Now that we’ve hit double-digit trillions, the “National Debt” clock that’s been running constantly since 1989 in New York City’s midtown can no longer properly display the total. Brian Williams says they’ve had to temporarily adjust the display while they build a new one, slated to go up next year. We’re not sure anyone should be spending money on a fancy new hi-tech clock right now—maybe they should just hang a big chalk board, and hire an unemployed investment banker to write the new debt each day. See the video below.

For the deaf, those without speakers, people at work, or people too impatient for video, here’s a handy caption of what it says:

We also wanted to show you a rather grim sign of our times. It’s not far here from here in midtown Manhattan. The national debt has grown too large for the national debt clock.

It went up back in 1989 when the nation’s debt was less than 3 trillion dollars. The debt has been piling up so fast lately they had to drop the dollar sign to make room for an extra digit, as the number turned over to more than 10 trillion dollars now and counting every second.

A whole new clock with two extra spaces will go up next year.

“U.S. National Debt Grows Too Large For Clock” [YouTube via Towleroad]

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