The Focus of a Monk
1 day ago
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Life's little mysteries: Why do women wear high heels?
Why do women wear high heels? Why are soft drinks in round containers while milk cartons are rectangular? And why did kamikaze pilots bother with helmets? Here, ROBERT H FRANK uses economics to explain the weird and wonderful situations we encounter in everyday life.
Why do women endure the discomfort of high heels?
High heels are uncomfortable and make walking more difficult. Prolonged use can injure the feet, knees and back. So why do women keep wearing them?
The short answer seems to be that women in heels are more likely to attract favourable notice.
In Sense And Sensibility, Jane Austen describes the character Elinor Dashwood as having a "delicate complexion, regular features, and... remarkably pretty figure".
But Austen describes Elinor's sister, Marianne, as "still handsomer. Her form, though not so correct as her sister's, in having the advantage of height, was more striking".
In addition to making women taller, high heels force the back to arch, pushing the bosom forward and the buttocks rearward, thus accentuating the female form.
"Men like an exaggerated female figure," writes fashion historian Caroline Cox. The problem is that if all women wear high heels, such advantages tend to cancel out.
Height, after all, is a relative phenomenon. It may be advantageous to be taller than others, or at least not to be several inches shorter. But when all wear shoes that make them several inches taller, the relative height distribution is unaffected, so no one appears taller than if all had worn flat heels.
If women could decide collectively what shoes to wear, all might agree to forgo high heels. But because any individual can gain advantage by wearing them, such an agreement might be hard to maintain.
Why did kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
On the heels of significant military setbacks in 1944, the Japanese military launched a campaign of kamikaze attacks, in which pilots attempted to crash their planes into American warships. Their aeroplanes were heavily laden with explosives, so a crash meant almost certain death for the pilot. Why, then, did these pilots wear helmets?One reason is that in at least some instances, kamikaze pilots survived their missions. Another is that planes commonly experienced severe turbulence before reaching their targets, and in these cases Japanese military commanders had clear reasons for wanting their pilots to be adequately protected.
Perhaps even more important, the aviator's helmet had become emblematic of what it meant to be a pilot. Kamikaze pilots were pilots, and all pilots wear helmets.
But the most compelling explanation for why kamikaze pilots wore helmets is that it was not the express intention that these pilots commit suicide. Their charge was to destroy their targets by any means necessary. But the hope was that the pilots would return safely, even though the expectation was that most would not.
Why do women's clothes button from the left, while men's button from the right?
It is hardly surprising that clothing manufacturers might adhere to uniform standards for the various features of garments bought by any given group. What seems strange, however, is that the standard adopted for women is precisely the opposite of the one for men. If the standard were completely arbitrary, that would be one thing. But the men's standard would appear to make more sense for women as well.
Around 90 per cent of the world's population is right-handed, and it is easier for right-handers to button shirts from the right. So why do women's garments button from the left?
This is an example in which history seems to matter. When buttons first appeared in the 17th century, they were seen only on garments of the wealthy. At that time it was the custom for rich men to dress themselves and for women to be dressed by servants.
Having women's shirts button from the left thus made things easier for the mostly right-handed servants who dressed them. Having men's shirts button from the right made sense not only because most men dressed themselves, but also because a sword drawn from the left hip with the right hand would be less likely to become caught in the shirt. Today, virtually no women are dressed by servants, so why is buttoning from the left still the norm for women?
In economics, a norm, once established, resists change. At a time when all women's shirts buttoned from the left, it would have been risky for any single manufacturer to offer women's shirts that buttoned from the right.
After all, women had grown accustomed to shirts that buttoned from the left and would have to develop new habits and skills to switch.
Beyond that practical difficulty, some women might also have found it socially awkward to appear in public wearing shirts that buttoned from the right, since anyone who noticed would assume they were wearing men's shirts.
Why are petrol caps on the driver's side of some cars but the passenger's side of others?
One OF the most frustrating experiences of driving a hire car is to pull up at a fuel pump as you would when driving your own car, only to discover that the fuel tank is located on the other side. Car manufacturers could eliminate this difficulty simply by putting petrol caps always on the same side of the car. Why don't they?
In countries in which motorists drive on the right side of the road, such as the U.S., it is easier to turn right than to turn left across oncoming traffic. A majority of drivers will thus buy fuel at stations they can enter by turning right.
Suppose fuel tanks were always on the driver's side of the car. Drivers would then have to park on the right side of an open pump in order to fill their tanks.
During busy times, all spots on the right sides of pumps would be filled even while most spots on the left sides of pumps remained empty.
Putting petrol caps on different sides of different cars means that some cars can access pumps from the left. And this makes it less likely that drivers will have to queue for fuel.
Scroll down for more ...
Why are DVDs sold in larger packages than CDs, even though the discs are the same size?
CDs come in cases that are 148mm wide and 125mm high. By contrast, DVDs are sold in cases that are 135mm wide and 191mm high. Why use such different packaging for discs of identical size?
A little digging reveals the historical origins of this difference.
Prior to the appearance of digital CDs, most music was sold on vinyl discs, packaged in close-fitting sleeves that measured 302mm square. The racks on which vinyl discs were displayed were just wide enough, in other words, to accommodate two rows of CD cases with a divider between them.
Making the CD cases a little less than half as wide as the record sleeves they were replacing thus enabled retailers to avoid the substantial costs of replacing their storage and display racks.
Similar considerations seem to have driven the decision regarding DVD packaging. Before DVDs became popular, most film rental stores carried videotapes in the VHS format, which were packaged in form-fitting boxes that measured 135mm wide and 191mm high.
These videos were typically displayed side by side with their spines out. Making DVD cases the same height enabled stores to display their new DVD stocks on existing shelves, while consumers were in the process of switching over to the new format.
Making the DVD package the same height as the VHS package also made switching to DVDs more attractive for consumers, since they could store their new DVDs on the shelves they used for VHS tapes.
Scroll down for more ...
Why are whales in danger of extinction, but not chickens?
Seldom does a year pass without a demonstration decrying international hunting that threatens extinction for many large marine mammal species. Yet to my knowledge there has never been a demonstration exhorting us to save chickens. Why not?The short answer is that chickens have never been an endangered species. But that just raises the question of why one species is endangered and another not.
Whale populations have been dwindling because no one owns whales. They swim in international waters, and several nations have refused to respect the international treaties that have attempted to protect them.
Japanese and Norwegian whalers understand that their current practices threaten the survival of whales and hence their own livelihood. But each whaler also knows that any whale he does not harvest will be taken by someone else.
By contrast, most chickens in the world are owned by someone.
If you kill one of your chickens today, that is one less chicken you will own tomorrow. If chicken farming were your livelihood, you would have strong incentives to balance the number of birds you send to market and the number of new chicks you acquire.
Chickens and whales are both economically valuable. The fact that people enjoy secure property rights in chickens but not in whales explains why the former are secure and the latter are endangered.
Why don't more people wear shoes with Velcro fasteners?
Learning to tie one's shoelaces was a childhood rite of passage long before Swiss inventor George de Mestral obtained a patent for Velcro in 1955. Since then, Velcro has been replacing zips, hooks, laces and other traditional fastening methods in a host of applications.
As a method of fastening shoes, Velcro offers clear advantages over laces. Laces can become untied, for example, causing people to trip and fall. And fastening shoes with Velcro is much quicker and easier than tying a pair of laces. But although it once seemed that Velcro might drive laces from the marketplace, the proportion of adults who wear shoes with Velcro fasteners remains small. Why have shoelaces survived?
From the beginning, the most popular applications of Velcro in the shoe industry have been in shoes for children as well as the elderly and infirm. Velcro's popularity for children's shoes is explained by the fact that many of the youngest children have not yet learnt how to tie shoelaces.
Among the elderly, Velcro is popular for medical reasons. Some older people have difficulty bending down to tie their shoes, for example, while others have difficulty because of arthritic fingers.
The upshot is that Velcro fasteners on footwear are associated in the public mind with incompetence and fragility. Even though shoes that fasten with Velcro are in many ways more serviceable than lace-ups, shoelaces are unlikely to disappear in the near future.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=548730&in_page_id=1879
Be the first to rate this [?] |
World's 10 biggest banks
 |
World's 10 biggest banks
March 27, 2008The Bankersalmanac.com ranks the world's largest banks by total assets in US dolalrs. By the way, according to Bankersalmanac.com, Citibank NA is the world's 16th largest bank. So which are the top 10? Read on to find out:
UBS AG , Zurich, Switzerland
UBS AG is the world's biggest manager of other people's money. The bank's asset stood at $1,963.227 billion as in January 2008.
Present in major financial centres worldwide, UBS has offices in 50 countries. The bank had 81,557 employees on June 30, 2007. It originated in 1747, with its maiden branch coming up in the Swiss region of Valposchiavo.
The new UBS evolved out of a merger of the Union Bank of Switzerland and the Swiss Bank Corporation in June 1998. The merged bank's new name was originally supposed to be the United Bank of Switzerland. But it had to be named UBS as the proposed name clashed with United Bank Switzerland.
Marcel Opel is the bank's chairman of the board of directors, its executive vice chairman is Marco Suter, and the group CEO is Marcel Rohner. The bank's main competitors are Deutsche Bank, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse etc.
 |
World's 10 biggest banks
March 27, 2008The bank has registered assets worth $1,951.041 billion. It is also the sponsor of the English Premier League. Forbes Global 2000 ranked Barclays PLC as the 18th largest company in the world in 2007.
The bank's roots can be traced back to 1690 in London. It borrowed its name from Alexander and David Barclay, who provided credit to slave traders. The bank is headed by Marcus Agius, the group chairman.
Barclays being a member of the global ATM Alliance, its customers can use ATMs of other banks free of charge.
 |
World's 10 biggest banks
March 27, 2008It's history can be traced back to 1869, when a group of bankers and investors, including Adrien Delahante, Edmond Joubert and Henri Cernuschi, founded the Banque de Paris.
The bank employs 162,700 people and operates in 87 countries. The bank is active in the finance, investment and asset management markets.
 |
World's 10 biggest banks
March 27, 2008The bank originated from the Equivalent Society set up by investors in the bankrupt Company of Scotland. The Society was formed to protect the compensation the investors received as part of the arrangements of the 1707 Acts of Union.
Controversy has dogged the bank off and on. It has been infamously dubbed 'Oil Bank of Scotland' by environmentalists as it provides finance for the fossil fuel industry, thereby causing global warming.
In 2001, the bank received threats for having financed animal testing company Huntingdon Life Sciences. As a direct fallout of this, RBS withdrew the company's overdraft facility.
 |
World's 10 biggest banks
March 27, 2008Through its subsidiaries, Credit Agricole SA is involved in the following services:
The banks' varied activities are supervised by Rene Carron, the bank's chairman.
 |
World's 10 biggest banks
March 27, 2008 |
World's 10 biggest banks
March 27, 2008The bank, through its several subsidiaries, performs the following activities: commercial banking, trust banking, securities dealing, leasing, venture capital deals, factoring, research and consulting, securities custody service, etc.
The bank's CEO is Nobuo Kuroyanagi.
 |
World's 10 biggest banks
March 27, 2008The bank created history when the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Fortis and Banco Santander announced on October 8, 2007, that an offer for 86 per cent of outstanding ABN AMRO stock had been accepted. This made way for the largest ever bank takeover in history. On November 1 2007, an extraordinary shareholder meeting changed the bank's management.
Mark Fisher from RBS took over as the bank's CEO. Since then, Fortis has been using the ABN AMRO brand name for retail banking in the Netherlands.
 |
World's 10 biggest banks
March 27, 2008It is headquartered in France with the main head office in Tours Societe Generale in the business district of La Defense west of Paris.
 |
World's 10 biggest banks
March 27, 2008In 1958, the bank introduced the BankAmericard, which changed its name to VISA in 1977. A consortium of other California banks came up with Master Charge (now MasterCard).
Bank of America has divisions in US, Europe and Asia. The US headquarters are located in New York, European headquarters are based in London and Asia's headquarters are split between Singapore & Hong Kong.
Oooooooooo look at this lucky guy
The boys in my class often pinch the girls' chests," says a seven-year-old to his elder sister. "But there's nothing there," she replies, trying to sound normal. "Of course there is, some girls' chests are so big," says the second-grader. "He goes under the chair and puts his hands up our legs," says a nine-year-old, giggling, to her cousin, referring to her classmate and neighbour. The offender is asked, "Why do you do that?" "I was just searching for my eraser that had fallen under her chair. She refused to move her legs aside," he says, looking confused. "You don't have what we do. You just have a hole between your legs," gloats an 11-year-old to his younger sister. "I dropped my pencil," announces a 12-year-old boy in class. "You dropped your pencil?" is the echo from his classmates, accompanied by coughs and sniggers. Pencil, of course, does mean something else here. "Ok ok, I dropped my stationery pencil," says the boy. Pen and pen-cap, pencil and pencil-box, pencil and sharpener, these objects of everyday use suddenly become passwords of an exciting and forbidden world. "Pass the ball" is another line designed to send everyone on the field into paroxysms. While boys have been caught masturbating in school loos, one eighth standard boy who stayed behind in class during the break to do his homework, received an education of another kind—the girls in the class drew a nude female on the blackboard, with a penis coming out of it. "My friends would often talk about ejaculation when I was in the fifth standard, and I used to wonder what it was. The way they talked, I wanted to move away. It all felt filthy," recalls a ninth standard student. "In fact, one of my friends always gets strange dreams when we talk about all this. She feels really insecure. But she doesn't know whom to talk to about it." 'Slut' and 'prostitute' are common abuses that boys give girls, says a 13-year-old. Why isn't all this being reported to teachers? "Because you immediately become unpopular." Considering the realities of Indian classrooms today, the recent uproar of Maharashtra's MLAs against the state government's plans to introduce sex education in schools is based on an obsolete fear—pollution of young minds. That the government has now frozen its ambitious plans is unfortunate in a country where sexual intelligence is abysmal. A gynaecologist who has given talks on sex education to school and college students says that there is an appalling ignorance in adolescents and even the older youth about menstruation, pregnancy and contraception. "Science students at least learn about the reproductive system at some stage. Arts students are absolutely ignorant." In her practice, first in KEM hospital and then in her own clinic, she has seen cases of teenage pregnancy where the girl, unaware that she is already two months pregnant, cannot even explain how it happened. "He did something," is the common explanation. She has found similar ignorance in newly married couples, aged 18 or 19, who suddenly find themselves expecting their first, unwanted child. "No one told us what to do," they say when questioned about family planning. Harsh Sadani, founder-member of MAVA (Men against Violence and Abuse), who, along with other activists, has been persuading the Maharashtra government to introduce "sexuality education" in schools, points to these statistics of the Family Planning Association of India: 31% of girls and 33% boys in the age group of 12-19 years get married, while 60% of married girls (aged 15-19 years) have unwanted pregnancies. 48% school boys and 39% girls face some form of sexual abuse (ranging from inappropriate touch, exposure to pornography or violent sexual assault). The age of maximum abuse is between nine and 12 years, according to the National Study on Child Abuse 2007 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. "Children must learn to say NO," says Harsh. "Girls, of course, need to learn it, but so do boys, to resist peer pressure to perform any sexual act, watch blue films, or to go to sex workers. They need to learn to respect each other's bodies." The young have been vocal about their confusion in sexual matters. "We should have someone to talk to, who can penetrate our minds," says a 14-year-old. "We cannot talk about this with our mothers. How do we frame the question?" As a consequence, Mumbai Mirror's 'sexpert' column is a hit with school kids, who can barely comprehend the situations being spoken about. When caught reading the column, schools simply inform the parents. The uncontrolled sexual energy of adolescents leads to incidents that ruin lives. MMS clips of unsuspecting school girls that are passed around by their classmates and eventually released into the internet space, is a cruelty that is birthed in a male adolescent desperation. Schools need to address such issues. With sex in the air all around them, every relationship is seen by schoolkids as unnatural, but exciting. A seventh standard teacher says that she has to think really hard when children in her class report to her that so-and-so 'loves' so-and so. "I've told them one can love many people; don't we all love our family? Love is not a bad word." This is probably as far 'sex education' can go in this country. But, obviously, children need more guidance than this. Mumbai's lawmakers simply do not comprehend the enormity of the issue. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Sunday_Specials/Sex_And_The_Classroom/articleshow/2986931.cms
Mukesh Ambani's $2 bn home world's most expensive: Forbes
The 27-storey skyscraper being built in Mumbai by Mukesh Ambani, the richest person in India, could be the world's largest and costliest home with a price- tag nearing two billion dollar, according to Forbes magazine. "When the Ambani residence is finished in January, completing a four-year process, it will be 550 feet high with 4,00,000 square feet of interior space," Forbes said in a report on its website. Earlier in March, Mukesh Ambani was ranked as the fifth richest person in the world with a net worth of 43 billion dollars by the Forbes magazine in its annual list of world's wealthiest billionaires. While Lakshmi Mittal, who is an Indian citizen was ranked higher at fourth, he is a British resident. Among resident Indians, Mukesh was ranked at top. "The only remotely comparable high-rise property currently on the market is the 70 million dollar triplex penthouse at the Pierre Hotel in New York, designed to resemble a French chateau, and climbing 525 feet in the air," Forbes said in its report titled, "Inside The World's First Billion-Dollar Home." Mukesh Ambani heads India's most valuable firm Reliance Industries, an oil and petrochemicals giant. "Like many families with the means to do so, the Ambanis wanted to build a custom home. They consulted with architecture firms Perkins + Will and Hirsch Bedner Associates, the designers behind the Mandarin Oriental, based in Dallas and Los Angeles, respectively," the report said. "Plans were then drawn up for what will be the world's largest and most expensive home: a 27-story skyscraper in downtown Mumbai with a cost nearing 2 billion dollars." According to Forbes, Mukesh, along with his wife Nita Ambani and three children, currently live in a 22-story Mumbai tower. The report further noted that the cost for the Ambani residence, called Antilla whose shape is based on Vaastu, would be more than a hotel or high-rise of similar size because of its custom measurements and fittings. While a hotel or condominium has a common layout, replicated on every floor, and uses the same materials throughout the building, the Ambanis' home has no two alike in either plans or materials used, it said. "At the request of Nita Ambani, say the designers, if a metal, wood or crystal is part of the ninth-floor design, it shouldn't be used on the eleventh floor, for example. The idea is to blend styles and architectural elements so spaces give the feel of consistency, but without repetition," it said. "Atop six stories of parking lots, Antilla's living quarters begin at a lobby with nine elevators, as well as several storage rooms and lounges. Down dual stairways with silver-covered railings is a large ballroom with 80 per cent of its ceiling covered in crystal chandeliers." The report said that Ambanis plan to use the residence occasionally for corporate entertainment also and they want its interiors to have a "distinctly Indian" look and feel. "The top floors of entertaining space, where Ambani plans to host business guests (or just relax) offer panoramic views of the Arabian Sea... For more temperate days, the family will enjoy a four-story open garden," it noted. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Ambani_residence_worlds_most_expensive_Forbes/rssarticleshow/3002573.cms
rated by 1 person [?] |
Is India More Equal Than the United States?
Consider two facts about India. Fact No. 1: Every year, nearly 4,000 people die in the Mumbai commuter train system, most because they fall out of overcrowded cars in the cheap standing-room carriages, or try to hold onto the outside of the train to avoid paying the fare. Fact No. 2: According to an international survey of rental prices released earlier this month, Mumbai is the world's sixth most expensive place to rent an apartment, falling just behind London pricewise and well ahead of Paris and Rome.
Now add to these a third fact: Measured by the Gini index—the standard yardstick of inequality and the number that's being referred to whenever you read that, say, the Scandinavian countries are "more equal" than the United States—India is substantially more equal than the United States. It is also a little bit less equal than Israel and Japan. If you rank the countries of the world from most to least equal by the Gini index, India falls just a little behind Italy.
Now add to these a third fact: Measured by the Gini index—the standard yardstick of inequality and the number that's being referred to whenever you read that, say, the Scandinavian countries are "more equal" than the United States—India is substantially more equal than the United States. It is also a little bit less equal than Israel and Japan. If you rank the countries of the world from most to least equal by the Gini index, India falls just a little behind Italy.
To see why, let's look a little bit into the mathematics of inequality. The Gini index is a number that expresses the proportion of income that goes to people on various steps on the economic ladder. In a country in which everyone has exactly the same income, the Gini coefficient will be zero. On the other hand, in a country in which all the income goes to one person, the Gini coefficient will be 1, and the Gini index will be 100 (technically, it'll never reach the perfect 100, but it'll be incredibly close). In real life, the United States has a Gini index of 45, and Norway's is 28.
This is useful information, and by common-sense measures, Norway probably is more equal than the United States. But here's a thought experiment: Imagine that in some post-apocalyptic, global-warming-induced future the United States breaks up into a bunch of independent minifiefdoms.
One of these fiefdoms will be the Republic of Missoula, where 10,000 people live. Of these, 8,000 are getting by on $20,000 a year, or its equivalent in lentils and steel rods. Two thousand people, however, are doing much better. They've maintained a very comfortably upper-middle-class standard of living, with an income of $120,000 a year each.
Not far from the Republic of Missoula is the Principality of Sun Valley, where some part of the remaining über-class has built a series of fortified enclaves. A full 6,000 of Sun Valley's 10,000 residents are rich. Let's say they have the post-apocalypse equivalent of $300,000. The other 4,000, however, have nothing except for the alms they manage to beg at the side of the computer-controlled ski lift. Their income is essentially zero.
Now, which of these two states, the Republic of Missoula or the Principality of Sun Valley, would you say is more equal? My inclination, and I suspect most people's, will be to say that Missoula is the more equal of the two; you might feel differently. But either way, the Gini index will not help us, because in both of these cases, the Gini index is exactly the same. (For the mathematically inclined, both will have a Gini index of 40—less equal than India's 36.8 but more equal than the United States' 45.) The problem here is that Gini index alone does not yield enough information to indicate what proportion of a country's people are poor—even if we know the country's total income. A measure omitting that crucial concept doesn't get to what people really mean when they talk about inequality. Take it out, and most of the rhetoric about inequality loses its soul.
So if the Gini index doesn't really tell us very much about poverty, what is this measure of inequality good for? Well, in the case of real-world countries, which are less stratified than our post-apocalyptic mininations and have incomes that rise more smoothly as you move up the economic ladder (rather than taking a sudden jump), the Gini index will indeed yield a sense of how steep that rise is. And so it is useful as a measure of a fairly narrow kind of inequality, the difference in income of a typical person from the income right above and below him. Think of this in the real world as the difficulty of keeping up with the Joneses.
Or at least they say they would. But the question itself is loaded, because it presumes a much greater ability to look into the neighbor's wallet than people actually have. Economists are in the business of measuring the average bank account; noneconomists are not. I often have lunch in a restaurant near my apartment that looks surprisingly fancy (it was featured as a luxe Los Angeles restaurant in the movie Garden State, even though it's actually in Brooklyn, N.Y.). I sit by a huge indoor pool, by a floating boat filled with flowers, under a skylight. The lunch special, including an appetizer, is $7.50, or $8.50 with a shrimp dish. I don't know if the people at the next table are millionaires or spending their last $10.
Both are possible. When economists talk about inequality, they are talking about something that can easily be captured in an equation about national income. When noneconomists talk about inequality, however, they have in mind not their neighbor's wallet, which they can't see, but their own, which they can. They are thinking of what they can and cannot afford, and also of the most visible extremes of wealth and poverty around them. That's why India's Gini index may be lower than our own, and yet it will be the rare person who will say that India is more equal in any sense that matters. When we talk about inequality, it's not about resentment of the next door neighbors' pool. It's about gut issues: whether we feel poor, whether we feel that those around us are poor. That's why it's worth thinking about in the first place. Unfortunately, the usual way that economists talk about and measure inequality tells us next to nothing about it.
http://www.slate.com/id/2190375
Be the first |
12 Steps to Overcoming Shyness With the Opposite Sex
Getting rid of your shyness may seem impossible but with a little effort and the desire to be more outgoing with the opposite sex then you can definitely overcome shyness. It is important to know that the fears you feel when shyness hits you is typically always much worse than the reality of the situation. 1. Fake it until you make it! This is an infamous saying in the sales world. In other words; mimic or act like someone whom you admire and is not. It is a great way to start teaching yourself new behavioral habits. 2. Ask yourself why you are shy. Be honest with yourself. What are your real fears? What do you think people see when they talk with you? Answering these questions will help guide you into separating reality with what you are mistakenly perceiving it to be. 3. Work on building your self confidence. Yes, this will take effort on your part by reading books on the subject or listening to motivational tapes, but it works! 4. Learn how to use daily affirmations and positive mind influence. Again, this takes work but the power to change your shyness to confidence can come simply from saying things to yourself every day like "I like myself!" or "I am a winner!" 5. This may sound silly but take time out alone to roleplay situations that you get really nervous about. Pretend that you are talking to that guy or girl that makes you shy. Be that outgoing person that you wish to be. This roleplaying will send messages to your sub-consciousness and help your inner-self change. 6. Dress to impress even if nobody is looking. Iron those clothes! Keep that hair neat! In other words, always look your best. This does amazing things to help you feel better about yourself and overcome shyness. 7. Start projects in life that make you feel good. Start a personal project, totally clean up your house clutter and your car. Work on a new hobby. How can these things help you with overcoming shyness? Simple by working on things that make you feel good produces a natural aphrodisiac that turns you on and which indirectly turns on people around you. 8. Reprogram your mental definition of shyness. This goes along the same lines as using daily affirmations or by reading self help books. By changing your perception of shyness instead of having a negative attachment to the word, you will then help re-create your outlook on it. 9. Learn to take risks. How many times did you just want to go up to someone and tell them how beautiful they were, or how impressed they were. As a daily exercise do this: Each day of the week go up to a total stranger and say something nice. It could be something as innocent as complimenting a pretty girl on her hair or a guy with his shirt. Do not worry about the outcome, do not worry about what they say, just do it! 10. Combat your fears of rejections by realizing that everyone gets rejected at one point or another, everyone! Learn not to take rejection personally. Use it as a tool. 11. Be honest and up front!... tell people that you are shy up front, be honest with them. You will not believe just how nervous and shy the other person is as well. 12. Last but certainly not least... pray to God. Share your shyness with God and ask as him for the strength and courage to overcome it.
rated by |
The Top 10 Healthy Foods We Never Eat
There are many healthy foods that never see the inside of a shopping cart or in your fridge. Some you’ve never heard of, and others you’ve simply forgotten about. That’s why we’ve rounded up the best of the bunch. Make a place for them on your kitchen and you’ll instantly upgrade your health with no a prescription. 1. Cabbage - Cabbage is a vegetable few people really appreciate, but it’s truly a dieter’scabbage friend. It’s strong-flavored, but it’s this feature that makes it enjoyable in certain dishes. This leafy vegetable ranks right up there with broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts with a reputation for fighting cancer. It’s also a good source of vitamin C, fiber, potassium, and other nutrients. Cabbage also offers a major payoff — the fewest calories and least fat of any vegetable. This powerful veggie is a must for dieters trying to lose weight. From green cabbage you’ll enjoy a fiber boost and a respectable amount of vitamin C. Two types of cabbage, savoy and bok choy, provide beta-carotene — an antioxidant that battles cancer and heart disease. For those who don’t eat dairy products, bok choy is an important source of calcium, which may help prevent osteoporosis and aid in controlling blood pressure. 2. Blueberrys - are the best fruit because they contain the most antioxidants, significantlyblueberryys less pesticides are used in their cultivation, and they are the least perishable of all berries. They are high in vitamins A, C, and E, and contain significant amounts of potassium, manganese and magnesium. Recent studies have shown that eating blueberries may improve memory, intelligence, and coordination. Consuming blueberries au naturel is a good idea, since heat diminishes the benefits of the phytonutrients they contain. (Health experts agree that eating cooked berries, fresh or frozen, still provides significant benefits.) 3. Spinach. There are many reasons to enjoy the dark green leafy vegetable known asspinach spinach. For many years spinach has been touted as a health food, and this superfood certainly lives up to its reputation. Spinach is a rich source of many important vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, iron, calcium and beta-carotene. Spinach is also a rich source of dietary fiber, thought to play an important role in protecting the body from many forms of cancer. As a matter of fact, the compounds contained in spinach are being studied for their possible role in preventing many forms of cancer, including such major killers as lung cancer. One reason may be the high concentration of vitamin K found in spinach. Vitamin K has long been associated with cancer prevention, and spinach is one of the very best sources of this vital nutrient. 4. Pumpkin seeds - Downing pumpkin seeds is the easiest way to consume morepumpkin seeds magnesium. That’s important because French researchers recently determined that men with the highest levels of magnesium in their blood have a 40 percent lower risk of early death than those with the lowest levels. And on average, men consume 353 mg of the mineral daily, well under the 420 mg minimum recommended by the USDA.In terms of their fat content, pumpkin seeds are a good way to get both the omega 3 and 6 essential fats needed for hormone balance, brain function and skin health. 5. Beans - Much recent research in the food sciences has established that all kinds ofbeans beans are loaded with protease inhibitors, compounds that make it hard for cancer cells to invade adjacent tissue. Fava beans contain much herein, which has shown to block carcinogens in the digestive tract. And soy beans are especially rich in isoflavones, which appears to reduce the risk of breast cancer by blocking the tumor-growing influence of estrogen. Lentils also belong to the bean family, and are one of the tastiest, most versatile, and easiest to prepare beans. 6. Leeks - Leeks, like garlic and onions, belong to a vegetable family called the Alliumleeks vegetables. Is a good source of dietary fiber, leeks also contain goodly amounts of folic acid, calcium, potassium, and vitamin C. Easier to digest than standard onions, leeks have laxative, antiseptic, diuretic, and anti-arthritic properties. 7. Cinnamon - Cinnamon has anti-inflammatory qualities that can lessen joint andcinnamon muscle pain, especially the joint pain associated with arthritis. Diabetics should know that a recommended daily dose of this spice can help regulate blood sugar. Cinnamon can also benefit the health of your heart by improving your circulation. Cinnamon can also improve digestive health and relieve common stomach discomforts. Many women use a daily dose of cinnamon to relieve discomforts associated with their menstrual cycle. If you have nasal or sinus congestion, cinnamon may help relieve these conditions. Cinnamon may also help kill and prevent the growth of harmful bacteria, which makes this spice useful for preventing urinary tract infections, tooth decay, gum disease, and other bacterial problems. 8. Oysters -Oysters are a lean source of protein and they contain omega-3 fatty acids.oysters Six oysters have a total of 600 milligrams of omega-3s — one-third of what’s recommended in a day. One serving has about 55 milligrams of cholesterol — one-fifth of what’s found in an egg and less than the amount in a chicken breast. For most people, the amount of cholesterol in a particular food usually has a minor effect on blood cholesterol. Oysters are an exceptional source of zinc, an important immune system booster that also helps sharpen your sense of taste and smell. They’re also an abundant source of vitamin B12, copper, iron and selenium. 9. Guava -Guava has a higher concentration of lycopene-an antioxidant that fightsguava prostate cancer–than any other plant food, including tomatoes and watermelon. In addition, 1 cup of the stuff provides 688 milligrams (mg) of potassium, which is 63 percent more than you’ll find in a medium banana. And guava may be the ultimate high-fiber food: There’s almost 9 grams (g) of fiber in every cup. Guava is Beneficial in the following cases : prolonged menstruation, high blood pressure, poor circulation (strengthen the heart) , congestion of the lungs, acidosis, asthma, catarrh, obesity . 10. Honey - contains many minerals and vitamins beneficial to man. However, one of thehoney most important properties seems to be its antibiotic action. - Honey has been shown to be superior to certain conventional antibiotics in treating some infections. This bactericide (bacteria-killing) property of honey is named “the inhibition effect”. Experiments conducted on honey show that its bactericide properties increase twofold when diluted with water. It is very interesting to note that newly born bees in the colony are nourished with diluted honey by the bees responsible for their supervision - as if they know this feature of the honey. - Honey is of value in treating burns, infected surgical wounds and ulcers. - At a concentration of 40%, honey has a bactericidal effect on various gut bacteria known to cause diarrhoea and dysentery - Raw honey is an excellent treatment for 90% of all allergies. - Honey is remedial in cases of persistent coughs and sore throat. The strong antibiotic properties it contains coats the throat and reduces throat irritation. - Because sugar molecules in honey can convert into other sugars (e.g. fructose to glucose), honey is easily digested by the most sensitive stomachs, despite its high acid content. It helps kidneys and intestines to function better. Hence honey is beneficial for maintaining a healthy digestive system as well as combating illnesses such as constipation. - Honey has a low calorie content. Honey, when it is compared with the same amount of sugar, it gives 40% less calories to the body. Although it gives great energy to the body, it does not add weight. http://www.egodevelopment.com/top-10-healthy-foods-you-aren%e2%80%99t-eating/
Be the first to rate this [?] |
What Keeps Indian Enterprises from
Small and medium enterprises account for 80% of Indian businesses (3 million small and medium enterprises and counting), produce over 8000 products, contribute 35% to industrial output, 40% to direct exports, and employ nearly 30 million people. And yet, they continue to remain small even after 20 or 30 years. Given a choice, they still want some form of protection. The forces of competition, rapid technological change and globalization mean very little to these otherwise successful enterprises.
What are the challenges faced by entrepreneurs in scaling up and making it to the big league? How much of this can be attributed to the external environment and how much to the entrepreneur's mindset itself? Based on the responses here are the major constraints:
Treating the business like a family—almost literally: this might come as a surprise to those in the developed countries, but promoters of small businesses develop an emotional attachment to everything about the business, including the people. The leadership style is patriarchal. A significant majority have not fired anyone in their business. Performance orientation is lacking and a comfort with the status-quo is palpable.
Inability to prioritize: entrepreneurs engaged in small businesses are in a perennial "fire-fighting" mode. Everything appears to be a crisis. Considerable time and effort is expended on trivial matters often at the expense of growth, creativity and innovation. Strategy is conspicuous by its absence. Not surprisingly, the business remains small.
Inability to delegate and empower: the CEOs of small businesses find it extremely hard to delegate. Even after two decades, they want to be the ones to sign a cheque even if it is for only a few dollars. They want every little detail in every domain—how many units were produced, how many were sold, how many people were absent for the day, how many phone calls were made. As a result, they lose sight of the big picture. They are unable to envision a grand future. They cannot dream big.
Aversion to risk: what we witness in small businesses can be termed "Destructive Paranoia". There is a constant dread of what might happen next. Competition seems to send a chill down the spine. Getting into uncharted territory is anathema. Obstacles or downturns, that are bound to occur in any business, are looked upon as bad omens. This kind of hyper-conservatism blocks the generation of new ideas.
The learning curve—what is that?
Entrepreneurs running small and medium enterprises fail to keep pace with change—be it technology, be it customer expectations or processes that can transform their businesses. One is astonished to see the number of entrepreneurs who feel a sense of "mission accomplished." That is a euphemism for tunnel vision—I have a house, a car, a decent bank balance, business is OK, why should I bother learning new tools, techniques, and new ways of doing?
Sure, there are external constraints as well. Finance is a major issue and interest rates are high. Again, though this problem appears to be external, it has more to do with the mindset. small and medium entrepreneurs seem to think that the only way one can obtain finance is through debt. The fact that some of the best organizations in the world are zero-debt companies comes as a surprise to them. Nearly 95% of small and medium enterprises are either proprietary firms or partnerships. Just 6% are in the corporate sector and here again, a vast majority are closely-held (not listed on any stock exchange). Equity is seen as being both risky (sharing ownership) and difficult (who will subscribe to our shares?).
The paradox of the scalability challenge is that the entrepreneurs are highly talented people. They have worked hard to make a success of their ventures. If only they could shed their inhibitions, think big, let go of all but the most critical decisions to others, develop human capital, embrace change instead of resisting it, list their priorities, tap the capital market, link up with transnationals or similar entities in forming clusters for driving down costs and improving visibility globally, and learn constantly, they have the potential to be the next set of billionaires from an emerging economy.
http://www.businessweek.com/managing/con
Seven Indians among top 100 intellectuals
An intellectual is someone whose mind watches itself, said French-Algerian writer-philosopher Albert Camus; turns out that someone is keeping track of intellectuals too. The latest issue of the influential Foreign Policy magazine has identified the world's Top 100 "public intellectuals", in its second such exercise, awarding America - and the United States - with more cerebral heft than any other continent or country. India comes out shining too. Besides familiar names such as Al Gore, Noam Chomsky, Francis Fukuyama, Umberto Eco, Lee Kuan Yew, the list has some half-dozen Indians: historian Ramachandra Guha, political psychologist Ashis Nandy, and environmentalist Sunita Narain, all of whom live in India, among them. ( Watch ) Four other Indians based outside India also make the list: Economist-Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, journalist author Fareed Zakaria, novelist Salman Rushdie, and San Diego-based neuroscientist V S Ramachandran. Neighbouring Pakistan and Bangladesh have one name each in the Top 100 - lawyer-politician Aitzaz Ahsan and microfinance guru Mohammed Yunus, while China has four. Unmindful of the gibe by a former US vice-president Sprio Agnew that an intellectual is a man who doesn't know how to park a bike, Foreign Policy has parked for more than a third (36) of the worlds Top 100 eggheads in North America, most of them in the US. Among them are two New York Times columnists, Thomas Friedman and Paul Krugman. For the record, Agnew, who coined several alliterative excesses such as "nattering nabobs of negativism" and "hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history," resigned from the vice-presidency following charges of tax evasion and money laundering. No one accused him of being an intellectual although he once characterized a group of opponents as "an effete corps of impudent snobs who characterize themselves as intellectuals." Foreign Policy also credits Europe, which has deep tradition of intellectualism, with 30 names in the Top 100 - less than North America - including Britons Niall Fergson, Ian Buruma and Christopher Hitchens. The Middle East accounts for 11, and Asia 12, which means India accounts for half of Asia's eggheads. The list includes 17 political scientists, 15 economists, 12 each of philosophers, scientists, and journalists, eight artists and novelists, six each of historians, activists, and leaders, four religious heads, and two environmentalists. In defining the criteria for its selection, Foreign Policy said the candidates, “among the worlds most sophisticated thinkers... have shown distinction in their particular field as well as an ability to influence wider debate, often far beyond the borders of their own country." http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/7_Indians_among_top_100_intellectuals
Five Ways In Which You Can Save Success From Failure
Things are going great for you. Your life is amazing. Things just could not be better, and then BOOM! Something happens to take the rug out from under you. You may be afraid, confused, angry, or all of the above and more. What you really need to though is figure out what went wrong. Just follow these five steps, and you will be back on your way, better than ever: 1. Take a step back Any time things are going badly, the first thing you should do is just simply take a step back and re-evaluate the situation. Look closely at not only what has gone wrong, but what has gone right as well. Above all though, take a deep breath and realize that chances are decent that you can fix things. Being able to do this and change your attitude to a positive one is a very important first step. 2. Ask someone else's opinion This can be difficult to do. You may already be feeling bad about how things are, and now I am asking you to put your faults in front of someone. The hardest part though is not how you feel about things, but finding someone who you know will give you an honest, unbiased opinion on the situation. If you have a mentor, this would be an ideal person to talk to. Remember though, that it is their opinion, and whatever they say you must listen, even if it is something you don't want to hear. 3. Ask for help This could be something as simple as helping you get re-organized, or it could be borrowing money, asking for someone's time, or any other number of things. Realize that most people are willing to help others. Most importantly though, do not forget to do the same when others approach you in the future. Follow the Golden Rule. It is as simple as that. 4. What have you learned? After everything else, look back on the situation again. What lessons have you learned? What things would you not do again? What things would you do more of? What people were there to help and in what capacity? What people were not? If we do not learn from our mistakes, we are then doomed to repeat them continuously. What have you learned? 5. Try again Take another shot. There is almost always one more thing you can try, one more avenue to pursue. And if you fail again, you go through the process again. You never truly fail until you stop trying to succeed. This is very important to remember. So much so that I would say if you take nothing else from this article, please remember this! So remember, take a step back, ask someone else's opinion, ask for help, figure out what you have learned, and then try again. Following these steps may not make things perfect, but they will clear your head and get you back on the road to success again, which of course is where you really deserve to be, now is it not?
How to Behave on a First Date
So you've met someone you're attracted to (or your friends have hooked you up) and you find yourself about to head out on a first date. Many people get nervous because they don't know what to expect, what to wear or even how to behave. If you don't want to screw it up, read below to find out how you can make the first date a successful one.
Instructions
Step 1: Relax. It's only a meeting between two human beings. You do it all the time, but just because you might like this person or are excited to see them, you put a lot of emphasis on the date. Just be cool, take a deep breath, and focus on the fact that they could be anywhere but made a choice to spend time with you.
Step 2: Be yourself. It sounds trite, but if you're not the kind of person who usually opens doors or pulls out chairs, don't pretend to be. It's fine to be courteous, but don't just pull out her chair just because it's a first date. If it's something that you usually do, then go for it. But don't be the person who does it on the first date and then never again.
Step 3: Smile. We tend to smile back at people who smile at us. It also shows you as a warm, approachable person.
Step 4: Talk. Just remember that it is a meeting, not an interview. Instead of asking questions like "What do you do?" or "Do you like what you do?" ask "What's the best thing about what you do?" It makes the person focus on the positives of their job rather than the negatives. If you find yourself running out of things to say, ask "If you could wake up anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would it be?" People generally think about this one and might even give you more to talk about. Don't bring up old stories in hopes of sympathy.
Step 5: Listen. When you pay attention and listen to the other person, they feel like they have your attention and would probably want to spend more time with you.
Step 6: Touch, but don't grope. It's important to recognize a person's comfort level, but touching gently on the arms or back is a normal part of flirting. Naturally, if the person feels comfortable from your conversation, they wouldn't mind little touching and might even welcome it.
Step 7: If you're out having dinner or coffee, be polite to the person serving you. If you come across as mean to that person, it could prove to be a big turn off.
Step 8: Relax. Yes it was step one but it's also the last step. Don't try too hard. Just relax and enjoy the date...um, meeting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
