Yearly Archives: 2009

Why Not To Throw Out Your Promotional Efforts In A Recession

The recession in our country is real. In most cases, it’s the same everywhere else in the world. Most businesses and/or government agencies are cutting costs wherever they can, making their operations run on the bare essentials. For the most part, running “lean and mean” is a great idea; however, reacting too hastily may causeRead… Read more »

Government Fact for the Day

Random government fact: 12 million U.S. passports are issued annually by the U.S. State Department. Source: Partnership for Public Service 2007 Annual Report

Federal Eye: State Dept. Hosting High-Tech Execs in Iraq

Several executives from well-known high tech firms are in Iraq this week as guests of the State Department, part of an effort to boost the use of online and social media in the war-torn country. While in Iraq, the tech representatives will meet with government officials, educators and other community leaders to talk about howRead… Read more »

Real. Simple. Social. Enabling fellow public servants in a push for improved online presence and engagement.

Ironically my division at work used to have the acronym RSS. Confusing for a web management division. A change of acronyms later, and I am still holding onto my own RSS principle. Real. Simple. Social. More and more often I am being called upon to provide small groups in the policy and advocacy streams withRead… Read more »

The Open Government & Innovations Conference (OGI) Opens its Call for Participation

I attended eDemocracyCamp yesterday in DC. In his introductory remarks, Andrew Cohen tied recent Government 2.0 conferences back to President Obama’s January 2009 Transparency Memo nicely by saying: – TransparencyCamp was about transparency – Government 2.0 Camp was about collaboration – eDemocracyCamp is about participation OGI — the Open Government & Innovations conference — isRead… Read more »

Dandelions

Along with robins and pollen, another sure sign of Spring is dandelions. I wage my annual war against these weeds every year, but I think the dandelions are winning. When our children were younger, we use to pay them 25 cents per dandelion if they included at least two inches of root. Not only didRead… Read more »

Yo Ho Ho and Arggg, Matey!

Last week my blog was going to be about the pirate situation in east African waters but after I started writing, I opted to write a plug for the cruise industry instead. Yeah, I wimped out. As it turns out my younger son, the filmmaker, forced me to face my conscience on this one. HeRead… Read more »

Adam’s Belle an important historical and cultural work

Following is a review I wrote recently of a fascinating book, “Adam’s Belle: A Memoir of Love Without Bounds,” by Joyce Burnett in collaboration with the late Isabel Washington Powell, first wife of the late Congressman Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. This book can be obtained from DBM Press, LC . Adam’s Belle rings true AdamRead… Read more »