Four Things Restaurant Workers Wish You'd Do

From StarChef.com:
A lot of our listeners earn a living by working in a restaurant. Following these tips won’t just make your waiter happy, they’ll improve your dining experience and assure that you get great service.

The first thing waiters and waitresses wish their customers would do is: Smile and make eye contact. Besides being polite, it’s a lot easier for a server to understand you when you’re looking at them and speaking clearly.

Show up on time. Jay Remer Jr. has 40 years of experience in international protocol and corporate etiquette. He says that if you’re going to be more than 15 minutes late for a reservation, you need to call. You should also inform the maitre d’ in advance if you have a food allergy or want to bring in something special, like a birthday cake.

The 3rd thing restaurant workers wish you’d do: Turn of your cell phone. According to a recent survey done by the online wireless retailer LetsTalk, two out of three people think it’s rude to use a cell phone at a restaurant. However, only one out of three actually turns theirs off! Using your cell phone at the table is not only disruptive to those around you, but disrespectful to your dinner guests.

Let’s finish with a discussion on tipping. A lot of people forget that the wait staff doesn’t have total control over your dining experience. That’s why Michael Lynn, a professor at Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration, thinks that restaurants should impose a service charge of 15 to 20 percent. That way, customers would be more likely to speak up when something’s wrong – which gives the restaurant a chance to make it right. After all, if you’re unhappy about some part of your meal, bringing it to the manager’s attention will do more to improve your experience than leaving your waiter a bad tip.

900 Million People Don't Have Access to Clean Drinking Water

Clean drinking water - we take it for granted. According to the researchers at Condé Nast Publications, there are 900-million people in the world who don’t have access to clean drinking water, and every year, more children die from water-related diseases than from AIDS and malaria combined. Here are the facts you should know, and how you can help.

Dirty water is responsible for an estimated 80% of diseases in developing countries.

Also, a lack of clean water can keep girls out of school. In some cultures, women are solely responsible for fetching water. Girls can spend up to eight hours a day doing this, leaving hardly any time for an education. Gary White is the co-founder of Water.org, an organization fighting to provide safe drinking water and proper sanitation to needy areas. He says that if you bring safe water to a village, girls can stay in school, and women can spend their time farming or starting a business that can lift their community out of poverty.

Poor sanitation puts women at risk for violence. In many rural regions, for modesty’s sake, women walk to remote areas to relieve themselves. However, in places such as Ethiopia, there have been reports of women being attacked while doing this. If there was plumbing and clean water, bathrooms could be built so the women wouldn’t have to leave the village.

Now, if you want to help, here are some options. A $30 donation to Water-Aid America can provide toilets at school to help girls get an education. A $25 donation to Water.org brings someone clean water FOR LIFE.

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Workplace World Records

From LiveCareers.com:
If you’ve resolved to excel at your job this year, this list of “workplace world records” will inspire you.

Let’s start with the most pizzas made in one hour: That number’s 142. Mark Rush set this record at a Domino’s in Mississippi.

Then: If you’re in the healthcare industry, you know this next one took some doing. Grace Gupana, a nurse from the Philippines,set the record for blood pressure readings by taking 2,302 in 24 hours!That same day, she also set records for blood tests, cholesterol readings, and diabetes screenings.

Next up: The world’s youngest CEO isSuhas Gopinath of Bangalore, India. He launched his outsourcing company at the age of 14. Today, he has 60 employees - with the oldest being 22.

This last record may never be broken: Mildred Parsons retired from the FBI after nearly 63 years of service without ever once calling in sick.

Isn’t it amazing what you can accomplish when you really love what you do?

Keep Your Computer Safe at Any Public Wi-Fi Hotspot

From Rodale Publishing:
Today, there are nearly 70,000 wireless “hotspots” in North America, where you can surf the Internet for free. Unless you’re careful, experts say any one of these hotspots could become “ground zero” for criminals looking to hack into your computer and steal your data! So, here are some tricks to help you outsmart the online hackers.

• Always update your computer’s security software. Experts say anti-spyware programs from companies like Norton or McAfee are your best line of defense against the most common cyber attacks. These programs generally update themselves automatically every week or so.
  
  
• Next, before you connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot: Always double check the network NAME. Most public hotspots have a name that’ll reflect the business offering the Wi-Fi service. For example: A hotspot in your favorite coffee shop will usually include the coffee shop’s name. Experts say you should avoid logging onto any network simply called “Free” or “Public Wi-Fi.” Those are generally traps set up by hackers.
  
  
• Skip online shopping sites. In general, public networks tend to be the most vulnerable to hackers. So, you’ll be smart to avoid any Website that requires you to type in passwords or credit card information.
  
  
• Pay attention to network warnings. Most new computers will flash some kind of warning if you try to join a network it doesn’t recognize. The warning may include something about a “site certificate” or a “404 code.” That’s a techie way of telling you: “A hacker may be intercepting data from this site!” So, if you see one of these warnings, experts recommend stopping what you’re doing, and turning off your computer.
  
  
• Finally, if you have the money: Consider carrying your OWN Wi-Fi hotspot. A growing number of companies – like Sprint and AT&T - offer portable hotspots, which you can plug into your computer’s USB port. For about $60 a month, these gadgets will offer Internet access from anywhere you can find cell phone reception, and they’re considered more secure than any public Wi-Fi network.

Amelia- Movie Review

A good movie can make us feel a number of things. It can take us places and make us wish we were back home simultaneously. Mira Nair's ambitious portrait of the mysterious Amelia Earhart is a daring attempt to show us the high price of our dreams and the courage it takes to get us there.

Although the Earhart story has been and told again, Nair has found insightful ways to probe the Kansas bumpkin who captured America's heart in the trying thirties. Played eerily well by Hillary Swank, Amelia is passionate and uncompromising. Her speech is plain, but infused with an enlightened adoration for the view from a cockpit and the feeling of tangible freedom. The film is sweeping, profound and colorful, offering not only Amelia's love/hate relationship with the spotlight, the essence of celebrity. No to mention swelling strings in almost every scene.

At the heart of this feature is the love that rages between Earhart and her husband and PR guru George Putnam. Richard Gere is more than qualified to deliver as the dutiful and tested spouse of the aviation legend. This picture will be loved and hated. It offers a tight script full of flawed characters who don't always say and do what we'd like, because while this portrait romanticizes the legend of the pilot, it demands the viewer realize that every dream has it's silver lining.

Early last May, Michael Mann presented a similar depiction of fame during this depression era with "Public Enemies." The two films offer almost inverse versions of the same story. The point being that public fascination with modern celebrity is much like man's ambition, it can easily alter those we hold most dear. I feel Nair's imagining of Amelia is faithful to the tragic and powerful story of a woman who lived exactly how she wanted. Even as her determination cost her her life, it inspired a nation, which is the very definition of a legacy.

Facebook Crime 101

Beware of what you post on Facebook. Criminals could be using that information to target you for theft! Think about it. How many of your Facebook friends talk about their new flat screen TV or post pictures of the Jamaican vacation they’re on? A new report says criminals are using this information to find their next targets. Michael Fraser is a former burglar who helped put the report together. He says it works like this: The bad guys will send out hundreds of friend requests on Facebook and Twitter, and see who bites, which is a lot of people. 13% of people on Facebook and 92% of people on Twitter will accept a request, no questions asked. Once they have access to your personal profile, Fraser says they’ll follow you closely and wait for you to post something about a new gadget you bought or an upcoming vacation. Then they make their move.

Some Facebookers make it really easy for crooks. They post party pictures that clearly show the interior of their homes. Fraser says this gives criminals a leg-up when they’re breaking in. Almost 10% of men actually post their HOME ADDRESS on their profile! Women are a little smarter, only 4% of women post addresses. Think about this: There are just over 15-million women on Facebook in North America. That means over 600,000 women are posting their personal home addresses for anyone to find!

So, who’s the worst offender when it comes to posting personal details online? Teens and young adults. According to the study almost two thirds of people between the ages of 16 and 24 are posting where they’ll be and when, on their Facebook page. This same age group is also more likely to accept a friend request from a total stranger. Not a good combo. So don’t let yourself become a target. Don’t ever accept a stranger’s friend request and keep private information private. If you want to catch friends and family up on a vacation you’re taking or a new entertainment system you just bought, send out an email from your personal account. That way you’ll know exactly who has access to the information.