Forest Processing Renaissance Zone: Could Wood and Other Muliti-Clusters be Forming in Delta County?

Big discussions on the Forest Products Processing Renaissance Zone in Wells today. (Go Wells...sorry that is my area. Some people cheer for teams and some for societal success. 📣). These zones allow for tax carving which can be good or bad depending on how they are designed (You can see an official definition and which taxes are protected in MEDC FPRZ.). In this case, Escanaba is getting a once in a lifetime opportunity to rejuvenate multiple arenas at once. We got a good team in office and the right environment. 

We only need to squint our eyes to see how this game changing, town changing, multi generational changing, branding opportunity, that could lead to new life to a budget crunched town as a future Smart City 😏🚜🌲🎄. We can never truly stay stagnant and the last 20 years since I left and came back appear to be just a little more sleepy looking (Infusion of investment helps reverse the declining population trend and create inflows of money, knowledge, and resources into the area.)

“It’s the largest investment ever made in the Upper Peninsula and it’s really to transform the Escanaba mill,” Fittante stated.... 

“...and so, we’re asking the locals to be actually part of that solution by passing a renaissance processing tax exemption.” (Truitt, 2022, para 2)

Tracking market change, economic elemental adjustments, political shifts and investment trends helps to understanding the market and create levels of forecast and Bayesian Method. ( See Verso Merges with BillerudKorsnas AB Investments in Escanaba (Delta County Economic Cluster Model and original work in progress paper Delta County Economic Transactional Cluster Model)

Consider the growing space race and investments to the north in Marquette, ship building/refurbish in Escanaba and to the south in Marinette (The need for new break wall.), manufacturing renaissance in the U.S. (a reason why this mill is converting to boutique cardboard boxes.),  interest in downtown (Marina, House of Ludington, Hotel, zoning, tourism, etc.)greater need to maximize our export infrastructure (U.S. supply chain development), internet and water infrastructure, a push into the Digital Era, electric auto invests in MI, and you start to see a ripe environment. 

There are steps to innovation. See Organizational Innovation Steps. Creating the framework for innovation is important that first it is cognitive focus that leads to organizational strategic development. With proper cultural awareness and a global mindset we might be able to make something out of it. Build some local wealth. (Maybe maybe not? 🤷 Its just fun to think and hypothesis about!)!

Some Light Related Reading:

TV 6 Article (Dec. 19th, 2022). Wells, Escanaba Townships to hold special meetings to consider Renaissance Zone

Truit, J. (Dec., 19th, 2022). New Life for Escanaba Paper Mill. U.P. Matters. https://www.upmatters.com/news/local-news/south-central-up/new-life-for-escanabas-mill/

MLive (Dec. 13th, 2022) Upper Peninsula paper mill could get $1B upgrade

(Seriously! I just saw all the snow in the background and I will be back in a few weeks. Brrrr I will need to snow blow. )

(This article and article like it are designed to increase stimulation of thought on important national development concepts.)

Tapping the Power of Innovation and Transformation in a Dynamic Environment

 You may want to watch this....I put it on in the background while working on stuff and learn from industry experts. 

January 6th Committee Weighing Criminal Referrals For President Trump

Its important to stay on current affairs because it impacts our political and business climate. The January 6th referral will be interesting. Chances are there are enough data and coordinated events to make a criminal referral. There are also lots of lawsuits and other things going on that increase chances new information will be discovered. At the end of the day, we should sort of expect multiple things like lawsuits, probes, investigations, etc. occurring simultaneously because of the potential size and scope of events. In some ways, it is a societal defense mechanism of the human-to-human kind of legal negotiation about what behaviors are acceptable and which one's aren't in modern society.

 (That doesn't mean anyone is or is not guilty. I know we all have strong opinions. Innocents or guilt will depend in part on the referrals Monday and the proof that make those referrals strong or weak, valid or invalid. There will then be possible criminal probes and likely court cases to follow up on those referrals as well as other investigations occurring.

People might ask what side am I on? My only side is always on truth and that hasn't yet been determined. So I'm on the side of being open to truth, investigating truth, and coming to an educated decisions on what truth looks like in this situation. I have learned from life a number of good thoughts of wisdom from a variety of philosophies such as to "adopt a middle, moderate, regular course" in most things.

What I can say is that if a political game was played in a way that directly resulted in people being hurt, people covering up actions, and/or potential overthrowing of our agreed upon government then I think we should continue to dig just to make sure it sends 1. the right message to others, and 2. it ensures it defines the truth going forward based on evidence. 

Notice how I do not need to say guilty or innocent, or pick a side, because I don't know and while I'm a light R there are certain values that exceed political party affiliations. What I can say is that the entire situation was dangerous and there was lots of smoke which makes it important to look at for historical significance and future avoidance. Its in our national best interest to do so and do so from a neutral stand point.

The situation has moved beyond the initial actors, Democrat and Republican spit ball fights, and into what is in the best interest of the nation. To me, it is understanding, holding people to account if necessary, and strengthening the system if there were weaknesses found that can risk our capitol. We the People should now take precedence over party affiliation and all members of government should focus on our future and the potential for stepping closer to the universal truth embedded in the foundations of our democracy.

It may also be a good time for both parties to think about the long term future of the republic and their essential duties if they continue to play whack-a-mole with other party(s). There is always a middle path and reasonableness to everything.  It makes no difference to me if its Trump or someone else and it matters little their party. What does matter are the needs of the American/"American" people and to call things how I see them and still be willing to change my opinion based on strength of evidence.)

Nasa Launches Swot Satellite: Moving the Climate Needle

Swot is a satellite that will better map the surface of the earth and provide granular data as it relates to water on the planet. Our water supply is something we should know and it will likely help us understand why its important to bring back the Great Lakes not only for economic purposes but also for ecological purposes. We have a responsibility to live within the natural limits of our planet and strengthen that planets ability rejuvenate as much as possible. 

You can learn more on NASA's Swot Page

Notice how new solutions to understand are being developed and with the multiple satellite launches from various industries we will soon have data on a level we have never experienced prior. We will have a better understanding of our ecosystem, new science that can reverse damage, and with any luck more methods of reducing pollutants worldwide. 

Real time data on the health of our planet. It would be hard to ignore if its free data for everyone. No politics involved at all.🤞😂 Its just a unit of measure it is for global policy makers to move those units. Sometimes just showing what is actually happening can do wonders in getting people to start focusing on moving the needle.

(As you might be able to tell I support climate change initiatives and science as well as also understand the economic costs of regulation, new clean technology upgrades, and other issues. It might be helpful to look closely at the numbers and consider non traditional numbers in calculating the cost of pollution to get a fuller picture. Making change to reduce environmental impact is a necessity but when to make that move becomes a more complex question. It does seem like that economic pendulum is beginning to swing and going clean will be more cost effective than not doing so.)

When It Comes to Justice It is Important to Focus on the Bigger Picture

Justice is a concept that is a necessity in society. Without justice you do not have order and without order you do not have a sense of peace and without peace you do not have long term prosperity. While change often brings with it some upheaval the concept of justice has maintained its trueness throughout generations because it is focused on the bigger picture of moral conscious. It rights the wrongs and levels the disparity (at least in theory).

What does that mean? 

It means that with mechanisms to right the wrongs, a wholehearted attempt to do the moral thing, and a bigger picture of the purpose of justice it saves the system from short sighted thinking and dangers to improper anchoring that often comes from a vantage point of people with similarities of background and perspectives (i.e. skewed perceptions, opinion and judgements)

The Judgement of Cambyses (1489)

Our nation is a whole nation of different types of peoples. We are no long all White or Black, or anything else but more shades of same species. We move beyond specific religious dogma into an ideal where all men shall live free and be able to make the best of the world based on their own abilities (Worship any way they want as long as it is positive to society). They are not hindered by society but by their own internal capacities (Law should help ensure the maintenance of a free society focused on a universal ideal.). 

Then reality sometimes hits! There are people who are within the systems with inappropriate values. They engage in group hate, circumvent and manipulate the law, have little remorse or "moral conscious", and fail to recognize their own behaviors. There are dangers when such individuals have the free hand to influence local and/or national institutions and/or they cause local checks and balances default. 

To me, any level of corruption or distortion is an activity that seeks to force distorted beliefs on others; its a type of suppression through the improper use of power (There are proper and improper uses of power. See DOJ UN Crime and Power Report. The worst possible pdf copy is on the right for download. I also didn't see a date on the initial page. Its always good to put in some reference information. Anyway...worth the read. I think the date is 1981 oldy but goodie.). Because people make decisions and such decisions are often fallible the system must find ways to self-manage and correct. This is why free pass is a sign of sickness and not of institutional strength (Especially if there was foul play and the technicalities of the law give a free pass for it even though it is well known such behaviors occurred and are immoral.) 

Here are my beliefs about the law (Always changing, always emerging. Unlike some of our politicians who make decisions on these laws I don't have a concrete answer on anything. Ask me tomorrow and if I learned something new my opinion will change. However, I should avoid changing my opinion just because its more popular to do so today versus yesterday. i.e. turning on the tv to determine my values today. In other words, the law is a socially constructed reality of the subjective experience of transcendental values that tie us all together to the same moral codes that come define a people. Sorry I was being philosophically "saucy" 😏🙏💓 I'm just trying to say the more people who believe and see the system for what it could be the more likely we will be able to reach that shared ideal.) The law is a necessity, it is a more imperfect copy of truth, one must have wisdom and moral conscious to make decisions when using the law. Our nation has lots of attorneys that make lots of money on the technicalities of the law but often struggle with the bigger purpose of justice. Thus law is a necessity, is imperfect, but tries to the best it can with the decision making capacity of those making decisions. In order to be truly successful Law (and application) must focus on wisdom, truth, and moral conscious to fulfill its mission and restore ultimate societal trust. 

I'm absolutely for good laws designed to move society forward and I'm against manipulation of the purpose of law for self gain. The systems must always focus on the ideal in order to have maximum support, reach and ultimate impact. People recognize mistakes and imperfections but that is under an assumption that the greater system is striving. With good moral conscious I can say that law is a necessity, the system needs improvement, and it must be more focused on the needs of the wider stakeholders in society versus the politicians, lawyers, power brokers and legal orators and their industries. Support is under the assumption that the system will continue to adjust toward a more ideal state (Support includes training mistakes and removing bad apples.)

Here are two quotes I just searched out and found interesting....

Some laws are not written, but are more decisive than any written law.

—  Seneca, 4 AD-65 AD, Roman philosopher

It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important.

—  Martin Luther King, 1929-1968, American leader in the Civil Rights Movement

(If nothing else articles like this are designed to help people think about life, our institutions, our purpose as a nation and stay tied to those ideas and the generational struggles of freedom and equality. The advantage of having a Muslim sounding name is that I have seen the different perspectives of society and believe very much they can be mended because from an elemental level we all want the same thing end result, "life, liberty, pursuit of happiness".  I believe that we are now thinking about the deeper meaning of law and our institutions and that is needed for future growth within a universal society as a beacon of democratic hope. It is that self-reflective process that makes future growth possible and continues to push the institution toward a more ideal state and in many ways marks a passage from one old form to a new one. Yet the proof is always in the pudding. Let us wait and see......page turn.........page turn.....)

Semiconductor Industry Draws $200 Billion in Private Investments

Government and societal need often sparks legislation and in turn corporate interest where profits can be sought. Maximizing corporate investments often minimizes the amount government must spend to achieve the same results. Industry has a natural stake in developing certain aspects of the semiconductor industry and government has a place in guiding that research to that which is best for the U.S. competitive position within the Digital Era. 

According to a post on the Semi Conductor Industry Association article, 'The CHIPS Act Has Already Sparked $200 Billion in Private Investments for U.S. Semiconductor Production' 

• Over 40 new semiconductor ecosystem projects announced across the U.S.
• Nearly $200 billion in private investments announced across 16 states
• 40,000 new high-quality jobs announced in the semiconductor ecosystem

Good, good, good! What I would be most interested in is how the CHIPS policy impacts this private investment in a way that leads to rapid innovation and industry development. While this may happen more naturally here it is still a type of emerging industry cluster that draws in new interest and resources. If the total value created (a metric) is higher than the sum of the inputs then you have a net positive. 

In this case, it will very likely have a net positive outcome because it impact just about everything else in terms of digital era computation ability. These semi conductors power a many great things are are a root/central/national interest type industry that is essential to U.S. health and competitive viability.

When we match that with other infrastructure improvements, data protection policies, pro advanced manufacturing mindset, and new emerging forms of energy (i.e. fusion and green) matched with space technology it will be interesting to see where this trend will lead. 

(For the moment just take notice of how different forms of digital infrastructure, hard infrastructure, policies, new technologies, international business environment, and root changes in energy development are influences wide swaths of our current economic engines and social relations.)

Intermittent Fasting and Type 2 Diabetes: Desk Jockeys Caloric Intake

Being a desk jockey in the business world can sometimes feel like a contact sport. The problem is that you are often fighting with yourself and your own health. When we are busy making corporate headway and blazing new lucrative adventures we may be putting our health second. There is always just one more project to complete. 🏃

I have been in the corporate world and experienced my share of busy times when there wasn't enough daylight and candlelight hours to get all those important things done (i.e. try going to grad school, working full time, managing a family, and all the other stuff.). That is one of the reasons why I got into health. I said to myself, "Time to adjust or it will catch up to me!"

The three biggest struggles are....

1. Too many calories. The one thing I struggled with was snacking while working. 

2. Wrong kinds of food that encourage high blood sugar and general weight gain.

3. Finding the time to exercise. We are busy and exercise takes a back seat to other pressing issues.

If you can solve the first two problems then you will start to notice the healthy improvements quickly. While the third is good for health the first two will encourage general positive nutrition. Paying attention to eating will help you maximize your work outs (Some people really get into it and calculate their macros. Right now I'm in a cut up stage so I'm watching my calories, protein, carbs, and fats.)

In the study presented they are finding that intermittent fasting down to a very low level of calories (840 per day) leads to a significant drop of Type 2 Diabetes risks. That is good news because if you can get through a period of fasting you will improve your health (Once you get used to a low food situation your body will adjust. Its like your stomach shrinks. Everything tastes a little richer.)

I believe that moderate fasting has a positive influence on recalibrating our biological system by removing many of the negative outside food influence that the body is having a hard time keeping up with. At the same time, I suspect that simply just lowering your food in take 500 calories a day would have a similar effect as long as your body is forced to consume the fat for energy (Check with your doctor.).

Desk jockeys should work out to improve their health and there are lots of ways to incorporate that into their daily routines. First and foremost, they should think about the food they eat and the amount of calories they eat. If you can't manage that way, consider intermittent fasting.

Intermittent fasting can reverse type 2 diabetes in half of patients within three MONTHS, study finds