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Risk appetites are rising and high yield bonds are soaring.  (Bespoke)

The market entering 2008.  (Afraid to Trade)

A couple of leveraged bets on the world economy.  (WSJ.com)

“The good news is that expected returns for U.S. equities look pretty good, at least by historical standards.”  (Capital Spectator)

Quietly, energy stocks seem to have bottomed and capital is returning to the sector.  (Barrons.com and WSJ.com)

RIP, the UK short ban.  (WSJ.com also Clusterstock, Dealbreaker)

Morningstar’s 2008 Managers of the Year.  (Morningstar.com)

An example of how one money manager dealt with investor fears.  (Street Capitalist)

“(G)ood traders put the past where it belongs and focus their time and attention on what matters the most – making the right decisions right now for their portfolio.”  (Kirk Report)

In search of some honesty at Dow Chemical (DOW).  (Jeff Matthews)

The gold/silver ratio is still out of whack.  (Bespoke)

Which currency is ‘least ugly‘?  (FT Alphaville)

Thanks to Fed buying, mortgage spreads are shrinking.  (MarketBeat)

The last man standing, New York City real estate, is finally succumbing.  (Clusterstock)

The downside of being a real estate industry flack.  (Big Picture, Infectious Greed)

Has private equity wised up on how to invest in banks?  (Deal Journal)

Want to find out who is behind Going Private?  (Marketplace)

“An explosion in illiquid asset trading” and other (excellent) insights into 2009.  (Information Arbitrage)

“Today though, Apple (AAPL) stands at another corporate crossroads.”  (The Daily Beast)

Questions still linger around Steve Jobs’ health and how the company (mis-)handled the issue.  (Silicon Alley Insider, MarketBeat, USNews.com, Valleywag, breakingviews.com, Daily Options Report)

Ponzi and Madoff still take a back seat to this scammer.  (Curious Capitalist)

Suddenly a consensus has settled around a higher gasoline tax.  (The Big Money)

Has an ‘active blogger’ found the time to write a truly great book?  (The Balance Sheet)

Is there room for ‘hybrid corporations‘ that “…try to do more than just the minimum profit-maximizing level of ethical behavior.”?  (Economix)

Why Mark Cuban is not going to end up owning the Chicago Cubs.  (blog maverick also ChicagoTribune.com)

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