Scalpel…Clamp…Leeches!
You sort of have to see this one to understand it. Medicinal leeches were used for bloodletting, and have been applied to congested or inflamed parts of the human body for over 2,000 years. Today, leeches are used in plastic surgery, for the treatment of what doctors call “avulsed appendages” (injured appendages such as arms and legs) following successful “arterial revascularization” (getting the blood flowing) but limited venous repairs. Leeches are also used in the treatment of such disorders as inflammation, peripheral venous and arterial diseases.
http://www.channel2000.com/news/specialassign/stories/news-specialassignment-75198620010502-180525.html
An entire site dedicated to this topic. http://www.geocities.com/leechlady5/
So, where could you go to buy some of these? Right here: http://www.geocities.com/leechlady5/page6.html
More on this story from bio-pharm: http://www.biopharm-leeches.com
A scientific presentation on the use of maggots, bee venom and leeches. They call this “bio-therapy.”
Orlando Station Takes on Daycare Problems
WESH-TV Orlando’s Stephen Stock has been dogging the story of daycares that were cited, but still operated and still broke the same laws they were cited for. The state, it seems, does not keep track or follow-up even after it cites the daycares. This is a good example of a station that does not quit investigating even after one round of stories airs.
See this site from WESH-TV for an example of how bad the problem of repeat offender day cares is.
Companies Using Behavior Tests in Hiring
With the first rise in unemployment in years, companies are using “behaviorial tests” to screen job applicants. Companies are finding they can be a little more picky about who they hire. As a result, recruiters are not just asking “what” applciants can do, they want to know what’s in their head.
Take one of these tests online-free for an example: http://www.etest.net/testingservices.html
The LA Times reports, “Behavioral-based interviewing has been an integral part of our recruiting process for about 10 years, said Bill Ziegler, director of global recruiting for Chicago-based Accenture, which was formerly known as Andersen Consulting. “We believe very strongly that if you can understand how someone has behaved in the past, it can provide a very good indication of how they will behave in the future. We want to make sure, given the investment, that we are selecting the right people. This is being used by an increasing number of employers.”
Full LA Times story here:
http://www.latimes.com/class/employ/workplace/20010520/t000042217.html
How important are these tests?
“Eric Greenberg, director of management studies for the American Management Assn., says, “All of these tests are really less important in the hiring process than the interview, the resume and the record of accomplishments in past employment.”
“Much more important is the face-to-face look and the feel of the individual candidate. The one-on-one interview is still the most highly regarded instrument,” Greenberg said.
Localize: Call head hunters, job placement services and ask them which companies use these kinds of tests.
Funeral Homes Getting into the Obit Biz
Not long ago, a local newspaper reporter called me to ask if I had heard of funeral homes offering what amounts to an online obit service. The paper was more than a little worried that another of the old mainstays of the paper was going cyber. Well folks, you might want you to see this.
Funeralhomesonline.com is a website that signs up funeral homes and now the friends and family of the deceased can write little notes about the dearly departed. If your newspaper is not already offering something like this, you might want to consider getting on the stick. Why don’t TV stations/radio stations offer an obit site? Many small town radio stations, especially those with no daily paper, do obits on the radio. This would be a nice addition. It would make a lot of sense for weekly papers to go online with obits.
