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
We often don't think that the CIA super spy intelligence stuff has any real impact on business and the economy. Rest assured it does! Things like sanctions, conflict, international relations, treaties, etc., etc. all contribute to the functioning of the global economy through open or closed pathways of business, travel, communications, resources, banking, so on and so forth... Information in understanding our world is key to national success and will be even more so in the future as more and more information hits the airwaves. The CIA plays a central role in understanding and thwarting efforts by foreign nations to exploit weaknesses in ways that are nefarious in origin (In relatable terms, people likeDr. Evil and his international master minds have been and likely will continue to be chased by people like the 'International Man of Mystery' Austin Powers for the foreseeable future. "Its Freedom Baby Yaa" ok sorry I got sidetracked. I do that from time to time.
Basically, criminals hide and the CIA uncovers them as well as collects data on important national security issues. Kind of interesting video... The CIA is hiring. They also have secrete code you can try and crack. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't care. Can you solve the uncrackable code? {Honestly, I think the last one is symbolic and that is why the same thinking that works for the first layers doesn't work for the last. Maybe not?).
Anyway....
All that data can help businesses make important decisions about where to invest and how to adjust their processes to avoid unnecessary operational impact. Knowing and understanding "hot spots" also leads to better business decisions. If you are planning on doing some international investing you might want to check out the Economic Overview: CIA Fact Book There is lots of excellent information about different countries in there. Take some time and explore the site because it might be a good place to start looking for information for a market study.
Wait!!!!Wait!!!!✋Before you dump your money to the first charlatan with expensive cologne and diamond studded designer sunglasses selling the latest version of snake skin oil, you might want to check out which countries you can and cannot invest in. The US Dept. Treasury Sanctions List seems to be pretty helpful in that regard (🔍 ). You will want to stay compliant and ensure your business doesn't get into hot water. When the hammer of international justice comes down its not going to worry about your latest pedicure or manicure. Nails will get chipped. 😤
Issues that flair up bring all types of disruptions to things like supply chains and investments so it is important to monitor. Each country carries its own risks, benefits and rewards. One must calculate the risks of investing in countries for themselves. For example, the International Finance World Bank Group has some great information on how to invest in fragile conflict zones (Investing in Conflict Areas) (If you don't know what the World Bank Group is, they invest in economies to reduce poverty.)
1. Be conflict sensitive every step of the way.
2. Avoid the dilemma of choosing between short- and
long-term impacts.
3. Act fast during transitions, but remain engaged
during setbacks.
4. Commit more than money.
5. Stick to standards, but be flexible with timing.
6. Bring in new players and innovate.
7. Keep markets open for international trade and
investment
When you live in the U.P. you are going to get cold! It can snow up to a foot, wind whips across the fields and lakes, ice is everywhere and roads are slick. Many accidents happen when conditions are cold and icy. If your fighting a fire you could be standing out in hazards for significant amount of time with water crystalizing in mid air making everything frozen (It's cold even with turnout gear. It helps but your extremities are still going to feel it. One time I went to a minus 20 degree scene and my fingers were frozen to the bone even with heavy fire retardant gloves. Fingers, toes and face usually get it first.). The same can be said for car accident scenes where people have been stranded in the cold for a significant amount of time and hypothermia has set in (In rural places like the U.P. you should always have a safety bag. Yikes! 💨)You might just get cold! Expect it! Prepare for it!!! 🥶
Likewise, if you enjoy the outdoors and are visiting the Delta Count, MI. area, you may want to review the video below. For those of us who sometimes get a little extreme with our outdoor activities this is doubly important. You really need to come visit the area to see it for yourself (...also you can come invest here if you want hedge your portfolios. {<<<Example of shameless area promotion plug. 🙊)
Safety is important and knowledge keeps you safe. A nice discussion morphed among firefighters (FF), "How long does it take to get hypothermia and how long until you are incapacitated in freezing cold weather?" .....the answer is.......Everything is dependent on the conditions but think somewhere around 10 minutes of exposure can lead to hypothermia and 1 hour will pretty much kill you! You can read more about that HERE.
(P.S. we are looking for a new grass truck so if you have $100k to donate to a non-profit, or any other help, that would be nice. You will receive much more in good karma than you could ever donate in other places because the blessing you receive here helps to give blessings to others in emergency situations. See...if your a spiritual person you might think "Wow, I can give once and it just keeps on giving as long as the truck is being used." Its like a jackpot of awesomeness! A type of good karma lottery! If your a company that is even better PR. Anyway, if your in the holiday spirit and/or year end tax balancing Santa mood you can contact the dept. HERE.) :)
Parks, trails, and the outdoors are awesome and improve the quality of our lives! Delta County just received $83,600 to update Ford River Twp. Park. The program comes from the Recreational Passport Grants. We typically pay for these when we update our license and want to use the parks.
I'm not sure what general park development means but I would suspect it is a general fund allocation for improvement of the park (...at least from a first glance. You may need to look around if you want some additional info on what specifically it is allocated. For a swing set or a trail its all good news as far as I'm concerned.)
Considering I once lived as a child out in Bark River and initially went to Ford River school systems....I'm happy to see it happen. 😁
The DNR has a shorter press release HERE. A map of the park HERE.
It is interesting to watch how our democracy continues forward despite its most recent challenges. We are thrivers! The speaker hasn't been selected yet and after 6 votes the house can't do their normal work until one is selected. This is how democracy works. Things have for the moment returned to normal sort of idea volley and exchange. Its a conversation....democracy is a conversation of settling upon solutions. It may not seem like that at first but just keep watching. One way or another the system is designed to push out an eventual solution (...even if it isn't at first apparent.)
Different peoples and groups have different agendas. No one can get everything they want. Some of the points may be valid and some not so much. However, it is about understanding and making those adjustments where they seem appropriate. For example, spending must move down, govt. revenue must go up, or some combination in between. Most people would agree with that, but how that happens is based on how people vote, discuss, and resolve (As long as no one is sacking the capital the discussion and debates are normal. Even some of the sort of political maneuvers are normal. I'm just watching to see how this all works.)
I'm listening to the speeches and I believe that the key idea going forward is to manage for all Americans with the most sound solutions with the greatest chance to succeed. Visions that put us in the place of the most options, best market position, and at the center of the global supply chain value. Finding ways in which we can solve real problems for people at different income spectrums and if we can't solve it then lets remove the road blocks that hold people behind.
That likely means borrowing ideas from each other, researching new solutions, brainstorming, looking over the horizon, setting goals/objectives and compromising so we can overcome our challenges (Party neutral statement.)
We all know we need water but did you know that there are studies that help to show that people who drink sufficient water live longer and with less disease when compared to those who drink too little water? According to a study of water spanning over 25 years found that lower water consumption, as defined by serum sodium levels, led to shorter and more diseased lives. You can read the study HERE.
Initially, I found the study in an CNN article. You may want to peruse for a more layman's explanation. HERE.
So how much water should you drink?
Women should consume 2.7 liters (91 ounces) of fluids daily, and men should have 3.7 liters (125 ounces) daily.
If your into sports and you workout then you might want to drink more water. To tell you the truth I should drink much more and the article and study sort of help highlight that for me.
You can watch Governor Gretchen Whitmer's inauguration below and for the most part it was a pretty good speech (Its historic because of the pandemic and the extremism case so its a situation that will be recorded in the books and analyzed by historians.) In case you didn't notice it, the design of the ceremony appears to be a statement against extremism (A real slight provocation of defiance sort of interwoven into the theme. That is what I see it anyway.). Healthy democracies draw everyone into the same shared goals (There are certain things that Republicans and Democrats can agree upon.)
As a light R, I generally lean Republican but I will support anyone whom I believe is the most qualified for the job because the stakes are bigger than any single election. That of course doesn't mean I would agree with everything she (or Democrats or even Republicans) do/does and of course if I was a politician, which I am not, I would probably argue some key points on some policies and maybe even win a few (Winning defined by bringing everyone forward with a coherent plan.). However, based on what was available at the end of the run, she appeared to be the most qualified. It is what it is and she won a free and fair election so that is what Michiganders want (I support that and have an oath to that. Just in case if you were wondering if party or country is most important to me. For some it is kind of confusing but with hope Democrats and Republicans will find some common ground.)
(This is why new strategies are needed for Republicans in Michigan. We want healthy and robust competition in MI politics so to encourage the best ideas and candidates. Democrats and Republicans often borrow from each other so having high quality candidates also means beneficial debates, discussions, strategies and outcomes. i.e. learning organization/state. In a healthy democracy, we can debate civilly and with good intent without jumping into the sludge with cannon ball style enthusiasm. That criticism applies to both parties and I think in general Americans are becoming irritated with political immaturity that endangers all of us.
As a side note, there was one Republican candidate that I thought would have done well but he dropped out once the whole signature scandal broke out. I don't think he knew anything about it, but perhaps felt like it would damage his good name. While he might not have that kind of admin experience I think he probably would have learned quickly and gave it his best. Interestingly, this is why we must do everything with integrity. In my mind, based on my understanding, it looked like the lack of integrity of some of the "connected" people in "the field" actually undermined the entire party and the election process by falsifying signatures. 💁)
(Hopefully, lesson learned for Republican reemergence as old/new guard comes forward to fill open party gaps. Diversify the party based on new national demographics and the needs of the next American era. Republicans have a lot of good stuff to say but do need a strategy. We never really know what will actually happen so let us wait and see over the next 4 years. Amazingly enough, the world continues to turn..... in the meantime lets innovate the state. ☝)
If you are keeping up with the news and the conflict in Ukraine you may be able to see the possibility of a larger scale Russian invasion effort underway. That includes closing boarders, mandatory service, and other types of activities of a Cold War Soviet approach. Let us add to that a few other things that have occurred recently and some of the possibilities and contingencies that may be involved.
(When it comes to issues like this go fact check.)
These are a few things I have noticed that might be of benefit.......
1.) Russia has been buying all types of different low grade equipment from sympathetic countries. (They may not be running out so much as perhaps stocking for something new. All stocks are limited but it appears this would be an attempt to use low cost equipment for low cost mobilization and perhaps even to pass out to mercenaries.)
2.) Attempts to soften Ukraine, damage infrastructure, and forcibly push residents out of the area. (Could be an attempt to not have to deal with a "civilian problem" and in turn create clear terrain where everything can be leveled for larger troop movements. Part of this fight is about culture and pro Russian and Pro-Ukraine leanings that create issues for civilian management.)
3.) There is financial maneuvering but its hard to understand and very amebic because its not accessible information. All nations in conflict and under sanction will do all types of creative finance transfers.
4.) The adjustments have been going on for a number of months in low grade and hard to detect methods that likely are transacted through the black market and other methods many Russian officials utilize under the table of. i.e. the things off the books and hard to detect. (It could more or less be a strategy of holding and raising the costs on Ukraine for now and waiting for larger troop movement. Negotiations might also be a delay tactic so its a good time to work toward peace but prepare for what might come next.)
What I would think about is how the Russians might utilize low grade fighters infused with more skilled fighters that carry with them specific objectives (i.e. the historical use of peasants as fodder distraction and resource wasters). Mass amount of weapons purchases could indicate preparation and it could also indicate these are the "junk" weapons they are willing to lose along with the low grade "junk" fighters i.e. ex prisoners. (Pay attention to a potential move to large scale insurgency tactics. Discipline and skill is unlikely to be as important a strategy to Russians as mass overwhelming of Ukrainian defenses.)
I'm curious what Ukrainian counter strategies might entail? One might consider additional fortifications to create fall back lines and "kill zones" that raise costs significantly to the invaders. While the Russians might potentially use massive amounts of troops they will also lose many of them in the poor logistical administration and poor tactics. While mass is a strategy, all strategies come with costs.
Creating simple obstacle barriers/battlefield design to herd invading troops into areas and through battlefield corridors might be helpful. One might consider organizing into a battlefield zone (..different then a kill zone which is concentration of fire in specific corridors.) and have 5 or 6 fall back lines with each one focused on specific objectives. (Think of a car bumper and how it crunches to save the car. ).
Each fall back line could have a different objective designed to weaken the invading force in a way that controls the grind that allows the Ukrainians to manage and concentrate their resources where they get the biggest bang for the buck. i.e. pre-stashed specific weapons for the objectives at each fall back line. Because Russia will not know or understand the objectives they can't adapt. It creates chaos and confusion in poor training. For example, the first line breaks up formations and tests, second focuses on tanks, and the third on something else. The tactics and targets change so the Russians don't know how to adjust to minimize casualties and fulfill their objectives. If the table is set in a inconspicuous way they may not even know they are being funneled.
For example, the 1st fall back line is predesigned to slow and diminish ranks and collect data on test capacity. The 2nd fall back line might seek to immobilize a portion of larger equipment, start funneling troops, and start thinning the onslaught in a way that helps better focus Ukrainian resources. The third might be about cutting all all communications and the fourth about stopping movement (i.e. better barriers) and the 5th about a counter push. (Someone might want to ensure plenty of surveillance mechanisms are present on the battlefield that continue to function even if Ukrainian troops fall back. i.e. a low grade early digital era battle field. Cameras are small, sensors are cheap, cell phones can be tracked to determine swarm movements, drone flights, satellite images, etc., etc., The issues is coordination, processing, and acting quickly which takes too much planning and training to do in current time frames but one can sort of see how the info processing capacity of real time data and quick response might be related. Something the U.S. military should think about as it seeks to develop capacities where small or large fights can break out globally.)
However one important caveat. Between each zone are funnels where alternate routes would bog down Russian troops, tank and equipment and in turn force movements within the kill zones by the sheer ability to keep moving forward. i.e. the path of least initial resistance. (The goal isn't to stop Russia's initial onslaught but more to diminish them until you get to a certain place where a counter attack makes sense. Also why you want your fox holes and battlements to be designed protective from one side to keep Russian troops from finding safe haven for defensive purposes. They either need to keep coming forward or run away. Under the right circumstances we might find entire Russian units surrendering if they slow down but know they will not be able to make it forward or back out of Ukraine. Its unlikely they have the training for that.)
If one expected mass invasions one might also consider using tactics that include underground tunnels/weapons/supplies, weaponry that can canvas areas well, methods of getting behind lines to create chaos thereby further limiting troop movements and bunching them up so they are limping in movement and abilities. Adopting the best practices we saw in other wars like Vietnam, Afghanistan (Did the Taliban learn by fighting against Russian invasion? Might be helpful to take what was useful from that knowledge and apply it to a mid tech army like Ukraine when it makes sense. Military thinking follows lines like science so some of the root tactics Russians used in the 70's and today will be similar and likely people have already used successful tactics against similar styles.) and other places.
From a psychological level mass casualties in Russian ranks and total chaos in their movement and efforts will likely create fear among their troops and lower morale in a way that could cause officers and troops to be in constant conflict (Why offering immunity for defecting Russian troops could be helpful in intelligence and resource development. It also sounds like a good nerve to put a finger on and keep pulsating.)
Failure to create significant gains right away like the initial invasion might mean Putin will be subject to internal dissention and possibly economic bankruptcy of his country. If one could wave a magic wand and have pro-Western oligarchs ready to take the reins should Putin fall, and want to take his country with him, it would be an interesting safeguard maneuver. (Its a contingency and its helpful to the innocent Russian populace while protecting Russian military and national assets from being wholesale sold by an already highly corrupt official economic structure with a huge black market {20%GDP. Probably 25%-35%. At the top of the structure probably 40+%}. One of the reasons why the soviet empire failed, and this Cold War II initiative likely will also fail, might be caused by this corruption and theft of resources from self serving individuals. In this case, it appears it banks in Ukrainian's favor.)
Likewise, one might want to ensure they are tracking, tagging, infiltrating and compromising the elite Russian troops as much as humanly possible. The low grade fighters might more or less be distractions that provide cover for more seasoned troop movements. Creating moles and keeping tabs helps to lure and then neutralize such Russian units. They are likely to be well trained, stealthy, armed, supplied and be focused. However, they are also going to be drawn from many different sources to bolster their ranks which opens opportunities for mole creation and tracking. i.e. people who were once elite fighters and likely called back.
(Just a couple of ideas but you know they are just sort of brainstorming thoughts. I'm a chess player so I like to watch the strategies. {Interestingly, someone told me we had an uncle that played chess against the Soviets during the Cold War. No idea if it is true true.♞} Let us wait and see what happens. The article should help us think about some of the possibilities because no one at this point can ever be 100% sure of what is going to happen.
Maybe Putin will wake up one morning and think, "I'm doing the wrong thing, I'm hurting innocent people, and I have a responsibility to the Russian people and international community to check my anger, settle this, and work on bringing my nation back into the light?" I just wouldn't hold my breath that a bolt of lighting is going to strike him to provide the new insight {Old foxes and same mental traps as personality mixes with decision making.).
Peace is almost always a good idea but usually it is appreciated in hindsight. Yet if the waves of Russian troops come to Ukraine they should be ready to send them back empty handed to ask their leader why they risked their lives and country for ego? He will probably say something like, "I wanted to make Russia great again" but really is saying "I wish I had my youthful vitality back and I do not want to be forgotten when I'm gone."
When its over we do need to consider bringing Russia back into the fold of global society or it will be another despotic regime angry at its lost prospects and shunned by the world. In this way the U.S. might be able to do some good if Russia has a new regime at the end; its an internal Russian problem. We can't say what will happen because there are significant probabilities and risks for any strategy but we can look further down the road to how to flip the script on the adversarial relations for future reconciliation.) Updating NY article Jan 3rd, 5:30 ET. Ukraine Digitized Shoe String. Russia Blames Cell Phones 01/04/2022
p.s. great video sort of helps potential Russian troops looking online to sort of think about their options and potentially avoid being forced to go to a place they don't want to be and they don't think helps their country. Psych Ops but there is some truth in it. What is the final goal and what benefit will it bring the Russian people in the next 10 years+? Not much and chances are it will be eventually lost again if they do succeed.
**These articles are designed more for thought creation than anything else. Sometimes interesting discussions and good things come out of it. Other times It is just junk splattered on an electronic wall. A kind of political art and puzzle. 🤔🎨🥋
