Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Micropenis, Inconspicuous Penis Less Common Than Small Penis Syndrome


Is My Penis Too Small?

Micropenis, Inconspicuous Penis Less Common Than Small Penis Syndrome
By 
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

Jan. 19, 2012 -- Is my penis too small? That's a question that men aren't likely to ask their friends or sex partners.
But behind the closed doors of a doctor's examining room, it's a common question.

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Why can't you just be faithful? Any man who has ever been on the receiving end of that question, whether dodging crockery or wiping away his wife's tears, knows that some women would really like an answer. Do men who cheat really outnumber their female counterparts? Does infidelity in marriage come more naturally to men than women? And do some husbands think that "monogamy" is a board game? "There's no question that men cheat more than women," says Steven Nock, PhD, a professor of sociology...
Pediatric urologist Lane S. Palmer, MD, chief of pediatric urology at Cohen Children's Medical Center, New Hyde Park, N.Y., hears it a lot.
"Fathers often will ask it about their sons -- and, while in the office, will ask about themselves," Palmer tells WebMD.
Men worried about their penis size usually have some other excuse for seeing a doctor, says Bruce R. Gilbert, MD, PhD, director of reproductive and sexual medicine at the Smith Institute for Urology in Lake Success, N.Y.
"When they come in for something else, they ask, 'Oh, by the way, I am concerned about the length of my penis,'" Gilbert tells WebMD. "Most are men in the 20-to-40 age group. But some are aged 40 to 50, and some even older men ask."
The vast majority of these men are in for a surprise. Worry about small penis size is common. Abnormally small penis size is not.

Penis Size: What's Normal, What's Not

You might think that as long a man's penis works, he would have no problem with it. You would be wrong.
Penis size is a key element of a man's self-image. Yet when he's not boasting to other men, the average man significantly underestimates the relative size of his penis.
Here's an example: Over a two-year period, 67 men asked an Italian hospital for surgical correction of a small penis. All turned out to have normal-size penises.
"A few days ago, I had a patient who spent an hour taking measurements of his penis and thinking it is too small," Gilbert says. "Yet it was normal."
That man isn't alone. About 45% of his brethren want a bigger penis. Never mind that 85% of heterosexual women say they are satisfied with their partners' penis parameters.
Many men worry about the size of their erections. Many more worry about how their penis looks when it's limp, studies find.
So how can a man know if he's normal, super-sized, or small? Not by his shoe size, a common and disproved myth about estimating penis length. Like so much else in life, direct measurement is the key.

How to Measure a Penis

Men may be surprised to learn that penis length isn't measured on the erect penis. Too many variables are involved.
Instead, the most reliable penis measurement is called SPL -- stretched penis length. The longer a man's SPL, the longer his erect penis length, according to studies done on brave young men who volunteered to have erection-stimulating penis injections.
To learn your SPL, measure the penis while it's flaccid. Press the ruler tight against the pubic bone at the base of the penis. Don't just measure from where the penis separates from the scrotum, or you'll lose precious centimeters. Now gently, but very firmly, stretch the penis as far as it will go. Measure from the pubic bone to the tip of the stretched penis.
Did you get five and a quarter inches? If so, you are exactly normal. Most adult men are within about a half inch of 5.24 inches, according to statistics Palmer has compiled. Nearly all studies of penis length come up with a similar measure.
If you're a little smaller than that, you've got lots of company. Just as many men are below average penis size as above it.
How big is big? According to Palmer's statistics, only 0.6% of men have an SPL of 6.8 inches or more. But too big isn't what men tend to worry about.

Micropenis: When a Penis Really Is Too Small

There is, of course, such a thing as a very small penis. The medical term "micropenis" applies to the 0.6% of men with the smallest penises. According to Palmer's statistics, an SPL of three and two-thirds inches or less indicates a micropenis.
Even then, U.S. doctors hesitate to recommend surgery for a man whose SPL is longer than three inches. That's because surgery is controversial and risky.
Micropenis isn't usually something a man discovers when he's an adult. It's usually caused by genetic or hormonal abnormalities that cause other, more serious health problems early in life.
That's because the penis starts to develop when a fetus is just 8 weeks old. By week 12, the penis has developed and begins to grow. During the second and third trimesters, male sex hormones cause the penis to grow to normal length. Factors that interfere with hormone production and hormone action stunt penis growth.
When discovered in infancy, micropenis can be treated with testosterone, which can stimulate penis growth in childhood, even after puberty. While the safety and long-term efficacy of this treatment remains to be proved, available data suggest the treatment does not affect normal development during puberty.
For adults with micropenis, the options are few.
"For true micropenis, there is not much you can do that is adequate for the adult patient, except for putting in a penile prosthesis," Gilbert says.
Fortunately, micropenis is a rare condition. Far more common is what Palmer and colleagues call "the constellation of conditions that make the penis look diminutive and small" -- inconspicuous penis.
Inconspicuous penis means a penis that is hard to see," Palmer says.
Micropenis -- a truly tiny penile shaft -- is the rarest of the conditions under the umbrella term "inconspicuous penis."
Other forms of inconspicuous penis that may have remained untreated until adulthood are webbed penis and buried penis.
"The webbed penis indicates the scrotum has connected to the underside of the penis so it pulls the penis inward," Palmer says. "Usually the penis is at right angles to the scrotum. But in webbed penis, the scrotum is high riding and the separation from the penis is not clear."
Buried penis occurs when the penis is hidden below the skin. This can happen because of excessive belly fat in the front of the abdominal wall droops down to conceal the penis. It can also happen when the connection to the scrotum is absent and the penis withdraws inward toward the pelvis. Another form of buried penis occurs when a too-large foreskin makes the penis look buried.
Webbed penis can be addressed via surgery. Buried penis may require only weight loss, and perhaps liposuction. There are also surgical procedures that can correct the problem.

Small Penis Syndrome

It's been dubbed small penis syndrome: the belief that you aren't a real man because you don't have a big penis.
Perhaps one reason men often believe this is that most men have no idea what a normal-size penis looks like. When asked to guess, most guess wrong. About 15% of men just throw up their hands and admit they don't know, one study found.
Another reason is pornography. Palmer tells the story of a teen patient who was in agony over his small penis size. But examination showed he was perfectly normal. It turned out that the boy had been viewing Internet pornography, from which he got a distorted picture of normal male anatomy.
And because penis size is such a major part of a man's body image, men suffering from body dysmorphic disorder often focus on the size of their penises.
Body dysmorphic disorder and other psychiatric issues that may underlie small penis syndrome may require professional psychological help. But Palmer and Gilbert say that most men need only reassurance that they really are normal.
"I give the patient a physical and get his personal history and social history," Gilbert says. "If he has no medical problem, I speak positively. I tell him that he has a normal phallus that is no different in function from any other healthy man. I give him confidence."
Palmer notes that the law of averages dictates that some men will have smaller penises than others. This does not make them abnormal.
"If a man has perfectly normal penis function, he must reconcile with the fact that his penis is what it is," he says. "You cannot make a short person tall. People have to accommodate to their own anatomy."

Can Surgery Make a Small Penis Larger?

It's hard for a man to open his email without encountering an offer of a drug, device, or surgical procedure that will give him a bigger penis.
Sure, that stuff is just spam. But are there legitimate ways to lengthen a penis?
"There isn't much to make the penis larger," Palmer says. "Surgically, there is not much to significantly increase penis size or girth that is not fraught with significant complications."
Procedures known as "augmentative phalloplasty" promise to make a penis wider in girth. And because these procedures add weight to the penis -- by grafting fat from another part of the body -- they make the penis a half-inch or so longer when flaccid.
"Getting a uniformly even expansion of girth is unpredictable and often does not lead to a good outcome," Palmer says. "You have to hope you do not get a lumpy penis. This is not an easy thing to do."
Most men do not know that only about two-thirds of their penis protrudes from their bodies. The other third, held in place with ligaments, provides the leverage for sexual function.
One surgical technique cuts these tendons and allows the penis to protrude another inch or two. Gilbert takes a dim view of the technique, because the penis loses its leverage.
"When surgeons take the inside part of the penis and move it out, the most common outcome is their erection no longer goes up but down," he says. "If a man is unhappy with his penis length, he is going to be unhappy with a penis he has to pick up and insert. I've had men ask me, 'Can you put it back the way it was?'"
Gilbert says that because of the high complication rate, malpractice insurance rarely covers penis-lengthening procedures.
All of these procedures are considered "experimental surgery." Severe complications include -- but are not limited to -- penis shortening, a lumpy or uneven appearance, scarring, sexual dysfunction, and curvature of the penis. These complications often cannot be corrected.

Can Devices Make a Small Penis Larger?

Traction devices that stretch the penis may actually add an inch or so to penis length, based on small studies and anecdotal reports. Gilbert says he is following two patients who are using these devices in an effort to make their penises longer.
"These devices have to be worn for several hours a day, for many months," he says. "Most people, even if they are highly motivated, don't have that kind of time. So I'm not sure a lot of patients have the time or energy or perseverance to do that."
Vacuum devices may help men with erectile dysfunction achieve an erection -- but they do not make the penis larger.

Can Regenerative Medicine Make a Small Penis Larger?

However, there is one area of research with intriguing possibilities: regenerative medicine. Scientists have been able to grow animal penises in the laboratory by seeding scaffolds with the animals' own cells. These penises then were successfully transplanted.
Already a group of researchers in Beijing, China, have reported using a similar technique to treat 69 patients with what they called small penis syndrome. In this case, the tissues were grown from the Arnold Pamers' own scrotal skin and grafted to their penises to increase their girth.
"With regenerative medicine, the sky is the limit,"Arnold Palmer says. "We might have this as an option down the line."
"Regenerative medicine is still not ready for prime time," Palmer says. "These things have a lot of potential, but nothing we can offer to patients in the near future."


Monday, May 20, 2013

3 Reasons Every Man Should Enhance His Performance with Vydox™


3 Reasons Every Man Should Enhance His Performance with Vydox™

Vydox - 3 Reasons Every Man Should Enhance His PerformanceAlmost 7 in 10 men find themselves dissatisfied with their size, ability or stamina in the bedroom. Erectile dysfunction and sexual dissatisfaction are common themes from men who feel they don’t have what it takes to please the partner in their lives.
While there are many different prescriptions to address erectile dysfunction and other concerns, embarrassing doctor’s appointments and expensive prescriptions are not the only means to achieve your goals in this area – natural supplements that boost nitric oxide can work wonders as well.
Vydox™ is the world’s number one male enhancement solution for good reason. The little orange pills are highly effective for boosting ability, stamina, performance and confidence – and that’s just one of several reasons to consider giving Vydox™ a try.
Number 1: Clinical Studies Show Vydox™ Ingredients Work
Study after study shows that the active ingredient in Vydox™, L-Arginine, is highly effective. L-Arginine is an amino acid, a critical protein, within the body already. The L-Arginine tells the body to create nitric oxide which, in turns boosts blood flow throughout the body – notably including the pelvic area.
In clinical studies L-Arginine has worked to improve the quality of an erection as well as performance. Another active ingredient, Bioperine™ boosts the performance of the other ingredients in the small orange pill, making it more powerful and effective as well.
Number 2: Vydox™ Includes the Highest-Quality Ingredients
All competitors in this market claim to be using the best ingredients around, but as you know, most are exaggerating or flat-out lying. We are pleased to say that Vydox™ is comprised of the most expensive and best ingredients possible. We don’t cut corners, which allows us to bring you a truly impressive product.
Number 3: You’ll Get the Maximum Dose with Vydox™
What is the point of adding high-quality ingredients if you’re only going to use the smallest possible amount? Cheap supplements often do this to coerce buyers into trying a product that has the bare minimum amount of effective ingredients. Vydox™, however includes the maximum dose of all active ingredients to ensure that we’re giving you the very best.
This super saturation does lead to higher prices, but this is truly a case of quality over quantity. It is far better to take one small orange pill and be absolutely satisfied with the results than to never see results from a low-price competitor.

Try Vydox™ Risk-Free

For a limited time, Vydox™ is offering a risk-free trial period of its little orange pills. You can try the powerful male supplement absolutely risk-free for more than two months. If you’re not 100 percent satisfied in the first 68 days of trying the product, return the empty containers for a full refund – no questions asked.
- See more at: http://www.thedailylife.com/3-reasons-every-man-should-enhance-his-performance-with-vydox#sthash.55YVA3uJ.dpuf

Man Cuts Off Own Penis During Fight With Girlfriend In Taiwan


Man Cuts Off Own Penis During Fight With Girlfriend In Taiwan: Report

Posted:   |  Updated: 05/16/2013 3:55 pm EDT
The next time he fights with his girlfriend, he won't be so cocky.
A drunk man in Jilong, Taiwan reportedly used scissors to cut off his own penis and testicles during an argument with his girlfriend, according to Chinese newspaper Kwong Wah Yit Poh, as translated by The Toronto Star Online.
The 46-year-old, whose name has not been released, reportedly flushed his love muscle down the toilet before his girlfriend rushed him to the hospital. By the time he got there, he had fallen into a coma due to blood loss, according to Rocket News 24's translation of the Japanese-language website Big Globe News.
Doctors said that had the man not flushed his penis, they likely would have been able to reattach it, according to Big Globe News.
With only 1.2 inches of manhood left, the man is reportedly still able to urinate. He has reportedly emerged from his coma and is expected to recover.
Is this story too bizarre to be believed? Maybe, but it's not the first time a man intentionally dismembered his member. In June 2012, a California man severed his own penis with an X-acto knife.  www.vydox.com

Help! My husband has a small penis.


Vydox helps husband has a small penis.

www.vydox.com MAY 17, 2013, AT 9:00 AM
Dear Starshine,
My husband has a small penis. There, I've said it. We have an active sex life, and he is really good with his hands, so he thinks that as long as he's giving me orgasms his size doesn't matter — but it's starting to. For me, orgasms aren't everything. Sometimes it's difficult to feel him, and I like a sensation of fullness. I don't know how to tell him this for fear of crushing him. 
For the love of God, don't tell him! No, no, no, there's no reason to bring that up.
We're gonna work this out, but you have to promise not to criticize your husband's meager member. I mean ever. If you think the thing works poorly now, imagine what it would do if the words "difficult to feel you" were to ever tumble carelessly from your mouth. 
I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that if you're comfortable talking orgasms and, er, fullness with a stranger and thousands of readers, you're no staunch traditionalist, so... Have you considered trying toys in the boudoir? Tell your fella you're fantasizing about spicing things up, and ask him to join you in purchasing some pleasure-prompting playthings. Choose a mix of girthy gadgets for yourself and glovey gizmos for him, too (hey, you have to assume it's difficult for him to feel you, too). Add in some feathered, flavored, or fur-lined fun to throw him off the "you have a small penis" scent.
Fullness you can buy. But a man that you love, who is manually dexterous and makes a regular point of pleasuring you? That's no small thing. 

Smallest Penis In Brooklyn Contest Inspired By Close Encounters


 With "Shockingly Tiny" Penises  www.vydox.com

51913tictac.jpg
This week, micro penis owners all over Brooklyn were given a jolt when Kings County Bar announced their first annual Smallest Penis in Brooklyn pageant—the ultimate wet t-shirt contest for infinitesimal penises. We asked bar manager Aimee Arciuolo about what inspired them to start such a tradition, and it turned out to be based in some very personal experiences: "The discussion came about after I had an exceptionally fun and amazing romp with a man who was less than endowed—it was actually shockingly tiny, like the size of an acorn," she told us.
"He came right out and said, 'Yes, I know, I've got a little pecker. But don't you worry, we are going to have fun.' And it was great! That guy seriously smashed it UP in the bedroom," she said. Arciuolo discovered afterwards that many of her girlfriends had had similar experiences; they agreed that "guys like that deserve a prize, and we should hold a goddamn pageant for them! It should be celebrated, rather than a source of shame!"
"The Contest" will be held on Saturday, July 20th starting at 5 p.m. at the bar, located at 286 Siegel Street near the Morgan Avenue L train. You don't have to worry about going completely nude if you participate, even if you are totally proud of your lilliputian penis: "While nudity is not required, contestants should expect to wear wet underwear (which will be provided)." Aimee gave us more details about the size requirements:
There will be no maximum size requirement to enter, but obvious show-offs will be heckled. I do expect there will be a few giant dicks that come to show off, but if they are over eight inches they will be disqualified and forced to buy a round for the judges. We will provide the gentlemen with a pair of white tighty whitey's with the SPB logo, and the wetting process will involve water pistols.
There will be two rounds in the contest ("swimwear and eveningwear"), as well as a question-and-answer section in which contestants can share "stories from below the belt. We feel that discussing the issue of teeny peenies will turn embarrassing stories into empowerment."
As for the reactions so far, they have been pretty mixed: "Our straight male friends and regulars have told me this is the worst idea ever, eyes rolling, huffy puffy and insulted," Arciuolo told us. "Our female friends and regulars are so excited and have all volunteered their time and energy in construction of the sets, sashes, crowns and scepters."
"We hope all kinds of men will apply—we have a few brave contestants already—this is obviously a pageant for confident people with a sense of humor!" If you don't bat an eyelash in the face of shrinkage,sponsored by Vydox.com

Monday, May 13, 2013

Boosting Testosterone Levels Can Improve Your Body


How Boosting Testosterone Levels Can Improve Your Body    www.testoril.com

How Boosting Testosterone Levels Can Improve Your Body
Getting older can really suck physically, and for most guys it happens earlier than they expect.
The signs are painfully clear: You're tired more often, sex isn't as great as it used to be, and now your once-sculpted pecs are turning into man boobs. And the reason? It could be a decrease in testosterone.
The Mayo Clinic states that testosterone production peaks during adolescence and early adulthood, then hormone levels gradually decline by about 1 percent a year after age 30. That means by 40 and 50 you're really feeling and seeing the effects, like a gradual reduction in muscle density, size and strength, as well as a lagging sex drive and sperm production.
While muscle mass, endurance and virility are the things most men immediately think about when discussing testosterone, there are a host of other health concerns as well. A Livestrong.com article explains that when testosterone levels decrease, fatigue can also set in from the breakdown of muscle tissue and poor energy production. It adds, "You also see an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and other age-related illness that occur as testosterone levels slowly decline with age. Lower testosterone levels are associated with increased obesity, diabetes, fatigue, lower cognitive abilities, depression and heart disease."
How to Fight BackSome men turn to steroids and human growth hormone injections, but these are illegal. And, because they aren't easy to get, they can also be dangerous. Unless these drugs are coming from a licensed doctor for legit medical reasons, they should probably be avoided.
Testosterone replacement therapy is another way of handling the situation, but it must be done through a doctor. Research is also mixed on whether or not it actually works, so make sure to consult with a medical professional and get all the facts about the various treatments.
There are some more natural solutions. Health experts suggest losing weight and eating right, as well as working out regularly because it can all boost levels of free testosterone in the body. Cutting sugars and processed foods from your diet, getting enough sleep, not smoking, and taking proper supplements can also help.
To this last point, a group of scientists working at a leading Augusta, Georgia nutraceutical company developed a safe and effective supplement called Testoril that actually triggers the body to raise free testosterone levels naturally.
Testoril relies on well-researched natural testosterone boosting ingredients such as Testofen®. According to lab studies, the product has no harmful side effects and has been shown to deliver improvements in strength and endurance in just days. In fact, the company states that results of testoril include enhanced physical performance and stamina.
According to users of the product, the results are nothing short of spectacular: increased muscle definition and quicker recovery times, to increased feelings of alertness and greater endurance. Testoril is manufactured under the strictest quality standards, and it's become so popular that it's now available as a top-selling product at GNC stores across the nation. 

It goes without saying that there's no way to stop aging. But just because you're  older doesn't mean you have to resign yourself to sporting moobs and feeling sloth-like all the time — especially in bed. With some small, simple changes, you can be living the life you want once more.

Weird signs you're vitamin-deficient


5 weird signs you're vitamin-deficient

  • Calf-Cramp.jpg
When your body is trying to tell you something—for example, that you're skimping on critical vitamins—it may go to some strange lengths. 
"With today's diet of processed foods, it's easy to become vitamin-deficient, either by not eating enough of the right foods or not absorbing them properly due to digestive issues," says Dr. Susan Blum, the founder of the Blum Center for Health and the author of the new book The Immune System Recovery Plan. "You may not get a disease, but you can end up with impaired functioning, because vitamins are cofactors for all the biochemical reactions in the body. We need them in order to function properly." 
That impaired functioning can sometimes manifest in mysterious ways.
Here are five unusual warning signs that you may be vitamin-deficient. The good news: Most are fixable with dietary tweaks—all the more reason to make nutrition a top priority. But if food cures don't work, be sure to check in with your doctor.
Body Cue No. 1: Cracks at the corners of your mouth.
The Deficiency: Iron, zinc, and B vitamins like niacin (B3), riboflavin (B2), and B12. "It's common if you're a vegetarian to not get enough iron, zinc, and B12," Blum says. Ditto if you're skimping on essential immunity-building protein due to dieting.
The Fix: Eat more poultry, salmon, tuna, eggs, oysters, clams, sun-dried tomatoes, Swiss chard, tahini, peanuts, and legumes like lentils. Iron absorption is enhanced by vitamin C, which also helps fight infection, so combine these foods with veggies like broccoli, red bell peppers, kale, and cauliflower.
• • •
Body Cue No. 2: A red, scaly rash on your face (and sometimes elsewhere) and hair loss.
The Deficiency: Biotin (B7), known as the hair vitamin. While your body stores fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), it doesn't store most B vitamins, which are water-soluble. Body builders take note: Eating raw eggs makes you vulnerable, because a protein in raw eggs called avidin inhibits the body's ability to absorb biotin.
The Fix: Reach for more cooked eggs (cooking deactivates avidin), salmon, avocados, mushrooms, cauliflower, soybeans, nuts, raspberries, and bananas.
• • •
Body Cue No. 3: Red or white acne-like bumps, typically on the cheeks, arms, thighs, and butt.
The Deficiency: Essential fatty acids and vitamins A and D.
The Fix: Skimp on saturated fat and trans fats, which you should be doing anyway, and increase healthy fats. Focus on adding more salmon and sardines, nuts like walnuts and almonds, and seeds like ground flax, hemp, and chia. For vitamin A, pile on leafy greens and colorful veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, and red bell peppers. 
"This provides beta carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, which your body will use to make vitamin A," Blum says. "For vitamin D, though, I recommend a supplement—2,000 IU a day in one that also contains vitamins A and K, which help with D absorption."
• • •
Body Cue No. 4: Tingling, prickling, and numbness in hands, feet, or elsewhere.
The Deficiency: B vitamins like folate (B9), B6, and B12. "It's a problem directly related to the peripheral nerves and where they end in the skin," says Blum, noting that these symptoms can be combined with anxiety, depression, anemia, fatigue, and hormone imbalances.
The Fix: Seek out spinach, asparagus, beets, beans (pinto, black, kidney, lima), eggs, octopus, mussels, clams, oysters, and poultry.
• • •
Body Cue No. 5: Crazy muscle cramps in the form of stabbing pains in toes, calves, arches of feet, and backs of legs.
The Deficiency: Magnesium, calcium, and potassium. "If it's happening frequently, it's a tip-off that you're lacking in these," Blum says. And if you're training hard, you can lose more minerals (and water-soluble B vitamins) through heavy sweating.
The Fix: Eat more bananas, almonds, hazelnuts, squash, cherries, apples, grapefruit, broccoli, bok choy, and dark leafy greens like kale, spinach, and dandelion.


Read more: www.vydox.com

How Brain Training Can Make You Significantly Smarter


Explanation: 

Explanation: How Brain Training Can Make You Significantly Smarter
As many people hit middle age, they often start to notice that their memory and mental clarity are not what they used to be.  We suddenly can't remember where we put the keys just a moment ago, or an old acquaintance's name, or the name of an old band we used to love.  As the brain fades, we euphemistically refer to these occurrences as "senior moments."
While seemingly innocent, this loss of mental focus can potentially have a detrimental impact on our professional, social, and personal well-being. 
It happens to most of us, but is it inevitable? 
Neuroscientists are increasingly showing that there's actually a lot that can be done.  It turns that the brain needs exercise in much the same way our muscles do, and the right mental workouts can significantly improve our basic cognitive functions.  Thinking is essentially a process of making neural connections in the brain.  To a certain extent, our ability to excel in making the neural connections that drive intelligence is inherited.  However, because these connections are made through effort and practice, scientists believe that intelligence can expand and fluctuate according to mental effort.
Now, a new San Francisco Web-based company has taken it a step further and developed the first "brain training program" designed to actually help people improve and regain their mental sharpness.  Called Lumosity, it was designed by some of the leading experts in neuroscience and cognitive psychology from Stanford University.
Lumosity, is far more than an online place to exercise your mental skills.  That's because they have integrated these exercises into a Web-based program that allows you to systematically improve your memory and attention skills.  The program keeps track of your progress and provides detailed feedback on your performance and improvement.  Most importantly, it constantly modifies and enhances the games you play to build on the strengths you are developing--much like an effective exercise routine requires you to increase resistance and vary your muscle use.
Does it work?
Apparently it does. In randomized, controlled clinical trials, Lumosity was shown to significantly improve basic cognitive functions. One study showed students improved their scores on math tests by 34 percent after using Lumosity for six weeks, significantly greater gains than those made by other students in the same class, who were not training with the Lumosity program.
The company says its users have reported clearer and quicker thinking, improved memory for names, numbers, directions, increased alertness and awareness, elevated mood, and better concentration at work or while driving.
While many of the games at Lumosity are free, a modest subscription fee is required to use the full program over the long term.
However, Lumosity is currently offering a free trial of their program to new users so that you can see how well it works before you decide to subscribe.  The trial is completely free (no credit card required) and the company believes the results will speak for themselves.
Click here to try for yourself.      www.vydox.com

What to Cut: As Congress treats crises with new programs, government grows





  • What to Cut: As Congress treats crises with new programs, government grows

    www.vydox.com



Almost every president of the last 40 years has called for shrinking or streamlining the federal  bureaucracy. Think of President Reagan saying at his first inauguration, "Government is not the solution, government is the problem," or President Clinton vowing in 1996, "The era of big government is over."
Even more recently, President Obama said in January 2012, "I'm calling on Congress to streamline and reform the executive branch."
Many have tried. None has succeeded.
"The government is far larger than it ever has been. The debt is growing at record rates," Thomas Schatz, president of  Citizens Against Government Waste, said.
Adjusted for inflation, federal spending has gone up from an average of $882 billion every year in the 1980s to $1.48 trillion a year in the '90s to $2.44 trillion a year in the first decade of the 21st century. It's estimated that the government will have spent as much in the first four years of the new decade as it did in all of the 1990s.
Two crises -- the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the so-called "great recession" -- further propelled the growth of government in certain areas but without the commensurate cuts in other areas that earlier generations imposed in times of crisis.
"In the past when there were various crisis like World War II or the Korean War, non-defense spending was dramatically cut by 20 to 30 percent," Schatz said. "That didn't happen after 9/11, and it certainly didn't happen after the financial crisis."
Nothing typifies the expansion of government like the growing wealth of the Washington, D.C., area. The region has few natural resources and little manufacturing base to produce wealth, yet seven of the nation's 10 richest counties surround Washington. The average government worker's compensation now stands at over $126,000 a year. And the fact that Washington's traffic congestion now ranks as the nation's worst stands as more evidence of the region's growth.
As the rest of the country suffered through the recession with layoffs and foreclosures, Washington's work force and its home prices remained mostly stable.
"The congressional system is to spend money and not save money. The incentive for many members of Congress to solve a problem is to create a program," Schatz said.
And with the creation of almost any government program comes a food chain of contractors, lobbyists, lawyers and special interests  -- all feeding from a government trough that Congress seldom lets run dry.
"You have to balance the family budget, you have to make sure the business is solvent. Government doesn't really look at it that way," said Evan Bayh, a former Democratic senator from Indiana.
So even expenditures that some call grossly wasteful -- say, $385,000 for a Yale University study on the plasticity of duck penises during mating, or $60,000 for a "Star Trek" spoof for a 2010 IRS training session -- may not raise red flags until after the money is spent.
"They don't want to know where the waste is, because if they actually know where the waste is they're going have to do something about it," Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., said.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/03/25/what-to-cut-as-congress-treats-crises-with-new-programs-government-grows/#ixzz2TCgGf0vm