Mindconnection eNL, 2018-06-17

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Item 1. Congressman Yoder recently reported, "Continuing a trend since last year, May's jobs report showed huge gains for American workers. The biggest takeaways from this month: the best wage growth since July 2009, and employees are now seeing larger percentage raises than their bosses. This means that growing companies are investing in their rank-and-file workers. Plus, the economy added a total of 223,000 new jobs, and the unemployment rate fell again to 3.8% - tying its lowest point since 1969."

Item 2. Gallup polling found that 27% of Americans can be characterized as libertarian. Conservatives come in at 26% and liberals at 23%. Populists come in at only 15%. If you understand what these words (libertarian, conservative, liberal, populist) mean and you understand the implications of the poll, you will agree this is very good news. The largest political mindset is libertarian. It would be fantastic news for the USA if all those liberty-minded people voted according to their actual beliefs; it would end the theftocracy that we currently endure.

Item 3. Remember when Kevin Brown committed hundreds of felonies and 10s of thousands of tort-able offenses, yet got off scott-free with his $103 million heist simply because he was a high-ranking government employee? Now a member has introduced a bill to to after a specific reprobate, reducing his salary to $1. Though this guy is really terrible, he's a saint compared to Kevin Brown. Because this bill won't remove the theif from office, he's still going to live high on the hog even with only a $1 salary. The good news is at least something is finally being done to stop the crime rampage. Read the full story here:

http://dailytorch.com/2018/06/rep-gosar-introduces-amendment-to-hold-out-of-control-federal-employee-responsible-will-the-rest-of-congress-back-him-up/

Item 4. While criminals run rampant in the USA, the situation is different in Europe. The Evil Empire is facing billions of dollars in fines, as a consequence of acting out its "Do More Evil" mantra. It's good news when fantastically rich criminals can't buy enough judges to escape punishment for their crimes. Read the full story here: https://searchengineland.com/report-eu-about-to-fine-google-billions-in-android-antitrust-case-299699

Item 5. Speaking of criminals, remember the ones who inflicted upon us the Unaffordable Care Act and lied through their teeth that it was somehow legal even though it was illegal in several ways? The new 1040 tax law no longer penalizes people for the "crime" of not being able to afford unaffordable medical insurance. That welcome development guts the illegal individual mandate. Consequently, AG Jeff Sessions said the Justice Department will no longer be defending the Obummercare individual mandate in federal court.

Item 6. Speaking of those same criminals, they are still pretending that the commerce clause of the Constitution can be misread to somehow grant the power to inflict the UCA. That's not good news, but it can potentially turn into fantastic news if enough Democrats and Republicans read that clause to create a massive disillusionment with our one-party federal political system. Such a bald-faced lie should have people rejecting the Demopublicans at the next fake "election" if they have invested 30 seconds to read the law.

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People used to talk, to have conversations. They might disagree on their positions, opinions, and/or viewpoints, but they did so respectfully. They shared information with each other, and often saw the person they disagreed with as at least sharing their core values. It wasn't about winning a "debate" but about understanding and being understood. "I can see your side of things, Jim, but I still disagree." "I see your side too, Bob. But I think you emphasize X while I emphasize Y."

Today, a common replacement for conversation is a collective monologue consisting of ill-researched "talking points", misinformation, and insults. It is all about winning an imaginary "debate", with no effort to understand or be understood. The person who can be the biggest jerk wins.

If you want to boost your brainpower, stay out of those echo chambers. Yes, it is more comfortable to associate only with people who validate your viewpoints. But the cost of comfort is high.

Does this mean you limit your brainpower by not engaging libtards? No, because libtards add no intellectual value and have no views based in reality.  Libtards seem to live for the sole purpose of spreading their echo chamber of stupidity, ignorance, and irrationality. You won't be able to understand them and they have no desire to understand anyone who isn't libtarded.

Plenty of non-libtards disagree with you on a wide range of things. For example, name the world's second-greatest rock band. Then ask ten non-libtards to do the same. Plenty of disagreement there.

Or ask something more substantive, but again picking something that doesn't have a correct answer. For example, if county governments wanted to reduce property tax (which provides a stable revenue source) which taxes should they raise to make up for the revenue reduction? I have seen smart people debate that very question and not be able to answer it. This kind of conversation is really a group thinking exercise, but you can also learn interesting facts.

Extending civility and seeking to understand others can pay huge brainpower bonuses. It helps to meet new people. To do that, network through your existing friends and acquaintances, join an organization, volunteer to help a group or individual with a project, or just get out and do things where striking up a conversation is a distinct possibility.

One solution many are turning to is to opt for higher deductibles. The problem there is to get enough of a premium reduction to make the insurance somewhat affordable is the deductibles render the insurance moot. Many people choosing this solution will find themselves financially ruined before the insurance kicks in. So why bother paying for it?

This leads to an increasingly popular second solution. Opt out. People who also opt out of the disease lifestyle have the most to gain from this solution. Any medical needs for this crowd are easily affordable, no insurance needed. But there is a risk of a major injury and its attendant costs or of getting a disease due to factors beyond your control.

A third solution is to keep shopping for a better deal. This does help, as many insurers provide incentives to switch to their plan. Once you're a customer, they keep raising your rates. So disloyalty is rewarded. One problem with this solution is in every state the Unaffordable Care Act has chased out most insurers. In some states, the residents have no competitor to switch to.

A fourth solution is to, and this is hilarious, pretend Congress will fix or ditch this system. They have their own medical care system, and they have shown through their inaction despite a clear mandate that they don't care about the peasants they jokingly say they "represent". Now, I mean Congress in the aggregate. Some folks in Congress have made huge efforts and they are frustrated. Senator Paul from Kentucky is a good example. However, Senator Paul has attacked this problem on multiple fronts and has at least made progress on the state line market restriction and the group rate issue.

To save money here:

• Make your health a priority. There's a lot to that idea, so think hard and act fast.
• If you do buy "health" (medical) insurance, hit up your insurer for a discount or rate decrease about once per quarter. If you're able to shop around, do that also.
• About once per quarter, contact your senators and your Congressional representative and ask what they personally have specifically done to repeal the Unaffordable Care Act in the last three months. Eventually, they will get the message. Even if you're a victim of circumstances and have a libtard in any of these three positions, it may help to just let that person know what a constituent wants. You can find contact information online, and it takes only a few minutes to send your concern via a webform.

The defining characteristic of a good physique is the belly. If your belly is bulging, you don't have a good physique.

Most of our focus in fitness is on this area. Women want either a flat tummy or one that is slightly rippled, while guys are after that six-pack.

What if nothing you do seems to work? Keep reading.

Nearly all the effort focuses on fat loss. But excess body fat may not be the only issue keeping you from having a firm, appealing midsection.

Some guys have a six-pack and a distended belly; this is a problem in the "huge dude" variety of so-called body building in which the participants abuse insulin to vastly increase their size. Unfortunately, the growth occurs not only in their muscles but also in their internal organs. Those organs don't shrink back down, so the deformity is permanent.

This brings us to a possible condition if you are losing the battle of the bulge. Though it's unlikely, you should be checked just to rule it out. What is "it?"

You could have a disease or other medical problem in your abdominal area. A general practitioner can perform an exam to check for a long list of problems. The doctor may take samples of urine, blood, and saliva for lab testing.

The shape of your bulging belly may have diagnostic importance. One example shape is your belly really juts out right below the diaphragm but not so much at the navel and below; that could be a diseased liver or a big tumor.

Don't get all excited about what I just said; visit your doctor for an exam. Don't dismiss what I just said, either. Many people abuse their liver and kidneys with over the counter medications and herbal treatments, not aware that something is going terribly wrong.

Before visiting your doctor, make a list of medications and supplements you are using and bring it with you. In particular, pain relievers that belong in the same drug family as Tylenol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prime suspects. Note that supplements like St. John's Wort will set off alarm bells with a physician; this is with good reason.

Once you have ruled out internal organ issues, it's time to move on to mechanical issues. By which I mean muscle imbalance and incorrect posture.

Notice I did not say "poor posture." That phraseology is misleading and unclear. So let me explain.

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

Just going with this example, let's say you have a mislocated scapula on one side. This is hard to actually notice, unless you are trained to look for it and are actually doing so (in which case, you'd probably be a chiropractor). Let's say it's your right scapula. It pushes the back of your right shoulder around the joint, kind of rotating the shoulder in on itself. To pull this shoulder back and still face forward with both shoulders, you must make a corresponding correction with your left hip for counter-tension. A posture exam (which involves photography) will reveal these odd positions of hip and shoulder, and the odd twisting of the spine between them.

If your hip is thrust forward on one side, your belly almost certainly will distend in response. If both hips are thrust forward, that's a different issue but it will also cause your belly to protrude (whether distended or not). Typically, both hips are thrust forward as part of the balancing act of carrying excess body fat. You can't correct this without reducing the amount of body fat you carry.

If you have weak hamstrings relative to your quads, your belly will likely distend. Proper training is crucial to good muscle balance, which in turn is crucial to good posture. Simply "exercising" or banging weights around at the gym is not proper training.

Weak abdominals not only do not "pop" in six-pack fashion, they allow the organs to press out against the abdominal wall and thus cause distension.

Look at what we've covered before talking about the idea that belly fat is why a person might be losing the belly bulge battle! You might not have any of those issues. You might have all of them. But in any case, don't use these issues as an excuse to mal-eat.

Mal-eating is the primary cause of excess body fat. Mal-eating consists of:

• Overeating. Some people snack all day long, then claim they don't eat much. True, they ate a small lunch. But those other 3500 calories they scarfed down do matter.
• Eating the wrong things. That 2,200 calorie personal pan pizza is a massive calorie bomb. Opt for greens, instead.
• Eating too few meals per day. Don't shove all of your calories into only 2 or 3 meals a day. Instead, spread them throughout the day. Five meals, preferably six. The same with your nutrients; make each meal nutrient-dense. Note that six meals will fit very nicely into a day; eat once every three hours but only two hours until that last meal.

What you want to do instead:

• Eat sensible portions. It's OK to be a little hungry now and then.
• Totally eliminate from your diet wheat, corn, soy, endocrine modifiers, and liquid calories (e.g., beer, sodas).
• Find a meal schedule that works for you and stick to it. Six meals per day, not a snack as an afterthought or hunger palliative.

Many people believe if they just do sit-ups every day the pounds will melt away. That is incorrect. First of all, sit-ups work the hip flexors and not the abs. Second, it takes a ridiculous number of sit-ups to burn off a pound of body fat.

Engage in a total fitness program, and you will stimulate your body (mostly through your endocrine system) to burn fat all day long. This program must involve repeated muscular overload during each session for the desired effects to occur. Merely "exercising" will burn off calories (slowly), but it will not have this effect.

Make sure you don't train your body to store fuel. It stores fuel as fat. This is why people who go on severe diets end up being fatter once that unsustainable mal-eating can no longer be endured. It's also why people who jog or do similar forms of "cardio" just can't get rid of those love handles.

It's important that you don't stress out over that belly you want to get rid of. Stress causes a negative endocrine environment, and that alone will make you fatter. Instead, focus on the process:

• Enjoy the delicious, nutritious meals you make.
• Be happy that super-foods such as broccoli, bok choy, and kale form a significant portion of your dietary intake.
• Make that mind-muscle connection while training, enjoying how alive those high-tension muscle contractions make you feel.
• Know that you are making yourself healthier, rather than mistakenly believe you are giving up anything.

On that last statement, a friend commented that I have enormous will power because I always say no to sweets. I said it is not will power at all. I do not miss those things, and have no craving for them. I have simply cast them in my mind as inedible garbage. If certain foods have caused your defeat, recast them in your mind as inedible garbage. Don't bring them into your home. If offered them in a social setting, politely decline.

Now, why is a firm midsection the defining characteristic of a good physique? When you think of what it takes to have that midsection (good diet, rigorous training program, good posture, positive attitude, etc.), that belly is a barometer of your overall health. If you have an unhealthy diet, your midsection will show this. Same for training, etc.

We are biologically attracted to health; it's a gene management thing. Think not of a battle of the belly bulge but of a commitment to a healthy lifestyle. Your belly will indicate how well you are doing. And you'll be more attractive for having done a great job. Now get to it!

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

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