IN THIS ISSUE:

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Music, Math & Money ­ The Three Muses of Harmony & Peace

St. Patrick's Songfest at EADS

Some Notes About St. Patrick, by Chip Erickson

Club Service I Mini-Assembly

Friday Potpourri

BBRC Awards Grants

Sarah Schaeffer Student of the Month

Steve Goodier:
Leave the Past

Friday Fotos

Web Fun

Web Fun

Computer Gender

A French teacher was explaining to her college class that in French, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine. "House" is feminine, "la maison." "Pencil" is masculine, "le crayon."

A student asked, "What gender is computer?" Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether "computer" should be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four reasons for their recommendation.

The men's group decided that "computer" should definitely be of the feminine gender (la computer) because:

1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;

2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;

3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later review; and

4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.

The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be masculine (le computer) because:

1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on.

2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves.

3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem; and

4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.

The women won.

News from Grace
Courtesy of Hugo B. Jonsen

One dark night outside the town limits of Grace, a fire started inside the chemical plant and in a blink of an eye it exploded into massive flames.

The alarm went out to all the fire departments for miles around. Grace Fire Department imposed the 24-hour mutual aid pact but the Woodinville lads were no where to be found. They were upset that their last levy didn't pass.

When the volunteer fire fighters appeared on the scene, the chemical company president rushed to the Hollywood Hills fire chief and said, "All of our secret formulas are in the vault in the center of the plant. They must be saved. I will give $50,000 to the fire department that brings them out intact." But the roaring flames held the firefighters off.

Soon more fire departments had to be called in from Duvall, Clearview, Cathcart, Derby and Snohomish Junction as the situation became desperate. As the firemen arrived, the president shouted out that the offer was now $100,000 to the fire department that could bring out the company's secret files.

From the distance, a lone siren was heard as another fire truck came into sight. It was the nearby Norwegian rural township volunteer fire company from Maltby, composed mainly of Norwegians over the age of 65. To everyone's amazement, the little run-down fire engine, operated by these apparently fearless Norwegians, passed all the newer sleek engines parked outside the plant ... and drove straight into the middle of the inferno.

Outside the other firemen watched as the Norwegian old timers jumped off and began to fight the fire with a performance of such bravery and effort never seen before. Within a short time, the old timers had extinguished the fire and saved the secret formulas.

The grateful chemical company president joyfully announced that for such a superhuman feat he was upping the reward to $200,000, and walked over to personally thank each of the brave, though elderly, fire fighters.

The news reporters from KGRC channel 777 public television rushed in after capturing the event on film asking, "What are you going to do with all that money?"

"Vell," said Ole Larsen, the 70-year-old fire chief, "da furst thing vedo is fix da brakes on dat doggone fire truck!"

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