02/18/01: Driving on I-5, The Best Reward

Hi,

Usually I start my weekly newsletters describing a fun activity I did in
the past week, such as recommending a film that I watched. Today, I'm
going to talk about something I did for the first time. In the past five
years, I enjoyed interviewing high school students who are applying to my
alma mater. This afternoon was the first time that I attended a meeting
with the other alumni interviewers who interview students from the San
Fernando Valley. The purpose of the meeting was to select a group of about
20 students that we want to especially recommend to our alma mater, that
they take a special re-read of these students' applications. The
discussions were heated at times, but all of us really relished being a
strong advocate for one of the students that we interviewed. Every once in
a while, somebody would challenge the ratings that one of the interviewers
assigned for a particular student. All in all, the long meeting was quite
interesting.

If you are here in LA, interested in high tech and like to network with
others into high tech, I would like to invite you to attend an event I'm
organizing for the Anderson Alumni Association. I think it should be a
really good presentation on the future trends in the wireless industry.

Speaker: Professor George Geis
Topic: "The Wireless Marketspace: Overview and Opportunity"

Date: Wednesday, March 14
Time: 7 PM
Location: Anderson School, C301

To RSVP, please go to:

http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?396E202G4VX5GHEHS53QJDR9

Schedule:
7 - 8 pm: Speaker's presentation
8 - 8:30 pm: Q & A
8:30 - 9 pm: Light refreshments and networking time.

The event is free, but parking at UCLA costs $6. So, please carpool.

This week's thought provoking question is: "If you were to cast the two
romantic leads of a new film with any actors alive, who would you pick?"

Ethel Lai and Cherry Lu forwarded the humor and inspirational pieces,
respectively.

Enjoy!

-Josh.
______________________________________________

TO THOSE WHO HAVE LIVED IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING CITIES:

How to recognize where someone is from while driving on I-5

1. One hand on wheel, one hand on horn: CHICAGO
2. One hand on wheel, one finger out window: NEW YORK
3. One hand on wheel, one finger out window, cutting across all lanes of
traffic: NEW JERSEY
4. One hand on wheel, one hand on newspaper, foot solidly on accelerator:
BOSTON
5. One hand on wheel, one hand on nonfat double decaf cappuccino, cradling
cell phone, brick on accelerator, gun in lap: LOS ANGELES
6. Both hands on wheel, eyes shut, both feet on brake, quivering in terror:
OHIO, but driving in CALIFORNIA
7. Both hands in air, gesturing, both feet on accelerator, head turned to
talk to someone in back seat: ITALY
8. One hand on 12 oz. Double shot latte, one knee on wheel, cradling cell
phone, foot on brake, mind on radio baseball game, banging head on steering
wheel while stuck in traffic: SEATTLE
9. One hand on wheel, one hand on hunting rifle, alternating between both
feet being on the accelerator and both feet on brake, throwing McDonald's
bag out the window: TEXAS
10. Four-wheel drive pick-up truck, shotgun mounted in rear window, beer
cans on floor, squirrel tails attached to antenna: ALABAMA
11. Two hands gripping wheel, blue hair barely visible above windshield,
driving 35 on the Interstate in the left lane with the left blinker on:
FLORIDA
_________________________________

"The Best Reward"

One stormy night many years ago, an elderly couple entered the lobby of a
small hotel and asked for a room. The clerk explained that because there
were three conventions in town, the hotel was filled.

"But I can't send a nice couple like you out in the rain at 1 o'clock in
the morning," he said. "Would you be willing to sleep in my room?" The
couple hesitated, but the clerk insisted.

The next morning when the man paid his bill, he said, "You're the kind of
manager who should be the boss of the best hotel in the United States.
Maybe someday I'll build one for you." The clerk smiled, amused by the
older man's "little joke."

A few years passed. Then one day the clerk received a letter from the
elderly man, recalling that stormy night, and asking him to come to New
York for a visit. A round-trip ticket was enclosed.

When the clerk arrived, his host took him to the corner of 5th Avenue and
34th Street, where stood a magnificent new building. "That," explained the
man, "is the hotel I have just built for you to manage." "You must be
joking," said the clerk. "I most assuredly am not," came the reply.

"Who -- who are you?" stammered the other. "My name is William Waldorf
Astor." That hotel was the original Waldorf-Astoria, and the young clerk
who became its first manager was George C. Boldt.

God's word tells us to always give our best when doing our daily work. The
Bible states that we should give of our best at all times, as though we
were working for the Lord.

We often become concerned that other people are doing more work than we
are, and that we are unjustifiably overworked. The bottom line is that we
should do everything in the manner as though God was watching every move.
We never know who is watching us and evaluating our actions and behaviors.
God will ultimately reward us for our faithfulness to every given task.

May we take a fresh look at our lives and remember to always give of our
best. Who knows, He may have a special place of honor waiting for us in
the future. Being faithful in the little things may make all the
difference in the world.

- Ralph M. Nygard