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    My academic background came from the University of Delaware in Finance and Economics. I'm back writing with Will again providing new and different perspective about the world around us.

    My Links: Facebook, Last.fm, Michael’s Blog

By Any Other Name »

By Michael

One of the ideas that I toss around in my – still as of yet and probably never will be written – book, Freedom to Conform, is the idea that we help along our cognitive dissonance on a societal level by creating a system that subsidizes one activity so we don’t do another.

Since health care is the big topic these days, we can use it as example.  The thought experiment revolves around the idea as to how we look at socialism.  The idea is that socialism coerces others to pay taxes for something like, health insurance.  It could be – and mostly is in this country – seen as taking away a freedom.  The freedom to not pay, or have health insurance.

But that is inherently the rub.  We already pay taxes for many other things that we can’t opt out of.  And more topically, we make rules that are based on our health, as well.  Laws on drugs is a good example of the system having rules, supposedly for your own good.

All that aside, the thought experiment of a “societal subsidy” revolves around this question.  If we have so many other restrictions regarding health, why isn’t health insurance mandated?  The possible answers don’t leave me feeling super great.

Maybe our idea of freedom is selective and malleable.  And right now, health care, or not having health care, is one of those freedoms.  Or, maybe congressmen feel that everyone does need health care, but they would rather people spend their money on anything else so that it will prop up our consumer driven economy.  Maybe if we were to enact it, it would cause the country to go so much further into deficit that it would practically destroy the country; so, they would rather people just in debt the next generation with unpaid Emergency Room bills.

Come up with a reason; it doesn’t leave you feeling great.  But the idea of freedom seems to move around so much that it leaves the user of the word having to explain it every time its uttered.

The point is this, if you’re going to argue against universal health care, or a law mandating health insurance, then you need to address all the other mandates and taxes the government enforces.

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We’re Back »

By Michael

A brief outage fixed by our fearless leader, Will. Hopefully no one even noticed.

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Securities that Are Not Traded »

By Michael

Topics of sexual intimacy with yourself and others have rightfully broken out in the mainstream.  The taboo nature of such topics has been overblown for quite some time.  Indeed, that is why many feminists make note of how the feminist revolution (which, by the way, hasn’t ended) was also a sexual revolution.

So, we break ground, but the point that has been missed deals with how we comment on sexuality.  What is trivial for one person isn’t for another.  What I absolutely love – and by love, I mean cry myself to sleep at night – is how the  topic is discussed among females.  If you haven’t experienced two or more women talking about their orgasms, or sexual encounters, I implore you to do so.  You will leave feeling either one of two things: You either already thought you were the bees-knees and will continue to think so, or you will leave shattered of any self-confidence whatsoever.

What we learn is that Tina Turner was right.  What’s love got to do with it?  I don’t care how much you love someone, or actually want to please them, failure is always an optional exit on the highway of sexual disaster.  I know, I’ve heard the stories.

And this is the kicker.  If this is what men feel sometimes, I cannot – for the love of any deity that I do not believe in – imagine what it’s like on the other side for women who have been wrongfully trained into internalizing bedroom problems as their fault.

My point all comes down to the fact that we all have insecurities, and just because we can joke about them, or that the female gender is finally starting to be allowed (it’s still too taboo for some people) to openly discuss these in the same manner as men do, doesn’t mean that some (me) aren’t insecure about it.

Put it this way.  Will and I discuss topics dealing with sex every so often here, but you won’t see me co-starring in a flick with Nina Hartley any time soon.  So, go ahead, discuss, it’s good to talk about sex, but just don’t be surprised when you see my eyes dart down as I think to myself, “Is this going to be a problem for me on my next date?”

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See You Around Joe »

By Michael

Joe Galloway is packing things up from his column at McClatchy Newspapers.

Let me be one of the first to say that I’ll miss Joe’s column.  Galloway wrote in plain terms with columns that had a clear point.  There is something to be said about the difference between saying what the everyday person may or may not believe, and writing so that the everyday person understands.
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Still Here »

By Michael

Just wanted to let all you readers know that Will and I have not gone anywhere.  We are extremely busy with our day jobs and crossing our fingers that the recession will not start to further drain on our lives.  But, for me at least, the recession has made an unfortunate impact, so work has been taking up a lot of time.

But we’re still here, and we’ll be doing our best to churn out more writing in the future.

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Can’t Win, Don’t Try »

By Michael

This just in from Megan McArdle: can’t win,don’t try.

George Bernard Shaw wrote, “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

Yet, we give careers to those who wish to decry these unreasonable people, while at the same time insisting that change can happen without anyone truly wanting or working for it.

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The Things We Keep »

By Michael
For varying reasons people take breaks; sometimes relationships end, but most of the time people need different things at different times, or have to be in different geographical areas. Hopefully these breaks aren’t forever, but they happen. I think most could agree with that line of thought.

That said there are still many things we keep from those times spent together. These are items that could make us and smile, or even keep us safe. I have one such item from a friend whom had some insider information about a local restaurant close to where I work, and where many times my colleagues purchase lunch. Now, the chances of anything bad happening to the food ordered are slim to none, but I can’t help but produce a wry smile whenever they ask me, “Would you like something from so-and-so’s?” To which I kindly reply at all times, “No, but thank you.”

One of the greatest things about friendship has to be the memories you can hold on to bring you joy.  Sure, we can remember the rough times, but we also can remember the times that made things so worth while.
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More of the Same »

By Michael

I’m watching C-Span (Wednesday night at 8:30pm ET) and Representative Todd Akin (R-Missouri) has mentioned the Laffer curve; among other garbage.

I sincerely enjoy that people still use Arthur Laffer’s thought experiment as an idea of where the proper taxation rate should be. The argument usually goes like this: I believe taxes are too high… P.S. Laffer curve.

The point is this, if I increase taxes, and tax revenues go up, guess what, we’re still on the good side of the Laffer curve you dolts.

I used to think that Jon Stewart over did the talking point clips, but as I now see a grown man talking on the floor of the House speak about the economy and mention how the emails of scientists totally puts global warming into question, I think Jon Stewart hasn’t done enough of those clips.

Oh, and P.S. Death Tax.

Try harder guys.  Car salesmen are better at this than you.

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Thanks Dalida »

By Michael

My niece has been the first person to send me birthday wishes this year.  Not even in Kindergarten, I believe her mother (my sister) helped her in the picking of the card.  Nevertheless, she is the first to wish me a happy birthday this year, and for being such an early bird, I thank her.

Thanks Dalida!

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Points in Satire Sacrosanct »

By Michael

While I am by no means a movie critic, nor could I ever be a good one, I realized the other night that Rush Hour 2 uses a plot point that is from a Last Action Hero.  In Last Action Hero, counterfeit money is introduced for a short bit with its only “tell” being that when set on fire, it burns red.  Ditto for some counterfeit money introduced in Rush Hour 2.

Here’s the catch.  Rush Hour 2 came out way after Last Action Hero, but Last Action Hero was a movie satirizing action movies.  So, let me get this straight, you used a plot prop borrowed from a satire?  It could be the one of the most genius movie moves, or the dumbest.  Luckily, only an inane nerd like me would notice.

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