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Personal politics

By Ayesha Awan · Thursday, Feb. 1,2007 6:27 p.m.

Personal lives and politics often prove to be a bad mix. Just ask former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. He was overheard making flirtatious comments to women at a TV awards dinner last week. His wife of 20 years, Veronica Berlusconi said he told a woman "if I wasn't already married I would marry you right away." He was also quoted as telling TV presenter Aida Yespica, "I would go anywhere with you."

'Eclectic jam band' plays at local Borders

By Tom Edwards · Thursday, Feb. 1,2007 10:24 a.m.

Vocalist and guitarist for Moe, Al Schnier, walked into Borders bookstore on Third Street Tuesday night and was asked by an employee, "You here for the concert?" "Yup," he replied with a smirk, as he made his way toward the employee lounge. Schnier's inconspicuous entrance proved fitting because the band performed like it was part of the audience.

IUPD says most campus arrests made in McNutt

By Shannon McEnerney · Thursday, Feb. 1,2007 12:42 a.m.

Providing students with a place to live? Check. Making the place secure with minimal arrests? Maybe. With 11 residence halls on campus, Residential Programs and Services works to ensure that the place students live are safe and comfortable, Bill Shipton, director for student programs and services, said. Despite these efforts, however, RPS can't control all the arrests and situations that occur within the halls.

After 10 years, fence near IU Auditorium removed Wednesday

By Maggie Hames · Thursday, Feb. 1,2007 12:40 a.m.

After almost 10 years, the fence on the north side of the IU Auditorium that blocks Seventh Street has come down. The date of the fence's removal had been up in the air due to funding and project planning, but its unexpected removal pleased many students.

New print at IU Art Museum honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

By Kyle Meehan · Thursday, Feb. 1,2007 12:40 a.m.

The IU Art Museum will kick off Black History Month with the dedication of an etching of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. tonight. The ceremony, "Celebrating the Arts: Living the Dream and Continuing the Legacy," has a twofold purpose. It will mark the culmination of a monthlong celebration of the slain civil rights leader with the dedication of an etching by John Wilson. It will also celebrate the beginning of Black History Month with the unveiling of an Web site module.

Alumni president says 'later' to IU

By Allie Townsend · Thursday, Feb. 1,2007 12:10 a.m.

Exactly five years ago, Ken Beckley came out of retirement to become president of the IU Alumni Association. Yesterday, he said his good byes. Now, he will have the time to think about tomorrow.

Men of Color Leadership Conference expected to draw about 150 students

By Sandra Arao Ameny · Thursday, Feb. 1,2007 12:08 a.m.

They will talk candidly about leadership and education opportunities. They will talk about socio-economic issues, and how race and gender can affect opportunities -- as men of color. A group of multi-ethnic men will attend the third annual Men of Color Leadership Conference on Saturday at the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center to discuss a range of issues affecting minority men.

2 IU students arrested on drug-related charges

By Paige Ingram · Thursday, Feb. 1,2007 12:07 a.m.

Two IU students were arrested Monday on multiple drug-related charges as a two-month undercover investigation by IUPD came to an end. In November, the IU Police Department started making marijuana purchases from sophomore Andrew L. Wolfe through an undercover person, said Detective David Hannum, who oversaw the case.

Pelosi thanks local women for support

By Nadia LaMantia · Thursday, Feb. 1,2007 12:06 a.m.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi addressed members of IU's Women's Student Association in a phone call from her chambers in Washington, D.C., last night. Congressman Baron Hill, D-9th, who was with the speaker, introduced her and thanked those who had helped his campaign gain 8,000 votes in Monroe County.

P.S. I love Playstation

By C. Warner Sills and Michael Mellini · Thursday, Feb. 1,2007 12 a.m.

I'm not a very experimental person. I enjoy predictability and while Sony has made vast improvements in its different video game systems, the model remains relatively similar: disc games and the same incarnation of controllers. Playstations are my comfort food. It's hard to believe that two letters and a number (PS3) could bring so much happiness into one's life. The graphics are creepily realistic, game controls aren't overly impossible and the controllers are now wireless and extremely light. On the downside, the system itself is a beast. The size isn't a huge deal, as the system just sits on a shelf, although someday soon that shelf may break. To go along with its HD-capable clarity is the ability to play new BluRay DVDs, although with movies costing about $35, this feature will go unused until prices drop.

Potential cult classic

By C. Warner Sills and Craig Shank · Thursday, Feb. 1,2007 12 a.m.

Ever wondered what a science fiction rock-opera about a Marie Antoinette robot would sound like? I hadn't either, but Waking the Mystics by Sophe Lux features a track that is, in fact, a seven-minute rock opera that tackles that outlandish scenario. Miniature rock operas aside, this album is a serious departure from almost anything you can imagine.

IDS editorial unfair to Minuteman Project

By Alyson Brodsy · Thursday, Feb. 1,2007 12 a.m.

"Disapproval for the Minuteman Project ranges from being a 'vigilante' group to having connections with white-supremacy organizations.

Roe v. Wade anniversary reminds of the dangers of illegal abortion

By Alyson Brodsy · Thursday, Feb. 1,2007 12 a.m.

Roe v. Wade turned 34 last week. Since 1973 and before, abortion has been a most contested and controversial issue in America.

This film has been rated: Not so good

By C. Warner Sills and Benny Goldman · Thursday, Feb. 1,2007 12 a.m.

What makes a movie G, PG, PG-13, R or, most controversially, NC-17? Is gay sex more explicit than straight sex? Why is violence more acceptable than sex in American cinema? Is it all a giant government conspiracy? Documentarian Kirby Dick attempts to answer these questions and more in his independently released feature on the ratings board of the Motion Picture Association of America, "This Film is Not Yet Rated."

'Road' goes nowhere

By C. Warner Sills and Wes Jakacki · Thursday, Feb. 1,2007 12 a.m.

In the past year, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and Bob Dylan have all released albums to much critical acclaim. Now Indiana legend John Mellencamp follows suit with his first album since his 2003 cover album, Trouble No More. This album is standard Mellencamp in that it sounds like what he is, a Midwest baby-boomer singing in the name of America's heartland.

Oscar Season: Little Miss Overrated!

By C. Warner Sills and Michael Mellini · Thursday, Feb. 1,2007 12 a.m.

For a movie-goer, Oscar season is like bulimia: There's so much great cinema, glamorous movie stars and Billy Crystal to gorge on, but when your favorites are overlooked and the ceremony is overexposed, Oscar, too, can leave you drained, feeling empty and crying in a bathroom stall.

Smokin' dat chronic Wii

By C. Warner Sills and Joanna Borns · Thursday, Feb. 1,2007 12 a.m.

Ever since Nintendo came out with the Wii, marijuana connoisseurs everywhere are a little more confused than usual. Maybe this is just because I'm on a college campus, but I've heard many complaints that "Wii" sounds almost exactly like "weed." Thus, there are many misunderstandings to be had. Where's the best place to score some Wii? Should they legalize Wii? Blaze the Wii out there. Psychoactive drugs aside, my first Wii experience was captivating. It was Wii Sports at a friend's house. I made a digital character that looked just like me and I named it Ramrod. I was brand new to the concept of Wii, and the idea of people accidentally flinging their remotes into their televisions in the heat of the moment was both hilarious and exhilarating. God bless wrist straps.

Live Arcade 'assault'

By C. Warner Sills and Chris Freiberg · Thursday, Feb. 1,2007 12 a.m.

While the weekly retreads of '80s arcade classics are a fun diversion on Xbox Live Arcade, it's nice to see that the service encourages developers to pump out some good, cheap original games too. While "Assault Heroes" has some of the best graphics yet for an Arcade game (this could easily be mistaken for an early Xbox 1 title), its gameplay is straight up old school. The left analogue stick controls your vehicle or Rambo-style mercenary. The right analogue stick shoots. And you shoot a lot in this game--from green guys with guns to uh, crazy screaming red guys with guns. And the occasional giant mechanical spider (which might also require a grenade or a nuke).

Legendary Zelda Game excedes expectations

By C. Warner Sills and John Barnett · Thursday, Feb. 1,2007 12 a.m.

Most long-time Nintendo supporters live by their own special calendar, punctuated not by days, weeks and months, but by the release of producer Shigeru Miyamoto and Eiji Aonuma's "Legend of Zelda" games. The three milestones on this calendar, all designed as flagship games for their respective consoles, are 1992's "A Link to the Past" for the Super Nintendo, 1998's "Ocarina of Time" for the Nintendo 64, and now "Twilight Princess" for the Nintendo Wii.

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