The Loan

              Harry was in a difficult position. His friend borrowed six hundred dollars from him, but Harry had nothing in writing as proof. And, since the loan, his friend was just barely friendly. Desperate, Harry finally asked his father’s advice.

              “Don’t fret, son,” his father advised, “just write him a short note saying you need the one thousand two hundred dollars he owes you at once.”

               “You mean the six hundred dollars,” Harry interrupted.

              “No! Just stick to one thousand two hundred and he will write back to say that he only owes you six hundred dollars. Then you will have your proof in writing!”

The Hippo And The Tortoise

Much of life can never be explained but only witnessed.

NAIROBI (AFP) - A baby hippopotamus that survived the 26 December 2004 tsunami waves on the Kenyan coast has formed a strong bond with Mzee, a giant male century-old tortoise in an animal facility in the port city of Mombassa.


Rescued by wildlife rangers, the hippo, nicknamed Owen and weighing about 300 kilograms (650 pounds), was swept down the Sabaki River into the Indian Ocean and then forced back to shore when the tsunami waves struck the Kenyan coast.


"It is incredible. A less-than-a-year-old hippo has adopted a male tortoise, about a century old, and the tortoise seems to be very happy with being a 'mother'," ecologist Paula Kahumbu, who is in charge of Lafarge Park, told AFP.


"After it was swept away and lost its mother, the hippo was traumatised. It had to look for something to be a surrogate mother. Fortunately, it landed on the tortoise and established a strong bond. They swim, eat and sleep together," the ecologist added.


"The hippo follows the tortoise exactly the way it followed its mother. If somebody approaches the tortoise, the hippo becomes aggressive, as if protecting its biological mother," Kahumbu added.


"The hippo is a young baby. He was left at a very tender age and by nature, hippos are social animals and like to stay with their mothers for at least 4 years."she explained.


This is a real story that shows that our differences don't matter all that much when we need the comfort of another. We could all learn a lesson from these two creatures.

Milk’s Drowsy Effect

The claim: A glass of warm milk will help you sleep at night.

The facts: Few foods have a reputation for curing insomnia quite like warm milk.

It has long been known that milk is full of tryptophan, the sleep-inducing amino acid. tryptophan is also well known for being present in another food thought to have a sedative effect – turkey.

However, whether milk can induce sleep is debatable and studies suggest that if it does, the effect has little to do with tryptophan.

To have any soporific effect, tryptophen has to cross the blood-brain barrier. In the presence of other amino acids, it ends up fighting – largely unsuccessfully – to move across.

One study by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology demonstrated this in 2003. The study, which was published in The American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition, showed that eating protein-rich foods – like milk – decreased the ability of tryptophan to enter the brain.

The trick, the study showed, is to eat foods high in carbohydrates, which stimulate the release of insulin. Insulin, in turn makes it easier for troptophan to enter the brain.

However, surveys have found that many people swear by milk as a sleep aid and this may be psychological.

Scientists say the routine of drinking a glass of milk before bed can be as soothing as the feel of a favorite old blanket.

The bottom line: A glass of warm milk may make you drowsy, but this is not due to the effect of tryptophan.

- The New York Times 

Here Is A Little Clarification Of Corporate Lingo

COMPETITIVE SALARY: 

We remain competitive by paying less than our competitors. 

JOIN OUR FAST-PACED COMPANY: 

We have no time to train you. 

CASUAL WORK ATMOSPHERE: 

We do not pay enough to expect that you will dress up well; a couple of the real daring guys wear earrings. 

MUST BE DEADLINE ORIENTED: 

You will be six months behind schedule on your first day. 

SOME OVERTIME REQUIRED: 

Some time each night and some time each weekend. 

DUTIES WILL VARY: 

Anyone in the office can boss you around. 

MUST HAVE AN EYE FOR DETAIL: 

We have no quality control. 

CAREER-MINDED: 

Female Applicants must be childless (and remain that way). 

APPLY IN PERSON: 

If you are old, fat or ugly you will be told the position has been filled. 

SEEKING CANDIDATES WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF EXPERIENCE: 

You will need it to replace three people who just left. 

PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS A MUST: 

You are walking into a company in perpetual chaos. 

GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS: 

Management communicates, you figure out what they want and do it. 

A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT APPROACHES ARE BEING TRIED: 

We are still guessing at this point.

REQUIRES TEAM LEADERSHIP SKILLS: 

You will have the responsibilities of a manager, without the pay or respect.

MAJOR TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGH:

It works okay, but looks very hi-tech.

TEST RESULTS WERE EXTREMELY GRATIFYING: 

Unbelievable! It actually worked.

THE ENTIRELY CONCEPT WILL HAVE TO BE ABANDONED: 

The only person who understood the thing quit.

I AM EXTREMELY ADEPT AT ALL MANNER OF OFFICE ORGANIZATION: 

I have used Microsoft Office. 

I TAKE PRIDE IN MY WORK: 

I blame others for my mistakes. 

I AM PERSONABLE: 

I give lots of unsolicited personal advice to co-workers. 

I AM EXTREMELY PROFESSIONAL: 

I carry a Day-Timer. 

I AM ADAPTABLE: 

I have changed jobs a lot. 

I AM ON THE GO: 

I am never at my desk.

I AM HONEST, HARD-WORKING AND DEPENDABLE: 

I pilfer office supplies. 

MY PERTINENT WORK EXPERIENCE INCLUDES: 

I hope you do not ask me about all the McJobs I have had.

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE: 

We have filled the job. Our call for resumes is just a legal formality.