DVD Talk Forum - Other Talk http://forum.dvdtalk.com en Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:11:42 GMT vBulletin 1 http://forum.dvdtalk.com/images/misc/rss.jpg DVD Talk Forum - Other Talk http://forum.dvdtalk.com The most awesome charity video you’ll ever see http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565130-most-awesome-charity-video-you-ll-ever-see.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:42:17 GMT My friend Debbie Glasband just spent 7 months in India. She came back and created this video (nsfw): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1yinqadxuQ The video isn’t a joke – it’s a piece of a campaign she’s doing to get people to donate goats to the people in the video. I’m sure there’s someone in your life that would rather have a goat donated in their name than whatever crappy present you were going to get them. My friend Debbie Glasband just spent 7 months in India. She came back and created this video (nsfw): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1yinqadxuQ The video isn’t a joke – it’s a piece of a campaign she’s doing to get people to donate goats to the people in the video. I’m sure there’s someone in your life that would rather have a goat donated in their name than whatever crappy present you were going to get them. ]]> Other Talk Diabolita23 http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565130-most-awesome-charity-video-you-ll-ever-see.html What if there were more jobs than willing workers? http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565113-what-if-there-were-more-jobs-than-willing-workers.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:04:44 GMT Across the board, it seems obvious that, with a few difficult or unlikely fields, there are more people than jobs, even counting the jobs that people don't want to do. What if the situation was reversed? That there were more jobs than willing workers? Are there any negatives to that scenario? Most workers are already used to doing more than their workload; how is more jobs than people to do them a bad thing? When America began to get rid of manufacturing and other productive jobs and service based jobs became the norm, was anyone protesting what that outcome might be? ]]> Other Talk hitmanjules http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565113-what-if-there-were-more-jobs-than-willing-workers.html news story from April 15, 1912 - Carpathia strikes iceberg and sinks http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565106-news-story-april-15-1912-carpathia-strikes-iceberg-sinks.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:20:13 GMT In a race against time, the Carpathia sped towards the Titanic’s last known location, 58 miles away, to pick up any survivors. The Carpathia was the closest ship to respond to Titanic’s distress signals, and Captain Rostron ordered full speed to make up the distance.
Unfortunately, at 3:00 a.m. – 45 minutes after Titanic sank – the Carpathia too struck an iceberg. The ship sank in 20 short minutes, with time for just 5 of her 14 lifeboats to be launched (the ship listed too far starboard to enable the port-side lifeboats to be lowered).
At 7:30 a.m. the same morning, the Californian got wind of the sinking of the Carpathia, and steamed towards her last location. By eight, 350 survivors of the Carpathia boarded the Californian, and by the time the captain of the Californian, Captain Lord, heard about the sinking of the Titanic, he headed out to see if any survivors could be found. Other ships were called in to search, too, but no survivors could be found.
Nobody will ever know the story of what happened to Titanic. The radio operator, Harold Cottam from Carpathia perished with the sinking. ]]> Other Talk Buttmunker http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565106-news-story-april-15-1912-carpathia-strikes-iceberg-sinks.html No more cutting around rectum! http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565101-no-more-cutting-around-rectum.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:45:46 GMT http://www.hunterspec.com/indexVideo...&vidHeight=240 ]]> Other Talk SterlingBen http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565101-no-more-cutting-around-rectum.html <![CDATA[Worst restaurant you've ever been to?]]> http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565092-worst-restaurant-youve-ever-been.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:04:37 GMT Out here in Los Angeles, we love our stupidly pretentious restaurants. So one night, my friends and I decided to hit up Father's Office - a new joint that supposedly elevates pub food. The food was just average, but Jesus, the service sucked. You have to find your own table, go up to the bar to order, and then they bring your food. There were tons of people standing around waiting for a table, and it's not like it's first-come first-serve - more like, if you see a table open before anyone else, you get it. That was probably the most asinine restaurant i've ever been to. The service was on par with Carl's Jr. Oh, and you can't modify any dishes in any way whatsoever, even if you want to try a dish and you have certain food allergies.

The most mediocre restaurant i've been to is probably The Gorbals - the restaurant is owned by the winner from Top Chef season 2. After all his trash talking, you'd think the food would be good, and he was even in the kitchen that night. The food just plain sucked. I sent back three plates and they didn't come back any better - same mistakes: too salty, not cooked to order, etc etc. ]]> Other Talk Superboy http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565092-worst-restaurant-youve-ever-been.html <![CDATA[Boston teachers union doesn't quite understand what "incentive" means...]]> http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565086-boston-teachers-union-doesnt-quite-understand-what-incentive-means.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:12:20 GMT ...or so it seems.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/reg...ome&position=0

Quote:
Union blocks teacher bonuses
By Edward Mason
Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Grinchlike union bosses are blocking at least 200 of Boston’s best teachers from pocketing bonuses for their classroom heroics in a puzzling move that gets a failing grade from education experts.

The Boston Teachers Union staunchly opposes a performance bonus plan for top teachers - launched at the John D. O’Bryant School in 2008 and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates and Exxon Mobil foundations - insisting the dough be divvied up among all of a school’s teachers, good and bad.

“It’s insanity,” said Jim Stergios, executive director of the nonpartisan Pioneer Institute. “They’re less concerned about promoting the interest of individual members than maintaining control over their members.”

The incentive program pays Advanced Placement teachers $100 bonuses for each student who passes the test, and up to $3,000 a year for meeting other goals. Students also can also receive $100 for passing.

“(The union) is standing in the way of innovation,” school Superintendent Carol R. Johnson told the Herald. “I think we have to realize we can’t do business as usual. . . . We have to be willing to make changes and give kids the opportunities they need.”

The program also pays for after-school study sessions for AP classes, which can count toward college credit and which some universities use to evaluate applicants.

The incentive program - part of a series of innovations Boston Public Schools wants to roll out - includes drawing outside money to the city’s cash-strapped schools to boost academic performance.

Union head Richard Stutman bristled at criticism he doesn’t have his members’ interest at heart. “We’re not taking money away from teachers,” Stutman claimed.

He also objected to the suggestions his union is a foe of school reform, insisting he backs the incentive program - so long as the bonus goes to all teachers, not just AP instructors.

“There’s no one solely responsible for the development of these students,” Stutman said. “They should all share in the money.”

But by thwarting performance bonuses, the union is hurting students, argued Morton Orlov, president of the Massachusetts Math and Science Initiative at MassINSIGHT, the business-backed group that administers the bonuses.

Orlov said the 10 state schools that accept the bonuses saw a 39 percent increase in students who passed the AP exam.

“You can think of this as smart money,” Orlov said.

Ligia Noriega, headmaster at the Excel High in South Boston, wants the bonus program at her school.

“These incentives push people to work a little bit harder,” Noriega said. “We have to start thinking outside the box.”
I kind of see the point that it is unfair for these bonuses to only be available to AP teachers. However, if my own high school experience was a fair representation, the AP teachers were pretty much a sizable chunk of the best teachers in the school. I would think any reasonable grounds to object would be trumped by the fact that this program is funded by non-government dollars. ]]> Other Talk jfoobar http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565086-boston-teachers-union-doesnt-quite-understand-what-incentive-means.html Lazy Boy Spends 8 Months in Recliner; Dies. http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565084-lazy-boy-spends-8-months-recliner-dies.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:16:20 GMT http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...n/6729971.html

Quote:
COLUMBIA, S.C. — When an ambulance brought Daniel Webb home from the hospital after he hurt his knee in March, paramedics warned the then 550-pound man he probably wouldn't be able to get up from his recliner if they put him there, his wife said.

Webb told them to leave him there anyway. He would sit in that recliner, slowly dying, for the next eight months. Finally, paramedics were called back to his Greenwood home on Wednesday because he was in a lot of pain.

Webb's body was physically stuck to the power recliner and firefighters had to cut him from the chair to take him to the hospital. He died a few hours later, his body covered with sores and a "very bad odor," according to a police report.

Webb, 33, didn't ask for help for all those months, because he was ashamed and didn't have health insurance, said his wife, Ada. He slept and used the bathroom in his chair and she cleaned it every day. The former preacher would post sermons online from the chair, and it wasn't long before he decided he was ready to go home to the Lord, she said.

"After he sat there in that one spot for a week, he was embarrassed. It was like he already knew what was going to happen," Ada Webb said.

Webb's mother was the one who placed the final call to paramedics. Not only did crews have to cut apart the chair, but they had to cut a hole in the wall of the couple's mobile home about 70 miles west of Columbia to get him out. A police report said he weighed about 800 pounds, but his wife said he was closer to 500 pounds.

The hospital told Daniel Webb's wife he died from a heart attack, she said. The coroner's office isn't investigating the death and referred all questions to Greenwood County deputies, who sent their report, but didn't respond to a phone message.

Webb died on the couple's second anniversary. They met four years ago on MySpace, and Ada Webb said she didn't see a man who weighed more than 500 pounds, but instead saw a guy who loved the Lord and had a big heart.
I guess his wife kept feeding him... ]]> Other Talk Mrs. Danger http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565084-lazy-boy-spends-8-months-recliner-dies.html YATT: Couple Busted for Refusing to Pay Tip http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565080-yatt-couple-busted-refusing-pay-tip.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:27:46 GMT Can you believe this shit? Arrested? Never heard that before for not tipping even when it's added to the bill.

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/...052.html?yhp=1

Quote:
Couple Busted for Refusing to Pay Tip
Patrons claim service was so bad, they had to get napkins and silverware for themselves
By DAVID CHANG
Updated 12:20 PM EST, Thu, Nov 19, 2009

Print Email Share Buzz up!TWITTER FACEBOOK


If you’re frustrated by poor service at a restaurant, think twice before you decide to not tip. You may be in for a bit more than just a dirty look from the waiter.

"Nobody, nobody wants to be forced to pay a tip or be arrested for terrible service," Leslie Pope said when her happy hour ended in handcuffs.

Pope and John Wagner were hauled away by police and charged with theft for not paying the mandatory 18 percent gratuity totaling $16 after eating at the Lehigh Pub in Bethlehem, Pa. with six friends.

Pope claimed that they had to wait nearly an hour for their order and that she had to get napkins and silverware for the table herself.


“At this point I became very annoyed because I had already gone up to the bar myself to have my soda refilled because the waitress never came back,” Pope said.

After the $73 bill came, the group paid for food, drinks, and tax but refused to pay the tip. After explaining the bad service to the bartender in charge, Pope claimed he took their money and called police. The couple was handcuffed and placed in the back of a police car.

“I understand that, you know, we didn’t pay the gratuity, but it was a gratuity, it wasn’t something that was required,” said Wagner.

The owner admitted that the group waited unusually long for their food, but said the pub was extremely busy that night. He said managers offered to comp the food, a claim the couple denies ever happened.

“Obviously we would have liked for the patron and the establishment to have worked this out without getting the police involved,” said Deputy Police Commissioner Stuart Bedics.

Police charged them with theft since the gratuity was part of the actual bill. However, it is doubtful that the charges will hold up in front of a judge. The couple is scheduled to appear in court next month.
]]> Other Talk big whoppa http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565080-yatt-couple-busted-refusing-pay-tip.html Ouija Boards http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565073-ouija-boards.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:54:42 GMT Going through some old stuff I needed to sort I came across a ouija board. Has anyone actually got any sort of response from these things? I'm a bit paranoid to use it when you read the negative things written but still skeptical. Let's hear your ouija board jokes or true horror stories- wonder which way this will go. ]]> Other Talk statcat http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565073-ouija-boards.html Selling ebay item to paraguay http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565071-selling-ebay-item-paraguay.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:20:40 GMT Okay I dont usually fall for scams but want to be sure i'm not about to.
Selling a relatively expensive aviation item on ebay ($1500-1700 range).

Someone from paraguay want me to ship it there after paying with paypal.

I'm not aware of any paypal scams as such (as opposed to money order etc), but want to be sure i'm not falling for something there?

Any steps I should take or should it be good to go?

Thanks oh-smarter-than-I-fellow-otters ]]> Other Talk ravan http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565071-selling-ebay-item-paraguay.html Shirt style, naming/buying advice needed http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565066-shirt-style-naming-buying-advice-needed.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:44:29 GMT Hey need some help--Trying to find this style of shirt (modeled here by JJ Abrams in the Star Trek special features) but I cant find what kind of shirt this is or how to search for it. Image: http://i48.tinypic.com/24e2y55.jpg Basically its a typical long sleeve dress shirt but it is SHORT in length and not meant to be tucked in. Using these keywords comes up with every kind of shirt ever invented. HELP! What is this style of shirt called? Where can it be bought? Hey need some help--Trying to find this style of shirt (modeled here by JJ Abrams in the Star Trek special features) but I cant find what kind of shirt this is or how to search for it.



Basically its a typical long sleeve dress shirt but it is SHORT in length and not meant to be tucked in. Using these keywords comes up with every kind of shirt ever invented. HELP!

What is this style of shirt called? Where can it be bought? ]]> Other Talk Save Ferris http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565066-shirt-style-naming-buying-advice-needed.html Tell me about Natural Apple Cider Vinegar http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565047-tell-me-about-natural-apple-cider-vinegar.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:02:47 GMT So, I ran across Natural Apple Cider Vinegar and read that it's supposed to do miracles by increasing your energy, treating many common ailments, reducing acne, losing weight and all this other stuff.

Has anyone ever tried it, and how much are you supposed to drink each day?

http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/

Should I give it to my 3 lb. dog too? ]]> Other Talk U6C84 http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565047-tell-me-about-natural-apple-cider-vinegar.html Canadian Parents win legal battle Against Homework http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565044-canadian-parents-win-legal-battle-against-homework.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:39:06 GMT Canadian parents win legal battle against homework

Quote:
Sherri and Tom Milley's children are now exempt from completing school assignments outside the classroom

Usually it is the children, not the parents, who are loath to spend their evenings practising spelling and learning times tables. But a Canadian couple have just won a legal battle to exempt their offspring from homework after successfully arguing there is no clear evidence it improves academic performance.

Sherri and Tom Milley, two lawyers from Calgary, Alberta, launched their highly unusual case after years of struggling to make their three reluctant children do school work out of the classroom.

After waging a long war with their eldest son, Jay, now 18, over his homework, they decided to do things differently with their youngest two, Spencer, 11, and Brittany, 10. And being lawyers, they decided to make it official.

It took two years to negotiate the Milleys' Differentiated Homework Plan, which ensures their youngest two children will never have to do homework again at their current school. The two-page plan, signed by the children, parents and teachers, stipulates that "homework will not be used as a form of evaluation for the children". In return, the pupils promise to get their work done in class, to come to school prepared, and to revise for tests. They must also read daily and practise their musical instruments at home.

"It was a constant homework battle every night," Sherri told Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper. "It's hard to get a weeping child to take in math problems. They are tired. They shouldn't be working a second shift."

"Why were we putting our family through that stress?" she wondered. "If we don't want it all, we shouldn't have to have it."

Two years ago, Sherri began collecting studies on homework, most of which suggest that, particularly for younger grades, there is no clear link between work at home and school performance. Working with the staff at St Brigid Elementary Junior High School, she formed a homework committee. When no firm changes resulted from the committee, the couple began negotiating the legal document that decided the matter.

"We think it's a parent's right to choose what's in our children's best interests," said Sherri. "But we're thankful the school did the right thing."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009...omework-milley

We all hated homework, but come on really? They had a hard time getting their kids to do homework, so they file a lawsuit? Isn't getting your kids to do homework a part of parenting? I'm not a parent yet, so I can't speak on this. ]]> Other Talk superdeluxe http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565044-canadian-parents-win-legal-battle-against-homework.html What Can I Do With an Old Engagement Ring? http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565035-what-can-i-do-old-engagement-ring.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:50:23 GMT I was engaged for a brief time in 2007. My ex and I split up and I got the ring back. It wasn't much. I think I paid like $500 for it at Walmart (I couldn't afford much and they had a payment plan I could work with).

The thing has been sitting in its box since August of '07 and I honestly forgot I had it until last night when I was cleaning the house.

Is a pawn shop my best bet? I just want to sell it; I have absolutely no use for it and have no idea what it's made out of.

Any suggestions? ]]> Other Talk mcfly http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565035-what-can-i-do-old-engagement-ring.html Have you heard of Life Connect? http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565032-have-you-heard-life-connect.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:55:21 GMT Requesting help from the mighty otter family.

One of my friend sent me an email tonight , asking if I'd heard about this web site.. http://lifeconnect.com

I have not heard of it but they seem to like facebook/myspace but more private.. I didn't see anything bad about them online and before she joins up and starts sending me random stuff from them , I would like to know if they are legit.


Many thanks... ]]> Other Talk draven31 http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/565032-have-you-heard-life-connect.html