<Once upon a time, in the Great Kingdom of Heaven, God disappeared for six days. Eventually, the Archangel Michael found Him, resting upon the seventh day.

"Where have you been?" He quietly inquired of God.

God sighed, deep with satisfaction, and cast a hand down through the clouds. "Look upon it, Michael,” he directed. “Gaze upon what I have created."

Archangel Michael looked at the thing, but remained puzzled. "What is it?"

"It is a planet," God told Him. "I have also placed upon it -- Life. I shall call it Earth, a great place of great balance."

"Balance?"

God looked to the confused angel, then pointed to different parts of His Earth to explain. "For example, northern Europe will be a place of great opportunity and wealth, while southern Europe will be poor; the Middle East, over there, will be a hot-spot. Over there, I have placed a continent of white people, and over there is a continent of black people," God continued, pointing now to the individual countries. "This one will be extremely hot and arid, while this one will be very cold and covered in ice."

The Archangel, impressed by God's great work, pointed to a large land mass. "What of this one?" He inquired.

"Ah!" And God smiled. "That is Ohio. Ohio is the most glorious place on Earth. In Ohio, there are many beautiful lakes and rivers, glorious sunsets and green, rolling hills. The people from Ohio are going to be modest, intelligent and humorous, and they are going to be found traveling this world I have created. They will be extremely sociable, hard working and high achieving, and they will be known throughout the world as diplomats, and carriers of peace."

In his wonder at these marvelous things, Michael gasped, but then realized a possible flaw. "What of balance, God?" He asked. "You said there would be balance -- even for the extraordinary people of Your Ohio."

God nodded wisely and smiled to the Archangel. "Just you wait and see the idiots I am placing around them in Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.”

This message closes with the following:
Only someone who has grown up in Ohio would forward this e-mail

;^)
Dan