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(08/04/06 4:00am)
08.05.2006: Bursting through the gates, hundreds of fans sprinted to get front and center for opening act, "The Subways." I hadn't seen that much potential energy since last week when a rancid gallon of milk Rob's family forgot to throw out before going to Europe was about to explode in his fridge. Having gotten in an hour early with media passes, Rob and I just casually walked the few feet to the stage and propped ourselves front row center.
(08/04/06 4:00am)
08.06.2006:When we realized we could go in the front row for every act to take pictures, things got ridiculously better. There were setbacks, like being dragged from the press area at a legendary Flaming Lips show, but front row access for dynamic hip hop acts Gnarls Barkley, Blackalicious, and Kanye West made Saturday an unforgettable day and night of music. Not to mention the free food, drinks, and hanging out with artists backstage.\nThe themes of the day were that everybody still likes "Makin me Crazy" and artists don't like George Bush. The only late night artist we saw that didn't talk shit about our president was Kanye, who has voiced his opinion pretty famously already.\nThis festival gets better every hour. We started Saturday off with a band we'd only heard of, but never heard, "Built to Spill." What a great surprise. They rocked with three lead guitarists' inventive style using slide, looping, and playing off each other beautifully with a great voice carrying them through the set. Definitely worth picking up an album or two of these guys. They were briefly over-shadowed by Wayne Coyne from "The Flaming Lips" signing a girls tush in the VIP area behind the stage, which was hilarious. Even as "Built to Spill" was rocking, Wayne just being Wayne got more attention.\nLyrics Born was another unexpected good show. Rocking a small stage, he got the crowd to sing along, urging the crowd to stop complaining and watching tv and get out and do something. The show was fun, had some call and response, like "Fuck George Bush" and kept us entertained until we headed over to "Gnarls Barkley."\nAll of "Gnarls Barkley" came onstage decked out in tennis clothes, headbands, and a couple racquets, playing "We are the Champions," with a massive crowd pumping their fists like a Queen show. Danger Mouse sampled and played keyboard, with a string section really filling out their sound.\nIt's official. "Makin me Crazy" is the song of the summer. The Raconteurs, "Gnarls Barkley," and Kanye all played it on the same stage within 26 hours of each other, all kicking ass.\nBarkley put on a solid show, but were not as great as I'd hoped.\nBlackalicious on the other hand, was unbelievable. Led by the fantastic MC Gift of Gab with a special appearance by RV Salters on a funky keyboard, they made a rap fan out of me. Gab would bust off freestyle's so fluid and quick I had to close my eyes to hear every word. Sometimes I'd get off and it would just sound like a stream of beautiful consonants, until I heard a word that stuck out, like hysterectomy. Rob was pumped about the keyboardist when they announced him and I soon found out why. When he wasn't dancing slyly between his machines, he complimented the DJ and Gab perfectly. I never thought I would really love a rap show, but I would pay good money to see that again. At one point they broke the crowd in half having one half yell to the other "Party over here, fuck y'all over there!" getting louder and louder building into another delicious offering of Blackalicious.\nAs we walked to "The Flaming Lips," I told Rob it would be hard to top "Blackalicious," but The Flaming Lips put on an incredible audio and visual display. We got right up to the press picture area and took pictures inches from their lead singer as he prepared for the incredible intro. He was blown up in a plastic balloon (think bubble boy in Seinfeld) and launched into the crowd, riding on people's hands like body surfing without the chance of getting hurt. \nHere's where I almost get kicked out of the festival:\nI handed the camera to Rob to get pics with his 6'4" frame and forgot about Journalism for a minute to try to touch the bubble. In the haste I was pushed from behind into a 400 pound security guy. He saw me without a camera in a place I wasn't supposed to be and took it as a personal insult. He grabbed me by the wrist and viciously dragged me out of the photo area. I reached down for my backpack and that got him even madder. He turned my palm face up and grabbed at my wristbands, trying to rip off my ticket for the rest of the festival. I flung my arm back behind me into another 400 pound security guard who put me in a headlock. The two of them are shoving me out, trying to get on their walkie-talkies and ruin my weekend, but I just turned and deftly escaped through the crowd and found a decent spot a few rows back and watched the amazing show. \nAs always, the Lips had the stage filled with dancers in costumes. This time it was aliens, Santa Clauses and super heroes. And Coyne loves toys. Confetti machines, monstrous balloons that bounce 15 feet in the air before coming back to the crowd, and streamers poured into the stands as the sun set over Grant Park and the gorgeous Chicago sky line. \n"Let's stop traffic on Lake Shore Drive," lead singer Wayne Coyne yelled to the loving crowd. They played a perfect set, with "fanatical" and "The yeah yeah yeah song" off their new album sounding a million times better in person than on the album.\nCoyne fell in love with singalongs, having the crowd scream "fanatical, fuck!" and singing along the chorus to "Yoshimi battles the pink robots."\nCoyne got political saying, "Everybody needs to speak their minds. If they did, maybe George Bush wouldn't be in office."\nThey played "Race for the Prize," and "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" to great response, before closing with "Do you Realize."\nBefore playing their first hit "She Don't Use Jelly," Coyne said that Chicago radio was the place where the single took off, and they played their 12 times that year.\n"We love you, we'll continue to love you and we'll see you again," he said.\nClosing out the night was Chicago's own Kanye West who came out to massive "Kanye, Kanye" chants. He lived up to his headliner status, playing his hits (All falls down, Jesus Walks, and covering a couple other monster songs. He somehow maneuvered from Workout Plan to the "Eurythmics'" 80s hit "Sweet Dreams." At this point after Rob went front row to take pictures, I met him in the artist lounge and chilled with Lyrics Born and yet again, Joel from Umphreys.\nWe kicked back in the lounge, listening to Kanye, but not really watching, reflecting on having the best job in the world. If you have to work on Saturday night, I highly suggest it be at what is becoming the coolest festival of the year with backstage passes.\nSorry it's so long. Rob is getting annoyed. We should really head out for the last day of shows. Check back tomorrow for Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wilco, Matisyahu, and Ben Kweller and more!
(08/04/06 4:00am)
08.07.2006:Another perfect day and night of shows made made Lollapalooza the place to be this summer.\n \nMatisyahu put on a spellbounding performance that may have set the guiness record for crowd surfing, the Chili Peppers came close to Lolla Founder Perry Ferrell's billing as the best rock band in the country and Ben Kweller and Wilco rocked.\n \nRob is incredible at getting the most out of your press pass. Utilizing the golf carts to take us from show to show, sneaking into the artist tent, and going backstage to meet Jared Leto, Jeff Tweedy, Ferrell, Umphrey's McGee and Lyrics Born. Sneaking into the front of the stage for amazing pictures at Gnarls Barkley, Flaming Lips, and Kanye was brilliant, even though we got hassled to no end.\n \nI want to take my time with the last day and look at the pictures so I can give you a full vision of the awesome three days of music. I'm just sad it's over.\n \nCheck back in the next couple days for dozens of close-up pics of the bands, backstage stories, and in depth reviews of best shows, funniest stories, and more.
(08/03/06 4:00am)
"When we get down there you may be face-to-face with a snake or a dead animal. I'm not scaring you, am I?" IU Outdoor Adventure Trip Leader Matt Lattis asked as we began our vertical descent into the deepest cave in Indiana. \nHe offered to take the IDS staffer who doesn't know how to tie his own tie on a day trip to explore the great abyss of one of 2,000 caves in Indiana.\nA cave enthusiast since the eighth grade, Lattis is one of the trip leaders at IU Outdoor Adventure. The program consists of specialized classes and individualized trips ranging from day trips in Bloomington to week long trips all over the world. Kayaking in Kentucky, rock climbing and caving in Southern Illinois, and backpacking and whitewater rafting trips are a few of the orientation trips available to freshman in August, but students can plan their own trips year round with help from IUOA.\nSituated on the third floor of the Union, IUOA has equipment for rental, including tents, stoves, canoes, kayaks, and anything else needed for an adventure, and the staff is more than happy to come with and guide. Their custom experiences trips allow you to "mix and match activities, choose your own trip dates, and travel to locations from as close as your backyard to as far away as New Zealand," according to their Web site.\nLattis said the trips cost around $25-$30 for a day trip, with greater expense for the weekend trips.\nOur adventure began in Lattis' customized raised red jeep with a raised frame and monster wheels, splattered with mud. We left from the Union to an unmarked patch of grass just north of Bedford. The spot looked like a place to turn around instead of the entrance to a massive vertical cave.\nGrabbing ropes, helmets with lights, and emergency supplies, he guided me through the woods to the entrance to the "Gory Hole." Once geared up, he threw one end of the rope down the pit. \n"This is my favorite sound in the world," he said as the rope whizzed down the 142-foot drop until a faint noise echoed up the cave as it hit the limestone below. \nAfter getting used to the feeling of being on rope, and assurance from Lattis that it would hold me, we began our spelunking adventure. Well, I spelunked. He caved. Spelunking is what cavers call amateurs trying their hand at "bouncing a pit." \nDescending is effortless: just hold the rope behind your back and let out a few feet down at a time to glide down the incline, but 15 feet down, with Lattis another 10 or 15 below me, my smooth descent was brought to a screeching halt.\nA large clump of my hair, sneaking out of the bottom of my helmet, was snagged on the rope. With 15 feet of rock above of me, and over 100 feet straight down, I felt paralyzed. Unable to move my head more than an inch in either direction.\nI was scared, but was never in danger thanks to Lattis' expertise and calm under pressure. He handled it like the professional he is, quickly ascending up to me, assuring me it was ok, and guiding me through the rope change-over with special care, not even having to cut off my hair. Though it did make me wonder why haircuts don't hurt, since having my hair jammed between the rope and the clamp was unbearable, until Lattis eased it out.\n"When your hair was caught I treat it like it's my hair in there," he said. "I don't just rip it out." \nWith other cavers' lives at risk, it's essential to be able to stay calm and be aware of the situation. Lattis quoted Paul Petzl, climber and inventor who said, "Know what you know and know what you don't know."\nLattis is learning all there is to know about caving. He is certified as a wilderness first responder and has certifications in caving, a hobby he discovered in junior high when a presenter came to describe caving to his class.\n"I probably bugged the hell out of that guy," Lattis said. "I asked so many questions about gear, where to go, stuff like that."\nHe found out he had a cave on his family's property in Indiana and before long he was caving all the time. Starting out on horizontal and progressing to vertical, his main hobby for most of his life. \n"I went and instantly fell in love," he said.\nCaving isn't just about going up and down the rope. Lattis loves crawling through tight passage ways, getting muddy, and seeking out new areas to explore. \nWe cooled down as we continued into the cave, which stays at 52 degrees fahrenheit all year, providing a perfect escape for the mid 90's heat we had been smothered with all week in Indiana. The caves have a unique property where the average highs and lows determine the temperature inside making it a year round sport. \n"I've caved in the coldest days of winter and the hottest days of summer," Lattis said.\nOur headlamps provided most of our vision, as we gazed at the limestone and flint rocks in the cave. The incredible formations occur because of the way the water drips down the limestone, forming it over years into a work of art.\n"I know it's just rock and mud, but it's beautiful," Lattis said. \nHe gets a lot of pleasure out of taking others into the caves, saying "Can you believe so many people will never experience this?" as he guided me through the ledges, cliffs, nooks and crannies of the massive cave.\n"It's an exploration that a lot of people wouldn't think about doing," he said. "You can get further away from city life. I don't know, I think it's a blast."\nLattis is constantly traveling for caves. He frequents Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia- known as "TAG"-and is heading there this weekend to find a good place to take his advanced caving class. \nA favorite trip of his was to a West Virginia bridge where they repelled over 850 feet, which he said was one of the coolest things he's experienced. \n"It was a sensory overload: 360 degrees of unbelievable sights. I got 400 feet before I stopped to take a picture, I was so nervous."\nAs we got to the bottom of the cave to look around and sign the registry, Lattis admitted when he first saw my hair stuck in the rope's he thought, 'Oh shit,' but he kept his cool.\n"At no time did I feel like you were in a life or death risk," he said. "A rule of vertical climbing is, don't rush it. I'm very calculated with my gear." \nAfter Lattis used his geological knowledge to describe the rock formations to describe limestone and flint rocks, we ascended back out of the cave on rope. This time, sticking a foot in the foot rest to propel our body up, then slide our opposite hands clamp up the rope, pulling up with upper body strength foot by foot to the top of the cave and back to reality.\nFor Lattis it's just another day at the office. Through his years of experience and work at IUOA, he has developed an individual degree called Outdoor Adventure Leadership and Instructional Development. His hobby has become his life's work which he plans to devote his life to. \n"It's given me an opportunity to be a better leader and become a better person," he said. "I'd like to always be involved. My passion is teaching people first hand. I want to travel for a few years, see what's out there."\nFor more info stop into the IUOA office in the Union or check its Web site: www.imu.indiana.edu/iuoa/index.html to plan your own adventure for caving, rock climbing, rappelling, backpacking, ice climbing, kayaking, bungee jumping, or sky diving from hours to weeks in advance.
(08/03/06 4:00am)
From the moment the bouncer asks you your middle name and birth sign at the door, the drinking games are on.\nThe earliest known drinking game in literature is from Plato's Symposium in which players fill a bowl with wine, drink it, and pass it on. Games have gotten more advanced, and the rules differ from town to town, even within Bloomington, but the idea is the same: Why not play a game to show off your ping pong ball throwing, cup flipping, and beer pouring skills with a little peer pressure? \nIt's a game most people don't mind losing. You're playing to get drunk, but IU takes their drinking games serious, keeping track of beer pong wins, claiming house rules and taunting to no end.\nWatch. Listen. Drink.\nA great pre-game activity is the popular power hour. The basic idea is to drink a shot of beer every minute for an hour to a mix of music designed to skip songs every minute. It gets a lot of beer in you quickly and you get good background music. Name that tune works as well, with players making a mix and having others try to guess the artist or song title first and giving out drinking times at will.\nA popular song to drink to is the Police's "Roxanne," where half the players are assigned the line "Roxanne" or "Turn on your red light" and have to drink when it's played.\n"It's awesome," senior Kelly Spear said. "At the end of the song they just go back and forth between those two lines so it's like, whoa, that side, this side, that side, all drinking at once."\nHundreds of drinking games that go with TV shows or movies are on the internet and run the gamut from serious to silly to cult. A simple google search of drinking games finds games to play while watching shows like CNN, America's Next Top Model, and "Saved by the Bell." Rules will have players drinking whenever they hear: 'terror alert,' models talk about how they thought modeling would be easier, or Principle Belding saying 'Hey hey hey, what is going on here?' \nSenior Doug Maurer said one of his favorite games involves cult favorite "Boondock Saints," which has constant swearing and action.\n"You have to drink every time someone dies or says fuck," Maurer said. "You'll get shit faced."\nIt's in the cards:\nIn kings, players go around the table, with the dealer having one player guess what number card is on top. If you guess nine on the first try, the dealer drinks for 10 seconds. If the guesser misses, the dealer tells the player to guess higher. On this guess, if correct the dealer drinks for five seconds. If they guess wrong, the guesser drinks for however many steps away from the card they were.\nThe dealer stays dealer until three people in a row don't get the right number on their first two guesses. After a card is used it is placed on the table, so towards the end of the game players know exactly which cards are left and the dealer will often have turns of drink five, drink ten, ten, ten…floor. \nSenior Jason Boyd enjoys the simple game, and doesn't even mind being dealer.\n"I like getting screwed, but not too hard," he said.\nKings is another popular game where every card has a specific action or mini-game where cards are spread on the table with a designated action for each card picked. 2-8 red cards you drink, black you give away. Nine's are rhyme time, ten's a category, and jack is thumb master. The queen allows its holder to become question master, forcing anyone who answers to drink. King gets to make a new rule and Ace is a waterfall where players all drink around the table until the person to your right finishes drinking. \n"Kings is always different," Boyd said. "When you play, everyone brings different rules to the table. Whenever I pick a king I do a beer bong and my rule is that someone has to do one with me. What can I say? I love beer bongs."\nWhile there are tons of variations of card games, some people find they like more action.\n"Kings sucks. It's for pussies," senior Kelly Spear said. "Card drinking games get old really fast. People don't want to be sitting down when they're drunk. The reason beer pong is good is that it's steady. You can play it all night long."\nGames where you throw stuff:\nBeer pong, or Beirut, is the king of home drinking games. Ten cups filled about a third up with beer, are shot at by two players a side, trying to make all the cups on the other teams side first. If both team members make a shot they get to shoot again, and bouncing it in gets another cup taken away. The only defense is taunting and anyone can swat away a bounced ball and girls can blow any ball out before it settles. \nStudents take down doors to create make-shift tables or make their own with from wood and signature paint jobs.\n"We had just unhinged my friend's bedroom door and were carrying it into the living room during little five when his landlord walked in," Boyd said. \nThe game originated from playing on ping pong tables, but around Bloomington most tables are wood. Painting the tables is popular, with many tables painted to look like basketball and football courts. IU seniors said they've seen Assembly Hall's court a bunch of times, the old Celtics court The Boston Garden, and they have plans for repainting their table.\n"We're going to paint the IU court on our beer die table and Chicago Bears stadium Soldier Field on our Beer Pong table," said senior Andy Shore.\nHis roommate, senior Jeff Miller, boasted he could toss balls around with the best of them with his straight elbow bend release.\n"I like beer pong 'cause I'm good at it," Miller said. "I can't bounce a quarter worth a damn."\nA couple times a week Shore said he'd drag the table from its resting place in the hallway to the kitchen and have friends over for a few games. Regular pong attendee Kelly Spear described her favorite moment of glory this summer.\n"I never make the last cup and I made it," she said. "Then they made the last cup so we went to overtime, you know? I'm pissed. And then we came back and I sank the last cup again. I mean, it was golden."\nBouncing quarters into a container is about the only consistent rule you'll find in the game. There's beer chandelier where contestants bounce a quarter into a circular formation of cups with one cup on top filled with beer. If the quarter goes in the top cup, all players chug their cup and the last one done has to finish the full top cup. Players can bounce into ice-cube trays, shot glasses, glasses of any kind, or in speed quarters, glasses and quarters are passed around willy-nilly in an all out quarters assault.\nBeer die isn't nearly as popular as its older brother, beer pong. Similarly to pong, two players from each team are at either end of the longer, narrower table. The difference is that players sit, and are attempting to get a thrown dice to bounce on the table and then hit the ground, land in a glass, or back on the table (with appropriate loft) for one point. \nFrom here on out, rules differ from place to place, but the object is to acquire points and you can never say the word five. Only Biz.\nBar drinking games\nOnce you're done with a home game of kings, pong, or drinking along with your favorite TV show or movie, the bar scene has a couple games in store for you. That is, if you can remember your home address (or the person's id your using.) \nHands down, the favorite in Bloomington is "sink the Biz" at Nicks. There's pool and darts, but it's all about the biz. \nPlayers sit around a bucket of beer with a glass floating in it and take turns pouring in the glass until someone sinks the glass and has to chug it. The simple sounding game has a skill level to it.\n"Oh, there's some skill involved," Miller said. "You've gotta be able to tip really quickly and put barely and fluid in the cup, but get it as close to full for the next person as possible." \nAs most creative drinking games progress, rules get more complicated and your slurred speech gets limited by penalties. If you splash three shots in the beer in a row in quarters, draw a king in kings, or perform another equally impressive feat in your game of choice you're allowed to make a rule. Rules often involve not being able to swear, say someone's name, or any variation on the word drink/drunk. \nSome games like 21 develop completely on the fly. At first players just go around saying one to 21, but as you get to 21 you come up with a new word or action for the numbers for the next round until every number has an action. You could have to remember to play air guitar on one, hump the air on two, say 'I suck' on three and then have to remember 18 more to avoid drinking, but then again, isn't that the point. \nThis is just the tip of the iceberg though. There is no end to the amount of drinking games available, so combine rules, make your own game, and do whatever makes your beer gut shake with laughter and please, drink responsibly.
(08/03/06 12:34am)
While usage of gateway drugs marijuana and cigarettes are decreasing among sixth to 12th graders, use of harder drugs is on the rise for Indiana 11th and 12th graders, according to a recent IU survey. The study also revealed increased after-school participation was the key factor in steering young adults away from drugs, alcohol and tobacco. \nThe Indiana Prevention Resource Center released this week the 16th Annual Survey of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Use by Indiana Children and Adolescents. The study collected data from about 131,000 students in grades six to 12 in Indiana public and private schools.\nRuth Gassman, executive director of the Indiana Prevention Center, analyzed the results and said the state is doing a fairly good job of preventing gateway drug use, but they need to stop those who have "graduated from gateway drugs to poly-drug use."\nA startling result was high school seniors are injecting drugs at an all-time high on a monthly and lifelong basis. The most injected drugs are heroin, methamphetamine and steroids, which Gassman said she is concerned about.\n"This finding is most alarming as injection drug use is strongly correlated with transmission of secondary infections such as HIV," Gassman said.\nThough heroin, ecstasy and psychedelic drug use is on the rise among 11th and 12th graders in Indiana, Gassman said it's not an epidemic since it is still a very low percentage of those tested. Only 254 out of the 131,017 students surveyed admitted heroin usage, for example.\nThe study found a pattern of drug use where there was a more direct path from one drug to the next. Twelve to 14 year olds typically start with cigarettes; move on to alcohol and then marijuana.\n"You don't just wake up and say, 'I'm going to inject heroin today,'" Gassman said. "You start with cigarettes and marijuana." \nMarijuana is declining for the 10th straight year among all grades. Especially large drops come in the sixth to ninth grade, where usage has been cut in half over the last 10 years.\nCigarette smoking was down too, but smokeless tobacco was on the rise, which Gassman attributed to young people not understanding chewing tobacco is still damaging.\nGassman was disheartened by the table which showed the negative effects drug and alcohol usage had on the lives of the young adults tested. Missing school, damaging property and getting in trouble with police and parents were all accredited to drug or alcohol usage.\n"What packs a punch (from the table) is the variety of different consequences and the prevalence," she said. "It's eye-opening, the repercussions of alcohol and drug use."\nAlcohol use continued to go down among 10th to 12th graders, but binge drinking was reportedly higher among 12th graders. This may have contributed to the alarming statistic that 26 percent of 12th graders admitted to having ridden in a car with someone who was intoxicated. A third of 12th graders admitted to getting nauseated or vomiting from drug or alcohol usage.\nViolence had the strongest correlation to alcohol usage, with 20 percent of high school-age students admitting to getting into a fight or argument due to being intoxicated.\nResults show that getting young adults active in sports, arts and other after school activities is a determining factor in lowering their alcohol, tobacco and marijuana drug usage. Results were also that the more students participated, the lower their drug usage was which encouraged Gassman.\n"These findings support the value of after-school programming as a strategy to prevent or reduce illegal substance use among adolescents," she said.
(08/02/06 8:20pm)
From the moment the bouncer asks you your middle name and birth sign at the door, the drinking games are on.\nThe earliest known drinking game in literature is from Plato's Symposium in which players fill a bowl with wine, drink it, and pass it on. Games have gotten more advanced, and the rules differ from town to town, even within Bloomington, but the idea is the same: Why not play a game to show off your ping pong ball throwing, cup flipping, and beer pouring skills with a little peer pressure? \nIt's a game most people don't mind losing. You're playing to get drunk, but IU takes their drinking games serious, keeping track of beer pong wins, claiming house rules and taunting to no end.\nWatch. Listen. Drink.\nA great pre-game activity is the popular power hour. The basic idea is to drink a shot of beer every minute for an hour to a mix of music designed to skip songs every minute. It gets a lot of beer in you quickly and you get good background music. Name that tune works as well, with players making a mix and having others try to guess the artist or song title first and giving out drinking times at will.\nA popular song to drink to is the Police's "Roxanne," where half the players are assigned the line "Roxanne" or "Turn on your red light" and have to drink when it's played.\n"It's awesome," senior Kelly Spear said. "At the end of the song they just go back and forth between those two lines so it's like, whoa, that side, this side, that side, all drinking at once."\nHundreds of drinking games that go with TV shows or movies are on the internet and run the gamut from serious to silly to cult. A simple google search of drinking games finds games to play while watching shows like CNN, America's Next Top Model, and "Saved by the Bell." Rules will have players drinking whenever they hear: 'terror alert,' models talk about how they thought modeling would be easier, or Principle Belding saying 'Hey hey hey, what is going on here?' \nSenior Doug Maurer said one of his favorite games involves cult favorite "Boondock Saints," which has constant swearing and action.\n"You have to drink every time someone dies or says fuck," Maurer said. "You'll get shit faced."\nIt's in the cards:\nIn kings, players go around the table, with the dealer having one player guess what number card is on top. If you guess nine on the first try, the dealer drinks for 10 seconds. If the guesser misses, the dealer tells the player to guess higher. On this guess, if correct the dealer drinks for five seconds. If they guess wrong, the guesser drinks for however many steps away from the card they were.\nThe dealer stays dealer until three people in a row don't get the right number on their first two guesses. After a card is used it is placed on the table, so towards the end of the game players know exactly which cards are left and the dealer will often have turns of drink five, drink ten, ten, ten…floor. \nSenior Jason Boyd enjoys the simple game, and doesn't even mind being dealer.\n"I like getting screwed, but not too hard," he said.\nKings is another popular game where every card has a specific action or mini-game where cards are spread on the table with a designated action for each card picked. 2-8 red cards you drink, black you give away. Nine's are rhyme time, ten's a category, and jack is thumb master. The queen allows its holder to become question master, forcing anyone who answers to drink. King gets to make a new rule and Ace is a waterfall where players all drink around the table until the person to your right finishes drinking. \n"Kings is always different," Boyd said. "When you play, everyone brings different rules to the table. Whenever I pick a king I do a beer bong and my rule is that someone has to do one with me. What can I say? I love beer bongs."\nWhile there are tons of variations of card games, some people find they like more action.\n"Kings sucks. It's for pussies," senior Kelly Spear said. "Card drinking games get old really fast. People don't want to be sitting down when they're drunk. The reason beer pong is good is that it's steady. You can play it all night long."\nGames where you throw stuff:\nBeer pong, or Beirut, is the king of home drinking games. Ten cups filled about a third up with beer, are shot at by two players a side, trying to make all the cups on the other teams side first. If both team members make a shot they get to shoot again, and bouncing it in gets another cup taken away. The only defense is taunting and anyone can swat away a bounced ball and girls can blow any ball out before it settles. \nStudents take down doors to create make-shift tables or make their own with from wood and signature paint jobs.\n"We had just unhinged my friend's bedroom door and were carrying it into the living room during little five when his landlord walked in," Boyd said. \nThe game originated from playing on ping pong tables, but around Bloomington most tables are wood. Painting the tables is popular, with many tables painted to look like basketball and football courts. IU seniors said they've seen Assembly Hall's court a bunch of times, the old Celtics court The Boston Garden, and they have plans for repainting their table.\n"We're going to paint the IU court on our beer die table and Chicago Bears stadium Soldier Field on our Beer Pong table," said senior Andy Shore.\nHis roommate, senior Jeff Miller, boasted he could toss balls around with the best of them with his straight elbow bend release.\n"I like beer pong 'cause I'm good at it," Miller said. "I can't bounce a quarter worth a damn."\nA couple times a week Shore said he'd drag the table from its resting place in the hallway to the kitchen and have friends over for a few games. Regular pong attendee Kelly Spear described her favorite moment of glory this summer.\n"I never make the last cup and I made it," she said. "Then they made the last cup so we went to overtime, you know? I'm pissed. And then we came back and I sank the last cup again. I mean, it was golden."\nBouncing quarters into a container is about the only consistent rule you'll find in the game. There's beer chandelier where contestants bounce a quarter into a circular formation of cups with one cup on top filled with beer. If the quarter goes in the top cup, all players chug their cup and the last one done has to finish the full top cup. Players can bounce into ice-cube trays, shot glasses, glasses of any kind, or in speed quarters, glasses and quarters are passed around willy-nilly in an all out quarters assault.\nBeer die isn't nearly as popular as its older brother, beer pong. Similarly to pong, two players from each team are at either end of the longer, narrower table. The difference is that players sit, and are attempting to get a thrown dice to bounce on the table and then hit the ground, land in a glass, or back on the table (with appropriate loft) for one point. \nFrom here on out, rules differ from place to place, but the object is to acquire points and you can never say the word five. Only Biz.\nBar drinking games\nOnce you're done with a home game of kings, pong, or drinking along with your favorite TV show or movie, the bar scene has a couple games in store for you. That is, if you can remember your home address (or the person's id your using.) \nHands down, the favorite in Bloomington is "sink the Biz" at Nicks. There's pool and darts, but it's all about the biz. \nPlayers sit around a bucket of beer with a glass floating in it and take turns pouring in the glass until someone sinks the glass and has to chug it. The simple sounding game has a skill level to it.\n"Oh, there's some skill involved," Miller said. "You've gotta be able to tip really quickly and put barely and fluid in the cup, but get it as close to full for the next person as possible." \nAs most creative drinking games progress, rules get more complicated and your slurred speech gets limited by penalties. If you splash three shots in the beer in a row in quarters, draw a king in kings, or perform another equally impressive feat in your game of choice you're allowed to make a rule. Rules often involve not being able to swear, say someone's name, or any variation on the word drink/drunk. \nSome games like 21 develop completely on the fly. At first players just go around saying one to 21, but as you get to 21 you come up with a new word or action for the numbers for the next round until every number has an action. You could have to remember to play air guitar on one, hump the air on two, say 'I suck' on three and then have to remember 18 more to avoid drinking, but then again, isn't that the point. \nThis is just the tip of the iceberg though. There is no end to the amount of drinking games available, so combine rules, make your own game, and do whatever makes your beer gut shake with laughter and please, drink responsibly.
(08/02/06 8:04pm)
"When we get down there you may be face-to-face with a snake or a dead animal. I'm not scaring you, am I?" IU Outdoor Adventure Trip Leader Matt Lattis asked as we began our vertical descent into the deepest cave in Indiana. \nHe offered to take the IDS staffer who doesn't know how to tie his own tie on a day trip to explore the great abyss of one of 2,000 caves in Indiana.\nA cave enthusiast since the eighth grade, Lattis is one of the trip leaders at IU Outdoor Adventure. The program consists of specialized classes and individualized trips ranging from day trips in Bloomington to week long trips all over the world. Kayaking in Kentucky, rock climbing and caving in Southern Illinois, and backpacking and whitewater rafting trips are a few of the orientation trips available to freshman in August, but students can plan their own trips year round with help from IUOA.\nSituated on the third floor of the Union, IUOA has equipment for rental, including tents, stoves, canoes, kayaks, and anything else needed for an adventure, and the staff is more than happy to come with and guide. Their custom experiences trips allow you to "mix and match activities, choose your own trip dates, and travel to locations from as close as your backyard to as far away as New Zealand," according to their Web site.\nLattis said the trips cost around $25-$30 for a day trip, with greater expense for the weekend trips.\nOur adventure began in Lattis' customized raised red jeep with a raised frame and monster wheels, splattered with mud. We left from the Union to an unmarked patch of grass just north of Bedford. The spot looked like a place to turn around instead of the entrance to a massive vertical cave.\nGrabbing ropes, helmets with lights, and emergency supplies, he guided me through the woods to the entrance to the "Gory Hole." Once geared up, he threw one end of the rope down the pit. \n"This is my favorite sound in the world," he said as the rope whizzed down the 142-foot drop until a faint noise echoed up the cave as it hit the limestone below. \nAfter getting used to the feeling of being on rope, and assurance from Lattis that it would hold me, we began our spelunking adventure. Well, I spelunked. He caved. Spelunking is what cavers call amateurs trying their hand at "bouncing a pit." \nDescending is effortless: just hold the rope behind your back and let out a few feet down at a time to glide down the incline, but 15 feet down, with Lattis another 10 or 15 below me, my smooth descent was brought to a screeching halt.\nA large clump of my hair, sneaking out of the bottom of my helmet, was snagged on the rope. With 15 feet of rock above of me, and over 100 feet straight down, I felt paralyzed. Unable to move my head more than an inch in either direction.\nI was scared, but was never in danger thanks to Lattis' expertise and calm under pressure. He handled it like the professional he is, quickly ascending up to me, assuring me it was ok, and guiding me through the rope change-over with special care, not even having to cut off my hair. Though it did make me wonder why haircuts don't hurt, since having my hair jammed between the rope and the clamp was unbearable, until Lattis eased it out.\n"When your hair was caught I treat it like it's my hair in there," he said. "I don't just rip it out." \nWith other cavers' lives at risk, it's essential to be able to stay calm and be aware of the situation. Lattis quoted Paul Petzl, climber and inventor who said, "Know what you know and know what you don't know."\nLattis is learning all there is to know about caving. He is certified as a wilderness first responder and has certifications in caving, a hobby he discovered in junior high when a presenter came to describe caving to his class.\n"I probably bugged the hell out of that guy," Lattis said. "I asked so many questions about gear, where to go, stuff like that."\nHe found out he had a cave on his family's property in Indiana and before long he was caving all the time. Starting out on horizontal and progressing to vertical, his main hobby for most of his life. \n"I went and instantly fell in love," he said.\nCaving isn't just about going up and down the rope. Lattis loves crawling through tight passage ways, getting muddy, and seeking out new areas to explore. \nWe cooled down as we continued into the cave, which stays at 52 degrees fahrenheit all year, providing a perfect escape for the mid 90's heat we had been smothered with all week in Indiana. The caves have a unique property where the average highs and lows determine the temperature inside making it a year round sport. \n"I've caved in the coldest days of winter and the hottest days of summer," Lattis said.\nOur headlamps provided most of our vision, as we gazed at the limestone and flint rocks in the cave. The incredible formations occur because of the way the water drips down the limestone, forming it over years into a work of art.\n"I know it's just rock and mud, but it's beautiful," Lattis said. \nHe gets a lot of pleasure out of taking others into the caves, saying "Can you believe so many people will never experience this?" as he guided me through the ledges, cliffs, nooks and crannies of the massive cave.\n"It's an exploration that a lot of people wouldn't think about doing," he said. "You can get further away from city life. I don't know, I think it's a blast."\nLattis is constantly traveling for caves. He frequents Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia- known as "TAG"-and is heading there this weekend to find a good place to take his advanced caving class. \nA favorite trip of his was to a West Virginia bridge where they repelled over 850 feet, which he said was one of the coolest things he's experienced. \n"It was a sensory overload: 360 degrees of unbelievable sights. I got 400 feet before I stopped to take a picture, I was so nervous."\nAs we got to the bottom of the cave to look around and sign the registry, Lattis admitted when he first saw my hair stuck in the rope's he thought, 'Oh shit,' but he kept his cool.\n"At no time did I feel like you were in a life or death risk," he said. "A rule of vertical climbing is, don't rush it. I'm very calculated with my gear." \nAfter Lattis used his geological knowledge to describe the rock formations to describe limestone and flint rocks, we ascended back out of the cave on rope. This time, sticking a foot in the foot rest to propel our body up, then slide our opposite hands clamp up the rope, pulling up with upper body strength foot by foot to the top of the cave and back to reality.\nFor Lattis it's just another day at the office. Through his years of experience and work at IUOA, he has developed an individual degree called Outdoor Adventure Leadership and Instructional Development. His hobby has become his life's work which he plans to devote his life to. \n"It's given me an opportunity to be a better leader and become a better person," he said. "I'd like to always be involved. My passion is teaching people first hand. I want to travel for a few years, see what's out there."\nFor more info stop into the IUOA office in the Union or check its Web site: www.imu.indiana.edu/iuoa/index.html to plan your own adventure for caving, rock climbing, rappelling, backpacking, ice climbing, kayaking, bungee jumping, or sky diving from hours to weeks in advance.
(07/31/06 4:12am)
In times of emergency, saving every second is critical and now the IU Police Department can cut out every wasteful one with a new text-based wireless communication system they are set to install. The new technology allows texts and more in a new software and hardware upgrade that will be implemented in squad cars in the coming weeks.\nThe BioKey Mobile Cop software IUPD has obtained is multi-functional. It allows wireless conferencing among the dispatch center and all six of IUPD's squad cars, in addition to instant access to crime databases.\nIUPD Lt. Jerry Minger said the goal is to get the software and laptops implemented before move-in begins August 23. \n"We're extremely excited about it," Minger said. "Mainly because it's going to free up our dispatch to do other things. Now everyone in the field can do computer work on their own. It's fantastic."\nSquad cars now have instant access to national and state crime files which Minger said, "holds a multiplicity of functionality." He explained that under the old system squad cars had to call in to dispatch, tie them up as they looked for files and then radio back to the car. He said once the software is implemented, the whole process can be done right in the squad car.\nMinger said in the past a "half duplex" radio system existed where only one person can transmit, which left the line tied up during critical times. Now with two-way text messaging and radios for back-up, the message should always get through.\nOutdoor hot spots "aren't pervasive enough," so the station is using Verizon air cards, which function identically to wireless Internet cards in laptops. The squad cars will have access to the information wherever they go, staying on the same wireless carrier.\nHardware and software have arrived with the IUPD, but Minger said there is a slight hold-up and he hopes it will be working by the Aug. 23 dorm move-in. He said he plans to call University Information Technology Services to see why it is taking so long. \n"The piece of the puzzle holding up implementation is that it has to work across a wireless system," Minger said.\nThere are still ways to ensure that officers know when an important alarm is coming through, alerting them of an emergency. If a signal is sent from dispatch, an alarm sounds so officers in the cars know to look at their computers. \nMinger said there is some concern about the computer interfering with the officer's driving, but said it is not much more of an issue than driving with a cell phone. \nHe said there are plans to do a data transfer with the Bloomington Police Department, which has a similar system. The new system had Minger giving thanks to all who made the new equipment possible, as he expressed "so much praise and gratitude to the (IU) vice president's office."\nHis anticipation over the new text messaging feature was coupled by his assurance of how safe and secure the new "tough book" laptops are.\n"They're waterproof, you can drop them from six feet up, freeze them, do whatever you want and they won't break," Minger said. "They're what the military uses"
(07/26/06 11:41pm)
With about 30 scientists working on stem cell research at IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis, University faculty expressed concern over President Bush's recent veto blocking a bill Congress passed to extend research funding on embryonic stem cells. \nEric Meslin, director of IU Center for Bioethics, said the veto is troubling because it will take away material from scientists on the brink of discoveries that could save millions of lives. However, he said, IU's research will not be directly affected too much, as the University focuses on research involving adult stem cells. \nWhile it seems on the surface the bill would be detrimental to research in the field, he said a lot of research won't be affected as it applies only to embryonic cells and many states are stepping in to provide the funding as recent polls have shown the majority of Americans agree with the research. \n"Adult cells have a great purpose, but it's best to have as many resources as possible," Meslin said in reference to how the loss of embryonic cells will still hurt the scientific community in some ways. \nBush appears to be on the minority opinion for this topic, even forcing some Republicans to break party lines to support the research. Meslin said 70 percent of the Americans support embryonic cell usage and Republicans such as Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger have voiced their opposition to Bush's veto.\nMeslin said it's hard to predict what impact there will be in the scientific community, as he said federal funding can be a 'gate keeper.' But he said if funding is not coming in from federal sources, scientists can still use embryonic cells through state funding or other methods. \nResearch will continue in many states like California, as they strongly push for more funding. But the National Institute of Health's Web site states federal funding is integral to furthering the important research. \n"Because many academic researchers rely on federal funds to support their laboratories, they are just beginning to learn how to grow and use the cells," the NIH states, according to the Web site.\nSince IU is a public university, it follows all federal laws, including Bush's policy. But if a scientist chose to leave the University they could go to a different state or country where that research is allowed. However, Meslin said he doesn't foresee researchers leaving IU because of the veto.\n"Where we, IU, stand is exactly where we stood when Bush created the policy in 2001," he said.\nBush's 2001 policy allowed only research on embryonic stem cells from frozen embryos that would have been discarded from fertility clinics, which will continue to occur according to USA Today.\nMeslin said the veto may not have staying power, stating how close the Senate was to having a two-thirds majority -- allowing for the body to override the president's veto. He said this is something that may happen with democrats predicted to take over several seats in the mid-term elections quickly approaching.\n"The bill was passed by Senate 63-37," he said. "Just four more votes, if 67-33, it would have been veto-proof. That's where politics and science make very interesting bedfellows."\nStates, including Indiana, are already making sure that research continues by working to support stem cell science through indirect contributions, according to the New York Times. \nMeslin said the University will actively engage in adult stem cell research and is looking to make the program exceed even further, as he added Indiana has a need for it. \n"It does not settle the issue in this country," he said. "It settled it for the moment. As science moves forward there will be a need to make stem cells more available"
(07/20/06 4:00am)
Agigantic bottle filled with red wine, equivalent to over 300 regular sized bottles is the ultimate party starter. Unfortunately it costs over $3,000 and is more of a novelty, but it shows a side of the creativity that has Oliver and Butler Winery squeezing new life into the booming wine business. \nWith free daily wine tasting, and home kits to make your own wine, Bloomington's wineries are appeasing wine lovers and creating new ones every day.\nCustomers aren't getting drunk, but visitors to Bloomington's two wineries, Oliver and Butler, are provided with half a dozen samples of homegrown Indiana wines with expert help to guide them to their new favorite wine and a nice afternoon buzz.\nFormer IU law professor, William Oliver, began the business by brewing wine in his basement, and after literally writing the law on wineries in Indiana, he opened the first Indiana winery in 1972. Oliver Winery has grown dramatically since then, tripling production from 166,000 gallons of wine in 2001 to approximately 500,000 gallons in 2006.\nSince then over 30 other wineries have sprung up in Indiana to provide a tourist attraction for wine enthusiasts and amateurs coming to find a new favorite or just enjoy a tour of the vineyards. Promotions Director Sarah Villwock said the staff is there to help, and after having tasted all the wines and discussed them with other employees, they are great guides as they lead tasters down the list from dry to sweet wines.\n"We have an educated staff," Villwock said, "They'll guide you through it. If you know a lot about wine, just come in and taste. If you want to learn, we'll help you with that too."\nBrown County resident Pam Flowers has been drinking Butler wines since before they even opened their winery. Their original location in Bloomington on N. College is now a tasting room and the spot to buy wine and wine-making kits.\n"You're not going to taste any wine?" Flowers said to her husband at a tasting at Butler's Winery. "You're nuts."\nOliver is the Big Red of Wine, dominating the market with over 2,000,000 bottles distributed a year across ten states, but Butler Winery is growing quickly and has distinct attributes which make it well worth a visit. Not that there's any real competition between the two. \nButler said there's a friendly competition among the Indiana wineries, with each trying to make the best wine they can. He pointed out that it's good for there to be a number of wineries in an area to draw people from out of state, saying that Indiana has 32.\n"The more the better," he said. "As long as they make good wine."\nOwner and Founder of Butler winery, Jim Butler, worked at Oliver Winery from 1976 to 1982 before deciding to open his own winery. The Butler tasting room has sandwiches and salads on weekends, but the focus is on the wine. They sell around 25,000 bottles a year and have expansion plans which include a new bar, to be finished in a month, in addition to planting more grapes.\nOliver has wide expansion plans, opening a new vineyard just to specialize in their favorites.\nVillwock stressed that Oliver wines has more than just the sweet wines that they're known for. She said Midwesterners traditionally have sweeter palates, but that they have something for everyone.\n"We're not just sweet wines, Villwock said. "We have a wide variety from dry to sweet."\nMany tasters say Butler's blueberry wine is their favorite and employees agree it's definitely worth a try. Making it involves a process of freezing the berries, thawing them in a mush, adding yeast, and bottling. Employee Jeremiah Bainbridge said it's the most popular and went on to describe the dessert wine.\n"It's smooth, goes down easy, and tastes like Blueberries," he said.\nAll of Butler's wines are homemade. They grow Indiana grapes, and go through the whole production process in-house from de-stemming, crushing, pressing, and bottling. Oliver brings in some grapes from other regions, but once the grapes are there, they go through the whole production in house. \nTheir owner is even a homegrown Indiana boy. Founder William Oliver handed the company over to his son Bill and his wife Kathleen after Bill graduated from IU in 1983.\n"It's the best job I've had, Bainbridge said. "I've had some that paid better, but it's low stress. It's nice to be able to have a sip of wine while working."\nJim Butler studied Water Limnology (study of water) in college and said the transition to wine making was natural.\n"It's just water with ten percent alcohol, he said."\nHe likened the culinary art of wine-making to being a chef, saying that after you learn the basics, you find you can do it on your own and find what works.\nWhen asked about his favorite wine Butler said, "It's like asking me which of my children I love more," Butler said. "It depends on the day."\nMaking wine is a lot harder than just squeezing grapes and adding yeast. It takes four years to plant the grapes and another two years to develop. \n"You're looking at six years before you know what you've got," Butler said. "I like to say it takes three hours to make bread, 30 days to make beer, and three months to make wine. It's a slow learning curve."\nHe recently checked out other states wineries when he went with his wife and co-founder, Susan Butler, on a trip where they visited 22 wineries in five days. His work and dedication has paid off, with rave reviews from customers.\nA Long time customer, Guy East of Indianapolis, stopped in to Oliver for a quick visit and tasting before picking up a couple bottles of his favorites, Vineyard Rose and Indiana Red.\n"It's a little Utopia for us to escape to," he said. "This is our favorite winery. We've come to really enjoy wine through getting to know these folks. It's great that they keep it local too."\nOliver Winery is the biggest and oldest in Bloomington, but their thirst for better and bigger production keeps the wine business booming.\n"We have so much to learn in the wine industry," Villwock said. "It's a growing industry, an ever-changing industry. There's always something new to learn."
(07/20/06 4:00am)
Steve Hofstetter said Paris Hilton being famous shows us that nothing is truly important anymore. He has a reoccurring dream in which a press conference is being held and the human race is being rounded up, and someone will say, "oh, shiny!"\nThe head writer for college humor.com who hosts a show, "4 Quotas," on Sirius Satellite Radio, in addition to writing for ESPN and Maxim is hitting it big. His comedy album, "Cure for the Cable Guy," is enjoying 14 straight weeks on the comedy charts. And he has way more facebook friends than you.\nHe comes back to Bears Place for two Saturday gigs and one on Monday at the legendary Comedy Caravan. Hofstetter looks forward to his return to the spot of his first road gig and the first place to put his picture on the wall. Comedy Caravan at Bears place has a rich history, holding down a Guinness Book of World Record for longest running one-night comedy series since 1983. \n"It was my first road gig, and this is probably the 15th time I've performed here in four years. I absolutely love it."\nKnown as the "thinking man's comic," Hofstetter's is enjoying the success of his first album, which is making a statement about comedy's place in our culture. He attacks Larry the Cable Guy for "promoting ignorance that promotes the downward spiral our country is on."\nDan Whitney's character, Larry the Cable Guy of Blue Collar Comedy fame, upsets Hofstetter. Not because Whitney creates a fake persona, but because Whitney is unwilling to accept that it's just a persona. \n"Sacha Baron Cohen is Ali G, but he's still Sacha Baron Cohen," Hofstetter said, "He's not credited in other movies as Ali G." \nIt's important to Hofstetter that people research what they're interested in, so they can have an educated conversation. \n"Not everyone has to be into politics and religion, but you should at least know what you're talking about," he said. "If your political conversation includes the words Nascar, Jesus, or dill hole, it's not a political conversation." \nOn the surface Hofstetter's topics may come across as controversial, but he stresses looking beyond the surface of the words and focusing on the meanings. Though he may talk about taboo subjects like race and Terri Schiavo, he insists he's not as interested in shock value as he is in talking about things that need to be discussed.\n"In the short run, shock value sells, but in the long run truth works," he said. "I know people will be shocked by a Terri Schiavo joke, but I say it not to shock people, but because I fully believe in it."\nHofstetter said hate mail, riddled with spelling errors, floods his mail box by people who don't take the time to make sense of the words. Listeners hear volatile words and assume he's making insensitive jokes, but he said it's necessary to listen for the meaning. \n"If people understood the meanings of words there would be no such thing as light ranch dressing," he said.\nTelling a joke once or twice on stage, that you're not completely invested in, is OK with Hofstetter, but he said if you're going to tell a joke for a couple years, you better be prepared to stand by it.\n"I stand by almost everything I say, because I think before I speak, which is rare."\nTo avoid becoming stale, Hofstetter is constantly writing new material and is working up bits for a new album. Of his 45 minute set he likes to have about 20 minutes of new stuff. \n"I write all the time," he said. "If you want to hear the classics, get the CD."\nHofstetter's ungodly number of facebook and 400,000 myspace friends has attracted jealousy and he even had to get friends to help him accept all his friendship requests. \n"It's funny, because some schools are trying to ban it," Hofstetter said. "If anyone blames facebook for their problems, then they really don't understand their problems."\nLike most comics, Hofstetter had to build up his act over time, struggling through some early sets.\n"Everybody bombs, Everybody Bombs," Hofstetter said again with emphasis. "You only get better if you have a bad show."\nWith his CD still hot on the charts, it seems Hofstetter has been hitting way more than he misses lately. His set runs through a wide variety of subject. He said when he performs, "there is no subject that is taboo." He is excited about coming back to Bloomington to try out new material and maybe add a few facebook friends. \n"Bloomington is a bit of an oasis. It's always been wonderful to me," he said.
(07/19/06 6:21pm)
Steve Hofstetter said Paris Hilton being famous shows us that nothing is truly important anymore. He has a reoccurring dream in which a press conference is being held and the human race is being rounded up, and someone will say, "oh, shiny!"\nThe head writer for college humor.com who hosts a show, "4 Quotas," on Sirius Satellite Radio, in addition to writing for ESPN and Maxim is hitting it big. His comedy album, "Cure for the Cable Guy," is enjoying 14 straight weeks on the comedy charts. And he has way more facebook friends than you.\nHe comes back to Bears Place for two Saturday gigs and one on Monday at the legendary Comedy Caravan. Hofstetter looks forward to his return to the spot of his first road gig and the first place to put his picture on the wall. Comedy Caravan at Bears place has a rich history, holding down a Guinness Book of World Record for longest running one-night comedy series since 1983. \n"It was my first road gig, and this is probably the 15th time I've performed here in four years. I absolutely love it."\nKnown as the "thinking man's comic," Hofstetter's is enjoying the success of his first album, which is making a statement about comedy's place in our culture. He attacks Larry the Cable Guy for "promoting ignorance that promotes the downward spiral our country is on."\nDan Whitney's character, Larry the Cable Guy of Blue Collar Comedy fame, upsets Hofstetter. Not because Whitney creates a fake persona, but because Whitney is unwilling to accept that it's just a persona. \n"Sacha Baron Cohen is Ali G, but he's still Sacha Baron Cohen," Hofstetter said, "He's not credited in other movies as Ali G." \nIt's important to Hofstetter that people research what they're interested in, so they can have an educated conversation. \n"Not everyone has to be into politics and religion, but you should at least know what you're talking about," he said. "If your political conversation includes the words Nascar, Jesus, or dill hole, it's not a political conversation." \nOn the surface Hofstetter's topics may come across as controversial, but he stresses looking beyond the surface of the words and focusing on the meanings. Though he may talk about taboo subjects like race and Terri Schiavo, he insists he's not as interested in shock value as he is in talking about things that need to be discussed.\n"In the short run, shock value sells, but in the long run truth works," he said. "I know people will be shocked by a Terri Schiavo joke, but I say it not to shock people, but because I fully believe in it."\nHofstetter said hate mail, riddled with spelling errors, floods his mail box by people who don't take the time to make sense of the words. Listeners hear volatile words and assume he's making insensitive jokes, but he said it's necessary to listen for the meaning. \n"If people understood the meanings of words there would be no such thing as light ranch dressing," he said.\nTelling a joke once or twice on stage, that you're not completely invested in, is OK with Hofstetter, but he said if you're going to tell a joke for a couple years, you better be prepared to stand by it.\n"I stand by almost everything I say, because I think before I speak, which is rare."\nTo avoid becoming stale, Hofstetter is constantly writing new material and is working up bits for a new album. Of his 45 minute set he likes to have about 20 minutes of new stuff. \n"I write all the time," he said. "If you want to hear the classics, get the CD."\nHofstetter's ungodly number of facebook and 400,000 myspace friends has attracted jealousy and he even had to get friends to help him accept all his friendship requests. \n"It's funny, because some schools are trying to ban it," Hofstetter said. "If anyone blames facebook for their problems, then they really don't understand their problems."\nLike most comics, Hofstetter had to build up his act over time, struggling through some early sets.\n"Everybody bombs, Everybody Bombs," Hofstetter said again with emphasis. "You only get better if you have a bad show."\nWith his CD still hot on the charts, it seems Hofstetter has been hitting way more than he misses lately. His set runs through a wide variety of subject. He said when he performs, "there is no subject that is taboo." He is excited about coming back to Bloomington to try out new material and maybe add a few facebook friends. \n"Bloomington is a bit of an oasis. It's always been wonderful to me," he said.
(07/19/06 6:13pm)
Agigantic bottle filled with red wine, equivalent to over 300 regular sized bottles is the ultimate party starter. Unfortunately it costs over $3,000 and is more of a novelty, but it shows a side of the creativity that has Oliver and Butler Winery squeezing new life into the booming wine business. \nWith free daily wine tasting, and home kits to make your own wine, Bloomington's wineries are appeasing wine lovers and creating new ones every day.\nCustomers aren't getting drunk, but visitors to Bloomington's two wineries, Oliver and Butler, are provided with half a dozen samples of homegrown Indiana wines with expert help to guide them to their new favorite wine and a nice afternoon buzz.\nFormer IU law professor, William Oliver, began the business by brewing wine in his basement, and after literally writing the law on wineries in Indiana, he opened the first Indiana winery in 1972. Oliver Winery has grown dramatically since then, tripling production from 166,000 gallons of wine in 2001 to approximately 500,000 gallons in 2006.\nSince then over 30 other wineries have sprung up in Indiana to provide a tourist attraction for wine enthusiasts and amateurs coming to find a new favorite or just enjoy a tour of the vineyards. Promotions Director Sarah Villwock said the staff is there to help, and after having tasted all the wines and discussed them with other employees, they are great guides as they lead tasters down the list from dry to sweet wines.\n"We have an educated staff," Villwock said, "They'll guide you through it. If you know a lot about wine, just come in and taste. If you want to learn, we'll help you with that too."\nBrown County resident Pam Flowers has been drinking Butler wines since before they even opened their winery. Their original location in Bloomington on N. College is now a tasting room and the spot to buy wine and wine-making kits.\n"You're not going to taste any wine?" Flowers said to her husband at a tasting at Butler's Winery. "You're nuts."\nOliver is the Big Red of Wine, dominating the market with over 2,000,000 bottles distributed a year across ten states, but Butler Winery is growing quickly and has distinct attributes which make it well worth a visit. Not that there's any real competition between the two. \nButler said there's a friendly competition among the Indiana wineries, with each trying to make the best wine they can. He pointed out that it's good for there to be a number of wineries in an area to draw people from out of state, saying that Indiana has 32.\n"The more the better," he said. "As long as they make good wine."\nOwner and Founder of Butler winery, Jim Butler, worked at Oliver Winery from 1976 to 1982 before deciding to open his own winery. The Butler tasting room has sandwiches and salads on weekends, but the focus is on the wine. They sell around 25,000 bottles a year and have expansion plans which include a new bar, to be finished in a month, in addition to planting more grapes.\nOliver has wide expansion plans, opening a new vineyard just to specialize in their favorites.\nVillwock stressed that Oliver wines has more than just the sweet wines that they're known for. She said Midwesterners traditionally have sweeter palates, but that they have something for everyone.\n"We're not just sweet wines, Villwock said. "We have a wide variety from dry to sweet."\nMany tasters say Butler's blueberry wine is their favorite and employees agree it's definitely worth a try. Making it involves a process of freezing the berries, thawing them in a mush, adding yeast, and bottling. Employee Jeremiah Bainbridge said it's the most popular and went on to describe the dessert wine.\n"It's smooth, goes down easy, and tastes like Blueberries," he said.\nAll of Butler's wines are homemade. They grow Indiana grapes, and go through the whole production process in-house from de-stemming, crushing, pressing, and bottling. Oliver brings in some grapes from other regions, but once the grapes are there, they go through the whole production in house. \nTheir owner is even a homegrown Indiana boy. Founder William Oliver handed the company over to his son Bill and his wife Kathleen after Bill graduated from IU in 1983.\n"It's the best job I've had, Bainbridge said. "I've had some that paid better, but it's low stress. It's nice to be able to have a sip of wine while working."\nJim Butler studied Water Limnology (study of water) in college and said the transition to wine making was natural.\n"It's just water with ten percent alcohol, he said."\nHe likened the culinary art of wine-making to being a chef, saying that after you learn the basics, you find you can do it on your own and find what works.\nWhen asked about his favorite wine Butler said, "It's like asking me which of my children I love more," Butler said. "It depends on the day."\nMaking wine is a lot harder than just squeezing grapes and adding yeast. It takes four years to plant the grapes and another two years to develop. \n"You're looking at six years before you know what you've got," Butler said. "I like to say it takes three hours to make bread, 30 days to make beer, and three months to make wine. It's a slow learning curve."\nHe recently checked out other states wineries when he went with his wife and co-founder, Susan Butler, on a trip where they visited 22 wineries in five days. His work and dedication has paid off, with rave reviews from customers.\nA Long time customer, Guy East of Indianapolis, stopped in to Oliver for a quick visit and tasting before picking up a couple bottles of his favorites, Vineyard Rose and Indiana Red.\n"It's a little Utopia for us to escape to," he said. "This is our favorite winery. We've come to really enjoy wine through getting to know these folks. It's great that they keep it local too."\nOliver Winery is the biggest and oldest in Bloomington, but their thirst for better and bigger production keeps the wine business booming.\n"We have so much to learn in the wine industry," Villwock said. "It's a growing industry, an ever-changing industry. There's always something new to learn."
(07/17/06 3:19am)
Apple iPods are for more than just music. This fall, students will be able to listen to the previous lecture on the way to class and receive additional video and audio content from their homes, thanks to a new podcast service set up through Oncourse, with help from iTunes U and University Information Technology Services.\nPodcasting is essentially to audio content what Tivo is for TV, but podcasts are free. Currently, thousands of free podcasts are available at iTunes with audio content covering a wide range of news and sports programs, including the comedy satire "The Onion", and even the Harry Potter series. \nTo access the information IU will implement, all students need is a free version of Apple's popular music service, iTunes, and access to Oncourse.\nIU Junior Clayton Johnson said he is excited about podcasting coming to IU and thinks it will be a great benefit to IU students. \n"It's going to be a revolution for the way you learn," Johnson said. \nThe goal is to make more content available for students who miss a class, are looking for additional materials or just want a quick refresher. Students don't need an iPod to access the podcasts, but they are ideal for people on the go and are perfect for iPod usage, since podcasts can be synchronized to iPods through Oncourse.\nIt remains to be seen how big a part of the curriculum podcasts will become for classes as students and professors will have to adapt to the technology. Professors have the ability to use the system in whatever way possible, and it will be up to them to decide how extensive podcasting will be in the curriculum.\nMartin Wagner, project manager for University Information Technology Services, wrote in an e-mail that "professors can upload and syndicate any piece of content including podcasts." \nPodcasts will be available on all eight IU campuses and other facets of IU are already on board. The IU Alumni Association is adding content on the Web by complementing the Indiana Alumni Magazine with podcasts, the Kelley Graduate School of Business is putting on a "Life of a Student" podcast, and other programs have plans to develop podcasts, Wagner said. \nA survey of IU students by UITS has preliminary results which show that many students are not using podcasts currently, but bringing iTunes U to Oncourse, will open students to a new informational medium. \nApple explained why it provides free podcasts on its Web site, saying it is, "taking mobile learning in higher education by extending teaching and learning beyond the classroom. iTunes U is a fully integrated part of Apple's end-to-end solution for creating, managing, distributing and accessing educational content."\nWagner said "instructors wishing to learn more about podcasting are encouraged to attend the podcasting series offered by Teaching and Learning Technology Centers in the Herman B Wells Library. This series will provide both functional and technical elements of creating a podcast for instruction"
(07/10/06 4:45am)
A doctor, teacher and inductee to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, Phil Eskew Jr. now faces a new challenge -- helping guide IU through new leadership changes as the newest member of the IU board of trustees. \n"I'm pretty excited; it's a great opportunity," Eskew said.\nHis family has overwhelmingly strong ties to IU. His daughter graduated from the IU School of Law in Indianapolis and is a practicing attorney. His son, Phil III, is an adjunct lecturer in the IU School of Library and Information Science and his wife and parents all have degrees from IU.\n"I've got two people teaching at IU," Eskew said. "Which, in my way of thinking, lets me have a good idea what's going on there."\nRiding on a good name and a strong written statement to alumni, Eskew didn't feel the need to campaign. His father, Phil Eskew Sr., as commissioner of the Indiana High School Athletic Association from 1962 to 1976, was instrumental in bringing women's sports to universities. \nA celebrated high school athlete in football, basketball and track, Eskew said he is a proud supporter of the Hoosiers. He has been a football and basketball season ticket holder since 1973. \nEskew was inducted into the \nIndiana Basketball Hall of Fame for \nadministrative work he did to ensure ease in the process of electing new members. \nHe speaks ambitiously about his tenure on the board of trustees, saying he wants to make IU a first-choice school for incoming freshmen.\n"I want IU to be a destination school," Eskew said. "I think we can do a better job. I want to make each department the best they can be." \nEskew left private practice in 1994 to become director of physician and patient relations at St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital.\nHe received his masters degree in 1970 from the IU School of Medicine and continued his work at the University by teaching as a clinical professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology and by being a lifetime member of the IU Alumni Association.\nA typical week for him includes supporting the president of the hospital and medical staff, handling complaints by physicians and solving general administrative problems -- all while continuing his teaching at St. Vincent and elsewhere around the country.\n"For the most part I put out fires and try to help others," Eskew said of his administrative hospital duties.\nIn his OB/GYN days, Eskew delivered more than 5,000 babies at St. Vincent Hospital, including current IU football wide receiver coach Bill Lynch. After moving to administrative work, he said he misses the days of delivering newborn children and the rush of handing a baby to its mother, but he still gets a thrill from teaching.\n"I never realized the high I get from teaching until I did it full time," he said.\nWhile acknowledging he doesn't have all the answers yet, Eskew said he has a reputation for asking a lot of questions and being a good listener. \nIU's biggest challenge is finding a new president, he said, adding the University needs a new leader who has a "vision for IU and a passion for the educational process."\nEskew has been receiving congratulatory calls and e-mails from fellow trustees and said he's excited to get to know them better. He has been told it takes around a year until he'll figure everything that's going on, but he's ready for the challenge and for being a member of the board.\n"I know some of (the trustees) already and have for several years," he said. "I think I'll fit in all right"
(07/06/06 4:00am)
The Gooch stands outside the door to Skinquake Precision Tattooing And Body Piercing Inc., an imposing figure splattered with intricate, vibrant tattoos covering his arms, and chest. Two naked cartoon depictions of ex-girlfriends grace his arms, monstrous ear-plugs fill his ears, and a goatee and dark sunglasses hide his face. He has the markings of your typical tattoo artist, but his clientele and personal attachment to his ink is engraving a new mark on the tattoo scene.\nLike many fads, the tattoo boom peaked in the 90s and despite a post 9/11 drop off, one in seven Americans currently sport at least one tattoo. A number of shops operating in Bloomington have turned tattooing into a real art form. It's an expression of inner passion for some, a canvas for others, and a memorable experience for a few giving it the old college try.\n"When I first started it was horrible," The Gooch, said. "I got discriminated against; people assume you're a convict, or a thief or all kinds of things." \nWhile more people are getting tattooed, attitudes haven't totally changed. According a Harris Interactive survey, 42% of people think tattoos make people less attractive, 31% think they make people less intelligent, and 57% think it makes people appear more rebellious.\n"I tend to judge people that are covered with tattoos all over," said Jack Dvorak, IU journalism professor. "What if in five, 10 years you think it's stupid."\nThe Gooch disagrees. He says the tattoos are an extension of his personality and he couldn't live without them. \n "I get out of the shower, I don't even see my tattoos," The Gooch said. "At first you notice them a lot and then they become a part of you. They make me, me."\nIU graduate Bryn Davies spent $250 and seven hours under the needle in Indianapolis for a tattoo of his family's coat of arms, which is cheap for the intricacy of the tattoo.\n"It represents my family and my heritage," Davies said. "It embodies all the things I'm proud of, so, as corny as it sounds, when I look down at it I just feel proud. It's like a badge."\nDavies' Welch coat of arms has a wide array of meanings for him. The helmet is for invulnerability, blue for loyalty, gold for elevation of the mind, red for military strength, and the lion for courage and valor.\n"My family obviously didn't like that I got it done," Davies said. "I mean, what mother is going to like their son being tattooed." \nWell, there are some mothers. The Gooch put the needle to his mom, giving her a tattoo of Winnie the Pooh holding a balloon. \n"Nowadays, it's more mainstream," The Gooch said. "I tattooed my mom for Christ sakes."\nWomen are getting into the tattoo game more rapidly than any other group. Elizabeth Bienz got a black and white image of a tree and butterfly, she recently drew, engraved on her arm Sunday evening at New Breed Llc, without even wincing. She hopes the tattoo will provide her with comfort from a difficult time.\n"I've been thinking about it for a couple years," Bienz said. "I just got over a hard break up. It's part of the grieving process." \nShe knew she wanted a tree for a long time and just started sketching ideas a couple weeks ago for the tattoo, which cost $150. She said it wasn't as painful, as much as irritating, and grating. IU senior Justine Menter said it felt like a lot of cat scratches when she got hers done.\nWhile some parents get tattoos, others take issue with it. Menter said her mom freaked out a little bit, but couldn't get too mad because her brother has three in obvious places, while hers is hidden on the small of her back. Davies' parents weren't excited about it, but they're glad he got something he's proud of and won't regret.\n "I get a lot of positive response from it," Davies said. "A lot of people are intrigued by the fact that I have a coat of arms. It's not exactly normal."\nMost tattoo experts advise careful consideration before going under the needle. It's something you're going to have the rest of your life, unless you opt for expensive reversal surgery. IU Telecommunications Professor Mark Deuze said it's one of the only life-long commitments we have left in today's society.\n"No one commits to anything anymore- jobs, marriage, school," Deuze said. "So, in a way it's a post modern form of commitment. It's your body- it's almost the only thing you control."\nThe Gooch said most college students are "locked in on fast, easy, colorful tattoos," because they don't want to get tattooed for hours at a time.\n"The Chinese/Japanese character symbol is a good toe in the water tattoo," The Gooch said. "A lot of college students just want the experience of getting a tattoo."\nMenter falls into the typical college student category when it comes to tattoos. She hadn't planned on doing at all, but when she went to New York last summer she went to a parlor with a couple friends and decided to go for it. \n"I wanted something to represent my passion," Menter said. She got the Chinese symbol for 'perform' on her back to embody her love for dancing, saying "I'm on a high when I'm performing." \nShe said if she had planned it a little more, she would have something that represents her better, but overall she's comfortable with the decision. Most people are. According to the study done by Harris Interactive, 83% of people have no regret about their tattoos.\n"Make sure you know what you want before you get it," The Gooch said. "If you have a nice tattoo that represents a part of your life, it's something you'll look back on with pride."\nTattoos have an interesting effect on people who have them. Davies feels pride every time he looks down at his coat of arms; The Gooch says he couldn't imagine life without his tattoos, and Menter said it portrays some of her personality. \n"Sometimes it'll show a little bit and \npeople will be like, 'ooh that girl has a rebellious side,' Menter said." \nThe Gooch is a walking history pictorial. Ex-loves, good-luck charms, a butterfly, bad luck charms and a voodoo doll are just a few that span his body. Two cartoon women on his arm resemble ex-girlfriends he had inked on while he was with them, and though they've broken up, he has no regrets. A smile creeps across his face as he describes them. \n"I've got a cry baby because if I don't get my way, I bitch," The Gooch said.\nHe's proud of his September 11th tattoo which he got just a few days after the attacks. The Gooch said he knew the world would change after that day, so he and a couple friends all took turns giving each other an elaborate tattoo of the American flag with September 11th next to it.\nThe Gooch has been giving tattoos for eight years and is preparing to open up a shop in Merrillville. He said business was booming until 9-11, but since then people have become conservative with their money. \n"It's scary opening up a new shop," The Gooch said. "You don't know if the business is going to be there." \nHe is constantly thinking about a drum tattoo and has gone through thousands of drawings, but said none have turned him on. He's waiting for just the right one. \n "I'm 30 years old," The Gooch said. "I still have plenty of time to get tattooed"
(07/05/06 7:34pm)
The Gooch stands outside the door to Skinquake Precision Tattooing And Body Piercing Inc., an imposing figure splattered with intricate, vibrant tattoos covering his arms, and chest. Two naked cartoon depictions of ex-girlfriends grace his arms, monstrous ear-plugs fill his ears, and a goatee and dark sunglasses hide his face. He has the markings of your typical tattoo artist, but his clientele and personal attachment to his ink is engraving a new mark on the tattoo scene.\nLike many fads, the tattoo boom peaked in the 90s and despite a post 9/11 drop off, one in seven Americans currently sport at least one tattoo. A number of shops operating in Bloomington have turned tattooing into a real art form. It's an expression of inner passion for some, a canvas for others, and a memorable experience for a few giving it the old college try.\n"When I first started it was horrible," The Gooch, said. "I got discriminated against; people assume you're a convict, or a thief or all kinds of things." \nWhile more people are getting tattooed, attitudes haven't totally changed. According a Harris Interactive survey, 42% of people think tattoos make people less attractive, 31% think they make people less intelligent, and 57% think it makes people appear more rebellious.\n"I tend to judge people that are covered with tattoos all over," said Jack Dvorak, IU journalism professor. "What if in five, 10 years you think it's stupid."\nThe Gooch disagrees. He says the tattoos are an extension of his personality and he couldn't live without them. \n "I get out of the shower, I don't even see my tattoos," The Gooch said. "At first you notice them a lot and then they become a part of you. They make me, me."\nIU graduate Bryn Davies spent $250 and seven hours under the needle in Indianapolis for a tattoo of his family's coat of arms, which is cheap for the intricacy of the tattoo.\n"It represents my family and my heritage," Davies said. "It embodies all the things I'm proud of, so, as corny as it sounds, when I look down at it I just feel proud. It's like a badge."\nDavies' Welch coat of arms has a wide array of meanings for him. The helmet is for invulnerability, blue for loyalty, gold for elevation of the mind, red for military strength, and the lion for courage and valor.\n"My family obviously didn't like that I got it done," Davies said. "I mean, what mother is going to like their son being tattooed." \nWell, there are some mothers. The Gooch put the needle to his mom, giving her a tattoo of Winnie the Pooh holding a balloon. \n"Nowadays, it's more mainstream," The Gooch said. "I tattooed my mom for Christ sakes."\nWomen are getting into the tattoo game more rapidly than any other group. Elizabeth Bienz got a black and white image of a tree and butterfly, she recently drew, engraved on her arm Sunday evening at New Breed Llc, without even wincing. She hopes the tattoo will provide her with comfort from a difficult time.\n"I've been thinking about it for a couple years," Bienz said. "I just got over a hard break up. It's part of the grieving process." \nShe knew she wanted a tree for a long time and just started sketching ideas a couple weeks ago for the tattoo, which cost $150. She said it wasn't as painful, as much as irritating, and grating. IU senior Justine Menter said it felt like a lot of cat scratches when she got hers done.\nWhile some parents get tattoos, others take issue with it. Menter said her mom freaked out a little bit, but couldn't get too mad because her brother has three in obvious places, while hers is hidden on the small of her back. Davies' parents weren't excited about it, but they're glad he got something he's proud of and won't regret.\n "I get a lot of positive response from it," Davies said. "A lot of people are intrigued by the fact that I have a coat of arms. It's not exactly normal."\nMost tattoo experts advise careful consideration before going under the needle. It's something you're going to have the rest of your life, unless you opt for expensive reversal surgery. IU Telecommunications Professor Mark Deuze said it's one of the only life-long commitments we have left in today's society.\n"No one commits to anything anymore- jobs, marriage, school," Deuze said. "So, in a way it's a post modern form of commitment. It's your body- it's almost the only thing you control."\nThe Gooch said most college students are "locked in on fast, easy, colorful tattoos," because they don't want to get tattooed for hours at a time.\n"The Chinese/Japanese character symbol is a good toe in the water tattoo," The Gooch said. "A lot of college students just want the experience of getting a tattoo."\nMenter falls into the typical college student category when it comes to tattoos. She hadn't planned on doing at all, but when she went to New York last summer she went to a parlor with a couple friends and decided to go for it. \n"I wanted something to represent my passion," Menter said. She got the Chinese symbol for 'perform' on her back to embody her love for dancing, saying "I'm on a high when I'm performing." \nShe said if she had planned it a little more, she would have something that represents her better, but overall she's comfortable with the decision. Most people are. According to the study done by Harris Interactive, 83% of people have no regret about their tattoos.\n"Make sure you know what you want before you get it," The Gooch said. "If you have a nice tattoo that represents a part of your life, it's something you'll look back on with pride."\nTattoos have an interesting effect on people who have them. Davies feels pride every time he looks down at his coat of arms; The Gooch says he couldn't imagine life without his tattoos, and Menter said it portrays some of her personality. \n"Sometimes it'll show a little bit and \npeople will be like, 'ooh that girl has a rebellious side,' Menter said." \nThe Gooch is a walking history pictorial. Ex-loves, good-luck charms, a butterfly, bad luck charms and a voodoo doll are just a few that span his body. Two cartoon women on his arm resemble ex-girlfriends he had inked on while he was with them, and though they've broken up, he has no regrets. A smile creeps across his face as he describes them. \n"I've got a cry baby because if I don't get my way, I bitch," The Gooch said.\nHe's proud of his September 11th tattoo which he got just a few days after the attacks. The Gooch said he knew the world would change after that day, so he and a couple friends all took turns giving each other an elaborate tattoo of the American flag with September 11th next to it.\nThe Gooch has been giving tattoos for eight years and is preparing to open up a shop in Merrillville. He said business was booming until 9-11, but since then people have become conservative with their money. \n"It's scary opening up a new shop," The Gooch said. "You don't know if the business is going to be there." \nHe is constantly thinking about a drum tattoo and has gone through thousands of drawings, but said none have turned him on. He's waiting for just the right one. \n "I'm 30 years old," The Gooch said. "I still have plenty of time to get tattooed"
(07/03/06 2:39am)
In a surprising upset of incumbent trustee Cora Breckenridge, Phil Eskew Jr. won the open IU board of trustees seat, receiving 9,209 of the 31,650 votes cast by IU alumni. \n"It came out of nowhere," said Doug McKinney, library statistical data analyst. \nEskew, from Carmel, Ind., beat out candidate Steve Sanders with 6,555 votes and Breckenridge with 5,503. As Breckenridge and Sanders stood anxiously in the library while 20 students and faculty counted votes, something was askew, as Eskew was nowhere to be seen. \nBreckenridge gave hugs to friends as she left defeated, yet still upbeat and positive about her service. She wished her University well and said she has plenty to keep her busy now that her role as trustee is over. \n"I did the best I could do," Breckenridge said. "I can see my tenure is just about over. It's been a great run. I will remain a loyal and dedicated alumni." \nOnlookers were surprised that the candidate who didn't heavily campaign won the seat so handily. Patricia Steele, interim dean of libraries, said she thought it was amazing that there was such a disparity with seven candidates. \nMcKinney ran the elaborate counting process that involved opening all envelopes, separating votes into separate piles of 50 per candidate, and double and triple counting. \n"Doug has the process fine-tuned," Steele said. "This was one of the smoothest elections we've had." \nThe 20 counters had a full day of flipping through ballots that left them rubbing their shoulders by the end. \n"It took forever," said senior Ashley Banter. "My thumbs hurt after awhile." \nAn onlooker who was not directly involved helped shed some light on the importance of the election. The new trustee takes over in what is shaping up to be a busy time as IU goes through its presidential search. \n"When you have a board this small, every member has to carry his or her own weight," said Bloomington resident Suzann Owen. "You can not afford to have anyone that doesn't make a contribution." \nAccording to his statement on the IU Alumni Association Web site, Eskew said the big issues facing IU today are filling the leadership void, starting with a new president, making IU a "destination school" instead of a back-up and making IU the center of excellence for all ages with better communication and technology.\n"The leadership void of the entire University is substantial," Eskew said, according to the site. "Addressing this void starts with selecting the next president. That president must move Indiana to a higher level by committing to a long-term strategic plan that will refocus the University."\nEskew noted his qualifications in leadership with his participation on various community and national boards. \n"I served on my city's school board, was a medical residency director and continue as clinical professor at the IU Medical School," Eskew said, according to the site. "Each position required leadership and accountability to the constituencies they represent."\nHe graduated from IU School of Medicine in 1970 and has gone on to be a Carmel obstetrician-gynecologist who has delivered more than 5,000 infants. He is a clinical professor for the IU School of Medicine, department of obstetrics, and member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
(06/30/06 10:04pm)
INDIANAPOLIS -- At a full day of board of trustees meetings Tuesday -- one of which was called to announce the members of the search committee for IU's next president -- a "broad overview" and future goals for life sciences was discussed. Current IU President Adam Herbert said Assembly Hall and Memorial Stadium need major repairs and the mission differentiation project was updated.