Check It Out

Economics (minus) 101

Ken from Whispering Pines weighs in on the "stimulus refund" checks scheduled to arrive any day now from Your Federal Government!

(Insert whoops of "Yea, Uncle Sammy!" and "You da gov'mint!")

He's pretty sure he knows who's going to benefit from the Fed's billion dollar rebate program: Madison Avenue.

"I have never seen so many stimulated companies buying advertisements trying to convince me to spend [my] check on their products. These appeals coupled with the money already spent on the primary elections should make this the best year ever for the world of advertising."

Here's where Ken goes economist on us, so pay close attention.

"It follows, then, if you use the concept of the 'Butterfly Effect,'" which Ken goes on to explain, "refers to the idea that a butterfly's wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that may ultimately alter the path of a tornado or delay, accelerate or even prevent the occurrence of a tornado in a certain location."

So ... buy a pack of gum, save the economy?

Economics: It's tricky stuff.

Wooing woodpecker

Occasionally, we at CIO try to be helpful. This would be one of those occasions. Carl of Simple Country Programmer fame, has a dilemma he needs help with. Carl?

"A woodpecker has found the best way he can advertise his mating prowess is to do a Gene Krupa imitation on our metal chimney cap. He sounds this tattoo starting at about sunrise, and he doesn't take weekends off. I haven't touched a firearm since 1969, but I'd be glad to entertain any suggestion for dissuading Woody that doesn't involve ordnance."

We understand Carl's desire to quiet this frisky woodpecker, if not his penchant for getting some taxidermy out of the deal as well. Anyone have any thoughts on how to make both Carl and the woodpecker happy?

Reaching for 180

Last week of the year at our modified year-round schools in Wake County. So what's matriculatin' on the middle-school level? According to our seventh-grader, here's what was on the agenda Tuesday, day 176 of her school year:

Math: Screening of "Finding Nemo."

Language arts: Screening of "Alvin and the Chipmunks."

We'll spare you the back-in-our-day-we-were-using-the-slide-rule-until-the-final-bell-of-the-final-day speech.