Discipline is What Gets You There. Fitness and Life Motivation

Its early in the AM in California and the sun is just coming up. Today is day like all other days except something is different. The world looks a little more bright. With discipline and effort we achieve our goals. If you want to stay in shape get out there and jog, walk, hit the gym, climb that mountain, out fence your opponent, swim past your team, and do all the things that make you...you!

I have a fitness trainer license so if you need a little help hit me up. 

Talking to An Intellectual Who Was Once an Activist

Here I am sitting across the table from someone who was once an activist. Older, grey hairs, Mexican descent and now working in a corporate job. She talked about how she was an idealist and how during her youth she advocated for woman's rights and the right to be treated fairly in employment. During her time and in her community women were not always treated well and she got tired of it so she took action.

As this conversation blossomed, I brought forward the idea that people change and they do so over time. For example, I used to be 100% for police and how they could do no wrong under any circumstance. Then I learned over the years that its not that simple and some members do wrong things and they are protected from the consequences of those wrong things. Society suffers.

The conversation continued and we further found that maybe the things we advocated for were not important to society even though they were important to us. A fair society where all members are valued is not the goal of most people, all politicians or all the people we meet in our daily lives. Most just want what they can touch and feel today. Those problems are seen as problems for other people to deal with at another time.

We are wrong for assuming that people can be better simply by raising awareness of certain societal ills. While women did eventually have full rights and eventually all Americans will be treated with justice, It just takes so long and so many people to make us realize that change can be a good thing. Most can't see beyond today let alone 10 years down the road.

We can't change some things and we can't help people see things they don't understand or don't care about.  Its like distracting them away from their favorite tv show. What we can change is the very small things that we can touch, feel and provide guidance on. We cannot tell people to have values and we cannot tell them to do what is right and just.

Society isn't necessarily looking for justice or fairness. Its looking for something in the here and now. A quick fix to the long term problems. A pill that eases the pain. So we have to accept that we have no power to change at this time and there is no will at the present to change it even if we somehow recognized the need for change. We have the option to solve it, or give up on it. Its a choice. Just like everything else.

I will tell you what I feel. While most people just sort of floated through life without taking responsibility over anything, people like us moved the needle. Just a little. We mirrored back what other people couldn't see. We pushed society to be better then it thought it could be and I think it can help create a better tomorrow. Our nation needs more people like us who cared beyond filling our pockets. Thank God for people like us! Thats how I feel at the moment. 

As a light Right Republican, I think advocacy is just gravy, good thing, and helps our nation grow. It is something that helps us think and make adjustments. As long as that advocacy is done with good kharma and in good intent then it will be a positive contributor to our historical development. In our great great grandparents time they abolished slavery, maybe in our time (with the help of big data) we can abolish the leftover legacy of that kind of thinking.

As Americans We Need Better Values: The Younger Generation Has It!

What I love about the younger generation is that have values that many of the older Americans struggle to earn. For example, younger people believe in certain principles and they want to make the world a better place. Older Americans also want to make the world a better place but have gotten into their routines and failed to change with the times. One generation and their old crusty arguments are blocking the new generation.

Values are important and that is the one thing we can pass on from generation to generation. Each one will have their own problems. For example, the eras of the past were the fall of the Soviet Union, September 11th, Iraq and Afghan wars etc. Prior to that it was Vietnam. Before that it was WWII. Our current generation faces systemic issues that limit their human capital, Capital Riot type extremism and the need to compete in an era of hyper partisanship. 

For the most part we are doing the right thing when it comes to creating a stronger economic platform. That is needed to achieve our goals and allow us a good shot at bumping our system upward. We are not doing the right thing when it comes to applying our laws fairly and justly. There is also an attempt to grow the system and balance the budget but politics gets in the way. There is misalignment between could and done.

What I like about this generation is they are freer than prior generations and they are really highly skilled and capable. We as a nation let them down because we didn't put ourselves in the best place we can to give them the highest opportunities on the global market. We are working on it now, but we are behind the ball. That comes from poor leadership on both sides. That is not specific to who is or isn't a leader right now. It was decades in the making. 

This is the generation with the chance to revise. Older generations are still working off of the sins of the past and can't correct them to help this generation in a way in which they truly can compete at their best. They are a diverse group and they want to create and have opportunities. That won't happen unless we treat each of theme as special and part of the whole. It makes no difference their race or religion. Those were the arguments for the worst of us. This is a generation that I believe will redirect us toward our loftier national goals and encourage momentum toward a universal and free democracy (Our next stage of national development that is much more global aligned).

I'm a light Right Republican. I respect Light Left Democrats. (Critical Thinkers)

Technology Hubs Can Create "Smart Cities" (Escanaba and Gladstone)

There are some Technology Hubs being developed across the country. Escanaba and Gladstone are in ideal locations for some of this Tech Hub investment.  We have everything we need to attract and retain new start-ups and talent. Its a vacation area with new tourist coming, has received significant international investment into the papermill, and it is in a place where its downtown could use some work but is affordable.

Obtaining resources like this as well as attracting younger entrepreneurs can do wonders for revamping the downtown at a time when people are moving into the area and government is interested in technology. Going from A to Z and convincing government officials that this place is the place to try something new is difficult at best. I guess we just get used to doing things the same way and expecting different results.

For the most part, I like what the administration is doing. While I might argue this way or that way is better we do need to do more for the middle class and small business. We are big business heavy and we need younger and fresher ideas. 

U.S. aims to turn middle-American cities into new tech hubs with $500 million investment according to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo

-The Department of Commerce announced a notice of funding opportunity, or NOFO, for the Regional Technology and Innovation Hub program, known as Tech Hubs.

-$15 million in planning grants for Tech Hubs.

Biden-Harris Administration Launches First Tech Hubs Funding Opportunity

A Few Lessons from the Free Pass Clan System of Justice

All systems should have a level of integrity and when they do not there should be mechanisms to fixing those issues least they morph out of control. In the American system, we have a somewhat clunky mechanism for navigating through different layers of governance. On a local level, we have few to no checks and balances unless supported in word and deed. If the situation gets bad enough, a state or federal system might step in. In order for it to work well, local police must be honest and forthcoming to work with outside stakeholders in a way that resolves issues.

Yet, it doesn't seem like a very healthy system if certain behaviors are allowed to continue on for long periods of time before being addressed. I can think of the actual and potential victims of such carefree attitude when it comes to certain acceptable norms that would likely be illegal if scrutinized. The culture appears to be off and supportive of the wrong type of values and the people who promote those misaligned values. That discussion will likely lead us to create some avenues of improvement.

Lack of correction becomes increasingly dangerous when we are dealing with a social network, of which includes some are law enforcement members, who also appear to hold racial and religious bigotries. In some cases it also appears they are willing to spread hate speech as well as encourage people to act on those biases to intimidate (in the right circumstances harm) people outside those networks (i.e. minorities and others). (There could also be some indication of psychopathology within that social network. I doubt they would understand how some group behaviors are extensions of key personalities. In other words, some of the people who act on these behaviors are willing adherents and others useful and discardable tools. They each leave a mark as to group goal direction and the strategy as a tool. Psychopaths only see power over and do not leave room for doubt.) Their goal appears to be not only cleansing of the community but also to commit as much harm as possible.

(These people were intentionally cruel and I think they wanted the community to know that they are in charge. Its a very power over way of dealing with issues. They are known to be an aggressive and loud group. Yet not on this level but mental health can change the direction of their leadership. They are social influencers, coordinated in their rudeness and willing to lie and spread rumors. You begin to realize that deep down these officers might be afraid to enforce the law in a small town against their social networks. It is also an indication of a lack of objectivity as well as courage. This is why that group was not only good at targeting but also knew they were immune from local prosecution before starting their campaign.)

I think as a people we sometimes don't address these issues before they become bigger issues. They call this reactive management. During George Floyd everyone got really upset and people started to change and then everything settled down. There will be other incidents and everyone will get angry again and then things will go back to normal. So on and so forth. None of it really solved the problem though. A few places changed but most didn't. Its lingering under the surface ready to come out if we have economic or social issues that highlight those divisions.

 (Also why I encourage our politicians to think ahead of the curve and what will truly be needed to compete as a large nation in a dynamic and changing digital world. We can't function well off 40% of society being allowed to engage fully while the rest are governed under different application rules. I have even heard a few politicians say that only certain religions should be allowed to engage in governance and civic life. Some of these members of this group I believe subscribe to those extreme ideologies and attempted to enforce those values on Good Friday as an indication of misuse of official power for nefarious purposes.)

I often wonder when we there be meaningful and significant change? To be honest. It hasn't come and I don't think it will come until the competitive economic and social pressures are enough to get people to think about our best path forward in dealing with these challenges. I'm not a pessimist. I just think there are lots of legal and political loop holes that end up dehumanizing some of our fellow Americans. I think the law should be wiser and more proactive to looming societal issues that are requested by millions of Americans. We should strive for universal justice and the fair application of our laws in the best interest of everyone. 

I'm compiling different ways to sort of look at public information to better outline the types of behaviors this group is engaged in and how they could be coordinated across multiple departments in what appears to be cleansing oriented activities. Things like complaints, arrests, court outcomes, lawsuits, etc. all help outline the problem and I believe there is a way to outline actual clan membership. 

Because these departments are either unaware, or worse know but fail to act, it falls on the shoulders of the public. So I'm starting on that path to see if the world of big data can highlight a clan network of what appears to be intimidation/violence oriented coordinated behaviors of an extremist leaning group (We should not be shocked. This has happened in many other places in our country and people talk about these aggressive tactics all the time and lack of protections they receive. I want to change that in honor of two victims who did not get the protections they should have. The longer these groups go unchallenged, the more victims they create.).

Lesson: Officers who are aware of illegal activities within their departments should be required to report those to the appropriate authorities. 

 

Lesson: Coordinated clans share social networks and certain characteristics that help define them as different to the rest of the population. 

Lesson: There will be certain markers of the behavior hidden within other data. Putting all of that data together and cross analyzing will likely lead to further highlighting of that network and understanding the nature of the problem. Checking with the local Native American population and other minorities can help greater awareness of this embedded discrimination. 

Lesson: There needs to be a mechanism of separating the very good officers from the corrupted officers they work with. Because of the Blue Code and other internal pressures they may not feel empowered to act on the behalf of society and report these behaviors without fear of retaliation (If they know these officers are engaged in intimidation and violence what do you think will happen to these officers if they report the behaviors? Case studies have show Whistle Blowers are often buried in defamation and legal obstructionism to "protect their own". That in and of itself means it has an alternative objective to the power entrusted in them from our official legislative process. That is what they hope to hide, and the change that comes from that.) 

 

Lesson: Internal controls must be strengthened within these departments with an outside contacts for more dicey issues. They need this outside mechanism so that when a problem arises and it is known outside the area the officers do not feel comfortable retaliating without risking consequences.

Lesson: Because some of these behaviors appear to have mocked and circumvented central Constitutional rights it opens up a few other concerns. If we agree that we swear loyalty in our oaths to the Constitution which includes as central values 1. Freedom of Speech and 2. Freedom of Religion then we must wonder as to their commitment to that Constitution if behaviors are designed the circumvent these rights. Would this group/clan then be consider un/anti American in orientation if the Constitution is fundamental to our shared American understandings? (I'm thinking this is also why certain domestic extremist have an anti government flavor. There are differences between rightful criticism and anti Constitution anti government sentiments. I'm not sure if anti or un American is the right term to describe some members of the clan.)

Lesson: The use of publicly reported complaints of public mistreatment (i.e. redacting specifics for internal-external investigations and officer privacy/protection) may be able to help officers remove clan associates that are violating laws and engaged in "magical badge" aggressive tactics. Sometimes they may need help and this will give external pressure to act in the best interest of society. When they don't act to correct it could be an entire department problem.

Lesson: Look at local hate crime reporting to see if they are under the average based on similar demographics. I suspect they don't report many hate crimes and there appears to be an attempt to silence through harassment and intimidation those who rightfully criticize poor behaviors. 

Leading explanation:

I can change this depending on what we are finding so that will take time. It appears to be a homogeneous clan, as defined through social networks, that have been misusing the local legal structure for self gain of themselves and their members. In one department it appears that the senior leadership is well aware and possibly encouraging illegal behaviors. Some of these behaviors appear extremist oriented, use para-coordinated aggressive tactics, and have a support among this clan affiliated network. Some community members appear afraid of this network and/or disagreeing with this network for fear of social and employment related retaliation (It appears that way and I will discuss that later. One can consider the local college rejecting candidates based on the smear campaign of the clan based network.). Other departments may be aware of the generalities but not the specifics but likely should have known based on the widespread and open way in which these clan members act. The close association of these officers and departments reduces overall objectivity while bias increases risks to victims. Creating the right perspective may prompt these departments to start solving their own problems so others don't have to solve them from the outside. This is called "getting ahead of the story" so they can fix an issue to fully bring themselves into compliance with national laws and norms.

H.R. 1822, the PLUS for Veterans Act of 2023: Protecting Veteran Benefits from Misuse

There is a new H.R. 1822 bill the PLUS for Veterans Act of 2023 that was introduced in the House of Representatives March 28th, 2023. I briefly read through it and I can see the point. I'm not so educated on VA affairs that I know all of the problems but just through life experience I can say anytime there is money to be made some people will try and find a way to make it. A certain percentage will cheat the system. Having ways to minimize that makes sense. It appears that there is some push for transparency on fees and ensuring not overcharging in the bill. On the surface, yaaa why not. Makes sense.

-To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the review of claims for benefits under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

A motivating video on vets.

HR 1822: 5 ‘‘PLUS for Veterans Act of 2023 

Debt Ceiling Crisis: A chance to hammer out differences in a reasonable way?

We are at a debt limit impasse and must decide which direction to take. Both sides have some good points and we do need to get a handle on debt so the right resources go to the right places to increase our national functionality. I do believe both sides should start working diligently to decide which programs are necessary, how to adjust programs for focus and effectiveness (We need 3-5 shared Republican and Democrat principles to create focus to coordinated decision making across different entities. I do not believe we have 4 or 5 focused objectives principles everyone agrees upon in broad terms. It is necessary to ensure micro transactions of decision making become aligned. When people are unsure they check these broad principles to help them make a decision.).

A word of caution., I would not shock the system with a debt default. Creating pressure is ok but we will likely need to extend these negotiations. One might consider month by month until we have a workable budget. Each small extension could cause the market to react in a negative way to the potential risks so I wouldn't use a "game of chicken" tactics very often. If it was me, I might move to a 6 month extension under the agreement of a focused task force to hammer out reforms and changes. Just my thoughts. 

Letter by Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen: You can read the actual letter 'Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen Sends Letter to Congressional Leadership on the Debt Limit'

Yellen Twitter:

As every Treasury secretary has known, the only option that leaves our economy in good shape is raising the debt ceiling.

Congress must stand behind the basic principle that America pays its bills and that we're not a deadbeat country. pic.twitter.com/1WLuOjXisD— Secretary Janet Yellen (@SecYellen) May 9, 2023

Explanation: You can read this. ‘Economic And Financial Catastrophe’—Yellen Issues Stark $31.4 Trillion Warning After Bitcoin, Ethereum And Crypto Price Boom'

Bambrough, B. ( ) Economic And Financial Catastrophe’—Yellen Issues Stark $31.4 Trillion Warning After Bitcoin, Ethereum And Crypto Price Boom, Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2023/05/08/worse-than-2008-bitcoin-and-crypto-now-braced-for-540-billion-crisis-ethereum-cofounder-warns/?sh=4c5224e94370

Yellen, J. (May 1, 2023). Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen Sends Letter to Congressional Leadership on the Debt Limit. U.S. Department of Treasury https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1454

Debt Limit Letter Congress Members 05012023