How Having A Mean Boss Could Affect Your Marriage
By ugg1140112Trouble with your boss could also lead to strain on your marriage, a new study suggests.
Research from Baylor University suggests that people are more likely to report fighting or having feelings of irritation or resentment toward a spouse or partner if they also report having a supervisor who puts them down or gets angry at them.
"It may be that as supervisor abuse heightens tension in the relationship, the employee is less motivated or able to engage in positive interactions with the partner and other family members," study researcher Merideth Ferguson, PH.D., assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship at Baylor, said in a statement.
Researchers also found that the longer a person had been married or with his or her spouse or partner, the less effect the boss's abuse had on the home relationship.
The Personnel Psychology study was based on survey responses from 280 full-time workers and their spouses or partners, with an average age of 36. The average relationship length was 10 years.
Previously, a University of Toronto study of 1,800 working Americans showed that nearly half of them bring work home, and that doing so takes a toll on their personal relationships, the Seattle Times reported. The effect was even more pronounced among people with more job authority, skill and decision-making power.
And aside from personal relationships, a hostile work environment can have an impact on your health, too. A previous study in the journal Health Psychology showed that people who reported having a bad social support system at work were also two-and-a-half times more likely to die over a 20-year period than people who say they had a good social system at work.
Erin Holdsworth In See-Through Top, G-String, Leads Ohio Police On High Speed Chase
By ugg1140112This can of Natty Light is out of this world -- literally.
On Nov. 18, Natural Light became the first beer launched into space thanks the efforts of Facebook fans Danny and Rich, according to the YouTube video description.
The two men approached the company with the idea, and Natural Light said "go for it, just let us know when ya shoot it off!"
The entire flight took about two hours, and the spacecraft -- named The Aluminum Fullcan -- reached an altitude of more than 90,000 ft.
The Aluminum Fullcan was a Styrofoam cooler containing a vacuum-sealed, full can of Natty Light. Attached to the craft was a tracking device, a video camera and an empty can of beer for decoration.
While Natty Night might have been the first beer launched into space, it's not the first created from barley grown there.
In 2008, Japanese brewery Sapporo made beer using barley grown at the International Space Station, Astro Engine points out.
However, the beer was not consumed at the ISS. Drinking beer in space results in a "wet burp," due to carbonation and zero gravity.
Discovery News explains the phenomenon:
There's little gravity to keep the fluid in your stomach, but you still need to vent that carbon dioxide that is expanding inside your belly. You try to burp.... but you end up venting the carbon dioxide, beer, and whatever else was inside your stomach through your mouth and nose. This, my friends, is called a "wet burp"; an explosive near-vomit experience guaranteed to gross out anyone who has the misfortune to be floating around with you.
But earlier this year, Saber Astronautics Australia and Four Pines Brewing Company partnered to create the first "space beer," which can be consumed on earth and up above.
"The gases and the liquids don't like to separate in zero gravity," Jason Held, director of Saber Astronautics Australia told News.com.au. "So we've reduced the carbonation a bit and given a really strong [flavor] to the beer."
Savings Experiment: Diapers
By ugg1140112Once you discover how much diapers cost, you may want to fasten your baby to a clothing line to drip-dry. But luckily for both parent and child, there are easy ways to save money on diapers.
Deciding on a Diaper
According to Consumer Reports, you can spend almost two thousand dollars on disposable diapers before your baby turns two.
Before you can start to save, you'll need to factor in what type of diaper you want to use. Each type has its sticking points (no pun intended): Cloth diapers, chlorine-free, eco-friendly brands, designer disposables, and generics all come with upsides and down. One of the easiest and most overlooked ways to save money and reduce your family's carbon footprint is to choose cloth diapers. In comparison to disposables, cloth can cost you as little as $300 for three years, and can be reused for future children.
Savings Experiment: DiapersCloth Diapers
For cloth diapering, you'll need to buy around six-dozen diapers. The cost can vary considerably, so do compare prices. Organic cotton fitted diapers and wool covers are more expensive than more generic pre-folded ones, although they may reduce the need to purchase diaper cream.
There are myths about cloth diapers, despite a recent resurgence in popularity. Some ask if cloth diapers are less sanitary than disposables, but websites like Diaper Jungle debunk this notion. Cloth diapers certainly don't smell worse, and in any case new diaper pails with odor reducing fragrances have made this problem negligible.
Cloth diapers may require another load of laundry a week, but they're still a more environmentally friendly choice than plastic diapers. Cloth diapers don't need to be sterilized or washed with more care than their adult counterparts, or underpants, for that matter.
All Hail the Mommy Bloggers
Whether you go with cloth or disposable, name brand or generic, you can always find out how to get the best bang for your buck from mommy bloggers. They're thorough and thrifty. Take Amy Suzari, who created Frugal Mama and has painstakingly analyzed the cost of name brand disposable diapers so you don't have to. Suzari offers tips like starting with a generic brand first, then upgrading only if necessary.
If you decide to go with a designer label, she also suggests Luvs. Luvs are owned by Proctor & Gamble (PG), the parent company of Pampers, but are about five cents cheaper than Pampers or Huggies.
Mommy blogs can help you weigh what matters most to you and your child, without the pressure that asking your own folks or friends might bring, should you not take their advice. Plus, there are great pithy reviews of diapers out there, so be sure to check out blogs and websites like Babble, Babycheapskate and Thrifty Mama.
Coupons
Log onto the websites for name brand diapers and you'll find offers like giveaways, discounts for buying in bulk and more. Pampers, Luvs , Huggies and Seventh Generation offer a variety of saving options, as do Target (TGT), Babies R Us, Amazon (AMZN), and Costco (COST).
You're Not Alone
Even the most stylish parents try to cut costs when it comes to diapers. SaSaDi Odunsi, a mother of three and owner of the chic maternity clothing boutique Bump Brooklyn, says, "It's well worth trying to save a bit here and there when you have 2-3 years of diapers ahead of you, however many kiddos you plan to have!"
Dangerous Toys: What to Leave Off Your 2011 Gift List
By ugg1140112
It's been a long time since Dan Aykroyd's Mainway Toys was
satirically exposed on Saturday Night Live for selling such
hazardous playthings as "Bag o' Glass," "Teddy Chainsaw Bear" and
"Johnny Switchblade." But some new toys still hold hidden risks
-- and for parents, it's no laughing matter.
The U.S. Public Interest Research Group's 26th annual Trouble in Toyland report found a number of hazardous toys on store shelves this season. The leading dangers continue to be those with pieces small children might choke on, and toys that violate new lead and phthalate limits. Also making the list are toys that are potentially harmful to children's hearing, with noise volumes that exceed the standards recommended by the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
And unlike Irwin Mainway's fictional company, the offenders include brands you've probably heard of -- household names like Disney, Honda, Hello Kitty and the Sesame Workshop.
Over the last 26 years, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has either recalled or taken corrective action on more than 150 toys called out in the PIRG surveys. CPSC is still evaluating the 2011 results, says Ed Mierzwinski, consumer program director for U.S. PIRG.
The 2011 Hall of Shame
The following toys were found to be potentially dangerous due to higher levels of lead or other toxic chemicals than PIRG considers acceptable: Funny Glasses (Joking Around), Sleep Mask (Claire's), Little Hands Love Book (Piggy Toes Press), Whirly Wheel (LL), Spritz Medals (Spritz), Hello Kitty eyeshadow/keychain (Hello Kitty), Tinkerbell Watch (Disney Fairies), Peace Sign Bracelet (Family Dollar), Honda Motorcycle (Honda).
These toys have pieces that are choking hazards: Wooden blocks set (ToySmith), Sesame Street Oscar Doll (Sesame Workshop), Dinosaur multi pack, similar sea life and turtle packs (Greenbrier International), HABA fruit in a bag (HABA), Green rubber grape (iwako), Orange bear (4M2U), Flat baby blocks and square counting blocks (Greenbrier International), 4 dollar box items (Rhode Island Novelty) and Play ball x2 (Squishland).
The noise hazards list includes: Elmo's World Talking Cell Phone (Fisher-Price), Victorious Stereo Headphones (Nickelodeon) and Hotwheels' Super Stunt RAT BOMB (Hotwheels).
What's Missing From the Lists
Even if none of the toys mentioned above are ones your child wants or has, don't feel too comfortable. "Parents and toy givers need to know that the CPSC doesn't test all toys and that our report includes only a sampling of potentially hazardous toys," warns Mierzwinski. "Toys not on our list could pose hazards."
Last year, the CPSC recalled almost 200,000 individual toy units for violations of lead standards. Lead, when ingested, interferes with nervous system development and causes a host of other health issues. That makes it hazardous for anyone, but extra dangerous for children -- and a bad idea on anything they might put in their mouths.
Also last year, the CPSC recalled more than 3.5 million toys and other children's products because of choking hazards. Since 1990, of the more than 400 children's deaths associated with toys, more than half were caused by choking on balloons, small toy parts and small balls.
