Bankruptcy Lite

I take a risk and a "day off" in order to read Henry David Thoreau aloud to you in order to inspire you from the comfort of my garage. I read the following pages, or rather the bulk of them, alone in the woods, a mile from any neighbor, in a house which I had built myself, on the shore of Walden Pond, in Concord, Massachusetts, and earned my living by the labor of my hands only. I lived there two years and two months. At present I am a sojourner in civilized life again.

What would you do with $100 trillion dollars? This episode begins with a shocking proposal to radically devalue outstanding bonds. I relate a personal cautionary tale about using available credit to pay off credit card bills. We turn to a friend to discuss game theory and global trade. I ponder the surface of personal enrichment, and leave on a high note in a rhapsody of hedge funds.

We begin today's special on-location episode discussing economic indicators like hot air balloons and destination weddings. We go on to cover demographics, mid-century American labor-driven financial institutions, and the town square. We pick up where last week's call-in guest left off, and we wrap up with some touching memories of my old credit union.

Today’s episode is preoccupied with the topic of automobile financing and the importance of taking a “step in the right direction” in the financial evolution of the individual. We spare some time to distinguish positive and normative approaches to the science of economics, "what ought to be" versus "what is". An old friend calls in and shares his experiences of credit stress while working as a freelance cartoonist in Los Angeles, the city of angels. Luxury goods are brought into laser focus through the lens of Indian custom car culture.

Today's episode begins with a discussion of personal debt "outside the law" by way of Rocky Balboa, the quintessential American Loan Shark Heavy. We take a long overdue look at Chapter 11, the corporate cousin of Chapter 7. We check out the impact of Yelp on the Food Beverage and Lifestyle ecosystem. A call-in guest discusses independent contract law and some alternatives.