Tuesday, August 8, 2023

Storms Hit East Coast 300K Without Power (Time for Upgraded Electrical System)

These storms seem to becoming more common and our electric grid is unprepared to handle its new electric load and the increased in environmental influence. A few things to think about, even if they are not that good. Come up with your own if you don't like .😀

1. Localize power production to feed bigger and smaller grid.

2. Update electric grid with build around so if one line goes down it reroutes through redundancy.

3. Utilize solar and better batteries to hold emergency power for homes, buildings, etc. 

Monday, August 7, 2023

China and Russian Ships Near Alaskan Water Space Temporarily (Innovation and Industry-Military Advancement Helpful)

1812
Maarten Platje, Dutch
Representing the need 
to always think ahead.
There is discussion on the patrol near Alaskan waters by Chinese and Russian ships that has some officials asking questions. It happened last year as well so this is not the first time and unlikely the last. It will be interesting to see what the information coming out in the next few weeks will indicate. Either way, the situation makes an argument for building more ships with faster and increasingly more mobile capabilities while maintaining substantial deterrent capacity for exercises related to coastal defense. 

You may read, 'U.S. Navy sends 4 destroyers to Alaska coast after 11 Chinese, Russian warships spotted in nearby waters' and 'US military responded to Chinese and Russian vessels near Alaska'

A few rantings below........

Faster more mobile ships might free up naval capacity for other needs and issues as well as shorten response time while more forceful vessels arrive. Perhaps improve general mobility overall (I'm not an expert in this so its just random thoughts innovation and manufacturing capacity.)There may be other industries that have interest in similar outcomes. i.e. research, diving, etc. Innovation can have multiple beneficiaries.

Building advanced era ships requires a level of serious engineering.  (U.S. has greater need now to innovate.)Through thinking about these issues and encouraging science and free brainstorming it is possible to come up with solutions that leads to higher levels functionality. We should always look over the horizon and reach for it. That is generally wise approach to any industry that must stay cutting edge and above the competition.

The point is, that innovation is a total system approach based not only on our military alone but also with industry, scientists, entrepreneurs and others. One of the reasons why someone would build a cluster is to put those elements into an environment that leads to 2 to 4X innovative outputs around key co-development objectives (For example, a new metal substance and new products for construction, military, space, etc. development. Another example might be new micro battery that can be used in military and new development also impacts root manufacturers and distributors that can sell to industry possibly at a profit i.e. net positive of military expenditures. Some revenue of products can be used to refund the research pool+ to keep funding future innovations.)

*Random brainstorming ideas. Feel free to discard. Business and industry can and do work together to create new things. That is likely going to be more true in the future as budgets and other issues come forward. What if you could fund development and increase the economy at the same time?

Sunday, August 6, 2023

Update on Hate 08/06/2023: Which Justice is More Important for Society (Clan or Essential)?

1737
Jean-Marc Nattier
Representing the 
deeper history and benefit
of justice to
society.

Hate has causes some interesting issues to rise and when given justification people begin to act on that hate as though it is expected through their social networks (I call it a clan because there appears to be a level of coordination among different people in various institutions and scenarios based around a shared identity). When such clan based systems rear their objectives to dominate the social, legal, and economic environments in tandem that is a concern especially when it is directed at individuals of different religions and races. It is important to stop at its root before it moves into the lower rungs of ethnic cleansing (Historians have researched these issues and found there were a number of precursors and general failures that occurred before such issues arose.). 

(Let us say that this is hypothetical and could never, ever, ever happen because if it did we would reject those concepts quickly and ensure that it stops. So these are just for learning opportunities alone. Don't speculate!)

Sometimes when people are affiliated they create ways in which they understand their environment and that may not always be accurate. Typically when toxic souls with possible mental health issues/aggression/manipulation are mixed with beta followers you create what is called flying monkeys where people act on a hate narrative (Little critical thinking but lots of acting). That narrative may have nothing to do with reality and is an outward projection of inner feelings that are spread among a group as extensions of this distortion

However, this can be the impact of such systems....

1. Economic Opportunities: Where poor decision making occurs we often find economic decline, restrictions against who can work where and what type of occupations are allowed for which classes of people. A little like the caste system we have seen in some nations. 

     a.) For example, restricting someone at a local college based not on their agreed upon abilities but simply by their religion, race, or social status in society. A way of saying those people are not allowed to work here or engage in these occupations. A type of racial/religious superiority woven into key decision makers of an organization. (In this situation the were allowed to do that even though it would be a major EEOC violation). 

    b.) We often see these behaviors occur in clans where top local positions are encouraged by clan members of a homogeneous and social background in a way that leads to unfair competition and general decline of functioning (i.e. lack of diversity and knowledge.).  As people become more restrictive in literature, television, radio, social networks, etc. they begin to decline in abilities weakening society (i.e. there is the idea side of things and also the genetic side of things. Inbreeding too closely, i.e. nobility in ancient Europe, leads to cognitive and physical decline. You can see a little of that in group behaviors.)

2.) Restrictions on Safety, Protection and the Laws: Laws are designed to create a level playing field and ensure that we can live protected against criminal behaviors. i.e. safety and economic development. When there is intermingling of law and hate ideologies it can have disastrous effects.

   a.) When laws are applied differently to different people it lowers institutional trust levels. Much of this depends on extent. Single incidents are dealt with as single incidents with an eye on improving the overall process to curb such future behaviors. If legal institutions are perverted by clan beliefs it is a deeper problem and may need a complete revamp of those areas impacted.

   b.) When laws become extension of clan enforcement rules and are applied in ways that are inconsistent with the writers/legislative body's intent. Normal laws don't always apply in those situations and then group disagreements rise through consistent disparities.

   c.) When clan and extremist leaning members are part of law enforcement you may find good officers leaving, policing gangs rise, and a general lack of justice across different areas and times (I'm a supporter of police 100% and want them to work in environments where they can fulfill their roles and be honored by the public. This is in their and the community's best interest. Its a hard sell when politics and clan based hate are present. Yet it is what it is and we pay for it so we want them to be the best they can be. We also want them to attract and retain the best people to fill their actual official roles to protect and serve all of us.)

  d.) Situations can rise where people become afraid to call for help because they are unsure of the quality, political, racial, religious association of the responding officer and their capacity to be fair and honest (This is why we have to be careful when extremism makes its way into public positions. )The same distortions of thinking in extremism are the same distortions of chronic bad choices. i.e. judging all things by one's own political or religious affiliation is not enlightenment. Its a self gratifying narrow lens that shows a lack of development. If all things seen as different and "evil" by extremist are lower, it provides justification for all types of internationally illegal behaviors. (We should never follow the lower values or the lower order thinker if we want to be a great people or nation.)

3.)  Social Considerations of Targeting, Rejection and Ostracizing: There are toxic souls out there that don't really care if they tell the truth or lie. They spread their distorted beliefs and values to anyone who is willing to listen. When they group is inbred in many ways, they loose a connection to logic and rational thinking. Where radicalism, racism and politics play in the same dark sandbox we bury our higher values.

   a.) The hate narrative forms through social circles that create greater risks/justification on minorities (In this case a family). To the glee of rumor starters, the more people buy into the narrative, the more validation they feel until anything is validated. While the essential data facts haven't change, the narrative puts an intentionally false spin on it. Character is still important in leadership positions. This is why its important for us as a people to really thing about why we are hiring into certain positions, their quality, and their willing to seek truth and higher "moral conscious". 

  b.) Misrepresenting the truth also creates victims of the elderly, children, and allows people to enrich off of those intentionally set rumors and hate narratives. The people who do this don't care about the elderly and sick people they have manipulated, the children they have harmed, or the damage they have caused (i.e. screaming out to children their father is a bitch, staring at them in public, showing aggression to them, and involving them in the hate narrative/sharing inappropriate dishonest information with them. Normally this is illegal but in clan based systems setting your boundaries to protect people leads to retaliation, potential violence, and further coordinated attempts to silence people and "teach lessons".) They used their hate narrative to enrich and so far that has been shown to be acceptable under the laws as applied locally (even if one were to check medical records and talk to others outside of the clan that may not agree that the rights of victims should be ignored in what appears to be good old boy clan protections that others in the community have talked about in a number of different public and private venues.)

  c.) People feel justified in being rude, judgy, condemning and spread more rumors with little to no clue that they were pawns and easy misled. Like high school children that never grew up, they relish in their destructiveness (I have learned that you smile and be polite because they are often trying to provoke conflict. Where corruption and extremism are involved that provocation could lead to justification for serious harm or even murder in worst case scenarios) If they actually understood what was happening they might be ashamed and upset with those who so easily misled them. There is physical age and mental age. You can read The Process of Self-Realization—From the Humanist Psychology Perspective, Understanding the Development of Self-Reflection, and States of Conscious Awareness-Internal and External

We should ask ourselves which justice is more important. Should clan justice or essential (deeper shared sense of justice) be most important to our future affairs? When we are unsure we might have situations like this.  In case your wondering. There are many forms of justice and in this case no matter the outcome I have learned about the nature of people, the deeper roots of hate and values, and feel the concept of justice should be preserved in society (It has nothing to do with punishment. I wish everyone the very best and hope we all learned and improved from the situation. We all need a little helping hand from time to time and situations push us to learn. Its like a helping hand.). Justice has already been served regardless of the level of wisdom of those who judge? (The moral side of the wisdom. I'm not taking a particular religious stance on it. Values from the philosophers of moral conscious can be applied often universally because they have an element of truth within them that span societies. From Greek to biblical to modern times we share very similar deeply root values as our ancestors. Essential justice is part of us as a species nudging us throughout history at different times and places to be better; as individuals and as a society. Sorry, went down a philosophical rabbit hole. 😬💨)

If you want to know my stance on things. I'm just more interested in understand things from a deeper level. Its a gifted curse I guess. Its kind of interesting story right? 😏

*These are fictious stories about how we should avoid extremism as a people and why its important to ensure integrity throughout our system. We can learn to support and rally around shared beliefs between two perspectives. If you step out far enough in your mental lens and use your systems thinking you can see how goals can be one in the same, it is only toxic personalities that restrict people from actually listening to each other. As the saying goes, "We have two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we can speak" Epictetus'"

Saturday, August 5, 2023

Employment Rose 187,000 July, 2023

Keeping up with the news and the economy is important for understanding the general market. Economists are saying we may not have a recession at all. We may avoid it completely. The following is the lates and greatest employment section and where the positions came from.

The general description: "Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 187,000 in July, and the unemployment rate changed little at 3.5 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in health care, social assistance, financial activities, and wholesale trade."

Friday, August 4, 2023

Delta County Board of Commissioners Meeting (8/1/2023): Church & State Discussion, Grants, Concerns, and Contracts

1697
Sir Godfrey Kneller
As a representation of a person
who argued both ways 
at different developmental stages
of their lives.

This was definitely another action packed show of interest and intrigue. There were discussions that ranged from approving controversial contracts all the way over to religious discussions and its influence on governance. Discussions on grants and other interesting issues also came up so you should watch this one yourself. My opinion is below, and that is pretty neutral. I just watch because Days of Our Lives got really boring but this is like 3D exciting! (Popcorn in hand!)

I actually like some aspects of the introductory speech on the different perspectives of the nature of religion in society. It is an opinion and if given an opportunity to be heard there may be others with different opinions on how the nation was formed that may want similar time (Just to show government doesn't advocate for any particular religion. DEI was rejected but we do not know if the concept of diversity itself has been rejected. I don't think so, but I cannot say for sure.). Our goal is to just listen and understand whether or not those beliefs resonate with us as individuals (No need to accept or reject right away or even at all. You are a free person who decides things for yourself.). However, I do feel I would like to get some alternative opinions before I can come to a conclusion. I think there could be more to say on the topic. 

My only real concern is the venue for deeply religious discussions because it seems to send a signal that local government will be religiously based (I think that was the essential point of the speech. In some things I understand and agree but I disagree with specificity versus generality. Government should be guided by general principles of "moral conscious" and not on specific rituals or verbal artifacts of practice.). I think instead of soaking up too much public time discussing different religious and varying historical perspectives we might be better off using our time focusing on specific government functions and resolving problems to help our community. I think they may consider a YouTube streamed interfaith discussion on the nature of religion, religious living artifacts and governance, etc.. Just my thought. 

Related articles you can find on our beloved Escanaba Daily Press (They got reporters on the ground. A few good articles when you search out the county meeting. Opinions on racism, recall delays, new contracts, etc. News that keeps you up to date! If you want to advertise locally this would be the paper you would do it in.)

Rantings on Government and Religion (Is There a Reason Why They are Separate?)

During our founding fathers/mothers time most things in life were seen as having religious connections in natural form. Religion was interwoven with our understanding of the world and it is deeply embedded in our perception of society (We still debate religion and state. See The Establishment Clause.) Religious dominance become so encompassing in some places that the Pilgrims fled the stifling nature of religion in England in the earliest years to be able to practice their own religion in a far off land. Our founding fathers and mothers did not feel comfortable or welcome in England. Some might say that they were persecuted and hoped to find peacefulness and fairness in this land (This is why I respect that tradition and swore oaths to the Constitution and it rights.). Overreaching religiousness into all aspect of governance can sometimes lead to problems as we have seen in history when there is an inappropriate crossover of responsibilities. ie. government's job is not to teach specific religious adherence but can promote general societal values.

The pilgrims fled persecution and we have learned from them and incorporated those hard won lessons into our Constitution through protections for freedom of religion and freedom of speech (This is why American is the land of freedom and opportunity!). The root of many of our modern traditions blended preChristian Greece, with Judao-Christian-Islamic (There is lots things to show the same root values are apparent and woven into our history. Free and Slave alike.) as well as some of the blending of Native Americans organic beliefs (i.e. we beat the British by learning from the Native Americans.), and adopted their best to create modern American society. We can trace that democratic line all they way back to the philosophers of ancient Greece who could separate state from religion in order to advance the needs of society. We base our governance philosophy on that division of power concept because it ties the most people together into a single vision of America (i.e. not American and "American, or First and Second class Americans, White or Black, etc. where division exists it typically means toxicity has entered the political arena.). Faith of our Forefathers

I'm a believer in universalism as a light R. All healthy-positive religions are acceptable to practice and people should have religious freedom to worship as they please. They also have the right to engage fully in government, civic, military and other affairs without being forced to accept another person's religion as dominant and/or superior and/or more truthful (In history some have misused religion to harm others. i.e. fights between Catholics and Protestants, fights between Sunni and Shia, etc. It is a human problem perverted by narrow religious perception/lens that damages the togetherness and humility that religion was trying to teach us. As far as I have read from the history books, Jesus was darker skinned and he advocated for love, kindness and the soft nature that often comes with highly intelligent, gifted, spiritually endowed individuals. Thus we should accept diversity for some of the best of us were not all the same shade. If you want to take a more spiritual view, all life is goal directed.) 

I believe in a free nation where every man and woman can practice any religion as it was intended. That is my conservative side, smaller government, and all the other stuff seems to make sense but is strategic not religious. To some I'm a Rino for not being Far enough right and perhaps to some others on the left side I'm a Dino for not being liberal enough! I say that my beliefs are my beliefs. Feel free to toss them out and adopt your own. My only suggestion is to encourage togetherness and respect those people and leaders who seek to tie us together into shared goals and are humble about their religious beliefs as a truer sign of deeper faith. If we really knew our significance and insignificance in this world we would have no option but to be humbled by our awareness.

A Lesson Learned: Religion at its root can teach us so many good things about people and the nature of life and the universe. It should be humble and encouraging and guide many of thoughts and actions toward prosocial outcomes that lead to better societies. It should never be forced, but only be like a worm to be dangle and lured in ever so slight manner. If the fish notice and nibble, then they are on the path to salvation (Depending on your religious beliefs). They call it a term like path, hearing the call, enlightenment, and inspiration versus forced march, genocide, cleansing and other such words. 

John Locke pushed a very tolerate view of religion in society "I may grow rich by an Art that I take not delight in; I may be cured of some Disease by Remedies that I have not Faith in; but I cannot be saved by a Religion that I distrust, and by a Worship that I abhor."   John Locke, 1689 A Letter Concerning Toleration, p.31.

Benefits of Employee Multifunctional Cross-Training: A few tips

The Clock Maker
1899
Jefferson David Chalfant
Representing the need
to update skills to 
changing technologies.
Employee Multifunctionality allows for increasing adaptable workplaces. The world has a growing need for updated skills and training will be a big part of developing such workers to meet emerging needs. The digital era and the technologies inherent such as AI and manufacturing advancements will put pressure on workers to increase their capacities. Cross training can help meet some of those gaps through knowledge and skill breadth.

Cross training fits well with many fields and can increase the abilities and skills of employees to meet emerging demands.  This article discusses 14% of the global workforce may need to update their skills by 2030 (In some ways it makes a case for online education.). The author discusses that industries that have a need for additional updating of knowledge due to artificial intelligence and technology. How cross-training could be the solution to the growing skills gaps in tech, health care, manufacturing and beyond.

What we often find is that that cross training is more then updating skills but sometimes gives the depth and breadth that employees crave as they grow, change, and adjust in their lives. A study found that cross training employees may lead to greater retention of high quality employees and save on recruitment, selection, and staffing issues (Keep in mind there are times to recruit in-house and times to recruit from the outside.) Benefits of Cross - Training : Scale Development and Validity

Cross training also leads to increases in skill as well as additional employee retention. One provides job depth and width in a way that leads to new opportunities. In such a way we can design employee training and progression paths that continue to move to greater depth and greater application of that depth to other areas (i.e. innovation and higher human capital). The employees skills not only are enhanced (depth) but also the context and application of those skills into multiple areas (cross knowledge fostering

A few tips on cross-training tips....

1.) Cross train using existing skills as a bridge to new skills. i.e. they know how to build a widget using a certain tool. Can they learn to use that or a similar tool in a different situation? 

2.) Think of longer term market changes. If we know what the market is going to need in terms of skills within 5 years we can start to infuse new skills demanded by the market as well as cross train those into other functions. 

3.) Cross training with higher level process knowledge can lead to awareness of ones position in relation to similar positions in the production chain. As employees learn related positions/skills they have a greater understanding of those positions that supports efficiency and adaptability. 

4. Understand motivations and abilities of employees and enhance their interest to encourage a path of development for growth leaning employees. Keep them engaged and motivated.

Wednesday, August 2, 2023

The State of the Economy (August 2nd, 2023): Credit Rating Down, Recession Unlikely, Manufacturing Looking Hopeful.

Ships Trading in the East 
1614
Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom
Representing increased
economic activity.
The US is in an interesting place within its economic reemergence as an advanced manufacturing nation. There have been some past positive news such as manufacturing return, low unemployment, etc. mixed with inflation issues and other problems. Certainly it would give economists some serious headaches trying to figure out what it all means. Are we growing or declining, moving to a new economic platform, has the world events and economy impacted the U.S.?, etc. are the type of questions will likely come forward (They may say those things academic language while using data but essentially they are just seeking to answer the bigger questions.) 

In this hunt for understanding I came across a well informed article from Bloomberg's US Manufacturers Are Showing Signs of Life After Slump. A bullet point of the main ideas are....

-Fitch adjusted US credit rating down.

-China encouraging local bond buying for infrastructure creation (It looks like China is trying to compete. The race for the digital era is on and if the US solves some of it political issues and makes strategic bi-partisan choices in a way that maximizes on our diverse human capital it will likely come out on top. The advantage the US has is based in untapped human potential while what China has is economic control that pinpoints resources. Generally, economic free acting agents do better than top managed systems. Creative destruction process. Yet that is only true when diversity is managed to clear goals and different thoughts and ideas lead to new options. i.e. cognitive diversity.)

-Manufacturing index declines but sub indexes like orders are showing improvement meaning pace is picking up. They used Caterpillar as an example of industrial equipment at the root of development.

-Bank of American removed its recession forecast and there is indication the economy will continue to expand (See projections). 

-Spending and income are at mismatch which could be an indication of increased personal debt.

-Bond market is up.