Academic-Capital

A photo of Ocean Beach Pier. A popular "hippie" (definition has partly changed to include outdoor enthusiasts and naturalists) destination that always has something fun and interesting going on. What makes it beautiful is that it hasn't yet been gentrified. This should be that place where certain rules help ensure it maintains its "free spirit" nature. Its more than marketing...its also culture and heritage (of which marketing should rely). There are other beaches that have their own themes....PB College....La Jolla Old Wealth......etc... I might be a free spirited conservative....its possible.🤷  

 We have an environment to protect and the technology is available for us to move to a much greener society. It takes time and commitment to develop these new technologies such as solar propulsion and other systems. As we focus on new technologies we are also likely to discover things we haven't seen yet and in turn that will push space flight development.  More details are likely to come out. You may hear President Biden's Speech......

 Personality is a determiner of a lot of things in our lives. We often think of it as a tucked away bottle that comes out every once in a while. However, personality is the operating system by which everything else is seen, understood and approached. Some personalities are really good at using propaganda to put themselves on the top of a social structure (A very shaky social structure.) while other are bent toward more pro social ends. When personality and the propaganda people use goes unchallenged we have the risk for the issue to rise again.  The problem with the use of propaganda is that it relies on sensationalism that often isn't based in fact. When people heighten emotions and inflame tensions there is almost never going to be a positive outcome. Emotions reduce critical thinking and in turn create situations where alternative explanations either can't be seen or are completely ignored in an effort to appease the feelings.  Some people draw power by inflaming the emotion

 Keeping up with changes in the market is important for understanding the business climate we work within. Changes in growth, adjustments in labor market, government policy, etc... all contribute to making business decisions. You don't have to remember every detail but just enough to keep track of the bigger movements and trends. These will be what you bas your decisions on.  A couple of highlights -Real GDP increased 2% (This is lower than expected.) -Of that increase it was from private inventory investment, personal consumption expenditures, state and local government spending, and non residential fixed investment.  -Those gains were offset by decreases in residential fixed income, federal government spending, and exports.  -Imports increased (We would like to reverse much of that the other way and increase exports. We are still importing lots of goods and services.) When you look through the charts you gain a better understanding what is doing well and what is not doing well (

Commercial fishing is an industry that is coming back in demand. The problem is that the fish stocks have been declining and there are all types of international abuses of fishing rules. Because natural fish are so highly dependent on their environment they are a pretty solid metric of how our environmental recovery efforts are shaping up. If the fish come back they will do so based on the environment in which they live and how we manage the total natural stock ( Still thinking about that small commercial fishing boat dream in Escanaba. Not even sure if I would be able to get a license or catch any fish. Would be a nice hobby. 😆) Anyway...here is the picture ( I like photography in case your wondering why its on the blog .) Commercial Fishing San Diego

Corruption is one of those things we don't think will damage our society but certain does and in big ways. Where shadow markets take hold we often find a decline in the general health and welfare of society. Where there is a culture of corruption at work, there can be even more "status que" expectations that could make its way into many transactions throughout social and business networks. "Cultures of Corruption" (...the term actually sounds like a good book. 🖉) slow down opportunities for everyone and make it difficult for cities to thrive. People who live in such systems don't know that many of their opportunities are being taken by elected officials who do not feel that they have done anything wrong.  As corruption spreads as a social expectation among certain groups of "elite" (could be local, national, and now international) members spreads the behavior becomes even more embedded. It can be hard to coax people to whistle blow or come forward

Delta County Michigan Homeland to Hot Spot Concentric makes farm hydraulics Concentric has a plan to improve its electrification strategy to meet global and market changes in electric vehicles. According to the statement release David Wooley, CEO of Concentric states, " This is a landmark transaction, and a step change in Concentric’s electrification strategy as we dramatically increase our capacity, technological know-how and product portfolio to accelerate our growth in electrical products. We are now on track to beat our ambitious target of having 20% of group sales stemming from electrical products by 2025 ." The actual press release can be found at  Concentric AB acquires EMP Inc for MSEK 1,260 (MUSD 147)   EMP is an Escanaba US producer of electric and mechanical water and oil pumps, electric fans, thermal management systems and precision machined components and the purchase will push them more toward e-Fans, e-Water Pumps, etc... that are used in cars, trucks and other

General Milley discusses the nature of a changing military system in response to the "significant" technological event posed by the supersonic missile test ( There are now significant risks. We must not be Rome ). We have the capability to build things better then our competitors with more features, and with rapid innovation but we must want it as a society ( Look at rapid innovation development systems i.e. cluster development ). We have been bickering and arguing over relatively small potatoes but not getting in on what is big and what is important ( I'm not saying clusters are the best idea because mine isn't even a finished theory. I'm saying I'm not sure if I'm seeing another way other then to launch an American Renaissance through pushing R&D, STEM, international investment, diversity, educational improvements, etc... in a way that impacts all of society around our strategic direction and universal values. ).  We have multiple industries that ne

 Very nice article for those who like shipwrecks in the U.P.......

This is an interesting meeting to say the least. 😬 Seems like there are some great things going on in Esky the town is coming together on some important key directives that could impact their future. There is a little drama toward the end of the video.  🧐  A little tid bit on a contractor because this is often one of the common places such activities occur. It is also precisely why looking at the books from time to time encourages checks and balances on behaviors. Similarly, audit and reviews can be helpful in finding discrepancies.  A publication by the Columbia Law School discusses the benefits of "spot checks" and whistle blowers as well as some other places to check for inappropriate behaviors from the Center for the Advancement of Public Integrity article, ' Taking a Byte o ut of Corruption '. Sometimes poking around at different activities leads to whole new discoveries.  The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it .

The Great Lakes were once a popular commercial fishing location with a number of successful operations that have faded out in the last century. As with many things within our environment we overfished, over ate, and didn't consider alternative sources until things sort of dried up. Other locations such as San Diego have brought back parts of their commercial fishing industry and I suspect so can the Great Lakes with improvements in technology and coordinated environmental strategies.  Diving with Fish ( Not to mention I still have a fantasy dream of buying a small commercial fishing/diving vessel and working a couple of days a week fishing for a local store or two . I know its sort of silly but I figure it would get me on the water and with updates in technology I can bring my lap top. Its a little like owning a small nostalgic hobby farm or hardware store. I know...not for everyone!  🎣 ). ( Ok sorry...I was dreaming of growing a long beard and putting on rubber overalls.  Let us

Climate changes is a big discussion that could have real consequences. Some countries are trying to overcome environmental challenges and some countries are trying to circumnavigate factoring those costs into production/consumption. I've included a few pieces of literature from the news as well as the key points from a number of different government sources such as the White House, Department of Defense (DOD), The Lancet, and Department of Homeland Security (DHS).  Forest Fires A severe weather pattern? No matter what your perspective on climate change I think it would be reasonable to believe that protecting our environment is important and making those changes that are feasible and make sense would be in our best interest.  I'm wondering how the discussion at COP 26 will turn out? COP 26 BBC brought forward some a discussion on trees emitting more CO2 than taking in....' Climate change: Greenhouse gas build-up reached new high in 2020' . CNN put a solid discussion tog

There are certain behaviors that when members of our society engage in them they should be taken seriously as they strike at the core of who we are as a nation and our ability to influence the world around us ( Meaning different types of people and backgrounds. ). Some of my readers are aware my family was targeted by a group of individuals seeking both personal and financial gain by exploiting racial and religious differences that ended in people getting hurt ( People from their own community. I would consider myself part of that community but a number of people within this ex-amateur sports mob have a different perspective and thus "community" can be different for different types of people. As of now I'm still here seeking to draw the non-hate supporting community members into a more appropriate shared identity. That will be increasingly difficult where hate and dysfunctional networks have become embedded and "legitimized" in illegitimate ways. Worse, such beh

 Pictures of Munising. Munising is located about an hour north of Escanaba/Gladstone Michigan and is part of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan experience. If you are staying in town it should be one of the "hot spot" locations to visit. The pictures were taken October 2021.

  Cougar in the UP DNR   We have our own species of wild beast within the living tundra of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The cougar has returned and there are increasing sightings in the area. Some of this may be because of trail cameras and others because the population is increasing. I'm not sure if the DNR has a solid number of the population but what we do see is that nature is adapting to our presence. The cougar was believed to have left the U.P. a long time ago so its return would be environmental and adaptive (M eaning they are willing to live within closer contact with humans who have crowded their environments and it could mean they followed food into the area .) Mlive has a strong article by Brandon Champion ' DNR confirms cougar sighting in Upper Peninsula, 10th so far in 2021 ' The DNR also has a lot of great information on cougars in the U.P. DNR Cougar

Delta County has 4 Positions Up on the November 2nd, 2021 election. People who are engaged in political life do so for a variety of reasons. Some of these are great reasons and some of them are more personal. It is important to think about the type of people we are electing and whether or not they really represent our cherished values ( I don't know who is running so its just more of a general comment. Kind of curios now. 🤔). This is a local election so the stakes are much smaller than state and national elections. However, they still are important as they are a symbol of collective support. Move beyond partisan politics.... When Personality is Important Some research hints to the idea that most voters simply pick partisan candidates but when that partisanship isn't strong the personality of the candidate becomes increasingly important ( The dangers of hyper partisan politics is that we are blind in our thinking about some very basic things that we all value .) (Naik, Maier, V

The internet economy is growing and its doing so fast. You can read the article, ' Study Finds Internet Economy Grew Seven Times Faster Than Total U.S. Economy, Created Over 7 Million Jobs in the Last Four Years '. Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) commissioned the study to understand how the Internet impacts jobs. This is what they found ( I took much of this directly from the summary ).... 1. Internet economy grew seven times faster than the total U.S. economy during the past four years. 2. Internet economy's contribution to the U.S. GDP grew 22 percent per year since 2016. 3. In 2021 the U.S. contributed $2.45 trillion to the United States' $21.18 trillion GDP 4. More than 17 million jobs in the U.S. were generated by the commercial internet, 7 million more than four years ago. 5. More internet jobs, 38 percent, were created by small firms and self-employed individuals than by the largest internet companies, which generated 34 percent. 6. There are 200,000 full-ti

Militias and gangs want access to capital and to them missionaries seem like an advantageous place to look for such resources. However, it opens up a problem that must be dealt with appropriately. We as Americans do not want to be targets for rogue groups and mercenaries seeking financial gain. Likewise, we also don't want to inadvertently encourage such behaviors by giving the money and thinking all is well. In this case, whether we decide to give or not to give the people who engaged in such behaviors should be investigated, chased, and disrupted as a rogue group.  In other words, the consequences of taking should be higher then any perceived pay offs of doing so (appropriate use of force). No matter the religion and/or race of the victims, people who are trying to do good in the world should not be subject to the darkness of those who circumvent the positive values normalized in almost every culture. There is a place for firmness and strength as a path to a more civilized world.

 All nation states must have a self-defense mechanisms that should act as a deterrent to other nations. The U.S. must continuously push its innovative capabilities to keep up with a rapidly developing world. New technologies that have made their way into the defense industry were not necessarily developed by the U.S. We are at a critical juncture in history where decisions must be made and directions should be clear. Innovation, human capital and trust in our institutions is what is needed to build successfully into the digital era. 

General Colin L. Powell passed away due to complications with COVID at 84 years old. General Powell was an interesting man that rose from a difficult environment and made his way through the ranks to become a very powerful person. He broke down some mental silos and helped create a stronger acceptance of diversified leadership.  He is one of those important examples of people who make it to the top through hard work, performance, and grit that help set the stage for others who want to achieve certain life marks. Its important to create as many inspiration paths and opportunities to ensure the best talent can rise to the top without artificial roadblocks. He was an example of someone who did that despite the odds. You can read more about General Colin Powell the 12th Chairman of the Joints Chief of Staff  HERE

One shouldn't rush out and purchase advertisement spots and air time as soon as they open their doors without fist thinking about who their target audience (i.e. target market) is and how best to reach them (i.e. marketing channels).  Knowing what you plan on selling and whom you plan on selling it can make a big difference in small business success; actually its one of the primary reasons for success or failure. Thinking about what is truly important to you and your business before creating a marketing strategy and buying media can be helpful in creating a sense of direction.  Media Buying: Buying media will take a little informal ( or formal as the case sometimes turns out ) research before putting down the dollars $$$. Its nearly always wise to expend the effort to read about media planning and buying to gain a basic grasp of these concepts. The more familiar you are of the different options available and how they work, the better choices you are likely to make when finally look

We get accustomed to taking life seriously and then begin to miss out on all the little things that add up to make our lives better. Working smart and hard in business is important but its equally important to take some "chill time" to gain a perspective. They aren't great pictures (Although I do like the second.) and I should have taken my time and took good ones but they were "on the fly".  Perfect summer air and the smell of ocean. What is important to you?  

Escanaba will be sending a letter of support and request for participation in the American Rescue Plan for Regional Collaboration. If you don't know much about the plan you can read more about it HERE . There is some additional information at Grants.Gov . The plan basically helps Escanaba (and other places) connect back up to the global economy through developing industries that improve not only their own town but also other towns within a supply chain network.  Escanaba is located in Delta County Michigan and is ripe for investment in key industry development and outdoor recreation. Understanding how to connect the local economy to the global economy by creating high value locations that best the market (and our competitors) is important. That requires us to think about the linkages between different aspects of the economy. Regional Cluster Development , Region Lightning Strike,   Development Network , Supply Chain Dev.   Delta County Shipping , Infrastructure Synerg y, Delta Co

There has been some debate on what it is going to take to restore our national sense of purpose and our ability to compete on the global market. Just about everyone has a slingshot and a fist full of mud ( ...a few probably put other stuff in there as well .😬) and they just lob it at each other indiscriminately ( ...dirt bombing each other. ). We as Americans are more than that....we are a team of people who solve problems and do what is in the best interest of our society and our collective self interest codified into a nation. ( ....unless there are reasonable alternatives and right now I see none other then fixing our current problems in a spirit of national rejuvenation and sparking the rejuvenating power of an American Renaissance. Its actually scientifically possible to have a renaissance as all phenomenon can be repeated with the right catalysts. We are part of our patterns in life, in history, in development. Patterns of Life ) That is if we can get people/leaders to work toge

The IMF came out with new projections for 2021 and 2022 that will be somewhat more muted then what we have experienced over the past few quarters. They state GDP will be 5.9 percent in 2021 and 4.9 percent in 2022. Factors such as global availability of vaccines, inflation, supply chain issues, etc.. etc.... etc....( ok...its not that bad! ). Basically we have some challenges but our overall growth will be fairly positive in orientation ( Some of this might be based on a shift in the way we do business, adjusting supply chains to overcome challenges, and the overall ability of the corporate structure and the labor market to shift. So 2022 to 2023 will be more indicative of our new economic homeostasis....and in turn our postCovid competitive position. Something we might want to compare with China and Europe. Did we gain traction or did we lose traction? ) You may want to read Recovery During a Pandemic  or the Executive Summary  if your looking for a quick review ( It is the same thing

Goldman Sachs GDP Projection 21-21 Goldman Sachs released a GDP forecast report that highlights that indicates a couple of primary drivers (See Goldman Sachs GDP Forecast 2021-2022 . ..  1. Fiscal support will be reduced leading to a slow down in the economy. 2. Consumer services will need to recover (They believe will take time to recover.) They provide a couple of projections that include 4.5% 2021Q4 and 4% growth for 2022. The analysts feel that services will have a hard time recovering and semiconductors are slowing things down. Certainly that seems to be the case. What I'm watching closely for my own personal research in the digital GDP aspects and how that impacts overall GDP. The pandemic has changed how we conduct business. The semiconductor problem will need to be fixed ( I have a couple of unfinished ideas how certain innovative clusters can create speed up development of home grown industries like aerospace, military, semiconductors, robotics, etc... In this case, I'

Extremism is a dangerous thing and seems to lean toward a growing trend in society. The first images we conjure up is foreign, dark skinned, and of course radical religious beliefs. That definition has changed somewhat over the past few years and an image of extremism is slowly shifting based on necessity to something more universal that includes lighter skinned ultra nationalists that want a society made up of people similar to themselves ( At least until they have it and then other differences will be highlighted because its a way of thinking of chronic comparisons and feelings of powerlessness. That is also why giving people the skills and abilities to compete in the global market helps lower extremism through positive prospects ).  I should note that supporting a particular party or a particular vision for the nation is not extremism. We may agree or disagree with the values being promoted but inherently there is nothing wrong people working within a political process ( Once they g