Persistence in School and Business

In life there isn't anything more beneficial to long term success than persistence. If we do not persist we do not achieve. There will be times when we succeed and there will be times when we fail but persistence moves us through the process. With persistence everything is a learning situation but you will get through it and develop. If its school stick with it and if its business keep learning. 

A few ideas on developing persistence...

1.) Think of the long term goal.

2.) Change your strategies but don't give up. 

3.) Learn from challenge. 

Justice Brett Kavanaugh: When Politicians Fail to Stand Together

It makes no difference if your stance on abortion but it does make a difference how you handle conflict. I'm in the middle road and definitely have my own opinions which are a blend of the two. Something I consider reasonable (Affording rights to the person up to a point and then later to the child closer toward birth. Exceptions in certain cases are almost always warranted. My opinion can also change based on what I understand at any particular time based on my background, knowledge and awareness.). However, what frightens me is that lack of rationality in our political structure and how this is eroding our rights as a free people. Rationalists and centralists are needed to restore our nation to its full health. 

Contrary to opinion, I do not feel it is ok to storm our Capital and I think in many ways it goes right to the top and could potentially have ties to foreign intelligence. Objective investigations are what determine merits. It just an opinion worth exploring based on the way things played out. Its not a fact, it has some support, but whether or not Russian social media manipulation goes is a matter of probability.

 Welcome to the good and bad of the Digital Era. 

At the same time harassing, threatening and using violence against our court system is also not acceptable. It is a sign of erosion of our institutions and we can't seem to get our politicians to stand together to maintain the bigger system. Its not about abortion (while that is an very important issue to discuss and resolve in society). It is about basic civility. We have eroded our good manners and good judgment (I have been a target of hate and I know how people deny their responsibilities and manipulate others. We must change!)

I agree that Justice Brett Kavanaugh should be allowed to eat his cake, allowed to walk with his family in the park, to go to his worship services and in general not have a single protestor bother him, get in his face, disturb his movements. However, when he goes to the court that is where the protests should occur (I advocate for safe and reasonable protests). Let it be known your opinion on tv, outside public institutions (not homes), in media, etc...but not in targeted way. Don't let things move from reasonable debate to the potentiality of violence.

Disliking the insanity of the far right also comes with disliking the insanity of the far left. One doesn't get to be so subjective in their values and behaviors as it won't have any merit; our leaders need to maintain their merit. I have pro and anti abortion friends just like I have Republican and Democrat friends. I'm in the middle and rational about it. Most of them are rational about it too. A few hate the others and of course a few hate back. 

Let us not allow our politics to destroy what doesn't belong to either far right or far left ideologies. I know what I say as one of those dirty Muslims (Which I'm actually Catholic, Muslim, Jew...and you can that I appreciate some of the wisdom from Hindu and Buddhists as well.)  doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I think in hindsight it will make a lot more sense as the possible outcomes of continuing down this path don't look good. Let us stop listening to radicals on either side of the spectrum. Work within the system to change what you don't like....don't step out of the lines. 

Let Justice Brett Kavanaugh Eat Cake

Assassination of Japan’s Shinzo Abe

The assignation of Japan's Shinzo Abe opens up lots of questions. As a supporter of free nations I am concerned about these actions.

I recognize no person is perfect  and when your leader as such your going to have lots of friends and enemies; comes with territory.  However,  once someone leaves a position it would seem like unruly aggression.

The questions are many. The homemade difficult to trace gun (I think I read that) and the public execution would indicate its political warning. I'm curious what the investigation comes up with. Local, personal or international issue? 

What I can say is such behaviors, If supported, opens up a difficult situation and would further indicate nations should hold closely to certain values and norms.

It can be difficult for people to have values. I have seen the best of the best and the worst of the worst. We have given lots of passes to inappropriate behaviors. There should be standards.

Thus far it appears as a mental health issue and personal grudge. HERE. Even in Japan mental health helps in thwarting hate.  Now if we could encourage mandatory mental health and accountability to those who intentionally lie, coordinate hate, show serious aggression, steal and benefit from it, lack of remorse among hate initiators and their blind supporters, possibly traumatize of child, or who use legitimate authority in illegitimate ways (social network corruption in policing) we would have taken a step closer to a proactive society with moral conscious as applied to law. Empathy and hardness mixed into a reasonable and rational approach. 

New $400 Million Package, 4 HIMARS and 1K Ammo. Enough?

Money, equipment, supplies and ammo on their way to Ukraine. The question is, "Is it enough?" That is a tough question. What we might be able to say is that the equipment is having an impact so sending more is an attempt to heighten that impact. Russian troops are likely being challenged because they lost one strategic advantage (It could lead to a loss of another.). 

The Russians may be able to use more weapons but the quality of those weapons will be inferior. Thus there will be increased casualties and chaos as less mobility, accuracy, and range take their toll. They won't be able to pound an area with complete immunity before moving into a wasteland. 

That doesn't mean that the Ukrainians can rely solely on those weapons. They will need to change tactics. That includes putting in place special kill zones that if advancing Russian troops find themselves within it they will take a beating. That mixed with pushing them into a partial (you don't want hunkering down) defensive posture splits their advance troops. 

We may also find that when a kill zone has been triggered it could cause a reverse of momentum if the Ukrainians have the troops, supplies, and equipment. Let us wait and see what might happen. Remember that this is very contingent on many different things of which few things work out as one typically expects.

Putin seems to like to use changing tactics to keep his opponents off guard. However, there are limits to capacity. That doesn't mean there are limits to use of the limited capacity. In game theory you always expect the unexpected and make plans for it. 

You can read the DOD release $400 Million in Additional Security Assistance for Ukraine

• Four High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and additional ammunition for HIMARS;
• Three Tactical Vehicles to recover equipment;
• 155mm artillery ammunition;
• Demolition munitions;
• Counter-battery systems;
• Spare parts and other equipment.

Values: The National Human Capital Elixir

 Values are important in society and business. Ethics is related to essential values but applied to business and work behaviors. We sometimes think values are only based in our religious or cultural perspective. Many times values are skewed in the interest of ourselves. We run into a situation where values are highly subjective and in turn we are slowly damaging our long term prospects through human capital erosion. 

Let me give you an example. In businesses we often think that values are about winning at all costs and returning shareholder wealth above all else. While winning can lead to increase in shareholder value is can also lead to major declines. Those declines can come in terms of lost customer trust and/or human capital decline.

For example, an executive may win a huge bonus and gain a contract by using misleading information. It isn't a problem until a few years later when they can't deliver on those promises. One could say the same for a construction company that uses inferior materials even though they know its wrong. 

We run into a situation where values are distorted for political, personal, and business gain. When we don't think wider we often miss the importance of values to society and to the entire economy. Business transactions and our entire economy is based in trust that roots to our universal values. 

Another examples is when society rewards those who do the wrong thing or those who are rewarded through nepotism. When this occurs you begin to erode the foundations of our society. We become tribal and the friction between classes rise as some take all and few others receive much.

Rewarding only certain individuals within a company, society, or government when they are not actually earning those rewards when compared objectively to others destroys that trust. It also erodes our competitiveness because performance and rewards are not connected (nepotism destroys human capital development). 

I have seen it. People who want something take it, those who shouldn't be promoted are moved up, those who stand up for values are squashed, the mindful suppressed and the ignorant empowered (through rewards, praise, poor justice, or social pressure), etc., etc., etc. That doesn't neglect the very smart government officials, business leaders, and investors that live their values in their activities.

A big problem is that its difficult to gain  commitments from some leaders, politicians and executive officers because the sometimes there is short term thinking. It is important for them to influencers to move from talking about values (the subjective values that help them and their social groups-Trees) to enacted values (That which pushes all of society forward-Forest). 

If we want a powerful society we will need to ensure that we aren't just rewarding our friends and those with the wrong values but ensuring we are creating societal motivation by rewarding good behavior and supporting those who earned their keep through actual performance. While nepotism is common in many societies (greasing palms), and a dangerous long term practice, we should actively seek to draw in the new and the talented. Why the best and brightest must move up beyond those in the connected for long term health of companies and country. 

Integrity and Ethics

Hanging Out. Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

 Life is short! Enjoy every moment. Focus simple and live big! Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is an abstraction and today is something you can enjoy.

White House Discusses Economic Approaches (July 7th, 2022) Opportunities for Improved Innovative Manufacturing?

Discussion on beefing up manufacturing and competition. We do need to compete and if possible if the right growth in the right area we can see faster change as synergy is created. Synergy occurs when it is in the self interest of organizations to develop and build off of each other creating more value then they put in and more than they can generate themselves. Innovation can be sparked in multiple industries when resources, investment (R&D and business invest), human capital and infrastructure interact creating broad based development that leads to new discoveries and butterfly effects across multiple industries (i.e. meaning development in multiple industries that impact each other and bump each other upwards.)

White House Says Economy Is Strongest in History by Lauren Giella and Meghan Roos.