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"If": A Lesson of What is a Man Through Poetry

We often think manhood as something of physical ability alone and doesn't take into account the inner sense of integrity. Whether one is a good boxer, martial artist, fighter, fencer, sports player or warrior strength is not in their muscle but in their moral duties. Its the stuff on the inside that counts. When you have integrity, you will be a man. A good lesson for all males who are wondering what truly separates the wheat from the chaff in manhood. Philosophy comes from life experience. Poetry can teach us something.
Recent posts

DC Board of Commissioners Meeting 9/19/2023: Stalkers, Talkers and Baulkers! (Good Governance is a Requirement)

Rarely do you get a chance to see democracy in action where a community has come forward in such a way as to encourage stronger governance through people working together and solving problems. While it seems chaotic, and democracy sometimes is, we do have a commitment to our community and to our people. Civic dialogue is part of the process of allowing people to bring forward their concerns, issues, praise, and collective efforts to improve on the good work that others have done. A Civil Society Declaration of Democratic Principles! Supporting Vets: The good news in this meeting is a great commitment to our veterans. We have had issues in the past of not supporting our veterans and funding issues. Our veterans are important and some people have been intentionally neglecting and/or mistreating them. Its important because these people served us and we should serve them again. We Honor our Veterans! Civic Participation: Another good argument is that you have a lot of people very intereste

Michigan: Older Ladies and Younger Guys-Its not Tinder, Its the 2020 Census!

Michigan has a population of females with the age of 41.5 and men of an age 39.1. Michigan is seeking to court younger workers and attract them to their labor pool. In the U.P. our towns are often declining but the small towns here have greater benefit than what I have seen in other places ( Tinder dating is limited though. 🙅). I have heard that Escanaba is growing and attracting significant investment. Feel Free to explore the 2020 Census These 2020 census results break down people's race and ethnicity into details We also find that our national demographics are changing and with that will come changes in how we see and how we develop. Businesses will also change and I think small business will become more popular as a way to get ahead.  So, these demographics make me think about how to adjust our approaches to support greater participation in society as well as avenues of encouraging people to redevelop their downtowns through small business. Escanaba right now has lots of down

The Veil of Ignorance When Thinking About Justice in a Just Society

 What is the concept of justice and a just society? I suppose it is different for different people and you are going to get perspectives across the board. Some would say justice is that which benefits themselves the most and some would say that justice is that which seeks to benefit society. Because of that difference in perspective some will use justice for themselves and some will use justice for others.  However, that isn't the truest of the story. There are differences between justice and justice systems. One is the pure philosophical form and the other is the pale carbon copy with much of the self interest embedded within. The legal form will always be behind the pure form as an ideal. Society in the general sense wants justice and creates institutions to be the providers of such justice. However, when some/many within those systems are working for self interest, or perhaps those who have access to influence the system think of justice in their self interest we have misalignme

Government Shutdowns and Risks of Not Finding a Shared Budget Path

Typically it is much better to get things done then to risk unknowns such as shutdowns. While the projections are that a shutdown would not be overly destructive I think its a gamble. While unknowns can sometimes bring good things they also present a risk. Few know for sure what will actually happen. The wisest way is for people to truly understand the need to reduce the deficit and then taking those actions that are reasonable to find the balance. Its about moving in the right direction and not necessarily screeching everything to a halt.  Because of a contentious political environment, a shut down presents bigger unknowns beyond temporarily closing a few offices and services. Choke the gas too much and you might be able to restart the system as easily as one would have thought.   Cost of Government Shutdown

General Mark Milley Retiring: He should stick around and share his knowledge.

There are few people out there that have particular character and the ability to navigate hard situations. The military is a great place to grow talent. It creates good people and gives people a greater purpose. I think he did a lot for the country and the institution and hopefully his knowledge and lessons won't be lost to the next generation of military-civilian leaders. We should learn from such skill sets and put that knowledge to good use. The military was always a great place to develop talent and ability. Its one of its finest attributes and has a great purpose in society. Personally, I think the military is prime spot for growth for our young who are motivated and want pathways to success. It provides opportunities that would not have been there otherwise. Most of the military people I have met in my life were good and noble characters.  If your interested in joining I'm sure there is room for interested young men and women.  

Groups that Encourage Hate Among Other Groups (Language and Content Analysis)

Language can mean a lot and it can impact and influence group behavior. Whether we are discussing large groups or small groups they are going to have certain roles, norms and beliefs  ( Not to mention behavioral markers ) Core groups will have deeply held values and they will encourage other to adapt those values. It makes no difference if your talking about good values or you are talking about poor values. When it comes to hate and those in official positions it creates problems.  Consider Content Analysis When we listen to the language of certain groups we come to find specific themes and behaviors that go along with those language choices. Language sets expectations on how to view others through improper anchoring ( i.e. all Blacks are this way, all Muslims are this way, all Jews are that way, all White people are that way, etc. ). As one analyzes, formally or informally, language use you can typically start to see how social association impacts the type of language and the expectat