Thursday, December 13, 2007

DECEMBER 13, 2007

IT'S OFFICE PARTY TIME
You gotta love the office Christmas party. It's when some people's true personalities come out.
Here are the Top 10 offenses to avoid at this year's company Christmas party (from MSN)...

1. Assuming you aren't required to go. Not attending speaks volumes about your attitude toward the company.

2. Dressing inappropriately. Even if you're hittin' the town later, you still need to dress properly for the party. (Pack a fun outfit for later and leave it in your car!)

3. Attending on an empty stomach. It's better to get some food in your stomach prior to the event so your first drink doesn't go straight to your head. Weeeeeeeeeeee!

4. Pitching ideas to upper management. Keep the talk to lighter subjects. There's nothing worse than a brown-noser who doesn't know when to shut up.

5. Getting drunk! 70% of companies are serving alcohol at their holiday parties this year, a 15% drop from last year, according to a recent survey. Bottom line: Don't drink excessively at the holiday party. You'll end up saying or doing something you'll regret. There goes any fun.

6. Hooking up! Co-workers secretly harboring feelings for each other often think it's OK to act on those feeling at the holiday event (especially after a few drinks!). But it's important to act like you do at work. Again, there goes any fun.

7. Bringing a "crazy" date. If your spouse or date is known as the "life of the party," there's a chance he or she will make the night unforgettable -- and not in a good way. You're guilty by association.

8. Being a "Scrooge." Don't walk around with a scowl on your face. If you aren't excited to be there, keep your thoughts to yourself.

9. Not using your best table manners. For many, manners go out the door after business hours -- especially with a drink in hand. No swearing, chew with your mouth closed and remember to say "please," "thank you" and "excuse me." I guess the "F" word is out.

10. "Dirty dancing" or executing "athletic displays." "Even though bumping and grinding are all the rage, these moves have no place on the corporate dance floor. Moreover, back flips, splits, jumps and spins can only lead to disaster. What about a cartwheel?

STAY AT THE INN?
In Europe, the Travelodge hotel chain is offering a pretty sweet Christmas deal . . . for a very, very small niche group. If you're a married couple and your names are Mary and Joseph . . . you'll get a free night's stay in England, Ireland or Spain.

The offer is good between Christmas Eve and January 5th. A Travelodge spokeswoman says you'll have to provide proof that you're married AND that your names really are Mary and Joseph to get the deal. Also, the deal is only good for U.K. citizens.

The average room at a Travelodge in Europe goes for $59-a-night.

UNHEALTHY, BUT CHEAP
Here's one new theory why we all eat unhealthy foods... we don't want to go BROKE. Researchers at the University of Washington compared the prices of 370 foods and found that it costs about 10 TIMES MORE to buy healthy foods than junk foods.

They also found that low-calorie foods are the ones whose prices go up the fastest... over the two years of their study, the prices of low-calorie foods went up 19.5%... the price of high-calorie foods DROPPED 1.8%.

THURSDAY TRIVIA QUESTION
Question: 100% of lottery winners do this. What is it?
Answer: Gain weight.