Archive → October, 2011
Market Failures And Business Cycles (Part 2)
Continued from Part 1 ….
Something reverse can happen which would be even more damaging than the just discussed case. Instead of Consumption growing at a faster rate than Savings, it might so happen that Savings and Investment grow at a much faster rate than Consumption. For example, prior to Great Depression, the importance of aggregate demand as explained by Keynes was not understood. As a result government policies normally favored huge Investments and were not geared towards propelling aggregate demand. It is well documented that one of the reasons for the Great Depression was US government policies which led to uneven distribution of income heavily in favor of the rich and the consequent depletion of the buying power of the households. So Great depression could have easily resulted from Investment/Savings growing at a much faster rate than Consumption. Huge Investment/Savings would mean that huge surpluses are realized by the producers of the Consumption sector. This would prompt them to invest in an even bigger way in plant and machinery and this huge Investment/surplus pattern continues for a few years. After a few years, we have huge capacities with insufficient Consumption or buying power!
The capacities of production rise to an extent where the producers would not really be interested in investing their surpluses as they already have huge unutilized capacities much in excess of the buying power of the households. As a result Savings are not invested i.e. Investment lags behind Savings. Money is hoarded, the circular flow of income in the economy stops and the economy gets paralyzed. Demand gets constricted which in turn constricts Supply. These constrictions worsen the situation even more because, on account of drop in production, the percentage of unutilized capacities increases even more than before which makes Investment in new capacities even more unattractive further increasing the hoarded money. The economy gets involved in a vicious downward spiral that can dramatically reduce incomes and severely aggravate unemployment. Ultimately after a few years, some huge Investment opportunity prompts entrepreneurs to start investing all of the Savings and the economy restarts on the expansionary path. Or it can so happen that the huge excess capacities get destroyed on account of lack of demand for example, some new technology makes plants with older technology unsuitable to the new needs and such plants and factories become useless. This way excess capacity is weeded out making the economy conducive for Investment and growth. I believe that most business cycles in US and Europe prior to 1930s occurred in this way, they were all mostly Investment propelled. I would call those cycles the Investment led Business cycles.
How can stagflations occur? During the Consumption led cycles, after several years of growth, Consumption eats away into Savings and surpluses realized would fall short of expectations for the producers of Consumption sector. Savings are low and a correction is required by cutting Consumption and increasing the Savings. The extent of correction defines the strength of the next boom. If the correction is big and Savings are piled up in a large manner during the downturn, then, at the beginning of the next boom, it gives the chance for Consumption to nibble away at Savings slowly and steadily for a large number of years booms can last very long. If the correction is very small, if Savings are not too large at the beginning of the boom, the boom is then nipped in the bud itself. As there are no large Savings made, as soon as Consumption tries to nibble away Savings, Savings would immediately fall below the danger mark and the surpluses expected by the Consumption sector are not realized and a recession would start as immediately as the boom starts. In such cases, the booms might not last for more than one or two years. Such cases of insufficient corrections can occur on account of government intervention. Government tries to arrest the downward slide by trying to propel the aggregate demand using expansionary policies such as cutting down interest rates or indulging in deficit spending. Governments intention in doing so would be to arrest the downward slide and decrease unemployment. However the effect of the government intervention would be that, economy starts expanding even before the Consumption is cut and Savings are increased to the required extent. As the economy starts expanding, Consumption tries to eat away at Savings and this immediately brings the Savings below the danger level and an immediate onset of recession. More workers are fired and a downward slide starts once again. Once again the government intervenes and tries to arrest the slide and once again the same thing would repeat itself and more workers are fired. Unemployment keeps soaring. Ultimately the producers realize that low surpluses are here to stay along with expansion.
Apart from low surpluses there is the problem of rising interest rates. As the economy tries to expand, there would be good amount of Investment demand. However as Savings are low and Investment demand is high, there is a huge demand for the limited funds available causing the interest rates to rise vertically. Government borrowing and deficit spending in order to boost the economy eats into the already low Savings and aggravates the situation even further. The situation mimics that of a boom time when both short term and long term interest rates are very high. Abnormally high interest rates lead to cost-led inflation. Very high interest rates coupled with low surpluses make Investment as well as production expansion unattractive to the producers of the Consumption sector. They start pocketing their profits without either investing or expanding production and the economy starts stagnating without growth. Under normal circumstances, pocketing of profits would lead to hoarding of money and paralyze the economy on account of stoppage in the circulation of money. However in this case, on account of governments expansionary policies as well as cost-led inflation, capitalists do not hoard the money as money would lose its value on account of inflation. They start spending the pocketed profits and the circulation of money is not disrupted.
However the demand does not increase despite the lack of hoarding why? What should have been saved and invested is now being spent directly by the capitalists. The income that would have reached the hands of a hundred Investment workers is now in the hands of a single capitalist. As a result, where hundred toothpastes would have been purchased by hundred Investment workers, only one toothpaste is purchased by the solitary capitalist! As a result the demand for goods suffers despite the fact that money is not being hoarded. Capitalists are high earners; they consume a small portion of their income and start spending the rest of their income on speculation in real estate and shares. Shares and lands are bought and re-bought at higher and higher rates leading to a speculative bubble and soaring inflation. Housing becomes very costly and the workers find their buying power reduced as a large portion of their incomes goes in providing housing for themselves. Workers then start demanding for higher wages and periodic wage hike agreements become part of the wage agreements making inflation a relatively permanent phenomenon. Unlike what some economists say about the unreasonability of wage hike demands by labor unions, the wage hike demands of workers were actually beneficial to the stagflationary economies of the 70s. The hike demands of workers actually act as some sort of a small check on the speculation of capitalists instead of wild speculation, some money in the hands of the capitalists gets diverted towards wage hikes. Overall, stagnation and inflation co-exist together. This is how you get stagflation.
There was a continuous boom for two decades in US and other nations during the 80s and 90s. How could the booms last so long during this period? The booms during this period were Investment led. Huge amounts of Investments in IT infrastructure propelled these booms. However these huge Investments in IT are completely different from those that propelled the Investment led booms prior to 1930s. The huge Investments prior to 1930s led to piling up of new capacities in a big way. This gave in to the chance of there being over-Investment on account of huge unutilized capacities which ultimately led to further Investment being unattractive thereby resulting in Investment lagging behind Savings. However the Investment of the 80s and 90s was not that way. Investment in IT technology did not increase the plant capacities. For example, more cars cannot be produced just because car companies invest huge sums in IT. Therefore depressions of the type that occurred prior to 1930s are ruled out and the boom lasts as long as the IT spending lasts. Why couldnt Consumption eat into Savings during this period? On account of the fear of being replaced by computers, the bargaining power of the workers reduced dramatically upon which wage led and the subsequent cost led inflations were completely absent. Therefore producers could save their surpluses and invest them without having to spend them on increasing costs. Also the prime reason for Investment in IT being cost cutting, cost cutting ensured that Consumption would never eat into Savings. This way neither Consumption would eat into Savings nor would Savings/Investment lead to excess capacities. Both types of downturns are ruled out. Booms would last as long as the IT spending would last. This is how booms lasted so long during the 80s and the 90s leading to a virtual absence of business cycles.
That roughly sums up two and half centuries of Business Cycles!
A small note before closing out. From the capitalists point of view, it would be great if the households immediately spend all that they earn on Consumption sales would get boosted. So household savings make a dent or a hole in Consumption. This hole is then filled by the immediate Investment of those household Savings. So the phenomenon of investing the household Savings is like digging a hole and filling it up. Therefore household Savings do not affect the financial position of an economy as much as the Capitalist Savings. A shrinkage in household Savings would not directly affect the margins of the firms. So just make a mental note that the above discussion on Savings had more to do with Capitalist Savings and less to do with Household Savings.
2005 Thotakura R,US registration:TXU 1-256-191
How Are Brain Contusions Different from Brain Concussions?
For a problem as pervasive as traumatic brain injury one would think that the different forms it can take would be widely known and understood. However, in my practice of community-based neurology I find this is not the case. Patients and their families are seldom familiar with the concepts of cerebral (brain) contusion and concussion, and a common error is to believe that they are basically the same, except that a contusion is a more severe form of a concussion.
Before exploring the differences between these two terms, let’s first acknowledge how they are alike:
* Both are due to head trauma.
* Both are common.
* Both are serious.
But that’s where the similarities end. The differences between cerebral contusions and concussions can be boiled down to two basic concepts:
* Contusions are localized, while concussions are widespread.
* Contusions are macroscopic, while concussions are microscopic.
To flesh out these concepts more fully we’ll need to discuss brain anatomy, brain physiology and brain-imaging technologies.
A contusion is a bruise. At one time or another everyone has bruised himself or herself, as, for example, when they banged a forearm against a hard object. This caused bleeding within or beneath the skin. In the days following the injury it turned purple and perhaps a variety of other colors as the body’s repair mechanisms degraded and absorbed the red blood cells that had escaped from the injured blood vessels.
The same thing can happen to the brain, except that the bruises are not located in a place the eye can see. However, with the help of imaging technology the bruises (contusions) can be made visible. To a close approximation, computed tomographic (CT) scans and magnetic resonance (MR) scans can “see” a level of detail corresponding to what the naked eye can see, except that the information is presented like slices of a loaf of bread, shown one slice at a time. “Macroscopic” means that the naked eye can see the contusions (with the help of a scanner). If a similar process occurs at a “microscopic” level, it is too small for the eye (and scanner) to see.
CT scans are more useful than MR scans in evaluating patients with acute brain trauma because seriously ill patients can be better monitored while receiving CT scans and because fresh hemorrhages are more apparent. In images created by CT scanners fresh blood appears intensely white, while normal brain tissue appears gray.
Although contusions can be multiple, they occur in single locations. That’s what “localized” implies. So a brain contusion is both macroscopic and localized. One common pattern of contusions is “coup-contrecoup.” When a moving head is abruptly stopped (as occurs during a fall when it strikes the ground) the brain nearest the point of impact bashes against the inner surface of the hard skull, producing a contusion. That is the “coup” injury. But then there is either a bounce-back of the brain within the skull or a suddenly created vacuum that produces a second “contrecoup” contusion on the opposite pole of the brain.
Contusions can occur in large enough numbers to produce a “salt-and-pepper” appearance on CT scans. Adjacent contusions can also coalesce via further oozing of blood to produce larger blood-deposits. If a collection of blood becomes large enough to compress and distort the rest of the brain, it might require surgical removal.
It is important to realize that injury to brain tissue is not limited to that produced by bleeding. The same physical blow that disrupts blood vessels is also capable of damaging the brain cells directly.
Now let’s contrast these findings with what occurs in a cerebral concussion. In a pure concussion there is no macroscopic, localized collection of blood. Any bleeding that occurs is at a scale that escapes detection by the eye (helped by the scanner). In a concussion there is diffuse, widespread, homogeneous impairment of brain tissue, but nothing that shows as a macroscopic, localized abnormality on a scan.
In fact, it may not be fair to imply that even a microscope could see the changes that occur in a concussion. Although in severe concussions there can be a physical snapping-in-two of axons (the long extensions that brain cells use to communicate with each other) a concussion disrupts the physiology (functioning) of brain cells more than their anatomy (structure). That is, the trauma makes large numbers of brain cells sick without actually killing them. While sick, the brain cells under-perform. As a result, the victim of a concussion might lose consciousness or become confused. Because emotions are also produced by interactions among brain cells, the concussed patient might show tearfulness, irritability or other changes in behavior as a result of the injury.
While a person with traumatic brain injury might experience contusion without concussion, or concussion without contusion, having one does not preclude having the other, and it is common for both to occur together. So while cerebral contusions and concussions are different from each other, a victim of head trauma might be unlucky enough to have both.
(C) 2005 by Gary Cordingley
Leave Your Airport Parking Worries Behind
We all look forward to jetting off for a week or two in the sun, but flying from any airport automatically brings up the issues of how we will get to the airport from home and back again at the end of the trip.
For many, getting to the airport by bus or train is additional hassle that they just dont want, particularly if they are catching an early flight, or will be travelling with young children or lots of luggage.
The easiest way to get to the airport is to drive, but parking can be expensive. On-site long term parking at any airport is costly and although you can take advantage of companies that offer parking outside the airport and bus you in, its just not as convenient as being dropped off right outside arrivals.
The best way to make sure that your journey to the airport is smooth and stress-free is to book a taxi. A good firm will pick you up from home and take you to the right entrance at your terminal, and will be waiting for you on your return. This means that all you have to do is pay the taxi at the beginning of your holiday and locate it when you get home. By using a taxi service, youll benefit from:
Stress-free travel
Space and comfort
Arrival on time at the airport
Save on expensive parking fees
No bus transfers to off-site car parks
There are hundreds of airport taxi firms who can help you to extend your holiday by making the journey to and from the airport as easy and comfortable as possible. You dont have to worry about the security of your car whilst you are away, or even take your car keys on holiday with you. Using a reliable taxi service means that you can be sure that you will be picked up when you arrive even if your plane is delayed. You cant beat that kind of service as a great addition to your long-awaited holiday.
Being Flexible
When you think about being flexible, what do you think of first? Which aspects of being flexible are important, which are essential, and which ones can you take or leave? You be the judge.
In each of our lives, there will be times of joy and times of sorrow. In pain, we are born. In pain, we leave the world. Somewhere in the midst of living, growing, and understanding life in our maturity, we find ourselves seeking to find what we were born with. Innocence is precious. We really never lose it. We might for a time lose innocence, but life is too large for one perceptual being to embrace fully with the mind and the heart.
Innocence comes alive the moment we realize life is beyond our control, our ability to perceive, and our emotional capacity to feel. It is here we realize that life is beyond our control and we open our hearts and mind to something greater than ourselves. Our ego finds its proper place in our lives and we shift from being the central core of life’s existence and attention to something much greater. At this point, we begin to place our life, our heart, our mind, and our soul into the very wisdom that has created us.
I trust that what you’ve read so far has been informative. The following section should go a long way toward clearing up any uncertainty that may remain.
This movement from self-centered awareness to life-centered awareness allows us to perceive and have revealed to us information greater than what we know life to be to what can be known through us. Here, we become flexible with life, instead of, life having to go our way. This level of knowing creates a 6th sense, a super sense of awareness, an awareness in higher consciousness. We become more soul than body at this point. We become the awareness that brought us into this world. We become spiritual beings having a human experience. We become sons and daughters of the Universe.
When we remember who we are. We re – member ourselves back into the awareness at birth and at death. This awareness is with us always. We sometimes forget who we are. But, when we re – member who we are. We reconnect ourselves into the sense of knowing we grow through life and we also go through life. Through it all, our soul is in process of maturing and in process of remembering. With this in mind, our ups and our downs find consolation in our essence – in our spirit.
Now might be a good time to write down the main points covered above. The act of putting it down on paper will help you remember what’s important about flexible.
Business Dress Code – What to Wear While Prospecting
Business dress codes can be tricky to navigate as a consultant. You are going into other people’s businesses so your personal business dress code has to appeal to a wide range of clients. This is also true when you are prospecting for future clients.
The business dress code that you use when prospecting will depend on the event. You always want to dress to be your best but you also have to know your audience. The first time you attend an event or meeting it is best to wear a sport jacket and tie. This type of business dress code is very middle of the road. Not too conservative but not too casual.
Business Dress Code and Marketing
A very good choice, especially for people who hate getting dressed-up, is to use your clothes to advertise. When you are in a situation where business casual is appropraite, do some branding and marketing through your attire.
Wear a polo shirt with your logo on it
Have your logo put on a sweater
For sporting events, wear a logoed ball hat
At the very least wear a name tag that has your name and logo on it
This is a great way to incorporate a business dress code that is not only professional but productive as well. Don’t feel like you have to be the snazziest dresser but use your business dress code to send a marketing message and convey your professionalism.
The Bottom Line On Your Business Dress Code
Incorporating a business dress code that is not too formal and not too causal is often the best bet. This type of business dress code allows you to appeal to the maximum amount of people and it allows you to feel comfortable within a mixed crowd. These will both help boost your confidence and prospecting success. Adding logoed attire to your business dress code is a highly effective way to get your company name out to people while maintaining your professionalism.
Copyright MMI-MMVI, Computer Consultants Secrets. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}
Highlights and vitality of criminal search in world of employment
Life has no longer remained simple and safe. The criminal activities happening around us have made turn highly dangerous. Crime has been termed as a growing threat to the manhood. It is highly important to have reliable criminal background check prior to get familiar with a person especially before employing an employee. Criminal records online serves as a most demanded and advantageous idea for everyone. As it is by this, that you can make criminal search, posses accurate criminal records, make criminal background search without going anywhere.
Can you believe what people say about their wants and wishes? (Part I)
A scientific study (Horsky D., Nelson P., Posavac SS. Stating Preference for the Ethereal but Choosing the Concrete: How the Tangibility of Attributes Affects Attribute Weighting in Value Elicitation and Choice. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 2004, Vol. 14, No. 1&2, Pages 132-140) compared the attractiveness of five sporty car attributes calculated using answers provided in a market research study (what people say), and the attractiveness of the same five attributes derived from the actual buying behavior of the car buyers (what people do). The five attributes were Performance, Dependability, Comfort, Prestige, and Exterior Styling.
The relative attractiveness of the performance, dependability, comfort, prestige, and exterior styling attributes calculated using the answers in the market research study were 0.13, 0.22, 0.13, 0.16, and 0.20. The relative attractiveness of the same five attributes calculated using the real behavior in the marketplace were 0.24, 0.21, 0.13, 0.00, and 0.19 (note the change in values marked with bold letters).
According to the authors: a rather dramatic change in the ordering of the average weights occurs … Specifically, the tangible attribute Performance, previously one of the least important attributes on average, is now the most important to sporty sedan buyers. In contrast, the weight of Prestige, an intangible attribute, falls dramatically and becomes the least important attribute. The remaining attributes change little.
This dramatic change has dramatic implications. The implication of our findings is that stated preferences may not be highly predictive of actual consumer decisions because the relative importance of attributes differs in value elicitation and choice. This finding is troubling because of the reliance of marketing practitioners on research data pertaining to attitudes, purchase intentions, and attribute importance rankings. If predictions based on stated preferences are markedly different from reality, marketers decisions (e.g., product positioning, advertising emphasis) made based on the stated preference data may be suboptimal. In other words, forecasts of choice based on stated attribute importances would have been erroneous.
Summary:
So, can you believe what people say about their wants and wishes? Yes, if you have the formula that converts what people say into what people do. If, you are not using this formula, be prepared to face some unpleasant surprises when implementing the raw customers suggestions.
Snow Tires A Canadian Must Have
A tire or tyre is a covering provided on the circumference of wheels of vehicles. The functions of tires is to dampen oscillations due to uneven surface of the road, to prevent wear and tear of the wheel, to provide a high friction bond between the vehicle and the road for proper acceleration and handling of the vehicle. They are usually made of synthetic rubber.
Snow tires are special tires designed to run on snow, ice, wet roads, sleet, slippery roads and mud. They have better traction and handling properties. Snow tires differ from regular tires in the following ways:
Hardness. They are made up of softer rubber, which heats up quicker. The softness and hardness of tire rubber depends upon the amount of carbon black in it. For summer tires, the amount of carbon black is more and for snow tires the amount of carbon black in the rubber is less. Rubber becomes brittle at lower temperatures hence summer tires are not suitable to be used in winters.
Treading. The crown or the outer perimeter of tires has jagged pattern on it known as tread. The function of tread is to provide grip during rain or snow. The summer tires have smaller tread on them. The snow and mud tires have larger tread blocks on them hence they are noisier.
Sipes. Sipes are small slits provided on the sides of tires to provide flexibility to tread blocks on the tyre. The function of sipes is to disperse water and snow. They improve traction by providing an additional biting edge to the tyre and are helpful on ice, snow, mud and sand.
Grooves. Grooves are voids on the tires designed to facilitate dispelling of water or snow. Deeper grooves provide better handling and control of the vehicle in snow.
Void Ratio. Void ratio is related to the amount of rubber coming in contact with the road. It is defined by the voids or open spaces on the tyre. A high void ratio accelerates the potentiality to drain water. For snow tires a high void ratio is required.
Aquaplaning. One of the functions of tires is to remove water from the treads on wet roads. When the tire rotates, the treads push water into grooves and sipes, from where the water is pushed out. If the water does not go out properly then the vehicle slides which may cause accidents. This sliding of the tire on water is called aquaplaning. Hence the depth and pattern of treads is very important.
Metal studs. Most snow tires have metal studs fabricated in the tread. This provides better grip on snow and ice. A place where the weather is extreme, the law makes it mandatory to use snow tires. However snow tires are extremely noisy and wear out fast on dry roads. Further, they wear out the road also.
Markings on Snow Tires. The tires designed for Mud and snow are marked with M&S. the icon of mountain and snow flake designates that the tire meets snow testing standards of American Society for Testing and Materials. It mandates that snow tires should have a traction index of more than 110.
Yahoo To Prohibit Competitive Keyword Bids Containing Trademarks
Yahoo Search Marketing (searchmarketing.yahoo.com) has recently announced its advertisers of a new policy to be implemented as of March 1st 2006, concerning the use of trademarks within their products and services *.
Under the new policy, no reference to a trademark can be made (except for ads placed by the trademark owners themselves, obviously), and consequently no bids can be make for keywords containing such trademarks. Exceptions refer to usage of trademarks in non-competitive ads, such as those made by re-sellers, or in informative (and still non-competitive) ads.
The previous policy allowed references to competitors’ trademarks and comparisons as long as they were “objective and informative” – the formulation makes me cringe, as it is clearly troublesome trying to evaluate ones objectivity when speaking of business competitors. As for the “informative” side of it the probability for someone to actually PAY for an ad to be informative of someone elses product/service, thats as believable just like the existence of Santa Claus.
It is really good to see Yahoo making a big step forward in regulating abuse and misuse of trademarks, even though that probably translates in some revenue loss for them, by having certain advertisers migrate to a “friendlier” place such as Google. According to Google’s policies, “[...] advertisers may select trademarked terms as keywords or use them in the content of the ad. As a provider of space for advertisements, Google is not in a position to arbitrate trademark disputes between advertisers and trademark owners. As stated in our Terms and Conditions, advertisers are responsible for the keywords and ad text that they choose to use. Accordingly, Google encourages trademark owners to resolve their disputes directly with the advertiser, particularly because the advertiser may have similar ads on other sites. However, as a courtesy to trademark owners, Google is willing to perform a limited investigation of reasonable complaints.”
The question is why would Yahoo change its policies and apparently offer Google an even bigger bite from the SEM cake? It is way too early to say now, and their official explanation is not entirely believable: Yahoo states to have had the users’ best interest in mind, by providing them with a better experience when searching terms that contain trademarks. Though this would make a laudable initiative with a good PR potential, experts know the search market is driven by large publishers and advertisers and not by the little surfing guys. Numerous speculations can be made: threats of large legal actions from trademark owners, pressure from certain groups of interests are among the most vehiculated ones.
However, a more plausible one is that Yahoo makes preparations for a much larger scale movement destined to influence the market in a manner we cannot anticipate just yet.
Until further industry news, there’s one thing to rejoice: from now on, no “better than Botox” ads on Yahoo and their partner sites!
* – the products and services covered by the new policy are: Sponsored Search, Local Advertising, Search Submit, Product Submit, Travel Submit and Directory Submit.
Centuries old beverage contains super antioxidant more powerful than Vitamins C & E
“If we do not find time to take care of our health, we will reluctantly have to find time for our illness”
-Hippocrates
Lately there’s a lot of buzz in the news and online about green tea and its’ health benefits, particularly the role of polyphenols in green tea.
Polyphenols are chemical compounds found in fruits, vegetables and green tea and further divided into sub groups called catechins. There are 4 major catechins in green tea of which EGCG ((-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the most potent and found in abundance in green tea.
This compound is dubbed the “super antioxidant” because it’s more powerful than the popular antioxidants Vitamin E & Vitamin C. This super antioxidant eliminates free radicals, the unstable molecules in the body that are the major cause of both aging and disease, which continually attack the body and leave the body vulnerable to disease.
Free radicals disrupt the biochemical processes within cells, and our body’s natural defenses become compromised leading to illness. Free radicals indiscriminately kill cells, destroy enzymes and produce toxic chemicals which cause damage to cellular functions. They are highly reactive molecules; their activities cause damage to critical structures such as DNA, lipids and proteins. All of which are vital for normal cellular function.
Free radicals in the body are toxic forms of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM). It’s ironic that on one hand oxygen sustains us and on the other hand oxygen can be responsible for much of the destruction and aging of our cells. Free radicals are responsible for many ailments including but not limited to aging, cancer, heart disease, stroke and arthritis.
Without an antioxidant line of defense, your cells oxidize or breakdown faster thus speeding up the aging process, it’s the free radicals oxidative damage that makes us age.
Since EGCG contained in green tea is a potent antioxidant it neutralizes free radicals and hence is responsible for the health promoting benefits listed below.
Lower total cholesterol and LDL (bad)-cholesterol levels
Increase HDL (good)-cholesterol levels
Reduce the risk of cancer
Reduce the risk of heart attack
Decrease the risk of stroke
Decrease the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis
Enhance immune function
Act as an antibacterial and antiviral agent
Help in weight loss
Boost longevity due to potent antioxidant properties
One cup of green tea usually provides 100-300 mg of polyphenols and contains EGCG in high concentrations. As mentioned above EGCG is believed to possess 100 times more potency as an antioxidant than Vitamin C and at least 25 times more potency than Vitamin E and protects cells and DNA from damage believed to be linked to cancer, heart disease and other potentially fatal illnesses.
Green tea has been used for centuries in China for the health benefits it provides. We’re just now scratching the surface of what green tea has to offer, new studies come out constantly that provide data on the effectiveness of green tea against various ailments.
The latest research indicates that green tea may help in Alzheimer’s disease by decreasing the production of a protein which in large amounts causes nerve damage and memory loss. All of the benefits of green tea can be attributed to polyphenols, particularly EGCG.
Green tea comes in various dosage forms but the more popular versions are the liquid forms and the patch. The patch seems to be gaining in popularity due to the convenience factor and delivery of the same amount of the active ingredient of green tea at a constant rate. Place the patch on the skin and wear it for 48 hours and replace it every other day. It can’t get any simpler than that 
As you can see EGCG is an important component of green tea responsible for all of the health benefits listed above. Recent studies also indicate green tea as being effective in promoting weight loss.
Green tea is truly a ‘wonder compound’ with a large array of benefits for improving health. It’s been around for thousands of years and now it has finally been re-discovered for our benefit.
Conquering the Antibiotic-Resistant Superbugs
Since its discovery in 1928 by the Scottish scientist named Sir Ian Fleming, doctors have been prescribing penicillin to patients for the cure of everything from minor infections to life-threatening diseases. In medical terms, penicillin is classified as an antibiotic. An antibiotic is a chemical compound that inhibits or abolishes the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, or protozoa. Over 100 different antibiotics are now available in the market. Although antibiotics are useful in a wide variety of infections, it is important to note that antibiotics only treat bacterial infections.
Addicted To Oil? You Bet Your Lipstick
In his State of the Union speech earlier this year, President Bush said America is “addicted to oil.” Correct, but hardly a surprise.
We generally think of oil products as the stuff that powers cars, trucks, SUVs, planes and trains. However, transportation accounts for only about half of the petroleum we use.
What we rarely think of is all the other products in which oil is a key ingredient, such as lipstick. Petrochemicals are also used in the aspirin that relieves headaches and prevents heart attacks, the crayons our kids use -even diapers, DVDs, cameras, bandages, balloons and golf balls.
Three-dollar gasoline is one thing, but consider what our lives would be like without deodorant, perfume or toothpaste (yuck). Can you imagine no vitamins, antiseptic, house paint, syringes, pacemakers, baby strollers, garbage bags, candles or panty hose? (Well, actually, I could do without panty hose.)
But you get my point. Petroleum is used much more in our daily lives than in just filling our gas tanks.
Actually, we’re addicted to “foreign” oil. Today we import about 60 percent of our oil and petroleum products-much of it from unfriendly countries such as Venezuela.
There are other options. America has ample reserves of oil and gas but much of it is locked on federal lands. Only Congress can vote to open these lands to exploration. This June, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act to allow exploration in the deep waters off our coasts, while giving states the authority to determine how close exploration is allowed. The Senate, however, is waffling on the terms of the bill.
In May, the U.S. House voted to open just 2,000 coastal acres of the 19 million-acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil exploration. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that this area could produce enough oil to supply us with 1.5 million barrels of oil per day lasting 25 years at a minimum. That’s enough to replace 30 years of imports from Saudi Arabia-and plenty of lipstick.
The U.S. Senate, however, hasn’t voted for a stand-alone bill to open ANWR since 1995, when President Clinton vetoed it.
Being “price gouged” on sunscreen? Thank the U.S. Senate for keeping us addicted to foreign oil.
5 Lessons Your Kids Will Learn By Starting A Business
Kids need to be kids and enjoy their time as children. But, at the same time, as they get older, they also need to learn to make money and function in our society as responsible adults.
Oftentimes, they get a job at a Burger Joint, where they learn how to listen to a boss, and how to work with others, but then they may also have to give up some extracurricular activities, study time and time with family. Not terrible things, but enough of a challenge that many families are helping their kids start their own businesses.
Why? Lets compare the lessons your kid is learning working at a burger joint verses starting a business.
1. Responsibility.
Burger Joint: Yes, it teaches responsibility. You need to show up for work and do a good job or your boss and co-workers will get mad at you.
Entrepreneur: Teaches you responsibility as well. You need to work hard or you wont get paid.
2. The Value of a Dollar
Burger Joint: You learn that time is money.
Entrepreneur: You learn that creativity, ownership of responsibility and hard work is money.
3. How to Market Yourself
Burger Joint: Teaches you how to fill out an application and go on an interview to market yourself. You do this once and then youre done.
Entrepreneur: You have to market yourself and your business on an ongoing basis if you want to make any money.
4. Customer Service
Burger Joint: Service with a smile or your boss may reprimand you.
Entrepreneur: Service with a smile or you dont get repeat business and your income drops.
5. Banking Skills
Burger Joint: You learn how to collect a paycheck and how to deposit it into the bank.
Entrepreneur: You learn how to budget for advertising costs, taxes, and expenses and weigh them against your profits. You learn to deposit your income into the bank and write checks to cover expenses. You learn how business works.
As you can see, both options have benefits. As for which option youll choose? Thats up to you and your child.
Controversial Aspects of Pro Anorexia
Pro anorexia is a controversial matter, referring to the pro-active character of anorexics lifestyles. There are lots of pro anorexia web sites throughout the Internet that provide feedback to people with anorexia. These web sites offer tips, advice and support to persons who are dealing with eating disorders.
Pro anorexia (pro-ana) web sites claim that their aim is not to encourage and support anorexia, but to prevent and eliminate its undesirable effects. However, despite these affirmations, pro anorexia web sites primarily focus on helping people with anorexia to better deal with their condition, instead of revealing the dangerous aspects of having such an eating disorder.
Through the means of pro anorexia web sites, persons with anorexia are integrated into an online community; they mainly receive tips on how to take care of themselves and they are not encouraged to ask for professional help. Pro anorexia web sites challenge people with anorexia to accept their condition, regarding to anorexics as rebels fighting against conventional, old-fashioned ideals and values.
Pro anorexia web sites usually implement the idea of superiority among the community of people with anorexia, referring to anorexics as people with a strong will that take action in order to achieve their goals. Their behavior is appreciated and considered to be an act of courage.
The ideals promoted by pro anorexia web sites are drastically contradicted and admonished by medical professionals. In their opinion, people who suffer from eating disorders like anorexia actually engage in acts of self-destruction. The truth is that anorexia is a very serious mental illness that may actually lead to death by starvation. Physicians and psychiatrists strongly recommend persons with anorexia to accept and follow an appropriate treatment. Medical professionals are disturbed by the slogans promoted by pro anorexia web sites and try to inform people with such eating disorders about the risks they expose themselves to.
It is very important to understand that anorexia is an illness, not a lifestyle! A real act of courage is to ask for help, not to try to deal with anorexia on your own. It is also vital to quickly take action in overcoming such eating disorders, in order to prevent further damage and health problems. Anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders can be treated; however, a lot of ambition is involved in the process of overcoming the illness. People with anorexia usually deny having a problem and they isolate themselves from the rest of the world. Pro anorexia web sites try to make these people feel appeased and to integrate them within a community where they are understood and appreciated. Despite all that, these web sites never encourage anorexics to take steps in curing their condition. They concentrate on providing them with recipes and diets instead, therefore contributing to their destruction.
People with anorexia should accept professional help and try to perceive their condition from an objective point of view. They should understand there are better things in life than continuously counting calories and worrying about gaining weight.
Chirurgia estetica the miracle of modern medicine!
If you consider that chirurgia plastica is the thing for you, then all you have to do is call the number provided and request for a free estimate. At the same time, you can fill out an online form and wait for someone to contact you. The expert from the cosmetic surgery clinic will offer to you all the information you need to know about the surgery in question, post-operative care and the medical specialists performing the surgical intervention. You will also have to provide photos, detailed information and medical records.
Scooters are not just for fun
Personal scooters are a highly valuable mobility tool for those who, for health reasons, are unable to move around in public or in their own homes. They can ease the burden of having to carry things like heavy groceries or other personal effects. In this sense they can also help people who have back problems and strains. Progresses in technology have made scooters more energy efficient, faster, lighter and more reliable, which means that there are plenty of attractive options available to you should you ever need to purchase one.
For those with a disability, scooters are an essential transportation device. One of the best things is that, if you are eligible, Medicare can cover some or all of the cost for a personal scooter. To be eligible, however you should meet the following guidelines: 1.You need a scooter to move around your home. 2.You are unable to operate a manual wheelchair. 3.Your doctor prescribes a scooter for your personal use. Please contact your Doctor and ask if you are eligible to receive government aid for a personal scooter.
There is now a huge diversity of scooters available worldwide. You will first need to decide which type of scooter best fits your needs and your budget. Perhaps the most important factor when deciding to buy a new scooter is to make sure it is comfortable. You will be using it a lot and it is best to make sure you are comfortable in your new little vehicle. Not all scooters are created equal and it is important to find one which suits your body type and sense of style. Scooters come in all shapes, sizes, weights, and colors. Some scooters are even ultra light-weight so conveniently they are able to fold up into small packages meaning they can be carried virtually anywhere. This feature is great for people who have difficulty getting around generally but still have enough mobility to get around on public transport. Most carry-on scooter units are fairly easy to carry and some even weigh under 50 lbs. If you are looking for this type of scooter, make sure you are able to carry it around with you.
Scooters designed specifically for the elderly are now more and more common and they are a great solution for people who have trouble moving around the house. Scooters are a good solution in many circumstances as they are able to be driven around without having to rely on someone else to power them. Think about how inconvenient it is sometimes for people in non motorized wheelchairs to have to rely on a pusher at times. Scooters are convenient and highly personal.
Accessories can also enhance a scooter. Rear view mirrors, extra batteries, extra pouches, and headlights can all be purchased for your scooter. You can almost add anything you need – it just depends on your personal scooter requirements.
Selecting The Best Used Car For Your Lifestyle
When shopping for a used car, it is important to select one that best fits your lifestyle. For example, if you live in an area that is prone to harsh winters with a lot of snow, a 4-wheel-drive will likely be a good choice. However, these automobiles use more gasoline than a compact car. So, if gasoline consumption is at the top of your list for concerns, a smaller automobile may be the best option.
When you purchase a used car, its also important to understand the varying cost of insurance. Automobile coverage for an SUV, for example, is more expensive than a smaller vehicle. The same is true of a sports car, which will likely garner an increased cost of insurance.
The next thing to consider is the style of the used car. If you have children, a van or SUV may be the best way to accommodate everyone comfortably and still have plenty of storage space. If you are single and just want to have a reliable mode of transportation, a smaller car will more than suffice.
If you plan to travel often or will be adding a lot of mileage, your best bet would be to find a used car with the lowest mileage possible. Another selection will include the choice of either an automatic or manual transmission. What about doors? Do you a prefer two or four door automobile? This is an option that most people dont really think about right away, but it is an important one nonetheless. A four door used car is very convenient for loading luggage or groceries and it also makes it really convenient for passengers to climb in and out of.
When it comes to interior, car owners will have the option of selecting from cloth and leather. Each has their benefits and drawbacks, so which one is right for you? Leather is excellent when it comes to cleaning up spills, but fabric interior is more susceptible to stains. Leather is often very hot to the touch on sunny days whereas fabric interior is comfortable even on the warmest day. Both will show tears and require their own method of maintenance.
When searching for the perfect used car to fit your lifestyle, carefully consider the cost before deciding to purchase. Monthly payments can be high even on a used car, so think about the budget and what you can afford prior to signing on the dotted line.
Wheelskins: Chrome For Styled Wheels
“Wheelskin” is a relatively new term. Wheelskins were invented in the late 1990s to provide an inexpensive way to put chrome on styled wheels.
If you would like to read this article with pictures of classic cars that illustrate the examples given, go to http://www.autoamenity.com/FAQ/Wheelskins.htm
After WWII, auto racing enthusiasts introduced new technologies and materials to every aspect of race cars to reduce weight and improve speed and handling. One of those improvements, mag wheels remains in the vernacular to this day.
Halibrand magnesium wheels carried every car that won the Indy 500 from 1946 to 1963. Those early wheels were made of magnesium, which was far lighter than steel, and a even third lighter than aluminum. The major drawback of the true magnesium wheel was the need to polish it regularly, because magnesium reacts rapidly to air and water to produce a heavy surface oxide, which then pits. The shift to aluminum alloys reduced these problems.
Early aluminum alloy wheels were made in fairly simple designs. As more sophisticated, high strength molding and forging processes were developed, more intricate and artistic designs became common. The original purpose of decreased weight for track performance metamorphosed to style and expression.
Adoption of styled alloy wheels became widespread in high-end street machines of German manufacture, and as expensive aftermarket options for the rest. Finally, major American and Japanese manufacturers began offering styled alloy wheels first as options, and in the late 80s as standard features. The top models of even the economy brands offered styled steel wheels.
The advent of styled alloy wheels opened a new range of stylistic expression to auto owners. Spoke and swirl patterns could extend seamlessly to the outer edge of the wheel. As computerized machining technology advanced, it became less expensive to engineer the molds, so a larger selection of designs became available and prices decreased.
Chrome, the final fashion statement, was applied to all varieties of styled wheels. This option is popular but expensive, in the range of several hundred dollars per wheel. Unfortunately, one of the drawbacks of actual chrome plating on auto wheels is its tendency to corrode when exposed to winter
salt driving conditions. Hence the fine print caveat in the warrantees of chrome wheel manufacturers: Do not drive chrome wheels in snow! and Salt can deteriorate and corrode your chrome.
Wheelskins were invented in the late 1990s to provide an inexpensive way to put brilliant chromed plastic covers on styled wheels. Precision molds were designed to produce inexpensive corrosion resistant covers that perfectly match the geometry of styled wheels, and fit like a glove or like a second skin. There are several manufacturers of wheelskins, the two best known are the Impostors and the Wheelskins brands. There is only one model of Wheelskin that matches each specific styled wheel, and that wheelskin does not fit any other wheel.
Styled Wheels do not have the normal recess inside of the bead for standard hubcaps to mount into. Therefore, Wheelskins were designed with metal clips to grab the outer edge of the rim or wheel, the way a wheel weight does. The latest Wheelskins models use center clips that grab the wheel at the base of its spokes.
Wheelskins have become the best-kept secret in the wheel fashion industry. Once installed, you can not tell the difference between them and real chromed wheels from more than 5 feet away. Thousands of sets are sold to new and used auto retailers, who mount them on the vehicles on their lots. Those thousands of vehicles are sold to customers who are very happy they have purchased chrome wheels at a bargain price.
Can I Be A Success Online? Part 2
Too many people venture online without understanding which type of Internet business they are best suited to. They either go for the first one they come across that promises early wealth, or, having viewed a few options (without gaing any real insight on what exactly each one will deliver), they hurl themselves at several simply because they can’t make a choice.
Both of these strategies is dangerous. The first, because any site that promises pots of cash early with very little work is nothing more than a scam (1000′s of people have lost money to these schemes) and the second because if you try running too many ventures too soon you’ll spread yourself thin and be unable to devote necessary time to a single opportunity.
There are many legitimate ways to make money online and discovering which one is best for you is an excercise well worth taking some time over.
In part one of this series you posed 4 questions to yourself:
1. How computer literate am I? (not at all – 1, very – 5)
2. How is my self-discipline? (bad – 1, excellent – 5)
3. How positive is my outlook on life? (terrible – 1, bright – 5)
4. How much can I afford to fail? (Can’t – 1, Doesn’t matter – 5)
And answered each of them with a score of 1 to 5 accordingly.
These four simple questions were carefully worded and directed at understanding not necessarily *which* business you should go for, but whether indeed you should look for an income online at all.
No matter what you’re told by all the get-rich-quick sites about how easy it is to make a residual income on the Internet, or how your life will change as soon as you become a member of their program, there will still be the necessity for some input from you. In fact a lot of input from you – a lot more than they ever let on in their sales copy.
Once you are signed up therefore, and you have experienced your first few sessions working on your new ‘opportunity’, you will then go through a period of disillusionment as it finally dawns on you that alot more work is required than you originally thought, and alot less income is forthcoming than you were promised. Many people give up here, or go and find something else and the whole process starts again.
You can save yourself this heart-break and inconvenience by being honest with yourself at the start. Just take a moment to write down an answer those four questions. (each one should be a number from 1 to 5). Do it now before you read on.
So, lets see whether you should be pursuing an income online after all. If you scored less than 8 then you shouldn’t even think about it. With a score this low, you will definately not have any success online and you’ll be wasting valuable time if you try. With a score of 9-12 you might be OK but there will be something that will have to change – perhaps you need a backup plan so you can afford to fail a little more, or perhaps you should brush up your computer literacy with a software course. Maybe you marked yourself down on your positive outlook because you were in a bad mood at the time. If that is the case on any of the questions, revise the score to reflect your average outlook over a number of months. (remember, there are no zeros scored here).
With a score of 13-16 you should be good to go, and with anything above 16 you’re either lying, or you should be kicking yourself for not starting online sooner!
The Next Step.
Right, so once you know you’re OK to continue, your next step is to research and critically assess the full range of options available to you as a budding Internet Marketer.
In the next part of this series, we’ll examine each of the money-making opportunities that exist online and identify characteristics of each of them so that you can decide which ones you’re best suited to.