Community Arts

Oil-speculation bill offers false hope

Lately, Baron Hill has been looking more like a populist than an economist. This was evident in his support of the Commodity Markets Transparency and Accounting Act, which recently passed through the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill is supposed to increase regulation on oil speculators and lower the price of gasoline. The problem is that speculators aren’t to blame for the dramatic rise in oil and gas prices. Hill would have us believe that this bill will significantly lower the price of oil, but almost any economist would disagree.

I kissed a girl once

For my first column of the semester, I am decidedly staying away from the presidential election. I’m not going to write about Sarah Palin or gender in the election, or why I think Tina Fey is more qualified than Palin after watching “Saturday Night Live” last week. And I’m not even going to talk about why I’m going to move out of the country if Barack Obama doesn’t win.

Rethinking China

BEIJING – Most people I talk to in the states are curious to know what China’s like. How’s the food, have you seen the Great Wall and, oh yes, has the government abducted anyone you know recently? My answer never changes. China isn’t what you think it is – at least it isn’t what I thought it would be. Everyone has visions of roving vans distributing propaganda, military police goose-stepping down the sidewalk and a population afraid to stop smiling, lest they spend the next few years in a re-education camp. And if what I used to think now strikes me as ridiculous, it strikes most Chinese even more so. To them, it’s downright offensive.

A campaign slogan we can believe in?

Strolling around campus right now leads me to believe that most IU students are Obama supporters. I get it – it’s hot to support Obama. Don’t believe me? Just wander into Urban Outfitters – you’re not going to see any graffiti shirts with McCain on them. And by now, just that one word, “change,” is enough to give people an idea of who is being talked about.

Don’t forget Albright’s past failures

In one of my classes last semester, we watched “Hotel Rwanda,” a movie about Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager who housed more than 1,000 refugees at the height of the Rwandan genocide. While few details remain etched in my mind, I recall the inability of the United Nations to intervene in the genocide. As someone who spent much of that class defending international organizations, this inaction was troubling. 

Biden sends middle-class message to Jeffersonville

Sen. Joe Biden took his heart-land and middle-class message to Jeffersonville, Ind., just after 5 p.m. Wednesday.

A personal history of bad hair

The WEEKEND EIC talks about her bad hair life in this week's Last Word.

No speed no

Brain freeze: That’s the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about this Wachowski Brothers remake of ’60s Japanese anime. Although the visuals are spectacularly sweet, they come too hard and too fast here, leading to one giant headache.

Fresh-baked fun

With only nine episodes, the season can easily be consumed in one sitting, much like a freshly baked pie. Do it before season two is ready to come out of the oven.

Sidetracked

Three WEEKEND reviewers discuss the newest tracks in music.

Buck wild

After their breakup in 2002, Buckcherry’s first release with a new lineup, 15, made them bigger than ever commercially, but lacked musically. Black Butterfly is the album they should have returned with.

Straylight Run is still better than Taking Back Sunday

Straylight Run’s three-song EP isn’t their strongest effort, but an improvement on their last release, despite the year of turmoil the band has gone through. Disappointing lyrics aside, Un Dos Mas is worth a listen.

An album full of gems

If Jem’s last album is the soft, sweet, idyllic representation of style, Down to Earth is her feisty, dominatrix counterpart, filled with globally influenced beats, racy lyrics and funky tones.

A gift from Buckingham

It would be redundant to go through and describe each track because, in short, they’re all brilliant. Any Fleetwood Mac fan will be thrilled to hear this album not just because of the powerful tracks but because it’s so exciting to hear an artist plug so perfectly into the sound of his former band.

Ne-Yo's year, yet again

Much like his previous two releases, Gentleman is stuffed with unyielding love songs that Ne-Yo writes effortlessly.

A ghastly film

“Ghost Town” may have a couple of moments that will enlighten people’s hearts, but this film is dead on arrival. Throughout its running time, it will make you feel like you’re being buried alive. If I were a ghost, I’d come back and haunt the creatives behind this movie.

Dane Cook plays himself

Dane Cook has finally found a role that allows him to do what he does best: act like a big asshole. Following his supporting stints in “Waiting,” “Mr. Brooks,” and “Dan in Real Life,” and his epic failure in “Good Luck Chuck,” this is the closest Cook has come to exercising his stand up comedy skills in film. For fans of Cook, it is the cinematic prime of his comedic essence.

Samuel L. Jackson's neighborhood

Nothing in “Lakeview Terrace” felt unreasonable, and it seems as if this sort of situation could easily happen to anyone moving into a new environment. This movie is a polarizing one: You’ll either love it or hate it. But go find out for yourself.

BREAKING NEWS: Man found dead near train tracks on campus

The Monroe County coroner ruled the death of an IU student found near train tracks on campus was a suicide. General studies major Donald Kidwell, 34,was found at about 1:30 p.m. today 50 yards east of the intersection of Union Street and the railroad tracks, IUPD Capt. Jerry Minger said. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:32 p.m.

What does your hair say about you?