From The Window Seat

Alaska on My Mind

I just experienced four flight segments NOT from the window seat, but the middle.  It stinks.  In fact, air travel period is really not fun any more.  Long lines. Fees for everything. Delays, even once you've landed in your destination.

But what hasn't changed for me is the excitement of travel.  This latest trip was a return to Alaska, my new home away from home.  If you haven't been, or ever thought of going, let me tell you that there is nothing like the beauty of an ice field, glacier, or snow capped mega mountain. 

I recommend staying at Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, a ski town south of Anchorage; eating halibut at Marina Resturant in Seward after touring the SeaLife Center; taking the Portage Glacier boat tour; and just cruising the Seward Highway, AK Highway 1.

It's particularly awesome to go a week without a purse (a backpack is all needed) or an ATM (I'm sure there were some, but I never saw them.)

Visit Alaska: The State with L-Attitude.

A Day in My Social Media Life

1. Searched LinkedIn for potential job candidates.
2. Updated my LinkedIn profile.
3. Created new Twitter id (www.twitter.com/vashredbetty) to chart my training journey for the 09/10 snowboarding season.
4. Updated my www.twitter.com/annedavison twitter feed throughout the day and sent some direct messages.
5. Sent notes to colleague on "best practices in usual social media for corporate clients"
6. Glanced through Facebook to see what friends are up to.
7.  Scheduled meeting with VOX Jr. staffer to learn about Tweetdeck.  
8. Searched LinkedIn for local job opportunities for a friend.
9. Read NY Times Blogs on my Kindle.
10. Began organizing professional development session on search engine optimization.

Would you say I'm hooked? 

What Would Harvard Do?

Having spent time in both the government and the private sector, I'm interested in the topic of what lessons from business management are applicable to governing.  As much as I hope the public sector could learn from the private, I've pretty much come the belief that government really can't operate like a business and there is no need pretending it can or should.

John Steele Gordon does a good job of summing up some of the barriers to applying business principles to government endeavors in his Wall Street Journal column, "Why Government Can't Run a Business."  I look at the DC Metro systemas an example of the absurdity of trying to achieve a profit or even a break-even point in a government enterprise. 

Metro is constantly under fire for being in the red. But let's be honest - they are selling a product that few really want to buy.  I just don't have 45 minutes to sit in traffic when I can jump on the train, arrive at my destination in 1/2 the time and get work done while en route.  Even more compelling for taking Metro, my train fare is much cheaper than gas and parking in the city.  But given the option, I would much rather be in my own car driving to and from work.  Hike my fare to cover actual cost of service and I'm back in my car lickity-split. 

Recently the DC metro added new features such as signs telling me when the next train will arrive.  I love this new feature, but am I willing to pay a little extra for it like I do extra channels on my cable or extra minutes on my cell phone? No way.  

It's fascinating to watch the Obama Administration's approach to governing unfold, especially since the economic situation has led it on a path to active involvement in the management of some private sector enterprises. I eagerly awake the HBS case studies.