Longform

Official: Leading terrorist suspect eluded capture by U.S. military

By Alyson Brodsy and John J. Lumpkin · Wednesday, April 27,2005 1:27 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- U.S. forces in Iraq believe they just missed capturing most-wanted terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in a February raid that netted two of his associates, a senior U.S. military official said Tuesday. The official, who discussed the operation on the condition of anonymity, could provide no details regarding how Zarqawi escaped. U.S. forces recovered a computer belonging to Zarqawi, the official said, although he did not say how it was obtained.

Kutcher comedy 'A Lot Like' lame

By Ash Cartwright · Wednesday, April 27,2005 1:24 a.m.

I had certain hopes going into "A Lot Like Love" and I thought that they were at least somewhat reasonable. I looked forward to the possibility that it would be cute and funny with an endearing enough plot that it might join the ranks of worthwhile romantic comedies, at least as a temporary, fringe member of the group. After all, it does combine story elements from "When Harry Met Sally" and features Ashton Kutcher -- who I am fond of in spite of many things.

Jordan River Forum

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, April 27,2005 1:22 a.m.

IU not just a business As a committee begins searching for the next chancellor of the Bloomington campus, the entire IU community -- students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and other constituencies -- should seize this opportunity to reflect on what kind of university we want to be.

Chow down on 'Kung Fu Hustle'

By -Alec Toombs · Wednesday, April 27,2005 1:19 a.m.

Picking up where the sidesplitting "Shaolin Soccer" left off, Stephen Chow returns to his roles as writer, director, producer and star of the kooky "Kung Fu Hustle." Roger Ebert's review of the film refers to it as "Jackie Chan and Buster Keaton meet Quentin Tarantino and Bugs Bunny" -- strange as this sounds, no statement could be more fitting.

Race questions apply to all

By Melanie Sims · Wednesday, April 27,2005 1:17 a.m.

An aspiring young politician asked the Rev. Al Sharpton at his lecture last week what he thought about the fact that in political debates, black politicians face more questions regarding race than their white opponents and that they less often face questions about issues like the war in Iraq, Social Security and international affairs.

Conversation with Al

By Edward Delp · Wednesday, April 27,2005 1:16 a.m.

This past Thursday I felt like the biblical figure Daniel. You see, Daniel was thrown into a lion's den and forced to rely on his own beliefs to make it out. When I joined two other reporters backstage for an interview with the Rev. Al Sharpton, this is exactly how I felt. I went into the interview knowing I was going into the lion's den of liberalism and was going to disagree with most of what he said.

IU Auditorium season brings musicals, comedy for 2005-2006

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, April 27,2005 1:14 a.m.

From comedian David Spade to the popular musical "The Producers" to children's favorite "Clifford the Big Red Dog," the 2005-2006 IU Auditorium's season features a variety of performers and productions. The process of choosing the schedule began last September, when Director Doug Booher and the rest of the Auditorium staff began to find out which shows would be available for the upcoming year. People at the Auditorium compiled these options into a list, which was then sent out to students and non-student ticket buyers, who then voted on which shows they wanted to see, Booher said.

Students make easy bait

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, April 27,2005 1:13 a.m.

Thanks to your own insatiable thirst to be virtually connected, your personal information and history is widely available online, legally and illegally, to whoever wants to get it. Two graduate Informatics students just used public Web sites (www.thefacebook.com, anyone?) to help them set up an experiment that tests how social connections affect responses to requests for information on the Internet.

From breakdown to breakthrough comeback

By Diana Tychsen · Wednesday, April 27,2005 1:11 a.m.

Everyone is starting to look like Paris Hilton these days, and Mariah Carey is no exception. Recently spotted with an orange-brown tan, platinum blond hair and showing lots of skin, she was in danger of becoming yet another Barbie on the Billboard charts. But then you hear that voice. Her last two records were at best mediocre, and Mariah's subsequent public bout with depression alienated many fans. With The Emancipation of Mimi, her most recent release, those fans will surely become faithful once again.

One boring 'Parade'

By Sean Abbott · Wednesday, April 27,2005 1:08 a.m.

I used to listen to American Hi-Fi back in high school. I remember how I used to love the upbeat yet somehow melancholy songs on their self-titled album from way back in 2001. I turned up my car's radio every time "Flavor of the Weak" started to come on, and I still pop in that CD from time to time.

Army to inform public about impending nerve agent destruction

By Alyson Brodsy and Rick Callahan · Wednesday, April 27,2005 1:07 a.m.

After years of waiting, residents who live near a western Indiana military installation where a deadly nerve agent is stored will gather Thursday for a preview of the U.S. Army's impending plans to begin destroying the chemical weapon.

Around The State

By Alyson Brodsy · Wednesday, April 27,2005 1:06 a.m.

South Bend police officer shot SOUTH BEND -- A city police officer was shot while serving a warrant, after which the suspect fatally shot himself, authorities said.

Republicans draw close to budget compromise

By Alyson Brodsy and Mike Smith · Wednesday, April 27,2005 1:03 a.m.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Fiscal leaders for House and Senate Republicans were close to compromising on a two-year state budget proposal and were expected to reach a deal later Tuesday, a top lawmaker said. "I think we'll be totally done by the end of the day," said Republican Rep. Jeff Espich of Uniondale, chairman of the budget-writing House Ways and Means Committee. "We're going to continue to talk, but I would call them minor details at this point."

Big Brothers, Big Sisters recognizes volunteers tonight

By Jessica Wolfe · Wednesday, April 27,2005 1:02 a.m.

Every week, IU sophomore Chris McGaha finds a bit of magic in 11-year-old Matt's smile when they meet at Bloomington's Boys and Girls Club.

Bioware's beauty

By David Antognoli · Wednesday, April 27,2005 12:59 a.m.

Developer Bioware's last game, "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" achieved critical and financial success, earning the title "Game of the Year" from many reviewers and paving the way for a sequel that was released last December. But rather than working on the sequel itself, Bioware elected to create something original -- "Jade Empire."

F for fantastic

By Chris Wisner and compiled by Chris Wisner · Wednesday, April 27,2005 12:54 a.m.

A meditation on deception. A celebration of fakery. Genius auteur Orson Welles' final completed work, the pseudo-documentary "F for Fake," is both of these and so much more. Orson Welles, the same luminary who created "Citizen Kane," found himself fascinated by the lives of two of the last century's greatest liars: art forger Elmyr de Hory and author Clifford Irving. De Hory is the film's focal point for he was a man who amassed great wealth by duplicating the artwork of Picasso, Modigliani and countless others, and then proceeded to sell his copies to art museums all around Europe. Irving finds himself in the mix as he not only wrote a biography all about de Hory, he also wrote one of the greatest fake autobiographies about Hollywood's favorite eccentric, Howard Hughes.

'Naked in Baghdad' offers perspective on war

By Joelle Petrus · Wednesday, April 27,2005 12:54 a.m.

Even though many of the other journalists seemed to be fleeing or deported, National Public Radio correspondent Anne Garrels captured the Iraq war. Garrels was the only U.S. broadcast journalist to stay in Baghdad until American military forces came to the city, and her book "Naked in Baghdad" is valuable even for people completely uninvolved with the media.

'Daggers' takes a stab at DVD

By John Barnett · Wednesday, April 27,2005 12:53 a.m.

Last year saw a double dose of visually breathtaking cinema by way of Zhang Yimou's "Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers" -- two films that found their way out of Hong Kong to grace American screens. This feat is becoming less and less rare as Asian cinema burrows its way into our cultural mainstream.

Students showcase their Mariachi skills

By Stephanie Fedor · Wednesday, April 27,2005 12:52 a.m.

Mariachi is a traditional Mexican style of music showcased around the world. At IU, 20 students are preparing to perform a free Mariachi de la Flor End of Term Concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center Grand Hall. They are part of the Mariachi Performance and Culture class in the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology. By preparing for the concert, the students have gained knowledge of Latin American culture through mariachi music. Mariachi is most closely associated with the Jalisco region in Mexico, but the term also can refer to the musician and the ensemble that plays it.

A family reunion worth attending

By Rhett Umphress · Wednesday, April 27,2005 12:51 a.m.

"Meet the Fockers," the sequel to 2000's hit comedy "Meet the Parents," picks up where the first film left off. In preparation for their upcoming wedding, Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) and Pam Byrnes (Teri Polo) plan for their parents to meet for the first time. So begins a visit where uptight Jack and Dina Byrnes (Robert De Niro and Blythe Danner) meet the wacky Bernie and Roz Focker (Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand). Unsurprisingly, chaos ensues.