Cache Magazine

Throwing excellence

Potter returns to Cache Valley to work with high school art students

The Herald Journal

Dec. 18-24, 2009

Page 2 - The Herald Journal - Cache Magazine - Friday, December 18, 2009

Cache The Herald Journal’s

Arts & Entertainment Calendar

What’s inside this week (Page 5) Charlene says this book is a real winner for everyone

Magazine

On the cover:

Tom Edwards throws a pot at Logan High School on Monday.

Edwards came to help his former teacher, Lee Burningham, teach students for the week. When he first sat down at a pottery wheel, Edwards was anything but an instant success. “My first week was awful,” he says of his introduction to pottery, which came nine years ago at Box Elder High School. “I couldn’t make anything to save my life.” Read about the amazing strides Edwards has made since then on Page 8. Photo by Eli Lucero/Herald Journal

From the editor

I

CAN’T REMEMBER WHEN I stopped believing in Santa Claus — was it the time I caught my mom watching TV and wrapping presents in the basement early one Christmas morning, or the time I ran into all our Santa stockings in my parents’ closet? — but I don’t really remember feeling lied to or deceived.

Some people I’ve talked to don’t do Santa Claus with their kids because they don’t want to “lie” to them, but I don’t think it’s lying at all. I think it’s teaching kids that Christmas is a magical time and there are good things that happen without having any explanation.

My friend wrote about her little boy on her blog this week: “Wyatt is my dreamer ... the one with big plans and a big heart. He reminds me a lot of me ...

Slow Wave

jbaer@hjnews.com

always wanting to see the good in everything. So, I am sad that this year will probably be the last Santa-filled Christmas for him. This was probably the last year I watched as he drew a picture of him and Santa for me to mail him asking for just one thing: a good Christmas for his family.”

That shows that Santa is a lot more than an imaginary fat guy in a suit who drops off presents once a year while you’re sleeping — Santa is a metaphor that magic does exist, that anything is possible if you dream, that it doesn’t hurt to believe in the unbelievable once a year.

Christmas is my favorite time of year, and my parents have always taught me that it’s a time to be with family, to love each other and to give back. The Santa presents are just an added bonus.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

— Jamie Baer Nielson Cache Magazine editor

AP movie critic picks the top 10 films of the decade

(Page 10)

Books........................p.11 Bulletin Board...........p.12

Step back in time at Heritage Center’s ‘Frontier Christmas’

(Page 4)

Cute

(Page 13) 2009: A year when reality TV became part of our reality

pet photo of the week

This dog is available for adoption!

Pet: Cheeny From: Cache Humane Society Why he’s so lovable: Cheeny is an Australian cattle dog/blue heeler. He is a “young, active, loving pup! I love to play and get your attention. Please give me a home where I can have your love and time! I still need help with my obedience and house-training, but will learn quickly with reward-based training!” Cheeny is up to date with routine shots and has been neutered. His Pet ID number is 2009-6948. To meet Cheeny or to learn more about adopting any new pet, visit the Cache Humane Society shelter at 2370 W. 200 North in Logan or call 792-3920.

Slow Wave is created from real people’s dreams as drawn by Jesse Reklaw. Ask Jesse to draw your dream! Visit www.slowwave.com to find out how.

Last chance to see Pickleville’s ‘Once Upon a Christmas’

T

Photo by Bodie Brower

Derek Davis as Benny and Brittany Worley as Taylor Rose.

HE FINAL performances of Pickleville Playhouse’s holiday musical comedy will be at 7 p.m.

Dec. 18, 19, 21 and 23, with a 3 p.m. matinee Dec. 23, at USU’s Eccles Conference Center. Tickets can be purchased by calling 755-0968; prices for are $15.95 for adults and $9.95 for children 11 and younger. An optional holiday buffet catered by The Copper Mill Restaurant is also available before the show. Dinner/show prices are $30.95 for adults and $17.95 for children. For more information, visit www.picklevilleplay house.com.

“Once Upon a Christmas” tells the story of Taylor Rose, a busy university student coping with

a recent family tragedy.

Elves Buster and Benny are sent by Santa on a special mission to retrieve Taylor’s Christmas wish list and lighten her spirits. Through a hilarious series of events, including a special trip to Santa’s workshop, Taylor and her newfound friends come to realize that Christmas is much more than just candy canes and colored lights.

With book and music by T.J. Davis, this brand new romantic musical comedy deviates slightly from other Pickleville Christmas musicals in both form and function. Although the show still features plenty of the company’s signature brand of comedy, it takes a more traditional musical theater approach in its presentation.

Less of a musical revue

with more plot-centered musical numbers and a big dose of holiday romance translate into a festive production that’s both entertaining and meaningful.

Each year Pickleville Christmas plays host to numerous company and family parties. New this year, Santa and the elves will be available before and after each performance to take gift requests and interact with children of all ages. Audience members are encouraged to bring their wish lists.

“Once Upon a Christmas” is directed by Andrea Davis with choreography

by Sharli King. The cast includes Brittney Worley, Derek Davis, Bryan Stephenson, Whitney Davis, Olivia Ballam, Sharli King and T.J. Davis.

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All mixed up

You know it’s Christmas when the Wranglers come to town!

HE CACHE VALLEY T Center for the Arts will present the return of the Bar

J Wranglers for their annual Christmas concert at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, at the Ellen Eccles Theatre. Experience the spirit of the Old West as the Bar J Wranglers take their holiday charm on the road. Tickets are $16, $18, $20 and $22 (limited seating available) and can be purchased online at www.

EllenEcclesTheatre.org or at the Cache Valley Center for the Arts Ticket Office in the Bullen Center, 43 South Main. For more information, call 752-0026.

The Bar J Wranglers have been performing annually at the Eccles Theatre for the last nine years

and many patrons mark their calendars well over six months in advance to get the best seats in the house. The group was formed in Jackson Hole, Wyo., in 1983

by Babe Humphrey and has been passed down to Scott and Bryan.

Throughout the summer months they entertain 700 guests seven nights a week at their acclaimed Bar J Chuckwagon in Jackson Hole and every evening they serve a rib stickin’ old-style Western meal at their cattle ranch. For more information about the group, visit www.barj chuckwagon.com.

Babe Humphrey is the original Trailboss of the Bar J Wranglers.

Humphrey is enjoying a muchdeserved retirement after handing

the reins over to his son, Scott.

Though making an occasional holiday appearance, Humphrey has enjoyed more than 50 years in the Western music business.

Scott Humphrey is Babe’s oldest son and has been in the group since 1986. He plays a smooth rhythm guitar and adds one of the truest tenor voices to the group’s overall sound.

Bryan Humphrey is Babe’s youngest son and joined the group in 1989. He plays the “doghouse” bass and has a commanding lead voice.

Tim Hodgson is Babe’s “adopted” son, performing with the group since 1989. Hodgson plays an impressive fiddle and has an impressive list of credentials,

including being four-time Idaho State Champion Fiddler, two-time U.S. Open Fiddler and two-time National Men’s Champion Fiddler.

Donnie Cook began playing with the band in 1999. His mastery of the flat-top guitar, steel

guitar, dobro and banjo has added yet another layer to the Wranglers’ extensive musical repertoire.

Danny Rogers is the newest member, joining the band in 2007. Rogers rounds out the group with his smooth bass voice.

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All mixed up

Step back in time at ‘Frontier Christmas’

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Here are a few of the things you and your family can enjoy at the Holly Faire & Frontier Christmas: Free Activities: ★ Fine & Folk Artists (in full holiday bloom at the Holly Faire) ★ Annual Christmas Tree Sale ★ Father Christmas (1 to 3 p.m., 4 to 6 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.) ★ Interactive Living Nativity with Live Animals ★ March of the Socks Christmas Stocking Exhibit & Auction ★ A World War I Christmas on the Home Front ★ Christmas Jam (6 to 8:30 p.m.) ★ Wagon or Sleigh Rides ★ Holiday Treats & Goodies for sale Extra Cost Activities: ★ Chocolate Christmas (7 to 9 p.m.; $2.50) ★ Train & Pony Rides (times vary; $2.50 for a single daily ride pass you can use over and over; $10 for a family ride pass) ★ Photos with Father Christmas ($7 for a 5-by-7 framed photo) ★ Victorian Christmas Tea Parties (reservations required; $3.50)

OLLY FAIRE: “A Victorian Marketplace” — a once-upon-a-time nostalgic holiday celebration — is being brought back from noon to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18, and Saturday, Dec. 19, in the Livery Stable at the American West Heritage Center. The Holly Faire spectacular will be the final two-day celebration of the weeklong event “Frontier Christmas.”

Fine artists and craftsmen will make their way to the old-fashioned marketplace with their merriest gifts in hand. This “Victorian Marketplace” is emphasizing fine art, folk art and fine craft created by local artisans. While the “Victorian Marketplace” will be the perfect place to get your holiday gifts, there will also be many activities going on simultaneously, including Victorian tea parties, the Amazing Icy Path Labyrinth, living nativity, workshops, wagon, sleigh or dog sled rides, music, train rides and Father Christmas. A delectable display of holiday candies and tempting desserts will also fill the festive house next door to the Livery Stable.

Please check in at the Heritage Center for a free pass to the “Victorian Marketplace.” Some activities have a small cost but most are free. For a complete listing of activities and pricing, visit www.americanwestcenter.org.

Bear Lake author debuts first novel

B author June Marie Saxton has written her first novel,

EAR LAKE COUNTY

“Dancing With the Moon,” and will be hosting a book signing event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 24, at The Book Table in Logan.

Saxton will be giving away free Blossom Saxton Bucket collectibles with every purchase of her 442-page novel.

June Marie and her husband Mike live in Raymond, Idaho, where they enjoy a ranching lifestyle. June Marie also owns a nutritional clinic and spa,

Bear Necessities of Montpelier, in Montpelier, Idaho. She is a certified nutritional consultant and has a large clientele from the Cache Valley area. She spends her spare time following the athletic and school activities of her kids. June Marie is a champion of children and youth, and enjoys participating in programs that strengthen and encourage core values and standards.

June Marie has written many plays, pageants, programs, poems and community forums. While “Dancing with the Moon” is her first novel, her second book, “Beckon,” is

in the publication process and she is currently writing her third novel. Cache Valley artist Carolyn W. Davidson of Providence is collaborating on the second novel with tremendous illustrations and cover art.

To preview Saxton’s writing or to learn more about her work and book ordering information, visit www.junemarie saxton.com.

“Dancing with the Moon” is a romantic mystery with strong ties to Bear Lake County, as part of the plot unfolds there. It is recommended especially for young adult and adult readers.

American Festival Chorus to present Yuletide Fest

T Festival Chorus will present its Yuletide Festival HE AMERICAN

at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18 and 19, with a matinee at 2 p.m.

Dec. 19, at USU’s Kent Concert Hall.

Tickets are $12, $16 and $18 and now available by visiting the Caine School of the Arts Box Office in the Chase Fine Arts Center, Room 139-B; by calling 797-8022; at the Eccles Theatre Ticket Office, 43 S. Main; or at www. americanfestivalchorus.org.

Admission to the matinee is free for those 65 and older.

This multifaceted celebration will include an ice sculpture garden in the courtyard of the Fine Arts Center, members of the USU dance team, the First Presbyterian Church’s Westminster Bell Choir and special musical guests Nathan Osmond of Osmond 2nd Generation and Jessie Clark Funk. University Catering will provide free hot chocolate and wassail in the courtyard beginning an hour before each show and following each performance.

For information, visit americanfestivalchorus.org.

Osmond

Funk

AP movie critic picks decade’s top films

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ears pass and tastes change, at least a little. In choosing his top films of the past decade, Associated Press movie critic David Germain stuck closely to his favorites from each year. But here and there, a film that came in a bit lower on his list at the time has crept up to make his cut for best of the decade. Here are his picks, along with the ranking each film had on his annual top-10 lists from years past.

“Pan’s Labyrinth” (No. 1 for 2006)

#1

Writer-director Guillermo del Toro presents a wondrous hybrid of stark historical drama and wildly inventive fantasy in this saga of a girl (Ivana Baquero) whose encounter with an ancient forest spirit offers escape from her bleak life in 1944 Fascist Spain.

The chilling images are as fanciful as anything Terry Gilliam’s ever dreamed up, and the film offers a marvelously ambiguous finale that could be the downer of the year — or pure bliss.

“The Hurt Locker” (No. 1 for 2009)

“You Can Count On Me” (No. 1 for 2000)

#2 The perfect script meets the perfect cast. Writer-director Kenneth Lonergan captures the essence of sibling unity and disharmony in a taut comic drama propelled by tremendous performances from Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo.

This small-budget Sundance prize winner is wistful, hopeful, celebratory and hauntingly sad all at once. On screen, family matters don’t get more exquisite than this.

“The Barbarian Invasions” (No. 1 for 2003)

#3

Sentiment and cynicism in perfect blend. Writer-director Denys Arcand crafts a sly sketch of intellectuals who’ve grown emotionally jaundiced by trying times yet still throw a whale of a party, in this case, for a dying pal (Remy Girard). His reconciliation with an estranged son (Stephane Rousseau) and final farewell to loved ones is heartbreaking, while Marie-Josee Croze brings a sublime damagedgoods grace as a junkie who scores heroin to ease the dying man’s pain.

“The Saddest Music “WALL-E”(No. 2 for 2008) in the World” (No. 1 for 2004)

#6

The first great Iraq War film proves so universal that it can stand among the classics from past wars.

Director Kathryn Bigelow drops viewers in at ground zero for a disturbingly close and claustrophobic look at the strains of disabling bombs for a living. Ably supported

by Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty, Jeremy Renner is fierce, slow, frightening and tragic as a sergeant so addicted to the adrenaline rush of defusing explosives that he can no longer conceive of another way of life.

#7

Filmmaker Guy Maddin spins a blissfully twisted tale of a legless Depression-era beer baroness (Isabella Rossellini) who stages a contest to find the world’s gloomiest tunes, and a can-do American (Mark McKinney) determined to win the prize for the Yanks. The distorted black-and-white images and demented music perfectly complement Maddin’s absurdist tone.

#8

If we all had this plucky little robot’s work ethic, we wouldn’t have fallen into a recession. The animation masters at Pixar have delivered a true innovation, a robot love story tucked in a cautionary environmental tale wrapped in a sci-fi saga, with romantic leads who communicate adorably in mechanical beeps and squeals. The title character of Andrew Stanton’s adventure is beyond endearing as he toils alone to clean up filthy old Earth after everybody else has left.

“Once” (No. 2 for 2007)

“O Brother, Where Art Thou?” (No. 7 for 2000)

#5

#4 This may be as real as new love gets on screen: Awkward, inspiring, nervous, hopeful, passionate, impossible, frustrating, and in the end, left in limbo for another day.

The micro-budgeted tale from writer-director John Carney stars two non-actors, musicians Glen Hansard as an Irish busker and Marketa Irglova as an Eastern European immigrant. They meet, fall head over heels and, literally, make beautiful, Academy Awardwinning music together.

A Klan rally that resembles the march of the Wicked Witch’s guards in “The Wizard of Oz”? Must be the Coen brothers. Their Depression-era take on “The Odyssey” is a Looney Tunes successor to “Sullivan’s Travels” that lets George Clooney go deliriously over the top as leader of a Three Stooges-style trio hilariously rounded out by John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson. With T Bone Burnett as maestro, the savory songs brought on a roots-music revival that continues today.

“Adaptation”

“Moulin Rouge”

(No. 1 for 2002)

(No. 1 for 2001)

#9 “Being John Malkovich” writer Charlie Kaufman and director Spike Jonze succeed splendidly in creating a film about absolutely everything. Their tall tale of an insecure screenwriter is a spot-on rendering of artist self-loathing, and through cryptic philosophizing becomes a universal story on adapting to life. Nicolas Cage is at his best since “Leaving Las Vegas,” with great support from Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper.

#10

Sting’s “Roxanne” as an ominous tango? This IS the reinvention of the Hollywood musical. As director Baz Luhrmann notes of heroine Nicole Kidman, “She sings, she dances, she dies. ... She’s broad comedy and high tragedy.” Kidman and co-star Ewan McGregor are corny, endearing, passionate and doomed in this dazzling pop-tune grab-bag that busts up the joint by tossing all musical conventions out the door.

Page 6 - The Herald Journal - Cache Magazine - Friday, December 18, 2009

Film New this week “Alvin and the Chipmunks” Rated PG (N/A) A review for “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel” was not available from The Associated Press. In lieu, please accept this synopsis from www.imdb.com: “Pop sensations Alvin, Simon and Theodore end up in the care of Dave Seville’s twenty-something nephew, Toby (Levi). The boys must put aside music superstardom to return to school, and are tasked with saving the school’s music program by winning the $25,000 prize in a battle of the bands. But the Chipmunks unexpectedly meet their match in three singing chipmunks known as The Chipettes — Brittany, Eleanor and Jeanette.

Romantic and musical sparks are ignited when the Chipmunks and Chipettes square off.” PG for some mild rude humor.

Still playing “Invictus” Rated PG-13 ★★★ Clint Eastwood’s latest is a sports film less about what’s

on the playing field than what’s happening in the stands. It’s the story of South Africa’s sea change under Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) told through the unlikely prism of sport. It comes off like a case study in leadership, perhaps a bit clinical and limited, but still deeply revealing. When Mandela takes office in 1994, he embraces the rugby national team, the Springboks, and seeks to turn a symbol of apartheid into a beacon of hope. It feels like destiny fulfilled hearing Freeman — who has long sought to play the role — speak Mandela’s halting, humble speech. No one could be better.

“Invictus” is dripping with inspiration, and Eastwood’s extraordinary late period remains a good place to find it. With a blond, beefed-up Matt Damon as the rugby team’s captain and one truly terrible song from a South African boy band. PG-13 for brief strong language. 132 min.

“Brothers” Rated R ★★ Jim Sheridan’s remake of the acclaimed 2004 Danish film “Brodre,” has aspirations for “Deer Hunter” territory — a

“Did You Hear About the Morgans?”

Rated PG-13 ★★ Did you hear about the Morgans? If so, you might wish you hadn’t. This bland fish-out-ofwater comedy is unremarkable in every aspect, unless you’re one of them thar city slickers who thinks the idea that Sarah Jessica Parker trading in her Jimmy Choos for a pair of cowboy boots amounts to an act of cultural treason. “Did You Hear About the Morgans” comes from writer-director Marc Lawrence, creator of two perfectly pleasant comedies from Decembers of yore — “Miss Congeniality” and “Two Weeks Notice.” Sadly, Lawrence forgot to pack the laughs this time around. Lawrence usually comes up with a decent hook upon which to hang his laugh track, but he gets in his own way here by having Parker spend most of her time playing the wounded victim.

Parker can mope with the best of them, but her strength is play-

minor-key examination of the cost blue-collar families pay for war. Where “Deer Hunter” was epic in its reach, “Brothers” never really leaves the front yard. While Captain Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire) is held prisoner by the Taliban in Afghanistan, his wife (Natalie Portman), thinking he’s dead, befriends Sam’s brother, Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal). When Sam returns, damaged from a traumatic experience, his rage boils over.

It’s a simple story and “Brodre” had a lyrical quality, a poetry lacking in Sheridan’s sleeker, more sentimental film. “Brothers” can’t preserve the intimacy of the original, and the loosened characters slide into cliche despite noble intentions. R for language and some disturbing violent content. 110 min.

“New Moon” Rated PG-13 ★1⁄2 As every Stephenie Meyer fan knows, this is the one where studly vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) dumps human girlfriend Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) for her own safety, and she turns to old chum Jacob Black (Taylor Laut-

New this week! ing kicky and kooky. There are times here when the actress seems even more dispirited than her character. As for Grant, you can usually tell how desperate he feels about the material by how fast he’s fluttering his eyelids. In “Morgans,” he’s batting them so furiously, it looks like he’s trying to achieve liftoff.

It would have been a more inter-

esting movie if he did. When, at one point, Parker tells Steenburgen that she belongs to PETA, the meat-loving Steenburgen counters: “Me, too. People For Eating Tasty Animals.” Oh, you’ve heard about the Morgans. Whether you realize it or not. PG-13 for some sexual references and momentary violence. 103 min.

ner) for solace, unaware that he’s a werewolf, and therefore Edward’s sworn enemy. Fans will turn out in blockbuster legions, but here are a few of the many things wrong with director Chris Weitz’s adaptation: It’s really two half moons, or two halves of a movie that don’t quite fit. Mopey teenager Bella has all the luster of, well, a mopey teenager. The real rivalry is whether werewolves or vampires can behave with greater preposterousness and pretension. Finally, “New

Moon” is boring, eternally so.

The soap-opera melodrama of Stewart, Pattinson and Lautner’s performances provides some unintentional laughs. Yet Stewart is on screen almost all the time, and her Bella is just a drag to be around. With her flat speech and listless presence, it’s unfathomable how two different sets of monsters could fixate so completely on her.

PG-13 for some violence and action. 130 min.

— All reviews by The Associated Press

W

HEN A FILM brashly asserts it will change moviemaking forever, one feels the urge to either take its “king of the world” arrogance down a notch or hail it as the masterpiece it claims to be.

But — and forgive us if this sounds too much like the dialogue in President Obama’s war room — what if there’s a third option?

James Cameron’s 3-D “Avatar” has all the smack of a Film Not To Miss — a movie whose effects are clearly revolutionary, a spectacle that millions will find adventure in. But it nevertheless feels unsatisfying and somehow lacks the pulse of a truly alive film.

“Avatar” takes place in the year 2154 on the faraway moon of Pandora, where, befitting its mythological name, the ills of human life have been released.

The Earth depleted, humans have arrived to mine an elusive mineral, wryly dubbed Unobtainium.

The Resources Developmental Administration, a kind of military contractor, is running the operation. At the top of the chain of command is the CEOlike Carter Selfridge (an excellent, ruthless Giovanni Ribisi), who’s hellbent on showing quarterly profits for shareholders.

His muscle and head of security is the rock-jawed Col. Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), who curses Pandora’s inhabitants (the Na’vi) as savages and considers the place worse than hell.

In fact, it’s a paradise. In Pandora, Cameron has fashioned a sensual, neon-colored, dreamlike world of lush jungle, gargantuan trees and floating mountains. Its splendor is easily the most wondrous aspect of “Avatar.”

Cameron, like the deep sea diver that he is (his only films since 1997’s “Titanic” have been underwater documentaries), lets his camera peer with fascination at the glow-in-the-dark plant life, the six-legged horses and — especially beautiful — the nighttime frog-like creatures that, when touched, open a bright white sail and spiral into the air.

It’s this sense of discovery —

Aisle Seat

By The Associated Press

in Pandora, in the wizardry of the filmmaking — that makes “Avatar” often thrilling.

Our main character is Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a brawny former Marine who lost the power of his legs in battle on Earth. His scientist twin brother has just died and Sully, having a matching genome, is invited to replace him in a mission to Pandora.

He joins a small group of scientists led by Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) who are attempting to learn more about the Na’vi by conducting field studies and doing a bit of undercover science. They’ve created

avatars of themselves to go about Pandora as a living, breathing Na’vi, while their human bodies lie dormant in a sort of tanning bed (they return to them when their avatars sleep).

The Na’vi are a 10-foot-tall species with translucent, aquacolored skin, three-fingered hands and smooth, lean torsos.

They have long, neat dreadlocks for hair and wide, feline foreheads. The smart freckles on their brow faintly light up like tiny constellations.

With beady headdresses and skimpy sashes, the Na’vi are clearly meant to evoke Native Americans, as well as similarly

★★★ “Avatar” Rated PG-13 exploited tribes of South America and Africa. They pray over slain animals and feel at one with nature. Their tails (oh, yes, they also have tails) even connect — like nature’s USB port — to things like mystical willow branches, horse manes or the hair of pterodactyl-like birds.

It’s no coincidence that the Na’vi chief Eyukan is played by the Cherokee actor Wes Studi, whose credits include “Dances with Wolves,” perhaps the film most thematically akin to “Avatar.”

“Avatar,” which Cameron wrote as well as directed, is essentially a fairy tale that imagines a more favorable outcome for the oppressed fighting against the technology and might of Western Civilization.

Sully, who quickly takes to life as a Na’vi, begins to feel his allegiances blurred.

Though he has promised Quaritch to spy on the Na’vi (their home lies atop an Unobtainium deposit), he begins to appreciate their ways. He also falls for Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), the Na’vi princess and the one who introduces him to the tribe.

Many Na’vi are suspicious of Sully — “a demon in a fake body” — but they eventually embrace him. They accept him as a leader, even though he occasionally goes limp and vacant when his human body isn’t connected. This off-switch makes for questionable leadership skills — as if George Washington had been a narcoleptic.

The inevitable battle has overt shades of current wars.

Quaritch, drinking coffee during a bombing with a cavalier callousness like Robert Duvall in “Apocalypse Now,” drops phrases like “pre-emptive strike,” “fight terror with terror” and even “shock and awe,” a term apparently destined to survive for centuries in the lexicon.

See AVATAR on p.15

Page 7 - The Herald Journal - Cache Magazine - Friday, December 18, 2009

Effects wow but story limps in ‘Avatar’

Throwing

W

hen he first sat down at a pottery wheel, Tom Edwards was anything but an instant success.

“My first week was awful,” Edwards says of his introduction to pottery, which came nine years ago in a class taught by Lee Burningham at Box Elder High School. “I couldn’t make anything to save my life.”

But something about using his hands to create resonated with Edwards, who kept grinding away at the wheel.

“There was this direct correlation of the idea in my mind to the finished product,” he recalls.

“About two months in I was thinking, ‘I don’t want to do anything else.’”

That summer Burningham invited several students to spend a couple of months making pots.

Edwards took up that offer and soon earned a spot with a well-known Colorado potter as an apprentice. He went on to study at Utah State University before finishing his education at Tennessee Tech and then taking a job as a shop technician at Vanderbilt University.

Through it all, the education he received from Burningham — now an art teacher at Logan High School — resonated deeply with Edwards, who visited Cache Valley this week to work with some of Burningham’s current students.

“I’ve been given so many great opportunities through my young career that I feel it’s part of my responsibility, honoring former potters, to continue the education of others,” says Edwards, who hopes to one day teach art at a university. “This (working with high schoolers) is one of the privileges I have, one of the things I’m meant to do.”

In returning to his teacher’s classroom, Edwards is of course paying “B,” as Burningham’s students call him, a tribute, for nothing less than “changing my life.”

“If it wasn’t for B, I don’t know where I’d be,” Edwards says. “His teaching style resonated with me, and his love for his students really inspires people to want to become more than they are. His students love him and want to do him proud.”

Indeed, several of Burningham’s students have gone on to teach art, something that brings a smile to the instructor’s face.

“It’s validating that maybe I do know what I’m

Potter Cache work w school a

doing as far as teachin To Edwards, Burni he “gives you the too like his suggestion th work. Those are the li pass along to the LHS the community who a will host next week), nique and — this is so and over — pushing a things they wouldn’t Sometimes potters rather than the final p strive to take their abi be a difficult sell to h whom are content sim assignment. During a Edwards worked on a one side of the classro acted with him. Work right, freshman Jonah bowl. As it predictabl

om Edwards, a shop technician at Vanderbilt University and a former Tthrowing Wednesday at Logan High School, Room 113. The workshops are des techniques. Skill-building exercises will be demonstrated and enc

*Story by Lance Frazier *Photos by Eli Lucero Tom Edwards, left, talks with Roberto Molina about pottery Tuesday at Logan High School. Edwards came to help his former teacher, Lee Burningham, teach students for the week.

images that include the evolution of his work and his travel to China. Cost shops. For more information, contact Lee Burningham at 755-2380, ext. 5 Monday, Dec. 21 • 9 to 10 a.m. — Orientation/slideshow • 10 to noon — Idea development/throwing calisthenics • Noon to 1 p.m. — Lunch • 1 to 2:30 p.m. — Skill development • 2:30 to 3 p.m. — Discussion/critique

Tuesday, Dec. 22 • 9 to 9:30 a.m. — • 9:30 to 10:30 a.m • 10:30 to noon — • Noon to 1 p.m. — • 1 to 2:30 p.m. — • 2:30 to 3 p.m. —

excellence

returns to Valley to with high art students

ng,” Burningham says. ingham does more than teach, ols you need to truly succeed,” hat students chronicle their ife skills Edwards hopes to S students (and to those from attend an open workshop he along with advice on techomething he mentions over artists of all levels to “try ordinarily try.” need to focus on the attempt product, Edwards says, as they ilities to new levels. This can high school students, many of mply to complete the current a class on Tuesday morning, as a series of “nesting pots” on oom, only two students interking on the wheel to Edwards’ h Ford was forming his first ly wobbled and sagged,

Edwards offered gentle advice: “If you’re gonna change the top there, instead of being forceful with it, use the sponge right here.” Then, as Ford found his rhythm: “That’s a good start. You’re doing great, a lot better than I did my first time.”

Ford’s eyes lit at the compliments, and he diligently worked at his bowl until the bell rang. One other student came up to ask about Edwards’ pots, and even went so far as to offer an opinion — “I like this” — but the others lacked either the confidence or interest to seek the visitor’s input. That will certainly change at next week’s workshops where, Burningham predicts, Edwards will be swamped with questions as soon as he sits down.

One of the subjects Edwards will address in the workshops is China’s influence on pottery. While at Tennessee Tech, Edwards earned a Wingate Fellowship that sent him to China for three months to “experience the culture there and see it firsthand.”

“China has about 1,800 years of vessel-making history,” Edwards notes, and now his work reflects the influences he found there. One of his recent exhibits, for example, consisted of 300 thinly thrown bowls. He displayed them on a sidewalk and the glowing, translucent porcelain looked surreal after dark.

Other pieces of Edwards’ work have built half a home. Or rather, the sales of items he’s donated to Habitat for Humanity have covered half the cost of building a new house in Tennessee, and he plans to stick with that project until he’s sold enough to build two homes. In the meantime, he says with a smile, “I work three jobs to maintain my habit of being a potter.”

Burningham credits Edwards for sticking with pottery after a rough start.

“When he came in, he struggled as a potter, but it was something he really wanted to do,” says the teacher. “I don’t think he or I had any idea it would have this kind of life-changing effect. I wish I had 100 more just like him.”

For the student, the travels and experiences of the past decade all trace back to sitting down at a pottery wheel for the first time.

“It’s fair to say that first pottery class was the start of something bigger,” Edwards says. “The things B taught me will carry on for me till I make my last piece.”

r student of Lee Burningham, will conduct workshops on Monday, Tuesday and signed to give people of all skill levels the opportunity to learn and develop wheelcouraged. In addition to technical processes, Edwards will offer lectures with t is $30 per person per day, and attendees may sign up for one or all of the work5111.

— Slideshow on China m. — Demonstration TBA — Skill development — Lunch — Skill development — Discussion/critique

Wednesday, Dec. 23 • 9 to 10:30 a.m. — Demonstration TBA • 10:30 a.m. to noon — Skill development • Noon to 1 p.m. — Lunch • 1 to 2:30 p.m. — Skill development • 2:30 to 3 p.m. — Discussion/critique

Edwards wedges (left) and throws clay with students at Logan High School on Monday.

Page 10 - The Herald Journal - Cache Magazine - Friday, December 18, 2009

‘Undaunted’ a real winner for everyone “The Undaunted: The Miracle of the Hole-in-the-Rock Pioneers” by Gerald N. Lund (Deseret Book, 2009, $34.95)

L

ONG BEFORE THE best-selling “Work and the Glory” series, I was a big fan of Gerald Lund — and I still am. “Alliance,” published in 1983 by Shadow Mountain, is a science-fiction book about the sinister side of a utopian society. After all these years, it is still one of the most memorable books I have ever read.

His latest book, “The Undaunted,” is one of those rare books where there is something for every reader.

Although Lund provides a disclaimer that he is not a professional historian, history buffs nonetheless are going to enjoy this book for his attention to detail and the footnotes that elaborate on the details and interpretation of this event; women are going to adore it for the fictional characters and love story; men are going to like it for the detailed description of the Hole-in-the-Wall adventure and technical detail; children and teens are going to love the story of young kids involved in a true historical event; and finally, Christians are going to find the story and spiritual nature of the book uplifting and faith-promoting.

My one caveat: December is not a good time to read this book. More than 800 pages long and a story that makes it hard to put the book down, you need to set aside a not-so-busy week to read it.

Here is a brief historical summary for those who are not familiar with the Hole-inthe-Wall expedition: In 1878 a group of men, women and children (families) were called to settle the San Juan valley. These

people left comfortable homes, businesses, friends and family to accept what they considered a call from the Lord. They believed in their mission, and although future generations may consider their task foolhardy and ill-advised, Lund quotes historian David McCullough as follows: “The truth of history is the objective always. But the truth isn’t just the facts. You can have all the facts imaginable and miss the truth, just as you can have facts missing or some wrong, and reach the larger truth.” Lund adds, “We speak of ‘Monday morning quarterbacks’ or ‘armchair coaches’ who are quick to criticize and secondguess what should have happened from the sidelines of the game. We must be careful that we do not make the same mistake here. This turned out to be a very complicated situation with unattractive choices or, in other cases, no other options.”

As Lund gives voice to fictional characters, we can get at the truth of this often-criticized bit of history. As he adds details from personal journals and histories, he gives voice to real people whose story needs to be told.

This expedition was probably one of the most dangerous ever undertaken. As we read about their hardships and the impossible task of taking wagons, herds, horses and people on horseback down steep cliffs (think Grand Canyon), you will be amazed at the faith, sheer grit and determination of these people.

There are many ways to organize a book and Lund has chosen to divide “Undaunted” into eight books, which in many ways makes it easier to read because it gives the reader a reasonable stopping place between reads without interfering with the flow and enjoy-

Regional Reads

By Charlene Hirschi

ment of the story. The story starts in the coal mines of England where David Dickenson, against his mother’s wishes, joins his father at the age of 6.

The coal mine experience alone is an education for those of us who know little about working miles and miles below the ground, digging out the black fuel that made mine owners rich, heated homes and gave black lung disease to the poor.

Mrs. Dickenson’s one dream is to go to America so her son can have a better life. Unfortunately, she dies before that dream can be realized, but circumstances do bring David and John to Utah — joining the Mormon church because the Mormons were the only ones who had room on their ships and the two needed to leave England any way they could in order to avoid those who wanted to give them their “comeuppance.” While John embraces the new religion, David is skeptical because his experience with prayer has always confirmed what his mother told him before she died: God exists for the rich, but he neither answers prayers nor cares about those who are poor.

Arriving in Cedar City, Utah, David meets the McKenna family and quickly becomes part of their family, with a special

attraction to their daughter, his insights into faith and obedience. One of the most charming Molly, that she returns. But things about the book is Lund’s David’s lack of faith, or his ear for language. The story is belief in an “abstract” God, greatly enhanced by John’s causes a serious rift between Yorkshire accent and Nielsen’s them. When Molly breaks it Danish attempts at English. A off with David, he rebelliously joins the Hole-in-the-Wall expe- couple of examples: When men are arguing about whether or dition in an effort to run from not it is possible to get through his troubles, even though he personally thinks the whole idea the Hole-in-the-Wall, Nielson replies: “‘But I vud say dis. Vee is preposterous and makes his must go troo, even if vee cannot. feelings known to one and all. ... Vaht vee need now is vaht I From this point on, Lund call stickity tootie.’” Later, after weaves the fictional characters the company has nearly reached and actual participants into a their destination, they meet an story that does everything a old Indian who asks them in good historical novel is supposed to do: enlighten and enter- broken English, “‘Where you come from?’ ‘From across the tain. Headstrong, but reliable and honorable, David; beautiful, Colorado River.’ ‘Where you cross big canyon?’ ‘At a place sweet and lovable Molly; her older, prickly and outspoken sis- called Hole-in-the-Rock.’” The Indian snorts in disgust and ter, Abby; and David’s charmrides on, muttering about it not ing Yorkshire father, John, fit being possible to make a wagon as smoothly into this story as if road through this country and they had actually lived it. insisting they were lying to him.

At the same time, the true-life That night at evening prayers people who inhabit this novel “Nielson regaled the party by are as charming, interesting saying, ‘Ven he say it not posand ingenious as any fictional sible to build a road troo dis character ever invented. Especountry, ve shood haf said, ‘Yah, cially endearing is Jen Nielson, vee know that a survivor of the now.’”

Willie Handcart From this This book Company, whose point on, Lund is sure to be wit and Danish a real winweaves the fictional accent add a ner under the dash of humor. characters and actuChristmas Jen’s feet were al participants into a tree for a severely frostbitstory that does every- diverse auditen and he conthing a good historience of readtinues to walk cal novel is supposed ers. More with a limp. good news: When he could to do: enlighten and The book go no further entertain. has been out on the handcart long enough trek because of that you can the frostbite, his find it at discounted prices both petite but determined wife “put online and at local bookstores. him in a handcart and pulled him the rest of the way to Salt Lake City.” David is particularly Book critic Charlene Hirschi holds her master’s in English outraged when Nielsen is not from Utah State University. She only called to join the Hole-inis among a number of freelance the-Wall expedition; he actually writers whose columns appear accepts the call: “‘seems like if in The Herald Journal as part of they survived that experience, an effort to expose readers to they’d be left alone now,’” he a variety of community voices. grumbles.

Authors, readers and editors are invited to visit www.charlene But go he does and David hirschi.com. learns to love the old man and

“

’’

Dunne saves his last barbs for the rich

By The Associated Press

Y

OU DIDN’T THINK the grave could possibly silence one of the most famous chroniclers of the rich and famous, did you?

Dominick Dunne, the author, television personality and Vanity Fair reporter who covered the trials of Claus von Bulow, O.J. Simpson, William Kennedy Smith and Phil Spector, returns to the Manhattan playgrounds of the staggeringly wealthy in his new — and last — novel “Too Much Money,” which was in the last stages of editing when he died in August at 83.

Here we are reacquainted with the now grayer — yet apparently no more wiser or less status obsessed — denizens of his 1988 book, “People Like Us.” That means the return of the nouveau riche strivers Ruby and Elias Renthal, ladies-whodo-nothing-but-lunch like Lil Altemus and, of course, Gus Bailey, Dunne’s fictional alter

ego journalist.

Dunne’s genius is how he puts this designer-clad, jewel-dripping world under a microscope, exploring the ways old money tries desperately to cling to the best restaurant tables and swanky invitations, while new money hopes for respectability and a seat at the table. It’s a place where social antennae are always quivering, angling for gossip and advantage. In between the toes of these dinosaurs scurry a cast of put-upon maids, gossipy flower arrangers and striving single men who act as escorts for Faberge-collecting elderly women at formal events.

Dunne was never a traditional, by-the-book reporter, preferring to insert himself and his views into his work, and his fiction has always been inspired by real people and events. So figuring out whom his various old and new characters are based on may become a juicy source of gossip up and down the doorman buildings of the

Upper East Side and at tony gathering places like Michael’s and the Four Seasons.

The book opens with Gus in a miserable place on all fronts: He has cancer, he’s being sued for slander by a congressman over the disappearance of a young Washington intern, and a book he is writing about the mysterious arson death of a billionaire has the widow upset

Al Roker of ‘Today’ writes lukewarm murder mystery

By The Associated Press

A

L ROKER STICKS TO what he knows — morning TV— in his first murder mystery, “The Morning Show Murders.” He begins by introducing a protagonist named Billy Blessing, a cooler version of Roker himself.

Roker has become a household name thanks to his weather reports, which he often mixes with corny, sometimes cringe-worthy jokes, on NBC’s “Today” show. He has also hosted shows on the Food Network.

In “The Morning Show Murders,” Blessing is a celebrity chef, restaurant owner and popular co-host on the successful TV show “Wake Up America!” He is described as “the guy with the food features, interviews and joke of the day.”

The plot picks up when Blessing’s executive producer is found murdered. The cause of death? Poisoned

food made at Blessing’s bistro!

Could America’s favorite TV personality be a killer? That’s what the police want to know.

The rest of the story has Blessing working to prove his innocence.

This isn’t a gripping novel that keeps readers turning the pages, but trying to connect the dots between the “Today” show and the novel is entertaining.

Readers who enjoy the book can look forward to more helpings from Roker. “The Morning Show Murders” is the first in a series about Blessing.

And just as Roker has developed his on-air skills over the years, his books about Blessing could get better over time.

and vengeful.

Fans of Dunne will easily see the parallels: He, like Gus, sought stem-cell treatments to fight his cancer, was sued by former California Rep. Gary Condit over comments he made about the disappearance of intern Chandra Levy, and wrote about Lily Safra, the international jet-setter whose banker-husband was killed in a suspicious fire.

As Gus navigates his various troubles, other plot lines emerge: Elias Renthal, whom we last saw serving time for insider trading, is released from prison and scheming to regain his perch in New York society. (When his wife is told he must inform the parole board whenever he takes out his private jet, Ruby is horrified: “Does that mean we have to act humble? Dear God, wait until you hear about the party I’m planning to give.”)

Meanwhile, Perla Zacharias, the banking heiress and suspicious widow, is plotting her

own assault on the rarified air of Park Avenue townhouses, armed with her $12,000 Hermes Birkin bags and lavish benefits.

After a slow windup, all the various plots come to a fast, satisfying conclusion.

You needn’t have read Dunne’s first book about these folks to understand the second since most of his older characters haven’t grown emotionally over the decades, insulated as they are from economic, political and social storms by oodles of cash. It’s like they’ve been encased in amber, albeit very expensive amber.

And that’s really the point: Dunne describes their hermetic world with a gimlet eye, neither stridently mocking nor slyly supportive. He didn’t denounce or champion anyone as he raced against the clock of his own mortality. Dunne spent so much time rubbing shoulders with these real-world types that he lets his characters skewer themselves on their own platinum swords.

* This week’s New York Times Bestseller List * HARDCOVER FICTION 1. “U Is for Undertow” by Sue Grafton 2. “The Lost Symbol” by Dan Brown 3. “I, Alex Cross” by James Patterson 4. “Under the Dome” by Stephen King 5. “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett PAPERBACK (MASS-MARKET) FICTION 1. “Born of Ice” by Sherrilyn Kenyon 2. “Dear John” by Nicholas Sparks 3. “The Associate” by John Grisham 4. “Arctic Drift” by Clive Cussler 5. “7th Heaven” by James Patterson PAPERBACK ADVICE 1. “More Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” by Guy Fieri 2. “New Moon” by Mark Cotta Vaz 3. “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” by Guy Fieri 4. “The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman 5. “Rachael Ray’s Book of 10” by Rachael Ray CHILDREN’S BOOKS 1. “Splendiferous Christmas” by Jane O’Connor 2. “The Christmas Sweater” by Chris Schoebinger 3. “Lego Star Wars” by Simon Beecroft 4. “Skippyjon Jones, Lost in Spice” by Judy Schachner 5. “Nubs” by Brian Dennis

Keep your reading list updated at www.nytimes.com/pages/books/

Page 11 - The Herald Journal - Cache Magazine - Friday, December 18, 2009

Books

Page 12 - The Herald Journal - Cache Magazine - Friday, December 18, 2009

The Cache Magazine Bulletin Board kes

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by “I Am” splin E e l y a Mak

GET YOUR STUFF PUBLISHED! The Cache Magazine Bulletin Board is a place for our local community to share, well ... anything! Send it all to jbaer@hjnews.com, or mail it to Cache Magazine, 75 W. 300 North, Logan, UT 84321. We’ll be waiting!

t oe.

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your frie m a I For

by Marian Hickman

L

ittle Falcon Heene of “Balloon Boy” fame surely had no idea he was encapsulating an entire year of popular culture when he told his parents on national TV: “You guys said that we did this for the show.”

Seeking fame is nothing new for Americans — after all, it was back in 1968 that Andy Warhol first postulated that everyone would get 15 minutes. What distinguished Heene’s parents, or famous party crashers Tareq and Michaele Salahi, was how they were seeking it: They wanted a reality show. (Fifteen minutes plus commercials, give or take.)

Reality TV has been around for a decade, but this year the genre seemed to seep into our popular culture in occasionally uncomfortable ways. It also gave birth to some of the year’s biggest stars: Golden-voiced Susan Boyle, who warmed middle-aged hearts everywhere, and Adam Lambert, who warmed some of them.

And then there were the people who earned fame, or infamy, the old-fashioned way in 2009: Gov. Mark Sanford, Tiger Woods, Kanye West, Rep. Joe Wilson.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Without further ado, our chronological journey through some of the top pop culture moments of 2009:

JANUARY Yes, a new president is inaugurated in Washington, ensuring at least four years of hipper guests in the White House and cultural ramifications too profound to contemplate. But seven days later in California, one of the year’s truly peculiar stories is born, literally: Nadya Suleman, bearing a disconcerting resemblance to Angelina Jolie, gives birth to octuplets, which expand the single mom’s brood to 14 and earn her the moniker OCTOMOM. By year’s end

2009 — A year when reality TV became part of our reality she is denying reports that she’s planning — what else? — a reality show, with — who else? — newly single reality dad JON GOSSELIN. More on him later ...

On a happier note,

57-year-old U.S. Airways pilot CHESLEY “SULLY” SULLENBERGER saves a plane full of passengers when he glides his disabled aircraft into the Hudson River, a feat that will garner him rock-star status (and, he’ll say later, rock-star sex.) (With his wife.)

FEBRUARY Star Olympic swimmer MICHAEL PHELPS is caught in a tabloid photo smoking from a marijuana pipe. Sponsor Kellogg Co. drops him, but he largely survives — and in the summer, following a three-month competition ban, he’s the new face of the Subway sandwich chain. Tiger Woods should be so lucky. More on him later ...

MARCH Surprise! BRISTOL PALIN confirms she’s done with LEVI JOHNSTON, and experts, who note that most teen pregnancies end in broken relationships, hope it can be a teachable moment. Pop singer RIHANNA is shockingly beaten by her boyfriend, singer Chris Brown, and initially returns to him, prompting dismay from everyone from Ellen

DeGeneres to Oprah Winfrey.

Later Rihanna leaves Brown and becomes a voice against domestic violence.

APRIL Americans feed their longtime fascination with PIRATES when a real-life pirate saga unfolds in the seas off Somalia. A Washington magazine puts a shirtless PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA on its cover — a longlens paparazzi shot from a Hawaii vacation — and people ask if the presidential pecs, however buff, are appropriate fodder for a magazine cover. But the real star of the month is SUSAN BOYLE, a plain-looking woman of 48 from Scotland who stuns the world with her rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” on “Britain’s Got Talent.”

She’s an instant icon for anyone who has ever, well, dreamed a dream. More on her later ...

MAY In a new book, ELIZABETH EDWARDS relives the pain of her discovery that her husband cheated. An excruciating interview with OPRAH WINFREY — especially John Edwards’ uncomfortably smiling face — is unwatchable and addictive all at once. ADAM LAMBERT takes “American Idol” by storm (the actual winner is KRIS ... who?)

The glam rock singer with the

banshee wail, guyliner and black nail polish comes out as gay after the show is over, surprising none.

And the Bravo network announces they’re planning a Washington, D.C. version of the popular REAL HOUSEWIVES franchise. More on that later ...

JUNE MICHAEL JACKSON’s stunning, premature death at 50 becomes one of those “Where were you when?” moments, and leads to a frenzied renewal of interest in his life, music and dance moves, even for little kids. GOV. MARK SANFORD of South Carolina puts his bizarre and indelible stamp on the common tale of the straying politician, going AWOL for five days as he trysts with a lover in Argentina. His flowery declarations of love and endless self-analysis fascinate the nation — almost as much as JON and KATE GOSSELIN do when they announce they’re splitting. The reality duo appear on so many magazine covers that one celeb mag offers a “Gosselin-free” issue — a clear sign that reality stars have displaced former tabloid fixtures like BRITNEY SPEARS and PARIS HILTON (who?).

JULY SARAH PALIN, long a crossover star between the worlds of politics and pop culture, resigns as governor

of Alaska, a move that baffles many but frees her to spend time on her upcoming book, “Going Rogue.” And there is a rare and fascinating sighting at Jackson’s star-studded memorial service in Los Angeles: 11-year-old PARIS MICHAEL JACKSON, previously only seen in paparazzi shots, her face covered by a veil.

“Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine,” she says into the microphone. A child who had seemed, with her siblings, a mere oddity is revealed to be a lovely, self-possessed young girl.

AUGUST Chilling news for reality television: Ryan Jenkins, known as a sweet-talking contestant on VH1’s “Megan Wants a Millionaire,” hangs himself days after his exmodel wife’s body is discovered, mutilated and stuffed into a suitcase. The case of Jenkins, who had been charged in the death, leads to calls for stricter background screenings of reality show contestants.

SEPTEMBER What do a South Carolina congressman, a bad-boy rap singer and the world’s top women’s tennis player have in common? They are all really rude in September.

For SERENA WILLIAMS, it’s a profane outburst at a lineswoman — unfortunate but much more common than, say, heckling a sitting president as he addresses Congress. REP. JOE WILSON’S outburst — “You lie!” — has historians scratching their heads for comparisons. As for KANYE WEST, his ill-received dissing of Taylor Swift at the VMA awards leads to some emotional self-analysis on the couch — Jay Leno’s couch.

OCTOBER ANDRE AGASSI had so cleaned up his bad-boy image See REALITY on p.14

Page 13 - The Herald Journal - Cache Magazine - Friday, December 18, 2009

By The Associated Press

Page 14 - The Herald Journal - Cache Magazine - Friday, December 18, 2009

Crossword

www.ThemeCrosswords.com

“Ocean Life” by Myles Mellor and Sally York 1.

4.

9.

14.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

33.

36.

40.

44.

52.

53.

54.

55.

56.

58.

59.

61.

64.

67.

68.

69.

70.

71.

74.

Across Cashew, e.g.

Addiction Cockeyed Fungal spore sacs Downed a sub, say Ode for one voice Sans-serif typeface, for short Bowl over Entered territory ruled by a sea creature?

Provokes Taboo food in some cultures Ottoman governor Delivery Inadvisable action Battering device Cuba’s ___ of Youth Sacred Hindu writings Chopper part Gamble on a sea creature?

3-D figures DNA half Kind of raise “Paradise Lost,” e.g.

“Wellaway!”

“Sure” Schmooze skills Show the way again Certain workplace “___ pales in Heaven the morning star”: Lowell Fluffy accessory Rainbow ___ Precognition “Can’t Help Lovin’ ___ Man” Measurement

Reality Continued from p.13 over the years that it’s a shock to hear him admit, in a new book, that he used crystal meth, lied to wriggle out of a failed drug test, and even hated tennis. But this is really the month of RICHARD HEENE’S brazen and misguided attempt to use his 6year-old son as a means to a reality show gig. The nation is unified and transfixed as it watches the silver balloon, perhaps carrying Falcon, float across Colorado. Then

instrument 76. Ravel-resistant fabric 78. Plane curves 82. Common Market inits.

85. Big name in stationery 86. Lying, maybe 87. Odd-numbered page 89. Grooves 92. “No problem!”

93. Make a sea creature

feel at home?

97. Unsmiling 98. ___ O’s (Post cereal) 99. Audio effect 100. “ER” network 102. Container for nitroglycerin 105. Impulses 110. Farm area 113. Share 118. ___ Cube 120. Prediction of a sea creature rescue?

123. It follows that 124. Courtroom event 125. Organism that needs oxygen to live 126. Person in a mask 127. Like some orders 128. 1946 Literature Nobelist 129. Enlivens 130. Cheer starter 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Down India governor of old Female organs Kind of horn Give an edge to Amazon ___ “You stink!”

Craters of the

it’s disgusted.

NOVEMBER

What a month in pop culture. Ordinarily we’d give it to PALIN for the enormity of the crowds at her book tour. Or to WINFREY, who announces she’s leaving her talk-show perch — well, in 2011 — for unspecified ventures in cable. Or to LAMBERT again, whose overthe-top sexual gestures at the American Music Awards anger ABC and many fans.

But no, this month belongs to a socialite couple from Virginia, TAREQ and MICHAELE SALAHI, who manage to breach vaunted White House security with

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

19.

23.

24.

25.

30.

32.

34.

35.

37.

38.

39.

41.

42.

43.

44.

45.

46.

47.

48.

49.

50.

51.

57.

60.

62.

63.

65.

Moon locale 1980s-90s ring champ Word for Yorick Bit Tabloid twosome Loafer, e.g.

As yet Bat wood Crack Medical breakthrough Black Poor lob, in tennis King in a Steve Martin song Cache Thomas the Tank Engine narrator Afresh “Psycho” setting “Put a lid on it!”

Linda ___, Supergirl’s alias Glade shade “Who ___?”

Big dos Indigenous Brazilians “Get ___!”

R-rated, maybe Goggle Certain draft horse All worked up “Good one!”

Get a move on Kind of duty Data storers Indolent Shish ___ First fruit?

Set Work of 1604 “MS. Found in a Bottle” writer

no weapons other than very nice clothes and a heavy dose of social ambition. Michaele had been in the running to be a “real housewife” on Bravo.

Something tells us she doesn’t need the publicity now.

Four days after the state dinner debacle, a strange accident happens in an upscale Florida gated community. Golfer TIGER WOODS drives into a fire hydrant and a tree ...

DECEMBER And the fallout seems to know no bounds, as tabloids come out with new reports daily of women claiming to have had sex with the golfer, including at least one former

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Exclamation of triumph Consumer Reports employee Relevant fact Plato’s plaza Former C.I.A. director Hardly wimpy Bud holder Soft foods Go up against Anatomical networker Beautify Aquarium denizen Angler’s basket

reality cast member. Weeks after the accident, WOODS remains out of sight, trying to salvage his marriage and image.

But things are sure looking good for BOYLE, whose album, “I Dreamed a Dream,” debuts at No. 1. And that’s not all — her YouTube videos from the show are the mostwatched all year, with more than 120 million views. Coming in second: that little boy who’s just left the dentist and is feeling a bit woozy.

The 7-year-old star of DAVID AFTER DENTIST then asks his Dad a rather prescient question for the age of reality TV: “Is this real life?”

88. Fall behind 90. TV monitor?

91. Fifth note on an

ascending major scale 94. Open, in a way 95. Shanty 96. Puddinglike dessert 101. Diaper type 103. Acquired relative 104. Bamboozled 106. Churchill’s “so few”: Abbr.

107. Mavens 108. Fragrant resin

109. Way up 110. Leave in, as text 111. “Comin’ ___ the Rye” 112. Burglar 114. Attraction 115. “Miss ___ Regrets” 116. “Jabberwocky” opener 117. 1/500 of the Indianapolis 500 118. Bohr’s study 119. Temps 121. Excessively 122. Be off

Answers from last week

Ongoing events Cache Valley arts organizations are now collecting donations of canned and nonperishable food items and delivering them to the local food pantry. Participating organizations and events include the American West Heritage Center, Pickleville Playhouse (at the Eccles Conference Center), Utah Festival Opera Company and performances at the Morgan Theatre, Caine Lyric Theatre, Kent Concert Hall, Kathryn Caine Wanlass-Manon Caine Russell Performance Hall, Logan LDS Tabernacle and Ellen Eccles Theatre.

Common Ground Outdoor Adventures’ ninth annual “Holiday Cards With a Cause” fundraiser is now under way. All proceeds directly provide outdoor recreational opportunities for youth and adults with disabilities in Cache Valley. To order or for more information, call 713-0288.

Elements restaurant is now sponsoring a food drive to support the local food bank. Anyone can donate food items at the restaurant (35 E. 640 South, Logan) through Christmas. For information, call 750-5171.

Global Village Gifts (146 N. 100 East) is now open from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturdays. These hours will continue through December with the exception of holidays. For more information, call 713-4347.

Friday Smithfield resident Glenda Grindeland will host a book signing for her collection of poems, “Eternity,” starting around 10 a.m.

Friday at Lee’s Marketplace in Smithfield.

A book signing and discussion with Brandon Sanderson will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Borders in Logan. Sanderson is the author who has taken over Robert Jordan’s “Wheel of Time” series; his newest release is “The Gathering Storm.” Everyone is invited. For more information, call 787-0678.

Santa Claus will be at Fox’s Pizza Den (545 E. 1400 North, Logan) from noon to 1 p.m. and 7 to 8 p.m. Friday and from 7 to 8 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call 7923697.

Lokalgrown will perform at 7:30 p.m.

Friday at the Brigham City Fine Arts Center (58 S. 100 West) as part of the “Music in the City” concert series. Admission is $8 and

Avatar Continued from p.7 These historical and contemporary overtones bring the otherworldly “Avatar” down to Earth and down to cliche. The message of environmentalism and of (literal) tree-hugging resonates, but such a plainly

includes $1 off dessert at Beehive Pizza after the show. For more information, visit www. bcfineartscenter.org or www.lokalgrown.com.

Poor Ophelia will perform with Fathom and Chase Gillins (alternative/acoustic) at 8 p.m. Friday at Why Sound, 30 Federal Ave. For more information, visit www.myspace. com/whysound.

Machine Gun Kelly Extravaganza Featuring Some Guy will perform from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at Caffe Ibis, 52 Federal Ave., Logan. Everyone is invited. For more information, call 753-4777.

All are invited to participate in a Peace Vigil every Friday between 5 and 6 p.m. on the east side of Main Street between Center Street and 100 North in Logan. For more information, e-mail info@loganpeace.org.

Saturday The Imperial Glee Club will perform a Christmas program at 3 p.m. Saturday at Pioneer Valley Lodge, 2351 N. 400 East, North Logan. Everyone is invited.

Feverstone will perform with Arvis Tatom and Dear Bobbie (fusion/rock/funk) at 8 p.m. Saturday at Why Sound.

A holiday puppet show will play at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the Brigham City Fine Arts Center. Join in some fun puppet antics and see the marionette shows “Trouble at the North Pole” and “Babushka.” A donation of $2 per person, $5 per family or canned goods for the community pantry will be collected as admission.

Sunday

East, North Logan, and, for a limited time, receive an Olive Garden coupon for a free kid’s meal with every paid child’s skate admission. For more information, call 787-2288 or visit www.ecclesice.com.

Kids ages 4 to 13 are invited to a behindthe-scenes tour of the Providence Macey’s from 4:15 to 5 p.m. Monday. Each child will receive a goody bag. Only 25 spots are available; call 753-3301.

Tuesday Cami Checketts will sign copies of her new book, “Sister Pact,” from 3 to 5 p.m.

Tuesday at The Book Table.

The Prince Family will perform a Christmas program at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at Pioneer Valley Lodge. Everyone is invited.

Wednesday Scott Bradley will lead a “To Preserve the Nation” Constitution class at 7 p.m.

Wednesday at The Book Table (upstairs).

Participation is free. For more information, call 753-2930 or 753-8844.

An open house for Fern West’s 100th birthday will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Pioneer Valley Lodge. Cake and ice cream will be served.

Thursday June Marie Saxton will sign copies of her new book, “Dancing With the Moon,” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at The Book Table.

Next Friday

The Westminster Bell Choir and Chancel Choir will present their annual Christmas concert at 4 p.m. Sunday in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church at 200 West and Center Street in Logan. Everyone is invited.

Take your family ice skating Monday nights at the Eccles Ice Center, 2825 N. 200

just cause also saps “Avatar” of drama and complexity.

It’s also a funny message coming from such a swaggering behemoth of technology like “Avatar.” As for the effects, they are undeniable. 3-D has recently become en vogue, but only now has it been used with such a depth of field.

The movie is also a notable advance for performance capture, which is how the Na’vi

Jeremy Threlfall will perform at 3 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 26, at Pioneer Valley Lodge.

Everyone is invited.

DJ Pronto will perform during Sunday brunch, from noon to 2 p.m. at Caffe Ibis.

Everyone is invited.

The LDS Church’s Cache Valley Singles 31 and Over group will host a New York New Year’s Eve Celebration from 6:30 to 10 p.m. (midnight N.Y. time) Thursday, Dec. 31, at 1850 N. 400 East in North Logan. Come enjoy a dinner of ham, potatoes and rolls; bring your favorite dessert or salad to share.

Single-parent families are welcome. There will be movies, entertainment and games. LDS standards apply. Please RSVP to cache_ singles@yahoo.com.

USU and Cache County Extension’s annual Turf and Landscape Maintenance Workshop will be held Thursday, Jan. 7.

This workshop offers training for landscape maintenance professionals, parks and recreation employees, groundskeepers and other interested parties. This year’s topics include insect common pests of fruit trees, common diseases of shade trees, new or potentially new plant pests and diseases to the area, bedbugs and weed control. Registration is $10 before Dec. 24 or $15 after Dec. 25.

Lunch will be provided. For more information, call 752-6263.

Providence city and the American Red Cross will host a babysitting clinic from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 16. Youth ages 11 to 15 are invited to become certified and be prepared while caring for others’ children. Cost is $30 plus $10 for a first-aid kit (optional). Space is limited; sign up at the Providence City Office Building, 15 S. Main, or call 752-9441 ext. 22.

The Big Fix Discount Mobile Spay/ Neuter Clinic will be at the Logan Petsmart on Jan. 19; in the Brigham City Smith’s parking lot on Jan. 20; and at the Box Elder County Fairgrounds in Tremonton on Jan. 21.

For times, prices and more information, call 1-866-PETS FIX or visit www.utahpets.org.

The Post-Mormon Community Cache Valley chapter meets for dinner and socializing every Sunday at 6:30 p.m. at a local restaurant. Newcomers welcome. For more information, call 770-4263.

Monday

Upcoming events

Merry Christmas!

were created. As was done with Gollum in “The Lord of the Rings” and King Kong in “King Kong,” the Na’vi were made with cameras and sensors recording the movements of the actors and transposing them onto CGI creatures.

Seldom has this been done in a way that captured the most important thing — the eyes — but Cameron employed a new technology (a camera rigged

Bridgerland Literacy’s fifth annual Scrabble Tournament and Fundraiser will be held Friday, Jan. 29, at USU’s Taggart Student Center. Teams can register at www. bridgerlandliteracy.org.

like a helmet on the actors) to capture their faces up close. The green, flickering eyes of the Na’vi are a big step forward, but there’s still an unmistakable emptiness to a movie so filled with digital creations.

Ultimately, the technology of “Avatar” isn’t the problem — moviemaking, itself, is an exercise in technology. But one need look no further than Wes Anderson’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox”

to see how technique — whether it be antique stop-motion animation or state-of-the-art 3-D performance capture — can find soulfulness at 24 frames per second.

“Avatar,” a 20th Century Fox release, is rated PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking. Running time: 161 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

Page 15 - The Herald Journal - Cache Magazine - Friday, December 18, 2009

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Page 16 - The Herald Journal - Cache Magazine - Friday, December 18, 2009