It's definitely unusual to get fired without warning like that, even in the US.  I thought it was fairly unusual to get fired at all, even with notice (except when the company has to do layoffs, or you fail a drug test or something).  Most companies I've worked for would never fire someone just for being too slow (or even for complete incompetence in some cases).

@TheRubyWarlock said:

 And lastly, pay seems to go up/down depending on the business in question - some offer peanuts for work that would cost a lot of money because they're A) cheapskates and B) think they can get someone to work for that amount.

I think it's totally reasonable for companies to pay as little as possible according to what people are willing to work for.  That's what the free market is all about.  I don't see any reason for the companies to pay more than they have to for the same amount and quality of work.  (But in general, companies have to pay well, because if they didn't, no skilled employees would ever stay with them.)

 And for the record, I think most CS graduates at my school could learn the system you described within a month, and it's pretty normal for companies to expect you to learn on your own without formal training.  But if your manager fired you without ever trying to help you or even warning you that you needed to improve, he's definitely not a great manager.

@Random832 said:

I heard about this on the local (well, national but based here) morning talk radio program a few days ago, and I got the impression that it meant that wearing an iPod in a thunderstorm made you more likely to get struck by lightning - is that not the case?

 That's not the case.  Here's a quote from the original NEJM article: "Although the use of a device such as an iPod may not increase the chances of being struck by lightning,³ in this case, the combination of sweat and metal earphones directed the current to, and through, the patient's head. "

 And in case you're really interested, this is the reference they cited: 3. Farragher RM. Injury from lightning strike while using mobile phone: statistics and physics do not suggest a link. BMJ 2006;333:96-96.

I never say "hi" to people unless they talk to me first, mainly because I'm shy.  I guess I don't actively try to avoid eye contact or anything, so maybe it's not the same as people in your office pretending you're not there, but I don't think you should expect everyone to be outgoing enough to say hi to everyone they see.

I would say Peyton Manning, who is definitely alive and kicking.  (I'm from Indiana and a big Colts fan.)

@DevDude said:

Every six months a different person from the agency calls me with opportunities at MS, and every time I tell this different person the same thing; not interested, remove my resume/info from their system, and stop contacting me.

 I'm pretty sure you can sue them for this.  I think if you ask them to remove you from the system, they're legally required to comply.  I don't know if it's worth the trouble since they're only calling you twice a year, but it's an option anyway.

I really don't think about history in my daily life.  I have favorite athletes because I watch sports a lot, but aside from that, I don't really have favorites in any category.

No, I would answer the question honestly, just like you suggested.  My honest answer is that I don't have a favorite historical figure.

Let me guess: two thirds of the candidates picked Einstein and the rest picked Jesus Christ.

 But I agree that it's a bad interview question.  It tells you whether they think about history/politics enough to actually have a favorite historical figure, but aside from that, their answer will tell you nothing that you can legally consider in hiring decisions.  I guess it tells you whether they're comfortable saying, "I don't have one" or they feel like they have to come up with something good for the interview. 

P.S.  My answer is "I don't have one."