For my Georgetown students, I used to list some select jobs from Ned Lundquist’s “JOTW” or “Job of the Week.”

I still love you guys, so, what the hell;  here you go.

Mark

About JOTW:

Ned Lundquist’s “Job of the Week” free e-mail networking newsletter and website for professional communicators has a cult following of more than 10,000 readers (the 5-digit milestone was reached October 6, 2006). The job leads are just one reason his faithful followers begin their Mondays (and sometimes Tuesdays through Fridays) with a cuppa and JOTW.

So here’s a few that I found that may be of interest to my peeps in the Washington, DC area — with a big thanks to Ned to keeping this up all those years:

1. Manager of Public Relations, Comcast Eastern Division, Largo, Maryland
2. Publications Manager/Editor, The Partnership for Public Service, Washington, DC
3. Communications Specialist, American Public Health Association, Washington, DC
4. Event Marketing Coordinator, Kaulkin Ginsberg, Rockville, MD
5. Director of Communications, Latin American/Caribbean Region,global financial services organization, Miami (area), FL – contact Susan San Martin of Plan B Communications
   at susan@planbcomms.com (note: Florida?!?!?   Sunshine?!?! I may just apply for this puppy myself).
6. Director of Development and Communications, Center of Concern, Washington D.C.
7. Communications Consultant – World Bank Sustainable Development Network, Washington, D.C. – Appointment Type:  Short Term Consultant
   Qualified candidates should send their resume, cover letter and three writing samples to wbjob@live.com with the subject line “Communications Consultant.”

EXOTIC OPENINGS!!!

1. Butcher, Confidential Employer, Sioux City, IA
2. Baker, Kickass Cupcakes, Boston, MA
3. Candlemaker, Yankee Candle Company, South Deerfield, MA
4. Hard Rock/Metal Band singer, Jenna’s Boneyard, Miami, FL

My caveat – I know nothing about the jobs, the organizations, the salaries, etc., but encourage you to check them out. The job market is not dead, it’s just really tired.

Happy hunting Georgetown grads.

Mark

I hate, hate, hate the term “game changing.”  Very 1996.  So imagine my surprise as I am surfing on a Sunday morning and discover what has to be one of the most valuable iPhone apps out there – CitySourced. They describe it better than I can:

CitySourced is a real time mobile civic engagement tool. CitySourced provides a free, simple, and intuitive tool empowering citizens to identify civil issues (potholes, graffiti, trash, snow removal, etc.) and report them to city hall for quick resolution; an opportunity for government to use technology to save money and improve accountability to those they govern; and a positive, collaborative platform for real action. Our platform is called CitySourced, as it empowers everyday citizens to use their smart phones to make their cities a better place. CitySourced is powered by FreedomSpeaks, the leader in interactive civic engagement.

Potholes?  Government saving money?

The concept alone is sheer genius and one would think depends heavily upon governments engaging on the back end.  Now that I know it’s there, and as someone who works in the District of Columbia (truly ungovernable), I will be using the hell out of this app.

I am not alone in my assessment.  David Kralik, a friend of mine and one of the founders, had no less than The Scobelizer himself in their office recently and made a very, very favorabable impression.

CitySourced is an amazing story that’s just getting started. Wait until you hear their tips for winning TC. I love stories of how a few people get together with very little investment and try to change the world. Anyone else?

If you have read this column, you might know that is an earlier dustup this year, Mr. Scoble and I did not see eye to eye on public relations being “lame.“  Then his minions, among them, John Aravosis, took me on.  The feathers were flying, my friends.

But let me say for the record that Mr. Scoble is 100% on target on this one.  I love this app.

Let’s just hope that the DC Government is watching.  I can tell you from first-hand experience that they do a magnificent job with speed cameras, so let’s see if they can put this technology to work.

Mark

In yesterday’s post, I promised to become more of my own irasible, smart-ass self.  I didn’t think that it would happen this soon.  But, ah, how fate impacts one’s life.  It didn’t take me long to find something that makes me call people out – big time.  But this is the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. Oh, and ABC News.

I am about as far from someone who follows awards shows as possible (I am not sure that I would slow down if I saw Joan and Melissa Rivers at a crosswalk) but apparently, some guy called Kanye West jumped up on a stage, drunk as a skunk the other night and acted like a jerk to some woman.  BFD.

I awaken this morning to read in Politico that President Obama called Kanye West a “jackass.“  And ABC reported it;  Tweeted it actually (tweet above).  But here’s where it gets interesting:

1. The first thing that I taught on the first day of my class was the Rule #1 when you are in the public spotlight is that NOTHING IS EVER — EVER — OFF THE RECORD. Especially when you are, ummm.. the President of the United States.
2. What is equally unfathomable for me is that ABC freakin’ APOLOGIZED:

“In the process of reporting on remarks by President Obama that were made during a CNBC interview, ABC News employees prematurely tweeted a portion of those remarks that turned out to be from an off-the-record portion of the interview. This was done before our editorial process had been completed. That was wrong. We apologize to the White House and CNBC and are taking steps to ensure that it will not happen again.”

• President Obama:  See Professor Mark’s Rule #1.

• ABC News:  See a doctor about your “premature” problem and grow a pair.  He said it.  You tweeted it.  Stand by it.

How’s that for returning as my irascible self?  I’ve got to have someone to poke besides Lou Capozzi.

Mark

P.S. I first learned of this by reading Lauren Fernandez’s tweet.  Her blog is pretty awesome too.

For those of you who follow this or my tweets, you’ll know that aI have been beyond fortunate to purchase my dream home -a second residence/log cabin in a place called Great Cacapon, WV.  It’s on three acres of woods and surrounded by trees, trees and nothingness.  It’s my Walden Pond. In addition, we live in a gated community with wonderful neighbors and river access.

What does this have to do with hunger, the title of the post?  A lot.

While we are wildly fortunate  - gaining a second residence at a time during which others are losing their own homes — when I travel around the area a little bit, I see more about West Virginia.  I see unspeakable poverty, ramshackle dwellings and a whole lot of  people who may not know where their next meal is coming from.

When I got curious, I looked up some facts about my adopted state. I discovered West Virginia is third from the bottom in nation in per-capita income and the state ranks last in the nation in household income.  That’s poverty.  And where you have poverty, you have hunger.

With all of the screaming and yelling going on lately about  healthcare, if you asked the average person who is not sure of where his or her next meal is coming from, you might hear a different perspective.  You might hear that healthcare doesn’t mean a damn thing if you don’t have food on the table.  The unions vs. “Big Pharma” vs. the right vs. the left vs. the insurance comapanies vs. the doctors?  Not so much.

A friend who inspired this post made me aware of the someone who is doing something:  the Hunger Action Center.  And September is Hunger Action Month.

What is interesting and promising about the Hunger Action Center is that it is a strictly online community..

..of individuals who are dedicated to making a difference in the fight against hunger in our country. Together, [we] advocate on behalf of 35 million hungry Americans by supporting federal, state, and local legislation that addresses the many factors that contribute to food insecurity in our nation.

What I like about this approach is that it is not a beg-athon whereby you can swipe your credit card for 15 minutes of feeling good.  Through an action center, you can help others raise awareness of hunger, and in so doing, put pressure on elected officials to realize that no jobs for some means no food.  Congress can write a lot bigger checks than you and I, so I like the thinking behind it.

So no big pitch from me;  I encourage you to visit the site and learn more about why hunger is and issue, especially now, what you can do about it and who is impacted:  mostly children.

And dear reader don’t worry; I plan to go back to my acerbic posts soon.  Just wanted to offer a little thing to think about today.

Mark

This will be a very short post.

Today is September 11, 2009.  Eight years ago today, 2,977 innocent people lost their lives to Islamic terrorists who attacked our very way of life.  I was in Washington, DC at the time, but my story is not important.

Remembering those 2,977 people and their stories is.

Above is brief pictorial remembrance.  If takes me back to a place where I really don’t want to go, but want even less to avoid.

And if you are up for it, below is a compelling video shot by two people just blocks away from the World Trade Center.

And please – don’t ever forget.

Mark