Start planning your holiday party.
Start making your holiday mailing list.
Browse stores that are decorated with hints of the holiday.
Start Christmas shopping.
Think about what you have instead of what you do not have. be appreciative and grateful for your bed, roof over your head and food in your mouth.
Go to Manhattan and check out all the window displays by Sacks, Macy's and lord and taylor! Wonderful eye candy!
Start shopping for your holiday duds.
Shop around and scope the places where parties are happening. Grab a freind or two and attend!
Friday, November 7, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Just get along.
Here are essential steps to constructively resolve conflicts at work. The steps can be applied to any kind of conflict between co-workers.
1: Realize that conflicts are inevitable at work
Show me a workplace without conflict and I’ll show you a workplace where no one gives a damn. Whenever people are engaged, committed and fired up, conflict and disagreement is bound to happen. This doesn’t mean you have to revel in conflict or create trouble just for the hell of it, but it does mean that when conflict happens it’s not the end of the world. Quite the contrary, it can even be the beginning of an interesting learning process. The very best and most efficient workplaces are not the ones without conflicts but those who handle conflicts constructively.
Particularly when a workplace is changing and new ideas are being dreamt up and implemented, conflict is inevitable. There can be no business change without conflict. The trick is to make sure that you also have no conflict without change, because that is the truly dangerous thing: Conflicts that go on for years with all parties refusing to budge.
The fact that you have a conflict at work does not reflect badly on you - it mostly means that you care enough to disagree strongly. That’s a good thing provided that you do something about the conflict instead of just letting it go on forever.
2: Handle conflict sooner rather than later
This is the single most important tip to successfully resolve conflicts: Do it now! It’s very tempting to wait for a conflict to blow over by itself, but it rarely does - in most cases it only gets worse with time. I refer you to this delightful cartoon by Claire Bretecher for an example.
90% of conflicts at work do not come from something that was said, but from something that wasn’t said! It’s tempting to try and smooth things over and pretend everything is normal. Don’t. That’s the most common reason why conflicts at work escalate: Nobody does anything. Everyone’s waiting for the other guy to pull himself together and “just admit he’s wrong, dammit”. It may be unpleasant to tackle the issue here and now but believe me, it gets even more unpleasant after the conflict has stewed for a good long while.
3: Ask!
In the early stages of a conflict the most powerful tool to resolve it is simple: Ask! If somebody has done something that made you angry, if you don’t understand somebody’s viewpoint, if you don’t understand their actions - ask!
Do it nicely. “Say, I was wondering why you did ‘X’ yesterday” or “I’ve noticed that you often do ‘Y’. Why is that?” are good examples. “Why the hell do you always have to ‘Z’!” is less constructive :o)
Sometimes there’s a perfectly good reason why that person does what he does, and a potential conflict evaporates right there. Also: Never assume that people do what they do to annoy you or spite you. People typically have a good reason to do the things they do, even the things that really get on your nerves. Never assume bad faith on anyone else’s part. Instead: Ask!
For the rest of them just click here.
1: Realize that conflicts are inevitable at work
Show me a workplace without conflict and I’ll show you a workplace where no one gives a damn. Whenever people are engaged, committed and fired up, conflict and disagreement is bound to happen. This doesn’t mean you have to revel in conflict or create trouble just for the hell of it, but it does mean that when conflict happens it’s not the end of the world. Quite the contrary, it can even be the beginning of an interesting learning process. The very best and most efficient workplaces are not the ones without conflicts but those who handle conflicts constructively.
Particularly when a workplace is changing and new ideas are being dreamt up and implemented, conflict is inevitable. There can be no business change without conflict. The trick is to make sure that you also have no conflict without change, because that is the truly dangerous thing: Conflicts that go on for years with all parties refusing to budge.
The fact that you have a conflict at work does not reflect badly on you - it mostly means that you care enough to disagree strongly. That’s a good thing provided that you do something about the conflict instead of just letting it go on forever.
2: Handle conflict sooner rather than later
This is the single most important tip to successfully resolve conflicts: Do it now! It’s very tempting to wait for a conflict to blow over by itself, but it rarely does - in most cases it only gets worse with time. I refer you to this delightful cartoon by Claire Bretecher for an example.
90% of conflicts at work do not come from something that was said, but from something that wasn’t said! It’s tempting to try and smooth things over and pretend everything is normal. Don’t. That’s the most common reason why conflicts at work escalate: Nobody does anything. Everyone’s waiting for the other guy to pull himself together and “just admit he’s wrong, dammit”. It may be unpleasant to tackle the issue here and now but believe me, it gets even more unpleasant after the conflict has stewed for a good long while.
3: Ask!
In the early stages of a conflict the most powerful tool to resolve it is simple: Ask! If somebody has done something that made you angry, if you don’t understand somebody’s viewpoint, if you don’t understand their actions - ask!
Do it nicely. “Say, I was wondering why you did ‘X’ yesterday” or “I’ve noticed that you often do ‘Y’. Why is that?” are good examples. “Why the hell do you always have to ‘Z’!” is less constructive :o)
Sometimes there’s a perfectly good reason why that person does what he does, and a potential conflict evaporates right there. Also: Never assume that people do what they do to annoy you or spite you. People typically have a good reason to do the things they do, even the things that really get on your nerves. Never assume bad faith on anyone else’s part. Instead: Ask!
For the rest of them just click here.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Election Day!!!!
Today is a special day, a day we can express ourselves but we must respect each other too. Here are some things to keep in mind when you go to the polls today.
VOTING MYTHS (MSN.com)
Myth: I will be turned away from the polls if I wear an Obama or McCain shirt.
NOT TRUE. You can't be turned away from the polls, but you may be asked to cover the parts of your clothing that are advertising your candidate. Certain states -- such as California, District of Columbia, Pennsylvania and New York -- restrict anything that can be considered campaign material within 50 to 150 feet of voting sites. If you've got questions, contact your state election official to find out the exact rules in your state, or, just be sure to bring an extra shirt or sweater for when you place your vote.
Myth: If something goes wrong -- I'm not on the voter rolls, forgot my ID, recently moved -- I can't vote.
NOT TRUE. You may need to take an oath affirming you're a citizen, and that you live where you say you do. But keep in mind that the burden of proof is on the person making the challenge, not you. If your right to vote is being challenged for any reason, call the Election Protection hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683) to get immediate legal advice. You can also request a provisional ballot from poll officials.
Myth: If I registered to vote through ACORN, my registration is not valid.
NOT TRUE: While some ACORN voter registrations are being investigated, if you provided accurate information, your registration is valid. In case you encounter problems, call the Election Protection hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683) or be sure to request a provisional ballot.
Myth: Absentee ballots don't count and are only used as tie-breakers.
NOT TRUE: Like provisional ballots, absentee ballots count as a regular vote in every state.
Myth: If you register to vote under your school address, you will be dropped from your parents' health insurance or lose financial aid.
NOT TRUE: In a recent Time Magazine report, officials in Montgomery, Virginia; Greenville, South Carolina; and El Paso, Colorado told students that their health care and financial aid would be in jeopardy if they were to cast a vote. There was just one problem with these warnings: They were entirely untrue. Time reports, "[A]ccording to youth-voter advocates and the IRS... these dire warnings were incorrect."
On the other hand, if you want to have a last minute election party, please read the following tips that will help you to have a great time:
ELECTION PARTY ETIQUETTE (iVillage.com)
VOTING MYTHS (MSN.com)
Myth: I will be turned away from the polls if I wear an Obama or McCain shirt.
NOT TRUE. You can't be turned away from the polls, but you may be asked to cover the parts of your clothing that are advertising your candidate. Certain states -- such as California, District of Columbia, Pennsylvania and New York -- restrict anything that can be considered campaign material within 50 to 150 feet of voting sites. If you've got questions, contact your state election official to find out the exact rules in your state, or, just be sure to bring an extra shirt or sweater for when you place your vote.
Myth: If something goes wrong -- I'm not on the voter rolls, forgot my ID, recently moved -- I can't vote.
NOT TRUE. You may need to take an oath affirming you're a citizen, and that you live where you say you do. But keep in mind that the burden of proof is on the person making the challenge, not you. If your right to vote is being challenged for any reason, call the Election Protection hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683) to get immediate legal advice. You can also request a provisional ballot from poll officials.
Myth: If I registered to vote through ACORN, my registration is not valid.
NOT TRUE: While some ACORN voter registrations are being investigated, if you provided accurate information, your registration is valid. In case you encounter problems, call the Election Protection hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683) or be sure to request a provisional ballot.
Myth: Absentee ballots don't count and are only used as tie-breakers.
NOT TRUE: Like provisional ballots, absentee ballots count as a regular vote in every state.
Myth: If you register to vote under your school address, you will be dropped from your parents' health insurance or lose financial aid.
NOT TRUE: In a recent Time Magazine report, officials in Montgomery, Virginia; Greenville, South Carolina; and El Paso, Colorado told students that their health care and financial aid would be in jeopardy if they were to cast a vote. There was just one problem with these warnings: They were entirely untrue. Time reports, "[A]ccording to youth-voter advocates and the IRS... these dire warnings were incorrect."
On the other hand, if you want to have a last minute election party, please read the following tips that will help you to have a great time:
ELECTION PARTY ETIQUETTE (iVillage.com)
- The Guest List: If you feel your friends can all handle it as adults, however, go ahead and invite people on both sides of the aisle. However, as host, you are responsible for your guests being comfortable. If things start to get heated or uncomfortable, it's your job to step in and diffuse the situation.
- Food and Decor: If all of your guests support the same candidate, feel free to have some fun with themed decorations, hors d'oeuvres and cocktails. However, if you have Democrats and Republicans coming -- then yes, it needs to be fair and balanced. In other words, if you're serving an Obama-tini, you should also have a McCain margarita.
- Talking Politics:
- Before you speak, know the company you're in. Never, never assume you know someone's politics, unless they've explicitly expressed that to you.
- Stick to the facts. Arguing a point is different than making it personal. "'How can you support a guy like that?'That's judgmental.
- Have an exit strategy. To get yourself out of a sticky situation, have a few lines ready: "I think we'll have to agree to disagree," or "I'd rather not talk about it, if that's okay." Stay calm until the tension passes.
- Think about why you're having the conversation. What's your goal? Trying to change someone's mind election night after they've cast their vote, you might be barking up the wrong tree.
- The Results Are In: No gloating. Think about how you would want to be treated. Etiquette is based on treating people with respect, consideration and honesty, and now is the time to fall back on those principles
Monday, November 3, 2008
Avoid the flu
Keeping the Germs Away
Flu season is October through early spring, and February is often the peak month. Chances are, when you're burrowed under the covers with a box of tissues by your bedside, you turn even greener with envy thinking of those people who seem to never get sick. Want to be one of them? We can't promise you'll never get hit with another cold or suffer another bout of the flu, but you can increase your odds of staying well with these strategies. If you do get sick, we've also included some tips for getting better faster.
While colds won't kill you, they can weaken your immune system to the point that other, more serious, germs can take hold in your body. Just think how many times your cold turned into bronchitis or a sinus infection. And given that the average American adult suffers two to three colds a year, that's a lot of opportunities for serious illness -- and just as many to prevent one!
There's even more incentive to prevent the flu: Every year in the United States about 200,000 people are hospitalized and 36,000 die from the flu or its complications.
1. Wash your hands and wash them often. The Naval Health Research Center conducted a study of 40,000 recruits who were ordered to wash their hands five times a day. The recruits cut their incidence of respiratory illnesses by 45 percent.
2. Wash your hands twice every time you wash them. When Columbia University researchers looked for germs on volunteers' hands, they found one handwashing had little effect, even when using antibacterial soap. So wash twice if you're serious about fending off colds.
3. Use this hand-drying strategy in public restrooms. Studies find a shockingly large percentage of people fail to wash their hands after using a public restroom. And every single one of them touches the door handle on the way out. So after washing your hands, use a paper towel to turn off the faucet. Use another paper towel to dry your hands, then open the door with that paper towel as a barrier between you and the handle. It sounds nuts, but it's an actual recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control to protect you from infectious diseases like cold and flu.
4. Carry hand sanitizer with you. Colds are typically passed not from coughing or kissing (although those are two modes of transmission) but from hand-to-hand or hand-to-object contact, since most cold viruses can live for hours on objects. You then put your hand in or near your mouth or nose, and voilà! You're sick. Carry hand sanitizer gel or sanitizing towelettes with you and you can clean your hands anytime, even if the closest water supply is 100 miles away. It works. One study of absenteeism due to infection in elementary schools found schools using the gel sanitizer had absentee rates from infection nearly 20 percent lower than those using other hand-cleaning methods.
5. Use your knuckle to rub your eyes. It's less likely to be contaminated with viruses than your fingertip. This is particularly important given that the eye provides a perfect entry point for germs, and the average person rubs his eyes or nose or scratches his face 20-50 times a day, notes Jordan Rubin, Ph.D., author of the book The Maker's Diet.
Get the rest from Readers Digest.
Flu season is October through early spring, and February is often the peak month. Chances are, when you're burrowed under the covers with a box of tissues by your bedside, you turn even greener with envy thinking of those people who seem to never get sick. Want to be one of them? We can't promise you'll never get hit with another cold or suffer another bout of the flu, but you can increase your odds of staying well with these strategies. If you do get sick, we've also included some tips for getting better faster.
While colds won't kill you, they can weaken your immune system to the point that other, more serious, germs can take hold in your body. Just think how many times your cold turned into bronchitis or a sinus infection. And given that the average American adult suffers two to three colds a year, that's a lot of opportunities for serious illness -- and just as many to prevent one!
There's even more incentive to prevent the flu: Every year in the United States about 200,000 people are hospitalized and 36,000 die from the flu or its complications.
1. Wash your hands and wash them often. The Naval Health Research Center conducted a study of 40,000 recruits who were ordered to wash their hands five times a day. The recruits cut their incidence of respiratory illnesses by 45 percent.
2. Wash your hands twice every time you wash them. When Columbia University researchers looked for germs on volunteers' hands, they found one handwashing had little effect, even when using antibacterial soap. So wash twice if you're serious about fending off colds.
3. Use this hand-drying strategy in public restrooms. Studies find a shockingly large percentage of people fail to wash their hands after using a public restroom. And every single one of them touches the door handle on the way out. So after washing your hands, use a paper towel to turn off the faucet. Use another paper towel to dry your hands, then open the door with that paper towel as a barrier between you and the handle. It sounds nuts, but it's an actual recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control to protect you from infectious diseases like cold and flu.
4. Carry hand sanitizer with you. Colds are typically passed not from coughing or kissing (although those are two modes of transmission) but from hand-to-hand or hand-to-object contact, since most cold viruses can live for hours on objects. You then put your hand in or near your mouth or nose, and voilà! You're sick. Carry hand sanitizer gel or sanitizing towelettes with you and you can clean your hands anytime, even if the closest water supply is 100 miles away. It works. One study of absenteeism due to infection in elementary schools found schools using the gel sanitizer had absentee rates from infection nearly 20 percent lower than those using other hand-cleaning methods.
5. Use your knuckle to rub your eyes. It's less likely to be contaminated with viruses than your fingertip. This is particularly important given that the eye provides a perfect entry point for germs, and the average person rubs his eyes or nose or scratches his face 20-50 times a day, notes Jordan Rubin, Ph.D., author of the book The Maker's Diet.
Get the rest from Readers Digest.
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