The idea of SEPA

SEPA is the Single Euro Payments Area. SEPA harmonises the way we make and process payments in euro. SEPA enables customers to make cashless euro payments to anyone located anywhere in Europe, using a single payment account and a single set of payment instruments

If you travel from one euro area country to another, you can easily buy something with euro cash. But paying cashless outside your home country, for example with a card, is more difficult. This is due to technical, legal and market barriers stemming from the time before the single currency. SEPA aims to overcome these barriers. The result will be a single market for payments in euro. This single market will reach beyond the euro area and even the European Union.

Online and mobile advertising offers enormous potential

Online and mobile advertising offers enormous potential
written by Archana Singh, archanasi@cybermedia.co.in

http://voicendata.ciol.com/content/top_stories/110101201.asp

Advertising has become pivotal to a company's competitiveness and for making its place in the industry. Online and mobile advertisements are helping the enterprises save on time and gain popularity rates very rapidly.

According to a report released by the media analyst, Screen Digest-rich media advertising market on mobile will reach $2.79 bn by 2012, along with the global mobile TV advertising reaching $2.44 bn. Mobile advertising is becoming a new source of revenue and is expected to multiply in the post 3G deployments with video also becoming an added feature of the advertising world.

GSMA and ComScore released the first industry-standard metrics for mobile advertising this fiscal. Experts and analysts say that it may be recalled that mobile advertising has been around globally, but is yet to generate significant revenues. The fact remains unchallenged that the mobile advertising has a lot to offer to enterprises, brands remaining hinged to it. The global mobile advertising industry is expected to grow up to $24 bn by 2013.

The fact that mobile as a medium gives the advertiser the advantage of 'reach' is being cashed on. It reaches more than 500 mn individuals in India, and helps reach the right target audience at the right place and at the right time. Filters like geographic targeting, demographic targeting, gender targeting, etc, helps reach such audience and increase the attention of the consumers. Another opinion that has added to the promotional messaging is that people can tend to ignore a TV or radio ad, however the probability of reaching a consumer is more on a mobile platform.
However, to this growing industry there are impediments that have come on the way. Mobile advertising in India is still a learning game for many. No one knows what works and what not. Everyone is experimenting with various business models.
The biggest challenge will be making the consumer to engage with mobile advertising. Consumers are irritated by over usage of SMS as advertising media. Too many new players have wrongly positioned SMS advertising in the minds of the consumer. So, it may take more time for consumers to permit advertising on their mobiles.

Global Interest

When global companies like Pepsi, HUL, Warner brothers, Airtel, Tata, Dominos, Yatra.com use a platform, it surely tends to arouse the interest of rest of the industry. Last year saw the global biggie-wiggies using the SMS platforms to advertise.

Raju Vanapala, founder & CEO, Way2SMS says, “Mobile advertising is a win-win proposition for all the stakeholders including consumers, brands and telcos. Customers can avail of some great opportunities, discounts, offers, prizes and much more. The current mobile advertising channels such as WAP advertising or SMS advertising, would be enhanced by 3G networks soon. 3G allows more innovation to go beyond the traditional mobile advertising modes like SMS, WAP and USSD.”
Sharing the view that mobile advertising has a long way to go Satyakalyan Yerramsetti, CEO and founder, SMS Country says, “Enterprises are using online ad networks to generate leads. Most enterprises also do branding exercises and rely more on CPM based advertising campaigns. This helps them to make their presence felt all over the Internet by putting up banners, SMS campaigns and ads on mobile Internet.”
SMS GupShup announced that 150 advertisers which includes some of the major global brands ran campaigns on its networks.

Says Beerud Sheth, CEO, SMS GupShup, “Mobile communities are a powerful way for brands to engage their customers on an ongoing basis, as well as increase the customer base through viral growth. Engagement drives loyalty, converting customers into advocates, driving repeats & referrals-which can be far more effective than regular advertising. Brands can get direct feedback from their customers as well as inform, interact and transact with them.”

Brands have so far been running SMS campaigns and creating mobile communities. However, there is a new opportunity that has emerged in the form of SMS applications. These apps can be customized based on the brand's needs, and as the marketing fraternity recognizes the power of SMS in this country, the demand for customized apps and solutions will keep growing.

Vodafone recently created an app to increase engagement and loyalty amongst the low ARPU pre-paid subscribers in the slums of Mumbai. The mobile app was developed by SMS GupShup to conduct a bidding competition on SMS using a toll free number. Essential items like rice, wheat and sugar were up for auction and Vodafone pre-paid subscribers with a balance of over `20 were eligible to bid for these products using their mobile phones. The winning bids were announced on the spot. The results of this promotion were so encouraging that SMS GupShup and Vodafone plan to roll this activity across another twenty-five network circles in due course of time.
The company also along with Pepsi launched a large customer engagement program across India. SMS GupShup created a mobile community that quickly gained 60,000 members-making this one of the fastest customer acquisition programs on mobile in India.

Monitoring Spams

Spams for long have been a major obstruction for the subscribers. While there is a major issue about the DND operatibility, subscribers have been always complaining about the bulk messages which they receive. However, to monitor the problem of spamming, companies are taking some serious steps to deal with them and thereby monitor the anomalies. Says Satyakalyan Yerramsetti, “Before we send out messages, we filter them through this list. For 160by2.com, we also provide an online interface for users to unsubscribe from messages they do not want to receive.”
At SMS GupShup, advertisers can target specific communities that revolve around contextual content or build their own communities on the platform. But then this is all opt-in for the end user, and users on SMS GupShup are always just a single SMS away from opting out of any content that they do not wish to receive. Some advertisers also use our platform to reach out to their own or procured databases but the company has been refraining from sharing details of users on the platform with brands and advertisers.

Way2SMS also keeps in check these anomalies by having a mechanism in place to check spam. Subcribers will also be sent some cautions like the procedure that they should follow either through the IVR or they can send a message to stop receiving unwanted messages.

Other companies are also fast catching up with the idea of channelizing the SMS spams so as to maintain the credibility and usability for the subscribers.

Future Beckons

Satyakalyan Yerramsetti, CEO, 160by2 says, “Mobile advertising and social media put together has a huge potential. Advertising through mobile searches like Just Dial is one strategy. By advertising on Just Dial, any queries that customers have about SMS services are immediately directed to our company. We also advertise with online ad networks to reach out to consumers who are searching for some services provided by us.”
There are many changes that the SMS platforms are innovating to cater to the changing demands of the enterprises.

Raju Vanapala, Way2SMS says, “We could see replication of web advertising models such as CPC, CPM, CPL on mobile too. These advertising models will gain traction once people start adopting 3G services. Companies such as Way2SMS with over 300 mn SMS impressions a month, will leverage more via its footer ads.”
So while innovation is needed in every stage of advertising from content, medium to user targeting, the SMS platforms have a long way to cover given the kind of reach they have come to achieve in a short span of time.

While eBay has been using various other mobile platforms in India, SMS GupShup has been a partner to reach new consumers. Turner Imagine, a leading general entertainment channel, used SMS GupShup to increase TRPs of their reality shows by driving viewer engagement. UTI Mutual Fund has built a mobile community of over half a million users on SMS GupShup, where it provides general investment advice and selective financial market updates.

Other brand advertisers on the network include Microsoft, Cadbury, Nokia, Ford, Puma, Maybelline, Dell, Kingfisher, Sun Microsystems and ING Financial. Brands run SMS ads and create mobile communities, similar to fan sites that appear on traditional web based social networks.

Archana Singh
archanasi@cybermedia.co.in

Make your payment with SmartPhone

Handsets will soon be able to connect to other gadgets or make payments with a tap.

No longer having to carry all of the cards you currently carry in your wallet for the services are provided via your mobile phone. You can securely pay your bills or make purchases at participating retail outlets using your mobile phone. Your mobile phone can be linked to your credit cards, bank accounts and/or your mobile phone bill. Loyalty cards, coupons, retail gift cards, all can be stored in your mobile phone. The mobile phone can even replace a key pass and membership card. You can also view your bank statements, checks or credit card slips, loyalty points, balance on gift cards, all on your mobile phone.

Several smart phone manufacturers are developing plans to launch U.S. handsets that can connect to other devices when tapped together, or act as electronic wallets by instantly paying for goods when waved over a reader.

The technology to make this possible- Near Field Communications (NFC)-is a step beyond the contactless radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology used in many transit systems or security access cards for buildings. NFC uses the same high-frequency radio waves as RFID and can make a connection over a distance of up to around 10 meters. It is also compatible with existing RFID systems. But NFC devices can both send and receive data-something that will enable many new applications when coupled with the computational power of a smart phone.

The new service, to be launched by the December 2010, will use technology developed by DigiMo to enable Israeli consumers to make payments at the point-of-sale with their mobile phone using their choice of an NFC phone, a sticker attached to their existing phone or a 2D barcode. Israeli mobile commerce, payments and marketing specialist DigiMo Group has announced it has added support for NFC phones and stickers to its barcode-based mobile payments system.

The system is believed to be the first in the world to allow payments to be made at the point-of-sale using either near field communication or mobile barcodes and has been developed at the request of one of Israel's largest banks.

Customers will need a 2.5G or 3G phone in order to make payments using the mobile barcode option, while other customers will be able to pick up an NFC sticker from their bank branch.

Merchants with an existing barcode reader will not need to install any new hardware in order to accept payments via mobile barcode while those without a barcode reader, and those wishing to support NFC payments will be able to install a simple NFC reader that connects directly to their electronic cash register. Some twenty retail chains and around fifty independent retailers will accept the new payments solution from day one.

The bank then plans to take the system national, once the first 30,000 stickers have been distributed and the system is fully up and running.

There are two major advantages to the solution. The first is that "full coverage can be achieved with minimum investment in infrastructure. In the barcoded market no investment is required at all. In other places, NFC readers will be installed to support the service launch as well as any future needs." The second advantage is that "customers with older phones that do not contain an integral NFC device can also be part of the target audience to use the new payment service and enjoy all the benefits of mobile payment, thanks to an add-on attached to their cell phone."

89% of young consumers willing to pay for mobile wallet services

A study conducted by mobile wallet solution provider Alcatel-Lucent with members of its Youth Lab, a group of teenagers and young adults from ten countries around the world, has found that 89% of the participants would be willing to pay a monthly fee to get a mobile wallet service.

226 members of the Youth Lab from Spain, Brazil, France, the US, the UK, China, Mexico, Germany, Italy and Japan took part in the study, which also found that:

The option to 'Buy a movie ticket without needing to wait in line' was the most appealing to respondents.

75% of respondents were interested in 'location based coupons' and 'profile based coupons'.

More than 85% of participants were interested in checking their wallet balance and transaction history in real time, paying for public transport with their mobile phone and receiving electronic tickets

$35 tablet computer designed in India

Sakshat is a tablet computer designed in India as a low cost device in order to attempt to bridge the digital divide. The original prototype unveiled in 2009 was a failure. However, a new prototype unveiled in 2010 has been met with enthusiasm. The device has been developed as part of the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology that aims to link 25,000 colleges and 400 universities on the subcontinent in an e-learning program via an existing Sakshat portal. The tablet would cost $35 with HCL Technologies being chosen as the manufacturer.

Are Mobile Ads More Effective Than Online Ads?

We know mobile advertising is effective. The question is: how effective? Recent studies suggest pretty solid results for both direct response and branding metrics, better, in fact than some online ads.

The lead article in yesterday’s eMarketer newsletter, for example, reported low ad recall but high response rates for location-based service ads, based on results of a recent Luth/Mobile Marketing Association study. On the other hand, the same survey indicated fairly high recall rates (and correspondingly lower response rates) for display ads seen while browsing or using applications, particularly among mobile users ages 18 to 34.

What Social Media Can Do For Your Business

There are still a number of business people, executives, owners and more, that have doubts about social media as a business driver. Part of that skepticism has to do with the fact the medium is quite new and participating in it requires a different approach from traditional marketing efforts. Part of it has to do with the fact that social media thinkers and advocates have never been very good at illustrating a definitive tie to business success through their medium of choice.

Business.com‘s Social Media Best Practices: Question & Answer Forums report released two weeks ago talked about statistics around forums like LinkedIn Answers, Yahoo Answers and Business.com’s own Business.com Answers. The report had a hidden gem in it: The chart below which listed Social Media Success Metrics:



This might be the first quantified list of what social media can do for your business. It was taken from survey of over 1,400 individuals, 69 percent of whom work at business currently using social media and 59 percent of whom are business owners or C-Level executives.

If you run into someone who doubts what social media can do for business from now on, share this information with them. People just like them say it does the above.

6 Things Social Media Can’t Do for Your Business

Social media is occasionally hailed as a do-all solution for businesses – an indescribably brilliant marketing platform, a can-do-everything publishing option, and a complete tool for keeping in touch with clients, customers, and business contacts. There’s a lot of hype in the social media world, and unfortunately very little of that hype is backed up by any real results.

A lot of that hype is grounded in the lack of understanding that many have about social media. It’s not a do-all tool, and it’s certainly not something that can revolutionize every business. While a range of brands and businesses have had their successes in social media, many more have ended up with nothing to show for their efforts, except of course wasted time and money.

















Image Source

These six social media “can’t-dos” are truths that almost every online business owner needs to absorb. Yes, social media can be a valuable tool, but no, it can’t do everything for your business. Take a realistic approach to your social media strategy, and let these six occasional impossibilities serve as limits for your social media marketing efforts.

1. Socia media can’t please everyone.
There’s an overwhelming belief that a presence in social media will quiet all negative discussion of your business or non-positive feedback. While some social media circles are paralyzed by echos of positivity and endless grating optimism, most attract just as much criticism as they do praise. If you enter social media with intentions to make all coverage of your business positive, you could be in for a big surprise.

The best strategy is to use social media for discussion and connection. If someone is speaking negatively about your business online, reach out to them and let them know what you can do. Don’t try to control conversation online – that tactic rarely succeeds – just offer an alternative to unanswered criticisms.

2. Social media won’t generate unlimited leads.
The assumption that social media is a lead generation machine is, quite honestly, a little laughable. Sure, some businesses have used social media to their advantage for lead generation, but very few premium businesses and large-scale service businesses have generated valuable leads from social media.

That said, there are ways to generate leads through social media. By running simple search terms for clients and prospective customers, you can find people who are looking for what you’ve got on offer. Monitor discussion carefully on Twitter, set up Google Alerts, and look for high-value clients, but don’t expect social media to give them to you.

3. Social media can’t help you complete projects.
It can’t help, but it can serve as an occasionally worthless distraction. There’s a point in every company’s marketing efforts where expenditure begins to outweigh positive returns. For some, it’s when mass advertising takes place, while for others it’s when social media marketing takes up too much time and results in too few results.

Just remember, time spent on unsuccessful social media efforts is time that could have been spent on high-value projects and client acquisition. By all means use social media as a long-term marketing and branding tool, but don’t confuse wasted time on social media with valuable time that could be spent working.

4. Social media rarely translates into high-value clients.
Social media can be a highly valuable marketing platform, but only for some businesses. Nine Inch nails frontman Trent Reznor experienced some great results through social media for his tours and merchandise sales, seeing rapid growth and huge sales targets beaten. However, that’s Nine Inch Nails. They’re exciting, entertaining, and they’ve already generated their massive fan-base through years of touring, a range of albums, and huge amounts of radio play.

For them, social media was a valuable marketing platform. For a new business without any fans, followers, or long-term clients, social media might not be. While the passing reader might be interested in a product or project that’s available, it’s rare to gain long-term clients and valuable contracts on social media without some dedicated efforts towards marketing elsewhere.

5. Social media can’t replace other marketing efforts.
It’s interesting the amount of discussion and attention that social media receives, especially when compared to other online marketing methods. It’s nearly impossible to go a day without seeing another online article touting the benefits of social media marketing and the downsides of “old fashioned” marketing methods like PPC and SEO, all without any real evidence behind it.

The problem is that the numbers don’t agree. Social media only makes up a tiny part of the pie, even amongst businesses that are known for being social media experts and mega-marketers. By all means, invest in social media tactics for your products, services, or solutions, but don’t let them get in the way of other, more profitable and successful, marketing methods.

6. Social media alone can’t make you an expert.
The number of self-proclaimed social media experts is only increasing, at least according to studies and scans of Twitter profiles. Most of these apparent “experts” engage in nothing but endless hot air discussions, ranting on about the value of social media for their industry while bringing nothing new to the table.
The thing is, social media can make you an expert, but only when you actually have the skills required. Don’t just set out with a Twitter profile, Facebook fan page, and Ning community with intentions of becoming an expert – put in the work required to get there. Social media is packed with hot air and empty conversations, but by bringing some real value to the table you can become a real expert, and an in-demand online presence

Easy Money: Affiliate Marketing In 3 Steps

Affiliate marketing is a process where the merchant will pay a portion of their sales revenue to an affiliate if the sale is result of the affiliate’s promotion to the products and services offered by the merchant.

Now days, it's one of the fastest growing industries because it's cost efficient and quantifiable for both the affiliate and the merchant. Other players can profit as well, such as the affiliate network or the affiliate solutions provider.

The best benefit for the merchant is the fact that he will gain opportunities to advertise his products to a much larger market, therefore increasing his chances to earn. The more affiliates the merchant obtains, the more sales he can expect. With the merchant having affiliates market his products and services, he will save himself time, effort, and money in looking for markets as well as customers. The affiliate marketer will benefit from each customer that clinks on the link in his website and who actually purchases a product from the merchant.

If you have wanted to join the growing legion of affiliate marketers and have an unlimited potential or income, simply follow these 3 steps to start an effective affiliate marketing program.

1. Identify something that interests you or you feel very passionate about. Then, focus on a specific area you know a lot about, as this will help you bring out your best and give your visitors who are possible buyers a demonstration of your expert in this field. This way, you'll gain their trust and encourage them to buy the products that you endorse.

2. Search for merchants and products or services that are related to your interest then create a web site with top level domain names and very reliable hosting. When you choose the products for your web site, you need to consider the commission structure and the conversion rate.

There are many different affiliate networks and affiliate solution providers where you can obtain the information on most profitable products and which merchants pay the best. Take your time -and be sure you choose the right one.

3. Now, you are ready to promote. You've chosen everything you need and even created your very own website. You'll need to be creative, flexible, and willing to embrace new ideas. By this stage, you'll be well on your way to making more money than you ever imagined - and enjoying every minute of it.

Affiliate Marketing Tactics - Successful Banner Advertising

Affiliate marketing is one of the most perspective businesses to make money online. Affiliate marketing mix includes own tools and methods as well as techniques of traditional online advertising – banner marketing, blog marketing, e-mail marketing, SEO, article marketing, etc.

Banner advertising is recognized as one of the most successful tools of affiliate marketing. The placement of advertising banner of the advertiser on the website of the affiliate is a part of Display Marketing. When clicking on the advertising banner, user is redirected to a promotional landing page, where he/ she is able to complete a specific action – could be a sale, a registration, etc. to receive commission for.

Banners most commonly consist of graphics and text, designed to attract visitor's attention and provoke to action. The customer must click on them to be directed towards the advertiser's website in order to proceed to buy a product. Banner advertising could provoke excellent conversion rates, if done right.

Experts from Lidango - one of the fastest developing global affiliate marketing networks, are revealing the most important issues of the successful banner campaign.
The first step is to define your objectives. Clearly outline the product/set of products you want to sell, the people/businesses you want to sell them to - the target audience, the volume of sales you project, as well as the budget you have to fit into.

Next, knowing all of the above, try to formulate a strategy that most efficiently will help you meet your objectives. Some of the questions that pend for an answer are: Where to place the banners, so that they reach the desired audience? What should the banner consist of, so that it generates sales? Lidango Display Advertising Planners and Designers help us adress these issues below:
Choosing the right Media

Planning your banner campaign, you have to first carefully choose the media to use. You have to choose the most appropriate websites to place your banners to achieve maximum conversions. Lidango marketers recommend to identify the most appropriate media according to the following criteria:

* Volume of incoming traffic – the higher, the better.
* Relevance of website users to target audience – you need to advertise on websites, your target group visits
* Advertising banner saturation – avoid websites, overcrowded by advertisement; aim at good balance between editorial content and advertisement as users
* CPC – the lower, the better – of course, met the rest of the criteria
* Competitive products advertisement – Lidango marketers advice to avoid placing banners on websites, advertising competitive products

Designing the Banner

When designing the right Banner for your campaign, an advertiser should aim to compose the right mixture of graphics and text, making sure that the result will both appeal to the desired audience, and promt it to act. The banner should:

* Attract attention, in order to divert visitors from the main content of the site
* Arouse interest, so that visitors would like to find out more about the product advertised
* Give sufficient information about the advertised product, so that customers are not misled
* Fit both the message that the advertiser wants to convey, and the atmosphere of the media it is in.

How To Behave In Internet Chat Rooms

Chat rooms on the Internet are a great place to connect with other people and discuss interesting topics. However, even in this laid back atmosphere, there are still important rules of etiquette that you need to abide by. Follow these steps to behave in Internet chat rooms.

• Step 1
Lurk in conversations before you begin to participate. You need to get a feel for the topic at hand and the atmosphere. In addition, you won't have to worry about repeating a topic that someone else already covered.

• Step 2
Stay on topic when you join the conversation. Remember to keep your replies concise and understandable. Be careful not to use too many emoticons or acronyms so that you don't confuse other people. In addition, stay away from too much punctuation.

• Step 3
Use correct grammar. If you don't, other people may not be able to understand you, and they may not want you to stay in the chat room.

• Step 4
Be nice and respectful. People don't like others who try to dominate the conversation or demean others' opinions and comments.

• Step 5
Read all of your messages before you post them in the chat room, to make sure that the tone and grammar are correct. In addition, make sure that people can understand your meaning.

• Step 6
Keep conversations safe and clean. Don't instigate arguments or make existing ones worse. Report any violations of the chat room's rules to keep the chat room a nice place to meet other people. Always remember to follow the rules yourself.

Hair Loss Prevention

Hair Loss Prevention

Hair loss is experienced by all of us at one or the other time. To know the causes of hair fall, it is very essential to know the structure of hair and its normal growth cycle.

Structure of Hair

The hair on our scalp can be divided into two parts, the root and shaft. The root part of hair is in the skin (epidermis) of scalp. The hair root is surrounded by a pouch like structure called follicle. The base of hair root is in the shape of a bulb. This bulb is indented by capillaries and nerve fibers. The cells in the center of bulb divide. The newly divided hair cells push the previous cells up. The cells which move upwards die slowly forming hard hair shaft.

The hair shaft has three layers the cuticle, medulla and cortex. Cuticle is the outer layers and protects the inner layers. It is transparent. Healthy cuticle gives a shiny appearance for hair and unhealthy cuticle gives lifeless look.
Medulla is the innermost layer composed of large cells.

Cortex is the layer between cuticle and medulla. This contains pigment and keratin. Cortex determines the bulk and strength of hair.

The hair follicle contains oil secreting glands which make the hair shiny. Stress and illness diminish secretion of oil and pigments causing graying of hair. According to Ayurveda the hair is considered as a tissue which uses the same nutrients of bone and considered as a tissue which is formed as bi-product of bone tissue.

Normal Cycle of Hair Growth

About 10 % of the hair on the scalp is in a resting phase at any given time. The resting hair falls after 2 to 3 months and new hair starts growing in its place. The growing phase continues for 2.25 to 6 yrs. During this phase each hair grows approximately 1 cm per month. At any given time about 90% of the hair on scalp will be in growing phase.

Few strands of hair fall as the part of normal hair growth cycle. But some people may experience excessive hair fall which is more than normal cycle. Excessive hair loss can affect men, women and children.

Causes of Hair Loss

1.Hormonal imbalance in men and women: In men high concentration of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in hair follicles causes hair fall. In women hormonal imbalances during pregnancy and after delivery cause hair fall.

2.High amount of sebum in scalp clogs pores of scalp and prevent nutrition to hair follicle.

3.Inadequate nutrition causes hair fall.

4.Stress, worry, lack of sleep, worry and anxiety cause hair fall

5.Long standing diseases like typhoid, viral infections, anemia, surgery etc cause general debility which lead to hair fall

6.Some medicines used for gout, chemo therapy of cancer, birth control pills, antidepressants etc cause hair fall

7. Diseases like lupus, diabetes cause hair fall.

8. Tying hair tightly pulls the hair from follicles and cause traction alopecia.

9. Heredity also causes hair fall.

10. Dandruff or Fungal infection of scalp.

11. Accumulation of dirt on scalp causes blocking of pores and weakens hair roots.

This leads to hair fall.

According to Ayurveda the causes of hair loss are described as follows

1.Too much exposure to dust, sunlight, water and other pollutants.
2.Too much of sweating.
3.Irregular sleeping pattern.
4.Anxiety, depression, insomnia.
5.Unhygienic way of living
6.Diseases
7.Alcohol consumption.

Hair Loss Remedies

1.Liberal intake of vitamins.
2.High protein and iron rich diet.
3.Consumption of raw vegetables, fresh fruits, salads, green leafy vegetables regularly.
4.Washing hair regularly (twice weekly) with suitable shampoo.
5.Using relaxing techniques to overcome stress, anxiety and sleeplessness.
6.Preventing fungal infections of scalp.
7.Preventing hairstyles which pull hair.

Due to these causes the tridoshas get vitiated and cause hair loss. The vitiated doshas affect the scalp skin and cause hair fall occurs. Medicated oil with the herbsBhringaraja (Eclipta Alba), Amalaki (Embelica officinalis), Haritaki (Terminalia chebula) and Vibhitaki (Terminalia bellirica) is a best remedy for hair fall

I love to have One...

Next Nostradamus

Two men sharing startling visions of the future possess distinctly different backgrounds: Michel de Nostradamus was a French apothecary and healer in the 16th century; he would become the most famous seer in history.

His 21st century counterpart is Dr. Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, a renowned political scientist who teaches game theory at New York University and Stanford. While Nostradamus looked to the stars and mysticism to divine his apocalyptic revelations, Dr. Bueno de Mesquita relies on the most omnipotent tool ever designed by man to predict future events: the computer.

This special explores not only the commonalities of these men's visions about World War III, famine and the coming of the Anti-Christ, but it also traces the evolution from mysticism to hard math, and determines whether science has always existed in prophecy, manifesting itself in different forms through the ages.

CNN We Were Warned: Cyber Shockwave = CyberFAIL

Well, with a little less than a half hour left of CNN’s “Cyber Shockwave: We Were Warned” I see that we as a country are being led by blithering Luddites who are incapable of coming to concise conclusions.

My twitter blow by blow of this show had the tag of #CyberFail and such FAIL it is. Let me sum up the ideas of the stellar panel:

1) Pulling the plug on the internet to prevent the worm from propagating

2) Pulling the plug on people’s cell phones to stop the propagation

3) Nationalizing the TELCO and Power companies

4) Rationing diesel for gennie’s

5) Activating the National Guard or Army internally in the country

6) Rendition of suspected hackers or attackers in other countries

7) Giving the president the option of unilateral disconnect and nationalizing of companies such as the power and telco companies

I have to say that this show scares me more than the technical inequities that exist within the government and corporate sectors to prevent this type of attack from succeeding. These people have no clue about the intricacies of the systems involved nor the core security values that are lacking within them that could prevent this from happening in the first.

I am willing to bet that very few of these people have heard the term “Defense in Depth” and know what it means…

#CyberFail indeed. This whole exercise was only to show how they “might” deal with this if it happened. Nothing to do with how they would or should be moving toward technical and operational means to PREVENT this scenario from happening! This is scary.

Now, in the last few minutes though, they began to talk about regulation of security with the private sector. This was touched on lightly as regulating the secure coding practices of such things as iPhone apps. I agree with this, but this show/scenario is just NOT coming up with the answers that we need.

Suffice to say, as I said before.. We are hosed if someone comes up with a blended attack against our infrastructure. These folks will be sitting in the command bunker being talking heads and naught will get done.

Buy generators, non perishables, ammo, and books on survival kids. gurusgarden.com

Napoleon Hill’s teachings for reading human animal

The best place to study the man-animal is in your own mind, by taking as accurate an inventory as possible of YOURSELF. When you know yourself thoroughly (if you ever do) you will also know much about others.

To know others, not as they seem to be, but as they really are, study them through:

1-The posture of the body, and the way they walk.
2-The tone of the voice, its quality, pitch, volume.
3-The eyes, whether shifty or direct.
4-The use of words, their trend, nature and quality. Through these open windows you may literally "walk right into a man's soul" and take a look at the REAL MAN!

Going a step further, if you would know men study them:

When angry
When in love
When money is involved
When eating (alone, and unobserved, as they be- lieve)
When writing
When in trouble
When joyful and triumphant
When downcast and defeated
When facing catastrophe of a hazardous nature
When trying to make a "good impression" on others
When informed of another's misfortune
When informed of another's good fortune
When losing in any sort of a game of sport
When winning at sport
When alone, in a meditative mood.

Before you can know any man, as he really is, you must observe him in all the foregoing moods, and perhaps more, which is practically the equivalent of saying that you have no right to judge others at sight. Appearances count, there can be no doubt of that, but appearances are often deceiving.

The definition of “happiness”

The definition “happiness” as the state of being in equilibrium, at peace with one’s surroundings. A state of non-conflict with one’s environment, both material as well as psychological. The really happy person has no conflicts with either his own self, or with his environment, his society etc.

By this definition, happy people are probably the rarest humans in the world. And they’re probably populating the mental asylums or remote Himalayan caves, or monasteries, having spent years working hard to attain that state of sustained equilibrium, or having disconnected themselves with reality. All the rest of us are doomed to experiencing fleeting moments of that state of peace, while the majority of our lives are spent trying our best to get to that next happy fix. Our lives are a series of “happy” moments interspersed by rather long periods of gloomy existence, states of non-equilibrium, conflict, strife, doomed to finding the final equilibrium only in our deaths. The people among us who appear the happiest are those who learn to hold on to those fleeting moments of happiness for as long as they can and treasure their memories as vividly as they can for as long as possible.

Interestingly, all progress is the result of “unhappiness”. Only those who are truly in a state of conflict with their environment strive to attain equilibrium, or peace, either by changing themselves, or by altering their surroundings. Perpetual disequilibrium, perpetual strife is the driver of human progress. The illusion of the perfect state is what keeps us going. In other words, I’d rather be unhappy and moving than be happy and stagnant.

Herbal Supplements for Diabetes Management

More than 1200 plant compounds have been tested for their ability to lower blood sugar levels. Many have been found to contain chemical components that have hypoglycemic activity (the ability to lower blood sugar) when tested in test tubes or in animal models. However, there is very little research on such compounds using human subjects, and what research does exist is generally not of high quality.

A few herbal remedies for diabetes have been tested in humans and have been found to have mild blood-sugar-lowering properties. These compounds have not had very powerful effects and at this time are not felt to be adequate for the management of diabetes alone. The most promising of these botanicals include bitter melon (Momordica charantia), fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum), gurmar (Gymnema sylvestre), goat's rue (Galega officinalis), bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), ginseng (chiefly Panax), nopal (Opuntia streptacantha), and garlic and onion (Allium sativum and Allium cepa).

Bitter melon

Also called bitter gourd, bitter cucumber, balsam pear, karela, and charantin, bitter melon is the most widely used traditional remedy for diabetes. It is commonly used in Asia, especially in India, and in Africa. Bitter melon is frequently eaten as a vegetable and looks like a misshapen, bumpy cucumber. As a treatment for diabetes, it is typically the juice or an extract of the unripe fruit that is used. Dried or powdered forms of bitter melon are not believed to have the same activity.

Several compounds have been isolated from bitter melon that are believed to be responsible for its blood-sugar-lowering properties. These include charantin and an insulin-like protein referred to as polypeptide-P, or plant insulin. It is believed that bitter melon acts on both the pancreas and in nonpancreatic cells, such as muscle cells.

There are no well-designed studies using bitter melon in humans. Most studies have not used controls or placebos, and those that have did not always randomly assign people to treatment groups. These precautions are needed to ensure that the results obtained are real and not merely due to chance. Most of the studies that have been done are short-term studies.
In one study, polypeptide-P isolated from bitter melon was injected (in a manner similar to that used with commercial insulins) into subjects with either Type 1 diabetes or Type 2 diabetes. It decreased blood glucose levels from an average of 305 mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter) before treatment to 168 mg/dl after four hours in subjects with Type 1 diabetes, and from 140 mg/dl to 95 mg/dl after one and a half hours in subjects with Type 2 diabetes. There were no significant changes in the control subjects. The results in subjects with Type 2 diabetes were generally not considered significant, most likely due to the small number of subjects and the variability of bitter melon's effects in different people.

Another small study tested the effect of eating powdered whole bitter melon for one week in people with Type 2 diabetes. Fasting blood sugar levels and blood sugar levels measured after consuming 50 grams of pure glucose (this is called a glucose tolerance test and is commonly used in research studies) were significantly lower after consumption of bitter melon. The average fasting blood sugar level decreased from 248 mg/dl to 155 mg/dl.

Two other studies, which used fresh bitter melon juice, had similar results. One study found that there were "responders," people whose blood sugar levels during a glucose tolerance test were lower after treatment with bitter melon, and "nonresponders," or people for whom the bitter melon did not have any beneficial effects.

Current preparations of bitter melon are generally not standardized, making recommendations for a specific effective dose difficult. Typically, however, 50 to 200 milliliters (about 2 to 5 ounces) per day of the fresh juice; 3 to 15 grams of the dried, powdered fruit; or 300 to 600 milligrams (divided into three separate doses of 100 to 200 milligrams each) of a standardized extract per day have been used.

There are currently no studies that look at the effects of bitter melon over an extended period of time, and there are no studies of bitter melon's safety, though it is commonly consumed as a vegetable in India and is generally believed to be safe. More research is needed before it can be considered as a potential treatment for diabetes.

Bitter melon is a component of some herbal formulas advertised for people with diabetes. If you use the fresh fruit, prepare it with care: A mildly toxic chemical has been isolated from the seeds and the outer rind. There also are reports of toxicity in children and bleeding and contractions in pregnant women, so this plant should be avoided by these populations. Whatever formulation you choose, work closely with your doctor and health-care team. This precaution is important because there is the potential for hypoglycemia when this herb is combined with medicines that lower blood glucose. Positive effects on blood sugar should be noted fairly quickly. If changes are not seen within four weeks, the herb should be discontinued.

Fenugreek

Fenugreek is a common spice that in small concentrations is categorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as "Generally Recognized As Safe." Its seeds or a defatted powder made from the seeds have been used as a treatment for diabetes. Fenugreek is one of the better researched herbal treatments for diabetes, with both human and animal studies suggesting it has hypoglycemic activity. There is also research suggesting that fenugreek may improve blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. (Triglycerides are a type of fat that circulates in the blood. High levels are thought to increase the risk of heart disease.)

Fenugreek has been found to improve blood glucose levels in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. In one study, subjects with Type 1 diabetes were randomly assigned to receive either defatted fenugreek seed powder or a placebo for 10 days. After the first 10 days, subjects then received the other treatment for another 10 days. Fenugreek significantly decreased fasting blood glucose levels, improved glucose tolerance test results, and decreased blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Blood insulin levels did not change with the treatment.

In people with Type 2 diabetes, three studies have demonstrated positive effects of fenugreek on blood glucose and cholesterol levels. All of these studies used placebos and had more than 20 subjects. In the longest study, lasting three months, people with higher initial blood glucose levels did not respond as well as those with lower initial blood glucose levels. In people who had a positive response, average fasting and postprandial (after-meal) blood glucose levels decreased by about 35 mg/dl. This was statistically significant.

Fenugreek seeds are very high in fiber, and it is believed that at least part of fenugreek's effects are achieved because the fiber decreases absorption of dietary carbohydrates. In the study involving people with Type 1 diabetes, the fiber content of the diet containing fenugreek was very high, containing approximately 80 grams of fiber per day. (For comparison, most Americans get less than 15 grams of fiber per day.)

Other compounds believed to contribute to fenugreek's activity include proteins, saponins, and alkaloids. Names you may see listed on herbal supplements include fenugreekine and trigoneline.
The dose of fenugreek used in research studies has varied a great deal—from 5 grams to 100 grams per day—and is generally divided into at least two equal portions. Since the larger amounts would be impossible to consume in a capsule, they have generally been incorporated into foods in the studies. Some herbal supplements designed for people with diabetes include much smaller quantities of fenugreek, often combined with other herbs, in capsule form. Plain dried fenugreek seed powder is also available in capsules, as a bulk powder, and in a chewable wafer form.

Common side effects seen with high doses of fenugreek include diarrhea and upset stomach. It has also been reported that it may decrease blood coagulation, so people using anticoagulant medicines ("blood thinners") or aspirin should use this herb only under the supervision of their doctor. In animals, extracts of fenugreek have been shown to stimulate uterine contractions in late pregnancy, so this herb should not be used by pregnant women. Because of its high fiber content, it may also alter absorption and effectiveness of other medicines taken at the same time. This herb should not be taken at the same time as other medicines.

Gurmar

Gymnema sylvestre leaf has been used as a traditional treatment for diabetes in India. Because chewing the leaf decreases the sensitivity of taste buds to sweet tastes, gymnema has also been called gurmar, which means "sugar destroyer." This effect is reported to last several hours. In people who have had extracts of gymnema applied to their tongue, this decrease in sensitivity to sweets caused a short-term decrease in food consumption. There are no studies that look at the long-term effects of gymnema on appetite, and it is unlikely that consuming gymnema in a capsule or pill would have the same effect.

The active ingredient in gymnema is believed to be a mixture of molecules called gymnemic acids. You may see gymnemic acids listed on the labels of herbal supplements marketed to people with diabetes. Gymnema is believed to act by improving the function of pancreatic beta cells (the cells in the body that make insulin).

In animals with diabetes, gymnema has appeared to help regenerate or increase the number of functional beta cells present in the pancreas, but when gymnema was given to animals that had had their pancreas removed, there was no effect. This suggests that gymnema requires some residual beta-cell function to work. Gymnema may also decrease glucose absorption from food and improve the ability of the body to use glucose for energy.

There is minimal research on gymnema at this time, and the studies there are in humans have not been well designed. One study, which used subjects with Type 2 diabetes, found that consumption of a concentrated extract of gymnema decreased blood glucose levels and blood cholesterol levels. Gymnema also increased blood insulin levels in these people. Another study, using people with Type 1 diabetes, found that long-term consumption of gymnema decreased blood glucose levels, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, and insulin requirements. These results are intriguing, but gymnema cannot be recommended as a treatment for diabetes until we have better studies and more of them.

A typical daily dose of gymnema is 400 to 600 milligrams of an extract (standardized to at least 24% gymnemic acids), given usually in four 100-milligram doses throughout the day. Gymnema has no known toxic effects, but its safety has not been directly tested, and it should not be taken by children or pregnant or nursing women. Gymnema does not appear to cause hypoglycemia in people who do not have diabetes.

Goat's rue

Goat's rue is another traditional remedy for diabetes, and it has been shown to have hypoglycemic activity in humans. It appears to act in a manner similar to the synthetic drug metformin (brand name Glucophage), an oral hypoglycemic drug used to treat Type 2 diabetes. Metformin lowers blood sugar by decreasing the production of glucose from the liver. Goat's rue may also inhibit glucose absorption from the intestinal tract. In obese animals, dried goat's rue added to the diet led to decreases in body weight and body fat.
However, one of the active ingredients in goat's rue, galegine, when purified is too toxic to be used as a medicine, and there have been reports of poisoning from goat's rue in grazing animals. It is not recommended as a treatment for diabetes at this time due to its potentially toxic effects.
Bilberry

The leaves of bilberry, also known as European blueberry, are reported to contain chromium and have been used as an antidiabetic tea. In animals, extracts of the leaf decreased blood glucose and blood triglyceride levels. The berries are a rich source of antioxidants (compounds that may decrease the risk of heart disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases) and may improve circulation. They have been suggested as a treatment for diabetic retinopathy.
Chronic consumption of bilberry leaf or capsules is not recommended, as it can be toxic. Potential side effects include anemia, severe weight loss, and excitability. Consumption of high doses can be fatal. Bilberry may also interact with anticoagulant medicines, potentially causing increased bleeding.

Ginseng

Ginseng has long been used as a botanical remedy in the Orient. Today, it is also one of the most commonly used herbal supplements in the United States, where it is sold chiefly as an energy booster. Americans spent more than $86 million on ginseng in 1997. However, ginseng supplements have been found to be one of the less reliable supplements on the market. Tests conducted by independent laboratories frequently find little or no ginseng in the supplements, so purchasers of these products need to do their own background research to avoid spending money on "placebo," or inactive, pills.

The term ginseng has been used to refer to more than one plant group. There is the Panax genus, which includes Korean, Japanese, and American ginseng, and there is the Eleutherococcus genus, which includes Siberian ginseng. It is generally felt that the Asian and American ginsengs act similarly, but that Siberian ginseng is not a true ginseng and cannot be used in place of Panax ginseng. The main active ingredients in ginseng comprise a group of molecules called ginsenosides.

There are only a few small studies looking at the hypoglycemic effects of ginseng, and most of the information we have is with Type 2 diabetes. One study did not specify the type of ginseng used but reported decreases in fasting blood glucose levels and HbA1c in people newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes on diet therapy only. The second study used American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) and tested the short-term effect of a large dose of ginseng (3 grams) on blood glucose levels after consuming 25 grams of glucose. In people with diabetes, consuming ginseng 40 minutes before or with the glucose decreased postprandial blood sugar levels. (These results were marginally significant.)

Typical doses vary from 200 to 600 milligrams per day of a standardized extract, taken in one or two equal doses. Ginseng is generally believed to be safe, but side effects of its use include increased blood pressure, excitability, nervousness, headache, insomnia, diarrhea, nausea, and worsening of asthma. Ginseng may also have mild estrogen-like properties, sometimes causing postmenopausal bleeding or amenorrhea, the absence of menses. It may also interact with the medicines digoxin, warfarin, and diuretics, increasing or decreasing their effectiveness.

Nopal cactus

The stem or leaf of nopal cactus has been used in traditional Mexican medicine to treat Type 2 diabetes. Short-term, uncontrolled studies of this herb in humans have measured decreases in blood glucose, blood cholesterol, and triglycerides. The active ingredient in nopal is not known, but researchers hypothesize that fiber from nopal helps to decrease glucose absorption from the intestine, and that other compounds help to increase the effectiveness of insulin.
Most studies use cooked or fresh nopal, but extracts from the fresh plant are also used. A typical dose is 500 grams of fresh or cooked nopal eaten before or with the meal. There are no known risks associated with eating nopal other than those you would find with an increase in fiber from any source.

Garlic and onions

Garlic is one of the top-selling herbal supplements in the United States. It is best known for its potential protective effects in cardiovascular disease. It has been claimed that garlic can decrease blood cholesterol levels, decrease high blood pressure, and decrease the likelihood of blood clots forming, properties that are all beneficial in preventing heart disease. Numerous studies have examined these effects. In general, it appears that garlic does have a positive effect on these risk factors, and the consensus of the scientific community is that more research is needed before garlic can be recommended as a common treatment.

Garlic and onions have also been used as folk medicines to treat diabetes. There is much less research on this potential role of garlic, but a few studies do suggest that it (and onions) may have some mild blood-sugar-lowering properties. It is believed that garlic and onions lower blood sugar levels by decreasing the rate at which insulin is inactivated and degraded by the body, effectively increasing quantities of circulating insulin and decreasing blood glucose levels. Overall, these effects do not appear to be strong enough to warrant use of garlic or onion as a blood-sugar-lowering agent.

Garlic appears to be generally safe and well tolerated when taken as a supplement. Common side effects include mild stomach discomfort and an unusual body odor (even with the "odorless" forms of garlic). The primary safety concern about garlic relates to its ability to decrease blood clotting. In people who take aspirin or anticoagulant therapies, garlic may lead to increased bleeding. People who use these drugs should discuss with their doctor the safety of taking a supplement containing garlic. Garlic supplements should also be discontinued several weeks before surgery to prevent any problems with blood clotting. They should not be used by pregnant women, because they may cause contractions.

The active ingredients in garlic and onions are sulfur-containing molecules. (These compounds are what give garlic and onions their distinctive smell.) There are more than 20 molecules that are believed to contribute to garlic's effects, but the best understood are allicin, also called diallyl disulfide oxide, and APDS, or allyl propyl disulfide. You may see any of these names on garlic supplement labels.

Common doses for blood-sugar-lowering effects are quite high and probably not realistic for the general population. Typical doses used to decrease blood cholesterol levels are 600 to 900 milligrams, in tablet or capsule form, or one to three fresh cloves per day. Look for products that are standardized and list the active ingredient allicin on the label. Heat and acid destroy the active ingredients in garlic and onions, so slow-release forms or enteric-coated forms of supplements may be more effective.

Safe supplement use

Because the safety and effectiveness of the herbal supplements covered in this article are unproved, people who are interested in using them are in a sense acting as human "experiments." They need to approach the treatments they use very carefully, preferably with the guidance and support of their health-care team. If you would like to try an herbal supplement, here are some guidelines to keep in mind:
• Discuss your plans with your primary health-care provider, and ask whether any of the supplements you'd like to try might interact with drugs you currently take or have other negative side effects.
• Do not use herbal preparations if you are pregnant or nursing. The effects of herbs on a fetus or baby are unknown. Do not give children herbal supplements without first consulting their pediatrician.
• If you get your doctor's OK to try herbal supplements, keep a log of all the supplements you are taking and the specific doses you are taking.
• Try only one new supplement at a time so that you can more effectively gauge its effects.
• Follow the dosage guidelines on the supplement label. Do not take more than the recommended dose.
• Monitor your blood sugar levels more frequently, and keep careful records of your numbers. This is the only way to know what effect the supplement is having on your blood sugar levels.
• Pay attention to any symptoms, such as headaches, nausea, rash, or changes in sleep patterns or mood, that may be side effects caused by a supplement. If symptoms persist, stop taking the supplement and see your doctor.
• Store herbal supplements in their original containers with safety seals intact and out of the reach of children. Having the original container is important in case of accidental overdose or side effects.
• Set a time limit for trying a supplement, usually three to six weeks. If it hasn't had any effect within that limit, stop using it.
Herbal remedies are unlikely to replace existing diabetes drug treatments any time soon. It is possible, however, that some will be shown to be effective in helping to control blood sugar levels or as a basis for designing new drug treatments for diabetes.

Weight gain and Calories

If you consume too many calories, your body stores them as fat – so it’s important to only take in as many calories as your body needs.

One pound of fat equals 3,500 calories, so if you get that many above and beyond what your body needs, you put on weight. That may sound like a lot, but if you have just 100 extra calories a day (found in about one tablespoon of butter, one egg, one slice of bread or one, big savory bite of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey ice cream!, for example), you’ll gain a pound every five weeks – or just over ten pounds in a year!

If your goal is to lose weight, experts recommend that you do so at a slow rate:

Specifically, aim for no more than a pound or two a week. Since, as explained, a pound of fat equals 3,500 calories, you simply need to aim for 500-1000 fewer calories each day than the calorie needs you determined for yourself above.

In the 25-year-old male example, if he ate between 2331 and 2881 calories a day – rather than the 3331 required to maintain his weight – he would lose 1-2 pounds a week. Clearly, this is still quite a lot of calories, and since he’s getting plenty of exercise, there’s little danger of the body going into conservation mode.

You need to get 45-65 percent of your daily calories from carbohydrates, 20-35 percent from fat, and 10-35 percent from protein.

Why should you be shooting for these ranges? First, they collectively provide virtually all your caloric energy (specifically: 1 gram of carbohydrates has 4 calories, 1 gram of protein has 4 calories, and 1 gram of fat has 9 calories), and you use all three, in varying degrees, to fuel your basic physiological functions, as well as your exercise. Your metabolism is cranking along – and you’re burning calories – even when you’re at rest. During those times, your body gets slightly more than half of its energy from fats and most of the rest from carbohydrates, along with a small percentage from proteins. When you’re exercising, the mixture of fuels is modified – and the amounts of each one used depend on how long and how hard you’re working out, as well as the sort of shape you’re in (how well you’re conditioned to be doing the activity you’re doing).

But there’s more to it than energy supply. While carbohydrates primarily function in this manner and are your most efficient source of energy, protein is not only used for energy, but is broken down into amino acids and reassembled into whatever proteins your body needs to make muscles, bones, skin, hair and all the connective tissues that literally keep you from falling apart. Certain amino acids found in protein are considered essential, meaning your body can’t make them; you can only get them from foods you eat. And then there’s fat, which isn’t all bad – no matter how awful the word may sound to you. In fact, in addition to providing you with energy, fats help your body to make cell membranes and certain hormones and to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, E, D and K. And like amino acids, some fats are also considered essential and can only be obtained from specific food sources.

Why do men have nipples?

Andrew M. Simons, a professor of biology at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, explains.

Like all "why" queries, the question of why men have nipples can be addressed on many levels. My four-year-old daughter, always suspicious of a trick when asked such obvious questions, answered: "because they grow them." In search of the trick answer, she quickly added that "chests would also look pretty funny with just hair."

Evolutionary biologists, whose job it is to explain variety in nature, are often expected to provide adaptive explanations for such "why" questions. Some traits may prove—through appropriate tests—to be best explained as adaptations; others have perfectly good evolutionary, but nonadaptive, explanations. This is because evolution is a process constrained by many factors including history, chance, and the mechanisms of heredity, which also explains why particular attributes of organisms are not as they would be had they been "designed" from scratch. Nipples in male mammals illustrate a constrained evolutionary result.

A human baby inherits one copy of every gene from his or her father and one copy of every gene from his or her mother. Inherited traits of a boy should thus be a combination of traits from both his parents. Thus, from a genetic perspective, the question should be turned around: How can males and females ever diverge if genes from both parents are inherited? We know that consistent differences between males and females (so-called sexual dimorphisms) are common--examples include bird plumage coloration and size dimorphism in insects. The only way such differences can evolve is if the same trait (color, for example) in males and females has become "uncoupled" at the genetic level. This happens if a trait is influenced by different genes in males and females, if it is under control of genes located on sex chromosomes, or if gene expression has evolved to be dependent on context (whether genes find themselves within a male or a female genome). The idea of the shared genetic basis of two traits (in this case in males and females) is known as a genetic correlation, and it is a quantity routinely measured by evolutionary geneticists. The evolutionary default is for males and females to share characters through genetic correlations.

The uncoupling of male and female traits occurs if there is selection for it: if the trait is important to the reproductive success of both males and females but the best or "optimal" trait is different for a male and a female. We would not expect such an uncoupling if the attribute is important in both sexes and the "optimal" value is similar in both sexes, nor would we expect uncoupling to evolve if the attribute is important to one sex but unimportant in the other. The latter is the case for nipples. Their advantage in females, in terms of reproductive success, is clear. But because the genetic "default" is for males and females to share characters, the presence of nipples in males is probably best explained as a genetic correlation that persists through lack of selection against them, rather than selection for them. Interestingly, though, it could be argued that the occurrence of problems associated with the male nipple, such as carcinoma, constitutes contemporary selection against them. In a sense, male nipples are analogous to vestigial structures such as the remnants of useless pelvic bones in whales: if they did much harm, they would have disappeared.

In a now-famous paper, Stephen Jay Gould and Richard C. Lewontin emphasize that we should not immediately assume that every trait has an adaptive explanation. Just as the spandrels of St. Mark's domed cathedral in Venice are simply an architectural consequence of the meeting of a vaulted ceiling with its supporting pillars, the presence of nipples in male mammals is a genetic architectural by-product of nipples in females. So, why do men have nipples? Because females do.

Why Does Asparagus Make Some People's Urine Smell Funny?

Asparagus, a green vegetable belonging to the lily family, has one notorious side effect for some diners who eat enough of it. Within a half-hour of asparagus consumption, some people notice their urine has acquired a very pungent odor, often compared to rotting cabbage, ammonia or rotten eggs. The effects of asparagus on urine are generally fleeting and harmless, but it's not necessarily the consumer's finest hour, bodily excretion-wise.

The good news is that asparagus does not affect everyone. Studies conducted on the "asparagus urine" phenomenon (aren't you glad you didn't volunteer!) indicate that roughly 40 to 50 percent of those tested developed the distinctive odor. Surprisingly enough, there is also a segment of the population who cannot smell the sulphurous fumes of asparagus-laced urine. It is believed that both the generation of the odoriferous urine and the ability to smell it are based on genetics. Only those with a certain gene can break down the chemicals inside the asparagus into their smelly components, and only those with the proper gene can smell the results of that chemical breakdown.

Scientists are still not entirely sure which set of chemical compounds contained in asparagus actually cause the smelly pee. The stalks themselves do not acquire a similar odor as they are prepared, so whatever happens most likely happens after ingestion. Experts believe that those with a certain gene produce a digestive enzyme which breaks down the asparagus into various chemical compounds. One of those compounds is called methyl mercaptan, which is the same chemical which gives a skunk its defensive smell. One theory suggests that asparagus breaks down quickly in the body and an enzyme releases methyl mercaptan, which eventually goes through the kidneys and is excreted as a waste product in the urine.