Some time ago, some media sources characterized the U.S. Administration’s military involvement in Libya and Syria as ‘leading from behind.’ I heard this phrase and thought: ”interesting, they’re taking a nuanced and shared approach to a conflict where our national security interests may be threatened but not clear.” Having been honored to spend a goodRead… Read more »
Several months ago, with the unveiling of the OpenDataPhilly website, the City of Philadelphia joined the growing fraternity of cities across the country and around the world to release municipal data sets in open, developer friendly formats. But the City of Brotherly Love did things a bit differently than most of it’s contemporaries. The cityRead… Read more »
Anthropologist Robin Dunbar famously observed that most people can only maintain relationships at one time with 150 people. The average on Facebook is 120-230. And of that, only a fraction really matter to us. Penetrating a small circle is usually very difficult, especially if they are members of a network based around a tie thatRead… Read more »
Picture this: Girl sits at a desk. It’s an okay desk, as it happens it’s not the smallest desk she ever had. Actually, she used to have her own office – in a portakabin admittedly – but it was her own space in one of those weird local government twists of fate. Anyway, she’s gotRead… Read more »
THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION Dear Fellow Federal Employees: This year marks a historic milestone. Fifty years ago, President John F. Kennedy established the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) to help people in local communities, across the nation, and around the world. It is my profound pleasure to serve as National Honorary Chair of the 50th anniversaryRead… Read more »
What kind of leader are you? Do you have a philosophy of how you evaluate others? You should. When trainers are finding ways of improving performance and leadership, there’s one topic we should cover but often don’t. How do we evaluate performance? It seems an obvious fit for us, but it’s a tough and touchyRead… Read more »
Plan amounts to $21 billion tax increase on federal employees American Federation of Government Employees National President John Gage today denounced President Obama’s proposal to require federal employees to contribute $21 billion more to their retirement. Under the President’s Plan for Economic Growth and Deficit Reduction, federal employees will have their paychecks reduced by 1.2Read… Read more »
Illinois is utilizing more federal funds to keep unemployed and underemployed residents in their homes. Approximately 15,000 homeowners in the state are under the threat of foreclosure due to employment conditions and the Governor is using $345 million in federal funds to help them cover their mortgage payments. The program gives 10-year low cost loansRead… Read more »
Students, faculty, and staff at the University of Maryland now have access to a new app for Android users, which connects them to a “direct and instantaneous line of communication to campus police and dispatch”. Users of the app are able to contact emergency services by pushing a single button. The app uses the university’sRead… Read more »
October is right around the corner, bringing with it cooler weather, autumn leaves (at least here in New England!) and Health Literacy Month. Fifteen years ago, Health Literacy was a topic still under the radar. Today, we have conferences and courses, a growing body of literature and professional roles dedicated to the subject. Much ofRead… Read more »