Who doesn’t dream of leaving the office earlier, in time to enjoy the afternoon? Who gets frustrated, especially during the winter months, by the fact that it’s still dark when they go to work, and already dark when they leave? These are just the people that Leave The Office Earlier Day was created for!
This day was the invention of Laura Stack, a specialist in employee productivity, amongst other things. Stack noted that Americans work about 49 hours a week, and a grand total of about 350 more hours a year than most Europeans. This can prove detrimental for many reasons.
First off, the quicker things get done, at optimal levels, the more productive (and profitable) a business will be. Secondly, the truth is that the nature of work is that for the most part, employees would rather be somewhere else, doing something else, which can lead to distractions which result in lower productivity. Thirdly, interminable working days can prove disheartening, acting as a demotivational factor, causing employees to work at a sluggish pace and get much less done than they would if they were feeling better about themselves. This in turn is connected to the fact that inflexible working hours and excessive overtime can turn any hare into a tortoise. Although the latter won the proverbial race, the former would have achieved the same in less time had it only applied itself to the task.
Leave the Office Earlier Day is an incentive for employees to complete tasks before schedule, making a conscious effort to increase their efficiency and productivity so they can go home sooner. Basically, the perspective of leaving the workplace earlier acts as a carrot for the hare inside all of us, compelling employees to perform his or her tasks to his or her maximum potential, reducing levels of idleness amongst workers.
This managerial strategy—that is, allowing people to go home as soon as they have properly completed their tasks—has been shown to be beneficial to both employees and employers, a real win-win situation for both parties. Over and over again, it proves true the theory that happy workers are more efficient and productive, and that people in general respond better to positive rather than negative reinforcement. More work done in less time is beneficial to the business seeking to increase its profits as well as society or humanity at large, and Leave The Office Earlier Day is another chapter in the quest for maximum productivity that is as old as human industry itself. Another positive side effect of this managerial strategy is the creation of a sense of empathy between co-workers, as well as between workers and their bosses, which leads to much better co-operation. And this, in turn, leads to increased productivity. Yes, this truly seems to be a win-win situation for all involved.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not using it in a fruit salad.
Word of the Day
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| Definition: | (adjective) Causing distress or worry or anxiety. | ||
| Synonyms: | distressful, disturbing, worrisome | ||
| Usage: | The kindergarten teacher found her student's erratic behavior to be perturbing, and she resolved to consult with the child's parents. | ||
I don't feel old. I don't feel anything until noon. Then it's time for my nap.
- Bob Hope
History
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 | Martha Washington was the wife of first US president George Washington. They married in 1759, nearly two years after the death of her first husband, Daniel Parke Custis. During the American Revolution, she spent winters in army camps with her husband and organized a women's sewing circle to mend clothes for the troops. Although the title was not coined until after her death, she is considered the first "First Lady" of the US. | ||
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 | The day known as St. Elmo's Day is actually St. Erasmus's Day, in honor of a third-century Italian bishop who is thought to have suffered martyrdom around the year 304. Erasmus was a patron saint of sailors and was especially popular in the 13th century. Sometimes at sea on stormy nights, sailors will see a pale, brushlike spray of electricity at the top of the mast. In the Middle Ages, they believed that these fires were the souls of the departed, rising to glory through the intercession of St. Elmo. Such an electrical display is still referred to as "St. Elmo's Fire." | ||
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 | New research shows that "lost" memories lurk in the brain waiting to be found again -- in mice, anyway. In a study published Thursday in Science, researchers were able to reactivate memories they'd suppressed, indicating that retrograde amnesia -- where memories are lost after brain trauma - may be more of a memory retrieval problem than an actual lost of data. | ||
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1835 - P.T. Barnum launched his first traveling show. The main attraction was Joice Heth. Heth was reputed to be the 161-year-old nurse of George Washington.
1883 - The first baseball game under electric lights was played in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
1886 - Grover Cleveland became the second U.S. president to get married while in office. He was the first to have a wedding in the White House.
1910 - Charles Stewart Roll became the first person to fly non-stop and double cross the English Channel.
1930 - Mrs. M. Niezes of Panama gave birth to the first baby to be born on a ship while passing through the Panama Canal.
1933 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt accepted the first swimming pool to be built inside the White House.
1953 - Elizabeth was crowned queen of England at Westminster Abbey.
2003 - In Seville, Spain, a chest containing the supposed remains of Christopher Columbus were exhumed for DNA tests to determine whether the bones were really those of the explorer. The tests were aimed at determining if Colombus was currently buried in Spain's Seville Cathedral or in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic
76 Today
Mathers is best known for his role as a child on the CBS/ABC television show,
“Leave It To Beaver” from 1957-1963. He made his first commercial at age 2
for PET Milk and was a model for a department store ad at the young age as
well. Jerry Mathers later became a successful banker and real estate investor.
“Leave It To Beaver” from 1957-1963. He made his first commercial at age 2
for PET Milk and was a model for a department store ad at the young age as
well. Jerry Mathers later became a successful banker and real estate investor.
81 Yesterday
Singer, actor, and writer Pat Boone was a successful pop singer during
the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold over 45 million albums, had 38 Top
40 hits and appeared in more than 12 Hollywood movies.
the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold over 45 million albums, had 38 Top
40 hits and appeared in more than 12 Hollywood movies.
According to Billboard, Boone was the second biggest charting artist of
the late 1950s, behind only Elvis Presley. He attended three colleges
before graduating.
the late 1950s, behind only Elvis Presley. He attended three colleges
before graduating.
DAILY SQU-EEK
If You Were Born Today, June 2
You are a true companion who comes alive in any one-to-one relationship. Thoughtful, kind, funny, and warm, you can also be very stubborn! Your desire for security and reliability is so strong that at times you may try to control your life and those in it. You are an excellent mediator or go-between as you not only crave peace and balance, you also intuitively understand how to resolve conflicts fairly. You are extremely sensitive and imaginative, and possess quirky charm. Famous people born today: Thomas Hardy, Jerry Mathers, Dana Carvey, Bo Diddley.
| Picture of the day | |
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Wentworth Falls is a seasonal three-tiered waterfall fed by the Jamison Creek, near the town of Wentworth Fallsin the Blue Mountains region of New South Wales, Australia. The falls are accessible via the National Pass Walking Trail and the Overcliff/Undercliff Walk. The total height of the waterfall is 187 metres (614 ft); this includes the upper falls (shown here), which have two drops, and the lower falls.
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Meeting of Shadows
Photograph by Denis Buchel, National Geographic
Long shadows converge on a sunny day in Istanbul, Turkey, in this photo by Denis Buchel,.
Money can't buy you happiness .... But it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.
- Spike Milligan
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My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetery, people would stop dying.
- Rodney Dangerfield
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Ridges Tea Cozy pattern by Bernat Design Studio
This festive tea cozy will go perfectly with your peppermint tea as you sit back and catch up with family and friends. Shown in Bernat Handicrafter Holidays....
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Until I was thirteen, I thought my name was SHUT UP .
- Joe Namath
RECIPE
How to make the original kosher dill pickle.
By Linda Ziedrich
Ingredients
- 3 qts water
- 1/2 cup pickling salt
- 2 Tablespoons whole coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 Tablespoon whole allspice berries
- about 4 lbs cucumbers
- 8 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 small fresh or dried hot peppers
- 4-6 dill heads
Directions
Layer the cucumbers in a gallon jar with the dill, hot peppers, peppercorns, and coriander. Dissolve the salt in the water, and pour enough brine over the cucumbers to cover them. Push a gallon-size freezer bag into the jar, pour the remaining brine into the bag, and seal the bag. Keep the jar at room temperature.
Within three days you should see the tiny bubbles in the brine. If scum forms on top of the brine, skim it off daily and rinse off the brine bag.
The pickles should be ready in about two weeks, when they are sour and olive-green throughout. At this point, remove the brine bag and any scum, cap the jar, and store it in the refrigerator, where the pickles will keep for several months or longer.
I have never hated a man enough to give his diamonds back.
- Zsa Zsa Gabor
CROCKPOT RECIPE
stephanie o'dea
CrockPot Tomatoes and Goat Cheese with Cranberry Balsamic Syrup
Go get a nice bottle of red wine and the ingredients to make these stuffed tomato slices. In your crockpot.
They are so good you will be tempted to say bad words.
The Ingredients.
--4 medium vine ripened tomatoes
--3 T balsamic vinegar
--log of goat cheese
--1/4 cup dried cranberries
--1/4 t kosher salt
--1/4 t black pepper
--1 T sesame oil ( I think this could be optional)
The Directions.
I used a 6qt oval Smart-Pot for this recipe. My tomatoes touched and some were on top of each other. If you are going to use a 4qt, put the tomatoes on top staggered a bit. They will turn out fine.
--Swirl the balsamic vinegar on the bottom of your crockpot.
--slice the tomatoes into thick slices
--slice the goat cheese. In the original recipe, Ming says to use dental floss. Our dental floss is either mint or bubble gum flavor, so I used a knife. It worked fine.
--put the goat cheese on top of the tomatoes and then add the tomatoes to the crock
--sprinkle your salt and pepper
--add the dried cranberries
--pour the 1 T of sesame oil evenly over the top of the tomatoes and goat cheese
cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or until the goat cheese is melty and the tomatoes are starting to pucker and look so good you have to eat them or you're going to freak out.
The Verdict.
These couldn't possibly be any better. I do think the sesame oil is optional---the balsamic and the juice from the tomatoes add enough moisture for the roasting to occur, and I could not taste the sesame flavor at all. If you don't have sesame oil, I think you could omit the oil fully or try a nice olive oil.
The kids loved these. I so wish they didn't, so I could have eaten them all myself. They were intrigued to try goat cheese for the first time, especially because they've been hearing about my friend Alison and her goat farm. Goat cheese is like a nice, creamy, mild feta. I have found it in the regular grocery store in the "nice cheese" case. If you wanted to, you could use feta for this dish, but I totally recommend trying the goat. We ate them warm with our fingers, but they'd taste great on slices of french bread, probably.
My wife has a slight impediment in her speech. Every now and then she stops to breathe.
- Jimmy Durante
CRAFT
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I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury.
- Groucho Marx
CHILDREN'S CORNER ... craft
homemade slime
the lady prefers 2 save
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup Elmer’s School White Glue
- 2 disposable cups
- Food coloring
- 3 Tablespoons Water
- 1 Tablespoon Borax Powder
- A plastic spoon
Directions: for $0.20 a container
- In your first plastic cup, add your water and Borax Powder.
- Stir the mixture gently, then set aside.
- In your second plastic cup, add your Elmer’s School White Glue.
- Add the food coloring, in your color(s) of choice, to the second cup, stirring until mixed.
- Now, add 1 Tablespoon of the mixture from the first cup at a time, to the second cup; the slime will instantly start forming, but allow the mixture to set-up for 30 second before playing with each batch.
- Store slime in sandwich bags.
- Avoid placing slime on textured, carpeted, and porous surface.
- Enjoy!
By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one,
you'll become a philosopher.
- Socrates
PUZZLE
Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.
- Mark Twain
QUOTE
Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people only once a year.
- Victor Borge
The Water Wives of India Live Only to Fetch Water for Their Families
By Spooky
Men in drought-stricken Indian villages often take a second or even a third wife whose sole purpose is only to bring water to the family. They make several long trips to distant water sources every single day, carrying large vats of water on their heads.
Life is hard in dry villages, like Denganmal, 150 km from Mumbai. Husbands are busy farming and tending to the animals, while the women do house chores and raise the children. However, someone still needs to bring water from sources often several kilometers away, for about 8 months out of a year, when there is no rainfall in the area. That’s why having two or even three wives is not at all uncommon in these parts. The men only have children with their first wives, while the other’s sole purpose is to provide water for the family, in exchange for a roof over their heads and the social status of wife. They are paaniwaali bais, water wives.
The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending;
and to have the two as close together as possible.
and to have the two as close together as possible.
- George Burns
"Good Morning" in Bengali (Bangladesh, India) - Shu pravat
I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalogue: - 'No good in a bed, but fine against a wall.'
- Eleanor Roosevelt
CLEVER
Get stains out of your microfiber couch with rubbing alcohol.
Use isopropyl alcohol, a white sponge, some elbow grease, and a white bristle brush to make the couch look like new. Just make sure to get white tools so that the color dyes don’t transfer to your fabric.
Sometimes, when I look at my children, I say to myself, 'Lillian, you should have
remained a virgin.'
- Lillian Carter (mother of Jimmy Carter)
EYE OPENER
knitting and crochet book to look through (vintage patterns, etc)
(click on magnifying glass to the right to open book)
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The Sunlight book of knitting and crocheting : Gray, Ade...
The Sunlight book of knitting and crocheting by Gray, Adelaide J., [from old catalog] ed Published 1915 Topics Knitting, Crocheting Page-progressi...
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Beaver, I hardly know you! Never knew until now that Socrates had a BAD marriage. Learning every day.
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