As a high school teacher who frequently works with our student assistance counselor (also known as the substance abuse counselor), I am frequently reminded of the effects of the abuse of alcohol among our students.

When given the opportunity to talk about their use of alcohol, we often hear the same sorts of stories from these young men (and rarely women) that adults tell. Starting young, drinking from social pressure, drinking because of media pressure, drinking because it's illegal and wanting to seem tough, etc. During the past decade, very little surprises me when it comes to alcohol abuse among teenagers.

Philadelphia sketch comedy group Secret Pants collected a number of quotes from the 1960's series Batman and a number of quotes from Dubya and challenged people on the street to guess which quotes were from whom.

The expression old and busted has been in use for quite some time now, but never has a political candidate embodied this phrase more than John McCain. It's not just his enlarged prostate that makes him old and busted, but it's also his outdated ideas on just about every issue.

Its opposite, the New Hotness, is often used to refer to something young and fresh, but unlike "old and busted" is often emphasizing the physical characteristics of something. Considering that Barack Obama, at 47, will be one of the youngest presidents in history, he fits the term well.

Many corporations have found themselves in a difficult situation regarding the Beijing Olympics. China's human rights record, in particular, regardint Tibet, is less then stellar. As a result, some corporations have decided that associating themselves with the Olympics is bad business. All it will take is one or two protesters to make a statement the entire world will see... and it could be one that will damage the corporate brand.

United States Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke publicly against military intervention against Iran. He acknowledges that tensions exist, particularly between Israel and Iran, but warns against a military offensive designed to Iran's incipient nuclear program.

This is at the culmination of almost a month of posturing on the parts of the United States, Israel, and Iran. Is this the prelude to a third American offensive in the Middle East?

Betrayal and deceit are certainly not novelties of the 21st Century. From the earliest of recorded history, there have been stories of those who placed trust in those around them, only to find themselves hung out to dry.

To commemorate the House's passing of the FISA abomination, I submit to you a collection of other famous ancient betrayals.

According to Faux News, John McCain has declared that the recent SCOTUS ruling on detainees at Guantanamo is "one of the worst decisions in the history of this country."

Perhaps McCain would like to revisit some previous decisions he might find disagreeable:

The Onion, a long-time staple of American news, has conducted a comprehensive survey of Democratic voting issues among women. The result may shock you.

While we continue to focus on events in the United States, open rebellion comes to Chad. One of Africa's central countries, Chad, has long been a crossroads for Europe, Arabian, and African culture. Christianity, Islam, and many other religions have passed through Chad. Chad, arguably the center of northern Africa, has been torn in many directions in the past. Now, once again, the center cannot hold itself together and things are indeed falling apart.

We cannot, must not, take for granted the fact that the Democrat candidate will win in November 2008.