Region

Just call me Aesop

By Alyson Brodsy and Joe Grace · Sunday, Aug. 10,2003 9:19 p.m.

I've always wondered what happened to fireflies after the summer. Nature's little flashlights just seem to vanish as August drifts into fall. Do they migrate? Do they die off? Do they magically transform into Christmas lights? I've always kind of hoped lightning bugs hibernate through winter. You know ... like grizzly bears.

Stand by your man

By Alyson Brodsy and Lize Kolar · Sunday, Aug. 10,2003 9:16 p.m.

Dating is tricky. In my first year of college, RAs in my dorm tried hard to impart upon the freshmen the painfully learned rules of dating (such as don't get involved with people on your floor) -- all to be disregarded by us. As life progressed, dating did not become any simpler.

Breaking up is hard to do

Sunday, Aug. 10,2003 9:09 p.m.

The appointment of the first openly gay bishop to the United States' Episcopal Church has sparked controversy and dissent among many of its members. The Episcopal Church is a branch of the 77 million-member Anglican Communion, which now is threatened by a rift over the new appointment. On Tuesday, Rev. V. Gene Robinson was elevated to bishop-elect status, and the next day, Episcopal conservatives protested the election by walking off the floor of their national legislative meeting.

Europe suffering from record heat wave

By Angela Doland · Sunday, Aug. 10,2003 9:06 p.m.

PARIS -- Melting Alpine glaciers unleashed a cascade of rocks, London choked in a record 100-degree temperatures and with wildfires raging in seven countries, the Pope urged people to pray for rain.

Around The Region

Sunday, Aug. 10,2003 9:05 p.m.

Federal aid granted to flood victims KOKOMO -- Federal and state officials said Friday they have approved more than $15.5 million in aid to about 5,000 victims of last month's flooding and storms across Indiana.

Around The Arts

Sunday, Aug. 10,2003 9:05 p.m.

French director Jacques Deray dies at 74 in Paris PARIS -- French director Jacques Deray, known for classic thrillers and police movies, died at home in a Paris suburb, his family said Sunday. He was 74. Deray made nine films starring actor Alain Delon, notably "La Piscine," (The Swimming Pool), a 1968 psychological drama set in a villa in the beach resort of Saint-Tropez. Austrian actress Romy Schneider also appeared in it.

Taylor says he will sacrifice his presidency in farewell speech

By Ellen Knickmeyer · Sunday, Aug. 10,2003 9:03 p.m.

MONROVIA, Liberia -- In a farewell address to his war-torn nation, President Charles Taylor declared Sunday he would "sacrifice my presidency" to stop bloodshed in Liberia.

Newsroom minorities fall

Sunday, Aug. 10,2003 9:03 p.m.

DALLAS -- In just two years, the percentage of minorities in television newsrooms nationwide has dropped from 25 percent to 18 percent, according to an annual survey. Leaders of three groups of journalists, speaking Friday at the National Association of Black Journalists' national convention in Dallas, called the decline highly alarming and pledged to work together to increase minority participation in television and radio newsrooms.

Tap dancer Gregory Hines dies of cancer at 57

By Tim Molloy · Sunday, Aug. 10,2003 9:03 p.m.

LOS ANGELES -- Gregory Hines, the greatest tap dancer of his generation who also transcended the stage with successful film and television roles, has died at 57. Hines died Saturday in Los Angeles of cancer, publicist Allen Eichorn said Sunday.

Gibson gives private 'Passion' viewings

By Amy Westfeldt · Sunday, Aug. 10,2003 9:03 p.m.

NEW YORK -- Those who have seen Mel Gibson's film about the final hours of Jesus Christ have called it beautiful, magical, a great and important work. Those who fear "The Passion" could fuel anti-Semitism, however, until now hadn't been allowed to see the film. Seven months before its release, this extraordinary vanity project is stirring passions over Gibson's exclusionary screenings and the potential for a negative depiction of Jews.

One dead, five injured in Hezbollah shelling in Israel

By Gavin Rabinowitz · Sunday, Aug. 10,2003 9:02 p.m.

SHLOMI, Israel -- Israeli warplanes attacked suspected Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon on Sunday, hours after the group shelled northern Israel, killing a 16-year-old and wounding five others, including an infant.

Grand jury to investigate Lake County election fraud

Sunday, Aug. 10,2003 8:59 p.m.

CROWN POINT, Ind. -- A criminal court judge has ordered a special grand jury to investigate election fraud in Lake County.

Local resident pushes for safer highways

Sunday, Aug. 10,2003 8:36 p.m.

BLOOMINGTON -- A Bloomington resident is pushing for changes to a hilly stretch of highway southwest of the city, which she blames for a crash that left her husband severely injured. James Mathis received broken bones and brain damage in a head-on collision July 28 on Indiana 45. Police have said they believe a truck crossed the center line, hitting Mathis' truck and causing it to go airborne and roll, according to his wife, Roxie Mathis. Now Roxie Mathis has vowed to see that changes are made to the highway. "Something needs to be done," she said. "It's ridiculous. The day of his wreck, there were two other wrecks on that road."

Local hardcore band gets its 'Revenge'

By Brian Elliot Johnson · Friday, Aug. 8,2003 1:33 p.m.

Bloomington's hardcore scene is surviving. That is, if the Eve's Revenge three song EP, When Feathers Fall, is any indication. All the classic elements of a hardcore band are present -- unrelenting electric guitars, the continuous bash of drums and cymbals and unintelligible vocals, screamed at a volume almost certain to damage the singer's voice.

Music's better when it's Vulgar

By -Val Tsoutsouris and Val Tsoutouris · Friday, Aug. 8,2003 1:31 p.m.

For a long time, The Vulgar Boatmen were out of sight, out of mind. Along with the La's, they were one of those late '80s/early '90s bands that left a meteoric flash in the night sky. And they happened to be, at least partially, from this part of the world. Did anybody know what happened to them?

Feeding the need for soaring rock

By -Val Tsoutsouris and Val Tsoutouris · Friday, Aug. 8,2003 1:30 p.m.

Feeder is an odd band. After all, its soaring, post-Pumpkins, sorta-heavy rock sounds very American but is actually made by a British trio.

Eve 6 gets stuck, but not in your head

By Jessica Smith · Friday, Aug. 8,2003 1:29 p.m.

Well, the boys of Eve 6 are back with another one. It's All In Your Head is its fourth release and the group still hasn't broken out of its comfort zone. I'll be the first to admit it, I have a soft spot for these guys. Eve 6 is a fairly good band, its songs are catchy, and a rock band that doesn't conform to the new scene is always refreshing.

Now where did I put that gun?

By Brian Elliot Johnson and Brian Elliott Johnson · Friday, Aug. 8,2003 1:29 p.m.

Smash Mouth's latest, Get the Picture?, is the perfect album -- that is, if you are 13 and your mother heavily censors what you listen to. There's nothing offensive, edgy or even heartfelt on the disc.

El-P passes the mic to five jazz legends

By Michael Tapscott · Friday, Aug. 8,2003 1:28 p.m.

With El-P Presents Sunrise Over Bklyn, Def Jux entrepreneur, El-P, sits in his producer's chair and lends his name to a 12" by The Blue Series Continuum. The group is made up of NYC avant-garde jazz musicians Matthew Shipp, William Parker, Daniel Carter, Roy Campbell, Steve Swell and Guillermo E. Brown. The core of this group already stepped into the hip-hop alliance success with the Antipop Consortium earlier this year, as well as spending time with Chicago South Side legends Fred Anderson and Hamid Drake.

'Gigli' plagued by bad everything

By -Paul Straw · Friday, Aug. 8,2003 1:27 p.m.

Do not see "Gigli" under any circumstances. Do not watch any commercials or trailers for "Gigli" either. In fact, don't look at anything involving "Gigli;" even this review, unless, of course, you want to read about the many different ways it sucked.