GovernmentExecutive.com

John Kamensky of the IBM Center for the Business of Government, whose blog is required reading, has a great post about the myriad contracting-related difficulties that stand in the way of actually Welcoming Our New Stimulus Overlords -- including this little factoid:

Last year, the IBM Center co-sponsored with George Mason University a series of acquisition reform seminars with leading figures in the federal acquisition community. They found that “the federal government spends almost half a trillion dollars a year on contracted support. This comprises over two-fifths of all discretionary spending.” The Stimulus Bill will nearly double that activity.

Read the whole thing.

Americans love their food. That seems to be the logical conclusion of new research published by the Agriculture Department's Economic Research Service. Americans spend, on average, more than two hours a day eating and drinking as either a primary or secondary activity.

Here are the specifics:

On an average day in 2006, Americans age 15 and older spent 67 minutes eating and drinking as a “primary,” or main, activity, and 16 minutes eating and 42 minutes drinking (except plain water) as a secondary activity—that is, eating while engaged in another activity considered primary by the individual. Eight percent of the population spent 4.5 hours or more a day on eating/drinking as either a primary or secondary activity. About 9 percent of Americans’ secondary eating and drinking occurred while driving a vehicle, walking, or biking. Secondary eating or drinking was most frequently accompanied by socializing, relaxing, and leisure, which includes watching television.

Also, researchers found that "individuals who are overweight or obese spent more time watching television and less time participating in sports and exercise than did those of normal weight." Shocking!

Now excuse me while I go get a snack.

(Hat tip: Docuticker)

Courtesy of the Census Bureau: "By this time tomorrow, there will be some 7,800 new babies on hand to welcome the new year."

From the Daily Herald of central Utah:

A 2004 survey by the U.S. Forest Service showed that 92.7 percent of those who visited national forests over a three-year period were white, even though the country's ethnic and racial makeup includes growing numbers of Hispanics, Asians and blacks.

(Hat tip: Fedsmith)

I just had to take a minute and acknowledge a milestone: This is the 2,000th post in the history of Fedblog, which dates back to Oct. 2004. (It seems like just yesterday!) Obviously, the blog wouldn't have stayed around if people didn't get something out of it, so thanks for your continued support. And thanks also for joining in the discussions (once we finally implemented some software that facilitated discussions), which really keep this place vibrant.

3,000, here we come!

From a Government Accountability Office report (GAO-07-907) on the processing of claims under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 by the Labor Department and the Office of Special Counsel:

Since the start of [a] demonstration project on February 8, 2005, both DOL and OSC have had policies and procedures for receiving, investigating, and resolving USERRA claims against federal executive branch employers, with DOL investigating the ones from claimants with even-number social security numbers, and OSC those from claimants with odd social security numbers as well as those with related allegations of prohibited personnel practices.