Mindconnection eNL, 2006-06-18

Past issues

In this issue:

1. Product Highlights
2. Brainpower tip
3. Time tip
4. Finance tip

5. Security tip
6. Health tip/Fitness tip
7. Miscellany
8. Thought for the day

What are they? Research papers. These can range from 2-page reports to two-inch thick masterpieces. The process of creating these is usually not something we relish. And that is due, in no small measure, to the onerous tasks involved in collecting the source information.

Discontinued.

• Lugging around piles of coins for the copier.
• Lugging around your laptop, and then dealing with power cords and limited outlets.
• Taking handwritten notes, only to discover you couldn't later read something that was important.
• Checking out stacks of books to wade through while in front of your desktop computer at home, typing notes as the book you were trying to read kept closing in mid-sentence.

Each of these tasks is a waste of time and money. That's why the scanning pen (above, upper right) is such a great tool. Click on the image, or use the link below, to check these out. Consider buying one as a gift for a student, paralegal, secretary, minister, recipe collector, archivist, or anyone else you know who needs to look up information and take notes.

The author may as well point to the ocean, say it's wet and has fish in it, and then write those same conclusions as though the preceding facts support that conclusion. Either method of "supporting" his political view is equally valid.

This kind of fallacious "reasoning"--the linking of a particular viewpoint to an unrelated set of facts--is very common. You see it all the time in politics, and it's nearly always on issues that have a great deal of emotional loading. Those presenting the case for a particular viewpoint appear to be reasoning, dispassionate individuals. Those who then accept the viewpoint are very sure it's right because the preceding facts and arguments are unassailable. They subsequently are deaf to any reason or any view other than the one they have.

This intellectual dishonesty is exactly what is behind the polarization, "I am right," incivility, and intolerance that characterizes today's "debates" and political "discussions." People enter into "debates" or "discussions" already convinced (due to this false connection described here) they are right and the other person must be shouted down, insulted into agreement, or in some other way be "forced" to accept "the truth."

But because the arguments of the first "debater" lack substance and logical connection, the first "debater" cannot make a compelling case and must either admit s/he doesn't know what s/he is talking about (most people can't do this, for some reason) or must go into personal attack mode to save face (which, in reality, lowers this person in the eyes of the one being attacked and does the opposite of what was intended).

What happens here is the first "debater" reinforces his/her own ignorant viewpoint by getting all emotional when trying to convince the second person. The second person, having just endured an unfair argumentive style, concludes that the first "debater" must be wrong or else s/he would have had the confidence to present his/her case without the theatrics.

Out of respect for my brain, I don't watch television. So, I don't see this kind of posturing and stupidity on steroids being acted out by political hacks. But given the results of what passes for government in most countries, I think it's safe to conclude that this is normal operating procedure for these folks.

Beware the false tie-in to precedent information. It will drag you into a brain-wasting world of trying to support the unsupportable. Save your CPU cycles for something more productive.

"At some point, people need to understand it’s OK not to be everything to everybody. You can only do so much, and life is very short. It’s not supposed to be about being stressed out, trying to meet some ideal."

As you go about trying to juggle the many demands on your time, think about this quote. Many of the things you think you must do either don't need to be done by you or don't need to be done at all. This is especially true in the workplace, where legacy processes (e.g., processing paper) are there simply because they've always been there.

Start looking for activity to eliminate, and you'll get far more work done. The key principle here is to do first those things that are most important, and to say no to those that you really don't need to do.

Is a nursing home in your future, either as a resident or as a child of a resident? Unless you die from government harassment (a very real danger), the answer is probably yes.

This isn't something we like to talk about. I mean the nursing home part, not just the government harassment. Unfortunately, it is something that can have a huge affect on your finances (again, I mean the nursing home not just the government).

Across the USA, the average nursing home cost is about $180 a day. In a regulation-besotted, tax-infested, communist country, the cost is twice as much. In New York, the cost is twice as much. Ah, but I repeat myself.

Suppose you are one of the 70% of the population who doesn't get slammed by the AT for some perceived tax debt and the hit with absurdly extortional interest and penalties. Instead, you just pay the normal state, federal, local, etc. taxes that amount to only 74% to 87% of your income. Even this "generous" reprieve,doesn't leave you much for nursing home care. Where will you come up with the scratch to do pay for it?

People with great wealth--over $5 million--can afford this care. They can also afford to buy senators and congressmen, but I digress. Such people make up less than 2% of the population, and I am fairly sure none of them subscribe to this eNL. But if I am wrong, please feel free to send me an enormous check to prove you are that rich. Let's assume none of us are among those with "great wealth." What can we do?

• Those devastated by specious tax bills can tap into Medicaid to pay for nursing home care. But because this is provided by the government, well, don't expect things to be easy. Such people make up a significant percentage of our population. This is because the ethically bankrupt morons in the AT get a visceral thrill out of screwing large numbers of people out of their savings. This process provides the cash for Congressmen to fund their pork barrel spending programs that get them re-elected.
   
• Those with no assets for other reasons can also tap Medicaid, and die earlier than planned due to the stress of dealing with mindless bureaucrats.
   
• If your assets are between $500,000 and $5 million, buy a long-term care policy.

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4. We don't run ads in our newsletter. We do get inquiries from advertisers, all the time. To keep this eNL coming, go to www.mindconnection.com and do your shopping from there (as appropriate).
    

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Nobody ever accomplished something worthwhile without effort.