Snowdown Throwdown

INSIDE: WHAT WILL RUSS FEINGOLD DO NOW? • PAGE 4

La Crosse's Free Press VOLUME 10, NO. 46- | DECEMBER 9, 2010

ALSO...

Shakespeare's cross-dressing classic, updated Page 6

Snowdown Throwdown Our guide to winter fun

Page 5

PLUS: '127 HOURS' OF FRANCO • PAGE 6 | FLY YOUR FRIENDLY MIXTAPE • PAGE 7| LEINE'S BOLD NEW BEER • PAGE 9

2// December 9, 2010

Second Supper

Letter to the Editor

I just wanted to ask you to pass the word on to J. Reuter that I really enjoyed his article on deer hunting ("Buck Fever," Dec. 2). He didn't let his lack of personal hunting experience prevent him from writing a well-informed and entertaining piece. I especially liked that he went into detail about how much hunters enjoy the actual hunt, but still don't enjoy seeing the deer suffer.

Going to UW-L, I found there are a fair number of people who know little to nothing about deer hunting and some get the idea that hunters are merciless about killing animals. So it was great to find an article that was entertaining for those who hunt and enlightening for those who do not.

— Ryan Pomerening

Social Networking NAME AND AGE: Terry Bakalars, 43

WHERE WERE YOU BORN? La Crosse CURRENT JOB: Volunteer at Our Savior's Lutheran Church DREAM JOB: I want to work at Jules Coffeeshop because it's very spiritual.

LAST THING YOU GOOGLED: Cars, boats, and labradoodles. Sometimes apartments in Florida, sometimes Kirby vacuums.

IF YOU COULD LIVE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD IT BE? When I'm 65, I'd live here 6 months out of the year and in Florida 6 months out of the year.

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 Student Editor: Emily Faeth emily.faeth@secondsupper.com Sales: Mike Keith mike.keith@secondsupper.com

WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST PET PEEVE? People like Santa Cruz Josh who always talk about weed TELL US A JOKE: There's this teacher, and she goes to the kids in the class and says "If you know one of the presidents, then you don't have to take this pop quiz." The first girl says "Abraham Lincoln." The second girl says "George Washington." The third girl says "I wish those bitches would keep their mouths shut." The teacher asks "Who taught you to say that?" The little boy said "Tiger Woods."

WHAT ONE PERSON ALIVE OR DEAD WOULD YOU WANT TO HAVE DINNER WITH? Jojo and her Shannon WHAT'S THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT? Coney Island for dinner and a Blizzard for desert

WHAT'S IN YOUR POCKET RIGHT NOW?: Bobby pins, a lighter, and Burt's Beeswax

IF A GENIE GRANTED YOU ONE WISH, WHAT WOULD YOU ASK FOR? That all the roads be made out of cemen

I wouldn't mind going to Italy or Spain.

FIRST CONCERT YOU WENT TO: The Spooky Halloween at the Pump House

WHAT IS YOUR BEVERAGE OF CHOICE? Flavored coffee

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF SECOND SUPPER? I like doing Suduko.

CELEBRITY CRUSH:

HOW DO YOU KNOW ASHLY (LAST WEEK'S INTERVIEW?

The host of Who Wants to be a Millionaire

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING? Sometimes I go to the bookstore and look at kids books.

From Jules. She is friends with Chloe.

— Compiled by Shuggypop Jackson, shuggypop.jackson@secondsupper.com

Show us where Altra has taken you and win a Flip Mino™ Send us a photo of you with your Altra Debit Card.

Maybe it's a vacation, an unusual setting, or an everyday experience. Be creative!

Each month through December, a team of Altra judges will pick our favorite photo and award that lucky Altra Debit Cardholder a Flip Mino™ camcorder to keep recording their adventures.

Visit us online for complete details.

Chicago , r e w o T ) s r a e S ( Willis ekin, Altra member

John Hest by d te it bm su to ho P Winning

Open 7 days a week inside Festival Foods, La Crosse

608.787.4500 • www.altra.org

Monthly prize will be awarded at the sole discretion of the judging team. Photos showing Altra members in a dangerous or illegal setting will not be considered, so don't even try it. Same goes for photos not rated G. Photos will not be retouched other than to obscure the number on the card if visible. By submitting a photo, you certify that you have the legal right to grant Altra unrestricted permission to publish the photo in any medium. Contest open to Altra members who are current Debit Card users. Sorry, Altra employees and their immediate family members are not eligible for prizes.

Second Supper

Things To Do Bling, bling!

The Top Sledding hills 1. Suicide Hill 2. Hagen Road 3. Coulee Golf Bowl 4. Deer Wood Park 5. Ft. McCoy 6. Green Island 7. OmniCenter Winter beverages 1. Hot Cocoa 2. Egg nog 3. Mulled wine 4. Apple cider 5. Hot buttered rum 6. Tom & Jerry 7. Imperial Stout

November 11, 2010 // 3

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Find that perfect gift at the Pump House’s BLING, a new seasonal, jewelry only, art sale. All jewelry is original in concept and design, created by area artists and artisans. Gaze at different styles that incorporate glass and minerals, beaded jewelry and brass, copper or genuine fresh-water pearls. Find a perfect gift, or treasure for yourself at this two day sale – Bling! The sale will run Dec 15-17 from 5-10 p.m. at the Pump House. Make it a grand affair by attending a concert.

String Ties will present their annual holiday concert, combining bluegrass, folk, swing and old-time country arrangements of your favorite tunes. On Friday, Dec. 17, the Grammy-winning artist and La Crosse local Bill Miller will be back home for a holiday performance you do not want to miss. Purchase your tickets today by calling 785-1434 or visit thepumphouse.org.

1

Shop local

Shop till you drop now that the nights are even longer!

Starting Tuesday, Dec. 14 and running through Dec. 23, the Historic Downtown La Crosse will host the Ten Days Of Christmas.

More than 25 downtown shops are keeping their doors open a little later for 10 straight days. Look longer at the tremendous gift selections, live well knowing you’ll find what you want within 12 city blocks and love that the stores have extended their hours to make your season bright. This treat is being presented by Downtown Mainstreet Inc. and for more information, visit www.lacrossedowntown. com

2

Skank!

Not the egg man, but the walrus. Catch 1,2,3...Walrus, a ska-col-

lege band made up of seven UW-L students tonight, Thursday, in the Cellar of the Cartwright Center. The live show kicks off at 7 p.m. and the boys will surely bring their A-game for ya.

So scoot on over for some fun, dancing music that will really get your juices flowing. The band will be selling T-shirts and other merchandise, so snag a couple bucks from your dresser and check it out!

3

Have a holly jolly breakfast

Ho, ho, ho is what you will hear at the Rotary Lights Breakfast with Santa on Dec 11 from 9-11 a.m. in the Ice Castle. Come eat a hearty breakfast provided by the Onalaska Rotary Club and sponsored by the North American Squirrel Association. There will be special entertainment and, of course, some fun with Santa. Tickets for Breakfast with Santa are $6 each for both adults and children. Tickets can be ordered by calling (608) 784-9993.

4

Put your gamer face on

This weekend, Dec. 11 and 12, the La Crosse Center will host to what is billed as the third-largest video game tournament in the country: Focus Fire. Over 1,000 gamers are expected to compete for $10,000 in cash prizes on titles like Call of Duty, Halo and Street Fighter 4. There will even be professional competitors (you read that right). To compete, you can still sign up at the door for $20, and every spectator and participant will pay a $5 venue fee. For more information visit www.focus-fire.com.

5

4// December 9, 2010

Second Supper

COMMENTARY

WisPolitics.com Report NEWS IN BRIEF

Walker considering employee union concessions to balance budget

Gov.-elect Scott Walker this week said

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he'd consider decertifying the state's employee unions as one step in trying to rein in salary and benefits costs as he tries to balance the state budget.

Walker, appearing at a Milwaukee Press Club luncheon, also called for local governments and school districts to join him in seeking wage and benefit concessions from public employees.

"Public employees can't be the untouchables," Walker told a gathering of journalists and business professionals.

"We're exploring every option out there, not just for the system but looking at next year's state budget," Walker said. "Any spectrum of things out there would be things we would consider — anything from the decertification all the way through modifications to the current laws in place. The bottom line is we want to have a better ability to control what we do when it comes to wages and benefits because we know that's a driving factor in how we're going to balance this current budget and the budgets to come."

In return for asking local governments to trim employee costs, Walker said he would push to change state arbitration laws that he says "essentially handcuff" local governments" and to allow them to participate in the state health care plan.

Earlier in the day, Walker issued a statement declaring the state could save $154 million in the six remaining months of the current fiscal year by requiring state workers to make a 5 percent contribution toward their pensions and to pay 12 percent of the cost of their health insurance premiums, up from the current 4 percent to 6 percent contribution.

Walker has asked outgoing Gov. Jim Doyle to hold off on a pending state employee contract package that he acknowledged already calls for pay freezes and furlough days.

"Frankly, in this environment, that might not be enough" to prevent funding cuts to education and health care programs, Walker warned.

Dem Rep. Mark Pocan, the outgoing co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee, says Walker is pushing the concessions for political, not fiscal reasons.

Pocan, D-Madison, said Walker is using a partial picture to make his claims of insolvency, and said the full picture won't be known until the Legislative Fiscal Bureau issues its official report on the state budget next month.

Pocan said the shortfalls Walker identified to Medicaid and other funds should be remedied by lapses laid out in the 2009-11 budget.

Visit us online at www.secondsupper.com

UW System president asks for stable funding

UW System President Kevin Reilly says a stable state funding level and greater flexibility in university management would empower the state to attract "jobs that have legs for the 21st century."

"We have been on a roller-coaster ride," Reilly said of state funding for the UW over the last decade. "Up and down. Mostly down."

But as state lawmakers face a projected budget deficit of up $3.3 billion next year, Reilly said the UW is simply looking for consistency from the Capitol.

"We're not looking for a blank check. I want to emphasize," Reilly told the Madison Rotary Club "This is about a new compact between the university and the state."

Another key component of that compact, Reilly said, would be for lawmakers to allow the UW to use a more business-oriented approach in purchasing, contracting and personnel.

Reilly said the UW's end of the compact would be to graduate more students and create more jobs. UW officials have already proposed graduating 80,000 more students by 2025, and Reilly stressed the importance of targeted research spending to build local economies. He said the UW hopes to spin off smaller scale versions of Madison's University Research Park at each of its four-year campuses.

Reilly said he's optimistic about the response of the next administration and new legislative leaders to the UW System's goals, saying Republicans’ priorities on economic development fall are similar.

Walker vows aggressive lawsuit reform

Gov.-elect Scott Walker says he wants Wisconsin to be the most aggressive state in the country when it comes to tort reform.

"I told (Gov.) Rick Perry down in Texas 'Look out, we're coming after you,'" Walker said at the Dairy Business Association conference in Madison. "When it comes to tort reform, we want to be one of the leaders out there that say this is one of the most cost effective places in the country to do business."

Walker said legislation to reduce the regulatory burden on farmers will be part of a special session on the economy and jobs he'll call after he's inaugurated Jan. 3.

In addition, Walker said the special session will include legislation to repeal the state tax on health savings accounts, provisions to cut taxes on small businesses with 50 or fewer employees and to "fundamentally reshape" the state Commerce department.

Beyond the special session, Walker said he plans to extend the dairy investment tax credit, control property taxes, eliminate the estate tax and expand telecommunications infrastructure to make high-speed Internet available throughout the state.

STOCK REPORT

RISING Russ Feingold

The outgoing Dem senator has long had a friend — and kindred spirit — in John McCain. And his Republican counterpart gives him an emotional send off on the Senate floor, wishing he could be more like Feingold when it comes to sticking to his convictions. For conservatives, the speech is a reminder of why they’ve been lukewarm on McCain. Still, insiders see it as a nice send off for Feingold and say he’s going out largely on a positive note. Progressives continue to hope Feingold will make a quick return to public life. But his backers dismiss talk of a bid for the state Supreme Court next year or a challenge from the left of President Obama in 2012. Instead, they expect one of the poorest members of the U.S. Senate to hit the private sector and make some money after almost 30 years in public office.

MIXED DNR

Initial numbers suggest the state’s traditional nine-day deer hunt was better than last year’s abysmal showing that prompted rounds of complaints from hunters and lawmakers that the DNR was mismanaging the herd. But the numbers lag behind the 2008 and 2007 hunts, and there were still plenty of grumbles from hunters about a fruitless hunt with no deer to be seen and the muchmaligned “earn a buck'' program. Some argue the uptick in this year’s hunt should relieve some pressure on the agency. But Republicans still have a list of game management practices — and environmental regs — they want to change.

FALLING Public employees

Public employees and their unions — at schools and those in federal, state and local government — are bracing for the worst. Republicans believe there's little downside to beating up unions and “bloated benefits'' and talking about getting government spending under control. Suffice it to say, it’s not a good time to be a public employee when it would be considered a relief to get a two-year contract with no pay raise, a pay cut once furlough days are factored in and a bigger required retirement contribution. But insiders say that’s about the best state workers can do in the current environment. Morale is down, and veteran employees are retiring if they can. Federal workers are facing a pay freeze proposed by President Obama, local union workers will be affected by expected revenue sharing cuts, and teachers will likely see a new QEO and mediation-arbitration changes.

Second Supper

Broomball: All the fun of hockey — plus brooms!

With winter just around the corner, we’ve already hung up our cleats and tossed our softball gloves in some dark corner of the closet. Most of us who want to remain active throughout the cold months to come will reach for a pair of skates or start waxing our snowboards, but have you ever thought of stepping onto the ice for an intense Broomball match?

Broomball is very similar to hockey, so it’s no surprise that in the early 1900s the sport originated in Canada. It is said that Broomball didn’t make it to this country until the 1960s though, when it was first introduced in Minnesota. Here in La Crosse, the game is nothing new. According to the La Crosse Park and Rec Department, Broomball has already been enjoyed in our city for 25 years.

Though the object of the game is just like ice hockey, the equipment is fairly different. Instead of ice skates, players wear special padded sponge rubber shoes that enable them to run around and grip the ice without sliding. Instead of the commonly recognized curved hockey stick, the base resembles the triangular shape of a broom, but is made of wood or plastic. And instead of a hockey

puck, players use their sticks to try to shoot an inflatable ball, sized a little larger than a slow pitch softball, into the opposing team’s net.

One aspect of the game that doesn’t differ from hockey? Its physical nature. Heidi Blaisdell, a La Crosse Broomball player, was not deterred by the physicality of the game.

In fact, that’s what piqued her interest in the first place. “I knew a couple people who played,” she explained, “and then (one of the players) was like, ‘I think you’d like it; you get to push people!’”

Blaisdell went on to explain that in her three years of playing she’s never seen anyone break a bone or get seriously injured, but she doesn’t shrug off the possibility either. She herself got smacked by a ball in the face last year, but only had to deal with a black and blue eye for a few days.

It’s no wonder then, that the La Crosse Broomball League (the activity is no longer run by La Crosse Park and Rec) is adamant about the use of safety equipment. All players must wear helmets, which may have a face shield attachment. Recommended safety equipment includes mouth guards; shin, elbow and knee pads; as well as gloves.

Curling rocks!, as resurgent club will instruct

The sport of curling — that peculiar game involving sheets of ice, large stones and brooms — has a long history in La Crosse.

The city’s first curling club was incorporated in the early 1920s, and for three-quarters of a century, La Crosse residents of all ages could slide 42-pound stones towards the “house” and match wits in a game commonly known as “chess on ice.”

In 1998, the La Crosse Curling Club had to sell its property on the city’s north side, but the dream of a local curler’s paradise has not died. This year, a core group of members has resurrected the club, secured ice time at Green Island Ice Arena and hosts open curling nights on the second Wednesday of each month.

Right now around 20 La Crosse curlers hone their skills at a facility in Centerville, a small town near Galesville that has produced national champions, Olympians and hosts several curling leagues every day of the week.

“That would be what our goal is to accomplish here in La Crosse,” said Robert Richardson, secretary of the La Crosse Curl-

November 11, 2010 // 5

COMMUNITY

ing Club and a competitor in Centerville.

“We used to have that, and that’s what we’re trying to bring back.”

A retired UW-La Crosse professor, Richardson first learned how to curl when he moved to the city in 1990. A Chicago native, he had never heard of the sport until he read an article about the Oktoberfest “bonspiel,” which is the name for a curling competition.

Richardson caught the bug and has been curling ever since. His career highlight may have been acting as the curling “sport administrator” at the 2002 winter Olympic games in Salt Lake City, but his new drive is bringing the game back to La Crosse.

Those Olympics, and more recently the 2010 games in Vancouver, helped spike a national resurgence in curling. When the La Crosse Curling Club held an open house in October to gauge local interest, nearly 400 people showed up.

Fifty novices came to the first open curling session at Green Island in November, but the game isn’t quite as simple as it appears for Olympians.

So far, the league has seven teams, but there’s room for many more. The teams are all co-rec, but Blaisdell stressed that the mix of girls playing with guys isn’t a problem. “As far as skill level, guys are generally better,” she stated matter-of-factly. “But that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll outrun you on the ice. The ice puts everyone on a level playing field.” Blaisdell also pointed out that it’s not only young adults playing the game. Many of the teams, she said, have players in their 40s and 50s.

So no matter who you are, if you’re interested in a more physically active sport this winter, check out Broomball. The 2011 season will last for six weeks, beginning in early January. Official dates and locations of the games are still being ironed out, so if you are interested feel free to email Mike Brogan at brogan@holmenwi.com. Better yet would be to attend the informational and sign-up meeting on Thursday, Dec. 16 at John’s Bar in La Crosse. The meeting will start at 7 p.m. and is the deadline to register, so if you are at all interested stop down and check it out!

— Briana Rupel

“It looked so easy and so uncomplicated on the TV, and now here on the ice…” Richardson trailed off, recounting first-timers’ experiences with curling. “They’re pretty impressed with the finesse of the sport.”

Eventually the the La Crosse Curling Club aspires to build its own ice arena, like the one it once had near the contemporary Kwik Trip facility in the north side industrial park.

But for now the club has worked out a deal with the La Crosse Park and Recreation department to host curling sessions on the second Wednesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at Green Island. In this first year, all open curling is free, but those interested in helping revive the sport can join the La Crosse Curling Club for $20.

For more information, visit the group’s website at www.curlinginlacrosse.yolasite. com.

— Adam Bissen

Cornhole league lets you pitch bags all winter long

Whether at an outdoor cookout or just in your own backyard, you have most likely tossed a bag at a board during a sunny day.

“Cornhole” (quit your snickering) originates from a bag full of corn being thrown through a hole in a wooden board. Names like bean bag toss, baggo or tailgate toss are still acceptable, but not around competitive cornhole players who have come to know the sport as more than just a yard game.

The sport of cornhole has swept the nation, and it’s growing in the La Crosse area thanks in large part to the work of Mike and Sara Taggart. Sara, who is the Children’s Miracle Network coordinator for Ace Hard-

ware, first hosted a citywide cornhole tournament in 2009 as a charity fundraiser. Mike, impressed with the turnout and realizing that virtually anyone can play cornhole, was inspired to make the game more accessible for competitors in the Coulee Region.

“Playing darts, shooting pool or being a part of a bowling league is way too expensive in the long run,” Mike said. “Cornhole is a cheaper alternative that still provides that social networking tool.”

Both fall and winter cornhole leagues are offered at Neuie’s Varisty Club, 1920 Ward Ave., on Tuesday evenings. The fall league started in September and is just fin-

ishing up, but a winter league will run from Jan. 11 to April 12. Mike is looking for 24 teams in each league with an entry fee of $50 per two-person team. (A player must be 21 to participate in league play.)

“Cornhole offers such a wide range of intensity, skill, people participating, and even completely different techniques,” Mike said. “The beauty of this sport is that it gives people something to break up the monotony of their work and home life.”

— Julie Schneider

Second Supper's Guide to Winter Open Skating

Green Island Ice Arena 2312 7th Street S., La Crosse (608) 789-7199 Monday: 12 p.m. - 2 p.m.; Wednesday: 12 p.m. - 2 p.m., 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.; Saturday: 8:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.; Sunday: 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Admission: Adults $3; Students, seniors, kids under 17 $2; Skate Rental: $3 OmniCenter 255 Riders Club Rd. (608) 781-9566 Wednesday: 6 p.m - 7:50 p.m.; Sunday: Parent/Toddler 5 p.m. - 6 p.m., Open to everyone 6 p.m. - 7:50 p.m.

Admission: Adults $4; 18 and under $3; Skate Rental: $3

Downhill Skiing

Mt. La Crosse W5549 Old Town Rd., La Crosse (608) 788-0044 Weekdays: 10 a.m - 9 p.m.; Weekends: 9 a.m - 9 p.m.

Lift Ticket: Adults all day pass $46; Noon-9 p.m. $43; 4 p.m.-9 p.m. $27; 2-day pass $87.

Juniors (6-17) all day pass $43, Noon-9 p.m. $40, 4 p.m.-9 p.m. $22, 2-day Pass $81.

Kids, 5 and under, free lift ticket with adult lift ticket purchase Rentals: Adults all day ski package $28; 4 p.m.-9 p.m. $19; 2-day ski package $50; All Day Snowboard Package $34; 4 p.m.-9 p.m. $25, 2-day Snowboard Package $61.

Juniors (6-17) all day ski package $26; 4 p.m.-9 p.m. $17; 2-day ski package $46, All Day Snowboard Package $32, 4 p.m.-9 p.m. $23, 2-day Snowboard Package $56.

Kids, 5 and under, All Day Ski Package $10,; 4 p.m.-9 p.m. $8, 2-day ski package $15; All Day Snowboard Package $15; 4 p.m.-9 p.m. $13; 2-day Snowboard Package $22.

Equipment rentals

UW-La Crosse Outdoor Connection Recreational Eagle Center 1601 Badger St. (608) 785-8860 Monday-Friday: 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday: 12 p.m.-4 p.m.

(Note: To rent you need to bring a valid drivers license to the Outdoor Connection) Cross Country Skis Daily $5 (Students), $8 (Non-Students); Weekend (3 Days) $14 (S), $20 (N-S) Snowshoes Daily $5 (S), $8 (N-S); Weekend $14 (S), $20 (N-S) Sleds Daily $2 (S), $3 (N-S); Weekend $6 (S), $9 (N-S) Toboggan Daily $2 (S), $3 (N-S); Weekend $6 (S), $9 (N-S) Ice Skates (Hockey & Figure) Daily $2 (S), $4 (N-S); Weekend $5 (S), $7 (N-S)

Mark Your Calendars!

Winter REC Fest: Jan. 22– Feb. 2, 2011 Westby Ski Jump: Feb. 4-5, 2011 Brice Prairie Conservation Association Ice Fishing Derby: Feb. 5, 2011

6// December 9, 2010

The Arts Review Bizarro Masterpiece Theatre Medium: Film The Astronaut Farmer (2006) Director: Michael Polish Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Virginia Madsen Writer: Mark & Michael Polish

On its own merits, The Astronaut Farmer doesn’t qualify as Bizarro cinema. It’s an overly earnest and sappy film that chronicles the obsessive quest of farmer Charles Farmer (get it?) to build a rocket and blast off into space. Aside from a scene involving a brick thrown through a bank window, a clever quip dismissing the rocket’s potential as a Weapon of Mass Destruction (because the government wouldn’t have found it if it was one), and a cameo by Bruce Willis playing a guardedly supportive ex-astronaut, this story of a

The Screening Room Medium: Film 127 Hours (2010) Director: Danny Boyle Cast: James Franco, Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn Writers:Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy, based on “Between a Rock and a Hard Place” by Aron Ralston

Fresh off Slumdog Millionaire, Danny Boyle keeps the celebration-of-life train rolling in 127 Hours by inundating audiences with a series of frenetically-paced, splitscreen montages of sports arena crowds cheering, commuters rushing in and out of subway trains, and other seemingly random moments of the masses going about their daily business. It stands in odd contrast with the rest of the film, in which free-spirited outdoorsman Aron Ralston, his arm pinned

Second Supper

ARTS family of dreamers overcoming adversity is downright formulaic.

Yet I do have a solid reason for inducting The Astronaut Farmer into Bizarro canon, and that is because its packaging has the strangest talk-up of a film that I’ve ever seen.

Kind of a strange criterion, I know, but this is much more than a simple matter of bad, punny taglines. The film’s description of itself is so mind-boggling that the only reasonable explanation for its existence is heavy use of hard drugs, or at least the work of a publicist who hadn’t slept for a week. Don’t believe me? Behold The Astronaut Farmer’s epic self-analysis, in all its glory:

“All systems are ‘Go’ for Charles Farmer. He’s faced bank foreclosure, neighborhood naysayers and a government alarmed by his huge purchase of high-grade fuel, but now he’s ready to blast into space inside the homemade rocket he built in his barn. Just be home in time for dinner, Charlie.

“Billy Bob Thornton portrays Charlie in this charmer about chasing dreams… and about what it means to be a family. 10,000 pounds of rocket fuel alone can’t lift Charlie into the heavens. He needs a launch/recovery crew, and he has one of the best: his wife (Virginia Madsen) and children, dreamers all. They have liftoff. Our spirits have uplift. Gravity cannot hold down our dreams. The Astronaut Farmer is that kind of movie.”

Um… what?

— Brett Emerson

under a dislodged boulder, spends five helpless days in the Utah desert with nobody around for dozens of miles.

127 Hours dares to answer the age-old question: Can a prolific filmmaker succeed in making a movie about a guy trapped in one spot for five days seem interesting? Surprisingly, Boyle and his Slumdog screenwriter Simon Beaufoy turn Ralston’s harrowing true story into a taut, even fast-paced tale of survival. It does, however, give Ralston’s agonizing, seemingly endless stint in the wilderness the illusion of passing by quicker than it actually did. In the end, tying the proceedings off at a brisk 90 minutes serves the film’s purposes better than exhaustively drawing it out might have.

For those who know the outcome of Ralston’s ordeal, 127 Hours may resemble one 80-minute-long waiting game, but one that makes the payoff that much more engrossing. In fact, knowing Ralston’s eventual fate amps up the film’s intensity, and makes the calm moments of reflection, somber visions of his loved ones, and sudden flares of desperation and insanity feel far more unnerving. The film ends with the same images it starts with, and in sandwiching Ralston’s story between montages exploding with mass human interaction, Boyle achieves the effect of letting the audience come up for air after a deep dive into a place of raw isolation and despair.

— Nick Cabreza

'Twelfth Night' tells crossdressing tale with plain speak, oceans and hippies

By Jonathan Majak

jonathan.majak@secondsupper.com

Is there anything that says “Happy Holidays” more than cross-dressing? We didn’t think so, so that is why we were so thrilled when UW-L announced it was doing Shakespeare’s play “Twelfth Night.” A comedy of mistaken identity and subterfuge, the most simple way to explain the complicated plot is that girl (Viola) meets boy (Orsino) while dressed as man-servant and falls in love with boy while boy tries to woo another girl (Olivia) who happens to fall in love with girldressed-as-boy. We can’t tell you how many times that‘s happened in our social circle.

And while Viola, Orsino and Olivia are in the midst of their Maury Povich episode in the making, Olivia’s Uncle Toby, Toby’s friend Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and Olivia’s servant Maria decide to pull a prank on steward Malvolio for basically being a big giant buzz kill.

As put on at UW-L, “Twelfth Night” is a serviceable production that, in some ways, has the misfortune of appearing during a theatre season of such strength that makes some of its triumphs pale in comparison to other shows. Taken on its own merits, “Twelfth Night,” as directed by Walter Elder, is a show that is more good than bad but the deficiencies sometimes overwhelm the positives happening on the stage.

And there are a lot of positives, especially in the acting of Amy Nelson as Maria, Alyssa Dunn as Olivia and Andrew Kelly as Malvolio. All three handle the Shakespearean language with the proper amount of reverence but without being timid either.

When they speak, it’s not SHAKESPEARE in neon lights, but it is instead people holding a slightly more poetic-than-normal conversation. They don’t read flat or stilted like some other cast members do in the production, a weakness that dulls some of the comedic edge of the show and leaves unsure as an audience member if some know what they are saying.

Andrew Kelly, in particular, handles the

role of Malvolio extremely well, making him a character you initially think is deserving of his bullying but also, by the end, you want to tape one of those “It Gets Better” ads for.

Between this and his appearance in “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot,” Kelly is quickly becoming one of our favorite actors this season.

In the roles of Viola and Orsino, Claire Ganshert and Justin Cooke have both the proper amount of buddy chemistry as well as romantic chemistry to make that transition to work when Orsino finally finds out Viola’s true nature. Their scene by the sea, listening to Feste the Fool (played well by Alden Hedges, even if the choice of making Feste a happy-go-lucky hippie seems to be an idea that was better on paper than in practice), is one of the hilarious high points as Claire perfectly plays Viola’s falling in love with Orsino.

Tim McCarren as Sir Aguecheek and Jacob Gustine as Sir Toby along with Donnie Mezera as servant Fabian make for a trio that reach Three Stooges-like brilliance in their physical comedy when stalking around Malvolio. As Viola’s brother Sebastian, Matthew Matueski makes both his character and his Natalie Imbruglia wig work quite well, while Kevin Fenshaw as his friend Antonio continues to show his ability to take roles, big and small, and find three dimensions within them.

Were there a few things we’d change about the show? Yes, like the overuse of the sound of the ocean between scenes that made us want to reach for a Dramamine.

But overall, we enjoyed the show and the infectious frivolity of the cast. When the cast comes out to take bows, it felt less of a bow and more the capper of a fun party you’d just been to. And really, who doesn’t like a good holiday party?

"Twelfth Night" continues today through Dec. 12.

Show starts 7:30 p.m. except for 2 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets are $12 adults; $10 for students, seniors and children, $4 for UW-L students. For reservations, call the UW-L Box Office at (608) 785-8522

Online: 6 Q's for La Crosse Community Theatre set designer Dillon McArdle

Second Supper

The Majak Mixtape

By Jonathan Majak jonathan.majak@secondsupper.com

Oh Kevin Smith and Josh Duhamel, how are you doing? Maybe you should consider doing all your travel now by way of train or automobile or even Amish buggy instead of risking another run-in with an airline. This week you lit up the blogosphere when you took to your blog (www.silentbobspeaks.com) to critique the workings of Virgin America in a post charmingly titled “Virgin Shuts Its Legs, I Shut My Wallet.” According to the posting, Smith and his wife found themselves unable to board a flight even though they were at a departure gate 10 minutes prior to take-off with their first class tickets in hand and their bags unfortunately on the flight. Elsewhere, blanderthan-vanilla-ice-cream-served-in-a-beige-bowl actor Josh Duhamel found himself booted from a plane for not getting off his BlackBerry, which would only be shocking if a) we cared and b) we weren’t more interested on how he doesn’t have an iPhone. Anyway, in honor of these mishaps, we’re dedicating this week’s column with our mix “Get These Mother-effin’ Celebs Off My Mother-Effin’ Plane.”

We start off the mixtape with Mark Ronson’s song “The Bike Song” since maybe Kevin Smith should invest in one given his troubles. First he was booted off a Southwest Airlines flight for basically being too chunky for his seat. Fast forward a bunch of months

Medium: Album Stimulus: Deadmau5 — 4x4=12 Anno: 2010

and now he’s having issues with Virgin America because he showed up last second to board the plane in part of his desire to not be gawked at because of being known as the dude who was kicked off of Southwest Airline. Shake my head at this. We here at the Mixtape would rather be known as that than the guy who directed “Cop Out” with Bruce Willis and Tracey Morgan. Pick your battles.

Next up, She & Him trill about “Ridin’ In My Car” off their Volume 2 album, something Duhamel had to do when they turned the plane around because he refused, according to reports, three separate times to get off his BlackBerry. How somebody who managed to get out-acted by CGI characters AND Megan Fox in both “Transformers” films can be so stuck-up we will never know.

Lastly, we have Erykah Badu’s spectacular tune “Turn Me Away” from her album New Amerierykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) because what better song to cap off a mixtape about people being turned away from their respective flights. Thankfully for Smith, Virgin America had infinitely better public relations and didn’t engage in an online spat like Southwest did. In fact, Virgin America took to its Twitter, of freakin’ course, and made arrangements to make everything square. In exchange, Kevin Smith promised to destroy all copies of “Jersey Girl” as a sign of good faith. Just kidding!

Buy: B.o.B.’s new mixtape “No Genre.”

YouTube: The mess that is the UK sensation “The X-Factor”

Read: Music blog Swear I’m Not Paul www.swearimnotpaul.com

Get your daily dose of the Majak Mixtape, recaps of Glee, and other pop cultural goodies at the Majak Kingdom blog at www.majakkingdom. blogspot.com

Medium: Album Stimulus: Daft Punk — TRON Legacy Soundtrack Anno: 2010

If you’re expecting Daft Punk to bust out dancefloor classics on the new TRON soundtrack, you’re going to walk away disappointed. There is a slick track titled “Derezzed,” which is vintage Daft Punk, but that’s about all the fanservice this score has to offer. In the place of robot rock are rather high-minded symphonic tracks, the type of tense string use that is reminiscent of Hans Zimmer’s Pirates of the Caribbean scoring or his work with James Newton Howard on The Dark Knight. The best example of this is in the tremendously monstrous “Rectifier,” which sounds like a Kraken devouring Jack Sparrow.

Though it’s not their home genre, Daft Punk makes a great transition to film scoring, and hopefully we’ll see more such efforts from the group in the future. If the movie is as good as it sounds, no sequel fears will be necessary.

LA CROSSE’S NEWEST & TRUEST PUB & EATERY WITHOUT THE FRANCHISE!

Monday: All U Can Eat Wings includes choice of potato, slaw and a frosted Pint. 4-9:30 $8.99 Tuesday: Wisconsin cheese steak sandwich with a frosted Pint. $8.99 Wednesday: Ladies Night, $1 Off All Drinks 4-Cl. Pint-Aritas $3.00 (lime or strawberry)

Thursday: All U Can Eat Wings includes choice of potato, slaw and a frosted Pint. 4-9:30 $8.99

Karaoke on Thursdays

Watch the Packers and Monday Night Football - 8 Plasma TV’s • Food & Drink Specials

e the We Have NFL Ticket! o Ask about our "Best Seat in the House" promotion

Win A 50 inch Plasma sTV, S and S Cycle, Custom Pub Table and Chairs

400 Lang Drive, La Crosse

— Brett Emerson

(Across From Menards) 784-2242

’S UB

T HE F

!

$10 for 5 Coors and Coors Light Bottles During All Green Bay and Monday Night Games - Wing Specials - $4 Packer Backers - $1.50 Burgers - Every Quarter-Chance to Win T-Shirts and Hats, Qualify to win a Game Jersey

and 2 Packer Tickets for Jan 2nd Bears vs. Packers 20222585jg

Whether one enjoys Deadmau5 ultimately depends upon whether one enjoys Daft Punk — and specifically, the minimalist side of the Daft Punk sound. On 4x4=12, Deadmau5 puts together some good beats, but there’s next to nothing here that doesn’t feel like a mirror of someone else’s song.

Compounding this forgivable sin are the few vocal tracks that dot an otherwise instrumental album. One of these three tracks, a moody pianodance titled “Raise Your Weapon,” is the album’s best track, reminiscent of the Hybrid school of orchestral electronica.

The other two sing songs, “Sofi Needs a Ladder” and “One Trick Pony,” have solid music, but they feature a shit vocalist who spouts out dirty slut slogans in an attempt to be hip and cool. Boring.

Beyond those two disasters, 4x4=12 is a good album, but not a mind-blowing one — which, if you’re into the style, shouldn’t matter.

November 11, 2010 // 7

MUSIC

8// December 9, 2010

Second Supper

MUSIC

music directory // December 10 to December 16 just a roadie away FRIDAY,

December 10

Milwaukee

JB'SSPEAKEASY // 717 Rose St. Shot to Hell, Mad Trucker Gone Mad, The Frett Rattles (garage rock) • 10 p.m.

population

596,974

JOHN LEGEND // DEC. 19 Northern Lights Theater • $80-$105

LEO & LEONA'S (BANGOR) // W1436 Hwy. 33 String Ties (Bluegrass Christmas Show) • 8 p.m.

BLUETECH // DEC. 31 Crisp • $10

MOOSE LODGE // 1932 Ward Ave. Stingrays (oldies) • 6 p.m.

THE HOLD STEADY // DEC. 31 Riverside Theatre • $29.50

NEUIE'S NORTH STAR // 1732 George St. King Friday (acoustic rock) • 8 p.m.

GIRL TALK // DEC. 31 Eagles Ballroom • $35-$40

OVERTIME PUB (BANGOR) // 1544 Commercial St. CODY (classic rock, country) • 8 p.m.

WIZ KHALIFA // JAN. 21 The Rave • $24-$29

PEARL STREET BREWERY // 1401 St. Andrew St.

Mike Vande Zande (rock) • 5 p.m.

PIGGY'S BLUES LOUNGE // 501 Front St. S. Brandon Scott Sellner (blues) • 8 p.m.

This Friday night, Seven Bridges Restaurant will host one its favorite entertainers, B. Squat Woody (pictured). A veritable oneman band, Woody accompanies himself on all matter of instruments: 12-sting guitar, 6-string acoustic guitar, electric guitar and harmonica. He plays all the classic tunes, but also has plenty of original material to fill a lively show. There is no cover charge, and the show begins at 7:30 p.m. It’s the perfect accompaniment to Friday Night Fish Fry, featuring all-you-can-eat frog legs.

LYLE LOVETT & JOHN HIATT // FEB. 2 Pabst Theatre • $65

JB'SSPEAKEASY // 717 Rose St. The Eugene Smiles Project w/ Luke Jorgenson (rock, soul) • 10 p.m.

LA CROSSE CENTER // 300 S. Second St. Mannheim Steamroller (Christmas spectacular) • 7:30 p.m.

POPCORN TAVERN // 308 S. Fourth St. NEUIE'S NORTH STAR // 1732 George St. Fayme Rochelle and the Waxwings Str8Up (rock) • 8 p.m. (bluegrass) • 10 p.m.

NORTH SIDE OASIS // 620 Gillette St. Bobby Vee (Rockin' Christmas) • 10 p.m.

SEVEN BRIDGES // 910 Second Ave. N. B. Squat Woody (songwriter, 12-string guitarist) • 10 p.m.

PIGGY'S BLUES LOUNGE // 501 Front St. S. Brandon Scott Sellner (blues) • 8 p.m.

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

POPCORN TAVERN // 308 S. Fourth St. THE STARLITE LOUNGE // 222 Pearl St. The New Jazz Infidels (jazz) • 5 p.m.

THE ROOT NOTE // 114 4th St. S. Nassor Cooper (soul pop) • 8:30 p.m.

The Kokopellians (bluegrass) • 10 p.m.

RIVER JACK'S //1835 Rose St. Double Take (classic rock) • 8 p.m.

THE ROOT NOTE // 114 4th St. S. Michael Reed & His Band (folk) • 8 p.m.

THE WAREHOUSE // 324 Pearl St. My My Misfire, Runaway Sons, Face THE WATERFRONT TAVERN // 328 Front St. The Gallows, A Breed Unknown Greg Balfany (jazz quartet) • 8 p.m. (hardcore) • 7 p.m.

SATURDAY,

December 11

CARTWRIGHT CENTER // 1725 State St. Festival of Carols (holiday music) • 3 p.m.

SUNDAY,

December 12

BLACK RIVER BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER // 1433 Rose St. Bluegrass jam • 12:30 p.m.

DEWEY'S // 621 St. Paul St. The Orrico Bros. (X-mas show) • 3 p.m.

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

MONDAY,

December 13

DEL’S BAR // 229 Third St. Open Jam • 10 p.m.

POPCORN TAVERN // 308 S. Fourth St. Shawn's Open jam • 10 p.m.

TUESDAY,

December 14

POPCORN TAVERN // 308 S. Fourth St. Dave Orr (open jam) • 10 p.m.

THE ROOT NOTE // 114 4th St. S. 3rd Relation Jazz Trio (jazz) • 8:30 p.m.

THE MIRAGE // 4329 Mormon Coulee Rd. Dave Kerska (open jam) • 6 p.m.

WEDNESDAY,

December 15

DEL’S BAR // 229 Third St. Dave Orr (man about town) • 10 p.m.

MY SECOND HOME // 2104 George St. Northside Acoustic (open) Jam • 6 p.m.

POPCORN TAVERN // 308 S. Fourth St. Open Jam • 10 p.m.

PUMP HOUSE // 119 King St. String Ties (Holiday Concert) • 7:30 p.m.

RECOVERY ROOM // 901 7th St. S. Kin Pickin' (open jam) • 10 p.m.

THURSDAY,

December 16

DEL’S BAR // 229 Third St. Nick Shattuck (folk pop) • 10 p.m.

POPCORN TAVERN // 308 S. Fourth St. Cheech (blues rock) • 10 p.m.

PUMP HOUSE // 119 King St. String Ties (Holiday Concert) • 7:30 p.m.

THE STARLITE LOUNGE // 222 Pearl St. Kies and Kompanie (jazz) • 5 p.m.

Second Supper Second Supper

November 11, 2010 // 13 November 11, 2010 // 9

YOUR GUIDE TO CONSUMPTION

The Beer Review Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

When I first saw these 4-packs distributed around town, I really didn’t know what to expect. For most of my drinking life, Leinenkugels has been on the path of diminishing returns. Sure, there was once a time when this Chippewa Falls behemoth was a proud regional brewer and an original player in the “microbrewery revolution.” But then it was gobbled up by SAB Miller and then MillerCoors, and now Leine’s seems bent on brewing increasingly gimmicky or watered down beverages for national consumption.

That makes their attempt at a Russian Imperial Stout curious, to say the least. Invented by the British in the 19th century to impress the czarist court of Russia, the Imperial Stout is a hugely flavorful and potent beer, fit for winters in St. Petersburg or the palettes of highfalutin beer snobs. It’s a long way from Berry Weiss, that’s for sure.

This Russian Imperial Stout is the second release from Leinenkugel’s Big Eddy line, following an Imperial IPA that that dazzled reviewers in 2007. Named after the spring that feeds their Chippewa Falls brewery, the Big Eddy is a big, bold beast of a beer that is the opposite of everything I’ve come to expect from Leine’s. It’s not the finest Russian Imperial Stout on the market. But when I pried open a bottle last week, poured the black ooze into a travel mug and walked my dog through the first real snowfall of win-

ter, I felt like I could taste the old magic bubbling up from the Northwoods.

Purchase: Four-pack of Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout from Festival Foods, $10.49 Style: Russian Imperial Stout Strength: 9.5 percent ABV Packaging: The labels have a muted tan and fuchsia color scheme with “Big Eddy” printed in clean, fine script. But that’s not the classiest part — no screw-off tops!

Appearance: Blacker than oil, night, molasses, ink and mahogany put together with a tall, foamy chocolate head.

Aroma: Eleven different malts were blended in the mash, and they compliment nicely with notes of pumpernickel, roasted coffee, peat, sour cream, honey and some bittering hops Taste: This beer has an interesting sweet-andsour thing going on. It first hits the tongue

The Best Food & Drink Specials in Town

like acrid truck stop coffee but warms up to bittersweet chocolate, dark fruit, molasses and red licorice. The hefty alcohol content isn’t overwhelming, though it finishes with solid heat.

Mouthfeel: A little thinner than most lauded Russian Imperial Stouts, but it’s smooth and pillowy in the mouth.

Drinkability: One will treat you fine. Two will have you rosy for a cold winter’s eve.

Ratings: BeerAdvocate gives this an A-, while RateBeer scores it a perfect 100. I’m sure I’ll be reviewing finer Russian Imperial Stout this winter, but if you can spare the money, crack open a bottle of this Big Eddy. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

— Adam Bissen

LOCATION

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

ARENA

Text "Arena" to 83361 for Specials

Texas Hold 'Em Poker

Pool and dart leagues

Wyld Wednesday: $2 jumbo UV mixers, $2 Coronas

Ladies Night: Ladies drink free 9-11 $1 Cherry Bombs, $1 Keystone Light p.m. or all night with $5 wristband, silos including all UV Vodkas & XXX; $5 Long island pitchers

$1 Cherry Bombs, $1 Keystone Light silos

BROTHERS

Cllosed

$2.50 Coors vs. Keystone pitchers. All specials 9 p.m. to close

AUC2D: $5, domestic taps, rail mix- 10-cent wings, $1 Miller High Life ers, Long Islands. All specials 9 p.m. bottles, $1.50 rail mixers; $2.50 call to close drinks. All specials 9 p.m. to close.

AUC2D, $5 domestic taps, rail mixers and Long Islands. Wristband Night: $2.50 SoCo & Jack. 50-cent shots (two flavors). All specials 9 to close.

Customer Appreciation Weekend: Free beer, 9 p.m.-'til?. Ladies Late Night Ladies Drink Free , domestic taps, rails and Long Islands1 a.m.-close

Customer Appreciation Weekend: Free beer, 9 p.m.-'til?. Ladies Late Night Ladies Drink Free , domestic taps, rails and Long Islands1 a.m.-close

COCONUT JOE'S

Closed

Closed

$2 Select Appetizers, $1 coors light Wings! $1.50 for 1 pound of wings. pints/rails, $2 u – call –it’s $1.50 Miller Lite

Wristband Night

$3 jumbo captain/Bacardi drinks $3 jumbo captain and Bacardi all night drinks all night

EAGLES NEST

$5 domestic pitchers

$1.50 domestic taps and rail drinks, 4 p.m. to close

Bird Brain Trivia 8 p.m.; $1.50 do- Wing Night - 25-cent wings (dine- $1.50 domestic bottles and rail mestic bottles and rails 4 p.m. to in only); $1 Miller High Life silos and drinks, $2 craft bottles, 4 p.m. to close PBR silos; $1.50 taps and rail drinks; close $2 craft taps. All specials 4 to close.

Happy Hour: 2 for 1 domestic bottles and rail drinks, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Karaoke 9 p.m. to close

Taco buffet 11-2; $1 Pabst bottles and $1 bowling after 9

All you care to eat pizza buffet, 11-2

All you care to eat fish fry 4-10; unlimited Glow-N-Bowl $9.99

Prime rib dinner 4-10; unlimited Glow-N-Bowl $9.99

All you can eat wings, includes a Wisconsin cheese steak sandwich choice of potatoe, slaw and a frosted with a pint of beer, $8.99 pint, 4-9:30 p.m., $8.99

Ladies Night, $1 off all drinks, 4 to All you can eat boneless wings, inclose; Pint-Aritas $3 (lime or straw- cludes a choice of potatoe, slaw and berry) a frosted pint, 4-9:30 p.m., $8.99 $5 AUC2D wristbands: domestic taps, rail mixers, Long Islands, 9 p.m. to close; karaoke 9 p.m. to close

107 3rd St. S. 782-1883, www.arenalax.com

306 Pearl St. 784-0522

128 3rd St. 782-9192

1914 Campbell Road 782-7764

FEATURES

W3923 State Highway 16 786-9000

FLIPSIDE PUB & GRILL 400 Lang Drive 784-2242

IMPULSE

$5 AUC2D wristbands: domestic taps, rail mixers, Long Islands, 9 p.m. to close; live DJ, dancing 9 p.m. to close

Alcohol-free night, 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., $5 AUC2D wristbands: domestic for ages 25 and younger; live DJ, taps, rail mixers, Long Islands, 9 p.m. dancing, giveaways, AUC2D soda, to close; karaoke 9 p.m. to close $10 cover

JB’S SPEAKEASY

$1.75 domestic bottles, $1.75 Dom bottles and rails, $2.50 Bombs

Monday Madness: $1.75 domestics Tuesday Boozeday $1 off all liquor Happy Hour 5 to 7 p.m. and rails, $2.50 Bombs, $1 off all top drinks and 50 cents off all shots, $2 shelf and specialty beers Bombs

$1.79 burger (after 8 p.m.)

Breakfast 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Hat Night: Buy 1 drink, get 1 free w/ Rail drinks $2 (4:30 to close); Buckets of beer $10, Boston Bobby's Margaritas $4 (Straw, rasp, mango, hat (4:30 to close); $1.50 chili dogs After 8 p.m. specials: $5 skewer of drummies 10 for $2 (4:30 to close), peach and reg); After 8 p.m. specials: (after 8 p.m.) shrimp,l $1.79 burger, $1.50 chili dogs $1.79 burger (after 8 p.m.) $5 skewer of shrimp, $1.79 burger

214 Main St. 782-6010

717 Rose St. 796-1161

SCHMIDTY’S 3119 State Road 788-5110

SLOOPY'S ALMA MATER

14-inch pizza, $2 off; Wings Happy Hour 2 to 6 p.m.

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Free Wing Night (while supplies last); $5 wristband happy hour, 5 to 9 p.m; $5 AUC2D wristbands: domestic taps, live DJ, dancing 9 p.m. to close rail mixers, Long Islands, 9 p.m. to close; live DJ, dancing 9 p.m. to close

$5 wristband happy hour, 5 to 9 p.m; live DJ, dancing 9 p.m. to close

Happy Hour 5 to 7 p.m.

Happy Hour 5 to 7 p.m.

163 Copeland Ave. 785-0245

Tacos: $11 buckets during pro and Tacos: $11 buckets during pro and college football games. college football games.

Happy Hour 2 to 6 p.m.

12-inch pizza $8.99 Happy Hour 2 to 6 p.m.

THE LIBRARY

Wristband Night

Half price tequilla, $1 domestic taps Karaoke, $2 Double rails and all Wristband night, $2 cherry bombs, and rails bottles; $3 Double call drinks 50¢ shots (3 flavors)

Happy Hour 5 to 7 p.m.

Breakfast 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; lunch buffet 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., $6.99

Ladies night, 2 for 1 drinks (6-close), Happy Hour 2 to 6 p.m.

Happy Hour 2 to 6 p.m.

Tacos: $11 buckets during pro and college football games.

$2 U Call Its 7 p.m. to close: Calls, Rails, Bottles & More

$2 U Call Its 7 p.m. to close: Calls, Rails, Bottles & More

$5 Pitchers/$2 bottles of Miller prod- $1.75 Miller/Bud Light Taps, $2.25 $1.75 Rails, $1.50 Domestic Taps, $2 domestic bottles, $2.50 Skyy/ ucts (11-4pm) $2 Corona Bottles, $2 MIcro/Craft Taps, $2.50 Cherry Bombs $3.50 Jager Bombs Absolut mixers, $2 Dr. shots (7-1 Kilo Kai Mixers , $3 Bloodys (7-1 a.m.) (7-1 a.m.)

(7-1 a.m.) a.m.)

5 Domestic Bottles for $10, $5 $2 Captain Mixers, $2. Long Island Micro/Import Bottles $11.50, $7 Mixers, $3 Effen Vodka Mixers (7-1 Micro/Craft Pitchers (7-1 a.m.) a.m.)

$5 Miller/Bud Light Pitchers, $2.25 Leinies Bottles (7-1 a.m.)

POPCORN TAVERN

$2 16oz Old Style & Lost Lake cans 2.50 Captain Mixers

$2 16oz Old Style & Lost Lake cans 1.75 PBR bottles 2.50 Captain Mixers

$2 16oz Old Style & Lost Lake cans 2.50 Captain Mixers

$2 Grain Belt 2.50 Captain Mixers

$2 16oz Old Style & Lost Lake cans $2 16oz Old Style & Lost Lake cans 2.50 Captain Mixers $2 Coors and Coors Light Bottles and $2.50 Skyy Mixers

$2 16oz Old Style & Lost Lake cans

WHISKEY RIVER SALOON

Closed

Closed

Closed

Comedy Night

Mechanical Bull Riding, $2 Miller Lite and $2 Shots of Dr.

Live Band and DJ, $3 Bacardi and Captain Drinks 7-10pm

Live Band and DJ, $3 Bacardi and Captain Drinks 7-10pm

WHO'S ON THIRD

$2.00 Domestic taps/ $2.00 rails

$1.50 tap of PBR/ $1.50 rails

$3.00 call doubles/ $2.00 Bud products

$2.00 all tap beer/ $3.00 Jack/Captain doubles

$8.50 Fishbowls/ $2.00 Miller products

$2.00 Domestic taps/ $2.00 Three $2.00 Bartenders choice mixer Olive products

123 3rd St. 784-8020

TOP SHOTS 137 4th St. 782-6622 308 4th St. S. 782-9069

223 Pearl St. 784-2337

126 3rd St. N. 782-9467

10// December 9, 2010

Second Supper

DIVERSIONS

Maze Efflux

"Down the Middle" Big words all over

By Erich Boldt

By Matt Jones

La Crosse's Free Press 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's icey

ACROSS 1 Ltr. additions 4 Do something 7 Paul in November 2010 news 11 "...___ is mine and I am his..."

12 Arabic greeting 15 Copycat 16 Word before cow or creatures 17 Rank 18 Woodstock logo component 19 New Year's, in Hanoi 20 Sometime afterward 21 Corrida cries 22 TV part 23 The lion's share of awards, at awards

shows 25 Poking tools 27 Make fuzzy, like people in photos 28 Rosie's former show, with "The" 29 "Cheers" actress Neuwirth 30 Zippo 33 Advice from "Glengarry Glen Ross" 37 Gyro meat 38 "Now ___ me..."

39 Start of a famous soliloquy 40 "Jackass 3D" actor Chris 42 Baseball card number 43 Malibu maker 46 Mercedes-Benz

Answers to Dec. 2 puzzle SCC injection, stat! — It's not a lot, but it makes a diff.

___ AMG 47 Mata ___ 48 Seize and carry away 51 ___ in "queen" 52 Perched upon 53 Visited a restaurant 54 Prefix before brow 55 Hand over land 56 Fishing nets 57 Wake and UVA's gp.

58 Broadway singer/ actress Linda 59 Some NFL players 60 Prefix meaning "ten": var.

DOWN 1 Large vein 2 Determination 3 City close to Mercer Isl. 4 See 20-across 5 Amazed response 6 Be safety-minded 7 They're carried out with detection kits 8 Speed skater ___ Anton Ohno 9 "Not gonna happen" 10 Ball garb 12 Application ID

13 Get from ___ B 14 Logical opening?

24 Taverna potable 26 African marshdwelling snake 27 Little shots 31 Group with masks and shields 32 Considering everything 34 ___ City, Florida (historic district of Tampa) 35 Fleur-de-___ 36 Catches something bad 41 Dunn and Ephron 43 "Gossip Girl" actor Crawford 44 Was less than warm toward 45 Wear 49 "Glee" character ___ Sylvester 50 Lofty pts.

For answers, call (900) 226-2800, 99 cents per minute.

Or to bill to a credit card, call (800) 6556549. Reference puzzle #0489.

Second Supper

November 11, 2010 // 11

THE LAST WORD arbitrary standards of behavior.

— Caught

The Advice Goddess

By Amy Alkon amy.alkon@secondsupper.com The boors and the bees

In your response to the woman with the publicly gropey boyfriend, you deemed French kissing at a workplace event inappropriate PDA. How about French kissing one's girlfriend during a performance of “Stomp” (musical theater)?

The woman behind me that evening gave me negative feedback, which was of no interest to me. My take on people put off by PDA (isn't it really only women?) is that their disgust is based more in envy than superior decorum. Someone reacting negatively to seeing my tongue go into my girlfriend’s mouth is suffering at their own doing — because of how they process their witnessing of my actions. (I’d love to hear their reaction to my having sex in a movie theater. Come on, we were in the back row, and the seven people there would've had to turn their heads 180 degrees to see anything.) Basically, I own my actions and I’m fine with them. Others need to start owning their reactions, and you need to stop promoting

There’s public display of affection and there’s public display of foreplay. If you’re incapable of understanding the difference, let’s hope your name is Koko or Bongo, and you aren’t allowed out unsupervised from your cage in the primate exhibit at the zoo.

Social standards for behavior aren’t arbitrary. There are minor variations across cultures, but do you think there’s a person in Japan, Belgium, or Saudi Arabia who thinks it’s okay to take off their shoe and bite their toenails at dinner? There’s private behavior and public behavior, and we’re all pretty clear on which is which. If ever you’re unsure about the polite thing to do, there’s a pretty simple guideline to go by. As I write in my book “I See Rude People,” at the root of manners is empathy (might your makeout session or your loud discussion of your loose stool make people around you seriously uncomfortable?). You have a very different standard: total disregard for anyone’s feelings but your feeling that you’d like to get your rocks off ASAP. And sure, maybe your cinema sex escaped notice by your fellow moviegoers, but if there’s a wet spot for the next audience to avoid, they’d like it to be a puddle of Pepsi One.

Outrageous behavior is sometimes an exercise of free speech, like when a bunch of women go topless (typically, those most desperately in need of bras) to protest how women get arrested for toplessness when

men don’t. But, let’s get real here. In nixing the public sexcapades, you won’t be setting back the course of democracy, just keeping from grossing a lot of people out.

By the way, I’m not exactly the park ranger for prudishness. I love seeing couples being affectionate in public — in a way that says “I’ve got a thing for you,” not “I’ve got a thing for you in my pants.” People do need to take into consideration what they’re doing where and whether they have a captive audience. Nobody wants to see you sucking your girlfriend’s ear in the pharmacy line or hear you making sex noises at the coffee bar. If you’re making out in a corner at a nightclub, you still might yuck somebody out, but, well, it’s dark, people are drunk, and they also probably aren’t Grandma or age 4.

You tell yourself that only women are bothered by PDA, and only out of envy.

Right. If a woman does feel envy, it’s typically at the sight of a guy acting loving to his girlfriend, not feeling her up at the mall.

The lady at “Stomp” got steamed because she paid roughly 80 bucks to see some pretty unique theater — not a close-up of some guy jamming his tongue in his girlfriend’s mouth. Had seeing a live sex show been her goal, she could’ve saved $79 by going to one of those places you put a dollar bill in a slot, the window opens, and for the next three minutes, you get to watch the triplets with the chicken.

Your final justification is the best: “I

own my actions and I’m fine with them.” Oh, yay. Nothing like murky new-age language used to take responsibility for taking no responsibility at all. (Follow that mantra far enough, and you can “own” a machine gun, and “own” using it to take out 14 people.)

In privatizing public space as your own, what you’re actually “owning” is acting in a way that’s only appropriate if your ZIP code traces to a neighborhood on the moon (population: one narcissistic jerkwad). You are right about one thing: that those forced to watch you getting your freak on should “start owning their reactions” — especially those who grew up on farms and who react to two animals humping each other by running to get the hose.

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