“Regarding the puzzle...”

I find it's a lot more fun to try to explain the solution to this puzzle than it is to present the puzzle in the first place. It's killing me that the only person who has responded so far knew the solution ahead of time!

Poor Brian A. was tortured with a puzzle similar to this almost a year ago, and many of my friends and family probably groaned a little (as in, "not that again!") when they read it. :-)