Post by JJ Judkins on Apr 9, 2006 16:52:02 GMT -6
A man slow witted man walked into a pattent office. He walked up to
the patent officer and said, "Hey, I've got a new idea for a mouse
trap." (Draw a box on the blackboard.)
"Here's the box." (Draw a hole in the box.) "Here's the hole." (Draw a
circle in the bottom of the hole) "Here's the cheese." (Draw a line
across the hole in the box.) "Here's the blade. The mouse sticks his
head in the holeto get the cheese, the blade drops on his neck and kills
him." The patent officer looks at the diagram. He understands that the
man is a little slow so he wants to be kind. He explains to the man that
he does not think the design is ready to be patented yet. He tells the
man, "Please, work on it some more. Perhaps I will be able to patent it
another time." The slow witted man says thank you and leaves the office.
One week later the slow witted man shows up again. (Draw the exact same
example on the board in exactly the same way.) The slow witted man says,
"This is the box, this is the hole, this is the cheese and this is the
wire. The mouse sticks his head in the hole to get the cheese, the wire
wraps round his neck and kills him."
The patent officer, still trying to be kind, makes the same excuse as
before. The slow witted man leaves.
One week later the slow witted man returns. He approaches the same
pattent officer and says, (The exact same things)
"Here's the box. Here's the hole. (This time he draws a zig-zag line
across the hole and he does not draw a circle for the cheese.) After
completing the zig-zag line, the slow witted man proclaims, "and here's
the saw blade."
The patent officer notices the design and the fact that that ther is no
cheese. He asks the slow witted man, "Where's the cheese." "Ah-ha," says
the slow witted man.
"That's the point. The mouse sticks his head in the hole
and says," "Where did you put the cheese."
the patent officer and said, "Hey, I've got a new idea for a mouse
trap." (Draw a box on the blackboard.)
"Here's the box." (Draw a hole in the box.) "Here's the hole." (Draw a
circle in the bottom of the hole) "Here's the cheese." (Draw a line
across the hole in the box.) "Here's the blade. The mouse sticks his
head in the holeto get the cheese, the blade drops on his neck and kills
him." The patent officer looks at the diagram. He understands that the
man is a little slow so he wants to be kind. He explains to the man that
he does not think the design is ready to be patented yet. He tells the
man, "Please, work on it some more. Perhaps I will be able to patent it
another time." The slow witted man says thank you and leaves the office.
One week later the slow witted man shows up again. (Draw the exact same
example on the board in exactly the same way.) The slow witted man says,
"This is the box, this is the hole, this is the cheese and this is the
wire. The mouse sticks his head in the hole to get the cheese, the wire
wraps round his neck and kills him."
The patent officer, still trying to be kind, makes the same excuse as
before. The slow witted man leaves.
One week later the slow witted man returns. He approaches the same
pattent officer and says, (The exact same things)
"Here's the box. Here's the hole. (This time he draws a zig-zag line
across the hole and he does not draw a circle for the cheese.) After
completing the zig-zag line, the slow witted man proclaims, "and here's
the saw blade."
The patent officer notices the design and the fact that that ther is no
cheese. He asks the slow witted man, "Where's the cheese." "Ah-ha," says
the slow witted man.
"That's the point. The mouse sticks his head in the hole
and says," "Where did you put the cheese."