Academic-Capital

Pictures often say a thousand words. Scientific discoveries follow the lead of many different studies and people. Without these essential roots we cannot hope to support the body of knowledge that often stems from existing discoveries. Background research helps scientists create new testable thoughts that leads sometimes to whole new branches of discovery.  I actually took this shot a few days ago along a river. 😃

Hate radicalization often starts with group chatter. Research highlights how hate spreads in online forums such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Messenger. We have limited laws in Michigan to deal with such issues and as of now our state's leaders have not yet taken the next step to bolster Michigan socially and economically. Hate isn't an isolated incident but is a social learning process embedded in influencer chatter and social coaxing.  One thing that politicians discuss publicly is economic development but are often short on details on how to get there without considering lost human capital due to a legacy of hate.  I'm a firm believer in developing people and their skills to use modern tools to compete on the global market through natural motivations and innovations. Not strengthening our laws mean that we run the risk of dissuading half the population from fully engaging and limiting the type of investments that state can attract from international investors. Step

If you live in the U.P. you know how difficult it can be to find strong Internet just a few miles out of town. NMU has great Internet for a cheap price but you must be able to point it to the right signal spot. Broadband is available in Gladstone and Escanaba but if your on a dirt road somewhere in the forest you must use satellite with slow upload/download speeds. Satellite data is expensive! Creating alternatives that are cheaper helps to Plug the U.P. In in a way that leads to improved technology access and business development. Investing in our data infrastructure helps keep the U.P. competitive in terms of education, business and global access. Delta County has $18.5 million of which are broken into two awardees ( HERE ):  1. Consortium of AEG and Heron Broadband I: It means an association of AEG and Heron Broadband I. providing services. 2. Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX). You can see the total amount HERE . Bloomberg provides an explanation HERE . A short descriptio

 Its a nice Sunday out. Stock markets are down, internet streaming the news and not much going on. :)

Nashville has experienced a travesty in terms of physical damage to buildings downtown. Thus far it doesn't appear that anyone was hurt. What is more chilling is that it was downtown, gave a warning and was on Christmas Day! A first impression might bring to mind domestic orientation and/or display of abilities.  The reason for this act is going to be elusive for a while and investigators are going to match forensics, surveillance, online/offline chatter, and tips/leads to gain a better sense of what is going on. They will need to work backwards and answer questions as they relate to location, 15 minute warning, domestic/foreign initiatives, material access, etc....     This situation highlights why we need to work together as a unified people working to solve problems and encouraging people to engage in the political process with positive intent. Fingers crossed that no casualties occur. 

Andre Hill, another Black man shot, raises the spectrum of debate as people grasp the nature of justice and policing. There are no easy answers as we grapple with the wider ramifications of decades/centuries of discrimination and its long lasting impact on our society. Another life is lost, another officer is fired, and trust of American institutions decline. We are struggling with finding a path forward and without new leaders and ideas we are unlikely to solve these big problems anytime soon.  First, let me say that people have value and all people are entitled to universal justice. While I have never found a perfect person, and some a lot less perfect than others, there is a sense of inherent worth in each of us. It doesn't matter what race, religion, education attainment, income level or any other heuristic criteria we use to judge one other. It is not our place to use our skewed sense of being to judge anyone with the first thought that comes to mind. At the same time, policin

The Federal Government through FEMA, Homeland Security, and CDC helps us to better understand how to manage and handle a pandemic. Most of the information focuses on healthcare professionals and security but doesn't seem to provide significant detail on how manage the social and economic aspects of rural communities. While health is an important concern one has to wonder if counties can better integrate this knowledge for stronger county plans that take into specifically the needs of counties/communities in the U.P. of Michigan.  Consider that plans are a method of coordinating local, state, and federal resources in a way that leads to maximum benefit for people within the community. Because places in the U.P. like Delta County are nestled within rugged rural terrain it can at times limit pandemic response (the various forms thereof) that can be easily overwhelmed, we should consider a broader pandemic plan that incorporates the often neglected social and economic aspects to effect

 When we look at the beauty of these buildings it reminds some of the wealth of the industrial area. The buildings that were built are breathtaking and have a European flair to them. 

The morning air whipped cool and a muddy trail made hiking somewhat more challenging than expected. A few days earlier I found a cliff face that stretches as far as one can see just off the trail and up the hill. Most people probably would miss it if they were not actively looking for contour changes of the tree canvas. With my backpack loaded with ropes, harness, and grigri I marched upwards until I was abruptly halted by a wall of rock.  Life is a little like a cliff face that blazes a trail through the forest for miles. While the rocks may seem insurmountable it is still up to you to decide how to deal with difficulty. Some with throw their hands up in frustration and stomp back home, others will run head first without thinking right into their peril, and a small few will find their way up, over, and around challenges. Your strategy is often based on how you view yourself and life quit, muscle it, or finesse a solution.  It takes time and patience to walk the ridge and find spots th

It is important for people to stay informed about happenings in the Michigan's 1st District of the U.P. Particularly you may be interested in the FYI Appropriations . The actual document is HERE . Lots and lots of details so you might need to take your time.  A little about Congressman Berman if you want to know more. HERE No matter which political party you adhere (or none at all) you want to know who is representing you and what they believe. The quality of a person is based deeply in their character. Our nation needs wise leaders from both parties and that requires loyalties to certain fundamental American beliefs.  The following was taken from his press release and provides some highlights..... Bergman Votes In Favor of COVID Relief, Appropriations Bills  Washington  - Today, a deal was reached between the House, Senate, and White House on a COVID package and appropriations bills. Rep. Bergman voted in favor of the legislative package to avoid a government shutdown, provide a

Business seems to be pushing in as a leader in new business formation. This is good news if we find that those who were laid off from business have decided they would love to state a business and grow. Starting new business in a Pandemic may not be ideal but the one's that will succeed will also push for increase hiring a few years down the road. Small business are often known to grow fast once they are able to get through their break out stages.  We could foster these business start ups to give the young generation the best chance at future success by developing economic clusters so they may innovate off of each other. In Michigan we have a 61% increase in new business applications in 2020 when compared to 2, 3, & 4 % average in the state over the last decade.  Michigan Source If you look at the nation as a whole you will find an increase in 38% new business applications when compared to 5,6,7% ish range over the past decade.  National Source

Which nations are likely to succeed in the new digital economy? The Harvard Business Review published an excellent article entitled Which Economies Showed the Most Digital Progress in 2020? that discusses how certain companies are adapting. What the study finds is that the U.S. is a Stand Out economy and China is a Break Out economy. What it also indicates is that China is adapting faster than the U.S. and we have not yet built our data infrastructure for innovative manufacturing and increased GDP advantages of the Information Age. This is also likely why we were hit hard by foreign espionage as our systems are better than most but our infrastructure isn't ready to capitalize on the new technology era leaving our younger generations at a competitive disadvantage. You can see a few differences between Stand Out and Break Out Stand Out Expanding adoption of digital consumer tools (e-commerce, digital payments, entertainment, etc.) Attracting, training, and retaining digital talent F

 

The U.S. is a democracy and each person can cast a vote. However, their votes and voices are often drowned out by special interest groups and political influence. Our nation is at a point in its history where it must decide between two futures that will have a great impact on our lives as we know it. Nothing stays the same forever and success and failure is highly depending on our ability to compromise and work together as a single people with a shared sense of purpose. Any organization, whether on a corporate or a national level, we cannot avoid moving through the stages of change.   New Political Norms Forming: According to the 1965 paper by  entitled Developmental Sequence in Small Groups go through stages of forming, storming, norming and performing. Later Dr. Tucker added  dissolution/adjourning to his findings. We have come through an era of hyper politics and the pendulum swings a little more in the direction of bi-partisanship as people ponder the best path forward. National le

The whole point of writing about hate and justice is to give people a proper perspective of what its like to be a target of hate based behaviors and in turn how to eradicate these beliefs that hold us back from fulfilling our national destiny. We must choose to be a single society or to be multiple factions within the same society through the way we interact with others. It doesn't take much for people to move hate from its unacceptable form to its more acceptable forms of microaggressions that can further erode the concept of "togetherness" in society. In other words, its that subtle form of hate that lingers on in the framework of society leading to further divisions among people who could have long ago forgot their differences. Bigotry is embedded into the language and social structure that pushes our society to be separate. The changes of tone, civility, and under the radar comments all contribute to in-out group dynamics and Us vs. Them mentalities. Just like dealing

 We are moving into a digital world and we have not yet grasped the economic and security solutions we need to maintain and improve our national strength. Old paradigms are becoming increasingly insecure, ineffective, and costly. Updating our data infrastructure can help us on multiple fronts such as GDP growth and big data advancements. Successful strategic change pressures us to think more about infrastructure investments that prepare us for advance manufacturing and commerce while at the same way improving our overall data security (i.e. block chain and other fast data recall encryption and data dispersion methods). Successful adaptation is limited not by our will to overcome but by our ability to envision safe harbor through the fog. Solutions will require bi-partisan agreement on what coordinates we are going to point this national juggernaut. 

I'm watching the two new bases renamed in adopting process to start the Space Force. Florida is a great place for a new base. Yet I'm still thinking of the U.P. and KI Sawyer as potential base locations and air transport hub. Some type of feasibility study would need to be conducted but with changes in our manufacturing competitiveness and our new military technology needs may prompt us to consider this geographical important area. 

 The U.P. of Michigan is a unique place with all the spender of small town living nestled between large swaths of forest and coastline. Being up here means we opportunities to enhance our lives and our areas in a way that is sustainable. Supporting our environment, shipping, and business are fundamental to maintaining a quality standard of life.  The following highlights were taken from the Bergman Brief. You can sing up for it as well if you seek to have these updates. Below is quoted.... SBA Working Capital Loans Available in Michigan Following Secretary of Agriculture Disaster Declaration for Drought The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and private nonprofit organizations in Michigan as a result of drought that occurred from June 29 through Sept. 26, 2020. The loans are available in the following counties: Antrim, Benzie,

President Elect Joe Biden recently unveils his economic team. There are some heavy hitters included so it appears there will be a grander out rolling of new policies at some point in the not so distant future. Janet Yellen is a familiar face in economic news and her policy approaches are known. That doesn't mean she won't break her mold a little but she has certain philosophical underpinnings that help guide her policy decisions.  The pandemic created a novel situation and no matter what economic plan the team develops it can't be cookie cutter because the economic situation and fundamentals have shifted. In other words, our current theories have some predictive validity (i.e. if the government does this it leads to that) but the accuracy of those predictions has gone down since Covid-19 We never lived through a pandemic or its economic repercussions at a time in history where technology is fundamentally changing just about everything we know about life. The data we are col

 Delta County Michigan has a lot to offer for people who want a touch of small charm and still be able to reach into the modern world. If you are an outdoor enthusiast you have a lot of options ranging from dog sled races, historical sites, and outdoor activities.  For me the best of both worlds is necessary. Give me portable Internet and some hiking boots (or snow shoes) and I have most of the things I need.  My suspicion is that Delta County will become an attractive destination for Millennials that can work online and still enjoy getting in touch with nature. The post-Covid world may impact the county in ways that it didn't expect just a year ago.   If you have some investment capital and want to put it into a growth market I suggest you explore some of the benefits of starting a business, building condos, or putting your creative firm here to balance the need for intellect and creative inspiration. Personally, I think it would be a great place for micro-tourism manufacturing, d