Reading IS Fundamental

Jen Robinson's latest post on the elmination of RIF funding has me wondering what Laura Bush will have to say about the recent announcement:

Statement from Carol H. Rasco, president and CEO, of Reading Is Fundamental

"President Bush’s proposed budget calling for the elimination of Reading Is Fundamental’s (RIF) Inexpensive Book Distribution program would be devastating to the 4.6 million children and their families who receive free books and reading encouragement from RIF programs at nearly 20,000 locations throughout the U.S.

“Unless Congress reinstates $25.5 million in funding for this program, RIF would not be able to distribute 16 million books annually to the nation’s youngest and most at-risk children. RIF programs in schools, childcare centers, migrant programs, military bases, and other locations serve children from low-income families, children with disabilities, foster and homeless children, and children without access to libraries. The Inexpensive Book Distribution program is authorized under the Elementary & Secondary Education Act (SEC.5451 Inexpensive Book Distribution Program for Reading Motivation) and is not funded through earmarks. It has been funded by Congress and six Administrations without interruption since 1975.

“Since its founding in 1966, RIF’s programs have played an important role in improving literacy in this country. The U.S. Department of Education has shown that the number of books in a child’s home is a significant predictor of academic achievement. In addition, RIF programs also support academic achievement by involving hundreds of thousands of volunteers and other caring adults in encouraging children to read for fun. We urge all Americans to contact their Congressional representatives and ask them to reinstate funding for this important program.”

Please ACT NOW and help RIF build support for reinstating the funding by sending an e-mail now to your members of Congress.

How truly sad it is that the future of our children - our country's most valuable asset - is not a priority for the soon-to-be-retired President.

Stuck in the Muck...Oh #$%@!

I swear this is something that was sent to all Kane/Miller employees last week but I won't give away the sender's identity...

This article, posted on the UK's Metro News site, claims that swearing at work is good and I have to agree that swearing does (as the article mentions) "help to relieve stress and build team spirit."

Now, if only we could argue for this in all professional settings. I'm sure NFL coaches and players on the sidelines would love to shout out some expletives if it weren't for the TV cameras on them during the entire "show." After all, building team spirit is what the game is all about, right?

What about surgeons, when they've discovered that they've left some important tool inside their patient after surgery? I'm sure they don't wash their mouth out with soap after these frustrating situations, but probably should.

Let's face it, feeling comfortable enough to use whatever type of language you feel is necessary under any circumstance is what makes a workplace great (or not). This article explains - in a lighthearted way - how speaking openly encourages employees to express their feelings and to further develop and strengthen workplace relationships.

Speaking of relationships, we've decided to change the name of our Customer Service / Accounts Manager position to Relationship Manager. We're hoping that the relationship we have with our accounts / customers will improve greatly with the use of this new language.

And we promise we won't swear if you call us with a problem - at least not until we've hung up the phone.

From England
Duck in the Truck
by Jez Alborough