Miscellaneous

The Ministry of Lorem

Now here’s a silly little thing. I saw a post on Kottke.org linking to HipsterIpsum, a filler text generator which instead of the usual fake Latin (lorem ipsum dolor sit amet etc), uses terms beloved of hipsters: Organic sustainable lomo, +1 irony McSweeney’s skateboard Portland PBR tattooed farm-to-table Terry Richardson Williamsburg. Organic farm-to-table wolf, nextRead… Read more »

Metra to equip trains with defibrillators

Metra (IL) plans to equip its commuter trains with automatic external defibrillators, making it the second major commuter railroad in the country to have the life-saving devices. Metra will include the $1.1 million start-up costs for installing 427 units in its capital budget but will also seek grants or corporate sponsors like local hospitals. TheRead… Read more »

MythBusters Call For Participation

The Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) has asked for help to help determine the “Top Ten” Mythbusters initiatives, in conjunction with the ongoing campaign to improve government and industry relations. The American Council for Technology (ACT) – Industry Advisory Council (IAC) has put up an initial list for comment and expansion to deliver onRead… Read more »

Friday Photo: The Unsinkable Mary Murphy

It was one of the hottest days of the year, at the end of a week of 100+ temperatures in Washington, DC. Cooped up by the oppressive heat, I had gotten a little stir crazy, so decided to venture out to check out Dance Day DC, where my friend and neighbor Cecile was volunteering ItRead… Read more »

National Archives & FourSquare use: Walk in the Footsteps of the Presidents

I recently attended a webinar hosted by GSA’s Web Manager University who is hosting a series of New Media Talks. I attended a talk by Charles Birnbaum, who is responsible for Business Development and Partnerships at FourSquare.com. on the use of FourSquare in government. He was accompanied by Jill James, social media lead at theRead… Read more »

BART’s computer failure reveals system flaws

Monday’s computer glitch, which forced Bay Area Rapid Transit (CA) to shut down service for more than two hours, highlighted the need for modernizing the 40-year-old system. The cause of the failure — which occurred when two routers failed to communicate with each other — is still under investigation but the San Francisco Chronicle suggestsRead… Read more »

Broken ticket machines lead to fines for some

When the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NY) introduced Select Bus Service in the Bronx and Manhattan, the agency implemented off-board fare payment to speed up service. Passengers swipe a MetroCard through a vending machine at the bus stop and receive a ticket as proof of payment. But NY1 reports that some riders are encountering broken ticketRead… Read more »

Small Business Outreach from the Department of Energy

Save the Date for this DOE outreach event! Small businesses are invited to join the EPA on Tuesday, August 23, 2011, for a U.S. Department of Energy small business outreach session at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, Congressman James E. Clyburn, Assistant Democratic Leader, U.S. House of Representatives,Read… Read more »