Politicians take heed: more than half of US workers say the American Dream is unattainable and nearly half blame the political system for the deterioration in their economic circumstances, according to a new national survey.

The workplace poll, conducted in May 2008 by Zogby International for The Marlin Company, The Workplace Communications Experts,  found that nearly three-quarters of US workers (74.7%) say the American dream is not as attainable today was it was eight years ago; 52.4% say it is simply unattainable for the average American (see charts). The survey defines the American dream as "the opportunity to have a nice home, financial security for you and your family, and hope for the future."

The workplace poll also found that nearly half (45.1%) of US workers admit to being "bitter" because "the political system has caused a deterioration of [their] economic circumstances." Nearly half (47.5%) of 30-49 year-olds surveyed report feeling bitter, while only 38.4% of 18-29 year-olds feel bitter...

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Like a lot of us, I too tend to sometimes concentrate on what appears to be an endless array of human failings. Behavior and conduct  (not by me of course) that's so disgusting, so enraging, that, paradoxically, I almost feel drawn to. Like picking at a scab, or making a toothache hurt more...I really need (or want) confirmation of the crappy way I view my colleagues and, really, the world. And, where's the best Petri dish to peek at this pathology? You guessed it, at work.

So, the corporate environment becomes almost a biosphere, a colony of cubes, housing our co-workers. Busy and active, they cease being people, and instead are nothing more than a bunch of bacteria. Germs mindlessly swimming through the company agar, looking for that next promotion, raise, or whatever. Worse yet, some even seek to infect your environment with an unhealthy dose of  their hypocrisy, deceit or sheer stupidity...

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Yesterday was like any other day at the office. It was boring, dull, and as flat as a small black dog squashed by a large yellow steam roller. So, a couple of the guys and I got together in an effort to escape the nightmarish reality of work. However, we realized that some of our usual pranks had become void of excitement, and the boredom we were experiencing had robbed us of our jouissance. To overcome this, we decided to make a prank call to our CEO.  But much to our dismay, this proved to be rather difficult, as the company we work for is a Fortune 500 one, and you cannot just call up his secretary and get transferred. So, after a lot of trial and error we finally got hold of the CEO’s personal cell number. We called him up, said the word 'PENIS,' hung up, and giggled like little school girls.  

Here’s how we got his number...

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I won't stop saying it until we drill it into your over-educated, stubborn head: Only a sucker loses sick days at the end of the year!

With Memorial Day behind us and the days of summer upon us, we hope you're doing more than just taking those white shoes out of storage.

Golden sun, ocean waves and cold beers should be enough reason to call in sick, but if your struggling for a 'good reason,' consider some of these June 'events':

- Adopt a Shelter Cat Month
- Effective Communications Month
- National Accordion Awareness Month

Heck, call in on Monday, June 8 to celebrate your Triple Crown winnings after you bet on Big Brown at the Belmont Stakes.

Your boss will use days.  Your boss's boss will use days.  Don't play the hero.  And if you're holding out for a "perfect attendance" award - click away from this blog. Now!  ;-)

Download the Jobacle Sick Day Calendars here:

Black Calendar // White Calendar

Get the full list of official 2008 sick days here. 

At one time or another, we've all had a coworker that got underneath our skin.  OK, if I’m being honest, I’ve had colleagues I wanted to call a hit on just so I wouldn’t have to hear their whiny voices anymore.  The unfortunate part about these situations is that it always affects your work- whether you are working on a project with the offender - or if they're just an interruption during your day.

In some instances, there is potential for resolution.  However, you may come across people in the workplace that you just plain can’t stand.  There is no straightforward answer on how to deal with a coworker that you despise.  I deal with them by using what I call the 3 P’s...

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“You know, like nunchaku skills, bow hunting skills, computer hacking skills... girls only want boyfriends who have great skills.”

These wise words from Napoleon Dynamite are the theme of the promoted video on the new Australian website skillsone.com.au. If Napoleon is right, it looks like I’m going to be single for a long time. Luckily for Australians, the Australian government has funded a program to increase interest in trade skills within the country. The funds back the Institute for Trade Skills Excellence. The first aim of the Institute is to “improve the profile and status of trades.” One of the ways they plan on achieving that goal is through the new video-based Website skillsone.com.au site...and it's pretty darn cool! 

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As we humans creep towards a completely hedonistic society, we do not ask or request to be happy all of the time, we demand it. Accordingly, it is not surprising that we are constantly looking for a job that “defines us,” and will allow us not only to express ourselves both creatively and intellectually, but will also make us whistle as we work, whilst offering a very generous salary with health care and dental. This is probably the reason why, in the Western world, so many people job hop in order to achieve these goals. Well, let me tell you, you should count yourself lucky; you could have been stuck with one of these ridiculous, sometimes embarrassing, sometimes down right degrading jobs.  

Here are 5 of the worst jobs I could find in my meandering...

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Snake bit: To be cursed, extremely unlucky or destined to fail at anything you try.

Fear of snakes has always haunted mankind, and for at least some of us, it's too creepy a subject to even think about. After all, it's a phobia that we've carried with us, ever since we left the primeval ooze - and remains with us - even into the age of the cubicle...

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If you're looking for new media job postings, there's a new job board you'll want to check out: NewMediaHire.com.  Covering everything from blogging gigs to online video production, the Website promises the freshest leads in the rapidly-expanding digital technology niche.

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As I continue to look for a house, I've realized that there is a good chance that I might end up living very close to the same area where I work.  That means my commute, which right now is about 30 minutes, could actually drop down to under 10.  Perhaps even five!

At first you might think, 'wow, that's great!'  You can go home for lunch - maybe even catch a quick nap.  You'd bring siesta back to NYC baby!  But upon further examination (because I must over think everything), I'm starting to wonder if it's possible to live too close to work.  Among the negatives...

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