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(07/23/08 11:41pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Themes of war and questions about life abound among trippy beats and inventive sounds on Beck’s newest release.Modern Guilt, Beck’s eighth full-length studio album, is a seamless collection of 10 tracks mixing both mellow, low-key grooves and more upbeat, danceable tunes. The first three tracks channel Beck’s inner ’60s child, creating a psychedelic vibe especially with “Orphans.” The up-tempo and simple guitar plucks combined with the drums on “Gamma Ray” are a throwback to the beach rock of the era, and sound like something the Beach Boys may have written while on LSD and crack.As with any other Beck release, the diversity between each track is staggering. However, it’s all mixed well enough that one can hardly notice the transition between tracks. There isn’t a particular high or low point, either. Tracks like “Walls,” “Replica” and “Soul of a Man” carry the album through before setting it down at the very end with the deathly mellow “Volcano.”It wasn’t until late this spring that word leaked about who the “mystery person” was working with Beck to produce Modern Guilt. When the world found out it was Danger Mouse (who is probably best known as one half of Gnarls Barkley) there was nothing but hope abounding.Danger Mouse makes his presence known especially on “Walls,” the only track co-written with Beck. Muted horns, haunting female vocals in the background and a waltz-y beat carries the song through. Even the most upbeat of songs on the album can’t escape the ominous theme present in the rest. “Youthless,” probably the most danceable of all, still has a grim message and hopeless visual imagery. “There’s a bottomless pit that we’re climbing from/ Just to get on level ground,” the opening lyrics state.“Chemtrails” is another somewhat bleak track, and channels an even more depressing version of “Eleanor Rigby,” while Beck hauntingly sings in a far off voice, “So many people/So many people/ Where do they go?”Despite the less-than-enthusiastic message of much of the album, the musical quality and diversity of the tracks is enough to make Modern Guilt a very interesting and enjoyable piece of music, and another great addition to Beck’s already impressive discography.
(07/23/08 10:31pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Generally speaking, when I spend $20 on a meal, I expect it to involve a lovely juicy steak, or perhaps some kind of seafood fare not native to anywhere near Indiana.Eating at the fair is one of the exceptions to this rule. Only once a year does the opportunity arise to consume so much deep-fried anything. And I realize there’s probably a reason for the prices being so steep on something fried beyond recognition and smothered with confectionary bliss. It’s probably for the health and well-being of humankind.But it’s all so, so good.The Monroe County Fair is taking place this week, which means that in addition to cute animals, nauseating rides and demolition derbies, it is high time to take advantage of my fair-food quota for the year.The anticipation was almost too much to bare as two colleagues and I inched along state Route 45 out to the fair. All that stood between me and that first bite of greasy bliss was a mile-long line of cars. When we finally parked, it was all I could do to not sprint for the rows of food carts, body-checking women and small children in the process. But I restrained myself.In the world of fair food, three items are the staple that must be included in the meal: the pork tenderloin sandwich, the lemon shake-up and the elephant ear. We set out on a hunt for these items and I settled on the “BIG-licious T” jumbo Texas tenderloin. And yes, it was big, and ’licious. The pork for the sandwich was so big, in fact, it had to be folded over in order to fit on the bun. As I waited in line, watching my meal deep fried in a massive vat of oil right in front of me, a fleeting image of my arteries screaming in fear flashed before me. I quickly pushed that away as I took the scalding hot and messy sandwich from the woman working at the booth and scoped out a spot to sit. When it comes to fair food, the easier it is to eat while walking the better. Ideally, it should be on a stick. So if I were to be rating this based on portability, it would probably fail. But the crispy breaded pork topped with tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise, onions and pickles was near-perfect, and exactly what I needed after a long day in the office.Next on the list was the lemon shake-up. If summer had a flavor, it would be this. Granted, the first three sips of the drink all contained seeds, but that just means it’s authentic. You won’t find seeds in Country Time lemonade mix. And the still grainy sugar that settled on the bottom and came with the last sip was a great finishing taste. Lastly, we set out in search of the pinnacle of festival food: the elephant ear. Nowhere else and at no other time of the year can you find this massive deep-fried and sugar-coated delicacy (probably with good reason). Considering I already literally felt like I was going to explode at this point, I was only able to have a few bites, but let me tell you, it was everything I had hoped for and more. The dough was a little chewy, a little crispy and deliciously greasy. There was a perfect amount of sugar dumped on top (tons). Definitely worth a yearlong wait.When we finally all piled back into the car, moving was a bit of a challenge as we were all pretty much stuffed to the brim. I guess that just means mission accomplished, since the opportunity to have an excuse to eat that much deep-fried anything won’t come for at least another year, assuming clogged arteries and heart failure don’t set in by then.
(07/21/08 2:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Animals and people alike were taking advantage of the fans provided at the Monroe County Fairgrounds on Saturday afternoon for relief from 90-plus degree temperatures. In the horse stalls, box fans propped in the door frames blew the manes of horses entered in 4-H Club competitions, and those waiting for judging results in the rabbit pavilion sat in front of anything that produced a breeze.The 2008 fair will feature not only a week of 4-H Club competitions, but also carnival rides, food and other daily entertainment.The rabbit pavilion was just one area that was hopping Saturday afternoon.Ribbons of varying colors hung from stacks of wire cages in the hot, crowded building and frantic rabbits jumped around as Makayla Derrell, 9, of Spencer, Ind., stood in front of a row of almost a dozen cages filled with her own rabbits she bred for this year’s fair. For her, the entries she has in the fair come after more than half a year’s worth of work. Along with the rabbits, Derrell has cows, horses and sheep entered in 4-H Club competitions.“We buy the cows and stuff back in January,” she said of her months of preparation for this week where they will be judged on their quality and appearance. “Their cuteness, too,” Derrell said after naming off other factors judges look for.“They do a wonderful job and work hard,” said First Vice President of the Monroe County Fair Board Rick Routon of kids who enter their animals into the 4-H Club competitions. “And the talent there that some of these kids have, you just can’t believe.”Fair food is, of course, another major attraction this week. Ice cream, elephant ears, kettle corn, cinnamon rolls and lemon shake ups are only a few options from various booths set up on the grounds.Routon said one of the biggest draws every year is the demolition derby, which takes place Friday and Saturday evenings. The midway, featuring traditional carnival rides, will open Monday and run through Saturday.But the attractions aren’t always the most important thing, as Routon points out. “People from all over come out to reminisce and to smell the food,” he said. “I don’t know what the one big thing is for people, but for me it’s seeing old friends that you don’t see through the rest of the year. I always run into people I went to high school with that I haven’t seen in years.”Seeing the fruits of labor of kids, like Derrell, involved in 4-H Club competitions is another big draw for some, like poultry barn leader Brad Shulz.“The kids are my favorite part,” he said. “I love aggravating them.”Events will take place on the fairgrounds daily until Saturday. Admission to the grounds is $2 per vehicle on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, and $7 a vehicle on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Some events have an additional admission charge. More information can be found at www.monroecountyfairgrounds.org.
(07/07/08 12:32am)
People’s Park was alive with music and entertainment Saturday night as two different impromptu groups decided to share their skills with the town. \nSenior Alan Thompson, president of IU’s juggling club, stood in the center of the park wearing a tuxedo vest and bow tie, juggling large flaming clubs.\n“This was a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing,” said junior Ashley Petty, treasurer of the club, as Thompson stood glowing in the light of the flames he was throwing. “He figured he could probably get some good tips. I’m surprised we haven’t done this before.”\nA top hat filled with money sat near the two of them and their juggling gear as they performed. In the background, a group of Bloomington teenagers had a performance of their own going on.\nNick Vangucht and Chris Abbott, 18, and Ted Gliessman, 19, danced to a boom box blasting techno band Daft Punk while the jugglers performed adjacent to them. The three have been dancing around Bloomington for awhile, and said this is the sixth time they’ve come downtown. The group arrived at the park before the jugglers, but they didn’t seem to mind the attention being diverted from them.\n“I mean fire, or mediocre dancing,” Abbott said raising his hands like scales to emphasize the difference between the two.\n“We were here first, but then he came in and made it better,” Gliessman said.\nThompson has been juggling since he was in the seventh grade, and has been a member of IU’s juggling club for two years.\n“I’ve always loved it,” Thompson said. Petty went on to say his desire to find a club on campus was another motivation behind joining the group.\n“He had a lot of free time and wanted to join a club,” Petty said. “And he already knew how to juggle.”\nThe club meets twice a week in the HPER building. The group practices with juggling rings, clubs and balls. Those wanting to risk playing with fire would have to learn on their own time. Performances like the one in People’s Park are also not usually planned group occurrences, but another impromptu session may happen once school is back in session, Petty said.
(07/07/08 12:31am)
Hundreds of people every summer travel to Lake Monroe for boating, swimming, fishing and other outdoor activities.\nHowever, despite how harmless these activities may seem, a certain level of danger is still involved. \n“You have to respect the water,” said Jenny Shedd, owner of Lake Monroe Boat Rental at Paynetown State Recreation Area. “The lake is different than a pool would be. You need to be cautious.”\nUnfortunately, accidents on the lake are nothing new.\n“It’s not like it happens left and right,” Shedd said. “It’s isolated. But it does happen.”\nRecent events have refreshed the need for people to be aware of how to be safe while out enjoying the water.\nJacob D. Snyder, 18, of Monrovia, Ind., drowned while boating with friends July 2. The group had rented a pontoon boat from Lake Monroe Boat Rental and was planning on hooking an inner tube to the back of the boat, said Angie Goldman, Indiana Conservation Public Information Officer. One of the girls on the boat jumped into the water after the inner tube, but high winds on the lake quickly separated the girl and the boat. Snyder and another member of the party jumped in after to assist the girl as she started to struggle, but they also started to struggle in the water. A passing jet skier was able to pluck the girl and the other man from the water, but Snyder went under the water and never resurfaced, Goldman said. None of the three were wearing a life jacket.\n“There’s a heightened awareness already because of what’s happened,” Shedd said.\nBoth Goldman and Shedd cited life jackets as the thing that would have made a key difference in the accident. Although Shedd said enough were provided on the boat when the pontoon departed that morning, no one in the water decided to wear one.\n“A lot of these actions can be avoided,” Shedd said. Lake Monroe Boat Rental specifically has its own safety measures before rented water craft are allowed to go out onto the lake, including a safety check-out sheet and enough life jackets on the boat for all on board. An employee is also required to go over the check-out sheet with whoever will be in charge of driving the boat. “We will continue doing what we’ve done for 26 years ... emphasize safety,” Shedd said. “A person can only absorb so much.”\nShedd went on to say there has not been a drowning or other major accident involving a boat rented from her company since 1995.\nThe nature of the lake is also much different than that of a controlled area like a swimming pool, Shedd said. Especially this summer with higher water levels due to flooding, strong currents beneath the surface can easily pull someone away quickly. Winds whipping up the water can also make it difficult to keep one’s head above the surface when treading water, and can tire even strong swimmers out quickly. \n“It’s a wake up call for the people,” Shedd said. “Before the holiday weekend especially.”\nLake Monroe Boat Rental usually rents out about 50 different types of watercraft every week, ranging from pontoon boats to kayaks.
(07/07/08 12:31am)
Ponchos, galoshes and umbrellas abounded Friday morning as Bloomington’s annual Fourth of July parade marched through downtown to kickoff the festivities surrounding America’s 232nd birthday. \nA rain storm just short of a torrential downpour wasn’t enough to postpone the event, which featured area churches, politicians, businesses and other organizations.\n“I didn’t want to be a sunshine patriot,” said Jeane Novotny. “I figured the rain will be a little while, and I’ve got an umbrella.”\nEven if the rain were enough to scare some potential parade-goers away, many participating in the event didn’t let the showers affect their mood. Heads were held high under ponchos and umbrellas, and some decided to go without any rain gear, instead as sopping wet hair dripped in their eyes and soaked T-shirts clung to their bodies.\n“It looked like they were having fun with it,” said Bloomington resident Jim Gordillo with his wife and three children after the parade.\n“They made the best of it,” his wife Tracy said.\nSome who attended found shelter beneath the awnings of restaurants and shops lining Walnut Street. Others, like Mary Ann Martin and her three children, were able to find an alcove of the courthouse that was both dry and had a perfect view of the parade.\nTheir location put them in a prime spot to take part in the Monroe County Courthouse’s 100th birthday celebration, which took place immediately following the parade. Chocolate and white cake was available, free to the public, and The Kookamongas took the stage on the courthouse lawn to perform a free concert.\nMary Ann’s son Peter smiled after just finishing his piece of cake, revealing teeth and tongue died blue from the icing.\n“Yes, they enjoyed the cake,” she said. “Now it’s all over them.”\nSome who attended the parade, like the Moore family, also planned to stop by the AMVETS fireworks display, which started around 10 p.m. at IU Memorial Stadium later that night.\n“We’ll have to use a blow-dryer for our chairs,” said Christy Moore as they packed up their lawn chairs after the parade. Her daughter Courtney, 9, had to dump a whole puddle out of the seat before folding it up.\nFortunately, most of the rain subsided just after the parade finished, allowing the fireworks display at the stadium to go on later that evening as planned. Other displays weren’t quite as fortunate, like the fireworks at Bloomington Speedway, which were rescheduled for this Friday night. \nEven if the rain did put a damper on the festivities it didn’t affect the spirits of many.\n“They got it done with a smile on their face,” Moore said. “If they can put it on, we can come and watch it.”
(07/06/08 9:54pm)
If someone were to throw a high-school dance, a wedding reception and a viewing party of “Desperate Housewives” into a giant mixing bowl, the result would probably be the Lifehouse concert Thursday night at The Bluebird.\nAs far as the eye could see, excited groups of women abounded. Some were there with groups of their girlfriends, gawking at the oh-so-dreamy lead singer Jason Wade, screaming like teenage girls at a Beatles concert circa 1964 whenever the band would start a new song. Others were there with their obviously reluctant male companions, swooning in the arms of their lovers at the romanticism of the evening – an atmosphere that was crowded, hot, loud and smelled like a stale mix of alcohol and sweat.\nDon’t get me wrong. I’m sure if I had a boyfriend in tow, the whole thing would have been positively magical. A beer or three probably wouldn’t have hurt, either. But one word kept coming back to my mind the whole night: mediocre. \nThe band wasn’t horrible. They played every song with the same precision as their studio recordings. “You and Me” sounded like it was straight from a radio somewhere (even the unnecessary and unexciting extended chorus they tacked on to the end of the song). But that’s the biggest problem. If I wanted to hear something that sounded like a CD recording, I would just listen to the CD.\nThe biggest and most important part of a live show is the ability to get the crowd excited, and to be exciting and interactive with the audience. No matter how much a band may be completely horrible, being able to get everyone in the room pumped full of “live music adrenaline” will make up for it. \nIt wasn’t until almost the very end of the show that Wade started to acknowledge his audience, making comments about his love for smaller venues like the Bird and even jumping off the stage at one point to take a picture with a girl in the front row. However, being the jaded critic that I am, I remained unimpressed.\nI do have to give the man credit for still coming to play this show. The previous two performances the band had scheduled had been cancelled because of an emergency wisdom tooth removal Wade had to go through earlier in the week, which made him unable to sing. So maybe the Vicodin he said he was taking for his pain was the culprit behind this concert nearly lulling me to sleep by the third song. \nOthers who attended had mixed feelings about the performance. Senior Isaac Day was not impressed with the concert or the band in general.\n“My friend’s in from out of town and wanted to see them,” he said. “They sound like Creed, only watered down.”\nBloomington resident Abby Smith had already seen Lifehouse once before but wasn’t blown away by their performance.\n“It was good,” she said. “I’ve seen them play once before in an acoustic set, so seeing them live tonight was cool. I got to see both sides of them.”\nAfter about an hour of what seemed like the same songs on repeat, the band packed up and headed out, and a bum rush of estrogen exited the building. As much as I would like to say the night was phenomenal and a throwback to my past (because I will admit, I was in love with their first CD back in my middle-school days), I just can’t bring myself to call the night anything more than just OK.
(07/04/08 5:18pm)
Ponchos, galoshes and umbrellas abounded Friday morning as Bloomington’s annual Fourth of July parade marched through downtown.
(07/03/08 1:39am)
A new state law restricting sellers of “sexually explicit” material that went into effect Tuesday was overturned by a federal judge the same day.\nThe law applied to any new retailer or any retailer who changed their location after June 30 that intended to sell any book, magazine, recording or video deemed “sexually explicit” to register with Indiana’s secretary of state, pay a $250 fee and provide a list of all items for sale. The law was ruled unconstitutional.\n“Clearly, a vast array of merchants and materials is implicated by the reach of this statute as written,” Judge Sarah Evans Barker said in a written opinion. “A romance novel sold at a drugstore, a magazine offering sex advice in a grocery store checkout line, an R-rated DVD sold by a video rental shop, a collection of old Playboy magazines sold by a widow at a garage sale – all incidents of unquestionably lawful, nonobscene, nonpornographic material being sold to adults – would appear to necessitate registration under the statute.” \nBoxcar Books and Community Center of Bloomington, along with Big Hat Books in Indianapolis and other plaintiffs, filed the suit in May. They claimed the law was unconstitutional because it infringed on the First Amendment rights of the retailers.\nHowever, the bill’s original intention was to protect Indiana residents. The bill was written by Indiana state Rep. Terry Goodin, D-Crothersville.\n“I wrote this bill in response to a situation in my district where a store gave residents the impression it would be selling books, movies and snacks. Instead, the store opened selling sexually graphic products,” Goodin said in a statement on his Web site. \nMany bookstore owners also feel the lack of specification of the law was its downfall.\n“It would have been devastating because of its vagueness,” said \nChristopher Finan, president of the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression. “It would have certainly forced many booksellers to discontinue the sale of books and magazines and other materials that people have the constitutional right to purchase. It would have been a very dark day indeed.”\nTechnically, because the ruling came the same day the law was supposed to go into effect, it had actually been effective for about 15 hours before it was overturned, said Abbey Friedman, general coordinator of Boxcar Books.\n“I was a little bit nervous and e-mailed (our attorney) this morning when I got in,” Friedman said Tuesday. “He said let’s just wait it out a little more, and it worked.” \nThe defendants in the case have 30 days to appeal the ruling. Friedman said the defendants had attempted to negotiate with the plaintiffs during the case.\n“They were trying to bargain with us about three weeks ago to see if we would want to rewrite the law for them,” she said. “I think they felt pretty threatened at that point. I’m kind of under the impression that they’ll leave it alone.”\nFinan also hopes this is the end of the case for the booksellers.\n“Although we were never in any serious doubt about the statute, we’re certainly glad the judge agrees,” he said. “We’re pleased she’s made short work of this very bad law.\n“We hope that the state will acknowledge the judge’s opinion in great detail and decide not to appeal and make the best of a bad situation.”
(07/02/08 8:47pm)
A new state law that would have gone into effect Tuesday was overturned by a federal judge on Tuesday because of its unconstitutionality.\nThe law, which was struck down the same day it was intended to go into effect in Indiana, would have required any retailer who intended to sell material deemed “sexually explicit” to register with Indiana’s secretary of state, pay a fee and provide a list of all items for sale.\n“I feel great,” said Abbey Friedman, general coordinator of Boxcar Books, 310A S. Washington St. “I’m glad that the system works sometimes, and in this case.”\nBoxcar Books, along with Big Hat Books in Indianapolis and other plaintiffs, including other members of the entertainment industry, filed the suit in May. They claimed the law was not constitutional because it infringed on the First Amendment rights of the retailers.\nMany bookstore owners also feel the lack of specification of the law was its downfall.\n“It would have been devastating because of its vagueness,” said Christopher Finan, president of the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, who were one of the plaintiffs. “It would have certainly forced many booksellers to discontinue the sale of books and magazines and other materials that people have the constitutional right to purchase. It would have been a very dark day indeed.”\nTechnically, because the ruling came the same day the law was supposed to go into effect, it had actually been effective for about 15 hours before it was overturned, Friedman said.\n“I was a little bit nervous and e-mailed (our attorney) this morning when I got in,” she said. “He said let’s just wait it out a little more, and it worked.” \nThe defendants in the case have 30 days to appeal the ruling, said Kenneth Falk, the lawyer who represented three of the plaintiffs, including Boxcar Books. Friedman said the defendants had attempted to negotiate with the plaintiffs during the case.\n“They were trying to bargain with us about three weeks ago to see if we would want to rewrite the law for them,” she said. “I think they felt pretty threatened at that point. I’m kind of under the impression that they’ll leave it alone.”\nFinan also hopes this is the end of the case for the booksellers.\n“Although we were never in any serious doubt about the statute, we’re certainly glad the judge agrees,” he said. “We’re pleased she’s made short work of this very bad law.\n“We hope that the state will acknowledge the judge’s opinion in great detail and decide not to appeal and make the best of a bad situation.”
(06/19/08 12:08am)
Two-year-old Mason Leake scuttled from the moon walk to the boat ride, bustling with excitement and with a wide smile on his face as his grandmother, Terri Leake, trailed after him. \n“They’re all about the boats this year,” she said, lugging along stuffed-animal prizes and a diaper bag. “Last year it was the train, but I think they’re a little beyond that now.” \nMason and his sister Sierra, 4, hopped in line to the boat ride with a handful of other children as the Saturday afternoon sun faded and the brightly colored lights of all the rides at the 51st Annual Fun Frolic started to illuminate the night. \nThe Fun Frolic is being held nightly now until Saturday, and features carnival rides for the thrill seeker and young children alike as well as traditional carnival food and games.\n“We’ve been coming here every year since I was little bitty,” said Erin Leake as she watched her own children ride around in circles on the little colored cars of the boat ride. \n“It’s a family thing to do,” added her mother-in-law \nTerri Leake.\nA portion of the revenue from the carnival will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Indiana and IU Child Care Centers. \n“It’s always fun to eat carnival food and relax and have fun together as a family,” said Lee Ann Jourdan, associate development director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Indiana. “And money will go to two great organizations in town.”\nAbout 20 different attractions are at the carnival, according to Terry Stafford of Cumberland Valley Shows. Tickets are available in strips of five tickets for $5, 24 tickets for $20 or 72 tickets for $50. Thursday is a “2-for-1” ride night, and with one ticket two people gain access to the ride. Saturday is the “Last Blast” for the Fun Frolic, and wristbands will be available for $15 for access to all rides until 11 p.m.
(06/12/08 12:21am)
A blood-splattered human being covered with plastic wrap on a Styrofoam tray isn’t something that would be offered next to other items in the meat section in any supermarket, and with good reason.\nHowever, Ashley Byrne doesn’t see much of a difference between this and any other packaged unit of chicken or beef.\n“We’re hoping that when people see graphic images they’ll think about pigs, chickens and humans,” she said. “Flesh is flesh.”\nByrne, campaign coordinator for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, along with several other volunteers, staged a protest against consuming meat products on Monday morning in People’s Park. \nPETA interns Cassandra Calahan and Chelsea Pagan-Hermina laid sprawled out almost completely naked and splattered with stage blood on large Styrofoam trays under plastic wrap in the hot late morning sun. Stickers covered their chests labeling them “FLESH,” priced at $3.18 a pound. The stickers also stated that “Billions of animals are abused and violently killed because you eat meat.”\nDespite the discomfort that comes from baking in the sun sprawled out in such unnatural positions, Byrne said the interns are both still willing to do it for PETA’s cause.\n“They both have always just said it’s nothing compared to what animals on factory farms go through,” Byrne said. “If most people saw how animals are turned into hot dogs, chicken nuggets, steak, they would lose their lunch.”\nThe interns as well as Byrnes are traveling to various cities in the Midwest from Iowa to Ohio to promote PETA’s cause. Their Bloomington visit has been in the works for about a month.\nPassersby gawked, pointed and shook their heads at the display near the street as the other volunteers handed out information on PETA, trying to get a word in about their message.\nSome, like Indianapolis resident Scott Lintner, were not swayed by the graphic display.\n“I actually like meat,” he said as he walked by.\nLintner doesn’t believe this kind of public display is the most effective way of getting other people to change how they live.\n“People have either chosen to eat meat or not,” he said, before adding his doubt that this kind of display is appropriate for a public place.\n“It kind of smacks, almost,” he said. “There’s a lot of shock value.”\nHowever, that’s just what volunteer and IU associate instructor Karen Danielson thinks should be done to get people’s attention.\n“Shock is always very effective,” she said. “It makes people sit and question whether or not these things are good.”
(06/10/08 12:49am)
NASHVILLE, Ind. – Thirty minutes was all it took for Debbie Guffey’s family business to go under water.\n“I’ve seen it (to the grass),” Guffey said. “But never, never to the windows of the shop.”\nSevere storms that moved through south central Indiana Friday night and Saturday morning dumped about 10 inches of water in the area, according to the National Weather Service, putting homes and businesses like Guffey’s Brown County Tire and Auto Service in Nashville, Ind. in dire straights.\nBy Sunday afternoon, most of the water that had damaged the garage belonging to Guffey and her husband had receded, but reminders of the destruction it caused remained. An oil drum that had been stored inside the building was tipped over in the course of the flood, coating everything on the premises with a fine layer of used oil. The water line reached to the windows of the garage bay doors, and almost a foot of standing water remained in what used to be the driveway to the garage.\n“I’ve never been through anything like this,” Guffey said. “I don’t know what kind of steps there are.”\nThe extent of the damage was still being determined as Guffey walked through the premises in a stunned daze. \n“We have insurance, but is it gonna do this?” she said. “Our business is probably going to be closed down for awhile.”\nIndiana Conservation Officer Jeff Atwood was on duty all day Saturday aiding flood victims in the Brown County area and stopped by Guffey’s business Sunday afternoon to see the damage. \n“This is a family business and they’ve got six foot of water in their shop, and they’re due to open tomorrow,” Atwood said. “They employ mechanics here that have families that depend on the work here, and there’s not gonna be any work tomorrow ... because they have to clean up and take everything out. It’s just a mess.”\nBusiness owners aren’t the only ones affected. Farmers are feeling the crunch from the high amount of rainfall, and according to Atwood (who owns his own farm in southern Monroe County) its reaching a “critical time” in the season where it may be too late to replant crops.\n“I think you’re gonna see an increase in costs on not only crop harvests and sales but an increase in ethanol prices,” he said. “They still have an effect on the markets in the United States and the world.”\nWorkers like Atwood have dedicated their entire weekend to clean up due to flood damage. Kevin Harrison of the Johnson County Highway Department had been out from 6 a.m. Saturday until 11 p.m. that night, and was back on the job at 8 a.m. Sunday morning assessing damage to bridges and other structures in the area. \n“With five, six, seven (structures) to do, it’ll be awhile,” he said of the amount of time needed to repair damaged areas in his jurisdiction. \nSince Saturday, 22 counties in Indiana have declared states of emergency, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Multiple roads, including portions of I-65 and Indiana 37, were closed due to high water, making travel difficult.\nDespite the extreme hardships now brought to the people affected by the spring storms, Atwood cites the determination of the rural citizens as the biggest tool in getting through these challenges.\n“The people here will get through it, the problem is its gonna take some time to recover,” he said. “The resources that are available to these people here are utilized to their fullest extent, but in a situation like this the resources are not enough and they’re never enough.\n“It’s a way of life. You deal with the things that are thrown at you. It’s not easy but that’s the way they’ve always lived and that’s the way they’ll continue to live.”
(06/09/08 4:53pm)
My learning ground for concert etiquette started at a park pavilion my freshman year of high school. I believed I had an appreciation for music before this particular show, but my first real piece of knowledge came this fateful February night as dozens of little high schoolers packed into a shoddy venue in suburbia, Fort Wayne.\nWhat I learned: the key to a good show is the energy the crowd and the band bring to the plate.\nWrong Way, a Sublime tribute band out of Athens, Ga., brought all the energy needed and then some to the Bluebird Saturday night, and the crowd was there to push them along the whole way.\n“On any given night the crowd makes it or breaks it,” lead singer Mike Sparrow said after the show. “If the crowd’s not involved, there’s no way to win them over.”\nAfter a late start (the band’s bus broke down en route to Bloomington), all five members brought their interpretation of a real live Sublime show to the stage to a crowded venue. \nWith finals for the first summer session approaching and the heat of summer recently kicking in, the mellow reggae sounds of songs like “Bad Fish” and “Santeria” were just what I and apparently many others in Bloomington needed. To make a lame Dane Cook reference, I just wanted to dance Saturday night.\nAnd dancing there was. I’m not sure a single person was able to stand still in the audience, especially while watching Sparrow jump around on stage, infected with energy, as his T-shirt slowly faded from dry to slightly damp with sweat to soaked halfway down to no longer on his body. \nIn addition to covering original Sublime tracks, the band also covered songs from the same vein and influence of the early ’90s ska-punk band in order to make the show more like an actual Sublime concert would have been before lead singer Bradley Nowell died of heroin overdose in 1996. 311’s “Amber” and Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff” both made an appearance Saturday night. \n“We try to do Sublime justice,” drummer Brady Smith said.\nAnd they did just that. I’ll admit I am not a Sublime expert, but the songs I do know, I know well. The band’s real test for me came when they played “Date Rape” (let me just say it has little to do with subject matter, but this song has been a longstanding favorite. It’s just so darn catchy). \nI know this song like the back of my hand. Countless summer road trips in my Jeep with the top off and friends piled into the back have included blasting this song and singing along to every word, and Wrong Way nailed it. I was sweating from what I would call dancing (others might call it violent spasms, but that’s beside the point) and my voice was on the verge of going hoarse from yelling along. \nThis kind of familiarity with Sublime’s music is what drives the band to continue covering their songs. \n“It makes it easy to get the crowd involved,” Sparrow said. “They have so many fans.”\nThese fans in cooperation with the intense energy brought by this cover band made for an exhausting concert.\nAnd that’s how a good show should be.
(06/05/08 1:58pm)
Real fans of Dave Matthews Band understand what their concerts are like. \nIt usually entails a weekend of camping out, no bathing, little sleep, endless games of cornhole, constant debates with neighbors on the best Dave song and an ever-fresh can (or bottle, if you prefer) of your favorite cheap college beer. Then the concert starts, usually after many fresh bottles or cans, and the night becomes an almost religious experience as one of the world’s most popular jam bands takes the stage.\nSo I knew going into the Bluebird on Friday night that the Dave Matthews Tribute Band was not going to be the same. Apparently, everyone else in Bloomington knew it too and decided to sit this one out.\nWhen I arrived, people around me were debating whether the band was actually going to play. Part of me was almost hoping they wouldn’t. For starters, I’ve always wondered how any band can play to an empty room. Secondly, after battling the stomach flu, I’ve never felt closer to my death bed than I did that night, and it’s a miracle I managed to make it to the show in the first place. All for you and the love of journalism, folks.\nWhen the band took the stage around 11:30 p.m., a few more stragglers had managed to take a seat in the club, but still nothing near the kind of crowd I was expecting in a college town. Regardless, DMTB plowed on with its opening number, “Don’t Drink the Water.”\nFrom the instant the first chord blasted through the venue, I knew something was off. Granted, they had a high standard to live up to for me. “Live at Folsom Field” is my favorite live Dave disc of all time, and the rendition of this song that opens the CD is \ntruly powerful. Seeing Dave perform it live is also powerful. It’s just an intense song (Anything with the subject matter of early American \nsettlers forcing American \nIndians off of their property for the settlers’ selfish \ndesires is bound to move \nyou somehow). \nIt was not powerful Friday night. Maybe it was the crowd, maybe it was the fact that the lead singer was not popping veins in his forehead the way Dave does when he screams into the mic, maybe it was images of the grim reaper standing in my peripheral vision while I clutched what felt like a small animal trying to claw its way out of my stomach. In any case, I was not blown away. \n“Grace is Gone” came next, followed by an intense breakdown by violinist Nate DeMaria. This was impressive.\n“Part of me wonders if they made this band just so he could play,” said my “date” for the evening, senior Alicia Christie, while DeMaria pounded away on stage. “Because he’s really, really good.”\nThe concert continued with a variety of tracks from all of the band’s more popular CDs, and as the night went on I did start to warm up to the band a bit. The band members were very talented and knew what goes into a real Dave show. The lead singer, Ryan Clifford, even had his guitar strap at the same height and had the same stance, pressing his feet together and frantically pounding the stage when the music got more intense. \nMore people started to filter in as well, improving the atmosphere. Senior Melissa Johnson has seen Dave “five or six” times and understands that seeing a cover band in a club is not going to be anywhere near the real thing.\n“It was kind of dead (tonight),” Johnson said. “It’s hard comparing it to 50,000 people at a Dave Matthews Band concert, though.”\nBy the time the show was wrapping up, I was ready to crawl into a coffin just to put myself out of my misery (from my ailment, that is, not from the concert). Because of that, I stayed just long enough to hear their last song, “All Along the Watchtower,” before ducking out to the nearest drug store to procure a hefty supply of pain meds. \nI was disappointed that they didn’t play more songs off “Before These Crowded Streets,” one of DMB’s earlier and more diverse albums, or the song “Two Step,” probably my favorite of all time. Despite this and their somewhat rocky start (at least in my judgmental eyes), the band still managed to pull off a decent set, even if it was nothing to write home about.\n“It’s hard to compare Dave to someone else,” said senior Josh Cooper. “Overall they did pretty good. As good as it should have been.”
(06/05/08 4:17am)
Walter G. Ayala, 18, died Saturday at local Sanders Quarry after diving from the “Rooftop” jump. \nThe Washington, Ind., teen was in Bloomington with two friends for the Indiana High School Athletic Association Track & Field State Championship, according to a Monroe County Sheriff’s report. The three friends decided to visit the quarries for a swim and had been at Sanders for about an hour jumping from different ledges when the accident occurred.\nUnfortunately, Ayala isn’t the first victim of a tragic accident at this quarry.\n“As far as I can remember, it seems like we’re called out at least once a summer,” said Sgt. Troy Thomas of the Monroe County Sheriff’s department. “One of the other officers went twice in the same day for drownings.” \nDrowning isn’t the only hazard present at Sanders and other quarries. \n“The biggest thing is that this property is not a park, it’s not maintained as a park,” said Brett Skilbred, director of quarry operations and materials at Indiana Limestone which owns Sanders quarry. He cited vehicles dumped in the water, old mining equipment and rocks falling or jutting out of the water as other major problems. “There are dangers everywhere.”\nThe height of the Rooftop jump in itself is a danger. The drop from the ledge to the surface of the water, depending on the water level, is approximately 65 feet according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s department.\nResults of Ayala’s autopsy are still pending. The Monroe County Sheriff’s report stated Ayala “hit the water face forward and it appeared that his head snapped back when he hit the water.” No alcohol was involved in the accident, according to the police report.\n“I’ve been quarry jumping before, and I’ve always associated these accidents with people that were drunk and being stupid,” said Deputy Coroner Liz Fiato. “This was just one of those really innocent accidents when they were jumping and they hit wrong.”\nIn addition to the danger of jumping from these quarry ledges, simply being on the property is illegal. \n“There is no vantage point on the property where you don’t realize you’re on private property,” Skilbred said. He went on to list the different precautions the company has taken to ensure visitors realize they are trespassing, like gates with locks and various signs posted throughout the area. Indiana Limestone also hired a private security company, Bloomington Parking Management LLC, last summer to patrol the area and ticket those who are trespassing. \nSome in the community have questioned the possibility of filling in the quarry to prevent more accidents of this nature from happening. However, even though this area is not currently being mined, the company doesn’t want to close it completely because of the possibility of future mining.\n“The property still holds considerable reserves and if filled in the reserves are lost, so we maintain strategic holes so that we can extract dimensional stone in the future,” Skillbred said. “At this point we don’t have a need to open that quarry but we do see a day when that need will arise.”\nUntil then, local law enforcement and the company plan to continue working to prevent more accidents of this nature from happening. \n“As summer days come along the patrols out there increase anyhow,” Thomas said. “We’re going to increase our patrols even more starting (Monday), including heavy patrol on Fairfax Road and Old State Road 37 trying to deter individuals from the area.”\nAs tempting as the quarries may be as a summer swimming hole, Thomas reminds everyone of its dangers.\n“We do the things that we’re doing to prevent these things from happening,” he said. “When it does, it’s a sad day for everyone.”
(05/24/08 3:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A great debate after the freshman year of college is whether or not to keep living in the dorms.Sure, everyone might have heard the horror stories that are caused by living in such close quarters: the roommates who leave stale food out for weeks, the floor neighbors who blast their television until 4 a.m., stumbling in on a roommate and his or her “guest” at the least opportune time – these are only a few examples of the tragedies of the dorm experience. However, living in the dorms is also a great experience in bonding. “It’s important for students to live in the dorms their freshman year,” said Dave Kerber, manager of Varsity Villas apartment complex. “You meet a lot more people than you would usually meet elsewhere.”Depending on what kind of living preferences a person has, finding a place to live off campus after freshman year might be the best option. Leon Brown, a leasing consultant at Fountain Park Apartments on East 10th Street, believes space and cost of living are the two biggest factors that motivate students to move off campus.“You have access to more of the Bloomington community, and living expenses are a lot cheaper,” Brown said. “And there’s a lot bigger space as far as an apartment to live in rather than a dorm.”Ricky Brown, leasing and marketing director of Millennium Property Management, cites the freedom of off-campus living as being another perk of leaving the dorms. “There’s a progression from living with your parents, then living in the dorms, then dealing with your roommates and paying your own bills,” Ricky Brown said. “Here there’s no authoritative figure on your floor and a lot more independence.”He went on to say the amenities provided by the properties owned by his company on the west side of town, like Rolling Ridge apartments on West Second Street, are another benefit. Some examples he cited were 24-hour gyms, tanning beds and access to art studios on site. Both Fountain Park and Rolling Ridge representatives cited their off-campus location as being ideal for students who want a more peaceful living environment, “away from the party atmosphere but still close to campus,” Ricky Brown said.As for Varsity Villas, people flock to the complex for its dorm-like community.“Our place pretty much speaks for itself,” Kerber said of the complex’s reputation.However, with more space and freedom comes more responsibility. Kerber believes that although bonding with others is essential to the college experience, learning this new responsibility is also imperative. “Depending where you end up living, I don’t think you want to live (in the dorms) all four years either,” Kerber said. “It’s definitely good to get out there and pay your bills for the first time. It’s the first of many contracts you’ll sign in your life.”Many students looking to get off campus begin their hunt for houses and apartments in the fall. High-demand complexes like Varsity Villas have usually filled their capacity by January, but other apartment complexes farther off campus reach their peak time for signing leases in the spring. In other words, it’s good to keep an eye out for off-campus digs early in the year if moving away from the dorms might be a good option.
(05/22/08 1:56am)
A recent article by The Chronicle of Higher Education recently divulged how suspected music pirates on college campuses are caught. More than 100 IU students have received notices between April 2007 and this month notifying them they were being sued for copyright infringement.\nThe article, which cites an anonymous Recording Industry Association of America employee, goes into detail about the process from the time a potential copyrighted file is detected to the time notices are sent to the university where the IP address – a tag on computers that serves like its cyber street address – is located. However, IU students who have been sued for copyright infringement, such as junior David Lota, have differing views on the process’s effectiveness.\n“People will always be coming up with new ways to beat the system,” Lota said. \nLota was ordered to pay a $4,000 fine in April 2007 for sharing music through LimeWire, a music-downloading program.\nThe RIAA has hired MediaSentry to track down possible music pirates by using copies of programs like LimeWire and automated search engines that seek out songs on the RIAA’s copyright list.\n“This is new information they’re telling us,” said Merri Beth Lavagnino, chief information policy officer of University Information Technology Services. “We know they were using the company MediaSentry, but we didn’t have any details on how they detected the infringement.”\nAfter finding the songs and determining whether their copyrights have been infringed upon, the next step is to find out at what IP address the song is located. With this, the Internet service provider, or ISP, can be determined.\nIf the ISP is a college or university, letters are sent to the school asking for the song to be removed. Since an individual’s name is not known by the RIAA with just the IP address, the school is responsible for tracking down and notifying the user.\n“Pre-litigation settlement letters” are sometimes sent out first instead, depending on how serious the RIAA believes the piracy in question to be. In these instances, violators are immediately asked to pay several thousand dollars or face court penalties and the possibility of a larger fine.\nLota was taken aback by the impersonality of the process, saying he had to talk to “some girl who wasn’t at all involved” and give her his credit card information.\n“It was basically just calling up their hotline and giving them my credit card number, and they just took my $4,000,” Lota said. “I don’t think it’s the best process, but I guess it’s their way of setting an example or trying to get richer than they already are.”\nWhether or not the process is the best available, the RIAA still believes it is making strides in deterring people from illegally sharing and downloading music online.\n“What we do know, from a broader perspective, is that the music industry’s education and deterrence efforts have impacted the way people acquire music online,” said RIAA Spokesperson Liz Kennedy in an e-mail. \nLota agreed that changes have been made in the way people obtain music, citing options such as iTunes and streaming music online. However, he’s not sure it’s enough.\n“They’re trying to catch up, but I don’t think they’re ahead of the curve yet,” he said. “You can see that record sales are down and they’re still trying to fight it. People don’t buy CDs anymore. People are either illegally or legally downloading music.”\nIU has been taking strides, however, to ensure that students are aware of the consequences of illegally downloading music.\n“We educate,” Lavagnino said. “That’s what we figure our role is. We don’t police.”\nShe went on to list many different examples, including campus-wide e-mails, posters and other awareness programs that discourage illegal music downloading, especially to incoming freshmen.\nUITS has determined that of the roughly 98,000 students on the IU network about 1 percent will be implicated by a copyright notice in any given year, Lavagnino said, affecting about 1,000 students among all eight IU campuses.
(05/18/08 10:02pm)
I would probably sell my own kidneys on the black market in order to see Led Zeppelin live.\nUnfortunately, the opportunity to commit such an act of dedication has not yet arisen. Even though rumors have been circulating for months after their show in London about a possible reunion tour, no word has surfaced yet on whether or not I’m going to have to live the rest of my life kidney-less.\nSo I settled for Zoso.\nZoso, the “ultimate Led Zeppelin experience,” rocked an at-capacity Bluebird on Saturday night, playing to a packed room of adoring fans. And when they say it’s the “ultimate” experience, they aren’t kidding. From the precision of every song played to the flowing, curly locks of “Jimmy Page” to “Robert Plant”’s cocky strut across the stage, watching this band perform was like being thrown back 30 years in time. \n“I thought it was great,” said senior Scott Gellman. “It was incredible how dead-on they were.”\nThe crowd was warmed up by opening band The Buzzkills, which played a mix of their own original music as well as covers of classic-rock favorites from bands like the Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The band definitely knew how to warm up the crowd, and everyone was buzzing with excitement by the time Zoso was ready to take the stage.\nAs I’m a simple Midwestern girl raised on the simple virtues of good, solid classic rock, to me Zeppelin has always stood as the epitome of everything that is good in rock music. Zoso had fairly large shoes to fill with these expectations in mind, and when they came out with a raucous cover of “Rock and Roll,” I was already impressed. \nAnd the songs weren’t the only things covered with precision. Every band member had dressed the part, from the hair to the shoes. I can imagine if someone had enough alcohol in their system they might have thought it was the real Led Zeppelin.\nZoso has had plenty of time to get this act down pat, too. They’ve been touring the country as a Led Zeppelin tribute band since 1995, and have gained a reputation as being one of the best in the business. \n“Tell me a better (band to cover),” said Mike Morgan, aka Jimmy Page, of Zoso’s beginnings. “It wasn’t our idea, but it’s worked.” \nAs the band plowed through their set, it seemed like every song was a crowd favorite. Everyone around me at the foot of the stage seemed to know every word to every song, or at least be familiar enough with them to mumble something along as they swayed with the music. \nA personal high point for me was “Immigrant Song,” the song I blame for my lasting obsession with Zeppelin (perhaps an odd choice considering all of the others in their collection, but a favorite nonetheless). My only qualm with that song from the beginning was that it’s just too short, so when they played an extended version with a guitar solo tacked onto the end I was elated.\nAnd what Zeppelin concert is complete without “Stairway to Heaven.” Becuase it’s the most widely-known song, many might think the band would get sick of playing it after so many years, but Matt Jernigan, aka Robert Plant, disagrees.\n“It’s a great song, and like any great song it’s going to be played a lot,” he said. “We don’t play it every night, but when we do it can be refreshing.”\nZoso came back to give a powerful encore of “Stairway to Heaven” after a few minutes of intense chanting by the audience. You could tell by the crowd’s involvement that it definitely was the song everyone was waiting for – for example, the man standing behind me was yelling “Stairway” after every single song for the last six songs of the set. Never before have I seen so many varying and intense emotions during a live performance of a song. \nPeople standing along the front row were rapt with attention throughout the beginning of the song, singing along to every word. When the song exploded into the bridge, it was like a bomb went off in the crowd as everyone suddenly jumped into movement along with the music.\nJernigan credits the audience as part of what makes the Zoso experience so great.\n“The people are the essence of everything,” he said. \nEven with a possible Zeppelin reunion tour in the works, the band still plans to keep doing what they’ve been doing for the past 13 years.\n“We’ve put too much time into this,” Jernigan said. “When you succeed, why do anything else?”
(05/02/08 1:07am)
Illinois senator and Democratic presidential candidate hopeful Barack Obama spoke Wednesday night to a packed Assembly Hall to rally support for Tuesday’s upcoming primary election.\nAn estimated 13,000 people were present to hear Obama’s message, which included his ideas on providing college tuition credits to those who volunteer for community service, researching energy alternatives and ending the war in Iraq.\n“After kissing hundreds of babies, it’s time for change,” he said of his long campaign against Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton. \nYoung and old alike came to the rally, and enthusiasm was high throughout the night.\nBloomington resident Liz Rosdeitcher tailed behind her two young daughters shortly before the rally started as they dashed up the halls of Assembly Hall trying to find the best seats. She was initially reluctant to bring her children out, but her daughter Catherine, 7, convinced her to make an appearance. \n“She was desperate to see him after hearing so much about him around the house,” Rosdeitcher said. “I didn’t want to take her out after her bedtime, but she was determined.”\nShe added that her family are very strong supporters of Obama, especially of his “vision and understanding of race.” \nAlan and Barbara Backler of Ellettsville made the trip to Bloomington while on their way back from a trip to Michigan just to hear him speak. \n“I found his message very moving, and his personal story at the end made the whole thing possible,” Alan said. \nBoth were impressed with his ability to give concrete examples of what he plans to do to create change.\nDespite the large number of supporters present at the rally, others trying to increase support for other nominees and ideas still made an appearance. \nIU graduate student Greg Knott stood just outside the doors with a campaign sign for Republican candidate Ron Paul. Although Paul tails in the polls to Senator John McCain, he still hopes Tuesday’s upcoming primary election can bring about a comeback.\n“It would be huge if everyone could send a message,” Knott said.\nTom Phelps, another IU graduate, was also outside after the rally promoting a quick end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which he called “immoral.” Despite his disagreements with U.S. foreign policy and Obama’s ideas on the subject, he still said he supports the Democratic candidate with “unfortunate reluctance” because of his plans for education reform, specifically the $4,000 credit he plans to offer to college students who volunteer for community service. \nHis actions outside the rally, holding a sign in protest of the war, were in sync with his overall beliefs about what is important during presidential election years.\n“Voting isn’t the most important thing, it’s being out in the street and maybe even causing some problems,” Phelps said. “You gotta do what you can.”