r-2018-11-29

novembeR 29-deCembeR 5, 2018

beeR budget a guide to cold weather brews See Arts&Culture, page 18

serving northern nevada, tahoe and truckee

2 | RN&R | 11.29.18

EMail lETTERs To RENolETTERs@NEWsREviEW.CoM.

Countdown Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

Here are the five most common responses I hear whenever I tell people I work for the RN&R: 5. “Man, your movie reviewer is really full of it. I can’t believe he didn’t like [insert title of crappy recent blockbuster].”

4. “Dennis Myers is a great reporter. I appreciated his piece on [insert recent news topic].”

3. “The what?

Never heard of it.”

2. “Does Bruce Van Dyke really need to cuss so much?”

1. “I love the contest you guys do where the stories have to be exactly however-many words.

I really want to remember to submit something this year.

When do submissions start?”

The answer to that last one is now. It’s time for our annual 95Word Fiction Contest. The idea is to write a miniature short story that’s exactly 95 words long.

Here’s an example: Lieutenant Nishiyama’s unit searched for Viet Cong soldiers in a village near the Laotian border. As expected, they found nothing. No hidden enemies.

A solitary, elderly woman was cooking rice. The smell made Nishiyama homesick.

Nishiyama called to the translator: “Tell her I’ll trade two packs of American cigarettes for a bowl of that rice.”

It was delicious.

“Ask her for more.”

“She’s not poor enough?

You’ve got to eat all her food?”

“What? There’s enough food here for a dozen men.”

Nishiyama looked at the woman.

“Hey Captain, we better search this property again.”

This example is based loosely on a story told in the Ken Burns/ Lynn Novick documentary series The Vietnam War. Submissions must be received before Jan. 16. For more information, check out the promo on page 6 of this week’s issue.

—Brad Bynum bradb@ ne wsrev i ew . com

Prayer’s the solution With the newest election results, and a few new blue seat holders, the price of firearms and ammunition will rise. Never forget, the average, honest, law-abiding person does not have the armed guards that Ms. Pelosi and liberal movie stars have.

Those like Ms. Pelosi feel totally justified in having a method of defense, but her peon-like constituents simply can’t be trusted with personal defense tools.

Also we note, once again, we have a shooter, who rather than a local church or school, chose a rather safe country music place. There was, perhaps, a local outlaw biker place or maybe an MS13 hangout in the area, but again, he may have been nuts, but he wasn’t stupid.

Not many folks believe in prayer these days, but our country seriously needs more of it.

Ron Ryder Fallon

Slow decline For folks following peak oil, I learned today that the immediate problem appears to be declining diesel supplies. This could be both good and bad. Bad in the sense that our days of happy, whoopie car culture may be ending; good in the possibility that we may be facing a slow decline rather than a fast collapse. Yay? Apparently, new discoveries of oil, particularly fracking and shale, do not provide as much diesel as other oils.

And as heavy oil supplies diminish, such users as ocean-going shipping will need to convert to diesel. This means, of course, less fuel available for our commercial trucks, and, obviously, the price will go up.

This means the cost will be felt down the line, and not only will essential items such as food, etcetera, become more pricey, but even—oh, my goodness—our toys will become more costly. Hopefully, as a civilization, we will make sure that

Jessica Santina, Todd South, Luka Starmer, Bruce Van Dyke, Ashley Warren, Allison Young Our Mission: To publish great newspapers that are successful and enduring. To create a quality work environment that encourages employees to grow professionally while respecting personal welfare.

To have a positive impact on our communities and make them better places to live.

Editor Brad Bynum Associate Editor Jeri Chadwell News Editor Dennis Myers Special Projects Editor Matt Bieker Calendar Editor Kelley Lang Contributors Amy Alkon, Kris Vagner, Bob Grimm, Andrea Heerdt, Holly Hutchings, Shelia Leslie, Josie Glassberg, Eric Marks,

Creative Services Manager Christopher Terrazas Editorial Designers Maria Ratinova, Sarah Hansel Publications Designer Katelynn Mitrano Web Design & Strategist Elisabeth Bayard Arthur Ad Designers Naisi Thomas Sales Manager Emily Litt Office Manager Lisa Ryan RN&R Rainmaker Gina Odegard

noVembeR 29, 2018 | Vol. 24, Issue 42

important things have priority in the future.

My problem with being a Chicken Little is that, in most versions, he died in the end.

Also, when one makes silly predictions, there is a lot of harsh backlash from those who believe the Earth has a gooey inexhaustible oil center.

Oh well, we really do need to conserve.

The sky is falling!

Craig Bergland Reno

Language alert Re “Hammers and nails” (letters, Nov. 21): Perhaps the closest any POTUS has ever gotten to assuming dictatorial powers was Abraham Lincoln.

He oversaw the confiscation of chattel property, taken and seized without payment.

He was the first to enforce the conscription of soldiers. He abolished the right of habeas corpus. Under military need, he declared slaves to be free. History records that he once said, “My policy is to have no policy.”

Sometimes dangerous times require unique leadership, not just in character but in style.

I neither voted for Donald Trump, nor am I a Trump apologist. I am, however, trying to understand a person who holds the most difficult job in the world during perilous and troubled times. From a southern border on the verge of collapse, to the worldwide threat posed by countries like North Korea and Iran, to anti-U.S. trade agreements, to immoral high prices for prescription medications, the current president has the daunting task of cleaning up the messes left by others before him.

The use of words like “robotic, lunatic, power-mad ignoramus,” “illiterate lout” and “fascist dictatorship” seem to add little to either understanding or solving the problems we face. They do seem, however, to stoke the fires of fear, bigotry and smear.

Thom Waters Reno

Advertising Consultant Myranda Thom Distribution Director Greg Erwin Distribution Manager Bob Christensen Distribution Drivers Alex Barskyy, Corey Sigafoos, Gary White, Joe Wilson, O.C. Gillham, Marty Troye, Timothy Fisher, Vicki Jewell, Olga Barska, O.C. Gillham, Rosie Martinez, Adam Martinez President/CEO Jeff VonKaenel Director of Nuts & Bolts Deborah Redmond Director of People & Culture David Stogner Director of Dollars & Sense Debbie Mantoan Nuts & Bolts Ninja Norma Huerta Payroll/AP Wizard Miranda Hansen Accounts Receivable Specialist Analie Foland

Sweetdeals Coordinator Skyler Morris Developer John Bisignano System Support Specialist Kalin Jenkins N&R Publications Editor Michelle Carl N&R Publications Associate Editor Laura Hillen N&R Publications Editorial Team Anne Stokes, Caroline Harvey Marketing & Publications Consultants Steve Caruso, Joseph Engle, Elizabeth Morabito, Traci Hukill, Celeste Worden Cover Design Sarah Hansel

Law and order man Trump’s announcement that he would not seek justice for the brutal murder of a human being is a truly momentous event.

The details of his announcement are a complete admission that he’s not anything like the great negotiator he claimed to be and continues to claim to his base. If this president was truly a great negotiator, he would not let the Saudis hold his balls so tightly with a mythical promise of a trade deal. All he can do is allow them whatever they want without fear of retribution.

Great negotiator, my ass.

Michel Rottman Virginia City Highlands

Contents

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opiNioN/sTREETalk shEila lEsliE NEWs TahoE fEaTuRE aRTs&CulTuRE aRT of ThE sTaTE filM food MusiCBEaT NighTCluBs/CasiNos This WEEk adviCE goddEss fREE Will asTRology 15 MiNuTEs BRuCE vaN dykE

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“Shen Yun”: When Shall You Stop Tricking People?

It is said that the “Shen Yun” CD became “a hit” in mainland China. I simply heard that, but never saw it in person. I searched on the Internet, only to find that the original news came from an article titled “Shen Yun CD Blooms in Mainland China and Is Sought After by People” on the Falun Gong website on December 15, 2017. “Shen Yun” again! Falun Gong website again! This reminded me of another article titled “Blessings from Shen Yun Become Word of Mouth in Thousands of Households in China” on the same website in July 2010. This article lied about how the “Shen Yun” CD became the best-seller in mainland China, while in fact the sales were bleak. The lie irritated netizens from the Mainland to attack, and the liar had to flee. Here was another hype article and a shameless lie. I can’t help but ask, “‘Shen Yun’, when shall you stop tricking people?”

“Shen Yun” claimed that it is “a culture passed by gods” and stands for “traditional culture”. Is that true?

We won’t go so further from a macro perspective as to note how ridiculous it is for a small show like that to claim representing a certain culture, nor will we lay our fingers on the absurdity of a poor show or a poor performance on behalf of a mainstream culture from a micro perspective. We may learn whether “Shen Yun” could possibly represent the “traditional culture” of China simply from how it has been received abroad over the past few years. In 2008, the “Hui Yun” performance from Anhui coincided with the “Shen Yun” of Falun Gong in Australia. The former turned out to be a huge success, while the latter was unwanted. In the first month of the lunar year of 2011, a performance about Hubei culture was a great success in Australia, while the “Shen Yun” performance of Falun Gong went unnoticed although they were staged on the same day. In June 2011, “Shen Yun of Southern Fujian” and the “Shen Yun” of Falun Gong met in Taiwan. The Taiwanese audience had a special liking for the former, while the latter bit the ground. Arguably, “Hui Yun”, the Hubei cultural performance, and the “Shen Yun of Southern Fujian” were just small, if not micro, branches of Chinese traditional culture, but “Shen Yun” did not even equal them. How could it possibly represent “the traditional culture”?

watching the “Shen Yun” show could cure cholecystitis, cataract, headache, nausea, pleurisy, cold, stomach cancer, high blood pressure, toothache and other diseases; another article titled “Shen Yun CD Blooms in Mainland China and Is Sought After by People” published on the Falun Gong website in December 2011 claimed that watching the “Shen Yun” show could cure psoriasis, cerebral thrombosis, cholecystitis and pneumonia and even allow the lame to walk normally. The show was so effective that it could treat a wide variety and complete categories of diseases. On the other side of the story, we may still remember the following facts: Feng Lili, a high-ranking figure of the cult Falun Gong, died of pancreatic cancer in July 2006; Han Zhenguo, “head clerk” of the Falun Gong’s New York headquarters, died of lung cancer in 2010; Wu Kailun died of illness in 2011; a Hong Kong practitioner named Mai Suiying fainted and died in September 2011 ... Those were either high-level Falun Gong practitioners or “skillful disciples”. They not only watched the “Shen Yun” show, Han Zhenguo and Wu Kailun even participated or planned the show. What did the story tell us when they died of illness?

“Shen Yun” claimed to be the “No.1 show in the universe” and “well-received abroad”. Is that true?

“Shen Yun” claimed that it was a “magical” performance that could expel diseases and bring well-being. Is that true?

How was the “Shen Yun” show responded? People have been fed up with, bored with, and doubted the report of the Falun Gong media about how the “Shen Yun” performing arts were “popular” at home and abroad. Why? Let’s put aside how the “Shen Yun CD Blooms in Mainland China and Is Sought After by People” and the “Blessings from Shen Yun Become Word of Mouth in Thousands of Households in China” looked ridiculous to the eyes of citizens in the mainland China; let’s also forget about how the “Shen Yun” show suffered “a disastrous defeat” in Hong Kong in the spring of 2010 and how the Western people complained and got angry about the deceptive show after they paid for and watched it. We may talk about the letter from Sarkozy, which gave rise to much discussion in 2011. On March 8, a piece of “breaking news” titled “The French President Wishes the Shen Yun Show in Paris a Success” was reported smugly on the Falun Gong website.

Two hours later, the news was deleted. The truth was that it was a letter from Sarkozy writing to turn down the invitation to the show. What can we conclude from the claim about the “well-received” show?

The Falun Gong media lauded the “Shen Yun” to the skies, especially its effect on “expelling diseases and bringing well-being”. To cite only two articles: In July 2010, an article titled “Blessings from Shen Yun Become Word of Mouth in Thousands of Households in China” on the Falun Gong website claimed that

The “Shen Yun” performing arts played a good trick to wide victims and with meticulous planning. In spite of its efforts, it is nothing but a fake. It is not a real culture but a real cult. When all good eyes see through its nature, I would like to ask, “When shall you stop tricking people, Shen Yun?”

A PAId AdverTISemeNT

4 | RN&R | 11.29.18

by matt bieker

Favorite local store? askeD at WeDge ceramics stuDio, 2095 Dickerson roaD

Dana Veltman Accounting assistant

I guess probably, up here, the Sierra Water Gardens. I’m a member of this Wedge Ceramic Studio over here—same owners—and we showcase our pots and stuff in there. They’ve got awesome house plants there.

Jessica aDams Executive assistant

I want to say Lark Ellen. It’s by the Stone House [Cafe] on Arlington and Plumb. It’s just a cute little boutique. I just feel like it’s really good for gifts.

They have a lot of Nevadathemed stuff. It’s my go-to when I need to get something for somebody.

thomas mullin Painter

Buy local This week’s cover story is a keep-it-local holiday gift guide (see “Under wraps,” page 13). We publish something similar every year. It’s not simply a matter of convenience. We don’t just shop local because some of us don’t have fully functional cars. Shopping local is a core value. We like to keep our money in this community and pass it along to our friends and neighbors. We don’t want to just send our money off to the internet where it can be gobbled up by some billionaire who doesn’t pay overtime to his warehouse workers.

We like to support businesses where we know and like the owners. And this actually cuts both ways: There are businesses in town that some of us avoid just because we think the owner is a fathead. But it’s nice to make those decisions based on actual human experience. We know the dude sucks, because we know the dude, and he sucks. (Or “she”—we’re using the term “dude” in its contemporary genderless form.) He was rude and snobby or whatever, so we take our money elsewhere.

According to the U.S. Supreme Court, money is speech. We like to know that our speeches are heard by people who listen. We like to know that our money supports local families. So, buy local

products from local stores. Dine out at locally-owned restaurants that use locally sourced ingredients.

Support local artists. Buy works by local painters and give them to your friends. Go see the local theatrical productions. Check out local bands and buy their merch. Hire local plumbers, carpet cleaners, photographers and exterminators.

Some of this might be old hat to readers who have ever read this newspaper before or listened to a Dead Kennedys album, or whatever. But even if it’s old news, it still bears repeating: Buy local. Buy local.

Buy local.

And, of course, we have a vested interest in this, because we have a vested interest in this community. We try to tell stories of this community. Cutting against the ever-expanding world wide web, we tell local stories. Reno. Sparks.

Carson City. Truckee. Lake Tahoe. Nevada.

And here’s the ongoing story of this community right now: People are struggling. Rents are rising.

Costs of living are skyrocketing. More money is going out than is coming in. Checkbooks are tilting against balance. If you have money to spend on knick-knacks and paddywhacks, spend it here. We all need it. Ω

We know the dude sucks, because we know the dude, and he sucks.

I think it’s probably Boho Gypsy’s Treasures. I appreciate the fact she supports local artists, and I never know exactly what I’ll find there, but it will be unique.

James Freeborn Fashion Designer

My favorite locally owned store would have to be this Oxbow Cafe. ... I know it’s a restaurant, but they have really high-quality food, and I can walk there from my work. I’m a business owner myself, so anything I can do to support fellow members of the community.

beck y r alphe Nurse

Sundance Books. That has to be the place I spend the majority of my time in Reno. You’re always greeted with somebody who has knowledge in whatever you’re looking for. … I never leave there empty-handed.

11.29.18 | RN&R | 5

Get

! t r sho

Time for our annual micro

The

fiction

competition!

’s 95-word fiction contest Write a miniature story that’s exactly 95 words long.

We want exactly 95 words, as counted by LibreOffice, Google Docs or Microsoft Word.

Email submissions to contest@newsreview.com with the subject line “Fiction 2018.” Put each story in the body of an email because we won’t open attachments. We require the author’s name, email address and phone number listed above each story. (That stuff won’t affect word count and will be removed before judging.)

Titles are acceptable, without affecting word count, but not required.

Stories must be received before Jan. 16, 2019.

Here’s an example: Lieutenant Nishiyama’s unit searched for Viet Cong soldiers in a village near the Laotian border. As expected, they found nothing. No hidden enemies.

A solitary, elderly woman was cooking rice. The smell made Nishiyama homesick.

Nishiyama called to the translator: “Tell her I’ll trade two packs of American cigarettes for a bowl of that rice.”

It was delicious.

“Ask her for more.”

“She’s not poor enough? You’ve got to eat all her food?”

“What? There’s enough food here for a dozen men.”

Nishiyama looked at the woman.

“Hey Captain, we better search this property again.” *This year’s story example is based loosely on a story told by Vincent Okamoto in Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s 2017 documentary series The Vietnam War.

Looking for inspiration? Check out last year’s winners here: www.newsreview.com/reno/short-cuts/content?oid=25735902

6 | RN&R | 11.29.18

by SHEILA LESLIE

Downward housing spiral amid prosperity Winter is almost upon us, raising our seasonal concern for Reno’s homeless population who very well might freeze to death without shelter during cold and snowy nights. Government shelters are overflowing, and church groups are signing up volunteers to monitor the last chance shelter, a heated tent, for those literally left out in the cold.

Every year, there seem to be more homeless people in Reno, and this winter the crisis is exponentially worse, thanks to our community’s lack of affordable housing.

Everyone recognizes the problem, but not everyone has concluded that emergency response shelters are a poor solution. The new Business Improvement District is gleefully funding downtown “Ambassadors” to interact with both tourists and the homeless.

The Ambassadors can certainly point a tourist to the nearest restroom, but they can do little more than shuffle the homeless from shelter to overflowing shelter, as if those living outside didn’t already know where they’re located. As the housing crisis

intensifies, the situation of those with the fewest resources gets more dire—landlords seek higher profits from clientele just as desperate for a roof over their heads but with more ability to pay.

Case in point—the Civic Center Apartments. Ed Pearce of KOLO TV recently reported on the 44 apartments inhabited primarily by seniors and the disabled living on a fixed income. Colleen Danielson, a 74-year-old resident, reported she and many others are being evicted from their $550-a-month studio apartments so the owners can “refurbish” the space and raise the rent to $900, effectively pricing her out of her home since her monthly social security income is $806. When she complained to City of Reno officials, she was referred to legal services, and her eviction was postponed until Jan. 3, but the landlord is legally able to profit from the housing crunch, and she’ll be forced to leave. She has scoured the area for an affordable place to live and has encountered nothing but long waiting lists full of people in the same situation.

The lack of any affordable housing requirement in recent economic development giveaways is a glaring and foreseeable error by state and local officials. Requiring one or two affordably priced apartments in the new, large apartment complexes currently under construction is the proverbial drop in the bucket, especially when so many weekly motels have been razed for a theoretical entertainment district. There are apparently no plans to replace this housing stock, regrettably sub-standard as it was. To those living week to week with no opportunity to earn more income, it was home.

Meanwhile, city council members in Las Vegas are gearing up for the 2019 Nevada Legislature with a bill draft requesting permission to increase the real property transfer tax and a sewer service fee to raise about $20 million to fund transitional housing, affordable housing, and the city’s Courtyard Homeless Resource Center.

According to Michael Lyle’s story in the Nevada Current, the 8.6 percent increase in the sewer surcharge and a .25 cent increase

in the real property transfer tax requires legislative approval and would provide a new steady income source for affordable housing.

Other cities have also realized that shelters are not the answer to housing the homeless. Lyle points out that Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle have all recently raised taxes to build affordable homes.

Las Vegas City Councilman Bob Coffin acknowledged, “People get nervous when a tax is mentioned,” but the city “would be spinning some sort of a cosmic tale if we said it wouldn’t involve money” to address the homelessness crisis.

A cosmic tale is exactly what was spun with the Tesla billion-dollar giveaway that has lowered the standard of living for so many people already living lightly in Reno.

Just ask Colleen Danielson. Ω

The Nevada Current article referenced here can be read at tinyurl.com/y76mqodp

11.29.18 | RN&R | 7

by Dennis Myers

Fires hurt pine nut harvest

The Nevada Test Site, now called the Nevada National Security Site, where 7,000 workers once toiled, is inactive.

Reno resident Patty Dickens told us last week, “I went to Save Mart looking for pine nuts to add to my stuffing for my tomorrow’s Thanksgiving dinner redux. The grocer said that fires and drought have destroyed this year’s potential harvest, but I could buy unshelled ones at Safeway for $22 a pound.”

The pine nut harvests have already been troubled, and the fires added to a combination of difficulties facing harvesters, such as competition from Asian imports.

Pine nut crops may not be doing well in Nevada, either. Two years ago, Texas commercial harvester Dayer LeBaron told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, “There’s definitely something going on. Being in these mountains for 40 years, I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I know something’s going on.”

The fruits of Nevada pine nuts, previously known for their fullness, have been shrinking, and so have the number of commercial harvesters—LeBaron was one of six left in 2016, and he predicted then that number would continue falling.

In fact, there was no commercial harvest in Nevada this year. The auction at which commercial harvesters bid to take pine nuts from marked sections of forest fell flat, according to Bureau of Land Management lead forester Coreen Francis, who said, “There were no bidders because there were very few pine nuts anywhere to be found.”

She said there are “high years and low years” in the supply.

In 2016, the commercial auction held in Ely attracted six harvesters who paid $31,625 to take up to 126,500 pounds of pine nuts from 11 areas in eastern Nevada, the RJ reported that year.

The pine nuts have an important history in Nevada.

A staple of tribal diets in the 1800s, the arrival of whites in the Great Basin put pressure on the supply, both because whites started harvesting them, too, and because the invention of square set timbering for mines

by Comstock engineer Philip Deidesheimer in 1860 caused swaths of the Sierra to be denuded of trees.

Supplies fluctuated as mining booms came and went, causing friction between whites and tribes, which eventually began marketing to whites around the West.

In 1883, tribal shipments of pine nuts from Carson City on the Virginia and Truckee Railroad reached 75,000 pounds at a time when the harvest was believed to be only half finished, with San Franciscans a big market.

(The sale of pine nuts may have benefited from a notion that they were good for lung trouble.)

But two years later, the New York Times reported, “The Piute Indians are said to be starving on their barren reservation in Nevada. … Almost their sole means of subsistence has been pine nuts, fish from Pyramid Lake, and rabbits, latterly the only game on the reservation. Sarah Winnemucca, a member of the tribe, who lecture[d] in the East on the condition of the Piutes, and who is now spending a few days in this city, says: ‘My people are utterly destitute, and numbers of them are famishing in the snow.’”

Dickens, referring to the current difficulty obtaining pine nuts, said, “I wonder if this [is] the new normal and a sign of extinct wildlife, foods and living spaces that the human race is blindly and unapologetically accelerating.”

—Dennis Myers

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PHOTO/NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

Dormant Where did Nevada’s anti-nuke movement go? the Bulletin of the atomic scientists is famous for its cover feature—a clock face on which the minute hand is moved forward or backward depending on how tense international relations are and how near is the threat of nuclear war. When the clock was created in 1947, it was set at seven minutes to midnight. By 1991, it was at 17 minutes to midnight.

The minute hand is now at two minutes to midnight, only the second time—the first was 1953—that it has been that close. In the early days of the clock, it tended to reflect concern about the Soviet Union. These days, there are additional concerns—China, military spending levels, climate change, guerrilla groups that might gain nuclear materials, and volatile national leaders.

Meanwhile, there is pressure to renew nuclear bomb testing in Nevada.

“America has two grave nuclear weapons vulnerabilities which are little known and less understood by the nation’s national security leadership,”

wrote former U.S. Defense Nuclear Agency director Robert Monroe in the Washington Times this month.

“First, we don’t know that the nuclear weapons in our arsenal will work; and second, our underground nuclear test capability in Nevada is so deteriorated that we are unable to conduct prompt tests to verify and certify these weapons. America is living with high existential risk. … Without question, America must resume underground nuclear testing.”

On Dec. 7 at Cathexes, 250 Bell St., author Gary Krane’s documentary, Losing Control, will be shown. On its original release, Washington Post columnist Mary McGrory wrote that the film “shows what can happen when two hostile nations, Syria and Israel in this case, start swapping tactical nukes and chemical weapons.”

President Obama and other leaders say the current war in Syria was fueled in part by that nation’s climate change-driven drought. In a study in

the academic journal Weather, Climate, and Society, climate scientist Peter Gleick argued that “water and climatic conditions have played a direct role in the deterioration of Syria’s economic conditions.” That has driven the alleged use in Syria of chemical weapons, and some scholars worry that it could go further, to nuclear weapons.

Krane, a new Renoite, also says volatile leaders like Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump put the use of nuclear weapons into play.

All of this is happening as Nevada’s organizations that specialized in nuclear issues are defunct, and Krane calls that unfortunate. “I think all states should” have groups to police nuclear activity, he said. There is always highpowered pressure from the nuclear industry as well as the Pentagon, but no one in Nevada currently represents the other side.

There has been considerable talk of nuclear activism as a feminist issue. The current edition of the Nation magazine has a cover story— “Women against the bomb”—but that kind of activism has not surfaced in Nevada. The website of an organization called Beyond the Bomb has a map showing a Reno chapter, but when clicked it has no contact information, only the pitch, “Reno is organizing to prevent nuclear war. Join

KRANE

us!” Spokesperson Yasmeen Silva told us, “We used to have a volunteer in Reno, but she has recently graduated and is no longer living in Reno. This coming semester we will be looking to recruit more students to continue the chapter there.” But she also said the group does not want just students, but any citizens.

Is Nevada ready?

In the early days of the atomic age, Nevada’s test site was badly run, with the Atomic Energy Commission endangering the public while suppressing information citizens needed to protect themselves.

It was widely assumed locally that Nevadans supported the testing as economic development, but there were no ways of determining it. State legislative hearings were not yet used heavily as public forums, if they were held at all. Opinion surveys in the state did not exist. And citizen activism was rare. Moreover, opposing the testing program could be portrayed as unpatriotic.

But there were indications of grass roots concern. The papers of former congressmembers include letters from constituents asking about the safety of the program.

One locally-famous missive came from rancher Martha Bardoli Laird, who lived directly east of the test site. A year after her 7-year-old son died of leukemia, she wrote to Republican U.S. Sen. George Malone, and she received a response from him that said, “It is not impossible to suppose that some of the ‘scare’ stories are Communist inspired.” A letter she sent to Atomic Energy Commission chair Lewis Strauss brought her a response that said,

“Former President Truman said the dangers that might occur from the fallout in our tests involve a small sacrifice when compared to the infinitely greater evil of the use of nuclear bombs in war.”

When University of Colorado scientists Ray Lanier and Theodore Puck wrote a report calling fallout from Nevada a public health threat, Colorado Gov. Ed Johnson said they should be arrested, and the Hearst press red-baited them.

In that kind of political climate, Nevada citizens may have been reluctant to speak out.

One Nevada politician, Gov. Grant Sawyer, was suspicious of the federal assurances of safety. He declined to tour the test site, unwilling to give the governor’s imprimatur to the testing program.

With most Nevada leaders supporting the program and businesspeople enjoying the economic benefits, there was little debate over testing. But as the state grew and its demographics changed, discontent began to appear. In 1975, as a spinoff of Maya Miller’s 1974 U.S. Senate campaign, two of her volunteers—Katherine Hale and Susan Orr—formed Citizen Alert, the state’s first successful organization to scrutinize and combat hazardous nuclear policies. It functioned for the next 35 years.

An important political development came in 1979, when newly inaugurated Gov. Robert List, just days after taking office, sent a wire to federal officials inviting the Carter administration’s proposed MX nuclear missile system installation to Nevada. The system would be the largest construction project in human history.

List’s expectation that the system would be welcome in the state was not unusual, but he was quickly hit by a public backlash from

unhappy citizens. When Nevada and Utah were designated for the project, a vigorous movement led by Citizen Alert developed in opposition. List reversed his position and other leaders joined him. After four years of grass roots resistance to the plan, a new President— Ronald Reagan—canceled the Nevada/Utah basing for the missile system.

By then, anti-nuclear forces in the state were well organized, aided by another nuclear issue that had run concurrently with MX— sloppy operation of the state’s waste dump for low level nuclear and chemical wastes near Beatty. That state dump was shut down after repeated safety violations.

So when a proposal to put a dump for high-level nuclear wastes into the state at Yucca Mountain was advanced in the early 1980s, the opposition infrastructure was ready. A scientific competition between sites in three states was suddenly canceled in 1987, and Nevada alone was targeted, subverting the scientific aspect.

That ignited a fury inside the state that gave powerful political support to state leaders who battled the dump, and they slowed progress on it to a crawl. The 1998 date for opening the dump came and went without notice. State government now had an agency that monitored nuclear projects. Citizen Alert was augmented

by Citizens Against Nuclear Waste in Nevada.

Then, in 2005, Nevada’s U.S. Sen. Harry Reid became the Democratic floor leader of

the Senate. It gave the state more power with which to block the Yucca project, and Reid slowly brought the project to a de facto halt.

When Barack Obama became president, he zeroed out the budget for the dump.

These successes were accompanied by a decline in the citizen activism that had been so much a part of the fight. With no in-state threats, like MX or Yucca, the opposition infrastructure has deteriorated. Within five years after Reid became floor leader in the Senate, Citizen Alert was gone. (Co-founder Orr died on Sept. 9.) Krane said the state should now get ready for efforts to test bombs by organizing Nevadans.

“The only way we’re going to be able to significantly reduce ... the number of nuclear weapons, ideally eliminate them, is by mass movements,” he said.

There is one indication that new testing would not be received without objection by an existing political group, though it is not specifically nuclear-oriented. Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada director Bob Fulkerson said, “We’d have to lead some direct action against it.” Ω

The documentary Losing Control, narrated by Bill Kurtis, will be shown at Cathexes, 250 Bell St., on Dec. 7 at 7 p.m.

Changing times

Will nuclear testing return to Nevada?

The Thanksgiving edition is traditionally a daily newspaper’s largest of the year, and this year the Reno Gazette Journal’s edition—which actually came out the day before Thanksgiving—was 2.71 pounds. While encouraging for the newspaper, that number also reflects the changes in our industry—the last time we weighed the RGJ Thanksgiving edition, in 2014, it came in at 4.44 pounds. This rack was shot at a Sparks convenience store.

PHOTO/DENNIS MYERS

11.29.18 | RN&R | 9

Win 2 tickets to

“saved by the 90’s”

Live at the Virginia street Brewhouse!

December 29 @ 10:00pm Virginia St. Brewhouse 211 N Virginia St Reno, NV 89501 United States http://renobrewhouse.com/event/ live-at-the-vsb-saved-by-the-90s/

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Each week we will be giving away

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To Enter: -Email contest@newsreview.com -Put “Saved By the 90s” in the subject line -Include your full name, daytime phone, and birth date -Deadline to enter for each week is Sunday at 11:59pm

10 | RN&R | 11.29.18

tahoe

by TerrA Breeden

Curling practice at Lake Tahoe Ice Arena.

PHOTO/EDITH LONDON

On ice Lake Tahoe Epic Curling The winter season is just getting started, but winter sports are already underway in the region. In recent years, curling has become popular. In the Reno-Tahoe region, people can give it a try with Lake Tahoe Epic Curling.

“It’s like shuffleboard or chess,” said Edith Loudon, Lake Tahoe Epic Curling company president. “There’s a lot of strategy involved.”

Curling, a Winter Olympics sport, originated in 16th century Scotland and has continued as a tradition of competition and camaraderie ever since. Curling tournaments termed bonspiels are played internationally.

Lake Tahoe Epic Curling holds “Learn to Curl” classes and bonspiels on Sunday evenings at the Lake Tahoe Ice Arena, 1176 Rufus Allen Blvd., in South Lake Tahoe.

Classes begin with 20 minutes of instruction, and participants learn the basics of curling and history of the sport. Afterward, they split into groups and are taught expert moves such as curling positions, sweeping and shooting at targets. Newbie curlers try out their skills with a game at the end of the session.

In a game, two teams of four players compete by pushing curling stones across the ice to targets at a distance of 140 feet. Players score points by knocking opponents’ stones away to get closest to the center ring of the target.

“The purpose is to outwit your opponent and beat them at their own game,” Loudon says. “You can be competitive on the ice, but the club is really a big family, and we have a lot of fun off the ice too.”

Learn to Curl classes are led by experienced volunteers as well as Loudona

longtime curling competitor and former Olympic athlete.

Scottish native Loudon is a former member of Britain’s Olympic curling team and competed in the 1998 Winter Games in Japan. It was an important year for curling—the first year the game was considered a full-medal sport—and Loudon counts it as one of her biggest achievements.

“I felt very privileged to be in that position,” she said. “It was one of the most awesome experiences of my life.”

Loudon said that although curling is a fairly new sport in California, it’s gaining momentum every year.

“People are really enthusiastic about the game and just want to have fun on the ice,” she said.

The Lake Tahoe Epic Curling Club was founded in 2011 by South Lake locals Eric Hazard and Ray Sidney. An avid fan of curling, Sidney wanted to bring the sport to his hometown and purchased equipment and curling stones for the club. At $5000 a set, curling stones aren’t cheap, but now Lake Tahoe Epic Curling has state-of-theart curling equipment and 55 members.

Currently, Lake Tahoe Epic Curling plays in South Lake Tahoe, but the club plans to open a new ice facility the summer of 2019 in Stateline, Nevada. The new arena will be the first facility in the state dedicated to curling.

Those who want to try the sport can sign up for a class throughout the winter at laketahoecurling.com. Classes cost $20.

Loudon said all people need bring are shoes with good tread, warm clothes and some enthusiasm. “It’s a fun new sport to try,” she said. “People make new friends and gain a better understanding of the intricacies of the game.” Ω The next “Learn to Curl” class will be held on Dec. 2, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Lake Tahoe Ice Arena, 1176 Rufus Allen Blvd., South Lake Tahoe, California. Learn more at laketahoecurling.com.

11.29.18 | RN&R | 11

THURSDAY – SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6 – 9

Holiday Weekend

HELP THE VICTIMS OF THE CAMP FIRE

IN PARADISE AND BuTTE COuNTY

THA N K YOU TO OUR HEROES! Thank you to the firefighters, EMS personnel, first responders of all varieties, nurses, neighbors in Chico and Paradise, and all of the many people, businesses and organizations helping evacuees and the Butte County community during the Camp Fire.

$ DONA TE TO HELP THE V ICTIMS There are many worthy organizations raising money. Please donate to the organization of your choice. If you’d like to “give to a fund that’s going to be in this for the duration, then the foundation is your answer.” -Alexa Benson-Valavanis, CEO of North Valley Community Foundation, as quoted in the CN&R. To donate to the NVCF, go to www.nvcf.org.

Bring the whole family to celebrate the holidays in creative style, while filling stockings for every art lover on your list.

THURSDAY – SUNDAY, DEC. 6 – 9

Storewide SHOP savings

OP EN YOUR HOME If you have a home that you’re willing to list for evacuees (any time through December 14), visit www.airbnb.com/welcome/evacuees/buttecounty.

FRIDAY, DEC. 7 / 4 – 6 PM

Holiday Sip & Shop SATURDAY, DEC. 8 / 10 AM – 4 PM / FREE Admission all day until 6 pm

Hands ON! Second Saturday and Museum School Open Studios Jewelry Trunk Show: Arielle de Pinto • In Tune Tales Santa and Friends • Sculpt a Snowman • Watercolor Holiday Cards Storytelling with “Pickles” • Free Gift Wrapping

DONATE TOYS TO CHILDREN Ashlee’s Toy Closet in Sparks, NV is collecting new toys for children affected by the Camp Fire. You can donate new toys, books or clothes at The Laughton Company offices, 140 Washington St. Ste. 100 Reno, NV 89503 or make financial donations here https://www.facebook.com/donate/351226489019537.

Donald W. Reynolds Center for the Visual Arts | E. L. Wiegand Gallery 160 West Liberty Street in downtown Reno | 775.329.3333 | nevadaart.org

Visit NevadaArt.org for the full schedule of events.

12 | RN&R | 11.29.18

faire play

Holiday markets in the region What: Magic of Santa Arts and Crafts Faire

When: Dec. 1 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Dec 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: Reno Livestock Events Center, 1350 N. Wells Ave. Why go: You want handmade doll clothes and pieces of fine wood work. This craft show is a local classic—now in its 38th year. There will be more than 80 vendors from which to choose. Be aware that folks 12 and older will have to pay $4 for admission, or $3 with a donation of a canned food item.

from ngs. Take a drive eople here make thi ll u’ yo d uth Lake, an Pyramid Lake to So the ng alo ity un comm s that funcfind them in every t are beautiful, thing tha s ng g. thi ing ak that are intoxicatin way—people m and, often, things ty, tas are t d tha s fin ng ll tional, thi , and you’ town in the region Pass through any g by providing in liv a g in ak skills, m r. Pass through people plying their be make life here tte at th s ice rv se d an goods find these people s, and you’ll often ich provide around the holiday ts and bazaars, wh ke ar m r fo ade er th ge gathered to ff that’s proudly m the breadth of stu e se to ty ni rtu po an op opy-local holiday sh right here at home. ’ve compiled a bu we , d fin ind ll m u’ in t yo tha st, With ons. In the fir ring oken into two secti ve br co s It’ ies . or ide teg gu ca g in pin gifts for locally sourced s, and recommendations d drink, home good an od fo , art to ng thi ’ve clo we m rt, pa fro nd ng co thi every rships. In the se be em m d an s un ice in towns aro d the even some serv markets happening ay lid ho e. of t lis a compiled d South Lake Taho rson City, Reno an Ca ing lud inc , ion reg

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What: Wyld & Crafty Holiday When: Dec. 2 from 3 to 7 p.m.

Where: Craft Wine and Beer, 22 Martin St. Why go: This event is a chance to do some holiday shopping and also get in on making some holiday crafts of your own. Local makers will help people create their own ornaments, paint wrapping paper and make custom stamped cards. There’s not strictly an admission fee, but donations are encouraged with proceeds going to support the drop-in youth day shelter, the Eddy House

story and photos by Jeri Chadwell j e ri c @ne w s re v i e w . c o m

continued on page 14

2018 buy local gift guide

Home for tHe Holidays • Buying furniture as a gift is something you probably only want to do for someone you know really well. But in the event you do, there are plenty of local furniture makers in town from which to choose. You could contact a company like Haus of Reed that specializes in custom jobs or drop into a store like Micano Home and Garden, 1350 S. Virginia St., to check out a selection of furniture and home décor that’s made regionally or in house, including a lot of upcycled pieces and industrial art. Another option is Drevno Design, a new company that’s yet to open a brickand-mortar location but will be showcasing its simple, clean designs that often blend metal, wood and concrete during the Wyld & Crafty Holiday event.

• Perhaps you know someone who would like to have a smaller carbon footprint or a generally less wasteful lifestyle but doesn’t have the time to think about where to find

the kinds of things we normally consider disposable. Black Rock Refill owner Samantha Romanick prides herself on hunting down everything from refillable floss containers to bamboo eating utensils and wool dryer balls meant to replace fabric softener. You can find her products at Wolf Shop locations at the University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St., or online at blackrockrefill.com. She delivers locally for free.

• Handmade ceramics can serve as both art and practical appliance, and there’s an abundance of this type of thing in the region. Pat Roberts makes beautiful, functional ceramic vases, jars and mugs. His work can be found inside the Wedge Ceramic Studio, 2095 Dickerson Road, all the time and will also be for sale during the studio’s Chili Cash & Carry event.

Earlene Dalasohya actually lives in Anaheim, California, but she often comes to Reno to sell her hand painted ceramic bowls, plates and night lights during craft fairs at the RenoSparks Indian Colony.

Ceramic butterfly dish by earlene dalasohya

• A lot of people will tell you they have more than enough stuff for their homes, but fewer will tell you they have more than enough time to care for it all. Consider landscaping or composting services as a gift. Down to Earth Composting offers a service that provides people with buckets for collecting compostable materials at their homes. The buckets are picked up once a week by a member of the company on bicycle. Twice a year, service subscribers can get up to 20 gallons of finished compost to meet their gardening needs.

Ceramic vase by Pat roberts

“under wraps” continued on page 14

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“Feature tItLe” continued from page xx

fAire plAy

2018 buy local gift guide

“under wrAps”

continued from page 13

Soy candles from Pantry Products

can find her at the Dec. 2 Wyld & Crafty event.

What: Zawadisha Holiday Bazaar When: Dec. 1 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Dec. 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: The Landing Lake Tahoe Resort & Spa, 4104 Lakeshore Blvd., South Lake Tahoe, California Why go: This fair features nearly two dozen vendors who make things ranging from jewelry to body care products. Zawadisha is an organization that provides small loans to rural women in Kenya. The vendors’ booth fees and the profits from the Zawadisha booth go to support the group’s work in that country.

What: 7th Annual Chili Cash & Carry When: Dec. 7 from 4 to 7 p.m. and Dec. 8 and 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: The Wedge Ceramic Studio, 2095 Dickerson Road Why go: For $25 you get to pick a handmade ceramic bowl and get it filled with chili catered by Butter & Salt. Studio members will sell their ceramic work and crafters working in different media will sell their wares as well. Bring a nonperishable, non-expired food item to donate, and you can pick an ornament made by a studio member.

What: Rogue Art+Craft 2018 When: Dec. 8 and 9 from 10 a.m.

continued from page 13

soMething for every body • Nevada-themed clothing has been popping up in shops all over the region. reno eNVy, 135 N. Sierra St., stocks Home Means Nevada Co. brand clothing. And a new company called State 36, founded

by Renoites, sells Nevada-themed clothes for men, women, kids and babies online at state36.com. Newer still are designs available from Pyramid Paiute Tribe member Sara Paschall. Paschall aims to design clothing that speaks to her indigenous culture in a way that’s not cliché. She’s designed T-shirts for the anti-DAPL protests and the women’s marches. They feature strong, simply, modernized Native iconography. You

• There’s an abundance of homemade jewelry for sale in this region, but some brands are standouts, including one called “Spanish for Pineapple.” Owner Gabi Falcioni learned to make earrings and necklaces while working at Reno Bead Shop. Her work often includes a variety of stones featuring simple, elegant wire wrapping—but she also makes beaded earrings featuring designs and color combinations inspired by her Mexican heritage. Falcioni’s work is mostly available on Etsy, whereas other brands like Lovett Family Beadwork is something you’ll have to visit craft fairs to find. It’s worth the trip to see Ann Lovett and daughter Candace’s intricate beading on everything from trinket boxes to earrings to pens.

• Homemade body products are becoming increasingly popular. In the Truckee Meadows, there’s a wealth of places to get them. Pantry Products, 1375 S. Wells Ave., offers skincare, candles, bath and shower products and aromatherapy candles and is rolling out new holiday

scents in the coming weeks. The store will have a booth at the Rogue Art+Craft 2018 event on Dec. 8 and 9. Stacey Shaffer is an aromatherapist and maker of natural bath and body products. She’s studying to become a holistic health practitioner but can be contacted in the meantime for products and “make and take” parties by searching Native Roots Apothecary on Facebook.

• Odds are you could be in the market for a boat cover and also for a new purse. You can get both from Luca Stevens. For the last 10 years, she’s been doing custom industrial sewing, making boat covers and large handbags out of 100 percent post-consumer sail cloth. You can find her work online at mountainwatercanvas.com.

• Salon services are go-to gift for a lot of people. A facial or a haircut can be a great pick-me-up for anyone—but there’s another service that can have a much bigger impact for some. Microblading for eyebrows is a semi-permanent tattooing process. It’s expensive, often around $500, but it’s a popular gift for people who’ve gone through chemotherapy and found their eyebrows didn’t fully grow back afterward. Learn more about it by contacting local providers like Pretty Parlor, 680 Tahoe St.

to 4 p.m.

Where: The Holland Project, 140 Vesta St. Why go: More than 50 local vendors will be selling everything from art to body products, and there will be food trucks.

What: Holiday Craft Fair When: Dec. 7, 8 and 9 from 10 a.m to 6 p.m.

Where: Carson Colony Gym, 2800 S. Curry St., Carson City Why go: You can get your hands on custom beadwork, jewelry, body products, blankets, art and more.

What: 7th Annual Tommo Craft Fair When: Dec. 7 and 8 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: Reno-Sparks Indian Colony Gym, 34 Reservation Road Why go: This is another opportunity to purchase art, home goods, and jewelry, including intricate beaded pieces from dozens of Native American vendors.

14 | RN&R | 11.29.18

MeMber services

All you cAn eAt

• The Truckee Meadows is home to many theater companies, including Reno Little Theater, Restless Artists Theatre, Merry War Theatre and others. Season passes make a good gift. Take, for example, passes for Good Luck Macbeth’s 11th season.

They’re $110 and include one ticket to each of seven productions and priority seating. Upgraded season passes are $124 and include one ticket to each of the seven mainstage productions, free access to three staged readings from the theater’s New Works Initiative and priority seating with an option for champagne.

• If you’re going to give people desserts for the holidays, skip the gross fruitcakes and go for some locally made chocolates. There are myriad confectioners from which to choose, from Dorinda’s Chocolates to the Chocolate Nugget Candy Factory. A standout among them is Sugar Love Chocolates, 50 S. Virginia St. Owner Krysta Bea Jackson turns out a huge variety of truffles and chocolate bars available in gift boxes, small or large.

• A membership to the Generator may be a good gift idea for any makers in your life. While the makers’ space doesn’t turn people away based on a lack of funding—and has a day-use area for drop-in visitors—membership dues are important to its operations and confer certain benefits. They’re available at different levels. A “shop” membership for $500 a year or $50 a month will give them access to the common shops and use and training on tools for working with wood, metal, ceramic and more.

• Housed in the former Granny’s House Recording Studio, the reno Collective co-working space is a home to techies, writers and startups of all varieties. Memberships at different levels allow access to the space and its services. A Cafe 24/7 membership comes with all-hours access, a long-term locker space, access to conference rooms and event/meetup hosting privileges.

• It’s been a good decade for local beer lovers as new breweries have sprung up all over the region. A gift card to visit any number of them—from Brewer’s Cabinet, 475 S. Arlington Ave.; to 10 Torr Distilling and Brewing, 490 Mill St.—is always a good go-to gift. For something more personal, a mix-andmatch six pack of locally crafted beers from Piñon Bottle, 777 S. Virginia St., is another option.

• For something truly out of the box, make a visit to Casale’s Halfway Club, 2501 E. Fourth St., and order some homemade raviolis to give as a gift. They come in different sized containers and are meant to be cooked at home. Raviolis-to-go is a holiday tradition the restaurant—opened more than 70 years ago—has offered for decades.

• Farm boxes, or community supported agriculture subscriptions offer people weekly or monthly deliveries of locally grown food. They’re a neat gift idea for anyone who’s interest in farmto-fork dining. Locally, there a many from which to choose.

Just go online and Google any of these to learn more: Bee Here Now Farm, City Green Gardens, Pleasant Valley Farm, Prema Organics or The Farmers Table at Girlfarm.

Who are you kidding?

State of the art

• Museum memberships often make good gifts for kids.

Annual memberships to the Terry Lee Wells Discovery Museum are available in different levels and for individuals as well as families. But if you’re not in the market for an annual membership, admission tickets to any number of local museums—from the Nevada Museum of Art to the National Automobile Museum—make good gifts for kids.

And if you want a related toy to accompany the tickets, all of the museums have them in their respective gift shops.

• The region is full of visual artists. Some of them do gallery shows and sales, but many of them only sell their art during

• If you’d like to bond with a kid over some retro toys, there are quite a few places to buy them, but a standout is Flashback Toys & Collectibles, 201 E. Plumb Lane. It’s especially cool for toy car fans, with a selection of Hotwheels, Matchbox cars, M2 Machines and Tiger Wheels toys and collectibles.

• Trampoline parks are a fairly recent trend in kids’ entertainment options. And buying children you know gift cards to one of the valley’s several trampoline parks is, in a sense, also providing a gift to their caregivers, who will be grateful for the opportunity to tucker them out. Choose from Fly High Trampoline Park (10 Greg St., Sparks), EZ Air Indoor Trampoline Park and Laser Tag Arena (895 E. Patriot Blvd.) or Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park (2210 Harvard Way).

Colored pencil and oil pastel by Quinton Salas.

pop-up craft fairs. It’s places like that where you’ll find hidden gems like the work of Quinton Salas, who beautifully renders interpretations of female deities and mythological figures in a blend of colored pencil and oil pastel. (Salas’ work is also sometimes available at the Melting Pot World Emporium, 1049 S. Virginia St.) In addition to upcoming holiday markets, there are exhibitions and sales at galleries across the region, including at the Artists Co-Op Gallery of Reno, 627 Mill St., through Dec. 28 and at the Wilbur D. May Museum, 1595 N. Sierra St., through Dec. 16.

• Maybe you’re not comfortable choosing art as a gift.

Consider giving art lessons of some type instead. One-time visits to studios that specialize in glass art, painting or other crafts are a good option, with a variety of places to choose from, like Mantra Glass Art, 651 E. Fourth St.; the Copper

Cat Studio, 300 Kresge Lane; or Picasso & Wine, 148 Vassar St. For something more in depth, consider classes from the E. L. Cord Museum School at the Nevada Museum of Art, 160 W. Liberty St. • Music lessons can make a meaningful gift, and there are myriad places in the region to get them—places like Blue Note B’s Horn Shop, 1155 W. Fourth St.; Mountain Music Parlor, 735 S. Center St.; and It’s All About Music, 770 Smithridge Drive.

• If you know a photographer, you know a photographer who could use a sensor cleaning for his or her camera. If said photographer doesn’t currently need a sensor cleaning, it won’t be long before one becomes necessary. Action Camera, 5890 S. Virginia St., does a great job with this service. The store also organizes a regular series of photography lessons and classes. Ω

11.29.18 | RN&R | 15

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takes our palates back to days of old, mulled wine and spice cake. In that vein, his Turkish Coffee Black Lager, available now, tastes like an old world spice market in a glass—not too heavy, but it’s sure flavorful and unique. As winter approaches, he’ll be bringing out a big imperial stout to warm your soul—watch for possible infused variations and a limited can release.

10 Torr Distilling and Brewing just released its Poker Face Vanilla Porter.

Photo/Jeri Chadwell

Cold weather brews O

ne thing people say they love about Reno is the climate. For better or worse, we usually have four distinct seasons—scorching summers, lovely shoulder seasons, and sometimes brutal winters with ice and snow aplenty. One thing I appreciate about beer as my beverage of choice is the sheer variety to pair with those seasons—a light crisp pilsner on a hot summer day, a spiced pumpkin ale as the leaves turn colors, and, inevitably, something to sip by the fireplace as big, fluffy snowflakes fall outside.

I spoke to local brewers about what winter beer drinking season means to them and what cold weather brews we have to look forward to in coming months.

Some traditional trends come through along with some interesting twists. As you might expect, heartier, stronger beers to take the chill off are common choices, maltier brews get more popular, and darker beers are often what beer lovers crave as temperatures fall and days get short.

Get your growlers ready, here’s what’s coming.

18 | RN&R | 11.29.18

great BaSin Brewing Co.

www.greatbasinbrewingco.com, 846 victorian ave, Sparks, 355-7711, and 5525 S. virginia St., 254-7711 Possibly the oldest local winter beer, Great Basin will again release Red Nose Holiday Wassail. It’s one of the few beers dating to Great Basin’s start 25 years ago. The basic recipe remains the same, but the blend of holiday spices changes a bit each year. Brewery Manager Dave Miller describes it as a “winter warmer,” a slightly stronger, malty beer for the season. In addition to a draft release, following Great Basin tradition, brewmaster Tom Young will sign a limited number of bottles.

A quick guide to the winter beers at local breweries

By MarC tiar

Silver Peak Brewery and reStaurant

www.silverpeakbrewery.com, 124 wonder St. and 135 n. Sierra St., 324-1864 Head brewer Sam Soliday spoke enthusiastically about lagers to come, but, generally, for this time of year, he likes maltier, full-bodied beers, like the brewery’s McHiney’s Wee Heavy, an 8.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) Scotch Ale brewed annually in memory of former brewer Andy Hines.

lead dog Brewing www.leaddogbrewing.com, 415 e. Fourth St., 391-5110

I’m pretty fond of Lead Dog’s Peanut Butter Stout, and the Imperial Vanilla Stout clocking in at 10.2 percent ABV sounds amazing, too. Still, a brewery that turns out gangbuster IPAs much of the time can’t be expected to change radically for the winter months, so it’s not surprising that Lead Dog’s new winter seasonal is a 7.2 percent ABV double IPA called Gnar Gnar. After you’re done shredding the slopes, this

West Coast version—extra heavy on traditional bittering hop flavors—of the brewery’s popular Conan’s Wrath hazy IPA should be the can you grab.

the Brewer’S CaBinet www.thebrewerscabinet.com 475 S. arlington ave., 348-7481

It still felt a bit summery when brewers Eric Ramin and Steve Heberger sat down with me on the patio to talk about winter beers. When your imperial brown ale is on tap year round, what do you brew for winter? A little decadence in a glass perhaps—a milk chocolate stout, creamy with lactose sugar and cocoa nibs. Otherwise, the chai-spiced porter made with local organic spices will put holiday cheer in your glass, or the imperial hoppy red will bring needed warmth when it’s cold outside.

Pigeon head Brewery www.pigeonheadbrewery.com, 840 e. Fifth St., 276-6766.

Head Brewer Bryan Holloway doesn’t just like the darker, stronger beers for winter. Something about the season

oCCidental Brewing Co. www.occidentalbrewing.com, 865 S. rock Blvd., Sparks, 470-3644

As a newcomer to the local brewery hive, I was excited to see what this Portland brewer of traditional German beers would bring us this winter.

Founder and brewer Ben Engler gave me a look at his still relatively new digs in Sparks as we discussed his winter release. Nothing less than a hearty German doppelbock, the liquid bread known for sustaining monks during Lent, would be appropriate. A 2016 World Beer Cup gold medal winner, Lucubrator (“lucubrate,” to toil into the night, plus “-ator,” a traditional doppelbock suffix) will be available on draft only.

the dePot CraFt Brewery diStillery www.thedepotreno.com 325 e. Fourth St., 737-4330

I walked into The Depot with little notion of what brewmaster Brandon Wright would have in store for the winter. Try to keep up. There’s the Soviet, a monster 12 percent imperial red ale, boasting complex layers of caramel flavor backed by a mighty hop presence. There’s also a version

of The Soviet aged—twice—in bourbon barrels, bringing it up to 14 percent.

Take home a bottle of that for your ugly sweater party. To close the deal, you can also taste a whisky distilled from the 14 percent version, too, aged briefly in house bourbon barrels, of course.

Darker beers are often what beer lovers crave as temperatures fall and days get short.

ImbIb Custom brews www.imbibreno.com 785 e. second st., 470-5996

Co-owner Matt Johnson offered an interesting observation on what people drink in the winter. Through whatever compels us, drinkers gravitate toward darker brews. But setting aside the obvious imperial stouts and porters, despite its lighter body and relatively average alcohol content, he’s convinced that the darker fruit versions—think huckleberry and black currant—of the brewery’s award-winning house sour, Nevada Weisse, are more popular in winter. Beyond that, I’m looking forward to both the Belgian Strong Dark Ale and the Russian Imperial Stout coming out of bourbon barrels after a year-long rest.

brasserIe saInt James www.brasseriesaintjames.com, 901 s. Center st., 348-8888

I fondly remember Brasserie’s 2017 holiday beer, Noel. I snapped up a bottle that remains unopened, waiting for the elusive perfect occasion. Fortunately, brewer Elijah Pasciak says there will probably be another Noel this year. The recipe is still just ideas, but a “Grand Cru” blend of Flemish-style, barrel-aged beers is a good possibility. Looking ahead, here are some other treats—a late winter release of gueze, the classic Belgian blend of sour lambic vintages; an English Brown Ale with hints of smoke, chicory and coffee; possibly even a barleywine early next year.

10 torr DIstIllIng anD brewIng www.10torr.com, 490 mill st., 499-5276.

Like others, head brewer Melissa Test is drawn to darker, sturdier beers for the winter. A nice swath of examples will be coming from the 10 Torr taps soon.

The brewery just released its Poker Face Vanilla Porter, at 7.5 percent, just enough to sip slowly and savor. Coming soon, another delicious dessert in the form of the Mocha Milk Stout—creamy lactose, cocoa nibs and finished with local cold brew from Old World Coffee. Finally, cans of their Nightman dunkleweizen (Bavarian-style dark wheat beer) and a triple (yes, triple) IPA will be out in December. Nothing against our other three seasons, but winter is a good time to be a beer drinker in Reno. Ω

Bartender Paul Amundson pours a Dirty Wookie at Brewer’s Cabinet.

Photo/Jeri Chadwell

11.29.18 | RN&R | 19

by Kris Vagner

Christopher Newhard has been making figure paintings for 30 years.

Modern love Christopher Newhard For several centuries, the point of being a woman in a painting was to be looked at by men. You could be a nude muse, a buttoned-up Victorian, whatever, as long as you looked good. And the person calling the shots about how you looked was almost always a man.

And all the way up through my teens and 20s, in the ’80s and ’90s, it felt as if much of the point of even being a woman was to be looked at by men.

Refreshingly, that’s shifted. Women now call more of the shots about how we look in pop culture and art. This has been a relief.

But there’s something about the way the cultural chips have settled that won’t last, I suspect. We’ve come to acknowledge that male desire doesn’t need to be used relentlessly as a power tool, but I don’t think our reckoning with it is over. We’ve asked it to take a back seat for now, but we all know it’s made partly of biological impetus, and it’s not going away. And while I’m pleased it’s no longer OK to use male desire as an excuse for abuse or oppression, it doesn’t necessarily follow that the desire itself is villainous.

This, in a nutshell, is the lifetime worth of context I carried into the Hub, 727 Riverside Drive, to see Christopher Newhard’s paintings.

They are expertly rendered oils, all pictures of women, ranging wildly in tone. One is a trim Asian model in 1930s dress, eyes averted. Another is a muscular African-American reprising Michelangelo’s “David,” victorious in battle and so empowered she’s downright confrontational.

At first blush, some paintings come off as proffering outdated exoticism. Others read as if Newhard tries to see individual 20 | RN&R | 11.29.18

Photo/Kris Vagner

women as they might prefer to be seen.

After a conversation with the artist, I see the exhibition as a record of one person’s attempt at something we’re all trying to do lately—process fast-changing gender mores and representation politics through whatever our own filters may be.

Newhard has been making narrative figure paintings for 30 years. Long ago, he sat in on art appreciation class taught by the legendary California abstract painter Wayne Thiebaud, whose words stuck with him: “If you’re an artist, you can do anything you want, as long as you can face the music.”

Newhard, a white Midwesterner in his 50s, can face the music just fine. He’s stuck to painting what he calls “slice-of-life” narratives for his entire career, despite whichever winds of change have been in the air.

“In California, I was too traditional,” he said. “In New York, I wasn’t traditional enough.” He’s been told time and time again that narrative paintings weren’t current enough.

Newhard is intrigued by women of color. He acknowledges that such a position “can easily slide down a slippery slope into exoticism,” and he thinks that’s a fair critique of his show.

“I understand where you’re coming from, but, no, I’m not going to stick to painting Scots/Irish Americans from the Midwest,” he said. “I paint what I want to paint. … That being said, I think we should always check our biases, and if somebody has a criticism, you should listen to it.”

Six or seven years ago, when a friend— a Filipina woman—told him, “You, as a white man, have no business painting women of color,” he felt defensive. But this month, when a young person—possibly Asian, probably transgender—confronted Newhard at the Hub, the two enjoyed a three-hour conversation on the topic. Ω Christopher newhard’s new exhibition Femme Politique, is up at hub Coffee roasters, 727 riverside Drive, through nov. 29. For more information, visit christophernewhard. blogspot.com.

by BoB Grimm

b g ri m m @ne w s re v i e w . c o m

SHORT TAKES

5

“You’re right! That really is soft.”

The good fight I’ve always hated Rocky IV. I’m pretty sure my life as a movie critic started in 1985 when my heart sank into my feet as I watched it in a crowded, overly enthusiastic theater with a bunch of friends.

Walking out of the theater, my friends were all hyped after American Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) vanquished the evil Russian Ivan Drago.

I, on the other hand, thought the damn thing was ridiculous and hokey, especially when Rocky climbed a snowy, treacherous mountain with nothing but his beard and a dream. My sour attitude rendered me unpopular at the after-movie diner get-together. I don’t think I touched my pie.

Now, 33 years removed from that shit movie, the franchise says hello again to Drago (a weathered Dolph Lundgren) and his boxing son Viktor (Florian Munteanu) with Creed II, the follow up to Ryan Coogler’s excellent Creed.

Coogler has not returned, replaced by Steven Caple, Jr., in the director’s chair. Michael B. Jordan and Stallone are back, doing pretty much what they did in chapter one, which is not a bad thing. Creed II doesn’t break any new ground and represents a step backward from the astonishingly good Creed, but it’s still a lot of fun.

This surprises me, because it dares to take the ridiculous story of Ivan Drago and expand upon it.

While the first three Rocky movies were true sports underdog movies with credibility, Rocky IV was a moronic play on ’80s patriotism and Cold War fears. Drago was a cartoon character and Rocky had become one, too. That final image of Rocky wrapped in an American flag had me grinding my teeth.

Creed II tries to make Drago a real person, a defeated man living in shame for decades after losing to Rocky. His loss to Rocky came after killing Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) in the ring, so when Drago comes looking for a fight using his young, up-and-comer son Viktor, Adonis Creed (Jordan) can’t help but take notice. He’s got a score to settle, and he wants Rocky in his corner.

Sound stupid? It is a little bit, but Caple, Jr., manages to continue the authentic vibe of Creed, even with the Dragos back in the ring. Lundgren actually gives one of the film’s best performances, his sense of humiliation oozing from his pores as he tries to regain former glory and the love of his estranged wife (Brigitte Nielson). Caple, Jr., and his screenwriters, which include Stallone, manage to make Drago a real character rather than a stereotype.

One thing that makes the movie work is that it jettisons the U.S. vs. Russia angle and focuses on the characters. When Adonis and Viktor square off, it’s all about the two men and the sport, with no mention of democracy and communism. Mikhail Gorbachev doesn’t stand and applaud Adonis after their final fight. That actually happened in Rocky IV! Rocky got a standing ovation from the Russian leader. Nuclear war was averted. God, that movie sucked!

Jordan is as convincing a cinematic son to Carl Weathers as there will ever be, and he makes for a solid boxer. The movie’s fights are as good as any in the Rocky franchise, and it looks like some real blows are being landed. Like his dad, Adonis gets his ribs cracked a lot in the ring, and it looks and sounds like it super hurts.

Tessa Thompson returns as Adonis’s songstress girlfriend, Bianca. Thompson is good at anything she does, but she is saddled with the film’s worst moment—a musical intro as Adonis enters the ring for his final fight in Russia. I have a very hard time believing some Russian promoter sat down with Bianca to work out her light show and sound.

As a Rocky fan, I’m happier than heck that somebody found a way to keep the franchise going, even if it involves revisiting the lesser parts of the Rocky mythology. Creed II isn’t good enough to be an improvement on its predecessor, but it is good enough to make you almost appreciate the awful Rocky IV three decades later. That’s a notable accomplishment. Ω

Creed ii

12345

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

1

2

Overlord

Netflix is becoming a regular haven for our very best directors. Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma will debut on the streaming service this December after a very brief theatrical run (and a showing at this year’s Loft Film Festival). Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, Paul Greengrass, Guillermo del Toro and Steven Soderbergh all have had, or will have, projects with Netflix. The true stunner is that Joel and Ethan Coen, the Coen brothers, have also gone the way of Netflix with their latest, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.

The film is a six-part Western anthology that fits snugly in their repertoire, which includes No Country for Old Men, Fargo, Barton Fink and Raising Arizona. The movie’s arrival on Netflix, after a one-week theatrical run, establishes Netflix as a true original film force. The film opens with a story about the title character (Tim Blake Nelson), a singing cowboy who is frighteningly adept with his gun, casually killing many in the segment’s few minutes. The musical ending tells us we are in true Coen territory, where weird, beautiful things can happen. The other shorts involve an unlucky bank robber (James Franco), a sad and greedy show runner (Liam Neeson), a wily prospector (Tom Waits), an unfortunate cross country traveler (Zoe Kazan), and a creepy stagecoach. All of the segments are good enough to be standalone films, and all of them successfully convey the overall theme, that the Old West was a tricky, dark place. For any Coen fan concerned that their film might be anything less than their usual brilliance, since it’s a streaming affair, fret not. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs will go down as one of the year’s best movies, as their films often do. It’s also a nice companion piece to their other fine Western, their remake of True Grit. (Streaming on Netflix.)

Bohemian Rhapsody

Rami Malek gives it his all as Freddie Mercury, the late lead singer of Queen, in the new biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. That, and a competent recreation of Queen’s Live Aid domination, are just about the only good things you can say about this mostly embarrassing effort to memorialize an incredible person and his sadly short life. The movie basically takes Mercury’s legacy, completely screws with his life’s timeline and makes up a bunch of unnecessary events to pad its 135-minute running time. So much of this film isn’t true, and the fact that they took this hard-living rock star’s life and homogenized it for a PG-13 film doesn’t help make it feel anything close to authentic. Mercury died from pneumonia while battling AIDS in 1991. He wasn’t diagnosed with the illness until 1987. This film, partially directed by Bryan Singer and then finished by Dexter Fletcher, has Mercury learning of his diagnosis before his incredible 1985 Live Aid performance, even telling the band of his illness shortly before they went on stage. This is complete bullshit and a total injustice to Mercury and his band’s legacy. Malek, acting through a big set of fake teeth made to capture the look of Mercury’s four extra incisors, is decent in the role. He actually sang on set, his voice blended with a Mercury soundalike to keep the movie from being a completely lip-synched affair. The musical sequences, including the Live Aid gig, are fun to watch. But, hey, if I want good Queen music, I can just watch the videos of Queen. There’s a movie happening between those musical sequences, and that movie is terrible, a messed-up bit of fakery that prompts a lot of unintentional laughter. There’s a great, truthful movie to be made about the life of Freddie Mercury. Bohemian Rhapsody doesn’t even come close to being that movie.

American soldiers get personal with some mutant Nazi soldiers in Overlord, one of the weirder films to make it to the big screen in 2018. U.S. World War II paratroopers, led by Kurt Russell’s lookand-sound-alike son Wyatt as demolition expert Ford, land in a Nazi-occupied French town. It’s the eve of D-Day, and the beginning of director Julius Avery’s flick is an effective war movie as those paratroopers, including Jovan Adepo as Boyce and John Magaro as Tibbet, must escape a crashing plane and then evade Nazis on the ground. Soon after linking up with local resident Chloe (Mathilde Ollivier), the soldiers find themselves in a safehouse. It’s a typical small French town house, excepting for the fact that Chloe’s aunt down the hall is ill, and we aren’t talking whooping cough. Nazi doctors are seriously screwing with dead people’s biochemistry.

This results in some messed-up experiments like Chloe’s aunt, but also brings about superhuman Nazi soldier zombies with direct orders to tear people apart. Yikes!

The whole Nazi zombie thing has been done before, but never with such authentic style and gory aplomb. At a time when studios are starting to release their Oscar favorites, it’s interesting to see something like Overlord post-Halloween. The movie doesn’t score major points for originality, but it’s a good time nonetheless for those of us who enjoy seeing bad things done to Nazi types.

5

A Star is Born

It’s movie magic at its most beautiful when Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga share the screen in A Star is Born. It’s a rousing remake of the old warhorse riseto-fame story, and it’s easily the best movie with that title ever made. Cooper makes his feature directorial debut and stars as Jackson Maine, a Southern rocker barely getting through his gigs thanks to too much alcohol, too many pills and a nasty case of tinnitus.

The film opens with Cooper live on stage belting out “Black Eyes,” a song that clearly states this movie means business on the musical front. He brings a lot of legitimate musical soul to the role. And he damned well better, because his counterpart in this story is played by none other than Lady Gaga in her fierce feature lead debut. (She had bit parts in Sin City and Muppet movies.)

As Ally, a waitress who sings occasionally at the local drag bar, Gaga delivers so well beyond expectations it seems impossible.

She’s so good it hurts, especially in the film’s dramatic moments, of which there are many.

3

Widows

Writer-director Steve McQueen follows up 2013’s Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave with an above-average thriller made very watchable thanks to a terrific performance from Viola Davis. Davis plays Veronica, wife of lifetime criminal Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson). When Harry meets an untimely end, he leaves behind a nasty debt, and some nasty people want it paid back. Veronica hatches a plan to pull a heist, and she looks to the wives of Harry’s alsodead gang mates to help her out. Michelle Rodriguez and Elizabeth Debicki are good as the other widows, while Robert Duvall and Colin Farrell steal scenes as father-andson politicians. The plot is fairly standard, and you’ll see some of the “big twists” coming a mile away. That doesn’t keep the movie from being a sufficiently stylized, serviceable thriller that gives Davis her best vehicle in years. Also costars Lukas Haas as a mysterious boyfriend, Daniel Kaluuya as a scary henchman, and Carrie Coon in a throwaway role. Not the sort of greatness one would hope for from McQueen, but no mishap either. It’s a good movie from a very good director.

11.29.18

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National Automobile Museum  RN&R   10 |   11.29.18 S. Lake Street 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

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Gator Bites are boneless chunks of alligator meat, deep-fried in seasoned cornmeal and served with cups of slaw and remoulade.

Go easy New in midtown, Rue Bourbon is a New Orleansinspired bar and grill featuring live music, plenty of seating, free billiards and darts and room to dance.

The decor is fun and certainly evokes a sense of the Big Easy, though étouffée and filé gumbo will have to be found elsewhere.

At the top of the cocktail menu is a Sazerac ($10), typically made with rye whiskey, sugar, bitters and a hint of absinthe. Our server and bartender asked if I’d like, “well or top shelf bourbon.” I politely read their menu description of a rocks glass washed with absinthe, filled with rye and a “sweet and spicy house mix.” Looking confused, she replied, “OK, rye then.”

Thankfully, what I received was not a bad example— served “up”—though a little on the sparse side and with no hint of the promised spice.

My dining companions and I ordered another pair of classic cocktails—a mint julep ($10) and a Pimm’s cup ($11). The julep was pretty strong, with lots of mint and ice. A copper mule mug was substituted for a silver julep cup. Pimm’s No. 1 is a gin-based liqueur with spice and citrus notes. This example of the famous cocktail based on it was properly mixed with soda, fruit and cucumber, over ice in a highball glass.

It was the best of the drinks.

An order of Cajun swamp fries ($14) was described as being piled high with Cajun shrimp and house remoulade. There was certainly a pile of crispy seasoned fries drizzled in spicy sauce, topped with a pile of “kickin,” vaguely vinegary, bland coleslaw and five fried prawns. This was followed by a basket of gator bites ($15), boneless chunks of marinated alligator meat, deep-fried in seasoned cornmeal batter and served with cups of remoulade and slaw. Oh my goodness, those beautiful swamp monster bites were a treat. I was pleasantly surprised by how moist and

PHOTO/ALLISON YOUNG

tender they were compared to some previous encounters I’ve had with gator.

The muffuletta cold cuts sandwich ($13)—so named for its round, low-profile Italian bread—hails from New Orleans’ Central Grocery. Rue Bourbon uses the jarred original olive salad (proudly on display), with sliced provolone, capicola, sopressata, pepperoni and mozzarella. It’s served with choice of fries, slaw or Zapp’s Louisiana kettle chips. The bread was a little dry and could have used a bit more of the olive mix, but, overall, it was not a bad rendition.

Next we tried three “po’ boy sliders”—shrimp ($14), chicken ($10) and andouille sausage ($10). They come with the same choice of fries, slaw or chips on the side. There’s nothing better than a big ol’ crusty French roll po’ boy stuffed with goodies, so I’m puzzled how a halved six-inch sandwich on a forgettable cornmeal-finished soft roll equates to either a po’ boy or a slider. The bread was grilled, so there’s that.

There were a couple shrimp per side on the shrimp version, and the Cajun sausage was very good. The sandwich with the most meat was the chicken po’ boy, though the meat itself was a bit dry and lacked seasoning. The dressing of tomato, slaw, onion and remoulade or aioli (depending) helped all three.

Beignets made with Cafe du Monde packaged mix ($6 for 3) were the thing we most anticipated trying.

Served hot and dusted with plenty of powdered sugar, these, at first, seemed to be just the right thing. But instead of the expected light and airy doughnut, these were on the tough and chewy side. Perhaps the oil wasn’t hot enough, or the dough kneaded a bit too much. Either way, they were sadly not the beignets of my dreams. Ω

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11.29.18 | RN&R | 23

by ANdReA HeeRdt

Cowboy Indian includes (from left) John von Nolde, Jimi Revolver, Jorge Pulido and Lucas Paul.

Photo/AndreA heerdt

Mild West Cowboy Indian Cowboy Indian formed a little over a year ago. According to lead singer and guitar player Lucas Paul, it was the son of bass player John von Nolde, who first heard Paul sing live and insisted that his dad create music with him.

Later, a mutual friend, Spike McGuire, introduced the two who then went on to form the band. After trying out many different potential members, Paul and von Nolde found drummer Jimi Revolver and lead guitarist Jorge Pulido to complete the group.

Over the course of the last year, Cowboy Indian has released four songs for their demo tape along with recording other songs. According to Paul, the band is set to release a handful of new songs and perhaps an EP or two next year.

The theme of this collection of new songs is centered around love and love gone wrong, according to Revolver. The songs are also definitely not about drinking, fighting and screwing, according to von Nolde.

“The songs come from our own personal experiences where we’re just writing music,” said Paul, “We’re just trying to write songs like people did in the old days like verses and bridge and a chorus, something really easy to listen to.”

When it comes to the songwriting process, von Nolde said he usually comes up with a simple phrase or slogan consisting of catchy words that rhyme—something that would make for a good bumper sticker, for example. Paul said that von Nolde usually haphazardly writes a chorus, a.k.a. a “bumper sticker,” on a random piece of paper in Paul’s house where Paul then discovers 24 | RN&R | 11.29.18

the it at a later time and puts the words to a melody. The chorus from “Kings of Country” from the band’s demo was written by von Nolde, then sculpted and shaped by Paul.

Despite the band’s rockabilly and Western influences, they don’t consider themselves to be a country band or at least not like country artists similar to Dierks Bentley.Von Nolde joked that none of the band members drive a 4X4 or hunt, differentiating them from today’s popular country artists.

“I grew up in Texas, but I never listened to country music,” said Paul, “I was more like the punk rock kid, but I have a lot of tools I can dig into, so when [von Nolde] brings me stuff, I go, ‘What’s the most hillbilly type of melody we can throw on this?’ And I usually can find this because I was around a lot of hillbillyness growing up.”

Paul said that his vocal inspiration isn’t remotely related to country music, either. He learned from Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins. According to Paul, Corgan taught him how to sing dynamically because his vocal style would go from angry and raw to super pretty and so on.

All four members of the band are songwriters in addition to being instrumentalists. The majority of the band’s songs have been written by Paul and von Nolde, but Paul said the band is working on finding a consistent voice as a group.

“The main reason why I wanted to be in a band with other musicians that can write songs is that there’s a chance that everyone will eventually write songs, but we hope to collaborate more on the writing of the songs so they’re more of a band effort,” he said. Ω

Cowboy Indian will perform with the Grimtones at Pignic Pub & Patio, 235 Flint St., on dec. 1 at 9 p.m. For more information, visit www.cowboyindie.com.

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434 E. Fourth St., (775) 409-4431 Carson Comedy Club, Carson City Nugget, 507 N. Carson St, Carson City, (775) 882-1626: Ian Harris, Fri-Sat, 8pm, $15 Laugh Factory, Silver Legacy Resort Casino, 407 N. Virginia St., (775) 3257401: Kate Quigley, Thu, Sun, 7:30pm, $21.95; Fri-Sat, 7:30pm, 9:30pm, $27.45; Eddie Ifft, Tu-W, 7:30pm, $21.95 LEX at Grand Sierra Resort, 2500 E. Second St., (775) 789-5399: Justin Rivera, Fri, 6:30pm, $15-$20 The Library, 134 W. Second St., (775) 683-3308: Open Mic Comedy with host Jim Flemming, Sun, 9:30pm, no cover Pioneer Underground, 100 S. Virginia St., (775) 322-5233: Justin Rivera, Th, 8pm, $10-$15, Fri, 8:30pm, Sat, 6:30pm, 9:30pm, $15-$20; Justin Rivera Magic Matinee (all ages), Sat, 3pm, $12-$15

SUNDAY 12/2

Trivia Night, 8pm, no cover

The Red Dress Party: A World AIDS Day Awareness Event, 10pm, $5

Aquaria, 8pm, $20-$55

Spendtime Palace, The Brazen Youth, Slate, 7pm, M, $8-$10 Bhad Bhabie, 8pm, $22

Magic Sword, Crystal Ghost, Maxx Beta, 8pm, Tu, $13

Live music, 9pm, no cover

Open mic, 7pm, M, no cover Comedy Night, 9pm, Tu, no cover

Matt Mayhall, Ralph Alessi, Adam Benjamin, Peter Epstein, Zack Teran, 7:30pm, $5-$10

Jazz Jam Session Wednesdays, 7:30pm, W, no cover

11.29.18 | RN&R | 25

THURSDAY 11/29

FRIDAY 11/30

SATURDAY 12/1

Living the good Life nightcLub

Greg Austin, 7pm, no cover

Jamie Rollins, DJ BeBop, 6:30pm, no cover

Vamp, 8:30pm, no cover

Canyon Jam/Open Mic, 6:30pm, Tu, no cover

Midtown wine bar

DJ Trivia, 7pm, no cover

Bad Penny, 8:30pm, no cover

T-N-Keys, 8pm, no cover

T-N-Keys, 4:30pm, Tu, no cover Nigel St. Hubbins, 7pm, W, no cover

MiLLenniuM

Gran Reventon Sonidero, 9pm, $TBA

Roberto Tapia, Banda Salvaje, Grupo Potencia, 10pm, $TBA

Moody’s bistro, bar & beats

George Cole, 8:30pm, no cover

George Cole, 8:30pm, no cover

MuMMers

One Way Street, 8pm, no cover

2100 Victorian Ave., Sparks, (775) 378-1643 10007 Bridge St., Truckee, (530) 587-8688

906 Victorian Ave., Ste, B, Sparks, (775) 409-3754

Dec. 1, 9 p.m.

The BlueBird 555 E. Fourth St. 499-5549

Paddy & irene’s irish Pub

Acoustic Wonderland Sessions, 8pm, no cover

Southern Cut, 9pm, no cover

the PoLo Lounge

1559 S. Virginia St., (775) 322-8864

Dirty Birdie Bingo with T-N-Keys, 7pm, DJ Bobby G, 9pm, no cover

DJ Bobby G, 8pm, no cover

Pignic Pub & Patio

Samvega, Limbostate, 8pm, no cover

High & Tight, 9pm, no cover

Cowboy Indian, The Grimtones, 9pm, no cover

Steel Rockin’ Karaoke, 8pm, no cover

Musicole, 8pm, no cover

906-A Victorian Ave., Sparks, (775) 358-5484

235 Flint St., (775) 376-1948

Ponderosa saLoon

106 S. C St., Virginia City, (775) 847-7210

David Penn

Groove Effect, no cover Karaoke, 7pm, M, no cover

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Open mic with host Whiskey Preachers, 7pm, W, no cover

76 N. C St., Virginia City, (775) 847-7474

st. JaMes infirMary

Blunderbusst, Sleepspent, Slow Wow, 8pm, no cover

shea’s tavern

715 S. Virginia St., (775) 786-4774

Ozymandias, Impurities, DJ Grave, 8pm, no cover

In The Whale, 7-Out, The Gutz, Basement Tapes, 8pm, $5-$6

Silver Talon, 8pm, $5-$6

virginia street brewhouse

Country Night (DJ/dancing, karaoke), 9pm, W, no cover

211 N. Virginia St., (775) 433-1090

3155 Eastlake Blvd., New Washoe City, (775) 470-8128

whisKey dicK’s saLoon

Speaker Child, 9pm, no cover

Donate to 26 | RN&R | 11.29.18

Magic Sword Dec. 4, 8 p.m.

Jub Jub’s Thirst Parlor 71 S. Wells Ave. 384-1652

Open mic, 9pm, M, no cover

’s Independent Journalism Fund

2660 Lake Tahoe Blvd., S. L. Tahoe, (530) 544-3425

Open Mic with James Ames, 6:30pm, Tu, no cover

Brother Dan Palmer, 7pm, no cover

Show your support at www.independentjournalismfund.org

washoe caMP saLoon

Warwound, Plight, Dissidence, Pressure Drop, 8pm, M, $7-$8

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Jimmy B’s Bar & Grill, 180 W. Peckham Lane, Ste. 1070, (775) 686-6737: Karaoke, Fri, 9pm, no cover Pizza Baron, 1155 W. Fourth St., Ste. 113, (775) 329-4481: Wacky Wednesday Karaoke with Steve Starr & DJ Hustler, 9pm, no cover The Point, 1601 S. Virginia St., (775) 3223001: Karaoke, Thu-Sat, 8:30pm, no cover Spiro’s Sports Bar & Grille, 1475 E. Prater Way, Ste. 103, Sparks, (775) 356-6000: Karaoke, Fri-Sat, 9pm, no cover West 2nd Street Bar, 118 W. Second St., (775) 348-7976: Karaoke, Mon-Sun, 9pm, no cover

FRIDAY 11/30

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MON-WED 12/3-12/5

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2) Jason King, 6pm, no cover

2) Ebony not Quite Ivory, 5pm, no cover New Wave Crave, 9pm, no cover

2) Ebony not Quite Ivory, 5pm, no cover New Wave Crave, 9pm, no cover

2) After Dark Band, 7pm, no cover

2) After Dark Band, 8pm, no cover

2) After Dark Band, 8pm, no cover

2) Halie O’Ryan Band, 9pm, no cover

1) DJ Mo Funk, 10pm, no cover 2) Halie O’Ryan Band, 9pm, no cover

1) DJ Chris English, 10pm, no cover 2) Halie O’Ryan Band, 9pm, no cover

2) Wormhole Tahoe: Bazooka Zac, Komposart, 10pm, no cover

1) The Travelin’ McCourys, David Grisman, 9pm, $30 - $35

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1) Michael Bolton, 9pm, $25-$95 2) Audio1, 10pm, $20 3) Take Two, 9pm, no cover

1) Brian Regan, 8pm, $35-$55 2) Neil Jackson, 10pm, $20 3) Take Two, 9pm, no cover

1) Stampede Country Music & Dancing, 8pm, no cover

2) DJ/dancing, 10pm, no cover

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1) Warren Miller’s Face of Winter, 7:30pm, $18

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1) The Unbelievables Christmas 1) The Unbelievables Christmas Spectacular, 2pm, 5:30pm, $19.95-$49.95 Spectacular, 7pm, Tu, W, $19.95-$49.95 3) DJ Roni V, 10pm, no cover 2) Tim Snider, 9:30pm, W, no cover

2) Buddy Emmer and guest, 8pm, Tu, no cover

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4) DJ Mo Funk, 9pm, no cover

1) Rodney Carrington, 8pm, $55.50-$69.50 2) Fresh Makers, 9pm, no cover

2) Fresh Makers, 9pm, no cover 3) Seduction Saturdays, 9pm, $5

2) Karaoke with Rock On Entertainment, 9pm, no cover

11.29.18 | RN&R | 27

FOR THE WEEK OF nOvEmbER 29, 2018 For a complete listing of this week’s events or to post events to our online calendar, visit www.newsreview.com.

THE FOLK & THE LORE: This multimedia project aims to collect, archive and tell stories from Reno and throughout the region through photography, short films and live storytelling events. This month’s event is titled “Family Portraits.” Sat, 12/1, 6pm. $8-$12. Nevada Museum of Art, 160 W. Liberty St., (775) 329-3333.

GEMMA HARTLEY BOOK SIGNING: The author of Fed Up: Emotional Labor, Women, and the Way Forward will present a reading and book signing. Thu, 11/29, 6:30pm. Free. Sundance Books and Music, 121 California Ave., (775) 786-1188.

HOLIDAY & CRAFTS SHOPPING ON THE COMSTOCK: St. Mary’s Art Center will hold

DEC/1:

CHRISTMAS ON THE COMSTOCK:

Virginia City’s month-long celebration gets underway this weekend starting with the Parade of Lights. The free parade down C Street features holiday-themed floats all lit up for the evening event, which begins at 5 p.m. on Dec. 1. Adults seeking a cup of Christmas cheer following the parade can participate in the Grinch Made Me Do It Saloon Crawl featuring specialty holiday drinks at participating Virginia City saloons. The crawl begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $8-$20 and must be purchased in advance. Visitors can browse various shops decorated for the holidays before heading to the Christmas in the Sierra concert featuring David John and the Comstock Cowboys. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. at Piper’s Opera House, 12 North B St. Tickets are $15-$30. Go to visitvirginiacitynv.com or www.eventbrite.com/e/christmas-on-thecomstock-tickets-39205348252.

EvEnTS

BREWS, BITES AND THE BIRCHES: Enjoy food, beers, a raffle and music by The Birches.

Proceeds from the event go to Nevada Legal Services. Fri, 11/30, 5:30pm. $25.

Great Basin Tap House, 1155 S. Rock Blvd., Suite 490, (775) 463-1222.

ALL MINE TO GIVE: The Carson City Classic Cinema Club presents a screening of the 1957 film starring Glynis Johns, Cameron Mitchell and Rex Thompson. The film tells the story of an immigrant family who, after tragedy strikes, must search for foster parents kind enough to accept six orphans into their home. Tue, 12/4, 6pm. $3-$5, free for members. Brewery Arts Center, 449 W. King St., Carson City, (775) 315-8495, ccclassiccinema.org.

CANDY CANE EXPRESS TRAIN: The scenic, 50-minute journey over the 140-year old V&T railroad route features a reading of the 1823 classic “T’was the Night Before Christmas,” sing-along carols and hot cocoa or cider, candy canes and cookies.

The train rides will be offered Saturday and Sunday through Dec. 16. Sat, 12/1Sun, 12/2, noon & 2pm. $10-$19. 1870 Depot, 166 F St., Virginia City, (775) 847-0380, www.virginiatruckee.com.

BACKCOUNTRY FILM FESTIVAL: Enjoy a night of winter adventure films accompanied by snacks and beer. Participate in a silent auction and raffle to benefit Snowlands Network to promote humanpowered winter sports and protect winter wildlands. Thu, 11/29, 7pm. $12.

Patagonia Outlet, 130 S. Center St., www.snowlands.org.

DRAGON BOAT KICK-OFF: Celebrate the

BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY’S WILD AND SWINGIN’ HOLIDAY PARTY: The band performs holiday classics and Christmas originals.

Tue, 12/4, 7pm. $35-$75. Casino Fandango Grand Ballroom, 3800 S. Carson St., Carson City, (775) 883-1976.

28 | RN&R | 11.29.18

kick-off of the 2019 Northern Nevada Dragon Boat Festival with a free screening of Awaken the Dragon. This award-winning documentary examines how one small group of cancer survivors faces challenges with the courage and ferocity of an immortal creature. Thu, 11/29, 6pm. Free. Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum (The Discovery), 490 S. Center St., (775) 624-7117, awakenthedragonreno.eventbrite.com.

its 5th Annual Holiday Faire offering art, music, food and drinks. Storey County Senior Center will offer homebaked goods and crafts. The Silver City Schoolhouse will present laser originals, photographic art, fine art, jewelry, essential oils and competition coffee tables. Sat, 12/1, 10am. Free. St. Mary’s Art Center, 55 N. B St., Virginia City; Story Senior Center, 100 Mill St., Virginia City; Silver City Schoolhouse, 385 High St. Silver City, (775) 721-2286.

THE POLAR EXPRESS TRAIN RIDE: Characters, entertainers and Santa Claus bring the story to life with a souvenir silver sleigh bell to remember the journey. The rides depart at 5pm, 6:30pm and 8pm, Thursday-Sunday through Dec. 16, and Tuesday-Sunday, Dec. 18-23. There will be 5pm and 6:30pm rides on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24. Fri, 11/30-Sun, 12/2. $27-$69, free for children age 2 and younger. Carson City Eastgate Depot, 4650 Eastgate Siding Road, Carson City, vtrailway.com.

SPARKS HOMETOWNE CHRISTMAS PARADE: The annual holiday celebration kicks off with a traditional tree lighting ceremony on Friday at Victorian Square featuring live music, sing-alongs and hot cocoa for the kids. The festivities continue on Saturday with the 32nd annual parade featuring hundreds of parade entries, including floats, marching bands, local clubs and organizations and Santa Claus.

Fri, 11/30, 6:30pm; Sat, 12/1, 11am. Free.

Victorian Square, 814 Victorian Ave., downtown Sparks, (775) 353-7856, cityofsparks.us.

TAIL & ALE FESTIVAL: This fundraiser for Pet Network Humane Society offers unlimited beer tasting, a commemorative glass and live music. Well-behaved pets on leashes are welcome. Sat, 12/1, 5pm. $25-$30. Tahoe Biltmore Lodge & Casino, 5 Highway 28, Crystal Bay, northernlightstahoe.com.

WEEKEND NATURE WALKS: The May Arboretum’s Weekend Nature Walks are designed for families with children 10 years and younger who want to learn about different aspects of the environment. The walks are led by Alexis Tarantino, a senior environmental studies student at University of Nevada, Reno. Sat, 12/1, 10am. Free. Wilbur D. May Center, Rancho San Rafael Regional Park, 1595 N. Sierra St., (775) 785-4153.

ART BLACK ROCK PRESS, JOT TRAVIS BUILDING: Work by Bruce Licher of Independent Project Press Exhibition. The exhibition features Licher’s letterpress printed music ephemera including posters, CD and record packaging, stamps and more. Thu, 11/29-Fri, 11/30, 9am5pm. Free. Black Rock Press, Jot Travis Building, University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St., (775) 784-4278.

CARSON CITY COURTHOUSE GALLERY: Americana with Cadmium Orange. The Capital City Arts Initiative presents its exhibition by artist Gig Depio. Thu,

11/29-Fri, 11/30, Mon, 12/3-Wed, 12/5, 8am-5pm. Free. Carson City Courthouse Gallery, 885 E. Musser St., Carson City, www.arts-initiative.org.

MCKINLEY ARTS & CULTURE CENTER GALLERY EAST: California Landscapes. McKinley Gallery East hosts painter David Yapp. Thu, 11/29-Fri, 11/30, Mon, 12/3-Wed, 12/5, 9am-5pm. Free. McKinley Arts & Culture Center, 925 Riverside Drive, (775) 334-6264, www.reno.gov.

MCKINLEY ARTS & CULTURE CENTER GALLERY WEST: Luminance. McKinley Gallery West

hosts photographer Edward Alfano. Thu, 11/29-Fri, 11/30, Mon, 12/3-Wed, 12/5, 9am-5pm. Free. McKinley Arts & Culture Center Gallery West, 925 Riverside Drive, (775) 334-6264, www.reno.gov.

RENO CITY HALL METRO GALLERY: Connection Through Form. The Reno City Hall Metro Gallery presents abstract works by Leah Gerrard. Thu, 11/29-Fri, 11/30, Mon, 12/3-Wed, 12/5, 8am-5pm. Free. Reno City Hall Metro Gallery, 1 E. First St., (775) 334-6264, www.reno.gov.

THE POTENTIALIST WORKSHOP: Trashlands.

Onur Tukel shows his newest collection of illustrations and films. There will a closing reception on Nov. 29. Thu, 11/29, 6-9pm. Free. The Potentialist Workshop, 836 E. Second St., www.facebook.com/ PPPWS.

WILBUR D MAY MUSEUM: Arte de Triomphe.

The Sierra Watercolor Society returns presents its annual winter exhibition of new watercolor paintings. Museum hours are 10am-4pm, WednesdaySaturday, and noon to 4pm, Sunday. Thu, 11/29-Sun, 12/2, Wed, 12/5. Wilbur D. May Museum, Rancho San Rafael Regional Park, 1595 N. Sierra St., (775) 785-5961.

OnSTAGE A HOLIDAY CORNUCOPIA: The Tahoe Choir and LTCC Chorus perform a mix of classics to put you in the holiday spirit. Sat, 12/1, 4pm. $8-$12, free for children under age 5. Duke Theatre, Lake Tahoe Community College, One College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, (530) 541-4660, www.ltcc.edu.

EVERY CHRISTMAS STORY EVER TOLD (AND THEN SOME!): What starts as a traditional production of A Christmas Carol quickly transforms into a slightly irreverent, madcap, yet heartwarming romp through the holiday season. Thu, 11/29-Sat, 12/1, 7:30pm; Sun, 12/2, 2pm. $12-$25. Reno Little Theater, 147 E. Pueblo St., (775) 813-8900.

GOLDEN GIRLS LIVE—HOLIDAY SPECIAL: In this parody production of the 1980s-early 1990s sitcom The Golden Girls, audiences will see drag queens reenact all of the holiday episodes from the series. The show runs Wednesday-Sunday through Dec. 22. Fri, 11/30-Sat, 12/1, 7:30pm; Sun, 12/2, 2pm; Wed, 12/5, 7:30pm. $18-$30.

Good Luck Macbeth Theatre Company, 124 W. Taylor St., (775) 322-3716.

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE RADIO PLAY & A CHRISTMAS CHAOS: Truckee Community Theater presents two one-act plays.

Act One is based on the classic holiday movie It’s A Wonderful Life with a clever twist thrown in: The story is staged as a live radio broadcast. Act Two is A Christmas Chaos. The Royal Shakespeare Company hasn’t arrived as promised to perform their stirring rendition of A Christmas Carol. So an intrepid band of hapless actors and technicians must put together their own production in only seven hours. Fri, 11/30, 7pm; Sat, 12/1, 1pm & 7pm; Sun, 12/2, 2pm. $15-$22. Truckee Community Theater, 10046 Church Street, Truckee, (530) 214-8348.

MARY POPPINS, JR.: Wild Horse Children’s Theater presents Disney’s and Cameron Mackintosh’s musical Mary Poppins, Jr, based on P.L. Travers’ stories and Disney motion picture about a “practically perfect” nanny who brings order to the Banks family household, takes children Jane and Michael out on magical adventures and dispenses sage advice. Fri, 11/30, 7pm; Sat, 12/1, 2pm & 7pm; Sun, 12/2, 2pm. $5-$12, free for children age 3 and younger. Brewery Arts Center Performance Hall, 511 W. King St., Carson City, (775) 440-1170.

NEVADA CHAMBER OPERA FALL PRESENTATION: University of Nevada, Reno students perform excerpts from opera, operetta and musical theater. Fri, 11/30-Sat, 12/1, 7:30pm. $5-$20. Nightingale Concert Hall, Church Fine Arts, University of Nevada, Reno, 1335 N. Virginia St., (775) 784-4278.

PEANUTCRACKER—THE STORY IN A NUTSHELL: Based on Marius Petipa’s original ballet The Nutcracker, Peanutcracker is a shorter, narrated version designed for families with younger children. Sat, 12/1, 2pm & 4pm. $6-$11. Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William St., Carson City, sierranevadaballet.org.

SPIRIT OF THE SEASON: The Reno Phil presents its classic holiday celebration full of orchestral arrangements, jazzy numbers, traditional holiday tunes and carols. Sat, 12/1, 2pm & 7pm; Sun, 12/2, 7pm. $16-$89. Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, 100 S. Virginia St., renophil.com.

by AMY ALKON

Teetotally awesome I’m a recovering addict, five years sober. My ex-boyfriend was a “normie” (12-step slang for someone who hasn’t had addiction issues), and there were definitely things he just didn’t get. Do I need to date another recovering addict to feel understood? I’ve done that before, and I really don’t like it.

Though “normies” tend to view addicts as lazy, an addict’s shame sometimes comes out of typically impressive qualities—like creativity and industriousness—being applied to getting loaded. Take author and former comedian Amy Dresner.

In her addiction memoir My Fair Junkie, she writes about suffering a grand mal seizure while shooting cocaine. Realizing that she could’ve cracked her head open, she had an epiphany—no, not to stop shooting coke but to strap on a bike helmet before doing it.

As shocking as this would be to most normie men, there are those who could still be a good partner to someone in recovery—if they’re willing to put some work into empathizing. However, it turns out there are different kinds of empathy.

In short, “I feel ya” empathy is different from “I understand you” empathy. “I feel ya” is dumb empathy, the kind that just pops up automatically, without any mental effort on our part. Researchers call this auto-empathy “affective empathy,” because “affect” is researcher-speak for the observable expression of emotion (in a person’s face, body or voice). Affective empathy involves “emotional contagion,” in which you “catch” and then automatically experience somebody’s emotion, to some degree.

“I understand you” empathy, on the other hand, is “cognitive empathy,” a psychological skill that psychologists also call “perspectivetaking.” It involves a conscious mental effort to put yourself in another person’s shoes—to understand their point of view, motivations and/or emotions. Research by business school professor Cynthia Wang and her colleagues finds that an ability for perspective-taking correlates with reduced prejudice and stronger social bonds. This suggests that a man who engages in it might be more likely to see you as, well ... rehabulous—sober and fabulous—a person who overcame her addiction issues instead of a

bunch of addiction issues with a person attached.

Finally, because you’ve probably done serious soul-searching and character correction in getting and staying sober, a man who’s a good match for you is probably one who’s taken some hard looks at himself and worked to remodel where necessary.

Her beta half In a documentary on Lady Gaga, she talked about how whenever she reached a new pinnacle of success, her boyfriend or fiance left her. My most recent boyfriend couldn’t handle it when I started to become successful. Are my options to be successful and alone or unsuccessful and loved?

Wave hello to “precarious manhood,” a term coined by psychologists Jennifer Bosson and Joseph Vandello for how a man’s social status must be continually earned and “can be lost relatively easily” through public failures and the exposure of his shortcomings.

We rack up our social standing in comparison with others. So, not surprisingly—in line with research I recently cited about men’s freakouts when they were told a woman beat them in every category on an exam—Bosson and Vandello write that “feelings of masculinity can be undone” by “being outperformed by a woman.”

The reality is the world is not our dating oyster. Atheists have to take a pass on the hot churchgoers. The teetotalers go poorly with the “social crack smokers.” Accept that success narrows your options, and concentrate on meeting men in places the highly successful hang out. Price points—like costly admission to a charity event—are one way to weed out many of those of middling achievement. Narrowing the field this way should make you less likely to hear dismaying parting words from a man—those that basically translate to “I have mad respect for your success. My penis, unfortunately, has some ambivalence.” Ω

ERIK HOLLAND

Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave., No. 280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or email AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com).

11.29.18 | RN&R | 29

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FRee will astRology

by ROb bRezsny

For the week oF November 29, 2018 ARIES (March 21-April 19): Every year, the bird

known as the Arctic tern experiences two summers and enjoys more daylight than any other animal. That’s because it regularly makes a long-distance journey from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back again. Let’s designate this hardy traveler as your inspirational creature for the next 11 months. May it help animate you to experiment with brave jaunts that broaden and deepen your views of the world. I don’t necessarily mean you should literally do the equivalent of circumnavigating the planet. Your expansive adventures might take place mostly in inner realms or closer to home.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): When the American

Civil War began in 1861, the United States fractured. Four years later, the union was technically restored when the northern states defeated the southern states. At that time, African-American slavery became illegal everywhere for the first time since the country’s birth, decades earlier. But there was a catch.

The southern states soon enacted laws that mandated racial segregation and ensured that African-Americans continued to suffer systematic disadvantages. Is there a comparable issue in your personal life? Did you at sometime in the past try to fix an untenable situation only to have it sneak back in a less severe but still debilitating form? The coming weeks will be an excellent time to finish the reforms, to enforce a thorough and permanent correction.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Does an elusive giant

creature with a long neck inhabit the waters of Loch Ness in northern Scotland? Alleged sightings have been reported since 1933. Most scientists dismiss the possibility that “Nessie” actually exists, but there are photos, films and videos that provide tantalizing evidence. A government-funded Scottish organization has prepared contingency plans just in case the beast does make an unambiguous appearance.

In that spirit, and in accordance with astrological omens, I recommend that you prepare yourself for the arrival in your life of intriguing anomalies and fun mysteries. Like Nessie, they’re nothing to worry about, but you’ll be better able to deal gracefully with them if you’re not totally taken by surprise.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Does moss really “eat”

rocks, as Cancerian author Elizabeth Gilbert attests in her novel The Signature of All Things?

Marine chemist Martin Johnson says yes. Moss really does break down and release elements in solid stone. Gilbert adds, “Given enough time, a colony of moss can turn a cliff into gravel, and turn that gravel into topsoil.” Furthermore, this hardy plant can grow virtually everywhere: in the tropics and frozen wastes, on tree bark and roofing slate, on sloth fur and snail shells.

I propose that we make moss your personal symbol of power for now, Cancerian. Be as indomitable, resourceful and resilient as moss.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Let’s shout out a big

“THANKS!” and “HALLELUJAH!” to the enzymes in our bodies. These catalytic proteins do an amazing job of converting the food we eat into available energy. Without them, our cells would take forever to turn any particular meal into the power we need to walk, talk and think. I bring this marvel to your attention, Leo, because now is a favorable time to look for and locate metaphorical equivalents of enzymes: influences and resources that will aid and expedite your ability to live the life you want to live.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “Every dreamer knows

that it is entirely possible to be homesick for a place you’ve never been to, perhaps more homesick than for familiar ground,” writes author Judith Thurman. I’m guessing you will experience this feeling in the coming weeks.

What does it mean if you do? It may be your deep psyche’s way of nudging you to find an energizing new sanctuary. Or perhaps it means you should search for fresh ways to feel peaceful and well-grounded. Maybe it’s a prod to push you outside your existing comfort zone so you can expand your comfort zone.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Venice, Italy consists of

118 small islands that rise from a shallow lagoon.

A network of 443 bridges keeps them all connected. But Venice isn’t the world champion of bridges. The American city of Pittsburgh,

Pennsylvania holds that title, with 446. I nominate these two places to be your inspirational symbols in the coming weeks. It’s time for you build new metaphorical bridges and take good care of your existing metaphorical bridges.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): To aid and support

your navigation through this pragmatic phase of your astrological cycle, I have gathered counsel from three productive pragmatists. First is author Helen Keller. She said she wanted to accomplish great and noble things, but her “chief duty” was “to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.” Second, author George Orwell believed that “to see what is in front of one’s nose” requires never-ending diligence. Finally, author Pearl S. Buck testified that she didn’t wait around until she was in the right mood before beginning her work. Instead, she invoked her willpower to summon the necessary motivation.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Blackjack is a

card game popular in gambling casinos. In the eternal struggle to improve the odds of winning big money, some blackjack players work in teams. One teammate secretly counts the cards as they’re dealt and assesses what cards are likely to come up next. Another teammate gets subtle signals from his card-counting buddy and makes the bets. A casino in Windsor, Ontario pressed charges against one blackjack team, complaining that this tactic was deceptive and dishonest. But the court decided in the team’s favor, ruling that the players weren’t cheating but simply using smart strategy. In the spirit of these blackjack teams, Sagittarius, and in accordance with astrological omens, I urge you to better your odds in a “game” of your choice by using strategy that is almost as good as cheating but isn’t actually cheating.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): What has become

of the metaphorical seeds you planted during the weeks after your last birthday? Have your intentions flourished? Have your dreams blossomed? Have your talents matured? Have your naive questions evolved into more penetrating questions? Be honest and kind as you answer these inquiries. Be thoughtful and big-hearted as you take inventory of your ability to follow through on your promises to yourself. If people are quizzical about how much attention you’re giving yourself as you take stock, inform them that your astrologer has told you that December is Love Yourself Better Month.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): If you want to play

the drinking game called Possum, you and your friends climb up into a tree with a case of beer and start drinking. As time goes by, people get so hammered they fall out of the tree. The winner is the last one left in the tree. I hope you won’t engage in this form of recreation anytime soon—nor in any other activity that even vaguely resembles it. The coming weeks should be a time of calling on favors, claiming your rewards, collecting your blessings and graduating to the next level. I trust your policy will be: no trivial pursuits, no wasted efforts, no silly stunts.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In his song “Happy

Talk,” Academy Award-winning lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II offered this advice: “You gotta have a dream. If you don’t have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true?” Where do you stand in this regard, Pisces? Do you in fact have a vivid, clearly defined dream? And have you developed a strategy for making that dream come true? The coming weeks will be an excellent time to home in on what you really want and hone your scheme for manifesting it.

(P.S. Keep in mind Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s idea: “A goal without a plan is just a wish.”)

You can call Rob Brezsny for your Expanded Weekly Horoscope: (900) 950-7700. $1.99 per minute. Must be 18+. Touchtone phone required. Customer service (612) 373-9785. And don’t forget to check out Rob’s website at www.realastrology.com.

by MAtt BiEKER

Sex worker

Sex work was kind of front and center in the political climate over the past few months. Why did you feel that you personally needed to get involved?

I felt that I personally had an obligation to get involved because, one, I am a sex worker, and, two, since I do sex work research, I just felt like I could offer a lot to the campaign. And I mean, when your occupation is being threatened so close to home, I couldn’t fathom not getting involved and making my voice heard, and not fighting for not only my job, but the job of my coworkers. It was very frustrating most of the time, but it was, honestly, like, besides the book that’s coming out, it’s probably one of the things in life that I’m most proud of doing because we won, obviously. The vote went very well. Eighty percent voted to support us, and that was great. We had a lot of events that we were doing, and we invited the opposition

PHOTO/COURTESY BREANNA CALVIN

Breanna Calvin is a 27-year-old sex worker who has worked in Lyon County’s legal brothels for the past seven years. Set to receive her master’s degree in communication from the University of Nevada, Reno this spring, she actively fought against the recent campaign to criminalize prostitution in Lyon County. She is also publishing a book, Sex and Stigma: Stories of Everyday Life in Nevada’s Legal Brothels, this January. to come and debate us, and they decided that they didn’t want to show up, and that’s fine. So our events turned more into kind of like educational events, and we just really got to answer the public’s questions.

What were some of the public's concerns that you found yourself pushing back against?

The campaign started off with saying— their whole slogan was “No little girl grows up wanting to be a prostitute.” So, at first, we were really pushing hard against that, because the fact that the whole language that they were using and the way that they were positioning things just was very degrading to us. Sex workers, you know, they’re not selling their bodies. They’re selling a service, and a lot of people have a hard time coming to terms with that distinction. … Also, another thing that they were really trying hard to put out there

was that all of us are forced into this or are being trafficked or something along those lines. And that couldn’t be further from the truth. I know, for me, personally, I got into this because I researched it for a while, and I decided that I’m really good at connecting with people. ... A lot of the women I work with are mothers or college students like me, or they just wanted something different and kind of fun and empowering. … And now that the vote is over for the county, it’s, unfortunately, not “over” over because the same organization is now working with a senator, I believe, to get a bill passed to ban legal brothels in Nevada statewide. ... So, me and our campaign manager and another woman that I work with, we are starting a legal Nevada brothel association.

Dennis Hof was a very outspoken proponent for the brothels. After his death, do you feel sex workers need another central figure to fight for their cause?

I think that Dennis was that figure for a very long time. And there were definitely a lot of good things that he did for the industry, especially in Lyon County. … I don’t know if we necessarily need one voice like that anymore. I think what should happen probably is that the brothels in Nevada should all come together and collectively decide how to move forward, and really have open communication between all of them and try to get on the same page because they are kind of separated not only distance but just their communication too. Ω

by BRUCE VAN DYKE

The pace picks up Okey-dokey, something thuggy this way comes. It’s now obvious that President Capone is gonna flat out pardon Lieutanant Manafort, who’s been busy lying his ass off to Mueller because Rule One is you never Rat On The Family. And with this brazen play now inevitable, the Trump/Putin Crime Family is steppin’ up and playin’ ball. Total Mobstyle stuff from the fake president, who, of course, is much more MOB BOSS than POTUS. Remember, what does he want from his attorney general? Loyalty. What does he want the FBI to be? His personal goon squad. Super. Just fucking super. Hey, Trump supporters, let me once again say thank you so very, very much, because this guy is just so endlessly colorful and entertaining, ya know? Never a dull moment!

Now, fresh reports that Manafort paid a visit to none other than Julian Assange, Mr. Wikileaks,

at Julian’s spider hole in the Ecuadorian embassy in London in the spring of 2016. But nothing to see here, folks. Just keep moving.

• Tweet of the week—“Scientists have landed a spacecraft on a dime on a planet 40 million miles away.

Think I’m gonna trust them on this climate change stuff.”

• Yes, we should make time every day to relax. I would add we should throw in at least a daily half hour for music. It’s remarkable how unfailingly positive a music break can be in the midst of your daily bombardment of Orange Bizarro Info-teargas. It never, and I mean never, fails to make me feel a whole lot better about it all as humanity skates upon ever-thinning ice.

Music is invisible, has no weight, occupies no space, and yet, it contains magical force and powerful doses of enchanted feelgood.

• This just into the newsroom. A fascinating analysis by a legal website called Empty Wheel, where the unidentified author speculates that Mueller has indeed been playing that often mentioned “3-D chess”—that Mueller’s team, knowing Manafort was lying all along, and not needing his info anyway, continued to let Manafort think he was fooling them. Meanwhile, Manafort, acting predictably as Trump’s mole, is feeding loads of fresh phony jive back to Trump, who then uses these lies to fill out his “homework assignment.”

Checkmate?

So maybe when Mueller files the required “detailed sentencing submission, setting forth the nature of Manafort’s crimes and lies,” he will be issuing a fricking bombshell?

One that Fake A.G. Whitaker can’t touch? We’ll see! Ω

11.29.18 | RN&R | 31