Delta County Commissioner Meeting (May 7th, 2024): A Touch of Development

I like to watch local government because there is always something to learn. What I have learned is that while the meeting seems to be dominated by the happenings of the day there are many other things going on that are positive in terms of development. I believe these will make their way into discussion in the future but were touched on that indicated development in some of the conversation. Let us wait to see what will happen. 

The Psychology of Condescending Behavior (Update on Hate)

 The world and its people are a smorgasbord of different personalities, needs and opinions. That is the flavor of life! In such a big social field you are going to come across people who have adapted poor behaviors toward others. You may even run into a few groups that encourage toxicity based on political, racial, and religious justifications. The hypothetical example I have been using is Catholic, Muslim, Jew to show anyone can be a perpetrator or victim. In a universal society it also includes any race that has drawn the disdain of others.

Let's provide a hypothetical example for learning purposes. Your not a perfect person but pretty friendly and involved in multiple groups and clubs. Generally your a contributor and accomplished most goals in various areas of life because your seen as highly competent both by objective outcomes but also by tests that indicate your highly gifted with a strong moral compass. Projecting rudeness isn't part of your framework.

Typically you don't have a problem in most places, times or clubs except in areas influenced by a hate group that has been accused by multiple people of deep bigotries and corruption. Your politeness allows you to see a pattern and create a statistical model that helps show which group members are causing the problem with persistent belittling and hate chatter. Your not alone in your values because there are 10s of millions who also have good values.

Because your a nice guy/gal you dissuade people from listening to this group and their narrative because you want them to thrive and not involve themselves based on their own immaturity and inability to insulate themselves from the toxic group. Stepping out of the herd is difficult for most people who have a small inner compass.

First, don't fret the mistake is the person/people who engage in these behaviors but also the culture and the lack of checks n balances that gives them immunity to persist. Second, you have a greater responsibility to ensure all people can engage in society freely. Maybe you have sworn oaths to improve society to many other groups and organizations during your life. Third, because you want to be the best person you can continue to be polite, question if necessary but also encourage them not to step into the potholes of destructiveess that damages social cohesion.  In other words, be better than your persecutors.

Things do change and sometimes they create opportunities for positive outcomes. While you may not be able to change the underlying psychological distortions that come from insecurities, envy, jealousies and "better than you" bias you can do your part for the next highly diverse generation who have more of a right to open opportunities versus the false rights of those who restrict those freedoms. 

Continue to let them define their inner values and you do the same.  Appreciate the lessons they gave you as gifts so you can teach others how these things work on an actualized level. Take some heart that when you swear an oath you keep it and stand for our American values no matter the outcomes or failures of others.

Three Articles on the Science of Incivility:

A pretty good deep article and study on the science of incivility and how it damages workplace cohesion. Science of Incivility

An interesting article on condescending behaviors and how it damages organizations. Some stats on how it impacts co-workers and impacts the total environment. Disrespectful employees?

People's moral compass can often be defined by how they use language. Showing appreciation in a certain percentage of language indicates your moral compass. So does being condescending and spewing rude comments. True to Moral Colors

*This is a hypothetical example for learning purposes only. Take with a grain of salt.

The Hypothetical Feather Party: Thinking About Objective Institutional Reform for the Next Generation

We all know that politics can be toxic and often things don't get done. There are risks when solving problems is difficult, slow, or misaligned. Thus, there may be opportunities to improve our current political structure by encouraging a third party of objective neutral voters. We may further discuss how proceeding generations define the cultures and processes of such systems. Stickiness in political decision making creates risks and may not fully meet the needs of the next generation.  Thus, providing an avenue for the youth to express their hopes for improvement filtered through a lens of science and an objective critical thinking can help tie them to contribute to national develop in a way that is uniquely theirs for their struggles. 

You can read The Biggest Risks-Decision Making

Institutional Alignment:

Institutions should always seek to stick closely to their mandated purposes and create the greatest alignment to social contracts. In order to ensure that happens there are times when reforms are necessary but the political will in an environment of two polar opposite parties may hinder that process. When there are consistent party line votes and oppositional perspectives little gets done and its the average American that suffers.

For example, the youth seem to be interested in improving the justice system to ensure its fair for everyone and doesn't make distinctions based on politics, religion or race or other protected status. In one hypothetical example, perpetrators were able to exploit racial and religious bigotries through corruption to financially reward themselves. Statistically and historically there have been other times when similar issues have arisen but solutions are not clear perpetuating the risks.

The youth may want the Feather Party to commission an objective study to look at all of the current research and incidents to ensure they can come up with a reasonable plan to improve the effectiveness of the system so that it catches bad guys/gals, recruits strong officers, improves cost and further protects basic human/civil rights. Political stagnation leaves the system unable to improve or adapt even though though solutions could create win-win outcomes for both political parties and all parties involved. The example Feather Party seeks to reverse the trend by bringing forward new perspectives based in critical thinking and logic. A Little Critical

Opportunities For Politicians to Vote Objectively:

The process of improvement, providing solutions based in science, and offering opportunities to vote for such improvements is important for the health of the entire nation and its stakeholders. Open communication is too important to be vetted by a few party loyal influencers.  A third perspective that allows politicians of either party to break party vote mandates in conjunction with principles of good management and have some hope in improving total national decision making outcomes. 

Two Articles on Democracy:

Are knowledgeable voters better voters?

What Can Improve Democracy?

Interesting Articles on Hypothetical Feather Party:

Will the Father Party Emerge?

Feather Party National Decision Making

Feather Party Critical Decision Making During Election

*The Hypothetical Feather Party is for learning purposes only and is designed as a thought experiment on how a third party aligned to core American principles, logic, science, critical thinking and the next generation could improve national decision making. This is for generating thought and helping people to sort of think deeper about the issues of the day. One must make their own decisions

The Benefits of Surfing for Vets and Others Suffering from PTSD and Trauma

Occasionally I grab my board or rent one and hit the waves! Ok I'm not actually that good but I'm getting better. Instead of hitting the radical waves I instead hit the smaller ones that won't drown me. But I'm out there and it still counts! Surfing and feeling the water and wind sparks alive all your bodily sensations (The worst being that little cold line that runs down my back from the zipper when I first jump in. I think that is why the suit was on sale!) To explore some of my hobbies I like to look up research on the topic and see what I find. In this case I found stuff on veterans, surfing, and therapy.

Ocean Beach pier
Was damaged in a storm a while back
They are going to rebuild it I guess.

Beyond the calories, cardio, muscle, and enjoyment of being outdoors in the ocean (Also now Great Lakes) there are substantial benefits of surfing for veterans with PTSD, depression, anxiety and trauma. If you can have fun while appreciating nature and getting healthy it is a win-win in my book and your routine should include it because it actively adds to your lifestyle. 

Let me say I have a lot of respect for veterans because they answered the call and made sacrifices others could not/did not. Because of that empathy I earned a rehabilitative type yoga certification, and unrelated fitness trainers license, to help vets suffering from physical injury and PTSD. I didn't use it as planned but I do try and help a little in my writings and scribblings  (I did put up virtual fitness training shingle but haven't put any energy into it. Maybe I should do some stuff for free for vets and actually use those licenses as intended. I'm going to think about it because you have to get wavers and insurance and stuff....)

I will say one thing that is on my no no uncool disrespectful list. Mocking vets with PTSD or taking advantage of them, or judging them for superficial reasons, tweaks my sense of moral conscious. I've seen it and I have seen people brag about it. What they don't fully understand is that these vets have to come up short on their explanations because they cannot fully describe to the somewhat insulated average Joe the complexity and profound horrors the world sometimes contain. The one's who disrespect our vets are often free riders who contribute little but take much of the benefits from society. 

My hometown of Escanaba Delta County MI has a great new veterans center and they respect their heroes. They even now fund veteran activities that they didn't a few years ago. Good news! Escanaba Veteran's Center. San Diego is also a veteran friendly place. Sorry, just making a plug for my two favorite places. It's an opportunity so I took it!

PTSD and Trauma Therapy Through Surfing 

The Navy Medical Center Surf Therapy program has generated some positive results for veterans suffering from PTSD. Reduced depression, reduced anxiety and improved positive affect.  Breaking the surface: Psychological outcomes among U.S. active duty service members following a surf therapy program

Likewise, according to research surfing also improve cardiovascular health, muscle tone and even helped with trauma. Surfing's Unique Benefits

You can still gain access to such benefits at....

San Diego has the Jimmy Miller Foundation providing Surf Therapy for veterans, abused kids, healthcare workers, and special needs. Jimmy Miller Foundation Surf Therapy

How Gossip Shapes Opinions? Research on Gossip and It's Impact (Update on Hate)

Some interesting research came out on gossip and how gossip is used to create social cooperation and punish bad actors. What is interesting about this model is that it uses a mathematical approach for social neuroscience. The gossip game theory works in creating social adherence and social rules except when it is found that the gossip was false and it reflects negatively on those who started and engaged in it. The sharing of information can be beneficial for society but when it is intentionally false it can create deep divisions. It is incumbent on people to be honest, have moral conscious, and use critical thinking when they hear juicy rumors about others. The Golden Rule!

Any Example of Gossip Misuse:

This is a hypothetical example for learning purposes only. An inner core group of individuals felt they could exploit racial and religious differences in order to enrich off of hate. The members of their clan, some willingly and some unwillingly, engaged in a smear campaign and used violence to target the minority family of Catholic-Muslim-Jews with mixed race children (any race or religion). The hate chatter went on for years and was used by some corrupted extremist leaning officials to block opportunities, promote violence/intimidation, restrict free movement, create false accusations, violate rights (freedom of religion and speech), and try and remove targets from public service. 

The targets knew there was corruption going on and stood firm on their American values. Even though their rights were completely violated they still had empathy over the other victims and future victims of this well worn method/tool. The counter strategy was positive, polite, engaging, and helpful.  People who came forward with similar complaints of corruption were quickly retaliated against and put on a secretive hit lists for further targeting by these officials. 

Then.....then it was discovered the hate group was lying! They made it all up because they hated minorities (of any race or religion), locked down some of the institutions, and could profit socially and financially off of the hate narratives. Classy!

The Study: 

You will want to read this study on the benefits and detractors of gossip. One conclusion I have drawn from this is that people with character don't share and repeat information unless they are sure it is helpful or true. Likewise, people who stand for their oaths, "...liberty and justice for all" don't always believe in those values. To them it is a ruse to make themselves look good through social adherence and perception. People who stand by their values through thick and thin, no matter the overwhelming dangers, are of a different breed. On Issues of Morality and Law

The study,

Gossip Social Cooperation and Bad Actors

A Few Questions:

When engaging in these thought experiments such a coordinated attempt at suppression, corruption and hate would naturally open up some interesting questions. There are others. Unfortunately this study only answers a small sliver of the wider theoretical problem. 

1. What checks n balances are in place to verify facts?

2. What are the consequences for spreading false information?

3. Should institutions allow corruption to persist if they fit an ethnocentric or political agenda?

4. Do victims of hate groups have rights?

5. What environmental factors contribute to coordinated hate aggression?

6. After years why does the hate chatter and microaggressions of people connected to this group persist despite debunking of the false information?

7. What happens if we don't fix and could this be a foreshadowing of a future to come?

8. How might this relate to historical issues such as Tulsa massacre or making lynching illegal in the past few years? Why is hate a political issue when it is part of our social contracts?

The answer to many of these questions is actually positive. Examples such as this help remind us of the importance of standing by certain central values as codified in our laws and further ensure we take the time to think about the information before we act on it. Where bad actors abound there are opportunities for change and that is the good news. If you lean the lessons of life then everything is an opportunity!

*This is a thought experiment for illustrative learning purposes only. It explores the concept of freedom of religion and speech. Take with a grain of salt. 

Fire Fighting: Increase in wild fires, fire line tactics and jobs (CA and MI)

Wildland forest fires can cause a lot of damage. We have seen this in CA and we have seen it in the past in MI. Because these are large natural forests they are important to our ecosystem and to our local economy. As the frequency of fires rise due to climate change (as one explanation) and other factors it is important to encourage people to be involved. The following provides info on some studies on the frequency of such fires, fire line tactics and a few jobs. I also put in there a donation pitch. 

Fire Frequency Research:

According to EPA the amount of fires seemed to be stable but the amount of land burned seems to have risen. EPA Fire Information 

However, the NOAA says that fires have doubled from 1984 until 2015 while a 2021 study indicated that fires are increasing because of climate change. NOAA Wild Climate Fire Connection

The Donation Pitch:

Firefighting is an important part of keeping society safe and I try and advocate for them when I can. Likewise, I like to learn because I do some side firefighting and look for grants for a local fire department to keep equipment updated. I'm not the worlds best firefighter but I try to help where I can. I have a few long term goals that I think could help my local community so if you have an corporate or personal dollars to donate send me a message to the right and I will point you to a great department for a tax deductible investment in the future.

Fire Line Tactics:

What is a Fire Line?-National Park Service

Build a Fire line Down Hill-National Wildlife Coordination Group (A number of articles on safety and firefighting topics. Very good stuff.)

An excellent guide book on tactics about wildlife fires Wildlife Fire Suppression Tactics

University of Montana Fire Suppression Tactics

Firefighter and Climate Control Jobs:

American Climate Corps  (I got this from a local congress person distribution email. It is good to know people are concerned about these things. If we keep our focus on solving problems the sky is the limit as a nation.)

California fire job Cal Fire Jobs

Firefighter jobs in Michigan MPFFU

Firefighter jobs in Michigan FF Search Results

How are CEOs Feeling About 2024 and How GenAI is Part of that Strategy? (Deloitte's Winter 2024 CEO Survey)

CEOs are feeling optimistic about the future, worried about geopolitical issues, and are using new technology to improve their business prospects. The survey is noticeably positive and that can be a good thing for future economic development and organizational growth. Optimistic CEOs do more stuff than pessimistic ones. You can read more about the survey and its results in Winter 2024 Fortune/Deloitte CEO Survey Insights. 

Being a CEO requires all types of skills that range from systems thinking all the way over to people skills. Strategic planning and making sense of data in an ever changing environment is part of that process. As one moves up the organizational ranks they also must get better at seeing the forest over the trees but still be able to understand what each of the leaves look like (metaphor)

Surveys such as this helps determine CEO sentiment and that can have an impact on the economy when choices are made. (Let me also add I have been thinking about creating a CEO survey for a long time but have been working on economic clusters because our the economy needs innovation to stay healthy. It wouldn't be hard but it does take lots of time consuming work to reach CEO's and not get caught in the gatekeeper's net.)

Highlights of the CEO Survey:

-80% are optimistic about their companies performance. 

-84% are involved in the development of a succession plan.

-65% are concerned about geopolitical issues. 

-76% believe the Federal Reserve will reduce interest rates by Q3

-45% Prioritizing measures to optimize costs to create organizational growth. Using GenAI and technology.

-57% Said they are going to embed technologies to find opportunities. 

-56% Said they have already leveraged GenAI to increase efficiencies.