Mindconnection eNL, 2013-06-16

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In this video, you see one House member who seems to actually be a representative instead of a misrepresentative. Send the URL to your own senators and "representative" and ask them to also take a stand against terrorism:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vCjssK-i4Mg

• You'll see the iTravl translator selling for $379.95, but we offer it at only $299.95 plus we give you a $99 accessory pack for free. And we give you an instant rebate of $10 and free shipping (lower 48 states).
• You'll see the 900-series translator selling for $399.95, but we offer it at only $319.95. Yep, we give you a free accessory pack with that too. No rebate, but free shipping.

See the iTravl 13MT, normally $689.95, our price only $549.95; if buying this model, mention you are a Mindconnection eNL reader and get a $100 rebate!
 

The iTravl:

• Large vocabulary.
• Slim profile.
• 6.0 x 3.15x 0.63 in.

Both also have the 183-language translation dictionary onboard; it will translate any language you are likely to encounter except what's in the Tax Code.

What is the main advantage of the 900 over the iTravl? Aside from the fact it has a physical keyboard (and also the virtual keyboard of the iTravl), it's on a newer platform. So it's a bit snappier and it accepts larger SD cards.

The 900:

• Slightly larger vocabulary than iTravl.
• Almost as slim as the iTravl.
• 5.1 x 3.5 x 0.73 in.

Of all the logical fallacies, the non-sequitor is, in my opinion, the easiest to prevent. Sadly, it is also the most prevalent of the logical fallacies; at least as far as I can tell. It seems to have massively spiked in its ubiquity.

Back in my high school debating team days, using a non-sequitor was the kiss of death. It marked you as an incompetent or, worse, a desperate cheater. Today, the non-sequitor is the primary tool (mis)used in what passes for "deliberation" or "discussion." That is truly shameful. But worse, it means people are reaching false conclusions when they could otherwise understand reality.

So what is a non-sequitor? The term literally means "does not follow." Here's an example of one:

Bob: "There is water in the ocean."
Bill: "Yes, and your point is?"
Bob: "You owe me $5."

Now, it's true there's water in the ocean. But it does not follow from that fact that Bill owes Bob $5. The fact is not even relevant to the point.

Here's a less obvious non-sequitor:

Bob: "My Congressman is a Democrat, and he votes for every federal spending measure he sees. Because I care about the economy, I am voting Republican next time."

The facts are relevant. Bob's implied conclusion, however, does not follow from the opening statement. He is concluding that voting for a Republican will get a different result. We know from the data that either way, there won't be a meaningful difference. The spending records of the Ds are slightly less atrocious than those of the Rs, but both are atrocious in the extreme and the egregious spending has been possible only with collusion of Ds and Rs. It has never been rolled back when one or the other pretends to come to power.

Bob's statement does contain a conclusion that does follow. Federal spending, when at the astronomical levels we've been seeing for the past few decades, does harm the economy. That's because the productive part of any enterprise can absorb only so much overhead before overhead drags down the entire enterprise. We have a degraded economy due mainly to the excessive level of federal spending.

Non-sequitors are useful to propagandists, because they give the appearance of connecting the dots. But because the dots don't logically connect, the non-sequitor misleads. And the path it misleads anyone down is the path of stupidity and subservience. Don't let people non-sequitor you down that path.

This tax system is commonly referred to by its advocates as "progressive" because it has graduated tax rate brackets. So far so good, but the 65,000 pages of obfuscation, confusion, and insanity produce a plethora of ways for the wealthy to avoid paying their fair share. This tax system is actually highly regressive. That makes sense, too--those who control the rules ensure those rules benefit themselves.

One bone tossed to us this year is the standard mileage rate for business driving is 56.5 cents per mile. That's not much help to the record numbers of people who have no job and thus no business driving to deduct.

Another bone, one with a bit more meat on it, is that the brackets have moved up a bit. This is really good news for the millions of Americans who used to work full-time jobs but now, thanks to the Unaffordable Care Act, have only part-time jobs.

The UCA's predictably huge increase in poverty doesn't bother our King, as he received the $2 million that came with his Nobel Peace prize prior to becoming our first undocumented, illegal alien president. So he's all set.
 

Something I've noticed is the "experts" who develop "weight loss" recipes don't seem to care about how dreary these meals are. No wonder people don't stick with the program.

There is a solution. However, I will admit bias here. Being Italian on my dad's side, I have been inculcated with the importance of garlic, onions, basil, and oregano. You just do not cook without these things. And when baking, you use several aromatic spices.

I like a wide range of peppers, but have two favorites: I grind black pepper onto all kinds of things and I consume cayenne copiously. Of course, with pepper I also consume turmeric because each increases the cancer-fighting abilities of the other.

At age 51.
Click for more detail.

Which brings me to another point about spices. Many of them (all of those mentioned above) have powerful health benefits. I personally am pretty narrow in my spice choices; they stem from my ethnic background. But my sister has mastered the spice retinues of several ethnicities. What she does with Indian spices is just amazing. A friend of mine keeps about 60 different spices on hand and knows how to use each of them.

Relying on the typical "weight loss" recipes that use hardly any flavorings means you're going to have a hard time sticking with the program. You're also giving up a treasure trove of health benefits.

You could probably adapt those recipes to be more flavorful. I don't see what sense it makes to transfer the typical salt, pepper, sugar, ketchup pattern of dressing up the nutrient-sparse, calorie dense meals that comprise the American diet to a more nutrient-dense fare (losing the sugar and ketchup, of course).

If you are trying to decide between eating bland food and being too fat, why not change the choices? One great way to do that is to pick an ethnicity and learn their basic dishes. If you pick Thai, for example, you will really learn about some potent spices.

Growing at least some of your own spices is another way to get going with spices. Visit your local nursery and ask for recommendations on herbs you can grow in pots. Basil is such an herb, and growing it on your windowsill can give the whole room a very pleasant aroma.

A final thing I want to say about spices relates to one commonly used in baking. A few years ago, I came across a supplement that astounded me: cinnamon capsules. While it's true that cinnamon has health benefits, why would you consume it in capsule form? Why not just add it to your food?

Another option with cinnamon, if you really want to consume heavy amounts of it, is to buy cinnamon sticks and eat them like candy. The taste of cinnamon is almost heavenly. Letting a cinnamon stick dissolve in your mouth is highly pleasurable, and it's a healthy alternative to the alcohol-based, petroleum-derivative containing mouthwashes that people use. If something tastes good, eat it instead of getting it in a gel cap.

At www.supplecity.com, you'll find plenty of informative, authoritative articles on maintaining a lean, strong physique. It has nothing to do with long workouts or impossible to maintain diets. In fact:

• The best workouts are short and intense.
• A good diet contains far more flavors and satisfaction than the typical American diet.

A. All were invented by women.

Too bad CONgress taxed all of those women so heavily; they might have invented even more.

"The income tax has made liars out of more Americans than golf."