This semester I am taking a microeonomics course as well as a Russian history course. So when I found Capitalism and Cows: an explanation of the economics of capitalism by using cows and countries/corporations, it resonated with me on more than one level because it can relate to at least two of my courses!

Here are some of my favorite examples:

A JAPANESE CORPORATION — You have two cows. You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. You then create clever cow cartoon images called Cowkimon(tm) and market them world-wide.

A SWISS CORPORATION — You have 5000 cows, none of which belong to you. You charge others for storing them.

A RUSSIAN CORPORATION — You have two cows. You count them and learn you have five cows. You count them again and learn you have 42 cows. You count them again and learn you have 12 cows. You stop counting cows and open another bottle of vodka.

Yes, these statements about how various corporations would go about with cows in a capitalist way use stereotypes, but they are quite amusing!

Cross-posted from breakthesky.net. Please leave any comments there.

Everyone always dreams of winning the lottery – I know I have. I’ve always thought about what I’d do with my millions of winnings, and as I’ve gotten older, my answers have changed. When I was younger, I always dreamed about buying ponies and dolls and trips to Disney World, but now that I’m older (and a little wiser), my dreams are a little more practical and realistic.

On rainy days where I read news reports about the global economy’s continued downward spiral and wish that things were easier for everyone financially, I think about what I’d do with lottery winnings. My list generally goes like this:

• Pay my college fees
• Pay my brother’s college fees
• Buy an apartment for my immediate family in Hong Kong
• Go on a trip around the world with Roanne
• Donate to the American Cancer Society
• Put the rest in a bank account

All in all, it’s a nice list. There are practical and frivolous expenses, and I think there’s a nice balance. Too bad I’m not ever going to win the lottery…

Question of the Week: If you won the lottery, what would you do with your winnings?

Cross-posted from breakthesky.net. Please leave any comments there.