CD Review: Ken Burns's Jazz: Louis Armstrong

1) Chimes Blues
2) Cake Walkin' Babies
3) Heebie Jeebies
4) Potato Head Blues
5) West and Blues
6) Tight Like This
7) Mahogany Hall Stomp
8) Ain't Misbehaving
9) Black and Blue
10) St. Louis Blues
11) When It's Sleepy Time Down South
12) Blue Again
13) Lazy River
14) Chinatown, My Chinatown
15) Star Dust
16) Shadrack
17) I Double Dare You
18) When the Saints Go Marching In
19) Marie
20) Rockin' Chair
21) Blueberry Hill
22) Mack the Knife
23) A Fine Romance
24) Hello, Dolly!
25) What a Wonderful World

Genre: Jazz

Louis Armstrong isn't just that guy who sang "What a Wonderful World." He also happens to be one of the most important musicians in the history of jazz. He practically invented the improvised solo, and popularized scat. These twenty-five tracks, recorded from 1923 to 1967, still hold up years later.

***** out of five

3 new banners. That's right. Not one. Not two. Three!

Band Spotlight: Page France

Genre: Independent Folk
History: Started in 2004 as a solo project
Musical Style: Soft; Meaningful; Wide Variety of Instruments Used
Top Songs: Feather, Junkyard, So Sweetly
Best Album: Hello, Dear Wind (2005)

Why You Should Listen To Page France: Page France, despite being in my opinion of the greatest independent bands of the 2000s, has not garnered much attention. Every single song is powerful and will make you pay attention to not only the cherubic instrumentation, but the meaning of the lyrics as well.

Grade: A - Terrific/Must Listen

Academic Application: September 27, 2007

Jena Six. You've read about it or heard it on the news, but you don't quite understand the situation. Here is a brief summary from Wikipedia which should help. (Not really an "Application" this week, more of an "Awareness")

The Jena Six refers to a group of six black teenagers who have been charged with the beating of a white teenager at Jena High School in Jena, Louisiana, on December 4, 2006. The beating occured after a series of racially charged incidents that began when nooses were hung from a tree at Jena High School after black students sat beneath the tree. The six black students were initially charged with attempted second degree murder and conspiracy to commit attempted second degree murder.

Mychal Bell, the only member of the "Jena Six" to be tried so far, has had his convictions thrown out, one by the trial judge^[3] and the other by the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal.^[4] Both convictions were overturned on the grounds that the defendant should have been tried as a juvenile, not as an adult, because he was sixteen when the incident occured.^[3][2][5] Bell was incarcerated for almost 10 months, before being released on September 27, 2007, after posting bail. The District Attorney has indicated he does not plan to appeal further, meaning that Bell will be tried as a juvenile.

........Some have pointed out inaccurate reporting by the media. In his article, Jason Whitlock of FOXSports.com brought up the fact that people keep referring to the attack as a "schoolyard fight" due to the lack of serious injuries. He also pointed out that in the beginning, nobody brought up the fact that Mychal Bell's public defender was black or that the jury was all-white because none of the blacks who were summoned showed up. Whitlock also criticizes for the lack of reporting Bell's prior criminal history.^[63]

CD Review: Maiden Voyage

1) Maiden Voyage
2) The Eye of the Hurricane
3) Little One
4) Survival of the Fittest
5) Dolphin Dance

Genre: Jazz

Before the jazz-funk fusion of Head Hunters, there was the cool, more traditional combo jazz of Maiden Voyage. Hancock leads a superb ensemble that includes Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and George Coleman on tenor sax.

***** out of five

Mid-Upper Class Aid More Available At Elites

Officials at these colleges, where costs can run $50,000 annually, say they are putting more money into aid because the price is deterring good students from applying. In the past three years, the schools have heavily promoted news that they will essentially give free rides for students from families making $50,000 to $60,000 or less, but they have been less vocal about what they can offer for families earning $100,000 or more. (Source: Boston Globe)

Patriots' Wilfork Hit With Fine

Vince Wilfork, the starting nose tackle on the New England Patriots defense, has been fined $12,500 for hitting Buffalo Bills' quarterback J.P Losman last Sunday in what many considered a "dirty manner." Wilfork apologized officially on Wednesday for the low blow, which caused Losman to suffer a sprained knee.

"When I leave this earth, I'm going to leave with one thing, and that's my name. Don't bash my name because of one incident. As long as he understands that wasn't intentional and that organization [understands], I'm fine." - Vince Wilfork (Source: ESPN)

Talks to denuclearize North Korea open

A new round of six-party talks aimed at denuclearizing North Korea opens in Beijing on Thursday (Sept. 27).

Last thing we need is Kim launching a rocket.

CD Review: Head Hunters

1) Chameleon
2) Watermelon Man
3) Sly
4) Vein Melter

Genre: Jazz

Discover the funky side of legendary jazz pianist Herbie Hancock. Head Hunters was one of the first jazz albums to be certified gold. No surprise...the four sometimes lengthy, always groovy jams are a portrait of black music in the 70s.

***** out of five

Think This: 9/26/07

Korea's economic growth is likely to accelerate to an annual pace of 5.1 percent next year, but rising interest rates and consumer price inflation could hamper domestic consumer spending, a local think tank said Thursday (Sept. 27).

According to the Hyundai Research Institute, "Based on the premise that the U.S. subprime issue would not trigger a global economic crisis, the Dubai crude price would average $80 and the won would change hands at 915 won versus the dollar next year..."

CD Review: Ken Burns's Jazz: Dizzy Gillespie

1) Pickin' the Cabbage
2) Disorder at the Border
3) A Night in Tunisia
4) Salt Peanuts
5) I Can't Get Started
6) Dizzy Atmosphere
7) Groovin' High
8) Things to Come
9) One Bass Hit, No. 2
10) Manteca
11) Bloomdido
12) Tin Tin Deo
13) Birk's Works
14) The Eternal Triangle
15) No More Blues
16) Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac

Genre: Jazz

Look at the cheeks on this guy! He could play the hell out of a trumpet. Need proof? Look no further than this collection. You know this is good stuff when he played it at Carnegie Hall.

****3/4 out of five

My hour with Congressman Tierney

Alright, here's how that conference went down. Yours truly had the courage to get things started, asking the first question, after some small talk...

WÉ: Ben Tan.
Tierney: Hi Ben.
WÉ: Hi John. How was the birthday last week?
Tierney: It was alright. I'm not getting any younger.
WÉ: You look great.

Seriously, this is what we said!

WÉ: Of the current presidential candidates, who do you like?
Tierney: I like a lot of them...

He isn't endorsing anyone just yet, and feels that the other Democratic candidates (besides front-runners Clinton, Obama, and Edwards), Biden, Dodd, and Richardson, are "neglected." He then asked yours truly whom of the candidates I like.

WÉ: Well, it seems it'll be Clinton or Obama. I like them both...honestly, I'll take anyone besides our current president.
Tierney: I hear you.
WÉ: Thank you.

Joan Landers gave me a pat on the back for going first. Ms. Freedman wasn't pleased that I called him "John." John didn't seem to mind. Later, Mr. McKenna, the AP Government and Politics teacher, spoke with Congressman Tierney and agreed that Biden, Dodd, and Richardson do not get enough attention. Tierney told the assembly to "let the newspapers know" that these three are in the running. He said the front-runners spend too much money on their campaigns, and talked about the Clean Money, Clean Elections bill, which he authored. This bill would take special-interest money out of America's elections, resulting in an even playing field.
My Government and Politics classmates made their teacher proud, asking several questions...

Elisabeth Hurley: What's your stance on immigration?

Congressman Tierney said we have to tighten the borders, determine how many people to let in every year, and see if the jobs the illegals are taking could have gone to US citizens.

Christian Bando: I heard on the news that Social Security will run out. Can you explain the Social Security system?
Tierney: Social security will not run out.

He explained that some people do not believe the government should give money to retirees, the disabled, and survivors. After a few more questions about Social Security, Congressman Tierney then asked the students for their thoughts on Iraq, wondering if we feel the war affects us. We told him that many members of local families are currently serving there. I asked if he believes that we should set a deadline, or that we should "stay the course."

Tierney: The president didn't have a course to stay...we knew there were no weapons of mass destruction...we have stayed the course.

According to the congressman, "our military will have to devise a plan" that sets a deadline and gets the troops out safely. He called the Iraq War a horrible situation with little, if any, obvious answers. He said we are "wasting money" on the war, and should have given that money to Walter Reed, or to Katrina aid.

Tierney: I do not think it was appropriate to go in and invade the way we did...There was no bin Laden - Iraq connection."

A student asked Congressman Tierney if President Ahmadinejad should have been allowed to come to the US and speak. He replied that he supports letting him address the UN, but that if we cannot stand up to a "thug" like him, we need to rethink our ideas. My classmate Beth Caron asked if he thinks global warming is eminent. He does, and feels the debate should not be about whether it is eminent, but "about how we will resolve that." Then, a student asked him if he supports stem cell research...

Tierney: I think that the bill that we passed supporting stem cell research was reasonable, and I supported it.

Near the hour's end, Mr. McKenna talked about how students think all congressmen do is sit at their desks waiting for the bell (sound familiar?), asking Congressman Tierney to describe his job.

Tierney: We're busy. You learn something every day...with luck, you can make a difference.

Coming soon to the Spin...

The first Spin of the year will come out November 1. I will be writing my usual movie reviews, which will include all the Fright Night movies. I am also working on a spotlight article on this very website.

Two girls burn to death in South Africa

Thabazimbi - Two sisters from Thabazimbi were burnt beyond recognition after their car overturned and caught fire, a few kilometres from the family home.

Bianca Schoeman, 18, and her sister Meroeschka, 15, died in the fire.

The sisters were the only children of Annalize Schoeman and her husband Johan.

Ban calls for an end to violence in Darfur, Middle East

New York - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has pledged to push for lasting peace in the Middle East and an end to the conflict in Darfur in the coming year, telling world leaders it will be one of the most challenging years in UN history.

At the opening of the UN General Assembly's annual ministerial meeting on Tuesday, Ban called for "an internal climate of change" at the world body to address the growing number of issues requiring collective action.

The session ends on October 3.

Fan Pier office tower breaks ground

When you've waited almost 50 years for a groundbreaking, it has to be a memorable one. Fan Pier's kickoff today was a party to remember.

50 years?!? Yes, five decades after restaurateur Anthony Athanas bought Fan Pier for development, the groundbreaking of an 18-floor office tower took place today.

CD Review: The Greatest! Count Basie Plays, Joe Williams Sings Standards

1) Thou Swell
2) There Will Never Be Another You
3) Our Love is Here to Stay
4) 'S Wonderful
5) My Baby Just Cares
6) Nevertheless
7) Singin' in the Rain
8) I'm Beginning to See the Light
9) A Fine Romance
10) Come Rain Or Come Shine
11) I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me
12) This Can't Be Love

Genre: Jazz

Ever heard a big band version of "Singin' in the Rain"? You can, along with eleven other great tracks, sung by Joe Williams, backed by Count Basie and his famous orchestra. This is how every jazz ensemble SHOULD sound.

***** out of five

CD Review: Diz n' Bird at Carnegie Hall

1) A Night in Tunisia
2) Dizzy Atmosphere
3) Groovin' High
4) Confirmation
5) Koko
6) Cool Breeze
7) Relaxin' at Camarillo
8) One Bass Hit
9) Nearness
10) Salt Peanuts
11) Cubano-Be, Cubano-Bop
12) Hot House
13) Toccata for Trumpet
14) Oop-Pop-A-Da
15) Things to Come

Genre: Jazz

Give this live CD a listen and find out why Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker are legends. Highlights include an impossibly fast performance of "Salt Peanuts"...and you can't listen to "Oop-Pop-A-Da" without trying to scat yourself.

****1/2 out of five

My hour with Congressman Tierney...

I was lucky enough to spend A Block today at the video-phone conference with our representative in the House, Congressman John Tierney. I asked him a few questions myself, and wrote all the juicy details in my notebook. However, I was dumb enough to leave my notes in my locker. I'll post a report tomorrow...I promise!

Bush demands peace in Darfur

Sept. 25 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush said the violence in the Darfur region of Sudan amounted to ``genocide'' and demanded the Sudanese government and rebel groups cease hostilities to let aid reach victims of the conflict.

Bush told the UN Security Council that "time is of the essence" in taking action to stop the killing, and more international forces are needed. He supports that council's resolution that backs deployment of as many as 3,000 European Union soldiers and UN police to protect Darfur refugees.

Ahmadinejad talks about nukes

UNITED NATIONS --Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday the issue of his country's nuclear ambitions was "closed" and a matter to be handled by the U.N. watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Don't worry. Yes, Iran has nukes. But we have a lot more. Iran is believed to have 25-100 Shahab-3 missiles, which are capable of being armed with nuclear warheads. We have 5,163 active warheads. Iran won't mess with us.

Sign up for the PSAT

Attention Juniors and Sophomores: PSAT sign up forms are available in the Guidance Office. The PSAT Exam is on October 20th. The cost is $26.00 the test is given once a year.

If you haven't taken the SAT yet, sign up for the PSAT, even if you took it last year. Study for it, too...Guidance will give you a book to prep you for the test. Then, start reading a prep book for the actual SAT, and don't bother with a course. SAT Prep Courses teach you, for $1,000, the same things you can teach yourself by reading a prep book, which costs $12.

Helicopters Fly Over Wakefield In Search of Missing

Starting at about 7:50 PM EST, I start hearing loud sounding Helicopters circling over my general neighborhood. With beaming red, green, and white lights, these Helicopters have not stopped making 360s --- and it is now nearly one hour later.

Out of curiosity, I called up the police and the policeman informed me that they are looking for a missing person in the woods. Not only am I having a tough time concentrating on my homework, but the whole idea of them looking for somebody via air does not make the most of sense. Don't they think that a couple on land rescue crews could do a better job than World War esque Helicopters?

I have talked to a few people and none can hear the sound or even see them. Use the comment utility to let us know if you can!

(Here is a picture of what they exactly look like at night)

Update: The 'copters finally stopped at about 9:15

Darfur update

GENEVA (AFP) — A group of UN experts monitoring Darfur said Monday that serious human rights violations appeared to be continuing in the strife-torn western Sudanese region.

According to the UN, more than two million have fled their homes, and at least 200,000 have died from famine and conflict since Khartoum enlisted militia allies to put down a local revolt in 2003.

GM workers strike

DETROIT --In the end, the first nationwide strike against General Motors Corp. in 37 years came because the United Auto Workers want something that GM will find difficult to promise: Job security.

UAW officials said they walked out because they want GM to promise that future cars and trucks will be built at US plants, preserving union jobs.

Ahmadinejad goes nuts

Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad defended Holocaust deniers and raised questions about who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks in a tense showdown Monday at Columbia University where the school's head introduced the visitor by calling him a "petty and cruel dictator."

You know you're a jerk if someone calls you petty and cruel right to your face, in front of the Columbia University student body.

LOL Yankees

The New York Yankees took a day off Monday. At least, that's how it looked.

The Yankees' drive for a playoff spot paused, with Andy Pettitte falling behind early and a smallish crowd watching Toronto rookie Jesse Litsch pitch the Blue Jays to a 4-1 victory.

Ha ha. Remember when the Yankees were the good team, and the RED SOX were the bad team? Those were the days...if you like the Yankees.

Halo 3.......Midnight

Not a fan of the XBOX 360, nor the Halo Series, I do not particularly care too much about the third installment of the popular video game series.

However, tonight's midnight release is perhaps the most anticipated of all time. When you think of XBOX, chances are you also thinking of Halo. Fan boys consider the series to not only be the best multi-player franchise, but very well the best franchise there has been.

There will be the die hards waiting in line at their local video game store tonight. These are the people that will skip/miss school or work tommorow so that they can get an entire day's worth of gaming in. Then there will be the smart people who will wait a while (Christmas?) and then buy the game.

Bungie, the game's developer, can not at all fail. As much as gamers criticize Bungie for not updating the online version enough, they still play the game. So even if this is the worst game ever made, it will still be played -- a lot. Rest assured, every single video game magazine and website will rank this the best....ever.

Songs of the Week: September 24, 2007

This week's edition of "Songs of the Week" is mostly composed of soft, independent tunes.

Rogue Wave - Seasick On Land
Manchester Orchestra - I Can Barely Breathe
Interpol - NYC
Caribou - Bees
Bob Dylan - Blowing in the Wind
Animal Collective - Peacebone
Zion 1 + The Grouch - Hit Em'
NFL Themes - The Equalizer

Note: The next edition of Songs of the Week will be a review of the Bob Dylan-Elvis Costello concert that I will be going to on Saturday, September 29th. The concert will be held at the Ryan Center in Kingston, Rhode Island (on the campus of URI)

Ranking Pizza In Wakefield

I haven't tried them all, so maybe the other Étudiant writers can help me out. Anyway, here are my grades for pizza in Wakefield.

Wakefield House of Pizza - Wakefield House easily makes one of the best, possibly the best, cheese pizza in the town. The cheese is a plenty and is melted perfectly. There is more cheese than the sauce, which is also good. The crust is crunchy. OVR GRADE: A

Greenwood Food Mart - I recently tried Food Mart after a recommendation from a fellow student. Since his recommendation in late August, I have gone to Food Mart at least once a week, every week. The slices are huge. One slice is the equivalent of what normally would be two and a half. The slices are very, very thin, but this is not a bad thing. The amount of cheese and sauce is about equal. The sauce can be a little spicy at times, especially if you are drinking soda along with your pizza. The crust is very crispy, but is thin. OVR GRADE: A

Nick's - Nick's is brand new -- less than two weeks old. I decided to try out their cheese pizza and it was really, really good and definitely different. I ordered a small cheese, which consisted of about 6 very small slices. The pizza is thin, in fact, thinner than Food Mart. Cheese overflows on this pizza and there is a small amount of sauce underneath. The crust is comparable to Wakefield House. I would best describe this as an above average combination of Wakefield House and Food Mart. I am definitely going to be eating there a lot. OVR GRADE: A-

Bellinos - I haven't been here in over a year, but I try my best to remember what it tastes like. To the best of my memory, I recall Bellinos cheese pizza as a more oily version of Food Mart's. It wasn't as good as Food Mart, but it certainly caught my attention. I don't know why I haven't been in a long time. OVR GRADE: B

Farmland Bakery - The pizza here is sufficient. Unlike the previous three places, the pizza here is cut up into squares. There isn't too much cheese on this pizza, as it is mostly covered in natural tomato sauce. The crust is burnt, well at least every time I go there. The bottom of the pizza is also at times burnt. This is not good. Once in a blue moon, I don't mind going here. OVR GRADE: B-

Nonnos - Nonnos is just your below average pizza shop. People are satisfied with their pizza, but if you say they are the best in Wakefield, you are kidding yourself. The sauce is all dried up and the cheese is just kind of there. The crust is chewy, soft, and large, which may be the only positive of this place. OVR GRADE: C-

UNRANKED:
Center House (Went at least five years ago, can't remember at all)
Greenwood House of Pizza
Morena Cucina Rustica
Pizza Express (Went about three years ago, but can hardly remember)
Piece O'Pizza (Don't know if it still exists)
Capri Pizza (Don't know if it still exists)
North Ave Diner (Don't know if it still exists)

Academic Application: 9/20/07

Yesterday, Glen reported that the Senate has decided not to restore habeas corpus rights to the Guantánamo Bay detainees. Wait, habeas corpus? Isn't that Latin? I don't take that class!
But I do take Government and Politics, where we learned the meaning of that phrase...

ha·be·as corpus (hā'bē-əs)
n.

One of a variety of writs that may be issued to bring a party before a court or judge, having as its function the release of the party from unlawful restraint.

So, the question is, can the government take away the right of habeas corpus? From suspected terrorists, yes. But wait, if the government can take habeas corpus away from the Gitmo prisoners, they can take it away from anyone, right? A post I made yesterday mentioned the President's desire to eavesdrop on suspected terrorists. If he can do that, he can eavesdrop on anyone, right? And hundreds of thousands of people have seen this video of a guy getting tasered after asking John Kerry a bunch of stupid questions.

Is America slowly becoming an Orwellian society, in which the government can take away our rights to privacy, trial, and free speech? As long as her people are vocal about their support of human rights, no. Speak your mind. If you like having rights, let the people in power know.

EU-Africa summit to proceed, possibly without Britain

LISBON (Reuters) - EU President Portugal would find it hard to bar Robert Mugabe from an EU-Africa summit and will push ahead with the event despite British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's boycott threat, a source close to the presidency said.

Brown said in an article he would stay away from the summit if Mugabe (pictured) was present, accusing him of having left his people in an "appalling and tragic situation." Zimbabwe's economy has the world's highest inflation rate, about 6,600 percent, and joblessness of about 80 percent.

Darfur update

Al Qaeda urged Sudanese Muslims on Thursday to fight African Union and United Nations peacekeeping troops in Darfur as rebels cast doubt on whether peace talks to pave the way for the force could succeed.

Al Qaeda's second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahri called for a holy war on the peacekeeping force. Because, you know, God wants his people to kill each other. But leave the terrorists alone. They're doing God's work.

This week in God...

A 160-year-old marble bust of Christ was attacked at the main branch of the Boston Public Library, knocked from its perch on the grand staircase and sent crashing to the floor. Nearby, a matching marble bust of Lucifer was left untouched.

The Devil has arrived in Boston! The end is near!

New banner.

President wants to tap your phone and monitor your Internet activity, because you're a suspected terrorist. Right?

President Bush is urging the U.S. Congress to permanently extend a law that enables the government to eavesdrop on suspected terrorists.

I'm behind you on this one, Mr. President, just as long as you ONLY eavesdrop on the suspected terrorists...which I get the feeling you won't.

Darfur update

The head of U.N. peacekeeping operations says European nations have been slow to offer support for a joint U.N.-African Union police force for Sudan's Darfur region.

Looks like the US is in good company.

Writ of Habeas Corpus Denied Restoration

Human rights supporters -- and we'd like to know who isn't one -- needed 60 votes in the Senate today to restore habeas corpus rights to detainees the United States is holding at Guantánamo Bay. They got 56.

- From "One Thousand Reasons"

Is it okay to detain unlawful combatants that pose a threat to the security of our nation? Is this especially permissible during war?

Think This: September 19, 2007

American Public Happy With NCLB

The following item has caused much debate: The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Of course, the President who signed that was the corrupt George Bush, right Liberals? "Whatever Bush does is always a miserable failure."

Many polls, which have been tracked by the Hoover Institute, have shown that the American Public generally are in favor of the renewal of the act. You can check out the statistics in the included image.

George Bush has, at last, finally initiated a successful program in the eyes of America.

I don't know why I am being overly sympathetic to Liberals, but I am.

Truck jackknifes in Boston.

A major traffic artery was clogged this morning in Boston when a tractor-trailer truck jackknifed on the Massachusetts Turnpike westbound.

Damn.

"Save Darfur" - To Praise or To Zing?

You've all seen the shirts. "Save Darfur........End Genocide". So is the whole movement just another piece of right wing propaganda or is it humanitarian at heart? Here are the arguments, you decide.

Pro "Save Darfur": People in favor of the "Save Darfur Coalition" argue that they are doing a great job of trying to end the "genocide" in Darfur. Support comes from people who believe that the conflict should be solved via international effort.

Anti "Save Darfur": People who are against or criticize "Save Darfur" make the argument that the campaign is initiated by United States government against the Sudanese government for opposing the United States occupation of Iraq. "Save Darfur" is also criticized as imperialistic rather than humanitarian. Some also say that the huge amounts of money that the Coalition is taking in is going towards advertising when it really should be sent to operative organizations in the Sudan.

If you are interested in my opinion, I am split over the arguments. "Save Darfur" has good intentions, however, I am not sure it is being carried out in the best of ways.

Well...

Now that you mention it, Glen, I can't say I've ever thought about how much the much talked-about UN-AU peacekeeping force will cost. How much are we paying to "keep the peace" in Iraq? I just read today that President Bush could demand up to $200 billion to pay for our presence in Iraq and Afghanistan (you don't hear about it, but we're still waging war over there six years later). And the £2 million that stupid old man won is equivalent to some $4 million. Not quite a hundred billion, but I know I'd like to have that much money and not know what to do with it.

No Thanks, Says Lottery Winner

A German pensioner who won £2 million on the lottery refused the cash because he didn't know what to do with it......He reportedly said: "What would I do with so much money? My wife has already passed away, my parents are dead, I have no children and no other relatives. I don't want it."....He said he had only bought the lottery ticket out of a habit because his late wife had been a passionate player.

Donate it to a charitable organization, silly old man! Darfur needs it...right Ben?

Note: The last two articles have both been excerpted from Ananova, an online news blog.

Squeaky Graham

A man with a squeaky voice has been barred from phone banking - because staff keep thinking he's a woman....Graham O'Brien, 29, who admits he has a high-pitched voice, had his request to the Halifax blocked five times....Every time Graham called the bank, staff refused to accept that he was who he said he was.......He said: "I answered all the security questions every time I phoned and they still wouldn't accept I was Graham O'Brien."

Poor Graham.

Tierney's conference rescheduled

Congressman Tierney's conference has been reschedule for Tuesday, during A Block. So if you have an ASC at that time, get over there. I'll be down there with my Government and Politics class.

I hate the French.

PARIS: President Nicolas Sarkozy took the first perilous steps Tuesday to rein in generous early retirement benefits of powerful unionized workers with a speech demanding "a new social contract" that could raise their retirement age to 65 from as low as 50.

Wow, I knew the French were pussies, but not that they can't handle work anymore once they turn 50.

Darfur update

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Sudan's president on Tuesday to commit to a ceasefire in Darfur and heed his warning that the recent upsurge in fighting could have a negative impact on upcoming political negotiations to end the four-year conflict.

Ban said Sudan and the international community must redouble their efforts towards peace.

Boston is the new Vegas

Governor Deval Patrick, ending months of private study and public speculation, invited the casino industry to come to Massachusetts yesterday in a watershed proposal that he said will create 20,000 jobs and generate $2 billion in economic activity from three resort-style casinos in various regions of the state.

Looks like our state will become the new gambling capital of the world after Vegas becomes a ghost town.

And now, a word from our co-founder...

Congressman Spotlight: John Tierney

In case you didn't hear, John Tierney, our representative in the House, will be answering questions from WHS live via satellite tomorrow during C Block. If you have an ASC that block, get down there! But get to know the guy first.

Name: John F. Tierney
Education: Attended Salem Public Schools, graduated from Salem State College, and got a law degree from Suffolk University.
Age: 56, but will turn 57 tomorrow!
Committees he's in: Education and Labor; Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness
Legislation he's authored: The College Affordability and Accountability Act; Emergency Retiree Health Benefits Protection Act; Clean Money, Clean Elections Act
Party: Democrat
Fun Fact #1: Has yet to appear on Better Know a District. Come on, John!
Fun Fact #2: Is hunting for witches in Washington...watch out, Condi.
Fun Fact #3: Does the Wakefield Warriors signature "Chop" with a life-size Barbie doll leg.
Fun Fact #4: Hates the Insane Clown Posse and ska. Hey Glen, you actually have common ground with a Democrat! You call yourself a radical?
Fun Fact #5: Once tricked Robert Wexler and Jack Kingston into arguing with each other on AIM. It was funny.
Fun Fact #6: Hangs out with Chris Morrill.
Fun Fact #7: Convinces fellow congressmen to vote in his favor by taunting, "Do it! You won't!"
Fun Fact #8: Once turtled Barney Frank's backpack. It was funny.

Well, that was fun. Now go to his site and learn some actual facts.

Patriots Make Fools Out of Chargers, Win 38-14

The Patriots crushed the San Diego Chargers by a wide margin of 38-14 on Sunday night. Sideline cameras aside, Brady and Moss proved once again that they as a QB-WR combination are literally lethal.