Past issues

Mindconnection eNL, 2001-07-05

In this issue:

1. The 5th of July
2. The job scene, update
3. Electrical update
4. 11 Habits of Highly Defective People
5. Language translators
6. Looking good in lingerie (or to those in lingerie)
7. Best sellers
8. Thought for the day

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1. The 5th of July

Now that we have the holiday behind us, what did it all mean? If you see it as no more than a day off and a bunch of fireworks, you've missed something special. Mindconnection has the Amendments to the U.S. Constitution available for you to view for free at any time. Just go to https://www.mindconnection.com/library/legal/amendments.htm.  In these, you'll see the freedoms we just celebrated. 

As the IRS continues to violate several of these Amendments, now is a good time to write to your Senators and Congressional Representatives, so you can protect your financial future and that of your descendents--ask that the IRS not be allowed to do the kinds of dirty deeds shown in the video at https://www.mindconnection.com/hoyt. This is also a good time to think about how you'll vote in the next election--most people don't vote on the issues at all. The Fourth of July was about freedom. Let's now throw that away. OK, end of the political preaching. On to our next topic.... 

2. The job scene, update

While it's good to work hard and be devoted to your company, doing so doesn't ensure your job. Here's an example:

The CEO of Rockwell International recently took his family on a $300,000 golf outing at company expense. Now, Rockwell is laying employees off because of "financial reasons." It seems to me this CEO should be the one to go--and they should force him to  reimburse the company for what is outright theft. He is not alone in the ransacking of those corporations that provide jobs for millions of Americans.

If you own stock in any company, write to the Board of Directors and ask them what they are doing to hold down CEO costs while preserving jobs for those who actually make the products or provide the services the company charges for. If you don't own stock, you can relate this Rockwell incident in a letter you write to the Board of a neighbor's firm and have a friend or neighbor send such a letter to your firm.

American CEOS typically make 10 times--or more--the income of their counterparts in other countries. Michael D. Eisner, CEO of Disney, make $830 million the same year he reneged on promised performance bonuses for Disney employees and laid many of them off. Some thanks, huh? Disney is laying more people off this year.

I suggest we all boycott Disney theme parks (with their outrageous admission fees) and let the Board of Directors know why Disney isn't getting our hard-earned dollars. That kind of action might cost Eisner nearly a billion dollars a year in compensation, but it could also force the company to stop treating their employees like Eisner's personal toilet paper. Remember, layoffs are contagious--the ripple effect from layoffs at one company could cost jobs at your company. 

In another company, a completely incompetent woman backstabbed her way to a fairly high position. The company didn't fire her until she had incurred millions of dollars of losses. To help make up for the damage, the company laid off 15% of its workforce, including people who had been there over 20 years and were noted for their team attitude and solid performance. If you work for a company where the management has a blind eye to incompetent people, your job is on the line every day you are quiet about it. Nobody is going to step up and be the hero in such a circumstance, either. Your best choice in such a situation is to find a new job.

3. Electrical update

As mentioned in our last eNL, I'm not just an MBA. I'm also an electrical engineer and a Master Electrician. I write columns for national electrical trade magazines and am under contract as a bi-monthly columnist for an electrical Web site. Companies like 3M and Merrill Lynch call me to ask for technical advice. I'm also a Senior Member of the IEEE (Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers) and past Chair of the Kansas City Section (named Outstanding Section two years in a row). That said, I think you'll agree I have some credentials for what comes next.

In our last eNL, I warned about the energy scams and what to look for. In this issue, I have an update on a grounding system I installed. You can see the photos at https://www.mindconnection.com/library/electrical/groundingcasehistory01.htm (to be posted by mid-July).

Last year, a woman asked me about her whole house surge protector ("Meter Treater"). I read the contract's fine print, which basically exempted the installer (the utility) from any liability or warranty claims whatsoever. The catch was the home had to comply with the National Electrical Code, and very, very few homes ever do (mine does, but did not when I bought it). I fixed one severe violation of Article 250 (her water pipes weren't bonded to the electrical system--she lives in a duplex and her system was bonded to her neighbor's pipes and the two systems weren't bonded together). I then installed a very fine supplemental grounding system, using buried #4 wire and driven rods. OK, I know your eyes are probably glazing over at this point, but bear with me.

Her home sits between two trees. In a recent lightning storm, these trees were hit badly (as the photos show). One tree got so hot at the point of the lightning strike that the leaves were instantly desiccated. This, and other evidence, shows she had a huge electrical field present at the back of her home. In the photos, you can see where an electrical charge blackened the outer surfaces of the grounding electrode conductor and the top of one ground rod. You can also see where energy discolored gravel at the fence line. On the other side of the fence, her hot tub was destroyed. Inside the house, nothing was damaged, as the Meter Treater was able to shunt the electrical surge to ground.

If not for this grounding system, her house may well have burned down. Yet, I installed this system for about $30 in parts. If you have not hired an electrician to beef up your home's grounding system, I urge you to do so. It's a cheap insurance policy.

4. The 11 Habits of Highly Defective People

Mindconnection offers an excellent course that could give you a whole new life. 

Why do some people succeed, and others simply seem to tread water? Why do most of us struggle and make the barest of progress? Why do we find our lives seemingly undermined as we pursue careers, family life, friendships, fitness goals, and other worthy aspirations? As Pogo said, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

In classical martial arts training, one of the first things a student learns is s/he has two enemies: the one without, and the one within. The enemy the student must first conquer is the enemy within. It is on this premise that we will discuss the eleven habits of highly defective people.

While such the title of this course smacks of humor, it reminds us that we are the sum of our habits. Good habits don’t always make for a good life—not all things are within your control. However, bad habits can make quite a mess out of what would otherwise be a good life. Bad habits turn good luck into bad, opportunities into calamities, and progress into spiraling decay.

This particular course on of eleven habits isn’t meant to give you an all-inclusive list. No list of such habits can ever be complete, because humans can always find a way to fail. However, humans can also find ways to succeed, to create, to love. If you have the discipline and determination to overcome these particular habits, your mindset will be such that you won’t engage in the self-defeating behaviors that shoot so many of us in the foot. You will have conquered the enemy within.

5. Language translators

Whether you are traveling to a foreign country or entertaining a visitor from one, our popular language translators can make the experience easier and more rewarding. Some of these are even on sale now. Check them out at:

https://www.mindconnection.com/category/0002LANGUAGE.html

6. Lingerie store

If you've gotten in shape for summer, why not show off that sexy bod with great lingerie? You can also improve your relationships and other aspects of you that make you sexy. Visit http://www.makemesexy.com

If you want a better shape, get free information at https://www.mindconnection.com/leanbody.htm and check out the body-enhancing supplements via the link near the bottom of the home page https://www.mindconnection.com

7. Best Sellers

Mindconnection has discounts on what's hot--books, software, movies, music, games, electronics, camera equipment, and more. Just use the form at https://www.mindconnection.com

8. Thought for the Day

Each of us has something special to offer, and each of us needs to "give back" in some way. If you don't feel fulfilled or satisfied with life, you need to make a change. To do that, make some room in your schedule--ban television, for example--and volunteer to do something to benefit others. Here are some examples:

• Phone the principal of your local elementary school and ask if there's something you can do--perhaps visit classes and read to children or prepare an interesting exhibit about history. You may want to take a vacation day to do this, or ask your employer for half a day off so you can represent the company in this fine work.
• Visit shut-ins. Adult care centers (nursing homes) love having visitors. Maybe you can organize a Saturday checkers tournament or card game that runs for 6 weeks.
• Organize a clean-up crew--contact your local police department and explain that you want to do a charitable work and want to get some neighborhood kids together to clean up a park or other area. They will be happy to help you.
• Give service coupons to service people. Contact your local fire department and tell them you want to give back to the folks who risk their lives for your safety. Offer to supply a half dozen coupons good for your personal services--car washing, house-cleaning, hedge-trimming, lawn mowing, whatever.
• Send a note to you local recruiters (Army, Navy, Marines, etc.) saying you want to bring by home-made stew, chili, pizza--or whatever your specialty is--just so you can eat with them and express your gratitude for their service. On the note, give a time when you'll be calling to confirm details, and then call at that time.
• Become a volunteer in a trade group or professional organization in your industry.

Wishing you the best,

Mark Lamendola
Mindconnection.com

Authorship

Except where noted, this e-newsletter is entirely the work of Mark Lamendola. Anything presented as fact can be independently verified. Often, sources are given; but where not given, they are readily available to anyone who makes the effort.

Mark provides information from either research or his own areas of established expertise. Sometimes, what appears to be a personal opinion is the only possibility when applying sound logic--reason it out before judging! (That said, some personal opinions do appear on occasion).

The purpose of this publication is to inform and empower its readers (and save you money!).

Personal note from Mark: I value each and every one of you, and I hope that shows in the diligent effort I put into writing this e-newsletter. Thank you for being a faithful reader.