Fun and mostly useless facts - part 2

Its trivia time! This time mainly about science and super bowl!

- A lump of pure gold the size of a matchbox can be flattened into a sheet the size of a tennis court.

- Absolutely pure gold is so soft that it can be molded with the hands.

- Ten per cent of the salt mined in the world each year is used to de-ice the roads in America.

- The Chinese were using aluminum to make things as early as 300 AD Western civilization didn't rediscover aluminum until 1827.

- The only rock that floats in water is pumice.

- As of 2006, the cost of a 30-second commercial on average is $2.5 million. The first famous Super Bowl commercial was a 1974 ad for Noxzema featuring Super Bowl legend Joe Namath.

- No network footage exists of Super Bowl I. It was taped over, supposedly for a soap opera.

- Super Bowl Sunday is the second-largest U.S. food consumption day, following Thanksgiving.

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Stock or Bonds in 2011? That’s The Wrong Question

I found this very informative text, so i tought to share it with you. It is written by Charlie Farrell, well known investment advisor.

"If you’re wondering whether you should invest in stocks or bonds in 2011, that’s like wondering if you should breathe air or drink water in 2011. Stocks and bonds are as different as air and water. It’s not one or the other, it’s both, and that seems to be a point that most investors still don’t understand.

I can’t tell you how many articles I’ve read suggesting that investors load up on stocks and dump bonds this year. They approach the stock vs. bond question as if it’s only an issue of which will provide the better return in 2011. That’s not the way to analyze these two options.

First, there’s no proof that any market strategist can consistently predict market returns each year. Yes, ask 1,000 analysts, and someone is bound to be close for the year on stock and bond market returns. But you can’t find one who gets it correct each year. So why would you load up on stocks or bonds based on what one of these strategists thinks? They’re just guessing, and if they’re wrong, which they usually are, then you have to live with the consequences.

Second, on average, stocks should do better than bonds in any given year. Why, because stocks are riskier and investors should be rewarded over the long term for taking on that risk. So predicting stocks should do better than bonds is nothing more than predicting what should happen.

But here’s the problem. Stock returns are not guaranteed. That’s why they’re risky. If stock market returns of 10% were guaranteed, then of course there would be no reason to have bonds; nobody would buy them. The reason prudent investors use high-quality bonds is to hedge against the possibility that stocks might go down in value for periods longer than anticipated.

For bonds, let’s just look at the safest type of bond you can buy, which is a US Treasury bond. If you buy a 10 Year US Treasury bond today, you’re guaranteed to receive about 3.35% interest each year for 10 years and then you get all of your money back. Don’t expect anything more.

Compare that to stocks. If you invest in stocks today, you’re guaranteed return for the next 10 years is what? There isn’t one, and that’s the point. If you load the boat on stocks, you don’t have any idea what your retirement plan will be worth in the future. For individuals, there’s a value in having some portion of your retirement money in guaranteed investments (bonds).

This is especially true as you get closer to retirement. While the odds are in your favor with stocks (as they always are), you don’t get to invest in 1,000 historical cycles and then pick the average cycle for your returns. You get one cycle, and that’s why you should consider always holding some high-quality bonds.

For a sober reminder about stock market returns, consider for the last 10 years the US stock market has gone down in value. Bummer, the odds are that’s not supposed to happen. Then consider that the Japanese stock market has been going down for 20 years. It has gone from about 39,000 to 11,000 over those two decades. Ooops, the odds are that’s really not supposed to happen.
The reason to look at Japan is to understand that major, sophisticated stock markets can decline in price for decades. That’s all you really need to know about the risk.

A healthier way to view the stock vs. bond debate is to think of them like air and water. You need both at the same time, all the time. A balance between stocks and high-quality bonds serves as the fundamental building block for a prudent retirement portfolio.
Now, the bond market is very big and complex. But for individual investors, there are simple ways to invest in safe fixed income securities. You can use either individual US Treasury bonds or FDIC insured CDs. If you start to venture into other areas, like high-yield (meaning junk bonds) or emerging market debt, then you’re introducing bigger risks that you won’t be paid back and thus are defeating the purpose of owning the bonds. If you’re not sure how to invest in safe bonds, then look to get some help.

If I were you, I would ignore the push to abandon bonds or load-up on stocks in any given year, and figure out for yourself what percentage of your money you want guaranteed and what percentage you want to risk in equities. Then stick with that allocation through all market cycles.

Bottom line. Stocks and high-quality bonds aren’t substitute investments. You should consider having some of your money in each asset class every year."

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Want To Become A Stockbroker?

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Financial Calculator
• Wall Street Journal
• Men's Suits
• Paper And Pencils
• Brokerage Accounts

1. • 1
     Begin to prepare for your career in high school by taking courses in math, economics and business. And with even a small starting sum, you can manage your own stock portfolio (in a parent's name if you are under 18) to learn about different investments and their return.
   • 2
     Join an investment club, which compares different investment opportunities, analyzes results and jointly invests its funds.
   • 3
     Go to college. Most brokers are college graduates with a degree in finance, economics or business.
   • 4
     Pass the General Securities Registered Representative Examination (Series 7 exam), administered by the National Association of Securities Dealers. Most states also require the Uniform Securities Agents State Law Examination (Series 63 exam) and the Uniform Investment Advisor Law Exam (Series 65 exam).
   • 5
     Take advantage of on-the-job training, offered by most brokerage firms, to prepare for the above exams, a process that takes four to six months. Upon passing the required exams, a broker becomes a registered representative of his or her sponsoring firm.
   • 6
     Expect a competitive work environment after being hired. Firms often hire a plethora of recent college graduates with the expectation that a large percentage will 'wash out' during the grueling early months of training and building a clientèle.
   • 7
     Emphasize your studies and work experience (if any) in finance, economics and/or business when writing your resumé. A professional, aggressive image is crucial at the interview, where prospective employers will be evaluating your tenacity along with your business savvy.

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How To Hide Folders On Your Computer

Hello people,
today we are going to see how you can hide your folders from curious eyes.

STEP 1
First, right click on a folder (or icon) and select "Properties".
Then check in the "Hidden" checkbox.
Click "Apply".

STEP 2
Click "Organize" and then click "Folder and Search Options"

STEP 3
Click on the "View" card and then check "Do not show hidden files and folders". Then, click "Apply".

You are done! To unhide the folder, just reverse the procedure!
NOTE: This is for VISTA, i presume that is more-less the same for WIN 7.

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Difference between Stocks and Bonds

 Today, in this post, we are going to see the difference between stocks and bonds.

We all know that the problem is not the money but how to spend it. In an investor's case, the problem is how to invest it. For the new investor, watching going through an investment newsletter can be a daunting task. Trying to figure out the difference between stocks and bonds from all the financial jargon can be a headache.Stocks in their simplest form represent part ownership in a company. For example if you own 10 shares in a company that has 100 shares, you will own 10% of the company. If the company is doing well, so are you. If it is doing poorly, so are you. Companies have realized that it is cheaper to raise funds for their activities by offering part ownership in their companies.
Bonds on the other hand are a loan that you give to a company. The company or government will pay you interest for using your money for their activities. For example, if you bought a bond for 100 pounds with an interest rate of 5% over 5 years. The company owes you the interest plus the 100 pounds.
A company must pay back any funds that accrue to a bondholder. However, the shareholder (owner of stock), does not have to be paid anything. The shareholder is taking a risk that the company will do well and even in bad times, he will continue holding the stock in the hope that things will get better. The bondholder on the other hand does not care about the bad or good times in a company; he only wants his investment paid back plus the interest.
When deciding whether to invest in shares in a company or bonds, you should note that bond returns are fixed while the returns on shares can fluctuate and are not guaranteed. You should also note that in case a company winds down or is bankrupt, the bondholders are paid first and the shareholders last.
A good investment portfolio contains both stocks and bonds. If you are investor only interested in short term returns, then you should have more bonds than stocks in your investment portfolio. Bonds will provide you with a consistent income and in cases of market fluctuations, they offer a great cushion.
However, if you are planning on investing your funds for longer than 10 years, then your investment portfolio should have more stocks as companies will tend to increase in value in the long term.
As a rule of thumb, the younger you are, the more you should invest in stocks than bonds in your investment portfolio. Most investment managers recommend 70% stocks and 30% in bonds for anyone under 30 years. The older you get, the lower the percentage of stocks you should hold, as you are more interested in income than growth in your portfolio. Discuss these issues with your investment advisor and you are likely to do very well in the stock market.

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The History Of Computers

"Who invented the computer?" is not a question with a simple answer. The real answer is that many inventors contributed to the history of computers and that a computer is a complex piece of machinery made up of many parts, each of which can be considered a separate invention.

Prehistoric man did not have the Internet, but it appears that he needed a way to count and make calculations. The limitations of the human body’s ten fingers and ten toes apparently caused early man to construct a tool to help with those calculations. Scientists now know that humankind invented an early form of computers. Their clue was a bone carved with prime numbers found in 8,500 BC.

The abacus was the next leap forward in computing between 1000 BC and 500 BD. This apparatus used a series of moveable beads or rocks. The positions changed to enter a number and again to perform mathematical operations. Leonardo DaVinci was credited with the invention of the world’s first mechanical calculator in 1500. In 1642, Blaise Pascal’s adding machine upstaged DaVinci’s marvel and moved computing forward again.

In 19^th century England, Charles Babbage, a mathematician, proposed the construction of a machine that he called the Babbage Difference Engine. It would not only calculate numbers, it would also be capable of printing mathematical tables. The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA (near San Diego) built a working replica from the original drawings. Visitors can see in the device in operation there. Unable to construct the actual device, he earned quite a few detractors among England’s literate citizens. However, Babbage made a place for himself in history as the father of computing. Not satisfied with the machines limitations, he drafted plans for the Babbage Analytical Engine. He intended for this computing device to use punch cards as the control mechanism for calculations. This feature would make it possible for his computer to use previously performed calculations in new ones.

Babbage’s idea caught the attention of Ada Byron Lovelace who had an undying passion for math. She also saw possibilities that the Analytical Machine could produce graphics and music. She helped Babbage move his project from idea to reality by documenting how the device would calculate Bernoulli numbers. She later received recognition for writing the world’s first computer program. The United States Department of Defense named a computer language in her honor in 1979.

The computers that followed built on each previous success and improved it. In 1943, the first programmable computer Turing COLOSSUS appeared. It was pressed into service to decipher World War II coded messages from Germany. ENIAC, the brain, was the first electronic computer, in 1946. In 1951, the U.S. Census Bureau became the first government agency to buy a computer, UNIVAC .

The Apple expanded the use of computers to consumers in 1977. The IBM PC for consumers followed closely in 1981, although IBM mainframes were in use by government and corporations.

• 8,500 BC Bone carved with prime numbers found
• 1000 BC to 500 BC Abacus invented
• 1642 Blaise Pascal’s invented adding machine, France
• 1822 Charles Babbage drafted Babbage Difference Engine, England
• 1835 Babbage Analytical Engine proposed, England
• 1843 Ada Byron Lovelace computer program to calculate Bernoulli numbers, England
• 1943 Turing COLOSSUS the first programmable computer, England
• 1946 ENIAC first electronic computer, U.S.A.
• 1951 UNIVAC first computer used by U.S. government, U.S.A.
• 1969 ARPANET Department of Defense lays groundwork for Internet, U.S.A.
• 1968 Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce found in Intel, U.S.A.
• 1977 Apple computers for consumers sold, U.S.A.
• 1981 IBM personal computers sold, U.S.A.
• 1991 World Wide Web consumer Internet access, CERN, Tim Berners-Lee Switzerland/France
• 2000 Y 2K Bug programming errors discovered
• Current Technologies include word processing, games, email, maps, and streaming

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Fun and mostly useless facts - part 1

Here is some trivia i found:


- Male hospital patients fall out of bed twice as often as female hospital patients.

- The first toilet being flushed in a motion picture was in the movie Psycho.

- The average person walks the equivalent of twice around the world in a lifetime

- You can start a fire with ice.

- The word 'News' is actually an acronym standing for the 4 cardinal compass points - North, East, West, and South! 

	- When glass breaks, the cracks move faster than 3,000 miles per hour.

	- When young and impoverished, Pablo Picasso kept warm by burning his own paintings.

	- The Muppet Show was banned from Saudi Arabian TV becuase one if its stars was a pig.

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