Concert Review: Morrissey

Who: Morrissey and Girl In A Coma
Where: Orpheum Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts

Not only was it a "terrific experience" as attendee Chris DeCarlo said, but the Morrissey concert was also legendary and one of the best concerts that I have ever attended.
The 3 hour concert took place in the very old Orpheum Theatre in Boston. The smaller sized theater was packed with 20, 30, and 40 year olds but lacked teenagers. San Antonio alt-rock girl group Girl In A Coma opened up for Morrissey. Singing in a punk-like manner, the girls performed well given the fact that they were a late addition to the tour (added just last week). The lead singer, Nina, reminded DeCarlo of one Boston area band member. Said DeCarlo: "[Nina's] voice reminded me of Kim Deal (of the Pixies)." I thought it was pretty cool that Nina said in between songs that the group went to the Red Sox parade earlier that afternoon. Their set consisted of about ten songs that sounded strikingly similar, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
After the girls had left the stage, myriad videos were played on the overlay. Some, quite weird in nature, were black and white films of James Dean, whom Morrissey seemingly is addicted to. Following about ten minutes of Dean, the tube topic changed from short film to music video. A music video of who? No other than the New York Dolls, who are proto punk legends. Until the Dolls came on most of the audience wasn't paying attention.
Then came the Morrissey. Filled with energy and enthusiasm, Morrissey immediately captured the audience's attention. The 48 year old's dance moves in combination with his enonamoring presence brought the crowd to their feet immediately. In fact, most members of the audience stood for the duration of his performance. Singing a long with the Brit, the audience was as DeCarlo said "in love with their hero and his performance." One particular gentleman, sitting two seats to my right, was constantly in awe. At the beginning of every song, the man stood up, pointed forward, and screamed "FUCK YOU." And that isn't a bad "FUCK YOU." In obvious shock that the 80s legend was performing before him, the man also made his fair share of "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?" remarks. Hell, even at one point in the show, the man who must have downed at least five Sam Adams, started crying like a young child. A bit later he went on to hug and kiss an innocent lad one row in front of him. I think you can kind of guess the rest. Anyway, back to Morrissey.
Chris and I both agree that the best portion of the performance occured near the end. After singing an amazing "Dear God Please Help Me", Morrissey dropped to the floor and lay there for a few minutes with his legs resting on the amp. And what do you know: he pops up right up and starts singing "How Soon Is Now" which is considered one of his best tracks. This was the last "official" song of the night as the man himself ended up doing an encore.
Another song that brought the entire audience to their feet was "Shoplifters of the World Unite" a chart topper in the 1980s from when Morrissey was the lead singer of The Smiths. Said DeCarlo: "Masterpiece is the only way one can describe that song. There are many interpretations of that song, and that's fine if you're a fan of the "shirtlifter" theory, but I believe its meaning goes far beyond that. To me its all about seizing what one wants instead of adhering to the general rules and of course Morrissey wants all these individuals to come together and possibly ameliorate the world in a profound way. My heart was rushing when I heard those chords blast out of the amps. "
An amazing concert by an amazing performer.

Myanmar update

YANGON (AFP) — About 100 Buddhist monks marched Wednesday in central Myanmar for the first time since the junta's deadly crackdown on anti-government protests last month, witnesses said.

The peaceful demonstration came as officials said UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari would arrive in Myanmar at the weekend for his second round of talks with the ruling generals amid ongoing international concern over September's violence.

The monks marched in Pakokku, a town where conflict between the protesters and the military lead to thirteen deaths.

Two dead in Attleboro car crash

(WBZ) ATTLEBORO Two people are dead after a car crash in Attleboro on Wednesday, according to the Massachusetts State Police.

According to officials, the accident happened on Route 95 North near Exit 4 around 11:00 a.m.

Two lanes of the highway have been shut down while officials investigate.

Poland To End Stay In Iraq

WARSAW, Poland --Polish Prime Minister-designate Donald Tusk said his future government would seek to end the nation's military mission in Iraq next year, according to an interview published Wednesday.

Poland, a staunch U.S. ally, sent combat troops to the 2003 war in Iraq and still has some 900 soldiers stationed in the southeast, despite public displeasure with the mission. Polish troops now primarily train Iraqi forces and renovate schools and hospitals. - Source: Associated Press

Since the U.S is such a "staunch ally" maybe they will follow suit.

Salem is Spooky World!

SALEM - The broomstick-riding mistress of Halloween is everywhere in this city
of witches - on the police cruisers' emblem, the high school mascot, and the
masthead of a local newspaper. Visitors can buy Witch City shot glasses and
pointy hats; visit The Witch House, the city-owned home of a witch trials judge;
or buy Wychcraft beer.

But, as an expected 75,000 people converge on
Salem for Halloween tonight, an increasing number of locals are grumbling that
area businesses, and perhaps even Salem's mayor, have commercialized a quaint
city also known for Nathaniel Hawthorne and the Peabody Essex Museum.

During October, Salem "turns into Spooky World, which is difficult
because everyone walks around the street . . . like you're at Disney World,"
said longtime resident Michael Szczuka, who owns a dry-cleaning business near
the main Halloween retail street.

Well, Mr. Szczuka, think of this as Salem's payment for killing all those innocent "witches" all those years ago.

Halloween controversy at WHS

Today, after the usual morning announcements, Ms. Freedman got on the intercom and commended the students for how well Friday's Halloween Dance went. Good to know nobody showed up drunk to that one. She then mentioned the annual Scavenger Hunt that takes place each Halloween, an activity that is NOT sponsored, let alone condoned, by the school.
She warned that the school is working with the police to catch kids in the act of making mischief on Halloween, and that these troublemakers will be punished both by the police AND by the school. Is the school overstepping its boundaries? At least two students think so. One, a senior who wishes to remain anonymous, says he "understands where she's coming from when she says that she wants to cut down on the vandalism during Halloween...but that's what the cops are for...and I don't really think that the school takes actions for something you do off property." The other, sophomore Andrew Fallon, says, "...if it didn't happen in school or on school grounds, it's out of the school's jurisdiction."
All in all, maybe it wouldn't be wise to get together with your friends and toilet paper some houses. At least not tomorrow. I don't think any of you want the cops AND the school on your case.
UPDATE: Some more thoughts from the students... An anonymous junior says "...it's definitely kind of unfair to the kids who want to have fun, but then again...kidnapping? Last time I checked, that's illegal." He adds that kidnapping is usually part of the Scavenger Hunt...usually participants "target one person to be kidnapped."
Senior Tim Cushing says he is preparing an article for Spin about the announcement, and "if she does in fact punish anyone, I'm prepared to help that person appeal." As soon as he heard the announcement, he "yelled out in Math today, 'That's illegal.'" He adds, "I doubt she'll actually put it into place however, and until she does she hasn't committed a crime. That being said, she's setting the school up for a massive lawsuit if someone was to appeal."

Academic Application: November 1, 2007

Flipping through the latest edition of The New York Times Upfront magazine, I discovered some fun facts that I thought I'd share with you readers. If you are in AP History, you have probably picked up a copy already and read about these "Snapshots." If you haven't, here is a brief glimpse at some of the statistics provided:

Country W/ Highest Percentage of Internet Users: Iceland (85.4%)
Religion W/ Highest Percentage of Members: Christianity (33.2%)
The World's Biggest Company: Wal-Mart Stores
Most Populous Country: China (1,318,000,000)
Language W/Highest Percentage of Speakers: Mandarin Chinese (1,075,000,000)
Country W/ Highest Life Expectancy: Japan (82 YO)

Name That Song #11

Mama don't cry

Degree of Difficulty: 10 out of 10 (Many songs contain these lyrics, but which one am I thinking about?)

Myanmar update

BANGKOK (AFP) — An immediate regime change in Myanmar would be "impossible",
France's foreign minister said Tuesday, suggesting that the world focus instead
on a gradual move towards democracy in the military-run nation.

Bernard Kouchner, pictured, said "We are starting a process. We don't want to change the regime immediately, overnight. This is impossible, ridiculous and counter-productive."

Foreigners struggle to buy property in China

For many foreigners, investing in property in China isn't easy.

Tom Kuckock, a 32-year-old Australian lawyer, owns a home in Beijing. He bought it two years ago, after four years of searching and several collapsed deals. The foreigner in the picture is visiting a housing exhibition in Beijing.

Darfur update

SIRTE - A Darfur peace conference that began here Saturday is a "new start" for
the international community to facilitate the peace process in the western
Sudanese region, a Chinese special envoy has said.

Liu Guijin, China's special envoy on the Darfur conflict, made these remarks to Chinese reporters while attending the peace talks between the Sudanese government and rebel factions. Lui said that the conference is not a failure, as it has drawn attention from the international community. Six rebel factions refused to attend the conference, saying "the Khartoum government does not have the necessary legitimacy to negotiate."

Boston celebrates victory

BOSTON --Tens of thousands of Red Sox fans lined the streets from Fenway Park to
City Hall on Tuesday to cheer Boston's second World Series title in four years,
and celebrate how a team once known for losing was again baseball's best.

Among those tens of thousands of fans were, oh, I don't know, HALF the school?

Myanmar update

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Myanmar's military government stepped up its propaganda campaign against the United States on Sunday, accusing Washington of inciting last month's pro-democracy demonstrations in hopes of installing a puppet government.
Demonstrations that began Aug. 19 over high prices for fuel and consumer goods grew into a broad-based movement for democratic reform that attracted tens of thousands of people in Yangon, the country's biggest city.
Troops crushed the protests by shooting at demonstrators on Sept. 26-27 and arresting almost 3,000 protesters, including Buddhist monks. The government said 10 people were killed, but dissident groups put the toll at up to 200 and say thousands more people were arrested.
"Recent protests in the country were created by the loudmouthed bully, using the exiled dissidents and traitors together with communists, internal and external anti-government destructionists," said a commentary Sunday in the Myanmar-language Myanma Ahlin daily.

The US has nothing to do, and WANTS nothing to do with what's going in Myanmar. Now, don't get me wrong. We ought to be down there doing something about the violence.
Oh wait, Iraq and Afghanistan. Oh, yeah, $9.1 trillion deficit. This nation isn't starting a war in Myanmar. The people of Myanmar are starting a war in Myanmar. The people are sick of military rule. Plain and simple.
By the way, the lady in the photo is Aung San Suu Kyi. She's the leader of the National League for Democracy, the woman all these people are rallying for. Why? The military junta put her under house arrest.

The latest trend in South Korea!

SEOUL: When she returned to Seoul in 2000 after 10 years in New York City, Park Su Ji introduced her fellow Koreans to an exotic way to socialize over food: "brunch."
"I really missed brunch but didn't find any brunch restaurants," Park said. So in the spring of 2005, she opened Suji's, a restaurant that serves toasted bagels and blueberry pancakes, among other brunch staples, in a setting that features black-and-white photographs of the Chrysler Building and Union Square in New York.
Park said that she had thought her place would primarily attract Western expatriates. But two years later, scores of restaurants in Seoul offer, or even specialize in, brunch - and they are filled with South Koreans.

THIS is the top story at the International Herald Tribune?

Darfur update

SIRTE, Libya: Key rebel leaders on Monday called for a Darfur peace conference to be canceled as U.N. and African mediators bid for more time to draw them into the talks, which stalled just after opening.
The two main rebel chiefs are boycotting the U.N. and African Union-brokered conference, saying they won't sit with minor rebel factions they describe as government stooges.

More than 200,000 people have died in Darfur, and the rebel chiefs are doing nothing to work towards peace.

The champs come home

The Red Sox have arrived at Fenway Park and are being greeted by hundreds of cheering fans.

We went from being a cursed team to winning two championships in three years. That's ridiculous. Oh, and New England Sports News.

Fire in Stoneham Square last night

STONEHAM - Wakefield Firefighters played a pivotal role in containing a four-alarm fire that heavily damaged an apartment and floral shop in Stoneham Square last night and at one point endangered the landmark Stoneham Theatre.

Two Stoneham firefighters were injured, and one remains hospitalized today.

Naz senior awarded by Harvard

Congratulations to Allison Russell on receiving Harvard University's Book Award.

She wrote a book?

Concert Review Coming Wednesday

Tomorrow night (Tuesday) I will be attending the Morrissey concert at the Orpheum Theater in Boston. In case you didn't know, Morrissey is an alternative rock legend from England. He was the lead singer for The Smiths, a 1980s independent rock group. Immediately after the disbanding of The Smiths in 1987, Morrissey began performing solo and has been doing shows since then.
When I get back, I will be writing a review of the concert.

Name That Song #10

"Left for you to ring"

Degree of Difficulty: 9 out of 10 (Context clues should help you out here)

Songs of the Week 10/29/07

Folk - Beirut - "After the Curtain"
R&B - Archie Bell and the Drells - "Tighten Up"
Country blues - Lightnin' Hopkins - "Katie May"
Pop - Count Basie and Joe Williams - "Nevertheless"
Rock - Prince - "Purple Rain"
Blues - John Lee Hooker - "Boom Boom"
Southern soul - Booker T. and the M.G.s - "Outrage"
Jazz - Herbie Hancock - "Chameleon"
Metal - Silhouette Rising - "Bad Habits"
Soul - Martha and the Vandellas - "Nowhere to Run"
Swing - Count Basie - "Easin' It"
Rap - Ax Murder Boys - "Scream My Name"
And just for Glen...
Horror-core - Insane Clown Posse - "If I Was a Serial Killer"

Rockies Socked in 4 Games; Sox Champions

For a second, it looked like the Rockies had a chance to come back in Game 4 last night. Down 4-1 in the bottom of the 8th inning, Garrett Atkins of the Rockies hit a two run home run off of Hideki Okajima. Immediately following this, the Red Sox inserted closer Jonathan Papelbon into the game. With Papelbon being lights out as always, the Rockies had absolutely no chance. Sealing the save, and more importantly a World Series championship, Papelbon struck out pinch hitter Seth Smith to end the game.

Mike Lowell (pictured at right) was the series' MVP. Lowell had a great Game 4 as he finished 2 for 4 including a home run.

One interesting note is that Jon Lester started the game for the Sox. Lester handled the high pressure situation extremely well. In 5.2 innings of work, Lester allowed 0 earned runs and struck out 3 hitters.

Next up: A Patriots Super Bowl win and a Celtics NBA Finals victory.

Patriots Murder Redskins, 52-7

In a battle similar to one in 1864 in Colorado, the Patriots murdered the Washington Redskins by a score of 52-7.

Tom Brady: 29 of 38, 306 yds, 3 TD
Laurence Maroney: 14 for 75 yards
Wes Welker: 9 rec, 89 yards, 1 TD

No Radio Show This Week

Due to some necessary commitments that I have, there will be no Étudiant Radio Show this week. These commitments include myriad tests that I must study for Monday and Tuesday.

I will be taking requests all this week in preparation for next Sunday's Étudiant Radio Show.

Red Sox Win Game 3

10-5 Win Over Rockies. Ellsbury went 4 for 5. A win tonight = World Series victory. 2007 is 2004.

Unfortunately, I probably won't be able to watch the game because I have to study for some tests and do homework. Waiting until the last minute does suck....

Name That Song #9

Dis-moi pour qui j'existerais

Degree of Difficulty: 8 out of 10

Read Paul Robicheau

Remember that lanky male substitute? You may or may not be thinking about Mr. Robicheau. Mr. Paul Robicheau was a substitute at Wakefield High School up until the 2007-2008 school year. The last time I saw him was at a local grocery store in the summer. He told me that we wouldn't be substituting this year. (I believe he said that he is taking classes at Salem State, although this may not be correct)

Mr. Robicheau is currently a music writer for the Improper Bostonian, a Boston based humor magazine. A simple Google search of the former substitute's name will bring up dozens of his articles. From what I read, Robicheau has also written for the Boston Globe, MTV.com, and the Rolling Stone.

He is a great writer and I highly recommend that you check out his articles in the Improper Bostonian.

Also, I have random question for readers: Does anyone know what happened to the following substitutes: Ms. Storti, Mr. Cummings, and Ms. Green?

Death, Disease and More

Anyone getting sick of the headlines on Boston.com? I certainly am. Just take a look. 3 out of 5 top World News headlines are about death and disease.

At least three die in Colombia bombing before vote (5:20 p.m.)

Iraqi PM pledges to protect Christians (4:49 p.m.)

Niger rebels say kill 12 soldiers in ambush (4:03 p.m.)

Burmese desperate for health care (3:28 p.m.)

Over 160 sickened in Jordan poisoning (2:58 pm.)

Name That Song #8

Do you not think that God is looking down?

Degree of Difficulty: 7 out of 10

Father Ron Barker of Wakefield leads the hunt against Harry Potter

Wakefield's in the news! We're in the Boston Globe!

WAKEFIELD - The summer reading feats of Lynne Bimmler's sixth-grade class are proudly chronicled on the St. Joseph's School website.

"The sixth grade reads an average of 7.5 books each with many students in double digits," says a note on the class page. "Of course, Harry Potter was a popular choice."

But last month, students found that their favorite series had "disapparated" from the school library, after St. Joseph's pastor, the Rev. Ron Barker, removed the books, declaring that the themes of witchcraft and sorcery were inappropriate for a Catholic school.

Yeah, our town got a nice shout out in the Globe, alright. Wait, what's this? We're on the Fox News Channel as well?

A Catholic pastor at a Massachusetts parochial school has made all the Harry Potter books there disappear, saying they are spiritually dangerous for children and could encourage them to engage in witchcraft.

Wow, this story must be pretty big! Wait, hold on a second. I've just received word that we're in ABC 25 AND NBC 12 of Jacksonville, Florida! Under Weird News, no less.

BOSTON, MA -- A Massachusetts Catholic high school has banned the Harry Potter series from their library.

Wow, look at all the recognition our little town is getting. Wait, what? We're on ABC 7 of Denver!

WAKEFIELD, Mass. -- The pastor has banned Potter. Lord Voldemort has found an ally.

While Harry Potter may have survived Voldemort’s killing curse, he has been defeated by the head of a Catholic school in a Boston suburb.

Ha, looks like all the US of A know about Wakefield now. Wait, there's more? We're in ImediNews of Georgia! The country, not the state!

WAKEFIELD, Mass. (UPI) — A Roman Catholic elementary school in Wakefield, Mass., has deemed the Harry Potter series of books inappropriate and banned them from the school library.

Wakefield's famous! Huzzah! All because Father Ron Barker has banned the Harry Potter books from the St. Joseph's School Library!
Well, it's official, people. Harry Potter is a secular, Godless heathen. A Pied Piper prancing down the streets of Wakefield, literally bewitching the children of the town with his magic stick, leading them to worship Albus Dumbledore instead of Jesus Christ.
Witchcraft is real, kids. That's why they make you read The Crucible in school, so you can spot a witch and punish her/him accordingly. Harry Potter shall be hanged.
In case you didn't know, I myself am a confirmed, practicing Catholic who goes to church every Sunday. I'm going to see my priest and confess to my sins. That's right. I'm a sinner.
I've read all seven Harry Potter books. I've seen the first four movies. And worst of all, I actually liked the story.
So yes, I have a lot of Hail Marys to say. And so do you. There are many Catholics in Wakefield, and many of them have read this sinful, despicable series of books. I would like to thank Father Ron for saving our children from the threat of this boy wizard and for making Wakefield, Massachusetts the LAUGHINGSTOCK OF GEORGIA.

Those returning to San Diego face hardships

SAN DIEGO -- As the worst of the Southern California wildfires are dying down, many residents lucky enough to find their homes intact are likely to still face hardships for weeks to come.

Such hardships include polluted air, no electricity, and no drinking water.

I hate FEMA.

WASHINGTON -- One way to get decent coverage in this rough-and-tumble city is to arrange to have your own employees interrogate you at your news conference.

That would seem to be the strategy of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, much maligned for its sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina over two years ago.

FEMA scheduled an early afternoon news briefing on only 15 minutes notice to reporters here Tuesday to talk about its handling of assistance to victims of wildfires that were ravaging much of Southern California.

But because there was so little advance notice for the event held by Vice Adm. Harvey E. Johnson, the deputy FEMA administrator, the agency made available an 800 number so reporters could call in. And many did, although it was a listen-only arrangement.

At the news conference itself, some FEMA employees played the role of reporter, asking questions of Johnson -- queries described as soft and gratuitous.

Yo, I think Glen is an undercover FEMA employee. I'm going to investigate.

Fire in Boulder

BOULDER, Colo. -- An early-morning fire roared through a Boulder condominium building, leaving about 50 people homeless.

At least three people suffered smoke inhalation.

Hormone injection kills three-year-old

GAINESVILLE, FL -- Three-year-old Sebastian Ferrero underwent testing for his slow growth rate at the University of Florida Physicians Pediatric Outpatient Clinic.

The medical director of the clinic says Ferrero was pumped with 12 times the prescribed dose of the amino acid argenine for the test. Argenine is a naturally occurring substance used for testing growth hormone deficiency.

That was October 10. Ferrero was taken off life support a few days later.

A nurse and a pharmacist have been placed on administrative leave.

Donald Novak with UF Pediatric Clinics told First Coast News Thursday afternoon, "There was a significant problem that we did not know about until after Sebastian passed away and that was that another child who received argenine earlier in the year had also received too high a dose."

Jessica Mayberry says that child is her son.

"He just jumped off the couch, threw himself on the floor and started writhing and screaming and just grasping at his hair," said Mayberry. "He was screaming, `My brain is on fire!'" just continually."

Shands HealthCare of Flordia is taking steps to prevent another such terrible incident...a moratorium has been placed on IV drugs, the pharmacy can only deliver customized doses of argenine, children scheduled to receive the drug will be treated in a center dedicated to infusions, and there will be mandatory training for clinic staff who administer infusions.

Sox win game 2. Yawn.

There was brief confusion at Fenway Park last night. Under clearing October skies, a streaking Comet Holmes, and a Jackie Gleason moon, the Red Sox actually trailed the Colorado Rockies, 1-0, for three innings, and some bandwagon newcomers did not know what to think.

The natural order of the universe was restored when the Sox pulled ahead in the fifth, and all planets were aligned at the finish as the Sox walked off the Fenway lawn - perhaps for the final time this year - with a 2-1 victory in the second game of the World Series.

2-1? Seriously? Scores this low are why I don't watch baseball. A total of three points scored in three hours? That's like watching a three-hour movie with only three explosions. Blah blah blah click.

Genarlow Wilson freed

ATLANTA — A young man sentenced to 10 years in prison for having consensual oral sex with another teenager was freed Friday by Georgia's highest court, which ruled that his sentence amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.

See, people? Oral sex isn't REALLY sex. Anyone who says otherwise can suck it.

Name That Song #7

keeping low doesn't make no sense
sometimes people can be oh so dense

Degree of Difficulty: 6 out of 10

Four bodies discovered in Southern California

SAN DIEGO - As firefighters gained the upper hand in their five-day battle
against the Southern California blazes on Thursday, Border Patrol agents
discovered four charred bodies in the rugged mountains near the Mexican border.

If the fire was responsible for the four deaths, it would raise the death toll of this terrible fire to seven. At least 75 people have also been injured in the flames.

Rumor has it...

Just heard this story today at lunch: a girl left her purse behind, and someone took it to the main office. Now, if my source, the girl in question, is correct, Ms. Freedman went through her purse and took her cigarettes. Since cigarettes are contraband, not to mention a nasty, unhealthy habit, I can understand why this happened, but does the school have the right to go through someone's purse? Comment with your thoughts. Again, this is all unconfirmed at the moment...

Oil prices hit a new record

NEW YORK -- Oil futures jumped to a new record above $90 a barrel Thursday on news that OPEC production increases aren't coming as fast as expected and that the cartel won't announce new output quotas when it meets next month. Light, sweet crude for December delivery rose $2.74 to $89.84 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange after rising as high as $90.10 earlier, a trading record just above the previous mark of $90.07. Source: abcnews.com

Fright Night reviews

This year's crop of Fright Night movies was great! Every movie was solid and entertaining, and to prove it, I have a blurb for every single one.
Brain Food
An excellent comedy/horror movie to kick things off. Great lines, shots, acting, and use of the song "Thriller."
****
Resurrection
Nice shots, lighting, and editing. The death scenes are great.
***3/4
The Swiss Kid
Here's a nice "stupid, funny movie" from James DiNanno. His words, not mine. Some great acting in this one, particularly from Adrian Aiello and Jeff Mitchell. Nice effects and good use of music.
***1/2
Double-Take
Dave Gagnon directs and Drew Russell edits and stars in this clever work. Great lighting, shots, and use of music. Also, kudos for a great ending.
****
The Case of the Smooth Criminal
Jon Lawrence is hilarious as a private eye named Dick McFindaclue, recruited to investigate the mysterious murder of a Planters exec. Nice lighting, effects, and use of music, and, of course, a great script.
***3/4
Angelo Mordenaar: Artist, Tormentor, and Filmmaker
This is a nice mockumentary from James DiNanno which tells the disturbing story of the title character, a horror filmmaker. It's a convincing, realistic work, with excellent lighting, sound effects, casting, and acting.
***1/2
The Cabin
The TV teachers made this with their friends, the story of a man on vacation who rents a cabin, and may be taking a few too many pills. You, know, since he's being haunted by the ghost of a murdered little girl and her teddy bear. Great lighting, editing, acting, and effects.
****1/4

Humans endangering Earth and themselves

PARIS: The human population is living far beyond its means and inflicting damage
to the environment that could pass points of no return, according to a major
report issued on Thursday by the United Nations.

Climate change, the rate of extinction of species, and the challenge of feeding a growing population are among the threats mentioned in the UN Environment Program's latest Global Environment Outlook.

Darfur update

The conflict in Darfur has continued in different forms, but with no less
brutality, for over four and a half years. This week there will be an
opportunity to stop the fighting and chart a course toward peace.

Negotiations will begin Saturday, with participation from the UN, AU, the Sudanese government, parties that committed to the Darfur Peace Agreement back in May 2006, armed opposition groups, and representatives from civil society in Darfur.

Beckett and the Sox kick ass in game 1

Before the first pitch was thrown, oddsmakers, hardball cognoscenti, and an
entire Nation of Red Sox loyalists declared that the 2007 World Series would be
won by Boston, with ease.
Game 1 did nothing to dispute this popular
notion.

Sweet Caroline, good times never seemed so good. Oh, and visit NE Sports News.

Name That Song #6

There's battle lines being drawn, nobody's right if everybody's wrong

Difficulty: 5 out of 10

* Difficulties that are 6 out of 10 and over will feature at least two separate lines from one song.

Sox Up 13-1 On Rockies

The Red Sox currently hold a 13-1 lead over the Rockies in Game 1 of the World Series at Fenway and it is only the 6th inning! The Sox managed a 7 run fifth inning and haven't looked back since. More updates on the game in the morning.

Nano Technology, the Key to the Future

By mimicking structures found in seashells, scientists have created a transparent plastic that is as strong as steel.

For years scientists have tried to build sturdy materials for larger products from ultrastrong nano-size building blocks, such as nanotubes, nanosheets and nanorods, only to have the larger structures turn out comparatively weak.

"When you tried to build something you can hold in your arms, scientists had difficulties transferring the strength of individual nanosheets or nanotubes to the entire material," said study leader Nicholas Kotov of the the University of Michigan.

There is also a experiment going on in M.I.T. to create a "elevator" that reaches to other plants. This "elevator's" support is going to be nano tubes, which are stronger than any material on Earth alone.

WHS News

There will be a meeting for all Amnesty International members on Thursday, October 25, after school in room 2221.

People are free to do whatever they want, but I find it quite ironic that an organization such as Amnesty International which champions human rights is supportive of a woman's right to kill an unborn child. Hmmmmmm

Greenland's ice sheet melts as temperatures rise

But below the surface, the ice sheet is in constant motion, as ice built up in the interior pushes toward the coast in the form of massive glaciers. During warmer months, ice from these glaciers melts into the ocean.

It's an age-old process that scientists say has sped up in recent decades because of global warming.

The fear is that melting ice from Greenland and other Arctic areas could cause sea levels to rise enough to flood low-lying cities, such as Shanghai, China, and New York City, displacing millions of people in the process.

A recent report from the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, made up of scientists from around the world, estimates the sea level rise by 2100 could be as much as 1½ feet. Source: www.cnn.com

This would be very scary if it really flooded the cities mentioned in the article. Global Warming.

Investigators say that King Tutankhamen died while hunting

One of the oldest and most puzzling mysteries in human history is the sudden death of Egypt's boy king Tutankhamen. His tomb was exhumed by archaeologist Howard Cater back in 1922 and experiments done on 1968 showed swelling at the base of the king's skull.

This gives the impression that he received a massive blow to the head. More recent studies, however, have revealed that King Tut also suffered a badly broken leg. Egypt Supreme Council of Antiquities General Secretary Zahi Hawass commented, "He was not murdered as many people thought. He had an accident when he was hunting in the desert."

Further investigation has shown that the chariots in his grave are not merely ceremonial ones but were actually used by the king while he was still alive. Cairo Museum Nadia Lokma argued that "these chariots are hunting chariots, not war chariots. You can see from the wear on them that they were actually used in life."

Aside from that, a garland of flowers consisting of cornflowers and mayweed were also found in the grave. According to botanists, these flowers were in bloom during the months of March and April. Since the mummification takes around 70 days, it can be assumed that he died around December which is the middle of the winter hunting season. Source: Independent News U.K.

Pretty interesting.

Think This: October 24, 2007

2nd Amendment

The framers of the Bill of Rights envisioned the Second Amendment during a time when the United States was a fledgling nation. In all probability, they could not have imagined the levels of violence that confront Americans in today’s society. We live amid what has been termed a "culture of violence." While there is some evidence that violent crime may have lessened recently, Americans still murder each other with guns 19 times more often than do the people of the 25 other wealthiest nations. In addition, among the 36 wealthiest, the United States has the highest proportion of suicides from guns. While it is claimed that guns may be necessary to protect oneself and one’s loved ones, they may just as likely be used to provide criminals or mentally ill people with easy access to the means to cause irrevocable harm. - Source: Americamagazine.org

Total elimination of guns would certainly upset two groups of people: NRA members and hunters. Strict limitations on gun type and bullet size must be set forth.

Arson investigation into California fires possible

Special FBI teams gathered evidence Wednesday as part of a possible arson investigation into the wildfires devastating Southern California, the agency said.

FBI evidence response teams recovered materials they hoped would identify the source of the fires.

Name That Song #5

Banana Banana Banana Terracotta Banana Terracotta Terracotta Pie!

Difficulty: 4 out of 10

What is the World Turning Into?!?!

This is outrageous. Today, I went to the Bank of America downtown in Wakefield and asked them if I could change my $20 dollars for sets of quarters. You usually expect QUARTERS from a QUARTER PACKAGE. But no... I got pennies, dimes, and even Canadian quarters in between the American quarters. At that moment I thought to myself, "this is B.S! the bank actually ripped me off!". Instead of going back into the bank and asking for my money back (since they wont believe me and say, "You probably swapped the coins just to get more money, kid"), I came here and now I am writing about the incident like a REAL, PROPER, CIVILIZED citizen of the town should.
This is just wrong, I mean really. I'm not talking about a random store I went in to get change, I actually went in a BANK that was in my town. This is preposterous, no excuses. If anyone doesn't think its abnormal, feel free to comment.

Some stock market news...

It went from bad to worse for Merrill Lynch on Wednesday when the brokerage announced it wrote down the value of its holdings nearly twice as much as it previously warned.

Shares of Merrill Lynch fell $4.51, or 6.7%, to $62.61, after the brokerage said it swung to a third-quarter loss of $2.3 billion, or $2.82 per share, from $3.0 billion, or $3.50 per share, a year ago. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected a loss of 45 cents per share.

Merrill was dragged to a loss by bigger-than-expected write-downs on the values of its subprime mortgages and collateralized debt obligations, a type of asset-backed security.

Sell! Sell! Sell!

UN Special Envoy talks to India about Myanmar

MUMBAI -

Amid rising international pressure on Myanmar’s junta, India said Tuesday it would play an active role in helping the country to move toward democracy. But New Delhi also stressed its ties with its eastern neighbor and said any initiative should be mindful of the need for “a peaceful and stable Myanmar.”

“As a close and friendly neighbor, India has multi-dimensional linkages with Myanmar,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said in New Delhi Tuesday.

“Consequently, initiatives should be mindful of the need for a peaceful and stable Myanmar. India will continue to play a constructive and positive role, along with like-minded countries, to this end.”

India has attracted criticism for failing to condemn the recent crackdown on democracy protests in Myanmar. This week, U.N. Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari visited New Delhi as part of a six-nation tour to urge governments to put pressure on Myanmar’s junta to allow a democratic opening.

Gambari met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, and they spoke of their support for the U.N. role and a process of inclusive national reform in Myanmar.

Gambari told reporters, "I am encouraged by the undertaking they have given to...use their influence to encourage the authorities in Myanmar to continue their cooperation and deliver tangible results."

165,000 hectares burned in California

Firefighters from across the western United States continue efforts to contain massive wildfires in southern California. Forecasters say the strong winds, commonly known as the Santa Ana winds, should let up Wednesday, giving firefighters a better chance at putting out the fires.

The wildfires have destroyed nearly 1,500 buildings and forced more than half a million people to flee their homes.

Hot, dry winds are spreading the fires, which have burned more than 165,000 hectares, from Los Angeles in the north to the Mexican border south of San Diego.

According to Arnold Schwarzenegger, at least 68,000 homes remain at risk.

Darfur update

The rebel group JEM issued a statement Tuesday saying it will not attend Saturday's talks in Sirte, Libya.

Several other rebel factions have also indicated they will boycott the talks. These include a Sudan Liberation Movement faction led by Ahmed Abdelshafi and the Sudan Liberation Movement-Unity faction, as well as influential Sudan Liberation Movement leader Abdelwahid al-Nur.

Researcher Mariam Jooma, with the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria, South Africa, says she believes the absence of so many key figures will make it difficult to achieve results.

Jooma says, "The rebel factions are not wanting to attend because they believe that they still have not reached a consensus view as to what their demands are."

Beckett ready to kick some ass

Welcome to the World Series.

And Rockies? Welcome to Josh Beckett's world.

Whatever the reason -- Beckett hardly wants to hazard a guess -- the big righthander from Texas has been absolutely dominant in this postseason, and in playoffs past, as he works his way into the upper echelon of big-game starters alongside teammate Curt Schilling. And, having not seen game action for more than a week, the Rockies could have trouble with the locked-in Beckett.

No comment. Just visit New England Sports News for more on the Red Sox. Just do it.