What can I do about my co-worker who’s a really loud eater?

My boss uses her company-issued credit card to take her husband out to dinner and expenses the meal as if he were a client. She also takes taxis to her hair appointments and expenses the fare as if she were going to a meeting. It really bothers me — especially as I have to file her expense report — but I don't have the nerve to expose her. Could I get in trouble for submitting fraudulent forms?

Yes, you should stop doing it and/or stop working for that boss. Say to your boss that what she chooses to claim on her expense reports is her business — but that asking you to lie for her is not only unethical, it puts your job at risk. Also tell her that you won't do it, and as a good assistant you are looking out for her and recommend that she stop doing it, too. If she objects, she isn't someone you want to work for anyway. I understand you may need the job, but what is she going to do — fire you for not filing her false expense reports? Then she'd have a much bigger problem on her hand. Start looking for a transfer or new job ASAP, and in the meantime, simply refuse to knowingly file any false expenses.

I sit in an open office space with about 25 co-workers. One eats constantly throughout the day — cereal at 9, granola bar at 10, a bag of chips at 11, soup and sandwich at 1, an apple at 2. Then comes the gum. She is a very loud eater — chomping, slurping, chewing — listening to her eat makes you want to pull your hair out. I can't wear headphones in my position (and yes, I've tried earplugs). Any advice?

One way to look at this is she is setting an excellent example by eating healthfully. Nutritionists say that multiple small meals throughout the day are better than three big meals. And aside from the chips, everything sounds like a meal plan from a health spa. As far as being a loud eater: It's important to chew your food very well before swallowing, so maybe it's just excessive chewing? All in all, I'm not sure exactly what the problem is — unless, perhaps, you and your colleagues are feeling guilty because you treat every day at the office like a Thanksgiving banquet. Try a polite version of telling her to be quiet.

20.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

Three shot outside baby shower

A melee outside a Brooklyn baby shower ended with three people being shot Sunday night, police said.

The skirmish occurred outside Remsen Hall in East Flatbush at 8:30 p.m. when about 20 shots were fired, prompting passers-by to dart into the catering hall to escape the gunfire, according to police and witnesses.

One man was struck in the chest, another in the leg, and a woman was hit in the arm, according to police. They were all taken to Kings County Hospital and listed in stable condition.

The three victims had been inside the catering hall before the bullets started flying, cops said.

20.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tickets to Jets-Dolphins game could sell as low as $11

Thousands of empty seats could greet the woeful Jets in the Meadowlands on Monday night — despite what will be the cheapest ticket in MetLife Stadium's NFL history.

By Sunday night, seats could be had for as little as $11 on the open market for Gang Green's game against the Miami Dolphins.

The tickets had a face value of $66 a piece, not including licensing fees paid by season-ticket holders.

The average secondary-market price was $65, says TiqIQ, which tracks prices of resold ducats.

The previous low was set by the Jets' game against the Arizona Cardinals on Dec. 2, 2012, when the lowest average asking price was $113, TiqIQ data show.

The bargain-basement prices are hardly surprising given the Jets' implosion in 2014, with nine of 11 games lost under coach Rex Ryan.

Making matters worse for Jets ticket sellers is the 8:30 p.m. kickoff for "Monday Night Football."

East Coast prime-time games regularly drive down prices because local fans don't want to be out after midnight on a school night.

Still, when fans pick up the newspapers Tuesday, the Dolphins-Jets box score will likely show attendance north of 78,000 — a figure based solely on tickets sold.

In reality, between 50,000 to 60,000 fans will be at MetLife on Monday night, estimated Chris Matcovich, TiqIQ's vice president of data and communications.

Gang Green has shared the stadium with the Giants since it opened in fall 2010.

Big Blue is also suffering through a playoff-less season, but ticket prices for its final two home dates, against the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles, are holding strong.

As of Sunday, the average asking price was $255 for Washington tickets on Dec. 14 and $289 for Philadelphia on Dec. 28.

"Essentially, the Jets' fan base has thrown in the white towel," Matcovich said.

A city-based Dolphin fan club bought 1,100 tickets for Monday's game — 900 from the MetLife box office and 200 from secondary sellers.

In hindsight, DolfansNYC co-founder Nate "Igor" Smith said he would have waited and bought more tickets at secondary prices.

Still, Smith hailed the price drop on Sunday.

"It's been wonderful. We love it," he told The Post.

20.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

Family of student injured in fight sparked by baby carrot to sue

A baby carrot could cost the city big bucks.

The family of a boy whose jaw was broken in two places during a high-school cafeteria brawl sparked by a baby-carrot attack is planning to sue the city, their lawyer said Sunday.

Felipe Castillo, 17, is still recovering from the Oct. 22 beating at A. Philip Randolph Campus HS in Harlem.

Amara Camara, also 17, was charged with assault.

He says that Castillo threw the tiny carrot at him, and that led to a free-for-all.

Castillo's family claims the school was slow to prevent the battle. Their lawyer, Edward Steinberg, denies Castillo hurled vegetables.

"It comes down to a lack of supervision and a lack of adequate safety measures," said Steinberg.

The family will seek unspecified damages.

School officials could not be reached for comment.

20.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

5 ways to avoid workplace burnout

Two years ago, Briana landed her dream job as an editor at a major news Web site. Her new bosses threw her into the deep end right away — and the 29-year-old Lower East Sider, whose name has been changed for professional reasons, found herself regularly working 12 straight days. After a year of all-work-everything, Briana started to feel so drained that she couldn't do her job properly — and her social life suffered, too.

"I was so exhausted that I couldn't think clearly, and I didn't have the physical or emotional energy to hang with my friends, either," she recalls. "And the worst part was, I started to resent the very gig I'd worked so hard to get in the first place." As a result, she made a lateral move to a different, not-as-impressive-on-paper Web site last spring, and says she couldn't be happier with her choice.

Briana's struggle is real — and very widespread these days. "Commonly referred to as workplace burnout, it's often characterized by being overwhelmed constantly," explains Ben Fanning, author of the new book "The Quit Alternative: The Blueprint for Creating the Job You Love Without Quitting," released in October. In fact, recent research from the online statistics portal Statista found that 69 percent of adults listed work as their No. 1 source of stress in 2013. Some other signs of burnout: You may find yourself too depleted after work to be present with other people, you may lose your temper more easily than before, you may not remember the last time you felt satisfied at work and you may fantasize about quitting, Fanning continues. In other words, your sanity gets completely out of whack.

But while it's tempting to just quit and jet-set off to some tropical island for the year to reboot, that's not realistic for most people. Luckily, there are ways to handle burnout without giving two-weeks notice — namely, stop as much of it as you can before it starts. Read on for five ways to stay in the career game without going insane:

Make it a combo

Rather than trying to eliminate life stuff entirely, clump it together so you kill two or more birds with one stone.Photo: Shutterstock.com

One of the reasons it's so easy to burn out is that you're trying to do so many things throughout the day, both personally and professionally. But rather than trying to eliminate life-stuff entirely, it helps to clump it together so you kill two (or multiple) birds with one stone.

"For instance, you might bring your child or neighbor or friend on a company-sponsored charity walk," explains Dr. Stew Friedman, director of the Work/Life Integration Project at Wharton Business School and author of the new book "Leading the Life You Want: Skills for Integrating Work and Life." That way, you're not running all over the place and tiring yourself out — and you're still crossing off everything on your to-do list.

Schedule regular dinner dates at least once a week

Hitting happy hour with people who bring you up — not down — can help you cope with job burnout.Photo: Getty

You may not be able to quit your job and run off to Jamaica, but you can certainly hit a bar or restaurant once a week for a good meal, coffee or cocktail — or even host a dinner party at your place. The key is to spend time with people who bring you up — not down — and don't make you feel even more overwhelmed than you already are.

"Seek out positive people who make you a little more hopeful or inspired after you're around them, and ask if they want to hang out once a week," says Fanning. Whatever you do, avoid people whose sole mission is to complain; they will only make you feel more stressed.

Crowdsource

When you're freaking out at work, remember your friends and family are in your corner — and they may have solutions you might not think of on your own.Photo: Shutterstock.com

When you're freaking out at work, it's easy to get wrapped up in your own head and think you're heading toward doomsday. But remember: Your friends and family are in your corner — and they likely have solutions you may not think of on your own.

"Take the most creative people in your circle out to lunch, describe your problem, and brainstorm ideas about how to solve it," Friedman says. "Then, try out the best ideas, see what worked and didn't work, and adjust accordingly." It sounds simple, but your friends have different perspectives than you do — and, thus, may be able to see your work situation more clearly than you can.

Schedule a you-time vacation at least once a year

Going on a relaxing vacation helps you recharge your batteries and see things with a new perspective.Photo: Getty Images

In today's increasingly around-the-clock work lifestyle, it can be hard to find the time to take a vacation. But do it — not just for the experience, but for your sanity. "Getting away helps you recharge your batteries and see things with a new perspective," says Fanning.

In other words, going on a hiking trek in the woods can help you realize that you're a part of something so much greater than yourself — and that big-picture perspective can help you not freak out as much when your computer crashes at work for the umpteenth time.

Take up a new hobby or side hustle

Carving out hours for a new hobby makes you more productive at work in the long run.Photo: Alamy

Always wanted to try spinning? Painting? Photography? Go for it. It may seem like you don't have time, but in reality, carving out hours for something new makes you more productive in the long run. "Exploring something totally different from your day job energizes you," explains Fanning.

So even though you're technically doing more, you end up being more productive when you return. Plus, having somewhere you have to be — yoga at 6; Spanish class at 7 — makes it more likely that you'll leave the office on time. And that's something worth bending over backwards for.

20.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

Obama to hold White House meetings on Ferguson

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama will discuss the situation in Ferguson, Missouri, with his Cabinet, civil rights leaders, law enforcement officials and others Monday.

The White House says Obama's Cabinet meeting will focus on his administration's review of federal programs that provide military-style equipment to law enforcement agencies.

The president will also meet with young civil rights leaders to discuss the challenges posed by "mistrust between law enforcement and communities of color." He'll then meet with government and law enforcement officials, as well as other community leaders, to discuss how to strengthen neighborhoods.

Protests have continued in Ferguson, but have been more muted than the violence sparked last week by a grand jury's decision not to indict a police officer in the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown.

18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Daily Blotter

Manhattan

One person was seriously injured in a blaze early Sunday at an East Harlem apartment building, officials said. Flames erupted at around 3:30 a.m. inside the six-story building on East 105th Street near First Avenue, fire officials said. The victim was rushed to Metropolitan Hospital with smoke inhalation, they said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

A fire in another Harlem apartment building left a man fighting for his life Sunday, authorities said. The blaze started in the basement of the building on West 151st Street and Broadway at around 8 a.m. Saturday, they said. Emergency responders pulled the injured man from the flames and rushed him to New York Presbyterian Hospital, where he is listed in critical condition, according to police. Officials are investigating the cause.

A man went berserk inside a West Village hot-dog shop and tried to toss a table at other customers, police sources said Sunday. Faqir Palmer, 26, got rowdy at the Papaya Dog on Sixth Avenue near West Fourth Street at around 12:45 a.m. on Nov. 22, cops said. He started yelling and throwing items before grabbing the table and trying to chuck it across the room, the sources said. Palmer did $350 in damage and was charged with reckless endangerment, authorities said.

A fare beater and his friend assaulted a cop in the West Village, cops said Sunday. Jamie O'Brien, 29, crawled under the turnstile at West 14th Street and Eighth Avenue at around 11:30 p.m. Nov. 20 just as an officer approached him and Steven Nemcheck, 43, police said. When the officer tried to cuff O'Brien, Nemcheck tried to block the cop, according to the police report. O'Brien then kicked the officer, according to cops.
A green pill believed to be a controlled substance was found in Nemcheck's pocket when he was searched, sources said. O'Brien was charged with assault on a police officer, jumping a turnstile, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration, criminal mischief, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct. Nemcheck was charged with obstructing governmental administration and possession of a controlled substance.

Brooklyn

Police are investigating a two-car accident that left a woman clinging to life on the Belt Parkway in Bay Ridge. Irina Danilyuk's car collided with another vehicle at the entrance ramp for the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway at 3:45 a.m. on Saturday and went careening into a tree, police said Sunday. Danilyuk, 22, who was later charged with driving while ability impaired, was rushed to Kings County Hospital, according to authorities. The other driver was treated for minor injuries at the same hospital, they said.

Three thugs shot a man in Bedford-Stuyvesant Sunday afternoon, cops said. The 28-year-old victim was shot in the torso three times at around 12:40 p.m. while he was on Dekalb Avenue near Lewis Avenue, cops said.
He was rushed to Kings County Hospital, where he is in stable condition. Police are looking for his assailants.

The owner of a black Mercedes sedan returned to the parked car on Sunday afternoon in Williamsburg only to discovery it up on bricks and with all four wheels stolen, authorities said. The car was on Clymer Street near Wythe Avenue when the theft was discovered at around 2 p.m. "All of a sudden, I see that my car is on bricks,'' Ira Goldstein, 31, told The Post, adding that he had been visiting his parents and went to his car to go shopping. Police are investigating the incident and whether it is linked to other similar thefts in the area recently, sources said.

Queens

A gun-toting brute threatened a man inside a Jamaica bank, but fled empty-handed, cops said Sunday. The thief walked up to a 48-year-old man at an ATM inside the Chase branch on Linden Boulevard near Francis Lewis Boulevard at around 10:45 p.m. Friday and pulled out a black handgun, a law-enforcement source said. The thug told the man to "take the money out," but the victim refused, police sources said. The perpetrator then pushed the victim and ran down Francis Lewis Boulevard toward 118th Avenue, cops said.

Bronx

A man in Soundview heard gunfire and took off running before realizing he had been shot, police sources said Sunday. While walking to his mother's home at around 8 p.m. Saturday, the 19-year-old was in the rear of an apartment building near the Cross Bronx Expressway and Ellis Avenue when he saw a flash and heard a shot, the sources said. He ducked and heard a second shot, sending him running east on Ellis Avenue toward Pugsley Avenue, cops said. The man felt a tingling in his right leg as he was fleeing and realized he had been shot, authorities said.

18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

The new designer who’s dressed Jay Z, Beyoncé and Blue Ivy

While working from home in Brooklyn late last year, designer Ron Bass got a phone call from Beyoncé's stylist.

Jay Z, with Beyonce, sports a Ron Bass hat at a Miami Heat game.Photo: Splash News and Pictures

Apparently, Jay Z was so taken with a hat Bass made for Ty Hunter, his wife's stylist, that the rap star "borrowed" it — permanently. Hunter hoped Bass would make him another.

But the real surprise came a few weeks later when Jay Z was photographed wearing Bass' hat — a black cap emblazoned with his red crown logo — at a Miami Heat basketball game with Beyoncé.

"And, just like that, my hat also had a front-row seat to the game," says the 30-year-old designer behind BASS by Ron Bass. "Thanks to them, people took notice."

Inspired by the graffiti work of artists like Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, Bass has been turning heads with his colorful men's caps, tees and jackets, all emblazoned with splatters, scribbles and sayings.

"I want people to be walking pieces of art instead of simply just wearing clothes," says Bass, who studied at Pennsylvania's Edinboro University and Long Island's Briarcliffe College and has a degree in digital photography.

Rita Ora rocks a Ron Bass jacket.Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images

This year, Rita Ora was photographed wearing one of his graffitied faux-leather motorcycle jackets — Bass is vegan — to a New York Fashion Week show. Chris Brown, Jamie Foxx and Swizz Beatz are also fans, and Beyoncé has worn Bass' custom snapback cap on several occasions.

Even Blue Ivy is in on the action.

A few months ago, Bass was asked to create the 2-year-old's Halloween outfit. (Mom Beyoncé was dressing as Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, while dad Jay Z went as Basquiat.)

"The Carters wanted Blue to be a 'Baby Basquiat' for Halloween, but Blue wanted to be a princess," says Bass. So he hit on a compromise, designing a black jacket and shoes with Basquiat-inspired artwork, which Blue Ivy paired with a frilly white dress.

"They were very happy with the look — she was more of a princess 'Baby Basquiat,' " the designer says.

Even Blue Ivy is sporting Ron Bass.Photo: beyonce.com

It's hard to believe that, just a few years ago, Bass was a front-desk agent at a downtown hotel — a job that found him desperate for a creative outlet.

"I knew that there was more out there for me," he says. "So I vented my frustrations through artwork, but I also loved fashion as well, so the adoration of the two naturally fused together."

He used fabric as his canvas, ripping up clothes and then painting on them. He soon landed a job at a styling agency, and from there landed a gig at YSL corporate. He debuted his clothing line in November 2012 in New York.

For now, his line of street-smart menswear is sold in such NYC shops as Vinnie's Styles and Jimmy Jazz, and he's soon to announce a deal with a major department store. His jackets run around $400, his T-shirts $60 and his signature baseball caps, $45.

Bass is planning to branch out into women's fashion too, though lots of ladies are already borrowing from his menswear line.

Angela Simmons goes bold in Ron Bass.Photo: Blayze/ Splash News

"Women are harder than men to dress because [they] like to accessorize," he says. "Guys are easier — jeans, sneakers, tops, jackets and we are ready to roll."

And there are plenty more notables he hopes to one day dress — including Andre 3000, Pharrell and Kanye West.

And Oprah.

"I actually already have a dashiki tunic shirt for her that I would love for her to wear the next time she is in Africa," he says.

Until then, he continues to paint — not just on clothing, but on canvas, cars, bikes, even a throne he inscribed "Fit for a King but room for a Queen."

"I want young kids that look up to me to see the king in themselves," he says. "When it comes down to it, I am a visual artist and a designer. I am single. My art and my work — that is who I am with most of the time."

18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Three shot outside baby shower

A melee outside a Brooklyn baby shower ended with three people being shot Sunday night, police said.

The skirmish occurred outside Remsen Hall in East Flatbush at 8:30 p.m. when about 20 shots were fired, prompting passers-by to dart into the catering hall to escape the gunfire, according to police and witnesses.

One man was struck in the chest, another in the leg, and a woman was hit in the arm, according to police. They were all taken to Kings County Hospital and listed in stable condition.

The three victims had been inside the catering hall before the bullets started flying, cops said.

18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tickets to Jets-Dolphins game could sell as low as $11

Thousands of empty seats could greet the woeful Jets in the Meadowlands on Monday night — despite what will be the cheapest ticket in MetLife Stadium's NFL history.

By Sunday night, seats could be had for as little as $11 on the open market for Gang Green's game against the Miami Dolphins.

The tickets had a face value of $66 a piece, not including licensing fees paid by season-ticket holders.

The average secondary-market price was $65, says TiqIQ, which tracks prices of resold ducats.

The previous low was set by the Jets' game against the Arizona Cardinals on Dec. 2, 2012, when the lowest average asking price was $113, TiqIQ data show.

The bargain-basement prices are hardly surprising given the Jets' implosion in 2014, with nine of 11 games lost under coach Rex Ryan.

Making matters worse for Jets ticket sellers is the 8:30 p.m. kickoff for "Monday Night Football."

East Coast prime-time games regularly drive down prices because local fans don't want to be out after midnight on a school night.

Still, when fans pick up the newspapers Tuesday, the Dolphins-Jets box score will likely show attendance north of 78,000 — a figure based solely on tickets sold.

In reality, between 50,000 to 60,000 fans will be at MetLife on Monday night, estimated Chris Matcovich, TiqIQ's vice president of data and communications.

Gang Green has shared the stadium with the Giants since it opened in fall 2010.

Big Blue is also suffering through a playoff-less season, but ticket prices for its final two home dates, against the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles, are holding strong.

As of Sunday, the average asking price was $255 for Washington tickets on Dec. 14 and $289 for Philadelphia on Dec. 28.

"Essentially, the Jets' fan base has thrown in the white towel," Matcovich said.

A city-based Dolphin fan club bought 1,100 tickets for Monday's game — 900 from the MetLife box office and 200 from secondary sellers.

In hindsight, DolfansNYC co-founder Nate "Igor" Smith said he would have waited and bought more tickets at secondary prices.

Still, Smith hailed the price drop on Sunday.

"It's been wonderful. We love it," he told The Post.

18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More