Mar. 24, 2009 - What DOES one Trillion Dollars look like?
What DOES one Trillion Dollars look like?
The following is a graphical illustration of just what one trillion dollars looks like.
What does one TRILLION dollars look like? From http://www.pagetutor.com/trillion/index.html
All this talk about "stimulus packages" and "bailouts"…
A billion dollars…
A hundred billion dollars…
Eight hundred billion dollars…
One TRILLION dollars…
What does that look like? I mean, these various numbers are tossed around like so many doggie treats, so I thought I’d take Google Sketchup out for a test drive and try to get a sense of what exactly a trillion dollars looks like.
We’ll start with a $100 dollar bill. Currently the largest U.S. denomination in general circulation. Most everyone has seen them, slightly fewer have owned them. Guaranteed to make friends wherever they go.
A packet of one hundred $100 bills is less than 1/2" thick and contains $10,000. Fits in your pocket easily and is more than enough for week or two of shamefully decadent fun.
Believe it or not, this next little pile is $1 million dollars (100 packets of $10,000). You could stuff that into a grocery bag and walk around with it.
While a measly $1 million looked a little unimpressive, $100 million is a little more respectable. It fits neatly on a standard pallet…
And $1 BILLION dollars… now we’re really getting somewhere…
Next we’ll look at ONE TRILLION dollars. This is that number we’ve been hearing so much about. What is a trillion dollars? Well, it’s a million million. It’s a thousand billion. It’s a one followed by 12 zeros.
You ready for this?
It’s pretty surprising.
Go ahead…
Scroll down…
Ladies and gentlemen… I give you $1 trillion dollars…
(And notice those pallets are double stacked.)
So the next time you hear someone toss around the phrase "trillion dollars"… that’s what they’re talking about.
A friend emailed this to me, and whilst I have been unable to verify the original source, it occurs to me that it
is a 40 Billion dollar rescue plan that would work. I'm sure smarter minds could fill it full of holes, so I'd love
to see some reasons why it wouldn't work.
This was an article from the St. Petersburg Times Newspaper on Sunday. The Business Section asked readers for ideas on "How Would You Fix the Economy?".... the answer:
Patriotic retirement
There's about 40 million people over 50 in the work force..
Pay them $1 million apiece severance with stipulations.
1) They leave their jobs. Forty million job openings - Unemployment fixed.
2) They buy NEW American cars. Forty million cars ordered - Auto Industry fixed.
3) They either buy a house or pay off their mortgage - Housing Crisis fixed.
Typically, it takes a lot to shock me. I've walked through this life thinking that I was pretty aware of the world around me. What I saw in this video completely shattered that illusion!
I am utterly gobsmacked! I've noticed just how much 'stuff' we put out in our recycling bin every week, and the amount seems to grow on an ongoing basis. This video makes me believe that the secret is not in recycling, but in not using the stuff in the first place.
So, what can one household do? Well, for starters, perhaps frequenting the bulk store will help, as we won't be buying all that packaging. I'm not sure what else. I'd love to hear your suggestions please.
There is a saying "Follow your heart and the money will follow". A part of me has always believed this to be true and another part wonders how to do this exactly! I find myself asking the question "How do you follow your heart and honour your responsibilities?" I do not think that these two things are mutually exclusive; I believe that they can and do exist in harmony and can feed and support each other. We have all heard stories of people who have taken risks to follow their passion and been successful. We have also heard stories of people who did the same and struggled or lived out of their car for awhile before they found success. So what do you do? What do you do when you are in that in between place living in your car? How do you make a change that will allow you to follow your heart and not end up in your car?
Following Your Passion
I do not think you have to make a radical change to start living your passion. It is not necessary to take such drastic action that you put your or your family at risk, financially or physically, in order to follow a passion. I think you can start by taking small steps and making choices that align with your passion rather than following what you or others thinks you should be doing.
Small Steps
I think before you can live your passion you have to know what that means for you. That is the first step. What are you passionate about? How will you know you are living your passion? What does that look like and feel like to you? Once you are clear on what this looks like then you can start making choices to bring your passion more fully into your life. You can make choices that are aligned with or support your passion, one small step at a time.
Obstacles on the Path
In my experience, I have found that a number of things can get in the way of making choices that support your passion. Sometimes I find myself doing things that I think I should be doing. You know that voice that says "This is a great opportunity…everyone says you need to do this in order to get established…this job will show people you have arrived!" Sometimes I find myself doing things out of fear…fear of failure or fear of making a wrong choice. It is amazing how the mind can rationalize just about any decision. Sometimes I can see so many sides of an issue and it just leaves me feeling even more confused! It is amazing how things can get so clouded that it is difficult to know what the right choice is. It can be hard to hear that still small voice of the soul.
Taking the "Wrong" Path
I have to admit that I have found myself on the wrong path any number of times. By that I mean that I have made choices that turned out not to be right for me. In retrospect I slap my forehead and say "Man you should have seen that one coming! How come you didn't know? It is so obvious now" You know what they say about hindsight! I believe that sometimes you have to take the wrong path to fully realize it is the wrong path. The wrong path brings learning that helps you get really clear on what your heart and soul truly wants. This learning simply means that it was not so much a "wrong" path as another step in your journey.
You know it is the right path if it brings you joy, if it makes you feel alive, if you feel enthusiasm and lightness in you body and soul. You know it is the wrong path…well you just know don't you! You know by the heaviness of heart, by the dread, by the absolute lack of enthusiasm you feel when you go to work. When I am on a wrong path is when I start to feel a yearning, a pull to what I really want.
There is great wisdom in knowing for sure what you do not want as it can help you to see what you do want.
Sometimes I have found that I needed to walk this "wrong" path because there was something I needed to learn. I truly believe that there are no mistakes, only learning. If you find yourself on a wrong path consider what it is you can learn from the experience. I have learned that life unfolds with grace and there is wisdom and insight to be gained on any path. I have found that even when I was on the wrong path, I was still moving in the right direction. It is probably better not to speak of right and wrong paths at all but of evolving paths.
Coaching Questions
What are you passionate about?
Are you living your passion?
How do you know?
Can you think of a time when you were on the "wrong" path?
What did you learn?
How has that knowledge served you?
Can you think of a time when you were on the right path?
Did this path reflect a passion?
Action
Make a list of your passions. Choose your top 5. Are you living these passions?
What do you need to do to more fully live your passion? Do you need to make more time for your spouse or children? Do you need to get some information about a course or career?
Choose one passion that you would like to bring more fully into your life.
Consider how your life would look like when you are living this passion. How would you feel? How will you know you are living this passion? Write this down in one short sentence. It is your Passion Statement.
Write out 3 small actions you can take this week that will help you to live your passion statement.
Each week, continue to make choices and take action that will support your passion.
About the Author:
Jan is a Master Certified Retreat Coach whose passion is to help you reconnect with the heart and soul of who you are. Through customized coaching retreats Jan's trademark is getting you out of your usual environment and way of being to access your personal power and wisdom. Jan is the author of 5 self-help e-courses, two self-led e-retreats, and a number of articles.
From the 'Are You SERIOUS?????' department . . . .
New Law Could Keep Books Out Reach For Children
POSTED: Friday, January 16, 2009
UPDATED: 9:48 pm EST January 16, 2009
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A federal law that will soon go into effect could have some startling consequences, including the possible banning of children from libraries unless certain books are pulled from the shelves.
Jan. 9, 2009 - Value and Price . . . . Related, but like Second Cousins
I originally read this post on ActiveRain, a real estate blog, and immediately contacted the author, Lane Bailey, for permission to 'Canadianize' it and give a link back to his site. I like the ideas in this post. Lane's site is here.
Ok, I have written about it before, but it is time again to talk about why "I bought it for 20% under list" means absolutely NOTHING in the world of real estate.
This is a common misconception... but still a misconception. As an agent, I hear buyers (investors or people looking for a family home) talk about how they only want to pay X% of the list price. Their fear is that if they are paying more than X%, they might be paying too much.
It doesn't matter.
For some, X=70, for others it is 90. But... it still doesn't matter. Let me explain...
Imagine if you will that you are in the market for a nice car... to drive. I happen to be selling this driveway art Jeepster. It is listed for $45,989.00. But I'm willing to make a serious deal. I will sell it to you for half. So, for $22,994.50 you can own this pretty gem. It is one of a kind... And it is 50% off.
Ok, you decide that maybe you should look around. Maybe there is another good deal out there. And then you run across a nice Pontiac G8GT. It looks nice and everyting, but the dealer is holding firm on their price. Despite the fact that there are 4 on the lot that look exactly the same, they are convinced that they can get $34,090... which is within "dinner" of the full list price.
Obviously this is a no brainer, right? Choice "A" is rare, heavily discounted and cheaper. Why would anyone spend another $11k+?
Right?
Hold up... I'm obviously not being serious... and the example is extremely over the top. But the basic premise still holds true. List price isn't a measure of actual value. List price is just a number. Sure, it is a number that was reached based on the professional advice of a real estate agent, maybe an appraiser and the seller. Right?
Sorry, but...
Right now in Milton, ON, about 1 in 8 homes listed ends up selling within the first 4 months, at which point the seller is usually tired of it all and gives up. That's right, there are EIGHT times as many homes coming on the market as there are getting sold out of the market (in fact, less than 5% of the homes available are sold in any given week). The rest languish, are withdrawn or expire. Many of them are nice homes. But here is the problem... they aren't good deals.
Here are some examples:
A bank owned property that needed $50,000 worth of work to make it average for the neighborhood... but it was priced about $30,000 below homes that were ready to go.
A property from an over-leveraged private seller that was priced $50,000 over the neighborhood comps, because that was what he needed to get in order to retire his debt.
A property that the seller is "testing" on the market. They don't really need to sell, but "if they get their price" they would love to buy another home.
How many properties like this have we seen? In the case of the first one, a low-ball might get the property... but for the rest it would be pretty fruitless.
On the other side of the equation:
A bank owned property that is priced $30,000 BELOW neighborhood comps... needs NOTHING to be ready to go. The bank knows that they need to price it astoundingly if they want to get it sold fast.
A property that belongs to an estate. The previous owner had a paid off mortgage, and the heirs want it gone because they "want their money."
Now, every once in a while these kinds of sellers will price it high because "they want negotiating room"... but it is MUCH more likely that they will price it to grab the buyers attention. That means there isn't 20% to take out of it.
The point is simple...
Many of us agents... as well as our clients... get caught up in the idea that there is a percentage off of the list price that can make the property a "good deal". But, it just isn't the case. The reality is that there are properties that are cheap... and lousy deals. there are properties that are not cheap... and are great deals. There are properties that are bargains at full price, and there are some that would be a rip-off at half price.
Final example... There are homes being sold in Detroit and Cleveland for as little as $500. in some cases these are killer deals and the banks are perfectly willing to lose money just to make them go away. In other cases they are over-priced. A relative just looked at one of these homes and what he found was that the $500 property needed $40,000 in reapirs and when he was done he might be able to rent it for enough to cover the mortgage... but selling it would leave him upside-down for at least as long as it takes that market to come back... decent homes are selling for $30,000 on the same block.
List price isn't directly tied to value, just like the truth isn't directly tied to politicians.
When they say enough, something is bound to turn out to be true.
I am writing this in a national Canadian newspaper for real estate people but actually it is a rant to the public and especially to the cynical and unenlightened media that continually bashes real estate agents. I leave it to you, my real estate readers, if you find the content to be of merit, then post my article on your blogs or forward it to your customers.
Allow me to put my tirade into a really simple perspective. If a stock or other investment broker made you, say, $200,000, would you begrudge them a $10,000 commission for their efforts? I know this about my personal experience with stock brokers – it sometimes appears that their fees can be greater than my profits. One day I really will try to figure out all the charges and fees in my mutual fund.
Now, what would you pay if that $200,000 was fully tax free, and fully capital gain exempt?
Heck, even to a tightwad, $10,000 in commission would be nothing in return for $190,000 net.
Let me restate it this way: an investment broker puts you into a deal, you make $200,000 totally tax free, no strings – what would you pay that wonderful, brilliant broker for this magnificent return? Damn right – that $10,000 would be a bargain and you would run to all of your friends to let them know that you have met the most wonderful investment counselor in the world. The guy’s a saint!
So According to the media, you should be able to buy or sell for a few hundred dollars and bypass a brokerage all together. No negotiation, no financing skills needed, just go in, buy or sell and the process is so simple and lacking in sophistication and dangers that anyone can do it. Isn’t that what we read in the newspapers?
Okay, let’s get real. I live in an affluent neighbourhood in Toronto, which is just the way it is within the central city core. My neighbours, who were sold their homes by hard working real estate salespeople 10 years ago, paid about $300,000 for their modest bungalows. Now, these same bungalows are selling for around $650,000 just for their land value. Let’s get a handle on this: my neighbours bought an investment for $300,000, but they only put down from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, lived in it, enjoyed it, celebrated family life, made love, planted, thrived and made friends and then they resold for an absolute profit of $350,000, which was totally tax free. So please explain to me, why would anyone begrudge an agency for taking a mere five per cent off the top? What am I missing?
I no longer sell houses. I do not have staff that sells houses so I have no vested interest in making a case that serves my own interests. I am a commercial Realtor but when I have bought and sold houses, I have used top residential Realtors and I have never fought with them about what they charged me because they have made me money.
Few people have bought and sold as many houses as I have – at least 600 (not a misprint) in my career as an investor, and at all times I used agents to buy and sell for me. Yes, I have been a broker for most of my career, but when it came to buying or selling, I used the services of residential experts and I paid them well. It was logical, I was making a profit, so why nickel and dime the people who made me money? And my investments were not tax free!
Of all of the investments that Canadians can make, name one that will give greater pleasure than home ownership and one that is tax free? Can you live surrounded by your stock certificates, your GICs, or your art? Do your gold bars keep a roof over your head and can you leverage those investments by putting down as little as five per cent or 10 per cent and financing the balance on a long-term basis as the investment keeps increasing?
What, prices don’t always go up? Gee, when my mutual funds have tanked what do the experts tell me to do? Hold on, wait, pray and hope that in years to come the market will correct itself.
Here is one for you: ever live in an apartment? After 10 years when you handed in the keys, did the landlord thank you and give you back 75 per cent of your rental money? Worst I have ever lost on a house was 25 per cent in the darkest of periods but that house gave me shelter and pleasure. The apartment gave me cockroaches, noisy neighbours and management that couldn’t have cared one bit about me.
In the long run, those who write about the high prices of real estate commissions are either ignorant or jealous. They have either never owned real estate, or make so little that they begrudge anyone who makes more than they do. They write about greedy real estate people while they sit at their computers, wearing their Che Guevara tee shirt and complaining to the world about corporate greed and capitalism.
Sorry, I am just baffled about the concept of anyone begrudging a hardworking Realtor who continues to make Canadians rich. There is but one reality – the largest wealth owned by the largest group of Canadians is in real estate. No other investment is as widely held, none gives the benefits of real estate ownership and few return the same results bottom line. Real estate commissions are minimal in relationship to the profits made by the owners. Given the profits made by homeowners across Canada since the 1950s and again, with my emphasis on it being tax-free money, real estate commissions are probably the greatest bargain today based on what is charged for any other investment.
A real estate broker is a bargain – period!
Barry Lebow is a commercial Realtor who specializes in appraisal, expert court testimony and real estate education. One of REM’s long-time columnists, he recently launched the new Accredited Senior Agent professional designation program in Canada for residential salespeople to learn how to serve the mature and senior markets. (416)-9806, barry@lebow.ca or www.thesenioragent.com.
The World's Toughest Sporting Event Has Begun . . . .
Yes, the greatest sporting event in the world began yesterday - The Tour de France.
This annual race through the mountains and plains of Europe is justifiably known as one the toughest sporting even going for many reasons. First of all, there's the sheer distance of it - some 3,550 kilometres over 20 days of racing. Another challenge will be the weather - it has been known to snow in the mountain passes during this race, while road-surface temperatures of 120F are completely the norm for much of the riding. There's the multi-rider crashes that are at the same time spectacular and so dangerous, but perhaps the toughest part of this race is the mental strength it takes to get up and go every morning. Getting up and knowing that there is a grueling day of work ahead for you, suffering in the saddle for 5, 6, 8 hours or more. And rest days? What's a rest day? In the Tour, a rest day is a day where there might only be 3 hours of more relaxed riding, just to 'keep the legs loose'.
I have always been enamoured by the Tour. I've never really understood what the draw of the Tour has been for me; by the time I became fascinated by it, I was too old, I thought, to pursue a cycling career. I know part of my interest came from my working for Joe Gardin, a Miltonian with very strong ties to the professional cycling community; ties so strong that I actually met Eddie Merkx, an international cycling God. I'm pretty certain too that some of my interest came from my love of endurance sports. I ran ultra-marathons, with 100 miles or longer being my best distances. I competed in about 200 marathons, and I completed a Double Ironman event, where you swim 5.2 miles, bike 236 miles and then run 52.4 miles. I loved that! I had also, by the time I got hooked on the Tour, completed an 1,100 mile bicycle race as a qualifier to the R.A.A.M.. The R.A.A.M. is a non-stop bicycle race across America, coast-to-coast. To complete something like that is the epitome of fitness and mental toughness. Or is it?
There's no way that any endurance event can be as tough as THE Tour. Nothing last as long, over such incredible terrain. No Way Jose, as the saying goes. If you want to see for yourself, you can watch the Tour on OLN (Cogeco Ch. 48 in Milton) at 8pm or watch it live first thing in the morning. You can bet that I'll be watching every night possible, and taping the rest, as I plan to complete my ultimate life test - the Race Through Death Valley in my 55th year.
As you may be aware, the Region of Halton has imposed a MANDATORY ban on outdoor water usage for anything except newly-laid sod and HAND-WATERING of vegetable and flower gardens. The reason for this ban is that the water levels in our reservoirs is extremely low, so it makes sense to be wise with our water use.
So I find myself wondering why people think it is okay to completely ignore this ban? I am out for a jog most mornings, between 4:30 and 5:30 a.m. in the Bronte Meadows area of town, and there are a number of residents who must figure that they are somehow excused from the watering ban. Their in-ground sprinkler systems have either just finished, or are still going full-blast, washing the sidewalk and road as much as they are watering the grass. It is infuriating, and I have made my decision that I will fulfill my civic obligations and begin reporting these people as of tomorrow.
Surely the By-Law enforcement officers could do something about these flagrant violations? As you drive around town, you see most lawns are parched, dry, as brown as they are green; this is normal for the heat and dry weather we have been having. And then, you'll see plenty of lawns that are lush green, healthy and growing like there's no tomorrow. Is this some special kind of grass, or is it likely that these people somehow think they are immune from the ban?
Come on Milton! As citizens, do your part and teach kids that the rules need to be obeyed; as a municipality, you should reward those who follow the rules by nailing those who don't.
It's been a while since I offered any kind of update on what is new with my family, so here we go. . . .
Back in November, I needed a new camera for work, so I thought I would get a good one, and bought a Canon XTi Digital SLR. For those not familiar, an SLR is like those camera's which take different lenses and have been around for eons before the advent of point-&-shoot digital cameras. Much to my surprise, I very rapidly discovered an innate passion for photography as a hobby. I had been interested in it before, but never with any real passion or excitement.
As the months went by, my interest and passion for photography very quickly changed the way my eyes see everything in this world; now, I am constantly looking for the photograph that is hidden in everything; colours are brighter or more noticed, and life is much more of a canvas. To see some of my work, you can go here. If you are a photographer and would like to share tips or comments on my work, they are most welcome - just use the comments link at the bottom of this entry.
My son Cameron, whom many of you have met, just turned 13 - waaaaaaaaaaah!, there's a teenager in the house!!! He's actually a pretty good kid, way too much like his father in some regards. He's done well in school, finishing Grade 7 with 11 A's and 4 B+'s - that is down from Grade 6's 13 A's, but still an excellent year. Where Cameron really shines though is in his sports. This past winter, he played hockey on 2 rep teams, one for the next age group up, and was the leading scorer on both teams. Now, he's "only" playing AA Rep baseball and Summer 3-on-3 hockey. "Only" because that is 4 to 6 nights a week. He is also in his first season of umpiring baseball - yay, his first paid non-Dad job!!
Dione, my better-half, has opened another location for her collectibles and dishes business. We now have a location at the Freelton Antique Mall and also in St. George, right on the main drag. Dione specializes in Fiesta ware, so if you are in either location, just look for the booth that is loaded with Fiesta, and that's hers. She has a massive amount of Fiesta available for sale, so if you are a collector, or just want some for your everyday use, fire her an email and she will get right back to you. We make a buying trip every couple of months, so if you are looking for something she doesn't presently have, chances are she can get it for you quite quickly.
Other than that, life is groovy for all of us these days. We are about to start the long-needed renovations of our house - a REAL challenge for me, the universe's least handyman.
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but it is time again to talk about why "I bought it for 20% under list" means absolutely NOTHING in the world of real estate. 
Ok, you decide that maybe you should look around. Maybe there is another good deal out there. And then you run across a nice Pontiac G8GT. It looks nice and everyting, but the dealer is holding firm on their price. Despite the fact that there are 4 on the lot that look exactly the same, they are convinced that they can get $34,090... which is within "dinner" of the full list price.