More good ink for Oklahoma
Oklahoma and Oklahoma City have been the recipients of a fair amount of good media coverage that has focused on the city’s MAPS-driven, NBA-approved renaissance, and the state’s relatively robust economy. The Economist recently joined the publicity parade with a column titled “Come Home, Tom Joad.”
The “Grapes of Wrath” theme plays out in the article’s final paragraph:
Still, many states would envy Oklahoma at the moment. And its leaders are trying to take advantage. Natalie Shirley, the state’s commerce secretary, says that a few years ago she had the idea of getting a list of Oklahoma university graduates sorted by age, course and zip code. Her office sent out a volley of postcards to young engineers who had scattered around the country, directing them to a website that had a list of job openings and a cost-of-living calculator. Between 2005 and 2007 Oklahoma had some 6,000 transplants from California. The grapes of wrath taste a little sweeter now.
To see the entire column, click here.
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
A short stack, robot style
British food producer HoneyTop employs the Flexpicker machine to stack its pancakes for shipping. The robot uses a high-def camera to identify the stackable pancakes and utilizes a buffer shelf to save pancakes to fill in short stacks. The process, one part “The Jetsons” and one part “Terminator,” must be seen. First view of the Flexpicker comes at about 1:15; the buffer shelf is demonstrated at about 2:10. (via eatmedaily.com)
By the way, who buys pre-made pancackes? Is there any food that’s easier or faster to cook?
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
And you thought your morning commute was tough
Bike trickster expert Danny MacAskill performs his magic in this viral ad for a Scottish jobs company.
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
Job application seeks TMI
The city of Bozeman, Mont. wants to know a lot about its job applicants, including their Internet passwords, according to this AP story.
Bozeman officials have been hammered with e-mails and phone calls ever since KBZK-TV of Bozeman reported the policy on Wednesday, including an excerpt from the city application form that states “Please list any and all current personal or business Web sites, web pages or memberships on any Internet-based chat rooms, social clubs or forums, to include, but not limited to: Facebook, Google, Yahoo, YouTube.com, MySpace, etc.”
The application then asks for the passwords for those sites. The city attorney said the application may be altered, but doesn’t completely back off the policy.
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
You can see the recession in our eyes
Kiplinger.com has compiled a list of 10 “quirky” economic indicators that reflect consumers’ reaction to the recession. Several are related to our eyes:
Total eye-makeup sales at supermarkets and drugstores were up 8.5% in the one-year period that ended on March 22. In that period, more than $260 million was spent on eye makeup – in particular, eyeliner was up 9% and mascara almost 13%, the industry says.
And those sales may be an effort to cover up puffy, sleep-deprived eyes:
The 2009 Sleep in America Poll found that nearly one-third of Americans lost sleep because they were worried about their finances. The poll, by the National Sleep Foundation, also found that 10% of those people tossed and turned, specifically worrying about their jobs.
See the rest, including data on dating, alligators and mosquitos, at Kiplinger.
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
Ellen’s advice for college graduates
Ellen DeGeneres offers advice (”don’t take anyone’s advice”) in a commencement speech to Tulane graduates. Funny and uplifting.
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
Greatest resignation letter of all time
It just is. (Use the arrow keys)
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
Sorry to hear about your recent promotion
A recent study suggests that getting a promotion at work could be bad for you.
LiveScience.com reports on the study:
“Our research finds that the mental health of managers typically deteriorates after a job promotion, and in a way that goes beyond merely a short-term change,” said Chris Boyce of the University of Warwick. “There are no indications of any health improvements for promoted people other than reduced attendance at GP surgeries [i.e. doctors visits], which may itself be something to worry about rather than celebrate.”
However, it probably still is preferable to a pink slip.
The University of Warwick research used data from an annual survey of Brits, included information about some 1,000 people who had been promoted. The findings will be presented later this month at a conference of the Royal Economic Society.
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
Social outsiders valuable in workplace
You know that person that everyone in the office thinks is a little odd — just a smidge off-center? The Dwight Schrute of the workplace? (If you can’t identify this person, it may be you). Turns out, that guy or gal is helping you get work done, according to a recent study.
(A)ccording to new research co-authored by a Brigham Young University business professor, better decisions come from teams that include a “socially distinct newcomer.” That’s psychology-speak for someone who is different enough to bump other team members out of their comfort zones.
Researchers noticed this effect after conducting a traditional group problem-solving experiment. The twist was that a newcomer was added to each group about five minutes into their deliberations. And when the newcomer was a social outsider, teams were more likely to solve the problem successfully.
Perhaps those folks just make us want to get out of the room more quickly, cutting down on the cross-chatter and lame jokes that can bog down a meeting.
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
Commuting close calls
I’m a regular participant in the annual “Bike to Work Day” activities in these parts, which is coming up on May 1. For bikers, it can be a fun, but sometimes terrifying, adventure. Cyclists must rely on motorists’ knowledge of local traffic laws, which give bicycle riders the right to use public streets and require vehicles to stay at least three feet away from cyclists.
Every bicycle rider can share tales of terror regarding vehicles that have violated those requirements. But Cyclist Jeff Frings of Milwaukee, who also is a photographer, decided to document his close calls. A Milwaukee television station used Frings’ video to produce the following report. (via Jerk Ethic)
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
