As a homage to Family Guy’s Peter Griffin, this article takes a look at five reasons why working in an office environment can have a detrimental affect to employees sanity.

For anyone who has experience of working in an office for prolonged periods of time, many of the issues detailed will seem common. In fact, for those lucky enough to escape the drudgery of such an environment, the excruciating antics seen on The Office can often be just the tip of the iceberg.  Read more... (635 words, estimated 2:32 mins reading time)

Tags: antics, Baked Beans, Charitable Nature, Charity Days, Company Director, Dignity, Dolly Parton, Drudgery, Family Guy, Gears, Half Hour, Homage, Karaoke Singers, Office Environment, Office Parties, Peter Griffin, Prolonged Periods, sanity, Self Respect, Tip Of The Iceberg

When the news broke late last week that North Pole Incorporated, (NYSE: NPLI) was filing suit against most of the world’s gas fireplace manufacturers, the shock was palpable. With Christmas just around the corner, this debate about fireplaces has taken the world by storm.

During a press conference, Lester Elfberg, Chief Legal Counsel for North Pole laid out his company’s grievance. “We at North Pole take Christmas very seriously, for obvious reasons. For centuries our company has had a mutually beneficial agreement, with the manufacturers of fireplaces, known as the Claus Accord. The current trends towards gas fireplaces that depend on either direct-vent or ventless systems are in obvious breach of this agreement. North Pole wishes to make it clear, we are not suing to prevent people from buying these fireplaces, rather we are suing for a safe alternative. This is about North Pole’s relationships with our customers and the health of our beloved CEO.”  Read more... (718 words, estimated 2:52 mins reading time)

Tags: Allegations, Anonymity, Beneficial Agreement, Breach Of Contract, Chief Legal Counsel, Chimneys, Crux, Current Trends, Face Facts, Fireplace Manufacturers, Gas Fireplace, Gas Fireplaces, Grievance, Holiday Celebration, Manufacturing Companies, North Pole, Nyse, paints, Santa Claus, Santa Suit, Unsafe Working Conditions

U.S. sales of organic foods and beverages increased from $1 billion in 1990 to $20 billion in 2007. People are willing to pay more for organic products because they think they’re healthier. Researchers at Copenhagen University disagree. In a study that included apples, carrots, kale, peas and potatoes, the researchers found organic produce doesn’t contain more nutrients than non-organic produce grown with pesticides. Of course, the study, published in the “Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture”, didn’t look into the health risks of pesticides. JSFA is a chemical industry journal.  Read more... (424 words, 1 image, estimated 1:42 mins reading time)

Tags: Copenhagen University, Global warming, Rodney Dangerfield, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, United States, Vegetarianism

While other companies curtail advertising spending because of the economic slowdown, Anheuser-Busch has initiated a $50 million campaign to promote its most popular brand – Bud Light. Ads featuring humorous situations tell consumers all beers aren’t the same – that Bud Light has taste but won’t fill them up. The new ads have the tag line “Bud Light, the difference is drinkability”. This tag line replaces “Bud Light keeps it coming”, which replaced “Make it a Bud Light”. In 2007 Bud Light had a 39% share of the light beer market, Miller Lite had 17.2% and Coors Light had 15.3%. To keep Bud Light the world’s most popular light beer Anheuser-Busch is banking on its new campaign not being hard to swallow.  Read more... (425 words, 1 image, estimated 1:42 mins reading time)

Tags: Alaska, american airlines, anheuser busch, barack obama, Budweiser, john mccain, Rolling Stone, United States

The four tastes humans are most familiar with are sweet, sour, salty and bitter. In 1908 a Japanese chemistry professor discovered a fifth – savory. Now a behavioral geneticist has discovered that mice have receptors that detect calcium. Because mice and humans have many genes in common, it’s likely calcium is a sixth taste. Supposedly calcium is what gives high-calcium vegetables – like kale and collard greens – their bitter flavor. The reason we don’t detect calcium when we eat dairy products is it binds with fats and proteins. Further research, however, will confirm if human tongues actually have these “miceroscopic” receptors.  Read more... (425 words, 1 image, estimated 1:42 mins reading time)

Tags: Bolivia, Chili pepper, Chorda tympani, Cooking, home, Research, university of florida, University of Washington

In 1953 Dick and Mac McDonald used golden arches for a sign. They put an arch on both sides of their first, walk-up hamburger stand in Oak Brook, Illinois. When viewed from an angle, the two arches looked like the letter “M”. Although McDonald’s stopped putting golden arches on most of their restaurants in the 1960’s, the marketing of healthy happy meals shows that McDonald’s is still interested in angles.  Read more... (421 words, 1 image, estimated 1:41 mins reading time)

Tags: Islam, Islamic Circle of North America, Mac McDonald, Muhammad, New York City, New York Post, Oak Brook Illinois, Prophet Muhammad

Serious people Beware! You are entering an area where your seriousness is under threat.

If seriousness is your forte, be alert to the symptoms of laughter that’s contagious. Run for cover as you feel your mouth corners twitch and unexpected giggles push themselves up continuously – sure signs you’re becoming addicted to laughter.

No! The laughter doesn’t stop there! Ever seen the rolling on floor emoticon? Holding the sides, down on the floor with tears rolling down the cheeks? That’s hitting the peak of laughter, and it is addicting, too.  Read more... (605 words, 1 image, estimated 2:25 mins reading time)

Tags: Humor, Humour, Ireland, Joke, Laughter, Practical joke, Recreation