Academic-Capital

Social and political decline is often associated with economic decline. So far there are enough people and momentum to keep our American engines pumping forward with full force. At some point we might outstrip our human capital where some of our institutions struggle with managing for a more diverse stakeholder group. We are in a new world and the U.S. has to adapt like every other organization; that includes a number of institutions. We are in historically unique place to do that through organizational learning and appropriate implementation of that learning. Apothéose de Voltaire conduit par la Vérité et couronné par la Gloire An early philosopher of democracy Voltaire once said, " All men have equal rights to liberty, to their property, and to the protection of the laws. " We protect those rights by acting with  honor and integrity! Extremism and hate are demotivators for societal growth. It retards the democratic process and incentives for engagement. It alienates people

Justice is important. Its one of those things that people come to expect and its one of those things that is required by democracies that want to survive into the next era but also the ability to bump up to the next economic platform. They can do that by having stronger human capital management, professional administration of societal issues, and increased trust.  Here are a few observations thus far..... I should mention the background first. A Muslim family with Black kids was targeted by a fairly large group of people based on what appeared to be racial and religious motivations mixed with a good old boy network. Most of the officers from various departments learned that the information was false/manipulative/misleading ( Whatever that information was. I'm still trying to figure it out. No one has actually told me anything other than it was well known that the targeting occurred because we were Muslim. That is the message the clan leader sent to me through one of their associate

George Santos is in a difficult situation and of course we are shocked! 😮😱Yet, we really shouldn't be so horrified when people have been doing this in politics for a long time. That doesn't mean I don't think some level of action should be taken if found guilty of gross dishonesty. It is more of a comment on the importance for Democrats, Republicans and citizens in general to have the highest standards for those who will be making decisions over our nation and lives.  Our parties might want to put in place some basic vetting and checks for accuracy ( Even if there are accidental mistake s) so as to ensure their candidates are worthy ( I don't mean this in a negative way but just that there are standards for support ) of the support. Likewise, some basic level of vetting and fact checking will help serve voters because they can search out these candidates and obtain accurate information for accurate decision making ( Its hard to understand the candidates now and it wou

This is a sad event. We want our officers to be safe and we want them to be effective. When people have access to guns when they shouldn't, we often run into situations like this ( As its investigate we will hear more. ). Our society has a violent underside and we should consider ways in which we can live safer ( Why I support police 100%,... ). We should feel respectful for the sacrifice of that fallen officer and his family.  Crime is destructive to everyone and it is as much a community affair as a police affair. As a point, it is primarily a community affair and we entrust our police to fulfill that function. When officers fall in the line of duty we should bestow our respects and honor.  I think the officers handled this situation the correct way. They didn't need to get involved in shooting volleys and they didn't need to chase the car through busy streets ( There are probably times when that is absolutely necessary for the safety of the public and when a safe opportu

Rowing is serious business and requires a fairly high level of conditioning to do well. In the past year I have started rowing again, not that I was that good in the past, but I am rowing more regularly now. My starting numbers for the 500 meters were pretty high and then I dropped 20 seconds quickly based on some body mechanic advice. This morning I dropped another 10 playing around with some movements. That puts me above the bottom numbers of the team's/groups slowest rower (i.e. meaning its not me!). I have to still drop about 20 seconds more to go before I really fell good in a way where I would be on the upper half. Anyway.....this sport has some benefits that I like that include.... 1. Short and long muscle fiber. Using bursts of power leads to muscle growth and the cardio aspects of rowing lead to endurance.  2. It requires a level of discipline. I like things that require one to sort of get on track and stay consistent because you can monitor the results.  3. Its on the wat

We have a responsibility to continuously improve our institutions and systems to make them more effective for a modern world. It is in the best interest of society for our systems and institutions to reasonably update based upon modern thinking and certain core national values. That willingness to change when it is needed leads to institutional relevance and future trust among the American population. That can have a positive effect on society ( Failure to change and update will likely have a negative impact on society as we have seen in recent civil unrest, acceptance of domestic extremism, and other issues. ) As some of you know my family and I have been targeted by those who had something to gain by exploiting bigotry and hate in a way that created dangerous situations ( In more than one instance ) that could under the wrong circumstances led to serious death or harm. Yet this isn't really as much about me as it is about our value system as a society and how we apply our core so

This was an important meeting even though one might not initially see that. While it isn't jam packed full of information, action nail biting suspense, or hip hip hoorays of financial triumph it was one that touched on some key topics. There are important activities buzzing in the area such as DDA changes, possible new city manager, body cams, city waterfront development projects moving forward ( Anything to do with ship building in the area is cool. ), marketing of local businesses and much more. In its own way its pretty exciting to watch! A couple of thoughts on development.....  Tourism is helpful to the area based on existing assets and that can be matched with other activities to draw in new wealth. Ship building is a solid anchor industry that we should support because it has many other possibilities for the future.  Wood development is a natural resource that also acts as an anchor industry that will likely have high future interest for specialty e-commerce product packagin

Our nation is changing and the way we approach politics may change as well. The next generation of conservative will likely be more culturally open then the conservatives of the past ( global manufacturing influence ). In some ways I also believe the pendulum has moved for enough so that the new conservative looks more like an old Guard Republican but with a more modern flare with modern issues ( quality leather on new boots ). They will be more open to differences because we are in a world of differences and can't manage a country focused on limited demographics ( The U.S. is a diverse society and those who don't embrace that will be rubbing increasingly against the general public will. ) The new conservative should be more focused on solving problems then fighting with opposing teams on relatively nonessential concerns.  The new conservative should bring a renewed sense of professionalism to government and institutions ( Not playing games with institutions of power, treating

Clusters are going to become increasing important as our nation seeks to create competitive advantages. We will need new ways to think about things and researchers will have to share information to connect the dots of development. Approximately 13 years ago I started researching clusters based on something I found in Detroit just prior to the collapse. Since then I started to work on first understanding fishing, technology, and pharmaceutical companies. Once I got to a certain point I started to think of isolated rural towns like Delta County where you can watch cluster form in live time. Here is where I am now in my Delta County Model ( It may not be where everyone else is. Some may be further and some less however each is going to be a little unique .) As with all science you have to keep finding new information to better understand the model and the activities and the different components that lead to local and perhaps even at some point national innovation. This comes through the c

As we move into the New Years I have learned some lessons over the decades and feel it is beneficial share much of what I learned throughout my life with others. I'm not always right, but I think they do provide some level of valuable insight into at lease one perspective. While I like to give advice to my kids, and with age they have come to appreciate that advice, that doesn't mean everyone will. It also doesn't mean that my advice is always valid. What it does mean is that I'm experienced enough to provide some general advice and hopefully take some of it myself. 😏 Expect Little but Receive Much from People  People can disappointing and because of that a great many conflicts in life are based on false expectations. While as a society we should have certain expectations and maintain certain standards for the benefit and safety of everyone most of our day-to-day interactions are are series of social interplays. Sometimes they are positive and sometimes they are negati

On this Christmas Day it is time to spend time with family and friends. For those in Escanaba, it is time to remember the many generations of people that worked in lumber in one form or another and its influence on our holidays ( Think about it....for many families histories going back since early 1900's or even before. ).  Source: DDA and History of Escanaba Even my family goes back generations in this field in the U.P. ensuring logs made their way down the river. The "Mill" as it is locally known has helped this town throughout its generations maintain a way of life that is unique among those in this country and perhaps even the world.  I know that Christmas is sort of a religious day for some and it is sort of a secular holiday for others. For me, it is a little of both. Today, I'm thinking a few minutes about the many blessings that have been shared among people I know and among people in the community.  Source: Escanaba Post Card Museum I'm reading this artic

People complain in California during the wee hours of the morning that it is cold but I doubt they never thought of surfing during a blizzard! I would not suggest you try it at home. The closest thing I can think of are ice divers. Basically they chop a hole in the ice and jump in. They keep asking if I will be topside for emergencies ensuring the ice wont freeze, helping, etc. While I have summer dived with the group many times I respond, "Don't ask me! I'm not jumping into the hole!" Basically, depending on tank time and decompression time based on depth it would be unlikely emergency services would be close enough help. ( You may want to read about gases in cold water decompression many divers don't often think about. Pollock, 200 3 ) The coldness is not the issue here, it is the cold, wind, waves, and violent nature of a blizzard on the Great Lakes that would make this activity and perhaps even rescue difficult. However, with the outdoors the goal is often to

I 'm an active type person and do lots of things for recreation, sport and even sometimes compete in various activities. Reflecting back over the past year and some of the fitness mini experiments on myself to see what works and what doesn't work to improve fitness ( In this context, it just means trying new things and taking notice of changes .  Colloquial language ). Four things I found interesting over the past year are listed below. Earned a fitness trainers license and have some experience in general fitness activities ( I have been on different teams throughout my life from sailing to chess ). While that is perfectly good knowledge for me, it may not be precisely the right knowledge for you! The only way to know with reasonable assurances is to talk to your doctor and make sure you are ready for physical stress. Because I regularly try and push the limits and in turn I must monitor my general health and have regular check ups.  Four Things I Learned 1. Consistency. Keepin

This report is important and in relation to a security report in a previous post a few days ago ( Capitol Security Report) . Why is it important in general and/or for business? Well, the short answer is that the way in which we handle these conflicts, issues, and arguments helps to show our ability to navigate some of the most tricky situations. If I were a foreign company I might take notice that even during the worst of times where a Capitol has been sacked we as a nation, as a people, as self-rule spirit eventually adjust and overcome in a relatively peaceful way ( I'm optimistic! 🤞) There is research that helps to show that countries that can handle conflict and civil strife by focusing on the best will of the people become more stable places to invest and in turn reduce risks for international investments. When we add innovation, infrastructure changes, etc., civil rights protections, we might find the U.S. to be overall one of the best places to invest with a stable governm

The mill needs new life and the life of that mill is limited by the current market. Billerud has an opportunity to not only connect with the community but be part of history in the making. This town has lots of potential and the town is attracting increasing interest. Billerud is taking a historical landmark mill and bringing it into a modern digital era that supplies boxes for packaging and shipping (This is a growing market). So Billerud will make some choices.... Below you will find a very nice article by the Daily Press (Our local paper). If Billerud selects Escanaba as the place for investment I believe based on the way the market is changing, political adjustments, and economic shifts in manufacturing the company may end up returning more than they initially projected and in turn set themselves up for future emerging options and opportunities (Maybe. There is some support for that comment.).  I'm not going to go into depth on hedging and corporate investment strategies that c