Academic-Capital

This picture makes me think of "Excellence". I'm probably going to use in a gallery submission. If you like the picture Donate to Orphans Recently I went fencing to try my luck at the blades of steel. I had a little training prior and have at least the basics down of all three sword fighting techniques down ( I have a little knowledge of the bo staff as well. ). Yet I have been inconsistent in my play and practice but I hoped some skills don't fade quickly. I didn't have much to lose. The three styles of fencing include epee, foil and sabre. I like sabre the most because there is more total movement ( targets and possibilities ) and its somewhat of a practical sport. That doesn't mean I'm necessarily good at all of them but that I'm not the worst player our there either!  On this particular day I played four bouts of which ( You can read the rules HERE and some pointers HERE ) I was pushed around loosing embarrassingly the first three bouts. However,

BEA released their Q1 2022 GDP analysis and it was a -1.4% GDP. See HERE . If you want a pretty solid analysis of it take a look at U.S. GDP fell at a 1.4% pace to start the year as pandemic recovery takes a hit by Jeff Cox. ( I like looking at people who have been doing this for a long time. They have lots of great knowledge. For me I'm just paying attention for theoretical reasons. )  What I'm going to say about this is that we have a lot of things going on here ( Increases risk and complexity .). That includes international conflict, supply chain issues, and inflation. We also find that consumers are still buying stuff ( Who says were not a consumer culture? ) At the end of the day this is not expected to be a major downturn. Yet I don't think predictions are going to be perfect. It could be a little more of a downturn or it could be GDP growth going forward. Older metrics and ways of looking at the economy are changing.  I think we are going to see real  boosts the lat

If you like the picture Donate to Orphans Values are something that are important in society and I believe they will be even more important as we move through technological and socio-cultural  change that will likely adjust our institutions. Whether you are a business person, in government, or just a person living their daily lives I fell that values will differentiate those of quality from those who lack quality.  Let me be a little clearer. We are not talking about the "judgy" values that shallow people use to put down others but the deeper values incorporating the "truths" woven into life. These are deeply rooted values that apply across different spectrums of society. It is these universal values that will be the marker of those who should lead and those who should follow.  Let us say you are hiring a new CEO. One gets the job done regardless of the cost. He/she lies and manipulates but still performs to get their goals accomplished. Another CEO may also perform

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) announced the discovery of the Atlanta in 650 feet of water. According to the article  Missing ship discovered after 130 years at bottom of Lake Superior  the ship was under tow  and had no sails. Once the towline snapped the ship was abandoned. People died within the escape attempt when using their little row boat to find saftey.  I do a little shipwreck diving from time-to-time. I'm looking for a ship Queen City in Delta County and turned in an unmarked ship to NOAA ( Not sure what happened. I didn't discover it but it was unlisted and dived by locals that didn't know the name of the ship .) so its great to keep up-to-date about local shipwrecks. Its also nice to know some of these for future diving ( This one is too deep to dive .)  

I'm looking through some pictures for a art gallery submission. I took a few photos while ago I liked but have sort of put them all over the place. I might create an online gallery to sell some of the works if people like them for their office or home. Stay tuned. For now I just try and share for readership pleasure and perhaps raise a few dollars for orphans.  Some of my pictures are kind of business like and I think might look good on a wall. So if your interested in this one just let me know, post a comment or something. This one makes me think of navigating change and charting courses. If you know where your going you can inspire others to follow.  If you like the picture Donate to Orphans

“ Every sailor knows that you can’t sail a ship that isn’t moving forward, strong leaders understand that to change direction, you first have to create forward progress .” John Maxwell Integrity is an interesting word and is an important one for the transitions we face as a society. Older patterns of thinking and ways of looking at the world sometimes need to adjust to the newer challenges that face us. When we don't update our thinking we run into situations where the values of a wide swath of society ( ...as defined by characteristics such as generational, racial, religious, etc... ) are not in alignment with the values of some institutions ( ...meaning there is dissonance that will create conflict ). Without reorienting the values of one or the other ( or both ) we will continue to see growing differences and rubs/conflicts that will play out in different avenues. Integrity can help...but only if we live by those values, manage by those values, and use those values as something

 If you are following the China and U.S. national competitive initiatives you can gain a grasp of how infrastructure is becoming central to both nations and their approaches. China is a country that rose to power quickly in part because some U.S. executives found that the profits drawn from investing overseas was worth more than the total cost-benefit of investing in the U.S. ( See how metrics can be misleading because they are finite and often fail to take in all the different factors. They used profit as one of the primary drivers without considering the longer term implications such as stolen technology, weakening of U.S. competitiveness, long term economic health, workforce development, etc.... That doesn't mean outsourcing to free up U.S. capacity to focus on higher value development is different than outsourcing entire manufacturing sectors to shave price. One keeps the highest value aspects of the line in the U.S. while the other moves the ultimate direction of value to anot

There is a prediction by Deutsche Bank that in 2023 the Fed will cause a mild recession. According to JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon things could get worse if environmental factors get worse. There is potential for soft recession or deeper recession. There are also possibilities other interesting things can happen. ( It should be noted that when we are talking about probabilities and possibilities each outcome is dependent on other factors .) So there is no crystal ball when it comes to predicting the future but one can project the future based on past performances ( i.e. the same thing Fed Chair Jerome Powell is saying when he talks of soft landings. He is looking at past incidents to predict economic behaviors based on similar circumstance. There is a whole complex science to it. I failed my Harvard extension economics class...so you know. 🤷). We look at past history to sort of understand what might happen in current situations.  It should be noted that we are moving through a tran

If your wondering what is exciting in the U.P. you have to read this The New Yorker article by David Rompf  entitled ' The Plan to Make Michigan the Next Space State '. The race is on and the U.S. needs to be at the top of it. We aren't talking about just sending a global net into the air but the actual discovery of new things and space dominance ( commercial shipping, mining, military, exploration, etc... ). Space will be that new frontier in the same way that sailing around the globe and developing the first plane changed our lives ( ok...for the younger age...the invention of the cell phone as an example! ) The U.P. is a perfect place for space development. It is rural, surrounded by water, and rugged. You can find some of the world's most noteworthy natural forests. It is the type of place where people gain a sense of what it was like before the advent of technology ( I actually know people who trap as augmented income. ). We are talking about taking something as o

Policing is a necessary part of societal life and rising violence is going to bring more problems. Just like ignoring blatant problems in policing isn't the solution it is also not a solution to attack officers ( It heightens issues to a point people make even bigger mistakes due to fear, frustration, and impulsivity .). The problem we face is that major differences in perspective ( different views in society ) and the people who heighten those differences for personal/political gain are creating bigger societal schisms. Ponder an important number..... According to the article ' FBI director says violence directed at police officers unlike anything he's seen before ' violence against police rose 59% to 73 murdered officers in 2021 ( Lives lost in the line of duty. While it doesn't seem like a huge number the trend and the ambush methods are concerning. ) There are recruiting problems and other issues rising within policing and we should be concerned about finding lo

Today I had an interesting discussion with an acquaintance of mine on law enforcement and its general effectiveness. Sometimes it is beneficial to move into the use of different citations and studies and other times it is beneficial to talk (record sentiment.) without having to deal with "facts". We know that bigotry, discrimination and racism are big part of people's discussion and much of the nation is gripping with this issue and confused by it. From far right to far left people are lining up on one side or the other and sticking to a party line narrative. Yet linger questions still remain and solutions are not forthcoming ( likely because people can't budge on their opinions .) In this discussion we talked about the nature of law enforcement, its purpose in society and how it is perceived in various communities. Different peoples see different things and they view law enforcement in different ways. Some have positive images and some have negative images. Much of t

 As a people we should have certain laws and values (and symbols) that tie us together and sow the seeds that allow us to create shared roots of culture. Sometimes laws are designed to help and other times they are designed to distort ( Yes its possible to have both ). At the essence of all laws should be values and those values are where our money and laws should be focused.  Values can be very subjective based on who you are talking with. Some feel that while individual cultural values are different that we as a people have shared values that bind us togethers. Others feel that values are all about what they can get out of any situation and laws are just meaningless tools ( Some judges may even feel that way from time to time. ). At the end of the day we must decide what the essential purpose of our laws are and whether or not they are going to reflect our shared values.  I used to be an idealist who believed that most people are hoping to do the right thing and create a sense of com

Ok its not a great white shark nor is it a nearly extinct whale! It is just a stingray with thousands and thousands just like this one on just about every beach in CA. I bought this relatively cheap used outdoor underwater camera off of Ebay I was trying out. Likewise, I haven't touched my dive equipment for a while so I needed to ensure I had everything I needed.  Filled up the dinghy and headed to shallow waters. Not much to see but these little stingrays. Watch out because these little guys hurt if they get you! Last year I got stung coming in from surfing and I had to sit at the lifeguard for an hour with my water in a bucket. Just in case you ever have a stingray sting you will come close to bursting into tears. This is what you do HERE . If you like the picture Donate to Orphans

Firefighters have a dangerous job. Their job isn't going to get easier if climate begins to change. Something like 6,000 acers are burning in Flagstaff AZ. I looked around to see if fires are increasing and in turn the demand for firefighters increasing as well ( Will be a problem if we don't attract people to public service and volunteering .)  Raymond Zhong  from the New York Times put together a really nice article on increase of fires in Climate Scientists Warn of a ‘Global Wildfire Crisis’ .  You may also want to see some areas where you can help through donations ( I know I'm big on supporting donations but its one way that many businesses and wealthy people can give back is by supporting these fundamental roles in society that don't pay much but are still central to a functioning society. In many cases firefighters are volunteer/part-time but the risks are extremely high. Delved in our day-to-day affairs most of us are removed a little from the importance of thes

Preston Dunlap the leading architect official for US Space Force and Airforce is leaving his position but warns the U.S. must innovate to maintain technological advantages. He is responsible for $70 billion budget for research, development and acquisition. You can read more about it at ' Another Pentagon Official Exits, Saying U.S. Is at Risk of Losing Tech Edge '.  I agree that staying on top of technology is important. Many times we lock knowledge up in higher education institutions without using them for national growth. The higher the institutional standing the more theoretical the research and increasingly exclusive the information ( Gentrifying education and innovation can help speed industry adaptations. There are differences in emphasis between PhD and applied DBA ). A little more focus on the application of research is helpful to speeding development. That takes commitment to increase competitive change (See GDP Govt. Mind , Start-up Firms ,  China 2033 PhD China vs U

 I was looking around for a cheap waterproof camera that can do shallow dives and be used when I don't have my larger Cannon available. This camera cost me about $25 and was of course used. The parts came and it was a little scratched up. For a 20MP camera that is waterproof it is worth a try. These are above water photos but I thought a few of them looked pretty good. I'm trying to get a collection together for submission to juried art show ( I've done on a so so level different artforms. Sold a few pieces from time to time for pennies on the dollar. 😩). Thinking about submitting anyway. I have a couple of galleries I am familiar with that would take the submissions. If nothing else they are good pictures for readership and of course if someone donates a little to children that would be awesome! If you like the picture Donate to Orphans If you like the picture Donate to Orphans If you like the picture Donate to Orphans If you like the picture Donate to Orphans

It doesn't take much to see the horrors of war that come through the destructive capacity of people. Take a way a few rules and throw a wet blanket on social inhibition and the sky is the limit for destructiveness. On a daily basis most of us are pretty good at living in a civilized society but when given an opportunity some of us delve into the darker side of inhumanness through the justification of hate. Behaviors that would be shunned in one context are rewarded in another and that is the risk we face when failing to think of how to tackle thorny race/religious issues in our society ( When I listen to the different sides speak none of them seem to have the whole story but they do have the sliver which justifies their preexisting beliefs. They seem to live by self confirming focus and interpretation of events ). When we view each other as part of different societies we also begin to raise the value of those within one society and lower the value of those in another.  At present t

We seem to have a rash of people pulling out their guns to solve problems. The more we see young kids doing this, the more we must start to wonder if the way we doing things is the right way. I know it seems obvious but guns aren't toys. Real people get hurt, lives are destroyed, and everyone loses.  Unfortunately, violence seems to be the preferred path for some people and the skills for other paths lacking among many.  While these shooters did the wrong thing they did so in context of a wider society in which conflict is handled. Solving problems like this often means teaching people how to manage differences.  I have seen the difficulties when people disagree and can't stop escalating. There is no limit in the way in which some people process anger and aggression. There are skills that help people diffuse tough situations and still "save face". It just sort of depends on which paths we emulate in society and which one's we don't.  This is why we still need

If you like the picture Donate to Orphans We can spend the time in the gym ripping muscle fiber but its often the recovery that slows down growth. Recovery time is also part of the growth process as microtears in muscles heal creating strength and bulk. People often look for ways to improve and speed up that heeling process. Some opt for supplements thinking they are the best way to go.  Many of these supplements have limited benefits but there is a need to ensure the fundamentals are covered and that doesn't need to come in pill form. Some fitness trainers have argued that water and pineapple juice speed up recovery and allow athletes to get back into the gym faster (track, sport, etc.) Does Water Improve Muscle Recovery? Dehydration not only limits current performance but also muscle recovery. See the study HERE . Thus not having enough water in your system is not only going to impact you at the gym it is also going to slow down your recovery. That is a great way of saying keep

Marijuana is becoming a heated topic among cities and dispensaries. There are financial benefits in terms of tax revenue to allowing dispensaries within the city limits and there are soft costs in terms of law enforcement, accidents, etc... Taxes are direct and costs are often indirect but they are all important. The soft costs are going to be much harder to pin point specifically. You have to watch for increases in costs in other areas. The same could also be for soft benefits such as requiring the dispensary to fix up and convert one of the nicer/cornerstone buildings to enhance the salability of other nearby businesses ( Methods of revitalizing a downtown to increase tax revenue and increase the value of downtown. Add a hotel and some more investors for other buildings/business and you might have small demand growing. That is where the city/county would need a better plan on attracting and encouraging entrepreneurs to move into the area. I suggest small entrepreneurs be in tourist r

 Putting a little color in the day. If you get stuck in a rut consider the other things you could be doing right now! Spending time on the water is always awesome! You can almost smell the ocean! 🛥 If you like the picture Donate to Orphans

Investment is something everyone should consider as it is one of the primary ways to build wealth and capital. Inflation often eats at saved cash so one should consider the options of finding high return and relatively safe investments. Some industries are going to stay ahead of inflation and be able to adjust the price of their products accordingly. Some tech companies update frequently and regularly and that allows them to adjust prices and maintain profit margins.  U.S. DOL has information on inflation and inflation calculators. HERE   April 12th, 2022 Consumer Price Index CPI HERE.

Russia Appears to be focused on further exploiting our elections according to an article  Russia Airs Its Ultimate ‘Revenge Plan’ for America  that highlights some strategies that are believed to be from Russian officials. Interfering in elections and exploiting differences within the American population strikes at our central notions of what it means to be an American. The strategies follow along the same lines as the prior elections ( Also perhaps some of the hyped crowd in Capital riots? I think officials are looking at the different groups and the outcomes of individual cases. Adding up the results of those cases and the details of those cases on a macro level can give a fairly insightful view of what people saw and heard during that time 🤷). We can see within our divisive national political rhetoric and the difficulties some American's face in their hometown as indicators of how such false incepted beliefs spread to create chaos  ( Russia and Race 2016 ).  This is one of the

If you like the picture Donate to Orphans Organizational innovation is as much a process as it is an outcome. The process of innovation is written into the depth of our organizational structure, culture, and human capital. If you hire smart people ( human capital oriented experience, knowledgeable, creative, etc .) and they are empowered to discover ( culture, interest and rewards ) and given the proper tools ( processes, procedures, structure ) they are going to produce. The level and benefit of that production is based the ability to design an environment in which those things can happen.  We can look at a study conducted by Delloite entitled, ' Innovation Study 2021: Beyond the buzzword ' that surveyed 400 business, technology, and innovation leaders across six industries to better understand corporate innovation. What you might notice is the different factors that lead to innovation. Buchtel, Kark and Henry, 2021 1. Ambition: People who want to win and create something ne

  If you like the picture Donate to Orphans If you like the picture Donate to Orphans

Fencing is a sport I have played from time to time. I get into it and then start getting pretty good and then fall off the wagon so to speak. Being consistent in sports, fitness and life is important. While I am sometimes inconsistent with which activities I am still fairly consistent with activities in general and that makes a difference. Fencing is one of those sports that you will get in shape quickly due to its high cardio requirements ( Combat sports are often like that!) . At the same time you will master new hand eye coordination skills and learn how your body moves quickly to act and interact with the blade.  1. Fencing as Cardio: You are constantly on the move and your opponent is trying to strike. You don't have the option of slowing down or you will get hit. The forward and backward movements of a match along with the gear will get you panting to your maximum range. Be careful with a sport like this. There is some conditioning involved if you want to maximize the game.