That cool million (Full Version)

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Termyn8or -> That cool million (2/25/2010 8:03:56 AM)

I was told years ago that the average person does not really grasp the concept of a million. Let's take the case of a million dollars.

It is easy to see that it take a million one dollar bills to make a million dollars. But let's take the case of hundred dollars bills, something actually easier to actually grasp.

Ten 100s are a thousand.
A hundred 100s are ten thousand.
A thousand 100s are only a hundred thousand.
Ten thousand 100s are a million.

Now when we get into billions and lately trillions, do you really concieve just how much that money really is ? I think that important for a sound discussion on the problems of this country.

What is the population of this country, is it 300,000,000 or is it 300,000,000,000 ? It makes a difference. If 300 million, if everyone gave a dollar to the debt, it is not a drop in the bucket. If 300 billion it is. If it is 300 billion, ten bucks each could lop off 3 trillion, about one forth of the entire debt.

Any of us who do mental math generally disregard exponents to manipulate the figures. They are added back in the end. This makes for another possibility of error.

Now just imagine how many 100s it would take to pay off the national debt. It stands at near 13 trillion. Do some mental math and figure it out, see what you come up with.

Of course there is the tertiary issue of whether we have gotten 13 trillion in services. You might think so, but with all these rich people around I don't.

Money is not the only issue. Someone is robbed or something every how many seconds ? Well when they report statistics in that way, everyone might hide in their house or buy a gun or whatever, but really there are many other ways to meet one's downfall or even demise. Even though the AMA themselves estimate the a quarter million people are killed in hospitals every year. But really it is a drop in the bucket.

It's not just the mental math, it is our conception of these large numbers that clouds many issues. All of the medically uninsured, well everyone on welfare gets medical. Prisoners get free eye care. Politicians get...................

So when I propose that they get stuck with the systems put in place for the commoner, I am not contending that we would save a great deal of money. But I do believe it will be better spent.

T



PyrotheClown -> RE: That cool million (2/25/2010 8:18:09 AM)

Haha, I believe this is more in line with the political thread, but it reminds me of what my momma once told me

"the only people who don't have to constantly worry bout money are the very rich, and the very poor, every one else is a wage slave one way or another"



mnottertail -> RE: That cool million (2/25/2010 8:21:10 AM)

the brits will disagree with your concept of a billion.



SL4V3M4YB3 -> RE: That cool million (2/25/2010 8:31:54 AM)

A million million but who's counting after their first thousand million right?

I'd not quibble.

This discrepancy is required to keep the money circulating because if everyone was paid in the same units then a balance and stagnation would occur.



pahunkboy -> RE: That cool million (2/25/2010 8:41:59 AM)

I want a nice pony.



Termyn8or -> RE: That cool million (2/25/2010 7:59:22 PM)

Hmmm, the Brits. Yes I know that a billion to them is like a trillion to us. But then what is a trillion to them, a million million million or something like that ? I wonder also how this affects the math of the whole thing. I don't mean when we know it, but with more and more people getting news overseas in this country, I wonder just how many are aware of that difference. Personally I think one of our measely faux billions would set me nicely for retirement, as long as could get it out of USDs quickly enough.

And Hunky, I can put your pony in the mail, but I'll have to send it head first. Is that OK ? I mean I don't want you to wake up screaming from dreams about The Godfather or anything.

Case in point. Back in 95 or 96 we had a private separate settlement with a contractor. We did part of the work and were to get a foldback of a piece of the insurance money. It should've been like three grand and the guy showed up with two. Now come on he knew where he was going. But he figured that we would just capitulate to the lower amount. The reason he figured this was he figured that we never dealt with that much cash. Contrare Mon Frere. We were running out of beer, so Jack and I ran up to the local store to get more and we saw this guy in his car, literally with one of his shoes off. This is not bullshit. He didn't have to go to the bank, he wanted to pocket (or shoe) some of the money. If you think from the bottom end that is how you will be treated.

Wanna know the biggest scam system in the US right now ? Watch the TV. New drugs. Then class action lawsuits. Then buyer's of annuities. Don't you see ?

You win a lawsuit and they give you monthly payments. All they do is put the money in something and give you the interest, and they get the money back afterwards. Then when you need money, you get to borrow your own money. One advertiser says straight out "It's your money, use it when YOU need it". That's JG Wentworth. Do you think he is financing a multimillion dollar ad campaign on feathers, or his looks or what ? He is obviously making money.

And where do you think it comes from ?

You see a two grand check every month for the rest of your life and the dollar signs will light up. You see what they tell you is a million dollars on the table you will not bother to count it. You look at it from the bottom.

Look at it from the top. I am not saying these people understand the numbers concept all that much better, but they do seem to be doing OK.

If you remember also, one of the most respected investment firms was busted long ago, way before this recession shit happened. What they did was legal actually and they got away with it. They setup a bunch of bank accounts and constantly shifted the money around to and from each. This mainained a certain average daily balance and they collected millions in interest. The AFP reported it, as did a few other sources. But in the end there was no law against it and nothing happened.

So all it took was money to make money.

But to really understand the concepts involved in such an operation, one needs to understand numbers in a different way. And that's my whole point.

T



flcouple2009 -> RE: That cool million (2/26/2010 7:27:35 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: pahunkboy

I want a nice pony.


Do I have a deal for you.  Western Union me $75 and I can tell you where to pick it up.  [:D]



Aileen1968 -> RE: That cool million (2/26/2010 7:31:47 AM)

The shoes I could buy....



Musicmystery -> RE: That cool million (2/26/2010 7:32:10 AM)

Along with rising debt, we have a huge GDP---$14 trillion. As a percentage of GDP, we've had much higher debt.

That doesn't mean I'm not concerned or that we shouldn't address it. I am and we should. Among other problems, we are at the point where borrowing more will be difficult. Already the Chinese are backing away, leaving Japan as our largest investor.

But it doesn't mean the sky is falling. It means we have a problem to address--and overreacting in ways that would negatively impact Real GDP would only worsen the situation.



UniqueRaven -> RE: That cool million (2/26/2010 7:51:06 AM)

You may have seen this before. It's pretty cool.

http://www.zee.me/blog/2009/03/what-does-one-trillion-dollars-look-like/




pahunkboy -> RE: That cool million (2/26/2010 7:52:02 AM)

The shock of large numbers is wearing off.

I see old vids where the eyes get all big over a billion $.   Now today- that same money is no big deal.



TxRanger -> RE: That cool million (2/26/2010 9:40:59 AM)

There is a famous quote from decades ago buy Senator Strom Thurman; "A million here and a million there, pretty soon you are talking about real money!"



TxRanger -> RE: That cool million (2/26/2010 9:44:39 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: pahunkboy

The shock of large numbers is wearing off.

I see old vids where the eyes get all big over a billion $.   Now today- that same money is no big deal.



Sometimes when channel surfing I stop on the game show channel and smile at the GRAND Prize winners getting so excited over winning a BRAND NEW WASHER AND DRYER!!!!!



mnottertail -> RE: That cool million (2/26/2010 10:34:27 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: TxRanger

There is a famous quote from decades ago buy Senator Strom Thurman; "A million here and a million there, pretty soon you are talking about real money!"



Sen. Everett Dirkson, actually. and it was; a billion here and a billion there......

Sen. Strom Thurmond



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