Lisa Phillips

January 29, 2015

Airbnb Impossible

I’ve been homeless for the last few months. On sabbatical, I ditched my laptop and started weaving my way through the country. Tired of the hotel scene, I’m exploring a variety of spots available through Airbnb* for temporary housing. A major appeal of Airbnb is getting to choose amenities easily – assuming the owner is […]

February 18, 2014

Free lunch to free lunch

Free lunch to free lunch Wherein I wrestle with myself and the question “Why does your company give you free lunch when you’re the last person who needs it?”

August 22, 2012

Tech jobs: Get your ass in the door

Getting a job in tech when you aren’t a developer or computer science graduate takes the strongest parts of yourself. If you have passion, curiosity and determination, you can get a job in tech. Be willing to admit when you don’t know something. You may not have the technical skills today, but you’ve got something […]

August 17, 2012

A Rollergirl state of mind

Roller Derby* is a physical game, but like most sports, most interesting is what is going on inside a Rollergirl’s mind. Rollergirls must face and overcome fears every time we enter the track. There’s fear of falling, fear of ridicule, fear of failure, fear of losing and fear of real physical harm. We face these […]

August 8, 2012

What we talk about when we talk about tech jobs.

I stopped reading main stream news articles about the lack of women in technology. I care deeply about the gender gap in tech, but I don’t need to read the article to know what they’ll report. Lots of women go to college, not enough get computer science degrees, even fewer get jobs and stick with […]

July 27, 2011

I am a Diversity Candidate

I am a Hispanic woman without a college education. I lived in poverty, as defined by the US Census Bureau, until I was 19 years old. Regardless of where I’m at today, my income or the opportunities I’m now awarded, I will always be a Diversity Candidate. I will spare you (today!) the stories about […]

July 20, 2011

I, WFH

I’ve worked from home on and off for the last 8 years. Lots of us romanticize working from home. You can work in your underwear! You can run errands! You can lounge on a back patio and work at the same time! Your house will be clean, you will have an awesome tan and people […]

May 10, 2011

Fail up and Blog

These are shower thoughts I’ve compiled on reasons I don’t blog: Overwhelming and paralyzing desire to impress you with my totally original and unique thoughts. Fear that I do not have original or unique thoughts. Too many subjects. Too little time to write. Too many thoughts but can’t focus long enough to write more than […]

September 22, 2010

Home sweet home?

I’ve been blogging since Oct 2nd, 2000 where I had my “first post!” on Livejournal With little concern about privacy, I publicly posted my daily habits, made plans with friends, caught up with old-coworkers and established my community and persona online. When I began working for Brad Fitzpatrick as Livejournal’s Systems Administrator, I made the […]

February 15, 2007

Mercury in Retrograde: say it and you die

If you can tell me how this : Mercury retro in Pisces, the sign of his fall, creates mental and emotional confusion, with strange dreams and sometimes psychic experiences. Mental processes being entwined with emotions, we find it hard to separate ideas and opinions from passion and idealism. Our mental orientation can be unstable, unrealistic […]