US – Saturday, November 21

Shave and a haircut — Elliott’s $.02

You’ll notice none of America’s problems have been solved. Well, you can only blame yourself for not doing a good enough job of demanding the government act on the brilliant ideas I’ve been dispensing every week in Metro, the world’s greatest newspaper. Don’t bother groveling for forgiveness; it demeans us both.

The last of the original urban village

It was once a vibrant neighborhood, but was cleared out to make way for hospitals, hotels and upscale condos emblematic of a new Boston. Fifty years later, those that remember the neighbors and streets of the "old" West End are becoming as scarce as the landmarks of their youth.

First drop in Mass. jobless rate since ’07

The state unemployment rate fell to 8.9 percent in October, marking the first decline in over two years, according to state labor officials.

Kids stand by as reform debated

Eighth-graders at the Excel Academy Charter School in East Boston scored tops in Massachusetts on the English and math MCAS tests last year, a feat that left principal Komal Bhasin and her staff both proud and motivated to continue their success.

These Orphans are not afraid to play with ‘Dolls’

Ryan Landry and his Gold Dust Orphans have long been having their way with some of the greatest films of all time. Finally, the men, women and not-so-easily-identifiable members of this ridiculously talented troupe take on the big kahuna of camp, “Valley of the Dolls.”

Exploring every ‘Avenue Q’ puppet

The fuzzy puppets that inhabit “Avenue Q” won’t teach their audiences how to sing the ABC’s. These mature Sesame Street-like adult puppets have real problems: sex, racism, morals and finding a purpose in life.

Time to erase fourth-and-2

The Patriots sound like they’re sick of talking about it.

UMass heads the crowded HEA pack

UMass sits atop Hockey East going into the weekend. But not by much.

What to do and where to go.

Updated 22:15, September the 1st, 2008

T to hold planning meetings

BOSTON. The MBTA will begin holding public meetings next week on the proposed changes to its bus routes and schedules for its 2008 Service Plan.

The hearings will start Monday, Sept. 8 in Allston and end on Monday, Sept. 29 in Malden. The T will hold 11 public meetings in total that will be held in Quincy, Jamaica Plain, Lynn, Waltham, downtown Boston and at Northeastern University.

Every two years, the MBTA evaluates its bus service schedule and makes changes based on rider demand and comments. The T held community workshops earlier this year to receive suggestions on improvements to the schedule, and these new workshops will present the proposed changes.

Those changes, as well as the meeting schedule, are available at the T’s Web site, www.mbta.com.

Among the proposed changes are the elimination of four bus lines due to low ridership: the No. 6 bus (Haymarket to Fort Point Channel), the No. 48 (Jamaica Plain), the No. 500 (Riverside to downtown) and the SL3.

Many of the other changes involve extending or cutting bus routes’ service at the beginning or end of the day.

The November MMMpod features interviews and music with a band called Girls, a band of girls called Supercute, and a supercute vampire. Yes, listeners, we have Pattinson!

[Flyers by PaperG]