Conversation Nation

Councilor Michael Flaherty has launched an attack on Mayor Tom Menino... by saying Boston has no real idea how to evacuate in case of a terror attack.  

"The city's evacuation plan is a joke," Flaherty said in an interview after a City Council hearing on the public health risks of a proposed biolab at Boston University.

Here's the city's evacution plan.  What do you think?  Do you know what to do?  Do you feel fine just following the arrows?  Is Councilor Flaherty just setting up to challenge Menino?

Two high school cheerleaders pose in the nude. They email the photo to a boyfriend. He shares it with the football team. When school officials find out, they boot the two nude posers off the team. So what do the parents of the girls do?

They sue the school

The parents say the school department bungled the whole thing. They insist that by sharing the photo with other school officials, they were in a sense looking at child pornography. This happened in Bothell, Washington

The lawyer for the school department says despite taking the photos in a private setting, the girls breached that privacy by sharing that picture with other people they knew

Maybe the parents should have been notified sooner, but do you hear them holding their kids accountable? In this age of kids sharing compromising photos does this constitute child pornography?

Should students get paid for good grades?

Some are hoping their friends and relatives with answer (A) Yes

Time Magazine says there's a new website that works sort of like Facebook where students from middle school to grad school can ask people to pledge money based on that student's successful report card

To prove how well they're doing in school, students can upload their transcripts to Gradefund.com. They can ask Uncle Ted and neighbor Sue for money and also solicit corporate sponsors to help fund their education

Gradefund.com cuts the student a check every time they hit the $100 mark but unless donors specify that their money goes to a specific school or college fund, the kid can blow it on anything they want

Time raises the question of whether this site would even help the neediest students or just benefit wealthy ones

Good way to reward good grades and help pay for education or should we not put a price on academic success?

In the wake of yesterday's completely inane "how many gifts in the '12 days of Christmas' debate"... we present another one.

Are you a "real tree" person... or a "fake tree" person?

Real tree pros:  the smell and atmosphere it creates.  The fun of picking the right tree.
Real tree cons:  the cleanup/maintenance.  Hassle of disposal.  Annual cost

Fake tree pros:  No cost after initial purchase.  No cleanup. 
Fake tree cons:  Sterile.  lacks character.

So which is it, nation? 

Cyber Monday.  Sounds so cool. 

It sounds like a Transformer.  It sounds like a Monday that can, with the sound of screeching gears and twisting metal,  transform into a Friday:  "I am Cyber Monday!!  I look like a 'I hate my job, life, clothes, car'  Monday... but (insert shrill transformation noise)... I can turn into a "TGIF, weekend's here, I love life' Friday!!"

In reality, Cyber Monday is as cool and transforming as a holiday fruit cake.  It's a joke.

I have spend the better half of 90 minutes looking for Cyber Monday deals at my WBZ-TV cubicle (for research purposes only, of course. I would never spend company time shopping or sending childish emails to Robi).  You know what I've found?  Nothing. 

Free shipping? Whatever.   25% off?  Come on.   Free tracksuit with purchase of Soprano's DVD?  Puh-lease.

Maybe I'm unimpressed because stores like Old Navy have basically been giving their stuff away for free since Columbus Day.  It's true.  Last week, I was at the Mall and a young woman from Old Navy chased me past the Orange Julius, up the escalator, past the Auntie Anne's, through the Spencer Gifts, past the Prints Plus, past whatever chinese/japanese/cajun restaurant this particular mall had in their Food Court, back down the escalator, around the Kiosk with the woman selling the "Aromatherapy pillow", just to GIVE ME a pair of Cords and a Rugby shirt that I didn't want.  That's almost a true story.

If this made up, media driven, "benchmark" retail day offers anything, I guess it's this:  no one gets trampled under a crush of crazed shoppers looking to wrassle a video game out of the hands of anyone who gets in their way.    "Wii" the people... can't kill each other on-line like we can on Black (and blue) Friday.

How about you?   Are you impressed with anything you have seen on this "Cyber Monday"?? 

Should we all pay to protect someone else's ocean front home from washing away?

That's a question many people are asking this week as the sea threatens to swallow up at least five water front houses on Plum Island

Last week we showed you dramatic video of one house being knocked down before Mother Nature could take her course

Some Plum Island residents have spent tens of thousands of dollars of their own money to try and thwart the erosion but it may come down to the state and federal government shelling out millions

Some locals are blaming the feds for dropping the ball on maintaining the jetties. But it's not just the ocean front properties who face destruction from erosion, eventually Plum Island center could be underwater too

If you are asking the question, why did they build so close to the water in the first place, check out the interview WBZ's Jim Smith did with one woman who shows just how much the beach has eroded over the decades

So who should pay for it? Should people build so close to the water in the first place? Will we just be throwing money away to try and fix a problem that can never be controlled?

Ok... so here's the debate today.

David Wade says you get a total of 12 gifts as the recipient in the 12 Days of Christmas.  So on day 12, he says you just get the 12 drummers drumming.   

I, however, say that on the 12th day, you not only get the 12 drummers drumming... you get ANOTHER 11 pipers piping, 10 lords a-leaping... etc., etc.... for a total of 364 gifts over the 12 days.

So who is right?  Is it David, and his modest 12 gifts.... or me... who has been forced by my true love to move into an aviary with scores of partridges, turtle doves, calling birds and french hens?

Yes... we spent time debating this.  Please chime in so we can justify it to our bosses.

This could be on some high school kid's To Do list for today:

7am:  Copy Seth's homework paper

8am:  Rip off Snickers bar from Cumberland Farms

11am:  Use cheat sheet Rob gave me to hopefully ace math test

Plagiarizing, stealing and cheating. More and more high school kids are doing it and most of them think there's nothing wrong with it

In a new survey out today, 64% of high school students admitted to cheating on a test in the past year. 30% said they've stolen something from a store in that time period. Do they feel guilty about it later? Apparently not.  93% proclaimed they were satisfied with their personal ethics

The founder of the institute that conducted the survey says today's kids have become too cynical. When it comes to cheating and stealing he claims they have the attitude of  "Why shouldn't we? Everyone else does it."

Some experts say teens are under too much pressure now and this forces some to cheat.

Are they just copying adult behavior? Are schools doing enough to discourage this? Has apathy and cynicism taken over?

Is "Black Friday" your idea of a good time?  Or do you look at video of traffic-snarled mall parking lots and chuckle to yourself as you holler to someone to make you a second leftover turkey, stuffing and cranberry sandwich?  (I'm with the sandwich-makers, btw).  For some folks, this is their tradition, their tribal ritual, their fun shopping excursion with friends or relatives (roaming packs of sisters are famous for this annual spending spree - you'll encounter them in malls across America).  

They are the up-at-dawn, or sometimes out-at-midnight shoppers swarming the Wrentham Village Premium Outlet Mall - armed with lists, a latte and a plan.  After seeing what started happening on 495 by 11 last night, one has to ask Recession?  What Recession???  Let's Bailout these retailers and get them in to the Black!!  (Here's a list of Black Friday websites).

So - what'll it be?  "Let's go shopping!"  or "There isn't any stuffing left?!?"  What's your Black Friday plan?  And let us know where you've found some great deals...this is the year for them.  Then have a good weekend, and we'll see you Cyber Monday!

 

 

David and I were joking during the news this morning about all the Thanksgiving cliches you'll hear today..."planes, trains and automobiles," "over the river and through the woods," etc...(which are the epitome of news cliches).  It's all very affectionate, really.  We love our traditions, especially here in New England.  And what's more traditional than the clan gathering for this New England high holiday?

But...........isn't the meal the biggest Thanksgiving cliche of them all?  I know, I know, dangerous territory...tantamount to criticizing your Grandma...no one would dare deviate from the turkey, gravy, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. 

But here's the question: is there one staple of your family's Thanksgiving dinner you find absolutely heinous?  One dish you just can't stomach?  Not only do you not long for it, you wish it would just go away forever, never to return again, but you'd NEVER risk talking about your hatred for it or risk the Wrath of Mom, or the icy glare of a favorite Aunt.  Great-Grandma, Grammy or Nana used to make it, so there it will be in perpetuity, or it just wouldn't be Thanksgiving.

There it is, every year....just like clockwork.  Sure, you'll take a serving (just to be polite), and place it there between some dry turkey and cranberry jell-o mold, but you'll never eat it. (And you vow never to serve it to your children!)

So what's your dreaded dish?  Candied yams? Creamed Onions? Stuffed dates? Clam stuffing? 

Don't worry - you can sound off here, worry-free (we'll never tell your Mom).  Happy Thanksgiving!