In a poorly written barrage of single-sentence paragraphs (that has since been picked up by Salon), Brian Nielsen, the Sports Editor of Mattoon's Journal Gazette & Times-Courier (try saying that ten times fast), used his marginal platform to declare that Jason Collins, the first openly gay athlete actively playing in a major sport, is not a hero:

Heroes are those who battled to capture the Boston Marathon bombers recently.

Nielsen goes on to say more stupid words:

To compare the plight of Collins with his own lifestyle choice to Robinson’s should really insult Jackie’s family today. It even bothers me.

Oh does it? I can't imagine why? Could it be that you have a bible stuck up your ass?

Be assured that Collins could find book, chapter and verse time and time again to point out my sins using the same Bible that I read to note one of his.

The difference is I would hope to find mercy and forgiveness not applause.

How'd I guess?

Nielsen (who does God knows what to men, women, and children behind closed doors before repenting to a higher power) goes on to make several more hateful statements and comparisons before he lets this one go:

'I’m black and I am gay,' he said as if one has anything to do with the other.

Courageous? This announcement comes during a time in our society when so-called political correctness has overwhelmingly trumped Christian morals and a time when Collins was going to get positive feedback. Somehow, many have decided they know the rules better than God. 

WWJD? Apparently he'd write a shitty column for a backwards-ass downstate Illinois rag telling his little subsection of the world that he thinks gay people are gross.

I guess Jesus was a real dick.

Pretty awesome publicity for the University of Illinois' stellar engineering program, as Wired Magazine featured a new compound camera developed here on campus. A little bit more about the cameras from the article:

Scientists have built a digital camera inspired by the compound eyes of insects like bees and flies. The camera’s hemispherical array of 180 microlenses gives it a 160 degree field of view and the ability to focus simultaneously on objects at different depths.

The new artificial version, created by by John Rogers and colleagues at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and described today in Nature, could potentially be developed for use in security cameras or surgical endoscopes. 

There are some genius brains at work here in C-U. You can check out the whole feature here.

For the third year, C-U bars will band together to celebrate American Craft Beer Week (May 13–19). Participating bars include Crane Alley, Mike N Mollys, Radio Maria, Quality, Blind Pig, Dublin O Neil's, Seven Saints, and Black Dog Smoke & Ale House. The cost of the glass is $5.

According to the BeerAdvocate post, "Each bar will host a rare special release beer from one of the country's premier craft breweries. Pubcrawl participants will travel from bar to bar and with their commemorative glass enjoy the beer."

Signup is still ongoing at Mike N Molly's and Crane Alley, but there are a limited number of spots available.

According to Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery Facebook page, "Saturday is the day!! The next round of dinner tickets go on sale at 4:00 on the 4th! It will be for the next 5 dinners — it is a great line-up! Big Grove, Greek Dinner, Jared Van Camp, Mexican Dinner, and the Asian Vegetarian Dinner. Be ready ... they will sell out fast!"

The dinners offer a chance to tour the farm and taste fresh, local food from Prairie Fruits and other local farm suppliers, as well as meet some other like-minded, food-loving people in a family-style setting on the farm. More information about the dinners and where to place your order for tickets is available here. 

The Art Theatre has launched their new website, found at the address of www.arttheater.coop. Change those bookmarks, folks, because their previous site has a different address. 2013 is the year of the website face lift. Congrats to everyone over there.

Per this Facebook post last night, it appears as if local indie rock outfit Evil Tents are hanging it up. Here's what frontman John Isberg posted:

it's been fun everyone, I hope you guys keep supporting local music. I'm calling it a night. It's been a great ride and I've been really honored and grateful to have met such great people over the years playing music in this band. Thanks to everyone for the fun and for coming out to all the shows, buying records, everything. It's been a pretty rough year and I'm looking forward to some down time. I hope this all finds you well and good luck with all your future endeavors, cheers, John

Must have been some last-minute planning for the organizers of Union Fest to announce the artists performing this year, but they finally did so yesterday. The show is set to take place Friday at the Illini Union. Here's the lineup:

• Mike Golden & Friends
• YAW
• Easter
• Banks the Genius
• A Cool Hand
• The Bonobo Alliance
• Kowabunga! Kid
• The Tens
• Bee Kay
• The Boy Illinois Single Player
• Church Booty

Glad to see at least some shows are going on over at the Union. The days of seeing artists like the Hold Steady and John Darnielle might be long past. Sigh. Anyway, check out all the information over at the Facebook event.

A new Urbana coffee shop, Flying Machine Coffee, is looking to get off the ground. They've launched an Indigogo campaign, where they're looking to raise $6,000 to get this thing going. Here's the description from the campaign page:

What it is

Flying machine coffee is a new cafe soon to be located in downtown urbana. In the old busey building at 208 w. main st. We will be sharing the building with Pizza M, and bringing you a coffee experience like no other in C-U.

After five years in the coffee world in chicago, working with some of the best folks around. i decided it was time to come back to the area and share the love with my home town(i also missed cornfields, weird right?). I will be sourcing coffee from roasters who are very mindful of where they get their product. And even more mindful of how they roast, you will not be disapointed.

Small batch roasted coffee from a wide array of roasters, locally bought produce for smothies, and specialty drinks that might just get you hooked. Our menu will also highlight special coffees that will rotate often, and many ways to have it prepaired. Pour over, chemex, and presspot, with other methods to be added later. Dont worry, if you dont know a lot about coffee, the staff(me) will talk you through all manner of flavor profiles, and methods to make sure you get the cup of coffee you are looking for. 

what it needs, and what you gets....

I have turned to indiegogo to raise some extra start up funds. Mostly for equipment, supplies, and the initial purchase of all the things. ALL the things. The bigger equipment is already purchased and in pretty great shape(espresso machine, grinders, brewer). But the funds for smaller equipment(brewing tools, iced tea and iced coffee brewers), dry goods(cups, sugar, ect) and obviously coffee, are still needed. The total for this is around six grand, and thats just to get open. But thats all i need, the doors open.

As a thank you, i have a few things to offer. besides undying love, and huggs. They include, free drinks, t-shirts, bags of coffee, and discounts.

If you are in need of money as bad as i am. don't worry. just maybe share this on the world wide internets. that would be a pretty cool thing to do.

ciao.