Amado Wheat

Hundreds gathered Monday at a gravel pit where countless earthquake victims have been dumped, turning a remembrance ceremony for the dead into one of the first organized political rallies since the disaster, with followers denouncing President Rene Preval. Many called for ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's return - a familiar political refrain when things swing between bad and worse in Haiti. "Preval has done nothing for this country, nothing for the victims," said Jean Delcius, 54, クイーンカジノ who was bused to the memorial service by Aristide's development foundation. "We need someone new to take charge here. If it's not Aristide, then someone competent." Complete Coverage: Devastation in Haiti Haiti Quake: How You can Help One of the main challenges facing Haiti and the flood of international aid workers who came to the country after the earthquake has been security. The United Nations said Tuesday the security situation in Haiti was now "stable but potentially volatile," even as the U.N.'s humanitarian office said an armed group attacked a food convoy at the Jeremie airport in the southwest of the country. It said U.N. peacekeepers fired warning shots and there were no injuries. The global body said Haitian national police were stepping up patrols to prevent violence and apprehended 33 escaped prisoners on Saturday. U.N. spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs said Tuesday several hundred prisoners are still believed to be on the loose after their prisons collapsed in the Jan. 12 quake. Even before the quake critics were blaming Preval for rising unemployment, corruption and greed. Then the Jan. 12 earthquake struck, killing at least 150,000 people, flattening most government buildings and turning the capital into an apocalyptic vision of broken concrete and twisted steel. Preval has rarely been seen in public since, leaving his ministers to defend his performance - a job they are growing increasingly weary of. Asked Monday about the criticism of Preval, Communications Minister Marie-Laurence Jocelin Lassegue batted back the questions, frowning and looking irritable. "Those questions are for the president or the prime minister," he told The Associated Press. Haiti's government also has had to deal with the 10 Americans who tried to take a busload of undocumented Haitian children out of the country. Prime Minister Max Bellerive also told the AP that "what they were doing was wrong," and they could be prosecuted in the United States. Baptists Offered Kids Pool, Tennis Courts "It is clear now that they were trying to cross the border without papers. It is clear now that some of the children have live parents," Bellerive said. "And it is clear now that they knew what they were doing was wrong." U.S. Embassy officials would not say whether Washington would accept hosting judicial proceedings for the Americans. For now, the case remains firmly in Haitian hands, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said in Washington. "Once we know all the facts, we will determine what the appropriate course is, but the judgment is really up to the Haitian government," he said. Meanwhile, discontent with Preval appears to be growing, three weeks after the disaster. "He came Saturday and then just left," said Jude John Peter, 23, in a camp across from Haiti's demolished National Palace, where some 2,000 people are crammed into tents made of bedsheets and sticks, fighting for clean water and one portable toilet. "He's nowhere to be seen at first and then leaves when things get hot." Aristide faced similar criticism during his presidency. The former slum priest had a huge grassroots following among Haiti's poor but was ousted in 2004 as corruption and drug trafficking grew rampant and some of his former supporters accused him of abandoning his early followers to line his own pockets. Aristide has declared since the quake that he would like to return from his exile in South Africa - a move that would add political instability to the post-quake chaos and likely face resistance from the international community. Before legislative elections scheduled for Feb. 28 were postponed, Haiti's presidentially appointed electoral council had excluded more than a dozen political parties from the next round of elections in 2011. Opposition groups accused the council of trying to help Preval's Unity party win majorities in parliament so he could push through constitutional reforms and expand executive power. The most prominent excluded party is Aristide's former Lavalas party, which now plans more demonstrations. That will force thousands of American soldiers and U.N. peacekeepers to worry about containing political violence as well as providing relief. "There are people trying to make political capital out of this very difficult moment," said Arnold Antonin, an environmental activist. Some who attended the memorial said they simply wanted new leadership. Voter discontent is a constant in impoverished Haiti, where for years after the dictatorship, some even claimed they wanted the return of Jean-Claude Duvalier, whose father, Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, launched a 29-year family dynasty of terror. "When there's a great deal of discontent among the population, people look at the government and start considering past demagogues," said James Morrell, director of the Washington, D.C.-based Haiti Democracy Project. "This could explain people contemplating the return of Aristide," Morrell said. "But the question that Haitians are really asking is, what would the mechanism be to get capable Haitians into the country who could manage the situation?" Tens of thousands were killed by the Duvaliers - many of them also buried anonymously in the gravel fields of Titanyen. Across the capital, Haitians have voiced anger over the hasty burials of earthquake victims. Many Haitians believe that bodies must be properly buried and remembered by relatives and family so their spirits can pass on to heaven. In Voodoo, some believe that improper burials can trap spirits between two worlds. The mourners on Monday gathered near a white metal cross erected on a mound of gravel that covered nameless bodies dropped into a pit by dump trucks. The corpse of a woman lay uncovered at the base of a nearby gravel pile. One by one, people tied black pieces of cloth to the cross as a Catholic priest sprinkled the ground with holy water. A choir sang traditional Haitian hymns as religious leaders prayed for the dead. "We've come here to bless these people, to bless this spot," said the Rev. Patrick Joseph Neptune. Meanwhile, others in the crowd planned another political rally for Tuesday. "If Preval comes, we will kill him!" they shouted.

Hundreds gathered Monday at a gravel pit where countless earthquake victims have been dumped, turning a remembrance ceremony for the dead into one of the first organized political rallies since the disaster, with followers denouncing President Rene Preval. Many called for ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's return - a familiar political refrain when things swing between bad and worse in Haiti. "Preval has done nothing for this country, nothing for the victims," said Jean Delcius, 54, who was bused to the memorial service by Aristide's development foundation. "We need someone new to take charge here. If it's not Aristide, then someone competent." Complete Coverage: Devastation in Haiti Haiti Quake: How You can Help One of the main challenges facing Haiti and the flood of international aid workers who came to the country after the earthquake has been security. The United Nations said Tuesday the security situation in Haiti was now "stable but potentially volatile," even as the U.N.'s humanitarian office said an armed group attacked a food convoy at the Jeremie airport in the southwest of the country. It said U.N. peacekeepers fired warning shots and there were no injuries. The global body said Haitian national police were stepping up patrols to prevent violence and apprehended 33 escaped prisoners on Saturday. U.N. spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs said Tuesday several hundred prisoners are still believed to be on the loose after their prisons collapsed in the Jan. 12 quake. Even before the quake critics were blaming Preval for rising unemployment, corruption and greed. Then the Jan. 12 earthquake struck, killing at least 150,000 people, flattening most government buildings and turning the capital into an apocalyptic vision of broken concrete and twisted steel. Preval has rarely been seen in public since, leaving his ministers to defend his performance - a job they are growing increasingly weary of. Asked Monday about the criticism of Preval, Communications Minister Marie-Laurence Jocelin Lassegue batted back the questions, frowning and looking irritable. "Those questions are for the president or the prime minister," he told The Associated Press. Haiti's government also has had to deal with the 10 Americans who tried to take a busload of undocumented Haitian children out of the country. Prime Minister Max Bellerive also told the AP that "what they were doing was wrong," and they could be prosecuted in the United States. Baptists Offered Kids Pool, Tennis Courts "It is clear now that they were trying to cross the border without papers. It is clear now that some of the children have live parents," Bellerive said. "And it is clear now that they knew what they were doing was wrong." U.S. Embassy officials would not say whether Washington would accept hosting judicial proceedings for the Americans. For now, the case remains firmly in Haitian hands, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said in Washington. "Once we know all the facts, we will determine what the appropriate course is, but the judgment is really up to the Haitian government," he said. Meanwhile, discontent with Preval appears to be growing, three weeks after the disaster. "He came Saturday and then just left," said Jude John Peter, 23, in a camp across from Haiti's demolished National Palace, where some 2,000 people are crammed into tents made of bedsheets and sticks, fighting for clean water and one portable toilet. "He's nowhere to be seen at first and then leaves when things get hot." Aristide faced similar criticism during his presidency. The former slum priest had a huge grassroots following among Haiti's poor but was ousted in 2004 as corruption and drug trafficking grew rampant and some of his former supporters accused him of abandoning his early followers to line his own pockets. Aristide has declared since the quake that he would like to return from his exile in South Africa - a move that would add political instability to the post-quake chaos and likely face resistance from the international community. Before legislative elections scheduled for Feb. 28 were postponed, Haiti's presidentially appointed electoral council had excluded more than a dozen political parties from the next round of elections in 2011. Opposition groups accused the council of trying to help Preval's Unity party win majorities in parliament so he could push through constitutional reforms and expand executive power. The most prominent excluded party is Aristide's former Lavalas party, which now plans more demonstrations. That will force thousands of American soldiers and U.N. peacekeepers to worry about containing political violence as well as providing relief. "There are people trying to make political capital out of this very difficult moment," said Arnold Antonin, an environmental activist. Some who attended the memorial said they simply wanted new leadership. Voter discontent is a constant in impoverished Haiti, where for years after the dictatorship, some even claimed they wanted the return of Jean-Claude Duvalier, whose father, Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, launched a 29-year family dynasty of terror. "When there's a great deal of discontent among the population, people look at the government and start considering past demagogues," said James Morrell, director of the Washington, D.C.-based Haiti Democracy Project. "This could explain people contemplating the return of Aristide," Morrell said. "But the question that Haitians are really asking is, what would the mechanism be to get capable Haitians into the country who could manage the situation?" Tens of thousands were killed by the Duvaliers - many of them also buried anonymously in the gravel fields of Titanyen. Across the capital, Haitians have voiced anger over the hasty burials of earthquake victims. Many Haitians believe that bodies must be properly buried and remembered by relatives and family so their spirits can pass on to heaven. In Voodoo, some believe that improper burials can trap spirits between two worlds. The mourners on Monday gathered near a white metal cross erected on a mound of gravel that covered nameless bodies dropped into a pit by dump trucks. The corpse of a woman lay uncovered at the base of a nearby gravel pile. One by one, people tied black pieces of cloth to the cross as a Catholic priest sprinkled the ground with holy water. A choir sang traditional Haitian hymns as religious leaders prayed for the dead. "We've come here to bless these people, to bless this spot," said the Rev. Patrick Joseph Neptune. Meanwhile, others in the crowd planned another political rally for Tuesday. "If Preval comes, we will kill him!" they shouted.

The comments by Gen. Ashfaq Kiyani, ‎ベラジョンカジノ Pakistan's army chief, however, were also a reflection of growing self confidence within the military, which increasingly recognizes its pivotal role in Mr. Obama's plan to stabilize Afghanistan. In the past week, U.S. officials, before and after the international conference on Afghanistan which was held in London, spoke of the beginning of a period of rehabilitation of Taliban militants who are prepared to lay down their arms in Afghanistan.

Benedict blasted proposed laws before the British Parliament that are intended to prevent employers from denying jobs to applicants on the grounds of gender, sexuality, age or race. Current legislation exempts religious organizations, but the planned new law would effectively apply to lay people employed by churches. Benedict told the bishops that they needed to take a firm, public stand against the proposed legislation, which he said violated natural law. "Your country is well known for its firm commitment to equality of opportunity for all members of society," he told them. "The effect of some of the legislation designed to achieve this goal has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs." The Vatican says unjust forms of discrimination must be avoided. But it has, for example, opposed a U.N. initiative against gender discrimination on the grounds that it could pressure countries to recognize same-sex marriages. The Catholic Church teaches that homosexual activity is sinful. Meanwhile, Benedict confirmed Monday he would visit Britain later this year, a trip that has grown fraught following his move to welcome into the Roman Catholic Church groups of Anglicans upset over the ordination of gays and women. No dates were announced. Officials at both the Vatican and in Britain say the visit is planned for September. It marks the first papal visit to Britain since Pope John Paul II visited in 1982. Benedict confirmed his plans in a speech to visiting British bishops, saying he hoped the trip would "strengthen and confirm" the faith of Catholics across the country. He urged the bishops to help disaffected Anglicans who want to convert to Catholicism. "I am convinced that, if given a warm and openhearted welcome, such groups will be a blessing for the entire Church," he said. The Vatican announced last October it was making it easier for Anglicans to become Catholic, essentially creating independent dioceses for converts who could still maintain certain Anglican traditions, including having married priests. The unprecedented invitation shocked Anglicans and Catholics alike - particularly in Britain, seat of Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Neither Williams nor Britain's Catholic bishops were consulted by the Vatican, and they were only advised of the new rules shortly before they became public. Williams pointedly raised his concerns about the way in which the announcement was made when he met with the pope last November. "Clearly many Anglicans, myself included, felt that it put us in an awkward position," Williams told Vatican Radio at the time. The Vatican has said it was merely responding to the many Anglican requests to join the Catholic Church and has denied it was poaching for converts. But the move strained Catholic-Anglican relations and is sure to affect Williams' 77-million Anglican Communion, which was already on the verge of schism over homosexuality and women's ordination issues before the Vatican intervened. Anglicans split from Rome in 1534 when English King Henry VIII was refused a marriage annulment. For decades, the two churches have held discussions on trying to reunite, part of the Vatican's long-term effort to unify all Christians. But differences remain, and ‎クイーンカジノ the ecumenical talks were going nowhere as divisions mounted between liberals and traditionalists within the Anglican Communion.

Mexico has racked up its fair share of menacingly named outlaws in a three-year drug war: the Zetas, Aztecas and even a band of female assassins called the Panthers. Now, if the government gets its way, another name will also make the wanted list: los Twitteros. That's right. Twitter users are fast becoming public enemy No. 1, at least in Mexico City, where they have angered authorities by warning one another of roadside "alcoholimetro" - or Breathalyzer - checkpoints set up by the police. But the case against the Twitteros is about more than alcohol. Mexico is, after all, a country at war - at least according to President Felipe Calderon, who launched the crackdown on drug cartels shortly after taking office. Three years later, the streets of border cities like Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana remain full of soldiers. In many ways, the government is still playing catch-up to the nation's criminals. In this context, the issue of the Twitteros has quickly expanded into an argument over whether public safety takes priority over free speech in a country struggling to contain serious social ills. Fearing that kidnappers and drug cartels use Twitter, Facebook or MySpace to communicate, the Mexican government is considering a bill to restrict social networking websites and to set up a police force to monitor them. The Twitter feed in question, Anti Alcoholimetro, doesn't hide its intent. On any given night, a dozen people write in listing the time and location where they saw a police checkpoint, helping others to avoid it. The government's response has been erratic. At first, city officials said tweeting the location of police checkpoints was a crime, akin to helping someone break the law, and vowed to find a way to prosecute Twitteros. But after a media frenzy, they quickly backed down. "We're not taking any action against the Twitteros," said Othon Sanchez, director of preventative programs for Mexico City's public safety office. "I don't think it's a crime to say, 'Hey, I just passed Reforma Avenue and there's an alcoholimetro,'" he said. "But it is an irresponsible act because here in Mexico drunk driving is a serious problem. We see it on a daily basis." In fact, Sanchez said the Twitteros had been a blessing in disguise: their tweets have helped publicize the alcoholimetros and spurred his office to launch its own Twitter campaign in support of the program. Yet the right to tweet is far from guaranteed, even in the relatively liberal capital of Mexico City. Article 320 of the city's penal code prescribes prison terms of up to five years for those who "in any way help a delinquent avoid investigation by the authorities or escape their actions." If that seems vague, it is. But federal lawmakers are quickly working on specific legislation to track down and punish Twitteros who break the law or help others escape it. "We have to regulate these websites to make sure there aren't people breaking the law, making death threats or committing crimes via electronic means," said Nazario Norberto, a federal representative and member of the leftist Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD). Although Twitter asks users to abide by local laws, it and other social networking websites are currently completely unregulated and un-policed in Mexico, according to Norberto. He says his bill is still in the works, but is modeled in part after a controversial Spanish bill that would allow judges to shut down websites that, according to the government, help people break copyrights and other laws. The Spanish bill has already drawn fierce criticism from civil liberties groups. But Norberto denies his bill would restrict free speech. Instead, he argues, ‎パチンコ it would keep Twitteros from sharing private government data about the location of alcoholimetros. "This isn't public information because the federal police and public safety officials set up these roadblocks without telling anyone where they'll be," he insisted. "That's the whole point." If passed, the bill would do much more than prevent Twitterers from revealing Breathalyzer checkpoints. It would also create a "cybernetic police force" to scour the web for crime, including kidnappings and drug activity, Norberto said. His bill reflects a growing fear in Mexico that kidnapping rings and drug cartels are using social networking sites like Twitter to do business. "It's a way for drug cartels to locate targets," said Ghaleb Krame, a security expert at Alliant International University in Mexico City. "Facebook and Twitter have lots of weaknesses," he said. "For instance, criminals can find out who are the family members of someone who has a high rank in the police. Perhaps they don't have an account on Twitter or Facebook, but their children and close family probably do." Indeed, a recent string of killings suggest drug cartels are more web-savvy than the police. In December, a marine was killed during an operation to capture one of Mexico's most wanted drug lords, Arturo Beltran Leyva, who also died in the shootout. Less than a week later, gunmen attacked the marine's home, killing his mother and three relatives. "How did they know where his parents lived?" Krame asked, suggesting that the cartel could have used websites like Facebook to track down the family. "Drug traffickers have an intelligence network and, as far as I know, at this moment in time it's more effective than ours." While he seconds Rep. Norberto's call for police to mine Twitter and Facebook for data, Krame said any attempt to restrict social networking websites would be a mistake. "We have to play within the rules of the game," Krame said. "These are open sources. If we try to regulate them we're just going to end up like China battling Google." "We can't go down that path," he added. "It would be absolutely anti-democratic." More stories from GlobalPost:The Front Lines of Mexico's Drug WarDrug Cartels to Businesses: Pay UpJournalist Murders in Mexico Hit Record

Mexico has racked up its fair share of menacingly named outlaws in a three-year drug war: the Zetas, Aztecas and even a band of female assassins called the Panthers. Now, if the government gets its way, another name will also make the wanted list: los Twitteros. That's right. Twitter users are fast becoming public enemy No. 1, at least in Mexico City, where they have angered authorities by warning one another of roadside "alcoholimetro" - or Breathalyzer - checkpoints set up by the police. But the case against the Twitteros is about more than alcohol. Mexico is, after all, a country at war - at least according to President Felipe Calderon, who launched the crackdown on drug cartels shortly after taking office. Three years later, the streets of border cities like Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana remain full of soldiers. In many ways, the government is still playing catch-up to the nation's criminals. In this context, the issue of the Twitteros has quickly expanded into an argument over whether public safety takes priority over free speech in a country struggling to contain serious social ills. Fearing that kidnappers and drug cartels use Twitter, Facebook or MySpace to communicate, the Mexican government is considering a bill to restrict social networking websites and to set up a police force to monitor them. The Twitter feed in question, Anti Alcoholimetro, doesn't hide its intent. On any given night, a dozen people write in listing the time and location where they saw a police checkpoint, helping others to avoid it. The government's response has been erratic. At first, city officials said tweeting the location of police checkpoints was a crime, akin to helping someone break the law, and vowed to find a way to prosecute Twitteros. But after a media frenzy, they quickly backed down. "We're not taking any action against the Twitteros," said Othon Sanchez, director of preventative programs for Mexico City's public safety office. "I don't think it's a crime to say, 'Hey, I just passed Reforma Avenue and there's an alcoholimetro,'" he said. "But it is an irresponsible act because here in Mexico drunk driving is a serious problem. We see it on a daily basis." In fact, Sanchez said the Twitteros had been a blessing in disguise: their tweets have helped publicize the alcoholimetros and spurred his office to launch its own Twitter campaign in support of the program. Yet the right to tweet is far from guaranteed, even in the relatively liberal capital of Mexico City. Article 320 of the city's penal code prescribes prison terms of up to five years for those who "in any way help a delinquent avoid investigation by the authorities or escape their actions." If that seems vague, it is. But federal lawmakers are quickly working on specific legislation to track down and punish Twitteros who break the law or help others escape it. "We have to regulate these websites to make sure there aren't people breaking the law, making death threats or committing crimes via electronic means," said Nazario Norberto, a federal representative and member of the leftist Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD). Although Twitter asks users to abide by local laws, it and other social networking websites are currently completely unregulated and un-policed in Mexico, according to Norberto. He says his bill is still in the works, but is modeled in part after a controversial Spanish bill that would allow judges to shut down websites that, according to the government, help people break copyrights and other laws. The Spanish bill has already drawn fierce criticism from civil liberties groups. But Norberto denies his bill would restrict free speech. Instead, he argues, it would keep Twitteros from sharing private government data about the location of alcoholimetros. "This isn't public information because the federal police and public safety officials set up these roadblocks without telling anyone where they'll be," he insisted. "That's the whole point." If passed, the bill would do much more than prevent Twitterers from revealing Breathalyzer checkpoints. It would also create a "cybernetic police force" to scour the web for crime, including kidnappings and drug activity, Norberto said. His bill reflects a growing fear in Mexico that kidnapping rings and drug cartels are using social networking sites like Twitter to do business. "It's a way for drug cartels to locate targets," said Ghaleb Krame, a security expert at Alliant International University in Mexico City. "Facebook and Twitter have lots of weaknesses," he said. "For instance, criminals can find out who are the family members of someone who has a high rank in the police. Perhaps they don't have an account on Twitter or Facebook, but their children and close family probably do." Indeed, a recent string of killings suggest drug cartels are more web-savvy than the police. In December, a marine was killed during an operation to capture one of Mexico's most wanted drug lords, Arturo Beltran Leyva, who also died in the shootout. Less than a week later, gunmen attacked the marine's home, killing his mother and three relatives. "How did they know where his parents lived?" Krame asked, suggesting that the cartel could have used websites like Facebook to track down the family. "Drug traffickers have an intelligence network and, as far as I know, at this moment in time it's more effective than ours." While he seconds Rep. Norberto's call for police to mine Twitter and Facebook for data, Krame said any attempt to restrict social networking websites would be a mistake. "We have to play within the rules of the game," Krame said. "These are open sources. If we try to regulate them we're just going to end up like China battling Google." "We can't go down that path," he added. "It would be absolutely anti-democratic." More stories from GlobalPost:The Front Lines of Mexico's Drug WarDrug Cartels to Businesses: Pay UpJournalist Murders in Mexico Hit Record

Lohan, accompanied by her attorney, surrendered herself at the Beverly Hills Police Department shortly after 4 p.m. Thursday to be fingerprinted and photographed, said Officer Brian Ballieweg. She was booked on suspicion of a DUI with a blood alcohol level above .08, California's legal limit, and on suspicion of misdemeanor hit and run, Ballieweg said. A message left early Friday with her publicist was not immediately returned. The booking was reported by TV's "The Insider."'Lohan and two other adults were in her 2005 Mercedes SL-65 convertible when she lost control and crashed into a curb and shrubbery on westbound Sunset Boulevard at about 5:30 a.m. on May 26, police said. After the crash, バカラ Lohan got into a second car and was driven to a hospital in nearby Century City for treatment of minor injuries, police said. The two other people in her car were not hurt. Officers received a 911 call about the accident and traced her to a local hospital. Police said at the time she had been arrested for investigation of driving under the influence, though she wasn't formally booked on the allegation until Thursday. Lohan's booking comes a few days after she finished a second rehab stint that lasted over six weeks. She began rehab after a wild Memorial Day weekend that included the crash. She said in January she had checked into a rehabilitation center for substance abuse treatment.

On the show, Lavigne explained that after landing her first record deal at the age of 15, she was more than happy to leave high school behind. "I remember talking to my friends on the phone and they're getting ready for exams, and I was like, 'ha, ha, ha.'" I was supposed to do home schooling and I was supposed to read books, クイーンカジノ but I didn't do it. Basically I'm a high school dropout." Lavigne, whose third album "The Best Damn Thing" debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top 200 album chart, chats with host Lynn Hoffman and performs her single "Girlfriend," her first-ever hit "Complicated," and several other songs from her new album. Artists scheduled to appear on future episodes include The Goo Goo Dolls on July 29, country music star Toby Keith on Aug. 5, blues-rock band Blues Traveler on Aug/ 12 and rocker Meat Loaf on Aug. 19. Nine additional episodes are planned for production in 2007. "Private Sessions" premieres on A&E on July 22 t 9:00 a.m. ET

On the show, Lavigne explained that after landing her first record deal at the age of 15, クイーンカジノ she was more than happy to leave high school behind. "I remember talking to my friends on the phone and they're getting ready for exams, and I was like, 'ha, ha, ha.'" I was supposed to do home schooling and I was supposed to read books, but I didn't do it. Basically I'm a high school dropout." Lavigne, whose third album "The Best Damn Thing" debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top 200 album chart, chats with host Lynn Hoffman and performs her single "Girlfriend," her first-ever hit "Complicated," and several other songs from her new album. Artists scheduled to appear on future episodes include The Goo Goo Dolls on July 29, country music star Toby Keith on Aug. 5, blues-rock band Blues Traveler on Aug/ 12 and rocker Meat Loaf on Aug. 19. Nine additional episodes are planned for production in 2007. "Private Sessions" premieres on A&E on July 22 t 9:00 a.m. ET