Becoming Indispensable: Lessons from NASA and Oprah – by Robin Sparks

Every successful organization has at least one linchpin; some have dozens or even thousands. The linchpin is the essential element, the person who holds part of the organization together. Without the linchpin, the thing falls apart. – by Seth Godin in Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? (2010) Two American icons have been getting a bit ofRead… Read more »

Illinois examines next phase, 220-mph high speed rail

Tweet Illinois will be examining the next phase of high-speed rail through a new study group that includes the University of Illinois, the Illinois Department of Transportation and private sector. The group is looking at the feasibility of 220-mph passenger rail service between Chicago, Urbana-Champaign and beyond. Currently, the state is building a 110-mph railRead… Read more »

HR=Humans Represent: The Recession Recovery – Does It Exist For Women?

We all heard about the recent recession being called a “mancession” due to job cuts in male-dominated work, but as the economy slowing hits its upswing, men are recovering quicker than women as far as unemployment numbers. They say the reason for this is that women are disproportionately represented in state and local governments –Read… Read more »

SOA vs Cloud Computing: Tracking the cross-over in hype

Hype over Cloud Computing and SOA have inverted It is hard to measure hype. We can detect it by well trained B.S. sensors, but how we go about quantifying it is another question. Take for example the hype around SOA as a solution for all enterprise needs. IT professionals have been reading about SOA forRead… Read more »

SEPTA launches real-time location app

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority launched TransitView last week, a service that shows users real-time bus and trolley location information via smart phone or Internet connection. TransitView does not provide arrival predictions but shows current bus locations on map that is updated every three minutes. Based on GPS data, location information is available for SEPTA’sRead… Read more »

New tool helps users visualize transit data

Want to know whether you can commute to that new job in less than 30 minutes? Mapnificent can show you. Developed by German software engineer Stefan Wehrmeyer, the application helps users visualize how far they can travel by transit or bicycle in a given time. The app uses transit data in the GTFS format toRead… Read more »

[New Data] How can governments better engage the Hispanic population?

Back in April, I asked the question: “How Can Social Media Help Governments Serve the Booming Hispanic Population?” I gave a few ideas then (see the bottom of that post). Well just last Thursday (May 26th), the U.S. Census Bureau “released a 2010 Census brief on the nation’s Hispanic population”. It’s got some newly compiledRead… Read more »

Just because you can say something…

…doesn’t mean that you should. Of course. A bit of a Twitter flurry this morning about a case of a civil servant apparently being disciplined because of their use of the service. The account in question, nakedCservant, is protected, so the updates aren’t public, and as I have never requested access, I can’t see whatRead… Read more »

Remembering Larry Eagleburger

Lawrence Eagleburger, the only career FSO to serve as Secretary of State, died this past Saturday. I served in the Department during the time Mr. Eagleburger was Deputy Secretary, at the time the highest post in the Department a career diplomat could aspire to. I remember him for his unwavering support for those below himRead… Read more »