Sometimes It’s the Simplest Solution

I would not consider myself an expert in physics — not by a long shot. I did well in physics in high school, and even enjoyed some parts of it, but by no means would I consider myself an expert. But one physics-related conundrum has always baffled me — and I was reminded of it again this weekend.

It is common logic that an object with a heavy, wide base would be much more stable and secure than something that is thinner, smaller, or lighter on the bottom than it is on the top. Hence why every bridge support, chair leg, and ancient Egyptian pyramid is wider on the bottom than it is on the top. Heck, I knew this basic principle when I played with my Weebles as a kid (”Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down!”, remember?).

So why is it that nearly every Christmas tree stand you have ever seen in a store is either small, made of lightweight plastic, or both? Last year, I went with the “economy” Christmas tree stand — a $5 metal tray with wobbly legs — and spent every day worrying that our modest size tree (7 feet) was going to fall on top of the dog when no one was home.

So on Saturday, I brought this year’s tree home, tossed it on the sidewalk in front of my house, and began trying to wrestle it into the stand. After about 20 minutes of trimming the trunk with an ax (and almost cutting off multiple toes), I bent the legs of the stand, kicked it in frustration, and headed for Home Depot. Once there, I found two different cheap plastic stands that looked like I could break them with my hands.

But I also found a wide, heavy metal stand with a big opening for the trunk (it was called “Santa’s Last Stand”, which I found quite funny). It seemed too simple, and too easy. But once I got home, I got it on the tree, straightened everything out, and was good to go in about 10 minutes. Not even Abby can bring this one down (although she does seem to enjoy drinking out of it), and it sure beats last year, when my dad became so frustrated with his tree stand that he threw the entire tree off the deck in anger (I helped him with the second tree).

At DDA, we do all kinds of complex, detailed, and in-depth projects — whether it is in new website development, print production, virtual trade shows, medical training videos, continuing medical education, or advanced eLearning solutions. But we also know when the simple answer is the right answer. We never sell you services and products that you don’t really need. If your business really only needs a small, focused website to be effective, we’re not going to push you into an 80-page, search engine optimized site that will take a year to launch.

That’s what sets us apart from other advertising and marketing agencies. Because we offer so many different services, we can pick the right one for your project, instead of trying to shoehorn you into something you may not really need. So you end up with a good working experience and the perfect finished product for your needs.

(Let’s hope this blog doesn’t jinx me, and I find Abby stuck under the tree when I get home.)

Entry by: Steve