Legal
Best Buy Blackballs Former Employee
January 30, 2008 | Filed by Boner | 
1 Comment
Michael Oliveri is suing Best Buy, his former employer for blackballing him. Oliveri claims that he was fired from Best Buy and subsequent job offers from Circuit City and Target were abruptly terminated.
He suspected his former employers were badmouthing him and tried to catch them in the act. It worked. He created a fictitious e-mail account under the name of a prospective employer and sent a message to Best Buy asking for a reference.
Ann McCafferty, the district human resources manager at Best Buy responded:
I will give you the skinny on him but you can’t say you got any info from Best Buy or we can be sued. Just don’t hire him and say you went with a better candidate.
He was hired as GM and demoted after 12 months or so because he sucked. He is desperate for a job because supposedly his wife left him because he has no job. I would not touch him.
Again, do not forward this e-mail to anybody or say where you heard the info from because we were not allowed to give this info out, but I would hate you to get stuck with this guy!
New Jersey law prohibits interference with a prospective employment relationship. Oliveri is seeking $100,000 in damages.
McCafferty, was subsequently promoted and now works at Best Buy corporate headquarters in Minnesota.
Odd
R.I.P. Netscape
January 29, 2008 | Filed by Boner | Leave a Comment
As of Friday, AOL officially will end its support for Netscape, the once ubiquitous web browser that was the darling of early Internet users. By 1998, Microsoft Internet Explorer was the dominant browser and Netscape was acquired by AOL.
Just before the AOL acquisition, the company decided to make the browser source code publically available. This born again browser, known today as Firefox has managed to recapture 16% of the U.S. browser market.
Legal
Mom Sues Sushi Restaurant Over Kids Pricing Policy
January 29, 2008 | Filed by Boner | Leave a Comment
In Long Island, NY, a mom is suing a sushi restaurant over its pricing policy for children.
Amy Kaplan said staff at Sushi Park on Jericho Turnpike wanted to charge her daughter, Nikki, 11, full price when the family went out for dinner on Jan. 18.
But it wasn’t Nikki’s age that made her ineligible for a half-price children’s meal. It was her height.
Like some local all-you-can-eat buffets, Sushi Park measures children to determine the price of their meals. Children are told to stand next to a giraffe poster with a ruler when they enter the restaurant’s lobby.
Children pay half price at the buffet up to 4’6″ but Nikky stands at 4’8″ and those two inches made all the difference for the restaurant. Amy became indignant and asked to see the manager and had words with him. Following that, she and her family left the restaurant.
A Sushi Park employee said this is not the first time this happened. Many parents become incensed when they learn about the height policy and leave.
Amy has contacted the state Division of Human Rights and learned that state law does not prohibit pricing based on height. She is contacting state legislators about having the law changed.
Amazing
Stunning Home Cinemas
January 28, 2008 | Filed by Boner | Leave a Comment
If you think owning a plasma-TV makes your living room a home cinema, think again.
Deputy Dog has compiled a list of 10 stunning ultra-geeky home cinemas that will make you green with envy. One of the home cinemas, “Death Star” was designed by Doug Chiang, lead designer on Star Wars Episodes I & II.
A professional home theater system cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, one design cost $3 million and another cost only $15 grand.