I am writing this letter to express my gratitude for considering me for the position of Senior Supervisor at ITC Corporation. I have always wanted to work for your company, as it has acquired a great reputation in the industry, especially in recent years. I have also been deeply impressed by your warmth and patience in reviewing and processing my application. However, I recently accepted a position with another company. This was a very difficult decision for me to make. I deeply appreciate that you took the time to process my application and interview me. I sincerely hope we have a chance to form a working relationship in the coming years. Again, thank you for your consideration, and I wish you the best of luck in the future.

Archimedes was a Greek mathematician who lived in Syracuse in the third century B.C. The city was turned over to the Roman troops. While he was working out a problem with a diagram, suddenly a Roman soldier who did not know who he was approached him. Unfortunately, he never noticed the Roman soldier, nor even that the city was taken. The soldier commanded him to leave his home. But Archimedes declined to do so before he had worked out his problem, saying Do not disturb my circles! The soldier thought the mathematical instruments in the room were valuable items, so he drew his sword and put him to death. Roman General Marcellus was reportedly angered by the death of Archimedes, as he considered him a valuable scientific asset and had ordered that he not be harmed.

Why do zebras have black and white stripes? Camouflage is the obvious answer, but where is a black and white forest or jungle found? Tigers' stripes help them blend in with tall grasses, but zebras are really conspicuous. What was the point of Mother Nature painting these elegant creatures in black and white? The animals which prey on zebras are busiest during the cool hours of sunrise and sunset. It turns out that the black and white stripes show up as grey from a distance, which helps the zebras blend with the low light. And the other reason, which is very cool, is that if a zebra herd gets attacked, the wildly moving jagged stripes of the whole herd of zebras confuse the predator. Then, do zebra stripes confuse zebras as much as they confuse lions? Oddly enough, while making zebras indistinguishable to other animals, zebra stripes actually make it easier for zebras to recognize one another.

Greg Marshall works as a marine biologist for National Geographic. In 1986, he invented the Crittercam which is a small video camera that is fitted onto a wild animal. The animal eventually gets accustomed to carrying around the camera. How did he come up with the idea? Greg said he got the idea when he saw a remora fish hitching a ride on a shark. The remoras get a free ride through the water from the host animal. Greg Marshall said he thought it would be interesting to see the shark's life through the eyes of the remora. In that moment he realized that he could attach a video camera to a shark or other animals. According to Greg, learning more about animals with Crittercams helps people understand, and want to protect animals and their habitats.

A laugh track is a separate soundtrack with the artificial sound of audience laughter, made to be inserted into TV comedy shows and sitcoms. Historically, live audiences could not be relied upon to laugh at the correct moment. Other times, the audience could laugh too long or too loud, sounding unnatural and forced or throwing off the performers' rhythms. Charley Douglass, a sound engineer, noticed this and started to play recorded laughing sounds at the funniest moments in the shows he was working on. His editing technique became known as sweetening, in which pre-recorded laughter is used to support the response of the real studio audience if they did not react as strongly as desired.

Remember in the old days the difference between a woman's bikes and man's was the top bar position? Women's bikes were designed so they could ride them in a dress and did not have to struggle to throw their leg over a top bar! Well, things have changed over the years, yet we still have a long way to go. Why is it so hard to find a bike suitable for a woman? If you have not noticed yet, most bikes are built to fit the average man. The average size of a woman is smaller, and women usually have smaller hands and feet. Maybe they find it frustrating that they cannot squeeze the brakes easily because their hand span is not large enough. The bike makers are still behind the times. I suggest they take a step in the right direction.

Many arguments have been advanced to justify a monolinguistic approach to international business. For example, it has been suggested that Western businesspeople can avoid the time and energy needed to learn another language by hiring in-country nationals who are well grounded in the local language and culture. Despite this and other arguments, the simple fact remains that a fundamental precondition of any successful international business enterprise is effective communication. Whether dealing with international sales or management, the businessperson who must rely on translators is at a marked disadvantage. International business, like any business, must be grounded in trust and mutual respect. What better way to gain that trust and respect than by taking the time and energy to learn someone else's language?

Smudge pots and heaters are two ways of fighting frost. But now there is a new way. As odd as it sounds, growers use ice to fight freezing! Some spray their crops with water on a frosty night. The water freezes quickly, and then a strange thing happens. As long as ice stays wet, it can not get colder than 0℃. Trees and oranges can stand this temperature. If the ice ever became entirely frozen and dry, it might drop many degrees and ruin the crop. The trick is to sprinkle water on the ice contiually. That keeps the temperature from going below 0℃ even if the air is much colder. Jack Frost may be disappointed, but the oranges and trees are saved.

New research into deafness has revealed that the parts of the brain usually used for hearing do not go unused just because a person cannot hear. Instead, those parts of the brain are put to use in other ways. Researchers from Canada developed the theory that the brain compensates for absent senses with enhancement, and then tested it out on deaf cats. They discovered that the area of the brain usually used for peripheral hearing was instead used to improve peripheral vision. The tests included flashing lights at the very edge of the cats' normal vision. They discovered that the part of the deaf cats' brain that allowed them to detect the lights was the same part that allowed them to detect peripheral sounds. The brain is very efficient and doesn't let space go to waste, said Dr. Stephen Lomber, who led the research project.

Developmental psychologists have found that infants feel sympathetic distress even before they fully realize that they exist apart from other people. Even a few months after birth, infants react to a disturbance in those around them as though it were their own, crying when they see another child's tears. By one year or so, they start to realize the misery is not their own but someone else's, though they still seem confused over what to do about it. In research by Martin L. Hoffman, for example, a one-year-old brought his own mother over to comfort a crying friend, ignoring the friend's mother, who was also in the room. This confusion is also seen when one-year-olds imitate the pain of someone else, possibly to better comprehend what they are feeling. For example, if another baby hurts her fingers, a one-year-old might put her own fingers in her mouth to see if she hurts, too.

Do you ever wonder why customers leave retail stores empty-handed? It may have something to do with the design of the space. If we consider how people shop, it may tell us something about how retail environments need to be designed to maximize sales. Each customer has an area of personal space. This is an area that, when invaded, causes customers to feel uncomfortable. Personal space translated into a retail environment suggests that when shoppers are bumped or pushed while looking at merchandise, they may become uncomfortable, lose interest, and leave the area. Irritated shoppers do not continue shopping; in fact, they frequently leave before buying what they came for. Creating maneuvering room for customers eliminates or greatly reduces this problem. Providing more maneuvering room for customers increases the probability of purchase.

Experts in education recommend that teachers withhold their personal opinions in classroom discussions. The position of the teacher carries with it an authority that might influence some students to accept the teacher's opinion without question ― thus missing the point of the activity. There also is a danger that the discussion could develop into an indoctrination of a particular value position rather than an exploration of several positions. If your students ask what you think, respond with My personal opinion is not important here. We want to consider your views. Make sure you consider alternative points of view, so that your students are able to define the relevant arguments and counter arguments. Allow students to freely express their own perspectives.

Mother bent down with a calm, protective look and adjusted my blanket so that it covered my head. Then we walked into the street as the door slammed behind us. A false dawn lit the southeastern sky, coloring Mother's cheeks and painting the walls of buildings on our side of the street a fiery red. Through the openings of blasted windows we could see orange and yellow flames dancing beside pianos, making bonfires of bookcases, and curling around bedposts. A torrent of hot wind coursed down Hasselbrook Stresse, bending trees almost double, stripping off branches and leaves, and tugging at our blankets. Although anti-aircraft guns banged away and searchlights still probed the sky, the bombing seemed to have diminished. Along the street, a gusher of water rose more than three feet above the pavement.

During the Renaissance, many people in Europe were becoming prosperous. Nobles and church leaders, who were already members of the wealthiest classes, expanded their fortunes. Newly rich merchants also found themselves with money to spend. Large sums of money were spent on delicacies such as caviar, lavish clothing and jewelry, and elegant estates. Members of the wealthy classes also used their newly increased wealth to support the arts, leading to the achievements for which the Renaissance is best known. Not everyone became wealthy, however. In fact, many members of the peasant class became even poorer than they were before. As the upper class became more affluent, prices went up and the lower class found it difficult to buy even the necessities. While some were enjoying their upgraded lifestyle, the peasants still found it difficult to obtain basic necessities like food and housing.

A study uncovered something fascinating about people at a racetrack: Just after placing a bet, they are much more confident of their horse's chances of winning than they are immediately before laying down that bet. Of course, nothing about the horse's chances actually shifts; it's the same horse, on the same track, in the same field; but in the minds of those bettors, its prospects for success improve significantly once that ticket is purchased. The reason for the dramatic change has to do with our nearly obsessive desire to be and to appear consistent with what we have already done. Once we have made a choice or taken a stand, we will encounter personal and interpersonal pressures to behave according to that commitment. Those pressures will cause us to respond in ways that make us justify our earlier decision.

The Roman Empire began when Rome discovered it could increase its energy supply by conquering its neighbors and commandeering their grain production and labor in the form of slavery to sustain its own needs. At first, the system worked smoothly and Rome became wealthy. However, with each new conquest came a greater need for complexity ― a bigger civil service to run the empire, a bigger army to defend it, more education, public works, and social benefits for citizens. All of these required financing, either by taxes or by debasing the currency. Taxes eventually grew so high that many landowners abandoned their farms, causing food production to fall. In time, the costs of conquering new territories exceeded the rewards. Consequently, even defending the existing territory against barbarian invaders became too expensive, and Rome, the predator, became the prey.

Book enthusiasts and book collectors are fascinated with the number one ― they are interested in obtaining the first edition of a book. An edition of a book is a printing of the book made from a single set of printing plates. It doesn't make any difference how many print runs are made, even if they are separated by months or perhaps even years. If nothing has changed in the book or its design between printings, all the books are still considered first editions even if the book is from the seventh printing. However, if the book contents, font, illustrations or dust jacket artwork change in a subsequent printing, the new printing is generally considered to be a new edition of the book as well.

Cuteness, like beauty, has a universal appeal. There are few who can resist the charm of a pudgy baby or a child with chubby cheeks. Large heads, tiny features and huge eyes seem to have a surprising power over us. Konrad Lorenz, an Austrian ethnologist, looked into the science of cuteness in the 1940s. He compiled a list of the esthetic and behavioral characteristics we are particularly attracted to, and found that we are drawn to relatively large heads, large and low-lying eyes, bulging cheeks, short and thin arms and legs, springy elastic skin, and clumsy movement. Typically, these are the attributes of a child. Lorenz noted that childish characteristics trigger a parental instinct. Cute things make us feel warm and exhilarated and we want to look after them. They awaken affection and feelings of nurturing, making us want to take care of them.

The southern tamanduas have a lengthened snout and are covered by creamy yellow-brown fur. These mammals have four sharply clawed fingers on their front limbs and five toes on their back limbs. Tamanduas grow to lengths of 21 to 35 inches, with tails of up to 16 inches. They generally weigh between 7 and 19 pounds. Their main defense is their sharp claws. During the day they are surrounded by lots of flies and mosquitoes and are often seen wiping these insects from their eyes. Tamanduas search for food on the ground and also are skilled climbers, enabling them to feed on insects they encounter up in the trees. Their diet consists of ants, termites, and bees. They use their strong front limbs to tear apart insect nests and then scoop up insects with their long rounded tongues.

Kefir, originated in the Northern Caucasus Mountains centuries ago, is a cultured, enzyme-rich food containing beneficial micro-organisms for your inner ecosystem. More nutritious and therapeutic than yogurt, it supplies protein, essential minerals, and valuable B vitamins. It goes through a fermentation process, which only takes about 24 hours at room temperature. The result is a creamy, slightly sour, refreshing milky beverage that is filled with these friendly bacteria. Through fermentation, these bacteria along with yeast consume most of the lactose or milk sugar. It is not only simple and inexpensive to make at home, but can also be made into a delicious smoothie that kids love. Eat kefir on an empty stomach first thing in the morning before breakfast and you will be delighted to find it can be easily digested.

The bar graph above shows the sales trend of three video games by quarter in 2008. Not all games reported sales increases from the first quarter to the second quarter. The superhero game showed a steady decrease in sales all the way to the third quarter, in which its quarterly sales were the lowest. From the third quarter, the football game, which had the lowest sales in the second quarter, overtook the superhero game in sales for the first time. The adventure game showed the highest sales in all quarters except for the first quarter, at which time it sold only thirty thousand copies. During the last two quarters, the sales rank of the three games did not change, with the adventure game maintaining its position as the company's top selling game.

Confirmation bias refers to a type of selective thinking whereby one tends to notice and to look for what confirms one's beliefs, and to ignore or undervalue the relevance of what contradicts one's belief. For example, if you believe that during a full moon there is an increase in admissions to the emergency room where you work, you will take notice of admissions during a full moon. However, you will be inattentive to the moon when admissions occur during other nights of the month. A tendency to do this over time unjustifiably strengthens your belief in the relationship between the full moon and accidents, as well as other lunar effects. This tendency to give more attention and weight to data that support our beliefs than we do to contrary data is especially dangerous when our beliefs are little more than prejudices.

Do you ever find yourself getting more and more angry and frustrated while trying to explain what is bothering you? In such circumstances, you may end up raising your voice or becoming verbally or even physically abusive. One of the most effective ways of using assertive communication is by using a technique known as the Compliment Sandwich. The meat of the sandwich, your complaint, is surrounded by two pieces of bread, compliments. In order to minimize defensiveness, you would begin with a compliment, the first piece of bread, then present the main message that you are trying to communicate, the meat, and then finish with another compliment, the second piece of bread. By opening and closing with positive feedback, a friendly tone is set and an important message is able to be conveyed without putting the other person on the defensive.

Something amazing happened in 1859. It occurred in a field near Lancaster, England. A thousand farmers left their oxen at home to watch Guy Fawkes's great "field locomotive." Fawkes sat at the controls, gave two toots, and started the engine. The device, which looked like a smokestack on wheels, began to move. Ridicule turned to awe. Rapidly the machine gained speed. Soon the coal-fired steam locomotive was racing across the field faster than man could walk. And the farmers saw that it was pulling not a single "bottom," as plowmen call their plows, but eight. Farmers could not believe their eyes. Fawkes plowed an acre in 12 minutes flat. Even today, Fawkes's feat is amazing. Even now, with a modern tractor, a farmer allows about two-and-a-half hours for plowing an acre.

Even among bird species that do not commonly use objects as tools, occasional creative individuals do. In the mid-1970s Steward Janes, climbing some rocky cliffs in the northwestern United States to inspect raven nestlings, was bombed with small rocks dropped by one of the disturbed parents. H. B. Lovell reported the remarkable sighting of a green heron that dropped pieces of bread onto a surface of water and then caught fish that had been lured to the floating bread. The bird carried the bread from some considerable distance and dropped it in that particular spot, where the fish were; when the bread drifted away from the spot, the bird picked it up and brought it back. Bird scientist Greg Roberts described that a black kite he was observing dropped bread onto the flowing surface of a river, then flew above the bread and swooped down after crayfish began to probe the floating lure.

Some people give up as soon as an obstacle is placed in front of them. Some people doggedly continue to pursue a goal even after years of frustration and failure. What is the main difference between these people? It is not ability. It is actually their sense of control. Those who feel they are not responsible for choosing their goals and pursuing them tend to believe that results are arbitrary. To them, it does not matter how hard you try, being successful is like winning the lottery. With this attitude, it hardly makes sense to work hard or be dedicated to a goal. Those who persevere, conversely, recognize that they are ultimately responsible, not just for pursuing their goals, but for setting them. When you are in control, what you do matters, and giving up will not seem very attractive.

Thai people enjoy the biggest water fight ever! April is the hottest time of the year in Thailand. During the three-day celebration, everyone dresses for the dousing they are likely to experience. This is not the time to carry cameras or other electronic equipment, or to wear designer, dry-clean-only clothing. Even train passengers are not safe, as something wet may fly into the train at any time. It's quite possible for a water balloon to come hurtling through an open window at one of the train passengers. The streets are lined with people carrying buckets of water to throw on the unprepared. Others prefer to spray passersby with hoses because it provides a continuous flow of water, which makes it easier for them to target people on bicycles and motorcycles. Those enthusiasts along the streets had better be on guard, however, because pick-up trucks filled with laughing splashers cruise the streets looking for victims to soak before making a quick getaway.

Self-handicapping is described as an action or choice which prevents a person from being responsible for failure. This behaviour allows individuals to externalize failures but internalize success. Self-handicapping can be seen as a method of preserving self-esteem, but it can also be used for self-enhancement. An example of self-handicapping is the student who spends the night before an important exam partying rather than studying. The student fears failing their exam and appearing incapable. In partying the night before their exam, the student has engaged in self-defeating behaviour and increased the likelihood of poor exam performance. However, in the event of failure, the student can offer fatigue and a headache, rather than lack of ability, as plausible explanations. Furthermore, should the student receive positive feedback about their exam, their achievement is enhanced by the fact that they succeeded, despite the handicap.

America's new lean times have resurrected some age-old practices. The most intriguing revival is that of the barter economy. In the face of tight cash and vanishing credit, Americans are embracing the modern equivalent of trading my chicken for your shiny beads. In 2008, then-15-year-old Steven Ortiz offered his outdated mobile phone on a bartering website. Managing to always trade for something better, he eventually ended up with, among other trades, a laptop, then a golf cart, then a dirt bike, then a series of cars. In summer 2010, after two years of incessant trading on the website, Ortiz finally turned that original worn-out phone into a luxury used car. Beyond the savings aspect, bartering's fans promote it as a way to protect the environment. On another bartering website, a display counter at the top of the home page prominently boasts that its 1.8 million exchanges of books, video games and movies have supposedly reduced the earth's carbon footprint by 10.2 million pounds, mainly because no new goods had to be produced. Indeed, bartering seems like a natural evolution of the recent movement toward new and innovative forms of multiparty sharing, whether it is an office, a garden plot, a car, a bike, luxury hand bags or even private planes. Driven by similar green thrifty sensibilities―after all, one man's junk is another's treasure―bartering makes this sort of sharing even easier, without the continuous overhead of renting.

After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner. She said, I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you. The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my mother, who had been a widow for 19 years. That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner. She thought about it for a moment, and then said, I would like that very much. That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel's. I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed. she said. After we sat down at a restaurant, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large letters. Half way through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw her sitting there staring at me. It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small, she said. Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor, I responded. During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation. As we arrived at her house later, she said, I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you. I agreed. A few days later, she died of a heart attack. After the funeral, my wife and I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt. She read the attached note to me out loud. It said: I paid this bill in advance. I wasn't sure that I could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two plates ― one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant to me. I love you, son. At that moment, we understood the importance of saying in time: I LOVE YOU.