Many long-time survivors of government /industry consider compatibility with the commander even more important than things like, say, competence or dedication.

You may not like the boss. That is not the issue. Maybe you wouldn't have picked him or her if you had been given the choice, but the boss is the boss and that's the way it has always been.

One way to show respect for the boss, as well as to show who is the boss, is to have a picture of the boss in your office. Or at least in some high-traffic area where, a couple of times each day, you will be reminded of who is calling the shots.

To that end, the Government Printing Office is cranking out 130,000 photographs of President Barack Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden. They will go into the 7,000 buildings or offices, owned or leased by the government. They house 1.2 million federal workers. These are the first ever-digital presidential photos, and will replace pictures of former President George W. Bush.

No mention of what happens to the former president's photos. (In the case of Grover Cleveland, who served two nonconsecutive terms, it would have been worth stashing them in a warehouse. But that probably didn't happen.)

GPO says the official photos will come in three sizes: 8 x 10, 11 x 14 and 20 x 24. The popular 11 x 14 goes for $9.

If the past is prologue, many of the bigger pictures, designed for hallways and auditoriums, will, in fact, wind up in the offices of political appointees and ambitious or genuinely devoted career government workers.

But if you want to look like a player, like a FOO (Friend of Obama, not to be confused with the older FOB, for Friend of Bill), you can have one of your own. For a price. Go to http://bookstore.gpo.gov/collections/inaugural-2009.jsp.

And, moving right along, to show that you are with the program, don't forget to get rid of, or take home, any pictures of previous presidents you may have. Even if you cherish them and they are autographed, the best career move is to move them from your office office to your home office.

Retiree Cash

The details-to-come multi-billion dollar stimulus package seems to have something for everyone. But how do you stimulate somebody retired from the government, the military or who gets Social Security benefits? You give them a one-time $250 payment in an upcoming check, that's how!

National Active and Retired Federal Employees president Margaret L. Baptiste is telling members that they will either get the one-time payment or, if they aren't eligible for it, a newly-created $250-per-person refundable tax credit. For details, go to www.narfe.org.

Nearly Useless Factoid

More American families own dogs than cats.

To reach me: mcausey@federalnewsradio.com