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Everyday they fly in front of my face and escape my swatting hands.  These damn gnats are everywhere at work!  Now as a Buddhist layperson, I have made a conscious effort to let these little bastards live.  So I realize that I might be part of the problem.  However, I am sick and tired of them landing in my salad and heading straight for my mouth.  So while you can't use a sledgehammer to kill a gnat you might want to try some of the methods below.- Don't leave any food around - Make sure the trash is emptied regularly- They lay eggs in drains, plants and other "safe" areas with a food source.Here's a recipe that should keep them away from your desk or anywhere else where they are uninvited.Vinegar + Liquid Soup = Gnat killerThese little buggers like vinegar, and when they take a cool, refreshing drink, the liquid soap will kill 'em in their tracks.Since I'm not a natural born killer, I'd be happy just repelling the gnats to someone else's cube.  … [Read more...] about How to Kill Cubicle Gnats

It's graduation time, which means a whole bunch of fresh-faced "adults" are ready to jump headfirst into the workforce. For those of you already doing a perpetual doggy-paddle, I'm sure you welcome these rookies with open arms.  As I rattle my brain to look for excuses to escape the backyard barbecues and stuffy Italian restaurants that always follow the cap-and-gown festivities, I thought back to that now Web-famous commencement speech given by Mr. Conan O'Brien.See, we were once there.  The world sat before us for the taking. We were gonna break down the cubicle barriers and redefine what a career was all about.  But we grew tired of updating our resumes with new objectives. Four-percent raises became good enough.  But Conan's words of hope let us believe there's hope ahead.  Below you will find  a transcript of his Commencement Speech to the Harvard Class of 2000.  I suggest you read it and welcome new hires with a smile.  And not … [Read more...] about Welcome to the Workforce, Love Conan

For the first time in two years, the U.S. airline industry has seen an increase in employment opportunities.  Don't jump for joy just yet.  The rise was miniscule, but it's better than a decline.According to several airline recruiters, many companies are now hiring at all levels. The large U.S. air carriers employ over 66% of all airline workers.  Since they are almost through with their restructurings (June '07), the upward trend looks like it might really be taking off.What I'll never understand is how these guys constantly file for bankruptcy and then "emerge" from it.  It almost annoys me as much as AT&T brainwashing all of us to think they're Cingular and now trying to reverse it again by becoming "the new" AT&T! … [Read more...] about Work for the Friendly Skies

Put the Father of the Year award on hold.What would an 11-year-old child have to do to bring forth such rage?  That's a question Alec Baldwin's camp is already bobbing and weaving around.In case you're under a rock, listen to the audio here.Why am I writing about this on a career-related blog?  Because I propose a new entry into the American pop culture dictionary.Baldwin (verb) - An act of ragePut it this way, it's a step before going postal.Of course, you might recall from the movie Clueless that a "Baldwin" was a good looking guy.  Whatever.He's displayed plenty of anger before.  Whether it's a political screamfest or picking on service industry folks, this creep has displayed this type of behavior over and over and over again.  "You don't have the brains or the decency as a human being."Man, it almost sounds like Alec was looking in a mirror and talking to himself.  So, next time someone loses their temper at work, just let them … [Read more...] about Alec Baldwin Is a Rude, Thoughtless Pig

It seems a week doesn't go by without reading or hearing a reference to how playing golf with the "big boys" will advance a career.  Well, in my experience, I'd like to offer a resounding "no."  In fact, I've never even been asked to play.  I'm hardly a high-powered corporate exec, but I have certainly spent enough time around some business "heavy-hitters."  Yet, the opportunity to tee off has never presented itself.I'm not throwing out the entire play-golf-and-get-ahead-theory, cause maybe this is the exact reason my career has not taken off the way I once planned.  Are deals really made on the golf course?  More so than on the tennis court?  Or softball field?I get the part that it's a slow moving sport that allows conversation to unfold, but bowling hardly moves at lightning speeds.  Or billiards. Or bocce ball.Why is golf synonymous with career advancement?  Sure, it's expensive and an elitist sport, … [Read more...] about Golf + Networking = Bull?

And you thought your job was an accident waiting to happen!                   … [Read more...] about 6 Workplace Dangers Caught on Film