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DIAMOND-WATER PARADOX: The perplexing observation that water, which is more useful than diamonds, has a lower price. If price is related to utility, how can this occur? This paradox was first proposed by classical economists in the 19th century and was subsequently used as a stepping stone for developing the notion of marginal utility and the role it plays in the demand price of a good. The paradox is magically cleared up with an understanding of marginal utility and total utility. People are willing to pay a higher price for goods with greater marginal utility. As such, water which is plentiful has enormous total utility, but a low price because of a low marginal utility. Diamonds, however, have less total utility because they are less plentiful, but a high price because of a high marginal utility.
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FIFTH RULE OF IMPERFECTION The fifth of seven basic rules of the economy, stating that the real world is not perfect, especially in terms of achieving an efficient allocation of resources. This rule means that markets often fail to achieve due to market failures, and that governments seldom satisfactorily enact the policies needed to correct market failings. As such, the real world is often faced with the lesser of two evils--imperfect markets or imperfect government.
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BLUE PLACIDOLA
[What's This?]
Today, you are likely to spend a great deal of time flipping through the yellow pages looking to buy either a flower arrangement for your aunt or a birthday greeting card for your uncle. Be on the lookout for florescent light bulbs that hum folk songs from the sixties.
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This isn't me! What am I?
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Mark Twain said "I wonder how much it would take to buy soap buble if there was only one in the world."
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"The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining." -- John F. Kennedy, 35th U. S. president
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TIBOR
Tokyo Interbank Offered Rate (Japan)
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