champaign . urbana
N C I HA N U M F
6
FIREFLIES ARE HERE TO HELP
N !!
M O N STE
IG PA
R
w e e k l y
z buz
06 | 01 | 06 . 06 | 07 | 06 s o u n d s f r o m t h e s c e n e FREE
Pg. 4
10
ART AT NIGHT
15
KINK BETWEEN THE SHEETS
2 •
buzz weekly
Join us on June 15th at 6:30 pm for a Memorable Evening
King Estate Wine Tasting Alaskan Seafood in June
King Estate, Located Southwest of Eugene, Oregon, in the panoramic Lorane Valley, is a Family Winery committed to uncompromising quality. King Estate produces some of the best Pinot Noir in the world and the grapes for recent vintages are from their certified organic vineyards. This tasting will be especially interesting because you will be able to compare fully mature Pinot Noirs to more recent vintages.
Alaskan King Crab starting at $19.95
Steve Thompson, Director of King Estate Winery will be here to conduct a discussion of the wines.
Forest Mushroom Tart with shallots and walnuts Domaine Pinot Gris ~ 2004 Alaskan King and Sockeye Salmon olives, tomatoes and herbs Signature Pinot Noir ~ 1993, 2003 Braised Duck Leg and Grilled Duck Breast The duck leg is served with dried cherries Pinot Noir Reserve ~ 1998 The duck breast is served with blueberries Domaine Pinot Noir ~ 2004 Apple Sorbet and Confit Green Apple Sorbet and Apple Confit Domaine Vin Glaces ~ 2004, Oregon
Rotating Specials on Alaskan King Salmon & Halibut
O
U
04
no.21
Cover Design • Hank Patton Editor in chief • Todd Swiss Art Director • Brittany Bindrim Copy Chief • Alexis Terrell Listen, Hear • Leah Nelson Stage, Screen & in Between • Elyse Russo Around Town • Tatyana Safronova CU Calendar • Todd Swiss Photography Editor • Christina Leung Designers • Nikita Sorokin, Hank Patton Calendar Coordinator • Brian McGovern Photography • Tatyana Safronova, Christina Leung Copy Editors • Sarah Goebel, Brandon Oswald Staff Writers • Paul Prikazsky, Nathan Kramer, Jeff Gross, Alice Huddleston, Brent Simerson, Kyle Gorman, Todd J. Hunter Contributing Writers • Michael Coulter, Seth Fein Sales Manager • Mark Nattier Production Manager • Rick Wiltfong Marketing/Distribution • Brandi Wills Publisher • Mary Cory
UNDER THE COVER |1-3| 3 3 3 |4-5| 4 4 5 |6-7| 6 7 7 |8-9| | 10 - 12 | 10 11 12
TALK TO BUZZ
12 12
INTRO This Modern World • Tom Tomorrow Life in Hell • Matt Groening First Things First • Michael Coulter
AROUND TOWN Monster trucks, monster fun • Randy Miller Community Snapshot with Linden Warfel The Local Sniff • Seth Fein
LISTEN, HEAR fireflies in your ear • Kevin Wombacher Concert review Soundground #128 • Todd J. Hunter
CU CALENDAR STAGE, SCREEN & IN BETWEEN You know it’s summer when ... • Scott Frankel Movie reviews Paul’s Perusal of Hollywood • Paul Prikazsky Artist’s Corner with Siti Mariah Jackson Page Rage
| 13 - 14 |
CLASSIFIEDS
| 15 - 16 |
THE STINGER
15 16
Doin it well • Kim Rice and Kate Ruin Free will astrology
First copy of Buzz is FREE, each additional copy is $.50
2560 South Stone Creek Blvd. Urbana, Illinois (217) 384-8111
O
R
S
House Salad
T A S T E
e re n t
S houl T D O
volume
© Illini Media Company 2005
me S p
u md B
BUZZ STAFF
e-mail: buzz@readbuzz.com write: 57 E. Green St. Champaign, IL 61820 call: 217.337.3801 We reserve the right to edit submissions. Buzz will not publish a letter without the verbal consent of the writer prior to publication date. Buzz magazine is a student-run publication of Illini Media Company and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of the University of Illinois administration, faculty or students.
$78 per person before June 10 $86 per person after June 10 Plus tax and gratuity Call 384-8111 for reservations
S
J u n e 1 – 7 , 2 oo 6
I JUST WANT TO DRINK A NICE GLASS OF SYRUP LIKE I DO EVERY MORNING.
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
Portabella Mushroom Sandwich
Broccoli Cheese Soup
www.firehausbar.com 708 S. Sixth Street
Champaign 217.344.4171
INTRO | A ROUND TOWN | L ISTEN, HEAR | CU CALENDAR | STAGE, S CREEN &
IN
todd swiss EDITOR’S NOTE
I
remember back in elementar y school, I pitied those k id s who had their bir thdays during the summer. Not only were t he se k id s u su a l ly t he you n g e s t , but t he y also couldn’t have their classmates celebrate with them. My school relied on the half birthday concept for kids with summer birthdays, but it just wasn’t the same. The kids with birthdays during the school year all knew that it was a ridiculous ploy, and we maybe even envied them secretly for getting to celebrate one birthday twice a year. However, I now realize that I should have been jealous of their summer birthing luck for a different reason. Even when I got to high school and college, I did not see the perks of the summer birthday. I only thought about how they were the last to be able to drive, gamble and drink (don’t mix these, it only ends in disaster). What child in his or her right mind would wa nt a bi r t hd ay du r i n g t he n i ne -mont h school year? Not only do you have to wake up early and actually go to school, but you also ran the risk of having to do homework while you should be celebrating. Kids who “celebrated” their half birthdays could not
B ETWEEN | CLASSIF EDS | THE STINGER
care less about having to work on their madeup holiday. I was so shortsighted. I only f irst realized the error in thinking a few weeks ago. My very good friend, Sabrina Kaiser (I promised a shout-out), is in the enviable position of having a June birthday. While for the past two years I have stayed up past 3 a.m. doing homework and writing papers on my birthday, she has had the pleasure of lounging around. Additionally, for her birthday this year, a trip to Cedar Point amusement park in Ohio has been planned. Not only could kids with birthdays during the school year not plan such trips, but during the colder months, such places are not even open. For those who haven’t heard of Cedar Point, it is basically the coolest amusement park in the United States and possibly the world. This brings me to my next subject: roller coasters. Even though I haven’t made it to any sort of amusement park in about three years, I do love roller coasters. Ever since I was a little guy, I couldn’t wait until I was tall enough to ride all the coasters at Six Flags Great America. Great America is nice, but it doesn’t match the sheer size of Cedar Point. Cedar Point has an incredible 16 roller coasters. I just wish that I could go on such a fun summer weekend trip for my birthday. sounds from the scene
J u n e 1 – 7 , 2 oo 6
buzz weekly •
THIS IS MY SANDBOX, I’M NOT ALLOWED TO GO IN THE DEEP END.
3
michael coulter FIRST THINGS FIRST
More than a day off remembering those who fought for their family and friends
N
ote: This column is a couple of years old, and it’s really a week late already because Memorial Day is over. Regardless, I was writing a new column on Monday, and I thought about th is colum n f rom awhile back. I looked it up and sort of liked it. Maybe I’m being lazy, but I thought I should rewrite it and put it out again. It may be a few days late, but that’s not what’s important. Everyone likes a day off, probably because most people hate their job at one time or another. You can sleep late, play golf, cook out, and tank up. All the things you have to sneak around doing during a normal work day can be done right out in the open. When Memorial Day comes, 90 percent of us load up on bratwursts and wash away the day’s meaning with a 12 pack of beer. Come Tuesday, it’s back to work without a thought toward the meaning of the holiday. Who wants to think about something like war on their day off ? A mer ica ns don’t dea l w ith the rea son behind holidays particularly well. You’ve got Christmas, which should be happy enough, but just in case the birth of a savior could make someone uncomfortable, we throw in Santa Claus to make us less squeamish. Easter is about that same savior dying on a cross and then coming back to life. That’s pretty scary stuff but nothing a bunny with a basket can’t cure. And on Thanksgiving, it’s easier to think of the holiday as a time for family than it is to think of it as “Steal Land From the Indian’s Day,” which might be more appropriate. Memor ia l Day is a good t i me to qu it ignoring what holidays are really about and take a chance on being scared about its meaning because only then can we gain appreciation for our soldiers. Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868, by General John Logan as an honor for the Civil War dead. The South, being as backward then as they are now, kept a separate day to honor their fallen soldiers. But both sides came together during World War I to create a day to honor anyone who has died in our nation’s service. I talked to a veteran of World War II several years ago, and he told me about how strange
it all seemed being 19 years old and going to war to fight the Axis powers. This man graduated high school, went to boot camp, and was then parachuted into Europe, a place he’d never been. I can’t imagine. I don’t even like going to Rantoul after dark. While in a foreign land, he was told to begin killing people who didn’t have on the same uniform as he did. I asked him what he thought about when he was there, and he said he didn’t see it as killing the enemy so much as he saw it about protecting his family and his friends. He didn’t die in that war, obviously, but I still thought of him on Monday. He deserves it. Maybe I just feel guilty about other people fighting and dying in wars for me. I’m not really sure how many Coulters have given distinguished service to their country. I know my dad was drafted into the army, but that was during peacetime. He was stationed in Hawaii where the biggest threat at the time was overpriced beer and falling coconuts. Still, my dad and I were affected by a war. When I was a small child, there was a guy who lived down the road. His name was K.B. I don’t remember much about him other than he was nice to me, and he had a buzz haircut. He wasn’t rich enough to get out of the draft or go to college, so he went to Vietnam instead. I don’t remember any big farewell. I just remember h i m being gone. I don’t remember him coming back either because he didn’t. He was killed when he stepped on a land mine. I remember my dad crying when he heard the news. I remember trying to understand why K.B. wasn’t coming back. I hope K.B. was like the man who served in World War II. I hope he was fighting for his mother and father, for my mother and my father, and for me. I don’t think of him much anymore, but I did on Monday because he deserves it. Everyone who has died for our country does. I could pretend I don’t care because I need a day off and don’t agree with the current war anyway. But Memorial Day isn’t just a day off, and it isn’t a day to debate the merits of a particular war. It is a day to honor those who died in service of our country—men who weren’t f ighting for oil, land or politics but for their friends and families, and for you. Take a moment and think about them. It’s what you owe them.
OOPS! WE MADE A MISTAKE • In Michael Coulter’s May 25 column “Smoke-free and self-important,” Coulter stated that “They
(the Champaign City Council) didn’t attempt to come up with a compromise that would have worked for everyone.” On September 13, 2005, an ordinance was proposed by members of both the Champaign council and CU Smokefree Alliance to allow Champaign bars to allow smoking, but Mayor Schweighart did not allow a vote on the ordinance. buzz apologizes for the error. • Although buzz strives for accuracy, we sometimes make mistakes. If you catch something we didn’t, please let use know at buzz@readbuzz.com. When a correction is needed, it will be listed here.
sounds from the scene
INTRO | A ROUND TOWN | L ISTEN, HEAR | CU CALENDAR | STAGE, S CREEN &
IN
B ETWEEN | CLASSIF EDS | THE STINGER
4
around town
MONSTER TRUCKS, MONSTER FUN RANDY MILLER • CONTRIBUTING WRITER
COMMUNITY
snapshot WITH
LINDEN WARFEL
TATYANA SAFRONOVA • PHOTO
ROXANA RYAN • CONTRIBUTING WRITER
S
queals of delight were heard all around Centennial Park last Wednesday morning as toddlers from day care centers formed “kid chains” and lined up for Champaign’s annual “Touch a Truck” event. Sponsored by the Champaign Park District, “Touch a Truck” brings out trucks of all shapes and sizes for kids to crawl a r ou nd i n a nd g ive s t he m a ch a nce t o g et t o k now t he p e o p l e who work to make their lives comfortable and safe. The humid, mid-morning air was filled with the sounds of honking horns and laughter. An estimated 1,000 toddlers, all under the age of six, scampered across the park, their frazzled parents and day care workers desperately trying to keep up. The kids got up close and inside an ambulance, a fire truck and a police car, turning on the sirens and honking the horns. Champaign Public Works brought out two of its larger vehicles — a street sweeper and a giant vacuum truck responsible for breaking up clogs in sewer lines. A city employee, dressed in a bright orange work shirt, helped kids in and out of the truck’s cab, smiling the whole time. “Don’t worry,” he said, smiling to a girl who started crying at the sight of the truck, “your momma’s gonna take you!” As soon as the little girl crawled in and started honking the horn, a huge smile appeared across her face. Reynolds Towing brought out their 60-ton tow truck with a hydraulic rotator. A Schwan’s ice cream truck and a Pepsi truck handed out free freeze pops and soda. There was a mail truck parked alongside a mail minivan, which def initely attracted the shortest line of the day. Kids lined up, sometimes 70-80 children in a row, to sit behind the wheel of the giant red f ire truck. Firemen handed out little plastic f ire chief hats. And then, there was the “Raminator,” one of Dodge’s two monster trucks (the other being, of course, “Rammunition”). INTRO | A ROUND TOWN | L ISTEN, HEAR | CU CALENDAR | STAGE, S CREEN &
Valued at around $150,000, the 2,000 horsepower Raminator was built in Champaign by Hall Bros. Racing, Inc. “We love coming out here for the kids,” said Darrell Wagner, display and show truck coordinator. “The kids love the truck and we love the kids.” The event is fun for the kids, but fun isn’t the only purpose it serves. Kari Hester is the Special Events coordinator for the Champaign Park District, a job she’s held for two years. Hester said the kids are gaining something much more valuable than just a chance to sit behind the wheel of a big truck. “They get the chance to understand a working job,” she said. “It involves them in the community. They are able to put a face with the name.” Hester said she’d love to see the event grow and attract even more young children. “We love to have the preschool-aged kids out here,” she said. “There’s such a sense of wonder in their eyes. It’s priceless.” Standing halfway down the line of kids waiting to crawl inside the Champaign police car was Jonathan Westfield, community outreach officer for Champaign police. He was handing out stickers that had little police badges on them. Two women walked up to Westfield with a scared little boy in tow. “Excuse me,” one of the women said, “I just wanted you two to meet each other.” Westfield bent down, immediately comfortable in his role. “How ya doin’, buddy?” he asked. The toddler stood motionless. The woman continued: “This is a police officer. He’s a friendly stranger. Whenever you’re scared and you see a man dressed like this, know that you’re safe with him.” Westfield smiled at the boy. “That’s right,” he said. As the boy walked away, Westfield shook his head and smiled. “Did you see that? You can’t beat that. That’s what today’s all about.” buzz IN
B ETWEEN | CLASSIF EDS | THE STINGER
CHRISTINA LEUNG • PHOTO
Children from Little Wings Childcare admire the “Raminator” monster truck.
Linden Warfel, 65, is a farmer in Tolono, Ill. Warfel has been farming for more than 40 years and enjoys writing poetry.
L
inden Warfel farms 1,000 acres. He is a tax reform activist, community leader, dedicated Christian and published poet. His hobby is leadership and his passion is public education. Warfel is a busy man. Warfel, 65, has been a leader in the Champaign-Urbana community for almost four decades, serving on the local school board for 10 years and campaigning for school funding reform. Most recently he was elected as chairman of the Parkland College Board of Trustees. Warfel said he has always felt strongly about the power of education. “Education is extremely important — it always has been,” he said. “It’s the great leveler in society. You can start with virtually nothing, and with a good education and hard work, you can achieve greatly in America. That’s sort of an American dream; it has been and still is.” sounds from the scene
J u n e 1 – 7 , 2 oo 6
Kathy Jessup Walling, public relations coordinator for the Urbana School District, has worked with Warfel in various school funding campaigns. She has only known Warfel for two years but feels strongly about his efforts and character, saying he is a likable and principled man. “Character is something you have when no one else is looking — and that’s Lin,” Walling said. Walling said she was touched when she received a poem from Warfel dedicated to her regarding the printing of a letter she wrote to the Champaign News-Gazette complaining about the high number of poor people in the community. “…It’s people like her who build a good name who build a better country; She reaches out Speaks up, oh yes…” Although Warfel is approaching retirement, his face is nothing like that of an old man. Warfel’s bright blue eyes radiate the youth of a young man, hopeful and passionate about what is to come. His face is boyish, his blonde hair is thinning, and his skin is weathered from years of manual labor. Warfel radiates kindness, compassion and knowledge that only a farmer and father of five could possess. He is soft-spoken, quick to smile and quick to listen instead of talk – but when he does talk it’s hard not to listen. “I really enjoy leadership,” he said. “I wind up being a leader in about anything I get involved with.” War fel f irst became involved with local schools when his oldest daughter, Elizabeth, was attending grade school in Pesotum. He and his wife, Kay, visited the school and found it was well-below par. Determined to fix the problems he saw, Warfel joined an advisory committee and was later elected to the Unit 7 School Board. Warfel said his involvement with the school board naturally led to an interest in how schools are funded by the state. “The funding mechanisms for K-12 schools in Illinois are just a train wreck,” Warfel said. According to the Parkland College Web site, Illinois ranks 48th out of 50 states in education funding while it is the fifth wealthiest state in personal income. This is because most school districts receive funding through property taxes, not income taxes. “The problem here is that property tax is not dynamic,” Warfel said. “Income tax is far more dynamic — most people have an annual increase in income. Property might go up, and it might not.” After spending 10 years — two as president — on the Unit 7 School Board, Warfel said he realized he could reach more people by working with the Illinois Farm Bureau’s program, CHIEF (Change How Illinois Education is Funded.) Warfel said members of CHIEF were able to help draft legislation that made it to the floor of the Illinois Senate but failed. Warfel said he was hardly discouraged from his mission. “When you’re a farmer, you grow up learning to pull into a big field with a little tractor and start plowing,” he said. “You just keep plowing until the field is plowed. And it may take a long time—but you just keep doing it.” Warfel maintains a 1,000-acre farm that has been in his family for four generations. sounds from the scene
buzz weekly •
THE ONLY NORMAL PEOPLE ARE THE ONES YOU DON’T KNOW VERY WELL.
His great-grandparents came to the United States from Germany. His great-g randfather worked at a sawm i l l in Ch icago where the Loop is now. The couple rode the train south to Tolono where h is g reat-g rand father bought land a n d b e g a n f a r m i n g i n 18 8 2 . Wa r f e l ’s g randparents and parents a lso far med the same land. Warfel graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in agricultural economics with a farm management option. In college, he also met the love of his life. Warfel, a member of Sigma Chi fraternity, met Kay in the lobby of her sorority house, Chi Omega. Warfel’s roommate was pinned to Kay’s sorority sister at the time and introduced the couple. After a few months of dating, Warfel was certain of his feelings for Kay. “I knew this was the girl I wanted to spend the rest of my life with,” Warfel said. The couple married on Dec. 27, 1962. “We got marr ied and started far ming.” Warfel said. The Warfels had five children — the oldest, Elizabeth, recently turned 40, while Kate, the youngest, is 29. Jennifer, Andrew and David all fell in the middle. They are all well-educated professionals — an architect, a set designer, two librarians and an Episcopalian priest — who are now starting families of their own. “We really worked at making them be independent-minded so they could stand on their own—and maybe we went a little overboard,” Warfel said. Andrew said his parents always had a sincere interest in anything he did. “I think the main investment on their part was time, doled out in equal parts discipline and fun,” Andrew said. “They always voiced their opinions about what we were doing, but if they saw that it brought us success or joy or satisfaction in some way, then they were always supportive.” Both Jennifer and Elizabeth said their parents felt strongly about Christian values. They said a good example of this was when the television was removed from the house because the family agreed they didn’t like the influence of popular TV. The TV was placed in a machine shed and brought out for special occasions. Jennifer said her parents gave up All in the Family, their favorite show, to set an example. “I suppose that’s my Dad in a nutshell pastoral, strong ethics, a focused leader but leaves room for bending the rules a little bit,” Jennifer said. Linden Warfel has learned and accomplished countless things over the years, but he said the most important thing is his Christian faith. “One of the things I learned was to invest myself in people and things eternal,” Warfel said. “I’ve tried to encourage my kids to orient their lives that way. I think that’s where the best rewards are – to try and figure out what kind of gift God gave you and use that to help people and for God’s glory, not your own.” Warfel said every human is born with a gift and unconditional love from God. The love and gifts God gave him are the driving force behind his life and his work. “The core value for me is in the heart,” Warfel said. “I am loved, so I need to respond to that love by sharing it with others.”
5
seth fein THE LOCAL SNIFF
Urbana: Get it Together or I’ll Do It For You Custard Cupʼ’s town owns your ass right now ... FIRST SNIFF What would these towns be without Custard Cup and its tasty, frozen delights? Nothing, according to my girlfriend. As we enjoyed yet another bowl of vanilla custard slathered in cold fudge and topped with bananas, she looked over at me and said, “These towns? They fuckin’ suck. Everyone wears bright orange and most cars have a bumper sticker that defends the Chief with a motto that was used to defend segregation. But I am willing to live here based simply on the fact that I can walk over here on any old hot day and indulge myself.” Thank you, Jarling’s Custard Cup. You’ve saved me from living in the big bad Windy City. DIRTY HIPPIES? NAH... We went to Summer Camp on Sunday and stayed for a whopping one hour and thirty-nine minutes. It almost took longer to drive there. I got the tour from my comrade Mike Armintrout, who runs the whole damn thing alongside Ian Goldberg of Jay Goldberg Events. They are my bosses at the Canopy Club, as well. We really didn’t know what to expect as we pulled into the park. There were cars for as far as the eye could see, music coming from three different stages, and neo-hippies packed in tents selling everything from homemade clothes to homemade deodorant. It was amazing. And I say that without any sarcasm in my voice. For real. Personally, if I wanted to listen to a two-hour guitar solo, I’d put on a Jimi record and stay at home. This jam band thing never was my bag. But I am glad that there are people out there who still hold on to the dream of peace, love and music. Sure, it’s rooted in consumerism like anything else, but at least these people aren’t trying turn a profit off of other people’s misfortune like WalMart or Congress. Congratulations to all the people at Jay Goldberg Events. Not just for putting on another successful festival and executing it perfectly, but also for not making me work it. I would have quit after the first three minutes of Umphrey’s first set. DOWNTOWN DISCREPANCY Here are two towns. Champaign and Urbana. Both have downtowns. One is vibrant and the other is depressed. One has a community of relatively creative people and shops and the other has lawyers and cops. I’ll leave it to you to distinguish which is which. Here is something to chew on. The one that’s vibrant has three outdoor festival events planned for the summer. All three will allow the bars to sell booze to drink on the street to help buoy their businesses. The one that’s depressed will host the Sweetcorn Festival and will most likely get their corn from Wal-Mart, sell it for a 100 percent mark-up and prevent the local bars from
selling booze so that the city can open its own bar for the day to fill city coffers. So, let’s re-cap. The city that’s booming invests in their businesses by allowing them to sell their products at outdoor events and the city that is a fucking joke economically suppresses their businesses by making it illegal for people to buy beer at the bars and take it on the street. And now I ask you, raise your hand if you think there is a connection here? I don’t know about you, but my hand is in the fucking air. And yeah. I’ll probably have to do something about it. Even if just for posterity. HATE MAIL It’s been pouring in. By the handfuls. Hundreds of letters in my inbox and in my mailbox, all claiming to know exactly what the hell is wrong with Champaign-Urbana. Okay, maybe not that many but easily enough to realize that I have probably hit a nerve. Please. Keep it coming. Send your hate to me. And join me the next three weeks as I air my grievances towards my hometowns. If nothing else, it will be fun to watch people squirm as I unleash the wrath, Bill Hicks-style. BAND OF THE WEEK Rob McColley is no doubt one of the most charismatic and charming assholes on the face of the planet. I love him. His songs are perfect and more honest than your mom. His beautiful and wonderfully talented girlfriend also accompanies him on his journeys as he sings songs of disgrace, anatomy and neo-con politics. He is more uncomfortable to listen to than Scott McClellan on a good day, but his tunes just might change your life. Rob McColley and The Heather play The Iron Post on Saturday night with local badasses Mad Science Fair and Angie Heaton. FINAL WHIFF A few of you have written to me, or even come up to me on the street, and told me that I mention my girlfriend Justine too much in my column. One person even said that it was the only thing that made him feel like Don Gerard’s column might have mine beat. You are right. I do mention my girlfriend a lot, but it’s not because I feel the need to include her to make her feel special or because I think she won’t love me if I don’t. You get to hear about Justine all the time because she is my best friend, and we do most things together. She’s always along for the ride in my life, and I am for hers too. It’s great … most days, anyway. Seth Fein is from Urbana. Sweetcorn bullshit and all, he stills loves Urbana more than Champaign. But he also thinks it’s time they smarten up and re-vitalize downtown. How hard can it be? He can be reached at sethfein1@gmail.com.
INTRO | A ROUND TOWN | L ISTEN, HEAR | CU CALENDAR | STAGE, S CREEN &
IN
B ETWEEN | CLASSIF EDS | THE STINGER
6
listen, hear
fireflies IN YOUR EAR ! EP release party on Saturday, June 3 at Canopy Club
KEVIN WOMBACHER • STAFF WRITER
INTRO | A ROUND TOWN | L ISTEN, H EAR | CU CALENDAR | STAGE, S CREEN &
PHOTO COURTESY OF FIREFLIES
T
he f iref lies don’t care if you like their music. In fact, they don’t really care how you feel about them at all; they just want you to feel something. This Champaign-based quintet strives to make music that challenges its listeners and inspires emotion, even if that emotion is disdain. All five members of fireflies grew up in Danville and played in a series of different bands. Eventually, they formed what they jokingly refer to as “The Danville Supergroup.” Composed of Kyle Scott, Luke Bergkoetter, Adam Wright, Mark Wyman and Chris Hopkins, fireflies left Danville and settled in Champaign. Since relocating, they have developed a reputation among local bands as “a bunch of hard-asses,” in part due to a brawl that broke out at a local bar after members of the band asked a girl to “show us your boots.” The band will be the first to tell you that they would much rather dance-fight like the gangs in West Side Story, which does not come as much of a surprise since the band lists “homo-erotic Michael Jackson dance parties” as one of their interests. Some of their other interests include bowling and trying to beat Super Dodge-Ball on the original Nintendo system. Fireflies are a quirky and often self-deprecating group who consider seeing Nick from Green Light Go naked, getting drunk in Chicago on Cinco de Mayo and then accidentally breaking someone’s stove to be some of the highlights of their time together. With an enigmatic sound often compared to the furious, now-defunct At the Drive-In, fireflies are hard to categorize and do not fall into any clearly defined musical genre. “Eccentric indie-rock” is as close as any of the band members will come to categorizing their sound. As a band that thrives on live shows and loves to interact with the crowd, recording often comes second to performing. When they do record, they try to encapsulate as many aspects of their live performances as possible. Many tracks are done in only one take, and small imperfections are kept in the final mix. This style of recording both lends itself well to the raw, passionate sound the band craves and prevents songs from sounding processed and over-produced. Their songs feature incredibly personal lyrics and a unique writing style. Fireflies do not rely on any one member for songwriting and instead allow songs to grow out of one central idea or inspiration. This evolution often leads to songs which sound much different than they did when originally conceived. Firef lies’ unique sound often leaves f irst-time listeners wondering, “What the hell was that?” which is exactly the response the band hopes to elicit. The songs are reminiscent of fireflies’ live show, in that both seek to interact with the listener more than simply provide meaningless entertainment. The band recently ventured to Villa Park in order to record their latest EP, Goodnight, We’re Only Here to Help. Working with Brian Zeiske at Gallery of Carpet, they recorded four new songs over the course of three days, followed by another two days of mixing. To combat the stress of recording, the band
fireflies explore melodic configurations and phonic textures in a basement. spent time playing “Whirley Ball,” a sport that is a violent mix of bumper-cars and lacrosse, with points being scored by shooting a wiffle ball through a mutated basketball backboard. This sport is a perfect example of the band’s tendency to avoid the commonplace or mundane and to embrace the unique, personal aspects of life. Recording the music for their new EP turned out to be one of the easier parts of the process, as the band struggled with the technical issues involved with creating and formatting the EP’s original artwork. After finishing the artwork and remaining post-production work, the f inished product was a cohesive and intensely personal album that exceeded the band’s original expectations. The songs contained a common feeling that Bergkoetter describes as “not really knowing how to address something, and still feeling arrogant enough to try.” With the release of their EP, fireflies are looking toward the future — a future they hope includes getting signed. For now,
IN
B ETWEEN | CLASSIFIEDS | THE STINGER
they plan on playing as many shows as possible and are perfectly willing to give up their careers and steady jobs in exchange for life on the road and the chance to get their music out to as many new people as they can. The album release show for Goodnight, We’re Only Here to Help will be at The Canopy Club on Saturday, June 3. Joining fireflies will be Shipwreck, The Old Faith, Bailey and Monte Carlos. There will be two separate stage areas in order to cut down on setup time between bands and to keep fans entertained all night. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the show starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $5. Fireflies’ new six-song 25-minute EP Goodnight, We’re Only Here to Help will be on sale for $5. Both the show and the EP are great opportunities to show support for local bands, and neither will put a dent in your wallet. So come check out the show and pick up a copy of the EP. Who knows, there might even be an buzz impromptu Michael Jackson dance party after the show.
sounds from the scene
J u n e 1 – 7 , 2 oo 6
buzz weekly •
I TOLD YOU THIS WAS A PUNY PLANET.
7
SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS (WHITE) TRASH THE HIGHDIVE A sell-out crowd runs from flying fried chicken LEAH D. NELSON • LISTEN, HEAR EDITOR
Hartman, like Miller, wore a straw hat while beating his drums furiously. He was nearly hidden in the rear of the stage behind the towering, flamboyant presence of Huff and Miller. Halfway through the show, a man named Santo came out on stage, dancing in spandex underwear and donning a wrestler’s mask. Seeing a fat white man shake his ass cheeks at the crowd was a bit nauseating, but most of the drunken fans didn’t seem to care. Santo returned for the finale, where fried chicken was thrown at the audience. Again, I’m not too sure about this, but it was a white trash gimmick of some type. But the band is not quite so simple in real life. While driving between shows, Miller said that the band rarely listens to music, so as not to cause friction. “Usually we keep it pretty quiet,” he said. When they do listen to something while on the road, it is usually NPR, Miller said. “We like to keep up on our current events, you know,” he said. The band also likes to experience America while on tour, Miller said. “We like to do the back roads sort of thing every once in a while and just kind of hit some local culture, and eat the local cuisine here.” During a telephone interview from outside of Minneapolis, Miller and the band were having
catfish, which Miller said who wants to be in airports he enjoyed. all the time? But, you know, “If you’re t ravel ing, the music still has the edge you might as well take the over it.” back roads,” Miller said. Recently, a new member “The interstate gets pretty joined the trio on tour — boring after awhile.” The Miller’s son, Jack, who was band travels together in born on February 14. A typical two vans while on tour. new father, Miller had a lot of “We’re a rea l do-itpraise for his son. yourself organization,” “Jack seems to be right at Miller said. “We tried the home,” Miller said. “He loves bus thing. But, you know, it. I think it’s making a good that rock star lifestyle is imprint on that little brain of pretty damn expensive.” his.” Southern Culture on But Jack was nowhere to the Skids has been touring be seen during the Highdive for more than 20 years, and show. After all, a show with Miller says it’s “the best job flying fried chicken, drunken you can have. biker s and a nearly-nude “We’re just a pack of wrestler is no place for a baby, gypsies. We just load ’em Rick Miller of Southern Culture even if his daddy’s on stage. up and go.” And while his son was There are a few drawbacks to the g ypsy presumably sleeping in a comfy motel room, Miller, lifestyle, however, Miller said. Hartman and Huff had fun with the lively crowd, “Playing never gets old,” he said. “Some of the singing about cheap motels and banana puddin’. things associated to it can get old. Traveling can “We’ll definitely be back to Champaign,” Huff get old, like flying and things like that. I mean, said. “You guys rock.” PHOTO BY CARA MCKINLEY
I
n a crowd of mostly bikers and 20-something downtown Champaign employees, Rick Miller’s basketball reference was lost. “Don’t you have a college here,” North Carolina-based Miller teased halfway through Southern Culture on the Skids’ May 28 concert at the Highdive. “Didn’t you play UNC last year or something?” Curiously, very few in the audience booed. Their Sunday night show at the Highdive was the band’s first Champaign-Urbana show in six years. The venue was packed with a diverse crowd, and the dance floor was packed for the full two hours that SCOTS was onstage. Outside of the Highdive, tricked-out Harley’s and classic cars lined the streets. Pl ay i ng song s f rom it s recent relea se, Doublewide and Live, which Miller describes as “a kind of greatest hits” record, the band’s playlist spanned from their most recent studio album, with “Doublewide” and “Mojo Box,” to older songs like “White Trash” and the crowd favorite “Camel Walk,” played during the encore. Super-tall bassist Mar y Huff donned her signature bouffant wig and primped occasionally between songs, checking her wig and putting on mascara. It’s unclear if this was a gimmick to keep up her fabulous stage persona. Drummer Dave
WHAT THE HELL?! moment of the week
soundground #128 THIS WEEK IN MUSIC
KYLE GORMAN • STAFF WRITER
TODD J. HUNTER • STAFF WRITER
“I’ve been a sked to do this before, in one way or another, and have always had the smarts to respectfully decline,” says Bill Johnson of Honcho Overload in the preface to his personal h istor y of i ndependent music in Champaign-Urbana. He wrote the feature for the WPGU/Buzz Music Awards 2006, but it did not go on the Web site until voting was over. The six short chapters, which span 25 years, will entertain and enlighten you. Go to http://www.cumusicawards. com/2006/pages/history May 26 at Cowboy Mon key, L a nter na performed as a full band for the first time since 2002. Although it was Lanterna featuring Hector Zazou, as advertised, bassist Nick Marci and drummer Eric Gebow are due acknowledgment and accolades. On the strength of the show, Henry Frayne ought to be grand marshal of some parade in CU in 2006. He also ought to tour with W.G. Snuffy Walden. May 27 at The Iron Post, The Beauty Shop had CDs for sale for the first time in years ... at least in North America. New album Yard Sale and several singles were available. The Beauty Shop plays next June 24 at Brass Rail. Salaryman’s 3, the long-awaited follow-up to Karoshi, has a street date of July 25 and may become sounds from the scene
[ PARASOL TOP TEN ] available early in CU. Salaryman is the instrumental alter ego of Poster Children. Tomorrow at The Iron Post, Tractor Kings and The Chemicals appear with Midwestern Death. Show time is 10 p.m., and cover is $5. Saturday in both showrooms at The Canopy Club, f iref lies celebrates the release of its Goodnight, We’re Only Here to Help EP. Openers are Shipwreck, Bailey, The Old Faith and Monte Carlos. This is the last show for The Old Faith with singer Emily Thompson and drummer Mike “Too Smooth” Schmitt. Show time is 9 p.m., and cover is $5. Strictly my observation: Saturday at The Iron Post looks like a Mud Records showcase, with Mad Science Fair, Rob McColley & The Heather and Angie Heaton. Apart from a radio show January 9, this is the first public performance by Rob McColley & The Heather in 2006. Show time is 10 p.m., and cover is $3. Sunday at Cowboy Monkey, Tummler and Terminus Victor perform with American Heritage. So ends a six-day, five-state tour by Tummler. Show time is 10 p.m., and cover is $5. Todd J. Hunter hosts W EFT Sessions and Champaign Local 901, two hours of local music every Monday at 10 p.m. on WEFT 90.1 FM. Send news to soundground@excite.com. Support your scene to preserve your scene.
1. THE 1900S Plume Delivery Parasol
2. THE CORAL SEA Volcano And Heart Hidden Agenda
3. DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH S/T Gravitation
4. BORIS Pink Southern Lord
5. CURRENT 93 Black Ships Are The Sky
An American DJ is accusing the Red Hot Chili Peppers of plagiarism. According to Dan Gaffney of WGMD, the lead single from their newest two-disc affair, Stadium Arcadium, titled “Dani California,” is strikingly similar to Tom Petty’s 1993 hit “Mary Jane’s Last Dance,” both in lyrical content and melody. The show’s producer, Jared Morris, has posted mp3 samples on his blog to further prove the point. Some might consider this a petty offense, but it could end up being a heartbreaker for the aging Chili Peppers. It looks particularly bad for the band after long-time bassist Flea e-mailed a rambling, punctuationfree letter to members of the band’s mailing list begging them not to “steal” the record. Will Stevie Wonder sue next? Stay tuned.
Durtro Jnana
6. MATTHEW SWEET & SUSANNA HOFFS Under The Covers,Vol. 1 Shout Factory
7. ANIMAL COLLECTIVE Polly/Purple Bottle DMD
8. LOUD FAMILY WITH ANTON BARBEAU What If It Works? 125
9. CAMERA OBSCURA Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken Merge
10. CAMERA OBSCURA Let’s Get Out Of This Country Merge
INTRO | A ROUND TOWN | L ISTEN, H EAR | CU CALENDAR | STAGE, S CREEN &
IN
B ETWEEN | CLASSIFIEDS | THE STINGER
8
cu calendar
TAKING A CUE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, EVENTS OF HIGH PRIORITY HAVE BEEN LABELED IN ORANGE.
THU. JUN. 1 Live Bands Weapons of Mass DisFunktion Iron Post, 7pm, cover G. Love and Special Sauce, Lorenzo Goetz Canopy Club 8pm, $20
G. Love and Special Sauce Lorenzo Goetz
Musicians have tried to capture this for years with vagueness and generalizations, overusing words like “love” and “feeling” and occasionally “anger.” These shoddily tied flies generally hook and reel in younger, less intellectual groups but tend to not work as well in more mature audiences. This is best exemplified by Linkin Park’s inability to have fans over the age of 17. G. Love and Special Sauce, on the other hand, can appeal to all audiences with their universal themes yet sophisticated delivery and content. Who likes cold beverages? I like cold beverages. I like cold beverages too, G. Love, thank you for making me not feel alone in this big world. You and I also share similar views on “milk and cereal” and “chillin’ out.”
The trio has been making totally smooth and laid back tunes since 1994 and has consequentially built a large fan base for their self-dubbed Hip-Hop Blues sound. Predecessor and friend of Jack Johnson, G. Love has worked with Johnson on occasion, including the Curious George soundtrack released earlier this year. Sweet harmonica riffs and smooth vocals melodies conjure images of front porch parties in the pleasant summer months. Sing-rapping before Jason Mr. A-Z was able to talk, chillaxing while Jack Johnson was in high school, and being a trio way before the John Mayer Trio, G. Love and Special Sauce is everything we love about modern white, acoustic acts only better.
DJ Zen Thursday’s: DJ Asiatic Soma, 9pm, free DJ Huggy Joe’s Brewery 10pm, cover DJ Limbs Boltini, 10:30pm, free
FRI. JUN. 2
Come see them tonight at the Canopy Club with Lorenzo “for some reason everyone loves us” Goetz at 8 p.m. Cold and cool beverages can be purchased at the bar, and warm ones at Espresso Royale next door. PHOTO: WWW.JAMBASE.COM
—Brian McGovern
Quadremedy Cowboy Monkey 10pm, $4 Cealed Kasket, DJ Dirtleg Highdive, 10pm, $4 Shovelwrack White Horse Inn, 10:30pm, free
Karaoke Liquid Courage Karaoke Radmaker’s Billiard and Sports Bar, 7pm, free Boneyard Karaoke Memphis on Main, 7:30pm, free Karaoke Fat City Saloon 8pm, free “G” Force Karaoke Pia’s of Rantoul, 9pm, free Liquid Courage Karaoke The Office, 10pm, free
Canopy Club, $17 June 1, 8 p.m.
The key to gaining an audience in writing, music or other media is to make a connection. Finding personal truth in a lyric is satisfying and therapeutic; it aids the soul and makes a connection between artist and fan.
Barb Hamilton, David Howie Aroma Cafe, 8pm, free Caleb Rose Bowl Tavern 9pm, free Will Rogers Band Neil St. Pub, 10pm, cover Noah Harris, Ryan Groff Iron Post, 10pm, cover
NOW HIRING GRAPHIC DESIGNERS for FALL 2006
Live Bands Billy Galt Blues Barbecue 11:30am, free Prairie Dogs Iron Post 5pm, free Desafinado Cowboy Monkey 5:30pm, $2 Grass Roots Revival Kickapoo State Park Canoe Landing 5:30pm, free That ’90s Band and Live Karaoke Fat City Saloon 8pm, cover Country Connection Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, $1 Ghenghis Khan, Chainsaw Homicide, Gristle Canopy Club, 9pm, $5
Finga Lickin The Office 10:30pm, free
Champaign Public Library Circulation Department Transit Bags The Champaign Public Library is searching for three volunteers to help empty transit bags that come from other libraries. These bags contain books and audio-visual materials which will be sorted and placed on library carts. This opportunity is available on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9 to 11 a.m. Please contact Chiawen Liu at cliu@champaign.org or by calling 403-2076.
The Jerky’s Tommy G’s, 9:30pm, cover Will Rogers Band Neil St. Pub, 10pm, cover Quadremedy White Horse Inn, 10pm, free Martime, The Hubbards Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, $5 The Tractor Kings, Midwestern Death, The Chemicals Iron Post, 10pm, $5 DJ DJ Elise Boltini, 6pm, free DJ Bozak Soma, 8pm, free DJ LNO Nargile, 9pm, free before 10pm DJ Who Joe’s Brewery 10pm, cover
DJ Tim Williams Highdive 10pm, $5 DJ Mertz Boltini, 10:30pm, free Dancing Contra Dancing Phillips Recreation Center, 8pm, $5 Karaoke Liquid Courage Karaoke The Brickhouse, 9pm, free
SAT. JUN. 3 Live Bands Battle of the Bands Hessel Park, 2pm, free The Felix Cuipa, The Holy Fire, The Signal, Maximo Iron Post, 5pm, $7 Unfinished Business Band Alto Vineyards, 7:30pm, $3 The All New Big Bang Theory Fat City Saloon, 8pm, cover Grass Roots Revival Pages for All Ages, 8pm, free Red Dirt Road Memphis on Main, 8:30pm, $4 Country Connection Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, $1 Fireflies, Shipwreck, Bailey, The Old Faith, Monte Carlos Canopy Club, 9pm, $5 Mad Science Fair, Rob McColley and The Heather, Angie Heaton Iron Post, 9pm, $3 Hells Bells Tommy G’s 10pm, cover Will Rogers Band Neil St. Pub, 10pm, cover The Bird Dogs, Hillbilly Jones Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, $4
Dancing Tango Dance Phillips Recreation Center, 9:30pm, $5
Great portfolio-building experience working for a variety of clients. Create ads for print and online as well as marketing materials at our new location in campus town: 512 Green Street.
Karaoke Creative Karaoke American Legion Post 71, 8pm, free Liquid Courage Karaoke Geo’s 9pm, free Film Film: “Grapes of Wrath” (1940) Virginia Theatre, 7pm, $3 Recreation Take A Kid Fishing Derby [Illini Christian Ministries and Champaign County Wal-Mart stores host a fishing derby for children up to age 16. A parent or legal guardian must accompany children attending.] Homer Lake, 7am, TBA
SUN. JUN. 4 Live Bands Hailey Wojcik Aroma Cafe 4pm, free The Twats, Brains!Brains!Brains!, Alleyway Sex, The Insolents, Carbomb Lottery McKinley Foundation, 6pm, $5 Hot Pepper Jazz Band Hessel Park, 6:30pm, free The Reverend Robert Iron Post, 7pm, cover Tummler, American Heritage, Terminus Victor Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, $5 DJ sOUL tREE: DJ LNO Nargile 9pm, free before 10pm
MON. JUN. 5 Live Bands Feudin’ Hillbillys Rose Bowl Tavern, 6pm, free MRS Trio Iron Post, 6pm cover Michael Davis Bentley’s Pub 7pm, free Open Mic Night Cowboy Monkey, 10pm, free Machines That Think WEFT 90.1, 10pm, free
Karaoke Karaoke White Horse Inn 9:30pm, free Liquid Courage Karaoke Geovantis, 10pm, free Meetings Book Collector’s Club- The No. 44 Society Rare Book & Manuscript Library, 4pm, free
w. guest:
Lorenzo Goetz
TUE. JUN. 6
DJ Atomic Age Cocktail Party: DJ Jason Croft Cowboy Monkey 8pm, free Subversion: DJ Evily, DJ Twinscin Highdive, 10pm, cover DJ Hoff, DJ Bambino Mike N Molly’s, 10pm, cover DJ Tremblin BG Barfly, 10pm free DJ J-Phlip Boltini, 10:30pm, free Karaoke Liquid Courage Karaoke Geo’s 9pm, free Lectures / Discussions Sherman Alexie Preview Discussion [He is the “Reservation Blues” author and “Smoke Signals” screenwriter. Preview Book Discussion of “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven.”] Champaign Public Library 7pm, free Miscellaneous Zoo Theatre Company’s Boltini Bingo and Lounge Variety Show Boltini, 6pm, free
WED. JUN. 7 Live Bands Irish Traditional Music Session Bentley’s Pub, 7pm, free Tilly and the Wall Canopy Club, 7pm, $10 in advance/$12 Feudin’ Hillbillys Rose Bowl Tavern, 9pm, free Soultro Joe’s Brewery 10pm, cover Lorenzo Goetz Canopy Club 11:30pm, free Concerts GTO and The Glass Paks Eisner Park, 6:30pm, free DJ Welcome Back Wednesdays: DJ LNO Nargile, 8pm, cover DJ Stifler Highdive, 8pm, $5 Chef Ra Barfly, 10pm, free DJ Bozak Boltini, 10:30pm, free
VISIT WWW.CUCALENDAR.COM FOR THE MOST CURRENT EV ENTS AND TO ADD YOUR OWN.
CONTACT: JonHuff@illiniMEDIA.COM INTRO | A ROUND TOWN | L ISTEN, HEAR | CU CALENDAR | STAGE, S CREEN &
Family Fun Getting Crafty at the Farm [Children ages 3-10 years with parent can come to the farm and make an animal craft.] Prairie Farm 1pm, donations accepted
Live Bands Billy Galt Blues Barbecue 11:30am, free Spoken Word/Open Mic Nargile, 9pm, free
DJ DJ Bozak Soma, 8pm, free DJ White Horse Inn 9:30pm, free DJ Naughty Boy Joe’s Brewery, 10pm, cover DJ Tim Williams Highdive 10pm, $5 DJ Elise Boltini, 10:30pm free
Student Graphic Designers Prefer Experience in Adobe Creative Suite InDesign :: PhotoShop :: Illustrator
DJ Jazz Mondays Nargile, 8pm free DJ Delayney Barfly, 10pm free
Dancing Tango Dancing Cowboy Monkey, 8-10:30pm, free Salsa Dancing Cowboy Monkey, 10:30pm, $3
Thursday, June 1
!"#$!%&'()"$*'!+%&,-#*' .")%$&)/'"01%.%2#'
PUZZLE pg. 15
Friday, June 2
!"#$!%"$&'()'#$%$*&$'&+,./'&012.34567'891:4;'<'=>?@4'(93:>A
art & theater Project 66: An Exploration of Utopia Inspired by the Works of Ilya and Emilia Kabakov [Project 66 is both an installation and a Web site created by a group of students from the School of Art and Design, the Department of Computer Science,and other campus units.] Krannert Art Museum through July 30 Pour la Victoire: French Posters and Photographs of the Great War [Graphically charged, lushly colored lithographic posters from World War I vividly depict the place of women in the war effort, the need for personal sacrifice on the home front and the position of French colonial subjects.] Krannert Art Museum through July 30 Designing Experiences: How Graphic and Industrial Design Shape Daily Life [Design is less about generating products than it is about creating experiences through products that satisfy functional, as well as spiritual, cultural, social, tribal and emotional needs. This exhibition profiles everyday products and solutions to visual communication problems created by UIUC Graphic and Industrial Design Alumni and includes information about the designers, the design process and history of the products.] Krannert Art Museum through July 30 Rain Forest Visions [This exhibition focuses on artistic representations by contemporary South
Saturday, June 3
American indigenous people of ecological, mythical and cosmic spirit forces in their lives. The focal people, whose myths and narratives provide the basis for the imagery, are the Canelos Quichua of Amazonian Ecuador. Complementary artifacts come from the Achuar, Tigua, and Chachi of Ecuador, the Shipibo-Conibo of Peru, the Waounam and Emberá of Colombia and Panama, the Tukuna of Colombia and Brazil and the Yekuana of Venezuela.] Spurlock Museum through Aug. 20
Wednesday, June 7, 8
PM
No Cover! $1 Drinks /012
345")64& 74"86
!"#$%&'()"&*%&+,&-.
west coast hip hop
Wednesday, June 14
Visits [Works by Billy and Siti Mariah Jackson] Verde Gallery through June 17
Tribute to Summer Camp 2006!
Acrylic Self Portraits [Champaign Centennial High School Painting class exhibit] Pages For All Ages through June 30
Saturday, June 24
Parkland College Digital Media Student Juried Exhibition Parkland Art Gallery through June 22
Thursday, June 29
Smithsonian Institution’s Between Fences Exhibit [This exhibit explores the importance of the fence and boundaries, both real and imagined, in the development of the U.S.] Early American Museum through July 4
Wednesday, July 5
!"#$%&$'(()*+, -./0,01$23 4556789:
Oliver Auditions [Check http://www.cutc.org/ show2.htm for details and audition materials, call 3443884 to make an audition appointment.] Busey Center from June 2-4
***&;0,(<=;>?/&;(@ !"#$%&'()*&+',-(./0(1$%/23(1456( 1/%&'0,-(/%(-$4'(%/7($,8 <E*4'(/%(C$*%(A,0'',F()G'(1$%/23(1456F( H$I*43(=0*"'(1/%#'%*'%&'(A,/0'F(J$&&$(1*K$0F( /0(&$44(LMNOOMPLQM<)>RS((:T(3/5(&$%(20*%,( 3/50(,*&+',-($,(G/I'(/%(U$3)@S&/ID(
9:;(!11<=)>9?(@>A!BC1DDD IN
B ETWEEN | CLASSIFIEDS | THE STINGER
sounds from the scene
INTRO | A ROUND TOWN | L ISTEN, HEAR | CU CALENDAR | STAGE, S CREEN &
IN
B ETWEEN | THE SILVER S CREEN | CLASSIFIEDS | THE STINGER
10
stage, screen & i n b e t w e e n
YOU KNOW IT’S SUMMER WHEN... EVERY “FIRST FRIDAY” OF THE MONTH BRINGS A LATE NIGHT ART FEST!
SCOTT FRANKEL • STAFF WRITER
CU Gallery Guild Venues
W
INTRO | A ROUND TOWN | L ISTEN, HEAR | CU CALENDAR | STAGE , S CREEN &
IN
B ETWEEN | CLASSIFIEDS | THE STINGER
These galleries will be all be open late for tomorrow’s First Friday Art Fest: CHAMPAIGN Verde Gallery 17 E. Taylor St. Glass FX 202 S. First St. LaPayne Photography 816 Dennison Dr. Boneyard Pottery 403 S. Water St. Framer’s Market 807 W. Springfield Ave. Wind, Water, & Light 10 Main St. Green Street Studio, Inc. - Techline 24 East Green
PHOTO COURTESY OF CAROLYN BAXLEY
ith the summer sun fostering such beauty among Also, Glass FX will host a glass bead-making “Torch Night.” nature, come see another form of nature’s Joann Lee will demonstrate the proper techniques to glass beading, elegance right here in your own hometown. as well as show the public how to correctly cut stained glass. Friday, June 2, and extending through August, Make sure not to m iss Brad LaPay ne f rom LaPay ne the CU Gallery Guild will be hosting an art Photography, where pictures of the Fighting Illini will be show on the first Friday of each month, appropriately titled First given away. He is featuring distinct, life-size photographs of Friday Art Fest. On designated dates, organizations belonging to city skylines, national parks and other sporting events such as the Guild will be offering a public viewing of their works from 5 the recent NBA playoffs. to 8 p.m. Featuring entertainment, art and fun from seven different groups, three hours won’t seem long enough for the First Friday’s second running. Headed by Caroly n Ba x ley, the event originated in hopes of addressing issues among the art society. As a result, the success of this event will spark an onset of things to come. For example, it’s possible that First Friday will become a year-round event. The best way for Baxley to entice viewers is to keep the show’s focus on primarily visual art. This includes everything from photographs to ceramics to oil paintings and beyond. Such art work is specially chosen, and each company featured is unique in some way. A common trend seen among the various artists deals with the por traya l of the landscapes of Illinois. Green Street Studio will be featuring Harry Breen, an artist well known for his oil paintings of native corn fields, farms and sunflowers. He has also been known to vividly capture Illinois’s wildlife (bears, cats, etc.) through ceramics. A UI professor, Billy Morrow Jackson, will represent the Verde Gallery with his oil and watercolor “Spire” by Laurie Weller was chosen as the official image for the First Friday Art Fest. paintings of prairies, barns and f ield s. Jackson’s work w i l l be Keep in mind, refreshments and live music will be sure to featured retrospectively, displaying his progress through the years. Jackson’s wife, Siti Mariah Jackson, will also present her ceramic make your visit worthwhile. Starting tomorrow, and continuing on July 7 and August works. Together, the two will call their showing Visits. For those less interested in actual artwork itself, entertainment 4 from 5 to 8 p.m., f ind out for yourself what the hype is will also be provided. Boneyard Pottery will have a pottery- about. As Thomas Merton once said, “Art enables us to making demo showing every step from sculpting to Raku firing f ind ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” So have (where the sculpture is lit on fire using everyday products like fun, expand your horizons, and lose yourself in this highly anticipated art festival. buzz leaves and paper).
URBANA Cinema Gallery 120 West Main St. Griggs Street Potters 305 W. Griggs St. International Galleries Lincoln Square Mall
sounds from the scene
J u n e 1 – 7 , 2 oo 6
buzz weekly •
I’M THE JUGGERNAUT, BITCH!
11
X-MEN: THE LAST STAND ALICE HUDDLESTON • STAFF WRITER
X
If you’re tired of mainstream Hollywood cinema — soft acting, cliché plot structure, cheesy special effects — you might enjoy the consummate indie flick Coffee and Cigarettes. It is undoubtedly stripped down to its bare necessities: an actor’s interpretation of the writer’s screenplay. Filmed in black-and-white and with several different camera angles, the pace of the movie mirrors that of real life and the situations are saturated with wit, humor and notable realism. The intriguing 26-person cast — which includes the likes of Steve Buscemi, Iggy Pop, Cate Blanchett and Bill Murray — unite to present 11 distinct segments that are as unique as they are simlar. The segments range from the mysterious “No problem” to the utterly absurd “Delirium.” Interestingly, two older segments were seamlessly added by director Jim Jarmusch, with the original Coffee and Cigarettes short “Strange to meet you” shot in 1986 and the third Coffee and Cigarettes short “Somewhere in California” shot in 1993.
MGM
COFFEE AND CIGARETTES
GUILTY PLEASURE N A K E D G UN 2 1 / 2
Of course, this is not to say that X-Men: The Last Stand doesn’t have its enjoyable moments. But fans of the comic books and the movies alike will probably agree that so much more could have been offered.
JEFF GROSS • STAFF WRITER
W
The main problem (oh, and there are plenty) is that See No Evil is too focused on elaborate, gory deaths rather than an actual plot. It panders to the WWF and MTV generation; this means lots of gore. Spare the audience some of the blood and focus more on a story. Hell, even Murder Set Pieces had a plot. Another problem with the gratuitous violence in the movie is that it is too simple and uninteresting. The kill scenes are just as over the top as a wrestling match. Included is elevator decapitation, being crushed by a safe, and falling long distances only to be skewered and devoured by dogs, etc. Seen it before, give me something new. Is it too much to ask a movie that has no plot and only violence to have an original death sequence? On a positive note, however, it is gory. Even though it’s a movie that panders to adults who are amused way too easily, it’s still targeted to people above age 12. Personally, I’m sick of PG-13 horror. It’s rarely scary (I can only recall one movie with a rating below an R that creeped me out, and even that was originally rated R). This film is not any good, but it’s a giant step ahead anything else PG-13. PHOTO COURTESY OF ROTTENTOMATOS.COM
hat do you get when you cross porn with wrestling? No, it’s not a DVD sold on late-night TV; it’s just a crappy movie. But what can one expect? If the trailer is bad, how good can the movie
be? I’ve seen plenty of bad movies with good trailers — but good movies with bad trailers? See No Evil rips off every cliché from the horror genre, stealing ideas from every movie from Friday The 13th to Cube. But then, with this combination you can’t expect originality. It’s not like pornos or wrestling matches are anything unique. Piledrive this or that. The end. sounds from the scene
but too short to be developed, and their powers are not remarkably spectacular. The witty one-liners and interesting plot lines of the earlier films have been replaced by lame dialogue and an overabundance of special effects. Both the team chemistry and motivations of the mutants are often absent, resulting in a film that doesn’t give the audience the depth or drive they crave.
SEE NO EVIL
PARAMOUNT
Certainly my favorite of the Naked Gun trilogy, the second Lt. Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielson) film stars the immaculate Robert Gou let as the t u xedo v i l lain Quent in Hapsburg. This slapstick comedy switches from the Queen of England to the closeknit energy tycoons, headed by Quentin Hapsburg. In order to maintain domination of the energy industry, Hapsburg devises a diabolical plan to kidnap the solar energy advocate Dr. Albert Meinheimer (Richard Griff iths) and replace him with one of their own, Earl Hacker (Richard Griffiths). However, when Lt. Frank Drebin attempts to reclaim his longtime fling Jane Spencer (Priscilla Presley), Hapsburg’s girlfriend, he stumbles upon their criminal scheme. Will Lt. Drebin be able to foil Hapsburg and the evil doers? And where exactly does O.J. Simpson fit into this mix? And what exactly is a D83 Swedish Sure-Grip Suck Machine? You will just have to watch this hilarious movie to find out. -Brent Simerson
-Men: The Last Stand, the most recent chapter of the X-Men series, commences this summer’s superhero blockbusters with more of a whimper than a roar. Bryan Singer, the director of the previous two X-Men films, forwent the project to work on the promising Superman Returns. His departure left the film in the hands of Brett Ratner (Rush Hour), whose disappointing attempt lacks much of the charm of its predecessors. The story continues the battle between the world’s humans and the genetically superior mutants. An antibody has been found, which essentially eradicates a mutant’s powers, thereby threatening their existence. Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and his band of followers have long worked to generate amity among the two populations, but Xavier’s oncefriend Magneto (Ian McKellen) is also fighting for mutant freedom and his approach is through war rather than peace. Sadly, what used to be the great potential for this third X-Men movie has been all but squandered. Many major characters are either ‘cured’ or killed even before the second half begins, most likely done for shock value. The new mutants are on screen too long for a cameo
PHOTO COURTESY OF ROTTENTOMATOS.COM
HIDDEN GEM
INTRO | A ROUND TOWN | L ISTEN, HEAR | CU CALENDAR | STAGE , S CREEN &
IN
B ETWEEN | CLASSIFIEDS | THE STINGER
12 â&#x20AC;˘
buzz weekly
PAUL S PERUSAL OF
ARTISTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CORNER
ELYSE RUSSO â&#x20AC;˘ STAGE, SCREEN & IN BETWEEN EDITOR
How did you come to create Visits, your newest art showcase, at the Verde Gallery?
CHRISTINA LEUNG â&#x20AC;˘ PHOTO
Actually, the last show I had was four years ago at Champaignâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cinema Gallery, so I hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t shown my work in a public venue for a while. My husband and I planned this show for three years, and our book, On This Island, just came out. So, we also did the showcase because of our bookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s release. Some of the artwork in the showcase is also in our book. Also, I have not shown my watercolors as much because I just started working in watercolor. So, this showcase gives me a chance to display some of it. What was it like growing up in Malaysia and now living here in the United States?
Born and raised in Malaysia, Siti Mariah Jackson came to Champaign, Ill., in 1986 after receiving a Federal Teaching Scholarship to pursue a Master of Arts degree at the University of Illinois. Before she came to UI, however, Jackson earned her bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in textile design from the Mara Institute of Technology in Kuala Lumpur and taught art at schools in Malaysia for several years. After completing her degree, Jackson continued to reside in Champaign with her husband, artist Billy Jackson, and has a new exhibit with him at the Verde Gallery titled Visits. Most recently, Jackson received a letter from the American Biograpahical Institute in Raleigh, N.C., inviting her into the 21st centuryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s American Hall of Fame.
SAVOY 16 www.GQTI.com &),-
2OUTE AND "URWASH !VE
3TADIUM 3EATING !LL $IGITAL 3OUND
.O PASSES
&REE DRINK REFILLS ` CORN REFILLS
3(/74)-%3 6!,)$
$4.50
!,, 3(/73
4)4,%3 !.$ 4)-%3 35"*%#4 4/ #(!.'%
4(% "2%!+ 50 0' &2) 3!4 ,3 S &2) 3!4 ,3 8 -%. 4(% ,!34 34!.$ 0' &2) 3!4 ,3 S &2) 3!4 ,3 $! 6).#) #/$% 0' &2) 3!4 ,3 S 3%% ./ %6), 2 &2) 3!4 ,3 /6%2 4(% (%$'% 0' &2) 3!4 ,3 S 0/3%)$/. 0' -)33)/. )-0/33)",% ))) 0' &2) 3!4 ,3 #/50/.
/: $2).+
WITH PURCHASE OF OZ BAG OF BUTTERY POPCORN
ONE PER AD 3AVOY %XP !5' "5::
P
aris Hiltonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s former lover Brandon Davis has launched a scathing attack on the hotel heiressâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; nemesis, Lindsay Lohan. In his tirade, Davis attacked Lohanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personal hygiene, lifestyle and lovers among other things. Refresh my memory, and maybe it was the poor lighting, but wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the stupid, spoiled Hilton in One Night in Paris? Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not be so quick to crucify Miss Lohan. I mean, whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the worst sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s done? Oh, wait...
Tell me more about the book, On this Island, that you and your husband recently published.
My husband has been a resident at Marthaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vineyard for the past 50 years, but he hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been up there for the past 13 years. The publisher wanted to buy some of my husbandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s paintings of the vineyard, and then he saw some of my watercolor works and wanted us to do a book of our works. The publisher only gave us only a year to do this book, which was a very short time, and it just came out in September 2005. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to have been able to include more in the book, but we were very selective in our choices of what we did and did not include.
In my time, we were ver y familiar with the rest of the world; we saw a lot of English mov ies, and we lear ned a lot about other courtiers in school so I would say that we were ver y aware of ever ything in the world. I never dreamed I would be here in the United States, and even though I was fam iliar with the United States when I came to Champaign, I was still very scared. So I just kept working hard, and I got used to it. After coming to the United States, I learned a lot of things, but I always carry part of my Malaysian heritage in my artwork. For ex a mple, M a l ay si a a nd t he United States share the landscape of prairies, which I love to paint; they are full"5:: of rich colors and textures. Rustic Lilypad 4(523$!9 What is*5.% your favorite medium to create art in? How did you and your husband Billy meet? CORP NOTE KEEP THIS SAME SIZE ALWAYS
Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always worked in ceramics for the most part. If 8 you do sculpture, however, it is a very tedious process. Forming the clay and using the tools, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of surprises in ceramics. But lately Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been traveling a lot ,and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really hard
PAUL PRIKAZSKY â&#x20AC;˘ STAFF WRITER
to carry all of my ceramics materials with me, so thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when I started using watercolors. I like both mediums [ceramics and watercolors], but watercolors are much easier â&#x20AC;&#x201D; I can take them anywhere I want. I just take a palette and a brush and can paint at the kitchen table!
I met him when I came to Champaign when I was doing my masters degree, and he was teaching at the architecture building. We got married in 1989 and started showing our artwork together in 1994.
Brad Pitt has apologized to organizers of the Cannes Film Festival for not attending the premiere of his new movie, Babel, because he is awaiting the birth of his first child in Namibia. Pitt and Angelina Jolie are staying in a guarded compound for six weeks in the African country to avoid press intrusion. In related news, Pitt and Jolie plan to adopt all foster children in Africa and possibly some in Detroit. PHOTO COURTESY OF WWW.SOLTEC.NET/JACKSONSTUDIOS
siti mariah jackson
S
J u n e 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7 , 2 oo 6
DUANE, YOU GOTTA LEARN TO KICK ASS IF YOU WANT TO BE A PEACEMAKER.
Joan Cusack will portray cooking legend Julia Child in a new film. The American gourmet chef was famous for introducing French cuisine and cooking techniques to mainstream America through her many cookbooks and TV shows. The star admits her own cooking skills are less than impressive, adding, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Julia didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t start cooking until she was 37. I love that about her! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never too late. Even for me!â&#x20AC;? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right Joan, now you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to do U.S. Cellular commercials anymore. Your career can be revived by playing a batty, overweight, slurring cook. Good luck with that. Britney Spears reportedly returned from New York last week to find hubby Kevin Federline drinking and smoking cannabis in the house. A British newspaper reported that Spears banished Federline to live in the coupleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basement. It is now certain that Federline will undergo intense therapy to convince him that he is white and needs to shower.
THE GOSPEL OF THE FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER A RE R WHAT BUZZ WRITERS
by bobby henderson
â&#x20AC;&#x2122; E ADIN
NATHAN KRAMER â&#x20AC;˘ STAFF WRITER
T
hese are exciting times in holiness: politicians are crusading, nations are invading. More importantly, science is on the brink of annihilation thanks to the outstanding work of Bobby Henderson. The Gospel of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fastest growing carbohydratebased religion, FSMism, now appears in book form, which can be found on the top shelf of every major bookstore. The Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM) did not wish to discriminate or cause hurt feelings among any group, especially the very short people who, if provoked, could easily appear out of nowhere and attack. To prevent angering these people, the Gospel of the FSM will be placed on the very highest shelf possible. With this in mind, the Church of the Flying
INTRO | A ROUND TOWN | L ISTEN, HEAR | CU CALENDAR | STAGE , S CREEN &
IN
Spaghetti Monster supports all that is good and doubts all that isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t good. While Pastafarianism, belief in the FSM, is the only religion based on empirical evidence, it should also be noted that this is a faith-based book. Attentive readers will notice numerous holes and contradictions throughout the text; they will even find blatant lies and exaggerations. These have been placed there to test the readerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s faith. Although Henderson uses empirical evidence to decimate the theory of evolution, he never says it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exist. Rather, he believes evolution is guided by His Noodly Appendage, the extremely modest Spaghedeity. Let there be no doubt, the FSM went through a great
B ETWEEN | CLASSIFIEDS | THE STINGER
deal of trouble to make us believe that evolution isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t true; he masked the prominent role of pirates in our origins and made monkeys seem more important than they really are. In spite of the religionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s low profile, Henderson exposes the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster as a religion that is not only ground-breaking but is supported by hard science, making it probably the most unquestioningly true theory ever put forth. This definitive text offers a guide to Pastafarianism holidays including Pastover and Ramendan, an explanation of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eight Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d Really Rather You Didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t,â&#x20AC;? a condensed history of the world in relation to FSM, a description of Pastafarianism heaven (yes, strippers and beer are involved) and plenty of entertaining graphics proving the existence of FSM. sounds from the scene
J u n e 1 – 7 , 2 oo 6
IT’S WHAT SEPARATES US FROM THE ANIMALS ... EXCEPT THE WEASEL.
PHONE: 217 - 337 - 8337 DEADLINE: 2 p.m. Tuesday for the next Thursday’s edition.
APARTMENTS
INDEX Employment Services Merchandise Transportation Apartments Other Housing/Rent Real Estate for Sale Things To Do Announcements Personals
000 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900
• PLEASE CHECK YOUR AD! Report errors immediately by calling 337-8337. We cannot be responsible for more than one day’s incorrect insertion if you do not notify us of the error by 2 pm on the day of the first insertion. • All advertising is subject to the approval of the publisher. The Daily Illini shall have the right to revise, reject or cancel, in whole or in part, any advertisement, at any time. • All employment advertising in this newspaper is subject to the City of Champaign Human Rights Ordinance and similar state and local laws, making it illegal for any person to cause to be published any advertisement which expresses limitation, specification or discrimination as to race, color, mental handicap, personal appearance, sexual orientation, family responsibilities, political affiliation, prior arrest or conviction record, source of income, or the fact that such person is a student. • Specification in employment classifications are made only where such factors are bonafide occupational qualifications necessary for employment. • All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968, and similar state and local laws which make it illegal for any person to cause to be published any advertisement relating to the transfer, sale, rental, or lease of any housing which expresses limitation, specifications or discrimination as to race, color, creed, class, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, physical or mental handicap, personal appearance, sexual oientation, family responsibilities, political affiliation, or the fact that such person is a student. • This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate that is in violation of the law. Our readers are informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal oppportunity basis.
Employment 000 HELP WANTED
010
Full Time
HELP WANTED
020
Part Time fightingillinineedjobs.com We need Paid Survey Takers in Urbana. 100% FREE to join. Click on Surveys
HELP WANTED
030
Full/Part Time
$8.25/hour Warehouse associates, full- and part-time. Downtown Champaign. Easy access from buses. Lifting up to 70 pounds. Apply at Meyer Drapery, 330 N. Neil, Champaign. 3525318.
Apartments APARTMENTS
400 410
Furnished/Unfurnished
407 E. University, fully equipped- microwave, washer/dryer in-unit. Security building with elevator. Balconies, underground parking. Hardwick Apartments 356-5272 621-1012
APARTMENTS Furnished/Unfurnished
APARTMENTS
410
Furnished/Unfurnished
410
1007 S. FIRST, C
Available Fall 2006. 1 bedroom furnished, great location. Includes parking. Phone 352-3182. Office at 309 S. First, Champaign. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup95.com
609 W. MAIN, U. Aug. 2006. 2 bdrm Townhouses Furnished $600/mo, Unfurnished $580/mo. 2 bdrm apts Furnished $525/mo. 1 bdrm apts Furnished $470/mo. Parking optional, Central A/C, Carpet, Laundry, Ethernet avail. Shown 7 days/wk. BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com
706 S. WALNUT, U Aug 2006. 1 bdrms from $485/mo. 2 bdrms from $515/mo. Central A/C, Laundry. Parking. Furnished $50/mo. Shown 7 days/k. BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com
Furnished/Unfurnished
Aug 2006. Near First and Gregory. 2 bedroom apts from $625/mo. Ethernet available, Window A/C, Carpet, Laundry. Parking $40/mo. Shown 7 days a week. BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com
105 E. GREEN, C Aug 2006. Studio Apts. Wall A/C units, Laundry, Ethernet avail. From $310/mo. Parking $50/mo. Shown 7 days a week. BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com
503- 505- 508 E. White Fall 2006. 2 and 3 bedrooms. Furnished with internet. Parking and laundry available. On-site resident manager. Call Kyle, 202-7240. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup.com 352-3182
604 E. WHITE, C. Security Entrance For Fall 2006. Large 1 bedroom, furnished, balconies, patios, laundry, off-street parking, ethernet available. Office at 309 S. First, C. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup.com 352-3182
BEST VALUE 1 BR. loft from $480. 1 Br. $395 2 BR. $495 3 BR. $750 4 BR $855 Campus. 367-6626.
APARTMENTS
Available June 1-Studios 1 bedroom •2 bedroom •3 bedroom www.ugroup96.com 352-3182
410
APARTMENTS Furnished/Unfurnished
420
410
106 E. STOUGHTON, C Aug 2006. 1 Bdrms near Engineering campus. Wall A/C, Parking. Rent $425/mo. Shown 7 days/wk. BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com
420
506 E. Stoughton, C. For August 2006. Extra large efficiency apartments. Security building entry, complete furniture, laundry, off-street parking, ethernet available. Office at 309 S. First, C. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 352-3182
1107 S. EUCLID, C Aug 2006. Near Armory, IMPE and Snack Bar. Window A/C, Laundry, Ethernet avail. Rents from $395/mo. Parking $50/mo. Shown 7 days a week. BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com
Smith Apartments 384-1925
509 E. White, C. August 2006. Large 1 bedrooms. Security entry, balconies, patios, furnished. Laundry, off-street parking, ethernet available. Office at 309 S. First, C. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 352-3182
509 Stoughton Near Grainger, Spacious studios and 2 bedrooms, ethernet, parking. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 352-3182
2 BEDROOMS 1009 W. Clark, U. $620 604 W. Stoughton, U. $860 910 Weber, U. $530
307 & 310 E. WHITE 307 & 309 CLARK Fall 2006 Large studio, double closet, well furnished. Office at 309 S. First, C. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup.com 352-3182
311 E. WHITE, C Avail Aug 2006. Large efficiencies close to Beckman Center. From $340/mo. Parking avail at $35/mo. Window A/C, carpet, Ethernet avail. Shown 7 days a week. BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com
509 W. MAIN, U. Aug 2006. 1 BR apts. From $400/mo. Laundry, window A/C, Parking avail at $35/mo. Ethernet available. Shown 7 days a week. BARR REAL ESTATE 356-1873 www.barr-re.com
702 W. WESTERN, U Aug 2006. 1 bdrms, Window A/C, carpet/tile floors, laundry. Parking avail. Rent from $410 to $535/mo. Shown 7 days a week. BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com
705 W. Stoughton 3 bedroom apartment Spacious living area. Communal balcony & great backyard. Plus a bar area in kitchen. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP 352-3182
502 E. HEALEY, C August 2006. JUST REMODELEDTOP TO BOTTOM!!!! NEW NEW NEW!!!! The BEST LOCATED EFFICIENCIES & 1 BEDROOMS on campus- period. Here's the best part: Efficiencies $385/mo & 1 bedrooms $550/mo. Ethernet avail. Parking avail. Shown 7 days/wk. BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com
1005 S. SECOND C.
2 p.m. Tuesday for the next Thursday’s edition.
APARTMENTS Furnished
Fall 2006. Efficiencies, Secured building. Private parking. Laundry on site, ethernet available. Office at 309 S. First, Champaign THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 352-3182
DEADLINE:
706 S. FIRST, C Aug 2006. Half block south of Green. 1 bdrm from $415/mo. 2 bdrms from $490/mo. Window A/C, Ethernet avail. Parking at $40/mo. Shown 7 days a week. BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com
1006 S. 3RD, C. August 2006. 1 bedrooms, Location, location, location. Covered parking & laundry, furnished & patios, ethernet available. Office at 309 S. First, Champaign THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 352-3182
APARTMENTS
420
Furnished
807-809 W. ILLINOIS, U Aug 2006. 1 Bdrms corner of Lincoln & Illinois. Window A/C, Laundry, Ethernet avail. Rent $550/mo. Parking $45/mo. Shown 7 days/wk. BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com 901 Main Street 3 Bedroom $975, Studio $450- all utilities included. 2 Bedroom- $650. 201 Busey 3 Bedroom $975, 1 Bedroom $550 503 W. Green Street Efficiency $400, 1 Bedroom $550heat included Doyle Properties 398-DOYL
ABOVE JIMMY JOHN’S ON LINCOLN 805 S. Lincoln, U Aug 2006. Ceiling fans, ethernet avail, window A/C. Efficiencies from $500/mo, 1 bedrooms from $545/mo. 7 days a week showing. BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com ARBOR APARTMENTS, C. Aug 2006. 1 bdrms at Third & Gregory across from Snack Bar. Window A/C, Laundry, Ethernet avail. Rents from $390/mo. Parking $50/mo. Shown 7 days a week. BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com
106 DANIEL, C. For August 2006. 1 bedroom apartments. Ethernet available. Some townhouses. Office at 309 S. First, Champaign THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 352-3182
Deluxe 2 BR Townhouses 206 E. Green, C. 1 Free Parking Space New Energy Efficient A/C and Heat Ethernet Access $380/mo/person Call 621-3430
AVAILABLE FOR FALL 2006
RATES:
URBANA LOCATIONS:
Billed rate: 38¢/word
1005 E. Colorado: $425 UF 1 bdrm., apts at the corner of Colorado and Cottage Grove. Newly remodeled units with new flooring, cabinets, appliances, A/C. On the busline, just 1 1/2 miles away from campus. Great location for grad students. Security locked building. Water, sewer and hauling paid. Parking available.
Paid-in-Advance: 32¢/word Photo Sellers 30 words or less + photo: $5 per issue
CHAMPAIGN LOCATIONS:
Garage Sales 30 words in both Thursday’s buzz and Friday’s Daily Illini!! $10. If it rains, your next date is free.
56/58 E. Healey: $400-$450 F 1 bdrm. apts at corner of Healey and First Street. Many units remodeled, some with dishwashers. Security locked building, on site laundry. Rent includes heat. Parking availa ble. 512 E. Clark: $360-$370 F efficiency apts., at corner of Clark and Sixth Street. Large units with double closets. Water included. Parking available.
Action Ads • 20 words, run any 5 days (in buzz or The Daily Illini), $14 • 10 words, run any 5 days (in buzz or The Daily Illini), $7 • add a photo to an action ad, $10
INTRO | A ROUND TOWN | L ISTEN, HEAR | CU CALENDAR | STAGE, S CREEN &
420
Furnished
105 E. JOHN
APARTMENTS Furnished
EXECUTIVE LOFT 201 S. Wright St., Champaign. Adjacent to Engineering campus. Loft bedroom, security parking, balcony, A/C, laundry. Hardwick Apartments 356-5272 621-1012
APARTMENTS
1 bedroom lofts $535 2 bedrooms $575 3 bedrooms $650 4 bedrooms $925 Campus, parking. Spring ‘06, 367-6626
Available Now 1 bedroom $385 Campus. 367-6626
1 Bedroom
410
Furnished/Unfurnished
classifieds
13
buzz weekly •
HERITAGE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, INC.
1206 S. RANDOLPH SUITE B, CHAMPAIGN • 351-1803 IN
B ETWEEN | C LASSIFIEDS | THE STINGER
sounds from the scene
14 â&#x20AC;˘
buzz weekly
APARTMENTS
J u n e 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7 , 2 oo 6
WEASELING OUT OF THINGS IS IMPORTANT TO LEARN.
420
Furnished
GREAT VALUE
306-308-309 White August 2006. 1 & 3 Bedroom furnished apts. Balconies, patios, laundry, dishwashers, off-street parking, ethernet available. 841-1996. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 352-3182
APARTMENTS
420
Furnished
JOHN & LOCUST, C Aug 2006. Huge one bdrms, Ethernet avail, Window A/C. Rents from $370/mo. Parking $20/mo. Shown 7 days a week. BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com
Old Town Champaign
JOHN RANDOLPH ATRIUM UTILITIES INCLUDED Avail. January & August 2006. Close to Campus. 4 bedroom apts. with Disposal, Dishwashers, Washer/Dryers in each unit, Ethernet access, Central A/C. Handicap accessible. Shown 7 days a week. BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com
510 S. Elm Available Fall 2006. 2 BR close to campus, hardwood floors, furnished, W/D, central air/heat, off street parking, 24 hr. maintenance. $595/mo. 841-1996. THE UNIVERSITY GROUP www.ugroup96.com 352-3182
Need a job to pay for your apartment? Be sure to check the Help Wanted section at www.dailyillini.com
420
APARTMENTS Furnished
APARTMENTS
430
Unfurnished
THE GEORGIAN 1005 S. SIXTH, C Aug 2006. Next to UI Library. 1 bedrooms from $460 to $550/mo. Laundry, Window A/C, Carpet. Shown 7 days a week. BARR REAL ESTATE, INC. 356-1873 www.barr-re.com
ENGINEERING CAMPUS Efficiency w/ pkg, A/C Avail. Fall 2006, $370/mo. The Weiner Companies, Ltd. 384-8018 www.weinercompanies.com
430
APARTMENTS Unfurnished
722 S. BROADWAY, U. Aug 2006. 1 bdrm apts close to Campus. Window A/C. Rents $430/mo. Shown 7 days/wk. BARR REAL ESTATE, INC 356-1873 www.barr-re.com
Park Like Setting 2 BR avail. Fall 2006 laundry, A/C $480-560/mo. The Weiner Companies, Ltd. 217-384-8018 www.weinercompanies.com
SUBLETS
440
Available Now. 2 bedroom on campus. $550/mo. 367-6626.
1 BLOCK FROM LINCOLN Eff & 1 BRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s w/pkg, laundry $365 - $690/mo. Avail Fall The Weiner Companies, Ltd. 384-8018 www.weinercompanies.com
205 E. HEALEY, C Aug 2006. Huge 1 bdrm apts. Window A/C, Ethernet available. Parking $40/mo. Rents starts at $435/mo. Shown 7 days/wk. BARR REAL ESTATE, INC 356-1873 www.barr-re.com
AL
DE GR EAT
Other Rentals 500 HOUSES
510
1, 2, 3 bedroom houses, condos, and duplexes for rent. Great Champaign Location. Many amenities W/D, A/C, etc. 637-0806.
2 bedroom house on campus for Fall 2006. 367-6626.
HOUSES
510
Eight to Nine Bedroom, $2700 2 Bedroom, $695-$725 367-6626
Check out the classified section updated daily at www.dailyillini.com
GREAT LOCATION 2 BR, hwd, garage, A/C $875/mo. @ 116 W. Vermont, U The Weiner Companies, Ltd. 217-384-8018 www.weinercompanies.com
HOUSES
510
ROOMMATE WANTED 550
530
1 BR in 4 BR apartment. $350/mo. 367-6626. Room in Urbana house walking distance from quad. $250/mo. Call 6491767.
1 bedroom, near campus $345/mo. 367-6626 Near Campus, $350/ mo. 3676626. Off-campus, University Fields apartment. $515/mo. all inclusive. Share 4 bedroom, 4 bath with three males. Call Angela, (847)414-0264, aturk@uiuc.edu
Announcements800
NOW LEASING FOR FALL, 2006 JTS Properties - 328-4284
LOST & FOUND
905 W. Main, U. 2 bedroom, 1 bath, w/d, pets welcome, & off-street parking. $750/mo
Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve Got Your Answers. And Your Questions.
502 S. Broadway, U. 5 bedroom, 2 bath w/enclosed front porch, fenced in yar, w/d & pets w/deposit, garage, $1300/mo 29 E. John, C. 5 bedroom, 2 bath, hardwood floors, w/d, off-street parking, $2000/mo 505 E. Elm, U. 4 bedroom, 2 bath, w/d, pets w/deposit, off-street parking, $1000/mo
810
Found at Custom Cuts, green sweatshirt has University of Illinois keys in it as well as VW car remote.
105 N. Coler, U. 4+ bedroom, 2 bath, hardwood floors, w/d, CA, off-street parking w/garage. $1500/mo
Remodeled Apartments near downtown Urbana 305 W. Elm, U - 2BR plus study New kitchen, A/C, pkg, deck/patio Avail. July or August 2006 @ $650/mo.
530
Old Town Champaign Convenient to campus & downtown, old town Champaign, 1 & 2 BRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, available starting June, July & August. From $380/mo.Call 352-8540, or see: www.faronproperties.com
South of West Side Park 4 BR, 2 BA, Hwd floors, A/C Laundry, garage, $1,000/mo. Avail. Fall The Weiner Companies, Ltd. 217-384-8018 www.weinercompanies.com
ROOMS
ROOMS
The New York Times Crossword Puzzle. Only in the
1.
1. A group of several Native American tribes in the upper Mississippi River valley of North America 2. Occurring every 24 hours.
2.
"$&
The Weiner Companies, Ltd. â&#x20AC;˘ 217-384-8018 â&#x20AC;˘ www.weinercompanies.com
5(%- 6.3 1)'- ! +%!1%
!%# $
..+1)$% !2
! ! !
1%% 5%"1)2% &.0 $%2)!)+1
.02( )-#.+- 4%-3% + 0"!-!
ÂŽ
2%+ + 555 #.++%'%/!0*5%" #.,
sounds from the scene
INTRO | A ROUND TOWN | L ISTEN, HEAR | CU CALENDAR | STAGE, S CREEN &
IN
B ETWEEN | C LASSIFIEDS | THE STINGER
15
the stinger kim rice & kate ruin DOIN’ IT WELL
jonesin CROSSWORD PUZZLE
27 Oddly sequenced 2000 Guy Pearce movie 30 “Quiet, you!” 31 Gold, in Guadalajara Across 32 Jai ___ 1 Makes a decision 35 ___ double life 5 Underwater steerer 38 Guy to do the voice11 Place for a pickup overs about your 14 It may be copped 15 Like some plants or opponent 42 Printer fluid problems 16 Spoon-bender (?) Geller 43 “The Man Who Fell to Earth” director Nicolas 17 Visual effect to use when showing your 44 Dutch airline 45 Console that included opponent Super Mario World, for 19 “The Sopranos” second in command, for short short 20 Egyptian peninsula 47 Leans hard on 21 “Sprechen ___ Englisch?” 50 How to quote your opponent 22 Taekwondo expert Jhoon 54 “Author” of some ___ 23 What to do with 17-across poems: abbr. “Make Your Own Attack Ad”--in five easy steps.
55 56 60 61
Royal flush component Wake up One of a bad septet Background must to top it all off 64 Suffix for New Jersey 65 Maine park 66 Supposedly insane Roman ruler 67 Part of GPS 68 Honorable person 69 Shrewdly astute Down 1 Takes out, Cosa Nostra style 2 She played Roz on “Frasier” 3 First-time pot smoker, maybe 4 Lowbrow material
5 I-5, e.g. 6 Channels above 13, once 7 Latissimus ___ (back muscle) 8 Suck, as energy 9 Get tangled up 10 Bread with caraway seeds 11 Surprise attacks 12 Main character in “The Little Mermaid” 13 Guy with an easy life 18 National Park in southern Utah 22 Ex-RIAA chief Hilary 24 Buckwheat’s word later used by Eddie Murphy 25 Back tooth 26 Emily Flake comic ___ Eightball 27 Not all 28 Cube maker Rubik 29 Pearly rocks used in jewelry 33 Pitch ___-hitter 34 Ham-handed 36 Cross out, in proofreader-speak 37 Weaponry 39 Part of a dovetail joint 40 Unclean, like non-kosher food 41 Scary sort 46 What you might “make yourself” 48 Reason for a cram session 49 “The Elements of Style” author William 50 “Don’t Look Back in Anger” group 51 Indivisibility 52 Indian, e.g. 53 Topic for the marriage counselor 57 “___ dead people” 58 Regal address 59 MBA earner’s class 61 Twin-___ engine 62 Digital camera product 63 Boo follower Answers pg. 9
Lick My Boots Beyond Vanilla Sex
L
eather, lace, latex, lingerie and long, luscious eye-lashes are all examples of materials, clothing or body parts that can trigger a sexual response in people who fetishize them. The term fetishism was introduced by the French psychologist Binet to refer to a predominant or exclusive sexual interest in an inanimate object (fetish) or part of the human body. A fetish can be extreme, such as when a person literally needs to have the object (like black boots) in order to become sexually aroused. Usually, though, a fetish is more mild; a physical and sexual attraction for some part of the body or a certain object. Neither does the object need to be sexual in nature. Often, the fetish is connected to the shape, texture or function of the object rather than to the object itself. Fetish is different from preference. Some men like big breasts. Some women like long-haired femmes. If the person can still become aroused without these elements, it is not a fetish but merely a preference that one could do without. A fetish can also include the kinds of sex one enjoys. For example, some believe bondage is a fetish. There is danger in categorizing definitively the kind of sex or sexual expression people enjoy as being a fetish, deviant or abnormal. What distinguishes “normal” sexual expression from deviant sexual behavior? We offer the following: sexual expression between consenting adults is normal, even if the behaviors fall outside of the perceived norm of sexual expression for others. Much research is being done to investigate these matters further, and so far, a lot of it has shown that fetishes are a healthy form of sexual expression, as long as they do not interfere with daily functioning and are consensual (expressed within a relationship). However, if you have a fetish, and it is distressing to you, interrupts your daily activity or has a negative impact on your relationship with yourself or with others, then it may be wise to address these issues. Of course, there is a cultural, political and social context to this. Maybe you are distressed because what gets you off has never been normalized for you. But if you have fetish feelings and don’t like them, talk to someone about the situation. You may want to find a therapist with training in sexuality (aasect.org). The question to ask yourself is whether you enjoy your fetishism or do you feel trapped by your sexual desires in a way that is distressing. A FETISH FOR EVERYONE Clothing fetishes are the most common (or maybe just the most well-known). People can have fetishes for uniforms, lingerie, shoes, boots, pantyhose or certain materials like latex or leather. Other fetishes include anime, body hair, smoking, pregnant women,
sounds from the scene
asses, bondage, cross dressing, talking dirty, breasts, legs, earlobes ... you name it. FETISHES & RELATIONSHIPS Explor ing a fetish within a relationship can be exciting and even build intimacy. For some, there is nothing better than being with a partner who knows you well and accepts you and your sexual desires. However, problems can arise if one person has a fetish that they insist on during sex and their partner isn’t down with it. If a person has a shoe fetish, and his or her partner loves wearing shoes and having them stroked and licked and strutting around in them, there is no problem. But if the shoewear ing par tner star ts to feel more l ike a shoe model than a sexual partner, problems can arise. Many people falsely believe that those with fetishes should simply f ind other people with the same fetish and go off and live happily ever after. While people into kink can f ind acceptance and support in a kink-loving community, ostracizing people for their sexual expression is not the point. Just because a person has a certain fetish does not mean they are into all other forms of kink. Someone may really get off by dressing up in leather, but this does not necessarily mean that he or she is interested in dominating their sexual partners or is into bondage or pain. Ma ny t i mes, people w it h fet ishes w i l l become part of their local SM community as a way to find others who wear the materials they fetish. Communication is key when exploring and expressing your sexual preferences.
SEX 411 • Fetishism is usually found among men and,
in its milder forms, is quite common. • Fetishism may be a learned response.
Generally it is assumed that given the right conditions anyone can become a fetishist. • Fetishes exist on a continuum from a strong preference to a situation where the fetish object is necessary and even a point where that object substitutes for a human partner.
Kim Rice and Kate Ruin are professional sex educators. Got a question about sex? Get an answer at riceandruin@yahoo.com
INTRO | A ROUND TOWN | L ISTEN, HEAR | CU CALENDAR | STAGE, S CREEN &
IN
B ETWEEN | CLASSIFIEDS | THE STINGER
16 •
buzz weekly
J u n e 1 – 7 , 2 oo 6
WATCH OUT.... RADIOACTIVE MAN!
free will astrology JUN. 01 — JUN. 07 ARIES
March 21 – April 19
In all my years of evaluating your astrological omens, I have rarely seen a time so favorably disposed to the value and pleasure of variety. I’m tempted to conclude that the cosmos is conspiring for you to try all 32 flavors, 46 positions, and 64 loopholes. For a limited time only, you really should be determined to sample a little of a lot rather than a lot of a little. Grazing and browsing are not only fine, they’re preferable. You have a poetic license to be mercurial, spontaneous, and inscrutable.
T A U RU S
April 20 – May 20
According to my reading of the astrological omens, you now have the best opportunity in a long time to promote yourself without turning into a manipulative huckster or soul-shrunken sell-out. At least temporarily, you have immunity from the phoniness that might infect anyone else who pushed her wares and services as hard as you can push them in the coming weeks. Please take advantage of this grace period to make sure the world knows how valuable you are.
GEMINI
May 21 – June 20
In her book *Strange New Species: Astonishing Discoveries of Life on Planet Earth,* Elin Kelsey writes that though scientists have named 1.7 million species, at least 3.3 million others are still out there, as yet unidentified. In a similar way, Gemini, there are many invigorating adventures and intoxicating truths that you have not yet discovered--countless life experiences that remain unknown to you. It so happens that this is a perfect time to jumpstart your pioneering urges and go out exploring those frontiers. In the coming days, I urge you to find at least one new variety of each of the following: allies, sanctuaries, resources, inspirations, and pleasures.
CANCER
June 21 – July 22
Blogger Joseph Cannon has uncovered evidence that George W. Bush may be the grandson of the infamous occultist Aleister Crowley. On his website at http://snipurl.com/pler, Cannon says there’s a distinct possibility that Bush’s mother, Barbara Bush, was conceived during a ritual tryst between Crowley and her mother Pauline in 1924. I’m not sufficiently informed on the matter to ascertain if it’s true, though I can’t help but note the strong physical resemblance between Aleister and Barbara. I bring this up because it’s an excellent time for all of you Cancerians, including the current American president, to delve into the mysteries of your past. Secrets that have always been hidden are more likely to pop into view than ever before. If you’re listening, your ancestors have clues to reveal.
LEO
July 23 – Aug. 22
A team of Japanese cultural analysts was assigned the task of figuring out the best possible pick-up line. The winner: “Rainen no kono hi mo issho ni waratteiy-oh.” In English, that’s “This time next year, let’s be laughing together.” I present this expression for your consideration, Leo, because I think it’s a perfectly poetic way to alert you to imminent developments in your life. As I understand the astrological omens, you’re about to experience transformations whose power to fascinate and amuse you will not fully ripen until June of 2007. They may be subtle at first, but will slowly build in intensity as the months go by.
VIRGO
Aug. 23 – Sept. 22
In the course of reducing the mystery of nature to a set of mechanical laws, Charles Darwin suffered greatly. “I cannot endure to read a line of poetry,” he mourned in his journal. “I have tried to read Shakespeare, and found it so intolerably dull that it nauseated me. I have almost lost my taste for pictures and music. I lament this curious loss of my higher aesthetic tastes. . . My mind seems to have become a machine for grinding general laws, out of larger collections of facts, but why this should have caused the atrophy of that part of the brain alone, on which the higher tastes depend, I cannot conceive.” I bring this to your attention, Virgo, because I want you to be very careful not to let your love of logic and reason damage your capacity to perceive magic and enjoy the ineffable. Ideally, of course, you’ll always be able to draw on both capacities equally. It’s a crucial moment in the evolution of your power to do that.
INTRO | A ROUND TOWN | L ISTEN, HEAR | CU CALENDAR | STAGE, S CREEN &
IN
B ETWEEN | CLASSIFIEDS | THE STINGER
LIBRA
Sept. 23 – Oct.22
SCORPIO
Oct. 23 – Nov. 21
S AG I T TA R I U S
Nov. 22 – Dec. 21
CAPRICORN
Dec. 22 – Jan. 19
AQUA R I U S
Jan. 20 – Feb. 18
In a roundtable discussion published in *Newsweek,* film director Steven Spielberg touted the value of anxiety in stimulating creativity. “Fear is your ally,” he said. “The minute you come onto a set and you’re no longer afraid, you’re in big trouble. The best performances--from filmmakers and from actors--have happened when there are whole stretches of tremendous instability about the process.” I personally don’t believe this is an absolute law that’s always true. Some of my best work has emerged during times when I’ve felt secure and peaceful. But I do think Spielberg’s theory is likely to apply to you in the coming weeks, Libra. Dare to put yourself in the midst of uncertainty.
In her poem “Possession,” Jane Shore describes how the “La Brea tar pits/ keep disgorging ancient bones, squeezing them/ through the oily black muscles of earth/ to the surface.” She’s referring to the place in Los Angeles where there are lakes of natural asphalt that contain the fossils of ancient mammals. These grails of ancient goo, with their seemingly endless new supply of primeval treasures, serve as an excellent metaphor for the psychic terrain you’re inhabiting these days.
It would not be a good time to try digging a hole to China. You’d have visa problems once you got there, and might end up under arrest. A better bet would be drilling a tunnel to Australia, where you’d probably get more slack once you arrived. In general, Sagittarius, I heartily recommend any activity that takes you to the polar opposite of where you’ve been hanging out, as long as you’re sure you’ll be welcome there.
“Race car drivers say that if you’re heading toward a wall,” writes philosopher Jonathan Zap, “don’t look at it. Instead, look at where you want to go.” That’s good advice for you in the coming week, Capricorn. It would be crazy for you to concentrate all your attention on what you don’t like and don’t need and don’t agree with. Rather, you should briefly acknowledge the undesirable possibilities, but then turn the full force of your focus to the most interesting and fulfilling option.
In the course of most pregnancies, there is a moment when the fetus first moves in such a way that the mother-to-be can feel it. It’s often a kick or a punch. I predict that an analogous quickening will occur for you in the coming week, Aquarius. You’ll arrive at a threshold where a rite of passage will begin. It may be as subtle as a soft, billowing thump or as radical as a raucous yelp. At that uncanny moment, you’ll become aware that a new force has sprung to life. You’ll become attuned to a delivery from the future.
PISCES
Feb. 19 – March 20
A British man named Adrian Hayward had a dream in which an odd event occurred during a soccer game. In his dream, a famous player kicked the ball into the goal from his own half of the field--an improbable long-distance shot that rarely occurs in real games. Following the dream, Hayward placed a wager with a bookmaker, betting that such a goal would actually be scored in the course of the real British soccer season. He later won $45,000 when a player for Liverpool did exactly what he’d dreamed. If you take the trouble to recall your own dreams in the coming week, Pisces, I predict you will get at least one hot tip akin to Hayward’s. Homework: Tell us about a time when an unexpected visitation cracked open a hole in your shrunken reality so as to let juicy eternity pour in: http://www.freewillastrology.com.
sounds from the scene