In economics, there are various definitions for money, though it is now commonly considered to be any good or token that fulfills the money functions: to be a medium of exchange, store of value, and unit of account. Some authors explicitly require money to be a standard of deferred payment, too ^*. In common usage, money refers more specifically to currency, particularly the many circulating currencies with legal tender status; deposit accounts denominated in such currencies are also considered part of the money supply.

The use of money provides an alternative to bartering, which is often inefficient because it requires a coincidence of wants between traders. The emergence of some form of money is a natural market phenomenon observed repeatedly across civilizations and is not dependent on any central authority or government. Indeed, the division of labour in any but the most basic of forms cannot occur without it.

Commodity money was amongst the earliest forms of money to emerge. Under a commodity money system, the object used as money has inherent value. It is usually adopted to simplify transactions in a barter economy; thus it functions first as a medium of exchange. It quickly begins functioning as a store of value, since holders of perishable goods can easily convert them into durable money. In modern economies, commodity money has also been used as a unit of account. Gold-backed currency notes are a common derivative form of commodity money.

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Movies Reviews

Review for The Dark Knight: The IMAX Experience - Must Go! - Dark Knight
I tried not to go into the movie with expectations. However, it was absolutely incredible! There's really not much that can be said about Joker that already hasn't been said. It was not TOO long. The movie was amazing. Joker definitely made the movie. It was the most accurate portrayal of the real Joker I have ever seen. And no one has ever made Joker look so cool. Two-Face also looked incredbile. Definitely not for little kids. Two-Face's face is enough to give any kid nightmares. And I loved that the violence was more psychological than gorey. My favorite movie ever so far. To top it off, seeing it in IMAX was great. The first scene of the city looked like I could have fallen right through. Defnitely worth every penny and will be going soon to see it again!
Review for Tropic Thunder - Go - Gotta see Downey Jr
The movie started out great. I couldn't think of a better way to start the movie to create the back story. The previews were part of the greatness of the movie. The second greatest part was the cameos. I won't reveal the second one but it a good one. Overall, the movie started out awesome. It slowed a little in the middle but for the most part. Probably as funny as the modern classics (Anchorman, Wedding Crashers, 40 Year Old Virgin)
Review for The Dark Knight - Must Go! - The Dark Knight
I saw this movie with my best friend and we absolutely loved it! The cast was great! I loved Heath Ledger he was great for the joker. Kids younger than 12 might think it's a bit scary. It was very violent and dark but it was a really great movie. It made us jump a lot. I think the cast gave it their all and it was worth the money. It was probably the best movie I've seen this year. It was just great and very well casted. It's a must see movie.

L.A. Times - Movie Reviews

Kenneth Turan: 'The Exiles'
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Kenneth Turan "The Exiles" One of the key attractions of this lost and legendary Los Angeles documentary, unseen in nearly 50 years, is its luminous black-and-white photography, and unless you act now, you will lose your chance to see it on a big screen, perhaps forever. A cinéma vérité look at the rootless Native American community that once upon a time lived in Bunker Hill and hung out in downtown bars such as Club Ritz, this Kent Mackenzie film is a brooding picture of a darkly beautiful, long-gone Los Angeles, from the houses of Bunker Hill to the raucous downtown of 55-cent shots and Lucky Lager in cans. "The Exiles," along with Mackenzie's documentary short on Bunker Hill, is playing today through Saturday at UCLA's Billy Wilder Theater in Westwood's Hammer Museum. It should be seen.
'The Rocker'
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Rainn Wilson's 'Rocker' finds his rhythm, but his film misses a beat. IT'S BEEN 20 years since Robert Fishman (Rainn Wilson), the metal-head hero of "The Rocker," lost his chance to live the dream, and he's been half asleep ever since. Back in the days of striped spandex and mile-high hair, "Fish" was the drummer for Vesuvius, a band on the verge of making it big. But since his bandmates booted him on the same night they signed a record deal, he's gone from heavy-metal rocking to working a soul-crushing desk job, his head bowed in permanent defeat.
'Mirrors'
Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700
After muddling through this horror diversion, Kiefer Sutherland is better off keeping his day job on '24.' Hollywood, where vanity can seem not a vice but a virtue, would presumably love mirrors. Not so in "Mirrors," a ridiculous studio remake of a Korean horror film where at a burnt-out old department store, the new night-shift security guard (Kiefer Sutherland), a disgraced ex-cop, finds that the mirrors are home to evil, murderous spirits.

Movies

Vicky Cristina Barcelona
David Denby Mon, 18 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0000
The Film File
Movies
Mon, 18 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0000
OPENING DEATH RACE A science-fiction thriller in which an ex-con (Jason Statham) must take part in a deadly car race. Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. Opening Aug. 22. (In wide release.) HAMLET 2 A comedy, directed by Andy Fleming, starring Steve Coogan as a high-school teacher . . .
Elegy
David Denby Mon, 18 Aug 2008 04:00:00 -0000
The Film File

Rolling Stone Movie Reviews

Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:51:48 -0700
Starring: Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Scarlet Johansson Review: Woody Allen goes latin (you heard me), and the romantic, richly comic result — powered by a dream cast — is his sexiest movie ever. Shooting in Spain has loosened up the Woodman. You want plot? Two American girls, Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson), spend the summer at the Barcelona hideaway of Vicky's pals, Mark (Kevin Dunn) and Judy (the ever-glorious Patricia Clarkson). No sooner do the girls spot Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), a bedroom-eyed painter, than he's hitting on both of them. So far, so predictable. What sparks the movie is Penélope Cruz as Maria Elena, the painter's ex-wife, a fireball given to strong emotions — hell, she once stabbed Juan Antonio during an argument. You haven't lived till you've heard Cruz and Bardem trading Woody Allen o... Rating: 3 Stars
Hamlet 2
Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:46:18 -0700
Starring: Steve Coogan, Catherine Keener Review: Don't expect a night with The Bard. This cuckoo farce asks: Can an L.A. actor stuck doing ads for herpes cures find happiness by moving to Tucson and teaching drama to high schoolers? Probably not. But you'll be wearing a happy face for two hours watching the brilliant Brit comic Steve Coogan play him. Him being Dana Marschz (pronounced Mars-chhh-zzz by those who dare), a sterile recovering alcoholic who gets slagged regularly by a snotty kid critic for staging movies (Dead Poets Society, Erin Brockovich) as plays. "He fisted us," cries Dana. Pumped by the addition of Latin students to his class of whitey Christians and closeted gays, Dana rouses himself — not with his wife (the dry, dazzling Catherine Keener), who's boinking their friend (David Arquette), but by creating an original... Rating: 3 Stars
Tropic Thunder
Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:23:35 -0700
Starring: Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Steve Coogan, Jay Bar... Review: Think of all the ways you can hurt yourself laughing, as in fall down, split your sides, bust a gut, blow your mind. You get it all in Tropic Thunder, a knockout of a comedy that keeps you laughing constantly. It's also killer smart, lacing combustible action with explosive gags. Major props to Ben Stiller, the director, co-producer, co-writer and co-star, who shows us Hollywood at war with its own ginormous ego during the making of a megabudget Vietnam War movie with an uproariously inept cast and crew. Stiller took flak for the other three movies he's directed: 1994's Reality Bites was allegedly too soft, 1996's The Cable Guy too dark, 2001's Zoolander too airy-fairy. Confession: I liked them all. And I'm nuts about Tropic Thunder, with its dynamite script by Stiller, Justin Theroux and... Rating: 3.5 Stars

Rotten Tomatoes: Top Movies

83% Tropic Thunder
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:05:02 -0700
With biting satire, plenty of subversive humor, and an unforgettable turn by Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder is a triumphant late Summer comedy.
94% The Dark Knight
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:05:02 -0700
Dark, complex and unforgettable, The Dark Knight succeeds not just as an entertaining comic book film, but as a richly thrilling crime saga.
17% The Clone Wars
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:05:02 -0700
Mechanical animation and a less-than stellar script make The Clone Wars a pale shadow of George Lucas' once great franchise.

NPR Topics: Movies

Restored Film Gives Life to Native American Story
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:15:00 -0400
A landmark film about the lives of Native Americans in 1950s Los Angeles has been given a new life. Thanks to the efforts of filmmaker Charles Burnett and award-winning author Sherman Alexie, the 1961 film The Exiles has been restored. Burnett and Alexie speak about the film's significance and relevance more than 40 years after its release.
'The Exiles' Portrays Woman's Real-Life Struggle
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:00:00 -0400
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, American Indians began leaving reservations in search for a better life in big cities. Yvonne Williams was one of them, and her story was depicted in the 1961 movie The Exiles, which has since been restored. Williams opens up about the film, and describes its impact on her life.
Femmes Fatales
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:21:00 -0400
She's trouble from the minute she appears on screen. She's seductive but dangerous. She reels the hero in with her feminine wiles then leads him straight into danger. Our summer movie series continues with a look at femmes fatales.

NYT > Red Carpet

The Lawsuit Over Producer Credit for 'Crash' Gets Personal
SHARON WAXMAN Thu, 09 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0400
A top executive of the movie academy described one of the producing team behind the best-picture winner, "Crash," as throwing a tantrum in suing over credit for the film.
News Analysis: Los Angeles Retains Custody of Oscar
DAVID CARR Tue, 07 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0400
Los Angeles, a place where race is discussed rarely, saw itself in "Crash," a film where encounter and understanding are just a random fender-bender away.
'Crash' Walks Away With the Top Prize at the Oscars
DAVID M. HALBFINGER and DAVID CARR Mon, 06 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0400
In a stunning twist, the motion picture academy turned its back on "Brokeback Mountain," awarding the Oscar for best picture to "Crash."

Village Voice | Films

Childhood In Momma's Man; Struggles With Daddy Issues In Hamlet 2
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Thirtyish guy—bit of a schlub but married, with a newborn baby—comes back from California to visit aging parents in New York and, overtaken by a mysterious lethargy, moves into his tiny childhood room. Momma's Man, directed by Azazel Jacobs from his own screenplay, is one of th...
Katrina, Stark and Surreal, in Trouble the Water
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Hurricane Katrina may have driven off a large segment of New Orleans' African-American population. But in one sense the deadly storm was a uniter, not a divider: The devil wind brought together much of the country in contempt of the Bush administration's loose definition of humanitarian aid. Fres...
Recalling A Wilder City In NYC Vigilantes Series
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Was New York City in its debt-saddled, under-patrolled, crime-capital days ever really this Stygian? The wish-fulfillment appeal of vigilantism certainly isn't the same in our current hyper-chaperoned metropolis, but don't forget that militant citizens-on-patrol like Curtis Sliwa and Bernie Goetz...

Film News from Times Online

Sean Connery on being a Scot and Scotland's influence on Hollywood
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0000
Scotland provided the subject for America’s first feature film, The Execution of Mary Stuart, with Mary played by a man, at least up until the final cut. This created a far greater shock on its first screening in 1895 than Lumière’s train achieved that same year when it puffed into a French seaside station in front of a sophisticated Paris audience in a Champs-Elysées café. It was one thing to fear a steam locomotive crashing into your room; quite another to believe that an actor had literally died on stage for your cinematic pleasure.
Somers Town
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0000

Get Smart
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0000


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