Bargaining with the debt ceiling

Obama is willing to strike a deal on budget cuts, but not the debt ceiling: A possible government shutdown is only days away as the threat of the U.S. defaulting on its debts could occur as early as mid-October if a deal to raise the debt limit which is currently at $16.7 Trillion isn’t struck. Republicans are stridently seeking further budget cuts, many of which are to Obamacare, which is something Democrats are reticent to compromise on. As has been the trend with this congress, both sides are unwilling to compromise. I agree we need budget cuts, but both parties playing a game of chicken with the debt ceiling could lead to financial turmoil. The debt ceiling is not a bargaining chip, so both sides need to stop using it as one.

Today's current events

An update on Syria: On August, 21st Syria killed hundreds of their own population with poison gas. Since then the U.S. has been looking to send a message to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and the world that use of chemical weapons will not be tolerated. Despite aggressive stances from both President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry, it appears a diplomatic solution may have been reached as the Russians (Syria’s greatest ally) have brokered a deal that will avoid U.S. strikes and destroy the presence of chemical weapons in Syria. Syria’s government is hailing this agreement as a “victory” to the frustration of some world leaders.

 Iranians Increase Their Presence in Syria: It is important to keep in mind all that other countries have invested in the situation in Syria. Iran is Syria’s most important Arab ally (I still believe Russia’s influence on the UN makes them more important) and serves as a bridge for Iranian arms and funding to Lebanese and Palestinian militias fighting Israel. If Assad were to fall, Iran would suffer a major blow.

The morning read

I flirted with the idea of calling this the “Morning Dump” but thought better of it. Anyways, here is what I’m reading this morning…

Unattractive People Are Targets For Cruelty At Work: Recently I’ve been posting a great deal about how being physically attractive is a benefit in just about every aspect of life (Maybe there isn’t more to life than being really, really ridiculously good looking). Better looking people are happier, paid more, more likely to be hired, and more likely to find a desirable mate. Less attractive people are also more likely to be the victims of workplace incivility. Keep this in mind during your interactions with others or the next time someone says we are all born with the same advantages.

10 Companies Creating Our Science Fiction Future: Companies are creating next generation technologies featuring biofeedback, genetic testing, 3-D printing, quantum computing, space travel, nutrition, robotics, and personal aircraft. It’s just a quick slideshow of some cool things companies are developing.

Paper and coin money costs Americans over $200 Billion each year. Time to do away with it? Yes! This is an argument I’ve made for a long time. Seriously, what is the point of a penny or nickel? This article uses the marijuana industry as a case study and discusses how cash spreads disease, is a hassle, and makes monetary policy less effective.

The Coming Baby Boom: This may be one of the most important economic stories of the next fifty years. Fertility rates are improving, so despite people choosing to have children later on in life, they will still be capable of producing many healthy children at that age. Other research suggests women now want more children than previous generations did. Start preparing for the second coming of the Baby Boomers.

Fertility Rate Stabilizes As the Economy Grows: As I was saying…. Birthrates tend to rise and fall with economic cycles. As we’re in a recovery period from an economic recession, the birthrate is also rising.

Men’s Wearhouse Blames Superstitious Brides for Slumping Sales: So maybe it wasn't that they ousted the founder, or oversold during the recessions by offering by 1 suit get 4 free suits and an iPad deals… Apparently it's brides (grooms don’t get any input on their wedding) fearful of having the number 13 in their anniversary that is responsible for their terrible numbers. Investors don’t seem to be buying it. (It = the stock, suits, and alibi)

10 Rules for Applied Empiricists to Live By: Whether you’re an I/O Psychologist, Economist, or intelligent investor, these rules are golden.

Welcome to the 72 Hour Work Week: In the age of smartphones, tablets, and laptop computers we are really never off the clock. Just last week I got a call at 7:15am asking why I hadn’t responded to an urgent email sent at 7:12am yet. One study showed this seems to be the norm for many people. It is important for companies and their employees, or employees and their supervisors communicate and create an appropriate work-life balance. Failure to do so could have severe negative effects on both the person and the organization.

The Real Reason You Don’t Want a Strip Club Next Door: There are so many ways this article could go, so I’m just going to let your minds wonder until you read it.

Please Stop Complaining (Bragging) About How Busy You Are: For starters, most people don’t care and are not impressed with your schedule packed full of important events, meetings, conference calls, outings, and other words used to make ourselves sound more important. If you’re trying to get ahead in life or business, I suggest you stop talking about yourself and how busy you are, and instead ask about the other person. If you don’t know what to ask them about, here are the things people like talking about more than anything else: 1. Themselves 2. Their Children 3. Their Pets 4. Their Work 5. Their hobbies. Ask about those if you’re not sure how to start. Once you start, practice active listening. Reflect back what they are saying and ask clarifying follow up questions. If you’re good, those five topics should even be able to get you through a plane ride from Boston to Chicago with even the most introverted seat mate. 

The Beginners Guide to the Paleo Diet: I’m starting The LuRong Paleo Challenge today and this is my first experience with Paleo. I’ve been fortunate that my mother promoted a healthy lifestyle for my family from the time I was little, so many of the Paleo rules are already part of my routine. I had second thoughts about the challenge when I realized I couldn’t have dairy (black coffee is going to take some getting used to) or whiskey (the lifeblood of the working man), but the CrossFit competitions and participation of my gym (CrossFit Cadre) sold me on it. 8 weeks of clean living starts today, wish me luck!

Thoughts on the post? Idea for a better name for the blog? Leave them in the comments section. 

Welcome to the blog...

The book on my shelf that I hold with the most reverence is John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost. I love the audacity of the opening. Milton unabashedly boasts that he’s going to pursue, “Things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme” to, “justify the ways of God to men”.

The purpose of this site is not to justify the ways of God to men, government to the people, professors to students, or parents to their children. Rather its purpose is to bring awareness to topics I have the audacity to believe are of interest or importance to you. Will McAvoy from HBO’s The Newsroom is on a mission to civilize; I am on a mission to educate.

Much like Will McAvoy I believe an informed populace breeds creativity, fosters, innovation, and stimulates a healthy discord. I pride myself on being a moderate, fear irrationality and believe there is no man more irrational than he who cannot see both sides of an argument. In business, war, or science, the man who can only see from his own own point of view, has already lost.

With this in mind, I will strive to represent both sides of arguments and sometimes post articles with perspectives that I stridently disagree with. I am less concerned with what you think about this content, and more concerned that you simply think about it.

For me, the writing process helps clarify my own thoughts. I may not fully understand a concept or even know my own opinion until I have written about it. I hope writing this blog will help to keep me sharp.

I read thousands of words of research and news each day and stay up on current events. When I do not feel qualified to offer insight on a topic, I will ask for other’s thoughts. If you feel my thoughts are off base or that I have misrepresented something, I encourage you to tell me. Historically, I’ve tweeted most of the articles I believe are worth sharing. Now, I plan to blog or link to some of what I read here in an effort to distill this large volume of information down into a manageable and meaningful format.

The Internet is a powerful place with the solution to an infinite number of questions. I encourage you to read something thought provoking on it everyday. I will endeavor to provide articles that will help you meet that goal and commentary that facilitates understanding.