24 November 2009

The public service vitually came to a standstill today as thousands of public service employees went on strike.

Doubtless, many of these felt this was a necessary and inevitable action. There is no doubt that some felt the loss of a days pay, and the time spent in the cold and rain on a picket line, was a worthwhile sacrifice in support of their cause.

I can’t help but wonder just what that cause is. I suspect that many of these public servants have bought into a set of ideas that their trade unions have sold them. To a private sector employee who faces daily the threat of unemployment and whose pay has alrady been cut by perhaps 20%, their action must seem insane.

I can speak with some knowledge on the subject of the public/private sector divide. I have worked as an employee in both camps and I have been self-empoyed for many years. I currently work within a government department, albeit in a temporary postion. I see first-hand civil servants who work hard and give of their best. Some civil servants are among the most professional people I have known.  But I also see civil servants who have, it seems, no idea what work or stress or pressure is. Their time is spent chatting with colleagues, calculating their very generous entitlements and awaiting their next incremental pay rise. I know of more than one who spend most of their day surfing the internet or on the phone to friends. Many of these would be, in my view, virtually unemployable in the private sector, so institutionalised have they become. Certainly, I would not emply them.

So what was the point of todays action? For many public servants it was a timely opportunity to start the Christmas shopping. For the sincerely hard-pressed, it may have been the only way to display their frustration and a desperate attempt to dissuade the government from imposing pay cuts or further levies. I suspect that their action today may not make any difference to the governments plans.

The government must do what it must do. Cuts in pay across the board are inevitable. If we don’t do it, then the IMF will. It’s time for the public service to face reality. They have security and benefits that simply do not exist in the private sector. The acid test is, if the private sector are so much better off, how many public service employees would be willing to quit their secure, generously pensioned jobs and take up employment in the private sector. Not many, I bet.

 The Best is Yet to Come, Inc. founder, Cay Woodard, says, “We need to think about the kids – it’s really all about the kids.  We have received a list of children whose families will not have turkeys for Thanksgiving or Christmas and we are asking businesses and individuals to donate turkeys or gift certificates to make the holidays happier for those less fortunate,” 

The Best is Yet to Come, Inc. third annual Toy Drive is underway until December 22.  Toys, non-perishable food items, and clothing are being collected for needy children in the East Naples, Golden Gated and two smaller areas of Immokalee.  Business locations in Lee and Collier Counties are being sought for the distribution of drop-off boxes.

Those interested in supplying turkeys or gift certificates or would like a drop-off box delivered to their place of business, please call Cay Woodward at 239-465-3640 or Kay Miller at

 239-898-3693.

About The Best Is Yet To Come, Inc.:

The Best is Yet to Come, Inc. is a Charitable Not-for-Profit organization developed to provide training and services to the youth in need.  This foundation is addressing the problems youths are facing, and helping them to overcome these issues and discover their highest potential.

Fort Myers Woman’s Community Club is thrilled to partner with Harry Chapin Food Bank for Holiday House-“A Season of Joy”.  In addition to bringing smiles and enjoyment to those visiting Holiday House we will be able to help the less fortunate of the Community.  Holiday House has always been a gift by the Fort Myers Woman’s Community Club to the area and will now demonstrate the JOY that comes from giving by helping those in need.  We would love for each person visiting Holiday House to bring ONE nonperishable item per person.  We will be collecting all 26 days we are open and hope to fill the coffers of the Food Bank!  Please come and enjoy the fabulous decorations and be truly filled with “A Season of Joy”!

Holiday House 2009 will open to guests on November 28, 2009 until December 23, 2009 from 5 to 9 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, with children 12 and under free.

Guests can park in the Fort Myers United Methodist Church Parking Lot as well as in either downtown city parking garages. Trolley service will be running from each parking garage to transport visitors to these beautiful historic homes. There will be no charge for parking and trolley transport.  The Downtown restaurants and merchants will also provide opportunities for dining and Holiday browsing.

Holiday House has something for everyone. In addition to walking through these two festively decorated homes and grounds, children can visit Santa each evening at the Langford Kingston Home. Also, a variety of local music and dance groups will provide entertainment each evening. Please join us downtown Fort Myers at the Burroughs and Langford Kingston’s homes as the Fort Myers Woman’s Community Club celebrates “A Season of Joy”!

Fort Myers Woman’s Community Club

www.fmwcc.com

 Santa will be on hand every night to greet children at The Fort Myers Woman’s Community Club’s annual Holiday House 2009 “A Season of Joy”.  As time honored as Saint Nick himself, Holiday House is a Southwest Florida tradition that has taken place for over 30 years.  The little ones eyes will light up when they enter the joyfully decorated “Santa Room” at the Langford – Kingston home. Capture a new memory and take your own photo with Santa, then tour both exquisitely decorated homes for ONLY $5 for adults and children 12 and under are FREE. Also, a variety of local music and dance groups will provide entertainment each evening.

Holiday House 2009 will open to guests on November 28th, and run through December 23, 2009. Opening night coincides with the downtown festival Holiday Stroll; a parade led by the Mayor in a horse drawn carriage. Everyone is invited to stroll from Centennial Park down First Street, as the street lights come on one by one as the parade progresses.  The stroll stops at the Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center where the main Christmas Tree is lit and the stroll continues and culminates at the Holiday House homes.  The hours for Holiday House are nightly 5 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. 

The downtown parking garages will be open and free of charge.  Also, a free trolley service will be running from each parking garage and will transport visitors to and from these beautiful homes. 

Make Holiday House part of your holiday tradition and join us in downtown Fort Myers at the Burrough’s and Langford-Kingston homes as the Fort Myers Woman’s Community Club celebrates “A Season of Joy”!

Fort Myers Woman’s Community Club

www.fmwcc.com

The Burroughs Home                                    Langford Kingston Home

2505 First Street                                           (across from the Burroughs Home)

Fort Myers, Florida 33901                             http://downtownfortmyers.com/langford%2Dkingston/

(corner of First St. & Fowler)

http://downtownfortmyers.com/burroughshome/

Someone asked this very important question:  should governments use blogging as a tool for public service? I answered yes so here goes…telling an all-too-familiar story another way.

The all-too-familiar story told another way...tingim.

After 30 years in public sector work, I present to you the ruminations of a dinosaur with one eye open. Close your eyes…now, aherrm both eyes please…and come with me on this journey…

Just imagine receiving a blog from your local MP…

Can’t help it…got to say it! I can just see the title of my next tune beckoning in the distance: Blogging Me! Blogging You! Uhuhhhhhh’. For now, try singing/humming (whatever), these words with that famous ABBA tune ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You, uhuhhhhhh…’ See…not difficult is it?

Where are we? Oh yes the MP’s blog. Yes the blog is in your face and you seeing his/her face on your computer – for the first time! Wow! Some of these MPs don’t visit their electorates as often as they should once elected. So we need to think creatively to keep on reminding them about who gave them their mandate.

Unfortunately for most, they are all over you like a rash and in your face just before elections. Sometimes that is not so bad as someone’s got to put their best foot forward and declare their intention to lead. For some it’s more like willingly offering themselves for a life in a fishbowl, or go down in some quarters like the season’s pickings to be chewed up and spat out! Quite unceremonious goings on but that as we know comes with the territory.

Anyway, wouldn’t it be great for your MP to tell you what his/her vision is for your electorate for the next 5 years, and tell you about his/her hopes, concerns, issues, hobbies, interests, good causes, family, challenges and hardships they themselves or you put them through etc. MPs are human too. Yes, but human or not human is a small part of the commitment they made when they stood on top of trucks with loud hailers bleating out promise after promise for a better life that is only possible through them, disrupting traffic, disturbing the peace with loud noise, littering the sidewalks with their posters…etc.

Back to Le Blog, I could imagine a couple of engaging MP blog titles such as:
‘Getting to Know You’ (is this a line in a musical or what?)
‘Meet and Greet’ (hmmm…too wishy washy)
‘Coming to You Live from…(name of electorate/village)
‘Today With You’ (too suggestive perhaps)
‘Spanning Our Tribal Bridges’ (oooh…that’s heavy)
‘With Love From Me to You’ (maybe not…) and so on and so forth.

Gradually, election fever is no longer life-threatening, the warmth of the ballot paper becomes cold and the loud hailers are silenced and tossed aside in some dark damp corner for another 5 years or so. Promises become challenges and a 4-5-year uphill battle, more like every year, to meet election commitments prevail. The mandate to govern becomes blurred with self-indulgence and extreme liberties.

The electorate once more fades into yet another 4-5 years of the same old same old…as the loyal voter cries out over and over again: where is the road, the school, the aidpost, the airstrip, the drugs for all manner of illnesses etc etc? Why are we suffering when our country sits on gold and oil deposits, our rich forests and oceans teeming with bountiful harvets of tuna etc. That’s right! the promises that were coming over the loud hailers not so long ago. Why?, where?, how? — on it goes day in day out like a broken record.

Now I got to thinking as an avid blogger: Could blogging change this ever so familiar negative scenario? Most may answer maybe or yes, followed by how soon! And from the zealous ones: how about yesterday?

So this ‘new face’ (dispela ‘niupela pes’) that I’m talking about or rather agonising over - what about it?

Just think of yourself, the blogging honest voter let alone a citizen in your MP’s electorate telling him/her or rather blogging him/her about your successes, hardships, challenges, your family, taxes, your community and the beat goes on – day in, day out.  This goes on for what seems like an eternity.

Then one day, voila! you get a response! A response from your MP! Oh my gosh, your lips form these immortal words, slowly and with great emotion and no sound emanating from your mouth. Your heart is beating faster than usual, you are not sure whether to laugh or to cry! As you reach for the Kleenex your heart is full of wonder and love…yeah love…imagine that too. The blogger and bloggee in contact with eachother in perfect harmony…hmmm.

As you log off you wondered...

The hours pass by and you go back to your usual routine of checking your emails and Facebook and anything fun or witty. Then you log off your computer and wonder about your MP blogging back…well what a humongous surprise…you feel the lump of emotion in your throat again. You stand up from your desk and in the silence of your office you wonder….

What would future elections look like and what would elected leaders be like? If you were all blogging for 5 years after he/she got elected. Yes, what kind of church, community and youth leaders, public servants, newspaper editors, office managers, donor agencies, technical advisers, volunteers, project managers, departmental heads, CEOs, and politicians – the elected representatives etc, would a blogging community produce. It could go the other way too…we could create monsters. Yeah that too, but let’s just focus on our hopefully benevolent and caring MP, please.

That’s all very well. But what if the MP doesn’t have a computer? Is there another way? Do we need to give every new MP a crash course, say, Blogging 101? Do we need legislation to introduce blogging as a form of government communication? Prepare a Cabinet submission on this? Allocate a fraction of the budget for blogging resources? Or should we as law-abiding citizens exercise our human and civil right and just do it, that’s right! Go ahead and blog with our MPs to our hearts’ content every minute, everyday, every week, every month and so  on. Well, it would all makes sense if we were receiving our MPs’ responses, right?

It all boils down to this: MPs are duty bound to communicate with those who are and may be potentially affected by their actions and they are morally bound to be accountable for their actions, right? Yes, it’s all good…but MPs are just one aspect of governance. And mine just one perspective.

So the more than a million quid question is: Could blogging be the ‘new face’ of governance? Could blogging empower us to create cultures of good governance?

My mind journeys on, long after the flames of my gas heater burn low and another night to create in slumber my world of happiness, wealth and prosperity. A title of another blog perhaps?

In my post WIKIHOW just 2 days ago, I addressed Wikipedia volunteers and suggested that if they find Wikipedia too strict, they might switch to Wikihow. It seems many heard me – 49,000 volunteers just exited Wikipedia:

‘In an attempt to rein in the lawlessness and veiled opinion running rampant among its volunteer editors, Wikipedia may have shot itself in the foot. In the first 3 months of this year, there’s been something of a stampede of contributors exiting the crowdsourced online encyclopedia, leading to a net loss of 49,000, analysis shows, compared to just 4,900 in the same period a year earlier. And some blame new restrictions meant to curb vandalism in a community where one of the rules used to be “Ignore all rules.”

‘“Wikipedia is becoming a more hostile environment,” the researcher who noticed the trend tells the Wall Street Journal. “Many people are getting burnt out.” The new rules require a more thorough vetting of certain articles after a recent uptick in blatant lies and biased articles, and at least one expert thinks the falloff may be a good thing. “It’s too many cooks in the kitchen,” he says. Perhaps so—though participation has fallen off, the number of visitors is booming.’ -WSJ

Kan ni komma på någon ur Sveriges etniska minoriteter som vunnit en “folkkär” tävling de senaste åren? Vi kommer på tre. Svaret avslöjas sist i inlägget.

Vi har tidigare skrivit om hur kommersiell TV rejält slår SVT på fingrarna när det gäller mångfald. I så gott som alla produktioner - oavsett om det är Robinson, Körslaget, Let’s Dance, Mammas pojkar, Parlamentet, Roast på Berns, Paradise hotel, Körslaget, Oskyldigt dömd - hittas lag eller deltagare som tydligt kan identfieras som tillhörande en etnisk minoritet.

Detta kan jämföras med SVT-underhållning där mångfalden är satt på undantag i breda underhållningsprogram som Skavlan, På Spåret och Här är ditt liv liksom dramaprogram som – för att ta ett ur högen – Guds tre flickor.

Idol har varit extra intressant att följa ur den aspekten. Deltagarna har inte (säger de i alla fall) i sista hand plockats ut av ett castingbolag utan av en professionell jury. Troligen har det bidragit till den breda etniska mångfalden i program efter program, när det är talang och inte etnicitet som avgör. I årets Idol ville tittarna inte alls ha med Eddie Razzaz och Reza Ningtyas Lindh men de lyftes ändå in som wildcards av juryn.

Det sorgliga är det som händer när juryn/castingbolaget drar sig ur och tittarna får fullt inflytande, vilket illustreras av fredagens utröstning av Reza Ningtyas Lindh. Veckan innan det var det Eddie Razaz. Innan det Rabih Jaber. Nu är det inga kvar.

Idol och Robinson är å andra sidan, vad vi kan komma på, de enda underhållningsprogrammen som de senaste åren alls haft vinnare som inte är etniska svenskar. Både sverigefinsk-tornedalske Markus Fagervall (som även vann Stjärnor på is) samt förra årets svensk-maltesiske vinnare Kevin Borg kvalar in där, liksom svensk-italienska Robinson-vinnaren Alexandra Zazzi.

Samtidigt kanske det säger en del om dem som röstar att de enda som fått tillräckligt med röster för att vinna har europeiskt påbrå – vilket inte varit exotiskt och Annorlunda i Sverige de senaste för 40 åren. Kanske tar det så länge innan minoriteten får tillräcklig acceptans även från majoriteten.

För de färska stora invandrargrupperna i Sverige kanske det återstår lika lång tid till acceptans – eller inte. Darin Zanyar må ha hamnat tvåa i den första Idol-tävlingen men det är han som spås bli den klarast lysande stjärnan som tar hem melodifestivalen 2010 som joker.

Utan att ha gjort en närstudie av medlemmarna i alla vinnargrupper sedan starten 1958 så tror vi ändå att det är en kvalificerad gissning att han skulle bli den andra vinnaren någonsin med påbrå från något utomeuropeiskt land. (Efter Afro-dite 1993). Att Salem al Fakir är den andra jokern som valts ut försämrar ju inte oddsen…

(Darin skulle möjligen även kunna bli den första vinnaren ur en stor etnisk minoritet överhuvudtaget men det vore konstigt rent statistiskt om inte någon sverigefinne vid något tillfälle smugit sig in i ett vinnande bidrag. Anni-Frid Lyngstads norsk-tyska påbrå kvalar dock inte in på invandringens topp fem).

Darin kan nämligen illustrera ett faktum: Det spelar ingen roll om tv-tittarnas röster inte räcker ända fram. Har man star quality går det ändå.

Och nu till vår fråga: Varför skriver ingen om mångfaldsaspekten i Idol? Det pratas ju alltid om hur tjejerna blir utröstade först. Varför kommenterade ingen att team Rinkeby blev utröstade näst först i Körslaget trots sång- och showmässig överlägsenhet? Eller om Jarmos finskhet bidrog till att han kom tvåa i Robinson förra året?

Sedda en och en handlar kanske utröstningarna om individers tillkortakommanden, men sett som en helhet?

KM

Saxat från tidningen Journalistens nyhetsbrev:

“Socialdemokraterna, Vänsterpartiet och Miljöpartiet har enats om ett gemensamt motförslag till regeringens public serviceproposition där de vill “värna Public service-bolagens ekonomiska förutsättningar, oberoende och framtid som breda, folkliga och seriösa radio- och TV-kanaler”.

Rödgröna blocket överens om public service, Journalisten

Mvh/:)Smileth

I wonder what filipino politician can be compared to Penaflorida?:

‘Embodying the spirit of Filipino volunteerism that bloomed in this stormy year, Efren Peñaflorida Jr. was named CNN Hero of the Year, the international news network announced on Sunday (Manila time). The Cavite City native pioneered a brand of mobile education, or the “pushcart classroom,” for urban poor youth. ‘Peñaflorida, fondly called “Kuya F,” was named 2009 CNN Hero of the Year. In his acceptance speech, he said: “Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need.” Sophia Dedace file photo “Efren Peñaflorida, who started a ‘pushcart classroom’ in the Philippines to bring education to poor children as an alternative to gang membership, has been named the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year,” the world-renowned Cable News Network said in an article posted on its Web site.’ -Yahoo

Mabuhay ka Efren -bayaning totoo!

My name is Kim Burnett, and I am a public servant. I am young, and therefore I am creative, energetic, and tech savvy. I am optimistic about the possibilities available to me as a government worker in terms of both my career, and improving the lives of Canadians. I haven’t become disillusioned or disaffected, yet.

These sort of stereotypes / assumptions serve me well, some of the time (especially because I am creative and energetic, and pseudo-tech-savvy), but I worry about what logically follows for my less youthful counterparts. Are they old, and therefore bereft of creativity, energy, and the ability to use the internets? Can they not find the googles? These stereotypes / assumptions also do not serve me well sometimes: youth is also associated with inexperience, naivety, and unfamiliarity with bureaucratic processes.

Are these stereotypes helpful? Should our renewal attempts be founded on them? I’m “young”, and I can’t fix your blackberry. Being “old” doesn’t mean you couldn’t. I assume what I am saying isn’t new or jaw-dropping to any of you. But, I think there is value in repeating the message when renewal is on the minds of so many. Especially when some initiatives (e.g., canada@150), although awesome, are still geared specifically toward young public servants.

I think that ignoring or excluding “more seasoned” employees from renewal initiatives

1. ignores / excludes a huge pool of potential creativity from people with a ton of public service experience,
2. reifies stereotypes and dichotomies about and between “young” and “old” public servants, and
3. is kind of toxic and ageist .

(Side note: Yup, I used the a-word. And I mean it. I remember joking to a friend when I was going through  canada@150 application process (sigh, I was rejected)  — imagine if it was only open to men? to women? to Caucasian-Canadians? But it is okay for a government initiative to specify young public servants? Bwaa?? — I often use humour to talk about serious things.)

It isn’t my contention that Gen Ys are the same as Gen Xs and Boomers, rather, I believe that efforts to renew the public service need to be inclusive of people of all ages. IMHO as a public servant and former facilitator, your employees will be as creative, energetic, and 2.0 savvy as you allow them to be, no matter their age, generation, or years of service. If people planning to retire within 5 years are expected to be disillusioned about their potential to make change, then they will be. Let’s not put people out to pasture because they are over 60. Or, *gasp*, over 35. Let’s create and foster an environment where employees at all ages and classifications are encouraged to harness their creativity, energy, and web 2.0-savvyness (hereinafter referred to as CE2.0).

How do I create a Creative, Energetic, 2.0-savvy (CE2.0) environment?

I don’t have THE answer, just suggestions.

1. Don’t always call upon your token CE2.0 types for your CE2.0 needs. When you bring new faces to meetings (where they are expected to participate and engage) you increase the likelihood of your non-usual suspects sharing ideas — they may even get excited about work.
2. If you want 2.0 savvy employees, provide them the opportunity to become 2.0 savvy. In my section, for example, we’re trying out Sharepoint, we want people to use it, so we’re offering training.
3. Create creative space. THAT SOUNDS VAGUE, Kim. You say. It’s not, actually. Get your group together to brainstorm to troubleshoot issues facing your group. You might be surprised with what they come up with. You might not. But, there is value in giving people the opportunity to influence the environment in which they work. There is value in expecting your employees to think outside the box, engage, and participate. (This value will be diminished if such an exercise isn’t undertaken sincerely, and if employee suggestions are ignored.)

Hm, and that’s all I got, for now, suggestions-wise. What are your suggestions? How can we facilitate our employee engagement, creativity, energy, and 2.0-savvyness across generations in the public service? And how did you feel about me dropping the a-bomb like that?

P.S. Here is an interesting CBC Spark interview on the future of aging, retirement, how we think about our lifespans, and how that needs to change.

P.P.S. Splash!

If you find that Wikipedia is too strict, snobbish, or too academic, try writing as volunteer for Wikihow. It’s only strict concerning sources which is just as any site should be. Wikihow is also a carbon neutral website.

En person är arg som en tjur på väg till slakt. Hon har fått sin son och sin man massakrerad.  Hon ger en känd politiker skulden, yvigt och i affekt. Det är långt ifrån säkert att politikern har något att göra med frågan, den om massakern kunde ha stoppats. Det är förmodligen osannolikt. Men många tror att han kunde gripa in. Är det rätt att publicera vreden? 

Svaret är att vissa redaktioner verkar låta det bero på i vilket land politikern verkar och vilken position han har.

Enligt SR:s utrikeskorre Maria Persson Löfgren finns idag en stor upprördhet över Carl Bildts agerande under perioden före massakern i Srebenica i forna Jugoslavien.  Han var nämligen EU:s sändebud på Balkan på 90-talet.

Men SR stoppade reportaget. Låg kvalitet på grund av ensidighet var orsaken. Hade den folkliga ilskan gällt Putin, Bush eller kanske Chavez, hade vi antagligen fått höra gräsrötternas klagan. I korrespondentens krönika ges den svenska lagom-mentaliteten skulden.

Jag tror att inte svensk mentalitet är en orsak. Mer handlar det om att Carl Bildt är en inflytelserik person i Sverige, på sätt och vis även över SR, medan Putins makt över P1 är imponerande som en jolle i Östersjön. Det är troligen därför det är ok att låta folk  hata Putin hejvilt, medan bosniern på gatan inte tillåts anklaga Carl Bildt medskyldig till folkmord.  

Läs SR-reporterns krönika i Kommunalarbetaren

Hör inslaget i Medierna

Free Autism Screening for Toddlers

At Lakes Regional Library

The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, in partnership with the Ronald McDonald House Charities^® of Southwest Florida, offers a free monthly autism spectrum disorder screening for toddlers 18 months to 36 months of age.

The next screening will be held Dec. 4 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile^®, located in the Lakes Regional Library parking lot, 15290 Bass Road in south Fort Myers. Additional screenings will be conducted each month at different locations across Lee County.

It is estimated that one in every 150 children is diagnosed with some form of ASD, making it more common than childhood cancer, juvenile diabetes and pediatric AIDS combined.

Medical consultants for the project stress that an early diagnosis can make a vast difference for toddlers and their families. They say early intensive behavioral intervention can make an immense difference not just in the development of the child, but in their families as well.

The ASD screening is conducted by the Neurosciences Center at The Children’s Hospital, under the guidance of pediatric neurologist Jose Colon, MD, MPH, and pediatric psychiatrist Marianne Krouk, DO. The screenings are administered by an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner who has extensive training and experience in typical child development and developmental disorders.

Future screenings:

• Dec. 4 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lakes Regional Library
• Jan. 8 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Outpatient Center at the Sanctuary
• Feb. 12 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Miromar Outlets
• Mar. 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Miromar Outlets

A physician referral is not required. To schedule a screening, please call 239-985-3608.

There’s some bemusing stuff about a bit of workplace how’s-your-father at the Maori Language Commission in the The Dom-Post today.

A dispute between the chief executive of the Maori Language Commission and her staff has prompted the board to order an investigation.

The independent inquiry, conducted by Sir Wira Gardiner, was begun after some staff wrote to the board expressing concerns about Huhana Rokx’s management style.

Management style? Alf would be much more concerned about hiring someone with the curious name Rokx for a job in an agency charged with promoting the Maori language.

But what does he know about these things, eh?

Well, he can tell you (based on his reading of the Dom-Post) that –

Commission chairman Erima Henare has been acting chief executive since November 10, when the board appointed Sir Wira.

Both Mr Henare, who earned $58,150 from the board for the year ended June 2008, and Ms Rokx declined to comment personally about the dispute yesterday.

What’s more, Henare has hired Wellington public relations consultant Chris Wikaira to do any talking on the issue and management and staff have been told not to speak to the media. All media inquiries should be made through Wikaira.

But papers obtained by The Dominion Post claim staff members fluent in the Maori language use this ability to “show superiority” over their colleagues.

There have been at least two meetings between management and staff this year aimed at resolving the in-house problems.

One employee noted that, after one of these meetings, staff did not feel trusted and found their work environment suffocating.

Is that it?

Is it all about a pecking order where your position is influenced by your fluency in the language the commission is promoting?

Why should this be a matter of concern?

If you don’t speak Maori, or speak it poorly, you wouldn’t want to work there anyway, surely.

Alf would like to think the buggers who know a cow has four tits on its udder, and that you don’t milk bulls, and that wool comes from sheep could feel superior to those who don’t in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Likewise, knowledge of economics should push you higher up the perch at The Treasury.

Blokes are unlikely to prosper at the Ministry of Women’s Affairs.

And so on.

Mind you, we run into problems with this line of thinking when we get to the Office of the Children’s Commissioner.

Or do we?

Putting the outfit in the hands of a bunch of kids is unlikely to do much mischief because Alf doesn’t see it serving any useful purpose anyway.

Att skapa spinn med ett videoklipp är naturligtvis helt perfekt som alternativ till dyra billboard- och tv-kampanjer. Ibland kan det vara riktigt skoj också, som när Comhem tar ett metagrepp på viral marknadsföring och gör en egen kavalkad som hyllar några av de mest spridda youtubefilmerna.

Radiotjänsts grepp, där människor inbjuds göra egna små överlastade hyllningsfilmer till sig själva, underförstått för att de bidrar till public service genom att betala tv-avgiften, är i sig smått genialiskt. Det blir snyggt, det är välgjort, naturligtvis kan man inte motstå att tanka upp en bild på Oskar Dirlewanger istället för sig själv (Hitler är alldeles för förutsägbart), osv.

Men. Det går inte att komma ifrån att det kvinnan i filmen faktiskt säger passar bättre in i den ironiska formen än Radiotjänst kanske menat.

Jag har inget emot tv-avgiften eller licensfinansierad tv och radio. Tv finansierad med avgifter (vare sig det är public service eller kabel) är bättre än reklamfinansierad tv eftersom de som gör programmen slipper ha en relation till annonsörer. Det är ganska enkelt, och det är anledningen till att BBC gör bättre dokumentärer än TV3 och HBO bättre drama än Fox.

Vad som däremot är otroligt irriterande är att SVT fått för sig att de är oberoende. Det är skitsnack, de står inte i beroende till annonsörer (även om det är en glidande skala så fort det sänds direkt från idrottsevenemang), men har ett avtal med staten som ofta tolkas otroligt ängsligt av etermediabyråkrater som inte ser en fällning i radionämnden som ett kvalitetsbetyg utan som ett personligt nederlag.

Vad är det damen i filmen säger? Hur kan vi lita på att det vi ser på tv är sant? Hur vet vi att våra åsikter är våra egna? Hur kan vi vara säkra på att de svaga rösterna kommer till tals?

Genom att sätta vår tillit till SVT och Sveriges Radio? Skulle inte tro det. Pröva att ha en avvikande åsikt om något ämne riksdagen bestämt är narkotika, till exempel. Och hur kommer för övrigt “de svaga rösterna” till tals när SVT tar in allt mer personal via bemanningsföretag, och därmed smiter från personalansvaret? Lönerna ska vi inte tala om.

Public service värd namnet skulle fortfarande vara licensfinansierad, men fullständigt frikopplad från staten. Och ta in licenspengarna på annat vis än genom hycklande reklamfilmer.

Mer om SVT, SR, Radionämnden, Radiotjänst, Oskar Dirlewanger, Adolf Hitler, Public service

 THE GUADALUPE CENTER IS IN NEED OF YOUR HELP THIS THANKSGIVING

The Guadalupe Center of Immokalee will be holding its 27^th Annual Thanksgiving in the Park and anticipates serving over 4,000 individuals on Thanksgiving Day.  With (7) days left before the big event, the Guadalupe Center is still in need of cooked turkeys, pies of any kind and is also in desperate need of a refrigerator truck (or funds to rent one).  Donations can be made to Guadalupe Center 509 Hope Circle Immokalee, FL 34142 or call 239-657-7711 for more information.

Every library has at least one or two “characters” who are regulars but behave oddly. Sometimes, these folks are a problem and require action, but generally, they are just gentle souls who are struggling with the challenges of living in this world.

One of our regulars is primarily concerned with identify theft. We have been through periods when she is certain that one of the librarians has stolen her identity but usually, it’s someone from the outside world like a stranger at the drugstore or grocery store. As a result of this fixation, she often needs information assistance to find websites and/or contact information for various legal organizations, judges, and identity theft professionals. She has written letters and made dozens of phone calls to lawyers and judges and editors of various newspapers.

We actually do our best to make her time in the library comfortable but it does seems like something always happens to turn things upside down. One day, when she was still carrying a lot of her belongings with her (again, to protect her identity), she set the bags down in our foyer. Unfortunately, that same day, another patron was collecting clothing to donate to charity and assumed those bags were donations. It was very difficult to convince our friend that this was an accident and not an intentional theft of her personal belongings. Everything was cleared up and returned the next day, but for her, the items were no longer viable as she believed they had been worn and so she discarded them and started over.

Another day, we assisted her in photocopying pictures of models from Vanity Fair. The magazine is larger than a standard piece of paper and so we had to adjust the copier settings. Once we got everything ready and she made her copies, she thanked us kindly and then showed us the pictures saying, “I forgot what I used to look like.”

Another day, she needed pictures of herself to send to someone. We apologized that we really couldn’t help her with that. In the end, we turned around to find her pressing her face up against the copier glass and was copying it… front and side.

It’s funny sometimes but it’s also sad. And what is our role as public servants to our troubled patrons? Will we know or recognize that day when this woman might need an intervention or professional assistance?

I’ve considered joining the blogosphere to actively participate in the e-dialogue going on about government, collaboration, 2.0, and all that jazz for some time. A colleague (who I have not actually met in person), suggested I just dive in. Splash.

I’ve noticed some talk (on GCconnex and GCPedia) about how the government needs to be more web 2.0 savvy to attract “younger”, “gen Y” and “N-generation” people to the public service. Leaving aside the stereotyping and assumptions about the “young” (and also, inferentially, the OLD) behind this position aside for a moment (future post material!), I’d like to challenge the contention that a workplace that allows me to tweet, blog, LinkIn, Skype, myspace, and gnome is attractive. I can’t speak on behalf of my whole generation (Y), nor would I presume to, but I am happy to speak for myself. (Splash.)

I did not choose my job / place of work because of the personal or professional social networking sites I can or cannot access. Moreover, when I look for job opportunities I am not attracted to whether or not they are tweet and blog friendly. I look at the substantive content of the work. I ask about the work atmosphere. I look at the pay. I stay in / am attracted to my current job because it is challenging, engaging, interesting, I have good management, creative license, and fantastic peers and networks. In my workplace, work-life balance is important, as is wellness — we have running and walking groups, and a cycling commuter collective — AND my division / section in particular is really open to dialogue about what we do and how we do it from employees at all levels (including me, a relatively junior employee). The work, the people, the opportunity to make a difference for Canadians, the fantastic benefits — these things attract me to the public service.

But it is annoying when I can’t access websites when undertaking my work.

Actually, it’s more than annoying, it’s a hindrance to my ability join in on the work-related discussions that are going on on the internets.  More of the discussions about the future directions for government, renewal, and web 2.0 adoption are accessible to me at home than in the workplace. I can access instructional videos about how to use GCPedia on YouTube at home, and not in my office — the only place I can access GCPedia. I can find and collaborate with more work colleagues across government via social networking sites at home than I can at work.

The in/accessibility of social networking sites is important to me. But for me, it is not important as a means to attract young, gen-y-types, it is important inasmuch as social networking sites are media that facilitate collaboration, engagement, discussion, and understanding across age groups, generations, departments, and government.

I feel like this is anti-climatic, but I am going to add it any way: I am kind of uncomfortable adding co-workers as FaceBook friends. Unstereotypically gen-y-y (pronounced: GEN-WHY-EEE), I like to keep my home and professional lives as separate as possible. So, a workplace that had a culture where everyone was expected to collaborate via FaceBook might even be unattractive to me. And maybe other people like me, from a variety of generations.

Should gen-y attraction to the public service be a goal of web 2.0 adoption? Or, is web 2.0 adoption more about collaboration? I think the latter. How about you?