INPUT ARTICLE: Article: It is preferable to choose a friend outside of your work life to discuss your bullying boss situation. This person can help you clarify your thoughts and figure out if you and your boss have a personality conflict or whether true bullying is taking place.  Find a time when you and a close friend can meet in person. Say something like, “I have a situation at work that I need your opinion on. I think my boss may be bullying me, but I want to see what you think.” Then, give your friend several examples of what you consider to be your boss’s problem behavior. Listen carefully and with an open mind to your friend’s opinions. Perhaps you are a little sensitive. If so, your friend will be able to help you figure out whether you are being bullied or whether you just have thin skin. Your friend may also be helpful in offering suggestions on how to deal with your boss. If there are others who are victimized by your boss, consider discreetly talking with them about the situation.  Without mentioning your own situation, see if you can open a conversation with them. Say something like, “It seems like our boss sometimes acts like a bully to you, such as when he calls you names at meetings.” If you trust this co-worker, mention your own concerns about your situation. Be sure to ask your colleague to keep all conversation between the two of you private. When your boss demonstrates bullying behavior, take note of it and keep the records in a safe place. Each time bullying occurs, write it down with a time and date. If there were any witnesses to the events, write down their names as well.  Note incidents of bullying directed towards others. This can help prove a pattern of bullying.  Save e-mails and memos if they have evidence of your boss’s unprofessional or unfair treatment. You and your boss may have gotten off on the wrong foot. By asserting yourself early in your relationship, you may be able to re-set how you interact going forward.  Some bosses think that just because you work for them, they can speak with you in any manner when you make mistakes. The first time this happens, let them know in a kind way that you accept responsibility for the mistake but that you desire to be spoken to in a respectful manner. You could say something like, “I know I didn’t finish my project on time, but I do not appreciate you berating me about that in front of the whole staff. We should find a time to discuss my late project in private.” Another way to approach your boss could be, “I understand we disagree on how to handle this issue, but I don’t think resorting to name calling will help us come to a good solution.” Calmly and assertively standing up for yourself may be all you need to do to deal with your bullying boss, but in many cases you will need to take further action. Demanding everyone produce stellar work within established timelines may be the sign of a tough boss, but it is not the sign of a bully. By achieving clarity on what constitutes a bullying boss, you will better be able to deal with the problem.  If your boss is a demanding perfectionist, they may be difficult to work with but want what is best for the company. This type of boss can usually be reasoned with and may not fall under the definition of a “bully.”   A bully is intimidating and will be verbally abusive (yelling, cursing) to you. They may also spread rumors about you.  Other signs that your boss is a bully include intruding on your privacy, micromanaging your work to the extreme, harshly criticizing your work, and questioning your skills in front of others.  A bullying boss may undermine you, by either setting outrageous deadlines or constantly changing the parameters of projects. A bullying boss may also blame you for things beyond your control or block your attempts to be transferred or promoted.

SUMMARY: Seek out a confidant. Think about whether you are the only target or if the boss acts like this with others. Document the bad behavior. Speak up when the bullying occurs. Distinguish between a tough boss and a bully.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If you’re planning on baking your own cake, make sure you have the necessary supplies and schedule yourself so that you won’t be rushing to finish the cake. Alternately, if you’re planning on purchasing the cake from an outside vendor, you will probably need to order it in advance. Reach out to your local supermarket to make sure your cake will be done on time! Depending on what time you’re hosting your party, you might want to consider serving snacks. If you have the budget, catering your child’s birthday party is an easy option that saves you time, but if not, you might want to look into some easy group meal options to feed your guests.  Don’t forget to purchase paper plates and plastic cutlery -- you don’t want to be stuck using real plates for the food or cake. Keep in mind that most children can be picky eaters! As an added feature, consider creating themed snacks for the party. For example, a pirate themed birthday party could feature cheese and apple pirate ships, or a rainbow themed birthday party could feature popsicles of every color. These snacks are likely to delight the children, but they do take quite a bit of added planning. Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to pull them off!

SUMMARY: Provide a cake. Serve snacks. Go above and beyond with themed snacks.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: The symptoms for inhalation of HF can be complication because the symptoms for mild and severe inhalation will overlap. The symptoms for mild exposure may be include irritation of the mucous membranes in the nose and throat, coughing, burns on the passageways, and narrowing of airways, which will cause difficulty breathing. Symptoms for severe exposure include all of the above as well as an immediate narrowing of the airways, along with pulmonary edema, which is a build-up of fluid in the lungs. Lung collapse can also occur. You will likely not be able to check yourself for inhalation of HF because of the symptoms. However, if you come upon someone who has or might have inhaled HF, check the affected person's vital signs.  Check for a pulse and respiratory breathing on him and make sure his airway is open so that he can breathe. Continue to monitor the individual for any observable symptoms and do your best to alleviate those symptoms as professional medical attention is obtained. If the person looks as though they are having a hard time breathing, administer oxygen if available. Artificial respiration such as CPR is necessary and should be administered by trained professionals if breathing has stopped. Inhalation exposure is rapidly lethal, which means you need to seek medical attention as soon as possible.  Inhalation of HF can cause serious damage and treatment should be done in a medical setting because there is little to no effective treatment outside of a clinical setting. While there is a lot of literature and research available about HF exposure to the skin, inhalation exposure has had relatively little research completed. The process of treating HF inhalation injury is highly complex, and more experimental research is still needed to learn proper care techniques. If inhalation HF is suspected, time is of the essence and medical attention must begin as soon as possible. Your doctor may do imaging scans and spirometry to assess any damage or decreased functioning of your respiratory system.  Spirometry aims to determine your ability to utilize your expected lung capacity and will involve blowing into a tube to measure your effective lung capacity. You will be tested on your ability to inhale, exhale, and the rate at which you can achieve these actions. Just as with other HF exposure, your doctor will take a blood test to check your electrolyte balances, look for any arrhythmias or heart palpitations, and will review your Echocardiogram (ECG) to check for any abnormalities. Your doctor will also follow up within 24 hours of discharge by phone or in person, depending on your case.

SUMMARY:
Recognize the symptoms. Immediately remove the person from the HF source. Seek medical attention immediately. Get treatment at the hospital.