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Adjustments in Penalties for Michigan for Workplace Covid Safety Violations

We know we need some penalties for protecting workers from Covid. The extent of those penalties is open to debate. A case brought forward by Associated Builders & Contractors of Michigan and DJ’s Lawn Service, Inc. indicates that the maximum penalties is a misdemeanor. I think this may have been set in the original EO laws (not going to spend the time to look it up). It is a balance because workplaces do need to protect workers but sometimes get neglectful in the need to make a profit. At the same time, we want to ensure that such violations are appropriate to the "crime". It was $70K, up to felonies, and administered by MIOSHA. There will be some decision on whether to appeal by the Attorney General. It may not be worth it as COVID cases are on the decline. Probably better to just let it go for the moment........................as the need for these measures may be lessening. On the flip side, one could easily make the other argument that we could have a surge and migh

There are a lot of things to complain about....but we should enjoy the little things.

Complaining only works when it comes with solutions. Complaining to complain rarely has a positive effect as people block out the essential message. I guess we become prone to sort of protecting our time and cognitive focus. Take the time and sit back and enjoy the small pleasures of life....it is those that lead to a more meaningful path. Work smart, relax, and enjoy. Do stuff that is meaningful and you won't complain about much.

Trump to Sign Executive Orders on Police Reform

The President put together a quick preview of what is to be expected in his police reform bill. There is a balance to be used here. We know the police need reform and we know there are bad people. We also know that the culture of policing has changed over the years as crime has risen. Thus, it is important to provide some metric changes as well as help for community members when smaller crimes are committed that are more due to mental health, poverty or addiction. We also know that bad apple police seem to create multiple problems throughout their careers and have some kind of immunity and protection. While I don't believe police officers should be removed for mistakes I do think they need to be removed for malicious intent. We know the difference between right and wrong. On the flip side, we shouldn't be profiling people based on color and income. We should be engaging with people and trying to understand them well before acting. It is tough for police to be all to everyon

Why People Lie? A Few Good Honest Reasons!

I spent some time thinking about why people lie. It seems very common and people do it all the time. There are different types of lies that range from the innocent to the malicious. I've experienced such lies myself and I guess in my life I may have told a few myself. However, I'm more concerned about those who lie all the time and they lie in a malicious way. This is what I can think of..... 1. Lie to Protect: Sometimes we may not want to say certain things or we feel like we don't want to answer a question. For example, if someone you don't know well asks you a personal question and you may say some sort of wishy washy answer. I don't really consider these lies. You may also lie to protect someone. 2. Lie for Power: These are the types of lies that many politicians and people who want to create influence. Its hard to have honest discussions and often people are unforgiving when legitimate mistakes are made. Therefore, we might be inclined to lie to soften the

Larry Kudlow and Jake Tapper: Discuss Economic Recovery

Senior White House Economist Larry Kudlow discusses the potential of economic development growth. While no one knows for sure what happens because economic projections are a little like "looking into a crystal ball" you can look at economic indicators. For example, buying houses at low interest rates is a level of optimism. One might look at what companies are growing and what companies are suffering the most. As states open up we may also better determine the extent of economic damage. Of course all of this is dependent on not having a major spike, international conflict, civil unrest, etc.... These are unknowns. On the flip side if we focus more on developing businesses, removing racism and bigotry (Sorry I see them both as problems), and developing a strong and fair capitalistic system without the "wet blanket" dampening approach that neglects the natural devleopment of small businesses we may have a fabulous economy in the near future. Large businesses are g

Lap Swimming the Ocean for Fitness

It isn't the first time I've done it but it is much warmer this time. Lap swimming the ocean makes a big difference in terms of working out or not working out. We know that everything is closed down. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me as everything else in the economy is decimated. We need a cure and we need the ability to protect ourselves while engaging in our normal lives. Businesses and lives are being ruined by this little monster virus. It goes to show you that nature is our mother and has more influence over our lives than we think. Sorry...I went a little on a soap box. Anyway...I went ocean swimming and it was more fun than I thought. I have underwater headset to listen to music in the pool. It works well in the ocean as well. So I went on my way, put on my wet suit, through over my hood and jumped into the water. It wasn't that cold with the suit. I swam back and for for about 45 minutes. The waves make a much more difficult swim then in the pool. Th

President Trump delivers West Point commencement speech

President Trump delivers military speech as West Point. Our military is in a state of transition. There are new honor codes being developed and the essential skills needed to be learned are becoming highly complex and technologically oriented. The way in which officers must use data, real time adjustments in strategy and the ability to "think out of the box" in an increasingly sophisticated battlefield is important. On an international level there are lot of very smart tech oriented people that will become part of the military make up and the officers that utilize that information will need to think in new ways. We support our military and its opportunities to develop, retrain and grow a new force of sophisticated leaders.  West Point as a long history of training some of our finest.