Just the facts!

Picking a starting salary

2012-07-31T22:33:00.003-07:00

Reaching the end of a job interview, the Human Resources Person asked the young MBA fresh out of MIT, "And what starting salary were you looking for?"

The candidate said, "In the neighborhood of $325,000 a year, depending on the benefits package."
The HR Person said, "Well, what would you say to a package of 5-weeks vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, company matching retirement fund to 50% of salary, and a company car leased every 2 years - say, a red Corvette?"

The Engineer sat up straight and said, "Wow!!! Are you kidding?"

And the HR Person said, "Certainly, ...but you started it." Just for laughs! : )

Taxi Driver in Heaven

2012-04-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

A priest and a taxi driver both died and went to heaven. St. Peter was at the Pearly gates waiting for them.

'Come with me', said St. Peter to the taxi driver.

The taxi driver did as he was told and followed St. Peter to a mansion. It had anything you could imagine from a bowling alley to an olympic size pool.

'Wow, thank you', said the taxi driver.

Next, St. Peter led the priest to a rugged old shack with a bunk bed and a little old television set.

'Wait, I think you are a little mixed up', said the priest. 'Shouldn't I be the one who gets the mansion? After all I was a priest, went to church every day, and preached God's word.'

'Yes, that's true. But during your sermons people slept. When the taxi driver drove, everyone prayed.'

Just sharing a laugh! :)

Source: weirfacts.com

Interesting Facts about Dogs

2012-03-22T17:18:00.002-07:00

A dog by the name of Laika was launched into space aboard the Russian spacecraft Sputnik 2 in 1957.
The Dalmatian dog is named for the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia, where it is believed to have been originally bred.
Boxers were named after their habit of playing. At the beginning of play with another dog, a Boxer will stand on his hind legs and 'box' at his opponent.
The name of the Taco Bell dog is Gidget.
The real name of Toto the dog in "The Wizard Of Oz" was Terry.
Davy Crockett had a dog named Sport.
The first guide dogs for the blind and visually impaired were trained in Germany to provide assistance for those blinded in the war. German Shepherds were used for their protective and strong sense of loyalty to their owner.
In England, the most commonly used guide dog for the blind is the Yellow Labrador Retriever.
Humans can detect sounds at 20,000 times per second, while dogs can sense frequencies of 30,000 times per second.
Dogs sweat through the pads of their feet.
Philip Gilbert Hamerton, English art writer and landscape painter, noted, "If animals could speak, the dog would be a blundering, outspoken, honest fellow — but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much."
The dog name “Fido” is from Latin and means “fidelity.”
An city dog lives on average three years longer than an country dog.
A dog's nose has over 200 scent receiving cells.
The greyhound breed was developed in Egypt about 5,000 years ago.
Marie Antoinette’s dog was a spaniel named Thisbe.
There is a doggy disco held in Italy every year where owners can dance with their dogs.
21% of dogs and 7% of cats snore.
Greyhounds have the best eyesight of any breed of dog. Today the dog is widely used in racing.
Greyhounds are the fastest dogs on earth, with speeds of up to 45 miles per hour.
The ingredient Theobromine in chocolate can be lethal to dogs.
A dog was killed by a meteor at Nakhla, Egypt, in 1911.
Newfoundland’s are such great swimmers because of their webbed feet. Basset Hounds cannot swim at all.
Like human babies, Chihuahuas are born with a soft spot in their skull which closes up with age.
The largest breed of dog is the Irish Wolfhound.
The world’s smallest dog breed is the Chihuahua. The Chihuahua was named after the state in Mexico where they were discovered.
The St. Bernard is the heaviest dog breed.
The oldest known breed is likely the Saluki – originally trained by Egyptians to help track game.
Up until the late 1800’s, Collies were known as Scottish Sheepdogs.
There are over 700 breeds of purebred dogs.
All dogs are the descendant of the wolf that lived in eastern Asia about 15,000 years ago.
Dogs are natural pack animals and they are naturally submissive to any dog with a higher pack status – human or canine.
President Lyndon Johnson had two Beagles named Him and Her.
George Washington had thirty six dogs – all foxhounds.
The bible mentions dogs 14 times.
33 percent of dog owners admit that they talk to their dogs on the phone or leave them messages on an answering machine.
If you love dogs, but dislike the sound of barking, a possible solution is a Basenji dog. This dog is a breed of dog that does not bark, but instead makes a yodel-like sound.
Dogs with little human contact in their first three months typically don’t make good pets.
A frightened dog will put its tail between his legs because it cuts off the sent glands in its anal region which a very vulnerable part of the anatomy. Since the anal glands carry personal scents that identify the individual dogs, the tail between the legs action is the dog’s equivalent of insecure humans hiding their faces.
Dogs can be trained to detect epileptic seizures.
15 people die in the U.S. every year from dog bites.
In 2002 alone, more people in the U.S. were killed by dogs than by sharks in the past 100 years.
Bingo is the name of the dog on the side of the Cracker Jack box.
In Roman times, Mastiffs donned light armor and were sent after mounted knights.
A dog’s nose print is as unique as a human’s finger print and can be used to accurately identify them.
Soulmates: More than half of us say we share characteristics with our dogs!
During the Vietnam war 4500 working dogs were sent to aid the troops.
The world’s smartest dogs are thought to be the Border Collie, the Poodle, and the Golden Retriever.
A dog’s smell is more than 100,000 times stronger than that of a humans.
Rin Tin Tin was the first Hollywood dog star… and he really signed his movie contracts, all 22 of them with a paw print!
A one year old dog is as mature, physically, as a 15 year old human.
U.S. Customs dogs “Rocky” and “Barco” were so good at patrolling the border that Mexican drug lords put a $300,000 bounty on their heads.
Three dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic – a Newfoundland, a Pomeranian, and a Pekingese.
The Antpitta avis canis Ridgley is a bird species that barks like a dog.

Source: Weirdfacts.com

Things to Say if You Get Caught Sleeping At Your Desk!

2012-03-21T22:58:00.001-07:00

15. "They told me at the blood bank this might happen."

14. "This is just a 15 minute power-nap like they raved about in the last time management course you sent me to."

13. "Whew! Guess I left the top off the liquid paper"

12. "I wasn't sleeping! I was meditating on the mission statement and envisioning a new paradigm!"

11. "This is one of the seven habits of highly effective people!"

10. "I was testing the keyboard for drool resistance"

9. "Actually I'm doing a "Stress Level Elimination Exercise Plan" (SLEEP) I learned it at the last mandatory seminar you made me attend.

8. "I was doing a highly specific Yoga exercise to relieve work related stress."

7. "Darn! Why did you interrupt me? I had almost figured out a solution to our biggest problem."

6. "The coffee machine is broken...."

5. "Someone must've put decaf in the wrong pot."

4. "Boy, that cold medicine I took last night just won't wear off!"

3. "Ah, the unique and unpredictable circadian rhythms of the workaholic!"

2. "I wasn't sleeping, I was trying to pick up contact lens without hands."

AND THE #1 BEST THING TO SAY IF YOU GET CAUGHT SLEEPING AT YOUR DESK:

"Amen"

Facts about Solar Power

2012-03-20T16:28:00.001-07:00

Solar energy is a term used for describing a range of methods for obtaining energy from the sun. Many people immediately think about solar panels when hearing solar energy but wind, biomass and hydro power are all forms of solar energy. Wind develops through highs and lows in temperature. Wind drives waves. Rainfall, created by sun-warmed evaporated water feeds the rivers that are sources for hydro power.
In the late 15th century Leonardo Da Vinci already conceived of an industrial use of solar power by employing concave mirrors to heat water.
William Adams first discovered solar power cells in 1876.
In the 1830's, the British astronomer John Herschel used a solar collector box to cook food during an expedition to Africa.
As early as 1921, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded for experiments with solar power and photovoltaics. It was awarded to Albert Einstein.
In 1952, David Chaplin and other employees at Bell Labs discovered silicon made solar cells much more efficient.
In the late 1950s, NASA started using solar cells as a power source in space.
In 1983, 21 total megawatts of solar power producing cells were installed worldwide.
By 2004, 927 megawatts of solar power producing cells were installed worldwide.
In 35 states, you are allowed to run the power produced by your solar power system back into the utilities grid. Known as net metering, this allows you to sell your solar power to the utility, more or less eliminating your electrical bill and saving you thousands of dollars over the years.
With the “Million Solar Roofs Initiative”, the U.S. Department of Energy hopes to have one million solar power homes and buildings in the United States by 2010.
Solar power demand is growing at 25 percent a year, while utility energy demand is flat.
There is enough sunlight that falls on the Earth's surface every hour to meet the overall world energy demand for an entire year. Why waste energy when you can reuse the abundance we receive every hour?
Solar power panels are 15 percent efficient at converting sunlight to energy. Plants on your lawn are 3 percent efficient.
When silicon is taken from just one ton of sand, and used in photovoltaic solar power panels, that silicon can produce as much electricity as 500,000 tons of burning coal. Silicon is the second most common element in the earth’s crust (after oxygen).
Germany is the fastest growing solar market, followed by Japan. The U.S. is the third.
Schools and colleges throughout the country are currently converting to solar power as a way to reduce power costs.
It takes only about 8 minutes for solar energy to travel from the sun to the earth.
Homeowners qualifying for Fannie Mae, FHA and VHA mortgages can get benefits from lenders for going solar under the Energy Improvement Mortgage or Energy Efficient Mortgage Programs.
Once installed, solar panel systems require no maintenance and should last 30 to 40 years.
Solar panel systems come with 20 to 30 year warranties.
Third world countries with an abundance of sunlight and a population currently without electricity, represents the fastest growing market for solar energy, with the largest domestic market being the utilities sector.
Shell Oil predicts that 50% of the world's energy will come from renewable sources by 2040.

Sources: Dan Chiras, 2006. The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy. ISBN-10: 086571536X, weirfacts.com

Court Room Conversations Part 1

2012-03-12T21:42:00.002-07:00

A collection of some of the most hilarious / stupidest court-room conversations ever. Definitely worth the read.

ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active?
WITNESS: No, I just lie there.
________________________________
ATTORNEY: What is your date of birth?
WITNESS: July 18th.
ATTORNEY: What year?
WITNESS: Every year.
_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?
WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reebooks.
______________________________________
ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS: I forget.
ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: How old is your son, the one living with you?
WITNESS: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can't remember which.
ATTORNEY: How long has he lived with you?
WITNESS: Forty-five years.
_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?"
ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?
WITNESS: My name is Susan.

______________________________________
ATTORNEY: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo?
WITNESS: We both do.
ATTORNEY: Voodoo?
WITNESS: We do.
ATTORNEY: You do?
WITNESS: Yes, voodoo.
______________________________________
ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?

(Source: Weirdfacts.com)

Say the Color!

2012-03-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

DO NOT READ the words, say aloud the COLOR of each word.

Both sides of your brain are trying to work this out for you.

Your right brain is trying to say the color and your left brain is trying to read the word.

7 Amazing Things your senses can accomplish

2012-03-12T16:25:00.001-07:00

Your smell is unique: Your body odor is unique to you — unless you have an identical twin. Even babies recognize the individual scents of their mothers.
Humans use echolocation: Humans can use sound to sense objects in their area using echolocation. It is thought that those who are blind develop this ability to heightened effectiveness.
Adrenaline gives you super strength: Yes, with the proper response in certain situations, you really can lift a car.
Women smell better than men: Women are better than men at identifying smells.
Your nose remembers 50,000 scents: It is possible for your nose to identify and remember more than 50,000 smells.
Your hearing decreases when you overeat: When you eat too much food, it actually reduces your ability to hear. So consider eating healthy — and only until you are full.
Your sense of time is in your head: How you experience time is all about your perception. Some speculate that stress can help you experience time dilation. Apparently, time manipulation isn’t just for superheroes.

9 Facts about the Human Brain

2012-03-12T00:49:00.000-07:00

The Brain

Complex and poorly understood, the brain is what makes everything work properly. The body may be kept alive, but without the brain, a person can’t truly live. Here are some interesting and weird facts about the brain.

The brain doesn’t feel pain: Even though the brain processes pain signals, the brain itself does not actually feel pain.
Your brain has huge oxygen needs: Your brain requires 20 percent of the oxygen and calories your body needs — even though your brain only makes up two percent of your total body weight.
80% of the brain is water: Instead of being relatively solid, your brain 80% water. This means that it is important that you remain properly hydrated for the sake of your mind.
Your brain comes out to play at night: You’d think that your brain is more active during the day, when the rest of your body is. But it’s not. Your brain is more active when you sleep.
Your brain operates on 10 watts of power: It’s true: The amazing computational power of your brain only requires about 10 watts of power to operate.
A higher I.Q. equals more dreams: The smarter you are, the more you dream. A high I.Q. can also fight mental illness. Some people even believe they are smarter in their dreams than when they are awake.
The brain changes shapes during puberty: Your teenage years do more than just change how you feel; the very structure of your brain changes during the teen years, and it even affects impulsive, risky behavior.
Your brain can store everything: Technically, your brain has the capacity to store everything you experience, see, read or hear. However, the real issue is recall — whether you can access that information.
Information in your brain travels at different speeds: The neurons in your brain are built differently, and information travels along them at different speeds. This is why sometimes you can recall information instantly, and sometimes it takes a little longer.