Post your interesting news stories of the day here

(Who needs FB/reddit/digg/etc when you can have TWW users aggregate your stories )

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/9078489/Fairytales-too-scary-for-modern-children-say-parents.html

Quote :

"Fairytales too scary for modern children, say parents Research revealed one in five parents has scrapped old classics such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Rapunzel in favour of more modern books. One third of parents said their children have been left in tears after hearing the gruesome details of Little Red Riding Hood. And nearly half of mothers and fathers refuse to read Rumplestiltskin to their kids as the themes of the story are kidnapping and execution. Similarly, Goldilocks and the Three Bears was also a tale likely to be left on the book shelf as parents felt it condones stealing. The survey of 2,000 adults was commissioned to mark the launch of the hit US drama GRIMM, which starts tonight at 9pm on Watch, and sees six gritty episodes based on traditional fairytales. The poll found a quarter of parents polled wouldn't consider reading a fairytale to their child until they had reached the age of five, as they prompt too many awkward questions from their offspring. And 52 per cent of the parents said Cinderella didn't send a good message to their children as it portrays a young woman doing housework all day. Steve Hornsey, General Manager, Watch, said: ''Bedtime stories are supposed to soothe children and send them off to sleep soundly. ''But as we see in GRIMM, fairytales can be dark and dramatic tales so it's understandable that parents worry about reading them to young children.'' ''As adults we can see the innocence in fairytales, but a five year old with an over active imagination could take things too literally. ''Despite the dark nature of classic fairytales, as we see in GRIMM, good will triumph over evil and there is always a moral to the story.'' When it comes to bedtime reading, over a third of parents don't like to tell their children about 'The Gingerbread Man' as he gets eaten by a fox. And 'Queen Bee' features a character called 'Simpleton,' which 35 per cent of mums and dads deemed unsuitable. The study also found two thirds of mums and dads try to avoid stories which might give their children nightmares. However half of parents said traditional tales are more likely to have a strong moral message than a lot of modern kids' books, such as The Gruffalo, The Hungary Caterpillar and the Mr Men books. TOP TEN FAIRYTALES NO LONGER READ TO CHILDREN 1. Hansel and Gretel - Details two kids abandoned in the forest and likely to scare young children 2. Jack and the Beanstalk - Deemed too 'unrealistic'. 3. Gingerbread Man - Would be uncomfortable explaining gingerbread man gets eaten by a fox 4. Little Red Riding Hood - Deemed unsuitable by parents who have to explain a young girl's grandmother has been eaten by a wolf. 5. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves - the term dwarves was found to be inappropriate 6. Cinderella - Story about a young girl doing all the housework was outdated. 7.Rapunzel - Parents were worried about the focus on a young girl being kidnapped. 8.Rumplestiltskin - Wouldn't be happy reading about executions and kidnapping 9.Goldilocks and the Three Bears - Sends the wrong messages about stealing 10.Queen Bee - Inappropriate as the story has a character called Simpleton ENDS "

2/15/2012 1:44:25 PM

parents are dumb these days

[Edited on February 15, 2012 at 1:51 PM. Reason : don't coddle the child]

2/15/2012 1:45:10 PM

fuckin pussies

2/15/2012 1:45:34 PM

Modern children too pussy for Fairytales, say Slave Famous

2/15/2012 1:45:44 PM

Quote :

"2. Jack and the Beanstalk - Deemed too 'unrealistic'."

In a survey about fairytales?

2/15/2012 1:50:16 PM

Quote :

"10.Queen Bee"

Evidently my parents would be for not telling this story, cause I've never heard of it

2/15/2012 1:57:01 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Queen_Bee

Quote :

"The Queen Bee is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, tale number 62. It is Aarne-Thompson type 554, the grateful animals. [edit] Synopsis Two king's sons went out to seek their fortune, but fell into disorderly ways. The youngest, Simpleton, went out to find them, but they mocked him. They traveled on, and Simpleton prevented his brothers from destroying an ant hill, killing some ducks, and suffocating a bee hive with smoke. Then they came to a castle with stone horses in the stable, and no sign of anyone. They hunted through the castle and found a room with a little gray man, who showed them to dinner. In the morning, he showed the oldest son a stone table, on which were written three tasks. Whoever performed them would free the castle. The first was to collect the princess's thousand pearls, scattered in the woods. Whoever tried and failed would be turned to stone. The older brothers tried and failed. For the youngest, however, the ants collected the pearls. The second was to fetch the key to the princess's bedchamber from the lake, which the ducks did for him. The third was to pick out the youngest princess from the three sleeping princesses; they looked exactly alike, and the only difference was that the oldest had eaten a bit of sugar before they slept, the second a little syrup, and the youngest some honey. The queen bee picked out the youngest. This woke the castle, and restored all those who had been turned to stone. The youngest son married the youngest princess, and his two brothers, the other princesses."

2/15/2012 1:59:49 PM

are we talking Disney-fied fairy tales or the old school Grimm ones?

2/15/2012 2:00:59 PM

Raising the worlds biggest pussies.

2/15/2012 2:08:41 PM

OMG...yet Harry Potter is perfectly acceptable

2/15/2012 2:11:11 PM

Harry's an obvious devil worshipper

2/15/2012 2:14:09 PM

the more I hear shit like this, the less I look down on those "nut jobs" that move out to the middle of no where and isolate their families from society in those compounds

2/15/2012 2:16:17 PM

yeah but in those compounds "Jack and the Beanstalk" takes on a whole new meaning

2/15/2012 2:20:55 PM

^^agreed!

[Edited on February 15, 2012 at 2:22 PM. Reason : ^]

2/15/2012 2:21:47 PM

lol

2/15/2012 2:26:19 PM

I, for one, am happy that parents are beginning to shelter the fuck out of their children, refrain from corporal punishment, and all around just raise them up to be giant pussies. It will just make it all that much easier for my children to excel beyond their peers, get the better job, be successful, and just all around appear awesome when compared to these future losers.

2/15/2012 2:40:51 PM

Hell, I am reading these to my kids just like I did!

2/15/2012 2:53:15 PM

^ lolz i had that book as a kid

[Edited on February 15, 2012 at 3:52 PM. Reason : h]

2/15/2012 3:52:39 PM

I loved that book!!!


And to be fair, I don't think I would tell my kids the real Brothers Grimm fairy tales because, well, they're flippin' long and Shel Silverstein is where it's at.

2/15/2012 3:57:23 PM

2/15/2012 3:57:35 PM

See, Minka, everyone is commenting on your story. No one is adding stories of their own. This is the way TWW works. Adapt or die.

2/15/2012 3:59:39 PM

Quote :

"are we talking Disney-fied fairy tales or the old school Grimm ones?"

valid question.

the Disney-fied versions of fairy tales are fine for any kids, but in their original Grimm form, they're kinda fucked up.

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/10457

Quote :

"1. Cinderella Don’t break out your violins for this gal just yet. All that cruelty poor Cinderella endured at the hands of her overbearing stepmother might have been well deserved. In the oldest versions of the story, the slightly more sinister Cinderella actually kills her first stepmother so her father will marry the housekeeper instead. Guess she wasn’t banking on the housekeeper’s six daughters moving in or that never-ending chore list. 2. Sleeping Beauty In the original version of the tale, it’s not the kiss of a handsome prince that wakes Sleeping Beauty, but the nudging of her newborn twins. That’s right. While unconscious, the princess is impregnated by a monarch and wakes up to find out she’s a mom twice over. Then, in true Ricki Lake form, Sleeping Beauty’s “baby’s daddy” triumphantly returns and promises to send for her and the kids later, conveniently forgetting to mention that he’s married. When the trio is eventually brought to the palace, his wife tries to kill them all, but is thwarted by the king. In the end, Sleeping Beauty gets to marry the guy who violated her, and they all live happily ever after. 3. Snow White At the end of the original German version penned by the brothers Grimm, the wicked queen is fatally punished for trying to kill Snow White. It’s the method she is punished by that is so strange – she is made to dance wearing a pair of red-hot iron shoes until she falls over dead. 4. The Little Mermaid You’re likely familiar with the Disney version of the Little Mermaid story, in which Ariel and her sassy crab friend, Sebastian, overcome the wicked sea witch, and Ariel swims off to marry the man of her dreams. In Hans Christian Andersen’s original tale, however, the title character can only come on land to be with the handsome prince if she drinks a potion that makes it feel like she is walking on knives at all times. She does, and you would expect her selfless act to end with the two of them getting married. Nope. The prince marries a different woman, and the Little Mermaid throws herself into the sea, where her body dissolves into sea foam. Now here are four more fairy tales you might not be familiar with, but you might have trouble forgetting. 1. The King Who Wished to Marry His Daughter What It’s Like: Cinderella, with an incestuous twist The King’s wife dies and he swears he will never marry again unless he finds a woman who fits perfectly into his dead Queen’s clothes. Guess what? His daughter does! So he insists on marrying her. Ew. Understandably, she has a problem with this and tries to figure out how to avoid wedding dear old dad. She says she won’t marry him until she gets a trunk that locks from outside and inside and can travel over land and sea. He gets it, but she says she has to make sure the chest works. To prove it, he locks her inside and floats her in the sea. Her plan works: she just keeps floating until she reaches another shore. So she escapes marrying her dad, but ends up working as a scullery maid in another land… from here you can follow the Cinderella story. She meets a prince, leaves her shoe behind, he goes around trying to see who it belongs to. The End. 2. The Lost Childen What It’s Like: Hansel & Gretel meets Saw 2 This French fairy tale starts out just like Hansel & Gretel. A brother and sister get lost in the woods and find themselves trapped in cages, getting plumped up to be eaten. Only it’s not a wicked witch, it’s the Devil and his wife. The Devil makes a sawhorse for the little boy to bleed to death on (seriously!) and then goes for a walk, telling the girl to get her brother situated on the sawhorse before he returned. The siblings pretend to be confused and ask the Devil’s wife to demonstrate how the boy should lay on the sawhorse; when she shows them they tie her to it and slit her throat. They steal all of the Devil’s money and escape in his carriage. He chases after them once he discovers what they’ve done, but he dies in the process. Yikes. 3. The Juniper Tree What It’s Like: Every stepchild’s worst nightmare Cannibalism, murder, decapitation… freakiness abounds left and right in this weird Grimm story. A widower gets remarried, but the second wife loathes the son he had with his first wife because she wants her daughter to inherit the family riches. So she offers the little boy an apple from inside a chest. When he leans over to get it, she slams the lid down on him and chops his head off. Note: if you’re trying to convince your child to eat more fruits and veggies, do not tell them this story. Well, the woman doesn’t want anyone to know that she killed the boy, so she puts his head back on and wraps a handkerchief around his neck to hide the fact that it’s no longer attached. Her daughter ends up knocking his head off and getting blamed for his death. To hide what happened, they chop up the body and make him into pudding, which they feed to his poor father. Eventually the boy is reincarnated as a bird and he drops a stone on his stepmother’s head, which kills her and brings him back to life. 4. Penta of the Chopped-off Hands What It’s Like: Um…you tell us These old fairy tales sure do enjoy a healthy dose of incest. In this Italian tale, the king’s wife dies and he falls in love with Penta … his sister. She tries to make him fall out of love with her by chopping off her hands. The king is pretty upset by this; he has her locked in a chest and thrown out to sea. A fisherman tries to save her, but Penta is so beautiful that his jealous wife has her thrown back out to sea. Luckily, Penta is rescued by a king (who isn’t her brother). They get married and have a baby, but the baby is born while the king is away at sea. Penta tries to send the king the good news of the baby, but the jealous fisherman’s wife intercepts the message and changes it to say that Penta gave birth to a puppy. A puppy?! The evil wife then constructs another fake message, this time from the king to his servants, and says that Penta and her baby should be burned alive. OK, long story short: the king figures out what the jealous wife is up to and has her burned. Penta and the king live happily ever after. I can’t really figure out what the moral of this tale is. Chopping hands off? Giving birth to a dog? Help me out here, people. "

[Edited on February 15, 2012 at 4:04 PM. Reason : .]

2/15/2012 4:00:23 PM

I'm glad you made that point - I understand why people think they're being over the top but I don't think I would truly read my kids those stories until they were older... same with The Little Mermaid

2/15/2012 4:03:30 PM

http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/02/15/1857560/electric-cigarette-explodes-in.html

Electric cigarette explodes in Fla man's mouth

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Fire officials say an electric cigarette exploded in a Florida man's mouth, severely burning his face and knocking out some of his front teeth.

North Bay Fire Department Division Chief Joseph Parker says it appears the cigarette's battery exploded while the man was smoking Monday night. Parker likened it to a bottle rocket going off in the man's mouth. He also lost part of his tongue.

Parker says the man had been using electric cigarettes to help him quit smoking

2/15/2012 4:50:30 PM

^looks like that man's e-cigarette was real...e-dangerous

2/16/2012 12:42:12 AM

I think I can guess what all he wants for christmas.

2/16/2012 12:42:37 AM

Quote :

"Holloway is a photographer, motorcycle enthusiast and Vietnam-era veteran, according to his Facebook page."

That's pertinent!

2/16/2012 1:04:02 AM

http://todayhealth.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/16/10425025-arsenic-found-in-organic-baby-food-cereal-bars

Quote :

"Arsenic found in organic baby food, cereal bars By Rachel Rettner MyHealthNewsDaily You may think you're being extra-healthy when you chose foods labeled "organic," but some of these products contain arsenic, a compound that may increase the risk of cancer, a new study says. The study points to organic brown rice syrup, an ingredient often used as a healthy alternative to high fructose corn syrup, as a potential source of arsenic in food. The results show cereals bars, energy shots and even infant formula s made with organic brown rice syrup contain particularly high levels of arsenic, compared with products without this syrup. Some cereal bars have concentrations of arsenic that are 12 times the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) safe drinking water limit of 10 parts per billion (ppb), the researchers said. Advertise | AdChoices There are two main types of arsenic: organic and inorganic. These terms refer to the chemistry of the arsenic compound; they have nothing to do with pesticide use, as when the term "organic" is applied to foods. The majority of arsenic the researchers found was inorganic, which is generally thought to be more harmful than organic arsenic. Chronic exposure to low levels of inorganic arsenic has been linked to increased risks of bladder, lung and skin cancer, as well as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to the EPA. Recent studies have shown that rice can be a major source of arsenic in our diet. The new study highlights the fact that products we don't normally think of as containing rice may still harbor significant levels of arsenic, the researchers said. It's not yet clear whether the arsenic in rice, rice-based products or other foods is harmful to people. But the levels found in infant formulas are concerning, because of infants' small body size, said study researcher Brian Jackson, of the department of Earth sciences at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. There are currently no rules in the United States governing how much arsenic is allowed in foods, and the guidelines for water are not a fair comparison, because people may consume more water than arsenic-containing foods. Still, given that some foods may be a significant source of arsenic, "there is an urgent need to regulate arsenic in food," the researchers wrote in their study. Arsenic in food Jackson and colleagues measured the amount of arsenic in 17 infant formulas, 29 cereal bars and 3 energy shots purchased from stores in New Hampshire. Two of the infant formulas contained organic brown rice syrup as their primary ingredient. These products had arsenic levels 20 to 30 times that of the other infant formulas. Twenty-two of the cereal bars contained at least one rice product (organic brown rice syrup, rice flour, rice grain or rice flakes) listed as one of the first five ingredients. These bars had levels of arsenic that ranged from 23 to 128 parts per billion (ppb). Cereal bars that did not contain rice had much lower arsenic levels, ranging from 8 to 27 ppb. Advertise | AdChoices The energy "shots", or gel-like blocks, contained between 84 and 171 ppb arsenic. All the products had organic brown rice syrup as one of the ingredients. An individual who consumed four of these energy shots would consume more than 10 micrograms of arsenic — an amount equal to drinking 1 liter of water with arsenic concentration at the current EPA limit. Babies at risk Of all the study findings, "the data on the infant formulas is most concerning," said Christopher States, a toxicologist at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. The amount of arsenic consumed by an infant could be significant depending on which formula they drank, States said. In addition, the arsenic concentrations in the study were calculated assuming the infant formula powders were prepared for babies to drink with arsenic-free water. Infants who consumed formulas with high arsenic levels that were mixed with arsenic-containing water would be at the greatest risk for potential health effects, States said. Recent research suggests arsenic exposure early in life may increase the risk for health problems later on. Formula may be a baby's sole food over a critical period of development, and their small size means they may consume more arsenic per kilogram of body weight than an adult eating foods with similar arsenic levels, the researchers said. It's hard to say what effect arsenic in foods may have on adults, Jackson said. If guidelines are set for acceptable levels of arsenic in food, they may be higher than most of the levels found in this study, around 200 ppb, Jackson said. "I don't think eating the occasional cereal bar has any real risk to it," Jackson said. For those concerned about arsenic exposure, Jackson recommends making sure meals are not rice-based. For parents, Jackson said to avoid infant formulas that contain rice syrup. The article is published today (Feb. 16) in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives."

2/16/2012 10:40:56 AM

http://myfox8.com/2012/02/09/man-allegedly-kills-two-people-for-unfriending-his-daughter-on-facebook/

Quote :

"Man allegedly kills two people for unfriending his daughter on Facebook MOUNTAIN CITY, Tenn. (AP) — A father who was upset after a Tennessee couple deleted his adult daughter as a friend on Facebook has been charged in the shooting deaths of the couple, authorities said Wednesday. The victims had complained to police that Marvin Potter’s daughter was harassing them after they deleted her as a friend on the social networking site, Johnson County Sheriff Mike Reece said Wednesday. Potter, 60, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in last week’s slayings of Billy Payne Jr. and his girlfriend, Billie Jean Hayworth. The couple was shot to death in their Mountain City home in the far northeast corner of the state. Their 8-month-old baby was found unharmed in Hayworth’s arms. “It’s a senseless thing,” the sheriff said. Authorities have been involved other cases where Potter’s daughter, Jenelle Potter, believed she had been slighted by someone. Marvin Potter’s friend, Jamie Curd, has also been charged in the killings. Curd, 38, had romantic feelings for Jenelle Potter, 30, the sheriff said. Potter and Curd were arraigned Wednesday. Potter asked for time to hire an attorney while Curd was assigned a public defender who did not immediately return a phone message. Assistant District Attorney General Matthew Roark said Curd’s initial bond was raised to $1.5 million while Roark agreed to put off a bond hearing for Potter until next week, when he is expected to have an attorney. Potter remains jailed on his initial $200,000 bond. The victims lived with Billy Payne Sr., who was the last person to see them alive. He told detectives he saw Hayworth get up to feed the baby before he left for work at about 5:30 a.m. on Jan. 31. The slayings were discovered about five hours later when a former neighbor stopped by to pick up mail the family would save for him. The younger Payne was found in his bedroom, and Hayworth was found in the baby’s room."

2/16/2012 10:53:30 AM

Quote :

"The couple was shot to death in their Mountain City home in the far northeast corner of the state. Their 8-month-old baby was found unharmed in Hayworth’s arms."

Poor child.

Killers deserve the death penalty.

It is a strange world we live in... real life goes into computers (FB), and actions in the virtual lives precipitate back in to the real life resulting in horrific consequences.

2/16/2012 11:10:25 AM

From the perspective of a child (if memory serves)

1. Hansel and Gretel - a house made of candy. A HOUSE MADE OF CANDY



5. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves - the term dwarves was found to be inappropriate
This almost makes me wonder just how many words will be left if the PC/solve a problem that doesn't exist crowd were left unchecked. What would they rename them. Maybe they'd feel more comfortable if Snow White shacked up with 7 normal sized dudes.

6. Cinderella - Story about a young girl doing all the housework was outdated.
Maybe they modernize it a bit. Have the wicked stepsisters be spoiled teen girls that are glued to their cellphones and make Cinderella a mexican cleaning lady that gets to go out with the football captain. Crap, I'm sure there's already a crappy iCarlyesque movie in the works as I type this.

9.Goldilocks and the Three Bears - Sends the wrong messages about stealing
Modernize this as well. Show how the bears come up with a better DRM for their bowls of porridge and beds and show how the bears sue Goldilocks into oblivion for taking a quick nap.

[Edited on February 16, 2012 at 11:14 AM. Reason : -]

2/16/2012 11:10:55 AM

Quote :

"in which Ariel and her sassy crab friend"

lolz.

2/16/2012 11:13:48 AM

beats crabby friend who works at sas...

2/16/2012 12:22:43 PM

wolfpackgrrr is never gonna get to make another thread because of this one.

[Edited on February 16, 2012 at 12:24 PM. Reason : ]

2/16/2012 12:24:11 PM

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Fetus-Found-in-Sewer-Pipe-Cops--139753913.html?dr

Quote :

"Fetus Found in Sewer Pipe: Cops Police are investigating the discovery of a fetus inside a sewer pipe at a Kensington home. It happened at a house on the 800 block of East Russell Street on Monday. Police say contractors were working on a clogged toilet in the basement of the home when they found what appeared to be a human fetus in the sewer pipe. Police currently don't know the exact age of the fetus though they say it appeared to be three to four-months-old. They also won't know the exact cause of death until the autopsy is complete. Police interviewed a couple in their 60's who live in the home. They are investigating whether anything criminal occurred. "It may not be a crime scene," said Chief Inspector Scott Small of the Philadelphia Police. "We're still going to look into how developed the child was. But at this point it appears that someone may have had a miscarriage." A "for rent" sign stood outside the home. Police say it's possible the couple who lived there may have rented a room to someone who was pregnant. Police continue to investigate."

After hearing about this on the news this morning, I suspect it was a woman who miscarried on the toilet and may not have been able to retrieve the fetus or didn't know what to do. A 4 month-old fetus would probably be the size of my computer mouse (correct me if I'm wrong) so I hope they are able to find her and give any necessary medical attention she might need.

2/21/2012 2:50:30 PM

WE HAVE A "POST NEWS" THREAD. JESUS CHRIST.

JUST MAKE A NEW THREAD IF IT'S THAT INTERESTING.

2/21/2012 2:51:48 PM

but, I like a place where I can just scroll down and read articles... most of the time people name their threads with words that don't adequately describe what it's about, usually I don't click on them and then I miss out. Here, all of the news stories TWWers find interesting can be collated and ready for me to read

2/21/2012 2:55:13 PM

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204909104577237152011781364.html

Quote :

"How Waiters Read Your Table What looks like a convivial scene is a waiter's nightmare: people at a table, chatting away, menus closed with drinks in their hands. Yet when Alex Martin, a 26-year-old waiter at Blue Smoke restaurant in New York, tried to take their order "they didn't even look up," he says. "If you are standing there for more than three seconds it's like an eternity." Restaurants both high-end and casual say the secret to quality service is the wait staff's ability to "read the table." Sarah Nassauer has details on Lunch Break. At such times, Mr. Martin employs his go-to strategy of "the hand on the table." Placing down his palm draws the group's eyes up and out of the conversation, interrupting but without being pushy, he says. A few minutes later the men had ordered and quickly returned to chatting. Called "having eyes" for a table, or "feeling" or "reading" the table by restaurant workers, it's how the best waiters know what type of service you prefer before you tell them. From fine dining to inexpensive chains, restaurants are working to make service more individualized as the standard script ('I'm so-and-so and I will be your server tonight") is sounding dated. Even chain restaurants like Denny's, T.G.I. Friday's, and Romano's Macaroni Grill are focusing more on personalized service by training staff to note body language, eye contact and offhand remarks, hoping to make service feel less mechanical. Traditionally, eateries taught waiters to follow a script and push add-ons like desserts and drinks. Getting service right, not just food, is increasingly crucial for restaurants. The number of people going to restaurants is expected to grow by less than 1% through 2019, slower than population growth, predicts NPD Group, a market research firm. At the same time restaurants from Applebee's to fine-dining spots like Press St. Helena in California's Napa Valley say guests expect better service as they continue to demand top value for their dollar and learn more about restaurants' behind-the-scenes operations through TV shows and books. "We asked what can we do that will set us apart from the scrum," besides discounting and coupons, says Wayne Vandewater, vice president of learning and development for Applebee's, owned by DineEquity Inc. "Food is easy to copy, a building is easy to copy, but it's not easy to copy our people." Some restaurants still employ waiter scripts, but now they are being used to dig for guest information. At Romano's Macaroni Grill, an Italian-themed chain, waiters are taught to use their scripted offer of house wine to find out if the table will want a fast, leisurely, or lively meal. If "they say, 'no, well, we are going to the theater,' " then the waiter knows dinner isn't the main event, says Brandon Coleman III, chief marketing officer for the company. To speed up service, the waiter may bring the check at the same time as the food. If diners have a laptop open on the table, they might not be interested in appetizers that are best for sharing or learning a lot about the cocktail menu, says Ricky Richardson, chief operating officer for Carlson Restaurants Inc., which operates T.G.I. Friday's. "We changed 'suggestive selling' to 'situational selling,' " says Rene Zimmerman, senior director of training and development for Bob Evans Farms Inc., a family-style restaurant and food maker. Instead of offering every breakfast guest one additional item, say biscuits and gravy, waiters are taught to adjust their offer depending upon the guest. For a diner who places a lighter order, like a bagel and fruit, the waiter might suggest a cup of coffee or tea. Restaurants are investing in training despite the historically high churn rate in wait staff, though turnover has slowed since the recession. Waiters can be paid below minimum wage in some states because they earn tips. In other states, they are paid a minimum wage that varies by state from $5 to $10, plus tips. As part of a recent, two-week training course at the Cheesecake Factory in Burlington, Mass., Lauren McDonagh, 23 years old, sat with four other new employees before the lunch rush. They heard tips on how to interact with tables with children (if a kid says he doesn't like green things, don't use lettuce, even as a garnish), first-time guests (walk them to the restroom, don't point), and celebrations (get at least five employees to sing "Happy Birthday"). Ms. McDonagh and the others are taught to "tour guide" guests toward menu options they think are best, like easy-to-prepare food if they are in a hurry. When Ms. McDonagh began waiting tables without any training at age 18, "it took me three months to realize you give the dessert menu quietly to the mom, otherwise kids scream," for dessert, she says. Reading a table happens within seconds of a waiter coming to a table. By asking for a cocktail menu or smiling and making strong eye contact, "they are saying 'hey, I want to engage with you and I want you to make me feel really important,' " says Mark Maynard-Parisi, managing partner of Blue Smoke, a pair of barbecue restaurants in New York, owned by Union Square Hospitality Group. If people seem shy, "you want to put them at ease, say, 'take your time, look at the menu.' " Blue Smoke does seven days of training with new waiters, five days of trailing an experienced waiter and two days of being trailed by the experienced waiter. Each day includes a quiz and a focus such as greeting guests. With parties of four or more, "the most important thing is to read the dynamic between the group," Mr. Maynard-Parisi says. Alcohol (who is ordering more or less) is a potential point of contention. He reads eye contact and body language to see if a group is friendly (looking at each other) or less secure, like an uncomfortable work meeting (glancing around the room, fidgeting). "Am I approaching the table to rescue them or am I interrupting them?" Because people often resist speaking up when they're unhappy with their meal, waiters are taught to detect if a guest is unhappy. When asked about dinner, if a guest says, " 'It's OK.' That to me is a red flag," says Allison Yoder, general manager of Press. At Cheesecake Factory, employees are taught to look every guest in the eye when moving through the dining room, watching for people looking up from their meal, pushing food around their plate, or removing ingredients from their dish—all signs they might not like their meal. Even if it's not their assigned table, they are trained to ask if anything is wrong and try to fix problems. Reading a table is still more art than science. On a recent night at Blue Smoke a couple came in with a baby in a stroller, usually a demographic looking for a quick dinner. Instead, the baby fell asleep during the meal. "They spent so much money," says Mr. Maynard-Parisis. They "got another cocktail and dessert and an after-dinner drink." If a waiter reads the needs of your table correctly, you're likely to end up with a good experience. Inadvertently giving off the wrong signals can doom a table to service that's too rushed, too slow or just off kilter. Continued...."

2/22/2012 2:34:14 PM

Quote :

".... continuing from above Here, how to work the system. If you're chatty... A waiter is more likely to assume a friendly, chatty table is there to party. Get ready for more offers of drinks, dessert and a talkative waiter. If you act moody... You may get better service. Several waiters said they are more careful to get every detail right when they believe a table is already in a bad mood (a couple fighting or a tense business meal perhaps). If you say 'It's OK'... To attentive waiters, saying food is 'OK' is a red flag that you aren't happy with your meal. The waiter or manager might dig for more information to fix the problem. If you ask about the menu... Food questions are a sign that you either like learning about everything you might eat or you feel lost and need guidance. One menu question could lead to a long, full menu description. If you seem overwhelmed, the waiter might try to steer you toward a particular order. If you grab the wine list first... Expect the waiter to focus wine explanations and questions about refills to you. If you're early and fancy... Diners who are dressed up and have an early dinner reservation may lead waiters to suspect they have another event that night and serve them at a fast clip. If you're wearing a suit at lunch... Diners who look like they just stepped away from their cubicle, whether in a suit or business casual, are bound to get speedier service. The exception: If the waiter realizes the boss or valued client wants to set a slower pace by asking for more time before ordering or pulling out papers for a sales pitch. If you act like the ring leader... A waiter will try to determine who is in charge at the table through body language, clues in conversation or by who made the reservation, and defer to the wants of that diner. If there's no obvious leader... If no take-charge person emerges at the table, the waiter may struggle to figure out whether to be chatty or invisible and whether to make the service quicker or more leisurely. Check, Please? How the check is brought to the table can make diners grumble. Some guests want the check without asking, some feel rushed if a check is placed on the table before they ask. When researchers asked customers which restaurant service mistake is worst in terms of overall satisfaction, they said not promptly settling the check when the guest is ready to leave, or problems with the check amount. (This complaint was second only to messing up the food order.) The research, which surveyed 491 people who had dined at a table-service restaurant within the past month, was published in the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly in 2010. It's 'tricky,' says Serge Krieger, general manager of fine-dining spots TRU and L2O Restaurant, both in Chicago. Instead of leaving people in check limbo, 'we make them ask,' says Mr. Krieger. 'After coffee, we say, "Anything else I can get you?" And they usually ask for the check.' To signal when diners are ready to pay, Applebee's, owned by DineEquity Inc., has introduced check holders (see above) that say, 'I'm ready to go!' The new books are in about half of its 2,000 U.S. locations and customers are using them, says Wayne Vandewater of Applebee's. —Sarah Nassauer"

2/22/2012 2:34:39 PM

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/magazine/sam-sifton-apple-pie.html?WT.mc_id=GN-D-I-NYT-MOD-MOD-M241-ROS-0212-PH&WT.mc_ev=click&WT.mc_c=180542

Quote :

"Pie Fidelity “We must have a pie,” David Mamet wrote in “Boston Marriage,” his 1999 play about Victorian women struggling not to talk like Mamet characters. “Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie.” Related It may well be true. For much of the nation, this is the season of deep winter blues, lake-effect depression, the sad pull of midwinter dismay. There is either too much snow or not nearly enough. The furnace clicks on regardless. Night comes fast. Introduce an apple pie into the equation, though, and watch what happens — as a result not just of the pie itself, but also of the process of making it. Apple pie is a weekend project to slow the baker’s heart rate and restore belief in happiness. The scent of fruit softening, kissed by cinnamon, of buttery crust, of sugar caramelizing — these can combine into a fragrance of redemption for the cook and everyone else. The taste delivers bliss. Of all the great pie bakers in New York City, the current champion is probably a young woman named Kierin Baldwin, who runs the pastry department at the Dutch, an American restaurant in SoHo. Baldwin serves properly fancy-dan desserts on her menu — a winter sundae with cranberry-pomegranate sorbet, cinnamon ice cream, maple caramel and brioche currently leads that list. These desserts are quite good. But for the cognoscenti who think of themselves as Dutchmen and try to eat in the restaurant monthly at least, Baldwin’s chief business is pie. Her crusts neither shatter nor wilt but taste of flake and butter and salt; they encase fillings that are thick without being starchy and intense without being gooey. These are pies to offer the comfort of a family-movie third act. They are intensely delicious. And for a home cook hoping to step up the pie game, Baldwin is a godsend. “I can get pretty geeky about baking pie,” she said in an interview. “But it’s a mind-set. It’s not difficult.” Advice from a master, then: Start with a dough made from flour, cold butter and shortening, and scramble an egg yolk into the ice water that will bring it all together. Most pastry recipes advise strongly against “overworking” the dough, lest the crust turn tough. Baldwin tacks left. “You need to work the dough a little so that it will hold its shape,” she said. “You don’t want it so delicate that it won’t hold up to the filling.” The yolk helps a great deal in this regard, even in its tiny measure. So does a good, strong measure of fat. Baldwin blind-bakes her bottom crusts before she fills the pies, cooking them beneath parchment paper and a layer of Goya beans she bought at the supermarket to use as pie weights. She doesn’t like the texture that otherwise forms below the fruit, she says. You may well agree. But my experiments suggest a more-than-credible result without the blind baking — and in less time. For the weekend baker struggling only to amaze friends and family, time spent cooking is a crucial distinction. It’s not a kayak we’re building here. It’s pie for dinner. Tonight. Nevertheless, all should heed Baldwin’s exhortation to precook the apples for the filling. It concentrates their flavor. “Apple pies that have crunchy, raw apples in them are a pet peeve of mine,” she said. Peel and core the fruit, cut it into slices, then macerate them in a plume of sugar. Cook these soft with a splash of acid (like lemon juice or cider vinegar) and a hint of cinnamon and allspice, then add some starch to thicken the whole. Allow the mixture to cool completely before using it in the pie. (More advice, on apple varieties: “My preference is for straight honeycrisp, or pink ladies,” Baldwin said. “They have nice natural acidity and they don’t break down.” True statement!) Now assemble the confection: crust below, cool filling above, more crust laid on top of this, the package crimped together artfully with the tines of a fork. Paint the top with an egg wash, cut steam vents and dust with sugar. Slide the result into a hot oven, on top of a hot baking sheet. This can catch any overflow of fruit and sugar, should the seal burst when the fruit gets to bubbling and the crust goes gold in the heat. Which is when it’s done. Let cool for a couple of hours, ideally somewhere you can smell it. Serves eight, though you can cut it in four, as Yogi Berra famously required. “I don’t think I can eat eight,” he said."

2/22/2012 2:36:33 PM

http://www2.wspa.com/news/2012/feb/20/porn-displayed-best-buy-television-customer-says-s-ar-3267256/

2/22/2012 10:33:12 PM

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57379064/reporter-faces-backlash-for-teen-drinking-story/

Quote :

"Reporter faces backlash for teen drinking story (CBS News) A recent series of expose reports by CBS News Washington, D.C., affiliate WUSA got such a strong reaction, it forced the reporter off the air and put her family at risk. Andrea McCarren's Drinking Story Gains Media Attention Andrea McCarren says she did that to deal with some of the fallout, but now she's back on-air to re-focus on the issue of underage drinking. McCarren returned to her station's broadcast Wednesday night after a break for a series of hard-hitting reports about underage drinking. McCarren said in one of those reports, "We watched and videotaped dozens of teenagers buying alcohol at Town Square Market in Northwest Washington without being asked for identification." An underage teen in the report admitted she was just 18 years old and had been buying alcohol there for two years. Immediately after the report aired, young people, upset McCarren had blown their cover flooded the station's Facebook page with angry messages. "You're now the most hated woman in the D.C. metro area," one person wrote. The comments only got nastier after McCarren fronted another report about a police raid on an underage party. That bust took a surprising turn when parents arrived at the scene and were upset with the police and McCarren -- but not their own children. One woman asked, "Why are there cameras following these kids?" A police officer replied, "Because they are with us, ma'am." The parent responded, "I was told they were with the news." After her own teenage children were targeted at school, bullied because of the reports, McCarren pulled herself off the air, letting colleague Derek McGinty take over two of her stories. WUSA says 99 percent of the feedback it got about McCarren's reports was actually positive. McCarren herself says underage age drinking is too big of a problem and she won't stop. McCarren said she was "flabbergasted" by the reaction. "At first I was frightened and then I became angry," McCarren said. "It felt like an orchestrated Facebook and Twitter campaign of hate. People put my home address on the internet. There were calls for revenge and retaliation against my family. I'm now in about my 27th year as a reporter and I have never seen anything like this. It seems like these suburban, affluent kids have simply never been told 'no.' They have an inflated sense of entitlement. They feel entitled to cell phones, computers, cars, and in this case, they appear to feel entitled to doing something illegal, which is drink underage of 21." Erica Hill remarked, "One of the most surprising parts about that backlash from the outside is the reaction that you got from parents who were equally outraged as their teenagers were." "One of the most memorable things, was at an underage drinking party that was busted by police, one of the parents showed up to collect his son and he said right in front of police, 'Why didn't you run?'" McCarren said the parents were outraged because they didn't want the attention and that their children were not identified in the reports. "We didn't identify them. We were very careful not to. We were on public streets. We could have legally shown their faces but as minors, we chose to protect them," she said. "It's also incredibly baffling to all of us how D.C.'s Liquor Control Board has taken no action. "As a bit of background, I should tell you that two months before we confronted that liquor store owner that has been selling for years to minors as young as 14 in plain sight, we brought this to the attention of D.C. Police as well as the Control Board, yet they did nothing and continue not to (take) any action," McCarren said. "We just can't understand what is more pressing, what is more important than protecting the children of the district and surrounding areas." As for the parents of these underage drinkers, she said there's a disturbing trend in Washington, D.C., of parents hosting drinking parties for their kids. "Some feel it's safer to have them drink at home where they can collect the car keys, and as some have said, teach their children to drink responsibly," McCarren explained. McCarren said the parents she's encountered at the busts with police have threatened to sue police and her news station. "It all starts at home. I think that's why we want to get this message out," she said. "Personally, as a reporter...I felt like I could not cover one more carload of drunk kids wrapped around a tree and interview one more set of grieving parents without trying to do something with this extraordinary reach of the media to affect positive change. We will absolutely be staying on this story. What began as a week's worth of reports quickly extended to months and now there's no end in sight." As for McCarren's children, she said the situation at school has improved. McCarren said before she went back on the air Wednesday night, she talked with her kids about the support she's received from viewers."

2/23/2012 12:22:53 PM

http://fox8.com/2012/02/07/mother-punches-two-teachers-at-two-schools/

Quote :

"Mother Punches Two Teachers at Two Schools (KFOR) — An Oklahoma City mother is arrested after allegedly assaulting two different teachers at two different schools. School officials say the mother’s tirade started at Willow Brook Elementary school as she was dropping off her children. “The parent was approached by a teacher who said good morning and then the parent responded by assaulting the teacher. She actually hit the teacher in the back of the head,” Tierney Tinnen said, spokesperson for Oklahoma City Public Schools. The mother left her children at school, then headed up the road to Rogers Middle School where she had a meeting set up with the principal concerning her 7th grader there. The same thing happened at Rogers. “She was approached by another teacher who said good morning and recognized the student and said hello and then the parent responded by assaulting that teacher as well,” Tinnen said. A campus resource officer detained the mother until Spencer police could arrive. That’s when 41-year-old Everlyn Davis was arrested and booked into the Oklahoma County jail. “We’re not really sure what prompted her to react in this way but we want her and all parents and community members to know that when you walk into our buildings, you are a role model for our students. And that’s not the type of activity that our students need to see or deserve to see,” Tinnen said. A 5th grader at Willow Brook Elementary, Caleb Albee, said he witnessed the assault. “I thought it was pretty scary,” Caleb said. “There was this parent and she accidentally scared the P.E. teacher and she was like, ‘Did I scare you? I didn’t scare you yet.’ And that’s when she started saying the cuss word. And then she smacked my PE teacher right in the face.” Caleb’s mother says she’s glad the woman was arrested. “Parents shouldn’t be doing that, especially in front of children, they really shouldn’t,” Nicole Albee said. School officials say the two employees who were assaulted were not teachers to this woman’s children. Those employees were sent home for the rest of the day Monday, but are expected to be just fine. School officials did not know if those employees intended to press charges. (Sarah Stewart Reporting KFOR-TV) "

damn what a bitch

2/23/2012 1:33:07 PM

Emu escapes from Vt. farm, on the lam for 5 weeks

Quote :

"SOUTH HERO, Vt. — An elusive emu on the lam in Vermont has been amusing residents in communities on Lake Champlain. The 150-pound flightless bird looks like a small ostrich. It has been spotted wandering here and there in Grand Isle and South Hero since it escaped from a local farm five weeks ago. The emu's owner tells WCAX-TV he bought three emus for his grandchildren but they don't make great pets. It was spotted again Friday outside the South Hero elementary school, where it walked by a window of the principal's office. School worker Steve Berard tried to lasso it with an extension cord, but it broke free. He's taken out an ad in a local newspaper saying, "Free emu if you can capture it.""

I am not sure if this guy actually wants the emu back



tell me again what part of the emu screams "perfect pet for children"?


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46440285/ns/us_news-weird_news/#.T0Z7xPGPVLc

2/23/2012 1:43:33 PM

those are the type of people that need to have their kids taken away from them

2/23/2012 1:43:51 PM

cutest emu ever!

2/23/2012 1:45:01 PM

http://www.newser.com/story/139957/nephew-sues-uncle-over-awkward-facebook-photos.html

Quote :

"Nephew Sues Uncle Over Awkward Facebook Photos Newser) – Just about everyone has been tagged in at least one awkward Facebook photo, but not everyone has brought a lawsuit against an uncle for uploading such a photo. Minnesota's Aaron Olson did just that. His uncle posted childhood photos of Olson, including one in front of a Christmas tree, along with teasing comments. Olson was so miffed he sued his uncle for harassment—and lost the case, reports Above the Law blog, which rounds up coverage. A district court scrapped the suit, and Olson's appeal to a higher court was denied. The state Court of Appeals decreed that "comments that are mean and disrespectful, coupled with innocuous family photos, do not affect a person’s safety, security, or privacy..." and therefore do not count as harassment. Adds Christopher Danzig at the ABL blog, "It sounds like there’s some serious family drama going on here.""

lol I was really hoping to see this terribly embarrassing picture He could have untagged himself

2/23/2012 2:00:45 PM

Quote :

"Evidently my parents would be for not telling this story, cause I've never heard of it"

I had never heard of "The Queen Bee" either...

2/23/2012 2:35:45 PM

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/10773972/

Quote :

"Raleigh, N.C. — The owner of a Raleigh nursery said he has gotten hundreds of complaints because of a satirical catalog cover. The artwork, which is also featured on the Plant Delights website, has company owner Tony Avent in the cross-hairs of Penn State University alums. Avent said the cover is a satire on current events, like GOP presidential candidates and the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State. Avent said they decided this year to go with a "Wizard of Oz" theme. "Michelle Bachmann became Dorothy. Joe Paterno, the straw man or scarecrow, and, of course, the Cowardly Lion, Sandusky," Avent said. Peggy Nickola is among hundreds of people connected to Penn State who were not amused by the artwork. Her husband and son graduated from the school. "We as Penn State fans feel like we've been through enough this fall and winter," Nickola said. "We're seeing supposedly an advertisement for pretty plants that is exploiting little children. That was very hurtful to us." Avent and his employees have been spending time defending the artwork, which he said is designed to promote critical thinking. "Our employees are certainly not enjoying it. We're trying to keep them employed and keep them in a job, and all they do is get these bizarre calls and emails all day," he said. Avent admits he has taken down more than 300 negative comments, many of them from Penn State alums, from the nursery's Facebook page. "I think he made a mistake, and I think when people make a mistake, they should apologize," Nickola said. Avent said he stands by the artwork. "That's what we do. That's what we've done for years," he said. The catalog was sent out in December, but Penn State alums only recently became aware of it. Avent says he is preparing for an open house and gearing up for a busy time of year. He's not sure how the criticism will affect his business moving forward."

the "controversial" artwork:


lighten up people, it's satire

2/24/2012 9:02:00 AM

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/lunch-protests-crackdown-homemade-lunches_631809.html

Quote :

" ‘Lunch-In’ Protests Crackdown on Homemade Lunches ‘Lunch-In’ Protests Crackdown on Homemade Lunches Daniel Halper February 23, 2012 2:24 PM The National Center for Public Policy Research hosted a “lunch-in” today at Freedom Plaza in Washington, D.C. The target of the protest? “[F]ederal school nutrition guidelines that allegedly forced at least one student to forgo her mother’s home-packed lunch in favor of chicken nuggets,” a press release announcing today’s event read. The alleged lunch incident happened in North Carolina. “A preschooler at West Hoke Elementary School ate three chicken nuggets for lunch Jan. 30 because the school told her the lunch her mother packed was not nutritious,” a local reporter wrote last week. “The girl’s turkey and cheese sandwich, banana, potato chips, and apple juice did not meet U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines, according to the interpretation of the person who was inspecting all lunch boxes in the More at Four classroom that day.” The story quickly became national news, causing outrage from those who say the government is waging war on lunch. “We just sat down and had a nice lunch,” protest organizer David Almasi says of today’s protest. “It was our way of thumbing our nose at the federal regulators.” The location of today’s protest “lunch-in,” Freedom Plaza, is on land owned by the federal government, under the management of the National Park Service. Seven people at today’s “lunch-in,” which consisted of turkey and cheese sandwiches, potato chips, apple juice boxes, and bananas. It is exactly the lunch that was reportedly taken away from the four-year-old schoolgirl in North Carolina. “Even though my four-year-old and two-year-old will both be starting at public schools in a few months, I did not agree to let the government make every decision about how they are raised,” Jennifer Biddison said in advance of attending this afternoon’s “seditious lunch,” according to a press release. “Just because I choose to let government schools teach my kids math and reading doesn’t mean I want them to dictate other things such as how they will eat and how they will dress. I’m quite content with the way I am raising them, and I ask the government to honor my choices in such family matters.” Today’s “protest is part of The National Center for Public Policy Research’s Occupy Occupy D.C.’ events at Freedom Plaza,” a press release announced. “The National Center obtained a five-week permit from the U.S. Park Service that forces the Occupy D.C. encampment to share the park between February 12 and March 15.” "

2/24/2012 9:04:45 AM