Monday, April 1, 2013

Wearing Chinese Glasses - How Not to Go Broke in Chinese Asia

Wearing Chinese Glasses: How (Not) to Go Broke in Chinese Asia is a clever treatise on how to see the business world the way Chinese people do. It is apparent from author Greg Bissky's painfully funny stories that he learned this valuable lesson through much trial and error at the cultural school of hard knocks. His business culture book is part biography, part reflection, and part reference tool for cross-cultural communication.

Wearing Chinese Glasses presents Bissky's 20 years of experience in business as a Westerner immersed in the Asian culture beginning with his first disastrous forays into Asian society with his myopic Western glasses firmly in place. The culmination of his experiences and insights into this culture, so foreign from his own, is creatively presented in this his debut work.

Bissky wittily depicts the good, the bad, and the ugly American from the Chinese perspective. In each instructional segment of the work he manages to weave in some tidbits of wisdom and self-deprecating humor. It is easy to see oneself, so worried about how to use chopsticks or to know some other Chinese habit that we fail to even recognize we are completely ignorant of the customs of communication.

Fluency in the language and knowledge of an obscure dialect will never seal the deal! Grammar and vocabulary are not going to be the source of business problems in Chinese Asian business deals. Instead, the "way the language is used" will be the epicenter of ruin according to the author. The Western Rules of Communication are very different from the Chinese Rules. Violating these rules can mean the difference between the success and the failure of the Westerner in the Chinese business community.

Understanding the rules of Chinese communication comes from understanding Chinese culture and its origins. What makes Westerners uniquely different from our Chinese counterparts culturally is not our family values, our history, or even our Judeo-Christian religions it is our philosophy that keeps us apart. Bissky maintains our philosophical origins are so vastly different that it is like comparing an apple to an orange.

Western culture has a Hellenic philosophy, influenced by Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle based on learning and discovery. Chinese culture, heavily influenced by Confucius, has a philosophy based on relationships and rules. No wonder they think we are barbarians; we are the proverbial Venus and Mars when it comes to philosophy!

Wearing Chinese Glasses will be an important guidebook for anyone brave enough to venture into the complicated business world of Chinese Asia. Fear not! With this book in hand, you too can attempt to master the ways of the Good Westerner by educating yourself and embracing the fact that the Chinese do things in a different way. Success will come through study, practice, adapting and trying to be a good, sensitive barbarian.

Wearing Chinese Glasses: How Not to Go Broke in Chinese Asia

Author - Greg Bissky

Publisher - Trafford Publishing, 2007

ISBN: 142511186-6

What is in Our Drinking Water? - What You Need to Know

What is in our drinking water is a troubling question and it is a question that has to be answered and unfortunately the answer makes for uncomfortable reading.

If you were to see a list of the various chemicals and other contaminants which are present in our drinking water you would be forgiven for thinking that you were reading a recipe for a biological warfare agent.

The list is frankly, nothing short of horrendous and what makes it worse is how docile we are in relation to this extremely important issue. Too many people are all too willing to merely resign themselves to the twin pillars of apathy and necessity, either too lazy to care, or unwilling to pursue the matter more fully.

This is an extremely dangerous way to think, as water is our life, quite literally. We need water in order to survive, and we will die in a shorter period of time due to dehydration than we would to starvation. However, the current quality of our water leaves a great deal to be desired, with the overwhelming majority of water treatment facilities using processes which remove visible contamination and little else.

Whilst every country is legally obliged to ensure that the water is clear and fit for consumption sometimes it can be rather difficult trying to maintain the stringent safety measures required in order to protect our health.

If the water is conducted and transported through copper pipes, there is a danger that the lead will permeate into the water which can cause lead poisoning which for children, is nearly fatal. Even the temperature of water is a concern because if water is stored in an area with a temperature between 30 and 40 degrees Celsius, then this can encourage the growth and development of nasty and dangerous bacteria called Leigionella.

Water companies must and do ensure that the water they provide is fit for consumption and is safe. However, even the most sophisticated technology in the world cannot prevent the possibility of a malfunction or some other form of breakdown in the water system, and accidents can and will happen. This means that it falls to us, the consumer, to ensure that we protect ourselves in so far as is reasonably possible.

Our drinking water system is not something we have a great deal of control over until it comes out of the tap, at which point we can filter and treat the water by ourselves so as to rid the impurities already present.

Water filtering systems are extremely cheap and easy to use, and will be able to give you total peace of mind as you sip your purified water safe in the knowledge that you are helping, not harming, your body.

You can read more about water filtration systems by visiting my website below.

Wine Gift Basket

Gift baskets are very popular among the people having good taste and culture. The concept of gift basket was coming from fruit basket; while there are some other outcomes of gift basket-such as wine gift basket.

Wine is very important item to celebrate any occasion like wedding, birthday, anniversary etc.It gives a pleasant realisation of life and forces you to sing and dance while you can speak and walk. Wine and music are indispensable parts of every party. Wine is the only aspect which turns an occasion into a party.

A wine gift basket is a collection of excellent wines which is gifted to exhilarate the mood of any party. A wine gift basket is an ideal gift for the anniversary purpose; this will rejuvenate the conjugal life of the couple and share their experiences of year's long relationship. A peg of wine is a great way to express one's gratitude and thankfulness. Wine warms up a chilled Christmas evening into sizzling one. Wine is also very suitable for Valentine's Day celebration. Wine represents the concealed romance of people's life and makes them express their hidden feelings.

There are some people who consider this as the "last resort" gift type. But things are not always the same as a lot of hard work, concept and expertise are involved in this. The sender of the wine gift basket must remember that this is a gift and it should not be designed on the basis of his/her choices. The sender must know the choice and taste of the receiver so that the sender get an appreciation from the receiver.

These baskets are excellent presentations for both men and women as they are convenient for any occasions such as weddings, anniversaries or birthdays. Generally it is considered that men like their drinks in a can or twist top bottle which is very wrong guess. There are any men who like to prefer wine of different flavours and packages. It is not true that men are always not eager to spend extra times to uncork the bottles; many of them may prefer to give some extra effort to uncork their

adored bottles. As per the women are concerned they prefer the wine accessories such as crystal glasses, ice-pots or decanter. It is always recommended for the sender to gift wine on the basis of receiver's knowledge. If the receiver is not so accustomed with the wine then a guideline book to enjoy the gift is a great idea. Wine accessories can also be send if the receiver is an epicure of wine. In addition of Wine, some wine accessories can be appended. Accessories like crystal glasses,crorkscrews can be added to make it a worthwhile and warm.

As there are verities of wine gift baskets for different festivals and occasions, but choosing wine baskets for the proper occasions is very important.Winebaskets should not contain wine or wine accessories only, other delicious snacks such as chocolate, cheeses or cookies can be send. The prices of the wine gift baskets are also very important. The senders may have tasty and lucrative wine baskets range between $22 to $55.

A wine gift basket can be gifted to anyone-to friend, to immediate boss or to superior boss, to parents, senior people and last but not the least to your beloved.

Could a Company Video on Your Website Lead to More Sales?

Video communication is one of the most effective ways to promote your services or products to potential customers. Did you know that 38% of is vocal? That includes the pitch, tone, speed and volume of your voice. By having a company video on your website, your business is instantly more appealing to the consumer as they will become more responsive about what you are able to offer.

Online marketing has boomed in recent years, developments in technology have allowed businesses to create an online presence, and target potential customers in a completely different way. When a customer is looking to invest into a product or service, no one reaches for the dusty Yellow Pages any more; they head straight to the internet. By ensuring that your online presence incorporates a website video, you are enticing consumers to purchase. Video marketing is an affordable way to advertise online, and by creating a brief, informative and appealing company video, you are making sure that your business is still relevant in the current market.

Company videos have an advantage of the standard text format as they allow you to get to the point in a shorter amount of time. Instead of your website visitor having to crawl through pages of text to find the small amount of information they were looking for, you can convey the message in just a couple of minutes via a website video. You can use a marketing video to promote your business in general, or to target a new product or service which you have added to your range. People are naturally drawn to videos rather than text, so take advantage of the technology available to you and ensure that your website incorporates a company video.

By adding some personality to your product or service, your prospective customers are able to relate to your company and what you're advertising quicker and easier. However, don't fall into the trap of not including any text content on your website as this is equally important. A website video should promote your company and inspire potential customers, thus turning website traffic into sales.

Small and medium sized businesses do not need to lose out to multinational corporations with the budget for a traditional television advertising campaign. Online marketing is a revolutionary way to promote any business, so ensure that you are missing out on the new way to communicate efficiently. Make your company stand out from the crowd with an online company video.

If you are a small or medium sized business looking to expand your online marketing, act today and add a company video to your web page. Facevideo is committed to helping businesses incorporate company videos onto their website and other social media web pages such as Facebook. Contact us today to start turning your website visitors into paying customers.

Medical Hair Restoration

Medical hair restoration in the literal sense includes the hair loss treatment which depends upon the use of medicines.

Unusual hair loss both in men and women is caused by the alterations in the androgen metabolism. Androgen is a male hormone which has a major role to play in regulation of hair growth or hair loss. The dermal papilla is the most important structure in a hair follicle which is responsible for hair-growth. It is the dermal papilla, the cell of which divides and differentiates to give rise to a new hair follicle. The dermal papilla is in direct contact with blood capillaries in the skin to derive the nutrients for the growing hair follicle. Research has shown that dermal papilla got many receptors for androgens and there are studies which have confirmed that males have more androgenic receptors in dermal papilla of their follicles as compared to females.

The metabolism of androgen involves an enzyme called 5 alpha reductase which combines with the hormone androgen(testosterone) to form the DHT (Dihydro-testosterone). DHT is a natural metabolite of our body which is the root cause of hair loss.

Proper nutrition is critical for the maintenance of the hair. When DHT gets into the hair follicles and roots (dermal papilla), it prevents necessary proteins, vitamins and minerals from providing nourishment needed to sustain life in the hairs of those follicles. Consequently, hair follicles are reproduced at a much slower rate. This shortens their growing stage (anagen phase) and or lengthens their resting stage (telogen phase) of the follicle. DHT also causes hair follicle to shrink and get progressively smaller and finer. This process is known as miniaturization and causes the hair to ultimately fall. DHT is responsible for 95% of hair loss. Some individuals both men and women are genetically pre-disposed to produce more DHT than the normal individuals. DHT also creates a wax-like substance around the hair roots. It is this accumulation of DHT inside the hair follicles and roots which is one of the primary causes of male and female pattern hair loss.

Blocking the synthesis of DHT at molecular level forms the basis for the treatment of MPHL ( male pattern hair loss) and FPHL female pattern hair loss). There are many natural DHT blockers and a number of drugs which are used for medical hair restoration.

Let us see the main drugs which are available for medical hair restoration in men and women.

Minoxidil

Minoxidil has the distinction of the first drug being used for promoting the hair restoration. This medical hair restoration treatment drug was used earlier as an oral antihypertensive drug, but after its hypertrichosis (excessive body hair) effects were noticed, a topical solution of the drug was tested for its hair growing potential. Minoxidil was then approved as medical hair restoration treatment drug for men by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1988 as a 2% solution, followed by 5% solution in 1997. For women, the 2% solution was approved in 1991. Though 5% solution is not approved for women, it is used as a medical hair restoration treatment by many dermatologists worldwide. Both solutions are available without a prescription in the US.

Mechanism of action

Minoxidil is thought to have a direct mitogenic effect on epidermal cells, as has been observed both in vitro in vivo. Though the mechanism of its action for causing cell proliferation is not very clear, minoxidil is thought to prevent intracellular calcium entry. Calcium normally enhances epidermal growth factors to inhibit hair growth, and Minoxidil by getting converted to minoxidil sulfate acts as a potassium channel agonist and enhances potassium ion permeability to prevent calcium ions from entering into cells.

Thought the exact action of minoxidil preventing the formation of DHT has not been shown but the drug has been shown to have a stabilizing effect on the hair loss. The result of the drug takes about few months time to be evident since it is the time which is necessary for restoring the normal growth cycle of hair fibers.

Use of Minoxidil has approved by FDA for men (Norwood II-V) and women (Ludwig I-II ) older than 18 years. It is used as a medical hair restoration treatment either for frontal or vertex scalp thinning. It brings about an increase in density which is mostly caused by conversion of miniaturized hairs into terminal hairs rather than a stimulated de novo re-growth. The hair loss becomes stabilized after continued use of drug, which takes about a year's time for the medical hair restoration treatment to show its complete results.

Hair loss restoration treatment with 0.05% betamethasone dipropionate and 5% topical minoxidil are found to be superior to minoxidil alone. Topical minoxidil is very well tolerated and adverse effects are mainly dermatologic. The most frequent adverse effect is an irritant contact dermatitis.

Though minnoxidil does not have any effect on blood pressure, it should be used with caution in patient with cardiovascular diseases. It is also contraindicated in pregnant and nursing mothers.

Finasteride

The drug finasteride was earlier used as treatment for prostate enlargement, under the medical name Proscar. But in 1998, it was approved by FDA for the Medical hair loss restoration in MPHL.

Mechanism of Action

Medical hair restoration treatments with Finasteride depends upon its specific action as an inhibitor of type II 5α-reductase, the intracellular enzyme that converts male hormone androgen into DHT (Dihydro Testosterone). Its action results in significant decrease in serum and tissue DHT levels in even in concentration as low as 0.2mg. Finnasteride is able to stabilize hair loss in 80% of patient with Vertex hair loss and in 70% of patients with frontal hair loss. Most of these patients are able to grow more hair or retain the ones they have. The peculiar thing about Propecia is that its effect is more pronounced in crown area than in the front. The hair that grow after the medical hair restoration treatments are better in texture and are thicker, more like the terminal hair.

The best thing about medical hair restoration treatment with the finnasteride is that it is well tolerated and has minimal side effects. Sexual dysfunction (decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction, and decreased semen volume) are observed in about 3.8% of cases. But these side-effects subside within few months of Medical hair restoration treatments or disappear within a week's time as soon as the treatment is stopped.

It generally requires about 6 to 12 months for the m edical hair restoration treatment to be apparent but the side effects appear earlier. So even after the medicine is stopped, there is no possibility of losing the hair that has been gained, but the side effects are sure to disappear. Many hair restoration surgeons find Propecia (finasteride) to act as an excellent adjunct to the surgical hair restoration. There are several benefits of this kind of combination therapy. As the Medical hair restoration with Propecia brings about a hair re-growth in the crown area, it has a complementary action; it allows the surgeon to have more donor hair to be available for frontal hair transplant and design the hairline at his own will. Since finasteride has no effect in the frontal area of the scalp, it does not have any interference with the surgical hair restoration.

Combination Therapy

There are reports which say that use of finasteride and topical minoxidil combination therapy as a Medical hair restoration treatment is of more advantage in cases of mild to moderate MPHL. Further studies are in progress. Many hair restoration doctors have already started the use of combination therapy in order to obtain better hair growth.

Anti Androgen Therapy

For women with hyperandrogonism( with increased levels of androgen) who do not respond well to minoxidil, antiandrogen therapy is another option of Medical hair restoration. In UK the most commonly used anti-androgen for women is CPA (cyproterone acetate), which is used in combination with ethinyl-estradiol.

However, in United States, where CPA is not available, the aldosterone antagonist spironolactone is the alternative choice of hair restoration doctors.

Flutamide

Medical hair restoration with flutamide has shown improvement as hair loss restoration treatment in women with hirsutism. For hyperandrogenic premenopausal women, flutamide is a better medical hair restoration agent than both the CPA or finestride.

Hair loss restoration management is a structured process which depends upon many factors along with the medical hair restoration. For more details on the topic you can refer to section medical hair restoration or article on male pattern hair loss or female pattern hair loss at our site hairtransplantadvice.com.

Forex Education - Trading The Price Action

Forex trading, although lucrative in the right circumstances, is a complex art to execute correctly. What appears to make forex trading seemingly simply is the binary choice between "buy" and "sell". In order to come to a decision on whether to take a "long" (buy) or a "short" (sell) position on a trade you must obtain the correct signals from your trading chart. This is where the complexity comes in.

These signals can be generated in two ways: by use of indicators on a chart or by a method called "Price Action Trading" which doesn't use indicators. There are literally dozens of indicators available, free and ready to be used on a chart for trading. In fact most MT4 platforms come loaded with these free indicators poised to be dragged to a chart and ready for trading. Traders who use indicators choose those which suit their trading style. Some may use just one and others a combination. All looking for that definitive signal whether to buy or sell.

Indicators are often based on complex mathematical algorithms which are programmed to tell you what the price has done and what it may do in the near future. In other words, they are either lagging or leading indicators. Unfortunately, there are serious drawbacks with indicators otherwise every trader would be using them with 100% success rate.

With lagging indicators such as Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD), the problem is just that, lagging! They will produce signals that are late and will certainly miss any reversals in the market. These indicators are also known as momentum indicators since they tell you accurately the price impetus i.e. where the price is heading.

With the so called leading indicators this serious drawback with the lagging indicators has been programmed out. Examples of leading indicators, also known as oscillators, includes the popular Stochastic indicator. The drawback here is that in a trending market it will give you premature signals such as "overbought" and "oversold" even though there is some way to go before a turning point arrives in the price.

With price action trading, there is a powerful indicator you use which is not on the chart-your brain! One of the reasons why indicators "fail" is that they are mathematical programs with rigid boundaries. They are unable to learn and adapt like the human brain. Forex trading is still mainly a human pursuit in which trading with the "herd" is the key to success. The professional traders in the financial institutions around the world are most likely to trade using price action. They draw the same support and resistance lines like you did and keep an eye out for specific candlestick formation just like you do. In other words, with the price action trading, you are trading like the herd and are therefore much safer for it.

As mentioned above, in price action trading, the trader looks at the chart carefully and draws support and resistance lines. Support lines are where the price ostensibly bounce off and keeps on moving in the direction of the main trend, up or down. The resistance is an imaginary line where the price apparently finds resistance to its direction of travel.

Learning to draw these lines properly is an essential skill to have when trading on price action.

Catching a price reversal in time can mean the difference between a profitable and a losing trade. In some cases this difference could even be between a profitable and a really profitable trade. When trading price action, clues to price reversal i.e. change in direction of the trend can be gauged from observing candlestick patterns. These also tend to occur at lines of resistance, especially where strong resistance lines could be drawn that extend back over some time.

When looking for clues on trend reversals, a particular candlestick shape provides the best information. This candlestick is known as a pin bar. In fact, the pin bar is at the middle of a three bar formation. The middle candle is the actual pin bar which is shaped like a rocket firework i.e. a small body with a long wick. Surrounding this on either side are two candlesticks whose price range cover the open and close prices (the body) of the middle pin bar.

This formation gives a very powerful clue to an imminent price reversal. There is bullish pin bar and bearish pin bar.

Presently and personally, I prefer trading the price action. With practice and experience, it becomes easier to see where support and resistance could be. Once you grasp this, the rest will fall into place.

P.S.: You must always trade Forex with caution.

To your trading success!


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