Ann: Market Update - Progress Report, page-68

Gosh, I wish I did - and was getting some options too! Unfortunately I don't. I'm not even in the same country.

What I mean is that if he had a better story to tell at this point he would love to be able to tell it. My bet is that there will be absolute mayhem going on behind the scenes in China, Israel, and Oz, as all hands are at the pump trying to get things to happen more quickly.

I have been in many situations like this in my career. I once worked in a new science museum as a project manager developing never-been-seen-before science exhibits. All hands to the pump then meant that after months of planning and organising I spent the last 2 weeks doing 18 hour days physically building and fine tuning science exhibits and anticipating how, how quickly, and how many would fail under the hands of eager kids. I was still frantically modifying things even as the first visitors flowed in through the gate. We even had to hang a couple of "Unfinished - Please do not touch" signs on things on day one. It was a fantastic success on the day, but none of the visitors saw any of the absolute chaos that had gone on behind the scenes. I've also spent a big part of my working life selling and installing complex hi-tech scientific instrumentation and believe me that kind of determined chaos is far from unusual there too. I'm sure lots of others on here from lots of different fields will know exactly what I mean.

So it will be exactly the same at AP I'm sure. And still is. And we should not be surprised.

Then, as the deadline they previously announced passes without any audible fanfare, Fred and the management have to try to work out what has to be said, and what can be said, so they can put across a credible story that is both true and sufficiently ambiguous that it can be followed up with whatever details emerge without creating seeming contradictions. It's not an easy task. I know that because I've had to write many such announcements to be sure. And this announcement has all those hallmarks.

While a big part of me is desperate to hear more details another part says 'well that's just how it is, let them get on with it, we'll hear the results in due course'.