The blog discusses current affairs and development of national economic and social health through unique idea generation. Consider the blog a type of thought experiment where ideas are generated to be pondered but should never be considered definitive as a final conclusion. It is just a pathway to understanding and one may equally reject as accept ideas as theoretical dribble. New perspectives, new opportunities, for a new generation. “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.”—Thomas Jefferson
Friday, December 30, 2022
Where are we currently in the pursuit of justice? Not Really Sure
Thursday, December 29, 2022
George Santos for Congress? Vetting and Deeper Critical Thinking
George Santos is in a difficult situation and of course we are shocked! 😮😱Yet, we really shouldn't be so horrified when people have been doing this in politics for a long time. That doesn't mean I don't think some level of action should be taken if found guilty of gross dishonesty. It is more of a comment on the importance for Democrats, Republicans and citizens in general to have the highest standards for those who will be making decisions over our nation and lives.
Our parties might want to put in place some basic vetting and checks for accuracy (Even if there are accidental mistakes) so as to ensure their candidates are worthy (I don't mean this in a negative way but just that there are standards for support) of the support. Likewise, some basic level of vetting and fact checking will help serve voters because they can search out these candidates and obtain accurate information for accurate decision making (Its hard to understand the candidates now and it would be impossible if everyone lied!).
Let us see what happens. I think he won't get a free pass. People feel a little sensitive that it was very blatant. It wasn't as though he had the wrong date or misspelled a word. Its an issue of ethics at this point. Ethics and Leadership
Riverside Officer Shot and Suspect Killed: Guns and Criminals
This is a sad event. We want our officers to be safe and we want them to be effective. When people have access to guns when they shouldn't, we often run into situations like this (As its investigate we will hear more.). Our society has a violent underside and we should consider ways in which we can live safer (Why I support police 100%,...). We should feel respectful for the sacrifice of that fallen officer and his family.
Crime is destructive to everyone and it is as much a community affair as a police affair. As a point, it is primarily a community affair and we entrust our police to fulfill that function. When officers fall in the line of duty we should bestow our respects and honor.
I think the officers handled this situation the correct way. They didn't need to get involved in shooting volleys and they didn't need to chase the car through busy streets (There are probably times when that is absolutely necessary for the safety of the public and when a safe opportunity presents itself.).
According to a statement by the Riverside Co Sherriff the person had a history of violence and should have been prevented. Kidnapping and assault with deadly weapon would indicate a level historic aggressive behaviors during multiple times and incidents.
The pursuing officers successfully cleared the area and allowed an armored vehicle to end the chase.
If you feel motivated to donate please do so to at
Riverside County Sherriff Organization (Please review for yourself)
Riverside Police Officers Association. (Please review for yourself.)
The first video is of the stop and the other is of the live procession.
Wednesday, December 28, 2022
Cutting another 20 Seconds Off of My Rowing: Off Office Chair and Into Row Boat
Rowing is serious business and requires a fairly high level of conditioning to do well. In the past year I have started rowing again, not that I was that good in the past, but I am rowing more regularly now. My starting numbers for the 500 meters were pretty high and then I dropped 20 seconds quickly based on some body mechanic advice. This morning I dropped another 10 playing around with some movements. That puts me above the bottom numbers of the team's/groups slowest rower (i.e. meaning its not me!). I have to still drop about 20 seconds more to go before I really fell good in a way where I would be on the upper half.
Anyway.....this sport has some benefits that I like that include....
1. Short and long muscle fiber. Using bursts of power leads to muscle growth and the cardio aspects of rowing lead to endurance.
2. It requires a level of discipline. I like things that require one to sort of get on track and stay consistent because you can monitor the results.
3. Its on the water. You can't beat being on the water.
4. Group work. Getting into a group makes a difference in maintaining fitness levels.
Another motivating rowing video (I will need to switch around with some other sports I think.). Good health is helpful so you should consider getting involved in a sport or two to get away from your desk and focus on something else for a while.
This one is from an investment firm/bank so its actually kind of a commercial.
What Do We Tell the Next Victims? How We Handle Hometown Hate Is An Issue of Integrity!
We have a responsibility to continuously improve our institutions and systems to make them more effective for a modern world. It is in the best interest of society for our systems and institutions to reasonably update based upon modern thinking and certain core national values. That willingness to change when it is needed leads to institutional relevance and future trust among the American population. That can have a positive effect on society (Failure to change and update will likely have a negative impact on society as we have seen in recent civil unrest, acceptance of domestic extremism, and other issues.)
As some of you know my family and I have been targeted by those who had something to gain by exploiting bigotry and hate in a way that created dangerous situations (In more than one instance) that could under the wrong circumstances led to serious death or harm. Yet this isn't really as much about me as it is about our value system as a society and how we apply our core social contracts and rights equitably (In some ways indicating whether we are a nation of universal peoples with a single purpose or two large nations thinly connected by window dressing. I advocate for a single nation with shared purpose but there are those that are intentionally trying to create separations in our communities and on a national level by exploiting hate for personal gain.)
Its not so much that there are individuals out there that hate those with Muslim sounding names and Black kids because they have always been there in one form or another lurking in the corners (The targets of hate done matter and can include Asians, Jews, Mexicans, Whites, etc.. Anyone can hate! Its easy. Just project everything you feel frustrated about life onto some poor suspecting soul that is trying to take care of/protect his family, or buy groceries, or perhaps just driving to work.). The concern is that they (They is an important distinction here. What does "they" mean? An embedded network?) are willing to do it on a coordinated level, with approval of some local officials, within an existing narrative of hate (language) and within a social context of support (group supported hate).
We sort of run into a situation where if I'm only a tiny, small, sliver 10% correct that still comprises real risks for others. There are higher risks for future targets and victims (In history I'm usually closer to correct then wrong but that doesn't mean I am right. The data indicate that there is more going on here then just poor values and bad manners.). From what I can tell these behaviors didn't just get invented/learned in this situation because the observed reaction had a different root. They existed prior, they were good at it, and they knew just how to engage in a campaign to delegitimize and dehumanize others (Likely this group has gotten away with bullying, stepping on the rights of others, and setting up their own local good old boy networks for some time. It would also be an indication that such behaviors were not addressed prior because of lack of knowledge, fear, malaise or something else. The social benefits of being "super cool" and connected to sympathizers and supporters!)
There has been an atmosphere among some local ex-sports groups and socially associated local officials that is ripe for these behaviors to continue to occur without being addressed adequately (There is lots of research on patterned behaviors.) Its a context that I believe most of their members are not fully aware of how their behaviors are impacting others and are caught in a self-justifying hate narrative and likely to continue down the same/similar path (...of course by ensuring the victims are as much responsibility for their behavior as they can make them. That becomes increasingly more disdainful if any closely associated officials acted like a legal counselor in support of that friend network. That would be another indication that such behaviors were willful and there is a good chance there are lots of other people who may have experienced something similar. The perceived morality of using official authority and powers entrusted by the community to 1. help ones friends financial gain, 2. set up racial/religious stratification, and 3. circumvent the intention of law.)Tuesday, December 27, 2022
Things Still Moving Ahead Escanaba City Council Meeting (December 15th, 2022)
This was an important meeting even though one might not initially see that. While it isn't jam packed full of information, action nail biting suspense, or hip hip hoorays of financial triumph it was one that touched on some key topics. There are important activities buzzing in the area such as DDA changes, possible new city manager, body cams, city waterfront development projects moving forward (Anything to do with ship building in the area is cool.), marketing of local businesses and much more. In its own way its pretty exciting to watch!
A couple of thoughts on development.....
Tourism is helpful to the area based on existing assets and that can be matched with other activities to draw in new wealth. Ship building is a solid anchor industry that we should support because it has many other possibilities for the future. Wood development is a natural resource that also acts as an anchor industry that will likely have high future interest for specialty e-commerce product packaging and shipping. We want to add specific industries with future market potential because it is a method of updating a town's global competitiveness (i.e. adding a new innovative paper machine).
Tourism, ship building, wood products, SME manufacturing, and perhaps entrepreneurs with exportable products (I was thinking outdoor/tourism products, design firms, and/or distribution but it could be anything related.) are potentially good cluster industries (We want them to share competencies and knowledge to encourage transactional subfactors whenever possible. i.e. "cluster community".). As one market declines it could potentially be hedged by other markets/industries helping ensure that jobs are retained during economic shifts. See Transactional Subfactors, Attracting MNC, DC MultiCluster, Tourism Micro.
Delta County MI is rural small locality that is ripe for investment and development and we are watching in near live time the changes. How it develops, whether it continues down the path of development or what industries it might attract are up to the many choices people make and the vision they can create for themselves. I'm feed back looping a theory based on changes in the market to see if they continue to explain events and activities as they occur. If your interested in Delta County you can check out a few of the websites Delta County, Escanaba, Gladstone, DC Chamber of Commerce, DDA, Build Back Better Esky
The Next Generation of Conservative Will Look a Little Different (Quality Leather on New Boots)
Our nation is changing and the way we approach politics may change as well. The next generation of conservative will likely be more culturally open then the conservatives of the past (global manufacturing influence). In some ways I also believe the pendulum has moved for enough so that the new conservative looks more like an old Guard Republican but with a more modern flare with modern issues (quality leather on new boots). They will be more open to differences because we are in a world of differences and can't manage a country focused on limited demographics (The U.S. is a diverse society and those who don't embrace that will be rubbing increasingly against the general public will.)
The new conservative should be more focused on solving problems then fighting with opposing teams on relatively nonessential concerns.
The new conservative should bring a renewed sense of professionalism to government and institutions (Not playing games with institutions of power, treating people fairly, looking at the bigger principles of democracy.).
Socrates and politics. One of the first champions for democracy and first of victims. Source: The Philosophy of Socrates. |
A humanist that cares beyond cold hard numbers and instead manages for the long-term (Knowing which government activities are likely to create the greatest benefit to the nation and its principles. Let me be clear, the principles and the spirit of democracy are more important that the social structure of that democracy. This is why democracy must continue to change and rejuvenate. Institutions have a responsibility to update to ensure they are meeting the long term principles of democracy. Societies must become learning societies and be open to reasonable change or it will become a non-learning society and in turn be someday toppled by its inability to bend to waves of social movements. Palm Tree and Ocean Wave.)
Like the conservatives of the past, the new version will be concerned not only with debt but also with adding the components that raise national revenue (Reducing the deficit is important and raising long term value in a sustainable way is also important. i.e. returning manufacturing, updating infrastructure, strategically aligned treaties, etc.).
The new conservative are likely those who can work across the isle because they know endless fighting solves nothing (This will be important for both sides to either solve problems or create them with a sense of purpose.).
Differentiating between gun rights and human rights. Gun ownership by lawful citizens that know how to use, protect, and store such weapons is acceptable but giving easy access to everyone is very risky (In other words, we don't want specials like buy "2 packs of cigs, a bottle of booze and a free box of bullets" to become a popular sales pitch at our neighborhood corner stores. I support gun ownership for hunting, sportsmanship, and self defense. We have to take a hard look objectively at who is misusing guns from a scientific perspective and design policies that restricts the more harmful elements while keeping it open to those who use them well. I don't understand why its so hard. Its people making it hard! Just look at all of the incidents, review the profiles of the shooters, and then design 5 or 10 year expiration policies with options for amending. Its evidence based management. This leads to the next....)
Supporting our constitution and pushing our institutions to reform (I have seen systems default in hate and violence spread like it was the latest fad. {I'm not sure which spread faster, hate or COVID? 🤔 One is disease of the respiratory system and the other is the disease mind.} Hate crimes in rural communities are not reported as often as they should and rights are sometimes discarded for racial/religious distortions, good old boy networks, and as a general purpose of harming some in support of one's clan members [i.e. a third world problem has now become in part our problem!}. I suspect less than half of hate crimes are reported likely leading to miscued information for policy makers. Likewise, some of our courts, judges, and systems have lost focus on their duties and oaths. To me its always dangerous when institutions 1.) don't focus on the Constitution and its rights and 2.) have become politicized and easily misused. For example, I support police 100% and want them to get really good at catching bad guys and protecting our Constitutional rights 110% because the police should always be working for the American people {We should not be confused about the agreement! I don't agree with defund police as a viable option but I agree with the sentiment of social contract and funding. It was an argument of principle and not in actual application. That doesn't mean it couldn't be practical but its not really developed as a theory in how one might manage a large population that way. That is why it wasn't really sold to politicians and stakeholders. Best use of resources is a fairly normal debate. Right now that is to me to train and improve the system. If someone else has a better idea, I think they should share it. Sorry, I digress....}. The lower values are a sign of institutional disease and create serious long term risks in institutional trust and in some ways the longevity of our nation. For the most part, I believe the simple majority of people within those institutions want to do the right thing, but there is a growing willingness to misuse institutions for disparity and gain. There are not enough checks to correct when aspects of the systems derail or default. We are dealing with people's lives so the institution should seek to ensure our laws are trying to emulate "moral conscious". If moral conscious begins to be defined by the twisted logical of legal orators then as conservatives we should raise an eyebrow. Its a value thing!)
The next generation of conservative leaders should have the skills to accept differences of opinions without moving into political bullying or political violence (this applies to both parties and their maturity level). If you can't understand differences, find common ground between them, then you really shouldn't be in politics. People who can't negotiate or compromise are not politicians they are political extremists (Making a distinction between holding to one's essential values based on principle and not specific form.) One must have the art of influence and good character to be an exceptional leader. Simply yelling and screaming, bashing, and purposely being ignorant is harmful to our democracy (It makes you wonder who supported and voted for these toxic souls. Did they ever expect anything to get done beyond heighten political conflict? Applies to both parties.)
New conservatives might focus on things like strong military, international business, appropriate government size/influence/scope, global presence and international influence, and so many other things. Most of the traditional values, beliefs, and stuff doesn't change. Let us continue.....
(I dislike politics but also am a little fascinated by how we vote, change each other's behaviors, act on a social level. There are some serious long-term concerns for our nation that I can see from a sociological perspective. I've met great local candidates but I'm not seeing the same strength in some of our long-term national prospects {It could be a sign of a disconnect}. Perhaps we know it on one level and have started an internal debate on what the future of conservativism looks like.)
A conservative should be forward thinking, hedging the diverse strengths of this nation to create competitive advantages, focused on the essential principles of democracy, willing to make changes when systems are not functioning properly and/or defaulted and able to look back at the religious, ethical, and moral sentiments of society that leads to choices that resonate within the hearts and minds of the American populace.
That is what I believe as a digital era universal democracy supporting conservative that we must think about building a great nation of a diverse people with a single shared sense of purpose. That purpose moves beyond individual leaders and the flavor of the day politics and into long-term prospects through professional management of government and its systems (By professional I don't necessarily mean always life-long politicians. Democracy needs fresh ideas and new ways of doing things to stay relevant. Some old for balance and some new for change.) As a nation we suffer from some social class (include racial and religious preferences as construct cojoining of social class in this conversation) issues, over concentration of wealth (Its becoming difficult for small business and the common man/woman to get ahead), violating social contracts when its politically convenient (managing for the day versus the decade or century), and blocking beneficial voices of change (...suppressing wisdom in support of ignorance. i.e. intentionally pulling the wool over one's own eyes.).
Where my fellow conservatives go is up to them but I'm walking in this direction (Independence of thought is not much wanted or rewarded in society. That doesn't mean it isn't needed! Pretty much in history we sort of just hemlock poisoned most of the free thinkers {Socrates as an ancient wrong in the fight for the health of democracy!) that were actually capable of making change. i.e. I guess that is something some fear and perhaps why its also why change should be constant. ) The path is small today but with more feet on the ground it could someday turn into a major throughway. While I may be a conservative light R, I have no problem with Democrats that want to hike those paths for a while as well just to get a feel for how two parties can find common ground to help politicians find meaningful focus and work so as to maximize our tax payer dollars. We hired and paid them so we should expect professional management of our larger systems (I'm only lightly into politics now but the last few years sort of had me step back and make sure my personal principles and professed conservative principles resonate; its an attempt at integrity of words and action {Politicians should believe in what they say. Some things I didn't believe in and didn't know if it was going to put me at odds/conflict or not. Those issues and initial misdirection appear to be in the process of being resolved.}. The political landscape has changed and I suspect it was likely unsustainable in its most recent prior form.)
“All I know is that I know nothing, while others think they know what they do not know.” - Socrates
(These articles are help you to think through the different choices, options and view points that may or may not be a herd approach.)