Vol. 10, No. 3

EE FR

INSIDE: WHAT DO GUYS THINK OF IMPLANTS? THE ADVICE GODDESS KNOWS | PAGE 12

The maze returns!

Page 18

VOLUME 10, NO. 3 | JANUARY 28, 2010

Food that warms the cockles PHOTO BY MARY CATANESE

and other assorted body parts Page 7

PLUS: STATE POLITICS REPORT • PAGE 4 | LOCAL NEWS DISPATCHES • PAGE 5 | SOCIAL NETWORKING • PAGE 6

2// January 28, 2010

Second Supper

L'Editor

Dear Reader:

In this, the third issue of the new year, I am proud to say the state of Second Supper is strong! We have come together in a spirit of bipartisanship. Young and old, liberal and conservative, bookish and drunk — there is something in these pages for all to enjoy. Our news features continue to explore contemporary politics, while our arts writing probes ever-deeper into local scenes. Our reviews of beer, movies, music and books continue to be peerless, but I am most energized about a renewed commitment to visual arts.

This issue marks the triumphant return of Maze Efflux, a beloved weekly maze that is as much an art form as it is a pastime.

“Each one of my mazes tells a story that goes far beyond just having a start and a finish,” writes Erich Boldt, the local artist (and substitute art teacher) who has now published 80 mazes in Second Supper. “I want to try to educate the reader and entertain them at the same time. I want the mazes to be pieces of a much greater puzzle. They are mazes with many levels.”

It is that level of pride and commitment to detail that will elevate this newspaper to bold new heights in 2010. We will not just be the most amusing source of local news, the most personal take on local politics, or the most comprehensive list of local entertainment. We will also be the best.

Good day, happy reading, and God bless Second Supper!

— Adam Bissen

Second Supper 614 Main St., La Crosse, WI 54601 Phone: (608) 782-7001 Online: secondsupper.com Publisher: Roger Bartel roger.bartel@secondsupper.com Editor in Chief: Adam Bissen adam.bissen@secondsupper.com Sales: Mike Keith mike.keith@secondsupper.com Sales: Jenaveve Bell jenaveve.bell@secondsupper.com Sales: Ansel Ericksen ansel.ericksen@secondsupper.com Contributors: Amy Alkon, Nick Cabreza, Mary Catanese, Brett Emerson, Emily Faeth, Jake Groteuschen, Shuggypop Jackson, Matt Jones, Jonathan Majak Second Supper is a weekly alternative newspaper published by Bartanese Enterprises LLC, 614 Main St., La Crosse, WI 54601

Second Supper

Things To Do Get off your butt and get involved

The Top

Chili additives

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Sour cream Macaroni Buffalo meat Shredded Wisconsin cheddar Fritos Green onions More chili powder

Reasons Joe Biden is grinning

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Obama's comedic timing Has great teeth Combat troops leaving Iraq Looks cool in a purple tie Delaware pride Ruth Bader Ginsburg making faces 7. Green energy

January 28, 2010 // 3

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Believe it or not, winter is the perfect time to kindle those activist tendencies, or at least that's what Coulee Progressives plans to do with its sixth annual State of the Union gathering. The group will meet at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29, at Concordia Ballroom, 1129 La Crosse St. The program includes guest speaker David Morris, vice president of the Institute for SelfReliance, and the Progressives' year in review. The activists' fair also includes information about candidates, organizations and causes and the opportunity to sign up and "make things happen," according to organizers. Donations will be accepted at the door to help pay for the facility and program.

There will be a potluck dinner, including free soup and bread, and attendees are asked to bring fruit, dessert or appetizer to share. Donations of non-perishable items for WAFER will be accepted. For information, call (608) 788-4039, send an e-mail to cvmaren@mwt.net or visit couleeprogressive.com.

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Lock and load

Attention, gamers. The La Crosse Public Library, 800 Main St., will host a Call of Duty MW:2 team gaming tournament Saturday, Jan. 30. Registration begins at 3 p.m. in the lower level. Come with a team of four people for this team "death match." There is no entry fee, and there are great prizes. Under 17? Bring a permission slip. For information, visit www. gaminggenerations. com or www. lacrosselibrary.com.

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Meet candidate No. 4

Are we there yet? Not quite, symphony fans. Barnaby Palmer, the fourth of six candidates auditioning for the conductor/music director position with the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, gets his turn to shake his baton in public at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 29 and 30, at the Viterbo Fine Arts Center's Main Theatre.

Artistic director of the San Francisco Lyric Opera since 2002, Palmer also will host a pre-concert lecture at 6:45 p.m. in the center's Recital Hall. He holds a master's degree in clarinet performance from the University of Michigan. Canadian violinist Kai Gleusteen will be the guest artist. Tickets are $35 for main floor and lower balcony, $19 for upper balcony. For information, call (608) 783-2121.

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Enjoy some classic rock

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Boot Hill Pub will provide some cool sounds at its Winter Warmer from 8 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Jan. 30. Veteran area rockers Johnny, Jimmy & Jay will play classic rock from the 1960s and '70s. There is a $3 admission charge. Boot Hill Pub is at 1501 St. Andrew St., La Crosse. For information, call (608) 782-3826.

Laugh until it hurts

Adam Ace, the Association of Campus Activities' comedian of the year, brings his comedy show to La Crosse at 7 tonight, Jan. 28, when he performs on the Valhalla stage in the Cartwright Center of the UW-La Crosse campus. The show is sponsored by the UW-L Campus Activities Board. Ace's promoters say he combines physical comedy, music, improvisation, props, standup comedy and audience interaction "to take crowds on a comedy adventure that will have you unsure of what will happen next."

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4// January 28, 2010

Second Supper

COMMENTARY

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REPUBLICANS The Massachusetts Miracle puts a spring in the step of every GOPer as they have visions of the majority dancing in their heads.

Republicans are almost giddy and rejoice as worried Dems in D.C. wonder if any state in the country is safe after a Republican won the Senate seat Ted Kennedy had held for decades. If it can happen in Massachusetts, it can happen in Wisconsin, Republicans declare, and some national pundits add Sen. Russ Feingold to their list of Dem incumbents who should be on notice.

Wisconsin Republicans also put targets on Steve Kagen, Ron Kind and Dave Obey.

Dems caution no one should overanalyze what happened a thousand miles away in mid-January as an indicator of Republicans sweeping Wisconsin in early November.

Polls show the GOP hasn’t rehabilitated its image with voters since the beatings Republicans took in 2006 and 2008, and some believe voter anger is more anti-incumbent than anti-Dem.

ISSUE ADS REGULATIONS The state Senate takes steps to place new reporting requirements on those that run so-called issue ads. But a U.S. Supreme Court ruling may have blown a huge hole in that effort, and anything lawmakers or the Government Accountability Board may come up with will undoubtedly end up in court, insiders say. The Senate bill calls for new disclosure requirements for anyone who runs an ad within 60 days of an election mentioning a candidate or the campaign. It also calls for banning issue ads in judicial campaigns. Some problem provisions include those that limit how much anyone running an issue ad could spend considering the court’s ruling that such limits can’t be imposed on corporations in federal elections.

CARP CONTROL State officials were hoping they could head off the threat of Asian carp invading Lake Michigan through the courts.

But the Supreme Court rejects Michigan’s request to get involved, and new tests show the fish is already in the waterway that forms Wisconsin’s eastern border.

The giant leaping fish appears to have made its way into the lake through the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal. While state officials bemoan the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to close the locks, Illinois officials suggest the worries over the fish are overblown and say there’s no reason to wreak economic havoc on that state by closing the locks. The White House, which opposed the petition filed by the state of Michigan, throws a bone to those who want the locks closed by agreeing to a request from Govs. Jim Doyle and Jennifer Granholm to convene a summit between Great Lakes leaders to address the threat.

LT. GOVERNOR FIELD The field for the state’s No. 2 spot continues to grow with former TV anchor Rebecca Kleefisch getting into the GOP race. She joins state Rep. Brett Davis, Superior Mayor Dave Ross and defense contractor Ben Collins on the GOP side, while state Sen. Spencer Coggs, former Assembly candidate Henry Sanders, former Lodi Alderman James Schneider and Milwaukee Alderman Anthony Zielinski have registered as Dems. Kleefisch, the wife of GOP state Rep. Joel Kleefisch, has a powerful ally Rebecca Kleefisch in her corner in conservative radio host Charlie Sykes, who has featured her online reporting in his blog and had her as a guest on his TV show.

Some applaud her as a smart, principled conservative and say being the only woman in a crowded primary can’t hurt. Davis, meanwhile, should draw much of the establishment support, and insiders say he’s expected to report somewhere in the neighborhood of $100,000 cash on hand when he turns in his campaign finance report.

JIM SENSENBRENNER The longtime GOP congressman has long prided himself on rarely — if ever — missing a vote. But his 100 percent voting record last year was a little more difficult than in years past as a result of his bout with prostate cancer. Sensenbrenner scheduled his doctor appointments around the legislative calendar and cast 991 votes in 2009, one of only six House members to earn a perfect record. Russ Feingold was the only Wisconsinite to match Sensenbrenner’s feat in the state’s delegation.

TOM BARRETT The Dem guv hopeful hits the road to talk taxes and job creation. But will his message resonate when he’s fighting a prevailing GOP wind? Republicans keep trying to tag Barrett with the sins of Madison Dems, arguing he’ll be a continuation of the higher taxes and hostile treatment that businesses have received with Dems in charge of the guv’s office and Legislature. Dems counter things aren’t as dire as they seem, and he’s putting the right focus on jobs and taxes, they say. Back home, Barrett gets to again announce falling crime rates in Milwaukee, a boost to his image as a competent manager.

MARK NEUMANN The former congressman pumps almost $1.1 million of his own money into his campaign, helping to close the fundraising gap with his GOP opponent Scott Walker. While some argue that’s enough to give Neumann a fighting chance for the GOP nomination, others are taking a wait-and-see approach before declaring it a real race. Walker has enjoyed a significant head start on Neumann. Various sources have indicated the county exec will have $2 million in the bank on his next campaign finance report. Still, some say Neumann’s personal money looks like a down payment. Others see trouble signs that make them wonder whether he’ll be able to close the gap, regardless of how much money he puts in. Though he put in more than $1 million of his own money, he only had $975,000 cash on hand at the end of 2009. That means he’s burning more money than he’s bringing in from other donors. And insiders see signs of disorganization. Neumann had told supporters earlier he would address the Wisconsin Association of School Boards to talk education. But he sends out another e-mail the day of his planned speech announcing the appearance was canceled because of a misunderstanding over which day he was supposed to address the conference.

TERRENCE WALL The wealthy Madison-area developer formally launches his bid for the U.S. Senate, pestered by questions about his personal income taxes. Critics continue to slam him as a tax dodger, but Wall defends his tax record by pointing out his companies have paid millions in taxes and that he took advantage of various tax credits approved by Gov. Jim Doyle and Dem lawmakers that rewarded those who invest in their businesses. But that explanation leaves some cold, including conservative talk show host Charlie Sykes, who has a tense on-air interview with the developer. Still, even backers say Wall needs to sharpen his response to questions about his taxes and wonder why he didn’t have a better answer considering he had to know the question was coming. Tuesday’s results in Massachusetts sparked some national observers to wonder whether liberal senators like Russ Feingold are now vulnerable.

But insiders from both sides aren’t sure Wall is the right candidate to capitalize on the opportunity, and talk percolates about someone else stepping up to take on Feingold. Tommy Thompson tops some lists for that job, and he says he hasn’t ruled out a run.

LOUIS BUTLER The White House is again pushing the nomination of the former state Supreme Court justice to the federal bench in Madison. But with 41 GOP members now in the U.S. Senate, legal observers wonder whether he could have trouble winning confirmation. Conservative groups have raised red flags about Butler’s nomination, criticizing him as a judicial activist who pays little attention to established law.

Hogwash, his backers say, dismissing the criticism as the same overblown rhetoric used in the 2008 campaign that booted him from the Supreme Court.

Second Supper

COMMUNITY

January 28, 2010 // 5

Dispatches from HQ Rothbury takes year off

In a shocking blow to music lovers — to say nothing of Michigan’s beleaguered economy — organizers of the Rothbury music festival announced last week that they would not host the event in 2010.

“Due to various artists’ recording and touring schedules, we now believe that timing will not allow for us to assemble the cutting edge roster that everyone has come to expect from Rothbury,” reads a statement on the festival’s Web site.

In its first two years Rothbury attracted around 40,000 fans annually to a four-day music and camping festival held on a ranch near Muskegon over the July 4 weekend.

Previous headliners included Bob Dylan, the Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer and Widespread Panic, but the music spanned multiple genres and often lasted until dawn.

Previous festival goers, including many from the La Crosse area, raved about Rothbury’s “green” focus, temperate climate, natural setting and high production values.

“This event is something very special, and we are unwilling to potentially tarnish what Rothbury is, and can become, by working under conditions that will produce anything less than a magical experience,” said the statement from organizers Madison House Publicity and AEG Live. “Despite the 2010 postponement, we intend to move toward continuing Rothbury in 2011.”

While organizers declined to list spe-

cifics, the Internet was awash in rumors about bands whose “recording and touring schedules” prohibited them from playing the festival — namely Phish.

Organizers also faced pressure from Grant Township, whose pending “outdoor mass gathering” ordinance would place added regulations on the festival, which had been held at the Double J Ranch in the town of Rothbury, Mich. Among other stipulations, the law — which has not yet been adopted — would end amplified music at 1 a.m. for any gathering of more than 1,000 people.

Rothbury is not the only major music festival to struggle this year. Neither Florida’s Langerado nor the 10,000 Lakes Music Festival in Minnesota have announced dates or artists for this year, leading many to conclude that they are canceled.

Vietnamese restaurant a no-go

Food lovers expecting La Crosse to expand its culinary palette will have to keep waiting, as a Vietnamese restaurant previously announced to occupy a West Avenue building will not be developed.

Last year, local developers said a Vietnamese eatery would be one of the first new tenants at 325 West Ave. N., the recently remodeled building that used to be Campus Quillins. In December, Toppers pizza became the building’s first tenant, but two other suites remain unoccupied.

Letter to the Editor

Dear Second Supper:

I suppose it wouldn’t hurt anything if La Crosse taxpayers paid for a giant ramp down by LHI. Nothing much would change. Downtown will still have 50 or 60 empty store fronts. We will create more infrastructures to subsidize urban sprawl.

The city will collect more in property taxes from a third building: revenue that would disappear into City Hall like beer from the golden keg. It will be more of the same. So what’s the harm in that?

Of course, sprawl is expensive. If the best our city leaders can do to sell development in downtown is to promise free parking for everyone at the front door, then La Crosse taxpayers better get started on that North/South Corridor right now. This, of course, will lead to more urban sprawl. But what’s the harm in that?

TIF-financed ramps need to have a “mixed use” element to them. This means that it will probably have first-floor retail, just like the ramps on Main Street and Market Square, just like the new Transit Center. I hope our new Transit Center blossoms into all that is hoped for it, but when you drive by the thing, aren’t you surprised by the size? The scale? Would our new ramp be this big? In the City Vision 2020 plan, the area for the proposed ramp is designated as our arts district. But this ramp will dwarf the Pump House and the proposed La Crosse Community Theater.

Instead of an arts district, our tax money will build a tabernacle to the automobile.

But what’s the harm in that?

But Joe, they'll say, aren’t you inter-

ested in filling empty store fronts and increasing business downtown? We need to pay for a giant ramp to secure a third River Front Building, and with it, all those new employees will shop and revive downtown. Really? It’s an eight- to 10-block walk, there and back, from LHI to 4th and Main. Do you consider this distance as promoting a lot of browsing? Sure, some will jump into their cars and drive to a particular store downtown and complain that there is no place to park, then drive away. But most will walk across the street to the new retail shops set up in the lower level of our new giant ramp. But what’s the harm in that?

Sure a giant ramp wouldn’t cause much harm. It’s just more of the same.

And life in La Crosse isn’t too bad. But why not use our tax money and work with developers to create a better La Crosse? Build a smaller, less intrusive ramp. Charge more to park next to the front door and create a financial incentive to park farther away in our existing, half empty ramps. Limit parking downtown like every other city does. Do you see a 50-story parking ramp next to the IDS Center in Minneapolis?

I missed the one next to the Sears Tower the last time I visited Chicago. It must be enormous. By spreading parking around downtown we might encourage browsing.

We might even create an environment where people consider living in the city.

What’s the harm in that?

Joey Kay La Crosse

“The Vietnamese noodle restaurant has decided not to move forward, due to complications with health and family concerns,” said Paul Gerrard, who owns the West Avenue building along with his brother Peter. “We too were looking forward to diversifying not only the building but the city of La Crosse and its desire for new ethnic eating opportunities.”

Currently, the Coulee Region lacks any Vietnamese, Indian, Thai, Turkish, Jamaican, East African, Himalayan, Peruvian, Brazilian or Korean restaurants.

Any prospective restaurateur seeking to occupy one of the other vacant spaces at 325 West Ave. N. can check out www.gerrardcompanies.com.

And at the risk of editorializing, we’ve got enough burger joints.

The Magic is back

Magic Coin Laundry-Dry Cleaning, 334 West Ave. N., reopened last week after shutting down for a couple of weeks to make repairs caused by water damage in December.

The laundry, which is used by many students because of its close proximity to the UW-La Crosse campus, is owned by Benson Management. It includes washers and dryers, provides dry cleaning services and

has tanning beds as well. Students were on break during much of the time the laundry was closed, and the repairs were completed as many began returning to campus last week for the start of second semester.

New downtown leader gears up

Although Tim Kabat, the new executive director of Downtown Mainstreet Inc. in La Crosse, does not officially begin his duties Monday, Feb. 8, he already has been meeting downtown business owners as he transitions from his current job as the City of La Crosse's Planning and Development Administrator. Kabat's hiring was announced earlier this month following a nationwide search to replace Bud Miyamoto, who resigned last fall after 17 years in the position. Kabat's last day with the city will be Feb. 1. He told Second Supper he anticipates his years at City Hall, including the last six in his current position, will help promote an even stronger partnership and working relationship between DMI and city officials. Kabat was born in La Crosse and grew up in Holmen. He attended UWLa Crosse and earned his graduate degree from the University of Illinois.

Send your tips for Dispatches from HQ to editor@secondsupper.com.

6// January 28, 2010

Social Networking

Learn to basket weave.

IF A GENIE GRANTED YOU ONE WISH, WHAT WOULD YOU ASK FOR? My very own island ... with its very own "Others."

CELEBRITY CRUSH: Elijah Wood: Ever since I saw the movie "North," I've been blindly in love.

FIRST CONCERT YOU WENT TO: Green Day WHAT IS YOUR BEVERAGE OF CHOICE? Whiskey Old-Fashioned WHAT BOOK ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING? "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer

NAME AND AGE: Mary Regan, 24 WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Altus. OK, known for absolutely nothing.

CURRENT JOB: Barista at Starbucks DREAM JOB: Super-fabulous-sequence-toting professional lounge singer LAST THING YOU GOOGLED: Mr. Scruff IF YOU COULD LIVE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD IT BE? Greece WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE?

Second Supper

COMMUNITY

TELL US YOUR GUILTIEST PLEASURE: Watching "People's Court" WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST PET PEEVE? Bad cell-phone etiquette TELL US A JOKE: My roommate's life! Ha! WHAT'S THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT? A drink at Houghton's WHAT'S IN YOUR POCKET RIGHT NOW?: A rubber band, my keys and a green sucker from the bank WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF SECOND SUPPER? The Top 7 HOW DO YOU KNOW JOJO (LAST WEEK'S INTERVIEW)?

We used to be coworkers, now we're roommates.

Featuring New York Deli-Style Corned Beef Sandwiches.

Regular, Reuben & Pusan.

Check Out Daily Food Specials

Economy dims Shades of Blue

By Emily Faeth emily.faeth@secondsupper.com

The 20th Annual Shades of Blue Tattoo Show is quickly approaching, but you won't be seeing as many familiar faces of local artists as you may expect. In fact, only one La Crosse tattoo shop — 3rd Street Ink Tattoo and Body Piercing — is participating in the three-day event.

Jake Phillips, an artist at Mind Altering Tattoos LLP, says that while the shop did at one time participate in the convention, it's been some time since they did so. “It's probably been a good 10 years,” he estimates.

Phillips says the reasons he and some colleagues no longer participate in Shades of Blue are primarily economic, as artists and shops must pay a fee in order to reserve booths for the event. “It's kind of a hassle for us to move all of our stuff down there,” he says. “It costs us money to move everything just two blocks away. It just doesn't make sense for us to do it. ... Things stay busy around here anyway.”

Skuder, manager of Blue Line Tattoo and Body Piercing, echoes Phillips. “It's not really necessary,” he says, and adds that his shop has never participated in the show.

But despite not taking part in this year's convention, Phillips is looking forward to the event. Phillips, whose heavily tattooed arms and black-framed glasses are a familiar sight throughout downtown, has been in the business of body art for more than eight years, and in that time, he's made many connections and friends throughout the industry. “The great thing about my career is that I can work anywhere in the world,” he says. “I think that's, in a lot of ways, the point of [conventions]. You get to know others in the industry, and you can have opportunities to do guest spots pretty much anywhere.”

Chad Gregerson, owner of and artist at Winona's Tatü Royale, also emphasized the opportunity to network, noting, “You get to pick up new tricks and techniques from others in the trade, to see what's new out there.”

La Crosse newcomer 3rd Street Ink will be featured in the show, informs manager Lori Lachman enthusiastically. “We're going to have two artists [at the convention], and two here at the shop, as well,” she says, “and then a piercer at both locations.”

Entering its third year of business, this year also marks 3rd Street Ink's third year of participation in the convention.

Lachman also stresses the value of participation in conventions for artists. “It's a great way to gain more exposure,” for the

At A Glance

WHAT: The 20th Annual Shades of Blue Tattoo Show features some of the best tattoo artists from around the Midwest and the nation, along with body piercers, a fashion show with selections from the Vatican PX, various competitions, lingerie show, belly dancers and a suspension show.

WHEN: Friday, Jan. 29 through Sunday, Jan. 31. Hours are 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, and 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.

WHERE: La Crosse Center, 2nd and Pearl Streets.

HOW MUCH: Tickets are $12 for one day or $30 for the whole weekend.

FYI: On Saturday, the La Crosse Skating Sirens will also be bouting. A Shades of Blue wristband gets you a $2 discount. It promises to be an exciting weekend in downtown La Crosse! relatively new shop, “as well as a way for [the artists] to learn from others and gain new techniques.” That said, Lachman notes, artists never stop learning — 3rd Street Ink's four artists have more than 60 years of combined experience. “It's just a great thing to be a part of,” says Lachman.

Also participating in the convention is another regional newcomer, Tatü Royale.

Gregerson was as enthusiastic as Lachman about his shop's participation in the convention. “We have a very large booth this year, with three artists.” Veteran artist Gregerson says that while the cost for shops to reserve booths is significant, he's optimistic about recouping expenses. “I've already got all of my appointments booked,” he says with a confident grin.

Most of the artists I spoke with for this piece encouraged attendance at Shades of Blue, suggesting that the event would be a positive experience for both the initiated and uninitiated of body art and modification culture. “It's definitely something to see,” says Phillips, adding that even those unfamiliar with his industry “most definitely” may gain positive insight into the ancient art form. “It goes way beyond piercing and tattooing. These people are true artists,” emphasizes Phillips.

“It's a lot of fun,” agrees Gregerson. “It gives people the chance to get work done by artists from out of the area ... [and] to see a lot of things they might otherwise not see.”

Next week in Second Supper: • More people turning to alternative medicine • Preview of Shinedown concert • His woman acts like one of the guys

Second Supper

January 28, 2010 // 7

COMMUNITY

Good bowl of chili warms the soul and then some

By Roger Bartel roger.bartel@secondsupper.com

Vanna White uses drained pinto beans.

Brett Favre adds kidney beans and beer.

George W. Bush likely doesn't do beans at all — because as any Texan will tell you, "If you know beans about chili, you know that chili has no beans."

Chili might be the quintessential American food. Flavorful and filling, good when served fresh and better when reheated, chili can be as simple or complex as you want to make it.

Although there are countless variations to the basic recipe, most chilis are best described as a thick soup mixing meat, tomatoes and chile powder. The flavorful chile pepper differentiates meat chili from most barbeque recipes. In Midwest states such as Wisconsin, chili has become a hearty way to fend off the winter chill. It is so popular that many families pass their recipes from generation to generation, though experimentation and improvisation have been part of successful chili making since its earliest days.

Most food historians agree chili took root first in Texas, but they disagree who should get the credit. Some say the Texas trail cooks of the mid-1800s developed the early versions of modern-day chili on long cattle drives. The cooks discovered they could make nonperishable food by pounding together dried beef, fat, chile peppers and salt. These "chili bricks" could be soaked in water during the day, and by dinnertime they could be boiled in water with garlic and cumin to make a nourishing meal. (A chili brick today, however, would have a much less savory connotation.)

Others say chili was invented around 1880 in San Antonio by women primarily of Mexican descent. These "chili queens" sold stew made with dried chiles and beef from open-air stalls and colorful wagons. (Again, we advise against calling anyone a chili queen today. It just might not be taken the way you intended.)

While the origins are debated, there is no doubt that chili had become a significant part of the culinary landscape in the West, Midwest and South by the early 1900s as each region developed its own unique style.

Historians noted that by the depression years, "chili joints" offering cheap chili and free crackers meant the difference between starving and staying alive for many. It has been said that chili saved more people from starvation than the Red Cross.

Today, chili remains a popular menu choice in homes and restaurants. Many communities, including La Crosse and Onalaska, have annual chili cook-offs. that have raised thousands of dollars for various charities.

Two major organizations — the International Chili Society and the Chili Appreciation Society International — coordinate cookoffs, compile recipes and continue to spread the gospel of chili throughout the world.

In La Crosse, you can find chili on the menus of many restaurants and bars. Some include the ICS "forbidden fruits" of beans and pasta; all share the zesty flavor that makes chili the perfect choice for a winter meal.

a heaping serving of ground beef mixed with beans and stirred into a bubbling batch of tomato sauce, chili seasoning and peppers. Bits of celery add an occasional surprising crunch as you munch. There is a time and place for a quickie, I admit, but as you mature, you learn to appreciate a nice long chili lunch, one with time to let the anticipation build and for the ingredients to release their flavorful juices. Given that respect, Fayze's chili leaves you more than satisfied. Lunch prices are $2.59 for a cup and $3.59 for a crock.

— Roger Bartel

Jules Coffee House

Everyone's chili tastes and preferences vary so we would not be so bold as to choose the best chili in La Crosse, but here is a sampling of some of our favorite chilis that are sure to warm the cockles of your heart, as well as your fingers and toes:

Olde Style Inn

828 5th Avenue S.

While in some circles chili has attained a status dangerously near gourmet, the bowlfuls at Olde Style Inn come refreshingly low-brow. This is the kind of chili you make to watch a football game. It’s the sort you refrigerate and peaks on the third day.

In other words, the chili at Olde Style Inn tastes like what chili is meant to be. The base is beef, long-simmering flavorful, fatty beef.

Then there’s a bunch of tomato paste, a few stewed tomatoes, probably a dozen kidney beans and a spice blend that’s integral to any chili maestro, but it’s mild enough for La Crosse’s tongue. The real flavors come sprinkled on top. I ordered mine with the works, which consisted of cheddar cheese, chopped onions, jalapeños and sour cream.

My breath probably reeked, but damn if that wasn’t a fine bowl of chili. It’s a reasonable $3.50 and comes with saltine crackers.

I recommend pairing it with Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss.

— Adam Bissen

Fayze's

135 4th St. S.

It was served smothered in onions. The cheese was melting faster than a young girl's heart at a Jonas Brothers show. That familiar perfume — Eau de Beef — seduced me yet again, enticing me to devour it quickly, ravenously. But I knew better. To truly appreciate chili, one must savor it slowly, not rush headlong into it like a schoolyard romance. Yes, I have a longstanding love affair with chili. But I'm no Tiger Woods — or even John Edwards: I readily admit I've played around, tasted others' offerings now and then, and, yes, licked my fair share of bowls. But since discovering Fayze's, I've always come back for more. Underneath the warm covers of onions and cheese, you find

327 Pearl St.

While chili in these parts tends to be a meaty experience, Jules coffee shop offers a recipe for us vegetarians who want a bowl as well. While I couldn't tell you about any of the other fine selections listed herein, I have found myself scraping the bottom of a bowl for the last drops at Jules more times than I can count, and I give it a hearty thumbs up. Using mostly if not all organic ingredients, their always-on-the-menu chili is made up of kidney beans, canned tomatoes, green peppers, carrots, onions, garlic, cayenne powder, pepper and salt. The chili comes with a made-from-scratch hard roll, and the filling portions give you a bang for your buck. Highly recommended, whether during your lunch break, needing a little brain food while hammering away at school work, or simply enjoying the downtown cafe vibe on a lazy day.

— Shuggypop Jackson

Maid-Rite

1119 Caledonia St.

If you're looking for traditional La Crosse chili, you can't find a more traditional spot than Maid-Rite. The tiny hole-in-thewall restaurant has been turning out classic diner food for the locals for generations. A cup of the house chili reveals the standards: plenty of ground beef mixed with chili beans, stewed tomatoes, tomato juice, onions and a lusty dose of cayenne pepper. The key to chili, of course, is the seasoning. In addition to chili powder, this batch is sprinkled with garlic powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Shelly Davis stirs the Maid-Rite pot and has honed the recipe to the point that it satisfies most taste buds: not too hot, not too mild. "It's a little bit more than mild, a little bit hot, but not take-your-breath-away hot," she says. We concur. And, of course, you can get all the toppings, too, though don't overdo it or you'll loose that classic chili taste.

You can get a cup for $1.75 or a bowl for $3.

The friendly, neighborhood feel and conversation come free.

— Roger Bartel

Hungry Peddler

3429 Mormon Coulee Road The moment you walk into Hungry Peddler, you realize your meal is going to be a throwback. The place looks like your grandfather’s den, with dark wood panel-

Continued on Page 8

Time Line

1598 Don Juan de Onate enters what is now New Mexico, bringing with him the green chile pepper. It has grown there for the 400-plus years since.

1618 According to Southwestern American Indian legend, the first recipe for chili con carne is put on paper by a nun, Sister Mary of Agreda of Spain.

1731 Armed with a royal decrees from the King of Spain, colonists from Canary Islands begin relocating to San Antonio, Texas. Accustomed to the chile pepper, which also grew in their native land, these newcomers combined local peppers, wild onions, garlic and other spices with the local meats to create spicy dishes that resemble chili.

1868 Frontiersman Kit Carson passes away. His dying words allegedly were, "Wish I had time for just one more bowl of chili."

1909 Dew Brockman opens the Dew Chilli Parlor in Springfield, Ill. Legend has it that Brockman quibbled with his sign painter over the spelling of "chilli" and won after noting that the dictionary spelled it both ways. Another explanation is that the spelling matches the first four letters in Illinois.

1952 Mrs. F. G. Ventura of Dallas wins the Texas State Fair chili contest Oct. 5 in Dallas. Her recipe is declared the "Official State Fair of Texas Chili Recipe." She is described as the first ever "world champion chili cook."

1967 Terlingua, Texas, hosts its first chili cook-off. The annual Terlingua International Chili Championship, sponsored by the Chili Appreciation Society International, Inc., is now the crown jewel of more than 500 cookoffs sanctioned by CASI and considered the world championship.

1973 Joe DeFrates of Springfield, Ill., wins the first of his two world chili championships. He is the only man to ever win both the national and world chili championships.

1976 Ken Finlay, owner of a music hall in San Marcos, Texas, pens the song "If you know beans about chili, you know that chili has no beans," which becomes the anthem for the Terlingua championships.

1977 The Texas Legislature proclaims chili as the official state food of Texas "in recognition of the fact that the only real 'bowl of red' is that prepared by Texans."

1993 The Illinois General Assembly unanimously passes Senate Joint Resolution No. 89 proclaiming Illinois as the "Chilli Capital of the Civilized World" and recognizing the spelling of chilli rather than chili.

1995 The original Chasen's Restaurant in Hollywood, Calif., closes in April. For decades, Chasen's secret chili recipe was a favorite of notables and celebrities such as Eleanor Roosevelt, J. Edgar Hoover, Jack Benny, Clark Gable (he reportedly had it for dinner the night he died) and Elizabeth Taylor.

Ssources: Various unverifiable and sometimes contradictory Web sites. Believe at your own peril.

8// January 28, 2010

Chili

Continued from Page 9 ing, low-slung chairs and a collection of Victorian-era paintings of dapper mustachioed men. The Hungry Peddler is as much a retreat as a restaurant, so naturally this den of comfort serves chili every day. And with two sides served with most every meal, there’s no excuse not to get a cup. The chili comes with all the usual fixins — onions, peppers, kidney beans and tomatoes — and the ground beef is well-simmered and beautifully seasoned. It comes from an era when cooks weren’t afraid to use salt. My only advice — and this pains me as a true-blue Wisconsinite — is to order it without cheese.

Rather than shredded cheddar, the Peddler places a square of yellow cheese over the entire cup, making for a gelatinous mess that overpowers the rest of the flavors. Grandpa knew better, and so should you.

— Adam Bissen

King Street Kitchen

141 7th St. S.

The chili at King Street Kitchen, 141 7th St., is homemade, and I didn't need the notation on the back of the menu to know that. Spooning through my first of many cups there this winter, I saw the usual starting lineup: chunks of beef, tomatoes, slices of celery, onions. The chili was thicker than most, a little less tomato juice, perhaps, and sweeter — though I've never determined

Second Supper

ARTS why. And that's how I know the chili is homemade; each time I've sampled the chili, it tastes slightly different. I like that. I also like that prices are reasonable at King Street. It's $1.99 for a cup of the house chili, $2.99 for a bowl. If you want to satisfy a heftier appetite, I recommend a crock, which will cost you $4.95 but includes the onions, sour cream, cheese and, here ya' go, garlic toast!

— Roger Bartel

Pickerman's

327 Jay St.

Purists may deride the name of Pickerman’s Texas Chili as some kind of cruel joke, but its taste is nothing to laugh at.

In fact, of all the chilis I’ve sampled in La Crosse restaurants, this one is probably my favorite. The strength of the Pickerman’s product comes from its beans — which a Texas cook would normally revile as an ingredient non grata. But not only does this chili come with the customary kidney beans, it adds southwestern black beans for good measure. There are also onions and pieces of tomato, but while many chilis are served soupy and red as fire trucks, this one is brown and appealingly thick. It has chunks of beef — no hamburger here — and a wonderful spiciness that’s warming but not hot. Top it off, this chili ($1.99 cup, $4.29 bowl) is also 500 Club certified, making it healthy as well as delicious. Stick that on your spoon and lick it, Texas!

— Adam Bissen

Q&A with Muse's Vicki Elwood

By Jonathan Majak jonathan.majak@secondsupper.com

The Muse Theatre is presenting Eve Ensler’s famous The Vagina Monologues Feb.4 through Feb. 6 as a part of V-Day, an organization that helps raise awareness about violence against women.

Proceeds from the show will go toward the New Horizons Shelter and YWCA’s Casa for Kids.

Recently I sat down with founder and artistic director Vicki Elwood of the Muse, Vicki Elwood, to discuss the show and theatre in general.

Second Supper: So what would you say the Vagina Monologues is?

Vicki Elwood: This show is educational, enlightening, empowering. And entertaining.

Put that E-word in it.

SS: What do you expect people to come away with from the show?

VE: Awareness. This has already been achieved in our community. A guy came with a girlfriend one year and asked, "Is this how women really think?" It covers assaults and sexual abuse, but it all deals with the shame society puts on sexuality. Why do other women look at each other that way, etc., the Puritanical nature of it all.

SS: You’ve gotten to meet Eve Ensler when you and some of the cast members went to an anniversary celebration of The Vagina Monologues. What was that like meeting other people who have done the show?

VE: “They do it everywhere. They are all so empowered. That’s what is a big part of the show. I think if you deny the part of you that is sexual being, it’s not healthy.”

SS: The Vagina Monologues have created their own sort of genre of monologues like The Pocketbook Monologue and The Marajuna-

At A Glance WHAT: The Vagina Monologues, a play by Eve Ensler WHERE: The Muse Theater, Avon & Logan streets, La Crosse WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4 through Saturday, Feb. 6 COST: Tickets are $25 general admission, $50 VIP reserved seating and chocolate and champagne reception. Tickets can be purchased at Salon Medusa. You can charge by phone by calling Salon Medusa during regular business hours at (608) 782-0707 or 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Fridays at The Muse Theatre.

FYI: Call (608) 397-3752 for more information.

Logues, if you were to write a monologue, what would it be about?

VE: “It’d be about pleasure.”

SS: So with everything being turned into a musical at this point, what’s one thing you’re surprised hasn’t been turned into one?

VE: “C-SPANN.” Second Supper: If you were stuck in a theatre and death wasn’t an option, which show would you rather sit through: Annie 2: The Revenge of Miss Hannigan or Carrie: The Musical?

Elwood: “Carrie. Definitely Carrie.”

SS: What are the odds that the Twilight Saga gets turned into a musical?

VE: “Oh definitely. Every thing that’s been a success they want to jump on.”

SS: What’s your favorite musical number?

VE: “Rose’s Turn from Gypsy. She’s all alone with the spotlight and the audience that isn’t really there. She just get to see this character writhing with pain. It’s the role I’ve always wanted to do. So close, so many times.”

315 fifth avenue south • over the co-op www.pfc.coop

serving lunch & dinner every day weekend brunch Saturday & Sunday

Second Supper

"The theater moves forward with a reignited fan base."

Greg Parmeter, LCT artistic director

Suzanne Young, as Miss Daisy, and William Hicks, as Hoke, rehearse a scene in the La Crosse Community Theatre production of Driving Miss Daisy, which opens Friday, Jan. 29.

LCT troupe prefers its drama on stage rather than backstage

By Jonathan Majak jonathan.majak@secondsupper.com

In the quiet of the La Crosse Community Theater, they simply refer to it as “the event.”

In the middle of December, the community theater found itself splashed on the front page of the La Crosse Tribune and featured on the evening news when its artistic director, Greg Parmeter, was let go.

The ensuing days proved to be the troupe's own mini melodrama as Facebook pages were created in support, Tribune message boards flared with wild speculation and the fates of Parmeter, LCT’s executive director Jackie Jensen-Utz and the theater’s upcoming production of Driving Miss Daisy were left up in the air.

With all of that swirling around him, Parmeter said it felt very surreal.

“Other people get fired and it's sort of quiet,” he said with a restrained chuckle. “It happens to me and I’m on the news. It was embarrassing. I tried to avoid it as much as possible. It was tough on my family since they read it and wanted to defend me.”

Parmeter said that the support he received from members of the community was “very humbling and very moving,” but he noted that it wasn’t strictly about him.

“People sort of lose that the passion wasn’t just about me, but about this theater,” he remarked.

For LCT actor Sean McDevitt, the turmoil that happened at the LCT with Parmeter’s firing and rehiring and the eventual exit of Jensen-Utz at least highlighted one of the most positive aspects of the LCT in his opinion: the desire people have to make the LCT a great place for the community.

“It really demonstrated that LCT is not a hobby,” he remarked, “but a way of life.”

'Avatar' (2010): 2-D vs. 3-D IMAX Director/writer: James Cameron Stars: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang

PHOTO BY ROGER BARTEL

ACT I

January 28, 2010 // 9

ARTS

At A Glance

WHAT: La Crosse Community Theatre presents Driving Miss Daisy WHERE: La Crosse Community Theatre, 118 5th Ave. N. WHEN: Jan. 29–31, Feb. 4–7 and Feb.11– 14. Sunday performances are at 2 p.m.; all others are at 7:30 p.m.

FYI: Single tickets are $22. Student tickets are available for $10 for Thursday or Sunday performances. Box office hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For information, call (608) 784-9292.

ACT II

Thursday night at the LCT. The three-member cast of Driving Miss Daisy — McDevitt, Suzanne Young, and William Hicks — sit in the actors’ green room just off the stage. McDevitt has been involved with about a dozen LCT productions, while Young first got involved in 1967 and, after 30 years away from La Crosse, moved back to the area five years ago. Hicks moved to La Crosse 16 years ago but just recently got involved with the theater with the 2008 production of Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus.

They laugh, they joke but they say they don’t stress in spite of the fact that Driving Miss Daisy will be the first production after all the internal drama made headlines.

“I don’t feel added pressure,” said Young, who plays the cantankerous Miss Daisy in the production. “There is enough pressure just getting to opening night.”

“We’re just relieved we can do the show because it seemed dead in the water,” said

Continued on Page 10

I went to a 2-D showing of Avatar on opening weekend, but didn’t review it at the risk of redundancy. Did the world really need another write-up bashing the story’s unoriginality and praising the special effects? Based on what I saw in that 2-D showing, in a theater barely half filled, I wouldn’t have guessed that Avatar would become the phenomenon it has. But the film, now winning all kinds of awards, is still raking in dead presidents like crazy. So I decided to see it again, this time in 3-DIMAX. Five weeks after Avatar opened, the Sunday afternoon showing in the Madison (technically Fitchburg, but whatevs) IMAX was nearly sold out, many of the audience members back for their second or third helping. Why? Because the 3-D IMAX version is an entirely different experience altogether

Here’s how I see it: 2-D Avatar is like losing your virginity in the freezing cold backseat of a Volkswagen Beetle, and 3-D IMAX Avatar is like losing your virginity on a kingsize bed surrounded by candles and covered in rose petals (on prom night, no less!). Interestingly enough, the Catholic Church is as much against Avatar as it is against sex, so if you’re going to experience one or the other, why not make it count? Like some sultry airhead strutting around in low-cut jeans and a barely-there cleave shirt, Avatar’s draw is linked purely to what’s on the outside, and what’s outside is pretty damn exciting, worth

experiencing only in 3-D and, where possible, on anIMAX screen. There’s no way the experience will translate to the small screen.

In the absence of 3-D, there’s little to distract you from noticing just how bland the story is (though even the 3-D isn‘t enough to numb the painful C-3PO-esque one-liner, “This is gonna ruin my whole day"). Avatar works as pure f/x-porn. In all the water cooler/coffee shop/happy hour Avatar conversations I’ve overheard, nobody seemed to care about its environmentalist, anti-imperialist themes, themes that all Cameron films convey to an extent, though never this blatantly. All the hullabaloo over the f/x makes me wonder what more this groundbreaking technology can be used for other than largescale battle scenes, which, again, won’t look as cool on a TV set. Better grandiose sci-fi epics will emerge in years to come, and (I’m stealing this from a weeks-old IMDB thread) we’ll probably look back at Avatar the way we look back at Peter Jackson’s King Kong (which is a better movie). Let’s recap: 3-DIMAX Avatar — a great movie? No. A great experience? Yes. (Bonus trivia question: Why is Avatar breaking every box office record known to man (and woman)? Answer: Because advance tickets to a 3-DIMAX showing cost $17 — ouch!)

— Nick Cabreza

10// January 28, 2010

Second Supper

ARTS

LCT

Continued from Page 9 McDevitt, who plays Miss Daisy’s son Boolie, portrayed in the film adaptation by Dan Akroyd.

As noted by Young, productions at the community theater usually have six weeks to prep. With all of the backstage drama, the rehearsal time was cut down to a scant three and a half weeks.

Even with such short rehearsal time, McDevitt said that he and the other actors were just glad to be back on the stage.

“It was nice to get back to the nitty gritty of what LCT does.”

For Hicks, a relative newcomer to the LCT scene who plays the Hoke Colburn role made famous by Morgan Freeman, the LCT has been a great experience because of the oft-mentioned passion people have, and it gave him a different perspective on La Crosse as a whole.

“When I first moved out here 16 years ago, it was hell for me,” Hicks said. “White women would walk past me like I would rob them.”

But he believes his involvement in the theater has helped break down barriers due to the diverse mix of people who participate both in the shows and who make up the audience.

“The dynamic works beautifully,” said McDevitt.

That’s not to say there haven’t been some challenges with this production, how-

My Reality?

ever. Hicks noted that he had struggles with lines in the script due to the language but not for reasons you would typically expect.

“The stuff on the page he has to read is like another language because of the dialect and the time period,” McDevitt said.

“And my problem was that I was correcting the bad grammar in it,” Hicks laughed.

ACT III

For Parmeter, there will be a small measure of relief when Driving Miss Daisy opens Friday, Jan. 29.

“There is pressure,” he conceded. “Nobody wants to do a mediocre show and the eyes are upon us.”

But through the turmoil, he feels that the future of the LCT has been made brighter.

“The theater moves forward with a reignited fan base,” he noted. “For everybody here, this show is their way of saying ’Thank you’ and everybody gets to share in something.”

Parmeter, who said he couldn’t discuss the specifics of his firing, said he isn’t looking back at what happened but is instead moving forward.

“I’ve already started my research for Camelot, our summer production,” he said.

When asked what he thought he would feel on opening night of Driving Miss Daisy since it’d be his first show back, Parmeter said it wouldn’t be “his” show.

“As a director, once a show opens it’s not ‘my’ show anymore,” he said. “It’s the actors’ and the audience. Theater never happens in a vacuum.”

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Second Supper

January 28, 2010 // 11

12// January 28, 2010

418 Lang Dr. La Crosse

Second Supper

ADVICE

608-785-0305

Fridays

$11 Cuts Across From Menards www.hairstation.info

HELP WANTED UW-L Student Editor • Help plan weekly editions • Write stories • Distribute papers on campus Contact Roger Bartel at roger.bartel@secondsupper.com

The Advice Goddess

By Amy Alkon amy.alkon@secondsupper.com

Girls just wanna have funbags

I'm seriously considering breast augmentation.

I had nice boobs (Cs) 60 pounds ago. I really miss them. My boyfriend says not to get implants for him; he likes me as I am. I'm doing this for me. I'm tired of bras that don't fit (straps too short, cups too close), and I really want a bikiniworthy bod. What do men think of implants? I'm not talking about going majorly top-heavy; I just want balance.

— Deflated

To your credit, you aren't hoping to achieve "balance" by having a couple of bowling balls inserted. No, you're thinking more along the lines of "Zen and the Art of Bolting Two Tennis Balls to Your Chest."

It's understandable, after weight training and Weight Watcher-ing yourself down to where you can wear a bikini instead of using it for an eye shield, that you'd like to fill it with "nice boobs." According to hundreds of comments from men on my blog and elsewhere, those are probably the ones you have, even if they are on the small side. The consensus? Bought breasts tend to feel hard and unnatural, and (eeuw!) a bit cold to the touch. Sure, some guys love big honkers so much, they don't mind if they're fake. And, even guys who don't like fake'uns will tell you they can look pretty boobtacular in a sweater. But, when they're naked or peeking out from triangles of Lycra, they tend to look freaky and make guys wonder what's wrong with you that you felt compelled to hire somebody to slit you open and insert sandwich baggies of salt water or silicone.

How much time, exactly, do you spend in a bikini? Got a day job traveling to convention centers and sitting on top of cars?

Have an opinion?

Send your letters to the editor to Second Supper, 614 Main St., La Crosse, WI 54601 or by e-mail to editor@secondsupper.com.

Letters should be signed and include phone number for verification purposes.

Please limit letters to no more than 300 words. Second Supper reserves the right to edit letters for length, clarity and grammar. For more information, call (608) 782-7001.

Is your workstation a greased pole? Keep in mind that all surgery has risks. Just ask the Argentinean model who went under the knife to get a little extra junk in the trunk.

Oh, sorry — you can't because, in the words of her friend Robert Piazza, she's a woman who "had everything" but "lost her life to have a slightly firmer behind."

You're unlikely to die getting a little more junk in the top bunk, but you may suffer complications like a buildup of scar tissue, which can cause painful tissue contraction and — whoops! — deformed breasts.

Mmmm, sexy! And then, like toupees and car tires, implants eventually need to be replaced. Maybe every 10 years; maybe more often if you're one of the lucky ones who springs a leak. (Are we having funbags yet?)

Given the potential costs of breast augmentation, you might first try bra augmentation. Maybe even see a breast psychic.

Okay, there's no such thing, but the little old Eastern European ladies at bra specialty stores come close. You can walk in bundled up like Nanook of the North, and Ludmilla will march over, bark your size at you (the size you really wear, not the size you think you wear), and strap and cup you until you almost believe somebody at the gym turned in what you lost on the treadmill.

Still find yourself yearning for a surgeon's touch? Do your homework, and be sure you can accept the worst-case scenarios; for example, how the advice by flight attendants — "Use caution when opening overhead compartments. Objects may shift in flight."

— applies to those considering implants, which can also become displaced. In other words, if you buy yourself new boobs, you're sure to have guys ogling them, but possibly just from the rear.

Easier unsaid than done

I went out with this guy once; then he went away for three weeks, and we e-mailed and phoned constantly. Last night, he took me to dinner, and it was weird and awkward. Should I text him to say "that felt really weird"?

— Honest Nothing takes the weird and awkward out of dating like sending a guy a typed statement about how weird and awkward you found your date. He's sure to be inspired to look to the future with you, a la 'Are you free Friday around 8? How about you go out with some other guy?" As for your stilted evening, maybe he's seeing somebody else and feeling guilty; maybe it was hard reconciling the phone you and the inperson you; maybe his tighty-whities were riding up. If he calls again, you might steer your next date to someplace there's bigger action than the two of you — a hike, an arcade, an intellectual amusement park (aka a museum). If he doesn't call, you could text him — as if by accident — with one of those form messages that came with your phone. "In a meeting"? Confusing, yes, but a better way to say "call me!" than "Had a really crappy time. Looking forward to many more crappy times in the future."

Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, at AdviceAmy@aol.com or Second Supper, 614 Main St., La Crosse, WI 54601. (c) 2010, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved.

Second Supper

MUSIC

PHOTO BY EL JEFE

Adam Gontier of Three Days Grace performs during a concert Jan. 21 at the La Crosse Center. The show also included Breaking Benjamin and Flyleaf.

Three Days Grace and friends give fans traditional arena rock show

By Jason Crider Special to Second Supper

If you were a Three Days Grace fan dedicated enough to brave the icy streets Thursday to get to the La Crosse Center, you were in for a real treat. The band, along with Breaking Benjamin and Flyleaf, graced La Crosse fans with an arena rock show to remember.

The night kicked off with Flyleaf and their hit single “Fully Alive” from their eponymous debut album. Lead singer Lacey Mosley twirled about the stage in a white dress as her voice ventured from beautiful melodies to blood curdling screams that proved she was tough enough to share a stage with the rockers that were to follow.

The band played an assortment of songs promoting their newest release, Memento Mori, along with a courteous arrangement of songs from their first album. The set ended with the anthemic song “Arise,” which transitioned gracefully into a moving cover of John Mark McMillan’s “How He Loves Us.”

Breaking Benjamin took to the stage with its chart-topping songs reaching as far back as their 2002 hit “Polyamorous.” Three giant television monitors behind the stage complemented each of the songs with clips from their music videos as well as a tribute to the American troops, and a montage of the Halo videogame series. About halfway through their set the band played a (surprisingly quite good) cover of Aerosmith’s “Dream On” while images of famous musicians ranging from John Lennon to Kurt Cobain cycled their way across the monitors. The band ended their set with two of their biggest hits: “Breath” and “The Diary Of Jane.”

The stage was then set for Three Days Grace, the lights went out, and the anxious crowd was greeted with a chilling recording of Johnny Cash covering “God’s Gonna Cut

You Down.” When the lights came back on, Three Days Grace got down to business with their two newest singles, “Break” and “The Good Life.” After a few more new songs the band pleased fans of their older material with their radio anthem “I Hate Everything About You.” The song was followed by another hit single off their first album “Home,” which ended in frontman Adam Gontier showcasing his full vocal range by having the audience recite back his various chants and solos.

And what would an arena rock show be without the two things that followed?

Thirty-foot flames shooting out of the ground behind the band kicked off a nice long drum solo, which showed that drummer Neil Sanderson is probably the most talented member in the band. Starting with some ambient synthesizer feedback, Sanderson then played a simple beat that he recorded on the spot, played back into an endless loop, and then improvised over while the drum set spun around in a circle.

This was all to distract the audience while Gontier covertly made his way to a small stage in the center of the arena where he followed the solo with “I Don’t Care,” a song he recorded with Finnish band Apocalyptica in 2007, as well as their new song “Last To Know,” which is probably the most moving piece the band has written. After a few more radio hits, the band kept with the “cover song” theme of the night with their own rendition of Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight,” although they tastefully stopped before the drum intro (probably in case Mike Tyson was in the audience). The band finished off their 14-song set with the OneX hit single, “Animal I Have Become.”

With so few rock acts coming to smaller venues such as the La Crosse Center, the show was certainly a crowd-pleaser, and in a modern music scene plagued with auto-tune and pitch perfect, these artists proved rock isn't about how good your audio engineer is.

Oh hi, right now I'm listening to two jockish looking gents in the booth next to mine discussing "will he or won't he" in regards to Brett Favre playing again next season. Seriously people, get a life. Let me summarize this drama queen for you all. He spends his summers playing touch football with a bunch of sweaty high school boys and filming quasi-homo erotic Wranglers commercials with a group of smiley faced pretty boys rolling around in the mud. And then there is the way he is notorious for sneaking up behind his teammates to slap their butts in the locker room. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But that's not important right now (and he never really was, so please STFU about him folks). Instead I want to discuss the annual music celebration happening this weekend known as the Grammys. If you are a fan of performers such as Beyonce, Black Eyed Peas and Taylor Swift, then this gala event will be all you could ask for. Personally, I find myself underwhelmed year after year by the selections, and often not knowing who half the nominees are.

And I'm not alone in this sentiment. Here is the reason why. Award shows like the Grammys are nothing more than a big circle jerk thrown by the major record labels in an effort to sell more records. Any performer not on a major record label stands as much of a chance as getting recognized as a third party presidential candidate. I declare this

January 28, 2010 // 13

event bogus. The UK has a similar event known as the Brit Awards. In 1992 the British Phonographic Industry and British Association of Record Dealers had enough of this industry-dominated event and created something known as the Mercury Awards for the top British performers. In the past 10 years, winners of the Mercury Award include PJ Harvey, Dizzee Rascal, Franz Ferdinand, Anthony and the Johnsons, Arctic Monkeys and Speech Debelle. I can respect this more than the Robbie Williams/Coldplay lovefest that makes up the Brit Awards, though, in all fairness, the Brit Award nominees are far less mainstream shlock than the Grammys.

Taking a cue from the Mercury Awards, in 2001 The Shortlist Music Prize was set up in the U.S. to recognize "the most adventurous and creative albums of the year across all genres of music." Past album of the year winners include Sigur Ros, TV on the Radio, Sufjan Stevens, Cat Power and Feist. The 10 finalists that get nominated for the Shortlist album of the year are more likely to reflect the tastes of actual music critics and not the results of the corporate machine. Sadly though, the Shortlist had its last presentation in 2007, and I'm not sure why it died.

As record sales continue to dwindle for the major labels, hopefully that will bring about the death of irrelevant music industry awards shows like the Grammys as well.

— Shuggypop Jackson

MUSIC

14// January 28, 2010

Second Supper

music directory // January 29 to February 4 FRIDAY,

January 29

Milwaukee population

ST. PAUL'S LUTHERAN // 420 West Ave. S. The St. Olaf Choir (choral) • 2 p.m., 7:30 p.m.

TREY ANASTASIO BAND // Feb. 18 Pabst Theater • $39.50

DEWEYS SIDE STREET SALOON // 621 St. Paul St. The Dan & Brad Show (acoustic rock, country) • 7 p.m.

SONDRE LERCHE // Feb. 21 Shank Hall • $15

STONEY CREEK INN // 3060 S. Kinney Coulee Road

DARIUS RUCKER, RASCAL FLATTS // Feb. 16 Bradley Center • $27.50-$67.50

String Ties (bluegrass) • 7:30 p.m.

THE STARLITE LOUNGE // 222 Pearl St. Kies & Kompanie (jazz) • 8 p.m.

FREIGHT HOUSE // 107 Vine St. Saner and Gibbons (acoustic pop) • 8 p.m.

THE JOINT // 324 Jay St. Paxico (rock) • 10 p.m.

POPCORN TAVERN // 308 S. Fourth St. Shoeless Revolution (dance party) • 10 p.m.

NIGHTHAWKS TAP // 401 S. Third St. SOMA (jam) • 10 p.m.

THE WAREHOUSE // 324 Pearl St. Without Despair, Release the Hounds, Decimera, Behind These Eyes, One Can Only Hope (Metalfest Day 1) • 7 p.m.

SATURDAY,

January 30

BOOT HILL PUB // 1501 St Andrews St. Winter Warmer with Jimmy & Jay (‘60s and ‘70s rock) • 8 p.m.

FLIPSIDE PUB AND GRILL // 400 Lang Drive Dan Sebranek (acoustic) • 8 p.m.

FREIGHT HOUSE // 107 Vine St. Saner and Gibbons (acoustic pop) • 8 p.m.

POGY'S BANQUET HALL // 1232 Avon St.

596,974

THE NEVILLE BROTHERS & DR. JOHN // Feb. 16 Northern Lights Theater • $25-35

PEARL STREET BREWERY // 1401 St. Andrew St. Acoustic Super Deece (psychedelic) • 5 p.m.

THE WATERFRONT TAVERN // 328 Front St. S. Chris Bucheit and Steve Meger (jazz guitar) • 8 p.m.

just a roadie away

Doesn't it look like Roster McCabe is having fun? That's sort of their modus operandi, and anyone who's seen their recent shows in La Crosse would probably agree. Roster has a similar jam/funk/reggae/rock sound as a million other bands, but they take it up a notch with a level of soul and showmanship that makes the party vibe infectious. The Minneapolis quintet is scheduled to play the Popcorn Tavern this Saturday beginning at 10 p.m. For openers, they're bringing theWerks, an Ohio group whose trance trandencies have made them a real up-and-comer in the eastern United States.

The Fabulous Baloney Skins (Tavern League Christmas Party & Fundraiser) • 8 p.m.

POPCORN TAVERN // 308 S. Fourth St. Roster McCabe (funk/rock), The Werks (funk/ trance) • 10 p.m.

NORTHSIDE OASIS // 620 Gillette St. CODY (variety of rock) • 10 p.m.

NIGHTHAWKS TAP // 401 S. Third St. The King Everything Hot Band (everything) • 10 p.m.

JBSSPEAKEASY // 717 Rose St. The Songs For (indie) • 10 p.m.

THE WAREHOUSE // 324 Pearl St. Orwell, No Wings to Speak Of, High Hopes, Pink Gorilla vs. Panda Bear, Our Judgement (Metalfest Day 2) • 7 p.m THE WATERFRONT TAVERN // 328 Front St. S. Chris Bucheit and Steve Meger (jazz guitar) • 8 p.m.

SUNDAY,

January 31

VITERBO FINE ARTS CENTER // 900 Viterbo Drive

POPCORN TAVERN // 308 S. Fourth St. Som’n Jazz (jazz) • 10 p.m.

February 1

MONDAY,

DEL’S BAR // 229 Third St. Cheech & Chubba (open jam) • 10 p.m.

POPCORN TAVERN // 308 S. Fourth St. Shawn J. Wooden (open jam) • 10 p.m.

February 2

TUESDAY,

THE JOINT // 324 Jay St. SOMA (open jam) • 9 p.m POPCORN TAVERN // 308 S. Fourth St. Fayme Rochelle and the Waxwings (bluegrass jam) • 8 p.m.

THE ROOT NOTE // 114 4th St. S Jazz jam • 8:30 p.m.

February 3

WEDNESDAY,

DEL’S BAR // 229 Third St. Mike Mcabee (songwriter, comedy) • 10 p.m.

I Musici de Montreal (chamber string orchestra) • 2 p.m.

POPCORN TAVERN // 308 S. Fourth St.

JOHN MAYER, MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD // March 1 Bradley Center • $44-$64 Mitch’s (open jam) • 10 p.m.

MIRAGE // 4329 Mormon Coulee Road Dave Kerska (oldies) • 5:30 p.m.

RECOVERY ROOM // 901 7th St. S Dox Phonic (open jam) • 10 p.m.

THURSDAY,

February 4

DEL’S BAR // 229 Third St. Dave Lambert (singer/songwriter) • 10 p.m.

POPCORN TAVERN // 308 S. Fourth St. Natty Nation (Bob Marley’s birthday party) • 10 p.m.

SPORTS NUT // 801 Rose St. Big Daddy Cade and the Blues Masters (blues) • 8 p.m.

NIGHTHAWKS TAP // 401 S. Third St. Dave Orr's Damn Jam (open jam) • 10 p.m.

THE ROOT NOTE // 114 4th St. S Open Mic • 8 p.m.

THE WAREHOUSE // 324 Pearl St. Bamboo Shoots (Electronic Rock), The Bay State, The Blue Pages, Seventh Resistance • 6 p.m.

Second Supper

January 28, 2010 // 15

MUSIC Medium: Album Stimului: Lonely London Lad, Foaming at the Mouth Anno: 2010

This is what can happen when business is taken out of the business of making music. Lonely London Lad released their self titled debut album — and a double album at that — only last summer, and the group is now putting out their follow-up disc. In the normal music business model, the release of Foaming at the Mouth would have to wait at least another year, probably longer, in order for the previous release to run its course and to build up the next advertising campaign and mythology for the new token creativity.

Well, if there is one thing that Lonely London Lad is not afraid of, it’s oversaturation. And good for them. The path that this group has thus far undertaken is evidence that the life of an independent musician can be much more liberating, creative and fun than the calculated moves of a sponsored player.

What’s most notable about Lonely London Lad’s accelerated and independent schedule is that the group doesn’t descend into solipsism in pursuing it. Whereas its original album was a broad array of sonic experiments that somehow worked as a whole, Foaming at the Mouth pulls its songs into a tighter formation. It continues the style of eclectic rock that owes few instrumental obligations, but this time around the song structures are more constant. Even more constant is singer Robert Savage; while his lyricism retains its whimsical and random veneer, his vocal de-

livery takes fewer leaps outside of his usual croons and drawls. This turns out to not be a bad thing, though. By putting away his cackles and robot voices, Savage becomes more of an anchor to the music, even while he’s going on about John Wayne and chain gangs.

The track that pays tribute to said Duke is among the album’s most notable, largely because it’s a bizarro country tune that sounds like nothing else on the disc. While the bass, piano, keyboards and drums ride like the tired gunslinger himself, Savage delivers what sound to be his least offhand lyrics in praise of this real American man.

The other track that stands out most is “Men.” Lonely London Lad certainly knows how to open an album, but whereas the opener on its debut was brooding and sinister, this track hits the ground running with bouncing bombast and Savage playing it cool. If there is a single to be found, this is it.

The ultimate impression that Foaming at the Mouth gives is one of growth and choice, as though the flood of songs on the first album painted the landscape and this album provided its roads. In this case, choosing a direction hasn’t lessened the ability to play around with the format — and for Lonely London Lad, that ability remains paramount.

— Brett Emerson

Medium: Album Stimului: Sarah Blasko, As Day Follows Night Anno: 2009

Sarah Blasko’s third album takes a step away from the lushly dark art-pop of its predecessor, What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have, and moves in more theatrical and diverse directions. The orchestration largely runs about the same, an alternation between pianos and guitar with light strokes of drums weaving through. Yet while the songs are no less serious, most feel less like dirges.

On the other hand, Blasko’s whispery vocals are more consistent, which is no detriment at all.

The strangest and most unique song on As Day Follows Night is a bouncy country number called “Hold on My Heart.”

Through hillside oohs, staccato beats and the clangs of a saloon piano, the vocals call out a square dance in mild-mannered style.

Lyrically and vocally, Blasko makes no drastic departure; it’s the music alone that sets the song apart from the rest of the album and makes it a fun surprise.

Following this is the track most destined to become a single, “We Won’t Run.” It’s the closest this album comes to conventional, a midtempo pop song propelled by self-effacing drums and bass, augmented

with keyboards and strings. It’s far from unlistenable, but considering the diversity of the rest of the album the song becomes, by comparison, one of its least compelling.

The remaining high points of the album tend to be swinging affairs or orchestral pieces focused around piano or keyboard. The former category includes the upright bass swagger of “Bird on a Wire” and the strutting bass piano of its sibling, “No Turning Back.”

The latter style most comes through in the soft-to-symphonic “Sleeper Awake,” which features Blasko at her vocal best, wailing and whispering in full nuance. Another example of the style is found in “Lost and Defeated,” a piano heavy waltz that turns up the album’s intensity.

Though in the end I do like the music of What the Sea Wants better, Blasko’s newest contribution shows that she knows what to experiment with and what to hold constant.

As Day Follows Night is a solid piece of songcraft that shows that she still has great things to offer.

— Brett Emerson

Visit us online at www.secondsupper.com

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16// January 28, 2010

Second Supper

YOUR GUIDE TO CONSUMPTION Answers on Page 19

Food & Drink Specials Editor's Note: Food and Drink Specials is a free listing for Second Supper’s regular advertisers and $25 per week for others. For information, call (608) 782-7001.

Sunday

BARREL INN $2.25 for mini pitcher CHUCK'S All day everyday: $1 Doctor, $2 Silos $3 pitchers, $1.75 rails EAGLE’S NEST Open to close: $2 U “Call” it HOWIE’S Happy hour 4 to 9 p.m.; 9 p.m. to close: Night Before Class - $3 pitchers of the beast IRISH HILLS Happy Hour 4 to 7 p.m. daily JB’S SPEAKEASY $1.75 domestic bottles PETTIBONE BOAT CLUB $1 off fried chicken PLAYERS Price by Dice SCHMIDTY’S $6.95 lunch buffet $9.95 breakfast buffet 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

SLOOPY'S ALMA MATER $11 buckets of beers (pregame-close), taco specials during game THE JOINT $2 domestics and rails, 4 to 8 p.m., Shots of Doctor $1 all day, everyday THE HELM All day (everyday!) specials $1.25 Old Style Light, $1.50 LAX Lager/ Light, $1 shots of Dr. THE LIBRARY Sunday Fun Day - Wristband Night TOP SHOTS $5 Pitchers/$2 bottles of Miller products (11-4pm) $2 Corona Bottles, $2 Kilo Kai Mixers , $3 Bloodys (7-1AM) TRAIN STATION BBQ Ask for great eats WHO'S ON THIRD Happy Hour until 10 p.m. $1.50 domestic taps, $2 rails from 10 to close

Monday

Reminds you to support the retailers, restaurants, taverns and bands that support us. We are funded solely by advertising so if you want to support us, support them!

conscientious commerce: warm and filling

BARREL INN Buck burgers BROTHERS $2.50 Blatz vs. Old Style pitchers BODEGA $2 BBQ Pork Sliders CHUCK’S Monday-Friday: Happy Hour 2 to 6 p.m., 50 cents off everything but the daily special Guys’ Nite Out: $1.50 silos EAGLE’S NEST 7 p.m. to close: $1.50 domestic pints, $1.50 rails FEATURES Free beer 5:30-6:30; Free wings 7:30-8:30, Free bowling after 9 HOWIE’S 9 p.m. to close: $3.50 domestic pitchers JB’S SPEAKEASY $1.75 domestic bottles PETTIBONE BOAT CLUB Kids eat free with adult PLAYERS Happy Hour all night long, two-for-one SCHMIDTY’S BBQ sandwich SLOOPY'S ALMA MATER $2 can beer (2-6 p.m.) $11 buckets of beers (6-close) SPORTS NUT Buck Burgers THE CAVALIER Martini Ladies’ Night, James Martini: vodka, triple sec, orange juice THE JOINT $2 domestics and rails, 4 to 8 p.m., Shots of Doctor $1 TOP SHOTS $1.75 Miller/Bud Light Taps, $2.25 MIcro/Craft Taps, $2.50 Cherry Bombs (7-1AM) WHO'S ON THIRD $1 taps of PBR, $1 rails

Tuesday

BARREL INN Bucket Night, six beers for $9 BROTHERS Wristband night BODEGA 2-Fers, Buy any regularly priced food item and get one of equal or lesser value for free CHUCK’S 50-cent taps domestic, $3 pitchers COCONUT JOE’S $2 Tuesdays, including $2 bottles, import taps, beer pong, apps, single shot-mixers, featured shots, 50-cent taps EAGLE’S NEST 7 p.m. to close: $1.50 domestic pints, $1.50 rails FEATURES Taco buffet 11-2; $1 Pabst bottles and $1 bowling after 9 HOWIE’S 9 p.m. to close: $1 rails, $2.50 pitchers, beer pong IRISH HILLS $2 domestic cans JB’S SPEAKEASY $1.75 domestic bottles PETTIBONE BOAT CLUB 2 for 1 burger night PLAYERS Karaoke @ 10 p.m., 2-4-1 Happy Hour 5 to 10 p.m., all you can drink rail mixers @ 10 p.m.

SCHMIDTY’S Tacos SLOOPY'S ALMA MATER $2 can beer (2-6 p.m.) 12" pizza: $8.99 up to 5 toppings (4-close) SPORTS NUT Tacos $1.25 THE JOINT $2 domestics and rails, 4 to 8 p.m., Shots of Doctor $1 THE LIBRARY $1 domestic taps and rails, one-half price Tequila TOP SHOTS $1.75 Rails, $1.50 Domestic Taps, $3.50 Jager Bombs (7-1AM) TRAIN STATION BBQ 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., extra side with sandwich; 4 to 9 p.m., $1 off rib dinner WHO'S ON THIRD Wristband night, includes rails and domestic taps, 8 p.m.-1 a.m. $3 call doubles, $2 Bud products

Wednesday

BARREL INN $6 all you can drink taps and rails, 8 to midnight BROTHERS 10-cent wings, $1 Miller High Life bottles, $1.50 rail mixers CHUCK’S $2 Pearl Street Brewery beers COCONUT JOE’S $1.25 for 1 pound of wings, $1 PBR/PBR Light bottles, $1.50 Rolling Rock, $2 jumbo rail mixers, $2.25 Bud Lights, $1 shot of the week EAGLE’S NEST 7 p.m. to close: $1.50 domestic pints, $2 craft pints, $1.50 rails HOWIE’S $5 all you can drink JB’S SPEAKEASY Happy Hour 5 to 7 p.m.

LEGEND’S $1 shot of the week, $4 domestic pitchers, $1.25 1 pound of wings PETTIBONE BOAT CLUB $6.99 AUCE pasta PLAYERS Karaoke @ 10 p.m., 2-4-1 Happy Hour 5 to 10 p.m., $1 Pabst cans, Dr. shots @ 10 p.m.

SCHMIDTY’S Chili dogs SLOOPY'S ALMA MATER Wings, Wings, Wings... $2 off 14: pizza, $2 can beer (2-6 p.m.)

SPORTS NUT 15-cent wings THE CAVALIER $1.50 taps 6 to 8 p.m.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

Second Supper

Specials

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16 THE JOINT $2 domestics and rails, 4 to 8 p.m., Shots of Doctor $1 THE LIBRARY Karaoke, $2 double rails & all bottles TOP SHOTS

$2 domestic bottles, $2.50 Skyy/Absolut mixers, $2 Dr. shots (7-1am)

TRAIN STATION BBQ Special varies WHO'S ON THIRD Ladies' Night: $2 top shelf, $1 Pink Tacos Everyone: $2.50 bombs, $2 taps, $3 Jack/Captain doubles

Thursday

BARREL INN 25-cent wings, $1 shots of Doctor BROTHERS $5 domestic taps, wells and Long Islands. $1 shots with wristband CHUCK’S Ladies’ Nite Out: $1.50 rail mixers, $2.50 X bombs COCONUT JOE’S Happy Hour 7 to 9 p.m.: $2 for all single shot mixers and all beers.

Wristband Night: $5 college I.D., $9 general public EAGLE’S NEST 7 p.m. to close: $1.50 domestic pints, $2 craft pints, $1.50 rails FEATURES All you care to eat pizza buffet, 11-2 HOWIE’S 9 p.m. to close: $1.25 rails, $1.75 bottles/cans IRISH HILLS $14.95 steak and golf JB’S SPEAKEASY Happy Hour 5 to 7 p.m.

THE CAVALIER All Mojitos $5 THE JOINT $2 domestics and rails, 4 to 8 p.m., Shots of Doctor $1 LEGEND’S After comedy: Pint Night - $1 pints of rail mixers and domestic taps, $2 pints of call mixers and import taps, $3 pints of top-shelf mixers PLAYERS 2-4-1 Happy Hour 5 to 10 p.m., $2 Captain mixers, $1.75 domestic beer, $1.50 rails, $1 Pabst cans @ 10 p.m.

RALPH’S Southwest chicken pita $5 SCHMIDTY’S Tacos SLOOPY'S ALMA MATER Ladies night, 2 for 1 drinks (6-close), $2 can beer (2-6 p.m.)

SPORTS NUT $8.99 12-ounce T-bone THE HELM $1 Vodka Drinks, $1.00 12 oz Dom. Taps, $1.25 12 oz prem. Taps, $3 Orange Bombs THE LIBRARY Beer Pong Tourney and wristband night TOP SHOTS 5 Domestic Bottles for $10, $5 Micro/Import Bottles $11.50, $7 Micro/Craft Pitchers (7-1AM) TRAIN STATION BBQ 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Barn burner $7.95; 4 to 9 p.m., Hobo dinner (serves two) $30.95 WHO'S ON THIRD $8.50 Fish Bowls, $2 Miller products

FEATURES All you care to eat fish fry 4-10; unlimited Glow-N-Bowl $9.99 HOWIE’S 9 p.m. to close: $2 Captain mixers, $2 bottles/cans, $3 Jager bombs JB’S SPEAKEASY Happy Hour 5 to 7 p.m.

LEGEND’S $3 jumbo Svedka mixers, $2.50 Corona bottles, $2.50 Cuervo shots PLAYERS 2-4-1 Happy Hour 3 to 9 p.m.

SCHMIDTY’S Fish sandwich SLOOPY'S ALMA MATER Friday Fish, $2 can beer (2-6 p.m.)

THE JOINT $2 domestics and rails, 4 to 8 p.m., shots of Doctor $1 THE LIBRARY $3 Bacardi mixers, $3 Long Island iced Teas - any flavor TOP SHOTS $2 Captain Mixers, $2. Long Island Mixers, $3 Effen Vodka Mixers (7-1AM) TRAIN STATION BBQ 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Chicken on fire $7.95; 4 to 9 p.m., Bones and briskets $13.95 WHO'S ON THIRD $1 off Three Olives, $2 domestic taps

Saturday

BARREL INN $10 pitcher and pizza BROTHERS $3 Bacardi drinks, $2.75 Bud Light bottles, Bud Light Slapshot Challenge - win prizes CHUCK’S 12 to 3 p.m.: Buy one, get one domestic beer; Holmen Meat Locker jerky raffle COCONUT JOE’S Happy Hour 7 to 9 p.m.: $2 for all single-shot mixers and all beers, $2.50 jumbo Captain Morgan mixers, $2.50 jumbo Bacardi mixers (all flavors), $3 Jagerbombs EAGLE’S NEST Open to close: $2 U “Call” it FEATURES Prime rib dinner 4-10; unlimited Glow-N-Bowl $9.99 HOWIE’S 9 p.m. to close: $2 Bacardi mixers, $2 domestic pints, $1.50 shots blackberry brandy JB’S SPEAKEASY Happy Hour 5 to 7 p.m.

THE JOINT $2 domestics and rails, 4 to 8 p.m., Shots of Doctor $1 LEGEND’S $3 jumbo Svedka mixers, $2 Jonestown shots PLAYERS 2-4-1 Happy Hour 3 to 8 p.m.

SLOOPY'S ALMA MATER 2 for 1 pints/pitches w/ student ID over 21 SPORTS NUT 15-cent wings THE LIBRARY $3 Three Olives Vodka Mixers, $3 Long Island Iced Teas - any flavor TOP SHOTS $5 Miller/Bud Light Pitchers, $2.25 Leinies Bottles (7-1AM) TRAIN STATION BBQ One-half chicken three bones $12.95 To advertise your specials, e-mail mike.keith@secondsupper.com.

Friday

BARREL INN $4.50 domestic pitchers BROTHERS $3 Three Olives Vodka drinks, $2.75 Bud Light bottles, Bud Light Slapshot Challenge - win prizes BODEGA Fish Tacos: 1 / $2.50, 2 / $5.00, 3 / $6.50.

CHUCK’S After-Class $3 Pitchers, $1.75 Rails COCONUT JOE’S Happy Hour 7 to 9 p.m.: $2 for all single-shot mixers and all beers, $2.50 jumbo Captain Morgan mixers, $2.50 jumbo Bacardi mixers (all flavors), $3 Jagerbombs EAGLE’S NEST 3 to 9 p.m.: two-for-one domestic bottles and rail drinks

January 28, 2010 // 17

CONSUMPTION

Impress your out-of-state friends.

Show them our Web site. www.secondsupper.com (You can read it, too.)

BEER

Review

Smuttynose Robust Porter Smuttynose Brewing Company Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Don’t think I’m an alcoholic or anything, but I write most of these beer reviews while sitting by myself in a recliner. You can contemplate a lot in the quiet company of a pint glass, but beer is made for communal consumption, and I really do love talking about it (as if you couldn’t tell). Earlier tonight I attended a beer tasting at the Root Note facilitated by Kendall Staggs, a genuine “beer historian” with a charming passion for fermented beverages and a day job as a UWLa Crosse history professor. The theme for the evening was porters, which originated as working class English ales, but our dozen selections came from all over the world and showcased the many permutations of the style. Sitting in a roundtable fashion with platters of cheese and bread to cleanse the palette, our small group sipped beers and discussed their attributes, and before long there was much discourse and merriment.

After drinking 12 porters it’s hard to pick a favorite — or even differentiate the taste — but I did take good notes on the second beer we sampled, the very fine Smuttynose Robust Porter.

The beer pours a rich ebony color that’s almost crimson when held to the light, with a frothy brown head that has excellent lacing and retention. The aroma is clean with

hops at the front of the nose, but there’s still a nicely roasted malt smell, almost like a stout. (I realize that statement is kind of Appearance: 9 contradictory, but that’s what my notes Aroma: 7 say.) The hoppy bitterness, unusual in Taste: 8 a porter, continues into the first sip. It Mouthfeel: 7 has some dark-roasted coffee-like flavors Drinkability: 8 — “robust” is a good adjective — but it’s still a quenching beer Total: 39 and the drinkability is high. And while I forgot to write about the mouthfeel, it was probably medium-bodied. Other fine beers sampled this evening were Tommy’s Porter from Lake Louie, The Edmund Fitzgerald Porter from Great Lakes Brewing Company, Whole Stein from the Viking Brewery and the London Porter from Meantime, which was only recently exported to America. I may review some of these beers — those that can be purchased in La Crosse — in a future issue. As for the rest, I’ll just keep raving about them to my friends.

— Adam Bissen

18// January 28, 2010

Maze Efflux

GRAY MATTER

Second Supper

'Special Effects' with a little extra thrown in!

By Erich Boldt

By Matt Jones

Word Search

ACROSS 1 Leaning typeface: abbr.

5 ___ Wonderful (juice brand) 8 Low point on a director's resume 14 "Julie & Julia" director Ephron 15 Bus. alternative to a partnership 16 Klutzy 17 Healthy bread ingredient that produces oil 19 You may want to get in them if they're good 20 One may check you out with a hammer 22 Singers Anita and Molly 23 Paper that reports on the DJIA 24 Genetic messenger material: abbr.

27 Bon ___ (witticism) 28 Auntie on Broadway

31 WWII craft 33 Composer with a brass instrument named after him 35 Soprano henchman ___ Walnuts 36 Mail-in movie, perhaps 39 Really broad toast 40 Tiny amounts 41 Father of the casa 42 High-end German cars 43 Mil. subordinate 46 "Dexter" channel, for short 47 Abbr. for people lacking parts of names 49 "If You Stub Your ___ the Moon" (Bing Crosby song) 51 He led a band of Merry Men 56 Entreaty to get some cojones 58 Futuristic MTV

Answers to Jan. 21 puzzle

"That Bowls — Football overload"

cartoon turned into a live-action Charlize Theron movie 59 Accuse of a crime in court 60 It's game 61 Frigid ending?

62 Like some grins 63 Shaker ___, OH 64 Total disaster DOWN 1 Come ___ the cold 2 Holy U.S. city?

3 1994 Nobel Peace Prize co-winner 4 In a careless way 5 "Yo Gabba Gabba!" character who's a "magic robot" 6 Spread on the table 7 1450, in Rome 8 Baseball Hall-ofFamer Wade 9 High demand?

10 Thought ___ (considered) 11 Old phonograph brand 12 Real ending for a Brit?

13 Sounds of indifference 18 His, to Henri 21 Come up short 25 Complete, with "down" 26 Took in a snack 28 Stubborn beast 29 "___ Lay Dying" 30 Magazine that

debuted with Christa Miller on the cover 32 "No ifs, ands or ___" 33 Slammer 34 "Orpheus in the Underworld" composer Jacques 35 Loyal companions 36 Lexicographer Webster 37 Legendary Cadillac?

38 Sudoku component 39 Does some minor vandalism, briefly 42 Recycling receptacle 43 Singer-songwriter McKay 44 Hearts of Paris 45 Banded gems 48 Like many toothpastes 49 Boatload 50 UK-based confederation that deals with human rights 52 Leave off 53 Inaugural reading 54 Achievement 55 Captains' books 56 Took the worm 57 Ambient musician Brian For answers, call (900) 226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Or to bill to your credit card, call (800) 655-6548.

Reference puzzle #0452.

WE'RE HIRING!

• Advertising account representative E-mail roger.bartel@secondsupper.com

Second Supper

January 28, 2010 // 19

THE LAST WORD

Y Marks the Spot

By Brett Emerson brett.emerson@secondsupper.com

The last few weeks in popular culture have reminded me of something I came across a while back. Following one of this paper’s weekly meetings, a few of us walked to a nearby gas station to drown our afterglow in Pringles and cigarettes. At the checkout my gaze wandered toward the store’s newspaper rack, taking in the day’s headlines.

The two papers that caught my eye had very different stories on their front pages.

The first announced that Onalaska’s Sunfish Days was cancelled for the coming year. The title of the second was, in essence, Lawyer Molests Boy.

My internal and external reactions got their wires crossed, and my mouth got in the way of my brain. My flippant response to the cashier was, “Somehow, I think these two stories are related.” What I meant to say was that it was bizarre that these stories were accorded the same front-page importance. Is a festival’s hiatus as noteworthy as child abuse?

I question the moral compass of anyone who says yes.

I similarly question the ethics of those of us in the present tensse who give the Tonight Show’s recent game of musical chairs the same weight as an earthquake that destroyed an already destroyed nation. For years, Haiti has served as the AIDS-infested, zombie ridden, poverty stricken running joke of the Americas. It’s nice that in the face of a tangible disaster (as opposed to the regularly scheduled programming of misery) we’re able to get past those prejudices and go all We Are the World. Yet as I wandered through the disasterless, artificial reality of the Internet, I saw no onslaught of bold, artistic profile pictures stating “I’m with Haiti.”

Nope, they were just with Conan O’Brien.

It’s as though we throw up our good thoughts and well wishes like they were Our Fathers and Hail Marys prescribed to wash away impure thoughts. And then we continue to act as shallow as usual.

I can’t help but draw comparisons between the “I’m with Coco” movement and the Tea Party mass psychosis of the past year.

Both have the oxymoronic distinction of being media-dictated grassroots movements.

Both have easy heroes, easy fall guys and all the red herring you can eat. And both are completely missing the point.

The point is that the wizards behind the curtains are getting off scot free. It’s easy to hate a mouthpiece; taking on the face behind it takes more imagination. Are the peasant castes that howl for Jay Leno’s blood and see the death of America in every Fox News story viewed as anything beyond loud, disposable income? Doubt it. The executives who are responsible for all this incompetence and propaganda, on the other hand,

aren’t likely to take a cut in pay anytime soon. And in all mass media, that’s what it’s all about. Your principles are interchangeable. They don’t matter, so long as you tune in and watch the commercials.

And while I’m on the subject of money, let us note the absurdity in treating a man who was paid over $30 million in severance as a victim of grave injustice. No matter how poorly his NBC bosses may have acted, it isn’t as though Conan O’Brien is going to trade in his palatial estates for a couch at Andy Richter’s place. So why do we care? Why doesn’t the same sweeping outrage come out when companies cast far poorer employees into the streets? Why, even after this year’s financial meltdown, do you never see a Tea Party held at a bank?

Here’s my theory: because we don’t think that we can make a real difference anymore. Considering the explosions of technology, propaganda and population, the simultaneous demoralization of all humanity has become easier than ever. We’ve never been more replaceable, they say, and we tend to believe it.

So to keep the slightest shred of selfrespect, we make fake differences. We rail against socialism while corporations fleece us. We praise the value of hard work when most of us hate our jobs. We identify more with a remote person on television than with our neighbors. We donate a dollar to disaster relief instead of our time. We talk big while acting small.

Each one of us can do much better.

It was an easy, but probably overlooked question that came to mind when I first saw the “I’m with Coco” poster on someone’s

Facebook profile. How many people who are supporting Conan O’Brien actually watch The Tonight Show?

I asked the question to a few friends who had posted their allegiance to the cause.

Some watch it. But some don’t. I’m willing to bet that this is typical. For every person who joined Team Coco because they enjoyed his show and didn’t want the suits to screw him over, there’s likely a person who joined the team simply because it’s the new thing to do.

Turns out I am one of the latter. While I’ve occasionally enjoyed O’Brien’s work, I don’t watch late-night talk shows – and if I did, I’d probably watch Craig Ferguson instead. I’m not sure how it came to me, but I found myself on the “I’m with Coco” group on Facebook. It’s just a click, I thought.

No real point of cultural demarcation. So, click! I joined the group.

Now I feel like a phony.

Sudoko (from Page 18)

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