IJMC - I Don't Want The Time

You've got to love it...a man comes up with a brilliant invention...and 
someone else wants to do nothing but buy it. What has this world come to? 
You can buy almost anything nowadays...and some day, I hope to. My 
economics professor commented a few days ago, "CEO's are the nicest 
people you'd ever meet, because they're so rich all of their problems are 
someone else's." I like that theory...now if I could only graduate. -dave





Do you have the time?
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Jake is struggling through a bus station with two huge and obviously
heavy suitcases when a stranger walks up to him and asks "Have you got
the time?"

Jake sighs, puts down the suitcases and glances at his wrist. "It's a
quarter to six," he says.

"Hey, that's a pretty fancy watch!" exclaims the stranger. 

Jake brightens a little. "Yeah, it's not bad. Check this out" - and he
shows him a time zone display not just for every time zone in the
world, but for the 86 largest metropolin.

He hits a few buttons and from somewhere on the watch a voice says
"The time is eleven 'til six" in a very West Texas accent. A few more
buttons and the same voice says something in Japanese. Jake continues
"I've put in regional accents for each city". The display is
unbelievably high quality and the voice is simply astounding.

The stranger is struck dumb with admiration. "That's not all," says
Jake. He pushes a few more buttons and a tiny but very hi-resolution
map of New York City appears on the display. "The flashing dot shows
our location by satellite positioning," explains Jake. "View recede
ten," Jake says, and the display changes to show eastern New York
state.

"I want to buy this watch!" says the stranger.

"Oh, no, it's not ready for sale yet; I'm still working out the bugs,"
says the inventor.  "But look at this," and he proceeds to 
demonstrate that the watch is also a very creditable little FM radio 
receiver with a digital tuner, a sonar device that can measure 
distances up to 125 meters, a pager with thermal paper printout and, 
most impressive of all, the capacity for voice recordings of up to 
300 standard-size books," though I only have 32 of my favorites in 
there so far" says Jake.

"I've got to have this watch!" says the stranger.

"No, you don't understand; it's not ready."

"I'll give you $1000 for it!"

"Oh, no, I've already spent more than -"

"I'll give you $5000 for it!"

"But it's just not -"

"I'll give you $15,000 for it!" And the stranger pulls out a
checkbook.  Jake stops to think. He's only put about $8500 into
materials and development, and with $15 000 he can make another one
and have it ready for merchandising in only six months. The stranger
frantically finishes writing the check and waves it in front of him.
"Here it is, ready to hand to you right here and now. $15,000. Take
it or leave it." Jake abruptly makes his decision. "OK," he says, and
peels off the watch. They make the exchange and the stranger starts
happily away.

"Hey, wait a minute," calls Jake after the stranger, who turns
around warily. Jake points to the two suitcases he'd been trying to
wrestle through the bus station. "Don't forget your batteries."