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(11/24/11 5:54pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The recent news of NBC’s shelving of “Community,” a show with a fierce fan base but overall poor ratings, meant that a few actors will be having a bit of an extended vacation. For Donald Glover, who plays Troy in the comedy, it just means he gets to spend more time as his other persona – rapper Childish Gambino.For the past few years, Glover has released a number of mixtapes for free under his rap pseudonym, simply working on his craft. Now with his first full-length LP “Camp,” Childish Gambino proves he’s in this game to win it.In the past, Gambino was known for his plethora of pop-culture knowledge with often obscure references thrown into each rhyme. It’s a style that polarizes Childish Gambino from the traditional hip-hop enthusiast, but brings along its own group of loyal fans, much like his tv show.The first single released, “Bonfire,” was an instant indicator that not only was Gambino up to his old tricks, but that he’s on top of his game. In a track that references Princess Diana, PETA, Invader Zim, and Casey Anthony, Gambino still makes numerous dick jokes and uses an Oreo to illustrate sexual positions. Classic Childish.But what separates “Camp” from his mixtapes is his honesty. Through the guise of Childish Gambino, we are told an awful lot about Glover’s struggles growing up too black for his white school or not black enough in his neighborhood because he had a loving family.It’s a theme that pops up time and time again throughout the album and, above all the pop references, gives him the most credit as a fantastic lyricist.The track “Outside” proves just how important his childhood is to him, as it’s the opener to the album. “I used to dream every night, now I never dream at all/I hope that it’s cause I’m livin’ everything I want,” Gambino anguishes on the very first bar.Don’t worry, though, fame isn’t all bad. Glover’s love of women, particularly Asian ones, is well documented. “Camp” adds quite a bit of material to that documentation, rapping on “Firefly” that “girls who use to tell me I ain’t cool enough now text me pics saying ‘you can tear this up’.”The standout tracks of the album are easily “Heartbeat” and “L.E.S.” – both about women. “Heartbeat” is an obvious pick to get quite a bit of radio time (with quite a bit of censoring first) but it really should be experienced with headphones, volumed turned up, at least once.While Glover’s flow is at times lacking, his maturity as a lyricist, allowing for racial undertones and dick jokes to coexist in peaceful harmony, making “Camp” a solid debut album. Combine all that with the insane amount of pop culture references peppered throughout the whole album, it quickly becomes apparent that multiple listens are necessary.For some that may be a daunting task, but Childish is always fun, and now with his extended vacation, who knows how good he could become?
(11/16/11 8:14pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>k-182 broke up back in 2005, and you were all sad? Then Blink guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge formed Angels & Airwaves, which sounds pretty much exactly like Blink-182, and everything was okay again? Don’t we all.Angels existed to fill a very specific void, but now that Blink-182 is back in action, it would be easy for the successors to fade away. Instead of rolling over and dying, however, Angels and Airwaves followed up its 2010 album “LOVE” with “LOVE: Part Two” and kept on rockin’.Unlike the rather dark “Neighborhoods” Blink just released, “LOVE: Part Two” deals with the same old stuff they always sang about like high school love and how it’s still scary.Even though it sounds the same as everything they’ve ever done, at least it doesn’t sound worse. DeLonge has found a formula he likes, and damn it all if we don’t like it, too.
(11/10/11 1:19pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>They Might Be Giants released its 15th album, “Join Us,” earlier
this year. The band probably should have been content with that.Instead,
it scrounged up unfinished tracks, covers and even a couple remixes,
threw them all together like an island of misfit songs and called it
“Album Raises New and Troubling Questions.”
Even though there are 20 tracks on “Album,” the run time is only 40
minutes. If my math is correct, that means each track is about two
minutes. That is not nearly enough time to formulate a complete song,
and Giants does it again and again.
A few tracks, such as “Marty Beller Mask” and the Chumbawumba cover
“Tubthumping,” are fun to listen to, but there is just too much white
noise surrounding them.You have to wonder, after nearly 30 years as a band, is They Might Be Giants just phoning it in?
(11/03/11 12:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Class starts in 10 minutes, and the person sitting next to you smells kind of funny. You don’t want to talk to him, but looking over your notes from the last lecture doesn’t sound very appealing, either. Then it hits you: “Angry Birds Seasons” just released 30 new levels!Before you know it, you’ve spent the hour trying to destroy that one pig hiding underneath a stone slab, smiling that stupid little smirk each time you fail, and class is already over.We’ve all been there or have at least witnessed someone silently celebrating a 50-point move on “Words with Friends” or anguishing the sun setting on another “Tiny Wings” run. With the rise of the smartphone, so came the rise of the casual gamer.In the past, the term “gamer” harkened a very specific image — one that included Cheetos, a basement and a severe lack of pigment in sun-deprived skin. Those days appear to be a thing of the past as everyone and their mothers are now gamers in one way or another.Now, I can’t sit here and pretend to be a video game historian or even call myself a true gamer. I have never been on a raid in “World of Warcraft.” I have no idea how many “Final Fantasy” games are out now. I have never beaten “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.”What I have done is achieved at least a two-star rating on almost every “Angry Birds” level to date, reached level 15 of Nazi Zombies on “Call of Duty” and earned a gold cup on every track in “Mario Kart” (for the Wii and N64).You know what that makes me? A casual gamer, and I represent the majority.Professor of Telecommunications and Cognitive Science and resident video game expert Edward Castronova agrees.“Over 80 million people play ‘Farmville,’” Castronova said. “No more than a million have ever been on a raid in (‘World of Warcraft’).”In fact, casual gaming has become so large that in 2005, the Casual Games Association was founded in support of those trying to develop the next “Cut the Rope.” There are over 200 million casual gamers, according to the CGA’s website. In 2009, casual game developers raked in more than $3 billion from mobile, iPhone and social network games.“Smart game companies should make lots of casual games because that’s where the population is,” Castronova said. “Would you rather spend $100,000 to develop a game that 80 million people buy for $1, or spend $30 million to develop a game that one million people buy for $50?” Does this shift in gaming spell doom for hard-core gamers who still enjoy complex storylines and insanely difficult levels? Of course not. “Just as there will always be a market for high-quality books, music and films, there will always be a market for high-quality games like ‘Call of Duty’ and ‘WoW,’” Castronova said. So, while companies continue to develop uber-expensive and complex games, many set to be released for the holiday season (Castronova assured me “Star Wars: The Old Republic” will be a hit), they still cannot come close to the number of casual games available anytime, anywhere. There is just something about these addicting, five-minute games that keeps us entertained for hours. What is it about “Angry Birds,” a microcosm of the larger casual gaming world, that keeps us coming back for more, that makes it such a huge cultural hit? Leave it to Castronova to put his finger right on the pulse of the issue. “‘Angry Birds’ combines rewards and challenges in a very simple, easy-to-learn way,” he said. “And everyone gets satisfaction from knocking stuff down.” Yes, we do. And while I may never play the new “Star Wars” game, I guarantee I’ll be in class later this afternoon, slingshotting perturbed birds and causing as much destruction as possible across my iPhone.
(11/02/11 11:29pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>”We’re fuck-up men, we act like kids,” screams Deer Tick’s lead singer John McCauley on “The Bump,” the opening track from the folk-rockers’ new album, “Divine Providence.”However, with booze, drugs and women as the lyrical muse for much of the album, Deer Tick acts much less like children than the balding middle-aged men in jean jacket vests and skull bandanas playing at the local watering hole whose regulars just got off work at the mine.The rest of “Divine Providence” does nothing to dispel this scenario, especially with tracks like drinking anthem “Let’s All Go To The Bar” and rabble-rousing “Something To Brag About.”When slower moments like “Now It’s Your Turn” and the slightly creepy closer “Miss K.” try to add depth, nonsensical lyrics and strained vocals hold them back, leaving “Divine Providence” pretty one-dimensional.Because when it comes down to it, Deer Tick just wants it known they can drink more than you can. In that way, mission accomplished.
(10/27/11 1:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Coming off of the magnificent “Saturdays=Youth,” it was hard to believe M83’s Anthony Gonzalez could ever top it. Gonzalez created a double LP of epic proportions with a run time of 72 minutes of pure bliss and called it “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming” to prove us all wrong.Unlike on “Saturdays,” there are no 10-minute instrumental tracks here. Instead, “Hurry Up” is broken into singles and interesting interludes (“Raconte-Moi Une Histoire,” for example), providing a much more listenable experience. The two discs play like true A and B sides, joined by complementary tracks “Soon, My Friend” and “My Tears are Becoming a Sea,” respectively.Each side also has a stand-out track. Disc 1 features “Midnight City,” which builds on the tension of “waiting for a ride in the dark” and smacks you at the peak of it all with a saxophone solo that just sets it off.Disc 2 features “Steve McQueen,” a track that demonstrates Gonzalez’s self-admission that he can never stop tinkering. It builds and builds to a height that only M83 can feel safe operating at, climaxing with a solo from Gonzalez’s ever-improving vocal skills.“Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming” is an invitation into M83’s bizarre dreamworld, and from intro to outro, you’ll be glad you accepted. Now hit repeat.
(10/19/11 11:21pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Remember back in 2003 when Evanescence had hit tracks like “Going Under” and “Bring Me To Life” across the Billboard charts? Just barely? Figured.Lead singer Amy Lee probably figured that as well, because the band self-titled their third, full-length album “Evanescence.” Lee is the only original member left, which creates a different feel for the album.Lee’s voice is the only thing that matters, though, so that isn’t much of an excuse why “Evanescence” isn’t as good as “Fallen” or 2006’s “The Open Door,” which featured “Call Me When You’re Sober.”The main problem is that the first single released, “What You Want,” is terrible. Lee seems more concerned about getting fans back with lines like “Hello, hello/Remember me?/I’m everything you can’t control” than with creating good music.The rest of the album, however, isn’t that bad. The second single planned for release on Halloween is “My Heart is Broken” and showcases the ethereal Amy Lee that some of us do remember.If you liked Evanescence before, you’ll probably like some of this new album now. Just don’t expect the same kind of impact the band once had.
(10/13/11 1:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>While We Were Promised Jetpacks’ second full-length LP, “In the Pit of the Stomach,”is certainly a pleasant album to listen to, that might not exactly be a good thing. Straight out of Scotland,Jetpacks know how to thrash their instruments into a satisfying rock song. But what it seems the group has forgotten is how to finish the song, as each track is rather forgettable, one bleeding into the next.It might be easy to cut Jetpacks some slack as this is its second LP, and it appears lead singer Adam Thompson is still trying to figure out how to use his sweet Scottish accent most effectively. The only problem is the first album, “These Four Walls,” was excellent. Songs like “Quiet Little Voices” and “It’s Thunder and It’s Lightning” built to a fever pitch, then rewarded the listener with a line like “Because it’s thunder and it’s lightning and it’s all things too frightening” that you find yourself singing during the next storm.Not to mention Thompson sounded much more Scottish in 2009.There is no reward to listening to “In the Pit of the Stomach,” and that pretty much sucks. What can a listener do when there isn’t a single stand-out track to latch onto? Here’s hoping Jetpacks do better next time, because they’ve shown in the past they have what it takes.
(10/05/11 9:25pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s been close to eight years since their self-titled LP was released in 2003, but the Blink-182 dudes are back in a big way with “Neighborhoods,” an album nearly three years in the works.After the plane crash that nearly killed drummer Travis Barker in 2008, as well as the deaths of several close friends, it is no wonder that “Neighborhoods” has a much darker feel lyrically than any of the band’s previous albums.The stand-out tracks are “Heart’s All Gone” and “Love is Dangerous,” both of which give listeners the feeling these are not the same guys who once sang “Feeling This.” While the lyrics may be heavier on “Neighborhoods,” by no means do they bog down the instruments.Classic ’90s Blink smacks you in the face on tracks such as “Up All Night,” which finds both Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge singing vocals accompanied by thrashing guitar while Travis Barker tears up the drums, per usual.The deluxe version includes three extra tracks but is worth it just for the “Heart’s All Gone Interlude,” a solid touch in an overall quality comeback album.
(09/29/11 3:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Born in Decatur, Ind., director David Anspaugh is a Hoosier to the core. ¶ After graduating from IU in 1970, Anspaugh moved to the West Coast to dedicate his life to filmmaking. After honing his skills on shows such as “Hill Street Blues” and “Miami Vice,” Anspaugh came home to direct two of our most beloved sports movies, “Hoosiers” and “Rudy.” ¶ Anspaugh chatted with WEEKEND about life at IU, what it means to be a Hoosier filmmaker, working with Sean Astin and, unfortunately, not working with Bobby Knight.WEEKEND: Were there any moments at IU that pushed you to film?DAVID ANSPAUGH: My first introduction academically to film was at IU. They offered a course in comparative literature — I think called film in society. In addition to the class, they screened a lot of movies, at least once a week. We were also encouraged to go to screenings outside of class. I was introduced to a lot of foreign films that I had never seen growing up in Decatur. The Von Lee was really the first art/film house that I had ever really been to. Also, my first legitimate movie camera was bought on Kirkwood at the camera store. I made my first two real movies at IU. It all began right there in Bloomington.WK: What was your experience like working on “Hill Street Blues?”DA: Hill Street gave us all careers, whether we were writers, directors, actors or producers. I mean, we took home every prize for, like, three years in a row. We all took off from there. But I never ever could have made Hoosiers without having worked on those shows because it was really, really hard work. You really had to learn to think on your feet and improvise.WK: After working so hard on television, why switch to a feature-length sports movie back in your home state?DA: Why not? (laughs) Are you kidding? That was a dream of ours. The whole idea, the seed of that movie, was planted at IU. Angelo (Pizzo, writer) and I were housemates and sitting around late one night like college kids do, waxing on about “Wouldn’t it be cool if we made a movie about Milan High School?” And 18 years later, we did it.WK: How important was it to you to shoot “Hoosiers” in Indiana?DA: The company wanted to shoot “Hoosiers” in Canada, something I obviously was able to fight back. It was the faces in the crowd and the way the people reacted to basketball that is part of their DNA. You capture that on film, and film doesn’t lie. Those people weren’t acting. Whether it was the high school kids or the adults, the way they were cheering and reacting to what was going on down on the floor, they’d been doing that their whole lives.WK: What was it like shooting a movie in your home state?DA: For Angelo and I both, we were most concerned with the film being embraced by the people of Indiana because we made it with all the love and respect and our own personal experiences, and we just hoped that it translated. Fortunately, it did, and it had so much to do with the people that worked on the movie for the love of it and the pride. And it was a real special experience.WK: How quickly did you decide after “Hoosiers” to come back and make “Rudy,” another sports film in Indiana?DA: After “Hoosiers,” I did a movie called “Fresh Horses,” and that was (pause) not successful at the box office. That was a bitter pill to have a movie as successful as “Hoosiers,” then get hit with the sophomore jinx. I needed something to get me back in the saddle again, and so the third movie was “Rudy.”WK: People like Coach Dan Devine and Joe Montana have said the scene in which the players lay their jerseys across the coach’s desk so Rudy can play was fabricated. Why did you include it in the movie?DA: The thing about “Rudy,” and with all movies based on true stories, I don’t care who it is or what the subject matter is; when you’re doing a true story, you are also making a movie, and a certain percentage of it has to be embellished. Otherwise, you’re just making a documentary. We wrote the scene in the spirit of the truth.WK: How did you prepare to make to make the game footage look as authentic as possible?DA: We rehearsed for weeks so we could shoot all that at half-time of a Notre Dame game. I looked at old photographs. I even had Rudy take me out on (the) field and walk through everything. Then I watched old game footage to make sure everything was right. You see Rudy line up and make that tackle exactly the way Sean (Astin) did in the movie. I mean, you literally could overlay those two pieces of film, and they are almost identical. I was really proud of that.WK: What kind of dedication did Sean Astin bring to portraying Rudy?DA: Completely and totally. Sean is an amazing actor and just a wonderful human being. We’re still good friends today, and our kids even go to the same school.WK: I’ll let you go after this question: Would you ever consider making a Bobby Knight movie?DA: (laughs) First of all, he would never allow it, I don’t believe. You know, there are certain people who just didn’t face many obstacles. Coach Knight has always been a brilliant basketball coach, and stuff that movies are made of are against-all-odds stories. He’s left such a great legacy; he doesn’t need a movie about him.WK: Thank you for taking the time to talk to us here at WEEKEND.DA: Give my best to everyone in Bloomington. I miss it, and I love coming there in the fall, so I’m hoping to make it to a football game this season. It’s my favorite place on the planet.
(09/21/11 10:46pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Too often these days, the big names in the music industry pump out formulaic, over-produced pieces of garbage while resting on their laurels, knowing we’re all going to listen to them anyway. If there is one thing that can be said for St. Vincent’s “Strange Mercy,” it’s that the album is certainly not a formulaic piece of garbage, and that’s the point.Annie Clark is brutally honest in her third album with St. Vincent, acknowledging and even lamenting that in her past she may have been a little too sweet and listener-friendly. Clark speaks directly to this in “Champagne Year.” Now 28 years old, Clark is celebrating her champagne year (born on September 28, 1982), which is supposed to be a happy occasion. St. Vincent’s take on it is almost a concession to the machine. “I’ll make a living telling people what they want to hear/It’s not a killing but it’s enough to keep the cobwebs clear.”The title track of the album clearly illustrates the anguish she feels with angry lyrics and sorrowful melodies. The anger Clark is trying to work through comes across in lyrics such as “If I ever meet that dirty policeman who roughed you up, no, I don’t know what,” which is a cute kind of angry that makes St. Vincent endearing. “Cheerleader” serves as a sort of rock anthem in which Clark gets to show her skill as a guitar player while exorcising some demons. With a beating defiance, Clark belts out in her entrancing, serene voice, “I don’t wanna be your cheerleader no more.” It’s that juxtaposition of beautiful vocals and lyrics such as “Best, finest surgeon/Come cut me open” that resonate the loudest and give “Strange Mercy” an ambience you can’t shake.While I don’t appreciate feeling like I just took the weight of the world on my shoulders after just one listen through, it definitely speaks to the effectiveness of St. Vincent as a lyricist and a musician. In “Neutered Fruit,” Clark poses the question, “Did you ever really care for me the way I cared for you?” After delving into her soul for the entirety of “Strange Mercy,” whether we like it or not, the answer is an emphatic “Yes, we certainly do now.”
(09/21/11 10:09pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The first single released by Girls on the new album “Father, Son, Holy Ghost” is a nearly seven-minute ballad of unrequited love for a woman not yet met called “Vomit.”The theme of looking for something that is never going to be there and the realization of that making you sick is pervasive throughout nearly every track on the album. It would be unbearably heartbreaking if the music itself wasn’t so fantastic.Each track has a different feel to it, something lead singer Christopher Owens and producer JR White have clearly mastered in their second LP.“Father, Son, Holy Ghost” is the album that will restore your faith in musicians who aren’t afraid to experiment ways to pour out their souls.
(09/14/11 4:36pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Who says disco is dead? Well, it probably is, but The Rapture’s
third full-length LP, “In the Grace of Your Love,” delivers some pretty
funky dance tunes reminiscent of an era long since passed.
While most songs designed for dance parties are slightly lacking in the
lyrics department, “Grace” often pairs synth lines with religious
undertones that at times can seem a little odd. Not that it really
matters — if you play it loud enough with a Solo cup in your hand, you
can still get down to it.
The title track easily stands out from the rest of the album as lead
singer Luke Jenner abandons his sometimes-nasally style and just belts
out some good tunes. This is definitely one track to add to the party
playlist.
There are slower moments like “Miss You” and the finale “It Takes Time
To Be a Man” that don’t seem to fit. This effort by The Rapture might
have been better off omitting a few songs to be a more selective dance
EP, but then they wouldn’t have substance as a band — or whatever.
(09/14/11 4:00pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>NBC has some pretty lame programming, ranging from cop dramas to
terrible cop dramas. The Thursday night lineup, however, is all comedy
gold, and the shining, underrated beacon of goodness is “Community.”
After a brilliant freshman season in which the study group tried to
learn Spanglish from Señor Chang (Ken Jeong, a threat of becoming stale
loomed for the second season. I mean, how interesting can community
college be, anyway?
Luckily, instead of rehashing old story lines, the writers decided to
stretch the boundaries of TV comedy and let the actors break some
conventions.In this season, we have an entire Christmas claymation
episode, an unexpected emotional performance from Donald Glover in
“Mixology Certification” and an entire episode based on a game of
Dungeons & Dragons with Fat Neil.
The season ended once again with a paintball battle, but keeping with
the theme of “bigger,” it was so much better. It was a finale worth two
episodes and did this wonderful season proud.
(09/07/11 10:44pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“Apollo 18,” directed by newcomer Gonzalo López-Gallego, is based on the premise that Apollo 17, the last mission NASA conducted to the moon, wasn’t the last mission after all.How do we know this? Supposedly, 84 hours of highly classified footage from Apollo 18 have been uploaded to lunartruth.com, and López-Gallego uses that footage to create this 86-minute film. After just a few minutes of grainy, poorly focused fake footage, you’ll be wishing it had remained hidden forever.The dialogue, when the astronauts weren’t just listing off jargon to Houston, was anything but inspired.As for the horror aspect, López-Gallego has decided shock value and extremely loud noises are the same thing as being scary. It just comes across as annoying, lazy movie making.Just like the real Apollo 18, López-Gallego’s “thriller” proved to be completely unnecessary. Too bad it wasn’t canceled, too.
(09/01/11 1:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sometimes we all just need someone to talk to. After a rough day, it feels good to unload our problems onto someone else for awhile.Walter Black (Mel Gibson) in “The Beaver” takes that idea a little bit too far as a depressed toy executive who completely retreats inside himself and allows Beaver, a hand puppet beaver, to do all his talking for him.Gibson dusts off his old Australian accent whenever the Beaver is talking, differentiating the puppet from Walter, which unsurprisingly comes across as a little corny.Director Jodie Foster plays Walter’s wife, a disillusioned woman who allows her husband to talk through a dirty beaver puppet, hoping he’ll just snap out of it. Foster should have stayed behind the camera on this one and let someone else act the fool.There are plenty of good laughs, mostly brought about by the beaver’s bravado, so you almost forget how unlikable Mel Gibson has become. That in itself is a pretty big victory for a story arc that lacks any compelling twists or turns.
(09/01/11 12:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Appearing in movies such as “Saving Private Ryan,” “Big Fat Liar” and “The Illusionist” throughout the last two decades, Paul Giamatti has strung together a rather eclectic résumé. Often cast in a supporting role, the workman-like actor gets the leading-man nod in “Win Win” as Mike Flaherty, a small-town lawyer and high school wrestling coach.His coaching job pays exactly zero (also as many wins as his team has), and his caseload has been dwindling lately. When Leo, a dementia patient in need of a legal guardian, walks in the door, Mike has no choice but to collect the monthly $1,508 check that comes with him.Mike proves to be a pretty lousy guardian, but when Leo’s grandson, Kyle — who just so happens to be a kick-ass wrestler — shows up, Mike’s true colors start to come out.Giamatti, the consummate professional, carries the brunt of the load in “Win Win,” but Alex Shaffer as Kyle gives an unexpectedly great performance as well.
(08/24/11 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The wait is almost over — on October 2, “Dexter” is back for its sixth season on Showtime. For some, the wait would have been unbearable without the season five DVD to alleviate the suspense.Fresh off a brilliant guest-star role by John Lithgow as the Trinity Killer, Michael C. Hall and the rest of the cast return for a fast-paced fifth season. This season is once again defined by the guest stars brought in, as Julia Stiles shines as a tortured young woman taken under Dexter’s wing while Jonny Lee Miller nails the creepiness of those super-famous inspirational speakers. All the while, Dexter is searching for a way to cope with Rita’s death, his involvement in it and how best to deal with her annoyingly angsty children. The extras are pretty solid with interviews from all the major characters, but that seems to be the norm these days. The real treats are select episodes from “Californication,” “Episodes” and “The Borgias” and a trailer for “Homeland,” the newest Showtime original series.
(08/04/11 1:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Even though Bloomington is considered bike friendly, when senior Wright Cycling team rider Brent Nowinski gets on his bike, he sometimes feels threatened by the drivers he’s sharing the road with.The city, understanding the importance of cyclists in the community, takes several measures such as creating bike lanes to maintain a safe environment for those on two wheels. Even so, there are some who believe the city could do more.Co-owner of the Bicycle Garage Anne Holahan said her store has seen an increase in commuter cyclists since gas prices soared a few years ago.“Keep in mind, though, that Bloomington is somewhat of a cycling mecca due to its size and location and student demographic,” Holahan said.Those looking for a leisurely ride or gentle exercise by way of bicycle have plenty of safe routes to choose from, Vince Caristo, Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Commission coordinator, said.“Our trail system is superb and continues to get better as the B-line trail nears completion,” he said. “This spring, the League of American Bicyclists commented that Bloomington is a ‘cluster of bicycle-friendliness.’”Holahan, as a member of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Commission, has been working to educate the public to keep them as safe as possible.A ‘Learn to Ride’ program was initiated a couple of years ago, in which a League of American Bicyclists certified trainer leads people wanting to learn safe bike practices.“Also, several bike safety ‘rodeos’ are offered through the city’s Parks & Recreation department to teach children on and off the bike safety skills and information,” Holahan said. Helmets are provided free if a child needs one.Nowinski said some of what Bloomington offers is beneficial to cyclists.“There are quite a few bike lanes, so that’s pretty good.” Nowinksi said. However, as a competitive rider, his greatest threat isn’t uneducated children without helmets sharing the road — it’s the drivers.“Legally we’re allowed to ride two abreast. That is, until we’re impeding traffic,” Nowinski said. “But when are we impeding traffic and when should the drivers just be a little more patient? Yelling at us is only going to make it a more dangerous situation.”To truly become a bicycling mecca, Nowinski said he feels drivers and cyclists alike should both be educated in the rules of the road.“It goes both ways to decrease the animosity,” Nowinski said. “Cyclists need to stop blowing through stop signs, while drivers learn to wait a little bit. It isn’t that bad.”