Science and Effort in the Gloucester shipwreck: Norfolk's Mary Rose

Scientists and researchers don't just go out in their boat and hope to find some of the world's most amazing studies. They spend decades diving, using tools, learning and developing their skills. Then one day they hit the jack pot. Anyone trying to succeed at something should expect to put in the proper time and effort to achieve their goals. Depending on the goal it might not be decades but it will require persistence. Whether your are student or a business executive the same general "grit" of effort is going to apply. There are three things we can take from their discovery.....

1. Consistent Effort Leads to Success: We shouldn't go out and expect to discover a ship on our first day, make the winning touch down, or get an A on every paper. We must put in a lot of effort to learn. Some call this the 10,000 hour rule. To do well you must enjoy what you are doing and focus your energy and effort on it. That may mean adjusting other things in your lives to put the right energy in the right places.

2.) There are Lots of Different Skills Needed: We aren't just learning one skill but the multiple skills needed to accomplish goals. For example, these divers learned to dive, learned to use the scientific method, conduct historical literary research, talk to other divers, attend conferences, can do math, and much much more. Expect during the learning process to be exposed to different types of skill you might thing are not important but are essential (In other words, don't complain because you don't think you are doing not useful. It might have big benefits.)

3.) There are Support Structures: Just like in this shipwreck video there are support structures that include finance, ship maintenance, libraries, universities, political supporters, international governments, and much more. The structure and resources are there to prepare for a discovery of this size. Without that support structure discoveries will likely be more random and done with less equipment. 

Two articles you might want to check out

1.) Science and Scientific Method

2.) Nautical Archeology

I do a little shipwreck diving and I do a little science. They are related. At my level it has been an issue to find consistency with others who state they want to find a ship but then persist to do that regularly. So I went and bought a used boat (Its not a big boat but I can fish on it and do some near coast scanning. So I lose nothing.). While I'm working on ensuring the engine is running I find I have some of the basic equipment (Really really basic but have been looking at a few others. Everything takes time.). That will eventually lead somewhere if I'm persistent enough. If nothing comes out of it I will have at least mapped all the fishing pools in the area for my own future purposes. :)

Bi-Partisan Gun Deal Possible-Applauding the Effort

The good news is that a bi-partisan deal shows that our leaders can work together to solve important problems even when they are staunchly opposed. Taking the best of both major vantage points can help in developing a single piece of legislation that resolves most of the outlining issues. I agree with the mental health aspects. It could have saved a lot of problems for many people if there is early intervention and help for those who need it.  

We have been talking a lot about mental health and hate and with the gun issue we may be finally facing these problems together.  (Family Therapy for our Republican and Democrat leaders to help them listen, learn, reflect and then act. Sharing perspectives and active listening can help. 😏 Ok sorry it sort of seemed to fit what we have seen over the past few years. 💨)

Police arrest 31 people with ties to hate group, found inside U-haul

 Its interesting that such extremism behaviors are becoming more common. 31 people are not that many so I wonder what they hoped to achieve other then a statement of chaos. The good news is they didn't have guns and as of yet did not appear to have coordinating groups. I'm surprised considering they coordinated to get enough people from different states into the back of a Uhaul (How or where did they have a chance to coordinate? Which social media site? organization? etc..). What did appear to happen is they were doing so incognito that that is a concern. There are differences between peaceful protests and rioting. Incognito is a sign of more nefarious purposes.

It is or is not an argument for or against what someone believes or whether they disagree with someone's lifestyle or choices (everyone is entitled to their opinion). It is a matter of civility and figuring a way to disagree without resorting to violence. Extreme nationalist movements can coordinate quickly and rally around a core ideologies. That leads to planning and premeditated actions. That is where paramilitaries can be formed (I hope not but often nationalist movements come from such backgrounds.)

This isn't an act of civil discussion its an attempt to intimidate and I think we have become accustomed to that as a method of disagreement. The problem with intimidation is it leads to backlash and then people take other precautions which continues to escalate situations. I believe there are some people in our society that feel power over is the only way to resolve issues. This isn't necessarily an issue that needs resolution it is one that people can agree to disagree but find a way to coexist. I may agree or disagree with someone's choices but I respect their right to choose. 

Sometimes these terms can be misused. For example, I'm straight but was called gay by members of a hate group because one of the ladies felt rejected. It was really more about her values than anything else and didn't feel she would be a good match based on shallow displayed behaviors. Yet it was a tool to rally a mob of supporters. If that makes me Gay Yikes!!!! ...but that is the world we live in. 🧐✌

Standing United Against Hate and Hate Groups: Oaths to Society

If you have ever been targeted by a hate group you will begin to understand the need for new laws that protect people from wanton aggression. When it comes to race and religion it can be easy to sweep up entire institutions and personnel in a way where critical thinking becomes difficult and the laws are easy to pervert (It has happened at various places in history). For those who have faced such venom there is a path through the fog.

FBI reports there has been an increase in hate crimes and we still continue to struggle with some of the fundamentals of how to hold such groups accountable. Free pass is never acceptable form of abatement for bad behaviors. It leads to a repeat of those bad behaviors at other times in history. Solutions are often hard to find when the political spectrum is toxic.

Once you and the people you care about become targeted or put in harms way by intentional destructiveness you become aware of how few protections you have at that time (That can change.). When the law becomes perverted and basic human rights are stripped you also realize that you must stand for something greater than yourself to reorient values. The fundamentals are being shaken and social contracts broken. You have a responsibility to glue them back together for everyone else and the next generation.

A few ideas....

1.) Research the facts and truth. Stay close to the truth so if someone questions you can can give honest answers. Its ok to make mistakes in chaotic situations but do so with the attempt to take the higher ground for win-win situations.

2.) Don't be blinded by popularity, skin color, religion or familiarity. Ignore false forms and impressions. Much of our world is subjective to explain objective things (Not going too far into philosophy here.).

3.) Universalize your values to apply across all Americans so as to find what connects us together. Our root values as a nation and people.

4.) Focus on the big national goals and not on local politics. We have a responsibility to build a fair society and make it the most effective society we can.

5.) Role reverse and ask yourself what it would be like if it was you. Empathy has great power for understanding.

6.) Consider the long-term picture if such groups are able to pervert local life. There are others who feel the same and are concerned over bad behaviors that have been ignored, unknown, or swept by corruption under the carpet.

7.) Make sure your anchored symbols are not ethnocentric but American/Democratic in origin.

8.) Focus on moral conscious of law and truth. Find the higher power.

9.) Accept that you, your children's life/ rights no long exist beyond cold hard legal realities. i.e. salivating to get the chance. (At least at that time but it does change.).

10.) Core group members will spread as much hate as they can to encourage clan/group behaviors and limit their responsibilities. (Some will posture violence but it only takes one to move beyond posture). 

11.) Don't do what they want you to do such as being provoked into an argument so they can justify escalation of aggressions. Keep your head high and step back. Hold your ground, don't show weakness, but do not respond tit for tat. Just walk away and if they follow you then they own that.

12.) Be aware that some in law enforcement will do the right thing some won't (Look at their core values and "souls" to determine how they will act under different situations.). Most did the right thing once they found out they were manipulated but a few persisted and that opened a potential can of other unknown corruption (From other areas. Its a type of thinking.).

13.) Go loud and repeat it over and over until someone gets enough integrity to stand up for some basic principles. There are others out there that have values as well and get the bigger picture. 

14.) Just like all toxic people perpetrators will escalate before they break. They will break and that will happen when they have exhausted their resources and can no longer avoid fate. All the doors are closed and they are trapped to accountability (Different levels for different people. Because I'm empathetic I would opt for mandatory mental health. )

15.) You can win but you will need to make it all the way through all the distorted values, false beliefs, and misalignment of legal structure. Be persistent and focus on the bigger picture. 

16.) If you make it to the other end you have a responsibility to encourage betterment so not only teach others but encourage a higher functioning society (Its risky but its a duty). Allegory of Cave.

Why New Types of Leaders are Needed in Business and Government

Organizations, businesses and nations can't function well when there isn't enough diversity of thought, various backgrounds that provide new ways of thinking about long stalemated issues. For example if we take current politics there are fundamentally differences between those who gravitate toward politics and those who don't creating self-selection for national leadership. Sometimes the very nature of politics attracts some personalities and leaves others behind and that can have a detrimental effect on long term business or government performance. 

We might also find that some people are groomed to be executives/government leaders more than others but that there are times when opening the leadership halls to new people provides more connection to the populace/working population and in turn new ideas that can be used to solve old problems. While we think of leaders as pedigree alpha (old world view) they often come with enhanced resources, educational background, and similarities among each other that gives them increased opportunities that are not always reflected in their skills. 

We shouldn't confused leadership ability and having all the right support and background to make success easy (Its the argument of who is more capable. The single mother who gets through school or the lady from a wealthy family who had everything provided. One has been socialized to success and the other earned it through the hard knocks of life.). Typically in history it is the second tier leaders that accomplish great things because they think different, have the right characteristics and understand enough of the senior world to accomplish important goals.

Sometimes our leaders (business and government) are really good and sometimes they are not so great. As with all management teams we sometimes need to sift through new blood to ensure new ideas are bubbling upwards. We only need to look at some of the dicey politics or stagnant companies to find that perhaps new leaders are sometimes needed. New ideas, thoughts, and perspectives break stalemates.

Research helps us understand that effective teams have some levels of the following characteristics (Kozlowski, & Ilgen, 2006):

cognitive: unit-team climate, team mental models, and transactive

motivational: team cohesion, team efficacy, and potency

behavioral team competencies, functions, and regulatory mechanisms

What the study does say is that there is science to leadership teams. It is an emerging field with new information but it is possible to understand. What I can say is that if these backgrounds are either too similar or they are socialized into a particular way of looking it may damage long term prospects of the nation if new ideas are not being generated or silence quickly. We aren't talking about the combative personality but the questioning personality that comes from a different grain that should be entered through the gates of the "interconnected". 

Kozlowski, S. W. J., & Ilgen, D. R. (2006). Enhancing the Effectiveness of Work Groups and Teams. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 7(3), 77–124. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1529-1006.2006.00030.x

Thousands Protest Gun Control

Let us see what happens and what Republicans and Democrats come up with. Lack of compromise often gets frustrating for people. I'm pretty sure we could protect the 2nd Amendment and protect the public from those who should not have certain types of guns.  If the trends continue there will be increased pressure to make a bi partisan deal.

Ammo Needed in Ukraine: It would be a shame if they lost from lack of supplies

It would be a shame if Ukraine lost because of a lack of ammo. While we choose who to support or not support we should recognize Ukraine's unique position in the new Iron Curtain forming. Russia has a huge arsenal and Ukraine much less. That makes them dependent on the West for supplies. Without providing it they will likely begin to lose ground quickly. Longer range artillery, lots of non-military supplies, protection from low flying planes, and more ammo. More mercenaries may be needed (A risky strategy). However, I think the place has strategic long-term importance. This is why Russia is pushing so hard. Perhaps it is a cornerstone to a larger strategy.

Republicans Will Likely Chart a New Course (Risks of Splinter)

 There were/are people within the Republican party that are have more centralist views and in many ways they have been sidelined over the past 6 years (Its just a ball park #). Those centralist Republicans are likely going to make a move to reorient the party towards the Reagan values ("Old Guard". When I say Reagan he wasn't necessarily the world's best president or leader but he had some good traits. He is one example and there will be other examples in history). 

The world is changing and Republicans will want to be the party of the future and that means taking on a more enlightened approach to governance and national influence. Unlike the past it won't focus exclusively on beating Democrats (That is the low level Game Theory game and almost always ends with a net loss down the road for everyone including the country. Democrats are just as guilty. 💁.). It will be more about how to take the best of what Republicans have to offer and hedging the good ideas that come from Democrats to mesh them into successful strategic initiatives that can be sold to a wider group of interested stakeholders (i.e. meaning influencing the centralists of both parties.). 

That will also likely mean reorienting the party to attract more diverse people's and ensuring that decisions are being made in the best interest of society beyond loyalty to one's party (Blind loyalty is dangerous and minimizes long-term thinking and adaptability. Likely why Republicans and Democrats are facing these issues now and at this time in history. Contrary to popular opinion both created the context in which this could happen.) Change requires openness to differences in perspective and reaching across the isle to take into consideration the other parties needs (Meaning any party formed in the future. We became accustomed to the two party system but it doesn't actually need to be that way. In many ways an odd number like 3 or 5 can work as well.) to find meaningful solutions the vast majority of people believe in. 

There are many silent Republicans that are sitting on the sidelines and are likely going to start reasserting themselves in the current mess to save the long term health of the party. The far right may splinter off and call everyone RINO's without a deeper understanding of the essentials of conservativism. That far right will likely dwindle over time as past leaders fade into the background of time but we should all still keep our watchful eye on the wrath of sour grapes. While we as a nation should listen to essential concerns of the far right (i.e. meaning the fear, confusion, feelings of loss of power, etc. that they may not be aware of) we should not entertain the ideological immaturity of the past and its propensity of power over versus power with dynamics.

I'm kind of curious myself what will happen. The orange group hats in the video are interesting. Orange is a bright color. I wonder if this same orange hats went to visit other groups and/or were dispersed in town. Could simple hat colors determine who is the crowd is coordinating with whom? I consider myself a little like an observer making a few predictions based on forming trends. However, I'm sometimes wrong so time answers all questions.

A few reading pieces of random thoughts: GOP Stay Neutral, Trump or not Trump, Party Split, Republican Path Forward, McCain Civility, Practical Compromise, The Righteous Mind

January 6th Highlights Day 1 (June 9th, 2022)

It is important to keep in mind that one should never make a quick judgements without looking at all of the data, background, and information. There were some issues that seemed to show up right away that would indicate a problem. The issue then launched a massive Congressional investigation that cannot avoid the political dynamics as they exist (From a sociological perspective we will see how this plays out and what percentage of people who support one thing over the other. I'm taking a fairly neutral perspective to let facts unfold. However, I have my suspicious and usually they are not unwarranted. Many Republicans are likely to start changing heart seeing the dangers for what they are. That doesn't mean Democrats don't share in the responsibilities not to create toxic environments where conflict is the primary focus/pleasure of lawmakers. Most are great on both sides but the loudest mouths often win the microphone and in turn help create a difficult environment for bi-partisan efforts.) . 

The question is, "What is the truth?" and how do we use this dangerous situation (whether true or not) to strengthen our nation?

I see us coming out positively on the other end but that will dependent on the quality of leadership we have at the nation's capital (Republican and Democrat as a legislative group and any future court cases as codified in our Judicial Branch.) Anyone working outside of those lawful institutions should be seen with suspect (Ram's Butting Heads). 

A few key concepts we should think beyond (Hegel in History)....

1.) The way in which the crowd was hyped up would be very difficult to do organically. One would have to look at who heard what and where. 

2.) Appears to have some coordination questions of resources. When were notices given and how did information flow in the situation?

3.)  If we chase back all of the different groups would we find a connection to foreign agents and/or domestic extremism? Russian Elect and Soft Side of Hate

4.) Is there another round coming if pressure is placed on key leadership?

Here are the highlights...

Here is the fuller version....

Why Persistence of Thought and Action Are the Key to Success

You can be smart and you can be rich and that will give you lots of opportunities. Sometimes genius fails and sometimes rich kids find themselves relatively useless to society when they grow up.  While these things can really help or hurt you they won't be the only factors in success. There are other things that can make or break the business professional, college student, skilled worker, or someone engaged in sports. It is persistence of thought and action. 

A few tips on persistence:

1. Know what you want to accomplish. 

2. See yourself doing it.

3. Break it down into actionable steps.

4. Adjust your schedule to fulfill those steps.

5. When things get in the way just get back to it.

6. Learn as much as you can.

7. Find new goals when finished.