NASA's Perseverance Rover MOXIE Makes Oxygen on Mars

We are in the beginning of digital transformation into the Information Age where micro robots and advanced manufacturing lead to new types of technology that will soon become part of our daily lives (i.e. toasters and television). What was seen only in science fiction comic books a few decades ago is now reality. Creating oxygen on planets (solid oxide electrolysis) not only opens these planets to experimental stations that host human inhabitants but also additional research into biomechatronic that can lead to mining new substances off of interplanetary stations (new rare metals that lead to emergent technologies). Managing rapid innovation will require adjustments in economic policies that lead to enhanced development of new technologies (i.e. development of entrepreneurial clusters) to reach those goals. The normal process of information transference and innovation (adaptation) across geographically dispersed regions within multiple industries may not function well when we need to bump multiple associated industries into uncharted territory quickly (space, military, advanced manufacturing, distribution, mining/metals, etc..). Because of the huge unknown potentials there may be first in market advantages to nations/companies that can get up there and create new discoveries. 🤷Working on a transactional cluster theory of industry innovation which will hopefully help better understanding how to infuse R&D and entrepreneurial/intellectual capital into a specific locations to create faster paced developmental/innovative system that leads to advanced prototype/small batch production products HERE that can be considered for larger scale production national/internationally. Its not finished so don't judge too harshly because there is some gap filling and rewrites needed 😬

Policing Laws Need to Change

I'm reading an article that discusses the rare conviction of officers when something like murder has been committed. You can read about Njeri Rutledge's article entitled The entire country needed a guilty verdict in Chauvin case. But laws still need to change. The article has some great points and prompts our national leadership to think long and hard about what immunity from criminal behavior means in law enforcement (not to mention how this might turn out a few years, or a decade, later if a couple more recorded and publicized issues occur). 

Let me say I am 100% for law enforcement and 100% for reform. I know their value to society and the community. Most departments focus on what is right and love to help others. Reform is about raising that value of the profession by increasing trust and integrity of the institution so that it better ensures its effectiveness and capacity to recruit from a wider base of talent. 

Laws are subjective by nature and how they are applied often determines their forthrightness to the people that live by them. Enforcing the law with those who enforce it, is highly important for integrity and validity. To fix this problem might require some changes in policing and prosecution practices. More regulations are unlikely to improve the situation until we install ethics in all behaviors and cultural artifacts (psychological and physical) of the field (A couple of recommendations in Oaths and Ethics).

I've met so many awesome officers that are willing to do the right thing. They are forced to make split second decisions over dangerous situations on a regular basis (mistakes will happen). The vast majority would only shoot in the worst situations where they feel themselves or someone else is under threat. Trigger happy sadists should not be on this force; or any other force where lethal capacity exists. 

I'm not talking about those who make natural mistakes in the course of their dangerous jobs. For them training and new non lethal weapons might be useful (We might want to develop a line for use domestically and/or internationally in peace keeping missions. I wonder if clustering businesses to tackle this issue might be helpful? 🤔). Who I'm talking about are those who never had the right personality for policing in the first place and are well known to lack integrity or good judgement.

This is something I've experienced in real life and in real time action. The involved officer wasn't making a mistake, they knew what they were doing, and were reinforcing their fundamental beliefs/identity within their social network. That social network also has a history of bullying others and contains within it the propensity for hate based behaviors and coordinated intimidation. It just took the right self-consumed personality to light and then throw the match.

That officer is already forgiven because I understand the difficulty of their background (Broken home, low self-esteem displayed as arrogance, the need to feel better than others, always putting others down, aggressive personalities when alcohol removes inhibitions, etc... all the signs of a pained soul. ). While mental health help for officers is important, we also must consider laws that ensure intentional violators of sound moral judgement are removed from the force to protect the public. We just have to decide what the essential purpose of policing is and move to adjust our policies to create a healthier organism in closer alignment with shared American values. There is no good reason why we don't remove bad officers and remove barriers for good officers (from an HR perspective). 

Changes by wiser minds that understand the bigger picture likely coming. You can read about Attorney General Merrick Garland launching investigation policing practices....HERE

The solutions are simple but changing the egos is hard! There should be no politics in this at all. 😢 There are no more blind eyes. 

Presidential Remarks on Verdict in George Floyd Case

Presidential discussion on the recent conviction and hopes for a more insightful and prosperous future for all Americans. The conviction helps us understand that there are times when justice can peek through the hazy fog of doubt. Divisive issues don't need to destroy us, but they can push us to change for the better. What we learn from this situation will say volumes about who we are as a people. 

Shooting at National Guard Not Acceptable Form of Protest

We are in difficult times and one can hope that peace is going to be the primary goal that holds each of us together. Most protestors want to find a way to a world where hate is no longer acceptable. They want reform and to put institutionalized racism into a challenge of the past so they can move on and live happy lives. The worst possible thing to happen, is to allow a few to turn a difficult situation into an impossible one (.....not to mention the long-term ramifications if this becomes common practice).  If people have legitimate concerns they should not let illegitimate agendas derail their voice (See Distorted Decision Making).

The National Guard is made up of our community members, our families, and our friends. Instead of shooting at them it might be wiser to wave "Hi", offer bottles of water, lay down flowers, and sign up to serve our communities in a meaningful and helpful way (A positive outlet for feelings of angst). The National Guard and Military were one of the first institutions to equalize racial disparity. Let us honor the sacrifices of our fallen warriors with love. I'm more than sure most of those soldiers are hoping and praying for peaceful resolution so they can go back to mowing laws, spending time with kids, and taking care of their domestic affairs. Peace has a purpose!

I encourage our leaders on both sides of the perspective to think long and hard about what values they hold and where we want to go as a nation before giving advice to others. See Critical Thinking and Critical Action

April 16th, 2021: Congressional News and Global Opportunities for the U.P.

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan has been ringing in Congress's ear as of late. With global shifts and emergence from COVID the U.P. and its strategic interests to the rest of the nation are becoming increasingly apparent. We are not just a land of beautiful shores and dancing celestial lights, but also a hardy people that can sharpen the pick axes of the past to pierce the global market of the present with ground breaking products and innovations. Keeping the 906 thriving will mean attracting and retaining international investment in emerging industries that are in line with global/national demand. Staying abreast of market changes sometimes leads to the opening of a window of opportunity where the right investment at the right time creates a butterfly effect throughout multiple industry lines leading to national transformation (see Schumpeter Entrepreneur and Digitized Productivity and Government Innovation Methods)

There are are important considerations of infrastructure,, international collaboration(....if we call Canada international. I grew up in the U.P. and Canadians were more like cousins who happened to like Curling. Mostly we see them on the holidays. 🤷), military & space stuff, COVID tax help and other activities like Plug In the U.P. (See Rural Advisory Committee). As plans formalize you will notice that further collaboration between North American countries is likely as manufacturing supply chains are drawn back home (Unless someone wants to make them longer? 🙉 Thinking U.S., CAN and MX). The U.P. once fueled our wars with raw materials, and may come to fuel the materials and technology needed tomorrow.

Reading below you will notice that the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has been on the lips of our politicians. There are lot of interesting things going on in the U.P. as it relates to private and public investment in the aerospace, military, and logistical industries (Perhaps we can improve Great Lakes Shipping. See Shipping Infrastructure)(I have a few ideas on how to push the industry to grow and adapt faster than our competitors. See Start-up and Incumbent Firms Delta County and Military Innovation). The Act extends to include the Space Force that will rely on radical technologies not yet available on the market. 🤔🚀(As Buzz Lightyear and Woody in Toy Story say, "To Infinity... and Beyond!"...it means endless possibilities and even beyond that into the unknown.). If you are the explorer type that might sound kind of cool! 

You might also want to consider the needs of our U.P. workforce to learn new STEM skills and create other leading market capital. The U.P. may soon be a hot spot for great ideas (Hopefully, Delta County with under developed opportunities in engineering, logistics, metals/mining, manufacturing/testing, and micro-tourism industries....or variations thereof. See Creating New Innovative Industries). Matching local skill with Industry-University R&D can be a lucrative match (See Industry-University Research).

What happens in the U.P. could impact opportunities throughout the region and nation (See Regional Industry Cluster Detection) as we try to find footing to compete with China. Wouldn't it be great if we were able to rejuvenating our fighting spirit with the collective effort not seen since the Greatest Generation(See US-China Econ Platform)? Yes the tools have changed, skills have adjusted, and we are now in an global era (See Global Managers) but the ultimate mission of our nation hasn't changed at all!  The youngsters today might want to take note of a generation that overcame serious international challenges because it was the "right thing to do!" (The struggle continues on with the spirit of the past and the idealism of today's youth!👥)

The following was taken from Congress Bergman's Brief HERE. If you like to keep up for the news you can go on the site and subscribe. I encourage people to stay as informed as possible. Keeping up with the news can help businesses find new investment opportunities. Industries that are recovering from COVID are seeking new locations for investment. That can't happen unless they understand opportunities and information that creates an investment rich environment (See Trade and Investing in Global Supply Chains).

Week in Review

This week in D.C. has been quite busy with meetings, votes, interviews, and roundtables. Often while in DC, each half hour is filled with “virtual” and in-person discussions on differing topics. Discussions this week ranged from infrastructure priorities with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), savings and money policy with students from Boyne Falls, economic partnership priorities with Ontario, defense priorities for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a VA Health Subcommittee meeting, legislative priorities with constituents, and a meeting with VA Secretary McDonough - just to outline a few. I love the opportunity to discuss the broad array of issues affecting the daily lives of those who call the First District home. This week I introduced an important piece of legislation in support of our First District workers. Recent COVID-19 relief legislation gave a $10,200 tax deduction to individuals who lost their job over the past year and claimed unemployment. I found it incredibly frustrating that no such tax break was given to Americans who continued to work through the pandemic - keeping our economy functioning and running. This legislation would provide the $10,200 tax exclusion to all Americans making less than $150,000 if passed into law. Our workers - from our grocers to our nurses - deserve this tax break after the year they’ve gone through. I hope you take a few minutes to read more about this bill below. I appreciate each of you and look forward to talking more. Respectfully, Jack Bergman Bergman Forms Rural Connectivity Advisory Committee Rep. Jack Bergman announced the formation of the Rural Connectivity Advisory Committee for Michigan’s First District. The Committee will serve as a forum where Rep. Bergman, internet service providers, local and tribal leaders, and stakeholder groups can share ideas, opportunities, and solutions in the fight to address the critical lack of connectivity in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Some key goals of the Committee include: Identifying underlying issues behind the lack of connectivity in Michigan’s First District; Exploring actionable solutions to bridge the digital divide in Michigan’s rural communities; Seeking coordination among federal, state, local, tribal, and private partners; Informing members and constituents of ongoing efforts and available resources; and Hearing from relevant government officials involved in broadband programs. Read the full release here The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Offers Presentation USPTO Midwest Regional Outreach Office will present to the Michigan UP community, an overview of intellectual property types. About this Event: Although this event is virtual, and open to anyone, it is specifically reaching out to the communities serviced by the Michigan Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Michigan Technological University servicing the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Regional Outreach Officer and Assistant Outreach Advisor will conduct a discussion will present a discussion that will cover: an overview of intellectual property types: patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets, why innovators and entrepreneurs should consider protecting their IP, and local resources and assistance available through the USPTO and other agencies. Register Online and ALSO CLICK HERE to register at USPTO to receive the webinar connection information. Michigan Teacher Announced as Space Foundation Teacher Liaison The new flight of Teacher Liaisons will be honored at the Teacher Liaison Virtual Workshop during Space Foundation’s upcoming 36th Space Symposium. In addition to the recognition activities, Teacher Liaisons will participate in a workshop featuring special guests and speakers. Read more here House Armed Services Committee On April 14th, Rep. Bergman attended a full committee briefing on “National Security Challenges and U.S. Military Activity in North and South America.”  Members heard testimony from the Department of Defense, U.S. Northern Command, and U.S. Southern Command officials.  Testimony covered topics including U.S. force postures in the regions, security challenges, partner capacity building and defense of the homeland.  During the briefing, Rep. Bergman questioned whether current assumptions about the threat to the homeland are correct and the preparedness of U.S. Northern Command to conduct operations in the homeland.   He also questioned which naval platforms should be considered for use in U.S. Southern Command. Follow Team Bergman on Social Media I want to stay connected with my constituents in the First District. Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay up to date on the latest events, news, and information

Sunset Cliffs Video San Diego

This video was taken over week ago and let me say it is one of the most beautiful places in California. I keep thinking I want to grab a friend, a safety float and snorkel the place with camera in hand. I'm not sure what the rules are when it comes to certain locations but its best to check local ordinances. These are beautiful places and we should protect them from pollution and damage so we don't hurt our fragile ecosystems. 

It should be remember that the less variability in the world's species there is an increased chance that we won't be able to adapt to problems (COVID or anything the future brings).

In the next decade or so I think we will get really smart about our world and will take more coordinated efforts to preserve (someday to enhance) the natural world we live in. I suspect we could design cities in a way that all of the run off gets recycled and/or cleaned before making it into "nature". 

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller Discusses 2021 Economy

 Federal Reserve Governor Christopher J. Waller discusses 2021 economy in recent interview. A few short hand notes that seem to follow closely with Chairman Powell. You can read more about Mr. Waller HERE.

See below......

1. Ready to Rip!

2. Projection 8% GDP Growth Q2 

3. 6.5% GDP Growth for 2022. 

4. 2.5% inflation.

5. Surge in opening of economy and then back to fundamentals. 

6. Making up for lost ground. 

7. Still 8 million jobs lower than last year. 

8. No plans to remove support anytime soon.