The Simple Value of Making Fresh Juice: Local Economy and Better Health

 Let’s talk about the value of juice. And no, I’m not talking about the modern trend of turning every piece of food in the refrigerator into a liquid. I’m just talking about good old-fashioned juice made from fresh fruit you picked up from a farm or the local grocery store.

Fresh juice simply tastes fresher. There’s something about squeezing an orange and drinking it shortly afterward that makes the stuff sitting on the grocery shelf for who-knows-how-long seem a little less exciting. Fresh juice is best consumed fairly quickly—within a day or two—because there are no magical preservatives keeping it around forever.

(Illustrative Only)
Yep just 10 more
to go to get my
little glass full.🙃

Around here
we have apples,
berries, and a few
others. Oranges
are more tropical.

Support your local
farmers by
buying local.

It can also be a good way to get vitamins and nutrients from fruit without relying on the high-sugar drinks we sometimes hand to kids and then proudly call “healthy.” If the ingredient list looks like it was written by a chemistry professor, maybe we should rethink the definition of healthy.

There’s also a bigger economic argument here. Encouraging more of our food supply to come from local and regional sources can benefit both food security and rural economies. Big companies have an important role in producing and distributing food, but having more local growers—and making it easier for them to get their products onto store shelves—can create more choices and keep more economic activity in the community.

And there is a simple physical benefit: fresher food is, well, fresher.

Of course, there is a downside. Fresh fruit can be expensive, especially something like oranges. You might spend four dollars on four oranges and end up with only a cup or a cup and a half of juice. At that point, you have to decide whether that cup of fresh juice is worth four bucks. For some people, absolutely. For others, that's a lot of orange squeezing for a small glass.

Buying directly from a farm, picking your own fruit, or buying locally when prices are reasonable can make more sense. And if you have enough fruit, you can always move beyond juice into pies, jams, canning, or whatever other food-preservation adventure you decide to undertake.

Even the peels can have a second life. Orange peels can be used in various household ways or added to compost and garden systems rather than immediately heading for the trash.

So, yes, fresh juicing can be a little expensive and a little messy. But there is something satisfying about squeezing a few oranges in the morning and having fresh juice with breakfast. You don't need to make 47 gallons of it. Make enough for a day or two, drink it fresh, and enjoy one of the simpler pleasures in life.

Sometimes the good life is not complicated. Sometimes it's just an orange, a little elbow grease, and a glass.

I have a fitness trainer license, yoga instructor license, coach, and engage in sports so if you need a little fitness trainer virtual help just let me know. 

A couple of articles, 

Juicing: Good or Bad?

How to Squeeze the Most Nutrition Out of Your Juice

H.R. 10419: SMILE for Veterans Act

Veterans are people who have served their country, often with great dedication and sacrifice. That service is separate from the policy decisions made in the legislative sector of goverment. The individual veteran served their people, and veterans should not return home without access to the support they need.

The proposed SMILE for Veterans Act is one example of legislation focused on supporting veterans, particularly through access to dental care after they are done serving.

The proposal includes a three-year pilot program. At this point, it is simply something to be aware of and to follow as the legislative process develops. Raising awareness about programs that may benefit veterans is an important first step. It is up to you to decide if you support this or other legislation.

H.R. 10419: SMILE for Veterans Act

• H.R. 10419, introduced September 16, 2026, would establish a three-year pilot program to improve access to community-based dental care for veterans living in rural areas.
• The Department of Veterans Affairs would work with community providers, including rural clinics, nonprofit organizations, dental schools, private practices, and mobile dental units, to provide services outside traditional VA facilities.
• Eligible services would include dental examinations, cleanings, fillings, extractions, dentures, periodontal treatment, and other necessary outpatient dental care; cosmetic procedures would not be covered.
• The pilot would operate in at least 10 rural locations across at least five states, with outreach intended to help veterans learn about available services and locate participating providers.
• The bill authorizes $5 million for fiscal year 2027 and $20 million annually for fiscal years 2028–2030. As of September 27, 2026, it has been introduced and referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs; it has not yet received a floor vote.

Congress, House of Representatives. (2026, September 16). Supporting Mobile and Integrated Local Examinations for Veterans Act (H.R. 10419, 119th Cong.). GovInfo. https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/BILLS-119hr10419ih

John Williams, President and CEO of Federal Reserve Bank of NY Discusses Evolving Financial Markets and Interest Rates

At the 2026 Treasury Market Conference, John C. Williams, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, discussed how financial markets are changing and what that means for monetary policy.

Williams covered new forms of finance, financial-market infrastructure, and how the Federal Reserve uses bank reserves to help manage interest rates. He also emphasized the importance of flexibility as markets and the economy continue to evolve.

The remarks offer a useful look at how Federal Reserve officials are thinking about financial markets, monetary policy, and where the economy may be heading.

Adapting Monetary Policy to Changing Financial Markets

• Financial markets are evolving, requiring monetary-policy tools to adapt.
• The transition from LIBOR and expansion of central clearing strengthened market infrastructure.
• Stablecoins and tokenized finance present new areas for policymakers to examine.
• The Fed’s ample-reserves framework helps maintain control over interest rates.
• Williams emphasized interest-rate control, low reserve costs, and flexibility in managing reserves.

Williams, J. C. (2026, September 22). Do you remember? Federal Reserve Bank of New York. https://www.newyorkfed.org/newsevents/speeches/2026/wil260922

Milgram Experiment: Obedience to Authority (Allegory of the Clan)

We continue to explore the darker side of human behavior through the Allegory of the Clan, a hypothetical philosophical thought experiment that allows us to examine uncomfortable topics in a safe environment where we can learn and grow together.

(Illustrative Only)
We learn by sharing
stories and understanding
each other. It reduces
hate and corruption 
by raising collective
awareness of the dangers
of not focusing on
our shared interests
and those of the next
generation. It is 
the people who should
be the ultimate stakeholders
of all institutional effort.
Elect the best and brightest
and not the most connected
or vetted. 

The Milgram experiments examined what happens when people blindly follow authority. Participants generally did not want to hurt anyone, yet many continued what they believed were increasingly dangerous electric shocks because an authority figure told them to continue. The research was partly motivated by questions surrounding obedience during the Holocaust and other acts of mass violence.

This raises an important question: What happens when obedience is combined with hatred, discrimination, or the belief that certain people are less worthy than others? Would that issue be compunded in places were corruption was also present?

Now, think what would be the overall solution to increase togetherness, strengthen checks-n-balances, and support those who work with honor for the public good while minimizing the impact of those engaged in misusing systems.

That pressure to do what is good over what is wrong comes from our collective will and efforts.

If people are discouraged from speaking up, questioning authority, or defending important values, harmful behavior can become normalized. Over time, unwritten rules can develop that reward conformity and even collective hatred. Speaking up slows that process by increasing awareness and reflection. 

The Allegory of the Clan explores how this process can happen. It reminds us why freedom of speech, rule of law, checks and balances, and the ability to challenge authority are important. We should carefully consider who we place in positions of authority, including judges and other leaders, while recognizing that most people want to do the right thing.

Ultimately, this is not about punishing people. It is about justice, accountability, and creating a society where fairness and the rule of law become deeply held expectations and part of our social contract.

*As a learning allegory you may come to change around the elements, find new solutions, disagree, etc. As long as you thought about it then all is well. Take with a grain of salt.

The Milgram Experiment: Obedience to Authority

• Milgram studied how people respond to authority, even when instructions conflict with personal values.

• Participants believed they were giving increasingly strong electric shocks to another person.

• About 65% continued to the maximum 450-volt level when instructed by the experimenter.

• Obedience decreased when participants were closer to the person receiving the supposed shocks.

• The study influenced psychology while also raising important ethical concerns about deception and participant stress.

Lewis, T. T. (2024). Milgram experiment. EBSCO Research Starters. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/health-and-medicine/milgram-experiment

The Creative Innovation that Comes from Blankspaces and Coffee

September 26th, 2026

GLADSTONE, MI.-You're thinking about a project, a solution, something at work, or a creative outlet. You want to accomplish your goals, so you stay busy and work on it every day. That's wonderful. But we also tend to fill every second of every day with something—TV, video games, activities, work, or whatever it happens to be.

(Illustrative Only)
Blank Spaces
Can Create Innovation.
Just reflect on that.

Yet some of the highest levels of innovation come from combining learning and exploration with blank spaces where you're simply doing nothing. Maybe you're just sitting with a cup of coffee and reflecting. That quiet time gives your brain an opportunity to make new connections and discover new solutions.

Once you have those ideas, you can go back out into the world and explore their practical applications. Innovation needs both: time spent learning, experimenting, and doing, paired with time to simply stop and think. There's a time for each.

An interesting article,

Why Creativity Lives in Silence: The Neuroscience of Mental Gaps

• Silence allows the brain to process information and form new connections.
• Quiet periods can support reflection, mind-wandering, and creative thinking.
• Mental breaks may help with idea generation and problem-solving.
• Constant digital stimulation can reduce opportunities for creative reflection.
• Taking short periods of quiet time can encourage creativity and mental renewal.

The Whimsical Shots. (2025, December 24). Why creativity lives in silence: The neuroscience of mental gaps. Medium. https://medium.com/@thewhimsicalshots/why-creativity-lives-in-silence-the-neuroscience-of-mental-gaps-ae192c393221

The Durable Goods Orders Level/Flat August 2026

(Illustrative Only)
Bringing their organice
farm products to the 
market.

The durable goods orders are one assessment of the overall health of industrial manufacturing section. It tracks new orders, shipments, and backlogs. In this case it is flat. That is interesting because consumer sentiment declines, the economy is expected to be healthy, interest rates are high, and some indication that manufacturing expanding. 

U.S. Durable Goods Orders Remain Nearly Flat in August 2026

• New orders for manufactured durable goods in August were $338.6 billion, essentially unchanged from July after a 0.9% increase in July.

• Orders excluding transportation equipment increased 0.3%, suggesting modest underlying manufacturing demand despite weakness in transportation.

• Orders excluding defense increased 0.1%, indicating that the overall manufacturing picture was relatively stable when defense-related activity is removed.

• Transportation equipment orders declined 0.6%, or $0.7 billion, to $114.1 billion. Transportation has now declined in three of the past four months.

• The Census Bureau's M3 survey provides monthly information on shipments, inventories, and orders and is used as an indicator of current manufacturing activity and future business trends. The August advance report was released September 25, 2026, with the full report scheduled for October 2.

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026, September 25). Monthly advance report on durable goods manufacturers' shipments, inventories and orders. U.S. Department of Commerce. Census Bureau report

Consumer Sentiment Declines Some for September 2026

A decline in consumer sentiment is interesting because the economy appears to be expanding. Most economists, researchers, and economic theorists are saying that the economy continues to grow, while consumer confidence is moving in the opposite direction.

That creates an interesting disconnect between what economists see and what consumers are experiencing or expecting. Whether this becomes a long-term trend is uncertain. It is worth watching to see whether the optimism is concentrated among investors and economists while workers, consumers, and the average person feel differently. For now, we can simply keep following the economic data and see whether that gap continues to grow.

Consumer Sentiment Remains Weak in September 2026

• Consumer sentiment fell to 47.8 in September, down from 51.7 in August.
• Current economic conditions declined slightly to 50.9.
• Consumer expectations dropped to 45.8 from 51.5.
• Sentiment remains below September 2025 levels.
• Weak consumer confidence may influence household spending and economic decisions.

University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research. (2026). Surveys of consumers. https://www.sca.isr.umich.edu/