Big, Dumb Government: Why the GOP Is Winning the Sequester

• By Elspeth Reeve
• April 30, 2013
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Why hasn't the American public risen up in fury at Republicans over the sequester's annoyances and inconveniences, as President Obama had clearly hoped? Because the annoying things about the sequester perfectly play into decades worth of Republican talking points about government being dumb and wasteful and run by people who lack basic common sense. As Dick Armey, the House Majority Leader who helped pass Newt Gingrich's Contract with America and then lead FreedomWorks, the organization that planted the seeds of the Tea Party, liked to say, "The market is rational, the government is dumb." Over the last several decades, the big fight in Washington has been between people who think government can help the economy and those who think it can only hinder it. In his State of the Union, Obama called on the government to make "investments" in infrastructure, education, and science. "Get government out of the way, and this economy will come roaring back," Mike Pence said on the House floor in 2010.

As we've been told many times, the sequester was designed to be dumb. Though it requires differing cuts in various spending categories, the sequester only reduces spending by a mere 2 ...

How to Become a Morning Person [Infographic]

• By Greatist.com Team
• April 30, 2013
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Let's face it: Morning people have an advantage, and while the night owls are still hitting snooze, the early birds are making things happen all across the globe. But no one is doomed to a lifetime of groggy mornings. Greatist put together the world's best guide to helping make the switch to morning glory.

Leadership Lessons from a NASA Director

• By Lynnie Martin
• April 29, 2013
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Geoffrey Yoder is the director of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Program. The Webb telescope will be the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. The new telescope is scheduled for launch in 2018. Writing for Excellence in Government, Young Government Leaders Lynnie Martin, recently caught up with Yoder and talked with him about leadership, his career and how he manages his team. (The interview has been edited for length and clarity).

EIG: What is the best leadership lesson you've learned? 

Yoder: Be a leader, not a manager.  Provide vision, passion, and excitement that is contagious and empower your team. Overall, always lead with integrity. 

EIG: How did you get to where you are today?

Yoder: Early on, I identified what I wanted to accomplish in my career. I developed a set of 5-year goals to support where I intended to be and took advantage of opportunities that supported those goals. As a child I had a passion for NASA. Growing up, I aligned my education and professional development to position myself for a career with NASA. I was prepared to accept an offer with NASA for several years before the opportunity came about. Once at NASA, I ...

Would You Take a One Way Ticket to Mars?

• By Megan Garber
• April 29, 2013
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If you are at least 18 years of age and curious and capable and resourceful, with a capacity for self-reflection, an ability to trust other people, and a deep sense of purpose, then you can to go to Mars. Maybe. The Mars One project, which is planning to send a group of people to colonize the Red Planet, has officiallyopened its applications process to public voting. If you are one of the people ultimately selected for the program, if all goes according to plan, you will depart Earth in 2023 to follow in the epic footsteps of Magellan and Gagarin and Armstrong, staking a claim for humanity's extension into a new and unknown world.

The only catch? You will not be coming back.

Yep: It's named Mars One in part because what it offers is a one-way ticket. In positive terms, this means that the program promises its participants the adventure of a lifetime. In more negative ones, it means that the lifetime in question will likely reach its conclusion somewhere outside of Earth. And that's a feature, not a bug. Our new relationship with the world beyond Earth's borders, Mars One declares, "will be ...

Infographic: 10 Leadership Lessons from Famous People

• By Mark Micheli
• April 29, 2013
• comments

Here are 10 pearls of wisdom to help you start your week. Some simple lessons from famous leaders and thinkers. Have any favorite leadership quotes of your own? Share in the comments below. 

[via Technology Cafe]