Country ETFs: debt, correlation, GDP

1. "...some markets seem to be less in tune with the dips and advances of the S&P 500 than others. In particular, three country ETFs stand out as exhibiting a relatively low correlation with the S&P over the past two years..."

2. Levels of Public Debt as a % of GDP from 2009, a list by country

3. put 'em together and you get: "five ETFs [OK, three] focused on countries with low debt-to-GDP ratios"

4. For bonus points, what country ETF is featured on both ETF lists?

Liffeytown is no more

"Moored between O’Connell Bridge and the Ha’penny Bridge, Liffeytown is a comment on the rise and fall of the property industry, bookmarking the end of an era. Throughout the boom, the city was surrounded by a forest of scaffolding and cranes constructing badly planned, badly designed, disposable architecture. ‘Liffeytown’ presents itself, hopefully, as the last of these ‘ghost estates’ — as a beacon that its time has passed and been replaced by a more sensitively attuned city."

Econ Gangs of New York

"The factions that are shaping the economic dialog these days are becoming every bit as colorful and distinct as the proto-gangs that once ruled New York's notorious Five Points area.  Their leaders, every bit as bellicose and recognizable. Here's a quick idea of who's who so you can keep up with the discussion."