Creating a Résumé That Sells

In today’s cutthroat job market, having a top-notch résumé is critical to success. But there’s a host of conflicting advice about exactly what makes a good résumé—and not every tip is right for every industry. To find out what hiring managers look for most in these documents, The Wall Street Journal introduces Résumé Doctor, a new feature in which recruiting experts and hiring managers critique readers’ résumés and suggest ways to improve them.

• The Job Seeker: Dawn Jordan, a 39-year-old marketing professional from Laguna Beach, Calif. Ms. Jordan, also a blogger for WSJ.com’s Laid Off & Looking blog, has been job hunting since her position as an operations vice president at Bank of America Corp. was eliminated in October 2008. She assembled her résumé with the help of an outplacement firm provided by her former employer and says it has helped her land several interviews but has yielded no job offers.
• The Job Objective: Ms. Jordan says she is looking for a mid- or senior-level executive position in marketing, preferably at a firm in Southern California. She is open to employers of all sizes in any industry.
• The Experts: Offering feedback on Ms. Jordan’s résumé are Peter Leech, chief marketing officer for Seattle-based retailer OnlineShoes.com; John M. Abele, global managing partner in the marketing-and-sales-officers practice in Cleveland for executive-search firm Heidrick & Struggles International Inc.; and Harry Joiner, founder of EcommerceRecruiter.com, a boutique recruiting agency in Atlanta that specializes in integrated marketing and new media.
• The Résumé: Ms. Jordan’s résumé is two pages in a classic format, leading with her contact information followed by a summary statement. It goes on to describe her career in reverse chronological order with bullet points describing each position and concludes with her educational background.
• The Positives: Our experts described Ms. Jordan’s document as well-organized and easy to read. They didn’t have any problems with its length, noting that two pages—or even three—can make sense for someone with her level of experience.

Before and After

View Interactive

See Ms. Jordan’s before and after résumés–along with a guide to the advice she received.

Mr. Joiner additionally gave kudos to Ms. Jordan for including in her document a variety of key words—terms that recruiters are likely to search for when combing their résumé databases. Job seekers can identify important keywords for their fields by looking at the language used in job descriptions. Words in Ms. Jordan’s résumé that Mr. Joiner says might help the document get noticed by marketing recruiters include “segmentation,” “analytics,” “cross-sell,” “P&L,” “CRM” and “SEO”—all critical for marketing roles. He adds that acronyms are fine to use but spelling them out in parentheses might be smart.

• The Advice: Our experts pointed to three flaws in Ms. Jordan’s résumé: a lack of essential details; ambiguous information; and grammatical errors.

For starters, these hiring experts say, it is critical to make sure a résumé has enough details and clarity about the work a candidate has done. Ms. Jordan’s résumé, like many they see, is missing specifics about her past positions, something that would help them get a better sense of how she progressed in her career. This is important, says Mr. Joiner, for showing that “an applicant can work their way up through an organization, and that they can lead and be led.”

Do You Want The Résumé Doctor’s Help?

To have your résumé considered for a future installment, please email a copy, along with a short description of your job search and employment situation, to cjeditor@dowjones.com. Please use the subject line Résumé Doctor.

Read Laid Off and Looking: Follow a group of out-of-work professionals as they search for opportunities post melt-down

For example, Ms. Jordan’s document doesn’t list the months she spent in each job at Bank of America, the regions or divisions she was responsible for, whom she reported to or how many employees reported to her. And lower down, two stints listed offer no description of what she did in those jobs. “People discount their early positions, but they can be helpful in explaining how they made their way up the ladder,” says Mr. Leech.

Some job hunters lump together descriptions for more than one position at a single firm, as Ms. Jordan did, to keep their résumés concise. Listed under each employer name are each job title and bullets describing all her responsibilities over three positions. But our experts say this made it difficult for them to see how she progressed from one job to the other.

Our experts noted another common omission from résumés in the education section. Ms. Jordan’s document failed to state what year she earned either of her degrees. She also didn’t say what she majored in for her undergraduate degree. While some professionals intentionally omit graduation dates to hide their age, “we always verify degrees anyway, so you might as well put them on there,” says Mr. Abele.

What’s more, hiding your age can raise recruiters’ suspicions about your integrity. “You’re asking someone to trust you enough to hire you, you might as well be open,” says Mr. Leech.

One piece of résumé advice to consider—and in particular for a marketing résumé like Ms. Jordan’s: a listing of your technological capabilities, because these can speak to your experience and credibility. In Ms. Jordan’s case, there is no mention of whether she has worked with market-research vendors such as Yankelovich or Mintel, or if she is proficient in market-research technologies like Oracle or Quickbase.

It turns out, Ms. Jordan is actually skilled in using Visio, SAS, JMP, Oracle, ComScore, Omniture, Webtrends and several other market-research technologies, all of which she has since added to her résumé.

Dawn Jordan has been looking for a job since October 2008.

“If your work has been touched or impacted by an important piece of software, then it makes sense to put that in a résumé,” says Mr. Joiner. Otherwise, recruiters may assume you’re lacking in this area.

If you aren’t knowledgeable in some areas you know recruiters will be looking for on a resume, be sure to include related expertise you do have, says Mr. Abele. Then prepare to talk about your ability to learn quickly and provide examples during the interview process.

But Mr. Abele, for his part, says it isn’t always necessary to list technological expertise if you are a management-level job hunter or above.

“For nonmanagerial positions however, technical skills do become more relevant,” he says. “Employers want someone who can plug and play pretty quickly.”

Our experts also say they would like to see more metrics in Ms. Jordan’s résumé that show how much savings or profits she generated for her past employers. And consistency is key; well-thought examples next to ambiguous ones can confuse a hiring manager. A good example from Ms. Jordan’s résumé is a bullet that says: “Cited by president for recouping $11 mil revenue by reversing deteriorating customer churn rate while achieving triple-digit ROI [return on investment].”

But other bullets come up short, such as one that says she “utilized real time customer data” but that doesn’t go on to describe any benefits that her employer gained as a result. “At the end of the day, that’s what a hiring manager is scanning for,” says Mr. Leech.

If you don’t have these details because the quantifiable results were meager, include them anyway—unless they are so poor they could eliminate you from consideration—and briefly explain why and what you learned as a result, adds Mr. Abele.

One element of Ms. Jordan’s résumé that the experts differed on was the summary. Mr. Leech says that Ms. Jordan’s summary, like many he sees, “doesn’t cut to the chase on what’s she done.”

Mr. Joiner argued that for a summary to be effective, it needs to be tailored for a specific position, something he recommends job hunters do for every job they seek—and ideally throughout the rest of their résumés. Executive recruiter Mr. Abele falls into the “who cares?” category; he says he skips past summaries.

Lastly, there is a piece of advice résumé-writers regularly give out (and job seekers sometimes forget): Check your spelling and grammar. If it isn’t your forte, have a friend check it for you.

Our experts noticed that in one sentence Ms. Jordan incorrectly used both past and present tenses. She also wrote “a” when she should have written “an.”

Such errors aren’t deal-breakers, but they do raise “a little bit of concern about someone’s focus on detail,” says Mr. Leech.

50 Most Common Interview Questions

1. Tell me about yourself:
The most often asked question in interviews. You need to have a short statement prepared in your mind. Be careful that it does not sound rehearsed. Limit it to work-related items unless instructed otherwise. Talk about things you have done and jobs you have held that relate to the position you are interviewing for. Start with the item farthest back and work up to the present.

2. Why did you leave your last job?
Stay positive regardless of the circumstances. Never refer to a major problem with management and never speak ill of supervisors, co-workers or the organization. If you do, you will be the one looking bad. Keep smiling and talk about leaving for a positive reason such as an opportunity, a chance to do something special or other forward-looking reasons.

3. What experience do you have in this field?
Speak about specifics that relate to the position you are applying for. If you do not have specific experience, get as close as you can.

4. Do you consider yourself successful?
You should always answer yes and briefly explain why. A good explanation is that you have set goals, and you have met some and are on track to achieve the others.

5. What do co-workers say about you?
Be prepared with a quote or two from co-workers. Either a specific statement or a paraphrase will work. Jill Clark, a co-worker at Smith Company, always said I was the hardest workers she had ever known. It is as powerful as Jill having said it at the interview herself.

6. What do you know about this organization?
This question is one reason to do some research on the organization before the interview. Find out where they have been and where they are going. What are the current issues and who are the major players?

7. What have you done to improve your knowledge in the last year?
Try to include improvement activities that relate to the job. A wide variety of activities can be mentioned as positive self-improvement. Have some good ones handy to mention.

8. Are you applying for other jobs?
Be honest but do not spend a lot of time in this area. Keep the focus on this job and what you can do for this organization. Anything else is a distraction.

9. Why do you want to work for this organization?
This may take some thought and certainly, should be based on the research you have done on the organization. Sincerity is extremely important here and will easily be sensed. Relate it to your long-term career goals.

10. Do you know anyone who works for us?
Be aware of the policy on relatives working for the organization. This can affect your answer even though they asked about friends not relatives. Be careful to mention a friend only if they are well thought of.

11. What kind of salary do you need?
A loaded question. A nasty little game that you will probably lose if you answer first. So, do not answer it. Instead, say something like, That’s a tough question. Can you tell me the range for this position? In most cases, the interviewer, taken off guard, will tell you. If not, say that it can depend on the details of the job. Then give a wide range.

12. Are you a team player?
You are, of course, a team player. Be sure to have examples ready.  Specifics that show you often perform for the good of the team rather than for yourself are good evidence of your team attitude. Do not brag, just say it in a matter-of-fact tone. This is a key point.

13. How long would you expect to work for us if hired?
Specifics here are not good. Something like this should work: I’d like it to be a long time. Or As long as we both feel I’m doing a good job.

14. Have you ever had to fire anyone? How did you feel about that?
This is serious. Do not make light of it or in any way seem like you like to fire people. At the same time, you will do it when it is the right thing to do. When it comes to the organization versus the individual who has created a harmful situation, you will protect the organization. Remember firing is not the same as layoff or reduction in force.

15. What is your philosophy towards work?
The interviewer is not looking for a long or flowery dissertation here. Do you have strong feelings that the job gets done? Yes. That’s the type of answer that works best here. Short and positive, showing a benefit to the organization.

16. If you had enough money to retire right now, would you?
Answer yes if you would. But since you need to work, this is the type of work you prefer. Do not say yes if you do not mean it.

17. Have you ever been asked to leave a position?
If you have not, say no. If you have, be honest, brief and avoid saying negative things about the people or organization involved.

18. Explain how you would be an asset to this organization
You should be anxious for this question. It gives you a chance to highlight your best points as they relate to the position being discussed. Give a little advance thought to this relationship.

19. Why should we hire you?
Point out how your assets meet what the organization needs. Do not mention any other candidates to make a comparison.

20. Tell me about a suggestion you have made
Have a good one ready. Be sure and use a suggestion that was accepted and was then considered successful. One related to the type of work applied for is a real plus.

21. What irritates you about co-workers?
This is a trap question. Think real hard but fail to come up with anything that irritates you. A short statement that you seem to get along with folks is great.

22. What is your greatest strength?
Numerous answers are good, just stay positive. A few good examples:
Your ability to prioritize, Your problem-solving skills, Your ability to work under pressure, Your ability to focus on projects, Your professional expertise, Your leadership skills, Your positive attitude

23. Tell me about your dream job.
Stay away from a specific job. You cannot win. If you say the job you are contending for is it, you strain credibility. If you say another job is it, you plant the suspicion that you will be dissatisfied with this position if hired. The best is to stay genetic and say something like: A job where I love the work, like the people, can contribute and can’t wait to get to work.

24. Why do you think you would do well at this job?
Give several reasons and include skills, experience and interest.

25. What are you looking for in a job?
See answer # 23

26. What kind of person would you refuse to work with?
Do not be trivial. It would take disloyalty to the organization, violence or lawbreaking to get you to object. Minor objections will label you as a whiner.

27. What is more important to you: the money or the work?
Money is always important, but the work is the most important. There is no better answer.

28. What would your previous supervisor say your strongest point is?
There are numerous good possibilities:
Loyalty, Energy, Positive attitude, Leadership, Team player, Expertise, Initiative, Patience, Hard work, Creativity, Problem solver

29. Tell me about a problem you had with a supervisor
Biggest trap of all. This is a test to see if you will speak ill of your boss. If you fall for it and tell about a problem with a former boss, you may well below the interview right there. Stay positive and develop a poor memory about any trouble with a supervisor.

30. What has disappointed you about a job?
Don’t get trivial or negative. Safe areas are few but can include:
Not enough of a challenge. You were laid off in a reduction Company did not win a contract, which would have given you more responsibility.

31. Tell me about your ability to work under pressure.
You may say that you thrive under certain types of pressure. Give an example that relates to the type of position applied for.

32. Do your skills match this job or another job more closely?
Probably this one. Do not give fuel to the suspicion that you may want another job more than this one.

33. What motivates you to do your best on the job?
This is a personal trait that only you can say, but good examples are:
Challenge, Achievement, Recognition

34. Are you willing to work overtime? Nights? Weekends?
This is up to you. Be totally honest.

35. How would you know you were successful on this job?
Several ways are good measures:
You set high standards for yourself and meet them. Your outcomes are a success.Your boss tell you that you are successful

36. Would you be willing to relocate if required?
You should be clear on this with your family prior to the interview if you think there is a chance it may come up. Do not say yes just to get the job if the real answer is no. This can create a lot of problems later on in your career. Be honest at this point and save yourself future grief.

37. Are you willing to put the interests of the organization ahead ofyour own?
This is a straight loyalty and dedication question. Do not worry about the deep ethical and philosophical implications. Just say yes.

38. Describe your management style.
Try to avoid labels. Some of the more common labels, like progressive, salesman or consensus, can have several meanings or descriptions depending on which management expert you listen to. The situational style is safe, because it says you will manage according to the situation, instead of one size fits all.

39. What have you learned from mistakes on the job?
Here you have to come up with something or you strain credibility. Make it small, well intentioned mistake with a positive lesson learned. An example would be working too far ahead of colleagues on a project and thus throwing coordination off.

40. Do you have any blind spots?
Trick question. If you know about blind spots, they are no longer blind spots. Do not reveal any personal areas of concern here. Let them do their own discovery on your bad points. Do not hand it to them.

41. If you were hiring a person for this job, what would you look for?
Be careful to mention traits that are needed and that you have.

42. Do you think you are overqualified for this position?
Regardless of your qualifications, state that you are very well qualified for the position.

43. How do you propose to compensate for your lack of experience?
First, if you have experience that the interviewer does not know about, bring that up: Then, point out (if true) that you are a hard working quick learner.

44. What qualities do you look for in a boss?
Be generic and positive. Safe qualities are knowledgeable, a sense of humor, fair, loyal to subordinates and holder of high standards. All bosses think they have these traits.

45. Tell me about a time when you helped resolve a dispute betweenothers.
Pick a specific incident. Concentrate on your problem solving technique and not the dispute you settled.

46. What position do you prefer on a team working on a project?
Be honest. If you are comfortable in different roles, point that out.

47. Describe your work ethic.
Emphasize benefits to the organization. Things like, determination to get the job done and work hard but enjoy your work are good.

48. What has been your biggest professional disappointment?
Be sure that you refer to something that was beyond your control. Show acceptance and no negative feelings.

49. Tell me about the most fun you have had on the job.
Talk about having fun by accomplishing something for the organization.

50. Do you have any questions for me?
Always have some questions prepared. Questions prepared where you will be an asset to the organization are good. How soon will I be able to be productive? and What type of projects will I be able to assist on? are examples.

Rayman: Raving Rabbids 2 for Wii – Unlockables!

Unlock Funkytown
Play every game in single-player mode.

Unlock Rabbid Costumes
Different outfits can be unlocked mostly by High Scores or shooting the Right Rabbid (shooting mini-games only). To unlock different Rabbid costumes for a custom Rabbid, complete the following:

Transformer	Get 12,000 or more points in the plumbing minigame.
Cossack (Russian) Rabbid	Get 12,000+ points in Concentrate!
Crash Test Dummy Costume	Get 12,000 Points in Shopping Cart, Downhill.
Doctor Costume	Get 12,000+ points in the “Anesthetics” Game.
Fireman (Right Rabbid)	Shoot in “Paris, Pour Troujours” (Shooting Game).
French Maid Costume	Get 12,000 Points in Little Chemist.
Fruit-Hat Dancer Costume	Shoot the Right Rabbid in Year of the Rabbids.
Gingerbread Rabbid	Get 12,000+ points in Hot Cake.
HAZE Armor	Shoot the Right Rabbid in Big City Fights.
Indiana Jones Costume	Get 12,000 Points in Rolling Stone.
Jet-Trooper Rabbid	Get 12,000+ points in the “Greatest Hits” Shooting Game.
Ken Costume	Get 12,000 Points in RRR Xxtreme Beach Volleyball.
Martian Costume	Gain more than 12.000 points on Bumper Cars.
Masked Wrestler (Right Rabbid)	Shoot in “Greatest Hits” (Shooting Game).
Party Girl (Right Rabbid)	Shoot in “Paris, Mon Amour” (Shooting Game).
Purple Space Rabbid Uniform	Start out with it automatically.
Raider’s Rabbid	Score 12,000 Points In American Football.
Red Space Rabbid Uniform	Get 12,000 Points in Year of the Rabbids.
Spider-Rabbid (Free Costume)	Play the “Spider Rabbid” Game.
TMNT, Leonardo Costume	Get 12,000 Points in Usual Rabbids.
Vegas Showgirl	Get 12,000+ points in Burp.
Voodoo Rabbid	Get 12,000+ points in the “Voodoo Rabbids” Game.

Rayman: Raving Rabbids for Wii – Unlockables!

Unlock Challenge Mode

Complete Story Mode.

Unlock Bonuses

To unlock bonuses, amass certain total amounts of points in Score Mode.

Unlockable	How to Unlock
Bunnies Can’t Infiltrate Games Convention	48000 Points
French Bastille Day	57000 Points
Bunnies Can’t Cook Eggs	84000 Points
Artwork 2	93000 Points
Bunnies Never Close Doors	111000 Points
US Independance Day	165000 Points
Bunnies Can’t Play Soccer	138000 Points
Artwork 1	5000 Points
Bunnies Don’t Like Taking a Bath	9000 Points
Bunnies Don’t Do Vacuum Cleaning	21000 Points

Unlock things in Story Mode

To unlock things in Story Mode, clear all 4 minigames (Not including the boss stage) on a day.

Unlockable	How to Unlock
“Misirlou” for the jukebox	Clear all games on day 01
Dee-Jay costume	Clear all games on day 02
“Good Time” for the jukebox	Clear all games on day 03
Gothic costume	Clear all games on day 04
“Girls Just Want To Have Fun” for the jukebox	Clear all games on day 05
Rock ‘n Roll costume	Clear all games on day 06
“Hip Hop Hooray” for the jukebox	Clear all games on day 07
Caramba costume	Clear all games on day 08
“La Bamba” for the jukebox	Clear all games on day 09
Raymaninho costume	Clear all games on day 10
“Dark Iron Bunnies” for the jukebox	Clear all games on day 11
Bunny costume	Clear all games on day 12
“The Butcher Deejay” for the jukebox	Clear all games on day 13
“Ubisoft Montpellier Choir” for the jukebox	Clear all games on day 14
Gold Cow Trophy on top of the wardrobe	Clear all games on day 15

Unlock different modes for Bunny Hunt games

You can unlock two different modes to play the Bunny Hunt games in. In Time mode, you must beat the games as fast as possible. In Survival, you must get as high a score as possible with just one heart the whole time.

Unlockable	How to Unlock
Bunny Hunt Time Mode	Clear all games on Bunny Hunt Score Mode at least once
Bunny Hunt Survival Mode	Clear all games on Bunny Hunt Time Mode at least once

Super Bonus unlockable

Get the score in Score Mode

Unlockable	How to Unlock
Alternate ending	Score at least 1000000 points in Score Mode.

Cirque du Soleil – OVO

We saw Cirque du Soleil – OVO last night.

OVO (Portuguese for “egg”), was created and directed by Brazilian dancer/choreograhper Deborah Colker — the first woman to create a Cirque production — that heavily relies on Brazilian music and some dance performances mixed in with the traditional circus arts; premiered in Montreal in 2009 and is currently touring North America.  The show looks at the world of insects and its biodiversity where they go about their daily lives until a mysterious egg appears in their midst, as the insects become awestruck about this iconic object that represents the enigma and cycles of their lives.

The acts and performances appeared to be designed for the middle audience only!  What that means is that if you somehow bought tickets for the show and you got seats along the sides, you will not get a good view.

The death-defying circus performances were terrific.  Unfortunately, in between performances, they had some less-than-funny comic relief acts.  The comedic acts usually involve that old clown, the chubby butterfly girl, and the blue prickly bug guy.  All in all, they were tediously unfunny and went on for far too long.  When they ended the show, we all went “That was it?”.

Overall, the circus acts were A+ but the comedic act could be trimmed down.  Having seen other Cirque du Soleil shows, I would say this one does not rank very high on my list.

Select All Text by Clicking on Text Field or Textarea Box

This script highlight all text in textarea or text field (input tag) by clicking on it.  It allows users to reduce their manual work.  For instance when users need to copy to the clipboard all text quickly or quickly delete the text from the field.  For example: to copy a piece of code or to delete a username and password on login web page.

Code

The script is really very simple. Text field must have unique identifier, this indentifier will be passed to the SelectAll() function.
The function call only two methods: focus() and select().

<script type="text/javascript">
function SelectAll(id)
{
    document.getElementById(id).focus();
    document.getElementById(id).select();
}
</script>

Textarea:<br>
<textarea rows="3" id="txtarea" onClick="SelectAll('txtarea');" style="width:300px" >You can select all by clicking here</textarea>

Input TextBox:<br>
<input type="text" id="txtfield" onClick="SelectAll('txtfield');" style="width:300px" value = "You can select all by clicking here" />

How to Eliminate Mosquitoes in Your Home

Stagnant Water

One of the best ways to eliminate mosquitos from your home is to eliminate their preferred breeding grounds – standing, stagnant water.  This means keeping the gutters free of debris so water cannot collect.  Children’s swimming or wading pools should be emptied and cleaned weekly.  Low-lying areas which tend to pool up after rain events should be modified to improve drainage.  Birdbaths should be scrubbed out often, and the water should be pumped out.   Look for any old tires or empty flowerpots which may collect water.  Store these containers upside-down whenever possible.  Mosquitos like to lay their eggs in standing water or along the sides of containers which may collect rainwater later.

The most effective, long-term approach to mosquito management is elimination of mosquito-breeding water sources over a large area.  This would involve the mapping of all potential mosquito-breeding water sources over the entire community.  Since floodwater mosquitoes develop in temporary sources that exist following rain, the ideal time and way to map these sources would be from an airplane a day or two following a sufficient rain.  Once these breeding sources have been determined, efforts should be made to eliminate them through filling, ditching, draining, or other diversionary methods.  Any temporary or permanent water sources that can’t be eliminated should be inspected weekly for the presence of developing mosquito larvae.  If mosquito larvae are found to be developing in these sources they can be safely and effectively treated with products containing the insect growth regulator methoprene or with products containing Bacillus bacteria.  While these products are effective in controlling mosquitoes, they are harmless to humans, pets, fish, and other types of wildlife.  While more traditional insecticides are available for application through ULV sprayers and foggers against adult mosquitoes, these applications are generally short-term in their effectiveness and are best suited for limited applications or during declared public health emergencies rather than as a routine part of a mosquito management program.

CO2

Another way to eliminate mosquitos from your home is to place mosquito attractants around the perimeter of your property.  Mosquitos are attracted to carbon dioxide emissions, which is why they can zero in on a breathing human being.  Candles containing citronella oil were once popular as mosquito repellents, but have since been proven to be ineffective.  One mechanism of burning candles which can be used to eliminate mosquitos is the production of carbon dioxide as they burn.  If you want to reduce or eliminate mosquitos during an outdoor event, place candles around the perimeter to draw them away from human targets.  Don’t place candles or smudgepots in the center of everything.  Although much media attention has been given to using propane-driven devices that emit CO2 to attract mosquitoes, the effectiveness of these devices has centered largely on testimonials rather than research.  Plus, these devices can be very expensive.  You need to remember that these devices are intended to “attract” mosquitoes.  As a result, if used they need to be placed well away from decks, patios, porches, etc.

DEET

Finally, you cannot overlook personal protection as a way of contending with mosquitoes.  Avoiding the areas and times of day when mosquitoes are most active and wearing long, heavy-knitted clothing are recommended practices.  Applying mosquito repellents that have a low concentration of DEET also will be effective in minimizing mosquito biting activity.  In the realm of mosquito repellents, any commercial product containing high percentages of DEET should eliminate mosquitos for several hours at a time.  A spray repellent such as Deep Woods OFF can contain up to 24% DEET and work effectively for five hours or more.  Other products which claim to eliminate mosquitos may not be nearly as effective as DEET, but should perform adequately with frequent re-applications.  Mosquito repellents don’t actually repel mosquitos as much as they make the wearer less visible to a mosquito’s tracking devices.  To aid in the battle to eliminate mosquitos, people should also avoid wearing floral-scented perfumes or colognes, exposing too much untreated skin and wearing dark clothing.

Bats

Mosquitos live, eat, breed and die according to a cycle.  In order to eliminate mosquitos, people must work diligently to break up that cycle whenever possible.  Sources of standing water must be eliminated or treated chemically to prevent egg growth.  Beneficial animals, such as bats or purple martins, should be encouraged to take up residency near mosquito-infested areas.  With the increased risk of mosquitos transmitting the West Nile virus, the need to eliminate mosquitos from inhabited areas has also increased significantly.

Kill off the Males

The key to eliminating mosquitoes is to kill off the males (the ones that don’t bite).  Mosquitoes don’t travel far, so if you kill off the males, you eliminate the population entirely.  This can be done with a clever Australian invention called the bugeater (http://www.bugkiller.com.au/).  It has a specially formulated UV light that attracts the male and then drowns it.  No high voltage and no poisons.  There is a noticeable drop in the population after 2 weeks, and with in a month of using it there are virtually no more mosquitoes.  I’ve got one – they really work!

Products

ThermaCELL Compact Mosquito Repellent Appliance $22.99; Expensive refills

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/Summer/Camping/MosquitoRepellents/PRD~0593816P/ThermaCELL%2BCompact%2B%2BMosquito%2BRepellent%2BAppliance.jsp

Ultra Outdoor Bug Zapper $84.99

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/2/OutdoorLiving/MosquitoPestControl/MosquitoMagnets/PRD~0593788P/Ultra%2BOutdoor%2BBug%2BZapper.jsp

Ultra Outdoor Bug Zapper Replacement Stinger Octenol Lure $12.99

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/2/OutdoorLiving/MosquitoPestControl/MosquitoMagnetAccessories/PRD~0593771P/Replacement%2BStinger%2BOctenol%2BLure.jsp

More info

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/ResearchCentre/MosquitoMagnetRepellentBuyingGuide.jsp

http://sbk.online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204660604574378933761528214.html?mod=rss_Health

How to minimize Windows Live Messenger to System Tray in Windows 7

Follow these simple instructions.

1. Quit Windows Live Messenger
2. Find Windows Live Messenger in the Start menu (All Programs –> Windows Live –> Windows Live Messenger)
3. Right click on it and click on Properties
4. Go to the Compatibility tab
5. Click on “Run this program in compatibility mode for:”
6. Select Windows Vista
7. Click on Ok and start Windows Live Messenger.

Windows Live Messenger should now minimize to the System Tray in Windows 7.

The Beatles: Rock Band – Unlockable

Bonus Photos

If you back all the way out to the intro screen (where it says PRESS START), you can enter the following code (with a guitar or drum controller) to unlock Bonus Photos: BLUE, YELLOW, ORANGE, ORANGE, ORANGE, BLUE, BLUE, BLUE, YELLOW, ORANGE

View the Bonus Photos in the gallery in Story Mode. The code must be entered quickly — you’ll get a note telling you the Bonus Photos have been unlocked when you successfully input the code.

 

“The End” Song for Play

To unlock “The End” from Abbey Road for play, you’ll need to complete Story Mode.

iPhone OS 3.1 Software Update

This update contains bug fixes and improvements, including the following:

• Genius recommendations for Applications
• iTunes 9 support
- Genius Mixes
- Organize your apps directly in iTunes
- Improved syncing options for music, movies, TV shows, podcasts and photos
- iTunes U content organization
• Redeem iTunes Gift cards, codes and certificates in the App Store
• Display available iTunes account credits in the App Store and iTunes Store
• Browse and download ringtones wirelessly from the iTunes Store*
• Save video from Mail and MMS into Camera Roll
• Option to “Save as new clip” when trimming a video on iPhone 3GS
• Better iPhone 3G Wi-Fi performance when Bluetooth is turned on
• Remotely lock iPhone with a passcode via MobileMe
• Use Voice Control on iPhone 3GS with Bluetooth headsets
• Paste phone numbers into the Keypad
• Option to use Home button to turn on Accessibility features on iPhone 3GS
• Warn when visiting fraudulent websites in Safari (anti-phishing)
• Improved Exchange calendar syncing and invitation handling
• Fixes issue that caused some app icons to display incorrectly