The Baltic Dry Index has plunged of late.  What does it mean for the global economy?  (WSJ.com)

“The global economy is slowing dramatically.”  Examples follow.  (Mish also Real Time Economics)

Inflation or deflation? Either way “the average worker is going to see his standard of living fall.”  (naked capitalism)

Reported inflation is high, but commodity prices have already reversed course.  (Econbrowser, Bespoke Investment Group)

Mortgage spreads are “blowing out.”  (DealBreaker.com also Big Picture)

Who is buying financial stocks, and why?  (Market Movers)

Focused fund managers underperform, just like other more diversified fund managers.  (BusinessWeek.com)

“(A) careful reading of history shows that the sector that leads one bull market is rarely the leader of the next.”  (Marketwatch.com)

The unwinding of the CDO mess will involve a lot of “sweat and tears.”  (FT.com also Going Private)

“(F)inancial journalists and hedge fund managers may have a lot more in common than first meets the eye.”  (All About Alpha)

Quantitative finance in a nutshell.  (CXO Advisory Group)

On oil, “nothing cures high prices, like high prices.”  (FT.com)

First the Pickens Plan, now the T. Boone Pickens autobiography.  (WSJ.com)

Election poll watchers should check out this site.  (FiveThirtyEight.com)

Have we missed an interesting post in the investment blogosphere? If so, feel free to drop Abnormal Returns a line.