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Slanderous Stimson

By Thomas Wachtel · Wednesday, Jan. 17,2007 9:34 p.m.

Last week, a member of the Bush administration said something stupid. Although that happens a lot, this instance was particularly notable. Charles "Cully" Stimson, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for detainee affairs at the Pentagon, used a radio interview to condemn the lawyers who represent inmates at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Stimson suggested boycotts of firms that represent such defendants. The Pentagon has since stated that Stimson does not speak for the administration.

An easy choice

By Abram Hess · Wednesday, Jan. 17,2007 9:31 p.m.

On a crisp autumn evening as I jogged past Bryan Park, a crunchy old townie stopped me and asked me to sign her petition. I replied that I would need to know what I was petitioning before providing my signature. So this old, gray hippy lady -- let's call her Alice -- informed me that her organization wanted to end the euthanizing of animals at the Bloomington Animal Shelter.

'Idol' fast forward

By Colin Dugdale · Wednesday, Jan. 17,2007 9:29 p.m.

Ten minutes into the movie "Click," I found myself writhing with ferocious anal pain.

'CSI: Baghdad'

By Edward Delp · Wednesday, Jan. 17,2007 9:27 p.m.

It just gets better and better. That is my reaction to the latest round of executions coming out of Iraq. In the latest twist, the head of Saddam's half brother, Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, was severed during his execution. While I think we can all agree that al-Tikriti and his execution mate Awad Hamed al-Bandar were bad men and deserved to die, the debate about the humanity of this execution remains.

Applying for excellence

By Aparna Venkatraman · Wednesday, Jan. 17,2007 9:25 p.m.

Every year it happens: hype and hysteria surrounding the latest trend, product, craze or movie. When these products or modes of entertainment require physical in-store points of sale -- such as the Xbox 360 or Nintendo Wii -- there come the inevitable crowds waiting patiently in long lines. Those who are fortunate, qualified or willing to pay the highest price will obtain their coveted prize. Sadly, some will be denied, forced to wallow in their own self-pity until Wal-Mart restocks and offers a lower price.

Throwin' punchlines

By Mike Abrams · Wednesday, Jan. 17,2007 8:43 p.m.

Stick a fork in me because I'm done. Finished. Completed. Ruined. Dead. OK, maybe not dead, but my short, glorious career is over. On Wednesday, the Indiana Pacers decided to participate in a "blockbuster" trade involving eight players.

British Invasion won't help MLS

By Andrew Shaffer · Wednesday, Jan. 17,2007 8:40 p.m.

Major League Soccer has a problem. It has enjoyed steady success since its 1996 inaugural season. It has expanded to 13 teams, and its newest -- the Houston Dynamo -- recently won the league's championship in its second year of existence. The MLS is heading north in 2007 by establishing a new franchise in Toronto, the league's first claim in Canada.

Pacers trade Jackson, Harrington to Warriors

By Greg Beacham · Wednesday, Jan. 17,2007 8:38 p.m.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Indiana Pacers traded Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday for forwards Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy as part of an eight-player deal designed to shake up two struggling teams.

Faking it

By C. Warner Sills and Michael Reschke · Wednesday, Jan. 17,2007 7:51 p.m.

IU's reputation as a party school has historically caused University officials to cringe, and students to work even harder to uphold it. However, defending the party title can be costly to many undergraduates who opt to enter the bar scene early with fake IDs. Possessing a fake ID is a Class C infraction and is punishable by up to $500 in fines, said Indiana Excise Police officer R. McDonald. The demand for fake IDs has also created an onslaught of students who choose to chance the law by creating the IDs. Making fake IDs is a Class D felony, punishable by up to $1,000 in fines and up to a year in jail, McDonald said. Indiana State Police Cpl. and Bloomington District Duty Officer Eric Dunn said he has seen many fake IDs in his career but admits several offenders slip through the cracks.

Behind the bar

By C. Warner Sills and Nick O'Neill · Wednesday, Jan. 17,2007 7:49 p.m.

After a night out sampling Bloomington's extensive and diverse bar scene, students might stumble home wondering why they've danced the night away under fake ivy or drowned the stresses of a hectic week with a potent concoction named after an animal. Each bar has its quirks and history that have endeared it to students and Bloomington residents alike. Now, WEEKEND goes behind the bars to reveal some of the their best-kept secrets.

Movies, music and the iPhone

By C. Warner Sills and Michael Mellini · Wednesday, Jan. 17,2007 7:46 p.m.

Ahh January, what a crappy month. All the studios dump movies that weren't good enough to be released last year, and TV has yet to pull stunts for February sweeps. One can't help but fantasize of better things to come. Here's a look at some of the most anticipated entertainment events of 2007:

The reason to buy an Xbox 360

By C. Warner Sills and Chris Freiberg · Wednesday, Jan. 17,2007 7:45 p.m.

It took more than a year, but finally Xbox 360's killer app has arrived. "Gears of War" is the first truly "next-gen" game, something that could not possibly have been done on older consoles and will make your jaw drop the first time you see it in action. The game plays like a strategic third person shooter, which means that tactics are more important than going in all guns blazing. You will have to move methodically from cover to cover if you wish to eliminate the cunning Locust horde. Luckily, simple and intuitive controls ensure a fun experience under heavy fire.

A tenuous study in paranoia

By C. Warner Sills and John Barnett · Wednesday, Jan. 17,2007 7:43 p.m.

In the loaded pantheon of drug cinema, Richard Linklater's "A Scanner Darkly" falls somewhere in the purgatory between "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle." Based on a Philip K. Dick novel, "Scanner" is the story of Substance D, a sort of crack-on-crack hallucinogen with as many slaves as pushers and quite a reputation in government and law enforcement circles. Keanu Reeves is Bob Arctor, a D-addicted divorcee hired by the local police force to rat out his D-addicted buddies, Woody Harrelson, Rory Cochrane, Winona Ryder and a never-punchier Robery Downey Jr. As the film progresses, the opening scene's sense of humor gives way to a melange of paranoia, espionage and the maze of withdrawal. As with many drug films, "Scanner" occasionally takes bigger bites into the drug culture than it can handle, but Linklater does his best to keep everything relatively grounded.

Pirates sequel both entertaining and overwrought

By C. Warner Sills and John Barnett · Wednesday, Jan. 17,2007 7:41 p.m.

Functioning as the "Empire Strikes Back" of the as-of-yet-unfinished "Pirates of the Carribean" trilogy (dark, anticlimactic, at times unnecessarily complicated), "Dead Man's Chest" showcases most of the best and some of the worst in its genre. Not that "Empire" has any flaws, mind you, but those Dagobah scenes are a test of patience. One part rousing, gorgeously shot and choreographed action and one part laborious, overwrought plot progression, "Dead Man's Chest" works primarily because of its two award-worthy lead characters. Already with a Golden Globe nod, Johnny Depp's iconic Jack Sparrow retains his standing as the only heart and soul of director Gore Verbinski's trilogy, and Bill Nighy's performance as the malevolent Davy Jones (with significant assistance from Industrial Light & Magic) guarantees "Dead Man's Chest" the visual effects Oscar.

'Office' team avoid sophomore slump

By C. Warner Sills and John Barnett · Wednesday, Jan. 17,2007 7:39 p.m.

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, several years removed from creating one of the few funniest shows ever to grace television screens, return with "Extras," a much subtler triumph. The team's original U.K. incarnation of "The Office," so vastly superior to the current U.S. knockoff it cannot be overstated, featured Gervais as much-maligned office manager David Brent, a character not very dissimilar from "Extras"' downtrodden quasi-actor Andy Millman. Gervais portrays both men as hollow jokesters screaming for pity and finding none.

Around the World

Wednesday, Jan. 17,2007 7:37 p.m.

Thick, billowing smoke and flames fed by volatile chemicals leaking from a derailed train in Brooks, Ky., continued to belch into the sky Wednesday, frustrating officials long after the accident shut down a highway and forced evacuations.

Senate panel approves tax breaks

By Andrew Taylor · Wednesday, Jan. 17,2007 7:36 p.m.

WASHINGTON -- Tax breaks for small businesses sailed through a Senate committee Wednesday, paving the way for an expected boost in the federal minimum wage for workers those businesses hire.

Mike Judge vs the world

By C. Warner Sills and Michael Mellini · Wednesday, Jan. 17,2007 7:35 p.m.

I love Hollywood, I really do, but sometimes the big studios can really piss me off. Example: "Idiocracy." Here's a good comedy (albeit not great, but better compared to most films released these days) that got shelved for more than a year, barely received a theatrical release (only 125 theaters in seven cities) and was left to die on DVD, all because Fox didn't feel it was marketable. Interesting, because if audiences just gave the film a chance, it might actually have been a moderate word-of-mouth hit.

34,452 Iraqi civilians killed in '06

By Steven R. Hurst · Wednesday, Jan. 17,2007 7:35 p.m.

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Twin car bombs tore through a leading Baghdad university as students left classes Tuesday in the deadliest attack in Iraq in nearly two months, and the United Nations reported 34,452 civilians were slain last year, nearly three times more than the government reported.

The power of illusion

By C. Warner Sills and Michael Mellini · Wednesday, Jan. 17,2007 5:45 p.m.

Somehow I didn't see either of 2006's magician movies ("The Prestige" being the other) in theaters so I can't compare the two. That's a good thing, because "The Illusionist" is a fine film on its own that shouldn't only be weighed against something similar. Edward Norton plays Eisenheim, a popular magician in 1900 Vienna. Eisenheim's shows capture the attention of the city's Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell), who swears him as an enemy when Eisenheim forms a relationship with his fiancée (Jessica Biel, finally in a role that doesn't require her to just be hot.) Leopold assigns his chief policeman Uhl (Paul Giamatti) to watch over Eisenheim until problems arise and cause Uhl to doubt his loyalties.