Great success! Obama pretends O-care website traffic shows healthy enrollment

http://twitter.com/#!/jimgeraghty/status/392314700400058369

Break out the champagne, y’all! Healthcare.gov is a bona fide success:

http://twitter.com/#!/markknoller/status/392314905350533120

Ooo! That totally means it’s “working alright,” right? Because, just as “health insurance coverage” matches “health care,” “page hits” matches “successful registration.”

http://twitter.com/#!/redsteeze/status/392315473330597889

Ridiculous. Also absurd? The idea that 20 million site hits is remarkable:

http://twitter.com/#!/jtLOL/status/392318650553610240 http://twitter.com/#!/BecketAdams/status/392314993305075712

Not only is President Obama foolish to connect traffic numbers to enrollment success, but he’s dishonest. Potential people are regularly met with timeouts and mistake pages:

http://twitter.com/#!/HowardKurtz/status/392314895900753920

But according to Obama, they’re currently benefiting. We all tend to be. We simply don’t understand it however:

http://twitter.com/#!/guypbenson/status/392313588532015104 http://twitter.com/#!/CharlesHamerle/status/392313808598740994

Exactly what a tale.

http://twitter.com/#!/mitrebox/status/392315063064748032

***

Relevant:

To ensure ‘smooth shopping,’ Colorado’s ‘Vegas-like’ Obamacare exchange won’t allow new accounts

Reach for the movie stars! Connecticut Obamacare enrollment surpasses baker’s dozen in 3 hours

It’s so preferred! Congressman says Conn. Obamacare applications skyrocket to 167

Washington Obamacare change retweets goofy picture to boast that ‘some people’ signed up

Imagine what amount of men and women have signed up for Louisiana’s largest Obamacare plan?

Reporter pursuit of Obamacare enrollees in Texas, comes up empty

‘You’re exposed’: Scantily-clad models prowl the roads of Denver attempting to sell Obamacare [pics]

Heh: Journo hotels to outlandish measures discover one Obamacare candidate in Texas

What the individuals desire? Guess just how popular Obamacare is in true-blue Maryland

Colorado Obamacare change actually, truly doesn’t wish your complaints

O-lei! Hawaii Obamacare site even worse than federal exchange flop-fest?

States just starting to launch Obamacare signup numbers; Md. reports 566 1,121 apps prepared; Updated

Hawaii’s online insurance coverage exchange eventually available for company, sort of

Hey, guess which establish Hawaii’s failure of an Obamacare exchange website

Aww: GOP reps congratulate Delaware on first Obamacare enrollee (yes, first)

Minn. Obamacare exchange desires to remind consumers that ‘buying medical health insurance is a journey’

‘Time for a #happydance’: One person signs up for ‘health care’, OFA squees

Duuuude: Obamacare registration success summed up in one, painful graphic

Pop the wine! State O-care exchanges celebrate pitiful ‘enrollment’ numbers

Dismal Obamacare numbers up-date: 800 folks signed up for four states combined

Find out more: http://twitchy.com/2013/10/21/great-success-obama-pretends-healthcare-gov-site-traffic-indicates-healthy-enrollment/

When will lapdog media report Obama’s gutting of welfare reform law?

http://twitter.com/#!/ryanjcroft/status/223780969138757636

Why wait for the traditional Friday news dump when a Thursday dominated by the Obama campaign’s smears will do? If you missed this news drowned out by Team Obama’s cries of “Romney is a felon” yesterday, you’re not alone.

The imperial Presidency has overturned Congress and the law again. The Obama regime rewrote Bill Clinton's welfare reform law of 1996.

— Roland O'Brien (@Roland693) July 13, 2012

The Obama administration issued a policy directive that obliterates one of the most successful aspects of Clinton-era welfare reform: the work requirement. Welcome to dependency-palooza.

While Obama fixates on Bain, Romney checks out new Obama move allowing HHS to kill work requirement at heart of welfare reform…

— Byron York (@ByronYork) July 13, 2012

Most media still haven't reported Obama's slash-and-burn of welfare reform yesterday. http://t.co/rySRwDXl

— Amy Payne (@amympayne) July 13, 2012

“Chirp, chirp, chirp,” sang the lapdog media.

In a quiet move Thursday — barely noted beyond the conservative press — the Obama administration “released an official policy directive rewriting the welfare reform law of 1996,” according to Robert Rector, a welfare policy expert at the Heritage Foundation.

The administration’s action means “the end of welfare reform as we know it,” in Rector’s words.

Obama's suspension of workfare requirements is almost certainly illegal, a sign of the jobs failure, and a reminder how liberal obama is

— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) July 13, 2012

https://twitter.com/DougHeye/status/223793092988375040

King Obama strikes again. Unilaterally kills historic welfare work requirements Pres Clinton & Republican Congress passed in 90s. #tcot

— Dan Ziegler (@D_Ziegler) July 13, 2012

Did you hear? —-> Obama HHS ignores Congress, and guts Clinton-era welfare reform, waiving work requirements! http://t.co/syW7Zxb6

— Heritage Foundation (@Heritage) July 13, 2012

More from The Heritage Foundation on the administration’s latest flouting of the law:

Today the Obama Administration issued a new directive stating that the traditional TANF work requirements can be waived or overridden by a legal device called the section 1115 waiver authority under the Social Security law (42 U.S.C. 1315).

Section 1115 states that “the Secretary may waive compliance with any of the requirements” of specified parts of various laws. But this is not an open-ended authority: Any provision of law that can be waived under section 1115 must be listed in section 1115 itself. The work provisions of the TANF program are contained in section 407 (entitled, appropriately, “mandatory work requirements”). Critically, this section, as well as most other TANF requirements, are deliberately not listed in section 1115; they are not waiveable.

Read the full “information memorandum” issued by the Department of Health and Human Services. Much like Obama’s DREAM decree that granted deportation waivers to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, this welfare gutting bypasses the legislature in a sickening display of executive overreach.

Obama's unilateral welfare changes same story as his No Child Left behind rewrite and DREAM amnesty

— Conn Carroll (@conncarroll) July 13, 2012

So why now?

Obama admin guts bipartisan welfare reform, signature achievement of Clinton admin http://t.co/DT0xD2wR Why? No jobs in Obama economy

— Speaker John Boehner (@SpeakerBoehner) July 13, 2012

Speaker Boehner released this statement.

“By gutting the work requirements in President Clinton’s signature welfare reform law, President Obama is admitting his economic policies have failed.

“While President Clinton worked with Congress in a bipartisan way on welfare reform and economic opportunity, President Obama has routinely ignored Republican proposals, rejected House-passed jobs bills, and imposed an agenda that’s helped keep the unemployment rate above eight percent for 41 months. Instead of working with Republicans to boost job creation, the president is simply disregarding the requirement that welfare recipients find work.

“Welfare reform was an historic, bipartisan success – this move by the Obama administration is a partisan disgrace.”

So, Bill Clinton, what say you?

President clinton and the republican congress created a bipartisan work oriented reform of welfare. Obama has single handedly destroyed it

— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) July 13, 2012

Bill Clinton already said ALL tax rates should be extended. Will he now ask Pres Obama to reinstate welfare law he signed?

— Rory Cooper (@rorycooper) July 13, 2012

Bill Clinton, call your office. The President is gutting your signature reform http://t.co/o5QPijHo

— Brendan Buck (@BrendanBuck) July 13, 2012

Read more: http://twitchy.com/2012/07/13/surprise-while-lapdog-media-focused-on-bain-obama-gutted-welfare-reform-law/

The Definitive Ranking Of The Most Annoying Characters On Kids Shows

Repeat after me: “One day my kid will grow out of these shows.”

19. Chilly from Doc Mcstuffins

Disney

Yeah, Chilly is cute and all, but the worrying is out of control. Your name is Chilly. Try being “chill” for once.

Obligatory parent rant:

18. The Map from Dora the Explorer

Nickelodeon

The only reason he isn’t ranked higher is because he gets much less screen time than the other characters on the list. Some day we will be in nursing homes babbling, “I’m the map, I’m the map, I’m the map…” and it’s all his fault.

Obligatory parent rant:

17. Robbie Rotten from Lazy Town

Easily the creepiest looking character ever to grace a children’s show (not even the Teletubbies can out-creep this guy). Having to stare at his plastic, fright show of a face for half an hour is the worst.

Obligatory parent rant:

The bad guy on Lazytown is nothing but a Jim Carrey Grinch impression – it makes an annoying show all the more irritating.

— lavenderlily16 (@Kerry N)

16. Brobee from Yo Gabba Gabba!

Nickelodeon

He’s referred to only as “the little green one” in the opening song because there’s not much more to say about him. When he’s not moping over something he’s waving those weirdly long arms in the air.

Obligatory parent rant:

Kids’ Show Character I Hate Today: Brobee from Yo Gabba Gabba. That jerk is so miserable he has an entirely separate costume with a frown.

— nomiddlenamemeg (@Meg)

15. Max from Max & Ruby

Treehouse TV

Max is always demanding something, and his tendency to only say one word at a time bugs.

Obligatory parent rant:

Max and Ruby 👌…even though Max is fucking annoying 😒

— Kay_lynnelle (@ƘҽɑӀɑ)

14. SpongeBob from SpongeBob SquarePants

Nickelodeon

Even if you enjoy his show you have to admit that SpongeBob’s voice — and laugh — are grating. They’re also somehow pitched perfectly to wake a sleeping baby.

Cuddled up with my son watchin sponge bob lol, dudes annoying but it keeps my son happy do whatever’s lol:)

— Tony7Vela (@Mr.VeLa)

13. Ming-Ming Duckling from Wonder Pets!

Nickelodeon

Don’t let the cuteness fool you. Watch enough of this show and eventually Ming-Ming’s lisping catchphrase will wake you in the night.

Obligatory parent rant:

For persistent & aggravated annoying “cute” lisping I sentence Ming Ming of The Wonder Pets to Death by Yum Cha.

— 2FBS (@Grumplestiltskin)

12. Peppa Pig from Peppa Pig

eOne Family

That voice. Ugh.

As a parent you find kids shows that drive you crazy, today it’s Peppa Pig. I hate that pig & want to turn her into bacon. #mommyproblems

— Blurrsy (@Blair)

11. The long-haired guy from Imagination Movers

Disney

All of these overly enthusiastic guys will drive you up the wall with their matching blue suits and 70 IQs, but the long-haired guy takes the cake. (Note: Long-haired guy recently cut his hair into a mohawk, which is possibly even more annoying.)

@Cassieheath83 @sonny_soper I don’t mind Oso. But imagination Movers are painful to watch. I hate the guy with the long hair the most

— AshleyDiamond_1 (@Ashley)

10. Angelina from Angelina Ballerina

PBS Kids

So much drama. She is constantly throwing tantrums or otherwise being a total brat.

Obligatory parent rant:

God, Angelina Ballerina is the worst, most annoying freakin’ kid’s show. I want to just hang her with her ballet slippers.

— Jadzaea (@Laurasaurus Dax)

9. Special Agent Oso from Special Agent Oso

Disney

How can he be so stupid if he’s supposed to be a special agent? Every bumbling thing he does makes you yell at the screen, “How do you have this job?”

Special Agent Oso is so stupid why am I being subjected to watching this 😣

— trishhbishh (@Lee Ann)

8. Twist from The Fresh Beat Band

Nickelodeon

This goofy white dude mugs at the camera in such a way that even Jim Carrey would say, “Bring it down a skosh.” Plus he raps and scratches turntables, so yeah.

Obligatory parent rant:

Jack loves watching The Fresh Beat Band. It’s a cute show, but Twist is really annoying!

— librarianerin (@Erin)

7. Clarabelle Cow from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

Disney

She has the most annoying voice of any character on a children’s show ever. It’s so bad she makes even Peppa Pig sound like Morgan Freeman.

I don’t hate anyone in real life more than I hate Clarabelle the cow on Mickey Mouse clubhouse. She is truly the worst.

— mbcoe27 (@Megan)

6. Elmo from Sesame Street

PBS / Via youtube.com

Elmo is cute and your kid probably loves him, but eventually hearing that high-pitched voice coming out of the TV becomes maddening. And let’s not even mention that “La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la Elmo’s World!” song.

Damn Elmo! What an annoying creature. If it wasnt for my daughter adoring him, id blow that fuzzy red bastard to peices.

— ashleypei (@THE Ashley)

5. Dora from Dora the Explorer

Nickelodeon

Not only does she yell everything, but she never knows where she is (despite holding the title “explorer”). Plus, she popularized that annoying “asking questions at the screen” thing that so many shows do nowadays.

Obligatory parent rant:

@TheJenniMurphy oh hell no. I’d actually lie to my kid and say it doesn’t air anymore. Dora is the worst! Ugh. #annoying

— TaffyRoman (@Taffy Roman)

4. Barney from Barney & Friends

PBS

You might have expected to see Barney higher on this list, but at this point it is so universally accepted that he’s annoying that he just doesn’t irk as much as he used to. Now you’re like, “There’s Barney. Doing his annoying thing.” Shrug.

Baby Bop, Riff and BARNEY r so damn annoying! I wish this kid would like a different program! Ugh #Barney…

— Chr1ss1e_ (@Chrissie)

3. Katerina Kittycat from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood

PBS

She throws fits when she doesn’t get her way and also has an annoying mom. (Meow, meow.) Katerina doesn’t deserve to lose points because of her mom, but oh well.

Obligatory parent rant:

Normally I don’t mind when Hayden watches Daniel Tiger. But Katerina Kittycat has to be the most annoying character ever. #mommyproblems

— rachaelnb (@Rachael Tripp)

2. Ruby from Max & Ruby

Treehouse TV

Part of me wants to give Ruby a break because she seemingly has to raise Max on her own. (Seriously, where are their parents? Did they abandon these annoying kids?) In the end, though, she is so bossy yet oblivious that she earns her high ranking.

Ruby is the most annoying sister ever. Yes, I’m watching Max & Ruby. Again.

— daneeemarieee (@Sugar)

1. Caillou from Caillou

Teletoon / Treehouse

Caillou earns the top spot for being an amazingly spoiled, whiny little brat. Why exactly did anyone think this would be good for us to show our kids?

Obligatory parent rant:

Caillou was such an annoying little 💩. I hated when my son was going his watch Caillou all the time phase..

— BTeevale (@BARBARA)

Read more: http://www.buzzfeed.com/mikespohr/the-definitive-ranking-of-the-most-annoying-characters-on-ki

More human prop-aganda: Children call for federal #Strong Start pre-K program

http://twitter.com/#!/USAChildCare/status/427945521605804035

Proponents of universal federal preschool are uniting behind the Strong Start for America’s Children Act, cosponsored by  Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Rep. George Miller (D-Calif). The legislation would create a federal preschool program for all four-year-old children from low- to moderate-income families in the country.

Heritage estimates the program would cost federal taxpayers $26.8 billion over the first five years, not taking into account state matching funds. Are the billions worth it for the results? After all, Head Start impact studies have shown “little or no net lasting benefit to federal pre-K.”

That hasn’t stopped teachers and parents from using children as props to argue for yet another expensive early learning experiment.

http://twitter.com/#!/IAFC_Cares/status/425692941680533504 http://twitter.com/#!/parentchildhome/status/425700343519797249 http://twitter.com/#!/TheCentersOhio/status/426436799834382336

At last year’s State of the Union address, President Obama stressed the importance of reaching children “at the earliest possible age.”

http://twitter.com/#!/WK_Kellogg_Fdn/status/427900238788317184

We’re guessing the president will bring up #StrongStart in Tuesday’s address — after all, it’s “a moldy oldie of the progressive left” that seems immune to studies showing it doesn’t work.

Read more: http://twitchy.com/2014/01/27/more-human-prop-aganda-children-call-for-federal-strongstart-pre-k-program/

Here’s How To Chill The F*** Out In Under 10 Minutes

Sometimes you just have to take a second for a little “me time.”

Thinkstock, Candace Lowry for BuzzFeed

Meditation can be a super quick and easy solution to ease anxiety and calm yourself in any situation.

ABC

I recently took an intensive six-week mediation course with psychic and energy healer Kris Cahill to learn how to soothe my anxiety issues.

Throughout her Meditation 1 class, students learn how to “become centered and focused, feel more relaxed while also feeling more energized, learn about being in present time.” Basically, she teaches you how to deal with anxiety and how to prevent bad thoughts from taking over your mind.

Here’s what I learned:

1. First, get into the calming state of mind by playing some relaxing music.

2. Be sure to sit on an upright chair and put your feet firmly on the floor.

Macey J Foronda for BuzzFeed

This way you’ll be able to take in ~new energy~ evenly.

3. Be sure to sit up straight rather than slumped over.

Macey J Foronda for BuzzFeed

4. Avoid crossing your arms and lay both of your palms face up on your legs. You’re now ready to get into your mediation.

Macey J Foronda for BuzzFeed

Now close your eyes, and you’re ready to get into your meditation.

5. Start by breathing slowly and deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth. Then picture having a cord connected to your tailbone that goes all the way to the center of the Earth.

Macey J Foronda and Chris Ritter for BuzzFeed

This is called your “grounding cord,” and it’s what connects you to the Earth and new energy. Slowly picture it widening into your entire seat. Your grounding cord can look like anything, as long as it’s a color or pattern that comforts you or makes you feel serene. There’s no right or wrong way it should look.

The grounding cord is basically your highway for exchanging bad energy for good energy. Imagine it bringing you new energy from the Earth and simultaneously pushing out your old energy.

6. Now that you’re in your meditative state, picture anything that’s been stressing you out leaving your body with every exhale.

Macey J Foronda and Chris Ritter for BuzzFeed

By entering the “center of your head,” you should picture waving good-bye to all your “bad energy,” whether it be relationship problems, work, or financial issues.

7. Now picture your “aura,” or your personal space around you, and acknowledge what color you want it to be.

Macey J Foronda and Chris Ritter for BuzzFeed

Your aura is a field of energy around your entire body. Picture your aura as a protective bubble around you that starts 1 to 3 feet away from your body. You might naturally see a color take over your aura, and it can mean anything from security to self-love. There’s not really any bad color.

Your aura tends to take on energy from others, whether it be their worries or even happiness. By pushing out all your old energy, you’re cleansing and refreshing your own aura.

8. Finally, imagine a giant golden sun is above you, and it’s slowly filling your body with warm, happy energy, like water filling up a glass.

Macey J Foronda and Chris Ritter for BuzzFeed

This way, you’ll feel renewed with fresh energy, and hopefully all your anxiety and worry have been replaced with a serene feeling of relaxation.

9. Now, once you finally take a few final deep breaths, slowly open your eyes and your should feel as relaxed as this baby owl.

For more meditation and relaxation techniques, you can visit Kris’ website here, and if you need to relax on the go, here’s a soothing audio track with step-by-step instructions.

Read more: http://www.buzzfeed.com/candacelowry/heres-how-to-chill-the-f-out-in-under-10-minutes