Biff Bangs

The Red Silky Caress: Do Games Tell Good Romance Stories?

Admin — Sun, 20 May 2012 11:50:20 +0000

Spoilers for Mass Effect 3 and The Witcher 2 (and V for Vendetta!) follow.

The other week I was arguing with McCasker. We were debating Samantha Traynor, the Normandy’s latest yeoman. “She didn’t feed my fish!” I twittered, disgusted at having to buy a robot to do Kelly’s job. Toby’s response: “Posh and neglectful, a princess hankering for a spankering… you are only making me LOVE HER MORE.”

These debates are popular–Mass Effect’s romance forum moves at a hundred posts an hour. It’s not just a BioWare thing, though. The Witcher, Grand Theft Auto, and The Elder Scrolls all let you date a digital partner. This is no surprise–romance is the best-selling book genre, after all. Games are just cashing in.

Yet despite this popularity, games almost always treat romances as five-minute side quests. Josh Sawyer, lead designer of Fallout: New Vegas, wrote: “I dont hate love in game stories; I just hate reducing love to shallow, masturbatory fantasy indulgence. Maybe thats all love is to some people, but I think thats a pretty narrow view. “

So do games tell good romance stories?

Good romances are original

IHG Rewards Travelers With Cash Amid Rising Cost Of Travel

Admin — Sun, 20 May 2012 03:33:09 +0000

ATLANTA, May 7, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
Back by popular demand, IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) is offering guests cash rewards through their “Vacation Pay” promotion, arming travelers with extra spending money to use following their vacation and beyond. U.S. residents planning their fun in the sun between May 14, 2012 and Sept. 3, 2012, will receive a $75 prepaid card when they stay two consecutive weekend (Friday, Saturday or Sunday) nights at any of IHG’s 4,400 hotels worldwide, including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Holiday Inn®, Holiday Inn® Resort, Holiday Inn® Club Vacations, Holiday Inn® Express, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites®.

According to a recent survey from the U.S. Travel Association, the rising cost associated with vacations is directly affecting leisure travel for consumers this upcoming summer. Consumers planning to fly to their summer destinations are feeling the heat with 43 percent claiming that an increase in the price of airfare due to higher oil prices will directly affect their summer travels. Vacationers also stated that the rising gas and oil prices will cause them to take fewer trips and spend less money on food and entertainment, making “Vacation Pay” a sunny solution to a budgeting burden.

“For most travelers, budgets are top of mind when booking summer vacations, and the rising cost associated with travel can add extra stress as they begin the planning process,” said Karyn Sarago, Marketing Manager, Leisure Travel, IHG. “We’re bringing back ‘Vacation Pay’ to take some of the financial pressure off our customers, by putting some extra cash back in their pockets in hopes of providing them with a carefree and relaxing vacation.”

Consumers can use their “Vacation Pay” pre-paid cards for additional family fun throughout the summer months. Seventy five dollars back can go a long way when planning trips to a local amusement park, beach boardwalk or family dinner.

Helping Travelers Save

IHG’s cash back rewards from “Vacation Pay” can be spent however the traveler chooses, such as:

Future hotel stays

A tank of gas for the trip down the shore

Summer concert tickets

Admission to an amusement park

Summer fun gear such as bathing suits and sandals

Groceries for a family BBQ

IHG’s “Vacation Pay” promotion is valid for U.S. residents only and redeemable via rebates for a maximum reward of $300 per traveler. For more information about “Vacation Pay” and to book accommodations, visit
www.ihg.com/get75 beginning May 14.

Notes to Editors: IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) (lon:IHG)) is a global organization with nine hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites®, as well as our two newest brands, EVEN(TM) Hotels and HUALUXE(TM) Hotels & Resorts. IHG also manages Priority Club® Rewards, the world’s first and largest hotel loyalty program with over 63 million members worldwide.

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns over 4,400 hotels and more than 658,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories, and has more than 1,100 hotels in its development pipeline.

IHG expects to recruit around 90,000 new people worldwide across its estate over the next few years and is committed to gender balance throughout its business. We aspire to continue retaining a minimum of 25% female representation on the Board.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group’s holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.

Visit
www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and
www.priorityclub.com for more on Priority Club Rewards. For our latest news, visit
www.ihg.com/media ,
www.twitter.com/ihgplc or
www.youtube.com/ihgplc .

SOURCE IHG

Financial Glossary

Words used in this article:

Small start, big ideas

Admin — Sun, 20 May 2012 01:16:05 +0000

First committee meetings just the beginning of Vision 2020

The top 10 Vision 2020 ideas have Austin residents buzzing, and for good reason. The 10 projects stemming from the community-wide initiative aim to massively change Austin’s landscape in eight years or less. Though each project is in its infancy — project committees met for the first time Thursday and will need time to hammer out detailed plans — there’s plenty of potential for a positive impact in Austin. The Daily Herald takes a look at three more plans in a periodic series highlighting each Vision 2020 project. Look for in-depth coverage of other ideas in the coming weeks, months and years.

Gateway to success

The Gateway to Austin is more than a welcome sign for Interstate 90 travelers crossing through Austin.

“It needs to have some wow factor to it to really pique people’s curiosity and get them to stop,” said Laura Helle, executive director of the Hormel Historic Home and Vision 2020 steering committee member.

While part of the goal is an effective sign announcing the city, the Vision project aims at developing an iconic I-90 overpass somewhere between Fourth Street NW and 14th Street NW that can simultaneously draw people to the area and provide a convenience for Austin residents.

“Part of the functionality is it’s going to need to bridge the interstate,” Helle said.

And not just for cars. Many ideas submitted for Vision 2020 asked for a walking or bike trail so people could make it to Target or the mall without driving, she said. This project would try to add a means of passage for those people.

For motorists driving through Austin, the gateway itself could be more than just an advertisement for the city.

“It may be a situation where vehicle traffic can get off the interstate, park and go inside,” Helle said. She cited the travel oasis near Chicago as an example, which contain a number of small retail outlets, including food shops and souvenirs.

Cheryl Corey, executive director of the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the proposed overpass aligns well with the CVB’s goal of enhancing the local economy by bringing in visitors. Corey joined the Gateway to Austin committee to support the project and extend Austin’s reach.

“That’s exactly what we need to work toward,” Corey said. “We’ve chosen to focus our energy on that one.” It’s difficult to put hard numbers to the money the project could bring in at this point, she added.

“It’s going to require a lot of different entities,” Helle said, adding she thinks the biggest challenge in the project will be getting all the players moving in the right direction. Beyond the efforts of visionaries, developing the area along the interstate requires the cooperation of a number of authorities.

“I think if we could pull it off, it would be well worth it,” she said.

Recreation for all

One of the more popular ideas is a prospective community recreation center, which is the culmination of a variety of ideas. A place for youth and teens to turn to, a new place for adults to exercise, a place where families can spend time together, and more ideas came together in what could be a high-profile Austin attraction.

“We really want a first-rate facility,” said Roger Boughton, community recreation center committee member.

There’s plenty of ideas and projects for committee members to piggyback on. In recent years, the YMCA of Austin has gone through strategic planning which could lead to a potential remodel, addition or new facility, according to YMCA board members.

“There’s a lot of planning that goes into a place prior to developing a new recreation center,” said Craig Hoium, committee member and YMCA board vice president. “The Y has already done quite a bit of that groundwork.”

Committee members are already talking about what the center will hold, which could include meeting rooms for corporate events, exercise areas for fitness buffs, play areas for families and even a few health initiatives.

Many committee members are looking to partner with the YMCA and other organizations, including Riverland Community College. City of Austin staff have for years discussed a potential replacement for its youth activity center by partnering with Riverland. City officials have previously spoken with Riverland officials about creating a shared recreation center with expanded athletic courts. Officials even toured the recreation center in Osage, Iowa, last year, though that center faced funding issues halfway through construction. That’s why committee members are emphasizing bringing in several partners to plan a facility the whole community can use.

“I see it as an opportunity to collaborate,” said Jim Splinter, community recreation center committee member.

Riverland officials are excited to collaborate as well. Riverland already partners with the city and Austin Public Schools in running Dick Seltz Field, the relatively new baseball complex.

“We’ve talked about the possibility of youth centers, recreational centers we’ve broached the subject of a sports complex, and that’s why we’re really excited to be at the table with Vision 2020,” said Riverland President Terry Leas, who is also a community recreation center committee member. “We think there’s some really exciting possibilities.”

: Mark Owens, center right, leads a small-group discussion during a committee meeting for Embrace and Maintain Waterways Thursday evening at Riverland Community College. – Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com

Embracing and maintaining waterways

Cleaning area rivers and lakes has been far from an easy task, but Vision 2020′s ability to shed new light on the problems could significantly reduce the burden. And local officials charged with the “health” of the area’s watershed realized that as soon as they saw the idea nestled within the menagerie of Vision 2020′s goals.

“I think this just goes hand-in-hand with what the Cedar River Watershed District is working on,” said Bev Nordby, CRWD administrator.

From the beginning of Vision 2020, Helle noticed that cleaning waterways has been a popular facet.

“I do know that was one of the popular ones,” Helle said, and mentioned a lot of comment cards and online responses displayed enthusiasm in that area.

Recent initiatives, such as wetland restoration, a locally employed adopt-a-river program and a DNR-designated state water trail may have caused a snowball effect in the community.

“You know, I think there is becoming an awareness of the resource that we have in the river system,” Nordby said.

Furthermore, Helle said as the waterways and lakes improve and receive positive support, that creates a symbiotic relationship with the other Vision 2020 ideas. She said if people see the river as a resource, ideas like the gateway to Austin and others only become stronger. Helle said some people even dream about a community beach, and the absence of that resource surprises some, such as newcomers.

“I was pretty disappointed when I came here, and I learned you couldn’t swim (in natural waterways), said Claire Olson, 17, who recently moved to Austin and attended Thursday’s Vision 2020 meeting. “So it’d be pretty cool if you could just go swimming.”

To start, however, brainstormers at Thursday’s Vision 2020 meeting focused on small-scale projects that can draw in large numbers of volunteers. Then bigger visions can begin to form.

Afterall, there are seven and a half years to go.

Art by Ear

Admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 08:22:08 +0000

It being suggested that I review a new audio tour of the Metropolitan Museum by its director Thomas P. Campbell, I gulped. Never once in my life had I used a museum audio guide. What a snob? No doubt. Im partial to my naked experience of art. I dont want answers about works until Ive formed questions. But I understand that most people, in an overwhelming Home Depot of the aesthetic like the Met, lack time to luxuriate in slowly unfolding mysteries. And for all I knew, I had been missing something. Surrendering seven dollars for a push-button receiver and comfortable earphones, I set forth.

Campbells resilient British tenor (Ren-AYS-sance) exudes gravitas, though nothing like that of the former director Philippe de Montebellos baritone Gallic plum sauce. (De Montebello was to museum directorship what Dick Clark was to New Years Eve. Even four years on, the mild former tapestries curator Campbell can suggest a local weather girl filling in.) The itinerary of thirty-five stops ranges from ancient Egypt to Vincent van Gogh, with one lonely addendum from the twentieth century, Jackson Pollocks Autumn Rhythm. (Did market research turn up an allergy to modern art in likely audio-tourists?) Campbell intersperses facts and factoids about the touchstones with passages of the Mets collecting history and ritual locutions of awe. The word great gets a workout. Though I found myself forgetting whatever he said almost as soon as he said it, the sense of being in erudite company was pleasantan ambulatory lullaby, or like a sportscast on the radio when youre otherwise occupied. Anyhow, I strayed immediately from the Campbell track.

Gift ideas for every mom

Admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 04:37:34 +0000

: Rosalyn Solomon, QMI Agency
No two moms are alike, but we love them all the same. Here are a few gift ideas whether your mom is into fashion or food – or anything in between.

: Techie mom: Help mom capture memories with the new Nikon D3000. ($398, Walmart)

: Fashionista mom: Perfect for the upcoming seasons, the Renee beaded ombre clutch from Banana Republic can carry any of moms bright outfits. ($124, Banana Republic)

: Foodie mom: A stylish and practical 6-Bottle Wine Cooler can hold moms (and dads) favourite bottles. ($98, Walmart)

: Fashionista mom: This Cocoa Jewellery cuff is the perfect accent, whether moms off to work or out for dinner. ($20, Shoppers Drug Mart).

: Foodie mom: Help mom cook up or bake up her next great meal with the12-Speed Classic Stand Mixer. ($88, Walmart)

: Foodie mom: If moms looking for new recipes, or likes nice books for the coffee tables, offer up Tea Crumpets by Margaret Johnson. ($22.95, Indigo)

: Sporty mom: Help mom stay comfy and dry in the 100 Wash Yoga Jacket, which wont shrink, pill or fade – plus it comes with a 100-wash guarantee. ($49.99, Marks)

: Sporty mom: The flexible and breathable Reebok ZigNano shoes are perfect for moms workouts, even if its just includes running after the kids. ($129.99, Sport Chek and Reebok)

: Fashionista mom: Keep moms style up to the minute with a Michael Kors watch. ($300, watchit.ca)

: Busy mom: The PKG Throwback Leather Satchel can hold moms laptop and all other essentials – and its far from looking like a dowdy mommy bag. ($595, blackcrowncollection.com)

: Foodie mom: Help mom add to her recipe repertoire with La Tartine Gourmande by Beatrice Peltre ($35, Indigo).

: Techie mom: Not only does the Kobo Vox provide reading on the go, mom can also keep up with Facebook and check her e-mail. ($199.99, Kobo.com)

: Busy mom: Help mom stay in touch and keep track of everyone in the family with the new White Samsung Galaxy Note. (Available through Rogers, Bell and Telus starting at $199.99 on a three-year term)

: The mom who wont tell you what she wants: Shopping for mom can be hard especially if she doesnt drop any hints, or simply refuses gifts. But she cant say no to a photo of you, especially when these FHE frames come in an assortment of colours. ($9.99-$14.99, Blacks.ca)

: Music maven mom: No matter what music she listens to, the Smile Jamaica ear phones from House of Marley will keep her in tune. ($39.00, Future Shop and HouseofMarley.ca)

: The mom who wont tell you what she wants: Mom can make her favourite brew in no time with the Tassimo T55 Single Serve Hot Beverage Maker. ($128, Walmart)

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Colombia Sex Travel Gets Publicity Boost From Secret Service Scandal

Admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:17:28 +0000

Three Secret Service agents have already lost their jobs over the Colombia prostitution scandal, and the news this afternoon is that more resignations are expected. Secret Service director Mark Sullivan has ordered a “comprehensive” investigation of the trip, which will involve interviewing every agent, every hotel staffer, and every women involved. The phrase “underage prostitutes” has now been introduced into the mix, threatening to take the whole thing thermonuclear. The clusterfark is, in other words, a disaster for everyone involved.

Except of course for Colombia’s sex travel industry, which is being showered with attention. Yes the Colombian government is embarrassed, since the country would prefer to be known for pretty much anything else. But even people who are indignant recognize that the summit the Secret Service agents were scouting – the 6th Summit of the Americas hosted by Colombia – essentially became a $35 million sex tourism commercial.

It turns out that the sex industry in Colombia is off the charts even by Latin American standards. Prostitution is legal in many parts of the country, so much so that Colombia has become known as the “Thailand of Latin America.” Hotels not only expect guests to bring back prostitutes but have rules about how long they can stay. Some hotels just rent out rooms directly to hookers, and pocket some of the profits.

The sex work culture is so extensive that people talk easily about status and hierarchy. One of the reasons that the woman in the Secret Service scandal went ballistic is because she was being treated like a “prostitute” instead of an “escort.” Quote: “You have higher rank… An escort is someone who a man can take out to dinner. She can dress nicely, wear nice makeup, speak and act like a lady. That?s me… It?s like when you buy a fine rum or a BlackBerry or an iPhone.”

So now you know the difference, and knowing is half the battle. The other half is not getting caught with a hooker because you’re too cheap to pay while you’re on assignment for the President of the United States. That part’s important too. Or just, you know, not doing it. That’s also always an option.

[Photo: Alluz / Flickr]

The Serious Comic Art Of Daniel Clowes

Admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 06:00:27 +0000

Enlarge Daniel Clowes/Oakland Museum of California

Artist Daniel Clowes says Enid, the cantankerous heroine of Ghost World, would probably hate the book she stars in.

Daniel Clowes/Oakland Museum of California

Artist Daniel Clowes says Enid, the cantankerous heroine of Ghost World, would probably hate the book she stars in.

text size A A A

May 7, 2012

Comics used to be seen as cheap throwaway entertainment for children and teenagers. But over the last few decades, comics have grown up; they’re even released in longer formats, on nice paper with hard covers, as graphic novels.

Daniel Clowes is one of the artists cited for turning the form into serious art — in fact, the art has gotten so serious that his work is now in a museum. Clowes is one of the best-known comic artists working today, with two of his books made into Hollywood films: the Academy Award-nominated Ghost World and Art School Confidential.

The Art Of Daniel Clowes

Teen Tormentors Get Their Due In ‘Death-Ray’

The Life And Trials Of A Full-Tilt Cartoon Misanthrope

‘Mister Wonderful’ Pictures An Imperfect Romance

Clowes never aimed to be the kind of artist museums collect. But now, the walls of the Oakland Museum of California are covered with his drawings. It’s “quite embarrassing,” he laughs.

After a stint as an art student at Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute in the 1970s, Clowes tried unsuccessfully to get work as an illustrator. Sitting around drawing comics on his own, he decided to send a strip to underground publisher Fantagraphics. He was expecting rejection.

Instead, “they called me up and offered me a monthly comic book, and I felt like I hadn’t earned anything,” he says. “You know, it’s like all of a sudden, you’re being made president after you’ve been like, you know, on the city council in Cleveland.”

Clowes rose to the occasion — or some might say sunk. In 1989, he created the comic book series Eightball, which he billed as “An Orgy of Spite, Vengeance, Hopelessness, Despair, and Sexual Perversion.” His main characters were unmotivated and cranky. His work skewered everything, from televangelists to fashionistas.

Enid Coleslaw, the reluctant heroine of Ghost World, is classic Clowes. She’s an outsider. She doesn’t like to play by the rules, she doesn’t want to get a job, she doesn’t want to go to college and she speaks her mind.

“Enid, if she knew about Ghost World, she would just hate it,” Clowes says. “She’d be like, ‘This book is, like, so horrible.’ You know, my characters are like the worst customers I could imagine.”

Original drawings of Enid and dozens more of Clowes’ eccentric characters adorn the gallery walls. David Boring is on a quest for the perfect wife. Then there’s The Death-Ray, a super hero spoof about a guy named Andy who gets special powers every time he puffs on a cigarette. And Wilson, who stars in Clowes’ most recent work, is an unemployed, divorced, grumpy loner. He talks to people in public places in a desperate attempt to make some kind of human connection.

“I certainly share a lot of the anxiety and the world views of a guy like Wilson,” Clowes says, “although he’s a much less palatable version. He’s me at my worst moment. He’s like me in my moments of road rage, when I’m safely inside my car and I can say what I feel.”

But, Clowes adds, he’s actually trying to bring out the nobility in characters like Enid and Wilson. “[Wilson] really just wants to connect with people by being his exact true self, which is something none of us ever do, and he’s not interested in changing himself to connect with people, which is what all of us do do. It made him seem much more noble when I figured that out about him.”

Hear More With Clowes On KQED

Graphic Novelist Daniel Clowes On Oakland: ‘Sad, Lonely, and Enthralling’

Curator Susan Miller discovered Clowes’ work more than a decade ago in the adult section of a comic book store in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. “There was some pornography in there,” she says, “but there was also Dan’s work, and the Hernandez brothers, and a bunch of comic artists that were making work that didn’t fit in the superhero shelf at all. And I think ‘adult’ meant ‘sophisticated.’ “

Miller was struck by the themes of loneliness and alienation, mixed with humor and empathy, that ran throughout Clowes’ work. She also noticed the quality of his designs — something that’s not immediately apparent to readers who’ve only seen the drawings reprinted in books.

“The quality of that work is lost in the reproduction,” Miller says. “So you can actually see the work as it’s originally drawn. And you just won’t get that in the printed material.”

Enlarge Courtesy of Drawn and Quarterly

Clowes is the author of Wilson and Mister Wonderful: A Love Story.

Courtesy of Drawn and Quarterly

Clowes is the author of Wilson and Mister Wonderful: A Love Story.

One of the ironies of having Clowes’ work on display in an art museum is that he often pokes fun at the world of fine art. Jerome, the main character in Art School Confidential, finds himself the underdog in art classes because he likes to draw rather than create abstractions or conceptual pieces — an experience Clowes had in real life as a student at the Pratt Institute.

Clowes says his instructors were mostly minimalists and abstract expressionists. “They were all so beyond figural drawings and all that stuff that was so buried and in the past, they couldn’t believe anybody was bringing that up again,” he says. And Clowes didn’t just want to do figure drawings, he wanted to make comics.

“They would just say, ‘Well, comics are basically inherently stupid.’ The preponderance of the evidence was such that that was possibly true. There were just years and years and years of really dumb comics.”

There are still some dumb comics around, but for the most part, the world has changed. Clowes cites the work of underground superstar Robert Crumb as one of his inspirations — and now he, Crumb, and other artists published by Fantagraphics are inspiring a new generation.

And an exhibition like this one has the power to change minds. Museum docent Jeff Cullen says that at first, he didn’t really know what to make of it, but since seeing Clowes’ work, he’s buying comics again for the first time since childhood. Cullen says he’s especially moved by the hapless Wilson.

“It was disturbing. You almost don’t like him, but then by the end of the story … I felt a sympathy for him.” Cullen says Wilson’s story does what art is supposed to do: It holds a mirror up to our own lives.

And iff you want to experience Enid, Andy, Jerome and Wilson for yourself, the show will go on the road later this year, making stops in Chicago, Columbus, Ohio and Washington, DC.

A business travel nightmare: Flying to the wrong city

Admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 02:11:18 +0000

Melanie Marken was headed to her hotel to rest up for a business meeting in Bloomington, Ind., last month when she made a discovery.

She was in the wrong Bloomington.

Markens travel agent had mistakenly booked her on a flight to Bloomington, Ill. And she had to drive nearly five hours to make her meeting in the Indiana city with the same name.

Remember when you were a little kid and got lost at the mall? she says. Thats what I felt like. … Now what do I do?

Even the most veteran of business travelers can inadvertently end up on the wrong flight — and in the wrong city. Its embarrassing, and even worse, it can foul up business meetings and potentially cost a company money.

Causes for a mix-up can range from the carelessness of a weary traveler to a travel agents error in booking a ticket to the wrong city, Road Warriors and travel experts say.

The traveler can e-mail a request for tickets to Philadelphia, for example, and end up on a flight to Philadelphia, Miss., not the intended destination, says Kevin Mitchell, of the Business Travel Coalition. Sure, there are opportunities to catch such a mistake before leaving home or even at the airport. However, sometimes a harried business traveler is operating on information overload, or is just too tired to catch the error until an onboard announcement.

However rare the occurrence and whatever the reason, such a mishap can lead to frayed nerves, hasty rescheduling, and some serious driving to make up for lost time.

Ron Goltsch remembers being turned around by his boss, who in a rush assumed the client Goltsch was going to meet was based outside Memphis, Tenn.

Goltsch, an electrical engineer who lives in West Caldwell, NJ, flew into Memphis that same afternoon, rented a car and asked the agent how to get to Powell, Tenn. We looked up the town, says Goltsch, recalling the incident that happened about a decade ago. We were both shocked when we found it was nearly 400 miles away.

It was already evening, and Goltsch had to meet his client at 7 am the next day. The rental car agent took pity and upgraded him to a Lincoln Continental at no extra cost to make the long trek to Powell more comfortable. Goltsch got there after midnight and made it to his morning appointment.

Since then, I have become quite detail-oriented when it comes to travel arrangements, Goltsch says.

Tighter security helps

The likelihood of getting on a flight to the wrong city has diminished since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, if a flier has a ticket and boarding pass to the right destination.

Todays tighter airport security is supposed to prevent incidents like the one physician John Steinberg says he endured in the 1990s.

He was on board his flight, ready for takeoff, when he realized that instead of Charleston, SC, he was headed for Charleston, W.Va.

Feeling like a grade-A moron, I very sheepishly stood up and stated that I was on the wrong flight and that we had to return to the gate, says Steinberg, who lives in Randallstown, Md.

Steinberg had been running late and missed his original US Airways flight out of Baltimore. A gate agent told him there was another flight to Charleston that he could still make and that he should run for it, although he didnt have a boarding pass. Shed call the crew and let them know he was on his way.

Steinberg made the flight, the plane pushed off from the gate, and it began to taxi. Thats when Steinberg realized the plane was going to the wrong Charleston.

Time was of the essence, Steinberg says. If he hadnt drummed up the courage to admit he was on the wrong flight, hed have missed his dinner business meeting. Instead, the plane turned around, he was booked on another flight and he made the meeting.

The gate agent told him she was sorry she hadnt checked his ticket before sending him running.

Though some corporate trekkers are able to laugh off such incidents, Tommy Teepell says that his inadvertent sojourn caused him serious contemplation.

Back in the 1990s, Teepell, a head of marketing, says he was on a plane 10 or 11 times a week. One trip was supposed to take him from his home in Baton Rouge, La., to Albany, NY, to meet with a local sales team.

But when he landed, the rental car agent told him she had never heard of his hotel. It turns out that he was nowhere near Albany, but in Rochester, NY, instead.

I figured the travel agency sent me to the right place, Teepell says of not noticing that his flight was headed to the wrong destination. At some point in a corporate life you wake up and you hit the phone to find out where you are, because hotels and everything starts to look alike.

Still, Teepell says that not noticing — on his ticket, on board the flight — that he was headed to the wrong city was a wake-up call to the toll that constant business travel was taking.

I remember getting in the rental car and thinking, Im at the end of my rope, he says. Ive got to get some control over my life. I was so busy racing from event to event, fire to fire, that I just showed up at the airport and went where the ticket told me to go.

But no more. After that, Teepell says, he cut his travel back by half.

Do you know this cool, elderly model? Congressional art contest winner in San …

Admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 01:33:31 +0000

You could call it Art in Search of Life.

For an art contest, teenager Sam Bauman, of San Jose, solicited an elderly stranger — an unsuspecting shopper in the Almaden Expressway Costco — to pose for him. The youngster fashioned a startling charcoal portrait of the model who simply had the look that touched the artist.

It turns out that the realistic drawing was so impressive it won Bauman, 18, the Congressional Art Competition for Californias 15th district.

Ideas for how federal leaders can mark Public Service Recognition Week

Admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 05:44:43 +0000

Posted at 05:45 PM ET, 05/07/2012

TheWashingtonPost

Ideas for how federal leaders can mark Public Service Recognition Week
By Tom Fox

As a federal leader, you have an opportunity to let your employees know that you appreciate them and their work as we celebrate Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW), May 6 through 12.

It’s especially important this year to recognize your employees given the current climate — morale is down because of the recent government scandals and congressional efforts to cut employee compensation.

Set aside by Congress to honor the men and women who serve our nation as government employees, PSRW is a time to honor public servants working each and every day to find solutions to our country’s problems, assist Americans in need, keep us safe and advance national interests.

All 15 Cabinet secretaries for the first time have signed an open letter letting federal employees know that they are valued and that their work is important — a message I hope resonates throughout the government.

“[Public servants] make our country stronger and they make a difference in the world. Yet, it is rare that they are publicly thanked for the work they do, every day, to serve their fellow Americans. This week, we would like to call attention to those public servants who help make life better in our communities, the nation and around the world. It is our pleasure and honor to serve with them,” they said.

To kick off PSRW at your agency, send a thank you letter to your employees via the agency’s intra-agency email system, or consider delivering personalized handwritten notes. Include mention of PSRW in staff meetings and personally thank your employees for their service.

Here are some additional ways managers can show their appreciation:

Pictures are worth a thousand words. Post photos of successes in accomplishing your mission. It could be pictures of wounded veterans healed in a VA facility; assistance provided to people in need after a natural disaster; a forest reclaimed after a forest fire; a major drug interdiction; people receiving needed medical care because of Medicare or Medicaid; or children receiving educational assistance. This is a very effective way to remind your employees that what they do really matters.

Share comments from your customers. Nothing is more satisfying than hearing right from the people who have benefited from your services. Share testimonials from your organization’s “customers,” both inside and outside government, thanking your agency for the services or benefits provided. A number of notes have likely been received over the last year, but not widely circulated, so share them! You could also display your favorite letters from satisfied customers on monitors in your facility like Acting Public Printer Davita Vance-Cooks plans to do at the Government Printing Office.

Remind employees of the good outcomes. Recount the successes accomplished by your agency for the American public as a way of reminding employees that they should be proud of what they are doing for the country.

Share news of your agency’s stars. Every agency has its acknowledged “stars” – award-winning employees who have made a real difference. Share information about these federal standouts with your employees, both those that have been recognized by outside groups and cited within your agency. As a start, look at the recipients of the Presidential Rank Awards and Service to America Medal finalists recently announced. This week, U.S. Trade and Development Agency Director Leocadia Zak will highlight the efforts of staff who were awarded the Outstanding Achievement and Innovation awards earlier this year for their contributions to enhancing the effectiveness of the agency. The Federal Executive Boards will be presenting awards to outstanding federal employees across the country from Cleveland to Albuquerque to San Francisco.

Search for additional agency stars. Ask your employees to share examples of how individuals or teams have exceeded expectations in accomplishing the mission, and let them know that the best of these success stories will be shared internally and externally.

There are other options as well. Consider having agency leaders and other senior officials shake hands with employees as they come to work, select an Employee of the Day every day during the week, and have former agency leaders speak to employees about how their experiences as a public servant impacted and shaped their executive leadership career.

You can also use the PSRW eCards to acknowledge all that your employees do in service of our nation and share your appreciation via Twitter using the hashtag #PSRW.

What are you doing to thank and recognize your employees during this week? Please share your stories and post your ideas below, or email me at fedcoach@ourpublicservice.org.

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View Photo Gallery: The 20 large federal agencies that got the highest leadership scores in the 2011 Federal Employment Viewpoint Survey.