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Today, November 27th, marks the beginning of 2009's Eid al-Adha, the Muslim "Festival of Sacrifice", commemorating the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son to God. Muslims around the world will celebrate by slaughtering animals to commemorate God's gift of a ram to substitute for Abraham's son, distributing the meat amongst family, friends and the poor. Eid al-Adha also takes place immediately after the Hajj, a pilgrimage to Mecca that is a pillar of Islamic Faith. Some 2.5 million Muslim faithful from all over the world descended on Mecca this year, many encountering an unusual occurance: heavy flooding due to recent torrential rains. Collected below are photographs from this year's Hajj and observance of Eid al-Adha. (38 photos total)
Click the picture to see the full collection.
MANY people would not think of making a major purchase without doing research to find the best model and the lowest price. But at the checkout counter, all of that preparation often breaks down.
There, shoppers are asked to buy a product that few have investigated: the extended warranty. New research suggests that the appeal of such warranties depends not only the inability of most people to assess risk, but also on the emotional state of the buyer. The happier you are, it turns out, the more risk-averse you become, so the more likely you are to buy the protection.
You’ve undoubtedly heard the reasons for buying one:
Your product could break. You are clumsy. Or your kids are. The plan is convenient and will save you time. You’ve already saved $200 from what the product cost two months ago. It’s cheaper than a dinner out.
I overheard them all at a Best Buy in a single Sunday afternoon.
You probably can guess why the salespeople try so hard. Extended warranties are highly profitable. They tend to cost about 20 percent of the purchase price, and they can run even higher.
Click the picture to read the article.
Over the last 12 months, 1,042 soldiers, Marines, sailors and Air Force personnel have given their lives in the terrible duty that is war. Thousands more have come home on stretchers, horribly wounded and facing months or years in military hospitals.
This week, I'm turning my space over to a good friend and former roommate, Army Lt. Col. Robert Bateman, who recently completed a yearlong tour of duty in Iraq and is now back at the Pentagon.
Here's Lt. Col. Bateman's account of a little-known ceremony that fills the halls of the Army corridor of the Pentagon with cheers, applause and many tears every Friday morning. It first appeared on May 17 on the Weblog of media critic and pundit Eric Alterman at the Media Matters for America Website.
Click the picture to read the article.
