Please forward this eNL to a friend!
Free bonus:$125
shopping spree. In this issue:
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- Product Highlights
- Brainpower tip
- Time tip
- Finance tip
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- Security tips
- Health tip/Fitness tip
- Thought for the day
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1. Product Highlights
T-shirt Time |
Those of us in the
Northern Hemisphere are entering spring. With spring, we find warmer
weather. And that means T-shirts and jeans for many of us.
At right, you'll see a couple of Albert Einstein
T-shirts. This being Mindconnection, the Einstein motif is to be expected.
But what if you want something less cerebral? While
the opposite of Einstein is the US Congress, the closest we can come is
the old "I'm with Stupid" theme. Been there, done that, got the
T-shirt....
So, you want something fresh this spring. Maybe a
T-shirt with a musician, a group that thinks they are musicians, or a
Simpsons shirt? A sports theme? Something clever, funny, or just plain
offensive? We have you covered (so to speak)! Visit our
T-shirt
Shack. |
Update:
no longer offered
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https://www.mindconnection.com/stores/art/tshirts.htm |
2. Brainpower tip
Many times, we squander our brainpower by forming opinions
and then defending them. Consider the following:- The opinion was formed based on an emotional response
to snippets of information.
- Those snippets did not provide the full story.
- Once we state an opinion, silly human pride makes us
not want to be "made wrong."
- Rather than update our opinion, we go to absurd
lengths to justify it.
Of course, the rational response is to update your
opinion based on new information. But that is a reaction--and not our natural
choice. The best approach is to gather sufficient (if possible)
properly-filtered information before forming an opinion.
Some things to keep in mind:
- If someone else ventures an opinion, there is no law
requiring you to agree or disagree. Simply respect the fact that person has
an opinion, and leave it at that.
- You do not have to have an opinion on every issue.
There's nothing wrong with saying, "I don't feel qualified to have an
opinion on that, but I find your opinion interesting."
- Where you do have opinions, be sure to review them
against information you have properly filtered.
- To properly filter information means to analyze it to
ensure it's not just the spouting of unfounded opinion. Look for internal
and external inconsistencies, bias, references, logic, etc. This topic is a
whole article in itself....
Defending your expertise
But what about when you are challenged by someone who is
obviously wrong?
Remember the proverb, "Do not argue with a fool. Another
person will see you arguing with the fool and not be able to tell the
difference."
It's a waste of brainpower to engage in arguments.
People do not argue because they are convinced of their positions. The argue
because they know they are wrong but won't admit it.
As soon as someone trots out emotional arguments,
fallacious reasoning, or false "facts," this person is admitting being wrong
simply wants to save face. Let it go at that. Don't waste your brainpower
trying to unravel the stupidity thrown at you. Find something you can say to
let the other person save face--and move on.
An example
Let me give you an example to illustrate. Last night,
some kids in the neighborhood were trying to determine why one kid's car
stereo wasn't working. This is a system with one of those huge amplifiers in
the trunk. He had two 15" speakers in back, two tweeters in front, and no
mid-range speakers anywhere. If you know anything about stereos, you know this
whole thing is a lost cause. Be that as it may, these boys wanted to get this
"system" working again.
I have two engineering degrees (one in electronics, one
in electrical), and was named the Outstanding Member of the IEEE (Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers) a couple of years ago. I have hundreds
of electrical articles published with my byline and have edited several major
electrical books. I built my first car audio system years before any of these
kids were born and have built several since. I also worked as an electrical
technician, instrument engineer, and electrical power engineer in industries
ranging from nuclear power to paper mills. So, maybe I'm not completely
ignorant on the subject of electronics and electrical systems.
- I looked at this system and asked, "Did you check for
the incoming power?"
- They all replied, "It's got power."
- I asked, "How do you know? Did you measure it?"
- They didn't know--they simply believed.
- I got a meter and measured. They did not have power.
The reason for this lack of power was their return wire
had become disconnected from the amplifier power supply. I pointed this out,
and then told them why this happened: none of the components were
mounted--they were just loose--and none of the wires were tinned.
When I offered to tin the wires, one of the kids started
arguing with me. He commented something like, "That isn't going to keep the
thing from working." Now, I did not waste brainpower by jumping into their
"troubleshooting" procedure or by letting this boy define the terms of an
argument.
This boy made his comment because he had
already--mistakenly--determined the cause of the malfunction must be some
mysterious problem he would discover if he simply kept playing with the
various components and wiring. The idea that the problem could be due to poor
workmanship and ignorance of how to do the job correctly was what caused him
to remark, "That isn't going to keep the thing from working."
I replied, "Actually it is. You see, it's basic physics.
Any time you have stranded wire, a mechanical pressure connector is going to
press on the top strands only, and it will eventually break them. When you tin
the wires, you get mechanical strength, you get all of the wires working
together, and you prevent corrosion. Copper corrodes almost immediately when
exposed to oxygen."
He replied with some kind of argument, and I simply
said, "That's standard procedure in any stereo installation. But, you are
correct. We can make this work without tinning the wires." I "made him right"
on one point, though he knew he was way, way, way out of his league to argue
with the guy who correctly diagnosed a problem in 15 seconds when these three
amigos had been farting around with it for hours.
So, I got the system working. It sounded terrible,
because the components were mismatched. It also sounded terrible because it
was all rap "music." The car's owner had sunk about $3,000 into a system that
didn't work reliably and sounded crappy compared to the stock system in my
Toyota, so I knew where these folks rated on the "fool scale." Why argue?
I'm willing to bet the boys will never tin the wires.
They'll simply wait until a connection problem blows out that amplifier.
You can apply this example to your own areas of
expertise--whatever those may be.
Conserving a precious resource
Now, the flipside also applies. I have a high level of
ignorance in several areas, but I know people who are experts in those areas.
I don't argue with them. Not because I don't want to waste my brainpower, but
because I don't want to waste theirs.
The brainpower of other people is a precious resource.
When they offer it, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. |
3. Time Tip
We are often victims of our own attention span
limitations--and those of others. In today's increasingly wired world,
attention spans are shrinking. Tasks, information, and schedules are
increasingly fragmented. Thirty years ago, it
would not be unusual for a person to sit and read 100 pages or so in a
book without pausing. Today, that's highly unusual--because attention
spans are shrinking. This is observable in the
work setting. As people progress with a task, their attention begins to
waver and then they lose focus altogether. This is why when you walk
around the typical office you will see people aimlessly staring at
screens. Or, you can watch a person begin a task and then noticeably slow
down only minutes later.
You can fight the good fight and try to maintain
longer attention spans as you work. But, that's an uphill battle. I'm not
saying it can't be done--I am saying it's hard to do. And, it doesn't
solve your immediate need to work more efficiently.
You must accommodate your current attention span,
whatever length it may be. If you know you can properly focus on your
tasks for only 10 minutes before you begin to slow down or feel
distractions, then limit your time for each of your most critical tasks to
no more than 10 minutes each.
What if you want to expand your attention span?
Doing so is much like weight training. You will have to begin by using a
weight you can safely lift. Then, increase the weight as you adapt to it.
For example, let's say you can focus for roughly 10
minutes before your mind begins to wander. So, you work in 10 minute
blocks to accommodate that. Get a digital timer that provides an audible
alert, and set it for 12 minutes. Start a new task, and refuse to budge
from it until your timer indicates the 12 minutes are up. After doing this
religiously for about three weeks, you will find your attention span has
increased to 12 minutes. If you could actually look at your cerebral
cortex "before" and "after," you would be able to see changes to the
wiring--your synaptic connections would have actually changed. Set your
timer for 15 minutes, and raise the bar again.
As you do this training, you will find your
efficiency drops every time you begin with the longer time spans. But,
because you can work at increasingly longer stretches, you lower the
"transaction costs" of switching between tasks. If your work is such that
you don't actually need to do frequent switching between tasks, your
overall efficiency goes up. If, however, your work is such that you must
frequently switch between tasks, then your overall efficiency goes down.
The key here is to determine the length of attention
span that best matches what you need to accomplish. Correctly match things
up, and you will be able to make all of your waking hours (or minutes)
truly count. |
4. Finance tip
In our last eNL, I
mentioned setting up a trust. Here's more about that.
I don't know about the laws outside the USA, so do keep
that in mind if you are in another country and reading this.
In the USA, families can be devastated if one member
dies with huge medical bills or with an alleged tax debt. The tax debt
issue is especially bad, because the AT (American Taliban) now has a huge
advantage because their intended target can't fight back due to being
dead. They take great pride in throwing widows and orphans out into the
street as a way of "getting" the person whom they--mistakenly or
otherwise--accuse of owing additional taxes.
So, you should seriously consider protecting your
family's assets with some estate planning. Parents should consult with an
attorney about setting up trusts for their children. Many people decide to
let the children obtain full rights to the money at age 18 or age 25. This
may sound like a wise move, but kids at age 18 or at age 25 usually are
not the best money managers and nearly always deplete such trusts before
age 30.
Ask your attorney about how to protect the trust
funds from any creditors your kids might have. Remember the arm of the AT
is very, very long--pay special attention to protecting the trust from
rogue members of the AT. And, don't forget about divorce and other
possible issues that can vaporize the trust.
The key phrase here is "asset protection." You can
best accomplish this by appointing a trustee who is not related to you and
over whom the child has no direct control. Let your attorney advise you as
to whom that might be. Don't balk at the idea of paying a trustee, either.
It's cheaper to pay a trustee than to leave the AT an opening whereby they
can easily tax the heck out of the trust. |
5. Security tip
Quick--what are your
two most valuable possessions? Your house and car? Your stereo and stamp
collection? Your wedding ring and your mutual funds?
If you answered, "My mind and body," congratulations.
The other items I mentioned are things. They can be replaced. But your
mind and body cannot. It's interesting that people lock up their
possessions to prevent theft, but they leave their minds open to any thief
or predator who comes along. Let's talk about how to prevent the theft of
your mind.
Do you know why one in three Americans is obese and
why nine in ten are overweight? Just look in the shopping carts of others
when you are next in the grocery store. What would possess people to buy
such things, in the first place?
The answer is predatory advertising. By watching
television, reading newspapers, and exposing themselves to other sources
of disinformation and mindtheft, these people have allowed others to steal
their most valuable possession.
Why bother locking up your possessions, if you don't
bother to protect your mind? Seems rather pointless, doesn't it? How can
you set up security where it counts the most? The following exercises will
help you get started.
Exercises
- Set aside half an hour this weekend to take a
look around your home and make a list of all the unnecessary items you
are storing there. Be sure to write down every item that contributes to
clutter. Why did you buy all of this stuff? Was doing so a rational
decision, or did you allow someone to steal your mind? What are the
sources of these influences? Identify and eliminate them.
- Think about the last time you got upset while
driving your car. Why did you get upset? Did you let someone else steal
your peaceful feeling? Protect your mind by refusing to let other people
so easily control it. Simply acknowledge the other driver either made an
honest mistake or is simply not worth your attention. In either case,
there's no reason to get upset.
- If you read the newspaper, suspend your
subscription(s) for one month. Make a note to review your patterns of
spending, eating, and fretting in the third week. See any difference?
- Go on an "electronic fast." Simply declare the
month of May a "television-free" month. If you have a television, unplug
it and either remove it from where it is or turn it so the screen faces
the wall. If your television is in your living room, hang up a sign that
says,
"This isn't my living room. It's my dying room." That's called "truth in
advertising." If you find yourself with "nothing to do" because there's
no television, you have a clear indication you allowed your mind to be
stolen. Take it back.
- Take notes on conversations you have. What
occurred? Sometimes, we become "friends" with people who simply have a
proselytizing agenda. If a person in your circle is always trying to
"convert" you to a particular religion or ideology, drop that person
from your circle. That is not a friend--it's a mind predator. Ditto for
any "friend" who is consistently selling to you--whether some MLM scheme
or ideas you don't particularly share. There's nothing wrong with a
friend who talks with you about things or occasionally tries to persuade
you--but don't allow someone to treat you like your mind is there for
the taking.
- Don't let your employer, if you have one,
dominate your mind. If you feel intimidated into spending enormous
amounts of face time at work, or if you put up with mind control from
your boss, your job is in more jeopardy than it would be if you
protected your mind. Why? Because your employer sees you as a commodity.
Instead of groveling, take the approach of having something special to
offer your employer. Don't be a commodity. Find out what most matters to
your boss and deliver that. Hint: It's not what people normally assume.
Differentiate yourself in ways that matter, and both your mind and your
job will be more secure.
- Think about the minds of those in your immediate
family and circles of friends. Refuse to engage in any mindtheft,
yourself. The mindtheft game is a lose-lose proposition. People involved
in this don't reap the rich rewards of engaging meaningfully with other
human beings. So, make a list of 10 or so people who are important to
you. Ask yourself what makes each of these people special. It's not
whether they agree with your political or other opinions, and it's not
which of you is "winning" the mindtheft game. Your answers will provide
the basis for truly valuable relationships.
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6. Health tip/Fitness tips
People today turn to the latest "designer drugs" to
"fix" problems that are real or imagined. This is a fool's errand.
First of all, these drugs usually aren't necessary
(more about that, in a moment). Second, they can be very, very
dangerous. The Journal of the American Medical Association
recently published a study that examined all drugs approved by the FDA
from 1975 to 1999.
A full 20% of these drugs had to be withdrawn or
accompanied by a black-box warning. In one year alone, 20 million
Americans took drugs that were later withdrawn! Risks associated with
these drugs were such things as liver damage, heart damage, and bone
marrow damage. I don't know about you, but I kind of like my liver,
heart, and bone marrow. Try living without them....
What can you do? Well, if you are going to take
drugs then:
- Avoid drugs just released to the market. Let
other people be the guinea pigs during the initial release. If you've
tried other reasonable approaches, then by all means proceed with the
new drug--but take the time to learn about how it interacts with foods
and other drugs before you do.
- Use other approaches to either reduce the
amount of time you will be on the drug or to eliminate the need for it
altogether.
In many cases, you don't need the drugs. You can
use other approaches. Let's look at some examples, noting these are
generalizations that you will need to investigate for your particular
situation:
- Impotence. Rather than buy Viagra or related
drugs, first eliminate the common causes. These include smoking
(smokers have a very high rate of impotence, due to narrowing of the
blood vessels and diminution of blood quality), obesity, and anxiety.
Start lifting weights, and take up a sport that gets your heart
pumping.
- Obesity. Rather than go on weight loss drugs,
cut back on portion size and eliminate all processed grains and other
junk from your diet--the change will be dramatic and sustainable.
- Attention Deficit Syndrome. This is normally a
misdiagnosis. Don't fall for this one, especially in relation to
children--who are naturally hyperactive when compared to adults. To
reduce this as being a problem, eliminate sugar from the diet. For
kids, be sure to regularly give them the one-on-one attention they
need and deserve.
- Osteoporosis. More women are going on
osteoporosis medication these days, while still drinking sodas. Before
you subject your body and your wallet to fixing a problem you are
causing: eliminate all carbonated beverages from your diet, engage in
weight-bearing exercise several times a week, and eat plenty of dark
green leafy vegetables.
- High blood pressure. A high blood pressure
number by itself may not indicate anything. But, it many indicate a
serious problem is brewing. Unless your blood pressure is high enough
to be causing other damage, don't do the knee-jerk thing of taking
medication to bring it down to "normal." Before you subject your body
and your wallet to fixing a problem you are causing: eliminate smoking
from your life (understanding there is zero difference between "sidestream"
smoke and regular smoke), reduce your body fat levels to something
reasonable, and start eliminating stress sources (such as television
news) from your life.
- Cholesterol. As with the other medications
mentioned, lifestyle choices are your first line of defense. Keep in
mind that cholesterol measurements are "general" and there's much we
don't know. Medicating just to bring your numbers down may not do any
good. Cholesterol may be high for any number of reasons--and
sometimes, your body needs elevated cholesterol to fix another
problem. The key here is to eliminate those problems. The same dietary
advice applies as to the other drug issues. You need your nutrients,
and you need to eliminate junk. However, beware of the doctor who
misadvises you to "cut back on eggs or egg yolks." First of all, eaten
cholesterol does not survive the digestion process. Second, the kind
of eggs you eat is critical. Those cheap "factory hen" eggs are
toxic--don't eat them. Instead, buy free-range eggs. These eggs have
very high levels of Omega-3, which is absolutely wonderful for your
cholesterol profile and it does survive the digestive process.
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7. Thought for the Day
You can be informed or disinformed.
Your choice of information sources determines this. Choose wisely. |
Wishing you the best,
Mark Lamendola
Mindconnection
Authorship
The views expressed in this e-newsletter are generally not shared by criminals, zombies, or brainwashed individuals.
Except where noted, this e-newsletter is entirely the work of Mark Lamendola. Anything presented as fact can be independently verified. Often, sources are given; but where not given, they are readily available to anyone who makes the effort.
Mark provides information from either research or his own areas of established expertise. Sometimes, what appears to be a personal opinion is the only possibility when applying sound logic--reason it out before judging! (That said, some personal opinions do appear on occasion).
The purpose of this publication is to inform and empower its readers (and save you money!).
Personal note from Mark: I value each and every one of you, and I hope that shows in the diligent effort I put into writing this e-newsletter. Thank you for being a faithful reader.
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