Wednesday, December 19, 2012

"Imperfect Square"

   "Corporate Meeting"- Up in Canada, they had a problem with snow and ice collecting on the power lines and downing/breaking them (or telephone lines, this was pre-cel phones, I guess).  They called a meeting to brainstorm ideas.  Brainstorm enough and people get tired or crazy, strange ideas get put out.  One brainstorming punch-drunk, as the meeting progressed, suggested getting bears to shake the poles.  Happy to chime in on this silly idea, a person asked, "How are you going to get the bears to shake the power poles (and shake off the accumulated snow and ice that was breaking the line and the reason for the meeting)?"  Another person in the spirit of the lunacy, and the boredom of sitting in a meeting of how to economically deal with the issue of downed lines deep in the isolated tundra, suggested that bowls of honey be placed on top of the poles.  This lead to the discussion of HOW do you get the honey up there, that lead to the quip of using helicopters to deliver the honey...  Which lead to the ultimate end idea and the solution of the meeting of just having helicopters fly out after a storm and the harsh backwash from the main rotor as the copter hover/flew over the lines knocking off the ice and snow, no bears and honey pots needed.  This is why I like creative brainstorming with creative people that can allow the lapse of sometimes silly ideas developing into great ideas.  I appreciate open-minds.