Girl Swallows Toothbrush

A teenage girl showed up in an Auckland emergency room after she swallowed her toothbrush. She was running up the stairs with the toothbrush in her mouth when she tripped and swallowed it. Her brother heard her choking and came to help.

She told doctors that she was fine, but felt the toothbrush churning around in her stomach. The toothbrush could not be detected when x-rayed, but surgeons where able to locate it using a small camera that went through the girls mouth.

Surgeons were able to get the toothbrush out by using a medical snare and pulling it back up through her mouth. There was no internal damage and she was release the same day.

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=85287

Become an Expert in Your Field

Specialization has become a sign of the times. Largely as a result of Internet search capabilities, buyers can purchase goods and services on a highly targeted and specialized basis. Let’s say someone is interested in acquiring consulting services for his gardening business. The buyer can most likely find a multitude of expert gardening consultants and then refine his search even more by securing an expert that specializes in businesses of a certain size, in specific regions of the country, even in those that are seasonal or open year-round.

In order to stand out and get noticed as a business leader, specialize and promote yourself as an expert in your field. Here are some tips:

1. Become a speaker at trade associations associated with your business. Practice your delivery to ensure a great presentation. When you become a speaker or are on a panel at a conference within your industry, you automatically, by perception alone, become a trusted authority.

2. Hire a public relations firm to represent you. PR is a relatively low cost and highly effective way to promote yourself and your business. Make sure you have clear goals and expectations for the firm you hire. The firm can send out press releases to the media and trade publications in your industry and secure stories about your company’s unique products and services, employee news, and community involvement.

3. Create a blog on your business website. Make sure to provide interesting and compelling content and update it frequently. Don’t be afraid to be controversial and different. The idea is to get noticed and to be respected as a forward thinker and innovator in your field.

4. Host regular webinars (online seminars) in which you lead discussions and field questions in your specialty. There are many good webinar programs available today that make this turn-key.

Jeff and Rich Sloan

Co-founders

StartupNation.com

[0831 Operations & Technology]

Know What Makes Your Customers Angry

We’ve all been there as consumers: Getting so riled up by poor service that we explode and vow to never do business with a company again.

But what really makes consumer’s blood boil? We wanted to know, so we asked more than 1,500 consumers what really makes them tick. Their top three responses:

• Speaking with multiple agents and starting over every time.

• Dealing with rude or inexperienced representatives or service technicians.

• Being kept on hold for long periods of time or unable to use self-service options successfully.

In a questionable economy, losing customers is not an option. Here are some tips on how to avoid the mistakes highlighted above.

1. Deliver a consistent experience across all service channels. There’s nothing worse for a customer than being bounced around, getting the same information repeatedly, and receiving different levels of service in the different channels (including call centers, websites, and retail stores). This can be fixed. Track the customer’s behavior across all channels. This gives you the visibility to pinpoint where service breakdowns occur and where you need to focus on change.

2. Align service channels and resources (including agents) with customer needs. Understand what your customers are actually trying to do and which service mix works best for each of their unique needs. This ensures that the interactions requiring live agent assistance are being directed to a real technician. In addition, your training, coaching, and mentorship programs must support the needs of both your customers and your agents.

3. Promote self-service. Customers appreciate having more control over their experience with self-service options via the Web or automated interactive voice response systems. Poorly designed self-service deters future adoption and usage. Understand the transactions that make the most sense for self-service, and then design and monitor customer behavior. Implementing self-service will save the customer time—and your bottom line.

Taking these three steps will make your customers’ lives easier, increase loyalty, and reduce churn. In this market, you need to do all three.

Marco Pacelli

CEO

ClickFox

Atlanta

[0901 Sales & Marketing]

Understand Multilingual Search Engine Optimization

You have a small business. That certainly doesn’t mean you think small. Nor does it mean your customers reside in a small geographic area. Global business is for everyone these days, and for the company that makes smart decisions about multilingual search engine optimization (MSEO), the Web can deliver a potentially endless stream of revenue opportunity from customers around the world.

Hurried translation efforts and hastily constructed websites, however, do more harm than good when it comes to bottom-line results. For those contemplating a move into overseas markets, there are four key points to keep in mind:

1. Word choice counts. Before your company goes live with a website in another language, make sure your copy is optimized and relies on proper keyword selection. Your translation should convey who you are, what you do, and why customers should care.

2. Machine translation might be cheap, and you’ll learn why if you make the mistake of using it. Localizing copy requires knowledge not only of vocabulary, but also of nuance and regional connotation.

3. Don’t assume a visitor’s locale dictates her language choice. Perhaps your customer is in Quebec. She might speak French, but it is just as likely she’d rather see information in English or possibly even another language. Offer her a choice of languages via a drop-down menu.

4. SEO is not an add-on feature. Some companies translate their websites and optimize them later to phase in resource investments, but this phased approach can cost more money in the long term. MSEO should guide your content development and site-architecture strategy to ensure you have launched a website that will attract customers.

Phil Shawe

CEO and co-founder

Translations.com

New York

[0902 Management & HR]

Conquer Business Chaos

New businesses are being launched in record numbers by entrepreneurs setting out to find their freedom. All goes along well until they get their first customer. That’s when chaos moves in. They can’t follow-up with prospects or customers. They’ve been sucked into the business—pulling all-nighters, missing Little League games, eating cold dinners. These are symptoms of chaos. In talking with thousands of small business owners over the past decade, I’ve heard this same song play over and over. Not to mention that my co-founders and I experienced this ourselves in our business. Here are my suggestions for getting out of the chaos and taking back your life.

1. Build your emotional capital. Emotional capital is the passion, enthusiasm, and positive outlook that keeps you driving to achieve your goals. It’s the balancing of work, family, and emotional and physical health.

2. Practice disciplined optimism. It starts with the undying belief that your small business will achieve the success you have envisioned. At the same time, it helps you confront the brutal facts of your current reality and attack those brutal facts because you want to, not because you have to.

3. Assert your entrepreneurial independence. You decide the fate of your business. If you don’t believe something is going to work, no one else will.

4. Centralize and organize your stuff. You have to centralize your operations. Using separate systems for such things as e-mail marketing and CRM doesn’t make sense anymore. When you operate in the chaos of multiple systems, parts of your business start falling through the cracks.

5. Tap into the magical power of follow-up. When you fail to follow up, you’re losing out on incredible opportunities. Follow-up failure stunts your growth and prolongs your partnership with chaos.

6. Burn the to-do list and move from manual to automated. Most small businesses are havens for manual, grunt labor that wastes time, costs money, and enslaves the entrepreneur to the business. Automation is the key to liberating you from the busywork.

Clate Mask

Co-founder and CEO

Infusionsoft

Gilbert, Ariz.

[0903 Sales & Marketing]

Win Lifelong Customers Through Better Marketing

The chaos of small business life makes it especially hard to win lifelong customers. I’m talking about those customers who don’t buy from you just once, but who come back over and over again and eventually become megaphones for your company. Consider these tips to win lifelong customers:

1. Keep an organized database. It’s impossible to keep track of all of your customers’ information—including the small details—in your head. If you want your customers to know you truly care and appreciate them, you have to keep a customer database. Imagine, for example, being able to look up a customer by name—and immediately know the day she last interacted with your company, exactly what products she has bought, and see the note that she had three kids. When you follow up with her, you can ask about her kids—and gain a loyal customer.

2. Use automation to send the right message at the right time to the right people. Let’s face it: Not all customers need and want the same thing. Once you keep an organized database, you’ll find it holds valuable information that can make your marketing campaigns magical. Your marketing can be segmented based on the customer behavior you’re tracking in your database. Then, with powerful automation technology, you can let software automatically personalize and deliver the right message so that you create an immensely loyal base of customers who’ll never leave.

Scott Martineau
Co-founder and vice-president for customer experience
Infusionsoft
Gilbert, Ariz.

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/tips/archives/2010/08/become_an_expert_in_your_field.html

Know What Makes Your Customers Angry

We’ve all been there as consumers: Getting so riled up by poor service that we explode and vow to never do business with a company again.

But what really makes consumer’s blood boil? We wanted to know, so we asked more than 1,500 consumers what really makes them tick. Their top three responses:

• Speaking with multiple agents and starting over every time.

• Dealing with rude or inexperienced representatives or service technicians.

• Being kept on hold for long periods of time or unable to use self-service options successfully.

In a questionable economy, losing customers is not an option. Here are some tips on how to avoid the mistakes highlighted above.

1. Deliver a consistent experience across all service channels. There’s nothing worse for a customer than being bounced around, getting the same information repeatedly, and receiving different levels of service in the different channels (including call centers, websites, and retail stores). This can be fixed. Track the customer’s behavior across all channels. This gives you the visibility to pinpoint where service breakdowns occur and where you need to focus on change.

2. Align service channels and resources (including agents) with customer needs. Understand what your customers are actually trying to do and which service mix works best for each of their unique needs. This ensures that the interactions requiring live agent assistance are being directed to a real technician. In addition, your training, coaching, and mentorship programs must support the needs of both your customers and your agents.

3. Promote self-service. Customers appreciate having more control over their experience with self-service options via the Web or automated interactive voice response systems. Poorly designed self-service deters future adoption and usage. Understand the transactions that make the most sense for self-service, and then design and monitor customer behavior. Implementing self-service will save the customer time—and your bottom line.

Taking these three steps will make your customers’ lives easier, increase loyalty, and reduce churn. In this market, you need to do all three.

Marco Pacelli
CEO
ClickFox
Atlanta

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/tips/archives/2010/08/know_what_makes_your_customers_angry.html

Fukuoka-Kagoshima Shinkansen line expected to start on March 12

FUKUOKA —

Kyushu Railway Co (JR Kyushu) is making final arrangements to launch operations of the Kyushu Shinkansen line between the cities of Fukuoka and Kagoshima on March 12 next year.

JR Kyushu will make a formal decision by the end of September pending consultations with local governments and West Japan Railway Co (JR West), company officials said. The date of the launch could give or take about one week, as it plans to start the service on the day when other JR group firms revise their railroad schedules in spring.

The new service connects Fukuoka’s Hakata and Kagoshima-Chuo stations. A plan is on the table to enable passengers to travel between Shin-Osaka in Osaka city and Kagoshima-Chuo stations in just over three and a half hours by Shinkansen services to better compete with airlines, the sources said.

Consultations are made necessary as local governments along the route, such as Saga and Kumamoto prefectures, have requested JR Kyushu to make more stops, making it difficult to reach the final decision.

Details such as fares and stops are expected to be decided later this year.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/travel/view/fukuoka-kagoshima-shinkansen-line-expected-to-start-on-march-12

USB-Powered Necktie Coolers for Nerds, Courtesy of Thanko

Japanese gadget maker Thanko just released a USB-powered necktie cooler designed to provide relief to office employees who take a lot of heat from the ol’ boss.

The Thanko USB Necktie Cooler 3 was just released in late June as some sort of upgrade to the USB Necktie Cooler 2 (2008), though critics haven’t been able to find one single difference between the two. I suppose that maybe perhaps the tie design was updated?

Regardless, the dweeb device features an integrated plastic fan in the tie’s knot. And oh, if you haven’t already guessed, it’s a clip-on tie. Attached to the tie is a 135cm long cord with a USB plug at the end. You merely plug it into a USB socket and walla, you’re cool, though technically you’re anything but cool!

If you’re really daring, you can opt for a separately purchased battery pack with four AAA batteries. This means you can tug the necktie around with you to hot places—like a library, a university classroom or even a Star Trek convention.

It’s currently available to only the Japanese, but it’s slated for an American release through JapanTrends sometime in the near future. The expected cost? About $75.

Thank You Thanko for making the lives of the Office characters (especially Jim and Pam) easier!

http://www.weirdasianews.com/2010/08/29/usbpowered-necktie-coolers-nerds-courtesy-thanko/

Philippine Manicurist Appointed to Government Role

Pictured below is Gloria Macapagal-Arroya, the fourteenth president of the Philippines, as well as the woman responsible for unleashing a torrent of controversy among the Filipino people.

First she designated champion swimmer Eric Buhan as the executive director of the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

Then she assigned her gardener Armando Macapagal to be the deputy of the Luneta Park administration.

But during the week of April 18 through 24, the unthinkable happened—she appointed her manicurist to head the Home Development Mutual Fund, which is responsible for tens of millions of government pesos.

The Home Development Mutual Fund, better known as the Pag-IBIG Fund, is a national savings program geared toward allocating funds “for the housing needs of government employees.” And in accordance with last week’s ruling, former manicurist/beautician Anita Carpon will now be in charge of it.

In return for her managerial skills (or lack thereof), Carpon will command a whopping monthly stipend of approximately 130,000 pesos, or $2,900, which according to AFP is twice the amount the president earns.

Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza, when confronted by a reporter from the Philippine Daily Inquirer, defended President Arroya’s decision, saying, “The President knows best.” He also disputed Carpon’s salary, claiming it to be a mere exaggeration.

Presidential spokesman Gary Olivar also came to Arroyo’s defense. He told AFP news, “Having a relationship of trust with the president should not count against someone.”

Butch Abad, the campaign manager for presidential candidate Benigno Aquino, decried the ruling. During an interview with AFP, he said, “She further deepened the culture of political patronage in this country by putting people who are loyal to her in positions which are delicate without any regard to the qualifications of these people.” In laymen’s terms, he’s saying that Carpon has no business running the government because she has no relatable experience whatsoever.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Charito Planas strongly disagrees, however. He feels that the “lowliness of a person’s state in life” shouldn’t be held against them. He told reporters, “Appointing a manicurist to a senior post in the government is neither debasing the country’s career system nor insulting the intelligentsia.”

The comments in favor of the president’s decision beg the question, though, whether trust alone is enough to substantiate such a controversial ruling. Nobody looks down upon Carpon for being a manicurist—to each his or her own. What they do dislike, however, is the fact that Carpon is not adequately equipped to handle such a position. It’s like assigning a nurse to manage a thriving business. It just doesn’t make any sense!

http://www.weirdasianews.com/2010/08/28/philippine-manicurist-appointed-government-role/

China’s Neverending Traffic Jam

What began on August 14 as a simple traffic jam on the National Highway 207 in northern China’s Hebei province has transformed into an 11-day+ jam that may not come undone until sometime in mid September.

It all started when the Beijing-Tibet Highway was shut down for repairs on August 13^th. Disgruntled truck drivers detoured over to the National Expressway 110, causing what soon became a gridlock like no other.

The traffic now covers over 62 miles and includes hundreds of bored, stranded drivers; the remnants of auto accidents galore; and a slew of abandoned or broken-down vehicles. During a good day, a driver might be able to move his or her vehicle a bit over a mile—though even that is an unlikely scenario.

Drivers have for the most part been spending their time chatting, playing card games, and negotiating with the hundreds or so local villagers who have lined the highway to sell food and supplies.

Unfortunately, the locals have increased the price on everything in the hope of capitalizing on the frustrated drivers’ needs. The Telegraph reported “hundreds of peasants swarming over the fields with farm carts filled with bottled water and boiled rice and veg, marking out their pitch by the roadside and making an absolute killing.”

I must admit that this is the worst traffic jam I’ve ever seen. Even in India traffic never become this congested. If nothing else, this unfortunate situation will at least hopefully provide a smile to some disgruntled driver about to commit a 187 because traffic is moving “so slowly” on the New Jersey Turnpike.

http://www.weirdasianews.com/2010/08/30/chinas-neverending-traffic-jam/

Discipline in schools is not a bad thing

Dear minister of education Tatsuo Kawabata,

I have been working as an assistant language teacher (ALT) in your public school system for five months now. Although it might be considered a bit premature to pen a word to you after such a short time, I would like to draw your attention to some fairly standard behavior across the six schools I work at. I think it is also time to let you in on a little secret: Disciplining students is not a bad thing. It just depends on how it is done.

Ten or so years ago, the government passed some legislation that states that every child has a right to be in the classroom. Yes, a lovely ideological right. I get it — education is for all. The flaw, though, is that when a student is being a pain in the oshiri and disrupting the class for others, there is little, if anything, the teacher can do. The child cannot be a) scolded (teachers fear retribution from parents these days), b) made to write lines (a very productive form of punishment used in many Western school systems), c) sent to the back corner of the room or out into the corridor, or d) marched on down to the principal's office. Why? Because all of these forms of discipline would be against the blessed Constitution!

I have spoken with many teachers about this lack of discipline, particularly in junior high schools. Most of them have told me that when a student is behaving badly it is shoganai (loosely translated, "There's nothing you can do"). I have also been told that when teachers have attempted to contact parents about their child's bad behavior, many parents have shot back that the problem does not concern them and the school should deal with it. One teacher even told me that the reason teachers often do not explain to students that their behavior is out of line is because they expect, in time, that the students will realize for themselves that what they have been doing is not OK.

My problem with this supposed organic way of dealing with delinquent behavior is that if the student is never told their behavior is wrong, how can they know what they are doing is not OK? If there is nothing to deter them from behaving badly and no distinction is made between when they are well behaved and badly behaved, how can they feel any motivation to adjust their behavior?

I understand that the Japanese mentality favors mind-reading over any direct communication, but honestly, for children there are two incentives that motivate them: reward and punishment. I am not calling for a return to whips and beatings by teachers; I am asking for a system where a student understands that if they behave badly they will be disciplined and if they behave appropriately they will be rewarded. Children are not complex beings — they desire this form of order and they need it.

Teachers too need this system. In the current environment, where children have all the power, there is little teachers can and are allowed to do to maintain decorum in the classroom. I know personally of two teachers who have taken leave from work for stress because, with no power to control their students, they have physically and mentally burnt out.

When I was of junior high school age, teachers often tempted us with rewards such as no homework if we completed tasks quickly. I also remember the fear of going to the principal's office to explain myself if I acted up in class. Indeed, I can also recall those students who really cut loose with their delinquency and were either suspended or, at the worst, expelled. In Japan neither suspension nor expulsion are used. However, I truly believe students in this country need this system, want this system and would thrive in this system.

I have watched 5th-grade elementary students hijack lessons by screaming and throwing things while the rest of the class, who want to learn, look on without any hope the teacher will do anything about their behavior. I have tolerated, begrudgingly, junior high school students balling up a work sheet I have thoughtfully prepared and tossing it in the bin the minute it is handed out. I have seen teachers look on as a student thumps another kid in the head for fun. I have watched students openly graffiti their desks in black marker with kanji while the teacher marvels at their penmanship. I have stood uncomfortably by as students berate the homeroom teacher over his appearance and laugh at his attempts to speak English. I have calmly rubbed off the obscenities written on the board while students laugh and shout "I hate English!"

It is disheartening, degrading and demotivating to teach in this kind of environment. The real losers, though, are not the ALTs, whose job description forbids them from disciplining wayward kids, but the other children in the class who honestly want to learn.

Granted, Japanese schools in general do not appear to have major problems with drugs, smoking or underage drinking on school grounds. Indeed, in comparison to some American schools, where students are required to pass through metal detectors on their way to class, Japanese schools could be considered a safe environment. However, from my experience they are not an ideal environment for learning the difference between right and wrong. The behavior I have witnessed in the classroom has never made me feel I am in danger, but it has certainly made me feel the future of Japan's reputation as a mild mannered, socially considerate people is in danger.

So, Mr. Education Minister, perhaps it is time to do away with shoganai and adopt the country's renowned car manufacturing system of kaizen to address the need for returning power to teachers in public schools. This, I strongly believe, will improve the education system in Japan.

NAME WITHHELD Kobe

Send submissions for Hotline to Nagatacho of between 500 and 600 words to community@japantimes.co.jp

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20100831hn.html

New "Fat Bomb": Burger King Introduces the Pizza Burger

Four times the size of a regular Whopper and 2,520 calories – Burger King created a new "fat bomb". The Pizza Burger, a two-in-one dish, will be introduced at the Whopper Bar in New York next month.

Topped with pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, Tuscan pesto and marinara sauce, the Burger Pizza comes in six slices and could be the perfect mix between a pizza and a burger.

According to Burger King´s vice president John Schaufelberger, the Pizza Burger is "intended to be shared" and a tribute to New York, the home of Burger King.

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=85264

Anti-Facebook Site Launches in September

Diaspora is an open source social network and an alternative to other social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. In three weeks, on Sept 15, Diaspora will be launching finally.

It can be downloaded as a software package, which then can be installed on your own website. Another possibility is to use the one-click sign up version of the social network.

Diaspora was developed when Facebook´s privacy concerns came up and is a project by four New York University students. It reportedly offers end-to-end Privacy Guard (GPD) encryption to ensure your data is shared only with your friends.

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=85274

Low-cost airlines fuel competition ANA, JAL must share skies with no-frills rivals

Japan's tightly regulated skies have been seeing some changes in recent years, with a wave of low-cost carriers from Asia entering the market and domestic budget airlines rising to intensify the competition.

Observers are looking carefully at the impact on the Japanese airline industry, especially what it means for All Nippon Airways Co. and Japan Airlines Corp.

When JAL filed for protection from its creditors in January, transport minister Seiji Maehara said he would take a close look at whether Japan will need two megacarriers in the future, when competition will only grow more intense.

Experts are split on the degree of the low-cost carriers' impact on ANA and JAL, but pretty much all agree the best outcome for consumers would be that both survive and maintain a healthy competition.

"I think the impact is quite big," said Hajime Tozaki, an economics professor at Waseda University and former JAL employee. "Under the ongoing deflation, (JAL and ANA) will lose customers to budget carriers and will be forced to keep carrying out unhealthy cost-cutting."

Compared with Japanese airlines, which spend more on employment and have to pay expensive aviation-related taxes and public dues such as airport fees and fuel taxes, budget Asian carriers are almost free of regulation and have lower employment costs, Tozaki explained.

Low-cost carriers' fares can be 20 to 70 percent less than those of major airlines. The tickets can be offered at reasonable prices because their operational focus is on carrying customers place to place for short to midrange distances.

For instance, budget airlines commonly cut in-flight meals and charge extra for checked baggage. Also, to maximize passenger numbers, seating configurations are often as cramped as possible.

"The cost structure is fundamentally different (from Japanese airlines)," Tozaki said.

But considering that budget airlines don't focus on luxury services, Makoto Murayama, a senior analyst at Nomura Securities, said their primary customers differ from those who fly Japan's big carriers, so the direct impact on ANA and JAL is subtle.

Japan's airline market is notoriously conservative due to tight regulations, including strict safety guidelines and restrictions on foreign investment. The bar was set too high for new firms to enter the market, resulting in limited competition.

The recent entry of no-frills carriers from Asia is partly due to the need of struggling airports to attract more fliers.

For instance, Kansai International Airport, which relies on government subsidies, is especially active in inviting budget airlines. Currently, five such carriers — Air Busan, Jetstar, Jetstar Asia, Jeju Air and Cebu Pacific Air — provide regular flights to and from Kansai.

Known for its expensive landing fees and inconvenient location, Kansai made a bold move last fall to make the landing fee practically nonexistent for carriers opening new international routes through the end of March 2011.

This fiscal year has seen Air Busan and Jetstar Asia start flights to the airport.

Ibaraki Airport, which opened in March, invited in Spring Airlines, a Shanghai-based budget carrier. It started flights late last month.

The Chinese airline recently announced it was offering ¥4,000 one-way tickets between Ibaraki and Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

Meanwhile, Skymark Airlines Inc., a Japanese no-frills carrier that has survived in the tough competition, is looking to grow.

Established in 1996 and having experienced several ups and downs, Skymark is opening 11 new routes this fiscal year, more than double its previous total, to finally rise as a solid third force in the domestic industry.

Airfares were a bit too expensive, and "we thought if we calculate and make efforts, this could be a business, so we've been focusing on forging a low-price model," said Masakazu Arimori, Skymark's chief financial officer.

Arimori explained that the company drafted a sound management plan and has been following that since 2005, which included flying only Boeing 737-800s.

"By unifying the plane under our own specifications and configuration, it facilitates savings, having the same seats and same parts," said Arimori, adding pilots and mechanics can work more efficiently if they deal only with one model.

The unification was completed last September.

Other cost-saving efforts include multitasking by employees, said Arimori, citing as an example that some mechanics are also members of the firm's corporate planning team.

But as ANA plans to establish its own budget airline, and JAL reportedly planning a similar move, the competition among domestic no-frills carriers looks to intensify.

Yet Arimori said Skymark still has an advantage in terms of low operating costs. Skymark's cost to move one seat 1 km has decreased to some ¥8, but the rate for JAL and ANA is ¥13 to ¥15, he said.

The rise of budget airlines in the Japanese market may be good for consumers, but it is also to their benefit if ANA and JAL survive and continue healthy competition, experts said.

"From the consumers' point of view, it is not good that one company dominates the market," said Nomura's Murayama. But at the same time, he said, if thinking just about surviving the competition, it would be more stable to merge as one.

Tozaki of Waseda University said it is still possible that both ANA and JAL can survive. After JAL filed for bankruptcy and closed some routes, fares on those routes increased, he said.

"Competition is important," he said.

While internal reform efforts by the megacarriers are necessary, Tozaki also said the government should ease regulations, such as the cap on foreign investment, to absorb knowhow from outside, so they can be more competitive.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20100828a1.html

Empower 'Superfans' with Super Access

Congratulations—you have customers who tout your products and services to everyone they know. They’re your evangelists, the people marketers covet for their word-of-mouth referrals. How do you make sure these Superfans keep spreading the word about you? Obviously, you have to continue to deliver great products and services. That’s how you got them in the first place, so don’t stop now. Beyond that, you have to make these ultra loyal customers feel special.

Unless you’re running a coffee stand, chances are good your customers are not buying from you every day, which means you have to remain top of mind. Connect with your customers where they want to connect with you, be it through social media marketing, the e-mail inbox, or a combination of the two. Most of all, give them special access to make them feel more a part of what you do. Here are three ways to empower your Super Fans:

1. Special events. Host an invite-only open house for your most loyal customers where they can have exclusive access to you, your staff, and your collective expertise. Or, for ticketed events, offer Superfans access to tickets before they’re made available for sale to the general public. Who doesn’t like getting special access to an event?

2. Provide extra support access. If your company has a support hotline, you can offer your Superfans a special number to call that gives them the prompt attention they deserve. American Express Black Card customers (by invitation only) don’t call the same number as regular card holders, for example.

3. Treat them like VIPs. Naturally, you should treat all customers like they’re VIPs, but you definitely want to keep your Superfans close to your business. Give them loyalty cards that feature discounts on services, allow the holder to accrue points toward future purchases, or offer free shipping for online orders.

Keep your Superfans engaged with your business and give them continued incentive to tell the world how happy they are to be your customer, use your products, or take advantage of your service.

Eric Groves
Senior vice-president, global market development
Constant Contact
Waltham, Mass.

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/tips/archives/2010/08/empower_superfans_with_super_access.html

Timesavers to Manage Your Social Media Presence

When it comes to social media marketing, one of the biggest fears small business owners have is the time commitment. Yes, the majority of sites have no hard costs associated with them, but time is money. Fortunately, even the most time-starved owner or marketer can participate in the social media marketing phenomenon without breaking the time piggy bank. Consider these suggestions:

1. Allot time to be social. As anyone who has spent time browsing friends’ pictures or reading countless status updates can attest, social media can be a major time sink. Allot a few minutes during specific times of the day to check in with your social media pages, post an update, respond to questions, and keep a pulse on what’s happening.

2. Use tools to help. As the number of people you’re connected with on social media sites grows, trying to keep up with the constant flow of updates is like drinking from a proverbial fire hose. There are a number of free tools available that can help you keep up without drowning in information, including the following:

NutshellMail is a service that aggregates updates from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, and more and delivers them to your e-mail inbox on a regular schedule. You can reply to tweets, make comments on Facebook posts, and keep track of keywords on Twitter right from your e-mail.

HootSuite is a service that lets you track all of your social media networks, schedule updates to go out automatically throughout the day, and set alerts if certain terms or phrases are mentioned.

CoTweet allows users to manage their Twitter presence. Users can schedule tweets to go out, monitor for mentions of their company or products, and assign specific people to get notifications during different times of the day.

One caveat: If you’re using social media—Twitter, in particular—to monitor for support issues, you’ll want to increase your check-in frequency or take advantage of one of the tools mentioned above that can proactively alert you to any issues. You don’t want unanswered questions or complaints hanging out there too long without a response.

Eric Groves
Senior vice-president, global market development
Constant Contact
Waltham, Mass.

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/tips/archives/2010/08/timesavers_to_manage_your_social_media_presence.html

Today's Tip Responding to Bad Publicity Online

Every business loves social media marketing when customers are raving about them in Facebook status updates and Twitter tweets, but what happens when there’s some bad press on a social network? How do you handle a potential public blemish without making it into a full-fledged stain? While the downside of social media marketing is that we cannot control what people say about our businesses, we can use these powerful connectors to make things right.

The key is not to engage in a public dialog with the person who is making the negative statement. A he-said-she-said battle in a public forum could exacerbate the situation. You can and should reach out to the person as quickly as possible with a simple "How can we help you?" and then attempt to take the dialog offline.

On Twitter you can use a Direct Message, and on Facebook you can use the Messages feature to communicate privately with disgruntled customers out of the public eye. Or, in your how-can-I-help response, provide a customer support line for the customer to call. (Make sure it’s open and staffed when you’re giving out the number—you don’t want an already unhappy customer dialing two minutes later, only to find out the office is closed.)

Once offline, treat the situation as you would an unhappy customer coming into your store or calling on the phone. More than likely, if you remedy the problem, the once disgruntled and vocal customer will again take to social media to praise your response, potentially turning bad publicity into good publicity.

What about a public response from you directly? Forget it. Instead, let your fans come to your aid. That’s one of the many upsides to social media marketing: Happy customers will provide both word-of-mouth referrals and defend those companies they prefer doing business with. Let these people be your social media knights in shining armor.

Eric Groves
Senior vice-president, global market development
Constant Contact
Waltham, Mass.

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/tips/archives/2010/08/responding_to_bad_publicity_online.html

Two Ways to Improve Your Investor Pitch

At our mentor capital consultancy, one of the most frequent needs our clients bring forward is the need to achieve funding. While we can direct them to a variety of sources, founders can still be stymied by the process of writing a strong investor presentation or pitch.

We listen and review a myriad of pitches from our clients and prospective clients on a weekly basis. There are certain skills that will help any investor presentation get further ahead. From the financial side, however, here are two brief suggestions about what to include:

1. Basic financial questions. Beyond the hockey stick projections, what is your basic financial strategy in terms of revenue and margins? What is your path to profitability? When will you be cash flow positive? Why does your revenue increase year-over-year? How predictable is the revenue, how much visibility do you have into the sales funnel? What does your linearity look like? Most important, you need to show that you have exceeded the historical financial projections.

2. Funds needed and use of proceeds. State how much you are seeking and what you will do with the money. Discuss future rounds of capital needed and what the investor’s exit strategy will most likely be. It is also helpful for investors to understand that the management team is invested and that the proceeds are going to be used for future activities rather than to repay old debt or employees.

There are many aspects to writing an effective financial strategy pitch—but covering these basic financial questions well will put you on a much stronger path to success.

Steve Erickson
Partner
Sage Creek Partners
Alpine, Utah

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/tips/archives/2010/08/two_ways_to_improve_your_investor_pitch.html

Before Going to Market Abroad

Over the past two decades, international business relationships have exploded and will continue to do so over the next two. In addition, more North American companies are doing business, and creating business, all over the globe. If your small business is thinking about making this step outside the U.S., there are several important factors to consider:

1. Know your target market. Select the market based on demand for your product. Is there an actual need now? Ask customers, partners, and even competitors.

2. Know your competition. Who are your competitors in the U.S. and do they already sell in the foreign country your interested in entering? If so, ask yourself several key questions. For example: Are they local? How established are the businesses and are they more or less sophisticated than your offering(s)? And what’s the value proposition of the competition?

3. Worth the extra effort? Do you need to conform to special laws or standards? Does your product have export restrictions? Are you ready to manage currency fluctuations? Does your product require specially trained technical support? Do you need to translate and localize documentation of the product?

4. Partner vs. employees. Should you market the product directly or through a channel? Using your own sales force gives more control over sales efforts and presence in the country. Unless you are physically onsite, however, you don’t have as much control over daily activities, which can sometimes pose a whole new set of difficulties.

5. Choosing a partner. After you contact potential partners, find out who they represent, how many products, how many sales reps they have, annual volume, etc. Also be sure to find out what they feel the market for your product might be and if they have the needed technical-support people.

Russ Warner
Managing director, Latin America Practice
Sage Creek Partners
Alpine, Utah

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/tips/archives/2010/08/before_going_to_market_abroad.html

Customer Service Isn't Dead

As the Internet becomes more and more prevalent in our everyday lives, customer service should be top-of-mind in every transaction. Brick and mortar stores continue to thrive exactly because they offer personal customer service. Just because humans are interacting more than ever from behind their computers does not mean that companies should give up the intimacy of live customer support representatives. Never underestimate the importance of a personal touch when dealing with your customers—from simply calling them by name to offering a birthday greeting, there’s nothing more essential than making your customers feel important. If your customer service is lacking, here are some tips on how to expand your business through excellent customer service:

1. Empower your employees with the resources they need to provide excellent customer service and support. Push decision-making down to every level of the organization and allow your team to do what it feels is necessary to meet and exceed customer expectations.

2. Don’t let your customers get stuck in the voice mail vortex. There’s nothing more reassuring than hearing a real voice at the other end of the line … the voice of someone who is empathetic and well-trained, who has an intimate understanding of the product or service you offer, and who can offer real solutions to the caller’s problems.

3. Give your customers a voice and involve them in the decision-making process through user groups, surveys, and suggestion boxes to ensure you’re constantly providing products and services that will have a positive impact on their experience. Before you make important decisions that could affect your customers, ask yourself, "Will this enhance the customer experience?"

4. Stand tall when you make mistakes and never misjudge the power of an apology. This could save you from potentially losing a customer.

Bruce Hoberman
CEO
Proxibid
Omaha

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/tips/archives/2010/08/customer_service_isnt_dead.html

Customer Service Isn't Dead

As the Internet becomes more and more prevalent in our everyday lives, customer service should be top-of-mind in every transaction. Brick and mortar stores continue to thrive exactly because they offer personal customer service. Just because humans are interacting more than ever from behind their computers does not mean that companies should give up the intimacy of live customer support representatives. Never underestimate the importance of a personal touch when dealing with your customers—from simply calling them by name to offering a birthday greeting, there’s nothing more essential than making your customers feel important. If your customer service is lacking, here are some tips on how to expand your business through excellent customer service:

1. Empower your employees with the resources they need to provide excellent customer service and support. Push decision-making down to every level of the organization and allow your team to do what it feels is necessary to meet and exceed customer expectations.

2. Don’t let your customers get stuck in the voice mail vortex. There’s nothing more reassuring than hearing a real voice at the other end of the line … the voice of someone who is empathetic and well-trained, who has an intimate understanding of the product or service you offer, and who can offer real solutions to the caller’s problems.

3. Give your customers a voice and involve them in the decision-making process through user groups, surveys, and suggestion boxes to ensure you’re constantly providing products and services that will have a positive impact on their experience. Before you make important decisions that could affect your customers, ask yourself, "Will this enhance the customer experience?"

4. Stand tall when you make mistakes and never misjudge the power of an apology. This could save you from potentially losing a customer.

Bruce Hoberman
CEO
Proxibid
Omaha

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/tips/archives/2010/08/customer_service_isnt_dead.html

Travel industry courting 'Eat, Pray, Love' fans

BALI —

In Bali, they are seeking guidance from a spiritual healer. In Rome, they are lapping up gelato. And in India, they are visiting temples.

Fans of Elizabeth Gilbert’s best-selling memoir “Eat, Pray, Love,” have been following in her footsteps ever since it was published in 2006. The book describes a year Gilbert spent living in Italy, India and Indonesia on the rebound from a divorce and failed romance.

But the travel industry is betting that the Aug 13 release of a film version starring Julia Roberts will inspire even more globe-trotting. Hotels, tour companies and guidebook publishers are offering everything from do-it-yourself itineraries to luxury trips.

The movie even has “official” travel partners: Lonely Planet, which created a website at http://www.lonelyplanet.com/eatpraylove with recommendations for sightseeing and lodging, and STA Travel, which is advertising a contest for a 21-day trip to the three countries.

Naturally, it is a trip for one.

For high-end travelers, there are invitations like this one: “Eat. Pray. Fall in love with Micato Safaris’ Inspirational India Tour.” Price tag: $19,795.

But plenty of fans have replicated parts of Gilbert’s journey on their own. Australian tourist Zoe Moran was reading the book as she stopped by the San Crispino ice cream shop near the Trevi Fountain in Rome, where Gilbert ate gelato three times in one day.

“I just got to the part in Rome, so I’m trying to follow the footsteps of Gilbert,” she said.

Gilbert writes of savoring good food and soaking up sights like the Villa Borghese and Piazza del Popolo. Canadian tourist Sarah Luong, another “Eat, Pray, Love” fan at San Crispino, said she was “trying to do the same, take my time and enjoy Rome at its best.”

Some “Eat, Pray, Love” devotees have found their way to Ubud, the artsy town in Bali where Gilbert seeks guidance from Ketut Liyer, a spiritual healer, and makes friends with a cafe owner named Wayan.

Gilbert notes in the book that tourism to Indonesia plummeted after a series of terror bombings. Liyer even says to her, “If you have Western friends come to visit Bali, bring them to me for palm-reading. I am very empty in my bank since the bomb!”

Liyer’s wish came true. Since the book was published, Liyer said in an interview in his home, “I have more foreign tourists visiting me.” He estimated the number of visitors to be in the “hundreds.”

As seekers dropped by—including a group from Japan who said they heard about him from the book—Liyer offered cheerful palm and face readings, predicting luck, wealth and long life. And just as Gilbert described, he asked his guests to help him practice speaking English.

Ngurah Wijaya, head of the Bali Tourism Board, said it is impossible to quantify how many tourists Indonesia is getting because of “Eat, Pray, Love.” But he said it has had a “great impact” in making “people understand that Bali is safe.”

Amy Graff, who lives in San Francisco, California, and writes about family travel on her blog, “On the Go With Amy,” took a trip to Indonesia in 2009 with her husband, kids and another family. Both she and the other mom loved the book.

“I really was compelled to go and try and find Wayan,” Graff said. “We got the vitamin lunch,” Gilbert described in the book, “which is absolutely delicious.”

Kathryn Alice, who describes herself as a “love guru” based in Los Angeles, (“I help people find their soul mates”), took one of her followers to Liyer’s home and also ate at Wayan’s cafe.

“It’s really fun to go and experience what she did,” Alice said.

But Alice noted that many of the tours being offered by travel companies “have very little resemblance” to the actual places described in “Eat, Pray, Love.” “People can go and do it a lot cheaper for themselves,” she said. “It doesn’t take a whole lot to look these people up.”

Many “Eat, Pray, Love” packages are geared to India, but do not include the ashram where Gilbert is believed to have spent several months, Gurudev Siddha Peeth at Ganeshpuri in Maharashtra, about 85 miles from Mumbai.

Abercrombie & Kent spokeswoman Kelly Brewer explained that the ashram has a “process of application and approval and they do not welcome casual visitors.” That’s why, she said, Abercrombie & Kent offers a “similarly enriching experience” on its “Treasures of Northern India: Journeys for Women” tour “without having to go through the rigorous screening process.”

Abercrombie & Kent’s options include a day-trip visit to the Hari Mandir temple, with lunch at an adjacent hotel. Roberts, while in India filming, visited Hari Mandir Ashram and shot scenes in a nearby village about 40 miles from New Delhi.

For “Eat, Pray, Love” fans who lack a passport, look no farther than Texas. The Lone Star State is not on Gilbert’s itinerary, but that did not preclude the creation of a “Where to Eat, Pray, Love in San Antonio” promotion.

Hotels in locations unrelated to the book are jumping on the bandwagon, too: The Benjamin in Manhattan, Five Gables Inn & Spa in St Michaels, Maryland, and the Red Mountain Resort in Utah all have packages themed on the book. After all, why go flying around the world when, as a pitch from Tucson put it, “at Miraval, Arizona, you can find it all in one place.”

Meanwhile, not every place mentioned in the book has seen an uptick. Pizzeria Da Michele in Naples, where Gilbert says she had the “best pizza in the world,” and where Roberts filmed a scene in the movie, says the number of customers they have gotten has been about the same. The Leonardo da Vinci Academy of Language Studies, where Gilbert took Italian classes, also said they have not had an increase in applications.

While Gilbert fans are finding their way to Italy, India, Indonesia, and maybe San Antonio, the author has moved on. At the end of “Eat, Pray, Love,” she falls in love with a Brazilian-born Australian, whom she later marries. And in the August issue of Travel + Leisure magazine, under a headline of “My Favorite Place,” Gilbert reveals that her “idea of a perfect city” is nowhere near the places touted in “Eat, Pray, Love.”

Instead, she recommends Melbourne.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/travel/view/travel-industry-courting-eat-pray-love-fans

The man who launched a thousand chips

TOKYO —

Wally Amos isn’t one to waste a moment of any day. The creator of the popular cookie brands Famous Amos and Chip & Cookie always exudes a passion for whatever he does, whether he is baking cookies, reading to children, giving motivational talks around the world or wearing his trademark watermelon shirts and playing a tune on his ever-present kazoo.

Born in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1936, Amos went to live with his Aunt Della in New York at the age of 12. She was the first person to bake him chocolate chip cookies and also instilled in him “a can-do” attitude. After a four-year stint in the U.S. Air Force, Amos worked at Saks Fifth Avenue, then the William Morris Talent Agency where he handled top performers such as The Supremes, Simon & Garfunkel and Marvin Gaye. Shortly after, Amos took up a new hobby—baking chocolate chip cookies. He opened his first Famous Amos store on Sunset Boulevard, in Hollywood in 1975.

Although Amos would eventually lose control of his company (Kellogg’s now owns it), he kept his baking hand in with Uncle Wally’s Muffins and then five years ago, he and his wife established Chip & Cookie, which is headquartered in Hawaii.

Amos is just as well known for his support of causes such as literacy; he and his wife established Read It Loud!, a foundation to promote reading aloud to children. For his efforts, Amos has received many honors and awards, including the President’s Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence, the Horatio Alger Award, and the National Literacy Honors Award. He is a sought-after inspirational speaker and the author of eight books, among them “The Famous Amos Story: The Face That Launched a Thousand Chips.” Over the years, Amos has acted in a number of network sitcoms and appeared on hundreds of interview shows, news programs, educational programs and TV commercials.

Amos was recently in Japan, looking for business opportunities. It was his first visit here in 24 years and during the visit, he baked 1,500 cookies for an event at the U.S. Embassy and read to children in Gifu.

Japan Today editor Chris Betros samples some cookies while chatting with Amos.

What is Famous Amos’ history in Japan?

I think it was back in 1986 that we entered into a partnership with Sony Plaza to open cookie stores in Ginza and Hiroo. At the time, I also opened stores in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. Much to my surprise, the Malaysia operation is still going great guns, with 60 plus stores in Malaysia. In Japan, unfortunately, we only lasted for about two years. There have been no Famous Amos cookies here at all since then.

What happened?

Well, I made some mistakes and wound up losing the company completely. Ownership changed hands many times. Kellogg’s owns the brand now. I left in 1998 but I came back to do some public relations, then left again in 2001. I really didn’t fit into the corporate structure.

What did you do then?

About five years ago, I started a new brand called Chip & Cookie in Honolulu where I have been living for 33 years. It is based on two character dolls named Chip & Cookie. My wife Christine created this concept. Besides chocolate chip, we make oatmeal raisin cookies, chocolate chip with pecan cookies, butterscotch chip with pecan cookies, and chocolate chip with macadamia nut cookies.

We have one store in Waikiki and now we are branching out looking where opportunities might be outside the U.S. I want to look at possible business opportunities in Japan, because Japanese tourists buy my cookies in Hawaii all the time and bring them back. Maybe we could start off with a store in Roppongi. I think there are a thousand different places in Tokyo you could open in and have instant success. Costco and supermarket chains are a possibility, too. I can’t say yet who I am going to partner with and how it is going to take shape, but it is going to happen.

What is the secret to making a great cookie?

The best cookies are hand made. First, I chill my batter because it gives the cookies a better texture and nice little rise. I also use 33% semi-sweet chocolate. That’s a huge amount of chocolate, more than the flour content. Then we use pure butter and Watkins pure vanilla extract. But you know, what really separates great cookies from good cookies is the energy and spirit of the company. My goal was never to have a machine-made cookie. It is the feeling I have about chocolate chip cookies that surpasses what anybody else feels. I imagine that is the same way that Colonel Sanders felt about his chicken.

What sort of cookies did you eat as a child?

I can’t ever recall eating cookies in Tallahassee. When I moved to New York to live with Aunt Della in 1948, I never had to eat anybody else’s cookies. She passed away in 1974, the year before I started Famous Amos, but I like to think of her as my secret ingredient. She has been like a guardian angel for me in the cookie business and her spirit is part of what I do.

You also make muffins, right?

Yes, Uncle Wally’s Muffins is a separate company, with headquarters in Long Island, NY. We have a 60,000-square-foot bakery there and sell to all the big guys like Wal-Mart and Costco.

How often do you eat cookies?

Every day. After meals, I always have a desire to have something sweet.

Tell us about your support for literacy?

My wife and I established the Read It Loud! foundation to promote reading to children. I had already been promoting adult literacy since 1979. When we started Chip & Cookie, we decided to use our business to advocate some charity related to children. It’s important for parents to read to their children for at least 10 minutes a day. I want to create a groundswell of awareness of the importance of this because I believe so many positive things will happen. We are launching a national campaign in America this fall.

Do you enjoy giving motivational speeches?

Yes, I do. Just before I came to Japan, I was in Borneo giving a talk at a conference for the Napoleon Hill Foundation. When I went to Gifu, I gave a lecture there for the first time in Japan. It was a great experience.

Is it true that some of your items are in the Smithsonian?

Yes, they have my straw hat and some of my watermelon shirts. But not my kazoo. That goes with me everywhere I go.

For more information on Wally Amos, visit www.chipandcookie.com or www.readitloud.org

http://www.japantoday.com/category/executive-impact/view/the-man-who-launched-a-thousand-chips

Smoking in Movies Still Prevalent

Although the number of movies showing people that smoke has declined since 2005 there are still too many films that allow scenes with smoking in them according to a report commissioned by the CDC.

Such exposure is deemed unacceptable and would encourage youths to take up the habit. The report stated that half of the popular movies contained tobacco imagery and 54 % of this was in the PG-13 category.

It was reported that companies have done little to omit these scenes from film of this category. Voluntary changes by Viacom in particular have no scenes which contain tobacco in 2009.

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=85167

Rush to Survey Titanic Before It´s Too Late

Leading experts of the Titanic at the bottom of the Atlantic have stated that in 20 years time the bough will be completely consumed by bacteria and become unrecognizable.

The rush is on to create 3-D imagery and complete archaeological surveys of the shipwreck before it succumbs completely to the deep. The depth of the wreck is preventing it from rusting but the steel is being consumed by bacteria.

Incredibly this bacteria is believed to eat between 600 to 1000 pounds of steel daily. At 50,000 tons of steel it could take a while but it will happen eventually.

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=85169

Tai Chi Eases Fybromyalgia Symptoms

Researchers at the Tufts Medical Centre in Boston have released a study in which patients with Fybromyalgia gained considerable relief from their symptoms when doing Tai Chi, a Chinese form of martial arts.

33 patients attended the Tai Chi classes and 33 attended a wellness and stretching program twice a week for 12 weeks. Results were published in the New England Medical Journal of Medicine.

It found that the Tai Chi group improved much more that the wellness and stretching group. It was reported that the Tai Chi group also slept better and had less pain and depression.

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=85168

US: About 500 Million Eggs Recalled

Due to contamination about half a billion eggs have been recalled in the US. Hillandale Farms in Iowa voluntarily withdrew about 170.4 million eggs from the market. Those eggs have been distributed to markets and companies in 14 states.

Wright County Egg of Galt, also situated in IA, recalled eggs already last week, amounting to a total of 380 recalled eggs. So far hundreds of Americans have been sickened by eggs contaminated with salmonella bacteria and the number is going to rise.

"We would certainly characterize this as one of the largest shell egg recalls in recent history," Sherri McGarry of the Food and Drug Administration said about the issue.

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=85173

Yoga Decreases Mood and Anxiety Disorders

A new study by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine suggests that yoga can minimize anxiety and positively affect your mood.

The researcher team discovered a link between the physical and mental discipline and levels of the neuro-transmitter gamma-aminobutyric, which causes "relaxation, less anxiety and anti-convulsive effects".

The study found that these effects are more easily achieved by practicing yoga than by walking. Beforehand researchers followed 2 groups of healthy individuals. The one that practiced yoga 3 times a week showed a more significant decrease in anxiety.

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=85174

Detoxify amid views of Tokyo Bay

The Conrad Tokyo hotel has a new accommodation plan. Conrad Fasting — Reset Yourself, created under the direction of skin care professionals, that comes with a program to cleanse the body with a special diet.

In the two-night stay package, five specially prepared macrobiotic meals are provided. The dinner on both nights will be room service of sweet vegetable soup. The second day's breakfast is fresh organic fruit juice, followed by green vegetable juice for lunch. The program finishes on the morning of the third day with a recovery meal: boiled vegetables and rice porridge.

During the stay, guests will also engage in light exercises, such as walking in the pool or stretching at the gym at the hotel's Mizuki Spa & Fitness facility. Counseling and spa treatments are optionally available at additional cost.

The hotel rooms offer a comfortable setting with panoramic views of Hamarikyu Gardens and Tokyo Bay to help guests reset and recharge. Complimentary herbal tea and on-demand movies are also available in the room.

Prices start from ¥62,000 per person for single occupancy, and ¥43,500 per person for double occupancy.

The plan is available through March 31, 2011.

The Conrad Tokyo hotel is in the Tokyo Shiodome Building, a one-minute walk from Shiodome Station or a seven-minute walk from Shinbashi Station. For more details or reservations, call (03) 6388-8000.

A feast to beat the summer heat

The Hotel New Otani Tokyo is holfing a special buffet featuring seasonal spices and herbs at its Top of the Tower restaurant, which offers superb views of the city, until Sept. 17.

Among some 40 kinds of items from appetizers to desserts, the buffet showcases dishes using spices and herbs that help relieve stress and fatigue from the summer heat. In addition, at dinnertime only, smoked items such as sirloin steak, duck and sea bass, are grilled in front of diners.

The lunch buffet, available from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., costs ¥5,040 for adults and ¥3,150 for children (4 to 12 years old). For dinner, from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., the buffet costs ¥7,875 and ¥4,725, respectively, while the buffet with an unlimited drinks plan, including sparkling wine, is available at ¥11,000. Prices include service charge.

The Hotel New Otani Tokyo is a three-minute walk from Akasaka-Mitsuke and Nagatacho stations. For more information or reservations, call (03) 3238-0023.

Enjoy a 'sky-high' beer garden

The Hilton Tokyo hotel's popular summer party package, Beer Garden in the Sky, is running through Sept. 15.

The hotel's open-air terrace, tucked away on the seventh floor, provides a spectacular view of the Shinjuku skyline. Toast the summer nights while enjoying drinks in a relaxing atmosphere. The package includes all-you-can-enjoy beverages, special party platters and concierge services.

The package is available for any two hours between 5:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. for groups of between four and 20 people, priced at ¥6,500 per person, including tax and service charge.

The Hilton Tokyo is a two-minute walk from Exit C8 of Nishi-Shinjuku Station or a 10-minute walk from the West Exit of Shinjuku Station. For more information or reservations, call (03) 3344-5111.

Satiate your aching sweet tooth

The Kobe Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers' Garden Cafe will be offering its Afternoon Snack Buffet on weekdays from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., until Nov. 30.

The 30-item buffet, which offers entrees with a monthly theme, includes a wide range of sweets, fruits, sandwiches, pastas and salad.

Notable popular choices include strips of jellied kudzu starch with brown sugar syrup and mini maple pancakes.

Guests can enjoy as many glasses of juice as they like at the soft drink bar and they also have the choice to be served coffee, English tea, or French flavored tea.

The buffet costs ¥1,500 for adults, ¥900 for children of elementary school age, and ¥400 for toddlers ages 3 to 6.

The Kobe Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers is a one-minute walk from Island Center Station on the Rokko-Liner Line. For reservations and further information, call (078) 857-7011.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fv20100820ho.html

Japanese Massage in Mumbai: Martial Arts and Healing

Aeropagus, also known as the ‘temple of healing’, is the city of Mumbai’s very first Japanese spa. Twenty-three-year-old-entrepreneur, Buongthangmawi Khawbung, has created a unique cosmos of relaxation in which martial arts, techniques, particularly those of Tai Chi, have been incorporated into her special healing massages.

Located at Shivaji Park, one enters Aeropagus to the sounds of soothing music, cascading water and dim lights. These elements transport the mind and body to another softer more peaceful place.

“The Japanese people have a lot of healing techniques…This ‘temple of healing’ has massages based on Japanese, Greek and Chinese methods. I feel the Japanese massage has more energy healing elements,” says Khawbung.

The slow tempo and graceful movements of Tai Chi are the elements she has blended into her massage therapy. She firmly believes it is the unhurried pace that is the force behind the dispersal of energy. The Aeropagus Signature Therapy is a combination of Tai Chi, Purification therapy ((blood and skin emphasis) and Yuki energy, which focuses on the healing of muscles and joints.

Presently, she is seeking full rights to this therapy via registration at the International Spa Association. Her ability to transform a martial art into a massage is commendable for so young a soul.

“There was a lot of research and thought put into this. It took me one year to research all the therapies. I learned human anatomy. I already knew Tai Chi as a martial art but I had to try and test it as a therapy,” says Khawbung.

She has brought Japanese massage to Mumbai as a gift to the city that she now calls home. Its fast pace of life has been a challenge for her, presenting a hurdle that these soothing massages have helped her overcome.

“In Mumbai we all are in desperate need of therapeutic massages – a reason and need to remove the blockages in our body, to unwind and rejuvenate our body,” she states.

Only one question remains.

How can those of us who don’t live in Mumbai get an appointment as soon as possible?

What do YOU think about this?

http://www.weirdasianews.com/2010/08/20/japanese-massage-mumbai-martial-arts-healing/

Americans Pretend to Care About Soccer

When Donovan nailed the ball into the back of Algeria’s net, U.S. Soccer fans were ecstatic by their country’s advancement into the second round of the World Cup. This was the moment Americans pretended to cared about later.

Though many Americans did not watch the game, their opinions of the US chances against Ghana were strong. Though he had no clue what the words "side", "concede", "pitch", "going down", and "simulation" meant, a college student Billy Miller said the following:

“The US side, as long as they don’t concede early, should be able to get a favorable result. I just hope the official doesn’t fall for Ghana players going down to the pitch, you know, simulation. I hate that".

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=85061

Elvis Presley - the King of UFO Sightings?

Michael C. Luckman, a UFO researcher from New York, wrote a book about musicians who believed they encountered aliens. "Alien Rock: The Rock ´N´ Roll Extraterrestrial Connection" also covers Elvis Presley and his alleged connection with aliens.

The musician claimed he met aliens several times as he documented his whole life. Luckman says Elvis´ link to extraterrestrials already began with his birth when an unusual blue light was seen in the sky of Elvis´ birthplace Tupelo, Miss.

The doctor, who delivered the King of Rock ´N´ Roll, confirmed the incident as well as Elvis´ hairdresser and friend Larry Geller.

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=85068

Mel Gibson Involved in Car Accident

Actor Mel Gibson, who is currently fighting for custody of his child with Oksana Grigorieva, seems to go through some hard times. According to police, Gibson´s 2008 Maserati was towed after he had crashed into a Malibu hillside.

The actor was alone when he accidentally drove to the right and hit the hillside. His rep has already confirmed the incident and told the press that Gibson is uninjured.

Alcohol did not seem to have played a role in the accident. Additionally CHP spokesperson Leland Tang said that "Mr. Gibson was alert, oriented and cooperative."

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=85067

Dan Rather, an Alien

Former anchorman for MSNBC, Dan Rather, recently confirmed in an interview with Lawrence O´Connell that he is an alien named Ootoo-545.

According to him, aliens are preparing for a full scale invasion of earth, an allegation confirmed by the alien friend that he had brought to the interview with him.

Rather and O’Donnell advised all Americans to send money to the Democratic Party because Aliens will favor those Americans that are registered Dems. “If there is any trouble, we will eliminate Republicans first.”

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=85079

Kids' Festa entertains, teaches

At the halfway mark for summer vacation, scholarly children (or parents) might start to worry about summer homework, such as research projects or picture diaries that have yet to be finished.

Before you write a diary about playing video games every day, check out the Marunouchi Kids' Festa, which will run for three days next week. The event will offer various activities for children, some of which are quite educational while others are just plain fun.

On Aug. 17, rescuers from the Fire and Disaster Management Agency will present examples of how they train and, as a bonus, will send a musical troupe to entertain kids, too. Yasuaki Nohguchi will perform a scientific experiment to demonstrate how drawn-out earthquakes break down high buildings.

On Aug. 18, dogs working for the Metropolitan Police Department will be on show, as officers explain how they train the canines to follow instructions and find illegal drugs, pistols and bombs. On the same day, B.B. Mo-Franck, a well-known percussionist who starred in the musical "The Lion King," will play djembe and dance with visitors.

On Aug. 19, children can learn how to practice safe bicycling. Elmo and his friends from Sesame Street will also perform a crime prevention show.

These events are merely a few of the more than 130 activities the event offers. Overall, a great chance to find the topic for your summer homework — in a fun way.

"Marunouchi Kids' Festa" runs from Aug. 17 to 19. Some events require prior registration. For more information, visit www.t-i-forum.co.jp/kids

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fq20100813a1.html

Shanghai Graffiti: Urban Art Project From Germany

Last May, a group of German graffiti artists came to Shanghai as part of the Expo China 2010 celebration. Akim Walta, the project coordinator, Jens Muller and four other artists comprised this talented assembly known as Hip Hop Stutzpunk.

Their goal was the completion of an urban art project for Expo’s German Pavilion in which they artfully sprayed the walls of Nongtang in Huachi Road, a traditional Shanghai neighborhood. The 60-year-old section of town is actually a lane full of vegetable peddlers and outdoor tailors, but now it is now decorated with western-style graffiti.

These are not the random scribblings that the word graffiti often implies; they are rather, works of art as indicated below in this graffiti of a child taking a bath in an old tin tub painted on the wall of her house.

“One day, I passed Huachi Road and that’s where I got my first impression of a local Chinese neighborhood far away from the skyscrapers. I had the idea to paint something in such a place… It was a gift to the locals… They invited me for lunch to say ‘thank you’. It was great to see them happy,” says artist, Jens Muller aka Tasso.

The Hip Hop Stützpunk has dome many good things for the people of Shanghai. They sponsor many side events and workshop programs to support real sustainability and have formed non-profit partnerships with two dance schools, several music clubs, a Shanghai graffiti school and an artist and magazine collective that sponsors Asia’s largest graffiti contest.

The locals are delighted with the new adornments on the walls of their once drab and uninteresting streets.

“I would say the young people really appreciate this new art form and even the older people in China are much more open than in our country,” Walta told the press.

The Hip Hop Stützpunk (HHS) is a privately financed artistic and cultural youth program in Berlin that in 2008 initiated network development in China with the goal of the two nations coming together. Founder Akim Walta’s ultimate goal is to present Hip Hop culture as a positive and creative global movement.

Graffiti has been controversial since it first appeared in the late 1960s in New York City, but in all fairness, HHS has created something much more refined and far more artistic than the original expressions of the word.

What do YOU think about this?

http://www.weirdasianews.com/2010/08/16/shanghai-graffiti-urban-art-project-germany/