weird facts
Tom Hanks' feud with an Idaho builder is continuing to cause tension between the two parties, after the Hollywood actor hired an armed guard to keep an eye on the contractor.
The 'Castaway' star and his wife Rita Wilson recently lost an attempt to sue Gary Storey, the owner of Storey Construction, for $2.5m (€1.6m) over claims the builder messed up renovations on their $10m (€6.3m) home in Sun Valley, Idaho in 2002.
The case was thrown out of court because the couple had already taken the accused to arbitration in 2003, and lost.
Hanks and Wilson plan to appeal the decision, and Storey has been granted permission to return to the site to collect evidence in his defence.
Hanks has employed a gun-carrying guard to follow Storey around at all times when he is on their property - but the move has infuriated the builder after a potentially fatal accident occurred recently.
The stars claim the minder is necessary after Storey once attempted to raid the home at dawn - accusations the constructor has refuted.
Storey's lawyer says: "The other day, the guy (guard) tripped and fell with his gun on him. It could have gone off and had fatal consequences. It is inconceivable that Tom Hanks, who claims to be the voice of the little people, could tolerate this."
[Via Breaking News.ie]
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Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Hanks hires armed guard to watch builder | weird facts
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
McDonald's Tests Changes | weird facts
weird facts - McDonald's Corp. is testing modifications to its popular $1 double cheeseburger, and higher prices for the sandwich, as it prepares to change its Dollar Menu by next year.
In an interview, Don Thompson, president of McDonald's U.S. business, said the company has tested ways to make the burger less expensive to make. Some restaurants are selling it with one slice of cheese instead of two, and billing it as a "double hamburger with cheese." Others are offering a double hamburger without cheese. Some are selling the traditional double cheeseburger at prices ranging from $1.09 to $1.19.
The company is also considering expanding what it considers the middle tier of its menu, items ranging from about $1.30 to $2. "We know customers are facing tough times in this economy," Mr. Thompson said.
Launched in 2003, the Dollar Menu has been a key driver of sales at McDonald's 14,000 U.S. restaurants and has helped it ride out dips in consumer spending. But recently, franchisees have complained that the menu has brought too much unprofitable traffic into their restaurants.
The biggest question for the eight-item menu is what to do with the double cheeseburger, considered its anchor. High dairy prices have pushed up the cost of cheese, and McDonald's predicts more pressure because its beef costs will be higher this year. Mr. Thompson said if McDonald's moves the double cheeseburger off that menu, there would still be some type of $1 burger.
Internal sales documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal show that, as of late June, sales of the chain's lattes, cappuccinos and other espresso drinks were off their peak in several main markets where they're being sold. Mr. Thompson said "the numbers really don't tell the story."
Lower-priced beverages, including $1.89 iced coffee and a $1 fountain-drink and sweet-tea promotion, have pulled some sales away from the espresso drinks, which range from about $2 to $3. That was something the company hadn't anticipated, he said.
McDonald's overall beverage expansion, adding espresso drinks, smoothies, cold tea, bottled drinks and ice-blended coffee beverages at U.S. locations, is on track to exceed the company's goal of adding $125,000 a year in sales per restaurant, even though it doesn't yet have national advertising behind it, Mr. Thompson said. He sees McDonald's target of the drinks adding $1 billion a year to the company's sales as "definitely achievable." The rollout will be complete at the end of 2009.
[Via - StartupJournal.Com]
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Monday, August 4, 2008
Police ban pets used to 'pick up women' | weird facts
weird facts
SAUDI Arabia's religious police have banned selling cats and dogs or exercising them in public in the Saudi capital, because of men using them as a means of making passes at women.
Othman al-Othman, head of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice in Riyadh, known as the Muttawa, told the Saudi edition of al-Hayat the commission had started enforcing an old religious edict.
He said the commission was implementing a decision taken a month ago by the acting governor of the capital, Prince Sattam bin Abdul Aziz, adding it followed an old edict issued by the supreme council of Saudi scholars.
The reason behind reinforcing the edict now was a rising fashion among some men using pets in public "to make passes on women and disturb families'', he said.
Mr Othman said the commission had instructed its offices in the capital to tell pet shops "to stop selling cats and dogs''.
The 5000-strong religious police oversees the adherence to Wahabism - a strict version of Sunni Islam, which also forces women to cover from head to toe when in public, and bans them from driving.
[Via - News.Com.Au]
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$5 million doorman fired from his day job | weird facts
weird facts
NEW YORK - A New York City doorman who kept his day job at an exclusive Park Avenue apartment building after winning a $5 million lottery has been shown the door.
Kate Ferranti, a spokesman for the union representing apartment building workers, said Richie Randazzo notified the union's grievance center on Tuesday that he had been fired.
The building management company, Brown Harris Stevens, did not immediately return a call for comment.
Randozzo's father said Wednesday that the letter did not specify the reason for Randozza's discharge. He declined to give his name and said his son was not home.
Randazzo made $40,000 a year as a doorman. He began taking in another $65,000 every three months after hitting the jackpot on May 2. According to published reports, his attendance record was spotty after he won the lottery.
The Brooklyn resident said when he won that he had no immediate plans to change his life, but allowed that he might indulge in a motorboat and a luxury auto.
Ferranti said the discharge will be investigated by Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union as a routine matter.
[Via Sun Sentinel]
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Wednesday, July 30, 2008
How to Make More Money with Pay Per Post Blogging
There are dozens of web sites that specialize in bringing advertisers and bloggers together. This competitive industry is called pay per post blogging, and it's taking the internet by storm. Advertisers dish out cash for writers like you to blog about them. It's good exposure for them and the pay is great for the amount of work involved. This article will help you learn how to rise above the competition and produce higher quality paid posts that your sponsors and readers will love.
Article is devoted to this remarkable event - iHype.com LaunchesSteps:
Step1
Think long term.
Behind the scenes, advertisers rate the quality of your blog posts. If a particular advertiser isn't pleased with the way you handled the job, it could potentially damage any chance you have at getting paid to blog in the future.
So while it may be easy to write a quick post for $5, it's better to invest a bit of extra time to understand what your advertiser wants out of the deal. Read the request completely. If an advertiser says, "A second link to our website would be appreciated, but is not required", go out of your way and create that second link. Do what you can to please them, and they will return with more opportunities for you.
Also, just because you are writing a pay per post ad doesn't mean it can't be a normal blog post that your typical readers would enjoy. Spend some time on the sponsors website or searching the web for information that you can use in your post that also fits the content of your blog. It will make your content more seamless and you'll also have a post to be proud of.
Step2
Be honest.
If you've never tried a service or bought a product from the company paying you to blog about them, don't lie about it in your post. It may seem like a good idea on the surface, but think of it this way... your sponsor is paying you for the post. If you lie, they are paying for a false testimonial. This can hurt their company, ruin your reputation as a writer and can get you banned.
Instead, think about reasons why you might use their service or product. How would it help you? How can it help your visitors? Write about these things if you are at a loss for words.
Step3
It's a secret.
If you want future work, don't tell your readers that you are writing paid posts. This includes filtering the posts into a "paid post" category, or tagging them as such. You are basically telling your sponsor that you are embarrassed to write about them.
Remember step one. If you write quality blog posts and casually incorporate the ad, it will look natural. There's no reason to be ashamed. You are helping the company to help you.
If you must mention that the post has been contracted, do it in a positive light. Say "Thanks to ______ for sponsoring my blog!" or "A big thank you to ______ for the support. Check out their website!"
Step4
Get creative.
Make your posts stand out! If you link to your sponsors website, change the color of their link to make it different from all of the others on your blog. This will draw attention to it, which is what the advertiser wants.
You can also spice up your posts with pictures or clip art. You can find a lot of royalty free stock photos on the web if you search a little. This is easy, and it shows your sponsor that you've put a lot of thought and energy into making your post as eye catching as possible. They will love you for it!
Step5
Keep the posts at a minimum.
The paid posts, that is. Your blog should flow seamlessly from post to post. If you mainly blog about celebrities, it would be strange to see a post about Britney Spears and then read about online casinos in the next post and baby formula in the post after that. Keep your sponsored blogging to a 1:10 ratio. That means for every paid post that you do, make sure you've written ten regular blog posts - give or take a few - before you take on another job.
Not only will your visitors stick around to read your posts, but your sponsored posts won't get lost in an ocean of advertisements. Being selective will also force the advertisers to compete for your posts, earning you more respect and of course, more money.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Bears eat workers at remote Russian mines | Weird Facts
weird facts
TERRIFIED workers at a mining compound in one of Russia's most isolated regions are refusing to go to work after a pack of giant bears attacked and ate two of their colleagues.
At least 30 of the hungry animals have been seen prowling close to the mines in northern Kamchatka in search of food, where the mangled remains of the two workers, both guards, were found last week.
The gruesome discovery has left their co-workers at the compound in the Olyotorsky district too scared to venture out. A team of snipers, with orders to shoot the bears, is now being dispatched, The Australian reports.
The Kamchatka brown bear is one of the world's largest, with males growing to around 3m and weighing up to 700kg. They can also reach speeds of 48km/h despite their size.
The peninsula, nine time zones east of Moscow and twice the size of Britain, is home to an estimated 16,000 bears.
Environmentalists argue that widespread poaching has caused a fish shortage, prompting the starving bears to become aggressive as they seek out food close to human settlements.
Their arrival has paralysed work at platinum mines owned by the Koryakgeologia company. Geologists refused to leave their compound in Mount Ledyanaya after 20 bears were seen wandering around, while at least 10 animals were spotted at nearby Penisty.
Kamchatka is not alone in facing problems with hungry bears. The mutilated remains of a man were found last month after he was attacked on nearby Sakhalin island, the third person killed by a bear this year.
Last month a woman was mauled to death by a bear that had ventured into the suburbs of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka.
[Via - News.Com.Au]
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Friday, July 25, 2008
The cubicle turns 40 this month | Weird Facts
weird facts
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The oft-derided "cubicle" is turning 40 years old this month.
The open-office style was originally known as the "Action Office," and was introduced by West Michigan's Herman Miller Company in 1968.
Bill Crooks was one of the first people in America to work in a cubicle. He started in Herman Miller's customer service department in 1967, shortly before the Action Office concept was introduced.
Crooks says he was one of the guinea pigs to test the Action Office "and that was the great part because we had the hands on, helped install it, helped the installers install it, and when it was changed, we would work with it. So we really understood the furniture."
Although, Crooks says Action Office was a tough sell at first. He recalls one of the first meetings when the design was introduced to Herman Miller executives. Crooks says, "After the presentation, they showed us this set up of really ugly stuff and I, with all my wisdom thought, that is never going to sell."
But, the concept caught on quickly. Crooks helped many major companies adjust their entire business style using Action Office, including Texas Instruments, Citibank and, "There was another small company out in White Plains, New York I went to. It was called MasterCard...just come into existence."
Robert Propst designed the Action Office to change with the evolving work space. Crooks says, "You also could have a stand up work surface and the sit down work surface."
When Propst explained the need for the Action Office, Crooks says, "They were describing the office changes that were in the future and they were really talking about stuff way out there, like the paperless office."
From reams and reams of paper files, to a computer on every desktop, Action Office has changed with the way we work, and has changed the way we work.
Herman Miller grew exponentially after Action Office was introduced 40 years ago. It's a design many other companies have adapted as well.
[Via - AZCentral]
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