Long Term 45 year Study of Gifted Kids to Adults: Different Worlds and Lives

In our nation, we struggle with how to understand and manage gifted kids and adults to maximize their benefits to society. Early help and intervention are important to maximize their potential. There are substantial differences in their existence and their capacities that we ignore in ways that stifle their potential contributions to national development.

Different Quantitative and Qualitative Lives

The gifted have the gifted curse when they are in the wrong environment. Typically they have to stifle their natural abilities to fit in with the herd. The right environment can make a big difference in drawing out these talents. Advanced abilities that range from the physical to the intellectual lead to challenges in conformity environments designed to tear down performers.

A Few Examples?

Let us say that you can take in 1.5 x the amount of information from your environment, understand things faster, and can make more accurate connections when compared to others. You would see a different world that another might not understand. The richness of one can't be obtained by the other no matter how much they tried. 

It is the difference between understanding what a leaf looks like on a basic level versus understanding the leaf, its texture, smell, colors, trees, type of trees, root system, contour of different trees, the amount of sun needed, the right amount of water, how different leaves move in the wind, its environmental impact, leaf composting, and stats on declining forests. 

Would a person with rudimentary understanding and a 'better than you" chip on their shoulder be able to communicate effectively with a highly empathetic person who has a much much deeper understanding of the topic and life? The conversation is likely to be frustrating for both. 

The same could be said for moral sentiments. If one's morality is based on self-interest from their unexamined background and the other has layers of morality mixed with logic and self-reflection the conversation will keep circling back to confirming the distorted logic of the former. You can hear their self-interest in their language and their logic. 

Why Should the Nation Care?

Wasted resources are wasted resources. Gifted kids produce things, create things, lead things, and do amazing physical feats later in life that many others can't do. See Gardner's 7 Intelligences. Without the right environment, the vast majority will conform to the average and may only sporadically perform.

What is a Solution?

As with any problem, we must start with the right leadership that seeks to develop their nation and its resources. The lack of gifted support leads to serious loss including science, arts, and outcomes. Until we understand the purpose of education, we are likely to keep losing our gifted because the non-gifted make short-sighted decisions of self-interest.

A study has been following 'gifted' kids for 45 years. Here's what we've learned.

The National Retail Federation: Retail sales will increase between 2.5% and 3.5% in 2024

The National Retail Federation (NRF) forecasts that retail sales will increase in 2024 between 2.5% and 3.5%. That is between $5.23 trillion and $5.28 trillion. It indicates that the market is still resilient and there is continued support to the economy from the retail industry and consumer spending. Theoretically, the U.S. economy is doing well and some projections of recession have not taken hold. We are still in a growth mold. Moderate can be a good thing for stabilization and balance.

More about retail...

Retail is the heartbeat of communities.

Retail is the heartbeat of communities.
Invest in Escanaba. Spaces for retail downtown
Escanaba Coffee photo in Wooded Pathway

Retail are those items we buy at the store and purchase online. The more people buy, the higher the economy. Downtowns and communities often live or die off of their retail quality. Retail is based on consumer demand. Where we purchase our products and who produces them counts.

There is a benefit in selling to consumers to generate taxes and wealth but it is also equally important for U.S. companies to start developing their retail production. Advanced manufacturing and innovation can make American products more appealing. The more we sell of our own, the more we receive the full benefits. 

You may be interested in understanding what the National Retail Federation does. They often seek to understand the market and the changes for their members and the industry in general. 

About NRF

"The National Retail Federation passionately advocates for the people, brands, policies, and ideas that help retail succeed. From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., NRF empowers the industry that powers the economy. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, contributing $5.3 trillion to annual GDP and supporting more than one in four U.S. jobs — 55 million working Americans. For over a century, NRF has been a voice for every retailer and every retail job, educating, inspiring, and communicating the powerful impact retail has on local communities and global economies. nrf.com "(NRA, 2024 Para 12).

Source: NRF

Delta County Commissioner's Meeting (3/19/24): Politics and Trash!

This was an interesting meeting so you will want to watch and make your own conclusions. Topics covered ranged from poor behavior all the way over to trash. Trash was the most productive conversation offered. Sometimes trash talk can be helpful. A few notable concerns of how national politics is limiting the community's potential. This is where trash talk is not helpful. 

Trash is Good News! Best Landfill in the State!

It was mentioned that the county wanted to make the best landfill in the state. It appears the country has some interesting things going on in terms of improving waste management. Nothing smelly about new things. We should always be open to new ideas and opportunities.

For those of us who care about our environment we know that its important to develop efficient landfills. Fiber Recovery Landfill.  It would be nice if someday we can develop the ability to recover all trash and repurpose it. That is a science question while protecting our environment is a moral-social discussion. 

National Politics: 

People are drawing the toxic nature of national political trash into our community and we don't need that here or anywhere else in the nation. Its important for people to stand for critical thinking and reject that which is not going to bring us much good. 

It is ok to understand the political, social, and economic environment and how our town fits within those environments but it can create challenges if people become promoters of unexamined beliefs, values, and policies (party neutral comment). Its not a judgement on those policies but a comment on how many of us don't really think about those policies and let others decide their value for us. 

It doesn't matter one's background, or even their political leanings, as we know the national hyper-political distortion is starting to impact our communities. Avoid getting wrapped into the issues and problems from outside the area. Stay focused on your community and its needs. Politics should used to improve our lives. There are those out there using it to create artificial dividing lines.

👎🙅 on political trash!

There is a quote by Plato I thought was interesting, “One of the penalties of refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” 

We don't need people who hype up politics to heighten extreme beliefs, but we do need wise people to find solutions the community will support. Effective politics is based on knowledgeable people with the highest prosocial values. Politics is the art of influence and should be used only once a good idea has been vetted, examined and studied least someone does more harm than good.

Removing trash politics from our community is likely as important as removing the trash from the environment. Let us not waste our opportunities: pun intended. 🙊💨

Overcoming Military Recruitment: National Leadership and Business Support

The military has been a warrior's outlet since the beginning of society when man first learned about agriculture and in turn how to govern such resources (The Development of Agriculture). It serves an important function and provides a sense of honor and a noble pathway for development. Recruitment woes are apparent but I believe that Leadership and Business Community can help strengthen our military. This help comes in the form of changing their perceptions so as to ensure the military functions at its highest state and fosters broad cross-generational support.

Let me say that I am a biased person and respect the military and its offerings. For those of us not born with a silver spoon in our mouth, part of the gilded rich, or who don't have the social connections to obtain the best opportunities.....the military is one path for them. I have learned that life is often less than fair to many so when you have opportunities just go and grab them! 

If a motivated person maximizes what the military can teach them in terms of skill, leadership, and commitment they are likely to go far in life.

Let us first look at the problem... 

New Poll Spells Trouble for US Military Recruitment Woes

1. Low Trust in Institutions

2. Different Lives and Alternative Employment.

3. Strong Economy

4. Didn't think of the military as a career path.

5. Increasing use of digital media and changing methods.

Leadership Perception: Leadership is important for improving institutional trust. Hyper politics over the past decade or so has tainted how younger generations might see some of these institutions. It isn't the institutions themselves as they still maintain their important and necessary purpose to society. The issue may be more of how they view national leadership and the decisions they make over these institutions.

The military was designed at its root to defend our liberties. Most of the major decisions are made outside the military in the legislative or executive arenas (Its not party or role specific but a general leadership conception.) That purpose has been in the past extended beyond its initial purposes. It is possible, no matter how remote it seems as an explanation, that the issue of military recruitment challenges comes from the perception of politics and lack of reflective dialogue at the top; not the military itself (collectively).

(Of course, every institution can get better and more adaptive but that may not be the central to recruitment issues.) 

Of course, we can't say if  that the issues are more of leadership perception or not but we cannot definitively rule it out as a conceptually blended influencing factor. Because other institutions seem to be having the same problem of trust, which has been on a general declining trend, it is something that we might want to explore for solution generation (i.e. the purpose of politics as a free speech solution generator. Politics is not about getting what you want or pressing blind buttons. It is about making strategic decisions in the best interest of the nation.).

You may want to read Leadership Branding and Leadership and Commitment

Awareness of Opportunity: Businesses can further support the military by hiring vets and encouraging young to join a noble service. The soft and hard skills learned in the military should be highly sought after in the business world. There is nothing common about most of our vets and the skills they learned. They have unique skills. 

The business community and the military are also very connected to each other for long term success. The military is reliant on the economy and the economy is reliant on security. If one or the other is too weak or disjointed it will reduce their capacities. Knowledge flows between the two so therein lies opportunities to learn from each other. 

For some time I have talked about the value of human capital in the modern world. Likewise, I look at clusters and how they can impact economic development in industries; military, or civilian arenas. Economic Development and Military Effectiveness

Theoretical dribble, dribble, and feel free to formulate your own opinion. World Happiness Report 2024

If you're one of those people who want to serve their nation and do some interesting stuff in your life consider Calling a Recruiter. If you are more scientific in orientation try Science and Military They need good people who want to further our national interests. 

Economy is Stronger Than Expected: Rate Cuts and Reasons

Dr. Powell is discussing the neutral interest rate. The big debates are why the economy is still growing and whether there will be a rate cut? You can read about the 'Neutral Rate'. The first question will take scientific research while the second we only need to wait a short time until a decision is made. The economic data is mixed so keep that in mind as to why these can be complex.

From my perspective, I wonder if the economy will continue to stay on a homeostasis level thereby indicating we bumped up onto a digital platform. Such changes would make older economic theories less tight in their explanations because some of the root assumptions may have changed. This is just dry theory so zzzz for most people. 

Labor Market Forecasting Methods

Labor forecasting is important to help ensure companies have the right talent at the right time and place. In the past, people were seen simply as a head count to fill cogs in a production system. In today's world, talent needs may be complex and come with various skills and abilities. Having a method of understanding and procuring those human capital assets is beneficial.

I generally look at the mid to long-term market, current needs, internal resource supply, and the strategy of an organization to determine how to hire in preparation of likely change. In any strategic plan, there should be some planning on the type of skills employers need to fill current and future positions.  

Putting Forecasting in Focus

This is an actual study on demand forecasting. 

A Human Resource Demand Forecasting Method Based on Improved BP Algorithm

If you have a little free time you can consider reading this article by U.S. Bank on the current labor market. The effect of the job market on the economy

The Digital Economy Begins to Find a Homeostasis In the U.S.

It appears from a few economists and news outlets that the economy is moving into a homeostasis. Read this article and think about the mixed data but also the trends of normalization. Finding a new normal in economic development means we can better manage that economy. Adding new benchmarks and increased big data metrics also leads to stronger economic development through understanding and fine tuning long tail choices that can lead to higher stable economic performance (Geopolitical issues fall into a different basket and predictive method.) 

11 charts that show how covid changed the U.S. economy 

The articles below discuss change in the economy as changing of patterns as seen from the many micro transactions and choices that make up an economy and a people. When market disruptions occur at a time there are digital growth and other changes there is an adaptation that occurs. 

Economy Evolutionary Change Post Covid

If those adaptations, as based in internal and external pressures, can be modeled we might have found the beginning of the homeostasis of a higher socio and economic platform.

GDP Contracts 1st Q of 2020-Is It a Short Lived Shock and Digital GDP Recovery?

*This is just theory development. When a model can predict economic activities, even imperfectly, it is sometimes worth more then those that can discuss only in hindsight. Only time and additional research can determine causality of X and Y. However, one might say strategically it would make sense these adaptations would occur based on the conditions in which they occurred.