I'd like to know what makes you think I have no chance with those pants.

(Oh, wait, would she have to be wearing them at the time?? Never mind.)

My most cherished fantasy has no hope of coming true ever, barring a spectacular lottery win, which is highly unlikely since I never play the lottery.

As I've written elsewhere I have become interested in playing poker. I would like to become a winning player (with the bankroll to match) at $10 limit tables. This is a potentially reachable goal within the next 1-2 years.

As a more long-term professional goal, a year ago at a conference I heard the CIO of the Pennsylvania public university system speak on the subject of grooming the next generation of IT leaders in higher education. As I listened to him describe some things he's doing in his organization, I thought to myself, "Hey, that sounds like it would be a great place to work." This has turned into one of my objectives: to one day be in charge of a department that will make IT workers on the outside say, "wow, that sounds like a great place."

A more vaporous goal is to someday visit various tombs and monuments in Egypt. This is complicated by various financial and logistical hurdles, so it may not happen.

Does "sth" mean something or is Marichiko copying a typo or something from Echo?

It's textmessage-speak for "something," and I'm pretty sure Mari was intentionally paralleling the structure of echo's thread title.

Sure Jag, I could talk about this all day! It's wild!

Basically, what happens when people set out to develop a complicated piece of software? Or even - something very complicated period, like an airport? They sit down and write specifications, sometimes in English with additional diagrams to map things out here and there. They may have a few tools like data flow diagrams and other kinds of flowcharts. They give all that to the programmer/developer/whatever to implement it, and since the specs suck horribly, the program/system/whatever doesn't work the way it was intended and/or doesn't work at all.

Some massive percentage of IT projects fail completely. Not just go over budget, not just go late... some major design decision that is critical to its operation is made incorrectly, or some connection is forgotten that can't simply be patched up without so much major rework that it's not worth completing.

My friend's idea ends all that. By placing certain specific logical constraints on how something is described, he's worked out how to avoid ANY missed connections, ANY missed information. And a system described in this way has special properties that make programming complicated systems almost *trivial*.

What my friend has developed is a new way of thinking about data design and process design. It expresses itself in flowchart form. It is utterly simple and yet utterly perfect in many different ways... ways you realize only when looking at it for days on end. It may in fact change *everything*! Everybody could develop this way. It could very well change how databases operate and even how most programming is done. We just don't know yet!!! It has to be pitched and licenses successfully sold to consulting houses, to give it the boost it needs so that we can continue to develop it, teach it, sell it.

What I wrote on the website:

---
The Business Architecture Method is a graphical business modeling tool.

It's a tool -- to document systems, processes, business rules... really, whatever you can think of. It kinda looks like a flowchart, but simpler.

Its basic, yet completely logical approach enforces how a system is documented. This, in turn, leads to huge advantages. The time to develop systems is reduced. An entire business can be modeled... and clarified to any detail. And its diagrams can be understood by just about anyone.

It creates new economies of scale. It details the scope of any system or project. It perfectly documents business processes. It produces ideal specifications to programmers. Anyone can be taught to read it in two minutes; anyone can be taught to write it in two days.

Its remarkable approach is U.S. Patent No. 5,418,942, 5,564,119, and 5,960,437.

(And yeah I apologize for the patent approach, but this is most definitely an invention... it's the kind of thing that seems obvious, but if it really were obvious, everyone would have been doing it this way all along.)

My dream.....wow....I want studio space, unused, open, industrial looking space somewhere in one of the america's major cities (new york and chicago come to mind first). I want to make enough money in SW engineering (nods to toad) that I don't have to worry whether my band makes it or not (nods harder). I want to spend my evenings either making culture (with the band, or maybe various poetic *things*) or taking it in, and I need an area that will supply me with a constant stream of culture. I want a balcony over, at least, the 20th floor of some building. I want a wet bar...

2 questions:
Can we get a concrete example?
Looking for vulture capital?

I hear you loud and clear.

yup ;) -copying the typo, that is.

Man, everyone who has responded here has some great dreams! I hope every single one of them comes true (including my own, naturally). And I do think every single one of you has at least a fighting chance of making your dream a reality. Contrary to the way I may sometimes come across in my posts, I think America (and the U.K. - nods to DanaC and Jaguar) is still a place where such dreams can come true. I simply see how the Playing field in the US could be made a more level one for certain groups of people, that's all. ;)

I must say this is one of my favorite threads of late.

Good Question
 

I'd like to continue in my progress with languages. I'll also be needing acceptance into a local lib-arts institution for a particular program they can provide. I'd like to be able to translate valuable forgotten classics that I believe can aid in a resurgence of dead arts and languages- for the modern mind. There have been obscure ancient classics that have been essential for me in my life. The quality of this life hits highs as a result of feeding my thoughts with material that inserts its inspirational cues and timeless wisdom even when i'm not noticing. Yes this means i'm a gluttonous pig in the food for thought arena but it's better than junk food! In this ambition someday people like you would benefit from this buried treasure as well. As for clams;I really only enjoy money when it's made of paper so I probably won't be shaking hands with you potential billionaires unless you need to dial into a dialect. Thanks for reminding me of what the heck i'm supposed to be doing, and why I do what I do now Marichiko! (NICE WORK) And for those of you who know who you are in this statement; It's the lowest act to be petty about someone else's dreams. You only humiliate your self. Thanks for letting me share mine. :blush:

Find the big love of my life (and be her's too), founding a family.
Write a book, I have a great idea (well sounds good to me), but I'm no man of many words.
Getting happy with my work either in the Army or in the secret services or working for UNO or sub-organisation.

Flip, that's a beautiful dream!ad astra per asperum! I think gluttony for the love of knowledge makes for a broad mind and a great spirit, so keep chowing down, little piglet! What you do now, my girl, is apply to THE UNIVERSITY. Study those damn SAT's. I can help you, and I guarantee that you will score at least 700 verbal and high enough on the math to guarantee your admission to ANYWHERE! You go, girl, go! You can leave us all behind in the dust if only you start believing in yourself the way I believe in you! :)

Quite frankly, I no longer enjoy making goals, etc., because of the massive letdown I got from the last time I made long range plans and they wound up being shattered for the most part.

HOWEVER, I do hope that when I switch my medical team in Novemeber, that they will provide better care for me, and then I can get back to making new plans. :thumbsup: And that's all I can say for right now.

A concrete example is difficult right now only because so little has been officially published. And it requires the explanation in order to see the big picture. I could show a piece of it but you'd only say "what's the big deal?" because it takes two days of explanation to really get into why it works so well. You learn to read it, then you learn to write it, then you try putting it together yourself, then a little light comes on and bing, you realize how much better this is.

The guy is pretty resolute about not having investors. He can't see an up side, if the idea works well it will quickly become viral, he thinks. He is the sort who demands total control. Quirky, as one would need to be to think about data for long enough to come up with this.

I disagree with his approach; I think it needs to be marketed, and it would benefit from a load of money to kick it off. Marketed to the right people, but still.

Unlimited beer money! Is that too big of dream? :-P