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Clearing the Browser Tabs – Great Moments in Government Meddling Friday Edition

Jimmie | August 19, 2011 | Comments (0)

Some months ago, I wrote about the Community Reinvestment Act and the considerable part it played in the financial crisis from which we still haven’t recovered. Ed Driscoll’s post yesterday tied the CRA in to more financial deviltry, namely the bogus work done by ratings agencies like Standard and Poor’s. I think between his post (and the links therein) and mine, you can get a very good overview of just how badly we’ve suffered from government meddling in the housing market.

It’s going to take some time to unravel the mess our Congress created with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (which you can trace back into the CRA) and the sub-prime loans they bought with reckless abandon. We might as well get a clear view of what gave the train a big push off the track so that we don’t do it again.

And while I’m linking Ed, check out his takedown of drama queen/”economist” Paul Krugman.

And now, links!

I wonder if we can call the President’s “listening tour” of the Midwest, The Old and Bus-ted Tour?
After all these years, there is one thing we can say for sure about education spending: more does not, in any way, lead to better.
Nothing brings out the cries of “raaaaacism” like telling the truth about criminals and the misguided politically-correct people who enable them. Well, I guess you could run for President as a Republican. That would do it, too.
I’m with Doug Ross. I don’t know how we survived the days of cigarette advertisements, toys with sharp edges and small parts, bicycles without helmets, BB guns, and violent cartoons either. To be perfectly honest, I’d like to bring some of that back. I think kids would be happier and more fulfilled, but it could just be the nostalgia talking.
It is really appropriate for the three Democratic Senators on the Joint Committee to start politicking in the media before they’ve had a chance to meet with the rest of the members? Well, of course it isn’t, but since when did the big-spenders ever play fair?
I really liked this piece by Andrew Price at Big Hollywood about the dearth of good roles for actresses that aren’t Playboy centerfold clones.
These days, the union label is wrapped around a couple meaty fists.
Now you see Venus; now you don’t. Okay, you can still see Venus, but it’s still a cool video.
So you think you know your Kung Fu, huh? No, not the martial art, the classic television show from the early 1970s that doesn’t get run nearly enough in syndication. Here are 11 things you may not know about the show. Once you learn them, maybe you’ll go back and watch, or maybe buy a season or two to help The Shack out.
I’m hesitant to watch the remake of Fright Night (another remake? Really Hollywood?) because I liked the original. It was campy and scary and hit all the right notes for a good “popcorn movie”. However, one can not go against the word of Kurt Loder.
Football schmootball. My favorite sports season of the year starts in October, with a nationally-televised hockey game on Versus.