FEATURE: During my commute on the subway, I usually pretend to read the Wall Street Journal while furtively skimming the pages of the New York Post in the hands of the guy next to me. Not quite ready for hard economic statistics (or a Post subscription), I prefer to ease into my day by stealing glances at stories that are more in the ‘Ho No!’ or ‘I’m a Cheetah’ variety. To my disappointment, the half page headline beckoning my wandering eyes on a recent morning was a bit newsier than usual, but no less alarmist: “CHINA’S DEBT BOMB: America’s No. 1 Creditor Holds the Ultimate Weapon.” Continue reading Can the US Leave the Renminbi Alone in 2010?
FEATURE: As you may have heard, the grown up Disney World called Dubai is having a tough time as of late. As you also may have heard, I live in Dubai. Well, only part of that statement is true. I actually recently moved to Abu Dhabi, the new darling of the Arabian Gulf, the girl next-door, homecoming queen. 
TOSS-UP: Having been born in Britain, where highfalutin traditions abound, my brother received several cases of vintage port from family and friends when he was born. As the practice goes, the port becomes drinkable around the time you can legally raise a glass (at least in the U.S.) and so is typically brought out of storage on one’s 21st birthday. As far as traditions go, I think this is a great one. There is nothing better than giving a toast on your birthday with your own personal birthday booze—and the stuff only gets better as the years go by. After we had polished off a few of the dusty bottles though, I began to wonder just how much the stuff might be worth today. 
TOSS-UP: Ever since I read that General Motors was going to keep its Buick brand in large part due to its strength and popularity in China, I’ve been thinking of similar situations where a brand is stronger in the emerging world than it is at home. Buick was a great first example and I thought of a few more. I’m also trying to think of other examples and what they might mean. 
