On Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:36:47 -0700, Darren New wrote:

> Jim Henderson wrote:
>> I hear "opportunity" instead of "problem".
> 
> That probably actually started out as reasonable advice. Some problems
> actually are opportunities. "Problem: The program is too slow.
> Opportunity: Rewrite it with better algorithms, given what we learned
> from the first version."   "Problem: we're out of cheap, popular CPUs.
> Opportunity: Sell the more expensive, more profitable CPUs."

I think that's probably right.  In a previous job, management referred to 
all "problems" as "opportunities", though - regardless of whether or not 
it actually was or not.  The spin was "it's an opportunity for you to 
shine!".  But of course, on those days, I left my shoe shining kit at 
home. :-(

> The problem comes not from determining if there's an opportunity within
> the problem, but from dismissing a very real problem by naming it
> "opportunity". :-)

Yep.

> As for the "110%", I usually answer that with "No, you get about 35%,
> unless you pay me overtime." ;-)

LOL, I like that.

Jim

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Warp wrote:
>   They don't realize that's exactly as silly as saying "we are miles ahead
> of our competitors", 

That's not that bad, if you're talking about racing. It's just ... 
sloppier. You could say "We're years ahead" and imply that it would take 
the competition years to catch up.  But you can say "We're miles ahead" 
and imply you're well ahead of the competition without actually 
committing to how *much* ahead you are. :-)

-- 
Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)
  Helpful housekeeping hints:
   Check your feather pillows for holes
    before putting them in the washing machine.

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Orchid XP v8 <voi### [at] devnull> wrote:
> "A spaceman came travelling on his ship from afar. Twas light years of 
> time since his mission did start."

> Like, WTF?

  Not only is the term "parsec" used as a unit of time in the original
Star Wars, but there's actually a second WTF related to the use of that
unit: It's a unit related to the orbital diameter of the Earth, and Star
Wars happens "in a galaxy far, far away". No Earth there.

-- 
                                                          - Warp

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Warp wrote:
> Mueen Nawaz <m.n### [at] ieeeorg> wrote:
>> 110%
> 
>   That's an especially funny expression because it's so easy to defend,
> and so easy to debunk at the same time.
> 
>   "Doing 110% means that you not only do everything you can, but you
> make extra effort and surpass yourself and give a little more."
>   But if you could surpass your efforts by 10%, that means you weren't
> doing it at 100% to begin with...

This reminds me of a PBS commercial a while back which said something to 
the effect, "the best minds in medicine, and then some."

If you already have the best minds in medicine and then add more, then 
you aren't really adding superior or even equal minds! The result could 
be overspent research money and distraction...

Sam

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"Orchid XP v8" <voi### [at] devnull> wrote in message
news:48581378$1@news.povray.org...
> Warp wrote:
>
> >   I somewhat similar common expression is "we are light-years ahead of
> > our competitors".
> >
> >   What they really want to say is "we are years ahead of our
competitors"
> > (in terms of progress, technology, experience or whatever). It's just
> > that "light-years" sounds fancier.
>
> "A spaceman came travelling on his ship from afar. Twas light years of
> time since his mission did start."
>
> Like, WTF?

Songwriters != scientists.

It's like claming a ship is so fast it can do the Kessel run in less that 12
parsecs
(though a hasty later explaination was given as to why it is an applicable
measurement)

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Jim Henderson wrote:

> But for #10, over here, I hear "opportunity" instead of "problem".

Does it bother anybody else that every piece of technology must be 
referred to as a "solution"?

"We have developed a new HR solution."

Erm, no you haven't. You've thrown together a half-broken piece of VB 
code that is going to cause the HR and IT departments endless headaches 
for years to come. You have *not* developed a *solution*!!

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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>   Not only is the term "parsec" used as a unit of time in the original
> Star Wars, but there's actually a second WTF related to the use of that
> unit: It's a unit related to the orbital diameter of the Earth, and Star
> Wars happens "in a galaxy far, far away". No Earth there.

Damn. I never even thought to look up what a parsec is! Hehe, I just 
figured it was either a completely made-up term, or they knew what they 
were talking around. WRONG! ;-)

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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"Warp" <war### [at] tagpovrayorg> wrote in message
news:485823d7@news.povray.org...
> Orchid XP v8 <voi### [at] devnull> wrote:
> > "A spaceman came travelling on his ship from afar. Twas light years of
> > time since his mission did start."
>
> > Like, WTF?
>
>   Not only is the term "parsec" used as a unit of time in the original
> Star Wars, but there's actually a second WTF related to the use of that
> unit: It's a unit related to the orbital diameter of the Earth, and Star
> Wars happens "in a galaxy far, far away". No Earth there.

No one ever said in starwars that the parsec was the same one we use (3.26
ly). It could be the parsec calculated from Coruscant's orbit for all we
know. A parsec can be calculated from any orbit.

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"Orchid XP v8" <voi### [at] devnull> wrote in message
news:48582652$1@news.povray.org...
> >   Not only is the term "parsec" used as a unit of time in the original
> > Star Wars, but there's actually a second WTF related to the use of that
> > unit: It's a unit related to the orbital diameter of the Earth, and Star
> > Wars happens "in a galaxy far, far away". No Earth there.
>
> Damn. I never even thought to look up what a parsec is! Hehe, I just
> figured it was either a completely made-up term, or they knew what they
> were talking around. WRONG! ;-)

Apparently there are notes in the original script that indicate that Han was
making up false claims when he said that.
Can't find reference right now. Maybe google can

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"Orchid XP v8" <voi### [at] devnull> wrote in message
news:485825e0@news.povray.org...
> Jim Henderson wrote:
>
> > But for #10, over here, I hear "opportunity" instead of "problem".
>
> Does it bother anybody else that every piece of technology must be
> referred to as a "solution"?
>
> "We have developed a new HR solution."
>
> Erm, no you haven't. You've thrown together a half-broken piece of VB
> code that is going to cause the HR and IT departments endless headaches
> for years to come. You have *not* developed a *solution*!!

And new software doesn't have 'problems' or 'bugs' it has 'issues'

I once asked a project manager if the software's 'issues' were weekly or
monthly. He wasn't impressed.

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