Watercooler Stories

On-the-job cussing may hurt career

CHICAGO, July 26 (UPI) -- Cussing at work may feel good in the moment but could be a career-sinking habit over the long haul, a survey by a U.S. online employment search firm indicates.

CareerBuilder.com in Chicago said in a release Wednesday that 64 percent of employers said they'd think less of an employee who habitually swears, and 57 percent said they'd be less likely to promote someone who curses in the office.

How common is swearing in the office? The survey said 51 percent of workers report they've done it -- more likely in front of co-workers than the boss, however.

Men (54 percent) are a bit more likely to cuss at work than women (47 percent), the survey found.

Employers aren't immune to workplace swearing, with 25 percent admitting they've cussed out employees.

Workplace swearing is most common in Washington (62 percent) and Denver (60 percent), followed by Chicago (58 percent), Los Angeles and Boston (56 percent), Atlanta (54 percent), Minneapolis (50 percent), Phoenix (47 percent) and Philadelphia (44 percent).

The nationwide survey of more than 2,000 hiring managers and 3,800 workers was conducted May 4-June 4. The margin of error was plus or minus 1.5 to 2 percent.

Spiders invade man's apartment

OMAHA, July 26 (UPI) -- A Nebraska man says his apartment has been invaded by venomous spiders.

Dylan Baumann of Omaha said brown recluse spiders are crawling across his walls and floor boards. He has to sleep with is bed away from the wall and shake out his clothes and shoes before putting them on, KETV, Omaha, reported Wednesday.

The spiders are not aggressive but they are venomous. Dennis Ferraro at the Douglas County Extension Office said the mild winter and hot summer may be making the infestation worse.

"We virtually did not have a cold winter this winter, and the hotter temperatures that we're having would probably allow for more reproduction," Ferraro said.

Baumann said he plans to move out of the apartment in September.

21-pound lobster donated to aquarium

BOSTON, July 26 (UPI) -- The New England Aquarium in Boston said it has obtained a 21-pound lobster from an anonymous bidder who won it in a raffle.

Tony LaCasse, a spokesman for the aquarium, said the lobster arrived Monday and will be displayed in the Cold Marine Gallery following the standard 30-day quarantine period, The Boston Globe reported Wednesday.

The lobster was caught in Orleans and sold to Capt'n Elmer's Fish Market, which held a raffle in honor of the lobster to benefit the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The winner was to have received 21 pounds of retail-sized lobster and the chance to witness the giant crustacean's release into the wild, but the winner instead asked for the lobster to be donated to the aquarium.

The winner of the raffle asked to remain anonymous.

Disney guest told to be less 'Santa-ish'

ORLANDO, Fla., July 26 (UPI) -- A guest at Florida's Walt Disney World said an employee told him to dress less "Santa-ish" and banned him from signing autographs or posing for pictures.

Thomas Tolbert said he was visiting the Orlando park on a family vacation when he ran into a familiar situation -- children asking him to sign autographs and pose for photos as Santa Claus, WKMG-TV, Orlando, reported Wednesday.

Tolbert said he wasn't dressed as Kris Kringle, but his clothing was "Santa-related."

"I had a shirt that had -- it would be like a collage -- and it had Santa faces and it had sayings from 'The Night Before Christmas,'" Tolbert said.

He said a Disney representative approached him and asked him to change into something less "Santa-ish."

However, he said changing clothes did not help.

"The face and the persona is what makes Santa," Tolbert said. "They're looking at my face and they're looking at my features."

Tolbert said he was told to turn children away.

"Disney had informed me that I must inform anybody who came up to me that 'I am not who you think I am, I am on vacation and please leave me alone,'" Tolbert said.

He said Disney gave him free tickets to the park for his trouble.