January Photos of Young Buck

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Alexandre Gregory Is Born

Alexandre Gregory Lavoie was born on Saturday. "He is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen," says his dad. I can't believe how excited I am to be a father.

8 1/2 Months

Emily and Jr. on Acorn St. in Beacon Hill near where we both lived in our single years in Beantown. This baby is ready to come out! Em is amazing and taking all of the changes in stride.

Don't Cry For Me, I have all the Chandeliers

I spent the week in Argentina, a most enterprising place if you are the national government. The current administration, taking a page from the Venezualan playbook nationalized all pension funds sucking billions out of the investment management space. Needless to say, it devastated the pension and hedge fund businesses in Buenos Aires. Now that Brazil is booming, the sentiment is shifting back to the privatization. Funny how the winds change.

Here is a fun tip for those of you who are wondering why there is so much arbitrage in ADRs in the region. Well, my friends, it has absolutely nothing to do with arbitrage at all. In fact, investors expect to lose money. What they gain is access to foreign exchange. With a government that watches money flows at the currency exchanges like a hawk, the only way to move money in and out of Argentina is through equities. Buy a local stock in local currency, trade it for an ADR, and sell it for US dollars. Let's see how long the loop hole lasts!

If you are not traveling for business, I suggest you spend some time buying leather. If you prefer antiques, Buenos Aires has cornered the market on chandeliers. You will never in your life find more in one place. Strange, but true.

8 Months

7 1/2 Months

7 Months

Apple Picking

Em looks like a butterfly ready to float over the sunflowers. This was a great weekend filled with pumpkin pie, apple sauce, apple pie, apple cider, and apple crisp. I am stuffed just thinking about it.

North to Tuscany

We found the pasta and the Italy we were looking for just outside of Florence. Mangiacane Vineyards could be the most perfect place on earth. It overlooks el Duomo in Florence and the vines that make their delicious Chianti. The estate was built by Machiavelli's uncle and the hospitality was second to none.

We also hit Banfi Vineyards south of Mangiacane. The estate was more impressive, but the personal touch wasn't the same. Here are a few shots of Baby Lavoie on the grounds.

Postcards from Positano

These are some fun shots of our trip to Italy. Positano is the most amazing "looking" place in all of Italy, but don't expect to eat pasta. Fish is on the menu. We stayed at Le Sirenuse in the hills, which in retrospect wasn't the smartest idea with a baby on the way, but one of the highlights was the boat trip down the coast.

Em fished off the back of the boat and caught a few live ones. The hotel cooked them up for lunch.

Amalfi Coast - 6 Months

A couple fun shots of Emily and Petit(e) Lavoie

Three Months

This week, Em told me she couldn't hold in her stomach any longer. Time to start telling people there is a baby on the way!

As the Future Catches You

I took a picture of this old Reuters terminal in Scotland last week. For some reason, they have one of the very interesting pieces of nostalgia that to me underlines the importance of innovation, but also defines how innovation is so very different today than it was thirty years ago in the information space. Before my time, but in the memory of my mentors, there were two big problems to solve, both requiring capital. 1) Build the content, 2) Build the connections.

In the last decade, since the internet abolished the second requirement, I have watched my industry converge data and content into a single solution at an astonishing rate while yelling, "Less is more!" the entire way. That game is coming to an end. The next (notice I did not say final) frontier ahead is all about the design, style, approach, technique, elegance of execution and content (yes it still matters) bundled up with the knowledge to make the information you deliver relevant to the world's most sophisticated customers that will make the next company king.

In a nutshell, the winner of the next round will be the company who understands that it is not what you do that matters, it is how you do it.

Radio and TV Dinner with Yo-Bama

Carr and Tony invited Em and myself down to DC to the Radio and Television Correspondent's dinner. It was great fun to see the faces including this one, although he kept his distance.

The China Club

I had a quick trip to Hong Kong for work and had just enough time to do two cool things. I had a tux made and had a great dinner with friends and colleagues at the China Club. There really is no place like it on earth. It has the musty feel of a Casablanca, and the old school charm that makes you feel like you just stepped onto the British port in 1920 gearing up to take China by storm. This is my favorite phone photo of the head chef exhibiting his prowess making noodles for the crowd.

William the Conqueror

We had a great weekend with the entire Lavoie family at the house in Falmouth this weekend. This is my favorite phone picture of my God Son William. He looks quite comfortable directing the happenings of the house in his diapers. Something tells me we are going to get along.

Dubai, My, My

The tallest building in the world, but nobody is in it.

It is in the middle of nowhere, with nothing around it. There are no economic factors for building these buildings, just relatives trying to outdo each other.

There is 60% occupancy, and in the last month, there has been a 10% decline in population, yet everywhere you look, there is more capacity going up without pause. I counted a minium of 24 cranes from any point in the city building more buildings.

Most of Dubai's GDP is based on real estate. Once the cards start to fall, if you can't pay your bills you can't declare bankruptcy, it doesn't exist. You either have to leave, or you go to jail.

All of these dooming factors aside, Dubai is a lovely place so long as you stay indoors.

Haben sie ein tyfcloud biter?

Fun weekend in Frankfurt. Margy was born in Germany and Catherine accidentally threw out the family Christening gown when the handsome young Jake was born so I set out to find a replacement while I was in town. After a full day, we finally came across the perfect gown near the old church.

Fun weekend in Frankfurt. Margy was born in Germany, and the family has always talked about replacing the lost family Christening gown. After a full day, we finally came across the perfect one near the old church.

Fondue Dreams

Fondue with the team in Geneva. I can still taste it.

Em, where does the Brooklyn Bridge go to?

Ok, not one of my brighter moments. We all have talents. A sense of direction would not make my list. Fun weekend with Em, Sally, Brandi and Katherine in NY.

Year 2: Cotton

Emily planned a trip to VT for our 2 year anniversary. She got cotton.

The Cousins Meet

Em and I were in Chicago this weekend visiting Catherine and Kevin and Steve and Vickie and our growing list of awesome and amazing nieces and nephews. This trip was to celebrate the arrival of the young and beautiful Samantha. It was also a trip to have Jake meet Evelyn and Guinevere. For some reason Jake and Guine dug hanging out in the bathroom together and here is a good shot of Evelyn making Emily understand the meaning of the word centrifugal force.

Why Old(er) People are Small(er)

Emily asked me to run point for bedroom furniture. After much research, I realized I could buy timeless beautiful 18th century antiques for around the same prices you would pay at Restoration Hardware, with the added benefit of appreciation and scarcity 'cause they ain't making more Hepplewhites last I checked.

So we went for it with one exception, the bed. You see, antique people who slept in the antique beds were small(er) than us modern folk, or at least had a different attitude toward personal space, and thus it is impossible to buy a king-size antique bed. They simply don't exist.

Antique beds rock for a few reasons. They are typically taller beds; higher off the ground, which was utilitarian to keep their inhabitants warmer with the rising heat. They are well made, with the proper joining, and typically come in solid premium woods like mahogany or maple. So if you want an antique-style bed with a good hardwood, you have to make it.

With the help of my awesome architect father-in-law, I built this bed out of tiger maple based after a series of beds we liked mixing antique and modern design. I am delighted with the outcome, but you know how the saying goes I made the bed,....

The Ranalla's Tie the Knot

Emily and I were in southern California this weekend for KP and Erik Ranalla's wedding. It was a grand event and a great chance to catch up with friends and family. I took this picture that I will eventually paint. I just love it. It is Erik's sister's three children, but with the same dresses, they look like the same girl in three progressive phases of growing up and leaving for the big world.

There is no place like Mamma's

I had the rare chance to see my very close and dear friend Mark Von Treskow this weekend in San Fransisco. He is always quite hospitable and this trip was no exception. On Sunday, we had what I have to consider the single most amazing breakfast of all time at a little diner called Mamma's. Eggs Benedict with avocado and shrimp and a fried Monte Cristo sandwich. Try either and you will understand what eternity feels like this side of heaven.

So hot you can fry an egg

Hanging out with the Jacobsen clan is always a trip. This weekend was no exception. Steve and I decided we would see if we could focus all of that Colorado sun to avoid spending money on gas for our over easy's. The plan worked.

K Club

We had an awesome time with Marge and Bryon at the K club. I think Bry guy got in three rounds that day.

The Brunnock Wedding

What an amazing memory we had with Andy and Clodagh at their wedding. They are a rockin' couple. I had no idea I could drink that many Guinness and that it was so good for you! Before the wedding, we rode our bikes around the Dingle Peninsula and checked out the cliffs of Moore.

This Old House - Paris Edition

Em and I were both in Europe for different reasons and used the opportunity to get together in Paris for the weekend. After visiting the regular places, we decided to search for something completely different, so we set out to find the oldest house in Paris. As every story goes, there is such a house built in 1407. The address is 51, rue de Montmorency, 3rd arrdt not far from the Pompidue Center.

The house was built for Nicolas Flamel (1330? – 1417), an interesting personality. He was a very successful scrivener, manuscript maker and seller. (This was before Gutenberg.) The funny thing about this particular house is how little anyone cares about it....

As we were walking to the house, Em joked that the house was probably a laundromat. We laughed as we final reached it. One half was an Asian restaurant and the other a hair salon! Too funny.