Lateral or Logical?

Many years ago in a small Indian village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender.  The Moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer's beautiful Daughter. So he proposed a bargain. He said he would forgo the farmer's debt if he could marry his Daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the Proposal.

So the cunning money-lender suggested that they let Providence decide the matter.
He told them that he would put a black Pebble and a white Pebble into an empty money bag.
Then the girl would have to pick one Pebble from the bag.

1) If she picked the Black pebble, she would become his wife and her father's debt would be forgiven.
2) If she picked the White pebble she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven.
3) But if she refused to pick a Pebble, her father would be thrown into Jail.

They were standing on a Pebble strewn path in the farmer's field.
As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two Pebbles.
As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two Black pebbles and put them into the bag.

He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.
Now, imagine that you were standing in the field.
What would you have done if you were the girl?
If you had to advise her, what would you have told her?

Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

1.)  The girl should refuse to take a Pebble.
2.)  The girl should show that there were two Black pebbles in the bag and expose the money-lender    as a “cheat”.
3.)  The girl should pick a Black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.

Take a moment to ponder over the story.
The above story is used with “The Hope” that it will make us appreciate the difference between “lateral” and “logical” thinking.

The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with “Traditional” logical thinking.
Think of the “consequences” if she chooses the above “logical” answers.
What would you recommend to the Girl to do?

Well, here is what she did ....
The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a Pebble.
 
Without Looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the Pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other Pebbles.

"Oh, how clumsy of me," she said:, "But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which “Pebble I Picked”.
Since the remaining Pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had Picked the White one.
 
And since the money-lender dared not admit his “Dishonesty”,
the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one.

MORAL OF THE STORY:      
Most “complex problems do have a solution”.
 It is only that we don't “Attempt to think”.

Valentine Trivia

Valentine's Day is a long-standing holiday with origins that are not entirely known. The celebration of the holiday today contains remnants of both Roman and Christian traditions. Over time, there have been some strange practices associated with Valentine's Day, some of which are still practiced, and some interesting facts across the continents.
Numerous early Christian martyrs were named Valentine.
In the middle ages, girls believed that the first boy they saw on the morning of Valentine's Day would become their spouse later in life.
February 14th is thought to be the day when birds mate for the spring. It is sometimes believed that if a robin flies over the head of an unmarried woman, then she will marry a sailor.

Teachers receive the most Valentine's Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, and then, sweethearts. Children between ages 6 to 10 exchange more than 650 million Valentine's cards with teachers, classmates, and family members.

In Wales, an intricately carved "love spoon" is a traditional Valentine's Day gift.

In the Middle Ages young men and women drew the names from a bowl to see who would be their Valentine. They would wear this name pinned on their sleeves for one week. This was done so that it becomes easy for other people to know your true feelings. This was known as "to wear your heart on your sleeve"

Verona, the Italian city where Shakespeare's play lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters every year sent to Juliet on Valentine's Day.

In Finland Valentine's Day is called Ystävänpäivä which translates into "Friend's day".

In Slovenia, a proverb says that "St Valentine brings the keys of roots", so on February 14, plants and flowers start to grow.

In some Latin American countries Valentine's Day is known as "Día del Amor y la Amistad" (Day of Love and Friendship).

In Korea, if you do not receive any gift on Valentine's daythen all the singles go to Korean restaurants and eat black noodles to mourn their single status.

Trivia

The Brain

Complex and poorly understood; the brain is the organ that makes everything work properly. The body may be kept alive, but without the brain, a person can’t truly live. Here are some facts about the brain.

1.  The brain doesn’t feel pain: Even though the brain processes pain signals, the brain itself does not actually feel pain.

2. Your brain has huge oxygen needs: Your brain requires 20% of the oxygen and calories your body needs — even though your brain only makes up 2% of your total body weight. (So the more you think, the more calories you burn? … Maybe?!)
3. 80% of the brain is water: Instead of being relatively solid, your brain 80% water. This means that it is important that you remain properly hydrated for the sake of your mind.
4. Your brain comes out to play at night: You’d think that your brain is more active during the day, when the rest of your body is. But it’s not. Your brain is more active when you sleep.
5. Your brain operates on 10 watts of power: It’s true: The amazing computational power of your brain only requires about 10 watts of power to operate.
6. The brain changes shapes during puberty: Your teenage years do more than just change how you feel; the very structure of your brain changes during the teen years, and it even affects impulsive, risky behaviour. (This may explain a lot … hmmm).
7. Your brain can store everything: Technically, your brain has the capacity to store everything you experience, see, read or hear. However, the real issue is recall — whether you can access that information.
8. Information in your brain travels at different speeds: The neurons in your brain are built differently, and information travels along them at different speeds. This is why sometimes you can recall information instantly, and sometimes it takes a little longer.

Your Senses

You might be surprised at the amazing things your various senses can accomplish.

9.  Your smell is unique: Your body odor is unique to you — unless you have an identical twin. Even babies recognize the individual scents of their mothers.

10.              Women smell better than men: Women are better than men at identifying smells. (Couldn’t resist this fact).

11.              Humans use echolocation: Humans can use sound to sense objects in their area using echolocation. It is thought that those who are blind develop this ability to heightened effectiveness.

12.              Adrenaline gives you super strength: Yes, with the proper response in certain situations, you really can lift a car.

13. Your nose remembers 50,000 scents: It is possible for your nose to identify and remember more than 50,000 smells.

14. Your hearing decreases when you overeat: When you eat too much food, it actually reduces your ability to hear. So consider eating healthy — and only until you are full. (This may explain the “graveyard shift” people refer to after lunch).

15. Your sense of time is in your head: How you experience time is all about your perception. (The better you plan, the more time you have. The more productive you are). Some speculate that stress can help you experience time dilation. Apparently, time manipulation isn’t just for superheroes.

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Useless trivia

Henry Ford, father of the Automobile, is also father of the charcoal briquette. [Fire and the wheel … impressive use of two great inventions]

The first product that Sony came out with was the rice cooker.

The creator of the NIKE Swoosh symbol was paid only $35 for the design.

The most productive day of the workweek is Tuesday. [Does that change your plans this week?]

In 2002, there were no billionaires in China. In 2007, there are 106 billionaires.

The first owner of the Marlboro Company died of lung cancer. [Ironic?]

Dell Computers was started by a 19 year old with only $1,000.

In most advertisements, the time displayed on a watch or clock is usually 10:10.

Where did that saying come from?

The term "honeymoon" is derived from the Babylonians who declared mead, a honey-flavored wine, the official wedding drink, stipulating that the bride's parents be required to keep the groom supplied with the drink for the month following the wedding. [Not sure why they thought the new "husband" needed it :-) ]

The term "devil's advocate" comes from the Roman Catholic Church. When deciding if someone should be sainted, a devil's advocate is always appointed to give an alternative view.

The idiom "pillar of salt" means to have a stroke, or to become paralyzed and dead.

The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.

The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called aglets.

The right side of a boat was called the starboard side due to the fact that the astronavigators used to stand out on the plank (which was on the right side) to get an unobstructed view of the stars. The left side was called the port side because that was the side that you put in on at the port.

To all the boys I've loved before

For all the boys I've loved before
Come take your rubbish from my floor
I'm glad you came along
Now I can write this song
To all the boys I've loved before......

To all the boys I've loved before
Don't hear your snoring anymore
Your socks and curled up towl
Don't leave that aweful smell
To all the boys I've loved before......

To all the boys I've loved before
The toilet seat is down once more
How did we get along
Your cigars were way too strong
To all the boys I've loved before.......

Rain washed day - By Barbara Anderson

No more grey
The rain has washed away
A misty haze

A crystal blue sky
The sun up high
The weekend's nigh

Can't wait to get home
A time to go slow
Before a week of the exciting unknown