MOVE - ISSUE 08

MOVE 10.12.12 VOLUME 11 ISSUE 08

THE KEY TO YOUR ENTERTAINMENT

YOU'RE CORDIALLY INVITED TO

A TASTE OF COLUMBIA + TAKING HOME THE GOLDEN LADY ONE OF YOUR CLASSMATES JUST WON AN EMMY. WHO COULD IT BE? ONE LAST RAGE ARTRAGEOUS FRIDAYS CLOSE OUT THE SEASON WITH ONE FINAL HAPPENIN' WEEKEND TUNES MADE FOR WALKING HERE ARE OUR PICKS TO CHANGE UP YOUR DAILY CAMPUS HIKE

ONE STEP AT A TIME ABBIE WENTHE on fad diets

It’s a fad “I’m going on a diet.”

How many times have we heard this from the lips of our friends and family and even ourselves? Diets are seen as the quick fix to all our weight problems and even all our problems in general.

However, diets are the wrong way to lose weight or make a positive lifestyle change.

I don’t understand how people think eating all carbs, no carbs, only fruit or anything equally as crazy will make them lose weight and keep it off. Yes, it may help lose water weight but no stored fat will be lost. Then, the water weight will come right back. I asked my friends and family to share some of the craziest diets they’ve tried or heard.

First off, let’s discuss all these “cleanses” that are all the rage right now. Basically it is a straight week of just juice to rid the body of harmful toxins and pollutants in our bodies. Who gave the world the idea that the only way to get toxins out is to drink some type of organic juice for a week? Call me crazy, but since when have humans been able to go a week without food and still manage to maintain healthy levels of vitamins and calories? The human body is perfectly capable of getting rid of toxins on its own. Hello, internal organs. And with clean eating, there is no need to ever have to cleanse the body.

Others believe in crazy diets that will supposedly shed big pounds with minimal effort. The weirdest one I’ve heard of is The Baby Food Diet. Yes, adults are desperate enough to lose weight they’ll give up real food and go back to the days of mashed bananas and pureed beef and carrots. Supposedly replacing high calorie snacks with a jar or two of baby food will help reduce cravings and initiate weight loss. It might also come with thumb sucking and pooping your pants, but whatever works to lose weight, right?!

Wrong. All of this is just so wrong.

Other diets that have popped up on Pinterest include a week of eating specific foods. For example, Monday will be all fruits, Tuesday all vegetables, and so on. Unless humans magically morphed into rabbits or deer, we need more than just greens to get through the day.

The issue with all these diets? They don’t work. They don’t work because people get crabby and frustrated and give up, and then eat the entire kitchen and undo any progress they were trying to make in the first place.

As crazy as these diets sound, people actually try these methods and are surprised when they don’t work. Weight loss isn’t just going on a diet. Instead, it’s making a lifestyle change. It doesn’t make sense to go on a diet because once the diet ends, the weight will come back as the old eating and lifestyle habits will return.

Our bodies need food to properly function and give us enough energy to get through long days of classes, studying, club meetings and maybe even a little partying, so cleanses and diets that limit nutrient intake will never work. The human body needs carbohydrates, good fats and starches to carry out all the necessary functions and ensure a happy life free of sickness. Instead of trying a cleanse or crazy fad diet, try a lifestyle change.

Start by focusing on eating more fruits and vegetables during the day and slowly eliminate some of the bad foods. Add in a little exercise and soon enough you will be on track to a healthy mind and body without starving or worrying about putting on a bib before enjoying an afternoon snack of mushed squash and prunes.

/cover photo/DAVID FREYERMUTH design/Savannah kannberg EDITOR/DELIA CAI

Josh Abbott brings Texas to Missourah Sometimes, jamming with your fraternity brothers can turn into a prosperous career.

OK, there’s no evidence to suggest that dropping out of college to pursue a musical career is a practical endeavor more often than not, but for the Josh Abbott Band, that path has yielded three albums and growing recognition in the Texas country music community.

Lead singer Josh Abbott formed the band with banjo player Austin Davis and other fraternity brothers during his time in the Phi Delta Theta fraternity at Texas Tech University. When Abbott wanted to take the band more seriously, he left school.

“A couple years into it, we decided we wanted to make it a little more serious, and try making a career out of it,” Abbott says. “The other guys didn’t want to, so we hired some other guys and took off from there.”

Now touring in support of its latest effort, Small Town Family Dream, the band has settled into a lineup consisting of Abbott, Davis, Preston Wait (fiddle, guitar), Edward Villanueva (drums), James Hertless (bass) and Caleb Keeter (guitar).

Small Town, released back in April, peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200. The first single off the album, “Touch,” broke the top 50 on the Country Songs chart, according to Billboard, and now the band is on the verge of releasing a second radio single, “I’ll Sing About Mine.”

JAB have also made its debut at Grand Ole Opry this year and is now one of a handful of country bands to sell out the Whitewater Amphitheater in New Braunfels, Texas, along with the likes of Willie Nelson and Miranda Lambert, Abbott says.

When writing the new album, Abbott had a specific concept in mind: small towns and family dreams.

“I mean there’s a couple songs that kind of stray away from that: ‘She Will Be Free’ is about this girl, and ‘Touch’ is obviously a sex song,” Abbott says. “But the other songs kind of hone in on the great parts and the hardships of being from a small town. I think when people listen to it, whether

they’re from Missouri or Kansas or North Dakota, Alabama or Texas, I feel like it’s relatable.”

Allmusic.com writer Steve Leggett describes the band’s sound as “a quirky kind of country, often more like Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers with fiddles and banjos than it is like George Strait.”

For those not so keen on country, Abbott says “She Will Be Free” is “our version of a Dashboard Confessional song.”

When touring, Abbott creates a set list before each show based on the audience, playing different tunes to an unfamiliar crowd than the PHOTO COURTESY OF TODD PURIFOY band might for its home state. No matter where they play though, the band members’ priorities when playing to live audiences are different than, uh, “some other country bands.”

“I won’t name names, but they’ll just play covers of AC/DC, or some rap song,” Abbott says. “People will sing along and everyone says, ‘Yeah, these guys are badass!’ but that’s because the familiarity is there. That’s the easy way out. We’ve never taken that route.”

As for their upcoming Blue Note show, Abbott says Columbia can expect a lot of energy, and a lot of their own tunes.

“College towns are a big part of what we do,” Abbott said. “We’re not that mom-and-pop country that you hear on the radio. A lot of our music is fun and upbeat, or deep passionate love songs, and that really works well with college kids.” alex bond | reporter

MU sophomore scores Emmy »

While you were playing video games and shooting spitballs in high school, Haris Fazlic was on his way to winning awards the rest of us only dream about.

At first glance, Haris Fazlic seems like a typical MU student. He’s 19, he’s from St. Louis, he’s majoring in journalism and German, and he really likes girls in short shorts. But he’s also an Emmy-worthy choreographer, although you won’t hear Haris bragging about it anytime soon.

“I just coincidentally happened to win an Emmy,” Fazlic says. “Like, I promise I didn’t try to.”

On Sept. 22, Fazlic was awarded a Mid-America Emmy for Best Historical/Cultural Program Feature Segment for his contribution to the Modern American Dance Company dance show “Veza.” It was featured on the show “State of the Arts” on the Higher Education Channel in St. Louis.

The idea for “Veza,” which means “connection” in Bosnian, started more than four years ago when MADCO’s Executive/Artistic Director Stacy West met Layla Penetta, a Bosnian professor, to discuss the development of the arts in Bosnian culture. She learned that St. Louis is home to 50,000 Bosnians, which is the largest Bosnian population in the world outside of Bosnia.

“I thought, ‘Well, I’m really interested in the culture, and I’m interested in dance,’” West says. “Really what I should be doing is paying attention to this large group of people in my own community, so that’s where I’m going to start.’”

West then sought out Fazlic’s father, who ran the St. Louis-based Bosnian dance troop Bosansko Kolo before it was disbanded. Fazlic’s father passed the offer down to his son, and 17-year-old Fazlic jumped at the opportunity. West initially asked Fazlic to put together a Bosnian dance troop, choreograph a dance and perform in it, but Fazlic ended up contributing much more than that.

“We were working at the rehearsals or whatever, and all the dancers were just …” Fazlic pauses for dramatic effect, “… so hot. Like, ridicu-

More than ‘that YouTube girl’ »

WHEN: 8 P.M. WEDNESDAY WHERE: THE BLUE NOTE

PHOTO COURTESY OF NOA AZOULAY-SCLATER

lously attractive. So I played guitar, because what are you going to do?

There’s a bunch of girls. You have to play guitar.”

Fazlic’s impromptu performance of his own Bosnian love song ended up being featured prominently in the show, along with a traditional Bosnian folk dance choreographed and performed by Fazlic and his troupe. The show also included two other contemporary dances reflecting the story of Bosnians after the war of independence in the early 1990s. “(Fazlic) gave the piece a real human component and an authenticity to the story because it was his personal family and stories,” MADCO’s assistant rehearsal director Lindsay Hawkins says. “But he could play the guitar and sing, and he had a group of dancers that were doing traditional folk dancing. I mean, he had his hand in every aspect of the creative process.”

Fazlic, who was born a Bosnian refugee in Germany and spent his youth moving between Bosnia and the U.S., modestly deflects any praise received and will direct any and all attention to the culture and his people.

“This award was for Bosnia,” says Fazlic, who donated his award to HEC-TV. “I’m just happy that our culture finally got some recognition.

There are 50,000 Bosnians in St. Louis that don’t get recognized, so it’s nice to have our culture spoken for and appreciated.” aaron pellish | reporter

WHEN: 9:30 P.M. SATURDAY WHERE: MOJO'S

Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers are set to play at Mojo’s this Saturday.

If, in the year 2012, you can get more than 1.6 million people to watch your cover of Hall & Oates’ “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)” (or your cover of any song not by Justin Bieber or Katy Perry, for that matter), you know you’re doing something right.

Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers have done just that. The San Francisco group, made up of members Nicki Bluhm, Tim Bluhm, Deren Ney, Dave Mulligan, Steve Adams and Mike Curry, can now claim nearly 4 million total views to their YouTube channel name.

“It was completely accidental, to be honest,” Nicki Bluhm says. “At the time, the van didn’t have a radio, so we just started kind of playing songs in the car. We recorded the first one because Tim wasn’t with us, and Steve had the idea to just put it on YouTube so our family and friends at home could see it.”

Apparently, the idea was an excellent one. Calling their cover videos the “Van Sessions,” Bluhm and The Gramblers made recording videos in the car into a regular event. Today, the band doesn’t have a single uploaded video with less than a four-figure view count.

“As far as YouTube goes, I think it can be a powerful tool to get your music out there,” band publicist Maggie Poulos says. “Obviously, in the case of Nicki … having a good song and an engaging video go viral can

2 MOV E • 10.12.12

really help an artist get on the map.”

However, don’t go boxing Bluhm into the role of “that YouTube girl.” Before she had even touched YouTube, fellow band member and husband Tim Bluhm noticed her serious talent.

“I was at a New Year’s Eve show watching (Tim’s band) The Mother Hips in San Diego,” Nicki Bluhm says. “We ended up at the same party after the show, and people were kind of doing a round robin thing, passing the guitar around. Just real casual. It got passed to me and I sang a song.

Tim heard it and was impressed and invited me up to San Francisco to do some recording with him.”

Another reason not to classify Nicki Bluhm? Believe it or not, before adopting music as a career, she was a grade school teacher.

“Yeah, I have a teaching credential,” she says. “I taught environmental education, did a lot of substitute teaching and worked with autistic kids.

That was definitely one of the hats that I wore.”

Two albums (one of which includes her hit single, “Jetplane”, a song featured on the ESPYS and a Gap modeling gig later, and life for Bluhm is a little different. If you look back at her archive of tour dates, you’ll see that she has been touring and playing shows almost constantly for the last year.

“We were just joking the other day, me and my husband,” Nicki Bluhm says. “You walk out the door and you’re just totally disoriented every morning. You don’t even know where the bathroom is.”

Early morning confusion aside, she and the Gramblers seem to thoroughly enjoy life on the road and bringing their music to all parts of the country.

“Our set was a blast and a great foot to start this tour on,” guitarist Deren Ney wrote of The Gramblers’ gig at the Grand Point North Music Festival in Vermont on his tour blog, The Grambler Diaries. “While we noticed (and GREATLY appreciated) people familiar with our tunes, we were unknown to most of this large East Coast crowd, and they were incredibly welcoming to us anyway.”

So what is The Gramblers’ sound, anyway? Much like how Nicki Bluhm cannot be simply labeled “that YouTube girl,” the band’s genre is difficult to define.

“People say it’s sort of country rock with a little bit of soul, which I think is pretty reflective of what it is,” Nicki Bluhm says. “It’s unfortunate that it’s so many words, but it is what it is, you know?”

Whatever it is, it’s working. heather finn | reporter

MOVE FOUND YOUR NEXT MEAL We did the dirty work for you and taste-tested the nommiest spots in Columbia (it’s all about that journalistic sacrifice), so now, whenever the occasion arises, you’ll know exactly where to go for the very best place to …

TAKE YOUR PARENTS WHEN THEY'RE IN TOWN FLAT BRANCH PUB & BREWING 115 S. FIFTH ST. SUNDAYS THROUGH THURSDAYS 11 A.M. - MIDNIGHT FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS 11 A.M. - 1 A.M. LIZ BROWN l PHOTOGRAPHER

Walk into Stadium Grill, just a half-mile away from Faurot Field, and you will find the Hail Mary Burger Challenge. Warning: You better have an appetite bigger than your head.

This $50 collisional creation packs in five pounds of burger meat, 1.2 pounds of bacon and pulled pork, topped with four kinds of cheeses (American, cheddar, pepper jack and Swiss). You’ll also have another pound of fries to finish on top of all that within 60 minutes.

Survive the challenge, and Stadium Grill will let you rename the burger. In addition to the stomachache of the century, you receive a $50 gift card to the restaurant for every month you retain your title. This is not for the faint of heart. Despite my best effort, I was only able to finish 2.6 pounds. Think you can do better? brent pearson | staff writer

TRY THE HAIL MARY BURGER CHALLENGE stadium grill 1219 fellows place SUNDAYS THROUGH THURSDAYS 11 A.M. - 11 p.m.

FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS 11 A.M. - midnight

BRENT PEARSON l PHOTOGRAPHER

delight your pickiest vegetarian pal INGREDIENT 304 NINTH ST. SUNDAYS THROUGH THURSDAYS 10:30 A.M. - 9 P.M. FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS 10:30 A.M. - 10 P.M. DAVID FREYERMUTH l PHOTOGRAPHER

If you’re looking for a trendy, exotic getaway, look no further than Bangkok Gardens. Walking into the restaurant, you’ll immediately transform into Blair Waldorf, Gossip Girl queen bee of the Upper East Side. Well, this doesn’t actually happen. But Bangkok Gardens is still an uber-trendy Thai restaurant. And with the red veils draped from the ceiling, you can kind of forget that you are in Mid-Missouri for a little while. Try the No. 14, Saam Ka-Sat (stir-fried pineapple and vegetables with oyster sauce), for $11.50 with a spiciness level of 4 on a scale of 1-5. If you’re really feeling a challenge, add a little Sriracha hot sauce for that extra kick. mollie barnes | staff writer

If you want to know the best place to take your parents while they’re in town, I’d recommend Flat Branch Pub and Brewing.

Flat Branch is famous for making everything homemade; from their brick house oven pizzas to their specialty beers on tap. Upscale but comfortable inside, you can also enjoy dinner outside in the spacious outdoor beer garden or over Columbia’s largest bar. Try the Italian sausage pizza topped with a zesty homemade marinara sauce, Italian sausage, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese for only $8.49. The cheese literally melts in your mouth combined with the spicy flavors. It’s an explosion of goodness that you won’t want to share with the table. You’ll leave feeling satisfied and full — and hopefully, you won’t even have to pay the bill! liz brown | reporter

Ingredient is fast, casual dining at its finest. Like other similar restaurants, Ingredient focuses on both using fresh ingredients and providing many options for customers. Among standard menu items, Ingredient offers custom-made salads and burgers. I went with the custom burger with a vegetable patty on ciabatta bread with fresh mozzarella, red onions, spicy sprouts and guac for $7.95. When I started in it, I immediately knew it was a new contender for the best veggie burger I ever had.

The patty was flavorful, and I was actually able to discern between the different vegetables used to make the patty.

The patty was grilled to perfection, however it still slightly fell apart — as most vegetable patties do. It was a very filling lunch, but it would have been an appropriatelysized dinner. Ingredient surpassed my expectations as an eight-month vegetarian, and I can’t wait to go back. david freyermuth | reporter

give your taste buds a foreign exchange BANGKOK GARDENS 811 CHERRY ST.

Encore’s smooth jazz-infused, candle-lit scene encore wine serves as the backdrop of choice for the perfect girls’ night hangout. But while gossiping with the & dessert bar girls is fun, real women know that “girls’ night” is 904 elm st., ste. 108 just clever code for “an excuse to eat chocolate” — and Encore’s famous Chocolate Decadence is the $7 treat you’re going to want to gobble right fridays and saturdays up in a very un-ladylike fashion. A generous slice 7 p.m. - midnight of cake drizzled with chocolate ganache, served with whipped cream and fresh strawberries, the hailey yeakle | reporter Decadence is every woman’s cocoa-dream. While the cake is certainly rich, it is not overly filling and the semi-sweet strawberries mediate the competing flavors of the heavy cream and dark chocolate. Savor each creamy bite — you’re not going to want it to end! But when the time comes and there remains only a few crumbs, trust me, you’ll lay down your spoon and your dignity and lick that plate clean. I’ll shamelessly admit I did.

BRENDAN WRAY on free games

Keep the hole in your pocket burning One thing I’ve learned from the all the fliers I’ve had thrown in my face at Speaker’s Circle is that students like free things. It can be free food, a free t-shirt or even a free movie.

Instead of “if you build it, they will come,” the phrase has evolved, at least for college students, into “if it’s paid for, they’ll consider coming.” All those tangents aside, that phrase can be connected with games, too. (See, I actually did have a point.)

I love games, but what I love even more are free games. Gaming is an expensive hobby, that’s for sure, so whenever I come across a game that’s free and fun, I get strangely happy. It might just be my inner coupon-collecting/money-saving fiend, but whenever I stumble across a free game my wallet breaths a sigh of relief.

For me, free games also come with lower expectations. When I purchased Mass Effect 3, I wanted my $60 investment to be justified.

So when I arrived at Mass Effect’s substantially terrible ending, I felt cheated. Like Diet Coke, the game left me with a nasty aftertaste.

While my feelings towards Mass Effect have returned to adoration, in that moment the game didn’t hold up to it’s price tag. With free games, that doesn’t happen.

I look at free games in an entirely different way from games that I actually pay for. For a while now, the Apple App Store has been offering a free game every week. With each of these apps, I have had a blast playing. It may just be that they are great games, but I think I enjoy them because I never feel cheated like I did with Mass Effect 3. I have no amounts of actual money invested in the game. I didn’t choose a game over a sweater, which is something that I actually did a couple of weeks ago and regretted last Friday. I just tapped install.

Even when I don’t like a free game, which to be honest has happened more often than not; I can just toss it aside. I can shove it in my recycling bin or delete it with a tap of my finger. I don’t feel that same ownership I do with my purchases from GameStop. This past week, I downloaded two free games, one for my iPhone and the other for my journalistically-required MacBook.

These games are great. Like beyond great.

The first, for my iPhone, is called Cytus and it’s basically Dance Dance Revolution for my fingers. It’s a simple touch the dots as the come on the screen to the music type of game, but the music is great. While the music won’t be for everyone’s taste considering it’s dance music from Japan and South Korea (sorry no Gangnam Style!), it’s really catchy. Plus, it’s free.

The other game I downloaded was for my computer and is called Super Crate Box. Although the title is just as obscure as Cytus, it too offers a lot of fun for free. The basic premise of the game is to survive a never-ending amount of monsters while collecting crates that give you different weapons, like a shotgun or a ray gun. The art style is incredibly cartoony and only adds to the childish delight I got from playing the game. There isn’t any real objective except to collect as many crates as possible before you perish at the hands of one of the aforementioned monsters.

Like I said, I got both of these games in the past week and they are just as fulfilling in my mind as some $60 games. Sure, they don’t have visuals that will blow minds with their likeness to real life nor do they have incredible stories, but what they do have is a fun factor that rivals games from huge companies.

Are free games the future? Probably not, but they are something that I hope sticks around for years to come because they make loving games a little easier on the bank account.

NINE TERRIFIC TWITTERS FOR TIGERS

MONDAYS - WEDNESDAYS 11 A.M. - 2 P.M. + 5 P.M. - 9 P.M. THURSDAYS - SATURDAYS 5 P.M. - MIDNIGHT SUNDAYS 11:30 A.M. - 2:30 P.M. + 5 P.M. - 10 P.M.

GO NUTS ON DESSERT NIGHT

BITS & BYTES

alex stewart | senior staff writer

@MIZZOUFRATBOY: The rambling thoughts of your quintessential frat daddy. Most tweets are about drinking and pledges doing embarrassing things. @MIZZOUPASSOUTS: Tons of pictures of people facedown on the carpet after a long night of Natty Light.

MOLLIE BARNES l PHOTOGRAPHER

installed a microchip in a squirrel that reads and tweets all his thoughts.

impress on that first date Rich with swanky, urban vigor, “Bleu” offers an ambient atmosphere perfect for making that best first impression. With its modern art décor, blue and silver hues and spiffy (but not outrageously priced) selection of fare, a dinner date at “Bleu” is a sure way to earn bonus points with a romantic hopeful.

Best dish: Antipasto Board, for $15.

This chic dish includes assorted cheeses, baguette and crostini, spreads, prosciutto, salami and assorted vegetables. By sharing this platter, a couple optimizes their dining experience: gourmet food at an economical price.

@MIZZOUSQUIRREL: It’s rumored that the engineering students

@WSMIZZOUCM: A niche form of the original “What Should

bleu restaurant & wine bar 811 e. walnut st.

We Call Me” Tumblr account.

@MIZZOUSHACKERS: The morning after, everyone’s eventually gotta go home. Borrowed basketball shorts, stilettos and all.

@FREEFOODMIZZOU: Keeps you up to date on where to find

SUNDAYS 10 A.M. - 9 P.M. mondays 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. tuesdays - thursdays 11 a,m. - 10 p.m. fridays 11 a.m. - 1 a.m. saturdays 10 a.m. - 1 a.m. anthony orso | reporter

the free Shakespeare’s and Jimmy John’s on campus every day.

@MIZZOUGDI: This guy usually just tweets about embarrassing goings-on in the dorms and how cool cargo shorts are.

@MIZZOUMAKEOUTS: Last weekend’s archive of awkwardlypositioned and extremely public displays of affection. The faint of stomach need not apply. @CLUBELLIS: Some people think Club Ellis isn’t a real club. Clearly they haven’t seen all the vomit in here after finals.

10.12.12 • MOV E

3

Bookeater JENNIFER BENNETT

on her favorite Autism authors

Autism speaks, Mizzou needs to listen I spent last Wednesday getting pies shoved in my face. I’m spending this Saturday volunteering outside — and most likely freezing — at Forest Park in St. Louis. Why? For my brother.

My brother has autism. It’s been 14 years since he was diagnosed at age 3. I can’t remember a time when autism wasn’t part of my life. I’m obsessed with autism-related books, blue puzzle pieces (the autism awareness color and symbol), and working with Autism Speaks U at Mizzou.

Autism is a brain disorder that affects the way individuals communicate and interact with others. For my brother, autism means he doesn’t feel the need to be surrounded by friends at all times, but he’s still a gifted artist with a perfect memory for all things Marvel and DC. For my friend’s brother, autism means he doesn’t talk at all, but he still has a close group of friends whom he communicates with through sign language. For other children with autism, autism could mean they can’t stand being touched or that they have a really hard time making other people understand them or millions of other things. As my sister puts it, “Their brains are just wired differently.”

I love my brother. I see no reason why he should be bullied just for being a little bit different, as he was in junior high. That’s why I’m so committed to autism awareness and anything that aids it. I got pies thrown at me because it helped raise money for autism research. I’m spending Saturday in St. Louis because I want to help make this year’s Walk Now for Autism Speaks event a success.

I think that first-hand accounts of autism spectrum disorders are one of the best ways to increase autism awareness. Not just awareness of WHAT autism is but also WHO it is. Authors like Temple Grandin, John Elder Robison, and Arthur Fleischmann and his daughter Carly provide an often-neglected view of what it means to really live with autism. I know a lot about living with an individual with autism, but no matter how many books I read, I’ll never know what it’s really like to have autism.

Robison has written two memoirs of life with autism: “Look Me in the Eye” and “Be Different.” The latter is my favorite. In it, Robison systematically examines his life and tries to pinpoint exact moments where his autism spectrum disorder, Asperger’s, has helped him and hindered him.

It helped him in his career (he’s an accomplished engineer and mechanic).

It hindered him in his marriage. Robison’s examples and explanations go a long way to make the mindset of autism accessible and understandable.

Fleischmann wrote his book, “Carly’s Voice,” with the help of his 17-year-old daughter, Carly. His book describes how he struggled to get to know his nonverbal autistic daughter. He talks about finally getting to know Carly as a real person — finally hearing her “voice” — after she found a way to communicate with others at age 10. By typing (Carly now carries an iPad everywhere for this purpose), Carly is able to share her inner world with her parents and everyone else. As she puts it, “I am an autistic girl but autism doesn’t define who I am or how I’m going to live my life.” Fleischmann’s book exposes the other side of Carly — a side a lot like any other gifted teenage girl.

Grandin’s many books are examples of how some aspects of autism can actually provide an advantage. She’s famous for her work as an animal scientist — she’s been essential to making America’s meat industry more humane. Her autism enables her to visualize the world as certain animals do and to develop procedures that are easier and less terrifying for animals to go through. Her books show how her autism has occasionally helped her, but even more importantly, they show how her autism doesn’t dictate her life.

Books such as these provide an inside look at autism, turning it from a clinical definition into something that real people live with. They show that there are faces behind the statistics of autism. They do what all truly great books do — enable us to better understand something we’ll never live through ourselves.

Only online at move.themaneater.com

» » » » »

Music: Columnist Jackson Farley promises that the Macklemore bandwagon is most def worth hopping on.

Movies: Josh Sipp gives 'Taken 2' only 2 abducted family members out of 5.

Fashion: Columnist Claire Boston dishes on the best style sites to browse in lecture hall.

Review: Pop-punk outfit SSION rocked out at Mojo's in a weird(ly good?) way.

Blogs on music, movies, pop culture and way freaking more.

4 MOV E • 10.12.12

Minor key, major impact » The Missouri Contemporary Ballet’s open rehearsal showcases compelling choreography.

You’re standing innocently on a street corner in New York City waiting for the light to change. Next to you is a statue. At least you think it’s a statue … until it grabs your shoulder.

These street performers covered in paint and plaster invoke New York-based choreographer John-Mark Owen’s work. He takes statuesque images and brings them to life.

“I work with moving imagery,” he said. “I like to take shapes that are sculpturally evocative and transition them melodically so that the shape is more of an indication of a feeling or an emotion.”

Owen’s singular technique will be on display Saturday during his open rehearsal with members of the Missouri Contemporary Ballet.

The rehearsal is part of Columbia’s “Artrageous Fridays” series.

“Artrageous is basically a free art crawl around Columbia and a good way for smaller business to let the community know what they’re doing,” said Joanne Sandorfi, Missouri Contemporary Ballet director of operations.

Both Owen and Sandorfi said Saturday will offer a unique behindthe-scenes glimpse at the process of putting a show together.

“I don’t think (people) really understand how long it takes to put a work together,” Sandorfi said. “You have to set the choreography, you have to clean it, and then you have to perfect it, and that’s what you’re going to see on Saturday is the cleaning process of John-Mark Owen’s piece.”

Owen agreed that people can expect to see “that intimate relationship between the dancer and the choreographer, the multiple times that you try something before you get that seamless transition, the rawness and intimacy of a rehearsal space.”

Owen’s work-in-progress “Minore al Maggiore,” which is Italian for “minor to major,” has no shortage of intimacy.

The piece is based on an image from “Requiem,” another of Owen’s works. In “Requiem,” a male character receives a brutal blow from a female and slides down her body, ending with his arm on her hip and his body prostrate, facing down.

“It’s just a very strong, bold image, and I wasn’t done with it,” Owen said. “I loved that image and I wanted to see what would happen if it became more tender and went to a more hopeful, optimistic place.”

The transition from pessimism to optimism, Owen explained, ties into the title of the piece “Minore al Maggiore.”

Owen’s work will be displayed Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Orr Street Studios. The doors to Studio A will be wide open. Passers-by can wander in and, as Sandorfi said, “get some culture in.” “(People will see) the creative process as well as the cleaning process, and I think that will really encourage them to come see the finished product in the show,” Sanforfi said.

Missouri Contemporary Ballet’s November show, “Thirst,” will feature Owen’s “Minore al Maggiore” as well as pieces by Missouri Contemporary Ballet’s Artistic Director Karen Mareck Grundy and guest choreographer Thang Dao. For Owen, though, the real reward is how people respond to his work.

“What I look for is that moment where you find something in you that illuminates your whole experience and provokes you to further thought,” he said. “I appreciate that dialogue, that’s what I look for, which is why I do what I do.” claire landsbaum | senior staff writer

Catchy beats to cure growing apathy As the temperature plummets and the leaves fall, the excitement and optimism that came with syllabus week quickly turns into a complete lack of interest for anything resembling productivity.

Why go to class when you can stay in bed drinking hot chocolate and watching “Lord of the Rings” for the 17th time?

As it turns out, all you may need is a slight kick for inspiration.

Try a walking playlist with addicting hooks, positive themes and stimulating choruses to fight the newfound lethargy, and you’ll find yourself dancing to morning class in no time.

1. “Wake Up” by Two Door Cinema Club Setting an early alarm can be quite the buzzkill after a fun evening, and fighting the urge to snooze the next morning can prove nearly impossible. Wise lyrics of perseverance will help get you up and running: “Tell me you’ll feel better / When you’re sleeping through the day / And I’ll tell you how you missed it when you wake.” The new day holds something great, no matter how daunting it may seem. Two Door Cinema Club knows – sometimes to catch the worm, you’ve got to be an early bird.

2. “Block After Block” by Matt and Kim This Brooklyn duo knows a thing or two about catchy hooks and upbeat rhythms, but these chatty lyrics also hold very true to the idea of exploring outside of the everyday rut: “Go too far, live too long / Time’s too short, right and wrong / Block after block, block after block.” Themes of adventure and numerous possibilities are perfect for parting ways with the old and seeing the world in a new, exciting light.

3. “Map of the Problematique” by Muse Heavy, fast paced guitar riffs and grandiose beats establish an overall feel sure to inspire and energize even the laziest of students. With Matt Bellamy’s soaring vocals radiating in your ears, you will be pumped for anything and everything, whether it be a midterm or an intramural volleyball game. Bellamy screams of fear for the future, which is very relatable on a college campus.

4. “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” by The Wombats Our parents and grandparents are right: we’re young - let’s enjoy it while we can! Yes, this is a heavily overused

alex leininger | reporter theme, but a little dance pop never hurt anybody, and sometimes we just need to forget about life and tango just because we can.

Hailing from Liverpool, the band emphasizes glee with a good attitude in this song, singing “Everything is going wrong, but we’re so happy.” See your stress disappear with every step.

5. “Hoppipolla” by Sigur Ros This song’s breathtaking orchestration makes you feel as though you could take down any obstacle in the grand spectrum of the world, regardless of its size. While the lyrics are rather ambiguous (okay, really, it’s a completely made up language), the abnormality of the song is accompanied by an undying fearlessness sure to make any stroll around campus feel otherworldly. There’s nothing wrong with a traditional light, popular beat, but music that makes you feel greater than yourself is a must for any walking playlist.

Anytime you feel drained of all energy, lost from all hope or simply hungry for upbeat, inspirational tunes, turn these songs on full blast. Watch as the campus becomes your personal dance floor.

Make this weekend artrageous Remember when MOVE gave you unique date ideas last week?

Here’s another one to add to your repertoire.

This weekend marks the end of the sixth season of Artrageous Fridays: Fridays done the Artrageous way provide an array of activities ranging from ballet performances and jazz quartets to tattoo demonstrations and live painting. Culinary artists (aka downtown restaurants) also contribute by offering discounts before and after the crawl.

With the help of PS Gallery’s Jennifer Perlow, the Artrageous Friday program took form in 2007 with a group of 12 to 15 art organizations, Artrageous Friday’s Executive Director Kate Gunn says in an email. As the quarterly crawl wraps up its sixth year, each Friday boasts nearly 40 Artrageous members from the North Village Arts District, downtown area and three college campuses as well as 3,000 to 5,000 attendees.

One may ask, quarterly? Why must such awesomeness only commence four times a year? Gunn says that a smaller number of events insure uniqueness and quality. Plus, it gives the artists time to work their magic.

“Restaurant participation, guerrilla street art, buskers (street performers) provided by the Office of Cultural Affairs and an overall expansion on the varying types of art-related organizations the city has to showcase are all successes of 2012,” Gunn says. “Our community is so fortunate to not only have so many talented and dedicated artisans (of all crafts) but even more fortunate that these artisans are willing to share and enhance our daily lives and organizations give them the power to do so. In our support of the arts, we are simultaneously supporting our societal & economic growth.” lauren rutherford | staff writer

this weekend: Elly’s Couture: “We are featuring a local designer, Lauren Rundquist with ‘Designs by Lauren.’ She is going to be hand stenciling on the spot with Mizzou, Cardinals or custom designs on TOMS, Converse and Keds.” –Elly, Elly’s Couture Artlandish Gallery: “We will have four live bands and many artists on hand. Everyone is invited! There’s a fashion show and Fire Spinning.” –Lisa Bartlett, Artlandish Gallery Poppy: “Poppy is hosting the opening of our holiday trunk show featuring jewelry artist Tracy Arrington. Tracy is flying in from Orlando, Fl. for the opening Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. and will be sharing her new Textured Circles Collection.” –Liz Tucker, buyer for Poppy Orr Street Studios: “Orr Street Studios will be hosting Ed Hansen singing Sinatra on our patio from 6-7 followed by a very special solo appearance by national recording artist, Hilary Scott. We are also having an artist reception in our visitors gallery for Bo Bedilion and his exquisite ceramic cups — each of them is a work of art.” –Stacie Pottinger, director of Orr Street Studios Bluestem Missouri Crafts: “Inspired by her travels and teaching in Paris, Japan, Korea and, of course, Missouri, designer Sharon Kilfoyle will reveal an eclectic fall runway of treasures, one-of-a-kind wearables and accessories, created in her signature shibori and nuno felt techniques. Come sparkle in the lightweight warmth of sheer nuno felts and wrap yourself in luminous hand-dyed silks.” –Laura Buillion, Bluestem Missouri Crafts