Economics of Debate

With all the news of bankruptcy and bailouts, it got me thinking about what it might look like if an individual got "too big to fail." Have you ever found yourself so invested in a discussion that it becomes less about the topic and more about your ego? For me, at least, there have been times where a political, religious, or marital argument has gotten so intense that there is no chance to save face. In those instances I have seen rational people, myself included, fight to the bitter end on a string on illogical arguments. It is times like these when we should admit our argumentative bankruptcy. So if you ever find yourself "too big to fail", close down for the betterment of future business (discussion).

He Speaks My Language

I heard the tail end of this on NPR the other day and thought to myself, I really like what this guy has to say about the stimulus package. Then I realized, it's Tyler Cowen and I read his blog everyday. I guess I know who I like and I like who I know. Listen here, it's only about 2 minutes long.

Wisdom from Comic Books

Some days you just need to relax, get into some sweatpants, and head over to Barnes and Noble for some free light reading. I did so just that the other day, and like I usually do, headed right for the comic book isle (I'm not snobby enough to call them graphic novels). So just what wisdom can these decades old characters offer? A theme central in most good comics is this idea: growth through pain. It is the hard times in our life that make us more of who we want to be, if we will let them. The death of Bruce Wayne's parents made him seek justice as the Batman. The destruction of Krypton created Superman. The list goes on: Spider-man, Beast, Flash, all three Robins and of course my favorite, V for Vendetta. Without their loss, they would not have become great. But let's not forget, pain can also break us. Two-face and Dr. Octopus are just a few examples of how sorrow turned into destruction.

Although I have been fortunate so far, I will experience massive loss in my life. I, not my circumstances, will determine the effect it has on my life. The true test of character is when things get hardest. Luckily, we don't have to go it alone. Clark Kent had his adopted parents, Tony Stark had Jarvis and even Batman had Alfred. These relationships help to steer our heroes towards their destiny.

And you thought comics were just for kids.

Pattern Recognition Theory of Humor

Or why comedy improv is funny (read the whole thing):

The theory is an evolutionary and cognitive explanation of how and why any individual finds anything funny. Effectively it explains that humor occurs when the brain recognizes a pattern that surprises it

Speaking of, I make my fifth appearance tonight at the DSi Theater.

Six Words for Obama

Here is the project:

In six words, give him guidance. Or offer ideas for his inaugural address. Or share six memorable words for January 20th and beyond.

In six words, a president can say a lot: "Malice toward none, charity for all" (Abraham Lincoln, 1865), "Like a thousand points of light" (George H.W. Bush, 1989).

Here are mine: "Be a policymaker, not a politician." What are yours?

Plugging Friends' Blogs

Here are some highlights of recently added friends' blogs:

Bryan on CEO bonuses:

Brown's opinion is that this CEO shouldn't get the bonus, but (and I'm sure you already guessed it) my opinion is that he should get the bonus. Many people hate the idea of the huge CEO compensation packages and ask, "if the company does badly, why should they get paid millions?" But let's extend this logic...

Let's say we pay a surgeon only if she saves the patient's life. The result will be that surgeons only operate on patients that are a safe bet. The severely sick and injured patients (the ones who need the best care) will suddenly be unable to find doctors willing to help them*.

Paul's First Law of Engagement:

Premise 1: Women have diamond rings to show they are engaged.
Premise 2: Diamonds are a girl's best friend.
Premise 3: Dogs are man's best friend.
Conclusion: Men should have engagement dogs.

Chi on the power of saying yes:

Moreover, there's something to be said about the confidence a yes brings over a no. In the simplest of terms, a yes is a risk and thus would put you as a risk taker. Now it is safe to say that not all risks are equal but as the idiom goes: nothing ventured, nothing gained.And while this idiom is used many times in business, it seems to apply equally well to social interactions as well. Specifically, in regards to my fellow men, our perspective is that we need to step up and be a Yes instead of a No. We need to collectively discard our reservations about rejections and initiate interaction. There's no doubt that things can go horribly wrong but by the same token there is no guarantee that by waiting things will ever come to be.

Colbert Report in SC's 4th District

I found this after watching Justin's post on the Colbert Report. It's an interview with Bob Inglis, the representative of my home district. He actually says some intelligent things about gay marriage, especially for a Republican. This also reminds me that I would never go on the Colbert Report. I'm not smart enough to not look stupid.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Better Know a District - South Carolina's 4th - Bob Inglis
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News

Revisiting the New Deal

There is a lot of controversy of the effectiveness or failure of the New Deal. Here is a long (35:31) but incredibly informative discussion on the old new deal and the possible new new deal. Pay close attention to the American economists Russ Roberts and Lee Ohanian.

Afraid of the Intangible Gift

The Freakonomics Blog describes another kind of Christmas inefficiency:

Last week I did something that felt very 1990’s: I purchased a compact disc. The CD wasn’t for me; it was a Christmas present.

As I wrapped the CD, I pondered the silliness of the whole enterprise. After all, the recipient — like most of us these days — listens almost exclusively to MP3 files. In fact, I’m not even sure if he has a CD player beyond his laptop, which he will use to convert his disc-shaped gift into a more useful set of MP3 files.

But somehow it felt more “real” to give a physical compact disc, rather than to transfer the property rights to a more ephemeral MP3 file. The same thing can be said for books. I now read mostly on my Kindle. You might think that this would lead my family to give me books in the appropriate electronic format; after all, they are cheaper, easier to travel with, and more useful.

This happened to me too. My wife wanted Season 2 of Survivor: The Australian Outback (where Elisabeth Hasselbeck from The View got her start). But I knew Traci would not want to watch the season twice, so instead I got her a Netflix subscription, which was more useful and cheaper. However, on Christmas day, it felt like a cop out. Why is this?

Happy 2nd Engagement Anniversary!

Here's the story, narrated by Traci, of our engagement that was originally on our wedding website. Happy Engagement Anniversary Traci:

The day began with Harrison surprising me with breakfast in bed (sausage, muffins, eggs, and pancakes). This was a first for me, so I was very excited.Note Harrison's dashing sweater we found at Gap for 14 dollars!

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After hanging out with Harrison for awhile I got a massage at a local spa that Harrison gave me for Christmas. It was so unbelievable. A perk of getting a massage in a really swanky place is they have tons of free samples of lotions and perfumes in the bathroom, which I definitely took advantage of. I was so loose and happy leaving the place, I wasn't totally paying attention and I hit my head on the car as I was getting in (I still had a mark to prove it.).

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We had dinner downtown at Larkins on the River after going to church. We actually had reservations for the patio because it was such a busy night, but Harrison worked his magic and got us a table inside. I have never been to a nicer restaurant. The host put my napkin in my lap for me, nice touch. During dinner, Harrison told me he had joined Clemson Presbyterian, where I am also a member.

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After dinner we walked around downtown Greenville. We reminisced about a time about 8 months ago when we were beginning to date and we were walking around that same area. Harrison tried to hold my hand and I wasn't quite comfortable with that, so I started pointing at things. I've come a long way.

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We had dessert at this little diner. I loved it because we sat on the same side of the booth! Here, Harrison had another little surprise for me. This past summer I suggested that he read The Catcher in the Rye, because it's one of my favorite books, but he was busy with summer school and he isn't the biggest fan of fiction. But, for me, he started reading it over Christmas and we talked all about it!

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Then, unbeknownst to me, we headed to Clemson. Harrison wanted to celebrate New Year's "in front of Tillman's clock tower." We got there around 11:40 and we saw a police car and big guy running into Tillman. This worried me and Harrison pretended like it worried him to. So we rode around for awhile and when we came back they had vanished. So we got out of the car and it started raining, so I suggest we go into Tillman. And Harrison suggested we explore Tillman. I wasn't too crazy about this idea because I felt like we shouldn't be there, but I followed.

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We ended up going to the top of the clock tower and had a great view of Clemson. Harrison said this beautiful speech and asked me to marry him. Through my loud crying, I said yes. That was at midnight exactly, and the bell at The Carillon Gardens rang twelve times and fireworks went off for us. That guy I saw earlier was Edward and the police officer was an off duty cop supervising everything.

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Then we went down the stairs a little bit and there was a rug set up with candles, roses, and wine. After that we went to my apartment and stayed up until 5am talking about weddings, babies, and everything in between. That morning I woke up to a slide show and my roses in a vase.

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That morning I told Harrison that he was not allowed to spoil me with anymore surprises for a while. But of course, I really didn't mean that.