Northern Rock will be nationalized. (naked capitalism, Market Movers)

On the monoline bond insurers, “..are we going to a whole lot of trouble to maintain an industry that isn’t needed in the first place.” (FT Alphaville)

More monoline links. (Over the Counter)

“There was absolutely no rhyme or reason to what [auction rate securities auctions] failed vs. succeeded and what rates resulted.” (Accrued Interest)

Fiscal stimulus isn’t a panacea, but it can be a useful tool if it’s timely and targeted. On those counts, the new stimulus plan, though imperfect, is better than expected.” (NewYorker.com)

The Fed is looking for a chance to pause. (Economist’s View)

More ETF liquidations are likely. (InvestmentNews)

More on Cramer vs. Barron’s. (NakedShorts)

Looking for alpha in Final Four tickets. (All About Alpha)

Predicting the future is usually a sucker’s bet. Conversely, making bets might be an unusually sound way of predicting the future.” (Scientific American)

More sabremetrics on Roger Clemens. (Freakonomics)

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