Remembering President Bush

Matt Lauer just interviewed President George W. Bush. Remember him? He was president of the United States for 8 years. Kinda controversial... ring a bell? Well if it is a bit hard for you to remember don't feel bad. According to this article in Slate, despite President Bush's epically low approval ratings, the Bush legacy did not make an impact on the recent election.
Since he left office in 2008 President Bush has fallen off the American radar but this week he is back. First with an interview with Matt Lauer and later this week with the release of his memoir "Decision Points".
I "grew up" with the Bush presidency. Many of the events from the aughts define my generation. Everything else about President Bush aside, I am really interested to see if this will be a change in how he handles his public relations. I always felt that Bush suffered from an inability to explain his reasoning to the American people. I also felt that it was a mistake that he never admitted to making mistakes. So I am very interested to see if the memoir is an honest reflection or just a bid to establish the "right" storyline in history.
I haven't seen the entire interview but here is the first 8 minutes

Are You A Libertarian?

I grew up in a very conservative home. In high school and early college I was staunchly Republican. At least I thought I was Republican. Looking back I believe I picked Republican because it was closer to my values then Democrat. Then I discovered Libertarianism. I found myself constantly agreeing with them. Not necessarily their implementation but definitely their ideals.

Are you a Libertarian? Here are some tools to help you answer that question.

And the quiz:

So are you a Libertarian?

On Taxes

Recently a friend of mine offered up this link. From the Tax Foundation it helps you calculate your tax burden. It also gives you the added benefit of seeing how the Obama tax proposal would effect your taxes. Surprisingly I would actually pay less under the Obama plan. But to me that is little consolation.

Currently the federal government takes 18% of my income. Add my state taxes and I pay around 21% To me that is outrageous. Especially when I see most government programs and agencies as bloated and poorly managed.

I prefer a simplification of the tax code. A flat tax for everyone. I guess that is why this blog from CSM appealed to me.

Enjoy.

Extend the Bush Tax Cuts? It's the wrong question.

The Power of the Ant

Mankind loves to marvel at their accomplishments. We glory in our own creations. But in reality we are not the only things on this earth capable of wonderful and marvelous creations. Just check what these ants got up too. Note: No ants were harmed in the making of this video.

Short Video Goodness

Just found some really amazing short videos. Courtesy of Whitestone Pictures. I have loved all that I watched but recommend "Lest We Forget" and "Heartless: The Story of the Tin Man" (embedded below). I love watching talented people do great work like this.

Enjoy!

Heartless: The Story of the Tin Man from Brandon McCormick on Vimeo.

Bronte Power

So I was going to publish a real nice long essay. Instead I ran into this gem and had to post it.

Marcee this ones for you!!

Motivation

As many of you know I am contemplating redirecting my life. That has lead to lots of lists and soul searching. The main issue I keep running up against is: Why do I dislike my current job? By truly understanding the underlying causes of my discontent I think I will be better equipped to not repeat the problem.

This video does a lot to help me clarify things. It is mostly about how people are motivated (hint it isn't money!).

Essentially my job has a lot of purpose, occasional autonomy but I have no desire to obtain mastery over it. So I need to find a direction that will combine purpose, autonomy and mastery. Too easy...?