Escanaba City Council Meeting September 16th, 2021 (Granting Permission to Look for Grants)

The meeting was all about grants, possibly hiring grant writers (It is so much work...and detailed work. I did it a couple of times and it went into someone's computer "trash bin" I'm sure. 😭), possible recycling (Green City), rezoning, and housing around Ludington (Good ideas for business, tourism, and senior/young housing that helps the downtown be busier and of greater commercial/tax benefit.).  Closed session (hmmmm🤔). You can some additional information on the September 16th, 2021 Meeting Agenda and City Government Meeting Page.

What I can say is that Escanaba City Hall appears to be working together to enhance their community and the benefit to local residents that rely on their decisions.  Government often does best when normal administrative problems are solved closest to the community of stakeholders; there are exceptions for national issues. In this case, it appears that motivated city admin and elected officials are working toward gaining resources and funds to fulfill some of their projects that they believe will improve the city (What any city should be doing.) 

I also like they are rethinking  housing near the downtown area in a way that expands some local strengths. Those cities that have done well attracting younger talent and investment dollars have beautiful downtowns and lots of recreational/community opportunities. Long term viability is based in part on how we manage our downtowns to create a unique branding experience for Escanaba and Delta County as a whole. When downtowns have life in them and businesses are full (and aesthetically pleasing/store fronts. Redeveloping Downtown) they are better able to maintain the value and attract more interest and resources (Delta County Start-Ups). 

The Brookings Institute published some ideas about revitalizing downtown. Some of the concepts apply but not all because they did so from a more urban perspective. What should be remembered is that Escanaba is not Urban but has experienced some decline in population and overreliance on a few anchor businesses. Its downtown could be an attractive tourism and small business mecca (lower m) while the area could attract more small batch manufacturing, distribution, and design companies (Maybe? 🤷) Where its semi isolated nature on the Great Lakes was a detriment in recent times (meaning it was once a resource extraction area for the beginning of the Industrial Age and then sort of went into economic hibernation) it can now work toward being a "hot spot" rural Digital Era town (Its just in theory but if it works....it can be copied in other places. Putting bright people together with local resources and skilled labor can do amazing things.). See Turning Around Downtown: Twelve Steps to Revitalization

As a side note, I never noticed the closed captioning and that is awesome. Maybe its just a button on my YouTube but great.

Politico's Political Cartoons-Its Ok to Chuckle!

Cicero and the Roman Republic
You can learn more about
Cicero's Political Philosophy

In recent years I have been thinking about politics a little more (the good and bad of it) and watching with intent the events as they unfold in the news bringing greater awareness of major political arguments and philosophical positions (Looking for similarities of position we might be able to agree upon.). What I can say is that sometimes its important to laugh at ourselves and take things with a grain of salt (As long as in a positive way.). Politics is sooo soo serious and people are sooo sooo serious about it! Yikes! 🤨Yes, I think there is good reason to be serious about it because we have a responsibility to ensure that we are making the best decisions for the most amount of people. But......

As I watch politics I kind of get the jokes that I didn't get before. Its just that I didn't pay attention enough to the political landscape to truly understand the background that leads to awareness of the intended and implied meanings which make something comical. Let me say this, whether your Democrat or Republican its ok to sort of look at these cartoons and giggle (I'm not picking a side in the cartoons because I think I chuckled a little at most of them. I suspect if your in the public light your going to have a sketch made and some rib poking. I'm a conservative by nature but do try and understand the main arguments. I surround myself with friends and people of different backgrounds to gain better rounded perspective of people and find that much of politics 70% if puffs of smoke while 30% are essential and that is often where key points are flip sides of the same coin for Democrats and Republicans. These are national necessities where big ??? and unknowns/grey areas reside and people fall back on their hidden assumptions and root philosophical beliefs to navigate the "unknown".)

The Nations Cartoonists on the Week of Politics
Politico

According to research conducted in the Department of Physiology at Wayne State University laughter brings about positive emotions and in turn connects communities, improves learning, and improves creativity (As long as people do it in good taste and don't get weird about it! 😶🙉) (Savage, et. al., 2017). This is likely one reason why having positive environments can be a little fun gets things done! (🧀). People just feel good about life when they laugh a little at things and take a little lighter approach to life; especially judging the choices of others in hindsight. COVID should have taught us a little more about what is and isn't important during our time. We will need to work together to solve some problems in a bi-partisan way. (As a conservative I believe its important to work with people across the isle on important issues that impact everyone. There will naturally be somethings where a more robust debate and discussion must happen to ferret out the the options but this is the messy process of general societal consensus. There are many things we can already agree upon if we break arguments down to their essential points and what we find is often there are additional agreements we didn't see prior.)

Savage B., Lujan, H.,Thipparthi, R. and DiCarlo, S. (2017) Humor, laughter, learning, and health! A brief review. Adv Physiol Educ 41: 341–347. Retrieved 09-17-21 https://journals.physiology.org/doi/pdf/10.1152/advan.00030.2017

US Economy Fastest Growth in 50 Years-Were Not Out of the Woods Yet!

When reports from noteworthy organizations, think tanks and governments come out its important to pay attention because they often have something important to say (ok...most of the time!). The one thing many Americans are thinking about is the economy. As soon as you turn on the news you will find the airwaves filled with economic discussions ranging from "love it" to "hate it". One way to stay in tune with economic activities and the decision making of global financial leadership is to look at some of the big reports that are released/published for public consumption. For example, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) published the report, 'UN Trade and Development Report September 15th, 2021' that delves into economic projections of the US and world through 2022 and a hint of what is beyond (I really just wanted to see 2022/2023 transition based on my economic transactional innovative adaptation theory.  😢)

The UN states, "The global economy is expected to bounce back this year with growth of 5.3 per cent, the fastest in nearly five decades....." There are additional details in their post, 'Global economy projected to show fastest growth in 50 years' that indicate the growth may be limited (This is where we may choose something different.) What its saying is that we are having a great year in the US for growth and post-Covid launch 2021. The problem is, according to the report, that it isn't sustained consistently throughout 2022 and specific projections end around 2023 and leaves us at 3.5% slow growth thereafter (Assuming I'm reading it correctly.)

The modeling used to generate the report seems to "point to real growth of global trade in goods and services of 9.5 per cent in 2021". Meaning that we should see more movement of products and services nationally and internationally (i.e. increased consumer activity). Determining who will get the lions share of that (US or China or other) is still in the process of being defined (The US growth was projected at 3% during 2022 and China 5.7% during 2022 meaning that without change we slipping in position. This is where our leadership might think of adjusting strategy and using its resources to strengthen its economic fundamentals for a new era of innovative development; or not?🤷).

UNCTAD also expects that there will be a global slowdown to 3.6% in 2022 as the world income stays below pre-pandemic trends for most countries (I think this would because government stimulus would decline and regular activity would resume at "normal"). Its possible this can happen, but alternatively it is also possible that some countries like the U.S. will still realize significant economic gains while some countries will realize loss making big winners and big loser from the pandemic (Some countries were almost ready to advance into the Digital Era but needed a push to shorten that timeframe 10-15 years.). Furthermore, another option is that by the end of 2022 corporate strategies/changes start functioning optimally 3 years after forced COVID adaptation of their business model (We can change but we must then maximize that change by getting through the learning curve.).

It should be remembered that the report is speculative but is based in real modeling science and is an important part of understanding global trends. Even as a well written report there are a couple of contingencies it doesn't offer and can't put within its framework (Remember limitations and delimitations from research class?🤔📚) I think of these as curve ball outside changes that can't be easily modeled with standard approaches. They are also known as a "nonlinear events" that can create butterfly type changes we might not normally expect. See Chaos Models in Economics (...not from a modeled system that creates a flat trajectory line but from the real time shifts outside current numbers and somewhat dependent on our actions as a nation. Keep in mind how choices open and close opportunities. A little secret is that despite the complex formulas economics uses it is all really just individual choice added up into one large economic pot. Take a step left and have certain options and take a step right and different options are available. The key is to know when and where to step. To do that we can guess, use economics, or a combination of intuition and economics. "Einsteinian" Economics and Intuition-Science Solutions ) that through normal calculations is general discarded (That is why models are models because they can't calculate for the unknown well.). 

For example, if the U.S. becomes politically more stable and pushes for shared goals and mutual development it can beat economic expectations and spank China as an economic rival (For example, improvement in data infrastructure can improve commerce, innovation, manufacturing/production while at the same time make our system more resilient from hacking.) I suspect the end of 2022 will ramp upwards and 2023+ will be another growth year(s) (...again depending on polices implemented, or not implemented, at this time and moment in history. Our ability to make decisions as a nation is important for maximizing outcomes.). 

The report UNCTAD report projects 2022 that U.S. will have a growth rate of 3%. I'm not going to disagree that the total year may be that way but I think the very end of the year will see improvements as organizations are completing their transitions phases and more fully implement long-term digital strategies to be realized in 2023. (It should be remember that the first stage is to adapt to chaos by necessity, 2nd stage is to adjust the business model into a workable form, and the 3rd stage is to capitalize on new business models for longer term strategic growth.)

A curve upward is highly dependent on what our politicians and leaders do now, COVID spread, global markets and our environment (There are so many real life factors to consider that its difficult to project specifics but it is possible to look at societal shifts beyond purely financial metrics and into other national/international metrics that leads to greater environmental awareness and context of change.). Policies best serve the public when they are presented, approved, and implemented during "windows of opportunity" when a strategic choice at the right time, with the right resources, and the most options allows for significant butterfly changes (Think of how a space moves off of its flight path and a little fuel at the right moment can put the spaceship back on track but if we wait too long it becomes increasingly more difficult and costs more resources. Two Risks Post Afghan)

The US and China are in a position to capitalize on the Digital Era by embracing cross infrastructure synergy through the development hard infrastructure (i.e. rail, port, etc...) network development (maximizing communication, efficiencies, Internet and innovation) and human capital (primary, secondary, college, advanced STEM, skilled trades, etc...).  However, the U.S. is in a better position to realize sustainable gains through advancing innovation and manufacturing to corner global markets where China would still be hard pressed to develop that capacity (based on cultural aspects rooted in their ideological assumptions) quickly (They can do it but they would be behind the curve in terms of meeting the US natural entrepreneurial spirit. That is also dependent on whether the U.S. wants to push that spirit among the young and develop an attractive innovative environment where small, medium, and large businesses develop and thrive in a symbiotic way they creates sustainable growth.)

You can learn more about UNCTAD on the UN website. 

SpaceX Makes History with First Civilian Crew

Considering that SpaceX is around the U.P. and there are lots of interest from government on developing new technologies along this line. What people are clapping for is that the technologies are working well and each stage of the flight is functioning properly leaving open new opportunities to develop the process for commercialized flight  further (Maybe we can root for the Packers and for SpaceX/NASA 😆) 

Presidents and Welcome.US Help to Resettle New Afghans

The very first fist experiences of resettling new Afghan refugees into the U.S. are important one's for socializing these new comers around the hope and dreams that make America unique. Connecting new immigrants to their host country requires a level of socialization Afghans not only with Muslim communities but also with other religious and ethics groups that are a support to their new life and a full understanding of our national beauty (Opportunities to create real hope and change not only for them but also for us.). The U.S is a place where people of all faiths and backgrounds have an opportunity to be part of an effort to work toward something greater. The children of these immigrants will be born and bred American and will support the development of our nation through their own blends of experiences and ideas. 

This "welcoming" is something of a game changer in the way we "connect" people and how we generate an organic and lasting image for our country (That leads to selling of the American brand as a place of opportunity, business and growth to the different peoples of the world. That can also have an impact on our ability to compete diplomatically and economically.). As a nation where we use our unique backgrounds to support our universal American values we will find strength while countries that are narrowly "homogeneous" might struggle to overcome future challenges. When used properly, and oriented around shared American identities, diversity can be a strength that takes the best of each community to make it better for everyone. 

Companies and people interested in support Afghans can contact Welcome.US

"Resettling our new Afghan neighbors requires a whole-country response. That’s why three former Presidents and three former First Ladies have joined us as leaders of this effort – above all, to lift up everyone else involved and remind us that this is our opportunity, in a time of all too much division, for common purpose."

Firefighters Train to "Hot Load" Victims for Emergency Flight Services

Rural places can be tricky for firefighters and first responders because there are lots of miles that must be covered on sometimes very challenging roads. Sometimes its safer and faster to have a helicopter to lift the trauma victim(s) and move them to the nearest qualified hospital. During these types of scenarios, agencies may opt to use an emergency airlift service like Guardian Flight.   

On the ground firefighters at Escanaba Township Vol Fire Department, Bark River Vol. Fire Department, Ensign Vol. Fire Dept and Nahma Fire Department attended training on how to "hot load" injury victims. Most of these guys/gals do so out of the goodness of their hearts and don't receive any compensation. Supporting your local firefighters can go a long way in helping communities stay safe during difficult times. 

FYI....Escanaba Township Vol. Fire Department is still in need of a newer grass/brush/field truck if there are any companies that want to donate. 

If you want to know about some of the national and international fire associations you can check out Michigan's LARA list. As volunteer organizations often suffer with attracting new people and resources one dissertation study suggests volunteer fire departments might consider a stronger recruit and retention approach. (Looking at studies like this helps us better understand how to encourage community participation and engagement in a way that strengthens communities. I would look at multiple studies to tackle a recruitment and retention problem like this. One could also consider other types of volunteer motivations and the personality traits individuals have that push them to spend their time helping when they could be doing other stuff. For example, if we introduced volunteering to highschool students we may encourage the more altruistic students to engage in firefighting/volunteering after graduation.)

Bank of America Bullish on Market? Forecasting the Fringe

Economists, business executives, and investors of all types like to see some of the projections that banks offer. These banks conducted their own analysis to help determine future investor strategies. Remember, that banks make money when people trust their advice and are willing to deposit, invest and earn a profit on capital. Watching banks, especially different banks, can give you a benchmark of what institutional investors are thinking as they navigate the fringe (Things that haven't happened yet). Assuming that the metrics they are using are not outdated or misrepresented each uses their own particular (but related) strategies to forecast. Bayesian Time Varying Models. 

Bank of America Securities offers some discussion on supply chain disruptions (That is also why I think the U.S. should update its infrastructure, shorten its supply chains, and engage in mutual development projects with Canada and Mexico to corner the different price bands of new products to price out products from countries that aren't as innovative and have been relying on low cost copy manufacturing to maintain profits; without calculating other costs to things like environment. Thinking of methods to limit market entry. See Data Monster, Environmental Scanning, Essential Pricing Strategy, and Evolutional Game Theory Market Entry  FYI. not that first long sentence is grammatically correct. 😏)

S&P Global offers, an international business intelligence and analytics firm, offers insights offers a Mid Year Banking 2021 Outlook.

...and there is a great place to invest in the U.P. if anyone has any institutional dollars now that forecasts are somewhat higher (Intelligent Investor Optimism Jason Sweig). Delta County Chamber of Commerce