user: Q: President holds online town hall meeting via Google+. Obama answers variety of questions, including what he'll do when out of office. Most of the forum focuses on the economy.
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A: While reaching out to supporters through one of the latest high-tech means, President Obama expanded his social media experience by holding a Google+ video chat room interview Monday afternoon. In an election year, it's probably not good politics to talk about what you look forward to doing after your time in the White House, but that's exactly what President Obama did when asked about the frustrations of living in the security bubble. "It's the toughest thing about being president. Look, this is the greatest job on Earth, and it's such an honor to serve, but it is true sometimes, you get a little stir crazy," he said "One of the things I look forward to after I've had this extraordinary honor is just taking a walk or waking up on Saturday morning, not shaving and going to the local Starbucks and not having to worry about it." The president was also asked to sing and dance, (which he refused) to say hello to one of the questioners' young children, and from an Obama impersonator a question about the impact of comedy sketches on the election. "I don't know if any of this stuff affects an election, but I know that it makes our country stronger that you can make fun of the president -- or anybody -- and everybody can get a laugh," President Obama said. "And that also makes sure to remind me that I work for you guys." Most of the forum, which came in the form of live video connections and video YouTube questions, focused on the economy. "We're starting to see some signs that the economy is picking up. We've created 3 million jobs over 22 months, and we saw the largest boost in manufacturing jobs that we've seen since the '90s. Best job growth we've seen since 2005. But we've still got a lot more to do," President Obama said. "I have to keep this recovery going, that's why it's so important for us to extend the payroll tax cut." The live video chat room included five Americans in cities across the country. Participants were able to follow up with the president after his answers in real time. Jennifer Wedel in Corpus Christi, Texas, asked the president why the government continues to extend visas for immigrant workers when there are many people, like her husband, who have been out of work. President Obama offered to look at her husband's resume to help him find an engineering job. "Forward me his resume," he told her. "The word we're getting is someone in that high-tech field should be able to find something right away. I want to follow up on that." The questions were chosen by Google team members from among the most top-rated of those submitted. Google maintains the White House had no role in the selection of the participants. Obama also held a similar Facebook town hall at the Web giant's headquarters in Palo Alto, California, in the spring, and a YouTube town hall at the White House in February.


Q: Jordan Hatch is part of a team dragging government into the 21st century. Left college after AS levels to start work aged 17 on gov.uk website. Designed popular features, including a bank holiday checker.
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A: By. Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor. PUBLISHED:. 04:22 EST, 6 August 2013. |. UPDATED:. 04:54 EST, 6 August 2013. The taxpayer is being saved millions of pounds by a group of internet geeks in jeans, a long way from the buttoned-up formality of mandarins in Whitehall. Jordan Hatch is the youngest, having walked away from a degree or even A levels to join the Government’s Digital Service aged just 17. Tasked with dragging the civil service into the 21st century, he aims to make government relevant to a generation more used to smartphones than form-filling. Web genius: Jordan Hatch was just 17 when he swapped the classroom for life as a civil servant but he is responsible for some of the most popular features on gov.uk. The team is based in Holborn, halfway between Whitehall and the trendy ‘Silicon Roundabout’ of internet start-ups in East London. Jordan is the youngest member of a team of 250 which by 2015 is expected to have saved the taxpayer £1.2 billion. Most of the savings come from mothballing scores of websites for ministries and quangos, to create a single site – www.gov.uk – which becomes a one-stop site for anyone wanting to find out what the government is doing, or access forms, data or advice. The site has faced criticism for its over-simplified look, but this year beat the Shard and the Olympic cauldron to win Design of the Year. The chance to work on the mega-site, from its early beta stages, proved too much for Jordan. His parents bought their first computer when he was only six and at secondary school he designed websites and taught lessons in IT for other students. He later quit college after completing AS levels in politics, economics and business studies after his freelance computing work took over. He said: ‘It got to the point where I thought: I've got to make a call. ‘Do I want to focus on my studies or do I want to leave college and do other things?,’ he told The Times. As a 17-year-old in a government workplace he was too young to officially go to office parties. ‘It was orange Juice and don't tell anybody I'm here,’ he added. Swapping the classroom for the ultra-informal offices of GDS meant he could quickly put his theory into practice. Now 19, he still lives at home with his parents in North London. But he is responsible for some of the most popular sections of the site, including an updating calendar on when the next bank holiday is and when the clocks change. He has also designed a tool for paying council tax online. Stripped back: The single government website beat the Shard and the Olympics Cauldron to win Design of the Year in April. He could easily get snapped up by internet giants like Apple or Google. But Jordan insists that part of the appeal is making life easier for the Great British public. He said: ‘It's very nice to work for your country in a sense. The Civil Service is the ultimate British institution and it's great to be a part of that." ‘Working for the public sector is great. You can actually making user's lives easier. That's what keeps me coming back to work.’ Cabinet office minister Francis Maude has already met Jordan, and believes the use of the internet can transform the way the government works – and spends money. Launching GDS’s new offices, Mr Maude said: ‘We are determined to offer world class digital products that meet people’s needs and offer better value for taxpayers’ money – and that is why we have set up the Government Digital Service. ‘The GDS will be the centre for digital government in the UK. ‘It will transform the way people access government information by using digital technology to deliver services that put the user first and give them the smartest and most cost-effective service possible.’


Q: David Triplow damaged his spinal cord during his first rugby match for his regiment, the Royal Logistics Corp at Deep Cut Barracks in Surrey. He was paralysed from the waist down for several weeks. Mr Triplow underwent a nine-hour operation to pin his spine back together. Battled back to health so he could walk with his girlfriend down the aisle. He is now training to take part in the Great North Run next month.
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assistant: By. Emma Innes. PUBLISHED:. 11:34 EST, 26 August 2013. |. UPDATED:. 12:15 EST, 26 August 2013. A soldier who was told he might never walk again after he broke his neck is set to take part in the Great North Run. David Triplow suffered a devastating injury while playing his first game of rugby for his regiment, but has amazed doctors by battling back to health. The 32-year-old, of Whitburn, South Tyneside, shattered his neck but has since recovered sufficiently to walk his girlfriend, Michelle, 28, down the aisle. David Triplow, 32, broke his neck and damaged his spinal cord while playing his first game of rugby for his regiment. He has amazed doctors by battling back to health and is now training for the Great North Run. Mr Triplow, who was serving with the Royal Logistics Corp at Deep Cut Barracks in Surrey, underwent a nine hour operation after sustaining serious damage to his spinal cord. Surgeons had to pin his spine together and doctors warned he might never walk again. However, he fought his way back to health and has now opened up about the miracle recovery that led him to propose to Michelle. He said: ‘There was no movement from the waist down, but I woke up one morning several weeks after the accident and things just started to move. ‘It was like when you wake up in the morning and you yawn and stretch. ‘I did that and my right leg just lifted off the bed. I started pressing the buzzer and the nurses came running.’ Mr Triplow underwent a nine hour operation during which surgeons pinned his spine back together but he was warned that he might never walk again. For several weeks after the operation, Mr Triplow was paralysed from the waist down but eventually he started to regain movement in his legs. Mr Triplow was transferred from hospital in London to a specialist spinal cord unit at Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital. He was also sent to the Headley Court Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre for treatment and had rehabilitation treatment at the Personnel Recovery Centre in Edinburgh. Although with intense physiotherapy he learned to walk again, he was devastated to be medically discharged from the Army in 2011. He has been medically discharged from the army but was well enough to walk his girlfriend, Michelle, down the aisle. He is taking part in the Great North Run, a half marathon, to raise money for the British Legion. Now, five years after being told he would never walk again, Mr Triplow is in training for the Great North Run half marathon in Newcastle next month. He is running to raise funds for the British Legion. Mr Tiplow gave thanks to Michelle, brother Michael, 36, and his parents Jenny, 63, and Bob, 65, for their support. He said: ‘I am the luckiest man in the world. Without my wife, my family and friends, this would have been a completely different situation.’