Refinancing for all? PIMCO s Bill Gross throws his support behind a new kind of stimulus plan, while other tweeters digest this week s data on housing starts and react to headline news from General Motors and BHP Billiton. Stephen Schwarzman, co-founder of the Blackstone Group, a private equity firm, drew widespread criticism from the Twitterati for his reaction to a proposed tax increase.

Gross: If 5%, 6%, & 7% mortgages are refi ed to 4%, it provides stimulus of $50bn-$60bn in consumption, & potentially lifts housing prices.
Bill Gross, managing director of PIMCO, on a proposal to refinance all non-delinquent mortgages guaranteed by taxpayers.
Twitter.com/PIMCO

Housing Starts Miss Estimates, But Barely Beat Yet Another Downwardly Engineered Prior Number
Editors of the finance blog, zerohedge.com
Twitter.com/Zerohedge

Blackstone billionaire Schwarzman's remark on taxes may be the most tone-deaf (and stupid) of all time
Henry Blodget, editor of Business Insider, on Steve Schwarzman s comment that a proposal to increase carried-interest taxes would be like when Hitler invaded Poland in 1939.
Twitter.com/hblodget

Business

BlackBerry Torch costs $183 to produce; 150,000 units sold in first weekend [compared to 1.7M of iPhone 4s]
Mrinal Desai, co-founder of CrossLoop.
Twitter.com/MrinalDesai

GM expected to file IPO today. Pleased w/ quick turn-around but new mgmt needs to focus on l-t issues, like product lineup.
Bill George, Harvard Business School professor and former CEO of Medtronic (MDT).
Twitter.com/Bill_George

Markets

BHP bid for Canada's POT has a Forex impact favoring Canadian dollar. $39bln is only the start.
Ashraf Laidi, chief market strategist at CMC Markets, on BHP Billiton s bid for Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan.
Twitter.com/Alaidi

gold is spiking all over the place. First down then right back to a higher high. Is it op-ex or is everyone following Soros?
Scott Bleier, director of CreateCapital Advisors
Twitter.com/CreateCapital

Lighter Side

Willem Dafoe will definitely get the part of Bill Gross if they ever make a Pimco movie.
Adam Warner, New-Jersey-based options trader.
Twitter.com/agwarner