Temporary Staffing Agency – How to Start
The temporary staffing industry continues to expand, with yearly double-digit growth being commonplace. Companies find it convenient and cost-effective to work with a temporary staffing agency to fulfill unforeseen demand, fill short-term vacancies, and assist with changing workloads due to restructuring or mergers. Additionally, employers are enticed by the idea of “test driving” new employees to minimize risk and ensure a good match for permanent positions.
Many a job seeker has reaped great rewards from temporary staffing. Skilled but yet-inexperienced workers are able to get a foot in the door at prestigious companies, where a weak resume would have made it very difficult to be considered. Similarly, “drifters” (those who tend to rapidly drift from job to job) may be plagued by an overly-long resume. Temporary staffing services can be ideal for drifters, as they have the opportunity to work on short-term projects and move on without the negative repercussions. Retirees and college students are also very common candidates. A retired nurse may find enjoyment and extra income from a temporary medical staffing firm. A computer science major can gain valuable experience working with a technical agency.
Only a small number of personnel is required to handle recruiting and clientele. Even the largest international firms tend to function with small, mostly-independent branch offices serving specific regions. This modular structure means it is quite possible for a one-office temporary staffing agency to compete effectively with established firms.
Overall, the triple-benefit to clients, associates, and entrepreneurs has contributed to the phenomenal growth of the temporary staffing industry. Because of these advantages, it will remain an integral part of the employment process through good times and bad.
Start Up Costs and Financing Sources:
$5,000 to $25,000
The startup and operating costs of a temporary staffing agency are much lower than many other businesses. The basic requirements are a small office with the typical supplies, a computer system with general accounting software and database software for organizing contracts, and the people skills to work with clientele and associates. It would not be impossible to start a temporary staffing agency on a shoestring budget of a few thousand dollars.
The largest business expense is payroll. It is common for associates to be paid by the agency before the agency is paid by the client. An account must be maintained with sufficient funds to cover payroll costs until bills are paid by the clients.
It is difficult – but not impossible – to get help from venture capitalists in covering part of the costs of setting up a temporary staffing agency. A well-researched, forward-looking business plan is essential.
Pricing Guidelines for Service:
Associates are paid by the hour, and the agency covers its costs by charging a premium to the amount billed to the client. The exact amount of the premium differs from case to case and can vary from 5% to 50% or more. Some associates are willing to work for less and some clients are willing to pay more, which when properly matched can result in very decent profits for the temporary staffing agency. The contract usually spells out a flat fee to be paid to the agency in the event that a client decides to permanently hire an associate.
Advertising and Marketing:
A competitive hurdle for small startups is that larger agencies already have established reputations and brand recognition. This is actually a minor obstacle because of the localized nature of the business. It is not necessary to wage a national marketing war to gain exposure for a new agency. An inexpensive and well-directed marketing campaign can quickly build a valuable reputation within the local operating region of the startup.
Essential Equipment:
An office (perhaps a home office) should be equipped with the standard office supplies and at least two telephone lines.
At least one computer system with accounting software and a database for keeping track of projects is mandatory. A printer is used for printing invoices and job listings, and a high-speed Internet connection connects the agency with online job search sites.
Many temporary staffing services have computers with tutorial software available to help associates to train their keyboarding and basic office software skills. These computers are also used to test the skills of applicants.
Income Potential:
Many billions of dollars are spent on temporary staffing services each year. A small, single-office agency can earn profits in the tens of thousands of dollars. The large, international firms rake in millions every year.
Target Market:
A temporary staffing agency is the middleman between two distinct markets: clients and associates.
It is usually not a difficult matter to reach hundreds of applicants with simple help wanted advertisements. More focus will probably be placed on connecting with client companies and convincing them that your services will help their businesses.
Certain industries seem more receptive to temporary staffing. Financial institutions and other office-centric companies are constantly seeking qualified office support staff. Factories frequently need labor for light industrial work, product assembly, and shipping and receiving tasks. Hospitals and clinics use temporary medical staffing to hire transcriptionists, certified nursing professionals, and other support staff. Increasingly, high-technology companies hire computer programmers, database specialists, and systems engineers on a temporary basis through agencies specializing in technical placements.
Tips for Success:
Develop a niche!
In larger markets, providers of temporary staffing services have found it useful to branch into niches such as temporary medical staffing, legal, financial, or technical fields. The focused nature of these agencies allows recruiters to build a pool of highly-educated, trained, and experienced associates who are able to provide the best service to clients within a particular industry.
A hospital executive would feel more comfortable contracting nurses from an agency dedicated to temporary medical staffing than from a one-stop-shop that also places welders, janitors, and filing clerks. This confidence also helps associates to command better wages than they might otherwise receive through a general-service temporary staffing agency.
Automate!
Much of the work of running a temporary staffing agency can be automated by computer software. Well-designed database software can ease the process of matching qualified associates with appropriate job openings. Accounting operations can be very heavily automated (but working closely with a good accountant is still advised). With these tools in place, just two major tasks remain: finding clients and finding associates.
Use your own services!
As the business grows, it will become necessary to add staff to handle the recruitment and marketing. That should never be difficult, since typically dozens or hundreds of qualified candidates are already in contact with the agency!
Training, Skills or Experience Needed:
Recruiters are at an advantage with a background in human resources, business management, and marketing. A degree is not essential for starting the business, but the knowledge gained through a business management program is immensely helpful. People skills are important, and can be learned through experience and self study. Numerous books have been published, specifically addressing temporary staffing as a business opportunity.
Estrogen – Is This Natural Hormone Slowly Killing Us?
Too much estrogen is a major problem for women and men and too many people have too much of it. Excess estrogen can accelerate aging, worsen prostate health, increase body fat and muscle atrophy, increase hair loss and cause sexual dysfunction. Women with excess non-metabolized estrogen are at greater risk for breast and uterine cancer, obesity and low sex drive.
In both men and woman, fat cells store large quantities of aromatase, an enzyme that creates estrogen. The higher your percentage of body fat, the more estrogen you may produce. This causes you to create more fat cells, which in turn, creates more estrogen! This cycle can spiral out of control.
In men, aromatase signals the pituitary gland and testes to secrete less luteinizing hormone (LH), thereby significantly slowing testosterone production. High levels of estrogen increases the production of a protein called Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG), which competes with testosterone receptor sites, literally rendering testosterone impotent. Estrogen also causes the liver to produce more of the carrier proteins that bind-up testosterone. Free, unbound testosterone is the only active form that can easily cross into the brain, muscles, sex organs and fat cells.
Testosterone Deficit
Free testosterone makes up only a very small part of total testosterone in men and women. Low levels of free testosterone in men increases body fat, reduces sex drive and may cause depression and erectile dysfunction. This becomes a vicious cycle too. Men have less energy and lower self-esteem. They then may get stressed, eat more, gain weight and have less interest in sex.
Early symptoms of aging in men, is called Andropause. Excessive levels of estrogen have been identified as the main culprit!
Estrogen excess ‘signals’ increased production of SHBG, causing further depletion in free testosterone. Excessive estrogen in males occurs with obesity, excessive alcohol use, smoking, lack of exercise and from exposure to non-bio-identical estrogens in the environment. Pesticides create a form of bad estrogen, concentrated in meats and dairy.
Doses of Bisophenol-A found in microwavable plastics, linings for metal food-and-beverage containers, plastic baby bottles (only glass is safe) leach into the water and blood of humans causing a form of insulin resistance that mimics estrogens. Either a high fat diet according to Nathan Pritikin, one of the great researchers of the twenty century I worked with in 1979 to 81 or minuscule amounts of plastic chemicals (usually considered safe by EPA standards) trigger allergic response, inflammation, and diabetes, according to Theron Randolph MD., author of An Alternate Approach to Allergies. These increases in synthetic estrogens have been shown to cause dangerous changes in the pancreas cells associated with diabetes. Diabetes has increased drastically in our country and worldwide. Diabetics tragically suffer from increased risk of stroke, heart attack, impotency, and amputated limbs.
Some studies suggest that hair loss and baldness may be associated with high-fat diets. High fat diets stimulate estrone, which is converted to bad estrogen. DHT (Di-hydroxytestosterone) can cause hair loss. However, testosterone actually can assist or enhance scalp hair, provided that estrogen levels are okay. DHT should comprise one-fourth to one-third of total androgen count.
Excess estrogen blocks testosterone receptors and DHT becomes dominant. Fatty tissue is loaded with aromatase enzymes that convert testosterone to estrogen. The best approach to combat estrogen dominance in both men and women is to exercise, improve diet and take nutritional supplements that decrease estrogen production.
Losing body fat reduces estrogen conversion. In men, symptoms of andropause recede, and in women, estrogen-dominant symptoms decrease.
Men — Reduce Your Estrogen
Over half of all men past the age of 50 have enlarged prostates. Early signals include hesitancy at the start of urination, increased frequency, dribbling and decreased force and flow of urination. Left untreated, enlarged prostates can lead to sexual dysfunction and impotency.
A University of California study found that impotency was mainly due to high estrogen. Another study elsewhere with 320 men who had been surgically treated for severely enlarged prostates, revealed higher estrogen levels and lower testosterone, than men with normal prostates.
In a Japanese study, men without prostate enlargement had higher levels of testosterone! Additionally, men whose prostates were enlarged had higher levels of estrogen. The scientists in this study concluded that non-metabolized estrogen is correlated with prostate size and volume.
Many urologists are treating patients with prostate disease by suppressing testosterone and increasing estrogen. The drugs that suppress estrogen tend to also reduce the beneficial forms of estrogen and are not doing enough to clear the bad forms of estrogens (16aOHE, 4OHE). In my opinion, metabolizing and clearing out extra estrogen should be the emphasis and can be done with natural phyto-chemical herbs, from vegetable extracts that target the bad estrogens, while restoring the good forms of estrogen and testosterone.
Diindolylmethane (DIM), derived from broccoli, cauliflower, Kale, Bok, Choy, Napa cabbage and Brussels sprouts, promotes beneficial estrogen metabolism. DIM increases ‘good’ estrogens, which then cause SHBG to bind, thereby improving levels of free testosterone all while dramatically decreasing ‘bad’ estrogen. DIM, along with Chrysin (from passion flower), (Passiflora incarnata), in liposomal cream, clears estrogen. It is especially useful for men on testosterone replacement therapy or women on estrogen replacement therapy.
DIM-Chrysin combinations lower prostate cancer risk by up to 41% in men. They also decrease the risk of breast cancer and cervical cancer, in women. Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) is another vegetable extract that is beneficial in estrogen metabolism. Indole-3-carbinol works best if there is sufficient hydrochloric acid in the stomach.
Calcium-D-Glucarate or its metabolite, D-Glucuronolactone, can help detoxify estrogens. Apples and other fresh fruits and vegetables, have small amounts. As a supplement, Calcium-D-Glucarate has positive effects on reducing cancer-producing by-products.
Diet and natural herbs, may prove safer and more cost-effective than some prescription drugs that block aromotase. Natural estrogen-clearing methods appear to cause less body inflammation and less free radical damage, reducing the toxic effects of estrone metabolites while preserving the benefits of estradiol and the ‘good’ 2-hydroxyestrone.
I encourage physicians to add these important substances to their patient’s diet and hormone regimens.
Whole Foods
A diet high in vegetables and fruit, with concentrated herb extracts, in combination with a brief, intense exercise program, can help you manage bad estrogen. Many of the special phyto-chemicals are found naturally in raw cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, Bok, Choy, Napa cabbage, turnips, rutabaga, mustard and kohlrabi. However, up to 2-lbs. of raw cruciferous vegetables each day, are necessary to achieve the estrogen-clearing benefits. I suggest using a blender (not a juicer or juice extractor, as you want to retain healthy fiber) and combine raw cruciferous vegetables with some tasty high-fiber fruits, such as berries or pears. Vegetables, like bell peppers and fruit, rich in vitamin C, reduce the aromatase enzyme responsible for converting too much estrogen from testosterone. Use water rather than juice as your base, along with frozen fruit and vegetables, to give the drink a “smoothie” texture. A blender usually comes with a 48 to 60-ounce pitcher, which will provide nearly 2-4 pounds of raw vegetable material in your drink through your day.
Supplements
As suggested, most people will need to supplement their diets with concentrates from DIM (diindolylmethane), Chrysin, D-Glucuronolactone, and other important natural phyto-chemicals. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice should be avoided, as they may inhibit the liver’s ability to break down estrogen. Supplements containing broccoli and cauliflower extracts can stimulate the metabolism of excess estrogen, while red grape skin extract and resveratrol, can improve liver P450 function, to help remove excess estrogen.
Di-methyl-glycine (DMG) is a methyl-group donor that helps detoxification. It assists the liver to clear harmful estrogens and lactic acid, after exercise. DMG has been reported to improve sexual function, erectile ability and to oxygenate blood to the genitals. Improved mental function and anti-aging benefits have also been reported with DMG.
Phyto-estrogens in soy and wild yams, is also worthy of consideration. Meat and animal products are correlated to an increased incidence of stroke and dementia. I believe that soy and vegetable products (instead of meat and animal products), are prudent!
DHT Studies
DHT needs to be in balance with testosterone. Dr. Edmond De Vroey, the founder of the Longevity Institute, has been using DHT gel for over 20 years to maintain prostate health by applying DHT topical gel. Applied directly to skin, DHT does not convert to estrogen. Instead, topically-applied DHT decreases estrogen levels.
Dr. Ron Rothenberg, Professor of Medicine at the University of California/San Diego, concurs with me, that the sexual and strength-enhancing benefits from DHT, is not as pronounced as testosterone, or testosterone combined with herbs that metabolize estrogen.
In a clinical study by Dr. Wang and colleagues, DHT improved total androgen levels, while significantly decreasing estradiol levels, within 14 days. Estradiol is considered the most dominant estrogen.
Dr. Eugene Shippen has conducted meta-reviews, indicating that testosterone and DHT can actually protect the prostate.
Dr. Schaison has shown that patients with decreased gonad function became more virile, developed more muscle mass and improved in sexual function, with DHT topical gel.
Using DHT Gel over a 2 year period, Dr. De Lignieres reported men, age 55 to 70, improved sexual function and decreased prostate size by an average of 15%.
DHT requires a prescription and is usually only obtained in Europe, however we use an all natural cream with bioidentical hormones as applied under the scrotum, used in the morning after you shower. The well known fact is that scrotal tissue has enzymes in the skin that can increase DHT production in the presents of androgens. This cream with natural androgens allows rapid absorption of testosterone to youthful levels and conversion to DHT to help reduce estrogens.
As with all androgen replacement therapies, signs of excessive DHT levels, such as oily skin, acne, excess hair growth, aggressiveness, or too heightened sexuality, need to be monitored.
A University of Southern California study found that 8 out of 27 men taking Finasteride for enlarged prostate, developed tumors within one year, despite the drug lowering DHT by 67%. It is my view that unidentified elevated levels of estrogen in the prostate could be the problem, not DHT. While Finasteride lowers DHT, it can cause impotency. In contrast, beta sitosterol in saw palmetto may be more effective to restore urine flow, without impotency. Beta Sitosterol improves metabolism of DHT and androgen receptor binding, while Finasteride does not. Even though Finasteride can reduce DHT in the prostate up to 80%, it only decreases the prostate size by about 20%. Some 60-65% of men get no improvement with Finasteride! Over 5% of Finasteride users suffer decreased libido, impotence, and ejaculatory disorders.
It is important to note that clearing all estrogens from adult men is not good! The aim of an estrogen reduction program is to achieve optimal levels for total male hormonal balance. When “bad” estrogens are elevated, they do not permit the hormones of youth, your good estrogens, testosterone, human growth hormone, DHEA, etc., to be at proper levels, thus potentially leading to disease and premature aging, and disability.
How to Increase Your Male Libido Naturally
To increase male libido naturally, you should try the supplements outlined here – not only will they increase male libido they will also make you feel happier and healthier.
So here are the best supplements for increasing male libido:
· L argentine
This nutrient is highly important for peak sexual performance. In fact, it is probably the most effective natural supplement for increasing male libido.
Current studies support the use of argentine supplements to ensure that nitric oxide secretion is sufficient to keep blood flowing to the penis.
Nitric oxide insufficiency can stop the penis from becoming erect, as it relaxes smooth muscles in the penis during sexual stimulation, allowing increased blood flow to the penis – so it’s needed to produce and sustain an erection.
A study published in 1994 showed an 80 percent improvement in the erectile function of men given 2.8 grams of argentine a day for two weeks.
· L Tyrosine
Supports and assists neurotransmitters in the brain. Reduced levels of L-Tyrosine are present when your body’s under stress, aged, or tired.
L-Tyrosine supplementation helps reduce stress, improves mental alertness, and enhances mood, which in many instances manifests itself in increased male libido.
· Gingko Bilbao
Used to improve blood flow around the body, and functions as an anti-oxidant in the body.
Ginkgo is a standard herbal remedy for male sexual dysfunction and increasing male libido, due to its affect on blood circulation.
· Ginseng
Korean Ginseng – used in China as a sexual balancer and revitalizing tonic for over 7000 years – an adaptogen, and believed to help maintain balance in the body and help the body adapt to stress.
Korean Ginseng is widely known for its ability to boost energy (including sex drive) and support the immune system.
As an adaptogen, it also helps you adapt to physical or emotional stress and fatigue.
Ginseng also has a normalizing effect on hormone imbalances, and boosts metabolic rate, as well as improving blood flow to the genitals.
· Selenium
Selenium – believed to be good for sperm production and mobility – nearly 50% of the selenium in a man is in the testes and seminal ducts; men lose selenium in their semen.
Getting enough selenium is therefore vital for peak sexual performance and male libido.
· Zinc
Zinc is required for the production of testosterone, and the zinc content of the prostate gland and sperm, is higher than in any other body tissues.
A deficiency of zinc is associated with numerous sexual problems, including sperm abnormalities and prostate disease.
Zinc not only helps produce testosterone, but also helps to maintain semen volume and adequate levels of testosterone, therefore maintaining sex drive and keeping sperm healthy.
· Magnesium
Magnesium is a trace mineral that is important for the production of sex hormones such as androgen, estrogen and neurotransmitters that modulate the sex drive – such as dopamine and nor epinephrine.
· Essential Vitamins
Vitamin A
Helps regulate the synthesis of the sex hormone progesterone.
Vitamin B1
Thiamine (B1) is essential for optimal nerve transmission and energy production throughout the body – which means it’s essential for sex.
Vitamin C
Participates in the synthesis of hormones that are involved in sex and fertility: androgen, estrogen and progesterone
Vitamin E
Often referred to as the sex vitamin, is a powerful anti-aging antioxidant that protects cell membranes from free-radical damage.
Vitamin E is also required for the synthesis of hormones, and hormone like substances known as prostaglandin.
Foods that Promote Inflammation
“The more severe the pain or illness, the more severe will be the necessary changes. These may involve breaking bad habits, or acquiring some new and better ones.” -Peter McWilliams
You are not helpless in your fight against inflammation! Your diet plays a major role in activating or suppressing a protein called cytokines that causes inflammation. I can’t stress this enough. For that and other reasons that will be discussed shortly, I would like you to start thinking in terms of: “Is what I’m swallowing making me healthier or sicker?” There is little if any neutral ground. It is as if everything that you swallow is sending a signal to your immune system to either cause more inflammation or less.
The following are groups of foods that you should avoid because they send a signal to your body to produce more inflammatory cytokines. They are also toxic to your body in multiple ways, polluting the internal terrain of the body and promoting inflammation.
Most Meat, Except Oily Fish
We often hear the phrase “all things in moderation”. Meat, especially red meat, is an exception to this rule. Even what most would consider a “moderate” amount of red meat can produce an intolerable number of cytokines and bring on autoimmune symptoms.
For some, the “low-carb craze” has meant an increase in meat consumption. If eating the low-carb way means that you are eating a lot of meat, you are making your autoimmune condition worse. Protein from meat raises the levels of the toxins uric acid and urea in the blood. The body pumps excessive amounts of water into the kidneys to help flush out these toxins. The result of a high animal-based protein diet is very quick water “weight loss”. The downside of this “weight loss” is that it causes the body to lose essential minerals. Mineral deficiencies cause autoimmunity. A better protein choice comes from vegetable-based proteins. These proteins improve mineral retention in the body.
One doctor has reported that within two weeks of his lupus patients not eating meat, most showed significant improvement in their skin lesions.
The Swank Diet calls for giving up red meat for one year. Then, after the first year, allowing yourself four ounces of red meat per week. This diet has made a significant improvement in the lives of people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Dr. Swank studied more than 150 of his patients with MS for a thirty-four year period of time. Those who followed the diet died at the rate of 5%, while patients not following his diet had a death rate of about 85% during the same time period.
However, reducing meat intake isn’t just about living longer, it is about living well! This recommendation is for everyone, not just those whose collection of autoimmune symptoms are called lupus or MS. No matter where in your body cytokines gather or what they are attacking, eating red meat will increase their numbers. The way that meat is prepared also makes a difference. Charbroiled and grilled meats of any kind are much worse for you and should be completely avoided.
Fish is the exception to the meat rule. Fish does not raise cytokine levels. It actually reduces them. The problem is that much of our fish is contaminated with toxic mercury. Unless you are sure that your fish source is mercury free, you should limit your fish intake to one serving per week and use fish oil supplements instead. Some people will even be sensitive to one contaminated serving of fish. Check your local health food stores for fish farmed in “mercury-free” tested water. Additionally, salmon is a fish that is readily available and least likely to be mercury contaminated.
Egg Yolks
Egg yolks and dairy products are high in arachidonic acid. This is the same substance that makes meats so inflammatory. If you are going to eat eggs, you should only eat the whites. On a food label, eggs can be listed as albumin, globulin, ovamucin, or vitellin.
Dairy Products
“…countries with the highest dairy consumption, such as the United States and Sweden, because of their high animal protein diets, have the highest rates of osteoporosis, a disease involving the weakening and potential breaking of bones.”
-Richard Schwartz, Ph.D.
Research published in the Lancet Medical Journal described a small group of patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) in Norway. For four years, they experienced substantial improvement by excluding milk and wheat from their diets. Reintroducing these foods into their diets caused a significant rise in the patients’ cytokine levels along with an increase in pain.
Besides increasing cytokines, milk further aggravates asthma because of its casein content. When the protein of another animal is introduced into the human body, the immune system responds with an allergic reaction. Casein is a milk protein. Eating casein causes your body to produce histamines, which result in excess mucus production.
Those with CFS and asthma are not alone in their sensitivity to milk. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, July 30, 1992, studies suggest that a certain milk protein is responsible for the onset of diabetes because patients produce antibodies to cow milk proteins.
Milk’s vices are many. As strange as it may sound, the digestion of milk proteins can create an addictive substance that acts like endorphins, our own personal narcotics. The same can be true of gluten and wheat. These endorphins have the ability to disrupt brain chemistry and cause addiction.
I am sorry, but this has to be said: Last year, the average liter of milk in America contained 323 million pus cells. Sick and infected cows have cell counts above 200 million. A count of 323 million is not even healthy by dairy industry standards. Drinking pus is a bad idea for anyone. It is a terrible idea for someone with a tendency towards immune dysfunction.
Gluten
Gluten is a component of grains such as wheat, oats, barley, and rye. Besides being inflammatory, doctors have reported a higher than average number of people with autoimmune disorders are allergic to gluten. They suggest complete avoidance for at least one month to see if benefits will occur.
Studies have also shown that wheat and corn can irritate patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and raise cytokine production in the colon and rectum of those with celiac disease.
Corn, Corn Oil, Corn Syrup (Fructose)
Corn, besides promoting cytokines, has been called the leading cause of chronic food addiction in this century. To give you an idea of how powerful the addiction can be, all cigarettes made in the U.S. since World War I have contained added sugars, usually from corn. Do you think the cigarette companies chose corn syrup for the great taste it adds to their products?
Corn syrup (fructose) is cheap and twice as sweet as cane sugar. In 1994, the average person ate 83 pounds of fructose. Corn syrup causes an increase in blood lactic acid, especially in people with diabetes. Fructose from corn syrup inhibits copper metabolism and decreases mineral availability, two factors in autoimmunity. Fructose also breaks down into a substance that weakens your body’s natural anti-inflammatory molecules. The body does not metabolize fructose the same as other sugars. Fructose converts to fat more than any other sugar. Corn fructose certainly isn’t the diabetic-friendly and harmless sugar substitute that it is advertised to be.
Studies have shown that corn can irritate patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and the National Fibromyalgia Association (NFA) suggests corn should be avoided because it can aggravate Fibromyalgia.
Remember that if corn products can increase cytokine levels in those with RA and Fibromyalgia, it can increase cytokine levels for anyone.
Sugar
We Americans are eating an average of 153 pounds of sugar a year. Refined white sugar makes
it more difficult for your body to absorb vitamins and minerals, a major contributor to the cause of autoimmunity. Sugar also suppresses immune function, leaving us open to infection. Just eight tablespoons of sugar, which is the equivalent to the sugar in less than one 12-ounce can of soda, can reduce the ability of your immune system to kill germs by up to 40%.
Like salt, sugar is dehydrating to the body. Dehydration increases histamine, which can
worsen asthma and any other autoimmune disease because histamine increases cytokine production. As recommend by the National Fibromyalgia Association (NFA), sugars should be avoided because they can worsen the condition. Sugar feeds Lyme-causing bacteria and Candida yeast, the significance of which will be discussed later. Eating sugar also causes an insulin surge, which contributes to chronic inflammation.
Honey is sugar. It may be “all natural”, but it is still sugar. It is higher in calories than table sugar and can be contaminated by pesticides. Consuming “all natural” delicious tasting pesticides is not what you want to be doing.
A good non-toxic substitute for sugar is the nutritional supplement stevia. Stevia has been used by millions of people without reported side effects. In Japan, stevia sweetened products represent 41% of the market share of sweet substances consumed.
Stevia is an herb originally from Paraguay. South Americans use it as a sweetener and also for medicinal purposes. This herb is anywhere from 30 to 100 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia does not affect the blood sugar levels of most diabetics. Stevia also does not feed fungus in the intestines like sugars do.
Stevia has a strong, sweet flavor that can overwhelm a recipe, so it should be used sparingly. Because you only use such a small amount at a time, recipes must be adjusted for the lack of bulk. Stevia can often be purchased with helpful inulin added to it for bulk. Also, cakes and cookies sweetened with stevia do not brown as much as their sugar-sweetened counterparts.
Flour/Processed Foods
For you simple carbohydrate-lovers (addicts), the next sentence is going to be one of the most painful ones in the book. If you want to get rid of cytokine inflammation, you must give up processed foods and junk foods. They tend to be full of everything you shouldn’t eat. This list includes most breakfast cereals, muffins, breads, crackers, cookies, and doughnuts.
White flour contains alloxan, which is the chemical used to make flour look clean and white. Alloxan destroys the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. It does so by initiating free radical damage to the DNA in the pancreas. Researchers believe that some people have weak defenses to free radicals in these beta cells. Alloxan is so potent that researchers who study diabetes use it to give diabetes to lab animals. While not everyone who eats white breads and processed foods will get diabetes, the connection is clear: Alloxan causes diabetes in those genetically susceptible to the disease.
The Nightshade Family
Vegetables in the nightshade family include white potatoes, tomatoes, all peppers, cherries, tobacco, and eggplants. Research indicates that these vegetables produce pain and inflammation in arthritis patients and aggravate Fibromyalgia according to the National Fibromyalgia Association (NFA). However, not everyone will be sensitive to nightshade foods. The only way to know for sure is to avoid them for a period of weeks then reintroduce them into your diet.
Everyone should avoid tobacco, which is a toxic member of the nightshade family, permanently.
Coffee
Despite being inflammatory, coffee has had its medicinal purposes. My own ancestors used it to treat asthma. I have friends outside the U.S., who are still dependent upon coffee to treat asthma. Certain caffeine-type chemicals in coffee have been proven effective at stimulating bronchial dilation in people diagnosed with specific types of asthma. Some modern day asthma medications are even made from chemicals in the caffeine family.
For those using coffee as a natural asthma medication, you should keep in mind that caffeine is a toxic chemical. Its purpose in plant life is to act as an insecticide. In people, caffeine suppresses the enzymes needed for memory making. It also raises both blood sugar and insulin levels, causing cytokine production and aggravating diabetes.
Simply drinking decaffeinated coffee isn’t the answer either. Women who drink more than one cup a day of decaffeinated coffee are considered at a much higher risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. The theory is that chemically decaffeinated products are causing the increased risk of autoimmunity. If you are going to drink decaffeinated coffee anyway, be sure that it uses a non-chemical based decaffeinating method and that the coffee was organically grown. Those who do not drink organic coffee, are exposed to too many man-made pesticides.
Alcohol
The wine industry has America convinced that a glass or two a day is good for your heart. However, John Folts, Ph.D of the University of Wisconsin, has done studies, which show that to receive those heart-healthy benefits, you would have to consume enough wine to be declared legally drunk. Grape juice is a healthier alternative. Dr. Folt’s study also found that only ten to twelve ounces of purple grape juice was associated with lower blood clotting, thus a lower risk of heart disease than promised by red wine.
Besides being pro-inflammatory and addictive, alcohol breaks down to a toxin in the body called aldehyde. Toxins are dangerous chemicals that the liver does not recognize as useful. Toxins attack and destroy cells and attract germs. Aldehyde accumulates in the brain, spinal cord, joints, muscles and tissues, where it causes muscle weakness, irritation, and pain.
Conclusion
“Within each of us lies the power of our consent to health and sickness … It is we who control these, and not another.”
-Richard Bach
It is up to us as individuals to read labels and avoid those foods that are causing inflammation in the body and making us sick. With many of these foods, because you consume them on a daily basis, you don’t even recognize they are causing you symptoms. Unless you totally give them up for a month or so, you won’t know how these inflammatory foods have been affecting you.
Affordable Halloween Recipes – Scary Food Ideas Using Tuna
Creepy food is always part of a Halloween feast and no matter how simple they come, they add color to the occasion. You may be preparing for a Halloween festivity or a simple get-together fun; a little creativity can turn even your most standard meals into creepy Halloween treats. Here are some ways to transform something ordinary to something extraordinary, using tuna.
Tuna Brain Salad
Make two cups of tuna and mayo mixture the way you usually do it, but add more mayo or cream to make it appear creamy. Set aside. Prepare a cup of “clear or colorless” gelatin according to the package instructions then stir the cooked gelatin on the tuna and mayo mixture. Pour mixture into a brain mold. You can buy one at bakery items or seasonal stores. Chill for 1 hour.
Unmold by turning the mold upside down then gently pop out the brain onto a platter with a bed of lettuce. You can use your hidden sculpting skills to make the tuna even look like a brain.
Tuna Witch Fingers
Slice tuna fillets to form finger-shaped pieces. Fry on your usual way. Paint the pointed end or “nail portion” by using some red food coloring and brush on with a small kitchen brush. If you have a red decorator gel, squeeze gel onto the tip of the tuna slices to form nails.
Halloween Tuna Eyeballs
Combine ground tuna, flour, cheese, some butter, pepper and salt. When the tuna mixture is enough to hold together, shape into eyeball-sized balls. Flatten each ball just a little and press pimiento-stuffed green olive in the center. Arrange in a way the “eye” (pimento) is facing outward. Mold tuna meat around the olive, and bake for 10 minutes.
Tuna Monstrous Sandwiches
In this recipe, use white tuna fish that is packed in water. Cut tuna into small pieces then mix with celery, mayonnaise, lemon juice and seasonings. Cut the bread slices in the shape of ghosts. Spread tuna mixture onto the bread to form sandwiches. Use raisins to make the eyes and mouth.
Celebrating Halloween doesn’t really need to be expensive. Creepy, maybe, but these Halloween recipes are only designed to put smiles and fun around. I hope the Halloween tuna ideas will help to get you started in creating memorable Halloween traditions. You may find it inflexible to mingle tuna with your other usual Halloween dishes, but the whole sense of chaotic flavors running on your palate could add up to the whole “scary” scheme. After all its Halloween night.
Happy Halloween!
Pump Maintenance and Repair for Pressure Washers
If you have a pressure washer business you will eventually need to change out or repair the pump. There are a few things you should know to make such change outs easy. You may also need to study up on preventative maintenance so that you do not have to worry about pump failure. Your pressure washer probably has one of two different pumps if it is industrial grade. Either a Cat Pump or a General pump; both are industry standards. General is the leader in the industry for sales and many prefer Cat as it sucks better from plastic water tanks.
Your pump is powered by two parallel belts connected to your engine. You should make sure not to starve your pump from water. When the water tank is empty turn off the engine. Starving a pump will burn it out in about thirty-five minutes. The manufacturer says five to ten minutes, but that’s not life threatening. Your pump has a safety feature whereby when you are not spraying the water, it will automatically by pass into the tank provided there is enough water for the complete loop. Thank you. We also thought it was one of our great ideas. You should change the oil in the pump every month. Make sure your pressure washer rig is on level ground and fill the pump to the red dot on the center of the eyeglass. Over filling is a really bad idea.
On your pump you will notice six large bolts. Inside of the holes are check valves with springs. After 300-500 hours you should change them. You can do this yourself. The valve kits are $60.000. It’s very easy:
Unscrew bolts
Remove old valve
Replace valve
Make sure to seat the valve evenly
Screw the bolt back in by hand
Make sure the O-ring on the bolt is snug
Tighten with wrench pretty tight
Inspecting The Pump
If you drain the oil and it’s got bubbles in it or has turned white, then you have a blown seal and water is getting into the oil because: It overheated due to water starvation; The casing cracked because of vibration; You forgot to change the oil, dummy ($600 mistake and one lost day’s work if you can get the parts that fast).
Check to see if the belts are tight. If not tighten them. Look for water drips. A slow drip on the exit side of the pump could cost you as much as 150 PSI at the nozzle. A fast drip (two to three drops per second) could be a 250-300 PSI loss at the nozzle. A steady drip stream might be a 500 plus PSI loss. When you see water leaking, fix the leak ASAP. Be sure to use ample Teflon tape when re-tightening fittings. This will stop future leaks, prevent rust and make fittings easy to separate in the future.
A hole in a hose or leak on the inlet side of the pump causes air to get in. The pump will act as if it’s starving for water. It might even pulsate. When the water level in your tank reaches a point below the leak in the hose, air will replace the water and you’ll get zero pressure. That makes it very hard to wash anything.
Low pressure in the pump can be caused by a number of things; these are by far the most common, but this is not a complete list, generally if you go through this list the problem will be solved, check the easiest things first such as water supply:
Faulty pressure gauge (Replace)
Out of water (Fill up tank)
Old or worn out tip at gun nozzle (Replace)
Incorrect tip (Remove and replace)
Belt slippage (Tighten belt)
Hose leaks (Fix leaks)
Faulty unloader (Replace)
Mis-adjusted unloader (Re-adjust)
Worn packing in pump (Take it to dealer)
Inline filter clogged with dirt (Clean it)
Obstruction in spray nozzle tip (Remove it)
Chemical metering valve sucking air (Turn it off)
Slow engine rpm (Check engine)
If you have a pulsating issue at the gun or the machine is Fluctuating pressure, this is a completely different problem than low pressure. You should check for: Worn piston packing (Call dealer). Pump sucking air (Fix hole), Blockage in valve (Remove, check valves and take out blockage). If it is fluctuating and very noisy or if your pump is only noisy check for:
Air in suction line (Check water supply and connections)
Broken or weak inlet or discharge valve springs (Call dealer)
Excessive matter in valves (Check and clean if necessary)
Worn bearings (Check and replace. If necessary, call dealer)
Vibrations from mounting (Tighten it. If unable, call dealer)
If you find the presence of water in the pump oil, it could be caused by: Blown pump head seals, High humidity in air (Change oil more often) or Piston packing worn then call your dealer. If water or oil drips from the bottom of the pump this could be a number of things such as Piston packing worn, the O-ring plunger retainer is worn, Oil seal worn, Pump head seal shot or Crack in pump head. If any of these call the dealer and see if they have the parts in stock, you may be able to fix it yourself if you feel confident, if not you will need to leave your machines with the dealer for repairs.
Pump lubrication should be done every three months or 500 hours, which ever comes first. Use SAE 40 weight oil or equivalent for Cat pumps. Use 20/30 weight non-detergent oil for General pumps. It should be hydraulic oil with anti-wear and rust inhibitor additives. The oil level should be checked by looking in the window on the side of the pump. Only fill oil half way to the red dot.
As a pressure washing contractor you must understand how to maintain and repair your equipment, think about it.
Workplace Safety Tips – My Top Ten List
Maintaining a safe workplace is almost but not entirely totally unlike following OSHA regulations. If complying with OSHA regulations at your lowest up front cost is your goal, then I suggest you read another site. However, if you are truly interested in keeping your employees safe and productive in your workplace then here are some workplace safety tips for you. They might even help you comply with some OSHA regulations along the way.
My Top Ten Workplace Safety Tips:
Maintain a clean work area. Not only will you remove many hazards from a work area by keeping it clean, but you will also provide a more productive work environment for your employees.
Use guards and engineering solutions wherever possible instead of relying on PPE – personal protective equipment. PPE is hard to police and uncomfortable to wear. Find a way to prevent the exposure in the first place. Your workers will be much more productive if they are comfortable
Assume your employees want to work safely and give them that chance. Many safety incentive programs seemed to be based on the idea that employees want to get hurt and you have to bribe them not to stick their hand in the machine. If you have that idea, then these tips are not for you.
Give clear work instructions. Make sure your employees know the right way to do what you expect of them. Don’t just give them a list of things not to do. Include safety instructions in every procedure you write.
Don’t dwell on worst case scenarios but focus on what is most likely to occur. Start by focusing your energy in preventing your most common incidents. That means you will have to keep an accurate OSHA incident log even if it looks bad to some manager you report to.
Love your employees. Don’t confuse this with something that might get you a sexual harassment claim. I mean, care about your employees and let them know you do. If a machine is becoming unsafe, shut it down before someone gets hurt.
Spend time getting to know the work your employees do. Even if you once did that job, it is likely it is done differently by different people. Look at what people are actually doing and compare this to what is written in procedures. If the procedures are different from the actual practice , find out why.
Maintain the machinery in good working order. Many times employees get into dangerous situations by having to compensate for a machine defect or wear. In the case of wear, it may have occurred so gradually that they think it is normal. A strong preventive maintenance program makes for a strong safety program.
Avoid unnecessary hazards. Look for new materials or equipment that can eliminate the hazards your workers are exposed to.
Maintain a clean work area. See workplace safety tip number one above. Potential exposures to hazardous material and conditions can be dramatically reduced simply by keeping the work area clean. And the benefit in employee productivity and morale is worth the effort even without the safety incentive.
Injections – How Much is an ml, cc, IU?
In many countries, steroids are legal and even can be purchased over the counter. As a results many of these injectable anabolics are administered by the user. Below is information aiding in the conversion of such drugs. This article does not endorse the use of illegal drugs.
I. U.= international unit. This is a unit used to measure the activity (that is, the effect) of many vitamins and drugs. For each substance to which this unit applies, there is an international agreement specifying the biological effect expected with a dose of 1 IU. Other quantities of the substance are then expressed as multiples of this standard. This also means that this measurment is not based on sheer volume or weight of the substance, but rather the effect.
ml = milliliter. This is a VOLUME measurement. it is 1/1000 of a liter. when talking about water or similar liquids, it is equivelant to one cubic centimeter.
cc = cubic centimeter. This is also a VOLUME measurement. Most syringes measure their capacity in cc’s. If you have a 5cc syringe, it will hold ~5ml of liquid in it.
mg = milligram. This is a WEIGHT measurement. It is 1/1000 of a gram. the amount of chemical substance is often measured in milligrams. For injectable solutions, this will be reported as a concentration of weight to volume, such as mg/ml (milligrams per milliliter). In the case of orally administered substances, the weight of chemical is labeled, athough the actual weight of the pill/capsule may be much higher, because of the use of filler substances. This means that a small pill may be much more potent than a large pill, so don’t judge a pill based on its size, but the actual amount of substance for which it is labeled as.
mcg = microgram = 1/1000 of a mg (milligram) There are one thousand micrograms in one milligram.
Conversion factors:
1000 mcg (microgram) = 1 mg (milligram)
1000 mg (milligram) = 1 g (gram)
1000 g (gram) = 1 kg (kilogram)
1000 ml (milliliter) = 1 liter
1ml (water) = 1cc (water)
1ml (oil) ~ 1cc (oil) (~ denotes approximately equal to)
Examples putting it all together
Say a user has some Drug XYX from two different companies. One is ‘XYX-300′ from QV, and one from BM which is ‘XYZ-100′. Both of these are XYZ DRUG, but they have different concentrations. What this means is….
for the XYZ-300:
if you take 1 ml (one milliliter) of this solution, it will take up ~1cc (one cubic centimeter) of space in the syringe. There will be 300mg (three hundred milligrams) of XYZ in this dosage.
for the XYZ-100:
if you take 1 ml (one milliliter) of this solution, it will take up ~1cc (one cubic centimeter) of space in the syringe. There will be 100mg (one hundred milligrams) of XYZ in this dosage.
If you put the syringes side by side, they appear the exact same, so what is the difference? the XYZ-300 has a concentration of 300mg/ml, while the XYZ-100 only has a concentration of 100mg/ml. This means that the syringe with XYZ-300 has three times (3x) the amount of DRUG XYZ in the same exact volume as the syringe with XYZ-100.
Etymology- How Words Change Over Time
Etymology is the study of the origins of words.
As languages develop the meaning of words can change over time. This causes confusion and misunderstanding when communicating with other people.
In a world were you make a living at communicating, advertising or marketing, it is not only important to have clarity in your message, it is also important to think of your target market and understand how they understand words and messages.
On the positive side that words change meaning over time, it has been noted that languages that stay alive, adapt and grow over time.
An example would be the word nice. Nice used to be an insult and meant foolish or stupid in the 13th century and it went through many changes right through to the 18th century with meanings like wanton, extravagant, elegant, strange, modest, thin, and shy or coy. Now it means a good & pleasing or thoughtful & kind.
Silly meant blessed or happy in the 11th century and went through pious, innocent, harmless, pitiable and feeble minded before ending up as foolish or stupid.
Pretty started as crafty this changed to clever or skillfully made, then to fine and ended up as beautiful.
Some other changes are:
Word ______ Original Meaning
Awful________ Deserving of awe
Bead _________Prayer
Brave_________ Cowardice (as in bravado)
Girl__________ Young person of either sex
Neck_________ Parcel of land (as in neck of the woods)
Nuisance______ Injury, harm
Sophisticated___Corrupted
There are several reasons for words change meaning. One is the influence of other languages and cultures. Throughout history, many nations through conquering or intermixing with one another, introduced their own languages into the mix. Another reason is the predominate use of slang words. We get so used to using them that many times we forget that we even are.
So when it comes to defining words, there is the standard dictonary, which by the way can show multiple meanings for one word, and there is the definition of the word in slang.
As well, slang words spread faster and are used more often than before, making them common place in many societies.
Due to the advancement of science and technology, new words are also being created at an amazing rate. Keeping up with some of the new words and your usage of them will help in your efforts understand and to become a master communicator.
Once every ten years, the Merriam- Webster dictionary is updated. Their 11th edition for 2003 included some 10,000 new words along with 100,000 new meanings to words already existing and some 225,00 revised definitions.
Some of the slang words that have made it in the dictionary are;
Headbanger- a hard rock musician and a fan
Dead presidents- Paper currency
Prairie Gophering – people who peer above their cubicles at work.
McJob- Low paying and dead-end work.
Comb-over- an attempt to cover a bald spot
You can learn about more words in an etymology dictionary.
We can use this as another reminder, especially when it is important to have a group goal achieved, that what a word means to us, may not have the same meaning to someone else.
There is also the emotional reactions that different people have to certain words. But that’s another story…
The Psychology of Advertising
On why it is important to understand mass psychology and the psychological processes of cognition for any successful advertising endeavor…
Advertising has been a form of glorifying or gaining publicity for goods and merchandise since very early times. In fact, advertising has been around as an informal concept since the beginning of civilizations and former methods were oral advertising or claiming the benefits of products verbally when merchants sold goods to people directly on the streets. However with the advent of paper and writing, advertising took a more formal shape.
Egyptians and Ancient Greeks used the papyrus for advertising and rock painting was also used. Advertising in English in magazines as we know today dates back to the end of the 17th century and newspaper advertising in America began during the first part of the 18th century with advertisements for estates. With the growth of mass media and different forms and avenues of communication like radio, TV, newspapers, magazines, and of course the internet in the 20th century, advertising started becoming an important aspect for commercialization of products. People started understanding the potential of advertisements and it became a business with the establishment of advertising agencies with the first advertising agency in US opened in 1841.
With advertising becoming a business in itself, the methods of using advertisements became even more formalized, controlled and systematic and the advertisements for products started appearing as newspaper ads, on billboards, hoardings, as handbills, leaflets, on magazines, newspapers, on TV and radio as commercials and more recently on the internet. Web advertising is now a very powerful means to take the message across to the customers. However to actually appeal to customers, advertising will have to work in accordance with the principles of psychology and sociology. Thus an advertiser or an advertising professional will also have to be a sociologist and a psychologist to really have an impact on the minds of consumers.
The principles of advertising are largely based on cognitive psychology and the psychological processes of attention, perception, association and memory to bring out the complete impact or uses of a product or ‘brand’. Any advertisement will have to first focus on the attention that it is able to capture of the consumers. Strong messages, strong visuals and glaring colors are sometimes used on hoardings and billboards. For commercials, attention catching clothes and attractive models are sometimes used.
Once the attention is drawn with the colors and the sounds or words, the focus is on retaining consumer interests by using ‘association’. Themes or products which a particular segment of customers could associate with are used thus for baby food, mothers and babies are featured so association would have more to do with relevance or context of the advertisement. Certain colors also have associative value and certain brands and companies use a specific color to promote their products. For example easygroup uses orange and Vodafone uses red as standard color for all advertising. The company logo or symbol is also a part of developing a brand and helps in giving identity to a brand and has a strong associative value.
The association should be such that it not only serves the purpose of quick understanding and perception of the consumers but is also retained in their memory for a long time. Thus memory or retention is an important aspect of the psychology of advertising as only an advertisement that consumers can easily remember for a long time for its novelty or use of words, colors and figures will be the most effective.
The development of a ‘brand’ is just as effective because a brand helps in driving attention, in developing association (for example, we associate Coke or Pepsi with youth, celebration and a soft drink popular for all occasions) and in memory or retention of any image associated with a service or product. So branding is vital in advertisements as brands help in giving a name and distinct identity of a product. So a Gucci bag or a Sony camera is known for the brand rather than the product.
A brand is recognized in terms of its name, its quality and its reputation with advertisements these days highlighting the uniqueness of brands. For example, HSBC recent advertisements across airports around the world, focus on the differing points of view and different likes and preferences of people across cultures. So when you see such advertisements showing two different perspectives for the same thing, you know this is HSBC. Certain brands develop taglines or motto that sets the brand apart and gives it a distinct character.
You might have wondered why models look lifeless on fashion shows. Fashion shows are usually arranged for designer brands selling clothes and accessories and usually these fashion shows try to accentuate the clothes and that is why the models tend to be rather ‘expressionless’. Although these fashion shows project the clothes sans the emoting, in case of commercials, expressions are widely used because through visual medium, emotions have to be transported through the screen to the consumers to create an effect. Putting across a message through a medium is a challenge and advertisers use emotions widely to help people retain the message that describes the product.
Whatever it is, the mantra is to create an impact and have a lasting effect on the minds of the consumers. The message of the product, the motto of the brand and the mind of the consumer, these are the three Ms that are important in advertising.
However it is important to understand that advertising will have to be different for different media. Radio ads should focus on the strength of sounds and words; internet ads will focus on visuals and colors; newspaper ads will focus on space and the theme; and TV ads would focus more on the emotions and the context used. Using motion, capitalized letters, contrasting colors etc are all important and in order to draw attention to the product, some form of highlighting of the product is also done.
How does all this affect the masses, the consumers who will actually buy the product? Apart from the attention drawing process, the retention producing sounds and words that help memory and the associative value of the products and the advertisements, there is another factor namely necessity of the consumer. Advertising is not just enough, as a customer is driven to buy a product largely considering the necessity, quality, features and price of the product.
If a company solely focuses on the physical aspects of any product, like say – an Apple iPhone looks good on the table, then it’s probably not the best method to have an impact on the market. The features are as important as the price. Then of course, the ‘hype’ that triggers a certain mass psychology in a certain way so people sometimes queue up for newly released products. But trying to tap in on mass psychology or a kind of hype or hysteria for a product is only a short term advertising strategy. The longer term establishment of a product is through real quality, usability and price and all companies should emphasize on these ultimately.
Competition may have a lot to do with the type of advertising used by companies, so the weaknesses of other similar products by other companies are highlighted subtly although this may not always have a positive impact on the mind of the customer. Usually most products advertised as unique and not even remotely similar to other products can have a positive effect and can effectively generate hype and consumer curiosity. Focusing on the unique and highlighting the dissimilarity and novelty of a product in a way that attracts curiosity is a certain method to improve popularity of a product, so this gives consumers the reason to know more and they will enter the shops to enquire about the product. Although celebrities are largely used in advertisements to endorse products or promote a brand, the celebrity culture affects only the youth strongly so the entire value of celebrity advertising may be a bit overrated. This will require a separate discussion on celebrity culture.
The final goal of all advertisers and promoters is to ensure that products and services sell and to increase sales and potential consumer interest creating curiosity is a first short term step while introducing a new product into the market. Retaining customer interest is a different ballgame and requires reputation of the brand, product quality, right pricing and continued high quality advertising to ultimately ensure success of the product.