Mindconnection eNL, 2018-01-07

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Item 1. You probably already know that the greatest legislation to come out of Congress in 50 years was signed into law on Friday, 23 December. This new law will dramatically reduce the footprint of the Institute of Reprobates and Sociopaths in the lives of decent, hard-working Americans. Plus for small business owners, it provides a long-needed tax break. A real sweetener for those who can't afford medical insurance is the illegal Obama Tax is gone.

Item 2. "Workers in some large companies are already seeing the benefits of the corporate tax cuts as 200,000 domestic AT&T workers will each receive a $1,000 bonus after the bill is signed, the telecom company will also invest an additional billion dollars in U.S. infrastructure." -- Rick Manning, President of Americans for Limited Government.

***

Unfortunately, this badly needed relief won't be provided until we file in 2019. The illegal "Individual Mandate" tax still applies when filing in 2018 (for 2017) and that already stiff tax increases for this year. At the very least, Congress should have given us relief from the illegal tax for this year.

This bill should have been signed into law in January of LAST year. Due to the failure of Congress to get that done, we are required to suffer through yet another year of excessive federal taxes, an illegal tax, and the same danger level of an IRS assault.

Please note that Speaker Ryan refused to hear anything about tax reform, saying as late as mid-summer it wasn't an issue he cared about.

I have one of these and really like it. One feature is it comes with the C-cable charger, instead of a micro-USB port. If you've ever wrecked a micro-USB port or had a hassle trying to connect to one, you will appreciate this feature. I know I do.

Other features:

• Free Speech Translator (30+ languages, no Internet connection needed; 50+ more languages with Internet connection), 180-language translation dictionary, universal picture dictionary.
• Front and rear cameras (13MPx and 5MPx); can translate anything it sees (and as with any smartphone you can take and send photos).
• Ruggedized, screen is Gorilla Glass, damage-resistant, IP100 rating; completely water-proof and dustproof. People with an active lifestyle will want this as their only cellphone.
• Two SIM cards, and can subscribe to data plan. MicroSD slot. Full Android (v6.0) phone features.
• Massive battery, 38 days on a single charge.
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, tethering/hotspot, browser, texting, phone, Play Store, Skype, Youtube, g-mail, more.

Available now, in our Amazon store.

A friend told me "It's advisable to stretch before working out." My reply was that you NEVER stretch before training.

In response, he told me he read it here and read it there from this and that expert. I told him they are all wrong.

Then I told him a lot of people simply repeat what they hear or read, with no understanding of why or why not. They don't think, they repeat.

So then I said, "Let's look at how this actually works."

When you lift weight, you are by definition contracting the muscle. Muscles can only contract (grow shorter), they cannot push (provide locomotion by lengthening). The crux of weight training is you shorten the muscles; you get a muscle contraction to lift the weight. Lengthening muscles beforehand thus makes no sense.

When you lengthen (stretch) a muscle, you weaken it (its power comes from contraction). If you then embark on weight training:

• The muscle is less able to protect the joints, ligaments, and tendons. Preworkout stretching is one of the main reasons so many people get injured or develop chronic problems from lifting weights.
• You are already  behind in subjecting the muscle to enough tension to get the adaptive response.

It doesn't matter what some "expert" puts forward as an opinion or how many times a person is published, or how many sources repeat the same wrong statement.

Always think things through to get the correct answer. Analysis trumps reference every time. Use reference as an input to analysis, not as a substitute for it.

Some of my organization methods:

• Location consistency. I put the same items in the same place every time. I know exactly where to look, and I can often tell you where something is without even looking.
   
• Color code! I use color-coded lids, because I was making mistakes with the previous method. For example, I have a special glass container with a red lid and it always goes on the top door rack on the end near the hinge. This one's for wet cat food (given in addition to kibble). I have another such container (also with red lid) specifically for garlic. It goes on that same rack, but on the opposite end.
   
• Designate containers. If you use certain types of containers only for certain types of things, it's much easier to find things. For example, I have a special container for bok choy. It's taller than any other container (bok choy is tall) and it goes in the back on the far right side.
   
• Group batteries. Keeping batteries in the freezer extends their life. But you don't save money if you have to hunt through batteries with the freezer door open. I put all of my batteries in one small cardboard box. I remove that box to find the batteries I need, then put it back in the freezer when I'm done.
   
• Don't store soda in the door. Yes, those doors are designed to hold sodas. But guess what? Your body isn't. Soda causes osteoporosis (it's not just a risk factor), endocrine malfunction, and tooth decay. If you want to be hunched over, fat, and toothless, then soda is your perfect beverage. If those conditions do not appeal to you, then ban soda from your life. You'll not only save hundreds of dollars a year on purchase cost, you'll save thousand on medical bills. And you get to keep your teeth!

Also, follow these money-saving tips specifically for the refrigerator:

• Sort at checkout. Have a specific bag or two for "goes in refrigerator items." Don't mix unrefrigerated with refrigerated, as you remove them from your shopping cart at checkout. This way, you're not sorting through these with the refrigerator door open. I put my cold goods away with very little open door time. It's important to signal to the checkout people that you want these separated. I put my cold items up as a group, either first or last. I create spaces on the conveyor, making it obvious there's a system here. And I say something like, "Thanks for keeping the refrigerator items separate, just the way I put them on the checkout table."
   
• Give your refrigerator clean electricity. Remember the energy-wasting scam known as the CFL? If you still have these mercury bombs in your home, make sure they aren't screwed into any light sockets. They lower your power factor, meaning your refrigerator draws more kilowatts to do the same work. If you do have CFLs, contact your local toxic waste center and arrange to dispose of them properly.
   
• Pull your refrigerator out, unplug it, and clean the coils in the back every 30 to 60 days. This maintenance prevents the loss of heat transfer that occurs with a dirty heat exchanger, meaning you get more cooling for the same buck than someone who doesn't do this.
   
• Plan your meals, part 1. Standing with the refrigerator door open while trying to decide what to eat not only wastes electricity, it wastes time. Worse, it's a practice that undermines your health care plan (if you have one). Planning meals (and even making them ahead of time) is standard practice among athletes (especially body builders), models, and people who have taken their health care plan seriously. Unplanned meals have health consequences for multiple reasons, and if you think about it you can make an impressive list.
   
• Plan your meals, part 2. By planning your meals to be the correct size, you don't have leftovers to store and retrieve. Think about how much space that saves in the refrigerator and how much more efficient that is all-round. It reduces spoilage, the chances of food poisoning, and the need to eat something soggy or toss it out. It even reduces dishwashing. The exception to the benefit of "no leftovers" is when you plan for an occasion in which excess food is just what you have to do (for example, cooking for guests).
   
• Plan your shopping. If you plan your meals, take the next logical step. That means planning the purchase of what goes into your meals. This is how you ensure you have everything you need and (if produce) it's fresh. As you make meals, jot down what needs replenishing. You'll make fewer trips to the grocery store and make fewer "door open, door close" actions restocking that refrigerator. If you restock half as often throughout the week, that adds up over the course of a year.

If on a PC you might click the button to end the call, but don't assume that ends the call. Go into Task Manager, select the Processes tab, right mouse click on the appropriate image name, and select "End Process Tree."

If on a smartphone, use the apps window icon to show you the running apps. Then swipe closed any app that can spy on you. Better yet, just shut the phone off and put it in another room if you plan to have a private conversation.

Landline phones pose less of a problem here, but can still be used to spy on you. Pay attention to whether the handset is "In Use" (there should be in indicator on the screen), especially if you just completed a call where there was voicemail or some other recording means at the other end.

Eating a wide range of fruits and vegetables is much more pleasurable, and of course far healthier. Adding spices improves both taste and health effects.

Here are some spices and what they do:

Basil: It's a classic Italian spice, though other ethnic groups use it too. Basil smells wonderful. It contains powerful anti-oxidants and has anti-bacterial properties.

I grow my own, and consume it every day until I run out of it.

Black pepper: This versatile spice improves the flavor of an immense number of dishes. It's "mandatory" for scrambled eggs.

Black pepper contains piperine, which supposedly improves digestion and helps your body absorb nutrients better.

It also is powerfully anti-carcinogenic. When combined with turmeric, the two spices multiply (not merely add) the respective anti-cancer properties of each other.

I consume this every day.

Cayenne pepper: Body builders know this boosts metabolism. Proven beyond all doubt. It also improves circulation, something you can easily prove by ingesting cayenne pepper. If you have clogged sinuses, again you can prove that cayenne pepper opens them right up.

Its active ingredient is apsaicin. You'll find this ingredient in many over the counter creams for muscle paint or joint pain.

I consume this every day.

Cinnamon: Arguably the most delicious of all spices, cinnamon has powerful antioxidant properties. It also helps  in blood sugar regulation and may have other health benefits.

Tip: When a recipe calls for cinnamon, use more than is called for. You will not regret it.

I consume this every day.

Garlic: Being half-Italian, I consider garlic an essential food and love the aroma emanating from dishes containing it. I buy it a bulb at a time, and cut individual cloves by hand as needed. I also keep garlic powder, which I use to flavor popcorn.

Top photo taken 16SEP2016, just days before 56th birthday; bottom photo taken 3 days after 56th birthday

Garlic has other health benefits, such as helping the body regulate cholesterol and handle triglycerides.

Garlic supplements are available, and I used to wonder why. The answer is that in such a condensed form, garlic lowers "high" blood pressure almost as effectively as some prescription drugs. And more safely, except you are going to have an obnoxious garlic stench to you if you overdo it.

I consume this every day.

Ginger: It's the classic digestion aid. Sick kids with upset tummies are often given ginger ale. Ginger helps reduce flatulence; it's good to add it to "gassy" foods during cooking or other preparation. It also has anti-inflammatory properties.

This potent spice can help lower cholesterol and improve blood circulation.

I consume this every day.

Oregano: It's another classic Italian spice, though other ethnic groups use it too. A good pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce will smell strongly of oregano. It is a powerful anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial herb.

I consume this nearly every day.

Rosemary: It's another classic Italian spice, though other ethnic groups use it too. It has powerful antioxidant properties. Supposedly, it helps improve memory and focus and may improve lung function.

I need to add this one back to my spice rack.

Thyme: It's another classic Italian spice, though other ethnic groups use it too.

This heart-helping herb contains thymol, which helps reduce cholesterol. In home remedies, it's used to reduce coughing. And it purportedly boosts your immune system.

I consume this a few times a month.

Turmeric: The main ingredient in curry and also the substance that gives mustard its color, turmeric contains curcumin. This is a powerful antioxidant with anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties.

It is strongly anti-carcinogenic. If you combine it with black pepper, the anti-cancer effects don't merely add--they multiply. It is also anti-inflammatory, though the FDA prohibits stating this fact or the facts about cancer.

I consume this every day.

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

Any person can obtain his or her official state birth certificate by simply filling out a form on the state's website and paying a document servicing fee. (I know, because I did this recently).

People who were not born in Hawaii must resort to forging a Hawaiian birth certificate because the requisite records do not exist to show they were born in Hawaii (especially if the mother of such a person was not in Hawaii for the event). The state birth certificate is generated from the records, not photocopied, so the excuse that the original was lost does not hold.