Wise Bread (Life Hacks posts)

Do you know how to use a parking meter? Serious question.

Paul Michael — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:03:57 +0000

I thought I knew the answer to that. Admittedly, I’ve only been driving for seven years and rarely park in downtown Denver, where most of our parking meters are located. But I had familiarized myself with the rules before I took my driving test. I thought I had it down. I guess I was wrong.

My family and I decided to spend Monday doing a little shopping in a terrific area of Denver that has all sorts of funky old stores. Of course, old stores means no parking lots. Instead, it’s street parking with plenty of meters.

We found a meter, put in enough money for two hours and went on our merry way. We did some shopping, had a bite to eat, watched our two girls argue over a piece of battered fish, you know, the usual stuff. I looked at my watch and was worried we didn’t have enough time to get back to the car, but when there was still 20 minutes on the meter when we opened the car door.

We strapped the kids into the car seats, talked about our next destination and then I checked my mirrors before pulling out. That’s when I noticed the obnoxious yellow envelope jammed into my left wing mirror.

We thought it was a piece of crappy advertising at first, but sure enough, it was a violation. We couldn’t figure it out. We had plenty of time left, we hadn’t parked crooked or too far out into the road, we were genuinely puzzled.

So, we called the toll-free number at the bottom and spoke to a representative of the city. She asked how much the fine was for and what the officer’s notes were. Then she told me exactly what my violation was; my front bumper wasn’t fully behind the parking meter. This was a violation of something called ordinance number 54-513. Here’s the write-up:

Improper Use of Meter Space, ordinance number 54-513, was enacted to ensure that citizens park in such a way as to occupy only one parking space. Your front bumper must not extend past the meter pole.

A couple of things really bugged me about this. First, I was maybe a foot in front of the pole, due to the fact that the guy behind me wasn’t obeying ordinance number 54-513 and I had to give him room to pull out. Second, and even more annoying, was that I was at the end of the street. There were no spaces in front of me, just 10ft of curb and a corner. So, I wasn’t occupying anyone else’s space anyway.

However, I had violated ordinance number 54-513 and I now have to pay the $25 asap, or it becomes a $50 fine. I can, of course, take time off work and spend half a day waiting to see a magistrate so that I can dispute this violation, but I just don’t have the time.

Does ordinance number 54-513 apply in your city? I really don’t know. It may have a different name, it may not apply at all. But I would definitely play it safe and make sure no part of your bumper is extending past the parking meter pole. You don’t want to pay a silly fine, especially at this time of year.

And, while we’re on the subject of parking meters, here are some other basic rules and guidelines that we all should know.

1: Most meters give you around two hours of parking. Some give you less. In really busy areas, it may be only 30 minutes.

2: Rates vary according to the meter and location. Some give you way more time for your quarter than others, so check that out before you pull away.

3: You shouldn’t feed the meter: If the regulation allows for a certain amount of time, usually two hours, you are not supposed to run back to the meter and add more quarters. This is being a meter hog and it can get you a violation if the parking control officer is keeping an eye on your length of stay.

4: There are NO free all-day parking passes. If you’re at a meter that’s broken, you can’t claim ignorance and park for the whole day. In NYC specifically, you’re allowed one hour at a broken meter, even if the meter allows longer stays. In your city, it may be longer. And if your meter is missing completely (a pole with no meter) don’t take this as free all-day parking either. Usually, that missing meter means you can park for the allotted time on that street. Any more and you’re risking the wrath of the meter maid.

5: Don’t park on someone’s dime. Even if there's plenty of time left on the meter that was paid by a previous driver, you are supposed to add their own money on top of that. No free parking folks.

6: Don’t top up someone else’s meter. Why would you, right? But if you see some old lady struggling to walk back to her car, and the meter has ran out, you can’t go topping it up to help her avoid a ticket. In NYC, these random acts of kindness obstruct official business. By adding money, you’re robbing the city of potential revenue. And the last thing you want to do is get in between a city and its cash.

7: If you’re in a busy city with lots of meters, keep plenty of change in the car at all times. You don’t want to park, run and get change, and come back to a parking ticket.

8: Some new electronic parking meters let you pay with change or a debit card. Miami is one city that’s testing this out.

9: Meters are free in my city on Sundays. Check your meter to see if/when the meter allows free parking.

10: And if there are no meters, you’re not off the hook. Unmetered parking has plenty of potential landmines to avoid, too. Here are just a few:

Make sure there are no “restricted parking” signs or “no parking” signs on the block.
On some days, parking is prohibited for street cleaning.
Keep your wheels off the curb or sidewalk, for obvious reasons.
Don’t park next to a hydrant. Expect a ticket at the very least, or something worse if the fire department needs to use that hydrant.
Some streets require that you move your car after two hours. Don’t move, get a ticket.
In parking lots, make sure it’s not restricted to employees or pass-holders. You could get towed.
Some sneaky towing firms will hide warnings behind trees or put them above your natural eye line. Look around carefully before parking.

If you have any more tips or parking meter knowledge, let us know. And if you’re a parking control officer, let us in on some of your fabulous inside info.

Permalink | 14 comments | Paul Michael's blog | Channel: Cars and Transportation, General Tips

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Bit of fun turns into $10,000

Paul Michael — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 21:56:09 +0000

By Paul Michael

In my recent post about eBay Motors, I recounted the story of a seemingly worthless car that sold for over $226,000. But this next story is bizarre. What turned out as a sarcastic but funny prank ended up being worth $10,000.

The original story did the rounds over the last few weeks. I must admit, I laughed reading it. I’m sure some people frown on this behavior, just as they dislike Crank Yankers and Jerky Boys; but in my opinion, it’s worth a chuckle.

You can read the thread here, to the very right, but basically a guy called David Thorne sent a .gif drawing of a seven-legged spider as payment instead of the $233.95 his account was overdue. The gag became a conversation that ended, hilariously, with the customer service representative sending .gif drawing back to David at his request. This is, of course, ridiculous.

Great gag. Funny outcome. End of story. Or so I thought. Then I found out that a “friend” of David’s put his “original” .gif drawing on eBay at a starting price of $233.95 – the exact amount David owed. Here’s part of the auction copy:

This fine piece of 7-legged spider by artist David Thorne is now for sale. It was originally used in a payment attempt for a bill, but was sadly refused. However, this spider is driving me nuts. Also he's lacking a leg and thus is useless to me. I now offer you to buy this fine piece of spider for the original price set my the artist David Thorne himself. At $233.95 this should be considered a bargain for the original drawing in this Internet meme! Buy this spider and you will receive the original spider mail attachment as sent by author David Thorne. I will donate some of the money for American Breast Cancer Foundation.

What a nice touch, even if it didn’t sell it was a fun way to end the gag (the donation to a charity is also a great addition). But it did sell; and for many times more than the starting bid. $10,000 for a .gif file that anyone could own for free simply by dragging the picture to their desktop. It’s wonderful. And weird.

As it turns out, the winning bidder has no intention of paying up. A fascinating interview with David gives an insight into the whole affair, from his website to his view on the Internet as a whole. Here’s what he had to say about the $10,000 bid:

“The drawing remains unclaimed. Patrick, the person who made the winning bid of $10,000 rang me after the story made the news and we have had a good laugh over the attention it raised and been in contact via email since. The Swedish man who posted the spider on eBay has also been in constant contact. The people involved have simply been using the internet as a playground and I always approve of this. I have made some interesting online friends over the last week.”

Is there more to this though? After all, no-one really made any money from it. Well, there is. And as an advertiser, it’s something I try and create on a daily basis. It’s called buzz. This is literally making something out of nothing. The spider itself is worthless as we all know. But the comical aspect of it all, and the Internet fame that went with it, generated worth from worthlessness. It become valuable. It become an asset.

In the same way that a piece of paper is worth a fraction of a cent until signed by a pop star or famous actor, the story behind this is valuable. It has generated press (including this article) all over the world. It has made David Thorne a name being muttered by many lips. And it has brought many hundreds of thousands of new visitors to David’s site. He achieved more with a silly letter than an expensive, slick ad campaign could ever have done.

If you have a blog, or a personal website, or even a small business, getting the word out is essential. Finding a cheap (or free) way to get people talking about you is the name of the game here. Think about that next time you’re printing up flyers, or paying for Google Ads. Is there another way to create buzz? Is there something you can do that could generate a real frenzy on the web? This “viral” marketing is not only effective, it’s fun. It could mean the difference between one thousand visitors to your site one day, and one million the next. And those visitors can translate into real dollars.

Permalink | 3 comments | Paul Michael's blog | Channel: Life Hacks, Consumer Affairs, Entrepreneurship, Making Extra Cash, Technology

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8 Spectacular Uses for that Lone Can of Fruit

Linsey Knerl — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:07:52 +0000

By Linsey Knerl

I'm not really sure how I ended up with those strange assorted cans of fruit in my cupboard. Was it a gift from Grandma? A dented-can special? Maybe I grabbed the mango instead of the pineapple by mistake. Whatever the reason for my fruit folly, now I must do something with it. Here are eight surefire tricks for using it up in a yummy way today!

Meatloaf and meatballs. Fruited meats are a tricky thing. If not done correctly, they can seem more appropriate as a dessert than a main course. My favorite way to use up those cheap cans of cranberries (that often go on sale this time of year) is as a topping for meatloaf or meatballs. Just mix some brown sugar, a bit of lemon juice, and a can of whole cranberries (the gelled stuff will work, also) and spoon it over your loaves before baking. So delicious, no one ever guesses that it is made from cranberries!

Dump cake. This oddly-named dessert is a breeze to make, costs less than a few dollars, and tastes heavenly. Use any variety of canned fruit, a yellow cake mix, and a few other affordable ingredients to create this goof-proof specialty. See all of our dump-cake recipes in an earlier post.

Sweet and Sour. My favorite make-ahead dish is a sweet and sour chicken. I use this recipe for the sauce most often:

1 sm. can cut pineapple
2 tbsp. cornstarch
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. vinegar
1 clove garlic (optional)
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. Ginger

If I don't have pineapple on hand (which is often), I substitute most any canned sour fruit with amazing results. We have used cherry-flavored fruit cocktail, tropical fruit mix, and peaches. I also add sliced green pepper (which is stored in my freezer from the gardening months) and big chunks of red and white onion. Another yummy version of this is a Polynesian Sausage dinner, where instead of chicken, I use cut-up polska kielbasa and the tropical fruit blend (mango, pineapple, and pears.) Everything is served over rice.

Stuffed chops and breasts. White meat works really well for “stuffing.” You can play around with your favorite boxed stuffing, (by adding canned cherries, apples, or pears) or go with a homemade rendition. Just slice the meat into two horizontally, and spoon generous portions of your stuffing into the meat. Bake a few minutes longer than you normally would, and be sure that you cover it with a lid or foil. It's a nice, moist main dish that takes little skill to pull off.

Pancakes and waffles. Do you really think that places like IHOP and Denny's have a “secret” to their amazing fruit-topped breakfast creations? Most restaurants just used food-service grade canned fruits as toppers, and jazz up the presentation with nuts, creams, or crumbles for effect. Pancakes and waffles are a dirt cheap meal that you can have most any time of day. Just top with canned apples, cherries, or any pie-worthy filling for the yummiest stack ever!

Compote. This one's a bit too fancy for most evenings at the Knerl house, but it is a fantastic way to rid your cupboard of the truly strange canned fruit varieties (i.e. plums!) I've heard several versions of this recently, but it's very simple to prepare. This version is very standard, and this extra special dish uses a little alcohol for kick! So what's a girl to do with compote? Eat it alone, top it with whipped or sour cream, or serve it alongside rich meats.

Jello. Yeah, I said it. It may be a little too reminiscent of your cafeteria lunch days, but most every kid I know likes Jello. (And it's a fantastically cheap way to stash some canned fruit nutrition into a perfectly-squared snack.) Just avoid the tropical fruit medley in your Jello. (The acidity of the mangoes can keep the Jello from setting up properly.)

Bread. I used to think that you can only use dried fruits in a bread machine recipe. I have since found out that for a quick bread or sweet bread setting, canned fruit can work for some tasty varieties. Just check out this pineapple cranberry bread or peaches and cream recipe.

The next time you're tempted to pass off that odd can of fruit onto your local food pantry, consider how you can create an incredible dish with your canned dilemma. Then donate a nice turkey or ham to your shelter, instead. They could really use it!

Permalink | 12 comments | Linsey Knerl's blog | Channel: Frugal Living, Life Hacks, Food and Drink, General Tips

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Is your country corrupt?

Philip Brewer — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:07:00 +0000

By Philip Brewer

When I first traveled overseas, I was surprised to learn that many foreigners thought of the United States as a corrupt place--surprised enough that I undertook some careful questioning to figure out what they meant by that. The results crystalized my thinking about levels of corruption.

My own experience was that the level of corruption in the United States was low compared with other places that I've heard about. For example, in my entire life, I've never paid a bribe. In fact, I've never been in a circumstance where I thought paying a bribe would be particularly likely to help. I've also, with one possible exception, never accepted a bribe. (The possible exception was when I spent one day working as a garbage collector, and the experienced worker who was showing me how it was done let someone who wasn't a customer pay him a few dollars to haul away some trash, and then shared the money with me.)

The foreigners I had talked to about the matter, though, had an impression of the United States as the sort of place where rich, white folks had nothing to fear from a justice system that oppressed minorities and the poor--an analysis that certainly has enough truth to make fair-minded Americans uncomfortable, but that wasn't really in sync with my personal experience. (Admittedly, my personal experience is that of a white person of adequate financial means.) My own experience is that someone who commits no crimes is really quite safe from unfair prosecution. Someone who does commit a crime is in a more ambiguous situation, although calling the complexities there "corruption" seems like an oversimplification.

So, then, I created in my own mind a scale for levels of corruption. My scale focuses on the necessity to pay bribes, so it ignores other aspects of corruption (whether officials are stealing from the government, for example), which is not to say that I think those things aren't important: I picked this metric because I wanted anyone to be able to rate their own situation entirely on the basis of personal experience. Here's what I came up with:

Corruption universal. This is where an honest person cannot get along without engaging in corrupt practices--refusing to pay the right bribes or offer the right favors will lead to things like being beat up, imprisoned, or even shot, along with having your property confiscated.
Corruption commonplace. This is where it's theoretically possible to refrain from engaging in corrupt practices. You can choose not to pay bribes without getting shot or imprisoned, but things like getting a business license or a building permit become extremely difficult without paying a bribe. Getting the power turned on or a telephone line connected might take a year or more, but paying the right bribe can get it done in just a few days.
Corruption optional. This is where it is genuinely practical to avoid corrupt practices, but some corruption does exist. In most situations it's never necessary to pay a bribe--but it's sometimes possible. Someone who runs a restaurant, for example, has the realistic option of following all the health and safety regulations--but also may have the option of paying off the health inspector instead.
Corruption rare. This is where there's little opportunity to engage in corrupt practices. The law prosecutes criminals without regard to class or position, and innocent people are safe. Government officials follow the law on things like licenses, permits, and inspections. There is little opportunity to improve your circumstance by paying a bribe.

The United States is a big country--big enough that it pretty much covers the whole range. There are plenty of places where corruption is very rare and the laws are enforced quite evenhandedly, but there are plenty of other places where some low-level corruption is routine, especially with regard to businesses that work for the government being obliged to pay kickbacks in some form or another. And, although I've never experienced it personally, I don't doubt that there are some places where corruption is commonplace or even mandatory, especially within communities whose legitimate access to the police is limited (such as among illegal immigrants or prostitutes).

Transparency International publishes its Corruption Perceptions Index, which puts Denmark, New Zealand, and Sweden as the least corrupt countries. The most recent update puts the USA at number 18 out of 180 on the list. Down at the bottom are places like Afghanistan, Haiti, Iraq, Myanmar, and Somalia.

How about your country--or your community if you're in the United States? What's your experience with corruption?

Permalink | 31 comments | Philip Brewer's blog | Channel: Life Hacks

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Hoopde for sale. Starting price - $500. Winning bid - $226,521.

Paul Michael — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:25:25 +0000

By Paul Michael

I love stories like this. It gives me hope that one day, something “worthless” sitting in my garage will instantly fill up my daughters’ college funds. In this case, the seemingly worthless item was a rusty bucket of bolts called a 1963 Pontiac Le Mans Tempest. When I saw the pictures, I was surprised at the high starting bid of $500. Imagine how the owner felt when it netted him almost a quarter of a million dollars.

For those of you unfamiliar with the term, Urban Dictionary describes a hoopde (or hoopdie) as: A busted up car, usually very rusty, dented, with broken headlights, bumpers and/or doors; any junk car that can be obtained for less then $1000. And as you can see by the pictures below, this one certainly fulfills all of those criteria. It has no motor, the bodywork is mostly rust and the trunk doesn’t even open. What would you pay for it?

However, as Autoblog recently reported, this was no ordinary car.

The car's Plexiglas windows, unusual suspension setup and a dash plate bearing the name of a racetrack tipped the owner to its racing history. But what he didn't know is that the car is one of only six 1963 Pontiac LeMans Tempest Super Duty coupes ever made. Hemmings recently did a story on the rare cars in which they listed all ever built. This one looks to have been driven by Stan Antlocer and was the fastest drag car in 1963 before disappearing.

Over the nine days the car was up on eBay, things went from good to great to unbelievable. Clearly this was something way beyond the expectations of the owner. It’s reported that he was offered a buy-it-now offer of $160,000, but turned it down because of, get this, fears of negative feedback! Would you care for that kind of money?

With only seven minutes until the close of the auction, the tally stood at $95k. But when it was all over, the grand total was a whopping $226,521. That’s over $66k more than the firm offer he had turned down. In this economy, that kind of windfall is something of a dream come true.

Stories like this are rare, but they do happen. And that means we all need to be studious before we have a garage sale or sell something on eBay or Craigslist. Personally, if I had inherited that crappy looking car, I would have been overjoyed with $1000 for it. More fool me. But we may all have hidden treasures right under our noses.

Take that old, dusty painting stuck in the back of the closet or basement. Most of us have one, sometimes handed down by an aging relative that we took graciously so as not to hurt their feelings. It is most likely just an old painting. But it may be a masterpiece, as The Antiques Roadshow has so often highlighted .

And an old weaving...

Old watches, ornaments, papers, books, you name it, sometimes there really is a treasure in the trash. So look, think and maybe do a little research. If you’re not sure of an item’s value, check it out. A little of your time could turn into a whole lot of money.

Permalink | 8 comments | Paul Michael's blog | Channel: Frugal Living, Life Hacks, Cars and Transportation, Making Extra Cash

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Don't treat businesses like people

Philip Brewer — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:29:01 +0000

By Philip Brewer

When you fall short of meeting your obligations, it's natural to feel bad. In fact, it's natural to want to not only meet the letter of your obligation, but also the spirit: to do what it takes to make the other person feel fairly treated. These feelings are very human, and they work well when you're interacting with humans acting as individuals. When you're dealing with businesses, though, they work against you--and businesses will take advantage of that.

Nobody is much surprised when a corporation meets its legal obligations but goes no further. People like to suggest that going beyond is often good business--a reputation for providing good service is worth something--but they don't think it's a moral failure when a corporation does only the legal minimum, because everybody knows that corporations are not moral entities.

With people, though, the rules seem different.

You see this distinction especially starkly with bankruptcy. A person will often feel shame at the idea of bankruptcy. Obviously, a corporation does not. (The owner of a very small corporation might, but that's just another example of confusing the person with the business.) When a corporation files for chapter 11 and the court tells it that it doesn't need to honor its gift cards or its pension obligations, no one imagines that they'll be able to get better treatment by making the corporation feel bad.

Corporations, on the other hand, use this sort of moral suasion to try to control people all the time. You see it, for example, with debt collectors--they try to establish something that seems like a personal relationship, so that the borrower feels bad about being unable to meet his obligation.

You see it most often with employees, because the constant interactions between employee and manager create a circumstance where it's natural to feel a personal relationship.

When a friend of mine quit one job to take another, his old employer offered a large raise and said a lot of nice things about how important he was and how highly valued his work was. My friend was feeling bad about leaving and seriously considering changing his mind, because he wanted to do right by his moral obligation to his old employer, but then remembered that he'd had a salary review just a few months before, where the focus had been on his shortcomings and where the employer had put a dollar figure on the value of his work that was quite a bit lower. Neither those critical statements nor the new complimentary ones were a reflection of what the corporation actually thought--after all, corporations don't think. Rather, both were an attempt by management to get what they wanted--my friend's work at the lowest possible cost.

Another friend was hesitating to move to a much better job, because when she'd been hired, her boss had asked her to "commit" to stay until the end of a project and she'd done so. I pointed out that there were many things her boss might have done to give her incentives to stay--most obviously, he might have given her a contract with a completion bonus. Not only had he not done that, he hadn't given her a contract at all--and I'm sure he wouldn't have "committed" to keep paying her until the end of the project even if business turned down. He had asked for a commitment because such a request costs nothing, and just might work.

Corporations would rather not do expensive things like paying competitive salaries, giving regular raises, and offering a pension to reward long-term service. That costs money, and corporations would rather not spend money. So, they usually start by trying to use a sense of personal obligation to get people to do whatever will help the business. That's why they ask people to "commit" to the company--they do it because they know people will feel obliged to stand by their word, and because guilt is much cheaper than paying a project completion bonus.

This is true for relationships besides just that of employee--customers, borrowers, clients, and venders are all subjected to similar efforts, where the corporation tries to structure things so that people feel (and behave) as if they were in a personal relationship with the business. They do this because it works. It works because people have trouble distinguishing between their legal obligations and their moral obligations, they allow their feelings to push them into making poorer choices.

Because this is all a deliberate effort by corporations to control you, it's sometimes not quite clear what kind of relationship you're in. After all, even though your counterpart is a corporation, your interface with it--boss, loan officer, salesperson--is a person. The whole thing is structured to make you feel uncomfortable if you leave him or her in the lurch. Don't be fooled.

None of this is to say that you're not stuck with your legal obligations. I'm not suggesting that you cheat or steal or even engage in sharp practices or take advantage. But don't imagine that you have a moral obligation to a business. Your moral obligations are to people.

Permalink | 18 comments | Philip Brewer's blog | Channel: Consumer Affairs, General Tips

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Can Men Be Trained To Understand Women?

Julie Rains — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 14:20:04 +0000

By Julie Rains

According to Michael Gurian, co-author of Leadership and the Sexes: Using Gender Science to Create Success in Business with Barbara Annis, not only can men be trained to understand and value the sometimes nurturing and collaborative leadership styles of some women, but women can learn to respect what they might perceive as the hyper-competitiveness and abruptness of some men. These traits, they argue, are hard-wired rather than created purely through cultural and societal influences.

Through their respective companies, both Michael of The Gurian Institute and Barbara of Barbara Annis & Associates Inc. offer specialized training that yields bottom-line results for client companies. In a telephone conversation, Michael took a few moments to help me understand brain-based gender-intelligence training.

I asked what many readers might wonder: does he get negative reaction when he proposes that women might operate differently than men or that men might think differently than women? He told me that the reaction is overwhelmingly positive. There are several reasons why Michael's approach has not been controversial among his audiences; he:

proposes that men and women are equally but differently intelligent, thereby avoiding either a men-are-better or women-are-superior polarization;
presents scientific studies conducted over a period of 20 years, accompanied by brain scans showing differences in white and gray matter, neural activity, etc.;
concedes that there are exceptions to any and all generalities about gender;
avoids stereotyping;
reaches people who have gender-related problems, which they believe can be solved through greater gender intelligence.

It’s a reasonable and often successful tactic to adapt our individual styles to that of the dominant culture or, depending on the scenario, the style of the customer. However, it can be an advantage even to the dominant culture to understand, accept, and embrace different ways of thinking, problem solving, communicating, managing, and leading so that all talent – and not just some talent – contributes to corporate success.

Barbara, for example, became a sales star for Sony in the 1980s but she found that she had to forgo her authentic style for a more male-like approach. Women are often frustrated, she has found, because their styles don't sync with the corporate culture; but when they change their styles, it seems unnatural and is rejected. Or, in some cases, undergoing a daily personality change for the workplace is tiresome. (See references to barracuda in this Gender Differences report, which also covers men's unique challenges; and Catalyst's IBM-sponsored report on The Double Bind for Women in Leadership: Damned if You Do, Doomed if You Don't). Barbara left Sony to start her own consulting firm and now teaches client organizations, such as IBM and Deloitte & Touche, how to achieve gender balance in leadership.

In regard to the science behind gender-based differences, here are examples offered in Leadership and the Sexes:

"Men have approximately six and a half times more gray matter related to cognition and intelligence than women have, and women have nearly ten times more white matter related to cognition and intelligence than men have. In all our brains, gray matter processes information locally in the brain, whereas white matter networks and connects information between between different information processing centers in the brain."

“Overall, there is more neural activity in the female brain at any given time than in the male brain, as evidenced by 15 to 20 percent more blood flow, with more brain centers ‘lit up’ in a scan of a female brain. The male brain is more prone than the female to 'zone out' or 'blank out' during conversations or at times of exhaustion and stress."

“Women have, in general, a more active cingulate gyrus than men. One result of this difference is that women’s approach to life and to work is one of constantly reassessing…Men don’t remember as much, process as much, run as much experience through the gyrus, so they spend less time internally processing, and thus can often be less contextual than women.”

The book provides practical business applications of gender intelligence for meetings, negotiations, and day-to-day communications. I've selected a few to several points that I thought were interesting and useful.

Meetings

Men (and women) should understand that some women may

seem to change topics but are really connecting what seems to be disparate information in a (hopefully) meaningful way
value adequate discussion time as much as they value productive meetings that reach specific outcomes
feel less valued overall if their opinions are not sought

and women (and men) should understand that some men may

need to move around in order to stay focused
become frustrated at tangential, seemingly unfocused conversations
lose or seem to lose interest if discussions become lengthy

so a gender-intelligent approach to meetings may involve

creating a meeting agenda
being clear about the purpose and intended outcomes of the meeting
soliciting ideas from everyone
building consensus by asking what each person thinks of proposals
connecting words to specific outcomes
providing essential information and leaving out tangential information
saving great, but just rejected, ideas for future meetings

Negotiations

Men (and women) should realize that many women may

be able to interpret cues about what others are thinking and feeling based on facial expressions
take longer to make a decision because they have picked up more cues and need time to process this information
decide to kill a deal because of a negative comment but still continue to listen
prefer interest-based to position-based negotiations

women (and men) should realize that many men may

take greater risks in negotiations
focus on presenting data rather than building rapport
feel dominance over competitors who don’t look them in the eye
value specific outcomes over relationships

so a gender-intelligent approach to negotiations may mean

assessing the styles of all who will be participating in negotiations
building a team with an expert at building rapport and an expert at presenting data
establishing desired outcomes
preserving relationships for future business dealings and negotiations

Communications

Men (and women) should understand that some women may

use lots of words in order to connect ideas and bring forth new ideas during the discussion
consider interruption a sign of disrespect and poor listening
need more information and clarification than is offered initially
self-criticize and question themselves silently
enjoy process as much as outcome
not want to constantly hear about your accomplishments

women (and men) should realize that some men may

interrupt if they perceive that you are giving too much information
view humility as a sign of weakness
criticize others rather than accept negative feelings about themselves
only want to hear about results, not processes
appear not to be listening when they really are listening

so a gender-intelligent approach to communications may mean

dispensing criticism less bluntly with some women than some male counterparts
encouraging listeners to ask questions
realizing that good relationships in the workplace can lead to higher morale and greater productivity
understanding that smiling and attentiveness on the listener's part doesn't necessarily mean agreement with the speaker
concentrating on giving essential information only; explain that you feel disrespected if interrupted
discussing accomplishments in order to “position themselves competitively in the workplace”; for those who naturally self-promote, realizing that others may not want to work with someone who is constantly discussing his/her accomplishments
asking others what they think about a topic rather than trying to ascertain their interest based on their facial expressions

Do corporations immediately understand and adopt gender-intelligent behavior? Michael told me that his audiences usually experience “aha” moments when they see brain-scan differences and grasp why certain approaches lead to misunderstanding among those with differing styles. Putting the theory into real-world applications that deliver better results, though, can take some time. He will often consult with these companies over a period of year so that organizations and their members can access his wisdom as they seek to make changes.

Having a framework to value diverse approaches without diminishing the rights of others is refreshing. And, it is rewarding as well. According to research presented by Catalyst, Inc., Fortune 500 companies with greater female representation on their boards compared to those with the least representation outperform in return on equity (higher by 53%), return on sales (higher by 42%), and return on invested capital (higher by 66%).

Disclosure: I received Leadership and the Sexes in exchange for a book review.

Permalink | 16 comments | Julie Rains's blog | Channel: Life Hacks, Career Building

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Use only what you need

Paul Michael — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 22:05:08 +0000

By Paul Michael

That’s the advice from a beautifully-executed campaign from Denver Water , right here in my own backyard of Colorado. The campaign (created by Sukle Advertising + Design , a very smart, strategic ad agency) is simple and effective, using guerrilla marketing to hammer the message home. But it’s not just good advice for water; I think it’s a strong message for all consumers.

It was a moment of clarity for me when I was picking up a Red Box DVD at my local McDonald’s and saw a guy grab maybe 20 napkins and shove them into his take-out bag. I had seen the Denver Water billboard earlier that day, and the two just slammed together in my head. “Use only what you need!” I was shouting at him in my head. Of course, if I’d said that out loud I would have risked spending a few nights in traction, so I did what most of us do…I kept quiet.

20 napkins to eat a cheeseburger and fries? Did this guy have a serious eating disorder that caused him to spill most of the food from his mouth? I can’t imagine why anyone would need more than a couple of napkins (parents of young children excepted, I know what kind of a mess they can make).

So, I started looking around the rest of the fast-food eatery. People were grabbing handfuls of ketchup packets, using two or three and throwing the rest in the trash. Sodas were refilled to the top, and thrown away half full. This was all just from one McD’s.

Over the next few weeks, I saw the wasteful nature of our society everywhere I looked. In bathrooms guys were grabbing six or seven paper towels to dry their hands. At a local buffet I saw mountains of food left on plates. It was all thrown away. Ironically, a sign near the buffet said “take all that you want but not more than you need.” I guess people ignored the second half of that message. And peering into garbage cans on the street, I was amazed at how much half-eaten food was thrown into the trash.

I have a bucket of Halloween candy on my desk that could feed a small army. I always buy too much, every single year. Will I ever learn? A lot of it will go off before it’s eaten. That also goes for bulk-buying at the warehouse stores. Buy only what you need, you don’t want to have a mountain of buns or granola bars if half of them go stale before you can eat them.

As I trawled through Craigslist, I saw people giving away all sorts of stuff they had bought too much of, including household paint and driveway gravel. (At least other people were getting use out of this stuff though, which is great. Recycling rules.)

I’m guilty, too. At work, we throw away reams and reams of paper each day due to mistakes, or more often than that, printouts for 10 people that are thrown away after a 30-minute meeting. In this day and age of electronic everything, we really need to be thinking about more efficient, and less wasteful, ways to conduct our daily business.

At home, I also found myself being wasteful without even realizing it. Take something simple, like Mac ’N’ Cheese. I made a box for my girls knowing that they would both leave some at the end of the meal. It was laziness on my part. And that’s no excuse at all.

A phrase like “use only what you need” should be good advice for all of us, ingrained from a small age until the day we die. If we all follow that advice, think of the savings we’d make as a society; savings that could be passed on to us, the customer. So give a thought to anything and everything you consume over the next few weeks, from a simple printout at work to a whole meal for your family. Use only what you need; take only what you need; buy only what you need. Nothing more.

Permalink | 18 comments | Paul Michael's blog | Channel: Frugal Living, Consumer Affairs, General Tips, Green Living, Shopping

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Hold Off On Heating with These 10 Warming Ways

Linsey Knerl — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 01:35:57 +0000

By Linsey Knerl

It’s October. In Nebraska. We will see Halloween before we smell the crackling logs on our wood stove. Because it is such a big deal for many to finally crank on the heat, we’ve implemented 10 strategies for keeping warm just a wee bit longer – sans heating unit.

Open the shades. Right now we are under construction, and the drapes clash horribly with the freshly-sanded trim and the plastic-covered furniture. Since we have no window coverings during this time of transition, we reap the benefits of sunkissed warmth spreading through our home during the 10am – 5 pm hours. Free heat feels so good.

Put an end to line drying. We enjoy hanging our clothes out on the line when it is warm. Now that frost has fallen, we reverse our thinking to utilize the heat our dryer produces. Since our dryer wasn’t vented outside our home, we use a lint receptacle to “catch” the lint. These kits are under $15 at a hardware store, and in addition to the benefit of having the dryer heat in our home, the added moisture is nice during the winter months. (Be sure to keep this system in check with weekly cleanings and adequate water to the trap. Families with allergies will need to be especially diligent.)

Dress in layers. I am still seeing kids walk to school in shorts, despite the 35 degree mornings. This is ridiculous to me, as clothing is the cheapest way to stay warm in this season of transition. Once the first frost appears, I rid my kids' drawers of shorts and sleeveless tops, packing them up into plastic tubs for winter storage. They are free to choose from any of their winter clothing, and I encourage them to dress in a t-shirt under their warmer clothes for added warmth. They don’t complain about the cold when they are properly dressed (including socks and indoor shoes.)

Make your bed. We also switch our sheets to flannel for the winter. We supplement each bed with a wool blanket and an extra quilt or two. In the upstairs room (where it is coldest) the adults have an electric blanket set on low for the really cold nights. It’s amazing how peaceful you can sleep with a chill to the air and your body comfortably warm.

Top it off. My ultra-sexy nightwear consists of sweats or long underwear with wool socks. I also wear a stocking cap on the colder nights. It keeps me feeling snug, and I have less bed head in the morning. (Plus, hubby thinks it’s cute!)

Spice things up. Cold sandwiches take a sabbatical for the winter at my house. We bust out the chili recipes, crockpot fare, and make all our evening meals a bit zestier than normal. Most of it is purely psychological – but it does help keep a warmth about the dinner table. (Another perk is the economics of spicy meals. Many of them are dirt cheap.)

Keep hydrated. Our hot cocoa bill is higher than normal during the winter. We replace our chocolate milk with hot chocolate (Ovaltine works well for a vitamin-packed alternative.) I enjoy herbal teas and decaf coffees in the evenings. Hot apple cider kept simmering on the stove not only taste delish, but keeps your home smelling yummy. Replacing your cold drinks with hot ones can keep you toasty any time of day.

Snuggle. I’ll admit to letting my kids jump in bed with us a bit more in the winter time. The toddlers are like radiant heaters that require no electricity. Just toss a 3-year-old in the mix, for an instant 10-degree warm up. (Cuddles are the cheapest form of heat I know.)

Use a space heater (wisely.) I’m not a huge fan of the small electric heaters. They are good for some things, but quite dangerous in other situations. Use your head on this one, and under no circumstances should you leave one running overnight, in a child’s room unattended, or when you are not in the home. If nothing else, I like one running in the bathroom first thing in the morning. (It takes the edge off that cold seat, if you know what I mean.)

Go to Grandma’s. Now I’m not saying that my house is too cold. Many wouldn’t be comfortable in anything as chilly as 55 in October. On days when I’m not particularly enthusiastic about watching TV in a cooler-than-average home (or once a week), I’ll head next door to my mother’s house. She’s glad to see us, and she has cable. (It’s also 10 degrees warmer by default. If she’s already paying for gas, why not?)

Call me cheap or stingy, but I don’t see any reason to crank up the heat yet this year. With 35-degree nights turning into almost 70-degree days, starting up my wood stove would leave us baked by mid-afternoon. These tips help us in the month or two between seasons, keep our annual heating bill low, and help us to appreciate that roaring fire when it finally gets burning each year.

Permalink | 29 comments | Linsey Knerl's blog | Channel: Frugal Living, Life Hacks, General Tips, Green Living

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Blood, gore and hairy warts; a DIY Halloween makeup guide.

Paul Michael — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:41:14 +0000

By Paul Michael

It looks like we’ve got a little Halloween fever here at Wise Bread. Following on from Andrea’s great story on homemade costumes, I thought I’d add some flavor with homemade Halloween makeup effects. Get ready to learn the secrets of peeling skin, oozing blood, big bad bruises, open sores and creepy cuts.

As we all know, Halloween is big business. I heard that we’ll be spending $5.4 billion on the holiday this year. In retail sales, it is second only to Christmas. And when you see the prices charged for some of the most simple items, well, it’s easy to see where the money comes from.

I first had to make my own blood for a photoshoot a few years ago, and since then I’ve never looked back. So here are a few simple recipes, tips and tricks that I’ve been collecting. I hope they can help you turn Halloween into something both frightening and frugal. (Oh, and be careful of a real menace out there this year - Sherwood brand Pirates Gold Milk Chocolate coins recall. They are dangerous, check out your kids’ candy collection before they tuck in. Here’s a Snopes link with all of the info.) Have a safe and scary Halloween.

The Joker’s White Face

Heath Ledger’s stunning Joker will be roaming the streets everywhere this Halloween. If you’d like to make your own white base, here’s how to do it.

2 tsp white shortening
5 tsp corn starch
1 tsp white all purpose flour
3-4 drops glycerin

Mix together the shortening, corn starch and flour. For easier application, add 3 to 4 drops of glycerin. Lipstick and black eye shadow completes the eerie look.

Fake blood

You can go simple or more complex, depending on how realistic you want it. To be honest, the simple method has always worked well for me, but you decide. Fake blood can stain, so be aware of this before you throw it all over a rental costume or your wedding dress.

Simple blood

16oz corn syrup
Red food coloring (as desired)
Milk (optional)
Blue food coloring (optional)

Just mix them together. The more red food coloring, the better. If you want, a tiny touch of blue can give it a darker, more sinister look, but be careful…too much and you’re bleeding purple alien blood. You can also add a small drop of milk instead of the blue food coloring, which will make it thicker and darker.

Realistic blood

2/3 c. Corn Syrup
1/3 c. Warm Water
5 Tbsp Corn Starch
4-6 tsp red food coloring
1 Tbsp Powdered Cocoa
2 drops of green or yellow food coloring (optional)

Mix the corn starch and water in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the corn syrup and cocoa. Add the food coloring slowly, checking for color.

Thick and goopy Blood

Plain Flour
Water
Red Food Coloring
1 tsp. of instant Coffee

Boil the water on the stove, then sieve in the flour (as much as you want depending on how thick you like your blood), making sure you get all of the lumps out. Once you have the flour mixed into the water it should look thick and runny. Next, add the red food coloring. At this point, it will be very red, but adding the coffee brings it back to a great bloody color. Make sure it’s hot when you add the coffee. Now, let it cool and apply liberally.

Bruises

Eye shadows: Deep blue; Smoky gray; Blue; Shiny olive green.
Complexion powder.

Want to look beaten? Use this simple, classic bruise effect. And yes guys, this works for you too. Don’t be afraid of a little eye shadow. Start with a blot of deep blue eye shadow, applied with a wet brush. Use your fingertips to add daubs of smoky gray and blue shadows. Next, finish the edges with shiny olive green. Smudge the bruise and dust with an amber frost (try gold for jaundiced highlights). Finally, blend it all in with a small brush and dust lightly using a regular complexion powder.

Here’s a demonstration video from Expert Village that uses similar techniques.

link: How To Make Fake Bruises [Expert Village]

Fake cuts and gashes

Following on from the last video, here’s how to apply a fake cut or gash. Remember, a little of the fake blood you made earlier could add some extra oomph.

link: How To Make Fake Cuts and Gashes [Expert Village]

And if you want to go even further, and be uber-professional, here’s how to make a fake cut throat! However, you’ll need to pick up some PlatSil Gel-10, which is a latex-based skin-colored theatrical makeup. You can find it online here but it’s a bit late for shipping now. Maybe next year?

link: Cut throat make-up [5min]

Gruesome lacerations

I love Instructables. Here, you can see, step by step, how to create effective and creep lacerations. Have fun.

link: Theater Effects: Lacerations [Instructables]

Big hairy warts

Whole peppercorns white or black
Corn syrup or eyelash glue
Hair bristles from a paintbrush or out of your hair brush
(Optional) Non-toxic watercolors (the kind you use in grade school)

Glue peppercorns to your hands or face using the corn syrup or eyelash glue. You may have to hold them in place until the glue or syrup is dry. And REMEMBER TO KEEP PEPPERCORNS AWAY FROM YOUR EYES! Ouch. Dip one end of the hairs in the glue or syrup and attach to the peppercorn, giving them that hairy look. Finally, use paints to color them creepy, like green for witches.

Open sores

Expert Village to the rescue again. Here’s how to make a nasty open sore, great for a zombie or rotting corpse. Our expert is using liquid latex, you can find that at most craft or hobby stores.

link: How To Make A Fake Wound [Expert Village]

The full-on zombie look

OK, so I got addicted to Expert Village. Hey, it’s a great source for this kind of stuff. Anyway, using liquid latex the guys show you how to do a complete zombie makeover. Eat your heart out George A. Romero (hmm, maybe an apt choice of words for the zombie king).

link: How to Use Liquid Latex for Zombie Makeup [Expert Village]

Finally, the more beautiful side of Halloween

Now everyone wants to dress up as something horrific from an open grave or sweaty nightmare. So, the makeup experts from M.A.C. cosmetics have put together some looks that are truly stunning. From a robot, to an amphibian, or even a floral face, there’s plenty of inspiration here. There are 10 different looks to play with.

Permalink | 4 comments | Paul Michael's blog | Channel: Frugal Living, Life Hacks, DIY

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