The size of the new economic recovery plan is approaching one trillion dollars. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m having a hard time getting my head around this number. I often work with seven-figure numbers, and occasionally even eight; but that’s about it. A trillion is 13 digits.
I heard a trillion explain this way today:
One million seconds equals 11 ½ days
One billion seconds equals 32 years
One trillion seconds equals 32,000 years
Yiikes.
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It is too big a number for most people, I can't rap my big head around it. maybe if some of our representatives were accountants,business majors and economists we might have a better understanding of taxes,bookkeeping and the economy, I think this trillion dollar spending is all crap like the stuff the goverment used to tell people in the 50's. that yes you can survive a nuclear attack,duck and cover. just make sure you look away from the blast and don't let any of that fallout dust get on you.Right now they want us to think it will work.Right now I'm going along cause there are just too many of them around here that think it will work...
Dude, you just, like, totally blew my mind.
As confounding as large numbers are, small ones can impress as well. How about the margin of the Minnesota election? Or the Bush Gore 2000 election?
But consider the number of cells in your body, a constantly shifting amount, and the concept that you are their sole dictator. Your judgement is responsible for more components cells than our president is over citizens. And, there are 10 times more bacteria on and in your body than you have cells. Consider if you are running your body as well as the president is running the country.
I heart Paul Krugman
wow. And I wish I understood how it's going to work...I know it's a small part, but I sure don't think a $500 or $1,000 tax break is going to help anyone. There ought to be provisions to help people keep their homes..help college kids not going into uber debt and come out w/out jobs...have caps on ARM rate increases and credit card increases. There are a lot of buried people. Happily, I'm not one of them, but I am one of the newly unemployed...
R. Resnick says: love the trillion seconds bit, but have one bone of contention: I'm told that most of your deals at work are NINE figures.
That was the cry during the campaign how Obama had to get tough with Hilary, then McCain and now with Congress. Each time he had to be knocked down -- and finally he did get up and throw the hard punch.
But Obama"s formative years lacked a father figure, the all-important male role model to show him how to get tough with the bullies.
As a result, even when Barack does go on the offensive, he lacks that necessary fire in the belly that you see from Joe Biden types, the street kids who fought to survive.
He needs that knockout punch, NOW!
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