Today I'm the only one left in my department which means I'm goofing off today as much as possible.

I've been reading a lot about Israel's military actions in Gaza and Lebanon. It helps me feel closer to one of my friends who was once in the Israeli army. Sadly, the current situation has him stressed and not talking about it. Hells bells, it's not like I could help much, it's just that I want to help if I can. If that makes any sense.

It's payday and thank the gods, goddesses, and the mold that's growing in my basement.

The thrush is back under one arm. Just as painful and with all of the ongoing irritation. Come back, stomach bacteria, come back! My kingdom for some live yogurt cultures! Maybe I shouldn't have drank all that whiskey and coca-cola last night... Being hung over this morning was certainly no treat.

Speaking of drinking, I went to Jolly Bob's last weekend after having several drinks, ordered two Purple Meanies, one for me and one for the gal, and then returned back home for another round. Perfection in memory, perfection in reality. That, my friends, is the Purple Meanie.

I've been doing some reading about social psychology as part of my exploration of (office) work as living hell. Here is my summary about bullying.

Bullying is broken into two categories:

1. direct bullying (most common to male bullies)
2. indirect bullying, also known as social aggression

Social aggression or indirect bullying is most common to female bullies and young children, and is characterized by forcing the victim into social isolation. This isolation is achieved through a wide variety of techniques, including:

• spreading gossip
• refusing to socialize with the victim
• bullying other people who wish to socialize with the victim
• criticizing the victim's manner of dress and other socially-significant markers (including the victim's race, religion, disability, etc)

Links I found interesting:

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clique
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_aggression
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowd_psychology
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workplace_bullying
* http://www.bullyeq.com/