I’ve been recovering from a wicked cold, swamped at work, etc. and haven’t posted since the weekend, which simply isn’t right. Here’s a collection of links to blogs I follow. A large scale hat tip, so to speak. I also throw in news items and other tidbits that make me want to curl my cap.

This week’s theme: Getting Screwed

The Government Sucks; Or, Stimulus Is Just Another Word for Pork-Barrel Spending [The Cody Word]

Mortgage-Mod Conundrum [DataPoints]

An Etymological Suggestion [Greg Mankiw]

McMansion Watch: Near Me McMansion [Bubble Meter]

Report: GSEs May Waive Appraisals for Refis [Calculated Risk]

2008 Seven Deadly Sins awards [Charleston Real Estate]

Jamie Dimon: Banks Must Stop Enabling Junkie Whores, Prepare For Tough ’09 [Dealbreaker]

How Big Is Bailout? Peel This Onion to Find Out [The Numbers Guy – WSJ]

Rep. Barney Frank: Wall Street Journal Editorial Board Does It Again [Huffington Post]

More or less; simple conceptual error that contributed to the credit crunch [Freakonomics]