söndag 31 maj 2009

Utflykt till Mount Vernon!

Idag lyckades vi återigen ta oss utanför Beltway (den stora ringled som omger Washington). Förra helgen åkte vi till Annapolis, Marylands huvudstad, som ligger vid kusten till Chesapeake Bay. I Annapolis dominerar U.S. Naval Academy, USA:s enda plats för utbildning till sjöofficer. 14 000 ansöker varje år, bara 1200 antas, till den fyraåriga utbildningen.

Men idag åkte vi till Mount Vernon som ligger ca en timme från oss, vid Potomac-floden i Virginia. Det var hemmet för George Washington, som efter att ha varit Commander in Chief för Continental army blev vald till USA:s första president 1789.

Mount Vernon har återställts i det skick det var när George Washington dog 1799 och det finns massor att se. Vi orkade inte vänta i kön på att gå in i huvudbyggnaden, ändå hann inte vi att se allt.

Plantagen ligger väldigt vackert med utsikt över Potomac och överallt kan man titta in i de olika husen och få en inblick i hur livet var på den tiden, för både herrefolk och slavar. Man kan även se gravkammaren där Geroge Washington och hans familj ligger begravd. Självklart finns också utställningar och filmer om George Washingtons liv. Väldigt intressant! Vi måste åka dit igen. Men utan Erik och Ellinor som tydligen fortfarande är för små för att uppskatta historiens vingslag...

Läs mer om Mount Vernon på http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Vernon

fredag 29 maj 2009

Ett tips! Lyssna på reklamfri webbradio med dina önskelåtar

http://www.lastfm.se/ ger lyssnaren möjlighet att ställa in just den musik du vill lyssna på - helt utan reklam. Skriv in namnet på en artist du tycker om och radion kommer att spela musik av den artisten samt artster som spelar liknande musik. Du får alltså ett bra urval och kanske nya favoritlåtar. Helt gratis förstårs. Prova!
Tack för tipset Annika!

Äkta hemmafru?

Idag känner jag mig som en äkta amerikansk hemmafru, nästan... Tidig springtur mellan 7-8 för att slippa den fuktiga värme som snabbt ökar i temperatur, sen iväg med barnen till skolorna. Efter Ellinors avlämning och "How are you" till alla andra mammor och "What a pretty dress" till deras småsyskon, sätter jag mig i den stora bilen och fredagshandlar god mat på Whole Foods. Whole Foods en är kedja av matbutiker som bara säljer organiska varor och har ett stort utbud av allt, en fantastisk kött- och fiskdisk samt delikatesser (och utländska ostar) och bakverk. Något för Sverige? Hem igen, på med AC:n. Allt är fuktigt efter gårdagskvällens stora åskoväder med tilhörande skyfall (oftast flera gånger i veckan) och det är svårt att få något att torka den här tiden på året. Fuktiga skor - bad luck... Nu väntar dock lite tentaplugg innan barnen kommer hem igen.

tisdag 26 maj 2009

Almost fed up...

Now I am almost fed up, but not on my life here. No, no, not by far... But I had it regarding watching ice hockey and basketball on TV night after night. For some weeks now there have been play offs in both sports. Actually very exciting, but not for months. Let me give you the picture if you don't follow American sports that often.

In the NHL play off, the Stanley Cup, there are two conferences Eastern and Western. The play offs starts with quarter finals in both conferences, and best of seven games. That is 4 games x 7 = 28 games x 2, a total of 56 games just in the quater finals. Then semi finals (Washington Capitals played seven games versus Pittsburg Penguins and lost the final game), 2 games x 7 x 2, total 28 games. Then the finals in each conference - Pittsburg Penguins just won Eastern conference against Carolina Hurricanes in four stright games - CONGRATULATIONS TO THE IVORY FAMILY! Then finally the BIG FINAL.

In total that could mean 105 games in the play offs... Add the basketball games following the same system and you see why I am fed up! We have to buy another TV...

måndag 25 maj 2009

Storytelling - important tool for Obama

In his health care campaign President Obama uses the important storytelling tool to comvince his opponents in the Senate and Congress to make a change in America's health care system. The President himself shared a story, in the e-mail below, about his mother's ovarian cancer and her worries about if her health care insurance would cover the costs of her treatments.

The use of story telling is often powerful, you can send a very strong message by using personal stories. It is not at all a new technique, the ancient Greeks used it as well. And don't we all share our personal stories with friends when we want to convince something? The new thing is perhapse that we have started to use storytelling as a communication tool for business leaders. It can be a very nice complement to statistics for example.

The tricky part is to collect other peoples stories out there. Obama and his staff have found their way - collecting them through e-mail and websites shared by his grassroots. "After adding your name, please consider sharing your personal story about the importance of health care reform in your life and the lives of those you love.", Obama (or probably somebody else) wrote in his e-mail.

If you click on one on the link to in the mail I got you will be asked to support Obama's health care campaign through donating money or hosting a party. If you register to do some of that you will also be asked to share your personal story on why we need to change the health care system in America. There it also states that they might use the story in diffrent ways with your name and city connected to it (but not your address). They also encourage you to asked your friends to do the same, and so it spreads... See by yourself: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/healthcarestories

We will soon see how they will use the stories and if it works!

söndag 24 maj 2009

Antoher e-mail från the President...

Therese --

The chance to finally reform our nation's health care system is here. While Congress moves rapidly to produce a detailed plan, I have made it clear that real reform must uphold three core principles -- it must reduce costs, guarantee choice, and ensure quality care for every American.

As we know, challenging the status quo will not be easy. Its defenders will claim our goals are too big, that we should once again settle for half measures and empty talk. Left unanswered, these voices of doubt might yet again derail the comprehensive reform we so badly need. That's where you come in.

When our opponents spread fear and confusion about the changes we seek, your support for these core principles will show clarity and resolve. When the lobbyists for the status quo tell Congress to hold back, your personal story will give them the courage to press forward.

Join my call: Ask Congress to pass real health care reform in 2009.

After adding your name, please consider sharing your personal story about the importance of health care reform in your life and the lives of those you love.

I will be personally reviewing many of these signatures and stories. If you speak up now, your voice will make a difference.

http://my.barackobama.com/HealthCareOrganizing

American families are watching their premiums rise four times faster than their wages. Spiraling health care costs are shackling America's businesses, curtailing job growth and slowing the economy at the worst possible time. This has got to change.

I know personal stories can drive that change, because I know how my mother's experience continues to drive me. She passed away from ovarian cancer a little over a decade ago. And in the last weeks of her life, when she was coming to grips with her own mortality and showing extraordinary courage just to get through each day, she was spending too much time worrying about whether her health insurance would cover her bills. She deserved better. Every American deserves better. And that's why I will not rest until the dream of health care reform is finally achieved in the United States of America.

Please add your name to join my call. Then share your personal story about why you too will not rest until this job is done.

http://my.barackobama.com/HealthCareOrganizing

Last November, the American people sent Washington a clear mandate for change. But when the polls close, the true work of citizenship begins. That's what Organizing for America is all about. Now, in these crucial moments, your voice once again has extraordinary power. I'm counting on you to use it.

Thank you,
President Barack Obama

fredag 22 maj 2009

Transparency Initiatives Launched Today by the White House

After spending all the last week's spare time on submitting assignments on my studies in Economics (Yes, I did it! But the exams remain to do in the two weeks to come...) I have turned my introvert perspective out once more. Whats's going on now? Lot's of field trips for all the children, very nice weather (25-30C every day), American Idol's surprising outcome and Obama, Obama, Obama...

Today, On Obama's 120th day as a president, he launched Transparency Initiatives bases on the internet technology, as he promised during the campaign. For me, as a professional in Communications, this is really interesting.

Crafting Open-Government Recommendations
The White House has launched a new process for soliciting public input in the policy-making process. This three-phase structured process runs as follows:

  1. Brainstorming: Starting today, citizens will be able to submit and rank ideas regarding how the government should become more transparent, participatory and collaborative.

  2. Blog Discussion: Starting June 3, citizens and federal employees will discuss some of the top issues raised during the brainstorming session. For example, how can privacy and security be protected as government data is made available?

  3. Wiki-based Draft: Starting June 15, the public can help craft the language of recommendations on open government. These formal recommendations will become the framework for how the open-government directive will be implemented.
Data.gov
An online platform to access non-sensitive federal government data so Web developers can create new applications to help citizens sort and analyze public data.

Regulations.gov
Exchange Regulations.gov was created in 2003 to let citizens search for and comment on federal regulations. Today the site has been revamped so the public can post opinions about the regulations directly to the site.

Innovations Gallery
Part of WhiteHouse.gov, the gallery will be a place for agencies and departments to show their own efforts to be more transparent and collaborative with the public. Some of the examples listed on the gallery: Department of Homeland Security's IdeaFactory, which lets employees of the Transportation Security Administration submit ideas to make the transportation system more secure; Department of Defense's Techipedia, which allows government workers and civilians share ideas about new technology.

Obama is encouraging Cabinet secretaries to adopt more open-government innovations over the next year. These efforts will be added to the gallery over time.

Innovations Timeline
Lists transparency benchmarks reached by the administration, including the U.S. Attorney General's order for agencies to more readily respond to requests for records under the Freedom of Information Act.

Read more about this in Washington Post >>

torsdag 14 maj 2009

Proud Soccer Mom! Erik to Premier League...

In Montgomery County where we live the kids can play soccer in MSI, Montgomery Soccer. There are threee different leagues: Recreational, Classic and Premier, where Premier is the most competetive one and recreational is more to play and have some fun. In order to play in the Classic and Premier leagues you need to do Try Outs.

Since we came in the middle of the year the boys had to start to play in the Rec league. Erik's team is pretty good but Jonathan's team is brand new and have lost the major part of their games.

Now, this weekend it was finally time for the Try Outs for the Classic level. Both boys did the Try Out, it was a hot day and both of them had played soccer games the same day and basketball games the night before, so they were quite tired.
Yesterday we got the results! Both Jonathan and Erik were accepted to play the Classic league!

And Erik got top scores in his age group and now got the chance to play in the Premier league. The Premier Program targets the most advanced players and the teams travel locally and around the country to compete with the best teams from other areas. First practice today...


Very proud Mom, mostly because they show a fighting spirit!

söndag 10 maj 2009

Happy Mother's Day

Today we celebrate Mother's Day here in the United States. And what a day! We had the opportunity to spot President Obama, his wife and their dog Bo in the White House backyard... We managed to shoot some pictures and video clips while the policemen requested the crowd to disperse. View our pictures from our wonderful day below:








The motorcycle policemen are kings in Washington - very masculine don't you think? Riding a Harley Davidson and not a horse these days...






The first lady Michelle Obama in the turqouise top and the president himself wearing a black t-shirt.





We finished our day with a cold glass of white Chardonnay at the Waterfront bar next to the Swedish Embassy "The House of Sweden".
Ella, five months old, in front of the 44th president's home. She behaved like a first lady all day loooong!

måndag 4 maj 2009

Pizza och hamburgare - hälsosam skollunch?

I barnens skola finns en cafeteria som varje dag serverar två olika maträtter. Det kostar $2,40 att köpa lunchen. Maten är långt ifrån den som serveras på svenska skolor, i alla fall de skolor och dagis som våra barn tidigare gått på. Varje vecka är det samma rätter på menyen: cheese- eller pepperonipizza, hamburgare, nachos, grillad ostsmörgås, chicken nuggets mm. Kanske inte vad man önskar att ens barn ska stoppa i sig varje dag.

Alternativet är att ta med sig "lunch pack" vilket många elever gör. För våra barns del består den då ofta av smörgås, morötter och något att dricka samt en frukt (till förmiddags-snacks). Och det ska mätta magen fram till halv fyra när barnen kommer hem vrålhungriga.

Efter tre månader var barnen ganska trötta på den dagliga smörgåsen. Och plötsligt inser man att en hamburgare inte är så illa i alla fall - innehåller både kött, bröd och någon grönsak, dvs i många fall bättre och mer mättande än en smörgås. Så från att aldrig köpa lunch har vi gått till att köpa lunch säkert tre gånger i veckan. Allt är relativt... Och de som klagar på den svenska skolmaten vill jag uppmana att ta en vistelse utomlands för att vidga perspektiven!

lördag 2 maj 2009

Presidenten finns nu överallt..

Varje lördag ger president Obama en "weekly address", dvs ett videoinspelat tal som publiceras på Vita Husets hemsida, barackobama.com och Organizing for Americas hemsida. Himla bra tycker jag! Det ger presidenten en regelbunden möjlighet att visa på hur hans adminstration följer den utstakade strategin. Det ger också möjligheten att kommentera aktuella händelser, som nu svininfluensans utveckling. Det kräver dock att han har något att berätta om, vilket Obama alltid har haft so far. Hur många politiker runt om i världen gör något liknande? Tänk om Reinfeldt hade gjort på samma sätt, då hade han kanske sluppit kritik för att hålla sig osynlig. Det är ingen tvekan om här vem som leder landet.

Sedan någon vecka tillbaka finns dessa bildklipp, tillsammans med massor av andra kommentarer som presidenten gjort, också på Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Flickr och YouTube. Kort sagt i samliga nya "sociala medier" och som så många företagsledare och politiker också borde lära sig om för att kommunicera med en bredare publik än de traditionella nyhetsläsarna.

Det bästa av allt? Det är öppet för att kommentera varje inslag - jag vet många interna webbsidor (intranät) där man fortfarande inte vågar sig på att öppna upp den funktionen. Se och lär Sverige!
http://www.barackobama.com/index.php