Will your office ever leave you alone?
Just say « non.  »
That’s how many French workers might channel Nancy Reagan, as they celebrate the introduction of a new law on January 1 that allows them to finally ignore their bosses.
Well, at least ignore their bosses’ emails out of hours.
As Agence France-Presse reports , this so-called « right to disconnect » demands that all businesses with more than 50 employees negotiate new rules of online engagement with their workers.
It’s common, and not just in France, for bosses to think that employees can be emailed at any time of day or night. After all, the ease and ubiquity of technology has made us always-on creatures.
The trouble is that such constant work pressure has made human moods tend toward the always-off. Psychologists have already raised the alarm that the constant work emailing can be, quite simply, toxic to emotional health.
Why should we be thinking about work when we could be fixing dinner and moving on to a little Netflix-and-chill? Does it make us more productive? Or does it simply make us more tired and angry?
As with so much in France, the intention here is noble, but the practical aspects invite closer scrutiny.
Might some unions simply sell their members’ relaxation for a little more money? Might they reach an agreement that says: « All right, you can email us whenever you want, but give us a 10 percent raise?  »
Moreover, is there actually any incentive for employers to negotiate? As the law currently stands, there’s no penalty for companies that don’t reach agreement with their employees.
Still, the French have been thinking about such laws for some time. Two years ago , employees in the digital and consultancy sectors were told that emails after 6 p.m. would only be allowed « under exceptional circumstances.  »
I can imagine that every day might have suddenly become exceptional.
Some European companies foresaw this trend many moons ago. In 2011, for example, Volkswagen agreed to deactivate its workers’ BlackBerrys out of hours , so that bosses couldn’t pester them.
But what about the US? Could we ever imagine sinking to this dark level of human kindness? Could we ever conceive that bosses would be told to just stop it with the emailing and Slacking when we’re watching  » Monday Night Football  » or  » Stranger Things « ?
I fear this is hoping for too much. After all, we’re heading into an era of deregulation, in which companies will be a little — or a lot — freer to do as they wish.
We’re already in an era when one company was accused of firing an employee for deleting an iPhone app that tracked her 24 hours a day.
The mere thought that employers should now respect home lives might seem quaint. Or even foreign.

© Source: https://www.cnet.com/news/french-employees-law-ignore-work-emails-after-hours/
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As the new year kicks off, it’s a great time to set new goals. If you’re hoping to lose weight , work out , learn more , get a promotion , be more confident , and finally organize your sock drawer , maybe you should just pick one or two at first.
As business site Harvard Business Review explains, we often fail our goals when we don’t have enough investment in achieving them. It’s not that we don’t want to learn a new language or take a pottery class. It’s just that we have other things we care about more. When you divide your focus over a large number of goals, you can’t devote your focus or attention to any of them. Instead, focus on the goals that you’re most passionate about and worry about the rest later:
Capitalizing on the enthusiasm and energy you have for a goal will give you the drive to accomplish that goal. It’s okay to leave some other ambitions on the table and come back to them later when you have more space in your life to pursue it.
Stop Setting Goals You Don’t Actually Care About | Harvard Business Review
Photo by Sam JR .

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I think we can all agree that dips are very important, and a good one is all about finding that perfect balance of flavors that keeps you coming back for more. Luckily, this creamy horseradish-packed dream from Epicurious has it all.
The video above tells the whole story, but all your doing here is mixing a bunch of tasty things together. Just grab a tub of full-fat Greek yogurt, a jar of prepared horseradish, and a couple of garlic cloves. Spoon in the horseradish, grate in the garlic, add salt, pepper, and red chili flakes (exact amounts can be found in the link below), and stir it all together. Dip potatoes in it. Dip vegetables in it. Dip chips in it. I think you get the idea.
HORSERADISH-YOGURT SAUCE | Epicurious

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A bit of planning can save you a ton of money when it comes to buying throughout the year. Here’s your comprehensive, always up-to-date guide on the best times to buy everything this year.
Click “Expand” on the graphic to get a closer look.
You probably know that certain things are cheaper at certain times. Whether you’re buying airfare , dining out , shopping online , or buying anything else , there is often a “best time to buy.” Every year year, we compile a list of the best times to buy stuff based on when stores are trying to push out old stock, when they’re dropping prices for upcoming holidays, or even when they start having sales for no good reason. Check out the chart below for an easy view of the year, or read on for more details.
You can find this info at a lot of different places , from big guides like Freeshipping.org’s Best Time to Buy guide and PC World’s gadget-specific buying guide. However, in an effort to make the guide as accurate as possible, we’ve gone searching for more specific, individual sources for each item to ensure you’re looking for deals at the right time (and gotten rid of the items for which there wasn’t clear consensus—like party supplies or aluminum cookware). So, for each item, click the source link for more specific information on when and how to buy.
Also, if you’re looking for more specific up-to-the-minute news, we highly recommend checking out Dealnews’ monthly best time to buy feature —it’ll highlight a lot of the same stuff that we do here, but also discuss specific gadgets (like the newest iPad or the Xbox One and PlayStation 4). For a bigger overview of the year, read on!
Apart from the above time periods, there are other days of the week or year that are best for buying certain items (which is great if you can’t wait three months for a new computer). We’ve mentioned a few of these around the site before, but in the interest of being comprehensive, here are some things to keep in mind:
And with all things, if you find an item you like, monitor it regularly. Things go on sale for no reason all the time, whether it’s a Shell Shocker on Newegg, the end of a clothing season, or when a particular product goes through a refresh ( like Apple computers ).
That’s our big list for the year. We’ll be updating you at the beginning of each month, reminding you of the best things to buy, but this should help you plan for the year ahead. Good luck!

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Jordan Areaux says her surprise was spoiled.
Working in a store photo lab, or repairing someone’s photo-filled phone, allows you a certain insight into other people’s lives.
Of course, you’re supposed to be professional about it and not gawk, linger or overshare. But for some, surely, the temptation to rummage through the photos is simply too great to bear. Perhaps they’re even tempted to copy one or two.
This is what Jordan Areaux and her boyfriend, Masyn Lehl, say happened when they handed in their pregnancy announcement photos, meant as a surprise, to a Meijer grocery store photo lab in Plainwell, Michigan.
As WWMT-TV reports , this is the couple’s first baby, so they wanted to take pictures and slip them into Christmas gifts with their announcement.
« It would be the first grandbaby in our family, and my grandma actually has cancer, so we were going to kind of surprise her, » Areaux told WWMT.
Instead, they say, Meijer photo lab employees took pictures of their pictures and texted them around greater Plainwell. They say the texting chain even reached members of both their families, spoiling the whole surprise.
Why might the employees have done this? Areaux speculates that because some of the Meijer employees were her high school friends, they couldn’t resist spreading the news.
She told MLive : « I think the girls were trying to start drama and be mean.  » Oh.
Meijer didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
However, the company offered WWMT this statement: « The team members involved in the incident no longer work for Meijer. We followed our standard protocol and once we received the complaint we immediately started an investigation. All photo department team members are required to adhere to a strict confidentiality policy.  »
Now, of course, there are mutterings about possible legal action. Might the photo lab employees have committed a crime? Could there be a civil case? If so, how would Arneaux and Lehl quantify their hurt?
The Allegan County Sheriff’s Office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. WWMT says the sheriff is looking into what happened.
We’re also reaching out to Areaux for additional comment.
This wouldn’t be the first time that store workers have been accused of invading a customer’s privacy. Employees at Best Buy were once even accused of copying a woman’s racy photos.
Perhaps the sad reality is that if you want privacy, you should go to a store where no one knows you. It’s a pity, but in our frivolously sharing world, technology only enhances the human instinct toward nosiness.
Which, naturally, reduces your ability to trust anyone.

© Source: https://www.cnet.com/news/meijer-photo-lab-employees-pregnancy-announcement-photos/
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Donald Trump, explaining to reporters that he knows more than they do.
A computer being hacked seems like a daily occurrence.
If it isn’t a corporation supposedly safeguarding your personal details on the receiving end, it’s a government entity.
Donald Trump has noticed. In remarks to reporters at his New Year’s Eve party in Florida, reported by the Associated Press , the president-elect suggested an alternative means of communication.
« You know, if you have something really important, write it out and have it delivered by courier, the old-fashioned way. Because I’ll tell you what: No computer is safe, » he said.
Sadly, that last assertion does seem to be the case, although as yet no Russian hacker seems to have made incursions into Trump Organization computers in order to reveal The Donald’s tax returns. Perhaps there’s been little incentive.
Trump isn’t very pro-computer. Some believe that a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) in July was the first time he used this modern technology.
Indeed, his New Year’s Eve remarks echo his words to reporters earlier in the week when he suggested that computers confuse things more than enlighten.
« I think that computers have complicated lives very greatly. The whole age of computer has made it where nobody knows exactly what’s going on, » Trump said Wednesday, according to Reuters.
On New Year’s Eve, however, the president-elect hinted that he knew more about what’s going on than anyone else. About the alleged Russian hacking of the Democratic National Convention’s computers, that is, which some believe influenced the election result.
Saying that accusing Russia is a « pretty serious charge, » he added: « I know a lot about hacking. And hacking is a very hard thing to prove, so it could be somebody else.  »
Then he said, according to CBS News (which, like CNET, is owned by CBS), that he would be revealing new information about the hacking « on Tuesday or Wednesday.  »
Some breaths will no doubt be held. Could it be that there will be a stunning revelation that will have us all return to a courier habit, as the stock price of courier companies soars? Should aging bike messengers check the air in their tires?
Or could it be that by Tuesday or Wednesday, there will be new accusations, new revelations and new tweets that will make this tease be swiftly forgotten?

© Source: https://www.cnet.com/news/donald-trump-no-computer-is-safe-use-courier-russian-hacking/
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