Knowledge Spill Over in Information Migration (Cluster Research)

Further continuing to think about economic clusters and their ability to rapidly innovate industries and possibly create new industries if the factors are in alignment.  I have been using what such studies might look in a Delta County model.  Delta County, MI is a rural semi isolated location that holds notable untapped potential to form a cluster. The possibilities of attracting new investment interest FDI, and tourism are higher than other locations based on geography, infrastructure, quality of life and more.

The study below highlights how migration of knowledge can improve innovation. The term migration is of less concern than moving talent where it can share new innovations and disseminate knowledge. In my model one would utilize local skill trades knowledge to feed industries. Attracting talent, entrepreneurs, investors, etc. into the local market can improve supportive factors of innovation. Quality of life and sense of community contributes to talent attraction and retention.

Knowledge spillovers through high-skilled migration network: evidence from OECD countries.

Barabuffi, S., Costantini, V., Leone Sciabolazza, V., & Paglialunga, E. (2025). Knowledge spillovers through high-skilled migration network: evidence from OECD countries. Industry and Innovation, 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/13662716.2025.2451398

Finding Lost Persons Through Footwear in Search and Rescue (Firefighting and Service)

In rural places like the Upper Peninsula, we often pool resources to help others. From manpower to equipment people work together to help their community. Sometimes firefighting requires one to help others by engaging in search and rescue operations. There is a team I could join that gets called out first when things like this happen, but it takes some extra training.

The other day I practiced rope rescue techniques in simple and complex systems (pullies in same direction or opposite). It was interesting reading about the loads and how to magnify lift power. Most of the information I understood from rock climbing and repelling but this went beyond my limited knowledge.

(The beauty of a small town is that your help can go a long way.)

One of the ways I learn is by reading, thinking about and sometimes practicing how these things function and work. I came across the Journal of Search and Rescue. Kind of cool and certainly worth looking at if you are a first responder. I might share that as a resource with people who do this stuff if the opportunities arise. In life you just keep learning.

One of the articles is on Comparing Reports with Actual Missing Persons’ Footwear. Certainly, shoes and footwear can tell you a lot about the person and where they were headed. There is some uniqueness that helps one differentiate tracks. For example, you would not follow a size 8 when you are looking for a person with a size 11.

This article discusses methods of helping to track missing persons using a shoe database. Even if you don't have a database, you can consider that size of the shoe, type of shoe, weight of the person, any known handicaps that would lead a different impression (i.e. injury, handicap, carrying something heavy, etc.) etc.

Each footprint is likely to give you a hint about the person who placed it. They use similar footprint analysis in archeology as well. It is further possible to determine the age of the footprint based on recent weather and eroding definition. Something like they were here about 3 days ago or these are fresh within the past few hours.

Also, I look for grants for a fire department that is made from a great group of guys/gals that are doing something special for the people in the area. If you got a few extra corporate bucks let me know by sending a message to the right. 

Jeffersonian Bible Smithsonian Edition and What Can Be Learned About Religious Freedom (Corruption/Hate Thought Experiment, History, Archeology)

Recently I purchased The Jefferson Bible the Smithsonian Edition with sections in English, French, Latin and Greek. Reading various religious, and non-religious text, helps in understanding the world in which we live. The Bible, Quran, and Torah share similar logic and have moral codes with connected root similarities (I read all the Dead Sea Scrolls and other text). We can also see these similar moral codes and philosophies of life in non-religious text as well. Most don't read enough with an open heart to find these deeper meanings and shared perceptions (...much more similar than different).

Of particular interest is the quote below that helps understand how Thomas Jefferson thought about the world around him and the roots of freedom.

No man shall be compelled to frequent or support religious worship or ministry or shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but all men shall be free to profess and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion (pg 15).

I have been engaged in a hypothetical philosophical thought experiment in the spirit of learning for a while on freedom of religion and speech. In this example they told the victims why they were targeting them. Decisions clearly broke social contracts, the intent of law and illegal unless we are foreshadowing a future where we collectivize such hate. In this case the decision makers went out of their way to enforce unwritten social codes and didn't correct where corruption was found. One can see that if people are targeted because of their religious beliefs, such actions may be running against some of the grain and purpose of our collective existence (Financial enrichment and exploitation is another aspect of the example). People create boundaries and division where no boundaries or division are needed (..it could also be limiting human capital where religious persecution occurs and encouraged).

What one could gather from this saying is that each man (women) should have the right to live and worship how they see fit. Harming, molesting or restricting people for faith would be foreign to some early lines of American thinking. I always would encourage good taste and pro-social behaviors in worship. The general idea of free people with shared commitment to certain freedoms are essential to some of our founding fathers/mothers framing of our nation.

The lessons I might pull from this is to treat each other well, don't invent things about other people or their religion, and encourage understanding of essential universal principles and values that transcend generations without splitting hairs that often comes from rigid dogmatic perspectives. Others may learn something else. We are moving into the holy months of multiple religions. It is time to be thoughtful on how we treat each other and the good spirit/peace that comes from that. The Bible taught us about religious persecution that ended in an ultimate sacrifice.  Many of those lessons are lost on decision makers/judges but we put a saying in every court to remind us of the possibilities of poor decisions that impact our society and ultimately undermine trust in our institutions,"In God We Trust".

Management Skills: Thinking About What Skills You Have and What You Need to Learn (Management Science)

Management skills help create organizational effectiveness and gaining those skills can help you achieve long term career success. Numerous people think about someday becoming managers when they first start school or are hired into a business. Some do become managers, and some don't. Part of what helps a person succeed are the management skills they develop over time.

There are skills and there are ways of looking at the world that help create those skills. The things one learns over their lifetime help them become more effective in managing larger groups. Administrative knowledge mixed with systems, critical, and strategic thinking helps make choices.

Further, communication and soft interpersonal skills further one's capacity to influence larger groups. If your a manager you need to direct and influence others. Even if you are one of the most knowledgeable managers out there, you may not have the relationship building skills to success. Many excellent employees fail once they become managers.

This article below provides a very nice overview of management skills at various levels. Read through it and get a sense of the type of skills managers may need. Then think about where your personal strengths and weaknesses are and what you might need to make it to the next level in your career.

Gutterman, Alan. (2023). Management Skills. 

Tips On Getting Stronger and Building Muscle (Fitness and Health)

Fitness doesn't happen overnight and it takes consistency and peristence to eventually achieve one's goals. Not to mention the amount of learning that is needed so your not spinning your wheels and wasting hours. I would read and read and try the bad advice and did not go too far. 

Below are a number of things I have learned over the years. 

-75% -80% of rep fatigue.

-Protein intake is a big factor. 

-Sufficient water is a factor.

-Consistency and a schedule helps.

-Balance between short cardio intensity, weight training, and balance/flexibility.

-Complex movements should be mixed in.

-Vary the routine to avoid a plateau.

-Engage in sports and activities

-Calorie count and quality counts. 

This is a pretty good article. If you are seeking some virtual fitness training send me a message to the right.

Getting Stronger and Building Muscle

The Psychology of Corruption (Corruption and Hate Thought Experiment)

Let us continuing to explore the concept of corruption and its impact on society. These are difficult concepts to discuss as people have strong opinions and often confuse purpose and outcomes. Likewise, when there is corruption it is sometimes comingled with other poor behaviors such as hate. Those who engage and protect corruption is about a perspective of thinking about the importance of oneself in relationship to others in society. If you feel obligations to society, administators of corruption will make one choice, and if they feel more obligaton to self or a group (i.e. clan in this example) they make other choices.

The philosophical thought experiment for learning goes something like this...

A group of people engaged in mistreatment of people they thought were sub human based on some factor (race, religion, politic, etc. pick anything really) and took it upon themselves to harm and exploit victims for self gain. They did some serious damage to these families (kids and sick elderly) and bragged about the harm they caused. Bigotries and corruption mixed with  extremism level aggression. No consequence because they were part of the same social group (some worked together).

Unchecked hate was designed to enrich the perpetrators and harm out group members. Later it was discovered that similar behaviors were happening to others. It was fairly widespread and people knew about it but did nothing (All the machoness meant nothing when it counted to protect their community.). The ones who wanted to do something simply couldn't out of fear of social rejection (or more). 

Complaints of sexual explotation, civil/human rights violations, freedom of religion violations, preference in courts and many other factors came out that indicated a clear benefit for clan members. In their totality they helped show that a central group of poor actors could intentionally warp a justice system (Why it was important for people from the inside to report such behaviors. Good officials muted with unwritten codes learned implicitely.)

In this hypothetical example money would have been a major motivational factor and so would certain religious, racial, or other factors (Think any difference. Eye Color Experiment/Exercise). Social position and standing might be another. A closed system was discovered where justice would be nearly impossible under the circumstances. Complaints and whisteblowers were often put on secretive lists and retaliated against for years which allowed the problem to persist long after it was discovered. Intentionally no recourse for victims. Investigations into perpetrators blocked.

Eventually so many complaints and issues came forward they simply couldn't deny it any longer or use their positions to shield clan members (We can go through at a later time what data/evidence could be used to prove corruption and negligence.).  They were forced to deal with the problems they created and they went out of their way to hide and protect. i.e. keeping the network intact and able to repeat behaviors. Pushing the problems on the victims by defaming and dehumanizing them no longer was an acceptable path and the tool became less sharp the more they blunted it against everyday concerned citizens.

Opportunities to improve for the benefit of everyone appeared dismissed. In this example there is more going on and there is a good chance a positive result will occur. However that required moving out of the local system. Bigotries may or may not still exist but the social bias would be less pronounced. "If it is learned, it can be unlearned" Jane Elliot (eye color experiment author)

Most would agree that such a system is not at its optimum and would be worthy of some change; at least if it is trying to stay true to mission. Certainly we can understand some of the motivations for the poor behaviors. The same motivations apply to corrupted officials as it would be to street crimes. They are rooted in our psychology but some are more likely to act on these when compared to others. When you want something and find a path to do it, even if illegal, some will do that while others will not.

The psychology of it is something worth looking at. Searching around I found this Cognitive Psychology of Corruption

*This is a philosophical thought experiment designed to explore the concept of corruption and hate. Take with a grain of salt. 4 stages were so far defined from this story. We can write a positive ending to it but are exploring it a little. Relax and take a breath.

South Carolina Fires and Firefighter Health (Firefighting and Service)

Firefighting is a tough job sometimes and it can be dangerous when you have forest fires and entire areas burning out of control. This article on Wildfires scorch the Carolinas, SC Governor McMaster declares state of emergency shows the danger and awe of the risks of the occupation in general. Hundreds of full timers and volunteers putting themselves in harm’s way to help protect life and properly. It seems to so counter intuitive to the instincts of running from danger.

One should have the greatest amount of respect for these men and women who step beyond what would be expected to help their communities. As we progress as a society, we shouldn't lose sight of those who help build that society and have sacrificed for that society. These are a different breed of people. This is probably why as kids we looked up to them and wanted to be them.

This is also why I advocate and respect first responders and others because they are willing to go the length for others. The science of extreme altruism: why people risk their lives to save strangers. Personally, I would hire and groom them for a job before many others. Character is something that is created deep from the inside and it is hard to teach. The proof in the pudding is their ability to choose to help when they didn't have to.

If you read the article below you will find the risks and morbidities of firefighters that include cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mental health disorders. Just being aware of these risks can be helpful. Firefighter Health: A Narrative Review of Occupational Threats and Countermeasures. It would be nice if we can do a little more to help them. You can donate to the South Carolina State Firefighters Association

*If you’re interested in donating to a fire department that could put your corporate dollars to good use just send me a message to the right. They are not from South Carolina but a very good department nevertheless.

Gonzalez DE, Lanham SN, Martin SE, Cleveland RE, Wilson TE, Langford EL, Abel MG. Firefighter Health: A Narrative Review of Occupational Threats and Countermeasures. Healthcare (Basel). 2024 Feb 8;12(4):440. doi: 10.3390/healthcare12040440. PMID: 38391814; PMCID: PMC10888326.