Mindconnection eNL, 2018-06-03

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Item 1. A member of the legacy media got something right. Should we declare a national holiday to celebrate? This story delves into one aspect of a company whose "live by" motto is "Do more evil"; read it here: https://marketingland.com/60-minutes-segment-google-is-a-monopoly-without-question

Item 2. The historic tax reform bill (addresses the 1040 tax system, not the myriad other taxes) passed last year has spurred many positive things. Employers, now less burdened by compliance costs (which are 100% waste), have been raising wages. This is the fastest wage growth since 2009. And the 2009 wage growth wasn't real wage growth, it was a bounce-back from the 2008 Goldman Sachs Scam that nearly brought down the entire global economy.

Item 3. As the libtards groan that this tax reform bill "favors the rich" those of us with measurable IQs are left scratching our heads over the accusation. The Joint Committee on Taxation said "Taxpayers making between $20,000 and $30,000 get the biggest cuts." While libtards are bad news in any situation, the situation for people in this income bracket is hugely good news. And they are not "the rich" except in the libtard alternate universe.

Item 4. The most valuable item in the new law is the $12,000 standard deduction. I had been advocating for a $9,000 deduction for years. And I do mean advocating; I had been writing to the authors of this bill long before they thought to write it. I'm glad they went well beyond my recommendation. With that large standard deduction, almost nobody will itemize anymore. That brings audit risk way down, and because of that the terrorists who pretend they are "administering" the 1040 system have an even flimsier excuse for their organization to exist. In other words, this was a huge step in the long overdue abolition of the Institute of Reprobates and Sociopaths. That is, by any measure, fantastic news.

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Setting the environment

It helps immensely to

• Avoid optional agitation sources. How do you feel when watching "the news"? Calm and relaxed? I didn't think so. You know what to do here.
   
• Handle the obligatory agitation sources. You can shut off the news, but you can't shut off an obnoxious coworker. Or can you? There are books on this very subject; find one and read it.
   
• Choose not to agitate. Take care when complaining as a customer. Rather than work yourself up complaining about your bad experience, reframe the whole thing as a situation in which you are reaching out for help. Positive energy will flow your way.
   
• Set aside time daily to deliberately relax. This will reset your stressometer. You can relax in whatever way suits you. Read a quality book or magazine, stroll through your neighborhood (e.g., a daily after dinner walk), practice yoga, listen to your favorite music, whatever works for you. Maybe pick three different types of relaxation practices, and do one of each throughout the day. For example, conscious breathing exercises at mid-morning, a short walk before (or after) lunch, and half an hour stretching while reading a book (floor postures work well for this) before bed.

When thinking is needed

Many times, we are thrust into a situation that requires thinking. The normal response is to go into a low-level panic mode. Not true panic, but a condition that lowers your effective IQ. You don't want that. You'd rather be a power thinker, right?

The response of the power thinker is to:

• Recognize the situation. Delay a reaction.
• Relax the mind. Cast out thoughts of anything other than the immediate problem.
• Calmly consider the problem.

Consider three scenarios.

In the first, Bill receives an e-mail from his boss Mike. The message is about a possible problem with Bill's work. Feeling threatened, Bill goes into a semi-panic. He immediately dashes off a reply defending himself and feels better for it. Mission completed. But the reply is defensive and makes Bill look weak. It erodes, rather than enforces, Mike's confidence in him.

In the second, Dave receives an e-mail from his boss Emma. The message is about a possible problem with Dave's work. A wave of semi-panic washes over Dave. He lets the moment pass. He knows Emma isn't accusing him of anything, she wants clarification. Dave thinks about what she needs clarified and what that clarification might be. He replies via email. He begins by thanking Emma for her question, and then succinctly answers it in a way that should clear up any confusion.

In the third, Dave receives an e-mail from his boss Emma. The message is about a possible problem with Dave's work. A wave of semi-panic washes over Dave. He lets the moment pass. He knows Emma isn't accusing him of anything, she wants clarification. Dave thinks about what she needs clarified and what that clarification might be. The issue is complex, and easily misunderstood. Dave e-mails back, "This issue is complex and easily misunderstood. Would you prefer a video call over Skype or a phone call? How about 10:00 this morning?"

Often, it's possible to upgrade one of these malfunctioning toilets so that it works properly. You would cut your water bill significantly.

If you're not familiar with this type of plumbing, consult with a local plumber. You might get sticker shock, but you'll easily make that money back.

If you are familiar with this type of plumbing, open the tank and look at what's there. If it's pretty much a standard (albeit smallish) tank with a "saver" flushing apparatus, you can just change the apparatus out with something suitable from Lowe's, Home Depot, or a hardware store.

If you're getting a plumber involved, be sure to have an isolation valve installed at your tank supply. If you already have one there and it's the standard "won't last a week before leaking" type installed by builders, spring for a high-end ball valve with a handle that swings 90 degrees. The cheap gate valve that builders install has a handle you turn. And turn. And turn. Have the plumber replace that joke of a valve with one that is actually suitable to the purpose.

You'd have a list of problems, such as these:

• Auditory loss. He says, "What?" or "Huh?" frequently and even then doesn't seem to understand what others are saying.
  Most common cause: Operating lawn mowers and other loud equipment without hearing protection.
   
• Visual impairment. This is less frequent, but you probably know people with permanent damage to one eye.
  Most common cause: Failure to wear eye protection when operating lawn mowers, power tools, and other eye-dangerous equipment.
   
• Obesity. The official bar for "obesity" is set dishonestly high. People who don't officially qualify as obese but still have so much body fat they lack muscle definition are too fat to be healthy.
  Most common cause: Endocrine system abuse. Reduce this cause by eliminating (not merely reducing) from your diet wheat, corn, soy, and foods made from them. It's a huge list. There are plenty of nutritious, endocrine-compatible foods to choose from.
   
• Gym rat with X problem. You probably know someone who "works out" at the gym all the time yet has chronic back pain or tendonitis, or some other mechanical body issue.
  Most common cause: Using too much weight. Generally, people think in terms of moving the weight. This thinking recruits other muscles, and thus more joints, into the lift. Heavier weights ensue, and before long this person is banging joints instead of building muscle. Focus on the muscle tension, instead.
   
• Unfit gym rat. You probably know someone who goes to the gym all the time but just does not look physically fit. I once visited a gym (out of town, while traveling) that was full of old guys walking around with a water bottle and a towel. They all were in terrible physical condition.
  Most common cause: Believing that just showing up confers real benefits. You have to train hard, with good form, to get measurable benefits. It's not play time, it's work time. And instead of chatting with others, try listening to your body.
   
• Bad breath. Mouthwash is not the answer, it only makes the problem worse.
  Most common cause(s): Poor diet, poor dental hygiene.

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

• Body odor. Perfume is not the answer, it only makes the problem worse (perfumes stink, thus adding to the odor problem, plus most of them contain one or more endocrine disruptors and that will exacerbate the problem).
  Most common cause(s): It's a mix of things, including bad diet, use of chemical detergents on your skin, use of antiperspirants, use of harsh cleaners in the home, failure to change bedding, and poor hygiene. Incorrect clothes washing practices don't help, either: e.g., too seldom, too much soap, over-drying in clothes dryer, using fabric softener.
   
• Poor balance. If you look at people from the side, you may notice a general trend. As the age rises in the people observed, the amount of forward head tilt increases. The body compensates for this by adjusting elsewhere, with an overall effect of severe strain on the spine and greatly reduced balance. People tend to fall more often as they get older.
  Most common cause(s): It's a mix of muscle imbalance, poor posture, muscular atrophy, and lack of practice. Old climbers, for example, don't suffer from balance problems. That's because climbing is so balance-intensive. To avoid the consequences of poor balance, set aside time for an activity that requires good balance. Martial arts, inline skating, roller skating, dancing, climbing, and tight-rope walking are good examples. You might not want to take up tight-rope walking, but any one of the others may suit you well. And don't forget to address the "tight hamstrings" issue; deliberately train them (e.g., contract against weight) and on non hamstring training days stretch them.
   
• Apparent depression. Many people over 40 seem to have soured on life. They had high hopes when young, but life just has not panned out and they feel tired. Perhaps their career never took off as they imagined. Other issues include divorce, lack of physical energy, feeling out of shape, friends have died, a coworker is annoying, the boss is annoying, the world is going to pot, their feet hurt.
  Most common cause(s): It's a mix of things, including looking for what's wrong instead of what's right. You can always find fault, but you can always find its opposite too. Subjecting yourself to the legacy media, which spews negativity through a fire hose at you, is just asking for trouble. Insufficient sleep is a major contributor; begin to solve this problem by consistently going to bed at the same time regardless of which day it is.

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

You don't need a law degree to be a judge. The judge's job is not to also argue the case (thus no law degree needed), but to judge between the arguments presented by opposing counsel.