Region

Persimmon Country

By Alyson Brodsy and Brittany Hite · Wednesday, Nov. 2,2005 10:39 p.m.

As the leaves change color with the arrival of autumn in southern Indiana, the choice of cuisine changes as well. Fall brings its share of seasonal dishes, and while pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce might be the dishes that come to mind, there are also more offerings: those made from persimmons, a fruit indigenous to the United States that grows wild throughout much of southern Indiana.

Jordan River Forum

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, Nov. 2,2005 10:37 p.m.

I'm writing this letter in response to the column "Mr. Greenspan, Stop Shafting the Students" by Ryan Phillips (Tuesday). In his column, Phillips stated, "During a great rally, all the students will be standing and cheering while the older fans, who take up the best seats right on center court, have their rear ends stapled to their seats. Like Adam Ahlfeld, there's no hope of ever getting them up and involved in the game."

Insured?

By Alyson Brodsy and Vivek Chandrasekhar · Wednesday, Nov. 2,2005 10:33 p.m.

When my brother and I were growing up, we always knew whom to turn to for curing bruises, scrapes and broken bones: my mother. Because she is a doctor, Mom was more than usually capable of handling anything that might come her way. Although not everybody is closely related to a doctor, we can all look back to our childhood when mom and dad were there to take care of us.

Fighting the flu

By Alyson Brodsy and Kirk Nathanson · Wednesday, Nov. 2,2005 10:32 p.m.

If I learned one thing from my parents, and God knows they tried to teach me more than I committed to memory, it was to always, always get a flu shot. Every year at about mid-October, my brother and I would be taken to Dr. Kettel's waiting room and play with plastic trucks and find the hidden pictures in Highlights magazine. Then we'd be whisked off to the examination room where the smiles, stuffed animals and pictures of airplanes provided ample distraction before the nurse mercilessly drove the needle into our arms.

The meaning of hunger

By Alyson Brodsy and Peter Chen · Wednesday, Nov. 2,2005 10:30 p.m.

There's been a lot of hunger in the news lately. Six Chinese asylum applicants in Sydney, Australia, haven't eaten since Oct. 20 to protest their detention, and 27 inmates at Camp X-Ray in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have been hunger striking since mid-August. Meanwhile, North Korea and southern Africa appear to be nearing uncontrolled food crises that will require emergency aid.

Mind your manners

By Alyson Brodsy and Deara Ball · Wednesday, Nov. 2,2005 10:29 p.m.

Call me old fashioned, but I was raised in a household where saying "please" and "thank you" was as natural as the sunrise. It didn't quite go as far as "yes ma'am" and "no sir," but having good manners was as important as having clean underwear.

Professors' political rights and responsibilities

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, Nov. 2,2005 10:28 p.m.

William C. Bradford, an associate professor at the IU-Purdue University Indianapolis law school, has claimed that his attempts to secure tenure have been thwarted by anti-conservative bias within the university's administration. The debate between professors and administrators at IUPUI often boils down to one man's word against another.

Islamic Center turnout up after fire bombing

By Kelsey Peters · Wednesday, Nov. 2,2005 10:23 p.m.

As Ramadan comes to a close, the Islamic Center of Bloomington appears to have fully recovered from the firebombing this summer and attendance has even risen in the wake of the apparent hate crime. "We've definitely had an excellent turnout at the mosque and the (Muslim Student Union) events we've held during Ramadan," MSU vice president and senior Shahaab Uddin said. "From the MSU perspective, (the firebombing) inspired us to reach out and make people aware of what Islam is. It is a lack of understanding that lead to this action."

Hello Oscar season!

By Alyson Brodsy and Chris Wisner · Wednesday, Nov. 2,2005 10:22 p.m.

November is right around the corner and with it comes the slew of movies all vying for that little golden statue called Oscar. While 2005 has already seen potential candidates in the form of Ron Howard's brilliant boxing biopic "Cinderella Man," Fernando Meirelles' political thriller "The Constant Gardener" and John Madden's mathematically poignant "Proof," most studios hold off on releasing the cream of the crop until the end of the year.

'Saw' sharpens up for more

By C. Warner Sills and Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, Nov. 2,2005 10:20 p.m.

"Oh yes, there will be blood." These few words, spoken by John, aka The Jig Saw Killer (Tobin Bell), pretty much sums up what the "Saw" films are all about. "Saw II" follows in the footsteps of tons of similar crime/horror films of the past, as being a vehicle for gruesome scenes of blood and gore. However, unlike so many horror movies that focus merely on shock value, "Saw II" also features a fairly clever plot, which in many ways is equal yet different to its predecessor.

Healthy Baby

By Larry Walters · Wednesday, Nov. 2,2005 10:18 p.m.

Hailing out of Chicago, the band Healthy White Baby will be playing at Second Story Nov. 4. The three-member band boasts sounds of alternative rock, and the name comes from a line in the Cohen brothers' "Raising Arizona." Lead singer, songwriter and guitarist Danny Black pulls lead vocal duty and the other two members, Laurie Stirratt and Ryan Juravic, provide instrumentals and backup vocals. Black took time out of HWB's touring schedule to chat with us about the band, their influences and their eponymous album.

Darkshadows

By Kathleen Quilligan and Kathleen Quilligen · Wednesday, Nov. 2,2005 10:01 p.m.

Bobtown, Ind.-- The night clung to the group assembled in front of the metal farm gate, draping across their shoulders and sneaking up under their coats, making them feel the need to whisper.

GLUED TO THE TUBE

By Byran Lufkin · Wednesday, Nov. 2,2005 9:17 p.m.

Can you name the nerdy next-door-neighbor from "Family Matters?" What about the slacker cousin who lived in the van outside in the lawn on "Step by Step?" Or Cory's girlfriend on "Boy Meets World?"

'Mad Hot' luke warm at best

By Alyson Brodsy and Michael Mellini · Wednesday, Nov. 2,2005 9:01 p.m.

Have you ever found yourself flipping through channels late at night and settling for reruns of "Kids Say the Darndest Things?" Do you then laugh hysterically at the kids on screen? If so, then "Mad Hot Ballroom" is the movie for you. However, just laughing at the kids' random comments may cause you to miss the point of the film. "Mad Hot Ballroom" is a documentary about a group of underprivileged New York City fifth graders who compete in an annual ballroom dancing competition. The mandatory program is used to keep children safe and off the streets.

Special features more interesting than film

By Alyson Brodsy and Evan Ross · Wednesday, Nov. 2,2005 8:59 p.m.

It was nearly 40 years ago that director George A. Romero changed the face of cinematic horror with his film "Night of the Living Dead." That film, seen as a milestone in zombie-film history, spawned two sequels, a remake and numerous imitators. The latest sequel, "Land of the Dead," shambled its way into theaters this summer. Was it a return to form for an old director or a sign that a long dead franchise should have stayed dead? It's the latter.

This 'wax' melted in Theaters

By Alyson Brodsy and Ash Cartwright · Wednesday, Nov. 2,2005 8:54 p.m.

I applaud the people responsible for the "House of Wax" DVD. Many times I have criticized DVDs that include few special features but I say that in this case to be sparing is good. They could have been even less generous in what they chose to include.

Kidman casts a 'bewitching' spell

By Alyson Brodsky and Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, Nov. 2,2005 8:52 p.m.

Nora Ephron brings the television favorite "Bewitched" back to life in the theatrical debut that is just as spell-enchanted as the show. The movie, which focuses mostly on the show behind-the-scenes, stars Will Ferrell as actor Jack Wyatt and Nicole Kidman as Isabel Bigelow.

Take the trip over the rainbow again

By Alyson Brodsy and Michael Mellini · Wednesday, Nov. 2,2005 8:50 p.m.

There's no format like DVD...There's no format like DVD... The new special edition 2-disc "The Wizard of Oz" has arrived just in time for, um, the film's 66th anniversary? Well, there may not be a reason for the release, but that doesn't mean this isn't a DVD to celebrate. Packed with more than ten hours of special features, the disc is a real delight.

The solitude of the 'Samouraï'

By Alyson Brodsy and Chris Wisner · Wednesday, Nov. 2,2005 8:48 p.m.

In 1967, French director Jean-Pierre Melville would make his masterpiece "Le Samouraï," a stunning examination of one hitman's solitary lifestyle influenced by the Japanese samurai code of the Bushido. Jef Costello (French film legend Alain Delon) is a modern-day samurai -- replacing heavy armor with a raincoat, a fedora instead of a crescent-mooned helm and wielding a revolver in place of a katana.

Send this 'bird' away

By Alyson Brodsy and Mark Perlman-Price · Wednesday, Nov. 2,2005 8:46 p.m.

1965 was known as "the year of folk rock." Bands and artists like The Byrds, The Mamas and the Papas and Bob Dylan defined the year. But this era wasn't crowned complete until December of 1965, with the release of The Beatles' Rubber Soul. A couple months short of 40 years later, we get This Bird Has Flown, a tribute album featuring artists such as The Donnas, Dar Williams, Ben Harper, Sufjan Stevens, Ben Kweller, Ben Lee, the Cowboy Junkies and others.