Brad Rourke’s Blog
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Japanese Civics Lesson
This afternoon, in the locker room at my gym, I witnessed a scene I would not see just any old where. There were two Japanese men, one younger and in his twenties, the other looking mid-fifties or so. They were speaking to one another in a patois of Japanese and English. Mostly Japanese, with a…
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Choosing "Yes"
Friends know that I have recently been bitten (more than a little) by the yoga bug. I thank my wife, Andrea Jarrell, for her years-long example — and P90X for getting me started. After doing yoga once a week as a part of my P90X routine (which I completed in late Spring), I found that…
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First Maryland Civic Health Index Report To Be Released
Friends, I am delighted to announce the imminent release of a project I have been working hard on for the better part of the year. My company (The Mannakee Circle Group) has been lead partner on the first-ever Maryland Civic Health Index. This report was developed as a partnership between The Mannakee Circle Group, the…
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I Have A Secret Enemy
Like anyone with a blog, I have to deal with spam comments on a daily basis. I have a filter (Akismet) that takes care of a lot of it, and the few that slip through are no big deal. I just mark them as spam and move on. But lately, I’ve been getting a new…
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What Two Questions Would You Like To Be Asked? What Would You Answer?
Last night, my 12-year-old son and I were spending some quiet time together before bed. I feel lucky in that we both were sort of in a contemplative mood, and we began asking each other questions. Things like: “Name two things you are proud of about yourself.” “What two places would you like to visit,…
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Lesson Learned From Juan Williams: The Center Cannot Hold
I recall the day I met Juan Williams in the elevator. It was a couple of years ago. I was in the C-SPAN / FOX building overlooking the Capitol; we were both going down the elevator after our respective Fox appearances. We chatted. He handed me his card — NPR. He won’t remember it. But…
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Using Square: Another Step Toward A Cashless Lifestyle
Yesterday, after long delays, I finally got my Square card reader, so I thought I would put it through its paces. What is Square? It’s a way of accepting payments from regular people using credit cards. You get this little card reader that just plugs into your smartphone. It is dead simple. Let’s say you…
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My Remarks At The Civic Innovators Forum
I was fortunate enough last Thursday to be asked to speak at the Civic Innovators Forum, an invitation-only event at the Newseum, sponsored by the Case Foundation, Philanthopy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE), the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC), and SplashLife. I was asked to speak a bit about the paper I wrote for PACE…
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New Report on a White House / Case Foundation Conference: Promoting Innovation
I am delighted to announce that the Case Foundation has just released a new report that I wrote about a recent White House / Case Foundation conference. The report is called Promoting Innovation: Prizes, Challenges and Open Grantmaking. Here’s the Foundation’s description: In spring 2010, the Case Foundation together with the White House Domestic Policy…
Brad Rourke 