Hear: An Iceland Field Trip
Under reconstruction. Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Today on Planet Money:
If you're like me, you've always wanted to go to Iceland. It's now cheaper than ever, and you'll get front-row seats for an astounding economic collapse. The perfect recession vacation!
-- Economist Satyajit Das says they're living your nightmares in Reykjavik.
-- Jeremy Siegel, wizard of Wharton, gives us an earful on Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.
-- What's a write-off? Is it the same as a write-down? What does it mean? Listener Aaron Brenner wants to know.
Web extras (free jokes!) after the jump:
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Video: Sigur Ros give world's worst interview, on NPR.
Jokes about the Icelandic financial crisis, including: What's the capital of Iceland? About $20.
Seinfeld and Kramer wonder about write-offs:
Jerry: "So we're going to make the post office pay for my new stereo now?"
Kramer: "It's a write-off for them."
Jerry: "How is it a write-off?"
Kramer: "They just write it off."
Jerry: "Write it off what?"
Kramer: "Jerry, all these big companies — they write off everything."
Jerry: "You don't even know what a write-off is."
Kramer: "Do you?"
Jerry: "No. I don't"
Kramer: "But they do. And they're the ones writing it off."