters of Hank Paulson, played by William Hurt, and Ben Bernanke, played by Paul Giamatti, brought back memories of the Fall of '08 when our financial world was spinning out of control.Bob KayneTue, 07 Jun 2011 10:12:27 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1826&blogid=103As we approach Memorial Day, I am working in Boston this week and next. We decided last fall that our expanding client base in Boston, along with a growing number of employees, required an office to insure that we could provide the strong client service that distinguishes Asset International as a company.  I am pleased to report that our new office, which will house our Boston-based team, is open for business at 255 State Street.Bhakti PatelMon, 05 Nov 2012 06:54:58 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1815&blogid=103Last Sunday evening as I returned to my hotel room after attending the opening reception and dinner at American Business Media's annual event in Austin, Texas, my cell phone rang and Mary Claire told me to turn on my television -- President Obama would be announcing shortly that after almost 10 years since 9/11, Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind a day that will live on infamously in history as the worst attack on American soil, had been discovered living in Pakistan and had been taken out by a team of U.S. Navy Seals.Bob KayneSun, 08 May 2011 18:39:48 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1813&blogid=103According to data released this past Thursday, "German unemployment fell to its lowest level in two decades in April." After years of running double-digit unemployment, the total number of unemployed fell below 3 million people for the first time since 1992. Germany's economy benefited from the strong export of autos and other products.Bob KayneFri, 29 Apr 2011 10:14:56 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1799&blogid=103Since I launched Case Interactive Media with Austin Ventures in the spring of 2007 and had the vision of building a global professional information services company, I have focused on a strong foundation in two of the pillars of our global financial system, New York and London. I spend at least one week of every quarter, and sometimes longer, in London, where we have seen our business expand both through acquisition and organic growth.Bob KayneSun, 17 Apr 2011 12:54:40 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1785&blogid=103On March 2nd aiCIO reported in its Daily News, Following PIMCO's El-Erian, Warren Buffet Discourages QE2, "Echoing statements made by Pacific Investment Management Co.'s Mohamed El-Erian and Bill Gross, Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett has said the US does not currently need an economic stimulus...Bob KayneWed, 16 Mar 2011 05:46:11 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1773&blogid=103Against the backdrop of street revolutions sweeping through the Middle East and eastern Africa and with the world focused this week on the bloodshed in the streets of Tripoli, where Colonel Qadhafi appears unwilling to leave and clings to power, vowing to fight unto his death, Ireland went to the polls this week. The Irish delivered a Democratic revolution, dealing a resounding defeat to the Fianna Fail party...Bob KayneSun, 27 Feb 2011 06:50:04 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1772&blogid=103It has been some time since I have devoted a column to wine, but with spring in the air this past week in New York City and most of my favorite California vineyards accepting orders for March or April shipping, I have decided to focus my attention on northern California Cult wines’ second labels.Bob KayneSat, 19 Feb 2011 09:19:31 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1770&blogid=103Most of the emerging market economies were able to escape the dramatic downturn that impacted the vast majority of the developed market economies. China, in particular, was the standout growth engine for the past two years, without any real competition from the western economies. This past week, though, we saw the Chinese government "continue to raise both deposit and loan rates." Bob KayneSun, 13 Feb 2011 06:44:24 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1763&blogid=103Prime Minister David Cameron's coalition government took office after 13 years of Labour Party rule. Sensing that they had a mandate for change, the government declared that years of deficit spending were over and that they would put forth an austerity budget...Now that they have been in office for more than six months, we are  starting to see that the path they have chosen is not without obstacles  as they try to stabilize the economy for the long haul.Bob KayneSun, 30 Jan 2011 18:03:27 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1760&blogid=103We announced the acquisition of <strong>Plan for Life</strong> right after the start of the New Year, Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, Plan for Life was founded by Simon Solomon, who had a long history in the Insurance and Risk industries and understood the need for research, particularly as the superannuation pension scheme assets under management continued to expand. Today the company provides business intelligence for both the mutual fund and insurance/risk industries and has an unparalleled reputation for providing the highest quality data and insights for both Australia and New Zealand.Bob KayneSat, 22 Jan 2011 08:49:38 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1755&blogid=103After the "shellacking" that the Democrats took in the November midterm elections, the President decided two weeks ago that it was time for a compromise and a move toward the center. Yesterday, after having passed both the House and the Senate, President Obama signed it into law.Bob KayneSun, 19 Dec 2010 05:11:31 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1744&blogid=103While we turn to Thanksgiving in the U.S. this week, we find a global economy still looking to find its footing and to restore growth and provide full employment. The battle between strong export economies and the latest version of quantitative easing, or QE2, remains front and center as Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke continues to defend this latest program to jump-start the U.S. economy.Bob KayneSun, 21 Nov 2010 05:30:02 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1741&blogid=103Shortly after President Obama recorded the Democrats’ “shellacking” in the midterm elections, he began a trip to Asia, starting with a visit to India. Prior to leaving he took responsibility for the large number of seats lost in the House, as well as losses in the Senate and Democratic state houses.Bob KayneSun, 14 Nov 2010 03:07:12 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1684&blogid=103On Saturday morning we traveled back to our home in Blackhawk, in the Bay Area's East Bay. With our two-week trip to Hong Kong, Shanghai and London and time in our New York home, it has been approximately six weeks since we have been to our West Coast home. After watching the Yankees go down to defeat on Friday evening to Nolan Ryan's Texas Rangers, who have never been to a World Series, we arrived in time to see the San Francisco Giants defeat the Phillies.Bob KayneSun, 24 Oct 2010 09:51:59 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1646&blogid=103Summer gave way to fall and I have just returned from a two-week trip to London and Hong Kong. Asset International's products and services are aimed at needs of the professionals in the asset management sector and they deserve to hear the vision from the CEO of the company on how we can best meet the needs of their professional managers.Bob KayneSun, 10 Oct 2010 13:52:58 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1567&blogid=103We are witnessing conflicting approaches from the Democrats and Republicans to stimulate the U.S. economy, which has clearly slowed down again. After significant growth in both the 4th quarter of last year and the 1st quarter of this year, the U.S. economy experienced dramatically slower growth in the 2nd quarter and it appears that the 3rd quarter will also be below a growth rate that would have an impact on the stubbornly high unemployment rate of 9.5%-9.6%.Bob KayneSun, 12 Sep 2010 09:35:47 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1477&blogid=103Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have dominated professional golf in the United States for most of this decade. They have clearly been #1 and #2 on the PGA tour. At this point, they are still ranked 1 and 2 in the world, but they may have reached a point in their careers where we will see a changing of the guard.Bob KayneSun, 22 Aug 2010 16:02:39 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1417&blogid=103In politics, business, and life in general, one cannot choose when they take center stage, but given the opportunity, this coalition led by Cameron and Clegg seems to be making the most of the opportunity to set the United Kingdom on a new course in these early days. They have been able to withstand grousing within their own parties and hold the center -- for now.Bob KayneMon, 09 Aug 2010 04:46:09 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1353&blogid=103This past week we heard from Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke that the U.S. recovery would continue to be slow and uneven and that the unemployment rate would remain stubbornly high into 2012. Bob KayneSun, 25 Jul 2010 10:09:26 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1306&blogid=103In the fall of '07, my partners at Austin Ventures and I were still in the search mode to find a platform that we could acquire and grow.  It was almost a year later when we zeroed in on the institutional financial sector, with a focus on asset management. In fairly short order, we acquired Asset International, The Trade, and Strategic Insight.Bob KayneSun, 11 Jul 2010 06:58:15 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1258&blogid=103After months of turmoil in the Eurozone and the continuing environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, the world was ready for some Summer Competition. Bob KayneSat, 19 Jun 2010 10:29:25 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1116&blogid=103Two weeks ago in my posting, $1 Trillion Dollar Rescue Plan & a Changing of the Guard, I closed with: "This was clearly a historic week on the continent and in the United Kingdom. There is a new determination to deal with the structural issues that have left most of the countries with debt loads that the global bond markets can not support in the long run, and there is a new a resolve by these countries to put themselves on a course that will support sustainable long-term growth. The Obama administration will need to start addressing deficit reduction as well as we approach the November mid-term elections. Those of us in the private equity business will be closely watching the impact of government actions on recovering credit markets."Bob KayneSat, 29 May 2010 17:37:18 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=1051&blogid=103As we headed to JFK early on Monday morning for our BA flight to London, we learned that over the weekend the Eurozone leaders had fashioned a rescue plan that went well beyond Greece and assured the world that Spain and Portugal would not be the next dominoes to fall. Shortly thereafter both countries announced new austerity moves to further assure the world debt markets that they were serious about bringing down their debt levels as a percentage of GDP.Bob KayneSun, 16 May 2010 05:52:15 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=954&blogid=103Last week Michigan Senator Carl Levin, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Permanent Investigations, brought Goldman Sachs' (GS) Chairman and CEO Lloyd Blankfein and a number of his colleagues to Washington, D.C. to hold a hearing on the fabled Abacus derivative deal. Bob KayneWed, 05 May 2010 05:05:49 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=896&blogid=103We learned last week that air travel could be disrupted by volcanoes, as the Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted in Iceland and brought European air traffic to a halt. Thousands were stranded on both sides of the Atlantic. As we gradually work our way back to a normal schedule, we are learning that one of Iceland's other volcanoes, Katla, is overdue for an eruption.Bob KayneSat, 24 Apr 2010 17:11:25 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=862&blogid=103Two years ago today I wrote in The Masters Tradition: “There is one weekend every spring that I clear my calendar from early afternoon until early evening, the weekend of the Masters. I find myself seduced by the beauty of the course, particularly Amen Corner, combined with the challenge it holds for the world’s best golfers and its unique traditions. There is something special at the end of this tournament when the prior year’s winner puts the Green Jacket on the new champion...Bob KayneSat, 24 Apr 2010 17:12:00 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=799&blogid=103As we close out the first quarter of the new calendar and fiscal year, almost all businesses are finding that their year-over-year performance has improved significantly. The first quarter of '09 represented the depth of the Great Recession, when the world as we knew it unraveled before our eyes. When earnings are released for the first quarter of '10 we will see, without exception, improvements in all sectors of the business media, including those newspapers that survived the downturn.Bob KayneTue, 13 Apr 2010 15:40:42 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=726&blogid=103Our Strategic Insight Global team recently published a detailed report on the rapidly growing middle class investor in emerging markets. The report describes the rapid growth in markets such as China and India and the need for asset managers looking to grow to find ways to enter these markets and to be sure to not underestimate the differences and potential obstacles these markets pose versus their home markets.Bob KayneSat, 27 Mar 2010 07:47:03 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=699&blogid=103With the concerns about the fiscal integrity of Greece and several other Eurozone members, the Euro has been under the most significant pressure since it was introduced as a common currency more than 8 years ago. There has been much speculation that it could fall to parity with the US dollar.Bob KayneWed, 10 Mar 2010 06:59:52 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=625&blogid=103I spent the past week in London. While it was colder than normal, I missed the February blizzard that blanketed the northeast U.S. on Wednesday. Over the past several years, Mary Claire and I have managed to be in New York City for each of the major February snowstorms. This time she got to enjoy the winter wonderland without me.  It was hard to gauge on this trip if the Labour Party was bouncing back in time for the spring election or if the Tories had peaked too early, and no one I spoke with seemed ready to make a prediction. Bob KayneThu, 25 Feb 2010 09:47:44 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=593&blogid=103As we approach Super Sunday, most of us have had our teams bow out early. After a surprising win over the Patriots two years ago, the Giants did not even make the playoffs this year. Dallas won their first playoff game but exited the next week when they came up against Brett Favre and the Vikings. The Patriots are starting to show their age and the lack of top-quality draft picks, due to their three Super Bowl rings in the last decade, has not helped.Bob KayneSat, 19 Jun 2010 10:27:39 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=563&blogid=103The amount of populist rhetoric coming from both sides of the political aisle in the U.S. has been escalating over the past several weeks. Bob KayneSun, 31 Jan 2010 07:09:13 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=544&blogid=103With one week left in Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's first term, a sense of unease rattled the stock markets yesterday as several Democratic Senators (Boxer & Feingold) announced that they would not support President Obama's nomination of Chairman Bernanke for a second term. I wrote "A Second Term for Ben" (see below) in late August and shortly thereafter the president nominated him for a second term.Bob KayneSun, 31 Jan 2010 05:45:51 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=521&blogid=103As we closed out calendar year '09, our largest financial institutions were able to end a very difficult chapter of the Great Recession by paying back their TARP funds. These funds were paid back with interest and the federal government realizing an additional return through warrant coverage. This signified that our financial system was on the road to recovery.Bob KayneSun, 17 Jan 2010 07:42:11 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=485&blogid=103After a U.S. jobs report from the Labor Department showed modest gains in November, last Friday’s report for December showed a loss of another 85,000 jobs. We also learned on Friday that the Eurozone’s unemployment rate has now joined the U.S. at 10%+. These unemployment rates remain stubbornly high, in spite of the fact that both economies grew in the second half of ‘09.Bob KayneSun, 10 Jan 2010 07:45:23 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=440&blogid=103For the first time in many years, Mary Claire and I had our family join us at our home in Blackhawk for the entire holiday season. The Bay Area at this time of year has winter, but a more temperateInternal AdministratorSun, 07 Mar 2010 09:49:16 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=407&blogid=103I wrote several weeks ago regarding Kip McDaniel's foresight in his initial ai5000 cover story on the problems brewing in Dubai. Now we know that there were deep-seated debt problems that could only be abated by Abu Dhabi extending a $10B lifeline, with lots of strings attached. This month in the Winter Issue of ai5000, Asset International's founder Charles Ruffel opens with an editorial on the suit that California Attorney General Jerry Brown has initiated against State Street Bank.Bob KayneThu, 17 Dec 2009 06:34:41 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=396&blogid=103The recent news in New York has been positive for the institutional financial services sector. Two weeks ago Bank of America (BAC) surprised most analysts by announcing that they had worked out an agreement to pay back the $45B ofBob KayneSun, 13 Dec 2009 02:13:11 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=383&blogid=103Last year as we prepared for Thanksgiving, the disturbing news reached us from Mumbai, India that a massacre of innocent individuals was taking place and it was focused on two very well known international hotels, the Taj and the Oberoi,Bob KayneSun, 29 Nov 2009 06:11:21 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=374&blogid=103This Thursday when we sit down to Thanksgiving dinner with our family and friends the majority of us will be thankful for surviving the Great Recession and seeing a very challenging year for the global economy come to an end.Bob KayneSun, 22 Nov 2009 05:39:51 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=334&blogid=103It was reported late last week that the United Kingdom's economy continued to contract in the third quarter. GDP was reported to be down by 0.4 percent vs. the 2nd quarter. (FT/The Lex Column October 24, 2009) This represented a record sixth consecutive quarter of contraction, the longest since World War II. It was down 5.2% from the year-earlier period. (WSJ October 24, 2009) This contrasted with the eurozone recovery, where many are forecasting GDP to improve by 0.9 percent, largely fueled by a stronger recovery in France and Germany.Bob KayneSun, 22 Nov 2009 05:27:38 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=307&blogid=103I woke up Saturday morning in Blackhawk ready to focus on college football, The Presidents Cup in Harding Park and an afternoon round of golf on The Lakeside Course, where two weeks ago the LPGA held the CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge, which was won by Sophie Gustafson.Bob KayneSun, 11 Oct 2009 11:31:14 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=299&blogid=103Yesterday Mary Claire and I flew back to our Blackhawk home in northern California. Blackhawk sits in the East Bay at the base of Mt. Diablo, which provides the highest vista in the Bay Area. The weather in the EastBob KayneMon, 05 Oct 2009 06:59:43 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=293&blogid=103When I was in London several weeks ago, Lord Turner, chair of the Financial Services Authority, revived an old idea, the Tobin tax.  ... The Labour Party's Adair Turner believes that today's financial services sector has grown too large and a Tobin tax would help to bring it in line and reduce the excesses that lead to the global financial crisis.Bob KayneSun, 27 Sep 2009 16:09:40 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=289&blogid=103I returned to New York City late on Thursday evening from a week in China. My trip, as I wrote in Summer's End, was built around SWIFT's Sibos 2009 event in Hong Kong. It coincided with the one-year anniversary of Lehman Brothers' filing for bankruptcy. As one looked around the exhibition hall in Hong Kong, it is clear that we are in a recovery.Bob KayneSun, 20 Sep 2009 19:54:54 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=269&blogid=103As we celebrate Labor Day in the Bay Area, it is clear that summer is coming to an end. I returned to Blackhawk from a week in London, where Gordon Brown and the Labour Party continue to surprise me by still surviving. It looks like Brown will make it until he must call for an election in the spring. We are evaluating several acquisitions for further expansion in London.Bob KayneMon, 07 Sep 2009 10:14:47 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=251&blogid=103In my last posting, "Goldman Sachs' Swagger," I received more feedback than usual and it was more mixed than usual, but I stand by my position that while the company's over performance has resulted in some arrogant behavior, the firm and its partners are not evil.  One of the people I heard from was the famous journalist and columnist, Robert X. Cringely.Bob KayneSun, 23 Aug 2009 14:06:51 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=239&blogid=103In the July 26th issue of New York Magazine, Joe Hagan raised the question: is Goldman Sachs (GS) just extremely good at what it does or evil?  This followed a July 2nd article in Rolling Stone by Matt Taibbi entitled "Inside the Great American Bubble Machine."Bob KayneMon, 17 Aug 2009 07:09:44 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=210&blogid=103In my last posting, I wrote about what the B2B industry will look like as it emerges in &#8217 10 and &#8217 11 from the deep recession (<a href="http www.caseinteractivemedia.com blog ?p=217">B2B Media Business on the Recovery A Sneak Preview<Bob KayneMon, 27 Jul 2009 08:15:33 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=199&blogid=103We have been in the middle of the perfect storm since last September.  Beginning with the demise of Lehman Brothers through February of this year, all of the markets were in free fall.  The only other period that I can compare this to is after 9/11 in the fourth quarter of 2001, when the economies of the world ground to a halt and Herculean efforts were required to jump-start the world stock exchanges.  While the wheels of commerce ground to a halt during both of these periods, this recession has been much deeper and cut a wider path of destruction.Application AdministratorSun, 19 Jul 2009 20:20:33 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=181&blogid=103  We were originally planning to head to Blackhawk this week, but two very exciting transactions that we will announce shortly will keep us in New York City for the next two weeks.  While we  await the time when weApplication AdministratorMon, 15 Jun 2009 06:29:33 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=180&blogid=103  Each of us in the media industry continues to review our models for content creation, particularly during this advertising recession. We often look toward the Google  (GOOG) model of aggregated content from sources around the globe with envy andBob KayneTue, 09 Jun 2009 09:20:58 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=168&blogid=103At the start of this long Memorial Day weekend, it is clear that with spring we saw some "green shoots" and sensed that we had most likely touched bottom in this deep recession in February or March. Confidence has slowly returned with regards to our financial system and the strongest banks are in the midst of negotiatiApplication AdministratorSat, 23 May 2009 16:47:51 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=169&blogid=103Back in mid-February, I wrote in Transparency : "The current financial crisis, which has resulted in the worst recession since World War II, will come to an end when confidence is restored in our global financial institutions. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner learned very quickly last week that the markets want more thApplication AdministratorMon, 11 May 2009 05:41:11 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=166&blogid=103As we emerge from the long winter recession, once more the debate is underway about whether marketers should spend any of their budget on branding or focus entirely on lead generation. I, for one, believe that this is not an either/or decision. The best marketers, those who have created growth during this downturn, conApplication AdministratorMon, 27 Apr 2009 03:52:46 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=167&blogid=103Before we turn to opportunities, I need to do a mea culpa on my pick of Louisville to go all the way after they trounced Arizona. They unexpectedly ran into the Motown favorite, Tom Izzo's Michigan State Spartans. Detroit needed some magic and the team from 90 miles away in Lansing answered the call. The idea of LouisvApplication AdministratorTue, 14 Apr 2009 10:46:30 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=163&blogid=103The last week of winter was not kind to President Obama or Treasury Secretary Geithner.  Critics’ voices got louder and insisted that the administration was not up to the task of restoring confidence in our financial markets and institutions.  The late-night visit with Jay Leno by the President did not help and there sApplication AdministratorSun, 29 Mar 2009 05:36:03 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=164&blogid=103On Thursday March 12th in the Wall Street Journal, Peter Lattman wrote,  “The LBO is dead. Long live the EBO” (WSJ, “ Lacking Leverage, Firms Embrace EBOs ”).  In the article he quoted Scott Nuttall, a partner at KKR speaking at a private equity conference, "Opportunities abound right now. You don't need to use leveragApplication AdministratorSun, 15 Mar 2009 14:01:05 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=165&blogid=103It is crunch time for the Division I men's college basketball teams. With "Selection Sunday" looming large on March 15th, teams on the bubble need to make their move.  Rivals.com has just published its projections for the field of 65. Penn State, Kentucky, Cincinnati and Miami are currently the last four in. VirginiaApplication AdministratorSun, 01 Mar 2009 10:09:27 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=161&blogid=103The current financial crisis, which has resulted in the worst recession since World War II, will come to an end when confidence is restored in our global financial institutions.  Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner learned very quickly last week that the markets want more than a blueprint, they want a specific plan that wiApplication AdministratorMon, 16 Feb 2009 05:21:20 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=162&blogid=103This past Monday morning as I was preparing for my evening flight to London and reflecting on the exciting Super Bowl win by the Steelers on Sunday evening, I received an email notifying me that my Virgin Atlantic flight from JFK to London had been cancelled because of snow. London had just been hit by its worst snowstApplication AdministratorSun, 08 Feb 2009 03:04:58 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=159&blogid=103The historic inauguration of President Barack H. Obama last week has added some excitement to what is shaping up to be a very cold January for our financial markets.  Although our problems will not be easy to solve, there is a sense of optimism that we can tackle our problems and that with resolve and leadership we canApplication AdministratorSat, 24 Jan 2009 11:36:41 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=160&blogid=103The holiday season provided a nice interlude from the train wreck of a global economy that the fourth quarter of '08 unveiled. We spent the Christmas week in New York and then traveled to the Bay Area for the New Year. Unfortunately, we enter the New Year with all our problems still in place. As I write this Bernie MadApplication AdministratorSun, 11 Jan 2009 17:19:23 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=157&blogid=103We have reached the point in '08 where we can look back and take stock on the full year and start to look forward to '09.  Without question '08 has been the most challenging year for the world financial markets since the end of World War II. We have experienced the collapse of Bear Stearns and its purchase by JPMorgan Application AdministratorMon, 22 Dec 2008 11:27:19 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=158&blogid=103As we prepared for Thanksgiving last week on Wednesday afternoon, November 26th, the horrific news from Mumbai of a well-planned terrorist attack reached us and it dominated the news for the next 48 hours. In July of 2007, I wrote in Private Equity in India : "During my final year with Reed Business, I servApplication AdministratorFri, 05 Dec 2008 05:01:15 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=155&blogid=103This past week Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson admitted that the plan he backed so vociferously just a short time ago, to buy toxic mortgage assets, was not going to work. With the recession deepening around the globe, world leaders continue to seek ways to turn around the global financial markets. Over the Application AdministratorTue, 18 Nov 2008 10:43:42 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=156&blogid=103In April of this year, in a blog entry titled, Transitions , I focused on the analog to digital transition that media companies were faced with, and how difficult this would prove in a challenged economy. In many ways, I did not envision the challenges that September and October would present us. This is clearly the mApplication AdministratorTue, 11 Nov 2008 02:29:15 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=151&blogid=103As I indicated in California Dreaming , this recession is going to be deeper than we anticipated just a few short months ago. For the media industry, the advertising slowdown will not spare any categories, as marketers move quickly to cut their variable expenses. Several years ago before the newspaper indusApplication AdministratorSun, 26 Oct 2008 10:00:18 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=152&blogid=103With all the market volatility and less than three weeks left until the '08 Presidential Election, I have decided to move up my Thanksgiving wine column. I considered writing a column on Joe the Plumber, but his 15 minutes of fame will pass quickly. I sense that we all need some diversion from the wild swings in the glApplication AdministratorFri, 17 Oct 2008 04:45:43 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=153&blogid=103The volatility in world markets remains, one week after the historic votes in the Senate and the House that authorized the rescue plan. It clearly will take time for the global markets to return to normal and it will also take some time for the Federal Reserve and the Treasury to use all the new tools at their disposalApplication AdministratorThu, 09 Oct 2008 05:53:14 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=154&blogid=103On Monday, September 29th, with the whole world watching, the House of Representatives failed to pass the financial rescue plan. After several days of testimony the prior week from Ben Bernanke and Hank Paulson and support from leaders of both parties, the House vote was short by 12 votes. The rescue plan was opposed bApplication AdministratorFri, 03 Oct 2008 05:01:26 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=147&blogid=103This past weekend lived up to my expectations, with the U.S. Ryder Cup team pulling off a surprise upset of their European rivals.  The U.S. captain Paul Azinger created a team, while European captain Nick Faldo seemed to remain aloof,  and there appeared to be a lack of camaraderie on his side, in spite of his most coApplication AdministratorThu, 25 Sep 2008 04:35:00 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=148&blogid=103When I wrote Autumn Crush on Saturday, I did not anticipate I would be writing the sequel on Wednesday, but so much has transpired over the past 48 hours that we are back with Autumn Crush II . We have learned that the team of Hank Paulson and Ben Bernanke decided to let one of the independent investmenApplication AdministratorWed, 17 Sep 2008 07:41:39 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=149&blogid=103I have just returned from a week in London. Mary Claire joined me over the first weekend and we spent several days exploring our favorite London neighborhoods.  Our most memorable dinner was at Gordon Ramsay's Maze Grill, in Grosvenor Square. The steaks were wonderful and complimented by an excellent wine list. Application AdministratorSat, 13 Sep 2008 11:58:37 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=150&blogid=103 At the end of my last blog,  Drawing to a Close , I queried: "Any forecasts on the candidates vice presidential running mates?" I had several people suggest to me that Senator Obama would choose Senator Joseph Biden, particularly in light of the turmoil in Georgia.  They were proven correct when several days laApplication AdministratorMon, 01 Sep 2008 18:39:32 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=143&blogid=103With August drawing to a close as we enter the dog days of summer, we start to get ready for fall. The XXIX Olympic Games in Beijing are living up to their advance promise and NBC, in spite of this being the first Olympic Games with extensive live online coverage, is getting very good ratings. Michael Phelps’ outstandiApplication AdministratorMon, 18 Aug 2008 07:22:41 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=144&blogid=103It was one year ago that I wrote in posting title “ August Credit Turmoil ”: "For those of us in the media business who focus on M&A and disappeared several weeks ago, our world was changed while we were enjoying our favorite recreational pursuits... Many of us are expecting a federal funds rate cut in mid-SeptembeApplication AdministratorTue, 12 Aug 2008 09:23:03 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=145&blogid=103In the fall of last year I wrote about doing business in China and the many trips I made to China during my time at Reed Business ( B2B in China ). As I watched the XXIX Olympics’ masterful and beautifully choreographed opening-night ceremony on Friday evening, I thought back to many of my visits. My last one, in the fApplication AdministratorMon, 11 Aug 2008 05:01:57 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=139&blogid=103On Tuesday evening, Major League Baseball staged its annual All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Once again the American League All-Stars beat their National League counterparts, winning 4-3 in 15 innings and securing home field for the American League’s representative in the Fall Classic.  The pre-game show wApplication AdministratorMon, 21 Jul 2008 04:21:52 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=140&blogid=103As the Bear Market continues and forecasts begin to come down for fiscal year '08, we will start to see some stars fall to earth. Yesterday, EMC CEO and VMware (VMW) chairman Joe Tucci moved to oust VMware's cofounder and CEO Diane Greene. (VMware was spun out last year in a very successful IPO; EMC still owns 86% of VApplication AdministratorWed, 09 Jul 2008 07:10:55 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=136&blogid=103As stock markets around the globe continued their slump last week, the headlines proclaiming that we are in a bear market were omnipresent. The markets were all down very significantly from their October '07 highs. With oil and gold heading in the opposite direction and setting new daily highs, there was no denying thaApplication AdministratorMon, 30 Jun 2008 04:46:20 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=137&blogid=103I am sitting at my desk in my home office in Blackhawk. It is clear that spring has given way to summer across the United States, and today's high temperature is forecast to reach 105 degrees. Outdoor activities such as golf will give way to air conditioning today. The summer of '08 should prove to be a memorable one, Application AdministratorSun, 22 Jun 2008 02:32:45 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=138&blogid=103On Thursday evening the NBA finals open in Boston, with the Celtics facing the Lakers. These fabled franchises have met eleven times in the NBA finals, but this is the first time since 1987. Back in the '80s when they met three times in the finals, Larry Bird led the Celtics and Magic Johnson led the Lakers. Their persApplication AdministratorTue, 03 Jun 2008 02:14:57 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=133&blogid=103Last week, as I flew west to Los Angeles, I settled in to catch up on my magazine reading. I had with me the most recent issues of BusinessWeek, Forbes, Fortune and Sports Illustrated. I am a longtime subscriber to all of them and still look forward to a block of uninterrupted time when I can read them cover to cover. Application AdministratorTue, 27 May 2008 02:24:07 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=134&blogid=103It was not that long ago that all the large, well-known private equity firms in the United States and Europe were focused on the largest deals they could find. I remember meeting with many of them as I was deciding on what I wanted to do in my next chapter after Reed Business, and the question for many of them was how Application AdministratorTue, 20 May 2008 17:22:01 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=135&blogid=103Last week we saw several individuals and corporations declare victory. After Microsoft's (MSFT) CEO Steve Ballmer decided not to go hostile and not to raise his $31 bid for Yahoo (YHOO) beyond $33, he walked away and said that Microsoft’s current online strategy was fine and that it would just take longer to offer a reApplication AdministratorSun, 11 May 2008 16:16:37 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=131&blogid=103In the fall of '07 I wrote a column titled "Global Brands," where I stated, "As we transition to a digital world, managing our brands becomes ever more demanding....All of us in the B2B or B2C world tasked with transitioning to the digital world are looking for the Holy Grail, an umbrella brand that inspires confidenApplication AdministratorSun, 27 Apr 2008 13:23:18 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=132&blogid=103There is one weekend every spring that I clear my calendar from early afternoon until early evening, the weekend of the Masters . I find myself seduced by the beauty of the course, particularly Amen Corner, combined with the challenge it holds for the world's best golfers and its unique traditions. There is something Application AdministratorSun, 13 Apr 2008 16:44:36 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=128&blogid=103Two weeks ago I wrote that while I start every week with an optimistic outlook that the worst of the credit crunch is behind us, I soon find myself disappointed by the "other shoe dropping.” Unfortunately, my fears were confirmed on that Friday, March 14th, when we learned that the venerable Bear Stearns (BSC) was suApplication AdministratorWed, 26 Mar 2008 08:10:06 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=130&blogid=103With the resignation of Eliot Spitzer two weeks ago, I started to reflect on why someone who has climbed the mountain would self-destruct in such a public manner. I decided that a professional could provide more insight than the news pundits and commentators, so I turned to a friend, Dr. Steven Berglas, who I recalled Application AdministratorSun, 23 Mar 2008 14:24:46 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=129&blogid=103Since August the credit markets have been savaged by the subprime mortgage debacle. I start each week believing that the worst is behind us and that the moves by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his counterparts around the world have calmed the markets and that most of the write-downs should have taken place, only to be sApplication AdministratorTue, 11 Mar 2008 09:55:02 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=125&blogid=103While we are experiencing an early taste of spring in the Bay Area and New York City remains locked in winter, this week is proving very cold for the U.S. dollar. It has weakened against every major currency, but particularly against the Euro and the British Pound. As the U.S. economy remains stalled, with very little Application AdministratorFri, 29 Feb 2008 07:41:26 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=126&blogid=103As the battle intensifies between Microsoft (MSFT) and Yahoo (YHOO), many writers continue to focus on the difference in corporate cultures between The Valley and Seattle. We also have some large Yahoo shareholders, like Bill Miller of Legg Mason, joining the Yahoo board in declaring that the $31 per share offer is inaApplication AdministratorWed, 20 Feb 2008 05:57:31 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=127&blogid=103As we analyze the results from the Super Bowl and Super Tuesday , a common element to success emerges: Football teams and presidential campaigns must be built for the long term. After last year's loss in the first round of the playoffs, the Giants' owners came very close to firing Tom Coughlin. To their cApplication AdministratorSat, 09 Feb 2008 03:34:20 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=122&blogid=103Normally January and February are not my favorite months, with cold and snow on the east coast and significant Pacific storms on the west, but I must admit that this year these months are packed with plenty of fascinating and significant events in business, politics and sports. In my “Fall Innovation” coluApplication AdministratorSun, 27 Jan 2008 11:39:38 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=123&blogid=103As we start the new year, the word that keeps coming up in politics and business is “momentum.” Hillary lost it in Iowa but regained it in New Hampshire. McCain lost it six months ago when his campaign started to run out of money before he had run any ads, but he regained it in New Hampshire and hopes to keep it in MApplication AdministratorTue, 15 Jan 2008 03:29:41 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=124&blogid=103At this time of the year, all pundits try to provide insight into the New Year. I will join them with my own forecast for 2008. The risk managers at the major financial institutions will have greater status and their counsel will be adhered to. Therefore, the leverage of the recent buyout spree will be a distant mApplication AdministratorMon, 07 Jan 2008 02:41:06 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=121&blogid=103As we enter the homestretch of '07, it is clear that we have survived the August and September credit crunch that the subprime mortgage market inflamed. It is also clear that Ben Bernanke and his counterparts in Europe provided the essential market liquidity when it was needed and that the rate cuts were effective in aApplication AdministratorMon, 10 Dec 2007 02:28:26 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=118&blogid=103I have reflected more and more of late on the distinction between the artisan and the artist. In most great media companies, the executive team and the talent who create content execute against a strategy that the leadership team has defined. We often discuss vision and its ability to define our enterprise. Everyone waApplication AdministratorSun, 25 Nov 2007 17:35:27 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=119&blogid=103As fall moves into winter we are seeing more turmoil and a lack of confidence in the leadership of our blue chip financial institutions. Within the past two weeks we have seen the resignations of Stan O'Neal, CEO of Merrill Lynch (MER) and Charles Prince, CEO of Citigroup (C), the world's largest bank based on assets. Application AdministratorThu, 08 Nov 2007 03:58:28 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=120&blogid=103 NOTE: This column first appeared min’s b2b this past week. Renovation of a home, product portfolio or oneself is never easy. It requires painstaking attention to detail, with little margin for error. It became clear to both Mary Claire and me about two years ago that we needed to undertake a significanApplication AdministratorMon, 05 Nov 2007 05:09:18 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=116&blogid=103The historic collapse of the New York Mets in September started me thinking about the responsibility coaches in sports and managers in business have for both winning and losing teams. Willie Randolph, the manager of the Mets, was a winner both as a player with the Yankees and as a coach on Joe Torre's staff prior to taApplication AdministratorWed, 10 Oct 2007 09:29:40 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=117&blogid=103NOTE: This column first appeared min’s b2b . During my last two years at Reed Business, I made 10 trips to China. I was very fortunate during this time to have an excellent partner in Hugo Shong, the Managing Director of IDG China and a general partner in IDG's burgeoning venture capital business. If you waApplication AdministratorFri, 05 Oct 2007 09:17:06 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=113&blogid=103Tuesday the Federal Reserve lowered the federal funds rate, as I had predicted, by 1/2 a point. The discount rate also moved down by 1/2 a point, and shortly thereafter Bank of America announced that they were lowering their prime-lending rate by 1/2 a point. The global stock markets rallied on the news! GloApplication AdministratorThu, 20 Sep 2007 07:53:12 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=114&blogid=103NOTE: This column first appeared min’s b2b this past week. Many of us in the industry know Jim Casella, so we’ll keep the introduction short. Most recently, he was vice chairman of Reed Business Information (and, before that, CEO). Now, he’s hooked up with Austin Ventures to form a company called Case IntApplication AdministratorTue, 18 Sep 2007 01:30:58 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=115&blogid=103Mary Claire often reminds me that September and October are the most wonderful months, from a weather perspective, regardless of where one is in the world. That certainly is the case in New York, where the US Open is in full swing and the crowds are enjoying gorgeous evenings to go along with outstanding tennis. The FeApplication AdministratorThu, 06 Sep 2007 08:03:06 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=111&blogid=103For those of us in the media business who focus on M&A and disappeared several weeks ago, our world was changed while we were enjoying our favorite recreational pursuits. Once or twice on each nine on the golf course, my Blackberry would deliver the financial scorecard, which had even more volatility than my golf rApplication AdministratorThu, 30 Aug 2007 05:10:53 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=112&blogid=103Here we are in the early "dog days" of August & New York City is starting to empty for the month. We seem to have taken on the European approach of everyone heading out of town for the month. Prior to leaving though, Rupert Murdoch won his prize, The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones, once the Bancroft family realized that there was no alternative to his "bear hug" premium and he agreed to pay their various fees, which had become substantial... (<a href="http://www.caseinteractivemedia.com/blog/?p=12">More</a>)Application AdministratorThu, 02 Aug 2007 23:31:52 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=108&blogid=103During my final year with Reed Business, I served as vice chairman, with a focus on establishing new joint ventures or subsidiaries in China, India and Russia. Our team found an excellent partner in Infomedia India LTD, which is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange...(<a href="http://www.caseinteractivemedia.com/blog/?p=10">More</a>)Application AdministratorFri, 27 Jul 2007 04:37:38 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=109&blogid=103I was reminded over the past several days how important retaining customers is to a business' long term health & growth. My wife Mary Claire & I spent several days in wine country, Sonoma & Napa Valley, with our friends, the Bryants, who were visiting from Florida. Natalie Bryant was celebrating a "special birthday" & we decided some time ago it needed to be celebrated with a very memorable evening. (<a href="http://www.caseinteractivemedia.com/blog/?p=4">More</a>)Application AdministratorWed, 11 Jul 2007 15:17:25 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=110&blogid=103Many of the largest media companies, today, are portfolio plays that combine content with distribution. At one time this approach was very fashionable, particularly in the late Թ0's and '00. Time Warner (TWX) is the example that is often brought forward & its failed merger with AOL... (<a href="http://www.caseinteractivemedia.com/blog/?p=3">More</a>)Application AdministratorSun, 01 Jul 2007 15:16:12 GMThttp://www.assetinternational.com/ai2/blogs/post.aspx?id=107&blogid=103The potential acquisition of the Wall Street Journal & the other Dow Jones assets by Rupert Murdoch and News Corp has been covered extensively by the press. It has been fascinating to watch from the... (<a href="http://www.caseinteractivemedia.com/blog/?p=1">More</a>)Application AdministratorThu, 21 Jun 2007 14:56:04 GMT