RYAN FLAHERTY AND THE BURNERS

Ryan Flaherty and the Burners will be performing at The Big Easy in Portland on Saturday, May 25th. Ryan Flaherty and The Burners formed in 2011. The band is know for its captivating lyrics, burning tempos and diverse instrumentation.

For more information on the band click here: RYAN FLAHERTY AND THE BURNERS

If they are this marvelous, I could get hooked on graphic novels.

Habibi is the first "serious" graphic novel I've ever read. It took Craig Thompson seven years to research it, learn to read and write Arabic, and then to develop and illustrate both the plot and all the magnificent art in this book. Habibi is a fairy tale, incorporating the fantasy of the 1,001 Nights, the mystery of The Prophet's mystical experiences. But it also follows the struggles of two children - survivors. It is a parable of the evils we are committing upon the world, causing destruction through our own selfish foolishness. It is a story of cruelty and abuse, especially sexual abuse, and also about the redemptive power of love.

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PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- The Portland City Council is getting an update on how well its new plan to reduce homelessness is going. And there is good news.

Portland started implementing some new strategies on homelessness in March. A study group had been put together because the number of homeless people in the city just kept growing. The immediate goal of these efforts is to close two of the city's three overflow shelters by mid-January. And so far, the city is on pace to do that.

Last month, one of the overflow shelters was only used 4 nights. The month before, it was regular practice for 15-40 people to stay there. And housing placements are about a third higher than they were at this time last year, ever since Portland started requiring every person seeking shelter to work with shelter staff on a housing plan.