I had the same experience with the vocational wheel in the sky, Merlin. I grew up in Tennessee in the 1980s, and in 8th grade all of the "honors" kids had to do a vocational kind of training. (I guess the powers that be figured we wouldn't be taking shop class in HS.) We got to choose which class to take. Two of my buddies and I, realizing the worthlessness of it all, decided to go where the girls would be. We chose "Hairstyling." Worked like a charm. The next six weeks about 25 girls, all giggly that there were BOYS in the class, all took turns playing with our hair. We each emerged with several new sweethearts, not to mention a decent understanding of how to nurture fuller-bodied hair. That, my friend, is a lifehack.