Toledo Free Press STAR – December 8, 2010

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2 n WEDNESDAY, DEC. 8, 2010 / “At Christmas, all roads lead home.” — Marjorie Holmes TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM

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DEC. 8, 2010 • Episode 1 Chapter 40 • Toledo Free Press Star, Toledo, OH: “There has been only one Christmas — the rest are anniversaries.” — W.J. Cameron

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Sometimes, those tinkering with the basic formula of a grand old franchise can come up with something great ... But oftentimes, it seems as though the creators of a new version of classic characters are doing little but cashing in on old fans and rarely seem to care about respecting the original work.”

Jeff McGinnis on re-imagining cartoon favorites, page 22

Owens offers ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ radio theater

M

aybe you weren’t around for the golden age of American radio, but Owens Community College is giving you a second chance to experience the airwaves in all their splendor, with “It’s A Wonderful Life: Live From WVL Radio Theatre.” This theatrical production is being presented as an “authentic radio broadcast” on Dec. 10, at 8 p.m. in the Center for Fine and Performing Arts’ Mainstage Theatre.

Attendees are in for a theatrical experience unlike any other, which begins when the ‘OnAir’ sign lights up and actors and actresses tell the story of the heartwarming holiday classic ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ from the studios of WVL Radio,” said Barbara Barkan, Owens director for

the Center for Fine and Performing Arts.

The play, which is based on Frank Capra’s timeless tale of redemption, is being co-produced by the North Carolina State Company and the Immediate Theatre Project.

The piece was adapted in 2006 by W.V.R. Repoley.

“I adapted this piece, because for the most part, I don’t think that people actually know the movie all that well,” Repoley said. “They think they do, but mostly they just remember the last 20 minutes, when George is confronted with what the world would be like if he had never been born. And they remember only a few other key moments. They have very strong emotional ties to those moments, and I think that most

people assume those ties are there because of the end of the movie, and how good it makes them feel. And I don’t think that’s wrong, but I don’t think it’s the whole story, either.

“What we tend to forget is just how bad it had to get for George in order for him to come to that ending. And I think that that is part of the appeal, too. As hard as it is to watch him slowly become crippled under the weight of his choices, it is still so uplifting to watch him be so selfless. We are so fully invested in his struggle that we really earn that payoff at the end.”

Tickets are $23. All seats are reserved. For more information, call (567) 661-2787 or visit www.owens.edu.

— John Dorsey

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4 n WEDNESDAY, DEC. 8, 2010 / “It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.” — W.T. Ellis TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM

So, a mermaid walks into a diner ...

UT’s Jennifer Rockwood prepares to ‘stand up naked in front of everybody’ for her new play, ‘Watershed.’

By Caitlin McGlade Toledo Free Press Star Staff Writer star@toledofreepress.com

If you’ve never met a mermaid in a Tennessee diner, you haven’t spent time around playwright Jennifer Rockwood’s imagination.

Rockwood, director of the University of Toledo’s first year experience program, will expose that imagination Dec. 10. Actors will read her latest three-act play, “Watershed,” at 7:30 p.m. in the Center Theatre.

“Stage reading is the first time that the playwright gets to get the play out of their head,” said Rockwood, who has worked in UT theater for more than 23 years. “It’s kind of like standing up naked in front of everybody. The actors are helping me bring the birthing of my play.”

Rockwood has directed 80 plays and has been involved with more than 100 productions, she said. Writing has been a recent endeavor, as she just picked up the pen for the first time this summer since graduate school.

She wrote one-acts about psychiatrist-patient interactions and the meaning of life through frazzled mothers’ eyes this summer.

By August, she found herself waking up at odd times in the middle of the night to scribble ideas for what soon became “Watershed,” a semiviolent comedy packed with metaphors and “verbal fireworks.”

“It’s a lot of stuff in a pot,” Rockwood said.

“Take a mermaid and have her sort of wash up in a diner in Tennessee with two twin brothers and see where that goes.”

The play involves sibling rivalry and secrets, water pollution and the role that water plays in our lives. Rockwood said she uses water as a metaphor for the elements that sustain us. The mermaid in the diner will represent a magical figure with the ability to bring characters up or take them down, she said.

Although she described her play as a comedy, the label is not so simple.

“I like plays where you laugh at a lot of things,” she said. “And then you think about it and realize it’s not really that funny.”

Jennifer Rockwood has directed more than 80 plays and been involved with more than 100 productions.

TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAR PHOTO BY CHARLIE LONGTON

Rockwood, whose favorite Shakespeare play is the family politics-driven “King Lear,” draws much of her inspiration from her own family.

She has two sons in their 20s who she said swap various roles of good boy, bad boy at different times. All siblings are inherent rivals, she added.

Eavesdropping proves a fruitful idea-gatherer.

“Sometimes you’re in a restaurant and you hear a married couple talking and you say, ‘Oh my gosh,

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that’s the opening line of a play,’” she said.

Presenting “Watershed” as a reading will help Rockwood decide what she needs to alter and what she needs to keep the same. Depending upon how her reading is received, she plans to eventually release it as a fully produced play.

Writing a play has given Rockwood an exciting new role in the hierarchy of theater, she said.

“I don’t like to take direction, I give it,” she

said. “I’m a bossy person. I have a vision and I want it my way. Writing the play is one step higher than being a director.”

But for Rockwood, theater means much more than taking charge.

“Theater creates this moment in time that is living and breathing and full of all of these different components,” she said. “And everything can go wrong at the same time.” O

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“Christmas is the day that holds all time together.” — Alexander Smith TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM / WEDNESDAY, DEC. 8, 2010 n 5

Staying focused

By Nick Bruno Toledo Free Press Star Staff Writer star@toledofreepress.com

Twenty-four-year-old singer-songwriter Shane Piasecki is exploring his roots on “Monday Creek,” his third independent studio release.

The Northwest Ohio native has spent the last two years living in Nashville, playing music with accomplished musicians and walking the same streets as Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley. The 13-track album — fused with threads of country and rock — marks Piasecki’s first release since moving to Music City, USA. “It can be overwhelming, and at first I think it was,” Piasecki said, discussing life in Nashville.

“But you learn to stay focused, otherwise it’s too easy to become caught up with the city.”

Piasecki now splits his time between Tennessee and Ohio while developing his songwriting skills.

“Someone once told me, ‘There’s just more people here. If you’re good, you’re still good, but there’s just more people to compete with’,” he said.

The Liberty Center graduate has worked with a number of well-known musicians, such as Dave Roe, Mila Mason and songwriter Chris Gantry.

Roe, who played bass for Cash during the 1990s and befriended Piasecki, offered his music skills on an earlier project.

“It had to be one of the best sets ever heard,”

Shane Piasecki fuses Nashville lifestyle with Northwest Ohio roots.

Piasecki said in reaction to the first time he played with Roe in Nashville. “I wanted to give him a hug when we finished up. The music sounded so real and good, I didn’t think I needed anything else.”

Following their first meeting, Roe agreed to work with Piasecki on “Monday Creek.” Roe then assembled a group of musicians in Nashville to record on the album, such as guitarist Doug Lancio (who has worked with John Hiatt and Nancy Griffith), Mike Schrimpf on keyboards and Raconteurs drummer Patrick Keeler.

“We hit it off as friends,” Roe said of Piasecki. “I love his music and I think he’ll do real well.”

Roe has lived in Nashville for the past 30 years. He said Piasecki has a different take on things when he writes. In the song “Camping,” Piasecki sings about the simplicity of a relationship during a camping adventure: “I like our chances if we just stay here/and live off crackers water and beer/nobody here to do us any harm/ and I’ve fallen asleep in my baby’s arms.”

Though steering slightly away from his earlier pop style, Piasecki said he hopes to eventually incorporate folk/rock with pop music.

“I grew up with roots and blues music,” he said, pointing to Robert Johnson and Hank Williams as old favorites. “But I’d hope to be able to appeal to both genres eventually in my career, because they’re both relevant. Inspiration comes from different periods of time in someone’s life and that’s what keeps me moving. Writing has to adapt.” O

Northwest Ohio native Shane Piasecki spends recording time in Nashville.

PHOTO COURTESY SHANE PIASECKI

6 n WEDNESDAY, DEC. 8, 2010 / “The best Christmas trees come very close to exceeding nature.” — Andy Rooney TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM

Get up, stand up

Media Decompression Collective event set for Dec. 12.

G

ood morning! “Radioactive water leaked at the Fermi 2 nuclear power plant Wednesday afternoon.” How are you? “Israeli government documents show deliberate policy to keep Gazans at near-starvation levels.” I’m well, thanks.

“Senate Bill 510, the Food Safety Modernization Act, has been called ‘the most dangerous bill in the history of the United States of America.’ It would grant the U.S. government new authority over the public’s right to grow, trade and transport any foods. This would give Big Brother the power to regulate the tomato plants in your backyard. It would grant them the power to arrest and imprison people selling STACY cucumbers at farmers markets. It would criminalize the transporting of organic produce if you don’t comply with the authoritarian rules of the federal government.”

How are you? “The Lake Erie ecosystem faces wide and varied threats to its health and integrity ... jeopardizing the ability of Lake Erie to provide valued ecosystem services.” I’m OK. I’m OK, except a friend was harassed by local police, arrested on charges of riding a bicycle with no headlight or taillight, then jailed in a holding cell where they confiscated his blanket, shoes and cot for the night. Another friend has the FBI knocking at his door because he speaks out about Israeli apartheid. Our basic human rights are being infringed upon. And I mean basic — access to safe and healthy food, clean water, clean air, freedom of speech, freedom of choice.

There’s a lot of crazy shit happening and our future is unclear. It is very easy to feel angry, sad, frustrated, overwhelmed, helpless and hopeless, and to have fear. Although often deemed as “negative,” these are normal human emotions just as are joy, calmness and happiness, etc. Recognize them, say hello to them, address their source, but do not wallow in those emotions for too long. Do not let these emotions become crippling or steal your energy.

We need you.

We need each other.

There is no more time to wonder if your actions, thoughts and words make a difference in this enormity of a world we live in. The answer is yes, they do. Think “ripple effect.” We are fortunate enough to live in a close-knit community with brilliant, energetic people who have each other’s back. Toledoans are also located on Lake Erie and the Maumee River,

two enormous banks of natural resources loaded with potential (they just need more love and less, much less, nuclear). Northwest Ohio is also biologically diverse and produces a lot of food. We have human resources and natural resources — let’s get it on.

That means when we see unfair treatment of humans because they are “gay” or “Palestinian,” we speak up. What about when after the global tragedy of the BP oil spill, Toledo’s BPHusky refinery was given a $2.5 billion upgrade so it can process tens of thousands of barrels of heavy oil each day extracted from the rugged tundra of Alberta? I can tell you why I think it is f ’d up, but what are we going to do about it? Hope for no more oil spills, hope the local refineries don’t have any leaks or explosions, hope the drilling in Alberta and the shipment of oil across the world doesn’t have any detrimental impact on our health, wildlife and our ecosystem? It is challenging to know what to do and how to put our words into actions.

Behold! An upcoming workshop series, “Yoga in Action” is intended to motivate activists to “be the change”. A part of the wider effort of www.offthematintotheworld. org,“Yoga in Action” will include the transformational work of yoga, meditation and visualization and explore the practical tools of communicating, organizing and collaborating for more effective community action.

Register by Dec. 22 by visiting the website www.integrationyogastudio.com.

Media Decompression Collective, bringing independent and provocative films to inquisitive Toledo minds (www.mdctoledo.org) and Toledo Green Drinks, a monthly environmental networking event (www.greendrinks. org), will show the film “What a Way to Go: Life at the End of Empire” at 8:30 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Ottawa Tavern. “What a Way to Go” features interviews from radical environmentalists including Daniel Quinn, Derrick Jensen and Thomas Berry.

I invite everyone who is “coming to grips with Peak Oil, Climate Change, Mass Extinction, Population Overshoot and the demise of the American Lifestyle,” or is just pissed off, to come watch the movie and afterward discuss immediate steps to improve our safety and health in this community, and our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. O

JURICH WANDERING

ROOTS

E-mail Stacy Jurich at star@toledofreepress.com.

“This is the message of Christmas: We are never alone.� — Taylor Caldwell TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM / WEDNESDAY, DEC. 8, 2010 n 7

Nonprofit reading series spotlights poets

By John Dorsey Toledo Free Press STAR Staff Writer jdorsey@toledofreepress.com

Our community has its share of great arts institutions and another may soon be on the way, if the Toledo Poetry Museum has anything to say about it. The fledging nonprofit was recently created to spread good will through community giving, while at the same time offering wider exposure to local poets. The group’s first event, which benefits the N.A.O.M.I. Transitional House, will take place at 6 p.m. Dec. 11 at the Original Sub Shop and Deli, 402 E. Broadway St. The group is the brainchild of poets Michael Kocinski, Jonie McIntire, Adrian Lime and Larry Levy.

The reading will feature Jane Bradley, Larry Levy, Gary KOCINSKI Bond, Bob Phillips, Patrice Davis, Michael Grover and Michael Hackney. “I first spoke with Marc Folk a number of months ago to see what we could do for poetry under the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo banner and he was very supportive, but we were both so busy,� Kocinski said. “I also thought about putting together a blog that archived pictures and recordings from past events showcasing Toledo’s rich history as a poetry town and

then I saw a post on Facebook about a charity drive, that I believe was being put on by the Poet’s Haven in Akron, and I thought that maybe we could do something like that. “We chose N.A.O.M.I. House because we felt that the work that they’re doing goes largely unsung.�

The N.A.O.M.I. House reading is free, however donations are being accepted in the form of gloves, scarves, hats, socks, kneehighs, houseslippers, writing notebooks, pens, markers, cards, stamps, facial soap, deodorant, shampoo, plug-in air fresheners, toothpaste and toothbrushes, bleach, fabric softener, dryer sheets, and laundry detergent. To learn more, visit naomith.org/wishlist.htm. “When we decided to start the Poetry Museum, we talked about where we were weakest as a poetry community and what we discovered is that all of the different groups were niche points,� Kocinski said. “You saw the same 15 people at the same readings every time. “We knew that if we wanted to get a broader audience that we had to make poetry a more vibrant entertainment alternative, while taking it seriously in a way that we hadn’t before. As poets, we can’t just expect people to come out, we give people a reason to care and create a community that they can be proud of.�

For more information, call (419) 243-4857 or visit www.originalsub.com. O

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8 n WEDNESDAY, DEC. 8, 2010 / “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” — Charles Dickens TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM

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If fun, free, family-friendly entertainment is what you seek this holiday season, look no further than the Toledo Museum of Art’s (TMA) annual Winter Legacies.

The week of special programming, including dance performances, musical entertainment, special tours and hands-on activities draws more than 2,000 people annually during TMA’s busiest week of the year, according to a news release.

The seventh annual Winter Legacies will run from Dec. 26 to Jan. 2. The museum, 2445 Monroe St., is closed Mondays and New Year’s Day. “Kids are off school and people are out looking for things to do and this just gives them so many choices of things to do within the museum,” said Kelly Fritz Garrow, director of communications at TMA. “There is a lot for families to do for no money. We love it to be busy. We want people to come out and enjoy themselves.”

New performers this year include OPA! Greek Ensemble, Electric Arts Duo, Mesmeric Belly Dance Fusion, Daniel Quinn on guitar and singing group Sweet Harmony, while annual favorites include Ballet Folklorico Imagenes Mexicanas, ALMA Drum and Dance, Ardan Academy Irish dancers, Dances of Universal Peace and the Chinese Association of Greater Toledo, Garrow said.

The hands-on activities are new each year and are usually geared toward current exhibitions, Garrow said.

“These are perfect indoor activities for families, friends and out-of-town guests,” said Program Coordinator Judy Weinberg in the release. “They are a wonderful way to discover the diverse cultures that enrich the Toledo community.”

Events are subject to change. For more information, visit www.toledomuseum.org or call (800) 644-6862.

Sunday, Dec. 26

1-2 p.m.: Traditional tales from Joyce Davis’ engaging puppet characters; Great Gallery.

2-4 p.m.: Hands On: Mexican Milagros.

Make your own version of this traditional folk art. Milagros are small metal charms found in many areas of Latin America, especially Mexico and Peru, where milagro means “miracle”; Libbey Court.

2-3 p.m.: Ballet Folklorico Imagenes Mexicanas enlivens the cultures of Mexico through vivid costumes and upbeat music; Great Gallery.

3 p.m.: Public Tour: Highlights from Around the Globe; Libbey Court.

3:30-4:30 p.m.: OPA! Greek Ensemble per-

forms music of Greece; Great Gallery.

4:30-5:30 p.m.: ALMA Drum and Dance entertains with high-energy African cultural performances; Great Gallery.

Tuesday, Dec. 28

Noon to 1 p.m.: Electric Arts Duo and friends, Great Gallery.

1-2 p.m.: Ardan Academy students celebrate the Irish dance tradition by performing jigs, reels, hornpipes and ceilis; Great Gallery.

2:30-3:30 p.m.: Mesmeric Belly Dance Fusion; Great Gallery.

Wednesday, Dec. 29

1-2 p.m.: Daniel Quinn performs acoustic string music by some of the greatest Japanese composers; Great Gallery.

2-4 p.m.: Hands On: Best Face Forward, Make a netsuke face out of clay similar to those found in the “Life in Miniature” exhibition; Libbey Court.

2-3 p.m.: The women of Sweet Harmony sing about life, love and winter; Great Gallery.

Thursday, Dec. 30

1-2 p.m.: Leyla and Lapis Lazuli use vibrant costumes and vivacious dance moves to give a colorful presentation of some traditional dances of the Middle East; Great Gallery.

2-3 p.m.: Storyteller Michelle Cornell tells winter tales from around the world; Great Gallery.

Friday, Dec. 31

1:30-2 p.m.: Dances of Universal Peace, Watch (and join) members of the MultiFaith Council of Northwest Ohio as they perform Sufi dances that promote peace through the arts; Great Gallery.

2-4 p.m.: Hands On: Paper Cuts from Around the World, Try your hand at the art of paper cutting, adopted by cultures from China to Japan, Europe to India and Mexico, to create a one-ofa-kind work of art; Libbey Court.

2-3 p.m., The Poet LaFe, Ophelia Thompson, shares original poems as well as those of other well-known African-American poets; Great Gallery.

3:30-5 p.m., The Chinese Association of Greater Toledo presents traditional performances representing various regions of China; Great Gallery.

Sunday, Jan. 2

1-2 p.m., Learn from the United Jewish Council how Jewish traditions are passed on through song and dance; Great Gallery.

2-3 p.m., Hellenic Dancers, Greek traditions continue through the folk dances that are passed on from one generation to another; Great Gallery. O

“Christmas is the Disneyfication of Christianity” — Don Cupitt TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM / WEDNESDAY, DEC. 8, 2010 n 9

C’mon ‘n’ ride it

T

he 2011 awards season train has left the station. Its destination: the 83rd Academy Awards on Feb. 27. There are many stops along the way. It may be a bumpy ride for some; but for others, a smooth ride to Oscar Sunday could be possible.

Colin Firth may be one of the lucky few sitting in first class. His much ballyhooed performance in “The King’s Speech” may win him the Best Actor Oscar, among a slew of other trophies. But The Gold Knight will save the prognosticating for another column.

James The first stop on the long and winding journey to Feb. 27 was the Gotham Independent Film Awards.

Held in New York on Nov. 29, the Independent Feature Project (IFP) gave top prizes to “Winter’s Bone” for Best Feature and Best Ensemble Performance. The film, out on DVD, beat other buzzed-about films including “Black Swan” and “The Kids Are All Right.”

Continuing the love for “Winter’s Bone,” the Film Independent Spirit Awards announced its nominees Nov. 30. “Winter’s Bone” led the pack

with seven nominations, including Best Feature, Director, Female Lead (Jennifer Lawrence), Supporting Male (John Hawkes) and Supporting Female (Dale Dickey).

“The Kids Are Alright” scored the second-most nominations with five: Feature, Director, Screenplay, Female Lead (Annette Bening) and Supporting Male (Mark Ruffalo). Close behind, “Black Swan” has four nominations, including Feature and A. Female Lead (Natalie Portman). Other Feature nominees include Danny Boyle’s thriller “127 Hours” and “Greenburg,” a dramedy with Ben Stiller in the title role. The Spirit Awards, hosted by Joel McHale, are Feb. 26.

Molnar

THE

GOLD KNIGHT

“If you feel like dancing, well come on, it’s up to you/We got the sound to keep you getting down, down/The train is coming through” — Quad City DJ’s

Hop onboard the awards season train.

Is “Winter’s Bone” the early front-runner fordancing home with an few Oscars? Not quite. The train still has quite a few stops to make. The National Board of Review (NBR) awards is one of them.

Announced Dec. 1, NBR honored “The Social Network” with Best Film, Director (David Fincher), Actor (Jesse Eisenberg) and Adapted Screenplay (Aaron Sorkin). Note: “Up in the Air” took home four awards last year from NBR, including Film, but did not clinch the Best Picture Oscar. Since 1995, only three of NBR Best Film winners have won the Oscar. Other films honored include “Waiting for ‘Superman’” (Documentary), “Toy Story 3” (Animated Feature), “The Town” (Ensemble Cast) and “Buried” (Chris Sparling for Original Screenplay).

Toledo Free Press Star pop culture guru Jeff McGinnis said “The Social Network” “will be the best movie of 2010” in his Oct. 5 column. He also said Aaron Sorkin “will surely win an Oscar for his work” on the screenplay. McGinnis may be an Oscarologist. We’ll find out in a few months.

With that, the train continues on. The next big stops are the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations, Dec. 14 and 16, respectively. Get onboard and enjoy the fun.

“Come on it’s the choo choo, woo woo/Come on it’s the choo choo train.” O

Top stops Dec. 14

Dec. 16

Jan. 4

Jan. 4

Jan. 10

Jan. 16 Jan. 18 Jan. 22 Jan. 25 Jan. 29 Jan. 30 Feb. 12

Feb. 13 Feb. 26 Feb. 27

Golden Globe nominations announced Screen Actors Guild Award nominations announced Producers Guild of America nominations Writers Guild of America nominations Directors Guild of America nominations announced Golden Globe Awards BAFTA nominations announced Producers Guild Awards Oscar nominations announced Directors Guild of America Awards Screen Actors Guild Awards Scientific and Technical Awards Presentation BAFTAs Independent Spirit Awards Academy Awards

Toledo Free Press Star Lead Designer James A. Molnar blogs about all things Oscar at http:// thegoldknight.blogspot.com. His column will appear online and in print periodically.

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10 n WEDNESDAY, DEC. 8, 2010 / “Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people once a year.” — Victor Borge TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM

Cage-free for the holidays O

ne afternoon, while walking into the locally owned Vermont Créperie in which I worked, something caught my eye. Being a born-andraised suburban Ohio girl, this was quite the unusual sight and I do believe I stopped to stare.

A farmer was delivering pork, straight from his own farm about 30 miles away, to the front door of our restaurant. I was in awe.

At the time, I think I was more enthralled by the fact that the farmer had such a close business relationship with the owner of my place of employment. It wasn’t until I ventured back to the Ohio flatlands that I realized just how significant Monica this delivery/business relationship was — to my health.

I had completely taken for granted the fact that the majority of the produce, meat and dairy that I purchased in Vermont (lucky for me, there was an amazing co-op a block from my apartment) came straight from locally owned, organic farms. This meant that I was getting fresh food, with no preservatives, and the meat that I was consuming (since I have been back in Ohio I have resorted to a vegetarian lifestyle — simply because I don’t see a farmer dropping off his free-range cattle meat to the local T.G.I. Friday’s, to say the least) was hormone free. Oh, those sneaky hormones, maneuvering their way into our food. As if

we don’t have enough of our own already.

So, what do we do?

There are several meats that advertise “free-range” and “pasture-fed” and eggs that are marked as “cage-free.” These words should be treated as Scripture. Let’s put it this way, most animals on conventional farms are fed grain, usually consisting of genetically modified-soy. This soy contains pesticides and herbicides that are stored in the animals’ fat as toxins. This, and the fact that they are kept in confined spaces (making exercise & movement, both of which are key to good health, impossible) causes them to become ill.

As the illness spreads quickly from animal to animal, antibiotics (more toxins!) are used to treat them. On top of all of this, cows are given growth hormones, a few of which are not naturally occurring, but synthetic (man-made chemicals).

So, the animals are fed a diet lacking in vital nutrients, have limited movement, are treated with antibiotics, and pumped up full of hormones. What, that McDonald’s Double Quarter-Pounder with Cheese just isn’t getting the salivary glands going like it used to? I’m not sure a bun-coveredmystery-meat, sunny-side-up eggs with yolks running with who-knows-what, or a tall glass of ice-cold hormone-infused

Mikolajczyk

GIRL vs.

FOOD

le

Look for locally produced eggs and meat. milk actually do my body good.

Translation: by eating this meat, dairy and eggs you are essentially ingesting all of the hormones and the wide array of other mystery business that the animals were fed. All of these hormones, pesticides and other chemicals affect our own digestion and health. They speed up the aging process,and this has been reported to be the main culprit behind the earlier onset of puberty in children. The whole idea of this just does not sound natural — kind of like the peculiar hormones (zeronol and trenbolone acetate) that are being pumped into our oh-so-important dietary staples: meat and dairy.

Just ask any child you see what a cow should be eating, and they will tell you: grass.

Elementary, my dear, elementary.

In contrast, purchasing these foods from local farmers and local stores with those holy words on their packaging (“free range”) means you are in the clear. So hit up the local farmers market (Downtown Toledo’s is located at the Erie Street Market, and is year-round) for some cage-free eggs from a local farm to use in this holiday season’s baking.

If we create awareness about such an important topic, maybe here in the Glass City it won’t be a strange occurrence to see a farmer delivering fresh eggs and pork right to the front door of our locally owned eateries. O Monica Mikolajczyk is a yoga instructor, firm believer in always choosing local, and a holistic health advocate who believes we all have the potential to grow and change if we simply allow ourselves the space to do so. E-mail her at star@toledofreepress.com.

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fiction and call it “Planetary Book 4: Spacetime Archaeology.” Katschke said that writer Warren Ellis, “groundbreaking visionary behind such great comics as ‘Transmetropolitan,’ used ‘Planetary’ as a platform for his own commentary on comic book history. Planetary is an organization dedicated to ferreting out the mysteries and terrors of a world filled with super-powered beings. In the course of their mission, they have continuously butted heads with a sinister team of supervillains, a certain foursome that will seem familiar to some readers.

“In this final volume, Elijah Snow and his team of intrepid agents explore the afterlife, humble the greatest spy of all time and build a time machine that actually works. ‘Planetary’ is a wonderful mix of science fiction, fantasy, pulp whimsy, and superhero geekiness whipped up and topped off with a dash of postmodern revisionism.”

DC is concurrently releasing two side-stories of the group in “Wildstorm Presents: Planetary — Lost Worlds” No. 1, which may serve as a nice introduction for curious readers. O — Jim Beard

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You’ve heard it before: comic books are “just superheroes.” The good news is that it just ain’t true — the better news is that comics cross every line imaginable. Yes, the medium’s still, for the most part, dominated by the cape-and-cowl crowd, but books are released every week that combine superheroes with other genres for fascinating results.

Marvel Comics is taking a few of its costumed characters and launching them into a spy thriller. Called “Widowmaker,” the new series “unites two of Marvel’s preeminent super spy women, Black Widow and Mockingbird, in a tale of death and international intrigue,” said Monarch Cards & Comics’ own Ed Katschke. “Spies are turning up dead across the world and the person behind it all appears to be a former Avenger, Ronin. Unfortunately, Ronin’s identity used to be Hawkeye, former sweetie of the Black Widow and current husband of Mockingbird. I’m not much of a spy story fan; I find the genre, generally speaking, rather played out and boring. Take some spies and throw in some superheroes, however, and that’s my kind of comic!”

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”Do give books — religious or otherwise — for Christmas. They’re never

12 n WEDNESDAY, DEC. 8, 2010

Book ‘

By Mighty Wyte

TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAR

star@toledofreepress.com

“Understand Lyrics You and Yo liam Buckholz (A a guaranteed con

‘Music and Myth’ covers Beatles track by track

By Fred LeFebvre Special to Toledo Free Press STAR

Beatles fans got an early Christmas present this year when iTunes began offering the Fab Four’s entire catalog online. You are now able to pick and choose which classics you need to download to flesh out your collection. Now, for real fanatics, comes ”The Beatles, The Music And The Myth” (Omnibus Press, $14.95). Authors Peter Doggett and Patrick Humphries claim it is the “ultimate overview of the Beatles’ recordings,” covering the release of every album, track by track. The book is certainly that. Unfortunately, it is mostly just that, a listing of tracks with comments. It begins with “Please Please Me,” The Beatles’ first full-length album from April 1963 and covers everything from that historic release to “Love,” the Cirque de

Soleil production for the Las Vegas stage in 2006.

Any Beatles fan can tell you about the outcry over the meaning of “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds,” which is included in this book, and that’s part of the problem with “The Beatles: The Music And The Myth”; there’s not much new for fans to discover while reading the short items on each song.

With more than 2,000 books about The Beatles available, it was bound to get to the point where there just wasn’t anything new to say. In fact, I believe every Beatles book ever written has pointed out that “Yesterday” was originally titled “Scrambled Eggs.” The songs have been reviewed, studied and parsed so

often that in some cases you can only remember the critique and not the joy you felt when hearing them for the first time. There are a few gems hidden in the book, like the surprise vocals near the end of “Paperback Writer,” but those are few and far between. Even the photographs, which dot the 190 pages, seem too familiar. I swear I had some of them on the old collectable cards we all bought back in the day.

If you’re a true Beatles fanatic, put the book on your Christmas list just so you can brag to your friends that you have all the Beatles books. But if you’re looking for a gift for the Beatles fan in your life there are better options out there this Christmas season, including gift cards for iTunes. O Fred LeFebvre is host of “Fred LeFebvre and the Morning News, weekdays from 6 to 9 a.m. on 1370 WSPD.

Book offers dawning of

By Jeff Payden Special to Toledo Free Press STAR

The first time I came across the book “All My Friends Are Dead” (Chronicle Books, $9.95), I immediately judged it by its cover. Being a comic strip artist, I was drawn to the simple and childlike illustration of the dinosaur on the front cover. The dinosaur’s expression is one of humorous surprise. It is drawn beautifully with thick, uneven lines and solid color. It reminded me of some of the children’s books I read growing up or have read to my own kids.

On each page are simple, cartoon-style illustrations of all kinds of characters that respond to the issue of mortality — namely the mortality of their friends of a like kind. We hear from everything from dinosaurs, trees, the elderly, socks, chickens, snowmen and more. And each have their own humorous quip on the subject of the inevitable.

The illustrations are wonderfully created, funny

Cookbooks stir up mixed batch of recipes

By Aubrey Birukow Special to Toledo Free Press STAR

At first glance, Sandra Lee’s “semihomemade” recipes may seem like taking normal convenience foods and just doctoring them up. If you look a bit deeper into her two latest cookbooks, you’ll find more than that.

“Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade: The Complete Cookbook” (Wiley, $29.95) says it contains “1,001 easy everyday recipes for ‘the way we cook today’.” But a beginning cook, when trying to make the “Mint Meringue Kisses,” found that the egg whites were not stiff enough, and the end result was “Mint Meringue Discs.”

The “Chocolate-Butterscotch

S’mores” turned out just as they looked in the cookbook and tasted great.

Pasta is a favorite in our house, but the “Mexican Style Macaroni and Cheese” was a disappointment since it was basically boxed Kraft Mac and Cheese cooked then tossed in the oven to melt additional cheese; the additional oven time made it overcooked. The “Four-Cheese Macaroni” was closer to a scratch recipe and is one that will be made again.

“Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade: Comfort Food” cookbook (Wiley, $19.95) is “149 feel good favorites.”

The “Ravioli Lasagna” was tested twice, once in the slow cooker as the recipe called for and once in a regular oven. I’d recommend making it in the oven, the slow cooker made the

and complement the sarily find myself lau commented on the v To see if perhaps book with my wife to exceedingly honest a I can count on when little indication of m of seconds she was b snicker there. It was back because somew be laughing at some there it was, the obje “All My Friends cially children or tho But its creators, Aver the “Open Letters” c developed a loyal and several blogs have in book for adults, whi funny book and the Some even going as copies to give as gift are not dead. O

Jeff Payden is the crea Riley” comic strip in T

ravioli almost too soft.

“Slow-Cooked Greek Chicken” is a recommended slow cooker recipe, with or without the olives. It was good over both orzo and rice.

The additional information in “The Complete Cookbook” is handy. There are diagrams showing how to set a table for different types of dinners and some decorating ideas that we used for Thanksgiving.

I’d recommend either cookbook for someone just starting out cooking or for someone who might want to try some different recipes that do not require a high level of cooking skill. O Aubrey Birukow is a sophomore in high school who enjoys cooking successes and is able to laugh at cooking disasters.

r fattening, seldom sinful and permanently personal.” — Lenore Hershey

‘translates’ rap lyrics

TAR STAFF WRITER

m

Rap: Explanations of Confusing Rap our Grandma Can Understand” by WilAbrams Image, $12.95) is a fun read and nversation starter. While there are no

the ‘Dead’

e writing ideally. Yet, I didn’t necesughing out loud as did others who had various blogs I read after the fact.

I had missed something, I shared the o get her reaction. She has always been and upfront with her opinion — which n it comes to my own work. I gave her my take on the book. Within a matter bursting out with a laugh here and a the kind of laughter one tries to hold where inside you wonder if it’s okay to ething that’s even mildly morbid. But ective opinion I was looking for.

Are Dead” is not for everyone, espeose who lean away from dark humor. ry Monsen and Jory John, who write comic for Toledo Free Press Star, have d growing following. Many people on ndicated that they love this children’s ich is referred to as “both the saddest e funniest sad book you’ll ever read.” s far to say they are buying multiple fts to their friends … who obviously,

ator and weekly author of the “Biff and Toledo Free Press.

racial overtones to be found, reading what a rapper has written then reading what it means to the ‘un-hip’ takes great advantage of cultural dialogue differences.

Despite being limited in size, this book is certainly worth the 20 minutes or so of read time, and potential hours of re-read time. Without a doubt, the sterile, clinical explanations of the rap lyrics are the best part of the book. Imagine Wilfred Brimley explaining to

TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM / WEDNESDAY, DEC. 8, 2010 n 13

you what Notorious B.I.G. meant when he said “Get Swiss-cheesed-up” and you’ll start to get an idea of what this book is like.

Compartmentalized into topics such as money, drugs and alcohol, insults, cars, sex and relationships, crime and weapons, fashion, skills and pride, people and places, “Understand Rap” covers the most popular topics found in rap music.

While this paperback is an extension of understandrap.com, created by Buckholz, it is limited in scope.

The focus on popular rap lyrics omits explanations from some of the biggest rappers, rap groups and hall-

of-fame-worthy artists. Sadly, there were no explanations for any Talib Kweli or Scarface bars; Bun B and Cypress Hill are missing and there is no mention of Kid Cudi or Drake rhymes.

The book is a great stocking stuffer for music fans.

The dry humor found in the textbook tone of the explanations are only funny if you can picture grandma explaining what Lil’ Wayne meant when he spouted “I’m comin’ with a gun like Nintendo.” O Producer and musician Mighty Wyte covers local music for Toledo Free Press Star.

‘Star Wars’ universe parsed in trio of new books

By Michael S. Miller Toledo Free Press Star Editor in Chief mmiller@toledofreepress.com

As the last traces of the “Star Wars” universe on film fade before a generation’s exposure to the animated “Clone Wars” television series, more attention is being paid to analyzing and chronicling the six-movie series.

Last year brought the epic 1,232-page “Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia,” which spanned three hardcover volumes, magnificently captured the minutia fans love, and was outdated by the time you unwrapped it, as the mythos grows with new “Star Wars” books, comics and TV episodes nearly every week.

This year, “Star Wars” fans will be happy with any or all of three new books that keep the hardcover collection growing.

For the fan of the visuals, “Star Wars Art: Visions” (Abrams, $40) offers 175 pages of stunning interpretations of all six films, from such master illustrators as H.R. Giger, Moebius, Alex Ross, Julie Bell and Boris Vallejo, Jamie Wyeth and 100 others. From cubist impressions of Boba Fett to an intimate look at Aayla Secura, the large-format spreads offer

new and progressive interpretations of pop culture’s most familiar sci-fi/ fantasy characters.

If you are limited to choosing one of these books this season with your gift card, “Visions” is the one.

“Star Wars: Year by Year, a Visual Chronicle” by Ryder Windham and a number of LucasFilm experts (DK Publishing, $50), is the ultimate argumentsettling source. By placing the entire “Star Wars” experience in day-by-day context, from creator George Lucas’ birth in 1944 to the December 2010 release of the book “The Sounds of Star

Wars,” the series is at once elevated to its important place in film and pop culture history and relegated to its proper place as entertainment alongside historical events ranging from the Iranian hostage crisis to the earthquake in Haiti.

There are enough facts, myth-buster factoids and never-before-seen illustrations to keep a “Star Wars” fan reading until the book is undoubtedly updated.

For the tech geek on your shopping list, “The Sounds of Star Wars”

(Chronicle Books, $40) offers an inside look at how Academy Award winner Ben Burtt created the distinctive and endless sound effects for the films.

Darth Vader’s breathing was a variation of Burtt hissing through scuba gear; the Millennium Falcon’s whoosh comes from World War II-era racing planes.

The book comes with an external speaker, a headphone jack and 250 recorded sounds from the movies. It’s interesting from a tech standpoint, but lacks the visceral and trivial thrills of “Visions” and “Year by Year.”

For the fan who no longer collects “Star Wars” action figures but still keeps them safely tucked away in the attic or basement, any or all of these books will keep The Force going strong well into 2011. O

An all-business look at Christmas

By Dock David Treece Toledo Free Press STAR Staff Writer star@toledofreepress.com

At first glance, Bruce Kluger and David Slavin’s “Twas the Night Before Christmas, 21st Century Edition” (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $9.99) appeared to be a fun, well-illustrated, lighthearted Christmas book. Though clearly meant more for the 21-and-over crowd, the book looked ripe to be a conversation piece on the coffee table this holiday season. One would expect a quick, easy read with a few laughs.

Unfortunately, that’s not quite what Kluger and Slavin supply with their satire on Christmas and big business.

This book, which appears to be little more than a thick magazine, is much more time-consuming

than anticipated. The illustrations, of which there are many, actually slow the reader down considerably as most require time for study and interpretation. Many illustrations are fictitious memos sent within this polar enterprise, which are extremely monotonous.

However, many of the laughs to be had from this book (which are surprisingly infrequent) actually come from these distractions, rather than the story itself, which is told in rhyme, keeping with the tradition of the original children’s story.

To their credit, Slavin and Kluger have produced a surprisingly plausible representation of big business, especially merger/acquisition activity common on Wall Street. Of course, the story, of a nephew scheming to seize the North Pole from Santa Claus, is somewhat exaggerated.

This does little to help the fact that, as a piece of coffee

table literature, this book is a less-than-stellar choice.

With language that is inappropriate to print here and several questionable illustrations – the coup de grace being an extremely suggestive mock cover of Maxim Magazine featuring Mrs. Claus’’ face plastered on the body of a scantily clad model — make this material definitely unsuitable for younger eyes.

Those with no small children and $10 to spare might enjoy this book, given a preference for crude jokes and political incorrectness. O Dock David Treece is a discretionary money manager with Treece Investment Advisory Corp. and a stockbroker licensed with FINRA.

TURN PAGE FOR MORE Books

14 n WEDNESDAY, DEC. 8, 2010 / “I bought my kids batteries for Christmas with a note: toys not included.” — BernIE MaNNING TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM

Book offers encyclopedic overview of ‘Lost’

By James A. Molnar Toledo Free Press Star Staff Writer jmolnar@toledofreepress.com

Who is the smoke monster? What is the incident? What is the island? What do the hieroglyphics mean? From the simple to the existential, “LOST Encyclopedia” (DK Publishing, $45) has the answers.

The compendium of facts and mythology from the hit ABC show aims to be a guide to all the details and characters. It succeeds and is the perfect gift for any Lostie or even the casual fan.

Co-authors Paul Terry and Tara Bennett worked tirelessly to compile the 400page encyclopedia from A to Z — Aaron Littleton to Zoe. “‘LOST Encyclopedia’ was by far the most consuming project I’ve ever done,” Bennett said in a recent interview with Toledo Free Press Star. “It was a lot of work.”

Bennett, who has already written 12 books, spent 10 months working on “LOST Encyclopedia.” A typical book would take about three to four months to complete, she said.

Both authors worked together for five and a half years on LOST: The Official Magazine.

Executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, both of whom wrote the foreword, liked the idea of an encyclopedia, and something that would focus on the mythology, Bennett said. They asked Terry if he wanted to work on the book, and he then asked Bennett if she wanted to join him.

“When you’re writing the mythology, it’s huge,” Bennett said. “Paul and I had to shed every bias and really align our writing to what the show’s opinion was. Our point of view was their point of view.”

“LOST Encyclopedia” was created in collaboration with ABC and is the first and only official comprehensive guide to the show.

More than 1,500 photos, including maps and artifacts from the show, are used throughout

the book. For example, the blast door map and charts of the island provide insight and a closer look at fleeting moments from the show.

Graphics include Sawyer’s nickname hall of fame and Desmond’s back and forth timeline.

“We researched the heck out of this,” Bennett said. “We wanted to get it right.”

The authors wrote the smallest entries first and worked their way up to the largest entries, which include main characters like Jack Shephard and John Locke, Bennett said. They started working on the book in November of 2009, before Season 6 began in January of 2010. They finished the book in August, she said.

“It was grinding, but (Terry) was the best cheerleader and partner,” she said. “We knew we had to have a higher standard and we wanted to deliver to the fandom.”

Mission accomplished. O James A. Molnar is lead designer for Toledo Free Press Star.

New Gaga book details star’s journey for ‘Fame’

By Matt Liasse Special to Toledo Free Press STAR

British music journalist Paul Lester explains why the woman named Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta deserves her own biography: She’s driven the world completely gaga.

He writes in the book “Looking For Fame: The Life of a Pop Princess” (Omnibus, $17.95), about the loads of work and failure that went into making the woman also known as Lady Gaga.

The book is a perfect gift for any Gaga fanatic.

It showcases her artistic motives and rise to fame, while also giving a glimpse into her dark, drugfilled past.

Lester’s easy-to-read biography is full of fun facts like how Gaga was taught at the same New York City private school that Paris and Nicky Hilton attended. The book also reveals that she came up with her stage name with a fellow pro-

ducer after the Queen song “Radio Ga Ga.” But the book’s most gripping chapter, “Dance in the Dark,” gives a detailed account of her days experimenting with various drugs. In this chapter, Lester describes what Gaga calls her “coke years,” before her friends and family intervened. Lester quotes Gaga calling it “one of the most difficult times,” but also said they were pivotal for her to experience since it allowed her to become the star she is today.

“Looking For Fame” has a British twist. According to the book, Gaga was more famous overseas when she first began her career. The main sources Lester cites are British tabloids and newspapers, as well as the BBC program “Friday Night with Jonathan Ross.”

The book explains the birth of her “disco stick” (a term made famous in her song “LoveGame”) and the meanings behind many of her off-thewall outfits. It also gives a perfect description of

LIVE MUSIC: THIS WEEK AT THE BLARNEY Friday, y, December 10th

Saturday, December 11th

the Haus of Gaga, the team of artists who help plan her performances.

Any Gaga fan would find enjoyment within the pages of this book. The chapter names being Gaga references like “The Fame,” “Boys Boys Boys” and “So Happy I Could Die,” give a treat that only the truest fans can appreciate.

One interesting fact the book points out is even though she’s only recorded one full-length album and an eight-track EP, the Lady has already changed pop music.

Matt Liasse is editor of The Pulse for the Bowling Green State University BG news.

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What’s what, where and when in NW Ohio

MUSIC The Ark This small venue offers a showcase for lesser-known acts, as well as folk, bluegrass and acoustic acts. 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. (734) 761-1451, (734) 761-1800 or www. theark.org.

O Concert for Peace, featuring Chris Buhalis, Stewart Francke, Jay Stielstra, Annie and Rod Capps, Hana Malhas, Laz and Friends, Stella, Dave Boutette, John Latini, Dave Keeney and Sophia Hanifi, FUBAR, the Ann Arbor Bicycle Choir, LaRon Williams, Mr. B: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 9, $15-$20.

O Lucy Kaplansky: 8 p.m. Dec. 10, $17.50.

O Colin Linden, Bill Kirchen, George Bedard, Cindy Cashdollar: 8 p.m. Dec. 11, $30.

O Cairn to Cairn: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12, $15.

O Dan Navarro, Amy Speace, Jon Vesner, Sally Barris: 8 p.m. Dec. 14, $20.

O Delbert McClinton, Jonell Mosser: 8 p.m. Dec. 15, $50.

O Trinidad Tripoli Steel Band: 8 p.m. Dec. 16, $15.

O Crossroads Ceili: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17-18, $15.

The Blarney Irish Pub Catch local acts while taking in the pub’s modern Irish and American fare. 601 Monroe St. (419) 418-2339 or www. theblarneyirishpub.com.

O Jeff Stewart: Dec. 9.

O Toast & Jam: Dec. 10.

O Tru Brew: Dec. 11.

O Dave Carpenter: Dec. 16.

O MAS FiNA: Dec. 17.

Blind Pig A variety of rock, soul, pop and alternative acts perform at this bar. 208 S. First St., Ann Arbor, Mich. $3-$20 unless noted. (734) 996-8555 or blindpigmusic.com.

O Bryan Greenberg, Abigail Stauffer: 8 p.m. Dec. 8.

O Crown Royale, Magestick Legend, New Jack Kings, Tres Styles, DJ Graffiti: 9:30 p.m. Dec. 9.

O The Mighty Diamonds, Yellow Wall Dub Squad, London Homicide: 8 p.m. Dec. 10.

O Tickled Fancy Burlesque Co.: 9:30 p.m. Dec. 11.

O Mac Miller: 8 p.m. Dec. 12.

O The Sympathy Orchestra, June Star, Apollo, Pyrrhic: 9:30 p.m. Dec. 14.

O Thrill Train, Origami Cat Plan, Gostbustaz: 9:30 p.m. Dec. 15.

O Hollow Drive: 9:30 p.m. Dec. 16.

O Tom Slovinski, Denny Green, Dan Currie, Jake Zamonski, Dave Donaldson, Jordan Jones, Zak England, the Bobby Electric, Silk Filled Stilts, the Outliers: 9:30 p.m. Dec. 17.

Bronze Boar Be sure to check out this Warehouse District tavern’s namesake, overhead near the entrance. 20 S. Huron St. (419) 244-2627 or www.bronzeboar.com.

O Jerod: Wednesdays and Thursdays.

O Open mic night with Chris Knopp: Mondays.

O Karaoke: Tuesdays.

O Gin Bunny: Dec. 10.

O Dave Carpenter & the Jaeglers: Dec. 11.

O 427 Band: Dec. 17.

Cheetah’s Den

FrankiesInnerCity.com.

A different band performs each week. 702 E. Broadway St. (419) 754-1903.

O DJ Lamont: Tuesdays.

O Devious: Thursdays (also open mic night)-Saturdays.

O Auto Tune karaoke: 9 p.m. Mondays.

O Cary Ann Hearst, Michael Trent, Owlwood: 9 p.m. Dec. 9.

O TeamNate, the Fight Within, MindFish, Don’t Fear the Sun:

Dégagé Jazz Café Signature drinks, such as pumpkin martinis, plus live local jazz performers. 301 River Road, Maumee. $5 Tuesdays-Thursdays. (419) 794-8205 or www.degagejazzcafe.com.

O Gene Parker & Friends: Dec. 8 and 15.

O Jason Quick: Dec. 9.

O The Silverbacks: Dec. 10-11.

O David Lux: Dec. 14.

O Michael Peslikis: Dec. 16.

O Pete Siers: Dec. 17-18.

The Distillery

FREE FOR ALL 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Library holiday concerts

Wintergarden, Toledo-Lucas County Main Library, 325 N. Michigan St. (419) 259-5207 or toledolibrary.org.

O Toledo School for the Arts: Dec. 8.

O Sylvania Northview High School Jazz Band and Jazz Cats: Dec. 9.

Coffee and music, what more can one want? If a snack is the answer, this is your spot. 723 Airport Hwy., Holland. (419) 724-1433 or www.brooklynscafe.com.

O Simply Poetry: 7-10 p.m. Dec. 8; 8-11 p.m. Dec. 15.

O Gene Zenz and Friends: Dec. 9.

O NVR2L8T: Dec. 10.

O Tom Harms: 8-11 p.m. Dec. 11.

O Rebels Without Applause: 8-11 p.m. Dec. 16.

Karaoke is offered Tuesdays, but paid entertainers rock out Wednesdays-Saturdays. 4311 Heatherdowns Blvd. (419) 382-1444 or www.thedistilleryonline.com.

O Nathan Cogan: Dec. 8.

O The Bridges: Dec. 9-11.

O Kyle White: Dec. 14.

O Nathan Cogan: Dec. 15.

O Jeff Stewart & the 25s: Dec. 16-18.

Caesars Windsor

Fat Fish Blue

If you have your passport, consider hopping the Detroit River for this casino’s entertainment offerings. Ticket prices, in Canadian dollars, are for the cheapest seats; attendees must be 19 or older. Caesars Windsor Colosseum, 377 Riverside Dr. East, Windsor, Ontario. (800) 991-7777 or www. caesarswindsor.com.

O Mannheim Steamroller: 9 p.m. Dec. 10, $25.

O Thunder From Down Under: 9 p.m. Dec. 11, $10.

O Straight No Chaser: 8 p.m. Dec. 12, $20.

Serving blues and similar sounds, as well as bayoustyle grub. Levis Commons, 6140 Levis Commons Blvd., Perrysburg. (419) 931-3474 or fatfishfunnybonetoledo.com.

O Bourbon Street: 9:30 p.m. Dec. 10; 9 p.m. Dec. 11, $2.

O Tantric Soul: 9:30 p.m. Dec. 17 and 9 p.m. Dec. 18.

Brooklyn’s Daily Grind

7723 Airport Highway • Holland 419.491.0098

French Quarter J. Pat’s Pub

Live entertainment at 9:30 p.m.

Fridays-Saturdays.

Holiday Inn, 10630 Fremont Pike, Perrysburg. (419) 874-3111 or www.hifq.com.

O Larry Kane: Dec. 10-11.

O Noisy Neighbors: Dec. 17-18.

Ice Restaurant & Bar

This local, family-owned enterprise offers food, drinks and music in a sleek atmosphere.

405 Madison Ave. (419) 246-3339 or icerestaurantandbar.com.

O Postmodern Blues Band: 9 p.m. Dec. 10.

O Dan and Don: 7 p.m. Dec. 11.

O Freak Ender: 8 p.m. Dec. 17.

Frankie’s Toledo’s venue for rock. 308 Main St. Tickets vary between $5 and $15, unless noted. (419) 693-5300 or www.

Famo us White Chicken Chili New England Clam Chow der Ho mema de So ups Panini Grille d Sandwiches

9 p.m. Dec. 10.

O Red Lights @ Dawn, Buried but Breathing: 9 p.m. Dec. 11.

O Wilson, Not Without a Fight: 6 p.m. Dec. 12.

O Endless Envy: 9 p.m. Dec. 14.

O Windsor Drive: 6 p.m. Dec. 15.

O Punchline, the Composure: 9 p.m.

Dec. 17.

((((((

Compiled by Whitney Meschke Events are subject to change.

Kerrytown Concert House This venue focuses on classical, jazz and opera artists and music. 415 N. Fourth Ave., Ann Arbor, Mich. $5$30, unless noted. (734) 769-2999 or www.kerrytown concerthouse.com.

O A Revue: 7 and 9:30 p.m. Dec. 11.

O Mad About Chamber Music Schumann Festival Concert: 8 p.m. Dec. 15, free.

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16 n WEDNESDAY, DEC. 8, 2010 / “There’s nothing sadder than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child.” — Erma Bombeck TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM

Manhattan’s This “slice of the Big Apple” in the Glass City puts on a show for the weekends. 1516 Adams St. (419) 243-6675 or www. manhattanstoledo.com.

O Jon Jelinger Trio: 6 p.m. Dec. 9.

O MoJoe Boes & His Noble Jones: Dec. 11.

O Quick Trio: 6 p.m. Dec. 16.

O Quartet Bernadette: Dec. 17.

Mickey Finn’s A variety of genres to wash your drinks down with. Open mic nights, 9 p.m. Wednesdays, no cover; $5-$7 cover other nights. 602 Lagrange St. (419) 246-3466 or www. mickeyfinnspub.com.

O Great Lakes Crew: 8:30 p.m. Dec. 9.

O Dan & Mark, Blue Streaks, Minglewood Labor Camp: 8:30 p.m. Dec. 10.

O Chris Bathgate, Go Rounds, Small House: 8:30 p.m. Dec. 16.

O Mach III, Jingle Balls: 8:30 p.m. Dec. 17.

O Frank & Jesse, Thirty Three and 1/3: 10 p.m. Dec. 10.

O Look Hear Music & Arts Festival featuring Gold, Fangs

Pizza Papalis

Tickets are $2 for the Cinema Classics series, which runs Mondays at 1 p.m. The lobby opens half an hour before the show. The Rave Motion Pictures Cinema Classics series is sponsored by Toledo Free Press Star and the Area Office on Aging. JB’s Sarnie Shoppe at Levis Commons will join Toledo Free Press Star in a social networking promotion that will award a weekly winner with free lunch for two.

For more information, call (419) 874-2154 and watch www.facebook.com/toledofreepress for contest and weekly promotion details. O

Ronn Daniels performs weekly at this pub. 8-11 p.m.

Thursdays, 141 Main St. (419) 697-6297 or www. toledomainstreet.com.

The Village Idiot

Omni

Woodchucks

This club is a venue for music (and music lovers) of all types.

2567 W. Bancroft St. (419) 535-6664 or omnimidwest.com.

O Panama (Van Halen tribute): 9 p.m. Dec. 10.

O Ozzmosis the Ozzy Experience: 8 p.m. Dec. 17; $7.

The place to go for an eclectic mix of people and music. 224 S. Erie St. (419) 241-3045.

O Root Hog & Hemline Theory: Dec. 10.

O PB Army, Lo Pan: Dec. 11.

O Blood of Prophets: Dec. 17.

Casual meals with weekend entertainment. 1815 Adams St. (419) 725-5483 or www.otavern.com.

1946 — Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney.

Toledo’s Mainstreet Bar and Grill

Jazz — straight, smooth, bebop or traditional — all kinds are played here. 151 Water St. $4, unless stated otherwise.

(419) 241-7732 or www.murphysplacejazz.com.

O Dominick Farinacci: Dec. 10.

O Jeff Zavac: Dec. 17.

O Ramona Collins: Dec. 18.

Ottawa Tavern

Dec. 13: “WHITE CHRISTMAS”

Get slices with a topping of entertainment. 519 Monroe St. (419) 244-7722 or www.pizzapapalis.com.

O Glasko Kiss: 8 p.m. Dec. 10-11.

O Gin Bunny: 8 p.m. Dec. 17-18.

Tunes combined with pizza and booze, some would say it’s a perfect combination. 309 Conant St., Maumee. (419) 8937281, (419) 740-2395 or www.villageidiotmaumee.com.

O Old West End Records: Wednesdays.

O Mark Mikel: Friday afternoons and Tuesday nights.

O Bob Rex: Sunday afternoons.

O Frankie May, Ben Barefoot: Mondays.

O The Nu-Tones: Dec. 10.

O Andrew Ellis & the Setting Sons: Dec. 11.

O Kentucky Chrome: Dec. 17.

Murphy’s Place

Rave Cinema Classics – Levis Commons

Out, the Faux Paus: 10 p.m. Dec. 11.

O Miracle Vitamins: 10 p.m. Dec. 17.

varre Ave., Oregon. (419) 691-8880 or www.yeehas.com.

O Websters: Dec. 10.

O Neon Black: Dec. 11.

O Big Ticket: Dec. 17.

ter’s Tavern, 5131 Heatherdowns Blvd. (419) 381-2079 or (419) 708-0265.

TMA concerts

UT concerts The university’s music students and friends will perform the pieces they’ve been perfecting. (419) 530-2452, (419) 530-2448 or www.utoledo.edu/boxoffice.

O UT Symphonic Band & Wind Ensemble: 8 p.m. Dec. 8, Doermann Theater, University Hall, 2801 W. Bancroft St.

Jeff McDonald’s Big Band Revival Party 8 p.m. Thursdays, South Briar Restaurant, 5147 S. Main St., Sylvania. (419) 517-1111 or (419) 708-0265.

Yeeha’s

Jeff McDonald’s Big Band All Stars

Country and rock with a little “Coyote Ugly” style. 3150 Na-

Dancing is encouraged. 8-10:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Trot-

Visual and audible arts combine for a new experience. Great Gallery (unless noted), 2445 Monroe St. (419) 255-8000 or toledomuseum.org.

O Rejoice Handbell Choir: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10.

O The Lourdes College Chorus and Good Company Ensemble: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17.

Youth orchestra concerts The Ann Arbor School for the Performing Arts’ Junior and Sterling string orchestras and Youth Symphony Orchestra will feature the music of Mozart and Camille Saint-Saens, among others. 3 p.m. Dec. 11, Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty, Ann Arbor. (734) 768-8397, (734) 668-8463, www. aa-spa.org or www.michtheater.org.

A WORLD AT NIGHT ALL SHOWS $ $7 / ALL SHOWS START AT 8 P.M. Sunday, Dec. 12, 2010 2 p.m. – ?

The Annex At The Omni 2567 W. Bancroft, Toledo

All proceeds will go to Lorie’s two daughters’ education fund Silent Auction (Autographed Items): • Robert Plant Framed Poster • 3 Doors Down Framed Poster • Black Sabbath Album Signed By “Ozzy” • 2 Framed Back Stage Pass Collections • Bam Margera Picture • BulletBoys 8X10 Picture • Type O Negative Poster • Styx Album Cover • Sammy Hagar Framed Poster *All Of These Items Are Autographed!

$10 at the door. Includes pizza, pop and dessert Donations are being accepted

“13” Punching Buddha And Lethel will be playing

For more info, call: 567-277-4099 419-270-3439 419-708-7539 419-810-7148

Dee Jay Z Man will be hosting and playing your favorite tunes

CHECK ONLINE FOR SPECIFIC PECIFIC EVENT DETAILS P

WWW.OMNIMIDWEST.COM

2567 W. BANCROFT, TOLEDO, OHIO // 419-535-6664 3 666

“No matter how carefully you stored the lights, they will be snarled this Christmas.” — Robert Kirby TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM / WEDNESDAY, DEC. 8, 2010 n 17 Symphony Band concert The Monroe County Community College orchestra will perform.

7:30 p.m. Dec. 13, Meyer Theater, La-Z-Boy Center, Monroe County Community College, 1555 S. Raisinville Road, Monroe, Mich. Free. (734) 384-4274 or www.monroeccc.edu/theater.

Agora Chorale concert The choir will be joined by the Carillon Women’s Chorale of Ypsilanti. 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14, Meyer Theater, La-Z-Boy Center, Monroe County Community College, 1555 S. Raisinville Road, Monroe, Mich. Free. (734) 384-4274 or www.monroeccc.edu/theater.

Winter Holidays

WINTER HOLIDAYS

Holidays in the Manor House Volunteers decorate the former Stranahan home for the season, then it’s open to sugar-plum dreamers, Frosty’s fans and Santa seekers. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. through Dec. 12, Wildwood Preserve Metropark, 5100 W. Central Ave. (419) 407-9700 or metroparkstoledo.com.

“The Joys and Toys of Christmas Past” Rooms of this museum have been decked out to represent different eras and the playthings popular during those times.

Tours, 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. Thursdays-Sundays through Dec. 19, Wolcott House Museum, 1031 River Road, Maumee. $1.50-$3.50. (419) 893-9602 or www.wolcotthouse.org.

Carriage rides Visitors can glide through this shopping center as jingling bells and clip-clopping hooves provide the soundtrack. Proceeds will benefit Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity. 5-8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays and 1-4 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 19, pickup location is next to the Gap, Shops at Fallen Tim-

bers, 3100 Main St., Maumee. $5 a family. (419) 878-6255 or www.theshopsatfallentimbers.com.

Wolcott House Museum Complex The house will be decorated for the holidays, and visitors also can examine “The Elegance of the Edwardian Era” exhibit and get guided tours at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. Noon-4:30 p.m. Thursdays-Sundays through Dec. 20, Wolcott House Museum, 1031 River Road, Maumee. $2.50-$5. (419) 8939602 or www.wolcotthouse.org.

Lights Before Christmas This Toledo tradition, now celebrating its 25th year, is all about illumination — a million lights, lighted animal images, dancing lights — as well as ice-carving, model trains, visits with Santa (through Dec. 23; photo packages may be purchased) and more seasonal activities. 5-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 5-10 p.m. Fridays-Sundays through Dec. 31 (closed Dec. 24-25); gates close an hour before the zoo. Toledo Zoo, 2700 Broadway St. $7-$10. (419) 385-4040 or toledozoo.org.

BUD LIGHT DRAFTS ALL WEEKEND LONG

Hayes Train Special “The spirit of holidays past is revived” with an operating 12-foot by 24-foot, three-tier layout and model trains in styles relating to the life of 19th U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes; visitors can act as engineers. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Tuesdays-Saturdays and noon-5 Sundays through Jan. 9, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center, Spiegel Grove, Hayes and Buckland avenues, Fremont. $3-$7.50. (419) 332-2081, (800) 998-7737 or www.rbhayes.org.

Shake Your Snowglobe Preschoolers are invited to make a holiday decoration and hear a related story and sing. 10 a.m. Dec. 8, Oak Grove School, Wildwood Preserve Metropark, 4830 W. Central Ave. $5. Reservations: (419) 407-9700 or reservations.metroparkstoledo.com.

Holidays in Henry Ford Museum

Victorian Christmas

A giant Christmas tree is decked with American-made ornaments, children can visit with Santa (11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Mondays-Thursdays and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays-Sundays, through Dec. 24) and drop off their wish lists, and a Lego train layout and other displays will be open, as well as a construction zone. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily through Jan. 2, Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village, 20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn, Mich. $11-$15; $5 parking. (313) 982-6001, (800) 835-5237 or www.thehenryford.org.

Visitors can see “how Americans decorated for the holidays a century ago.” 2 p.m. Dec. 8, Oak Grove School, Wildwood Preserve Metropark, 4830 W. Central Ave. $2. Reservations: (419) 407-9700 or reservations.metroparkstoledo.com.

A Christmas Tree Carol: The Time Traveler’s Guide

Eight trees will feature traditions of holidays past, present and future and offer tips for creating and decorating at home. 10

Live muSic THIS WEEKEND & NEXT WEEKEND

$1.50

a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays (until 8 p.m. Wednesdays) through Jan. 6, University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens conservatory, 1800 N. Dixboro Road, Ann Arbor, Mich.

(734) 647-7600 or www.lsa.umich.edu/mbg.

Library holiday concerts The Toledo-Lucas County Public Library will celebrate the season with this series of performances. 12:30-1:30 p.m., Wintergarden, Toledo-Lucas County Main Library, 325 N. Michigan St. (419) 259-5207 or toledolibrary.org.

O Toledo School for the Arts: Dec. 8.

O Sylvania Northview High School Jazz Band and Jazz Cats: Dec. 9.

O St. Ursula Academy Concert Choir: Dec. 15.

FULL BAND LINEUP AT WWW.HIFQ.COM

NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA 419-724-7437 NEW SPECIALS: MONDAY: 8-9 P.M. FREE PIZZA FOR S.I.N. 9-10 P.M. POWER HOUR $1 DOMESTICS & $2 WELL DRINKS

TUESDAY:

6-9 P.M. $10 PITCHER OF BUD LIGHT AND ALL-U-CAN EAT PIZZA!

SATURDAY:

28 South Saint Clair DOWNTOWN TOLEDO

9-10 P.M. POWER HOUR $4 MARTINI, $2 DOMESTICS $5 LARGE PIZZA 1 TOPPING PIZZA $4 TOP SHELF & PREMIUM BEERS

Scrooge, Tiny Tim and the gang demonstrate the ability to change for the better in this adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic 8 p.m. Dec. 8-10, 15-17 and 21-23; 2 and 6:30 p.m.

Dec. 11-12 and 18-19, Meadow Brook Theatre, Oakland University, 2200 N. Squirrel Road, Rochester, Mich. $25$40. (248) 377-3300 or www.mbtheatre.com.

Santa’s Winter Wonderland The Man in Red will be available for snapshots. 3-7 p.m.

Dec. 8-9; noon-8 (break 3:45-4:45 p.m.) Dec. 10-11, 13-18 and 20-23; noon-5 p.m. Dec. 12 and 19; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (break 1-1:45 p.m.) Dec. 24, Shops at Fallen Timbers lake district kiosk, 3100 Main St., Maumee. (419) 878-6255 or www.theshopsatfallentimbers.com.

TMA Family Center programs Hands-on art activities for children. Noon-5:30 p.m. Sundays and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2445 Monroe St. (419) 255-8000 or www.toledomuseum.org.

O Holiday celebration mural: Dec. 9.

O Gift boxes: Dec. 12, 14 and 16.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” A musical version of the story about a good man in hard times and the angel sent to help him see the value of life. 7 p.m. Dec. 9 and 16; 3 p.m. Dec. 9, 12, 16 and 19; 8 p.m. Dec. 10 and 17; 3 and 8 p.m. Dec. 11 and 18, Encore Musical Theatre, 3126 Broad St., Dexter, Mich. $25-$28; $35-$38 for the Dec. 18 cabaret night. (734) 268-6200 or www.theencoretheatre.org.

Check out Bowling Green and surrounding area listings online at www.toledofreepress.com

Toledo, Ohio

419-381-2079

10& & 11TH

(419) 874-3111 | 10630 Fremont Pike (S.R. 20 @ I-75 Exit 193) | Perrysburg, Ohio

“A Christmas Carol”

5131 Heatherdowns

DEC. LARRY

KANE DEC. NOISY 17TH & 18TH NEIGHBORS FRENCH QUARTER

O Ottawa Hills High School Choir: Dec. 16.

O Susan Hedley, harpist: Dec. 17.

SATURDAY, DEC. 18TH THE MERRY CHRISTMAS

Colossal Extravaganza avaganza Featuring

Nine Lives Rock Band T Trotter’s ’ Holiday Gift Certificates Make Great Stocking Stuffers!

18 n WEDNESDAY, DEC. 8, 2010 / “Christmas is the season when you buy this year’s gifts with next year’s money.” — UNKNOWN TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM

mexico

BRINGING THE FLAVORS OF

to northwest ohio

experience the

Northwest Ohioans have always enjoyed the hot flavors of Mexico, and our warm hospitality.

Come to one of our restaurants and experience a delicious dining adventure tonight!

Loma-Linda’s

“BIEN VENIDOS AMIGOS”

Specializing in Mexican Food since 1955

419-865-5455

• 20TH ANNIVERSARY •

THE ORIGINAL MEXICAN RESTAURANTE & CANTINA IN TOLEDO

419-841-7523

10400 Airport Hwy.(1.2 Mi. East of the Aiport) Lunch & Dinner, 11 a.m. to Midnight Closed Sundays & Holidays

BARRON’S CAFE

Everything Mexican From Tacos to Enchiladas to Delicious Burritos

7742 W. Bancroft (1 Mi. West of McCord) Mon. - Sat. from 11 a.m.

Closed Sundays & Holidays

ARTURO’S

FRITZ & ALFREDO’S Original Recipes from Both Mexico and Germany

419-825-3474

419-729-9775

13625 Airport Hwy., Swanton (across from Valleywood Country Club) Mon. - Thurs. 11-11 p.m.

Fri. - Sat. 11-12 a.m.

Closed Sundays and Holidays

3025 N. Summit Street (near Point Place) Mon. - Thurs. 11-10 p.m.

Fri. - Sat. 11-11 p.m., Sun. 3-9 p.m.

Closed Holidays

Casual Dining • ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED

Track Meet 3 Event is like ‘freestyle battle minus the trash talk.’

I

t is 8 p.m., Saturday night, Dec. 4. The Peacock on Monroe Street is packed and buzzing with some of the finest producers from Toledo, Detroit and Cincinnati.

A standing-room-only diverse crowd is restless and ready to support its favorite producers. Aspiring rappers wisely show up looking for the hottest tracks for their upcoming projects and after a courtesy warning about cars being towed, “Track Meet 3,” a beat competition, was ready to begin.

Started by local rapper/ producer Ryan Ramsey, aka Lagik of Soul Beat Music Group and Brand Name Media, Track Meet is in its third nonconsecutive year and has already gained a name for itself underground.

“My goal was to gel the music community together, the music community is so scattered around the city. Our talent pool is very deep but they don’t know what the other person is doing,” Ramsey said.

This year, the competition was been elevated to a larger level with amped-up advertising that was a necessity.

“You really have to get on your print promotion, you have to have your print media up, you have to have your radio media together, and you have to get out in front of it early,” Ramsey said. This may sound like common sense for any event, but you would be surprised how many people rarely cover all three. The hard work paid off as the place was packed by 9:30 p.m. n ROX CONTINUES ON 19

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“Keep your Christmas-heart open all the year round.” — Jessica Archmint TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM / WEDNESDAY, DEC. 8, 2010 n 19 n ROX CONTINUED FROM 18 Track Meet is designed much like a freestyle battle, minus the trash talk, where each round consists of two producers standing before the audience while their instrumental is played and a winner is determined by a panel of judges. This year, judges were local legendary producer Reed Russell, area poet Naki Akrobettoe and Detroit producer/rapper Big Tone.

If the judges cannot agree on a winner, the audience is given the chance to decide (Apollo style) by cheering for their preferred contestant.

The winner advances to the next tier until only one is standing.

I must say I truly felt the Hip-Hop in the building! The atmosphere for the production battle was all about respect and you could tell, win or lose, it was enough for the contestants to see instant crowd reaction. There were many standouts, like Mighty Wyte (a Toledo Free Press Star contributor), Saron, D-Rain, Young 6’4”,

Chris Siege, Freek Sanatra and B. Jones. The talent made for a well-rounded competition representing various styles from street anthems to club bangers to sampled cartoon themes and as each track played, producers scanned the crowd for approval. Mighty Wyte had everyone on their feet when he dropped a rock-heavy beat in the first round. Cincinnati’s J Skillz established himself after a sampled track featuring the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” cartoon theme had artists running to the front of the stage exchanging information. There were no hard feelings from fellow contestants when they were the last two standing after a long night, ending with Mighty Wyte as the runner-up for the third time. J Skillz won the competition cash prize and bragging rights for the year. Already on my “to do” list for 2011, Track Meet proved to be one of the best of the year, showcasing talent in the truest form of real Hip-Hop. Respect.

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Downtown BG plans Holly Days concert Downtown Bowling Green is getting into the holiday spirit early this year with the second annual Holly Days Community Concert, Dec. 10 at the ClaZel Theater. The concert, beginning at 1 p.m., will feature the Bowling Green High School Madrigals, the Falcon Five Brass Quintet, singer-songwriter Tim Tegge, the Shades of Brown vocal group and the Revamped violin duo. Each artist will perform a mix of contemporary and classic holiday songs as well as some original music. Downtown Bowling Green Director Barbara Ruland said for this year’s show, Downtown BG wanted to organize the performances to mix vocal work with instrumental music. “One of the reasons why I think this event is great is because live Christmas music really makes the holiday spirit shine,” she said. The free concert will also host two charity efforts. Ruland said people are welcome to bring a nonperishable food item for the BG Food Pantry or a new unwrapped toy for the Flower Basket toy drive.

— Andrew Farr

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20 n WEDNESDAY, DEC. 8, 2010 / “Which Christmas is the most vivid to me? It’s always the next Christmas.” — Joanne Woodward TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM

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Lessor must approve lease. Take delivery by 1/3/11. Lessee will pay excess wear and tear charges. Payments may be higher in some states. Not available with other offers. Residency restrictions apply. Not available in Alaska and Hawaii. 5 Not available with some other offers. Monthly payment is $17.92 for every $1,000 you finance.

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’02 NISSAN ALTIMA 2,5-S Moonroof,32MPG, Auto, Excellent ................$8,491 ’04 GRAND PRIX GT Leather, Loaded, Moon, Excellent! ..........................$8,991 ’04 CHEVY TRAILBLAZER 4X4, Leather, 3rd Seat, Ready for Snow ....... $10,982 SUPER CAB CLEAN! Was $13,491 ’06 CHEVY EQUINOX 46K, New Tires, Excellent .................................... $12,488 ’08 SATURN VUE Loaded, with Warranty!............................................... $12,981 Now ’03 FORD SUPERCREW King Ranch Edition, 4X4, Loaded, Clean ........ $15,988

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“Santa is very jolly bcause he knows where all the bad girls live.” — Dennis Miller TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM / WEDNESDAY, DEC. 8, 2010 n 21

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22 n WEDNESDAY, DEC. Holiday 8, 2010 / CATCH JEFF McGINNIS TUESDAYS ON ‘THE ANDREW Z SHOW’ ON 92.5 KISS FM TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM Gift Guide

Classics ‘re-imagined’ T A publication of Toledo Free Press, LLC, Vol. 1, No. 40. Established 2010.

Thomas F. Pounds, President/Publisher tpounds@toledofreepress.com Michael S. Miller, Editor in Chief mmiller@toledofreepress.com EDITORIAL

Mary Ann Stearns, Design Editor mastearns@toledofreepress.com James A. Molnar, Lead Designer jmolnar@toledofreepress.com Brandi Barhite, Associate Editor bbarhite@toledofreepress.com Kristen Rapin-Criswell, Special Sections Editor krapin@toledofreepress.com Chris Schmidbauer, Sports Editor cschmidbauer@toledofreepress.com Andrew Farr, Bowling Green Editor afarr@toledofreepress.com Lisa Renee Ward, Social Networking Manager star@toledofreepress.com ADMINISTRATION

Pam Burson, Business Manager pburson@toledofreepress.com CONTRIBUTORS star@toledofreepress.com

Jim Beard • John Dorsey • Matt Feher • Jerry Gray Dustin Hostetler • Stacy Jurich • Vicki L. Kroll lilD • Martini • Jeff McGinnis • Whitney Meschke Rachel Richardson • Julie Webster • Don Zellers Chris Kozak, Staff Writer Emeritus Lisa Renee Ward, Darcy Irons Sarah Ottney, Proofreaders ADVERTISING SALES

Renee Bergmooser, Sales Manager rbergmooser@toledofreepress.com Casey Fischer cfischer@toledofreepress.com Matt Mackowiak mmackowiak@toledofreepress.com Chick Reid creid@toledofreepress.com DISTRIBUTION

Charles Campos (419) 241-1700, Ext. 227 ccampos@toledofreepress.com

Toledo Free Press Star is published every Wednesday by Toledo Free Press, LLC, 605 Monroe St., Toledo, OH 43604 • (419) 241-1700 Fax: (419) 241-8828 www.toledofreepress.com. Subscription rate: $100 /year.

Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content in any manner without permission is strictly prohibited. Copyright 2010 with all rights reserved.

Publication of ads does not imply endorsement of goods or services.

here are few things scarier for fans of classic pop culture characters than the word “re-imagining.”

Now, don’t get me wrong.

Sometimes, those tinkering with the basic formula of a grand old franchise can come up with something great. The new “Battlestar Galactica” was a triumph, as is the new “Doctor Who.” But oftentimes, JEFF it seems as though the creators of a new version of classic characters are doing little but cashing in on old fans for the sake of name recognition, and rarely seem to care about respecting the original work.

Some of the most prominent targets in recent years have been classic children’s characters. Moviegoers have seen numerous figures from their childhood ripped from their natural habitat on the comics page or Cartoon Network and “reimagined” for a new generation of kids to delight and sell toys to.

Live-action versions of Garfield, Marmaduke, Alvin and the Chipmunks, G.I. Joe and more have been foisted on an unsuspecting public, and fans have already been terrified by the news of a Smurfs movie next year. The deluge of ridiculously overdone cartoon flicks has made alreadycynical fans downright angry whenever a new project is announced that promises to once more ruin a childhood memory.

But Hollywood won’t stop, of course. The remakes make money, and as long as they do, executives will continue to be interested in new, “edgy” versions of classic characters. The best we can do as the audience is to simply stop going, lest we face the consequences. Imagine me as the Ghost of Movies Yet-to-Come. I say to you, if these trends do not go unaltered, the future of some of our most beloved cartoon heroes might look something like this …

O “Mickey Mouse: Assassin for Hire”: Forced to make ends meet, Mickey finds work in a CIA training facility and learns that his awshucks demeanor and his winning smile make him a perfect government killer. His first assignment: Rubbing out industrial espionage suspect Scrooge McDuck. Voice of Mickey: Vin Diesel.

O “Popeye Confidential”: The spinachchomping sailor journeys onto land and finds violence and intrigue as a Los Angeles private eye. Sweet Pea becomes a 17-year-old crack addict, and Olive Oyl becomes a D cup. Voice of Bluto: Harvey Fierstein.

O “Flintstones on the Lam”: Framed for the murder of Mr. Slate, Fred and the gang head on a cross-country journey while on the run from the law. While hiding out in Rock Vegas, they find an ally in local mobster Al “Bad Pun” CaS-

mCGINNIS

POP GOES THE

CULTURE

tone. Voice of Barney: Ving Rhames.

O “The Rainbow Connection”: Rainbow Brite and Strawberry Shortcake are not hiding their feelings anymore. Out of the closet and empowered, the lovers fight for equality and understanding. Voice of chief villain: Michael Medved.

O “We’re Gonna Die, Charlie Brown”: The Peanuts gang competes in a deadly futuristic reality show where they must fight for their lives against the evil minions of the Red Baron.

A beloved cast member will be killed off every five minutes. Linus is first to go when his protective blanket gets caught in a wood chipper. Voice of Snoopy:

Vince McMahon.

O “The Cat in the Hat Gets the Clap”: No explanation necessary. Voice of Conrad: Sam Waterston.

O “Jem and the City”: Four single women

Hollywood’s remake frenzy foreshadows scary future.

living in the Big Apple, the band mates share tales of sex and witty advice with one another as they make their way through the modern social scene. Oh, and Jem’s a struggling female boxer on the side, too. Voice of Jem: Demi Moore.

O “T&J 4-Eva”: Tom and Jerry become inner city kids who dream of playing professional ping pong while learning a valuable life lesson on the meaning of friendship. Of course, they still try and kill each other, because that’s how T&J roll.

Voice of Tom: Ludacris.

O Scooby Doo, You’re Turning Blue!: After one overdose too many, Scooby must finally face his addictions and joins the gang in rehab as they all struggle to come to terms with Shaggy’s tragic passing (I mean, tell me you didn’t see it coming). Voice of Scrappy: Kenneth Branagh.

O Yogi Bear: Big-budget, live-action treatment sees the classic characters become fully (and creepily) CGI-based. Voice of Boo Boo: Justin Timberlake. ... wait. What? That last one’s actually ... no, no, you can’t be serious. (Quick trip to Google, then return.) Excuse me, I’m off to drown my sorrows in Goofy cartoons. Until Gary Sinise is cast to play him, that is. O E-mail Jeff at PopGoesJeff@gmail.com.

YO U ’ R E I N V I T E D TO T H E

T E C H N O LO G Y E D U C AT I O N EVENT

OF THE

YEAR

Thursday, December 9 4:00 pm-9:00 pm Jamieson’s Audio/Video (RSVP glenn@Jamiesonsav.com) Comfortable non-selling atmosphere • Presentations from 15 top manufacturers at the event

You’re invited to the premier educational event on emerging residential technologies. See the world’s top manufacturers revealing insider information about new products, new features, and innovations for 2011. This exclusive event is free. Secure your spot on the guest list today!

Topics include iPod integrations, 3D technology, home automation, home energy management, THX, iPad/iPhone home control and many more.

J A M I E S O N S

A

U

D

I

O

/

w w w. j a m i e s o n s av. c o m

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V

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“Do they still make wooden Christmas Trees?” — Charles Schulz TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM / WEDNESDAY, DEC. 8, 2010 n 23

Lifetime Warranty

Ø

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per mo.*

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SIGN & DRIVE

** 36mo/10k a year 0 down sign and drive pymt plus tax, title, plate and $190 doc fee. Tier 1+ credit dit th throughh VCI VCI, all rebates to dealer. In stock vehicles only sale ends 12/31/2010.

per mo.**

on all Volkswagen

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DOWN SIGN & DRIVE

** 36mo 10k a year 0 down sign and drive pymt plus tax, title, plate and $190 doc fee. Tier 1+ credit through VCI VCI, all rebates to dealer. In stock vehicles only sale ends 12/31/2010.

MAZDA TOYOTA SCION VOLKSWAGEN 1-800-968-4933

734-242-3900

14975 S. Dixie Hwy. Monroe, MI 48161

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POWERTRAIN WARRANTY • HOME OF THE LIFETIME POWERTRAIN WARRANTY • HOME OF THE LIFETIME POWERTRAIN WARRANTY • HOME OF THE LIFE

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