Thursday, September 18, 2008

12-year-old Revolutionizes the Solar Cell

William Yuan, a seventh-grader from Portland, OR, developed a three-dimensional solar cell that absorbs UV as well as visible light. The combination of the two might greatly improve cell efficiency. Yuan's project earned him a $25,000 scholarship and a trip to the Library of Congress to accept the award, which is usually given out for research...

read more | digg story

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Sell the Pig and Keep Your Lipstick

Hockey moms, pit bulls - Lipstick.
Pigs - Lipstick.
The stock market - ...lipstick?

I've been hearing many jokes, idioms, and remarks made lately involving lipstick (thank you so much Sarah Palin), but here is a cold, hard fact: when the stock market bottoms out, more lipstick is sold.

That means, with all the bad news about Wall Street going about today, people are going to need advice about this affordable luxury - and I am happy to oblige.

The Best Lipsticks of Fall 2008 (according to KiKi)
  • Lipfinity by Max Factor (I like "Passionate")
  • Cream Lipstick by Lorac (I like "Karma")
  • Mocktail gloss by Lorac ( I like "Caffeini Martini")
  • Lipgloss by Laura Mercier ("Bronzed Berry")
  • Lipstick by NARS ("Shanghai Express")

If you are at all curious to try these little beauties out, please do so and feel free to post your thoughts here! You can also tell me what your favorites are...

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Are these the best networking questions out there?

I just read this post by Scott Bradley about the best networking questions. I read through it, but I'm not sure if they are the best. I always like asking people, "What is your passion?" rather than "What do you do?" because I find the latter question boring.

What about you? What do you think? Are these the best networking questions out there?

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

How Much Time for Online Community Building?

Much has been said recently about the new-ish job description for an online community builder - a person whose job it is to engage groups of people in ways other than face-to-face. But what if you are someone whose job has sort of slid into being an online community builder while you keep up with many other projects? How many hours do you spend developing communities? How many hours should you spend? When is it seriously time for another FTE?

These are all great questions and questions that I don't have answers to. Compensation-wise, it appears that official online community builders are doing relatively well and a report published in July 2008 provides some insight into those people currently identified as "online community builders."

What do you think?

Resources:
Online Community Builders
Online Community Builder's Purpose Checklist
Job Description for an Online Community Builder
Online Community Report

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Drugstore Makeup Faves

One of the most common questions I receive about doing makeup concerns which brands I prefer. Although I love to splurge on pricey cosmetics with unique ingredients, I get a total rush from finding amazing products on the cheap.

Recently I tried out a few products that I am in LOVE with. Max Factor Volume Couture mascara, Sally Hansen Luminizing Face Primer, and Max Factor Lip Infinity are definitely worth the money and I would encourage everyone to try it out.

Sally Hansen Luminizing Face PrimerThis little beauty is amazing! A luminizer and a primer that glides on silky smooth and costs about $10. Compared to my other favorite primers that typically come in at closer to $35-$45 dollars, this isn't a bad deal!

Max Factor Volume Couture Mascara*The bristles on the spoolie for this mascara are the same as a prestige brand (not naming names), but costs a fraction of the price. This mascara goes on and creates a thick, glossy black fringe for the eyes. I love, love, love this stuff and the price!

Max Factor Lip Infinity*I'm not one to usually promote lip products like this - the kind that are sort of cemented on...reason being, when they do start to flake away, it much more difficult to get rid of than liner. I put Max Factor's Lip Infinity to the test and found it to be great for wearing at a convention and lasting most of the day. My rule? Stick to neutral shades so that when it does start to wear away, it won't be as noticeable. This particular brand has a lovely moisturizing "gloss" that coats over the lip stain product and I found it to be pleasant while wearing it.

*I work as a BzzAgent and receive items to test, try out, and to share with friends (if I like it) ...it is a cool program you may wish to check out. I received the Max factor bundle as part of a Bzz Campaign. If you would like more information about this (or a couple of leftover coupons for Max Factor cosmetics), just email me!