A Game
[00:26.98]A programmer and a novelist are sitting next to each other on a train
[00:33.36]from Chicageo to New York.
[00:37.20]The programmer leans over to the novelist
[00:41.95]and asks if he would like to play a game.
[00:46.32]The novelist just wants to take a nap,
[00:50.78]so he politely declines and rolls over to the window to catch some Zs.
[00:57.73]The programmer persists and explains that the dgame dis really easy
[01:04.10]and lots of fun.
[01:07.34]He explains"I ask you a question,
[01:12.31]and if you don't know the answer,you pay me $5.
[01:17.77]Then you ask me a question,and if I don't know the answer,I'll pay you $5."
[01:26.54]Again,the novelist politely declines and tries to get to sleep.
[01:33.10]The programmer,now a little annoyed,says,
[01:38.06]"OK,if you don't know the answer you pay me $5,
[01:44.54]and if I know the answer,I'll pay you $20!"
[01:50.29]This catches the novelist's attention,
[01:54.65]and he sees no end to this torment unless he plays,so he agrees to the game.
[02:02.02]The programmer asks the first question.
[02:07.76]"What's the distance from New Orleans,Louisiana to Phoenix,Arizona?"
[02:14.74]The novelist doesn't say a word,but reaches into his wallet,
[02:20.59]pulls out a five-dollar bill and hands it to the programmer.
[02:26.16]Now,it's the novelist's turn.
[02:30.28]He asks the programmer"What dives into a swimming pool on two legs,
[02:37.65]and comes back up with three?"
[02:41.41]The programmer looks at him with a puzzled look.
[02:46.06]He takes out his laptop computer and searches all of his references.
[02:52.43]He taps into the phone system on the train with his modem
[02:58.00]and searches the net and the Library of Congress.
[03:03.35]Frustrated,he sends e-mail to his co-workers-all to no avail.
[03:10.30]After about an hour,he wakes up the novelist and hands him$20.
[03:17.43]The novelist politely takes the $20 and turns away to try to get back to sleep.
[03:24.90]The programmer,more than a little miffed,
[03:29.45]shakes the novelist and asks"Well,so what's the answer?"
[03:35.61]Without a word,the novelist reaches into his wallet,
[03:41.65]hands the programmer $5,and turns away to get back to sleep.
[03:48.28]A Money-saving Telegram
[04:19.84]Governor Simpson was going to deliver a speech for reelection,
[04:26.81]and he anticipated heavy press coverage of the speech.
[04:32.77]His campaign committee had arranged for 500,000 copies of the speech
[04:40.14]to be distributed throughout the state.
[04:44.19]At the last minute,the publisher of the speech
[04:49.44]learned that no one had obtained permission to use the photograph
[04:55.08]of Governor Simpson that would be printed as part of the speech.
[05:00.41]Under the exiting copyright laws,
[05:04.77]it would have cost the publisher one dollar a copy
[05:10.33]to run the photo without permission.
[05:14.38]The printing had already been paid for,
[05:18.51]and Governor Simpson's campaign manager
[05:23.08]was not about to let 500,000 copies of the speech be burned as scrap.
[05:29.74]So he sent a telegram to the studio that owned the copyright of the picture:
[05:36.90]"Planning to issue 500,000 copies of Simpson speech with his picture on cover.
[05:43.75]Great publicity opportunity for the photographer.
[05:48.60]How much will you pay us to use your photograph?"
[05:52.97]Within an hour,he had a telegram in reply:
[05:57.83]"Appreciate opportunity,but can only pay$500."
[06:03.89]It's a VIP
[06:36.64]Mr.Mondello was CEO of a large multinational trading corporation in New York.
[06:46.10]He was on a visit to Boston
[06:50.85]to unveil his bronze statue at the grand opening ceremony of a local branch.
[06:58.72]Since Mr.Mondello wanted to give the guys a surprise,
[07:05.56]he was there a day earlier,
[07:09.53]and he rent a limousine at the airport after he arrived in Boston.
[07:16.98]He got in and saw the driver,wearing leather racing gloves,
[07:24.13]elbow out of the window,hair blowing in the breeze.
[07:30.19]Mr.Mondello knocked on the glass and said:
[07:35.84]"I bet you have never sat back here before,
[07:41.01]and I have never driven one of these things before.
[07:46.05]So,what do you say,shall we trade places?
[07:51.69]You come back here and let me drive?"
[07:56.13]"Do you know your way around here in the city?"the driver asked.
[08:03.68]"Are you kidding?I've been here millions of times."Mr.Mondello answered.
[08:11.34]The driver then pulled over to the curb,got out,
[08:16.98]let Mr.Mondello behind the wheel,and he settled in the back.
[08:23.04]Mr.Mondello adjusted the mirrors and stuck his elbow out of the window.
[08:30.17]Meanwhile,the driver was enjoying the comforts of the limo in the back:
[08:36.44]big leather seats,one-way tinted glass,air conditioning,
[08:43.10]sliding sunroof,stereo,television with satellite dish,
[08:49.76]and magic fingers under the seat.
[08:54.31]Soon they got to the front gates of a new building.
[08:59.59]But the security guard didn't open the gates for them.
[09:04.26]Mr.Mondello honked the horn.
[09:08.39]The guy came over to the limo.
[09:12.33]"Look buddy,who do you think you are..."
[09:17.30]and he saw Mr.Mondelo behind the wheel.
[09:21.45]"I'm sorry,sir.I didn't.."He quickly went to open the gates.
[09:28.22]At this moment
[09:31.09]the director of security in the building got the guard on the radio.
[09:36.97]"Who is it in the limo,Bruce? You're not supposed to let them in."
[09:43.63]The guard said:"It's a VIP."
[09:48.17]The director said:"O.K.Bruce,I understand.
[09:53.63]Tell me.Just how important is he?
[09:58.39]Is he more important than the general manager?"
[10:02.83]The guard said:"Yes.He's more important than the general manager."
[10:09.18]"He's more important than the general manager?Who the hell is he then?"
[10:15.65]"Well,I can't rightly say who he is,but I can tell you this.
[10:22.60]His driver is Mr.Mondello!" |