Articles Written in February 2006
Indianapolis Smoking Ban: Effective March 1st
Topic: Indianapolis Living
Posted: Sun, Feb 26, 2006
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We've talked about this before but now it is about to happen, much of Indianapolis is going to be smoke free starting March 1st. Below is the list of places where smoking is no longer allowed:
- Elevators, health care facilities, laundromats and licensed child care and adult day care facilities.
- Restrooms, lobbies, reception areas, hallways and other common-use areas.
- Polling places, shopping malls and sports arenas.
- Lobbies, hallways and enclosed areas in common areas in apartment buildings, condominiums, trailer parks, retirement facilities, nursing homes and other multiple-unit residential facilities.
- Public transportation facilities, including, but not limited to, buses and taxicabs and ticket, boarding and waiting areas of public transit depots.
Smoke Free Indy has been doing a great job of following this issue, check them out.
Brownsburg Goes Wireless
Topic: Geek Bling
Posted: Sat, Feb 25, 2006
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Municipal networking is a nationwide trend that has started to gain traction in Indiana. The most recent news comes out of Brownsburg, where the town council voted on Thursday to create a municipal wireless network that will cover the entire city.
Continue reading "Brownsburg Goes Wireless"
Indianapolis sure is cheap
Topic: Indianapolis Living
Posted: Fri, Feb 24, 2006
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Our site got a shout-out on the Torpor Indy blog for our tagline, which they referenced while linking to an article on Indianapolis housing rates. According to the National Association of Home Builders, Indianapolis jumped back to the top of the list as the nation's most affordable housing market for the last quarter of 2005.
In the nation’s most affordable major housing market of Indianapolis, Ind., 88.7 percent of new and existing homes that were sold in the fourth quarter were affordable to households earning the area’s median income of $64,000. The median sales price of all Indianapolis homes sold in that time frame was $120,000. Also near the top of the list for affordable major metros were Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, Ohio-Pa., followed by Detroit-Litonia-Dearborn, Mich.; Grand Rapids-Wyoming, Mich.; and Dayton, Ohio, in that order.
I get a laugh every time I read about New Yorkers paying $1,000,000 for a two-bedroom apartment, when I own a 2,300 square foot, four-bedroom house, and my girlfriend has a 2,000 square-foot house of her own. At least on this one thing we can say: eat it, New York!
The Great Granola Tour of ‘06: Comparing Indy’s Natural Grocery Stores
Topic: Shopping
Posted: Tue, Feb 21, 2006
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Recently, Sunflower Market opened in Broad Ripple. This made me happy, as I had been disappointed over the lack of choices in my neighborhood for a good grocery store. When I thought about it, though, I realized that Indy has quite a few choices in the natural foods arena. Georgetown Market, Trader Joe's, Wild Oats, Sunflower Market, and Good Earth Natural Food Company all offer lots of choices for those who want to stay organic, go vegetarian, or assure a steady supply of flax seed oil. I made the rounds last weekend to get a feel for each of these stores, and did a little price shopping. You'll find a comparison chart of prices at the end.
Continue reading "The Great Granola Tour of ‘06: Comparing Indy’s Natural Grocery Stores"
Kite-Flying in Indianapolis?
Topic: Indianapolis Living | Kids' Stuff
Posted: Mon, Feb 20, 2006
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It's coming up on March, which is one of the best months to get good wind for kite-flying. (Although I guess April is National Kite Month.) I have a cool dragon kite and an excellent collapsible, portable nylon kite, neither of which I've ever flown -- but I'm determined to change that this year. So where's the best spot for kite-flying here in Indianapolis? I'm looking for a big open field with no trees or power lines, and while I have some ideas and a friend recommended Ellenburger Park, I'm open to suggestions.
And if you're looking for a cool wind-powered device of your own, I spotted some really excellent ones at Costco in Castleton last night. They had five or six varieties of sturdy, nylon 3-D kites for $9.99, including a Red Baron bi-plane, and a pirate ship complete with skull and cross-bones. I couldn't justify snapping one up because I haven't flown my own yet, but I'd be proud to own either of them.
If you're really into Kite-flying, you could organize a Midwest Festival. Looks like they're looking for volunteers.
Lazy Muncie
Topic: Hoosier Oddities
Posted: Sun, Feb 19, 2006
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A couple guys from Muncie produced their own response to Saturday Night Live's "Lazy Sunday" Chronicles of Narnia rap -- Lazy Muncie.
If you don't like it here, move your ass to Fort Wayne.
Dim Sum at Shen Yang
Topic: Restaurants
Posted: Sun, Feb 19, 2006
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I love hors d'oeuvres. They're bite-sized, which means you can eat lots of different ones, and you never know which little bacon-wrapped, deep-fried, cheese-encrusted, melon-infused, parsley-topped, skewered delight will be offered to you next.
This is why I love dim sum, the Chinese version of hors d'oeuvres. Dim sum’s even better, though, because they take it one step farther and make an entire meal out of it. Shen Yang, just north of 38th on Georgetown Road (the former location of Yummy), serves dim sum every day at lunch. Dave and I went there on Saturday and exhibited little restraint. Loosely translated, dim sum means "order to your heart's content," and we did.
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Khoury's Mediterranean Island
Topic: Restaurants
Posted: Sat, Feb 18, 2006
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First, the coolest thing: they have a hookah bar!
Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a smoker or a fan of smoking, but if you’re going to smoke, smoke out of a hookah at a Mediterranean restaurant. You might as well do it in style.
But that’s not why I was there. I was there for the Mediterranean food.
Continue reading "Khoury's Mediterranean Island"
About Time for Roundabouts
Topic: Transportation
Posted: Sat, Feb 18, 2006
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If you live or commute on the north side, you’ve probably noticed a few roundabouts by now. The newest roundabout that I’ve seen is at the intersection of 96th street and Westfield road. This intersection is part of my daily commute, and I can say without question that it has saved me two minutes each way, on average. And when you’re barreling into work for an early morning meeting, two minutes is pure gold. This got me thinking about the pros and cons of roundabouts (as compared to traditional 4-way signals) and I came to the conclusion that we should demand more roundabouts from our state and local planners. Here’s why...
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Vampire Governor and... Indiana
Topic: Indianapolis In the News
Posted: Fri, Feb 17, 2006
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At some point, someone probably passed around the link to you about Jonathon Sharkey, a self-proclaimed vampire and Satanist who, oddly enough, is/was/may-not-be running for governor in Minnesota. Part of his platform was his endorsement of impalement for terrorists outside the state house.
Which... you know... would probably go over pretty well considering the current political climate.
A few months go by and Jonathan fades from the public spotlight. I mean, what state doesn't have some nutjob trying to get into office? This nation has seen a chimp handler, wrestler and a barbarian as elected officials, so why not Vlad here? Well...
Continue reading "Vampire Governor and... Indiana"
Sports: 2006 Winter Olympics
Topic: Sports
Posted: Tue, Feb 14, 2006
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It's funny how during the Olympics, we all seem to become momentary experts on these obscure things that otherwise never enter our lives. We snipe about wobbly telemark landings, not-quite-1080° twists, or death spirals that just don't seem deadly enough. Forget the judges, experts in their fields who were often Olympians or world-class competitors themselves; we are clearly more knowledgeable, and we have a better view of the action from the comfort of our sofas.
Continue reading "Sports: 2006 Winter Olympics"
Local Artist: Valentine's Day Gallery Show
Topic: Museums and Visual Arts
Posted: Sun, Feb 12, 2006
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I got a tip last week that local artist Michelle Marocco will be featuring some of her works on Valentine's Day at the Art & Soul Gallery & Frame at Geist. Her work as made up of a diverse body of emotionally charged paintings ranging from figurative, abstract expressionist to tuscan landscapes. The collection that will be displayed at the opening has taken her a year to complete and features over 30 new pieces executed in oils. This will be a great opportunity so see a local artist show her work.
Click through to the rest of this post to see more examples of her work.
Continue reading "Local Artist: Valentine's Day Gallery Show"
Pinheads
Topic: Kids' Stuff | Sports
Posted: Sat, Feb 11, 2006
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It was Saturday morning, and I was slowly losing my son to boredom. We'd already gone through Matchbox cars, airplanes, hide-and-seek, the Internet, Crater Toss (don't ask) and PBS Kids, but all had long lost their novelty. I gradually confronted the inevitable: we had to leave the house. But where?
Continue reading "Pinheads"
Da Blue Lagoon
Topic: Restaurants
Posted: Fri, Feb 10, 2006
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Last year Dave and I went to Jamaica for a long weekend. It was March and therefore horrible in Indianapolis. Jamaica was everything it was cracked up to be. The weather was mid-80s perfect, the water was azure blue, the people were nice, reggae wafted from every corner, and the rum was flowing. It was my first visit to one of those all-inclusive resorts where you stick a flag in the sand and someone brings you a drink. Heaven couldn't possibly be any better.
And then there was the food: jerk chicken, fried plantains, ginger beer, tons of fresh fish, specialties like ackee, and ubiquitous Red Stripe beer. Tasting those flavors brought back the entire experience, which is probably why I like Da Blue Lagoon so much.
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Submit a State Slogan
Topic: Hoosier Oddities
Posted: Fri, Feb 10, 2006
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The Indiana Office of Tourism Development is planning on replacing the old standby "Enjoy Indiana." The Indy Star's Andrea Neal has some comments on their plans to come up with a slogan using research and focus groups rather than voting as in other states. But she notes at the bottom of her article that the IOTD is taking suggestions for a new state slogan on their website. Although she doesn't link to the page, like we do.
If you send them a suggestion, feel free to throw it in our comments, too.
Which reminds me, what ever happened with our new city motto?
Ruth's Chris Steak House
Topic: Restaurants
Posted: Thu, Feb 9, 2006
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96th and Keystone gets my vote as the most annoying intersection in greater Indianapolis. The lights are long, the quarry trucks are intimidating and dusty, the traffic cop on the west side of 96th confuses everything, the running middle turn lane on the east side of 96th Street promises imminent fender benders, the signage is poor, and the traffic gets worse as they keep building businesses to entice the ever-expanding neighborhoods of northeast Indianapolis. I avoid this intersection at all costs. This is where the northside Ruth’s Chris is. I’d probably like it better if it were located somewhere else.
Ruth’s Chris is the quintessential expense account steak house. It’s rich and clubby, and the waiters are well trained to read the customers and attend to them accordingly. You’ll get a fine meal whether you’re there for an anniversary, a business dinner, or to pick up a young Republican Carmelite in the bar.
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Movie Review: Mrs. Henderson Presents
Topic: Film & TV
Posted: Thu, Feb 9, 2006
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Great (or very good) performances do not necessarily a great (or very good) movie make.
Continue reading "Movie Review: Mrs. Henderson Presents"
"Ragtime" at Perry Meridian High School
Topic: Events & Festivals | Theater
Posted: Thu, Feb 9, 2006
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Controversy has been brewing over Perry Meridian High School's decision to preform the musical "Ragtime" (opening February 23rd) because the play contains racial epithets. In fact, the controversy over the play led to a school board meeting Monday night, where they decided they show must go on, but with a warning to viewers about the content.
Ragtime is set in the early 1900's and the subject matter includes examination of racial tensions, designed to raise awareness of race issues in American history. Apparently that examination is too real for some sensitive potential theater-goers. The play appeared on Broadway in 1988, and is critically acclaimed and considered by some to be one the best American musicals. It features a very large cast and complex musical numbers, so for a high school to take it on as a production is very ambitious.
Perry Township's school site indicates that tickets are $10 for reserved seating and $8 for general admission, but I wasn't able to find any information on where to reserve tickets. If you're interested in attending, I'd suggest calling the school and asking about where to obtain tickets at (317) 789-4400. The musical is presented in three shows at Thursday, February 23rd at 7 p.m., Saturday, February 25th at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, February 26th at 2 p.m. Perry Meridian High School is located at 401 West Meridian School Road.
Indy Arts Card
Topic: Events & Festivals | Museums and Visual Arts
Posted: Thu, Feb 9, 2006
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From the Arts Council of Indianapolis, you can get an Indy Arts Card free that gets you discounts on a bunch of different arts and cultural events around town.
And the Arts Council of Indianapolis has redesigned their site since I visited last. It's very perky and easier to navigate. And they have RSS feeds for events listings. I'm all about the RSS feed, people. You can build your own feed with events that you want to hear about included. That's nicely done. I build a feed to grab every event possible. I should just build that into the right nav of this site, when I get a free moment to do it.
Ooo, check it out: a Big Band Dance Concert at the Scottish Rite Cathedral on Valentines Day. That's fun. Wow, there's a lot of stuff on their calendar.
Up this Friday: Indy Wine Fest
Topic: Events & Festivals
Posted: Tue, Feb 7, 2006
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WFYI is hosting their annual Indy Wine Fest this Friday, February 10 from 5:30-8 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom (140 West Washington Street). $50 buys you lots of wine and hopefully some food (although the web site was a little vague about that). Pony up $100 and you get access to the balcony, where they hide the better wine and fancy pants hors d’oeuvres. 10% of sale of all wines that night benefits Public Broadcasting in Central Indiana.
Many Indiana wineries are represented, including Butler, Chateau Thomas, Oliver, and Easley.
Frankly, I'm on the fence about going because I simply can't find enough information. I'd like to know what kind of food, if any, will be coating my stomach against the wine onslaught. I'm no expert, but I recognize a lot of these as the second-from-the-bottom-shelf big bottle wines that are sure to give you a hangover. There are some good ones in there, but I'd ask a wine-knowledgeable friend to go through the list with a highlighter ahead of time. Once you're there, sorting the wheat from the chaff could be tricky.
The higher-end Connoisseur wine list looks promising, but $100 is a lot of dough. I could buy two very nice bottles for that kind of money.
Then again, this is a Fest, which means it should be festive, right? Festive! It makes me want to wear spangly earrings and laugh gaily. ha ha ha! I'm having a fest!
Seriously, has anyone been to this thing before? Is it worth it?
My Schizophrenic Safeway
Topic: Indianapolis Living
Posted: Mon, Feb 6, 2006
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When I have a short shopping list or just need to grab some quick sustenance, I head to the Safeway at 57th and Illinois.
As far as groceries go, it's on the cramped, old and cruddy side. It feels like a small town store with a limited selection, lumpy scuffed linoleum, and quirky but friendly cashiers.
Generally, the store offers your garden variety merchandise, but every once in a while you'll come across something completely unexpected, like a patch of violets in a rubble-strewn vacant lot. My latest find was not-from-concentrate blood orange juice, which made for some excellent martinis. They also have a permanent endcap of English and Irish food, such as spotted dick, Cadbury flake and Aero chocolate bars, and Barry's tea (which I previously had to mail order).
It's such an odd juxtaposition. Is one of the owners English or Irish? Do they take speical orders from the neighborhood? Did they do it to compete with the now-defunct Atlas? Whatever the reason, I like it. It keeps me coming back to see what I might find next.
McCormick & Schmick's
Topic: Restaurants
Posted: Mon, Feb 6, 2006
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McCormick & Schmick's is a high-end national seafood chain. My first experience with McCormick & Schmick's was in Boston, where you would expect the finest seafood. Our first night there, we had eaten and the famous Legal Seafood, and were pretty disappointed. It was like a slightly fancier Long John Silver's. The next night, we hit M&S. The drinks were generous and most importantly, the oysters fresh and delicious.
The Indiana iteration of M&S is about as good, but somehow something is lost in translation.
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