Escanaba Marina American Flags

The City of Escanaba did a great job putting up flags along the Marina mouth. It makes the place look great! People like to see a little color. If I was trying to brand a place I might put intersperse some local flags with our colors. At the mouth would be a nice place to put some very nice racing flags to attract attention.

The marina can be a big draw for the area and could attract all types of boats from leisure in the harbor to larger yachts on the other side (I haven't see any yet but if it was a seasonal tourist draw that could be possible). 

Tonight I was out fishing. For the last week I was using fake bait but tonight I splurged and bought some night crawlers. Didn't help! 🎣

What did I catch? No fish but good pic! 

Northern Sun Winery Comes Under New Ownership and Hosts Musicians and Charity

Northern Sun Winery was recently purchased and now ramps up its offerings by hosting musicians and raising money for charities. The charity tonight was to help children in Africa. Delta County needs more venues like this where people come out and enjoy the process of music. I'm thinking they should have some wine and art events as some of the local artists were there and seem to be part of the same demographic. 

I talked to one of the people that are really big into the local art community and I was to help out (assuming I was here) to remove and restore a painting that was moved to a Detroit museum for restoration. It was one of the only egg shell paintings of the labor movement era (taken from a local post office when it closed and put in storage and then lost. Beaver Island I think.). 

People seem to be suggesting a single place to host all of the events in the area. Everything from small concerts like this to city fireworks. That site should be simple (there are lots of places to do this but one must pick one) and placed as a link on various communications including official websites.

People who like one type of product/activity also like other associated ones. By hosting associated events they can also attract those demographics that would be of interest. For example, if we analyzed wine drinkers we may find similarities with other demographics. This is one study but you get the point. See Wine Drinkers in the U.S. 

Northern Sun Winery

Here is the link to Google Map.  Here is the website Northern Sun Winery

983 10th Rd, Bark River, MI 49807

A Few Ideas on Getting Your Business Through the First Few Years

 Developing and growing a business is not easy! There is a big learning curve that can make or break your prospects. There are a few things you may want to consider during your first year. 

1.) Focus on Brand: Profit is wonderful but your brand and core service offering is what will keep your business open next year. 

2.) Find Balance but Work Hard: You will need to work hard and harder than you thought to keep your business floating. The first few years are about sweat equity. Find a balance but stay focused. 

3.) Secure Financing: You either have all the money you need or you don't. There are fluctuations and dry spells so have back up cash/finance.

4.) Collaborate: Work with other small businesses in the area. They also need help and you can hedge and share services. If nothing else you have a community of people. 

5.) Develop Your Operations: This is your time to develop your operations. Figure out where you are getting your resources, how you are preparing them, and what distribution channels you are using. 

6.) Marketing and Awareness: Connect with your customer base. Get involved and find those marketing channels that focus specifically on your core customer group. If you don't know what that is make sure you spend the time figuring it out. 

Diving a Private Quarry-Business and Picking Up Trash

 A group of us dove a private quarry a week or so ago. Didn't get a chance to put it up. We are supposed to be diving a shipwreck tomorrow early AM. The guy in the video does runs a business with lures, recovering lost items and general safety. As you can tell he is picking up trash that people through in the water. Kind of sad how some people treat our environment. 

59th UP Trappers Convention (Esky State Fair Grounds) July 9-10, 21

Browsing the activities I noticed the UP Trapper Convention. I might head over there and take a look. I have some traps in my garage and had a plan to trap. I put a few out (I think the year before last) and got nothing. I'm probably doing something wrong. It would make sense to go ask some questions about bait and location. Some like this stuff and some don't but either way its part of the local lifestyle. 

59th U.P. Trappers Convention and Outdoor Expo

July 9 – 10, 2021 | Escanaba Michigan

Upper Peninsula State Fairgrounds

More Information Here

June Jobs Report Department of Labor (DOL)

Jobs are updating and the market is shifting creating additional pressure on labor. You may want to keep up-to-date on the June jobs report. Here are the highlights....

• 
  "Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 850,000 in June, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 5.9 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Notable job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality, public and private education, professional and business services, retail trade, and other services."

There was an increase of 164,000 of people who left their job. That is interesting because it means they have confidence they will find another job quickly. Market transition, depending on the new types of jobs they get, can be helpful in creating flow from low skilled jobs to higher ones through natural market driven labor movement. 

For those in the U.P. we might want to keep in mind mining and manufacturing because it puts pressure on developing our own industries here.... 

• "Employment in mining rose by 10,000 in June, reflecting a gain in support activities for mining. Mining employment is down by 110,000 since a peak in January 2019. 
• Employment in manufacturing changed little in June (+15,000). Within the industry, job gains in furniture and related products (+9,000), fabricated metal products (+6,000), and primary metals (+3,000) were partially offset by a loss in motor vehicles and parts (-12,000). Employment in manufacturing is down by 481,000 from its level in February 2020.
• Employment in transportation and warehousing was little changed in June (+11,000). Employment gains in warehousing and storage (+14,000), air transportation (+8,000), and truck transportation (+6,000) were partially offset by a loss in couriers and messengers (-24,000). Since February 2020, employment in transportation and warehousing is down by 94,000. 
• Construction employment changed little in June (-7,000). Over-the-month job losses in nonresidential specialty trade contractors (-15,000) and heavy and civil engineering construction (-11,000) were partially offset by a gain in residential specialty trade contractors (+13,000). Employment in construction is 238,000 lower than in February 2020.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Sports Culture-When to Rethink the Approach

Sports is a great thing and it can teach our children everything from pro-social values to fitness and proper recreational outlets. While most sports programs teach us odd concepts likes sportsmanship and confidence there are others that teach improper values. How we develop our sports programs, the coaches we pick, and culture we create help determine its value to society. 

Let me say first. I'm a sports fan lover and think that sports are excellent, and in most cases a benefit to our youth and society. There are some times when it makes more sense to give kids a new pair of running shoes and set them down the track than millions (...but that debate between fitness, education, and gladiator arenas has been going on for a long time.)

A long time ago sports trained us for war. We played foot ball to learn teamwork and coordination, polo for mounted cavalry, and joisting for well....jousting. Running fast was helpful and so was the relay of important battle communications. Communities came out to support their warriors because they knew the games value.

Sports has become part of our daily lives and the culture of sports has changed. It is now an end in and of itself versus a method of societal preparation. Colleges use it to raise their PR and people play it for the social benefits. Nothing wrong with that! That's all dandy!

There are some sports cultures that begin to look more clannish and take on flavors that are destructive. Sports should teach us how to act and interact with each other, build confidence in our physical abilities, encourage community support, and develop a sense of togetherness. At least that should be what they are doing!

When sports take on exclusivity and poor values what was sweet now turns sour. Instead of inclusivity we teach exclusivity (sometimes includes bigotry), instead of building confidence in our bodies we instead build overconfidence in our physical abilities (i.e. bullying), where community support is helpful the acceptance of blind support is not (lack of critical thinking within one's social networks), and where a sense of togetherness should be come about we opt for entitlement.

The difference is beneficial and unbeneficial sports programs is based in their ability to hire the right people to teach both proper values as well as proper mechanics in the sport. Just like we internalize through muscle memory how to throw a ball, hit a golf club, or catch a football we also learn certain values within our sport's groups. Having the right people in place to teach our kids prosocial sports values is half of the reason for its existence (....if not could we give each kid a 3+X a weekly exercise routine, a nutrition, and a copy of the Art of War. Might be cheaper? 🤷)

Most of the people who I met who play sports are excellent people. I've seen ex amateur sports players from high school 30 + years who grew up to be adults their kids would be proud of (FYI most of the professional sports players I met are humble people). There are others within that same crowd who did not grow up to be healthy adults and seem to relish in ignorance. They turned into followers who lacked critical insight (...by the way talking about how "great" they once were in sports and  how "everyone" wants to be like them". Yuck!😕 Small stale fish.)

If you asked me what the advantages of sports is to students I will give you a laundry list as a self-proclaimed sports lover and enthusiast. With that list I will write a few things you might keep in mind when pondering the future of local sports..... 

1. Make sure your coaches have pro-social values and teaching the kids proper societal behaviors. 

2. Make sure the costs of the program have an actual benefit and enhance kids life in some way or another. 

3. Teach kids how to think independently and also within a group (both skills are important.)

4. Remove parents who engage in racism, bigotry and bullying (and who teach their kids the same.)

5. Listen to what the public wants (not just your friends) and not just those within your community. 

Sports is a pathway to learning and what we teach our young sports players is highly dependent on the coaches and the parents. When our parents fail....it leaves our children unprepared to really compete when the **it hits the fan in their/our lives!  Remember...its about the kids and the needs of society and not the few "loud mouths" in the room who demand your ever divided admiration and attention (i.e. narcissism as a mental health issue). 

Here are a few options/suggestions (I might be missing a few) to those who blindly followed others into pseudo community ethnic cleansing behavior....

1.) Don't let a group of "super cools" who are barely qualified to manager their own lives tell you how to live yours. 

2.) Think beyond your social networks to find values that help define yourself. 

3.) When you see wrong stand up against it because people who are willing to do wrong use your silence as a prompt for approval. 

4.) Find meaning in your life beyond what you once were (whatever highschool sports greatness that was!). 

5.) If your still involved in sports clubs then make it about the kids and ensure the sports program is reflective of our pro-social American values. 

As with all groups of people there will be some informal internal debate (See Social Opinion Making 😲 ...and we thought we were original!) I hope my resilience should give you a hint that not all things are as they initial appear (There is always more to people so don't judge too quickly. Use evidence and not your pre-embedded false heuristic anchors). Here are some possible options for those who engaged in this pseudo-cleansing behaviors. 1.) Learn from the situation and be a better person; 2.) If you don't like minorities in your community you are free to move (Siberia might be a good place. I hear Russia welcomes people who have turned their backs on essential American values 🤷; or, 3. You can stare us down, huff and puff when were around, maybe put some swastikas' in my yard, an upside-down cross, or noose as symbols of your superiority (P.S. for the dim witted...that is not permission to do this.). 

Either way...the choice is yours and so are the outcomes. Good luck with whatever you choose!