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 »
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 »
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 (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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
The recent news about the game FoldIt and the group of players that figured out the protein structure for a key enzyme related to the development of the AIDS virus is both thrilling and marvelous… and it is just the tip of the iceberg on how to leverage cognitive surplus to solve wicked problems withRead… Read more »