Michael Michalko's Page

You and I are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones. Most people are never going to die because they are never going to be born. The potential people who could have been standing in our place but who will never see the light of day outnumber the atoms in the universe. Certainly those unborn ghosts include greater playwrights than Shakespeare, greater scientists than Newton, greater composers than Beethoven, greater artists than Van Gogh, greater minds than Einstein. We know this because… Continue

A trolley is running down a track out of control. If it keeps going, it will run over the five unsuspecting people hanging out on the track. You can prevent this disaster by throwing a switch, redirecting the trolley onto a siding where it will kill one person. Do you hit the switch?
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Most people say that that’s OK, not great, but OK. Now suppose I change the problem slightly. You’re watching the first drama unfold from a footbridge and the only way to save the five people from certain death is… Continue

I recently participated in a session with a number of politicians of different parties about reform of the political process. After the session, I discussed my disappointment with the results with Father Tom, a Franciscan monk who taught political science at St. Bonaventure University. I told him how I had discussed the issue with many in the group before the session, and I knew they had many ideas, including many unusual and unique. Yet they held back and offered only the same old conservative… Continue

I have learned valuable lessons from watching and listening to celebrities, politicians, prominent people and organizations in our society. Some of the things I have learned are:

I have learned toleration from the intolerant Perez Hilton.
I have learned silence from the talkative Rush Limbaugh.
I have learned value from the scam artist Bernie Madoff.
I have learned the merits of an education from Paris Hilton.
I have learned unselfishness from the Reverend Al Sharpton.
I have learned love from… Continue

Personal hygiene left much room for improvement in the old colonial days. As a result, many women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women would spread bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions. When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began
to stare at another woman's face she was told, "mind your own bee's wax."

Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term "crack a smile" In addition, when they sat too close to the fire, the wax w… Continue