Americans Plan to Limit Spending on Recovery Concern (Bloomberg)

Wall Street's pissed at you for not wanting to spend more money during the recession.

Pen to paper: Will Madoff make him rich? (Philadelphia Daily News)

K.C. White sketched a portrait of fellow convict Bernie Madoff in the Butner, N.C., federal pen and hopes to peddle it. Its title? "Fuck My Victims." The recently freed White says Madoff autographed it for him and told him, "I made them millions of dollars. I'm doing 150 years. Fuck my victims."

The Specter of Lehman Shadows Trade Partners (WSJ)

"The ghost of Lehman Brothers' derivatives business is haunting hundreds of schools, municipalities and companies, which remain entangled in financial transactions with the failed firm."

Volcker Sees 'Long Slog' for U.S. Economy, Seeks Bank Limits (Bloomberg)

Pushing way harder than the Obama administration for limits on trading in risky capital markets by "too-big-to-fail" banks, which is why the Obama administration has marginalized the old codger.

U.S. Stock-Index Futures Advance; Citigroup, Nucor Shares Gain (Bloomberg)

Cuomo Calls In 5 BofA Directors (WSJ)

NY's AG issues subpoenas, scaring the shit out of board members across the country.

Next Up: Dow 10,000? Does Anyone Care? (Seeking Alpha)

When it happens, you'll see big, bold headlines, but not that big a deal. The S&P 500 passing 1,000 — now that was big.

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Google buys ReCaptcha for security and scanning (v3 U.K.)

Company devises the distorted text used on web pages to let humans perform secure signons while preventing automated bogus accounts. Google wants to use this technology to help it read shaky, bad, faded text so it can digitize books.

Twitter, Skype, And The Trouble With Free Internet Services (247wallst.com)

"'Free' may be a good way to build an audience, but it is an awful way to make money off one."

Dell fined $4m in New York fraud scandal (v3 (U.K.)

Bait-and-switch scam by the company that just sold me a new laptop.

Credit Swaps Lose Crisis Stigma as Confidence Returns (Bloomberg)

Wall Street's resuming its big-time gambling ways. As this story doesn't point out, "free-market" denizens continually decry government's big debt. But as this story does point out, "companies have issued a record $2.6 trillion of debt this year in dollars, euros, pounds and yen, the fastest pace on record and up 21 percent from 2008."

Sculpture stolen from porch of Madoff's Montauk home (Newsday)

"An Aztec replica of some kind," cops say. Probably one with the heart already cut out by Madoff.

Lebanon's Bernie Madoff Mars Hizballah (Time)

Salah Ezzeddine had the blessing of the militant party, but now his schemes have collapsed and the government has charged him with fraud. Oy vey!

Guarded Optimism Among Insurers, but Some Health Sectors Remain Skeptical (NYT)

Senate health-care bill "an important victory for the insurance industry." Also see WSJ's "Senate Bill Sets Lines for Health Showdown."

U.S. Ending Oil-Royalty Program After Scandal (NYT)

Corrupt government program also featured drug use and sexual misconduct. Sorry to see it go.

Proposed Tax on Sugary Beverages Debated (NYT)

Proposal to tax sugary soft drinks to raise money for health-care reform and also fight obesity. This will never happen.

Chewy Chicken Feet May Quash a Trade War (NYT)

China has threatened to cut off imports of U.S. chicken, but that's a bluff because Chinese consumers just love our chicken feet.

F.D.I.C. Sells Failed Bank's Troubled Mortgages to Private Investor (NYT)

Taxpayers sweeten the deal for the buyer, who was a subprime-mortgage bottom feeder. What a racket.

Citing Risks, U.S. Seeks New Rules for Niche Banks (NYT)

Not exactly a page-turner, but an important story.

Fight in Congress Looms on Tax Break for Home Buyers (NYT)

Story accompanied by photo of a smiling, young couple with their puppy.

Toyota Sets a Big Sales Drive (WSJ)

Even more ads for Toyota "sales events"? Yes, "a $1 billion marketing blitz to juice U.S. sales."

Will Regulation Hobble Capitalism? (Seeking Alpha, Richard Bookstaber)

No. If it's "properly done," government regulation "will move the industry closer to the capitalist ideal."

Barclays accused of trickery in $12.3bn toxic asset sale (Telegraph U.K.)

"Deal promises to make 45 former investment bankers at Barclays Capital very rich."

Sears told to destroy data gathered by online tracking software (Register U.K.)

Rakoff Order in BofA Case: Game-Changer? (Compliance Week, Bruce Carton)

Stunning point by the federal judge: Guilty execs, not shareholders, should pay the penalties. But Carton notes: "There is an undeniable logic to the Court's view of corporate penalties, but the fact is that this is the way the securities litigation settlement process typically works right now, both in SEC cases and in private securities class actions."