CURIOUS TIMES: Trippy News from a Dysfunctional Planet

WORKING WITH PSYCHOS
Anyone with a job already knows that there’s always at least one psycho working for the company, but if you need an expert to back up this truth, go with Australian psychotherapist Dr. John Clarke who wrote the book “Working With Monsters: How to Identify and Protect Yourself from Workplace Psychos.” Clarke contends that approximately three percent of the employees in any company are functioning sociopaths, and that the corporate climate encourages and rewards their behaviour. "Psychopaths are very comfortable in successful corporations,” says the doctor. "In business you are encouraged to make money for the company and if you appear to be doing whatever it takes to make money, you are often promoted.” Clarke warns that behind the facade of your most successful co-workers might lie the heart of an "ego-centric, grandiose, pathological liar with a lack of conscience, remorse and guilt." And if you don’t recognize anyone like that in your workplace, it’s probably you. (News.com.au)

HOW CAN IT BE LONELY AT THE TOP WHEN YOU’RE SURROUNDED BY SO MANY PRICKS?
Meanwhile, a related study presented at a management conference in Philadelphia last week found that two-thirds of employees believe that bad bosses are never reprimanded and usually promoted for their domineering ways. The study’s authors also claimed that spiteful bosses cause a wide variety of miserable symptoms in their staff, including nightmares, insomnia, depression and exhaustion. Silly me, I thought those were just the symptoms of having a job. (Reuters)

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU GET BORED OF BEING RICH
Unless you’ve recently made it on to a list of the world’s richest people there’s not much point in reading this blurb. If, however, you’ve recently won the lottery and you want to become one of those morons who loses their riches within the first year, head over to Oddee.com for a rundown of “The 11 Most Expensive $#!% You’ll Never Need.” Just park your car in a $225,000 parking spot and grab your $1.63 million purse to begin your shopping spree, where you can pay $130,000 for a television set, $1.3 million for a cell phone, $68,000 for a cricket ball and $1.5 million for a box of chocolates decorated with diamonds, emeralds and sapphires. When you get hungry you can pick up a $1000 pizza and wash it down with a $225,000 bottle of tequila or a $14,000 cup of tea. Oh, and don’t forget to pick up something for the kids. Would they like the $163,000 Hello Kitty doll or a $41,000 “Gundam” robot made out of platinum?

KEEP HITTING YOUR SISTER
Wondering if your marriage is on the rocks or not? Check out how much your kids are fighting. A Pennsylvania University study of 200 families found that sibling rivalry declines when the parent’s marriage is hitting the skids. So the more your kids fight, the healthier your marriage. (NowAndNext.com)

I’M USELESS UNTIL I’VE HAD MY FIRST SEVEN DOUBLE ESPRESSOS
Terrible news... it’s possible to overdose on caffeine. A British teenager found out the hard way after downing seven double espressos while working in her family’s sandwich shop. "My nerves were all over the place,” said Jasmine Willis, 17. “I was burning up and hyperventilating... I was having palpitations, my heart was beating so fast and I thought I was going into shock.” Doctors confirmed a caffeine overdose and kept her for a few hours of observation in the emergency room, where she made a full recover. However, she can no longer stand the taste of coffee. (BBC)

THE MAN(BAT) IN THE MOON
August 25th marks an interesting date in history, as it was on this day way back in 1835 that the New York Sun began a six-part series of articles which became known as “The Great Moon Hoax.” In it, the Sun claimed that Sir John Herschel, a famous astronomer of the day had used a “telescope of vast dimensions” to make a series of remarkable discoveries about the moon. The elaborate account included the news that lunar topography included vast forests, inland seas, quartz pyramids, and was populated by herds of bison, blue unicorns and amphibious creatures on the moon’s beaches. But the remarkable discoveries didn’t end there. The hoax included the news that the moon was home to intelligent life in the form of a primitive tribe of fire-wielding biped beavers and a race of winged humans which Herschel dubbed Vespertilio-homo, or “man-bat.” Thanks to the great moon hoax articles, the New York Sun soared in popularity and established itself as one of the major dailies in New York City. Meanwhile, the real Sir John Herschel, who had nothing to do with the article, was said to have been amused at first but became rapidly annoyed with the tale after people who believed the story continued to ask him questions about his amazing discoveries. (MuseumOfHoaxes.com)

BIG HAIRY DEAL
You better stop shaving right now if you want to have any chance at all of winning the World Beard and Moustache Championships being held in Brighton, England on Sept. 1. Check out the bizarre facial monstrosities of past contestants and champions at WorldBeardChampionships.com

I-READ-IT-ON-THE-INTERNET-SO-IT-MUST-BE-TRUE FACT OF THE WEEK
There are more Ethiopian doctors in Chicago than in all of Ethiopia.