ABC News: Cole Porter's Birthplace Gets Makeover

ABC News: Cole Porter's Birthplace Gets Makeover

Religion Clause: Judge Denies Request To Amend Indiana Legislative Prayer Ruling

Religion Clause: Judge Denies Request To Amend Indiana Legislative Prayer Ruling

FOXSports.com - NFL- Dungy returns to Colts after son's death

FOXSports.com - NFL- Dungy returns to Colts after son's death

Veteran's Day

Thank you to all Veterans, past, present, and future, whose heroism and personal sacrifice have made our country safe and ensure freedom for our future. Our country and it's citizens owe you a great debt.

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KUTV: Strip Tease Aerobics Being Taught In Indianapolis

Ohhh Yeaaahh!

KUTV: Strip Tease Aerobics Being Taught In Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana If your traditional workout is getting boring, one now offered in Indianapolis has some extra pizzazz. But it's for women only.

Strip tease aerobics can kick your heart rate into high gear. It's the hot new and seductive way to get some exercise. And those who have done it say it's a good workout.

"It's empowering, it makes you feel good about yourself; it's girl bonding time," says instructor Sky Block.

The seductive dancing classes are being taught at Landsharks bar in Indianapolis. Patrons are expected to walk seductively, bend seductively, shake their hair, and even purr when crawling across the floor.

Indianapolis 500

Indianapolis 500:

"Tickets will go on sale to the general public Friday, Nov. 18 for the 2006 Indianapolis 500, the historic 90th running of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

All fans can order tickets online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com, by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700 or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, or at the ticket office at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Parking and camping information also can be obtained through the ticket office.

Hours for phone orders and the ticket office are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (EST) Monday-Friday, while online orders can be made at any time.

Ticket prices start at just $20."

Indiana State Fair

Well everybody, it's that time of year again. Time for the Indiana State Fair!. One of the longest running annual events of it's kind in the country, the Indiana State Fair is the sixth oldest.
Here's something cool - The Indiana State Fair has a blog! If you want to get a recap of activities, be sure to check out
What Would Summer Be Without It? Here is a cam view of the Midway.
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Hometown Hero

With the Allstate 400 set to start in just mere hours, here is a story in today's Indy Star newspaper about local racing hero, Tony Stewart. Any fan of NASCAR surely recognizes Tony and his metoric rise on the racing circuit. Here's a story about how revered Tony Stewart is at home. Good luck Tony.
For Rushville and Columbus, Tony Stewart is their Elvis

The Indy Blog.comIntroducing: Manifest

As promised, here is some information about one of the area's popular blues bands, Manifest. Tyrone Caldwell, drummer of Manifest, shared the following bio information on the group. As you'll read, this group has a long and successful history through their varied formations. One thing for sure, and once you get a chance to hear them for yourself, you'll agree that Manifest sings "blues with a feeling".

This “high energy” group was born out of two dynamic blues bands, taking the best from each and combining their talents to create a new and more diverse group
offering sounds in the flavor of CLASSICAL BLUES / RHYTHM & BLUES from
the late 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 00’s.

MANIFEST consists of 6 pieces – LEAD GUITAR, BASS GUITAR,
DRUMS, KEYBOARDS, SAXOPHONE AND LEAD VOCALIST. Performing
songs by some of the greatest artists in the blues culture brings added dimensions
as well as dynamics to the total band sound.

Female vocalist, the soulful Ms. Debbie, is very strong on vocals & dynamics.
She is most notable for her special renditions of ‘Dr. Feelgood’ and
‘Neither One of Us’, two of the bands favorites among other ballads and
“songs of the heart”.

“They call it stormy Monday, Tuesday’s just as bad; Wednesday’s worse and
Thursday’s oh so sad…”

“She belts out the classic tearjerker ‘Stormy Monday’ like there’s no
tomorrow. The audience stands still and silent (except for a “sing it girl!” here and there), feeling the pain of the lyrics emanating from the singer’s versatile voice. As she holds onto the last note, the crowd erupts. They want more.”
Pam Manning – USA Group, Inc.’ 1977.

Their first CD “Live from the Slippery Noodle Inn: Volume I”, features two
cover songs by Koko Taylor, ‘Never Trust a Man’ & ‘Wet Match’. The
compact disc consists of recordings from several of the hottest blues groups in the
nation.

These songs were recorded by Ms. Debbie and Tyrone Caldwell of Manifest
on the “Slippery Noodle Sound” label and can be purchased at
your local record store. Ask for it by name “Live from the Slippery Noodle Inn
Volume I”. It has a national distribution and is on the Slippery Noodle Inn label.

At the time, the band was known as the Rebirth Blues Band, but changed their
name to In Full Transition, after the deaths of their talented and long time
drummer and keyboard player. The band is now known as Manifest.

In 1989, they won the first Indiana Blues Talent Competition and won an
all-expense paid trip to Memphis, Tennessee where they performed on Beale
street, placing first out of 50 bands from all over the nation, and winning second
place in the overall competition. They were such a hit, they were asked to stop
and perform ‘live’ at a local radio station as they departed Memphis, Tennessee.

In Indianapolis, their music is also played on several radio stations and it’s
surrounding areas such as Jay Zjaworski’s ‘Nothing but the Blues’ show on
WFYI-FM.

The band’s house stomping, rendition of Etta James’s ‘Standing on Shakey
Ground’ & ‘Let it Rock’, along with their funky version of the Staples Singers’
‘I’ll Take You There’ will have the audience dancing in the aisles. Along with
their many other musical arrangements, the smooth sounds of Tracy Chapman’s
‘Give me a Reason’ and their symphonic version of Gladys Knight’s “tear jerker”
‘Neither One of Us’ will undoubtedly get the audience’s attention! Cap it all off
with B.B. King’s ‘The Thrill is Gone’ and an audience sing-along of the blues
classic ‘Hey Bartender’, and the crowd will leave knowing that the blues & R/B is
still “alive and kicking”!!

Their last CD, which was recorded on Razzmatazz Records, “Mark My Word”
has allowed the group to go back to the studio. They are currently working on
their new CD, which will be released by the summer of 2005.

Manifest enjoys playing for all types of functions: Private, Public, and some
Benefits. Bookings can be made by email HERE or by contacting Indianapolis Blues Monthly Magazine.

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Indianapolis Indiana In The News

From IndyStar.com:

Oliver North believes all manner of people are called heroes who do not warrant the title.

"The athlete who just set a new sports record is not a hero. The adventurer to be the first solo climber to scale Mount Everest is not a hero," North said in a speech Friday at the USS Indianapolis Reunion in the Westin Hotel in Downtown Indianapolis.

Read the entire article.Those who serve U.S. are heroes, North says


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Indianapolis Happenings:Midwest Music Summit

This weekend, Indianapolis hosts the Midwest Music Summit. Here's some background about MMS from the organization's web site.

HISTORY
Five years ago this coming July, one of the most aggressive undertakings in the history of Indianapolis music and culture celebrated its inaugural year. The Midwest Music Summit challenged antiquated notions that music and the industry that surrounds it, had somehow forgotten about the Midwest. In an all out attack on stale thought and apathy, the organizers of the Midwest Music Summit set about the task of creating what is arguably the most important cultural event in the city.

Now, thousands of people from the United States and beyond convene in Indianapolis each year to share in a weekend filled with great music, aspiring artists and music industry professionals. The vision behind the 3 day conference is to provide a one-stop forum for artists, industry professionals, and music fans to engage each other in the expression of thought and art. Whether you want to check out an industry discussion panel addressing the future of music or see the biggest "buzz" bands in the country at one of the 25 participating venues, the Midwest Music Summit has it all.

It's Friday and you can still join us. Get the details from the web site.

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Indiana Blues Monthly

The character of a city is best defined by it's cultural diversity, access to it's historical heritage, and the expression of such through the arts. Indianapolis and the surrounding communities are steeped in cultural diversity. There continues to be a expanding movement toward embracing this diversity that puts Indianapolis on the forefront among all growing cities in the U.S.

The artistic community serves as the guidepost for citizens to share in self-awareness and self-discovery.

Indianapolis offers a wide variety in the area of music and live entertainment. In more recent years, tremendous numbers of people have sought a return to blues music genre. Indiana Blues Monthly, a subscription newsletter, presents a comprehensive collection of artists and venues for the true blues fan. This newsletter contains an extensive calendar of events that feature the more well-known and established artists as well as the up-and-comers of the local scene.


Local artists like Manifest are featured and there is also a directory of clubs in the area. (Stay tuned to hear more about this band.)

Indiana Blues Monthly features reviews of new CD releases, a column sharing the rich history of blues music, radio guide and a community bulletin board section. You can pick up a copy of Indiana Blues Monthly at area music stores. If you would like subscription information, send an email to Jan Kline.

Tell Jan that you read about her great newsletter here and head to your local club to hear great music. Thanks Jan.

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Indiana Black Expo

This year, Indiana Black Expo is celebrating it's 35th year!

Here's a little background about this organization from their web site - Indiana Black Expo, Inc.

Indiana Black Expo, Inc., (IBE) was founded in Indianapolis in 1970 by a group of religious and civic leaders. In 1971, the same group created an exposition at the Indiana State Fairgrounds that showcased the achievements of African-Americans in the areas of culture, art, history and economics. The first exposition was a major success, due to the collective efforts of a dedicated, all volunteer team of community workers.

IBE continually upgraded the quality of programming at the exposition and ultimately outgrew the state fairgrounds. This growth inspired IBE to relocate the exposition to the Indiana Convention Center where the Summer Celebration flourished to become the largest and longest running exposition of its kind in the nation.

Today, Indiana Black Expo, Inc. is a year-round, multifaceted community service organization with 11 chapters around the state of Indiana. IBE is governed by a board of directors comprised of individuals and community leaders from around the state of Indiana and employs a full time staff of 19.

The IBE will feature a special guest speaker on Thursday, July 14th.
President George W. Bush will be giving an address and will be honored with an award from Indiana Black Expo.

You can see all the scheduled events by clicking HERE.

They have an extensive web site that is absolutely loaded with information. Be sure to visit when you have a few extra moments because there is so much to read and learn.

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Indianapolis Zoo & Gardens

A visit to Indianapolis would not be complete without spending some time at the Indianapolis Zoo & Gardens. Located in the White River State Park, the Indianapolis Zoo and the accompanying White River Gardens offer visitors an opportunity to experience nature up close. Here is some information from the Indianapolis Zoo & Gardens web site.

The Indianapolis Zoo proudly celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2004. Since opening in 1964, the Indianapolis Zoo has grown into a world-class facility hosting a million visitors each year and playing a major role in worldwide conservation and research, including accomplishing the worldÂ’s first successful artificial insemination of an African elephant. The Indianapolis Zoo is located in White River State Park downtown and is the only attraction accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) and the American Association of Museums as a zoo, an aquarium and a botanic garden.

Here is the visitor information.
Hours: 9am-5pm Mon-Thur,
9am-6pm Fri-Sun
Location: 1200 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis, In. 46222
InfoLine: (317) 630-2001

Bring the family and enjoy all the exhibits at one of the finest zoological parks in North America.

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Welcome To Indianapolis

Welcome To Indianapolis, Indiana.

Here is some information from the website for Indianapolis Downtown, Inc. This site is full of great information about our wonderful city. Take a few minutes and view the site for yourself. Here is a snip -

Indianapolis Downtown, Inc.

Indianapolis Downtown, Inc. (IDI) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization formed to develop, manage and market Downtown Indianapolis. The organization makes Downtown a clean, safe, convenient and exciting place to live, work and be entertained. It also helps ensure the maximum return on the $3 billion invested in Downtown in the 1990s and prepares Downtown for the $1.3 billion of new investments scheduled for completion by 2006.

IDI was established in January 1993 and takes on broader management and economic development responsibilities than its predecessor, the Commission for Downtown. A 32-member board and 68 advisory board members direct IDI. Read more..

Check out this video promoting the city. I have included a general map of the area as well. Indianapolis Downtown Inc video




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