MSNBC: US government loses triple-A credit rating
"US debt now rated lower than some European countries'; rating agency says deficit plan doesn't go far enough
...U.S. Treasuries, once undisputedly the safest investment in the world, are now rated lower than bonds issued by countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, France or Canada."
A bunch of socialist countries are doing better than we are economically? How'd that happen?
This comes at the end of a week in which stocks are down what, 4%? I wonder how this will affect mortgage interest rates.
Friday, August 05, 2011
Thursday, August 04, 2011
Rachel Maddow points out stupidity of birthers
and she does it in a humorous way on Barack Obama's birthday. Good stuff, Rachel Maddow.
Update:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Update:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
Monday, August 01, 2011
Koran By Heart
Tonight I saw an excellent documentary on HBO called Koran By Heart, about an annual contest in Cairo for kids who can recite the Qur'an. These kids' skills (in memorization and music) are amazing.
PS: It was very interesting to watch the kid from Tajikistan being steered by the government into a school where he would learn how to read and write and study subjects other than the Qur'an. His room and board are paid for by the government. It's the only way his father could afford it. That's socialism, and it's for a good cause.
Also interesting was how the Egyptian boy won first place, even though the boy from Tajikistan, who received third place, was the best reciter, in my opinion, and the girl from the Maldives was a close second. The young boy Djamil from Senegal has a great voice, and he will no doubt have a future in some oratory or musical career. But Rifdha, from the Malives, is the smartest, and her dad wants her to be a housewife with no job!
PS: It was very interesting to watch the kid from Tajikistan being steered by the government into a school where he would learn how to read and write and study subjects other than the Qur'an. His room and board are paid for by the government. It's the only way his father could afford it. That's socialism, and it's for a good cause.
Also interesting was how the Egyptian boy won first place, even though the boy from Tajikistan, who received third place, was the best reciter, in my opinion, and the girl from the Maldives was a close second. The young boy Djamil from Senegal has a great voice, and he will no doubt have a future in some oratory or musical career. But Rifdha, from the Malives, is the smartest, and her dad wants her to be a housewife with no job!
"Iraq's government shuts down amid 120-degree temps - and no A/C"
CSM: "Even Iraqi government ministries can't keep air conditioning on amid a summer electricity crisis. With the start of Ramadan today, observant Muslims are facing 14 hours without water."
I have often wondered how some people can fast from sunrise to sunset in hot weather. You have to be healthy, and recognize if you need to break your fast. And why not take a drink of water? Even the poor have access to water.
PS: After posting I thought about fresh water availability throughout the world. See this list of water availability by country.
I have often wondered how some people can fast from sunrise to sunset in hot weather. You have to be healthy, and recognize if you need to break your fast. And why not take a drink of water? Even the poor have access to water.
PS: After posting I thought about fresh water availability throughout the world. See this list of water availability by country.
Conservative American blogger justifies Norwegian terrorist's attack
Think Progress: 'Popular hate blogger Pam Geller has received scrutiny in recent days as the public became aware that the right-wing terrorist in Norway, Anders Behring Breivik, had praised her blog and thoroughly cited her writing in his political manifesto. After a number of blogs made the connection, as well as the New York Times, the Atlantic, and other major outlets, Geller became incensed and began lashing out at her critics.
In a post defending herself yesterday, Geller — who has called Obama “President Jihad” and claimed that Arab language classes are a plot to subvert the United States — reached a new low. Geller justifies Breivik’s attack on the Norwegian Labour Party summer youth camp because she says the camp is part of an anti-Israel “indoctrination training center.” She says the victims would have grown up to become “future leaders of the party responsible for flooding Norway with Muslims who refuse to assimilate, who commit major violence against Norwegian natives including violent gang rapes, with impunity, and who live on the dole.”
To get her point across, Geller posts a picture of the youth camp children Breivik targeted. The picture was taken on the Utøya island camp about 24 hours before Breivik killed over 30 children, so it is likely Geller is mocking many of the victims. Under the picture, Geller writes: “Note the faces which are more MIddle [sic] Eastern or mixed than pure Norwegian.” '
Too see the pic and read more, click here.
In a post defending herself yesterday, Geller — who has called Obama “President Jihad” and claimed that Arab language classes are a plot to subvert the United States — reached a new low. Geller justifies Breivik’s attack on the Norwegian Labour Party summer youth camp because she says the camp is part of an anti-Israel “indoctrination training center.” She says the victims would have grown up to become “future leaders of the party responsible for flooding Norway with Muslims who refuse to assimilate, who commit major violence against Norwegian natives including violent gang rapes, with impunity, and who live on the dole.”
To get her point across, Geller posts a picture of the youth camp children Breivik targeted. The picture was taken on the Utøya island camp about 24 hours before Breivik killed over 30 children, so it is likely Geller is mocking many of the victims. Under the picture, Geller writes: “Note the faces which are more MIddle [sic] Eastern or mixed than pure Norwegian.” '
Too see the pic and read more, click here.
84 killed in Hama in two days
"Syrian tanks shelled the city of Hama, the scene of a 1982 massacre, for a second day on Monday, killing at least four civilians, residents said, in an assault to try to crush protests against President Bashar al-Assad.
The killings in the city's residential Hamidiyah district brought to 84 the number of civilians reported killed in a tank-backed crackdown on the central Syrian city, where Assad's father crushed an armed Muslim Brotherhood revolt 29 years ago by razing neighborhoods and killing many thousands of people."
The killings in the city's residential Hamidiyah district brought to 84 the number of civilians reported killed in a tank-backed crackdown on the central Syrian city, where Assad's father crushed an armed Muslim Brotherhood revolt 29 years ago by razing neighborhoods and killing many thousands of people."
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