Saturday, December 27, 2008
Puzzle - Money for muffins
On an outing Freddy joined Francis and Steven for refreshment. Freddy had lost his muffins while Francis had four and Steven had six. They decided to share and share alike provided Freddy contributed five dollars to them. Freddy agreed, handed the five dollars, and they all ate an equal share.
But how did Francis and Steven share the money. Did Francis get two dollars and Steven get three, for their four and six muffins respectively.
Would you be the arbitrator ?
The answer is below, from F to s,
please highlight or change it to any colour to see it.
Freddy ate three and a third muffins, the same as Francis and Steven, and he paid five dollars. Thus each muffin costs one and a half dollars. So Francis should get one dollar while Steven should get four dollars, since they ate three and a third muffins each, giving two thirds and two and two thirds respectively to Freddy for his five dollars.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Lazarus from Bethany
The resurrection and the life
Among the disciples of Jesus, there were three siblings: Mary, Martha and Lazarus. They lived in Bethany, about two miles from Jerusalem. Mary once anointed Jesus with perfumed oil and dried his feet with her hair. When Lazarus fell ill, Mary sent word to Jesus, "Master, the one you love is ill."
But Jesus responded by saying that the illness would not end in death but in the glory of God, to glorify the Son of God through it; and Jesus remained two days where he was preaching and performing miracles. Then Jesus headed for Judea, telling his disciples of his intention to awaken Lazarus from his sleep. He told them that Lazarus had died and explained Lazarus's death and its purpose.
When Jesus arrived at Bethany, Lazarus had been entombed for four days, and many Jews had gathered to comfort his sisters. Martha came and met Jesus saying, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." She added that even then God would grant whatever Jesus asked of God. When Jesus said that her brother would rise Martha replied that that would be in the resurrection on the last day.
Then Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
Martha answered, "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world." Then she went back and fetched Mary to Jesus, with all the Jews following. Mary fell at Jesus feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Jesus was upset and wept with Mary, and some of the Jews weeping with her asked why Jesus who performed miracles did not keep Lazarus from dying, since he loved them so much.
Then they went to the tomb, and Jesus instructed that the stone blocking the entrance be removed. Martha was afraid about the stench, but Jesus told her that she would see the glory of God if she believed.
The stone was removed, and Jesus, raising his eyes, said, "Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me."
Then in a loud voice he cried out, "Lazarus, come out !" The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Untie him and let him go."
Many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in Jesus.
Among the disciples of Jesus, there were three siblings: Mary, Martha and Lazarus. They lived in Bethany, about two miles from Jerusalem. Mary once anointed Jesus with perfumed oil and dried his feet with her hair. When Lazarus fell ill, Mary sent word to Jesus, "Master, the one you love is ill."
But Jesus responded by saying that the illness would not end in death but in the glory of God, to glorify the Son of God through it; and Jesus remained two days where he was preaching and performing miracles. Then Jesus headed for Judea, telling his disciples of his intention to awaken Lazarus from his sleep. He told them that Lazarus had died and explained Lazarus's death and its purpose.
When Jesus arrived at Bethany, Lazarus had been entombed for four days, and many Jews had gathered to comfort his sisters. Martha came and met Jesus saying, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." She added that even then God would grant whatever Jesus asked of God. When Jesus said that her brother would rise Martha replied that that would be in the resurrection on the last day.
Then Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
Martha answered, "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world." Then she went back and fetched Mary to Jesus, with all the Jews following. Mary fell at Jesus feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Jesus was upset and wept with Mary, and some of the Jews weeping with her asked why Jesus who performed miracles did not keep Lazarus from dying, since he loved them so much.
Then they went to the tomb, and Jesus instructed that the stone blocking the entrance be removed. Martha was afraid about the stench, but Jesus told her that she would see the glory of God if she believed.
The stone was removed, and Jesus, raising his eyes, said, "Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me."
Then in a loud voice he cried out, "Lazarus, come out !" The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Untie him and let him go."
Many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in Jesus.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Our young ones
A second rude encounter on a Sunday
I avoided shopping on weekends and crowded places. But yesterday, a Sunday, I needed to buy rice.
There were people exiting slowly at the bottom of the escalator. I too had to slow down with a 10 kg bag of rice in my own standard 4-wheel trolley. As I exited sideways slowly behind some people, careful not to bump them, a voice came quite loudly behind me, "Aiyah, uncle, why are you blocking ?"
Being shocked I turned to look behind. The voice belonged to a tall very fair skin young Chinese; it looked like he has not been under sunlight. "Why do you come so close behind me", I said.
He walked over my trolley and turned into an aisle, and that was that, I thought.
As I reached the aisle he turned to look at me. That was when I lost my cool, "Why don't you fly ?"
He retorted, "You have a problem ?", a typical statement of those who feel that they have the upper hand.
"Which school do you come from ?"; that got his senses, and he turned away." Don't you see the people in front, you bum !" was my parting gift to him.
Beside a bum there were angels.
Later at NTUC Fairprice, I was taking time to open a plastic bag for potatos.
A middle age lady asked, "Can I help you ?"
"No need, I will get it open slowly, thank you."
Some of these rolled plastic bags stick at the open end, making it difficult to open unless the fingers are moist. Some people wet their thumb with their tongue, but I usually crease the edges to make a small parting and then peel the sides apart.
There were other occasions when kind souls voluntarily came and lifted my laden trolley up the steps. They had thought that I was having great difficulty when in actual fact I was doing it slowly step by step in order not to damage the wheels. Their kind act could have caused injury to their back if they were not strong enough as they had to lift my laden trolley bending sideways, but I could not stop them in time; they were too quick to act kindly.
Ron
I avoided shopping on weekends and crowded places. But yesterday, a Sunday, I needed to buy rice.
There were people exiting slowly at the bottom of the escalator. I too had to slow down with a 10 kg bag of rice in my own standard 4-wheel trolley. As I exited sideways slowly behind some people, careful not to bump them, a voice came quite loudly behind me, "Aiyah, uncle, why are you blocking ?"
Being shocked I turned to look behind. The voice belonged to a tall very fair skin young Chinese; it looked like he has not been under sunlight. "Why do you come so close behind me", I said.
He walked over my trolley and turned into an aisle, and that was that, I thought.
As I reached the aisle he turned to look at me. That was when I lost my cool, "Why don't you fly ?"
He retorted, "You have a problem ?", a typical statement of those who feel that they have the upper hand.
"Which school do you come from ?"; that got his senses, and he turned away." Don't you see the people in front, you bum !" was my parting gift to him.
Beside a bum there were angels.
Later at NTUC Fairprice, I was taking time to open a plastic bag for potatos.
A middle age lady asked, "Can I help you ?"
"No need, I will get it open slowly, thank you."
Some of these rolled plastic bags stick at the open end, making it difficult to open unless the fingers are moist. Some people wet their thumb with their tongue, but I usually crease the edges to make a small parting and then peel the sides apart.
There were other occasions when kind souls voluntarily came and lifted my laden trolley up the steps. They had thought that I was having great difficulty when in actual fact I was doing it slowly step by step in order not to damage the wheels. Their kind act could have caused injury to their back if they were not strong enough as they had to lift my laden trolley bending sideways, but I could not stop them in time; they were too quick to act kindly.
Ron
Saturday, December 20, 2008
My iffy wish
If I have a billion dollars
There is a popular song sung in Hokkien dialect If I have a million dollars where the singer sings about buying house buying car and flying to Japan to eat sushi. Colleagues of mine have said that if they struck the $3million first prize lottery or top TOTO prizes they would go on a round the world trip and then donate the rest to charity. All these are dreams.
Well, if I have a billion dollars I would set up a NineZero foundation. Its aim would be to provide total relief to citizens being over-burdened disastrously financially.
NineZero foundation's beneficiaries widely would include families or remnants of families who through ill-fortune found their expenses depleting their income to ruin, beyond their wage earning capability. People can work and plan for their lives, but extraordinary events like loss of the bread winner, kidney failure striking a member of the family, bearing the cost of a major operation and chronic sickness with recurring high medical expenses are some notable misfortunes, there are many others.
It is improbable for me to have a bank balance of S$1billion, but it is possible for me or anyone else to be landed with this amount; dreamwise it certainly can. In our nation where the population is approaching four million citizens, all it takes is for each to contribute S$250, or more to cover up for less contributors, and hoola walau horsay, there it is. The chances of the foundation's fund getting depleted will be unlikely as it should be able to replenish itself, having nine zeros; or it can always be topped up. Otherwise what is a society, and what nation would its citizens have.
Citizens work to support themselves and their families, and thus their nation. They contribute towards its development and maintenance. They labour and slog, put their lives, their husbands' lives, their wives lives, their dear ones' lives, at risk, to build and defend the country.
But if they have to fear and worry for any unexpected calamities they would not be able to work with zest and zeal free from worry. If people worry too much, and labour fanatically to accumulate money, their health suffers, society would not be cohesive, and the nation crumbles as everybody thinks for himself. Who then would want to care about others, and least to defend the country.
If there is this NineZero foundation, which is the rear mountain in Chinese saying, there would not be this fear and worry, and citizens can live and work in togetherness, competitively, accepting to be poor or rich, but knowing that they would not be left on the lurch, financially ruined.
This apparently is a kind of collective insurance and it benefits all, but only if I have a billion dollars.
Live life fully, be happy
With NineZero, no worry
Alas, this is just a dream
I have just been awaken
Ronald
There is a popular song sung in Hokkien dialect If I have a million dollars where the singer sings about buying house buying car and flying to Japan to eat sushi. Colleagues of mine have said that if they struck the $3million first prize lottery or top TOTO prizes they would go on a round the world trip and then donate the rest to charity. All these are dreams.
Well, if I have a billion dollars I would set up a NineZero foundation. Its aim would be to provide total relief to citizens being over-burdened disastrously financially.
NineZero foundation's beneficiaries widely would include families or remnants of families who through ill-fortune found their expenses depleting their income to ruin, beyond their wage earning capability. People can work and plan for their lives, but extraordinary events like loss of the bread winner, kidney failure striking a member of the family, bearing the cost of a major operation and chronic sickness with recurring high medical expenses are some notable misfortunes, there are many others.
It is improbable for me to have a bank balance of S$1billion, but it is possible for me or anyone else to be landed with this amount; dreamwise it certainly can. In our nation where the population is approaching four million citizens, all it takes is for each to contribute S$250, or more to cover up for less contributors, and hoola walau horsay, there it is. The chances of the foundation's fund getting depleted will be unlikely as it should be able to replenish itself, having nine zeros; or it can always be topped up. Otherwise what is a society, and what nation would its citizens have.
Citizens work to support themselves and their families, and thus their nation. They contribute towards its development and maintenance. They labour and slog, put their lives, their husbands' lives, their wives lives, their dear ones' lives, at risk, to build and defend the country.
But if they have to fear and worry for any unexpected calamities they would not be able to work with zest and zeal free from worry. If people worry too much, and labour fanatically to accumulate money, their health suffers, society would not be cohesive, and the nation crumbles as everybody thinks for himself. Who then would want to care about others, and least to defend the country.
If there is this NineZero foundation, which is the rear mountain in Chinese saying, there would not be this fear and worry, and citizens can live and work in togetherness, competitively, accepting to be poor or rich, but knowing that they would not be left on the lurch, financially ruined.
This apparently is a kind of collective insurance and it benefits all, but only if I have a billion dollars.
Live life fully, be happy
With NineZero, no worry
Alas, this is just a dream
I have just been awaken
Ronald
