VOLUME 10, NO. 2 | JANUARY 21, 2010
EE FR
INSIDE: THE ADVICE GODDESS SAYS SHACKING UP IS HARD TO DO | PAGE 8
Snow bored?
Check out our top 10 cool ways to enjoy the winter Page 6
PHOTO BY MARY CATANESE
Also:
Hamilton Loomis tour coming to Nighthawks Page 9
PLUS: STATE POLITICS REPORT • PAGE 4 | LOCAL NEWS DISPATCHES • PAGE 5 | NEW ASTRONOMY COLUMN • PAGE 12
2// January 21, 2010
Second Supper
Social Networking
IF A GENIE GRANTED YOU ONE WISH, WHAT WOULD YOU ASK FOR? A brand new leg! CELEBRITY CRUSH: John Cusack FIRST CONCERT YOU WENT TO: X-Fest 1998 WHAT IS YOUR BEVERAGE OF CHOICE? Any decent red wine
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 intern: Ansel Ericksen ansel.ericksen@secondsupper.com Contributors: Amy Alkon, Nick Cabreza, Mary Catanese, Brett Emerson, Jake Groteuschen, Shuggypop Jackson, Matt Jones, Jonathan Majak, Stephanie Schultz, Ralph Winrich Second Supper is a weekly alternative newspaper published by Bartanese Enterprises LLC, 614 Main St., La Crosse, WI 54601
WHAT BOOK ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING? My mom got me "I Can Has Cheezburger?" for Christmas; too bad I already have Nina's copy! TELL US YOUR GUILTIEST PLEASURE: "Coach." Yes, the show. I love Craig T. Nelson. NAME AND AGE: JoJo/Joann Marie Brockberg, 27 WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Worthington, Minn. CURRENT JOB: Professional cripple, formerly of Jules' Coffee (and I hope again soon) DREAM JOB: Food critic LAST THING YOU GOOGLED: Julian Glover. Because during Star Wars Christmas at Brett's, we had a friendly disagreement about the "Sting-looking guy" driving the AT-AT and I had to make sure it was the same guy who disintegrates after drinking from the wrong Holy Grail. IF YOU COULD LIVE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD IT BE? Tuscany WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE? Have my own photography studio
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST PET PEEVE? People who shuffle their feet TELL US A JOKE: A lady at a party goes up to Winston Churchill and tells him, "Sir, you are drunk." Churchill replies, "Madam, you are ugly. In the morning, I shall be sober." WHAT'S THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT? Batteries from Kroner's WHAT'S IN YOUR POCKET RIGHT NOW?: No pockets in my skirt today. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF SECOND SUPPER? Y Marks the Spot HOW DO YOU KNOW SHUGGYPOP (INTERVIEWER)? Oh, Shuggy. My neighbor and ever-present downtown bicycle pal, who is thankfully less accident-prone than I am.
My Reality?
L'Editor
Dear Reader: This week in Second Supper we present a new, and occasional, astronomy feature: The Universe and Other Small Things (Page 12) by Ralph Winrich, a NASA educator and published author. Winrich is a friend of Mary Catanese, our photo editor, and believe me, I’m just as surprised as you are that we got someone from NASA to write for Second Supper. But that just shows we’re on our way up. Of course, longtime readers should note the Second Supper already has a science columnist — Ben Clark, master of the Smock Talk. Well, it is with much sadness and a smidgen of pride to note that Ben no longer lives in La Crosse. After graduating from UW-L, Ben recently moved to Wisconsin Rapids and began teaching a basic biology course at Midstate Technical College. That’s right, at all of 22 years of age, Ben is instructing a college class on the finer points of life science. How’s that for a testament to Wisconsin’s public universities? But fear not, loyal readers, Ben isn’t leaving us for good. He says he’ll hash out some more Smock Talks whenever he can carve free time from his hectic one-class-a-week schedule. His beloved band, The Ska'tTsmen, will also be coming back to La Crosse soon. Ben has actually been involved in Second Supper longer than anyone else in the history of the paper — myself included. Let’s hope he’s still writing for us when he’s got his own gig at NASA.
— Adam Bissen
We put those ATM fees back in your pocket.
I‘ve got money, I never carry cash.
With Altra Plus Checking, you can get up to $20 in ATM fees refunded every month and earn an outrageously high dividend on the money in your account. Ask us how. • No minimum balance required • No monthly service charge
Open 7 days a week inside Festival Foods, La Crosse
608-787-4500 • www.altra.org
fits my life
Membership eligibility required. A+ Checking available for personal accounts only. The use of four free Altra technology services is required to receive ATM refunds and dividend rate. ATM fee refunds available for withdrawals made from A+ Checking. Dividends calculated and paid each calendar month on the daily balance. Please contact Altra for complete account details.
Second Supper
Things To Do Strap on snowshoes
The Top
Winter activities you're never too old for
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Snow forts Hot cocoa Sledding Snow plants Snow angels Snowball fights Whipping donuts
Coolest things dogs do 1. Prefer heads out the window 2. Hump inanimate objects 3. Catch Frisbees 4. Chase their tails 5. Scoot heinies across carpet 6. Lick selves 7. Stand by you, regardless
January 21, 2010 // 3
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Get outside. Enjoy the winter. Meander. Chuck and Linda Lee from the Marsh Coalition will lead a two-hour Marsh Snowshoe Meander beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan 23, at Myrick Hixon EcoPark. Participants will be able to observe the sights and sounds of nature in winter while snoeshowing through the park. This program is for adults. If you don't have your own snowshoes, you can rent them for $5 from the EcoPark. There is no rental fee for EcoPark members. For information or to preregister, call Michelle Nelson at (608) 784-0303 or send an e-mail info@mhecopark.org.
1
Taste some excellent chili There's still time to turn up the burners,
chop the peppers and enter your chili in the fifth-annual Operation Homefront Harley-Davidson chili cookoff. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, at La Crosse Area Harley-Davidson, 1116 Oak Forest Drive, Onalaska. Last year's competition included about 30 chili recipes. Proceeds are used to buy and ship items to troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition to a $5 donation, which enables attendees to sample the chilis, guests are asked to donate items such as toiletries, healthy snack items, beef jerky and packs of flavored water. For information, contact Barb Stowasser at (608) 783-6112.
2
View some American heroes
In conjunction with the original local play 5,000 Pounds, the Pump House Regional Arts Center, 119 King St., next week welcomes an exhibition featuring James Gill’s photographic portraits of Wisconsin Vietnam veterans interviewed for the Wisconsin Public Television documentary Wisconsin Vietnam War Stories. The exhibition opens Wednesday, Jan. 27, and runs through March 1. An opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29, will include a screening of interviews with La Crosse area veterans from the WPT documentary. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. For more information, call (608) 785-1434. The play opens Feb. 4.
3
Turn one man's junk into your treasure
Touring garage sales generally is a warm-weather activity. But, just like football, it too can be played indoors. Billed as western Wisconsin's largest indoor flea market, the La Crosse Center winter flea market opens at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 24, at the center, 300 2nd St. S. Doors close at 4:30 p.m. Admission is $2.50. And you've found your first bargain! For information, call (608) 797-6647.
4
Get a tatt or two
5
The 19th annual Shades of Blue Tattoo Show will be held at the La Crosse Center from Friday, Jan. 29, to 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. A day pass costs $12; weekend passes are $30. The event includes tattoo and body piercing competitions. For information, visit www.tattooshow.com.
4// January 21, 2010
IT’S MY PARTY AND I’LL BUY IF I WANT TO.
$20
off
EVERY PAIR OF SHOES THAT YOU BUY THE MONTH OF YOUR BIRTHDAY! That's right... All month long. Every pair of shoes. Available only in the store. You have to prove it's the month of your birthday.
kick on main :: 236 Main Street :: La Crosse, WI 54601 :: p: 608.782.kick www.kickonmain.com :: Mon - Wed 11-6 :: Thurs and Fri 11-7 :: Sat 11-5
HELP WANTED UW-L Student Editor • Help plan weekly editions • Write stories • Distribute papers on campus Contact Roger Bartel at roger.bartel@secondsupper.com
KJOME
RENTALS
The WisPolitics.com Stock Report
RISING
MIXED
FALLING
PAUL RYAN
SCOTT WALKER
RUSS FEINGOLD
No pol goes to New Hampshire by accident, one observer says. But the Janesville Republican insists he’s not running for president and his trip to the Granite State is solely to raise money for others. Even so, insiders say the move will do plenty to continue raising Ryan’s profile in national circles. Ryan has long been a conservative darling with his mix of wonk, charm, message and fundraising ability. With $247,127 raised during the fourth quarter and a little less than $1.6 million cash on hand, he again looks to be one of the better fundraisers in Wisconsin’s delegation, and the London Telegraph ranks him the ninth most influential conservative in America. Some have longed to see him take a leadership role in the House GOP caucus or run on a national ticket, though Ryan has seemed hesitant to do either with a young family. Some see the New Hampshire appearances as part of Ryan’s ascension up the GOP ranks as he becomes more of a national voice. Same goes with his recent decision to endorse Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio over Gov. Charlie Crist in their GOP primary. Ryan is one of the few Republicans who have credibility with the tea party crowd as well as the GOP establishment, one insider observes. The trip to New Hampshire and the continuing high profile in the party will keep his name out there for the 2012 veep sweepstakes, some say, though there’s long been the assumption that Ryan will take a shot at the U.S. Senate if Dem. Herb Kohl opts against seeking re-election that fall.
STATE MEDICAL SOCIETY
READY TO MOVE IN? One Bedroom Upper, 527 Division, La Crosse $495.00 Heat Included Large Studio, 720 Main St., La Crosse Fully Furnished $425.00 All Utilities Included Small Efficiency, 612 S. 7th St., La Crosse $650.00 Heat Included, Laundry, Storage, Parking. Two Bedroom, 612 S. 7th St., La Crosse $425.00 Heat Included, Parking, Laundry
All Month-to-Month Leases
Cats Welcome!
1-877-452-2155 Toll Free # Come Home to the Best!
Second Supper
COMMENTARY
The state Supreme Court agrees to hear a lawsuit filed by the state’s medical community over the transfer of $200 million out of the Patients Compensation Fund to help balance the state’s books in 2007. Doctors protested the transfer, arguing the money was built off the fees they paid and the money shouldn’t be used as budget backfill. A Dane County judge dismissed the suit in 2008, finding the transfer from the fund, which was created to control medical malpractice costs, was legal. The appeals court asked the Supreme Court to take up the case directly, and now the justices will get their say.
WIND ENERGY
The state Public Service Commission approves construction, in central Wisconsin's Columbia County, of the Glacier Hills Wind Park, set to break ground later this year at a cost of between $335 million and $435 million to the Wisconsin Electric Power Co. When completed late next year, the wind farm will be Wisconsin's largest. In addition, a $2 million grant from the U.S. Labor Department to E.C.I.A. Business Growth Inc. in Dubuque, Iowa, will be used to train up to 300 Wisconsin workers, including training in wind energy technology.
The Milwaukee County exec lays out his vision for the county over the next year — and helps bolster themes for his 2010 guv campaign. In his annual State of the County address, Walker calls for more privatization and promises to propose a budget for 2011 that cuts the tax levy, building on principles he’s already established during his time as exec. For fans, it’s more evidence of his leadership, and they say he’s playing on the perfect themes to capitalize on the discontent pulsating through the electorate. He’s talking about cutting government spending, saving money Scott Walker through creative ways and going after bloated benefits for public employees. What’s not to love?, conservatives argue. Opponents aren’t so sure, saying Walker’s rhetoric doesn’t match the reality of what’s happening within county government and the parks system. Some argue Walker is backing himself into a corner and could have all these promises come back to bite him once the media start trying to pin Walker down on the details of his budget promises, including how he can deliver on his tax promises with a massive budget hole facing the next guv in 2011. Once that happens, Dems will pounce and use it to question Walker’s fitness for the state’s top executive post, they say.
TOM BARRETT
As he embarks on a ``Wisconsin Jobs Tour'' to outstate media markets, including La Crosse this week, the Milwaukee mayor continues his quest for control of his city’s troubled school district. But those MPSs efforts appeared last week to be going nowhere fast — despite his compromise offer. And the school board now seems poised to select a new superintendent despite his requests to delay a decision until after future governance of the district is settled. Insiders continue to be split on whether Barrett will reap any benefits over the battle. To fans, he’s crafting a reputation as a reformer that will play well to outstate voters. To critics, he’s botched the issue and is now looking weak because he can’t win over lawmakers. Barrett’s backers also complain that mayoral control opponents have so far refused to compromise. But those opponents counter it’s the mayor who’s being unreasonable because he refuses to listen to the will of the community. Barrett to the relief of Dem supporters finally launches a big statewide swing that began here Monday. The jobs tour of businesses, education institutions and economic incubators was due to take him from La Crosse to Eau Claire, Manitowoc, Madison, Wausau and Sheboygan — all places will have to do well in November to win, election-watchers say.
The junior senator from Wisconsin finds himself on the defensive at a series of town hall meetings in GOP areas of the state as disgruntled voters give him an earful over health care, government spending and their other pet peeves. Dems says it’s no surprise considering Feingold was wading into Republican waters and give the senator credit for sticking to his long track record of town hall meetings — even in a toxic environment. But Republicans counter it should serve as a wakeup call for Feingold and Dems on the anger that’s still out there and the intensity behind it. The swing voters and conservative-leaning Dems that weren’t with the GOP in 2006 and 2008 are coming back into the fold, they say. Feingold also pulls another “Russ being Russ” when he initially says he’s not sure whether Harry Reid should remain as the majority leader following offensive remarks made in 2008 that come to light in a new book. The statement sets a small brush fire in D.C., but Feingold starts sending signals the next day that he’s still backing Reid.
FEINGOLD OPPONENTS
It’s a bad environment that could prove difficult for U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold as he seeks re-election — if Republicans could find a big-name candidate, insiders say. But that doesn’t appear to be the case with developer Terrence Wall and small business owner David Westlake; hopes for a Tommy Thompson bid continue to seem more talk than reality. Wall reports more than $500,000 raised over a seven-week period late last year after he launched his bid against Feingold. While not bad on the surface, insiders say they’re underwhelmed by the performance when you consider $275,000 came out of his own pocket. Meanwhile, insiders roll their eyes at Westlake after the small businessman announces he's ceasing all fundraising efforts other than selling blaze orange T-shirts. Westlake has been considered a long-shot for the GOP nomination, and his latest move doesn’t seem to impress anyone.
JEFF WOOD
An Assembly panel sets a hearing next month, rejecting the troubled lawmaker's request for a longer time to prepare a defense on a rare expulsion move. And the Republican-turned-independent reaches a plea deal to resolve the first of three OWI cases against him. Wood will cop to operating under the influence third offense and possession of drug paraphernalia, both misdemeanors, while two other charges would be dismissed. Wood’s attorney said she’s still waiting on test results from his other two arrests before deciding how to proceed on those. Wood had asked to delay a hearing on that expulsion motion until early March, but the chair of the committee hearing the matter sets it for Feb. 17 instead.
Second Supper
January 21, 2010 // 5
COMMUNITY
Dispatches from HQ It's 'all aboard' for high-speed rail
About 30 area travelers, a blend of public officials and ordinary residents, will climb aboard an Amtrak train Saturday en route to Milwaukee to see the Milwaukee Bucks play the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Bradley Center. But the trip is about much more than a basketball game and a night in the city. Sponsored by the La Crosse Area Empire Builder High Speed Rail Coalition, the trip hopefully will raise public consciousness and draw attention to the area's bid for high-speed rail funds. The agenda, for example, includes a meeting with Sen. Herb Kohl and hopefully some media opportunities. "The La Crosse area certainly remains under consideration for the primary route" for high-speed rail between Milwaukee and the Twin Cities, said Dave Clements, executive director of the La Crosse Area Visitors and Convention Bureau. The push for an alternative route through Eau Claire, however, has gained momentum in recent months, and the local coalition is looking to raise its profile and promote the La Crosse, or river route, option. Though the river route was identified in the 1990s as part of the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative, an amendment added to the state's 2009-11 budget required the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to study sending the line north along I-94 to Eau Claire and then to the Twin Cities. The report is due this spring. Minnesota planners, meanwhile, also have expressed concerns about the proposed river route. The stakes are high. Clements, for example, likened the economic impact of high-speed rail service to the area to that created by Interstate 90. Clements said organizers were pleased with the turnout for the weekend's trip, though they had hoped for more participation from Minnesota residents in Winona, Red Wing and other communities affected if the river route is not selected. Game on.
Lack of participation dooms GLBT Web site
The La Crosse Area GLBT community events Web site, www.laxglbt.com, has been deactivated. In a note on the site and an e-mail to Second Supper, the owner/administrator, Mark Rauchwarter, said the site had been unable to live up to its mission of providing the community with a one-stop location to find out about GLBTQ events in the area because event planners "seemed unwilling or unable to support the cause." He said it would not have been a smart business decision to keep advertising, hosting and updating the site, which attracted "significant" hits, without more support from GLBT event planners. "It saddens me that during a time of recent GLBT-rights movements (Wisconsin domestic partnership, Iowa’s same-sex marriage, etc.) that the La Crosse area community was unable to pull together and provide the community with a website such as this, which had such significant potential for fu-
ture expansions and additional features," he said. Rauchwarter said he would keep the www.laxglbt.com name for as long as financially possible and would be willing to reactivate the site in the future.
New Walgreens store to open in March Work is continuing on the new Walgreens store on Mormon Coulee Road, and a spokesman this week said the company plans to open the 14,550-square-foot store in March. Like the company's other La Crosse locations on Rose Street and West Avenue, the store will include pharmacy, grocery, one-hour photo processing and a wide array of products for home, health and personal care.
Unemployment up slightly in county
Unemployment in the La Crosse area remains below the state average, but that is little consolation to those unable to find jobs amid the recession woes. The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported a 6 percent unemployment rate, in November — the most recent reporting period available — in La Crosse County, up from 5.9 percent in October. The rate is 8.2 percent statewide. The area's rate has increased 1.8 percent since November 2008; the state's rate jumped 2.8 percent.
month and has quickly developed into one of the area’s more comprehensive online communities. It features Podcasts, original writing, music, links, a blog roll, photos and events promotion. Many of the events occur in the Twin Cities — which our geographer friends may not classify as the Driftless Region — but La Crosse gets a lot of love too, and in a city as digitally dry as our own, we’ll take what we can get. Driftlessmusic.com is the work of Adam Wintgern, a southeastern Minnesota native who resides in Minneapolis. It doubles as promotional vehicle for his own label and management company, also called Driftless Music, whose artists include La Crosse musicians Brahman Shaman and Michelle Lynn. The first four of a planned 14-part podcast series with Lynn discussing the making of her new album “Pre-Echoes for the Postmodern” are available now.
T.U.G.G. will be the house band on News Channel 8’s morning show with Bill Graul and Jennifer Livingston. That manic bit of promotion continues later that evening, when T.U.G.G. performs at the halftime of the La Crosse Spartans' family night scrimmage, being held at the La Crosse Center starting at 7:30 p.m. And on Jan. 30 T.U.G.G. will travel down to Ames, Iowa to play a concert at DC’s Tap House. Their next “regular” show in La Crosse will be Feb. 12 at the Joint. Send your tips for Dispatches from HQ to editor@secondsupper.com.
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.
T.U.G.G. gets busy Next week will be a busy one for La Crosse’s favorite reggae-ish band. T.U.G.G. will jumpstart a frenzied winter run at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27 when its single “Mexico” will be played on Z-93. The following night the band plays an acoustic show at Del’s Bar, which will likely get pretty crowded, but don’t expect the band to party too hearty. That’s because on Friday, Jan. 28, beginning at 6 a.m.,
Step up your 'Avatar'
Avatar, James Cameron’s latest envelope-pushing cinematic blockbuster, is fresh off a Golden Globes triumph and on pace to set global box office records, and everyone we know who’s seen it can’t stop talking about the “3D experience.” The movie is also screened in a 2D format, but Marcus Theaters in La Crosse will stop showing that version as of Jan. 22. The 3-dimensional bonanza will continue running locally for the foreseeable future, including showings this weekend at 1 p.m., 4:25 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. (The movie is just shy of three hours long, including previews.) Locally, tickets to Avatar in 3D are $9.50 for screenings before 5:30 p.m. and $11.75 for evening shows. That price includes complimentary 3D glasses. Cinema lovers seeking a more intense Avatar experience can seek out screenings at a larger IMAX theater, but you’ll have to travel a couple of hours to find one. The Madison area has just one IMAX theater, the Star 18 and IMAX in Fitchburg. The Twin Cities area has three IMAX theaters — the AMC Rosedale 14 in Rosedale, the AMC Southdale 16 in Edina, and the Great Clips IMAX Theatre at the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley.
Area music scene gets blogged The La Crosse-area music scene recently took a major step into the 21st Century: It got a blog. Driftlessmusic.com went online last
Featuring New York Deli-Style Corned Beef Sandwiches. Regular, Reuben & Pusan. Check Out Daily Food Specials
6// January 21, 2010
Second Supper
COMMUNITY
PHOTO BY MARY CATANESE
Enjoying the manicured slopes of Mt. La Crosse ranks No. 6 on our list of the top 10 cool ways to enjoy winter in the La Crosse area.
Ice fish
Nothing says “Wisconsin” like sitting on an overturned bucket and staring at a hole, and nothing says “Wisconsin winter” like sitting on an overturned bucket and staring at a hole in the ice. Thankfully, we’ve got lots of great holes and crappies to pull out of them. A favorite spot is in Brice Prairie, near Schafer’s Bait Shop, and there’s also good fishing on the north and east side of French Island and in the Mississippi shallows south of La Crosse. Just look for all the ice shanties. Walk up with your own bucket, and plunk your line in one of the many preaugured holes. Old-timers should be able to give you all the other advice you need. Just bring a simple pole and plenty of patience. A nip of brandy doesn’t hurt either.
10
Sled
A quick ranking of the best sled hills in the area: 1. Suicide Hill — Located at the base of Grandad’s Bluff and across a couple of fairways at Forrest Hills, Suicide Hill is sledding par excellence: long, fast,
9
Snow bored? Check out our top 10 cool ways to enjoy the winter By Adam Bissen | adam.bissen@secondsupper.com
natural and dangerous. 2. Hagen Road — La Crosse’s longest ride is located deep in southern coulee country, a mile past State Road Elementary, at the end of Hagen Road. 3. Deer Wood Park — In recent years, lil’ structural engineers behind Holmen’s Deer Wood Elementary turned a quaint little park into the best sled jump I’d ever seen. Precocious and badass! 4. Coulee Golf Bowl — Plenty of runs for sledders of all abilities can be found behind this bowling alley on East Main Street. And it’s way more awesome than the family friendly slope Onalaska built
near the OmniCenter. 5. Green Island — Because everyone has to learn somewhere. This kiddie hill near an ice arena and a boat landing offers a nice spot for one-stop family winter fun.
Ice skate
There’s just something so powerful about crossing a field of ice on a thin wedge of metal, the skate momentarily turning ice to water as you glide across the rink like a swimmer. The La Crosse area has a few venues to enjoy such
8
a marvel of physics. Both Hood Park and Copeland Park have open ice rinks in winter, while the Green Island Ice Arena and the Onalaska OmniCenter have more limited public skating times. Green Island Ice Arena, at 2312 South 7th St., has open skate from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, from 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, and from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $2 for children and $3 for adults. The OmniCenter holds open skate from 6 to 7:50 p.m. Wednesdays, 5 to 6:20 p.m. Fridays, and 5 to 7:50 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $4 for adults and $3 for children under 18.
Play broomball
Hockey certainly has an appeal as a classic North American sport, but it can be hard to play if you don’t have plenty of equipment, teammates, physical fitness and a tolerance for pain. That’s why we invented broomball! It’s all the fun of hockey but with goofier sticks, rubber-soled shoes and nobody trying too hard to win. Grab a few friends and hit the ice, or else check out
7
Continued on Page 7
Second Supper
Bored? Continued from Page 6
is open to the general public and offers snowshoe rentals for $5 a day, or $8 overnight. 3 Rivers Outdoors also offers rentals and leads a guided hike the first Sunday of every month, beginning at 1:30 p.m. at the trailhead for Human Powered Trails. Also, the Myrick Hixon EcoPark will host a marsh snowshoe hike Saturday, Jan. 23 beginning at 10 p.m. The cost is $5, but free for EcoPark members. And the South Side Neighborhood Center will host Pizza n’ Snowshoeing from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6 that is only $3 for city residents and $4 for everyone else.
Take a dip
Let’s be honest: No matter your chutzpah or the layers of insulation on your lower abdomen, subzero temperatures can keep you from getting your exercise. That’s why there’s no better inside activity in the winter months than swimming in a nice warm pool. The YMCAs in La Crosse and Onalaska both offer open swim, but the hours vary, so check the posted schedule. Some hotels, like Days Hotel on French Island, will also offer season pool passes and are typically less crowded in the day. But the ultimate in Wisconsin winter swimming falls on March 6 for the annual Polar Plunge. For the first time it will be held at Pettibone Beach, and as a two-time plunger I can assure you: There’s nothing more exhilarating.
4
Winter Rec-Fest PHOTO BY MARY CATANESE
A snowboarder chills on the lift going up Mt. La Crosse. the Thursday night bar league games at Copeland Park. This is Wisconsin cabin fever at its finest.
Hit the slopes
Mt. La Crosse, the only ski/snowboard hill in the area, claims both the longest run in Wisconsin (Mileaway), and the steepest trail in the Midwest (Damnation!). That’s sort of like claiming the tallest skyscraper in Nebraska, but it is nice to have 18 ski and snowboard runs right in your backyard. Lift passes range from $24 to hit the slopes from 4 to 9 p.m., to $46 to be out the whole day. Youth and — *ahem* — senior rates are slightly less. And even if we don’t get the kind of freshy pow-pow that falls in the Rockies, the snowmasters at Mt. La Crosse are always making it fresh.
6
Snowshoe
It’s the closest most of us will ever get to walking on water. Snowshoe trails abound in La Crosse — they’re the same as our hiking trails, just covered with snow — and if you don’t own your own pair, plenty of places offer rentals. UW-La Crosse’s Outdoor Connection (located in the Recreational Eagle Center)
5
January 21, 2010 // 7
COMMUNITY
Winter has a way of isolating people — whether it be in their homes, on a ski trail or in an ice fishing shanty — but for one week each year all of La Crosse gets together in pursuit of cold weather fun. The La Crosse Parks and Recreation Department’s 24th Annual Winter Rec-Fest kicked off on Wednesday, Jan. 20, by releasing the first clue in a medallion hunt (we don’t know it). It continues with a citywide skating party, a torchlight ski/hike, snowman contest, snow volleyball tournament, lighted sledding, euchre, sheepshead, snow softball and a whole lot more. The big tournaments are all next weekend, so make sure to get your registration in soon. This is one party where you want to be out in the cold.
3
Hit the trails
The Coulee Region outdoors are encouraging in spring, a funhouse in summer and sublime in fall, but in the cool of winter they can be the epitome of peace. There’s no silence like the Wisconsin woods as large snowflakes fall. Crosscountry ski past an oblivious doe or track the last run of a rabbit before it got plucked off by an owl, feather marks in the snow the only sign of the kill. Most area hiking trails — like those in Hixon Forest, Perot Park, Greens Coulee and Goose Island — double as cross-country ski trails in winter, but there’s a certain pioneer spirit to lacing up the boots and getting out in the wild. The next full moon is Jan. 30. What
2
will you do when the night is bright as day?
Westby Ski Jump
I know, I couldn’t believe it either, but the Westby Snowflake Ski Jumping Competition (jump shown at right) is the best party of winter. It’s not just the ski jumping — although Norwegian men in Spandex flying 125 meters over a coulee does have a distinct appeal — the real thrill is in the parking lot at the base of the hill. It’s like a Big 10 tailgate meets a NASCAR party meets awesome guys in muskrat hats. For this year’s competition — the 87th annual — the first ever evening jumps will lift off at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 5 at the Snowflake Ski Club in Westby and finish the following day beginning at noon. Buttons are $15 presale or $20 at the gate, and more information can be found at
1
www.snowflakeskiclub.com. Seriously, I cannot stress how much fun this weekend is, but attendance has been slipping in recent years, to the point where organizers had threatened canceling it. Don’t let this beautiful tradition end. And though the jumpers might not want to hear it, bottoms up!
Special advertising opportunities with La Crosse's weekly alternative newspaper
Jan. 28 In search of chili • There's nothing like a good bowl of chili on a cold day. Here's a chance to tell Second Supper readers why yours is the best!
Feb. 4 The new health care • Alternative medicine goes mainstream, and here's a chance to let readers know what your practice offers. For advertising rates and information, contact us at advertising@secondsupper.com
8// January 21, 2010
Second Supper
ADVICE 315 fifth avenue south • over the co-op www.pfc.coop
serving lunch & dinner every day weekend brunch Saturday & Sunday
The Advice Goddess By Amy Alkon amy.alkon@secondsupper.com
Less is amour
I had a disturbing conversation with this older married woman at a party. She asked my boyfriend how long we’ve been together (two years). Before he went to get us drinks, he made a crack about how different our apartments are. The moment he was out of earshot, she lectured me that if you don’t live together, you don’t experience “really hating each other,” and that getting through that is “the triumph of true love.” I said I didn’t see it that way, and that we might never live together. She then snapped that perhaps I’ll someday “grow up and have a real relationship!” Well, my boyfriend and I love each other, but don’t see moving in together as an automatic next step. By living separately, are we missing out on some higher level of relationship? — Naive? The course of true love doesn’t always run smooth, but must it really run around the house waving a frying pan and screaming obscenities? People romanticize living in close proximity to other human beings. The truth is, humans are smelly, annoying and leak a lot. They’re often lazy and pick fights over the littlest things. Anybody who’s ever been around another human knows this, but for many, being in a grown-up relationship involves understanding human nature but living in total denial of it: expecting your partner to still look longingly at you when you pick dead skin off your toes and collect it in a little dish. Mrs. Socrates here wears her misery like a Girl Scout badge — whichever one they’d give you for spending decades sitting silently across from your supposedly
418 Lang Dr. La Crosse
608-785-0305
Fridays
$11 Cuts Across From Menards www.hairstation.info
beloved at Denny’s. The reality? Maybe she’s a little long in the tooth and light in the Botox to compete with the hot young things in bars. Maybe she only feels like somebody as Mrs. Somebody. And, chances are, it never occurred to her that there’s an alternative to living like two hens in a pen. But, there’s no going back now, only snarling at happy young women at parties that they, too, might someday experience “the triumph of true love.” Which, for her, plays out as “Never go to bed angry. Stay up and try to commit murder-suicide.” Sure, many couples prefer living together, or, in this economy, prefer it to living separately in their cars. And, if you have kids, it’s best if you can say “Wait till your father gets home” instead of “I’ll give your father a call and see what he’s doing tonight.” If you do end up living together, it helps if you each have a room of your own, where house rules don’t apply — providing you don’t break any marriage vows or fire laws. Of course, it helps even more if you’re both exceedingly easygoing, lobotomized or comatose. The reality is, you greet a guy way differently when you’ve had a chance to miss him than when he’s always there missing the toilet. Living apart also means you’re more likely to act like you’re still in the pursuit phase: trying to be witty and interesting and dressing suggestively when he comes over, and not in a way that suggests you’re halfway through cleaning out the garage. As for Mrs. S’s notion that you can hate your way to true love, researcher John Gottman found that expressions of contempt are actually the most poisonous to a relationship. In other words, the path to true love might be a bit of a drive: whatever it takes so your boyfriend isn't always in your face, doing whatever it is you’d gnaw off your right hand to have him stop doing — like breathing, chewing and having large pores.
Leave will keep us together
Thanks to your column, I’m a recovering wimp, now asking women out. So, any pointers for first dates? Things to avoid doing or saying? — Girlfriend-Seeking For best results, sell yourself like soap. When Procter & Gamble wants you to try a new laundry detergent, they mail you a little packet of the stuff; they don’t throw a two-gallon jug over your fence and kill your dog. Likewise, the point of the first date is seeing if it makes sense to go on a second date, not letting a girl know how ashamed you were when you wet the bed at sleepaway camp. Too much emotional intimacy right away can feel creepy in retrospect. Or, you run the risk of getting attached first, then finding out how wrong a girl is for you later. To avoid going into overtime, overspend, and overshare, make the first date cheap, local and short. Meet for a drink, for maybe an hour and a half. Have something you have to rush off to afterward. Even if it’s just a conference call at your place. With your hamster listening in on the extension. 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
January 21, 2010 // 9
Chella Negro continues to develop music, style By Brett Emerson
brett.emerson@secondsupper.com
PHOTO BY CHRISTINE GOODWIN, www.ccphotoart.biz
Hamilton Loomis stops in La Crosse on Sunday to play Nighthawks Tap, where he has performed annually for the last several years.
Tour promotes new live CD for veteran bluesman Loomis
By Adam Bissen
adam.bissen@secondsupper.com Hamilton Loomis is what happens when a guitar prodigy grows up and doesn’t become corrupted by the fame or money. At some point he loses the novelty and just develops into a serious pro. As a teenage axe man in Houston, Texas’ vibrant blues scene, Loomis was taken under the wing of legends such as Johnny Copeland, Gatemouth Brown, Joe Hughes and Albert Collins. Bo Diddly invited him onstage to jam at age 16, and by the time he was a legal adult he was already playing before thousands at the Delta Blues Festival. Those guitar legends clearly influenced Loomis’ playing and career, but now that he’s in his 30s — a professional musician for more than half his life — Loomis rocks stages around the world with a style all his own. “I’m a young white kid. It’s not natural for me to sing about being down and out and having the blues so bad and my woman left me and I’m hungry,” Loomis said this week in a cell phone interview from Omaha, Neb., the 11th stop in a nearly 50-date winter tour that will pull into La Crosse on Sunday night. “I write uplifting songs, funky fun songs. It was intentional to simultaneously honor my blues roots, [and] add a modern element that hopefully will be accessible to the modern generation — which is great because the traditional blues audiences is in their 60s now.” Loomis’ brand of blues mixes the tra-
ditional Texas style with modern elements of funk, soul and rock, some jammy improv and plenty of audience-grubbing shtick. It’s a show La Crosse blues fans got to know well, as Loomis has played Nighthawks Tap at least once a year over the past seven years. “He’s just an extraordinary songwriter and musician,” said Christian “Ras” Rasmussen, the owner of Nighthawks. “He’s an entertainer. He’s not just a guitar player or singer. He interacts with the crowd. He’s dancing on the tables playing guitar. He’s the complete package.” Loomis also tours with a polished band — a saxophonist and bassist from Louisiana and his drummer, a fellow Texan. “It’s a really nice stew,” Loomis said about the TexCajun blend that is prone to improvising and riffing on other popular songs. “I’m the oldest guy in the band now, which is fantastic because they keep me on my toes.” Loomis’ current tour doubles as the CD release for his latest album, Live in England, which offers a window into his band’s groove-heavy live show. Loomis has actually played England several times, and his current tour ends with a long stint in the British Isles. After living such a hard-driving professional life, one wonders, is it hard for Loomis to keep his sanity? “Playing music helps me keep my sanity,” he answered. “I’d go insane if I wasn’t playing it. That’s the crazy thing.” Hamilton Loomis is scheduled to play Nighthawks at 9 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door.
“I write uplifting songs, funky fun songs. It was intentional to simultaneously honor my blues roots, [and] add a modern element that hopefully will be accessible to the modern generation." Hamilton Loomis
It was a strange arrangement of coincidence: going to Denver last fall to hang out with a band from Ireland, and being introduced to a musician who comes from my hometown. Though Chella Negro has been out of La Crosse for a decade, she still speaks in a dusky Midwestern accent, replete with enthusiasm and easily tripped into laughter. That voice, and its ability to drop into realms of pathos, betrayal, and longing, is what has remained constant in the formative years of Chella Negro, taking the act from solo girl-on-guitar through its increasing instrumentation and to whatever lies ahead. Owing to the same kinds of prejudice that fuel vacant statements such as “I like all music but hip-hop and country,” Chella Negro is somewhat reluctant to describe herself as a country musician. “I’ll never ever come straight out and say that anymore, because any time I have people say ‘Oh, like Carrie Underwood or Reba McIntyre or Taylor Swift?’ No! Old country! It’s like being in a punk band and having people ask if you sound like Thursday. Thankfully, Americana and alt-country got introduced, so you can call yourself that and people are more receptive. Folk’s easy to say, too.” The civilian whose driver’s license reads Michelle Caponigro describes her La Crosse youth as a creative one. Growing up surrounded by R&B and soul music, she spent a lot of time performing, both musically and in local theater. This including stints in local bands as well as in UW-L’s Summer Stage and an offshoot of the La Crosse Community Theater known as the Pegasus Players. One of her most notable roles was in a commercial for the local Fox station, where she portrayed Pulp Fictionstyle Uma Thurman. While a sophomore in college at Winona, studying voice performance and dramatic arts, Chella Negro’s best friend decided to move to Colorado, and eventually convinced her to follow. Leaving school wasn’t much of an issue. “It was like, why am I paying these people money? All they wanted me to do was sing opera music. I knew that wasn’t what I wanted to do, and they didn’t concentrate on writing or anything like that. I thought, I don’t have to do this anymore, and it won’t really hurt my career.” After arriving in Denver, she quickly ended up in a band called Purple Buddha. Originally a jamband, the group soon morphed into more of a Grateful Dead tribute band. Through the seven years spent with Purple Buddha, she was solely a singer, which at times grew frustrating. “When you’re writing a jamband song, it’s very limited where you can go in your brain. Musically, the guys could do whatever they wanted to do; they could take it any
place. But lyrically I had to settle in pretty set boundaries: it can’t get too dark, it can’t get too personal, it has to be uplifting, and people have to be able to dance to it. I’m proud of the songs that I wrote with that band, but they weren’t really me.” After leaving the band, Chella Negro began to study the guitar and she developed her own songs. She describes the music which resulted as “like sitting in your favorite booth in your favorite dark townie bar, drinking really shitty whiskey.” The final product was an extremely minimalist debut album titled Silos and Smokestacks, which was released last February. The collection of songs is nothing more than vocals and guitars, which was ultimately what Chella Negro wanted. “I started making the record a year and a half ago. I had a friend who was a hip-hop producer out in Brooklyn, and he said to come make [my] record. It took two weeks, two trips for a week each, and we ended up making a record store employee’s record. It’s got a lot of sounds and different variations, but once I listened to the final product — which was great — I realized that I couldn’t hand this to a bar or a person on the street and show up with just a guitar. I don’t do any of that bells and whistles stuff live. I wanted to make a record that sounded as though I were in your living room.” To get that sound, Chella Negro recruited Brian Gerhard from the Helmet Room in Denver. Having just gotten out of what was described as a “bad relationship,” Gerhard was seen as someone who would understand the often confessional and melancholy tone of Chella Negro’s work. The partnership was quick and easy, and after a week of work the revised album was completed. Since then, Chella Negro has been developing the act and preparing it for cross country touring, an enterprise which she hopes to begin in the spring. Recently recruiting drummer Darren Dunn has changed the overall tone of the songs. “It’s made me think more about rhythm. I’ve had to be more rigid and strict with what I play.” Additionally, she sees her vocal style as under construction. “I always say that there’s a big black lady in me that wants to come out so bad! My singing style is different than a lot of traditional folk or country singers, so it’s already starting to creep through. It’s just how in my writing style I’ll be able to develop it, but it’s inevitable; you are what you listen to.” Nonetheless, she doesn’t want that growth and refinement to come at the expense of reality. “Everybody says [my music] is really simple. That’s great! I don’t want it to be all convoluted. I want myself to be in everything I do. Once you add that element of machine to it, you lose a lot of authenticity.”
MUSIC
10// January 21, 2010
Second Supper
music directory // January 22 to January 28 FRIDAY,
January 22
Minneapolis population
BODEGA BREW PUB // 122 South 4th St. Cheech and Chubba (from Smokin' Bandits) • 9 p.m.
DARK STAR ORCHESTRA // Feb. 3 Varsity Theater •$24 ROSEANNE CASH // Feb. 8 Guthrie Theatre •$45-$65
THE JOINT // 324 Jay St. Orwell (hard rock), Rudy Pavich and Blue Ox • 10 p.m.
SONDRE LERCHE // Feb. 17 Varsity Theater • $16
LA CROSSE MOOSE LODGE // 1920 Ward Ave.
NIGHTHAWKS TAP // 401 S. Third St. D-bo! • 10 p.m. POPCORN TAVERN // 308 S. Fourth St. The Histronic (live trance) • 10 p.m. PEARL STREET BREWERY // 1401 St. Andrew St.
Adam Palm • 5 p.m. TREMPEALEAU HOTEL // 150 Main Street Ian Hilmen (folk) • 7 p.m. THE WAREHOUSE // 328 Pearl St. The Fast Track (pop-punk/emo), Countdown to Atrophy, Skies Alive, Of the Fact, Kyle Hauser, The Action Blast • 6 p.m. WATERFRONT TAVERN // 328 Front St. Dan Sebranek (acoustic) • 8 p.m.
SATURDAY,
January 23
SHER BEARS // 328 Goddard St. The Fabulous Baloney Skins (good-time rock) • 2 p.m. TREMPEALEAU HOTEL // 150 Main Street Stephanie Nilles (jazz/folk) • 7 p.m. CARTWRIGHT CENTER // 1725 State St. UW-L Jazz Festival f/ Michael Weiss Quartet (New York pianist) • 7 p.m. WATERFRONT TAVERN // 328 Front St. Dan Sebranek (acoustic) • 8 p.m.
387,970
KID KOALA // Jan. 30 Cedar Cultural Center • $12
FREIGHTHOUSE // 107 Vine St. La Barge • 8 p.m.
Mark IV (oldies) • 7 p.m.
just a roadie away
One of the best live dance parties in the Midwest is coming back to the Popcorn Tavern on Friday night, and frankly: it's been too long. TheHistronic, a three-piece trance band out of Minneapolis, was practically born in the Popcorn three years ago as La Crosse gave the band its first solid fan base and regular bookings. They used to come down here monthly, as fans started packing the bar and turned their shows into aneo-rave. Since those early days, the Histronic's profile has grown around the Midwest — they play large clubs in Minneapolis, Madison and Chicago — but their visits to La Crosse were increasingly sporadic. That makes Friday night's show something of a homecoming. The first of many sets should kick off at 10 p.m., and the place could get jumping. Don't forget your dancing shoes!
January 24
B.B. KING & BUDDY GUY // Feb. 20 Orpheum Theatre • $55-$125 TREY ANASTASIO BAND // Feb. 20 State Theatre •$37
January 27
FREIGHTHOUSE // 107 Vine St. La Barge • 8 p.m.
SUNDAY,
PIGGY'S BLUES LOUNGE // 501 Front St. S. Ross William Perry Band (blues) • 8 p.m.
NIGHTHAWKS TAP // 401 S. THIRD ST. Hamilton Loomis (Texas blues) • 9 p.m.
Matt Pudas (White Iron Band) & Cheech • 10 p.m.
NEUIE'S VARSITY CLUB // 1920 Ward Ave. Sellout (rock) • 9 p.m.
THE ROOT NOTE // 114 4TH ST. S Stephanie Nilles (jazz/folk) • 8:30 p.m.
POPCORN TAVERN // 308 S. Fourth St. Mitch’s Open Jam (variety) • 10 p.m.
HOWIE'S // 1128 La Crosse St. Brat Pack Radio ('80s pop) • 9:30 p.m.
POPCORN TAVERN // 308 S. FOURTH ST. The Sunday Blend (jazz) • 10 p.m.
NIGHTHAWKS TAP // 401 S. Third St. Howard Luedtke Blue Max (blues jam) • 10 p.m.
NIGHTHAWKS TAP // 401 S. Third St. Cheech (blues rock) • 10 p.m.
MONDAY,
THE JOINT // 324 Jay St.
DEL’S BAR // 229 Third St. Cheech & Chubba (open jam) • 10 p.m.
Mikel Wright w/ Shoeless Revolution (funk) • 10 p.m.
POPCORN TAVERN // 308 S. Fourth St. Nick Shattuck (singer/songwriter) • 10 p.m. JBSSPEAKEASY // 717 Rose St. Rudy Pavich with Soultree (rock) • 10 p.m. THE ROOT NOTE // 114 4th St. S Trapper Schoepp & The Shades (indie folk) • 8:30 p.m. THE WAREHOUSE // 328 Pearl St. Beauford Firebeard (indie rock), Hyphon and Efftupp, Enable Mind, Fishhooks • 7 p.m.
January 25
POPCORN TAVERN // 308 S. Fourth St. Shawn’s Open Jam (variety) • 10 p.m. THE ROOT NOTE // 114 4th St. S Steven Leaf (acoustic) • 8:30 p.m.
TUESDAY,
January 26
POPCORN TAVERN // 308 S. Fourth St. Bluegrass jam (w/ Fayme Rochelle) • 10 p.m. THE JOINT // 324 Jay St. Open Jam (w/ SOMA) • 9 p.m.
WEDNESDAY,
DEL’S BAR // 229 3rd St.
THURSDAY,
January 28
DEL’S BAR // 229 3rd St. Jake and Andy from TUGG (acoustic) • 10 p.m. POPCORN TAVERN // 308 S. Fourth St. Cheech (blues rock) • 10 p.m. SPORTS NUT // 801 Rose St. Big Daddy cade and the Blues Masters • 8 p.m. NIGHTHAWKS TAP // 401 S. Third St. Dave Orr's Damn Jam • 10 p.m. THE STARLITE LOUNGE // 222 Pearl St. Kies & Kompanie • 9 p.m.
Second Supper
ARTS
'Halloween 2' (2009)
January 21, 2010 // 11
Medium: Literature Stimului: The American Self-Loathing Double Feature Anno: 2008
Director: Rob Zombie Stars: Scout Taylor-Compton, Tyler Mane, Malcolm McDowell Writer: Rob Zombie Had it not shed its deep characterization and gradually devolved into the goretastic slaughter fest everyone saw coming, Rob Zombie’s 2007 Halloween reboot/remake could have been a truly great horror movie. Instead, its descent into the clichéladen slasher territory from which it needed saving is akin to “Pow!” and “Thwack!” eventually popping up during the finale of Batman Begins. Halloween 2 suffers from many of the same problems. It’s clear that Zombie isn’t merely a good storyteller, he’s a great storyteller — one who’s still torn between staying loyal to convention and branching out and marking new territory. There’s an early scene in which Tyler Mane’s Michael Myers chases Scout Taylor-Compton through a hospital, a scene that both sets the mood — Mane’s trail of mutilated victims lets us know that blood and gore levels will be turned up to 11 — and simultaneously spoils it — we’re deus ex machina-ed from the climax as TaylorCompton awakes to find the last 10 minutes were only a dream. Myers is then relegated to the background, biding his time in an abandoned shack until October 31st. This is from my 2007 review of the reboot: “Zombie forgets to give Laurie (Taylor-Compton) … any significant development. She's
such a minor character that by the final act her flight from Michael is arbitrary andsuspenseless .” This time it’s the other way around: Laurie gets the focus she lacked in the original, while Michael himself becomes more of a plot device. Zombie populates Halloween 2 with a number of complex characters, interesting motifs and intense murder-porn, but strong as the individual aspects are, they never function as a cohesive unit. Odd as it may seem, the murder scenes feel forced. For example, what do you think is going to happen to the sexy teens who sneak away from the ever-popular “Big Halloween Bash” to do some heavy petting in a van? For every scene that delves into the psychological effects the events of the first film had on those who survived — including Michael — there’s a redundant murder scene in which Michael butchers interchangeable victims. Zombie does a good enough job of expanding the story, but in the end he all too readily falls back on his moneymaker. At least he had the decency not to end the reboot with a scene clearly setting up a sequel. With this one we’re not so lucky. Halloween 2 is now on DVD.
Oh hi, right now I am adding the word hoarfrost to my vocabulary (thanks Breeden) while listening to a compilation disk that was put out a couple of years ago called "From L.A. With Love." Here is what I have been able to gather from the liner notes on this one. So this producer/promoter dude Andrew Lojero combed around the underground music scene in Los Angeles and dug up 16 different cutting edge LA-based musicians — including Flying Lotus, Nobody, Madlib, Nathan Yell (Aloe Blacc), Adventuretime (Daedelus), the late DJ Dusk, The Gaslamp Killer, Georgia Anne Muldrow and Computer Jay — and collected unreleased material from each of them. Lojero then got some local visual artists to develop pieces of art inspired by each song and compiled the art in a booklet that comes with the CD. This whole project goes to support something called ArtDon'tSleep, which, as best I can tell via their myspace (myspace.com/ artdontsleep), is some loose collective of underground artists and musicians who independently throw down multimedia events. Sounds rad. But seeing as I live in LAX and not LA, those events are as real to me as a magical unicorn. The 17 songs that make up this compilation disk pumping through my headphones are another matter though. Hiding out underneath all of the plasticness of those strip malls, California Zen and fake hooters that run amok in the City of Angels
is one of the most solid music scenes you will find anywhere in the world. This disk can transport you to the after-midnight secret hideouts in the Skid Row District, beneath the multi-million dollar downtown high rises, where you will find the tuned in denizens of artsy neighborhoods such as Silver Lake and Echo Park grooving to the beats of the city's top underground party wreckers and music lords. This LA scene tastefully plucks trendy elements from the bug-eyed version of crunk hip-hop, the cosmically incandescent rave spirit, a throw back to the '80s electro vibe complete with analog synth arpeggios, and coated in a thick sheen of American Apparel with an underlying tinge of booger sugar bumps. For those of you into the garish style that surrounds this subculture, thecobrasnake.com has photographic imagery of some multi-ethnic beauties in full-on party revelry. Here in God's country, you'd probably get your ass kicked for looking like those creeps, but it doesn't mean you can't bump these beats to drown out your neighbor across the hall, who if he is anything like mine, will be yelling maniacally at his TV during every play of the Vikings game this weekend. Seriously, brah, it's just a game. Do you have to get so passionate about it?
— Nick Cabreza
— Shuggypop Jackson
Owing to my own antisocial views of politics and society, I spent the opening days of this year taking in reading that takes to task America in its entirety. The two such books that crossed my path, Dick Meyer’s Why We Hate Us and Matt Taibbi’s The Great Derangement, take different roads through American culture, but both arrive at similar conclusions, which is to say that it is lacking. Meyer, an old-school news editor with long runs at CBS and NPR, focuses more on the damaging effects of social change and relativism. Taibbi, best known as the last and only reason to pick up a Rolling Stone magazine, offers a different angle on his usual indignant rants against the nation’s inertia. Yet both take great pains to avoid political endorsement, and might also agree that American culture remains the same exploitative conflict between the haves and have nots as it’s always been. Of the two books, Meyer’s takes the broader, more unifying view. His thesis states that in the most diverse country in the world, it would be nigh impossible to find someone who doesn’t find serious fault with it. Through cultural and technological upheavals, the traditions and sense of community that bound people together in the past have been replaced with millions of anchorless, insipid narcissisms. The joke is that though social equality is more real than ever, people
are also more isolated than ever. What Meyer advocates is taking our newfound openmindedness and giving it courage, to call out ridiculousness in all aspects of life without being repressive to the people behind it. Essentially, we must get real. Taibbi’s The Great Derangement reads as an experiment punctuated with political asides. These side stories will be familiar to Taibbi’s usual readers, illustrating the idea that it doesn’t matter who is in power, because the majority of Americans will be screwed either way. But what’s most interesting is the main story, in which Taibbi goes to Texas to infiltrate big-time pastor John Hagee’s Cornerstone Church, analyzing its methods and the people within the program. Like many such adventures, Stockholm Syndrome becomes a factor, only adding to Taibbi’s sense of outrage and betrayal. In the end, he provides no answers. I despise most current affairs books, being that they tend to be either-or propaganda, but both Meyer and Taibbi have written pieces that merit discussion, if not agreement. That’s something the field could use more of. Preaching to the choir accomplishes little; conversation, uncertain, is more fun, and more fulfilling.
— Brett Emerson
12// January 21, 2010
GRAY MATTER
The Universe and Other Small Things By Ralph Winrich Special to Second Supper Editor's note: This is a new astronomy science column written exclusively for Second Supper by Ralph Winrich, NASA educator and author. The moon used to be treated with more respect. To the Romans it was one of the deities and was worshiped as Diana. The moon was a diety to many other ancient cultures as well, but those days are gone. In today’s politically correct times, to say to someone, "Let's go out and have a look at a full Diana" doesn’t sound right. So the moon is relegated to being just the moon. In 1969 that changed — for awhile. It became an object of conquest and a prize of exploration. It was one of the few times politics worked. The goal of putting a man on the moon was politically driven, but hidden in that agenda was the question we answered, can we do this? It seemed after we did it that maybe all things were possible. Then something else happened. We made it boring. We took what many feel was the greatest scientific achievement of all time and in less than two years were bored of it. The last flight to land on the moon and the only flight with a scientist on board was seen by very few.
Sudoku
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: it warms the heart
Second Supper Then we turned our collective backs and asked, “ What’s next?” The moon was more or less forgotten, the technology that took us there thrown away, even the men who went there have faded and most can name only one person, or at best two, who set foot on the moon. Now something is happening again. Other nations have begun to look at the moon. Japan sent a very successful mission to map and explore. It even included an HDTV component to share the moon with the folks back home. It worked incredibly well; no big surprise considering the state of their technology — just look at their cars. China went to the moon to map and sent back some, well a few, great images. It worked fairly well; no surprise there considering the state of their technology — just look at their toys. India has gone there, but not a lot is known about the success of that venture. They seem more preoccupied with Pakistan than the moon. So the U.S. is showing interest again. A 2009 mission still in orbit included an impacter, a high-speed one-shot deal that crashed near the South Pole of the moon in search of water. As far as crashes go, this one was a success: Water did show up. What's next? Goals are being set, ideas flaunted about, price options discussed and dreams of living on the moon bantered about. Water plays a key part in all this as humans seem to require some of it, and the idea of using completely recycled water for some reason doesn’t appeal to many. But the moon is not going to be a vacation spot, billed maybe as the perfect place for a honeymoon, anytime soon. Once again, the idea of the moon is driven by the thinking of the '60s: It’s a political objective more than a scientific one. Is the moon a prize to be carved up or can we perhaps use Antarctica as a model and explore the place as a species not a country? Maybe we should ask Diana.
Answers on Page 14
Second Supper
YOUR GUIDE TO CONSUMPTION
January 21, 2010 // 13
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
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 14
BEER
Review
Alpha King Three Floyds Brewing Munster, Indiana
For a long time, the debate over the Midwest’s finest pale ale began and ended at Bell’s Two-Hearted. It’s just so tasty — certainly better than any APA made in Wisconsin — and until Surly Furious hit the scene a couple of years ago, nothing I’d ever encountered could compete with the hoppy beauties of California, Oregon or Delaware. It wasn’t for lack of looking. Smooth, hop-heavy American Pale Ales are my favorite beers to drink, and it panged me that I couldn’t find any in the Mid-Weezy. But then, on a cool autumn evening at Yesterdaze in 2008, I sipped the pride of Munster, Indiana: Three Floyds’ Alpha King. My cheeks exploded in a rush of bitters — I knew this would be a game-changer — but for the longest time I could only find Alpha King at a single tap at a dive bar on Pearl Street. But now, faithful hopheads of La Crosse, everything is about to change. In just the past week I’ve seen bottles of AK at JB’s Speakeasy, and yesterday I picked up a six-pack at Festival Foods in Onalaska. There’s a beautiful pint poured right beside me right now, and the life of the La Crosse beer drinker has managed to get even better. The Alpha King pours a hazy orangebrown color, practically opaque, with a two-
finger head and excellent lacing. For hop Appearance: 9 lovers, the aroma is like catnip. It has a big Aroma: 9 floral nose that falls on the grapefruit side Taste: 9 of citrus, less pineyness than most APAs, Mouthfeel: 10 a touch of grass, a light Nilla Wafer base Drinkability: 9 and a sweet and clean nose that had me salivating before I even Total: 46 took a sip. When the beer finally does hit the tongue, the hops are introduced in a burst that is flavorful, but not overpowering like many Colorado pale ales. Instead, a sly malt character coats the tongue with a taste like Twinkies as hops burst against the cheeks with a quenching juicy citrus. It has a rather chewy mouthfeel and a drinkability that’s like candy to a kindergartner. The three Floyds — whoever they are — should be tremendously proud of their Alpha King. Now rejoice, hopheads of western Wisconsin, and try this beer immediately! — Adam Bissen
CONSUMPTION
14// January 21, 2010
Specials
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 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 Sudoko (from Page 12)
Second Supper
'That Bowls' Football overload!
WHO'S ON THIRD $8.50 Fish Bowls, $2 Miller products
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 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.
By Matt Jones
ACROSS 1 Begins to like, with "to" 6 It goes with you after a sneeze? 11 Harley Davidson's stock ticker symbol, appropriately 14 Sound covering an expletive 15 Get ready for a bodybuilders' competition 16 Bruins great Bobby 17 Party in San Antonio? 19 ___-tzu (Chinese philosopher) 20 Palindromic precious metal in Panama 21 Roll-on places 23 Let the moon show? 28 "The Dude ___" ("The Big Lebowski" line) 29 Eerie glows
30 House of Commons figs. 32 ___-Locka, Florida 33 Pitt who played Benjamin Button 34 Michael Jackson video set in a pool hall 36 European designer's monogram 39 Put an embargo on 40 Gives refuge to 41 ___ Speedwagon 42 Math class with equations: abbr. 43 Play opener 44 Flour mixture used to thicken soup 45 Ltr. holder 47 5th or Mad., e.g. 48 "Siddhartha" author 49 Sarah Palin et al.? 52 Nervy quality 54 State at the "Heart of Dixie" 56 "Burn Notice" channel
Answers to Jan. 14 puzzle
"Freestylin' — Any words you want"
57 Tater ___ (lunchroom nugget) 58 Carnival food, as you might as well call it? 64 "___ Trippin' " (2008 Snoop Dogg album) 65 Gives it a "go"? 66 Go straight to the courthouse to wed, perhaps 67 Damascus's country: abbr. 68 George of "Cheers" 69 Throat bacteria, for short DOWN 1 Ring org. with a "Minimum weight" category (less than 105 pounds) 2 The whole shootin' match 3 Actor Stephen of "V for Vendetta" 4 It's for scribbling 5 Newscast segment 6 "Sk8er ___" (Avril Lavigne hit) 7 Detector detection, ostensibly 8 Lanchester of "Bride of Frankenstein" 9 Kama ___ 10 Automated programs that send junk e-mail 11 Flower given on Mother's Day, perhaps? 12 Speak to one's countrymen 13 "Disgusting!" 18 In support of 22 "Great Expectations" boy 23 "Yabba ___ doo!"
24 Far from the city 25 Chomper with a peachy hue? 26 Code of silence in Puzo novels 27 Location in "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" 31 High on the ganja 34 Anti-___ hand soap 35 Indignation 37 His 1960 best-seller had only 50 different words 38 They're usually cut thin at the deli 40 Sweat big-time over something 44 French automaker currently allied with Nissan 46 Stunted end 48 Bad sounds from the house 49 Motel postings 50 The end of studying? 51 "Up in ___" (Cheech & Chong movie) 53 Derringer, e.g. 55 ___ impasse 59 The ___-Bol man (classic TV ad character) 60 East, in Germany 61 "Tarnsman of ___" (sci-fi book that launched an ongoing series) 62 Tarzan raiser 63 Sales agt. For answers, call (900) 226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Or to bill to your credit card, call (800) 655-6548. Reference puzzle #0434.
Second Supper
January 21, 2010 // 15
THE LAST WORD
The Spooky Truth By Stephanie Schultz stephanie.schultz@secondsupper.com I had about a month to finish 10 outfits. A friend's ex ran the idea of putting together a fashion show by me a few months ago. To my pleasant surprise, he followed through and got me in touch with the coordinator in Madison. I've strutted my stuff on the runway a handful of times before in others' clothes as well as my own, but this was my first show in which I had the opportunity to feature my designs. The show was set for the night of New Year's Day. My boyfriend/chauffeur and I woke up way too early thanks to the ditzes and d-bags my friend had staying in the hotel room from the previous night's Benny Benassi concert. Nobody working at the hotel seemed to have any idea what was going on, especially the valet people. The poor couple in front of us had been waiting
for nearly half an hour for their car, yet we were lucky enough to not have to wait more than five minutes. We never paid for parking because nobody asked for us to, giving us more spending money in the capital. I was dropped off at the High Noon Saloon to discuss some business before hair and makeup. It was kinda like going on a blind date — I didn't recognize two of my models until they came up to me to introduce themselves. One of the ladies I chose is also a runway coach, so soaking in the information she divulged to all the girls was enriching. I was really impressed with all of my models' presence on the runway, and interest in me as well as my clothing. I had discussed the makeup I wanted with the other coordinator (who had her own clothes on the runway, was one of my models, and ended up putting most of the show together) and her very colorful assistant, a cross-dressing makeup artist with a gender-neutral name. Due to a dwindling budget, they decided on simplifying the makeup, making it more uniform (though I'll argue the glittery fake eyelashes were an unnecessary expense.) All the models I chose were also rocking the other designers' stuff, so I wasn't able to have the styling I imagined for the girls' hair, either. In the few hours I spent dozing and going out for a romantically delicious dinner at a Nepali restaurant, my naturally beautiful models were plastered with eye makeup rivaling Our Lady Gaga and reeked of hairspray. It seemed an impractical amount of styling. The frequency and brevity of the clothing changes left no time for touch-ups. By the
time most of the girls were in their second and third outfits, their hair was falling down and no amount of hairspray could fix it. I'm familiar with quick-changes from my experience doing runway, but it slipped my mind that the clothing I make requires at least two layers, hosiery, and accessories, which takes a lot longer to get into than a slipdress. I'm used to being in a show with around 15 models, and I had five. My outfits were up first, and by the time my first model came back to change, I realized the gigantic lapse in judgment I'd made. My throat got dry, my hands started shaking, and I tried my best to not bark out orders at the three other helpers getting my girls in and out of things. I had, at best, a 5-foot square for the quick-changes, making the whole ordeal way too sardine-y for petticoats. There was a moment amidst the chaos where I was seconds away from shouting out that I was giving up, and to let the next designer go on. Through some kind of crazy miracle, everyone pulled together and made it work. And before I knew it, it was over. It was like surprise sex — all that yelling and sweating and nudity. I needed a good stiff drink. My hands trembled as I downed a glass of Jim Beam without making a face. I'd forgotten to go on stage after the last model to give a curtsy, so as I waited for the show to near its end, I hugged my man and held his hand to calm me. My time came, and as I waved to the crowd and showed off the badonkadonk side of my dress, I got a fantastic round of applause and cheers. The photographer's bulb flashed, I twirled and smiled like a fan-
cy princess, and made my way back to the stairs and down again to Earth. It was surreal to have that fleeting moment of popularity and acceptance, of being lavished with compliments and congratulated en masse. I felt too inferior for such treatment, uncomfortable working with (mostly) professional people. I successfully got one foot in the door, and with my other I can only hope I will take a step forward. Something new that I learned about myself is that, despite the crushing pressure of completing a handful of dresses between working two jobs, going home for Christmas, and dance classes, I was able to achieve my goals before my deadline. I really can do what I set my mind to, and the only resolution I need to make is for perpetual self-improvement. I never envisioned my potential until this event came to fruition. Even in that instant when I wanted to give up, I wouldn't have been able to live with the disappointment of failing others, and moreover, myself. There's only so much one person can do on their own, and I never would have been able to survive the experience without the encouragement of my sweetheart and the help from all those involved.
Next week in Second Supper: • All about chili • The maze returns!
Downtown La Crosse, above fayzes - 782-6622
top shots joke of the week What do snowmen have for breakfast? Check out our new Beers on Tap!
Snowflakes
Good People, Good Drinks, Good Times
SUNDAY
$5 Pitchers $2 Bottles of Miller Products (11-4 pm) $2 Corona Bottles $2 Kilo Kai Mixers $3 Bloody’s (7-1am)
$2.00 - 1 Player, $3.00 - 2 Players 50 Cents Off Drinks, $1 Off Pitchers
MONDAY TUESDAY $1.75 Rails
$1.75 - Miller/Bud Taps $2.25 Micro/Craft Taps $2.50 Cherry Bombs (7-1am)
$1.50 Domestic Taps $3.50 Jager Bombs (7-1am)
Saturday
WEDNESDAY $2 Domestic Bottles $2.50 Skyy/Absolute Mixers $2 Dr. Shots (7-1am)
THURSDAY FRIDAY 5 Domestic Bottles 4 $10 $5 Micro/Import Bottles $11.50, $7 Micro/Craft Pitchers (7-1am)
$5 Miller Lite/Bud Light Pitchers $2.25 Leinies Bottles (7-1am)
$2 Captain Mixers $2 Long Islands $3 Effen Vodka Mixers (7-1am)
16// January 21, 2010
Second Supper
CUPID’S little HELPERS— FREE incoming cALLS, TEXTS AND PIX Only U.S. Cellular gives you Free Incoming Calls, Texts and Pix from any phone on any network at any time. ®
Experience twice the bliss on our 3G Network— LG BLISS
TM
GET ONE FREE
WHEN YOU BUY ONE FOR $4995
After $50 mail-in rebates that come as Visa® debit cards. Requires new 2-yr agmts. and Premium Mobile Internet Plans. $30 act. fees may apply.
Let us help you find a location: visit uscellular.com or call 1-888-BUY-USCC Things we want you to know: New two-year agreement (subject to early termination fee) and credit approval required. A $30 activation fee may apply. Regulatory Cost Recovery Fee applies; this is not a tax or government-required charge. Additional fees, taxes, terms, conditions and coverage areas apply and vary by plan, service and phone. Use of service constitutes acceptance of the terms of our Customer Service Agreement. See store for details or visit uscellular.com. BOGO: Buy one handset and get a second handset for free. Mail-in rebate and activation required on each handset. Promotional Phone subject to change. U.S. Cellular Visa Debit Card issued by MetaBank pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Allow 10–12 weeks for processing. Card does not have cash access and can be used at any merchant location that accepts Visa debit cards. Card valid for 120 days after issued. Premium Mobile Internet Plan is $19.95 per month. Application and data network usage charges may apply when accessing applications. Mobile Broadband on 3G Network only available with select handsets. Users can expect an average download speed of 768Kbps and an average upload speed of 200Kbps. ©2010 U.S. Cellular.