link of the day - Spice up your life
weird facts
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) -- A New Zealand man has sold his soul to hell -- Hell Pizza, that is.
The New Zealand pizza chain said Thursday it had struck a deal with Walter Scott, 24, to buy a deed to his soul, shortly after an online auction site that initially agreed to the sale withdrew it from the Internet because of complaints it was in bad taste.
Scott offered his soul on the TradeMe site on Wednesday, saying he had not found it to be much use.
"I can't see it, touch it or feel it, but I can sell it, so I'm going to palm it off to the highest bidder," Scott, 24, said on the sale site.
The auction attracted more than 32,000 hits and more than 100 bids before it was taken down.
TradeMe business manager Michael O'Donnell said the company had received an "overwhelming number of complaints from the TradeMe community."
"A lot of people felt it was offensive even though we thought it was there for good fun," he told The Associated Press. "So the compliance team pulled it."
He said the auction had also attracted many bogus bids -- while the last bid on the site was listed as $3,799, the last genuine bid was $456.
Rachael Allison, head of marketing for Hell Pizza, which has outlets across New Zealand and trades on a naughty image, said the company contacted Scott shortly after the auction was removed and offered him $3,800.
"The soul belongs to Hell, there is simply no better place for it," Allison told The Associated Press. "He was pretty delighted."
O'Donnell had said on Wednesday that Scott's auction complied with TradeMe's rules because a physical object -- the deed of ownership -- would change hands.
In 2001, 20-year-old U.S. university student Adam Burtle tried to sell his soul on eBay, but the auction was pulled after the company ruling that something tangible needed to be exchanged for a viable sale.
Allison said she would fly to Scott's home town of Wanganui on North Island Friday "to pick up the soul -- or at least the deed of ownership."
The deed would be hung on a wall at the company's headquarters in the northern city of Auckland and an image of it posted on the company's Web site.
"We'd love to get his soul in the virtual world -- to keep it immortal," she said.
[Via - CNN]
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Man sells soul for $3,800 ... to a pizza joint | Weird Facts
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Five Things You Did Not Know About Google - weird facts
1- Google spends $72 million a year on employee meals
Link of the day - The Hottest Place To Hook Up
weird facts - Seventy-two million dollars a year -- that works out to about $7,530 per Googler (a term Google uses to identify employees). While the exact details vary depending on location (the Google empire spans the globe), employees at Google's California headquarters, aptly entitled the Googleplex, are welcome to at least two free meals a day from 11 different gourmet cafeterias. As if that weren’t enough, another thing you didn’t know about Google is that in addition to the cafeterias, Google offers numerous snack bars that are chock-full of healthy morsels to munch on.
And that's certainly not all. Is your car in a bit of a rut? Not to worry; Google offers on-site car washes and oil changes. The list of perks for working at Google is never-ending, making it no surprise that it's considered the No. 1 place to work, offering: on-site haircuts, full athletic facilities, massage therapists, language classes, drop-off dry cleaning, day cares, and on-site doctors, just to name a few. Oh, and if your dog is stuck at home and feeling a little lonely, just bring him to work -- Google doesn't mind.
2- Google was originally called BackRub
Like many other booming internet companies, Google has an interesting upbringing, one that is marked by a lowly beginning. Google began as a research project in January 1996 by cofounder Larry Page, a 24-year-old Ph.D. student at Standford University. Page was soon joined by 23-year-old Sergey Brin, another Ph.D. student, forming a duo that seemed destined for failure. According to Google's own corporate information, Brin and Page argued about every single topic they discussed. This incessant arguing, however, may have been what spurred the duo to rethink web-searching and develop a novel strategy that ranked websites according to the number of backlinks (i.e., according to the number of web pages that linked back to a web page being searched), and not based on the number of times a specific search term appeared on a given web page, as was the norm.
Because of this unique strategy, another thing you didn't know about Google is that Page and Brin nicknamed the search engine BackRub. Thankfully, in 1998, Brin and Page dropped the sexually suggestive nickname, and came up with “Google,” a term originating from a common misspelling of the word "googol," which refers to 10100.
The word “google” has become so common, it was entered into numerous dictionaries in 2006, referring to the act of using the Google search engine to retrieve information via the internet.
3- Google loses $110 million a year through "I'm Feeling Lucky"
There's not much to see on Google's main search page, and perhaps simplicity is one of the keys to Google's success. When searching Google, you are given two options: “Google Search” or “I'm Feeling Lucky.” By clicking the former, you are given that familiar list of search results; by clicking the latter, however, you are automatically redirected to the first search result, bypassing the search engine’s results page.
Besides the fun factor, the idea behind the “I'm Feeling Lucky” feature is to provide the user with instant connection to the precise page they are searching for, thus saving them time that would normally be spent perusing endless search results. Sounds harmless enough, right? Not so fast. Because “I'm Feeling Lucky” bypasses all advertising, it is estimated that Google loses about $110 million per year in advertising-generated revenue. So why in the world would any Fortune 500 company not patch such a gaping leak? "It's possible to become too dry, too corporate, too much about making money. I think what's delightful about 'I'm Feeling Lucky' is that it reminds you there are real people here," Google Executive Marissa Mayer told Valleywag, an online tech-blog.
4- Google has a sense of humor
Google also offers full language support for Pig Latin, Klingon and even Elmer Fudd. Anyone else still feeling lucky? Try typing, “French military victories” and clicking “I'm Feeling Lucky.” Behold the result.
Some might remember the “miserable failure” fiasco when one typed those words and clicked “I'm Feeling Lucky,” and they were instantly connected to a biography of President George W. Bush on the White House website. Now, before you jump to conclusions, this trick -- which no longer works -- was carried out by members of the online community through the art of “Google bombing.” Google bombing works because of Google's backlink search strategy.
5- Google scans your e-mails
Nothing in life is perfect -- or without controversy -- and Google is no exception. Google scans your e-mails (at Gmail) through a process called “content extraction.” All incoming and outgoing e-mail is scanned for specific keywords to target advertising to the user. The process has brewed quite a storm of controversy, but Google has yet to back down on its stance.
Google has remained similarly headstrong about other criticisms; in an attempt to remain partisan to local governments, Google removes or does not include information from its services in compliance with local laws. Perhaps the most striking example of this is Google's adherence to the internet censorship policies of China (at Google.cn) so as not to bring up search results supporting the independence movement of Tibet and Taiwan, or any other information perceived to be harmful to the People's Republic of China.
Google Street has further been cited for breaching personal privacy. The service provides high-resolution street-view photos from around the world and has, on numerous occasions, caught people committing questionable acts. Moving from street to satellite, Google Earth has also come under fire from several Indian state governments about the security risks posed by the details from Google Earth's satellite imaging. When all is said and done, there are a lot of criticisms about Google and these few examples merely scratch the surface.
Searched
Um, Google does the searching -- anytime, and every time, you search for something on the internet.
Interest
It's hard to think of another search engine ever supplanting our beloved Google, but it's anyone's guess as to how the internet will work in the future. Maybe you'll just have to think of something and it will appear. Who knows? Try Googling it.
[Via - AskMen.Com]
Saturday, June 21, 2008
How to Choose a Health Insurance Plan
These days, landing in the hospital for even a few days can decimate your savings account. That's why it's extremely important to consider the cost, the benefits, and the extent to which your family's health needs are met when choosing insurance. Research the various plans that are available, and determine how specifically tailored they are to your family's health needs and financial abilities, to decide on a plan that is best suited to your lifestyle.
Take this company as an example: Kaiser Health Plan .
Step1
Sign on with the health insurance provided by your employer: It is likely to be the cheapest option you can find. Your employer's carrier may have more than one option for you to choose from (HMO, preferred). If you're self-employed or if your company doesn't offer insurance, you'll have to search for your own insurance.
Step2
Assess your needs, taking into account your current use of health care and your medical expenses for the near future, and decide what services are most important to you and your family. Ask about dependents' coverage. Factor in how much you can afford to spend on monthly premiums and co-payments. If you're single and healthy, your health plan needs will be very different from those of a family with three young children.
Step3
Compare benefits and coverage of key items like monthly premiums, deductibles, co-payments, co-insurance rates, costs for seeing out-of-network providers, preventive care, physical exams, immunizations and the like. Other services that are of interest to your family could include fertility services, mental health coverage, nursing care and long-term care.
Step4
Ask lots of questions: Are your current providers part of this plan? Do you need referrals for specialist visits? How easy is it to change doctors? What hospitals and facilities can you use as part of the plan? What are the procedures for having emergency room treatment approved?
Step5
Find out if benefits are limited for preexisting conditions, or if you have to wait for a period of time before you're fully covered. Some plans may completely exclude coverage of preexisting conditions.
Step6
Research whether there is a fair appeals process available if the company denies treatment, and if these appeals are reviewed by an external, independent agency. Is there a high turnover rate among doctors in the plan? Check if the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA.org) accredits the plan; the Pacific Business Group on Health (HealthScope.org) also offers information on health plans.
Step7
Pick a plan that best matches your needs and priorities based on thorough research. Read all materials and call the health plan representative or conduct Internet research to get any information you are missing. Discuss pre-existing conditions and flexspending plans before making a decision.
Step8
Investigate long-term care insurance. The rising cost of health care and elderly care can demolish your savings if you are incapacitated for long. The best time to buy it is when you hit your 40s.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Is Apple Paying Their Engineers Too Little? - weird facts
link of the day - The Hottest Place to Hook Up
weird facts - According to salary information collected by new startup Glassdoor, Apple pays its engineers significantly less than competing companies in Silicon Valley. Apple engineers make $89,000 a year, whereas Google engineers can buy four more Segways a year (pre-tax) with their $112,573 paycheck. Microsoft and Yahoo are closer to Google: both companies pay their engineers $105,000 a year. See TechCrunch’s review of Glassdoor for the data.
I wondered how much of a difference this salary disparity made to Apple’s bottom line, so I took a look at its annual 10-K filings from 2003 to 2007. Each of these reports includes, buried among its 170 pages, Apple’s net income and how much it spent on R&D. For simplicity I assumed that the R&D budget was entirely spent on salaries; this isn’t far off the mark in a hi-tech company like Apple.
If Apple were to pay its engineers the same salaries as Google then its R&D budget would increase by 26%. This amount (26% of the R&D budget) is how much Apple saves each year by paying below-market salaries. I calculated what Apple’s net income would have been if it had paid its engineers the same as Google, and these are the results:
Explanation:
* All dollar values are in millions.
* # Employees - from Apple’s 10-K.
* R&D Budget - from Apple’s 10-K.
* Adjusted R&D Budget - had Apple paid its engineers at the same level as Google, this would have been its R&D Budget.
* Net Income - from Apple’s 10-K.
* Adjusted Net Income - had Apple paid its engineers at the same level as Google, this would have been its Net Income.
* Increase in Net Income - the magnitude by which Apple’s net income was higher that year compared to what it would have been had it paid salaries at the same level as Google.
The Adjusted Net Income is a good estimate, but it’s not completely accurate. For example, the increase in Apple’s R&D Budget would have meant that its expenses are higher, so it would have paid less taxes. But the overall trend is clear.
Here’s the Increase in Net Income in chart form:
In 2003 and 2004, the effect of underpaying its engineers made a huge difference to Apple’s bottom line. In 2003, these savings turned around Apple’s year: from a loss to a small profit. In 2004, they doubled the profit. However, once Apple’s earnings began to skyrocket in 2005, the effect of the R&D savings became much smaller: just 6% of the net income in 2007, for example.
Paying low salaries to its engineers was a lifesaver for Apple during its difficult times. But now that Apple is immensely profitable there’s no more excuse for this practice. In the TechCrunch article mentioned previously, the site’s owner Michael Arrington says: “Apple software engineers make only about $89,000, on average, but they get to create some of the most loved products on Earth.” I’m sure this warms their hearts. But an extra $20,000 a year would make their hearts downright toasty, and their spouses’ as well.
[Via - Hurvitz.Org]
Free lessons from internet millionaire
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
How To Date Online - weird facts
The hottest place to hook up
weird facts
Not long ago, many people shunned online dating thinking the only kinds of people they could meet online were super-shy or physically less-than-desireable. Now just about everyone has friends who have successfully met normal desirable people online, and many know one more married couples who met online as well. Here are the steps to take to safely meet quality people online.
Steps
1. Decide what type of online dating site best suits the type of people you are looking to meet as well as your budget. If you are looking to meet a broad spectrum of people, you might try a large public site like Match.com or Yahoo! personals. If you are looking to meet a specific type of person you might try a more niche-focused site like JDate or AsianFriendFinder.com.
2. Subscribe. Keep in mind, there is a broad range of prices for online dating sites. More expensive sites can charge as much as $50 per month. Most sites offer discounts for multiple months purchased at one time. When you are just starting, you should probably buy just one month and see how well you like that site. If you do and want to continue, you can re-subscribe for a larger number of months at a lower monthly rate. Many sites (like EZDate 123 and Plenty of Fish) also have free trials.
3. Take (at least) one good picture. Whether you are a male or female, having at least one flattering, recent photo will dramatically increase your chances for success. Profiles with good pics usually get as much as 10 to 20 times as many e-mails. If you get an overwhelming number of e-mails (often happens for especially attractive females), you can always choose to hide your pic later. If you don't have a good recent pic, some sites offer links to professional photographers. But usually just a digital camera with some decent lighting will do the trick.
4. Create your profile. Each site asks for slightly different information and/or essays. Try to keep it simple, but if you're witty, let that show. The best advice is to just be yourself, since you will find it is very difficult to be convincing acting like someone else. Even still, you definitely want to put your best foot forward. No need to disclose that you're still hurting from your recent break-up or you visit a therapist 5 times per week here. There will be time for that later once someone gets to see the fun, easy-going, more attractive side of you.
5. Identify people you would like to meet. Now for the fun part, browse through profiles or search by keywords to find the people you think you might like to meet. Women, don't feel like you have to wait for men to contact you. It is perfectly acceptable to make the first contact with a man, and you will often have excellent results when you do.
6. Check for reviews about them. Before you meet someone online, or even before you contact them, you should check to see if other people who have met them have entered reviews regarding the truthfulness of their profile. Do this by visiting a review site like TrueDater.com and entering the correct dating site and profile ID for the person in question. If you date the person yourself, you can also enter a review yourself to help future people who will meet them.
7. Contact them. Send them an email or if you prefer, IM them. Be natural, be conversational, mention a detail from their profile so they know you really read it, and make a little joke. Humor is great for breaking the ice and starting the conversation.
8. Talk by phone. After you've traded enough emails to feel comfortable, the next step is usually to talk by phone. This gives you a chance to get to know the other person a little better and get a feel for whether you will have chemistry in person. Don't feel obligated to meet someone in person just because you have talked to them by phone. If you feel uncomfortable or not attracted, you can tell them, "It's been great talking with you. I'm busy the rest of this week. Why don't we talk again next week." This way you can harmlessly end the call without an outright rejection, and if you find you change your mind you can always call them or accept their call next week.
[Via wikiHow]
Judge reduces trust fund for Leona Helmsley's dog - weird facts
link of the day - The Hottest Place to Hook Up
weird facts - Leona Helmsley's dog isn't quite as well-heeled as she used to be. Manhattan Surrogate Judge Renee Roth has reduced the trust fund for the little dog, named Trouble, from $12 million to $2 million.
The remaining $10 million now goes to Helmsley's charitable foundation.
The 9-year-old Maltese lives in Florida with the general manager of the Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel. Helmsley died last August.
The court decision, made April 30, became public Monday.
[Via - SeattlePI]
Monday, June 16, 2008
Tradition of Russian Cosmonauts - Peeing on a Rocket | Weird Facts
weird facts
The morning of April 4, 2000. Sergei Zaletin and Alexander Kaleri pays tribute to tradition, irrigation wheel of the bus. Astronauts make a stopover on the way to rocket, that is at the final stage before the flight. There do not allow any foreign person. Snapshot - a consequence of the adventurism of the cosmodrome worker and the only documented existence of the urethra tradition.
