Wednesday, June 17, 2009

"A Billion Here, A Billion There...

...and pretty soon you're talking about real money" is often attributed to Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen (R, IL). Though there is doubt he actually coined the phrase, and though a billion is far less than it was in the 1960s, it still is a fitting statement. Exactly what is a billion? Perhaps this will demonstrate the vastness of this number...


A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

A billion days ago no one walked on earth.

A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government spends it.

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