Mindconnection eNL, 2015-07-19

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

Graphene, mentioned in recent issues, is back in the (good) news. This time, it's opening the door to super hearing. The full story is here:

http://spectrum.ieee.org/nanoclast/semiconductors/materials/graphenebased-microphone-provides-rangefinding-capabilities-of-bats

Item 2

Graphene just keeps on coming. What great stuff! the 13JUN2015 issue of Science News reported a new way of incorporating it into spider silk that makes Kevlar look wimpy by comparison.

Item 3

That same issue of Science News also reported on a new technique for removing clots from arteries in the brain by threading a device through the artery, grabbing the little suckers, and pulling them out. This works about 85% of the time, versus the 20% achieved by the previous champion in the clot removal contest (it was a chemical method). There is some speculation that Obama supporters can be cured by restoring blood flow to their brains, assuming the damage isn't irreversible.

Item 4

The IEEE shut down a harmful bill. It was HR 9, a "theft of patent rights" bill that would have hugely stifled innovation. Most bills that get through CONgress were written with theft as the underlying goal. These usually get through, which is why Americans work more for less compared to our counterparts in nations with more legitimate governments.

This particular bill, unlike the vast majority of bills, was merely reprehensible and immoral but not also illegal.

The good news in this case is the mere threat of a grass roots movement caused the criminals to defer their scheme until some future session. Probably, they'll tack it onto some other innocuous-sounding bill the way the Institute of Reprobates and Sociopaths got the 10 year statute of limitations on harassment, physical assault, financial abuse, and terrorism for tax debt (fake or real) lifted by tacking that provision onto the Farm Bill in (I think it was) 2012.

We peasants also need to stay vigilant for these backdoor methods of sticking us in our backdoor.

Item 5

The criminal Barry Soetoro is still at large and still laughing at law enforcement (such as it is). However, opposition to his Unaffordable Care Act is becoming so fierce even the far left-wing radical Buckaroo newsletter is opining about the expected 50% increase (yes, ANOTHER one) for medical insurance premiums. This means even the walking brain dead are starting to note the foul odor of this particular sewage.

We peasants also need to stay vigilant for these backdoor methods of sticking us in our backdoor.

Item 6

The child abuse program known as Common Core (uption) is under heavy fire from Senator Roberts of Kansas. If we are to believe this Marine and former farmer (one who, according to Mr. Soetoro, apparently is bitter and clings to guns), he is personally incensed over this intellectual assault on the nation's public school students and is fighting to get it removed from our school programs.

I've known Senator Roberts for many years and have had several conversations with him. I don't think he's a member of The Party or an employee of Exxon, Monsanto, etc., as so many of the folks in CONgress are. I could simply be deceived on that one, but it's my impression of the man. And the noise he is making over this abomination isn't also coming from the mainstream criminals who betray their country while saying they are "serving in Congress."

If you care about the nation's next generation of adults, send the Senator a Thank You for, yet again, serving his country. I haven't earned the right to say this to the Senator, but my favorite uncle would tell him, "Semper Fi."

Keep your batteries organized, and easily see what you need. Never hunt through your clutter for batteries again! Mount this convenient 82-battery organizer to a wall, or slide it in a drawer. Includes a mini-drawer to keep hearing aid and watch sized batteries secure, and slots for all common sizes: D, C, AA, AAA batteries, and more. Convenient removable battery tester also included.

Features

• Battery storage rack.
• Battery organizer holds up to 82 batteries.
• Slots for D, C, AA, AAA batteries, and more.
• Removable battery tester.
• Wall mount or store in drawer.
• Product Type: Storage Racks.
• Color: Beige.
• Wall Mountable: Yes.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RANGE-KLEEN-WKT4162-Battery-Storage-Organizer-for-AAA-AA-C-D-more-/221813374948?ssPageName=STRK:MESCX:IT

Do you ever run across people who just don't know anything, yet pretend their opinion is equal to knowledge? Of course you do. And we discussed an aspect of that in our previous issue.

Learning is really fun. And while knowledge itself doesn't make you smart, you need knowledge if you're going to discuss things intelligently. Also, the process of acquiring knowledge can go a long way toward making you smarter.

Here are some sources, some of which you might be overlooking and many you probably tap on a regular basis:

• Nonfiction books. These vary in quality and content, but generally you can become conversant on a wide range of topics by reading from a wide variety of books.
   

• College text books. I amassed quite a collection while obtaining my degrees. Since then, I've occasionally picked up a college text on a subject I haven't studied before. This doesn't make me an expert on the topic, but it puts me at a level above merely conversant. You can get used ones cheaply from a college book store.
   

• Trade magazines. In some industries, these have declined in quality to the point of being worthless. But in others, they are exemplary. See what you can find, and subscribe to several.
   

• Documentaries. These are very informative, though often not as rigorous in a scholarly sense as they should be. Often, they have an agenda. But still, they can be eye openers and be good for starting you off in a new are of knowledge. Your local public library should have a collection. Feel free to buy your own, then donate them to your local public library to help build their collection and make other people smarter.
   

• Museums. These are hugely educational, primarily because they are excellent repositories of primary sources. Look for exhibits that display handwritten letters under glass, especially in "Civil War" (1861 War of Secession) related museums.
   

• Landmark buildings. These often have informative directories and tours.
   

• Smart people. Not just book smarts. Make a point of identifying people who have excellent judgment, have mastered one or more building trades, have mastered an art (e.g., painting, writing, music), or in some other way show they have really learned something. Conversations with such people can be amazing brain builders.
   

• Getting involved. It's astounding how much you can learn, just by doing things. When you volunteer to be of service to an organization that serves your interests (e.g., a professional association, a hobby group, etc.) you will learn more about what interests you. And if you do a really good job while treating others respectfully, you'll attract smart people who can teach you even more.
   

• Thinking. Einstein learned many things, just by thinking. The trick to synthesizing new information this way is to think in a purposeful, systematic manner. It's called "connecting the dots." And it's something most people simply do not do.

https://transaxt.com/Donate/82HEDK/AmericanCommitmentDoNOTfixObamacare/

"We've received reports of phone and social media scams involving customers' utility bills and other personal information. We want to make sure you don't become a victim."

They provided this list of what to look out for, and it's applicable to other utilities (of course, the utility's contact information is different if you are outside the KC area and you probably are) :

• The caller will pose as a KCP&L employee and demand immediate payment to prevent disconnection.
• If you're unable to make a payment or don't answer, they'll provide a phone number for you to call back.
• When you call that number, you'll be prompted by a recording to press two to make a payment with a live person.
• A fake KCP&L Twitter account @kcpnl has also been set up posing as KCP&L.
• This phone number and Twitter account are NOT associated with KCP&L.

If you ever have questions about the legitimacy of a bill, phone call, or email regarding your utility bill, contact the Customer Service Department of the utility that allegedly sent the bill, made the phone call, or sent the e-mail. NEVER make a payment over the phone if they call you, and NEVER click on an e-mail link to pay a utility bill.

Most utilities now work with local law enforcement to fight this kind of crime. Most also have more tips and even updates on specific scams in your area; visit the Website(s) of your local utility company or companies to find this information.

A related scam is conducted by criminals posing as the criminals who have jobs at the Institute of Reprobates and Sociopaths. Nearly anyone getting a call from the Reprobates instantly feels terror. While a person is in this state of terror, the fake terrorist offers to fix the problem and make the terror go away immediately. All you have to do is pay your "back taxes" with a credit card and all will be well. Don't fall for this. The real terrorists like to jack you around for months or years. They never want to fix the problem and make the terror go away immediately.
 

For this issue, I've decided to tackle a few of the myths that people believe about health and fitness.

Myth 1. Cross training is the best, because you have to keep your body constantly guessing. Like many myths, this arises from an observation. Namely, the typical gym rat who does the same rep/set zombie trance every workout doesn't make progress after six months. But it's a non-sequitor to reach the conclusion that random, untargeted, unstructured workouts provide optimum results. Reality: Nothing beats free weights. Period. But if you don't like free weights and want to be fit, maybe cross-training is for you. Just recognize that you're giving up something by going that way.

Myth 2. The Paleo Diet is the correct one. This myth also rises from an observation. Namely, the wheat addicts in our society are all in poor health. But this "solution" is based on the false premise that because only certain foods were available during the paleo era and human bodies adapted specifically to those foods, those are the only foods we should eat and we should eat all of them. While this diet does solve the wheat addiction problem, it has some other serious defects.

Myth 4. Fat makes you fat. This myth, and its cousin "Carbs make you fat" both arise from a lack of basic knowledge about nutrition. You are going to get fat in your eggs and you are going to get carbs in you fruit. For those who buy into the "fat makes you fat myth," I again suggest watching the movie "Pumping Iron" and pay attention to the dinner held the night before the show. Every one of those Mr. Olympia contenders had a high-fat meal. And every one of them was awesomely shredded at something like 3% body fat the next day.

Myth 5. You need high reps, low weights for tone and low reps, high weight for strength. I have no idea where this myth comes from. First of all, "tone" is a concept with no basis in reality. And there's a similar myth that you need very high reps to achieve hypertrophy, under the theory that hypertrophy is caused by "pumping" the muscles rather than stimulating them to grow. Your reps and the amount of weight you use matter much less than the effect you achieve with them. Here we go again, watch "Pumping Iron" to get an idea of what a real workout is. Arnold even explains it, somewhat colorfully.

Myth 6. Machines are safer than free weights. This myth is true for absolute beginners and those who never learn proper technique. But what happens after a while is the person training on machines develops muscle imbalances. When you lift free weights, you also train the stabilizers. With machines, you isolate muscles so you get imbalances. Very few machines are actually good for training purposes. Cable row machines and seated calf raise machines are a couple of examples of such machines.

Most machines are simply gimmicks that are aimed at the lazy or ill-informed. I personally cannot see any purpose to a lat pulldown machine or leg press machine, except for physical therapy purposes. Or, if you are a genetic freak who takes illegal steroids, your body can tolerate the additional muscle damage. We regular, law-abiding folks must be selective of which exercises we do, because we have limited recovery ability. Thus, squats but not also leg press.

And certainly not leg press but no squats. Really, there are no shortcuts. You have to train hard to get results. Eight-time Mr. Olympia, Lee Haney, the last truly great Mr. Olympia, said in more than one interview that you have to do your basic exercises. He specifically mentions squats.

Myth 7. I just need to find the right andro supplement. This myth is based on marketing hype. The typical andro supplement won't do anything for you except risk your health. If you want higher testosterone, do those heavy compound exercises with intensity. It's better to spend 20 minutes with full out effort than an hour at 90% effort. No legal supplement can give you the endocrine improvement that intense training (not long training) and proper diet can give you.

Most supplements are junk, though few (very few) are worth using. Take the category of preworkout supplements. Most of these are marketed as giving you energy and focus. How do they achieve that? By including 400 or more mg of caffeine. A cup of coffee has 100 mg. Caffeine isn't bad in itself, but there are limits. If you need to get a chemical buzz so you can concentrate on your workouts, you have deeper issues to work on than the supplement can really address.

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

The Earth gets 100 tons heavier every day due to falling space dust. The National Debt grows by tons every day, too.

Do you realize that in about 40 years, we will have thousands of old ladies running around with tattoos? And unless they take care of themselves, something people generally fail to do, those tattoos are going to look even more disgusting than they do today. Maybe if Obummercare is repealed, they will be able to afford having those things removed.