OFFICE - Top 5 office eating habits that make every co-worker angry

Avoid these annoying eating habits--or you'll drive your co-workers nuts.

• 1. Extremely noisy eating.

  
  

  iStock
  To all the crunchers and munchers out there: please stop. While everyone should enjoy their lunch, it really isn't necessary to be chomping away all day on extremely loud foods. It not only annoys desk mates, but can be a big distraction in the workplace. This also goes for talking on the phone with your mouth full or smacking gum at a meetings. Solution? Take those kettle chips to the break room and snack away. 

• 2. Putting weird stuff in the communal fridge or freezer.

  
  

  iStock
  From strong smelling foods to exploding sodas, sometimes office mates just don't have a clue when it comes to communal space. Some have even complained of co-workers coming back from a hunting trip and loading their fresh game right into the office fridge. Please, leave Bambi at home and keep in mind that other people need room to store their lunch.

• 3. Not cleaning your dirty dishes

  
  

  iStock
  Sure, most office spaces have a nighttime cleaning crew but these hardworking men and women are not your personal housekeepers. Leaving dirty dishes around not only clutters the common kitchen, but leaving plates with food and drink around could attract bugs or worse. 

• 4. Eating extremely smelly foods at yours desk.

  
  

  iStock
  While everyone has a different tolerance for smells, there are some foods that are better consumed in a restaurant or at home. Few people enjoy the smell of pungent fish, for example, but even a Lean Cuisine can have a strong aroma while its turning in the microwave. If you think your food smell may be offensive to others, utilize the office common area away from those who are at their desks.

• 5. Taking someone else’s food from the fridge.

  
  

  iStock
  The ultimate transgression when it comes to food in the workplace is one of the most widely talked about annoying office habits. Sure, that strawberry banana Yoplait might be calling your name. But if you didn't buy it--or get explicit permission to take it from the owner-- then it really is wise to keep your hand off. Sure the passive aggressive notes people leave on the fridge about stolen food are hilarious-- but you won't be laughing when your ham and cheese Hot Pocket mysteriously disappears before noon.
  The one cavaet to this rule is that if you see something obviously rotting in your workplace fridge, be an office hero and throw it out right away. 
• Source: http://www.foxnews.com/

PEOPLE - Why do people blame others?

How many time have you blamed others?

and how many times other blamed you for something you never done?

Blaming others have been the easiest way to escape from situations and giving excuses is the perfect partner of the blame game.

Why do people blame others?

Is it because they want to hide their own weaknesses?

or are they using blame to excuse their bad behavior?

Unfortunately, blame is like anger in that it dulls one sense of empathy. It allows a person to act in a hurtful way to another human being. 

It may also be an act to override their disability and lacking of self control.

Blaming is a habit to hide self weaknesses and to show someone is weaker.


Elliot D. Cohen, Ph.D. in his article Published in http://www.psychologytoday.com on July 29, 2012" Stop Playing the Blame Game" described 'The Irrationality of the Four Blame Game Claim' as follows:

Someone Else Must Always Be to Blame

Clearly, the first of these beliefs is false because in many cases a negative situation is not really the fault of anyone, or anyone in particular. For example, traffic accidents can be “true accidents”; people sometimes don’t get along or like each other because of personality conflicts; sometimes people come in contact with a virus and catch it to no fault of anyone. 

People can suffer heart attacks or get cancer without it being someone else’s false. Indeed,

when people play the blame game, they often engage in further irrational thinking in order to justify blaming others. For example, a client once exclaimed, “It’s my wife's fault I caught that nasty bug because the night before I got sick, she made me stay up to the wee hours watching that dumb video she rented." But how could someone possibly ever prove that he wouldn’t have gotten sick had he gotten more sleep? Post hoc ergo propter hoc: Just because one event followed the other doesn’t mean the first caused the second. The fallacy is classic but it’s a lot easier to cast blame than to be scientific. The blame game is a breeding ground for unscientific, unsupportable blame claims!

Losing Respect for the Blameworthy

The second belief of the blame game is also irrational because it confuses the deed with the doer. Here it is not simply “what you did was wrong.” Rather, it is that you as a person have fallen from good graces. You are less of a person for your failing and hence less worthy of respect; it is personal; you are stigmatized for it; looked down upon; you are less than you were before you faltered. If you are blameworthy then you are less worthy of respect. It’s a cardinal rule of playing the game.

But, as we know, games are not always realistic. Even if someone does something wrong, this doesn’t mean that the person himself is bad or deserves less respect as a person. If this were the case, then we would all shed our respectability because we all exercise indiscretion and make some poor choices in the course of life. So we really oughtn’t to damn the doer just because we are inclined to damn the deed. What’s true of the part is not necessarily true of the whole. It’s a simple rule of reality—and life.

Treating them with Disrespect

The use of the silent treatment, personal attacks, and the use of force are all classic ways to alienate people and to shut down the avenue for meaningful interpersonal communication whereby disagreements can be rationally addressed. The blame game, however, does not aim at constructive resolution of disagreements; instead it aims at some vague, unrealistic, and negativistic goal of making sure that people get what they deserve. This game plan get us nowhere in building fulfilling interpersonal relationships. Instead it tends to perpetuate malcontent among all concerned.

No Flies on Me

Much of this malcontent has to do with the refusal to take personal responsibility. People make mistakes and engage in regrettable actions. But by failing to take personal responsibility the road to constructive change is blocked. This refusal is piloted by the belief that somehow it is not okay to make mistakes. Better to blame others than to admit culpability. For, making mistakes means being flawed and being flawed means being unworthy of respect.

But what is really flawed is this unrealistic demand for perfection. While people are not perfect they can learn from their mistakes—but only if they admit them and change their behavior in the future. Unfortunately, the blame game looks outside oneself to cast blame. It is never me in any significant way; it is rather the other guy who is to blame. Blame me? Hell no! No flies on me!

PEOPLE - The mother-of-four ravaged by alcohol

The mother-of-four ravaged by alcohol: Shocking images reveal how woman who drank 40 cans of lager and a bottle of cider EVERY day faces death at just 35

• - Beverley Pickorer became an alcoholic when she was in her early 20s
• - She now suffers from epileptic seizures and liver disease - her stomach is hugely bloated 
•   and her skin is paper-thin and jaundiced
• - She's cared for in a nursing home where all the other residents are elderly
• - Now facing certain death from liver disease and wants to come home to die
• 
  

By EMMA INNES

PUBLISHED: 11:36 GMT, 13 January 2014 | UPDATED: 13:33 GMT, 13 January 2014

These shocking images show the damage alcohol can do to the body - even at a young age.

Mother-of-four Beverley Pickorer faces certain death from liver disease as a result of years of heavy drinking.

The 35-year-old is plagued by epileptic seizures, her teeth are rotting, her stomach is swollen and her skin is thin and jaundiced.

Now, her distraught partner Anthony Howard, 31, is pleading for her to be allowed to return to her home in Sheffield to die.

Beverley Pickorer, 35, suffers from fits and liver disease as a result of years of heavy drinking. She suffers from epileptic seizures, has 

liver disease and her skin is thin and jaundiced

If his wishes are not granted, she will spend her last days being nursed around the clock at Haythorne Place Care Home, in Shiregreen.

Ms Pickorer has been drink-dependent for years and at her worst was downing up to 24 cans of lager plus a bottle of perry - pear cider - in the morning, then visiting the pub, then drinking as many as 16 cans when she returned home.

Her four children have all been taken into care.

She has spent the last eight months receiving palliative care in the home, where most other residents are elderly. Before that, she spent four months in hospital.

‘I've been looking after my partner for five-and-a-half years, and she's constantly been in and out of hospital with liver cirrhosis,’ said Mr Howard.

Ms Pickorer, 35, became dependent on drink when she was in her early 20s and drank up to 40 cans of lager and a bottle of pear cider 

a day. She is pictured with her partner, Anthony Howard, 31

‘She's the youngest person in this care home. All she can do every day now is stay in bed. The staff come and turn her over every two hours.’

Mr Howard said Ms Pickorer’s drinking problems started in her early 20s, during a series of troubled relationships.

‘When I met her I took her drinking as part of her, it's something I got used to,’ he said.

‘When she got up and had a can in her hand straight away, I got immune to it. To her it was like having a cup of tea.

Ms Pickorer (pictured before alcohol ravaged her body) has four children but they have all been taken into care

‘Beverley has four beautiful children, they are now aged six to 15, and they have all been taken into care because she can't look after them.

‘It's tragic. We made an agreement that when she dies she would die in my arms at home, but the NHS has said it would be too expensive to care for her at home.

‘They would have to pay for one carer and a nurse. She's on a syringe driver to stop her having seizures. But Beverley wants to die at home and I don't think you can deny a person that.’

Matt McMullen, from the Sheffield Alcohol Support Service, said Beverley's situation is ‘very sad’.

‘Unfortunately it is not unheard of for someone of such a young age to be experiencing such severe health problems as a result of alcohol consumption,’ said Mr McMullen, the service's activities co-ordinator.

Kevin Clifford, chief nurse for NHS Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group, said he was unable to comment on individual patients.

‘Whenever possible, the CCG looks to arrange care which meets the wishes of patients and their carers, as well as their care needs. However, in so doing, we have to consider the safest and most appropriate manner in which an individual's needs can be met. 

‘It is always regrettable when we have to take a decision based on a patient's safety which doesn't meet the hopes of their family. 

‘But we work with the family to offer them a range of solutions, and endeavour to offer a care package that is in the best interests of the patient and agreeable to the family.’

According to NHS figures, between 2001 and 2009 there were 400 deaths per year in people aged up to 39 where alcoholic liver disease was the underlying cause.

Ms Pickorer wants to return home to die but her partner has been told it would be too expensive to provide care for her outside of the nursing home

‘The bottom line is, good quality help is available in Sheffield and South Yorkshire, and the earlier someone can access that help the better,’ Mr McMullen added.

There are currently concerns about soaring rates of liver disease in Britain.

Matt McMullen, from the Sheffield Alcohol Support Service, said Ms Pickorer's situation is 'very sad'

Recent figures show alcohol-related liver damage is becoming increasingly common in the under-30s, with the number of hospital admissions in this age group more than doubling between 2002 and 2012.

Across all age groups, an extra 1,000 people with alcohol-related liver damage are being admitted to hospitals in England each year.

Experts say few of these would be regarded by other members of the public as alcoholics. 

Rather they are apparently ordinary people who are unwittingly drinking too much.

This includes middle-aged, middle-class women who enjoy a bottle of wine a day, or successful businessmen who have working lunches.

It has also recently been revealed that an increasing number of mothers are drinking heavily. 

A survey of 1,000 mothers revealed a quarter have been drunk within the last month and one in six have, at some point in the past, been too hungover to be a good parent.

The poll, commissioned by ITV’s This Morning, also found that 28 per cent of mothers with under-18s have been drunk in front of their children.

While they are meant to be looking after their offspring, a quarter admit they have been so intoxicated that they have put even their own safety at risk.

Worryingly, 33 per cent say they do not only drink socially with friends, they also drink when they are alone.

PEOPLE - Top 10 Ways how People Waste Water

Article by Aashima Singh

We all have been taking water for granted because it is normally available to us all the time. But facts suggest something else. It is true that two-third of the Earth is covered with water but out of this, only three per cent is suitable for drinking while the other part is salty water. The quantity of water has remained same since the time Earth was formed but its quality is deteriorating day by day. Water conservation has become really important in recent times looking at the global climatic change and the scarcity of water that it is causing. We need to save water for our future generations and for a healthy survival of our planet. But do all of us understand that? I fear not. Most of the people are either unaware of the gravity of this situation or are too lazy to do anything about it. Some may think that what difference will it make if a single person starts taking the action while some others don’t even realize how much of water they are wasting every day. Here are 10 ways by which people waste water most commonly. If any of it sounds familiar please stop doing it, immediately.

10. Washing the car

Washing a car is more like a routine activity for all city folks. And one can’t do without washing it at least once in a month or maybe more. But washing your car and the driveway can cost you more water than you think. In a single wash 80 gallons of water is gone whereas if you give it at a car wash, they can use up to 30 gallons of water. Obviously giving it to the car wash seems like a more sensible option but if you are doing it at home then keep a few things in mind. If there is a lawn in your house then park the car over there for washing so that all the water you use up, it can be recycled to nourish your lawn. Try to keep a bucket and use the hose only once for the final rinse. This way, a whole lot of water can be saved.

9. Diving in swimming pools

Who doesn’t love a nice dip in the pool on a hot sunny afternoon? But while swimming pool replenishes you it also causes a serious damage to the environment. A usual swimming pool takes in 1000 gallons of water in a month of summer because the water is constantly evaporating and more water gets splashed in. Your pool might develop some leaks too which can waste even more water and if you drain out the pool at the end of the season, then whole of the water gets wasted which is too precious for our environment.

8. Dish washing

Even while washing your daily dishes you waste up on so much of water. An Electronic dishwasher uses up to 10 gallons of water but doing the dishes by hand can waste even more. So it’s good to invest in an electrical dishwasher. But if one washes the dishes by hand then it should NOT be done with water running. The scrubbing can be done without water, and water is required only to rinse of the soap at the end. Moreover,the rinsing should be done with all the dishes together and not one at a time.

7. Sprinklers and Fountains

A lush green lawn is liked by all but keeping it green may not be good for the environment. If the sprinklers in the lawn are turned on unnecessarily then a lot of water gets wasted. It’s advisable to turn on the sprinkler only when required and it should be adjusted well so that the water doesn’t flow out to the pavement. Just like sprinklers, fountains are also a source of water wastage. Some fountains have water constantly flowing in them and draining out to get wasted. It should be avoided.

6. Flushing

Flushing does seem like an essential and a sanitary thing to do every time you use the toilet. But a single flush can expense 10 gallons of water. And it is actually not required every time you visit the bathroom. Flushing can be avoided when it is not completely necessary, or when there is no stool to be washed off, you may add a mug of water to keep the toilet stink free without wasting too much water.

5. Bathing

“You must bath at least once a day”, if this is what your mom taught you in childhood then she missed upon a very important message. You must get cleaned every day but make sure you are not wasting too much water while doing it. Taking a bath misuses gallons of water which can be saved if you take a shower. A shower uses only 1/5th the amount of water which is required for a bath. So one must get the habit of showering from early on and the showers should also be not very long and turn it on just to rinse your body not while putting on soap.

4. Shaving

Both men and women tend to keep the tap on while shaving which is completely avertable. If one is using the sink while shaving then it should be filled only till the halfway which can be used to wash off the blade. Or if you are in a habit of shaving while taking a shower then turning off the shower while shaving is the sensible thing to do. Once you are done with it, rinse it off under the shower. This way, gallons of water can be conserved and your shaving can also be done without a problem.

3. Using Hot Water

Having a hot water bath while relaxing in your bathtub seems to be a pretty tempting thing. But did anyone tell you that hot water uses a lot more water and energy than your normal tap water. Turning on the hot water knob just for comfort isn’t a very good idea and save it only when it becomes absolutely necessary, otherwise stick to the tap water in order to conserve this resource.

2. Leaky taps and faucets

Leaky taps and faucets are very common to have in every household, but they can waste up to 200 gallons of water in a single day! One should keep checking the pipes, faucets, toilets etc to ensure there are not any cracks bulging that can allow the water to leak and if you spot any crack then fix it up immediately. A simple dripping tap can seem to be a thing to be ignored, but it is not, and one should get it fixed to save more water.

1. Running water while brushing teeth

This is so far the most common habit that people have, leading to wastage of water. And very simple is the way to avoid it. You definitely don’t need water while you are brushing your teeth. Just wet the toothbrush and turn off the tap. And once you are done brushing you can open it to wash and rinse your mouth and the toothbrush. Brushing is a daily activity that no-one skips doing and if every-one develops the habit of never leaving the tap running then a lot of water can be conserved.

I’m sure after reading each and every point you must have been like “Okay! I can do this” but if it’s the “Why shall I?” or “what difference it will make by my alone doing this?” attitude that is keeping you away from conserving water then you shall realize that even a small step can help conserving in gallons of water. A slight change in routine activities and a little concern for the environment will surely do wonders and will also make you feel good about it. And moreover, ain’t you really tired of paying that huge water bill and dealing with situations when you don’t get enough water?

WORLD - Where is the world's most corrupt nation?

Where is the world's most corrupt nation?

By Sophie Brown, CNN

December 4, 2013 -- Updated 1545 GMT (2345 HKT)

Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia are seen as the most corrupt nations in the world, according to Transparency International's latest survey. Pictured here, a young Afghan garbage collector looks on from a landfill in Herat on November 15, 2012.

HIDE CAPTION

The most corrupt nations in the world

<<

<

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

>

>>

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia are seen as the most corrupt nations in the world
• Denmark and New Zealand are seen as the least corrupt nations
• More than two thirds of the 177 countries included in the corruption index score badly

(CNN) -- Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia are seen as the most corrupt nations in the world, according to Transparency International's latest survey, released Tuesday.

More than two thirds of the 177 countries included in the 2013Corruption Perceptions Index scored below 50, where 0 indicates the country's public sector is seen as highly corrupt and 100 as very clean.

Denmark and New Zealand performed best with scores of 91. Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia tied last with 8 points each.

Driving dirty money out of politics

"All countries still face the threat of corruption at all levels of government, from the issuing of local permits to the enforcement of laws and regulations," said Huguette Labelle, Transparency International's Chair in a statement.

Strategic Syrian town changes hands

In Syria, where 100,000 have died in a conflict which began in 2011 and has now exploded into war, people regard its public sector as increasingly corrupt.

Turning around Greece's economy

The stricken nation dropped 9 points from 144th place to 168th. Libya, Yemen, Spain, Australia, Guatemala and Madagascar were among the other countries whose scores declined significantly.

Suu Kyi on ending Myanmar violence

Myanmar saw the biggest improvement, rising from 5th last position in 2012 to 19 places from the bottom this year.

The change reflects the benefits of introducing more open and democratic rules after years of military rule, according to Transparency International's Asia Pacific Director, Srirak Plipat.

Myanmar also ratified an international treaty against corruption in December 2012 and the parliament approved an anti-corruption law in July, although this is yet to come into force.

While Greece's score rose four points this year to 40, but remained the lowest ranking country in the European Union in 80th place. Brunei, Laos, Senegal, Nepal, Estonia, Lesotho and Latvia also improved.

The UK jumped from 17th to 14th place with a score of 76, two points up from last year. The U.S. did not change from last year, ranking 19th with a score of 73. China's rank did not change. Australia dropped two places to 9th position with a score of 81.

The Corruption Perceptions Index is based on perceptions of corruption in public institutions like political parties, police and justice systems according to experts and business people.

Strong access to information systems and rules governing the behavior of public officials can help a country improve, while a lack of accountability and weak public institutions damages these perceptions, Transparency International said.

The organization called on public institutions and officials to be more open, adding that corruption remains notoriously difficult to investigate and prosecute.

PEOPLE - Record numbers of pensioners taken to A&E after poisoning themselves with cocaine and cannabis

Record numbers of pensioners taken to A&E after poisoning themselves with cocaine and cannabis 

• - Almost 900 over 65s needed emergency treatment for illicit drug use
• - More than half of those admitted to A&E were aged 75 or over
• - Experts blame the increase on the 'free love' generation of baby boomers
• 
  

By STEVE NOLAN

PUBLISHED: 01:58 GMT, 8 December 2013 | UPDATED: 01:59 GMT, 8 December 2013

The number of pensioners being admitted to hospital after poisoning themselves with illicit drugs has soared

Almost 900 pensioners needed hospital treatment last year after poisoning themselves with illicit drugs such as cocaine and cannabis, according to new figures.

The number of those aged 65 or over who have been admitted to A&E because of drug use has tripled in the past ten years.

More than 50 per cent of those who were rushed to hospital were aged over 75.

According to the Sunday Times, experts are blaming the staggering increase on the 'free love' generation - many of those aged 75 or over would have been twentysomethings during the experimental age of the 1960s.

The NHS figures show that in total 888 pensioners were taken to A&E with illicit drug poisioning, with 283 of those aged at least 75.

David Raynes, from the National Drug Prevention Alliance, told the Times: 'We are getting to the period where people who grew up in the Sixties are of that age.

'People who have used drugs their whole lives will start to hit the NHS.'

Drug abuse charity DrugScope has called for more resources to be allocated to treatment services to deal ageing drug users.

The figures were released after an earlier study by scientists at King's College London found that illicit drug use among over 50s has soared in the last 20 years.

The study found that the number of pensioners using drugs, particularly cannabis, is likely to increase further still over the next 20 years.

In 2012, Sir Paul McCartney, now 71, gave up smoking cannabis after using it for almost 50 years.

The NHS figures show that in total 888 pensioners were taken to A&E with illicit drug poisioning, with 283 of those aged at least 75