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Surprise! Schneider plays a loser

By -Paul Straw · Thursday, Dec. 12,2002 12 a.m.

Rob Schneider plays a loser. Always, in all of his movies, Schneider is a loser, and "The Hot Chick" is no exception. Only differing in each movie is what kind of loser he is. In "The Hot Chick," Schneider plays Jessica Spencer, whose body, due to magical earrings, was switched with a lowly street criminal. Now the one-time prom queen candidate/head cheerleader is getting a lesson in humility by looking like an ugly man. In order to get her body back, Jessica must now apologize and befriend those people she has hurt over the years. Jessica must also help her parents get back together, win the cheerleading competition and help her friends with boy troubles.

The third time is golden

By Jake Bilinski · Thursday, Dec. 12,2002 12 a.m.

Riiiiiight. Mike Myers is back as Austin Powers, Dr. Evil, Fat Bastard and his newest incarnation: Goldmember (who's equally entertaining and weird). This third installment of the sex-driven spy is a pseudo-memorable mixed bag of goodies, though it sports some of the funniest moments in the Austin Powers franchise. Austin's father, Nigel (Michael Caine in a very funny role), is missing, so Austin travels back to 1975 to rescue him from a nefarious Dutch villain, Goldmember (aptly named for his golden … well, you get it). Joining is Foxxy Cleopatra (Beyoncé Knowles in a blaxploitation-esque performance). The returning cast is still great, and the ongoing cameos give you your money's worth, but the real fun is watching Myers playing off himself. Eddie Murphy does this well. Myers does it better, with a quirky creativity that clearly influences the whole picture for the better. With "Goldmember" being an Infinifilm DVD, one has the option to watch the movie with extras popping up for you to click on and view intermittently. I watched "Goldmember" this way, and it's kind of neat (provided you have time to kill).

Izzard kills in stand-up show

By Gabe Colman · Thursday, Dec. 12,2002 12 a.m.

"Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill" is a DVD for the open-minded. The fact that Eddie Izzard dresses up in high-heel sandals, vinyl pants and a kimono top and shellacs on a ton of makeup has little to do with his stand-up comedy. He touches on transvestism briefly, then deftly moves on to movies, the Queen of England, religion and sheep. His routine is like one long conversation with an interesting foreigner, and you find yourself focusing more on his British accent and less on what he's wearing. Izzard himself is chock full of European style and charm that envelopes you as his stand-up takes you through two different languages and numerous countries.

Classic construction

By Alyson Brodsy and Patrice L. Worthy · Wednesday, Dec. 11,2002 11:59 p.m.

Ballerinas dancing about are the inspiration in R320, a highly complex costume construction class in the Costume Construction Technology Program (CCT). The class is one of a series where students learn behind-the-scenes techniques and costuming for operas and the stage. In this particular class, the students are constructing ballerina tutus. Making tutus is a time-consuming skill that not many people learn in school and fewer people perfect.

Cinergy-PSI plans to increase rates before 2003

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, Dec. 11,2002 11:56 p.m.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Cinergy-PSI plans to ask state regulators before the end of the year for permission to increase its electric rates, a spokeswoman for the utility said.

PCBs may have surfaced near plant

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, Dec. 11,2002 11:55 p.m.

BEDFORD -- Heavy rains last spring in south-central Indiana may have pushed oil contaminated with PCBs to the surface of land near the GM Powertrain plant, company officials said.

Food banks in need of holiday help

By Alyson Brodsy and Beth Rosenberg · Wednesday, Dec. 11,2002 11:55 p.m.

INDIANAPOLIS -- In the 83,000-square-foot Gleaners Food Bank warehouse, thousands of cans of fruits and vegetables, hundreds of boxes of cereal and cases of water and orange juice fill cavernous rooms.

And the beat goes on...

By Jamieson Hawkins · Wednesday, Dec. 11,2002 11:54 p.m.

There is rhythm in everything we do. With day-to-day walking, talking, traffic, noise, sound and music, rhythms surround us whether we notice them or not. But there are some people around campus who are always aware of these beats and use them to their advantage. Drummers of local bands internalize the natural sounds of Bloomington to inspire their art, the music. Drummers are responsible for setting the pace and rounding out the sounds of songs their bands are working to create. Producing original music and generating the respect of music fans and students alike are the goals of Dan Hirons (Blue Moon Revue), Rory Sandhage (Laborious Clef) and Justin Shaw and Ben Handel (the drummer and percussionist team of Run of the Mill). Hirons, Sandhage, Handel and Shaw were drawn to the drums for different reasons, yet their passions for the music are similar. Hirons began his career with the drums when his father gave him a snare drum six years ago. It was then that he knew he was a drummer and wanted to develop as a musician. Sandhage also began playing on the drums when his dad purchased a drum set for him to play, beginning Sandhage's self-described obsession with the drums. Handel got an early start on the drums as well, when in the third grade he and his brother started the Toxic Twinkies.

US seizes, then releases missile shipment from North Korea to Yemen

By Alyson Brodsy and Pauline Jelinek · Wednesday, Dec. 11,2002 11:52 p.m.

WASHINGTON -- Ending an embarrassing faceoff with Yemen, Bush administration officials said Wednesday they secured an agreement from the Arab nation to no longer buy Scud missiles from North Korea. But the understanding was not reached until after the United States was forced to release to Yemen a vessel containing North Korean-made missiles.

Chile and US agree on accord

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, Dec. 11,2002 11:50 p.m.

WASHINGTON -- Chile and the United States reached an agreement Wednesday for a free trade accord that will allow more than 85 percent of Chilean goods into the country tariff-free in the first year.

Iraqi report review could take weeks

By Alyson Brodsy and Barry Schweid · Wednesday, Dec. 11,2002 11:50 p.m.

WASHINGTON -- U.S. weapons experts are taking an accelerated but thorough look at Iraq's 12,000-page weapons declaration with the aim of providing the chief United Nations inspector with an assessment by Friday. The four other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- Britain, France, China and Russia -- received copies of the declaration from the United States and are also putting it under close scrutiny.

Sloshed and savvy drivers

By Alyson Brodsy and Silvia ten Houten · Wednesday, Dec. 11,2002 11:48 p.m.

The prospect of Thanksgiving in Florida was enticing. Everything was organized, up to the drive to Indy at 4 a.m. on a Friday morning -- American hospitality is such a wonderful thing. Until 4:30 loomed, the scheduled time of departure, and still no ride up Highway 37 had appeared. A drastic last-minute contingency plan placed us at the Indianapolis airport, but the plane departed two exchange students lighter. What had happened to our trusty chauffeur? Road accident? Car blocked in?

Be vegetarian, but why?

By Terry Ord · Wednesday, Dec. 11,2002 11:46 p.m.

According to a recent article in Time magazine there are about 10 million vegetarians in America with an additional 20 million who admit to having had vegetarian tendencies at some point in their lives. Many choose such a diet for health reasons.

My precious title

By Evan Ross · Wednesday, Dec. 11,2002 11:44 p.m.

In the next week, movie fans and fantasy geeks will be nearing the end of a long awaited return. On Dec. 18, the second installment of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy will thunder into theaters with the strength of the Battle at Helmsdeep.

Money can't buy best IU president

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, Dec. 11,2002 11:41 p.m.

Jerry Baker, from the Atlanta-based search firm Baker, Parker and Associates, told the IU board of trustees and the presidential search committee last Friday that IU should offer its new president a total package of between $600,000 to $800,000. Bollocks.

Grossman still undecided about future plans

By Aaron Beard · Wednesday, Dec. 11,2002 10:28 a.m.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida quarterback Rex Grossman is still deciding whether to leave college for the NFL or stay with the Gators for his senior season. "I actually haven't made up my mind yet," he said Tuesday. Grossman, a junior who was Indiana's 1998 high school Mr. Football at Bloomington South, also said he probably won't submit his name to the NFL Draft Advisory Board, which informs players where they will likely be drafted. Grossman said he has information from last year that he can rely on.

Enough games, Iraq

By Cherry Blattert · Wednesday, Dec. 11,2002 8:50 a.m.

Although U.N. inspectors in Iraq recently reported that they had failed in their attempt to find a needle in Iraq's haystack, Team Bush remained unconvinced of the inspectors' ability to produce a trustworthy report of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). The U.S. has emphasized that Iraq needs to disarm the WMDs we know it possesses.

School backs out of 'Pact'

By Jackie Corgan · Wednesday, Dec. 11,2002 8:48 a.m.

The Bloomington Faculty Council, in charge of governing much of our university's academic policy, decided on Tuesday, Dec. 3, to end the GradPact program. The University contract with undergraduates, once referred to by IU President Myles Brand as, "a key to our building of 'America's New Public University,'" guaranteed the school would waive the cost of extra classes if a student was unable to graduate within four years.

In defense of RPS

By Rory Starks · Wednesday, Dec. 11,2002 12:42 a.m.

I have yet to see anybody stand up for RPS. It's come to a point where we have a campus group whose mission is to "give students a unified voice against the unjust practices of RPS …" This quote comes from the Cooperative Opposition to Residential Programs and Services. I will admit that in the past, I've been adamantly against RPS -- the dining services in particular. I remember initially thinking that RPS was an evil corporation trying to take everybody's money.

Giving her stuff back

By Joe Grace · Wednesday, Dec. 11,2002 12:42 a.m.

It's not like I want to hate my ex-girlfriend. I believe it's wrong to hate anybody, including poopie doo doo head people who just happen to be my ex-girlfriend and ex-friend. But now she's asking for her stuff back in extremely tacky and brief emails that could very well be haikus. I just want to say I want my poop deck shirt back Next time your in town The audacity! The nerve! The grammatical error!