More Halloween Pet Pictures!

Prevent Swine Flu - Good Advice

Thanks to Deb L. for this info!



Prevent Swine Flu - Good Advice

Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MBBS,DRM,DNB (Intensivist and Thyroid specialist) having clinical experience of over 20 years. He has worked in institutions like Hinduja Hospital , Bombay Hospital , Saifee Hospital , Tata Memorial etc.. Presently, he is heading our Nuclear Medicine Department and Thyroid clinic at Riddhivinayak Cardiac and Critical Centre, Malad (W).

The following message given by him, I feel makes a lot of sense and is important for all to know The only portals of e ntry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected o ne. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. *Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*

5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

I suggest you pass this on to your entire e-list.

You never know 20 who might pay attention to it - and STAY ALIVE because of it.

Coolest Car In Ohio !!!!!!

Thanks to Lisa C. for these pictures!

Coolest Car In Ohio !!!!!!
That guy looks just like Woody, the hood ornament
also!!! Love the "Nut Bed" little trailer!!!!

Go Bucks !!!!

IF YOU USE A CROCK POT...

Thanks to Lisa C. for this info!


IF YOU USE A CROCK POT...

THIS WAS JUST TOO COOL NOT TO SHARE WITH EVERYONE . YOU MAY OWN A CROCK POT OR TWO...JUST CLICK ON THE MEAL YOU WANT AND IT OPENS A FILE WITH THAT RECIPE !

Crock Pot - Beef
All Day Crock Pot Beef
Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry
Beef and Pasta Casserole
Beef Diablo
Beef Fajitas
Beef Ragout Over Rice
Beef Tips
Beer Braised Beef in Crock Pot
Burritos Crock Pot Style
California Tamale Pie
Cattleman's Beef and Beans
Cheeseburger Sandwiches
Cheesy Meat Loaf
Chili Beer Brisket of Beef
Classic Swiss Steak
Complete Crock Pot Dinner
Corned Beef and Cabbage
Country Swiss Steak
Cowboy Casserole
Cranberry Pork Roast
Crock Pot Beef Burgundy
Cr ock Pot Beef 'n Peppers
Crock Pot Beef with Mushrooms
Crock Pot Beef Roast
Crock Pot Cabbage Rolls
Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage
Crock Pot Creole Steak Strips
Crock Pot Delight
Crock Pot Easy Swiss Steak
Crock Pot Enchiladas
Crock Pot Fajitas
Crock Pot Fajitas II
Crock Pot Italian Beef
Crock Pot Meatballs
Crock Pot Rump Roast
Crock Pot Sauerbraten
Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce
Crock Pot Swiss Steak
Crock Pot Taco Casserole
Fiesta Tamale Pie
Glazed Corned Beef
Glazed Corned Beef #2
Harvest Dinner
Harvest Pot Roast with Tomato-Wine Sauce
Hot-and-Spicy Sloppy Joes
Lean Crock Pot Beans
Nina's Beef and Beans
Pot Roast Dinner
Old Time Beef Stew
Pot Roast with Noodles
Ranch Style Beef
Reuben Casserole
Roast Cooked with Coke
Roast with Veggies
Sage Pot Roast
Salsa Swiss Steak
Savory Pepper Steak
Savory Stewed Beef
Slow-Cooked Beef Stifado
Slow Cooked Pepper Steak
Slow Cooked Steak Rolls
Slow Cooked Swiss Steak Supper
Slow Cooker Italian Spaghetti Sauce
Slow Cooker Lasagna
Slow Cooker Swiss Steak
Slowly Deviled Beef
Smothered Steak Strips
Spaghetti Sauce Italiano
Spicy Wine Pot Roast
Stuffed Cabbage Casserole
Stuffed Pasta Shells
Swiss Bliss
Swiss Steak
Teriyaki Steak
Three Pepper Steak
Three-Way Beef
Yankee Pot Roast and Vegetables


Crock Pot - Pork
Casserole in the Cooker
Chicken Lickin Good Crock Pot Pork Chops
Chinese Style Country Ribs
Country Pork with Mushrooms
Cranberry Pork Roast
Crockpot Apricot Pulled Pork for Sandwiches
Crock Pot Festival Sausage
Crock Pot Hawaiian Pork
Crock Pot Pork Chops Supreme
Crock Pot Sausage & Potatoes
Crock Pot Sausage and Egg Casserole
Crocked Cherry Pork Chops
Polish Kraut and Apples
Pork Chop Delight
Pork Chops and Mustard Sau ce Potatoes
Pork Chops with Corn Stuffing
Pork Stew with Vegetables
Rosemary Potato Pork Chops
Sauerkraut Supper
Slow Cooking Pork Chops
Soy-Glazed Spareribs
Super Easy Pork Chops
Sweet and Spicy Kielbasa or Polish Sausage
Sweet 'n' Sour Ribs
Sweet 'N' Sour Sausage


Crock Pot - Poultry
90s Style Crockpot Coq Au Vin
Bacon Wrapped Chicken
Baked Cajun Chicken
Baked Chicken Breasts in Crock Pot
Basil Chicken
Broccoli Rice & Chicken
Caf?? Chicken
Cantonese Sweet & Sour Chicken
Caribbean Chicken
Cheesy Crock Pot Chicken
Chicken & Cherries Jubilee
Chicken a la King
Chicken and Cherries Jubilee C/P
Chicken & Rice Casserole
Chicken and Artichoke Casserole
Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken Breasts Supreme
Chicken Creole
Chicken Crock Pie
Chicken Curry
Chicken Curry #2
Chicken Curry Hurry
Chicken Hearts Crockpot
Chicken in the Crock Pot
Chicken Marengo
Chicken Merlot with Mushrooms
Chicken Ol??
Chicken Paprika
Chicken Parisienne
Chicken Parmigiana
Chicken Sesame
Chicken Stew
Chicken Stroganoff in Crock Pot
Chicken Taco Filling
Creamy Chicken with Vegetables
Crockpot Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Dip
Crock Pot Chicken
Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore
Crock Pot Chicken Dinner
Crock Pot Chicken in Mushroom Gravy
Crock Pot Chicken Teriyaki
Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla
Crock Pot Garlic Chicken
Crock Pot Lacquered Chicken
Crock Pot Robust Chicken
Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
Forty-clove Chicken
Garlic Lemon Chicken
Ham 'n' Swiss Chicken
International Chicken
Italian Chicken and Potatoes
Italian Chicken Breast
Lemonemonade Chicken
Lemony Roasted Chicken
Lo-Cal Crock Pot Chicken
Low-Fat Glazed Chicken in Crock Pot
Mama's Chicken Stew
Pat's Creamy Chicken
Portugese Garlic Chicken
Turkey Casserole
Turkey Rice South with Tomatoes
Working Woman's Chicken and Rice


Crock Pot - Fish & Seafood
Bayou Gumbo
Bouillabaisse
Cheese-Shrimp Chowder
Cioppino (Fisherman's Stew)
Crock Pot Bouillabaisse
Crock Pot Citrus Fish
Crock Pot Clam Chowder
Crock Pot Clam Chowder #2
Crock Pot Crab Soup
Crock Pot Fish Stew
Crock Pot Manhattan Style Clam Chowder
Crock Pot Shrimp Marinara
Jambalaya
Louisiana Gumbo
Mediterranean Fish Soup
No Clams Clam Chowder
Oyster Bisque
Seafood Naples
Shrimp Creole for the Crock Pot
Shrimp Creole
Shrimp Curry Macaroni Salad

Check out Associated Press Interactive: In time for Halloween, a use for those old pantyhose!

Click here: Associated Press Interactive: In time for Halloween, a use for those old pantyhose

Check out Jobless benefits run out for many Ohioans | The Columbus Dispatch

Click here: Jobless benefits run out for many Ohioans The Columbus Dispatch

Jobless benefits run out for many Ohioans
If U.S. Senate fails to act on extension, 65,000 in state will fall off rolls by year's end
Thursday, October 8, 2009 3:22 AM
By Tracy Turner
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
THE HOT ISSUE
Should unemployment benefits be extended for another 13 weeks for people who cannot find work?

DispatchPolitics

The number of Ohioans who have exhausted their unemployment benefits has risen to levels not seen since the early 1980s.
At the end of September, benefits ran out for 21,000 people, and that number is expected to grow several times over by the end of the year unless more help is made available.
The U.S. Senate is debating whether to extend unemployment benefits for an additional 13 weeks, but that effort is stalled for now.
Like thousands of others, Randy Hotsinpiller of Westerville is waiting anxiously and hoping an extension passes. His benefits run out in four weeks.
"Right now, unemployment is the only thing that keeps me afloat," said Hotsinpiller, who was laid off in April after working in information technology for 27 years. "They say there's six people competing for every one job opening, but in my experience, it seems to be so many more.
"If 3 million people fall off the unemployment roll, what will happen to them? It's crucial that they get this thing passed. Unemployment benefits aren't much, but they at least keep a roof over your head."
Ohio's unemployment rate stood at 10.8 percent in August, the most-recent figure available, after dropping slightly from July. Overall, the report showed the state with 5.1 million people employed and 641,000 jobless.
At any given time, the state has had more than 300,000 citizens collecting unemployment, with an average stay of 16 weeks, causing a constant churn that's difficult to track, said Judi Cicatiello, deputy director of unemployment compensation.
"We started seeing larger groups of people exhaust their benefits in early September, but this is the first time a group this large has extended its benefits at one time" in more than 20 years, Cicatiello said. "These are certainly dire times."
The bill before the U.S. Senate would extend jobless benefits by 13 weeks to workers in Ohio and 28 other states where the unemployment rate is greater than 8.5 percent. To be eligible for those additional benefits, those in Ohio would have to exhaust the current 79 weeks they have received from both the state and federal governments.
Passage of the bill has been stalled by lawmakers who are upset that their states would be left out.
The extension would allow some unemployed workers in Ohio to eventually collect 92 weeks of benefits: the state's 26 and the federal government's 53, as well as the additional 13 federally backed weeks.
If the extension isn't passed, 65,000 Ohioans would exhaust their benefits by the end of the year, said Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who co-sponsored the bill. In central Ohio, 2,109 people are expected to exhaust their unemployment benefits this month, he said, including 1,186 in Franklin County.
"Unemployment is an insurance program, not welfare. There's broad support to extend it, and it serves as a stimulus," Brown said. "They put that money right back into the economy, money that will be spent by people looking to put bread on their table."
Brown said he hopes there will be a vote on the issue by next week, if not sooner. He said he's "very sympathetic to extending it to states that haven't been hit as hard by the recession, but my goal is to get it done as soon as possible so that people don't see their compensation expire."
In Ohio, Gov. Ted Strickland extended unemployment benefits an extra 20 weeks for Ohioans who lost their benefits in February. That extension ended last month, said Brian Harter, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The state does not have the option to extend benefits again, he said.
One-third of the nation's 15 million unemployed people have been jobless for six months or more, according to the National Employment Law Project. The New York-based research and advocacy group said the rate is at a record high since data started being recorded in 1948.
Margie Brown is one of the statistics. The East Side resident had no idea she'd still be without work a year after being laid off from her job as an administrative assistant.
In Ohio, the average unemployment benefit is $315. The maximum amount for a worker with three or more dependents is $503 per week. Both weekly amounts are bolstered by an extra $25 from the federal government.
"Unemployment is allowing me the time to get retrained in another field because no one is hiring in what I've worked in previously," Brown said. "Without it, it'd be an extreme hardship for my family. It helps people keep our noses above the water."
If an extension of unemployment benefits is passed by the federal government, Cicatiello said, the state would be able to start distributing payments after 45 days.
"We've been doing everything we can to get ready for it," she said. "We know how dire these times are and how vitally important unemployment is for people. We know we are their primary safety net."
tturner@dispatch.com

Check out New Booster Seat Law Takes Effect Today | NBC4i.com

Click here: New Booster Seat Law Takes Effect Today NBC4i.com

New Booster Seat Law Takes Effect Today
By Angie Price Published: October 7, 2009
» 5 Comments Post a Comment
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The new booster seat law takes effect today in the state of Ohio and NBC 4 has the Fast Facts on the law.
In addition to the current stipulations, all kids under the age of 8 years old must ride in a booster seat unless they are 4’9” or taller. The Ohio Department of Public Safety says there will be a 6-month warning period for drivers in order to get everyone acquainted with the law. Full enforcement will being in April.
This is a secondary violation which means you can only be cited if you are pulled over for something else.

Ohio Expects 1st H1N1 Vaccines Next Week

Click here: Ohio Expects 1st H1N1 Vaccines Next Week NBC4i.com

Associated PressPublished: October 2, 2009
» 1 Comment Post a Comment
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Officials say Ohio should receive its first shipment of H1N1 influenza vaccine next week.
The state Department of Health says the initial 61,500 doses ordered from the federal government on Friday will be given primarily to health care and emergency workers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the supply of vaccine mist should arrive in Ohio within six business days.
State health officials say in coming weeks, they expect to order vaccine shots for people in high-risk groups. They include pregnant women, children and young adults, caregivers of infants, and adults with chronic medical conditions.
The health department continues to urge Ohioans to protect themselves from swine flu through hand-washing and other measures.

NBC 4 Supports Kroger “Stuff the Truck” To Benefit Local Food Pantries

Click here: NBC 4 Supports Kroger "Stuff the Truck" To Benefit Local Food Pantries NBC4i.com

By Denise Yost Managing Editor, nbc4i.com Published: September 30, 2009
» 0 Comments Post a Comment
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Kroger announced today it will host a “Stuff the Truck” food donation event on Saturday, October 3, to help feed hungry families in Central Ohio. The grocery chain will provide trucks in the parking lots of the following Kroger Marketplace locations between 8 a.m. and 12 noon for collection: 300 S. Hamilton Rd., Gahanna; 7625 Sawmill Rd., Dublin; and 3637 S. High St., Columbus.
Donations will benefit the Mid-Ohio Foodbank and their network of food pantries.
“The approach of winter and the holidays makes October the perfect time to host a food donation event,” said Bruce Macaulay, president, The Kroger Co., Columbus Division. “In addition, Mid-Ohio Foodbank will soon open the doors to its new warehouse, which makes this an opportune time to help this organization stock its new facility.”
Hosting the “Stuff the Truck” event for the first time in Central Ohio, Kroger has set a goal to fill each truck to capacity with non-perishable foods, including canned goods and boxed products. The food pantries will also accept personal hygiene and health products such as toilet paper, toothpaste and deodorant. Customers can also make cash donations at coin boxes set up at Kroger checkout lines and at the truck.
“We appreciate the generosity of Kroger and its customers as we help feed the thousands of hungry individuals who reside within our local communities,” said Evelyn Behm, vice president, strategic initiatives, Mid-Ohio Foodbank. “We especially welcome the assistance as we move to our new facility and prepare for the increased need we see as winter sets in.”
Mid-Ohio Foodbank supplies food for approximately 50,000 meals each day. For more information about the “Stuff the Truck” food donation event or Kroger’s other food contribution initiatives—including its food rescue program—visit http://www.kroger.com.

No Change In Ohio’s 2010 Minimum Wage

Click here: No Change In Ohio's 2010 Minimum Wage NBC4i.com


COLUMBUS, Ohio—Ohio’s lowest paid workers won’t be up for a raise next year.
The Ohio Department of Commerce says the state minimum wage will see no change in 2010 because consumer prices have declined slightly in the last year. Any increases in the minimum wage are tied to rises in inflation.
The current state minimum is $7.30 an hour for most workers, though employees at smaller companies and 14- and 15-year-olds may receive $7.25 per hour, and workers who get tips may be paid a base minimum of $3.65 an hour.
For additional information, stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com—Where Accuracy Matters.To submit a story idea or news tip, e-mail

Tomasco Mulciber's Columbus plant to close

Click here: Tomasco Mulciber's Columbus plant to close The Columbus Dispatch

213 jobs will be lost at plant on Southeast Side
Friday, October 2, 2009 4:24 PM
By Dan Gearino
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Tomasco Mulciber Inc., a parts supplier for Honda, is closing its Columbus plant, leading to the loss of 213 jobs.
The company, also known as TMI, makes hand brakes, hood locks and fuel lids, among other parts. The Southeast Side plant will begin to wind down operations in November and close by next June.
"The decision to cease operations at TMI was made after months of extensive evaluations, which concluded that Tomasco could not continue operations given the current and forecasted business and economic environment," the company said in a statement.
"Our greatest concern is for our associates and their families. We will do all that we can to provide help and support to our associates through this transition."

A Honda spokesman said the automaker is looking for new sources for the TMI-made parts and expects minimal disruption to vehicle production.

Ohio Turnpike working out E-ZPass kinks

Click here: Ohio Turnpike working out E-ZPass kinks The Columbus Dispatch

Friday, October 2, 2009 10:42 AM
CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Ohio Turnpike is trying to work out bugs in its new E-ZPass electronic toll payment system.
The first day of the voluntary system Thursday had big traffic backups as the turnpike tried to figure how many lanes should be devoted to E-ZPass users and drivers paying cash. Some drivers caused delays when they got in the wrong payment lane.
Another complication was a toll increase for those paying cash.
For part of Thursday morning's rush hour, at least one busy interchange tried to alleviate the congestion by allowing both cash and E-ZPass customers to use lanes that had been set aside for the electronic tolls.

About 120,000 passenger vehicles use the turnpike on an average weekday.

Retirees might get raise in 2010, after all

Click here: Retirees might get raise in 2010, after all The Columbus Dispatch

Social Security 'bonus' being debated
Sunday, October 4, 2009 3:29 AM
By Greg Burns
CHICAGO TRIBUNE

If Uncle Sam plays by the rules, Social Security will award no cost-of-living increase for next year or, very likely, the year after that.
But on Capitol Hill during hard economic times, rules are being broken all over the place. It's difficult to imagine the big spenders who bailed out Wall Street and spread around stimulus funds by the billions will be stiffing a powerful voting bloc.
Already, legislation is afoot to provide an "emergency" bonus or raise, even though the cost of living has fallen sharply by the standard measure used to calculate it.
As everyone receiving a Social Security benefit understands, it's no bonanza. But it's better than a paycheck in several respects: By law, the rates can't go down. And until now, by law, they've continually gone up.

Seniors once needed an act of Congress to get a raise. Beginning in 1975, however, increases became automatic based on a measure of inflation that factors in food, fuel and other volatile expenditures. The result has been a boost every year, ranging from 14.3 percent in 1980 to a low of 1.3 percent in 1987 and again in 1999.
The rate is set according to just three months of data: August, September and October. Last year, amid runaway gas prices, the index dictated a 5.8 percent raise, which was awarded in January. This year, prices have fallen every month, and there's no chance of the index suddenly turning much higher with one month to go before the cost-of-living adjustment is set. The Congressional Budget Office projects no annual benefit boost for 2010 or 2011.
Almost no one thinks a three-month reading accurately measures inflation. Many think the index overstates the number.
"That's the strong consensus of economists who have looked at it," said Bruce Meyer, a University of Chicago professor who studies government transfer payments. "In general, it's a good deal for seniors."
No, it's a bad deal, say New York financial adviser Louise Yamada and other critics. If the government looked realistically at what people actually buy, then inflation would be pegged at roughly 5 percent today, not less than zero, she said. Seniors, who typically spend more on health care and in some cases face a Medicare premium increase, arguably have it worse than everybody else.
A more sensible approach would involve smoothing the ups and downs by adopting a moving average that looks at several years of data.
"It's totally artificial to have no increase after an excessive increase last year," said economist William Hummer of Chicago's Wayne Hummer Investments. "Use the last three years and go from there. That would be fairer to everyone."

Layoff might open door to career as own boss

Click here: Layoff might open door to career as own boss The Columbus Dispatch \
Brainstorming can help uncover niche market
Sunday, October 4, 2009 3:34 AM
By Darrell Smith
McCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS
Charles Gordon uses his interest in video and training in information technology to create video resumes." src="http://columbusdispatch.com/wwwexportcontent/sites/dispatch/images/oct/1004_bn_LAYOFFS_10-04-09_D3_R6F88SR.jpg">
MICHAEL ALLEN JONES SACRAMENTO (CALIF.) BEE
Charles Gordon uses his interest in video and training in information technology to create video resumes.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Charles Gordon said he has always wanted to run his own business. But the Sacramento man had a solid career in information technology and, with it, security.
"I always wanted to be an entrepreneur, but I was too concerned about stability to pick that up," he said.
Gordon, 37, had built his career working for financial-services companies, includ-ing Charles Schwab and Fidelity Investments.
Then, in March 2008, three years into his information-technology job at CPS Human Resource Services, Gordon was laid off.

"I was completely caught by surprise," he said. "Nobody could see it coming."
A sense of security was quickly replaced by anxiety as months of interviews came and went. Frustration followed.
"I anticipated a short job search, but it got harder and harder. You're feeling like you're coming close," Gordon said. "You're told you're the runner-up, but after a while, second-best just isn't good enough."
Out of frustration, Gordon and his wife, Sara, began brainstorming with friends. Those sessions set the stage for Gordon's next move: to use his interest in photography and video to create a quick job sales pitch for any employer.
"I was discovering a solution for myself when the light went on," he recalled. "I thought, 'If I could put my elevator pitch on a 60-second video. ...' Then I thought, I could help more people than just myself. I've got to start a company."
By late January, Video Profile TV -- which makes video resumes for job-seekers -- was born. Gordon bankrolled the venture out of his 401(k) retirement fund and targeted the same job fairs where he'd been hunting for work.
"Once you make that decision to start a business," he said, "you put everything you've got into it."
Gordon is among any number of people who've forged their own road around the recession. Some are going back to school to gain new job skills; others are bolstering their chances by returning to graduate school.
Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an outplacement firm based in Chicago, confirms that more job-seekers are starting businesses to beat the recession.
The company reported that nearly 9 percent of job-seekers in the second quarter found jobs by creating their own -- twice as many as that of a year earlier.

Holiday-job hunt hindered by weak economy

Click here: Consumer 10 Report: Holiday-job hunt hindered by weak economy The Columbus Dispatch

Sunday, October 4, 2009 3:21 AM
By Jeff Hogan
WBNS-10TV

Christmas is just 82 shopping days away.
If you're counting on a seasonal job, now is the time to get your, uh, resume together.
A few retailers are already hiring, and many experts suggest that in this economy, people seeking temporary employment will have to be more nimble than ever.
Typically, in the fourth quarter, U.S. retailers boost staffing by up to 10 percent, thereby creating about 700,000 temporary jobs. This year, with the nationwide unemployment rate hovering near 10 percent, the demand for seasonal employment is likely to be particularly heavy.

Those who traditionally seek seasonal jobs -- college students home for the holidays, teachers looking to supplement their incomes, stay-at-home moms eager to make use of stores' employee discounts -- will find themselves competing with laid-off workers scrambling to make ends meet.
Nearly two-thirds of U.S. retailers have seen a surge in applications for seasonal positions this year, according to the Hay Group, an HR consulting firm that regularly surveys 25 of the nation's largest chains, including American Eagle Outfitters, Best Buy, Saks Fifth Avenue and Target.
Unfortunately for would-be workers, 40 percent of this year's respondents said they plan to hire fewer temporary employees than they did last year. Some chains expect to cut seasonal hiring by as much as 25 percent.
Things might not be quite as bleak in central Ohio.
Ken Lazar, local managing director for Manpower Professional, said the placement firm expects retail activity to grow in the fourth quarter. And because of Columbus' standing as a banking and distribution hub, even a modest uptick in sales could have indirect benefits for seasonal hiring in this market, he said.
Temporary workers would be needed to get merchandise into stores or, in the case of online retailing, directly into customers' hands, Lazar said. Similarly, he said, someone would have to process all the resulting credit-card transactions.
Lazar said applicants for seasonal employment should also consider the hospitality industry, which, like the retail sector, traditionally does well in the fourth quarter.
"The next three months are our busiest time of the year," said Libby Haag, general manager of the Hoggy's in Grandview Heights.
Haag said the Columbus-based restaurant and catering business just hired 15 temporary workers to handle increased traffic associated with seasonal events.
"We do a lot of carry-outs, a lot of turkeys, a lot of holiday meals for people, and we need extra help," she said. "Our catering department needs four times as much help as I do."
Even there, though, the competition for jobs might be unusually fierce this year.
Haag pointed out that one recent opening drew more than 25 applications -- the first day.
jeff.hogan@10tv.com