Sport Meltdown

Competition Will Do That To You:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-0629-cubs-brite--20100628,0,6093614.story

After years of dealing with Carlos Zambrano's outbursts, the Cubs finally convinced their emotional right-hander to face the problem head-on.

Zambrano will be placed on the restricted list Tuesday after serving a three-game suspension for his actions Friday afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field, then will receive treatment for his anger issues before returning after the All-Star break.

"Hopefully he goes and gets the help he needs and can rectify some of his actions with his teammates and be able to move forward after the break," general manager Jim Hendry said while announcing the penalty.

Whoo! Whoo!

June 28, 2010

Virgo (8/23-9/22)

Different ideas don't make you a misfit -- far from it. In fact, you might actually be something of a visionary, especially if you have faith in the soundness of your beliefs. It's too easy to feel discouraged if people whose opinions you care about don't immediately support what you're telling them, but remember that no one believed that the world is round at first, either. Keep on pushing and thinking long-term.

WBI Newsletter and Survey

The Newsletter of the Workplace Bullying Institute

June 25, 2010 New WBI Survey

We feel compelled to ask some vital questions to understand the truthfulness of the HR and biz groups who complain that bullying is currently handled in an adequate manner.

Go here to complete the anonymous online survey.

http://workdoctorsurveys.com/0710wbi/startsurvey.php

Healthy Workplace Advocates

California Healthy Workplace Advocates

June 19, 2010

I. Mission -The mission of the California Healthy Workplace Advocates is to raise public awareness and to compel our State to correct and prevent abusive work environments through legislation.

Our meeting was awesome...lots of new members, many regulars. Thank you to ALL who attended. Check out the links on the activities across the nation and the WORLD regarding workplace bullying. Hope to see many of you next meeting on Saturday, July31st.

A. Seventh International Conference on Workplace Bullying and Harassment in Cardiff, Wales gets a discussion on Scottish university blog: http://news.glam.ac.uk/news/en/2010/may/27/economic-downturn-affects-workplace-bullying-and-h/

B. Dr. Gary Namie of The Workplace Bullying Institute guest speaks on Wisconsin National Public Radio after bullying bill is killed in WI House Labor Committee - http://safetyatworkblog.wordpress.com/2010/05/31/us-workplace-bullying-interview-with-gary-namie/

C. Professor David Yamada, writer of the prototype workplace bullying bill, keynotes the Cardiff conference and blogs its course: http://newworkplace.wordpress.com/2010/06/02/cardiff-workplace-bullying-conference-day-1/.

D. New York coordinator's blog entry appears in New York's Rochester Democrat & Chronicle: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100525/LOCAL17/5170333/Advocates-discuss-Healthy-Workplace-bill

E. New York bill's existence is bemoaned on Wall Street Journal, New York Post, and Forbes legal blogs:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704717004575268701579722946.html?KEYWORDS=Workplace+Bullying+Bill andhttp://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/jobs/bully_pulpit_69oynw2yHURADrQWXlzN9N andhttp://blogs.forbes.com/docket/2010/05/28/new-york-anti-bullying-law-a-big-bad-idea/

F. Just like Illinois, New York'sHealthy Workplace Bill is put on Hold by Democratic lower house labor committee's chairperson: http://www.healthyworkplacebill.org/states/ny/newyork.php

G. Illinois State Representative, Eddie Washington, crusading sponsor of the Illinois Abusive Work Environments Act, dies of heart attack at age 56:

http://www.healthyworkplacebill.org/states/il/illinois.php

H. Wiki Answers addresses question on Workplace Bullying, but needs work: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Responsibilities_of_a_workplace_bullying

II. Bullying in Media

A. British Petroleum exposed on PBS for scaring would-be whistleblowers with hostile work environment: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/video/need-to-know-june-11-2010/1457/

B. Taiwan technology manufacturer (Foxconn)is under investigation after multiple worker suicides: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/26/AR2010052604793.html?nav=hcmoduletmv and http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2010/05/26/VI2010052603996.html

and http://www.reuters.com/news/video/story?videoId=92812503&videoChannel=5 andhttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/technology/27suicide.html?ref=business

C. Sacramento Bee blogger writes about women bullying women after Carly Fiorina makes a catty comment regarding Senator Barbara Boxer's hairstyle:

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/06/16/2825286/so-much-for-the-new-feminism-in.html?mi_pluck_action=comment_submitted&qwxq=3341473#Comments_Container

More on Fiorina's remarks on ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Media/carly-fiorinas-dig-sen-barbara-boxer-spurred-debate/story?id=10909662

D. Law & Order signs off on the Rubber Room incarceration for teachers:http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/law-order-signs-off-in-the-rubber-room/

And: Teacher wins case dismissal against him and Rubber Rooms are forever closed down: http://www.endteacherabuse.info/Pakter.html

E. A retired Navy captain who has filed several discrimination suits sits in limbo:http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20100618_VA_official_gets_big_pay_little_work.html

III. Climate at our Capitol

A. Lawsuit against Meg Whitman exposes candidate as workplace bully -http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2010/06/meg-whitman-guilty-of-workplace-violence-in-2007-incident/andhttp://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=10918022

B. University of California asks Chamber of Commerce to remove their UC name from Chamber's political literature which claims exposing dangers of toxic mold hurts business: http://freepdfhosting.com/e88548fd20.pdf

IV.Announcements

A. Women's hearts are at risk from stress at work (A Study of Danish Nurses):

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/may/05/women-heart-attack-stress

B. American Psychological Association writes that healthier workplaces make for better bottom lines: http://www.apa.org/monitor/2010/05/slc-workplaces.aspx

C. Executive Healthcare Blog (May 5, 2010)--The Effects of Workplace Stress:

http://www.executivehm.com/news/effects-of-workplace-stress/

D. Bully bosses˜Wall of Fame: http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/05/bullying-bosses-executives-leadership-careers-gorilla_slide.html?partner=seealso

E. Supreme Court effectively cancels 600 decisions by the National Labor Relations Act:

E. Supreme Court effectively cancels 600 National Labor Relation Board decisions: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/17/AR2010061705685.html?hpid=topnews.

Monday Report

Long Hot Summer II:

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/06/toddler-among-14-shot-overnight-throughout-city.html

At least 40 people were shot over the weekend across Chicago, with seven of them slain, according to police logs.

Me and Joe Hill

Living In A Civilized Country:

http://www.sltrib.com/D=g/ci_15325356

About two minutes passed after the gunshots. It was long enough that I wondered (and some of my colleagues later said they wondered, too) whether Gardner would require a second volley of bullets to die.

Leadership Defined

Allies LikeThese...:

http://legalienate.blogspot.com/2010/06/psychiatrist-of-israeli-prime-minister.html

“I can’t take it anymore,” wrote Yatom. “Robbery is redemption, apartheid is freedom, peace activists are terrorists, murder is self-defense, piracy is legality, Palestinians are Jordanians, annexation is liberation, there’s no end to his contradictions. Freud promised rationality would reign in the instinctual passions, but he never met Bibi Netanyahu. This guy would say Gandhi invented brass knuckles.”

One Lone Crazy Gunman (Again)

Bickled:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/10244223.stm

The 52-year-old taxi driver shot 12 people dead in Cumbria before shooting himself on Wednesday.

"Detectives are focusing on several key areas and are working to verify suggestions that Bird was involved in personal disputes with fellow taxi drivers, or others," he said.

********************

One Lone Crazy Car Man:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/04/BAHH1DQ6Q4.DTL&tsp=1

The attacks began at 9:43 p.m. Wednesday on a quiet stretch of Harrison Street, near 23rd Street in the Mission District.

Witnesses said the SUV came speeding south on the street, hit the first bicyclist head on, and then hit the second less than a block away at 24th Street.

The driver roared east about a mile to the corner of 23rd and Pennsylvania streets, where he hit the third cyclist. Then he sped several blocks north to Potrero Hill, where he hit his last victim at the corner of Missouri and 17th streets and slammed to a stop against a light pole.

The driver ran away, witnesses said, leaving shattered pieces of his vehicle and a parked Jeep that he also hit.

These Days

Sadly, In Different Ways, Too:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/comments_blog/2010/06/sack-tapping-a-silly-game-with-serious-consequences.html

Sack tapping is the latest dangerous craze to hit schools. The object of the game is to punch (or slap, flick or actually tap) a boy in the groin to see who can handle the most pain. It doesn't sound like there can be a clear winner here in this "game." And sadly, there isn't.