Mindconnection eNL, 2012-12-02

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The criminals who ran that farce could have given Romney a stab at deepening the debt. Remember his crazy budget? The math is something like 15 + 5 = 9.

Instead, we have Obama as an allegedly lame duck (I think he will get a third or even fourth term, as laws do not apply to him). He's firmly established himself as the most destructive president of all time (in terms of economic destruction while in office and destruction of civil liberties). So he has no real motivation to continue along this path, if his goal has been to claim the title of most destructive President (and it seems to have been his goal). If he is replaced in the 2020 fake "elections," his successor is unlikely to try for the title. What person in his right mind would?

I'm not saying we'll get relief from the plundering (it was institutionalized long before Obama showed up) or that Obama will make any actual progress on our behalf. But I do think we're not going to see the kind of wanton destruction he and his cohorts inflicted on us during his first four years. His next eight or twelve years as the Economy Drainer in Chief should be comparatively benign. Still bad, but not on the same sharp downward trajectory.

While on the subject of monumental economic damage, a tiny ray of hope shines through the sewage emanating from Washington, DC. The Patient Predation and Unaffordable Care Act takes a hit:

http://netrightdaily.com/2012/11/obamacare-implementation-craters-under-state-objections/

This is a stunning figure. How can it be that high?

Even if you add in the 535 members of CONgress, their employers at Monsanto, Goldman Sachs, etc., and all of the people who have been clinically diagnosed as severely masochistic, you're still a long way from 7%.

Assuming the pollsters don't have a 6.99% margin of error, this is a real brain teaser. It's more challenging than, say, solving the Riemann Hypothesis.

Trying to work out the solution could be a brain-building endeavor.

Or, it could drive you mad. Perhaps a less challenging task, such as solving a Rubik's cube in less than 3 minutes is more suitable to your mental powers. For me personally, that's still too challenging.

Training your brain for brainpower is much like training your body for muscle power. Lift what is comfortable for you. Pick something challenging, but doable, and just work with it.

Some activities that help build brainpower:

• Reading. Especially if it's somewhat "heavy" material rather than fluff. Reading, by itself, is great exercise for several parts of the brain (a medical examiner can compare the brain of a reader and non-reader and tell you which was which). But you can multiply the effect by reading something substantial.
• Working jigsaw puzzles.
• Learning about a subject that's new to you.
• Learning a new skill.
• Visiting a new place.
• Engaging in parlor games.
• Changing a routine task so that you do it differently.

Each of these stimulates the brain in different ways. I explained a little about reading. Build your brainpower a bit by researching why each of the other activities helps build the brain, and in what way it does.

A great way to save money is with composting. And this can benefit even someone who lives in a high-rise apartment.

Before I go into the advantages, let me be more clear about what this is because many people don't understand what it is or how to do it.

The common perception is that you compost by making a big pile of leaves in your yard and waiting for them to rot. For apartment dwellers, this is obviously a non-starter.

That is one way to compost, but it's not what I'm talking about. Add a little technology, and you have a composting method that anyone can use without even having a yard. You don't have to turn a stinking mess with a pitchfork. In fact, you get minimal odor and you don't need to stick anything into your compost material.

The trick is to use a composting tumbler. This is different from a composting bin, primarily because it allows you to tumble your compost by simply rotating the tumbler, while a bin remains stationary and you have to open the bin turn the compost. I have been using a tumbler for years and am very happy with it. You can buy a tumbler at your local garden store. I bought mine online.

Spend half an hour to see what's out there. Look for decent capacity, though I can tell you the barrel does not need to be large. It is nice if the unit has wheels on it, which is why I drilled holes into the frame of mine and added wheels. If you plan to put the compost in your garden or somewhere in your yard, it's nice to be able to roll this baby around. Another good feature is the ability to remove the compost without needing to scoop it out or dump it on the ground.

You can locate your tumbler right outside your backdoor, making it easy to add those scraps of fruits and vegetables. Add eggshells and coffee grounds if you want a high-nitrogen compost (coffee grounds alone will make it very acidic, thus the eggshells).

You can grow food indoors, if you lack a garden space. You just need to use the container method and some plant lights. You can mix the compost into your container soil. This will feed your plants the micronutrients that you need in the food you harvest from them.

Composting reduces garbage outflow, and for some people this is a cost-saver. Avoiding the use of your sink's garbage disposal also helps you reduce plumbing problems because those devices greatly raise your risk of clogged pipes. But the biggest cost-savings is the composted material is an excellent food for your food plants and it's free.

The Patient Predation and Unaffordable Care Act has made it even harder for the tent-dwellers to obtain medical and dental care. Many of these people have college degrees and fairly impressive resumes, but they simply cannot find work. These former members of the middle class are now members of the extremely impoverished class.

Because the ranks of the poor have swelled so enormously during Obamageddon, the charities that serve the poor are a very long way from having adequate resources to provide even the basics for these people.

These charities have stepped up their fund-raising efforts, if you haven't noticed. But a dark factor has inserted itself here. Some of the people who are desperate and miserable have figured out that if they pose as fund-raising workers they can make some money. While their motivation is understandable, the fact remains that they are stealing.

To guard against being ripped off by faux charity workers, follow this two-step approach:

1. Don't respond to fund-raisers who seek you out by phoning or coming to your door. You have no way of verifying who they are.
2. If you're able to support charities, determine which ones you wish to support. Budget what you will donate, and then visit their sites to make the donation.

Of course, there are some charities that you can make exceptions for. Your neighbor's kid is a Girl Scout, for example. Don't tell her you'll donate only via the Girl Scouts Website. Another example is it's a cold day and you hear that Salvation Army bell ring as you go into the grocery store. There have been no verified cases of imposters, and you have to agree that someone ringing that bell when it's 10 below zero must have a higher motivation than trying to make a few quick bucks.

Whatever charity you choose to support is your personal decision. Just make sure you look at each charity to see if it is really using most of your hard-earned dollars for charitable work or if it has idiotically high "administrative" expenses. Those with high "administrative" expenses typically are that way because of outrageously high salaries and/or perks. Most charities are based on a mission and they try to use the funds wisely. But some are simply con games. Make sure you know which of these your intended charity is.

One way I find people totally misallocating their money is when they go into "cortex off" mode and donate their hard-earned money to the campaigns of politicians who are prostituting themselves to The Party. First of all, this makes no difference to your situation. The fake elections between the two make-believe parties in The Party have the same outcome no matter who "wins" and that outcome is unbridled crime.

Back in 2001, the data showed that the average American adds 10 lbs of fat during this period, and loses 8 of those lbs of fat throughout the following 10 months. That means a net gain of 20lbs of fat per decade. But that does not mean a gain of 20lbs of body weight. Excess body fat is an endocrine modifier, so along with this comes muscle loss. That's why, in 2001, the average 65 year old American could not lift a 7lb vacuum cleaner off the floor.

Things have gotten much worse in the ensuing 11 years. Today, the average American gains fat all year long and that extra 10lbs just stays on. You personally may not fit this average and if so I am glad.

But how are you doing during holiday gatherings? You may well be permanently damaging your health for a few moments of culinary gratification.

To avoid this, follow some simple guidelines (or rules, if you prefer). Contrary to offending people by not participating in ritual disease acquisition, your example will give them permission to also protect their own bodies if they so choose. If they don't so choose, respect their decision.

Age 50.

Here are my simple guidelines for eating safely at holiday gatherings:

• No sauces. If it's a sauce, it's surely loaded with sugar and who knows what else.
• If you can't identify it, don't eat it.
• No cakes, pastries, or pies. These are calorie-dense and nutrient-sparse. Don't even say, "OK, I'll have a small piece." Just say no.
• Unless it's a served meal at someone's home, eat only fruits and vegetables. This is a sure way to eliminate calorie overload.
• No second helpings. This not only allows you to "stay light" and thus more fun to be around, it eliminates any chance you'll stuff yourself.

Those five little "rules" will keep you safe from "suicide by fork." But take care you don't commit social suicide in the process. People generally have no problem with healthy choices, we all know the drill now. They do take umbrage at being told, in effect, they are doing something wrong. You're at a gathering presumably to share happy moments, not to judge.

If declining an offered item:

• Be pleasant about it.
• Don't justify your decision an don't apologize. You aren't doing anything wrong.
• Don't allow yourself to be dragged into a "discussion" about your decision. If someone comments on your choice, ignore the comment; even if it's positive, it may make someone else at the table uncomfortable.

If in someone's home rather than in a larger, less personal venue, you probably should bend the rules a little. But only a little. No matter what's offered, don't insult your host by commenting on its lack of nutritional value. On the other hand, do praise for something that is nutritious. "You made sweet potatoes! I love these." Don't mention their nutritional value unless your host does, otherwise you are necessarily implicating that other food is not healthful.

Of course, if all the guests are bodybuilders, nutritionists, or fitness experts then you can talk about the food's nutritional value all you want. But it's unlikely that'll ever be the case.

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.