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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Apr 22, 2015
April 22, 2015
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The Senate has scheduled a vote for tomorrow morning on the nomination of New York City prosecutor LORETTA LYNCH to be the nation's next attorney general. That vote will end a month-long partisan impasse on an unrelated human trafficking bill that threatened to stall her confirmation indefinitely.
The Senate hopes to pass that human trafficking bill sometime today. (Pacelli)Earth Day, 2015
Today is the 45th anniversary of Earth Day.
In 1970, GAYLORD NELSON, then a U-S senator from Wisconsin, proposed a nationwide protest to put environmental issues on the national agenda. It's considered to be the birth of the modern environmental movement. Since its inception, over 20 million people have participated in annual gatherings to promote good environmental stewardship of the planet. It's now observed each year by more than 500 million people and national governments in 175 countries.Not 'Secretary's Day' anymore:
In case you forgot, today used to be National Secretary's Day, or as they now call it, Administrative Professionals Day --they're called APs or AAs for short. It's the day set aside for all those people who take grief from their bosses for 364 days a year.
The same polls on this subject are done every year and routinely offer the same message: If you're a boss, don't send flowers or give 'em a box of candy. Most administrative professionals --usually near three-quarters-- would rather have the cash or some kind of gift certificate. Some say they've gotten socks, a sandbox or a whistle as presents from the boss. Last year, one told an American Express survey she received a canister of mace.Flowers seem to be the most popular gift for that special person in the boss' life --florists rank it as their third busiest day, behind Valentine's Day and Mother's Day.
Something just as easy: Lunch at a nice restaurant. Oh, and an extended lunch hour. You can pick up your own dry cleaning for a change.
Editor's note: You know you are an overworked secretary when he thinks he's giving you a Christmas bonus and the turkey weighs the same as last year's.Culture Shock:
Heard about the KYLIE JENNER Challenge yet? Basically, it's like the Ice Bucket Challenge and dares teenagers to suck on a shot glass until they suck the air out of the glass, creating friction. Then, because of the friction, their lips blow up and look like Kylie Jenner's.
One problem --because the shot glass isn't flexible, and because there's different amounts of glass in each type of shot glass-- it can sometimes can break under all the pressure, causing serious injuries that require stitches to repair.
Dermatologists also tell the Washington Post the "Do-It-Yourself Lip Plumping" can also cause pain, swelling, and bruising and the possible risk for scarring and permanent disfigurement with repeated attempts.
Meanwhile, Kylie herself has taken to her Twitter account to urge her fans not to try and emulate her famous pout. After photographs of fans with severely swollen lips began to flood the site, Kylie wrote: "I'm not here to try & encourage people/young girls to look like me or to think this is the way they should look.
"I want to encourage people/young girls like me to be YOURSELF & not be afraid to experiment w your look."Money Talks --but not as much as mobile use:
Millennials say they'd quit a job where they aren't allowed to use mobile devices at work for non-work-related purposes, according to a Harris Poll of 35-hundred professionals worldwide: 60 percent of respondents said they would leave their jobs if their boss restricted their ability to do personal tasks at work, typically via mobile devices. That's even though they generally know it's uncool, as 58 percent admit feeling guilty about their use of mobile devices at work.
Outside of work, 61 percent also feel guilty about work invading their personal lives through mobile devices, distracting them from their families and personal responsibilities.
Currently younger workers (ages 34 and under) say they do 26 percent of their work on tablets or smartphones, on average, while 82 percent said they use mobile devices to deal with a personal matter while at work at least once a day. Conversely, 64 percent do at least one work-related task during personal hours in an average day. (Kaye)Bid'ness is Bid'ness:
Warning: Note sexual content!
A San Francisco entrepreneur is giving AirBNB a run for their money.
DARREN McKEEMAN is co-founder of KinkBNB, which he describes as a "sex positive" alternative to the popular bed and breakfast booking website. McKeeman's website offers kinky accommodations for adventures travelers. So, if you're looking to rent a dungeon complete with a "spanking bench" for your next getaway, his website might be for you. (Still) -
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