Community Arts

A failed look at race relations

"Freedomland" is a strange Hollywood product, but lately, not a rare one. It's three or four different movies masquerading as one wannabe box office smash. The trailer of the film, though murky, would lead you to believe it is a thriller with an interesting plot and human drama. The film doesn't shy away from those things. It's just that it's bold in too many other areas to make it work. In the opening scene of the film, a haggard-looking Julianne Moore stumbles into a police station with bloody hands and a frantic plea for help.

'Eros' DVD hard to love

In a throwback to the anthology films of the 1960s and 1970s, "Eros" gives three filmmakers a chance at showcasing their talents as a collective whole covering one major topic: love. Not just any kind of love; we're talking about eroticism and passion. Hong Kong mastermind Wong Kar-Wai and Hollywood maverick Steven Soderbergh are brought together in tribute and homage to the film's third and final filmmaker, legendary Italian auteur Michelangelo Antonioni. Kar-Wai gets the ball rolling with "The Hand," an erotically charged tale between a prostitute (Li Gong) and her obsessive tailor (Chen Chang).

PetSounds

Coming to school and leaving friends and family behind can be hard. While you can't have your parents move in with you, it's possible to replace or find a new family pet. It's understandable why one might see the occasional student walking a dog through the Arboretum or in Dunn Meadow. And while stopping to pet that dog because it's cute might trigger a desire to go out and get an animal of your own, pets, especially in college, can be a big responsibility.

A sweep of TV's crème de la crème

Poor February; you may be the shortest and coldest month of the year, but cry not, I still love you. After all, you provide me with February sweeps, the time when TV networks go all out to air the biggest and best shows. Each night during prime time I get to snuggle up to the warm glow of my TV, here are some highlights from sweeps so far. The Grammys -- Really, U2, again? Ok fine, but look how upset Kanye West was when he lost for best album. That got me screaming, "We want a recount, we want a recount!" And Mariah Carey, you've been performing for 15 years now. Stop flailing your arms while singing or I'm going to personally amputate them.

Special edition spices 'Dune' up

Finally after 22-years of waiting, the extended version of "Dune" has seen release in the United States. This is the complete version of the 1984 film, based on the book by Frank Herbert. For those who've never seen it, "Dune" is science fiction epic meets grandiose art film. The planet Dune is the sole supplier of a substance known as spice, which fuels all space travel. This sets the stage for a struggle between two competing royal houses and the prophetic rise of Muad'Dib, a messianic figure meant to lead a holy war against the universe.

Oldschool

Remember the episode of "Doug" when everyone thought Skeeter was moving? Or how Uncle Scrooge would always spring off the diving board into a swimming pool filled to the brim with golden coins? Can you still hear Rocko's Australian accent or Rockapella singing the theme to "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" Or who could forget the "Saved by the Bell" gang swinging by The Max everyday for an after-school burger and shake? And, ahhh, Camp Anawana -- we held you in our hearts. And when we thought about you, it made us wanna fart.

IDS CLASSIC ALBUMS

Despite what VH1 would have you believe, the '80s weren't so bad after all. At a time when the ass-end of new wave collided with the embarrassingly hedonistic hair metal scene, the demure Paul Simon released his best set of songs since he and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water LP. Frustrated that his songwriting skills hadn't translated so well to the studio since 1975's Still Crazy After All These Years, Simon drew upon his newfound fascination with traditional South African rhythms and vocalizations while enlisting a group of musicians and singers from South Africa to help record Graceland, the most enduring album of Simon's 35-year solo career.

Band no longer 'Hidden'

To call them the greatest band in the universe is an understatement. Before the release of The Hidden Land, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones decided to go on a one-year hiatus while individual members, each of whom holds more talent than almost anyone at their respective instrument, pursued solo projects. The almost completely instrumental album features 30 different types of sound producers, all giving Hidden a distinct flavor. These ingredients are enough to make the purchase of their first album in two and a half years worthwhile. The album begins with a little warm-up melody, which is understandable considering they've been away from each other for a year.

Valentine's poisonous debut

Aside from a rather laughably cliché name, Trustkill Records' newest metallic sons Bullet for My Valentine have dropped a debut that could begin carving a name for themselves. Hailing from the UK and as their bio states, influenced early on by "worshipping the likes of Metallica, Testament and the almighty Iron Maiden," BFMV wear all these influences on their sleeves. They aren't anywhere near original, but at least they're not trying to deceive anyone.

'Saw's' film buzz is back

The Jigsaw killer is back in "Saw II" to prove that sequels can sometimes surpass the original. Most horror series get worse as the film count increases, but from the get go this sequel shows no signs of letting up. Director Darren Lynn Bousman does a great job of picking up where "Saw" director James Wan left off with this series, which is quickly becoming a must see franchise. "Saw II" is about the twisted serial killer Jigsaw and his goal to show people the value of their own lives once again.

HEIST

SIDEWALK RUNWAY

"I like bright colors and things that are not baggy. I like vivid colors like orange, yellow and red. I think it looks really sharp."

Iran says it will help fund Hamas

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran on Wednesday offered to help finance a Palestinian Authority run by the Hamas militant group, state radio said in a report prompting Israel to warn it would do all it legally could to stop the Palestinians from receiving the money. The secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, announced the offer after a meeting with Khaled Mashaal, the political leader of Hamas, the report said.

Bomb blast destroys revered Shiite mosque

SAMARRA, Iraq -- Assailants wearing uniforms detonated two bombs inside one of Iraq's most revered Shiite shrines Wednesday, blowing the top off its landmark golden dome and spawning mass protests and reprisal attacks against dozens of Sunni mosques. The brazen assault -- the third major attack against Shiite targets in as many days -- threatened to inflame religious passions as talks among sectarian and ethnic parties on a new government have bogged down.

Second sighting of mystery white powder this month

A report of a suspicious looking white, powdery substance on the sidewalk caused the Bloomington Fire Department to close off a city intersection for about an hour Wednesday morning, said BFD Fire Chief Jeff Barlow. A woman called the fire department at about 7:30 a.m. after she walked by the intersection of 14th Street and Madison Avenue and noticed a balloon on the sidewalk that contained a white powder. Barlow said Hazardous Materials team members put on their protective suits and safely obtained a sample.

City might connect Dunn Street's two extensions

Future transportation plans could prevent some of the one-way street hassle around IU campus, but only for students attending in the year 2030. Among several projects, the City of Bloomington's Planning Office presented a plan Tuesday to connect the two extensions of Dunn Street, currently zigzagged around the one-way extension of Indiana Avenue. The presentation and subsequent workshop was the last chance for public review and input into the long range plan, scheduled for adoption by the Metropolitan Planning Organization in March.

Local program teaches Internet skills in Spanish

As the Latino population in Bloomington continues to rise, city officials strive to meet its growing needs. The latest effort, introduced by Mayor Mark Kruzan, offers Internet classes to Spanish-speaking residents. The Latino Outreach Division, a faction of Bloomington's Community and Family Resources Department, is teaming up with the Monroe County Public Library to teach basic computer classes to local Latinos in Spanish. Latino Outreach Coordinator Teresa Velez said the department took this initiative after some Latino residents expressed an interest in learning how to use the Internet.

Local conservationists boycott hotels

The Knob and Valley Audubon Society wants students to sober up before their spring break and think about the sea turtles. The environmentally conscious organization has called for a boycott of three hotels in Panama City, Fla. -- Days Inn, Ramada Inn and Holiday Inn Sunspree -- because it says the hotels are hurting sea turtles, a nearly endangered species. The trio of beach side hotels have huge flood lights that confuse the sea turtles, causing some of them to stray from the beach and sometimes die, said Lorna Patrick, a biologist with the Panama City division of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Survey looks to gauge students' college experiences

If you received an e-mail from the chancellor's office in the past few weeks, don't worry. You're probably not in any trouble. In fact, your input on the survey linked to the e-mail will help improve the University. More than 7,000 freshmen and seniors at IU are chosen randomly each year to participate in the National Survey of Student Engagement, a document that questions students on their classroom and social experiences.

Club finds meaning in aikido martial arts

For members of the IU Aikido Club, martial arts have a deeper meaning than Keanu Reeves dodging bullets. "It's like life," club instructor Agnieszka Drobniak said. "It's about balance, flexibility and control." In more ways than one, aikido aims to teach those three difficult values, said Drobniak. The object is not necessarily to harm or destroy your opponent, said 5th degree black belt and chief instructor Guy Haskell. Rather, it is to match the degree of retaliation to the amount of threat presented, therefore neutralizing an attacker without using an unwarranted amount of aggression. The philosophy and spirituality of the art are rooted as firmly as the physical aspect, Haskell said. Those trained in aikido are taught the importance of nature and energy.