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FEBRUARY 2015

The Down Low on the Wage Floor Minimum wage increases around the country and in Nebraska

ebraska’s minimum wage rose to $8 an hour at the start of the year – a 75-cent raise. On the west coast, the minimum wage in some cities, including San Francisco and Seattle, will top $15 an hour. Last year, the Seattle City Council approved a measure boosting the hourly minimum to $15. It was enough to prompt Rye Cook, 26, to quit his $10.50 an hour job in a neighboring town and move back to the Emerald City, where he landed a job staffing the front desk of a hotel blocks from the iconic Space Needle. “I knew the minimum wage was going to go up,” he said, undeterred by Seattle’s higher cost of living,

FEBRUARY 2015

including spiraling rents. He’s not making $15 an hour just yet – it’ll take seven years to fully implement the law – but it’s worth the wait. On the national level, President Obama has proposed a $10.10 national minimum wage that is unlikely to become law now that Republicans, who generally oppose raising the wage requirement, control both chambers of the U.S. Congress in the November election. Federal inaction has spurred living-wage advocates in an increasing number of states, including Nebraska, to push for increases in the mandatory minimum. In November, minimum-wage hikes in

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Nebraska, South Dakota, Arkansas and Alaska easily won approval by voters. Nebraska’s Initiative 425 won 59 percent of the vote. In all, 26 states now have minimum wages higher than the $7.25 federal minimum. The Seattle suburb of Seatac, home to one of the country’s busiest airports, was the first community to break the $15 threshold. Voters in 2013 approved a $15 minimum wage for employees at the airport, car parks and the city’s largest hotels. But some companies and business groups have pushed back, spawning lawsuits that have disrupted implementation of the higher wages in Seatac and elsewhere.

As a result, only about 1,600 of the estimated 6,300 Seatac workers who were due a raise got one, according to Heather Weiner, the spokeswoman for the groups behind Seatac’s new minimum wage law. Raises for many airport workers, including baggage handlers and wheelchair attendants, are on hold, pending a legal challenge by Alaska Airlines. The carrier is challenging the authority of voters to impose the higher wages. Other business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, are challenging Seattle’s law on grounds that it is unfair to small franchises of some national companies. In California, two of the state’s largest cities also approved hikes in the minimum wage. In November, voters in San Francisco last year overwhelmingly ratified a $15 an hour minimum wage that would take effect by 2018. And in Los Angeles, the City Council approved a $15.37 an hour minimum for employees of the city’s largest hotels.

But the American Hotel & Lodging Association and the Asian American Hotel Owners Association recently sued Los Angeles to keep the law from going into effect, alleging that the new law -- which would not apply to the city’s smallest hotels and other businesses -- is discriminatory. Implementation of the Nebraska’s new minimum wage law has been far less bumpy. “I think that the fact that it was a modest proposal of up to $9 an hour over a two year period helped to ensure its success,” said former Nebraska state Sen. Danielle Conrad, who co-chaired the campaign that got Nebraska’s minimum wage measure on the ballot. According to the National Employment Law Project, which supported Nebraska’s wage boost, as many as 143,000 workers, or about one of every six workers in the Cornhusker state, will benefit from the raise -- including nearly 50,000 who already make more than $9 an hour but who could also get modest bumps in pay. In 2013, 3.3 million Americans earned $7.25 an hour or less, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Social justice advocates point to the disproportionate number of minimum wage earners – about 40 percent – who are black, Latino or Asian American. The vast majority, or 61 percent, were women who mostly work in the retail and hospitality industries, including restaurants and hotels. More than a fourth did not graduate from high school. Hamar Schlomo, who manages a Mediterranean eatery in downtown Seattle, struggles to keep up with the growing lunch crowds, prompting him to look for help. But he worries about how the increase in the minimum wage will also increase the costs his restaurant will have to pass on to customers, who shell out $8.50 for a falafel. “We’ll probably going to have to raise prices, but we don’t know yet,” he said.

Nebraska’s law does not apply to food servers and other hospitality workers who regularly rely on tips as a major part of their income. State Sen. Jeremy Nordquist of Omaha is proposing legislation that would fill that hole. Modest raises might not seem like much to those who already earn way above the minimum, but it could make all the difference in the world for the poorest Nebraskans, according to Tiffany Seibert Jokel, an organizer with the Coalition for a Strong Nebraska, an umbrella organization that backed the minimum wage law. “We know that the wages for which people work are fundamental to building a good life,” she said. “It probably won’t lift people into the middle class, but it’s a start.” Nebraska has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country and has among the highest rates of two-income households. But despite that, Jokel said, the state’s poverty rate has grown. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 233,973 Nebraskans lived in poverty in 2012; that’s 13 percent of the state population. In 2013, the percentage increased to 13.2 percent – or 239,433 people. — Bobby Caina Calvan The Heartland Project This report is made possible by the Heartland Project, an initiative to broaden news coverage of Nebraska’s communities of color, as well as gay, lesbian and transgender issues. The project is funded by the Ford Foundation and is a collaboration among the University of NebraskaLincoln College of Journalism and Mass Communications, the Asian American Journalists Association and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association. Reach the Heartland Project’s lead reporter, Bobby Caina Calvan, at bobbyc@heartlandproj.org.

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FEBRUARY 2015

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PHOTOGRAPHY JUSTIN BARNES

FEBRUARY2013VOLUME 21NUMBER48 8 COVER STORY SEXPERTS SPEAK 12 COVER STORY CONDOM LADY 16 COVER STORY LGBT AND AD PROGRAM 20 HEALING GOOD VIBRATIONS 25 SPECIAL PROGRAM TATTOO YOU 38 FILM BEN AFFLECK’S WEINER 40 ART WHAT MAKES ART SEXY? 44 THEATER BLOOMING TALE OF LOVE 46 THEATER MAX SPARBER BUFFS UP 48 DISH VEGAN ADVENTURES IN BIG O 50 MUSIC MATT WHIPKEY GOES UNDER 52 PICKS COOL STUFF TO DO 55 HOODOO MEMPHIS MEMORIES 57 OVER THE EDGE STUMBLING IN THE DARK

Publisher John Heaston john@thereader.com Creative Director Eric Stoakes eric@thereader.com Assistant Editor Mara Wilson mara@thereader.com

music: Chris Aponick backbeat@thereader.com over the edge: Tim Mcmahan tim.mcmahan@gmail.com theater: William Grennan coldcream@thereader.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

heartland healing: Michael Braunstein info@heartlandhealing.com arts/visual: Mike Krainak mixedmedia@thereader.com dish: Tamsen Butler crumbs@thereader.com film: Ryan Syrek cuttingroom@thereader.com hoodoo: B.J. Huchtemann bjhuchtemann@gmail.com

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contents

| THE READER |

FEBRUARY 2015

he fundamentals of sex may not have changed much over the years but societal attitudes, relationship dynamics, and the means of meeting partners and communicating look very different than they did even in the not-too-distant past. The Reader surveyed four local experts to get a snapshot of what sex and relationships look like today:

DR. SOFIA JAWED-WESSEL Assistant

professor at the University of Nebraska Omaha in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. “I teach in the area of sexual health and I also do research on sexuality,” she said.

NANCI KAVICH

Co-founder of Profile Wingman (profilewingman.com). “I help people write their online dating profiles and to navigate the world of on- and offline dating in general. It’s so hard to make yourself three-dimensional and have your personality come through and attract the person you want to attract...that’s where we come in.”

KRISTEN LILLA MSW, LCSW, CST, one of only four certified sex therapists in Nebraska. Lilla is in private practice at Omaha Sex Therapy (kristenlilla.com), where she provides therapy services to both individuals and couples.

FEBRUARY 2015

| THE READER |

cover story

GAIL RISCH

Teaches in the department of theology at Creighton University, including the classes Christian Ethics and Theology of Christian Marriage. From 1995 until its closure in 2009, Risch was a researcher with the Center for Marriage and Family at Creighton. She has a particular expertise in sexuality and its place within marriage and marital stability. What books or websites would you recommend to people interested in cultivating healthy relationships and intimacy? Risch: If I had to boil it down to one, The Good Marriage: How and Why Love Lasts by Judith Wallerstein and Sandra Blakeslee. Lilla: Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel; It’s basically about how you keep the intimacy alive in a long-term relationship, and I think that’s something that a lot of relationships struggle with. Rekindling Desire by Barry McCarthy and Emily McCarthy. It’s along the same lines. Intimacy and Desire by David Schnarch. This is a little more wordy and a little more theorybased than some of the others, a bit more intellectual. The Seven Principles of Making Marriage Work by John Gottman. I think there is a lot of good advice in his book even though it’s not sexual in nature. Sex Smart by Aline Goldbrod. It’s a really simplistic, to-the-point book about sexuality, but she traces it back to childhood and how the

things we grew up with influence how we are as adults. Jawed-Wessel: One of my mentors runs a blog called My Sex Professor (mysexprofessor. com)...It’s tailored toward students somewhat and it’s not just one voice; Dr. Debby Herbenick (Indiana University) has a lot of different contributors. People like advice and I tend to enjoy Dan Savage’s ‘Savage Love’ (thestranger.com/ seattle/SavageLove) I don’t always agree with what he has to say but he always has an interesting perspective and I like the diversity as far as the topics and the types of people and relationships he addresses. When someone comes to me with specific concerns or questions, I’m happy to recommend different kinds of books or websites, but it’s hard for me to say ‘This is a website that is good for everybody.’ Kavich: “There’s not one book or one website to help everybody. But there is a website out there called Elite Daily (elitedaily.com) that does a lot of blogs about relationships and mostly relating to twenty-somethings. I’m a huge fan of TED Talks (ted.com), and there’s an app for that. What are the top things people should know about healthy relationships and intimacy? Kavich: The first thing is, you need to establish a goal for yourself. What is it you’re hoping for yourself, relationship-wise? Number two: you need to be happy with yourself, you need to be well-adjusted with yourself. If you’re not happy with yourself, if you’re insecure or whatever it is, how do you expect someone to like you and treat you right? The third thing is to be honest who you are and show your true self. Lilla: Number one is communication. It’s so much easier said than done. Second: Use it or lose it. People come up with excuses and when your sex life suffers then you get in this rut where you have such a low libido, or you’re in a nonsexual relationship because you’re not putting the effort into it. The third thing is being present and actively partaking in your relationship. A fourth one: Have common interests and date night and adult conversations. Jawed-Wessel: Pretty much every sex therapist and sex educator emphasizes communication, and it cannot be stated enough. Risch: Healthy relationships always involve communication skills, the ability to resolve conflicts, and commitment to the relationship/ marriage. What are the top misconceptions about relationships and intimacy? Risch: A misconception is that you can change your partner. That one is alive and well out there, especially among women: ‘He’ll change after marriage or over time, I’ll get him to change.’ Another misconception is that extended family doesn’t matter: ‘I don’t care what his parents continued on page 10 y

cover story

| THE READER |

FEBRUARY 2015

y continued from page 9

say’ or ‘I don’t care what the siblings say.’ It does definitely matter. Another misconception is: ‘My own satisfaction is the thing that is most important here.’ Lilla: Number one, that it’s easy. I think people get excited and they rush into things and they kind of have that high, but it doesn’t sustain itself and that’s not realistic for the long-term. Number two is a big one and I think people don’t view it this way, but it’s a misconception that you can control your partner. One more thing, and this is actually more sex-related: People come in and they talk about, they focus everything on, orgasm...we discredit all of the other things intimacy is all about. Kavich: Opposites attract: That’s a common one you hear, but really, people are looking for someone similar to them. Another: Age matters. You can learn from each other and as long as it goes with your goal, age doesn’t really matter. The third: You need chemistry right away. A lot of times when the chemistry and the sex is the thing that stands out the most, you miss the other side. Jawed-Wessel: There’s so much pressure on ourselves and our partners that every sexual act needs to be the most mind-blowing experience and if it’s not, that means we don’t love each other as much as we potentially could somebody else. What do you tell teenagers about sex? Jawed-Wessel: I do recommend that as a society we be more frank with our young adults in general, be honest about issues related to sexuality instead of just focusing on those terrible things, the STIs and unwanted pregnancies that might happen if you have sex. We use these things to scare them out of wanting to have sex, more often than not. It’s worth talking to your child about sex, it’s worth talking to teenagers in an open and frank way. It’s not promoting sex, but promoting an open dialogue about sex, without judgment. Risch: I have been involved in some studies about sexuality education in high school. Here’s my gut, based on research as well: you provide comprehensive sexuality education which includes everything from abstinence to all information about relationships and learning to date and contraception, etc. Comprehensive education. Kavich: I have two daughters and I’ve always told them, ‘Don’t do anything you’ll regret. Always make it your decision, don’t let anyone talk you into anything because at the end of the day, you have to live with your own actions.’... You should be treated the way you want to be treated and not expect anything less. Lilla: We always talk about anatomy and we always talk about contraceptive and STDs, but I firmly believe sexuality education should not be shame-based and that it should be sex-positive. So what do I tell teenagers about sex? Two words: the truth.

FEBRUARY 2015

One thing that I really emphasize, that is a really important thing to me, is consent. I do some activist work in the community with Slutwalk (slutwalkomaha.weebly.com) and I organized Vagina Monologues in Omaha). Both of those are about stopping violence against women and girls and bringing awareness to rape culture. What do you think is the most romantic music? Kavich: It’s whatever moves you. A lot of music will bring you back to a time—almost like a sense—that brings you back to a memory, romantic times or times when you felt wonderful. Lilla: My answer is sort of cheesy: your partner’s breathing or heartbeat. I know it’s cliché, but it goes back to being present rather than having that distraction in the background, really being in tune with your partner. Jawed-Wessel: I think music, especially music with words, can be very distracting and can cover up the actual sex noises. I like sex noises. I’m sure there are plenty of people who would completely disagree with that...I study and talk about sex all the time so it makes sense that I would not be turned off by sexual noises where somebody else might be. You know when your relationship and intimacy are healthy when ___________? Kavich: I think it’s when you’re confident in the trust and honesty in the relationship. And you really care about and respect this person. Lilla: When people have a good sex life, their relationship is usually pretty healthy, they’re communicating and they’re spending time together and they’re prioritizing. Risch: There’s mutual trust, mutual respect and you have a sense of being a team. The word ‘mutual’ is very important. How has communication changed regarding dating, relationships and sex from past to present? Risch: I would complain that it’s too casual and is not thoughtful communication these days. Somebody years ago had to sit down and write out a letter, and they had to put a great deal of thought into that and choose their words carefully. Now, with texting, it’s using phrases—not even whole sentences—it’s very casual and I think that’s to the detriment of true communication. Too casual, too quick. I’m not a fan. Lilla: Absolutely there are pros and cons...For couples, it can be a really good things because they can keep things interesting, send those flirty text messages or pictures or whatever. On the contrary, as far as dating there are almost and too many outlets, so many different dating websites, and then you have things like Tinder out there now. It accentuates this hooking-up culture rather than genuine interaction, so I think it can

| THE READER |

cover story

be difficult for people looking for a relationship who are trying to utilize and navigate the online world. Kavich: The whole online world is all so curated and all so what you want to show people and not necessarily what is actually the reality. As much as I think you have to have a good online profile, I think that you need to get offline as soon as possible and meet this person in person. How do legal and privacy issues affect the way people approach modern relationships? Kavich: It’s just so strange that everything has become so public...now there’s almost too much and there are people who are oversharing with sexting and sending nude photos and the sex videos...Nothing’s sacred anymore. Lilla: There are so many aspects where it does catch up with people, like revenge porn or even with celebrities’ naked photos leaking...I think that’s deserving of a bigger conversation, on privacy and legal rights and where the line is drawn. The other side of that is ‘just don’t take those kinds of photos’, but I think that’s blaming-the-victim mentality. Are alternative lifestyles more accepted or more challenging today? Lilla: There needs to be more discussion and education, so I’d say (alternative lifestyles) are extremely challenging...When we’re talking about open relationships or swinging or whatever, that’s fine if it’s not for you—don’t do it! But I think we can respect that other people are different from you. Risch: Multiple partners? No. Here in the Midwest, everybody’s opposed—young people and old people are into fidelity. To be betrayed by the person with whom you think you have a faithful relationship; that is horrible. Kavich: I think it’s more okay to be discussed. I think that people aren’t

as judgmental, because with the Internet so much is shared and there’s not as much stigma as there used to be because we realize it is more common than we think. Are LGBTQ relationships more accepted or more challenging today? Lilla: I’ll share some statistics, and some of them are so scary and staggering: 49 percent of transgender people attempt suicide and one in 12 transgender people in America is murdered. I think we accept LGBTQ relationships more than ever before, but we certainly have a lot more work to do, especially in the transgender community. Jawed-Wessel: They are both more accepted and more challenging. The reason they’re more accepted is because more and more couples are demanding to have equal rights and to be visible in their relationships and not have to hide their sexuality. But because of that, you are going to have more people challenging that; they go hand in hand. I often use the word ‘partner’, but it’s coming to the place where we can say ‘spouse’ and that’s where we are crossing the boundaries of same-sex and heterosexual marriage. Young people all are for it and very supportive. Many of them see it as a justice issue; they ‘get it’ that you’re born—you don’t make a choice about—your orientation...That’s very different from their parents and grandparents. Kavich: People—more now than ever—are realizing that ‘your lifestyle doesn’t affect me, so why should I care about your lifestyle?’ People are out now and it is being talked about and I think that’s a healthy lesson for us and to get us to the place we need to be eventually. , For the full text of the interviews, please visit thereader.com.

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| THE READER |

FEBRUARY 2015

condomlady: Sex talk comes with the job for county STDHIV prevention specialist Sherri Nared-Brooks

FEBRUARY 2015

BY LEO ADAM BIGA

DEBRA S. KAPLAN

sextalk

Telling it like it is no problem for this veteran on the sexual health frontlines

merica’s schizophrenic about sex. Images and hookups abound, yet in this information age many folks don’t know, follow or discuss safe practices. That incongruity explains why sexually transmitted diseases are at epidemic levels and why things never slow down for Sherri Nared-Brooks in her role as Douglas County Health Department STD-HIV Prevention Specialist. Her main focus is North Omaha, where the epidemic’s acute among African-Americans. Her deep ties there, along with her straight talk and personal mission, give her street cred making the rounds at barber shops and clubs. “I believe in keeping it real, so I talk in the vernacular they understand,” she says of young men and women she encounters at her office or out and about. She knows urban sex slang and doesn’t make moral judgments. “It’s about accepting people where they’re at and reminding them the things they’re doing are putting them at risk, so whether it’s at the jail or at a barbershop or I’m walking down 24th Street, I pass out condoms. They may not know my name, but they know me as the Condom Lady or the STD Lady.” She addresses the topic, too, at prisons, hospitals, schools, churches, community centers, health fairs. Always looking for nontraditional sites, she has eight public libraries holding screenings. In her experience young people are cool talking sex but what kids get at school, home, worship center or doctor’s office is often woefully inadequate. That leaves teens gleaning often wrong or insufficient info

| THE READER |

cover story

where they can. Denial and magical thinking – “it happens to other people, not me” – run rampant. She fills gaps, dispels myths and emphasizes anyone not using protection or practicing abstinence is at risk, period. It’s about education and testing, but it starts with self-worth. “It’s just about loving them and wanting them to love themselves. It’s getting people to understand they’re important and they need to take responsibility for their own health. I teach women they’re the prize. When you know you’re the prize you’re not going to just give yourself to anybody, because once he gets it from you he wants it from your friend, your cousin. If you keep yourself, he doesn’t have a choice but to respect you because you’re respecting you. “The things I teach I had to learn over my own lifetime,” she says. Raising five kids helped prepare her. Then there’s the fellas. “I tell guys, if she’s having sex with you that easy, you need to be afraid because she’s giving it to everybody else, too, and if she’s saying she doesn’t want to use a condom you really need to be afraid.” When you have sex with someone, she stresses, you essentially have sex with everyone they’ve been with. It’s all about exposure. She imparts the same message to folks engaging in same-sex relations. She enlists business owners as foot soldiers in the fight to reduce STDs. Alesia Lester at Gossip Salon, 5625 Ames Ave., is glad to help the cause. “Sherri comes in and educates us and that allows us to educate the client. She makes people aware. She’s very

passionate about it and it’s so needed. I had a child at 15. I didn’t understand myself, so I definitely didn’t understand my body. I wish I’d had someone that could have sat me down and talked to me without me being afraid my mom would know. Sherri makes it plain and people respect her.” “To me, they’re champions in helping get the word out to educate people,” NaredBrooks says of community partners like Lester. Nared-Brooks targets barbers, stylists, bartenders on the theory people open up about their sex lives to them. “You may not tell your doctor, but you’re going to tell your barber. They know who’s doing what.” She schools owners on the basics, leaving condoms, fact packs and kits for on-site testing. Lester welcomes it all. Both women say confidentiality is maintained throughout. With so many places to hit and so many people at risk, Nared-Brooks ends up doing much work on her own time. “It needs to be done.” She calls her personal SUV “the STD truck” for all the supplies it carries. She trains others to do prevention-education work and she’d like to train more.” There’s only one of me,” she says. She’s encouraged her strategy’s working when proprietors take the lead. For example, Lester and her salon colleagues all got tested and her customers often ask for kits. Confirmation comes, too, when people seek the STD Lady’s advice about behaviors or symptoms and come in for testing. “That makes me know I’ve done my job. Until we look at getting tested for STDs as a regular checkup and take away the stigma of it, the numbers are going to stay high. We need to give the message it’s OK to get tested and it’s kind of crazy to not get tested. You need to do it for yourself before you start sharing with someone else. And show each other your test results. Before my husband and I got married we showed each other our paperwork. “It’s about loving me.” Her husband, Walter Brooks, joins her on the front-lines of sexual health. They earned the Nebraska AIDS Project’s Shining Star Award for their awareness-prevention efforts. It wasn’t their first recognition. He covered prevention as a University of Nebraska Medical Center public relations specialist and still does for the Omaha Star. They met when he interviewed her. She accepted his invitation to speak at his church. They’ve been a team ever since. “My husband is awesome. He’s like my biggest fan, my biggest advocate. We do this community service together. He knows it’s not just something I do as a job. Right now, it seems like for me it’s life. “When I stand before God and give an account of my life I want to know I used all my talents.” , Sherri will be doing screenings at North High for National Black HIV/ AIDS Awareness Day on Feb. 7. For details, visit www.northomahaccc.org. Read more of Leo Adam Biga’s work at leoadambiga. wordpress.com.

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FEBRUARY 2015

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FEBRUARY 2015

ocal teens have limited knowledge about STDs, harbor fear and denial about the risks involved with sexual activity, and aren’t using condoms regularly or at all. With half of teens sexually active by the end of high school, these factors translate into the Omaha area having some of the highest sexually transmitted disease (STD) rates in the nation, and youth ages 15-24 make up approximately 50 percent of the cases. Worse, health professionals estimate that for each known STD case there are two more individuals unknowingly infected. And while the teen pregnancy rate has declined somewhat in recent years, teen pregnancy is still prevalent. A research study conducted last fall by the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s College of Public Health and focusing on the Omaha/Douglas County area revealed not only these undesirable statistics, but also showed that minority youth are disproportionately affected by teen pregnancies and STDs. The time was right for a new initiative with an aim to decrease teen pregnancy, STD rates, and risky sexual behavior among young people. The Women’s Fund of Omaha joined forces with the Sherwood Foundation, Douglas County Health Department, Nebraska Department of Education, Nebraska Methodist Health System, UNMC College of Public Health, the United Way of the Midlands, and Building Healthy Futures to establish the Adolescent Health Project.

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Launched last month, the four priorities of the Adolescent Health Project include advocating for medically accurate, age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education in all middle and high schools utilizing the nationally recognized WISE (Working to Institutionalize Sex Ed) approach; supporting STD testing and treatment among clinical providers; launching a cutting-edge awareness campaign directed to teens; and increase access to long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). Serve—a Milwaukee-based nonprofit advertising agency which has implemented a successful, longstanding teen pregnancy prevention campaign in other markets—has developed a multi-year, multichannel marketing strategy to get important messaging to Omaha-area adolescents. “Everything is going to be interesting, provocative, surprising,” Serve founder Gary Mueller said, starting with an “Anyone Can Get One” STD testing and resource awareness campaign and a general awareness social media campaign. The awareness component doesn’t end with merely making teens think about the consequences of risky sexual behavior; it leads them to local, accessible resources for STD testing and treatment via the launch of the getcheckedomaha.com website and a companion resource hotline, 844-690CHKD (2453). Adults may even learn a thing or two. To test your knowledge of STDs and sexual health, take the 11-question online quiz at getcheckedomaha.com/take-the-stds. ,

he Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, released its first national report last month assessing the status of state legislation affecting LGBT equality across America. Nebraska did not fare well. The HRC’s State Equality Index (SEI) assessed states on their LGBT-related legislation and policies in six areas: relationship recognition, parenting laws and policies, non-discrimination laws, hate crime laws, anti-bullying laws, and health and safety laws and policies. Based on that review, the SEI assigns states to one of four categories. Nebraska and 28 other states fall into the lowest-performing category, “High Priority to Achieve Basic Equality.” Most of these states have many laws that undermine LGBT equality such as criminalizing HIV and sodomy or allowing religious-based discrimination against LGBT people. A handful of states have court-ordered marriage equality, none have non-discrimination laws that include sexual orientation or gender identity protections, and few have hate-crime laws. Nebraska is one of 32 states that have explicit state-level workplace protections for all LGBT employees. However, Nebraska lacks basic statewide non-discrimination protections for LGBT people and is one of 14 states that does not have marriage equality. “The SEI demonstrates that the Cornhusker state is out of step with much of the rest of the country. It is a valuable tool for showing specific policy areas where Nebraska can improve the quality of life for our LGBT residents,” said Danielle Conrad, the executive director for American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Nebraska. The full report including detailed scorecards for every state, is available at hrc.org/sei. ,

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FEBRUARY 2015

MASTERWORKS

FA M I LY

— Cleveland Plain Dealer

Thomas ’s Adventures in Music Sunday, February 22, 2015

Garrick Ohlsson Plays Rachmaninoff

Thomas Wilkins, conductor

Thomas Wilkins, conductor Garrick Ohlsson, piano

Craig L. Fuller, tuba

Friday & Saturday, February 27 & 28, 2015

Dave Wingert, narrator

Join Music Director Thomas Wilkins on an exhilarating journey full of energy and fun, straight into the heart and soul of music.

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HINDEMITH: Symphonic Metamorphosis STRAUSS: Death and Transfiguration RACHMANINOFF: Piano Concerto No. 2

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Saturday & Sunday, March 14 & 15, 2015 From the 1812 Overture to the Ride of the Valkyries to Boléro, your Omaha Symphony performs a rousing program of the most popular, exhilarating, and grand orchestral blockbusters.

Concerts take place at the Holland Center. FEBRUARY 2015

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The Best of the ‘70s

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Saturday, March 21, 2015

Thomas Wilkins, conductor

Dazzling displays of technique...the rare artist possessed of not only virtuosity but also raw muscle and panache.

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Matt Catingub, conductor Anita Hall, vocals | Steve Moretti, drums

The Holland Center heats up with the greatest hits of the Doobie Brothers, Paul McCartney and Wings, the Carpenters, and The Eagles. Grammy-winner Matt Catingub returns after his sold-out 2014 Symphony Rocks concert.

Saturday April 18th - Elmwood Park 11:00am - 6:00pm

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FEBRUARY 2015

healing

ust over 100 years ago, the most common cause for a woman to visit her family physician was a bad case of hysteria, a scourge once common in the 1800s that struck women of child-bearing years, married or single, young or old. Hysteria was officially a female illness and by the 1890s, these patients comprised a significant proportion of many a physician’s practice. Most of us understand the word “hysterical” in its more modern sense. We take it to mean the idea of something uncontrollably funny or absurd or emotional to the extent of upset. That’s only the recent connotation. Literally translated from the Latin, hysteria means “out of the uterus.” For centuries, medically speaking, hysteria meant “womb disease.” As described by Hippocrates, Avicenna, Galen, and Celsus in the classical period and Freud, Charcot and others in modern times, hysteria was a woman’s disease. Hysterical women displayed irritability, anxiety, sleeplessness, nervousness, sensations of heaviness in the abdomen, lower pelvic edema and erotic fantasy. Throughout history, doctors relied on but one cure for hysteria. The technical term for this cure was “uterine paroxysm,” literally a contraction of the uterus. Uterine paroxysm left women relaxed and serene. Come now! By any other name, a uterine contraction or paroxysm is known as an orgasm. That’s right. Hysteria was the disease. Orgasm

that took upwards of an hour. Many docs could remove an appendix faster than they could give a patient a “paroxysm.” But when accomplished, relief

‘good’vibrations was the cure. Medicine is typically clinical and sterile. Though medicine refrained from officially relating “uterine paroxysm” to sex, many medical recommendations referred bluntly to having hysterical women go home and have the “husband take care of her.” In short, throughout the history of medical practice, female hysteria was thought to be the result of sexual deprivation. It wasn’t until 1952 that the American Psychiatric Association officially removed hysteroneurosthenic disorders from its list of modern disease paradigms. Get a buzz on. Author Rachel P. Maines documented this bizarre outlook on female sexuality and the strange practice of medicine common in the past. In The Technology of Orgasm – ‘Hysteria’, the Vibrator and Women’s Sexual Satisfaction, Maines provides a detailed look at an astonishing and androcentric view of sexuality, health and technology. As absurd as this whole thing sounds, by the 1890s a diagnosis of hysteria brought millions of women (and dollars) to doctors for a cure. The treatment performed by the doctor in his office was manual massage of the female genitalia until “paroxysm” was reached. Doctors complained that sometimes

FEBRUARY 2015

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The orgasmic solution to a made-up medical woe BY MICHAEL BRAUNSTEIN

was nearly 100 percent — until the next time the patient became “hysterical.” (Certainly there were other types of “hysteria” that were pathological or psychological disorders similar to severe mental illness that would institutionalize someone today.) A large part of a physician’s practice in the late nineteenth century was made up of hysterical women. Maines notes that there is no evidence that the doctors enjoyed their work of giving women orgasms. In fact, quite the contrary according to Maines. Doctors often lacked the patience or interest to spend the required time with patients to give them relief from hysteria. Assistants, nurses and office staff were enlisted to perform what doctors (and many husbands of the period) saw as a tedious task. Enter technology. As Maines writes, doctors wanted to provide their hysterical patients with relief but not at the cost of the time and skill required. They resorted to various methods to speed the process and relieve themselves of the work. One early method used a stream of water to do the massaging. Hydriatic massage, as it was called, was successful but required considerable office modification and was messy. Mechanical devices using treadle power, spring power and even steam power were devel-

healing

oped to provide a consistent vibration to the desired area of the body. Massage was therapeutic for other ailments besides hysteria, but doctors found the vibrating massage was perfect for producing orgasm – er, — “uterine paroxysm.” One steam powered device had a vibrating mechanism suspended beneath a therapy table with the operative attachment protruding through an opening where the patient would place the pelvic region. Most of these early vibrating devices were awkward and required a capital investment that even a large patient-base of hysterical women couldn’t justify. But in 1880, British physician Joseph Granville developed a battery-operated electromechanical device that was easy to use and effective. There was a selection of “vibratodes” that allowed it to be used for any number of therapeutic purposes. Derivations of Granville’s invention became standard equipment in clinics throughout the Western hemisphere. Medical exhibits at the Paris Expo in 1900 displayed over a dozen therapeutic vibrators. Ads, articles and textbooks published around the turn of the century extolled the vibrator’s time-saving and labor-saving qualities, especially for gynecological massage. There was a vibrational revolution going on and doctors were getting exactly what they wanted: relief from a job they didn’t want to do. Like mechanics at a garage, they could reach up toward the ceiling of their office and pull down an electrical device suspended by a wire, select the appropriate attachment and finish their treatment in one-tenth the time. Or they could place their patient on a therapy table, face-down, plug in the vibrating portion of the device and come back 15 minutes later to a “beaming, healthy, radiant patient, no longer hysterical but energized and vital,” just as ads in the professional journals promised. By 1910, the electric vibrator was being marketed as a home appliance in family periodicals, with ads in such respected magazines as Modern Women, McClure’s, Needlecraft, and Modern Priscilla. Price dropped and technology advanced, devices were simpler and a funny thing happened. Fewer women made that trip to the doctor’s office for treatment. Medicine had looked at women’s sexual frustration, men’s negligence or ignorance in contributing to it and labeled it a disease. Then technology placed the cure in the hands of women everywhere. Modern medicine and technology had found a cure for the disease that wasn’t a disease. And it was available to women everywhere. Be well. , Heartland Healing is a metaphysically based polemic describing alternatives to conventional methods of healing the body, mind and planet. It is provided as information and entertainment, certainly not medical advice. Important to remember and pass on to others: for a weekly dose of Heartland Healing, visit HeartlandHealing.com.

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WAG-A-GRAM February 13 & February 14 $35

Support the Midlands Humane Society this Valentineâ€™s Day by purchasing a WAG-A-GRAM! Each WAG-A-GRAM is $35 and includes delivery of a personalized Valentine, cookie and rose by one of our canine volunteers to a business or home in Council Bluffs or Omaha.

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FEBRUARY 2015

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mUSIC

BEST ROCK John Klemmensen and the Party One Eye White Pancho & The Contraband Stonebelly The Decatures We Be Lions BEST HARD ROCK Arson City Break Maiden Narcotic Self Screaming For Silence The End In Red The Zero Sum BEST ALTERNATIVE/INDIE Civicminded Clear The Day Digital Leather Lot Walks Oketo See Through Dresses BEST SINGER-SONGWRITER All Young Girls Are Machine Guns Aly Peeler Daniel Christian Jocelyn Matt Whipkey Mitch Gettman BEST DJ DJ Mellie Mel DJ Mista Soul DJ Shor-T E Babbs Kethro Surreal the MC BEST AMERICANA/FOLK Dirty River Ramblers Evan Bartels & The Stoney Lonesomes Matt Cox Band Southpaw Bluegrass Band The Electroliners The Willards Band BEST COUNTRY Belles & Whistles Dallas Hendrix Dylan Bloom Band Jason Earl Band Jimmy Weber Nathan Wade BEST R&B/SOUL Clark & Company Dominique Morgan Josh Hoyer and The Shadowboxers Kris Lager Band Satchel Grande The 9s BEST HIP-HOP/RAP Both Latin Threat Marcey Yates M34N STR33T Purveyors of the Conscious Sound ShooK on3 BEST BLUES Christy Rossiter & 112 North Duck Brad Cordle Band Dilemma Hector Anchondo Band Mojo Bag Shawn Holt and The Teardrops BEST JAZZ Escape from Alcajazz Luke Polipnick Trio LymphNode Maniacs

nominees Omaha Guitar Trio Steve Raybine Todd Campbell BEST PROGRESSIVE ROCK/EXPERIMENTAL/EDM Dereck Higgins Funk Trek Linear Symmetry Plack Blague The Midland Band Touch People BEST ETHNIC DJEM Edem Esencia Latina Band Polka Police The Prairie Gators The Bishops BEST COVER BAND 3D In Your Face Punching Puppets Rock and Roll Suicide R Style Secret Weapon The 402 LOCAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR Brad Hoshaw & the Seven Deadlies – FUNERAL GUNS Josh Hoyer and The Shadowboxers – JOSH HOYER AND THE SHADOWBOXERS Marcey Yates – SOCIAL STUDIES. VANILLA SKY. Matt Cox Band – NISHNABOTNA See Through Dresses – SEE THROUGH DRESSES The 9s – GENTLEMEN CALLER The Zero Sum – DISSIDENT We Be Lions – FINGERPRINT ARTIST OF THE YEAR Arson City Belles & Whistles Dereck Higgins Dominique Morgan John Klemmensen and the Party Josh Hoyer and The Shadowboxers M34N STR33T Twinsmith BEST NEW ARTIST Bazile Mills Kait Berreckman Low Long Signal Shuless Uh Oh When Towers Fall

PERFORMING ARTS

BEST MUSICAL ELLA – Omaha Community Playhouse LES MISÉRABLES – Omaha Community Playhous PHANTOM – Creighton University TARZAN – Rose Theater YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN – Omaha Commnity Playhouse

TRIBES – SNAP! Productions VOICES FROM THE CLOSET – SNAP! Productions WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT… – SNAP! Productions BEST NEW SCRIPT THE BATTLE OF BATTLES – Joseph Basque, Shelterbelt Theatre DEATH BY DESIGN – Rob Urbinati, UNO Theatre THE GROCER’S GOBLIN & THE LITTLE MERAID –Brian Guehring & Stephanie Jacobson, The Rose Theater STEPHEN KING’S THE SHINING – Jason Levering, Benson Theatre VOICES FROM THE CLOSET – Daena Schweiger, SNAP! Productions BEST DIRECTOR – MUSICAL Susie Baer Collins & Carl Beck – LES MISÉRABLES, Omaha Community Playhouse Carl Beck & Susie Baer Collins – YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, Omaha Comm. Playhouse Anthony Clark-Kaczmarek – ANNIE, Papillion-La Vista Community Theatre Jim McKain – 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, Ralston Community Theater Kit McKay – TARZAN, Rose Theater BEST DIRECTOR – PLAY Susan Clement-Toberer – 33 VARIATIONS, Blue Barn Theatre Noah Diaz & M. Michele Phillips – WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT…, SNAP! Productions John Hardy – JACKIE AND ME, Rose Theater Amy Lane – RACE, Omaha Community Playhouse Daena Schweiger – THE BATTLE OF BATTLES, Shelterbelt Theatre BEST ACTOR – MUSICAL Joe Dignoti – LES MISÉRABLES, Omaha Community Playhouse Ryan Heidenreich – TARZAN, Rose Theater Jeff Pierce – NEXT TO NORMAL, Omaha Community Playhouse Chris Thackray – ANNIE, Papillion-La Vista Community Theatre BEST ACTOR – PLAY Doug Blackburn – RACE, Omaha Community Playhouse Noah Diaz – TRIBES, SNAP! Productions Monty Eich – BOEING, BOEING, Omaha Community Playhouse Joe Miloni – THE HEIRESS, Brigit Saint Brigit Matthew Pyle – ENRON, Omaha Community Playhouse BEST ACTRESS – MUSICAL Karrin Dignoti – FOLLIES, Chanticleer Theater Chelsey Hill – PHANTOM, Creighton University Angela Jenson-Frey – NEXT TO NORMAL, Omaha Community Playhouse Camille Metoyer-Moten – TARZAN, Rose Theater Kathy Tyree – ELLA, Omaha Community Playhouse

BEST COMEDY THE BATTLE OF BATTLES – Shelterbelt Theatre BOEING, BOEING – Omaha Community Playhouse DEATH BY DESIGN – UNO Theatre GOD OF CARNAGE – Blue Barn Theatre RAMONA QUIMBY – Rose Theater

BEST ACTRESS – PLAY Lanette Metoyer-Moore – HAVING OUR SAY, Omaha Community Playhouse Camille Metoyer-Moten – HAVING OUR SAY, Omaha Community Playhouse Ruth Rath – 33 VARIATIONS, Blue Barn Theatre Sally Neumann Scamfer – COME BACK, LITTLE SHEBA, SNAP! Productions Katlynn Yost – THE HEIRESS, Brigit Saint Brigit

BEST DRAMA 33 VARIATIONS – Blue Barn Theatre ENRON – Omaha Community Playhouse RACE – Omaha Community Playhouse

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – MUSICAL Thomas Gjere – NEXT TO NORMAL, Omaha Community Playhouse

Joe O’Connor – LES MISÉRABLES, Omaha Community Playhouse Cork Ramer – LES MISÉRABLES, Omaha Community Playhouse Spencer Williams – YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, Omaha Community Playhouse Sam Woods – THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, Ralston Community Theatre BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – PLAY Noah Diaz – THE BATTLE OF BATTLES,

Shelterbelt Theatre J. Scott Fowler – VOICES FROM THE CLOSET, SNAP! Productions Thomas Gjere – WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT SNAP! Productions Doug Hayko – VOICES FROM THE CLOSET, SNAP! Productions Jonathan Purcell – GNIT, Blue Barn Theatre BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – MUSICAL Julie Crowell – LES MISÉRABLES, Omaha Community Playhouse Megan McGuire – LES MISÉRABLES, Omaha Community Playhouse Judy Radcliff – YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, Omaha Community Playhouse Abigael Stewart – LES MISÉRABLES, Omaha Community Playhouse Jennifer Tritz – LES MISÉRABLES, Omaha Community Playhouse BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – PLAY Nichole Nelson Hawkins – VOICE FROM THE CLOSET, SNAP! Productions Mary Kelly – 33 VARIATIONS, Blue Barn Theatre Kaitlyn McClincy – TRIBES, SNAP! Productions Colleen O’Doherty –WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT… – SNAP! Productions Regina Palmer – TRIBES, SNAP! Productions BEST YOUTH PERFORMER Grace Bydalek – NEXT TO NORMAL, Omaha Community Playhouse Evelyn Hill – PHANTOM, Creighton University Noah Jeffrey – LES MISÉRABLES, Omaha Community Playhouse Grace Titus – LES MISERABLES, Omaha Community Playhouse Graham Waterstraat – TARZAN, Rose Theater Erin Wolf – ANNIE, Papillion-La Vista Community Theatre BEST SLAM POET Chris August Devel Crisp Ruth Kohtz Reagan Myers Zedeka Poindexter BEST COMEDIAN Jack Comstock

Ryan de la Garza Heather Jones Georgia Rae Nick Rowley

BEST COMEDY ENSEMBLE 1980star Comedy The Backline The Doom Room OK Party Comedy The Weisenheimers BEST DANCE PRODUCTION High Viscosity – Ætherplough

Momentum – Ballet Nebraska The Nutcracker – Ballet Nebraska Snow White – Ballet Nebraska

VISUAL ARTS

BEST VISUAL ARTIST Littleton Alston Jar Schepers Steve Tamayo Bart Vargas Watie White BEST EMERGING VISUAL ARTIST Sam Herron Courtney Kenny Porto Reggie LeFlore Sarah Rowe Jar Schepers BEST VISUAL SOLO SHOW Littleton Alston – HANNIBAL, Lied Art Gallery, Creighton University Derek Courtney - …AND THEN YOU DIE, Sweatshop Gallery Paul Konchagulian – STEEL WILL, Sunderland Gallery, Cathedral Cultural Center Sarah Rowe – ONE LITTLE INDIAN, RNG Gallery Jar Schepers – JAR SCHEPERS: MATERIALIZATION, Moving Gallery BEST 2-PERSON VISUAL ART SHOW Steve Tamayo & Paul High Horse – WE’RE STILL STANDING HERE, Kaneko Mike Giron & Riccardo Marchio – ON THE BRI-TER SIDE OF POST APOCALYPTIC MINIMALISM, Fred Simon Gallery, Nebraska Arts Council Peg Pennell & Laura Rocke –TEXTILES, Fred Simon Gallery, Nebraska Arts Council BEST GROUP VISUAL ART SHOW ALL THE RAGE – RNG Gallery ARTIST’S SHRINES and RELIQUARIES – Sweatshop Gallery BRASS TAXX – Sweatshop Gallery WORKS BY JAMES FREEMAN, TOM SWANSON, JEFF YOACHIM, & PAULA YOACHIM – Hot Shops BEST PUBLIC ART THE TRIANGULATION PROJECT – Mike Giron; 4314 Leavenworth St., Omaha 13TH STREET MURAL & A MIDSUMMER’S MURAL – Richard Harrison &Koenig-Dunne Law; 1266 S. 13thSt COMMUNITY VISIONS – Alex Roskelly, Weston Thompson, Hugo Zamorano, & Kent Bellows Mentoring Program; UNO Community Engagement Center ALL THAT EVER WAS, ALWAYS IS – Watie White; Emmet Street, Omaha AN AWESOME WAVE – Ying Zhu; Project Harmony, 11949 Q St., Omaha BEST 2D VISUAL ARTIST Victoria Hoyt Stephen Kavanaugh Jeff King Lynn Piper Sarah Rowe BEST 3D VISUAL ARTIST Jamie Burmeister Paul Konchagulian Jar Schepers Steve Tamayo Bart Vargas

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FEBRUARY 2015

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FEBRUARY 2015

nown as “The Voice of the Tattoo World,” Dr. Carl Blasphemy grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. His interest in tattoos started as a child, after he raided his uncle’s collection of biker magazines and saw all of the intriguing artwork. He desired the freedom of expression and the lifestyle they were living. To him, they had a “look” that set them apart from others. Consequently, he got his first tattoo at the age of 16. Since then, he’s been on a mission to separate himself from the herd, which he’s accomplished, but it’s not just because he has a flaming red goatee. Armed with a degree from the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland in TV and Radio, he started doing press releases and media relations for several promoters with mounting success. He soon got involved with the artists, vendors, expo workers, unions, police, and public. He quickly became the voice of Tattoo Magazine, Easyriders and the largest tattoo events in the country, one of them being the Best in the Midwest in Council Bluffs. Recently, he’s helped with the casting of the television show Ink Master and even made a few appearances. Promoter/tattoo artist Shane O’Neil has hired him for this event, which to many, is a sure sign of a successful event. Dr. Blasphemy had a few brief moments to discuss who he is and where he comes from before heading off to yet another engagement. How did you get the gig with the convention in Omaha/Council Bluffs? Dr. Carl Blasphemy: After years as an award-winning broadcaster and while working at 98 Rock in Baltimore an expo came to DC that needed an Emcee. That convention advertised on my station and asked them if they had a DJ that could host the show and fit in; they said we have this one guy, lol, the rest is history! Almost immediately other promoters saw and heard what I was doing and adding to shows; they started calling me to do their events too. My role at the events expanded as my knowledge of the industry grew. I read you have a background in comedy writing. Have you always had an interest in comedy and comedy writing? Yes. I often got in trouble as a kid for my quick wit and sharp retorts. Again, my uncle’s stash turned me onto Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Redd Foxx, and others things that any 7-year-old should not hear. I started in el-

FEBRUARY 2015

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of a few thousand people ranges from being nervous to utter euphoria. A large show reminds me how far we have come in the business and the acceptance that we have now. Anything you dislike? I miss the intimacy of the smaller shows. Have you been to Omaha before? Never, but I have sung about it with the Counting Crows. What are looking forward to about this convention most? I am excited about the line up of artists at this event. It is truly the best of the best! These are the artists we see in the publications every month, on TV, social media, and the artists that new tattooers want to learn from. In comparison, if this was a rock show, I would be playing with Elvis, The Stones, Beatles, Metallica, and Springsteen. These guys are all hall of fame tattoo artists. Even after working with these people all of these years, I am still a fan. Where does your name come from? I hosted a segment on the 98 Rock morning show that covered professional wrestling and I needed a name that sounded like a wrestlers; I pulled a nick name from my childhood and an underground comic.

ementary school and by 5th grade I wrote my first scene for a class play. Do you feel like it’s a tough industry? Yes! Humor changes with the times and social attitudes. It is very hard to stay true and still keep everyone happy. There is a fine line between offensive and funny so I tread it like a tightrope walker. We have many families at the events so you need to keep them in mind. I have seen and heard this go wrong at events so I now replace those people. What do you like about hosting big events? I love the energy thousands of people in one room can give off. The feeling that I get from being on stage in front

Are you still involved in radio? No. My travel schedule has increased to the point where it is impossible to hold an on-air job. At first I had to drop down to part-time and left 98 Rock to work for Westwood One Radio writing and reporting news and traffic for many Baltimore radio stations. Now I travel out on Thursday and come home on Monday. The rest of the week I try my best to be super single dad to an amazing teenage son. Between the expos and my son, I no longer have time for radio, I am now living another dream. I can still be heard on commercials that I voice for the events, occasionally for a local business, and seen at charity events or working with children on an anti-bullying campaign. What’s up next after the convention? I immediately roll into Philadelphia to hang out with over 25,000 people for the largest tattoo event in the country, the Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Expo. I currently do three of four shows a month across the USA! — Kyle Eustice

PHOTOGRAPHY: JUSTIN BARNES HAIR: SCOTT WILSON MAKEUP: SARAH PRITSCHOW MODELS: ALEX SLOAN, ALI CLEVELAND, ANYA THORNE, CARLY SUE, JOCELYN WISER, KAYLA BULIN, KRISSY DOYEN, MEGAN SHEPHERD

STEADFAST BRAND IS MORE THAN JUST CLOTHING

hey began as a small group of close friends designing their own work and they grew into an expanding line with rare and talented artists. Their logo says, “Clothing, Accessories, Equipment and Gear,” but check out their website and you will find they have anything and everything. From men and women’s t-shirts, hoodies, wallets, headwear, books, lamps, belts, art prints and even dog accessories. Steadfast Brand has it all and it’s all original. They describe themselves on their website as, “a line that reflects the people we meet and the experiences we have. Instead of trying to provide the acceptable formula of ‘edgy artwork and style’ we simply show our concepts and the work of the best artists that you would otherwise never see.” They have in their collections the finest art work and best quality fitted shirts. — Mara Wilson

| THE READER |

FEBRUARY 2015

unique group of three tattoo and entertainment artists will be preforming their sideshow and stage magic at the 4th Annual Best in the Midwest Tattoo Convention. Inkllusionist is a small company made up of performing tattoo artists. They tour with a sideshow based off a theme, gathering their inspiration from antique manuscripts, sci-fi novels, and old movies, stating they try to get their ideas from places that other people tend not to look. Last year’s show, “Something Wicked This Way Comes,” was the largest and most dangerous show with most stunt acts they had ever attempted. This year’s tour is “SteamPunx” and the group says it “Is the most ambitious project for us to date. We are blending mind reading and never before seen knife throwing into a sideshow that will be unlike any show before.” When asked, ‘why steampunk?’ The group said, “It is definitely on the rise in pop culture, which is great for us as we have been doing it for the last 8 years. It’s a wonderful blend of Victorian style and a DYI inventiveness that attracts some really fun people. It’s nice to finely have people get what we have been a part of.” The decision to become tattoo artists was a step forward for Inkllusionist. They explained, “Mr. Syxx was the first of us to become a tattoo art-

FEBRUARY 2015

| THE READER |

ist, sighting that it was the closest one could get to being a ‘rock star’ without having to play an instrument. Dr. SeVen followed a few years later when he got out of mad scientist college. Target Girl Z is still in her apprentice phase of her tattoo career, so it will be a little bit of a wait to see her skills getting flexed in the tattoo world.” Inkllusionist was the only name the group ever thought of using. The group created it from blending the two things that they loved the most in the world, magic and tattooing. If you research the company you’ll find on their website and social media sites the phrase, “The World Domination Army.” Inkllusionist explained, “The World Domination Army was something we dreamt up one dark and stormy night where we thought ‘hey I am bored, let’s take over the world and make it more fun.’ It really isn’t any more than that. We don’t want to take over the world in any sinister type of reasons (there are already a lot of people trying to do that) our plan is to make it more fun. The main thing for the WDA is to have public displays of fun so that way people can experience random acts of unscheduled fun. The WDA is a grass roots movement where things like public pillow fights in parks and having dance offs with strangers are used to break up lives boredom. It’s about

random acts of kindness and fun. It’s your world and your life, have a great one.” If you’re the type of person that is up for big, dangerous fun, ready to buy some merchandise and can keep an open mind, Inkllusionist says you’re the perfect audience for their show. Be aware though, there is audience participation and the group states you should be both nervous and excited, “As per normal for us we never use stooges or plants in the audience. We do promise that all people will be returned in the exact same shape they are brought to the stage in. We make no such claim for their mental state.” Inkllusionist has never been to Council Bluffs before and think the show is going to be a great one stating, “We are pretty excited about the whole ordeal. We have heard tons of great things about the Best In the Midwest show.” Even if you’re skeptical of this tattoo touring group, the show they perform will be sure to entertain. “One of the big things we try to do is do something unique at every show. No one wants to go to a show that is boring or routine. Our plan is to make sure that there is something special done in every stage show that is specific to the area we are in. Sorry, no spoilers, so you will have to watch to see what exactly we are talking about.” — Mara Wilson

S e a so n O p e n e r

y b r e D r Rolle

D o u b le H e a d e r

FEBRUARY 7

St ar ts At

6PM Kids 10 and under

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| THE READER |

FEBRUARY 2015

| THE READER |

FEBRUARY 2015

‘dongle’dangle

FILM

ith as much fanfare as such an announcement could receive, news spread across the interwebs that Ben Affleck would dangle his dongle in Gone Girl. As the thespian proclaimed to MTV Today back in September of last year, “There’s some brief, very brief, nudity. The penis is in there.” This was to be no mere backside salute, the standard exposure for male stars. No, my friends, “The penis is in there.” And then the movie came out, and most people saw no wang. That’s not an indictment of the size of “lil Ben” but an indication of just how brief and subtle his python placement was. Harder to miss was Affleck’s grabbin’ and squeezin’ of the fully exposed jugs belonging to Emily Ratajkowski (aka, “Blurred Lines” video girl). Unsurprising, considering the climate in Hollywood allows Seth McFarlane to open the Oscars by listing the names of actresses whose breasts he’s seen while staring those actresses directly in the…eyes. To say there is a disparity in how the human body is displayed onscreen is an understatement. Jim McBride, the bon savant who created a website dedicated to archiving female nudity in film called “Mr. Skin,” told the New York Daily News last May that he has over 700,000 nude photographs and video clips of women, and maybe a few thousand of men. In 2013, McBride launched a companion to Mr. Skin, Mr. Man, which is dedicated to male nudity in movies. Not that the standards are vastly different or anything, but your choices of “Playlists” on Mr. Man include “Chiseled Chests,” “Hunks of Horror Movies” and “Studs & Suds,” while your options for Playlists on Mr. Skin include “Boob,” “Bush,” “Race” and whatever the hell “Skinfinitions” is. Beyond the overwhelming disparity in terms of amount and frequency of flesh on screen, a more alarming thing happened in 2010, when the MPAA began specifying “male nudity” when providing their rationale for ratings. You see, because apparently there’s “normal” nudity, which means ladybits, and then there’s “male nudity,” which is so mortifying to the MPAA folks they want to warn you of dick danger.

FEBRUARY 2015

| THE READER |

film

Why Ben Affleck’s Weiner Matters: The disparity in film nudity B Y R YA N S Y R E K

It should be noted that although the MPAA fears the peen, they have no problem whatsoever with the use of firearms as phallic substitutes, but that’s a discussion for a different day. The coup de gras for anyone who cares to know such a thing, and sorry to be the bearer of bad news for those anxiously awaiting: 50 Shades of Grey will be 100% dong-free. That’s right, a movie based on a book that literally only exists to arouse will be devoid of what author E.L. James referred to as Mr. Grey’s “considerable length.” No statistical information can better show the disparity in how men and women are shown onscreen than Mr. Grey keeping his willy in its wrapper. But let’s try some stats too: In 2013, Nick Zurko of the New York Film Academy provided an infographic that examined how women were portrayed on screen in the top 500 films from 2007-2012. When it comes to nudity, 26.2% of women actors get partially naked, compared with 9.4% of men. The percentage of teenage women depicted with some nudity increased 32.5% from 2007 to 2012. Roughly a third of all women with speaking roles in movies during the time period studied were shown in sexually revealing attire or partially naked. Holy unequal exposure of underwear zones, Batman! This overwhelming disparity matters for two reasons: First, because it reinforces the unequal sexualization of women, and second, because exposure to the human body normalizes reaction to it. We all know that popular culture, and film in general, has a remarkable influence on public perception and, thus, reality. There is an inherent sexual power imbalance demonstrated when one participant is clothed and the other is not. The implication is a sense of control, with the clothed (or nonexposed) individual being less vulnerable. When a third of all women in movies are depicted with this amount of naked inequality, the result is an unspoken message of dominance by men. Although he tried to play it off as some kind of satirical incrimination of this nude imbalance, Mr. McFarlane’s tasteless, classless ditty did at least show how pervasive this all is among the most revered actresses. That is to say, even the most powerful women in

Hollywood are expected to adhere to a standard that says thumbs up to nekkid ladies and thumbs down to dudes. A-list celebrity men are not asked in interviews if they would “consider doing a nude scene,” while rising stars who happen to have ladyparts are peppered with such questions. See scores of interviews with Lawrence, Jennifer or Watson, Emma. A report by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University found that only 7 percent of the 250 top grossing domestic films had a woman as director. As much as the unequal nudity on set visually communicates an unbalanced power dynamic, the very literal events on set consist most often of a clothed man (director) telling actresses to part with their costumes. The lack of representation for women behind the scenes is troubling for many, many reasons, but when coupled with this fleshy imbalance, it reinforces some of the worst sexual aspects of our patriarchal culture. The solution isn’t for America to clutch pearls (not a euphemism) and dive back into Puritanical closets. Countless psychological studies and cultural examinations have proven that exposure to thoughtful sexual interaction and nudity helps destigmatize the human body. Compared with many other countries, America’s reaction to the exposed human form is downright hilarious. We’re still at “butts only” on television while most of Europe is bumpin’ uglies on screen. The implication of omitting nudity from popular culture provides a suggestion that a naked body is something that should inspire shame. This is why it matters that Ben Affleck, our future Batman, dropped his utility belt. He shouldn’t be somehow deified for doing what actresses are seemingly required to do as part of their job, but an A-list box office dude showing his Howdy Doody is a step in the right direction. Were movies to find a better equilibrium, holding a similar standard for both sexes, it could help deconstruct the real-world imbalances or at the very least stop reinforcing it. That’s right folks, the answer isn’t to avoid plot-necessary and character-enhancing sex scenes or nudity. To paraphrase, the answer is to “get the penis in there.” ,

‘cutting’room ■ One of life’s many mysteries, at least to me, I’ve never understood what actually constitutes “loitering.” So color me double confused at Loitering With Intent. But I know where I can get some answers. On Thursday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m., Film Streams is presenting a special screening of Loitering With Intent, which is described as a “sharp indie comedy,” which is hipster for “comedy.” The film’s producer, Tory Lenosky, will be doing a Q&A after the screening. Nobody take my question. ■ The Reader’s own, Leo Adam Biga, is gonna be spittin’ hot fire, y’all. That is to say that on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 6:30 p.m., he’s giving a lecture about Nebraska’s film heritage at the Durham Museum. The talk is in conjunction with a Katharine Hepburn exhibit that, fingers crossed, doesn’t include people doing impressions of her. Biga will drop some learnin’ on us about Nebraskans who have become pretty big deals in the world of cinema and other facts. I promise you it won’t just be an hour of Alexander Payne talk. I mean, probably… ■ Are you in love and totally broke? Have I gotta a great Valentine’s Day date planned for you! Film Streams just announced an 11-film repertory series featuring Katherine Hepburn and will have a free screening of The Philadelphia Story on Valentine’s Day, sponsored by Borsheims. So you can say “I got you something from Borsheims for Valentine’s Day” and then take your significant other to the free screening! I see no flaws in this plan. ■ Alexander Payne’s next film is gonna be hugely small! That is to say, Downsizing will follow the story of a man (Matt Damon) who wishes to shrink himself to consume fewer resources. In exciting news, Reese Witherspoon has agreed to be the female lead, reuniting her with Payne for the first time since Election. No word yet on where the film will be set, but given Payne’s Omaha roots, I’d like to officially offer my house to Damon and Witherspoon, should they need it. —Ryan Syrek Cutting Room provides breaking local and national movie news … complete with added sarcasm. Send any relevant information to film@thereader.com. Check out Ryan on Movieha!, a weekly half-hour movie podcast (movieha.libsyn.com/rss), catch him on the radio on CD 105.9 (cd1059.com) on Fridays at around 7:30 a.m. and on KVNO 90.7 (kvno.org) at 8:30 a.m. on Fridays and follow him on Twitter (twitter.com/thereaderfilm).

FILM

The African Queen 1951

Katharine Hepburn: Icon, Iconoclast February 14 - March 30

A repertory series celebrating an icon in the worlds of film and style, presented with March 7 & 9 Woman of the Year 1942

Feb 14 The Philadelphia Story 1940 Free screening sponsored by

March 8 & 11 Adam’s Rib 1949 March 14, 15 & 17 The African Queen 1951

Feb 14, 15 & 19 Little Women 1933

March 21 & 23 Suddenly, Last Summer 1959

Feb 21 & 23 Stage Door 1937

March 22 & 25 Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner 1967

February 28 & March 2 Bringing Up Baby 1938

March 28 & 30 The Lion in Winter 1968

March 1 & 4 Holiday 1938

All showings at Film Streams’ Ruth Sokolof Theater. Info & tickets at filmstreams.org.

film

| THE READER |

FEBRUARY 2015

‘Sexpertsays: Omaha artist Watie White likes this pulpy piece: “Art that is overtly about sex is rarely sexy,” White says. Art is also very slow in its experience, particularly painting. So that leads to a specific kind of sexy, languid and sensual more often than porn-like.”

‘Sexpertsays: Omaha artist Kim

art

Reid Kuhn takes in the sensual exhibit, The Political Line, of artist Keith Haring in his show at the de Young museum in San Francisco. “Like a good lover, strong work keeps you entranced and reluctant to leave,” Reid Kuhn says.

FEBRUARY 2015

‘Sexperts’Agree! I

t’s true that artists aren’t exactly “sexperts,” at least not in a scientific or academic manner. Yet neither are they foreign to sex whether they eroticize, satirize or romanticize the subject in the medium of choice. No matter the approach, in a society increasingly more politically correct, surveilled and censored, we often turn to artists of all kind to express what comes naturally for our own entertainment and edification. How else to explain audience anticipation and reaction to such extremes of popular and fine art expressions of matters sexual as Fifty Shades of Grey in print and film or the next exhibit of nudes by photographer Robert Mapplethorpe and painter/draftsman Kent Bellows? That is what art and Eros have in common. They never go out of style or season. The Super Bowl is history, political primaries are waiting their cue. But art and sex share a passion of a different color expressed in shades of red, blue and occasionally, downright purple. To find out more about what these two creative acts may have in common, The Reader

| THE READER |

art

Art and sex share a not so common bond of perception and expression BY MICHAEL KRAINAK

asked several area visual artists for their observations. Our “sexperts” not only made the connection, they varied widely on art’s sex appeal. They also describe what they consider to be “sexy” about art and gave favorite examples of work, which can be seen below with additional comments. One thing all seem to agree with is that art and sex relevancy is a complex issue and a matter of perception. As photographer Rob Gilmer, owner of the more adventurous RNG Gallery on the subject, puts it, as with art, “sex is in the eye of the beholder.” Another photo artist, Larry Ferguson, whose work includes eroticism, such as the monumental nude image, “Ms. M and Terry Rosenberg,” which is part of the Joslyn Art Museum’s permanent art collection, agrees. “Is it sexy, is it overtly about sex?,” Ferguson asked. “I believe that depends on who’s looking at it and what they bring to it. I think it’s both, but the viewer can see it any way they want.” Gilmer’s comment about “passion” or even “sensuality” may be what art and sex have

in common according to virtually all those interviewed. “It is about the passion, the excitement, the emotions and eruptions,” said German artist Christian Rothmann, whose voluptuous paintings of floral abstractions have been a part of the Metro art scene ever since his residency at the Bemis Center. Metro artist, Christina Narwicz, also known for her floral arrangements, agrees: “What’s more sexual than that? I also think the use of paint can be voluptuous and certainly sexy.” For Paula Wallace a popular painter and mentor at Hot Shops, the common theme or motif of art and sex is “seduction, a state of heightened senses. It’s [sensuality] a part of our nature or human longing, as a component of storytelling,” a strong element in much of her work. To that, mixed media artist Kim Reid Kuhn, owner of Benson’s Sweatshop Gallery, adds, “compulsion.” It’s what she says the artist and the viewer have in common. continued on page 42 y

Creation Story: Shaped by Hope in a Climate CRISIS World Thurs. Feb 26 7:00 pm 402-391-0350

art

Countryside Community Churchâ€” 8787 Pacific Street Tickets $10/Students free. 402-3910350 or kellyk@countrysideucc.org Rev. Dr. Jim Antal wrote the 2013 UCC resolution to divest from fossil fuel. A passionate activist on behalf of environmental issues including opposition to the Keystone pipeline, Dr Antal has worked with Robert Kennedy Jr. and South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, mobilizing the church to respond to the climate crisis.

| THE READER |

FEBRUARY 2015

“After viewing a particularly powerful retrospective last fall [of Keith Haring’s work], I left breathless and gasping, adrenalin pumping and dizzy,” Reid Kuhn said. “Like a good lover, strong work keeps you entranced, reluctant to leave.” Former Omaha artist and model Sally Deskins, founder of the Les Femme Folles blog and website, understands this viewer/ art connection based on sensuality. “Have you never met a work of art and were immediately struck with a strong desire to have it, or at least stare for while, get to know it better?”, Deskins asked? Narwicz voices her reaction to sensual art in more graphic terms: “A group of my friends and I have always said about work, ‘if you can’t beat off to it—it’s not art.’” Though she may have been speaking metaphorically, it does illustrate the passion between Eros and art. Nevertheless artists also remind us that what is sexy about art isn’t necessarily overt. “Art that is overtly about sex is rarely sexy,” artist Watie White said, “because art that is sexy is usually about something (else) that is sexy, i.e., power, voyeurism, etc. Art is also very slow in its experience, particularly painting…that leads to a specific kind of sexy, languid and sensual more often than porn-like.” Artist Kristin Pluhacek, whose current show of florals and nude figures is at Garden of the Zodiac, says “sex is rarely an overt subject in my work, but I have participated in several Erotic Shows at (the former) Antiquarium Gallery in the ‘90s in downtown Omaha. “My favorite submission is a piece I made of a nude woman holding a cat, titled ‘Word Association.’ I know, it’s pretty juvenile, but the shows were fun. I still remember the year Fr. Don Doll (renowned photographer and Creighton University professor) showed up in his Roman collar.” Multimedia and installation artist Tim Guthrie, also connected to Creighton as a Professor of Graphic Design and New

Media, has a less playful, more left-brain assessment of what is sexy about art. “Technology is sexy,” Guthrie said. “Some of the sexiest, crazy awesome art currently being made involves a lot of cutting edge technology, from projection mapping and interaction to 3D printing and robotics. Walking up to a piece that interacts with you and is keenly aware of your presence, when it is well done, that’s sexy to me.” That may seem a bit calculating and conceptual, given the term under scrutiny here, but consider Gilmer’s even more esoteric response to what’s “sexy” about art. “A piece of art I find sexy?”, he asks. “A blank canvas. It is still a virgin.” One Omaha artist that virtually all respondents agreed successfully combined as well as embodied sex and art was the late Wanda Ewing, a nationally recognized mixed media artist and spokesperson for sexual and racial identity. Deskins, who showed and worked with Ewing in such RNG shows as “Les Femmes Folles” and “Body as Text,” reminds us that their collaboration was a response to “how society reads the female body…since the beginnings of Western ‘art history’…as solely sexual and/or objectified…when a work is really perhaps more about identity, status quo, social justice and several other issues beyond simply sex.” Though Guthrie feels that some artists use sex “just to get attention,” he agrees Ewing “was an incredible exception. She addressed sex from a non-conventional perspective. She made people re-evaluate what it means to be sexy…and challenged the perception of beauty forced on us in films and magazines.” The consensus then, at least among artists, is that art and sex were made for each other—and still are—especially when their shared expression isn’t obvious, whether in image or in print. “It is always lurking,” Reid Kuhn said. “But overt discussion is boring. The allure of both art and sex is in their ambiguity.” ,

art

y continued from page 40

‘Sexpertsays:

Omaha artist Christina Narwicz: “Big massive sculptures do the trick for me...Laocoon is a great example of Mannerism where exagerated poses — still used in fashion and our current ideal of beauty, sexuality — emulate eroticism.”

‘Sexpertsays:

Omaha artist Paula Wallace enjoys this untitled piece, now on display at Hot Shops, by Brett Gross. “It is sensual and well executed,” Wallae says. And it’s both sensitive and sexy without being trite.”

‘Sexpertsays: ‘Sexpertsays: Omaha artist Tim

Guthrie appreciates this piece by the late Wanda Ewing. “Wanda addressed sex from a non-conventional’ perspective. She made people re-evaluate what it means to be sexy, to be admired. And challenged the perception of beauty forced upon us by films and magazines. Wanda understood this subject better than anyone.”

FEBRUARY 2015

‘Sexpertsays:

Artist and Les Femmes Folles blogger Sally Deskins: “Megan Loudon Sanders, whose stunning, figurative, mixed media work explores identity and assumptions with regards to tattoos. They’re at once delicate and totally powerful, striking and sexy in their graceful authority.”

| THE READER |

art

Photographer Larry Ferguson is no stranger to erotic art. He offerred this photo as example: “Is it sexy, is it overtly about sex? I believe that depends on who’s looking at the image and what they bring to it. In some countries that image would get me killed, and my work is banned in many countries.”

art

| THE READER |

FEBRUARY 2015

love’blooms

theater

pera Omaha embraces and enfolds Valentine’s Day, offering a love story which transcends the ages, in musictheatre whose sound and story reach across boundaries. Behold A Flowering Tree by one of today’s best known and most popular contemporary composers, John Adams. He’s been much in the news recently, stirring up passions; though not for his music which resonates with many appealing types of sounds. In this case, you’ll hear elements from India, South America, Bali, several American idioms, even scat-singing. And Mozart. Adams has a “truly unique compositional voice,” says the production’s 30 year old director, James Darrah, “one of constantly shifting styles, tonalities, instrumentation, intimacy. It’s a roller-coaster ride of an orchestral score.” Adams explains he was inspired and moved by Mozart’s final works, especially The Magic Flute, “an opera about young people and the emergence of moral sensibility.” Both operas derive from folk tales where a young couple comes of age and awakes to the complexities of adulthood. In each, a young prince finds himself enchanted by an other-worldly woman and goes through trials and tribulations to gain eternal love. Adams, along with co- librettist Peter Sellars, seek to explore how love can transform and redeem human life. Further, Adams tells us, “lingering just below the surface…(are) class privilege, sexual oppression, physical deformity, sexual impotence, sibling hatred.” They do so in a non-traditional way, evoking ancient cultures and traditions. The woman, Kumudha, and The Prince are the only characters. While The Narrator tells the tale, dancers and a 31-member chorus provide the rest: colors, movements, sound. This is no conventional opera, says Opera Omaha General Director Roger Weitz. No breaks for arias, ensemble moments, production numbers. “It is sung-through,” he points out. “Once it starts, it never stops.” Darrah also calls it a departure from normal expectations. “You don’t want literal depiction; you go in other directions. That makes exciting theatre. We are keeping the staging simple and human, but we have a few visual tricks.” (Weitz calls them “cutting-edge technology.”) Kumudha is granted the power to become a flowering tree, having prayed for a way to help her poor family. They sell the flowers after which she returns to human form. A prince, witnessing such transformation, is enraptured, courts and marries her. But his jealous sister breaks the magic spell, turning Kumudha into a hideous creature that is

FEBRUARY 2015

| THE READER |

Opera Omaha Offers John Adams’ Magic on Valentine’s Day Weekend BY GORDAN SPENCER

part tree. She flees. The despondent Prince searches the world for her, wandering for years. The fable goes back centuries in the Kannada language of South India. Using a translation into English by poet and scholar, A.K. Ramanujan, Adams also weaves in ancient Tamil and Hindu love

They staged HK Gruber’s Frankenstein!!, Adams conducting, plus Frank Zappa’s rock opera 200 Motels. Darrah is also a composer. “There are a lot of young musicians these days interested in new work including opera, with major music festivals and premieres,” observes Weitz,

poetry. Plus Spanish. “Our country’s second most common language,” Adams explains. Yet, nothing could be clearer than that this composer is very much of our time. Within the last few months, his opera The Death of Klinghoffer has been front page news, causing controversy, people opposing it demonstrating in front of The Metropolitan Opera, causing the Met to cancel national theatre broadcasts. It would have screened in Omaha last November. “This shows that opera can be incredibly potent,” Darrah comments. “John Adams’ work is inevitably related to bold choices. John Adams is never complacent.” Weitz adds, “Adams can stir very powerful emotions. Such art can challenge us and, if it can start dialogue, that’s a very good thing.” Los Angeles-based Darrah has been connected to the composer before, as associate director in the 2013 premiere of opera/oratorio The Gospel According to the Other Mary with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Darrah leads L.A.- based production and design company Chromatic, a collective of interdisciplinary artists creating multi-media events, Adams and the Philharmonic included.

reminding us that multi-media experiences are all over the map and that opera itself is multi-media. In fact, the 31 year-old conductor of these Omaha performances, Christopher Rountree, founded Wildup which has staged such events outside the box: bars, museums, conservatories. Music of our time is not new for Opera Omaha amid eight world premieres and four American ones in its 54-year history. In the last 10 years there has been the work of Americans Anthony Davis, Carlisle Floyd, Aaron Copland, Stephen Mager and Paul Moravec plus that of Bela Bartok, Benjamin Britten and Richard Rodney Bennett.” From the beginning Opera Omaha has been instilled with a spirit of adventure,” Weitz continues. He chose A Flowering Tree “because of its sheer beauty and powerful story” and because, like other works for audiences here, they “are about who we are as human beings, at any time, in any period, in any culture.” ,

theater

A Flowering Tree: Friday, February 13 ,7:30 p.m. & Sunday February 14 , 2 p.m. Orpheum Theater. 409 S. 16th St. Omaha. Tickets: $19-$99. http://www. operaomaha.org. The performers: soprano Andriana Chuchman, tenor Andrew Staples, baritone Franco Pomponi, dancers Julia Eichten, Morgan Lugo, Yusha-Marie Sorzano, Jason Collins, Ana-Maria Lucaciu, Robbie Moore, the Opera Omaha Chorus and Orchestra and conductor Christopher Rountree.

FREE Holland Lecture Series

ANGELA DAVIS

Prison Reform: Real or Imagined?

Prison reform became a front and center issue for Nebraskans last year. For

Angela Davis it has been a life-long cause. She envisions a future without prisons and advocates for dissolving the “prison industrial complex.” A leader in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, a member of the Black Panthers, and a leader in the Communist Party, she has been a controversial figure. In 1970 she was suspected of being a part of an escape attempt made during the trial of one of the “Soledad Brothers.” After spending 18 months in prison, she was acquitted. Today, Ms. Davis is Professor Emerita in the History of Consciousness and the Feminist Studies departments of the University of California Santa Cruz, and is the author of nine books including Women Race and Class and Are Prisons Obsolete.

Call for your free reserved seats today: 402-345-0606

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4 7:30 PM

Holland Performing Arts Center 13th & Douglas Streets Omaha

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Online: ticketomaha.com By phone: 402-345-0606 Holland box office: 13th & Douglas

More information in the“learn” link at: firstuuomaha.org

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FEBRUARY 2015

music

MIKE MACHIAN

Waterlog

att Whipkey is saying goodnight to the girl of his dreams – the one named Penny, who tapped into Omaha’s collective memories of summers’ past. His 2013 double-album Penny Park: Omaha, NE: Summer 1989 played as a nostalgia trip that stretched Whipkey’s songwriting into new shapes. Arguably, it was a high water mark for one of Omaha’s best-known local rock musicians. But for Whipkey, the creation and release of Penny Park served as a mix of a distraction and an avoidance of his own personal life. In writing the constructed narrative of Omaha nights more than two decades ago, he put his own personal story on the songwriting backburner. As his last long term relationship unstitched, Whipkey instead sewed together the story of Penny. “I didn’t take time to process what was going on with me,” Whipkey says. Now, there is no constructed narrative. There’s no nostalgia. There are no vestiges of an iconic amusement park tethering Whipkey to Omaha’s historical fabric. There are no summer nights or radio dedications; there are no teenagers or English class sonnets. And there’s no Penny Park. There’s just Matt Whipkey’s Underwater, his new LP. The topic this time is Whipkey and his recent life, all sorted out in the liner notes.

FEBRUARY 2015

| THE READER |

New album sees Matt Whipkey diving back in to his personal life BY CHRIS APONICK

“I realized that this is just a record about me,” Whipkey says. While not being a fan of journal-type lyricism, Whipkey says he found himself writing about personal things more on Underwater. He sought to include more acoustic-led songwriter showcases on the album too. “I definitely can wallow with the best of them,” Whipkey says. “But I don’t want to do that too much.” There are a few songs that pair what Whipkey calls “bummer lyrics” with upbeat arrangements. It’s a contrast Whipkey particularly enjoys. Whipkey wrote most of Underwater while 32. At 33, he says he already appreciates the critical distance that an extra year has given him from the topics in the songs. Of the relationship songs, Whipkey says “Dreams of Kathleen” digs most directly at those feelings. “It’s interesting to hear my perspective a year ago,” he says. “Putting it out now my perspective is a little bit different now but it’s still an accurate perspective.” Whipkey says the 10-song album has also been influenced specifically by how it works on the twosided vinyl format that he’s releasing Underwater on. “I think in terms of sides now when I write records. I always thought in terms of sequences but now I definitely think in terms of sides. Ideally you need 18 minutes. If you think of it like that, it’s not so daunting.” It’s putting Whipkey in a mindset that takes him back to the sort of conversations he’d have in the Antiquarium Records basement with owner Dave Sink. The two would verbally joust over weighty matters like “what’s the best Side Two of all time?” At the time, Sink’s choice was Bob Dylan’s Bringin’ It All Back Home. For Whipkey, Bruce Springsteen’s The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle is his Side Two pick. “It’s a great way to think of music,” he says. Whipkey recorded the album at Scott Gaeta’s studio. Gaeta and Whipkey crafted half of the tracks together. A few line-up changes led to those songs, as Whipkey wanted to get songs recorded soon after writing them. “I wasn’t stopping my writing,” Whipkey says. The arrangements stick Whipkey’s steady rock beats into a heartland rock groove, with serpentine lines of Hammond B-3 coloring in the margins of many of the songs, especially on the standout “NTW.” To help promote the album, Whipkey has also shot a schoolhouse video for the title track at St. Joan of Arc Grade School. It serves also has an entry to NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert contest. Aside from influencing Whipkey’s own back-tovinyl movement, the success of Penny Park aided the creation of the new album.

music

Both were pressed using funds generated through a Kickstarter online crowd-funding campaign. Whipkey raised $5900 to make Penny Park and another $5446 to press Underwater. Whipkey says the key to his success with Kickstarter has been presenting the campaigns with quality reward levels. The best bet is to approach it like an album pre-sale. “There’s a way to do it well,” he says. Meanwhile, the two vinyl album pressings have also taught Whipkey a good deal of savvy on looking at the costs and options for the record runs. Penny Park originally came out as a vinyl-only album, with the CD version released later. This time, Underwater will be offered on both formats, as well as a digital download. Penny Park’s success hinged on an overarching story that played off the history of the long since closed Peony Park amusement park at 78th and Cass streets. “I was aware it had an angle that we could tap into,” he says. It was also a new songwriting approach that guided the songwriting. Whipkey says there was a bit of readjustment as he began writing regular songs again. Once the focus returned to Whipkey’s real life, the songs poured out, he says. “All of these songs can from the specific place of not trying to write songs,” Whipkey says. Whipkey says he didn’t even take notice to selfedit or pull back on what he was sharing of his personal life on the new songs. “I didn’t stop to think what they were about. I just let them happen,” Whipkey says. Among that flow of songs is a full-band tribute to local music fan Gary Flanagan, who passed away in 2013. It’s a song that popped out on a night out in January 2014, as Whipkey realized the year anniversary of Flanagan’s passing. The song came together in about an hour. “I felt something and it just happened,” he says. Drummer Scott “Zip” Zimmerman, who also knew Flanagan very well, immediately responded to the song. Whipkey says that’s his ultimate seal of approval. The track, named after Flanagan, trades the closed places of Penny Park’s narrative with the current places that Flanagan frequented to catch live music, jumping from Benson’s Barley St. Tavern and the Waiting Room Lounge to O’Leaver’s Pub. The connection to a shared friend took hold with the entire band, rendering the track’s performances just a little bit more inspired, Whipkey says. “It’s hard not to be when it’s about something so close to home,” he says. , Matt Whipkey plays a CD/LP release show for Underwater Friday, February 20 at the Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. John Klemmensen and The Party & Kait Berreckman Band will also play this 9 p.m. show.

Omaha Performing Arts Presents

Randy Brecker February 27 | 8:00 PM

Holland Center | Scott Recital Hall

All productions, performers, prices, dates and times subject to change.

TicketOmaha.com | 402.345.0606

Advance Tickets $25 Day of Show Tickets $30

Preserving historical traditions of Latino music in Omaha, Nebraska

SouthOmahaArts.com 402.734.3240

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FEBRUARY 2015

bolic meaning. As both a writer and poet, as well as a consummate designer, Engler is offering a rich array of works in this exhibit. He hopes to give viewers in his new Omaha home a modern art that also offers a spiritual element for their enjoyment and enrichment. — Eddith Buis

‘JACKSON SQUARE’ BY ROBERT KEIN ENGLER

Thursday, February 19 JACOB WHITESIDES WITH JACQUIE LEE The Slowdown, 729 North 14th St. 8:00 pm, $20 ADV/$125 VIP www.theslowdown.com

Sunday, February 15 LIGHTS WITH X AMBASSADORS The Waiting Room, 6212 Maple Street 8:00 pm, $16 ADV/$18 DOS www.waitingroomlounge.com The name Valerie Poxleitner might not mean anything to you, but perhaps Lights, the soulful Canadian electropop musician and singer-songwriter may strike a familiar chord. Lights is a twenty-seven year old gorgeous woman that is living proof you can have it all and keep moving forward. With three studio albums, a hipster attitude, bold career moves, her second album at No. 3 debut and gold sales in Canada, attendance at SXSW and a marriage to Beau Bokan with their beautiful daughter she is still making her way up. Starting her musical career at the age of fifteen gives her another unique spot in the industry, pushing through the viewpoint that young artists can’t make it past their teenage voice and stardom. If you’ve never heard of this artist and are into the music of Ellie Goulding, look into Lights and I bet you’ll want to come to The Waiting Room. X Ambassadors will also be performing and their alternative rock sound will put you in the mood, introducing Lights as they have many times before. What sets X Ambassadors apart in the rock genre is their alternative grasp and the stories behind the songs. With no gimmicks, a voice that rings true and rhythm that never quits this band is worth seeing. — Mara Wilson

This Tennessee seventeen-year-old singer-songwriter was inspired from a Bluegrass festival, began his guitar and singing lessons and started uploading cover songs to YouTube over three years ago. In 2012 Whitesides auditioned for the television series X-Factor and made the first cut. Whitsides has found a good mix of his southern rasp and pop. His guitar skills lie somewhere between rhythmic and artful, add on the fact that he can play other instruments and he’s set. His music would best be sampled by those that enjoy contemporary cover tunes. Joining Whitesides will be another artist familiar in vocal competition television, Jacquie Lee. Lee was runner up on The Voice in 2013, but she accredited iTunes bonuses and a fan base. Lee also performs cover songs, but like Whitesides has her own songs. Both artists have made bold choices in their musical careers performing songs most wouldn’t dare to sing anywhere other than the shower or car. — Mara Wilson Friday, February 27 RANDY BRECKER Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. 8:00 p.m., $25 www.omahaperformingarts.org 4-time Grammy-award winning jazz trumpet and flugelhorn legend Randy Brecker, bringing his own sidemen, gives one performance only in Scott Recital Hall. — Gordon Spencer Through Feb. 28 FORGIVENESS SERIES Connect Gallery, 3901 Leavenworth Hours: Wed-Sat. 11:00-5:00 p.m. Artist Reception Friday, Feb. 20 5:30-9:00 p.m. www.connectgallery.net February 4th Connect Gallery will host Robert Klein Engler’s Forgiveness Series. Robert Engler began creating these brightly hued works on paper in New Orleans two years ago. Ranging greatly in size, each work is carefully crafted, using cut paper and painting techniques in a panoply of media choices. Referring to the designerly flat shapes of early pioneers of Modernism, like Marsden Hartley and the de Stijl movement, Engler’s goal is to move away from today’s safe “corporate art” and find themes which echo Modernism, but contain more sym-

LIGHTS

FEBRUARY 2015

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picks

Through March 7 MOCK THE MAGNIFICENT: THE PAINTINGS AND PRINTS OF RICHARD BASIL MOCK Gallery 72, 1806 Vinton Street Opens Friday, Feb. 13, 6:00 p.m. Hours: Wed-Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. www.gallery72.com Mock the Magnificent, the upcoming show at Gallery 72 of work by artist Richard Mock (1944-2006) is as intriguing intellectually as it is visually. On view from February 13 to March 7 at the gallery, located at 1806 Vinton Street, this array of oil paintings, linocuts, collagraphs, and lithographs shows a restless spirit at work, moving from one medium to another as his expressive needs demand. The oil paintings are careful patternings of color that cover the canvas uniformly but with an understated vibrancy. In an artist statement, Mock has distinguished between his paintings and his “social commentary graphics” in that “you don’t need any context to understand” the paintings. His linocuts do generally address political issues ranging from September 11 to the cause of the Palestinians. They do so in style that recalls Keith Haring in the wave-like energy defining the images, but also German woodcuts in the intensity of their humanism. — David Thompson February 13-28 THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES The Urban Abbey, 1026 Jackson St. February 13 & 14, 20 & 21, 27 & 28 8:00 p.m., $10-15 www.circletheatreomaha.org

Circle Theatre keeps on keeping on, next taking on Eve Ensler’s regularly- updated, controversial 1996 sensation The Vagina Monologues. “Stripping fear and shame from what she celebrates…makes for quite a party,” said the Associated Press. Dinner beforehand on site is a possibility, but not a requirement. — Gordon Spencer February 13-March 22 HANDS ON A HARDBOY Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St. 7:30 p.m. Thur-Sat., 2:00 p.m. Sun., $40 www.omahaplayhouse.com You might expect a show called Hands on a Hardbody to be some kind of thing about sex. Tain’t so. This here’s a musical based on the documentary film with the same name. So y’all can pick up on country and western sounds and words when folks enter a hands-on competition to win a pickup truck. — Gordon Spencer February 19-March 14 BAD JEWS Blue Barn Theatre 614 South 11th St. 7:30 p.m. Thur-Sat. 6:00 p.m. Sun. (No show Feb. 22), $25-$30 www.bluebarn.org A play called Bad Jews? Is anti-Semitism raising its ugly head? Not at all. Young Joshua Harmon has written a comedy about major tsuris within a Jewish family centered on a young woman fighting for a religious relic, while delving into the issues of being holy and holier than thou. — Gordon Spencer Sunday, March 1 OMAHA SYMPHONIC WORLD PREMIERE Church of the Cross, 1517 South 114th St. 3:00 p.m. www.vesperconcerts.org.

JACOB WHITESIDES

! w o h s e h t y o j En

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“Unlike some other theaters, we don’t believe in gimmicks to get you here. Instead, we focus on the motion picture experience. My family and I love movies, and we hope your event here is enjoyable.”

Bill Barstow, Owner 2110 S. 67th Street 402-502-1914

www.AksarbenCinema.com

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FEBRUARY 2015

FEBRUARYSHOWS FEB 5-8

TOM SEGURA

FEB 12-15

DR. GONZO

Born in Cincinnati, Tom has never stayed long in one place. After fleeing Ohio at an early age, Segura soon followed his parents’ fledgling business ventures. Instead of accepting multiple NFL offers and millions of dollars in endorsements, Segura decided on settling in LA to pursue a career on stage and tv. He has recently been sharing the stage with some of the biggest names in comedy like: Dave Attell, Jay Mohr, Robert Schimmel, Bob Saget, Charlie Murphy, and Sarah Silverman. Tom continues to tour the country performing for audiences with his unique perspective and filthy charm. You can see Tom on Comedy Central’s all-new season of “Live at Gotham!”

Dr. Gonzo’s perfomances combine stand-up comedy and classic rock parodies. When he’s not tourning with top musical acts, he headlines major comedy clubs across America. His most successful collaboration was with famed ’80s rock group, Huey Lewis and the News. He performed in several of their popular music videos, and traveled with them as the warm-up act on their 1984-1985 world tour. “Dr. Gonzo” can be seen on DVD on the 2 disc Back to the Future set in a special music video made for the movie

FEB 19-22 ROB LITTLE

Rob Little’s outlook on life can be summed-up in two words: Pure Optimism. At a young age, he developed and nurtured an upbeat philosophy about life. Fortunately, Rob’s ability to see things in a positive light, coupled with his desire to make people laugh, has served him well. Having established himself as one of the funniest, most progressive, new comedians in the country, it’s easy to understand why entertainment bookers call him “The Future of comedy with more contagious energy than the Energizer Bunny.”

ANTHONY POTMESIL

FEB 26

There is a reason they call him “The Erotic Hypnotic”....At the sexually frustrated age of 34, this nationally touring entertainer combines his unique blend of perversion and hypnosis to produce one of the hottest and most risque comedy/hypnosis shows in the country..Think you or your friends would make a great porn star? Why stop there.. During this show “the Erotic Hypnotic “ will bring his hypnotized volunteers through the wildest and most twisted sides of their minds..This show is R-rated and is one you don`t want to miss....(unless you’re prude)

FEB 27-28

PAULY SHORE SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT

An entertainment career was virtually pre-ordained for Pauly Montgomery Shore. At age 4, he sat on the lap of The King himself in the company of his father, comedian Sammy Shore, who opened for Elvis during the early ’70s. Around the same time, Pauly’s mother, Mitzi, and father opened The Comedy Store on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip, giving their son the rare opportunity to hang out and be inspired by such rising talents as Robin Williams, David Letterman and Sam Kinison, who became his mentor. At 17, Pauly began writing and performing his own material, creating the persona of “The Weasel,” a character that quickly appealed to young audiences. Pauly honed his comedy routine to a frenetic level, gaining the attention of MTV, which, in 1990, gave him his own show, “Totally Pauly.” Pauly rose to national attention during a strong four-year run on MTV. His initial success on television led to a threemovie deal with Disney, beginning with the box office hit Encino Man, followed up by Son-inLaw, In the Army Now, Jury Duty and Bio-Dome.

FEBRUARY 2015

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MONDAY FEB 2 Mike Gurciullo and his Las Vegas Big Band TUESDAY FEB 3 Scott Evans WEDNESDAY FEB 4 LeGrande and Company THURSDAY FEB 5 Ed Archibald FRIDAY FEB 6 eNVy SATURDAY FEB 7 The 402 Band MONDAY FEB 9 Mike Gurciullo and his Las Vegas Big Band TUESDAY FEB 10 Billy Troy

WEDNESDAY FEB 11 Bozak & Morrissey

FRIDAY FEB 20 Hi-Fi Hangover

THURSDAY FEB 12 Chad Stoner

SATURDAY FEB 21 Eckophonic

FRIDAY FEB 13 Rough Cut

MONDAY FEB 23 Mike Gurciullo and his Las Vegas Big Band

SATURDAY FEB 14 Soul Dawg MONDAY FEB 16 Mike Gurciullo and his Las Vegas Big Band TUESDAY FEB 17 Jessica Errett WEDNESDAY FEB 18 The Grease Band THURSDAY FEB 19 Clark & Company

TUESDAY FEB 24 Spontaneous Combustion WEDNESDAY FEB 25 The Brits THURSDAY FEB 26 The Kevin Kelley Band FRIDAY FEB 27 Taxi Driver SATURDAY FEB 28 Peace, Love, etc.

hoodooblues T he third week of January, I was in Memphis, Tenn., where I was honored to receive the Blues Foundation’s 2015 Keeping the Blues Alive (KBA) award for Journalism and to be a finals judge at the 31st International Blues Challenge. It was quite a week. Receiving the KBA is a huge honor in the blues industry and the actual awards luncheon was an emotional one where the 15 recipients shared stories about how the blues had moved or motivated them. I am not sure that any other musical genre has that raw power. Memphis itself is an amazing city. If you have the opportunity to visit, I highly recommend starting your visit with Tad Pierson’s

the historical significance of what his family has been doing at Royal. The studio is in a repurposed old movie theatre with sound pockets built into the space so that the various players can be isolated while they can all see and hear each other. Inside, many of the old session players were gathered, rehearsing for their performance at the Sundance Film Festival. The film Take Me to The River, matching old

inmemphis

Visiting the Music City included a Memorable Stop at the Historic Royal Studios

BY B.J. HUCHTEMANN

American Dream Safari. Pierson gives personalized driving tours of the city in his 1955 gold Cadillac. He’s been doing this for about 20 years. Being on a tour with Pierson gives you not only his unique insights into the history and culture of the city but some amazing opportunities. Pierson drives you past some of the city’s less iconic spots, like the public housing where Elvis Presley and his mother first lived, the boarded up church where Martin Luther King gave his last sermon and a stop on the street where James Earl Ray fled from a rooming house after shooting King. We hit the street where the historic Royal Studios is located. Royal’s Willie Mitchell produced many of the classic Memphis soul sessions including Hi Records recordings of Al Green, O.V. Wright, Syl Johnson and Ann Peebles. The current chart-topping Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars track “Uptown Funk” was recorded at Royal too. See royalstudios.com. A young man out front saw Pierson’s Caddy and came running over with a “Hey, what’s up?” The next thing we knew we were being invited inside. The young man is Daniel Mitchell, one of Willie’s grandsons. Willie Mitchell continued recording and producing until his death in 2010. Daniel, age 16, proved to be a marvelous tour guide who understands and appreciates

school Memphis artists with young hip-hop and rap performers, was screening at Sundance. A live performance was part of the festival. See facebook.com/tmttrfilm. Willie’s son Boo Mitchell was getting the session organized. In the room were the Royal horns featuring trumpet player Ben Cauley. Cauley was a member of The Bar Kays and was the only man to survive the plane crash that killed Otis Redding and the rest of the band. I shook hands with Charles Hodges, the Hammond B-3 master who has recorded with everyone from Al Green to Albert Collins and Boz Scaggs. As we strolled through the studio while the musicians got ready to rehearse, Daniel pointed out Mic #9 in the vocal booth that “only Al Green can use.” He showed us the control rooms and the old 24-track recorder that they still use. On a bookcase outside the control room were boxes of master tapes including some labeled simply “Al Green.” It was really beyond belief to be walking around the studios where so much musical history was made and is still being made, and to be welcomed like old friends. And that was just the first day of my stay in Memphis. Check the online column at thereader.com for more Memphis highlights and for upcoming show recommendations. ,

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hoodooblues

Omaha Weekly Reader 02-01-15.indd 1

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1/8/15 FEBRUARY 2015

1:07 PM

FEBRUARY 2015

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overtheedge I don’t know what more there is to say about this issue’s cover topic (sex). Probably nothing. But let me add this: The Internet has, well, killed romance in a million different ways, in ways that anyone born after the 1990s — or certainly 2000 — will never fully realize. There was a time, boys and girls, when we didn’t have an Internet; we didn’t all carry smart phones, which meant we didn’t know what anyone else was doing. That is the No.1 thing we lost when we gained technology — we lost the mystery of not knowing what or who or where someone was at any given time. Today, you just pull out your smart phone and text or, if you’re really daring, actually place a phone call and speak to another human being. If whoever you’re looking for is into social media, it’s just as easy to find him or her by reading their last Facebook or Twitter post or last Swarm/Foursquare check-in (Does anyone still use Swarm?). There are even apps that allow willing victims to be traced via GPS — as creepy as it sounds. Most people find comfort in having this knowledge, in knowing that finding their friend or lover is but a few clicks away. It’s almost like never being alone.

unhooked

yes, even The Ranch Bowl was a singles bar back then. All are gone now. Do pick-up joints still exist in the modern world? Are there bars that cater exclusively to the hook-up? Do kids these days still dance as part of a human mating ritual? I doubt there are very many people trying to hook up at Benson rock shows. The rise of Omaha’s indie music scene seems to have coincided with the downfall of singles bars, and, of course, the rise of the Internet. What’s the point of asking a random stranger to dance — or buying them a drink — when you’ve got the entire world at your fingertips, complete with background information and photos? There is no point. It’s so much easier to simply use technology to make the connection for you. How many people reading this column found their “soulmate” — or last weekend’s hook-up — online? I mentioned the topic of this month’s column to my wife (who, incidentally, I met the old-fashioned way, through a mutual friend, and whom I first asked out via

Stumbling in the Dark: Life, love and sex before the internet BY TIM MCMAHAN

It’s impossible to explain to anyone born after, say, 1995, what life was like before smart phones and the Internet. But god help me, I’m going to try. To do so, I have to take you back to the ‘80s, or at least my ‘80s, back when computers were nothing more than glorified typewriters with little if any connectivity. The only telephones were the ones attached to the wall with cables. Email did not exist. We all took pen to paper and composed old-fashioned letters. I know this is true because I have a file cabinet full of them. How did we survive as a species? None of us had the slightest clue where we were going to find love or, for that matter, sex. The only way to find a companion was to go out and get one. We were cavemen and cavewomen, with cars. Oh the endless hours spent waiting for phone calls — or making phone calls — merely to figure out which bar my friends were going to hang out at on a given Friday night. If, for whatever reason I missed that call -- the one that laid out the evening’s plans -- I was stuck either wandering the streets of Omaha looking for my friends or not going out at all. Actually, that’s not entirely true. The fact is, there were only so many places we would go on weekend nights, and most of them were the same pick-up joints or meat-market bars we’d gone to the weekend before, all strung along south 72nd Street — Brandywines, The Crazy Horse, Jodhpurs,

email — cutting edge in 1996). She thinks things were better before the Internet, when we were all stumbling around in the dark. I’m not sure she’s right. I can only imagine how different my life would have been if I’d had the Internet and a smart phone when I was 21 and single and looking for love in all the wrong places. How much dark, inner-angst I could have avoided. I was never good at the bar scene, unlike my friends who were amazing, fearless Casanovas. I was too afraid of the inevitable rejection to ask girls to dance. In retrospect, no amount of technology would have made a difference. Lucky for me it doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve found my soulmate (Happy Valentine’s Day, honey). The finding part no longer is a problem for singles. The Internet has become one giant singles bar filled only with those who want someone to ask them to dance. The mystery, the risk, has been eliminated forever. But no matter how easy it is to find someone willing to make a love connection, there’s one ultimate truth that can never be avoided: You still have to meet them if you’re ever going to find out who they really are. And for that, you’re on your own. , Over The Edge is a monthly column by Reader senior contributing writer Tim McMahan focused on culture, society, music, the media and the arts. Email Tim at tim.mcmahan@gmail.com

over the edge

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FEBRUARY 2015

10 Predictions for Omaha’s Next 1,000 Years Look deep into Omaha’s future and find the end of humankind 1. Professional sports will come to Omaha. However, the sport will be hurling, a fast-moving combination football and baseball native to Ireland that will find an unexpected following in America in the next 20 years. Omaha will have the first American hurling stadium, as well as host the world series of hurling. Our local team will be named the Bugeaters, after our 1892 football team. 2. With oil and gas prices skyrocketing, America’s train system will convert to electromagnetic bullet trains. There will be a new golden age of rail as both good and people will return to trains for transportation, and Omaha will become a hub. The area just south of downtown will return to its original name, Train Town, and Omaha will see a vast increase in visibility, tourism, and fortune thanks to the rise of the rails. 3. Continuing to lose gambling revenue to Council Bluffs, Omaha will legalize gambling in the next 15 years, and will build a city-owned

FEBRUARY 2015

casino downtown, with profits going directly into the public coffers. The casino will offer a rare gambling experience: A game called Faro, once wildly popular in the American West, now rarely found. As a result, a Faro craze will spread through the world’s casinos, and Omaha manufacturers will quickly capitalize on this, producing elaborate Faro tables for professional and private use. 4. An unusual trend will start in Omaha in 25 years: Long river cruises. These will be very like ocean cruises, except they travel up and down the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Although smaller than ocean cruise ships, the river cruise boats will offer similarly luxurious accommodations, and will stop in major port cities from here to New Orleans. 5. 100 years from now, Omaha will be a neutral city in a new Civil War that pits the eastern United States against the western states in a battle begun when a military coup in Washington DC exiles the President

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mysterian

to Los Angeles. Despite Nebraska’s neutrality, the importance of its rail line will make it a battleground state, and much of the city’s downtown will be burned to the ground. 6. 200 years from now, Omaha and Lincoln will have merged into a supercity called, simply, OmahaLincoln. The population of these twinned cities will be more then 200 million. 7. 300 years from now, OmahaLincoln will be one of five places on earth to have a space elevator that reaches up into outer space, allowing the transportation of goods and people to various space stations and trans-planetary space ships. 8. 500 years from now, a military compound in Omaha-Lincoln will produce synthesized life forms with computer intelligence that people can simply upload their memories into. Most of us will already primarily live in the cloud by then, our lives constantly uploaded, with different iterations of our personalities engaged in different tasks, all at the

same time. But these new life forms will give human an infinite variety of shapes and an infinite life span. 9. 700 years from now, the place formerly known as Omaha-Lincoln will be an infinitely flexible space, filled with all sorts of basic building blocks that can instantly be reconfigured for whatever purpose is needed at the moment. Sometimes great masses of life forms, no longer recognizably human, will come to the space, and it will form itself into structures that can house and entertain the life forms. Sometimes, it will be empty, its building blocks folded into a flat surface. And sometimes it will turn into a vast machine, altering the rotation of the earth, the first part of a new plan that will free our planet from its rotation around the sun and set it adrift in space. 10. 1,000 years from now the city formerly known as Omaha-Lincoln will be a dig site, explored by alien archeologists seeking to understand what species once lived here, why they moved their planet, and where they went once it was moved.

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