Firefighter Hose and Training Tips (Video)

Learning about firefighting is important because you never know when you might need those skills. For full-time, part-time, or volunteer firefighters, watching videos like this helps build knowledge and understanding. I do some on-call, part-time firefighting, and while you can’t make every call because of other commitments, it’s still important to keep training. I plan on doing more soon, and in the meantime, I keep watching and learning—because that’s how we improve.

We also have some younger people joining, so it’s valuable to pass that knowledge along. Everyone brings their own strengths based on what they’ve read, trained on, and practiced, and building a shared base of knowledge makes the whole group stronger. Our crew works well together.

In this video, I really liked the way they moved the hoses with their leg—tucking and pulling them forward is something I definitely want to try. Their forced-entry techniques were also impressive.

If you’re interested in donating to a firefighting department in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that serves several rural communities and continues to grow despite national trends, feel free to send me a message. I’d be happy to connect you with the right people who can accept tax-deductible donations for equipment, training, and other needs.

Heading Into 2026: Concerns, Reality, and Smart Money Choices

The other day, I came across an article discussing the challenges many Americans are facing with prices and the general lack of optimism. I looked into the data behind it, and it appears much of it came from this survey. The survey was conducted in December, about three months ago, so some things may have shifted slightly since then, though probably not dramatically.

Overall, the results show that people are feeling somewhat pessimistic. Many say the economy isn’t really working for them, rising prices are a concern, and the cost of living is becoming more expensive. About a quarter of respondents reported that their expenses exceed their income, healthcare costs continue to climb, and some believe we’re already in a recession.

At the same time, the economy hasn't collapsed. Things appear relatively stable for now. Inflation remains a concern, and the job market has slowed, but people don’t seem to be having widespread difficulty finding work. It’s sluggish, but we’ve seen worse. We’ll have to wait and see how things unfold. COVID shifted economic projections a few years ago, and we learned that forecasts aren’t always as accurate as we hope.

As we head into 2026, a little hope doesn’t hurt. The best advice is to be smart with your money. Cut back on unnecessary expenses. Remember that companies will try to sell you anything they can, but that doesn’t mean it’s in your best interest. Saving even small amounts can add up. Invest a little at a time if you’re able. Pay down credit cards as quickly as possible—the interest rates are outrageous. I know that’s easier said than done, especially for the working class, but the struggle is real, and I understand why people are concerned because I'm cut from the same middle class cloth.

Still, I’m cautiously optimistic about a few things. Hang in there.

2026 Economic Outlook, December 2025

• Most Americans feel pessimistic about the 2026 economy.
• Many say the economy is not working well for them personally.
• Rising prices and cost of living are the top concerns.
• About seven in ten say their local cost of living is not affordable.
• More people say their finances got worse this year than improved.
• About one-quarter report their expenses exceed their income.
• Over half worry about affording healthcare in 2026.
• A slim majority believe the U.S. is in a recession.
• More Americans think the Democratic Party would handle the economy better than the Republican Party.

Seagulls on the Beach Painting

 This painting is called Seagulls on the Beach. I’ve been experimenting with different styles lately, and a bit more sketching has really helped improve the overall quality. Painting is a hobby for me, but if you like this piece, feel free to send me a message in the comment box to the right and I’ll be happy to make an offer.

It’s a relaxing, coastal scene that could look great in an office, a living room, or a beach house. You might really enjoy this one.

Dehumanization, Partisanship, and the Mind (Story of the Clan)

(Illustrative Only)

Dehumanization is a dangerous force in any society. It has existed throughout human history, rooted in our tendency to group people, label them, and then treat some differently. Once we do that, it becomes easier to justify behaviors that would normally be unacceptable and/or illegal.

Partisan politics can make this worse. Parties create categories, expectations, and pressure. Ideally, people would vote based on their own beliefs, debate ideas openly, and work toward real consensus. But party pressure often pushes people to support individuals, actions, or legislation simply because their group expects it—not because they freely agree. Instead of bottom-up decision-making, it becomes top-down.

The philosophical Story of the Clan illustrates this problem. In the allegory, hate and corruption were tolerated as long as they targeted people that had been dehumanized. Actions that would never be taken against people of one group suddenly became acceptable. Once people learned to justify those actions through rumors and mistreatment, they struggled to stop or correct them. The depth of systemic breakdown clear. 

This leads us back to the purpose of law. Law is meant to be universal—it cannot violate constitutional rights. Not legally anyway. Yet the way we apply law is where inequality appears. People may say they believe in equality publically, yet unconsciously treat groups differently because of learned biases tied to race, religion, politics, or identity. Without awareness, these biases push the outgroup to be treated unfairly therby robbing them and society of full development. 

Lesson: Once we categories we can treat differently.

This happens in politics, disagreements over opinions, and even in areas connected to freedom of speech or religion. Without critical thinking, we repeat these mistakes again and again. This a major reason why certain choices are made, agreed upon, enacted and then historically regretted as the full scope of hate becomes apparent. Most not allowed to propose alternatives or voice their opinion leading to collective delusions and group think. The victims must eat the cost of other's choices.

Let us dig a little deeper....

The study below is useful because it looks at free word associations—how quickly our minds connect words and ideas without conscious thought. This reveals the hidden assumptions we carry from culture, personality, upbringing, social groups and political identity. When people consume only self-selected information, those assumptions harden, creating deeper justifications for harmful behavior through more group think.

The consequences are real: lost human potential, unequal treatment, and people being pushed out of opportunities or having rights eroded. Top performance can't be achieved without broad stakeholders. The best and brightest from any race, religion, politics, etc. should be encouraged without unfair restriction or mistreatment. It is our primary purpose and values that count and not the superficial difference or parties. Without wisdom one might loose their best and brightest and weaken the whole.

The study is worth reading. It offers insight into how our minds form these automatic connections—and how becoming aware of them is the first step toward fairness.

Lesson: Once you become aware of your bias and can acknowledge that bias is part of human nature you can overcome them and make better decisions.

Imagined otherness fuels blatant dehumanization of outgroups

• The article introduces imagined otherness, the idea that people think another group sees the world very differently from a typical human, which increases dehumanization.

• Researchers studied Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. to see how this perceived difference in worldview relates to dehumanizing the other group.

• In a study with 771 participants, the more someone believed the other party’s thinking differed from a typical person’s, the more they dehumanized them, beyond simple dislike.

• A second experiment showed a causal effect: prompting people to see the other group’s worldview as very different led to higher dehumanization.

• The findings show that imagining another group’s mindset as fundamentally different can reduce how human they seem, helping explain dehumanization in political and social conflicts.

van Loon, A., Goldberg, A., & Srivastava, S. B. (2024). Imagined otherness fuels blatant dehumanization of outgroups. Communications Psychology, 2(1), Article 39. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-024-00087-4

*This is a philosphical, hypothetical, thought experiment that one can change the elements, debate and come to their own conclusion. Take with a grain of salt.

Freezer Archaeology: The Pie Edition (Camp Cooking)

(Illustrative Only)
Andy Jones embarked on 
an archeological dig in
his freezer and found 
blueberries. 

I found some blueberries hiding in the back of my freezer—probably from a decade when people still said “YOLO.” I figured I should either use them or give them a proper Viking funeral, so into a pot they went. I tossed in a little pectin, some lemon juice, white sugar, a splash of brown sugar, and a bit of cinnamon. Warmed it up, mixed it around, and cooked it until it stopped looking confused.

Then I grabbed another bowl and did the pie-crust thing: flour, cold butter (a stick or two, depending on how brave you feel), a pinch of salt, and a little brown sugar. Rolled it into two balls—one for the crust, one for the fancy lattice on top that says camp chef all over it.

Threw the whole operation into the oven at about 350° for maybe 30–40 minutes—basically until the crust looked cooked but not like it had just escaped from a wildfire. Pulled it out, let it cool, and boom: blueberry pie. Super simple. Honestly, I’m not sure why I used to think cooking was some mystical art. Now I just look at the portions online, wing it, and if it turns out weird, I know exactly which questionable decision caused it.

I had a slice last night—tasted pretty darn good. I’m gonna give some to my neighbor. Someone at the shuffleboard tournament last night even said, “I wish I was your neighbor,” which I’m pretty sure means my camp cooking has officially achieved local celebrity status. My bread did!

Economic Growth, Community Engagement, and Crime Trends (In Theory)

(Illustrative Only.)
Meant to be a little
philosophical in nature.

Nerdy Nick is just
sitting home because 
it is cold and trying 
to solve an economic
puzzle just for the heck
of it. Life is
boring, you just gotta 
go find stuff to do. Maybe,
maybe not? 😶

Kind of like a Haiku poem☝

Perpetual Sustainable Development
Economic Development in History
Morality and Law
Digital GDP
Evolutionary Economics

Let's continue the discussion on economic and social development. Economics measures activity, but it is an imperfect, quantitative tool. Today, data allows us to explore relationships between different factors such as economic growth, community engagement, and crime trends in much more detail. The world has change significantly and new opportunities are presented.

In this hypothetical theoretical example, we see that economic opportunity through investment, community development, quality of life improvements, and strong local leadership can positively impact society. One might think of what a model like this might do if formalized and possibly be applied in other places (In theory).

The Pearson correlation coefficient shows a fairly strong relationship between development and a reduction in crime. However, some of the data comes from estimates, so trends may change as more accurate  numbers come out. We need to see if increases in household income and reductions in crime continue over time.

Reducing crime often happens when development creates a sense of community (i.e. why start ups and industry and build from each other in positive ways. One might call this broad based capitalism.). People begin to respect and support each other. Social development shows up as growth in community engagement, organizations, and enjoyment of the local environment. This has many benefits: it prevents future victims of crime, lowers policing costs, and allows people to act, transact, and build with confidence (The underlining assumptions).

Many factors influence these outcomes, but research typically focuses on a few at a time because studying everything is complex. It can limit understanding and reduce knowledge transfer and innovation. In our data-rich world, new insights may challenge traditional economic assumptions. We saw this during COVID, when predictions were made, trends shifted, and then moved back toward stability.

The data discussed here comes from multiple sources and was analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient. While this is just an initial look—done over coffee—it aligns with what we hoped to see. More detailed analysis will be needed to fully understand the trends as well as accuracy. 

You may read was a Pearson corelation coefficient is and what the computer pumped out with the data....

Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC)

• The Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC), or r, measures the strength and direction of the linear relationship between two numerical variables.

• Its value ranges from -1 to +1. +1 means a perfect positive correlation, -1 means a perfect negative correlation, and 0 means no linear correlation.

• A positive r means as one variable increases, the other tends to increase. A negative r means as one variable increases, the other tends to decrease.

• The closer the absolute value of r is to 1, the stronger the linear relationship.

• PCC is often used in data analysis and research to summarize relationships between paired data.

 Analyzing the relationship between socioeconomic factors like household income and crime rates in a specific area of this example, reveals some compelling statistical trends. Based on the income data provided and historical crime reporting trends for the region, here is a statistical breakdown. The following was what the analysis showed. Kind of cool. Time answers all questions....

---

1. Correlation Analysis

The calculated Pearson Correlation Coefficient between median household income and crime rates in this period is approximately $-0.65$.

• Interpretation: This indicates a moderate to strong negative correlation.

• The Trend: Statistically, as median household income increased, the reported crime rates generally trended downward. This aligns with standard economic theories suggesting that higher financial stability reduces the "economic necessity" drivers of property crime.

2. Key Statistical Indicators

Metric	Value	Significance
Total Income Growth	$+10.86\%$	Income rose from $\$40,926$ to $\$45,369$ over 14 years.
Mean Income (Avg)	$\$39,715$	The "pivot point" for the local economy over this period.
Income Volatility	High (2012–2014)	The sharp dip in income during these years coincided with a measurable uptick in local crime reports.

3. Socioeconomic Observations

• The 2014 "Tipping Point": 2014 represented the lowest income point ($\$34,641$). Statistically, this period correlates with the highest relative crime frequency in the last decade for the area, particularly in larceny and burglary.

• The Post-2020 Shift: Interestingly, while income dipped in 2020, crime rates did not spike as drastically as in 2014. This suggests that government stimulus or local community support programs may have acted as a "buffer," decoupling the direct link between low income and crime during the pandemic.

• 2024 Projection: With the 2024 income estimate reaching an all-time high of over $\$45,000$, statistical modeling suggests the community is entering its most stable socioeconomic period of the 21st century.

Integrating Tourism, Industry, and Talent in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Seed Model and Transactional Theory)

(Illustrative Only)

Starting a new
store downtown on
Ludington street might 
complement tourism,
exports, quality of
life, and in part
support retention of 
talent that
feeds other industries
such as wood products, stamping
and ship building. 
Transactional Subfactors
Investing Start-ups
MultiClusters
Tourist Micro Manufacture

 Economic development in medium and small towns is becoming increasingly important, especially in places like the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Communities such as Escanaba are experiencing steady growth in recreation, tourism, and local industry. People are more active and socially engaged, with rising attendance at music events, expanded use of golf carts, increased sailing activity, and higher visitor numbers at the yacht harbor. These trends suggest that the overall direction of the community is positive. 

Each part of the local economy influences the broader system. Industries such as shipbuilding, metals manufacturing, and wood products shape infrastructure needs, and that infrastructure in turn supports smaller and related businesses. Economic clusters do not always form around similar industries; they can also emerge through co-development when different sectors strengthen one another. 

A healthy social environment, strong tourism base, and a variety of activities make a community more attractive to workers and help employers recruit and retain talent. Added to this are important assets like a strong trades college or programs that support entrepreneurship and small business creation, both of which can significantly influence long-term economic performance.

In small communities of around 10,000 people, economic resilience is essential. When one industry faces challenges, others can help absorb the impact. Natural fluctuations occur across sectors, and the mix of industries helps stabilize jobs, tax revenue, and opportunities. The study mentioned earlier fits well with these ideas by showing how outdoor recreation can support economic growth, environmental protection, and community well-being. These factors can help form an economic cluster, whether it develops naturally—as appears to be happening in Escanaba—or is intentionally structured around a particular industry.

(As a side note, I'm working a transactional cluster theory that improve innovation. This study seems to support a similar concept.)

The SEED Model for Sustainable Economic Development in Small Rural Towns via Outdoor Recreation

• Small rural towns often struggle with declining populations, limited infrastructure, and reduced economic opportunities.

• The SEED model focuses on creating a collaborative ecosystem of local stakeholders to drive sustainable development.

• A project champion is essential for organizing partners, coordinating efforts, and securing resources.

• Outdoor recreation and nature-based tourism can act as catalysts for economic diversification and community revitalization.

• Sustainability requires balancing economic growth with environmental protection and community well-being.

• Success depends on shared vision, strong relationships, and education that builds local capacity and long-term commitment.