Mindconnection eNL, 2016-07-17

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Good News | Product Highlight | Brainpower | Finances | Security | Health/Fitness | Factoid | Thought 4 the Day

Item 1. When the FBI dropped its investigation after proving Hillary's negligence, the State Department has resumed its investigation. Can a member of The Royalty actually be indicted? If so, that would be an amazing thing for our oligarhical country.

Item 2. The stupidity epidemic shows signs of abating. This is largely due to the cognitive dissonance experienced by people who've been playing the "pick up a turd by its clean end" game. The Libertarian candidate for POTUS, Gary Johnson, has seen huge increases in the polls relative to his candidates running in The Party; the latest increase was 12%. Maybe this doesn't mean the stupidity epidemic is actually abating, because whether someone plays that turd game is a pretty low bar for judging intelligence. But it's nice to be optimistic.

Mindconnection, LLC sells in the major marketplaces. We have a Top Seller Plus rating on eBay, so in this issue we'll again point you toward one of offerings there.

Cobra Electronics SPX 7700 Maximum Performance Radar/Laser Detector

• Ultra-low-noise, signal amplifiers that once were affordable only to military systems.
• Low-microwave-loss circuitry utilizing gold-plated circuit boards.
• Use of flip-chip Mixer/Multiplier diodes in packages that were once unattainable.
• First Local Oscillator Transistor (Super-low-noise, high-mobility J-FET) that has been chosen to optimize signal gain, output power, and low noise characteristics over its frequency range.
• Powerful CPU that enables sweeping of the entire police radar band spectrum in less than 240 milliseconds.

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Super-fast sweep circuitry provides extra detection range and the best possible advance warning to all radar/laser guns currently used in the United States and Canada, including POP Mode (Super-fast) Instant-on Radar guns.

Color OLED Display provides clear indication of the signal being detected as well as current mode of the detector. Other features include Voice/Tone Alert, Signal Strength Meter, Laser Eye, IntelliMute/IntelliMute Pro, VG-2/Spectre Radar Detector-Detectors, Safety Alert, Auto/Manual Mute, Dim Modes, City/Highway Filtering Modes, Ku-band detection, and 6 user-selectable color themes to match the dash illumination.

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Dishonest "debating" tactics that blowhards use

Don't waste your time "conversing" or "debating" with people with people who use any of the following tactics. They just drain your time and your mental energy. Here are four examples:

• Fake definitions. A correspondent tried to tell me that when an organization informs its members about where politicians stand on issues important to the organization that behavior makes it a political organization. But the law is clear on what is a political organization, what is a non-profit (e.g., 501(c)3), and so forth This correspondent's definition ignores decades of case history and reams of statures. Not to mention the Tax Code!
   
• Non sequitors. A person who doesn't know what he's talking about often will try to prove his wrong point by stating something true (which you presumably won't disagree with) and then causally linking it to an untrue statement. The illogic here is along the lines of "There is water in the ocean" (true statement) "so you owe me $100" (does not follow from the true statement).
   
• Mischaracterizations. People who don't like the terms of reality upon which they are attempting to debate will misrepresent those terms to be more favorable to their agenda. Often, the mischaracterization is about you. That makes it an ad hominem attack. If, for example, you correctly state that Barry Soetoro tripled GW's outgoing budget deficit before even taking office this person might call you "racist."
   
• Lies. These are far more common than you might think. They are often subtle, or may contain a kernel of the truth. If the whole statement does not ring true, you're being played.

The list of depravities and dishonesties is actually quite a bit longer than just this list of four. But I think you get the idea. The other person isn't playing fairly. In nearly all cases, such a person is a gross ignoramus who uses such abuse in lieu of actually learning about the subject. That person is often an idiot as well, both emotionally and intellectually. There is little, if anything, to be gained from associating with that person. Avoid toxic people!

Signs that a discussion is worthwhile

So you could just ignore toxic people and save yourself the intellectual drain, waste of time, etc. But that just puts you at neutral. Life can be much more interesting with good discussions. Here are some signs:

• Use of the word "and". Rather than argue (you hear "but" too much), this person builds on what you say. Not all the time, but often. For example, YOU: "Soetoro is a narcissist." OTHER: "Yes, and he's a psychopath, too."
   
• Soft parries. Maybe the other person doesn't agree with what you just said. Rather than use some disrespectul technique to argue (all dishonest techniques, such as those listed above, are disrespectful), the person will say something like, "I see it differently" or ask you if you've read X or ask you to explain what you mean or....
   
• You hear laughter. Are you both having a good laugh? Then it's a good conversation!
   
• The other person is clearly well-informed. Even better if you are, also.
   
• Logical fallacies are notably absent. People who grasp logic and correctly apply it tend to move conversations in a forward direction, rather than into the weeds.
   
• You feel energized, but all in a positive way. The exception is when the conversation is about something negative. For example, your cousin calls you to tell you that another family member died. That is also a conversation worth having, even if it leaves you feeling sad. But it should not leave you feeling drained.
   
• It's about something other than politics, religion, sports, or the weather. I have reasons for not discussing the first three topics. For example, what passes for a political system in the USA is a sham and not worthy of my attention.
  
  The weather is worth talking about sometimes, but not generally. Saying, "Sure is hot here" means very little. But saying, "My neighbor had a heat stroke because it's so hot here" could be an interesting conversation. So could, "Can you hear that noise? Did you guess that it's a tornado bearing down on me?" could also be interesting but let's hope you never have that conversation.

Haven't had interesting conversations, recently? Then take charge of your conversations, and plan for ones that you intend to have. Take notes on interesting things you read, for example. You can bring them up in a conversation.

Many people are just good conversationalists. Why do you think that is? Because they are uninformed or disinformed? They never do anything notable? Nope, one reason is they have a natural curiosity about the universe and act on that. This makes them informed and interesting.

Another reason is they listen. Rather than wait for you to shut up so they can speak, they are listening to what you say. If you are doing them the same courtesy, the conversation should be mutually rewarding.

Being able to sleep at night is crucial. So what can you do that won't run up the bill (and contribute to global pollution)? Sure, you've heard "Run the ceiling fan." But what if you don't have one or you don't like the way that feels? Or if you're scared it will fall off and chop you to bits (it won't)?

Here in KS, it often doesn't get cool enough at night to open a window for cool air. But if you can do that where you are and if you're not going to pollinate your room too much, you can try using a small window fan to blow cooling air directly on you.

What I have is a small tabletop fan on a night stand blowing across me from one corner, and a tall silent air cleaner blowing toward me from the other. This works great, and there's not much noise.

This fan method typically gives a cooling effect of about 4 degrees Fahrenheit. That is often enough to get you past the misery line and into the comfort zone. Sleeping nude rather than wearing an insulating layer of clothing will also help, as will not pulling the sheet up over yourself. If the fan is blowing on your bare skin, the cooling effect can feel much greater than just 4 degrees, too.

Make sure you shut the fan off when you get up. If it's not blowing on you, it's just wasting electricity.

Oh, and of course you already knew to draw the blinds or curtains on the west side in the afternoon, right?

What if someone insists that you give your SSN (Social Security Number) but there's no reason for that party to have it? For example, you want to join a club or special interest group and everyone must give their SSN to join.

You could refuse to provide your SSN. Then they could refuse to let you join. Assuming you actually want to be a member of this group (or subscribe to this service or whatever), you could just give them "your" SSN rather than the one the govt assigned you. That is, you make one up.

First, a caution. It is illegal to do this to deceive a govt agency or to commit fraud. For example, you open a checking account. The bank needs your govt-assigned SSN and you are obligated to provide it.

OK, suppose you make up a number or just transpose a few digits of your real number and provide that. Gee, are you smart. You've just thwarted an identity thief. Yes, the SSN is something identity thieves really like to get their hands on. The problem is this works both ways. You provide an SSN that just happens to belong to some person who has severe financial problems. Perhaps this person is on the hit list of the Institute of Reprobates and Sociopaths. Or is on some "bad person" list. Can you see why making up a number can hugely backfire?

One trick is to use a known fake number, and see if it flies. For example, when I was a kid new billfolds had a place for your driver's license but they used a fake SS card in that little space. The number on that card was always 078-05-1120. Of course, you should never carry your SS card around with you.

Another trick is to start the number with 987-65 and four the last four digits use a number between 4320 and 4329; these are set aside for advertisements.

There are perhaps a few other tricks that work.

My own approach in such situations is to simply refuse to provide the number. I tell them that it's sensitive information that they are not equipped to safeguard and assume the liability for in the event of a security breach. It's not being used for tax purposes or any other govt purposes, so they can just as easily use some other number rather than my real SSN. This has always worked, somewhat to my astonishment.

So I recommend just being honest and assertive. Briefly explain your reasons why they can't have your SSN and shouldn't be using people's SSNs in the first place but you're willing to provide another number they can use. If they need exactly those digits, ask them if they can use 123-00-xxxx where the four xs are the same as my street number. The two zeroes in the middle make it a non-functional SSN because no SSN ever gets issued with two zeroes in the middle.

David wrote, "I'd like abs like yours, but I don't have time for all the cardio and sit-ups. What do you suggest?"

Well, Dave, I don't do any cardio or any sit-ups. When you see abs like mine, what you're seeing is the development of the core. That also includes glutes, which both men and women appreciate in the opposite sex when properly developed.

That development comes from consistency and commitment to a solid program of correct exercise and sound diet. I've covered those in previous issues, but really haven't discussed cardio. So here goes.

Many people mistakenly believe that you must "do cardio" to burn off excess body fat. Cardio is generally accepted to consist of low-intensity exercise done for a long time, such as an hour on the treadmill. Not only is this boring and time-consuming, it's counterproductive. You do burn some calories (I think 60 of them for an hour lost on the treadmill, and it takes 3500 to lose a pound of fat) and you do encourage a little more capillarization. But there are far more efficient and effective ways to achieve those goals.

Cardio, as defined above, is very catabolic. That means your hormonal system shifts into a fat-storing, muscle-eating mode. This is why you see fat people on treadmills at gyms but you rarely, if ever, see ripped, muscular people on them.

The traditional bodybuilding principles have stood the test of time (not to mention millions of body transformations). If you do the large compound exercises that truly challenge you, using free weights that force you to stabilize with your core, then whatever works the muscles also works the heart and lungs.

If getting great abs is your goal, you need to work your whole body. To show those abs, you must become very lean, around 5% body fat or less (a bit more, for a woman). Fortunately, the exercise already discussed puts your body into a fat-burning mode and if you are following the traditional workout principles you will be in that mode all day, every day. You can't burn off bad dietary choices, at least not bad ones on a scale that approaches what is normal for Americans.

What you put into your mouth needs to be nutrient-dense, not calorie-dense. And you need to eat six small meals a day, not three big ones; this regulates insulin and thus testosterone.

In summary, great abs don't come from "doing cardio" and doing sit-ups; these actually put you in the opposite direction. To get great abs, train and eat for optimal health. Your abs simply reflect how well you train and eat.

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

Men without hair on their chests are more likely to get cirrhosis of the liver than men with hair. This fact is a matter of correlation, not causation, but it does make you wonder.

How much effort does it take to make another person smile? Try just smiling, and see what happens.