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NOVEMBER

7-13, 2019

LIGHT TOUCH NEW ART FROM OLD TECHNIQUES See Arts&Culture, page 16

s The top 10 storie overlooked by mainstream media in 2019

SERVING NORTHERN NEVADA, TAHOE AND TRUCKEE


EMAIL LETTERS TO RENOLETTERS@NEWSREVIEW.COM.

Tricks and treats Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review. I somehow forgot to mention this the last couple of weeks— too much Halloween and baseball excitement!—but Oct. 17 was our annual Best of Northern Nevada winners’ party, and it was a hoot. Big thanks to RN&R office manager Lisa Ryan and our sales team for organizing the shindig. There was great food from India Kabab & Curry, winners of the increasingly competitive Best Indian Food category, and I can’t say enough about the lovely Elm Estate, a great venue for a party of that magnitude. Kudos to all involved, and thanks to all the big winners who took the time to come party with us. Always a treat to see so many of Reno’s best and brightest in one place. Eric Marks took a bunch of photos of the event, which are now up on the RN&R Facebook page, so check ’em out if you haven’t yet. Unrelated: Man, you’ve got to feel for the folks who live on Marsh Avenue, which has somehow become the trickor-treating destination in this city. We live close enough that we were able to walk over that way—the kids trick-or-treating as we went, but it’s pretty wild how large the crowd gets there. The streets were blocked off, and there was a steady stream of hundreds of costumed kids prowling the streets, parents— some beleaguered, some just as a excited as the kids—trailing behind them. Judging from what I’ve heard from friends, it seems like every Halloween people are either bummed because they don’t get many trick-or-treaters at all or bummed because, like the residents of Marsh and other streets near it, they have to give out hundreds of dollars worth of candy every year. Seems like people should just stick to their own neighborhoods and take the opportunity to get to know their owns neighbors rather than driving over to one neighborhood and draining all the sugar from it.

—BRAD BYNUM bradb@ ne ws r ev i ew . com

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Numbers guy

NOVEMBER 7, 2019 | VOL. 25, ISSUE 39

Do the math: Existing health care system minus CEOs, lobbyists, complex paperwork, etc., equals less overall costs. Hugely less. How the remaining cost of the system is distributed is the only remaining point of any rational discussion. Which is why Republicans are changing their argument to: “There are lots of folks who like their existing plans who will not tolerate the change.” Again, do the math. Why do those folks like their current plans? Because they have small or zero out-of-pocket expenses with all their health care needs being met. This is the definition of universal health care. It guarantees that everyone gets those premier plans, not just the lucky few. Republicans also toss in the “people want to keep their existing doctor” argument. Again, do the math. It would make little sense to move people from their existing doctors when every other doctor will already be plenty busy with their own existing and new patients. Republicans want to keep people scared and irrational. Universal health care means everyone gets premier coverage and the doctors aren’t going anywhere. The only losers will be the insurance industry and any other industry that looks to make a profit by denying or cutting back on your coverage. I currently have excellent insurance (lucky me), and I’m not afraid of this change. Michel Rottmann Virginia City Highlands

models, called a yard sale model, wealth moves inexorably from one agent to another producing a concentration of wealth in an oligarchy. Subsequently, the article describes enhancements to the basic yard sale model, identified as the affine wealth model, which under appropriate conditions reproduces distributions of wealth corresponding to those observed in recent years for the United States and various European countries. The Scientific American article ends with the conclusion that “the affine wealth model gives rise to economies that are anything but free and fair.” I encourage everyone to read the Scientific American article, recognizing that its conclusions rely only on a strictly mathematical modeling of a free market economy and in no way rely on political forces such as those described in Ms. Leslie’s article. Since, as established in the Scientific American article, in an uncontrolled free market economy moves wealth inexorably from one agent to another thereby concentrating wealth in an oligarchy, I pray that citizens of the United States will consider that fact in casting their vote in the November 2020 election. Regretfully, I am unable to find any way to attach a copy of the Scientific American article to this email. I strongly encourage the Reno News & Review to contact the publisher of the Scientific American requesting permission from the publisher to post a copy of the article at the RN&R’s website. Donald Schreiber Kings Beach

Scientific observer

The old days

Re “Food for thought” (Left foot forward, Oct. 31): In the November 2019 issue of Scientific American, an article entitled “The Inescapable Casino,” presents a strictly mathematical model based upon individual transactions between two “agents” or actors who decide to exchange goods, agree on a price and shake hands on the deal; i.e., a model for the most fundamental transaction that occurs in a free market economy. In the simplest of the Scientific American article’s

Re “Fan mail” (Letters to the editor, Oct. 31): Mike spoke about Trump with some jabbing to the Trump haters. People hate him, because they are pushed to hate him via the press in general. Why? The press today is not the press I knew when I was a young man. I am now 75 years old going on death. Today, we actually have too much press, which causes high competition for customers. They will not get much attention if they say anything good about Trump. So, they try to out-do each other with silly stories

Penrose, Jessica Santina, Todd South, Luka Starmer, Kris Vagner, Bruce Van Dyke, 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 Davis Special Projects Editor Matt Bieker Calendar Editor Kelley Lang Contributors Amy Alkon, Mark Earnest, Bob Grimm, Oliver Guinan, Andrea Heerdt, Holly Hutchings, Shelia Leslie, Eric Marks, Kelsey

Creative Services Manager Elisabeth Bayard Arthur Art Directors Maria Ratinova, Sarah Hansel Art of Information Director Serene Lusano Publications Designer Katelynn Mitrano Publications & Advertising Designer Nikki Exerjian Ad Designers Naisi Thomas, Cathy Arnold Office Manager Lisa Ryan Sales Manager Gina Odegard Advertising Consultant Caleb Furlong, Owen Bryant

Distribution Director Greg Erwin Distribution Manager Bob Christensen Distribution Drivers Alex Barskyy, Corey Sigafoos, Gary White, Joe Wilson, Marty Troye, Timothy Fisher, Vicki Jewell, Olga Barska, Rosie Martinez, Adam Martinez, Duane Johnson, Linda Berlemann 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 Account Jedi Jessica Kislanka Sweetdeals Coordinator Trish Marche Developer John Bisignano

System Support Specialist Kalin Jenkins N&R Publications Editor Debbie Arrington N&R Publications Associate Editors Derek McDow, Thea Rood N&R Publications Editorial Team Anne Stokes, Nisa Smith Marketing & Publications Lead Consultant Elizabeth Morabito Marketing & Publications Consultants Steve Caruso, Joseph Engle, Sherri Heller, Celeste Worden, Rod Maloy, Julia Ballantyne Cover design Sarah Hansel Cover illustration Anson StevensBollen

and falsehoods. I long for Walter Cronkite’s reporting. I clearly recall with my withered brain the evening Walter Cronkite said on the air on my Dad’s black and white TV that it was time to get out of Vietnam! The deep state—yes, even 60 years ago—attacked him. But his truth was exposing the fact that America was losing tens of thousands of military men and women to protect our Democracy; yet we were fighting to keep a dictator in power along with his wealthy generals. In the case of Trump’s popularity, he is difficult to love because he tells the truth: The deep state, insane Democrats (I used to be one, before they became corrupt money grabbers from the rich) endless wars, bloated government agencies, and so on. I will vote for him again. And, yes, he will be elevated by the impeachment thing. (I do not even like peaches.) Charles Wayne Barnum Sparks

CONTENTS

03 05 06 09 11 16 24 25 26 27 28 32 33 34 35

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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BY MATT BIEKER

What stories did local media miss? ASKED AT THE DOWNTOWN RENO LIBRARY, 301 S. CENTER ST. ALINA CROF T Student

There’s this organization I recently learned about—I believe it’s Lexie’s [Gift] foundation. … They do a foundation every year where they gather items and donate them to people in need, and think that’s something really cool our community missed out on.

MICHAEL MOORE Pool player

One thing I think should be reported on in this town—at the bus station, the people, the janitors that clean, they’re doing this city a great service. They’re underpaid, under-appreciated. … Without them, this town would be in bad shape.

DELMI RIOS Machine operator

Difficult times Reno City Councilmember Jenny Brekhus is difficult. We’re sure this is true. We’ve heard off-the-record complaints about her from City of Reno staffers for years. She’s obstinate. She doesn’t always abide by proper procedures. She asks inappropriate questions at inopportune times. But that’s why we need her. She’s a human monkey wrench, a glitch in the matrix. She’s often the lone nay vote on development projects and other expenditures that come before a Reno City Council that mostly seems happy to bend over—backwards or otherwise—for flashy developers with big plans. We know where that gets us: a housing crisis where renters and first-time home-buyers are getting squeezed out, and the city’s poor population is fast becoming the city’s homeless population. Brekhus had two pieces of bad news in recent weeks. First was the widely reported news that Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve was publicly campaigning for Reno Engineering executive Britton Griffith, who’s challenging Brekhus for the Ward 1 seat in next year’s election. Second was the news, first reported by KRNV’s Joe Hart, that City Manager Sabra Newby earlier this year formally reprimanded Brekhus and took action to limit her contact with city staff. Newby claims she has received several complaints regarding Brekhus’

“combative nature towards staff.” The city manager isn’t allowing Brekhus to meet with staffers for agenda briefings prior to full council meetings. A “combative nature” is, of course, just what we want from a public official who needs to stand up to special interest lobbyists and developers—not to mention a council that does sometimes seem to gang up against her. Still, it’s probably not what’s needed for dealing with lowly city employees behind closed doors. So, yes, Brekhus should probably learn to play nice with city staffers. But we’re glad she doesn’t just go with the flow of Mayor Schieve’s developer-friendly agenda. And we’ve found her to be among the more accessible councilmembers to the public at large and to the news media. She responds promptly to calls and emails. And we don’t have anything against Griffith, who seems affable and capable—if a bit in the I-hope-everybody-likes-me mold, not unlike Mayor Schieve herself. We don’t really need another Schieve on the Reno City Council. We need somebody on the council who’s willing to be unlikable, somebody who doesn’t mind irritating city staff or pissing off big money developers. We need somebody difficult. □

Jenny Brekhus is a human monkey wrench.

There’s a lot of homeless down near the river. It’s not safe for the people anymore. I don’t like the [news] because, when I watch, it’s always bad news. But [there needs to be more] about what’s unsafe for people.

MANUEL BERROA Advertising sales agent

All people like to hear stories about their neighborhood. … Wells Avenue has a huge history in the bag. … Now, it’s like all forgotten. I wish there was something in the local newspaper about the story of Wells Avenue.

EDGER RIVER A Sales person

Why we haven’t had a light rail system in the town of Reno is beyond me. … From Reno to Sparks is where we had the light rail system. Before San Jose, before Sacramento, before any place, we had it. So why did we just ignore it? … The transit system in this town is horrendous.

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BY SHEILA LESLIE

The “chosen” few One of the benefits of semi-retirement is having time to read more widely and wander down the rabbit holes of podcasts and Netflix. This summer, I could not escape a recurring theme of self-aggrandizing quests for glory. It seems there is no shortage of Americans who see themselves as being “chosen” for greatness, a convenient rationale to justify all sorts of questionable activities and obsessions. Many religions employ prophets, holy texts and revelations from God to inspire their adherents to follow a righteous path, but today there is an everyman quality to destiny seekers outside of the traditional religions that can be frightening, threatening and self-destructive. Last year, 26-year-old John Allen Chau embarked on a dangerous voyage, certain that God had planned the perilous journey exclusively for him. His story was chronicled in Outside magazine as “The Island of No Return,” describing Chau’s last days as he

traveled to one of the world’s most remote islands to preach his version of evangelical sagacity to one of the last uncontacted tribes in the world. The trip did not end well when the self-anointed missionary, regarded by some as a “deluded Christian supremacist” was murdered by the tribe whose members have made it clear they want no contact with the outside world. Chau knew there was a good chance he would be killed on his mission but was determined to fulfill his destiny, writing in his journal, “God, I thank you for choosing me before I was even formed in my mother’s womb.” The memoir of Amber Scorah, author of Leaving the Witness: Exiting a Religion and Finding a Life, is a compelling account of being raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, with the imminent destruction of the morally corrupt world at Armageddon a certainty for non-believers. Scorah travels to China to secretly spread her gospel but slowly

realizes the fallacy of her life-long belief system as an online friend challenges her on the cult-like nature of the Witnesses. She writes, “There is no human so bold as the preacher. Or so blind. For they do all the talking, and none of the asking.” I found these stories fascinating, but it was a podcast and a Netflix series that filled me with dread about the concealed nature of off-brand “chosen ones” who are no less convinced of their righteousness. The podcast is Bundyville: The Remnant, which focuses on the “apocalyptic cult” of Cliven Bundy and his family of followers in season 1 and reveals the broader underpinnings of their extremist and violent beliefs in scary season 2. The conspiracy theories and paranoia of these self-proclaimed “patriots” is absolutely chilling. I started watching The Family, a five-episode series on Netflix to revisit the saga of Nevada’s former U.S. Senator John Ensign and then binged all the way

through, hooked on the development of this secret society of Christians convinced their God has chosen them to lead. I was reminded of a phone call I received from Chuck Colson a few years after my first election to the state Assembly. He left a message that he had been referred to me by a local judge who thought I’d be interested in joining a spiritual fellowship for lawmakers dealing with tough policy decisions. I thought it couldn’t possibly be “the” Chuck Colson from Watergate, but I looked him up and learned how deeply he became involved in fundamentalist evangelical activities after his release from prison—and I didn’t return the call. It dawned on me watching The Family that he had been trying to recruit me, not realizing that I would have immediately rejected the premise of being “chosen” to govern. It also left me wondering who else he called in Nevada. Ω

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BY JERI DAVIS

SOCK IT TO ’EM

People dressed as characters from the Disney Pixar movie Coco handed out candy to kids as traditional Mexican dancers performed outside of Reno Little Theater.

The Wilbur May Museum has teamed up with Community Office Solutions for a sock drive. Between now and Dec. 15, you can drop off pairs of new socks for men, women, children and babies at the May Museum, 1595 N. Sierra St., during business hours. Socks are regularly reported as the most requested item in shelters across the country. Threadbare, damp socks can lead to infections. And as winter sets in, the cold can cause frostbite. However, undergarments like socks are not as common as other donations made to homeless organizations. In addition to the collection drive, a percentage of the proceeds from every order placed on the Community Office Solutions website will be used to purchase more socks. Socks collected will be donated to The Eddy House, Northern Nevada Hopes, and Volunteers of America for distribution.

PHOTO/JERI DAVIS

BROTHELS STAY Last week, a federal lawsuit filed in February 2019 by attorney and anti-prostitution proponent Jason Guinasso was dismissed in United States District Court. The Mustang Ranch issued a statement about the decision stating that it had filed to intervene in the lawsuit, which it described as aiming “to criminalize prostitution throughout Nevada, arguing that legal brothels were allowing sex trafficking to flourish throughout the state.” The brothel’s statement also included comments from owner Lance Gilman. “We are extremely pleased that the United States District Court deemed this lawsuit baseless and without merit and, as such, dismissed it,” Gilman said. “However, we are equally frustrated at the persistent and reckless attempts by Mr. Guinasso to ban Nevada’s historic brothel industry through incendiary allegations that are steeped in moral judgement rather than facts and education.” Guinasso was representing three women who claimed to have been victims of sexual violence and trafficking in Nevada an other states. U.S. District Judge Mirana Du cited jurisdictional grounds in dismissing the case. The women’s suit pointed to a century-old U.S. law prohibiting the transportation of women across state lines for prostitution.

PART OF THE UNION In a press release last week, the Teamsters Local 533 union announced that drivers at Reno’s Bell Limousine had voted overwhelmingly to join its ranks. “We’re standing up for workers in our profession so all drivers can have a voice in every matter that affects us,” driver Kim Jenkins was quoted as saying in the release. “At Bell Limo, high turnover from wage issues, benefits and scheduling have caused good drivers to leave.” According to the press release, drivers were motivated to unionize in part because, after a change in company ownership, they “lost over $3 an hour in pay and many were forced to take second jobs to provide for their families.” Their organizing campaign to unionize culminated on Oct. 23 with a 100 percent “yes” vote.

—JERI DAVIS

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Winning the day Dia de los Muertos events shine light on Latinx community People across Mexico and the U.S. celebrated Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, last weekend. On Saturday Nov. 2, thousands in the Reno community celebrated the holiday at three events around town. At Reno Little Theater, there was an inaugural Dia de los Muertos celebration. At the University of Nevada, Reno, it was the first celebration of the holiday since 2016. And at the Holland Project, it was also an occasion for the opening of a fittingly themed art exhibition. For some, the Dia de los Muertos festivities were a familiar celebration. For others, it was a chance to learn more about what—despite its name—is actually a multi-day Mexican holiday during which families and friends gather to celebrate with food and music as they remember and pray for loved ones who’ve died by creating altars called ofrendas—“offerings” in Spanish—to honor the departed. Attendees at all three events had the opportunity to view ofrendas on exhibition. Traditionally, these altars are decorated with photos of the departed alongside candles and marigold flowers and things like trinkets and the favorite

foods and drinks of the people being honored. These offerings are believed to encourage visits from the departed souls. Some of the ofrendas on display were in keeping with tradition, like one built by the young daughter of Rafael Hernandez. “She sees it at home,” he said, and decided she wanted to show the broader community what it’s about. “And that’s keeping the memory of our family members that have passed away alive,” Hernandez said. Other ofrendas were less traditional, like one at the celebration at Reno Little Theater set up by Tom Steyer campaigners to honor Mother Earth and bring awareness to climate change. Another, at UNR, honored children who’ve died in Immigration and Custom Enforcement detention centers. The newer style of ofrendas honoring more than just close family and friends are an evolution of the tradition, said J. Diego Zarazúa, coordinator of education, research and outreach for the University of Nevada, Reno’s, Latino Research Center, which organized the event. “And I don’t think that it takes away from the overall essence of Dia de los

Muertos and what an altar or shrine is,” he said. “A shrine is exactly that—an ofrenda for somebody who has passed away. And you’re doing it in the best way possible, to think of the things they like and bring happy memories on there in order for them to come back with us for one day and kind of celebrate who they were in the best way possible.” Mario DelaRosa, owner and editor of Ahora Latino Journal and one of the organizers of the event at Reno Little Theater, agreed with the sentiment of evolution. “Today, you can, let’s say, honor or remember anyone you want,” he said. “It can be a celebrity. It can be a group of people you want to remember and give your respects to. This tradition has been evolving through the years.” Both Zarazúa and DelaRosa see introducing the broader community to these evolving traditions as about more than just fun and education. They believe it can be a way to foster inclusivity and acceptance in today’s tense political climate, wherein Latinx people are often the targets of political actors and hate groups. “That was the biggest highlight and the biggest fulfilling moment of this event on Saturday—not just seeing the number of people who came out to it, but seeing the inclusion of the different, diverse families and community members who were here on campus to learn and to celebrate the heritage of the larger minority population that exists here,” Zarazúa said. “We are not trying to send a political message here,” Delarosa said. “But when we are doing this, we are manifesting our culture, giving it a voice, putting ourselves in front of the community—and everyone is seeing us. And they see this is a good thing for the community, because this creates a bridge between different groups, between different communities. The theme is something that we all share, which is the death of somebody we love. … So we are sending a message that we are here. We have this tradition which represents family, love, spirituality and all of these good things. We are answering to these attacks with a good thing, I’d say with a white flag—to the attacks and to the things that the president and others have said against us.” A third Dia de Los Muertos event was held at Holland Project and featured


traditional foods, art and ofrendas, as well as the opening of Still Here, a new exhibition of art by Felicia “Luche” Perez. Perez, who moved to Reno in 2012 after more than a decade as a high school history teacher in Los Angeles, is the innovation director for the Center for Story-based Strategy—a group that offers training and support to social justice oranziations—and a board member of the Sylvia Rivera Center for Social Justice, which produced Holland’s event. She’s also an artist and channels her experiences of living with a rare autoimmune disease into her work. With Still Here, Perez tells a narrative about living since 2012 with the disease, which causes tumors to wrap around her optic nerve and brain. And as an a Mexican American with deep ties to the traditions of Dia de Los Muertos, she thought the holiday would make a fitting opening date. “I was thinking about things and was, like, ‘Well, it’s All Souls’ Day,’” she said. “And All Souls Day is not quite All Saints’ Day. It’s the day for people who have not yet transitioned into a new life or gone to Heaven or gone onto some other sort of world. … Some people call it purgatory. Some people call it just this ‘waiting moment.’ Some people celebrate it with Dia de los Muertos, with the two days. It’s about how people are still here if we want them to still be here. It’s not some sort of punishment. It’s about a celebration of someone’s life and keeping them in our lives and our community if we can continue to

remember them and their stories and what they contributed. So it felt like the perfect sort of moment.” In eight years, Perez has had three tumors, none cancerous but all requiring surgery. She’s undergone many rounds of radiation and is on a regular schedule of chemotherapy permanently. The art in her exhibition speaks to the challenges that come with this—bottles and bottles of pills, clothes worn prematurely thin from chemo drugs leaving the body, the cost of health care under a broken and embattled system. One piece is a luchadore mask affixed beneath a radiation mask. “So my familial name is Luche, which in Spanish means ‘to struggle,’ and a luchadore is a wrestler,” Perez said. “So, Mexican culture is really into luchadores and Mexican wrestling, and my whole life I’ve just been surrounded by it because of my nickname.” It’s a fitting one considering Perez’s fight to be resilient in the face of her disease. Resilience, she said, is something she values and sees reflected not just in herself but in the Latinx community at large. “I feel like Reno’s Latinx community this last year has had cultural responses to the hate that has been happening on a national level—to invite people here locally to not have to only think that there’s one side to be on … and that the side of justice of love of humanity is worth it,” she said. “We have sweet churros. We have great music. We have wonderful dancing. And we ourselves as people are resilient AF—and you can be as resilient with us.” Ω

Virgina monologues

Over the weekend, a series of misprinted street signs gave a fresh identity to Reno’s main thoroughfare. First reported on social media by the owner of Craft Wine and Beer, a photo showed a street sign denoting the intersection of Martin and South “Virgina” Street. The Reno Gazette Journal confirmed that the misspelling was the fault of the City of Reno’s print shop and happened at two other intersections on St. Lawrence Street and Cheney Street. The signs served as the butt of internet jokes and hashtags like #virginaisforlovers, and even spawned merchandise like hoodies bearing Virgina St. signs. The misprints were quickly taken down, but the typo has been made other places, like this sign at the corner of South Virginia and Pueblo Street. Photo/Matt Bieker

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Blaze the trail Fall bicycling Mountain biking is often said to be a summer sport—and it is. However, as avid bikers are quick to mention, some of the best biking of the year can be done in the fall, when the trails firm up again and the weather loses its edge. Anthony Cupaiuolo, an outdoor sports photographer who has snowboarded and mountain biked around the Lake Tahoe Basin for nearly 20 years said that Cold Creek, Scotts Lake and Clear Creek Trails are good places to start. They’re family friendly, and, thanks to an abundance of Aspen trees, great for enjoying the last vestiges of fall color. “The fall is awesome because we usually get some moisture,” Cupaiuolo said. “Two weeks ago we got a couple inches of snow that helped reset the trails a bit. There’s just less people, too, and good temperatures.” Tasha Thomas, a professional mountain bike racer who lives in South Lake, also recommended the Scotts Lake Trail but said that, for a more intense and difficult ride, her favorite was Mr. Toad’s Loop. “I really love Toad’s,” said Thomas. “It offers a lot of rocky and technical terrain. There’s drops, flow, good corners, and the soil is little bit different. The higher terrain doesn’t get as much traffic, so the soil isn’t as blown out. It’s one of my hands down favorites.”

by OlivER GuinAn

At stores like Reno Bike Project, 216 E. Grove St., you can sometimes find fat bikes to rent or buy for snow biking. This bike has 3.5-inch tires, which are an inch or more narrower than most fat bikes. PHOTO/JERI DAVIS

Now, suppose just a couple days after you’ve read this article, a storm rolls in and dumps a heap of snow on all the aforementioned trails. Season’s over, right? Not so fast. If you’re not ready to trade out the two-wheeler for a pair of skis just yet, snow biking has got your back. Snow biking, or “fat tire” biking, is all about the tires. The bike’s anatomy is similar to a standard mountain bike, but with little or no suspension and wider front forks to accommodate oversized, cartoonish, wheels. These are typically between four and five inches in width and work like a snow-shoe for your bike, keeping you above the snow. “It’s a really soft, quiet feeling,” said Doug Couture, a retired teacher and fat tire afficionado. He and his wife, Sharon, usually ride at least five days a week. “You’re just out in the snow,” he said. “It’s very similar to powder skiing. It’s the best.” Although fat tire biking won’t get you out on many of the steeper, single track rides, there are a number of easily accessible fat tire trails to check out in the winter. Tahoe-Donner, Northstar, Kirkwood and Diamond Peak ski resorts all rent and provide terrain for fat tire biking. Another—and less expensive— option is to rent a bike from any number of shops around the lake or in Reno and find your own path. “It took me a couple years to get into it,” said Cupaiuolo. “I just didn’t know what we had out here, and I think that’s the case for a lot of people that just don’t realize the amount of trails available in Tahoe. Regular mountain biking is still my main thing, but I remember my first time borrowing one of those bikes. I just felt like a little kid again.” Ω

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Suppressed

news

ILLUSTRATION BY ANSON STEVENS-BOLLEN

BY PAUL ROSENBERG

E

very year, Project Censored scours the landscape for the most important stories that mainstream corporate media somehow missed, and every year the task seems to get a bit stranger. Or “curiouser and curiouser,” as suggested in the subtitle of this year’s volume, Censored 2020: Through the Looking Glass, which includes the full list of the top 25 censored stories and much, much more about the never-ending struggle to bring vitally important hidden truths to light. In the forward, “Down the Rabbit Hole of ‘Media Literacy’ by Decree,” Sharyl Attkisson, an Emmy Award-winning investigative journalist, highlights the absurdity of “so many wellorganized, well-funded efforts to root out so-called ‘fake news,’” which—as we’ll see below—have significantly affected the kinds of journalists and outlets who have historically produced the stories that make Project Censored’s list in the first place. “The self-appointed curators, often wielding proprietary algorithms, summarily dispense with facts and ideas that “WHETHER they determine to be false—or maybe just dangerous to ONE ASPECT OF their agendas,” Attkisson writes. THE NEWS OR ANOTHER Does that seem hyperbolic? Well, read on. In APPEARS IN THE CENTER Project Censored’s No. 2 story this year, you’ll OR AT THE PERIPHERY MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE discover Facebook partnering with a NATOIN THE WORLD.” sponsored think tank to “monitor for misinformation WALTER LIPPMANN and foreign interference.” It’s a think tank whose funders include the U.S. military, the United Arab Emirates, weapons contractors and oil companies. And whose board includes Henry Kissinger, the world’s most famous alleged war criminal. Who better to tell you whom to believe? Or better yet, decide whom you’ll never even hear from? In the beginning, Project Censored’s founder, Carl Jensen, was partly motivated by the way the early reporting on the Watergate scandal didn’t cross over from being a crime story to a political story until after the 1972 election coverage. It wasn’t censorship in the classic sense practiced by church and state since time immemorial, but it was an example of something even more insidious, because no clear-cut act of censorship or all-powerful censor was needed to produce the same result of a public left in the dark. Jensen defined censorship as “the suppression of information, whether purposeful or not, by any method—including bias, omission, underreporting or selfcensorship—that prevents the public from fully knowing what is happening in its society.” The most obvious way to start fighting it was to highlight the suppressed information in the form of the stories that didn’t get widely told. Thus, Project Censored and its annual list of censored stories was born. Jensen’s conception of censorship may be light years away from how most media figures think of things. But while introducing this year’s list of stories, the volume’s co-editor, Andy Lee Roth, quotes media legend Walter Lippmann echoing the same sensitivity in his 1920 book Liberty and the News: “Whether one aspect of the news or another appears in the center or at the periphery makes all the difference in the world.” But Project Censored was never just about the individual stories; it was about the patterns of marginalization and suppression that could be seen through the lens of connecting them. In his introduction, Roth says, “identifying these unifying themes is one significant way to gauge the systemic blind spots, third rails, and ‘no go’ zones in corporate news coverage.”

“SUPPRESSED NEWS”

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Project Censored cited three “concerning” questions the memos raise. First, how many times have The federal government can secretly FISA court orders been used to monitor American journalists target journalists, and are any under the Foreign Intelligence currently under investigation? Surveillance Act, or FISA, which Second, why did the Justice allows invasive spying and operates Department keep these rules secret outside the traditional court system, when it updated its “media guideaccording to two 2015 memos from lines” in 2015? then-Attorney General Eric And, third, is the Justice Holder. The memos were Department using FISA obtained by the Knight court orders—along The federal First Amendment with the FBI’s government Institute at similar rules can secretly monitor Columbia for targeting American journalists under University and journalists the Freedom the Foreign Intelligence with National of the Press Surveillance Act, or FISA, Security Letters Foundation which allows invasive spying (NSLs)—to through an and operates outside “get around the ongoing Freedom stricter ‘media the traditional court of Information guidelines’”? system. Act lawsuit. This The corporate was reported on by media virtually ignored The Intercept, whose parent these revelations when they company provides funding for both occurred. The subsequent media organizations, but was virtually interest in FISA warrants targeting ignored by corporate media. Trump campaign adviser Carter The secret rules “apply to media Page “has done nothing at all to entities or journalists who are raise awareness of the threats thought to be agents of a foreign posed by FISA warrants that target government, or, in some cases, journalists and news organizations,” are of interest under the broader Project Censored observed. standard that they possess foreign intelligence information,” The Intercept reported.

DOJ’S SECRET FISA RULES TARGETING JOURNALISTS

3.

PROPOSED CREATION OF LARGEST PROTECTED AREA ON EARTH

When news of unprecedented wildfires in the Amazon grabbed headlines in late August, most Americans were ill-prepared to understand the story, in part because of systemic exclusion of indigenous voices and viewpoints, highlighted in story No. 3—the proposed creation of an Amazonian protected zone the size of Mexico, presented to the

2.

FACEBOOK PARTNERSHIPS AND U.S. FOREIGN POLICY

In the name of fighting “fake news” to protect American democracy from “foreign influences,” Facebook formed a set of partnerships with three expert foreign influencers in 2018, augmenting its bias toward censorship of left/ progressive voices. In May 2018, Facebook announced its partnership with the Atlantic Council, a NATOsponsored D.C. think tank to “monitor for misinformation and foreign interference.”

United Nations Conference on Biodiversity in November 2018. The proposal, which Jonathan Watts, writing for The Guardian, described as “a 200m-hectare sanctuary for people, wildlife and climate stability that would stretch across borders from the Andes to the Atlantic,” was advanced by an alliance of 500 indigenous groups from nine countries known as the Coordinator of the Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon River Basin, who called it “a sacred corridor of life and culture.” “We have come from the forest and we worry about what

“It’s funded by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Navy, Army and Air Force, along with NATO, various foreign powers and major Western corporations, including weapons contractors and oil companies (including Chevron, ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell),” noted Adam Johnson, writing for the media watch group Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (or FAIR). It went on to note that the major news outlets covering the story said nothing about any of the above conflicts of interest. In September, Facebook announced it also would partner with two Cold War-era U.S.

is happening,” declared Tuntiak Katan, vice president of COICA, as quoted in The Guardian. “This space is the world’s last great sanctuary for biodiversity. It is there because we are there. Other places have been destroyed.” The Guardian went on to note: “The organisation does not recognise national boundaries, which were put in place by colonial settlers and their descendants without the consent of indigenous people who have lived in the Amazon for millennia. Katan said the group was willing to talk to anyone who was ready to protect

government-funded propaganda organizations: the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute. In October 2018, Jonathan Sigrist, writing for Global Research, described one of the greatest Facebook account and page purges in its troubled history: “559 pages and 251 personal accounts were instantly removed from the platform. … This is but one of similar yet smaller purges that have been unfolding in front of our eyes over the last year, all in the name of fighting ‘fake news’ and so-called ‘Russian propaganda.’”

not just biodiversity but the territorial rights of forest communities. … Colombia previously outlined a similar triple-A (Andes, Amazon and Atlantic) protection project that it planned to put forward with the support of Ecuador at next month’s climate talks. But the election of new right-wing leaders in Colombia and Brazil has thrown into doubt what would have been a major contribution by South American nations to reduce emissions.”

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BILLIONS OF ADDITIONAL EMISSIONS FROM U.S. OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

Three months after the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that we have just 12 years to limit catastrophic climate change, Oil Change International released a report that went virtually ignored, warning that the United States was headed in exactly the wrong direction. The report, Drilling Towards Disaster, warned that rather than cutting down carbon emissions, as required to avert catastrophe, the United States under Donald Trump was dramatically increasing fossil fuel production, with the country on target to account for 60 percent of increased carbon emissions worldwide by 2030, expanding extraction at least four times more than any other country. References to the report “have been limited to independent media outlets,” Project Censored noted. “Corporate news outlets have not reported on the report’s release or its findings, including its prediction of 120 billion tons of new carbon pollution or its five-point checklist to overhaul fossil fuel production in the U.S.”

5.

MODERN SLAVERY IN THE U.S. AND GLOBALLY

An estimated 403,000 people in the United States were living in conditions of “modern slavery” in 2016, according to the 2018 Global Slavery Index, or GSI, about 1 percent of the global total. The GSI defines “modern slavery” broadly to include forced labor and forced marriage. Because forced marriage accounts for 15 million people, more than a third of the global 14

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7. FLAWED SEXUAL ASSAULT INVESTIGATIONS AT IMMIGRANT CHILDREN’S SHELTERS

6.

CRIMINALIZED FOR SELF-DEFENSE

On Jan. 7, outgoing Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam granted clemency to Cyntoia Brown, who had been sentenced to life in prison in 2004, at age 16, for killing a man who bought her for sex and raped her. Brown’s case gained prominence via the support of A-list celebrities, and Haslam cited “the extraordinary steps Ms. Brown has taken to rebuild her life.” But despite public impressions, Brown’s case was far from unique. “There are thousands of Cyntoia Browns in prison,” organizer Mariame Kaba, co-founder of Survived and Punished, told Democracy Now! the next day. “We should really pay attention to the fact that we should be fighting for all of those to be free,” Kaba said. “When you look at women’s prisons, the overwhelming majority, up to 90 percent of the people in there, have had histories of sexual and physical violence prior to ending up in prison.” “Corporate news organizations provided considerable coverage of Cyntoia Brown’s clemency,” Project Censored noted. “However, many of these reports treated Brown’s case in isolation, emphasizing her biography or the advocacy on her behalf by celebrities such as Rihanna, Drake, LeBron James, and Kim Kardashian West.” It went on to cite examples from The New York Times and NBC News that did take a broader view, but failed to focus on sex trafficking or sexual violence.

total, it’s not surprising that females form a majority of the victims (71 percent). The highest levels were found in North Korea, where an estimated 2.6 million people—10 percent of the population—are victims of modern slavery. The GSI is produced by the Walk Free Foundation. “Walk Free’s methodology includes extrapolation using national surveys, databases of information of those who were assisted in trafficking cases, and reports from other

“Over the past six months, ProPublica has gathered hundreds of police reports detailing allegations of sexual assaults in immigrant children’s shelters,” the news outlet reported in November 2018. “[The shelters] have received $4.5 billion for housing and other services since the surge of unaccompanied minors from Central America in 2014 [and the reports reveal that] both staff and other residents sometimes acted as predators.” “Again and again, the reports show, the police were quickly—and with little investigation—closing the cases, often within days, or even hours,” ProPublica stated. In the case of a 13-year-old from Honduras named Alex that was used to highlight systemic problems, the police investigation lasted 72 minutes and resulted in a three-sentence report. There was surveillance video footage showing two older teenagers grabbing him, throwing him to the floor and dragging him into a bedroom. But ProPublica reported, “An examination of Alex’s case shows that almost every agency charged with helping Alex—with finding out the full extent of what happened in that room—had instead failed him.” “Because immigrant children in detention are frequently moved, even when an investigator wanted to pursue a case, the child could be moved out of the investigating agency’s jurisdiction in just a few weeks, often without warning,” Project Censored noted. “When children are released, parents or relatives may be reluctant to seek justice, avoiding contact with law enforcement because they are undocumented or living with someone who is.”

agencies like the U.N.’s International Labour Organization,” explained The Guardian, to compile its figures. There are problems with this, according to others working in the field, The Guardian noted. There’s no universal legal definition, and tabulation difficulties abound. But the GSI addresses this as an issue for governments to work on and offers specific proposals. “The GSI noted that forced labor occurred ‘in many contexts’ in the U.S., including in

agriculture, among traveling sales crews, and—as recent legal cases against GEO Group Inc. have revealed—as the result of compulsory prison labor in privately owned and operated detention facilities contracted by the Department of Homeland Security,” Project Censored noted. Newly restrictive immigration policies have further increased the vulnerability of undocumented people and migrants to modern slavery.


8.

U.S. WOMEN FACE PRISON FOR MISCARRIAGES

“There has to be some form of punishment” for women who have abortions, candidate Donald Trump said in early 2016, which led to a wave of denials from anti-abortion activists and politicians, who claimed it was not their position. These women were victims, too, they argued—that had always been their position. But that wasn’t true, as Rewire News reported at the time. Women were already in prison, not for abortions, but for miscarriages alleged to be covert abortions. And that could become much more widespread due to actions taken by the Trump administration, according to a 2019 Ms. Magazine blog post by Naomi Randolph on the 46th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, especially if the decision is overturned. “Pregnant women could face a higher risk of criminal charges for miscarriages or stillbirths, due to lawmakers in numerous states enacting laws that recognize fetuses as people, separate from the mother,” Project Censored explained, adding: One example that Randolph provided is in Alabama, where voters recently passed a measure that “endows [fetuses] with ‘personhood’ rights for the first

time, potentially making any action that impacts a fetus a criminal behavior with potential for prosecution.” Collectively, these laws have resulted in hundreds of American women facing prosecution for the outcome of their pregnancies. In fact, a 2015 joint ProPublica/ AL.com investigation found that “at least 479 new and expecting mothers have been prosecuted across Alabama since 2006,” under an earlier child endangerment law, passed with methlab explosions in mind, which the “personhood movement” got repurposed to target stillbirths, miscarriages and suspected self-abortions.

9.

BIG PHARMA IGNORES DEVELOPING COUNTRIES’ NEEDS

“The world’s biggest pharmaceutical firms have failed to develop two-thirds of the 139 urgently needed treatments in developing countries,” Julia Kollewe reported for The Guardian in November 2018, according to a report by Access to Medicine Foundation, which “found that most firms focus on infectious diseases such as HIV/Aids, malaria and tuberculosis but had failed to focus on other serious ailments. … In particular, the

foundation called for an infants’ vaccine for cholera and a single-dose oral cure for syphilis.” It’s not all bad news. “The foundation’s report also highlighted 45 best and innovative practices that could ‘help raise the level of standard practice’ and ‘achieve greater access to medicine,’” Project Censored noted. “The report highlights examples such as the development of a child-friendly chewable tablet for roundworm and whipworm, which infect an estimated 795 million people,” The Guardian reported. “Johnson & Johnson has pledged to donate 200 [million] doses a year until 2020.” The possibilities underscore why attention is vital. Attention makes a difference, Project Censored pointed out: In an effort to mobilize investors to pressure pharmaceutical companies to make more medicines available to developing countries, the foundation presented the findings of its reports to 81 global investors at events in London, New York and Tokyo. As of April 2019, Access to Medicine reported that, since the release of the 2018 Access to Medicine Index in November 2018, 90 major investors had pledged support of its research and signed its investor statement.

10 .

PENTAGON TO SURVEIL SOCIAL MEDIA TO PREDICT PROTESTS

“The United States government is accelerating efforts to monitor social media to preempt major anti-government protests in the U.S.,” Nafeez Ahmed reported for Motherboard in October 2018, drawing on “scientific research, official government documents, and patent filings.” Specifically, “The social media posts of American citizens who don’t like President Donald Trump are the focus of the latest U.S. military-funded research,” which in turn “is part of a wider effort by the Trump administration to consolidate the U.S. military’s role and influence on domestic intelligence.” The Pentagon had previously funded Big Data research into predicting mass population behavior, “specifically the outbreak of conflict, terrorism, and civil unrest,” especially in the wake of the Arab Spring, via a program known as “Embers.” But such attention wasn’t solely focused abroad, Ahmed noted, calling attention to a U.S. Army-backed study on civil unrest within the U.S. homeland. Ahmed discussed two specific patents which contribute to “a sophisticated technology suite capable of locating the “home” position of users to within 10 kilometers for millions of Twitter accounts, and predicting thousands of incidents of civil unrest from microblogging streams on Tumblr.” □

To learn more about Project Censored, including reading the expanded list of 25 underreported stories or purchasing the book, visit projectcensored.org. Paul Rosenberg is senior editor at Random Lengths News.

Thurs , Nov 2 8:30AM 8

SCHEELS | 1200 SCHEELS DRIVE | SPARKS, NV 89434

Thurs, Nov 28 • 10k-8:30am • 2 MILE RUN-8:30am • 2 MILE WALK-8:40am 11.07.19

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After decades in the desert and the darkroom, Nolan Preece is in high demand. by Kris Vagner

A

l ot of Nolan Preece’s pictures look like something familiar—aerial views of an unnamed Nevada mountain range, cracks on the surface of an old oil painting, clusters of plant cells, satellite maps of urban grids, or sun rays peeking through dense forests. The Reno photographer has a solo exhibition at the Lilley Museum at the University of Nevada, Reno, right now, and the lower-floor gallery is filled with lush, somber, heavily textured odes to dark woods, hazy dawns and desert landscapes. But the artworks hanging on the walls are not actually photographs of any of those things. They’re “chemigrams,” and technically, they’re not actually photographs at all. They’re made-up worlds that revere and reinvent the landscape. To make them, Preece pours photo chemicals right onto light-sensitive paper. There’s no camera involved, and no negative. He “draws” with the chemicals, watching the paper react to them, showing darks spots and light spots. He also uses liquids that don’t mix with the chemicals—like floor wax, which causes the the oil-paint-like crackles. To make these fantasy landscapes, he also relies on a bit of Photoshop magic and an extremely practiced imagination. Preece, who retired in 2011 from the art department at Truckee Meadows Community College, has been developing his imagemaking techniques—along with his environmentalist stance—since he was a child.

EArly

developments Preece grew up in the 1950s in Vernal, a town in northwest Utah, not far from thennew oil fields in Western Colorado. He often hunted and fished with his father, a hospital administrator who was also an amateur photographer. “He loved Ansel Adams, and he had a 4-by-5 camera, and he’d built a darkroom in the house we had,” Preece said. “He’d have the drug salesman who delivered drugs to the hospital drop off some bulk chemistry, so we could mix all our stuff from scratch with the gram scale.” In junior high, Preece shot the sports teams’ group portraits for the yearbook and developed them himself. He studied photography at Utah State University in Logan, earning an MFA in 1980. But he said that the best art education he got was before college, while he was in the Army, based in Germany. 16

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photographic

memories “I was an attention deficient sort when I was younger,” Preece recalled. “So I wasn’t going to be sitting around the barracks on leave.” He went to every art museum in Europe he could get to. “It was better than two years in college,” he said. After college, in 1981, still in eastern Utah, Preece began photographing for biologists who were writing environmental impact statements for oil companies. He kept the job for 10 years, and he said it opened his eyes to the effects of oil extraction and other environmental issues, such as protecting watersheds. His forays into the field were punctuated by 10-day breaks, during which he’d make his own artwork. Much of it was straight-up

documentary photography, aligned with the “altered landscape” movement that gained steam in the 1970s and ‘80s, bringing pictures of human encroachment on the landscape into the mainstream art world. Preece made detailed photos of things like dams, mines, power plants, riparian areas taken over by freeways, and the Alaska Pipeline. But sometimes, the weather put a wrench in his plans. “I couldn’t go out too easily and photograph in Logan, Utah,” he said. “It was just too cold. It’d get down to -20 degrees for two weeks at a time. I’d just go out there and freeze up, and my camera equipment wouldn’t work. So I started playing with chemistry in the darkroom.”

Change of pAcE In the early ’90s, Preece started noticing climate change in the news. “I started to clip newspaper articles from newspapers,” he said. “I’d get a really good one about every six months.” By then, he was mixing his chemigram techniques with regular photography techniques. He was also keeping an eye on how the public was becoming more aware of climate change. Eventually, he noticed that it was easy to find several articles a day on the subject. “I figured I was on the right track,” he said. “I did a whole series of chemigrams on environmental issues.” These pieces included bands and grids of abstractions, with photographs of things like oil pumps collaged into the compositions. Preece was satisfied that he was producing wellresolved artwork with a message that seemed to resonate more and more with the public. But he began to realize that it was not the message du jour among collectors and museums. Sales were slow, and offers of major exhibitions were few and far between. “People liked the work, but they weren’t so much signing on to what I was doing,” Preece surmised. Eventually, his East Coast art rep, Katharine P. Carter, found a way forward.


Nolan Preece’s exhibition is on view at the lilley Museum of Art at the university of Nevada, Reno, through Dec. 20. To see more of the artist’s work, visit nolanpreece.com.

In 2014, shortly after Preece had a show at the Nevada Museum of Art, Carter asked him to provide an image for her company Christmas card. He sent her a chemigram on which he’d “drawn” with photo chemicals and floor wax. The image looks like a muted winter sunrise with a thick forest of bare trees in the middle ground and a gracefully arcing tree trunk in the foreground. The scene is lonely, even a little apocalyptic, darkly beautiful, without an iota of Christmas cheer. But Carter mailed the card to 300 museums, and her strategy proved effective. “The phone started ringing off the hook,”

“The phone started ringing off the hook. I thought, ‘Is that all I had to do was make a landscape?’” Nolan Preece

Preece said. “I thought, ‘Is that all I had to do was make a landscape?’ The floodgates opened. We had three or four museums calling a day for a while, wanting a show. I got about 10 national shows on my resume out of that bunch.”

Full circle Preece still has a darkroom in his home— which became a rarity after digital printing took hold. It’s filled with vintage equipment, trays for photo chemicals and neatly shelved folders and boxes full of chemigrams that date from the 1970s to the present. Flipping through a three-ring binder, he pointed out images that he’s made over the decades. Earlier pieces look like artful blobs and drips. Later pieces look more controlled, resembling mountains, canyons or sunlight glinting off the surfaces of lakes. Preece sometimes revisits the older images, samples them, re-colors them, and Photoshops them into new compositions. And those 40- and 50-year-old darkroom chemistry experiments aren’t the only thing that’s come full circle for Preece. Winter’s coming up, and while Reno can’t compete with Logan, Utah for weeks-long stretches of sub-freezing temperatures, it’s cold enough here that he does tend to shoot photos outside in the summer and hole up in the darkroom to make chemigrams once the snow flies. “I’ll probably do a whole avalanche of them this winter,” he said. □

Nolan Preece peruses some of his works dating back to the 1970s. Photo/Kris Vagner

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IN THEIR HONOR Every year for Veterans Day, the RN&R publishes a special section in the paper as a tribute to veterans. For each ad sold in this special section, RN&R donates to a cause that supports veterans. This year the recipient will be Veterans Guest House. The Veterans Guest House provides United States military service veterans and their families temporary lodging while receiving treatment at a medical facility in the Reno-Sparks area. The House is located at 880 Locust Street in Reno, just north of the VA Medical Center and centrally located to all healthcare facilities in the Reno-Sparks area. Over the past 25 years, the Veterans Guest House has provided over 80,000 guest nights of lodging for veterans and family members. The Guest House is a Nevada 501(c)3 non-profit organization supported entirely by private donations. Guests are asked to donate to defray operating expenses, but no one is ever turned away for inability to contribute.

Learn more at www.veteransguesthouse.org or call 775-324-6958.

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359-1503 Thank you to all of our dedicated Veterans We Salute You

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THEY CARED, not for

THEMSELVES, but for the

NATION. Let’s Salute them on

IN THEIR H NOR

VETERAN’S DAY!

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IN THEIR HONOR Every year for Veterans Day, the RN&R publishes a special section in the paper as a tribute to veterans. For each ad sold in this special section, RN&R donates to a cause that supports veterans. This year the recipient will be Veterans Guest House.

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by Kris Vagner

Local artists recievied municipal permission and funding to paint this mural at Wedekind road.

Underworld Dia de los Muertos mural Bobby Allen, who works at Rita Cannan Elementary School, stood on a low plywood scaffold under the I-395 overpass on Wedekind Road, a short walk from the school. He held a narrow paintbrush. He took a 5-by-7-inch color photograph from his pocket, inspected it carefully, and copied a man’s smiling, mustached face onto a concrete wall in grayscale. The man was his late father-in-law, and Allen is a volunteer on an unnamed mural project depicting Dia de los Muertos imagery. Near Allen’s feet, a head was sketched on the plywood scaffold. That’s where the project’s lead artist, Asa Kennedy, had given Allen a tutorial on how to get the proportions right. On the north side of the street, Kennedy worked on painting oversized skeletons who dance and play mariachi music. On the south side, where Allen was, there’s a cheerful depiction of an ofrenda, an altar traditionally built during the holiday to honor deceased friends and family members. This ofrenda contains sugar skulls, rows of marigolds, and candles to light the departed souls’ way home. It also has plenty of space for pictures of loved ones. “The idea was to leave the ofrenda pretty wide open, so anyone in the community could come down and put their own offerings on this,” said Kennedy. “This could give them connection to this mural that’s going to be here for years and years and years.” Another main player in the mural project is Kyle Chandler-Isacksen, director of a small neighborhood nonprofit called Be the Change, which he and his wife, Katy, run from their nearby home. The Chandler-Isacksens are former Montessori 24

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Photo/Kris Vagner

teachers whose organization prioritizes “sustainability, service and community building.” This includes initiatives such as launching the Reno Garlic Festival and partnering with groups like Sierra Arts and the Potentialist Workshop to work with teens—some of who’ve been arrested for tagging—on neighborhood art projects. Chandler-Isacksen—who avoids using fossil fuels and champions bike transportation—walks in the neighborhood a lot, and has passed under the overpass countless times. He said it reminds him of an underworld, which is how he got the idea that it would be a good place for Dia de los Muertos imagery. “There’s a very high Latino population in the area,” he added. “It seemed perfect to honor the diverse cultures that live here.” He and Kennedy began planning a couple of years ago, and Kennedy signed on as lead artist. Chandler-Isacksen secured permission from the walls’ owner, the Nevada Department of Transportation, to paint them. And the team received the City of Reno’s new Art Belongs Here Grant to fund the project. While public art funds are traditionally awarded to individual artists for pieces in or near downtown, this one works a bit differently. Among the goals of this grant are to “transform spaces, nurture community identity, promote our vibrant neighborhoods and demonstrate cultural diversity and inclusiveness.” The projects it funds are often in neighborhoods other than downtown. Artists are expected to work in collaboration with non-profits or businesses. The Wedekind mural doesn’t have a firm completion date, and members of the public are still invited to add their loved ones to the ofrenda. As for Allen, the depiction of his fatherin-law is coming into focus. “If I can figure out how to blend, it’ll come out better,” he said. Kennedy, who says that anyone can learn to draw—it’s just a matter of putting in the effort—will be there for Allen’s next painting lesson. Ω


BY BOB GRIMM

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

SHORT TAKES

4

Back again So, the big thing about Terminator: Dark Fate is that James Cameron has returned to the franchise as a producer and story credit guy, so that means we’ll return to the sort of powerful franchise chapters he directed back in the day, right? Well, actually, no. Tim Miller, the guy who directed Deadpool, is in charge of this mostly bland and banal chapter, with Cameron essentially whispering in his ear from afar. Cameron, apparently, never even visited the set; not surprising, considering ex-wife Linda Hamilton is back and, given her physical superiority, could easily kick the living shit out of him. Cameron’s real attention is on the Avatar sequels, which have mercifully been postponed so many times that I’m currently conditioned to think I will never have to sit through them. One can dream. For the umpteenth time, the future is all screwy because rogue A.I. has essentially taken over the planet and ruled humans unnecessary. This chapter picks up where Cameron’s second chapter left off, with the future changed thanks to the work of Sarah Connor (Hamilton), her boy, John, and a cuddly Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Had things turned out all peachy after Sarah’s handiwork, we wouldn’t have this movie. Some major happenings transpire in the opening minutes here, featuring a CGI de-aged Hamilton that I must say is remarkable. It totally looks like 1991 Hamilton on the screen, and some other characters from Judgment Day show up as well. Things are off to a good start. Then things get, well, routine at best. An “augmented human” built to fight Terminators drops into the past—our present—in the form of Grace (Mackenzie Davis). She’s been sent to protect Dani (Natalia Reyes) and immediately finds herself facing off with a new form of liquid Terminator (Gabriel Luna). The new cyborg can extend itself so that its liquid form can run around and mimic humans while its skeleton can drive a car. It’s visually

“Wait a minute ... what did you just call this shirt?”

interesting but reeks a bit of overreaching for new Terminator angles. The movie is a bunch of action set pieces where Miller fails to distinguish himself as crafty when it comes to things smacking each other around and blowing stuff up. The editing makes much of the carnage hard to follow—a fight inside a crashing plane is a real mess—and the set pieces lack any true sense of imagination. It feels very much like déjà vu. To tell you what I dislike most about this movie would be to give away too much. It has to do with the timeline after Sarah and John destroyed the Judgment Day Terminators. Things happen with little-to-no explanation or back story. They sort of just happen because the screenplay needs a future where things are bad. No real details necessary. It feels like a cheat. Hamilton, returning to the role that made her famous over a quarter century ago, has her moments, but the screenplay lets her down in many ways. The Sarah Connor in this movie behaves in ways that make no sense, and it’s awkward at times. Schwarzenegger shows up late in the movie as Carl, a Terminator who has domesticated himself and even has a girlfriend. He sells draperies, which makes for a couple of funny moments where Carl elaborates on his new trade. It’s fun to see Arnie in these films, but this has to be the last time, right? The Terminator franchise just feels like been there, done that at this point and Dark Fate, although better than the Christian Bale-led Terminator Salvation, is a small step backward from the wacky-but-kind-of-fun Terminator Genisys. Hey, if they keep making these movies, I’ll keep going to see them, because that’s what I do. I’m a sequel junkie, and it’s a problem. Terminator: Dark Fate is a bad sequel, but not so awful that it’s a complete waste of time for fans. Go for Arnie and Linda having one last hurrah. Just don’t expect much beyond that. □

Terminator: Dark Fate

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4

The King

5

The Lighthouse

This movie is a mess, although it’s the sort of mess a true fan might be willing to tolerate. Director Michael Engler seems to be working with enough subplots in this movie to fuel an entire season of the former TV show. The big plot twist here is that King George V (Simon Jones) and Queen Mary (Geraldine James) are coming to Downton Abbey, a big estate with a reasonably sized staff, for a quick visit during one of their tours. So the staff, taken a bit by surprise, must prepare for a visit from the royal family. Much of this movie is staff running around trying to prepare for this visit. In fact, the first half of this movie is almost entirely about preparing for the visit. That’s the main thrust of the movie. In the background, there are all sorts of little affairs and plot threads that even the most hardcore fans might have a hard time keeping track of. There’s even a blink-and-you-will-miss-it assassination plot involving King George that just sort of happens, without any attention to anything resembling details. Hey, a movie where King George V almost gets assassinated should be at least slightly exciting.

Robert Eggers, the man who gave us The Witch, a gesture for which I’m eternally grateful, returns with this trippy, gothic sailor’s yarn about two very strange men (Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe) working a difficult shift in a lighthouse in the late 19th century. It’s close quarters for the two, with every fart heard loud and clear, and every glitch in each other’s personalities grating on the sensibilities. As the trippy drama plays out, paranoia degrades into delusional mania, then straight on into psychopathic actions (or not, depending upon whether or not you view the whole thing as a fucked-up dream). Shot in black-and-white with a scope that reminds of old silent movies, the two actors start in a truly intense place, and they ratchet it up from there. Dafoe is all strains of incredible as the weathered sailor restricted to land duty, and possibly in the game of driving his employees crazy, one right after the other. Pattinson matches him every step of the way, with a performance reminiscent of early Marlon Brando. That’s right, I just compared him to Brando. Eggers is two films in, and this guy can direct with the best of them. Both of his films are like nothing I’ve ever seen before. The man is a true original, and these actors take the chance to work with him to the hallucinatory stars. I’m still not entirely sure what happened, but I know it disturbed the living piss out of me, and it contains two of the year’s best performances.

2

3

Zombieland: Double Tap

Dolemite Is My Name

This movie stands side by side with the best of Eddie Murphy’s Golden Age. A consistently funny biopic honoring comedianactor Rudy Ray Moore, it’s clear that Murphy’s heart is in this project full force. It’s the best performance he’s ever delivered in a movie … period. The film takes us on a tour of Moore’s rise to fame, starting with the creation of his Dolemite character (a campy hybrid of Shaft and Huggy Bear from Starsky and Hutch), and his poetically profane comedy albums. Moore mixed profanity with rhyming in ways that have earned him a “godfather of rap” moniker, with rap giants like Snoop Dogg, who appears in this film as a record store DJ, saying they wouldn’t have careers if not for Moore. Clearly, Moore helped lay the groundwork for the likes of Murphy and his standup greatness as well. Which makes it all the more appropriate that Eddie headlines this movie. Murphy, playing Moore, finds himself very much occupying a prototypical Eddie Murphy movie like those from his early days. It’s consistently funny and powered by Murphy’s infectious charisma. Murphy is commanding in a way that, quite frankly, I forgot he was capable of. Whether he’s recreating some terrible Kung Fu antics, or reacting uncomfortably on the phone as a studio guy rejects his movie, Murphy shows that he indeed remains one of the greatest screen talents. I must make this perfectly clear: Murphy is awesome in this movie. (Streaming on Netflix.)

2

Downton Abbey

Joker

This new take on DC’s Clown Prince of Crime will go down as one of the year’s big missed opportunities. Director Todd Phillips, mostly known for his Hangover movies, apparently got the green light to do whatever he wanted with the Joker mythos. Phillips blows this chance. Phoenix is otherworldly good as Arthur Fleck, a severely troubled clown and standup comedy wannabe—and mama’s boy—with a condition that causes him to laugh uncontrollably at inappropriate moments. He physically and mentally disappears into the part, to the point where you may become concerned for the actor’s well-being. When we first see Fleck, he’s dressed as a clown, spinning a sign and generally having a good time. He promptly gets his ass kicked, and not for the last time. We then see him in therapy and living in poverty with his quirky mother (Frances Conroy). Fleck slowly but surely starts to lose all sense of his humanity as he grows into a criminal monster. Phillips even casts a game Robert De Niro to play a talk show host that winds up being a nod to Miller’s David Letterman riff (David Endocrine) in The Dark Knight Returns. At its most derivative, the screenplay echoes A Beautiful Mind, filmed in a way that feels like a hackneyed Shyamalan twist. In the end, it’s an unoriginal film only partially buoyed by an incredible performance.

Partly inspired by real events and partly by the plays of William Shakespeare, Timothee Chalamet plays Hal, King Henry V of England, and it’s a barnburner of an acting turn. Chalamet has made a name for himself playing complicated, quiet characters before, but this one gives him a chance to rage on occasion, and he’s more than up to the task. Joel Edgerton, who co-wrote the screenplay, is on hand as Falstaff, Hal’s complicated right hand man, and Robert Pattinson, once again, shows that he just might be the finest actor of his generation with a brave and crazy performance as the Dauphin of France. Simply put, Pattinson’s accent in this movie is one of the greatest things I’ve witnessed in a movie this year, as is his final stunt in full armor. Director David Michod stages some fine action scenes, and Lily-Rose Depp makes a nice late film appearance as Catherine, Hal’s bride to be who will not stand for any of his toxic masculinity bullshit. Chalamet and Pattinson impress the most in a period piece film that works, a grand experiment that pays off. I want a sequel. (Streaming on Netflix.)

Since the release of the first Zombieland back in 2009, much has happened in the entertainment land of the undead. A decade later, Emma Stone has an Oscar for La La Land, Woody Harrelson got his third nomination in that stretch, and Jesse Eisenberg was nominated for The Social Network. Abigail Breslin also had an Oscar nom before the first film for Little Miss Sunshine. With all of this Oscar business, might this crew of performers opt for more snobby fare rather than blowing up ghoul skulls for laughs? Nope, director Ruben Fleischer returns with the whole crew—shockingly—intact for Zombieland: Double Tap, a film that does little to reinvigorate the genre, but still delivers plenty of laughs. It’s basically the same as the first movie, but with some more laughs thanks to a new costar. The zombie killers have taken up residence in the White House, with Wichita (Stone) and Columbus (Eisenberg) in a relationship that requires them to cover up the eyes on the Lincoln portrait when they bed down at night. Tallahassee (Harrelson) is still searching for Twinkies with a new goal to visit Graceland while leaving shredded zombies in his wake, while Little Rock (Breslin) wouldn’t mind having her first boyfriend ever at the age of 22. it all becomes a road trip again, one that eventually leads to Graceland—sort of—and a commune called Babylon. It’s a basic sequel with enough laughs and genre fun to earn a look.

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by TOdd SOuTh

Land Ocean’s Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes come with cayenne aioli and a side salad.

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Land Ocean is a family-owned sister restaurant to a pair of locations in north-central California. Presented as a “new American grill,” it features steaks, burgers, seafood, salads and other items in a tastefully decorated space. Service is impeccable, though booths are the most common seating option. Reservations are definitely recommended for larger groups. For starters, a large artichoke was split and grilled ($13), served with lemon-basil remoulade. The dip was OK, and the ’choke was tender enough. It was a bit overpriced compared against the tenderloin wellingtons ($13)—four puff pastry cups filled with brandy peppercorn sauce, bearnaise and bits of beef. They’re not at all like actual beef wellington—more akin to saucy yorkshire pudding—but enjoyable nonetheless. Three jumbo lump crab cakes ($14.50) were drizzled in cayenne aioli and served with a side salad. The tasty large cakes were minced meat and filler, no lump meat to be found. There was good flavor with the sauce, and the greens were fresh. More impressive was a bowl of spicy garlic mussels ($13) swimming with sliced serrano chile, topped with slices of grilled baguette. The mussels were tender and full of flavor, the crisped bread great when dipped in the goo. A pair of six-ounce, perfectly cooked lobster tails ($45) were served with broccolini, herb butter and coconut jasmine rice. Even if you’re not big on coconut, you’ll enjoy the subtle pleasure of this rice. I felt the veg was a bit tough and undercooked, but my dining companion said it’s just the way she likes it. One of my friend’s thin-sliced, sesame seared ahi tuna salad ($19) with mixed greens, apple, almond, pickled ginger, mango, snap pea and wasabi vinaigrette was on the money. Similarly, a serving of spice crusted ahi tuna ($25) with sauteed spinach, garlic black rice, roasted corn salsa and avocado mango puree had no flaws. The meat was sliced

PHOTO/ALLISON YOUNG

thicker, and the flavorful rice had the right amount of chew for its type. I tried the wood-fired rotisserie chicken ($21) served with grilled asparagus, mashed potatoes and chicken jus. A monster pile of chunky mashed potatoes and deliciously gelatinous gravy supported a huge half chicken. The asparagus was perfect, and the moist-not-mushy poultry was probably the best rotisserie effort you could ask for. A filet of blackened salmon ($25) with sauteed spinach, cilantro rice, chipotle mango sauce and pineapple salsa was fine, if not what I’d define as “blackened.” The salmon was flaky, but the overall flavor was more citrus than Cajun. Rice and spinach were adequate. The surf and turf was better ($29), an eight-ounce teriyaki wagyu top sirloin steak aside three tempura prawns in coconut sauce, with a side of mashed potatoes. The well-charred, flavorful steak was ordered medium rare, with just a touch of pink. The large shrimp were plump and crispy; the sauce was interesting enough. From the kids’ menu, the 10 year-old in our party chose mac and cheese and fries ($7)—spiral cavatappi pasta in fancy cheese sauce with plenty of shredded parmesan-reggiano. She didn’t love the upscale pasta, but the crispy, fluffy fries were a hit, only outdone by the included ice cream sundae dessert. Perhaps the most kid-friendly move I’ve seen in an upscale, casual restaurant. We shared a serving of chocolate lava cake ($10), with chocolate ganache, vanilla bean ice cream, crushed almond toffee, chocolate and caramel sauce. It gushed satisfyingly all over the plate, a dramatic end to an enjoyable meal. □

Land Ocean

13967 S. Virginia St., 993-2499

Land Ocean is open Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Learnmore at landoceanrestaurants.com/reno.


by MaRk EaRnESt

Engine Fire’s lineup consists of both friends and family and is (from left) Shaun Rucker, Christopher Holloway, and Pierre and Josh Marche.

Family time Engine Fire There are plenty of bands that feature brothers, sisters or married couples. But, it’s rare to find a band that has a parent and a child. A generation gap drives the rhythm section of Engine Fire, though. This melodic punk-meets-straightforward-rock band from Reno features drummer Pierre Marche and his son, Josh, on bass. The family members play with two of Pierre’s longtime musician friends: singer and guitarist Christopher Holloway and guitarist Shaun Rucker. It makes you wonder if the father-son dynamic is a part of Engine Fire’s band life. The answer: not really. “I just watch what I say a little more,” Josh Marche said to laughs from his bandmates. “You both do,” Holloway quickly chimed in. “It doesn’t really come up unless I make a smart-ass joke about it, about him being ‘my boy,’” Pierre said. “But when I look over at him, I just see an awesome bass player with his foot on the amp, just shredding away.” “Being a father, what I thought was rad was when we recorded,” Holloway continued, talking about Engine Fire’s EP session earlier this year in Sacramento. “Pierre had that extra Dad empathy. When [Josh] was down in the dumps, and it was when none of us wanted to be in the studio anymore, Pierre would be picking him up, and that was rad. He wouldn’t do that for me [laughs].” Like his bandmates, Josh Marche is also experienced in the scene. His past bands include punk faves like Donkey Jaw and Viva Revenge. He’s also economical with his words. “The thing about Josh is that he’s the cool, calm one among us,” Pierre said. “When we start panicking about a canceled

Photo/Mark EarnEst

practice and blow up like a sewing circle, like in a group text, Josh won’t even acknowledge us. I know he’s thinking, ‘Here they go.’” “I’m all about solutions over problems,” Josh Marche explained. That’s not to say Engine Fire isn’t all about the bonhomie. The band started a year ago, but its roots are in the friendship between Holloway and Pierre that stretches back to the late ’90s Reno scene. They also played together in the bands Stamp Collection Suicide and Calling Cadence in the ’00s. Holloway took a musical break for the past few years, but when the Marches asked to work with him again, the time seemed right. Rucker, who the band knew from his time in local Drugknuckle, joined up just in time for its recordings. “I remember that [Pierre] texted me and asked, ‘How are your hands doing?’ Because I just had surgery on both hands,” Rucker said. “I had to relearn how to play guitar, and right about then Pierre called. I said, ‘They’re feeling great. I can get them up to par.’” Rucker and Holloway’s twin guitars work with the Marche’s rhythm to power Engine Fire’s sound, a mix of ’90s-style punk and the melodic-but-edgy college rock of American and UK ’80s bands. Add Holloway’s introspective, everyman lyrics, and you have a brew that’s quite addictive. “We weren’t interested in reinventing the wheel,” Pierre said. “ When I played our stuff for some musician friends, they all said, ‘Oh, you’re like this or that from the late ’90s.’ And I thought, ‘You know what? We write what we know.’ We’ve been playing and loving our style of music for 20 years now, and Josh grew up listening to it. That’s why he fits in like a glove.” □

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Engine Fire plays with local band Basement tapes and sacramento group Black Crosses at 9 p.m. nov. 8 at Jub Jub’s thirst Parlor, 71 s. Wells ave. hear more at enginefire.bandcamp.com.

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5 STAR SALOON

132 West St., (775) 499-5655

THURSDAY 11/7

FRIDAY 11/8

SATURDAY 11/9

Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

Dance party, 10pm, $5

Dance party, 10pm, $5

ALIBI ALE WORKS (INCLINE)

Trivia Night, 7pm, Tu, no cover

ALIBI ALE WORKS (TRUCKEE) ALTURAS BAR

BAR OF AMERICA

RN&R

Live music, 9pm, no cover

Groove Foundry, 9pm, no cover

Groove Foundry, 9pm, no cover

555 E. Fourth St., (775) 499-5549

Midterm Madness: Mac Jerod, Borderless, Envious, 8pm, $5

House Party VICE: Andreas Henneberg, Luke Mandala, 9pm, $20

Pink Party: SkiiTour, Roxy Venus, The Rhino, Miss Cooper, 9pm, $25-$30

CARGO CONCERT HALL

Stoney’s Live, 7pm, $15

Whitey Morgan, Alex Williams, 8pm, $25

In Flames, Red, Arrival of Autumn, 7:30pm, $25

Adam the Grey, 9pm, no cover

Mash Confusion, 8:30pm, no cover

Cell, Post Humous, 9pm, no cover

10040 Donner Pass Rd., Truckee, (530) 587-2626

THE BLUEBIRD

Carson Comedy Club, Carson Nugget, 507 N. Carson St., Carson City, (775) 8821626: Steve Barkley, Fri-Sat, 8pm, $15 Laugh Factory, Silver Legacy Resort Casino, 407 N. Virginia St., (775) 3257401: John Caponera, Thu, Sun, 7:30pm, $21.95; Fri-Sat, 7:30pm, 9:30pm, $27.45; Bob Zany, Tue-Wed, 7:30pm, $21.95 LEX at Grand Sierra Resort, 2500 E. Second St., (775) 789-5399: Steve Kramer, Fri, 6:30pm, $10 The Library, 134 W. Second St., (775) 6833308: Sunday Night Comedy Open Mic, Sun, 8pm, no cover Pioneer Underground, 100 S. Virginia St., (775) 322-5233: Steve Kramer, Thu, 7:30pm, $7-$15; Fri, 9pm, $12-$22; Sat, 6:30pm, 9:30pm, $12-$22

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Sacred Moon, Supernatural Heroes, 8:30pm, $TBA

1044 E. Fourth St., (775) 324-5050

Comedy

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Bluegrass jam, 6:30pm, no cover

10069 Bridge St., Truckee, (530) 536-5029

Nov. 9, 9 p.m. The BlueBird 555 E. Fourth St. 499-5549

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255 N. Virginia St., (775) 398-5400

CEOL IRISH PUB

538 S. Virginia St., (775) 329-5558

DAVIDSON’S DISTILLERY

Karaoke with Nightsong Productions, 8pm, no cover

Reverse the Cycle, 9pm, no cover

FACES NV

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK viewing party, Queens of Karaoke, 8pm, no cover

Fantasy Friday, 11:30pm, $TBA

275 E. Fourth St., (775) 324-1917

235 W. Second St., (775) 470-8590

FAT CAT BAR & GRILL (MIDTOWN) 432 E. Fourth St., (775) 409-4431

THE HOLLAND PROJECT 140 Vesta St., (775) 448-6500

11.07.19

MON-WED 11/11-11/13 Trivia and drag show, 9pm, Tu, karaoke, 9pm, W, no cover

Grand opening party: Sneaky Creatures, 8:30pm, no cover

931 Tahoe Blvd., Incline Village, (775) 831-8300

SkiiTour

SUNDAY 11/10

Nick Eng, 8pm, no cover

Open Mic Night, 7pm, M, no cover

Sounds of the City: Mark Miller, Dan Abbot, 5pm, no cover

Post shows online by registerin g at www.newsr eview. com/reno. D eadline is the Frida y before public ation. Traditional Irish session, 7pm, Tu, Wed. Night Showcase, 7pm, W, no cover

First Take featuring Rick Metz, 7pm, Tu, no cover Black Belt Eagle Scout, 8pm, Tu, $7 Yung Heazy, 7:30pm, W, $8-$10


THURSDAY 11/7 JUB JUB’S THIRST PARLOR 71 S. Wells Ave., (775) 384-1652 1) Showroom 2) Bar Room

FRIDAY 11/8

SATURDAY 11/9

SUNDAY 11/10

MON-WED 11/11-11/13

2) Black Crosses, Basement Tapes, Engine Fire, 9pm, $5

2) Headwinds, Balance Trick, Chocolate Jesus, 8:30pm, $5

2) Cinema Cinema, Cryptillians, Eden’s Sleeves, 8pm, $5

2) Thee Saturday Knights, 8pm, M, $5 Neck of the Woods, 8pm, W, $5

LAUGHING PLANET CAFE (UNR)

UNR Student Jazz Jam Sessions, 7:30pm, W, no cover

941 N. Virginia St., (775) 870-9633

THE LOFT

Magic Fusion, 7pm, $32-$42

Magic Fusion, 7pm, $32-$42 Magic After Dark, 9pm, $32-$42

Magic Fusion, 7pm, 9pm, $32-$42

MIdTOwN wINE BAR

Unplugged Thursdays, 6:30pm, no cover

Monique Jade Band, 8pm, no cover

One Way Street, 8pm, no cover

Los Austeros de Durango, Tamborazo San Marcos, 10pm, $20

La Internacional Sonora Dinamita, Tamborazo San Marcos, 10pm, $TBA

1001 Heavenly Way, S. Lake Tahoe, (530) 523-8024

1527 S. Virginia St., (775) 800-1960

MILLENNIUM

2100 Victorian Ave., Sparks, (775) 507-1626

Magic Fusion, 4:30pm, 7pm, $32-$42

Magic Fusion, 7pm, M, Tu, W, $32-$42

Bingo w/T-N-Keys, 6:30pm, Tu, no cover

PIGNIC PUB & PATIO

LAF: The Whitehats, Mark Sexton, Matt Bushman, Kat Heart, 8pm, $5

MagNicoSynth’s First Friday Funk Fest, 9pm, no cover

Night Rooms, R Cade Daddies, 8pm, no cover

THE POLO LOUNGE

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

DJ Trivia, 7:30pm, no cover T-N-Keyz, 9pm, no cover

Ladies Night Out with DJ Bobby G, 8:30pm, no cover

Saturday Night Party, 8:30pm, no cover

Karaoke, 8pm, M, no cover Chris Costa, 7pm, W, no cover

RUE BOURBON

Adam Springob, 6pm, no cover

Kat Heart, 8pm, no cover

Michelle Belle, 8pm, no cover

DJ Bingo, 7pm, W, no cover

Benefit for Homeless Veterans with John Shipley Trio, 8pm, $10

Saturday Night Lights Country Night, 9pm, no cover

Dirty Honey, Black Sunshine, 8pm, Tu, $12

235 Flint St., (775) 376-1948

1401 S. Virginia St., (775) 384-6526

THE SAINT

761 S. Virginia St., (775) 221-7451

SHEA’S TAVERN

Franks & Deans, The Sonic Dead, Just-In Beaver, 9:30pm, $6-$8

VIRGINIA STREET BREwHOUSE

The Cutthroats, Kaidan, Kill On Command, Hired Fun, 7pm, $7-$10

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

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

Black Belt Eagle Scout Nov. 12, 8 p.m. The Holland Project 140 Vesta St. 448-6500

Dirty Honey Nov. 12, 8 p.m. The Saint 261 S. Virginia St. 221-7451

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NOV/7:

STUFF-A-BUS

As the holidays creep closer and the weather gets colder, thoughts turn to those who need a little help getting by. The Salvation Army Reno, 105.7 KOZZ and Atlantis Casino Resort Spa will host the Stuff-A-Bus event ahead of the holiday season. You can donate toys, non-perishable food items and warm clothing, which will be donated to area families in need. Stop by from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7, and 6 a.m. to midnight on Friday, Nov. 8, outside the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, 3800 S. Virginia St. Visit www.facebook.com/salarmyreno.

aTlanTIs CasIno rEsorT sPa

Carson nUGGET

CrysTal Bay CasIno

3800 s. VirgiNia st., (775) 825-4700

507 N. CarsoN st., CarsoN City, (775) 882-1626

14 HigHway 28, CrystaL bay, (775) 833-6333

tHE LoFt

CrowN rooM

ADRENALINE: Fri, 11/8, Sat, 11/9, 9pm, no cover

TAB BENOIT WITH JASON KING BAND: Fri, 11/8,

Carson VallEy Inn

rEd rooM

1627 HigHway 395, MiNdEN, (775) 782-9711

FANCY PUMA WITH ALL GOOD FUNK ALLIANCE:

CabarEt

ElDoraDo rEsorT CasIno

CabarEt AMERICAN MADE BAND: Thu, 11/7, Fri, 11/8, Sat, 11/9, 4pm, no cover

SOUL PERSUADERS: Fri, 11/8, Sat, 11/9, 10pm, Sun, 11/10, 8pm, no cover

THE BAND APOTHIC: Mon, 11/11, Tue, 11/12, Wed, 11/13, 8pm, no cover

BooMToWn CasIno HoTEl

8pm, $25

Sat, 11pm, no cover

2100 garsoN road, VErdi, (775) 345-6000

DECADES: Thu, 11/7, 7pm, Fri, 11/8, Sat, 11/9,

gUitar bar

HANS EBERBACH: Tue, 11/12, Wed, 11/13, 8pm,

ROSS LEWIS: Thu, 11/7, 6pm, no cover VELVET DUO: Fri, 11/8, Sat, 11/9, 5pm, no cover EBONY NOT QUITE IVORY: Fri, 11/8, Sat, 11/9, 9pm,

CIrCUs CIrCUs rEno

STUDENT BODY THURSDAYS WITH VJ RIZZO:

500 N. siErra st., (775) 329-0711

DJ BIRD & RIZZO: Fri, 11/8, Sat, 11/9, 10pm,

EL JEFE’s CaNtiNa

DJ MARK TWYMAN: Sun, 11/10, 10pm, no cover LIVE BAND KARAOKE WITH ROCK U ENT.:

no cover

THE ROBEYS: Sun, 11/10, 6pm, no cover TANDYMONIUM: Mon, 11/11, 6pm, no cover JONATHAN BARTON: Tue, 11/12, 6pm, no cover GARY DOUGLAS: Wed, 11/13, 6pm, no cover

8pm, no cover no cover

SKYY HIGH FRIDAY WITH DJ MO FUNK: Fri, 11/8, 10pm, no cover

REVEL SATURDAYS WITH DJ CHRIS ENGLISH: Sat, 11/9, 10pm, no cover

CabarEt PLATINUM: Fri, 11/8, Sat, 11/9, 9pm, no cover

345 N. VirgiNia st., (775) 786-5700 brEw brotHErs Thu, 11/7, 10pm, no cover no cover

Mon, 11/11, Wed, 11/13, 10pm, no cover

BREW CLUB TUESDAYS WITH DJ MARK TWYMAN & DJ JB: Tue, 11/12, 10pm, no cover

NoVi RED CUP FRIDAYS WITH DJ DUSTIN V & DJ RONI V: Fri, 11/8, 9pm, no cover

LINE DANCING: Sat, 11/9, 9pm, no cover

Join us on the

” m a r “g

R @renonewsreview

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Post shows online by registering at www.newsreview.com/reno. Deadline is the Friday before publication.

Tab Benoit Nov. 8, 8 p.m. Crystal Bay Casino 14 Highway 28 Crystal Bay (775) 833-6333

SILVER BARON LOUNGE

HARVEYS LAKE TAHOE 18 HIGHWAY 50, StAtELINE, (775) 588-6611

DJ MOFUNK: Thu, 11/7, Sun, 11/10, 9pm, no cover JUST US: Fri, 11/8, Sat, 11/9, 9pm, no cover

HARVEY’S cABAREt

TAHOE BILTMORE

THE NEVADA SHOW: Fri, 11/8, 10pm, $26.83-

5 HIGHWAY 28, cRYStAL BAY, (775) 831-0660

$36.83

PEPPERMILL RESORT SPA CASINO

cASINO FLOOR CHRIS COSTA: Fri, 11/8, Sat, 11/9, 8pm, no cover

2707 S. VIRGINIA St., (775) 826-2121

HARD ROCK LAKE TAHOE

ROXY’S LIVE PIANO BAR LIVE PIANO: Thu, 11/7, Fri, 11/8, Sat, 11/9, Sun, 11/10, Mon, 11/11, Tue, 11/12, Wed, 11/13, 4:30pm, no cover

DJ OSCAR PEREZ: Fri, 11/8, 10pm, no cover DJ MO FUNK: Sat, 11/9, 10pm, no cover

GRAND SIERRA RESORT 2500 E. SEcONd St., (775) 789-2000 LEX NIGHtcLUB THROWBACK THURSDAY WITH DJ SWERVE-1:

EdGE

karaoke

50 HIGHWAY 50, StAtELINE, (844) 588-7625

LATIN DANCE SOCIAL WITH BB & KIKI OF SALSA RENO: Fri, 11/8, 7pm, $10-$20, no cover

cENtER BAR

DJ DYNAMIX: Sat, 11/9, 10pm, $20

DJ SET: Fri, 11/8, Sat, 11/9, 9pm, no cover

tERRAcE LOUNGE

HARRAH’S LAKE TAHOE

THE INCITERS: Thu, 11/7, 7pm, Fri, 11/8, Sat, 11/9,

15 HIGHWAY 50, StAtELINE, (800) 427-7247

TRISTAN SELZLER: Sun, 11/10, Mon, 11/11,

WILLIAM HILL RAcE ANd SPORtS BAR

SOUtH SHORE ROOM

COUNTRY MUSIC NIGHTS & DANCE LESSONS:

JIM BREUER: Sat, 11/9, 7pm, $27.06-31.65

SILVER LEGACY RESORT CASINO

cASINO cENtER StAGE

407 N. VIRGINIA St., (775) 325-7401

TUESDAY NIGHT BLUES WITH THE BUDDY EMMER BAND: Tue, 11/12, 8pm, no cover

RUM BULLIONS

DJ COOLWHIP BIRTHDAY PARTY: Fri, 11/8, 10pm, $10

LEX SATURDAYS WITH DISKO DREW: Sat, 11/9, 10pm, $20

Thu, 11/7, Fri, 11/8, Sat, 11/9, 10pm, no cover

before 8pm

Fat Cat Bar & Grill (Midtown District), 1401 S. Virginia St., (775) 453-2223: Karaoke with Chapin, Tue, 9pm, no cover

8pm, no cover Tue, 11/12, Wed, 11/13, 6pm, no cover

AUDIOBOXX WITH DJ R3VOLVER: Fri, 11/8, Sat, 11/9, 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

Thu, 11/7, 6pm, no cover

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FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 07, 2019 For a complete listing of this week’s events or to post events to our online calendar, visit www.newsreview.com. THE FIRST TEE OF NORTHERN NEVADA’S GIGGLES FOR GOLF COMEDY GALA: The second annual comedy show and dinner gala features comedian K-von. The event benefits the First Tee of Northern Nevada’s programs that teach young people ages 7-17 life skills, including honesty, respect, confidence and sportsmanship through the game of golf. Fri, 11/8, 5:30pm. $150-$200. Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, 3800 S. Virginia St., www.thefirstteenorthernnevada.org.

HANDCRAFTED HOLIDAY FAIRE IN INCLINE VILLAGE: The third annual holiday craft fair features works by local artists, crafters and small businesses. Sat, 11/9, 10am-4pm. The Chateau, 955 Fairway Blvd., Incline Village, www.facebook.com/ HandcraftedHolidayFaireinInclineVillage.

NOV/7:

TAKE3

The University of Nevada, Reno continues its 2019-2020 Performing Art Series with a concert by TAKE3. Known for their charismatic yet down-to -earth onstage personalities, this genrebending trio performs arrangements of top pop hits, Americana and classical favorites. Violinist Lindsay Deutsch, cellist Lila Yang and pianist Irene Kim make up the core of the musical unit, but their live performances have included guest dancers, pianists and vocalists. All three members have received rigorous tutoring from world-renowned instructors and have made their marks in the music industry as soloists, touring the world with Yanni, recording tracks for film and television and performing with symphony orchestras across the country. TAKE3 will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 7, at the Nightingale Concert Hall in the Church Fine Arts Building, 1335 N. Virginia St., on the University of Nevada, Reno campus. Tickets are $5-$37. Visit www.unr.edu/pas.

EVENTS

ANIMAL ARK OPEN NOV. WEEKENDS: The wildlife sanctuary will be open on weekends in November 11am-3pm, weather permitting. Please call prior to departure to confirm the facility is operational. Sat, 11/9-Sun, 11/10, 11am. $8.50-$13, free for children age 2 and younger. Animal Ark Wildlife Sanctuary, 1265 Deerlodge Road, (775) 970-3111, www.animalark.org.

8 WOMEN: Artemisia MovieHouse presents a screening of this dark comedy/musical directed by François Ozon and starring Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Huppert and Fanny Ardant. There are eight women and each is a suspect. One of them is guilty. Which one is it? Sun, 11/10, 6pm. $5-$9. Good Luck Macbeth Theatre Company, 124 W. Taylor St., (775) 6363386, www.artemisiamovies.weebly.com.

ART AFTERNOON—WORKSHOP AND SOCIAL FOR SENIORS: Enjoy a guided tour and a studio art class along with light refreshments. Monthly tours and projects are designed for participants of all levels of experience. These monthly sessions are held on the second Friday of each month. Advance registration is recommended. Fri, 11/8, 1pm. $6-$10. Nevada Museum of Art, 160 W. Liberty St., (775) 329-3333, www.nevadaart.org.

ALTA CALIFORNIA—NICK NEELY IN CONVERSATION: Author Nick Neely discusses his new book Alta California with Nevada author Michael P. Branch. In his book, Neely chronicles his 650-mile trek on foot from San Diego to San Francisco, following the route of the first overland Spanish expedition into what was soon called Alta California. Wed, 11/13, 6:30pm. Free. Sundance Books and Music, 121 California Ave., (775) 786-1188, www.sundancebookstore.com.

CHEMISTRY OF THE COCKTAIL 2019: The

AMERICA’S ART, NEVADA’S CHOICE UNVEILING AT FIRST THURSDAY: Grab a glass of champagne and toast the “Vote Nevada Art” winning artworks featured in the new exhibition America’s Art, Nevada’s Choice: Community Selections from the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Enjoy live music by Mental Floss and explore the galleries. Thu, 11/7, 5pm. $10, free for NMA members. Nevada Museum of Art, 160 W. Liberty St., (775) 329-3333, www.nevadaart.org.

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Discovery presents its eighth annual fundraising event. Come as a flapper, gangster or silent film star or come as you are and explore 1920s-style libations and fare from local culinary purveyors. Proceeds from this event support The Discovery’s goal to provide engaging educational programs and exhibitions focused on science, technology, engineering, art and math. Fri, 11/8, 7pm. $125-$150. Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum (The Discovery), 490 S. Center St., (775) 786-1000, nvdm.org.

HANDS ON! SECOND SATURDAYS: Estelle J. Kelsey Foundation Hands ON! Second Saturdays offers monthly free admission, hands-on art activities, storytelling, a docent-guided tour, live performances and community collaborations. Sat, 11/9, 10am. Free. Nevada Museum of Art, 160 W. Liberty St., (775) 329-3333, www.nevadaart.org.

NORDIC SKI SWAP: Shop for new and used skates, classic, racing and touring skis, backcountry touring gear, snowshoes, dog-walking gear, cross-country boots and poles athletic clothing and more. Proceeds from the raffle, food and ski swap support TCCSEA Junior Programs. Sat, 11/9, 10am. $5. Tahoe City Cross Country, 925 Country Club Drive, Tahoe City, tahoexc.org/ski-swap.

NEVADA FINE ARTS 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: Enjoy demos, flash sales, discounts, refreshments, prizes and fun. There will be a special reception featuring a talk by owners Debbie Wolff and Mark Hammon and a cake cutting from 5-7pm. See historical photos of Nevada Fine Arts through its 50 years and visit its new art gallery featuring the annual Arts as Gifts show with original art pieces for sale for $100 and under. Sat, 11/9, 8am-6pm. Nevada Fine Arts, 1301 S. Virginia St., (775) 786-1128, nvfinearts.com.

RENO POP CULTURE CON: The threeday, family-friendly, fan-focused extravaganza features some of the best in pop culture entertainment. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet comics artists and writers, authors and celebrity guests, shop for collectibles, attend panels and programming or visit the Pop Culture Classroom’s Kids’ Lab. The proceeds of this event benefit Pop Culture Classroom’s overall educational endeavors. Fri, 11/8-Sun, 11/10, 10am. $10-$110, free for kids ages 3-12. Reno-Sparks Convention Center, 4590 S. Virginia St., renopopculturecon.com.

RENO RODEO FOUNDATION’S DENIM DRIVE: Celebrate Reno Rodeo Foundation’s 13th annual Denim Drive at this year’s kick-off party featuring tunes from KBUL’s Bob Richards and line dancing with Cherry on Top Entertainment. Sat, 11/9, 6pm. Free. Revision Brewery, 380 S. Rock Blvd., Sparks, (775) 322-9875, renorodeofoundation.org.

SCIENCE SATURDAY—EATING IN SPACE/NASA ENGAGEMENT DAY: National Automobile Museum presents NASA Engagement Day as part of the museum’s anniversary celebration. Learn about Mars and Earth’s moon as you rotate through hands-on activity stations exploring rockets, phases of the moon, gravity, habitats and robots. Have fun exploring the Science Saturday topic for this month, “Eating in Space,” featuring Chef Craig, a culinary arts instructor at Truckee Meadows Community College. Sat, 11/9, 9:30am. Free. National Automobile Museum (The Harrah Collection), 10 S. Lake St., (775) 333-9300, www.automuseum.org.

VETERANS DAY PARADE: Reno’s annual event honors members of the armed forces and military veterans. At 11:11am, a traditional opening ceremony takes place at the Virginia Street Bridge and includes a fly by. The parade starts at 11:20am and marches through the heart of downtown Reno, starting from the Virginia Street Bridge and heading north to Fifth Street. Mon, 11/11, 11:11am. Free. Downtown, Virginia Street, (775) 3342414, www.reno.gov/business/specialevents-office/events.

VETERANS DAY PARADE: Virginia City holds its annual salute to past and current veterans of the United States armed forces. Mon, 11/11, 11am. Free. C Street, downtown Virginia City, (775) 847-7500, visitvirginiacitynv.com.

ART ARTIST CO-OP GALLERY OF RENO: Where Santa Shops. The holiday show offers one-of-a-kind gifts and decorating items created by local artists, including paintings, drawings, photography and a large assortment of handmade ornaments, jewelry, pottery, gourds, hats, scarves, original holiday cards and more. There will be two receptions: Nov. 10 and Dec. 8. Thu, 11/7-Wed, 11/13, 11am4pm. Free. Artist Co-op Gallery of Reno, 627 Mill St., (775) 322-8896.

RENO ART WORKS: Die Defunctorum. Resident artist Robin Ruybalid’s work combines her love of Dia de los Muertos and textile arts with a touch of Victorian floral. The opening reception is on Nov. 9. Sat, 11/9, 2-7pm. Reno Art Works, 1995 Dickerson Road, www.facebook.com/ RenoArtWorks.

STUDENT GALLERIES SOUTH: Ennead MFA Review Exhibition. An annual group exhibition by current students in the Master of Fine Arts program in visual arts at the University of Nevada, Reno. A public critique of the artwork on display will take place on Nov. 8, 1-4pm. Thu, 11/7-Mon, 11/11-Wed, 11/13. Free. Student Galleries South, Jot Travis Building, University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St., www.unr.edu/arts.

ONSTAGE THE ARTISTRY OF STAN KENTON: Reno Jazz Orchestra presents a program of music by jazz and popular music artist, pianist, composer and bandleader Stan Kenton. Sat, 11/9, 7:30pm. $25 general admission, $10 students with ID. Good Luck Macbeth Theatre Company, 124 W. Taylor St., renojazzorchestra.org.

THE BIGGEST LITTLE THEATRE & NEW WORKS FESTIVAL: Brüka Theatre present its eighth annual showcase for original theater pieces featuring traditional and nontraditional performances and stage readings created by local and regional performing artists. This small festival features nine staged readings and two performances over five days in the SubBrüka space. Thu, 11/7-Sun, 11/10. $10 for performances, $5 for readings. Brüka Theatre, 99 N. Virginia St., (775) 323-3221.

CLASSIX THREE—ENIGMA VARIATIONS: Reno Philharmonic Orchestra continues its 2019-2020 Classix season with a performance of Elgar’s Enigma Variations and Haydn’s Symphony No. 49. Violinist Oliver Leitner performs Chausson’s Poème. Sat, 11/9, 7:30pm, Sun, 11/10, 4pm. $29-$89. Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, 100 S. Virginia St., www.renophil.com.

THE LIGHT BURNS BLUE: The TMCC Performing Arts Department and Damonte Ranch High School Drama Department present a production of Silva Semerciyan’s play inspired by the story of the Cottingley Fairies hoax. Thu, 11/7-Fri, 11/8, 7pm. $10 adults, $8 seniors, WCSD and TMCC students and staff. Damonte Ranch High School, 10500 Rio Wrangler Parkway, (775) 674-7610.

MATILDA THE MUSICAL: The Western Nevada Musical Theatre Company presents the Nevada premiere of the high-energy musical based on the Roald Dahl classic novel. Fri, 11/8-Sat, 11/9, 7:30pm; Sun, 11/10, 2pm. $25-$28. Bob Boldrick Theater, Carson City Community Center, 850 E. William St., Carson City, www.wnmtc.com.

VETERANS DAY SALUTE: The Reno Wind Symphony pays tribute to the veterans of the United States armed forces through concert band music. Radio personality Ross Mitchell will serve as master of ceremonies. Mon, 11/11, 3pm. $10 general admission, free for students. Nightingale Concert Hall, Church Fine Arts Building, University of Nevada, Reno, 1335 N. Virginia St., www.renowindsymphony.com.

YOUTH ORCHESTRA FALL SHOWCASE: The Reno Phil welcomes three of its youth orchestras to the stage of the Pioneer to showcase a semester of hard work. The evening will begin with Youth Strings Symphonia under the direction of conductor Carol Laube. The YSS will be followed by the Youth Concert Orchestra under the direction of Dustin Budish and conclude with the Youth Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Jason Altieri. Tue, 11/12, 7pm. Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, 100 S. Virginia St., (775) 323-6393, www.renophil.com.


BY AMY ALKON

A labor of leave I haven’t had sex since my last breakup, and I’m all lusty. I really like this guy, but he seems to have some intimacy issues. We went on a coffee date, and the chemistry made things go further than I would have wanted or expected (making out like crazy in the car). My friends keep reminding me to build trust and friendship before sex. But can you really go backward? Like, is it possible to just hang out and chat once things have gotten hot and heavy? A nice thick pane of bulletproof glass between two people is an underappreciated chastity helper, which is to say, in a perfect world, you’d plan your dates around one of you getting a job in a check-cashing place or getting arrested and held without bail. There’s a tendency when you’ve initially gone a little too heavy into the heavy petting to be all: “Oh, well—cat’s out of the bag. Let’s just go straight to the sex dungeon.” However, for women especially, having sex right away can lead to a sort of psychological blinding to their sex partner’s shortcomings. Women seem more prone to getting attached when they have sex. This is thought to result from surging oxytocin, a hormone associated with emotional bonding between mothers and children, as well as lovers. Oxytocin is released in both men and women through cuddling, kissing and especially through orgasm. However, in men, having sex also sets off a big blast of testosterone. Testosterone goes all nightclub bouncer on oxytocin, blocking it from getting to its receptor. If the guy has no pre-sex emotional attachment to her, his neurochemistry is prodding him to say something sweet and romantic, like “Thanks for the ride! Have a great life!” In other words, the bulletproof glass suggestion isn’t all that outrageous. It’s a form of “precommitment,” a strategy by economist Thomas Schelling that involves preparing in advance to make it difficult for you to break a promise or duck a goal. Incorporating precommitment could mean only scheduling lunch dates in restaurants and only on days when you have a work meeting right afterward. Another idea is getting to know each other over the phone more

than in person—with the caveat that you only do it in relatively public places, where turning FaceTime into PenisTime is likely to lead to, um, jail time.

Fade to bleh I’m a very obsessive person. I went on one date with this guy, and it was immediately apparent that he’s emotionally unavailable and broken. I deleted his number but soon dug it back up. I texted, but he never responded. I know he’s bad news, but I still think about him constantly. It’s especially bad when I’m trying to go to sleep. How do I stop these intrusive thoughts? You’re doing your best to avoid thinking about the guy. Unfortunately, there’s a problem with that. Research by psychologist Daniel Wegner on “the paradoxical effects of thought suppression” suggests our minds have something in common with a defiant 2-yearold, meaning that telling yourself not to think about something gets your mind doing exactly the opposite—thinking about that thing with a vengeance. Wegner and his colleagues found a possible way to stem the flood of intrusive thoughts: distraction. This requires thinking of something positive and unrelated to the thoughts you’re trying to suppress. What’s more, psychologists Jens Forster and Nira Liberman found that you can keep your mind from constantly bouncing back to a thought if you shift your focus—admit that not thinking about it is hard. Finally, because the mind cannot multitask, meaning think two thoughts at once, it might be helpful at bedtime to tire yourself out reading aloud or following a guided meditation on your phone: You’re walking down a beach ... you’re looking out into the waves … and, um … oops! Just remind yourself that not thinking about something is hard and yank your mind back to Swami Doodah. 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).

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FRee will astRology Call for a quote. (775) 324-4440 ext. 2

For the week oF November 7, 2019

Phone hours: M-F 9am-5pm. Deadlines for print: Line ad deadline: Monday 4pm Display ad deadline: Friday 2pm

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries psychologist James

Hillman said we keep “our images and fantasies at arm’s length because they are so full of love.” They’re also quite flammable, he added. They are always on the verge of catching fire, metaphorically speaking. That’s why many people wrap their love-filled images and fantasies in metaphorical asbestos: to prevent them from igniting a blaze in their psyches. In my astrological opinion, you Aries folks always have a mandate to use less asbestos than all the other signs—even none at all. That’s even more true than usual right now. Keep your images and fantasies extra close and raw and wild.

All advertising is subject to the newspaper’s Standards of Acceptance. Further, the News & Review specifically reserves the right to edit, decline or properly classify any ad. Errors will be rectified by re-publication upon notification. The N&R is not responsible for error after the first publication. The N&R assumes no financial liability for errors or omission of copy. In any event, liability shall not exceed the cost of the space occupied by such an error or omission. The advertiser and not the newspaper assumes full responsibility for the truthful content of their advertising message. *Nominal fee for some upgrades.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Poet James Merrill was

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ecstatic when he learned the Greek language. According to his biographer, he felt he could articulate his needs “with more force and clarity, with greater simplicity and less self-consciousness, than he ever could in his own language.” He concluded, “Freedom to be oneself is all very well; the greater freedom is not to be oneself.” Personally, I think that’s an exaggeration. I believe the freedom to be yourself is very, very important. But for you in the coming weeks, Taurus, the freedom to not be yourself could indeed be quite liberating. What might you do to stretch your capacities beyond what you’ve assumed is true about you? Are you willing to rebel against and transcend your previous self-conceptions?

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Musician Brian Eno made a

deck of oracular cards called Oblique Strategies. Each card has a suggestion designed to trigger creative thinking about a project or process you’re working on. You might find it useful to call on Oblique Strategies right now, since you’re navigating your way through a phase of adjustment and rearrangement. The card I drew for you is “Honor thy error as hidden intention.” Here’s how I interpret it: An apparent lapse or misstep will actually be the result of your deeper mind guiding you to take a fruitful detour.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): We devote a lot of energy

to wishing and hoping about the meaningful joys we’d love to bring into our lives. And yet few of us have been trained in the best strategies for manifesting our wishes and hopes. That’s the bad news. The good news is that now is a favorable time for you to upgrade your skills at getting what you want. With that in mind, I present you with the simple but potent wisdom of author Maya Angelou: “Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it.” To flesh that out, I’ll add: Formulate a precise statement describing your heart’s yearning, and then work hard to make yourself ready for its fulfillment.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): What are the key parts of your life—the sources and influences that enable you to be your most soulful self? I urge you to nourish them intensely during the next three weeks. Next question: What are the marginally important parts of your life—the activities and proclivities that aren’t essential for your long-term success and happiness? I urge you to corral all the energy you give to those marginally important things, and instead pour it into what’s most important. Now is a crucial time in the evolution of your relationship with your primal fuels, your indispensable resources, your sustaining foundations.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “When she spoke of

beauty, he spoke of the fatty tissue supporting the epidermis,” wrote short story author Robert Musil. He was describing a conversation between a man and woman who were on different wavelengths. “When she mentioned love,” Musil continued, “he responded with the statistical curve that indicates the rise and fall in the annual birthrate.” Many of you have the flexibility to express yourself well on both of those wavelengths. But in the coming months, I hope you’ll emphasize the beauty and love wavelength rather than the fatty tissue and statistical curve wavelength. It’ll be an excellent strategy for getting the healing you need.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libran blogger Ana-Sofia Cardelle was asked, “What is your signature perfume?” She said she hadn’t found one. But then she described how she would like to smell:

“somewhere between fresh and earthy: cinnamon and honey, a rose garden, saltwater baked in the sun.” The coming days will be an excellent time to indulge in your own fantasies about the special fragrance you’d like to emanate. Moreover, I bet you’ll be energized by pinpointing a host of qualities you would like to serve as cornerstones of your identity: traits that embody and express your uniqueness.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Studies suggest that on

average each of us has a social network of about 250 people, of whom 120 we regard as a closer group of friendly acquaintances. But most of us have no more than 20 folks we trust, and only two or three whom we regard as confidants. I suspect that these numbers will be in flux for you during the next twelve months. I bet you’ll make more new friends than usual, and will also expand your inner circle. On the other hand, I expect that some people who are now in your sphere will depart. Net result: stronger alliances and more collaboration.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I blame and thank

the Sagittarian part of me when I get brave and brazen enough to follow my strongest emotions where they want to lead me. I also blame and thank the Sagittarian part of me when I strip off my defense mechanisms and invite the world to regard my vulnerabilities as interesting and beautiful. I furthermore blame and thank the Sagittarian side of me on those occasions when I run three miles down the beach at dawn, hoping to thereby jolt loose the secrets I’ve been concealing from myself. I suspect the coming weeks will be a favorable time to blame and thank the Sagittarian part of you for similar experiences.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Persian polymath

Avicenna (980–1037) wrote 450 books on many topics, including medicine, philosophy, astronomy, geography, mathematics, theology, and poetry. While young, he tried to study the Metaphysics of Aristotle, but had difficulty grasping it. Forty times he read the text, even committing it to memory. But he made little progress toward fathoming it. Years later, he was browsing at an outdoor market and found a brief, cheap book about the Metaphysics by an author named al-Farabi. He read it quickly, and for the first time understood Aristotle’s great work. He was so delighted he went out to the streets and gave away gifts to poor people. I foresee a comparable milestone for you: something that has eluded your comprehension will become clear, at least in part due to a lucky accident.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In addition to being a key

figure in Renaissance art, fifteenth-century Italian painter Filippo Lippi had a colorful life. According to legend, he was once held prisoner by Barbary pirates, but gained his freedom by drawing a riveting portrait of their leader. Inspired by the astrological factors affecting you right now, I’m fantasizing about the possibility of a liberating event arriving in your life. Maybe you’ll call on one of your skills in a dramatic way, thereby enhancing your leeway or generating a breakthrough or unleashing an opportunity. (Please also re-read your horoscope from last week.)

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “Stand high long enough

and your lightning will come,” writes Piscean novelist William Gibson. He isn’t suggesting that we literally stand on top of a treeless hill in a thunderstorm and invite the lightning to shoot down through us. More realistically, I think he means that we should devotedly cultivate and discipline our highest forms of expression so that when inspiration finds us, we’ll be primed to receive and use its full power. That’s an excellent oracle for you.

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 realastrology.com.


BY JERI DAVIS

Fast talker

How long have you been fasting every Friday? I started in late August. And I was actually out by the river. I was handing out little fliers.

Dr. Bill Miller, a retired palliative care and hospice chaplain, is a member of Citizens’ Climate Lobby—a group that lobbies on behalf of the proposed Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, H.R. 763. Recently, Miller asked other members of the group’s Reno chapter to join him and fast on Fridays in solidarity with the young people behind the Fridays for our Future movement. On Friday afternoons in front of Reno City Hall, they’ll be out to engage passersby in conversation about climate change.

It was a bit out of desperation. There was so little going on here. I started it before I discovered [Citizens’ Climate Lobby]. And, you know, I wanted to symbolically sacrifice. It’s something Boomers were not raised to do. We’re quite an indulgent generation. And we can’t solve this crisis without some sacrifice. On the other hand, there’s enormous benefits to solving it. I mean not just the planet surviving, but we can create new jobs that can’t be outsourced, can’t be sent overseas. We can rebuild our economy. There could be literally millions of new jobs. There’s a lot of benefit to acting on this crisis.

PHOTO/JERI DAVIS

Why is fasting the way to make your point?

Now you’re doing the same with Citizens’ Climate Lobby. So, how do you engage people out here?

New jobs in things like renewable industry and? Yeah, in renewable energy, in all kinds of sustainable energies, in retrofitting houses.

Sure, things like retrofitting can’t be outsourced. No, and windmills can’t be and solar panels can’t be and, to a certain extent, electric cars can’t be—although the Chinese are providing stiff competition, no doubt about that. But the other side of the equation is that there’s going to have to be some sacrifice. We’re going to have to change. We’re going to have to let go of things.

Poorly! [Laughs] Opinions are pretty well formed, whether informed or not. So we try and meet people where they are. We ask them questions. We try not to argue but just to have a conversation and, you know, we’re really hoping to put down a marker here because what we’re doing in this hour is we’re supporting the student climate strikes as elders.

I understand another of your goals is explaining the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. Who’s stopping to talk? How many Fridays have you been out here? This is only our second time. So we’re still figuring it out—even if this is the smartest time and place. You know, it’s just passersby. … We’re just trying to see if we can put an anchor down to raise awareness that the issue hasn’t gone away and there’s … a very ingenious solution. So as dire as it is, it’s not hopeless. □

BY BRUCE VAN DYKE

Like a rug When the Mad King’s tender eggs find themselves in yet another political vise, his protective lickspittles jump into action, circling around those precious little raisinets so as to save them from being squished into a vile, mealy goo that would make the Kimberly Guilfoyle Bod-Bot recoil in titanically-titted terror. These sycophant droids guarding The Blunderer In Chief are like worker bees surrounding their threatened queen, prepared, if need be, to defend their endangered monarch to the death … of their re-election chances. Which is to say here comes the ReTrumplican campaign of national bamboozlement, to be quickly followed by a relentless blast of general gaslighting. Never has the old axiom, “If you can’t dazzle ’em with brilliance, baffle ’em with bullshit,” been more in play. And don’t buy into that initial slaphappy portrait of Lovable Lev

and Illin’ Igor being dopey shlubs of Rudy Ghouliani. Total horseshit. These guys ain’t schmucks. Far from it. In fact, it’s now obvious that Rudy was working for them, not the other way around, and that Lev and Igor were highly connected with the Russian Mob that was paying Ghouliani the big bucks to get our decent diplomats axed in Ukraine. Then, and only then, could Team Capone make the power plays it was eager to make since, as Prez Pelosi so accurately summed up, when it comes to Trump, all roads lead to Putin. And he had some fat cat Russkies to please! But … oh, no! Lev got his feelings hurt! Awww, isn’t that just the sweetest? Lev got his widdle heart broke when Pouty Potus said of him and Igor, “I don’t know these guys.” Dump’s tossing of the starstruck Parnas under the nearest bus doesn’t

appear to have sat well with ol’ Lev, since Lev had posted about 47 pictures of him kissing Trump’s ass on Instagram, pics that invariably show Lev and Twitler mugging with ever-moronic thumbs up, Agent Orange grinning like some nitrous-baked jack-o-lantern. So Lev got his feelings hurt, and then he got pissed, and then he told his lawyer, “Fuck it. I’m ready to lunch with Adam Schiff.” Nuts to all this bullshit about quid pro quo. Drop the effing Latin already. Let’s talk instead about bribery and extortion. Let’s talk about graft and piles and piles of utterly endless corruption. Trump is lying. Rudy is lying. Sondland is lying. Pompeo is lying. Barr is lying. Pence is lying. Moscow Mitch is lying. All of them lie. All the time. About everything. That Kool-Aid 45 must be strong stuff. □

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