Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious and Odd: Jon Stewart: John Oliver Pokes Fun At The Royal Wedding of Kate and William

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Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious and Odd: Jon Stewart: John Oliver Pokes Fun At The Royal Wedding of Kate and William: "From Denny: Jon Stewart and John Oliver lampoon all the insane media coverage and excessive scrutiny over the royal wedding. No insufferable detail is left unturned. It turns out it's terribly important for the world to learn about how jelly molds are made for royal weddings. Listen to British comic John Oliver mock the craziness."

President Obama Executive Order 13572: Blocking Property of Certain Persons with Respect to Human Rights Abuses in Syria

April 29, 2011

Executive Order 13572 --Blocking Property of Certain Persons with Respect to Human Rights Abuses in Syria

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

April 29, 2011

Executive Order 13572 --Blocking Property of Certain Persons with Respect to Human Rights Abuses in Syria

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code,

I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, hereby expand the scope of the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13338 of May 11, 2004, and relied upon for additional steps taken in Executive Order 13399 of April 25, 2006, and in Executive Order 13460 of February 13, 2008, finding that the Government of Syria's human rights abuses, including those related to the repression of the people of Syria, manifested most recently by the use of violence and torture against, and arbitrary arrests and detentions of, peaceful protestors by police, security forces, and other entities that have engaged in human rights abuses, constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States, and I hereby order:

Section 1.  All property and interests in property that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person, including any overseas branch, of the following persons are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in:

(a)  the persons listed in the Annex to this order; and

(b)  any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State:

(i)    to be responsible for or complicit in, or responsible for ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing, or to have participated in, the commission of human rights abuses in Syria, including those related to repression;

(ii)   to be a senior official of an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order;

(iii)  to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services in support of, the activities described in subsection (b)(i) of this section or any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to Executive Order 13338, Executive Order 13460, or this order; or

(iv)   to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to Executive Order 13460 or this order.

Sec. 2.  I hereby determine that the making of donations of the type of articles specified in section 203(b)(2) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)(2)) by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to section 1 of this order would seriously impair my ability to deal with the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13338 and expanded in this order, and I hereby prohibit such donations as provided by section 1 of this order.

Sec. 3.  The prohibitions in section 1 of this order include but are not limited to:

(a)  the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; and

(b)  the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.

Sec. 4.  The prohibitions in section 1 of this order apply except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior to the effective date of this order.

Sec. 5.  (a)  Any transaction by a United States person or within the United States that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading or avoiding, causes a violation of, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.

(b)  Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.

Sec. 6.  For the purposes of this order:

(a)  the term "person" means an individual or entity;

(b)  the term "entity" means a partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization;

(c)  the term "United States person" means any United States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including foreign branches), or any person in the United States; and

(d)  the term "Government of Syria" means the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic, its agencies, instrumentalities, and controlled entities.

Sec. 7.  For those persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order who might have a constitutional presence in the United States, I find that because of the ability to transfer funds or other assets instantaneously, prior notice to such persons of measures to be taken pursuant to this order would render those measures ineffectual.  I therefore determine that for these measures to be effective in addressing the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13338 and expanded in this order, there need be no prior notice of a listing or determination made pursuant to section 1 of this order.

Sec. 8.  The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this order.  The Secretary of the Treasury may redelegate any of these functions to other officers and agencies of the United States Government consistent with applicable law.  All agencies of the United States Government are hereby directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of this order.

Sec. 9.  The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to determine that circumstances no longer warrant the blocking of the property and interests in property of a person listed in the Annex to this order, and to take necessary action to give effect to that determination.

Sec. 10.  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

Sec. 11.  This order is effective at 1:00 p.m. eastern daylight time on April 29, 2011.

                     BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE,
April 29, 2011.

ANNEX

Individuals

1.    Mahir AL-ASAD  [Brigade Commander in the Syrian Army’s Fourth Armored Division, born 1968]

2.    Ali MAMLUK  [director of the Syrian General Intelligence Directorate, born 1947]

3.    Atif NAJIB  [former head of the Syrian Political Security Directorate for Dar’a Province]

Entities

1.    Syrian General Intelligence Directorate

2.    Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – Qods Force

The Social Poets: Iran: Gotcha Government Systems With The Stars Virus

The Social Poets: Iran: Gotcha Government Systems With The Stars Virus: "From Denny: The Iranian version of Chicken Little is running around screaming that their government systems were targeted again by the West. Read that as 'It's America's and Israel's fault. We have been wronged by the Big Bad Bullies of the West.'

Iran claims it is the Stars Virus, sent by vicious Western cyberattackers, has infected their computer systems. As usual for this clownish regime, they have not verified any of this to be true - other than the infection."

President Obama Executive Order 13571: Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service

• April 27, 2011

  Executive Order 13571--Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service

  
  
  The White House

  Office of the Press Secretary

  For Immediate Release

  April 27, 2011

  Executive Order 13571--Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service

  By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to improve the quality of service to the public by the Federal Government, it is hereby ordered as follows:

  Section 1.  Policy.  The public deserves competent, efficient, and responsive service from the Federal Government.  Executive departments and agencies (agencies) must continuously evaluate their performance in meeting this standard and work to improve it.  To this end, Executive Order 12862 (Setting Customer Service Standards), issued on September 11, 1993, requires agencies that provide significant services directly to the public to identify and survey their customers, establish service standards and track performance against those standards, and benchmark customer service performance against the best in business.  This effort to "put people first" was an important step.  It was reinforced by a Presidential Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies issued on March 22, 1995 (Improving Customer Service), and a further Presidential Memorandum issued on March 3, 1998 (Conducting "Conversations with America" to Further Improve Customer Service).

  However, with advances in technology and service delivery systems in other sectors, the public's expectations of the Government have continued to rise.  The Government must keep pace with and even exceed those expectations.  Government must also address the need to improve its services, not only to individuals, but also to private and Governmental entities to which the agency directly provides significant services.  Government managers must learn from what is working in the private sector and apply these best practices to deliver services better, faster, and at lower cost.  Such best practices include increasingly popular lower-cost, self-service options accessed by the Internet or mobile phone and improved processes that deliver services faster and more responsively, reducing the overall need for customer inquiries and complaints.  The Federal Government has a responsibility to streamline and make more efficient its service delivery to better serve the public.

  Sec. 2.  Agency Customer Service Plans and Activities.  Within 180 days of the date of this order, each agency shall develop, in consultation with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), a Customer Service Plan (plan) to address how the agency will provide services in a manner that seeks to streamline service delivery and improve the experience of its customers.  As used in this order, the term "customer" refers to any individual or to any entity, including a business, tribal, State or local government, or other agency, to which the agency directly provides significant services.  The plan shall set forth the agency's approach, intended benefits, and an implementation timeline for the following actions:

  (a)  establishing one major initiative (signature initiative) that will use technology to improve the customer experience;

  (b)  establishing mechanisms to solicit customer feedback on Government services and using such feedback regularly to make service improvements;

  (c)  setting clear customer service standards and expectations, including, where appropriate, performance goals for customer service required by the GPRA (Government Performance and Results) Modernization Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-352);

  (d)  improving the customer experience by adopting proven customer service best practices and coordinating across service channels (such as online, phone, in-person, and mail services);

  (e)  streamlining agency processes to reduce costs and accelerate delivery, while reducing the need for customer calls and inquiries; and

  (f)  identifying ways to use innovative technologies to accomplish the customer service activities above, thereby lowering costs, decreasing service delivery times, and improving the customer experience.

  Sec. 3.  Publication of Agency Customer Service Plans.  Each agency shall publish its plan on its Open Government web page.

  Sec. 4.  Assistance in Implementation.  In consultation with the heads of executive departments and agencies, the Chief Performance Officer, who also serves as the Deputy Director for Management of the OMB, shall develop guidance for implementing the activities outlined in this order.  Such guidance shall include, among other things, the nature and scope of services to which the order's requirements will apply.  The Office of Management and Budget, the General Services Administration, and the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall assist and support agencies in developing customer service standards and plans, online posting of customer service metrics and best practices, expediting review for customer feedback mechanisms under the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), improving the design and management of agency websites providing services or information to the public in compliance with section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d), and using innovative technologies to improve customer service at lower costs.

  Sec. 5.  Independent Agencies.  Independent agencies are requested to adhere to this order.

  Sec. 6.  Privileged Information.  Nothing in this order shall compel or authorize the disclosure of privileged information, law enforcement information, information affecting national security, or information the disclosure of which is prohibited by law.

  Sec. 7.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

  (i)   authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or

  (ii)  functions of the Director of the OMB relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

  (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

  (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

  BARACK OBAMA

  THE WHITE HOUSE,
  April 27, 2011.

The Social Poets: Jon Stewart Interviews Egypt Revolution Activist Gigi Ibrahim

The Social Poets: Jon Stewart Interviews Egypt Revolution Activist Gigi Ibrahim: "From Denny: Stewart dishes out the political satire in a semi-serious interview aimed at exposing how for decades American policy has had little to do with the reality of every day Egyptians.

What is so funny about the experience of this young woman is how she became involved in the Egypt Revolution this past January in Tahrir Square.  She went to a class, 'The Social Mobilization Under Authoritarian Regime,' at the American University in Cairo."

Libya: Specific Targeting: Predator Drones, Gazillion Political Cartoons

From Denny:  America is off their war holiday and back in the driver's seat with NATO in Libya.  Read that as the other guys so screwed up they demanded America go back to spending all the money and taking all the heat when the bombs land on unintended targets.  They never did get their targeting as accurate as America does.

The latest?  Well, at least we are using less expensive weaponry.  This time we are back to using the drones with Hellfire missiles like we used in Pakistan.  Of course, Pakistan is tired of us and ordered out our CIA intelligence gathering crowd.  They aren't too happy with our drones killing off well-paying Taliban who fund the corrupt members of the Pakistani military and political circle.

So, what is a self-respecting American military to do?  Well, just slide those useful drones right on over to Libya, of course: brilliant!  We can boast about how we save money for the budget deal of a life time.  Then we can brag how we don't kill quite as many innocents when we bomb Gadafi's troops.

Considering how the Libyan rebels are demanding NATO send in ground troops, this is a better bet.  The American people are not in the mood to send in ground troops anywhere in the world, especially Libya.  Nor are the American people in the mood to slide down that slippery slope of arming the rebels.

The Social Poets: Funny Friday Lite: Colbert Addresses The Politically Tone Deaf

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The Social Poets: Funny Friday Lite: Colbert Addresses The Politically Tone Deaf: "So, today Colbert talks about one of our five senses: hearing. Did I mention that I've dedicated this funny video to all the tone deaf politicians currently occupying the halls of Congress? Don't get too comfortable, guys, you are about to lose your jobs."

The Social Poets: Funny 1917 CIA Spy Technology Docs Released: Invisible Writing

The Social Poets: Funny 1917 CIA Spy Technology Docs Released: Invisible Writing: "From Denny: Anyone who regularly reads this blog knows I grew up in the CIA. Yes, it was one weird childhood living with such paranoid uptight and often humorless people. Whenever the CIA releases ancient documents molding down in their deep dark spy basement it always gives me a grin.

When I was a kid we spent a lot of time figuring out codes since Dad had been a code breaker in WWII - among other things. One of our other childhood past times was to figure out intriguing ways to pass messages and, yes, write in invisible ink. Even Dad joined in the fun. My mother just shook her head and thought we were all a bunch of looney tunes. Knowing Dad he was probably using his baby geniuses to do his research on the cheap. Who said you can't take your work home with you?

Anyway, it is with great pleasure I present to you Rachel Maddow's cheeky report about Dear Ol' Dad's creepy CIA. This week, The New CIA under Director Leon Panetta, and a lot less creepy, odious and just plain obnoxious, released some 1917 technology for public viewing, er, laughter."

The Social Poets: New Terrorism Alert System: Gone Is Bush Era Funny

The Social Poets: New Terrorism Alert System: Gone Is Bush Era Funny: "From Denny: What? My Democrats have gone and done something that makes sense? Whatever will we do without the crazy antics of the Republicans running the federal government? There goes the good entertainment value for your vote.

My own terror alert for Homeland Security when new poems are published

Gone is the stupid color coded terror chart of the Bush years we all loved to lampoon regularly. Today, Homeland Security revealed the obvious: two levels of alert, 'elevated threat' and 'imminent threat.'

Read elevated threat as 'Take a look around and be aware of your surroundings and pay attention to the news while you are at it.' Read imminent threat as 'You are basically screwed if you didn't pay attention to the first warning and check your phone apps for updates.'"

The Social Poets: BP Oil Spill Disaster: One Year Later Economy Slammed, Recovered At 30 Percent

The Social Poets: BP Oil Spill Disaster: One Year Later Economy Slammed, Recovered At 30 Percent: "Currently, BP pays the fawning scumbag attorney, Ken Feinberg, an astounding $1 million a month to administer the so-called BP Claims Fund. Feinberg is out doing the usual political damage control by going on all the media outlets for lying interviews. He justifies his pay from BP by claiming a Bush official signed off on it as a fair price."

The Social Poets: Funny Tax Season: Cartoons and Late Nite Jokes

The Social Poets: Funny Tax Season: Cartoons and Late Nite Jokes: "General Electric did not pay any taxes at all last year. Of course that’s because G.E. reported its sale of NBC as a charitable donation. – Conan O'Brien

President Obama wants to raise taxes on the country's richest people. And you thought Donald Trump hated him before. – Jay Leno

Obama called on Americans to have more grandchildren. Probably so there's more of them to pay off our debt. – Jay Leno

In the wake of record losses, the U.S. Postal Service announced it is cutting 7,500 jobs. But a spokesman for the post office said those positions could be restored if this whole email thing turns out to be nothing but a fad. – Jay Leno"

President Obama Executive Order 13570: Prohibiting Certain Transactions with Respect to North Korea

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• April 18, 2011

  Executive Order 13570 -- Prohibiting Certain Transactions with Respect to North Korea

  
  
  The White House

  Office of the Press Secretary

  For Immediate Release

  April 18, 2011

  Executive Order 13570 -- Prohibiting Certain Transactions with Respect to North Korea

  By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), section 5 of the United Nations Participation Act of 1945 (22 U.S.C. 287c) (UNPA), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, and in view of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1718 of October 14, 2006, and UNSCR 1874 of June 12, 2009,

  I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, in order to take additional steps to address the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13466 of June 26, 2008, and expanded in Executive Order 13551 of August 30, 2010, that will ensure implementation of the import restrictions contained in UNSCRs 1718 and 1874 and complement the import restrictions provided for in the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751
  et seq.), hereby order:

  Section 1. Except to the extent provided in statutes or in licenses, regulations, orders, or directives that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior to the date of
  this order, the importation into the United States, directly or indirectly, of any goods, services, or technology from North Korea is prohibited.

  Sec. 2. (a) Any transaction by a United States person or within the United States that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading or avoiding, causes a violation of, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.

  (b) Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.

  Sec. 3. The provisions of Executive Orders 13466 and 13551 remain in effect, and this order does not affect any action taken pursuant to those orders.

  Sec. 4. For the purposes of this order:

  (a) the term "person" means an individual or entity;

  (b) the term "entity" means a partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization;

  (c) the term "United States person" means any United States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including foreign branches), or any person in the United States;

  (d) the term "North Korea" includes the territory of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Government of North Korea; and

  (e) the term "Government of North Korea" means the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, its agencies, instrumentalities, and controlled entities.

  Sec. 5. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA and the UNPA as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this order. The Secretary of the Treasury may redelegate any of these functions to other officers and agencies of the United States Government consistent with applicable law. All agencies of the United States Government are hereby directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of this order.

  Sec. 6. This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

  Sec. 7. This order is effective at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on April 19, 2011.

                     BARACK OBAMA

  THE WHITE HOUSE,
    April 18, 2011.

Dennys: News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food: Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 17 April 2011

Dennys: News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food: Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 17 April 2011: "While the Japanese nuclear crisis continues unabated, the rest of the world has moved on, dreading the inevitable. At the moment the world community has pressured Japan to come up with a plan to contain or deal with the crisis over a nine month period.

Why the same people are in charge of this mess that created the mess is a mystery. It's as foolish as it was to trust BP to clean up the oil spill disaster in my own Gulf of Mexico. Serious hardships still exist as a result of President Obama and BP refusing to do what it takes to make things right, especially in Louisiana.

At the very least the President could do is refuse to allow BP access to any of America's oil fields on or off shore. The company has simply not earned the right to drill for oil on American soil or in our oceans."

The Social Poets: The Ridiculous: Funny Donald Trump Cartoons, Late Nite Jokes

The Social Poets: The Ridiculous: Funny Donald Trump Cartoons, Late Nite Jokes: "OK, with a show of hands, who really thinks Trump is serious about running for President? Yeah, I agree with you. He's a complete clown no one would take seriously - except for the Republicans. Can you believe Trump last week's poll says he is  tied for first place for the GOP nomination? Just goes to show acting strange and exaggerated appeals to Republican voters who lost their minds long ago when they signed up on the Karl Rove-Bush's Brain Express.

The Donald Trump Exaggeration: his reality TV shows, the beauty queens, the weird hair and his gold-plated billionaire real estate empire."

The Social Poets: Jockeying For Power: Tea Party Says Replace Boehner Over 2011 Budget Deal

Democratic Party these days - Image via Wikipedia

The Social Poets: Jockeying For Power: Tea Party Says Replace Boehner Over 2011 Budget Deal: "The snake pit fought ferociously today delivering an intense political high stakes drama. Never mind there are 25 million people out of work and in dire need of jobs in America. Apparently, that is not a drama they find interesting enough to tackle when they can be jockeying for personal political power and recognition.

Congress and the White House were all about playing the game of 'Screw You!' as much as possible, creating serious bad blood in each party. The snakes are fighting the snakes in their own parties: Republicans vs. Republicans and Democrats vs. Democrats."

The Social Poets: Funny Late Nite Jokes Roundup: Government Shutdown

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The Social Poets: Funny Late Nite Jokes Roundup: Government Shutdown: "For the moment the government shutdown was averted - until the next time. The coming battle for political supremacy will be fighting over raising the debt ceiling. Without it, the country is basically screwed for mortgage loans, small business loans: life."

The Social Poets: Funny Videos: Jon Stewart Mocks Glenn Beck FOX News Departure

Glenn Beck - Image via Wikipedia

The Social Poets: Funny Videos: Jon Stewart Mocks Glenn Beck FOX News Departure: "Did any of us think the long rambling weird reign of foul-mouthed Glenn Beck would ever stop? Well, even FOX News has had enough and told him last week his show was canceled. He will depart the end of the year when his contract ends. Well, it never was real news, just imagined news.

For months comics have lampooned Beck's messianic Hitler style attitude and declarations. Well, even Beck's fans began to evaporate. Turns out in January his fan base began dwindling. Originally, at the height of his nightly viewership was clocked at about three million."

Libya: African Union Tries Brokering Cease Fire With Gadafi, Cartoons

President Jacob Zuma - Image via Wikipedia

From Denny: Talks are in session with Gadafi and the rebels about a cease fire, brokered by the African Union and South African President Jacob Zuma. The hope is to end air strikes as well.

Read that as giving Gadafi cover for some time to either weasel out of the country or get his bearings back from so much bombing. After all, he wrote President Obama, like some affectionate pen pal, begging him to end the American air strikes as we worked to create the No-Fly Zone by eliminating most of Gadafi's air capability.

On Monday, the African Union group is slated to talk to the rebel leaders. The rebels demand Gadafi step down.  They vow not to negotiate unless, and until, Gadafi agrees to do so.

This week, Gadafi and the rebels have battled back and forth over the oil port cities, one taking a city, the next day giving it up. Aside from the NATO air strikes finally targeting more accurately and in a timely fashion, the Libyan civil war is pretty much in the position of a Mexican Stand-Off.

The Social Poets: Government Shutdown and Cartoons: Courtesy of Tea Party and GOP

GOP Cantor, left, GOP Speaker Boehner, right - Image by TalkMediaNews via Flickr

The Social Poets: Government Shutdown and Cartoons: Courtesy of Tea Party and GOP: "This budget mess is a dark farce, courtesy of the Republicans and their inbred political cousins, the Tea Party. The GOP hates women and they hate giving federal funding for women's health care.

Millions of women depend upon that funding in Title 10 which provides reproductive and preventative care. Since it is mainly low-income women who are the beneficiary of these funds, Republicans don't care. After all, low-income people are not their voting demographic. Nor have they ever done anything for women either.

The whole process is disingenuous. To get the $100 billion the Tea Party demands, it's obvious: all you have to do is stop these idiot wars in Afghanistan and Iraq where we spend billions per month. And now our heavy involvement in Libya is equally expensive - to the tune of $1 million per Tomahawk missile fired to enforce the No-Fly Zone.

Want more easy cuts? Try the $1 billion 'tax cuts' for the wealthy that President Obama gave away far too easily, especially when 70 percent of the entire country said they did not want the rich to get tax cuts. He foolishly did it anyway. And now, here we are months later, with all of Congress and the President looking stupid in this budget fight."

The Social Poets: Wisconsin: Voters Slap Down GOP, Female Dark Horse Wins State Supreme Court Seat

The Social Poets: Wisconsin: Voters Slap Down GOP, Female Dark Horse Wins State Supreme Court Seat: "An obscure election got the royal treatment from activists and voters. Voters so hated Gov. Scott Walker's controversial anti-union initiatives they came out in droves to defeat a GOP incumbent for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The surprise dark horse vote came for Democrat unknown JoAnne Kloppenburg, down by an astounding 30 points right before the election. She is a state attorney general with support from several unions.

Election officials tallied her win at a razor thin 235 votes over the GOP incumbent of 12 years, Justice David Prosser, who is known to be sympathetic toward Gov. Walker's policies. Prosser had come out of his primary with a 55 percent vote win. Kloppenburg was second of four candidates with only 28 percent of that primary vote. Prosser was expected to experience an easy runaway win - that fizzled because of unusually high voter turnout."

Dennys: News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food: Obama: Unemployed, Middle Class, Poor: Hey, Stupid, Watch Your Finances, Political Cartoons

Dennys: News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food: Obama: Unemployed, Middle Class, Poor: Hey, Stupid, Watch Your Finances, Political Cartoons: "To add insult to economic injury, completely tone deaf politically, President Obama Declares April Financial Literacy Month.  After just announcing his reelection campaign now he is urging Americans to learn more about their personal finances. You have got to be kidding me. How insensitive and downright stupid is this statement? Where have you been the past three years since the economy shed millions of jobs?

Obama: Do you even read - or better yet re-read - your own speeches over the course of a year? Or do you just parrot the words off the page or teleprompter without giving it much thought later.  Like Bush, you appear to be sleepwalking through this presidency, dancing to the tune of political handlers and Big Business."

The Social Poets: The Lurching American Economy, Political Cartoons

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The Social Poets: The Lurching American Economy, Political Cartoons: "The world economy is a mess and about to get messier with Japan in distress from their latest earthquake, tsunami, nuclear disaster trifecta. Well, the good news is that we are all in the same boat, trying to swim the same polluted economic waters. It would help if our governments gave us accurate numbers and quit massaging them to please the financial markets.

The unemployment here in America is supposed to be at 8.8 percent. What a joke. There are millions of people who gave up looking. Those known as The 99ers, whose unemployment benefits ended after 99 weeks, have been unemployed for years now.  Even President Obama says there are hundreds of thousands of people who will never get a job again.  What kind of statement is that from a president?  Not everyone deserves a job in this country?"

President Obama Executive Order 13569: Amendments to Executive Orders 12824, 12835, 12859, 13532, Reestablishment Pursuant to Executive Order 13498, and Revocation of Executive Order 13507

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• April 05, 2011

  Executive Order 13569--Amendments to Executive Orders 12824, 12835, 12859, and 13532, Reestablishment Pursuant to Executive Order 13498, and Revocation of Executive Order 13507

  
  
  The White House

  Office of the Press Secretary

  For Immediate Release

  April 05, 2011

  Executive Order 13569--Amendments to Executive Orders 12824, 12835, 12859, and 13532, Reestablishment Pursuant to Executive Order 13498, and Revocation of Executive Order 13507

  By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

  Section1.  Executive Order 12824, of December 7, 1992 ("Establishing the Transportation Distinguished Service Medal"), as amended, is hereby further amended by striking "a member of the Coast Guard" in section 1 and inserting in lieu thereof "any member of the Armed Forces of the United States".

  Sec. 2.  Executive Order 12835 of January 25, 1993 ("Establishment of the National Economic Council"), as amended, is hereby further amended by striking "(o) Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change;" in section 2 and inserting in lieu thereof "(o) Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality;".

  Sec. 3.  Executive Order 12859 of August 16, 1993 ("Establishment of the Domestic Policy Council"), as amended, is hereby further amended by striking "(v) Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change;" in section 2 and inserting in lieu thereof "(v) Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality;".

  Sec. 4.  Executive Order 13532 of February 26, 2010 ("Promoting Excellence, Innovation, and Sustainability at Historically Black Colleges and Universities"), is hereby amended by striking "34 C.F.R. 602.8" in section 4(a) and inserting in lieu thereof "34 C.F.R. 608.2".

  Sec. 5.  The President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, as set forth under the provisions of Executive Order 13498 of February 5, 2009,is hereby reestablished and shall terminate 2 years from the date of this order unless extended by the President.

  Sec. 6.  Executive Order 13507 of April 8, 2009 ("Establishment of the White House Office of Health Reform"), is hereby revoked.

  Sec. 7.  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

  BARACK OBAMA

  THE WHITE HOUSE,
  April 5, 2011.

The Social Poets: Japan: Greedy Big Business: Save Company Not Lives

The Social Poets: Japan: Greedy Big Business: Save Company Not Lives: "Dragging into a one month crisis it is still unbelievable how TEPCO, Tokyo Electric Power Company, has the gall to continue placing the equivalent of band-aids on a life-threatening nuclear crisis. Today they threw wet concrete, newspaper shreddings, sawdust and sand onto an eight-inch crack where radiated water was leaking out into the ocean. Every decision made so far has been to try and save the nuclear reactors rather than entomb them in concrete, killing them - and the company's investment - forever."

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The Social Poets: 12 Best of The Web Funny April Fools Day: Pranked, Spoofed and Trashed

The Social Poets: 12 Best of The Web Funny April Fools Day: Pranked, Spoofed and Trashed: "There are those among us - of a cheeky bent - who look forward to this one day a year when people forgive us for pranking them. Today the web was full of April Fool's Day fun from every angle, a real bumper crop of craziness!

1 - First up: Google leads the fun with their prank about their new feature of 'motion-controlled' email. After all, typing on a keyboard is 'so last century,' right? And Google says it's also 'outdated' and 'inefficient.'

'To open a message make a movement as if you were opening an envelope. To reply, simply point backward with your thumb,' Google says in a video demonstration. More instructions? 'To reply all, use both hands. To send a message, lick a stamp and place it down.'

Well, you too can look like a complete fool by believing this satire and standing up in your office cubicle on Freaky Friday and get elected Fool Of The Day by using various body language to instruct your computer. It's like using cat body language to write an email. Hey, whatever floats your boat."

Dennys Funny Quotes: 3 Funny Videos: Jon Stewart At Not War, Obama Defends Libya War

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Dennys Funny Quotes: 3 Funny Videos: Jon Stewart At Not War, Obama Defends Libya War: "Jon Stewart sure keeps this White House on their toes. Actually, he agrees with the President on going into Libya for the most part. But, being a comedian, it's his patriotic duty to lampoon politics wherever and whenever possible. These video clips are Stewart's response to when Obama and the coalition began bombing Gadafi to gain air superiority, establishing the No-Fly Zone."