Je suis bankrupt!
It’s become a bit of a running gag in the States how weak the dollar has become compared to the Euro. If we go purely on exchange rank, then the dollar loses. But the Euro may actually be the biggest loser in the end. You see, each country that is part of the European Union is economically linked through the Euro. However, they’re not all politically linked. When individual countries in the union—let’s say Portugal or Greece— make poor economic decisions, bigger countries, like France and Germany, feel the pinch too. According to The New York Times, as more countries start to threaten to collapse, leaders in the union have recently been scrambling to find a solution before it’s too late.
Michele Bachman becomes relevant:
It’s that time of year again. When glorified state fairs are blown into national significance because nothing else is really happening. Yes, election season is in the air. At the recent Ames Straw Poll in Iowa, Michele Bachman walked away the winner with 4,823 votes, narrowly beating Ron Paul’s 4,671 votes. So, well done, Bachman. You won the blue ribbon. Keep in mind that Bachman gave away 6,000 tickets to the poll (normally $30), offered a free concert featuring country singer Randy Travis to people who voted for her and provided air conditioning in her tent. Ron Paul, on the other hand, just handed out 4,750 tickets to the straw poll. But again, good for you, Bachman. You “won.”
Bad luck for our kids:
It turns out that Alabama might not be the best of places in the country for children.According recent rankings from The Annie E. Casey Foundation based on poverty, health care and education,Alabama ranks 48th in the nation for quality of life for children, right in front of our ever-faithful neighbors, Mississippi and Louisiana. A whopping 22.1 percent of children in Alabama live in poverty, and 28.7 percent of children live in single-parent households. Things aren’t all bad, though. In general, trends are improving in Alabama. Fewer kids are in poverty and more stay in school than 10 years ago. It’s simply that the rest of the nation is improving too, leaving Alabama a bit behind no matter what.
Good luck for our kids:
It’s not all bad news for youngsters in Alabama. According to WBHM, Alabama was recently granted $1.3 million to expand the Advanced Placement (AP) Program across the state. The AP Program offers a chance for high-school students to take advanced, college-level courses with a possibility of earning college credit. The first installment of the grant will be split between 14 impoverished schools across Alabama and will offer incentives and assistance to AP test-takers. Not only will money from the grant pay for the cost of the test, but for every score of three or higher on the one to five scale the student earns $100.Additionally, teachers earn an extra $100 for each student that achieves a three or higher. Yay education! Yay money!
salvatore ferragamo
