Five people I have spoken to in the last two days, including a House member who sits on the SSA appropriations committee, who are all intimately involved with trying to persuade the Social Security Administration to delay it's "routine maintenance" have all gotten different explanations. From the "this is just our regular time for doing maintenance and it isn't partisan", to "it's the only three day weekend in the fall when our folks are available to do it", to the most draconian, "if we don't do it the entire system will crash". But don't take it from me, feel free to email the Congressional liaison at SSA, kenneth.a.mannella AT ssa DOT gov and ask him yourself!

I have an update on my post from this morning about the Social Security Administration. According to the legislative director in Senator Feinstein's office, the Senator sent a letter to the SSA on September 23rd asking for the postponement until after the election of the SSA's maintenance effort that will shut down it's database for three days. Yesterday, the Senator received a letter back from the SSA refusing to change its maintenance schedule.

The morning plenary at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) just concluded. About half way through the opening session it became clear to me that what CGI is all about is, well, personal democracy.

Another story about the chasm between Facebook the social sandbox and Facebook the faceless corporation makes us wonder about the purpose and future of the site.

What happens when early voting, an unknown candidate and 8-track tape voting technology collides? A possible electoral meltdown of epic proportions.

Matt Singer of Forward Montana shared a great idea to disagregate Washington, DC by literally, physically moving cabinet offices to parts of the country. And ONCE AGAIN, the New York Times was rooting around in my brain for ideas for op-ed and co-opted it this morning!

Donating to the Red Cross to support victims of Hurricane Gustav is like buying a GM car - why would you when there are so many better choices that fit the Connected Age? C'mon, Team Obama, stop trying to appease and start trying to change the world!

Hillary finally takes the stage -- and not a minute too soon after an array of incredibly dull men.

The power of the Connected Age is the friction-free creation of large numbers of people to support a campaign and act in concert to impact an issue, legislation or public awareness of an issue -- and the power to let them go not to create the behemoth nonprofit institutions associated with last century. This is what the | Read more ...

In an ironic twist worthy of a Seinfeld episode, supporters of Senator Obama have been using the organizing tools on his own website to protest his vote for FISA that grants immunity to telecoms that have abetted the government’s illegal surveillance efforts. The FISA Flap is not a political kerfluffle for the Obama campaign but a preview of 21st century democracy.