1.   Although its creator, David E. Kelley, was graciously allowed to pull the plug himself, the disastrous ratings made the decision unavoidable.

2.   An improved rating could make it easier for the country to borrow from international lenders and pay back debt.

3.   An investment-grade rating will make the bonds far more valuable.

4.   A downgraded debt rating would make it more expensive for Nissan to borrow money.

5.   A downgrade from the current Triple-A rating could make it more expensive for the government to borrow.

6.   A higher rating can make it easier for an insurer to sell policies and lower its borrowing costs.

7.   A junk rating makes it harder and more expensive to borrow.

8.   A lower rating can make it more expensive for the company to borrow.

9.   A lower debt rating makes it more expensive for a company to borrow money.

10.   But then those prime-time television ratings have never made much sense either.