abqtommy
abqtommy's JournalFrom The Guardian: Taliban face financial crisis without access to foreign reserves(.)
"Analysis: As the US freezes Afghan reserves and Germany halts aid, the new rulers may find they are far short of what is required to govern(.)
Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers are likely to face a rapidly developing financial crisis, with foreign currency reserves largely unreachable and western aid donors – who fund the country’s institutions by about 75% – already cutting off or threatening to cut payments.
While the hardline Islamist group has moved in recent years to become more independent of outside financial supporters including Iran, Pakistan and wealthy donors in the Gulf, its financial flows – amounting to $1.6bn (£1.2bn) last year – are far short of what it will require to govern.
On Wednesday, Afghanistan’s central bank governor disclosed that the country has $9bn in reserves abroad but not in physical cash inside the country after the Biden administration ordered the freezing of Afghan government reserves held in US bank accounts on Sunday."
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/18/taliban-face-financial-crisis-without-access-to-foreign-reserves
There's much more text and a photo at the link
also see: https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=15755941
and: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215757076
From The BBC: IMF suspends Afghanistan's access to funds
"The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said Afghanistan will no longer be able to access the lender's resources.
The move follows the Taliban's takeover of the country last weekend.
An IMF spokesperson said it was due to "lack of clarity within the international community" over recognising a government in Afghanistan.
Resources of over $370m (£268m) from the IMF had been set to arrive on 23 August."
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-58263525
There's much more text, including mention of the U.S. freezing of Afghan assets, and photos at the link.
From The Good News Network: Happy 85th Birthday to Hollywood star Robert Redford.
From his working class roots in California, he became an actor beloved for his roles in The Sting, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Way We Were, and the timeless political journalism thriller All the President’s Men.
He was the male lead in Out of Africa, which was an enormous 1985 box office success that won 7 Oscars, including Best Picture. We love whenever he plays a cowboy, including in The Horse Whisperer, which he also directed.
He won the Oscar for Best Director for Ordinary People—and further awards for directing The Milagro Beanfield War, A River Runs Through It, and The Legend of Bagger Vance, the spiritual golfing movie that co-starred Matt Damon and Will Smith.
He is also founder of the Sundance Film Festival and a noted environmental activist.
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/events060818/
There's more text, photos and a video at the link.
I have personally enjoyed many of Robert's film efforts, as actor and director. He was born on
August 18, 1936 and I wish him a very happy birthday.
Let's all shout and holler "YAY" 'cause my grandson got his first covid vax today. Join me
right here for a virtual party! 
Now we'll see how my youngest son (he's 35) does. I'm not giving up on him yet.
WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG? A pome from home by yours truly
I had a good time at the store today.
With all the people there I'm in a Family Way.
WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?
I saw all genders, ages and ethnicities.
You know how it is in all of these cities.
WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?
Mighta been an Arab, mighta been a Jew.
Mighta been a Baptist and a Buddhist too.
WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?
Nobody pulled any guns, nobody pulled any knives
And somehow we all escaped with our lives.
WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?
Nobody threw anybody on the floor
To have their way right there in the store.
WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?
And so I made my way back home
To put the polish on this pome
And sing that old familiar song
WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?
yours truly, abqtommy
My movie recommendations for today are "Bikini Beach" and "Pajama Party" with spoilers.
Both of these movies are part of the beach party franchise of movies that entertained and also
instructed many of us back in the day. Both of these movies came out in 1964 when I was 15 years old. I've seen both of these movies more than once and there are worse things to watch on any
Sunday. They're showing on the THIS channel on my cable.
Bikini Beach just got done showing and I'm pleased to make these observations: First, there's a
left-handed guitar player who is actually a black guy playing with the required Surf Band. Second,
the guest musical star in this movie was Little Stevie Wonder. Did this portrayal have anything to do
with my later acceptance that Black Lives Matter? Could be, could be.
Pajama Party just started and it's more of the same hip-wiggling (or is that wriggling?) that is just as
entertaining for a 72-year old as it was for the same person as a 15-year old. One of the guest stars of this movie is Buster Keaton and seeing him is well worth the cost of admission. Enjoy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bikini_Beach
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pajama_Party_(film)
Some reflections on life, love and the universe* here on Sunday, August 15, 2021...
The world, its peoples and critters are in a mess this morning. I'm not sure about The Universe but
somewhere there's a star going nova and taking out all its planets. There's a black hole gobbling up
whatever it can but there's not much I can do about that.
There are so many ignorant people causing trouble for those of us who are willing to take steps to
minimize the effects of this covid and climate change. If we could only change their minds and all
work together to solve these problems we'd all be better off but there's not much I can do about that.
I've got a son and a grandson that still aren't vaxxed up. I'd much rather celebrate their lives than
their deaths but they won't listen to me and there's not much I can do about that. Actually my son in
this instance is an autistic adult and has been influenced by his Mom. So I did file a complaint with
the Adult Protective Services in the state where he lives. Because I CAN do something about that.
Then this morning I got my cable tv and internet bill and they still want to charge me for something
I never asked for. You can be sure there's something I can do about that!
I've been pretty depressed the last coupla days. I'm not resigned to anything but it's not looking
good. So let's enjoy what we can and do what we can and hang onto whatever hope we have left.
And that's something we can all do.
*
to Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
From The CBC*: Scientists retrace steps of Ice Age mammoth over its entire lifetime(.)
*CBC/Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
'More than 17,000 years ago, a woolly mammoth roamed enough of the Alaskan landscape to circle the Earth twice.
That's according to a new paper in the journal Science from an international team of researchers who retraced the lifetime of one of the extinct ancient Arctic creatures.
The mammoth's story is written in its tusk through "isotopes" of tiny atoms, said Mat Wooller, a paleoecologist at the University of Alaska.
"Isotopes are like a little chemical GPS (global positioning system) recorder," Wooller said.'
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/mammoth-tusk-1.6139008
I've always been fascinated by Mammoths and this article doesn't disappoint. There's a lot more
text, photos and artwork at the link.
From The BBC: Your pictures of Scotland: 6 - 13 August (2021)
This Friday The Thirteenth is our lucky day since it brings these views of Scotland our way! Enjoy!
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-58116627
Q: What happens when you play a Country-Western song backwards?
A: You get your dog, your truck and your spouse back.
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