Academic-Capital

For those of us who live in the Upper Peninsula we have a whole different way of life when compared to others who might live in more populated locations. Water you can drink directly from many spring fed lakes, miles of untouched forest, wild bears running across highways, snowshoeing during the winter and water skiing during the warm summer months. I came across this flyer. It looks like hunting (not to mention tourism in general) impacts our local economy in significant ways. That is why I support eco tourism and digital nomad destinations like Escanaba ( Digital Nomads and Smart City ). 

Companies and marketing functions seek access to as much data as possible and have scooped up large swaths of consumer information. Some have argued it has gone too far and others argue that government shouldn't get involved. The problem is that swinging the pendulum one way fails to protect our consumer information (national security risk) or the normal privacies people come to expect and if we swing it wildly the other way companies will likely be upset that its unfair government influence. At present we haven't solved the problem and our current laws are lagging behind technological development.  An article in the Iowa Law Review entitled, ' Privacy Losses as Wrongful Gains ' by Bernard Chao that highlights some of the risks consumers face and the difficulty they have recovering damages if information is lost, stolen or misused. What they indicate is.... " Companies often violate their own privacy policies by selling customer data or by using the information in

Its important to keep up with government legislation and changes in our economic and regulatory environment. Inflation, diverse growth and strategy are likely to be part of the discussion. One thing I'm going to agree with is we could have tanked our economy and slipped in international standing and if we play our cards right with the hard infrastructure bill we could lead well above our slipping Chinese counterpart for the next 50 years ( China Real Estate Decline , Next 50 Years,   US. Competitive Position , Attracting HQ , Legislation Infrastructure Inflation ). The question is where do we keep the gas, where do we release the pedal, and where should our focus be?

The Path to Freedom Integrity and Public Good Will Law & Order is a good thing when its applied wisely it ensures a peaceful environment where beneficial open dialogue leads to national solutions.  Where corruption goes unchecked it begins to eat at the foundations of trust that erodes the concept of "authority". This is why I detest corruption in policing as much as I detest violence in protests. Where extremism and hate (of any kind whether pro or anti police) is left unchecked the foundations of democracy begins to erode.  No one has the right to destroy institutional foundations for self gain or to please the distorted views of their social and/or political networks.   For those who have been reading my blog they may be aware that I take issues of corruption very seriously based on the experienced actions of a few "bad apples" and the harm they have caused to their community. Acts of intimidation, improper investigations, following targets, spreading  rumors

Painting is one of the highest forms of human expression. It carries with it time honored traditions and values that would be forgotten without sharing them from generation to generation. These values come from our very core coding as a species and will manifest in each generation in one form or another because they are based in our inherited survival skills (i.e root such as love, hate, anger, fear, etc...). Art is a manifestation of interior experiences (See Art Psychology Evolution ) as an outward expression of core cultural expressions (especially if the are seen over and over from different societal corners.). The painting 'Power of Death' by  William Holbrook Beard  symbolism focuses on the inevitability of death in which no powerful creature on the planet can avoid or escape (i.e. no matter how much the tiger claws.). You can see from the different carcasses, triumphant foot on elephant's neck and the strangling of thrashing tiger that our lives are temporary no matt

Getting back to readership concerning a shipwreck dove a few months ago (before the snow). I sent some pictures to the NOAA  and as of present they are updating their maps and having someone take a look at the information I sent (I did not discover the ship and a number of people knew it was there...but maybe the first to bring forward officially. It in better condition than the one found in the area a few years ago.)  Diving Late 1800 Schooner .  Seul Choix Lighthouse-The Haunted Lighthouse

Apparently Americans are more worried about the economy and government more then they are about the pandemic. This is caused by some shortages and inflation. We might also find there are concerns over leadership and perhaps in some way our ability to handle problems ( See Biggest Post Afghan Risks ). Its important we start working together to start solving problems. Because almost nothing stays the same a few curve balls might find us unprepared (We are running rigid, polarized, low morale, and dig heels opinions so if our environment/challenges shifts it will be our leadership that will master the art of change. ) Here are some of the highlights from the poll...... Gallop Poll 26% name an economic issue as the most important problem Government is the top specific problem at 21%; coronavirus next at 13% Gallup's Economic Confidence Index mostly steady at -29 There was a pretty solid explanation in the Santa Barbara News by Casey Harper entitled, ' Poll: Americans more concerned

Words have meaning and I believe the leadership on both sides should push people toward the center. But that is just my opinion. Sometimes we say a little too much and we walk that back. It happens  because people are passionate and sometimes fail to role reverse. However, right now as things stand in our nation keeping the inflammatory rhetoric to a minimum is important. I kind of watch the news and see how people are acting and reacting to each other and scratch my head. We see how these beliefs play out in our hometowns all across America. Words have meaning.  I consider myself an "Old Guard" Republican that sticks closely to the central values and beliefs that made our country great (Perhaps I'm not far right enough for some people's tastes but I think the rational center is where we should be and likely where the best solutions come. So I guess I'm a light right). My believes include the sanctity to practice any religion you want (why we started this country)

Twisted "Grinch" Tree of Wisdom When we read through the news we seem to run into the sensationalism, hyper politics and a laser focus on conflict. At times we come across what appears to be a "feel good" article that is easily discarded as news rubbish. Religion, civil behavior, and reflection are about thinking before acting and learning to treat each other in a way that leads to "togetherness". Everything else lacks time honored wisdom and leads to conflict in its subtle or overt form. Its hard do sort of get it through people's head that the best way to lead is not always to be louder and demand that either "you are with us or against us" mentality that seems to pander to the radicals on both sides of the isle. Sometimes its about leading people to new conclusions through new knowledge...and a reflection on old knowledge. Long-term solutions almost never come from galvanizing sides and hyping up distorted beliefs to get one's way. (I

Upper Peninsula homes and business don't always have the best connection. Beyond being isolated by geography they are also sometimes disconnected by lack of Internet. As someone who does a lot of work in the virtual world I can say that slow Internet causes problems and that includes being kicked out of Zoom meetings, slow download/upload, and lots of other issues. I have the fastest Internet service in the area and still there are times when I get kicked off! For small towns around the U.P. they may want to consider the benefits of the Rural Development Broadband Reconnect Program by  U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that has a $1.15 billion loan and grant opportunities for communities just like ours.  " The Broadband ReConnect Program furnishes loans and grants to provide funds for the costs of construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment needed to provide broadband service in eligible rural areas. The application window for the third round of

Michigan is receiving $8.5 billion Covid Money and $10 billion or so from the Federal Infrastructure Bill. That is a whopping amount of money! What we should do with that money is highly depending on where we want to go and I'm sure there are lots of people out there that want to have a field day with that money. Putting more Christmas presents under the tree might not be the best use of the money if that spending has limited long term impact.  What kind of presents should we put under Michigan's tree? I have a couple of ideas on where I think some of that money should go and how that might help create a solid model of future prosperity (Trying to find a Christmas present that keeps on giving. Its kind of like giving a nice ham/turkey/lamb for Christmas which helps a starving family one day or giving someone tools, knowledge, and a job to help them feed their family everyday. Not that there is anything wrong with helping on immediate needs but long term plans are highly benefic

Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy and spend with family and friends. Let us not forget the Native Americans that helped the new comers to shore and fed them. Do something good with your time. You can read about the history of Thanks giving HERE .  Escanaba Community Thanksgiving Dinner had 300 people. They don't have an official website other then Facebook HERE .  If you want to donate do so at ..... Community Thanksgiving Dinner 912 7th Avenue South Escanaba, MI. 49829 Facebook Page Data Bus brings people. :)

DOD Announces the establishes the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group. You can read the official memorandum HERE . Cool stuff! Nano Nano! Congress Electro Propulsion    Just for fun you can see our half joking UFO video in Escanaba. Its probably a drone or balloon but fun to think about. 👽👾 Someone said maybe Chinese lantern. 🤔 Only one problem the wind at 9:30 pm was 4.6 mph NNW. These "UFOs" were heading easterly. However someone from our Xfile Community Team (just kidding) said that they let off some Chinese lanterns at that time so likely that is the leading theory. Its just good fun. 

Knowledge and learning  guides the path. Hate is powerful and sometimes part of the way we think. It can impact a great many things in the way we approach the world. Over the last few years our society seems to be stretched at the seams by people who have something to gain (politically, financially, ideologically, etc..) by hyping up the problems to further their influence. Often the people who start these problems don't care about the consequences on others because that is not part of their "agenda". As a nation we will need to start tackling some of these issues and holding people accountable when they are trying to harm or hurt others; no matter their race, creed, or position. Removing "bad apples" is important to ensure integrity in any system; that isn't unique to law enforcement. I think most reasonable people sort of agree that when people violate the law and constitution they should be held to account. Likewise, I would suspect most people would simi

We are not in Sci Fi as the space race continues. New radical technologies are being tested to ensure we have the tools ready in case Earth is threatened by asteroids. Very cool stuff!

Einstein was one of the worlds leading scientists and as we move into space exploration more we find many of his theories to still be correct. Manuscripts are often preliminary work and ideas that lead to a bigger breakthrough. Some write them on pieces of paper (back when that is all they had), some put them into scientific pieces, journals, blogs, etc... to ensure there is a record of how these ideas were created and developed. An excellent article in the Guardian.... Einstein’s notes on theory of relativity fetch record €11.6m at auction.

Manufacturing, Tourism and Start-Ups as a Michigan growth Strategy New numbers came out from the Fed and job growth is more robust than originally expected. That is great news and in turn that is also an opportunity to ensure that growth will also raise opportunities for African American and Hispanic populations. Developing the broadest possible growth for society is important for developing fair economic development. There are different opinions on what those numbers mean and what we can expect so it is important to read diversely on the topic. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy has a few comments on the disconnect between job growth and job announcements HERE . Different metrics reveal different insights and we can learn from them. Having a battery of metrics in the Digital Era will likely lead to greater understanding of how our economic engines work and thus lead to better decisions. U-M forecasts furthermore indicates that Michigan should have a full recovery by the end 2021 w

It appears that this person has hurt a lot of people over their lives and there is a balance between not prosecuting mistakes and ensuring we prosecute violent criminals. From what we have seen here this was not someone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and a mistake happened. From what has been released this was a person with a history of callous behaviors and wanton disrespect for life. Their behavior appeared to be intentionally destructive and goal oriented ( UN Investigation of Homicide ). I have met people who are unable and unwilling to own their behavior, and all too willing to take the next step in harming others. Some people don't need to be in jail but people who have a history of violence and violating the rights of others should not be walking around in the general public. If we use jails wisely and when its helpful/necessary it works out best for everyone....but knowing when and when not to lock someone away can be difficult for judges to determine.  The wi

Democracies go through phases just like everything else. We get comfortable with being the world's leaders and then something happens that jolts that false sense of security and things go haywire for a little. The U.S. was added to a democracy backsliding list for the first time by the International IDEA. We are a resilient people and will correct our path going forward by helping out leadership get a bigger picture of how the way "politics is played" is starting to impact the foundations of our democracy. 😟 International IDEA is a think tank and describes itself as an, "International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) is an intergovernmental organization that supports sustainable democracy worldwide.". You can read more about those countries backsliding on their site HERE . You can also get the full report HERE .   The report indicates there were civil liberty issues, checks & balance issues, and election issues that all

The job of our lawmakers is to make decisions they believe are in the best interest of society.  We  may not always agree but we shouldn't resort to threats of violence just because someone doesn't agree. As soon as people start using violence and threats of violence to force people to vote strictly based on the opinion of others we are not in a healthy place as a nation. The people who support this hate and those who intentionally hype up extremist ARE the problem. Every society and party needs wiggle room to get things done or otherwise we will not be able to make decisions we need to succeed. I suspect those who don't like our nation are clapping with glee as hate rips the rivets out of free choice and governance by the people ( Biggest Risks to Society Post Afghanistan ) There is little to no fundamental difference between extremists overseas and the ones making these phone calls (The mechanics are exactly the same and the ideologies very similar. Everything is based on

Money is a pursuit for people in and of itself even though it is fictitious in nature and based only on our abstract social value as a unit.  Yes we can buy things from it and gain a sense of social emulation. I've kind of always tried to understand the desire to accumulate massive amounts of money and how it impacts a person (The score card.). To some money is an end in and of itself while to others it is a tool to be used for something more. Don't get me wrong. I want money and I want more of it like everyone else. However, there are limitations to that need after a certain point where security and freedom have been earned. If someone accumulates a significant amount of money in their lifetime there are those who might consider lofty philanthropic pursuits.  It is those who give back and pick up more noble causes whom I call our high society heroes. They know that money can't buy them happiness and certainly won't make them feel fulfilled. I read an article in Greater

Multiple injuries as SUV slams into Christmas parade. We must get a grip on this....no matter who the person, who the ideology, and what their background. Understanding such behaviors becomes important for tackling this type of behavior whether its extremism or something else. I hope authorities investigate and hold to account such actions in a way that leads to insight. We pray for peace and love to emerge from depravity.

In Delta County we don't have a lot of horse stores and place to get tack. There are a few pet stores that might carry a little basic gear but nothing on the scale as you might see in more equestrian oriented locations. Morse horse people know each other around here adding to the small rural charm of the place and its people. In this case, we hold used tack swap meets which give you everything you need. I got a back up western bridle and saddle pad for $35. The money went to support the humane society.  Delta Animal Shelter

There are Old Guard Republicans and there are RINO  🦏  Republicans. The Old Guard was founded in 1854 to free the slaves and build a nation on equality ( History, 2021 ). While they might not think of themselves this way RINOs could be considered those who support extremism and rigid class structures that are antithetical to traditional Republican values; at least from a historical perspective. Back in the early days of our nation we had Federalists who believed in a strong central government and we had  Democratic-Republicans (Jeffersonian Republicans) who believe in a weaker central government. After the War of 1812 we had a split into the Democrat and Republican parties which is where we are today. Interesting the anti slave coalition that included the smaller Free-Soilers, Whigs, and other Americans founded the modern day Republican party in Ripon Wisconsin near my neck of the woods (literally woods🌲) ( U.S. History . nd). You can read more about Republicans and their history aga

The ability to overcome is rooted into the very nature of survival and environmental mastery. That grit can be seen in college students that stick with it despite the odds, those who have been gang attacked and come back to hold their persecutors accountable, the single mothers who protected their children and made a new life, the people who stand up to wrong even though they did not profit from their actions, and those leaders who were born in the pits of hell and climbed out when 99.9% of people would have never made it a foot off the ground.  These are the people whom we should strive to look for when building a nation as they are the exceptional. We often reject them for the "connected" simply because they were born into the lap of luxury and had all the things they needed to buy success. Growing nations need to draw new talent and rally them around core principles that define our national values...and in turn our purpose. Our nation is built off of strivers, thrivers, an