February 26, 2024
Good morning!
Happy Leap Day this Thursday; set your calendar.
Had you ever even heard of Nvidia ten years ago? Five years ago? One year ago? Holy Chipmaker, Batman!
Flaco the Owl is dead… supposedly from self-inflicted wounds, at the very least, carelessness, but now there is an investigation involving possible poisoning.
If you live or work within 75 miles of Without A Vision’s world headquarters, we hope to see you at the Farm Show!
Actually, come to it from even farther away — if you want to continue eating. And, if the last time you visited a working farm was five or more years ago.
- You should seek out the experience of needing a physician early on a Sunday morning — just to have had the experience.
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- (Nothing life-threatening, just something temporary, treatable, and curable.)
- And, at the same time you seek out the experience, be grateful you live or work in an area where such an option even exists.
- This writer found himself in extreme pain, almost unable to move, with what felt like lightning bolts of electricity pulsating from his lower back and up and down the legs.
- There was no apparent causal event, just a sudden onset of paralyzing pain. (If #9 pain feels like this, #10 must put you in a coma.)
- And so there I was, in the lobby of a large clinic, closed for the weekend but for this small wing, taking a pull-out paper slip number from one of those mechanical machines as if I were hoping to order doughnuts when my turn came around.
- I was #31. (Now serving number four… number four, please) More than 100 additional infirmed steadily gathered while I waited.
- Anyway, it was my first experience at such a thing and I’ll spare you the rest of the details — except to say I wasn’t cured, but I was seen, as they say, after my number came ’round.
- I’m still in extreme pain, but I have an appointment with a highly-skilled and highly recommended physician in just four more days.
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- “Technology is the lifeblood of many solutions that will enable organizations to achieve their sustainability goals.” (Smaje)
- Here’s a head scratcher:
- “Less than one-tenth of one percent of the black population in the United States lives in a county close to (economic) parity.” (McKinsey… Black Economic Mobility)
- Think of this… is there hope at all if we are only successful with .01%?
- 99.9% don’t live surrounded by and nurtured by economic strength, options, opportunities, infrastructure, entrepreneurism, role models, commerce on par.
- What is our plan?
- “Unless progress accelerates, it could take community profiles anywhere from 110 years to 320 years to eliminate gaps in outcomes for black and white residents.” (Stewart, 2024)
- “Affordable housing and early childhood education are two areas of action that could help level the playing field faster.” (Ibid.)
- Anyone see opportunity here?
- Lots of competing data on this topic; here’s a look at it through a different lens:
- On average we historically spend about 11.3% of disposable income on food. (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
- (This includes foods prepared at home, eaten in restaurants, truck stops, from street vendors, Etc., all food consumption.)
- Despite inflation and a few other variables, that expense has held remarkably steady for the last thirty years, ranging from 10% to 11% most of that time. (Ibid.)
- Here is a case where perception just wallops reality over the head — and of course, average doesn’t mean much to the people at the extremes who help to lock-in the average.
- Contributing to the perception of out of control food prices?
- An historic decrease in food expense — from 10.3% to 9.3% decline pre-2020 — and then an unprecedented spike during the plague — from 9.3% to 11.3% of disposable income.
- On average we historically spend about 11.3% of disposable income on food. (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
- Does your office or work place smell like a soothing spa?
- If it did you might be more inclined — and happier — to return to work. (Smith)
- Curiosity might have killed the cat, but here at Without A Vision we’ve often proffered a healthy curiosity as essential to effective leadership.
- And now, along comes corroboration: “… the curiosity mindset is what fuels top leaders’ ascent… they were willing to try new things and in doing that, gained experience.” (Keller)
- Maybe try asking, “Why?” and “Why not?” and “How?” more often — and then investigate, research, reflect, discuss.
- A preliminary, non-comprehensive, unscientific study of sustainable, vibrant rural life reveals two essential ingredients mostly in short supply:
- Financial capital
- Quality health care
- “It’s not the big things, it’s tiny things that separate high performers from those who wish they were high performers.” (Goggins)
- “No matter how much you change and no matter how much you improve, it’s not permanent… keep learning.” (Ibid.)
- “You can’t control what talents you have, but you can control what you make of those talents.” (Godin)
- “What gets measured gets done.” (Drucker)
- And yet, it is among the tactics fought against most by those who would benefit most. (?)
