Wednesday, August 27, 2008

For My Aunt

Happy Birthday Aunt Missy!


And again...

Today is Missy's birthday. Happy Birthday from Dave, Kristin, and Patten.

In other news.
Patten plays twice a week with Michael from downstairs. They like each other (we think - how can you really tell)? Here is a picture of the rascals - notice the belly - gotta love it.


I want to be in the Saucer - Michael, can you share?



On another note. Looks like all y'all made the right choice by NOT going to law / business school. If it weren't for the sympathetic face-saving comment from Dan (thanks, by the way) - my little experiment (see the next post down) would have gone nearly two weeks without a single comment. Your reluctance doesn't change the fact that I liked the class / material / etc.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

This Should Be Fun

I took a week-long class taught by one law and one business professor the other week. The business professor was exceptional. I won't bore you with the details - just trust me, he taught exceptionally well.

He presented a thought experiment that made me think (looks like it worked). I thought y'all would enjoy. I can't remember the problem's details (they filled 8 or so single spaced sheets of paper), but I can remember enough to give you an idea. Leave your answer, what you would do in the situation, in the comments. As per the instructions in class, you must give an initial yes or no answer with no strings attached - then you may support that answer. Also, don't assume any facts not given in the problem.

The Problem:

You make business decisions for a refrigerator manufacturing company. Your scientistists recently invented a new cooling mechanism, way-cool gas, for the latest refrigerator model. The way-cool cooling system uses much less energy and keeps food cool for much longer than your competitors models. For some time your company has actively pursued opportunities to expand outside of the United State of America. You know capitalist America largely dictates prices in less affluent areas and that the stockholders of your company desperately want big returns this year.

You have an opportunity to sell 1.5 million refrigerators to the United Nations this month, with a net profit of $10 million - a substantial return. You must make the decision today. The UN will distribute your refrigerators to individuals in third world countries who currently do not have refrigerators. Your energy-efficient longer-cooling fridges are the only fridges these individuals can use because all other fridges cost too much money and don't keep food cool long enough. You know that many of these people have never even seen a fridge in their lives. You also know your fridges will save the lives of people who would otherwise die from malnutrition / starvation - but you don't know how many lives your fridges will save.

Yesterday your scientists informed you your fridge has a defect. Out of the 1.5 million fridges you plan to sell, roughly 125 of them will leek free-on gas through a defective tube - killing any person within a 20-foot radius. Your scientists predict 500 people will die from the cumulative effect of these gas leaks (in fact the lead scientist, in a fit of rage, informed you "signing that contract is like signing 500 people's death sentences"). Your legal counsel assures you that because your daughter company will sign the official contract, the deaths will not tarnish your company's name. In fact, it is most likely even you will never hear of the 500 deaths. You could fix the problem, however doing so would take 30 days and you would miss this golden contract opportunity.

To complicate matters even more your competitor is waiting in line for this UN contract - hence if you don't take it today you will lose it. Your competitor does not have the energy-efficient longer-cooling fridges you do - but his fridges also (you assume) do not have the defect yours do.

Do you sign the contract with the UN? Yes or no.

Why?

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

A Little Help

Okay - I know there are hundreds of people who read this blog.

That being the case, I have a request. Patten is teething, has been for awhile, and I'm sure will continue for awhile.

While Kristin and I don't exactly enjoy Patten's screaming at night, and while we feel badly for the poor kid, we REALLY feel badly our extended family.

Why you may ask? Because this weekend we have a family reunion and 37 of our family members will be staying in the same house. The last few weeks Patten has consistently cried from about midnight until we get him back to sleep at 2 a.m. We don't want to keep all 37 of our extended family members awake during those hours.

Soooooo - if you have a remedy for a teething baby, please share. I don't care if it is natural, non-natural, expensive, inexpensive, etc.

Oh yeah - you only have one day to give us your insight because we leave for the reunion on Thursday evening.

Monday, August 4, 2008

Patten Shenanigans

A smattering of Patten sightings:

* Patten's canine teeth appeared the other week. Cool, huh.

* Patten has learned the art of shrieking (yelling, screaming, grunting, etc.) Most comically, in my mind, is what must be going on in his brain when people react to his noises. Patten thinks, "I think I will yell now." [Yells]. Some bystander, directly following the yell, says "Dave and Kristin - what is wrong with Patten - why is he so cranky?" Or "Patten - be quiet." To which Patten thinks "hmmm, my noise made them make noises (although I don't have a clue what "be quiet" means) - I think I'll make another noise and see if they make more noises." The cycle continues. He's outsmarted us all.

* Patten lost his first major amount of blood the other day. While walking around a picnic table he slipped and hit his head on the seat. Kristin picked him up. He screamed - a lot. Next thing I know I hear "Dave..." And what to my wondering eyes should appear (name that song) but a whole lot of blood all over Kristin's shoulder and Patten's face. We cleaned him up (are wipes toxic? - if so we probably did more damage than good because he sucked on a few of the wipes we had used to clean his face) and realized he had cut his bottom lip on his teeth. He's fine. It was dramatic. Thanks to Adam and Melaine for calmly guiding us through our first child injury.