Remind You of Anyone?

Remind You of Anyone?

by

Dr. Barry Goodman, DO

Southwestern US Real Estate Investment Manager

Madrigal Electromotive

I got a memo from Madrigal Electromotive's Communication director. He feels my “content” needs to be more “conversational” to better fit a “blog” style. Conversation! Hey here's total conversation, here's mountains of conversation:

I was thinking of discussions we'd have during night shifts when the American Psychiatric Association came out with their “Diagnostic Criteria From DSM-IV(r).” That's their guidebook and rough criteria to various psychiatric illnesses mainly for classification purposes and to help get everyone on the same page. It's not a cookbook to simply follow, but general guidelines which needs lots of judgment and experience to put together. I was cleaning up my bookshelf and came upon my little pocket “Quick Reference.”  So let's thumb through it discuss the question: “REMIND YOU OF ANYONE?”

Oh, I forgot, Mr. Goodman (before you ask, we're friends and work together to assist his clients/my patients, but we're not related) asks that I give the following disclaimer:

“Nothing in this blog constitutes medical advise nor should it be construed to the development of a doctor patient relationship nor that that even has any relationship to reality in the real world. The article will paraphrase and abbreviate the diagnostic criteria and is using it in the mode of fair use and everyone who reads this should go out and buy a copy for their own use. No one should consider this a diagnosis of anyone living, planning on living or currently dead. We strongly recommend you stop reading this at this time, delete it from your cache, re-boot your computer and never open this file again so if you're still reading this it's at your own risk. This is not to refer to any current or future patients nor is it designed to in anyway represents the nature of these diseases and disorders in any light or with any commentary.”

Let's start out from the category “Substance-Related Disorders.” Sub-category “Intoxication”

1. Recent consumption
2. Five or more of the following signs developed after use:
   Restlessness
   Nervousness
   Excitement
   Inability to sleep
   Flushed
   Sweating
   Vomiting and/or diarrhea, stomach cramps
   Twitching
   Rambling thought and speech
   Rapid heart rate or palpitations
   Awake for long periods with too much energy
   Thought and muscle agitation
3. The above needs to be causing significant problems of social, job or other important areas

Remind you of anyone? Any guesses?

Oh, I forgot, the substance was, caffeine.

I bet you were thinking of methamphetamine, that criteria is really weird, and smaller, so check out 292.89 if you want to read about that malady.

Here's another one:

1. Recurrent failure to resist impulses to steal objects that aren't needed for personal or monetary value
2. Increasing sense of tension just before stealing.
3. Joy, satisfaction, or relief when in the act
4. It's not due to anger or revenge, nor due to hallucinations

Guesses? It's Kleptomania. Remind you of anyone? 

For fun, see if you can make anyone fit into this diagnosis: 312.31.  Does anyone you know really fit this diagnosis?

Last one, which might be interesting:

1. There is a pervasive pattern of disregard for the violation of the rights of others with three or more of the following:
   I) Failure to conform to social norms with respect otlawful behaviors by REPEATEDLY PERFORMING ACTS THAT ARE GROUNDS FOR ARREST.
   II) Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated LYING, USE OF ALIASES, OR CONNING OTHERS FOR PERSONAL PROFIT or pleasures.
   III) impulsivity or FAILURE TO PLAN AHEAD
   IV) irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults
   V) RECKLESS DISREGARD for SAFETY OF SELF OR OTHERS
   VI) consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations
   VII) Lack of remorse as indicated by being indifferent to OR RATIONALIZING HAVING HURT, MISTREATED, or stolen from another.

Guesses? It's Antisocial Personality Disorder. Fit anyone you know?

Oh, I forgot. I left out some parts: The beginning should read pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others occurring SINCE AGE 15 YEARS and that there is evidence of Conduct Disorder (basically being a full grade jerk) since AGE 15.

It must be so rare to have someone “break bad” at a later age, that it doesn't fit into the normal categories.

Want to try this on your own, get the book and give it a shot in your spare time.

Rewarding Employment Opportunities Equals Expanded Business Opportunities

 

Rewarding Employment Opportunities

Equals

Expanded Business Opportunities

Carlos Pimentel, MBA has been with Madrigal Electromotive since starting his career as a part time cook at our Los Pollos Hermanos subsidiary in 1990 while in high school He is currently working in our Houston headquarters as the Director of Human Resources and Development.

Mr. Pimentel received his BA in Human Resources from the University of New Mexico and and MBA from Wake Forest University. We our delighted that he can share the full depth of his experience from our new employees to seasoned managers.

A multinational corporation such as Madrigal Electromotive takes on a life of its own, looked upon as a single monolithic entity. However internally we look upon ourselves as a good citizen of each country we do business in. In reality though, we're an amalgamation of citizens from those countries. It's internalized into our corporate culture that we not only serve our varied customers but also our wide network of employees, consultants, and agents. Our “corporate citizens.”

We don't have any great or proprietary concepts in personal management. We treat our customers as priority one. We believe they should receive the highest value products and services for their money while treating them with the utmost of respect. This same philosophy then flows to our treatment of employees. We recognize that their time, efforts and labor should return the greatest rewards possible. Consistently applying these two approaches, our company reaches an optimal delivery of products and services to our customers, while assuring premium rewards and benefits for our employees with minimal energy input to maintain this state. (Minimal Entropy)

Training, leadership, imprinting, corrections, recognition, and rewards can best be performed by management spending direct time with the new employees, employees at the various levels of the organization allows for enhanced communications and ability to reward excellent performance. This is why you'll often see managers throughout the entire chain of command on the front line of retail customer support. While high level tasks need to be performed as part of management's main task, working with their front line employees and customers is required for a complete on constant understanding of the business.

Example of Employee Rewards:

While I could use myself as someone who started out making chicken that was “METHodically Made, for METHodical Tastes(tm)” and currently holds an international corporate position, I'd like to address a fellow not much younger them myself who started working for me when I was a freshly minted manager at the first US Los Pollos Hermanos. I took over from an MBA student named Ted, who had a little “accident” with one of the cashiers and elected to leave suddenly without notice to join the family business, some type of parts fabricators.

Mr. Fring recognized my work and gave me the chance to grow and succeed even though I was still a college undergrad. My first hire was a very nice fellow named Gale who had a desire to serve the public with the finest quality products. He had his own line which I've plagiarized many times in my own lecture material: "Customers want what they want. With me cooking they’re getting exactly what they pay for."

Gale was a model employee. Besides the most perfect chicken, he aimed for the worlds most perfect cup of coffee. He would tweek and tweek the mixture, the timing, the drip rate, the rate of water flow, the holding temperature. Every possible variable was massaged until he was able to produce the ultimate cup of coffee every time. His method is followed to the letter even to this day as part of the LPH operations manual. But Gale's true success came with his use of the Operations Manual.

The Operations Manual is the Bible of running a standardized restaurant such as LPH. By the time I came aboard, the manual has been fine tuned over 5 years. The original Spanish version was built in Mexico, the birth place of LPH. Mr. Fring and his original partner put countless sweat and toil to that guidebook having every operational facet covered in detail. The problem with any Operations Manual, as the actual Bible, is that it's only good if someone opens it, reads it, and follows the teaching. Most employees, despite encouraging the use, do not wish to put in the time and effort. They rely on word of mouth to do their job. Gale was the opposite. He read and could quote the guide book from cover to cover. Except for coffee production, he followed every instruction to the letter. This was his style. It was simple, it was easy, and wildly successful. He just simply followed the recipe.

By taking advantage of the method sand training the LPH offered, Gale quickly climbed that latter moving into my position when I went off to pursue my MBA. (After graduation, I returned to Madrigal Electromotive in Richmond, Virginia. They never officially told me, but I believe my reward for loyalty consisted of my student loans one day disappearing ). Gale developed a loyal following of customers and employees and freed up Mr. Fring to open up several more stores. Mr. Fring, who often worked side by side with Gale in store operations recognized his talents and gave him a management position at the new chicken processing plant. The plant was one of LPH's many steps to assure a consistent quality product from the Chicken pen to the store.

This story might have ended here. However Gale truly hated the processing plant. About a week into the position he advised upper management that he has elected to become a vegan and could no longer work there. Needless to say, any other chicken restaurant would find that a vegan wouldn't exactly fit with the corporate image, but that's not how Madrigal Electromotive works. Mr. Fring after speaking with Gale realized he had a true talent for the scientific method (as demonstrated by his coffee experiments) and the keen mind to become a great chemist. Instead of dismissing him, for essentially insubordination, or allowing him to go elsewhere. He rewarded all of Gale's past efforts and future promise by creating a scholarship in chemistry. He made Gale the first recipient. The scholarship was named after Maximino Arciniega the original partner in LPH who died during a hunting accident before the expansion into the United States.

 

Gale went on to travel the globe as a Chemical Engineering consultant for Madrigal Electromotive. He developed chemical plants of various types in almost every market served by ME. While becoming quite well off in his own right, he helped develop large swaths of business of for ME in multiple countries. Overall he received ample rewards for his hard work and dedication to Los Pollos Hermanos and Madrigal Electromotive. While Madrigal Electromotive was rewarded for its loyalty to Gale:

Editors Note: After this paper was written, Gale Boetticher was murdered in an apparent robbery attempt. Our prayers are with his family and friends. Madrigal Electromotive will be offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

 

25th Anniversary of Assasination Attempt on Chilean Dictator aGUSto Pinchet

Writer: Corporate Historian Renold Schilke






Yesterday (September 7th) marked the 25th anniversary of the 1986 assassination attempt on Chilean Dictator aGUSto Pinochet. This was a dark day for Madrigal Electromotive's operation in Chile. With close family cultural ties, Chile was an early area of expansion for this young German Company. In the aftermath, several employees, contractors and clients of Madrigal Electromotive were kidnapped, tortured, and/or killed. We do not know what happened to several others who simply vanished.


Political unrest increases risks but also offers great potential rewards in overseas operations.  At Madrigal Electromotive, we've always tried to use existing ties to a country be in enclaves of cultural ties.  Family ties in far flung areas give an entree to the  fringes of the globe.  Past associates and clients who've immigrated to other countries offer great opportunities toward expansion.


Unfortunately, the aftermath of the assassination attempt was a large blow to our Chilean operations. 

Vitamins and Clean Living by Dr. Barry Goodman, DO

Vitamins and Clean Living

by

Dr. Barry Goodman, DO

Southwestern US Real Estate Investment Manager

Madrigal Electromotive

Another rush job for a quick blog. Hey doc, can you write a bit about narcotic addiction? Oh, yes, let's just whip off a couple of paragraphs and cover the whole gambit. Not a chance. But I'll try to go over how complicated pain control and narcotic addiction can be to manage.

Pain, to a point serves a purpose. Stop walking on that leg, it's broken, that's why it hurts. Get off that nail. Stop walking and rest, you're having a heart attack. Stop hitting your head against the wall, it's a dumb thing to do since it hurts.

Once the message is received then pain turns into suffering. One of our missions in medicine is to reduce suffering. So we try different methods to control the pain. We try to change the anatomy. Put the fracture into a cast, pull the disc away from the pinched nerve, sew up the laceration. We try medication to stop the inflammatory process which fires off the nerves in the first place (ibuprofen and Tylenol). However when all else fails, we try to block the nerves from conducting pain by using narcotics. This includes Vicodin, Lortab, Percocet, Morphine, Dilaudid, Heroin, Nubain, and other drugs.

The narcotics, when used to the point of relieving pain, usually do not cause a huge amount of problems. But, since they also have affects on the brain we begin to run into problems when the narcotics are used for euphoria, instead of pain relief, quite a thin line.

Some folks simply start off taking narcotics just for the euphoric affect, “I like them.” Heroin users, heavy drinkers, and other drug users will simply add them to their menu. Once in a while though, someone who starts the narcotics for genuine pain control becomes addicted to the euphoria. They search out the drugs not for just controlling their pain, but beyond that to “get a buzz.”

The “Accidental Addict” in some ways becomes a greater problem then the one who starts out with the goal of abuse. The AA does not perceive themselves as an addict nor do those around them. The AA might be a police officer, soldier or some other “macho” type who finds himself in the embarrassing position of being dependent on pills which now drive their life. Getting them to realize they're in trouble and seek help can be extremely difficult. Like the alcoholic they might make up euphemisms for their habit, they're not taking drugs, they're taking vitamins.

Treatment takes time, there is a withdrawal process for the physical dependence and it makes future pain extremely difficult to manage.

At the Barry Goodman, DO clinic we have specialist in addiction who are available for consultations in this area. If you have any concerns for yourself or others we encourage you to visit us for evaluation and counseling. 

Ricin To The Occasion

Ricin To The Occasion

Dr. Barry Goodman runs a Concierge Medical practice in Albuquerque as part of his duties running the clinic, he also finds himself as Southwestern US Real Estate Investment Manager for Madrigal Electromotive.

We're just trying out this communication method with our clients around the globe, I'm sure there's a few kinks to work out.  So stick with us and our team will try to keep you informed on various topics over time. 

It started out a while back.  Corporate drops me an e-mail. Start up this “Blog” thing for public relations. The gal says she needs an article about ricin. What the heck would our clients want to know about ricin? She said it was currently of interest Europe, they would take care of the translation, yadda, yadda, yadda.

That was a while back, frankly, I dropped the ball. Not that I wasn't doing double duty anyhow. I completed a purchase of some rental housing. Really a sad story. This poor fellow just got multiple kicks in the groin. I happen to meet while waiting for an after hours business meeting at a local bar. I struck up a conversation with this shaken fellow. Turns out his daughter recently died from a drug overdose, what a nightmare right there. It placed him into such a tailspin, he lost it at work and got fired.

This was a quiet fellow, showing off a picture of his late daughter. He was in such pain. I couldn't quite figure out what happened, but apparently a quantum disaster at work. He explained his need to unload some property. I looked at his face, deep into his tortured soul, and realized, this was a cue. I'm not sure ethically if it was the right thing to do, negotiating with a fellow in such a state of mind, but he experienced great relief when freed of this burden. The property now resides in the Madrigal Electromotive inventory.

Sorry, back to ricin. A few years back, even us docs in the field wouldn't really think much about ricin. I'm sure it popped up in some lecture or another, but from a practical matter, what difference did it make? A fellow comes in with fluids coming out of both ends the first thought isn't going to be “hmmm, this could be ricin.” No, it's stomach flu until there's a reason for it not to be. Well that was before 9/11. Suddenly there's a great interest in weapons of mass destruction. Ton's of government sponsored courses on CBRNE weapons (Chemical, Biological, Radiation, Nuclear, and Explosive). Ricin makes prime time.

Now for pure terror, nothing beats a good old A-bomb. A big boom, lot's of sudden dead and a lot of collateral damage. But it's expensive, highly technical and trackable. Not the most desirable for a terrorist on a shoestring. Now take ricin. It's made from castor plant beans. They can grow in the poppy fields. Easily available, easily produced and highly toxic. Three desirable features for a terrorist on a budget. Now it's not going to have mega wide area dispersal, by let's say a Cessna It's simpler and cheaper to place into the food supply Perhaps a mole working at a fast food place or a food distribution center. Suddenly lots of sick folks overrunning an already bursting emergency medical system.

While the poison doesn't self multiply such as anthrax or plague, this reduces the risk in handling to the product by the less trained front line troops. Also decreases the risk of blow back to the manufacturers by contaminated co-conspirators.

Low skills to make, an undergraduate chemistry major has the skill to make it. Delivery? Take your pick of routes: Inhale it, eat it or have it injected all with great affect. The final product delivers a one-two punch. The first punch opens the cell up while the two punch enters and stops the cell's function. Dead cell. Not a quick instant death like you see in the movies. A slower miserable death over time depending on the dose and route.

If it goes through the GI track, a bit over 3 gm is all that's needed. The weight of a dime. Diarrhea, GI bleed, death to the kidney, liver and spleen and the whole system collapses within days. Breathing in that amount and it's mega pneumonia. Lungs start swelling with fluids, cough, respiratory failure all within a couple of days. Injected, even a smaller amount can cause all this damage on all the systems. No matter how, it's. a rather nasty way to go.

When the poor victim makes it to the ED, there's not going to be a sign on him “POISONED BY RICIN.” No way, so it's going to be play it as it lays medicine. Fluids for the poops, breathing treatment for the lungs, and try to get a handle on things. Even if there was the big sign it wouldn't change much There's no antidote. As systems shut down, all the medical team can do is try to prop things up until the body heals itself. The only clue this could be more then a pneumonia, food poisoning or stomach flu is if multiple folks show up with the same symptoms from the same location. Still could be food poisoning, but at least the source can start to be hunted down. No matter what the, victim is in much hurt without aggressive treatment and good luck.

The terrorist generates fear, It might take out opponents depending on how surgical the strike.. Once it's “announced” that ricin is the culprit fear of the food and water supply develops, again overwhelming local resources. But the even more worrisome danger: What if some highly skilled chemist starts figuring out how to make this stuff in bulk with an efficient delivery system. All bets are off.

Making too Much Money: And This Is Somehow Bad News?

 Lisa Dimosi, JD, MBA, CPA
Regional Financial Officer
Madrigal Electromotive

This is the first article of hopefully many by Madriagal Electromotive's new Regional Financial Officer. Lisa Dimosi, JD, MBA, CPA. Ms. Demosi has just joined the Albuquerque Branch after spending 5 years as a corporate attorney in our Houston headquarters. She'll take on the role of regional Chief Financial Officer and will also maintain a number of retail financial and legal consulting clients, a special management trait of Madrigal Electromotive.

Ms. Dimosi has extensive experience in numerous areas of finance and law. After graduating from UCLA with a degree in Economics and California Lutheran University with a Master's of Business Administration, Ms. Demosi Spent 20 years in the United States Marine Corp earning a Law Degree at Southwestern College of Law.  With law degree in hand she switched to the JAG Corp which enabled her to  manage cases across the globe supporting the Marine's mission.

Making too Much Money: 
And This Is Somehow Bad News?

 

As a financial consultant, I find at dinner parties and even at times in the office the hypothetical question arises: “What if I started generating lot's of money, not quite legally?” I bring this up as my first article because it demonstrates a unique situation not faced in daily life, and it's a great exercise in out of the box thinking along with how every operation requires thought and planning.

First off, this is all hypothetical discussion. Just for fun and to exercise the brain. Second, hopefully you never are involved in these activities, but if you are, make sure your financial adviser is an attorney, so your conversations are privileged.

Money is a good thing, taxes and the governmental police powers to collect a portion of that money are not. Remember, that “unexplained” money is taxable. So if your reported income is $20,000/yr and your living in a $1 Million dollar mansion, then, well you have some 'splaining to do or pay taxes on the assumed income. So 'splaining that income becomes an enterprise in all to itself.

Here's an example brought to my attention by Dr. Goodman. The article is about a physician running a “Pill Mill.”  I'm sure he referred to them as "Vitamin Pills"   He didn't have legal problems with the very questionable medical care, no, he went to jail for money laundering, All the effort of setting up and running this operation, and it fell down due to poor money management:

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/44129597/CINCINNATI-DOCTOR-RECEIVES-TWO-YEAR-SENTENCE-FOR-MONEY-LAUNDERING

Money laundering is the process of taking money from a questionable source, cleaning through a legitimate enterprise to create "clean money"

You find large flows of money coming down the pike, it's hard cash, and you don't want to really advertise the source of this money on a 1040.  You need to work it into a legitimate business which you suddenly find to be unbelievably successful. While taxes are paid on the final cash flow, that's one less legal authority nipping at your heels.  Just another cost of doing business and your civil duty.

Ideally the new business will take income in the form received in the legitimate business, large bills, small bills, coins, whatever. The bank needs to not get suspicious, nor should the authorities. There are multiple cash business with minimal inventory and therefore minimal records. While a casino sounds great on the surface, there's quite a bit of regulation, something that most in this area want to avoid.  For discussion, here's a few examples:

1 – Car parking lots. All cash business. Receipts might be issued, but extras can be printed up and destroyed thus increasing how many cars are going into and out of your lot. A great way to buy up real estate which can preserve capital and sold in the future when the funds are needed. Nearly impossible to audit unless time is invested actually counting cars coming in and out.

2 – Music groups. The music business always seems to be generating more money then the talent justifies, but in this cash flow lies opportunities. It also might get your half talent relative on the road and out of your hair. The band might not be good enough to fill up the room, but needs to be good enough to keep people in the room, and buying drinks, once they're there. So let's see how to launder money with “Jesse and the Tweekers”
The set up is simple. Send the band on the road. Make deals with the various venues that you'll fill the site up with “x” amount of patrons. They keep the drink money. The advance men go out to “sell” tickets. If they're able to actually sell the tickets, great, more money in their pocket and money to pay the band. Most likely they're giving the tickets away just to get folks in. Whatever it takes the venue needs to fill up. Each ticket “sold” is money from the underground business going through the legit business.   One can also do this in the "Let's put on a play" mode, but it's harder to fill a house on a daily basis in the same location.

Make sure to have lot's of fun T-shirts around and other material to sell. These needs to be items that a drunk will buy because it's cool looking, not because they care about the band. The shirts need to be made cheaply. Shirts sold, great, pays for the shirts you're going to donate to an African charity under the table, and hopefully will pay for the band. It's always nice if a laundering operation makes some money instead of losing.  Any shirt donated becomes a shirt "bought" by the illicit money stream.

3 – Gentleman's club. A well ran “Gentleman's Club” can generate huge cash flow. Conversions of small bills to large bills and back again takes place on a regular basis. There are no receipts, and except for alcohol, no records. The dancers are independent contractors, they collect money which they keep, however they pay a fee to be allowed to perform at the club. Patrons  bring in $100's, $50's and $20's to be converted to smaller bills (never give change in 1's, get a collection of $2 bills if available).  The dancer then often change money back into larger bills.  The bar usually has a huge markup. Large bills can easily be slipped into the cash flow of the cash exchange portion and the bar. Buying extra super cheap bottles of alcohol, calculating the amount of drinks one can make from it and then sending it down the sink is another way to transfer large amounts of money from the hidden business to the legitimate business.

Another major advantage of a gentleman's club: most males working in your enterprise will enjoy the chance to visit and work there. That will maintain loyalty and allows you to assign them tasks they may not normally accept. It also makes an excellent meeting place where one can meet in plain site, lost in the crowd.

Hope you enjoyed this exercise, of course it's purely hypothetical. I'm looking forward to developing a Legal and my Financial Consulting Clientele here in the Albuquerque area.   If you are in need of our services, feel free to  e-mail: LisaDimosi@MadrigalElectromotive.com

.

 .