Miscellaneous

What does a $16 dollar muffin taste like at the Department of Justice?

Sometimes stories write themselves. With the recent news that catering companies were premium pricing brunch fare such as $16 muffins and $7 hors d’oeuvres, I’m slightly concerned as a taxpayer that my funds were so poorly used. Good work by the OIG. Yet, as a lover of food, I’m more curious about what those muffinsRead… Read more »

Did You Know that Photosynthesis is Inefficient?

We’ve never heard anyone we know complain about the efficiency of photosynthesis. But then again we don’t work at the Department of Energy, for ARPA-E. If we did, we would know that photosynthesis has room for improvement when it comes to the process of converting sunlight into a liquid biofuel. Thankfully, as the video belowRead… Read more »

Incivility in presidential politics: tearing down instead of building up

If you were thirsty and your choices were a glass of milk that had been sitting in sun-baked 95-degree temperature for six hours and a glass of milk that had been sitting in it for four days, which would you chose? Some choice, right? That’s how I am seeing the 2012 presidential campaign shaping upRead… Read more »

Metrolink to add quiet cars

Metrolink (CA) will be adding quiet cars starting on October 3 to help commuters enjoy a “noise-free commute.” “Our new quiet cars will make the commute on Metrolink trains even more enjoyable for those, like myself, who prefer a more peaceful commute,” said board chairman Richard Katz in a statement. “Some of our passengers preferRead… Read more »

We have the technology

The information is out there. The technology is available. All it requires is a fair bit of inspiration and a little bit of perspiration to develop small scale applications that can really make a difference to people’s lives. A map can tell you which direction to go in, but it cannot tell you what yourRead… Read more »

Briefing on Capitol Hill: Sept. 23: “District Energy: Essential Infrastructure for Energy Efficient Communities”

If you’re in the D.C. area this Friday morning, September 23, please consider attending a free briefing given by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI)from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in Room 2325 of the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC. Admission is free. With Congress considering legislation for a national infrastructure bank orRead… Read more »

The Federal Coach: Young and in Government

How can young leaders provide more support to their agencies without being in senior-level management positions? –Federal Supervisors (GS-14), Environmental Protection Agency This question reflects the can-do attitude and energetic approach that we need in government. Here’s the good news. Smart, senior leaders will be looking for people like you given the ever-expanding mission demands,Read… Read more »

Governance Framework: Mechanisms for Inforation Management and SharePoint

Much of the Governance Models I’ve seen as of late still focus heavily upon how to set permissions in SharePoint. In previous blog post I stated I don’t believe this is governance but rather the enforcement end of governance. It this posting I’ll address some of the aspects of establishing a governance. For me theRead… Read more »

Social Media in Times of Emergency

In the month of August, the East Coast was hit with two natural disasters, one foreseen, Hurricane Irene, and one without notice, the August 23rd earthquake. Though one primary form of established media failed—phone service during the earthquake was interrupted for many, if not most—both government agencies and individual citizens used social media to learnRead… Read more »