If the US government lends money to the failed banks but doesn't buy equity stake in them to later sell for profit like the UK government did by nationalizing its banks then the most capitalist nation in the world will have created the most unfair system where losses are socialized and paid for by taxpayers while earnings are shared by few. Isn't it a huge irony anyway having a Goldman Sachs alumnus come up with the solution to the mess Wall Street created? Fat cats must also feel the pain and that's only fair

Madoff was released on a $10 million personal recognizance bond secured by his $7 million Manhattan apartment. But because he failed to secure the required number of co-signers for his bail bond home detention was required. No chance of leaving the country now for a Ponzi-friendly jurisdiction...Madoooooff if you give me $1 million I'll jump in and co-sign on that bond. It's all for the public good! I have so many debts and people to pay and I promise to spend all the remaining money on charities and the economy. I know you have internet at home and if you don't mind you can wire the amount here. No prob. Do we have a deal Madoff?? :)

Say you won $100 million in the jackpot. What will you do with the money after you buy all the things you wanted in your life? I'd like to spend $50 million to buy 10 million new tickets to see if I can win another lottery. $50 million! The odds of winning it again must be very good. But then, if the odds are really that good, why wouldn't most rich people invest their money in the lottery? And if they all did that, wouldn't that bring down the odds of winning it again? Apparently rich people get brutally "discriminated" from playing the lottery and buying in bulk. We've just discovered the one market where your millions can't buy you millions. In life, there are some money, money can't buy :)

If courier pigeons can be relied to carry business data cross country, why not rely on them to carry flowers and a love letter to my girlfriend on Valentine's day and on our anniversary? The developing world makes use of pigeons because they lack basic infrastructure. The developed world can make use of pigeons because we lack romance that's truly original, authentic and utterly imaginative. I see a large new market opening up and great business opportunities for Winston and his family. Some birdie num num for tip would be greatly appreciated by Winston :) (read more)

Usually merit-based scholarship is given if the student maintains a minimum GPA. How about changing this rule and make merit-based scholarship available based on the improvement a student makes on any subject from one semester to the next? If a student last semester got a C in math and this semester improved her grade to B she gets $1,000, if the grade was improved to A she gets $2,000. If she got the highest grade she can get and managed to maintain it then the scholarship will be a fixed amount, say $500 or something. If the grades drop she gets no money. (read more)

If you drop a $100 bill in the street anywhere in the US almost everyone will pick it up. Almost. Certainly more people than if you drop the equivalent of a $100 in a foreign currency. Not everyone will pick it up even though it's money convertible into dollars and has value. It's an interesting question I post to people I interview: value or money? When I pose the question without the example most people say value for money but as they leave my office very few people pick up the value of $100 in foreign currency I had deliberately left at the exit. When it's $100 in dollars I tend to lose money most of the time. My value for money pays off when people pick up the foreign currency bill, these are usually the ones I like to hire!

With the rising costs of student loans, how about investing in someone's education, similar to buying stocks: Analogous to an Initial Public Offering (IPO) for a company, a student could circulate his/her resume among investors to raise money for college. Report cards are treated like quarterly earnings reports. Upon graduation, the student would then share a certain fraction of his/her salary with the share holders. The student has the option of buying back the shares from the investors (essentially repaying the loan).

A vending machine that uses the traffic light system to label various food options. The machine still sells junk food like chips and soda, but it adds a 5-cent surcharge for each one, which is then donated. The University of Virginia is already using one and managed to collect $7,000 which was donated to a children's fitness clinic. Not bad idea for collecting money!

I don't understand why people dismiss this idea so fast. We know countries issue bonds to raise money. Why not issue stocks to raise more? Some say this is not necessary because every country has its own currency and currency already reflects economic progress. That's true, but currency in itself, doesn't raise money. It is money. Others have told me they would not like to see foreign investors owning their country directly. But isn't that the case anyway when foreign investors own a country's debt? If the country doesn't pay back its debts, creditors can seize its assets. With stock, on the other hand, you don't have to pay anyone back. The investor shares the risks and rewards of your economic performance. I really don't see why people dismiss this idea so fast. Anyone care to share their thoughts on this?

Suppose a new planet with habitable conditions gets discovered and all governments agree to allow purchase of real estate in order to raise money for the new planet's development, would you buy real estate in it?