The first thing a statistician, data scientist, medical researcher, engineer, social scientist or anyone depending on data is to assess its quality. As of this writing, the recent release of the Durham Report suggests that the FBI was lax in their assessment of the alleged Russian influence in the 2016 presidential election cycle. This resulted
Seems we live in a world of FAKE. How do you know what is fake and what is not? A recent article described certain activities in Silicon Valley as the end of fake. The point being that in the recent VC heyday, some have feed the market crap and taken advantage of the Greed is
Hard to believe that 13 years ago the offshore oil and gas industry changed forever. On April 20, 2010 the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, later sank. “Approximately 134 million gallons of oil had spilled into the Gulf, the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history.” One recent LinkedIn comment suggested that nothing had changed
We are pleased to announce the publication of our new book, Smart Manufacturing: Integrating Transformational Technologies for Competitiveness and Sustainability. The first sentence in the Abstract of Chapter 2, Operational Technologies reads, “There is a lot of information about ‘Smart Manufacturing’ albeit precious little information about its implementation and ongoing sustainability. Without a set of
Recently this pundit was contacted with a purchase recommendation for something he had already acquired. Dah!! According to Britannica, artificial intelligence (AI) is defined as, “the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings.” But just how mature is this technology? The term covers a wide range of capabilities and
This author recently received an automated text message regarding an upcoming process. Received the day before the scheduled process, the text described pre-process procedures (as if it was in the future) to be completed 72 hours beforehand. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are ubiquitous. These automated systems remind customers of valid business relationships as well
Why are Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives failing? In previous blogs, we have addressed the challenges of turning organizational initiatives into culture. Moreover, we discussed DEI and the shortcomings of those institutional efforts as well as broached the construct of Teams incorporating DEI. In this edition, we will expand on those subjects and develop
Why are we so worried about what the world will look like in 2050? In that year, this pundit will be 102 years old and most likely dead. While not denying that our stewardship of the planet is an obligation, perhaps our focus is misplaced. Climate Change, Climate Change, Climate Change has become the mantra
According to Cambridge Dictionary the title term is defined as, Not real, or existing only in order to deceive people.” We live in a world when lies are tossed around with impunity. Politician lie, school boards withhold from parents and the news is decried as fake by both sides of the political isle. How does
Often attributed to the movie character, Forest Gump the title phrase can be interpreted as an abrupt change in one’s life. The past few years have brought significant changes to many of us. Illness, job change, moving to a new location, kids out of school and so it goes. Disruption can be intimidating, yet it
The current president of the United States is 80 years old. He has indicated that that he will run for a second term. If reelected, at the end of that terminus he will be 86! Is that too old to run a country? The Speaker of the House is 80, and her peers include a number of
Attributed to the late Martha Mitchell, wife of the then Attorney General Oxford defines it as “A misinterpretation of a person’s justified belief as a delusion, often by a psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, or general practitioner.” Climate deniers, election deniers, COVID vaccine deniers, The Science deniers and all kind of deniers. Treated as delusional and even
In the just released NCHRP Research Report 1001/BTSCRP Research Report 2, a new framework provides government and non government parties and other stakeholders a tool for the assessment and risk management for emerging automated driving system (ADS) technologies. This Framework for Assessing Potential Safety Impacts of Automated Driving Systems reminds this reader with a sense
At least in the United States we will soon be kicking off the Holiday Season with all the craziness it brings. Starting with the US Thanksgiving, followed by Black Friday (often practiced the entire month of November) many will prepare for Santa Claus then on into the New Year’s celebration. Many religions have holy days
First it was Covid-19 and now a Recession? Is a Global Military Conflict on the Horizon as well? Social, economic and personal pressures continue to mount. There is already evidence of Reductions in Force, (RIF) aka layoffs are underway or planned. With consumers stretched to the max, higher interest rates, equity markets in retreat and
This pundit and his firm have long been proponents of building organizational cultures that provide firm the capability of adjusting to ‘events on the ground’ quickly with strong Situational Awareness. Moreover, when adversity raises its ugly head, the response of a High Reliability Organization enables the resilience to adjust and go forward. Finally, stakeholder value
On October 8, 2021, we posted the blog, Welcome to the 70s–Again! The point that the awful economy of that decade could return. It seems that one year later, those comments have come true. Many are now freely comparing out contemporary time to that period before most adults were born. This Baby Boomer graduated from
“Yes, hope is a strange thing. Peace at last. But at what price?” — Khaled Hosseini Great Societies have been lost in the past–a number of times. There is no reason to believe our current crop is immune! Ariel Durant, the co-author of the 11 volume tome, The Story of Civilization is credited with, “A great
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” George Bernard Shaw The 1967 movie Cool Hand Luke, popularized the term, “What we’ve got here is failure to communicate.” The American Film Institute lists this statement as number 11 out of the top 100 movie quotes. The basis of this
One newscaster recently used the metaphor of the sun setting in the west as settled science so contrary views were not newsworthy. His argument–Fairness is Over Rated! What? One wonders whether this is true for those who believe the world is round or for those in the Flat Earth Society? Yet most political commentary and
Who would have thought that in the summer with temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit the wind would stop blowing. According to NOAA, “The main cause of wind is a little surprising. It’s actually temperature. More specifically, it’s differences in temperature between different areas.” With a major Atmospheric High Pressure parked over a large geographic area,
An oil and gas industry group, the U.S. Energy Workforce & Technology Council recently released a survey which stated, “companies with a higher percentage of women in executive positions have a 34 percent higher total return to shareholders than those that do not and companies with ethnic diversity on their executive team are 25 percent
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, one definition of initiative is. “A new plan or action to improve something or solve a problem.” In corporate parlance this often translates into yet another short-term and often politically correct effort to demonstrate forward motion/social citizenship. Often forgotten faster than the evening news cycle as new searches for performance
Henry Ford, the Founder of Ford Motor Company is famously attributed to this statement. “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” In other words, most of us think linearly. One wonders if this line of reasoning is the best way during the current situation. Perhaps, non-linear mindsets are
Our often called, ‘Best Friend’ has and continues to teach us all manner of life lessons. While the Dog Days of Summer will soon be upon those who live in the northern hemisphere, not all dogs choose to stay on the porch. Most dogs are action oriented. Throw a ball or a stick and some
In a recent online discussion, this pundit put forth the thought that fiberglass wind turbine blades can pose an environmental problem when decommissioned. This position was quickly challenged with the rebuttal that burning coal ‘kills’ kids so it did not matter if discarded blades litter the countryside as it is worth it. According to research
According to Investopedia, “Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria are a set of standards for a company’s operations that socially conscious investors use to screen potential investments.” Definitions of the three components are pretty straightforward: Environmental–Generally refers to the stewardship of the planet and how organizations facilitate that responsibility. Social–Facilitating organizational responsibility to the global
We are offered the world at the tip of our fingers, But! There are many prices to pay. Theft by scam simply by clicking on a great opportunity is getting more sophisticated all the time. Recently, this pundit was offered a once in a lifetime possibility if only I would listen to an MS Office
Update: Just after we published this edition, Goldman Sachs released this comprehensive research piece; Stagflation Risk. Recently, one media outlet raised the suggestion of government price controls. Generally, seen as a bad idea, none-the-less in this inflationary environment, some may perceive value from an action of this kind. Additionally, in the current environment some politicians
Will gas lines return? Recent geopolitical events have driven the price of gasoline sky high–again! As of this writing it is difficult to say where this will all lead. What is known is that the cost of all things related to petroleum have significantly increased and may go even higher. According to the U.S. Department
