On the Bay Pictures-Personality and Sailing?

There is life on the water. We don't think so but there are also different sailing communities. From a demographic standpoint each of the boating types have their won characteristics. There are those who are sailboats, speed boats, rental boats, fishing boats, catamarans, dive boats, etc.... 

You don't have to be rich to own a boat and there is something for everyone (Trust me some of the characters you see around look a little salty dog rough on dinghy's that I'm surprised still float! 😏) I came across this older study that shows sailing wasn't based on social status alone. 

Social Status, Self-Development, and the Process of Sailing Specialization 

While the study indicates from their sample group that social stratification there are a lot of extenuating factors to that (Why you have limitations and delimitations). For example, boating classes cost money, you must have access to friends that like to boat, and you need exposure (camp, water, etc... ).  There are some barriers to entry.

I can see myself in a place like this! 🤣

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell Outlines Central Digital Currency (CBDC)

The Federal Reserve is serious looking at Central Bank Digital Currencies, or CBDCs, as a method of advancing digital currencies. According to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's statement (HERE), the Federal Reserve will be releasing a discussion paper this summer summarizing the understanding of advanced technology in digital currencies. That will be a pretty cool read 🤓.

It can be difficult to develop a central currency unless we have already developed the necessary digital infrastructure for doing so in a safe and secure fashion. That is a problem. Advancing our digital infrastructure can do wonders for speeding up national transactions and activities but it must be done so in a secure manner that can be regulated. 

What we can say is that this advancement of digital currencies is part of a large push to modernize the country into the Digital Age to create new competitive advantages (See Digital GDP on Govt. Mind). It appears we as a nation are beginning to rally to the challenges set before us and try and create one of the most advanced nations we can in a way that draws in the increasing investment and business interest (See Sociological Economic Platforms). 

He is right about how we need to have basic trust and faith in the digital dollar. Money is all about trust and without it you don't have an effective medium of exchange (i.e. trusting the dollar is worth 🐔🐔). While Jerome Powell is discussing stable coins there must be trust in the basic mechanics of digital design. You can see how trust impacts cryptocurrency at Understanding the creation of trust in cryptocurrencies: the case of Bitcoin.

Pay special attention to the study's section on trust and how blockchain technology helps protect against altering by creating hash mismatches between the blocks. They go into significant depth in trust and how it is constructed in digital currencies. You may also want to reach Harvard Business Review's Is Stablecoin the Next Big Thing in E-Commerce? (I used to get that journal digitally for a long time 😕).

You may be interesting in reading the transcript HERE. What might also want to consider is developing innovation pockets (transactional clusters) that capitalize on the new flow in currency to ensure it fuels innovation and growth through natural entrepreneurship and R&D (Two slightly different ways of developing new products through the use of formal research and practical application.)

Israel and Hamas Sign Cease Fire-Hoping it Lasts

Conflict between Israel and Hamas temporarily ended and that is a good thing. Perhaps this will give both sides some time to think about what a longer-term peaceful strategy might look like. There is history in this ancient area, shared history among lots of different people, and maybe we can find some religious inspiration that to moves beyond the conflicts of the past 50 years to something more akin to peaceful coexistence. 

So much pain and suffering has been experienced by people on both sides. Lives lost and families ruined. The world has been watching for a long time and the passions in this arena often ignite passions in other places. I believe that life and peace are beautiful things and we should encourage it and nurture it whenever we can. ☮🕊 

Sometimes starting small and finding things people agree can lead to bigger agreements in the future.  I wonder if a wider network of international stakeholders could put pressure on both sides to resolve their differences to find some path forward to long term resolution? These issues are complex but at the end of day solutions are often anchored in very simple things. 💓👼

Thinking About Greed-Psychology and Sociology

Greed is something that is fairly prevalent in society. There are just those who want and will do what it takes to get what they want. Such individuals make decisions and choices that lead to zero-sum games. I often wonder how such individuals can do what is only in their best interest and not consider anyone else unless it serves that interest. To me it appears that such behavior has roots in 1. Psychology and 2. Sociology

Psychology: Greed seems to be influence by anomie (lack of ethical standards), mixed with a low internal locus of control and a zero sum game mentality (Xinying, etc. al 2020). 

Greed is thus follows the pattern of low values, mixed with low self-control and the need to win at all costs. Such individuals have personality traits that seek to fulfill their own needs.

Sociology: Greed is likely to be more prevalent in societies/groups that don't emphasis integrity. We come to accept greed when we do not hold others accountable for bad behavior creating an environment where greed can flourish.

Let me give you an example. People who engage in fraud do so out of the need to obtain for themselves something that doesn't belong to them. While some of this behavior is rooted in the individual there is a social context to that greed. 

If as a society we support those who engage in greed, emulate their behavior in our media, and fail to hold criminal behavior associated with greed to account then we are creating an environment where greed will likely become increasingly common. 

People often talk about how selfish people have become. Part of that is based in our disconnection from each other and part of that is based in our own culture of "win at all costs" (I actually don't think people are becoming more selfish. They are becoming indifferent.). 

Changing the behavior of greed means first changing how we see such people. When someone acts consistently greedy we should seek to distance ourselves from them. When people act with integrity we should move toward them. 

The problem is when we have poor values we act and function of erroneous assumptions of self-impotence. I am thinking of an example where greediness has led to all other types of poor behaviors in a group context where proper values are not being emulated. When people complain about how self-fish people are the first thing I think is, "How did we contribute to that?" Perhaps its through our indifference and lack of accountability.

Xinying Jiang, Xinyan Hu, Zhenzhen Liu, Xiaomin Sun, Gang Xue (2020).Greed as an adaptation to anomie: The mediating role of belief in a zero-sum game and the buffering effect of internal locus of control. Personality and Individual Differences, Volume 152,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2019.109566.

Sea Lions Mating in La Jolla Cove

 The other day I was in La Jolla Cove swimming and messing around with my camera. I nearly swam over a couple of sea lions mating (I think they are mating) and I was warned twice by one of them. :) You kind of have to wait until the end of the video. Its short. They might be too young for mating. No idea. 

Space Force's Atlas V Rocket Missile Detection SBIRS GEO-5 Satellite Launched

The Space Force launched the geosynchronous SBIRS GEO-5 as part of the Space Based Infrared System (See Space Force SBIRS  If you want to know more about the Atlas V rocket NASA has some information HERE.) NASA has accumulated loads of resources and knowledge over the years but space development took a back burner to our many other pressing issues over the past few decades (See Commercial Space). 

What we might find is that as companies may seek to get in on development of space equipment (military, manufacturing, outdoor, etc...) they will need focal points for investment and innovative development (Without it we are really competing at the a similar paces as our competitors. Our existing infrastructure, mixed with new digital infrastructure, would create advantages that other nation's will have a hard time following for a while). We will likely see more private-public partnerships to encourage innovation (...unless there is a another unknown way of competing? 🤷)

 

Clean Up Your Community with Delta County Non-Motorized Trail (DCNT)

 If you are in the area and want to help your community and trails take a look at the following release.

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities

We have a few upcoming volunteer events where we'd love your help! Wednesday, May 19 We Dig Wednesday Work Bee at @West Side Recreation Area In preparation for adding more boardwalk and planing, we'll be hosting a volunteer work bee to trim brush, rake bypass trails. Rakes and limb loppers would be helpful. Tall waterproof footwear is recommended Thursday, May 20 Esky Cleanup 4:30-7pm DCNT will be participating in the City Wide cleanup week. If you're interested in joining us to help clean up Aronson Island in Ludington park, we'll be set up in the parking area across from the beach house. Work will consist of trash cleanup. No tools needed. Friday & Saturday, May 21-22 Starting at 11am Boardwalk/ Plank installation at West Side Recreation Area We'll be continuing boardwalk and plank installation to improve year round access to this trail system that is very wet during the Spring and Summer months. Tall waterproof footwear is recommended, no other tools needed.

Delta County Natural History Workshop

The Delta County Non-Motorized Trail (DCNT) organization is pleased to present a one half day workshop on the birds and other natural features of the West Side Recreation Area (WSRA). Local field biologists Glenn Vande Water, Joe Kaplan, and Laurie Johnson will serve as our guides for exploring natural community types at the WSRA and the birds that inhabit them. Glenn, Joe, and Laurie have made professional careers studying, writing, and teaching about biological and ecological subjects, and have all traveled extensively to observe birds in the wild. The existing trail system at the WSRA provides easy access to numerous natural community types. As we move through varying habitat we will stop to listen to individual songs of birds and make an effort to see them. The early June period should allow us to see both resident and migratory songbirds. The workshop will take place on June 5, from 8:00 am to approximately 12:00pm*. Please arrive at least 15-minutes early. We will meet at the WSRA parking lot. From Danforth Rd., go west on 19th Avenue North until you come to the Great Lakes and Recreation Club (South side of road across from gun range). Take Ski Hill Rd. south approximately ¼-mile, crossing the rail road tracks and veering to the left approximately 100 ft. to the parking lot. Participants should come prepared; long sleeve shirts, long pants, boots or tennis shoes, hat, bug dope, water, and field snack or lunch. Binoculars are highly suggested. Cameras are always a plus for documentation. The terrain is generally flat with occasional soft soils. RSVP via text or call by May 31 to (906) 399-6267. Limit 20 participants (flexible with this, given we have three leaders). This workshop is free, however, donations to the DCNT organization is appreciated. One of the goals of the DCNT is to provide the public with opportunities to further explore and enjoy nature through the maintenance and development of suitable trail systems in Delta County. With expressed interest, additional natural history workshops will be offered to explore other natural community types, such as, bogs, northern wet meadows and shrub thickets, hardwood swamps, lakeshore dunes that can be accessed by local trail systems. * If inclement (i.e. pouring rain) weather occurs the workshop will take place on Sunday June 6.