Why you shouldn't care about people think of you?

Diogenes
Jean-Léon Gérôme 1824-1904

Beyond normal positive social relationships and trusting business relationships you really shouldn't care much about what people think about you. Most people who judge others do so without any real knowledge of the people they are judging. That judging goes through all types of mental filters in terms of beauty, age, wealth, race, religion, gender and all the other stuff that is associated more with the judger then the person being judged. By the time it comes out on the other end, its unlikely to be an accurate reflection of much other than the judger's deeper preexisting perspectives (observation and sight are different).

For example, I have been judged for having a Muslim sounding name and mixed race kids. While I consider myself a believer in multiple philosophies of God as embodied in most of our major religions (of which I'm a cultural Catholic with some Islamic seasoning) that seems to throw people for a loop. People often dump the basics for the specific and then miss the purpose and intent of religion. There is a balance for both to understand the general nature of order.

Such differences becomes more understandable when you step out to a more wider perspective and find value in the basic messages of each religion that leads to greater awareness of our place in the world and universe. (It is the same in science and its the same in life experience. Understanding each leads also leads to greater insight into what is the same and what is different. I thus take the best of each and incorporate those into a conception of the value of religion.)

The same can be said for race and its impact on the way we view other. While people might not say much, they do act sometimes in ways that are inappropriate. Using inappropriate terms and being rude when there is no justification for doing so. While I think that such behavior creates a toxic environment such as yelling out inappropriate terms describing people at sports events, inappropriate jokes and intentionally manipulative behavior around impressionable mixed race kids, there are others who feel they have the right to do those things (It kind of creates an hard to bridge gap. Not impossible but boundaries must be created first. Wow! That got them mad that someone seen as low as me stats clearly to keep my children out of their problems. I think some call this uppity and others might call the right thing. Just depends on who you ask.). 

If you notice in each of these instances we may find that very outward impressions are coming to define certain groups and social circles of people. While race seems and skin color seem to be the main justifications for poor behaviors, the group seems to have brought in all other elements that create an embodiment of "outsider" as evil and dangerous (Not accepting certain comments is different then being challenging. Sometimes an abrupt change of topic prompts people that something said was incorrect. Other times one might need to specifically address intentionally poor behavior. Easier said then done in a toxic environment of top down group hierarchy. i.e. the philosophical slaves of Plato's forms. As a running joke, they can only strive but will unlikely reach the highest philosophical stage of development known as the beach bum! ). 

I could of course forgive people who are easily manipulated but it does run into a situation when false justification for fear of Muslims, Blacks and probably lots of others seems to run counter to intentionally aggressive, mocking, rude, and provocative behaviors (That shows manipulation and not fear and even if they think all Blacks are selling drugs and All Muslims are violent who are they to make such distorted judgements on people who have been nothing but nice to them. That is hate even if you feel it isn't. I won't sugar coat just because within their Good Old Boy networks it has become fashionable to circumvent freedom of religion, speech, life, liberty and happiness just because its what their friends want.). Patience was key with dealing with this homogeneous group who has become accustomed to bullying people in their community as though they never grew up from high school (If your out of their crowd your just sort of in their way.). 

On a local level it is what it is but I think they will be on the wrong side of history. These sort of Cady Shack mixed with Animal house are on their way out and are left over cultural resisters. They have come to accept the unacceptable and most of society has moved on to a higher place. While I think most of the people are not particularly bad in and of themselves, they are so tied to their network that they lose the bigger perspective of others as well as of themselves. Others may be seen as foreign, different, or worthy of poor treatment. One could not even derail them from their perspectives so I believe that is sort of where the proof in the pudding currently lays. Messed up people making messed up choices because messed up friends wanted them to join in their messed up behaviors so they wouldn't feel messed up on the inside. Kind of messed up if you ask me. 🤷

Keeping the Workout Going: 5 Areas of Focus

If your like most busy professionals you will find that staying in shape comes down to consistency. Not ignoring eating, but putting that to the side for a minute. Having a healthy balance in your workout makes a big differences. According to the study below they found 5 different areas to focus on and I have incorporated each into my routine. 

Fitness training: Elements of a well-rounded routine

Aerobic: Walking, rowing, dance, kickboxing. 

Strength: Weight training and rowing.

Core: Pilates 

Balance: Dance, Yoga, Kickboxing and other sports.

Flexibility: Yoga and dance

10 best Digital Nomad Locations

 The rise of the Digital Nomad is apparent. You can read some of the best cities. Top 10 Digital Nomad Locations. Often these are cities that have strong internet, activities-recreation, walk-bike friendly, airports and affordability. 

Escanaba and Glastone have Digital Nomads appeal. With a little foresight it could attract a whole new young group of Digital Nomads, entrepreneurs, recreationists, and others.

It's a place thst is changing and getting reconnected for the opportunities that will be emerging. Coordinating marketing in Digital Nomad media-magazinesand investor outlets can attract interest. This location offers something different than others. Tourists are finding benefit in fun remote areas.

General Milley Discusses Innovating the Military: New Technology for New Times

I'm a big supporter of the Military. They have been in field of protecting our nation for centuries. It is a primary place where it doesn't matter your ethnic, racial, or religious background. It has been an avenue for growth and development for human capital consistently ahead of other institutions. To some its a universal right of passage in development (and adventure). Others may have their own opinion but that is mine and when values and behaviors are focused on key principles it is a good thing. That being said read this.....

US military should speed up efforts to modernize its forces, top American general says (The Stars and Stripes is a cool paper.)

We are in a new world and innovation will speed up so it is doubtful most people are going to grasp these changes. (Think of playing Atari versus VR) Thus, staying on top of the tech and military development game is important. We must have the most advanced and mobile force on the planet. That requires a new way of thinking and competing.

I see this as two advance split. One level we want push new industry-military development that can help both (profit and patriotism) as well as ensure our military has the technology to function even when the technology shuts off. High tech with low tech abilities to function as strategic units. Such divergent skills and abilities can also develop off of each other in unique ways.

There is a lot to be learned from understanding both that might not seem initially apparent. Having high tech abilities is essential for beating out other technology and the low tech capabilities lead to adaptable units that understand the essentials of modern warfare. It is a changing and robust field and I suspect it will continue to be in the future as we are always in flux. “No man ever steps in the same river twice. For it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” Heraclitus)

If someone shuts off the switch (i.e. either physically or through other advanced tech) these units can navigate through it independently if necessary (its a competency). That comes from understanding high tech and low tech environments which are likely going to mirror the types of battles we as a nation are going to engage in with different world actors at different technology development levels. 

Understanding high and low technology also allows one to piece together a creative and divergent thinking style during challenge to find new solutions. Our skills will need to develop in order to ensure that both sets of knowledge can be conceptually blended into excellence (Its just an opinion and idea but there may be many others. See this study on divergent learning in students with high and low creativity. Effects of divergent thinking training on students’ scientific creativity: The impact of individual creative potential and domain knowledge)

You may consider how these skills could change 192. New Skills Required to Compete & Win in the Future Operational Environment. Notice the author brings in lots of new data concepts. Thus, the basic skills recruited, developed and enhance may change. Some of the tools and tactics might change to function at their maximum. That is necessary. Yet the basic values of these institutions will maintain their line of development in a way the puts these tactics in context of cultural connections. See Marking a Point in History, Military Leaders Teach Business Executives, Changing of Military Honor. 

(What I respect about him is he walked the talk when it was needed. One might agree or disagree but in hindsight for the most part he was on the right side of history. I think he is again and our nation will likely begin to grow and adjust in ways we haven't seen since the last Renaissance. Good men can sometimes be hard to find. That is my opinion. either way...check this video.... We Swear an Oath to the Constitution)

We can train and we can talk about innovation but if we do not have a strong underlining mechanism to do that innovating in a financially stable way we will continuously outstrip our resources. As manufacturing comes back to the U.S. let us build the best environment we can for industry and government to both receive the benefits of innovation investment and development. One sustainable method is to build the supply chain and infrastructure to use focus on military and industry co-development (Think of this as a resource and economies of scale issue. I kind of thought Rapid Innovation Systems would speed up innovation 3 to 4X its current pace under the right environment. I could be wrong but its an idea.)

Clarity of Problems and Solutions Through Perspective and Systems Thinking (Shades of Grey Poem)

Education and knowledge are important to one's life and I think the more we can give that to people the better civic and business leaders we will create. In every business and system problem there is a solution. Often insight comes from understanding the many different parts and perspectives that lead to lasting long term solutions. 

It is as much a perspective of issues as it is deep knowledge (i.e. focused data digging and wider data application. I came across this study on how to improve problem solving and insight.). When we have the data and we have the broader issues in mind we can then start to brainstorm the many different solutions that would fit both. 

Systems Thinking for Principals of Learning

I put together a quick and unvetted poem for you (Yes, I'm an amateur poet so don't laugh.) 

The Shades of Grey

The morning light,

Not so bright.

The darkness of the night,

still some sight.

Shades of grey,

One could say.

Mackinac Bridge Photo and History

 I was driving across the Mackinac Bridge a few weeks ago. I took a nice photo from near the fort. You can read the history in Mackinac Bridge Authority.

Mackinac Bridge Photo Gallery

The U.S. is Growing and China is Slowing (How Long will it Last?)

It looks as though the US economy is poised to grow and the Chinese economy may be facing some problems. There has also been a shift by countries to work more with the U.S. and allies. Upward trajectory in the U.S. and slower growth in the other might be a major reversal of trajectory. What we can say is that the U.S. seems to be picking up speed with manufacturing investments and new infrastructure development while China could possible have experienced some problems with over capitalization.

(I think China used a more Communist approach of top down management which pushed growth but may not work well in to the next era. This is interesting to see if U.S. innovative push will further encourage longer term upward US growth that could outstrip China's in a few years. I'm thinking about 23/24 as being a type of transition time. One might even wonder if we are entering into a new digital platform homeostasis. There is a prediction of a recession this year so we will have to see if that plays out. Likewise China is expected to rise next quarter. However, numbers haven't been following traditional patterns as they should. It means there is likely an extraneous confounding variable our analysts haven't found. I would think perhaps more or less lots of digital transactions that are not being covered well under traditional metrics making the variability range much higher than normal. I could be 100% wrong about it, that is ok.)

Gross Domestic Product (Third Estimate), Corporate Profits (Revised Estimate), and GDP by Industry, First Quarter 2023

A couple of key points.....(quoted)...

-Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 2.0 percent in the first quarter of 2023 (table 1), according to the "third" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the fourth quarter, real GDP increased 2.6 percent. (If you are wondering what Real GDP it includes GDP accounts for inflation and deflation. See Real GDP Formula)

-The increase in real GDP in the first quarter reflected increases in consumer spending, exports, state and local government spending, federal government spending, and nonresidential fixed investment that were partly offset by decreases in private inventory investment and residential fixed investment. Imports increased (table 2).

Fox News has some interesting information GDP increased in Q1 2023, but experts forecast recession

You can Federal Chair Jerome Powell's discussion June 14th, 2023 Federal Reserve Transcript.