T.P.S. Reports

The lowly T.P.S. report: this form, filed in triplicate, is too often the only reprieve overworked engineers get from days filled with otherwise-productive engineering. It's a way for middle management to communicate with the verbally-challenged plebs that their goal isn't a product, it's a paper trail, and a gentle reminder that you're not being paid to make a product, you're being paid for engineering time.

It's government thinking in the corporate world—a beacon of hope for post AIG/Bear Stearns capitalism. New capitalism isn't about taking risks and innovating, it's about going with the flow and keeping your job, and T.P.S. reports do just that.