Police wearing face masks to protect against influenza

Still Sick Despite Flu Vaccine?

Every flu season I hear someone say, “I received my flu shot, but I’m still sick!” Usually it is simple crankiness caused by not feeling well, but often others will comment they skip the cheap or free flu vaccine every year because they do not want to waste time on an ineffective vaccine. Sound like someone you know? Maybe even you?

Hold up there overreact-er. Vaccination is what made influenza (the scientific name for the flu) a seasonal annoyance. Before you take the path of least disease resistance, read about why you should vaccinate, how the flu vaccine is made, and what you should do with your new knowledge.  The flu shot is not a panacea, but your flu symptoms are not likely caused by a bad flu shot. […]

Image of the movie posters for The Talented Mr. Ripley and Hell or High Water superimposed on each other.

Reel Comparison: The Talented Mr. Ripley and Hell or High Water

I recently watched two movies within the span of a week I had never seen before. Taken jointly, they articulate the economic anxiety many currently feel in society. They are the psychological thriller The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) and the modern day western Hell or High Water. The movies are critically acclaimed and have strong ensemble casts. I hated Ripley. I loved Hell.

In a three reel comparison, the economic arguments of The Talented Mr. Ripley and Hell or High Water.
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Photo of the painting "Moses Presenting the Tablets of Law" (1648) by Philippe de Champaigne with the word AGILE written over the tablet closet to Moses.

Adopting Agile Misconceptions

When I joined my last company I was transitioning from healthcare public policy to private healthcare IT. New to IT, I was a little behind the eight ball when it came to the project delivery methodologies discussion raging in my, then, new company. The discussion was over transitioning from a Waterfall approach to delivering solutions to our customer to a more collaborative Agile one. I came in naïve and left a proponent of Agile. Nonetheless, I do not reject or disparage Waterfall; a methodology is simply a way to approach an activity and therefore may or may not be useful depending on personnel or circumstances.

So when Stuart Hamilton’s article – Why Agile Doesn’t Work for Large Projects – appeared in my LinkedIn feed one morning I approached it inquisitively. “Hmm, I wonder in what ways Agile might not work for larger projects?” I clicked. […]