10/29/00: A Geek, Life in Perspective

Hi,

This past weekend I watched an award winning from China called "King of
Masks" (Bian Lian). I highly recommend it. It's about an old street
actor's relationship with his adopted grandchild.

I just bought my plane ticket back to NYC for Christmas and New Year. I'll
be in NYC from 12/19 to 1/6. I look forward to meeting up with all of you
who are in NY/NJ/CT. I just hope that it's not too cold.

Steve Lee and I revised our Leisure Planner website. We have updated our
business model away from B2C to target hotels and wireless companies. We
aim to power personalized leisure recommendations to their end users. We
created a simple restaurant recommendation prototype, based on a hotel in
Pasadena and one in Long Beach. If you have some time, please take a look
and let me know what you think. The link is:

http://www.leisureplanner.com.

This week's thought provoking question is: "If you could bring back any
past leader of your country to run the country again, who would you want?"

This week's humor was forwarded from Anna Man. (OK, both Steve and I
acknowledge that we're geeks.) The puzzle is from "The Ideal Problem
Solver". Finally, the inspirational piece was forwarded from Kelly Chu.

Enjoy!

-Josh.
______________________________________________

How To Tell if You're a Geek

You tend to save power cords from broken appliances.
You once took the back off your TV just to see what's inside.
A teacher ever wrote, "I don't fully understand it, but it looks like an
'A'" on your paper.
You've used coat hangers and duct tape for something other than hanging
coats and taping ducts.
You rotate your screen savers more often than your automobile tires.
Your I.Q. is a higher number than your weight.
Your toddler asks why the sky is blue, and you try to explain atmospheric
absorption theory.
You ran the sound system at your senior prom.
Your wristwatch has more buttons than a telephone.
You can type seventy words a minute but can't read your own handwriting.
You know what "http" stands for.
You own one or more white short-sleeve dress shirts.
You still own a slide rule, and you know how to work it.
You can name six "Star Trek" episodes.
You have a functioning home copier/scanner/fax machine, but every toaster
you own turns bread into charcoal.
You have a habit of destroying things to see how they work.
People groan at the party when you pick out the music.
You have more friends on the Internet than in real life.
You thought the real heroes of "Apollo 13" were the mission controllers.
You think that when people around you yawn, it's because they didn't get
enough sleep. You spend half a plane trip with your laptop on your lap...
and your kid in the overhead compartment.
You've tried to repair a $5 radio
Your laptop computer costs more than your car.
Your four basic food groups are caffeine, fat, sugar, and chocolate.
__________________________________________________

Puzzle: Glasses

Six normal drinking glasses are standing in a row. The first three are
full of water; the next three are empty. By handling and moving only one
glass, change the arrangement so that no full glass is next to another full
glass, and no empty glass is next to another empty one.
__________________________________________________

LIFE IN PERSPECTIVE

One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the
country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people live. They
spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a
very poor family.

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the
trip?" "It was great, Dad." "Did you see how poor people live?" the father
asked. "Oh Yeah" said the son. "So what did you learn from the trip?"
asked the father.

The son answered, "I saw that we have one dog and they had four.

We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a
creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they
have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have
the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have
fields that go beyond our sight.

We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but
they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they
have friends to protect them.

With this the boy's father was speechless. Then his son added, "Thanks,
dad, for showing me how poor we are."

Too many times we forget what we have and concentrate on what we don't
have. What is one's person's worthless object is another's prize
possession. It is all based on one's perspective.

Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for all the bounty
we have instead of worrying about wanting more. Take joy and appreciate
every single thing you have, especially our relationship with our heavenly
father, our families & friends...

Hey guys...let's all - just call on the Lord and give thanks...for
everything and for each other.

Have a great day in Jesus. With HIM you can make it!

"I may walk slow, but I never stop walking for Jesus.."
______________________________

Last Week's Puzzle Solution: Handshaking
(Courtesy of Phil Lin. Jeff Couture also sent in a similar solution).

The wife shook 4 hands.

Label the people involved as follows: Ps, P0, P1, P2, ..., P8. Ps =
psychologist, P# = the person that shook # hands. We want to show that P4
is the spouse of Ps.

P0 did not shake hands with anyone.

In order for P8 to have shaken 8 hands, P8 must have shaken hands with
Ps,P1,P2,P3,P4,P5,P6,P7. The only person P8 did not shake hands with is
P0. Therefore, P0 is the spouse of P8.

Similarly, P1 shook only one hand and that hand belongs to P8. P7 shook 7
hands, and they must be: Ps,P2,P3,P4,P5,P6,P8. (P7 could not have shaken
hands with self, P0, or P1). Therefore, P1 is the spouse of P7.

Continue this argument, one finds that P2 only shook hands with P7 and P8.
P6 must have shaken hands with Ps,P3,P4,P5,P7,P8. Therefore, P2 is the
spouse of P6.

Similarly P3 is the spouse of P5. That leaves P4 who must be the spouse of
the Ps.

10/23/00: Couples to Heaven, A Miracle

Hi,

This past weekend our young adult group had a sushi-karaoke event. Daniel
Dao also brought in his Sony Playstation game where we dance on these
plastic mats, trying to match the patterns on the screen. It was quite
fun.

I bought the fresh fish from a guy named Mr. Fujisaki (recommended by my
classmate Tommy Nakahara). He gave me a great deal. If you want to buy
fresh fish for sushi, you can find him in a white van on Sawtelle Blvd, a
couple of blocks south of Santa Monica, on Thursday afternoon from 3:30 - 5
pm. His phone # is: 310-398-3764 and his pager # is: 310-587-7645. He
drives his van to other spots in LA on the other days. He was so nice to
me that I told him that I would suggest him to all my friends.

The responses to last week's thought provoking question include the Bible
and flaregun or something that would help you get rescued. But the
funniest response is from Christian Hansen, a classmate still at Anderson:

"Here's my response to the desert island question. I would take Financial
Markets and Corporate Strategy by Grinblatt and Titman. A desert island is
just what I need to master this tome of finance wisdom!"

This week's thought provoking question is: "If you could resolve any
single dispute, anywhere in the world, what would you solve?"

This week's humor was forwarded from Anna Man. The puzzle is from "The
Ideal Problem Solver". Finally, the inspirational piece was forwarded from
Erich Volkert.

Enjoy!

-Josh.
______________________________________________

An eighty-five-year-old couple, married for almost sixty years, died in a
car crash. They had been in good health the last ten years, mainly as a
result of her interest in health food and exercise.

When they reached the Pearly Gates, St. Peter took them to their mansion,
which was decked out with a beautiful kitchen and a master bath suite with
a sauna and Jacuzzi. As they "oohed and aahed" the old man asked Peter how
much all this was going to cost. "It's free," Peter replied. "This is
heaven."

Next they went out back to survey the championship golf course that the
home backed up to. They would have golfing privileges every day, and each
week the course would change to new one that represented one of the great
golf courses on Earth. The old man asked, "What are the green fees?"
Peter's reply: "This is heaven; you play for free."

Next they went to the clubhouse and saw the lavish buffet lunch with the
cuisines of the world laid out. "How much to eat?" asked the old man.
"Don't you understand yet? This is heaven; it is free!" Peter replied with
some exasperation.

"Well, where are the low-fat and low-cholesterol tables?" the old man asked
timidly. Peter lectured, "That's the best part: You can eat as much as you
like of whatever you like and you never get fat and you never get sick.
This is heaven."

With that, the old man threw down his hat, stomped on it, and shrieked
wildly. Peter and his wife both tried to calm him down, asking him what
was wrong. The old man looked at his wife and said, "This is all your
fault. If it weren't for your blasted bran muffins, I could have been here
ten years ago!"
__________________________________________________

Puzzle: Handshaking

A social psychologist was interested in the custom of handshaking. He
noticed that some people are more inclined than others to shake hands when
they are introduced. One evening when he and his wife had joined four
other couples at a party, he took advantage of the occasion to collect
data. He asked each of the other nine people at the party how many people
they had shaken hands with during the introductions. He received a
different answer, from zero through eight, from each of the nine people.
You can assume that husbands and wives don't shake hands with each other
during introductions, and of course, people don't shake hands with
themselves. Given this information, find out how often the psychologist's
wife shook hands.
__________________________________________________

A Miracle

Tess was a precocious eight year old when she heard her Mom and Dad talking
about her little brother, Andrew. All she knew was that he was very sick
and they were completely out of money. They were moving to an apartment
complex next month because Daddy didn't have the money for the doctor bills
and the house. Only a very costly surgery could save him now and it was
looking like there was no one to loan them the money.

She heard Daddy say to her tearful Mother with whispered desperation, "Only
a miracle can save him now."

Tess went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place
in the closet. She poured all the change out on the floor and counted it
carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No
chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and
twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6
blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the
door.

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he
was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing
noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she
could muster.

No good.

Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter.
That did it!

"And what do you want?" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice.
"I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages," he
said without waiting for a reply to his question.

"Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess answered back in the
same annoyed tone. "He's really, really sick and I want to buy a miracle."

"I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist.

"His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my
Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle
cost?"

"We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you,"
the pharmacist said, softening a little.

"Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the
rest. Just tell me how much it costs."

The pharmacist's brother was a well-dressed man. He stooped down and asked
the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does you brother need?"

"I don't know," Tess replied with her eyes welling up. "I just know he's
really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay
for it, so I want to use my money.

"How much do you have?" asked the man from Chicago.

"One dollar and eleven cents," Tess answered barely audibly. "And it's all
the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.

"Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man. "A dollar and eleven cents-the
exact price of a miracle for little brothers." He took her money in one
hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said "Take me to
where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's
see if I have the kind of miracle you need."

That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in
neuro-surgery. The operation was completed without charge and it wasn't
long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led
them to this place.

"That surgery," her Mom whispered. "was a real miracle. I wonder how much
it would have cost?"

Tess smiled. She knows exactly how much a miracle cost: One dollar and
eleven cents plus the faith of a little child.

A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a
higher law.
______________________________

Puzzle Solution: Monk hiking
(Courtesy of Jeff Couture. Steve Krause also sent in a similar solution).

Let's pretend that that there were two monks instead of one. One monk
ascending and the other descending, both on the same day. Both of them
must be at every point on the trail at some time of day and their progress
along the trail must proceed as a linear progression (i.e. on a trajectory
of ABC, they monk 1 cannot get to point C without going through point B and
vice versa). Since they both start at the same time of day, there must
exist a point on the trail where they pass each other. That is to say that
they are at the same location on the trail at precisely the same time of
day. The argument above is valid for any given day. Therefore even if
Monk 1 and Monk 2 departed at sunrise of different days, they would occupy
the same spot on the trail at the same hour of their travel day. The
example also holds true regardless of the identity of Monk 1 and 2.
Therefore Monk 1 and 2 could be the same person, traveling on different
days and they would still have to occupy the same point on the trail at
precisely the same time of day.

10/15/00: Headlines, Baby's Ears

Hi,

I had a fairly low-key relaxing weekend. I finally posted some of the
pictures that I took from last week's APEX/NAAAP conference. I wished I
had snapped more pictures, but I didn't get a chance to. You can see the
pictures (including the one of me with Garrett Wang of Star Trek Voyager)
at:

http://www.zing.com/album/pictures.html?id=4293486375

The only response for last week's question was Audrey Hepburn.

This week's thought provoking question is: "If you were stranded on a
desert island and could have with you only one object you currently own,
what would you take?"

This week's humor was forwarded from Jennifer Chin. The puzzle is from
"The Ideal Problem Solver". Finally, the inspirational piece was forwarded
from Kelly Chu.

Enjoy!

-Josh.
______________________________________________

BEST NEWSPAPER HEADLINES OF 1999

1. Include Your Children When Baking Cookies
2. Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Experts Say
3. Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
4. Drunks Get Nine Months in Violin Case
5. Iraqi Head Seeks Arms
6. Is There a Ring of Debris around Uranus?
7. Prostitutes Appeal to Pope
8. Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over
9. British Left Waffles on Falkland Islands
10. Teacher Strikes Idle Kids
11. Clinton Wins Budget; More Lies Ahead
12. Plane Too Close to Ground, Crash Probe Told
13. Miners Refuse to Work After Death
14. Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
15. Stolen Painting Found by Tree
16. Two Sisters Reunited after 18 Years in Checkout Counter
17. War Dims Hope for Peace
18. If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last a While
19. Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
20. Man Struck by Lightning Faces Battery Charge
21. New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
22. Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Space
23. Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
24. Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
25. Typhoon Rips through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead
__________________________________________________

Puzzle: Monk hiking

One morning, exactly at sunrise, a monk began to climb a tall mountain.
The narrow path, no more than a foot or two wide, spiraled around the
mountain to a glittering monastery at the summit. The monk ascended the
path at varying rates of speed, stopping many times along the way to rest
and to eat the dried fruit he carried with him. He reached the monastery
shortly before sunset. After several days of fasting and prayer, he began
his journey back along the same path, starting at sunrise and again walking
at variable speeds with many pauses along the way. His average speed
descending was, of course, greater than his average climbing speed.

Prove that there is a spot along the path that the monk will occupy on both
trips at precisely the same time of day.
__________________________________________________

Baby's Ears

"Can I see my baby?" the happy new mother asked. When the bundle was
nestled in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny
face, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall
hospital window. The baby had been born without ears. Time proved that the
baby's hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was marred.

When he rushed home from school one day and flung himself into his mother's
arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be a succession of
heartbreaks. He blurted out the tragedy. "A boy, a big boy...called me a
freak."

He grew up, handsome for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow
students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a
gift, a talent for literature and music. "You might mingle with other young
people," his mother reproved him, but felt a tenderness in her heart. The
boy's father had a session with the family physician. Could nothing be
done? "I believe I could graft on a pair of outer ears, if they could be
procured" the doctor decided. Whereupon the search began for a person who
would make such a sacrifice for a young man.

Two years went by. Then, "You are going to the hospital, son. Mother and
I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it's a secret" said
the father. The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person
emerged. His talents blossomed into genius, and school and college became
a series of triumphs.

Later he married and entered the diplomatic service. "But I must know!" he
urged his father. "Who gave so much for me? I could never do enough for
him." "I do not believe you could," said the father, "but the agreement
was that you are not to know...not yet."

The years kept their profound secret, but the day did come... one of the
darkest days that ever pass through a son. He stood with his father over
his mother's casket. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand
and raised the thick, reddish-brown hair to reveal ... that the mother had
no outer ears. "Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut," he
whispered gently, "and nobody ever thought mother less beautiful, did
they?"

Real beauty lies not in the physical appearance, but in the heart. Real
treasure lies not in what can be seen, but what cannot be seen. Real love
lies not in what is done and known, but in what is done but not known.

WITH THAT, let us PRAY.

Many times we send out e-mails, such as dirty jokes or famous sayings, or
motivational phrases, yet we never take the time to pray for one another.
Let us start praying for one another more now than ever before. When you
receive this, say the prayer. That's all you have to do. There is nothing
attached. This is powerful. Prayer is one of the best free gifts we
receive. There is no cost but a lot of rewards. Let's continue praying
for one another.

Father, I ask you to bless my friends reading this right now. Lord, show
them new revelations of Your love and power. Holy Spirit, I ask You to
minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give
them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self-doubting, release a renewed
confidence in Your ability to work through them. Where there is tiredness,
or exhaustion, I ask You to give them understanding, patience, and strength
as they learn submission to Your leading. Where there is spiritual
stagnation, I ask You to renew them by Revealing Your nearness, and by
drawing them into greater intimacy with You. Where there is fear, reveal
Your love, and release to them Your courage. Where there is a sin blocking
them, reveal it, and break its hold over my friend's life. Bless their
finances, give them greater vision, and raise up leaders, and friends to
support, and encourage them. Give each of them discernment to recognize
the demonic forces around them, and reveal to them the power they have in
You to defeat it. I ask You to do these things in Jesus' name. In
Christian love, Your Friend in Jesus.

10/9/00: Family Ties, Simple Vs. Real

Hi,

I had a great weekend at the APEX/NAAAP Conference. How was your weekend?
Next year's conference will be in New York City, so I should be returning
home for that one.

My Hunter H.S. big sister, Irene Chan, who I have not seen in 15 years,
came to the conference from Minneapolis. I also had a chance to see
friends from college that I haven't seen in a long time, Brent Chinn,
Nelson Wang, and Jeff Yang. So it was a good time of seeing some old
friends. It was also a good time of meeting a lot of new people from all
over the country.

After the Ammy Awards, I got Garrett Wang's (Star Trek Voyager) autograph
and took a picture with him. I chatted with him briefly. He seems like a
really nice guy. I also talked to Curtis, the guy from "Big Brother". He
also seems very nice. He told me that he used to go to Redeemer in NYC.

Martin Yan's (Yan Can Cook) workshop was excellent. In addition to giving
us some instructions on Chinese cooking, he was also extremely funny. I
didn't expect him to be such as comedian.

This week's thought provoking question is: "If you could meet any current
or past actor or actress, who would you want to meet?"

This week's humor was forwarded from Dave Shim. The puzzle is from one of
my weekly emails in 1997. (One of you sent me a similar puzzle recently,
but I can't find it. Please resend!) Finally, the inspirational piece was
forwarded from Valerie Cheung.

Enjoy!

-Josh.
______________________________________________

Family Ties

An elderly man in Phoenix calls his son in New York and says, "I hate to
ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing;
forty-five years of misery is enough."

"Pop, what are you talking about?" the son screams. "We can't stand the
sight of each other any longer," the old man says. "We're sick of each
other, and I'm sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in
Chicago and tell her," and he hangs up.

Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. "Like hell
they're getting divorced," she shouts, "I'll take care of this."

She calls Phoenix immediately, and screams at the old man, "You are NOT
getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my
brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don't do a
thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?" and hangs up.

The old man hangs up his phone, too, and turns to his wife. "Okay," he
says, "they're coming for Thanksgiving. Now what do we tell them for
Christmas?"
_______________________

Puzzle: Number Phrases

This test does not measure intelligence, your fluency with words,
creativity or mathematical ability. It will, however, give you some gauge
of your mental flexibility. In the three years since the test was
developed, few people have been found who could solve more than half of the
30 questions of the first try. Many, however, reported getting answers
long after the testing had been set aside, particularly at unexpected
moments when their minds were relaxed. Some reported solving all the
questions over a period of several days. Take the test as your personal
challenge. 20 correct answers out of the 30 = Genius.

Instructions: Each equation below contains the initials of words that will
make it correct. Furnish the missing words. For example: 60 = M in an H,
which is 60 Minutes in an Hour.

1. 26 = L of the A
2. 7 = W of the A W
3. 1001 = A N
4. 12 = S of the Z
5. 54 = C in a D (with the J)
6. 9 = P in the S S
7. 88 = P K
8. 13 = S on the A F
9. 18 = H on a G C
10. 32 = D F at which W F
11. 8 = S on a S S
12.200 = D for P G in M
13. 3 = B M (S H T R)
14. 90 = D in a R A
15. 4 = Q in a G
16. 24 = H in a D
17. 1 = W on a U
18. 5 = D in a Z C
19. 57 = H V
20. 11 = P on a F T
21.1000 = W that a P is W
22. 29 = D in F in a L Y
23. 64 = S on a C
24. 40 = D and N of G F
25. 80 = D to G A the W
26. 2 = # it T to T
27. 6 = P on the S of D
28. 50 = W to L Your L
29. 31 = F of B R
30. 40 = H in a W W

GOOD LUCK!
__________________________________________________

SIMPLE VS REAL

A simple friend has never seen you cry
A real friend has shoulders soggy from your tears.

A simple friend doesn't know your parents' first names.
A real friend has their phone numbers in his address book.

A simple friend brings a bottle of wine to your party.
A real friend comes early to help you cook and stays late to help you clean.

A simple friend hates it when you call after he has gone to bed.
A real friend asks you why you took so long to call.

A simple friend seeks to talk with you about your problems.
A real friend seeks to help you with your problems.

A simple friend wonders about your romantic history.
A real friend could blackmail you with it.

A simple friend, when visiting, acts like a guest.
A real friend opens your refrigerator and helps himself.

A simple friend thinks the friendship is over when you have an argument.
A real friend knows that it's not a friendship until after you've had a
fight.

A simple friend expects you to always be there for them.
A real friend expects to always be there for you!

Pass this on to anyone you care about...
if you get it back you have found your true friends.

A ball is a circle, No beginning, No end.
It keeps us together, like our circle of friends, but the treasure inside
for you to see is the treasure of friendship you've granted to me.
______________________________

Answer to Last Week's Puzzle: Extra Pill

Phil Lin's Answer: Take another pill B. Now you have two A's and two B's.
Cut the pills in half. Take half of each of the four pills. Save the
other halves for the next dose.

Josh Li's Answer: Add another pill B. Dissolve all four pills in two
glasses of hot water. Drink one glass today, and the other tomorrow.

[Several of you sent me the correct answer to the previous "Marbles"
puzzle. Since this email is very long, I didn't include it. Let me know
if you want me to send you a copy.]

10/1/00: Snow Emergency, Boy From Chicago

Hi,

This past week I watched 5 Chinese movies. Although I enjoyed all of them
for different reasons, there are two that I definitely recommend. One is
"Breaking the Silence", starring Gong Li. It's a touching story of a mom
trying to help her young deaf son. The other is "Not One Less", directed
by Zhang Yimou. It's about a 13-yr old teacher's journey to the city to
find her student who's lost. In a way, it reminds me of the story of the
"Lost Sheep".

This weekend, I'm looking forward to attending the NAAAP/APEX Conference
here in LA. For those of you going to the Fall Conference in Boston, I
hope that you will have a great time! Take lots of digital pictures.

The responses to last week's question about what childhood games you played
were "Life" and "Pooh Sticks".

The responses to last week's thought provoking question were: "the hug" and
"I would have invented DOS, NOT sell it to Bill for a low sum..."

This week's thought provoking question is: "If you could have been any
sports figure from history, who would you want to have been?"

This week's humor was forwarded from Anna Man. The puzzle is from Dave
Shim (Everyone, please send me more puzzles!). Finally, the inspirational
piece was forwarded from Christine Cloak.

Enjoy!

-Josh.
______________________________________________

Joe and Joan were sitting down to their usual morning cup of coffee
listening to the weather report on the radio. "There will be 3 to 5 inches
of snow today, and a snow emergency has been declared," the weather report
said. "You must park your cars on the odd numbered side of the streets."
Joe said, "Jeez, okay," and got up from his coffee.

The next day they were sitting down with their morning cups of coffee. The
weather forecast was, "There will be 2 to 4 inches of snow today, and a
snow emergency has been declared. You must park your cars on the even
numbered side of the streets." Again Joe replied, "Jeez, okay," and got up
from his coffee.

Two days later, again they're sitting down with their cups of coffee and
the weather forecast said, "There will be 6 to 8 inches of snow today, and
a snow emergency has been declared. You must park your cars on the..." and
the power went out and Joe didn't get the rest of the instructions.

He turned to Joan, "Jeez, what am I going to do now, Joan?" Joan replied,
"Aw, Joe, just leave the car in the darned garage today."
_______________________

Puzzle: Extra Pill

Your grandmother comes up to you holding three identical pills in her hand.
She says, "Oh my! I was taking my medicine out to take, and accidentally
spilled an extra pill in my hand. I have to take one pill A and one pill B
together, and I spilled an extra pill A out. If I take only one pill, or
if I accidentally take two A's or two B's, I'll get very sick." You look
at the pills, thinking you can distinguish the sole pill B, but it turns
out that the pills are absolutely identical - same color, smell, taste,
weight, etc. Grandma says, "These pills are very expensive. Can you find a
way for me to save these pills and use them?" What do you do?
__________________________________________________

In the city of Chicago, one cold, dark night, a blizzard was setting in. A
little boy was selling newspapers on the corner, the people were in and out
of the cold. The little boy was so cold that he wasn't trying to sell many
papers. He walked up to a policeman and said, "Mister, you wouldn't happen
to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight would
you? You see, I sleep in a box up around the corner there and down the
alley and it's awful cold in there, of a night. Sure would be nice to have
a warm place to stay."

The policeman looked down at the little boy and said, "You go down the
street to that big white house and you knock on the door. When they come
out the door you just say John 3:16 and they will let you in."

So he did, he walked up the steps to the door, and knocked on the door and
a lady answered. He looked up and said, "John 3:16."

The lady said "Come on in, Son." She took him in and she sat him down in a
split bottom rocker in front of a great big old fireplace and she went off.
He sat there for a while, and thought to himself "John 3:16....I don't
understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm."

Later she came back and asked him "Are you hungry?"

He said, "Well, just a little. I haven't eaten in a couple of days and I
guess I could stand a little bit of food."

The lady took him in the kitchen and sat him down to a table full of
wonderful food. He ate and ate until he couldn't eat any more. Then he
thought to himself "John 3:16... Boy, I sure don't understand it, but it
sure makes a hungry boy full."

She took him upstairs to a bathroom to a huge bathtub filled with warm
water and he sat there and soaked for a while. As he soaked, he thought to
himself, "John 3:16... I sure don't understand it, but it sure makes a
dirty boy clean. You know, I've not had a bath, a real bath, in my whole
life. The only bath I ever had was when I stood in front of that big old
fire hydrant as they flushed it out."

The lady came in and got him, and took him to a room and tucked him into a
big old feather bed and pulled the covers up around his neck and kissed him
goodnight and turned out the lights. As he laid in the darkness and looked
out the window at the snow coming down on that cold night he thought to
himself, "John 3:16... I don't understand it, but it sure makes a tired
boy rested."

The next morning she came back up and took him down again to that same big
table full of food. After he ate she took him back to that same big old
split bottom rocker in front of the fireplace and she took a big old Bible
and sat down in front of him and she looked up at and she asked, "Do you
understand John 3:16?"

He said, "No, Ma'am, I don't. The first time I ever heard it was last
night when the policeman told me to use it."

She opened the Bible to John 3:16, and she began to explain to him about
Jesus. Right there in front of that big old fireplace he gave his heart
and life to Jesus. He sat there and thought, "John 3:16. I don't
understand it, but it but it sure makes a lost boy feel safe."

You know, I have to confess I don't understand it either, how God would be
willing to send His Son to die for me, and how Jesus would agree to do such
a thing. I don't understand it either, but it sure does make life worth
living.

Author Unknown
______________________________

Answer to Last Week's Puzzle: Marbles

[This was sent to me by Whalen Chin. I'm not sure that this works 100% of
the time. What if the defective marble is lighter?]

1st iteration put 6 marbles on one side and six on the other. Keep the 6 on
the heavier side.
Break the next group into 3 and 3. Keep the heavier side. For the
remainder put one on one side and one on the opposite side. If the balance
it is the one not on the scale. If they do not you will see which one is
heavier.