Dec 27, 2009

Closed For The Holidays

Time out for some much needed R&R.
If you need me I will be here... doing this.
Happy holidays to one and all.

Dec 19, 2009

The 12 Days of Econ

On the first day of Econ Bernanke gave to me
A plan to end poverty.

On the second day of Econ Bernanke gave to me
Two Keynesians
and a plan to end poverty.

On the third day of Econ Bernanke gave to me
Three price floors,
Two Keynesians
and a plan to end poverty.

On the fourth day of Econ Bernanke gave to me
Four final goods,
Three price floors,
Two Keynesians
and a plan to end poverty.

On the fifth day of Econ Bernanke gave to me
FIVE SUBSIDIES...
Four final goods,
Three price floors,
Two Keynesians
and a plan to end poverty.

On the sixth day of Econ Bernanke gave to me
Six transfer payments,
FIVE SUBSIDIES...
Four final goods,
Three price floors,
Two Keynesians
and a plan to end poverty.

On the seventh day of Econ Bernanke gave to me
Seven unions striking,
Six transfer payments,
FIVE SUBSIDIES...
Four final goods,
Three price floors,
Two Keynesians
and a plan to end poverty.

On the eight day of Econ Bernanke gave to me
Eight World Bank workers,
Seven unions striking,
Six transfer payments,
FIVE SUBSIDIES...
Four final goods,
Three price floors,
Two Keynesians
and a plan to end poverty.

On the ninth day of Econ Bernanke gave to me
Nine NAFTA haters,
Eight World Bank workers,
Seven unions striking,
Six transfer payments,
FIVE SUBSIDIES...
Four final goods,
Three price floors,
Two Keynesians
and a plan to end poverty.

On the tenth day of Econ Bernake gave to me
Ten tax incentives,
Nine NAFTA haters,
Eight World Bank workers,
Seven unions striking,
Six transfer payments,
FIVE SUBSIDIES...
Four final goods,
Three price floors,
Two Keynesians
and a plan to end poverty.

On the eleventh day of Econ Bernanke gave to me
Eleven business cycles,
Ten tax incentives,
Nine NAFTA haters,
Eight World Bank workers,
Seven unions striking,
Six transfer payments,
FIVE SUBSIDIES...
Four final goods,
Three price floors,
Two Keynesians
and a plan to end poverty.

On the twelfth day of Econ Bernanke gave to me
Twelve Wealth of Nations,
Eleven business cycles,
Ten tax incentives,
Nine NAFTA haters,
Eight World Bank workers,
Seven unions striking,
Six transfer payments,
FIVE SUBSIDIES...
Four final goods,
Three price floors,
Two Keynesians
and a plan to end poverty.

(A Mike Raymer Original)

Dec 18, 2009

Financial Football

Should I play the Bills against the Saints or maybe the Raiders against the New York "football" Giants? Hmmm.

Thank you very much Mr. New York State Comptroller guy for creating this cool online game that brings together NFL football and personal finance education! Students can play in small groups or you can pit one side of the room vs. the other. Return kicks, sack the quarterback, take it in for the win...all while learning more about financial education. Cool stuff indeed.

Dec 17, 2009

Money, Money, Money, Money.........Money

Go ahead and ask your students on the first day of class what economics is all about and I bet most of them will say, "Money." Be ready for their looks of despair when you tell them economics is actually all about scarcity and how to deal with the fact that everyone wants an unlimited amount of scarce resources.

Anyway, money is exciting to students as each one of them is going to have tons of it when they get older (at least that is what they always say) and it allows them to purchase the latest and greatest things out there on the market.

When you get around to talking about money..."Explain the role of money as a medium of exchange and how if facilitates exchange", be sure to share this site with your students. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing does a clutch job showing all of the cool safety features of our paper currency. I always found that my students were very interested in learning more about money after seeing the cool watermarks and security threads that are found in our paper currency. They also were surprised to learn that the Secret Service was in charge of combating the counterfeiting of US dollars.

Dec 16, 2009

The Shock Therapist

Yegor Gaidar passed away today. For all of you Commanding Heights fans out there you may remember him as one of the main architects of Russia's transition from a command to a market economy in the early 1990's. Gaidar helped institute the 'shock therapy' plan that radically overhauled the Russian economy while devaluing the savings of a whole bunch of people in that country. Gaidar was only 53 years old.

Dec 15, 2009

Taste The Corny Goodness


Trying to come up with a good example from out there in the "real world' to get your students thinking about standards SSEF5 or SSEMI4? Of course you are. Seems our good friends at Monsanto are getting a little publicity that they would probably rather avoid. Go ahead and give it a look and then share this story with your students.

I'm willing to bet the ranch that just about every single student in your class eats/drinks corn products at least once each day in every single school cafeteria across this diverse state of ours.

Bon appetit!

Dec 13, 2009

Dec 11, 2009

Dec 9, 2009

Dear Santa,

The only thing I want for Christmas this year is a pair of NOKO jeans. Yes, I know they are made in North Korea....and that is exactly why I want them. Because they were made in NORTH friggin KOREA! Any country that thinks THIS is fashionable is tops in my book.

I just wonder if they make them in my size?

SMG Fall 2009 Champs


Congratulations to coach Jay Watts and his team from The Westminster Schools for winning the Fall 2009 Stock Market Game. The team finished with a total equity of $204,783.58.

Dec 8, 2009

Our Country

This is one of the more memorable things I have looked at in awhile. Look at Michigan and California and Oregon. Incredible.

Dec 6, 2009

Yike!

Move over Segway, the YikeBike is the next big thing to hit the roads. TIME magazine just named it one of the best new inventions of 2009. For some reason I just can't see myself rolling down I-85 on one of these things but I wouldn't mind cruising the cart paths of Peachtree City on a sunny afternoon.

Dec 4, 2009

10% With A Bullet

Look out 9%, the unemployment rate is coming for you!

Some "good" economic news released earlier today. Only 11,000 jobs were lost in the month of November and the job loss figures for October and September were revised to show fewer jobs were shed than originally thought.

Now we just need firms to start hiring again.