Mindconnection eNL, 2020-08-16

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

Item 1. We have a vaccine for Covid-19! Yes, and we've had it all along. It's called the produce department. Remember in The Avengers: Endgame, when Captain America picked up Thor's hammer and Thor said, "I knew it!" (For Avengers fans, that was one of the best scenes ever)? It's like that with this. Now we have the death statistics data and we can see that if we eliminate from the death toll the very elderly and those with metabolic syndrome (caused by eating processed food), there is hardly anybody left. It's something for which we can say, "I knew it!". Be sure to keep your vaccination current. BTW, it works against other diseases also.

Item 2. A few years ago, Google showed that its "do no evil" mantra had changed to "do more evil." Google debauched its search engine in a move designed to force small sellers to buy advertising.

So what happened? Thousands of these companies, having relied on Google search for their customers to find them, went out of business due to revenue drops of 95% or more. Others flocked to Amazon, where they got screwed by Amazon in various ways. eBay was another place sellers flocked to, but it wasn't until late 2019 that eBay took online sellers seriously.

Today, the typical seller:

• Loses money and incurs an undeserved reputation loss (due to Amazon's broken seller rating system) on Amazon.
• Makes sales on eBay profitably, just not at the level needed to sustain a business.
• Can, with a lot of work, make the old way (having your own site) work. But there is only so much a business owner can do in every 12 hour work day, and there are only 9 work days per week.

Google still has a crappy search engine, one that is easily trounced by many others such as Bing, Duck Duck Go, and Yahoo. They also supported Obama, and this behavior has not set well with non-delusional people who care about America.

The good news is all their bad behavior has finally taken its toll. Google's advertising business, which has been in a decline ever since it pulled this stunt, took a quarterly loss for the first time. Better news, there is nothing to reverse that trend and plenty that will continue it. Google is also facing dozens of lawsuits all over the globe and has lost a few big ones already (those are under appeal).

Item 3. The Trump administration is helping the victims of human trafficking, even though there is no political advantage in doing so. Read the full story here: https://www.theepochtimes.com/trump-admin-awards-35-million-in-housing-grants-to-assist-human-trafficking-survivors_3449406.html. Amazingly, Nancy "Nutcase" Pelosi has not (yet) found a way to spin this as something bad. Give her enough time, and she will come up with something along the lines that not enough black victims were helped, or the plan does nothing to stop the human trafficking of transgendered individuals.

Item 4. The Star Tribune, Minnesota's "Paper of Record", is backing the opponent of Rep RigIlhan Omar in the primary. She is one of "The Squad," a group of socialists including AOC of New York, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.  The House Ethics Committee unanimously ruled that Tliab violated campaign finance law, and she has to repay $10,800. This might damage her chances for re-election. But all four of these socialists have said incredibly offensive and amazingly stupid things ever since taking office, and all four face serious voter disapproval. We may well be rid of these fools, soon. If the Democrats don't clean up their own mess by knocking these fools out during the primaries, it is likely their seats will go to their Republican or Libertarian challengers.

Item 5. The President signed The Great American Outdoors Act, legislation that was spearheaded by two Republicans and had broad support among both Democrats and Republicans. This bill will create jobs while also conserving public land. It's a significant piece of legislation. Read about it here: https://theusawire.com/2020/08/26171-trump-signs-great-american-outdoors-act-legislation-of-a-generation/

Item 6. The President signed four executive orders to extend unemployment benefits of $400 per week, defer payroll taxes for those making under $100,000, find ways to offer eviction protections, and extend relief to student-loan borrowers. Read the full story here: https://www.theepochtimes.com/trump-takes-executive-action-to-provide-reduced-enhanced-unemployment-payment_3454925.html. All of this sounds good, so naturally Nancy "Nutcase" Pelosi had bad things to say about it and naturally she contradicted statements she emphatically made less than 3 days prior. Read about her insanity here: https://www.theepochtimes.com/pelosi-schumer-say-theyre-still-willing-to-negotiate-with-trump-on-a-new-relief-deal_3455278.html. Note that Chuck "I love violent criminals" Schumer joined her in this latest outrage. It boggles the mind that anyone needs further encouragement to vote against Democrats in a state or federal election, but the Democrats keep producing reasons for people to not support them. The good news is the more the Democrats do this, the more likely their supporters are to have the scales fall from their eyes.

Item 7. The US economy has improved dramatically since the CV-19 shutdown began to ease. In fact, 3rd quarter is probably going to be the strongest in US history. That is in no small part because of 10 million new jobs created in the past 3 months. It took 5 years to recover 8 million jobs in the Obama economy, but in the Trump economy it took only 3 months to recover 10 million jobs. The Consumer Price Index and the Producer Price Index are both in a strong state of recovery. Biden wants to saddle us with an additional $7 trillion of debt for wealth transfers alone (from working people to "captive" Democrats--those on the dole), while taking other measures to tank the economy and thus tax revenues. The good news about that comparison is most voting Americans passed the third grade and can do the math. The only question is whether they will.

Item 8. MIT Technology, a left-wing publication that would politically have an interest in bloating the CV-19 numbers reports instead that population immunity is slowing the virus in parts of the USA. There is an unknown tipping point of immune population at which the virus simply fades away. Read the full story here: https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/08/11/1006366/immunity-slowing-down-coronavirus-parts-us. Of course, if we eliminated processed food from the American diet we would always be well beyond that tipping point and no nationwide epidemic would be possible. Great strides could be made toward this outcome if the federal government would end subsidies for wheat, corn, and cane sugar and if places like Iowa would stop mandating the use of engine-destroying, petroleum-wasting, land-wasting ethanol for automobiles. That last is a legislative subsidy for corn, which is fed to humans, cats, dogs, and cows even though it has significantly negative health effects in all of those animals. If you eat beef or consume cow dairy products, take note those products are unfit for human consumption partly due to the fact the animals are diseased from eating corn.

This functional wall receptacle comes with a 1080P remote live streaming Wi-Fi camera with external memory (16GB microSD card included) can be hardwired in like a normal receptacle. Once the device is powered, it can begin remote streaming within minutes. Watch your office while at home or vice-versa. If you're ever left alone in a government office and don't mind working hot, you can install one of these there and spy on them!

• Mobile Alerts, Motions Detection, and Record Scheduling - Simply set up each feature fast and easy through your smartphone app.
• External Memory: This device already includes a 16GB MicroSD, but for more memory you can insert up to a 128GB MicroSD card.
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• Video resolution: 1080P, 720P, 480P.
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• Viewing angle: 90°.
• Storage: external microSD card up to 128GB.
• Power: hardwired/plug-in.
• Dimensions: 1.5"W x 1"D x 4.5"H.
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Buy yours now.

• Question: What service do they provide? Answer: None.
• Question: What is their effect on federal revenue? Answer" They dramatically decrease it by causing horrendous damage to productive members of society and by racking up compliance costs (including legal defense fees) that are about 15 times the amount they bring in. To increase federal revenue, simply abolish this terrorist organization.

Another example is Black Lives Matter. Certainly, very few of us would assert that black lives do not matter. But this group does. I say that because I judge them by their actions and the consequences thereof. If black lives mattered to them, they would not leave predominantly black neighborhoods bereft of police presence. But because they have aggressively done exactly that, many black lives have been snuffed out. Libtards like to counter this observation by claiming that cops are aggressively targeting innocent black men and killing them. However, as with all libtard viewpoints, there are no data to support this position. The data actually show that police are lenient to black men, which makes sense considering that previous injustices from many years ago have created a very sensitive situation any time the perp is black.

The spike in murders in predominantly black neighborhoods has prompted some black women (where are the men?) to paint over BLM signs and to ask for the police to be funded again and patrolling their neighborhoods. It's not the cops they are afraid of, because they don't draw police attention to themselves by acting crazy. No, they fear the black gangstas, pimps, and drug dealers who have always been a threat to their safety.

It simply is not the case that bad actors take names that reveal their moral bankruptcy or bad intentions. Instead, they choose deceptive names. It's Marketing 101.

Then Black Lives (don't) Matter decided to extort these two companies for large sums. This caused many men, including me, to cancel our memberships.

Does that mean going back to $38 every 15 days for razors? Well, my first thought was to use those electric shavers that I rarely used. After a week of that, I realized why I rarely used them. It takes a long time to shave with them. A wet razor takes one stroke to clear a smooth path. An electric takes many passes.

My second thought was I can soften the hair with water and wait about 30 seconds. Then I can apply a thin layer of coconut oil and shave with the wet razor. It works. And the oil doesn't corrode the razor the way the water does. You just have to get the coconut oil off your face, but it's actually good for your skin. Shaving creams tend to have many toxic ingredients and are bad for your health.

Pros:

• Blades last a long time.
• Coconut oil is a superior lubricant to shaving cream.
• Coconut oil contains no toxins and is actually good for your skin.
• You get a wet shave experience without corroding the blade.

Cons:

• Hair is hard to get out of the spaces between the blades. You can try a single-blade razor instead of the 5-blade rigs that have become the norm.
• Coconut oil can cause the blade to glide right over the hair.
• You may need to apply a thin layer more than once.
• Coconut oil doesn't easily wash off. But then, it really doesn't need to be washed off unless you use too much.

Do you have packages delivered to your door? Unless you have a camera on that door and are "right there" to retrieve the package, this is a bad idea. For one thing, you are associating your name with the exact location of where you live. That is a classic security mistake, but most of us have done that already and see it as not a big deal.

Even if you are comfortable with giving out where to find your home, there is the issue of having a package quickly disappear once it is delivered. The merchant is not going to replace it for free (that merchant probably makes 5% on the deal). The carrier has proof of delivery, and is not responsible for the fact you left the package outside.

People have packages sent to their workplace, and those also get stolen. This typically happens when there are multiple tenants in the building and a common entry. Don't have it delivered to your workplace unless you know for sure someone who works there will sign for it and not someone who just happened to be standing out front or who just happened to walk in.

UPS offers a free drop-off service, go to www.ups.com and you can find information about it. In many cases, a local grocery store will accept your package and hold it for you. They get a small fee, you get a secure delivery. FedEx may have something similar. If you get a USPS box, only USPS items can be delivered to it. A solution is to get a UPS Store box or a box at any of the various places like Mailboxes, etc. If you want to write it off as a business expense and don't have a business, then start a small business for which such a box would be helpful and in which you already have experience. Else, just accept it as a cost of living in our modern age with socialists and anarchists having made a hash of things.

In my area, the delivery drivers call the police when they notice someone is following them. The cops are quick to respond, and they make sure the would be robber doesn't rob. Yeah, let's defund the police so the people who are bringing you the Amazon stuff and other things you ordered have no protection. Even if armed, they can't really protect themselves. It takes someone outside the vehicle for that, meaning a cop. And that's another security tip. If anyone starts talking about defunding the police, tell them that's a great idea and you'll be over later in the week to rob their house. No cops, no investigation, no chance of recovering the goods. And just imagine trying to get insurance if you live in a place with no cops.

So have your packages delivered to a secure location and make sure you are good to your local cops. If you see one, smile. They could use a smile or two. Thank them for what they do. Tell them they are important. And don't put up with any lunacy about defunding police. Where that has been tried, there's been a surge in people getting killed.

Photo taken a couple of weeks after my 59th birthday.

Note that the information provided here will likely conflict with the "fad of the moment" and other unsustainable, unproductive ways of looking at health and fitness.

Article appears below.

During the early days of the shutdown, I was climbing on a wall I built in my backyard: https://youtu.be/gH86p-E32-8. I still use it, but once the gyms re-opened, I returned to them. It's important to support those climbing gyms. If all of them make it through this period, I will be surprised.

The real solution to this and any future epidemic is in this article. Read it and spread the word!

See all of my climbing videos here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCyb67uKOxW_TsG6BVPbBIQ/videos

The Invincible Immune System, Part 8: Rest, emotional maturity, and mental attitude

Sleep deprivation dramatically lowers immunity, but it is a normal condition for most people. Being emotionally mature is something that does not happen on its own, and for most people it never happens--I'll provide some tips to fix this. The right mental attitude is key, and I'll explain what it is and how to make it the attitude you have.

Rest

Rest means more than just sleep, but let's start there. If you need an alarm clock to wake you in the morning so you don't run late, you are not going to bed early enough. Fix this problem. Make sure your bedroom is a sleep chamber. Do the research on how to make this so, then make it so.

A few other tips to sleep better:

• Establish a shutdown time. When this time hits, shut off your computer, cell phone, etc. Read a book or give your cat a massage (or do both at the same time), or have a pleasant conversation with your spouse. If having a pleasant conversation with your spouse has not been easy lately, that has been hurting your sleep. So during the day think of one thing you really appreciate about your spouse and that evening go on about it in great detail.
• No electronic devices in your bedroom, other than a clock so you know when to get up (by reading the display when you awake naturally, not by setting the alarm)/
• Instead of eating your last meal (#6, 7, or 8, depending on your regimen) fifteen minutes before bed, aim for an hour.
• Have a pre-bed ritual that includes checking door locks and making the place secure.
• If something is worrying you, take 15 minutes to write down a few thoughts about it so you can get it off your mind.

One way in which rest goes beyond sleep is you need to rest your muscles after training them. This is what the split routine accomplishes. Another way in which rest goes beyond sleep is you need a break from daily stress. Some people use the weekend for this, some have a daily ritual for this. Figure out what works for you.

Does someone in your life give you crap? Take a permanent rest from that person, if you can. If it's your boss and you don't want to find another job, tell your boss you deserve better and expect better. Don't argue about it, but do back it up with the quality of your work. If your boss won't give you a break or cut you some slack, ask for specifics on how you can improve. If your boss is just one of those "Peter Principle" idiots who likes to pick on subordinates, either just "consider the source" and laugh about what a dolt you have for a boss or get a different job.

Consumers of what pretends to be "news" are nearly always stressed out by what they hear and read. The "news" is usually negative and usually wrong, and it's nearly always about things you can't control so it's totally unhelpful. No wonder people are stressed by it. Taking a rest from the "news" is such a great stress reliever, I recommend doing it totally and permanently. That includes newspapers, television, websites, antisocial media, and every other form. If you really need to be informed about current events, at least pick a source that isn't overtly socialist. An example of such as source is Epoch Times.

The point of rest is to recharge yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally. If that's not happening for you, figure out why and fix it.

Emotional maturity

Most men over 18 still act like little kids. In most cases, it's because they have not moved from being insecure about themselves to being confident. To be confident, learn to excel in one area and then another. Women over 18 usually also have insecurities, but they have not let that retard their social skills. If you think of your needs and frame everything that way, you will not mature emotionally. The "secret" is to think in terms of being of service to others. How can you make others feel enriched when they interact with you? Do other people feel enriched when they interact with you, or is there a drop in energy?

That is not to say you have to make everybody happy. If someone tries to manipulate you by saying they are "offended" when clearly there was nothing offensive you did, the correct response (if you feel like giving one at all) is, "Grow a pair". Or, alternatively, "I don't care." Part of being emotionally mature is you don't play little kid games with people. Be straight with them, and if they can't be straight with you then you don't owe them any courtesy and are not obliged to waste your time engaging with them.

If someone sends you a nasty e-mail or insults you in antisocial media, how should you respond? You don't. That person is not worth your time. Move on. In public places, you might run into a rude person. Or while driving, you may encounter an aggressive jerk who should not be behind the wheel. You can't change such a person, so don't even try to do that. Don't give that person control over your emotions (e.g., get angry). Stay calm about it, perhaps by thinking deliberately of something pleasant such as Nancy Pelosi in a prison jumpsuit.

If you are a secure individual and deservedly self-confident, you will be gracious to others and give them the benefit of the doubt. But you will not tolerate bullies. An emotionally mature person can tell the difference.

Some tips:

• Read books on personal growth. Listen to audiobooks on the same subject.
• Slowly replace friends who are emotionally immature with friends who are emotionally mature.
• Find a mentor to discuss how you handle things with other people.
• Remember, when there's a conflict it's not always about you. In fact, it is rarely about you. It is usually about the other person's insecurities. Try to be sensitive to their emotional needs.
• Don't assign motives to the behavior of others. You almost certainly do not have the full story.
• Give others the benefit of the doubt.
• Show respect, no matter how difficult doing so may seem.
• Determine what your values are, and live by them.

Mental attitude

When the going gets rough, is that just about right for you? Or do you whine and say how unfair it is? Sometimes when I am climbing a tough 30 foot pitch (for me, a 5.12 on a top roped route is tough), every sequence feels like it will be the last one I complete. I'm taxing my core to the hilt and breathing really hard, a hand or foot may slip, and any purchase I have feels tenuous at best. When another climber tackles that same route and we talk about it later, what always comes up is how we had to mentally push past the fatigue, uncertainty, and doubt.

This is what you need to do. Push past it. Have a can do attitude and get the job done.

Sometimes, life seems almost futile due to the sheer frustration of one thing after another. This is especially true in our modern age of crappy electronic products, crappy customer service, phone trees at customer service numbers, spam callers, aggressive libtards, and other idiocy that can make you feel almost helpless. Don't give in to the feeling, overcome it.

How does this improve your immune system? I really am not sure, but it has always been part of my strategy. I believe the positive mental attitude gives the immune system a direct boost. Certainly, it does that indirectly because you overcome problems rather than succumb to them or at least you are at peace with the outcome. A person with a poor mental attitude lacks that positive energy you can feel radiating from someone who has it.

Some tips:

• Take the time to become very good at something.
• Where you could see a problem, reframe it as an opportunity. What can you do to get a positive outcome?
• Be thankful for what you've got.
• Don't whine about what you don't have and don't beat yourself up for not having what others have. Many "haves" have what they have because they spent more than they should have and they are in deep debt.
• Believe in hard work.
• Believe in yourself.
• Find friends you can believe in, if you don't have them already.
• Don't engage in negative self-talk. Replace "I can't" with "I will" unless the goal is well beyond your ability level. There is a difference between being confident and being delusional.
• Compliment other people in meaningful, specific ways.

Harm vs. Gain

The harm:

• People who don't get enough rest get run down, and their immunity suffers.
• People who are emotionally immature are frequently under stress they otherwise would not have.
• A poor mental attitude produces a failure to hit anywhere close to your potential. This affects all sorts of things in your life, including your resistance to disease.

The gain:

• If you rest enough that you are rarely, if ever, run down then you will have the energy to stay healthy and energetic.
• Emotional maturity is what allows you to build satisfying relationships, and those relationships correlate strongly to wellness.
• If you see yourself as capable and competent but also know your limits, you will just do better in life than someone who gives up in the face of a challenge. Overcoming challenges builds you in many ways, including making you tougher toward disease.

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

Pandemics used to be made possible by poor sanitation. Today, they are made possible by processed food. Pretty much the same thing!

“Yesterday ended last night.” ― John Maxwell, The 15 Laws of Growth