This is Not a Joke

The U.S. Treasury Department has solicited for a Humor In The Workplace Contractor. Seriously. Here's Solicitation Number: RFI-BPD-09-0028:

The Contractor shall conduct two, 3-hour, Humor in the Workplace programs that will discuss the power of humor in the workplace, the close relationship between humor and stress, and why humor is one of the most important ways that we communicate in business and office life. Participants shall experience demonstrations of cartoons being created on the spot. The contractor shall have the ability to create cartoons on the spot about BPD jobs [BPD = Bureau of Public Debt]. The presenter shall refrain from using any foul language during the presentation. This is a business environment and we need the presenter to address a business audience.

Upon completion of the course, participants shall be able to:

• Understand the importance and power of humor in the workplace in a responsible manner
• How to use talents in a creative way that adds humor to everyday experiences
• Alleviate stress in home and the office
• Know how and why humor is important to communication
• Improve work-place relationships
• Prevent burn-out

Wow. A three-hour session spent discussing humor and communication and relationships in the workplace, and experiencing cartoons? That's pretty much what I do on a long coffee break, minus the cartoons.

And they'll pay someone to conduct such a session at Treasury? At least half the people in my office could handle those job tasks with ease, except for the part about "the presenter shall refrain from using any foul language during the presentation," which would rule out some of the funniest guys I work with.

Treasury could save itself some contracting trouble and just let its employees browse The Covert Comic for three hours. He has lots of workplace humor, and he's already on the public payroll. If he can just draw cartoons, he'd be in.

U.S. Treasury Lists ETIM as a Terrorist Group

A second U.S. government agency, the Treasury Department, has joined the State Department and the United Nations in listing the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Party as a terrorist group with connections to Al-Qaida. Here's the press release, which begins:

The U.S. Department of the Treasury today targeted al Qaida's support network by designating Abdul Haq, the overall leader and commander of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Party (ETIP), a terrorist organization designated under E.O. 13224 for its support to al Qaida.

That designation is intended to help isolate the ETIM from financial networks, but surely it will also help Rep. Wolf in his campaign to block the resettlement into the United States of 17 purported ETIM members now held at Gitmo.