Memorial Day Weekend is Rainy Here

I would be outside except for the dull weather. But in the meantime, I came across a very cool setup on the Soc. for Professional Journalist's site SPJ.org where President Christine Tatum explains a crowd sourcing project.

The Open Goverment Act promoting transparency and timeliness in how government employees and agencies work with FOI and other public information type laws was passed by the Senate and the House, and was on target to go to the joint committee of the House and Senate and duly become a law.

One senator exercised his or her power to put a "secret hold" on the bill so it can't be brought to the floor. SPJ notes that this is what Ted Stevens (R-AK) did when he put a hold on a "bill to create a searchable public database of all federal grants and contracts. Stevens' role was revealed only after online public advocates and journalists forced senators to go on the record about whether they placed the hold."

SPJ is asking folks to call their senators and ask if they have put a hold on the Open Government Act. The senator will answer a constituent where they might stonewall a reporter or other citizen. The thing that makes this very cool is that SPJ has a form on its website where you can record what your senator said. Once the senate offices open on Tuesday, it shouldn't take long to get a bunch of "no's" and narrow down who either doesn't give a straightforward response or admits to putting the hold on.

I'm setting up an options market at inklingmarkets.com where you will be able buy shares predicting when you think the crowd will smoke out the secret senator. Don't worry it is fun and it is only pretend money...Hope you participate in the prediction market and in finding the "secret senator."