Due to travel, today’s edition of the linkfest is early and abbreviated. We will get back to it this weekend.

The challenges the United States faces are familiar territory to the people at the IMF. If you hid the name of the country and just showed them the numbers, there is no doubt what old IMF hands would say: nationalize troubled banks and break them up as necessary.”  (The Atlantic)

The stock market rally has given Tim Geithner a reprieve, for now.  (Clusterstock)

Every one seems to want more detail from the Treasury Secretary on a new financial regulatory regime. (DealBook, Zero Hedge, MarketBeat, Curious Capitalist, 24/7 Wall St.)

Why aren’t toxic asset prices already rising?  (The Stash)

The PPIP will buy us some time, that’s about it.  (MSN Money)

What is they held a PPIP auction and no one came?  (Dealbreaker)

Closed-end funds constructed to invest in the PPIP will likely be available only to wealthy investors.  (WSJ.com)

A closer look inside the new IndexIQ Hedge Fund ETF (QAI).  (IndexUniverse.com, greenfaucet.com)

BRIC equity markets are all up year-to-date.  (Bespoke)

Why haven’t corporate bonds partaken in the most recent equity rally?  (Free exchange)

What is the right model for the future of banks:  small and smart or big and dumb?  (Infectious Greed)

Will Americans turn their bank on the equity culture?  (Dealscape)

Don’t expect any of today’s Wall Street honchos to come forward with a new vision for finance.  (Epicurean Dealmaker)

Forget China, will Americans continue to purchase Treasuries?  (Brad Setser)

The Eurozone thinks they have done enough to stimulate their economies.  (Baseline Scenario)

Hitting the bottom is inevitable.  It is the subsequent pace of growth that should be the focus of concern.”  (Economist’s View)

Scientists and engineers are great, but are they are not the cure-all for our economic woes.  (Clusterstock)

Celebrities have hired Twitter ghost writers.  (NYTimes.com)

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