You Can't Spy on the U.P.! Maybe, Maybe Not?

Ok I can't say they were actually spying on the U.P.! Assuming it was a spy balloon, chances are if it was a spy balloon it was looking at infrastructure on Can-US board on the Eastern side of the U.P. (i.e. or local ports) There is a history of countries like Russia, and I would suspect now China, taking interest in that area and the shipping routes. Let us wait to see what the investigation says. 😬 Another description The Aviantionist. This a good video on CNN about calibration and how that allows one to see more (When your sensory equipment is more finely calibrated you begin to see things that were not able to be seen prior. i.e. slow moving objects that don't have a lot of density.)

(Just a side note we found something last summer on the water. The chances are I would doubt its a spy balloon and more likely something else but in our little world it is technically a UAP. UAP meaning we didn't identify it between jumping in the water to waterski and tubing, behind the boat. Might be a flying pasty. I seen one go across a lunchroom once. Kind of looked like it in slow motion. Actually I thought it was a balloon maybe for weather or personal use. 🤷 Our UAP Esc. Short.)

Winter Sports Video Delta County Michigan (Be Careful With Extreme Outdoor Sports)

This is kind of a cool video of outdoor sports in Delta County Michigan. The ground is blanketed with snow from a recent storm thereby making it a great place to snowshoe and cross country ski. My thoughts drift to the smell of pine needles, the crunch of my foot on frozen ground and the sound of the wind swinging the tree tops wildly. Nothing but you and nature sizing each other up and she humbles you as to her power. As you can probably tell, I want to get out there and hit the trails! 

Snowshoeing is great cardio that works best for those who like outdoor activities. Not all people are gym people. Personally, it is much more adaptive mentally, sensory, and physically by learning to get proficient at different activities. It is the way we learn and develop. Skills bleed into different areas making them additive and generalizable. You should enjoy each season and plan your workout routines accordingly for variety. If your going to get in shape do so through things that keep your interest such as snowshoeing, cross country skiing, ice climbing, dog sledding, etc. 

What I like about snowshoes that its portable so you can take them anywhere and the level of intensity is up to you. One can ski/shoe short well worn recreational trails or get out into the wilderness it becomes dangerous. For example, if you get too far out into a desolate spot that if something goes wrong and you get stuck out there for a night, its unlikely you will see daylight in sub zero temperatures. When its that cold you better know what you're doing and have some survival skills to makeshift shelter, warmth, water, communication, and other things. Food is important but its not an essential priority during the first few days (Warm, water, shelter, visibility).

If your into the extreme outdoor sporting stuff, go with a buddy to be safe and always use your safety equipment. It is dangerous! For example, a few days ago a guy in Munising fell to his death into Lake Superior while rock/ice climbing up Miner's Castle. Some sports are not safe at all. To engage in these sports with or without a guide takes practice and training. You need to know what your doing and be a touch of a sadist for some activities to be of any fun. As you read the article on the ice climbing mishap in Munising spend a moment thinking about checking and rechecking equipment. Munising Climber Missing. 

(I don't understand what happened with the climber. With the harness, buddy system, carbineers, auto belay, anchors, hand brakes, I'm not the worlds best climber but I'm not sure how this happened in the way it was described. Something wasn't set up right, broke, not worn, etc. I doubt we will get that kind of detail but the article does have some good safety tips.) 

Videos like this contribute to awareness and exposure of the area. More videos and shaerable media of key local attributes, the more likely people will find these pieces and respond. If they are organic by visitors/tourists interspersed with information rich professional videos they can work together to create a conceptual blend of interest and information. One is social media buzz and as people search out the topic they can obtain accurate information through well placed videos/ads. I would suggest fostering proper coordinated marketing messages across multiple media channels where key demographics are most likely to utilize and respond accordingly. I'm not going into details now but might need to write an article about it. You can read about Adventure/Venture Tourism. 

Furthermore, proper SEO and coverage of key search terms used by tourist and business investment groups would go a long way in creating digital reach. For example, a video produced on Delta County and its investable assets such as vacant buildings and land might help. Send and share the video on YouTube under "Escanaba Downtown Investments" or "Delta County Industrial Sites" and spread it widely to investing communities. Possibly one might make a short clip on a local business that moved to the area and succeeded and sent that to start-up communities. Its called content marketing. One could even track the hit rates, sharing of the communique pieces, or even host Zoom investment meetings for those who want more information on investing in the area. We are in a new world...and governments can "think out of the box".

If you like the article. Feel free to share it. Raising awareness of the wonderful benefits of vacationing near Escanaba.

Pentagon: Second Aerial Object Shot Down (02/10/2023)

A second potential surveillance balloon/item was discovered and this time it was shot down. The last balloon helped our politicians and military members determine better what the perceptions are in terms of what is and isn't considered a threat. Military people often understand threat as more immediate in nature while politicians think more broadly and abstractly (Its not a fact, it just some generalizations that come from learning, training, and experience.).

In this case, they appear unsure of the intent of the object so it is a calculated risk. Damn if you do and damn if you don't. There isn't enough information to be 100% sure so judgement comes into play. In the end one may decide it is or isn't a threat but it definitely is a hazard which gives justification no matter what the investigation finds. This could very well be private or a commercial piece of equipment but because it could be a threat we will ere on the side of caution.

Political pressure is always going to be part of the decision making process. That is normal and it makes sense up to a reasonable level. You want the military to make decisions independently and nimbly in day-to-day situations but also take general direction from politicians and the wider needs of the public. I think it is designed that way to ensure one can respond to immediate threats but do so in alignment with the long term strategies demanded by elected representatives.

The military will recover the debris if they can get it and study them diligently I'm sure to determine intent and origin. Everyone looks at it from their own skewed angle. They really don't have an option either way no matter what it ends up being. It posed an unknown risk. You have to judge decisions by the factors known at that time based on the time constraints in which a decision would need to be made to ensure everyone's safety. It doesn't actually make a difference if junk, company, spy, etc. if it is unknown and the downside risk is that its a little embarrassing because it was the latest delivery drone from one of our favorite burger joints or something (Not actually but I'm just trying to say that no one knew what it was and it was in the way of traffic no matter what it is!). 

There is a possible silver lining we can think about. As we brainstorm on how to secure airspace, let us shoot two birds with one stone and also think about detecting UAPs and other items through an improved air defense system. Putting our brains together we might find some stronger methods of tagging/tracking/bugging these items to learn more about them (Personally I would love to see the military tag one of these UAPs. Maybe we could shoot them with a tagging device by retrofitting older planes and/or specially designed drones to shoot a weighted net over them, tag them, land on them, derail their rout, jam/mislead signals and remove air/functionality, etc. Maybe.). 

Another key point that General Ryder made is that there are differences between what information can be released to the public and what can't be released to the public. In my limited perspective, people misuse and share information all the time to make political/personal points without thinking about the long term strategic consequences of not keeping such information private. Thus, there is a balance between public knowledge and esoteric specific tactical knowledge.  

Post Hate Update: Its Important Understand Some of the Factors For a Future Path

Once hate get debunked and the initial wave of aggression has dissipated we are still level with the aftermath and a need for a path forward. Now, I can say the department involved should reform, they should not take direction from their social leaders, the semi-cultic sports group that got themselves involved and a few local institutions (i.e. local college hiring practices and some members of a local law enforcement group) made choices about who could live and work in their town (Forgetting that we have family that extend almost back to the beginning. That is often how hate works. It just sort of discounts everything about people, their rights, their contributions, their essence of existence simply because they can do so with group support; distorted group support but it is what it is. See 39% Confidence Police Training. Before you get upset, I support police 100% but civil rights 110% because that is what our core values lay. Do the right thing and no issue. Do the wrong thing and people sort of know it regardless of how many times we let it slide. I want police to be the best at catching criminals and the best at protecting people {all Americans}. ) 

Sure, in the end it didn't pan out the way it was coordinated and planned. However, that doesn't mean the problems went away just because it didn't get someone hurt (Some of the members still seem to have an issue. Most now are silent. Its actually sad because I think we are good people and they caused an issue with us when they didn't need to have any issues. None of it has anything to do with them. A kind of proper more evidence based perspective of inappropriate behaviors.). The glaring issues are under the surface temporarily and not necessarily overt for the majority. In many ways without "checking" these factors they will rear their head again when the lessons are forgotten and a member feels jealous, has a racial superiority complex, or the local system defaults in their good old boy favor and flavor. 

Without change the problems will sort of stay there lingering in the background in subtle but still important ways. Once they break that sense of security by their aggressive and coordinated behaviors that could have easily got someone hurt, there is an imperative to ensure they never do this again to anyone else (Regardless of how important being a mediocre player is. P.S. I'm not the first person this group went after.). It wasn't their right to do it the first time, it wont be their right to do it next time (The lack of local checks and balances is in some ways appears purposely created and I sometimes wonder if there is more to this story I'm not aware. 🤔) 

(My sentiments don't apply to those outside the local system as they still maintain some sense of American values and spirit. It also doesn't apply to every system within the locality. It is just a few systems with good old boy leadership that works in favor of their clan/network/embedded group. Not everyone shares the same image of a free nation. It just depends on who you take as your group and where your loyalties lay.)

(As a key point. It wasn't them that avoided violence. Some of these members were pushing for it. It was the targets who maintained the ability to defend themselves but also chose a path of enlightenment {It doesn't mean I'm enlightened It means I took a step toward the greater.}. The path that seeks to understand and find  solutions. Local corruption doesn't have the right to turn a blind eye and walk away in future hopes they can find a victim/minority less willing to stand up to them. There are people in key positions who are likely to act again because they can hide behind through the "legitimacy of numbers".)

These issues will continue to bubble up until we find a strong solution as a people and as a nation. This isn't an isolated incident but represents what may be occurring in many other places. Solving problems like this before they become bigger problems is very important. We have seen on a societal level what happens when toxic personalities go unchallenged.

That being said, its seem like we are moving into a post hate period. Its not over, its just out of the light now and buried in two society affairs.  This group is still huddled in their little corner because they want to be liked by their members/friends and that means upholding the unwritten rules of clan leadership (in some ways mixed with sports culture and sports group. Cults are often market by their all encompassing nature of people's lives and thoughts. They are a type of slave to group distortions but they are not going to see it that way.) While most of the members are very good people it is the toxic souls that derail the group and in turn prevent them from being open to the majority of Americans who don't look, act, worship or think like them (Actually they are a little of an ideological-culture sort of left over from old 70-80's cultural assumptions. A little like the movie Grease)

My plan is to help my community, be open and engaging, and be able to accept apologies when they are warranted. I will push for inclusion of my minority family in the centrality of local affairs and I will ensure that despite the many generations in the area they are not cleansed out based on racial and religious concerns (No doubt some of the members will block me/us because they have already discarded families like mine as less worthy. Do I look like I care what their opinion is? I know where it comes from and I know historically I'm likely to be seen as more accurate then those who are doing the blocking. P.S. why a local college shouldn't hire their friends and reject others based on bigotry and bullying.) So my job is a pretty big one. I think I'm doing pretty good at it considering. Furthermore, I believe this is necessary to restore the community to full social, sport, and economic health. 

Can I sell the need for an inclusive universal society where all Americans have value? Not all of that is up to me. What I can do is unabashedly say what I think and encourage people to be similarly motivated to build a great community and country. Its about our central American values of freedom rising above the rhetoric and ensuring its not subjectively banking in the favor of a few. 

Will I be successful? My goal is to make a positive stamp and contribution on my local community in a way that leads to longer lasting community resilience economically and socially. Let us create opportunity as the best way to mute hate and overcome the bigotries that likely in some ways limited opportunity for local residents for a long time (Look at the economic, local, demographic and other metrics to see the broader perspective over the past 20+ years.). 

As MLK said, "Learn Baby Learn" and "Build baby build! President Reagan, and back then Congress, believed in these values. Not sure what is being discussed at the top today but hopefully the positive past and positive future is more important than the negative past and negative future. In my experience, there are fundamental differences between lip service and thoughtfulness. We are born free and should ensure there are no systems that block that or deter that in anyway. When something is wrong let us study it, brainstorm, fix, and thrive. That is how you build great towns and great nations. Regardless if you were on the receiving or on the giving end of hate we are in this boat together and we should learn to get along or its going to be a long and miserable trip (Metaphorically thinking). 

(P.S. when I say clan do not be confused that I have an issue with most members. Most are really great people but they do follow their leadership blindly and they do have some racial and religious overtones which pushes some of them to act in uncivilized ways. What concerned me was not just the aggression but also the inability to manage their own group and the exclusionary way in which they treat people they don't know well or have no reason to be rude too. Those are legitimate concerns that no law can truly legislate. We can ignore it, we can silence it, but you can't change it without honest conversation.)

"[T]he Internet functions as an amplifier: It increases our potential for good and productive work as well as for inappropriate and immoral endeavors . . . Ultimately, a technology is only as useful as the intentions of its users." (Banschick & Banschick, 2003, p. 161)

Now, if you have not been a target of hate you will have a difficult time understanding what its like, how laws no longer function, institutions default and people whom should know better have few to no values (not the right kind) when it comes to hate. Because of their lack of healthy self-identity (i.e. the ability to empathize or role switch in a reflective way) they will blindly follow with no moral qualms about it. This could have easily been a situation where in hindsight everyone feels a "sense of remorse" but only after someone was seriously hurt (which in some ways they were weaving the environment and this group is partially responsible for that). That is how it works, and fortunately there are many people who disagree with "free passes" based on the right religion, race, friends, or background (Which is highly subjective and based in itself in distorted logic.) Can I tell you what is going to happen next? Nope! Let us turn the page.....

Banschick M. R., Banschick J. S. (2003). Children in cyberspace. In Shyles L. (Ed.), Deciphering cyberspace: Making the most of digital communication technology (pp. 159–199). SAGE. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2056305120913983

U.S. Senate Hearing On China Spy Balloon

This Senate hearing is going to be interesting. It would be helpful to think about how to intercept balloons as they enter our airspace. We should add the options to take them down or send back misleading information. Since they don't know which one is going to happen (actual, false, scrambled, hacked, mechanical failure, shot down, etc) it leaves them will less usable information. They may be thinking, "Is that good information or bad information?" 

Lots of discussion on what is considered threat. The military and politicians are likely to see this differently. The military has a narrower scope of what is seen as a threat and politicians are trained to think broader to wider application. It is sort of the way its designed. On one side, if you shoot it down without understanding and it ends up being something else it could turn into an egg on face issue. On the other side, if we don't shoot it down and it continues to transmit important data that also causes a risk.

That is why we need flexible options because each situation is likely different and each actions have different kinds of possible outcomes. We are going to miss some balloons so some might need to be shot down, some we want to false feed information (assuming we can) and some we want to let go if they are not sensitive and are unlikely to gain critical info. Watching can sometimes let you know what the balloon is doing (i.e. sending false/unimportant information and see if there are patterns between them all). That could work if you want evidence and want to study the balloon. 

 The political and legal side are different sort of cases. An issue comes forward, there is a cautious response, there is concern, broader discussion, and eventually some type of consensus on how to deal with it. This is a discussion on greater awareness and preferred expectations of dealing with such situations. As we calibrate our systems we might find more of these balloons so having some rules of engagement are helpful.

Escanaba City Council Meeting: Should we have a moratorium on the moratorium? (Feb 2, 2023)

No doubt these are exciting times in Escanaba as people navigate a new orientation in town development. As with all adjustments there are things that need to be fixed, considered, consulted, and resolved. There has been some growth in the area and some significant outside investment that is positioning Escanaba as a possible hot spot destination for future investment, lifestyle and recreation.

There are some social issues we will need to deal with like marijuana. As long as people agree to listen to each other, just about anything can be resolved. This is not a make or break it issue but its a contributing factor to a level of community buy in. How we handle disagreement is even more important than the issue itself.

Tonight people will be at the Planning Meeting to ask for barriers around certain religious and civic institutions. What I believe is below......stay tune folks.....this is a town in the process "of becoming"! Its exciting to watch as an American town finds new life and legs (i.e. Billerud and other. Welcome to the Esky family.) After being relatively disconnected from the global economy for the past number of decades when local manufacturing closed down from its peak employment of 1700 in 1982. Harnischfeger Company, (P.& H.), Escanaba (40+ years ago) . DC Historical Society UPI Post, Harvard Analysis of Harnischfeger.

(Keep in the back of your mind that this is the time that much of the U.S. started switching overseas and backing away from domestic production. Save a penny on shares I guess.🤷 For some lack of orders or rising expenses did their companies in. That trend is changing and Escanaba is part of that bigger picture as an ideally situated Great Lakes town with certain hard infrastructure and potential for cluster development to meet innovative needs. In theory! 🙊🙏 )

What Escanaba is becoming is dependent on choices of internal and external stakeholders (Getting everyone in alignment around some shared vision or purpose is helpful.). The most important thing to keep in mind is that as long as the best interest of the residents, the state, and the country are kept primary....its going to be a really good thing (Incorrect choices will pull us in unknown directions.) 

Sometimes one might consider a Political Economic Analysis (PEA) to just get a feel of the importance of moral and ethical concerns as a new town changes. This isn't about only economic development there are other things things we can learn from local changes. Pay attention to how close knit communities can find a way around such thorny issues.

There is room to accommodate the needs of the majority of the town while allowing limited, but well monitored, dispensaries that improve the landscape (Be mindful of other businesses as well). Government is there to solve problems through comprisable solutions. That is one option. There are many others so let us see what they come up with. 🤔

Compromise is like the middle of the road; always safer to walk on than the edges. Dwight D. Eisenhower 

See the Esky City Agenda 02/02/2023

Source: Richmond Fed

Permits and Broadband: You will notice that there is some broadband improvement going on through the discussion on permitting. To create a smart city that is connected to the global world you will need the ability to transfer data. That comes with your digital infrastructure. As the town picks up in terms of connectivity within itself and with the outside world it could become one selling point that attracts digital nomads and higher tech type businesses that rely on such infrastructure. It would be something I would consider listing on my webpage, any city advertising, etc. to help attract a growing demographic that can bring money into the area. Permits are one way to look at what is coming up in the near future and what type of development that is occurring. See DC Broad, Connect UP, Full Bloom Esky, Info Cross, Broadband Rural America

Recreation: Tennis Courts were repaved. Ok Tennis awesome and the courts needed a little work. The backboard should be straight as well. I didn't spend much time there last summer but even as I kid I remember the practice backboard sort of being warped a little. As of a couple years ago it was fine but definitely could get some TLC. Nice to hear tennis players are still valued members of the recreational community. :) Spring is coming and I'm digging out my rackets just to try out the redone courts. 

Tokem and Smokem (Ord. 1273): The moratorium is not an essential issue. It is a delay. There are 6 applicants and no matter if they are approved or denied everything should be done in a way that builds as much community consensus as possible. Yet I wouldn't overload the city with dispensaries or you might find other problems (Be strategic in thinking!). Everything should be done within reason. That might require such dispensaries to be built in a classy way and improve the image and appeal of their business neighbors. Likewise, I would agree with the priest {or any other spiritual leader} and say a barrier around places of worship and other civic institutions would be helpful to make sure we are meeting multiple stakeholder needs. 

In good conscious you don't want bars and/or legal drugs anywhere near places where people have a right to practice, learn, and develop without these temptations. Its important to remember that people go to religious services for many different reasons some of that is self soothing so its just not a good mix to have that within arms length. People want to feel good when they go to and from their church, mosque, synagogue, temple, drum circle, or whatever. They probably would not appreciate a cannabis neighbor (making an exception for the type of drum circle you are in.). That being said, I'm not opposed to such dispensaries (actually in the middle on them) but they must be done in a way that is in the best interest of the community and its overall economic, physical, and mental health. 

So dispensaries should some parameters to ensure they do not step on the rights of others. Moratorium or no moratorium is not really the issue, what is the issue is considering various local concerns and find ways to address the big one's so as to have a workable path forward. This is relatively easy to solve and most people could probably accept some workable form of compromise that is livable for almost everyone.

Turkey Earthquake 12K+ Missing/Killed Prayers and Hope for Survivors

Nature is an unforgiving force when catastrophes like the earthquake in Turkey yank us back off our heels. No matter where you are from, what you believe, the money you have, or the thousands of friends surrounding we have to count the blessings of each day. My heart goes out to my Turkish friends I have met over the years, the Turkish people in general, and I hope very much more lives can be found. The search-n-rescue support the U.S. sent provides some help and relief but its a much bigger issue. When it comes to life, we are all in this together. Turkey today, somewhere else tomorrow, but its the international community of good will that eases the burden of tragedies.

You can read about how earthquakes occur in USGS's article Earthquake Magnitude, Energy Release, and Shaking Intensity

You may consider donation to an international organization that seeks to help victims of disasters (Please do your own homework) International Red Cross and Red Crescent