$query_articles = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM articles ORDER BY article_date DESC LIMIT 30") or die(mysql_error());
$row_articles = mysql_fetch_assoc($query_articles);

// Show article #1

// Then loop through articles 2-7

// Then show article #8

// Then loop through articles 9-30

$query_articles = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM articles ORDER BY article_date DESC LIMIT 32") or die(mysql_error());
$row_articles = mysql_fetch_assoc($query_articles);

$shown_articles = array(1, 8);
$article_index = 1;
foreach ($row_articles as $article) {
do {
    if (in_array($article_index, $shown_articles)) {

        echo '<p>'.$article_index.' ';
        echo $row_articles['title'];
        echo '</p>';

    } else {

        echo '<p>'.$article_index.' ';
        echo $row_articles['title'];
        echo '</p>';

    }
    $article_index++;
} while($row_articles = mysql_fetch_assoc($query_articles));
}

$query_articles = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM articles ORDER BY article_date DESC LIMIT 32") or die(mysql_error());

$shown_articles = array(1, 8);
$article_range = range(9, 30);
$article_index = 1;

while($row_articles = mysql_fetch_assoc($query_articles)) {
    if (in_array($article_index, $shown_articles)) {

        echo '<p>'.$article_index.' ';
        echo $row_articles['title'];
        echo '</p>';

    } elseif (in_array($article_index, $article_range)) {

        echo '<p>'.$article_index.' ';
        echo $row_articles['title'];
        echo ' - 9-30</p>';

    } else {

        echo '<p>'.$article_index.' ';
        echo $row_articles['title'];
        echo ' - 2-7</p>';

    }
    $article_index++;
}

$rows = new ArrayIterator($row_articles);

$articles = new NoRewindIterator($rows);

foreach ($articles as $i => $article)
{
    switch ($i)
    {
        case 1:
            article_display($article);
            article_list(new LimitIterator($articles, 0, 6));
            break;

        case 8:
            article_display($article);
            article_list(new LimitIterator($articles, 0, 21));
            break;

        default:
            throw new Excpetion(sprintf("Unexpected i: %d", $i));
    }
}

$query_articles = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM articles ORDER BY article_date DESC LIMIT 30") or die(mysql_error());
$row_articles = mysql_fetch_assoc($query_articles);

$i=0;
foreach($row_articles as $article) {
  if($i % 8 == 0) {
    // do stuff for row 0, 8 ..
  }
  else {
    // do stuff for other rows
  }
  $i++;
}

$shown_articles = array(1, 8);
$article_index = 1;
foreach ($row_article as $article) {
    if (in_array($article_index, $shown_articles)) {
        // Show article
    } else {
        // Do something else
    }
    $article_index++;
}

$query_articles = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM articles ORDER BY article_date DESC LIMIT 32") or die(mysql_error());

$shown_articles = array(1, 8);
$article_index = 1;
while ($row_articles = mysql_fetch_assoc($query_articles)) {
    if (in_array($article_index, $shown_articles)) {

        echo '<p>'.$article_index.' ';
        echo $row_articles['title'];
        echo '<br>Stuff for articles in $shown_articles';
        echo '</p>';

    } else {

        echo '<p>'.$article_index.' ';
        echo $row_articles['title'];
        echo '<br>Stuff for articles NOT in $shown_articles';
        echo '</p>';

    }
    $article_index++;
}