tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37958712011-04-21T18:31:08.588-05:00Understanding what is right, Enjoying what is wrong, and Considering what is left.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.comBlogger411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-70143159408829762382007-07-03T07:53:00.000-05:002007-07-03T08:19:50.133-05:00

It's not every day - or week for that matter - that our President does the right thing. By commuting Scooter Libby's prison yesterday, however, Bush absolutely did. The administration's political opponents simply wanted revenge for what was seen as political retaliation in the case of the supposed "outing" of Joe Wilson's CIA-operative wife Valerie Plame. By denying them this catharsis, he

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1176692638367007952007-04-15T21:51:00.000-05:002007-04-15T22:03:58.380-05:00

Admitting to the possibility that I am just weird, did anyone find it odd that a week after Don Imus got in trouble for indiscriminate use of the word "ho", that Don Ho died? I mean, if you did a Google search for Don Ho these days, would you possibly get a relevant result?

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1170807783022587892007-02-06T17:43:00.000-06:002007-02-07T07:59:28.403-06:00

Lost in the cloud of smoke issuing from the ears of smoking-ban advocates is any discernible target of their ire. What I mean is that the ban on smoking in bars and restaurants seems to be for them and end in itself; the ban is not a way to improve public health or even curb smoking at large, but simply the removal of a minor nuisance in places where they rarely frequent anyway. It's as if they

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1168611750794429472007-01-12T07:44:00.000-06:002007-01-12T08:22:30.810-06:00

The Tipping Point – Malcolm GladwellI re-read The Tipping Point because the very best books deserve multiple examinations. New Yorker columnist Malcolm Gladwell is probably my favorite contemporary author, because he is clearly very smart and a splendid writer. The Tipping Point talks about the nature of trends, how they get started, and the people who are central to spreading them. It has

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1168559382605450892007-01-11T17:41:00.000-06:002007-01-11T17:49:42.626-06:00

2006 – A Year in BooksI read a lot this past year, having replaced a lot of late nights out with many early nights in. My recollected count is 26 books, but I easily could have forgotten one or two titles. Most everything that I read I would recommend to an appropriately interested reader. I’ve listed them in the approximate order I read them.The Chronicles of Narnia – C.S. LewisC.S. Lewis has

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1167183007077994052006-12-26T19:22:00.000-06:002006-12-26T19:30:07.090-06:00

First part of the quote - I'm not making this up:I roomed with Tony during the preseason...Ahh, that's nice. Good friends, Jay and Tony. Second part:...and he has great hands.??? I'm not entirely sure that those two things go together.A tight end like that can stretch the field.Football terminology is great, n'est'ce pas?

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1166141905801137212006-12-14T17:47:00.000-06:002006-12-14T18:18:25.813-06:00

I like this blog, so I'm going to answer its author's question with a post of my own. I thought about things like this when I was her age (all of five years ago), and I suppose I came to a happy conclusion. The young lady's question:Would it be better to expect a lot from people and occasionally be disappointed? Or to not expect much and occasionally be pleasantly surprised?I think we have to

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1165277348319688802006-12-04T18:04:00.000-06:002006-12-04T18:09:08.340-06:00

While banning cigarette smoking in most indoor places has become de rigeur around U.S. cities recently, the decision to do so constitutes an unnecessary restriction on personal liberty. The leaders of Nashville and Davidson County should reject calls to do so. Let's get one fact out of the way - heavy, prolonged cigarette smoking has major personal health implications that cannot be disputed.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1164848357976109282006-11-29T18:38:00.000-06:002006-11-30T07:58:37.256-06:00

I wanted to weigh in on the current inanity that is the Metro Council taxicab commission. Several local bloggers have already weighed in against the decision, and I hope not to repeat their reasoning. Bill Hobbs has the best:Taxi!On peak weekends in town, it is not possible to get a cab in a timely fashion. 526 cabs cannot handle the size. Having more cabs on the road will do two things:

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1163805711272439152006-11-17T17:21:00.000-06:002006-11-17T17:44:32.213-06:00

"You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine." - Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New HopeThat's right. I truly believe that Bo Schembechler let himself die so that his spirit could compel the Michigan Wolverines to victory over Ohio State in Columbus. I'm a diehard OSU fan, and my reaction when I heard the news was "uh oh

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1162789726156172622006-11-05T23:08:00.000-06:002006-11-05T23:08:46.170-06:00

…and I’m not certain that I should have. I agree with the left - gay marriage supporters - that every adult should have basically the same rights under the law. On the other hand, I agree with conservatives - gay marriage opponents - that marriage is at its core a spiritual union between two complementary people, a man and a woman. State-sanctioned marriage is a historical artifact, really;

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1161730638194546292006-10-24T17:57:00.000-05:002006-10-24T18:09:20.466-05:00

I will be voting in the Tennessee General Election sometime before November 8th. I’ll give you the rundown of my choices and why, as usual, I’ll be following my centrist tendencies and splitting my ticket.Governor, State of TennesseeMy vote – Gov. Phil Bredesen (D)Here’s one truism: I never like to vote for a loser. The governor, following eight successful years as Nashville mayor has had four

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1158024093148854002006-09-11T20:17:00.000-05:002006-09-11T20:21:33.160-05:00

The Ohio State Buckeyes, one year after my last blog entry, beat the University of Texas 24-7. The score makes you think they played all week long. I'm sure that's how the team prepared. Congrats to Jim Tressel, Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Jr., and the rest of the team on a great win.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1126378019169422312005-09-10T13:34:00.000-05:002005-09-10T13:47:10.130-05:00

I can't wait for the UT-Ohio State game tonight at 8. I've had the argument that this is not only a great game given the size and history of these two programs but because, in my opinion, football means more to these two states than any other. Pro football had its birth in Ohio, OSU is the largest university in the country (University of Phoenix and community colleges just don't count) and its

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1119713004412986042005-06-25T10:19:00.000-05:002005-06-25T10:23:24.416-05:00

...you've entered this contest four years in a row. Over the past few years, I've submitted several gems but none that have cracked the top of the ranks. I've been working on a few this past year so I'm holding out hope. Good luck to all who enter!

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1119381727718819032005-06-21T14:11:00.000-05:002005-06-21T14:22:07.723-05:00

This article seems to indicate that private Social Security accounts - a great idea whose time has come - are all but dead. It will be interesting to see what form this legislation takes. My biggest problem with Social Security is that, instead of creating wealth, it simply redistributes it. If the lower- and middle-classes are going to be lifted up from constant financial burdens, they must

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1118185699369688982005-06-07T18:04:00.000-05:002005-06-07T18:08:19.373-05:00

This is to the NYT from the economist Greg Mankiw, who authors the standard Macroeconomics textbook used in colleges. He now chairs the President's Council of Economic Advisors. He's smarter than you and me - fait attention. To the Editor: Your chart about the percentage of income earned by the top 0.1 percent of taxpayers was fascinating, but "Richest Are Leaving Even the Rich Far Behind"

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1118097537885619052005-06-06T23:59:00.000-05:002005-06-07T00:05:58.723-05:00

I like the New York Times because it, along with the Wall Street Journal, remain among the few truly literate news sources around. But the op-editors mostly piss me off, especially now that William Safire has left. Bob Herbert and Maureen Dowd are probably their most liberal columnists and I usually find little to agree with them on, despite being fairly moderate myself. The Times' series on

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1118020126528933432005-06-05T19:30:00.000-05:002005-06-05T20:08:46.536-05:00

I'm back from my Bahamas vacation a little tanner, a bit more knowledgeable, and looking forward to summer in Nashville. I traveled with my girlfriend and her mother(!) to Paradise Island at the Atlantis resort. Atlantis sits at the top of the resort food chain: everything is very expensive, employees are numerous and somewhat responsive, attractions are numerous, and they have a casino.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1117145279385437832005-05-26T17:03:00.000-05:002005-05-26T17:07:59.390-05:00

Memorial Day weekend and an upcoming trip to the Bahamas will keep me out of the blogosphere until next week. I should have lots of time to read and think of good things to talk about soon enough. See ya.Mike D

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1116787002385685842005-05-22T20:15:00.000-05:002005-05-22T20:14:09.096-05:00

I loved the latest Star Wars movie, liked its two predecessors, but I don't expect to have the same devotion to the prequel trilogy as I have to the original. On most movie-making principles the first trilogy are simply better films, owing much to the experienced direction of Irwin Kershner and Richard Marquand in Empire and Jedi respectively. I think there are several reasons beyond (Jar Jar

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1116616687029031932005-05-20T20:05:00.000-05:002005-05-20T19:50:50.310-05:00

I'm probably wrong, but I think it was Dostoevsky who said that you cannot truly know something without first loving it. I'll begin this review, then, by saying that I know Star Wars and freely acknowledge its influence on my childhood and even adulthood. I was born two months after the first movie came out and Episodes I and III were released one week after my undergraduate and business school

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1116265209534060652005-05-16T12:33:00.000-05:002005-05-16T12:40:09.540-05:00

As much flak as the Supreme Court has been getting recently. they got this one right. Tennesseans - hopefully within a few days or weeks - will be allowed to order wine and beer off the Internet and have it shipped right to our doors. This is great news for alcohol connoisseurs, afficianados, and -ics as this should drive liquor and grocery store prices down. I think I'll celebrate by drinking.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1116101970720053772005-05-14T15:12:00.000-05:002005-05-14T15:19:30.723-05:00

The anti-climax that is graduate school commencement was yesterday and I have to admit it wasn't too bad. I think I've figured out that when it's your parents' money paying for school, graduation is something you accomplish; when it's your money, you just have to get it done. So, about 90% of my friends are leaving town and I'm still without a job - exactly as it was six years ago. How many

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1115766422918574822005-05-10T17:54:00.000-05:002005-05-10T18:07:03.046-05:00

...the Austin City Limits music festival has announced their lineup for September, and it is again incredible. The headliners are:Coldplay Widespread Panic Oasis The Black Crowes The Allman Brothers Band Wilco Jimmy Cliff Robert Randolph & The Family Band Lyle Lovett John Prine Lucinda WilliamsThe standouts to me are the two Brit-bands and Wilco. The latter is always amazing, Coldplay

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1114787699813052622005-04-29T09:55:00.000-05:002005-04-29T10:14:59.813-05:00

Exit/In is where the party will be tonight. Josh Rouse is my favorite - and arguably the cream of the crop - of the soulful singer-songwriter group. I can name only a handful of artists whose first five albums - Dressed Up Like Nebraska, Home, Under the Cold Blue Stars, 1972, and Nashville (for the uninitiated) - are as well-crafted, melodic, and memorable as Josh's. He's been a Nashville guy

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1114702160715224542005-04-28T10:02:00.000-05:002005-04-28T10:29:20.716-05:00

20 months, 62 class hours, and 70,000 dollars later, I am done with business school. My MBA GPA is much better than undergrad, but I am not as yet gainfully employed. Still, the tests are taken, the papers written, and the group meetings over. I know more stuff, but I'm not necessarily smarter or wiser. I'm older - I don't know - and changed as a result. That's education I think.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1114273183496426132005-04-23T11:14:00.000-05:002005-04-23T11:19:52.406-05:00

Happy St George's Day. Basically, SGD is the English version of St. Patrick's Day, but less widely recognized. I was in London two years ago a this time and had a complete blast on St. George's Day. And speaking of famous English, today is William Shakespeare's birthday and anniversary of his death. Happy birthday to ye...

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1112215413195492232005-03-30T14:37:00.000-06:002005-03-30T16:04:27.950-06:00

A busier-than-expected final weeks of school have hampered my blogging efforts. Plus, in the struggle to find an audience, I've been less than motivated. I did, however, come up with a brilliant ontological question. Here goes:What audio recording - one song, one version - have you heard the most in your lifetime?Caveats:-Live performances of the recording by the artist count - covers by other

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1110904260511136752005-03-15T10:23:00.000-06:002005-03-15T10:31:00.513-06:00

I only mention the incident with Brad Hopkins because I saw him at the Maryland Farms Harris Teeter just two or three hours before the alleged incident occurred. He was there with his family and did not seem particularly agitated. He was carrying a Louis Vuitton bag on his shoulder - maybe his wife made fun of his purse, I don't know.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1110819997276086332005-03-14T10:52:00.000-06:002005-03-14T11:06:37.276-06:00

This has got to be the most under-promoted show in Nashville in my experience. Neither the Scene nor the Rage made any mention of it save a brief mention in their club listings. And I am at a complete loss to explain it - it's friggin' Son Volt, people!For those of you that are completely clueless, Son Volt occupies a pre-emiment place in recent rock history. Frontman Jay Farrar along with

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1110416398347390062005-03-09T18:36:00.000-06:002005-03-09T18:59:58.350-06:00

Running on Empty, by Peter Peterson, is an account of the terrible mess that the federal government has gotten itself in regarding our federal deficits vis-a-vis the massive increase in entitlements that the federal government doles out. What Peterson doles out is plenty of blame but spares no target, placing both Republicans and Democrats in his sights. It's partisanship as much as anything

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1110063603377691762005-03-05T16:17:00.000-06:002005-03-05T17:00:03.380-06:00

Well, I missed Paris and Nicole this weekend - "missed" is too flattering, really - but did have a celeb sighting of my own. I said hi to Ashley McElhiney, former coach of the ABA's Nashville Rhythm, at the Greenhouse while I was waiting for a cab. In my opinion, she handled the situation with her psycho boss, the media attention, and the premature end of the season with a lot of grace. I hope

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1109793795362427692005-03-02T13:47:00.000-06:002005-03-02T14:03:15.363-06:00

The City Paper is reporting that the owners of Bound'ry and South Street are in a slap-fight over property issues at the 20th Avenue properties. The closing of Chu came as a surprise to me only because the massive investment they made to it was a sunk cost. Their ongoing costs must have been pretty enormous because it seemed that Chu did a steady business. Perhaps it was too much like Bound'ry

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1109716184868378272005-03-01T16:24:00.000-06:002005-03-01T16:29:44.870-06:00

Spring break has officially begun! All that means for me, really, is 10 consecutive nights of finding trouble where it can be had. Hopefully, it will mean a few good days of blogs during which I'll try to get linked up to the other bloggers in Nashville. I'll definitely be updating a couple times a day.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1109262350441011682005-02-24T09:51:00.000-06:002005-02-24T10:25:50.443-06:00

I'm currently taking a course on Monetary Policy taught by a former Governor of the Federal Reserve Board, Dewey Daane. He has brought several prominent speakers into the classroom, but none was more interesting than yesterday's speaker, Congressional Budget Office (CBO) director Douglas Holtz-Eakin. His job is strictly non-partisan and he did a superb job explaining the current situation with

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1109183904504132942005-02-23T12:10:00.000-06:002005-02-23T12:49:09.003-06:00

After busting out of a home game very early, I commenced with Tuesday night drinking down out Mafiaoza's with my buddies Will, Derrick, and Anderson. Now, we are beer special chasers, and I for one appreciate the release in pressure that Mafiaoza's has taken off of Sam's Place in Hillsboro Village on Tuesday night. Even better, Mafiaoza's seems to have attracted the 26-32 set of young

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1109100945530343482005-02-22T13:31:00.000-06:002005-02-22T13:35:45.530-06:00

In an amazing bit of serendipity, the NY Times has an article regarding the subject matter below. Seems Tennessee isn't the only state with these issues. The situation is a lot murkier when there is actually no money at stake.Bars Test Laws on Gambling With Moneyless Poker Games

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1109091212858215092005-02-22T10:50:00.000-06:002005-02-22T13:54:12.543-06:00

Poker is here to stay. Why Tennessee should wise up and benefit from it.Many a naysayer say “nay” to the idea that the current torrent of interest in poker in the United States is anything more than a fad. Yet, I’m willing to gamble that poker will continue its roll through the American landscape. Nashville’s local news sources – though amazingly adept at exaggeration – have straddled the fence

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1109082268194688302005-02-22T08:24:00.000-06:002005-02-22T14:02:12.406-06:00

Monday was a slow news day in Nashville and I didn’t make it any more exciting by staying in most of the day and doing homework. The Titans shakeout was confirmed to what I can only say was a positive reaction on the talk radio show. “Doing what they had to” was the most common response; a lot of people seemed to be encouraged that single game tickets will be easier to come by.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3795871.post-1109000495520118552005-02-21T09:38:00.000-06:002005-02-22T14:02:22.946-06:00

Tennessee Titans cutting 6 veteran players, maybe moreThe Tennessee Titans announced that they are going to cut six of their most veteran and popular players: Derrick Mason, Fred Miller, Robert Holcombe, Joe Nedney, Kevin Carter, and Samari Rolle. This is the link to the Tennessean story: Titans Story . The economics of the NFL may have sealed the Titans’ fate for the 2005 season, but this

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17627093271694452054noreply@blogger.com2