Growing too fast ? Google is buying a company a week. This is beginning to sound a bit dangerous. Do they need these companies or are they eliminating possible future competition ?
Bananas and Monkeys
Start with a cage containing five monkeys.
Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it. Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the other monkeys with cold water.
After a while, another monkey makes an attempt with the same result - all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon, when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it.
Now, put away the cold water. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attack him.
After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.
Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm! Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked.
Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.
After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for the banana. Why not? Because as far as they know that's the way it's always been done round here.
And that, my friends, is how company policies are made.
A homeless man stops at a farmhouse to beg to spend the night.
The farmer answers the door and says, "Sure, we can put you up."
The vagrant washes up for dinner and meets the family downstairs.
Sitting at the dinner table are the farmer, his wife, their son,
and a gigantic pig who is sporting three medals around his neck,
as well as a wooden leg.
Unable to contain his curiosity he asks, "Would you mind telling
me about the bronze medal around your pig's neck?"
The farmer says "Sure. It's really an incredible story. Little
Timmy here was swimming in the lake when he got a cramp and
started to drown. This pig heard his cries for help, busted out
of his pen, ran to the lake, and saved our son's life. So, we
gave him the medal."
The vagrant is amazed and says "Well, how about that silver
medal?"
The farmer says "A few months ago our house caught fire in the
middle of the night while we were all sleeping. This pig saw the
flames, busted out of his pen and ran into the house, waking us
up in time. To show our gratitude we gave him that silver medal."
The homeless man says "While I'm at it, I might as well ask you
about the gold medal."
The farmer says "My wife was attacked by a burglar several weeks
ago. This pig heard her cries, busted out of his pen, and chased
that man far away. To show my thanks I gave him that gold medal
and allowed him to eat with us here in the house."
The homeless man sits in awe of the pig, who is blithely eating
his meal. He asks "What about the wooden leg?"
The farmer says, matter-of-factly, "Well, a pig like that you
don't eat all at once!"
