Working Up

Working Up in Project Management, Systems Engineering, Technology, and Writing

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Entries from November 2015

Please Don’t Ask Me to do My Job

November 30th, 2015 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Many on-the-job frustrations come when we try to do our job. The title and summary of this blog post may not make any sense. I have, however, heard much grumbling on the job when people are asked to do their jobs. Some examples I have heard over the years: I can’t believe […]

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Tags: Adults · Work

Giving Thanks

November 26th, 2015 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips There are too many things to mention on this Thanksgiving Day. To be brief, thanks to WordPress, Apple, Xfinity, and all those who taught me a few things about writing.

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Tags: America

The Return of the $50 Computer

November 23rd, 2015 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Thirty years later, the $50 computer is back. I think that is a good thing. In the early 1980s (yes, I am that old), we had the Sinclair Research made by Timex ZX81. It was a computer you could buy for $50. No, it wasn’t powerful, but it was a programmable computer. […]

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Tags: Computing

If You Want People to Take You Seriously

November 19th, 2015 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Why aren’t people taking me seriously? Why aren’t people paying attention to me? If I want people to take and my group seriously, I should: do CMMI do PMP do ITIL sit at the keyboard and write everyday sit at the table and draw everyday take photos everyday play my instrument everyday […]

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Tags: Adults · Change · Excuses · Expectations · People

The Difference that Makes a Difference

November 16th, 2015 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips This is the key to information—what separates just more data from something that enables a good choice. Of course we all want to find this. This is the stuff of basic science that most of us understand. Let’s walk through a silly example: I am gaining weight. Why? I eat 12 hot […]

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Tags: Change · Diet · Differences

Discovery of the Century

November 12th, 2015 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I find a long-lost cartoon. It is wonderful. Shown below is a cartoon that I saw pinned to the wall in the mid-1980s while I was in grad school (yes, I am that old). The thought of the cartoon has stayed with since. We don’t know what will happen with an idea […]

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Tags: Learning

Change and Why Those Other Guys Just Don’t Get It

November 9th, 2015 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Why don’t those other guys see what is so obvious to us? Because they didn’t have the same experience we did, and we don’t want to do the work required. We go through a changing experience, i.e., an experience that changes our concept of something. (I use the word “we” because it […]

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Tags: Adults · Change

Kickstarter and the Office of President

November 5th, 2015 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Kickstarter campaigns raise more money than presidential candidates. Who, if anyone, should be ashamed? Some Kickstarter campaigns for little gadgets are raising more money than some presidential candidates. Americans should be ashamed for putting more time and money into silly little gadgets than they do into who will be the next leader […]

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Tags: America · Observation

I Hate October

November 2nd, 2015 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Why did the worlds of entertainment and advertising decide to ruin the month of October? I really like some things that come with October. Where I live, the trees turn orange and red and yellow. The temperatures drop to a point where I wear a light jacket in the morning. I love […]

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Tags: Change