#if michigan still had natural resources and like JOBS

[doesnotloveyou]

it is important to note that i have not met a single other out-of-stater who is happy to be in michigan, and the only people I've met who wholeheartedly love michigan are people who've never left michigan in their lives. except to go to amusement parks, that is

[leeg]

Resume (Mine as an example)

Rosealee Taylor Gandarilla 

rosealeegandrilla@gmail.com

gandarilla96@gmail.com

Contacts

Removed for privacy

EXPERIENCE

Dollar General, Holt, Michigan — Cashier

April  2014 - September 2016

Cashier

Janitorial

Customer Service

Kirklands, Frandor Shopping Center — Assistant Manager

September 2016 - February 2019

Assistant Manager

Conference Calls

Truck

Customer Service

Goodwill Industries, Lansing Michigan — Cashier/Wares

February 2019 - December 2020

Cashier

Wares

Cleaner

Customer Service

GPM Investments LLC (Admiral) , Lansing Michigan — Stocker/Cashier

May 2021 - March 2022

Drink Stocker

Cashier

Janitorial

Customer Service

EDUCATION

Holt High School, Holt, Michigan —High school Diploma

August 2013 - June 2014

Davenport University, Downtown Lansing, Michigan — Associates in Business Management Administrative 

August  2014 - June 2016

Additional Information

Assistant to Child Care Provider for the Department of Health and Human Services since 2016 (Small Business)

Role includes: 

Clocking in hours every two weeks

Printing out paperwork

Keeping Child Care Provider Informed about any changes or updates

Organizing paperwork

SKILLS

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Word

Excel 

Power Point

Accounting I

Accounting II

Ethics

Writing

Human Resources Economics and Education

Diversity

Business & Ethics

Presentation

Management

Law

Web design

Social Media

Advertisement

Digital Art

Character Creation

Gaming

Branding

Merchandising

Interior Design

Gardening

Computer Skills 

Budgeting 

Finances

Communication 

Time Management

AWARDS

Davenport Alumni 

It's properly formatted on Google, they have a Word Document that is free, you have to have a Google Account. If you use YouTube, have an account signed into it, there you go.

It will be the right-hand side next to your profile picture, click on the six dots in the shape of a square, it will be the Drive...they also have a Translate at the bottom for learning languages.

I would've figured this out sooner if I had quiet, not in debt and wasn't surrounded by children.

Here's everything that I know:

-There are 36, 37 if you count your account, apps on your Google Account

-If you need help, they'll have a generally asked questions site

-There will be tutorials on YouTube if you need help

-Take Notes, keep them simple and easy for YOU to understand, most phones, laptops and tablets will have sticky notes, word, or some alternative to Microsoft

-Every phone, laptop, tablet, etcetera will have a search bar to look up stuff on your phone, laptop, tablet, etcetera. It will be the same under settings.

-You can figure out the model of your phone blah blah blah and order parts online, I've done that with my old Gateway laptop.

-Public Libraries are a great place for Knowledge, finding books to read, going on the internet. Where I live, you'll need a library card (last I checked) If they still have it, they'll also have book sales, I found the Lord of The Rings book a long time ago.

-Nicer jobs have waitlists...at least, where I live (Michigan)

-You work too well, you'll fill 2-3 positions, like I did.

-If you live in a box and it's hot: Hot box

-You live by Nature, the branches can extend into pipes, damage them or have their roots in them... causing blockage.

-Heat rises, Heat rises

I could go into more detail, however I'm not. There are other individuals who can explain it better than I can with videos on YouTube; Spotify.

[theloniousbach]

RETIREMENT CHRONICLES 1.4

When I retired from my 9-5 job on Sept 1 last year, I found it useful to continue to apply the semester framework to my life. Since I was still teaching and school had formally defined the tempo of my life for over 50 years and informally for almost all of the others, that was an easy move. But the point was that a semester was a good unit of time to set goals, long enough to measure accomplishments but short enough to make those goals concrete.

I wrote the first of these chronicles in December and the second, as 2.0, in January as the Spring semester was starting. The winter break was far from a semester but it was a full month without anything more to do for school than get ready to teach. I had my first taste of fully organizing my own time around the goals I continue to set for myself: health/self-care; fiction, reading but also writing; and music, watching and writing about it, but also playing. In May, I wrote about my progress on those fronts (and my Galapagos trip and my sister’s death) as 3.0.

But, on the notion that I will continue to give myself grades for what I have down during these slots for at least another round or two, let’s call this installment for Summer, 1.4, expecting December’s entry to be 2.1.

This time around is rather like 2.0 in that it was up to me to dictate my time with just a little of school (some collaboration on my Gleich Honors College project (most amusingly, an aborted phone meeting from Peninsula State Park which was delayed a half hour as I got out of the park and back to Fish Creek, WI), getting a Spring 2025 Short Term Study Abroad class approved, and some general planning for the semester ahead). If I am retired with an asterisk during the school year, the asterisk fades away during the month of winter break and the three of Summer.

What doesn’t change are my three basic goals which frankly flourished.

HEALTH/SELF CARE was, I suppose a bit of a question mark, as we were away from our regular gym and the amenities that have made working out sustainable as I just don’t hurt the next day. We got an at home version of the mats that was our main resource and we found massage therapists in Door County. But, thanks to Medicare’s Silver Sneakers, we were regulars at the two Y’s there, going even more frequently, and using a wider variety of machines. I got stronger. This has been my biggest success over the past year and I am glad to sustain it over our long time out of town.

But that too was a form of self-care in that we were away from St Louis heat, able to take a sustained look at a place we had visited for a week or two every few years, and, best of all, regularly able to look at Lake Michigan or Green Bay and the pelicans that swim/fly around them. I was able to go to five Door County Baseball League games, seeing five of the eight teams and four of the fields rather than maybe a game in other years. While I won’t need to go back to the museums for agriculture, shipping, and general history, I did finally go on the days that I had to myself and have a more grounded sense of Door County. There are a couple of nature preserves and a Native gallery as well as a Door Shakespeare play to catch, but I have checked off many of the remaining boxes.

MUSIC thankfully continues as I tracked that I wrote 39 of my musical souvenirs. While they were mostly jazz, we did go to three MidSummer Music concerts of chamber music and I have begun looking forward to Phil Lesh’s weekly streams from Terrapin Clubhouse as he continues to find a way to mine the legacy of the Grateful Dead canon. We overpacked going north, but that made it possible for me to bring the bass as well as the guitar. I made some initial progress on understanding that instrument while continuing to enjoy the guitar, albeit probably not as systematically as I could. I would like to be more systematic to polish and expand repertoire and technique. I hope to have a report for 2.1 in this series.

FICTION received the lion share of the time and attention that I wasn’t devoting to school. I wrote regularly, finishing a novella, let’s call it, and starting a new one, a total of over 20,000 words. While partially living in a fictional world of my own creation, I read 17 novels (completing one mystery series, pausing 200 pages before the end of another, and getting to the halfway point of Patrick O’Brian’s monumental Aubrey/Maturin Master and Commander series). I also read a memoir on Dutch art.

So I head into the Fall semester hoping to continue to make progress on all these fronts. The challenges will be to make realistic progress with my own fiction even as teaching will draw on my creative brain and to find a way to be systematic about my playing. Watching music and writing about it, walking and working out, and reading are givens and will happen naturally.

Still, things are not on auto-pilot. I am curious what will be new.

[jessgartner]

2020 Life Olympics

The real Olympics may have been canceled in 2020 but the Life Olympics persevered like the postal service of Olympics. 

First, I’d like to apologize for my role in the chaos of 2020 because I think I had a slight miscommunication with the powers that be and I feel partly responsible. Here was my plan for 2020: 

My theme for 2020 is Intention because I want to take the energy I feel right now and deploy it with more intentionality next year - bringing increased mindfulness to how I spend my time, money, physical and mental energy. And because I love wordplay, I also literally want to spend more time camping “in-tent” to enjoy more peace and quiet and beauty in nature.

The universe was like, “Oh, she wants to spend less money and more time outside? Well, shut it down. Shut the whole planet down.”

I mean, mission accomplished, I guess? I did spend less money and more time outside and had to be VERY intentional with my mental energy to survive the day-to-day morass of 2020. Next time, I will be more specific with my annual manifestations. Sorry to all. 

2020 was brutal for pretty much everything and everyone. I don’t know anyone who isn’t in some state of grief right now, including myself. I debated doing a Life Olympics at all this year, feeling like-- what is the point? Hundreds of thousands of people died, our democracy is hanging on by a thread, and millions of people lost jobs, businesses, and homes. 

Like many people, I’ve been struggling with anxiety and depression this year which intensified as it got darker and colder outside. At a low point, I talked with my therapist about the struggle of just not wanting to do any of the things that usually bring me joy-- and how periods of relief were so fleeting. “But you have to keep doing those things,” she said, “even if they’re not working right now, you have to keep doing those things and trust the process; the joy will return.” 

So even though I don’t really feel like it and kind of feel like it’s dumb, I’m writing the 2020 Life Olympics. I’m trusting the process.

2020 Life Olympics Recap

Work - Participation Trophy

Starting a company is hard, operating a company is harder, but running a company during a global pandemic and economic crisis is something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. 2020 was not a fun year to lead a business; it was hell. On March 15, the plan for the year pretty much went out the window and everything went into survival mode. I never take the company or my team for granted, but I’m particularly grateful to be able to usher this work into 2021.

Despite the craziness, we still had some big wins this year. We launched new product partnerships with PowerSchool and Amazon Business. We rebuilt our tool for equitably calculating district funding formulas. And I got to flex my creative muscles with EdFinToks! Throughout it all, I was lucky enough to be surrounded by a team of people who are as compassionate as they are talented. 

I’m worried about public education more than ever after this year, but I’m going to keep fighting every day to make it work better for kids. 

This is Work-Lite but I also spent a good chunk of time this year leading the modernization workgroup for Bill Henry’s transition committee after his spring primary election to become the new Baltimore City Comptroller, ousting a 25-year incumbent, Joan Pratt. This was an enlightening (and infuriating) experience for me that gave me a glimpse into the operations of a segment of the City government. This process also really helped crystallize how much I enjoy making public agencies function more efficiently; I’m excited to see what Bill does with the recommendations (some are already being put in action!)

Health - Gold 

This is the second year in a row (and ever) that I’m giving myself a Gold medal for Health. This was easily a year that I could have regressed on all of my healthy habits and no one would have blamed me. Instead, I leaned into protecting and improving my physical and mental health in 2020. It’s not an exaggeration to say that walking probably saved my life this year. I spent a lot of time walking around my neighborhood and various state and city parks-- walking is maybe not the best word; I stomp and charge around like I have a score to settle with the ground beneath me. My walking increased 370% in 2020. This is a habit of 2020 that I’d like to keep. My brain and body are happier if I can spend a little time walking-- stomping-- around outside each day. 

I also did a lot of biking this summer. My cycling increased 200% this year-- with much more time spent cycling outdoors. My crowning achievement this year was biking to and from Annapolis:

I spent a LOT more time outside this year which was critical for my mental health. On the downside, I only did 90% as much yoga and 60% as much strength training, so I want to try to be a little more balanced next year. 

I also invested a lot in my mental health this year. I kept up with therapy every 2-4 weeks and in October I decided to pursue a formal diagnosis for ADHD which I definitely have! Needless to say, staying in one place this year has been a special kind of hell for me. 

Home - Silver

Well, I definitely spent less money this year. And the way I did spend money made me (mostly) sad: 

Travel down 70% 

Auto & Transportation up 200% (boo cars)

Shopping down 60%

Personal Care down 35% 

Gifts and donations up 200% 

Food and Dining down 40%

Entertainment down 35% (I kept up my singing lessons virtually which accounts for a lot of this category) 

2020 was quite the palate cleanser from my 2019 year of hedonism but maybe we can go for a happy medium in 2021? Just kidding-- I will resume my hedonist ways the minute the world opens. 

I also redid my home office like every other work-from-homer on the planet and replaced my crumbling kitchen floor so the house got some TLC. 

But nobody enjoyed having me home all year as much as Darwin:

Relationships - Bronze

What a weird year for relationships of all kinds. I’m giving this a Bronze because while I invested a lot into a few relationships this year, there are also a lot of people in my life to whom I haven’t been able to give my time and love. 

One of the most important relationships in my life this year was with one of my former students. After bouncing around in the foster system for many years, we reconnected around the holidays in 2019 and he started crashing with me while we tried to figure out stable housing and employment. He was arrested in January and was incarcerated for the next several months awaiting trial. Finally, we were able to negotiate a plea agreement with the State’s Attorney and he came home around Independence Day. We spent the next several months getting him set up with a phone and various identification documents-- a nightmare in normal times and a total abyss during the pandemic. I got him registered to vote when we got his ID card and I took him to vote for the first time (a supreme treat for this former social studies teacher):

He’s now got a full-time job and stable living situation. Calling this THE success of 2020. Thank you to everyone who helped me with resources all year for housing, legal processes, and documents. It takes a village. 

It was a bizarre year for family. We lost my grandmother in September, so not being able to spend the holidays together felt like an especially cruel loss. Other big losses this year include a trip to France to celebrate a milestone birthday for my mother and my brother and sister-in-law’s wedding (Mosby seemed pretty ok with the alternative plan, though):

But in many ways, my family has been more together than ever this year thanks to prolific group chats and photo-sharing. Mostly, I’m just glad everyone else is safe and healthy. As my father often reminds me, “Our problems are small.” 

And dating? What to do with this weird Jane-Austen-esque dating scene-- as if modern dating weren’t fraught enough. Is this the universe punishing me for ending my 2019 dating hiatus early? I, for one, have given up. You win this one, pandemic. I’m just going to have my little Twitter crush and call it a year. Next year, though...

Horizons - Silver Gold 

You know what? It’s hard to expand your horizons without people or places. 

I did the best I could. I finally got back on track with my Goodreads challenge and actually had a really good year of reading, including finally embracing audiobooks through my Libro.fm subscriptions. I especially enjoyed Michelle Obama’s book Becoming and Mike Birbiglia’s The New One on audio-- both narrated by their authors. 

I camped in Pocomoke (MD), Western MD, Lake Michigan, and Ohiopyle (PA):

I explored over 30 new hiking/biking trails-- some favorites including the Youghiegheny River trail in PA, the NCR trail, Catoctin Mountain, the C&O Canal Towpath, Annapolis Rock, and of course, Stoney Run in my backyard. 

I left Facebook and started the Life Olympics newsletter. I’ll be honest, I don’t miss Facebook but I also don’t understand where that energy, time, and brain space went. I was spending cumulatively hours a day mindlessly scrolling Facebook and I quit cold turkey and barely noticed-- what black hole of our brains does social media occupy? I kind of thought that with all that extra time I would write the next great American novel or something. I’m probably spending a little more time on Twitter, which I could stand to cut back on. Other than that, I think I was just trying to process the shitstorm of this year. Maybe I’ll write the next great American novel post-pandemic. 

For the first time in my life, I feel somewhat ‘caught up’ on pop-culture. I finally watched Parks and Recreation (twice); I watched The Mandalorian and finally actually watched Star Wars (episodes IV-IX); I watched the final seasons of The Good Place and Schitt’s Creek; I’m caught up on Insecure; I watched The Prom and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Jingle Jangle; I even started Bridgerton. I know what everyone is talking about and I’m catching so many more pop-culture references these days. (I guess instead of writing the next great American novel I watched Netflix?)

2020 Lessons

I’ve spent plenty of time mourning the missed opportunities of 2020 and will probably always wonder what this year could have been in an alternate universe with a functioning government. But we only have this reality for now, and we made the best of it. 

I wanted to slow down in 2020, try to be more intentional, more mindful, and...

No thank you! I liked the pace of my life; it makes my brain and heart happy. I’m happiest when I wake up in a different city three days in a row. I like darting around every borough of Manhattan for nine meetings and three cocktails and then taking a red-eye to Europe. I want to run around to eight conferences for 18-hours a day for three weeks and then sleep for 22 hours. I miss overloading my brain so much that I need a deprivation chamber to sleep. This is who I am. This is how I like to live. And when I was locked down alone in the house for a year, slowing down, being mindful, I never once thought, “I should have... when I had the chance.” Because I always did. And I always will. 

2021

We shake with joy, we shake with grief.

What a time they have, these two housed as they are in the same body.

Mary Oliver

We’ve had enough grief. 2021 is going to be all about joy.

Universe, let me be clear: this is not a euphemism or code or secret signal.

I want pure, unadulterated, abundant, joy. I want multi-course dinners in restaurants with lots of close friends and good wine. I want the virus so far gone that I can make-out with handsome strangers. I want a rollicking good time in France and/or Brazil and/or Prague and/or New Zealand and/or Bali. I want to spend the day after Christmas in NYC with my father. I want to be a glutton for theatre and art and music. I want celebrations and parties and sequins. 

I want to shake with joy. 

If you’d like to receive the (shorter) monthly Life Olympics, subscribe here. 

[eldritchsurveys]

904.

The last time you were in the fridge, what were you looking for? >> A beverage.

Do you like clowns? >> No.

Have you answered all of these questions honestly so far? >> There have only been two thus far, and I can't imagine lying on a survey question anyway.

What's the third text in your inbox? >> ---

Are you listening to anything at the moment? >> No.

Do you twitch when your falling asleep? >> Yeah, sometimes. Or I have that sudden falling feeling and jerk awake.

Are your dishes in the dishwasher clean or dirty? >> The dishwasher is either still running or finished running, so, either clean or about to be clean.

Are you at home or with friends more often? >> 98% of the time, I’m at home.

When is the last time you were on a bicycle? >> A year ago? At least? I don’t know. I tried to ride for a while but I’m too out of shape to enjoy it and it was discouraging. And by now, I’m worried it needs maintenance from having sat in the garage through a full cycle of seasons and I’m afraid to ride it.

What have you eaten today? >> A veggie burger and chips, a sandwich, and taco mac with Nuggs.

Would you date someone 15 years older than you? >> ---

Do you own a strapless bra? >> No.

Does the person you like know it? >> ---

Do you care if people hate you for no reason? >> I care in some circumstances, but not all.

Did anything brighten up your day today? >> I’m not sure. My day was pretty okay, though. To my pleasant surprise.

How are you feeling at this exact moment? >> Chill. A bit tired.

Are you someone who worries too often? >> I get anxious about things, but I’m not sure “worries too much” is applicable.

If you could date somebody who would it be? >> ---

Do you ever wonder how other people see you? >> Well, yeah.

What is one good thing you're known for? >> ---

How about one bad thing? >> ---

Are you taller than most? >> Most children, yeah. LOL

When was the last time you sang an ENTIRE song? >> Hmm... oh, I sang along to a Journey song while I was in the shower.

Are you the type of person who likes to be out or home? >> I like to be home.

What time do you normally go to bed? >> Between 10p and 12a.

What is one thing that is currently bothering you? >> My neck is still kind of sore, probably from sleeping wrong the other night or something. It’s getting better, but I also keep accidentally twinging it.

What did you do today? >> Read some of the book I’m on, watched a few episodes of Avenue 5, played some Torchlight 2, browsed tumblr, browsed Reddit. Not in that order.

Do you consider yourself to be attractive? >> No.

What was the last thing that you drank? >> A shandy.

Is anything annoying you now? >> No.

Has anyone ever said i love you to you and not meant it? >> How would I know, unless they told me (and in my experience people generally do not tell)?

Do you regret going out with the last person you did? >> Eh. Not really. Like, it sucks and I hate that the trauma from those interactions is still haunting me and affecting my current relationships, but it is what it is. 

Do you realize it when you curse? >> I mean, more or less.

When was the last time you showered? >> This morning.

Who did you last talk to in person? >> Sparrow.

Do you ever have days where you just don't do anything? >> No. Even when I’m deeply depressed I will move my hands to put on Netflix (and then click “yes” when it periodically asks if I’m still watching), lol. That’s something.

Have you ever been extremely tired but refused to go to sleep? >> Yeah.

What is your favorite episode of True Life, if you have one at all? >> ---

Have you ever experienced something paranormal? >> Maybe.

What's the longest amount of time you've been stuck in traffic? >> ---

Best field trip experience? >> ---

Have you ever been to New York City? >> I used to live there.

If so, is it all its cracked up to be? >> What’s it cracked up to be, exactly? People say a lot of things about NYC, not all of it positive. It also depends on, you know... your socioeconomic standing. Wealthy folks’ NYC is a completely different place from poor folks’ or homeless folks’ NYC, despite being on the same patch of land...

What is the most amount of money you've spent on a meal before? >> I have no idea.

What museums have you visited, if any? >> In NYC: MOMA, Museum of Natural History; in Philadelphia: Franklin Institute; in Chicago: Museum of Science & Industry, Adler Planetarium (it’s also an astronomy museum); in Michigan: Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids Public Museum. Those are just the ones I remember, mind you. Might have been to a couple of others and just forgotten about them.

Have you ever had a group project and one of your partners bailed on you? >> Maybe when I was in school, idk.

What's your worst traveling experience? >> Probably every time I had to take a Greyhound from Colorado to NYC (or vice versa).

Sims 1, 2, or 3? Why? >> I’ve never played the first one. I like the vast amount of custom content resources for 2, the innovation of 3, and the continued innovation of 4. Otherwise, they’re mostly the same to me except the graphics just get smoother over the years.

Have you ever dealt with noisy neighbors or roommates? How did that go? >> Yes. Poorly, obviously, for me anyway.

Who was (or is) the teacher that gave you the hardest time in school? >> ---

Best muffin you've ever had? >> I don’t like muffins.

Have you ever taken a woodshop class? >> Once.

If so, was it required? >> No, it was an elective.

How much time do you spend on Facebook, if you have one? >> Hardly any. I just check it every few days or whatever, for messages mostly.

What area of math are you best at? Worst? >> I don’t know.

How do you feel when you meet someone with the same music taste as you? >> I don’t care if people like the same music as I do, as long as they’re not rude about genres they don’t care for. I like talking about music with people, but it always ends up being this “this genre is better than that genre” or “this era is better than that era” circle jerk and that’s so fucking boring.

What is the strangest thing you've ever seen outside of your house? >> *shrug*

Do you believe in luck? Why or why not? >> It can be a useful concept.

How often do you "half-ass" things (put little effort in)? >> Whenever I don’t have the energy to whole-ass something, but I don’t want to just not do anything at all.

Do you ever feel self-conscious when you eat around other people? >> No. I feel annoyed when I have to eat around other people, because then I have to hear other people eating.

Has a teacher ever made you hate yourself/your work? >> Probably.

How reliable is your internet connection? >> It’s quite reliable.

Have you ever missed a meeting/event that was required/necessary? >> Yeah.

What's something that makes you incredibly nervous? >> I can’t think of anything off the top of my head.

What's the latest you've ever stayed up to finish homework/a project? >> ---

If you don't have glasses, how would you feel if you had to get them? >> It wouldn’t bother me too much. Unless my vision started failing really badly, because, you know... I like seeing.

If you do have glasses, how would you feel if you didn't need them anymore? >> ---

How many vegetarians do you know? >> I’m not sure.

Have you ever considered going to art school? >> No.

Is there anyone in your life who consistently angers you? >> No.

How quickly can you write an essay? >> I don’t know.

Have you ever had problems falling asleep in class? >> In high school, i was put on multiple psychotropic/anti-depressant drugs, none of which I actually needed, so they all had pretty adverse effects on me. Including making me fall asleep in class almost constantly.

Have you ever been on the barrier or front row at a concert? >> I usually was.

If you have a job, who is your least favorite coworker/manager? >> ---

Favorite episode of Spongebob? >> I don’t like that show.

Do you have any silly/odd emotional connections to anything/anyone? >> I don’t want to call any of my emotional connections silly or odd. Especially since I have a hard enough time making them in the first place -- I want to encourage and support those connections, not disparage them. :/

Are your parents supportive of you? >> I took this survey almost a decade ago, and my answer then was that he was supportive even if he didn’t always approve. I was really on some bullshit then, I guess... because that’s just not true. He only supported what he thought was appropriate for me to be involved in, and when I invariably wanted to do or be other things, he was dismissive and almost derisive. Being supported in my being and endeavours is not a common theme in my life and it starts with that motherfucker.

How often do you take the train to go places? >> I don’t take it much anymore; the last time I took it was to go to Chicago and back, as an experiment (Sparrow wanted to see if it was truly better than driving there and back). When I lived in the City, of course, I took a subway all the time. Really miss that.

Do you play with your phone in awkward situations? >> I guess I would, if I found myself in a situation I thought was awkward. I usually don’t.

[newstfionline]

Headlines

Virus numbers show normal life still far away (AP) South Africa was poised on Saturday to join the top five countries most affected by the coronavirus, while breathtaking numbers around the world were a reminder a return to normal life is still far from sight. Confirmed virus cases worldwide have topped 14 million and deaths have surpassed 600,000, according to Johns Hopkins University data, a day after the World Health Organization reported a single-day record of new infections at over 237,000. Death tolls in the United States are reaching new highs, and India’s infections are over 1 million. Iran’s president made the startling announcement that as many as 25 million Iranians could have been infected, the state-run IRNA news agency reported Saturday. Iran has seen the worst outbreak in the Middle East with more than 270,000 confirmed cases. South Africa on Saturday could join the U.S., Brazil, India and Russia as the most badly hit countries as its cases near 350,000. Current case trends show it will surpass Peru.

Millions of kids told full return to school in fall unlikely (AP) Millions more children in the U.S. learned Friday that they’re unlikely to return to classrooms full time in the fall because of the coronavirus pandemic as death tolls reached new highs. It came as many states—particularly in the Sunbelt—struggled to cope with the surge and governments worldwide tried to control fresh outbreaks. In a sign of how the virus is galloping around the globe, the World Health Organization reported nearly a quarter-million new infections in a single day. In the U.S., teams of military medics were deployed in Texas and California to help hospitals deluged by coronavirus patients. The two most populous states each reported roughly 10,000 new cases and some of their highest death counts since the pandemic began. Big numbers in Florida, Arizona and other states also are helping drive the U.S. resurgence that’s forcing states to rethink the school year.

Stress rises for unemployed as extra $600 benefit nears end (AP) A major source of income for roughly 30 million unemployed people is set to end, threatening their ability to meet rent and pay bills and potentially undercutting the fragile economic recovery. In March, Congress approved an extra $600 in weekly unemployment benefits as part of its $2 trillion relief package aimed at offsetting the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. That additional payment expires next week unless it gets renewed. For Henry Montalvo, who was furloughed from his job as a banquet server and bartender in Phoenix in mid-March, the expiration of the $600 will cut his unemployment benefits by two-thirds. He uses the money to help support his three children and pregnant girlfriend. “Now that it’s about to end, that grim and uneasy feeling is coming back and really fast,” Montalvo said. The unemployment insurance program has emerged as a crucial source of support at a time when the jobless rate is at Depression-era levels. In May, unemployment benefits made up 6% of all U.S. income, ahead of even Social Security.

Half of Oklahoma is ‘Indian country.’ What if all native treaties were upheld? (The Intercept) The U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision last week that altered the map of Oklahoma. The eastern half of the state, including much of Tulsa, is now, for legal purposes, Indian country. The Supreme Court decision was uncommon—Indigenous people have seen few victories so sweeping in the high court—but treaty violations like those that occurred in Oklahoma are not. “The rule of thumb is every treaty’s been broken,” said Matthew Fletcher, director of the Indigenous Law and Policy Center at Michigan State University. Going back to the original treaty texts would make broad swaths of the nation Native territory. That means Indigenous people would have a stronger voice on environmental enforcement, more of a say on fossil fuel infrastructure construction, be able to better control the fate of Native children removed from their parents’ home, and less likely to be tried in local courts where district attorneys are elected using racist, tough-on-crime politics. Beyond control over the land itself, the treaties lay the groundwork for obligations requiring the federal government to provide adequate resources to support health care, safety, and education—which have never been fulfilled.

Mexican cartel shows its might as president visits its heartland (Reuters) A video depicting a sprawling military-style convoy of one of Mexico’s most powerful drug cartels circulated on social networks on Friday just as President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador visited the group’s heartland. In the two-minute clip, members of the fearsome Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) stand in fatigues alongside a seemingly endless procession of armored vehicles. The video’s release coincided with Lopez Obrador’s visit to the states of Guanajuato, Jalisco and Colima, some of the cartel’s strongholds. “They are sending a clear message... that they basically rule Mexico, not Lopez Obrador,” said Mike Vigil, a former chief of international operations for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Panama extends suspension of international flights by a month due to coronavirus (Reuters) Panama’s civil aviation authority said on Friday it will extend a suspension of international flights by another month due to the coronavirus crisis. International flights were first suspended in March as the spread of the virus prompted authorities to impose measures to better contain it.

Richardson meets with Maduro, but fails to secure release of American prisoners (Washington Post) Former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson concluded a four-day special mission to Venezuela on Friday, succeeding in opening a direct channel with President Nicolás Maduro but failing in his immediate objective: the release of eight high-profile prisoners being held in Caracas, including seven Americans. In a telephone interview with The Washington Post—his first since leaving Caracas—Richardson, an elder statesmen of the Democratic Party and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said his initial optimism about securing the rapid release of at least some of the prisoners had turned to disappointment after catching Maduro “on a bad day.” The trip nevertheless amounted to the most significant diplomatic effort in Caracas by an American since Washington severed ties with Maduro and shuttered the U.S. Embassy there early last year. Though officially a private humanitarian mission, the trip was “coordinated” with the U.S. government, Richardson said.

EU tells US: Stop threatening our companies with sanctions (AP) The European Union is warning the Trump administration to hold off threatening trade sanctions against EU companies involved in the completion of new German-Russian and Turkish-Russian natural gas pipelines and instead discuss differences as allies. This week, the Trump administration warned companies involved in the projects they will be subject to U.S. penalties unless they halt their work. The move has further increased tension in already fraught U.S.-European ties. “I am deeply concerned at the growing use of sanctions, or the threat of sanctions, by the United States against European companies and interests,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement, adding similar attempts had already been made in cases involving Iran, Cuba and the International Criminal Court. “Where policy differences exist, the European Union is always open to dialogue. But this cannot take place against the threat of sanctions,” Borrell said. “European policies should be determined here in Europe, not by third countries.”

Greece’s great declutter at battle coastline (AP) Greece is commemorating one of the greatest naval battles in ancient history this year at Salamis, the claw-shaped island skirting the mainland near Athens. It’s where the invading Persian navy suffered a heavy defeat 2,500 years ago, their large vessels unable to properly maneuver in the narrow seaways. Salamis, now known as Salamina, has become an extended suburb of the capital, a blue-collar retirement and summer home spot. It still looks out over a fleet of sunken and partially sunken vessels. Heavily rusted cargo ships and tugboats, battered sailboats and fishing trawlers are scattered and abandoned between Salamina and Greece’s largest industrial zone with oil refineries, shipyards and a massive Chinese-owned container port. With the main commemoration events just months away, Greece is in a race to declutter the coastline and has already salvaged dozens of ships, which are dragged to shore, cut up and transported to scrapyards in central Greece.

Mass protests rock Russian Far East city again (AP) Tens of thousands of people in the Russian Far East city of Khabarovsk took to the streets on Saturday, protesting the arrest of the region’s governor on charges of involvement in multiple murders. Local media estimated the rally in the city 6100 kilometres (3800 miles) east of Moscow attracted from 15,000 to 50,000 people. The protests against the arrest of Furgal have taken place every day this week, with hundreds of people rallying in the city center every day, and reflected widespread anger over the arrest of the popular governor and a simmering discontent with the Kremlin’s policies. Furgal, a member of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party, was elected governor in 2018. His unexpected victory in the gubernatorial election reflected growing public frustration with President Vladimir Putin’s policies and marked a painful setback for the main Kremlin party, United Russia.

China says it’s not trying to replace US, won’t be bullied (AP) China isn’t seeking to confront or replace the United States as the world’s top technological power, but will fight back against “malicious slander” and attacks from Washington, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Friday, responding to a litany of recent accusations from the Trump administration. Hua Chunying said China’s chief concern is improving the livelihoods of its citizens and maintaining global peace and stability, despite what critics say is an increasingly aggressive foreign policy that looks to expand Chinese influence in the military, technology, economic and other spheres. Her comments came in response to a speech Thursday by U.S. Attorney General William Barr in which he cautioned American business leaders against promoting policies favorable to Beijing. He asserted that China at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic had not only dominated the market for protective gear, exposing American dependence on Beijing, but had also hoarded supplies and blocked producers from exporting them to countries in need. Barr also accused hackers linked to the Chinese government of targeting American universities and businesses to steal research related to coronavirus vaccine development, leveling the allegation against Beijing hours after Western agencies made similar claims against Russia. “The People’s Republic of China is now engaged in an economic blitzkrieg—an aggressive, orchestrated, whole-of-government (indeed, whole-of-society) campaign to seize the commanding heights of the global economy and to surpass the United States as the world’s preeminent technological superpower,” Barr said.

Major Beirut medical centre lays off hundreds as crisis bites (Reuters) Zawqan Abdelkhalek, a nurse at the American University of Beirut’s (AUB) medical centre since 2012, was laid off on Friday along with hundreds of colleagues as even hospitals buckle under the weight of Lebanon’s economic collapse. “I have a baby daughter, I need to get her food and water and pay for her vaccines,” the 29-year-old said. A currency crash means his pension in Lebanese pounds is now worth just around $500, he said. He blamed the ruling elite for daily power cuts, skyrocketing prices and pushing the country to the brink. Local media and employees said the AUB, one of the country’s oldest universities and a regional medical hub, laid off more than 500 workers. At least 220,000 jobs in the private sector were shed between October and February, a survey by research firm InfoPro showed, with the figures only expected to get worse.

[craftedincarhartt]

Shop Small with these Women Owned Businesses

It's that time of year again, when we're all looking to support the small businesses our communities hold dear. Purchasing goods and services from the pillars of your favorite neighborhood is the best way to show your support.

Below you'll find a list of 15 Women Owned Small Businesses. If you shop online this holiday season, don't forget these incredibly hard working folks.

1.) Messner Bee Farm

Rachael Messner of Messner Bee Farm in Kansas City spun her hobby into a flourishing business. Her operations began as a 900 square foot urban farm. Over years of never giving up despite what different seasons showered upon her, Rachael and her family now live on a full-fledged bee farm. You can even stop by for a tour if you'd like to know more about where your honey comes from.  

“Honeybees pollinate over one-third of all the fruits and vegetables we eat. Of course they also make honey! The best way people can help bees is by minimizing their use of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, and supporting other organizations that do the same. Buy local honey, support your local beekeeper.” –Rachael Messner

Shop some of Rachael's products here. Read more about Rachael's story here.

2.) Woodward Throwbacks

Bo Shepherd and her partner Kyle started Woodward Throwbacks in 2013 as a means to repurpose much of the discarded lumber and abandoned antiques that plagued Detroit's streets. Their shop has moved from location to location, each time scaling up and offering even more goods and services.  

I started re-purposing found wood back in college but it became a serious hobby once I met Kyle. We used to bike around the city exploring different neighborhoods and during our excursions we noticed an abundance of wood from illegal dumping sites. We combined our love for the city and the idea that taking materials found in the street would also help clean our neighborhoods." -Bo Shepherd

Through their website you can shop salvaged doors, custom made and reclaimed furniture, and handmade goods. Read more about Bo's story here.

3.) Seattle Urban Farm Co.

Hilary Dahl is co-owner of Seattle Urban Farm Co. and host of the Encyclopedia Botanica podcast. The podcasts are quick lessons in farming, each one is easy to access—you can listen to them online and read the highlights.

Seattle Urban Farm Co. offers many services, and they differ from customer to customer. Their knowledgeable team can plan, build, and maintain the urban farm you always wanted but never thought you could personally manage—perfect for those of us who may not have a green thumb, but love the idea of homegrown tomatoes.

If you are an aspiring farmer or gardener, browse the different webinars Seattle Urban Farm Co has to offer on their website, ranging from soil health to harvesting techniques. These online lessons are a great gift (for yourself or loved ones).

Read more about Hilary's story here.

4.) Homestead Wisconsin

Brit McCoy is a woman of many talents. She’s a full time farmer, runs her own flower business, and works at her family's business, The Wood Cycle. Making strides in her career alongside her family is the most challenging and most fulfilling part of the job

Brit majored in Landscape Architecture at Iowa State University. Upon returning to Wisconsin, she and her husband Matt founded their own farm, first selling their ethically raised meat, eventually expanding their reach.

“My business started just like my father’s, to make our hobby our career. I started raising livestock as soon as I could afford to feed them." -Brit McCoy

You can order a box of their fine grass-fed beef and lamb here. Read more about Brit's story here.

5.) Blue Marble Ice Cream

Ten years ago, Jennie Dundas and Alexis Gallivan, opened Blue Marble Ice Cream in Brooklyn. Their products are entirely organic, made from only high quality ingredients, and absolutely no hormones, antibiotics, harmful pesticides or artificial additives. Manufacturing in New York with ethical and sustainable practices is crucial to this woman-run company.

“Nobody can really be sad eating ice cream, can they?” -Susan Jo, Ice Cream Chef

Ship Blue Marble Ice Cream straight to your front door here.

6.) Sustainable Crafted Wooden Goods by Alexandra Climent

Meet woodworker Alexandra Climent. She operates out of her own shop in Brooklyn. Her passion for the extraordinary wood she found in the jungle lead her to teach herself the trade.

All of the products Alexandra makes are set apart from other wooden goods. She sustainably sources her materials from the jungle, befriending locals and working with each regions’ governments along the way. The wood she harvests and brings back to her shop is ancient, packed tightly over years and years.

“The wood I use is some of the most dense in the world. When you put it in the water it sinks and termites can’t even penetrate it. It’s like working with steel, and it breaks pretty much any blade.” -Alexandra Climent

Shop Alexandra's one-of-a-kind creations here. Read more about Alexandra here.

7.) Sculptures by Amber Jean

From giant sculptures made from entire trees to carvings that fit in your hand, the interplay between humans and nature is the driving force behind Amber’s work. She put herself through college, finding work in the great outdoors that fueled her passion for earth and art.

Amber helped build the Continental Divide Trail, was part of the first all female crew at the Forest Service in Bozeman, fought forest fires in West Yellowstone, and was the first female wilderness ranger based out of the West Yellowstone District.

Amber was the first woman to carve in the country of Bhutan for the Prime Minister. She's created many large scale works that have earned her great recognition in the art community. And she even gave a Ted Talk about her work.

"I never wasted energy grumbling at, whining about or looking for prejudices. I just got to work, stayed curious, made lots of mistakes, and kept after it.” –Amber Jean

Shop Amber's sculptures here.

8.) Circa Ceramics

Nancy Witt and her husband Andy have been making their wares in the Chicago neighborhood of Ravenswood since 2001. Their signature style is iconic in the windy city, with their Chicago flag items constantly flying off the shelves.

Browse their online shop here. See behind the scenes into their studio here.

9.) Greta de Parry Design

Greta is a classically trained woodworker and sculptor in the Chicago area. She's been designing and making furniture since 2007. Her collection consists of clean lines and minimalist touches.  

Shop Greta's furniture here. Read more about her story here.

10.) The Little Flower Soap Co.

Michigan florist, Holly Rutt, started making soaps as a hobby. Combining her love for nature and interest in healing plant extractions and essential oils, she and her husband created a line of body care products. After realizing how much steam her side gig was gaining, Holly decided to devote the majority of her time to The Little Flower Soap Co.



“The maker movement is in full swing there has never been a better time to start your own small business. If you think your life would be better as your own boss in a creative field than get started and stick with it.” —Holly Rutt

Shop Holly's body care products here. Read more about Holly's story here.

11.) The Elk Coffee Shop

This charming coffee shop in the West Village of New York is owned by Claire Chan. Five years ago, she took over the space, renovated, and reopened with her grand vision in mind.

“I feel so proud of the all women-run businesses I see popping up, especially right now. At a time where women’s rights and female empowerment is more relevant than ever, it is important to express your ideas and exercise your values so that others will be encouraged to do the same. There’s strength in numbers, and it feels amazing to surround yourself with like-minded and strong women!” -Claire Chan

If you're in NYC, you can order The Elk's offerings straight to your door here. Read more about The Elk here.

12.) Amaltheia Dairy Farm

Amaltheia Dairy Farm in Montana is a family run operation.

“We have had our farm for over 20 years. We love the Bozeman area and our goats get to enjoy beautiful scenery and seasons we have here. It’s beautiful every day. The best thing about what we do is to provide nutritious, delicious organic goat cheeses, pork, and vegetables to people. Those people appreciate being able to get great food and are thankful. It is a symbiotic relationship.

We have been making cheese for 17 years, certified organic for 12 years. We are sustainable farmers and try to utilize all of our resources and byproducts responsibly. We use the whey from the cheese to feed organic hogs and compost and use all of our manure for fields and gardens." -Co Owner, Sue Brown

Ship some some of the famous Amaltheia Dairy Farm goat cheese straight to your front door here. Read more about the family here.

13.) Pewabic Pottery

Pewabic Pottery in Detroit was founded in 1903 by Mary Chase Perry Stratton. Her ceramics were nationally renowned, landing her a spot in the Michigan’s Women Hall of Fame. Mary went on to win several awards and established the ceramics department at the University of Michigan. The touch she had on Michigan and the arts and crafts community will always be remembered. The shop is still operating to this day and is now a National Historic Landmark.

Shop some of their trademark Pewabic blue pieces here.

14.) Live Edge Detroit

In 2016, Jenny, her brother Joe, and her dad Mike founded Live Edge. They now salvage the trees that Mike’s company removes. Once the wood has been cut and taken back to their warehouse, the crew mills them into new usable material.

“Our vision for Live Edge Detroit was to develop a branch of Mike’s Tree Surgeons, Inc. that focused on salvaging our local resources and making them available for the community to enjoy for many more years to come. Our long term goals are to uphold that initial vision and to see it bloom into a more sustainable and profitable branch of the family business. We aren’t planning to take over the world, but we want to make a difference within the community, and we feel that starts right here in our own backyard.” -Jenny Barger

Shop Live Edge's offerings here. Read more about the family business here.

15.) Five Marys Farms

A few years ago, Mary and her husband Brian were high-powered Silicon Valley lawyers/entrepreneurs who traded it all away to live the Carhartt way of life. Armed with a strong work ethic and the fearlessness to ask lots of questions, the couple and their four daughters who all share the first name of Mary – but who go by their middle name to keep things “simple” – have proudly become a fully-functioning ranch that sells its meats all over the country.

“I am so proud of the life we get to give our girls living and working together on the ranch,” Mary beams when talking about being the mother of four young farm girls. “I don’t think I gave my girls enough credit before we moved here,” she continues, “I made their lunches and filled their water bottles and did all of their laundry, not really expecting them to do too much. By necessity, when we moved to the ranch the girls had to step up to the plate and start helping more, and they are so much more capable because of it.”

Shop Five Mary's here. Read more about this amazing family here.

[eallisnwndrlnd]

Our water, the EPA, the Dirty Water Rule, and why I care

Rarely do I dedicate hours of my personal time to research and delve into lengthy essay writings.I hadn’t done this much research since my life-draining thesis which ended up as thick as an encyclopedia. After speed reading through several studies and articles as well as the countless documentaries and books I’ve read through the years. This issue has become a growing concern. As I, a U.S. citizen, currently live in a country that just recently experienced a volcanic eruption that left thousands of people left without access to water, them being left to use waterways to drink and maintain their daily lives, or relying on bottled up versions of it provided by its government and donated by their neighboring provinces and NGOs, the water scarcity issue hits close to home. And as I watch, listen, and read in horror on what my home country is planning to do with the Clean Water Act, I cannot help but wonder what these deregulation's would mean to our water in the States. With a growing number of counties and cities in the U.S. becoming more reliant to bottled water due to contamination found in their tap water, I know it is only a matter of time before clean water will be well out of not only my reach but my family, friends and many others. So here it is...my essay...

Water…is a natural resource made up of H2O, that of which we and all living things rely on to sustain life.

We drink it, bathe in it, grow with it, clean with it, cook with it, swim in it, play in it, and work with it. So much of our life consists of water. 60% of it makes up a human body. We are literally surrounded with water.

71% of Earth is covered in it. 96.5% of that is made up of salt water. 2.5% is trapped in glaciers and ice. The rest can be found in vapor in the air, groundwater, aquifers, and waterways such as rivers and lakes. That’s less than 1% of the entire Earth.

Water…is a vital component to existence that many take for granted.

You would think with such scarcity of water available to us to use, we’d go out of our way to protect this precious lifeblood. Yet many of us treat it as if there is an infinite source we can rely on as we flush gallons of water down the drain without so much as a bat of an eyelash. Many of us were made to think that there would always be an abundance of water and always clean. We put our faith into our gods and government to have our backs.

As humans and companies continue to drain the last of our groundwater (which creates unstable surfaces) and aquifers, Earth is warming up due to climate changes (whether humans have played a part in these changes or not doesn’t change the fact that severe climate situations continually wreak havoc around the world) This can affect the quality and quantity of what is left in those water sources.

If access to drinkable water wasn’t an issue then why are so many companies and governments investing billions of dollars into innovating methods that can desalinate salt water, filter polluted water or extract water from shit? Now that sounds absolutely refreshing…

Water…is a human right.

You would think the government, that is the body of people entrusted to protect our interests, would work even harder to ensure we have access to clean water. Remember, they work for us…the people. The legislation and protections they put forth and enforce are in place to ensure that they uphold their oath to preserve, protect, and defend the constitution to the best of their ability.

“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” is a phrase in the constitution that describes what our unalienable rights are.  

Without access to clean water, there is no life.

Without access to free clean water, there is no liberty.

Without access to clean water, there is little to no chance in the pursuit of happiness.

But water in our country and for that matter the rest of the world, is not treated as such.

Water��is always at risk and protections are needed to mitigate it.  

Without protections and laws in place to curtail companies from polluting our waters and to ensure that its protected not only in a local level but in a national level as well, what incentives do those that choose to make shortcuts in business practices that may harm our water? 

Only a handful of major companies own more than 70% of the water in the world. That means that our access to water is at the hands of corporations.

In the U.S., most of our water is serviced through public water companies while several privatized water companies in some parts of the U.S. All the water we rely on is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency aka the EPA.  

The EPA was enacted December 2, 1970 which was initially proposed by Richard Nixon. It is a regulatory body whose sole mission is to protect human and environmental health. They do this by enforcing regulatory laws that are in place to ensure that our air, land and water remain protected. They hold private entities that break those laws by knowingly polluting our environment. Pollution, whether in air, land, or water, can greatly impact not only our livelihood but our mortality rates. When our environment is polluted we become more vulnerable to health issues. Toxic remnants of a company’s irresponsible and unconscionable lack of ethics can reach our water, our food, and have detrimental effects to the air we breathe. We rely on the EPA to police the companies that would rather risk our health and environment over their bottom-line.

The case of United States vs. Reserve Mining is an early testament to the importance of the EPA. Reserve Mining was found guilty of dumping toxic waste into a neighboring lake in Minnesota which found its way into the drinking water of local citizens. They were held accountable for the damage they did to the people of Minnesota and their affected environment. EPA gained the ability to enact regulations that helped forced mining companies to have measures in place to make sure that their waste didn’t contaminate local water. The case which was initially filed by the EPA in 1972 has been mentioned as the reason the Clean Water Act of 1972 was enacted. 

The Clean Water Act was created in 1972 and replaced the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1965. It’s primary mission was to restore and maintain the integrity of our country’s water by eliminating discharge of pollutants in the water and achieving water quality levels that are safe for fishing and swimming. These protections would be at risk with the new dirty water rule being placed by the current administration. 

The water contamination that left thousands of people in Flint, Michigan without access to clean water and the cause for several deaths and others getting sick is a more recent testament of what could happen when the EPA fails to do their job. Several complaints and concerns were given to the regional offices of the EPA of which were greatly ignored. Officials in Flint ignored the warnings from countless of people including one of the major water supply companies that looked into Flint for a possible contract. Unfortunately the latter kept their concerns from the public and the officials chose to carry on with their plan to switch from the public water service to the local river in order to cut costs. Unknowingly, the citizens of Flint were left to deal with the consequences of their local governments unethical practices; a consequence that wouldn’t have happened if EPA had done its job correctly. Until now, thousands of residents are still without accessible water and those that have access to water that is said to be safe after the city fixed the issue, are wary of using it for more than flushing their toilet. Who can blame them for not trusting the city officials when the sting of betrayal is still so fresh in their minds? Despite the issues of water contamination, the citizens of Flint pay a hefty amount for water they can’t even use all the while Nestle is allowed to pump at a water source nearby for only $200 per year. Nestle makes billions in profit to sell water in a plastic bottle that came from a water source that the people in that town can’t even access. (Not to mention that in order to make those plastic bottles, tons of water is being used as well as being a major source of plastic pollution found in our water)  The city eventually gave free bottles of water to the people of Flint which was supplied by Nestle due to a wave of national backlash pointed in their direction. However, Nestle eventually stopped the supply. People in other cities became concerned about the quality of their tap water and research found that much of our water supply is already tainted with forever chemicals that scientists say can have dire repercussions to our health.

Water…is priceless. 

Companies and governments however manage to put a hefty price on water creating liquid gold.

Just how much money would you be willing to fork over to get even one gallon of water?

 It is not a matter of if such an issue will occur to rest of the worlds’ population it is a matter of when. Nary will a skeptic be left to ignore the problem. The skeptics with the financial ability to pay won’t concern themselves while the skeptics who don’t will be finding themselves in similar situations as the people of Flint, Australia, and a growing number of third world countries.

What is it like to have a country that doesn’t own most of its water rights? Just look at all the third world countries that had been forced to release their rights due to economic constraints or bullying by companies. Countries like Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, Pakistan, Nepal, and Congo have a growing population that have little to no access to drinking water. Many are left to rely on purchasing bottled water. The poorer populations are left with hardly any other alternative but to use water sourced from their polluted waterways which can lead to higher mortality rates. Many are forced to drink water where they bathe, launder their clothes, clean their food, wash their dishes, and dump waste.

Water...is a commodity that is becoming increasingly scarce and exploited by the wealthy and the powerful.  

Australia, a country that has been dealing with increasing waves of drought and being ravaged by catastrophic fires, has a significant portion of their accessible water being owned by foreign entities. Entities such as Olam, an agricultural company, had recently sold a portion of their water rights to a Canadian investment manager. As fires ate away homes, businesses, and animal habitats and claim several peoples’ lives, the government decided to sell billions of liters to a Chinese company…that bottles water and in turn sells it for profit. Firemen and the citizens of Australia were left to battle these fires with little water while their country’s leader was sitting pretty on vacation in another country.

We pay for water…in more ways than one. All the while powerful companies are profiteering by either owning the water rights or given the right by governments to drain our water sources.  There is a growing concern over the increasing number of private companies holding the rights to water. While these companies make billions for themselves as well as their shareholders, that wealth trickles down. They trickle down to lobbyists and government officials. The latter in return create or dismantle regulations and protections that protect those companies’ bottom lines.

As greed and corruption grow up the corporate and political chains unheeded, the citizens of these countries will be left with nothing. Until more people unite to push back against these lawless environmental policies, we will continue to have restricted access to clean water and be at the mercy of the government that puts the importance of money over their citizens and the environment.

Government of the people, by the people, and for the people seems to have mostly perished from the Earth…unless of course we replace the word “people” with “companies”.

 “For many of us, clean water is so plentiful and readily available that we rarely, if ever, pause to consider what life would be like without it.” - Marcus Samuelsson

[scottadlhoch1]

Best Places for Real Estate in Michigan

Michigan for some years has been focusing on trying to regain its earlier reputation as a sociocultural hub and an economic heavyweight in the USA. In fact, in this metropolitan area, Detroit used to hold the title of being the automotive manufacturing capital of the world.

While the industries have changed, the economic base of Michigan, mainly consisting of agricultural production, manufacturing, and tourism, has continued to propel the continued prosperity of this state as it makes its economic comeback.

A Case for Investing In Real Estate in Michigan

Despite its challenges, Michigan has still been able to find itself in the middle of the pack when it comes to the ranking of the best states. In terms of affordability, this state is ranked 4th out of 50 states and in terms of housing affordability and metrics for the cost of living it is ranked 5th and 8th best respectively.

When it comes to the quality of life, this state is ranked 29th overall, indicating assessments that are acceptable for the natural and social environment.

For the economic outlook, Michigan is ranked 22nd overall with the employment, business environment, and growth positively rated. Consequently, we take a look at the best places for real estate investment in Michigan.

Detroit

As discussions continue whether or not any person should invest in real estate in Detroit, Scott Adlhoch, a real estate agent, gives reasons why this city is one of the best investment places. First, according to Scott Adlhoch, this famous city has an unemployment rate standing at 4.2%.

Moreover, the steady decline of the area as an economic hub has been arrested with more industries being established in the city and old industries returning to operation. “The result is that people have jobs and families can afford to purchase a home”, Scott Adlhoch said.

The number of people buying homes has continued to rise over successive years and the demand for property has increased. The other reasons supporting the real estate investment viability of this Motor City include:

• An investor is able to qualify for the New Markets Tax Credit which is meant for attracting small businesses to this famous city. With this program, tax credits of as far as 39% of the invested capital are given if you invest in areas that are depressed socioeconomically.

• Top 10 overall job growth in construction.

 Grand Rapids

This is Michigan’s second-largest city and it is often listed among the up and coming investment areas to watch. Grand Rapids is nicknamed “Furniture City” for the reason that it is home to numerous furniture manufacturers. “There are many sectors thriving in Grand Rapids such as education, healthcare, grocery, tech, and automotive”, Scott Adlhoch said. According to Scott Adlhoch, with all these different sectors flourishing and companies like Spectrum Health employing thousands of Grand Rapids locals, this is an area preferred by many for living and working.

There are even more efforts to attracting more employers. “The security of Grand Rapids has also improved dramatically because compared with the rest of the USA since there was a time this area had a crime rate that was higher than the country’s average”, Scott Adlhoch said.

Apart from the drastic improvement in security, Scott Adlhoch also agreed with the fact that this area also has plenty of gardens and parks, family-friendly amenities, and numerous local breweries. As well, this area offers sweeping water views since it is situated next to the Grand River. All of these factors have continued to make Grand Rapids attract homebuyers.

Since 2015, there has been an increase in housing demand in this area.

Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor also popularly referred to as “Tree Town”, is an affluent part of the state of Michigan. Most, if not all, of the Ann Arbor neighborhoods, have continued to experience steadily increasing median home sales prices. That means, whether you choose to invest in a more affordable community like Georgetown or a fairly expensive one like Angell, you are still able to make profits when you sell and that is provided you have been able to correctly calculate your numbers.

 Another attraction of this area includes a crime rate that is significantly lower compared with the rest of the country. “Finding a real estate deal worthy of your investment is possible almost everywhere in communities such as Warren in Macomb County.

 In conclusion, according to Scott Adlhoch, while reality TV shows for real estate are entertaining, their disadvantage is that they are not focused on showing you just how it is critical to find distressed property sellers, which is important for a real estate investment business to be successful. However, for a real estate agent like him, the job is a lot easier because he has access to the most important marketing tools and resources of the real estate industry for reaching distressed Michigan homeowners and motivating them to call him.

[jpegjohn]

Recap & Looking forward

The last two-ish years have been some of the most difficult but most necessary years of my life.

2016

-Graduated college: BA in English Lit with minors in Journalism and Writing.

-Got a big boy job @ the government: In the Public Information Office of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

-Bought a house: Minutes from work, safe distance from toxic family, and at an unbelievable bargain.

-Leveled up freelancing: Finally stopped prospecting and Jeff asked me to take the lead on a podcast project AND a video series project at CAC.

-Leveled up at DNR: I was asked to design, illustrate, and compile an entire annual report for the Michigan Legislature.

2017

-Choked on work: Quickly realized I had bit off way more than I could chew and started pounding natty daddies and staying up for days at a time trying to keep up. 

-Family infected me anyway: Showing up unannounced at my house, dragging me into drama, guilting me for not spending all my time with them--the usual toxic narcissism.

-Choked personally: Drinking a bunch, becoming hostile, impatient, and mean; eating garbage, not exercising, berating my relationship, acting out, growling at my partner and projecting all my frustration into my environment.

-Lost my big boy job: The Trump administration took office and slashed our federal funding at the DNR, so I was obviously among the first to get laid off having only worked there for a year. Goodbye 401k.

-Lost love: Let my partner down big time and drove away the only person who ever loved me as much as I loved them, the woman I wanted so badly to marry and do life with with, and who is--to this day and without question--the only person I know I had the real thing with. And yet I don’t blame her one bit for leaving (which if you’re curious, I handled desperately and pathetically).

-Got an DUI: Equipped with the most profoundly broken heart I could have imagined, an empty house I no longer knew what to do with, a steady job on it’s way out the door, and a family of (really great and loyal) alcoholic quasi-narcissists, I started caring less and less about pretty much anything I still had going for me and got busted with an Operating While Visibly Impaired (OWVI) charge--which is like a DUI that hasn’t gone through puberty.

2018

-Took care of the DUI (16-weeks of counseling, probo period, and a fuckload of fines and fees). 

-Decided to fast from alcohol for the whole year to assure myself that I won’t literally drink myself to death someday like my Mom did.

-Started full-time with Jeff and the team (he even offered health benefits!)

-Rented out the Lansing house (which is totally paid off now!) to a young family of five and moved in with my cousin back in Grand Rapids to be closer to Jeff and co., and further from my family (with the exception of my baby sister Betsy who started attending my alma mater).

-Started part-time at a hotel I worked at in college

-Started part-time in the marketing department at AQ

-Got an nice, affordable, and oversized 1 bedroom apartment that came with a free gym membership :-)

Goals for 2019

-Quit the hotel where I’m not really doing any growing, and focus solely on creative and the vision Jeff and I have for CAC.

-Do some general counseling on my own to work through some stuff, like still having dreams about my ex who I think about a lot (but who literally disdains me to hell and has cut me out completely) and just making sure I’m letting go of all that and the fact that I’ll literally never see her again or get any kind of closure and being at real honest peace with that, and everything else of the last few years I might need to revisit.

-Maybe get a pet?

-Update the house so it’s ready to sell in 2020 if I decide to go that route.

-Take at least one trip to Texas to see my friends.

-Ask for help more often than I need to and not isolate myself socially like I tend to when things get busy.

-Pay off my remaining student debt.

-Maintain the steady progress I’ve made in my relationship with Jesus as a stronger practitioner of love, patience, mercy, and kindness, and basically just continue to grow every day in my faith and as a man.

-Get a new tattoo

-Get Elon Musk to retweet me

-Definitely get that pet

[hello-thefatlosshabit-blr]

“Accountability breeds response-ability.” – Stephen Covey

If you have been following this weekly blog, thank you! This week’s challenge is to determine if you have been successful at adopting some of the habits I have suggested or any other habits you have decided to adopt. The best way to become consistent is to track our consistency.

“What gets measured gets managed.” – Peter Drucker

What gets measured gets managed, simply means that examining an activity forces us to pay more attention to it. The simple act of measuring and recording forces us to make more thoughtful choices and decisions. Budget experts have found that daily logging expenses can help people cut their spending by making them more mindful of how they spend their money.

The same is true for logging our food. A 2009 weight loss study found that participants who were asked to log their food naturally began to identify patterns, which made them want to do a better job of planning their meals ahead of time; this, in turn, led to healthier food choices. The group that kept food logs lost twice as much weight as the other study participants that did not log their foods. [i]

MyFitnessPal released an astonishing statistic that 88% of people who logged their food for seven days lost weight.[ii] The more you track, the greater your likelihood of reaching your goals. Your progress must be measurable to achieve it, and the act of measuring will automatically modify your behavior.

“If you want it, measure it. If you can’t measure it, forget it.” Peter Drucker.

Activity trackers work on the same concept of what gets measured gets managed. Monitoring your daily activity will automatically cause you to modify your behavior and become more active daily. You will start taking the stairs more often and parking your car further away from building entrances. Each time you hit your daily goal, it generates another small win. Small wins will help you stay motivated.

I think a simple notepad is one of the most powerful self-improvement tools in existence when used to log activity. Logging the activity creates awareness. Awareness is the first step in changing behavior. It is the first step toward transformation. When you log an activity, you become more mindful of your decisions, big and small.

Often it is the small, seemingly insignificant decisions that are sabotaging our success. Eating that cookie in the break room, losing valuable time by allowing yourself to become distracted while working on something important, skipping a workout, or staying up late watching TV instead of getting a good night’s sleep. Anyone of these decisions by themselves isn’t devastating, but their accumulative effects are. Whatever it is you want to improve, your time management, your leadership, your relationships, your business, your eating patterns, your exercise consistency, or your spending can be tracked. Be relentless. Track everything related to the behavior you want to improve. Awareness is the first step toward transformation. Bad habits are the result of neglect. Mindfulness prevents us from mindlessly doing things that are sabotaging us.

 I am a firm believer in Peter Drucker’s management principle “What gets measured gets managed.” Anyone that has ever kept a financial spending log or food log knows that they changed their spending or eating behavior when they kept a record of the activity. When we monitor an activity, we naturally become more mindful of our choices. We automatically modify our behavior and make better decisions. It is so simple to understand, I am always amazed how many people don’t use it to improve their personal or professional performance.

If you really want to change a behavior track it for at least a week, a month would be even better, two months optimal. If you want to improve your performance, you must track your performance. If you cannot track it, you will not achieve it. Everything and anything you want to improve can be measured. You might think some things can’t be measured, like building employee loyalty, but I would argue it can.

If a leader wants to build loyalty in their organization, they could decide that twice a week they are going to visit two employees whose managers say they have been doing a great job and paying them a compliment for their excellent work. She could then inquire as to how they are doing and ask if there are any resources they need, including training, to help them be even more effective. Tracking her consistency would be the lead indicators, and quarterly feedback from culture surveys would be the lag indicator. Loyalty is a two-way street. Showing employees that the leadership values their contribution, and is committed to their professional development is how you earn loyalty.

Awareness is the first step in transformation. If we are serious about improving any area of our life, we need some method of tracking the behavior. You could use habit-forming apps like Strides, Streaks, Fabulous, and Toodledo, help you track and develop new habits. The Strides app allows you to create instant habits by programming action triggers. You can program multiple reminders for each task, and the app tracks your consistency.

Maintaining a checklist is a simple, very effective method of tracking consistency. Sabina Nawaz wrote a great article on the subject for the Harvard Business Review, Break Bad Habits with a Simple Checklist.[iii] The author suggests you make a list of daily habits you need to abandon and the new ones you need to adopt to move your career forward. The list you create must be actionable. If you are overly critical, you will create a daily habit of showing appreciation; paying someone a compliment each day for their good work. Recognizing what people do well, instead of fault finding.

Many people have an irrational dislike for checklists, but their effectiveness is undeniable. The New York Times Best Seller, The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right, demonstrates the effectiveness of checklists. The author was inspired to write the book based on the amazing effectiveness a 5-point checklist had on reducing death rates in Intensive Care Units (ICU’s).[iv]

The checklist addressed one of the most preventable causes of death in ICUs, central-line-associated bloodstream infections. The checklist reduced infection rates by 66% and is estimated to have saved 1,500 lives in its first three months of implementation during the Michigan Keystone: ICU Project.[v]

What was on this amazingly effective checklist? The checklist included: washing of hands; cleaning the patient’s skin with chlorhexidine antiseptic; putting sterile drapes over the entire patient; wearing a sterile mask, hat, gown, and gloves; and putting a sterile dressing over the catheter site once the line is in.

Many doctors resisted the checklist. They felt it was just another form to complete, and that it would prevent them from spending more time attending to the patient. Some felt the list insulted their intelligence since the items were so rudimentary. Nurses had to be empowered to enforce the checklist because doctors were often the ones omitting a step. Even after the results were announced some still thought it was not necessary, but when asked whether they would want the checklist used if they were having an operation, 93 percent said yes!

I have developed two checklists you can use to help track your consistency. I hope you will accept this week’s challenge and measure your consistency. We become what we consistently do. To be better, we have to consistently do better.

The Habit Score Card (pdf)

The Habit Score Card

The Habit Score Card (Example)

Habit Score Card (pdf)

Habit Score Card (Excel)

  “We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do.” – Aristotle

  “We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day.” Richard G. Scott

Until next week, good luck!

We become what we CONSISTENTLY DO. Change your habits, change your life! 

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Best wishes and Best Health!

Book NOW Available on Amazon!

Are you ready to reboot and reset your relationship with food and exercise? Most programs focus on the mechanics of weight loss but fail to adequately address the psychology of change required. Most people know more than enough about nutrition and exercise to lose weight, but fail to take action. This book takes a new approach to getting leaner, fitter, and stronger. 

The Fat Loss Habit: Creating Routines that Make Willpower and Fat Loss Automatic takes a new approach to getting leaner, fitter, and stronger. The program uses high-impact change strategies that make the process of adopting a healthy lifestyle easier. The nutrition and workout program, like the change techniques, have all been proven effective, and are all backed by research and scientific studies.

#theFatLossHabit #FatLoss #WeightLoss #NewYearsResolution #GetHealthy #HealthyLife #Fitness #FitnessAddict #Nutrition #FitQuote #GetFit #NoExcuses #TrainHard #GetStrong #WeightTraining #Workout #Motivation #Positive #Inspiration #Habit #Happiness #YouCanDoIt #Success #BodyTransformation #FitFam #FitCouple

[i] Lora E. Burke, PhD, MPH, FAHA, FAAN, Jing Wang, PhD, MPH, RN, Graduate Student Researcher, and Mary Ann Sevick, ScD, RN, Research Scientist, “Self-Monitoring in Weight Loss: A Systematic Review of the Literature,” J Am Diet Assoc. 2011 Jan; 111(1): 92–102. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2010.10.008.

[ii] Mike Lee, “MyFitnessPal Works if You Use It,” MyFitnessPal, November 17, 2014.

[iii] Sabina Nawaz, “Break Bad Habits with a Simple Checklist,” Harvard Business Review, February 10, 2017.

[iv] Atul Gawande, The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right, Picador; Reprint edition (January 4, 2011)

[v] Sandeep Jauhar, “One Thing After Another,” The New York Times, January 22, 2010.

Consistency is more important than intensity. Small improvements hammered out daily produce unbelievable results over time. “Accountability breeds response-ability.” - Stephen Covey If you have been following this weekly blog, thank you! …

[smokeymountaingal]

'There's no red tornadoes and blue tornadoes': Biden surveys damage in Kentucky | Daily Mail Online

You know what is sad? Kentucky was VERY MUCH A DEMOCRATIC STRONGHOLD for years! That changed when the brave, desperately poor people in rural Kentucky decided they had enough of outsiders raping their natural resources, tearing down the hills, destroying trees lakes and rivers, and TAKING EVERY SINGLE CENT OUT OF THE STATE!! They are tired of people making fun of them, how they live, how they speak, and DESTROYING the natural beauty of this state. We first took their trees, next we took their coal, and then we took the MOUNTAINS THEMSELVES, turning the natural beauty into a stark desert leaving behind coal sludge and chemicals to pollute the water that is not only killing wildlife but the people themselves through cancer, leukemia, and tumors.

This is a topic that affects me deeply. My family is from Appalachia, setting roots down on the Tug River which is the boundary between West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky. This was the home of King Coal, home of the Hatfields and McCoys, the Matewan massacre, and the roots for The Battle of Blair Mountain. My people struggled but survived. My Gran-Gran and Pa-Pa raised six kids who NEVER missed a day of school from K-12 on a coal miner's salary. They both knew that education was the key to giving their children a better life. All six left the mountains taking the Reading, 'Riting, and Route 23 to a better life. However, it was a rare Friday evening that those six children would not bring their own families back from Ohio and Michigan every weekend to those same mountains.

I spent most weekends and my blissful summers there. Arriving back each time to see my little family town change. First by watching my Pa-Pa die from Black Lung Disease. Then watching my Gran die from kidney disease, refusing to leave those hills. I watched a prideful town become a ghost land. Shops boarded up, mines closed, schools shut because any family that could leave did, and people starving because the run off from the mines killed fish and game life. I have watched my Gran's house and her neighbors burnt down from meth labs. I have seen it all. During this WHOLE time those mountain people had pride, never losing their love for those hills. Every single one of them just doing what they could to survive year after year. Silently watching as one more Democrat came through their town promising wealth, promising jobs, promising them hope. Watching as each and EVERY Democrat raping Kentucky's resources and taking all the profits out of state. Leaving only a once beautiful landscape looking like the moon. Destroying the natural beauty so thoroughly that Kentucky cannot have a tourism rebirth as a number of southern states have been able to.

So can you blame these brave, proud people for wanting to change? For wanting to turn their backs on the Democrat Party who turned their backs on them so many years ago?? I think not. So along comes 2016. We have a Democrat presidential candidate that literally called these beautiful people deplorable, low life's, and idiots. Then we have the other candidate who was a Republican who told them I see your hardship. I see your plight and want to help. So which one would you choose?

Unfortunately, their desperate choice to change allegiance made no difference. Nothing changed. They are still poor. Still hungry and still desperate for change. Then a huge natural disaster occurs and takes every last thing they owned and once again a politician comes to their town promising all those things they said they would do YEARS ago. Would you be opening your arms to welcome that politician? Would you believe him.?

If there is anyone still reading this rant please, please, please try to help. The Red Cross, The Humane Society, and churches are trying desperately to feed, clothe, shelter, and comfort as many as they can. They have lost EVERYTHING. Anything is appreciated, especially water and warm clothes. Pet supplies are needed as well, as many pets were blown miles away from their homes. These people are prideful but would give you the clothes on their back if you needed it. I know many of us are struggling financially ourselves and money is tight. That is okay. All I ask is that you please pray for them. If you got this far reading, thank you. I really mean that. Forgive my rantings. I love Kentucky and it's people. Those hills still mean home to me and I want others to see it's beauty and show those wonderful people that live there the love and respect they deserve after a lifetime of insults and promises that were never kept. Thank you. -SMG🤍🖤🤎💜💙💚💛🧡❤

Here is a song called Reading, Writing, and Route 23 by Dwight Yoakum. It tells the story of my family and many others who left their homes in the hills hoping to give their children a chance to have a better life. Yet returning as often as possible because those hills still calls us as it did for our parents and as it does now for our own children. I hope you like it.

[anettrolikova]

Larger cities like New York and Los Angeles are more ambiguous, as their share compared to population size is not disproportionate, but narrowing the analysis to a subregion like Manhattan or Santa Monica would likely turn up a traditional tech cluster.

Historically, clusters have been pivotal in driving long-term US growth and for creating innovations that improve the lives of billions of people around the globe. As economists William Kerr and Frederic Robert-Nicoud summarize, there has been a continual movement of leading tech clusters over time in the US. In the 1800s, Lowell, Massachusetts was the center for textile mills relying on water power. By the early 1900s, Cleveland, Ohio was instrumental in pushing forward the frontier on electricity and steel. Detroit, Michigan, of course, developed into the powerhouse for automobile manufacturing in the mid-1900s.

US tech clusters are the envy of the world. There are only four trillion dollar companies in the world. Two of them are based near San Francisco (Apple and Alphabet), and two near Seattle (Amazon and Microsoft). Of the global top 30 Internet firms, 14 are based in SF alone.

computer scientist moving from the median cluster in computer science (Gainesville, FL) to the cluster at the 75th percentile of size (Richmond, VA) would experience a 12.0% increase in productivity, holding constant the inventor and the firm. as the clusters get larger and more specialized, the productivity boosts also get larger.

software clustered near San Francisco was not inevitable, that auto manufacturing clustered in Detroit was not fate, that semiconductor fabrication today clusters in Taiwan is not preordained.

In the past, clusters would frequently populate around a specific natural resource that was necessary for the operation of the tech in question, i.e. natural harbors, coal and iron deposits, fast-flowing streams. But the ultimate resources for technology development today are the human minds that can come up with and then implement new ideas.

So tech clusters today are mostly about attracting and organizing talented humans in cities they would actually want to live in.

to become a tech cluster today, a location needs:

An anchor organization as a first-mover in getting high-skilled talent in a particular field to come to a region (usually a firm or a university)

An urban environment in which firms and workers in adjacent sectors can benefit from large knowledge spillovers as new advances and technical approaches diffuse across the region quickly

The development of high-velocity labor markets where workers with deep technical expertise can quickly start, join, or leave various firms

A social scene that is animated by a particular industry or technology area such that the conversations happening in local bars are some of the best in the world for that subfield

A sufficient supply of industry-specific resources (venture capitalists, relevant scientific or manufacturing infrastructure, government contracts)

A good bit of luck

The historical accidents of particular government policies can sometimes serve as a tiebreaker among competing destinations. One reason that Silicon Valley may have become the primary driver for software development rather than the Boston area is California’s decision to not enforce non-compete agreements. While not necessarily the intention, this accelerated both the degree of knowledge spillovers and the velocity of labor markets in the region.

Having a separate city is useful for establishing a different culture and offers a type of specialization that can attract a separate set of weird, ambitious young people that will form the backbone of a cluster.

To truly become a cluster for a particular field, a city essentially has to reach some critical density of conversations in the social scene to be ones happening between like-minded specialists. That is naturally much easier to do in a smaller city with less preexisting focus. This may help explain why we don’t see one giant mega-city dominate all-new tech cluster development.

some companies like Stripe have offered one-time moving bonuses (and small pay cuts) to their employees if they actually take the leap out of Silicon Valley. This has led some to speculate that the future of remote work is upon us and tech clusters will slowly (or perhaps quickly) erode.

The bull case for remote work is simple. There are many restrictions on the current operation of tech clusters (more on this later) that can be arbitraged away by shifting jobs across city or even national borders.

digital agglomeration effects may be starting to approximate physical agglomeration effects in some ways. If you want fascinating in-depth conversations in your field, you can find great ones on Twitter or Reddit.

in tech clusters today, workers get the best of both worlds. We get the best leads and conversations the internet has to offer combined with the spontaneous interactions, dense physical networks, and close access to specialized resources of the physical space

a world with widespread remote work will still benefit from tech clusters so long as physical human interaction provides benefits to innovation above and beyond the best interactions offered digitally. This is especially true for the superstar firms and workers for which even small boosts in productivity and idea generation can have far-reaching consequences.

Smart, creative people generally like to be friends with and date other smart, creative people in the same or adjacent industries. long as friendship, dating, and marriage markets continue to rely on some degree of physical proximity it seems likely that these clusters will persist. This in turn creates a situation where employers want to be located near these deep labor markets of technical talent.

San Francisco as a specific cluster could be on the decline as decades of bad housing policy are finally catching up with it, and remote work does make an exodus of talent easier than it once was. But tech clusters as a concept and as an economic force to be reckoned with are not going away.

To strengthen existing tech clusters, the fix may be surprisingly simple to identify. Policymakers can use immigration reform to give them access to talented people from all over the world, use zoning reform to give them plentiful housing and conducive urban environments in which to live and work, and give local universities enough research funding to supply the public good of basic science development which undergirds their work.

the critical importance of the Silicon Valley cluster for US international competitiveness, a self-inflicted housing shortage has kept out thousands or potentially even millions of individuals who could be better contributing to US innovation and productivity growth

Trying to seed new tech clusters may be even more tricky, especially from the top down. Recent history is littered with failure after failure in attempts to recreate the magic of Silicon Valley elsewhere. Attempted Silicon Valley knock-offs including Silicon Spuds in Idaho, Silicon Hill in DC, Silicon Bayou in Louisiana, and many, many others. Very few of which have had any success.

Until we humans are plugging our brains directly into computers, we remain social animals who need physical interaction to best stimulate, develop, and actively work out new ideas. The highest digital worlds we can create will rely on the careful curation of our physical one