Slog - Comments on "That's What Makes America Special." http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special Slog Tipper J. directs us to Crooks and Liars, which has two audio recordings of voice mail threats left at ACORN offices. They're chock full o' racist slurs and death threats and ignorant hate. Here is the transcript of the less offensive of the two: You liberal idiots. Dumb shits. Welfare bums. You guys just fucking come to our country, consume every natural resource there is, and make a lot of babies. That's all you guys do. And then suck up the welfare and expect everyone else to pay for your hospital bills for your kids. I just say let... Copyright 2008 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:08:27 -0800 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:18:08 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by John Bailo
America smells a loser...

Obama's lead slips to 3 points
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE49G0V320081019?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&rpc=22&sp=true

C'mon Puget Sound...there's still time to jump on the winning ticket.

Let's be straight -- you'll get more with McCain. You like funding? You'll get funding...no problem...it's all arranged.


]]> John Bailo http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179325 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179325 2008 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:17:47 -0800 Comment by Andy Niable With all the seismic reversals in his positions on issues and his constant spinning, it's amazing John McCain hasn't started generating his own gravity and atmosphere by now.

Hey Bailo, WHICH McCain are you supporting? 2000 McCain? 2008 McCain? Viet-McCain?

]]> Andy Niable http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179332 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179332 2008 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:21:06 -0800 Comment by rococo not to burst your bubble, JB, but that link's old. As in: today's counterpart article reads "Obama opens 6-point lead over McCain"

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE49J0LF20081020

Not that any one poll means anything, but if you're gonna crow about it, you're gonna have to eat that bird once it shits on your head.

]]> rococo http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179343 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179343 2008 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:29:28 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle JB's still drinking the haterade.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179349 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179349 2008 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:34:32 -0800 Comment by John Bailo It called Fundaide.

Right now every city and state agency head is thinking...wow, Obama won't win. I need to get an ear with some McCain people.

And we are open to that! All men and women of every persuasion can come to the McCain Rainbow Campaign and have a say...and get a slide of the good stuff.

The McCain Rainbow represents all...equally...especially if you vote for us...

]]> John Bailo http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179368 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179368 2008 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:00:39 -0800 Comment by Leslie N. I love it when "pro-life" conservatives say things like "Let your kids die". Fucking hypocritical bastards. Seriously, these people make me ashamed to be in the same hemisphere with those kinds of statements.

]]> Leslie N. http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179381 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179381 2008 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:16:53 -0800 Comment by TVDinner ACORN helped me get a fair mortgage and buy a house 15 months ago when all the banks wanted to give me jacked-up, interest-only, adjustable rate bullshit loans. I fucking love ACORN.

]]> TVDinner http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179386 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179386 2008 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:27:42 -0800 Comment by Andy Niable So I take it the ACORN-hating McCain is poised for a win in 2008, in your dream-universe, Bailo, not the ACORN-praising one from 2006. Or are there multiple clones at work here in your scenario?

]]> Andy Niable http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179416 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179416 2008 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:22:21 -0800 Comment by John Bailo #8:

McCain is a multidimensional being. He could also be a shape shifting lizard (that tongue from the SLOG post was a giveaway!)

]]> John Bailo http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179432 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179432 2008 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:59:10 -0800 Comment by 30-30 John,

Can I call you John?

You're even dumber when you're high. Put the pipe down.

]]> 30-30 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179452 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179452 2008 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 22:04:12 -0800 Comment by john bailo's #1 sockpuppet is john bailo even real anymore? or is everyone else sockpuppeting him like i do on occasion?

]]> john bailo's #1 sockpuppet http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179466 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179466 2008 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 22:43:12 -0800 Comment by Fred34 Hey, easy on the France shots aiight?

McCaint in 08

]]> Fred34 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179505 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179505 2008 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 01:50:20 -0800 Comment by morgan Can you please provide a url for the videos on slog? In many less media friendly countries, youtube is banned. So, if there is any way to embed the url or just include it as a link in the post that would be fabulous. Istanbul and Burma don't tolerate YouTube but we have ways of getting through the censorship if we have the url.

]]> morgan http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179515 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179515 2008 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 05:46:06 -0800 Comment by Seajay I don't see any incompatibility between being and environmentalist and a hater. Just ask Bjorn Lomborg.

]]> Seajay http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179812 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179812 2008 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:42:26 -0800 Comment by SirVic I am having a hard time believing that there were that many non-whites taking out mortgages in the past decade. Enough to collapse the entire financial system? Hardly. I'm sure there were a large percentage of ACORN "sponsored" loans that failed, but so did a lot of others.
Let's look at the timeline, in Seattle/Puget Sound economics.

Late 1990's: A couple thousand Microsoft & other tech folks get windfall money from stock options. These are normal people who got lucky by doing a decent job, not geniuses who blew the world away with brilliance. They took their money and did the "sensible" thing by investing in real estate - for themselves and rentals.

Early 2000's: Massive influx of money into the real estate market gives thousands of home owners windfall money in the form of equity. The sheer number of real estate transactions "tricks" the market players into thinking there is trememdous demand and ever increasing land value. People of all walks of life take out equity loans to invest in rental or flipping properties, further driving the market upward. Finance pros see an opportunity to offer risky, trap-door financing to this booming market. Investors fall for these traps under the guise of "I'm just flipping this propery anyhow, and I'll always get free equity with rising values."

Months surrounding 9/11: DotCom bust, government panics when planes crash into buildings, interest rates are slashed, many stocks collapse.

Post 9/11: Faced with portfolio losses, local investors that over extended now have to sell fancy homes or refinance. Mortgages still assume upward market, so lending is free & easy.

2005 to present: Reality of true demand hits local real estate market. McMansions built by the thousands await qualified buyers, costing developers millions. Property bought to be flipped can't be sold within the time window of the gimmicky mortgage used to finance the purchase. Small time investor is faced with tricky refinance loan on primary residence AND ARM on rental or flip property. Unable to pay on both types of mortgage, investor falls behind on all bills.


I'll let someone else describe how those flimsy mortgages got packaged & re-packaged multiple times, complete with large brokerage fees, to create a multi-trillion dollar bubble. In a nutshell, AIG was insuring those "mortgage based securities" using money they had invested in those same securities.

(Note: dates are approximate)

]]> SirVic http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179889 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/10/thats_what_makes_america_special#c1179889 2008 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:18:08 -0800