You may have forgotten about the NYSE-Euronext merger, but it is a reality. Aaron Lucchetti and Alistair MacDonald at WSJ.com check in on the company.

Where there is smoke…private equity firm Apollo Management is exploring an initial public offering. (via WSJ.com & DealBook)

Apparently KKR is not next in line for an IPO. (via DealBreaker.com)

FT Alphaville notes KKR is the 2007 leaders in buyout volume.

Another example of chocolate in my peanut butter, no wait…yet another private equity firm is getting into the hedge fund business. (via WSJ.com)

Shareholder activist hedge funds are setting up websites to help sway shareholders over to their way of thinking. (via FT Alphaville)

Mark DeCambre at TheStreet.com notes publicly traded private equity is not all that new after all, note the existence of a number of BDCs.

Greg Newton at NakedShorts on the rating agencies being slow on the uptake in regards to the subprime mortgage market.

Todd Trubey at Morningstar.com notes some long-short mutual funds that “defied the recent downturn.”

What did the Fed Model indicate back in 1981? (via A Dash of Insight)

Are the “super-rich” doing us all a favor? (via MSN Money)

Brett Steenbarger at TraderFeed on the conditions under which “performance coaching” works, and doesn’t.

Felix Salmon on whether the world should worry about a U.S. recession?

Dave Altig at macroblog on a troubling trend in gasoline prices and petroleum inventories.

Go out and get dirty…and happy! (via Happiness & Public Policy)

There is still time to sign-up for our Way of the Turtle book giveaway. Don’t miss out.