Archive for February, 2009
Grammy Awards Still Confusing
The 51st Grammy Awards were broadcast last night, and the awards seem to get more confusing each year. There are a slew of “performance” awards for the artists and just as many “song” awards for the songwriters. The confusion comes from trying to determine who fits into what category. Songs and artists aren’t easily classified [...]
Stimulus Update
As a quick update to the previous post, the Senate has trimmed down the total amount of the stimulus package and reached a tentative deal. The value of the package will be closer to $780 – $820 billion rather than the $900+ billion deal that was on the table. (Source: WSJ.com)
Stimulus and Bailout – 2 Different Things
Because the amount of money being doled out are similar in both cases, there is often confusion that the U.S. government’s bailout policy is the same thing as the stimulus package currently in the news. Make no mistake, they are very big, very expensive, and very different things. The $700 billion bailout is known as [...]
Triple-Double Difficulty
Last night, LeBron James set Madison Square Garden ablaze as he lit up the Knicks for 52 points AND posted a triple-double. For you non-basketball fans, a triple-double is a lot harder to accomplish than it is to understand. Simply, a triple-double is when a basketball player posts double-digit statistics (10+) in three separate categories. The [...]
Socialists and Communists Explained
With governments around the world slowly acquiring private assets in an attempt to save the economy in the short term, detractors often throw around words like “socialist” or “communism.” We hear those words all the time, but it’s important to understand the real definition of each if you want to start arguing your point. Note [...]
“Bad Banks”
When you hear that the U.S. Government is making plans to create a “bad bank,” it simply means the government would seek to buy the bad assets of existing banks in order to keep them afloat. It turns out the the United States isn’t the only country considering the strategy, either. Read on: NY Times [...]
Groundhog Day History
I find it to be the most ridiculous of all traditions (how does a groundhog “see” his shadow and what does that have to do with the weather?!), but many people take Groundhog Day very seriously – yes, I’m talking to you, brother-in-law! The first thing you need to know is that, during this ceremony [...]
