Mothering invention

With the high cost of everything and the conspicuous lack of cash in most pockets, the WSJ says people are tinkering more, some even buying formerly high-end milling machines to make parts.

Justin Lahart, Nov 12, 2009, discusses how this trend is leading to inventions such as a device to twitter how much beer is left in a keg or surgery robots.

Engineering schools say their students are tending to like the hands-on work

Spark Fun Electronics is one place that sells parts to tinkerers. Their business has almost doubled.

People like hands-on—it’s real—not like finance. Computer numerical controlled tools—that cut metal or other materials according to a computer program--are a tenth as expensive as 10 yrs ago.

One guy bought a mill to make bike sprockets for $7,000.

At the schools, it’s not enough to get an A. People ask what you are building.

Some entrepreneurs even thought up the idea of equipping a shop with equipment people can use by the hour.

Always thinking, Americans!

Keep at it—this is what makes companies that then hire people.

Wanted, sort of: Health care workers

Guess it wouldn’t be too reassuring to be a mammogram tech these days, what with the preliminary foray into cutting medical services to cut costs, but according to Ken Alltucker, Arizona Republic, Nov 13, 2009, pharmacists and certified nursing assistants, to name two, are in demand, although there is competition.

Mayo out here in AZ is seeing three times as many applicants as before.

As for nursing, sometimes experienced (meaning expensive) nurses are replaced by new grads, but most places try for a mix.

The market for pharmacists is tightening—but like other health care pros, they are trying to branch into corporate wellness and disease management.

Instead of “pick, lick, and stick,” they are counseling patients on their medications, sometimes by phone, and monitoring drug use within companies.

Big Brother in a white coat? Did I type that out loud—naw.

Speed screening, anyone?

Emily Maltby, WSJ Nov 17, 2009, says companies are desperate to weed through the enormous responses they get for each job these days.

One company invited all respondents to their “open house.” Only a percentage attended.

Then they sort of did a “speed dating” thing—short interviews. They removed people who weren’t enthusiastic.

That left 68 people—these will be called for group, then individual, interviews.

Other cos are giving personality tests using 15-min questionnaires.

Yet another company has top candidates hang around the office four a few days, even attending some meetings.

I guess that would be slow hiring, not speed hiring. Whatever works. It’s certainly a buyer’s market.

Low-cost staging--digital-style

Watch “Million Dollar Listing” or “House Hunters.” Putting some furniture in an empty room makes it look better—and this “staging” can add thousands to house value.

But staging companies can be spendy.

Kara G. Morrison, AZ Republic, Nov 15, 2009, writes about a company in Atlanta (www.virtuallystagingproperties.com) for people who don’t have $2400 for their 3-mo staging plan.

Instead, they add the furniture and accessories, digitally—imposing them on photos of the empty rooms. For $225, customers have these pix for a couple of days to add them to their MLS listing and make it look more enticing.

The stager will not change ugly wall colors or anything like that.

Another company, Virtual Enriching Homes (www.virtualenrichinghomes.com), offers staging advice via computer—four rooms for $69.

The owner of this company emails a list of proposed changes—tells clients what should be removed, how furniture should be repositioned, what accessories should be added.

Another company, PMC Interiors (www.pmcinteriors.com) offers a 90-minute consultation for $150.

I guess it’s OK if you don’t have Chad Rogers to bring an orchid plant ("Million Dollar Listing") or Jeff Lewis ("Flipping Out") to move your bureau an inch to the left…Ah, perfection.

Women dragging home the bacon

For the first time, there are more women in the workforce than men, not that they are making the money men are.

Kelly Evans writes about this (WSJ, Nov 12, 2009).

Boom times, some women can stay home, bust, they must dust off the resume.

One woman in the article was married to a homebuilder…uh-oh. Homebuilding not so great—she was back on the job front.

Unemployment for men 16 and over is 11.2%.

In 4 out of 10 households women are the sole wage earner or make more than the man.

The bright side? Men will have more experience in the home and this could carry over to doing more at home when this recession ends, if it does. (Hold your breath starting NOW.)

One husband said it was a luxury for his wife to have a decade off. Back to workies!

Budget hair

Paradi Mirimirani, MD, assistant prof of dermatology at the Univ of California San Francisco, says you can cut back on hair care—and be better off, not frazzled.

Go to the salon less frequently. Cut back on products. You will still have healthy hair,

Hair is made of fiberlike structures packed together and wrapped with a hard outer cuticle kind of like singles on a roof. If this outer cuticle gets damaged, the inner fibers fray and look frizzy or lackluster.

Lose the boar bristle brushes, Mirimirani advises. They are supposed to be the best. They aren’t. Buy a brush with wide-spaced plastic needles.

Shampoo is a detergent used to remove dirt from the scalp. Most people over-wash. Cut the shampoo days if you have fairly dry skin. African-Americans can get away with once a week. Their skin tends to be drier.

Salon shampoos cost a lot but are in most cases no better for your hair. You should look for a special shampoo for color-treated, if your hair is color-treated. If hair is damaged, use a conditioner. Try a 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner, followed by more conditioner. Use the conditioner only on the tips of the hair.

Be cautious of heat and chemicals. Never use a flat iron on wet hair. If you use a hot blow dryer, use a styling product that protects against heat.

Store-bought color is not that much different from salon color. Test it for rashes behind your ear for 24 hrs.

Perms at home can be tricky. Maybe a salon for those.

Blow-dry hair upside down for more volume. You may not need a volumizer shampoo.

As for regrowing hair—see your dermie. Did you know I was going to say that?

Also—Remember "Rinse and Repeat"? Don’t repeat.

No--not permanent Santa

Sarah E. Needleman, WSJ, Nov 10, 2009, says holiday hires can get a full-time gig. The Christmas thing can be an icebreaker.

In a small percentage of cases, the temp can even come out from behind the cash register into HR or finance,

One woman was a gift-wrapper in HS, went back to Macy’s as a human resources manager and is still there.

You need to be on the inside, she says, to see what’s available. Look at the seasonal job as an audition.

Employers like to recruit from within.

No matter what your job, be punctual, take on extra duties, keep checking the bulletin board or website.

And tell you you sure would like to stay on. Don't keep it a secret.