Congress Cancels Cable

Philip Greenspun proposes that the easiest way to understand the recent $38 billion budget-cut deal is to divide by 100,000,000 and analogize it to a family budget:

We have a family that is spending $38,200 per year. The family’s income is $21,700 per year. The family adds $16,500 in credit card debt every year in order to pay its bills. After a long and difficult debate among family members, keeping in mind that it was not going to be possible to borrow $16,500 every year forever, the parents and children agreed that a $380/year premium cable subscription could be terminated. So now the family will have to borrow only $16,120 per year.

Link via Boing-Boing.