Contents

• Show Business: The Economics of Entertainment
  A new online learning unit on the economics of entertainment coming to a (computer) screen near you!
• Two Thumbs Up!
  Winning essays from the Cleveland Fed's 2004 Essay Contest that provided high school juniors and seniors with the opportunity to choose their favorite movie and explain the economic concepts behind the scenes.
• Less Travel for Your Checks
  The Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act – "Check 21" for short – dramatically changes the way banks process checks and is certain to have an impact on consumers – especially those who've been known to "play the float."
• Those Were the Days: The Early Days of Check Processing at the Boston Fed
  Reminiscences on check handling by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston's first employee.