Entertainment

Since Civilized Animal's second release, "Evolution" (1999), the local funk-ska-hip-hop-punk band has been through four drummers. And they've kept them all.

Who he is: Triumph, whose exact breed is unknown, is a cigar-smoking canine insult comedian, first featured in 1997 on NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." Kept on a bit of a leash for his early appearances, Triumph soon left the studio to report on events such as the Westminster Dog Show, Jon Bon Jovi's world tour and "American Idol" auditions. According to his official Web site, www.triumphtheinsultcomicdog.com (Warning: some strong content), Triumph lives on the road, away from his wife, Erma, his mistress, Ladyfluff and his 284 illegitimate children.

After many delays, Aki's owner and head chef Kau Moua has moved into his new spot at 523 W. First Ave., across the street from the Blue Spark. "Part of the reason was the layout of the place," he said. "It's really narrow. We were trying to maximize it, but we had some issues with the city planner. Construction, it takes on a life of its own."

Hipster haters of George W. Bush have been voting with their pocketbooks this summer by scooping up dump-Dubya merchandise from funky downtown gift shop Boo Radley's. When it comes to anti-Bush knickknacks, "Sales have been steady for the last four months," says Jen Menzer, a clerk at the store, which sits across from Riverfront Park at 232 N. Howard St. "We have to reorder pretty close to every week."

What it is: The brainchild of graphic designer Mike Stanfill, the Infinite Cat Project (at www.infinitecat.com) is basically a long series of pictures of cats looking at pictures of other cats. What it's all about: According to the site, the project started when a user posted a picture of his cat on a forum Stanfill participated in.

He must have been, say, 7 years old. Which may have been why, when he discovered that he was going to have to share his M&Ms, the little movie fan frowned. And then looked as if he might cry. "Why," he asked the woman-who- may-have-been-his- mom, "why did he buy only one?"

One-name up-and-coming pop singer Jana's claim to fame is her heritage: 100 percent Native American, of the Lumbee tribe on the East Coast, and she's proud of it. "I'm staunch about letting people know about my heritage," she said.

Cool party lights hit the stores each summer, and like crows attracted to shiny objects, people scoop them up and fly off with them. Leah Theige, customer service manager for PartyLights.com, says strings of margarita glass- and lighthouse-shaped lights sell in a flash as more people are hosting fiesta-theme and beach-theme parties. The number of paper shades for lights that the Houston-based company sells has doubled because the lantern style has been so popular.

I paid full price to see "Lethal Weapon 4" (1998) in the theater. There, I said it.

"Laws of Attraction" •••

It's hard to believe that the summer is ending and a new school year is upon us. True, I have been out of school for quite some time, but the urge to buy new jeans and No. 2 pencils at the end of summer still remains. The arrival of fall brings with it a deep anticipation for new opportunities, new people and new loves, and I for one am looking forward to the fascinating things that lie ahead. In fact, I'm considering adopting a new mantra to help me gain a refreshed clarity on life and get through the occasional tough patch. "Be true to yourself and don't settle." A strong mantra that Madonna would support. Now, if that one doesn't give me the strength I need, then I may change it up and go with "Coffee, chocolate, men. Some things are just better RICH!" Ha.

Ben Kingsley played nonviolent in "Gandhi," but he's all over it in "Suspect Zero." Kingsley is a vicious murderer who roams the country, dispatching victims and listening to thrill-kill motivational tapes in "Zero," which fits into the broad category of "but" movies. It's involving but illogical. It's creepy but derivative. It's not as carefully plotted as "Seven" or "The Silence of the Lambs," but it's sharper than, say, "Taking Lives."