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May 25, 2012
Mark Clayton: Is Hillary's State Dept. hacking Al Qaeda? Not quite
Erika Bolstad: Temple cancels Wasserman Schultz speech
The Kosher Gourmet by Ethel G. Hofman: The former president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, whose members included the likes of Julia Child, is back with contemporary Shavous cuisine: Ruby Fruit Soup, Sweet Noodle Kugel with Cheese, Key Lime Curd, Calsone Casserole Frittata with Wild Mushrooms, Sun-dried tomatoes and Olives, Baked Tilapia with Pepper Cheese Cream and Brown Sugar Shortbread
May 24, 2012
Jeff Jacoby: The peace process battered Israel's reputation
Michael Muskal: 'Pro-choice' position hits record low, according to poll
Chris Farrell: Are We in a Tech Bubble?
The Kosher Gourmet by Penelope Wall: PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS --- hold the steak!
May 23, 2012
Tony Pugh: More private colleges offering tuition discounts
Mary Beth Franklin: How to Choose the Right Annuity for You
Tina Susman: The wig wasn't enough: Man gets 13 years for posing as his dead mom
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen:A simple way to do fish right
May 22, 2012
Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide
Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: Enjoy a celebration of the most rich and layered flavors: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili
May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
Sept. 22, 2010
/ 14 Tishrei, 5771
The Office
By
Paul Greenberg
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
The office is a kind of second family for those of us who work in one, with just as wide a range of characters.
One day the office can resemble a scene out of Dilbert ("I don't suffer from stress; I'm a carrier") or from "Mad Men." ("You are the product. You feeling something. That's what sells.") Or any scenario in between, depending on which characters are doing what at the time. The plot varies. Sometimes it thickens, sometimes it thins. Depending on the day, you may find yourself in a cardboard drama like "Executive Suite" or a slapstick comedy like "The Front Page."
Every office needs a full cast of characters, admirable and un-. Roles change, moods and role models vary. Today's goof-off can be tomorrow's hero. And vice-versa. There are those who observe the proper boundaries and those who transgress them. The troublemakers and the healers. Those who smooth the way and those who set stumbling blocks for others. Those who don't fit through no fault of their own, and those who refuse to fit for good reason. There are the talented and those who only think they are, the competent and the not so.
Strangely enough, or maybe not so strangely, the most talented may be the least temperamental. People, being people, will surprise you.
For viewing a variety of human types in action -- or inaction -- it's hard to beat an office, that combination of business operation and social menagerie. Doubtless there have been reams of studies, psychological and sociological, about how organizations operate or don't, but nothing offers a better perspective on office life than being part of one. But being part of an office may also distort perspective. Or just eliminate it. How expect the figures in a picture to see beyond the frame?
Offices -- whether private or public, military or civil, church or state, educational or correctional -- have some things in common. For instance: how well each office works depends on the workers. Personnel is policy. Find the right people and policy may not need to be spelled out; it just flows.
But finding the right people isn't easy. To repeat a Reaganism, mistakes will be made. The wrong people have an unfortunate tendency to do wrong things. But when the right fit is made, it's beautiful. Work gets done, people get along, even grow fond of one another. Office politics withers, supplanted by trust. And things get done. For the most efficient force in the world remains good will. Accept no substitutes.
People make all the difference. As at least one airline has discovered. JetBlue made a brilliant decision not long ago when it started hiring retired New York police officers and firefighters as flight attendants -- just the kind of folks accustomed to operating under the stress that airline travel has become.
To quote one of the airline's managers, "NYPD and FDNY are almost brands themselves, and it fits well with us." The retirees seem to like it, too. As one fireman turned air steward put it: "This is not as stressful as running into a burning building where smoke is down to the floor and you are trying to find people."
One long-time flight attendant for JetBlue made less welcome news not long ago. The way he told it, he'd finally cracked after having to deal with one insufferable passenger too many. One of those people who are always in too big a hurry ignored instructions and got up to fetch a bag from the overhead before the aircraft had come to a complete stop -- and then mouthed off when told to sit back down.
That did it. The steward picked up the intercom, let loose with some choice words, activated the emergency chute, grabbed a couple of bottles of beer on his way out, and took a flying leap out of the airplane -- and probably out of his line of work. He's now been suspended, and faces charges of criminal mischief and reckless endangerment.
The steward's story evoked a wave of sympathy for him throughout the country. Who hasn't seen how bores and boors act on planes? The poor guy must have been sore provoked; who could blame him for cracking at last?
But last I'd heard, no passenger was able to verify the errant steward's account of these events. And -- uh oh -- there was talk of his angling for a role on a reality TV show.
This much remains clear: Without self-restraint in a society -- on an airplane, in the office, at home or work -- things fall apart. When manners fail, so does everything else.
Paul Greenberg Archives
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