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

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Entries from September 2011

The IED Solution

September 29th, 2011 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips There is a solution to IEDs. We have known it for centuries, but instead we look to technology. I saw this post recently about a research project that will have lasers find IEDs. Neat technology. I like technology; I guess that is why I have three engineering degrees and view the web […]

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Tags: Systems · Technology

A Smashwords Update

September 26th, 2011 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I’ve sold a few short stories on Smashwords. I’m thrilled. Back in February 2011, I declared that I was posting my short stories on Smashwords. To date, I have sold about $65 worth of stories. I am pleasantly surprised. The key to selling as many stories as I have is the Smashwords Premium […]

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Tags: Fun · Writing

A Request for a Touchscreen Television

September 22nd, 2011 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips We need a touchscreen television that interacts just like an iPad. At least we need one in my house. I have the original iPad with WiFi only. I like it and have learned a lot by having it. My main use for it is: Showing kids’ videos to my grandson (2 1/2 […]

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Tags: Apple · Family

If It’s Different…

September 20th, 2011 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Technical projects have plenty of opportunities to misunderstand what someone else is doing. Help yourself. If something is different, give it a different name. This is a post about a part of configuration management. But don’t stop reading yet. This makes sense and is not painful. Things change in technical projects. Software […]

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Tags: Communication · Management · Process · Work

Running Linux Mint from a USB Stick

September 19th, 2011 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I use PenDriveLinux to install Linux Mint on a 1GigaByte USB stick. I had a little spare time one weekend, so… I had seen several people mention Linux Mint. (I can’t seem to remember if it is Linux Mint or Mint Linux or even Lint Minux, but that is another matter.) So, […]

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Tags: Computing · Linux · Technology

The Free-Form Data Entry Template

September 15th, 2011 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips How to cross the barrier of the blank sheet of paper. I love a blank sheet of paper. I know a lot of people who don’t. I was in a meeting once where people were given blank sheets of paper and literally revolted. They wanted some type of template to focus their […]

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Tags: Adapting · Meetings · People · Process

Solving Problems – A Review

September 12th, 2011 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips I learned a problem-solving method when I was a sophomore in college (in the previous millenium). It still works. I have a problem today at work. I have no idea what to do. Let’s fall back in time to my second year of calculus in college. The professor told us something like: […]

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Tags: People · Problems · Process

Penman$hip

September 8th, 2011 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips Sloppy handwriting costs MONEY! I was happy when I moved from 6th grade to 7th grade. The reason was simple – there would be no more penmanship classes. I would get all A s in school and no more C s. Penmanship was, anyways, a made up subject so that girls could […]

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Tags: Work · Writing

Unrelated Indicators

September 5th, 2011 · No Comments

by Dwayne Phillips People off tip off what they are about to do (pick up the remote control and you are about to watch television). There are other tip offs or indicators that are not so obvious. I was sitting in a meeting a few weeks back. I put on my $1 reading glasses and […]

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Tags: Observation · People

Finding Stories

September 1st, 2011 · No Comments

By Dwayne Phillips A source of story ideas is the words of other writers. Anything written by anyone will do. Just copy their words until your own start to flow. I’ve started writing short stories again. They are good writing practice, and what’s more, I like writing short stories. In 2008, I wrote a short […]

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Tags: Writing