We all talk a lot about the mortgage mess and the economy, here is a good article that explains the origins of subprime lending and mortgage backed securities. I didn't realize that all of this started back in the '70s, but didn't really gain steam until after the tech bubble popped.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25169510/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25169510/