From The Window Seat

No One Paid for this Post

I spent a wonderful hour wandering the bookstore tonight - something I used to really enjoy before getting my Kindle and thinking it was passe.  I bought a book of brief essays called "This I Believe," based on an NPR project that invites people to share the core beliefs that shape our daily lives.

Before I start reading the book, I wanted to give thought to the core beliefs that shapes my daily life.  While there are several, honesty being the "best policy" is floating to the top because of an interesting conversation I had yesterday with a colleague.  We were discussing the emerging code of ethics associated with blogging.  The question on the table - should citizen bloggers disclose financial relationships or gifts they receive from the organizations or businesses they write about?

The FTC has spoken- yes they should. And if you don't, Uncle Sam could come after for you with the ticket book.

Let me be quick to say that no one has offered to pay me or buy  me any gifts in return for a blog post - yet! (Still waiting for Amazon to call considering how often I mention my Kindle.) But if they did, my core belief in the importance of honesty as a guiding principle for how humans should deal with one another would lead me to make the disclosure. Plus, I'm just a pathetic liar. 

Would I hold others to this same standard?  Yes, if you have been paid to make an endorsement or given some cool freebie, let me know.  Your disclosure probably won't change my evaluation of your endorsement if it is thoughtfully presented.  Your lack of disclosure will nullify your POV.

But do we need government watchdogs collecting $11,000 fines, I think not.  There are much bigger issues facing the Feds than the Tupperware Lady hawking plastic containers on her personal blog without telling me they send her a pay check. After all, as a citizen blogger who loves social media, I'll do my homework and figure out her game, probably before the Feds do. 

No One Paid for this Post

I spent a wonderful hour wandering the bookstore tonight - something I used to really enjoy before getting my Kindle and thinking it was passe.  I bought a book of brief essays called "This I Believe," based on an NPR project that invites people to share the core beliefs that shape our daily lives.

Before I start reading the book, I wanted to give thought to the core beliefs that shapes my daily life.  While there are several, honesty being the "best policy" is floating to the top because of an interesting conversation I had yesterday with a colleague.  We were discussing the emerging code of ethics associated with blogging.  The question on the table - should citizen bloggers disclose financial relationships or gifts they receive from the organizations or businesses they write about?

The FTC has spoken- yes they should. And if you don't, Uncle Sam could come after for you with the ticket book.

Let me be quick to say that no one has offered to pay me or buy  me any gifts in return for a blog post - yet! (Still waiting for Amazon to call considering how often I mention my Kindle.) But if they did, my core belief in the importance of honesty as a guiding principle for how humans should deal with one another would lead me to make the disclosure. Plus, I'm just a pathetic liar. 

Would I hold others to this same standard?  Yes, if you have been paid to make an endorsement or given some cool freebie, let me know.  Your disclosure probably won't change my evaluation of your endorsement if it is thoughtfully presented.  Your lack of disclosure will nullify your POV.

But do we need government watchdogs collecting $11,000 fines, I think not.  There are much bigger issues facing the Feds than the Tupperware Lady hawking plastic containers on her personal blog without telling me. After all, as a citizen blogger who loves social media, I'll do my homework and figure our her game, probably before the Feds do. 

America's Best Idea

It's been impossible to miss all the recent promotion about Ken Burn's new PBS documentary, "The National Parks:  America' Best Idea."  Steeped in the midle of a public relations campaign for a PBS documentary myself, I have been particularly cognizant of all the well-deserved hype.

I'm particularly attracted to the use of the phrase "Best Idea" in the title.  Are the National Parks are best idea?  If not, what is?

After the election of Barack Obama, a grassroots group launched a campaign to solicit 'best ideas" which you can evaluate for yourself at www.change.org/ideas.  I'll go along with the National Parks suggestion by Burns, and add a few of my own:

• Our system of checks and balances (Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches)
• The Civil Rights Act of 1964 (albeit 200 years overdue)
• A federal holiday on the Thursday before Thanksgiving
• The interstate highway system
• A nationwide 911 system for emergencies 
• Nutrition labeling on food

What would you rank as some of our best ideas as a nation?

Health Care By the Numbers

Numbers are being thrown around like frisbees as politicians and the media debate the number of uninsured Americans, the costs of addressing that problem, and the cost of doing nothing.

For the most part, I've steered clear of engaging in the health care debate.  But as a sideline observer, here are a few interesting stats behind the debate itself. (Sources:  Washington Post, Technorati.)

564:  Number of amendments filed to Senate bill.

350:  Number of retired Members of Congress and former staff registered to lobby on health care reform. 

12:  Number of new positions filled at Congressional Budget Office to score amendments. 

1.4 million:  Number of dollars being spent daily on lobbying effort

27,748:  Number of blog posts on health care debate on September 26 

Got a cool stat?  Please share.