you have provided some great reading here Melanchthon, and it will take me quite a while to go through it--like maybe a few weeks (because I do other things).  but it really looks good, so I want to do it and thank you for it.  One quick comment about the snip from Simon,

Banks face increasing competition in their bids to win the mandate to provide the debt finance for private equity transactions.,,,,,,,,,

, it sounds a lot like what happens in business every day.  these banks are just a powerful, actually moreso, than the private equity guys.  sure there is a temptation to get the business, and sure the pe guys are setting up a very competitive negotiating situation.  but it sounds like an equal playing field.

but anyway, I look forward to readiing it.