The American Dream?

Schwarzenegger announces bid for governor

By CNN (08/07/2003)

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- After dropping hints about his political ambitions, movie action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Wednesday that he will run for California governor in October's recall election.

The surprise announcement came during a Wednesday afternoon taping of NBC's "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno which was scheduled to air Wednesday night. Prior to the taping, it had been widely speculated that Schwarzenegger, 56, would announce he would not run.

The Austrian-born movie star and moderate Republican helped fuel speculation about his political ambitions this summer, just as his movie "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" was being released.

California voters will decide October 7 whether to recall Gov. Gray Davis, a Democrat, and who should replace him.

Following the taping of the show, Schwarzenegger answered questions from a crowd of reporters gathered outside the NBC studios.

"I came to the conclusion that even though there are great sacrifices to make, I felt in the end it is my duty to jump in the race," he said. "I'm the most unique candidate because I'm an outsider."

Schwarzenegger tried to strike a populist tone.

"I know the people of California want better leadership, they want great leadership," he said. "It doesn't matter if you're a Democrat or a Republican, if you're young or old. Everyone is welcome. As you know I'm an immigrant. I came over here as an immigrant and what gave me the opportunities, what made me be able to be here today is the open arms of Americans."

Although Schwarzenegger has never before sought political office, his fame and fortune are expected to make him a formidable candidate against a crowded field of lesser-knowns in an abbreviated two-month campaign.

At openings for his movie, Schwarzenegger quipped about his "terminator" role and Davis' future, and he has been very critical of the Democratic incumbent.

The actor is married to a member of America's most prominent Democratic political family -- Maria Shriver, a niece of President John F. Kennedy.

The announcement came amid a flurry of such news in what has become a race among an increasingly odd mix of candidates. The filing deadline is Saturday and so far the Secretary of State has recorded 356 official notices of candidacy. There are another 155 notices the office has received that are unofficial.

Gary Coleman, who played Arnold Drummond in the 1980s sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes," entered the race Wednesday. (Full story)

However, Coleman, spoke shortly after Schwarzenegger's announcement and predicted that Schwarzenegger would win. Coleman said he would vote for the "Terminator."

Gary Coleman
"Now that Arnold is in the race, there is no race. Gray Davis needs to pack his bags," he said. "I'm going to stay in the race, but I'm not going to campaign."

Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt has announced his bid for the governor's office.

Flynt suggested as his slogan "Vote for a Smut-Peddler Who Cares" and said he would expand gaming regulations to allow private casinos to have slot machines, which could be taxed by the state at 30 percent.

Others who have filed with the state in order to receive campaign documents include the melon-smashing comedian Gallagher, comedian D.L. Hughley and Angelyne, a model who made herself famous in southern California by putting her picture on billboards.

Dick Rosengarten, editor and publisher of California Political Week, told CNN Wednesday that the California race was drawing so many candidates it was in danger of becoming a farce.

Earlier Wednesday, socialite-turned-columnist Arianna Huffington threw her hat into the ring.

Huffington has never held public office, but is well-known through her commentaries on radio and television.

Huffington, an author and a political Independent, announced her decision before supporters gathered in Los Angeles, California.

"I'm not, to say the least, a conventional candidate," Huffington said, taking note of her Greek accent. But, she said, "If we keep electing the same kind of politicians who got us into the same kind of mess, funded by the same kind of special interests, we'll never get out of this mess."
Also, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, released a written statement Wednesday, saying she would not be a candidate in the governor's race.(Full story)

Other major Republican names expected in the race include Rep. Darrell Issa of San Diego County, who helped finance the petition effort that triggered the recall; state Sen. Tom McClintock of Ventura County; and businessman Bill Simon, who lost to Davis in the general election nine months ago.

Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, who was considering a bid for governor, has said he would not run if Schwarzenegger did.

Huffington, 53, had said she would not be a candidate if Feinstein, one of California's most popular politicians, entered the race.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/08/06/candidates.announce/index.html

My commentary:
I wanted to talk about this subject even if the articles is dated of 2003. In fact, I wanted to remind you that it is only in the USA that we can see a man to have such a career path. Immigrant child, Arnold scharzenegger later became a body-builder (Mr Univers), then a famous actor and he became governor of one of the most rich states of the United States. This is not what we called the American Dream??!!

I want my E3

E3 2009: Microsoft's Xbox 360 briefing analysis

E3 2009 opened with a bang in Los Angeles as Microsoft announced new technological developments and a formidable video game line up for the Xbox 360.

By Tom Hoggins, Video Games Correspondent in Los Angeles

Well, what a start to E3 2009 that was. After last year's tedious, scaled-back conference, which one industry friend said resembled 'a car boot sale', Microsoft's glitzy pre-show media briefing was the perfect way to say “E3 is back.” Steven Spielberg was there, a super shiny Audi R8 adorned the back of the stage under bright lights and dry ice. Even Paul and Ringo showed up to mumble something about the new Beatles Rock Band before shuffling off again, clearly somewhat bemused by what us crazy kids get up to these days.

So the showbiz was most definitely back. But most importantly, Microsoft showed off a phenomenal line up of Xbox 360 exclusive titles and, of course, unveiled the new motion sensing technology 'Project Natal''.

Natal is a motion sensing camera and voice recognition system that completely does away with the need for any type of controller. The technology is certainly impressive, but how it is translated into enjoyable gaming experiences will be the real acid test. The preview reel we were shown threw us images of 'lifestyle' families trying out various types of games. Xbox head honcho Don Mattrick described the video as the 'vision' for the new tech, rather than games in development. We saw fighting games, shooting games, driving games all translated into body movements captured by Natal's camera.

A lot was said about the traditional controller being the 'biggest barrier to entry' for video games. But it shouldn't be forgotten that a gamepad offers an incredible amount of dexterity when creating games. With, Natal, it's going to take an incredibly talented developer to make a video game that offers the same depth as many 'traditional' titles. The tech can be as impressive as you like but, without the right direction, the games could end up as fun but ultimately shallow experiences. From a 'core' gamer's point of view, that's exactly what has blighted Nintendo's Wii since its launch.

This is where Lionhead's new project, Milo, comes in. Demonstrated by Lionhead director Peter Molyneux, Milo is an 'emotional AI' character, with whom you interact and talk to using Natal. Depicted as a young boy in a lush countryside, Milo can recognise an individual person, talk to them and even interpret emotions via tone of voice. A video showed a young lady standing in front of the screen, talking with Milo even passing a drawing 'through' the screen, scanned in by Natal's camera. The conversation and interaction flowed seamlessly. Which is, of course, where the suspicion sets in. If Milo works as well as the video suggested, then he is a staggering breakthrough in artificial intelligence. The video was clearly scripted, so it will be fascinating to follow Milo and find out just how well the so-called 'emotional AI' works under scrutiny.

The potential of Milo and the Natal technology is sky-high and it will be intriguing to find out what developers can make of the new tech. The danger of it being a novelty is a concern, despite the fantastic technical achievement, but conceptually the technology could be yet another step to making video gaming appeal to 'everyone', a word that was thrown about with gleeful abandon during the presentations.

Despite the grand unveiling of Natal, for me the real highlight was the exceptional Xbox 360 exclusive line-up. The conference hall rumbled with the explosions and gunfire of several more 'traditional' action games. First person shooters Halo 3: ODST and Modern Warfare 2 looked brilliantly thrilling, while the enigmatic and elusive survival horror Alan Wake also had an impressive showing. Since it was last seen, Ubisoft's long-delayed Splinter Cell Conviction has had a complete makeover and its brutal, Jack Bauer-esque, stealth action made it my early candidate for best game of the show.

Microsoft have opened E3 2009 with a fantastic showing, setting the bar and daring Nintendo and Sony to match them. With Sony rumoured to be unveiling its own new controller technology, it looks to be a fascinating match up. And of course, you underestimate Nintendo at your peril. There's no doubt, E3 is back with a bang.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/e3-2009/5429260/E3-2009-Microsofts-Xbox-360-briefing-analysis.html

My commentary:

videos games are becoming more and more space in people's lives. You should know that initially the sector targeted only the youngest, over the years we note that it is broadening and becoming a sector generating many turnovers. Even parents, grandfather and women play and enjoy.

In France, it is note surprising that for the first time in 2008, a video game has become the cultural property most sold.

Some Must Touch Before They Buy!

The feel of a cup can affect how tasty people find the beverage in it, especially those with a "high need" for touch.

By Greg Soltis, LiveScience

Don't judge a book by its cover. Or a slurp of coffee by its cup.

Recent research might yield the latter advice, especially. A taste test showed that the feel of a cup can affect how tasty people find the beverage within it, especially those who have a "high need" for touch when it comes to assessing products.

A need-for-touch scale was developed by Joann Peck, a marketing professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. People with a high or low need for touch fall either above or below the midpoint on this continuous scale. When high need-for-touch people can't touch products, they become frustrated and lose confidence in their judgments of products, Peck said.

Using that scale, Aradhna Krishna of the University of Michigan and Maureen Morrin of Rutgers University, Camden, found that consumers with a high need for touch rated water served in a stiff cup as tastier than the same water served in a flimsy cup. Subjects with a lower need-for-touch didn't let the cup's stiffness influence their opinion of the beverage.

The results were detailed earlier this year in the Journal of Consumer Research.

Consumers obviously rely on their senses of sight, and sometimes smell or hearing or taste, to determine what products to buy, but research on the role of touch has been sporadic.

"Touch research in marketing is still in its infancy, so researchers are just beginning to look more closely at multi-sensory phenomena," Peck told LiveScience.

The first Sensory Marketing Conference, organized by Krishna, took place this June at the University of Michigan to foster the growth of this field and demonstrate the relevance of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste to marketers. "Our senses are an inherent part of us," said Krishna. "They aren't going anywhere."

By connecting marketing research with findings from fields such as psychology and neuroscience, researchers hope to help marketers better understand the relationship between touch and perceived value. For example, a 2006 study in the Journal of Marketing found that making an organization's pamphlet more tangibly pleasing could increase the chance of receiving a donation. And a paper by Peck currently under review for the Journal of Consumer Research shows that touching an object increases a sense of ownership and leads people to be willing to pay more for the item.

Peck says results like these bear on online shopping, which is becoming increasingly popular, rising this year as high gas prices compelled more consumers to shop from home. A rise in online purchases from companies such as the Gap, Victoria's Secret and JCPenney has helped offset in-store sales losses this year, for example. And Forrester Research says that internet sales overall should surpass $200 billion in 2008, compared to $175 billion last year.

This rise of online shopping may help account for the interest in touch among people who study marketing, Peck said.

A digital image of a cell phone and a list of its functions, size and weight can compensate for the inability to touch it. But a photo on a computer monitor of a sweater labeled as "soft" is insufficient for people who prefer to feel a sweater's fabric before buying it, she said.

Source: http://www.usnews.com/articles/science/culture/2008/09/10/some-must-touch-before-they-buy.html


My commentary:
I was really interested in this subject because i felt quite concerned by what it is talking about. Indeed, i had, and certainly you too, this strange feeling that before buying something often i need to touch the object and that especially when i have to buy clothes. The fact to get the product in my hands influences a lot my perception of the product and makes me to appropriate it. I think my sensory perceptor is very important and therefore on the need-for-touch scale developed by Joann Peck i should be quite high!

I MUST TOUCH and WHAT ABOUT YOU??!!

For better and worse we share!

Living together: the bathroom battles of the sexes
Whether it's tiffs over toothpaste or loo seats, there's one room where couples rarely find peace.

By Michael Hewitt

All couples have their minor rumbles. Late-night altercations over his snoring volume, for example, or ill-advised confirmation that, yes, her bum does look big in that. But if there's a genuine fault line in the relationship, the bathroom will usually be its San Francisco – the epicentre of more bust-ups than anywhere else in the home. Why?

"Because it's the room which, for better or worse, both partners in a relationship are forced to share," says psychodynamic counsellor, Rita Wright. "Here they first see themselves 'in the raw', compelled to witness the other's personal habits. It can be unnerving, often provoking petty arguments."

Such as who changes the loo roll. Many men may be surprised to learn that these essential supplies don't usually replenish themselves by natural accretion. Active third-party intervention is required.

"Rather than change it, my husband prefers to balance the new loo roll on top of the empty tube," complains Anne. "That's if he even bothers getting a new one out."

If he does (a leading manufacturer reports that only 24 per cent of men do, though most women would say it's closer to zero), then how he hangs it can also provoke arguments. "Under", with the flap wall-side, or "over-shot"?

Although both sexes seem equally divided on this, you can usually guarantee ending up married to someone who doesn't do it your way. For the record, the Danish Society of Engineers recommends wall-side, as there's apparently less risk of cute, Andrex-style puppies making a grab for the leading end.

Elsewhere in the bathroom, the toothpaste tube or, more specifically, where to squeeze it, rates high as a casus belli. A Texan woman was recently convicted for shooting her husband because he habitually squeezed down the middle (though, in mitigation, her lawyer argued that he did keep leaving the cap off, too).

Other vexations include singing, badly, in the bath. Two years ago, 39-year-old Caroline Bishop received an ASBO for belting out "tuneless, high-pitched" Gary Glitter numbers. Leaving socks and underwear on the floor also rankles, as does hair in the bath plug and letting the contents of your bathroom cabinet declare lebensraum, effectively forcing out those of your partner.

But all these are, of course, nothing compared to the most contentious argument since Creation: should the loo seat's default position be up or down?

The original position was almost certainly up. This is because history's first sit-down flush lavatory was installed by King Minos of Crete, around 400BC. Legend tells us he kept a man-eating Minotaur in his basement labyrinth which, presumably, always guaranteed him final say on the seat issue. We therefore had to wait until the post-Theseus era before it became a cause célèbre.

These days, 79 per cent of men leave it up, Brian among them. He's unapologetic. "I have been using lavatories successfully for more than 40 years so I do not require what is more often than not partisan guidance on the matter. Why is it wrong for me to leave it up? If it is, then it seems to me it's equally wrong of her to leave it down."

Most women disagree, often citing health and safety considerations, such as the possibility of entering a seat-less lavatory in the dark and slipping into or becoming wedged in the pan. US accident investigators reported more than 200,000 such cases last year alone. But it's also in the US that academic, Jay Pil Choi, has produced a mathematical equation which, he claims, proves the loo seat should remain up.

Other members of the scientific community, however – women scientists, in particular – dispute his calculations. As do feng shui specialists, who advise that not only should the seat remain down but the lid as well, otherwise a house's vital energy risks disappearing down the U-bend (and, in New York, apparently there's a risk of baby alligators appearing up it). Then again, many of those feng shui specialists are women, so this particular argument may yet run.

But ultimately, what are such conflicts really about? Rita Wright has a pithy answer. "In extreme cases, a relationship becoming stale and the loving feeling disappearing. In psychological terms, we're talking misplaced anger. It's far easier to yell, 'You filthy beast – you left the loo seat up again' than, 'I don't love you any more and living with you has become intolerable.' It's the sound of a once-beautiful partnership going down the pan."

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/wellbeing/5443307/Living-together-the-bathroom-battles-of-the-sexes.html

My commentary:

With my girlfriend we have never met this kind of problem because each one take into account the other! And we communicate a lot about things which can encourage troubles and we try together to avoid them. So, in some extent, we have a perfect toilet harmony and not only! And that thanks to the communication.

Wii Fit, my thinness partner ??

Wii tv ads

You feel the summer is fast approaching? Your body has gradually taken the shape of the sofa? You begin to be affraid to show your body at everyone on the beach? Do not worry Nintendo offers the solution for burning calories without having to put the nose outside: I call Wii Fit.

Yoga, step, body: Wii Fit allows you, thanks to a virtual coach, to train at any time. You just have to get on the Wii Balance Board to start sweating and gesticulating in the middle of your living room. So ladies and gentlemen do not be worried about your body, the solution is named Wii Fit!

When i told that marketers are genious : The concept is surprising since they use a person weighing as a game accessory and they have also succeeded to make women on video game.

Who is the Boss ?...

You dirty rat: Daring rodent shows puzzled leopard exactly who's boss by stealing its lunch

By Beth Hale

It's not so much snatching victory from the jaws of defeat as dinner from the jaws of danger. 4

But even the imposing presence of an adult leopard at feeding time is not enough to get between plucky young Rattus Norvegicus (better known as the brown rat) and a free meal.

This extraordinary series of images were captured by photography student Casey Gutteridge, as he trained his camera on the leopard for a course project.

The little rat - thought to be only two to three months old - was spotted scampering into the leopard's enclosure shortly after feeding time at the Santago Rare Leopard Project, in Hertfordshire.

So intent was the plucky rodent on its mission to snatch a tasty snack, that it seemed not to notice that its path was taking it within a whisker's breadth of 12-year-old Sheena.

Clutching a corner of raw meat with its tiny paws, the rat busily tucked in, until it sensed one of those whiskers moving in.

Sheena, bemused by the interloper coming between her and the remains of dinner, padded over on paws big enough to wreak vengeance with a single swipe.

But rather than giving the thief at very least the hearty set down it deserved, she gingerly lowered her nose for an exploratory sniff.

Rattus paused, lifted its dainty pink claws in submission, then - obviously deciding on a nothing-ventured-nothing-gained approach - continued to tuck in.

And after another tentative investigation, Sheena gave the leopard equivalent of a shrug and turned away.

Mr Gutteridge, 19, from Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, thought the rodent was a mouse.

Mr Gutteridge said: 'I have no idea where it came from - he just appeared in the enclosure after the keeper had dropped in the meat for the leopard.'He didn't take any notice of the leopard, just went straight over to the meat and started feeding himself.

'But the leopard was pretty surprised - she bent down and sniffed at it and flinched a bit like she was scared.

'It was amazing, even the keeper who had thrown the meat into the enclosure was shocked - he said he'd never seen anything like it before.'

An expert at the Wildlife Trust said the creature was in fact a young and 'inexperienced rat', identifiable by its big paws and ears and more importantly its bald, scaly tail with a thick base.

Leopard project owner Jackie James added: 'My son threw meat in for the photographers and it just appeared. Sheena batted it away but it just came back. The determined little thing took no notice and just carried on.'

Sheena was brought in to the Santago Rare Leopard Project from a UK zoo when she was just four months old.

She is one of 14 big cats in the private collection started by Jackie's late husband Peter in 1989.
The African leopard can be found in the continent's forests, grasslands, savannas, and rainforests.

The leopard is the most elusive of all the big cats. They are solitary animals and are primarily nocturnal - preferring to hunt at night.

The species is also a strong climber and is capable of killing prey larger than itself.
The leopard's prey ranges from fish, reptiles and birds to smaller mammals such as hares and monkeys.

A stealthy hunter, leopards are known to stalk close to their prey and run a relatively short distance on the hunt.

They kill by grabbing their prey by the throat and biting down with their jaws, and store their larger kills in trees - out of the reach of prowling lions and hyenas.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1190772/What-squeak-Daring-mouse-whos-boss-scares-leopard-steals-lunch.html

My commentary:

We usually say that the relationship between all living beings are governed by implicitly or explicitly codes and hierarchical principles. it is very important to know and to understand them for all marketers because that can be a good tool to adapt their new products.

However, as we can see this example, between the leopard and the mouse, calls into question all of this reality. And, sometimes not to follow what our environment taught us can lead to unsual surprises also. The carelessness and ignorance may lead individuals to transcend all boundaries and that can be so FUN!

The race of perfection...

Is Plastic Surgery a Teen Thing?
For some teens, plastic surgery can be a godsend. But it has to be for the right reasons.

By Denise Mann WebMD Feature

Emily was always made fun of for her rather large nose. Then the summer before her senior year of high school, she got a nose job. All of a sudden, the same boys who called her Pinocchio and some other not-so-nice names were asking her out.

Sixteen-year-old Kimberly's triple D breasts may have gotten the boy's attention, but they made exercise -- and even walking -- painful. But a breast reduction has changed her life. Now she can exercise freely -- even jog without the back and neck pain that her large breasts once caused.

For teens like Emily and Kimberly, cosmetic surgery can be a godsend. But for others such as those who are urged by their parents, it may be ill-advised, prominent plastic surgeons tell WebMD. The key is making sure that the teen is emotionally and physically mature enough to undergo the chosen procedure.

Chemical Peels to Liposuction

For a whole slew of reasons -- from its relative safety to its acceptance in society -- plastic surgery is popular among people of all ages. The number of kids 18 and under having plastic surgery rose from just under 60,000 in 1997 to nearly 225,000 in 2003, according to statistics compiled by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

A report that looked at eight years' worth of data on teenagers found that the most common cosmetic procedures in teens are chemical peels and microdermabrasion to treat acne, laser hair removal, nose jobs, ear surgery, breast reduction, breast enlargement, chin augmentation, and liposuction to remove excess body fat.

In 2000, about 50,000 teens had chemical peels, and more than 21,000 underwent microdermabrasion. More than 15,000 teens aged 18 or younger had nose jobs, and almost 12,000 underwent procedures called otoplasty or ear surgery for protruding ears.

Male breast reduction was done in more than 2,200 young men with a condition called gynecomastia or male breasts, while more than 2,100 girls in this age group had breast enlargements -- some of which are done to correct uneven breasts. Liposuction to reduce fat deposits in the trunk or chin was done in more than 6,200 people aged 18 or younger in 2000.

Why Teens Turn to Plastic Surgery

There are many reasons that plastic surgery is increasingly accepted among all ages, from teens on up.

"First, the surgery is safe; there are very few significant complications. Second, our society places a high premium on physical attractiveness and rewards those who are slender, youthful and handsome," conclude study authors Mary H. McGrath, MD, MPH, and Sanjay Mukerji, MD, plastic and reconstructive surgeons at the George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, in a recent issue of the Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology.

"Third, we live in a culture that emphasizes competition and legitimizes self-improvement as a way to gain a competitive edge and lastly, plastic surgery lives up to its expectations."

In places like Brazil, sometimes called the new capital of plastic surgery, nips and tucks are fairly common -- especially among beauty pageant contestants. Juliana Borges, 22, the new Miss Brazil who competed in the recent Miss Universe pageant, had plastic surgery four times and underwent 19 smaller cosmetic procedures. Borges had liposuction, chin surgery, fixed her nose and ears, and also had breast implants. In fact, some were suggesting that if she did win the Miss Universe title (Miss Puerto Rico won), the accolades should really have gone to her plastic surgeon.

Is Your Teen Right for Plastic Surgery?

When it comes to teens, part of the challenge is deciding on appropriate candidates who can not only benefit from cosmetic surgery but also understand its limitations.

"Teens who are encouraged to have surgeries by families and friends when they are not interested are poor candidates for plastic surgery," Malcolm D. Paul, MD, president-elect of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and a plastic surgeon in Newport Beach, Calif., tells WebMD.

"The motivation should come from within and not without," he says. "It has to be for the right reasons, not because mom and dad feel that it's something a child should do."

Darrick Antell, MD, a New York plastic surgeon, says before he performs many procedures on a teenager he tries to make sure that the concern is consistent.

"Is it the nose one week, the ears the next, and the breast the following week?" he says. "We want to be sure it is a consistent complaint."

Antell says he also likes to determine whether the concern is self-motivated in his teen patients. "If a parent dragged them in, that would send up a lot of red flags for me," he tells WebMD.
"Some parents in this day and age want everything they can have for their child, from a new stereo to a new car and sometimes a new nose. This may not necessarily be appropriate."

More teens may be undergoing cosmetic surgery today because their parents have undergone it, he says. The parent's attitude may be "I had it done and my daughters inherited the nose I didn't want."

Some procedures may be inappropriate for teens. "I think it would be a rare case where you would do liposuction on a teenager because a lot of teens grow out of their baby fat," Antell says. Breast enlargement, unless it is to make sure both breasts are symmetrical, may also be inappropriate.

"You want to make sure the breast is fully developed before performing breast augmentation," he says.

Breast reduction, however, may make dramatic improvements of quality of life if the teen can't play sports. "Very large breasts can be a hindrance to playing sports and maneuvering, and some people may experience neck, back, and shoulder pain as a result. Breast reduction surgery is a very satisfying operation in the appropriate teen patient."

Nose jobs too can make a tremendous difference in the right teen patient.

Teens who make good candidates for nose jobs are those "with noses with lumps, bumps or hooks; too big or too high; or with a poor angle between the nose and upper lip," according to McGrath and Mukerji.

People with minor imperfections are not good candidates, they note.

How to Get the Most Out of Plastic Surgery

According to American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the most rewarding outcomes are expected when the following exist:

- The teenager initiates the request. While parental support is essential, the teenager's own desire for plastic surgical improvement must be clearly expressed and repeated over a period of time.

- The teenager has realistic goals. The young person must appreciate both the benefits and limitations of plastic surgery, avoiding unrealistic expectations about life changes that will occur as a result of the procedure.

- The teenager has sufficient maturity. Symptoms of emotional distress must be reduced to a level that will permit the teenager to tolerate the discomfort and temporary disfigurement of a surgical procedure. Plastic surgery is not recommended for teenagers who are prone to mood swings or erratic behavior, who are abusing drugs and/or alcohol, or who are being treated for clinical depression or other mental illness.

The most important part of having plastic surgery is the surgeon you choose. When choosing a surgeon, make sure he or she is board-certified in plastic surgery and has privileges to operate in a hospital (even though a majority of cosmetic procedures are done in office), Antell says.

Source: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=51431

My commentary:
This is typically kind of thing that i can not stand!! Today cosmetic surgery is beginning to generalize and I find it really pathetic especially when it affects teenagers. Indeed adolescence is a period of construction for the individual, and this construction is often through the eyes of others.

Thus, any government that would promote surgery for individuals who do not yet know who they are, would be an irresponsible government in my view. Ladies there is a truth that you must remember: the society rewards people who are "slender, youthful and handsome" but us we do not care because we are eternal dissatisfied persons!

So STOP these nonsense things right now!!

Daniel Craig in the women's mouth

Daniel Craig in 007 lolly: Fans of 007 Daniel Craig can keep their cool this summer with an ice-lolly in the shape of his body in swimming trunks.

By ...

An ice cream company created the purple "licence to chill" lolly after asking more than 1,000 women which male celebrity like to see on the end of a stick.

Del Monte Superfruit Smoothies said artists "worked tirelessly" to recreate a sculpture of 41-year-old Craig in the scene where he emerges from the sea in Casino Royale.

"Daniel Craig topped our poll of Britain's coolest celebrities and thanks to our Del Monte lolly replica he is officially immortalised as super smooth and licensed to chill," said spokesman Matt O'Connor.

The Daniel Craig smoothie lollies are blueberry, pomegranate and cranberry flavoured and under 100 calories each.

They are to be distributed during the first National Ice Cream Week which starts today and ends on June 7.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/5416143/Daniel-Craig-in-007-lolly.html

My commentary:

Daniel Craig is the kind of example that shows how women can be strongly influenced by the aura and charisma of a person. Indeed, before James Bond Daniel Craig has made films in which he received rewards (Some Voices) or well-known films in the U.S. too (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider), but he did not enjoy this renowned among women .

And then, since he symbolizes the man as the ladies like, rich, body-builder, a very macho, in other words, since he has played the part of James Bond suddenly he meets the success with always the same women. Actually, here the women love it for what it represents and not for what it is... This is the power of the perception ! And companies use a lot this kind of tool to market their products when they target women...

Cheap oil where are you??

With some friends we have been planning to go to spend couple days in New York before going back to France. We thought we would take the car because it seemed the most interesting but today when we were walking we were surprised by the price of gasoline. Indeed, in 6 months the price has increased by more than $ 1... This price is still far from the price charged in France, where a liter costs almost 1.5 euro but it reminds us that it is REALLY TIME to find an alternatives from the oil and buy electric cars or rent it!!

Whaouuuu it was AWESOME!!!

All the USA student away of life in the 6 Fest...

By TT


I could not make this blog without talking about the best experience that i lived here in Athens: the 6Fest!!!

Just for French people or future international student from France, i am going to explain this event through its history. So, 6 Fest is the sixth installment of the premier college campus outdoor music festival. Since 2004, the Fest, which has grown exponentially since year 1, has become an Ohio tradition across campuses statewide. With the traditional site of Ohio University
already rolling out the marketing and promotional campaigns, our expectations and goals are set very high.


With considerable growth over the last five years, 6 Fest is expecting to substantially break attendance records from previous years. At the beginning they were just 4 000 students and in 2008 they were almost 15 000...


In other words, this event is a it is an outdoor concert in a field with thousands of students and delirium came to make a big party! And this year, it was different from the other times because it happened after the rain, so the mud and some funny situations as slides and fights in the mud... It was AWESOME certainly my best experience here!! So future OU french Students YOU MUST LIVE IT next year!! This message can be also for companies which want to increase their awareness, in student's mind, by the sponsoring...

The dark side of Spring Break!

Spring Break In A War Zone

By Seth Doane

Americans watch as war is waged along their southern border, at the same time they're seeing thousands of U.S. students getting on planes, heading to Mexico, on vacation.


Spring break has always pitted parents' worries against students' wants, but rarely quite like this.





"I know my mom wasn't going to let me come," says bikini-clad Kimberly Tobey, from Wakefield, Mass.


"My parents especially were really scared, they begged us not to come," says another young woman.


If anything could detract from the pictures of sugary beaches in Cancun, Mexico, it would be this: an ongoing battle among drug cartels and against government forces across the country, which in the last 15 months has killed more than 7,000 people.

They're headlines that caught the eye of Marisa Jetter, a junior at Fordham University, as she prepared for spring break in Cancun. She read about the travel alert in a student newspaper.

"I opened up one of the papers and I was like… Oh, the first article 'escalating violence on the border'," Jetter said.

Mexico's fight against the cartels led the U.S. State Department to issue a "travel alert" on their Web site encouraging citizens "throughout" Mexico to "excerise caution."


"I'm nervous," Jetter said. "But then I keep talking myself down like, 'you'll be fine… you'll be fine.'"

It's a public-relations nightmare for a resort town that depends on tourism as its biggest money-maker, Doane reports. While most of the violence is in border cities far from Cancun's tourist strip, just last month came a grisly example of an unsavory undercurrent here.


A retired Mexican army general had has hands, wrists and ankles broken before his body was riddled with bullets. He was in Cancun to overhaul the local police force, after it was believed to be infiltrated by drug cartels.


Cartels operate in the shadows just a few miles from the tourist zone. Where heavily armed federal police, and even the military, patrol the streets. It was a reminder that Cancun is an important smuggling route for drugs headed to the United States.

Meanwhile, back on the tourist strip, police tell CBS News they don't see problems and don't expect any either.

Mexico's $13 billion tourism industry actually grew by 3 percent last year, but with violence lurking in the shadows, one the biggest battles in this part of Mexico, is to keep tourists coming.

Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/18/eveningnews/main4875062.shtml


My commentary:
Before coming in USA i really wished to live the experience of American Spring break and guess what??!!! I did it!!!

This is an event in which, from mid-march to mid-april, hundreds of thousands of students all American students from across the U.S. go to Panama City Beach for the festivities of "Spring Break". This is the best season to visit this place if you like partying day and night in the middle of crowds of young people. And i could note that companies take advantage of this event by selling a lot of derivates or products in link with this event such as tee shirt, flags, and so on... People who live this experience want to keep souvenirs and companies know that!

But the Spring break also means violence, battles and drugs... But i was lucky i did avoid all this bad thing and my souvenirs are full of good things!!!

A good example to follow!

Toyota and Lexus Hybrids Top One Million Sales in the U.S.




TORRANCE, Calif., March 11, 2009: Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), USA, Inc., announced today that total combined Toyota and Lexus hybrid vehicle sales in the U.S. have topped the one million mark.


The sales milestone was achieved with an industry-leading six Toyota and Lexus hybrid vehicles including the Toyota Prius, the world's first mass-produced gas-electric hybrid and the all-time worldwide leader in hybrid sales.


With the expansion of its hybrid technology to a diverse group of vehicles, Toyota has commanded nearly 75 percent of all hybrid vehicles sales in the U.S. over the past 10 years. Overall, cumulative worldwide sales of Toyota and Lexus hybrids have exceeded 1.7 million vehicles through January of this year.


"One million hybrids in less than nine years indicates how quickly American consumers have accepted this important technology," said Jim Lentz, TMS president. "Toyota's hybrid leadership will continue to expand in the U.S. and around the globe. With 10 new hybrid models between now and 2012 in various global markets, we plan to sell one million gas-electric hybrids per year, worldwide, sometime early in the next decade."


Toyota pioneered modern gas-electric hybrid technology with the launch of the Prius in late 1997 in the Japan market. Its popularity in Japan encouraged the launch of Prius in the U.S. in July 2000. The first-generation U.S. Prius was a low-volume vehicle (12,000 produced annually) that gained an immediate following, particularly among environmentally conscious consumers.


The second-generation Prius launched in the fall of 2003 as a 2004 model year. With larger dimensions, all-new styling, and Toyota's new Hybrid Synergy Drive technology, Prius became an instant hit. By 2005 Toyota was producing over 100,000 vehicles annually for the U.S. market. Prius had propelled itself from a niche environmental car into a mainstream vehicle for everyday driving needs. With more than 107,000 sales in 2005 Prius became the third-best selling Toyota passenger car in the U.S. after the Camry and Corolla.


From its humble beginnings in the summer of 2000 through February 2009 more than 700,000 Prius have been sold in the U.S., making up more than half of the 1.2 million Prius sold worldwide.


The successful launch of the Prius encouraged expansion of its hybrid technology to existing models in both the Toyota and Lexus lineups. In April 2005, Lexus introduced the crossover RX 400h, the world's first hybrid-powered luxury vehicle. Two months later Toyota launched the Highlander Hybrid sport utility vehicle (SUV).


One year later in April 2006, the Lexus GS 450h made its debut as the world's first front-engine, rear-wheel drive, full-hybrid performance sedan. April 2006 also marked the debut of the Camry Hybrid, becoming the first Toyota hybrid to be built in the U.S.


For the third consecutive year, Lexus further expanded its hybrid lineup in July 2007 with the launch of the LS 600h L luxury hybrid sedan, the world's first vehicle to feature a full-hybrid V8 powertrain. July 2007 saw the arrival of the second-generation 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid SUV. The all-new Highlander Hybrid raised the bar once again in the mid-size SUV segment with a complete redesign that was improved, refined and expanded in nearly every metric of comparison.


Ongoing improvement to its hybrid technology continues in 2009 with the summer arrival of the second-generation 2010 Lexus RX 450h. The all-new RX Hybrid will feature an updated version of Lexus Hybrid Drive that will improve fuel economy by up to 20 percent while generating 27 more horsepower than its predecessor.


Spring 2009 will mark the launch of the all-new and vastly improved third-generation Prius. The 2010 Toyota Prius will once again set new standards for innovative hybrid design and technology, raising its level of convenience features and performance to new heights, including a combined EPA estimated fuel efficiency rating of 50 miles-per-gallon.


Finally, late summer of 2009 will see the launch of the 2010 Lexus HS 250h, the world's first dedicated luxury hybrid vehicle. The HS 250h will be Lexus' fourth hybrid and the most fuel-efficient vehicle in its lineup.


"For Toyota and Lexus, 2009 can easily be called 'the year of the hybrid' with three new offerings including our seventh hybrid model with the launch of the Lexus HS 250h," said Lentz. "In addition to our growing hybrid presence over the next few years, expanded hybrid offerings from competitors will not only drive innovation and improvement for consumers, it will continue to help improve the environment and reduce our dependence on foreign oil."



Source: http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2009/03/11/453029.html



My commentary:



Toyota was pioneered in hybrid engines technology with the launch of the Prius vehicle in 1997 in the Japan market. At the beginning, during the first generation of Prius, in US the sale was low volume but little by little and thanks to the increase of environmental conscious consumer that expanded quite quickly. Thus, today the Prius is one of Toyota's top sellers in the United States, which combined with Lexus reached 1 million hybrids sold in the US, and 1.7 million worldwide by February 2009, and this in spite of the crisis.



And we note that more and more car companies began interesting in this new technology and had positioned on it such as Honda with the Accord or Peugeot which plan to launch the 3008 hybrid car for 2011. We note that if lots of companies try to position in this way it is because they know that the environmental friendly cars can also represent a crucial thing for the brand image.

Imagination has no limits!

Consumer habits make cellphone designers go crazy



by Nicholas Deleon on February 29, 2008



How many times do you say to yourself, “All I want is a phone that works”? So you wonder why companies don’t take that into consideration.


There’s a cute little piece in today’s Old Gray Lady about how cellphone companies go about designing would-be hit phones. They hire focus groups, host weekend retreats and go to all sorta of extremes to try to figure out what Joe Consumer wants in a phone. Do you want a touchscreen, QWERTY keyboard, slider or flip? It’s a tough job trying to get consumers to buy the same thing over and over again.


But phone design isn’t all haptic this, holistic that. Nokia is currently designing a environmentally friendly phone, one that’s made out of recycled metal and other materials; it would sell well on the Upper West Side.


Nowhere in the piece is reliability mentioned. No one addresses that fact that, for example, I can’t walk up certain sections of Sixth Avenue without my phone cutting out. Even better, why I can’t use the phone in the eastern half of my apartment. How about we work on that.

Sources: http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/02/29/consumer-habits-make-cellphone-designers-go-crazy/

My commentary:
This is a kind of thing that show how business can be a strong tool of persuasion. Indeed remember those early days, the mobile was designed just to be contacted wherever we are and no one expected more. Whereas today, your mobile phone uses calendar, mp3, gps, and sometimes even computer ... Unthinkable to market a few years ago, designers and marketers come to sell us today! "Persuasion" i said or i should have said Marketers are a"power of persuasion" or "drem sellers"!!

Recession...

Economic Recession, Consumer Depression

By Rick Newman


What's eating consumers? The latest numbers show that consumer confidence is close to 40-year lows, suggesting the economy is in worse shape now than in times that seemed far darker, like in the early 1980s, when inflation and unemployment both crept into double digits. Yet inflation—despite record gas prices—remains at a manageable 5 percent. And unemployment is a modest 5.5 percent. So I asked Dan Ariely, a behavioral economist at Duke University and the author of Predictably Irrational, to help explain why a modest economic slowdown has produced such dismal public attitudes. Excerpts:

Why are consumers so gloomy even though the economy, by traditional measures, isn't all that bad? Is it $4 gas? Or falling home values? Or something else altogether?
I think there are three reasons. First, cars are very important to the American psyche. Think about James Dean and his motorcycle, "On the Road Again," and all that. The American psyche has associated freedom with cars, and now it costs a lot more just to use your car and get this feeling of freedom.

Second, bankers have told us for years, "Your house is your most important asset. You should stretch and buy as much house as you can." Now, it looks like they lied to us in terms of how much we should borrow. And they personally made money in the process!

Third, I think the American people are really losing trust in our institutions. Think about all the meltdowns. First, it was the Internet. Then, Enron. Then, a banking crisis. Then, housing. Now, oil. All of these disasters are coming relatively close to each other. To people, it seems like there's something incredibly wrong with the way markets and institutions operate. Bankers giving crazy loans to people who can't pay them back, then they turn around and sell the same mortgages to people who know even less about them. It's incredible. It's a new version of the Wild West, and it's causing incredible distrust in the markets and institutions.

So, is the gloomy outlook justified?
I think the psychology is justified. If you thought you lived in a world where you understood the forces at work, and all of a sudden you didn't understand what's going on, your trust in the system all of a sudden becomes pretty low. Bankers can give loans to people who don't deserve them... It's not a world we understand or can predict.

Yet a lot of people aren't really that bad off. For all the foreclosures, most homeowners are still doing OK, especially those who bought before the bubble. Gas is expensive, but other things are cheaper, and overall inflation isn't that bad.
In general, you are right, but I think these problems are signals. Going into the stock market, for example. We've been told for years that's where you should put your money for the best return, but it turns out that's not the best thing to do. People told us: Housing is the best investment we can make. It turns out not to be such a good deal—and not because of anything we did wrong. It's the bankers who went wild.

Right now, it's the oil crisis. We went into Iraq in 2003 partly because of oil. And then we see a rapid sequence of events like this, and we have no control over the price of oil. Even for people who are doing OK, the problem is their inability to know what's right and wrong, and know where the next hit is going to come from.

What about market forces? One way or another, the markets would correct themselves, even if it's ugly. Doesn't that give people any confidence? That sooner or later this will end?
The only force I think can bring back consumer trust is regulatory force. People talk about market corrections. OK, there will be some price reductions but still, there are all these crazy people who made these stupid decisions. And they're still part of the market forces! Without serious regulations, there are good reasons not to trust the system. And, on top of the people involved, it turns out some of these sophisticated financial products were too sophisticated. Even the bankers didn't understand them.

So when all of these meltdowns are over, will consumers end up scarred in some way?
I think so. If you look at some of our experiments with cheating, what happens is, when people are a step removed from cash, that makes it much easier for them to cheat. So, think about stock options, and some of these complex derivatives and other securities. They're many steps removed from actual cash, and I think that makes it easier for people to do bad things with them. They're using ambiguity to color reality in a way that suits them. This is why I think that most of these meltdowns come from these complex financial products.

Isn't healthy skepticism a good thing?
If we're overworried, it will create a huge deficit to the economy. Trust is an incredible lubricant to the economy, and erosion of trust is hugely important. Yet the level of trust in the United States is sliding.

Will this new mistrust change the way consumers actually behave? Or the way we spend money? It's not like there's some alternative economy where we can spend our money instead.
Over the long term, I think we'll end up less trusting, and this will play out in small bits. The next generation will be unlikely to invest in the stock market at the same level, for example. It's true that most people's financial lives have not been affected by all these events as much as the news suggests. And it's true that in some sense we're talking way too much about all of these issues. But, in another sense, we're not talking enough about the real problem, which is the erosion of trust.

Have we become a nation of whiners, like Phil Gramm said recently? I don't think so. In some ways, we don't whine enough. When was the last big public demonstration? Or the last big public outcry? Yet these are issues that deserve an outcry. There ought to be consequences. People should get fired or go to jail. These are things that do deserve high-level attention.

Relationship marketing to face with the recession!

My own article

by: TT

In crisis period relationship marketing or one to one marketing can be very useful. Indeed, Relationship Marketing can be defined as direct individualized communication methods to establish individualized and interactive value added relationships with clients on the long term.

A good communication associated with a rich database can allow to:

- increase commitment & trust and exit barriers.

- precise: fine segmentation with precise knowledge about customers which have the most important probability to response (database)
- Increase transactions by client (repurchase behavior, cross selling, up selling)
- Controllable and measurable: Redemption rates

I note that we forget to remind there is some consumers (most of them are rich) which are not really affected by the recession and to leave them aside would be a mistake. That is why some companies rely on the individualization of the relationship and the offer to target these special consumers. This strategy allows to capture and to retain upper class consumer and this in despite of the crisis.

Sure, we can take the example of the Ferrari group is a very good example of this success. Indeed, in the late of 2008 Ferrari has increased its sales by 17, 6 %.( http://www.autoevolution.com/news/ferrari-reports-record-2008-sales-figures-4047.html)

The crisis does not really seem to affect Ferrari and the excitement for the brand is still present. Actually, for years Ferrari has understood that decreasing price is not a good solution for their segment but offering new services or new processes to make business can be a good tool in order to increase the loyalty of the customers. Thus, the “One to One Personalisation Program” has appeared which enables his rich customer to build their own and unique model. This program is essentially for the aesthetics that is to say the colour, interior lining, and for the finishing equipment. Thus luxury, exclusivity of the product in line with the market demands, higher range and niche model can be good weapons against the crisis for Ferrari’s segment.

In one-to-one marketing, the company establishes new relationships with customers by personalizing both his speech and his offer. This strategy enables customer feel recognized and increase their loyalty to the brand. All companies which are targeting upper class should follow the example of Ferrari and continue to maintain a particular relation with their customers through the one-to-one marketing strategy. As we have already said not everyone are affected by the crisis and concentrating efforts on most valued customers’ guarantees revenues and in some extent can be a solution to face with the crisis.

No risks if you customize your offer!

The Store of YOU
Why buy off the rack when you can customize? Shoppers design clothes, candy, even credit cards

By Kimberly Palmer

Posted October 27, 2008

Here's some good news for the nonconformists among us: Soon, it may be impossible to follow the latest fashion trends. The days of True Religion jeans and Jimmy Choo shoes will be over. While retailers have long made money by selling multiple copies of the same pair of pants or mass-produced sneakers, we're on the verge of a world where every individual merits his or her own production line—call it the Store of You.

Driven by increasingly demanding consumers empowered by the Internet and new technology such as digital printing and online ordering systems, the shift to personalized production represents such a departure from tradition that the retail industry has been forced to come up with new terminology to describe it. Consumers are "information omnivores" who like "überobscure" products in the new "meconomy."

Owning one-of-a-kind sneakers, clothes, jewelry, wine, and even credit cards that reflect one's taste, personality, and lifestyle is the new sign of success and luxury. At the same time, it's a form of frugality well suited to the current economic downturn. By customizing, shoppers can get the most out of less frequent splurges. And the trend is not restricted to those with money—it spans ages, income groups, and regions.

Hard to please. "In the context of a postindustrial age where everything looks the same—you walk through the parking lot and have a hard time picking out Hondas from Jaguars—the customization process offers a sense of difference," says retail consultant Paco Underhill. One recent Yankelovich survey found that because consumers at all income levels have more options and access to information, they are less willing to compromise. More than half of respondents said an essential consideration when choosing a brand is how well it represents their unique tastes and individuality. While the number of retailers offering customized products is hard to come by, industry experts say it is quickly growing as retailers struggle to attract consumers who are hesitant to part with their cash.

The new production methods make the creation of one-of-a-kind items more affordable than ever, says Joseph Pine. He popularized the industry's term for the trend—mass customization—in a series of articles for Harvard Business Review and a book by that name in the 1990s. Pine says there are now hundreds and possibly thousands of retailers offering customization. Custom-made products were once so labor intensive, he says, that only the wealthy could afford them. While the printing and ordering technologies to customize for "the masses" have been available for at least a decade, only now is the trend really taking off as customers have come to realize it's available. "Customers are saying, 'I can get custom M&Ms, custom shoes—why am I putting up with the off-the-rack stuff over there?' " Pine says.

At Reebok, customers can design their own sneakers, mixing various colors, styles, and materials. In early 2009, a new program created by designer
John Maeda will transform customers' photos into designs that decorate their shoes. "It's not just about us offering a set of tools that you can use, but we're saying to the consumer, 'What is important to you?'" says Rich Prenderville, Reebok's head of global brand marketing.

Murphy Burch, 39, an airline pilot and hockey fan in Cooper City, Fla., spent $105 on customized sneakers from Reebok that not only reflect the bright yellow, red, and navy colors of the NHL's Florida Panthers but also have his nickname—Murph—emblazoned on the back and a panther on the side. He plans to wear the shoes to all 41 games he attends this season. "I could buy a comparable shoe for $30, but I designed them, and they're exactly what I wanted," he says.

At the CafePress website, users can design and buy custom-made T-shirts, many of which focus on niche interests, political beliefs, or strange combinations, such as donuts with robots or pink llamas. "We're a huge destination for self-expression," says Amy Maniatis, vice president of marketing. "There's a huge trend toward 'I want it my way' and 'I want something that's unique and right just for me,'" she says. The company refers to it as "me-tailing." CafePress was founded in 1999 after digital technology made print-on-demand T-shirts possible. Today, 40,000 new products are added each day. The company generated over $100 million in revenue last year.

(...)

Source: http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=4932790766668172965

My commentary:

One to One Marketing or personalized offer/service enables customers to build their own and unique model. This program is essentially for the aesthetics that is to say the colour, the design, and the general look.

In one-to-one marketing, the company establishes new relationships with customers by personalizing both his speech and his offer. This strategy enables customer feel recognized and increase their loyalty to the brand.

A healthy life to become a centenarian, do you believe it !?!

Healthy Lifestyle Boosts Women's Longevity
Good living can reduce the risk of dying from heart disease and cancer, study shows

By Steven ReinbergHealthDay Reporter (09/17/2008)

TUESDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Women who don't smoke, maintain a healthy weight, eat a healthful diet, and get regular physical exercise significantly reduce their risk of dying from any cause, and particularly from heart disease and cancer, Harvard University researchers report.

Although the finding seems obvious, the scientists hope that by showing the long-term results of healthy living, people will see lifestyle changes can reduce the risk of dying from diseases such as heart disease and cancer.

"Our findings suggest that the combination of lifestyle factors has a substantially larger impact on survival than any single factor," said lead researcher Rob M. van Dam, an assistant professor of medicine at Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School.

Clearly, avoiding smoking is of major importance for health, but regular physical activity, a healthy diet and weight management can result in large additional health benefits, van Dam said. "The results of the study reinforces the need to strengthen public health efforts targeting smoking, as well as efforts that make it easier for people to maintain a healthy weight and diet and to perform regular physical activity," he said.

The report was published in the Sept. 17 online edition of the British Medical Journal.

For the study, van Dam's team collected data on 77,782 women who participated in the Brigham and Women's Hospital-based Nurses Health Study. Over 24 years starting in 1980, the women in the study responded to yearly questions about lifestyle and health. Over that time, 8,882 women died, 1,790 from heart disease and 4,527 from cancer.

For women who never smoked, ate a healthy diet, did not become overweight, and remained physically active, the researchers estimated the overall risk of death was reduced by 55 percent. In addition, these women had a 44 percent reduced risk of dying from cancer and a 72 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease, van Dam's group found.

Looking at individual risk factors, the researchers calculated that 28 percent of the deaths were from smoking, 14 percent were from being overweight, 17 percent were due to lack of physical activity, and 13 percent to not eating a healthy diet. Among women who didn't smoke, 22 percent of the deaths were due to being overweight, the researchers noted.

In addition, 7 percent of the deaths were attributed to not drinking a light to moderate amount of alcohol, which was associated with a lower risk of dying from heart disease. However, heavy alcohol use was associated with a greater risk of dying from cancer.

"Adhering to advice regarding a combination of lifestyle factors -- nonsmoking, healthy diet and weight, regular physical activity -- can have a large impact on avoiding premature death," van Dam said. "This is true even for modest lifestyle changes such as 30 minutes a day of moderate intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking."

Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of Women & Heart Disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said the message of this study is that women can take control of their health.

"In this study, we see the huge impact that these five aspects of life have on causes of death," Steinbaum said. "It's empowering. It allows us to understand that we have control of our lives, of our destiny," she said. "If you really do these things, you can live healthier, you can live longer, and your medical expenditures will actually be less."

It is important for women to understand the amount of control they have over their health, Steinbaum said. "You are not a victim. You don't age and go through menopause and become a sick old woman. That's not how it has to work. We have to understand that aging doesn't have to be associated with illness," she said.

Another expert thinks doctors need to do more to promote healthy living. "These findings are not novel," Dr. Jeffrey S. Berger, from the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Duke University, said. "But it really sends a very strong message to physicians and the community of the importance of routine activities that influence mortality."

The message is particularly important for doctors, Berger said. "Physicians have to see this and read this, and make it a part of their daily practice," he said.

In addition to writing prescriptions, in addition to talking about the latest drug, it is paramount for every physician to spend a significant amount of time with their patients discussing these facts, which are often overlooked, Berger added.

Source: http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/09/17/healthy-lifestyle-boosts-womens-longevity.html?PageNr=1

My commentary:
If healthy life is equal or means less money spending in medical, better mood, and i accept it! But if healthy life means also stop drinking and making party, practicing sport everyday, and eating only vegetables (hoo so hard for me!), I refuse!!

No more seriously, everybody should know above all in USA, that a healthy life is not a luxury but a necessity. Indeed, remaining a physical activity or eating a healthy diet is not only good for your body and appearance, but it also has very positive impacts on your behavior and as surveys show on your longevity... Thus if parents can assum this education role for children, certainly it is the role of the government to inform and to encourage people to have a healthier life, and it should first take measures to stop the ads on the bad food and on alcoholic drinks, should not it?!! So LIVE MORE with a BETTER LIFE!

!!! I love you Crisis !!!

How Consumers Can Take Smart Advantage of Falling Prices
Hotels and cereal are cheap, but hold off on the new shoes

By Kimberly Palmer , Kirk Shinkle

The Consumer Price Index, which measures how much people pay for typical goods and services, dropped 0.4 percent over the past year. That's the first time the government has recorded a 12-month price decline since 1955. While economists typically see that kind of drop as bad news for the nation's economic growth, it's also partly good news for consumers, at least in the short term, because it means they can buy cheaper food, clothes, and other items.
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Some items have fallen in price more than others. Falling energy prices, including those for natural gas and motor fuel, helped drive the March price drop. Food also sold for less last month, so a typical shopping trip in March cost about the same as it would have back in October. Dairy products were especially discounted, but the prices for meat, poultry, fish and eggs also went down. Used cars and trucks, airline tickets, and hotels became cheaper, as well.

Not everyone found their wallets surprisingly full, however. Smokers had an especially hard time. Tobacco and smoking products rose in price by 11 percent. New vehicles cost more -- about 0.6 percent. Those who prefer the produce aisle had to pay extra; the prices of fruits and vegetables went up. Over the last three months, the cost of clothing went up over 5 percent. Medical care also became more expensive, so it might not be the best time to have an appendectomy or get those tonsils removed (Unless a doctor tells you to, of course!)

Here's a guide to what products you can get a good deal on and which haven't come down in price -- at least not yet.

Food and beverages. While the food and beverages index has gone up by 4.3 percent over the past year, how much consumers pay depends a lot on whether they are eating out or cooking for themselves at home. In March, the cost of food eaten at home -- everything from pasta to cereal to olive oil -- fell by 0.4 percent. But food eaten away from home, at restaurants or other places, went up, as did the price of alcoholic drinks. That's one reason why personal finance experts say cooking at home is one of the best decisions you can make for your bottom line. Based on the fact that the price of eggs and cereal have been falling, you might want to consider Cheerios for breakfast and a frittata for dinner. The Verdict: You can get a good deal on food, as long as you're willing to cook it yourself, and say no to that pre-dinner drink.

Housing. The price of housing, which includes rent, hotels, household insurance, and home furnishings, edged up 1.4 percent for the year, but March saw a slight decline. So if you've been putting off buying that trip that requires a hotel stay, now could be your time to make a move. Just be sure to shop around, because prices vary by region, and some establishments are more eager to get your business than others. As for that new sofa that you've had your eye on, you might want to hold off, since the home furnishings index inched upwards in March. The Verdict: Now is the time to take advantage of cheap hotels, but wait to redecorate your living room.

Apparel. The clothing index, which covers clothes as well as footwear, has been edging up in recent months, but fell slightly in March. For the year, prices are up about 1.5 percent. If you're willing to wait it out and hope last month's trend continues, then don't buy those new Nikes yet. The Verdict: The cost of clothes appears to be dropping, but it's still up for the year -- so try to delay that shopping spree.

Gas. The gas index rose 8.3 percent in February and then fell 4 percent in March, so now is a much better time to fill up the tank than a couple months ago -- and much, much better than last summer, when soaring gas prices kept people close to home. The Verdict: Gas is cheap, but it may not stay that way for long.

Transportation. The transportation index involves much more than just car purchases; it includes gas and public transportation, too. It saw the biggest decline in price of any other category over the last year, dropping just over 13 percent. While the drop in gas prices drove that trend, the pump isn't the only place to find deals. Airfares have declined for seven months in a row, and prices of used cars and trucks have also dropped a bit. The Verdict: Now is a great time to buy that used Prius or fly to visit family in another city, but hold off on new car purchases.

Education and communication. The cost of tuition, personal computers and other educational supplies went up 3.6 percent for the year, just as many workers frustrated with a sluggish job market hope to ride it out by going back to school. The Verdict: College and graduate degrees haven't gotten any cheaper, but they might still be your best option, especially if you are looking to retrain for a new career.

Source: http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/your-money/2009/04/15/how-consumers-can-take-smart-advantage-of-falling-prices.html?PageNr=2

My commentary: During a crisis period the purchase power falls, and we note companies adapt their price policy in order to be in line with this new environment. So Crisis can aslso mean: "a good time to spend and take advantage of good prices!!.

Indeed, the economic situation contribute to create new opportunities for consumers who always try to gather information before making a purchase, to find the best deal and, in some extent, it's more than just price comparisons. They just take the time to understand what they buy too.

Concerning me, the crisis has allowed to make very good purchases, especially on the purchase of clothes. Once I bought GUESS jeans at $ 45 instead of $ 120, more than 70% off... SO I REALLY LIKE TO MAKE A GOOD DEAL LIKE THAT!!! However, my bank account NOT!!