Administration: Stimulus Creates Jobs in Non-Existent Congressional Districts

According to the Obama Administration, the expenditure of $61,000 in federal stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 created or saved 25 jobs in New Mexico’s 22nd Congressional District. You read that right: New Mexico’s Twenty-Second Congressional District. (We only have enough population for three congressional districts).

Federal stimulus dollars, according to the Obama Administration, as reported at www.recovery.gov, also created or saved 15.8 jobs in the 35th Congressional Distict (where $8.96 million in stimulus dollars were spent) and 2.7 jobs in NM 00 (which received $731.370).

Other fictional New Mexico Congressional Districts receiving stimulus money were NM 40 (no jobs for $7.96 million), NM 4 (10 jobs created/saved for $4.72 million), NM 13 (5 jobs created for $3.3 million), NM 16 (no jobs for $517,980), NM 9 (no jobs for $100,000), NM 6 (1 job created/saved for $63,199) and the 25th Congressional District that received a mere $6,819.

Watchdog.org
ARRA News Service
London Evening Standard

01 King of My City(2)

In a recent visit by US vice president Joe bidden to Pakistan,he was conferred a honour by Pakistan;s Zardari Government.It came as a surprice as Mr.Bidden is still not in office and Mr.Ten Percent sitting in Pakistan is already bribing high placed US senators!
Most astonishing is the fact that Mr.vice president accepted these honours from a State which is deeply involved in terror attacks not only in India but in United states too.In my opinion Mr.bidden should have put the policy straight by confronting Pakistan’s President to come clean and hand over the terror suspects to India who were involved in Mumbai attacks.Is Obama government serious about fighting terrorism?Mr.Obama,how can you fight terrorism when your own vice president is accepting honours from terrorist State like Pakistan?Could President Reagen or Bill Clinton have accepted honours from Muhammed Gaddafi of Libya after what happened in PAN-AM bombing?
After the Mumbai terror attacks by Pakistani ISI(Pakistani terrorist intelligence agency),the Indians have given solid documentary proof of Pakistans involvement in breeding these terror groups who take hundreds of innocent lives around the World.Colonel Gaddafi looks like an angel when compared to Pakistan’s deeds.
Alomost everyone all over the World,including the media both the ewestern and the asian is saying in loud voices that PAKISTAN IS THE HUB OF TERRORISM!.Inspite of the fact Mr.Bidden stpped by and accepted this PAKISTANI HONOUR.we all might argue that it will be counter productive to isolate Pakistan as it is fighting with Jihadi outfits in its frontier area.I argue that this was the exact reason given by Pakistan’s Mushharf to blackmail United stes government to grant them loans and weapons amounting to billions of American dollar.Most have these funds received by Pakistani government,I am sure would have been diverted to fund the ISI which in turn trains and breeds terror outfits in Afghanistan and Pakistan..Irony is that American citizens money lands in the hands of terror groups who inturn plot to kill them!This strategy has always worked for Pakistan from the time of Soviet invasion.Strategy is simple-tell Americans that they are in trouble in asia from the Russians or the Jihadi groups,than American lavishly funded beaurocrats and CIA grows restless and will outsource the funds to Pakistan.It was a brilliant strategy and will work again and again.This way Pakistan has found their niche in the Jihadi export.Thier is no difference between HAMAS and ISI.
Its time that four countries namely India,United Staes and Russia/China start dismanteling these black mailers which might bring the final nuclear doom to the World.
Meanwhile we are still watching if Obama is serious about fighting terrorism?or he is focused on financial crisis?Time will tell.
Read:
The Top ten male stars who rocked hollywood!

So this morning on CSPAN this crazy radical lady called in and made a ridiculous suggestion: Members of Congress should be paid the federal minimum wage.

What a silly pants. Why she was so adamant about it I don’t know. It’s integral that our leaders make lots of green. Forget Joe the Plumber. What about Joe the Bidden? Ranked as one of the poorest members of Congress, he brings home a measly $165,000 a year.

People like the one who called into CSPAN this morning (for the sake of argument lets call her “Justice”), just don’t seem to understand that money is integral to healthy politics. Take the 2008 election for example. Without having spent over $860,000,000, how could Obama & McCain have convinced us they wanted to spend our money wisely?

Justice’s ideas represents a vague kind of unsubstantiated suspicion that money is as important as qualifications in politics. She couldn’t be further from the truth. Only 25% of Representatives and 33% of Senators are millionaires

The reality is, our American Democracy works best when people with lots of cash and resources promise they will help others maintain and grow their cash and resources, in exchange for cash and resource donations to their campaign. Then, to reward their election success, it is imperative that we provide these leaders with more cash and resources (like great health care and guaranteed pensions after 5 years). This will ensure their loyalty is to the people.

In this way, we can be sure that cash and resources are equitably distributed amongst all Americans. The idea that Congressional leaders would somehow be more in touch with the average American if they made $6.55/hr, is childish and would be counterproductive.

If members of Congress only brought home $13,624 a year and had to juggle housing, fuel, and health care, how would they be able to concentrate on their jobs? How would they be able to live?

Sometimes I just wish Justice and her naive ideals would go away.

-kd-

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As an Indian, i strongly believe that USA is the decider, Leader, Setter, Constructor etc.. etc.. Its the nation which decides the future of other nations. It is single person’s decision to author the approvals for any constructive or destructive plans. The latter was chosen by soon-stepping-down President, whereas the belief that the person whos going to assume charge will not repeat it. ‘To Err is Human’ but Mr. President! if you err it decides the fate of many livelihoods…many Industries… many countries…many markets…The history speaks about you…the world remember you….your victory,your plan, your team, your senators…you may be a good orator which fetched you this position but do not forget your promises and above that our faith on you, your ability, we blindly believe you… your tagship “Change”, Make it happen Mr.President…

Click here to download Barack Obama’s Blueprint for USA Obama’s blueprint for Change

USA’s Blueprint for change

Click on the above link to download the proposed blueprint for America which addresses various issues and solutions that fortify the top priorities for US.

As an Indian, i strongly believe that USA is the decider, Leader, Setter, Constructor etc.. etc.. Its the nation which decides the future of other nations. It is single person’s decision to author the approvals for any constructive or destructive plans. The latter was chosen by soon-stepping-down President, whereas we believe that the person whos going to assume charge will not repeat it. ‘To Err is Human’ but Mr. President! if you err it decides the fate of many livelihoods…many Industries… many countries…many markets…The history speaks about you…the world remember you….your victory,your plan, your team, your senators…you may be a good orator which fetched you this position but do not forget your promises and above that our faith on you, your ability, we blindly believe you… your tagship “Change”, Make it soon…

It has been a truly historic night, an event for which textbooks will have to be re-written for our kids to learn.

Let me tell you how big a deal president elect Obama’s victory is to me. I am a non-black British national. I am 26 year old, and have nothing to do with the US of A. The only political history which is significant in my memory is the fall of the former USSR and the end of apartheid in South Africa. None of these 2 events come close to what we have witnessed last night and into this morning.

I first heard about Obama about 4 years ago was when time magazine did a cover on him when he was elected into the senate. Since then, I have sporadically followed him until the Democrats race started about 18 months ago. Although I do not support some of his policies, it it obvious to see that Obama portrays a man who listens very very carefully to all those concerned around him. What has pushed him forward and won peoples hearts is the confidence, charisma, and reality which he brings with him.

I had no reason to stay up all night last night, but I truly wanted to witness and be part of history. Here was a man so gracious in victory, but also in mourning don’t forget. The person who was his strongest supporter, as he grew up, departed just short of his best hour. If you read Obama’s books, you will notice that this is the 3rd such instance that this has happened to him.

What he does here on is something to see. I believe he will not be recognised for a lot of his work because of the stigmas attached to him (skin colour and experience), but also because I expect him to spend his first term correcting a lot the wrongs done by the current administration. I sincerely hope you Americans hold a clear view and support this man vehemently in the changes which he aims to bring to American society and the international agenda as a whole. He may be inexperienced, but he has proved that it hasn’t stopped him till now, and won’t in the future too!

Martin Luther King’s dream was that people would be judged not by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. Today, Dr King’s dream has come true.

Well done president elect Barack Hussein Obama II, the future is yours to change.

I guess there will be a lot of blog posts to this effect this week, but I think it is a fitting way to kick off this week.

From a British observers’ perspective, I think one thing must be said – the effort made by both candidates has been immense. Yes, McCain had an “easier” ride from the primaries but it still had to be done. Obama has that freshness, determination and drive which makes people take some notice. Hillary Clinton gave him a tough time too, but I think Obama had that little bit more to gain the nomination.

I guess that now we (we as in all you Joe six packs) are down to it, I hope the best man genuinely wins. My money (against all my work colleagues) is on Barack Obama of course; but in the greater scheme of things, I really do hope that the best candidate to take the States and to a certain extent the rest of the world wins this important election.

Right, so that’s the political talk done, onwards….

Your work is dangerous and your co-workers rely on you to stay alive. But you can never get far from those colleagues. You can’t see your family for months, even years. The food isn’t great. And forget stepping out for some fresh air.

The brother of GOP presidential candidate Sen. John McCain said Friday he’ll withdraw from campaign activities after calling 911 to complain about traffic. He also apologized for making the call.

Joe McCain, who lives in Alexandria, Va., told Washington radio station WTOP he was returning from a campaign event in Philadelphia around 2 a.m. on Oct. 18 when he got stuck in traffic on Interstate 495 at the Wilson Bridge. His account of the timing differed from the police, who said the call was made at 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 21.

Frustrated because of the traffic, he called 911 to find out what was going on. The operator asked him to “state your emergency.”

“Well, it’s not an emergency, but do you know why on one side at the damn drawbridge of 95 traffic is stopped for 15 minutes and yet traffic’s coming the other way?” Joe McCain said.

The operator asked him if he was calling 911 to complain about traffic. McCain then uttered an expletive and hung up the phone.

McCain told WTOP that he thought his cell phone was on mute.

“I did not mean to swear at the officers themselves,” McCain said. If he were in their situation, “it would have really frosted me, too, and I absolutely understand their reaction.”

After hanging up with 911, McCain said he called Alexandria police to ask them about the traffic on the bridge and got a similar reaction.

“I feel terrible about having hurt the campaign over this incident,” he said. “I won’t be doing any more campaigning because of that.”

McCain said he’s going to write a note of apology to the 911 operator and to the Alexandria police.

Joe McCain said he hasn’t spoken to his brother about the incident.

“He’s not going to be happy about it, I’m sure,” he said.

McCain campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds said: “Joe McCain recognizes his mistake and has apologized. We are moving on.”

McCain’s brother has been in the news on other occasions recently. Speaking at an event in early October in support of his brother, he called two Democratic-leaning areas in Northern Virginia “communist country.”

“I’ve lived here for at least 10 years and before that about every third duty I was in either Arlington or Alexandria, up in communist country,” Joe McCain, a Navy veteran, said at an event in Loudoun County, Va. Joe McCain then apologized, but the remark reportedly drew laughter at the event.

About a week later, the candidate’s brother sent an e-mail blasting the campaign’s “counter-productive” strategy.

“Let John McCain be John McCain,” Joe McCain wrote in the e-mail. “Make ads that show John not as crank and curmudgeon but as a great leader for his time.”

McCain’s brother was sharply critical of unidentified top campaign officials who “so tightly ‘control the message’” that they are preventing reporters from speaking with those, like himself, who know the candidate best.

___

Associated Press writers Sarah Brumfield in Baltimore and Mike Glover in Alburquerque contributed to this report.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin testified for two hours Friday in an abuse-of-power investigation that has been a distraction to her Republican vice presidential campaign. Palin’s leadership was questioned this month in a stinging but largely toothless legislative report that found she violated state ethics laws by letting a family dispute influence her decision-making.

Palin is hoping the Alaska Personnel Board, which is running a parallel investigation, will clear her of wrongdoing. It’s unclear, however, whether any conclusion will be reached before Election Day.

“I am so pleased to finally have gotten the chance to tell what really happened and get the truth out,” Palin said in a statement released by her attorney. “It was the right thing to do to bring this before the Personnel Board and have a true arms length unbiased and apolitical investigator look into this.”

The board is investigating the firing of her public safety commissioner, Walter Monegan. Monegan claims he was dismissed because he refused to fire Palin’s former brother-in-law, a state trooper involved in a messy divorce from Palin’s sister. The controversy, known as “Troopergate,” took on national significance after John McCain selected Palin as his running mate.

The legislative inquiry found that Monegan’s firing was proper but the pressure to fire the trooper, Mike Wooten, was not. Griffin says Palin stands by her decision to fire Monegan and her concerns about Wooten.

Palin and her husband, Todd, say Wooten was unstable and had made threats against their family. Wooten had also used an electric stun gun on his stepson.

“I make no apologies for wanting to protect my family and wanting to publicize the injustice of a violent trooper keeping his badge,” Todd Palin said in an affidavit submitted to legislative investigators.

Sarah Palin was not subpoenaed in that investigation. Friday’s testimony before independent investigator Timothy Petumenos was the first time she spoke at length or under oath about the controversy. Palin began testifying around 4 p.m., McCain campaign spokesman Taylor Griffin said. Palin’s husband, Todd, was scheduled to testify before she did.

Palin’s attorney, Thomas Van Flein, characterized Palin’s testimony as “thorough, candid and detailed.” Van Flein said Petumenos assured him he was working quickly but made no promise the case would be closed before Election Day.

“I just hope the truth comes out,” Van Flein said. “If it’s after the election, it’s after the election.”

Although the legislative report issued a stinging rebuke of Palin’s conduct, it carried no penalty. It’s up to the personnel board to decide whether Palin violated the law. She filed a complaint against herself to launch the investigation after accusing the legislative inquiry of becoming partisan. Unlike the Legislature, the personnel board is run by officials that Palin can fire but only for cause.

“She felt this was an opportunity to get an unbiased, independent review of the facts,” McCain campaign spokesman Taylor Griffin said.

Whether Palin’s testimony becomes public remains uncertain. Personnel investigations are normally secret and, though Palin has waived her privacy rights, others in her administration have not and Petumenos has sought to keep the matter from playing out in the media.

Van Flein said Palin would like to release a transcript of her deposition. But producing one typically takes days and it’s unknown whether Petumenos will allow it.

The mother and brother of Jennifer Hudson were found shot dead Friday at a South Side home, and police were looking for a missing child who is the nephew of the singer and Oscar-winning actress.

A man suspected in the deaths was in custody Friday night, but the 7-year-old boy had not been located, according to published reports.

William Balfour was being questioned, but Julian King’s whereabouts were not known, law enforcement sources told the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. Balfour has not been charged.

Police spokeswoman Monique Bond said investigators were talking to “a number of people in custody” but she declined to elaborate.

An Amber Alert issued Friday said Balfour was a suspect in the double homicide of Darnell Donerson, 57, and Jason Hudson, 29, whose bodies were found Friday afternoon in a South Side home.

Jennifer Hudson’s personal publicist, Lisa Kasteler, confirmed the deaths.

“We can confirm that there is an ongoing investigation concerning the deaths of Jennifer Hudson’s mother, Darnell Donerson, and her brother, Jason Hudson,” Kasteler said in a statement. “No further comment will be made and the family has asked that their privacy be respected at this difficult time.”

The deaths appeared to be the result of domestic abuse, Bond said. The Cook County medical examiner’s office said autopsies for Donerson and Jason Hudson were pending.

Deputy Chief Joseph Patterson said a family member entered the home around 3 p.m. Friday, found a woman shot on the living room floor and left to notify authorities. Responding officers found a man shot in the bedroom, Patterson said. There was no sign of forced entry.

Police tape blocked access to the large, white house, where a crowd gathered outside. Investigators with dogs and flashlights searched foliage surrounding a church that faces the home.

Authorities issued the Amber Alert for King and sought a 1994 white Chevrolet Suburban. The child was the grandson of the female victim, officials said.

The alert said the child was possibly abducted and could be accompanied by Balfour, who was considered armed and dangerous and called a suspect in the double homicide investigation.

Records from the Illinois Department of Corrections show Balfour, 27, is on parole and spent nearly seven years in prison for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and possessing a stolen vehicle. Public records show one of Balfour’s addresses as the home where Donerson and Jason Hudson were shot.

The alert said the boy could also be in a teal or green Chrysler Concorde with a temporary license plate, a left front headlight hanging out and scratches on the left side of the vehicle.

The tragedy comes as Hudson, who grew up in Chicago, continues to reach new heights in her career. Her song “Spotlight” is No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts and her recently released, self-tiled debut album has been a top seller. She was featured in this year’s blockbuster “Sex and the City” movie and is also starring in the hit film “The Secret Life of Bees.”

She won an Academy Award for best supporting actress in 2007 for her role in “Dreamgirls.” In an interview last year with Vogue, Hudson credited her mother with encouraging her to audition for “American Idol,” which launched her career.

The singer, whose father died when she was a teenager, described herself as very close to her family. In a recent AP interview she said her family, which includes older siblings Julia and Jason, helped keep her grounded.

“My faith in God and my family, they’re very realistic and very normal, they’re not into the whole limelight kind of thing, so when I go home to Chicago that’s just another place that’s home,” she said. “I stand in line with everybody else, or, when I go home to my mom I’m just Jennifer, (so she says), ‘You get up and you take care of your own stuff.’ And I love that; I don’t like when people tell you everything you want to hear, I want to hear the truth, you know what I mean.”

Hudson recently announced her engagement to David Otunga, best known for his stint on VH1’s reality show “I Love New York.”

Hudson’s representatives would not disclose her whereabouts Friday. She had been scheduled to appear Monday in Los Angeles to collect an ensemble cast honor at the Hollywood Awards for “The Secret Life of Bees” with co-stars including Alicia Keys, Queen Latifah and Dakota Fanning.

_____

AP Music Writer Nekesa Moody in New York and AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

“We have received some information about some upcoming Apple laptops – we think they are MacBooks but aren’t 100 percent sure they aren’t the fabled Pro slim line.”

Nettles provides a list of details that include:
• Black aluminum and silver aluminum (like MacBook Pros)
• Considerably slimmer and lighter than current MacBook and even a bit more than MacBook Pro
• There is something strange about the touchpad (more on this to come)
• Apple plans extremely aggressive pricing

“A good friend of mine at Apple (who has declined to provide any specific details) has told me that he is very excited for the next update to the company’s laptop line, for his own personal use. That, and he indicated that the laptops should be appearing ‘right around product cycle, if you follow that sort of thing.’ I don’t, actually, but people on the Ars staff do; they tell me that the MacBook is due to cycle around Novemberish.”

Much, if not all, of the attention regarding Apple has been focused on the iPhone… Certainly the iPhone is relevant to Apple’s performance, but ostensibly it’s the Macintosh computers that will have the most impact. Specifically, the Mac’s ability to run Windows natively has the potential to be a colossal catalyst for boosting Mac market share.

“Apple released Bootcamp, which allows Mac users to install and run Windows just like one would on a PC. Apple’s new OS, OS X 10.5 “Leopard”, slated for release this November will include Bootcamp software. Additionally, third party software [Parallels Desktop for Mac and VMWare Fusion] allows users to run Windows and Mac OS simultaneously.

“The Windows capability has not yet been aggressively publicized by Apple, and analysts and investors have been relatively quiet on this issue. Yet, for more than two decades, the lack of Windows compatibility has been the primary reason behind consumers’ decision to NOT purchase a Mac computer. Now that Windows can be installed on Macs, sales could really explode. I believe that this aspect of Apple should garner more attention.

Apple has “enormous room for potential growth from seizing share from the Windows PC makers- Dell et al. Why would someone choose a Dell or Gateway when they can buy a Mac, and not lose Windows functionality, yet gain all the benefits of Mac OS? I think that is a very central question. Especially since Mac prices have become more competitive.”

“We have seen a dramatic increase in Mac sales and market share, yet I perceive the general consumer is unaware of the Windows capability. I am confident that when a more aggressive publicity campaign occurs, Mac sales will react robustly. Just from anecdotal evidence, people I have surveyed exhibit little awareness. Eventually that will change with time, and the impact on Apple’s revenues will be much greater than the iPhone or iPod… It’s not unreasonable to predict that Apple can progress to 10% share soon

“People familiar with the company say Apple is selling computers at a blockbuster pace. The Cupertino, Calif., company is expected to sell 2.35 million iMacs and MacBooks this quarter, TheStreet.com has learned”.

“A sales number that high would beat analysts’ estimates by nearly 400,000 units. Pegging the average Mac sales price at a conservative $1,500, a beat of that magnitude stands to boost Apple’s top line by about $600 million. Analysts expect the company to post fiscal first-quarter revenue of $5.94 billion.

“The popularity of Apple’s computer lineup has been fueled by a robust back-to-school buying spree and a revamped iMac roster, say industry watchers.”

“Looking ahead, people inside the company and those close to Apple’s plans say there will be a big announcement regarding a so-called subnotebook Mac. The ultra-thin device will have a 10 inch-to-12 inch screen, sleek rounded edges and weigh less than 2 pounds. The subnotebook’s introduction is planned for next quarter

Can talk-show host and media maven Oprah Winfrey do for Amazon’s Kindle what she’s done for her book club? That’s the hope of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who was scheduled to appear on Winfrey’s show.

The G1 is a highly capable handheld computer with a responsive touch-screen like Apple’s hot-selling iPhone has. But folks expecting iPhone-like glitter and glitz are bound to be disappointed.