cc: file, Tony Hafen, Pauline Nelson via mail, Sara and Des Penny, and Maxine Shirts
"Swede Nelson (../0113.html) gave me an interesting lecture this week. It was titled `Board Room Wisdom.' The lecture was so good, I'm going to attempt to reconstruct it, and those of you who work in the business side of your professions will do good to review this every once so often.
As he finished, I said, `I understand. I've been there.
My name is Charles.' He laughed, and told me I understood
what he was attempting to teach me. He pointed out how I
have a tendency to give people much more than they want.
How I have so much in my mind, I start spouting, and then
someone checks the spelling or the numbers, find a
spelling error or a mathematical inconsistency, and throw
the whole message out, because my words come across as
Board Room Wisdom.
I'd ask how often you guys feel the Thoughtlets are simply Board Room Wisdom, but I probably wouldn't get any answers, so I won't ask. I guess I picked this as a topic for this week because I seem to be coming across a lot of this kind wisdom these days.
Actually, work-wise, it was a pretty good week. I met Escopeta Oil and Gas about an exploration project in the Cook Inlet of Alaska at 10:00 Monday morning. I expect them to hire me to do some data mining and integration. Sam LeRoy and Richard Nehring will both help with this. I went to a POPS luncheon at 11:30. Henry Groppe talked. Great talk. Those interested in oil prices ought to read my notes when you are down here at Christmas. Bottom line is he things we have run out of anything less than about $5.00 or $5.50 per thousand cubic feet (MCF) gas, and expects oil to hover at or above $30 per barrel. In the afternoon I met with Brad Macurda and Laura Hullman about industry training courses. For those interested in this, there are some web pages about this at www.walden3d.com/courses. Matt did the Family Home Evening, and he really is a pretty good teacher, even if he always wings his turn at the lessons.
Tuesday was spent with Basil giving presentations to ConocoPhillips, who reevaluated OPL-229. They seemed to leave very positive. It will be interesting to see if they move fast enough. In Saturday's Chronicle there was a big article about how they are going to grow the upstream side of their business. They are not going to find a better opportunity than OPL-229, and it will be interesting to see whether they choose to pursue this or not. I went out with the missionaries in the evening. We taught a third discussion to an unmarried black couple. He described himself as a thug on the street in his youth. However, they had read the Book of Mormon, had a very good spirit about them, and seem to be sincerely searching for truth. Sort of reminded me of ConocoPhillips earlier in the day. The ConocoPhillips folks were up against Board Room Wisdom about working in Nigeria and with Nigerians. The couple was up against their churches `wisdom' about Mormons, and all we represent.
Wednesday I was asked to call Jude in Nigeria. We had a good talk. I explained we had not received the payment that was due last Friday. He explained to me the bank was doing a `Round Robin,' where they sell the cash for black market Nigerian cash, then resell the Nigerian cash, and make about $1,000. per $10,000. in a couple of days. He assured me the money had been sent, and I felt his response was Board Room Wisdom. However, the money was wired from Nigeria on Thursday morning. Bet that is the first time any of you have heard of someone actually wiring money to the US from Nigeria. How many of you have got one of the Nigerian letters saying they have $24 million dollars and just need your bank account information to send it to you? Don't ever do this, as they empty your bank account. I feel like this was a major milestone. Andrea and I watched Enterprise while Matt went to Young Men's.
Thursday and Friday were a little slower. Although there is another probable interpretation project in the Blackfoot Indian Reservation in Montana. This is a big area about the same size of and adjacent to Glacier National Monument on the Canadian border. This project will be done through Swede Nelson. There was a three hour presentation at II&T to the representative of a Nigerian Investor who is talking about buying a large chunk of Emerald stock. His name is Mnuna Ogunka, and his card says he works for the Department of Petroleum Resources. I was very impressed with him. It seems like Jude is hitting 100% with the Nigerians he introduces to me. They are all first class people, and I have not seen any of the scam tendencies shown in the e-mails and letters asking for help to place $24 million. I also made some progress on my book, `An Open Mind.' I've written about 50 pages so far, and I like how it is going. It will be interesting to get comments from those of you that have an interest in reading this. Also, I got a nice note from Ron Burgerner illustrating Board Room Wisdom. In this case, it was a slam against the liberals who are fighting against tax cuts because it only benefits the rich. I quote it for your benefit, and encourage you to read it a time or two until you understand it:
About the same time Ron sent this, there was a Doonsbury
Cartoon, where the liberal and the conservative are
squaring off on a radio talk show. The liberal says
he does not understand the big Republican win at the
polls, and imparted some Board Room Wisdom stating his
party needs to get back on track with prescription drugs
for everyone, and a couple of other entitlement programs.
The conservative simply said, `This is why the
Republicans won big at the election.'
I've learned a little bit about a potential monopoly based in Vidor, Texas. Memory Melodies has a provisional patent, and so I can mention it in the Thoughtlet. They will sell cards with music chips inside of them and currently have 8 songs on chips. They get their first shipment in December and will be in business starting in January. Melanie, be careful about Board Room Wisdom, and get good advice for each stage of your new business. Remember my Board Room name is Charles.
Sara called as follow-up on a conversation we had in Austin. She expressed interest in marketing and selling Heritage Galleries On-Line (www.hgol.net), and is going to go out to New Ulm with me to talk to Ken Turner about it when she is in Houston for Thanksgiving. Remember my name is Charles when it comes to business wisdom, and so you might want to get some additional advice on this. I do think it is an opportunity with a lot of upside. And I've been proven to be too early time and time again.
Kate has been sending Journal entries out on Grant Matthew for several weeks. A few weeks ago she explained her Mom does not know how to read e-mail, and does fine with web pages. So I built a web site for Grant Matthew, and when Kate sends out a journal entry, I simply move it to the web site. This is a lot of fun for me, and it helps me feel like I'm involved with a grandchild, even if I'm a long ways away. I guess folks always like to be copied, and Kate's journal entries are a lot like my Thoughtlets. Isn't the imitation the greatest form of flattery? Anyway, for anyone interested in these, they are located at http://www.walden3d.com/GrantMatthew.
Friday night Andrea, Matt, and I went to see the new Bond movie: `Die Another Day.' I always have liked the Bond movies, even if they are a bit raunchy. This one was more like a comic book than most. I encourage each of you to go see it. I think you would all like it. There were not near as many people as when we went to `Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' last Friday night. And it was interesting how most of the attendees were older. Guess there is a different demographic for these two movies.
Between a run, choir practice, helping Andrea paint the kitchen ceiling, a trip to Katy for the Ward Activities Committee, and working on my book, there wasn't time for any Board Room Wisdom on Saturday. Today was pretty busy too. Enjoyed church, and the song the choir sang was nice. Last week I left High Priest Quorum hurt and somewhat angry. First time I ever remember those feelings from a priesthood lesson. Today it was the opposite. When we got home I finished putting the 102nd song in my notebook. This means I'm ready to start writing new songs when you all come to visit at Christmas. I still don't know if Audrey and Heather are coming. I hope you do! It was interesting to realize there are about 28 tunes that are started, with a couple of lines of a chorus or a verse, that are not included in the 102 songs in the new book. Our Home Teachers came at 4:00, and then Matt and I went Home Teaching. We had a few minutes between appointments and so Matt drove the car around the church parking lot for a while, and then he took the back way and drove all the way to Chris Schmidt's house, and then after giving the lesson back to our house. Did a really good job, for his first time to drive this far. Of course, it was with the new Saturn (0244.html), which has an automatic.
Mom sounded good, and she was happy with the flowers she received for her birthday. She did not remember getting any phone calls on her birthday. You can still call her and talk to her, and I encourage this. She is going to have an operation in the next couple of weeks. Even though it is day surgery, she will have to ride to St. George, sit up for about three hours, and then ride back to La Verkin. It will be hard for her.
In terms of next week, hopefully the Cook Inlet Project will start on Tuesday. Investor evaluators from Woodside are coming to town Wednesday through Friday to evaluate OPL-229. I might be working Thanksgiving day, and I will not know for sure until Wednesday evening. Hopefully we will present sufficient data and proof there will not be any decisions made on the basis of Board Room Wisdom."