Chistmas Holidays

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Video 2
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On New Year's Eve
Christmas Songs
A Christmas Carol

The phone booth game

Phone Booth with Hugh Jackman and Shaquille O'Neal 

Phone Booth with Miley Cyrus

Phone Booth with Kevin Spacey

Have you got a weird secret?

  Hashtags: #MyWeirdSecret

THE GHOST OF HAMPTON COURT PALACE

'Ghost' caught on palace camera

Security guards spotted a figure in period dress Security film at Hampton Court Palace has captured a ghostly image. CCTV cameras picked up the vision at the 16th Century Surrey palace, which has a reputation for being haunted. Security guards spotted that fire doors kept opening in an exhibition area, and on one occasion checked the footage and saw a figure in period dress. "I thought someone was having a laugh but our costumed guides don't own a costume like that. It is actually quite unnerving," said warder James Faukes. "It was incredibly spooky because the face just didn't look human," he said. State apartment warder Ian Franklin added: "Someone who appears to be in a full cloak walks forward, brings one door in, another door in and then closes it behind them. Hampton Court has seen many dramatic royal events "It is really difficult to come up with a rational explanation for it." Even before the security film was checked a visitor had noted in the palace's visitor book that she thought she had seen a ghost in that area The palace, a home of King Henry VIII, has seen many dramatic royal events, from the death of Henry's third wife, Jane Seymour, to the condemnation and house arrest of his fifth, Catherine Howard, for adultery. Staff, visitors, workmen and residents have reported seeing Catherine's ghost and heard her uttering terrible cries in an area of the palace called the Haunted Gallery.

 You can see the images of the ghost here:
   

JOKES

Riddles

- Everyone in the world needs it. They generously give it. But never take it. Then what is it?

- Four children and their pet dog were walking under a small umbrella. But none of them became wet. How?

- It is your possession and belongs to you. However, you use it very rarely. What is that?

- I will come one time in a minute, two times in a moment, but will never come in thousand years. Tell who am I?

- There is a kind of fish that can never swim. What is that?

- You always make a more of them, but leave more of them behind you. The more you do, the more you leave behind. Tell what is it?

- Which moves faster? Heat or Cold?

Check your answers here

What Am I?

- You can break me easily without even touching me or seeing me. What am I? 


- Many times you need me. The more and more you take me further, the more and more you leave me behind. What am I? 


- I was born big, but as the day passes, as I get older, I become small. What am I? 
 

- You will throw me away when you want to use me. You will take me in when you don’t want to use me. What am I? 

- I will always come, never arrive today. What am I? 


- I go around all the places, cities, towns and villages, but never come inside. What am I? 
 

- I’m full of keys, but I can’t open any door. What am I? 
 

- If you give me water, I will die. What am I? 


- I have rivers, but don’t have water. I have dense forests, but no trees and animals. I have cities, but no people live in those cities. What am I? 
 

- I don’t speak, can’t hear or speak anything, but I will always tell the truth. What am I? 


- People buy me to eat, but never eat me. What am I? 
 

- I don’t have wings, but I can fly. I don’t have eyes, but I will cry! What am I? 


- I have no life, but I can die, what am I?


- I have no legs. I will never walk, but always run. What am I? 


- I’m the end of the colourful rainbow. What am I? 

- I never ask questions, but always answered. What am I? 
 

- I have lot of memories, but I own nothing. What am I? 
 

- When the water comes down, i.e when it rains, I go up. What am I? 

Check your answers here

Saint Patrick’s Day

About Saint Patrick

Saint Patrick is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. St Patrick is credited with bringing christianity to Ireland. Most of what is known about him comes from his two works; the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Epistola, a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish christians.

According to different versions of his life story it is said that he was born in Britain, around 385AD. His parents Calpurnius and Conchessa were Roman citizens living in either Scotland or Wales. As a boy of 14 he was captured and taken to Ireland where he spent six years in slavery herding sheep. He returned to Ireland in his 30s as a missionary among the Celtic pagans.

Saint Patrick described himself as a “most humble-minded man, pouring forth a continuous paean of thanks to his Maker for having chosen him as the instrument whereby multitudes who had worshipped idols and unclean things had become the people of God.”

Many folk ask the question ‘Why is the Shamrock the National Flower of Ireland ?’ The reason is that St. Patrick used it to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagans. Saint Patrick is believed to have been born in the late fourth century, and is often confused with Palladius, a bishop who was sent by Pope Celestine in 431 to be the first bishop to the Irish believers in Christ.

In the custom known as “drowning the shamrock”, the shamrock that has been worn on a lapel or hat is put in the last drink of the evening.

Saint Patrick is most known for driving the snakes from Ireland. It is true there are no snakes in Ireland, but there probably never have been – the island was separated from the rest of the continent at the end of the Ice Age. As in many old pagan religions, serpent symbols were common and often worshipped. Driving the snakes from Ireland was probably symbolic of putting an end to that pagan practice. While not the first to bring christianity to Ireland, it is Patrick who is said to have encountered the Druids at Tara and abolished their pagan rites. The story holds that he converted the warrior chiefs and princes, baptizing them and thousands of their subjects in the “Holy Wells” that still bear this name.

There are several accounts of Saint Patrick’s death. One says that Patrick died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, on March 17, 460 A.D. His jawbone was preserved in a silver shrine and was often requested in times of childbirth, epileptic fits, and as a preservative against the “evil eye.” Another account says that St. Patrick ended his days at Glastonbury, England and was buried there. The Chapel of St. Patrick still exists as part of Glastonbury Abbey. Today, many Catholic places of worship all around the world are named after St. Patrick, including cathedrals in New York and Dublin city

A toast for St Patrick’s Day, “May the roof above us never fall in, and may we friends beneath it never fall out.”

Saint Patrick’s Day

Saint Patrick’s Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck. Most importantly, to those who celebrate its intended meaning, St. Patrick’s Day is a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide.

Why is it celebrated on March 17th? One theory is that that is the day that St. Patrick died. Since the holiday began in Ireland, it is believed that as the Irish spread out around the world, they took with them their history and celebrations. The biggest observance of all is, of course, in Ireland. With the exception of restaurants and pubs, almost all businesses close on March 17th. Being a religious holiday as well, many Irish attend mass, where March 17th is the traditional day for offering prayers for missionaries worldwide before the serious celebrating begins.

In American cities with a large Irish population, St. Patrick’s Day is a very big deal. Big cities and small towns alike celebrate with parades, “wearing of the green,” music and songs, Irish food and drink, and activities for kids such as crafts, coloring and games. Some communities even go so far as to dye rivers or streams green!

History of Sant Patrick's Day
Sant Patrick's Day Cartoon

Extreme Job Interview

Are you a team player? Do you pride yourself on your creativity and your ability to work well under pressure? Today's hiring managers are not content with simply taking job seekers at their word about these desirable job skills. Instead, when seeking top talent, they want to see it to believe it.

As a result, some of the most successful companies in the U.S. are changing up the traditional interview process by asking seemingly random questions to better determine a candidate's problem-solving skills. For example, a candidate at Google, Inc. was asked, “How many people are using Facebook in San Francisco at 2:30 p.m. on a Friday?” And at Hewlett-Packard Co., another was asked, “If Germans were the tallest people in the world, how would you prove it?”

Other companies have taken a global approach:
    “How would you cure world hunger?” (Amazon.com Inc.)
    “How many different ways can you get water from a lake at the foot of a mountain, up to the top of the mountain?” (Walt Disney Co.)


For candidates, these types of questions take them out of their comfort zone, forcing them to think on their feet. For employers, these same questions provide valuable insights about how the candidates approach difficult situations or, more importantly, whether they can remain positive and proactive in the face of a challenge. It's from these kinds of characteristics—gleaned from a conversation between the interviewer and the candidate rather than a one-dimensional résumé that lists skills and experience—that employers can gain important insights to help them make a hiring decision.

With this increasing trend, more companies are adopting the practice of asking interview questions beyond the standard “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” and even going to the extent of testing more extreme hiring practices. Some creative firms might invite two candidates to dinner to see how they interact in a competitive setting. Other companies might conduct a “hands-on” interview at their corporate headquarters to see if a candidate can dive in to existing projects and fit in quickly to the corporate culture. Companies are looking to find better candidates, hire them and hold onto them as long-term corporate investments.

By Suki Shah
CEO, Get Hired  

Videos:

Job Interview at Heineken

Body Language that Gets the Job

NEW ZEALAND

Interesting Facts About New Zealand

-  New Zealand is one of the world’s least populated countries.

-  New Zealanders love their cars! 2.5 million cars for 4 million people (including the kids) makes New   Zealand’s car ownership rate one of the highest in the world.

-  In 1893, New Zealand became the first country to give women the right to vote.

-  Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to climb Mount Everest in 1953, was a New Zealander.

-  Baron Ernest Rutherford, the first person in the world to split the atom in 1919, was also a New Zealander.

-  New Zealand has won more Olympic gold medals per capita, than any other country.

-  New Zealand is thehome to the world’s only flightless parrot, the Kakapo.

-  There are no snakes in New Zealand.

-  There aren't nuclear power stations in New Zealand.

-  The world’s first commercial bungee jump was a 43 metre leap off the Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown in 1988.

-  The longest place name in the world is Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu, a hill in Hawkes Bay.

-  New Zealand is home to the world’s smallest dolphin species.

-  New Zealand has three official languages: English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.

-  There is a giant carnivorous snail living in the South Island

Amazing Facts You Don’t Want To Know About

What kills more people, sharks or toasters?
How many bugs do you eat each year?
What happens to your mattress after 10 years of use?

Watch this video for some amazing facts you probably don’t want to know about!

Click Here to watch the video

Avoiding the Post-Holiday Crash

If you’ve just got back from holidays and can’t settle into work again, you’re probably suffering from a case of the holiday blues. If it goes on for a few days, you may even have Post Holiday Syndrome!


All the presents have been opened, the New Year’s resolutions have been made, and many are in the process of settling back into the daily grind of a work routine.

So much energy and anticipation is involved in the holidays that it is not unusual to experience a small letdown after the celebrations are over. There are ways, however, to move into the new year with a clear conscious and a fresh outlook. With that in mind, here are a few of my favorite remedies for beating the post-holiday blues.

    Give yourself time to relax and recuperate. Sometimes it can be helpful to set aside time during the day that is devoted to nothing but your own mental health. Taking a short walk, spending a few minutes reflecting on positive memories, or simply closing your eyes and collecting your thoughts are all activities that can facilitate a sense of calm and peacefulness.

    Take time to reflect on and review the holidays. As mentioned before, the holidays can often be a blur, so taking a few moments to review what you are truly thankful for can be a helpful way of gaining some closure on the past year and moving on to a new one.

    Don’t dwell on what went wrong during the holidays. No holiday season will be flawless, and if you are expecting perfection, chances are you will be disappointed. I encourage people to try to take things like a lopsided Christmas tree, a burned turkey or a dropped plate full of food in stride and realize that these are the memories that will probably stick with us, whether we like it or not. So, oftentimes our best option is to try to practice resilience and flexibility and make the most out of whatever situation has occurred while moving forward.


    Try to get back on a regular schedule. So often during the holidays we change what we eat, how much we sleep, and our regular daily schedule. Getting back into a normal routine can be comforting and help to ease some of the tension and uncertainty that comes from the hustle and bustle of the holidays
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If you make a New Year’s resolution, don’t worry too much if you have a setback. Most people fail to keep up with New Year’s resolutions. If there are things you would like to change about your day-to-day life, remember that these will take time. It is acceptable to go slow and start small. Lifestyle changes are major adjustments, and taking a long-term view on implementing these choices can help relieve some of the pressure we often place on ourselves to make changes too quickly.


                                                                 
                                                                                                 Dr. James, "Your Mind, Your Body"