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Our company has a new strategic initiative to increase market penetration, maximise brand loyalty, and enhance intangible assets.
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In pursuit of these objectives, we've started a new project --
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for which we require 7 red lines.
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I understand your company can help us in this matter.
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Of course!
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Walter here will be the Project Manager. Walter, we can do this, can't we?
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Yes, of course.
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Anderson here is our expert in all matters related to drawing red lines.
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We brought him along today to share his professional opinion.
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Nice to meet you! Well, you all know me.
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This is Justine, our company's design specialist.
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Hallo...
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We need you to draw seven red lines.
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All of them strictly perpendicular; some with green ink and some with transparent. Can you do that?
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No. I'm afraid we --
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Let's not rush into any hasty answers, Anderson! The task has been set and needs to be carried out.
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At the end of the day, you are an expert.
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The term "red line" implies the colour of the line to be red. To draw a red line with green ink is --
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well if it is not exactly impossible, then it is pretty close to being impossible.
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What does it even mean: "impossible"?
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I mean, it is quite possible that there are some people, say suffering from colour blindness,
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for whom the colour of the lines doesn't really make a difference.
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But I am quite sure that the target audience of your project does not consists solely of such people.
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So in principle this is possible.
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I'll simplify.
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A line as such can be drawn with absolutely any ink.
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But if you want to get a red line, you need to use red ink.
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What if we draw them with blue ink?
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It still won't work. If you use blue ink, you will get blue lines.
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And what exactly did you mean, when you talked about the transparent ink?
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How to better explain?
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I'm sure you know what "transparent" means?
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Yes, I do.
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And what a "red line" means, I hope I don't need to explain to you?
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Of course not.
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Well... You need to draw red lines with transparent ink.
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Could you describe what you imagine the end result would look like?
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C'mon, Anderson! What do we have here, kindergarten?
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Let's not waste our time with these unproductive quarrels.
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The task has been set; the task is plain and clear.
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Now, if you have any specific questions, go ahead!
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You're the expert here!
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Alright, let's leave aside the colour for the moment.
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You had something there also relating to perpendicularity?..
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Seven lines, all strictly perpendicular.
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To what?
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Erm, to everything. Among themselves.
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I assumed you know what perpendicular lines are like!
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Of course he does. He's an expert!
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Two lines can be perpendicular.
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All seven can't be simultaneously perpendicular to each other.
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I'll show you.
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This is a line, right?
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Yes.
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And another one. Is it perpendicular to the first line?
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Well...
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Yes, it is perpendicular.
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Exactly!
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Wait, wait, I'm not done. And a third one: is it perpendicular to the first line?
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Yes, it is! But it doesn't cross the second line. They're both parallel.
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Not perpendicular!
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I suppose so.
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There it is. Two lines can be perpendicular --
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Can I have the pen?
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How about this?
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This is a triangle.
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It's definitely not perpendicular lines.
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And there are three, not seven.
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Why are they blue?
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Indeed. Wanted to ask that myself.
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I have a blue pen with me. This was just a demonstration --
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That's the problem, your lines are blue. Draw them with red ink!
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It won't solve the problem.
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How do you know before you've tried?
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Lets draw them with red ink and then let's see.
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I don't have a red pen with me, --
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but I am completely certain that with red ink the result will still be the same.
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Didn't you tell us earlier that you can only draw red lines with red ink?
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In fact, yes, I've written it down here!
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And now you want to draw them with a blue ink. Do you want to call these red lines?
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I think I understand. You're not talking about the colour now, right?
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You're talking about that, what do you call it: per-per, dick-dick --
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Perpendicularity, yes!
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That's it, now you've confused everyone.
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So what exactly is stopping us from doing this?
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Geometry.
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Just ignore it!
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We have a task. Seven red lines. It's not twenty; it's just seven.
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Anderson, I understand; you're a specialist of a narrow field, you don't see the overall picture.
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But surely it's not a difficult task to draw some seven lines!
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Exactly. Suggest a solution!
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Any fool can criticise, no offence, but you're an expert, you should know better!
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OK. Let me draw you two perfectly perpendicular red lines, --
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and I will draw the rest with transparent ink.
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They'll be invisible, but I'll draw them.
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Would this suit us?
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Yes, this will suit us.
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Yes, but at least a couple with green ink.
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Oh, and I have another question, if I may.
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Can you draw one of the lines in the form of a kitten?
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A what?
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In the form of a kitten.
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Market research tells our users like cute animals. It'd be really great if --
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No-oh...
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Why?
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Look, I can of course draw you a cat.
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I'm no artist, but I can give it a try.
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But it won't be a line any more. It will be a cat.
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A line and a cat: those are two different things.
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A kitten. Not a cat, but a kitten.
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It's little, cute, cuddly. Cats, on the other hand --
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It doesn't make a difference.
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Anderson, at least hear her out!
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She hasn't even finished speaking, and you're already saying "No!"
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I got the idea, but it is impossible to draw a line in the form of a cat...ten.
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What about a bird?
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So, where did we stop? What are we doing?
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Seven red lines, two with red ink, two with green ink and the rest - with transparent.
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Did I understand correctly? --
-- Yes.
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Excellent! In which case that's everything, right?
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Oh, oh, I almost forgot, we also have a red balloon.
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Do you know if you could inflate it?
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What do I have to do with balloons?
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It's red.
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Anderson, can you or can you not do this? A simple question.
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As such, I can of course, but --
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Excellent. Organise a business trip, we'll cover the expenses, --
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go over to their location, inflate the balloon.
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Well this was very productive, thank you all!
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Can I ask one more question, please?
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When you inflate the balloon, could you do it in the form of a kitten?
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Of course I can!
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I can do anything, I can do absolutely anything.
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I'm an expert!