You don't normally see an economist do a stand-up routine.
And you could assume that economist Yoram Bauman doesn't usually swear while giving a speech … but it's unavoidable in this routine ("S*** happens: the economics version").
This take-off on the old joke about explaining world religions (using the same construct) was filmed at the 2012 American Economic Association humor session.
It's even a little funny that the AEA had a humor session.
Click here for more Stand-up Economist videos.
Did you see the Clint Eastwood "It's Halftime America" video that ran during halftime of the Super Bowl?
It starts with Clint Eastwood's voice and an image of a lone man casting a big shadow as he walks down a darkened football stadium corridor.
"It's halftime … Both teams are in their locker room discussing what they can do to win this game in the second half. It's halftime in America, too."
Well, it got noticed … and it's causing a controversy in some circles.
So much so that SNL made fun of the issue in this spoof.
"I don't care if Obama runs the ball, or Romney throws a touchdown, or Ron Paul kicks a field goal with his tiny little chicken legs," Hader-as-Eastwood warns. "I tell you right now, though, I ain't puttin' Santorum in the game. He can stand on the sideline doin' cheers in his little sweater vest."
Sometimes it seems that we become so focused on pointing fingers and finding fault that we forget our real purpose.
To paraphrase Freud, sometimes an ad is just an ad.
And in this case, it could simply be an inspiring ad paid for by Chrysler (perhaps to say " we faced some hard times, but showed resiliancy and resolve … and the best is yet to come.")
On a related note, check-out Bob Buford's book, Halftime: Moving from Success to Significance. It is about making the second half of your life better than the first.
In Halftime, Buford focuses on 'transition'—the time when, he says, a person moves beyond the first half of the game of life. It's a time of revitalization and for catching a new vision for living the second half, the half where life can be lived at its most rewarding. Halftime doesn't have to be a time of crisis. It can be a catalyst for purpose, impact, and growth. It can be about setting a new course away from mere success to true significance—and something better.
This message applies to the market and our economy as well. What if we are half-way there? What do you really want? Where are you committed to go? What adjustments are needed? What do you want to do more of? What do you want to do less of? What do you need to start doing?
It's half-time, and the best is yet to come.
Did you see the Clint Eastwood "It's Halftime America" video that ran during halftime of the Super Bowl?
It starts with Clint Eastwood's voice and an image of a lone man casting a big shadow as he walks down a darkened football stadium corridor.
"It's halftime … Both teams are in their locker room discussing what they can do to win this game in the second half. It's halftime in America, too."
Well, it got noticed … and it's causing a controversy in some circles.
So much so that SNL made fun of the issue in this spoof.
"I don't care if Obama runs the ball, or Romney throws a touchdown, or Ron Paul kicks a field goal with his tiny little chicken legs," Hader-as-Eastwood warns. "I tell you right now, though, I ain't puttin' Santorum in the game. He can stand on the sideline doin' cheers in his little sweater vest."
Sometimes it seems that we become so focused on pointing fingers and finding fault that we forget our real purpose.
To paraphrase Freud, sometimes an ad is just an ad.
And in this case, it could simply be an inspiring ad paid for by Chrysler (perhaps to say " we faced some hard times, but showed resiliancy and resolve … and the best is yet to come.")
On a related note, check-out Bob Buford's book, Halftime: Moving from Success to Significance. It is about making the second half of your life better than the first.
In Halftime, Buford focuses on 'transition'—the time when, he says, a person moves beyond the first half of the game of life. It's a time of revitalization and for catching a new vision for living the second half, the half where life can be lived at its most rewarding. Halftime doesn't have to be a time of crisis. It can be a catalyst for purpose, impact, and growth. It can be about setting a new course away from mere success to true significance—and something better.
This message applies to the market and our economy as well. What if we are half-way there? What do you really want? Where are you committed to go? What adjustments are needed? What do you want to do more of? What do you want to do less of? What do you need to start doing?
It's half-time, and the best is yet to come.
I don't know about you, but the Euro thing doesn't seem "done" to me …
Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.
I don't know about you, but the Euro thing doesn't seem "done" to me …
Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.
A sprinkling of dark humor …
Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.
A sprinkling of dark humor …
Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.
Back in the 1960s, Illinois Senator Everett Dirksen famously quipped, "A billion here, a billion there — pretty soon, you're talking real money."
To get a sense of how Trillions currently are discussed in Congress, watch this.
How quaint … Recently, Trillion has become the new billion; especially when we're talking about government debt, government budget, and the budget deficit.
So, let's put a "Trillion" in better context.
What follows are a few creative ways to look at the U.S. government budget and what's happening to our national debt.
1. The U.S. Government Budget Compared to an American Household
This has been making the rounds. I saw several copies on social media sites, and it puts things in a format most of us can understand easily.
I'm not sure of its source, but you can also see a version of it in this video showing CNBC correspondent, Rick Santelli, explaining the government budget and the budget deficit.
2. U.S. Government Debt Illustrated in Pictures
The national debt clock continues ticking.
Here is what the $15 trillion U.S. debt looks like when it is piled up in stacks of $100 bills.
Do you see the the tiny-in-comparison tractor trailer? Squint, and you can see the barely visible human in front of it.
Well, that put things in perspective.
So does this video.
You don't need the national debt clock to get a sense how big the deficit is becoming, or how hard it is to start reducing it meaningfully.
3. Or If You Just Like Simple Math…
The circumference of the earth is 24,738 miles.
If laid $15 trillion one-dollar bills end-to-end, it would be 1,444,000,000 miles long … Enough to circle the earth's equator 58,390.5 times.
If you were to drive around the earth in your car 58,390.5 times at an average speed of 70 mph non-stop, it would take you 2,385 years to finish.
Click here for some other facts about "a trillion" … or here too.
So What Does it All Mean?
These are some big numbers. But as Nicholas Vardy points out, the focus on U.S. debt ignores once crucial factor — the value of the balance sheet or accumulated wealth of the United States. That figure probably stands between $150 trillion and $200 trillion. That amount is 10- to 13-times the size of the current U.S. government debt.
In other words, the U.S. is not going to the poor-house anytime soon. But the trends are sobering, nonetheless.
While traveling last week, I logged on to Facebook and found this gem from a friend.
Between What I think, What I want to say, What I think I said, What I have really said, What you want to hear, What you think you hear, What you really hear, What you want to understand, and Understanding, there are 9 ways to be misunderstood.
Well said; but still not sure I understand …
Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.
While traveling last week, I logged on to Facebook and found this gem from a friend.
Between What I think, What I want to say, What I think I said, What I have really said, What you want to hear, What you think you hear, What you really hear, What you want to understand, and Understanding, there are 9 ways to be misunderstood.
Well said; but still not sure I understand …
Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.