March 22, 2018

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Through the hoops

Maybe definition is nothing

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

Hey, big congrats to the University of Nevada, Reno’s Wolf Pack men’s basketball team for their stunning come-frombehind wins over the University of Texas and University of Cincinnati last week. Pretty amazing that our little university is advancing to the coveted Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.

As I write this, their next matchup is against Loyola University Chicago on Thursday, March 22, at 4 p.m. This issue will be on the stands March 22-28, so if you’re reading this hot-from-the-presses on Thursday, get thee to your favorite sports-friendly watering hole stat. Otherwise, you’ll probably know more than I do.

I’ll be totally honest—I’m jumping on the bandwagon here. I haven’t watched a college basketball game in years.

(And I’ve never filled out a bracket.) But this Wolf Pack team seems legitimately exciting. They rallied from 22 points behind in the final minutes of the game against Cincinnati— that’s just wild. It’s apparently the second biggest comeback in the history of the NCAA Tournament.

And, as I’ve heard a few people point out, the more our local teams win, the more likely it is that national sports commentators learn how to correctly pronounce the name of our state. Which is nice.

But do you know what part of this NCAA Tournament I’m most excited about? The fact that March Madness drawing to a close means that it’s almost time for baseball season.

Anyway. Congrats, Pack!

Keep it up, and, yeah, let’s all tune in on Thursday.

Re “Definition is everything” (letters, Feb. 22): What the heck was Michel Rottman talking about? He uses the terms single action and double action, which only apply to revolvers. A single action revolver must have the hammer manually pulled back prior to each shot. The trigger performs only a single action which is to release the hammer. In a double action revolver the trigger performs two actions, both cocking and releasing the hammer.

I imagine he was confusing these terms with the difference between a bolt-action rifle and a semi-auto rifle. In a bolt-action rifle, the bolt must be manually opened, pulled back and returned forward between each shot which limits the rate of fire. In a semi-auto, the action cycles automatically after each shot and will fire each time the trigger is pulled.

We need more restrictions on high power, high-capacity, rifles but let’s make sure we know what we are talking about.

William Micklish Reno I ran across the use (misuse/incorrect definition?) of the terms “single action” and “double action” that are defined and used incorrectly. As far as I know, and in current use, they apply to firearm action types where “single action” refers to an action where the hammer (or other striking device) must be manually cocked (and, by that motion/action, a new cartridge moved into position to be fired) by moving that “hammer” part and the trigger cannot do this. It can only release the hammer (fire the weapon) after it is manually cocked, whereas the term “double action” applies to an action that allows pulling the trigger to cock, move into firing position another cartridge and trip (“fire”), the weapon not requiring that the hammer (or striking device) be physically contacted and moved by the operator.

—Brad Bynum bradb@ ne wsrev i ew . com

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In modern usage, the terms “semi-automatic” and “automatic” mean, respectively, that one pull of the trigger will result only in one shot, but the action automatically reloads itself in preparation for the trigger being released and then pulled again to fire one more shot, after which the weapon reloads itself, etc. An “automatic” (sometimes called fully automatic), on the other hand, is defined as a weapon that requires only that the trigger be pulled and held back, resulting in said weapon continuing to fire until its attached ammunition supply is exhausted or until the trigger is released. This is “automatic” fire and is not considered to be related to either single action or double action. Some “assault” weapons and some military weapons have two separate and distinct automatic modes/ selector positions, one being a short (usually about three-round) burst and the other position allowing true fully automatic fire.

I hope this clarification of these definitions prompts the letter’s author, the editor and anyone that happened to read that letter claiming to properly define the terms “single action” and “double action” to seek the correct definitions as used in the gun world and in the legal world. I believe that I am correct on this. If it so happens that I am not, I’d sure like to hear what authoritative source defines these terms in some other manner.

Don Johnson Reno

Negotiated peace Re “Cockamamie legal theories” (Let Freedom Ring, Jan. 25): Besides the fact that few ranchers, anywhere, have gone as overboard as the Bundys (they are nutz), the original “beef” was over protections for the desert tortoise.

Bundy used this as a convenient excuse to skip his grazing fees.

In a more perfect Union, both sides would have backed down and renegotiated terms, much as there should have been a judicial review in the Oregon ranchers’ case. It would

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be illogical to disarm in the face of trespassing, ragtag militia and alt-right types.

The law enforcement component of these agencies is an outcome of many factors— there were outside agents, as well. Most land managers are unarmed public servants.

Apparently, it is “OK” to suggest employees be “blind-sided,” like Rand Paul was (?).

The bottom line is that most Americans want their public lands managed for all, for wildlife, and for natural resource protection.

Science, managed policy, and transparency are preferable to dystopian takeovers.

Steev Klutter Sun Valley

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bY JERI CHADWELL

Why do you use Facebook? asked at bicentenniaL park, 10 raLston st.

Lucian Lucero Corrections officer

I use it to store pictures. There are probably better ways to do that, but that’s really all I use it for anymore.

L aurence Yarbrough Writer/artist

I don’t use Facebook because I dislike the dissemination of all of my information, my friends’ and associates’. I don’t think it’s anyone’s business. I dislike the entire execution of Facebook. And now I find out that it has something to do with voter fraud. I do not have a Face page, never had a Face page.

MYL aina cohn Sandwich artist

One for the road Driving on area roads and freeways, it seems likely that many Truckee Meadows residents haven’t reflected on the contents of the driver’s manual since having passed the test to obtain a license. So, we’d like to take a moment to remind drivers to pay attention to road signs—all of them—and, in particular, the ones at stoplights that say “No Turn on Red.” According to the Federal Highway Administration website, “a permissible ‘Right Turn on Red’ (RTOR) was introduced in the 1970s as a fuel savings measure” but has since sometimes resulted in detrimental effects on pedestrians. That’s because while the law requires motorists to come to a complete stop at the light and yield to cross street traffic and pedestrians, many do not.

Yet today, some people argue that “No Turn on Red” intersections should be done away with entirely—citing pollution reduction and time-savings as chief reasons.

In a 2016 blog post titled, “Death by Stop Sign,” on the Psychology Today website, writer John Staddon noted that the U.S. suffers a staggeringly higher number road fatalities—10.6 per 100,000 people—than other developed countries like Australia (5.9 per 100,000) and Britain (2.9 per 100,000). To Staddon, the reason is, at least in part, that “U.S. signs, signals, and road design ignore psychology,” seeking to “always control rather than inform” drivers. His solution would be replacing road signs and signals that command with signs and signals that “inform” drivers.

But one has to wonder, if drivers ignore signals and signs that are commands—the breaking of which has the potential to result in legal ramifications in the form of a

ticket—how would replacing them with signs and signals that, as Staddon suggests, encourage people to use their own judgment make driving safer?

“No Turn on Red” signs are intended to improve pedestrian safety at stop lights and can often be found in areas with high volumes of foot traffic and near schools. And pedestrian safety is a legitimate problem in Nevada.

The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles spends about $10 million a year to improve pedestrian safety.

(Locally, in 2017, that included work on Kietzke Lane and North Virginia Street.) But in 2017, there still were 99 pedestrian deaths in the state.

Intersections can be dangerous places. They’re often the sites of accidents involving pedestrians and motor vehicles. A look at statistics from 2011 to 2015 reveals that 309 people in Nevada lost their lives in intersection-related crashes and another 2,377 were injured.

In the case of right-turning vehicles, accidents involving pedestrians are often the result of drivers being so intent on looking for traffic approaching from their left that they fail to look for pedestrians on their right before starting into an intersection. When a “No Turn on Red” sign is affixed to an intersection, it means the risk of this happening has been deemed to be particularly high.

So why do local drivers fail to heed this command?

Some people are likely just failing to read posted traffic signs, but surely some others ignore the signs willfully.

Either way, we’d like to take a moment to suggest that people stop—literally. When there’s a “No Turn on Red” sign at the light, the right thing to do is wait your turn. Ω

For me, it’s just kind of like an outlet to let my people know what’s going on with me.

adrian rodrigue z Writer

For me, it’s the only way I keep in contact with people, because I travel a lot. So I have people— friends—in different states. And that’s really the only reason why.

I hate everything else about it, though.

anthonY hoopaL Currently homeless

I use it pretty rarely to talk to a few people, but I always straight deactivate my account when I’m done, every time. I deactivate it, take my page down. I don’t even have Messenger. I think I have, like, 13 friends on there, and I still deactivate it. It’s just pretty annoying to me.

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by SHEILA LESLIE

Heller loses his way Once upon a time, politicians were afraid to brazenly lie in public, rightly expecting to be chastised for their mistruths and subsequently punished at the ballot box.

There were always dishonest people, but if their character was poor, at least their lies were not as obvious. Then, the era of Trump arrived.

Nevada’s U.S. Senator Dean Heller exemplifies the evolution of a politician in the Trumpian age from mediocrity to sheer mendacity and cowardice.

His transformation from reasonable middle-of-the-road politician to a standfor-nothing empty suit has been evident for quite a while. Although I was in the camp that believed he’d probably not file for re-election, he proved me wrong, quietly filing his paperwork late on a Friday afternoon, after announcing he planned to file with fanfare on the upcoming Monday, searching for free media attention to kickstart his doomed campaign.

What changed? After reading a story in Politico that Friday about a speech Heller

gave to a private group where his lies were particularly outrageous and insulting, protesters decided to picket his filing, something that is rarely, if ever, done in Nevada. A social media campaign began using the hashtag “Don’t Do It Dean,” and activists began mobilizing to demonstrate their lack of support for another six years of representation by Heller. Instead of facing the protesters and having to watch that confrontation on an endless loop on television and social media, Heller changed his filing plans with no notice.

The Politico story revealed an unplugged Heller who resembles the president more each day, his remarks reflecting a dangerous divorce from reality and clear thinking. One especially egregious quote from Heller’s speech about immigration reform could easily have been uttered by Trump, as he claimed “Republicans want illegal immigrants to work but not vote.

Democrats want them not to work, but to vote. Think about that for a minute.

That’s why we can’t come together on a solution for this.”

Way to tell a whopper, Dean, although it’s true that Republicans are obsessed with undocumented workers somehow finding a way to penetrate the voting system despite zero evidence that it occurs on any organized basis. These workers are focused on securing a better life for their families, just like most immigrant families, including our own ancestors. The last thing on their minds is drawing attention to themselves by trying to commit voter fraud.

The idea that Democrats want undocumented people to vote but not work is stunning for its ridiculous premise that only a right-wing provocateur could imagine in his wildest, drug-induced dream.

It makes no sense. It makes you wonder about Heller’s ability to discern truth from lies. It forces you to recognize his lack of character.

On his Facebook page, Heller posted the usual pablum about filing for

re-election “to make sure our country continues heading in the right direction,” although most Nevada voters hardly agree.

The comments section is full of reasons why Heller has become unacceptable to so many of his constituents, with Heller receiving the same level of vitriol from the Republican base as he does from Democrats, who object to his attempts “to repeal the ACA trying to deprive tens of millions of health insurance, give huge tax breaks to the wealthy and international corporations owned by the wealthy and requiring the Treasury to borrow 1.5 trillion dollars to be repaid by our grandchildren.”

A typical Republican comment?

“There is no way I will vote for a Never Trumper and many more feel the same way. You sold out the Nevada people who elected you.”

One person, however, summed it up perfectly for both sides, stating “Just say “Heller NO!” That is really all that is left to be said. Ω

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by Brendan Trainor

A better cure for sex trafficking On February 27, the House passed HR1865, the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, also called FOSTA. It passed 388-25. Those who opposed were largely from the libertarian House Freedom Caucus and progressive Democrats.

The bill is opposed by this coalition because it will conflate sex trafficking with mere prostitution. It is a direct attack on section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which exempts internet platforms like Backpage.com from liability for what people post. FOSTA pierces this shield for state and private lawsuits against the internet platforms. Tech giants like Amazon and Google support the bill.

Public Choice economics tells us this is because it could dramatically stifle startups and guarantee their market share.

Numerous studies demonstrate that being blocked from advertising their services on the internet leads to more women turning to streetwalking to make a living, which increases their chances of

being victims of violent crime, by customers or the police, by almost 20 percent.

March is National Women’s Month, but as Seattle sex worker and activist Maggie McNeill writes at her “Honest Courtesan” blog, it really applies to only some women.

She wrote, “Until mainstream ‘feminists’ start including all women—even the ones who won’t obey them and whose motives for sex they dislike—‘Women’s Day’ is about nothing more than adding more kinds of authoritarians to the ruling class of a dying police state.”

HR1865 was sponsored by a woman, Missouri Republican Rep. Ann Wagner.

Nevada Democratic Rep. Dina Titus was a co-sponsor, and Nevada Democratic senatorial hopeful Rep. Jacky Rosen voted for the bill.

Where are the women legislators who will not virtue-signal that they are opposed to violence against women and LGBTQ people while exposing more women, many of them bisexual and/or transgender, to actual violence?

The U.S. Department of Justice sent a last-minute letter to the House opposing the bill, saying it could make prosecuting real traffickers more difficult. Even Attorny General Jeff Sessions thinks parts of the bill are unconstitutional.

The problem of sex trafficking will not be solved until legislators understand sex work can be a rational, legitimate strategy for survival and flourishing. Until sex workers are treated with the same respect as other workers there will be unnecessary violence involved in the business. Sex workers are tired of being stigmatized and patronized.

Recently a trafficking rescue organization held a fundraiser in Reno. Their radio ads used sensationalist anecdotes of 10-year-olds being snatched off the streets and turned out and knocked up. Some police say there are virtually no actual cases of abductions like this. Sex trafficking coercion is nearly all much more mundane. It is primarily women being told a job they needed and may have traveled

a distance for involves sex. Underage runaways can be turned out as prostitutes.

It is alleged that some Asian women come here under debt bondage that may include violent threats but so far little proof has been provided. Sex trafficking numbers are inflated and used as a cover for ordinary prostitution raids.

Sex trafficking has become a moral panic, fed by a sensationalist media and rescue profiteers. Women politicians vote with prohibitionist male colleagues to endanger the women who work in the profession.

The Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW) has just published a study looking at grassroots sex worker rights organizations in seven countries, including Canada and Mexico. They have a better solution to the problem of sex trafficking.

Let the sex workers themselves fight it.

Decriminalize sex work first, then sex workers can come forward without fear to help get the bad guys. Ω

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by Dennis Myers

Tough Times for renTers

Some students at Sparks High School gathered around the flagpole after leaving classes on walkout day, March 14.

A report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition shows, unsuprisingly, that Nevada is the worst place a renter could live. The report reads in part: “The states where extremely low-income renters face the greatest challenge in finding affordable and available homes are Nevada, with only 15 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low income renter households, California (22/100), Delaware (24/100), and Oregon (25/100). … The states with the greatest percentage of extremely lowincome renter households with a severe cost burden are Nevada (80%), Florida (79%), California (77%), Oregon (76%), Arizona (75%), and Colorado (75%).”

It is the fourth year in a row that Nevada came in dead last in the report.

Tesla announced in 2015 it would provide jobs for up to 6,500 workers at a plant in Storey County, just 17 miles from Sparks, giving developers and local officials plenty of notice of what was coming.

The NLIHC report can be read at http://bit. ly/2DCBdKh.

PHOTO/DENNIS MYERS

Dean’s in, Dan’s ouT Until last week, two Republican U.S. Senate candidates battled over who was the most loyal to Donald Trump, essentially fighting to make themselves less palatable in the general election campaign. Then, suddenly, the whole race shifted.

Republican Danny Tarkanian began this election year with five unsuccessful races behind him. Now, without a vote yet being cast, it is six unsuccessful races.

Tarkanian first ran this year in the U.S. Senate primary against his fellow Republican, embattled incumbent Dean Heller. Then last week, on the final day of filing, he switched races to a U.S. House district in southern Nevada that he lost two years ago and where he will face three other Republicans—two state legislators and a former TV newsperson.

Now, as he embarks on his seventh race, Tarkanian doesn’t even get credit for making the decision himself.

For some reason, he wanted a public statement from Donald Trump asking him to switch races before he would make the change for Heller, prompting Trump to issue one of his tweets (“It would be great for the Republican Party of Nevada”) and making Tarkanian appear to be a Trump puppet. A reader comment on a story by the Nevada Independent about the switch reads, “Danny’s a real independent thinker, isn’t he?”

The Nevada Democratic Party called it a “backroom deal,” but it was done pretty publicly. Tarkanian would probably have been better off if it had been done in a back room.

Paradoxically, just before he dropped out of the Senate race in what he portrayed as an act of fealty to Trump, one of Heller’s backers—the Senate Leadership Fund, associated with Karl Rove and Mitch McConnell— had been portraying Tarkanian as attacking Trump: “TRASH-TALKING TARKANIAN TEES OFF ON TRUMP.” Their examples of Tarkanian attacks on Trump were pretty lame, such as the way Trump “worded things,” but they were all that was available.

One other aspect of this story—the Reno Gazette Journal reported that on March 1, former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin repeated her August endorsement of Tarkanian against Heller, just in time for his withdrawal.

—Dennis Myers

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Next steps How does youth movement get change now?

is a wonderful thing. That is a service.

And, right now, this is in front of young people. They’re passionate about it.”

Washoe County Democratic Party Executive Director Denise Lopez said she monitored the movement locally but has not done anything like provide candidate contact sheets to organizers, much less recruit students. “This is more of an issue campaign than a party [matter],” she said of the youth movement.

For students who reached out on their own, there were often dead ends.

The Nevada Gun Safety Coalition’s website seems to be shut down. The site for Nevadans for Background Checks is still live but appears untended—no one responded to an email to the site.

The inclination of students to get more deeply involved in political action was likely not aided by the suspension of a Washoe County School District student for calling his U.S. House member’s office during the March 14 walkout. A staff member in the office of Rep. Mark Amodei complained to the school district about the boy’s language. His parents are supporting the boy, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada questioned the suspension because the student “did not disturb or impact any aspect of the educational environment.”

guns anD money Trying to keep a walkout from classes regimented wasn’t easy.

Students at Sparks High walked out onto the football field during their 17 minutes of protest. When students exiting through the front door headed for the football field by walking around the south end of the building, a Sparks High teacher with a walkie-talkie told them, “If you go that way you’ll be marked down as truant.” She directed them north.

When they continued on their own way, she said, “All right, you’ll be marked down as truant.”

Once out from under the eye of authority, the students were vocal. One Sparks High student said she felt strongly about the issue but didn’t see where the youth movement was going after an upcoming March 24 march.

“This is all protest,” she said. “Will that be enough?”

It’s a good question, and not the only one. Another is, will students stay with the issue?

As students were asking such questions, it appeared that in school districts

across the country, including Washoe, the concern about whether students stayed in their classrooms blinded administrators and teachers to great practical teaching opportunities that might have helped give the movement direction after the protests: How to look up elected officials’ voting records. Where to find issue organizations and political parties. How to volunteer for political campaigns. How to look up the investments in gun manufacturers and other weapons-related corporations of the state and local college pension funds. How to look up the investments of parents’ pension funds.

“I think in a few schools they did some of that but not in a lot of them,” said Sue Meuschke of the Nevada Network Against Domestic Violence, a part of the coalition that backed ballot Question One in 2016, providing for background checks.

Andrew Woods of Save Lives Nevada was reluctant to fault specific policies of school districts, but did say, “Any opportunity to engage young people in democracy and have a point of view

After mass killings at a concert in Las Vegas, California Treasurer John Chiang called on state worker and teacher pension programs to drop their investments in corporations selling ammo, assault weapons and bump stocks. Those plans in California are still mulling the options. Other pension plans in California and New York City have divested themselves of Cabela’s holdings.

The Florida mass killing accelerated those kinds of changes. Florida, Massachusetts and Connecticut are now considering divestment. Fortune Magazine reports that 12 states, not including Nevada, are invested in the firearms in one form or another.

Meanwhile, investment funds like Domini are advertising their “Divest From Guns” programs.

On March 12, gun manufacturer Remington Outdoor Co. said it would file for bankruptcy. Bloomberg News said the company experienced “a slump in business worsened by, of all things, a president who has steadfastly supported Americans’ right to bear arms. … The

company’s fortunes took a hit after the election that they live in a world where their enemies of Donald Trump, a self-proclaimed ‘true hold power. With amazing speed, less than a friend’ of the gun industry, because Hillary week after Nikolas Cruz snuffed out 17 lives Clinton’s defeat erased fears among gun enthuwith his AR-15, they arranged for buses to siasts about losing access to weapons. Sales take them to the state capital in Tallahassee, plummeted, and retailers stopped re-ordering lobbying to tighten gun laws. (The Republicans as they found themselves stuffed with unsold who rule the Florida statehouse refused even inventory.” But corporations are expected to to consider a bill to ban assault rifles.) Many ride out such momentary fluctuations. of the high school leaders know they have to One sign of the potential power of take political action if they are not to keep the new movement came from an running into stone walls. They talk unusual source—Todd Gitlin, about the need to register voters. president in the 1960s of They know they need to keep Students for a Democratic lobbying but even more, they Society. In the student need to help elect congenial movement of that era, Gitlin politicians. What the young wrote in the New York Daily activists will do for an encore News, high schoolers were is in their hands. Will they viewed as callow, and college surmount the passivity that Andrew Woods students took the leadership. has retarded past gun control Save Lives Nevada Now, it is the other way around, campaigns? Will they avoid burnwith high school students learning ing out? And will the power of their techniques an older, more passive group example inspire those who are slightly of students passed over: older and not at all wiser in the ways of citizen “So when I walk onto the Columbia activism? Here’s hoping.” campus, where I teach, I do not see appeals Woods said he is convinced the movement for students to go to nearby swing districts, or will go on. “Based on what I’ve seen from the anywhere else, to register voters, or to lobby march and everything, I’ve never seen a group state officials to keep the polls open. There are so motivated, and I worked on Question One,” local Democrats on the Upper West Side who he said. “They know it matters, and it’s right in do that work, but not many college students, front of them now.” either at Columbia or other universities I visit.

There is one commonality between the ’60s The high school activists have leapfrogged youth movement and today’s youth movement. their older sisters and brothers. … High schoolBoth were trying to combat forces that could ers in Florida and elsewhere are acutely aware get them killed. Ω

“They know it matters.”

Theatre history

Stuart Richardson of the Fallon Theatre shows off the digital projector. At left is the 35 millimeter projector previously used in the 1920 theatre formerly known as the New Rex. Efforts to keep the facility going have been underway for years. In 1983, it was divided into two theatres, and events like birthday parties and classes are hosted. Last weekend a benefit showing of The Light Between Oceans was held for a scholarship fund of the local chapter of American Association of University Women. Howard Rosenberg introduced the movie.

PHOTO/DENNIS MYERS

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A IlluStratIonS by Jeff DreW

s with any toxic relationship, the possibility of a breakup sparks feelings of terror—and maybe a little bit of relief.

That’s the spot that Facebook has put the news business in. In January, the social media behemoth announced it would once again alter its news feed algorithm to show users even more posts from their friends and family, and a lot fewer from media outlets.

The move isn’t all that surprising. Ever since the 2016 election, Facebook’s been under siege for creating a habitat where fake news stories flourished. Their executives were dragged before Congress last year to testify about how they sold ads to Russians who wanted to influence the U.S. election, and so, in some ways, it’s simply easier to get out of the news business altogether.

But for the many news outlets that have come to rely on Facebook funneling readers to their sites, the impact of a separation sounds catastrophic.

“The End of the Social News Era?” a New York Times headline asked. “Facebook is breaking up with news,” an

ad for the new BuzzFeed app proclaimed.

When a giant like Facebook takes a step—until recently, the social media site had been sending more traffic to news outlets than Google—the resulting quake can cause an entire industry to crumble.

Consumers, meanwhile, have grimaced as their favorite media outlets have stooped to sensational headlines to lure Facebook’s web traffic. They’ve become disillusioned by the flood of hoaxes and conspiracy theories that have run rampant on the site.

A recent Knight Foundation/Gallup poll revealed that only a third of Americans had a positive view of the media. About 57 percent said that websites or apps using algorithms to determine which news stories readers see was a major problem for democracy.

Two-thirds believed the media being “dramatic or too sensational in order to attract more readers or viewers” was a major problem.

Now, sites that rely on Facebook’s algorithm have watched the floor drop out from under them when the algorithm is changed—all while Facebook has gobbled up chunks of print advertising revenue.

It’s all landed media outlets in a hell of a quandary: It sure seems like Facebook is killing journalism. But can journalism survive without it?

“Traffic is such a drug right now,” said Sean Robinson, an investigative reporter at the Tacoma News Tribune. “The industry is hurting so bad that it’s really hard to detox.”

You won’t believe what happens next It’s perhaps the perfect summation of the internet age: a website that started because a college kid wanted to rank which co-eds were hotter became a global goliath powerful enough to influence the fate of the news industry itself.

When Facebook first launched its “news feed” in 2006, it didn’t have anything to do with news.

At least, not how we think of it. This was the website that still posted a little broken-heart icon when you changed your status from “In a Relationship” to “Single.”

The news feed was intended to be a list of personalized updates from your friends. When Facebook was talking about “news stories,” it meant, in the words of Facebook’s announcement, like “when Mark adds Britney Spears to his Favorites or when your crush is single again.”

But in 2009, Facebook introduced its iconic “like” button.

Soon, instead of showing posts in chronological order, the news feed began showing you the popular posts first.

And that made all the difference.

Facebook didn’t invent going viral—grandmas with AOL accounts were forwarding funny emails and chain letters when Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was still in grade school—but its algorithm amplified it. Well-liked posts soared. Unpopular posts simply went unseen.

Google had an algorithm, too. So did YouTube.

Journalists were given a new directive: If you wanted readers to see your stories, you had to play by the algorithm’s rules. Faceless, mystery formulas had replaced the stodgy newspaper editor as the gatekeeper of continued on page 12 information.

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“About fAce”

“about face”

Fake book

continued from page 11

Grieve, the McClatchy executive, said that he doesn’t ever want to sensationalize a story.

But he also said that “internet and social media are noisy places,” and papers have to sell their stories aggressively to be heard over the din.

“If you’re writing stories that aren’t getting read, you’re not a journalist—you’re keeping a journal,” Grieve said.

So when the McClatchy Co., a chain that owns 31 daily papers, launched its reinvention strategy last year, knowing how to get Facebook traffic was central.

“Facebook has allowed us to get our journalism out to hundreds of millions more people than it would have otherwise,” said McClatchy’s vice president of news, Tim Grieve, a fast-talking former Politico editor.

“It has forced us, and all publishers, to sharpen our game to make sure we’re writing stories that connect with people.”

With digital ad rates tied to web traffic, the incentives in the modern media landscape could be especially perverse: Write short, write lots. Pluck heartstrings or stoke fury.

In short, be more like Upworthy. A site filled with multi-sentence emotion-baiting headlines, Upworthy begged you to click by promising that you would be shocked, outraged or inspired—but not telling you why. (One example: “His first 4 sentences are interesting. The 5th blew my mind. And made me a little sick.”)

By November 2013, Upworthy was pulling in 88 million unique visitors a month. With Facebook’s help, the formula spread.

Even magazines like Time and Newsweek— storied publications that sent photojournalists to war zones—began pumping out articles like, “Does Reese Witherspoon Have 3 Legs on Vanity Fair’s Cover?” and “Trump’s Hair Loss Drug Causes Erectile Dysfunction.”

Newsweek’s publisher went beyond clickbait; the magazine was actually buying traffic through pirated video sites, allegedly engaging in ad fraud.

In February, Newsweek senior writer Matthew Cooper resigned in disgust after several Newsweek editors and reporters who’d written about the publisher’s series of scandals were fired. He heaped contempt on an organization that had installed editors who “recklessly sought clicks at the expense of accuracy, retweets over fairness” and left him “despondent not only for Newsweek but for the other publications that don’t heed the lessons of this publication’s fall.”

Mathew Ingram, who covers digital media for Columbia Journalism Review, said such tactics might increase traffic for a while. But readers hate it. Sleazy tabloid shortcuts give you a sleazy tabloid reputation.

“Short-term you can make a certain amount of money,” Ingram said. “Long-term you’re basically setting fire to your brand.”

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Clickbait and switch Plenty of media outlets have tried to build their business on the foundation of the news feed algorithm. But they quickly got a nasty surprise: That foundation can collapse in an instant.

As Facebook’s news feed became choked with links to Upworthy and its horde of imitators, the social network declared war on clickbait. It tweaked its algorithms, which proved catastrophic for Upworthy.

“It keeps changing,” Ingram said. “Even if the algorithm was bad in some way, at least if it’s predictable, you could adapt.”

A 2014 Time magazine story estimated that two to three global algorithm tweaks on Facebook were happening every week.

Six years ago, for example, KHQ, a TV news station in Spokane, Washington, told readers they’d have “an entire day here on FB dedicated to positive local news” if the post got liked 500 times. It worked. The post got more than 1,200 likes, and KHQ followed through a with a puppy-picture-laden “Feel Good Friday!!!”

Under the current Facebook algorithm, that tactic could get their entire page demoted.

So could using shameless “you won’t believe what happened next”-style phrases.

Much of the time, Facebook and Google don’t announce their shifts up front. Media outlets have often had to reverse-engineer the changes, before issuing new commands to their troops in the field.

A pattern emerged. Step 1: Media outlets reinvent themselves for Facebook. Step 2: Facebook makes that reinvention obsolete.

Big publishers leaped at the chance to publish “instant articles” directly on Facebook, only to find that the algorithm soon changed, rewarding videos more than posts and rendering instant articles largely obsolete. So publishers like Mic.com, Mashable and Vice News “pivoted to video,” laying off dozens of journalists in the process.

“Then Facebook said they weren’t as interested in video anymore,” Ingram said. “Classic bait and switch.”

Which brings us to the latest string of announcements: The news feed, Zuckerberg announced in January, had skewed too far in the direction of social video posts from national media pages and too far away from personal posts from friends and family.

They were getting back to their roots.

And now, news organizations who’d dumped a lot of money into eye-catching pre-recorded

video would suffer the most under the latest algorithm changes, Facebook’s news feed VP Adam There was a time Facebook was positively Mosseri told TechCrunch last month, because smug about its impact on the world. After all, it “video is such a passive experience.” had seen its platform fan the flames of popular Even before the announcement, news sites uprisings during the Arab Spring in places like had seen their articles get fewer and fewer Tunisia, Iran and Egypt. hits from Facebook. Last year, Google once “By giving people the power to share, again became the biggest referrer of news we are starting to see people make their traffic as Facebook referrals decreased. Many voices heard on a different scale from what sites published tutorials pleading with their has historically been possible,” Zuckerberg readers to manually change their Facebook bragged in a 2012 letter to investors under the settings to guarantee the site’s appearance in header, “we hope to change how people relate their news feeds. to their governments and social institutions.”

“Some media outlets saw their [Facebook] And Facebook certainly has—though not in traffic decline by as much as 30 to 40 the way it intended. percent,” Ingram said. “Everybody knew A BuzzFeed investigation before the 2016 something was happening, but we didn’t presidential election found that “fake news” know what.” stories, hoaxes or hyperpartisan It might be easy to mock those who falsehoods actually performed chased the algorithm from one trend better on Facebook than to another with little to show for stories from major trusted it. But the reality, Ingram said, is outlets like The New that many of them didn’t really York Times. have a choice.

That, experts “You pretty much have speculated, is to do something with another reason why Facebook,” Ingram said.

Facebook, despite “You have to. It’s like gravits massive profits, ity. You can’t avoid it.” might be pulling back Zuckerberg’s comments from its focus on that stories that sparked “meannews. ingful social interactions” would “As unprecedented do the best on Facebook caused Mathew Ingram numbers of people chansome to scoff. columbia Journalism nel their political energy “For Facebook, it’s bad if you read Review through this medium, it’s or watch content without reacting to it on being used in unforeseen ways Facebook—let that sink in for a moment,” with societal repercussions that were tech journalist Joshua Topolsky wrote never anticipated,” wrote Samidh at The Outline. “This notion is so Chakrabarti, Facebook’s product corrupt it’s almost comical.” manager for civic engagement, in a In subsequent announcerecent blog post. ments, Facebook gave nervous The exposure was widespread. local news outlets some A Dartmouth study found about better news: They’d rank local a fourth of Americans visited at community news outlets higher in least one fake-news the feed than national ones. They website—and were also launching an experiment Facebook was for a new section called “Today In,” the primary focusing on local news and announcements, beta-testing the concept in cities like Olympia, Washington.

But in early tests, the site seemed to have trouble determining what’s local.

Seattle Times reporter Joe O’Sullivan noted on Twitter that of the five stories featured in a screenshot of Facebook’s Olympia test, “NONE OF THEM ARE OLYMPIA STORIES. ZERO.” “It just, more and more, seems like Facebook and news are not super compatible,” said Shan Wang, staff writer at Harvard University’s Nieman Journalism Lab. At least not for real news. For fake news, Facebook’s been a perfect match.

“You pretty much have to do something with facebook. You have to. It’s like gravity.

You can’t avoid it.”

vector of misinformation. While researchers didn’t find fake news swung the election— though about 80,000 votes in three states is a pretty small margin to swing—the effect has endured.

Donald Trump has played a role. He snatched away the term used to describe hoax websites and wielded it as a blunderbuss against the press, blasting away at any negative reporting as “fake news.”

By last May, a Harvard-Harris poll found that almost two-thirds of voters believed that mainstream news outlets were full of fake news stories.

The danger of fake news, after all, wasn’t just that we’d be tricked with bogus claims.

It was that we’d be pummeled with so many different contradictory stories, with so many different angles, the task of trying to sort truth from fiction would become exhausting.

So you choose your own truth. Or Facebook’s algorithm chooses it for you.

Every time you like a comment, chat or click on Facebook, the site uses that to figure out what you actually want to see: It inflates your own bubble, protecting you from facts or opinions with which you might disagree.

And when it does expose you to views from the other side, it’s most likely going to be the worst examples, the trolls eager to make people mad online, or the infuriating op-ed that all your friends are sharing.

That’s partly why many of the 3,000 Facebook ads that Russian trolls bought to influence the election weren’t aimed at promoting Trump directly. They were aimed at inflaming division in American life by focusing on such issues as race and religion.

Facebook has tried to address the fake news problem—hiring fact-checkers to examine stories, slapping “disputed” tags on suspect claims, putting counterpoints in related article boxes—but with mixed results.

The aforementioned recent Knight Foundation/Gallup poll, meanwhile, found that those surveyed believed that the broader array of news sources actually made it harder to stay well-informed.

And those who grew up soaking in the brine of social media aren’t necessarily better at sorting truth from fiction. Far from it.

“Overall, young people’s ability to reason about the information on the internet can be summed up in one word: bleak,” Stanford researchers concluded in a 2016 study of over 7,800 students. More than 80 percent of middleschoolers surveyed didn’t know the difference between sponsored content and a news article.

It’s why groups like Media Literacy Now have successfully pushed legislatures in states like Washington to put media literacy programs in schools.

That includes teaching students how information was being manipulated behind the scenes, said the organization’s president, Erin McNeill.

“With Facebook, for example, why am I seeing this story on the top of the page?” she

asked. “Is it because it’s the most important story, or is it because of another reason?”

But Facebook’s new algorithm threatens to make existing fake news problems even worse, Ingram said. By focusing on friends and family, it could strengthen the filter bubble even further.

Rewarding “engagement” can just as easily incentivize the worst aspects of the internet.

You know what’s really good at getting engagement? Hoaxes. Conspiracy theories.

Idiots who start fights in comments sections.

Nuance doesn’t get engagement. Outrage does.

“Meaningful social interactions” is a hard concept for algorithms to grasp.

“It’s like getting algorithms to filter out porn,” Ingram said. “You and I know it when we see it. [But] algorithms are constantly filtering out photos of women breastfeeding.”

Facebook hasn’t wanted to push beyond the algorithm and play the censor. In fact, it’s gone in the opposite direction.

After Facebook was accused of suppressing conservative news sites in its trending topics section in 2016, it fired its human editors.

(Today, conspiracy theories continue to show up in Facebook’s trending topics.)

Instead, to determine the quality of news sites, Facebook is rolling out a two-question survey about whether users recognized certain media outlets and whether they found them trustworthy. The problem, as many tech writers pointed out, is that a lot of Facebook users, like Trump, consider the Washington Post and the New York Times to be “fake news.”

The other problem? There are a lot fewer trustworthy news sources out there. And Facebook bears some of the blame for that, too.

Feast and famine

guaranteeing advertisers to hit a younger, hipper, edgier audience.

But then Facebook came along.

The site let businesses microtarget their advertisements at incredibly specific audiences.

Like Google, Facebook tracks you across the web, digging deep into your private messages to figure out whether to sell you wedding dresses, running shoes or baby formula.

“You go to Facebook, you can try to pick your audience based on their geographic location, their interests,” Turczyn said. It’s cheaper. It’s easier. And it comes with a report chock-full of stats on who the ad reached.

“Even if it doesn’t result in any sales and foot traffic, it at least has this report,” Turczyn said.

Mercury ad reps would cite examples of businesses who advertised in print and saw their foot traffic double the next day—but the small businesses wouldn’t bite. Attempts to rally reader donations weren’t enough. The Mercury shut down in July.

“It’s just more of the same sad story,” Turczyn said. “It’s a slaughter. There’s no doubt about it.”

Turczyn said two decades of journalism experience hasn’t helped much with the job search. Journalists aren’t what outlets are looking for.

“The single biggest job opening I see consistently is ‘social media manager’ or ‘digital brand manager,’” Turczyn said. “Those are the jobs on the marketplace right now.”

It’s not that nobody’s making massive amounts of money on advertising online.

It’s just that only two are: Facebook and Google—and they’re both destroying print advertising.

The decline in print advertising has ravaged the world of alt-weeklies, killing icons like the Boston Phoenix, the San Francisco

You choose your own truth. Or Facebook’s algorithm chooses it for you.

It’s not fair, exactly, to say that Facebook killed the alt-weekly in Knoxville, Tennessee. But it probably landed the final blow.

The internet, obviously, has been killing newspapers for a very long time. Why, say, would you pay a monthly subscription to the Daily Cow, when you can get the milk online for free?

It killed other revenue sources as well. Craigslist cut out classified sections. Online dating killed personal ads. Amazon put many local mom-andpop advertisers out of business.

Yet the Metro Pulse, Knoxville’s longtime alt-weekly, was still turning a slight profit in 2014 when the E.W. Scripps Co. shut it down. So Editor Coury Turczyn and a few other staffers set out to start their own paper.

But in the six months it took to get the Knoxville Mercury off the ground, the market had changed.

“We lost a lot more small-business advertisers than we expected,” Turczyn said.

Facebook had captured them.

At one time, alt-weeklies could rake in advertising money by selling cheaper rates and

Bay Guardian, the Philadelphia City Paper and the Baltimore City Paper.

Dailies keep suffering, too, no matter how prestigious or internet-savvy.

The West Virginia Gazette-Mail won a Pulitzer Prize last year for reporting on the opioid crisis. It filed for bankruptcy in January. Eleven staffers were cut from the Oregonian on Jan. 31, the same day Silicon Valley’s San Jose Mercury News slashed staff.

The convergence of layoffs with the pressure to get web traffic has influenced coverage, said Robinson, the Tacoma News Tribune reporter. When potential traffic numbers are an explicit factor in story selection and you’re short-staffed, you have to make choices.

Stories about schools don’t get many clicks.

Weird crime stories do.

But as a longtime reporter, Robinson knows that bombshell scoops can sometimes begin with mundane reporting. Fail to report on the dull stuff, and you don’t know what else you’re missing.

“The media companies want the traffic, the traffic, the traffic,” Robinson said. “The stuff [readers] need to know—but don’t know they need to know—disappears.”

Asked if there’s any reason for optimism, Ingram, at the Columbia Journalism Review, let out a wry laugh.

If you’re not a behemoth like BuzzFeed, he said, your best bet is to be small enough to be supported by die-hard readers.

“If you’re really, really hyper-focused— geographically or on a topic—then you have a chance,” Ingram said. “Your readership will be passionate enough to support you in some way.”

That’s one reason some actually welcome the prospect of less Facebook traffic. Slate’s Will Oremus recently wrote that less news on Facebook would eventually cleanse news of “the toxic incentives of the algorithm on journalism.”

Maybe, the thinking goes, without a reliance on Facebook clicks, newspapers would once again be able to build trust with their readers. Maybe, the hope goes, readers would start seeking out newspapers directly again.

But even if Facebook suddenly ceased to exist, there are other sites with other algorithms that can drive traffic and shape coverage. As traffic referred by Facebook falls, the focus at McClatchy is already shifting. You can optimize your news coverage to appear high in the Facebook news feed—but you can also optimize it to appear higher in the Google search results.

“We’re all about Google again,” Robinson said. “Google, Google, Google.” Ω This story first appeared in the Inlander, an alternative weekly based in Spokane, Washington.

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e g a n Tee M a e r D

by JosiE GlassbErG

d the Holla n cases w o h s t c je o Pr ming up-a nd - co artists

B

eing a teenager is intense. There’s no other experience that compares to the angst of living in a body you don’t like while carrying an emotional burden you didn’t ask for. The closest you can probably get to this state of mind as an adult is to revisit the music you loved—and the art you made—when you were 14. That, or you could just go to the Young Blood show.

On March 23, the Holland Project opens its doors for its one-night-only exhibition of artwork by artists under 21. For two hours, at least 120 artists and twice as many friends and family members will gather in the 700-squarefoot gallery to look at some art—or at least the pieces that can be seen through a giant crowd.

“It’s a little hectic, for sure, especially the last couple of years,” said Alisha Funkhouser, Holland’s gallery director.

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“Each year we have new artists that tell their friends who are artists, so it seems to grow each time.”

Now in its fifth year, Young Blood has come a long way since its 13-artist beginning in 2013. Back then, students would bring in a handful of pieces—often unframed—and work with Holland volunteers to get everything gallery-ready and on the walls.

Today, with so many participants, artists are limited to one piece each and are expected to have their art framed on arrival. Gallery assistants are still there to help, but the reality of so many artists and so little wall space is that “first come, first served” is the only policy that makes sense for hanging. And as always, students drive the show.

“They’re learning how to meet a deadline, submit artwork to an exhibition, how to contact a gallery about submitting their

work,” said Funkhouser. “We try to kind of guide them to the best way to display their work, and then they get to come during the reception to show off their artwork, do a little bit of networking”—all skills that come in handy if you want to make a living as an artist.

From gallery to salary Zariah Dally, 17, is doing just that.

After participating in Young Blood for the past two years, Dally is picking up photography jobs and specializing in portraits as she builds her own business.

She credits Young Blood for giving her the extra push. “[The show] has really helped me get out there and market myself, display what I’ve created,” said Dally. “My first couple of years I was very nervous, but I

PHOTO/JOSIE GLASSBERG

Zariah Dally holds a photo of her sister, Eryn.

feel like it’s been a really great learning experience for me.”

For this year’s exhibit, Dally has submitted a photograph of her sister, Eryn, tightly framed, bleary-eyed, and seemingly transfixed by a yellow rose in her hand. Curls of baby’s breath grow up like weeds around her hair and body. “[The photo] was inspired by Sleeping Beauty,” said Dally, “The scene is really about her falling in love with this rose, and over time it just takes her over as a person.”

Concepts like beauty, identity and belonging come up regularly during Young Blood shows. Developmentally, this makes a lot of sense.

sense oF selF According to the late Erik Erikson, developmental psychologist and “father

of psychosocial development,” the teenage Follow me years are the first time that all of the previHowever, adult intervention can only go so far. ously held—and often contradictory—facets The Post-Millennial generation—the actual of a person’s identity come into focus … name that the Pew Research Center gave underwhich often turns into something of a mess.

21-year-olds earlier this month—has a handicap The question of “Who am I?” becomes when it comes to the natural cycle of rejection the backdrop in the search for self that ends and perseverance: social media. Or rather, somewhere between who the adolescent the deep-seated need for instant and constant wants to be and what society says they are. acceptance on social media.

It’s a struggle, to say the least.

“I think especially The good news? in their world—with Art has always “I thInk especIally In ‘likes’ and ‘follows,’ been a tool for there’s an emotional teens to find their theIr world—wIth component to [showway. In a way, the ing artwork], where realm of visual ‘likes’ and ‘follows,’ they can feel shattered arts is a giant lost there’s an emotIonal if no one seems and found. interested because it’s You can lose component to in real-world time,” said yourself in a Snyder. “It’s a real high place (Dally’s [showIng artwork] if they’re recognized or family road trip if someone purchases landscapes at her where they can feel their work or even if first Young Blood people are just showing exhibit two years shattered If no one interest and talking about ago). You can it. But it is a real low for lose yourself in seems Interested them when that doesn’t ideas (Dally’s happen.” because It’s In realdomestic After each show, violence series world tIme.” Snyder makes sure to at last year’s address the emotional show). You can Skye Snyder, art teacher, aspects of exhibiting work lose yourself in McQueen High School with her students. people (Dally “Feelings might not and her sister’s necessarily be in the elaborate fourcurriculum, but, of course, hour shoots they are there—it’s a huge for her portrait piece of artmaking,” she piece this year). said. “I try to constantly remind them that you Finding yourself is a little harder because can’t make art for other people. I don’t know you have to make some choices. Choose a any other way to do it, especially since the bar is subject, choose a style, choose a medium— higher now.” focus on one of these long enough to get The barrage of images that young artists some traction, and then be brave enough to come into contact with every day on sites like let others see your work.

Instagram and Facebook does have the effect of raising the bar on what “good art” looks like, A little structure making it easier to be inspired but also making That’s where Holland comes in, not just with it harder to live up to sometimes unreasonable Young Blood, but also with Scholastic Arts, standards.

Stranger Show, Fresh Meat, gallery internships, But, despite social media sandbagging, inner and microgallery spotlights to name a few. With turmoil and an increasingly hostile outer world, so many youth-oriented showcases, students things are not horrible. They’re not even bad. get more chances to build their confidence and Just look at Dally. receive feedback.

“I love the feedback people give me at Skye Snyder, an art and photography teacher the show, and the constructive criticism,” at McQueen High School, makes sure her she said. It always helps me to grow and classes take advantage of the programming, learn, and that’s the goal.” Ω especially since most of her students “haven’t been to a gallery or a museum.”

“Young Blood just kind of breaks the ice because some of [my students] can be kind of intimidated to show their work,” said Snyder.

“And I think Holland offers them an opportunity Young Blood will take place on March 23 from 6-8 p.m. at the to walk through it. It encourages them and gives Holland Project, 140 Vesta St. For more information about the them the confidence that they can do it.” exhibition, go to www.hollandreno.org/event/21043/.

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by JESSICA SAnTInA

Actors Cami Thompson, Ender Riddle, Chase McKenna, Jessey Richards, John Lutz and Greg Klino address some hard questions in Nation of Two.

Truth bombs

Hang in our snow bar, listen to some tunes & warm up by the fire while you catch the races!

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There’s a lot of “hero” talk when it comes to our troops. They march bravely into the fore to defend our country and protect us from evil. They risk life and limb for our way of life. But what few say is that these are also humans, young people who are as fucked up as the young people back home. They say and do stupid things. They make bad decisions.

And even when they die overseas, they leave a trail of carnage behind.

That’s the idea behind Nation of Two, the second installment in playwright Tom Burmester’s War Cycle trilogy. Whereas parts one and three—Wounded and The Gospel According to First Squad—focus on those men fighting in war zones, part two is a play about the wars they’ve left behind back home.

The play opens when two military personnel arrive at the Marin County, California, home of the Harpers, who are still blissfully unaware their son and brother, Lt. Michael Harper, has been killed in Iraq.

Then we spend the rest of the heartbreakingly beautiful two-plus-hour play discovering just how much that grenade exploded his family’s lives.

Michael’s parents are Lilith, the rock of the family, played expertly and passionately

by Cami Thompson; and Sam, played with tragic precision by Jon Lutz. While Sam has been holed up for a year in the family’s basement, unemployed and needlessly tinkering with a project he and his son began before Michael’s deployment, Lilith has kept the family going—working and generally ensuring they don’t all fall apart.

As the one-year anniversary of Michael’s death, and the date to scatter his ashes, approaches, they’re forced to accept that it’s time to get on with life.

Michael’s older brother is Ariel (Jessey Richards), who isn’t so sure about this

PHOTO/ERIC MARKS

whole “hero” status that’s been assigned to Michael, especially in light of the mysterious arrival of Michael’s brother-in-combat Sergeant Hal Taylor (Greg Klino). Little sister Dina (Ender Riddle) is the awkward teenager who lost the only family member who seemed to really understand her.

Michael’s widow, Sophia (played by director Chase McKenna), is nothing like what we imagine of the term war widow—not the ’40s-era, black-wearing housewife with two kids, but a 24-year-old single woman who has her whole life ahead of her. And while the Harpers cling desperately to her as a way to hang onto Michael, she has her own grief to process and a frantic desire to escape and move on.

The story raises important, interesting questions about who owns the dead, who gets to make decisions about him and whose grief is most acute. Is this grief a burden or a luxury? And when a soldier dies in combat, is it better to know the details or remain in the dark?

It doesn’t feel right to say that Nation of Two is a show you’ll enjoy. It’s deeply painful, gut-wrenching even. I wept, thinking constantly of the unimaginable, unendurable pain of losing a child.

There’s not a weak performance to be found here. In fact, it’s inconceivable that these actors can be this good, this wrought with pain, this tearful night after night, but they are. You’ll be impressed and profoundly moved. Don’t miss it. Ω

Nation of Two

12345 nation of Two, suggested for ages 12 and up, is onstage at Brüka Theatre, 99 n. Virginia St., March 22-25 and 29-31 and April 4-7. For tickets, $18-25, call 775-323-3221 or visit www.bruka.org. Playwright Tom Burmester appears at a free salon talk on March 24 from 2-3:30 p.m.

by BoB Grimm

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

SHORT TAKES

5

“High school is easy, like riding a bike—a bike that’s on fire. And the ground is on fire, as is everything else, ’cause you’re in hell.”

This charming man Nick Robinson delivers a breakthrough performance as the title character in Love, Simon, a sweet throwback high school comedy about a gay teen who, thanks to email and social networking, might have to come out in a way that doesn’t jibe with his personal schedule.

The film leans toward the formulaic, with a lot of similarities to the works of John Hughes (The Breakfast Club) and some typical characters and a synth-heavy soundtrack. While the Hughes and Clueless comparisons are part of its charms, the film feels a bit generic at times.

By the time the movie plays out, some of the formulaic plot mechanics are mostly forgivable because, well, this movie is pretty damned adorable in the end. Based on the Becky Albertalli novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda—which, in my opinion, would’ve been a much better movie title—the screenplay by Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker scores enough original and sincere notes to earn smiles and tears.

Simon finds out that somebody at his high school is closeted gay thanks to a social media post. Because he’s in the same predicament, Simon creates a Gmail account, contacts the student, and begins a virtual pen pal relationship.

Over the course of the emails, Simon falls in love—or, you know, the high school version of love—with the other anonymous student, constantly scanning his classmates for clues to his identity.

Those classmates include best friend Leah (Katherine Langford), who may or may not have a crush on him, new girl in school Abby (Alexandra Shipp), who is the crush of other buddy Nick (Jorge Lendeborg, Jr.), and Martin (Logan Miller), the resident class clown/annoying guy. All of these characters are enjoyable with the exception of Miller’s, who plays the “annoying guy” role so

well that he becomes genuinely, unappealingly annoying.

Director Greg Berlanti balances Simon’s school life with a heartwarming, beautifully depicted family life. Jennifer Garner, an underrated actress, is awesome as The Best Mom … Ever, while Josh Duhamel is equally terrific as Simon’s goofy, trying-to-be-cool dad. Talitha Bateman rounds out the family as the little sister who wants to be a cook. Each of the family members has bona fide cry-starting moments in the movie, especially in a late scene between Duhamel and Robinson.

Jack Antonoff is the musical supervisor on the film, so that means a bunch of Bleachers (his band) songs appear on the soundtrack, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The generally chirpy, happy momentum of Bleachers tracks serves the film well, along with well-placed songs from Whitney Houston, The Jackson 5 and The 1975. Credit Antonoff for coming up with a nice cinematic playlist, John Hughes style.

Robinson gives us a real kid with Simon. He’s somebody heavily reliant on emails and social media when it comes to expressing himself, a modern reality. When the screenplay takes his character into unfortunate territories (there’s a silly emotional blackmail subplot that hurts the movie more than helps), Robinson survives the wrong turns with a consistently warm and funny performance. He’s somebody you root for the second he walks on screen, even when the script isn’t up to par. I have to think his work here will take his career to the next level.

There’s a moment in this film when two high school kids tell each other that they love one another.

They aren’t romantically involved, and they never will be, but they love each other in a way to wich I’m sure many high school students past and present can relate.

I bet a few more kids will be telling their buddies that they love them after seeing Love, Simon. That’s a pretty nice thing to be able to say about a film. Ω

Love, Simon

12345

Annihilation

This new Natalie Portman film from director Alex Garland bills itself as science fiction and fantasy. It’s both of these without question. On top of that, it’s one of the scariest films you will see this year. This alien invasion movie, loosely based on Jeff VanderMeer’s novel, explores themes of self-identity and love—as did Garland’s 2014 directorial debut Ex Machina—while mixing in environmental terror involving nightmarish creatures and transforming landscapes. It also features a startlingly brutal take on the ravages of infidelity. Did I mention that it’s freaking scary?

There’s a lot going on in this movie, yet Garland and company balance it all out to make it a stunning piece of brainy entertainment. Portman plays a member of an all-female crew who enters a zone called the Shimmer, a bizarre environmental occurrence that’s the result of an alien meteor. In the Shimmer, things get crazy and very scary. While he’s only two movies in as a director, Garland is proving he’s capable of many things. He’s a first-rate auteur in regard to sci-fi, while no slouch on pure drama and capturing stellar performances. And, without a doubt, he possesses some major horror chops.

You think I’m exaggerating, but there are moments in this movie that will make even the most diehard horror fans cringe and squirm. I would love to see him direct a ghost story or a pure monster movie. Annihilation owes a lot to Ridley Scott (Alien), John Carpenter (The Thing) and any incarnation of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and, yet, it also feels very original.

4

Black Panther

Scoring director Ryan Coogler to helm Marvel’s latest proves to be a major triumph. His entry into the Marvel universe is a majestic, full-bodied, exhilarating treatment of the African king title character with the crazy cool suit (Chadwick Boseman). This is Coogler’s third collaboration with actor Michael B. Jordan, who brings a fully fleshed, complicated villain to the screen in Erik Killmonger.

Man, you just have to be bad with that last name. The pre-opening credit scene involves Black Panther’s predecessor father having a confrontation in 1992 Oakland, California. A major event takes place as some kids playing basketball look on. It turns out to be one of the more brilliant and heart-wrenching setups for a Marvel movie character yet. The action cuts to present day, where Black Panther/T’Challa is dealing with the passing of his father due to an event that took place in Captain America: Civil War (massive credit to the producers and screenwriters who interlink these films together so well). He’s to become king but must pass through a ritual with some risk involved.

He overcomes the obstacles, gets his throne and prepares for his rule. His kingdom doesn’t get a moment to breathe before trouble ensues. In London, Killmonger comes across an ancient weapon forged in Wakanda, Black Panther’s homeland. It’s made from Vibranium, a precious resource that fuels much of Wakanda’s advanced technology, including the Black Panther suits. With the help of Wakanda enemy Klaue (Andy Serkis acting with his real face as opposed to a motion-capture suit), Killmonger obtains the weapon, threatening world stability. The story is told with a stunning level of social relevance for a superhero film, especially when it comes to Killmonger’s motives. He’s not just some guy looking to forward himself for selfish purposes. He’s got some big reasons for having gone bad, and they make him a far more sympathetic character than, say, Loki from Thor.

1

Death Wish

Bruce Willis sleepwalks through this listless remake of the Charles Bronson vigilante movie that made a bunch of dollars back in 1974, the year before Jaws was released. (I measure most things in the ’70s by the year Jaws was released. It’s a thing.)

Remaking the film with Eli Roth at the helm and Willis in the Bronson role actually seemed like potential nasty fun. Sadly, Willis is phoning it in here, and too many horribly acted scenes reveal that Willis and Roth probably weren’t gelling as an actor/director combo. Willis

often seems tone deaf in some of the movie’s more dramatic scenes, and just plain bored for the remainder. When Willis gives a shit about the movie he’s making, it shows. When he doesn’t care, and that seems quite often in many of his recent projects, he’s zombie-like.

The original Death Wish (1974) is a hard watch these days. Apart from its racist depictions of criminals and extremely dated Herbie Hancock soundtrack, it’s also poorly acted by Bronson.

It is, however, worth seeing for cameos by Christopher Guest as a police officer and, most horrifically, Jeff Goldblum as Freak No. 1. This time out, Paul Kersey (Willis) is a doctor set on revenge after his wife is killed and daughter winds up in a coma. Unlike the original, Kersey doesn’t just go after random criminals, but conducts a vendetta on the people who attacked his family. It all adds up to nothing.

1

Mute

1

A Wrinkle in Time

Duncan Jones, director of the classic Moon and so-good Source Code, continues his slump that started with Warcraft: The Beginning. Actually, this mess qualifies as a total disaster, a film so bad Jones might find himself looking for sitcom TV gigs in the near future. Alexander Skarsgard plays Leo, an Amish bartender in future Germany (you read that right) who lost his ability to speak in a boat propeller accident as a kid. His girlfriend (Seyneb Saleh) disappears, sending him on a wild search that involves him hitting bad guys with big wooden sticks like Joe Don Baker in Walking Tall. In what seems to be another movie, Paul Rudd plays Cactus Bill, a crooked doctor trying to get back to the U.S. with his daughter. Cactus Bill hangs around with a pedophile doctor (Justin Theroux, saddled with a goofy wig) and, again, this part of the movie feels like a complete other film. Let me again point out that none of the parts of this film occupied by Skarsgard, Rudd or Theroux are any good. Skarsgard just runs around a lot looking all helpless, while the usually reliable Rudd resorts to a big, meaty mustache and lots of gum-chewing to look tough. (God dammit, I hate that!)

Theroux relies far too heavily on the word “Babe!” to distinguish his character in what amounts to his worst role to date. You have to really be screwing up to make the likes of Rudd and Theroux look bad, and Jones makes them look awful. The future setting looks like a cheap Blade Runner knock-off, the dialogue is deplorable, and—I just have to say this again—it makes Rudd and Theroux look awful. (Streaming on Netflix.)

A beloved novel gets absolutely slaughtered with A Wrinkle in Time, a sure contender for one of 2018’s worst movies, and an embarrassment for the great talents involved. Madeleine L’Engle’s 1962 novel was adapted by Disney once before with an also lousy TV movie back in 2003. The book has been bouncing around Hollywood for decades, with many attempts to bring it to the big screen being aborted. It’s a sad, sad thing that Disney finally took the plunge, dropped over $100 million and came up with this mess. Compounding the sadness is that it’s directed by Ava DuVernay, who made the excellent Martin Luther King, Jr., biopic Selma. While that film had a cohesive vision, excellent technical credits and powerhouse acting all around, her new film has none of these things. It’s total chaos on screen. Crackpot-yet-dreamy scientist Mr. Murry (Chris Pine) is obsessed with interstellar travel, and believes that wrinkles in time could be used to travel light years through space.

It’s never really established what he wants to achieve through such travel, but his obsession eventually leads to his disappearance for four years. He apparently travels through the universe with no real way to get home, and no real sense of purpose. His kids, led by Storm Reid, try to find him with a trio of strange folks played by Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling who look totally clueless.

Having watched the film, I’m still not sure what happened or what was supposed to be happening, and it sure didn’t look like the money was spent well. It looks cheap and dull.

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by ToDD SouTh

Meatball sandwiches at Del Italy are available with a choice of Italian sausage, hamburger or turkey.

The cured Del Italy is an Italian deli that melds a retail selection of house-cured salumi and take-home family meals with a lunch counter serving sandwiches, pastries and fresh pasta dishes. The proprietor is a charming son of Italia who obviously loves what he does, so I had high expectations on my lunch visit with friends.

The retail counter consists of an inviting array of cured and smoked meats. The family-style dishes include a variety of meatballs, lasagna and cannelloni ready to go, but special advance orders are available with ingredients including artichoke, mushroom, asparagus, spinach, shrimp, crab, scallop and lobster.

We did our best to sample as much as we could from the lunch menu. An Italian special sandwich ($7.49) of salami, pepperoni, capicola and fresh basil was served warm with melted provolone cheese.

The toasted roll was accompanied by a bit of pesto. It was delicious, but I could have used a little more pesto to counter the dryness of the bread.

Meatball sandwiches are available with a choice of Italian sausage, hamburger or turkey. We chose the sausage ($7.49). The ample serving of meatballs was a nice size, and the sandwich had good texture—not too hard, not too soft—with great seasoning. The marinara was chunky and fresh, and the melted cheese oozed onto the plate.

As with the special, the roll was toasted and seasoned—essentially garlic bread stuffed with goodies.

Plate-sized servings of meat lasagna ($9.99) and spinach/cheese cannelloni ($9.99) were each served with a thick slice of garlic bread. All of the pasta was fresh and cooked well, and the lasagna’s blend of meats and cheeses held their own against a hearty, meaty sauce. There was

PHOTO/ALLISON YOUNG

just a bit more salt than we expected, but it wasn’t enough to distract from the rest of the flavors. The same sauce accompanied a pair of large, hand-rolled cannelloni—long tubes of pasta filled with spinach, ricotta and herbs. The filling was really good, and I’d have to flip a coin to decide which pasta dish was my favorite. Both were tasty and finished with plenty of shredded pecorino romano, which is never a bad thing.

Next, we chose a pair of personal pizzas to share ($6.99 for an eight-inch pizza), one cheese and one meat. Mozzarella, parmigiano reggiano and pecorino romano topped our three cheese pie, while pepperoni, salami, dry cured ham, and mozzarella covered the meaty disc. The bottom of the crust was crispy, but the overall texture was something I would call “biscuity.” It was bready and a bit loose, with no chew to speak of—not my favorite crust. But I’d prefer to think of it as simply different from what I’ve experienced, since the man who made it is from Italy, and I’m assuming there are styles of crust I’ve yet to encounter. The sauce—what there was of it—was mostly an accent of oregano and garlic. I would have definitely liked a bit more.

Rounding things out were servings of cannoli ($3.49) and tiramisu ($6.49). The espresso-soaked ladyfinger cake was not too sweet, though a little dry. It could have used just a tad more of the mascarpone custard. The cannoli were absolutely perfect. The shells were just right—the ends dipped in dark chocolate—and the filling was smooth with visible flecks of lemon zest. People occasionally ask where to find a good cannoli, and this beautiful treat has joined my must-try list. Ω

Del Italy

185 E. Glendale Ave., Sparks, 376-8719

Del Italy is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

by Matt Bieker

Sara Flagg and her mother, owner Michele Haley, tend bar at Virginia City Cigar and Bar.

Mountain retreat I turned 26 last week. My birthday coinciding with the end of winter often leaves me feeling restless. Plans for the summer suddenly materialize, obligations mount, and tax season provides an unwelcome reminder of certain financial realities.

I jumped at the chance to visit a new bar in Virginia City as a welcome change of pace.

I still consider myself a tourist in Virginia City, for the most part. I hadn’t driven Geiger Grade in many years, but as I climbed around the dizzying turns, I caught the occasional glimpse of my home valley from an unfamiliar angle. It was a clear day, and the drive proved oddly fun.

Virginia City Cigar and Bar is easily spotted by the old-fashioned lettering on its sign and windows. The bar remains technically unfinished until its official opening later this spring, which explains the seemingly random hours listed on its Facebook page. Inside are several heavy pine tables and chairs surrounding a glossy bar and a towering liquor cabinet. Not seeing any tap handles, I ordered a Coors from the bartender—a woman named Michele Haley, who introduced herself as the owner.

“Ever since I was 19, I wanted to have a place up here,” she said.

Haley helped her parents move to Virginia City from Southern California when she was a teenager, and she fell in love with the town’s heritage. She spent most of her life in Gardnerville, but when a property—replete with a historical, macabre pedigree—became available in Virginia City in 2016, it wasn’t long before she was signing her seven-year lease.

“I love the history—I love that era,” Haley said. “This place used to be, in the

Photo/Matt Bieker

late 1870s, it was a funeral director up here, and then downstairs was the morgue.”

As we talked, I admired the craftsmanship of her bar: railroad spikes serve as iron shelf brackets, antique ceiling fans circulate the cool air, and a large, ornate humidor stands in the corner. Haley said that she consulted with longtime Virignia City residents in order to come up with an interior that makes them feel at home. Everything, she said, was built by her fiancé Mike Cullen, including the large metal “M” for “Michele” above the bar.

“He said, ‘Well, if you want it, I’ll build it for you,’” Haley said.

Cullen is running for Storey County Sheriff, it turns out. The possibility of being a saloon owner with a sheriff for a husband struck me as pretty authentically Old West.

I thanked Haley and left her to her work, taking my beer into the brightly lit backroom, where comfortable leather couches sit near large windows overlooking the slopes of the town’s eastern neighborhood. Haley said she intends to build a deck in the spring, and I imagined myself reclined outside on a warm night, drinking my beer and smoking a stogey.

Even though I was half an hour from Reno, the relaxed setting felt farther away.

Deadlines and existential woes seemed less pressing in Haley’s quiet back room.

Maybe that’s what drew her to town when she was younger.

Later, as I waved goodbye, I didn’t pick any concrete dates to return. I figured I’d find my way back eventually in the warmer months, and I looked forward to not having a plan. Ω

Virginia City Cigar and Bar

69 N. C St., Virginia City, (775) 847-7003 For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ VCcigarandbar.

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by ANdReA HeeRdt

Abstract interpretations Night Rooms As lead singer and guitar player Nic Graver sits down to write a song, he tries to actualize the scene he sees in his mind.

It’s not a scene from a movie or anything concrete, but rather something more abstract, like an assortment of colors or a feeling he experiences in the moment. As he begins to write or play the music, he knows it’ll work as a Night Rooms song if what he’s playing matches the scene he’s picturing in his head.

Between the harmonizing, upbeat strumming, heartfelt lyrics and frequent time signature changes, Graver and his bandmates—drummer Ryan Burt and bassist Landon Renwick—don’t put a limit on what their genre should be or pigeonhole themselves into sounding a certain way based on what they’ve produced in the past.

To Graver, honest lyric-writing is important, especially when it comes to admitting fear and trust in romance. He said it’s something a lot of people can relate to.

In the song “Loaner Boy,” during the second chorus, the lyrics go “And I/ I’m not your man no more/ I’m sorry ’cause/ Don’t know how to trust/ Pushed so much love/ Right out the door.”

“I really put my whole heart into writing because, to me, it has to be real or who would want to listen,” said Graver.

He draws inspiration from artists like Keaton Henson, noting that being true about doing something through songwriting makes it relatable. He said that while writing “Rip Me” for the band’s 2017 EP Outside Days, he progressed from heartbroken and 20

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Reno natives Ryan Burt, Landon Renwick and Nic Graver rely on tempo and mood changes within their songs to get across the heartbreak and rawness of real life.

PHOTO/ANDREA HEERDT

lovesick in the first verse to realizing his worth and knowing he deserved better by the second verse. All of this happened in real life, he said.

To Graver, his best songs come to fruition during highly emotional times when changes are happening. He said he’ll be up late at night, trying to make sense of himself and his emotions, while typing lyrics on his phone in the dark and softly playing his guitar. “The rawness of those states is what brings about the realest work to me,” he said.

The band also places a huge emphasis on changing the tempo and essentially changing the feel throughout each song.

On songs like “Gotta Lot 2 Learn” off Outside Days, it feels like an upbeat surf pop track one minute, then the song suddenly breaks down into a sea of slowmoving melancholy lyrics.

All three bandmates were a part of Galena High School’s drumline and jazz program, which had a huge impact on their rhythm and style, yet their individual tastes vary from pop punk to reggae.

The latest Night Rooms album is a jazz-heavy one, set to be released in May, this time with keyboard, complex chords and scales, and intricate lyrics.

Like Outside Days, this album will be entirely self-recorded and mixed by the band.

“A lot of our recording stuff is just a lot of learning experiences, just seeing how things sound in different spaces like trying different rooms and mics, and we’re getting better at it,” said Burt. The band quickly found, for example, while creating their last EP, that recording acoustic sections in the shower didn’t quite work out the way they had hoped it would. Ω

Night Rooms performs March 25 with Bedroom Moaning and Blue Shirt at the Holland Project, 140 Vesta St.

THURSDAY 3/22

FRIDAY 3/23

1UP

125 W. Third St., (775) 323-5005

5 Star SaLOON

March 25, 9 p.m.

Crystal Bay Casino 14 Highway 28 Crystal Bay 833-6333

Comedy 3rd Street Bar, 125 W. Third St. (775) 323-5005: Open Mic Comedy Competition with host Sam Corbin, W, 9:30pm, no cover The Improv at Harveys Lake Tahoe, 18 Highway 50, Stateline, (775) 5886611: Nick Griffin, Rick D’Elia, Thu-Fri, 9pm, $25, 9pm, $30; Jackie Flynn, Kevin Flynn, W, 9pm, $25 Laugh Factory, Silver Legacy Resort Casino, 407 N. Virginia St., (775) 3257401: Darren Carter, 7:30pm, $21.95; Fri-Sun, 7:30pm, 9:30pm, $27.45; Jeff Richards, Tu-W, 7:30pm, $21.95 Pioneer Underground, 100 S. Virginia St., (775) 322-5233: Keon Polee, 8pm, $10$15; Nick-N-Bobby Act Weird, 6:30pm, $10-$15; DC Ervin, 9pm, $14-$19, 6:30pm, 9:30pm, $14-$19

MON-WED 3/26-3/28

Frank Perry Jazz Combo, 8pm, no cover

Local Anthology, 9pm, no cover

DG Kicks, 8pm, Tu, no cover

Post shows online by registerin g at www.newsrev iew.com/ren o.

Deadline is th e Friday before public ation.

Dance party, 10pm, $5

Bar Of aMerIca

Squaw Valley Electric Band, 9:30pm, no cover

Squaw Valley Electric Band, 9:30pm, no cover

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

Plantrae, Kompozart, Smiley Coyote, Shamanic Technology, 10pm, no cover

cargO at WHItNey Peak HOteL

Sob X Rbe, Cuban Doll, 9pm, $25-$27

Puddle of Mudd, Lonely Kings, 7pm, $23-$28

ceOL IrISH PUB

Keith Shannon, 9pm, no cover

The Fantods, 9pm, no cover

Traditional Irish Session, 7pm, Tu, no cover

Whiskey Preachers, 9pm, no cover

Karaoke, Tu, 8:30pm, W, 8pm, no cover

40 MILe SaLOON

1495 S. Virginia St., (775) 323-1877

Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

Whiskey Preachers, 9pm, no cover Dance party, 10pm, $5

132 West St., (775) 329-2878

Galactic

SUNDAY 3/25

Revitalize: C_Note, Ross Shadows, 10pm, no cover

215 W. Commercial Row, (775) 813-6689

3rd Street Bar

SATURDAY 3/24

Sonic Mass with DJ Tigerbunny, 9pm, no cover

10042 Donner Pass Rd., Truckee, (530) 587-2626

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

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

cOttONWOOd reStaUraNt

10142 Rue Hilltop, Truckee, (530) 587-5711

Live music, 7pm, no cover

HIVEMIND, 9pm, W, no cover Motionless In White, Every Time I Die, Chelsea Grin, Ice Nine Kills, 7pm, $21-$23

Live music, 7pm, no cover

daVIdSONS dIStILLery

Frankly Fictitious, 9pm, no cover

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

faceS NV

Duets, karaoke, 9pm, Tu, no cover

239 W. Second St., (775) 470-8490

HeadQUarterS

219 W. Second St., (775) 800-1020

LVRS + FRNDS: Banugs, Floreyyyy, Jekbooty, 10pm, no cover

Spring Magic: Lowkey, MTF, Dove, Guerilla P, Too Much, 8pm, $10

fINe VINeS

Half Step Down, 7pm, no cover

Peter Pacyao & Friends, noon, no cover Twisted Routes, 7pm, no cover

6300 Mae Anne Ave., (775) 787-6300

HeLLfIre SaLOON

3372 S. McCarran Blvd., (775) 825-1988

tHe HOLLaNd PrOject 140 Vesta St., (775) 742-1858

Karaoke, 9pm, W, no cover

Open Mic with Lenny El Bajo, 7pm, Tu, no cover

Line dancing with DJ Trey, 7pm, no cover

DJ Trivia, 7:30pm, Tu, no cover

together PANGEA, Lala Lala, Criminal Hygiene, 7pm, $12.50

Ed Schrader’s Music Beat, 8pm, M, $5 Current Joys, 8pm, W, $8

jIMMy’S rOadHOUSe

Canyon White, 7pm, no cover

1923 E. Prater Way, Sparks, (775) 384-9525

jUB jUB’S tHIrSt ParLOr

Divided Heaven, Yr Parents, Corner Store, Heterophobia, 9pm, $5

71 S. Wells Ave., (775) 384-1652

Insane Clown Posse, Attila, Sylar, Cage, Lil Toenail, Lyte, Ouija, 8pm, $28.50

The Toads, Baby Dog, 8pm, $5

LaUgHINg PLaNet cafe—UNr

Cold Kingdom, Sleep Signals, 8pm, M, $5 Trashrock Tuesdays, 9pm, Tu, no cover Jazz Jam Session Wednesdays, 7:30pm, W, no cover

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

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THURSDAY 3/22

FRIDAY 3/23

SATURDAY 3/24

SUNDAY 3/25

MON-WED 3/26-3/28

LIVING THE GOOD LIFE NIGHTCLUB

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

1480 N. Carson St., Carson City, (775) 841-4663

THE LOFT

Magic Fusion, 7pm, 9pm, $21-$46

1021 Heavenly Village Way, South Lake Tahoe, (530) 523-8024

Magic Fusion, 7pm, 9pm, $21-$46 Magic After Dark, 9pm, $31-$45

Magic Fusion, 7pm, 9pm, $21-$46

THE LOVING CUp

Magic Fusion, 4:30pm, 7pm, $21-$46 Acid Dad, LimboState, 11pm, no cover

188 California Ave., (775) 322-2480

MIDTOwN wINE Bar

DJ Trivia, 7pm, no cover

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

MILLENNIUM NIGHTCLUB

2100 Victorian Ave., Sparks, (775) 378-1643

MOODY’S BISTrO, Bar & BEaTS

Live music, 8pm, no cover

10007 Bridge St., Truckee, (530) 587-8688

MUMMErS Bar

paDDY & IrENE’S IrISH pUB

Acoustic Wonderland Sessions, 8pm, no cover

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

The Coney Dogs, 8pm, no cover

Jason King, 8:30pm, no cover

Los Cuates de Sinaloa, Los Sembradores, 9pm, $TBA

Club Sexy Movimiento, 10pm, $20

Live music, 8:30pm, no cover

Live music, 8:30pm, no cover

Wednesday Night Jam, 8pm, W, no cover Open mic, 9:30pm, no cover

10096 Donner Pass Rd., Truckee, (530) 582-9219 SNAFU Family GREM FEST Mini-Series, 10pm, no cover

235 Flint St., (775) 376-1948

THE pOLO LOUNGE

Toothbone, Delia Haunt, 9pm, no cover

Bryan McPherson, Josiah Knight, 9pm, no cover

Friday Night Party with DJ Bobby G, 8pm, no cover

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

Tristan Selzler, 6pm, no cover Karaoke with Nitesong Productions, 7pm, no cover

rED DOG SaLOON THE SaINT

Moon Hooch, The Accidentals, Six Mile Statio, 8pm, $10-$13

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

SHEa’S TaVErN

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

Acid Teeth, ManifeStatioN, Infecto Skeletons, Grimedog, 8pm, $5-$6

Sydnie’s Birthday Bash with DJ QUICK, 10:30pm, no cover

SparkS LOUNGE

Side FX, 9pm, no cover

DJ Outlaw, 9pm, no cover

ST. JaMES INFIrMarY

Guest DJs, 9pm, no cover

Saturday Dance Party, 9pm, no cover

1237 Baring Blvd., Sparks, (775) 409-3340 445 California Ave., (775) 657-8484

wHISkEY DICk’S SaLOON

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

FOOD & DRINK!

GLOBAL COFFEE $10 value

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Ed Schrader’s Music Beat

The God Bombs, 7-Out, 7:30pm, Tu, $5-$6

Tuesday Trivia, 8pm, Tu, no cover Open Mic Night, 9pm, W, no cover

BEEFY’S

March 26, 8 p.m.

The Holland Project 140 Vesta St. 742-1858

BAZAAR EUROPEAN DELI & CAFE $10 value

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T.S.O.L., Downtown Brown, Vague Choir, Drinking Machine Guns, 8pm, $15-$17

Audiodub, 9pm, no cover

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Whiskey Preachers, 8pm, M, no cover Karaoke Tuesdays, 7pm, Tu, no cover Open mic, 7pm, W, no cover

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

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T.S.O.L. March 25, 8 p.m.

Shea’s Tavern 715 S. Virginia St. 786-4774

Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

paSTIME CLUB

pIGNIC pUB & paTIO

T-N-Keys, 4:30pm, Tu, 7:30pm, W, no cover

Scotty Mac Band, 8pm, no cover

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

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Magic Fusion, 7pm, M, Tu, W, $21-$46

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AtlAntis CAsino ResoRt spA 3800 S. Virginia St., (775) 825-4700 1) Grand Ballroom 2) Cabaret

Boomtown CAsino

2100 Garson Rd., Verdi, (775) 345-6000 1) Convention Center 2) Guitar Bar

CARson VAlley inn

Buddy Guy March 23, 8 p.m.

Silver Legacy 407 N. Virginia St. 325-7401

1627 Hwy. 395, Minden, (775) 782-9711 1) Ballroom 2) Cabaret

CRystAl BAy CAsino

14 Hwy. 28, Crystal Bay, (775) 833-6333 1) Crown Room 2) Red Room

Fourth Street BAR, 1114 E. Fourth St., (775) 324-7827: Karaoke with Chapin, W, 8pm, no cover Jimmy B’s Bar & Grill, 180 W. Peckham Lane, Ste 1070, (775) 686-6737: Karaoke, 9:30pm, no cover The Point, 1601 S. Virginia St., (775) 322-3001: 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

SATURDAY 3/24

SUNDAY 3/25

MON-WED 3/26-3/28

2) The Vegas Road Show, 8pm, no cover

2) The Vegas Road Show, 8pm, no cover Rebekah Chase Band, 10pm, no cover

2) The Vegas Road Show, 8pm, no cover Rebekah Chase Band, 10pm, no cover

2) Rebekah Chase Band, 8pm, no cover

2) The Kid ’N Nic Show, 8pm, M, no cover

2) Ebony Not Quite Ivory, 6pm, no cover

2) The Starliters, 5pm, no cover The Look, 9pm, no cover

2) The Starliters, 5pm, no cover The Look, 9pm, no cover

2) Gary Douglas, 6pm, no cover

2) Tandymonium, 6pm, M, no cover Jonathan Barton, 6pm, Tu, no cover Randall Ide, 6pm, W, no cover

2) Decoy, 7pm, no cover

2) Decoy, 8pm, no cover

2) Decoy, 8pm, no cover

2) Rock River, 6pm, no cover

2) Rock River, 6pm, no cover Hans Eberbach, 6pm, Tu, W, no cover

1) Yonder Mountain String Band, Old Salt Union, 8pm, $32.50 - $35

2) Wormhole Tahoe: CharlestheFirst, Potions, Supertask, 10pm, no cover

2) LDW: Tribute to Talking Heads, 10pm, no cover

1) Galactic, 9pm, $30

2) The Novelists, 9pm, no cover 3) DJ Roni V, 10pm, no cover

2) The Novelists, 9pm, no cover 3) DJ Roni V, 10pm, no cover

2) The Novelists, 9pm, no cover

1) Los Temerarios, 9pm, $39-$125 3) Grand County Nights with DJ Jeremy, 10pm, no cover

2) Dance Party Saturdays, 10pm, $15 3) Grand County Nights with DJ Jeremy, 10pm, no cover

345 N. Virginia St., (775) 786-5700 1) Theater 2) Brew Brothers 3) NoVi

2500 E. Second St., (775) 789-2000 1) Grand Theatre 2) LEX 3) Race & Sports Bar

2) Comedy Night, 8pm, $15 3) Grand County Nights with DJ Jeremy, 10pm, no cover

HARd RoCk Hotel And CAsino HARRAH’s Reno

1) Simply the Best—A Tribute to the Music of Tina Turner, 7:30pm, $27-$37

219 N. Center St, (775) 786-3232 1) Showroom 2) Sapphire Lounge

HARRAH’s lAke tAHoe

1) Simply the Best—A Tribute to the Music of Tina Turner, 7:30pm, $27-$37

1) Umphrey’s McGee, Organ Freeman, 7:30pm, $27-$81

15 Hwy. 50, Stateline, (800) 427-7247 1) South Shore Room 2) Casino Center Stage

2707 S. Virginia St., (775) 826-2121 1) Tuscany Ballroom 2) Terrace Lounge 3) Edge 407 N. Virginia St., (775) 325-7401 1) Grand Exposition Hall 2) Rum Bullions Island Bar 3) Aura Ultra Lounge 4) Silver Baron Lounge

Monday 8:30pm : Open Mic Comedy Friday Nights: Karaoke Saturday Nights: Live Music Different drink specials every night Bighorns Watch Party Exit 48 Cliff Porter & Friends ft. Jelly Bread

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

1) Walter Trout, 8pm, $25-$30

55 Hwy. 50, Stateline, (775) 588-3515 1) Showroom 2) Blu Nightclub 3) Opal Ultra Lounge

peppeRmill ResoRt spA CAsino

1) Simply the Best—A Tribute to the Music of Tina Turner, 7:30pm, $27-$37 1) 38 Special, 7:30pm, $44-$132

montBleu ResoRt

silVeR leGACy ResoRt CAsino

2) Rock ’N’ Roll Experience, 10pm, M, no cover Local 891 Live, 9pm, W, no cover

1) Electrify: Rock N Roll Burlesque Show, 1) Blackalicious, Heatbox, Galactik Vibes, 9pm, $15-$20 DJ DubFyah, 10pm, $20-$25 2) DJ/dancing, 10pm, no cover

50 Hwy. 50, Stateline, (844) 588-7625 1) Vinyl 2) Center Bar

Everyday Happy Hour 5-8pm

March 23 March 24 March 31

FRIDAY 3/23

eldoRAdo ResoRt CAsino GRAnd sieRRA ResoRt

Karaoke

THURSDAY 3/22

2) Dainesly, 7pm, no cover 3) Edge Thursday Ladies Night, 10pm, $20, free for women

2) Dainesly, 8pm, no cover

2) Dainesly, 7pm, no cover 3) ESKEI83, 10pm, $20

2) Big Iron, 6pm, no cover

2) DJ R3volver, 9pm, no cover 4) DJ Mo Funk, 9pm, no cover

1) Buddy Guy, 8pm, $54.50-$64.50 2) Rock ’N’ Roll Experience, 9pm, no cover 4) Reno Jazz Syndicate, 9pm, no cover

1) Anjelah Johnson, 8pm, $45.50-$59.50 2) Rock ’N’ Roll Experience, 9pm, no cover 3) Seduction Saturdays, 9pm, $5

4) DJ Mo Funk, 9pm, no cover

Project1

2) Big Iron, 6pm, M, Tu, W, no cover

5/11/10

3:02 PM

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FOR THE WEEK OF MaRcH 22, 2018 For a complete listing of this week’s events or to post events to our online calendar, visit www.newsreview.com.

EvEnTs

THE LIFE AND TRAVELS OF HANS MEYERKASSEL: Drawn to the American West, the German émigré artist and his wife lived for a short time to Reno and Carson City before settling in the small town of Genoa on the eastern slope of the Sierra. Nevada author and researcher Guy Clifton will recount the life of Hans Meyer-Kassel, revealing new materials recently discovered through his research of newspaper reviews, archives and other unpublished articles.

Sat, 3/24, 2pm. $8-$12. Nevada Museum of Art, 160 W. Liberty St., (775) 329-3333, www.nevadaart.org.

18TH ANNUAL DUMMY DOWNHILL: In this wacky event, participants build a dummy on skis or a snowboard that gets launched off a big jump while spectators cheer them on. An award ceremony and live music follows. Sun, 3/25, 10am. Diamond Peak Ski Resort, 1210 Ski Way, Incline Village, (775) 832-1177.

CROCHET CONNECTION: Crochet enthusiasts of all levels are invited join this group, which meets every Thursday. Bring your own project or start a new one. Thu, 3/22, 3pm. Free. Spanish Springs Library, 7100 Pyramid Way, Sparks, (775) 424-1800.

NEVADA ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION MEETING: The 47th annual meeting of the Nevada Archaeological Association features a full schedule of workshops, a Friday night bocce ball social, a keynote discussion on the Stewart Indian School, an auction after the Professional and Avocational Awards Banquet, Sunday field trips and more. The Nevada Archaeological Association welcomes and supports the shared interests of archaeologists, rock art scholars, anthropologists and avocationalists.

The meeting will highlight archaeological research concerning prehistoric and historic topics of Nevada, with a particular focus on “Peopling Places.”

Fri, 3/2-Sun, 3/25, 7am. $30-$70.

Renaissance Reno Downtown Hotel, 1 S. Lake St., (626) 824-2961, nvarch.org.

BIRDS OF THE TAHOE BASIN: Sarah Hokensmith, naturalist with the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science, will talk about the 2018 Tahoe Big Year, a yearlong birding event that celebrates the hundreds of bird species that occupy the Tahoe Region. Hokensmith will also discuss common and unique birds of Lake Tahoe and birding destinations in the Tahoe region. Tue, 3/27, 6:30pm. Free.

Incline Village Library, 845 Alder Ave., Incline Village, (775) 832-4130.

THE DONNER PARTY—WEATHERING THE STORM: Tahoe historian Mark McLaughlin’s research and storytelling reveal the personalities and accomplishments of the people who made up the Donner Party. Gain insight into their pre-Gold Rush mentality and the concept of Manifest Destiny that drew them West.

The story is told from the viewpoint of the men and women who beat the odds. Sat, 3/24, 2pm. Free. Galena Creek Visitor Center, 18250 Mount Rose Highway, (775) 849-4948.

RENO COIN CLUB MEETING: David Elliott

MaR/24:

FLICK RANCH: Historic Reno Preservation Society members Kelly Rigby and Joyce Cox will give a presentation on the Flick Ranch House. The Truckee River Flood Project bought the ranch house and property in 2007 and plans to terrace the land to reduce flooding. Rigby, president of the Flick Ranch Project, is attempting to save the Flick Ranch House from demolition. Sun, 3/25, 1:30pm. Free.

Sierra View Library, 4001 S. Virginia St., (775) 827-3232.

HEALING HEARTS: Express emotions and relax through painting. Find solace and enjoy the company of other caregivers, family members and loved ones with memory loss. No artistic skills required and all supplies provided. Open to people age 12 and older. Tue, 3/27, 1:30pm. Free.

South Valleys Library, 15650-A Wedge Parkway, (775) 851-5190.

HIGH SIERRA WRITERS: Bring your written work to share and critique with other writers. Wed, 3/28, 7pm. Free. Barnes & Noble Bookstore, 5555 S. Virginia St., www.highsierrawriters.org.

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SUSAN WERNER TRIO

Fll up the gas tank and head out to Fallon to see contemporary folk artist Susan Werner. Werner composes skillful songs that slide between folk, jazz and pop, all delivered with a sassy wit and Midwestern charm. Considered one of America’s most prolific songwriters, some of her most critically acclaimed albums include 2007’s agnostic gospel album The Gospel Truth and 2013’s ode to agriculture Hayseed. Her latest release is the 2017 EP, An American in Cuba, which was inspired by her trips to the island nation. Werner will perform at 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 24, at Barkley Theater, Oats Park Art Center, 151 East Park St., Fallon.

Tickets are $20 general admission and $17 for Churchill Arts Council members. She will also present a free talk titled “Songwriting in the 21st Century” at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Call (775) 423-1440 or visit www.churchillarts.org.

will give a PowerPoint presentation on “Coins of Georgia.” These rare coins from this nation of the Caucasus, which withstood Turk, Mongol, Ottoman and Persian invaders, as well as Imperial and Soviet Russian forces, will be on display from medieval times to the present. The Pictured Rock quarter and Jim Thorpe dollar and all the 2017 coins will be on display. There will be early bird prizes, quarter pot, raffle and more. All ages welcome. Tue, 3/27, 7pm. Free. Denny’s, 205 Nugget Ave., Sparks, (775) 815-8625, www.renocoinclub.org.

RENO SWINGS!: Learn 1940s-style swing dancing every week. No partner or experience necessary. Wed, 3/28, 7pm. $7-$10 for lessons, $5 for dance only.

American Legion Hall, 877 Ralston St., (707) 843-0895, www.renoswings.com.

SNC TAHOE BUSINESS SPEAKER SERIES: Geoffrey Schladow, founding director of the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, is an expert in the areas of environmental fluid mechanics, water quality modeling and the dynamics of inland waters. He is developing computer models to link stream flow measurements with meteorological and other remote-sensor information to provide Tahoe decision-makers new management tools. Wed, 3/28, 11:30am. Free. Sierra Nevada College, 999 Tahoe Blvd., Incline Village, (775) 831-1314, www.sierranevada.edu.

aRT NORTH VALLEYS LIBRARY: Celebrating Reno’s 150th Birthday. Sierra Watercolor Society celebrates Reno’s 150th birthday with new, original watercolor paintings by local artists. Thu, 3/22-Sat, 3/24, Tue, 3/27-Wed, 3/28, 10am. Free. North Valleys Library, 1075 North Hills Blvd., www.sierrawatercolorsociety.com.

NORTHWEST RENO LIBRARY: Bold Impressionism. The Northwest Reno Library presents a collection of contemporary landscape oil paintings

by Truckee artist Jane Lufkin. There will be an artist reception on March 24, 2-3pm. Thu, 3/22-Sat, 3/24, Mon, 3/26Wed, 3/28, 10am. Free. Northwest Reno Library, 2325 Robb Drive, (775) 787-4100.

SHEPPARD CONTEMPORARY: Faig Ahmed.

Ahmed is well-known for his conceptual works that use the traditional decorative craft and the visual language of carpets to create contemporary sculptural works of art; Mwangi Hutter: Time Zone and Equinox. Working with video, sound, photography, installation, sculpture painting and performance, Mwangi Hutter reflects on changing societal realities, creating an aesthetic of self-knowledge and interrelationship; Only Light Can Do That: Remembering MLK, Jr. Including work from a half dozen contemporary artists and also new additions to the collection by artists Elizabeth Catlett and Paul Mpagi Sepuya, this exhibition explores the visual cultures of Black America inspired by the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. Gallery hours are noon to 4pm on Tuesday-Wednesday, noon to 8pm on Thursday-Friday, 10am to 8pm on Saturday. Thu, 3/22-Sat, 3/24, Tue, 3/27-Wed, 3/28. Free. Sheppard Contemporary, Church Fine Arts Building, University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St., (775) 784-4278.

MUsIc COME IN FROM THE COLD: The winter family entertainment series continues with a performance by Sage Creek. Sat, 3/24, 7pm. $3 suggested donations. Western Heritage Interpretive Center, Bartley Ranch Regional Park, 6000 Bartley Ranch Road, (775) 828-6612.

L-CUBED LOOK, LUNCH, LISTEN CONCERT SERIES: L-Cubed is a free, weekly BYO lunch jazz and classical music series featuring music performances by students and faculty in a laid-back lunchtime setting. Wed, 3/28, noon. Free.

Frank & Joan Randall Rotunda, Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center, University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St., (775) 784-4278.

ROSEBUD’S DANCE BAND: The band plays Big Band-era dance, jazz and swing, with some modern pieces. Sat, 3/24, 7pm. $10$12. Brewery Arts Center, 449 W. King St., Carson City, (775) 883-1976.

SIERRA SWEETHEARTS: The bluegrass/

Americana ensemble performs. Sat, 3/24, 7pm. $13-$18. Maizie Harris Jesse Theatre, Brewery Arts Center, 449 W. King St., Carson City, (775) 883-1976, breweryarts.org.

UNIVERSITY CONTEMPORARY MUSIC ENSEMBLE SPRING CONCERT: The ensemble performs innovative music of the past 100 years with a particular focus on music by living composers. Wed, 3/28, 7:30pm. Free. Nightingale Concert Hall, Church Fine Arts Building, University of Nevada, Reno, 1335 N. Virginia St., (775) 784-4278.

OnsTaGE THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME: Good Luck Macbeth Theatre Company presents this play by Simon Stephens based on the novel of the same name by Mark Haddon. Fifteen-yearold Christopher has an extraordinary brain. He is exceptionally intelligent but ill-equipped to interpret everyday life.

When he falls under suspicion for killing his neighbors dog, he sets out to identify the true culprit, which leads to an earthshattering discovery and a journey that will change his life forever. Thu, 3/22-Sat, 3/24, 7:30pm; Sun, 3/25, 2pm. $18-$20.

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

DEATH BY DESIGN: Reno Little Theater present Rob Urbinati’s comedy involving a country estate filled with mysterious guests, a snipped telephone wire and a murder. Thu, 3/22-Sat, 3/24, 7:30pm; Sun, 3/25, 2pm. $15-$25. Reno Little Theater, 147 E. Pueblo St., (775) 813-8900, renolittletheater.org.

HOME SWEET HOMICIDE: Lollipop Productions, in cooperation with the Gold Dust West Casino Hotel, presents its dinner theater production, a murder mystery by Tony Schwartz and Marylou Ambrose. Help Hemlock Holmes solve this dastardly crime. The first three people to correctly guess the murderer and motive win prizes. The main show starts after dinner between 7:15-7:30pm.

Tickets must be purchased in advance of the performance you would like to attend and are non-refundable. Sat, 3/24, 5:45pm. $33.95-$36.95. Gold Dust West Casino Hotel, 2171 E. William St., Carson City, www.cw3595.com.

THE TANGLED SKIRT: Restless Artists Theatre Company presents this mystery/thriller written by Steve Braunstein. Two strangers await the last bus out of town, as small talk turns into a deadly game of cat and mouse and both seek advantage, trapped in their own secrets and lies, to be the last one standing. As the bus barrels toward the station, Bailey and Rhonda, torn by passion and greed, must confront each other, and themselves, as fate closes in. Thu, 3/22-Sat, 3/24, 7:30pm; Sun, 3/25, 2pm. $12-$20. Restless Artists Theatre Company, 295 20th St., Sparks, (775) 525-3074, www.facebook.com/ RestlessArtistsTheatreCompany.

by AMY ALKON

Flee-bitten For three months, things were going really well with this man I was dating. He’d introduced me to his daughter. We’d even planned a trip together. And then he just disappeared. I eventually texted him to find out what happened, but he simply texted back, “Really busy, all good.” This isn’t the first time this has happened to me or my girlfriends. Why do men do this?

Why don’t they tell you what’s really going on?

When a guy just cuts you off like a bad tree limb, it’s tempting to come up with ego-cushioning explanations: He’s in a coma! He’s trapped in a wooded gully in his crashed car! He’s being interrogated at a CIA black site!

However, the best explanation for this man’s disappearance is probably textbook stuff—psych textbook, that is, and specifically a couple of personality traits. One of these is “conscientiousness.”

And the bad side of the spectrum is being “low in conscientiousness”—psychologists’ term for a person who is careless, irresponsible, impulsive and lacking in self-control and who habitually ducks his obligations as if they were flaming arrows.

The other trait is the unfortunately named “psychopathy.”

Though it calls to mind showerstabbing hobbyists, it doesn’t necessarily lead to murderous rampages.

Still, it isn’t exactly the personality trait of angelic hospice nurses, as it’s marked by exploitiveness, aggression, poor impulse control, selfcenteredness and a lack of empathy.

Low conscientiousness and psychopathy partner up into an inability or unwillingness to admit to being wrong. Apologizing takes emotional strength and character strength—the conscientiousness and empathy that leave the wrongdoer feeling borderline queasy until they come clean and express remorse to the person they hurt.

It isn’t just men who do the disappearo thing—it’s anyone low on conscientiousness. The problem is, when love appears to be on the horizon, we want to believe more than we want to see. It’s helpful to take an almost pessimistic approach to any new relationship.

Assume a man has flaws, figure out what they are and decide whether any are deal breakers.

This takes observing his behavior over time in a variety of situations—especially crisis situations.

You want to know that when the chips are down, a man will have your back—and not just to use you as a human shield so the SWAT team snipers won’t pick him off.

Shudder speed Every photo my boyfriend takes of me is horrific (one eye kind of shut, bad angle of my face, etc.).

My female friends take decent pictures of me, so it’s not like it’s impossible. I know my boyfriend loves me and thinks I’m beautiful.

Could he be trying to keep other men from being attracted to me?

You are far from alone in complaining that the man you love takes terrible pictures of you—or in worrying that it means something. However, this worry of yours probably comes out of what I call our mind’s neatfreakitude.

Research by cognitive neuroscientist Michael Gazzaniga suggests we get so itchy over mental chaos—being in a state of uncertainty about someone or something—that we’re quick to sweep aside inconsistencies and ignore missing information in service of creating a coherent narrative. And then we turn right around and go with the story we’ve created—in this case, the suspicion that your boyfriend is plotting to make you look uggo in photographs.

The reality is, if you aren’t a professional model being shot by a professional photographer, it sometimes takes dozens of shots to have even one you don’t want to delete in horror.

Because men evolved to prioritize physical attractiveness in women and women coevolved to expect this, women are extremely sensitive to being photographed in ways that don’t show them off at their sparkliest. That’s probably why, if you glance at various 20-something women’s Instagram pages, you’ll see that many strike the very same pose in photo after photo. 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).

03.22.18

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by ROb bRezsny

For the week oF March 22, 2018 ARIES (March 21-April 19): The “School of Hard

Knocks” is an old-fashioned idiom referring to the unofficial and accidental course of study available via life’s tough experiences. The wisdom one gains through this alternate approach to education may be equal or even superior to the knowledge that comes from a formal university or training program. I mention this, Aries, because in accordance with astrological omens, I want to confer upon you a diploma for your new advanced degree from the School of Hard Knocks. (P.S.: When PhD students get their degrees from Finland’s University of Helsinki, they are given top hats and swords as well as diplomas. I suggest you reward yourself with exotic props, too.)

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Europeans used to

think that all swans were white. It was a reasonable certainty given the fact that all swans in Europe were that color. But in 1697, Dutch explorer Willem de Vlamingh and his sailors made a pioneering foray to the southwestern coast of the land we now call Australia. As they sailed up a river the indigenous tribe called Derbarl Yerrigan, they spied black swans.

They were shocked. The anomalous creatures invalidated an assumption based on centuries of observations. Today, a “black swan” is a metaphor referring to an unexpected event that contravenes prevailing theories about the way the world works. I suspect you’ll soon experience such an incongruity yourself. It might be a good thing! Especially if you welcome it instead of resisting it.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Crayola is one of the

world’s foremost crayon manufacturers. The geniuses in charge of naming its crayon colors are playful and imaginative. Among the company’s standard offerings, for example, are Pink Sherbet, Carnation Pink, Tickle Me Pink, Piggy Pink, Pink Flamingo, and Shocking Pink. Oddly, however, there is no color that’s simply called “Pink.” I find that a bit disturbing. As much as I love extravagant creativity and poetic whimsy, I think it’s also important to cherish and nurture the basics. In accordance with the astrological omens, that’s my advice for you in the coming weeks. Experiment with fanciful fun, but not at the expense of the fundamentals.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): According to Vice

magazine, Russian scientist Anatoli Brouchkov is pleased with the experiment he tried. He injected himself with 3.5-million-year-old bacteria that his colleagues had dug out of the permafrost in Siberia. The infusion of this ancient life form, he says, enhanced his energy and strengthened his immune system. I can’t vouch for the veracity of his claim, but I do know this: It’s an apt metaphor for possibilities you could take advantage of in the near future: drawing on an old resource to boost your power, for example, or calling on a well-preserved part of the past to supercharge the present.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Booze has played a crucial

role in the development of civilization, says biomolecular archaeologist Patrick McGovern.

The process of creating this mind-altering staple was independently discovered by many different cultures, usually before they invented writing. The buzz it provides has “fired our creativity and fostered the development of language, the arts, and religion.” On the downside, excessive consumption of alcohol has led to millions of bad decisions and has wrecked countless lives. Everything I just said is a preface to my main message, Leo: The coming weeks will be a favorable time to transform your habitual perspective, but only if you do so safely and constructively. Whether you choose to try intoxicants, wild adventures, exhilarating travel or edgy experiments, know your limits.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The astrological

omens suggest that the coming weeks will be favorable for making agreements, pondering mergers and strengthening bonds. You’ll be wise to deepen at least one of your commitments. You’ll stir up interesting challenges if you consider the possibility of entering into more disciplined and dynamic unions with worthy partners. Do you trust your own perceptions and insights to guide you toward ever-healthier alliances? Do what you must to muster that trust.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): If you want people to

know who you really are and savor you for your unique beauty, you must be honest with those people. You must also develop enough skill to express your core truths with accuracy.

There’s a similar principle at work if you want to know who you really are and savor yourself for your unique beauty: You must be honest with yourself. You must also develop enough skill to express your core truths with accuracy.

The coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to practice these high arts.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Your journey in the

coming weeks may be as weird as an R-rated telenovela, but with more class. Outlandish, unpredictable, and even surreal events could occur, but in such a way as to uplift and educate your soul. Labyrinthine plot twists will be medicinal as well as entertaining. As the drama gets curioser and curioser, my dear Scorpio, I expect you will learn how to capitalize on the odd opportunities it brings. In the end, you will be grateful for this ennobling respite from mundane reality!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “Love is the only

sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence,” wrote philosopher Erich Fromm. I would add a corollary for your rigorous use during the last nine months of 2018: “Love is the only effective and practical way to graduate from your ragged, long-running dilemmas and start gathering a new crop of fresh, rousing challenges.” By the way, Fromm said love is more than a warm and fuzzy feeling in our hearts. It’s a creative force that fuels our willpower and unlocks hidden resources.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): My goal here is

to convince you to embark on an orgy of self-care—to be as sweet and tender and nurturing to yourself as you dare to be. If that influences you to go too far in providing yourself with luxurious necessities, I’m OK with it.

And if your solicitous efforts to focus on your own health and well-being make you appear a bit self-indulgent or narcissistic, I think it’s an acceptable price to pay. Here are more key themes for you in the coming weeks: basking in the glow of self-love; exulting in the perks of your sanctuary; honoring the vulnerabilities that make you interesting.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): One day, Beatles’

guitarist George Harrison decided to compose his next song’s lyrics “based on the first thing I saw upon opening any book.” He viewed this as a divinatory experiment, as a quest to incorporate the flow of coincidence into his creative process. The words he found in the first book were “gently weeps.” They became the seed for his tune “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”

Rolling Stone magazine ultimately named it one of “The Greatest Songs of All Time” and the 10th best Beatles song. In accordance with the astrological omens, I recommend you try some divinatory experiments of your own in the coming weeks. Use life’s fun little synchronicities to generate playful clues and unexpected guidance.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Millions of you

Pisceans live in a fairy tale world. But I suspect that very few of you will be able to read this horoscope and remain completely ensconced in your fairy tale world. That’s because I have embedded subliminal codes in these words that will at least temporarily transform even the dreamiest among you into passionate pragmatists in service to your feistiest ideals.

If you’ve read this far, you are already feeling more disciplined and organized. Soon you’ll be coming up with new schemes about how to actually materialize a favorite fairy tale in the form of real-life experiences.

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

by KRis VAgNER

Film veteran

Screenwriter Patrick Duncan— whose films include Courage Under Fire and Mr. Holland’s Opus—is also a Vietnam War veteran. He wrote and directed 84 Charlie MoPic, (1989) shot in the style of “found footage,” a la The Blair Witch Project, to tell the story of soldiers in combat in Vietnam from an inside point of view. Duncan, who lives in Los Angeles, will appear at a screening of the film on March 23 at the Eldorado Hotel and Casino, 345 N. Virginia Street. A reception begins at 5 p.m., and the screening is at 6:20. Admission is free, and the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System will provide free counseling for veterans during the event.

“MoPic” is short for motion picture operator, which is an actual job in the Army. Did you have a job as a mopic?

No, I was an infantryman. I was looking for a way to tell my Vietnam story, and I was watching the news one day, and a cameraman had caught a traffic accident. … It was all uncut, just raw footage, of them going upon the accident and helping the people and all, and I remembered the cameraman in Vietnam when I was there, and it just came together. … I thought, “Oh, if you don’t cut, it becomes more real.”

How did you go about making the

up by Magic Mountain. We dammed a little stream, not very environmentally friendly. … We sprayed the bushes green with paint. They were all drying out by the time we shot. I used sets that I’d had built for an HBO series that I was doing, and we just literally shot out in the brush out there, with trucks going by, the highway and everything.

Do you often show the film in situations like this one, where you expect the audience to be largely made up of veterans? film? Did you have access to that original footage to refer to?

Nope. I wrote the script, and I did storyboards, and had a great cameraman, and we just figured out how to move the camera within the scenes.

Some of the scenes were pretty long.

We had to figure the choreography out and everything. … My cameraman, he was really, really, really up for the task.

You had to get the actors to a certain point where they were just talking instead of saying lines, and then you had to get the camera to look like it wasn’t anticipating what the shot was. At one point, we were running through the bush out in Newhall [part of Santa Clarita, California], and it was a little too smooth, and so I tripped the cameraman. And, to the credit of Alan Caso, the cameraman, he jumped up, and he said, “That was great! Thanks! That’s what I needed.” … We shot up just north of LA here,

Yes, I’ve done quite a few veterans functions with the film. I believe that part of the problem of a good many vets is they never talk to anybody about what happened to them, and this prompts conversation. Usually, the guy says, “My unit, we did this,” or “When I was there, this is what happened,” because the war changed all the time, and every soldier’s experience is different. So, the differences pop up, and then we start talking about the commonalities. … I encourage them to do journals of their year, or their tour or whatever. I just think venting is part of the process. Even if you are just yelling at a piece of paper, that’s a start.

Are you formally involved in veteran’s writing groups?

Not much. I used to do a lot more here in LA and down in Orange County, but now it’s a different group of veterans, and they have their own war stories to tell—and to work out. Ω

by BRUCE VAN DYKE

The 40 percent Finally, it’s here. The Book that America has been waiting for. The Book this country needs. The Book that lays it all out there, this entire Retrumplican Russian mess, and does so in chronological style, so that you can make sense out of a truly complex tale involving all kinds of characters on many different fronts. It’s essential reading for anyone who gives a flying fig about the United States, its present and its future.

OK, not to pump it up too much, but this really is a great and important piece of work. The Book is Russian Roulette, by investigative reporters Michael Isikoff and David Corn, and when the final analysis is in, this one could very well be to Dum Dum what All The President’s Men by Woodward and Bernstein was to Nixon. Nothing less.

It begins with the Miss Universe Pageant in Moscow, 2013, and Trump’s remarkable, fawning

tweet, “Do you think Putin will be going to the Miss Universe Pageant in November in Moscow—if so, will he become my new best friend?”

From this ridiculous and terrifying harbinger moment, the plot begins to thicken and thicken, resulting in the fake, illegitimate POTUS now soiling the White House.

Russian Roulette. Isikoff and Corn. You’ve got homework.

• Getting a handle on the true size of Dum Dum’s Cult of Crazies can be estimated with the processing of the following numbers. A recent Pew Research poll shows that 43 percent of Americans say that the disastrous Invasion of Iraq of 2003 was a good idea. Unfuckingbelievable, but there you go. Let’s combine that figure with this one—last year, 41 percent of Trumplodytes were in favor of bombing Agrabah, the made up Arabian country in the Disney movie Aladdin. From these

two pieces of data, we can conclude that approximately 40 percent of America is out of its fucking mind.

• The recent victory of Democrat Conor Lamb in Pennsylvania U.S. House District 18 is of interest right here in Nevada. Penn 18 was considered about as safe as a district gets for Retrumplicans, much like Nevada District Two, currently represented by Mark Amodei. In 2016, Amodei beat Chip Evans (D) by 22 points. One has to assume that Amodei took notice of Lamb’s victory, and that he now has to consider the possibility his own seat may be vulnerable in November. It’s a long shot, yes, but that’s exactly what they were saying in Pennsylvania a month ago. Analysis? When your party is headed by a sex maniac, lowlife, dumbass, lying prick, people begin to notice. And vote accordingly.

Stormy for Senate! Ω

03.22.18

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RN&R

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27

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