problems Archives • DAVIDPDX

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SOLVING PROBLEMS ONE WAY, (and the other)

January 13, 2026 by David Gillaspie

I started solving problems early with a traffic court appearance. I was sixteen and charged with speeding. On a Honda 100 motorcycle. It wasn’t known for speed. What was the problem?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: acid, America, baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, blog, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, court appearance, decision making, drugs, education, family, kid problems, learning, millennials, narcotics, Oregon, Portland, Portland Oregon, problems, solutions, solving problems, traffic court, writer, writers, writing, young man

INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY FADES WITH NEW TEAM

August 27, 2025 by David Gillaspie

I’m a fan of institutional memory, the part that solves nagging problems that don’t go away on their own. Unfortunately, the people who hold it can be a part of the problem. In small business, the new fixer comes in with knowledge gained in a good school, and experience from the last job they fixed, […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: big boss, businessman, family, generational upside, good school, great expectations, institutional memory, Ivy League MBA, mba resume, money making, nagging problems, personal, problems, small business, supply chain, workplace, wrong hire

BLOG FRIENDS WORLD WIDE GETTING A GRIP

August 19, 2025 by David Gillaspie

Blog friends come from the four corners of earth, which if my compass is correct, includes North, East, South, and West. Everyone from anywhere can come in with a good internet connection. Shout out to South Africa, Poland, Malaysia, China, Canada, Philippines, and Australia. To India, England, France, and Spain. To North America, South America, […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: arranged marriage, blog, blog friends, blog subscriber, BOOMER, boomer generation, boomer parents, Conditions, culture, customs, Facebook friends, forced marriage, friends, GETTING A GRIP, improved, Internet, internet connection, learn, learning, led astray, MARRIAGE, marriage of convenience, millennial, Millennial generation, nervous, new blog, problems, read blogs, readers, self absorbed, subscriber, thin skinned, twitter friends

AMERICAN WAY, MY VERSION

March 26, 2025 by David Gillaspie

The American way of my Dad was different than mine. For him it was finish high school, wait a year for his brother, then go to junior college to play baseball together. Instead of waiting it out, he got with his buddies and they all joined the Marine Corps. Everyone went in, except one, and […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: American, american way, blame, business, cash flow, civilization, concerned, concerned wife, drinking, fuck up, gambling, gravy train, junior college, Marine Corps, Marines, married, money, problems, society, solutions, wife, women, work

SOVING PROBLEMS, THEN FINDING MORE

December 28, 2024 by David Gillaspie

Solving problems is a process. One of the first steps, if not ‘the’ first step, is identifying the problem. The important part is not solving every problem at the same time. Pick one. (Not that one.)

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: baby boomer, better person, bigger picture, BOOMER, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, committed relationship, Dad, Death, dying, education, friend line, friends, good friend, granddad, haunted, in-laws, last words, millennials, parents, problem solved, problems, solving problems, the end, value, wife, writer

NEW STORY PROBLEMS? CHANGE THE SETTING

December 24, 2023 by David Gillaspie

New story problems are like cooking a chicken. You know how you’d like it to turn out, but that’s not how it always works. When it’s your Christmas story, and it’s December 24th, you’ve got work to do. Start with your story.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: blog, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, chicken, Christmas, christmas eve, Christmas story, cooking chicken, David Gillaspie, education, new story, new story problems, problems, story, story problems, Tigard, travel, writer, writers, writers experience, writing

RESOLVE PROBLEMS BEFORE ADDING MORE

June 16, 2023 by David Gillaspie

Before taking advice on resolving problems look hard at who is offering advice.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: advice, aging, Baby Boomers, baggage, botox, calm down, Oregon, personal baggage, Portland, problem, problems, resolution, resolve, resolve problems

SOLVING PROBLEMS ON THE PAGE IS REAL LIFE?

February 7, 2023 by David Gillaspie

Whether you think solving problems is ‘your thing’ or not, it is. To do it the right way, start with a blank page. No, not the proverbial blank page, canvas, or slate, but a real life blank page. Call it a screen, whatever. It’s blank. Now what?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: blogger, boomerpdx, married, old man, problems, readers, solving problems, students

PROBLEM SOLVERS: WHAT HAPPENS WITHOUT PROBLEMS?

December 5, 2020 by David Gillaspie

Problem solvers without a problem eventually become a problem. If they could keep it to themselves, they wouldn’t be a problem, but when does that happen? For example, the self-described ‘people person’ who turns into a nasty troll when people disagree with them. We’ve all got ninety-nine problems lined up in prioritized, triaged, next-one-up order, […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomers, boomers, experience, helpers, problem solvers, problems, solutions

LIFE QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY FLATTENED CHICKEN

May 8, 2018 by David Gillaspie

To flatten a chicken use a pair of meat scissors and cut along one side of the backbone from the neck to the parson’s nose. Open up the bloody carcass and do the same on the other side. Use scissors instead of a knife to avoid the ‘blade slipped on a rib […]

Filed Under: BOOMER BLOGGER Tagged With: backbone, behavior, daddy's girl, flattened chicken, future behavior, government, leadership, life, life problems, momma's boy, past behavior, Pink Floyd, plant based diet, president, problems, the wall, transplant