Should Fitness Buffs Use Heavy or Moderate Load Weights?

If you like to hit the gym and have lots of other things going on you want to maximize your time. This blog is about business, government, academics, and science but it is catered to busy professionals and executives (especially digital nomads and creative class.). There will likely be more articles as they relate to other things of interest such as finance, investing, etc... but from a more scientific stand point. Thus it is a resource for those who want to expand their knowledge and awareness into other beneficial arenas (I have a fitness trainer license so this is relevant to me and other high performance individuals. Not saying I'm high performance...I'm just saying I like to strive toward something greater.).

You may also find that much of the literature promoted as science isn't really science at all! Serious athletes and those who like to get the most out of their workouts focus more on the scientific literature than the fad ads that promise quick results without actually putting in much effort. Maximizing effort is different than fad dieting. 

One question you should ask is, "Do you want strength or muscle size?" This you may have different focus of your exercise. If you answer one over the other you can adjust your workout a little to ensure you get the best results. Keep in mind that doing one or the other too long without change creates slow improvements/gains (I'm not a body builder but I am into fitness, martial arts, and many other sports so my goals are more well rounded. Warning. Max load single reps can sometimes lead to injury so be mindful of form throughout. )

According to a study in Journal of Sports Science & Medicine heavier loads with lower repetitions leads to increased strength while moderate loads with more repetitions leads to bigger muscle size (Schoenfeld, et. al. 2016). Finding a way to combine these approaches might lead to increases in overall strength and size. 

Fitness isn't the same for everyone so you should consider trying out one strategy for a few months and then switch to another alterative to see if that works out better.

One might consider trying to 1.) augment heavier low repetition loads with moderate high repetition loads while training  (i.e. arm, leg, etc.) or 2.) warm up on a moderate high repetition load on the 1st set, move to a heavier low repetition load on the 2nd set, and back to a heavier low repetition load on the 3rd set.

Schoenfeld, B. J., Contreras, B., Vigotsky, A. D., & Peterson, M. (2016). Differential Effects of Heavy Versus Moderate Loads on Measures of Strength and Hypertrophy in Resistance-Trained Men. Journal of sports science & medicine, 15(4), 715–722. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5131226/

Escanaba City Council Meeting (02-17-22) Audits, Firefighters, Lawsuits and Spirits Visit Downtown Escanaba Bank!

One of the joys of life is to understand the happenings of the world around us. In a democracy we have the responsibility to be informed about our governance and the choices that are being made on our behalf. Escanaba live streams and records their city council meetings and that is great for local citizens (More should probably watch.) What would be interesting is if some the local stations radio, newspaper, tv put a blurb up for a few times prior the meeting and where customers can watch the video to see if the participation (i.e. viewership) rose. Sometimes more fun things are given precedent but having an informed population is very helpful for better community choices (Most of the majority of the population doesn't engage in high level politics and you can hear sort of the mixed nature of some lay discussions. People add and delete information and are highly persuaded by the subjectivity of political opinion.). 

Ok ok sorry...it was just a blurb on the fundamentals of informed citizenry. 😬)

This was sort of an interesting meeting. Nothing too spectacular but some captivating points on the meaning of title and how that impacts committee appointments. Approval of a tasting room for a new distillery downtown, bottled air compressor for the Escanaba Public Safety, new proposals for the Jail site, and something about a tax lawsuit that could impact city revenue. The positive side is that Escanaba appears to be fiscally well managed and has cash on hand (Take note investors that a well run city leads to better chances to return wealth from investments. EPA talks a little about case studies in EPA Small Town Economy Practices) They are also slowly realizing more revenue from business operations and hopefully will think about maximizing net positives in terms of attracting investors, entrepreneurs, and tourism dollars.

You can read the Escanaba Feb. 17, 2020 Agenda of the meeting (Way easier than me writing things out. I'm also busy today so don't have time. I have to go snow blow my drive. 😐)

The Things that Seem of Interest:

-Adoption of Ordinance No. 1256: Administration stuff. There was a snafu in terms of definition and how they impact some functions. Lots of discussion but some of it seems important as it relates to the required amount of seats. Probably not of interest to most people.

-The Financial Audit: Unmodified financial recommendations indicating the city's finances seem in order. I like how they are educating the council and the public in general (Nice PPT.). It appears the city is fiscally in solid shape so that would be of interest to investors whether or not the local government is well run. Positive Public Safety retirement fund. That is good news. Our officers work hard and what we do on the financial side impacts the ability to retire with comfort after years of service. There are $8 million dollars available for use and I would suggest council don't waste it. Think about what is going to increase revenue in the future and often it is related to developing the appeal of the city, increase local investment-development, and ensure the infrastructure is functioning well. The downtown may also be a great place to spend any extra money (not ignoring paying down balances on other debt.). Marina is producing more revenue! Yaaa!

A couple of findings of the audit 1.) Weakness in internal reporting. and 2.) significant weakness in the Capitalization Fund in written policies & procedure . Something to continue to work on to encourage Federal monies. 

-Approval – Purchase of a Breathing Air Compressor – Public Safety: Firefighters use these machines to ensure that they have compressed air. As a volunteer Fighter Fighter and diver I find having this equipment is money well spent. If you dive and need compressed bottles you have to go north to Marquette or south to Menominee. I can't remember who but someone also has an older working one in their garage🤔. Of course a few fire departments have them in the area. I'm wondering if I can buy the old air compressor and put it in my garage for diving? If its not being donated to another department and your going to throw it out or sell it cheap I think the local divers would appreciate a place to fill their tanks (...and a back up compressor for our vol. fire departments. ). 🧯 🤿🤔

-Approval On Site Tasting room for Lake Effect Distillery, LLC. What many business leaders downtown should realize that by having different types of wineries, breweries, distilleries, bars, food shopping, etc... in the same place raises the net draw for all of them. People will go to one bar, then another, then another (They want options and bar hop! It would also be interesting if we had hotel, bar, and public transit coordination on weekends and events.). A downtown draw occurs when there are different shopping entertainment, food, event, and party options. Building a draw will require a level of coordination on advertisement to create net positive influx of revenue and capital. Drawing in customers and entrepreneurs can work in tandem to create a "hot" market that pulls in wealth to the area. 

-Menards v. Escanaba. Apparently there is a court case that made its way through the Court of Appeals. There is a legal analysis Q&A by Mika Meyers. It appears that an application to have the Court of Appeals decision bumped to the Michigan Supreme Court was denied. Mccleland & Anderson You can read the initiating case on Justia U.S. Law on State of Michigan Court of Appeals Menards vs. Escanaba (By the way, Justia is a great site and I have used it often over the years to look at case law when looking at different things of interest. Its a great site. ) Much of this is about evaluation for taxes. I used to have an appraisers license so I could go on and on but basically the argument is that the comparable were not the best available and the adjustments did not appear accurate. A different appraiser came out with one that was much higher. A dispute occurred thereafter about the correct/most accurate evaluation.

Jail Project: Planning commission met on interesting jail project. Developers were sent a list of questions, they were filled out and returned. There will be a vote on the proposals. I still want to look into the prior exchanges and activities of the project where some discrepancies came to light to see if they have merit. Will likely get back on it in the future. Nice the council is vetting a committed developer with greater oversight. One thing about development we should keep in mind is that stale properties lose value and interest. If you can get most of of what you want in a proposal and get the project into the hands of a developer you can start searching out other anchor businesses to further enhance downtown in a way that leads to increased total value. 

Biden Announces of Sanctions on Russia: Let's not waste the opportunity to improve our country

Sanctions by the U.S. and Europe on Russia has started. While these sanctions are focused on deterring and punishing Russia to discourage further annexation (Starting to look that way.) of Ukraine  You may want to read a Russia White House Press Release to gain some understanding of some of the sanctions that impact financing, trade, military, and focus on wealthy elite in the country. 

One of the reasons why Russia may have used the term "peace keeper" is provide public relations cover for inserting troops. It may also be an attempt to test the resolve of the international community (So far everyone looks as they they are putting sanctions on them). Sometimes cultural negotiations styles are to go forward forcefully and then based on their options back out saying something like "Were helping!". However, that is likely cover for a bigger strategic plan. You can read a little research on Negotiation styles of Russians and Chinese (Malik, 2019). The tactics within those styles may based on strategy and culture.  Time answers all questions. 

One thing I can say is that as nations transition to new oriented era they are going to start competing and that is likely to increase some tension on boarders and boundaries along many traditional historical cultural lines (We should continuously develop to master our environment.). We should use these difficulties and turn them into learning opportunities to improve our economic, political and social systems. Its time to get into "The Zone" with innovation and national development. We just need to get our politicians to focus on their country more than party politics (There is only one ship and we sail as a team or sink together as individuals. Not party or politician specific. Two quotes make sense here...."It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." Harry S. Truman. and "A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent." General Douglas MacArthur   Da! Da!) 

Malik, Tariq. (2019). Sino-Russian negotiation styles: A cross-cultural analysis of situated patterns. Asian Journal of Comparative Politics. 6. 205789111988781. 10.1177/2057891119887812. 

EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell Discusses Russian Situation.

Its important to keep up with geopolitical issues to understand how it impacts commerce, business, markets and our lives. Emerging situations mean paying attention to what different leaders around the world are saying about different ideas. European Union (EU) is an important player in the region and maintains a type of governing body. 

Why Truth and Integrity is Needed in All Justice Systems and Within Ourselves (What's a Lie Worth?)

Truth and integrity are not easy to find beyond untested self-professed values. People work through all types of personal misperceptions about themselves, others, and the world around them (I'm not immune to that either but the difference is that I understand the subjectivity of perception. Its something that comes with divergent thinking.). Those that are most likely to see and encourage truth are the one's who are willing to question the most obvious things most of us take for granted every day. The elusive question of Justice theorists and victims search for is built on the foundation of truth and integrity. As with all mental constructions there are other practical considerations like what is best for society, what is feasibility, current laws on the books, case laws/outcomes, etc.....and still truth and integrity are (or at least should be) central to all of the decision making. 

Why?

Justice is a system that allows people to bring their grievances forward that launches a process where truth and integrity are "discovered" through investigation, analysis and reflection. "The process" is not a perfect system and thus we must always pressure it to stick closely to truth and integrity to make it the best we can (Just go with it for a minute.). 

Judges are also not perfect people and they make mistakes, misinterpret, get only half the facts, are mislead, derailed by faulty investigation methods, etc.... Despite their shortcomings judges still serve a vital purpose and that is to be the voice of society's truth and integrity (I know its an abstraction here but its still appear truth. Keep going with it....)

What happens when people who have done bad things walk without account because they are better liars, have unquestioning social circles, limiting investigation methodology, surrounded by corrupted law enforcement friends? (1 officer looks like he is trying to protect friends {He actually is a nice guy I think but I feel sad this situation is forced on him}, 1 appears very corrupt {with a history of complaints and bad acts}, and up to 5 that may be involved in other similar corrupt issues {likely in the same work group}.) 

When the results are not in alignment with what happened (i.e. the truth) the entire system runs a future risk of default (We see the instability now and I believe with better research, metrics and greater understanding of differences in the Digital Era/Information Age we will help resolve a lot of crime through evidence based decision making that comes through better scientific measures and greater awareness. Meaning we use advanced science to discover and treat criminality for better societal outcomes. i.e. when to jail and when not. See Crime Stats). 

In my case people spread lies to their friends and then told those lies to my children after I demanded they keep my kids out of harms way (Not to mention a concerning preexisting history of using the term "nigga babies"/Niggars, making racial/religious jokes, rude/aggressive comments/behaviors, shallow thinking, chronic gossip of others, loud attention grabbing behaviors, stating things like everyone wants to be like them, obsession with being "super cool" etc....). With enthusiasm they catalyzed their officer friend into an "active" aggressor by stalking, following home, and intentionally spreading that misinformation to other officers and the community at large (Dishonoring his badge for all the other good officers who rely on societal trust.). This poses a long term patterned risk for me and my family and I must ensure that such a threat is exposed and held to account (That is part of Justice and its normal for people to expect truth and integrity.)

In general societal standards one should never get children involved for money, pride/shame (They seem different but people with too much pride are often covering shame.) and power but some do not hold those values and could not care less. That is discounting my children's health and well being (not to mention my own). When such red lines are crossed it is more than an affront to bad judgement and moves into sadism that violates everything I know about being a "descent human being". The strategy seems to include 1.) seek out and falsify information, 2.) lodge false police complaints, 3.) use police friends to threaten and intimidate 3.) spread rumors to damage image and isolate. 4.) use friends and their positions within local institutions to ostracize and cleans "problem" (i.e. the dirty "Muslim" problem.), and 4.) deny any wrong doing at all times. 

What is the end result?

Thus far it seems truth and integrity hasn't gone far enough. I'm an empathetic person so I know the perpetrators very well and their histories of narcissism mixed with dysfunction (That doesn't mean they don't have some good traits mixed in with the bad.). While a normal person would expect much much much more accountability a part of me hopes to ensure that they can get the help they need and live a genuine life. I know that they suffer from other issues that they keep hidden from the public and that creates many layers of false selves they display outwardly (If you know what to look for you can tell its fake.). So I have asked for mandatory mental health and an audit of missing money (What I can say is I want to walk out of this situation knowing that I have done the best I can under almost impossible odds to use good judgement to hold them to account, ensure that potential risks to the community are minimized, the bigoted propaganda has an alternative explanation, and I provided a win-win for them to get the help they won't get for themselves because of false ego-images. It is also the best strategic option that aligns with my values as it opens up the possibility of reconciliation once therapy and appropriate healthy boundaries are set on what is and isn't acceptable are in place. Its unlikely to happen and definitely not the same type of distorted relationship but hey...weird stuff happens all the time. 🤷 I'm not sure its wise to have my kids maintain much of a relationship but they are now adults and have to make their own decisions. I prepared them to better understand mental health, distortion, aggression and manipulation that sought to play on their still forming "selves" . The behavior was kind of sick and twisted so you have to be sure true remorse/change and healthier patterns of behavior versus "BS'ing" their therapist. 🤔  ...but I am just one voice and because I have chosen to have a multi-faceted inclusive belief about religion my thoughts and values have been discounted. That in turn means my children  and their rights to a healthy life have also been discounted. I think what I say makes sense but to many within their social group, and perhaps society at large, it makes no sense at all. Trauma is a generational issue. Someone else's trauma was pushed onto my kids....that is not acceptable under any real or invented legal circumstance. It is a sacred value that reaches back to the development of society.)

I cannot say what the end result will be because I have no "crystal ball". What I can say is that certain behaviors should never be encouraged in our society and when they are, we have some deeper soul searching to do as a nation, as a system, as individuals. What I'm discussing here are not facts. They are explanations based on my experiences, what I know that is interspersed with first hand knowledge, and what would be supported by scientific literature. Investigations are what discovers the facts (as best we can) to create a plausible story that should not be based on the first story/narrative the perpetrators vomited out to their friend networks 🤮 (If all the perpetrators told the truth we have a near perfect Walden Pond society. So we should expect them to say what is in their own best interest. This can't be a new concept in law enforcement. If anyone/officer needs help in how to detect lies please let me know and I share a little of my methodology.).

I can pull lots of studies that sort of indicate what I'm saying makes logical sense (Please don't revert back to the "crazy" Muslim narrative again. Its getting overplayed! 🥱 Just in case your wondering but shouldn't be essential to the value of my arguments/logic.  I'm an "All Faiths"  cultural Catholic that shares similarities of vlaues with Muslim-Catholic-Judaism fundaments. I'm also a light right "Old Guard" Republican that believes my values and essential party values are more important than any specific juncture in history or any specific candidate. When I feel I no longer align I will state that specifically and that doesn't include accepting 100% of anything that spews out of other's mouths because I'm responsibility for my own values and opinions; as they/all politicians/leaders should be as well; if they are leaders worth following. That would require being stakeholders of the people versus stake holders of others/entity interest that are not in the best interest of the people. Bottom Up vs Top Down. Organic vs. Forced, Benefits All vs. Benefits Few, etc.. etc... root values...etc.. ). What I can state is that the best way to determine who is and who isn't most likely telling the truth is to look at a personals value systems (Not the one's they profess but the one's they consistently live by. Integrity is an internal value that impacts a history of behaviors. You can read a study on Integrity Traits.). 

What was the strategy?

Oath of the Horatii
Jacques-Louis David
1784

When there is a history of rude and manipulative behavior you know there is potential for future harm and injury so quick safety boundaries are important. Remember, that this is a situation where people were lying and a number of local officers were engaged in what appeared to be corrupt aggression based on their friend networks (also meaning they have done this before outside the confines of law and conscious.) That also includes a large group of extremist supporters in their sports network (not all but a high concentration) that have created potentially difficult and dangerous situations (staring kids down, picking arguments, yelling out to kids, mocking, etc... These are the "super cools"). If you get targeted like this you may also consider some of the more successful steps (I'm not sure if I'm the expert or not so use at your own precaution.)

1.) Create boundaries to protect self and children by distancing. That includes cutting ties in electronic and physical formats. That may also include temporarily spending less time in the area and not hanging out with people who know them. 

2.) Take sometime to figure out what is going on. Each of us has a different process and I figure things out through writing and reflection. I have figured some of it was unintentional mistakes (those who were mislead by false information but not malicious) and some of it was intentional (Those who didn't care and acted with malice). Who is part of what and the motives behind such behavior is difficult to decipher when you don't have all the information/intelligence but you have plenty of aggressive signals (Think about the dangerous ambiguity and the need to trace back every action to a motivation to determine which persons were "ok" but misdirected and which ones intended to do harm. Its important to keep it mind that there were a few that were trying to create context to engage in life threatening behavior that could have been pretext for "justified" homicide. Keep in mind one person was restricted help who I believe slipped into a comma and there is some indication another teen was raped and killed herself as a result of that officers choices. Others have complained as well and likely there are many more.) 

3.) Help children heal. There was so much going on in this situation I still cringe that someone got them intentionally involved. While I was dealing with this group I was also trying the best I could to be supportive of my kids and their needs from harm and rejection. I did not know what they knew and what they did not know and the full scope of their involvement (Remember that kids sort of shut down sometimes but you can see the bio markers of distress.). Probably the most difficult time I have ever had needing to balance so many demands and try and take care of them (You think your morning commute is stressful...I have few things to complain about anymore. While such behaviors are considered disgusting as of late it seems the people involved are still justifying their bad behavior. It will be hard to justify moving into the sphere of my children. Money is still driving some of their choices and isolation issues with another person.) 

4.) Fight the hate narrative (Reflect back truth). Because they intentionally spread rumors and got as many people involved as possible (No idea whatsoever what gets such people involved to act on the behest of their social "leader" without facts.) I needed to fight the narrative and protect myself from ill effects of what appeared to be corruption and group aggression. I had no choice but to go public to ensure a level of transparency. If something happened to me specific-general people would know about it and there would be a "trail" to follow. 

5.) Create a sense of normalcy. One has to think about the long term health of children and self when put through a dangerous situation where harm was almost eminent (It was more likely something was going to happen then not happen here. I knew the odds and tried to change them.). When your have a Muslim sounding name all types of short ended things can happen to you (Remember I was told they were doing this because we were Muslim and based on everything that happened I had to expect they would act on their perceived sense of "entitled" legitimacy to justify violence. Race/Ethnicity and religion are the primary factors for bias based crimes. See FBI Hate Stats).

6.) Fight the corruption (Reflect back truth). I have responsibilities to my community and to myself. All of this would be a waste if there wasn't a level of learning, sharing and fighting of corruption. Based on numerous other issues and community complaints this officer (and likely some of his work buddies) have gotten away with bad behavior for a long long time (A problem with lack of feedback in many law enforcement agencies.). If the justice system can't manage "bad apples" the responsibility falls on "learned" members of society to do the best they can to widen the tunnel vision (I'm not talking politics I'm talking about the integrity of a system that requires when obvious and blatant bad behavior occurs the offending parties must be removed to ensure the institution fulfills its societal duty. i.e. what we pay for. Yes I can support good officers and expect accountability of bad officers as only in politics are they mutually exclusive concepts.). 

7.) Thrive and strive for a better society. We can't allow this to happen anymore, in any place, to any person in any circumstance. I advocate for a strong country, a country of inclusion, maximization of human capital, and eradication of corruption where it exists (reduce waste and falsehood). This isn't the first time I have fought against something bigger and this likely won't be the last. I used my moral compass to be my guide and can't always be 100% sure everyone else has the same values (I actually believe most try and do but they can also be subject to prior ways of thinking and pre-existing perspectives. Its probably easier to say what everyone wants to hear but that isn't always the truth and I have come through too much to just reflect back lop sided ignorance. I am grateful to those who did the right thing and I'm concern about those who didn't.) Authorities are entrusted to society but sometimes need a correction in thinking least we continue to have protests and other societal unrest. Its time to universalize our systems (I know! I know! political arguments like to say we are "perfect" but that is rarely the case. We should always seek to improve and adapt and that comes from feedback like this.). 

8.) Build a better life. I have had to overcome and adapt throughout my life (From the hypothetical rock from which I crawled out of there was no option). It was a necessity from the humble place from which I have come and the uniqueness of the "tragic gift" that comes with thinking for yourself (Not something I asked for or wanted but nevertheless born with.). Trust me its dangerous to go against established ways of thinking when people have a stake in those ways being "right".

9.) There are still some left over issues as they relate to socializing and volunteering but I believe these will be worked out once the primary aggressions and false information are neutralized and a little tact is applied. I can't really explain better than Sir Isaac Newton when he said "Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy." 

10.) Now what? Wait to see if Truth and Integrity has taken root or if it has been exterminated like a weed. Time answers all important questions. 

 A door to future possibilities is now unlocked 🚪🔏........depending on our leaders, institutions and stakeholders moral conscious.

"Even when laws have been written down, they ought not always to remain unaltered."

-Aristotle

Sincerely,

"Da Bitch" (as some of the extremists call me) aka The "American" 🤷 (We should probably be a little more inclusive? )

UP Dog Sled 200 2022: Mushing the Mushers

Attended the UP Dog Sled 200 2022 in Marquette MI. last night. That was an awesome experience! Lots of energy in the crowd! Try and come out and visit next time. It was freezing cold and you had to wear snow pants, winter jacket, face masks, and deal with a blizzard warning. 

Options on Russia-Ukraine (Negotiation Tactic or Land Grab?)

Things are heating up in Ukraine and we are often left wondering what is going on. Putin is getting older and may want to make a move to fulfill his hoped legacies. He may do so through negotiation or he may do so through invasion of Ukraine (Seems like he is setting up two options). He could be banking on our hyper politics, rising China, declining Europe and not yet mobilized U.S.. He may also see his country as loosing on the international stage but also sees a few opportunities to strengthen his position in alliance with a strong China acting as the U.S. counter balance. Russia has a history of "come backs" and he is hoping to tap that history to return what he sees as sphere of influence. (You can read a solid article on 'What does Putin want in Ukraine? The conflict explained')

Fuel is very important to the world economy but may only be as important from a supply standpoint for the next 15-20 years as alternative green methods are developed and commercialized. Russia may be trying to use its primary resources that is in demand today to place itself into an advantaged position for tomorrow. They may intuitively know they cannot compete in other economic arenas effectively at this time and want to use their advantages now to bolster their economic and regional position. 

Are there options?

There are Economic, Military, and Diplomatic initiatives that can have influence but may not deter invasion if Russia is dead set on a plan. Of course not all options are good ones so we have to think through them. Someone would have to go through all the different scenarios to determine how they might play out in different situations. Yet, we can say that supporting Ukrainian's right to decide peacefully their future is important because all people have the right to self determination (In any direction they decide but do so through democratic principles.).

It is also helpful for the U.S. to think about what its future position and where it wants to go (We have struggled because politics became more important than national development in many cases.). We see that the world is changing and there are powerful actors coming on the chess board. We thus must think long term about our own future health and vitality. That means watching these scenarios and thinking about how thy impact our future ability to be prepared as a state that functions both independently and with our allies on multiple levels (Meaning, if we see from these situations where we can improve ourselves we should do so by becoming a learning organization/nation.)

It should be remembered that these are ideas, unvetted, and perhaps even useless. Some are direct to the situation and some are not direct at all and are really just thinking about how to improve ourselves. The situation might end up impacting longer term strategies that may not be advantageous for Russia (I'm just sort of looking at this from a neutral standpoint.)

-Europe-US to bolster forces and bring show of unified force through NATO.

-Make Ukraine treacherous territory that is hard to invade or keep.

-Provide support, training, and arms to Ukraine.

-Strengthen U.S. Manufacturing and Data Infrastructure

-Put pressure on China to not feed the issue or provide support. 

-Start finding new fuel sources for Europe (Might include U.S. shale and other sources.). 

-Level-K American politicians work together to solve problems and strengthen nation.

-Diplomatic effort to have countries support Ukrainian sovereignty.

-Sanctions mixed with long term strategies make sense.

-Enhance our human capital through education, inclusion, business and development (That may also include giving high creative people and gifted people the right to fully develop. Not race or religion specific.)

-Maximize our current resources to maximize our options and outcomes.

-Rapid innovation economic systems that push U.S industries to top tier market positions.

-Unified effort to stop extremism in the U.S. and support positive dialogue to create universal understandings.

-Improve cyber security, intelligence and cyber warfare capabilities.

-Develop our green energy and advanced technologies.

-Strengthen our social media outlets to ensure that they are not easily manipulated form outside the U.S.

-Be open to conversations with Russia to try and understand their essential needs/wants. Open markets, frank/honest conversation, and long-term win-win situations can sometimes come from directly engaging in diplomatic efforts. So many times I have seen seemingly lose-lose or win-lose situations but once I delved into them I found a silver lining win-win. Can that still apply to international conflict? Can't say one way or another whether or not that will apply here.

Negotiation tactic or land grab? Probably a little of both.