Is the current rally all about surging global liquidity?:  “Silver is up 59% from December lows on futures markets; copper is up 90%; corn, 45%; and crude oil, 113%. Ukraine’s stock market is up 125%, Vietnam’s 116%, Indonesia’s 76% and India’s 87% from winter lows.”  (WSJ)

“Are stocks cheap? Not really — but how “not cheap” depends upon how you measure earnings and handle one time write downs.”  (Big Picture)

Speculators are betting on a spike in the VIX.  (Sentiment’s Edge)

Since the “the OTC options market isn’t coming back soon” firms are looking at alternatives.  (Barron’s)

The “dumb money” continues to get more bullish.  (Technical Take, Trader’s Narrative)

The Blackrock (BLK) deal for Barclays Global Investors is all about ETFs.  (WSJ)

Vanguard watchers were shocked the firm was interested in acquiring BGI’s iShares business.  (WSJ)

Short interest in both FAS and FAZ is way up.  No wonder, they are both down big since mid-November.  (Bespoke)

“But there are many ways in which following “Smart Money” into stocks in an unexamined way will get your faced ripped off.”  (Ultimi Barbarorum)

Six Flags declares bankruptcy.  (Zero Hedge, Clusterstock, DealBook)

“What are the odds that we are going to earn the bailout money back on GM ever?”  (Big Picture)

Now more than ever, “Understanding public policy decisions is crucial to investment success.”  (A Dash of Insight)

“You know who I bet is most looking forward to the arrival of Mr. Feinberg on their doorstep? TARP bank Executive Committees and Boards of Directors, that’s who.”  (Epicurean Dealmaker)

The Feds have implicitly guaranteed the survival of the big financial institutions.  What is the next step?  (Clusterstock)

The debate over financial regulation in one post.  (Baseline Scenario)

Looking through the data for an economic recovery.  (Econbrowser)

In regards to the economy, where are we now?   (Baseline Scenario)

“Veblen believed people did have innate tendencies, but the expression of those tendencies depends upon the culture in which they are expressed.”  (Economist’s View)

The health care debate hinges on whether you cut spending now or later. (NYTimes, Economix)

The H1N1 virus has officially reached pandemic levels.  (Caveman Forecaster)

Price cuts aside, is Apple’s (AAPL) Mac business “sputtering”?  (Silicon Alley Insider)

Short newspapers, long the New York Times (NYT).  (The Stash)

How to spot an entrepreneur?  (Howard Lindzon)

Life lessons learned from writing a blog.  (TraderFeed)

Fixing the economics of top football in Europe with a “Superleague.” (The Sports Economist)

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