Mindconnection eNL, 2024-01-07

Home

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

Fighting Communism

1. Pennsylvania's voter registration records show a massive shift from registered Democrats to registered Republicans. Now when the socialists try to steal the 2024 election, they won't need to consider Pennsylvania a battleground state. It's a lost cause to the party of corruption, inflation, and racism. It was also one of the states that actually went to Trump in 2020, until a flood of absentee ballots arrived after the polls closed (something like 93% of those were for Biden, something that is hardly plausible).
   
2. The 2024 "election" for POTUS will be interesting. The puppeteers behind Brainless are focusing on their hatred for America (devastating our economy, obliterating our borders, reviving racism, eviscerating our energy sector, cutting down acres of trees to make room for "green" (intermittent, with similar CO2 footprint per kW to coal) energy sources such as wind and solar, making housing unaffordable, making food unaffordable for millions, etc.) while the libtards are focusing on their hatred of President Trump. Nobody in the socialist camp offers an unrepugnant candidate or an acceptable vision. Meanwhile, the Republicans are biting at each other in the hopes one of them will win the Primary and then go on to inherit Biden's cesspool mess.
   
   I pity the Republican who wins the 2024 "election" but in the event that the socialists manage to steal that one also, then all of us are to be pitied. We are very close to GAME OVER, as it is. Another four years of war on this country by the socialists, well, they won't need all four of those years to finish the job.
   
3. Bowing to pressure, Claudine Gay resigned as President of Harvard. This is a major victory in higher education. She can take her racism, plagiarism, and communism to some other unfortunate organization. She seems to have an affinity for anti-Semitic remarks, so perhaps some bunch of Jew-hating idiots will welcome her with open arms.

The Ongoing Covid Scam: Tidbits

1. https://rumble.com/v4482jt-nurse-gail-macrae-reveals-stunning-facts-about-the-covid-vax-and-protocols.html A "must see" and "must share" interview that exposes the non-pandemic as the hoax that it was/is, shows the "Covid protocols" killed people but Covid itself did not, and shows that the experimental gene therapy is both unsafe and ineffective. Lots of pressure to force people to lie, even to themselves, also exposed.
   
2. Not only are American pilots unable to pass the previously mandated heart health requirements and now passing out while in the cockpit or enroute to it, runway collissions and close-call misses have skyrocketed because Air Traffic Controllers were also subjected to the illegal jab mandates and are similarly disabled and/or in short supply. My recommendation is to make a video of a jumbo jet running over Fraudster Fauci, to serve as a warning to the psychopaths behind the illegal medical experimentation. Another recommendation is to round up the top execs from the participating drug companies and either send them to Guantanamo as enemy combatants / terrorists or give them an all expenses paid trip to Nuremberg to stand trial.
   
3. Some of the socialist states have brought masking requirements back, under the theory that 70 is larger than 300. This is an interesting theory, because you have to be a moron in the extreme to lend it any credibility and yet there are powerful public officials who believe this theory to be true. Why is such abject stupidity not a disqualification for public office? And why does anyone still call Fauci "Doctor" after he relentlessly pushed this very theory?
   
4. https://x.com/denisrancourt/status/1740872581987635278  Dennis Rancourt, a scientist, speaks about the non-pandemic.
   
5. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/FLDOH/bulletins/3816863 Dr. Ladapo is so awesome.....

Other News

1. Last  month, Commiefornia (aka, The People's Republic of California) reported a $68 billion budget deficit. States are statutorially barred from running budget deficits. That doesn't mean they can't legally come up short, it just means they can't plan from the outset to do so. Commiefornia has already been defaulting on loans, so it does not look good for "the land of fruits and nuts". Maybe they should let adults run the state, that would seem to be the solution here.
   
2. Gruesome Newsom, the communist czar of Commifornia, wants to be POTUS. It would be good of him to run and bankrupt himself just as he bankrupted Commiefornia.

Buy the Rocket Pen on Amazon | eBay | Walmart

Watch this demo video: https://youtu.be/DQd4MBpv4B8

These features were added with the latest release:

• Has dictionary lockout and ExamRead feature, so it doubles as an exam pen.
• Left-hand user mode.
• Scan left to right mode.
• Fast shutdown.
• Selectable voices for playback of scanned text.
• Selectable UI language: English (default) or Spanish.

Other features and benefits:

• Allows students or adults with reading difficulties to gain independence and reading fluency without stigma.
• Reading tutor functions include spelling, syllabication (how the word is "built"), and one word displayed in big font.
• Syllables break for each word.
• Direct lookup of phrasal verbs and idiomatic expressions (for example, get ahead, get along, keep on, keep off, look forward to).
• Uses colors for the different fields, to improve the understanding of the dictionary definition.
  
• You scan, it reads to you.
• Scans lines of text or individual words from almost any surface, not just paper. It can read the text on a computer, tablet, or phone.
• Hear individual words or even multiple lines of text read aloud in natural voice.
  
• Completely self-contained, no computer or Wi-Fi required.
• Comes ready to use, no setup process (but customization can easily be done).
• Full 1.9 inch color touch screen, and simple physical buttons for screenless scan and read.
  
• Multiple built-in dictionaries to search definitions including the New Oxford American Dictionary (over twice the size of what the cPen uses) with Oxford Thesaurus of English (Americanized), Oxford American Children’s Dictionary with Oxford American Children’s Thesaurus, and English to Spanish dictionary.
• Built-in speaker automatically mutes when earbuds are used, automatically unmutes when they aren't.
• Meets FCC, ROHS, and CE standards.
• Package includes ReaderPen, USB charging cable, Quick Start Guide, and earphones.

How it teaches reading

Before the early 1980s, public schools relied on phonics to teach reading. This allowed any student to "sound out" a new, unfamiliar word and also recognize its root and thereby often grasp its meaning even without a dictionary. Then schools switched to the "Look See" method, which treated words as individual pictograms to memorize. The results were dismal, plummeting the USA from the top of the literacy ranks to the bottom among industrialized countries.

The Rocket Pen puts phonics back in.

It also adds a context-driven dictionary and a context-driven thesaurus, both powerful tools for improving reading skills. See the reading tutor functions in the chart below.

It is the answer

The Rocket Pen Reader is the answer for helping the reading-challenged in the classroom, special needs classes, home-schooling, and adult education. Because of its mobile-friendly design, you can carry it with you and use it anywhere. Not only does it read to you, it helps you learn to read (for example, by showing you the syllable breakdown and the definition). It is super easy to use, no need to watch a dozen videos to figure out what to do.

Based on the highly successful ReadingPen 2 and vastly superior to the cPen Reader Pen, the RocketPen is the latest generation in a reading tutor scanning pen. It is a quantum leap or two beyond anything else on the market. This amazing device retails for $499, sells for $399 on Amazon and Walmart.com, but is on sale now for a limited time only via our eBay store at only $379!

It beats the competition

Compare the Rocket Pen to the competition. The winner here is obvious:

• Distorting the facts. For example, a supplier claimed we were not doing a good enough job selling their product because we were moving only 20 units per month. The actual number? 62. That's a huge difference.
• Making things up. Person A tosses in some unsubstantiated claim that came out of nowhere. Person B is taken by surprise and has no answer because the claim is made up.
• Ignoring the data. Person B provides data when making a point. Person A ignores the data and dismisses the point.
• Having the wrong reference. Person A keeps coming back to something that is either untrue or irrelevant as his foundation for all that follows. His entire spiel is a non-sequitor.
• Not listening to a d*** thing said by the other person. So Person B makes a reasoned argument that is easy to follow and based on facts that are irrefutable. The disagreement is thus settled beyond all dispute. But Person A doesn't listen to any of it.

Dishonest disagreements are frustrating for the person who actually wants both parties to arrive at the truth. So why do so many people act this way? They usually do it because they are insecure, uninformed, overwhelmed, embarrassed, irrational, or some combination thereof. In addition, they may have other fears or concerns that presently cloud their thinking.  And they are almost never aware of that they are behaving this way.

In short, it's an emotional problem you must solve if you wish to turn a dishonest disagreement into an honest disagreement. Pushing back with facts and logic tends to just make things work. So does getting emotional yourself. I used to feel disrespected by the dishonesty, but I have come to realize it is rarely deliberate. We have tools we can use to get the other person into the honesty zone. Many address the underlying emotional pain or angst. Here are ten of them:

1. Express your desire for the other person to succeed, avoid harm, etc.
2. Express some empathy with their viewpoint, even if it's absurd. "I think I understand why you have the viewpoint you do." (leave out the fact that the "why" is they are irrational, insecure, etc.).
3. Use questions such as, "Can we agree that we both want what's best?"
4. Point out that, "When I said X, I didn't make it up. Do you remember the (screenshot, URL, PDF, etc.) I sent you? Would you like me to send it again, or just read it to you?
5. Instead of lecturing the person, say something like "You are generally good at seeing details. But here are a few you missed."
6. Say something that is complimentary. "I like how you did X" or "I like your devotion to Y".
7. Say something that is reassuring. Do that early on, at some points along the way, and at the end.
8. When the other person uses one of those tactics in response to what you said, say, "I'm sorry I was unclear." And then make your central point again and ask, "Does that explanation make more sense to you?" Do this with your other points.
9. Say, "Help me to understand. You say A because of B, but where do you get B from?"
10. Ask, "Why exactly do you say that? On what basis? And how does that square with [Evidentiary Fact Three]?

Some things that don't work:

• Expressing your exasperation. This will just make the person even more defensive.
• Asking questions like, "What part of X do you not understand?"
• Saying anything that is belittling, disrespectful, or mean. Even if they have it coming.

Personally, I will do these last three once a certain point is crossed. So I won't get an honest discussion. But at least I give the person honest feedback. And maybe they need that more. What is that point? It's when the other person has made it fairly clear he is incapable of an honest discussion. That person is a manipulator, moron, or brainwashed zombie. No point in wasting your time with any of these types of people.

In the two years ending this past August, the money supply grew 83% while the basket of goods sharply contracted. That puts inflation north of 100% for those two years alone. So every dollar buys half what it did. That's why, for example, a McDonald's customer paid over $16 for a burger, fries, and Coke (see the now viral Tik Tok video).

With your dollar now worth less than 50 cents, you can't make up for it with dollar off coupons and 10% rebates. You'd have to earn twice as much (good luck with that) while not incurring any price increases not due to inflation. But such increases abound, because price increases also happen due to supply chain interruptions, increased federal regulations, and a shortages of raw materials. On this last one, consider lithium. Because of this idiotic notion that electric cars pollute less than ICE-based cars, there's a big push for electric cars by people with negative IQs but a lot of political power (e.g., Biden). That means a huge increase in the demand for lithium. When it is misallocated for things like dirty (battery-operated) cars, there is far less for things like smart phones and laptops. So the price goes way up even without inflation.

This is just a tip of the iceberg summary of the state of our economy. "Bad" is a gross understatement. What can you do?

• Re-use. Make things last for as long as is feasible. Use what is re-usable instead of what is disposable (e.g., opt for real plates instead of paper plates).
• Recycle. Not a big ROI here, but every little bit helps. Recycled materials typically cost less than virgin materials. Learn the rules of your recycler, and don't try to recycle unrecyclable items.
• Repurpose. Things that are commonly tossed away often have a secondary use that eliminates the need to buy something. For example, cut worn clothes into cleaning rags. Save buttons if discarding clothes.
• Rebel. Just say no to stupidity. Write to your legislators and demand some fiscal sanity. Ask for harmful agencies such as the CDC to be defunded. Refuse bottled water when it's offered to you. Boycott rogue companies such as Dick's Sporting Goods, Disney, Pfizer, etc.
• Repeat. Learn some facts about why our spending power has been annihilated and inform others. Tell them what you are doing about it. Ask them what they are going to do about it.

What they do is present some reasonable interest rate, for example 5.25%. Then they ask you for documents to see if you qualify. These are usually bank statements, which are full of sensitive information beyond just your account number. They get back to you and say you are approved, but the loan is for four months and it's 5.25% month interest and there's a sales person fee of $1800. Just taking round numbers, 5 percent times 12 months is 60% APR. Often, the loan is paid back daily in equal installments so you really don't get full use of the money. Some small business owners accept these terms because they are fixated on the 5.25%. They will go out of business with large debts. Most small business owners will see this for the usury that it is, and decline to accept the loan.

But the real danger here is you have provided a lot of sensitive information to scammers. Not just the bank statements, but your personal cell number, perhaps three business contacts (suppliers for example), your EIN, your SSN, and probably several other things. They turn around and sell this information, making you vulnerable to more scam attempts and perhaps identity theft.

In my own case, I get at least two dozen phone calls per day from these scammers. I spot them on Caller ID in various ways, such as:

1. It's my area code but not a name I recognize. This is the latest trick.
2. It's the name of a city.
3. No name, no number (Caller ID blocked).
4. Number shows, but name is blocked.

I let these go to voice mail, there's almost never a message. If there is a message, I just delete it. Sometimes I pick up, and I can tell it's a robo dialer call because I say hello and there's this funny sound like someone is coming on the line. I hang up.

I also get dozens of e-mail solicitations. I set up e-mail filters on my mail server. These block the e-mails in a way similar to the Gmail blocking feature, except it's not really a block. The message doesn't bounce back, it's just discarded. I've identified common spam domains by looking through the junk folder to which the spam filter sends spam. For example, anything ending in 163.com gets discarded. This layer is address-specific, not account-specific. But you can also set up a similar thing at the account level. My mail host doesn't recommend that, so I don't do it. I don't know why, it's their recommendation and it's their area of expertise. They aren't like the CDC just spewing idiocy.

The next layer in e-mail admin is the e-mail forwarder, which is why you need the filters (unless you never set up forwarders). After this is the spam filter, which can be set to various levels of rigor. I set mine on the low end. So when I have Outlook check for mail, I still get e-mails from loan sharks but I don't also get a mountain of other spam.

I could use rules in Outlook to send an autoresponse to these people, or I could even handle it on the mail server. But for now, I just delete their "we want to rip you off " offers.

When I was a systems engineer at Bailey Controls, a coworker (Terry) explained why everyone should have some kind of sideline business if you work a full-time job on a W-2. It would be almost 6 years later before I put his advice into action. Oh, I'd had side gigs but not as a formal business. And you need a formal business to get the real benefits.

Unfortunately, small businesses are targets of communist government officials (because we overwhelmingly vote Republican due to understanding there is no such thing as a free lunch) and con artists (who seek to steal from small businesses rather than do something useful in society). To protect yourself, you must avoid "opening your books" to people who call you out of the blue. If you need financing, there are plenty of good ways to do it. For example, join a credit union. Or get a 3% fee balance transfer by applying for a new credit card that offers such a thing (assuming your FICO is at least 750).

One way businesses obtain cheap financing is by "borrowing" from employee payroll deductions. This is foolish. The money is not yours to borrow. Set it aside as intended, and you are never caught short when it comes time to pay. Cheating your customers, cheating your employees, laying people off instead of finding ways to use their talents, cutting corners on safety, lowering quality standards, cheating on reported taxes, etc., are all tempting ways to get cheap financing. But none of these should ever be used. Using them corrodes you morally, and before you know it you're no better than some dirt bag like Chuck Schumer. They also carry risk of extreme retribution.

6. Health tip/Fitness tips

Statistics when this photo was taken, 10 days before my 63rd birthday: Height: 6'0" Wingspan: 6'1" Weight: 152.6 lbs, which is more than the 148.8lbs from the 2022 shoot. I am also leaner for this one (notice the striations in my left pec). Bodyfat: Unknown, but well below what the Tanita scale says is 5% Waist: 29 Chest: 48 Arms: 15 Quads: 20.25 Max bench press: Unknown, but I do 4 sets of 10 reps with 150 lbs to warm up on chest day Max squat: Unknown, but I do 4 sets of 8 reps of front squats with 90lbs to start Leg Day Cholesterol: In normal range, on low side Testosterone: Above the upper limit of the normal range Last illness: 1971 Last workout missed: Spring of 1977 Training days per week: 6 Type of training: Split routine, heavy on supersets Meals per day: 7 on training days, 6 on rest day Number of eggs eaten per day: Between 7 and 10 Percent of diet that is processed food: 0 Amount of meat, wheat, corn, or soy eaten annually: 0 Number of clot shots received: 0. ********* See all of my climbing videos here: https://tinyurl.com/ClimbingSigChannel. Some cool climbing  videos: https://youtu.be/s4G0ssyJ3hc https://youtube.com/shorts/5919UDqCXDc https://youtube.com/shorts/jYvKJ9mKyyE My hardest climb ever, a 5/11d on lead: https://youtu.be/UT5h0heUUBc . I made a dumb mistake initially, letting the rope wrap over my shoulder. Watch what happens. The scale: Beginner: 5.6. 5.7. 5.8, 5.9 Intermediate: 5.10a, b, c, d 5.11a, b, c, d Advanced: 5.12a, b, c, d 5.13a, b, c, d. Almost nobody climbs at this level at any of the 5 local climbing gyms.

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