While it may sound like a bad pickup line from a single’s bar, talking about astrological signs in the workplace may be gaining acceptance as more people look to develop communication beyond the hard data often continuously spit out by technology.

Steve Weiss, author of a new book on using astrology in business, says that he does believe astrology can be an important communication tool on the job.

“No way, no how, is astrology a substitute for everything else you need to know,” Weiss says. “But I think it can help create a language for us to understand one another better.”

That’s why he says he has written “Signs of Success: The Remarkable Power of Business Astrology,” (Amacom, $24).

Astrology – defined in the dictionary as “the study of positions and aspects of heavenly bodies with a view to predicting their influence on the course of human affairs” – is often only experienced by others through brief astrological predictions in the morning newspaper (Taurus: “Money will come your way this week”).

But Weiss says that by using the “terminology” of astrology for business trends, people can develop a greater ability to understand why people – such as bosses or co-workers – behave in certain ways.

He stresses, however, that astrology should not be regarded as something written in stone, and even goes so far as to say that some aspects of astrology – such a predicting specific events – is “a bit wacky for my tastes.”

“In the wrong hands, astrology is just another form of intolerance,” he says. “It’s not a science. It’s much more like an art – like art wrapped up in the science of math and astronomy.”

The book provides information about each of the 12 astrological signs, and gives examples of traits for those born under various signs. For example, “creative entrepreneurship is the true stamp of the Leo leader, frequently to the point of personality cult as well as to fortune and fame.” Weiss says those born under the sign of Leo include Martha Stewart, Magic Johnson and Mick Jagger.

Or, “a Capricorn is inclined to the more conservative position that a happy destiny is the result of a hard, well-managed, socially-sanctioned climb.” He says that 19th-century author Horatio Alger “was a Capricorn to his very soul,” while founding father Benjamin Franklin’s dedication to hard work and movie star Mel Gibson’s movies about family honor (“Braveheart,” “The Patriot”) show the Capricorn’s traits.

Weiss further points out that by understanding our astrological sign, we can better grasp how we react in today’s business climate, and have a clearer understanding of other individual’s strengths and weaknesses. (To join the blog discussion of astrology and business, check out www.anitabruzzese.com.)

For example, when dealing with an Aquarius: “Try not to take offense at their forgetfulness, which may even include the name of long-term associates. They are easily distracted by their own bullet-train of thoughts.”

Or, “Scorpio plays secrecy of intent as an advantage, so accept that you will rarely be granted a full confidence. But also know that loyalty and competence will be handsomely rewarded.”

Weiss says this ancient tradition of studying astrology has an important role to play in our modern society.

“We are clearly living in an era of metrics. In the last 20 years, it’s been the story of the personal computer and the Internet. We’re great data-sharers. And yet, that doesn’t always drive us to insight,” Weiss says. “Astrology reminds us that…we can’t write an equation for inspiration. Astrology creates those opportunities.”

Weiss says that by increasing our understanding of astrology, we can better develop interactive skills that improve communication and understanding. Still, he cautions that it’s only one tool that should be used by someone trying to survive in the business world.

“I see beauty and precision in astrology, but it’s a very complex craft,” he says. “It depends on the person interpreting it. It can’t make mean people not mean.”

Weiss also points out that as we all try to compete in a global economy, astrology may be another way to build a bridge between cultures.

“There are many places such as South America, India and China where astrology is not that foreign to them,” he says.

Anita Bruzzese is author of “45 Things You Do That Drive Your Boss Crazy…and How to Avoid Them,” (www.45things.com). Write to her at: anita(AT)anitabruzzese.com or c/o: Business Editor, Gannett News Service, 7950 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, Va. 22107. For a reply, include a SASE.

The past starts looking pretty darn good and you forget how much you hated the first 15 years of your career and conclude with almighty certainty that you really did like purchasing. Or that being in information technology wasn’t so bad after all. Before you know it, you’ve convinced yourself that you should go back to your previous, lackluster career.

That might be. Or you could be falling for the when-all-else-fails-go-back-to-the-past strategy.

I keep meeting more and more people banking on former careers they left years ago as a new and improved place to hang their hat for the next decade or so. Many reason that, “I just need something secure for the next 10 or so years.”

If that is what’s making you nostalgic for the past, better rethink your plan.

First, you don’t want to end up miserable again. Second, it’s not necessarily an easy sell. Obviously you will have to answer sticky questions from potential employers about your change of heart. They will also compare you to newly minted graduates eager to jump in. How can you beat that? If a return to the past is truly what you want, you need a three-pronged approach to be a serious contender:

-Anticipate employers’ objections.

It’s only natural for an employer to probe. So expect to hear questions like, why after ten or more years, do you want to go back to what you did before? Why did you leave the field in the first place? And, if you’ve held management or leadership positions, why do you want to give it up?

You can bring up their concerns before they do: “You might be wondering why I want to get back into accounting…” Then give your well-thought-out response that explains your new career objective.

One of my clients who had been in information technology ten years before becoming a teacher explained how, even as a teacher his focus had been on helping students understand and use technology — a subject he loved. Now he wanted to apply his teaching skills to help adults understand technology by working in a customer support role. It’s a logical step, and he also had a story to tell.

- Explain how you’re up to speed and will keep up to date.

If you’ve been out of the field for years, you need to be up on the latest and greatest processes, issues the industry faces, as well as required skills. So be ready to explain how you’ve done that. What training have you taken? What do you read to stay abreast? Be prepared to talk about how you’ll stay ahead of the curve.

- Explain what has reignited your interest and why you’re excited about the work.

Employers can smell it if your heart’s not in it. How will you explain your renewed interest in a field you haven’t worked in for years? What is it about the work that you can’t wait to do again? What has happened in the last ten years that might add to your value in this new direction? How do you see yourself developing in this field?

If you can’t seem to come up with a story that you believe with all your heart, how can you convince someone else? In that case, perhaps heading back to your past is not the best plan for moving forward.

—

Andrea Kay is the author of “Life’s a Bitch and Then You Change Careers: 9 Steps to Get Out of Your Funk and On To Your Future.” Send questions to her at 2692 Madison Road, No. 133, Cincinnati, Ohio 45208; www.andreakay.com. E-mail: andrea@andreakay.com

Each evening, my 4-year-old daughter tells me, “I want lunch for dinner.” Translation: I want a grilled cheese or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And, in my bloated, still working full-time, eight-month pregnant state, oftentimes that’s exactly what we have.

It doesn’t help that my sister-in-law is like the Terminator of menu planning and shopping. Each Friday she plans a menu for the following week and each Saturday morning at 7 a.m. she goes grocery shopping for that menu.

So while her kids are happily eating their vegetables each night at a civilized family table, I’m lucky if my kids aren’t camped out in front of the TV, eating whatever we could scrounge up in 15 minutes or less.

I figure there has to be an easier way and I know I need to find it quick because Baby No. 3 is set to debut in less than a month. It’s not like things are going to get easier. And I know if I plan my menus in advance, we can save money each week on our grocery bill.

To me, easier means something involving my computer and the Internet. So I went in search of software that would help me kill the proverbial two birds with one stone: plan a decent, easy-to-make menu while also preparing a shopping list for me.

I checked out all the usual suspects – CookingLight.com, MarthaStewart.com and BettyCrocker.com.

While each had really great recipes, none had that magic combination I needed – menu planning with a tailored, not generic, grocery list.

Though it’s not interactive, the Martha Stewart site comes pretty close. It offers specific menus along with corresponding “grocery bags.” The problem is Martha’s recipes aren’t generally what one would call “easy.” Plus, many of her recipes aren’t budget – or kid – friendly. While my husband will love tuna steaks, I’d still be making PB&J for my kids.

The Betty Crocker site has a cool feature that lets you input the ingredients you have on hand as well as what type of meal you’re trying to prepare. It will return several recipes that meet your criteria. The problem with this approach is that it doesn’t help you plan ahead and it assumes I would be able to get on the computer while two hungry children fight for space in my lap.

After striking out with the free online options, I checked out paid software options.

At $79.95, Dvo.com has exactly what I was looking for. As a bonus, you can purchase “plug-in” software, including Cook’n with Betty Crocker, to give you even more recipes to choose from. (You can also enter your own recipes.) It even has an on-board calculator to help you adjust for the number of people you’re serving as well as detailed nutritional information.

Menus4moms.com also has menu planning software and, at just $7.95 per month, it’s friendlier from a budget perspective. It has many of the same features as Cook’n, but the recipes are more limited.

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.

The Microriver 1GB iSecure Biometric USB Flash Drive is one option for grads. It sells for about $34 online.

Family, friends and loved ones of soon-to-be high school and college graduates want to give them gifts that will aid them in the next chapter of their lives.

For some that chapter will include furthering their education. For others it will entail entering the job market. Regardless of the road ahead for these graduates, there are many affordable tech gifts to make that road a little smoother.

Whether on campus or in the corporate jungle, USB flash drives seem to be commonplace. A particular flavor of USB flash drives that don’t seem to be everywhere are biometric or fingerprint scanning USB flash drives.

These drives have been around for a few years, but haven’t really caught on in mass numbers. But the fact remains that these are among the best USB drives to own. Biometric USB flash drives allow access to the drive only after a user has been authenticated by running a fingerprint over a biometric scanner embedded on the drive.

The benefits of biometric USB drives are numerous, but among the top reasons for considering them as a gift for graduates is their security features. The information stored on them is not only secure, but the fact that the information cannot be accessed acts as a theft deterrent and may even serve to increase the odds of the drive being returned if it where lost. Biometric USB drives are more expensive than regular USB drives of equal storage capacity, but there are plenty of lower capacity biometric drives priced below $50.

If your graduate is heading into the work force, you may want to consider paying for a professional subscription as a gift. Careerstrides.com is one of many Web sites that offer a professional résumé service to people new to the job market. Popular employment Web sites such as Careerbuilder.com and Monster.com offer upgraded résumé posting, a feature that is supposed to give placement preference so employers will view them before the non-upgraded résumés. This, too, could help recent grads looking to test the job market. In the current employment environment, every advantage helps.

For those who are leaving the high school campus for the larger and much greener college campus, the Digimemo may be ideal. The Digimemo is a digital tablet that allows users to write notes, draw or doodle and save it all to the device. Having a device that can save 999 individual pages of notes without the need for special paper that some other devices require will lighten the backpack of any college student. At a cost of $99, it won’t lighten the gift giver’s wallet too much, either.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds @yahoo.com.

You can even find a place in San Diego for your dogs with the right Web site.

My husband and I have been seriously considering becoming “Zonies.”

Yes, we’ve been thinking about a summer getaway to San Diego. If we undertake such a journey, we will be joining the annual mass exodus of Arizonans to the beach during the ungodly heat of July and August.

But neither of us is all that familiar with San Diego and we don’t know where to stay. We’d like to be near the beach and to stay in a relatively nice neighborhood, but we don’t have a lot of money to throw around. And, since we’re soon to be a family of five, a place with a kitchenette would work best for us as eating out three meals a day would break the bank.

So where does that leave us?

On the Internet, of course.

In this troubled economy, vacation deals abound and the Internet makes it really easy to research the best ones. Condo rentals offer the best opportunities this summer and several Web sites can help you book the one that’s right for you.

First, there’s vacationrentals.com, which features some 35,000 family-friendly rentals across the U.S. I also really like Pickpackgo.com, which features professionally managed rental properties. It’s really easy to use and features an interactive map to help you determine exactly where the particular rental property is located – a very valuable feature when you’re not familiar with your travel destination.

If you’d like to deal directly with the property owner, go to VRBO.com. While the site isn’t as easy to use as Pickpackgo.com – and there are no maps to help you figure out where the properties are located – it’s still a good resource for those wanting to go directly “to the source” for their rentals.

Time shares are another option. Redweek.com features listings of time shares available for rental. They are usually rented by the night, rather than the week and sometimes have date restrictions.

As with any travel arrangements, protect yourself by paying with a credit card. Should something go wrong, you’ll have more recourse than if you pay by check or debit card. Credit card companies can often intervene on your behalf if there are disputes regarding charges or other problems. If you pay by check or debit, you’re on your own.

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.

When we bought our house last summer, we noticed how full and beautiful the tree was – and the fact that it had at some point in its life toppled over on its side and been left that way. The result was a craggy trunk and branches that grew out in all manner of odd angles.

We brought in a tree expert to take a look at it and see if we could right it. The news wasn’t good. Not only had the tree been left in that condition for too long, its roots system was likely posing imminent danger to our plumbing system.

So, in the end, our toilets won out over the pretty, if misshapen tree.

What we didn’t count on was the 10 degree jump in temperature inside our house.

I should have seen it coming. After all, I work for an electric utility and am well-versed on energy efficiency and the simple things you can do around your house to trim you electric bill.

And shading your home on its western side with trees is one of the cheapest – and most attractive – ways you can increase your home’s energy efficiency. The bottom line is, if the sun’s rays are blocked from your home during those hot summer days, your house won’t get as hot – and your air conditioning won’t have to work as hard. And that means a lower electric bill.

According to the Department of Energy (energy.gov), on average, landscaping for energy efficiency provides enough energy savings to return an initial investment in less than eight years.

Two local utilities offer energy efficiency programs involving the use of deciduous trees in landscaping. Tucson Electric Power offers Trees for Tucson for its customers. Learn more under Green Energy at tucsonelectric.com. Trico Electric Cooperative offers Operation Cool Shade for its members. Learn more at trico.coop.

Ultimately, we went to a nursery and bought a pretty tree, one that they tree guy swears won’t have roots that will infiltrate our entire yard. And while the tree is small and probably won’t help us out much this summer, we hope that in a few years it will provide a nice, shady sun block – and a more comfortable house.

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.

Selling our home had been a long, stressful process and we were very happy to have finally sold it and be moving – that is, until the real estate agent representing the buyer did everything in their power to block the closing of the sale.

To this day I don’t know exactly why the agent wanted to hold things up. After all, the commission was tied to the closing of the home.

Our agent threatened legal action and, voilà, the house closed on time. But by that point, I had many gray hairs and a much shorter-than-expected lifespan. (I guess I didn’t want to see my 80s, anyway.)

I was so appalled by the agent’s behavior that I e-mailed the agent’s boss outlining what had happened. My general point was, do you want someone like this representing you? His response was to not respond. The agent responded by threatening to sue me for defamation.

And that, dear friends, is why I wished so badly that I had an attorney on retainer.

Alas, I am but an average person of average means. That means I don’t have access to Gloria Allred or some other equally rabid and scary lawyer. But what I do have access to is a wealth of online legal resources.

If I had decided I truly needed to hire an attorney, I could have used the Pima County Bar Association’s lawyer referral service. For a $35 fee, you are matched with local attorneys skilled in the area of law pertaining to your legal matter. You also get a 30-minute face-to-face consultation. Go to pimacountybar.org for more information.

AZLawHelp.org helps low- income families solve their legal problems. It offers information and links on a variety of legal topics, from domestic and immigration issues to employment problems and housing matters.

If your need is more general – say, you want to draft a will or trust – there’s Nolo.com. Its Nolopedia offers a wealth of free legal information and the Lawyer Directory hooks you up with local lawyers specializing in whatever area of law you need.

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.

I grew up thinking air travel was something glamorous and mysterious, something worth dressing up for and making into an event.

Then I grew up and got a job that required me to travel virtually every week. At first I thought I was in for a great adventure. I ignored my boss when he said, “Travel is only glamorous to those that have never traveled.”

I soon understood what he meant.

Lost luggage, surly security guards, being treated like cattle – and this was in the days before 9/11. Nowadays air travelers have the fun of hidden, or at least not-well-explained, fees, cramped seats, rude passengers and, don’t forget, a security process that’s akin to the process for visiting a relative in a Supermax prison.

It’s no wonder that people’s fuses are so short.

And that’s why Flightsfromhell.com was created. It gives people a way to vent their frustrations. Passengers, flight attendants, and, yes, the much-maligned security guards, can post their stories. Categories include “Portly,” “Reclining Seats,” “Odors,” and “Weird People,” among others.

If you think you have the mother of all bad air travel stories, chances are you’ll find something even worse on this Web site – which will either make you feel better, or convince you to drive yourself everywhere henceforth.

If air travel remains a fact of life for you, check out TripAdvisor.com. While it can’t prevent you from being seated next to a flatulent sumo wrestler or a whining, kicking toddler on your next flight, it can help you navigate some of those pesky airline fees. Its fees estimator will help remove that ugly element of surprise upon checkout.

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.

That said, let’s get down to business.

I’ve written about Web sites for a long time. Over the years, I’ve come to rely on a few because they’re easy to use and are insanely helpful. I’ve listed my favorites below, in no particular order.

• Google at google.com. This may seem like a no-brainer but I still run into folks that use search engines like Yahoo.com, Alta Vista or Dogpile. In my opinion, none of those holds a candle to Google, both for its simple format and it’s highly accurate and focused search results.

Sometimes I’ll think up some wacky phrase and plop it in Google just to see what kind of search results I get. (Yes, I’m a nerd.) I’m always amazed at the depth and accuracy of the results.

• E-How at ehow.com. As the name implies, this is a how-to site for almost everything under the sun.

• Two of my favorite travel sites are Kayak, at kayak.com, and Lonely Planet, at lonelyplanet.com. Kayak is a travel-site aggregator. That is, it searches more than 140+ travel sites to find you the best deals on airfare, hotel and rental cars. Lonely Planet, like the line of books it’s named for, is an outstanding resource for researching travel destinations.

• Worried that the pain in your knee is something serious? Go to WebMD at webmd.com. You can find out information on nearly every medical ailment and, in my opinion, should be your first stop before your next doctor’s visit.

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.

It may not sound like a big deal, but it is because it means my electric bills are going to increase sharply.

During the all-too-brief fall and spring seasons, I always get a little spoiled. Our energy usage is low and so are our bills. But that all ends sometime in April, when we start seeing the bills climb ever upward until late September. It’s just a fact of life living in the desert.

We’ve been considering some home improvements to help with our energy efficiency, most notably weatherization. With the passage of the federal stimulus bill, now is the time to take on such projects.

What does “weatherization” mean? It means sealing any air leaks in your home and ensuring your home is properly insulated.

Thanks to the stimulus package, the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program has been expanded and a greater number of homes can qualify. Program participants receive a professional energy consultation with an energy bill analysis, a test to locate air leaks and tips on how to be more energy efficient.

Professionals then upgrade insulation, seal air leaks, and install more efficient heating and cooling systems. The stimulus bill allows up to $6,500 to be spent on each home. Your income must be no more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level (about $44,000 for a family of four) in order to qualify. Go to doe.gov to learn more.

If you earn too much to qualify for the assistance program, the stimulus package still can help you. You can get tax credits for energy efficiency improvements you make to your home, up to $1,500.

To learn more about these programs and how to weatherize your home, visit the Alliance to Save Energy at ase.org. The Arizona Energy Office also has helpful info at azcommerce.com/Energy.

• • •

On a different note, this is likely my last column for the Tucson Citizen. I’ve been writing about Web sites and business issues for nearly 12 years now and I deeply appreciate everyone who supported me over the years. So it’s with sadness that I say thank you and goodbye. – Romi

Romi Carrell Wittman is a writer and the communication services director for Trico Electric Cooperative. E-mail: romi.wittman@comcast.net.