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| NATO bombs Tripoli, Libya/Getty Images |
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| Jon Stewart |
From Denny: Am I'm busy playing "catch up" with all these posts in draft form - after 10 days off line, changing internet providers. :) Hope everyone had a great weekend!The Social Poets: Economy, World Politics, BP Oil Spill Cartoons - 18 Sept 2010 - Check out what the cartoonists think this week about the American economy, world and American politics and villainous BP's oil spill aftermath. Waking The Day poem - Libations Friday 17 Sept 2010 - When the day - and I - awaken, present in the moment. Obamas Popularity, Polls Roundup of American Opinion - 16 Sept 2010 - Check out this week's polling of Americans from the President's approval rating, tax cuts, anti-Muslim feelings to frustration with our politicians. Good Move, Mr. Prez: Safeguarding The Gulf on Oil Production - Today the President took new measures to watch dog the oil and gas industry, increasing the safety of our environment. Roundup of Late Night Funnies - 14 Sept 2010 - Catch up on the latest comedic musings and amusements from Colbert, Stewart and late night show jokes, funny video clips and newest cartoons before they post for the week at other sites. Funny Video: Stewart Mocks Gov. Jan Brewer Fiasco, Wonders Why Dems Are Lame - One of the best political critics around, Jon Stewart wonders why the Democrats just can't seem to win against inept lying Republicans. Funny Video: Colbert Mocks Beck On His Restore Honor Rally - Only Colbert has the truthful tongue to whiplash Glenn Beck's bizarre arrogance with just the right touch of comedic art and campy irreverence. Funny Video: Letterman and Olbermann Laugh at Republican 2012 Contenders - and Beck - Letterman and Olbermann suggest unlikely crazy Republican possibilities for the 2012 Presidential season. Funny Video: Letterman Teases Obama For Frequent Vacations - Irreverent comic Letterman chides both Tiger Woods and Prez Obama for their ideas of relaxation. Funny Video: Jon Stewart Mocks Florida Pastor Behind Planned Koran Bonfire - Comic Jon Stewart wasted no time in analyzing the Burn a Koran Day incident that had the entire world in an uproar from every religious corner. Who Will Be Prez Obamas Next Chief of Staff? - Check out the leading contenders who can make or break the Democratic agenda. Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 12 Sept 2010 - Check out news, political opinion, political humor and funny cartoons, recipes, poetry, funny posts, photography, spiritual thoughts and great quotes. Beautiful Illustrated Quotations: 7 Thoughtful Quotes About The Future - Enjoy these reflections upon how we think about our future. A Healing Spiritual Poem: Waking The Day - Spiritual symbolism is all around us in our daily life, ready to help heal and balance. Dennys Funny Quotes: 22 Funny Situational Hunh?! Cartoons - 18 Sept 2010 - Check out the funny twisted minds of cartoonists as they envision various life situations. Republican Tea Party of the Devil: Meet Satanist Christine ODonnell - Tea Party Delaware Senate nominee admits to practicing witchcraft and Satanism. Visual Insights: Koran Book Burning, September 11th Cartoons - 18 Sept 2010 - Check out what the nation's cartoonists had to say about the Burn a Koran Day call from a Florida pastor who eventually backed down from his threat. Dennys Photo Gallery: Our Mysterious Moon - The moon continues to fascinate humanity - and creative photographers. Dennys Food and Recipes:5 Easy Game Day Recipes For A Barbecue - Simple crowd pleasing recipes, easy to make, for your successful tailgating on game day weekends.Cake Tuesday: Lemon Cheese-Filled Cake - Check out what heavenly confection you can do with a simple cake mix.The Soul Calendar:Mapping Our Complex Brains: Human Connectome Project - Fascinating new project mapping the complex circuitry of our brains.*** Coffee photo by Quoquo @ flickr*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates! *** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:The Social Poets - news, politicsThe Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychologyVisual Insights - photos, art, musicBeautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophyPoems From A Spiritual Heart - poetryThe Healing Waters - health newsDennys People Watching - people in the newsDennys Food and RecipesDennys Funny Quotes - humor
From Denny: Prez Obama is not faring well with this week's polling for his popularity due to slow economic progress. Only 45 percent say they approve compared to 47 percent who disapprove of his performance after almost two years in office. And this is why I keep pressing this President to develop a serious sense of urgency for enacting and pushing strong economic measures. Yet he and his team continue at much too slow a pace to bring relief to millions of hurting Americans.Interestingly enough the disapproval in this poll is not based upon disgust, dislike or disappointment but rather how this President did not meet their expectations of what they thought he would do in office.Most Americans view the economy as the most pressing issue facing the country and this is where President Obama received the most wide ranging criticism. Traditionally, Democrats are usually much more attentive and fire in the belly when it comes to tending the home fires of the economy. People are surprised this sense of urgency does not exist with this White House. For that perception, right or wrong, the President is ranked at only a 41 percent approval rating. The disapproval camp weighs in at 51 percent.Sixty percent of Americans view the President as not having made any real progress at fixing the economy. A majority of 53 percent complain he still does not have a clear plan for creating jobs.As to the blame game for who screwed up the economy, it's President George W. Bush who still receives the majority of those "accolades," along with Wall Street. Bush is blamed for 37 percent of the problem, Wall Street gets 21 percent and Congress gets its share at 11 percent. Only five percent blame Obama. The general feeling is unhappiness with the direction of the country and most especially the economy. Yet 63 percent have decided that Obama's time in the White House is about what they had expected. I'm amazed this country is still standing considering the mess the Republicans left the country through neglect or bad policies.As to the country's pessimists? A little over one in four complain the President's performance is worse than expected - that included 17 percent of Democrats. Of course, those who are the loudest complainers are Republicans. No surprises there. The sad thing is that only a handful say that Obama has exceeded their expectations. Ouch.When polling those who voted for Obama in 2008 the numbers broke down to the majority of 67 percent figured his performance is as was expected. Those who thought his performance as worse came to 19 percent. Those who thought his performance was better than expected came to 12 percent.Not enough progress on the economy39 percent thinks Obama has a clear plan57 percent think he does notWhat about Republicans and their plan for the economy?72 percent say the Republicans don't have a plan. Read that as the Republicans are viewed as clueless and useless.So how did the President fare this week (15 Sept) with his popularity among his Democratic base?76 percent of Democrats approveWhere are the pivotal Independents on Obama's job rating?49 percent of Independents disapprove 42 percent who approve of his jobWhat's on the mind of Americans when it comes to the economy?60 percent say it is the most important problem facing the country8 in 10 think the economy is somewhat bad1 in 5 thinks the economy is getting better6 in 10 voters are somewhat concerned that someone in their household will lose their job in the next 12 monthsDemocrats vs. Republicans on Obama's fixing of the economy87 percent of Republicans claim Obama has made no progress54 percent of Democrats claim Obama has made some progressIt breaks down to 6 in 10 say the President has made no progress on fixing the economy. Yet twice as many Americans also view Obama as making more effort to work on fixing the economy than Republicans in Congress.The jury still seems to be out on how much effect on the economy the 2009 stimulus package has had.30 percent thinks the economy is better20 percent thinks the economy is now worse46 percent thinks the stimulus really hasn't had any real impactRead those opinions as comparing the economy as to when a person is severely ill, well, he didn't die - yet. Definitely another Ouch factor on this question.What were the opinions on the stimulus package?34 percent thought it was too large27 percent thought it was not large enough28 percent thought it was about rightHow did the opinion on the controversial health care reform fare?49 percent disapprove37 percent approveThat broke down along party lines with most Democrats in the approval category. Independents and Republicans strongly disapprove. Congress and the President need to sit down with the health care law and tinker with it. Why? Because health care premiums continue to rise, especially for small business. A friend told us last week that his small company health care insurance premiums just rose another 17 percent. For now he is going to "eat" the rise but he doesn't know how long he can hold out before he is forced to pass it along to his employees given the current state of the economy.Of the those disapproving of the health care law, 82 percent say they want it repealed. However, that number drops sharply to only 48 percent if insurance companies are no longer required to cover people with existing medical conditions or prior illnesses. Funny thing how self-preservation trumps Republican rhetoric.So how is President Obama doing when it comes to the Afghan War?Looks like everyone is united on this disapproval in the Democrat, Republican and Independent camps: 55 percent think it is going badly.Where the parties do split on opinion:51 percent of Republicans think America is doing the right thing fighting thereMost Democrats and Independents think America should not be involvedFor the past year the overall opinion of remaining in Afghanistan as the right thing to do has slipped down to only 38 percent approval when it was a slight majority just last year in October.What is the opinion of the Iraq War?Only 23 percent think the war was worth the loss of American life and other high costs - even after pulling out the combat troopsOverwhelmingly, both Democrats and Independents say the war simply was not worth it. Republicans are divided on that question.Poll: Obama Approval Rating Mixed, but Most See No Economic Progress
Poll: Most Want New Blood in Congress"Fifty-five percent, by contrast, say it's time to give someone new a chance. That's up from 47 percent in 2006 and 27 percent in 2004. "Asked about most members of Congress, voters are even harsher: just 12 percent say they deserve reelection, while 78 percent want someone new. Those figures are similar to findings in 2006, when Democrats took control of Congress, as well as 1994, when Republicans took over."
Poll: Most Americans Want Tax Cuts for the Rich to Expire"Fifty-three percent of Americans agree with Mr. Obama that the tax cuts for the wealthy should be allowed to expire, while 38 percent do not, according to the poll, conducted Sept. 10-14."Two of three Democrats think it is a good idea, and most independents (55 percent) agree. Most Republicans (57 percent) think it is a bad idea."
Poll: Most Know Those With Anti-Muslim Feeling"Fifty-five percent say they know someone who has negative feelings toward Muslims tied to the September 11th attacks, while roughly one in five say they themselves have such feelings. Forty percent say they don't know anyone with such feelings, and three in four say they don't personally harbor them. "Seventy-one percent, meanwhile, say that it is at least somewhat likely that Arab Americans, Muslims, and immigrants from the Middle East are being discriminated against in America."*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates! *** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:The Social Poets - news, politicsThe Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychologyVisual Insights - photos, art, musicBeautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophyPoems From A Spiritual Heart - poetryThe Healing Waters - health newsDennys People Watching - people in the newsDennys Food and RecipesDennys Funny Quotes - humor
From Denny: The President continues to take criticism for doing the right thing - trying to broker a Middle East Peace solution of some kind between Israel and Palestine. You just can't ignore this Middle Eastern tinderbox like George Bush did. It's important to do something, no matter how small to advance a temporary solution. A little progress is preferable to full scale war and bloodshed. It's amazing how the Republicans - who fancy themselves as such great foreign policy advisers - have fallen down on the job with this thorny issue. All they do is harp against the President and step on his face as he tries to do some serious diplomatic work. But that's the point, now isn't it? The Republicans are so crazed to get back in power they don't care how they risk the lives of Americans traveling overseas or the American troops in the Middle East. Selfish is as selfish does when it comes to winner take all politics.So, the Republicans - and their propaganda arm Fox News - took another tack and decided to stir up the Religious Right like the no name Florida pastor who thought he was tough on Islamic terrorists by announcing he was going to burn 200 Koran books. What an idiot. His church bears the emblem of the Holy Spirit and the Peace Dove and yet this guy is out there promoting violence, in complete disobedience and rebellion against the teachings of the very Jesus Christ he claims to follow. What a fool. Meanwhile, the troops overseas are horrified at what he has done. It took the Secretary of Defense Gates to call a Florida imam to help lower the political and religious temperature with this crazed excuse for a Christian pastor. Hundreds of Christians pastors called this guy to ask him to stand down and he refused. It took the local fire ordinances and federal hate crime laws to shut down the stupidity - or that's how it appears on the surface.The reality of how these situations play out is that the FBI receives credible evidence of real death threats against this pastor and his family - if he still carries out his threat to burn the Korans. My guess is that the FBI did receive numerous letters detailing where the pastor, his family and closest friends and church members live, their full names and addresses and the like. Detailed information like that cannot be denied.This pastor didn't care how many other people he put at risk for getting killed until it came home to roost up close and personal. My guess is the wife and family told him to back off this lunatic Koran burning party or they were going to be the ones killing him. It's real easy to threaten to harm others - until the backlash of bad karma comes back to threaten a new reality. What a way to honor the nine year anniversary of 9/11...Obama and Middle East Peace initiative:
Iraq War:
Phony Christian pastor threatening to burn the Muslim Holy Book the Koran:
*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates! *** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:The Social Poets - news, politicsThe Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychologyVisual Insights - photos, art, musicBeautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophyPoems From A Spiritual Heart - poetryThe Healing Waters - health newsDennys People Watching - people in the newsDennys Food and RecipesDennys Funny Quotes - humor
From Denny: It's no surprise that most of my fellow Americans believe our government is still not ready to properly handle a big disaster. Pushing the nasty politics aside that the Republicans dished out onto the people of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, the largest American disaster ever, that definitely complicated matters - our government still suffers a lack of quality coordination and fast response times. The truth is that Bush and Cheney had dismantled key components of FEMA and other agencies, preventing them from reacting in a timely fashion and on a large enough scale. President Obama has had so many fires on so many fronts because of how the Republicans have crippled our government from being able to operate that Obama's attention has yet to rest upon restoring key elements of emergency response for inside America.It's been five years since Hurricane Katrina struck on 29 August 2005 and still this great country has yet to get its act together to handle severe emergencies. America is the only nation on this earth that has the most violent weather. With global warming that weather severity has increased. We are foolish not to address our infrastructure vulnerabilities and government responses. And it looks like a lot of America agrees that America still isn't ready - even after five years and now an oil spill disaster. This oil spill just highlighted how much our government agencies have to learn and how much Congress needs to get busy reining in and penalizing Big Business for running such shoddy operations that risk the economy and the safety of the American people.The nonpartisan Pew Research Center poll released today had these results where they surveyed equal numbers of Democrats, Republicans and Independents:* 57 percent say the country has not improved its disaster preparations* 38 percent said the country is more ready than it was.* 69 percent think progress has been made rebuilding New Orleans and the Gulf (As a Louisiana blogger I can tell you that we have made great strides).* People in the South - which includes Gulf Coast states - feel most strongly about it, with 75 percent saying progress has been made. In other regions, a combined 66 percent see progress. * Only 63 percent of Democrats were convinced than Republicans and Independents, saying reconstruction has moved ahead. * Pew conducted the poll from Aug. 19-22, interviewing 1,003 randomly chosen adults by telephone, including those on landlines and cell phones. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 4 percentage points.Poll: 57% Say U.S. Still Not Ready for DisastersFive Years after Katrina, Just 38% of Respondents Think Country Is Better Prepared to Handle Natural Disasters*** NASA Photo of Hurricane Katrina *** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates! *** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:The Social Poets - news, politicsThe Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychologyVisual Insights - photos, art, musicBeautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophyPoems From A Spiritual Heart - poetryThe Healing Waters - health newsDennys People Watching - people in the newsDennys Food and RecipesDennys Funny Quotes - humor
BP oil spill at sunsetFrom Denny: Dr. Irwin Redlener, of the Children's Health Fund, talks about the psychological impact of this oil spill upon children. A study from Columbia University states that children from the Gulf coast region are twice as likely to experience mental and physical problems than other children in the nation. Because of recent events, including the BP oil spill, these children require long term care.Since the beginning of the BP Gulf oil spill, parents have reported their children have developed new rashes and breathing difficulties since the oil spill began. www.FreeClinics.US is wanting to sponsor a free clinic in New Orleans, Louisiana to help address the many health needs of local residents because of this oil spill. They are still far short of the necessary funding to conduct the two day clinic on 31 August to 1 September. It seems that the much trumpeted new health care law has yet to reach down to regular people to make much of a positive difference - at least in the Gulf region.Those free clinics donations have sponsored across America for a mere $2 million have helped over 9,000 people who could not afford health care. They prevented seven suicides, did three open-heart surgeries and helped a man who had been misdiagnosed with HIV to find out to his much relief that he did not have the disease. Activated were an astounding 8,500 volunteers.Dr. Redlener spells out the five factors of what Gulf coast residents are dealing with: a slow economic recovery, previous trauma from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, looming hurricanes currently in the Gulf region, 25 percent of stressed out families are discussing a mass exodus out of Louisiana to never return, and now psychological and physical problems brought on by the BP oil spill. They have a fear their government will abandon them again. And it sure looks like it while the White House and BP are tripping all over themselves to wrap up this oil spill and declare it "mission accomplished."Perhaps this long term care project for America's Gulf coast children would be a good project for First Lady Michelle Obama to champion. She's already begun dealing with obesity in America's children. How about making sure these Gulf coast kids get the long term help they need?Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates! *** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:The Social Poets - news, politicsThe Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychologyVisual Insights - photos, art, musicBeautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophyPoems From A Spiritual Heart - poetryThe Healing Waters - health newsDennys People Watching - people in the newsDennys Food and RecipesDennys Funny Quotes - humor
Do you ever wonder about all the misdirection going on in The Middle East - to the tune of 95 percent of our money spent on these two wars cannot be accounted for?Afghan and Iraq Wars:
Those 3,600 misplaced soldiers graves in Arlington Cemetary:
Angry voters and the economy:
Some people still not happy with the health care legislation. The state of Maryland is reporting the new health care law has cut their costs in half to the tune of $869 million. Not too shabby. This is a good start. The President still should put in a public option in order to bring the high profit margins of the health insurance industry to heel. 
Islam wants to build a mosque right next to the now sacred ground in New York City where Islamic terrorists killed thousands of people by ramming two airplanes into the Twin Towers. The families of victims are furious at the insensitivity. And, of course, as an outsider with no dog in this hunt is this question: Why build there and insult so many thousands of people when they could accomplish their goal of peace and religious tolerance by building farther away from Ground Zero? Freedom of location is not exactly the same as freedom of religion.
And on the other side of opinion:
Well, at least someone is happy in America:
Arizona's immigration law and immigration opinions:
Republicans are trying to change the interpretation - that those born on American soil are Americans, even if their parents are illegal immigrants:
And remember the Word of the Day:
*** And for more fun from the cartoonists this week check out:Hunh?! Just Plain Bizarre Funny Cartoons - 7 Aug 2010Gay Marriage and Society Cartoons - 7 Aug 2010Ethics Investigations in Congress Cartoons - 7 Aug 2010BP Oil Spill and WikiLeaks Spill Cartoons - 7 Aug 2010*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates! *** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:The Social Poets - news, politicsThe Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychologyVisual Insights - photos, art, musicBeautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophyPoems From A Spiritual Heart - poetryThe Healing Waters - health newsDennys People Watching - people in the newsDennys Food and RecipesDennys Funny Quotes - humor
