INEFFECTIVE EYE-BATTING: You can say no to a flirt.

Negotiators who complimented their adversaries and who were instructed to be "playful" were actually losers at the bargaining table compared with those who played it straight, according to a recent study.

Two University of California, Berkeley business professors put together three experiments comparing flirtatious sellers to neutral sellers. The buyers were not given instructions on how to act.

Those who were told to flirt with their bargaining partner in the role-playing games were perceived as more likable. They even lifted the moods of those they flirted with. But they consistently got worse offers, and the flirty sellers' own moods suffered as a result of straining to play a role.

Men picked up on the flirtation more often and liked a flirtatious female bargaining partner even more than women liked the flirtatious men. "It's the only domain in which men are actually more sensitive," said Laura Kray, one of the Berkeley professors.

EX-CONS AS EMPLOYEES: You're considering hiring someone with a criminal record. Risky enough. So which is likely more problematic: An older man who committed a violent crime and then served a 20-year sentence, or the 20-something drug offender?

Go for the older man, according to Episcopal Social Services, a New York nonprofit providing services to those convicted of crimes.

"Violent offenders tends to be the better risk for an employer, because he's done his one big sentence. He's not going to do it again," said Anne Williams, a director at the agency.

She also said the formerly incarcerated generally make excellent employees.

"Individuals who have been imprisoned are highly motivated," Williams said. "The work ethic they get in prison is very strong. Employers can save on training costs."