The Reader 11/04/10

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Nov. 4 - 10, 2010 VOL.17

News 6

Ideological Battle

dish 14

Defining Delicious

art 19

Courting Favor

Healthy Innovations In the Second issue of COVEr story - Page 23

Music 42 Killah Bee

OMAHA JOBS PG. 2

Weird PG. 54

MOjo PG. 57

FUNNIES PG. 58

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SALES TRAINEE Position will evolve into outside District Sales Representative with considerable earning potential. Relocation likely. Must possess excellent communication skills including the ability to interface with employees, management and customers. Degree preferred. For more information visit OmahaJobs.com

ORTHOPEDIC HAND SURGEON We offer an outstanding opportunity for full-time faculty member(s). Academic rank is contingent upon experience. Excellent facilities for basic and clinical research are available. The practice plan provides financial, as well as academic incentives. For more information visit OmahaJobs.com

PHARMACEUTICAL SALES REP We are seeking aggressive, results oriented individuals who will be able to drive branded prescription sales within a defined territory. Your employment and compensation are directly linked to your ability to increase business within your assigned territory. Candidates must possess sales ability and pharmaceutical industry education or training. For more information visit OmahaJobs.com.

TRAVELING CODING SPECIALIST We offer an excellent salary, benefits and paid time off. Reimbursement for continuing education and AHIMA dues. Laptop with encoder and coding references. Retirement plan with company contribution. For more information visit OmahaJobs.com.

SR. DIRECTOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES As a senior leader, this individual will drive their Professional Services organization to be extremely focused on understanding and meeting customer requirements, building long term relationships and achieving extraordinarily high satisfaction and referenceability, leading to improved revenues and gross margins. For more information visit OmahaJobs.com.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR Provides leadership, administration, and management of the day-to-day operations of the programs and courses offered. Responsibilities include course supervision and programming, quality assurance and program staffing. For more information visit OmahaJobs.com.

RN CASE MANAGER A minimum of 5 years acute healthcare clinical experience is preferred. One year of case management experience is preferred. Candidates must have at least moderate computer skills, and the ability to utilize verbal and written communication effectively. For more information visit OmahaJobs.com.

The Reader 1/4 Pg 4.9”W x 4.9”H HVAC 41199 SERVICE PROJECT11/5/10 MANAGER Responsible for following consistent and repeatable project management standardized procedures and processes, and achieving financial results on assigned projects. For more information visit OmahaJobs.com

INSIDE SALES REP WORK AT HOME Collaborate with the Marketing, Information Technology, and Operations departments to develop and create sales plans for specific regions and territories. Maintain and exceed company objectives through sales goals. For more information visit OmahaJobs.com.

SPECIALTY FINISHING

Long standing print shop with national customer base is currently in need of an experienced DIE CUT OPERATOR. The successful candidate will have a least 2 years experience. Flexibility and a willingness to do what it takes to produce high quality work with minimum supervision are key traits. Must pass employment drug test. Excellent benefit plan. Send your resume to: jobs@specialtyfinishing.com or come see us at: 4200 S 121st Plaza. Omaha, NE 68137

PHARMACEUTICAL SALES REP Your unique talents and perspective can make a vital contribution to innovative products that improve the lives of people everywhere. Career opportunities within our companies may provide you with an ideal setting to build your leadership experience, express your passion, and touch the world. For more information visit OmahaJobs.com.

If you’ve got the drive, we’ve got the opportunity.

SEASONAL DRIVERS You will be employed and paid by a staffing agency while on temporary assignment to FedEx Ground. It’s extra cash and a chance to work with an industry leader. You will be supplied with a truck and everything you need to pick up and deliver our customers’ packages. QUALIFICATIONS • 21 years old or older • Clean driving record • CDL not required • Customer Service skills • Drug screen, background checks and physical required • No equipment necessary • Minimum of six months experience driving a like-sized commercial vehicle within the last three years is required • One year commercial driving experience strongly preferred Bring work history documentation for immediate consideration, Vist us in person, Tues. - Fri. 10am to 3pm at 4406 South 19th Street, Council Bluffs, IA 51501 email: shawn.cannon@fedex.com

Drug Free Workplace

NOV. 4 - 10 , 2010

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PHARMACEUTICAL SALES REP We are seeking aggressive, results oriented individuals who will be able to drive branded prescription sales within a defined territory. Your employment and compensation are directly linked to your ability to increase business within your assigned territory. For more information visit OmahaJobs.com.

Answer the call.

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PHARMACEUTICAL SALES REP Representatives are responsible for all sales activity within their individual territories. This includes sales calls to physicians, pharmacies, wholesales and any medical professional , which may influence FPI promoted product sales. For more information visit OmahaJobs.com.

classifieds

SR. COPYWRITER Develops message and concept for various Marketing and Public Relations initiatives. Writes and edits multiple internal and external pieces designed for our end consumers, including the Field Force, Fraternal Division, Human Resources Division, members, prospective members and Home Office associates. For more information visit OmahaJobs.com. TRAVEL NURSE JOBS We have O.R. travel nurse jobs for experienced nurses, call us. Acute need for O.R. managers for consulting engagements. For more information visit OmahaJobs.com. PHARMACEUTICAL SALES Prepare a variety of status reports, including activity, closings, follow-up, and adherence to goals. Qualified applicants should possess a CNPR Certification or maintain a current Pharmacy Tech License. Communicate new Pharmaceutical product information, special developments, information, or feedback gathered through field activity to appropriate company staff. Ability to drive sales through relationship building Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills. For more information visit OmahaJobs.com. INSIDE SALESPERSON The primary responsibility of the Inside Sales Associate is to generate revenue by selling, managing, developing and growing existing and new clients. In addition, the Inside Sales Associate will maintain and organize the store showroom. For more informationvisit OmahaJobs. com.

SR. PROCESS ENGINEER Develops, directs or acquires innovative technology to deliver competitive advantages through new processing or products, quality/shelf life improvement, yield improvement, and/or cost reduction. Leads and directs the work of other engineers. For more information visit OmahaJobs.com.

SUPPLIER PERFORMANCE ENGINEER To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. For more information visit OmahaJobs.com.

TERRITORY MANAGER The Territory Manager is a field-based sales position and is responsible for selling company products to school districts within the assigned territory. For more information visit OmahaJobs.com.

TRAVEL NURSE Serving a new generation of veterans. A new generation of service members is returning to American soil. As they arrive home, proud to have served our Nation, it is our duty to care for them as they have cared for us. For more information visit OmahaJobs.com.


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THISWEEK P.O. BOX 7360 OMAHA, NE 68107 PHONE 402.341.7323 FAX 402.341.6967 www.thereader.com OUR STAFF

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NEWS ETC. 6 Top News 8-10 News Hound —=——————————————— books 10 Booked: Lit. News ———————————————— HEARTLAND HEALING 12 Dem Bones ———————————————— dish 14 Defining Delicious 14 Crumbs: Food News ———————————————— EIGHT DAYS 16-17 This Week’s Top Events ———————————————— theater 22 Et Tu, Brigit? 22 Cold Cream: Theater News ———————————————— Art 19 Courting Favor 19 Mixed Media: Art News

N O V. 4 - 1 0 , 2 0 1 0 V O L . 1 7 N O . 3 7

COVER STORY

Healthy Innovations The second issue of disRUPT ~ Page 23

———————————————— MUSIC 41 All In The Family 41 Backbeat: Music News 42 Killah Bee ———————————————— LAZY-I 44 Closing Time ————————————————

HOODOO BLUES 45 Funk, Ska & OEAAs ———————————————— FILM 49 Lives For Sale 49 Cutting Room: Film News 50 Reader Report Card: Film Grades 50 Is Our Children Learning? ———————————————— sports 53 For The Record 53 The Jump: Sporting News ———————————————— NEWS OF THE WEIRD 54 Accidental Ink ———————————————— MOJO 57 Planet Power Horoscopes ———————————————— FUNNIES 58 Modern World, Red Meat, Dr. Mysterian ————————————————

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contents

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t h e

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Ideological Battle By Robyn Wisch

T

Photo courtesy John Comstock campaign

wo very different candidates are vying to represent Omaha’s Benson and Dundee neighborhoods in the Nebraska Legislature next year. It’s an ideological battle of the role of government from two candidates who have never run for political office. Holding a clipboard with a list of likely voters in his arms, Burke Harr walked the neighborhoods of Benson on a recent fall afternoon, knocking on doors, and presenting his pitch to potential voters. “My number one priority is the budget,” Harr tells one resident. “Number two would be education.” A former criminal prosecutor, Harr, a Democrat, says he decided to run for office because he saw the legislature spend too much time on, what he called,

John Comstock

“city council issues.” Roadside traps and motorcycle laws took five days to debate at the Capitol, he says, while the state budget was decided in a day. Harr says far more time needs to be spent setting priorities for the state budget. And he opposes the 10-percent across-the-board cuts currently on the table to balance a projected budget shortfall that has just climbed past $1 billion. “I think that’s just the easy way out,” he says. “There are certain programs that are important, that we have to continue to fund, that we just can’t cut 10 percent from. And then there are other programs that are wanna haves, and we want to have them, but unfortunately in these times, we just can’t have them.” Harr did not give specifics for what programs he would cut, but emphasized what he sees as the primary role of government. “Specific programs? No, maybe the Admiral’s ship in the Governor’s navy,” he joked. “But what we have to do is really look at what are our priorities are as a state, and that’s … taking care of those who can’t take care of themselves, that’s probably our number one priority.” Harr says that means education is very important, as well as caring for senior citizens and the mentally handicapped. Those priorities are followed by growing our economy through job creation, he says. Harr’s opponent sees government’s role very differently. Republican John Comstock is a property manager and graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. On his campaign’s Facebook page, Comstock criticizes Washington’s “insatiable appetite for causing dependency through giving away other people’s money.” Comstock says government welfare programs are structured to provide no incentive to succeed for those receiving assistance. And just because there may be a lot of need, he says, and a program sees a lot of money changing hands, that does not mean it’s successful. That incentive is reversed, he

numberscruncher dates and campaigns in Nebraska this year: $74,700. Number of GOP legislative candidates whose campaign funds have nearly doubled thanks to Ricketts: 2. Amount TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts — Pete’s father — has contributed through a one-man Political Action Committee to defeat Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in Nevada: $860,000.

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City Council’s GLBT vote noted nationally

“H

Burke Harr

says, when the family or church steps in to help someone in need. “One of government’s main goals, historically,” he says, “has been to grow and to get more authority. “There’s a lot of well-meaning people that serve in these different government welfare groups, but if they did something that actually cured people and turned their lives around, they would be out of a job.” When asked how that idea might play out in a practical example, such as the state’s current efforts to privatize the foster care system, Comstock said business has the same reverse incentive as government — to turn a profit, rather than say, improve a foster child’s life. So how would he go about changing the structure of government services? “It could be a long process,” he says. “We in Nebraska offer benefits that are very generous with taxpayer’s money. I think we have to take a look at everything government does … with continued on page 10 y

orrible.” That’s how Jeff Schamp described the gay community’s perception of Omaha after the City Council voted against an ordinance on Oct. 26 prohibiting discrimination based on sexual identity and gender expression. “When you look at this big picture, it’s shocking what they came down with,” says Schamp, executive director of Citizens For Equal Protection. That picture was seen far outside Omaha. Bloggers from New York City to Salt Lake City took up the cause, posting contact information for council members and the Omaha Chamber of Commerce. “If you were planning on any business or personal travel to Omaha, let the Chamber of Commerce know if this news changes your plans,” Joe Jervis wrote on his popular blog, Joe My God. The blog’s coverage of gay rights issues has been featured on MSNBC and in The Village Voice. The Twitter hash tag #OmahaCityCouncil burned for days with messages of outrage, disappointment and support for the local GLBT community. Schamp says his organization has been contacted by a number of national gay rights advocacy groups as it plans its next step in the fight for protection from discrimination. Despite mounting pressure from business owners and religious groups who opposed the ordinance, the decision still came as a shock to Schamp. “I was surprised, very much so,” Schamp says. “The couple of votes on the council we had the night before didn’t show up the next day.” The amendment to the city charter, introduced by Councilman Ben Gray, failed on a 3-3 vote. Councilmen Gray, Pete Festersen and Chris Jerram voted in favor of the ordinance. Thomas Mulligan, Garry Gernandt and Jean Stothert voted against. Franklin Thompson abstained. Schamp says his organization is working on a process that could bring the matter back before the council in the coming months. — Brandon Vogel

theysaidit

IT’S MY PARTY: Amount former senate candidate Pete Ricketts has donated to GOP candi-

UPFRONT

Photo courtesy Burke Harr campaign

Government’s role the issue in District 8

n o r m a n

Source: Federal Election Commission

news

“If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.” — President John F. Kennedy during his 1961 inaugural address, a speech written in part by longtime adviser Ted Sorensen. Sorensen, a Nebraska native, died at 82 on Sunday of complications from a stroke.


Bellevue University Grant Program Serves Students and Businesses

B

ellevue University is celebrating 15 affordability, and relevant curriculum years of award winning, online learn- necessary to meet that demand. The One University, Endless ing and community members who want to make a difference in another per- Opportunities program is available online at son’s life are welcome to join in the celebra- www.bellevue.edu/grant. Just access this tion. The University is proud offer the “One website, complete the easy instructions, University, Endless Opportunities” program. insert the recipient’s email address and The One University, Endless Opportunities send the award. In a matter of minutes program offers educational grants to moti- users can send a personalized message vated students who are ready to learn. The along with the grant to their designated program features 1,500 grants worth $500 recipients. Awards are available to U.S. each and members of the community will citizens who are new students to Bellevue Only one certificate award decide who receives the grants by issuing University. them online to recipients of their choosing. per recipient is allowed. Students must Participants can make a real difference in enroll in a minimum of nine credit hours the lives of others as the demand for an to qualify. The program helps employers and job educated workforce continues to rise. Among the first to offer degree programs seekers address the increasing demand online, the private, non-profit University for post-secondary education in the U.S. workforce. Businesses was the first accredited “After more than overwhelmingly identify institution to offer an the ability to attract online MBA. Today the 40 years, we have and retain skilled University offers over never lost sight of staff as one of the key 60 degree programs on its award-winning our guiding principle factors to their success. online platform. which is to positively Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate Nationally recognized impact the lives of that over the next five as a leader in adult years over 70 percent learning, the University our students” of new employment attributes its success opportunities will require a post-secondary to its student-focused approach. “After more than 40 years, we have never education. In order to meet that demand lost sight of our guiding principle which is to the U.S. will need a 10 percent increase in positively impact the lives of our students,” the number of students graduating each said Mary B. Hawkins, Ph.D., president year through 2018. “Offering a friend, family member of Bellevue University. “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our success than by or coworker a grant to jumpstart their sharing that ability to change lives with the educational journey truly provides endless opportunities,” continued Dr. Hawkins. community.” The timing of this program couldn’t be “The best part of this program is that better, given current economic challenges. the community decides who receives the Reports indicate that those with college grants, not the University. Post-secondary degrees will average twice the estimated credentials are essential as businesses vie for lifetime earnings, compared to workers with more highly skilled and educated workers. only a high school diploma. Employers We all know people who could reach their need an educated workforce to remain personal and professional milestones if the competitive and our student-focused, real right opportunity were to come along. That world approach provides the convenience, opportunity is here and now.”

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Reall Learning ffor Reall Life f bellevue.edu A non-profit university, Bellevue University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools • www.ncahlc.org 800-621-7440 • Bellevue University does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or disability in the educational programs and activities it operates. 14182 - 10/10

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thenewshound

P O L I T I C O | L AW A N D O R D E R | B U S I N E S S A N D D E V E L O P M E N T

Pipeline decision months away Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ruffled feathers two weeks ago when she said the State Department was “inclined” to approve the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. Opponents of the nearly 2,000-mile line that would pump 37 billion gallons of oil a day from Canada to Texas immediately raised concerns over the comments, but now an anonymous State Department source tells Reuters that a decision is still months away. “No decision will be made on the pipeline project until after the full environmental review has generated a final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and until after the department has received input from other relevant agencies on whether permitting the pipeline would be in the national interest,” the source says. But in Nebraska, Clinton’s comments are still echoing. Sen. Ben Nelson sent a letter last week asking the State Department to carefully consider environmental and scientific data before making a rash political decision. On Monday, Sen. Mike Johanns wrote to Clinton asking for a supplemental EIS that would examine alternative routes for the pipeline. “I, along with many Nebraskans, remain concerned that the health of the Ogallala Aquifer may be unnecessarily put at risk by the current route proposed for the Keystone XL Pipeline,” Johanns wrote in the Nov. 1 letter. The aquifer supplies more than 80 percent of the drinking water in Nebraska, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

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NOV. 4 - 10 , 2010

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news

TransCanada says it is optimistic that the project will meet its scheduled start date of early 2013.

Prosecutors: Cocaine deal led to Sanchez-Gonzales shooting Three people were charged Oct. 27 with firstdegree murder in connection with the shooting of Cesar Sanchez-Gonzales at his South Omaha auto repair business on Oct. 22. Investigators say the murder resulted from a cocaine deal gone bad. Prosecutors identified Robert Nave, 36, of Kansas City, as the alleged gunman. Along with Kim Thomas, 57, and Shawn McGuire, 41, both with Kansas City ties, the Nave arranged to purchase a kilogram of cocaine from Omaha resident Cesar Ayala-Martinez, 20, at Sanchez Auto Repair, 4333 S. 24th St. Federal and local officers were staked out in the area awaiting a drug deal with an unnamed informant at the same shop, and responded to the scene after hearing gunfire. Nave, Thomas, McGuire and Ayala-Martinez were arrested a short time later after crashing their vehicle near 20th and I. Ayala-Martinez was charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. Police are searching for a fifth man, Abdul Vann, 35, in connection with the case. There have been 27 homicides in Omaha this year, compared to 25 at this time in 2009.

City pledges to fix fire finances How bad is the record keeping in the Omaha Fire Department? Bad enough that Nebraska


Harper’sindex DIRTY WAR: Minimum number of people prosecuted so far by the Obama

Administration for leaking classified documents: 4. Number prosecuted under the Bush Administration: 0. Number of instances in which the zcharacterized the practice of waterboarding as torture before 2004: 44. Number of times

that it has since then: 2 .

State Auditor Mike Foley says he can’t perform a department audit because the financial books are too disorganized. In a report released Oct. 28, Foley called the OFD’s payroll and time sheets “inadequate and unreliable,” saying there was no way to tell if employees were working their assigned shifts. Foley also questioned the oversight of a $39,000 discretionary spending account that was funded through public donations. The city says it is overhauling the time reporting process and hopes to have Foley provide a full audit next year. The Omaha City Council voted to accept Foley’s findings on last week.

UNL gets federal biofuel center The U. S. Department of Agriculture announced last week that the University of Nebraska-Lincoln would house one of five new federal biofuel research centers. The centers are funded with $10 million from the 2010 Agricultural Appropriations Bill and operated by the Agricultural Research Service and the U.S. Forest Service. The four additional centers, some operating from more than one location, will be located in Wisconsin, Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama, Arizona, Washington and Oregon. “We’re already America’s breadbasket,” Sen. Ben Nelson said following the announcement. “Thanks to projects like these, we’re also becoming America’s gas tank.” Nebraska currently ranks second in the country in ethanol production, trailing only Iowa.

z

Cornell University agricultural expert David Pimentel found in 2005 that corn-based ethanol requires 70 percent more energy to produce than the energy it yields. “Abusing our precious croplands to grow corn for an energy-inefficient process that yields low-grade automobile fuels amounts to unsustainable subsidized food burning,” he says.

Dodge St. bank robbed A white male made off with an undetermined amount of money after robbing the Omaha State Bank near 156th and Dodge Monday afternoon. Police have posted a photo of the man taken from surveillance footage at omahacrimestoppers.net but have made no arrests.

Shooting Rounds Rodney Anderson, 21, is expected to survive after being shot Oct. 26 near 33rd and Fowler. Police made two arrests in the case: Willie McIntrye, 30, will be charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm charges; and Tracy Johnson, 20, faces attempted murder and a pair of weapons charges. Tiffany Long, 29, survived after allegedly being shot by her boyfriend, Quo Vadis Kellog, 30, Saturday night at 4339 Fowler Ave. Kellog was arrested on felony firearm and domestic violence charges. Four people survived after being shot early Sunday morning following an argument outside Juba Restaurant, 1102 Northwest Radial Hwy. Police have made no arrests. — Brandon Vogel

Welcoming Ready for an inclusive, diverse, and authentic spiritual experience? You’re invited to join us for worship on Sundays at 8:30 and 10:50 am. 7020 Cass · fumcomaha.org

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benevolent ideas and see historically what has happened, if those people are better off, if those programs have worked.” Comstock wants to eliminate state income tax. He says we need to get away from the idea that government needs the money. Comstock and Harr find some common ground on an unlikely issue — illegal immigration. They are both cold to the idea of an Arizonastyle immigration bill, likely to be introduced at the Capitol next session, but for different reasons.

booked n Nebraska Center for the Book will highlight 2010

One Book One Nebraska, honor winners of the 2010 Jane Geske and Nebraska Book Awards, and announce the book choice for the 2011 One Book One Nebraska at its Celebration of Nebraska Books, Nov. 6. The program will run from 2:30-6:30 p.m. at the Nebraska State Historical Society’s Nebraska History Museum, 131 Centennial Mall North, in Lincoln. The celebration is open to the public and will include a program by Dr. Joseph J. Wydeven on The Home Place by Wright Morris, the 2010 One Book One Nebraska. One Book One Nebraska is a statewide reading program encouraging Nebraskans to read and discuss the same book. The 2010 Nebraska Book Awards honor authors and publishers of books in categories with a Nebraska connection published in 2009. Winners will read from and sign copies of their works. The 2010 Jane Geske Award will be presented to an organization, business, library, school, association or group

Harr says he couldn’t support a bill that would potentially land Nebraska in court, until he sees how Arizona’s legal battle plays out. While Comstock says he couldn’t support the bill either, because of the likely impact on citizens’ freedom to travel freely. If Nebraska stops being a “welfare state,” Comstock says, we wouldn’t have an illegal immigration problem in the first place. Voters were deciding between the two candidates as The Reader went to press. , This story was produced by KVNO News.

that’s made an exceptional contribution to literacy, books, reading, libraries or literature in Nebraska. n Lit Undressed, combining art, poetry and nudity, invites your submissions for its Spring 2011 event: poetry, short-short fiction or essays (limited to 200 words) inspired by the spirit of women of the Beat movement. Selected works will be read during the next Lit Undressed performance at RNG Gallery, March 31, by nude figure models, authors or with excerpts painted by an artist on models’ bodies. Submit works to litundressed@yahoo.com by Dec. 15. For more details, visit LitUndressed’s Facebook page. n If you’ve been swept up in the Stieg Larsson series (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, etc.), you’re probably getting impatient with the legal issues surrounding the release of other works the late author left behind. It’s gonna be a while before the fourth (and fifth?) book in the series is released, if ever. Meanwhile consider adding Random House’s upcoming Millennium boxed series to your Christmas list. The set will contain the series’ three installments and an 85-page book, entitled On Steig Larsson, with essays from colleagues, friends and his editor to tide you over. — Kyle Tonniges


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Heartland Healing examines various alternative

forms of healing. It is provided as a source of information, not as medical advice. It is not an endorsement of any particular therapy, either by the writer or The Reader. Access past columns at HeartlandHealing.com

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Dem Bones Calcium is an important nutrient mineral. But there’s more involved. Touting the calcium content of a food that is high in fat, cholesterol, sugars and hormones and is linked to cancer and heart disease recalls tobacco ads from the 1950s and ’60s that highlighted smokes “easy on the throat” or “doctors’ choice.” Plus, consumption of milk is suspected of causing poorer, not better, bone health.

Osteoporosis and the milky myth by Michael Braunstein

got milk?” is the ubiquitous catchphrase of the ad campaign launched in 1993 by madmen at Goodby Silverstein & Partners agency in California. It’s doubtful even their most optimistic projection anticipated it would take on a life of its own and become a social phenomenon. The ads’ white-mustachioed figureheads number in the hundreds and include politicians, actors, athletes and other notables. The underlying endorsement is that cow milk “does a body good.” However, science and critics don’t agree. Many say milk does more harm than good. The dairy industry, like other agribusiness giants, is subsidized by federal tax dollars. Pricing has been controlled since the 1930s. Cow milk is virtually force-fed to school kids (by default, as part of the federal school lunch program) and the massive marketing campaign waged by milk producers’ associations does the rest. While Americans consume more milk than other countries, we continue to have far more incidence of osteoporosis. Bone health is one of milk’s top selling points. The backbone of the milk industry’s pitch is that milk provides calcium and calcium is needed for healthy bones. It’s a narrow plank on a shaky platform.

1976

Hey kids! Osteoporosis isn’t an “old people” disease Up to 85 percent of skeletal growth happens in our teen years. That is when we should pay attention to the body’s building blocks. In the case of skeletal structure, much of that means minerals and not only calcium. It’s a balance thing. Too much calcium (hardly likely in today’s teenager,) can be problematic, and how we get our calcium plays into how healthy our bones grow. Milk doesn’t appear to be the best source, according to several researchers.

Udder nonsense The real hot button comes from studies linking milk to cancer. Some found more than two glasses of milk daily doubles the risk of ovarian cancer. WebMD reported “Study Links Milk to Ovarian Cancer” with the subhead “But Experts Say Results Do Not Mean Women Shouldn’t Drink Milk.” Of course the “expert” WebMD quotes is a registered dietitian identified as a spokesperson for the American Dairy Council. Lower on the radar screen is a drug in milk that’s given to increase cows’ milk production.

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Monsanto (which gave us Agent Orange and Roundup) sell Posilac to dairy farmers. Posilac is a genetically engineered drug otherwise known as recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone or rBGH. It increases production in cows about 10 to 15 percent, just enough to pay for the drug and maybe a few pennies more. Monsanto insists it is safe; after all, it’s FDA approved. (That would be the same FDA that said Vioxx was safe. Along with about two dozen other drugs pulled off the market in the last 10 years.) Critics cite a link between elevated hormone levels in milk with breast and other cancers. For a scathing indictment of hormones in pumping up milk production and what it means to humans, visit seedsofdeception.com.

Elsie doesn’t live here anymore If milk isn’t better than kale, almonds or exercise at building bones, and it has links to cancer, why drink it? Good question. Perhaps because it tastes good and Angelina Jolie looks hot with that moustache. (Oops! This just in: Angelina switched to soy!) It’s important to know crucial calcium is available from other sources. The Harvard School of Public Health website, hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/calcium.html, suggests compelling reasons why milk might not be the best choice for health, including the links to cancer. They provide a list of alternative sources for high quality calcium that includes green leafy vegetables, broccoli, blackeyed peas, sardines, canned salmon and more.

Shell game In the 1980s, eggs got a bad rap, suspected of raising cholesterol. That was false. Evidence shows

eggs are among nature’s most well-balanced food sources — as long as you get them from a farmer you know and not a salmonella-ridden industrial producer. And a very cool thing about eggs: they come in their own nutrient-rich, natural packaging — the eggshell. Vince Gironda, famed Iron Guru and trainer to the stars — including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Clint Eastwood, Cher and David Lee Roth(!) — was a vocal advocate of natural, free-range eggs. He lectured me about them in the early ’80s. He gave me a recipe for a blender drink that included raw cream and farm eggs, with other ingredients. He insisted an essential part of the blend was the eggshells. “You won’t find a better balance of minerals on the planet,” he said. And who was I to argue with a 65-year old Siciliano who would still bench 300 pounds? Vince was rarely wrong. Eggshells are an excellent source of bio-available calcium. Provided the eggs are from a good source, simply rinse the shells and let them dry thoroughly. Then use a blender, spice grinder or food processor to finely pulverize them. A half-teaspoon is about 400 mg. of available calcium. Don’t have a blender or food processor? No problem. Go “low tech” with a rolling pin. Add the powder to a glass of juice and forego the dairy. Much more is involved with maintaining healthy bones: exercise, other vital nutrients and avoiding soda pop, for example. But if you’re one who finds major ad campaigns, government subsidies and eating food designed for the infant of other species good enough reason to suspect milk doesn’t do a body good, there are better. Be well. ,


Featuring a Prime Rib buffet

every Wednesday Evening from 5:30pm to 9:00pm. Buffet includes all you can eat Prime Rib, carved to order, Baked Potatoes with all the fixings, Garden Fresh Salads, an array of wonderful dessert selections and delicious entrĂŠes created by Executive Chef Terry Owen.

All for $18.95

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dish n e w

Anthony’s Steakhouse/The Ozone Club For more than 38 years, Anthony’s has been known for its steaks, using premium black angus beef aged on premises. Anthony’s is dedicated to bringing customers a truly special dining event every visit. 7220 F St. • 331.7575 anthonyssteakhouse.com Bailey’s Best breakfast in town. “King of Eggs Benedict.” 1 block south of 120th & Pacific • 932-5577 absolutelyfresh.com

Cascio’s Steakhouse Established 1946, 63 years of selling great steaks. 1620 S. 10th St. • 345-8313 casciossteakhouse.com Dundee Dell Omaha’s Finest Neighborhood Restaurant & Pub 5007 Underwood Ave. • 553.9501 dundeedell.com Hector’s Boasting the only Baja-style Mexican cuisine in the city, Hector’s serves fresh food with panache from Baja California and northwest Mexico. Two Locations: 1201 S. 157th St. • 884.2272 3007 S. 83rd Plz. • 391.2923 hectorsomaha.com La Casa Pizzeria Fine Italian Dining Since 1953. Located on historic Leavenworth street in midtown Omaha, La Casa has the freshest pizza in town. 4432 Leavenworth St. • 556.6464 lacasapizzaria.net La Mesa An authentic Mexican experience, from mouthwatering enchiladas to fabulous fajitas. Top it off with one of La Mesa’s famous margaritas. Voted # 1 Mexican Restaurant seven years in a row. Locations: 156th and Q • 763.2555 110th & Maple • 496-1101 Ft. Crook Rd. and 370 (Bellevue) • 733.8754 84th and Tara Plaza (Papillion) • 593.0983 Lake Manawa Exit (Council Bluffs) • 712.256.2762 la-mesa.com

Shucks Fish House & Oyster Bar Great Seafood. Great Prices. Southwest corner of 168th & Center 1218 S 119 St. • 827.4376 absolutelyfresh.com Ted & Wally’s Premium Ice Cream Voted best ice cream in Omaha! 1120 Jackson St. • 341.5827

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Defining Delicious

MCC Chef-Instructor Brian O’Malley celebrates regional food

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Blue Planet Natural Grill Healthy People. Healthy Planet. 6307 Center St. • 218.4555 blueplanetnaturalgrill.com

Matsu Sushi Downtown’s Original Sushi Restaurant 1009 Farnam St. • 346-3988 matsusushi.wordpress.com

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by Phil Jarrett

Attic Bar & Grill Great food and great drinks with live music. 3231 Harney St. • 932.5387 atticbarandgrill.com

McDonald’s will reintroduce the McRib for a six-week run starting Nov. 2. The barbecue-sauced pork patty with onions and pickles has had as many farewell tours as Cher and notoriously appears only for a limited time, so if you’re a fan you should probably get while the gettin’s good. — Kyle Tonniges

rian O’Malley ate out six times last week. This may seem strange for the President of the Heartland Chapter of the American Culinary Federation and a Chef-Instructor who’s been at the Institute for the Culinary Arts at Metropolitan Community College since 2003. If anyone were capable of setting a saliva-inspiring table or packing a brown bag full of flavor, it would be this man. For O’Malley, the case for dining out is simple. “In one day a chef probably makes more dishes than a person makes in their whole life,” O’Malley says. “It is the same case I make for having someone else do your taxes. The difference is you’ve done 15 tax returns and the tax preparer has done 1,500 a year. So sure, they don’t know your situation, but with just a smidgeon of half a second of thought on their part, they now know yours and a million other ways.” While O’Malley may frequently defer his expertise to other professionals over dining Brian O’Malley hours, make no mistake: food is his full-time job. Local food is his full-time passion. Citing Warren Buffett, patron saint of modest millionaires, as a parallel to the ultra-fine-dining scene not being a part of Omaha’s spirit, Omaha native O’Malley bears the same characteristics of that spirit in conversation: Cultured. Sophisticated but never pretentious. Like an eager philosopher sharing a discovery, he waves his arms discussing an artisan vinegar from western Nebraska. His sentences simultaneously reference balsamic vinegar’s holy grail of Modena, Italy and the term “melt-your-face amazing.” The one-of-a kind

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vintage vinegar he says, is “the best balsamic moment in your life and multiply it by 100. I’m not even kidding.” Delivering his argument for local food with similar enthusiasm, hardly preachy or political — although he can sell the moral and ecological aspects well — O’Malley seems genuinely in love with regional eating. This love for local stretches beyond bragging about the new 3,500 square-foot garden used by the cultivation class at Metro. He brags of eating Bronco burgers for breakfast, then imagines the Omaha landmark locally sourcing its beef, tomatoes and chicken. “They could knock it out of the park,” he says. “I already love it, but I think their delicious would ratchet up along with their ability to tell their story as an Omaha joint.” For those wondering if they misread the quote, it is delicious as a noun, delicious not as something that happens to a food but a thing in and of itself. For O’Malley, Omaha delicious includes the more avant-garde experiences of the Sage Student Bistro and Boiler Room. This is but one segment of the dining experience. Like traditional music or carols, he says, you must understand the original before you can understand what newer artists are doing with it. Part of this basic Omaha culinary education for the layperson is a good grilled ham and cheese sandwich: the Croque– Monsieur at Dario’s. If you haven’t tried it or any items at local eateries, O’Malley says, “there’s no sense trying any of the crazy stuff elsewhere.” This notion of building reserves of dining experience to appreciate artisan food speaks somewhat against delicious as noun, as a spontaneous event. The irony isn’t lost on O’Malley, who, let’s remember, grades students on their ability to consistently deliver delicious. With each unique set of taste buds as judge in the classroom or at dinner rush, O’Malley says meeting expectations is the whole story of the restaurant world. “We’re going to establish an objective standard for [a dish] that you will meet no matter what. Period,” he says. “Then we’ll tell you that you have to be open, enADAM BRUBAKER

84th Street Café Serving delicious cost-conscious food. 8013 S. 83rd Ave. • 597-5003 www.facebook.com/84thstcafe

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crumbs n Your local vegan restaurant, Daily Grub, is now serving dinner Tuesday through Saturday from 5:309 p.m. The restaurant, at 20th and Pierce, used to be exclusively a lunch spot, serving sopes, soups and fresh juice to diners on weekdays. Check out dailygrubomaha.com. n Shawn Robinson, of Urban Wine Co. origins, and his partner Lila Anderson are opening another winefocused restaurant called Nosh Wine Lounge about five blocks due north of UWC (at 10th and Dodge). The menu will focus on appetizers and feature up to 80 wines by the glass, plus bottle service. The restaurant is slated to open in February. Visit noshwine.com. — Lainey Seyler n Those crazy Japanese scientists keep discovering new flavors. First it was umami, the detection of savory, and now it’s kokumi. Unlike salty, sweet and bitter, the compounds that make up kokumi don’t have a distinct flavor. Rather, kokumi acts as a sort of amplifier for flavors, making salty foods saltier, savory foods more savory and sweet foods more sweet. While that won’t affect your dinner plans, it’s good news for food scientists, as this creates the potential to create better tasting, more healthful options. By upping the kokumi in, say, potato chips, they could make a low-fat version as satisfying as its greasy, salty cousin.  n Can’t put down starchy food? It might be in your genes. Researchers at Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia recently found the amount of amylase, an enzyme in an individual’s saliva, dramatically affected how the person perceived the texture of starchy food. The study found populations with a historically high-starch diet had more amylase, which helps explain why noodles, dumplings, mashed potatoes and bread are like crack for some people. — Kyle Tonniges Comments? Questions? Want more? Check out our Booked blog online at thereader.com. Or email us at booked@thereader.com.

gaged and malleable to the demands of your customers once you [graduate].” Learning to navigate that divide requires knowledge and practice. O’Malley, coaches the Culinary Team of Nebraska that competes nationally “feeding people that aren’t hungry and aren’t paying for it.” The value of these exercises is not the events, but practicing a dish dozens of times until delicious is deliverable in competition and ultimately in Omaha’s kitchens. Despite the noble truth, “sometimes cooking is about boring,” Brian O’Malley is passionate about educating students and patrons about his world. And when he isn’t living it, he’s eating it six times in one week. ,


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days Nov. 5-24

On and Off the Wall: Iggy Sumnik Solo

The New BLK, 1213 Jones St.  Opening reception Nov. 5, 6-10 p.m.  403.5619, thenewblk.com

The New BLK is that new, quirky, part gallery, part design firm that’s making ripples in Omaha’s art community. Having covered visual and performing arts, they move forward with a solo show from Detroit transplant, Iggy Sumnik. After moving here on a three-year commitment as an assistant to Jun Kaneko, Sumnik’s time alongside the art sage has expired and he’s since taken up his studio at Omaha Clay Works. The work he’ll display is a fusion of media, pattern, color and form with an industrial or organic slant. His work will literally be displayed on a wall, and off of it, using electric outlets and pipes to make his point about “the impact of man and culture on the natural elements present in our surrounding.” — Brent Crampton

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Carol Burnett

Nov. 4, 6-7

The World Goes Round

Jewish Community Center, 333 S. 132nd St. Nov. 4 & 6, 7 p.m.; Nov. 7, 2 p.m. 706.0778, jccomaha.org

You just may recognize a few of these songs. The World Goes Round is a musical review featuring the work of Kander and Ebb — the duo behind shows like Chicago, Cabaret, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and movies like New York, New York and Funny Lady. This is the Mother Lode for fans of Broadway musicals. “There is not a bad song in the show, and it moves fast … there is tap dancing, banjo playing, roller skating, singing in foreign languages … each song tells its own story,” says actress Kirstin Kluver. “Theme is: that no matter what, the world goes round … somebody loses and somebody wins … but the world goes round.” The show features some of Omaha’s best talent and it has been hailed as the best show ever at the JCC. You be the judge. — Andy Roberts

FRIDAY5 Nov. 5

Dark Star Orchestra

Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. 9 p.m., $25, radkadillac.com Dark Star Orchestra is not so much a tribute band as an almost scientifically recreated live music experience. Drawing on specific Grateful Dead setlists or just mixing up Dead originals and songs the Dead covered to create a unique evening of trippy dance tunes; DSO has made a name for itself delighting Deadheads coast to coast with its faithful performances. And while there is still a small chance you’ll be able to score a veggie burrito in the parking lot, these shows are more about the music than the

| THE READER |

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parking lot culture and are sure to spark memories for older Heads, and show younger kids the magic The Dead could create. — Jesse D. Stanek

SATURDAY6 Nov 6.

Omaha Jaycees’ Wig Party

Dundee Dell, 5007 Underwood Ave. 7 p.m., $5, omahajaycees.org The Omaha Jaycees are throwing a wig party! Featuring door prizes and the Dundee Dell’s good eats, the party provides a chance to have fun and meet young professionals … in wigs. Sounds a little cheesy at first, but the $5 donation is in support of the Locks of Love Organization, a foundation that makes real wigs for children afflicted by various illnesses. So if last weekend wasn’t enough and you’re thirsting to dress up, or if you need an excuse to wear that Halloween wig again, this is a great opportunity to do it while contributing to a good cause. — Chalis Bristol

Nov. 6

Celebration of Nebraska Books

Nebraska History Museum, 131 Centennial Mall N. in Lincoln, 2:30-6:30 p.m., FREE 471.3434, centerforthebook.nebraska.gov A new Nebraska Center for the Book event celebrating the state’s literary chops features this year’s Nebraska Book Awards winners. Nonfiction prize-winner Joe Starita, author of I Am a Man: Chief Standing Bear’s Journey for Justice, will be among those reading from their work. Two iconic Nebraska writers, Wright Morris and Loren Eiseley, will be posthumously feted. Joseph Wydeven will wax about the Morris novel, The Home Place, the 2010 One Book One Nebraska selection. The Anthology Honor will recognize The Loren Eiseley Reader, a collection of Eiseley writings and Aaron Franco illustrations, with a foreword by Ray Bradbury. The Jane Geske Award will go to the Hastings College English Department for the exceptional contributions of its Plainsongs poetry magazine. The event closes with a wine and cheese reception and author signings. — Leo Adam Biga


the r eader’s entertainment picks Nov. 6-30

nov . 4 - 1 0 , 2 0 1 0

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical Nov. 10

Weapons Of Choice

Lotus w/ Mux Mool and Inflect

Hot Shops, 1301 Nicholas St. Opening reception Nov. 6, 6-9 p.m. Open Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.-Sun. 12-4 p.m. 342.6452, hotshopsartcenter.com The DeBuse trio collaborates for the third time with Weapons of Choice — a title artist Cat DeBuse says “refers more to the ‘weapons’ or tools that we use to make our art, since we have multiple art forms, rather than the content of the show.” Daughter Cat looks beyond simple medium, debuting her multi-genre photography focusing on alternative processes such as salt prints, tin types, and wax transfers, taken in her studio of an object she only describes as “very important to me my entire life, that was recently destroyed.” Mama Carole, of Dancin’ Horse Designs, will show some of her newly completed fantastical ceramics, as well as recently created gemstone jewelry with her rich, colorful flare. Son Tom looks to the country for inspiration for his photography series, Farm Life, Embracing Nature From Minute to Major, including still life and macro images from local lands. It’s sure to be a warm, familial affair, weapons and all. — Sally Deskins

SUNDAY7 Nov. 7

Laughter and Reflection With Carol Burnett

Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. 7 p.m., $45-$125, 345.0606 omahaperformingarts.org Ever wanted to banter with the queen of variety improv? Of course you have, so put down that Mayor Suttle recall form and head on over to the Holland Center this Sunday night. Burnett, the former host of the long-running Carol Burnett Show, is giving mere mortals an intimate night of spontaneous Q&A with her. Winner of awards that range

Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. 9 p.m., $15 ADV/$18 DOS onepercentproductions.com

Lotus is six dudes playing something of a dancier Phish. The Philadelphia- and Denver-based group has carved its own sonic niche with its rock-heavy, improvisational sets, and cultivated die-hards across the world with its live, multimedia spectacles. Lotus is touring the country supporting material from 2009’s Oil on Glass/ Feather on Wood EPs, about the latter of which blog Avante/Chicago said, “When listened to as a whole, this EP is an emotive, moving piece of music not for where it takes you, but for where it leaves you. Each song seems like a dream, a warm hallucination.” — Andrew Norman

Nov. 10

Rem Koolhaas: A Kind of Architect and Koolhaas Houselife

from Emmys to Golden Globes to a Presidential Medal of Freedom, Burnett knows her stuff and at a youthful 77 is still offering laughs in a unique and personal way. — Jarrett Fontaine

TUESDAY9 Nov. 9-14

Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical

Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St.  Tues.-Thurs. 7:30 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 11 a.m., 2 p.m. & 5 p.m.; $25 omahaperformingarts.org Every year around Thanksgiving I put on my onepiece pajamas (with feet), lie down on my stomach with my head resting in my palms and enjoy CBS’

Film Streams’ Ruth Sokolof Theater, 1340 Mike Fahey St.  7 p.m.; $9, $4.50 members yearly showing of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. $7 senior/student  Much like A Christmas Story, it’s become a tradi- 933.0259, filmstreams.org tion in my family to prove who can recite the dialogue word for word the best. It never gets old. For one week this November, your family can turn the TV off and enjoy the record-breaking Broadway holiday production of the Dr. Seuss Classic at the Orpheum. The story takes on a new perspective, with Max the Dog narrating, and invites the audience to sing along to the hit songs “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch!” and “Welcome Christmas.” Hailing from Iceland and making his American stage debut is stage actor Stefán Karl, in the role of The Grinch. “It’s a dream role”, Karl told the Worcester Telegram and Gazette. “It fits me like a glove. I hate Christmas a little bit myself.” Perhaps, at the end of the 66-show tour, his heart will grow two more sizes after learning to love who-hash and roast-beast.  — James Derrick Schott

picks

Omaha Creative Institute and daOMA collaborate with Film Streams to bring a special screening and discussion of influential architects Rem Koolhaas. From founding Volume Magazine to creating masterpieces such as the Seattle Library or the Guggenheim Heritage Museum in Las Vegas, Koolhaas has gone beyond architecture to becoming an urban visionary, writer and social commentator. The evening will include two documentaries on Koolhaas, A Kind of Architect and Koolhaas Houselife, with a discussion in between led by daOMA President Tom Trenolone.  — Brent Crampton

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Courting Favor

Bemis offers something old, new, borrowed and blue with annual auction exhibit

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by Michael J. Krainak

f you are a patron of the arts you have gotten the memo, not to mention the email, Twitter and formal invitation: “Come join us at the 12th annual Bemis Center Art Auction and Exhibition. The favor of a reply is appreciated.” “Reply,” as in the pleasure of your company and participation in what for more than a decade has been the single most anticipated and enjoyable arts event in this region. The auction, which has grown to a three-night fundraising social affair, began Wednesday with a special cocktail preview. Patrons saw the work of 260+ area, national and international artists; 400+ pieces that ranged in value before auction from $60 to $60,000.

Mark Masouka, director of the Bemis Center, set this year’s fundraising goal at an ambitious $500,000, an anticipated $100,000 increase over last year’s objective. Based on the auction’s absentee bidding and “buy-it-now” feature, more than 30 pieces were sold for more than $30,000 by last weekend. Masouka attributes this early success to a four-week exhibition open since Oct. 8. Six years ago, he and former assistant director Jeremy Stern gave the auction a “dual role” by creating a multi-week exhibition prior to the fundraiser. “They [artists and public] stopped seeing it as just a fundraiser,” he said, “and the curators took a bigger role. Together the show became less about what would sell and more on significant, representative art. A better show will result in a better fundraiser.” Several improvements have been made in the show and auction to benefit potential collectors, artists and the center. One is the installation and hanging of the art. “In the past, it was all about managing and installing the huge amount of work on the first floor,” Masuoka said. “Now it’s more curatorial. We wanted to create a better viewing space, to keep it fresh.” He, Bemis curator Hesse McGraw and Underground manager Brigitte McQueen avoided the Salon style used in

Art By MARY ZICAFOOSE

To accommodate the number of offerings, the Bemis offers the first auction Thursday, Nov. 4, in the Underground only, 7-9 p.m., featuring 120+ works with a smaller price point and its own spin on refreshments and entertainment. The gala climaxes Saturday with its traditional silent auction, 5:30-10 p.m., followed by a live auction in Bemis’ newly renovated first floor galleries. The auction is the center’s biggest money-raising event budgeted to support exhibitions, public projects and international artist residency.

the past, where work covered walls virtually top to bottom, hanging the art with a consistent eye-level line. The result is the most pleasing auction exhibition to date, or what McGraw accurately calls, “a survey of significant contemporary art.” Best of all, the installation will allow for a more enjoyable and ecumenical experience come auction night. “The show provides a more level playing field for the work,” Masuoka says. “Each piece breathes, your

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mixedmedia eye doesn’t wander, allowing you to make more informed choices.” To further accommodate “a less stressful experience” Saturday night, Bemis is providing a buffet in a designated social area and a “smoother, more dramatic transition of closing down each area of the silent auction, because it’s been a bit too abrupt in the past,” Masuoka added. Each evening will enjoy its own vibe as Bemis continues to reach into the community and court the favor of artists and their shared audience. Though Bemis is the ultimate benefactor, everyone benefits in this courtship. The unknown each year is the audience. Judging by the show, the real gem in this annual exchange of vows, money and art, is that the venue and participating artists have done their part in offering something old, something new, something borrowed and a few things blue. “Old” because Bemis continues to count on such established artists as Betty Woodman, Deborah Masuoka, Therman Statom, Keith Jacobshagen and Christina Narwicz, to name but a few, who have contributed significant work. More emerging artists are familiar faces here as well, several whose edgier, alternative work is just shy of the mainstream, including Matt Lowe, Jamie Burmeister, Stephen Azevedo, Scott Blake, Jody Boyer and Russ Nordman. But viewers always appreciate “new” entrants to the auction and McQueen can take much of the credit here as several appear in the Underground by her invitation: Doug Boehm, Dan Crane, Mary Balda, Jennifer Balkan, Andrew Johnson, Hugo Zamorano and Kjell Peterson among others. McQueen says the Underground gives collectors “more options to purchase at all levels. It also offers emerging artists the chance to participate for the common goal while being shown alongside their influences and mentors.” “Something borrowed” applies to the work on consignment. And unless you take “blue” literally, as in the extraordinary palette of Kristin Pluhacek’s painting, “Laps II,” there are only a few nudes in the show including Rebecca Herskovitz’s sultry mixed media, “And So I Hurt You, Again and Again,” Tana Quincy’s subtle drawing “Founded,” Kristae Peterson’s figure study in oil “Winding Down,” and the provocative cut paper of Wanda Ewing, “POV.” Overall, McQueen and McGraw focused on three goals: creating a sustainable relationship between the Bemis, artists and the community; reinventing the exhibition itself; and reflecting both a local and global commitment to contemporary art in the venue. An added benefit, McGraw says, is that it gives the viewer a sense of an arc in the career of each artist who participates annually. Perhaps this show’s strongest suit is the careful groupings many works enjoy for a point of viewer comparison based on more than media or genre. continued on page 20 y

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n I’ve been waiting the better part of the summer for French performance artist ORLAN to arrive in Lincoln for a week-long stint at the Sheldon. (Full disclosure: I work at Sheldon.) ORLAN’s finally arrived and Friday, Nov. 5, at 5:30 p.m., as part of the Sheldon’s monthly First Friday celebration, she’ll lead a “round chair discussion” in her installation at the museum. Her piece ORLAN: The Harlequin Coat involves a series of Phillip Starck “ghost” chairs arranged in a circle. The rest of the group includes Sheldon Director Jorge Daniel Veneciano; Raphael Cuir; Rhonda Garelick, director of the UNL Interdisciplinary Arts Symposium; Matthew Gumpert, classicist and cultural critic from the Kadir Has University; and Marissa Vigneault, UNL professor of art history. The free event is open to the public. n Ballet Nebraska, the area’s newest dance company, is collaborating with Joslyn Art Museum to find inspiration for its next production. It’s first winter production, Momentum, featuring a mixed bag of dance styles, will premiere ballet nebraska at the museum Feb. 12. One dance will be inspired by a work of art from Joslyn’s permanent collection, and the public is asked to submit a vote on which piece they think would be most interesting or inspiring. Through Nov. 15, the public can vote at joslyn.org. The public can choose between a Mae Stevens acrylic piece called “Connemara (Rock Pool),” a green, glowing rendering of a pond; an ancient Egyptian bust called “Amenirdas I, the Divine Consort” by an unknown artist; or Sir Joshua Reynold’s “Portrait of Miss Franks,” a 1766 rendering of an aristocratic woman. n Omaha native Jim Krantz recently won the International Photographer of the Year award at the Lucies, presented in New York’s Lincoln Center. The award comes in the wake of Krantz being named advertising photographer of the year at the International Photography Awards and on the heels of his latest photography book, released just a few weeks ago. Krantz, who lives in Chicago, will show his work at an exhibition opening in May 2011 at the Old Market location of Anderson O’Brien gallery. — Sarah Baker Hansen Mixed Media is a column about art. Get local art updates at weekfiftytwo.com. Send ideas to mixedmedia@thereader.com.

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culture lifest yle, art, theater, books, fashion and more y continued from page 19 “The works also have a conversation in close proximity while still maintaining continuity,” McGraw said. “It’s based upon architectural principles of complexity and contradiction, density and intensity. The intention is to give viewers a sense of surprise looming around each corner in the show while still enabling decision making.” At times, groupings are deliberate, as in gender issues dealt with in Ewing’s “Would,” Heidi Bartlett’s “Revanche” and Christina Renfer Vogel’s oil “Event” in Gallery 1 or the idiosyncratic portraits of Mark Gilbert, Claudia Alvarez and Paolo Dolzan in Gallery 3. At times, the dialogue is across the gallery as with two singular landscapes, Larry Ferguson’s romantic and idealistic photo, “Bill Coffee’s Hat Creek Ranch” and Kent Bellows’ starkly realistic litho print, “River Bank.” Not all the “connections” are premeditated such as the curious rabbit motif in Amy Morin’s flopsy-mopsy fabric sculpture, “The Rose Rabbit of Inlé,” Fulvio de Pellegrin’s startling photo “I Mandanti,” Masuoka’s magisterial earthenware “Rabbit Head” or John Westmark’s metaphoric mixed media, “The Three Brothers.” There are many such groupings, but ultimately what catches the eye and ends up at home, work or play are those pieces viewers decide they can live with. Based on that presumption and criteria that include good value for the collector at any price, as well as work that is edgy, original and unified, this critic offers some favorite standouts. For beginning collectors or those on a budget, consider these pieces (in no particular order) under a “buy it now” price of under $1,000 though bidding will start lower: n Nicholas Bohac’s satirical, apocalyptic mixed media, “Futurescapes.” n Anja Sijben’s “Ideal Man-13,” a quirky perspective on the opposite sex in caricature. n Wanda Ewing’s provocative and polished cut paper collage “Would,” continuing her dialogue with race, gender and popular culture. n Larry Ferguson’s haunting black-and-white nightscape photo, “Midnight Mist, Antarctica.” n Brett Anderson’s “Exercising Demons,” one of his several woodcuts in the show that explore a dark side of a different nature. n Iggy Sumnik’s ceramic “Zulu pipe, Signs of Abuse” an industrial totem with socio-environmental issues. n Victoria Hoyt’s pleasingly designed mixed media “Sky Claustrophobic,” less folk narrative and more semiotic. n Andrew Johnson’s minimalist “Shepard & Vagabond,” an elegant study in air, metal and form. n Matt Carlson’s “Untitled (Head)” and Mike Bauer’s “Beast Thine Name Be Fear,” a contrasting study of how art gazes back upon the viewer. n Kjell Peterson’s wall of nine ceramic tiles whose wolf designs conjure up a den of iniquity rather than kitchen or bath. n Rebecca Herskovitz’s seductive and confessional pencil on panel, “And So I Hurt You, Again and Again.” For budgets over $1000 consider the following:

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n Christine Stormberg lives up to her last name with her ironic portrait “Minnie Mouse” which snarls attitude. n Conversely, Sora Kimberlain’s painting, an “Untitled” twosome, is sublimely subtle in its longing and introspection. n Susan Knight’s ephemeral cut paper “Rosette Submerged,” whose organic design is most appealing. n Myungjin Song’s “Duck’s Cross,” a contemporary take on the more traditional style of Korean artist, Seo. n Fulvio de Pellegrin’s “I Mandanti,” previously mentioned. n Paolo Dolzan’s auspicious and clay animated-like portrait, “Face.” n Julie Conway’s stunning and poetic glass light fixture, “Flamma Polarita.” n Heidi Bartlett’s austere and elegant Victorian cut paper relief, “Revanche.” n Liz Vercruyse’s earthen stoneware, “Pod Form as Icon,” that doesn’t need its title qualification to appreciate its mythic, iconic beauty. n Chris Machian’s trippy, black-and-white desert landscape, “Highway 97.” n Joe Broghammer’s “The Scarlet Weight,” a nicely rendered “dry painting” that blends satire and narrative And now, “Best in Show” at any price, again in no particular order: n Jennifer Balkan’s “Moths Fly to the Light,” a satirical, whimsical portrait that deserved all its pre-auction publicity. n Mark Gilbert’s disturbing, complicated “Anthony,” a woodcut from his Portraits of Care series. n Mary Ann Strandell’s 3D Lenticular print, “Model Home,” an ambitious site-specific wonder in architectural design. n Shaun Richard’s “Love in the Fast Lane,” on par with the darkest imagery of Dirk Skreber. n Fletcher Benton’s austere, contemporary metal sculpture “Folded Square Alphabet T Marquette.” n Vera Mercer’s painterly “All Ducks, Omaha,” a pristine photographic still life in Baroque style. n Betty Woodman’s “Balustrade Relief Vase,” an exquisitely organic and abstract puzzle of glazed earthenware. n Colin Smith’s “Chill,” his most mature-to-date experiment in resin and pigment on aluminum. n Matthew Kluber’s imaginative mixed media video painting, “No Place Like Utopia,” easily one of the most creative works in this auction. n John Westmark’s “The Three Brothers,” previously mentioned. n Mary Zicafoose’s tapestry, “Slash & Burn #1,” a vibrant, colorful contrast in perception and design. n Bill Hoover’s “Lovers on the Beach,” also a mature thematic and stylistic leap forward in oil and sand. n Deborah Murphy’s contrasty and geometric perspective “Little Pink” in black, white, gray and green acrylic as well, that may be the most understated gem in this show. , For more details visit bemiscenter.org.


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Et Tu, Brigit? Brigit Saint Brigit’s Julius Caesar boasts terrific cast by Warren Francke

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f he would be crowned king, Julius Caesar must come to the Roman Senate, despite all warnings. But his coming will reinforce the claims of his conspirators that he is far too ambitious. Thus unfolds the climactic action of Will Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar and sets the stage for the most famous public speeches in all his plays. Brigit Saint Brigit Theatre’s director, Cathy M.W. Kurz, presents a cast led by Jeremy Earl as Brutus and Andrew McGreevy as Mark Antony, the Romans who deliver their orations before the corpse of Caesar. The power of this classic is greatest in Act III when assassins led by Brutus and Cassius, artfully portrayed by John Hatcher, strike the blows for freedom from Caesar’s ambition, followed by the appeals from Brutus and Mark Antony to the populace. Brigit wisely splits these highlights with an intermission. We return to hear those speeches. Brutus justifying the murder “not that I loved Caesar less but that I loved Rome more,” and Antony insisting “Brutus is an honorable man” while inflaming the mob to “unleash the dogs of war.” And it works wonderfully, thanks to the measured gravitas of Earl as Brutus and the mock-sincerity of McGreevy as Antony. Equally effective is the clamoring crowd, much like a boisterous congregation that shouts “yes” and “amen” in response to a persuasive sermon. Kurz places the Roman mob toward the rear of the theater in the side aisles of the Downtown Space, drawing the audience into the emotional reaction. It was interesting to see how McGreevy maintained the pretense of Antony’s respect for the assassins, given that it’s tempting to drip sarcasm in pronouncing Brutus and the others as “all honorable men.” As Antony more candidly reports in a closing speech, only Brutus, “the noblest Roman of them all,” had honorable motives while the oth-

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ers led by Cassius were motivated primarily by envy of Caesar. Mark Scott’s treatment of Caesar was especially sympathetic, giving him a rather saintly quality, thanks to an easy eloquence that made each utterance clear as a mellow bell. Early in Act I, clarity also came with the appearance of Eric Grant-Leanna as a conspiratorial Casca, aiding Cassius in his wooing of Brutus to the plot. All three women in the male-dominated cast give memorable performances, with Laura Leininger particularly impressive as Portia, who as the wife of Brutus senses the horror to come. Ashley Spessard is Caesar’s wife, whose bloody nightmare brings her pleading for him to stay home that fateful day; and Mary Kelly’s soothsayer ominously delivers that most oft-quoted warning, “Beware the ides of March.” The supporting cast showed no significant weaknesses, although Chris Fowler’s strong recent performance for SkullDuggery Theatre wasn’t quite matched by his Octavius Caesar, the great-nephew of Julius. The work of scenic painter Craig Lee was most effective in enhancing interior settings, both in homes, the Roman forum and field tents. The frequent shifting of his murals by costumed cast members was less effective. And the sound design by Lucas Clopton was a roller-coaster experience of great highs and lows. You might enter the auditorium to hear some ungodly screeching of bagpipes or whoknows-what, or at other moments hear something more fittingly mood-setting. The clamor of battle worked believably during Act V. If the earlier performance played to the strengths of Brigit in recreating classic theater, the latter scenes of suicides and assisted suicides tend to seem melodramatic to modern eyes and ears. Even the most credible agonies of death can seem a bit overdone on a Halloween weekend., Julius Caesar runs Oct. 28-Nov. 13, Thurs.-Sat. 7:30 p.m. and Sun. 2 p.m., presented by the Brigit Saint Brigit Theatre in the Downtown Space, 614 S. 11th St. in the Old Market. Tickets are $22, $18 students/military/seniors. Call 502.4910 for reservations or visit bsbtheatre.com.

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coldcream n I wed Carol Burnett 15 years ago, so I have a number of questions for her Laughter and Reflections show which features her fielding queries from fans. Like, why haven’t we consummated the marriage? Being quick on the comeback, the performer may point out that I married a different Carol Burnett, one somewhat sweeter and lovelier but perhaps not as funny. But the rest of you might have less obvious questions, so sign up for her 7 p.m. Sunday session sponsored by Omaha Performing Arts at the Holland Center. It sounds like an appealing concept, providing audience participation and some spontaneity. And it’s probably less labor intensive for Ms. Burnett unless somebody insists on that overworked Tarzan yell. You can reserve $45 tickets the usual ways, by calling the Holland Center or at ticketomaha.com. n You may not yet be singing, “It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas,” but the Grinch brings his holiday grump to the Orpheum next week. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical opens Tuesday, Nov. 9, to continue a busy Broadway Across America season for Omaha Performing Arts. It features such songs from the original animated series as “You’re a mean one Mr. Grinch” and “Welcome Christmas.” And we’re spared the movie’s Jim Carrey. Omaha gets Stefan Karl from Iceland, who has played the Grinch for several seasons. The rest of the Dr. Seuss characters from Whoville return, including the narrator, Max the Dog. He’s played by Bob Lauder, an operatic baritone with credits ranging from Falstaff in the Verdi opera to Juan Peron in Evita and Santa Claus in a Vegas show. His bio quips that he survived the first national tour of Titanic. It runs through Sunday, Nov. 14, with an array of Saturday shows at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. That sounds like a killer schedule until you learn that it runs only 85 minutes without intermission. But four shows a day is still a load when it involves hauling that big bag of Christmas gifts up the mountain. n Good luck to Holy Cross Catholic Church with what is being billed with optimism as its “first annual melodrama,” The Dastardly Doctor Devaraux directed by Roxanne Wach. Actually, they call it a “medical melotrauma.” Starring Jeff Shields and Deb Kelly, the show runs Nov. 5-14 at the Holy Cross gym on S. 48th St., at 7:30 p.m., 6 p.m. on Sundays. — Warren Francke Cold Cream looks at theater in the metro area. Email information to coldcream@thereader.com.



INTRO DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY: A TERM COINED BY HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR CLAYTON M. CHRISTENSEN TO DESCRIBE A NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT UNEXPECTEDLY DISPLACES AN ESTABLISHED TECHNOLOGY. Welcome to the second issue of disRUPT, a partnership of The Reader, Scott Technology Center and Silicon Prairie News.

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disRUPT? Think Google, the iPod and Facebook. These are examples of disruptive businesses that changed the way we gather information, listen to and purchase music, and connect with friends. This publication is designed to give a glimpse into the lives of our region’s top disrupters — leaders, entrepreneurs, technologists, creatives and innovators. This partnership is unique. It brings together three seemingly disparate organizations that are vested in our community — a traditional media company, an emerging technology incubator and a young blog and events producer — to share knowledge and resources

disrupt

to cover and support unique individuals across the ends of the experience spectrum. Hopefully, you’ll look forward to the next issue of disRUPT. and more. Visit scott-technology.com, siliconprairienews.com and thereader.com to learn more about us. D Contributing Editor: Steve Brewer Photography: Marlon Wright, Bryce Bridges, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Contributors: Jesse Claeys, Jasmine Maharisi, Sean McCart


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Children’s Museum 0 Omaha Performing Arts 0 The Bemis Center 0 The Durham Museum 0 Opera Omaha 0 El Museu Latino 0 The Rose Performing Arts

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SCOTT DATA CENTER EXPANDING TO MEET GROWING NEEDS With the fast paced, ever changing and increased technology of today, do you ever wonder where all of that data and information is stored? You may be surprised to know that much of it lives in our backyard at Scott Data Center. Scott Data Center is one of the largest multi-tenant data center facilities within the Omaha area. Designed to support critical computing applications, the data center boasts a wellrounded list of attributes that makes it ideal for companies looking to locate IT operations and host disaster recovery solutions. When Scott Data Center opened in 2006, it offered client companies 50,000 square feet for multiple uses including secure data storage and private suite primary data center operations. Two years later, an additional 30,000 square feet were added, but demand soon outpaced that supply.

This year the center is again growing, adding 4,500 square feet to its co-location space and a 20,000 squarefoot building. The added space will take the center to 100,000 square feet — almost the size of two football fields. “With the expansion of the co-location and rollout of our Internet and managed services we are demonstrating our continued commitment to enhancing the facility offering,” says executive director Ken Moreano. It is home to industry, government and academic organizations, including small and medium-sized organizations that cannot afford their own, individual data centers. So the next time you update a database or save a document — just think — that data could be saved right down the street from you at the Scott Data Center. For more information visit scottdatacenter.com. D — Steve Brewer

UPTIME INSTITUTE TO CERTIFY SCOTT DATA CENTER Always staying one step ahead to provide the best possible service to its customers, Scott Data Center will become the first in Nebraska to be certified by the Uptime Institute. The Uptime Institute of Santa Fe, N.M., assesses data center reliability through a tiered ranking system. Scott Data Center is undergoing Uptime’s Tier III certification process, which is slated for completion by summer 2011. Uptime Institute vice president Julian Kudritzki says Tier III certification is superior to the “self certifications” performed by some data centers. “In Uptime Institute’s experience, the majority of self-certifications are inaccurate, sometimes off by two Tiers,” says Kudritzki. This certification complements Scott Data Center’s recent expansion,

which brought the center to 100,000 square feet. “With the expansion, we feel strongly that our facility design and construction be validated by an industry expert, independent thirdparty,” says Scott Technology Center executive director Ken Moreano. “The certification is just another step we’re taking to ensure that our site infrastructure can respond to all business requirements our customers are looking for.” For more information about the Scott Data Center and the Uptime Institute, go to scottdatacenter.com or uptimeinstitute.org. D — Steve Brewer

INBRIEF AIM Institute will host an IT Futures Forum Nov. 9, at 11:30 a.m. at the Embassy Suites LaVista. The keynote speaker will be Joseph Grenny, author of Influencer: The Power to Change Anything. The institute says Grenny will discuss the central role of influence in the future of information technology, and why those who succeed will be those who have systematic ways of influencing human behavior. Grenny will speak at the 11:30 a.m. luncheon, which is open to anyone, and he’ll stick around for an Influencer Workshop at 2 p.m. that is only for AIM Institute members. See aiminstitute.org for details.

BarCamp 2010 Announced The third annual BarCamp will be Saturday, Nov. 20, at Nomad Lounge

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in Omaha. BarCamp is a daylong event in which anyone can sign up to give a 25-minute presentation. Presentations are grouped into tracks around entrepreneurs, creatives and developers, but are open to anyone. BarCamps happen in many cities around the world, and the local version is organized by our partners at Silicon Prairie News and sponsored by Scott Technology Center and others. Check out this year’s version at barcampomaha.org.

3rd Highlight Midwest in Omaha Highlight Midwest is a one-day conference to give greater exposure to entrepreneurs, startup companies and communities in Omaha, Des Moines and Kansas City. The 3rd Highlight Midwest will be Thursday, Nov. 18, in Omaha. The daytime event at Slowdown will feature several 25-minute simultaneous presentations showcasing compa-

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nies and their current activities and ideas. In the evening, everyone will adjourn to Creighton University’s Harper Center for cocktails and evening presentations. Previous events were held in Kansas City and Des Moines. See highlightmidwest.org for details.

indicate TEDx Omaha could become an annual event. See TEDxOmaha. com for more information. JEFF KOTERBA AT TEDX, OVERCOMING ORIGINAL SIN AT THE DRAWING BOARD

TEDx in Omaha The original TED Conference in Long Beach, California invites the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. The idea has spread worldwide, prompting local events featuring TEDTalks videos and live speakers, with a goal of sparking deep discussion and connection in a small group. The first TEDx Omaha was held Oct. 16, at the Durham Museum. Organized locally, it featured 14 guest speakers, ranging from musicians and dancers to religious leaders and business people. Tickets sold out weeks in advance, which might

BRYCE BRIDGES

IT Futures Forum: Change Anything


TownCommons.com Aggregates Events TownCommons.com recently launched its Beta version, offering Omaha what founder and CEO Adrian Blake calls a “Google News for local events.” To take part, you sign up and indicate your interests; categories include Arts, Community & Government, Crafts, Culture, Health, Literary and many more. You receive customized emails listing upcoming events in your chosen categories. Blake was formerly the publisher of Progressive Farmer magazine and a vice president at DTN. He hopes to take the concept to other medium-sized cities if it’s successful here. See TownCommons.com for details.

UNO’s Interdisciplinary Informatics Program In September the University of Nebraska-Omaha announced creation of the School of Interdisciplinary Informatics. It will be part of the College of Information Science & Technology, focusing on finding solutions through the use of technology. In one project, students will test

water quality on the Elkhorn River and designing solutions to better analyze and understand the data. This is believed to be the first Interdisciplinary Informatics program in the area.

Battle Bots Reaches 4 Million Downloads The summer issue of disRUPT featured a profile of Omaha’s SkyVu Pictures and its hit game Battle Bears. SkyVu announced in September Battle Bears had been downloaded 4 million times for smart phone play. To celebrate, the company offered free downloads of its sequels, Battle Bears: Zombies and Battle Bears Go for the iPad for a limited time. Alas, that offer has expired, but you can afford a few dollars for such popular locally produced games, and the original Battle Bears is still free. See battlebears.com for details.

RockDex.com Tracks Music Social Media Metrics Rockdex.com left its beta stage and launched its service to the world in September. The Omaha-based rock-

dex.com is a web application offering social media metrics to the music industry. It tracks thousands of websites, collecting data from blog posts, fan connections, tweets, song plays and other metrics. This allows clients to spot viral trends and track the progress of social networking efforts. Target customers include music labels, artist managers and musicians, and pricing is determined by the number of Facebook friends an artist has acquired. The product began as a side project of founder Jimmy Winter’s Music Arsenal band management application.

DCI Global Opens in Nebraska Technology Park DCI Global is the newest tenant company of the University of Nebraska Technology Park in Lincoln. The company designs and implements video conference networks and the necessary equipment. Founded in Omaha by Bob Heist in 1995, it moved to Lincoln in September. The UNL Technology Park is home to 19 companies with more than 2,400 employees. See dciglobal.com and nutechpark.com for details.

Proxibid Reports Record 3rd Quarter Proxibid calls itself the world’s largest “real auction marketplace.” It offers online auctions in a format similar to eBay, but buyers and sellers must be qualified by Proxibid before participating. The focus tends to be on business products, such as heavy equipment and vehicles, but you’ll find everything from fine art to livestock. The company recently announced record-breaking third quarter 2010 financial results. Yearover-year September results include a 69 percent increase in online sales, a 27 percent increase in the number of auctions and a 64 percent increase in the new bidders. Proxibid was among the first graduates of the Scott Technology Center’s incubator program. See proxibid.com for details. D

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Healthy Economy Billions of dollars go into medical research, and billions can eventually be made from the resulting products. Unfortunately, there is often a large gap between an idea and its profits. This is called the “valley of death” in the health care field, and it’s UneMed’s job to bring local ideas through that valley to the other side. UNeMed is a division of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, transferring intellectual property from the laboratory to the marketplace and helping to build a bioscience sector in Omaha and Lincoln. UNeMed is funded by UNMC, and from royalties generated from licenses. UNMC researchers brought in more than $115 million of funding during the 2009-10 fiscal year, from around 200 funded projects. According to UNeMed President Michael Dixon, all inventions stemming from that research are submitted to his division and evaluated for commercial potential. “We look at two things,” Dixon says. “First, can we get intellectual property (IP) protection? We utilize sophisticated search techniques, and have a patent attorney in-house. If there is not IP available, we probably cannot invest in it.” The second factor is the potential market for an invention, and that is more difficult to measure. UNeMed’s 12 full-time employees and six interns talk with contacts in the industry and investigate competitive products. “Is this quicker, faster, better?” Dixon says. “Do we have an advantage? We try to assess the possible value.” UNMC researchers submit about 60 inventions to UNeMed annually, and Dixon’s staff applies for IP protection on about half of those. Dixon estimates that about five inventions per year eventually find a company interested in developing them. “We license the technology or start a company that licenses it,” Dixon says. “We have about 120 technologies available for licensing right now, and we do between 12 and 18 new licenses per year. Some of these are for new technology, and some for older technology.” Recent examples include PCR-related technology licensed by Streck, microbial isolates licensed by Sanofi Pasteur and airway management technology licensed by Truer Medical. “Even if they (private companies) are not interested in an asset we have, perhaps there are some synergies and that allow productive research to go on. We want to bring in that corporate money to go along with government research money.” Dixon says corporate sponsorships are typically in the range of $1 to $2 million, not including the sponsorship of clinical trials at UNMC.

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UNeMed was founded in 1991, and Dixon says it was initially a struggle to persuade companies on the coasts that world-class research was being done in Omaha. Dixon has a PhD in molecular biology from UNMC, and has worked for UNeMed since 2003. He was director of intellectual property and then chief operating officer before being named president last year. As UNMC has become more prominent it has become easier to find potential business partners. “UNMC is more on their radar now,” Dixon says. “We get into conversations quicker without having to describe where Omaha is. Now, we have companies coming to talk to us and they know about the work we are doing.” Dixon says research by UNMC’s Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine draws interest from many potential partner companies; so has work on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases by Dr. Howard Gendelman. There is a long timeline between a medical invention and the eventual financial payoff, and Dixon says one of UNeMed’s functions is to keep the momentum going through the slow times. “Just to illustrate the timing involved, we are working with a start-up called Versalion right now on a delivery polymer for arthritis,” he says. “It shows more efficacy and fewer side effects, and has the ability to localize joints that are inflamed.” This technology was presented to UNeMed three years ago by Dr. Dong Wang. Dixon says that makes it an “early stage” project. “Assuming everything goes as well as possible, it could still be another seven to eight years before anything hits the market,” he says. Versalion is talking to venture capitalists and hopes to close a Series A financing round soon. UNeMed’s work is slow and can be costly, but Dixon believes it provides a big economic return for the area. He said 30 local jobs are created for every million dollars of research grants that UNMC brings in. The resulting technologies can create spin-off companies or persuade out-of-state companies to open offices here. Dixon acknowledges bioscience is not yet one of the area’s premier economic sectors, but he believes that is changing. The nonprofit think tank Battelle recently assessed economic opportunities in Nebraska, and its report identified bioscience as one of the state’s strengths for the future. “Between UNMC, Creighton Medical Center, Boys Town National Research Hospital, and people in Lincoln, you have a very strong corridor of bioscience,” Dixon says. “There are big research dollars, and very competitive grants being won. Omaha and Lincoln don’t really know about all of the biomedical research that’s going on.” D


Baby Love Having a baby? There’s an app for that. Smartphone applications are no longer limited to shooting aliens and finding recipes. Doctors at Alegent Health can monitor pregnant patients through phones. After the mother-to-be checks into the hospital data such as fetal heart rate is recorded by the hospital’s central system. The AirStrip OB smartphone app ties into that central system and transmits information to physicians in a real-time format. According to AirStrip OB product manager Layne Haney, doctors open the app on their iPod, Blackberry or Android phone and view a list of patients. A patient’s virtual real-time “waveform data” appears on their smartphone. Dr. Michael Barsoom, director of Maternal Fetal Medicine at Alegent Health, learned of AirStrip OB at a conference. He later brought the application to Alegent, making it the first area healthcare provider offering the technology. Aside from the convenience of portability, Barsoom says having instant access to a

patient’s vital signs could help determine appropriate treatment. Without immediate, physical access to patient data, Barsoom says doctors would have to rely on diagnoses of other physicians. “I’m not relying on someone else’s interpretations,” Barsoom says of the application’s benefits. The app is one of an estimated 1700 smartphone applications designed for healthcare professionals, according to the health news publication MobiHealthNews. The swift upswing of patient care apps has caught the attention of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA and Federal Communications Commission held meetings recently to examine whether such devices need regulation. Greater use of remote diagnoses via technology could possibly lead to less doctor/patient interaction. However, Barsoom believes the benefits of patient information at his fingertips outweigh any possible problems from the AirStrip OB. D

Smartphone apps track pregnancy by

Sean McCarthy

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A Firm Grip Omaha doctor invents ergonomic medical instruments by

Jasmine Maharisi

If you underwent triple bypass heart surgery, you wouldn’t want your doctor’s hands to cramp, or lose his grip of an instrument. During an average surgery lasting two to four hours, surgeons not only suffer the consequences of standing in one place for an extended time, but also the occasional slippery scalpel handle. Guru Instruments was created to solve this problem through ergonomic medical devices. Company founder Dr. Sam Bhatia said the idea for ergonomic instruments was a no-brainer. Born in Omaha, Bhatia studied medicine at the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital in India. Returning in 2004, he started practicing general medicine, spending long hours in hospitals and medical labs at Creighton University. However, Bhatia said the concept of Guru Instruments came to him on the road. “I was riding a motorcycle cross-country and thought about the way I gripped the handlebars,” Bhatia says. “After awhile, you start to become fatigued. So I thought there’s got to be a better way.”

Dr. Sam Bhatia

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Bhatia’s patent-pending idea is the first on the market and has, so far, resulted in six instruments becoming commercially available. These include forceps grips, scalpel grips, forceps with a ruler and a stainless steel headrest used for performing autopsies. The grips have been the most successful of the instruments, with thousands sold. They utilize microgrooves on each handle that work as small pores, preventing liquid from collecting on the handle and subsequently preventing it from slipping. The grips are also disposable, cutting costs by eliminating the sterilization process. Bhatia is particularly excited about the headrest’s potential. By securing a cadaver’s head during an autopsy, the headrest allows a physician to accurately saw open the head and remove the 2to-4-pound jello-like brain. This creates less strain for the physician and helps keep the specimen intact for evaluation, leading to higher autopsy accuracy. “I think hospitals and labs will see the benefit,” Bhatia says. “They’re comfortable and they can save the institution money related to accidents caused by fatigue.” Guru Instruments’ products are only available from Bhatia and through Mopec, a worldwide retailer/wholesaler specializing in medical and lab supplies. While the grips are Batia’s best sellers, he says the forceps are also catching on, with hundreds sold. The headrests are also selling, but at a slower rate, with fewer than 100 purchased since they became commercially available last year. D


DISRUPTING TRADITIONAL HEALTH CARE

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DIGITAL RECORDS NEBRASKA HEALTH INFORMATION INITIATIVE WORKS TOWARD BETTER HEALTHCARE DATABASE by

Sean McCarthy

Despite repeated calls for a digital healthcare records system, paper usually runs the show. You fill out the insurance form multiple times. Your critical records might be at another location across town. If you experience a health crisis, emergency room doctors might lack access to anything about your history. Deb Bass wants to eliminate such situations. Bass spent 20 years in nursing before co-founding Bass and Associates in 1993. Her company specializes in IT consulting for the healthcare field. In 2005, the Nebraska Health Information Initiative (NeHII) hired Bass and Associates to implement a cloud-based health information exchange system across Nebraska. Four years later, her company ran a pilot program for NeHII at Children’s Hospital, Nebraska Medical Center, Alegent Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield for 90 days before taking the program statewide. The exchange is designed to share patient data across multiple computer systems in physician offices and health care facilities. Using a broadband connection, doctors can access patient information that often includes lab and radiology records, medications, allergies, and basic demographic information. Physicians pay between $32 and $52 per month for access, and the system is also funded from stimulus dollars received from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. That stimulus funding will run out eventually and NeHII wants to be self-sustaining within four years. Licensing fees will grow as more providers take part, Bass says, and other revenue-generating ideas are being considered. “We will offer a clearinghouse for electronic healthcare claims, and NeHII gets a small portion of every transaction,” Bass says. “We

are providing consulting to other states, and are exploring offering our framework to smaller health information exchanges. There are several other entrepreneurial business ideas we are working on.” Bass says some physicians haven’t signed on because of the lack of broadband availability in rural parts of the state. In addition to needing broadband access, healthcare providers must have a backup broadband connection, Bass says. For areas with limited Internet services, this has proven problematic. Some physicians haven’t signed on because they’re skeptical concerning computerized records and privacy. Bass said NeHII only allows physicians and health care providers authorized to prescribe medications to access the system. Audit trails track whenever a patient’s record is accessed and who is accessing the information. There are several benefits to electronic records access. Diagnosis and treatment are less dependent on the memory of past caregivers. According to Bass, the number of unnecessary or redundant tests can be reduced because existing records can be seen. “They don’t have to wait,” Bass says. “In the past, it could be weeks to get partial information, and sometimes they never got complete records.” Doctors can further use the system to track patient trends which may not have been easily identified in a paper-based chart system. Bass hopes physicians will use NeHII much like financial analysts use cloud-based financial software to predict economic activity. “Because we haven’t been able to capture the data, it’s been difficult to know what is working in healthcare,” Bass says. “We’ll now be able to aggregate and analyze it. For example, a physician can look at his patients and their demographics, and can explore treatment programs based on treatments provided to others who resemble his patients.” For patients, a system like NeHII can mean not having to register for every clinic on an exam day. For example, in a paper-based world, patients fill out redundant paperwork if they have an exam in one clinic and an appointment at a doctor’s office in another location. This would not be the case for hospitals using systems similar to NeHII’s. “Once we get this electronic system … you won’t be handed a pencil and clipboard,” Bass says. He said records for 1.6 million people are in the NeHII system, representing about 60 percent of the population of Nebraska. In March 2009, NeHII set a goal of having 80 percent of hospital beds statewide represented in its system within three years. Halfway through those three years, Bass says NeHll is on track. “We now have 40 percent of the beds in the state, and we want 80 percent by March 2012,” Bass says. “We are being asked to speak around the country, and we are helping neighboring states, but our number one goal is to build statewide in Nebraska.” D

To become part of NeHII most healthcare systems in the state must convert their records into an electronic format. Methodist Health System in Omaha completed its Electronic Medical Records system in September, using PowerChart from Cerner Corporation in Kansas City. It took 18 months, according to Methodist Chief Information Officer Roger Hertz, and the system is live at three Methodist hospitals and 23 other locations. Computers were placed in every examination room. Health care providers use them to capture patient information such as basic demographics, chief complaint, medications, allergies and medical and social history. Methodist’s new system electronically faxes prescriptions to pharmacies, but Hertz says online electronic transmission of prescriptions should begin soon. “There are a lot of other functions that are not in the system yet,” Hertz says. “We want to get the number of clicks down to just a few, for example. The next phase is going to be voice recognition software, so the physician doesn’t have to type in the information.” During implementation, trainers worked onsite to prepare Methodist’s physicians, and created instructional videos. “That really helped a lot,” Hertz says. “Most physicians were in favor of it. A few were skeptical. Once they were trained, they were all very supportive.” Besides a desire to be part of NeHII, other factors are pushing development of electronic records in the healthcare field. “There is a federal stimulus program that gives you incentives to accelerate the use and adoption,” Hertz says. “That is really pushing things. Everybody is trying to do this right now.” D — Steve Brewer

Deb Bass

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VIP AT YOUR MD CONCIERGE MEDICAL PRACTICE CONCEPT SUCCEEDS IN OMAHA by

Jesse Claeys

Larry Kavich does not regret spending an extra $4,000 to be a part of what could be the evolution of primary healthcare. “Hey, a Corvette is not for everyone,” says Kavich, a 65-year-old Omahan and owner of All Makes Office Equipment. “But I’ve yet to find myself uncomfortable with the extravagance of this purchase.” Kavich’s Corvette, in this instance, is Dr. Joel Bessmer, a primary care physician who is among a growing number of providers charging annual fees to patients, with patients in return receiving more time and attention. Bessmer’s resume includes positions as associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, assistant director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program and medical director of the UNMC Physicians Turner Park Clinic. He was recognized on last year’s list of Best Doctors in America. Bessmer’s “concierge” medical practice is called Members.MD, and it’s the first of its kind in the Omaha area. “This is not a case of paying extra for better; it’s more likely a case of paying extra for adequate,” Bessmer says. “Primary care is broken.” Doctors are typically paid per procedure, and primary care doctors perform relatively few procedures, Bessmer says. To generate enough income, Bessmer estimates most primary care physicians treat as many as 2,000 patients, allotting about eight minutes for each examination. In this new model, Bessmer intends to see no more than 300 patients, spending no less than 30 minutes per visit. Rather than accept traditional fee-for-service reimbursement, Members.MD physicians require upfront service charges for future health care needs. In the eight months since its launch, over 100 patients have entrusted their care to Members.MD, whose chairman is former Burger King franchise owner Mike

Simmonds, a 2009 inductee into the Omaha Business Hall of Fame. Patients who visit Bessmer’s office at 105 S. 90th St. pay $2,500 per year for “personal care” or $4,000 for “concierge care,” which provides in-home visits and care oversight when a patient must turn to a specialist or emergency care. Other perks include special arrangements for inhome nursing, physical and occupational therapy, care oversight for rehabilitation, nursing home or hospice services, arrangement and scheduling of outside referrals and diagnostic testing services including special transportation, access to a national concierge doctor network and medical and security service coverage for international travel. Bessmer believes this business model is a glimpse of the future. According to researchers at the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, 756 physicians across the U.S. have begun to practice “concierge” medicine. “Do you know what percentage of the 39 or so thousand medical school grads choose primary care each year?” Bessmer says. “Less than 2 percent. This is about developing a model that makes primary care attractive again for the benefit of both the patient and the physician.” D

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WAY TO PAY Merchants offer customers many ways to pay, including checks, credit cards and online transactions. This creates customer convenience, according to Kurt Matis, but it also leads to back-office complexity for merchants and higher costs for everyone. “If a business wants to scan checks, they usually need one piece of equipment,” Matis says. “If they want ACH (automated clearing house), they have to log into a different part of the bank or use a different company. They have a different technology for web payments. They have to train on three or four systems.” Matis is the CEO of Financial Transmission Network Inc. (FTNI). He believes his small west Omaha company has a solution to this big problem. Before founding FTNI, Matis co-founded L&M Energy Partners in Omaha, and was Chief Financial Officer of R.J. Thompson Holdings, a company that was acquired by TD Waterhouse. He is a Certified Public Accountant, and has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska-Omaha and a Master of Business Administration from Creighton University. FTNI creates software platforms allowing merchants to accept all types of customer payments. Matis says his company works directly with a few large merchants such as Mutual of Omaha and West Corporation. In most cases, however, FTNI’s platforms are sold through banks to merchants in many industries. Matis says FTNI’s ETran platform offers remote deposit capture, ACH transactions, credit card payments and ID validation in one package. In addition to the benefits of a single system, Matis says ETran lets merchants work with multiple banks. “We are agnostic (about vendors),” Matis says. “If the merchant wants to deal with four different banks, their main bank obviously doesn’t want that. We provide them the technology to have multiple relationships.” ETran is offered in a “software as service” model. Since it is accessed online, merchant customers do not purchase hardware and are not responsible for software updates. “In the past, sometimes you had to spend $40,000 on a new software system, train your people, and buy new hardware,” Matis says. “It could cost you $70,000 to $100,000. Now for less than $20,000, you can have a customized solution with web payments and everything else.” FTNI was founded in 2007 by a group of payments industry executives, including several from ACI Worldwide. The company has 10 employees, but recently moved to a new location near 132nd and Maple with room to grow. Matis says it is not a typical entrepreneurial venture. “This is our third or fourth startup for this group,” he says. “I have been with this group of guys for 10-12 years. I’d like to think we are unique because of the experience, and not just a bunch of guys right out of college trying to do something with technology.” The company is focused on strengthening its presence in different verticals. For example, FTNI currently serves over

250 property management firms, along with some nonprofit organizations and insurance companies. “Now we have Physicians Mutual and Mutual of Omaha,” Matis says. “We also have two other insurance companies right behind them. We are going to get very deep into that vertical and become an expert.” Matis recently returned from an industry conference convinced that FTNI’s approach is the right one. “Everyone there was saying merchants don’t want siloed solutions,” he says. “They want a single platform. We’ve taken what’s historically been an a la carte service and made it a single source, because that’s where the market is moving. We were one of the first to offer this.” The payments industry has played a large role in the Omaha economy for years, according to Matis, including companies such as ACI Kurt Matis Worldwide, First Data Resources, First National Merchant Services and PayPal. “Kurt Strawhecker from the Strawhecker Group once estimated at a Chamber meeting that over 11,000 people in Omaha deal with electronic payments,” he says. “This is a growth industry and we want to grow with it.” Matis says this growth will be accomplished by serving a wider range of merchant companies. Within five years, he predicts FTNI’s platforms will be used by everyone from multinational corporations to mom-and-pop retailers. “As we gain more knowledge, we’ll get much deeper in certain verticals,” he says. “Our business should be a lot bigger in five years.” D

FINANCIAL TRANSMISSION NETWORK INC. HELPS CLIENTS STREAMLINE PAYMENTS by

Steve Brewer

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SPIN DOCTORS

NANOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH IS TINY, BUT IMPORTANT TO IT DEVELOPMENT by

Jesse Claeys

Size does matter when it comes to electronics. Consumers seem to prefer ever-smaller devices, but making things too small could lead to major technological problems in roughly 10 years. Researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are working on both aspects of the size issue. The decreasing size of devices such as cell phones, mp3 players and computers can be credited to transistors, the tiny on/off switches that control the flow of electrical current. The smaller the transistors, the cheaper the production costs of computer chips, and the more powerful the devices powered by these chips. That shrinking process is part of the work of UNL’s Materials Research Science Engineering Center (MRSEC), which recently moved into the university’s new 125,000-square foot, $37 million Jorgensen Hall physical sciences building (see sidebar). Funded in part by the National Science Foundation, MRSEC researchers focus on nanotechnology, the study of all things really, really small. For a frame of reference, the thickness of a sheet of paper is about 100,000 nanometers. “I tell people about my work, and they respond with all of these science fiction-type ideas, like someday we will have intelligent devices circulating in our bloodstream, acting as tiny doctors,” says UNL physicist Christian Binek. “I laughed at first, but if we look just at size, I have to remind

myself how big blood cells are. They are gigantic in comparison to what I am researching, so maybe we will get there someday.” If there is a someday. Much like the Mayan prediction that the world will end in 2012, IT developers have their own sort of doomsday clock. Binek says that in approximately 10 years, we could see the end of Moore’s Law, a famous 1965 prediction that computing power doubles every 18 months. “What’s happened for decades is that many devices are continually scaled down, so that people have iPhones and other devices that have so much more storage than the room-sized super computers found back in the early days,” Binek says. “Here is the problem: we find that in about 2020, at the latest, we will run into the fundamental problem that this idea of making things smaller no longer works.” As structures become smaller, the heat produced by their consumption of electric power begins to damage circuits and destroy the structures, according to Binek, a native of Germany who has worked in Lincoln for seven years. What’s needed to stop Moore’s Law from ticking down to zero is a new sort of transistor that generates less heat by using less electricity. Binek, fellow physicist Peter Dowben, and theorist Kirill Belashchenko recently announced a step in this direction. The team found a way to control the spin of electrons by applying a voltage of zero current, a field known by researchers as spintronics. According to Science Daily magazine, conventional semiconductors rely on electrons’ charge to power devices. Spintronics instead uses the spin of electrons, which could be manipulated by electric and magnetic fields. Binek said this change would allow information to be accessed immediately and processed with little electric power consumption and vastly reduced heat. “If we don’t come up with new ideas and technology, we become stagnant, and that is bad for the economy,” Binek says. “What will happen with spintronics is hard to say, but I imagine we’ll be ready when the right application for it comes along.” D

UNL’S NEW HOME FOR PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY Jorgensen Hall, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s new home for physics and astronomy, was dedicated Oct. 29 in a ceremony featuring alumnus and Nobel laureate Alan Heeger. The 125,000-square foot physical sciences building is named for alumnus, distinguished teacher and former department chair Theodore “Ted” Jorgensen. It is located along 16th Street between Vine and W Streets on UNL’s City Campus. The $37 million state-funded project features two large lecture auditoriums, four teaching labs, eight classrooms and office and lab space for faculty and graduate students. It also has an atrium that includes antique physics equipment displays, steel and glass sculptures and lounge and collaboration areas. D — Jesse Claeys

CHRISTIAN BINEK IN THE LABORATORY

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Jorgensen Hall

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art

OpeningS

THE 815, 815 O. St., Suite 1, Lincoln, 261.4905, the815.org. NEW WORK: Toni Murrell, opens Nov. 5, 6 p.m. 9 MUSES STUDIO, 2713 N 48th St., Lincoln. NEW WORK: Dr. Barbara Tracy, opens Nov. 5, 7 p.m. ANKENY ART CENTER, 1520 SW Road, Ankeny, IA, 515.965.0940, ankenyartcenter.com. MADAI, “A MEASURE OF GRACE”: Opens Nov. 5-30. ARTISTS’ COOPERATIVE GALLERY, 405 S. 11th St., artistscoopgallery.com. NEW WORK: Group show, opens Nov. 5, 5 p.m. BEMIS CENTER, 724 S. 12th St., 341.7130, bemiscenter.org. 12TH ANNUAL ART AUCTION GALA: Opens Nov. 6, 5:30 p.m. BEMIS UNDERGROUND, 724 S. 12th St., 341.7130, bemiscenter.org. UNDERGROUND AUCTION: Opens Nov. 4, 7 p.m. BENSON GRIND, 6107 Maple St., octopusesgarden.org. METAPHYSICAL DESOLATION: Chris Rubarth, opens Nov. 5, 7 p.m. BLUE POMEGRANATE GALLERY, 6570 Maple St., 502.9901, bluepom.com. ORNAMENTAL: Holiday ornaments, opens Nov. 5, 5 p.m. BURKHOLDER PROJECT, 719 P St., Lincoln, 477.3305, burkholderproject.com. 6 BY 6: Group show. OUT OF THE BLUE (SKETCHBOOK): Leroy von Glan. VISTAS: Karl Marxhausen. IMAGINING PLAY: Linda Benton. All shows through Nov. 24, reception Nov. 5, 7 p.m. CREIGHTON LIED ART GALLERY, 2500 California St., 280.2392, finearts.creighton.edu. RINSE + REPEAT: Sarah Stormberg & Beth Cavender, through Nov. 23, gallery talk Nov. 10, 1 p.m. DAOMA, Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge St., 980.9850, designallianceomaha.org. REM KOOLHAAS: A KIND OF ARCHITECT & KOOLHAAS HOUSELIFE: Screening of two documentaries on architect, writer and social commentator Rem Koolhaas at Film Streams, opens Nov. 10, 7 p.m. DRIFT STATION GALLERY AND PARALLAX SPACE, 1745 N St., Lincoln. INSTRUCTIONS FOR INITIAL CONDITIONS: Group show, opens Nov. 5, 6 p.m. EISENTRAGER-HOWARD GALLERY, Richards Hall, Stadium Drive and T, Lincoln, 472.5025, unl.edu. EX LIBRIS HOKES ARCHIVES: Beauvais Lyons, reception Nov. 9, 5 p.m. OUR PRINTED WORLD/COLLECTION AND RESPONSES: Group show. Both shows open Nov. 4-Dec. 3. GALLERY 9, 124 S 9th St., Lincoln, 477.2822, gallerynine.com. BALLYHOO AND BALDERDASH: Robert Esquivel & Meghan Stratman, opens Nov. 3-28, reception Nov. 5, 6:30 p.m. GRAND MANSE GALLERY, 129 N. 10th St., Lincoln, grandmanse.com. FROM A DISTANCE: Opens Nov. 5, 6 p.m. GRAHAM GALLERY, 617 W. 2nd St., Hastings, graham-gallery. com. NEW WORK: Bruce Bohlan, through Nov. 13, reception Nov. 5, 2 p.m. HAYDON CENTER, 335 N. 8th St., Lincoln, 475.5421, haydonartcenter.org. STITCH: Curated by Jennifer Graham and Tina Koeppe, through Nov. 13, reception Nov. 5, 6 p.m. HEART OF GOLD JEWELERS, 2634 N. 48th St., Lincoln, heartofgoldjewelers.blogspot.com, 325.0465. NEW WORK: Michael Brehm, opens Nov. 5, 6 p.m. HOT SHOPS ARTS CENTER, 1301 Nicholas St., 342.6452, hotshopsartcenter.com. WEAPONS OF CHOICE: Tom, Cat and Carole DeBuse. SCHMITZ PACK: Group show. Both shows open Nov. 6-28, reception Nov. 6, 6 p.m. IMAGEWERKS COLLECTIVE, 5723 S. 137th St, 880.6294. BESO DE LA MUERTE: Group show, opens Nov. 5, 8 p.m. INTERNATIONAL QUILT STUDY CENTER AND MUSEUM, 1523 N. 33rd St., Lincoln, 472.7232, quiltstudy.org. WORKSHOP: Miniature Masterpieces by Machine, opens Nov. 6, 9 a.m. JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER, 333 S. 132nd St., 572.8486, jccomaha.org. NEW WORK: Scott Blake, through Nov. 30. KIMMEL HARDING NELSON CENTER FOR THE ARTS, 801 3rd Corso, Nebraska City, 874.9600, khncenterforthearts.org. INTO THE ASHES: Marlene Mueller, Through Dec. 16, reception Nov. 4, 4:30 p.m. LA CASA’S PIZZARIA, 4432 Leaveworth St., omahaartistsinc. com. 2010 FALL ART SHOW: Group show, through Jan. 3, reception Nov. 3, 5:30 p.m. THE LICHEN, 2810 N. 48th St., Lincoln, thelichen.com. FORCED RESULTS: Samuel B. Rapien, opens Nov. 5-Dec. 24, reception Nov. 5, 6 p.m. LUX CENTER FOR THE ARTS, 48th and Baldwin, Lincoln, 434.2787, luxcenter.org. GIFTS FROM THE HEART: Group show,

opens Nov. 5, 5 p.m. VIS-A-VIS: Group show, opens Nov. 5-Mar. 1. MICHAEL FORSBERG GALLERY, 100 N. 8th St., Suite 150, Lincoln. GREAT PLAINS - AMERICA’S LINGERING WILD: New work by Michael Forsberg, opens Nov. 5, 6 p.m. MODERN ARTS MIDWEST, 800 P St., Lincoln, 477.2828, modernartsmidwest.com. OBSERVED AND PRESENTED: Edwin Carter Weitz, opens Nov. 5, 6:30 p.m. MUSEUM OF NEBRASKA ART (MONA), 2401 Central Ave., Kearney, 308.865.8559, monet.unk.edu/mona. A KALEIDOSCOPE OF ART: Benefit gift boutique, Opens Nov. 6-7. THE NEW BLK, 1213 Jones St., 403.5619, thenewblk.com. ON & OFF THE WALL: New work by Iggy Sumnik, opens Nov. 5-24, reception Nov. 5, 6 p.m. NORFOLK ARTS CENTER, 305 N. 5th St., Norfolk, 371.7199, norfolkartscenter.org. NEW WORK: Inna Kulagina, through Dec. NOYES GALLERY, 119 S. 9th St., Lincoln, 486.3866, noyesartgallery.com. NEW WORK: Group show, opens Nov. 5, 6:30 p.m. OLD MARKET ARTISTS, 1034 Howard St., Lower Level of Old Market Passageway, oldmarketartists.com. NEW DESIGNS: Meridith Merwald-Gofta, opens Nov. 5-30, reception Nov. 5, 6 p.m. PASSAGEWAY GALLERY, 417 South 11th St, passagewaygallery.com. METALS & MAGIC TEETERING ON THE EDGE: Randy Patzer & Margie Shanahan, opens Nov. 5-30, reception Nov. 530 6 p.m. PIZZA SHOPPE COLLECTIVE, 6056 Maple St., 556.9090, pscollective.com. NEW WORK: Rachel Scholer, opens Nov. 4, 6 p.m. PROJECT ROOM, 1410 and 1416 O St., Suite #8, Lincoln, 617.8365, projectroom.us. NEW WORK: Colin Smith, opens Nov. 5, 7 p.m. THE PUBLIC, 1033 O. St., Lincoln, 742.4000, thepublicshoes. com. NEW WORK: Joe Humpal, opens Nov. 5, 6 p.m. SALT CREEK POTTERS WORKSHOP, 2722 N. 48th St., Lincoln, saltcreekpotters.com, 467-3113. NEW WORK: Ili Lefler and Janet Chung, opens Nov. 5, 5 p.m. SCREEN INK, 416 S. 16th St., Lincoln, screenink.com. NEW WORK: Sara Kovanda, opens Nov. 5, 7 p.m. SHELDON ART GALLERY, 12th and R, UNL, Lincoln, sheldonartgallery.org. CELEBRATING ORLAN: Take part in a “roud chair” discussion with ORLAN, opens Nov. 5, 5 p.m. SILVER OF OZ, 6115 Maple St., 558.1307, silverofoz.com. NEW WORK: Lynne Mosiman & Steve Kirkvold, opens Nov. 5, 6 p.m. SPATIVM, Parrish Prjoect, 1416 O St., Lincoln. ($4.00 CAMERA EDITION): New work by RAWS., opens Nov. 5, 7 p.m. TUGBOAT GALLERY, 14th and O, 2nd floor, Lincoln, tugboatgallery.com. OFF THE BUS: Don Robson, Sandra Williams, David Gracie and students, opens Nov. 5-27, reception Nov. 5, 7 p.m. UNL HILLESTAD TEXTILES GALLERY, 35th & Holdrege, 2nd Floor, Home Economics Bldg., Lincoln. textilegallery.unl.edu. “I’VE BEEN HERE BEFORE, I REMEMBER THAT TREE”: Katie Taylor Frisch, the art of journaling, opens Nov. 5, 5 p.m. UNL ROTUNDA GALLERY, Nebraska Union, 1400 R St., Lincoln, 472.8279. NATURA SEMPER VIVA: Photography by Josef Kren, opens Nov. 1-5, reception Nov. 5, 5 p.m. UNO ART GALLERY, Weber Fine Arts Bldg., 6001 Dodge St., 554.2796. BFA THESIS AND BA IN STUDIO ARTS: Group show, opens Nov. 5-Dec. 17, reception Nov. 5, 5 p.m. UNO CRISS GALLERY, 6001 Dodge St., 554.2640, library.unomaha.edu. A SENATOR’S WALLS: Photographs and artifacts from the offices of Senator Chuck Hagel, through Dec. 19. WORKSPACE GALLERY, Sawmill Building, 440 N. 8th St., Lincoln, sites.google.com/site/workspacegallery. EARTH CUTS: Jonathon Wells, opens Nov. 5, 7 p.m.

ONGOING

CATHEDRAL CULTURAL CENTER, 3900 Webster St., 551.4888, cathedralartsproject.org. FISHES AND MEN: New work by Leslie Bruning, through Nov. 19. EL MUSEO LATINO, 4701 S. 25th St., elmuseolatino.org. BICENTENNIAL OF THE IDEPENDENCE OF MEXICO AND THE CENTENNIAL OF THE MEXICAN REVOLUTION: Through Nov. 30. DAY OF THE DEAD: Carlos Cortez, through Nov. 20. GOVERNOR’S RESIDENCE EXHIBITION, 1425 H St., Lincoln, nebraskaartscouncil.org. NEW WORK: Trish Place, Through Nov. 29. INTERNATIONAL QUILT STUDY CENTER AND MUSEUM, 1523 N. 33rd St., Lincoln, 472.7232, quiltstudy.org. SOUTH ASIAN SEAMS: Quilts from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, through Nov. 7. CHILDHOOD TREASURES: Doll quilts from the Ghormley Collection, through Dec. 12.

THE WORLD GOES ROUND, Jewish Community Center, 333 S. 132nd St., 706.0778. Nov. 4 and 6 at 7 p.m., Nov. 7 at 2 p.m. .

poetry/comedy thursday 4

check event listings online! JOSLYN ART MUSEUM, 2200 Dodge St., 342.3300, joslyn.org. BEYOND REALISM: THE WORKS OF KENT BELLOWS 19702005: Through Jan. 16. SEASONS OF JOY: Currier and Ives Holiday Prints from the ConAgra Collection, through Jan. 23. GOLDEN KITE, GOLDEN DREAMS: The SCBWI Awards, through Jan. 16. MUSEUM OF NEBRASKA ART (MONA), 2401 Central Ave., Kearney, 308.865.8559, unk.edu. POSTMASTER INTERACTIVE GALLERY: Group show, through Jan. 10, 2011. NEBRASKA’S HERITAGE: Group show, through Nov. 14. THE ANIMAL KINGDOM: Through Jun. 5, 2011. MCKENNEY AND HALL’S HISTORY OF THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA: Lithographs, through Dec. 5. SATURDAY EVENING POST: Holiday images, through Jan. 10. NEBRASKA NOW: Renee A. Ledesma, oepns Through Jan. 2. POLYESTER GALLERY, 1618 Harney St., 345.0231, polyestergallery.com. IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK: Jeremy Parker. ARCHITECTURE IN GENERAL IS PRETENTIOUS: New work by Jeremy Parker. STATIC RESOLUTION: BETWEEN THE ACTUAL: Video installation by Matt Orand & Matt Walker. All shows through May 31. RNG GALLERY, 1915 Leavenworth St., 214.3061. THE TATOOIST’S ART: Dominic Helms. FALL REFLECTIONS: Shelly Bartek. Both shows through Nov. 14. SHELDON ART GALLERY, 12th and R, UNL, Lincoln, sheldonartgallery.org. BETTER HALF, BETTER TWELFTH: Women artists in the collection, through Apr. 1, 2011. ORLAN & MIND OVER MATTER: Through Jan. 30, lecture and demonstration by ORLAN Nov. 2, 5:30 p.m. NEW MATERIAL WORD: RETHREADING TECHNOLOGY: Through Jan. 2.

theater opening

21 & OVER: THE NEW TIMEY RADIO HOUR, Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St., 553.0800, omahaplayhouse.com. Opens Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m., FREE. THE DASTARDLY DOCTOR DEVEREAUX, Holy Cross School Gym, 1502 S. 48th St. Opens Nov. 5-14, Fri.-Sat., 7:30 p.m., Sun., 6 p.m., $10, $5/children under 12. DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL, Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St., 345.0606, omahaperformingarts.org. Opens Nov. 9-11, 7:30 p.m., Nov. 12, 8 p.m., Nov. 13, 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m., 8 p.m., Nov. 14, 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m., $25. PHILADELPHIA STORY, Bellevue Little Theatre, 203 West Mission Ave., 291.1554, bellevuelittletheatre.com. Opens. Nov. 5-21, three weekend run, $15, $13/seniors, $7.50/students. ROMEO AND JULIET, Nebraska Wesleyan, Miller Theatre, 51st and Huntington, 465.2384, theatre.nebrwesleyan. edu. Opens Nov. 4-6, 11-13, 7:30 p.m., Nov. 7 and 14, 2 p.m., $10, $7.50/seniors, $5/students. THIS IS THE SOUND, Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St., 553.0800, omahaplayhouse.com. Opens Nov. 9, 7 p.m., FREE. Reading.

ongoing

A THOUSAND CLOWNS, Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St., 553.0800, omahaplayhouse.com. Through Nov. 21, Thu.-Sat., 7:30 p.m., Sun., 2 p.m., $35, $21/ students. GO, DOG. GO!, Rose Theater, 2001 Farnam St., 345.4849, rosetheater.org. Through Nov. 7, various showtimes, $16. THE TRAGEDY OF JULIUS CAESAR, Brigit Saint Brigit Theatre, 614 S. 11th St., 502.4910, bsbtheatre.com. Opens Oct. 28-Nov. 13, Thu.-Sat, 7:30 p.m., Sun., 2 p.m., $22, $18/students, military, seniors.

art/theater listings

JOE HEARN, The Bookworm, 87th and Pacific, 392.2877, bookwormomaha.com, 6 p.m. PROVOKE, Benson Grind, 6107 Maple St., 7-9 p.m. Hosted by Jack Hubbell. (1st & 3rd Thu.) RAPHAEL CUIR, Georgian Suite, Nebraska Union, City Campus, 1400 R St., Lincoln, unl.edu/ias, 3:30 p.m. Lecture. LYNNE KOPLITZ, Funny Bone, Village Pointe, 17305 Davenport St., funnnyboneomaha.com, 493.8036, 7:30 p.m.

fridAY 5

NO NAME READING SERIES, SUR tango bar et cafe, 1228 P St., Lincoln, 4 p.m., 472.0666, FREE, Erica Rogers and Laura Madeline Wiseman. (every other Fri.) LYNNE KOPLITZ, Funny Bone, Village Pointe, 17305 Davenport St., funnnyboneomaha.com, 493.8036, 7:30 p.m., 9:45 p.m.

saturday 6

THE CELEBRATION OF NEBRASKA BOOKS, 131 Centennial Mall North, Lincoln, centerforthebook.nebraska.gov, 2:30 p.m. CURTIS BRYANT, W. Dale Clark Library, 215 S. 15th St., 444.8300, omahapubliclibrary.org, 2 p.m. Lecture. DEAN JACOBS, Omaha Library Saddlebrook Branch, 14850 Laurel Ave., omahalibrary.org, 1 p.m. PETER SAGAL, Lied Center for Performing Arts, 301 N. 12th St., Lincoln, liedcenter.org, 7:30 p.m., $29, $14.50/students. CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER, Mid-America Center, 1 Arena Way, Council Bluffs, midamericacenter.com, 8 p.m. LYNNE KOPLITZ, Funny Bone, Village Pointe, 17305 Davenport St., funnnyboneomaha.com, 493.8036, 7 p.m, 9:30 p.m.

sunday 7

CAROL BURNETT, , Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St., omahaperformingarts.org, 7 p.m., $45-$125. POETRY NIGHT, 357 Club, 2404 Ames Ave., 6 p.m., poetry, prose, real-to-life, skits and interpretive dance. (Every Sun.) LYNNE KOPLITZ, Funny Bone, Village Pointe, 17305 Davenport St., funnnyboneomaha.com, 493.8036, 7 p.m.

monday 8

DUFFY’S COMEDY WORKSHOP, 1412 O St., Lincoln, 474.3543, myspace.com/duffystavern, 9 p.m. Free comedy workshop (every Mon.) POETRY AT THE MOON, Crescent Moon Coffee, SE Corner of 8th & P St., Lincoln, crescentmoon@inebraska.com, 6 p.m. Open mic and Neil Harrison and Barbara Schmitz. (every Mon.))

tuesday 9

MEG KEARNEY, Callen Conference Center, Nebraska Wesleyan, 50th & Huntington Ave., Lincoln, nebrwesleyan.edu, 6 p.m. OPEN MIC, LUNk House, 1213 N. 12th St., Lincoln, 8 p.m. A space to speak your mind. (2nd Tues.) SHOOT YOUR MOUTH OFF, The Hideout, 320 S. 72nd St., 9 p.m. sign-up, 9:30 start, 504.4434, myspace.com/shootyourmouthoff, spoken word, comedy and chaos (every Tues.)

Wednesday 10

ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC FOR MUSICIANS & POETS, Meadowlark Coffee & Espresso, 1624 S. St., Lincoln, 8 p.m., 477.2007. Hosted by Spencer. (every Wed.) E.N. THOMPSON FORUM, Lied Center for Performing Arts, 301 N. 12th St., Lincoln, enthompson.unl.edu, 7 p.m. Chuck Hagel and Chinese Ambassador Zhang Yesui. MIDWEST POETRY VIBE, KENO Kings/Royal Crown Lounge, 6553 Ames Ave., 9 p.m., poetry, R&B, Neosoul music. (Every Wed.) PEOPLE’S FILM FESTIVAL: GOOD HAIR, McFoster’s Natural Kind Cafe, 38th and Farnam, 7 p.m., FREE. A complicated look at an innocent question. (every Wed.) WEDNESDAY WORDS, Nebraska Arts Council, Historic Burlington Place Bldg, 1004 Farnam St., Lower Level, Omaha, 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m., (2nd Wed.)

| THE READER |

NOV. 4 - 10 , 2010

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Great food & drinks for freekin’ decades! 5007 Underwood • Tel: 402-553-9501 E-mail:dundeedell@dundeedell.com Open seven days a week 11:00 am - 1:00 am

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All In The Family Family band Eisley is on the road again by Jesse D. Stanek

E

isley, a Tyler, Texas-based five-piece, indie-pop band is, despite the relative youth of its members (ranging 20-28) is well acquainted with the vagaries and frustrations of the music business. While most bands spend years (if not decades) touring in cramped busses, taking rest stop sink showers and scratching by to get to the next show, Eisley traveled a different road. After clubbing on Eisley weekends around the Lone Star state the band (consisting of four siblings and one cousin) was signed to major label Warner Brothers and enlisted to tour as an opener for Coldplay. Aside from the stint with Coldplay, Eisley opened shows for the likes of Snow Patrol, New Found Glory, Hot Hot Heat and Mutemath. “I guess it has been kind of a quick ride,” says guitarist/ vocalist/older sister Chauntelle DuPree. “We signed with Warner Brother back in 2003 and it was really a roller coaster back then. Things have really slowed down in the last three years. Our contract ended in 2007 and we were trying to figure out if we wanted to stay with the label or leave and they begged us and begged us to stay so we finally re-signed. So they gave us money to do another record and after they heard it they said ‘On second thought we’re not going to be able to do as much for the record as we thought we could. You guys are welcome to go

but we are going to need a percentage back.’ Then the percentage kept getting higher and higher, plus we were all kind of going through some personal stuff, both good and bad.” “So that was tough,” she adds. “We wanted to tour but there was no money to do it and we were just kind of waiting for the label to figure out what was going on. Things are great now. We’re almost done with Warner Brothers and the new record will be coming out on Equal Vision Records. It’s like we got this fresh, brand new start. We’re a baby band again.” With two proper full-lengths and a host of EPs to their credit, including 2003’s Marvelous

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backbeat Things, which was recorded in Omaha with local producer Mike Mogis, the members of Eisley know their way around the recording process. On its most recent EP, Fire Kite, the band works with memorable hooks, sparse vocals and a host of intriguing arrangements to make a songs that are capable of staying in your head after the first listen but manage to become something more complex and evolved the more you listen; aging like a fine French cheese. Band members often refer to themselves as brothers and sisters, the close travel quarters and large amounts of time together lend the relationships an air of familiarity that perhaps goes beyond friendship. But for Eisley, it truly is a family affair. Along with Chauntelle, the band features sister Stacy DuPree on vocals, guitar and keyboards, Sherri DuPree-Bemis on guitar and vocals, Weston DuPree on drums and cousin Garron DuPree holding down bass duties. With their father serving as band manager and Chauntelle’s husband acting as tour manager, the band likes to keep everything close to the nest. “I think that we’re maybe a little unique from some siblings because we are really best friends,” Chauntelle says. “We’re like a bunch of clones. We have the same sense of humor, we like the same music and movies. We all realize that what we have is really something very special and we don’t want to mess it up.” , Eisley plays The Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St., Monday, Nov. 8, at 8 p.m. Ives The Band and Christie DuPree will open the show and tickets are $12. Visit onepercentproductions.com.

n Just announced: Mark Mallman, who in October committed to being weird so hard that he wrote and performed live a 78-hour song (not a typo), will come to the Waiting Room, Sunday, Nov. 28. 1% Productions recently announced that and several other new shows; visit onepercentproductions.com to see the full lineup. n I’ve been tracking the progress of Side Door Lounge since I heard rumors of a new venue on Leavenworth Street near Mother India. Months of peeping progress each time I drove by has paid off in the form of this comfortable, classy little joint, at 3530 Leavenworth St., that will feature acoustic live music, DJs, dance, poetry/prose readings, and of course, libations. After a soft opening a few weeks ago, Side Door is now open for business Tuesdays through Sundays. The space was masterminded by Steve and Kathleen Jamrozy, of Flatiron Café fame, and other local ventures. Omaha original The Firm is scheduled for a show at Side Door Nov. 19, at 9:30 p.m. Keep tabs on other events and specials at facebook.com/sidedoorlounge. n Friday, Nov. 5, is the Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards Fall Music Showcase at Waiting Room, Barley Street Tavern, The Sydney and Pizza Shoppe Collective in Benson. Music begins at 8 p.m. and the four-venue lineup includes All Young Girls Are Machine Guns, Voodoo Method, Platte River Rain, Matt Cox, W.E.R.D., Jamazz, Mars Black, Kyle Harvey, Landing On The Moon, Machete Archive, Filter Kings, Honey & Darling, Conchance and more. Visit oea-awards.com for more on the nominees. n This year Omaha Performing Arts, Opera Omaha, Omaha Symphony and ConAgra Foods again join for “ConAgra Foods Arts for the Holidays Celebration” — a food drive at the Holland Center and Orpheum Theater continuing through Dec. 31, which asks patrons to bring canned goods and other non-perishable food items to donate at either venue, where they’ll find exhibits on child hunger and nutrition. All donations will support the Food Bank of the Heartland. Last year’s effort collected 3,500 pounds of food, which provided for more than 4,000 meals. Performances will include the popular Christmas with the Symphony program, a Symphony/Opera Choral Collaborative, Dee Dee Bridgewater: To Billie with Love, A Celebration of Lady Day and more. Visit ticketomaha.com for full concert listings. — Sarah Wengert Backbeat takes you behind the scenes of the local music scene. Send tips, comments and questions to backbeat@thereader.com.

music

| THE READER |

NOV. 4 - 10 , 2010

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Killah Bee Ghostface Killah brings that Wu-Tang heat by Kyle Eustice

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u-Tang Clan comin’ at cha! Well, at least one of them. The infamous Ghostface Killah (AKA Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man) has been an integral part of the New York City crew since 1993’s groundbreaking Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Named after a character in the 1979 kung-fu film, Mystery of Chessboxing, Ghostface Killah’s persona is that of a stoic warrior. At a show several years ago at the Sokol Underground,

going through the struggle to get there, I didn’t know. I didn’t keep it on my mind every day like that but, I knew that when Genius got on, then RZA was on, it was like okay, he’s on Tommy Boy [Records]. You know, how you be like, ‘Okay, yo, we’re going to do this and we’re going to do that.’ That’s how it was.� Then, he left Tommy Boy (or, they dropped him). “Now, it’s like ‘What we gonna do now?’ Now, our hopes are shattered. We’re just out here on the block, tryin’ to put our shit on. That’s the type of shit a n**** went through,� he continues. “Once we went independent, we started walking our own dog. After awhile, we settled down like, ‘What the f*** we gonna do?’ GZA was like a scientist with his shit. I give him his points for that shit because he didn’t stop.�

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he arrived, an entourage sauntering behind him in a militant line, and looked at no one. His mission was clear — to get on stage and murder the microphone with his lackadaisical yet potent delivery. Being an emcee was engrained in him from an early age. “Coming up, yeah, I dreamt this,� says Ghostface. “I seen this! I seen this! I seen this! It took me awhile to get it. But, I seen this back in the ’80s. It’s like, I seen it and dreamt it, but

| THE READER |

music

That kind of tenacity made Wu-Tang the empire it is today. Each member executed a cache of solo albums and many have been critically acclaimed as well as commercially successful. Ghostface Killah’s first solo record, 1996’s Ironman, debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 and solidified his soul-influenced sound. His 2000 follow-up, Supreme Clientele, would have been released a year earlier, but he was incarcerated on an attempted robbery charge therefore delaying

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the process. Perhaps the extra time was a blessing because Supreme Clientele album hit #2 on Hip-Hop Connection’s list of 100 Greatest Rap Albums between 1995 and 2005. After signing with Def Jam Recordings in 2003, he is on his ninth studio album with two more in the works. His legacy to East Coast hip-hop is legendary status. Wu-Tang carved out a signature style no other collective has been able to touch. However, Ghostface is aware that the New York City rap scene is ever-evolving and sometimes lacking originality. “It all starts within the individual, but I don’t think there’s ever going to be a time when we’re all going to be like ‘New York is going to be New York’ in hip-hop and that’s it. I think that right now, it’s over. It’s over! That’s what I personally think. Don’t get me wrong, there’s motherf***ers out there that still know how to get busy. [But] thinking Wu-Tang’s just going to run it and that it’s just ours and nobody else is going to have a chance, is over,� he asserts. “I think it’s going to be diverse. I think we’re going to have different types of music. If I make my music, I’m making it for the ones that love the music I make and for myself. You’re going to have a variety of shit, it’s just who stands out the most with their shit.� “You can’t bring time back. Time is already gone. Everybody want to bring ’88 back,� he continues. “You can’t bring ’88 back. That was the ’80s. At no other point in life, have you ever heard of a period of time coming back or the good ol’ days coming back.� But Ghostface might not have to bring anything back. His career is going well. Currently on tour with special guests Sheek Louch, acts like Raekwon, Brand Nubian’s Sadat X and Grand Puba have been popping up, too. Catch the Killah Bee when he and his posse swarm The Waiting Room. , Ghostface Killah plays w/ Sheek Louch (of the Lox), Frank Dukes and Maxilla Blue Thursday, Nov. 4, at Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St., at 9 p.m. Tickets are $22 ADV/ $25 DOS. Visit onepercentproductions.com.


FEATURING HVJUBSJTU $IBE 5BZMPS CBTTJTU 1BUSJDL %BIMIFJNFS BOE ESVNNFS $IBE (SBDFZ GSPN UIF CBOE -JWF BMPOH XJUI MFBE WPDBMJTU ,FWJO .BSUJO BOE HVJUBSJTU 4FBO )FOOFTZ GSPN UIF CBOE $BOEMFCPY FOLLOW US

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| THE READER |

NOV. 4 - 10 , 2010

43


music lazy-i

Lazy-i is a weekly column by long-time Reader senior contributing writer Tim McMahan focused on the Omaha music scene. Check out Tim’s daily music news updates at his website, lazy-i.com, or email him at lazy-i@ thereader.com.

profiles, music news, lazy-i, hoodoo & more ... profiles, music news, lazy-i, hoodoo & more

Closing Time My last show at The 49’r

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“Holiday Entertaining on the”

Saturday, November 6th from 10 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday, November 7th from 11 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

7-piece gift sets will be given out this year to the first 125 passport purchasers.

The wineries have great holiday gift ideas! Each of the seven wineries will be pairing two holiday appetizers with their delicious Western Iowa wine.

Passports will cost $50 for a couple and $35 for a single

Breezy Hills Vineyard Loess Hills Vineyard & Winery Danish Countryside Vines & Wines Prairie Crossing Vineyard & Winery King’s Crossing Vineyard & Winery Sugar Clay Winery & Vineyard Whispering Hills Vineyard & Winery www.westerniowawinetrail.com

44

NOV. 4 - 10 , 2010

| THE READER |

music - lazy i

T

by Tim McMahan

he 49’r closed its doors forever Tuesday, Oct. 26. I drove by yesterday. The neon signs were gone. The windows were black. The place was dead. As an elegy, let me tell you about the last time I saw a band at The 49’r. “Hold on a minute,” said the guy who took my $5 at the door. “Let me stamp your hand. How am I supposed to remember who you are?” When was the last time someone stamped my hand at the door? It’s all about wristbands now, but it seemed fitting that The 49’r was still using a tried-and-true stamp. Nothing ever changed at The Niner. The place looked exactly like it looked when I went there for all those years, for shows like Street Urchins and Black Eyed Snakes and The Carsinogents and Carmine and The Sons of The 49’r and Son, Ambulance and Mal Madrigal and Two Gallants and Race for Titles and After Dark and Little Brazil and Zyklon Bees and The Philharmonic and Kite Pilot and Bombardment Society and The Stay Awake and Ladyfinger and The Monroes and Bangs and Owen and No Blood Orphan and The Movies and Mercy Rule and Statistics and every other band including Bad Luck Charm (BLC), who I was about to see again. It was crowded as it ever was. Nowhere to sit, nowhere to stand without being in someone’s way. What was the saying on the matchbook cover? “Right in the middle and nowhere to park.” I reached for my iPhone to take some pictures, realized I’d forgotten it, and damned myself for it. Of all nights to forget it, on this historic night. And then I thought, well, it’s serendipity. I never had a cell phone before when I went to the Niner. It’s only fitting I didn’t have one tonight. I’d rely on my memory for the pictures, just as I used to. The picture I saw Friday night, Oct. 22, 2010, was of a bar that, through its ups and downs, always held a special place in the Omaha music scene, even if its glory days were years ago.  Outside with the smokers I’d heard a similar story. One guy told me the passing of The Niner felt just like when the Cog Factory closed. He’d never gone to the Cog in its waning months and years, and so when its time came, he didn’t really care. He’d quit going to the Niner years earlier, too, and so its passing wouldn’t hurt that much. But then he began to talk about his favorite shows, and how much he liked playing there — more so than being a member of the crowd. I’d heard the

same story from every musician that played at the Niner — they all said it was one of the best rooms they’d ever played because there wasn’t a stage so much as a space in the back where the bands stood, with the drums a step up behind every one. Nothing separated the bands from the crowd. Mike Tulis of The Third Men and a lot of other great bands years ago gave me the secret of seeing shows at The Niner. Don’t bother trying to find a place to stand along the bar or over by the fireplace with the Rudolf reindeer head. Walk right up front, right by the band, there’s always room up there, and if someone’s pissed that you’re standing in front of them, well it’s their own fault for sitting down when the band is playing. Do this at your own risk. Of all the venues in town, The Niner drew the roughest crowds, lots of aging punks in vintage T-shirts. And lots of drunks. More drunks than at O’Leaver’s (if you can believe that). The 49’r is/was a drinking man’s bar. What’s that that Nick says in It’s a Wonderful Life? “We serve hard drinks in here for men who want to get drunk fast, and we don’t need any characters around to give the joint ‘atmosphere.’” Nick could have been talking about The Niner. BLC sounded as good the last time I saw them, probably five years ago. There’s something about their music that makes people feel tougher than they are. BLC is fighting music, a derivative of ’80s punk mixed with power-chord rock from an earlier time. But it’s authentic, it’s real and that’s why it’s so appealing. Frontman Lee Meyerpeter took off his stocking cap after the first song and rubbed his bald head, saying “I don’t need hair products anymore.” Lee’s message throughout the set between songs: “Let it go.” But he was talking about more than the bar, which we all knew would soon see its demise. He was talking about every piece of baggage and vanity and resentment and fear of getting old. I left toward the end of the set, giving up my spot to the twisted crowd, as more and more people got off their feet and pushed toward the band, sort-of dancing, showing their appreciation with their bodies. As I went up those back stairs for the last time, the band played a cover of Cheap Trick’s “Surrender” and the crowd went nuts. I could hear them as I walked back to my car along 49th Street, keeping my distance from a pair of stumbling bald drunks trying to find their way home.   And when I did get home I leaned over the sink with soap and water and scrubbed and scrubbed, but I couldn’t get that damn ink stamp off my hand. The 49’r and every band that played there also left a mark on me, but unlike that hand stamp, it’s a mark that will never fade with time. ,


music hoodoo

Hoodoo is a weekly column focusing on blues, roots, Americana and occasional other music styles with an emphasis on live music performances. Hoodoo columnist B.J. Huchtemann is a Reader senior contributing writer and veteran music journalist who has covered the local music scene for nearly 20 years.

Funk, Ska & OEAAs he Louisiana soul, funk, R&B, zydeco and blues of Josh Garrett & The Bottomline shake it up at The New Lift Thursday, Nov. 4, 5:30-8:30 p.m. This is a don’t-miss show. Garrett is from Houma, La., also the birthplace of Tab Benoit, and has spent time honing his bandleader chops in Nashville. The charismatic, high-energy band features a sassy horn section. Add Garrett’s rich vocals and meaty guitar chops and these guys deliver on all fronts. Fans of Benoit and Tommy Castro should dig the horn-driven party sound this band throws down. If you’re reading this Wednesday, Josh Garrett & The Bottomline makes its Zoo Bar debut Nov. 3, 6-9 p.m. Next Thursday, Nov. 11, Chicago blues-folk-Americana band Sarah & the Tall Boys make their Lift debut. Check them out at sarahandthetallboys.com.

1200 Club Blues & Ska

Chicago Blues Reunion Band plays Holland Performing Arts Center’s 1200 Club Thursday, Nov. 4, led by harmonica man and vocalist Corky Siegel. The intimate performance space includes a full cash bar and encourages patrons to dance and party. See chamberblues.com/projects_cbr.html. The swinging sounds of Pacific Northwest band Cherry Poppin’ Daddies heats things up Friday, Nov. 5. See omahaperformingarts.org.

OEAA Music Showcase

The annual OEAA Fall Music Nominee Showcase is Friday, Nov. 5, at four Benson venues. Music begins at approximately 8 p.m. Admission is just $10 for a wristband that gets you into the four venues: Barley Street Tavern, Pizza Shoppe Collective, The Sydney and Waiting Room. Check oea-awards.com or Facebook.com/oeaawards for band schedules.

Sandbloom & Son of 76 Josh Hoyer, Son of 76 & the Watchmen bandleader and occasional Reader contributor, hosts the return of Los Angeles songwriter Kevin Sandbloom Friday, Nov. 5, at 9 p.m. at Lincoln’s Zoo Bar. Sandbloom performs first followed by Son of 76. Hoyer tips his hat to Sandbloom’s expressive vocal range as well as the L.A. writer’s original songs. Sandbloom’s bio begins “Kevin Sandbloom is a man who has one thing on his mind. Playing music. He’s been doing it since he was 16.� He cites influences from Bob Marley and B.B. King to The Beatles and Prince. Find out more at kevinsandbloom.com.

Shakin’ With Bacon

Mark your calendars now for the return of Billy Bacon & His Porkestra to Lincoln’s Zoo Bar

Thursday, Nov. 11, through Saturday, Nov.13. This is the highly popular local configuration of Lincoln’s Tijuana Gigolos plus a few more musicians that give Bacon a solid backing with a horn section. They tear it up on Bacon’s originals plus choice covers that often include tributes to Doug Sahm and Chris Gaffney.

November Notables

Property: Harrah's Council Bluffs Project: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Job#: 46884.1 10:27 AM Show: Ship: 10/13/10 Insert: 10/21/1 Vendor: Omaha Reader dMax: Trim: 4.9" x 7.47" Live: 4.625" x 7.22 VO: ~ x ~ Bleed: none Artist: Jamie Rev: 2 Desc.: Omaha Reader 4.9� x 7.47� Ad Final Mats: PDF File

T

by B.J. Huchtemann

Mark your calendar now for Saturday, Nov. 13, for “Becky’s Birthday Extravaganza� at the Barley Street Tavern. Becky is Rebecca Lowry who performs under the name All Young Girls Are Machine Guns and is a fine songwriter who performs on a ukulele. She’ll be joined by Matt Cox, Cass Fifty & The Family Gram, Korey Anderson and other friends. Make it a point to see Cass Brostad (Cass Fifty) before she finishes packing her bags for her move to Austin, Tex., at the end of November. Her growth over the past couple of years as a songwriter has been impressive, featuring impassioned performances and well-crafted original songs served up with cut-to-the-bone emotional honesty. Also make note of a special “Songwriters in the Round� Thanksgiving Eve event at the Barley Street Tavern Wednesday, Nov. 24. Admission is a donation to the Omaha Food Bank. Artists scheduled include Matt Cox, Nick Carl, Rebecca Lowry, Ben Seiff, Kyle Harvey, Cass Brostad, Korey Anderson, Sarah Benck and Brad Hoshaw.

Return of the Brads

Brad Hoshaw returns to Omaha Nov. 18 from a several-week tour that’s taken him through the upper Midwest, from Chicago to Austin, and through New Mexico and Colorado. Catch him at Pizza Shoppe Collective Nov. 18 for a homecoming show. Hoshaw was a multiple OEAA winner in 2010, with awards including Artist of the Year. Popular bluesman Brad Cordle moved back to Omaha after living and making music in Las Vegas the last few years. Cordle is putting together a band with an emphasis on funk, R&B and original material. The group will include noted Lincoln songwriter/guitarist Dave Steen. Cordle’s band debuts at The Lift at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18. The John Crews/Bucky McCann duo opens at 5:30 p.m.

Hot Notes

Burgundy & Gray gig at McKenna’s Friday, Nov. 5. Levi William and his band play McKenna’s Friday, Nov. 12. The Slowdown offers a triple punch of highpowered, badass roots-rock and rockabilly Thursday, Nov. 11, when the Reverend Horton Heat, Legendary Shack Shakers and Split Lip Rayfield hit town. ,

NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND

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MUSIC

| THE READER |

10/13/10 6:16 PM

NOV. 4 - 10 , 2010

45


live music calendar

SEND CALENDAR INFORMATION — including addresses, dates, times, costs and phone numbers — to The Reader’s calendar editor. Mail to or drop off information at P.O. Box 7360 Omaha, NE 68107; email to listings@thereader.com; fax to (402) 341.6967. Deadline is 5 p.m. the Thursday prior to issue date.

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NOV. 4 - 10 , 2010

DAPOSE, MARIJUANA DEATHSQUADS, SLAPPING PURSES, (rock) 9:30 p.m., O’Leaver’s, $5. SMOOTH JAZZ THURSDAY’S W/ ED ARCHIBALD AND FRIENDS, (jazz) 6:30 p.m., Ozone, FREE. SWAMPJAM, (blues) 8 p.m., Pour House, FREE. JR HOSS, (acoustic) 9 p.m., Two Fine Irishmen, FREE. GHOSTFACE KILLAH, SHEEK LOUCH, (hip-hop) 9 p.m., Waiting Room, $22/adv, $25/dos. OUT THE FIRE, (cover) 8 p.m., Whiskey Roadhouse, FREE. ACADEMY OF ROCK, 6 p.m., Zoo Bar, $5. STONEBELLY, SHARP, (americana) 9:30 p.m., Zoo Bar, $4. MIXDUP’S BIRTHDAY W/ MYTH & MIXDUP, (DJ) 9 p.m., 415, $5. STEPHEN MONROE, (acoustic) 7:30 p.m., American Legion 374. TAXI DRIVER, (cover) 9:30 p.m., Arena, $5.

)PSTFTIPF *EPM

46

ANNA’S BIRTHDAY BASH W/ EMY’S & DUKE DJ, (DJ) 9 p.m., 415, FREE. OPEN JAM, 9 p.m., Chrome Lounge. MANNY COON, FRANK SCHWEINKARDT, (singer songwriter) 7 p.m., Clawfoot House, $5. TYLER CARSON, MEGAN BURTT, (folk/rock) 7 p.m., Crescent Moon Coffee, FREE. SHITHOOK, (karaoke) 9 p.m., Duffy’s, FREE. LOOM W/ KEITH EVAN, (DJ) Espana. NASHVILLE REJECT, (cover) 9 p.m. The Grove. CHICAGO BLUES REUNION, (blues) 7:30 p.m., Holland Center, $30/adv, $35/dos. MARCHING & JAZZ BAND CONCERT, (instrumental) 7 p.m., IWCC Art Center, FREE. SPIKE NELSON DUET, (jazz) 6 p.m., Jazz Louisiana Kitchen, FREE. LUST & DAGGERS, CHASING THE SUN, (rock) 9 p.m., Knickerbockers. QUARTUS, (cover) 8 p.m., LIV Lounge. CHRIS SAUB, (acoustic) 9 p.m., Myth, FREE. JOSH GARRETT & THE BOTTOM LINE, (blues) 5:30 p.m., New Lift Lounge, $9.

OEAA FALL SHOWCASE W/ LIL SLIM, THE MATADOR, ALLENDALES, PLATTE RIVER RAIN, MATT COX, W.E.R.D., (various) 8:30 p.m., Barley St. Tavern, $10. GREG LASWELL, KIM TAYLOR, HARPER BLYNN, (rock) 8 p.m., Bourbon, $12. ROUGH CUT, (cover) 9:30 p.m., Brewsky’s Park Drive, FREE. 3D, (cover) 9 p.m., Chrome. JAZZ AT THE MOON, 7 p.m., Crescent Moon, Coffee, FREE. LIL WYTE, JELLY ROLL, MISTA DMV DJ ROB, DJ BISHOP, (hip-hop) 8 p.m., Da Boom. BAKERSFIELD, (country/rock) 7 p.m., Eagles 38. JITTERBUGS’ NIGHT OUT, (jazz/dixieland) 9 p.m., Eagles Lodge, $10. UNPLUGGED THE BAND, (rock) 9 p.m., Firewater Grille, FREE. FISH HEADS, (acoustic) 9:30 p.m., Gator O’Malley’s, FREE. RED ICE, (rock) 9 p.m., The Grove. TWITCH!, WICKED ME, CURSED BY MOONLIGHT, TEN DEAD, (rock/metal) 8 p.m., The Hideout, $5. CHERRY POPPIN’ DADDIES, (swing) 8 p.m., Holland Center, $25/adv, $30/dos. RICKY NELSON REMEMBERED, (rock) 8 p.m., IWCC Art Center, $34.50.

| THE READER |

music listings

NIGHT SHAKERS TRIO, (jazz) 7 p.m., Jazz Louisiana Kitchen, FREE. J.V. ALLSTARS, A SUMMER BETTER THAN YOURS, SHERIDAN BREAKDOWN, (pop/punk) 6 p.m., Knickerbockers. J.V. ALLSTARS, GET DOWN, GODDAMN RIGHTS, (pop/ punk) 9 p.m., Knickerbockers. PURE VINYL, 9 p.m., LiT Lounge. THE LABELS, (cover) 9 p.m., Loose Moose. ASHANTI ROOTS, (reggae) 9 p.m., Louis, FREE. BURGUNDY AND GRAY, (blues) 9 p.m., McKennas. TALKING MOUNTAIN, MAMMOTH LIFE, THE BENNINGTONS, (rock/metal) 9 p.m., O’Leaver’s, $5. FINEST HOUR, (cover) 9 p.m., Ozone, FREE. OEAA FALL SHOWCASE W/ JAMAZZ, MARS BLACK, THE 9’S, LESS TALK, MORE POLKA, (various) 9 p.m., Pizza Shoppe Collective, $10. ECKOPHONIC, (cover) 9 p.m., red9, $5. LEMON FRESH DAY, (cover) 10 p.m., The Reef, FREE. KILLS & THRILLS, TAKE IT BACK, LARS, HOPEFORTHEFALLEN, FAITH THROUGH FEAR, (punk/ metal) 8 p.m., The Sandbox, $8. AN EVENING WITH DARK STAR ORCHESTRA, (cover) 9 p.m., Slowdown, $25. MAYDAY PARADE, BREATHE CAROLINA, EVERY AVENUE, ARTIST VS. POET, GO RADIO, VICTORIOUS SECRETS, (rock) 6 p.m., Sokol Underground, $18. OEAA FALL SHOWCASE W/ DESIRE TO DESTROY, KYLE HARVEY, ASO, LANDING ON THE MOON, MACHETE ARCHIVE, FILTER KINGS, (various) 8:15 p.m., Sydney, $10. SUPERLOVE, (cover) 9 p.m., Tropics, FREE. HI-FI HANGOVER, (cover) 9:30 p.m., Two Fine Irishmen, FREE. SHEILA GREENLAND, (country) 9 p.m., Uncle Ron’s. OEAA FALL SHOWCASE W/ MC GRINGO, HONEY & DARLING, WITNESS TREE, ALL YOUNG GIRLS ARE MACHINE GUNS, CONCHANCE, VOODOO METHOD, (various) 8 p.m., Waiting Room, $10. DESPERATE BANDWIVES, (cover) 8 p.m., Whiskey Roadhouse, FREE. JUNIOR STEPHENS BLUES PROJECT, (blues) 5 p.m., Zoo Bar, $4 SON OF 76 AND THE WATCHMEN, SANDBLOOM, (blues/ soul) 9 p.m., Zoo Bar, $6.

SATURDAY 6

KAZTE’S BIRTHDAY BASH W/ KAZTE & BLACK 7, (DJ) 9 p.m., 415, $5. TAXI DRIVER, (cover) 9:30 p.m., Arena, $5. KELSEY NORD, JESSICA ERRET BAND, (singer-songwriter/ rock) 9 p.m., Barley St. Tavern, $5. 3D, (cover) 9 p.m., Chrome.

READER RECOMMENDS TIM SANWICK, (singer-songwirter) 9 p.m., Island. R&B ZONE TRIO, 7 p.m., Jazz Louisiana Kitchen, FREE. DIRTFEDD, THE MATADOR, CANNONISTA, (rock/metal) 9 p.m., Knickerbockers. FISH HEADS, (cover) 9 p.m., Loose Moose. ONLY LIVING BOY, (blues) 9 p.m., Louis. PLEASUREKRAFT, (electronic) 9 p.m., Nomad, $10. THE LABELS, (cover) 9 p.m., Ozone, FREE. NAKED PLYWOOD, (rock) 8 p.m., Pizza Shoppe Collective, FREE. ECKOPHONIC, (cover) 9 p.m., red9, $5. EVERYDAY/EVERYNIGHT, MILLIONS OF BOYS, (rock) 9 p.m., Slowdown, $5.

MERSA, THE LEGACY VIRUS, RIDERS OF THE APOCALYPSE, DIRE GNOSIS, VERENDUS, LABEL ME RED, (rock/punk) 6 p.m., Sokol Underground, $7. GUNSHOT ITCH, PORKBELLY, VULSAFIRE, (rock) 9 p.m., Stir Live, $5. OLD SCHOOL W/ CONDUCTOR THOMAS WILKINS, (symphony) 7 p.m., Strauss Performing Arts Center, $30. GROOVE PUPPET, (cover) 9:30 p.m., Two Fine Irishmen, FREE. SHEILA GREENLAND, (country) 9 p.m., Uncle Ron’s. SUPERIOR, ANALOG, VICTOR DRAWS THE SON, AGNES THE MOTHER, (rock) 9 p.m., Waiting Room, $5. OFF THE GRID, (cover) 9 p.m., Whiskey Roadhouse, FREE.

SUNDAY 7

SUNDAY GOLD W/ GREG K, (DJ) 9 p.m., 415, FREE. THE BLACK SWANS, AARON MARTIN, NATHAN K, (folk/ rock) 7 p.m., Clawfoot House, $5. CHOCOLATE CAKE, SHARP, NATE & AJ, (rock/ experimental) 9 p.m., Duffy’s.

READER RECOMMENDS NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND, (country) 8 p.m., Harrah’s Convention Center, $30. SWAMPBOY BLUES BAND, (blues) 3 p.m., Millard VFW. NWU WOMEN’S CHOIR, MEN’S GLEE TOUCH OF CLASS JAZZ CHOIR, (choral) 3 p.m., O’Donnell Auditorium, FREE. BRASS IN BLUE, (classical) 3 p.m., Presbyterian Church of the Cross, FREE. JOHN STOKELY, (acoustic) 2 p.m., Soaring Wings, FREE. VERSA EMERGE, ANARBOR, TEH DANGEROUS SUMMER, CONDITIONS, (rock) 7 p.m., Sokol Underground, $10. ...TO HONOR THOSE WHO SERVE W/ OMAHA SYMPHONIC WINDS, (classical) 3 p.m., St. Paul’s United Methodist. 40 OZ. TO FREEDOM, CORNERSTONE DUB, (cover/reggae) 9 p.m., Waiting Room, $10.

MONDAY 8

SOUP AND SONG W/ KYLE & ANDY, (variety singer songwriter) 8 p.m., Barley St. Tavern, FREE. MONDAY NIGHT BIG BAND DIRECTED BY BOB KRUEGER, (jazz) 7:30 p.m., Brewsky’s Jazz Underground, $5, $4/ students. BIG BAND MONDYS FEAT. OMAHA BIG BAND, (jazz) 6:30 p.m., Ozone, FREE. THE SLEEPING, PM TODAY, TIDES OF MAN, (rock) 7 p.m., Sokol Underground, $10/adv, $12/dos.

READER RECOMMENDS EISLEY, IVES THE BAND, CHRISTIE DUPREE, (rock/pop) 8 p.m., Waiting Room, $12. OXYGEN, (cover) 7 p.m., Whiskey Roadhouse, FREE. PIANO HAPPY HOUR, 5 p.m., Zoo Bar, FREE. Z-JAM OPEN STAGE, 9 p.m., Zoo Bar, $3.

TUESDAY 9

VIC NASTY, (DJ) 9 p.m., 415, FREE. BASS TUESDAY W/ DJ BLAC, (DJ) 9 p.m., Bricktop, FREE. WHITNEY MORGAN AND THE 78’S, (rock) 9 p.m., Knickerbockers. TIM KOEHN ACOUSTIC JAM, (acoustic/blues) 7 p.m., Louis, FREE. ACOUSTIC TUESDAYS FEAT. UNCUT, 6:30 p.m., Ozone, FREE. CHRIS SAUB, (acoustic) 8 p.m., The Phoenix, FREE. KINA GRANNIS, IMAGINARY FRIEND, (singer-songwriter) 8 p.m., Waiting Room, $12. JAZZOCRACY, (jazz) 6 p.m., Zoo Bar, FREE. TROUBADOUR TUESDAY W/ ASHLEY BUCK, EMMA NELSON, MARK THORNTON, JON DELL, (singer songwriter) 9:30 p.m., Zoo Bar, $4..

Wednesday 10

NATHAN K, DAVID PAULSEN, AARON NIGRO, (acoustic) 7 p.m., 13th St. Coffee, FREE. TALI-BANG, LUCAS KRANCE, (DJ) 9 p.m., 415, FREE. GWAR, THE CASUALTIES, INFERNAEON, MOBILE DEATH CAMP, (metal) 7:30 p.m., Bourbon, $22/adv, $26/dos. ANDY HALL COMBO, (jazz) 7:30 p.m., Brewsky’s Jazz


UPCOMING SHOWS

Underground, $5, $4/students. MIKE DROHO, DAPHNE WILLIS, LUCAS KELLISON & THE ASSEMBLED SOUL, (pop/funk) 9 p.m., Duffy’s. AND AFTER..., SIN, (rock/metal) 9 p.m., Louis. NOSTALGIA WEDNESDAYS FEAT. PINK KADILLAC, (oldies) 6:30 p.m., Ozone, FREE. SHADES OF MOIRE, (rock) 7 p.m., Pizza Shoppe, $5.

Since 1997 The

Expendables

READER RECOMMENDS LOTUS, MUX MOOL, INFLECT, (dance/rock) 9 p.m., Slowdown, $15/adv, $18/dos. SOFT ROCK CAFE W/ DJ M BOWEN, (DJ) 9 p.m., Waiting Room, FREE. SARAH AND THE TALL BOYS, (blues) 6 p.m., Zoo Bar. GREEN TEES, RON WAX, GLOWORM, (rock/garage) 9:30 p.m., Zoo Bar, $4.

ThUrSday, 11/11/10 8:00PM @ The waiTing rooM

VENUES Ameristar Casino, 2200 River Rd., Council Bluffs, ameristar.com Arena Bar & Grill, 3809 N. 90th St., 571.2310, arenaomaha.com BarFly, 707 N. 114th St., 504.4811 Barley Street Tavern, 2735 N. 62nd St., 554.5834, barleystreet.com Bourbon Theatre, 1415 O St., Lincoln, 730.5695 Downtown Blues, 1512 Howard St., 345.0180 Duffy’s Tavern, 1412 O St., Lincoln, 474.3453, myspace.com/duffystavern The Hideout, 302 S. 72nd St. The Hole, 712 S. 16th St., 342.4457 Knickerbocker’s, 901 O St., Lincoln, 476.6865, knickerbockers.net LIV Lounge, 2279 S. 67th St., 884.5410, livlounge.com Louis Bar and Grill, 5702 NW Radial Hwy., 551.5993 McKenna’s Blues, Booze & BBQ, 7425 Pacific St., 393.7427, mckennasbbq.com New Lift Lounge, 4737 S. 96th St., 339.7170 O’Leaver’s Pub, 1322 S. Saddle Creek Rd., 556.1238, myspace.com/oleaverspub Ozone Lounge at Anthony’s Steakhouse, 72nd and F, 331.7575, ozoneclubomaha.com. Pizza Shoppe Collective, 6056 Maple St., 556.9090, pscollective.com Qwest Center, 455 N. 10th St., qwestcenteromaha.com Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St., 345.7569, theslowdown.com Sokol Hall, 2234 S. 13th St., 346.9802, sokolundergound.com The Sydney, 5918 Maple St., 932.9262, thesydneybenson.com Stir, 1 Harrahs Blvd., Council Bluffs, harrahs. com Venue 162, 162 W. Broadway, Council Bluffs, 712.256.7768, myspace.com/venue162 Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St., 884.5353, waitingroomlounge.com Whiskey Roadhouse, Horseshoe Casino, 2701 32nd Ave., Council Bluffs, whiskeyroadhouse.com Zoo Bar, 136 N.14th St., Lincoln, zoobar.com

Stir Cove Facebook Party

have staked their claim in the California surf rock genre. Blending Reggae, Punk Rock, and ’80s style dueling guitar solos The Expendables have been turning heads for years.

Gunshot Itch AND

Porkbelly

THE EXPENDABLES

SPOtlIGHt SHOW

w/ C-Money & The Players, The Flatliners & The Snips

AND

Vulsafire

Thousand Houses AND

Lonely Estates

The 9’s

ThUrSday, 11/04/10 9:00PM @ The waiTing rooM

Friday, 11/05/10 8:00PM @ The waiTing rooM

Friday, 11/05/10 9:00PM @ Slowdown

GHOSTFACE KILLAH

OEAA FALL SHOWCASE

DARK STAR ORCHESTRA

Friday, 11/05/10 6:00PM @ Sokol UndergroUnd

SaTUrday, 11/06/10 9:00PM @ The waiTing rooM

SUnday, 11/07/10 9:00PM @ The waiTing rooM

w/ Breathe Carolina, Every Avenue, Artist vs Poet & Go Radio

w/ Analog, Victor Draws The Son & Agnes The Mother

w/ Sheek Louch (of the Lox) & Frank Dukes

Signum A.D.

AND

Sheridan Breakdown AND

Vitosus

SUPERIOR

40 OZ TO FREEDOM

SUnday, 11/07/10 7:00PM @ Sokol UndergroUnd

Monday, 11/08/10 8:00PM @ The waiTing rooM

TUeSday, 11/09/10 8:00PM @ The waiTing rooM

w/ Anarbor, The Dangerous Summer & Conditions

w/ Ives The Band & Christie Dupree

w/ Imaginary Friend

MAYDAY PARADE

Televised UFC Fights

Cage Fight After Party with DJ Shif-D VERSA EMERGE

$5 CASH COVER ON ALL SHOWS DOORS AT 7PM

| SHOWS AT 9PM

=MRON_VO KXN K\^S]^] ]_LTOM^ ^Y MRKXQO 7_]^ LO Y\ YVNO\ ^Y QKWLVO 5XYa AROX >Y =^YZ ,OPY\O CY_ =^K\^ Ž 1KWLVSXQ :\YLVOW) -KVV à " à ,/>=900 3X 3YaK Y\ à " à à ! Š 2K\\KRu] 6SMOX]O -YWZKXc 66-

EISLEY

11/10/10 SOFT ROCK CAFE 11/10/10 LOTUS 11/11/10 THE REVEREND HORTON HEAT 11/12/10 AURASING CD RELEASE 11/12/10 JOSH RITTER & THE ROYAL CITY BAND 11/12/10 REBELUTION 11/14/10 AN EVENING WITH MIKE GORDON 11/15/10 PRETTY LIGHTS 11/16/10 COLOUR REVOLT 11/16/10 THE HOLD STEADY 11/17/10 FANCY PARTY COMEDY

KINA GRANNIS

11/18/10 HED PE 11/19/10 TIM KASHER 11/20/10 POMEROY 11/22/10 MAC LETHAL 11/23/10 MARGOT & THE NUCLEAR SO AND SO’S 11/24/10 SONG REMAINS THE SAME 11/24/10 EVERY TIME I DIE 11/27/10 THE ENVY CORPS 12/02/10 DREDG 12/13/10 BRYAN GREENBERG 12/17/10 THE NADAS

More Information and Tickets Available at

WWW.ONEPERCENTPRODUCTIONS.COM music listings

| THE READER |

NOV. 4 - 10 , 2010

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©2010 MILLER BREWING CO., MILWAUKEE, WI

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NOV. 4 - 10 , 2010

| THE READER |

THE ALUMINUM PINT


film

Deanlovestv “Conan” Weeknights, 10 p.m. TBS. A hilarious promo with a bit of absurdity about Conan O’Brien

driving a car off a cliff seems to show him newly inspired after his hiatus, and ready to conquer late night once again. Getting the funny Conan back, sans resentment, could be the best thing that happens to TV this year. And maybe to the United States. — Dean Robbins

R E V I E W S ,

P R E V I E W S ,

S C O R E C A R D ,

F I L M

N E W S

Lives for Sale Never Let Me Go is a time-trapped tragedy by Justin Senkbile

I

14th & Mike Fahey Street (formerly Webster Street) More info & showtimes 402.933.0259 · filmstreams.org Facebook & Twitter: /filmstreams

M O R E

cuttingroom

dents of Hailsham are destined for a short, controlled existence in service of “the greater good.” We watch Kathy, Ruth and Tommy as children at Hailsham, puzzled by the mysterious outside world and the looks of guilt and pity elicited by deliverymen and teachers (primarily the one played by the always wonderful Sally Hawkins). As adolescents,

n the special club of music video directors turned mainstream fea- NEVER LET ME GO ture filmmakers, Mark Romanek is among the least visible. He hasn’t made a film since 2002’s creepy-but-minor Robin Williams vehicle One Hour Photo. Who would’ve thought, with only a handful of music videos made between then and now, that his latest feature, Never Let Me Go would be so good? A medical breakthrough in the early ’50s, which we learn of soon enough, has precipitated the need for special boarding schools that keep students regimented in health and behavior, and completely isolated from the outside world. Hailsham is a school located in the dreary English countryside, where we meet Kathy (Carey Mul- they gain a bit more freedom and a painful awareligan), Ruth (Keira Knightley) and Tommy (An- ness of their destiny. Anger, malaise and hormones drew Garfield, from The Social Network and last swell but are assumed to be particular to their own special societal status and not necessarily typical year’s fantastic Red Riding trilogy). Without giving too much away, it’s important traits. For all three, adulthood seems to bring a calm to mention that, although a title card informs us but fragile acceptance of fate. Although the foundation of the story (based the average life expectancy exceeds 100, the stuon the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro) is an inher-

Film Streams at the Ruth Sokolof Theater

A N D

ently political bit of science fiction, Never Let Me Go keeps itself staunchly apolitical, with no denouncing or indicting. That’s the key to this film’s success and also what makes it so bleak. The idea of our heroes escaping the life laid out for them, or overcoming the authority that laid it out, isn’t so much as whispered. The most they hope for, and gingerly fight for, is a little extra time. And time is what Romanek is most interested in here. The always-too-few precious moments, the interminable distance between them and, in the case of these characters, the ache that accompanies having to live in the past tense. Mulligan, Knightley and Garfield are all exceptionally good here, but special attention should be paid to the young actors portraying the child versions: Izzy MeikleSmall as Kathy, Ella Purnell as Ruth and Charlie Rowe as Tommy. Their work grips us from the beginning, and these kids play out the intricacies of this love triangle just as impressively as their older counterparts. Never Let Me Go is depressing as hell — no one is going to argue with that. But it’s also very beautiful; it’s a sincere, totally unassuming movie that has you drawn in long before you realize it … perhaps in spite of yourself. ,

GRADE: A

■ I’m going to hope that I’m the first person to notice Rem Koolhaas’ last name sounds like “cool house” … because I want to be considered clever. See, he’s a world-renowned architect (get it, “cool house”), and Film Streams Ruth Sokolof Theater (filmstreams.org) is screening two documentaries about him. A Kind of Architect and Koolhaas Houselife explore the Danish sensation, as will a discussion with Design Alliance Omaha and the Omaha Creative Institute that will also be held Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. After hearing this, I’m considering changing my name to Ryan Ryetscool. ■ It’s time to get yo learn on, as famed film and television producer Howard Rosenman will hold a seminar Saturday, Nov. 6, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and 2-5 p.m., in the CPACS Building on the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) campus, in conjunction with the UNO Department of Theatre and Omaha Film Festival. This inside look at producing, called “The Hollywood Sell,” will be preceded November 4, at 7 p.m. at the Great Escape Omaha Stadium 16 Theatre by a screening of Father of the Bride, which Rosenman produced. Seminar tickets are $75 for the general public, $25 for students and free for dudes whose last names rhyme with Blear-ick. No? Well, it was worth a try. For more information and tickets, hit up thehollywoodsell.com. ■ Good news and bad news Goonie-philes. Bad news: There’s probably not a sequel coming to the film “classic” — the quotation marks are because I never liked it … sorry. The good news: There may be a stage musical. For realz. I can’t wait to see Andrew Lloyd Weber’s “Truffle Shuffle.” — Ryan Syrek Cutting Room provides breaking local and national movie news … complete with added sarcasm. Send any relevant information to film@thereader.com. Check out Ryan on the radio on CD 105.9 (Fridays at around 7:30 a.m.), on his blog at Cuttingroomfloor.thereader.com and on Twitter (twitter.com/thereaderfilm).

This Week Enter the Void First-Run

House 1977

Directed by Gaspar Noé.

Directed by Nobuhiko Obayahshi.

Friday, November 5 - Thursday, November 11

“One of the most mind-blowing and ambitious feature films ever made.” —Andrew O’Hehir, Salon

The Tillman Story First-Run (R)

Held over! Now through Thursday, November 11

“Insanely entertaining. For connoisseurs of the bizarre, HOUSE’s revival is long overdue!” —Seattle Times

Directed by Amir Bar-Lev.

La belle et la bête

Through Thursday, November 11

(Beauty and the Beast) 1946 Directed by Jean Cocteau. Oct 30 - Nov 11 (Saturdays, Sundays, Thursdays)

FILM

Rem Koolhaas: A Kind of Architect and Koolhaas Houselife One night only! Wednesday, November 10, 7pm Presented with design alliance OMAha and Omaha Creative Institute. More info and advance tickets at filmstreams.org.

Coming Soon:

Great Directors: Chaplin November 12 - December 16, 2010 Series sponsored by Omaha Steaks. More info at filmstreams.org.

| THE READER |

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film

MONEY MAKERS

COURTESY BOXOFFICEMOJO.COM

TOP FIVE HIGHEST-GROSSING MOVIES OF THE WEEKEND (Oct. 29-31) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Saw 3D

Paranormal Activity 2 Red Jackass 3D Hereafter

$22,530,123

$16,508,107 $10,729,636 $8,504,163 $6,422,327

reportcard

Waiting for Superman

FILM

READER RATING

Hereafter

D-

Nobody tell Clint Eastwood his movie about death sucks. It may kill him..

Red

B

AARP-sponsored carnage, with added Malkovich.

The Town

A

Ben Affleck proves he’s got directorial game to go with that butt chin. READER RECOMMENDS

Toy Story 3

A-

Come for the laughs, stay for the contemplation of the toy afterlife.

Secretariat

F

If the dialogue doesn’t kill you, you’ll kill yourself. Worst of the year.

The Social Network

Is Our Children Learning? Waiting for Superman proves public education is the kryptonite by Ryan Syrek

I

pass tears like kidney stones. Big, fat crocodile drops aren’t easily milked from these tightly shuttered ducts. So when I tell you I bawled at Waiting For Superman — ugly bawled … in public — please know that means something. Writer/director Davis Guggenheim made a documentary about global warming, An Inconvenient Truth, the scariest movie of 2006; so it’s no surprise he made a look inside the broken American public school system the biggest tearjerker of 2010. Don’t let the nonfiction angle fool you, there is poetry to docu-filmmaking, and Guggenheim knows every rhyme scheme. Buoyed by eye-popping — make that eyegouging — statistics, Waiting for Superman supplements cold numbers with warm bodies. The film begins with sobering — make that alcohol-consumption-inducing — figures regarding math and reading proficiency across the United States. The causes are as obvious as they

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NOV. 4 - 10 , 2010

| THE READER |

film

are seemingly intractable: poor funding, poor teachers, poor bureaucratic oversight and poor opinions of poor people. And it’s that last part, the people, which Guggenheim embraces. In addition to a compelling slew of talking-head, fact-spewing reformers, we meet the victims — yes, victims — of the public school system. There’s Daisy, an overachiever destined to have her zeal snuffed by a middle-school seemingly determined to set her back; there’s Anthony, an orphan who dreams of giving his kids a better life than he had … while he’s still in grade school; and there’s Fernando, a floppy-topped sweetie whose mother is told repeatedly he isn’t reading well despite her evidence to the contrary. Each of these children, and several others, find their futures tied to lotteries. That’s right, whether these tiny wonders spiral into the stereotypical hell that is their seeming birthright depends on whether bingo balls that represent their name are pulled from a hopper. See, only so many spots are available at schools that don’t suck, so the only fair thing to do is cast lots with young lives. If you’re wondering where my blubbering came in, try watching Daisy’s face as names that aren’t hers are called out, each representing the life she missed.

B+

No one can deny the brilliance of Sorkin’s script … well, maybe Mark Zuckerberg can.

Winter’s Bone (ON DVD)

A-

This tale of “country noir” will have you rethinking that Ozarks vacay.

There’s a villain, too — one sure to cause controversy. The teachers’ unions, the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, are recognized for their accomplishments ever so briefly before they are raked, roasted and grilled on an open flame of blame. And it’s hard to argue, as their dogged allegiance to the idea that all teachers, even ones who are awful human beings that use tenure as an excuse for unconscionable behaviors, are the reason exceptional instructors can’t be celebrated and douche bags can’t be fired. Thankfully, just as Al Gore’s fire-andbrimstone, end-of-the-world predicting documentary was blunted by a “we can still change” conclusion, so too does this culminate in a call to arms. Honestly, if you can sit through this breathtaking film and not wind up one of Guggenheim’s soldiers, I’m kind of appalled. Visually striking, with quick animated sequences and well-framed interviews, and emotionally enthralling, Waiting for Superman just buddied up with Restrepo on my very, very short list for the year’s best in nonfiction film. ,

GRADE: A


EDUCATE . CONNECT. ENGAGE .

Advancing Latino Leaders and Strengthening Communities

2010 Heartland Latino Leadership Conference Friday, November 12 Embassy Suites — LaVista 12520 Westport Parkway | La Vista, NE 68128

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:

Latino/Bilingual

JOB FAIR November 11 1:00– 4:00pm

The Kroc Center 2825 Y Street

For additional conference details, information on registration, the complete schedule, and to register on-line visit Deborah Rosado Shaw Entrepreneur & Leader in Business

Gabe Salazar Motivational Speaker

www.heartlandlatino.org. Jose Hernandez NASA Astronaut

For other questions, call Turner Events and Marketing at 402.926.1199.

Special After-Dinner Concert by International Jazz Sensation and Legacy Tito Puente, Jr.

Sponsored by:

| THE READER |

NOV. 4 - 10 , 2010

51


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| THE READER |


A R E A

sports

C O L L E G E

A T H L E T I C

T E A M

N E W S

A N D

For The Record Roy Helu, Jr. comes up big against Missouri

N

by Mike Babcock

ebraska took a timeout with 2:17 remaining and the outcome decided. The timeout allowed Cornhusker running back Roy Helu, Jr. to catch his breath before carrying one more time, on fourth-down-and-1 at the Missouri 31-yard line. He gained 3 yards then ran to the sideline as fans chanted his name. Helu was oblivious to the chants. “I wish I’d heard it, though; that would’ve been cool,� he told reporters following the 31-17 victory against the No. 7-ranked Tigers. Near the end of his post-game interview, Helu asked a question of reporters: “So when they chanted the ‘Roy’ thing, how do you chant ‘Roy,’ because my name’s only three letters?� The chants were of his last name, not his first, he was told, two syllables. “Oh, OK,� Helu said to laughter. He had another question. “They said, ‘HAY-lu’?’ My name’s ‘HEL-ooo,’� said Helu. “It’s OK, but you can call me ‘HAY-lu.’ It’s Roy ‘HEL-ooo,’ Jr.� You also can call him the best single-game rusher in Cornhusker football history, after he carried 28 times for 307 yards and three touchdowns against Missouri.

P R O F I L E S

Helu broke the school record, 294 rushing yards, set by Calvin Jones against Kansas in 1991. And he did it in dramatic fashion, with touchdown runs of 66, 73 and 53 yards. The 66-yarder set the tone, coming on Nebraska’s first play from scrimmage. The 73-yarder came late in the first quarter, as the Huskers took a 24-0 lead. And the 53-yarder came on Helu’s tenth carry, in the third quarter. At that point, his rushing total was 228 yards. Helu ran past the top five on Nebraska’s all-time single-game rushing list on the final series, with Missouri still holding out hope. The series began at the Husker 8-yard line, with 8:40 left. On his first carry, Helu gained 6 yards to pass Isaiah Hipp (254), Rick Berns (255) and Ken Clark (256). And on his sixth carry, he gained 15 yards to pass Jones and Mike Rozier (285). Before the timeout with 2:17 remaining, Nebraska had run 10 plays during the drive, with Helu carrying on nine. After Helu left the game to chants of his name, quarterback Zac Lee, who had replaced an injured Taylor Martinez at the start of the third quarter, downed the ball three times. The final series consumed all 8 minutes and 40 seconds. “That was really the offensive line grinding on their defensive line,� Helu said. He was quick to share the credit for his record-breaking performance. “I couldn’t explain how much I feel for my linemen and fullback, Tyler Legate,� said Helu. “They deserve as much credit as I do, just down the line, even with our guys who rotate with the offensive line.

A N D

O T H E R

S P O R T I N G

I N F O R M A T I O N

W I T H

T H E

J U M P

thejump “I know easily we could focus on the record and the individual, but it’s a team sport.â€? Coach Bo Pelini echoed the team part, while acknowledging Helu’s accomplishment. “Obviously, I just said to the team, you break a school record for single-game rushing at this place, with all the tradition around here, it’s a pretty big deal,â€? Pelini said. Helu didn’t know he had broken the record until hearing the Memorial Stadium public address announcer’s congratulations. By then, he was on the sideline, among teammates. “It was weird,â€? he said. “They were acting like we won the Super Bowl or something. I got squirted on the back with water ‌ a lot of really kind things that teammates said, just a lot of congratulations.â€? He went into the game with 500 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Now, he needs only 34 rushing yards to reach 3,000 for his career. Just five Huskers have ever rushed for 3,000 yards: Rozier (4,780), Ahman Green (3,880), Eric Crouch (3,334), Jones (3,153) and Clark (3,037). You can do the math. Barring injury, with four regular-season games, a bowl game and a potential return to the Big 12 Championship game (greatly enhanced by the Missouri victory) remaining, Helu reasonably could surpass all but Rozier and Green on that list. Even if he doesn’t get to No. 3 on the all-time list, however, he’s earned a place among the great Nebraska running backs. As such he deserves to have his name pronounced correctly. It’s “HEL-ooo.â€? And while you’re at it, don’t forget the “Jr.â€? ,

CREIGHTON

■We’ve got the season’s first local conference champion. The Creighton women’s soccer team secured the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title Thursday night behind late goals from Erin Gunther and Brittney Neumann, both Omaha natives, in a 2-1 overtime victory over Illinois State. The win earned the Bluejays an opening round bye in the MVC tournament. Creighton will play the winner of Drake and Evansville Friday, Nov. 5, at 6 p.m. ■Swimming, biking, running. If I do one of them in any week I consider it a hard-earned personal health and fitness victory; but University of Nebraska at Omaha officials expect up to 800 people to register to do all three at the first Omaha Women’s Triathlon, May 22, 2011. The event is a sprint distance triathlon featuring a 750k swim, 20k bike ride and 5k run. It’s open to individuals or teams. Course details aren’t finalized but the swim portion will take place at the new Lawrence Youngman Lake, 192nd and Dodge. All proceeds go to the Olson Center for Women’s Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. For more information visit omahawomenstri.com. ■The United Football League championship game is coming to Omaha but the question is whether the Nighthawks will be there. Last Thursday’s loss to Las Vegas, the second of the season to the Locomotives, left Omaha at 3-2. It’s not all bad. Being second in the league the Nighthawks control their fate. The bad news is two of three remaining games will be away from packed stands at Rosenblatt Stadium. The good news is the Nighthawks have beaten the three teams left on the schedule. Everything’s been storybook this season so I’ll officially set myself up for disappointment and say Omaha will make it. Don’t worry, as a Cubs fan I’m very good at this sort of thing. Either way, let no one question a Nebraskan’s willingness to watch football. The title game is coming here because you people keep turning out. Nicely done. — Brandon Vogel The Jump takes you behind the local headlines. Email jump@thereader.com and look for daily updates at twitter.com/brandonlvogel.

Your life...Your path...Your choice

Welcome to Our House!

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u Thursday, Nov. 4 @ 7:05 p.m. Creighton vs. Northern State (Ex.)

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u Saturday, Nov. 6 @ Noon Creighton vs. Bradley Men’s basketball home games played at Qwest Center Omaha (10th & Cass St.) Men’s soccer home games played at Morrison Stadium (19th & California St.)

Tickets: 280-JAYS

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| THE READER |

NOV. 4 - 10 , 2010

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T IS WHOAN ARY .” I T A U L REVO A LOOKS LIKE CgIeNEbEiri, M MAGAZINE NEW YORK -Bil ING.” W O L B D “MIN ehir, SALON ’H -Andrew O .” R A L U C A T ES “SPEC NGELES TIM

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OMAHA READER NEWS STAND DATE WED 11/3

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NOV. 4 - 10 , 2010

news

of the

t h e w o r l d g o n e f r e a k y w i t h i l l u s t r a t i o n s

| THE READER |

D

avid Winkelman, 48, was arrested in Davenport, Iowa, in September on a misdemeanor warrant, still sporting “The Tattoo.” In late 2000, Winkelman, reacting to a radio “contest,” had his forehead inked with the logo of radio station KORB, “93 Rock,” because he had heard on-air personalities “offer” $100,000 to anyone who would do it. Winkelman had the tattoo done before checking, however, and the disk jockeys later informed him that the “contest” was a joke. Winkelman filed a lawsuit against the station, but it was dismissed. Ten years later, the “93 Rock” format has expired, but Winkelman’s forehead remains busily tattooed. — For most of 2010, California’s dysfunctional legislature could find no acceptable tax increases or spending cuts to keep the state from going broke, and only in October did it manage to cobble together enough pie-in-thesky bookkeeping tricks to create the illusion of a balanced budget. Nonetheless, the legislature has been busy. It created a “Motorcycle Awareness Month” and a “Cuss Free Week,” considered changing the official state rock, and made it illegal to use non-California cows in the state’s marketing materials (a decision that entailed five committee votes and exhausted eight legislative analyses, according to a September Wall Street Journal report).

news of the weird

b y c h u c k b y t o m

s h e p h e r d b r i s c o e

Accidental Ink

Government in Action!

.8pg

weird

— At a U.S. Senate committee grilling in September, the head of enforcement of the Securities and Exchange Commission admitted that not a single agency staff member has been fired or demoted over the multiple missed signals handed to them in some cases 11 years before the Ponzi schemes of Bernard Madoff and R. Allen Stanford were uncovered. Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut said it appeared that “one side of the agency was screaming that there was a fire,” but the other side of the agency demurred because putting it out would have been hard work. — Among the Medicare billings only recently discovered as fraudulent (after being paid): (1) Brooklyn, N.Y., proctologist Boris Sachakov was paid for performing 6,593 hemorrhoidectomies and other procedures over a 13-month period, an average of 18 every day, 365 days a year (and 6,212 more than the doctor who billed the second-highest number). (2) Two Hialeah, Fla., companies, “Charlie RX” and “Happy Trips,” between them billed Medicare $63,000 for penis pumps — including a total of four to the same patient (by the way, a woman).

Great Art! — In October, the award-winning London theater company Duckie announced plans for a June 2011 production, Lullaby, at the Barbican Pit, that would feature music and continued on page 56 y


VITALS

BEER AND LOATHING

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NOV. 4 - 10 , 2010

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news of the weird y continued from page 54

performances so soothing that patrons will be encouraged to attend in pajamas and lounge overnight in bed-seats, with an early morning shower included in the ticket price of 42 pounds ($66). Producer Simon Casson noted that, irrespective of the play, it is almost impossible to find overnight facilities in central London for that price. — A September one-woman “dance” recital of performer-writer Ann Liv Young as a naked “Cinderella” at a theater in Brooklyn, N.Y., ran overtime because Young could not answer a scripted call of nature, which was to have been performed live on stage. According to an incredulous New York Times reviewer, Young sought tips from the audience to get her bowels moving but finally gave up and ended the performance. The reviewer cited the show’s “many layers of failure.”

Chutzpah! — (1) The ski-mask-wearing armed robber who knocked off a Wendy’s in Atlanta on July 31 has not been apprehended, but police said he later called the store to ridicule the staff for having so little cash: “Next time, there better be more than $586.” (2) Ronald White, 35, was arrested in Cinnaminson, N.J., in July, and charged with shoplifting, and was released after posting $400 bail. Only afterward did police realize that some of the money was counterfeit, but five days later, White was re-arrested when he returned to the station to demand a partial refund for “overpaying” the bail.

Undignified Deaths — (1) A 49-year-old Bakersfield, Calif., doctor, whose relationship with her boyfriend

C O N T I N U E D

was described as “on-again, off-again,” was killed in August when, after he had locked her out of his house, she tried to enter by sliding down the chimney, where she got stuck and asphyxiated. (2) A 29-year-old man, in a group of 12 “ghost hunters” on a field trip in Iredell County, N.C., in August, was killed by a speeding train. The 12 were investigating a rumored “ghost train” that killed 30 people in an 1891 crash and supposedly returns every year on the anniversary date.

A News of the Weird Classic (October 2003) News of the Weird reported in December 2002 that Inga Kosak won the first World Extreme Ironing Championship in Munich by pressing a designated garment over a course of several ironing stations (e.g., ironing in trees, in the middle of streams). An October 2003 Wall Street Journal story shows the “sport” growing in prominence. South African Anton Van De Venter, 27, broke the high-altitude record in August by ironing his national flag at the 20,000-foot summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, while nude, in freezing temperatures (quote: “I came, I saw, I pressed a crease”), and British diver Ian Mitchell sawed through ice in Wisconsin in March and submitted photos of himself in a wet suit “ironing” (with a Black & Decker Quick ‘n’ Easy) a shirt that was braced against the underside of the ice. , COPYRIGHT 2010 CHUCK SHEPHERD. Visit Chuck Shepherd daily at NewsoftheWeird.blogspot.com or NewsoftheWeird.com. Send Weird News to WeirdNewsTips@yahoo.com or P.O. Box 18737, Tampa, FL 33679. Illustrations by Tom Briscoe (smallworldcomics.com).

>7FFO >EKH

MON THRU FRI 2-7 Try our WORLD FAMOUS Bloody Marys 4556 LEAVENWORTH ST. • 402-551-4850 56

NOV. 4 - 10 , 2010

| THE READER |

news of the weird


planetpower w ee k l y

H

h oroscopes

appy New Moon in Scorpio, Friday at 8 minutes until Midnight at 15 degrees. Neptune, at 26 degrees Aquarius, moves direct Sunday morning as we Fall back to standard time. Tell me, why we do that? I still don’t get it. That’s one thing the MOJO don’t know. I do know Peace and Love Shall Conquer All and, believe it or not, there are know mistakes. (Hey, I did that one on purpose, as a joke!) Gotcha! — MOJOPOPlanetPower.com h SCORPIO (10.23-11.22) The Good News arrives Thursday at 4:40 p.m. as Mercury in Scorpio trines Jupiter and the planet Uranus, both retrograde, bringing unexpected luck that manifests mid-March 2011. The Moon enters Scorpio early Friday, conjuncts Venus, then your ruler Pluto in Capricorn, and finally conjuncts the Sun at 8 minutes to Midnight for the Scorpio New Moon. Hide out, work through your problems privately and don’t be late for dinner. Sunday the Moon moves into Sagittarius. Time to travel, at least in your mind! Payoff is Tuesday afternoon with the Moon conjunct Pluto in Capricorn. i SAGITTARIUS (11.2312.21) Two more weeks to hang loose. Work on your inner self. The Moon’s in your sign from Sunday until Tuesday at Sunset. Usually that’s your lunar high, but this time the Sun’s in your theoretical 12th House. I know it’ll be hard, but you should keep it in your pants this time. It’ll be easier to see why — from the sidelines. j CAPRICORN (12.22-1.20) You’re a week away. Next Tuesday afternoon comes the BIG MONEY, or at least the big money idea. You get unexpected help, dressed in blue, next Thursday morning. Keep an eye (your third) out. Look up Tantra. What people do Spiritually they do best. k AQUARIUS (1.21-2.19) You’ve one more month of passive resistance. It’s too BIG to discern now. You’re floating in an Ocean of Devotion (your esoteric ruler, the planet Uranus is in Pisces retrograde) lost in the immensity of a Sea of Emotion (conjunct Jupiter also retrograde) forcing you to seek the Spiritual channels of selfless service (Pisces). Do something nice for someone with no thought of your own recompense. Give it away and in the immensity of the All it may find its way back; but to whom? We’ll see in a month? l PISCES (2.20-3.20) Wake up Sunday and find that you (and Standard time) are back where you belong. Neptune moves direct at 26 degrees Aquarius early Nov. 7, and into your sign April 2011. Aquarius rules the dreams you can make happen: dream house, dream job, dream relationships. Pisces invites you into the realm of fantasy: unicorns, fairies, elves, gnomes, sylphs, undines, wizards, ogres, trolls, mermaids and the like. Sounds like you’ve got this Fall and Winter to get the hobbit world of your physical existence together before you take off into the stratosphere of your subconscious.

b y

mo j opo

a ARIES (3.21-4.20) You’ve got this next month for ruler Mars to blast through Sagittarius (sign of philosophy, travel, generosity, beneficence and prophecy). Things move at an accelerated rate until Dec. 7, and you’ll be asked to channel what you’ve gathered. As an Aries you’ll always move fast. Now, prepare for “light speed.” It’ll be fun! Whooooshhh! b TAURUS (4.21-5.20) Venus is retrograde in your fellow Venusian ruled sign Libra until mid November, drawing you into questioning the nature of “love” itself before Venus moves back into opposition in December and you move on towards interpreting your own, personal (past and current) love relationships. You must first learn to love yourself before you can truly accept another’s love, be loved and ultimately be love itself. Keep studying. It’s worth it. You’ll need love to feel real (?). We’ll talk next week about what supersedes even love itself. c GEMINI (5.21-6.21) Last bit of Mercury in Scorpio until it moves into nefarious Sagittarius Moonday at Sunset for the rest of November. It’s time to see yourself from the eyes of others: sisters, brothers, mothers, lovers. What kind of roommate are you? Really? Where do you want to go from here? Get ready and don’t care what other people think. True art can only emerge from a matrix of perfect freedom. d CANCER (6.22-7.22) Read Scorpio. It’s in your 5th theoretical House of PLEASURE. It’s all over you. Ooh, what a mess! You love it. Life ain’t neat! Real life is real messy. I define “funk” as “dripping with life.” Get real, get funky and quit believing in your TV, junkie. You can cancel my TV Guide subscription until we return to real kindness, communication, respect and concern over the modern cynicism that’s puking out of our electric third eye idiot boxes. Now, has anybody seen my remote? e LEO (7.23-8.22) Regeneration over the weekend allows either some unknown, nebulous opposition; the words of a mystic or a piece of art you “must have” because it makes you “feel good.” f VIRGO (8.23-9.22) Read Gemini. Tell me true, doesn’t it tick you off when I ask you to read Gemini? How does the MOJO know? In the unprovable mythology of Ancient Astrology there were 10 signs. Virgo and Scorpio were the same sign. They separated (perhaps as life emerged) and Virgo became creativity in potential (the guts, the womb), Scorpio became creativity manifest (the genitals) and Libra (harmony, love, design, balance) was created between them. Would’ve been easier just to read Gemini? Now read Cancer. g LIBRA (9.23-10.22) Money, money, money. Is that all we have to talk about? It used to be relationships, love, beauty, art, kindnesses and harmony? But you need money to allow the expression of your love, to create beauty with the tools and materials (you’ve purchased) for your art so that you can be afford to be kind and that’s the path to your harmony? Thi$ weekend i$/ the key for thee. Next month it will be all about the friend$ you can buy with your money. ,

planet power

| THE READER |

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