Hope Is Not A Plan

Atrios:

Nobody Could Have Predicted...That this would be a flawed business model.

Wachovia has been among the banks hardest hit by the ongoing crisis in the mortgage market. Its current problems stem largely from its acquisition of mortgage lender Golden West Financial Corp. in 2006 for roughly $25 billion at the height of the nation's housing boom. With that purchase, Wachovia inherited a deteriorating $122 billion portfolio of Pick-A-Payment loans, Golden West's specialty, which let borrowers skip some payments...

Just like nobody could have predicted that decades of refusing to upgrade and harden Houston's power grid infrastructure would lead to disasterous power failures during hurricane season.

Or allowing every-damn-body to connect to the grid without a recovery plan.

I'm talking to you, Centerpoint.
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10,000

What with Hurricane Ike and all, I hadn't noticed that sometime on 09/23/2008, Slow Roasted had its 10,000th visitor!

Thanks to you all!

Panic in Nice Suits

So here's my thinking:

Goldman Sachs was next to fail - they call a favor from once-and-future employee Paulson.

Paulson analyses the situation, goes into reactor scram, and calls in the leadership.

PANIC.

So, what set off G-S?

The Chinese pulled their cash:

China: A Run on the Bank of East Asia.

As always, WTFDIK and YMMV.
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Just to review

Speaking of bailouts and assigning blame, the FBI is now investigating Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers and AIG - and their executives - as part of a broad look into possible mortgage fraud, sources with knowledge of the investigation told CNN Tuesday.

Oops. h/t Billy B


- AND -

"John McCain's campaign manager and Freddie Mac essentially had what amounts to a secret half a million dollar lay-a-way plan. For almost three years and as late as last month, Freddie Mac made secret, monthly payments of $15,000 to Rick Davis's firm, apparently in exchange for providing special access to a future McCain White House. If McCain knew about this, his presidential campaign should be in serious trouble. If he didn't know about it, he ought to fire Rick Davis immediately," said David Donnelly, Director of Campaign Money Watch.


Not to mention:

Atrios:

The 72-year-old was recently made TV-ready by makeup artist Tifanie White who's worked on So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol.

McCain paid the 2002 beauty-school grad $5,583.43 for her services, according to the Federal Election Commission.

- AND -

Atrios:

McCain is suspending campaign (whatever that means) and going to Washington so he can have pictures taken of him looking like he's doing something. Asks that Obama do the same, and wants Friday's debate to be postponed, because he can't possibly do 2 things at once.

Helluva day.

Hurricane Ike

We were lucky and blessed, The Red Queen and I. Let me say that first.

We prepared for the storm, and I still didn't do enough. When they tell you to fill your bathtubs with water, don't ignore that, or else you won't be able to flush or wash when there's no power or water pressure.

We had food, and water to last us a week, but with Centerpoint claiming that it would take a month for power to be restored to the city, we were worried. We live in a pretty dense area, however and our power was restored on Sunday.

The storm itself? You've never seen anything like it - I wasn't brave or smart enough to take pictures during the storm, but judging by the freight-train-like sounds and the obvious aftermath, that's probably just as well.

I will make a personal appeal, however. Many businesses are shut down for the duration and we have no further personal resources, so hit the tip jar if you feel you can help - thanks.

More later.

Gina Gershon as Sarah Palin

From Funny Or Die:




Gina Gershon as Sarah Palin..."If she shoots you in the face, she was aiming for it."

Crushes: Christina Ricci

Christina Ricci in this cute appearance with Winona Ryder. (WIMB)

And the winner is...

And the big winner in the Palin trashfest?



Captain Morgan's Rum. The rum endorsed by nationally reknowned slutty teenagers!

Get a Little Captain In Ya!
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ON THE TABLE

BIDEN: CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST BUSH ADMIN. ARE ON THE TABLE.

Biden : "Looking to the future but with one eye on the past, Biden also promised that an Obama-Biden government would go through Bush administration data with "a fine-toothed comb" and pursue criminal charges if necessary.

"If there has been a basis upon which you can pursue someone for a criminal violation," he said, "they will be pursued, not out of vengeance, not out of retribution - out of the need to preserve the notion that no one, no one, no attorney general, no president, no one is above the law."

Daaaaaaaamn.
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I must be doing something right

I just got dropped by one of my sponsors! Yay!

Traitor

Democrats attack Lieberman, saying he lied to delegates

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid spokesman Jim Manley said Reid too was unhappy with the tone of Lieberman's speech.


Oh, unhappy with the fucking tone, are we?

Well, la-de-da!

Harry - the asshole spoke at the fucking Republican convention. What, for the love of God, will it take to piss you off?