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Showing posts from September, 2020

House Hearing on Drug Pricing-Drug Companies Testify

Drug companies testify.  More information about vaccines and drug prices HERE.  

Presidential Biden and Trump Debate 09/2020

 Presidential Debates are part of getting to know your presidential competitors in order to form opinion for voting purposes. What we might find is that the way in which we think of politics could benefit from change. Many Americans vote strictly party line and only agree with those opinions that are part of their party. A truer assessment of self-belief is when you understand the arguments on both sides and make a personal choice over the ideological aspects you agree with and which one's you disagree with.  Thus the debates are often about solidifying a base and trying to convert those people who are middle of the road thinkers. Without them we may not need debates in the same way because it is hard for people to think outside of their social networks. It is our responsibility as citizens to think about what we believe and why we believe it outside of social adherence  There are two videos here. The first is the highlights and the second is the full debate. You can formulate your

Governor Whitmer Discusses Increased COVID cases in the U.P.-At What Spot do We have Economy-Infection Equilibrium?

 I'm watching Governor Whitmer discuss increased disease rates in Houghton Michigan and how that might impact the use of putting in place restrictions again. There is a large political debate at what point economic activity is a necessity and at what point slowing the spread of the virus is necessary. I wonder if there are scientist calculating the spot where speed of infection meets the economic openess activity level of businesses.  I think big data will likely start to answer some of these questions. I don't know if there are scientists studying this cross section and the reward/risk balances in the speed of infection and recovery. We do know there is a lot of data being collected and when we have the time to analyze in real time we may find large macro view of how people and information move around society. We may find bigger patterns in the data unrelated to the disease and more telling of movement within and across societies.

Little Town of La Grange Kentucky-Could Delta County Do Something Similar?

  Just Northeast of Louisville KY is a little town of La Grange. Not far from Louisville Ky for those who want to get out of the big city for the day. We were there to dive at a local quarry but others were there to relax and unwind from life.  As you make your way through the small downtown you will notice the abundant beauty of La Grange. Farmers, markets, cute store fronts, and a nice quiet family place that looks nearly untouched by modern times.  Storefronts with big windows, the smell of homemade coffee permeating in the air, and the chatter of families that are enjoying their Saturday afternoon are likely to attract your attention. You can't but help to peer inside some of the stores and check out what treasures are located inside. I suspect a person could spend the entire morning exploring the tranquil sites. Not sure if this is like this all the time and asked a local farmer stand if this was a "hot spot" tourist destination. He said with a smile that most come o

Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic Discusses Inflation and Policies

 The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta's President Raphael Bostic discusses the economy ranging from economic justice to U.S.-China relationships. Main topics include: 1. Keep inflation moderately above 2% for some time. 2. Metrics on racial equality. 3. Developing strategies for micro investing in underdeveloped communities. I would agree that the crisis has highlights for us in a vivid way the disparities that still exist in our society. 

Kayleigh McEnany White House Briefing 9/24/20

 Keeping up on the news....

Breonna Taylor Protest Highlights Need for More Love and Less Hate

 Last night was heated to say the least. It may be the last night of violence but that is very unlikely considering the heightened emotions. We are moving into a new phase in this national discussion. When people fire back it creates a whole new risk level for everyone involved as safety measures are put in place. Police will get more edgy and protesters are likely adjust to the change of mood. There must be safe ground police and protesters see eye-to-eye. We need a functioning police mechanism that is capable of protecting the public while at the same time have the highest moral/ethical values. Discussions often start with what you can agree with and once that happens we can then move onto other discussions on controversial issues.  For example, a main point might be short statement, " We will likely still have policing of some type in the foreseeable future ." and " We want our police to engage in universal justice where race, religion, and other discriminatory forms

Bergman's Veteran Suicide Prevention Initiative Heads to President's Desk

 Our veterans served to support our most basic fundamental way of life and beliefs about freedom and economy. They are put on the front line and engage in actions that most of us couldn't possible understand. While these sacrifices may sometimes be necessary we do have a responsibility to help them when they get back home. Our freedoms do require a level of care and concern over those who help us keep them.  This was taken from the press release below...... Washington  - Today, the House unanimously passed S.785, a critical Veterans mental health package featuring Representative Jack Bergman’s bipartisan IMPROVE Act. This provision authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to take a new, effective approach in fighting the Veterans suicide crisis by making grants to - and coordinating with - community organizations that provide lifesaving services to local Veterans. Over the course of the 116 th  Congress, Rep. Bergman has garnered wide support from his colleagues, Veterans, and

President Trump Press Release September 23rd, 2020

 A briefing on current events from the White House. 

Live Stream Downtown Protests Breonna Taylor September 23rd 2020

The SUN  is providing a live stream of the main section of the protests. It looks like a good place to watch from our homes. Right now it appears to be relatively quit and hopefully it stays peaceful (fingers crossed). We have to get through this as a nation....we can learn a lot by getting people together. Since a few hours it has gotten louder and more people are coming out.    

Queen City Shipwreck- Hunt-Trying to Take Better Notes

When looking for shipwrecks, or any other types of research, we must do our research. Sometimes that information can come from historical documents and historical societies while other times you may need to contact other entities that may have the initial documents (i.e. ports and companies).  One thing I learned on our first shipwreck search dive is to document experiences better and continually look for deeper sources of information.  Shipwreck hunting and discovery is an important part of science but often lacks fully developed methods because it relies heavily on intuition (Harpster, 2013). I guess that is part of my responsibility. While I'm not a great diver I do have skills in formalizing some of these process. Since this exploration is partially fun I'm not going "overkill" the work with detail but hope to semi-formalize some of the processes and start keeping a little documentation.  That reminds me that I should get a separate notebook for just logs. Yikes!

Coronovirus Task Force Live (September 23rd 2020) New Research Leads to New Lines of Development?

 Watch live the Coronovirus Task Force. One thing that could come out of discovering a vaccine for the COVID virus is that we would have developed a method of researching how to minimize impact on other viruses. Would something similar also impact the Flu or other viral diseases. If new discoveries come out of this we may have additional lines of medical development. That is how discoveries work. If they are significant they can change and create new lines of development. What is most impressive is the amount of effort going into finding a discovery. Likewise, as Dr. Fauci says that we don't know everything about this virus and its long term impact. A lot more follow up research will be needed even after the immediate crisis subsides. 

Louisville In Lock Down Before Breonna Taylor Decision

 Hopes and prayers that things will stay peaceful and we can start the dialogue needed move past the pain and into something more constructive. When we share our experiences and we listen to each side we can slowly start making the changes and adjustments that are needed to push our country to adapt and become stronger. We are on a path of becoming and that path can be sped by working together to move forward together. No other side but "our" side counts in this conflict. As a nation "we" will succeed and fall together. If we can grow and change through these events we will improve our national capacity and if we fail to grow and change we will "all" be weaker.

Congressman Bergman Announces Major Win for Cherry Growers with Coronavirus Farm Aid

 Agriculture is central to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and the country in general, and will be part of our future transformation. With new technologies we are going to bring back manufacturing soon if we focus on adapting and learning from COVID and emerging technologies. Part of that national "come back" strategy will be agriculture. The world's population isn't getting smaller so if we are wise we will try to set ourselves up as the investment, advanced manufacturing and agriculture capital in the world. We have the way but as a nation we may not have the will.  Consider that new emerging technologies and big data are going to change the technology we use. We are going to get better at using technology to improve farm production and growth on a micro and macro level. We are also likely to start moving away from heavy pesticides and other damaging practices as our technology improves (i.e. keeping bugs away). We are in a process of transition now and if we conti

Continuing to Push for Justice Through Everest-A polite nudge for accountability

Justice is a system that is designed to hold accountable wrong behavior to ensure peace in society. There has been a lot of criticism of the Justice System lately and some of it is warranted while others of it is very subjective in nature. For over a year and a half I have been thinking about climbing Mount Everest for justice. This isn't against the Justice System but as an avenue of opening a wider discussion on how we may improve the Justice System to ensure greater accountability of "bad apples" and solidifying a concept called "universal justice".  I have been a recipient of coordinated bigotry, bullying and what appears to be the covering of another crime(s). There are multiple incidents where I had to hold the line against a group of people tied together through a history of "rule the school" mentality years after school ended. Each person will likely have their own perspective and it would make the situation very confusing for law enforcement o

How to Price a Product Through Comparison-An Example of Buying a Horse

 Buying a horse is no joke and it takes some time to figure out what to look for and how to price compare. Price comparison allows you to take a more systematic approach. While you may trust the person selling the horse to you it is always good to know and understand price comparison. While Escanaba Polo Mallet Company is a good works business that sells mallets and hopefully equestrian gear it also seeks to raise awareness on how to run a manage a micro manufacturing business. Price comparison will be a big deal and difference in better understanding what you are willing to pay and what you are not willing to pay when selling a horse.  Price is somewhat subjective and is influenced by the market (i.e. the need for a price comparison) and your personal preferences. So to understand how much you should pay you will need to sort of think of what you are looking for.  Target Market Average Having one large pool does little unless you want a very loose and inaccurate prediction of price a

President Trump Signs Second Peace Deal-Peace is a Process!

President trump signed the second peace deal in an effort to reduce conflict and improve trade. I'm reading the Peace to Prosperity and trying to digest the specifics of the plan and its long-term feasibility. There appears to be a political and economic components to the approach that seeks to create improved normalization of relationships through regional engagement and local development. I wanted to better understand the plan and its ramifications on economic and geopolitical concerns so here is what I found.... On the economic side the plan seeks to open ".. .the West Bank and Gaza to regional and global markets. " The overall strategy appears to be that if we improve the economic market of the Palestinians we can create a more viable state with positive economic engagement. As a process it will require some basic level of agreement and then both sides moving toward market reforms that impact Gaza's capacity provide for its people.  I can say that one of the thin

Conference: Promoting Global Competitiveness, Innovation, and Sustainability

 This blog has a lot to do with academic life and seeks to support positive change and critical thinking. I used to post conferences from time to time and I think it may have been a positive benefit. So I'm going to see if my readers like the business conferences or not.  2020 ORLANDO International Academic Conference on Business, Economics, Finance, and Accounting Theme: Promoting Global Competitiveness, Innovation, and Sustainability Organized by International Association of Applied Business Research - IAABR DATES: OCTOBER 10 - 11, 2020 PLACE: SpringHill Suites by Marriott Orlando Lake Buena Vista in the Marriott Village 8601 Vineland Avenue, Orlando, Florida, USA Special discounted rates are still available for the participants in 2020 Orlando Conference on Business, Economics, Finance, and Accounting. Here is the link where the conference participants may book their reservations at the special deeply discounted conference rates of $89/ night per room:  https://book.passkey.com/

Stay Focused During Multiple Demands-Busy is NOT Effective

In life and business we often have multiple things going on at the same time and it can be confusing to focus our efforts in the mix of competing demands. Like many of you, I have been in that situation and find myself pulled in multiple directions for a day or two. That is normal. One way to limit your stress is to list in your mind what is absolutely essential for that day and then think of a bonus everything else that also gets done. Try not to be everything to everyone, just focus on what is the most absolutely necessary for that day and add to it once your core objectives are completed.  We often think that the more we do and the harder we work is going to make us productive. I've see it...people in places I've worked....look busy and hurried to show their worth to society. Thus, how you view yourself is an important consideration in the overall process of getting to understand why you are running like a hamster on a hamster will.  Once you realized that your essential ski

Our First Day of Ship Hunting the "Wisconsin" Big Bay De Noc-Went Pretty Well

12' rudder CC Hand Day 1 of our search for a lost shipwreck went better than expected. We are on the hunt for Queen City that went down near For River over a century ago. We went out and practiced on two ships the C.C. Hand and the "Wisconsin". The first ship we dove to try out some equipment and learn to coordinated while the second ship is much smaller and has never been registered. The marine archaeologist asked us to film the "Wisconsin" so he could get some ideas of the era as the name doesn't appear to be correct and/or reflective of the name locals were using.  The first ship is well known called the C.C.Hand that went down with 24K tons of soft coal from Cleveland to Chicago in 1914. The ship hit ground while trying to navigate fog and was able to peel itself off the island. However, when eating dinner the ship started to smoke and caught fire. You can read more about it HERE . Everyone was evacuated. As an important side note the underlining shippin

Economic Recovery-Are My Projections Still on Track?

The economy is showing some signs of improvement through the jobs report and economic activities. I'm reading the Reuters article U.S. economy is improving, weeks before the election. Will Trump benefit? by Ann Saphire and I thinking about whether I'm going to be close in my original projects. It is great that our economy is growing and that can have a big impact on people's lives. Projections are a little like looking in to a "crystal ball" but there are indicators that sometimes give us insight. It is interesting to watch the market and see what makes it tic and hum along.  Projections can be hard. I'm curious if my belief that the economic recovery will happen in Q3 and be back to normal by Q4 at which time 2021 will see improvements above pre-covid levels. While its not directly tied to the theory I'm working on, it is the principles of the research that I'm using to predict an upswing. In part, its based on improvements in GDP through enhanced ne

Who is Going to Win Executive Orders in the Supreme Court of Michigan?-Conflict Leads to Definition

Emergency powers has been enacted in a number of states to squelch the spread of COVID. Since that time the political and medical landscape had changed and the essential question of how long can a Governor have emergency management powers. I'm not a big conflict supporter but do sometimes see the benefit of conflict that leads to greater defining of an essential issue of who and when we can and can't use emergency powers and when do those terms end. This article isn't about picking a side or talking about who is right or who is wrong. In a pandemic it is very hard to make perfect choices with imperfect emerging information and thus conflict helps us define essential issues that could be used in the future.  Let me say I'm taking a bird's eye view of this from an objective viewpoint and not really discussing my personal opinion on when emergency powers are expired. My interest is in the political mode of conflict and how groups disagree but that these disagreements c