Posted by Christopher Stevenson

I heard about this video on NPR's Morning Edition this morning. Scripted and recorded by four-time space flier Andrew Thomas, the video is designed to show how innovation has been blocked and bureaucracy reigns in the U.S. space program.

At almost 10 minutes in length and with the production value of a fourth-grade class project, it's a long video to muddle through, but it's worth watching if only to see if you can identify the same CYA behaviors in your own organization.

Posted by Christopher Stevenson

One of the highlights of my job is figuring out which companies to visit for CUES Experience. Last year in Minneapolis, we had beer, baseball, shopping, interactive media, and credit scores. (Okay, so maybe credit scores aren't quite as fun as the others, but they're close.)

Posted by Christopher Stevenson

Gosh, it's been a hard week. Credit unions were shaken by the news that corporates need stabilizing. Jobless rates looked gloomy. And even Toyota, a company that hasn't had annual net losses since 1950, is forecasting a loss. With all this bad news, I find cheery, upbeat articles about credit unions a breath of fresh air. A little ray of sunshine.

By Mary Arnold

Posted by Christopher Stevenson

By Ron Jooss

3,000 people called in for CUNA's audio conference yesterday on NCUA's corporate stabilization plans. Here are some highlights:

CUNA President/CEO Dan Mica said CUNA's official position on the NCUA recent action was mixed. While the association agreed the regulator had to take action, CUNA is not convinced the proper mechanism has been prescribed.

By Mary Arnold

Why now and what does it mean to natural-person credit unions were two of the audience questions addressed yesterday by David Marquis, executive director of NCUA, during a free National Association of Federal Credit Unions archived Webcast.

By Henry Wirz

By Henry Wirz

I spent last week in the winter wonderland of Madison, WI, judging the Golden Mirror Awards. First things first: I should never, ever be allowed to drive in the snow. Apologies to the three or four drivers I almost ruined on Loop 12.

Second: Here are a few things I noticed while judging -

Solvent Green

2008 was a big year for "going green." Here's a small but tasty sample: