Small Talk: Shark Tank

[radishcake]

Here's your spot for small talk, introductions, & off-topic discussion!

[A Boston Gal]

This really isn't that OT, but I don't know where else to put it: I miss this show, and am eager for the new season.

[Skittl1321]

"An average wedding cake is $450."

Surely not for ones like those shown. My 3 tier cake, that looked simpler than the fake ones shown with no fondant work and limited sugar roses was over $2000. It cost more than my dress. And this was in Austin tx, not NYC.

Edited October 21, 2014 by Skittl1321

[cooksdelight]

Surely not for ones like those shown. My 3 tier cake, that looked simpler than the fake ones shown with no fondant work and limited sugar roses was over $2000. It cost more than my dress. And this was in Austin tx, not NYC.

Holy cow! How many servings was that? Special flavors or fillings?

I once did a 6-tier cake for someone, each tier was a different flavored cheesecake. I did basketweave icing on the sides to disguise it was cheesecake. The bride and groom loved it, I think I charged them around $750 (this was back in the 90s). And they are related to Joe and Melissa Gorga. :)

[Skittl1321]

"Holy cow! How many servings was that? Special flavors or fillings?"

 

Okay, false alarm- I lied.  I went back and checked the spreadsheet and the cake was over $1000 ($1200, with delivery).  Apparently my dress was cheaper than I thought :) The cake was more than the dress though.  But this was 10 years ago and prices only go up...

 

It was about 200 servings, which was based on the number of guests we had, not the number of tiers we wanted. We also had a small "anniversary" top tier, but the cake was so good we ate it when we got back from our honeymoon instead of letting it get all freezer burned :)  But it was included in the guest count, figuring not everyone eats cake, and we'd give it up if they all did.  (They didn't - some of the bottom tier got served at a party the next day, though I wasn't there.)

 

It had a chocolate with chocolate mousse lower tier, and the rest were white with vanilla creme.  It was the freaking best ever cake I've ever tasted though, and done by a pretty presitgious bakery- but the quote was in line with what other people, including the nicer grocery stores (where I got my flowers, which were cheap) were quoting.  Fondant work would have cost more; but I don't understand fondant. Why pay so much for something you can't eat?

Edited October 21, 2014 by Skittl1321

[cooksdelight]

You can eat fondant. Good bakers will flavor it with vanilla. It's just confectioner's sugar and Crisco, and I usually add in marshmallow creme so it tastes REALLY good.

[Lola16]

Holy cow! How many servings was that? Special flavors or fillings?

I once did a 6-tier cake for someone, each tier was a different flavored cheesecake. I did basketweave icing on the sides to disguise it was cheesecake. The bride and groom loved it, I think I charged them around $750 (this was back in the 90s). And they are related to Joe and Melissa Gorga. :)

Italian cheesecake?   I hate ricotta cheesecakes...

Edited October 21, 2014 by Lola16

[cooksdelight]

Classic cheesecake made with cream cheese, no ricotta. Different flavors, too. One was grasshopper (mint and chocolate). 

[BoogieBurns]

Now I really want some cake.

[Jolie]

Just to add to the wedding cake discussion since I've had some experience with it this year. I went with my daughter-in-law to pick out her cake. There were 90 guests and she had a beautiful 3-tier cake for $4/person. One layer was fake since she didn't need that many servings. BUT, for that price she got to pick her flavor (of about 15) and filling (too many to remember) and exactly how she wanted the cake to look. On the one year anniversary, she'll call the bakery and pick up her anniversary cake so it's fresh (and not freezer-burned). I thought that was a great idea; I know I wedding cake I saved was inedible a year later.

 

I'm not a big believer in high-priced weddings, but I'd put a fake cake on the same level as fake flowers at a wedding. If you can't afford real, then skip it. I'd bake my own cake before I displayed something plastic.

[starri]

 

starri, what's a Dollar Dance? (I mean, besides what one can see at the Uptown Cabaret, the "classy" strip joint in town.)

It's something that's more common in certain geographic regions, but the male guests usually give the bride a few dollars (sometimes pinned to her dress or veil, sometimes collected by the maid/matron of honor) for a dance. 

[Skittl1321]

All the weddings I've been to in the Midwest the dollar dance goes for both the bride and the groom.  They generally pick a long song, and you pay a dollar to dance with either (and it isn't always opposite sex) for like 10 seconds during the song while you offer your congratulations to them. A big line usually forms on both sides of the dance floor (one line for each of the bride and groom) and they cycle through all the guests.

 

I was kind of appalled at the idea at first, but I guess I'm used to it now.  The only thing I don't care for is that many of the weddings the bride and groom don't go around to the tables or have a recieving line, so the only way to offer congratulations is to pay for the dance.  (Although many midwest weddings also seem to have a thing where the bride and groom dismiss the rows of people seated at the ceremony.  So if you sit in the back, you will be there for a LONG time, but they talk to and hug everyone who came to the ceremony as people are dismissed to leave.)

[bilgistic]

Wowsers. I'm an at least eighth-generation NC native and have never heard of that. Couples around here typically do gift registries at department stores. They might quietly be given some cash in an envelope at the reception, or it might be left on the gift table, but I'm fairly sure asking for money outright is considered rude. But then, I'm 40 and can count on both hands how many weddings I've attended in my life. None of them were my own. (Thank god.)

[Amarsir]

On that subject, someone told me (second-hand) of something called a "garter auction" where the couple take bids from the guests and highest bidder gets to remove the garter from the bride.

 

You know there aren't a lot of things that shock me, but that . . .

[bilgistic]

Ew. I've only ever seen the groom do it, and usually a big production is made of it (he puts his head under her dress, hurr hurr!), which always turned my stomach in a this-isn't-something-the-public-should-see and what-happened-to-the-feminist-movement sort of way.

Weddings just make me uncomfortable. Good thing I don't go to many.

[Jellybeans]

Not a busy thread... but I thought I'd say my son is auditioning for Shark Tank in Las Vegas next month. I will let you know if anything exciting comes of it. :-)

[walnutqueen]

Not a busy thread... but I thought I'd say my son is auditioning for Shark Tank in Las Vegas next month. I will let you know if anything exciting comes of it. :-)

 

That IS exciting, Jellybeans!  Can you share what type of product he's presenting? 

 

I'll be rooting for him, virtually.  :-)

[cooksdelight]

Yes, me too!!

[Jellybeans]

That IS exciting, Jellybeans!  Can you share what type of product he's presenting? 

 

I'll be rooting for him, virtually.  :-)

It's something he's selling already. I can't post the link yet till he is "patent pending" but very soon. He has watched all the episodes on youtube.

[walnutqueen]

You must be one very proud mama.  Let us know when it's a GO, 'Kay? 

[Jellybeans]

You must be one very proud mama.  Let us know when it's a GO, 'Kay?

I will! I asked if I could post the link to his site but he said he's on backorder. So...no was his answer. I am very proud but more than that, just happy that he is doing what he wants to do.

[Jellybeans]

He's leaving tomorrow for Las Vegas! Shark Tank audition here he comes.... I wish I could tell you what it is but he just caught up on local orders. Soon... I will let you know how his 60 second pitch goes. ;-)

Edited January 4, 2015 by Jellybeans

[Jellybeans]

My son did his first audition with Daymon and no one knows how they did. He had a great time and felt he rocked the audition. Gave Daymon his product which he appreciated. Winners of the first stage get a call back.

Not connected to the show itself but he also gave 50cent the rapper one as well. 50cent wanted to talk but the line behind my son was too long. :-)

Happy!

[walnutqueen]

That is SO awesome, Jelly!  I am keeping my fingers crossed.   :-)

[Jellybeans]

This was at the Las Vegas Electronics Show. It will be hard for me to link to him as it will reveal my identity here which I do not want to do yet.

I am thrilled for him.

[zxy556575]

How exciting for your family, Jellybeans!

 

I'm curious why Daymon was at the auditions because I thought the sharks never seen any of the products beforehand?

[psychoticstate]

I am new to this show but am totally addicted.  I'm watching reruns now. 

 

Congrats to you and your son, Jellybeans!  How exciting!  Fingers and toes crossed that he makes it to the show!

[zxy556575]

So ... what's up, lip balm people? I have never used the stuff in my life, or thought I needed to. I've lived in California, North Dakota, and Florida among others, so I don't think humidity is a factor. WHY ARE EVERYONE'S LIPS SO DRY? Now I feel kind of bad for you.

[starri]

 

What's the system now, Starri?  My doctor-father thought his months of dissection were invaluable--do you think you would have benefitted spending your time that way or do the technological advances and skills labs make that extraneous?  (I liked your story about the obstetrics model spurting koolaid.)

We had one semester of full-body anatomy, teams of about six students working on a single cadaver.  It's kind of viscerally satisfying in a way I didn't expect; the day I got to go nuts cracking the chest with the bone shears is one of my favorite memories.  But I'm not oriented toward surgery or any discipline where anatomic knowledge is paramount, so academically I think I would have been served just as well with a model like the SynDaver.  What I don't think a model can replace, however, is the connection to knowing that you're working on something that used to be a person.  It was beaten into our heads to be respectful, and I think we mostly did a good job with that.  I remember after the last class taking a moment by myself and saying "thank you."  And I've told my husband on no uncertain terms that I want my body donated if/when something happens to me.

 

Part of anatomy lab, I think is to depersonalize the idea of death, since for most people (I'm older, so I've lost all of my grandparents as well as an uncle), it's the first time they encounter it.  But so much medical science these days is genetics and chemistry, so the old way of doing things is on the way out.  I wouldn't be surprised if my school made an investment in models and left whole body dissection as an elective.

[atir]

Starri, I don't understand your body donation comment.

[starri]

I'd like my body donated to research, either in an anatomy lab somewhere or some of the other things that cadaver parts are used for.  If the last thing I do on this planet is help somebody else, that beats being buried in a hole or sprinkled in a body of water somewhere.

[atir]

I rather thought that's what u meant. Glad u cleared that up for me.

[WhatMayCome]

Hey fellow Tankers! 

 

Give me your input!  

 

I contacted one of the individuals on SharkTank on a recent episode as I had an idea that I believed would be a great spin off of their product.

 

They informed me that what I suggested would be feasible and wouldn't be hard to do.

 

They didn't imply that they would begin adding my idea into their products but that it's definitely doable!

 

What would be a prudent way to proceed and to "protect" my idea going forward?

 

Thanks!

[cooksdelight]

Get a patent.

[bilgistic]

57 minutes ago, fivestone said:

That's a slippery slope right there. I get that you have loans, and maybe your family never had $10K to give you lump sum, but I'm assuming they spent at least that much on you over the years as you were growing up, right? They provided you with a roof over your head, some food to eat, etc.? Believe me when I tell you that my father never gave me a dime and my mother certainly never spent $10,000 on me. But I still had other relatives step in when it was painfully obvious that my mother couldn't care for me properly. None of our parents have been a help to us financially or anything, no $10K loan or whatever, but my husband and I are completely independent. Still, it doesn't mean I didn't have any help whatsoever in life. I think even people that are "self-made" often have that one boss that gave them a chance or that one teacher who inspired them or that bank loan officer that gave them the benefit of the doubt or whatever. No man is an island. And, of course, this:

 

My parents split when I was five. My mother had to take my deadbeat dad, a career police officer, to court several times to finally have his wages garnished for child support for me and my two sisters. My mother raised us alone on a secretary's salary in the 1970s-1990s. *I* am "self-made" because I came from very little, was a first-generation college student and graduate and have a stable job, despite struggling with lifelong mental illness. I'd do a lot of things differently if I could go back, but wouldn't we all.

Great for people who get handouts and help from others, and that's what makes this show compelling, and the conceit upon which the show is based (Sharks "help" the show participants). I don't watch for how to spray melted butter on toast, how to valet a car with your smartphone, or the many ways Millennial moms are momming it better than anyone's ever mommed before. I watch for the Tree T-Pees that come around once in a rare while. I am inspired by people who create something truly innovative or solve a real problem.

The point, and I do have one, is that this show with its backstory on Kevin conveniently left out the small family loan. Why is that? They ask the show participants what money they put into their business and from where/whom they got it. I admit I'm biased against Kevin. I think he's a narcissist (the clinical definition) and a sexist, and I detest the way the show encourages his behavior.

Edited October 23, 2016 by bilgistic

[chocolatine]

35 minutes ago, bilgistic said:

The point, and I do have one, is that this show with its backstory on Kevin conveniently left out the small family loan. Why is that? They ask the show participants what money they put into their business and from where/whom they got it. I admit I'm biased against Kevin. I think he's a narcissist (the clinical definition) and a sexist, and I detest the way the show encourages his behavior.

I think $10k is a relatively small amount, and it was a loan and not a gift, so I still consider Kevin self-made. Yes, having his family loan him $10k made it easier for him, but it's a small enough amount that he would have been able to borrow it from a bank or even charge it to credit cards. The $10k loan is not what made him into a billionaire - his intelligence, hard work, and business skills did.

"Self-made" doesn't mean having had a poor/troubled childhood. It just means you've earned your fortune yourself rather than having inherited it, married into it, etc.

Edited October 23, 2016 by chocolatine

[bilgistic]

I never said that being self-made equals having been poor or having a troubled childhood. Having advantages, specifically money, given to you puts you in a different category than "self-made", and to not disclose that on the show is misleading. Kevin's mother's $10K loan was 30 years ago, and would equal more than twice that now.

[chocolatine]

13 minutes ago, bilgistic said:

I never said that being self-made equals having been poor or having a troubled childhood. Having advantages, specifically money, given to you puts you in a different category than "self-made", and to not disclose that on the show is misleading. Kevin's mother's $10K loan was 30 years ago, and would equal more than twice that now.

The point is not how much $10k was worth at the time, the point is that he built a $4B business from it. That's 3,999,990,000 self-made dollars.

[theatremouse]

I think you're probably arguing semantics at this point. I can see the interpretation that "received money, even a loan, in any amount, from anyone who is not a bank, credit union or investor" disqualifies someone from the "self-made" label. That's clearly not the definition used in the context of the intro, and I don't find the context of what's described in the intro disingenuous, but I can see this perspective.

Personally, I do consider "self-made"="not inherited or gifted", especially if we're talking about the phrase used on the show which is "self made millionaires and billionaires". If the money from his mother was a loan and not a gift, then I don't think that puts him in the category of "money given to you". If we were just to say he wasn't "self-made" in terms of having started a successful business, that might be fair, for example, a year or two later depending on how much money he'd made back by then (because the total value of the business compared to that of the loan was still heavily dependent on the loan having happened). I do still think the amount, even adjusted for inflation is still in the realm of small business loans so had it not been his mother it theoretically could've been from a bank with not major difference in outcome. But once you're talking about the jump to "self-made millionaire", I think there's much less of a question that once he hit the millionaire threshold, unless there were continued family cash infusions (which I do not believe was the case), he made himself the millionaire, and ultimately ended up with companies that are worth billions, even if he personally is not. At a certain point, the proportion does matter. 

Didn't Barbara start off too with money given to her by either her current boss at the time or her customers or some combination of both? So without that jumpstart she's not "self-made" either. Or is the difference just that hers did not involve a family member, so it's still a credit to her because she had to convince those other people she was worth it?

[Amarsir]

I understand your point @bilgistic but I think it's way too much of a gray area to even start nitpicking.

For example, suppose I live with family for 6 months instead of renting my own place. That could easily save me $6-10k in many markets, and that's outright, not even a loan. So does that mean someone who did that while starting out isn't self-made? Must they disclose it in all future bios?

Also you mention the challenge of a college degree (and congrats for being the first). Well those cost more than $10k. Are you disqualified from "self-made" if your family helps on tuition? And if you say yes, does a government Pell grant mean the same thing? If so, then by extension nobody is "self-made" so we should just throw out the term and denigrate all accomplishments with statements like "you didn't build that."

By contrast, @theatremouse makes a fine point about the degree of success. If you want to say that Kevin wasn't a self-made ten-thousandaire, I think you'd be well justified. But to turn that into millions is such a degree of change that I don't really think it needs a disclaimer.

[bilgistic]

My family didn't give me a dime toward my college education because they didn't have it to give nor were they going to, and hence why I am still paying student loans in my 40s. My mother remarried when I was 17, effectively doubling the household income and making me ineligible for grants. Student loan officers don't believe "my parents aren't paying for college". They say "this is your family income and this what your family will contribute". I worked through school and took out loans to make college possible.

Anyway...we can agree to disagree. The show has never been misleading about Robert or Daymond's hardscrabble beginnings.

[cooksdelight]

Talking about HSN and QVC in the episode thread ..... where do you find good deals online?

I've discovered Bradsdeals, which is awesome. I started buying Christmas presents ahead of time when I'd find a great deal there. I check it every morning because they are constantly adding things. It will direct you to the product's website, often with codes for free shipping or a discount. I've found fantastic prices on things from Home Decorator's Collection, Crocs (don't judge, LOL), Staples, J Crew, etc.

Another place I like is Tanga. It looks cheesy when you first start looking at the page, but I've found some great stuff there. Most recently is a bottle/jar opener that has 4 different "holes" for different sized lids. As small as a soda bottle and as big as a Mason jar. It's amazing, I don't need to ask my fiance to open something for me. I ordered more for gifts, for family members that have a hard time opening things.

[bilgistic]

Hip2Save.com is a good savings blog with a daily email digest with all the deals posted during the day. SouthernSavers.com is another good one. They both have coupon lists (for use in stores) on their sites. I like RetailMeNot.com for online coupon codes.

I also use ebates.com to get free cash back when I buy almost anything online. It averages about 3% of the purchase price, but it's completely free. I buy cat meds/supplies, vitamins and other health/beauty stuff online, and I "make" about $10-20 a quarter. Not a lot, but again, it costs nothing to click through the site. I don't have the app installed on my phone nor the add-on in my computer browser, but you can do that to make it "easier" to use. No, I don't work for them!

[chocolatine]

When I find a product online that I like, I google "<store name> coupon" and a lot of the time there is a coupon code for anywhere from 10% to 90% off on one of the coupon sites.

Edited February 23, 2017 by chocolatine

[cooksdelight]

Honey is an app I have on my computer that scans and finds better prices when I am shopping online.

https://www.joinhoney.com/

[bilgistic]

1 hour ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

Deciding whether to sell me a health insurance policy?  Or a life insurance policy?

Ancestry.com takes DNA ownership rights from customers and their relatives

Quote

Buried in the “Informed Consent” section, which is incorporated into the Terms of Service, Ancestry.com warns customers, “it is possible that information about you or a genetic relative could be revealed, such as that you or a relative are carriers of a particular disease. That information could be used by insurers to deny you insurance coverage, by law enforcement agencies to identify you or your relatives, and in some places, the data could be used by employers to deny employment.”

[StatisticalOutlier]

Wow.  I was alarmed, until I read this:  "Under a 1995 consent agreement with the Federal Trade Commission, the [Medical Information Bureau] and its members are required to comply with consumer protections of the Fair Credit Reporting Act."

That makes me feel a lot better. 

[bilgistic]

...until you remember that Equifax was hacked...

*tap dances off stage left*

[ratgirlagogo]

Assuming that DNA databases are  going to be secure - isn't a safe assumption given  the alarming abuses that have occurred around them over the past twenty or so years.  Oversight of the labs doing the analysis has been slipshod at best - one of the worst in the whole country was the NYC forensics lab.

If you have not read Erin E. Murphy's great book Inside the Cell I recommend you get a copy pronto.

https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Cell-Dark-Side-Forensic/dp/1568584695

http://www.publicaffairsbooks.com/book/inside-the-cell/9781568584690

https://academic.oup.com/jlb/article/3/2/426/1751222

One of the most alarming books I've read in the last few years. Everyone who gets called up for jury duty would be handed a copy beforehand if I had anything to do with it.

Edited November 15, 2017 by ratgirlagogo
spelling

[bilgistic]

This is tangentially related... A couple weeks ago, I read a Reuters special series online about "body brokers". HORRIFYING. When you die, your relatives can donate your body (non-transplantable tissue) "to science" and these broker firms sell tissue to research facilities and schools, though most reputable medical research institutions have carefully vetted sources of tissue.

Spoiler

By tissue, I mean heads, spines, shoulders, legs, arms, torsos--separated and sold for dissecting and studying. This is after transplantable organs have been harvested if the deceased was a donor.

 

Some brokers have exclusive deals with nursing homes and funeral homes, and prey specifically on those who can't afford after-death care. The brokers cremate the remains

Spoiler

(which end up being just a part of the body they are unable to sell, like a hand)

at a far reduced cost than burial. Yet, they are still making money from selling the tissue to research facilities. It's unreal.

Edited November 15, 2017 by bilgistic