Mindconnection eNL, 2004-10-18

Have you ever found yourself just overwhelmed by information, priorities, solutions, and ideas--but unable to sort them all out? If so, you are normal. And, that means you can benefit fromMindManager.

How Can MindManager Help You?

Whether you're trying to solve a problem, prioritize your daily activities, organize multiple projects, or make a simple to-do list,MindManager can help.

Simplify the demands on your mind, today. The saying, "Simpler is better" exists for some very good reasons.

In the USA, we are undergoing an odd process called an "election."

In this process, two or more unqualified candidates publicly embarrass themselves, lie about the opposition, and make promises that aren't even remotely possible to keep.

The idea behind an "election" in the USA is the winners will allegedly run the country or state or whatever. This is absurd on its face, because the IRS runs the country. Nonetheless, people take these "elections" very seriously.

If you are for Candidate A, that person is next to God; but the other candidate and his wife are "Adumb" and Evil.

In this farce, the "voters" take sides, and good friends become enemies by disagreeing about what the "facts" are and taking the difference as a personal insult. The reality is nearly everyone forms their views based on a process called group conformity. In this process, you first adopt a view that allows you to be accepted by the group, then you look for disinformation and information to back your position. Typically, you use fallacious reasoning, emotional arguments, and insults to defend your position. You are right, and everyone else is an idiot. I think we can all see that is exactly what happens.

So, how do we rise above this collective insanity and avoid the hate-drenched collective monologues? One answer is to know what the heck you are talking about. Now, any issue that is actually important is likely to have been around for awhile. Emotional issues that don't amount to a hill of beans are the ones that most people key in on. Don't even bother discussing such issues, because once people make up their minds on those the facts don't matter. But on issues of substance, you need to do some research. This does two things for you:

1. It allows you to form an opinion based on facts (assuming you want to form a correct opinion, rather than justify one that may or may not be correct).
2. It allows you to present your case to others, authoritatively. You can then refuse to discuss it further with those who simply wish to argue (doing so is a waste of brainpower).

Finding information

• When you're doing research or looking for information on a particular subject, it's important to know what and where your sources are. You can find encyclopedic information on the Internet, on encyclopedia CDs, and in a good old-fashioned hardbound encyclopedia set. If you don't have these resources at home, there's always your public library.
  
• Most of the time, an encyclopedia will give you at least the general facts about your subject. You may have to check other sources for more detailed information. Your next move should be to books on the subject. Mindconnection's bookstore will have nearly any book you are looking for. If you don't plan to keep the book, write in it, highlight in it, or otherwise personalize it, you can check it out from your library--if they have it. And you'll be able to use the book for a couple of weeks before needing to return it. Or, buy the book (Mindconnection's bookstore) and then donate it to your library when you're done with your research. 
  
• After you've selected several books for background information, check the magazines either directly related to your subject--or those carrying articles on the subject. Most of the time, you'll find magazines will provide you with more up-to-date and timely information than books will.
  
• To find information on your subject in magazines, look in the Reader's Guide To Periodical Literature at your library. This guide is very useful. Under subject and author headings, the complete collection of this guide will list articles printed in magazines since the turn of the century. The Suggestions For Use section will instruct you on how to read the codes under each heading. If you can't find your subject listed, think of similar subjects that might be related.
  
• If your subject is part of a particular field of study, there may be a special index that will help you. Among these special indexes, you'll find: Art Index, Business Periodicals Index, Consumers Index, Education Index, Humanities Index, Social Sciences Index, Biological and Agricultural Index, and Applied Sciences and Technology Index. You'll even find a Popular Periodicals Index which lists articles that have appeared in currently popular magazines.
  
• If it's a legal topic you are after, go to your local law library.
  
• To find information on the US 1040 Tax Code, visit www.irs.gov (or call 1-800-INSANE).
  
• Most newspapers are goldmines of reference material--but you have to be careful to sift the leftist propaganda and spin from real information and that's not easy to do when reading most papers. Most of the big city newspapers have computerized indexes. Several of the special national newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal also have reference indexes, and the Journal is noted for good, objective reporting.
  
• The New York Times Index is worth a visit, but remember this paper is extremely left-leaning and not concerned with objective journalism. The index is a collection of indexes of all newspaper articles, so you aren't stuck with just the bad editorial the Times engages in--you can get bad editorial from many newspapers!
  
• Newspaper indexes list subjects and people alphabetically with the date and page number. And usually with the number of columns devoted to that particular story. About all you have to do to avail yourself of this information is to stop by the newspaper office, tell them the kind of information you're looking for, and ask their help in locating it within their index. Then, sit down with a box of salt grains and read.
  
• Facts on File is a world news digest that's at most public libraries. This is a weekly publication  broken down into four categories: World Affairs, U.S. Affairs, Other Nations, and Miscellaneous. You may feel rather broken down yourself, after wading through all this....
  
• Editorials on File is a similar service that comes out twice each month. It is a survey of newspaper editorials that span a wide range of subjects. If you want to know about business trends, you should ask for and look at the Moody's Reports. These cover banking and finance, industry, and public utilities. Most large public libraries also keep pamphlet files for brochures from various information services and government agencies. Be sure to ask about these.
  

People as sources

• People can be good sources of information (they can also be the worst, so select carefully). Ask around and more often than not, you'll find someone right in your own area who is well versed on your subject and can speak on it objectively. An introductory phone call and an explanation as to why you're researching the subject will almost always lead you to many people who will be glad to talk with you. A trip to the Yellow Pages can get you started. You might want to use the Yellow Pages on Mindconnection's Search page, to save you time.
  
• Interviewing and talking with people will give you the chance to ask questions and hear specific explanations about the details that may not be fully covered in a book, newspaper or other publication.
  
• When interviewing, your questions should be open-ended--those which do not allow for a simple yes or no. You should get the people you're talking with to discuss their experiences relative to the subject. Pose hypothetical situations, asking what they would do or what would happen under a given set of circumstances.

Sifting through it

Researching and gathering information on a particular subject can be fun, exciting and informative.  It's much like putting a jigsaw puzzle together; the closer you get to completing the picture, the more excited you become.

Many people find that when they begin a research project on a specific subject, they quickly uncover so many interesting related subjects that it's hard to confine their enthusiasm to just the one subject. This is what learning is all about, regardless of the use you eventually make of the information you gather. The more you learn, the more you want to learn.

Now, here's a warning. Most people form their views based on a phenomenon called "group conformity." They then look for "facts" to support the views of their group. This is not proper research. It also leads you to lend authority to non-authoritative sources and thus creates a situation where you are disinformed rather than informed. You will have to make a conscious effort not to do this, unless you are more concerned with conforming to your group than with discovering the truth. You can still belong to your group, even if you disagree--remember that, you will have an easier time of not surrendering your thought process to others.

How can you tell good information from bad? Well, you can actually get a degree in this area of expertise. So, this little article isn't going to tell you all you need to know. But one key is to look for inconsistencies in the information. Another is to look for fallacious reasoning, such as the ever-popular cause and effect relationship that isn't there. Look for emotional language--this is a cue that the writer doesn't believe the facts can stand on their own.

For example: Throughout most of the USA, people in suburban and rural locations have ample opportunity to rake leaves.

Leaf-raking works the upper back, as well as other muscle groups. Rake with a full range of motion, and you work the rear deltoids. When these are sufficiently developed, your chances of rotator cuff injuries drop to about zero.

Look around and try to spot opportunities for natural exercise that can give you variety and natural motions. This is the best way to gain useful strength.

Don't think for a minute that "workouts" on gym machines that isolate muscle groups are going to give you much muscle development or useful strength. They won't because the body limits muscular development to that which it can support with the support muscles. This is why, for example, men who do curls without working their backs hard never develop big arms. And it's why women who don't do squats find it just about impossible to develop flat tummies.

In the summer, work in the garden but don't kneel. All that squatting and rising is tremendously good exercise. So is carrying implements, materials, and whatever to and from your garden.

In the fall and spring, work that rake and do all the cleaning chores you can think of--the more things you move, the better your body responds.

In the winter, shovel and play in the snow. If you don't have snow in your area, then look for something else. For example, look indoors--why not move your furniture and clean behind/under it? Don't do the whole house at once. One room a week is plenty.

Use your imagination and your observations to find ways to engage in natural exercise. Think of friends who may need assistance. Think of old people, especially veterans, who now could use some help. Don't give up your weight training, but complement it with other kinds of exercise. And if that exercise actually accomplishes something good for you or others beyond just working your muscles, that's a double blessing.

Do you take people around you for granted? If you do, consider yourself normal. But, normal isn't always optimal. How do you think a neighbor would feel if you dropped by to talk, and said, "The main reason I came over here is to tell you I really am glad you're my neighbor." Try this, and see if you both don't feel good. I'll bet you do.