When we look at the beauty of these buildings it reminds some of the wealth of the industrial area. The buildings that were built are breathtaking and have a European flair to them.
Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Monday, December 21, 2020
Rock Climbing into the Cave's Mouth-Allegory of the Cave
The morning air whipped cool and a muddy trail made hiking somewhat more challenging than expected. A few days earlier I found a cliff face that stretches as far as one can see just off the trail and up the hill. Most people probably would miss it if they were not actively looking for contour changes of the tree canvas. With my backpack loaded with ropes, harness, and grigri I marched upwards until I was abruptly halted by a wall of rock.
Life is a little like a cliff face that blazes a trail through the forest for miles. While the rocks may seem insurmountable it is still up to you to decide how to deal with difficulty. Some with throw their hands up in frustration and stomp back home, others will run head first without thinking right into their peril, and a small few will find their way up, over, and around challenges. Your strategy is often based on how you view yourself and life quit, muscle it, or finesse a solution. It takes time and patience to walk the ridge and find spots that will allow you to climb safely. While you maneuver along the rock crevices to find your entry strategy you may get smacked in the face by branches and scraped raw by razor sharp thorns.
Ok...sorry...enough with the similes! The point is that each of us has to decide how we want to deal with difficulties. Today...I was just trying to find a place to climb. Maybe someday I will try and climb Everest but I have a long way to go yet in training and abilities. Much more effort is needed on putting myself in lower oxygen levels. I will be heading to Colorado in about a month or so. I would like to raise awareness for a concept called "universal" justice where Americans are treated with a universal value system that seeks to foster a better society.
If your interested in Philosophy you might want to read Plato's Allegory of the Cave
Congressman Bergman Votes in Favor of Covid Relief and Appropriation Bill FY21 that Impact the U.P.
It is important for people to stay informed about happenings in the Michigan's 1st District of the U.P. Particularly you may be interested in the FYI Appropriations. The actual document is HERE. Lots and lots of details so you might need to take your time.
A little about Congressman Berman if you want to know more. HERE No matter which political party you adhere (or none at all) you want to know who is representing you and what they believe. The quality of a person is based deeply in their character. Our nation needs wise leaders from both parties and that requires loyalties to certain fundamental American beliefs.
The following was taken from his press release and provides some highlights.....
| |||
| Washington - Today, a deal was reached between the House, Senate, and White House on a COVID package and appropriations bills. Rep. Bergman voted in favor of the legislative package to avoid a government shutdown, provide additional coronavirus relief to American families, and secure major wins for Michigan's First District and the State of Michigan as a whole. "Workers and small businesses across the First District are at a breaking point after 10 months of restrictions from the state and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. I'm pleased that critical PPP and EIDL funding and tax provisions are part of this legislation as businesses across our district face unprecedented pressure, especially during the holiday season. Bergman also added, “While I supported this deal to bring targeted coronavirus relief to Michigan families, I am disappointed in the continued dysfunction in Washington. This type of legislating is irresponsible and a reckless approach to federal budgeting; but with the options presented tonight, I am supporting the workers and small businesses across the District who have been in dire straits since March.” Topline details on the COVID relief deal:
First District Priorities and other topline details of the FY21 Appropriations package include:
|
Saturday, December 19, 2020
Michigan Becoming a Leader in Business Development
Business seems to be pushing in as a leader in new business formation. This is good news if we find that those who were laid off from business have decided they would love to state a business and grow. Starting new business in a Pandemic may not be ideal but the one's that will succeed will also push for increase hiring a few years down the road. Small business are often known to grow fast once they are able to get through their break out stages.
We could foster these business start ups to give the young generation the best chance at future success by developing economic clusters so they may innovate off of each other.
In Michigan we have a 61% increase in new business applications in 2020 when compared to 2, 3, & 4 % average in the state over the last decade.
If you look at the nation as a whole you will find an increase in 38% new business applications when compared to 5,6,7% ish range over the past decade.
Which Nations are Likely to Succeed in the Post-Pandemic Digital Economy?
Which nations are likely to succeed in the new digital economy? The Harvard Business Review published an excellent article entitled Which Economies Showed the Most Digital Progress in 2020? that discusses how certain companies are adapting. What the study finds is that the U.S. is a Stand Out economy and China is a Break Out economy. What it also indicates is that China is adapting faster than the U.S. and we have not yet built our data infrastructure for innovative manufacturing and increased GDP advantages of the Information Age. This is also likely why we were hit hard by foreign espionage as our systems are better than most but our infrastructure isn't ready to capitalize on the new technology era leaving our younger generations at a competitive disadvantage.
You can see a few differences between Stand Out and Break Out
Stand Out
- Expanding adoption of digital consumer tools (e-commerce, digital payments, entertainment, etc.)
- Attracting, training, and retaining digital talent
- Fostering digital entrepreneurial ventures
- Providing fast, universal, terrestrial (e.g. fiber optics) and mobile broadband internet access
- Specializing in the export of digital goods, services, or media
- Coordinating innovation between universities, businesses, and digital authorities
Break Out
- Improving mobile internet access, affordability, and quality to foster more widespread adoption
- Strengthening institutional environments and developing digital regulations
- Generating investment in digital enterprises, funding digital R&D, training digital talent, and leveraging digital applications to create jobs
- Taking steps to reduce inequities in access to digital tools across gender, class, ethnicity, and geographic boundaries (though many access gaps still remain).
I have been working on a theory for like 8 years that discusses the digital economy and transactional clusters. It probably isn't worth that much to anyone but we do need to sort of think along the lines of new paradigms in economic development and growth. You can read more about the working paper HERE.
Chakravorti, B, Bhalla, A. & Chaturvedi, R. (December 18th, 2020). Which Economies Showed the Most Digital Progress in 2020? Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/12/which-economies-showed-the-most-digital-progress-in-2020
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Bi-Partisan COVID Bill Part of Re-Norming Our Nation's Leaders
The U.S. is a democracy and each person can cast a vote. However, their votes and voices are often drowned out by special interest groups and political influence. Our nation is at a point in its history where it must decide between two futures that will have a great impact on our lives as we know it. Nothing stays the same forever and success and failure is highly depending on our ability to compromise and work together as a single people with a shared sense of purpose. Any organization, whether on a corporate or a national level, we cannot avoid moving through the stages of change.
New Political Norms Forming:
According to the 1965 paper by entitled Developmental Sequence in Small Groups go through stages of forming, storming, norming and performing. Later Dr. Tucker added dissolution/adjourning to his findings. We have come through an era of hyper politics and the pendulum swings a little more in the direction of bi-partisanship as people ponder the best path forward. National leadership must start working together to solve problems or otherwise face increased risks in ineffective legislation and dysfunctional engagement that could lead to national decline. It would be great if we re-norm and OUT-perform.
Senator Mitch McConnel States, "It is time for Republicans and Democrats in the Senate and House to find consensus on COVID relief before the holidays. We hope our Democrat counterparts share our sense of urgency."(DeMarche, Dec. 2014, para 2). From the language and tone perspective you can see he is seeking a more collaborative approach and encouraging the other party to engage as well. You may also gain a hint that the speaker is aware of the significance of not being part of a package deal.Language influences how we frame our arguments (combative or collaborative) and creates a perspective that influence national discussions. With more collaborative mannerisms you will also find encourage more problem solving networks versus those that lead to increase combativeness (Focus on connecting versus disconnecting ideas). You can learn a little more about this in the article "Neuroscience and Collaboration: Understanding the Brain for Better People Management" (Gordon, 2017).
Power in Proposals:
We cannot ponder the changes unless we first propose them. After they are proposed we go through a serious of compromises or rejections. A proposal will of course not be accepted if they are narrowly focused on the needs of a single sect of supporters. Thus, we must work together so as to select and own our collective fate; whether good or bad. The power of proposals can be used as a first to propose influence that leads the conversation and focuses more as a governing power on solving problems. One may also find that their popularity rises during a time of change as bi-partisan and well thought out proposals have a higher rate of success that leads to re-election.
Power can come from proposals! Consider a study entitled The Power of Compromise. Proposal Power, Partisanship, and Public Support in International Bargaining. The study comes to some interesting conclusions, " the author finds attitudes toward compromise are conditioned by the ideology of the audience and leader"(). The study compares reactions and approval ratings based on certain leadership behaviors. I wouldn't worry about which political party so much as the concept of how society is will to reward those who propose and compromise.The author states, "Drawing on theories of individuals’ core values, psychological processes, and partisanship, the author argues that leaders reduce or eliminate domestic public constraints by exercising proposal power and initiating compromises." (Brutger, 2020, para 1).
We are living in a complex world and its going to be increasingly so as the pandemic highlights our weaknesses We are also struggling with finding a viable future for ourselves and our nation that will likely have a significant impact on the success of the next generation. Success will require a different set of skills then what might have been needed in the past to secure national dominance. Yet in an era where technology is rapidly changing and nations must earn their spot they must find better solutions than others (Why diversity of thought is important). Success will depend in part on adaptive forming, storming, norming, performing and hopefully not adjourning (That depends on finding a renewed sense of commitment to our core national mission and settlement on how to achieve it) stages.
Brutger, R. (2020). The Power of Compromise: Proposal Power, Partisanship, and Public Support in International Bargaining. World Politics, 1-39. doi:10.1017/S0043887120000192
DeMarche, E. (December 14th, 2020). Top Republicans seek COVID-19 relief before holidays. Fox News. para 2. Retrieved https://www.foxnews.com/politics/top-republicans-seek-covid-19-relief-before-holidays
Gordon, K. ( May 13th, 2017). Neuroscience and Collaboration: Understanding the Brain for Better People Management. CEO Magazine. Retrieved http://media.the-ceo-magazine.com/guest/neuroscience-and-collaboration-understanding-brain-better-people-management
How Hate Continues on in the Form of Microaggressions?
The whole point of writing about hate and justice is to give people a proper perspective of what its like to be a target of hate based behaviors and in turn how to eradicate these beliefs that hold us back from fulfilling our national destiny. We must choose to be a single society or to be multiple factions within the same society through the way we interact with others. It doesn't take much for people to move hate from its unacceptable form to its more acceptable forms of microaggressions that can further erode the concept of "togetherness" in society.
In other words, its that subtle form of hate that lingers on in the framework of society leading to further divisions among people who could have long ago forgot their differences. Bigotry is embedded into the language and social structure that pushes our society to be separate. The changes of tone, civility, and under the radar comments all contribute to in-out group dynamics and Us vs. Them mentalities. Just like dealing with passive-aggressive behaviors it is difficult to deal and not easy to confront for fear you could be misjudging.
Let me give you an example of how microaggressions are played out in the course of everyday life and business affairs. You are halfway through a sentence discussing a common house issue with a person who provides such services and they groan and hang up the phone. Yikes! That was odd....was it an accident or was it intentional? While they did eventually call back it didn't seem like a total accident. By the time you actually figure it was intentional rudeness its long after the conversation has ended and no longer easy to directly address.
The way we talk to each other and the way we use our language makes a huge difference in how we perceive and set up the structures of society. The subtle use of language to project hate is called microaggressions. Microaggressions are designed to impact the target and are not always conscious but yet play a big part of creating hostile environments. It is an indication of beliefs and method of interacting with people you see as a "foe" when compared to those you see as "friend".
It is helpful to have a definition of such behaviors, "Microaggressions are defined as the everyday, subtle, intentional — and oftentimes unintentional — interactions or behaviors that communicate some sort of bias toward historically marginalized groups." (1) I'm not sure why the definition says "historically" as it could be toward any group but the main point seems to be aggression embedded in everyday language and is focused on groups or people seen as "outsiders".You may want to read something a little more scientific about how they work in a study in the study he What, the Why, and the How: A Review of Racial Microaggressions Research in Psychology (Wong, et. al. 2014). I applaud researchers like this because they are highlighting issues that reverberate throughout our economic system and the choices and beliefs people make. These are the poor behaviors that are there if you know what you are looking for and research helps bring them forward so they can be recognized and someday addressed.
It should be understood that the group has been intentionally snubbing the target and this may have lead to other more serious problems in the community. Thus, microaggressions are not innocent and they are not without consequence to others who are not involved and are innocent bystanders. Dividing lines and microaggressions are the subtle form that can lead to choices and behaviors that can easily become macro aggressions under the right circumstances. Further incidents by group members would be an indication of further intent (Let's wait and see).
We also can't forget that even though we have laws in place we have not solved bigotry, hate and racism in society. Its only when we look deeper into the problems to uncover latent variables that are just behind the more observable behaviors. The subconscious thinking patterns can lead to all types of other problems such as lack of integration in neighborhoods/business, creating hostile environments, and when widespread setting up different factions and societies; even in the same country.
Observation: Aggressive social groups continue on with subtle rude and social positioning behaviors.
Observation: Because hate is imbedded in the brain it will adjust forms that create difficult to work in environments that are likely to lead to new conflict.
Observation: Macroaggressions help define group boundaries and encourage social factions.
Sure sure sure....one can live with intentional rudeness and immaturity from time-to-time but why should they have to? Its "In your face" nature is a problem with hate, it impacts social context and association that leads to segregation, different social networks, different business networks, and continuous risks encourage future conflict. The environment dysfunctional social groups create is designed to socially signal their projected beliefs. You don't need to put on a hood and brandish a weapon to create hostile environments.
Observation: Once hate and bigotry is embedded into a social group it is difficult to unroot because they are interconnection in interpersonal loyalties and similar mindsets of social consciousness (i.e. sharing a real or mythical enemy/target).
Observation: Communities struggle with themselves to deal with the deep seated nature of bigotry, racism and bullying. It works a little like a debate where the group beliefs persist and seek to influence others who may or may not agree; an internal community debate.
Thinking about what might help in Michigan I have a few thoughts on the incident that may be useful. First, the laws on hate are too rigid and seem to focus only on high level threats and intimidation. It doesn't grasp how hate works in the brain and how it functions in every day social networks. Forms change but the intent and message don't. Second, hate is embedded into our culture and we will need to go beyond simple legislation and change the very nature by which view natural differences in this country. As long as such behaviors are acceptable, whether locally or national, we are going see these problems rear their head again and again. As a nation, we will make choices as to whether we will reach our full potential or seek to arrest that development and split.
We can say that these types of actions help define the boundary of the group and their beliefs. While they appear to be somewhat homogenous in certain beliefs there does appear to be some differences that are starting to emerge. Those that are most connected to the core faction seem to be more likely to engage in such behaviors while others have gone another route. While it is easy to get into tit for tat behaviors that escalate that isn't really the point of what is going on here. I want people to truly choose who they are and what they believe without prompt so that these behaviors are truly theirs. Thus, my goal is to continue to be polite and continue to engage and integrate into the community to see what the actions and reactions are (Patience really is a virtue here!). It takes skill and practice to stay patient and be aware of what behaviors belong to you and what belongs to them.
Wong, G., Derthick, A. O., David, E. J., Saw, A., & Okazaki, S. (2014). The What, the Why, and the How: A Review of Racial Microaggressions Research in Psychology. Race and social problems, 6(2), 181–200. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12552-013-9107-9
Sunday, December 13, 2020
Latest Government Hack Highlights Need for Updated Data Infrastructure and Security
We are moving into a digital world and we have not yet grasped the economic and security solutions we need to maintain and improve our national strength. Old paradigms are becoming increasingly insecure, ineffective, and costly. Updating our data infrastructure can help us on multiple fronts such as GDP growth and big data advancements. Successful strategic change pressures us to think more about infrastructure investments that prepare us for advance manufacturing and commerce while at the same way improving our overall data security (i.e. block chain and other fast data recall encryption and data dispersion methods). Successful adaptation is limited not by our will to overcome but by our ability to envision safe harbor through the fog. Solutions will require bi-partisan agreement on what coordinates we are going to point this national juggernaut.
Friday, December 11, 2020
Florida Gets Two First Space Bases-Could KI Sawyer Have Some Strategic Advantages?
I'm watching the two new bases renamed in adopting process to start the Space Force. Florida is a great place for a new base. Yet I'm still thinking of the U.P. and KI Sawyer as potential base locations and air transport hub. Some type of feasibility study would need to be conducted but with changes in our manufacturing competitiveness and our new military technology needs may prompt us to consider this geographical important area.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)