Region

McDonald's fries getting healthier

By Alyson Brodsy · Thursday, Sept. 5,2002 12:25 a.m.

CHICAGO -- McDonald's plans to use a new cooking oil for french fries and other fried foods that it says will do less damage to your diet. Nutritionists call the fast food giant's effort to reduce trans fatty acids a good first step but say the change doesn't make french fries a health food.

A Week of Caring

By Alyson Brodsy · Thursday, Sept. 5,2002 12:19 a.m.

The Bloomington Volunteer Network has dedicated this year's Week of Caring 2002 to "remember, respond and rebuild," in honor of those who died and were touched by the Sept. 11 attacks. The week of service will begin Sept. 6 and extend to Sept. 14. The six-year-old program's goal is to bring the Bloomington community together with IU students to provide "social service, cultural, health and recreational organizations who depend on volunteers to keep their programs running," according to the BNV Web site.

Push planned for gas tax increase

By Alyson Brodsy · Thursday, Sept. 5,2002 12:11 a.m.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Some lobbying groups and lawmakers say a recently approved increase in the state gasoline tax will still leave counties and cities scrambling for much-needed road construction dollars. They plan to push for an additional gas tax increase in the legislative session come January, even though a 3-cent increase approved during the recent special session will have just taken effect Jan. 1.

Concern covers skeletons

By Alyson Brodsy · Thursday, Sept. 5,2002 12:10 a.m.

COLUMBUS, Ind. -- Some American Indians have expressed concern about the fate of at least 10 prehistoric human skeletons removed from a construction site west of Columbus. Archaeologists removed the skeletons from the Menard Inc. building site this summer and took them to a laboratory at the University of Indianapolis for analysis, said Jim Mohow, senior archaeologist with the state Department of Natural Resources.

West Nile strikes home

By Alyson Brodsy · Thursday, Sept. 5,2002 12:09 a.m.

FORT WAYNE -- A 56-year-old Allen County resident has apparently died from the West Nile virus, the county's coroner said Wednesday. The official cause of death has not been confirmed and preliminary autopsy results were inconclusive, but state health officials reported a "presumptive positive" blood test for the virus Aug. 23, Allen County Coroner Dr. E. Jon Brandenberger said.

Bush to visit South Bend

By Alyson Brodsy · Thursday, Sept. 5,2002 12:07 a.m.

SOUTH BEND -- President Bush has added a second speech to the agenda for his scheduled visit in South Bend on Thursday. The Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County was expected to make 5,000 free tickets available to the public Wednesday for the Thursday afternoon speech at the airport. Bush already was scheduled to speak Thursday at a $250-a-plate fund-raising dinner for the campaign of 2nd District Republican candidate Chris Chocola. The dinner, which is sponsored by a newly formed "Hoosiers' Salute to the President Committee," will be held at the Century Center.

Four bands rock the IMU

By Mark Lee · Thursday, Sept. 5,2002 12 a.m.

Last year, the Indiana Memorial Union's "Rock Explosion" was held outdoors and Bloomington's best were rained upon. This year, Laborius Clef, Blue Moon Review, Three Minute Mile and Jeremy Radway featuring SPRED are holding court indoors tomorrow night in the IMU to give their current fans and first-year students a chance to sample the Bloomington music scene.

Aussie popsters show no progress

By Jason Gaddis · Thursday, Sept. 5,2002 12 a.m.

Coming up on their fourth album, the three guys who make up the Australian rock outfit Silverchair still haven't figured out what kind of music they want to play. Diorama suffers from the same inexorable identity crisis that afflicted its predecessor, 1999's Neon Ballroom.

Breaking out of the 'Friends' rut

By Natalie A. Trout · Thursday, Sept. 5,2002 12 a.m.

He's the funny guy everyone knows and loves from Thursday night's "Must See TV." It's Chandler Bing, and he stars in yet another romantic comedy where he plays himself. Haven't people noticed this? From "Fools Rush In" and "The Whole Nine Yards" to his latest movie, "Serving Sara," Matthew Perry is doing nothing more than playing the goofy, off-beat character Chandler Bing from NBC's "Friends."

Stones roll on with re-release

By Alex Hickey · Thursday, Sept. 5,2002 12 a.m.

This record should be played loud." At least that's what the Rolling Stones advise you to do on the inside cover of Let It Bleed. And every word of it is true. Quite simply, Let It Bleed is one of those landmark albums that every rock fan should have in his or her collection, from the quality cover of the Stones as birthday candles to what's inside the package itself.

Aniston shines as 'The Good Girl'

By Parker Witman and Parker Wittman · Thursday, Sept. 5,2002 12 a.m.

I wonder if Jennifer Aniston is sick of doing "Friends." Could she be dreaming of a career in film, hoping for that moment to put it all behind her and maybe get a little Hollywood respect? Sure, she is filthy rich and married to Brad Pitt, but maybe every day she wakes up wondering why she's stuck in a sitcom rut, eager to find the role that will turn it around for her.

Reissue fails to capture live Who

By Ryan Whirty and Ryan Wirty · Thursday, Sept. 5,2002 12 a.m.

When the Who first became the Who, the group was little more than an amphetamine-charged James Brown cover band. The guys billed their music as "Maximum R&B," playing old soul and rock and roll standards at high speed and high volume, and their Mod followers ate it up. By the mid-1960s, the Who had already cemented its reputation as a premier live band, a group that derived its energy from playing in front of a crowd.

Simpsons second DVD improves on first

By Matthew Seremet · Thursday, Sept. 5,2002 12 a.m.

As I tore off the Aug. 5 page of my "Simpsons" calendar, I was elated that the second season of the prime-time cartoon show was now finally released on DVD. I rushed out, bought my copy and watched the first episode right away. Before I knew it, I had watched them all. This DVD set is perfect for any Simpsons addict.

Fear dot crap

By Colleen Koch and Colleen Star Koch · Thursday, Sept. 5,2002 12 a.m.

This is one of those movies that isn't supposed to be funny but is. The premise is this: a psychopathic doctor tortures and kills young women, then broadcasts it over the Internet. In a quest for revenge, the soul of a woman he murdered has taken to living through a site called fear.com.

'Dead' brings the 'Payne' to Xbox

By Alex Toombs · Thursday, Sept. 5,2002 12 a.m.

\"Dead to Rights" is a sleazily entertaining new game available solely for Xbox. A cross-breed of "Grand Theft Auto 3," "Max Payne" and the old-school "Double Dragon," "Dead to Rights" is essentially a cheesy cop flick-turned-video game.

LOCAL H: rock and roll professionals

By Andy Garrison · Thursday, Sept. 5,2002 12 a.m.

Having only two members, Local H already sets itself apart from the rest of the rock world anyway. According to lead singer/guitarist David Scott Lucas, that's not such a bad thing, either.

Coldplay's latest full of hot hits

By Parker Witman and Parker Wittman · Thursday, Sept. 5,2002 12 a.m.

After Coldplay's first album, the critically acclaimed commercial success Parachutes, it was hard to imagine where the band would, or could, go. For many, Parachutes represented a beacon of hope in the murky cesspool of unoriginality that has plagued pop music for years. Those who got past writing Coldplay off as "that 'Yellow' band" likely found themselves refreshed and excited by the depth and potential that Coldplay demonstrated on Parachutes.

Tarantino blasts his way onto DVD

By Alex Toombs · Thursday, Sept. 5,2002 12 a.m.

Quentin Tarantino is without a doubt the most dominant filmmaker of the 1990s. He burst onto the scene with the hilarious misconcieved-heist picture "Reservoir Dogs" in 1992, then followed that up with the Palme d'Or-winning crime caper "Pulp Fiction" and peaked with his 1997 blaxploitation-tinged Elmore Leonard adaptation "Jackie Brown." Each film was different than the other, yet singularly the voice of Tarantino.

Chicks have soul and let it show

By Jessica Halverson and Jesscia Halverson · Thursday, Sept. 5,2002 12 a.m.

Country music has been reduced to mockery. With modern country infused with the pop-driven sounds of Faith Hill and, well, everyone else, instead of the Cash and Haggard-type soulful strumming, the best you'll hear on country airwaves is usually some untalented, lovesick ballad with a token steel-guitar riff. But you won't get that from the Dixie Chicks.

Reality TV rules

By Tom Whalen · Thursday, Sept. 5,2002 12 a.m.

Until two weeks ago, I was skeptical of the whole reality TV fad. I watch "The Real World." In fact, I've never missed an episode, EVER. I'm not joking either. I have seen every episode of "The Real World," with "The Real World" movie obviously not counting because, honestly, who watched that? I don't know anyone who watched it. To admit to watching "The Real World" movie would be like admitting to owning a Hootie and the Blowfish record. Hootie and the Blowfish sold like a billion records, but nobody owns one, do they?