High School of the Week- Ithaca High School (New York state)

Today's High School of the Week is Ithaca High School in Ithaca, NY. The collegetown, which also features Cornell University, is home to the high school where Don Mills has been the principal since July 1, 2009.

Ithaca High School's mascot is the little brown bear (hence the image here), and the school has an enrollment of approximately 1, 675.

Among the school's famous alumnus is actress Mary McDonnell, who is known for being Kevin Costner's love interest in "Dances with Wolves" and one of the stars of the updated version of the cult tv classic "Battlestar Galactica."

Happy Republic's Day (Turkey)

Today marks the 87th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic, which is actually two years younger than my late father Mehmet Gokbudak (born on January 7,1921) would be if he were alive today.

This scene is from the historic Kiz Kulesi/Girl Tower in the Uskudar section of Istanbul. For those who have been to Turkey, there are few scenes that are quite as visually rewarding as the sight of the tower when one is sitting on a motor boat roaming through the Bosphorous.

Things We Learned on Twitter Today- Local Restaurants Closing

Since we started the Things We Have Learned on Twitter today entries, we have focused on such vital things ranging from a restaurant in San Francisco serving lobster corndogs (we still can't visualize that in our minds!) and crackdowns on Shiaa Muslim worshippers in Cairo, Egypt, of all places (Egypt is a Muslim country, but they are Sunni as opposed to Shiaa Muslim, for the most part).

But, today, we focus on our own proverbial backyard as we learned today that three restaurants in Greensboro,NC, have closed or will be closing soon.

According to a tweet from John Robinson, an editor at the "News-Record" (Greensboro's local newspaper) three restaurants have indeed folded.

The most recognized one of these establishments is Sofia Bistro, which I honestly thought was a Bulgarian restaurant since Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria (hence the cheeky photo here of a Bulgarian village). But, Sofia Bistro, which will close on Saturday, actually offers French-inspired cuisine. It is/was located on 616 Dolley Madison Road.

The establishment won positive reviews and several wine awards, but owner Beth Kizhnerman told the "News-Record" that things were not going well for the business economically.

Haybe's Hearth on High Point Road (the restaurant was on Spring Garden Street for 40 years) closed its door. Terry DeMoss, the current owner, told the same publication that: "We gave it our all, but it wasn't quite good enough."

Lastly, Nate's Place, which was on Spring Garden Street, closed as well. It primarily served students from nearby UNC-Greensboro.

Silly Photo to Fill Space- Darth Vader Dogs

Since we're on the verge of celebrating Halloween here in les estats unis, I thought I would find a goofy costume and we across this one with a dog dressed like Darth Vader that I'm sure my blogger friend Chris Knight of Reidsville, NC, will really enjoy.

Knight reported in July that a man dressed Darth Vader robbed a Chase Bank in Setauket, NY, (Long Island) on July 22. The suspect has yet to be arrested. A customer that the robbery was a prank even though Vader was carrying a firearm.

On the lighter side of life, the Lynchburg Humane Society in Lynchburg, Va., is hosting Meow-O-Ween, aimed at giving special discounts on cats and kittens at their shelter for the weekend of Oct. 29-31. Adult cats will be on sale for $20, while kittens can be adopted for $40.

The shelter also offers dogs (rates for dogs vary, call 434-846-1438 for more info), including Midnight, a 11-month-old black lab terrier/pit bull, Diesel, a male hound dog and Diva, a female Australian cattle dog who is one year and two months old.

50 Beers Around the World- Tui Beer (New Zealand)

Long day. Long commute. Aching feet. Nagging headache. It's time for a Tui Beer from New Zealand, but ahhhh wait- I'm blogging from a public library in Graham, NC*, and there is not a single bar in Alamance County that carries this brand!

(*Not really where I am at; btw, we fixed the glitch with the photo of Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri)

But, if one is in Wellington or Auckland, they can indeed have a Tui. The beer is produced by DB Breweries and it is promoted through clever ads which according to Wikipedia use sterotypes, heavy irony and the phrase "Yeah, right."

The Tui brand also has kitschy models actually called The Brewery Girls, and an online New Zealand web site called The Changing Room offers (we kid you not!) Tui-brand Cheekie knickers.

SIDEBAR: While I was lying about being at a public library in Graham, NC, where I may have been debating about which version of Herman Melville's "Moby Dick" that I want to check out, I am in fact actually drinking an Amstel Light (they didn't have Tui) at the Double Down Saloon in Las Vegas (home of the bacon martini!) with arch conservative, Tea Party favorite Sharron Angle who is trying to rob Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev) of his seat. She actually seems to have a good sense of humor, especially when it comes to making fun of Mexicans, but of course, I'd have to be awfully drunk to vote for her.

Quote of the Week- Alfred Hitchcock

Yes, I am aware that something royally effed up with the image of Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), but for right now let's move on with our Quote of the Week from the late, great Alfred Hitchcock.

Of course, we're doing this because Halloween is just around the corner:

"I am a typed director. If I made Cinderella, the audience would immediately be looking for a body in the coach."

SIDEBAR: What am I doing at the moment you ask? Well, we don't have time to post this on Facebook or Twitter, but I am in fact: "Having a halal beer with Juan Williams at the Paradise Hookah Bar in Paterson, NJ."*

*-Yes, there is such a place. Paterson, NJ, has one of the largest Muslim populations in the United States. The Fox News commentator was literally fired from his day job at NPR for saying Muslims in garb scare him on airplanes. I have a similar fear of Mormons, actually (that is just a joke, Marie Osmond fans!).Halal beer is actually a product that is served in Malaysia!

High School of the Week- Marquette High School in Chesterfield, Missouri

Sticking with the Show-Me State (see last entry; that's Missouri's nickname for those of you surfing in Mongolia), our designated High School of the Week is Marquette High School in Chesterfield, Mo., which is a suburb of St. Louis.

We got the idea to go with Marquette High School because it is the alma mater of University of Missouri gymnast Tori Howard. The sophomore turned 19 on June 21. The first significant home meet for the Tigers' gym team will be against Nebraska on Feb.4.

As for Marquette High School, the principal is Greg Matthison. The school colors are blue and green, and the nickname (if you haven't guessed?!) is The Mustangs.