The one place where a flag flies all day, never goes up or comes down, and does not get saluted, is the moon.

All the planets in the solar system rotate anticlockwise, except Venus. It is the only planet that rotates clockwise.

Earth is the densest planet in the solar system and the only one not named after a god.

Earth orbits the sun at an average speed of 29.79 km/s (18.51 miles/sec), or about 107 000 km/h (about 67,000 miles/hour).

The sun is 330,330 times larger than the earth.

Earth is slowing down — in a few million years there won’t be a leap year.

The tail of the Great Comet of 1843 was 330 million km long. (It will return in 2356.) Summer on Uranus lasts for 21 years — but so does winter.

Planets, meaning wanderers, are named after Roman deities: Mercury, messenger of the gods; Venus, the god of love and beauty; Mars, the god of war; Jupiter, king of the gods; and Saturn, father of Jupiter and god of agriculture; Neptune, god of the sea. Read the rest of this entry »

1. “Video Killed the Radio Star” was the very first video ever played on MTV.
2. AM and PM stand for “Ante-Meridiem” and “Post-Meridiem,” respectively, and A.D. actually stands for “Anno Domini” rather than “After Death.”
3. To “testify” was based on men in the Roman court swearing to a statement made by swearing on their testicles.
4. Both Hitler and Napoleon were missing one testicle
5. A whale’s penis is called a dork.
6. A pound of armadillo meat contains 780 calories.
7. If you feed a seagull Alka-Seltzer, its stomach will explode.
8. Twelve or more cows are known as a “flink.”
A group of kangaroos is called a mob.
A group of frogs is called an army.
A group of rhinos is called a crash.
A group of whales is called a pod.
A group of geese is called a gaggle.
A group of ravens is called an unkindness or a conspiracy.
A group of officers is called a mess.
A group of larks is called an exaltation.
A group of owls is called a parliament.
9. Warren Beatty and Shirley MacLaine are brother and sister.
10. Starfish don’t have brains.
11. Shrimps’ hearts are in their heads.
12. There were no squirrels on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts until 1989.
13. Barbie’s full name is Barbra Millicent Roberts.
14. Barbie’s measurements if she were life size: 39-23-33.
15. The ridges on the sides of coins are called reeding or milling.
16. Montpelier, Vermont is the only U.S. state capital without a McDonalds.
17. Hang On Sloopy is the official rock song of Ohio.
18. The Pentagon in Washington, D. C. has five sides, five stories, and five acres in the middle.
19. The Pentagon, in Arlington, Virginia, has twice as many bathrooms as is necessary. When it was built in the 1940s, the state of Virginia still had segregation laws requiring separate toilet facilities for blacks and whites.
20. Clans of long ago that wanted to get rid of their unwanted people without killing them use to burn their houses down hence the expression “to get fired.”
21. In Disney’s “Fantasia”, the Sorcerer’s name is “Yensid” (Disney backwards.)
22. The Les Nessman character on the TV series WKRP in Cincinnati wore a band-aid in every episode. Either on himself, his glasses, or his clothing.
23. A coat hanger is forty-four inches long if straightened.
24. Lorne Greene had one of his nipples bitten off by an alligator while he was host of “Lorne Greene’s Wild Kingdom.”
25. Cat’s urine glows under a blacklight.

I thought Woolworths i was an old company. At nearly 120 years old, it was one of the oldest companies in the United States, but that’s nothing when you expand your view to the rest of the world – these 10 are some of the oldest continuously-operating companies ever.

1. Kongo Gumi Co., Ltd, just saw the end of its long run a couple of years ago. Up until 2006, the Japanese construction company had been going strong since 578 A.D. Yep, you read that right – 578 A.D. The company was primarily involved in building temples but also had a stint building coffins during WWII. Things started going downhill in the ’80s, when they borrowed a lot of money to invest in real estate. By 2004, revenues were way down, and by 2006, they were $343 million in debt and ended up being absorbed by Takamatsu construction.

2. Hoshi, a traditional Japanese inn in operation since 718, took over the “World’s Oldest Continuously Operating Company” title when Kongo Gumi Co. folded. Located in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, the hotel has been in the same family for 46 generations so far.

3. Within the walls of St. Peter’s Archabbey in Salzburg, Vienna, lies Stiftskeller St. Peter, a restaurant and wine cellar that has been feeding the masses since at least 803 A.D. And apparently being in business that long has allowed them to perfect a thing or two, because it consistently gets outstanding reviews from the travelers who pass through its doors – and there are some pretty impressive travelers that are rumored to have eaten here. Supposedly Mephistopheles met Faust at Stiftskeller, Charlemagne liked to eat there, and Christopher Columbus downed a mug of beer there before he hopped on the Santa Maria.

4. It should come as no surprise that there is a brewery on the list – the Weihenstephan Brewery of Bavaria, to be exact, which has been serving patrons since 1040, and maybe even earlier. But that’s the year it was licensed by the city, so we have actual paperwork to prove it. It survived even when the monastery it was attached to was secularized under Napoleon in 1803. These days the brewery not only makes a selection of pale lagers and wheat beers, it’s also a learning facility for students at the Techincal University of Munich.
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More than half of the coastline of the entire United States is in Alaska.

The Amazon rainforest produces more than 20% the world’s oxygen supply.

The Amazon River pushes so much water into the Atlantic Ocean that, more than one hundred miles at sea off the mouth of the river, one can dip fresh water out of the ocean.  The volume of water in the Amazon river is greater than the next eight largest rivers in the world combined and three times the flow of all rivers in the United States.

Antarctica is the only land on our planet that is not owned by any country.

Ninety percent of the world’s ice covers Antarctica . This ice also represents seventy  percent of all the fresh water in the world. As strange as it sounds, however, Antarctica is essentially a desert. The average yearly total precipitation is about two inches Although covered with ice (all but 0.4% of it, ice.), Antarctica is the driest place on the planet, with an absolute humidity lower than the Gobi desert.

Brazil got its name from the nut, not the other way around.

Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world combined. Canada is an Indian word meaning ‘ Big Village.’
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Here are some inputs on body language that would be of great help to all in their day-to-day life, personally and professionally.

What you say is important, but, What you do is very very important. It has been researched that your body does not lie. Most commonly used body gestures and their meaning.So they would be of help to you.

Arms crossed over chest – Defensiveness or anxiety
Swinging arm – Want to walk away from a situation
Eye blinking – Fast blinking signals stress
Downward gaze – Feeling defeated
Taking notes – Shows interest or involvement
Hand over mouth – Can mean boredom
Arms behind head and leaning back – Looking for power or control
Unbuttoning coat – Openness
Buttoning coat – Feels trapped and wants to leave
Standing with hands behind back – Confidence
Clearing throat- Nervousness
Rubbing back of neck – Defensiveness
Hands flat on table – Ready to agree
Stroking chin – Evaluating or thinking
Foot tapping – Impatience
Rubbing the eye – Doubt or disbelief
Rubbing hands – Anticipation
Tilted head – Interest
Pulling / tugging ear – Indecision

So next time you are communicating be aware of your and the other persons body language and understand what it means.

Manufacturers just love to helpfully instruct us on how to use their products. Some directions are painfully obvious, such as the packet of peanuts that reads, “Open packet, eat nuts.” Some instructions are silly, like the bottle of Nyquil that cautions, “Warning: may cause drowsiness.” Then there’s the warning on my new iron: “Do not iron clothes on body.” Umm, what?
Some instructions seem like they’re made to be ignored, especially subjective instructions about how much of a product to use or how often to replace it. How do we know if something really needs to be tossed out every few months, or if its expiration date is set in stone? When manufacturers make these recommendations, are they thinking about what’s best for the consumer, or are they just thinking about what’s best for their bottom line?

Lather, Rinse, Repeat?
Is there really a reason to wash twice? Is the product so ineffective that it can’t clean properly the first time? The reality is that you only have to shampoo once. According to CNN Money, the “rinse and repeat” instruction came about in the 1950s, when people washed their hair less often and used heavier, stickier hair products. Sometimes, the first shampoo wouldn’t generate suds because of all that oil and Brylcreem, so a second wash was necessary in order to work up a lather. Shampoos don’t actually need suds to work, but companies know that customers like to feel as if they’re really getting something clean. Encouraging a second washing was a way for users to generate the suds they expected, with the bonus that they used more shampoo in the process. Nowadays, not only does “rinse and repeat” increase shampoo sales, it also increases sales of other hair products, since excessive washing can dry out hair, leading to the purchase of
conditioners and other treatments. Of course, anyone who feels that washing twice makes her hair look its best should feel free to shampoo away. If she wants, she can even use more than the recommended dime-sized amount.

Oil Change Change-Up
The conventional wisdom says that we should change a car’s oil every 3,000 miles, but some experts say that might be too conservative. Auto manual recommendations vary between 3,000 and 10,000 miles, but the guys behind NPR’s “Car Talk” radio show recommend changing oil every 5,000 miles or so. According to them, “It may be too soon for many people and too late for a few, but for the vast majority, 5,000-mile oil changes will help your engine last to a ripe old age.” Changing the oil regularly is vitally important to prevent engine damage, but modern engines and oils have a bit more leeway than their older counterparts, so they can go longer between servicing. Synthetic oils, especially, resist breakdown for many thousands of miles. People who should consider changing more frequently include those who regularly tow or carry heavy loads, people who go through extreme seasonal climate changes, those who often make quick starts or slam on their
brakes, and people with older cars.
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The women of the Tiwi tribe in the South Pacific are married at birth.

When Albert Einstein died, his final words died with him. The nurse at his side didn’t understand German.

St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was not Irish.

The lance ceased to be an official battle weapon in the British Army in 1927.

St. John was the only one of the 12 Apostles to die a natural death.

Many sailors used to wear gold earrings so that they could afford a proper burial when they died.

Some very Orthodox Jew refuse to speak Hebrew, believing it to be a language reserved only for the Prophets.

A South African monkey was once awarded a medal and promoted to the rank of corporal during World War I.

Born 4 January 1838, General Tom Thumb’s growth slowed at the age of 6 months, at 5 years he was signed to the circus by P.T. Barnum, and at adulthood reached a height of only 1 metre.

Because they had no proper rubbish disposal system, the streets of ancient Mesopotamia became literally knee-deep in rubbish.

The Toltecs, Seventh-century native Mexicans, went into battle with wooden swords so as not to kill their enemies.

China banned the pigtail in 1911 as it was seen as a symbol of feudalism.

The Amayra guides of Bolivia are said to be able to keep pace with a trotting horse for a distance of 100 kilometres.

Sliced bread was patented by a jeweller, Otto Rohwedder, in 1928. He had been working on it for 16 years, having started in 1912.

Before it was stopped by the British, it was the not uncommon for women in some areas of India to choose to be burnt alive on their husband’s funeral pyre.

Ivan the terrible claimed to have ‘deflowered thousands of virgins and butchered a similar number of resulting offspring’.

Before the Second World War, it was considered a sacrilege to even touch an Emperor of Japan.

An American aircraft in Vietnam shot itself down with one of its own missiles.

The Anglo-Saxons believed Friday to be such an unlucky day that they ritually slaughtered any child unfortunate enough to be born on that day.

During the eighteenth century, laws had to be brought in to curb the seemingly insatiable appetite for gin amongst the poor. Their annual intake was as much as five million gallons.

Ancient drinkers warded off the devil by clinking their cups

The Nobel Prize resulted form a late change in the will of Alfred Nobel, who did not want to be remembered after his death as a propagator of violence – he invented dynamite.

The cost of the first pay-toilets installed in England was tuppence.

Pogonophobia is the fear of beards.

In 1647 the English Parliament abolished Christmas.

Mao Rse-Tang, the first chairman of the Chinese Communist Party, was born 26 December 1893. Before his rise to power, he occupied the humble position of Assistant Librarian at the University of Peking.

Coffee is the second largest item of international commerce in the world. The largest is petrol.

King George III was declared violently insane in 1811, 9 years before he died.

In Ancient Peru, when a woman found an ‘ugly’ potato, it was the custom for her to push it into the face of the nearest man.

For Roman Catholics, 5 January is St Simeon Stylites’ Day. He was a fifth-century hermit who showed his devotion to God by spending literally years sitting on top of a huge flagpole.

When George I became King of England in 1714, his wife did not become Queen. He placed her under house arrest for 32 years.

The richest 10 per cent of the French people are approximately fifty times better off than the poorest 10 per cent.

Henry VII was the only British King to be crowned on the field of battle

During World War One, the future Pope John XXIII was a sergeant in the Italian Army.

Richard II died aged 33 in 1400. A hole was left in the side of his tomb so people could touch his royal head, but 376 years later some took advantage of this and stole his jawbone.

The magic word “Abracadabra” was originally intended for the specific purpose of curing hay fever.

The Puritans forbade the singing of Christmas Carols, judging them to be out of keeping with the true spirit of Christmas.

Albert Einstein was once offered the Presidency of Israel. He declined saying he had no head for problems.

Uri Geller, the professional psychic was born on December 20 1946. As to the origin of his alleged powers, Mr Geller maintains that they come from the distant planet of Hoova.

Ralph and Carolyn Cummins had 5 children between 1952 and 1966, all were born on the 20 February.

John D. Rockefeller gave away over US$ 500,000,000 during his lifetime.

Only 1 child in 20 are born on the day predicted by the doctor.

In the 1970’s, the Rhode Island Legislature in the US entertained a proposal that there be a $2 tax on every act of sexual intercourse in the State.

Widows in equatorial Africa actually wear sackcloth and ashes when attending a funeral.

The ‘Hundred Years War’ lasted 116 years.

The British did not release the body of Napoleon Bonaparte to the French until twenty days after his death.

Admiral Lord Nelson was less than 1.6 metres tall.

John Glenn, the American who first orbited the Earth, was showered with 3,529 tonnes of ticker tape when he got back.

Native American Indians used to name their children after the first thing they saw as they left their tepees subsequent to the birth. Hence such strange names as Sitting Bull and Running Water.

Catherine the First of Russia, made a rule that no man was allowed to get drunk at one of her parties before nine o’clock.

Queen Elizabeth I passed a law which forced everyone except for the rich to wear a flat cap on Sundays. Read the rest of this entry »

World’s First Digital Camera (1975): Created by Kodak’s engineer Steve SassonIn December 1975, Kodak engineer Steve Sasson invented something that would, decades later, revolutionize photography: the world’s first digital camera. It was the size of a toaster, and captured black and white images at a resolution of 100×100 – or 0.01 megapixels in today’s marketing terminology. The images were stored on cassette tape, taking 23 seconds to write. The camera uses an ADC from Motorola, a bog-standard (for the 1970s) lens from a Kodak movie camera, and a CCD chip from Fairchild Semiconductor – the same technology that digital cameras still use today. To playback the images, a special computer and tape reader setup (pictured below) was built, outputting the grainy images on a standard TV. It took a further 23 seconds to read each image from tape.

World’s First Motel (1925): Motel Inn
Motel Inn in San Luis Obispo, California, is the world’s first motel. It was built in 1925 by LA architect Arthur Heineman, who coined the term motel meaning “motor hotel.” Motel Inn was originally called the Milestone Mo-Tel. Back then, one night stay was $1.25. Heineman couldn’t afford the trademark registration fee, so his competitors were able to use the word “motel.” The motel is still in operation today.

World’s First Album Cover (1938): Smash Song Hits by Rodgers and Hart
Before Alex Steinweiss, then a 23-year-old designer, invented album covers in 1938 for Columbia Records, albums were sold in plain brown wrappers. The album “Smash Song Hits by Rodgers and Hart” was the very first album cover in the world.

World’s First Novel (1007): Tale of Genji
More than a thousend years ago, on 1007, a Japanese court lady put the finishing touches on what is considered the world’s first novel. Spanning 75 years, more than 350 characters, and brimming with romantic poems, the “Tale of Genji” tells the story of an emperor’s son, his quest for love, and the many women he meets along the way. It is attributed to the Japanese noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu. Read the rest of this entry »

Inside the post you will see the ten best and ten worst cities of our planet, according to Mercer’s 2009 Quality of Living survey.
Let’s start with the best cities. So, the tenth place is going to Sydney, Australia.

10. Sydney, Australia
Australia’s largest city, with a population of nearly four and a half million, Sydney’s beaches, beautiful harbour and cultural attractions – including the Sydney Opera House – are its big draws, although, according to Mercer, it is the world’s 15th most expensive city.

9. Bern, Switzerland
With a population of around 128,000, Bern is Switzerland’s fifth most inhabited city. The medieval centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while Albert Einstein once lived and worked in the city as a patent office clerk.

8. Frankfurt, Germany
The largest financial centre on the continent, Frankfurt is the seat of the European Central Bank and the German Federal Bank. The city’s key sights include its 14th-century Gothic cathedral and a host of futuristic skyscrapers.

7. Munich, Germany
Germany’s third-largest city with around 1.36 million inhabitants, the Bavarian capital also boasts plenty of Gothic architecture. Munich was heavily damaged by allied bombing during World War II, but recovered to host the Olympic Games in 1972.

6. Dusseldorf, Germany
Situated on the Rhine, the city is renowned as a centre for German fashion, advertising and telecommunications, while the Dusseldorf Karneval attracts millions of visitors each year. The city is twinned with Warsaw, Moscow, Cairo and Reading.

5= Auckland, New Zealand
Home to 31 per cent of New Zealand’s population, Auckland boast two harbours – Waitemata to the north and Manukau to the south, helping earn its nickname: the City of Sails.
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Bugatti Veyron $1,700,000. This is by far the most expensive street legal car available on the market today. It is the fastest accelerating car reaching 0-60 in 2.6 seconds. It claims to be the fastest car with a top speed of 253 mph+. However, the title for the fastest car goes to the SSC Ultimate Aero which exceed 253 mph pushing this car to 2nd place for the fastest car.

Lamborghini Reventon $1,600,000. The most powerful and the most expensive Lamborghini ever built is the second on the list. It takes 3.3 seconds to reach 60 mph and it has a top speed of 211 mph. Its rarity (limited to 20) and slick design are the reasons why it is so expensive and costly to own.

McLaren F1 $970,000. In 1994, the McLaren F1 was the fastest and most expensive car. Even though it was built 15 years ago, it has an unbelievable top speed of 240 mph and reaching 60 mph in 3.2 seconds. Even as of today, the McLaren F1 is still top on the list and it outperformed many other super cars.

Ferrari Enzo $670,000. The most known supercar ever built. The Enzo has a top speed of 217 mph and reaching 60 mph in 3.4 seconds. Only 400 units were produced and it is currently being sold for over $1,000,000 at auctions.

Pagani Zonda C12 F $667,321. Produced by a small independent company in Italy, the Pagani Zonda C12 F is the 5th fastest car in the world. It promises to delivery a top speed of 215 mph+ and it can reach 0-60 in 3.5 seconds.

SSC Ultimate Aero $654,400. Don’t let the price tag fool you, the 6th most expensive car is actually the fastest street legal car in the world with a top speed of 257 mph+ and reaching 0-60 in 2.7 seconds. This baby cost nearly half as much as the Bugatti Veyron, yet has enough power to top the most expensive car in a speed race. It is estimated that only 25 of this exact model will ever be produced.

Saleen S7 Twin Turbo $555,000. The first true American production certified super car, this cowboy is also rank 3rd for the fastest car in the world. It has a top speed of 248 mph+ and it can reach 0-60 in 3.2 seconds. If you are a true American patriot, you can be proud to show off this car.

Koenigsegg CCX $545,568. Swedish made, the Koenigsegg is fighting hard to become the fastest car in the world. Currently, it is the 4th fastest car in the world with a top speed of 245 mph+, the car manufacture Koenigsegg is not giving up and will continue to try and produce the fastest car. Good luck with that!

Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren Roadster $495,000. A GT supercar, the SLR McLaren is the fastest automatic transmission car in the world with a top speed of 206 mph+ and reaching 60 mph in 3.8 seconds. It is a luxurious convertible with a really powerful engine, which results in outstanding performances and style.

Porsche Carrera GT $440,000. A supercar with dynamic stability control and a top speed of 205 mph+ and it can reach 0-60 in 3.9 seconds. The Porsche Carrera GT applies the absolute calibers of a true racing car to offer an unprecedented driving feeling on the road.