Mortgages, politics and Twitter

There hasn't been much politicking here in the Cheap Seats lately. That's an oddity, I know, especially given that we've got a tilt for the Executive Mansion underway. But we've been quiet here for good reason.

As those bored souls who follow my Twitter* feed know, a team of reporters here at the Daily are working on a series of economic stories that will run over the summer. My part of this package has been concentrated on the housing market and what went wrong in the Northern Shenandoah Valley.

A few weeks of research has turned up a massive financial collapse that lay hidden under day-to-day life here. Everyone knows that the housing market collapse was bad, but I don't think anyone really knows just how bad it is here. The numbers are shocking, and in many ways frightening.

Once we get the series stuff out of the way, we'll be back into the full-on, screaming gossipy political fray. In the meantime, enjoy this brief musical intermission.




* I'm not linking to the Twitter feed because it's equal parts personal and professional, with lots of redneckery thrown in with valid journalistic-type stuff. If you're bored enough to find it, feel free. It's not exactly a state secret. But expect bottle rockets and propane torches in addition to politics.