Five people who went missing off Australia’s coast when their boat drifted away were rescued after a search plane spotted a large “SOS” scrawled into the sand.
THE IGBO GIANT STRIDES AGAINST ALL ODDS
9 years ago
The vast majority of the time the result of that negotiation is determined long before you enter the room. And it’s usually up to your immediate boss.
When I asked Stanford MBA school professor Jeffrey Pfeffer for the single most important career tip, what did he say? Please your boss.
Keep your boss happy. If your boss is happy with you, everybody will be happy. If your boss isn’t happy with you, I don’t care what else you’re doing, you’re going to have trouble.
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When I asked Stanford MBA school professor Jeffrey Pfeffer for the single most important career tip, what did he say? Please your boss.
Keep your boss happy. If your boss is happy with you, everybody will be happy. If your boss isn’t happy with you, I don’t care what else you’re doing, you’re going to have trouble.
So how do you do that? Here’s how to become great in your boss’s eyes:
1) Take 100% responsibility for the relationship
Don’t expect your boss to change. You adapt to them; they’re not going to adapt to you.
If there’s a problem between you two, you need to fix it. Always.
In Managing for the Future business guru Pete Drucker explains:
The subordinate’s job is not to reform the boss, not to reeducate the boss, not to make the boss confirm to what the business schools and the management books say bosses should be like… Does this individual need the information to be there when he gets to the office in the morning, or does this boss (as do a good many operating people) want it at the end of the day, say around 3:30 on Friday afternoon?
2) Have Regular Interaction
You can’t impress people who don’t know who you are and what you do all day.
Have regular meetings with your boss.
Don’t stay away. If you have a boss who doesn’t reach out to you, or with whom you have uncomfortable interactions, you will have to reach out yourself… Get on your boss’s calendar regularly.
3) Find out what your boss cares about — and do that
Don’t do what you think is important, do what they think is important.
This is how you make a boss happy.
From my interview with Stanford professor Jeffrey Pfeffer, author ofPower:
First of all you need to figure out what your boss actually wants. Many people assume they know how they’re going to be evaluated and the criteria that other people in their organization are going to use, but unless you’re a mind reader you probably would be well served to actually check that out.
4) Make your accomplishments known
You’re doing what your boss feels is most important. Great. Nowmake sure they know about your fantastic progress.
Figure out what matters to your boss, and your boss’s boss, and make that stuff matter to you, too, because you can only impress your boss with your management skill if you are accomplishing things she cares about. And be loud about your accomplishments. Set measurable goals for yourself and let people above you know that you’re meeting them.
Best way to do that? A weekly sum-up email.
5) Make your boss look good
This should always be on your mind. It’s just human nature for everyone to want to look good — and to like others who help them achieve it.
Making your boss look good is never listed on a job description but it’s something every supervisor wants and is lavishly rewarded.
In the cutthroat world of work, appearances are reality.
Many people think “that shouldn’t be important”… until they become the boss and don’t want to look stupid.
6) Make your boss’s life easier
This is your real job description. Hold this as your highest goal and even the most self-absorbed of supervisors will warm to you.
The first Do is to realize that it is both the subordinate’s duty and in the subordinate’s self-interest to make the boss as effective and as achieving as possible. The best prescription for one’s own success is to work for a boss who is going places. Thus the first Do is to go to the boss – at least once a year – and ask: “What do I do and what do my people do that helps you do your job? And what do we do that hampers you and makes life more difficult for you?”
7) Manage expectations
Wondering how you’re going to do all this? Wondering how it’s even possible? It’s not.
Which is why you need to manage expectations.
Make sure when you’re telling the boss about your accomplishments you’re setting realistic timelines and goals.
Half of success is shaping what defines success.
Make sure the boss understands what can be expected of you, what the objectives and goals are on which your own energies and those of your people will be concentrated, what your priorities are, and, equally important, what they are not.
8) Have things in common with your boss
This is just human nature: We all like people who are similar to us.
Why does everyone take up golf when the boss takes up golf? Because that works.
Via Influencing Up:
In general, people most easily partner with people who they feel are like them… You always want to look for anything that you might have in common with the powerful person— whether it’s related to your organization’s positions, issues, or even personal interests.
9) No surprises
Not knowing what is going on is lethal to a person in a position of power. Even appearing to be unaware makes a leader lose face.
Have your boss’s back by keeping them clued in. This builds trustand a reliance upon you. And those are very good things.
Never expose the boss to surprises. It is the job of the subordinate to protect the boss against surprises — even pleasant ones (if any such exist). To be exposed to a surprise in the organization one is responsible for is humiliation, and usually public humiliation.
10) Complain… twice a year
If you do a great job and don’t complain, a boss will love you. Why? Because a boss hears complainers all day long.
If you’ve done all the other things on this list for 6 months to a year, a good boss will be eager to help you with problems.
Ask for nothing and they’ll fear you’re preparing to leave. Say what’s causing you trouble and watch the Red Sea part.
The biggest thing that prevents people from moving forward in their career is not accomplishment, it’s attitude.
And nobody likes a complainer. Companies pick attitude over hard work every day of the week.
The closer you bring yourself into the appearance of alignment through your daily actions and choices, the more favorable the company’s opinions of you will be, and the more secure your job will be… employees are being promoted who don’t have the best skills and may even have to be taught how to do the job, at great expense and time, because they appear to be in alignment and the company feels they can be trusted over others.
Oh, and there is one more thing, actually:
11) If it’s not working, move on
You did all of this and nothing happened? You may just be working for a jerk. Or a company that is in bad shape.
Doubling your efforts at an employer that cannot or will not give you what you need is wasted time and energy.
Better to move on where your hard work will be rewarded.
…if bosses and colleagues have formed some unfavorable impression of you in your current setting, then find another one. Many people want to “prove” that others are wrong about them — and they may be. But it’s a waste of precious time to fight that uphill battle. Why make heroic efforts to dig out of a hole when the same energy spent elsewhere could make you a star?
culled: Time
People find women more attractive with less makeup
Women should probably cool it with the eyeliner.
New research published in theQuarterly Journal of Experimental Psychologyfound that people’s perceptions of what men and women find attractive are off. And even though many women decide to wear makeup to make themselves “more” attractive, they may be overdoing it.
Researchers at Bangor University and Aberdeen University gave 44 women different types of foundation, lipstick, blush and mascara and then told them to put on makeup like they were going on a night out. The women were photographed before and after they put on any makeup. The researchers then altered the photographs so they had a range of 21 images of the women wearing various amounts of makeup.
The images were then shown to 44 Bangor University students, who were told to pick the photo that they thought was the most attractive, the photo they thought women would prefer and the photo men would prefer.
The image below is an example of the before and after makeup images.
Alves eats banana thrown by Villarreal fansVILLARREAL, Spain -- Barcelona defender Dani Alves responded to a racist taunt Sunday in his side's 3-2 win at Villarreal by picking up a banana that landed at his feet, peeling and then eating it before proceeding to take a corner kick.Watch Video
AllsportA spectator threw a banana at Barcelona full-back Dani Alves during his team's match with Villarreal.
Alves said after the match that humour is the best way to combat racism in sports.
"We have suffered this in Spain for some time," Alves said. "You have to take it with a dose of humour. We aren't going to change things easily. If you don't give it importance, they don't achieve their objective."
Alves has often been subjected to racist taunts and called fighting racism "a lost war" in January 2013, after segments of Real Madrid's fans abused him with monkey chants during a match.
Alves had already played a key part in the match sparking his team's comeback from 2-0 down when his off-target shot was turned in by Villarreal's Gabriel Armando in the 65th minute.
Shortly after the banana incident, Alves launched a cross that Mateo Musacchio headed past his own keeper before Lionel Messi scored Barcelona's winner.
The win kept Barcelona four points from league leaders Atletico Madrid.
ESPN
Despite unprecedented political momentum to fight rape in war zones, sexual violence remains a global crime affecting women, men and children in more than 20 countries, a senior United Nations official, Mrs Zainab Bangura, announced yesterday, urging greater action at the regional and national levels.
“It doesn’t matter whether she comes from Bosnia, Colombia, Syria or Central Africa, the pain that a woman feels who has been raped is the same,” Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zainab Bangura told journalist in New York at the launch of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s annual report on the issue.
Documenting information based on cases recorded by the UN system in 21 countries of concern, the report identifies 34 armed groups, militia and Government security forces, responsible for using rape as a tool in conflict zones.
Among its findings, the report also links sexual violence with local economies. It notes that rape is used to gain control of territories with natural resources, including minerals, which are used by groups to further fuel conflict, as well as human trafficking and illegal drug trade.
Rape has also been documented as a trigger for mass flight, which further makes women, and especially youth, vulnerable to abuses. Some parents trying to protect daughters push them to early and forced marriages, which has led to cases of human trafficking and sexual slavery, Ms. Bangura noted.
While impunity for sexual violence remains prevalent, it is particularly acute in these situations. Under-reporting of sexual assaults is a function of limited capacity to safely monitor and report, as well as the result of fear of stigmatization and reprisals by the survivors.
Among the report’s recommendations, Mr. Ban also urges governments “to work to develop a comprehensive protection and service response for survivors” of sexual violence, including reproductive health services, HIV awareness and response services, and assistance in psychosocial, legal and livelihood aid.
“The UN calls on the countries in question, and the international community, to ensure that men, women and children who are victims of sexual violence, and children born of rape get the assistance they need,” Ms. Bangura underlined echoing the report.
The report also urges building the capacity of civil society groups to better protect against such crimes at the community level. At the national level, the report recommends engage with state and non-state parties to obtain commitments to prevent and respond to conflict-related sexual violence.
Earlier this month, Ms. Bangura and other senior UN officials, including human rights chief Navi Pillay, called on the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to step up the fight against impunity for rape and sexual violence, which remain widespread and largely unpunished. Referring to a report from the UN Joint Human Rights Office in the DRC (UNJHRO), she noted documented cases of 3,600 people attacked, nearly half of them in the strife-torn eastern province of North Kivu, and ranging in age from two years old to 80.
This year’s report also includes a list of groups credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape and other forms of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict on the agenda of the Security Council. These include parties in the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, DRC, Mali, South Sudan and Syria, among others.
Leadership
Varicocele is a varicose vein in the scrotum. Much like the appearance of varicose veins in legs, the varicocele can be best seen or felt when standing. In the standing position, men with varicoceles may note fullness around or above the testicles. This fullness should disappear when lying down. This is called “reflux” when blood travels the wrong way (backwards) through a vein called the testicular vein.
Masturbation is, of course, a common cause of varicocele, but mental incontinence is just as likely to produce it. Ungratified sex excitement, frequently repeated, is almost certain to cause it to a greater or less degree. But if one is much debilitated, with tissues lacking in tone and circulation weak, one may possibly develop varicocele without any specific abuse. Tight clothing may have something to do with it. Constipation is a cause in many instances. The wearing of a truss, the presence of a tumor, or any other obstruction to the circulation, might cause it.
Varicoceles, basically raises the temperature in the testicles, which affect the production of sperm, as well as sperm movement and/or shape. It may also affect other aspects of sperm function. But, it is unknown by what mechanism varicoceles may impair fertility.
Research shows that fifteen percent of men have varicoceles. Interestingly, varicoceles are identified in 40 per cent of men with fertility problems and 80 per cent of men who have had a child or children and are having trouble conceiving another one. Based on these statistics, a few conclusions can be drawn: Not all varicoceles are significant, many varicoceles are associated with male fertility problems, there seems to be a damaging effect over time in some men with varicoceles.
To diagnosed varicocele, the physical exam is performed in a warm room to avoid the “cold shower” effect on the scrotum. The examination must be performed lying down and standing up.
A varicocele can also be seen on an ultrasound too. This test is useful for men with very tight scrotums or for obese men. In both cases, a physical examination can be difficult.
More so, varicocele raises the scrotal temperature. This has been shown in scientific studies. The average scrotal temperature is approximately 94 degrees F but it is higher in men with varicoceles. We know that other causes of increased intrascrotal temperature, such as hot tub use and excessive laptop use, are associated with decreased semen quality. This also explains why a man who has a varicocele on the left side only can have decreased semen quality.
In treating varicocele, procedures involve blocking the flow of blood in the veins so that they cannot reflux. This can be done from outside the veins (surgery) or from inside the veins (embolization). The testicle then drains itself through other channels which generally do not reflux.
Leadership
Evolution tells it straight: Some people make more desirable partners than others. Current theories on mate value go a little like this: People who have it all, including good looks and status, can land a partner who also has it all. The people who don’t, well, they’re going to have to settle. But new research published in theJournal of Personality and Social Psychology suggests what anyone who’s fallen for a pretty face knows: finding the ideal partner for you is much more complicated. In fact, the more we get to know someone, the more our opinion of their desirability changes.
To reach these findings, the researchers at the University of Texas at Austin conducted three studies in which they asked participants to rate a group of people for their perceived value. Some of the factors were basic, like how attractive they are, or how outgoing. Other factors went deeper, with participants ranking whether a person seemed likely to be a good, committed partner.
In the first study, participants rated people they’d never met; in the second study they rated people they’d known for a few months; and in the third study they rated people they had known for at least three years. When people ranked individuals they didn’t know, people tended to agree on who was a catch and who wasn’t—it came down to superficial markers like good looks and likability. But researchers also found that as people got to know each other, perceptions changed and people tended to disagree about who seemed like a good partner and who didn’t.
“[As we spend more time with someone] we stop agreeing on how desirable or undesirable they are,” says study author Dr. Paul W. Eastwick, an assistant professor in the department of human development and family sciences. “We start to have very idiosyncratic opinions of one another.” The findings show that who we ultimately determine to be an ideal mate is unique, and we can greatly differ in our opinions of who is attractive, intelligent, popular, and who would make a good relationship partner.
So when it comes down to it, sure: At “hello,” some people have a leg up on others. But once someone is a known quantity, their desirability isn’t so clear-cut: Attractiveness and social status give way to compatibility and how suitable someone is for an actual relationship. “These findings are a good thing if people don’t care about getting the [conventionally ideal] mate, but care about finding the mate that is good and compatible for them,” says Eastwick.
Culled Time
Five people who went missing off Australia’s coast when their boat drifted away were rescued after a search plane spotted a large “SOS” scrawled into the sand.
Their trouble began after they set out for a fun day of snorkeling Monday near the Whitsunday Islands. After they dropped anchor to explore, their boat drifted away, leaving them marooned on a rocky island without food, water or cellphones.
After nine hours, the group grew desperate, hoping their message wouldn't be washed away with the tide. Lyn Forbes-Smith, one of the rescued snorkelers, worried about her safety.
“We did suspect that we would be bunkered down on those rocks for the night so that was a fairly grim prospect,” she said.
Helicopter crewman Damien Kross said he wasn’t hopeful. But in a stroke of luck, another boat spotted the drifting vessel and alerted authorities.
Rescue crews set out to find the missing group. Eventually, the group’s giant message emerged.
“We saw the 'SOS' in the sand and knew that it must be them,” Kross told ABC News.
Rescue crews lowered down to the island’s rocky surface and whisked the marooned snorkelers to safety.
Apr 24, 2014 1:47pm
When it comes to the job hunt, they say, it’s all about who you know.
And one little girl, a guest at the White House’s annual “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day,” seized the opportunity to get her father’s resume into some powerful hands on Thursday.
When Michelle Obama called on her during a question-and-answer session in the East Room, instead of asking a question, the child gave the first lady a copy of her dad’s resume.
“My dad’s been out of a job for three years and I wanted to give you his resume,” said the girl, who the Associated Press identified as 10-year-old Charlotte Bell.
“Oh my goodness,” murmured Mrs. Obama as she wrapped the little girl in a hug.
“Well, it’s a little private, but she’s doing something for her dad, right?” the first lady said to the audience, children of Executive Office employees.
“Got it,” she said to Charlotte, brandishing the resume.
Mrs. Obama took the resume with her when she left the event.
A recent study has identified 3,000 types of bacteria on dollar bills from a Manhattan bank.
Most of the bacteria were unsurprisingly microbes found on the skin, while others matched those found in mouths, and even some in vaginas, according to the study conducted by New York University’s Center for Genomics and Systems Biology.
“We are finding viable bacteria that can be taken from paper currency,” said Jane Carlton, the lead investigator of the study and director of genome sequencing at NYU's Center for Genomics and Systems Biology. “That means that money could function as a form of transmission.”
The study was part of a pilot project to identify bacteria and health trends in New York City. For example, some of the findings pointed to the prevalence of pneumonia on paper money during winter time. The researchers found that bills collected in winter, versus the summer, were more likely to have microbes of community-acquired pneumonia; suggesting that money could be playing a role its spread.
While the most common microbes found were linked to mild conditions such as acne, one other discovery stands out. Some dollar bills had bacteria containing antibiotic resistant genes, such as MRSA. These resistant genes have been a particularly pressing issue for the medical community as doctors prescribe, and patients increasingly ask for, antibiotics to deal with illness.
Nonetheless, the NYU biologists said that there is no reason to overreact. “Microbes are so important, are very ubiquitous and they surround us all the time,” Carlton told ABC News. “We did find certain microbes that we might be a little concerned about, but that doesn’t mean that people should be unduly concerned.”
Source: ABC
A woman who took part in a ground-breaking study in which scientists were able to use her cells to engineer lab-grown vaginas is speaking about the procedure that changed her life.
The unnamed woman was one of four subjects between the ages of 13 to 18 who took part in the study. All four suffered from a genetic condition called Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH), which left them with vaginas that were incomplete.
The unnamed woman, who lives in Mexico, said in a translated interview that she was 18 when she found out about her condition and started to learn about her options.
“I thought I couldn’t believe it was true. I was informed about other procedures for this syndrome and it was unbelievable that it could be done in a lab,” she said of first learning about the study.
To engineer the organs, researchers from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., and the Metropolitan Autonomous University in Mexico City biopsied cells from the women and were able to use a biodegradable scaffolds to then build the vagina in the lab. The organs were then implanted in each patient.
“For me to be able to have the surgery, I feel very fortunate because I can have a normal life,” said the woman. “I know I’m one of the first. It is important to let other girls that have the same problem know that ... there is a treatment and you can have a normal life."
A woman with MRKH will often not develop a uterus or a full vagina, though external genitalia is unaffected by the disorder, which often means the syndrome is not diagnosed until the patient is in her late teens. Before the study, patients were limited to surgical options to recreate that vaginal canal. The disorder affects approximately one in 4,500 female births, according to the National Institutes of Health.
In the eight years after the original operation, researchers found that the subjects reported normal sexual function and that the engineered organs remained structurally and functionally normal.
“Truly I feel fortunate because I have a normal life, completely normal,” said the woman who took part in the study.
