The Reader Dec. 5 - 11, 2013

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DEC. 5 - 11, 2013

FLORAL PLANT GROWERS. Floral Plant Growers. Contact sandyk@hatbeauty.com. Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information.

CELEBRITY STAFFING. Customer Service. Contact Omaha@celebritystaff.com.

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ROBERTS ADVERTISING CO. Customer Service Agent – Program Administrator. Contact todd@robertsadv.com.

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CRETE CARRIER CORPORATION. Senior Financial Analyst.

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CLUB MEGA. Waitresses, Cooks, DJ (Night Club). Bartenders. Contact fidel_favela@yahoo.com.

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| THE READER |

PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF THE HEARTLAND. Certified medical assistant (CMA) Bilingual preferred.

Contact Erika.githens@ ppheartland.org. Go to OmahaJobs.com for information.

MIDLANDS MECHANICAL INC. Plumber. Contact gronk@ midmechinc.com. Go to OmahaJobs.com for info.

HELP WANTED: Printing Services Inc. has an opening for an experienced Sheetfed Press Operator. We are a long time established company located in Northern Iowa and are looking for the right individual to join our staff. Multicolor press experience preferred, but will train. Folding and cutting experience a plus. Day shift, competitive pay and benefits package. Please submit resume to: Press Operator, Printing Services, Inc., 524 River Ave. N., Belmond, IA 50421 or email resume to: rbeen@printingservicesinc. net (IOWA ONLY) (MCN)

SNELLING STAFFING SERVICES. Wa re ho u s e / P ro duc t io n , Shipping Coordinator, Shipping & Receiving, Mold Maker, General Laborers, Expense Administrator & Administrative Assistant. Email office@snelling-staffing. com. Go to OmahaJobs.com for info.

MINNEAPOLIS BASED COMPANY Expanding across the nation. We need sales reps with an excellent opportunity to move up into sales management.

Excellent commissions. We train. Ag or construction experience a plus. Call 1-866-958-2969 (MCN)

TECH SQUAD INC. Field Computer & Network Technician. Contact Raymond.finn@techsquadusa. com. Go to OmahaJobs.com for more information.

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616 N 46 St • $ 425 1 bed, 1 bath, 500 sq. ft.

1015 Turner Blvd • $ 450 1 bed, 1 bath, 700 sq. ft.

618 N 44 St • $ 450 1 bed, 1 bath, 550 sq. ft.

5097 Marshall Drive • $ 450 1 bed, 1 bath, 575 sq. ft.

1 Bedroom, 1 Bath, 2nd floor, Refinished Garden level apartment, just north of dodge 1 bed. Kitchen features large, built-in shelves 1/2 Deposit Special. 1 bed apt. Ceramic tile and ample closet space. Bedroom accommokitchen. Carpeted bedroom; All new bathroom; hardwood, new vinyl in kitchen, new paint and east of Saddle Creek Rd. throughout unit, Midtown dates a queen sized bed. On-site laundry.

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1015 Turner Blvd • $ 475 1 bed, 1 bath, 720 sq. ft.

4178 Cass St • $ 495 1 bed, 1 bath, 700 sq. ft.

6127 Bedford Ave • $ 550 2 bed, 1 bath, 890 sq. ft.

Refinished hardwood floors, fresh paint, main Spacious living room with wood floors, plenty of Duplex - 2nd floor/No basement; dishwasher, floor unit, located just a few minutes from many storage throughout. Mosaic tile floor in bathW/D hookups off the kitchen area, bedrooms places in the city. room and extra storage closet in laundry room. are average size. Storage shed available.

2102 S 45 St • $ 650 2 bed, 1 bath, 800 sq. ft.

3603 N 60th St • $ 650 2 bed, 1 bath, 846 sq. ft.

4860 S 132 Ave • $ 650 2 bed, 1 bath, 850 sq. ft.

708 S 36th St • $ 550 2 bed, 1 bath, 1056 sq. ft.

2 bedroom unit in midtown, All appliances included, Main floor unit with washer and dryer included in unit.

809 N 34th St • $ 695 2 bed, 1 bath, 900 sq. ft.

Free rent, Dec 15-Dec 30 if Full Deposit and Refinished hardwood floors and a Jack & Jill 1 Month Free w/18 Month lease. Washer & Duplex - Side by side - Spacious.

Move in by Dec 15, 4 Plex, Updated kitchen, bath, detached garage and walking distance to Dryer unit for $25/month. Furnishing are in mint bath and windows, and included washer/dryer. Benson that features eating and entertainment. condition. Balcony and availabe garage.

4116 N 56 St • $ 895 3 bed, 2 bath, 1030 sq. ft.

Ranch style with an unfinished walkout basement and fenced in back yard. Eat in Kitchen.

New windows and high efficiency furnace.

3328 Harrison • $ 950 3 bed, 2 bath, 1350 sq. ft.

5805 Ruggles St • $ 895 3 bed, 1 bath, 864 sq. ft.

2734 S 10th • $ 900 3 bed, 1.5 bath, 1216 sq. ft.

2901 Jefferson St • $ 950 3 bed, 1 bath, 993 sq. ft.

Cute Benson raised ranch, carpet throughout. Huge bedroom in attic, updates throughout, 3 Bedroom, 1 Bath ranch style home in located just south of the old market in Bellevue, Secluded area with detached residential area, mature trees in back yard. garage and modern paint and carpet themes.

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114 South 50th St • $ 1595 3 bed, 3 bath, 1594 sq. ft.

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omaha jobs

| THE READER |

DEC. 5 - 11, 2013

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he Bible is generally considered the most powerful piece of writing of the contemporary era. In 1455, when Johann Gutenberg sought to print something with his newly invented printing press, he decided on the Bible as that first experiment in mass media. Why not start with what most of the Western world believed to be the word of God? Lost in translation. The Bible, Old Testament and New, covers history from the beginning of the world up to the life of Jesus of Nazareth. It includes writings attributed to dozens of authors over a period of 3500 years. Biblical urtexts were written in at least three languages and it’s been translated into an estimated 3000 more. Yet astonishingly, none of the original written versions exists. Therein lies a problem. Who really said what? Who really did what?

And what did any of it mean?

Contradictions and disagreement of interpretation run rampant with the Bible. Some adherents claim that as much as 98 percent of the various translations textually agree. Others analyze and find as little as 10 percent of the text agrees.

Many insist that a book that contains paradoxes such as “love thy enemies” but also teaches “an eye for an eye” must have been adulterated through the ages.

The case for textual criticism. Since Gutenberg, books are consistent from edition to edition, being mass-produced from a single galley. Not so with the Bible, scribed in tedious handwritten fashion. The originals have all been lost and the oldest partial copy of scripture we have is the Greek Codex Sinaiticus, dating to about 300 or so years after Jesus died.

Using textual criticism techniques, biblical scholars note how scribes changed wording in the Bible by intention and accident. And even if copies of the Bible were without errors attributable to translation, handwritten transcriptions and scripted changes, they are still subject to personal projections by the authors.

One-word moniker, lived in NYC, studied Qabalah and is not Madonna…? Mystic Neville Goddard (1905-1972), known by the single given name Neville, saw an enlightened approach to the Bible. By 1926, Neville’s interest in metaphysics led him to the Rosicrucian Society, the Qabalah and the Hebrew text Bible. There he found the underpinnings for what is described as the law of consciousness.

Neville viewed the Bible in a holographic sense. A hologram is a three-dimensional image that takes on a different appearance when viewed

from different aspects. But the innate essence never changes.

In the scriptures, Neville found a recurring theme.

Stories and parables throughout both Old and New Testament appear as an extended metaphor for the power of mind, the reality of consciousness.

Seen through modern psychology, with terms like conscious and subconscious awareness, biblical references held true to the theme of the inner world of mind creating the outer world of form. Through the 1930s and ‘40s, Neville traveled the country delivering his message as he found it in the Bible.

In 1946, he published his first writing, a modest 18page treatise titled The Search, no more than a threadbound pamphlet. But the die was cast. His teaching summed up on page 13: “… life moulds the outer world to reflect the inner arrangement of our minds. It is to our own consciousness that we must turn as to the only reality, the only foundation on which all phenomena can be explained.” Neville went on to write several books, including a cornerstone titled Feeling is the Secret.

By the 1960s, Neville was lecturing weekly to packed houses at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles. There was never a fee and people lined up circling the block along Wilshire Blvd.

Thought creates form. The physical universe is but a veneer over something unseen. Physics teaches we are not solid matter but energy. And thought is a profound though not yet fully understood wavelength of energy. Even thousands of years ago, great thinkers credited thought with creating the universe.

In Timeaus, Plato dialogues a cosmology that thought lies at the core of creation. Modern science’s “brane theory” describes that reality — stars, planets, black holes, human bodies, empty space and so on — is but a thin membrane over a vast, yet physically unperceived universe.

In brane theory, our universe is like a thin veneer of scum on top of an infinitely deep pond. We know only that scummy top layer. What goes on in the rest of creation is but a hint or whisper of undercurrent deep within the pond. That pond is a huge unseen sump of cosmic energy. Tapping the abstraction of it requires using the only abstract tool we have: the subconscious.

Neville was not the first to see that thought creates all. Indeed, much of his message is that the Bible serves as a guide to the use of mind and imagination and feeling to harmonize our higher selves with this physical universe. In Feeling is the Secret, Neville teaches the key to tapping that energy and illuminates the timeless message in the Bible when viewed with the discernment of knowledge.

Be well. ,

HEARTLAND HEALING is a New Age polemic describing alternatives to conventional methods

of healing the body, mind and planet. It is provided as information and entertainment, certainly not medical advice. It is not an endorsement of any particular therapy, either by the writer or The Reader. Visit HeartlandHealing.com for more information.

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DEC. 5 - 11 , 2013

| THE READER |

heartland healing

topnews

The Pelini Principal Embattled NU Coach’s future very uncertain

BY MIKE BABCOCK

B

o Pelini behaved as if he had coached his last game at Nebraska, based on his sideline and post-game decorum, or lack thereof. That was the assumption.

The evidence was far from subtle. But it was an assumption, keep that in mind.

First, the basis for such an assumption.

Pelini was brusque with ABC sideline reporter Quint Kessenich, who asked about the interceptions thrown by Ron Kellogg III on the Huskers’ first two possessions.

“What do you think?” Pelini said. “What kind of question is that?”

Pelini’s response is already included in Kessenich’s profile on Wikipedia. Kessenich “made national headlines” for asking the question of an “indignant” Pelini, the entry says.

The entry also says that Kessenich played lacrosse in college and professionally. Presumably, he is tough enough to withstand the words of an indignant coach.

It’s not as if Pelini were indignant with, say, Erin Andrews or Samantha Ponder.

More to the point, perhaps, Pelini was indignant with officials after a pass interference call he thought should have been waved off. So he took off his ballcap and swung it at an official.

The ballcap nearly hit the official – unsportsmanlike conduct, 15 yards.

In his post-game news conference, Pelini referred to the pass interference as a “chickens**t” call. “Excuse my language on that, but I had never seen anything like that before,” he said. “I’ve done a lot worse than that. I saw Kirk Ferentz on the other side acting a lot worse than that.

“I didn’t see a flag come out on him. The bottom line is they knew they blew the call.”

Ferentz is Iowa’s head coach. He wasn’t wearing a ballcap to swing.

Pelini was also indignant with reporters, who wanted to know if he thought he had made a “case” for keeping his job. “I don’t coach to make a case,” he said.

“Let’s call a spade a spade. If they want to fire me, go ahead.”

They are Chancellor Harvey Perlman and Athletic Director Shawn Eichorst, who issued a statement the next morning that said, in part: “We very much look forward to our upcoming bowl game

and Coach Pelini continuing to lead our program in the future.”

Eichorst reiterated in the statement what he had said previously, that his “approach has always been to not comment publicly about our coaches until their full seasons are complete.”

He commented in this case because of “the volume of unfounded speculation and conjecture.”

Assumptions, in other words.

Later the next day, Pelini released a statement thanking Eichorst and the administration for their support and apologizing for his show of frustration with game officials and media.

Which brings us to the assumption Pelini believed the game would be his last.

He never said that, at least not on the record. We don’t know what he might have said to those in whom he confides. In any case, maybe his words and actions on the day after Thanksgiving were simply a reflection of his passion. It’s not as if he had never talked and acted that way before.

He’s nothing if not intensely competitive, sometimes to a point at which he might not remember exactly what he said or did.

How else to explain the ballcap-waving incident?

Consider the Ferentz “acting a lot worse” comment. The evidence suggests otherwise.

To assume Pelini’s behavior was a result of his believing the Iowa game would be his last seems to call into question his principles. He has shown he’s as principled as he is passionate about what he does. He’s being paid well to coach. Why would that not be his focus?

Likewise, Eichorst should be commended for his consistency. His evaluation of Pelini is on-going, taking into account the entire season, not one game.

Presumably, his checklist includes sideline and post-game behavior as well as wins and losses. And, no doubt, it also includes Pelini’s relationship with his players.

“He’s literally changed my life,” said junior wide receiver Kenny Bell. “I would play for Bo Pelini against Satan himself and a team of demons at the gates of the underworld. I love Coach Pelini, and I can say that with confidence for everybody in that locker room.”

Such player comments, unsolicited, are common enough.

Many assumptions can be made about this.

But they’re only assumptions.

On Monday, the Big Ten issued a public reprimand of Pelini for “violating the Big Ten Sportsmanship Policy” and fined Nebraska $10,000. That was a fact. ,

VISIONS FROM FIVE MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE • DECEMBER 5, 2013 • The future will belong to drones.

These small flying machines will do everything from film news stories for local television to deliver pizza. At a cost of just a few thousand dollars, anyone will be able to afford a drone.

These will be easily customizable, and

news

so drones will be used by both individuals and businesses in ways only limited by their imagination. Drone photography will become popular, with people taking photos from high in the air, as will drone skywriting. The skies of tomorrow will be a busy place.

| THE READER |

DEC. 5 - 11, 2013

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W

hen I first started asking people about their favorite French fries in the Omaha area I was ready to learn about a bunch of obscure places I’ve yet to visit featuring French fries that are prepared with an impressive variety of exotic herbs and spices.

To the contrary, I was quite surprised that even some of the most foodie friends I have are quick to defend some of the more common fast food varieties available.

I did an informal, non-scientific poll among some of my friends to find out what their favorite French fry place is, and the overwhelming major-

fries are similar to Smashburger because they are thinly-cut. I haven’t yet tried the fry sauce, but according to those who love this sauce, I’m really missing out.

To combat the skinny fries at Smashburger and Freddy’s, Darrin Kimpson counters with the huge fries at Red Robin. “Red Robin’s steak fries are up there as well,” he asserts. Most people love that these fries are “bottomless,” meaning you can eat as many as you want.

They’re steak fries,

ity said Runza. “Runza is part of our fast food trifecta,” says Christine Williams. “A burger from Don & Millie’s, a shake from Culver’s and fries from Runza.”

Runza fries are crinkle-cut. Every time I’ve tried them, there was no shortage of salt sprinkled upon the fries. I think they’re relatively tasty, although a part of me wonders if folks are just such big fans of Runza that their knee-jerk reaction to any fast food-related question is “Runza! Runza!

The answer is Runza!”

Smashburger also got high marks for their Smashfries, and this one I agree with when the fries are prepared properly. You only have to get one order of Smashfries prepared incorrectly to put you off these fries for life. These thinly-cut fries are also available as plain fries without all the extra flair that comes with the Smashfries.

More than one person sang the praises of the fries at Freddy’s. “Freddy’s with fry sauce,” says Cathy Curtis. “The best! Mouthwatering!” These

so they’re substantial, and then when you add two or three more servings you’re looking at some serious French fry action.

Five Guys was also mentioned more than once in my informal poll, but the Five Guys French fry train is one I simply can’t get on. I know plenty of people love these fries, but honestly, I don’t get it.

I was pleased when people started talking some sense and naming some of the less mass-produced French fries in town. When I asked Sara Locke her favorite French fry place in the area, her response was downright serious: “Amsterdam Falafel curry fries are the only possible answer to this question.”

Kyle Tonniges and some other folks also mentioned Dario’s for their “frites.” I let out a cheer when my personal favorite place for French fries in town was finally mentioned: Pitch Pizzeria.

I know it sounds a little weird to head to a pizza place to get the best fries in town, but their truffle fries are ridiculously good. I happened upon these fries one day while meeting up with my friends for

n The Side Door Lounge, 3530 Leavenworth St., will welcome Tyler J. Johnson as owner/operator starting this week. The Side Door Lounge was formerly owned

by Steve Jamrozy, who was the original owner of the Flatiron Restaurant. According to a statement issued

by Johnson, the Side Door will offer a fresh drink

menu and more event opportunities for area musicians and visual artists. The Side Door Lounge will be closed the first week of December and will reopen with new hours starting Dec. 10. New hours will be Tuesday through Friday, 5 p.m. to close, and Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. to close; Mondays are closed. n The long awaited Brix Beer Bar at Village Pointe, 168th and Dodge streets., is now open. So

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DEC. 5 - 11, 2013

| THE READER |

dish

a quick lunch. My first bite of these fries stopped me in my tracks and put all other French fries to shame, as far as I’m concerned.

Friends, don’t waste your time with mediocre French fries. Guard your taste buds. With so many great options for high quality, delicious fries, why bother with less than the best? , if wine isn’t your thing, you can tap into over 20 beers at their new craft beer bar. For more information, visit www.brixomaha.com. n The Crescent Moon, Huber-Haus and Max and Joe’s, 36th and Farnam, are hosting their seventh annual Holiday Beerfest Dec. 7 from 1 to 5 p.m. This holiday fest will feature the largest selection of holiday and winter seasonal beers in the Midwest. Each

ticket includes a souvenir tasting glass, a program of available beers and unlimited 2-ounce tastings of over 70 different seasonal beers from the world’s leading breweries. Tickets are $23 and can be purchased at etix.com or www.beercornerusa.com.

— Krista O’Malley Crumbs is about indulging in food and celebrating its many forms. Send information about area food and drink businesses to crumbs@thereader.com.

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| THE READER |

DEC. 5 - 11, 2013

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E

very week I picked up The Reader, I always looked forward to reading MoJoPo’s horoscopes, no matter how bizarre or off-kilter they were. He had way of making me laugh with his wordy and often rhyming predictions of the future.

There is so much more to MoJo than horoscopes.

Born Michael Joseph Pryor, the Omaha native attended Creighton Prep and played football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers in, what he referred to as, his “warrior days.” Pryor always had an intense interest in astrology, and he got into art after taking classes at Creighton University under Fr. Leland Luebbers.

When I was 19, I waited tables part-time at McFoster’s Natural Kind Café, the ideal establishment for the ageless hippie or vivacious vegetarian. MoJo was a regular customer. While at first I was intimidated by his wise old wizard ways, eventually I warmed up to him. Fifteen years later, my memories have faded, but I’ll always remember his kind spirit. The last time I saw MoJo was three weeks ago. Of course, I had no idea it was to be my last sighting of the beloved Omaha figure.

He was standing in front of his Benson music studio and as I drove by, I saw him with his guitar in hand and presumably his harmonica was somewhere on him, as well. After all, MoJo loved music. He loved playing the harmonica and singing the blues. He loved anything where he could let his creative spirit fly.

Sadly, MoJo passed away Nov. 20, 2013, at 9:52 p.m. from a sudden heart attack. He was 67-yearsold. However, it might not have been sudden to MoJo. Heather Swain, MoJo’s niece, has a feeling he knew of his impending death.

“Michael J Pryor has danced in and out of my life since I was a little girl as he was my uncle,” Swain says. “I’ve traveled with him and lived with him in Hawaii, as well. Although he’s always played an important role in my life as a mentor and a mystic, I haven’t had the real connection like I had over this last summer. MoJo and I collaborated at the Voodoo Lounge making music together multiple times a week and, of course, had incredible conversations. We talked about everything all the way down to the English language and vocabulary we should or should not use in our lives. I had one particular last conversation with MoJo that now has struck a cord in my heart in a form of comfort from his passing.

“MoJo told me about the vision of his Mother he had and her message about death she delivered to him,” she continues. “At that time in our conversation, we broke ground with tears streaming and ultimate understanding he knew it was close to his time to pass. I now know he was purely prepping me and those around him of his passing. I should of known he knew it was his time as he always had my answers even before I asked the question. His answers were never direct, but more of a Taoist way of simplicity.

He was a pure soul. MoJo has definitely earned his wings before he passed and he knew exactly where he was going. Fly home my brother.”

MoJo believed strongly in astrology and mysticism, and said he once lived in a forest for 10 months, which good friend/owner of the Om Center, Sandy Aquila could attest.

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DEC. 5 - 11, 2013

“I used to visit him in Santa Cruz, California,” Aquila remembers. “He lived in a teepee in the forest and he had the telephone company hook up a phone in the teepee! Back then they were dial phones.

Many years ago, he taught me a dinner prayer/blessing that I still use to this day: ‘May this food and the precious Prana in the air bless us and make us the best vehicle of the truth.’ Thank you Michael.”

| THE READER |

cover story

Shannon Byers, also a vet of McFoster’s, grew close to MoJo over the years and recognized how much of an impact he had on a wide array of people.

“It’s so difficult to put into just a few paragraphs how someone as complex as MoJo has effected your life,” Byers says. “Almost 20 years have passed since meeting him while working at McFoster’s. He was the best conversationalist I’ve ever known. Over the

years we became friends and he was a mentor for me in finding my own spirituality. The first of many talks we had, I was 22, and I spent an evening at his house just talking about the universe and how we all intertwine together. It blew my mind at the time and since then we have had similar conversations about spirituality, raising children, music, and astrology. continued on page 10 y

Differences in network providers

W

hen choosing a new health insurance plan, there are two questions that are important to consider in making your decision.

Can you see the doctor you want with your new health insurance plan?

AND… Does the plan you choose make a difference in where you are able to obtain healthcare?

In the state of Nebraska, three of the main insurance providers available to you are Blue Cross Blue Shield Nebraska, Coventry Healthcare and CoOpportunity Health.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Nebraska

BCBSNE offers three-tier health plans. These are: n Tier 1 – Choose your provider from a select health care system. This tier saves you the most money as you share the lowest level of cost. n Tier 2 – This In-network tier offers you a choice of additional BlueCard providers across the US as well as NEtwork BLUE providers. Your share of the cost with this tier is moderate. n Tier 3 – You may choose any provider you wish Out-ofnetwork. Costs with this tier are the highest, saving you the lowest amount of money.

According to the BCBSNE website, providers may be chosen from the following facilities: Bellevue Medical Center, Methodist Hospital, Methodist Women’s Hospital, The Nebraska Medical Center, Nebraska Orthopaedic Hospital, Jennie Edmundson Hospital (Council Bluffs), Children’s Hospital & Medical Center and Children’s Physicians, Fremont Area Medical Center, Secure Care and Nebraska Methodist Health System.

CoOpportunity Health

CoOpportunity Health offers two primary health care plans.

Multiple levels are available within each plan: CoOpportunity Premier – This is a PPO plan that offers you a wide range of physicians to choose from and lower costs for choosing in-network providers.

CoOpportunity Premier HSA – This plan has a higher deductible but still offers you a large selection of health providers as well as allowing you the opportunity to have a health savings account.

Both plans offer you access to: n 20,000 health care professionals n 320 hospitals n 1,500 healthcare facilities in Nebraska and Iowa CoOpportunity Health uses the Midlands Choice Network of providers, including: The Nebraska Medical Center, Alegent Creighton Health Creighton University Medical Center, Alegent Creighton Health Bergan Mercy Hospital and Nebraska Methodist Hospital.

Visiting the doctor when you or a family member is sick helps keep everyone healthy. And having good, solid choices of healthcare plans, providers and facilities makes that trip to the doctor a lot less stressful.

I

f anyone has experienced the Affordable Care Act (ACA), it would be Nancy Livingston, director of family service at Eastern Nebraska Community Action Partnership.

Livingston is one of seven certified navigators in the Omaha metro area and one of 52 in the state of Nebraska. She supervises ENCAP’s navigator program, helping Omahans successfully find their way to affordable health coverage provided by the ACA. Since beginning their work on October 1, Livingston said she and her staff have focused their efforts on outreach and on making sure everyone they communicate with has the correct information about the ACA. “One of our roles is to do outreach. We really hit that pretty heavy especially in October and into November,” she said. “If people don’t know about the ACA, we just want to get the information out there.”

If Livingston and her staff have encountered a common theme throughout their interactions so far, it would have to be people thinking that the ACA and Obamacare are two different things.

In the presentation they make to groups, Livingston said her group has included a clip from a recent Jimmy Kimmel show, where he talks to people on the street and the majority don’t realize the ACA is the same thing as Obamacare.

“It was so funny, but it really hit home that this is what the American people are thinking, that they are two different things,” she said. “There are so many mixed messages and people have made it into much more.”

The HealthCare.gov website troubles have certainly not made their job any easier, Livingston said. Instead of promoting the

online system for enrolling in policies, the navigators have been telling Omahans to enroll by calling the toll-free phone number (1-800-318-2596).

Other than outreach, the ENCAP navigators spend their time meeting with people and answering phone calls from folks with questions about the various plans and the process.

“If someone wants to apply, we are there to assist,” Livingston said. “We can’t tell them what to do; we can’t offer any suggestions. If someone can’t read or write, we can fill it out for them, but they have to be the one to mail it. We have to answer basic questions, but we can’t bias them on the plan they will or will not choose.”

In all, the navigators have interacted with more than 2,000 people since October 1. The biggest surprise in all those interactions? Livingston said the number of people who don’t have insurance and until now haven’t given any thought to the fact they didn’t have coverage.

She recalls a story about an elderly woman she was working with a year or two ago and when Livingston visited her home, she asked the woman, “When was the last time you visited your primary care doctor?”

The woman answered, “Oh, I don’t have one. When I get sick, I just call an ambulance and they take me to the emergency room.”

“That’s not good healthcare for her,” Livingston said. “And also for the system to take on that kind of load. I think if we can really push the idea of wellness with our insurance, which the ACA is really pushing, and preventative services, I think it’s going to be a lot healthier for the entire system and for our population in general.”

Meet A Navigator: Eastern Nebraska Community Action Partnership

| THE READER |

DEC. 5 - 11, 2013

9

My Older Brother by Jan Pryor

M

ichael Joseph Pryor, was a unique and wonderful individual who I’m blessed to have had as my older brother. He has always been my best friend, my closest confidant, and outside of myself, my greatest source of inspiration and solace. I find the continued response to his death absolutely incredible as shown by the depth and breadth of emotion that has poured forth since 20 November... indeed a tribute to how special a human being that Michael was and to the strength of Michael’s enduring spirit.

I think there is a unique combination of attributes that made Michael the deeply loved and respected icon that Mojopo was: 1) Michael lived his life without compromise. He consistently lived by his standard of right and wrong and did not allow himself to stray from that. He fiercely defended his principles and lived life on his terms. As Michael noted in his musical lyrics, by the grace of God, Michael was allowed to live his life as he chose. This was the foundation of his greatness... his uncompromising nature that guided him.

2) Michael was filled with kindness and love for his fellow human beings. He was truly concerned about everyone that he met and did not hesitate to offer whatever was needed to make others more whole... be it friendship, a smile, a kind word, his physical presence, money, advice, calmness, goodwill, understanding, forgiveness... whatever it was that they needed. How many people considered Michael as their best friend, their father figure, even their savior? It’s truly outstanding... I have known no one else like this. From my perspective, Michael repeatedly sacrificed himself for others. He was always there when I needed him. He dropped everything and stayed by my side for two years when I was at the depth of despair and didn’t know how I could possibly go forward... Michael saved me!... and he’s saved countless others... amazing!

3) Michael was a creative genius. He was at his core a true artistic genius who was always thinking of how he could express his creativity for the sake of the beauty and joy that he and others got from it.

Art for the sake of art... in his painting, his music, his poetry, his astrology, his philosophy... down to the small details of the things that he surrounded himself with physically... in the way he spoke... in the way he answered his phone! His home on Franklin Street is like a museum of artifacts and mystical bits and pieces that he assembled and continuously refined.

Michael looked at everything as art and beauty!

4) Michael had an intense thirst for knowledge and had an uncanny ability to translate this knowledge into clarity of thinking and understanding. He read broadly and continuously sought out information and ideas that he used to refine a mystic philosophy through which he interpreted his/our existence. His astrological and metaphysical genius is obvious as was his ability to translate his philosophy in a way that we could understand and feel. The clarity with which he saw his own mortality leaves us numb.

We all deeply miss Michael because we want more of that tremendous being that he was. But in our hearts we know that his spirit soars and that he is finally free. Michael’s whole life focused on the day that his spirit transcended this physical plane. He faced that transition with open eyes, with an open heart and with an intense understanding and knowing of what his death meant to his continued journey. How did the Mojo know?... ... he knew because he had prepared himself to know! I am happy for him. I know that Michael is where he’s supposed to be.

10

DEC. 5 - 11, 2013

| THE READER |

y continued from page 8

“He was a great man whose door was always open, never judging, always listening and helping people find their way,” she adds. “It’s so easy to become lost in this world, but being around MoJo things were a little clearer, your purpose was more defined and more important. With his music, his words and his perspective, everything in life seemed more obtainable and just simple. That’s what he did for me at least, as I’m sure a lot of other people whose lives he touched feel the same way. I will definitely miss him, but I do know he’s not gone.”

Another close friend, Steven Wise, was with him often and marveled at MoJo’s ability to connect with people and never stray from, what he believes, was his chosen path.

“Life as with people is so much one’s personal experience,” Wise says.

“Who can say what another may have thought or felt, each of us with our own perception, of understanding in the life we share. With words we find ourselves stumbling to express something that before could be so easily covered, by a handshaking or talking about the days events, over a nice-warm cup of chai. The thoughts can capture the smile, but getting it on a paper and touching another heart, trans-

ferring the smile. That’s art. A life in the day of MoJo stayed pretty much consistent, what changed were the nouns.

“Since 2011, two of the topics closest to his heart were art without purpose and selfless service, and this is how he lived,” he continues. “MoJo shared his life through music and helping others, and regardless what day it was, nothing was begun before consulting the stars and morning yoga (though sometimes morning

with someone, it would prove easy to write something about the man, but she struggled a bit to find the right words. Below are a few of her sentiments and a poem she wrote about him the first year they met.

“The characteristic about Michael Pryor that always stood out the most for me was his sense of destiny; regarding himself, humanity and the universe as a whole,” Star says. “He always seemed to have such a clarity about what he was here to do, compared to most of us, many of whom just seem to be groping through life. And he didn’t just see his own path clearly.

He had a way of helping others to get a better sense of their destinies, too. I watched it happen many a time.”

Recognition

yoga got cut short, which he’d make up for later in the day). With MoJo, people came first and other things would have to wait. The work was/ is learning to fill in around one another, helping where help is needed, blessing each other with our hearts and talents, in the sharing of our lives. ‘First things first,’ he would always say,‘ and the new moon is in…Sagittarius.’”

Finally, MoJo’s partner of many years, Star, was able to find a few quiet moments to pen down her thoughts. She thought after 13 years

He has come to show me death In the most dear, dread, familiar face In which I’ll ever see it Before I meet it in my own.

How do you [I] do?

How very strange to meet you now, at last After hearing [and evading] so much about you for so long Now, here you are With-[in] the face of one long loved and lost About [Again] to become fast friends.

MOJOPO Memories The Name

Back in the day, at Prep, assignment papers had to have AMDG at the top, middle. Name below to the left. Date to the right. On one paper one time, Michael just did his initials M.J.P. but being his artistic self, he made the periods cute little circular “o’s”. The Jebbie got the papers and saw his and said, “Okay. Who’s the wise guy?

Who’s “Mo- Jopp-Po”? Pryor, corrected him: “That’s MO-jo-po, Father.” Instant JUG — Michael Braunstein

The Transformation and Farewell Concert

Mojo’s first mention in the Omaha World-Herald in 1964: Michael Joseph Pryor, Creighton Prep end — alternated between end and tackle on powerful champion team ... 200, 6-0, 17 ... Made first tackle for Prep on opening kick-off two consecutive years. ... Son of Mr. and Mrs. O. Douglas Pryor ...

Plans Business Administration course at University of Nebraska.

Six years later, a story on Mojo’s band Bumpy Action, from the World-Herald, July 7, 1970, called “Bumpy Action to Split Scene.”

About six months ago, a rock group named Bumpy Action rented a house at 5140 Dodge Street for $150 a month.

cover story

The group, six young men and a woman, ages 18 to 21, played sax, guitars, organ, flute, drums and other instruments. Their amplified sound is loud, with a strong beat, and practice sessions irked some neighbors.

Then the band began allowing other youths to spend the night. Many were out-of-town strangers without a place to stay.

The sight of a bedroll carrying youth, perhaps with a beard and long hair, irked some neighbors. At least 29 children live on South Fifty-First Avenue, within a block of the house, and some parents objected to the possible influence of the house’s residents on their children.

The noise of Dodge Street, complaints of neighbors, confinement of the city and other factors led Bumpy Action to decide to move.

Sunday evening, the group decided to give a farewell concert outdoors for the neighborhood and for their friends ...

The concert was only about three songs old when the police arrived. ... One neighbor complained about a youth urinating on a tree in front of her home, another of the beer and pop cans and other litter strewn in the area.

Group members ... said they didn’t know why everyone got so upset.

The concert was an act of friendship, they said. Playing on the front porch as Bumpy Action pondered its future were the group’s dogs, Freedom and Blues.

Friday, December 6

The OEAAs Winter Showcase

teams up with Benson First Friday Tickets to hit up all participating venues are $10 at any of the showcase bars.

Musical performers include: The Electroliners, Conchance, Matt Cox Band, Steve Raybine, The Whipkey Three , Josh Hoyer & The Shadowboxers, John Klemmensen & the Party, Edem, John Larsen, Michael Wunder, Island Alumni, the SubVectors, Travelling Mercies, the Hector Anchondo Band, A Wasted Effort, Black On High,

The Decatures, Rock Paper Dynamite, Moses Prey, The Bishops, Artillery Funk, Brett Vovk , Plaque Blague, Jimmy Hooligan, The End In Red, Narcotic Self, Belles & Whistles, The 9s, DJ ShorT, Field Club, Kaitlyn Hova, Mojo Bag, eNVy, Dominique Morgan and Vago

| THE READER |

DEC. 5 - 11, 2013

11

8

T H E R E A D E R ’ S E N T E RTA I N M E N T P I C K S D E C . 5 - 11 , 2 013

FRIDAY6

ROCK PAPER DYNAMITE

Dec. 6

THE GREEN FAIRY RETURNS FEATURING THE HOT TAIL HONEYS House of Loom, 1012 S. 10th St., $5, 21+, 8 p.m. houseofloom.com, facebook.com/hottailhoneys

DAYS

TOPTV “Tequila Sisters”

Tuesday, 7 pm (TV Guide Network)

The TV Guide Network has stumbled on a realityshow goldmine: a wealthy Southern California family with four sexy, spoiled, sassy, TV-ready sisters. The Marin girls are blond counterparts to the Kardashians, and they give them a run for their money in the banal self-absorption department. Tequila Sisters (named for the family’s tequila-importing fortune) has no trouble finding plot points, given the sisters’ nude photo shoots and $40,000 birthday parties.

Then there’s the parents’ strict Mexican value system, which clashes with the girls’ libertine lifestyles.

In a month dominated by wholesome holiday fare, I appreciate a series that’s unabashedly tawdry.

— Dean Robbins

One of House of Loom’s most wildly abandoned and transformative theme nights is back. HOL’s Brent Crampton describes it this way: “The Green Fairy transports you into a roaring speakeasy that all the gangs of yester-decade now haunt. Where live jazz melds with DJs. Where cabaret and burlesque performances spontaneously erupt beside swinging dance parties.” Crampton, who will be djing that night, continues: “It’s a place where the roaring ’20s, bohemia, cancan, diva, gigolo, glamor, mafia, Moulin Rouge, steam punk and vaudeville all magically meld and are washed down together with Pre-Prohibition cocktails and House of Loom’s signature absinthe fountain.” Expect this fairy and absinthe aficionado to be bellied up to the bar trying out the featured “Absinthe of the Gods” Amrita.

– ES Dec. 6

OEEA NOMINEE SHOWCASE

Downtown Benson, between 65th and 64th Streets 7 p.m., $10 tickets at the door gain access to all venues, oea-awards.com MARIN SISTERS

12

DEC. 5 - 11, 2013

The 8th annual OEAA Nominee Showcase kicks off this Friday in Benson in conjunction with Benson First Friday. Expect more than 50 acts featuring Omaha’s top

| THE READER |

picks

music acts, comedy, spoken word poetry and visual arts. The venues hosting the event are as follows: The Waiting Room, Barley Street Tavern, The 402, Pizza Shoppe Collective, The Sydney and Burke’s Pub. Before I highlight the night’s musical offers, let us touch on the comedy and poetry and where about to find it. The Barley Street Tavern will presend Collabo Comedy, The 402 hosts poet Ben Wenzl, Greg Harries and comedian Heather Jones and the P.S. Collective will feature comedians Tracie Mauk and JC Morgan. Some of the bands to make sure you don’t miss, as reccommended by myself, are All Young Girls Are Machine Guns (The Waiting Room, 7:50), Hector Anchondo (Burke’s Pub, 12:50), Rock Paper Dynamite (Barley Street Tavern, 10:40), Brett Vovk (The Sydney, 8:25), Mariachi Las Cecilias (The 402, 7:00) and eNVY (P.S. Collective, 9:40). This year’s nominated visual artists who’s work will be on display are Jamie Burmeister, Kim Reid Kuhn, Mary Zicafoose, Bart Vargas, Paula Wallace, Iggy Sumnik, Brion Poloncic and Jeff Kin. Best of luck making it out to every set.

– James Derrick Schott MATO NANJI

SUNDAY8 Dec. 8

INDIGENOUS W/ NORTH DUCK, LL DUNN AND THE HIRED GUNS, LITTLE JOE AND BIG TROUBLE Sokol Underground, 2234 S. 13th St., 2:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15, sokolunderground.com

Indigenous front man, Mato Nanji was born and raised on the Yankton Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. Mato was exposed to his father’s vast collection of blues albums recorded by legendary artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and B.B. King. Consequently, Mato began utilizing his own musical talent at a young age. With the experience and wisdom of their father to guide them, Mato, his brother Pte, sister and cousin formed the band Indigenous while in their late teens. 2000’s Circle landed at #3 on the Billboard blues chart while 2006’s Chasing the Sun hit #2. In 2008, Mato wrote and recorded the album Broken Lands and most recently, the band released The Acoustic Sessions in 2010. Indigenous continues to tour as a trio, opting mostly for outdoor venues, but stops at Sokol Underground this Sunday for the Blues Society of Omaha’s annual holiday party and fundraiser.

– Kyle Eustice

chip goes here

SG ROI Tobacconist

Visit our upstairs lounge for a smoke break.

Hounds Lounge presents...

A CHARITY AUCTION 100% of the proceeds go to the Midlands Humane Society

Saturday, December 14, 2013 6:00pm Silent Auction 8:00 pm Live Auction HOUNDS LOUNGE

162 W Broadway Council Bluffs, IA 51503

Public Welcome!

One-of-a-kind music memorab ilia, autographs, t-shirts, platinum signature guitars, records and more!

Support this great cause!

Your Friendly Neighborhood Football Bar. DRINK SPECIALS DURING THE GAMES IN THE OLD MARKET

503 S. 11TH ST. (402) 341-9264

4721 NW Radial Hwy Omaha t (402) 933-9300

LEGACY The Emily Fisher Landau Collection NOW THROUGH JANUARY 5, 2014 Framing the Flame: Art That Ignites

Thursday, Dec. 19 @ 6 pm Marissa Vigneault, Weston Thomson, and Ying Zhu will each speak for ten minutes about a work that “lights their fire” from the exhibition, shedding light on how art inspires, engages, and impacts their own work in the Omaha arts community.

preSenting SponSor:

Major SponSorS: Annette and Paul Smith, Douglas County; Contributing SponSor: Eve and Fred Simon; Supporting SponSorS: Joan Gibson and Don Wurster, Kathy and Marc LeBaron, Lincoln Financial Foundation, Inc.; Additional support provided by KPMG LLP, Nebraska Arts Council and Nebraska Cultural Endowment. iMage: James Rosenquist (b.

1933), House of Fire II, 1982, oil on canvas, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; promised gift of Emily Fisher Landau P.2010.241a-c., Art ©James Rosenquist / Licensed by VAGA, New York, photograph

by Tim Nighswander/Imaging4Art

Open Tuesday through Sunday FREE Admission

Free admission. Cash bar opens @ 5 pm.

2200 Dodge St. | Omaha, NE | (402) 342-3300 | www.joslyn.org

| THE READER |

DEC. 5 - 12, 2013

13

Film Streams at the Ruth Sokolof Theater 14th & Mike Fahey Street (formerly Webster Street) More info & showtimes 402.933.0259 · filmstreams.org Facebook & Twitter: @filmstreams

This week!

Nebraska

Let the Fire First-Run (R) Burn First-Run

Dir. Jason Osder.

Dir. Alexander Payne.

Starts Friday, December 6 One week only!

Now showing!

“A career-crowning performance

by Bruce Dern and a thoroughly impressive dramatic turn by ‘SNL’/‘30 Rock’ alum Will Forte.” – Scott Foundas, Variety “Alexander Payne has become one of those figures who isn’t just a film director — he’s a genre.”

– Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

“Let the Fire Burn is a time machine.

It shows there are truths out there waiting to be found—that footage already shot can make history in all its terrible finality breathe.” – David Edelstein, New York Magazine

OLIBA MEMBERS

A Well-Dressed Window

Emspace Group

Absolutely Fresh Seafood & Shucks Fish House

Elmwood Pharmacy

Omaha Glass

House of J

Patrick’s Market

Accessibility dot Net

Integrated Merchant Alliance, Inc.

Personal Threads

Aksarben Cinema

It’s Yours Pottery

Printing Plus

Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts

Jaipur Brew House

The Reader

Julio’s

Rockbrook Camera

Better Bodies Fitness & Training Bliss Boutique Body Basics Bookworm Book Store Borsheims Callahan Financial Planners Candy Wrappers Denim Saloon Dundee Bank Dundee Dell

14

DEC. 5 - 11, 2013

Old Market Artists Co-op

Learning HQ

RSVP

Lewis Art Gallery

Schloeman’s Lamp Shop

The Laurel Tree

Silver of Oz

M’s Pub

Soul Desires at Urban Abbey

Malbar Vision

Spirit World

Malibu Gallery

Stickman Graphics & Signs

Mama’s Pizza

Village Needleworks

Maud Boutique

White Crane Gallery

metroMagazine

Wohlner’s Neighborhood Grocery and Deli

Millard Lumber

| THE READER |

Alexander Payne Presents An Autumn Afternoon 1962

Dir. Yasujirô Ozu. December 6, 8 & 10

Alexander says: “When young filmmakers ask me for advice, I invariably say, ‘And watch as much Ozu as you can. He never made a bad film.’

This one was his very last.”

Forever Young Admission just $2.50 for kids 12 and under!

The Freshman 1925

Dir. Fred C. Newmeyer & Sam Taylor.

December 7, 8, 12, 14, 15, 19 Silent legend and Nebraska native Harold Lloyd at his hilarious best!

Coming Soon Come and See 1986 Summertime 1955 Inside Llewyn Davis First-Run (R) It’s a Wonderful Life 1946 (PG)

n Six years ago, BLUEBARN Theatre’s Artistic Director Susan Clement-Toberer was looking for a way to give back to a community that has given so much. She knew of the initiatives like Toys for Tots and the Salvation Army Tree of Lights, which help children and families during the Holiday season, but she didn’t find much in the way of holiday assistance toward Omaha’s elderly.

After some research, she came across the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, a non-profit dedicated to helping older Nebraskans live independently and stay in their homes for as long as possible. After hearing about how many of our community’s elderly go without any gifts over the holidays, the solution was simple.

“We set up a Giving Tree. What we do is we have names of elders on ornaments. The names are from elders in our own community. We then sell the ornaments during the run of Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol.”

After the run, Clement-Toberer goes out and buys gift cards which are given to various members of Omaha’s elderly community. What started modestly more than half a decade ago, has now become a staple of the BLUEBARN season.

“This is our sixth season. Last year, we raised $4,000. The first year we raised $500 and every year it’s gone up and up. This year we are going for $4,500. I just think it’s so important to help the elders in our community.”

With each passing year and each goal reached, Clement-Toberer attributes the programs success to the underlying spirit of good works that runs throughout Omaha.

“It says that the people here are so generous. Generous in nature, in spirit, and monetarily. It’s one of the strongest things I can say about a community. It’s why, when I moved here, I ended up staying here.”

The BLUEBARN Theatre’s Giving Tree will be around through the run of Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol until December 22nd. More information can be found at www.bluebarn.org or by calling 402-345-1576. n Keep an eye out for loads of auditions in the metro area in the coming weeks including: BLUEBARN will be auditioning for the regional premiere of Will Eno’s Gnit Dec. 9-10. Omaha Community Playhouse’s 21 & Over Series will be auditioning for Tigers Be Still and We are Proud to Present a Presentation… Dec. 16-17.

—Bill Grennan Cold Cream looks at theater in the metro area. Email information to mixedmedia@thereader.com

“W

hether you are a child or an adult, when you go to “The Nutcracker” and the lights are out and the snow is falling – it creates a magical world. It can transport you to another place for this little period of time,” said Erika Overturff, Artistic Director for Ballet Nebraska.

It has been four years since a local dance company has presented “The Nutcracker” at the Orpheum Theatre.

Overturff said Ballet Nebraska had been partnering with Omaha Performing Arts on education projects for the last few years and had been talking to them about wanting to bring “The Nutcracker” to the Orpheum this season.

Omaha Performing Arts was excited about the idea and is working with Ballet Nebraska to bring in thousands of students to see the production at the Orpheum. The students will watch the ballet prior to the paid performances.

and the snow scene is beautiful and lyrical. Then in Act II you’ve got a number of short pieces that have distinctive styles because they are representing all the different countries and nations. There’s really a lot of good stuff there for a choreographer to work with,” enthused Overturff.

The whole story of “The Nutcracker” follows a young girl’s dream. Clara is at the age where Christmas is exciting and the production represents a magical, fantasy world. Overturff said the ballet is inspiring in that way.

Twins Katie and Kalin Rice, age 11, were cast to play the role of Clara. According to Overturff the two are good dancers and actresses and were just perfect for the part.

Auditions were open to the entire community and students from 40 different dance schools tried out for roles in the ballet. Overturff explained part of the

Overturff is thrilled to have the opportunity to choreograph the ballet using her own vision. With such great music and so many different parts to the ballet, she said the production is entertaining and fast-paced and was a joy to choreograph.

“Art nouveau is the inspiration for our party scene and then there are elements of that drawn into other scenes as well,” Overturff said.

She said “The Nutcracker” is really a core piece of most ballet companies’ seasons. It is one of the most well-known ballets and has many different components.

“You’ve got the party scene, which has social dance and is very period. The battle scene has a lot of action

mission of Ballet Nebraska is to be a resource for the whole dance community.

“As a professional dance company, “The Nutcracker” provides the opportunity for a lot of these young dancers to come and have the experience of being onstage in a professional show,” said Overturff.

Young dancers from Omaha, Lincoln and Council Bluffs were cast in the production. And all of the kids in the youth cast are extremely excited to be in the ballet.

And she feels they bring a special element to the show, “For the children in the audience, it’s neat for them to be able to see other young people on the stage, adding to the show.”

There are featured roles for all of the professional company dancers. The ballet shows off everybody in different ways. Matthew Carter is the “Cavalier,” Natasha Grimm-Gregory is the “Sugar Plum Fairy,” and Sasha York and Overturff will be dancing as the “Snow King” and “Snow Queen.” Carter, York and GrimmGregory have all been members of Ballet Nebraska since the company was founded.

Dancers have been in rehearsal for “The Nutcracker” for six weeks.

In addition to performing at the Orpheum Theatre, Ballet Nebraska will also offer “The Nutcracker” onstage at Iowa Western Community College. Overturff considers the company lucky to have the chance to perform in two of the region’s premier theatres.

“These are venues where audiences expect to see top quality performances. They are both a great fit for us and we are excited to be in both theatres this year.

culture

We are the region’s professional ballet company and have a strong group of talented dancers. These venues showcase us well,” Overturff said.

A lot of pre-planning is done in terms of staging the ballet so when the company goes into the respective theatres, they are organized. They know exactly where they want everything to be ahead of time. Overturff said the company has a really good plan ahead of time that includes the number of people needed.

She said a dancer’s performance should always look effortless, beautiful and graceful despite the hard work that goes into preparing for each role.

New this year, Overturff and the Nebraska Humane Society have developed the “Muttcracker” program which promotes the adoption of shelter pets. “My dog, Maggie, was a shelter pet, so I love the idea of helping other pets find homes,” she said.

The party scene of each performance will feature a brief cameo appearance by one of four shelter dogs, specially selected by the society’s animal behavior specialists for their calm stage presence.

The show is constantly moving from one place to the next during Clara’s dream. Something different is always happening. Dancing and costumes are changing so the ballet moves quickly. Overturff said there are tons of people in it so there’s a lot to see and it does hold the audience’s attention really well.

For kids, “The Nutcracker” is often the first ballet they are ever brought to and it can become a really long lasting memory of something special that relates to the holidays.

After each show, the dancers will come out and sign autographs. Something Overturff said is fun for both the patrons and the dancers.

Since founding Ballet Nebraska four years ago, Overturff feels it has been amazing to watch the company grow and see what they’ve accomplished. This season the company is going to Florida to perform in the spring and has a lot of opportunities coming their way. Something Overturff attributes to the group’s hard work and dedication.

She said she enjoys Ballet Nebraska’s working environment, explaining that the company has a fantastic group of dancers, staff, production people and volunteers. Overturff said it takes a lot of work but it’s really worth it and great to see how everyone pulls together to make productions like “The Nutcracker” a success.

“We’re always working to keep the ballet lively and fresh -- in choreography, in casting, in the way we relate to each other onstage, and in the features we add to the production.We love what we do so it makes it all worth it – we love performing for the audience and sharing what we do,” she said. , Orpheum performances of “The Nutcracker” will be at 2 and 7:30 pm Saturday, December 7, and 2 pm Sunday, December 8. Tickets are available from Ticket Omaha at 402.345.0606; online from ticketomaha.com; or at the Ticket Omaha box office at 13th and Douglas.

| THE READER |

DEC. 5 - 11, 2013

15

livemusiccalendar

SEND CALENDAR INFORMATION — including addresses, dates, times, costs and phone numbers — to The Reader’s calendar editor. Mail to or drop off information at P.O. Box 7360 Omaha, NE 68107; email to listings@thereader.com; fax to (402) 341.6967. Deadline is 5 p.m. the Thursday prior to issue date.

THURSDAY 5

THE NICK MOSS BAND, (Blues) 5:30 pm, 21st Saloon, $10.

THUMPING UGLY THURSDAY, 8 pm, Bar 415, Contact the

venue for cover charge.

DURTY THURSDAY - E BROWN, 9 pm, Bar 415, Free.

SAVING ABEL & WAYLAND, 7 pm, Bourbon Theater, $10:

ADV / $15: DOS. STONEY LARUE, (Country) 8 pm, Coyote Willy’s, $15.

NEW MOON SONGWRITERS NIGHT, (Folk/Singer-Songwriter)

7 pm, Crescent Moon Coffee, FREE.

READER RECOMMENDS ORGANIC LIVE DANCE MUSIC W/LINEAR SYMMETRY, 9 pm,

House Of Loom, Free.

STEVE LOVETT PLAYS LIVE, 7 pm, Jazz, A Louisiana

Kitchen, Free.

ALTERNATE REVOLUTION, 9 pm, Knickerbockers, Contact

the venue for cover charge.

READER RECOMMENDS ED ARCHIBALD (HOMECOMING EVENT), (Jazz) 6:30 pm,

OzoNE Lounge at Anthony’s Steakhouse, Free.

TYRONE STORM’S SOUL NIGHT, 8 pm, Slowdown, Free.

ACOUSTIC MUSIC THURSDAYS, 8 pm, Two Fine Irishmen,

Contact Two Fine Irishmen for cover charge.

READER RECOMMENDS CURSIVE W/ LIGHTNING BUG & INDREAMA, (Rock) 9 pm,

Waiting Room, $12 / $30 3 Night Pass.

PSYCHE NIGHT W/ CHARLIE BURTON, LOW LONG SIGNAL AND

THE GEMS, 9 pm, Zoo Bar, $5.

40 SINNERS-AFTERNOON COUNTRY CLUB, 6 pm, Zoo Bar, $5.

FRIDAY 6

GRAND THEFT GIRLFRIEND, (Cover Band) 8 pm, Arena Bar

& Grill, Free.

GRAND THEFT GIRLFRIEND, 9 pm, Arena Bar & Grill, Free.

COMRADE & GREG K, 8 pm, Bar 415, Contact the venue

for cover charge.

READER RECOMMENDS OEAA FALL SHOWCASE, 7 pm, Barley Street Tavern, $5.

OPEN DECKS, 8 pm, Bourbon Theater, FREE: 21 and up

/ $5: 18 and up.

THE RUDE BAND, 9:30 pm, Cappy’s Hot Spot Bar & Grill,

Contact the venue for cover charge.

PEACE, LOVE, ETC., (Rock) 8 pm, Firewater Grille, Contact

the venue for cover charge.

READER RECOMMENDS UNARMED FORCES PRESENTS: “THE ANNUAL NIGHT FOR THE KIDS”, 8:30 pm, Hideout, Cost: $8 or $5 with an un

opened new toy.

KARAOKE THEATRE, 8:30 pm, House Of Loom, Free.

GREEN FAIRY RETURNS! ~ BURLESQUE | CABARET | ABSINTHE,

(Jazz) 8 pm, House Of Loom, $5.

LIVE PERFORMANCE BY LIVIN EASY, 7 pm, Jazz, A Louisiana

Kitchen, Free.

EVERYTHING GOES W/ OPPOSING THE APPARITION, BEYOND

OUR BORDERS, 6 pm, Knickerbockers, Contact the

venue for cover charge.

POWERS W/ RED CITIES, BOGUS MAN, CRAYONS, 9 pm,

Knickerbockers, Contact the venue for cover charge.

READER RECOMMENDS THE SO-SO SAILORS W/THE RIVER MONKS, BRAD HOSHAW,

(Indie) 9:30 pm, O’Leaver’s Pub, $5.

ROUGH CUT, 8 pm, OzoNE Lounge at Anthony’s

Steakhouse, Free.

READER RECOMMENDS OEAA SHOWCASE, 7 pm, Waiting Room, $10 for all venues.

16

DEC. 5 - 11, 2013

| THE READER |

music listings

READER RECOMMENDS OEAA FALL NOMINEE SHOWCASE, 7 pm, Pizza Shoppe

Collective, $10 for all venues.

ROJO9, 8 pm, Red9, Contact the venue for cover charge.

SOMETHIN’ PECULIAR W/ KALOKO, & FROLIO, 8 pm,

Shamrock’s Pub & Grill, Contact the venue for

cover charge.

SATURN MOTH, 9 pm, Slowdown, Free.

READER RECOMMENDS JOSH GRACIN, 8 pm, Whiskey Roadhouse (Horseshoe

Casino), $27.

SATURDAY 7

MR. SINISTER, (Cover Band) 8 pm, Arena Bar & Grill, Free.

MIKA MATERAZZI (MIAMI, FL) & PANOS, 8 pm, Bar 415,

Contact the venue for cover charge.

READER RECOMMENDS TENDERNESS WILDERNESS W/ KOVACS AND THE POLAR BEAR

AND GOLD LIGHT, 9 pm, Barley Street Tavern, $5.

FLOATING OPERA & DUDE WON’T DIE, 8 pm, Bourbon Theater,

$5: 21 and up / $7: 18 and up.

READER RECOMMENDS CACTUS HILL, (Country) 8 pm, Coyote Willy’s, $5.

KARAOKE, 8 pm, Firewater Grille, Contact Firewater Grille

for cover charges.

ADAM LEE, 9 pm, Havana Garage, Free.

READER RECOMMENDS THE PRIESTS, 8 pm, Holland Performing Arts Center, $20

- $55.

R&B WITH R&B ZONE, 7 pm, Jazz, A Louisiana Kitchen, Free.

NO TIDE W/ LIGHTHOUSES, A DIFFERENT BREED, THESE FRIENDS

OF MINE, 9 pm, Knickerbockers, Contact the venue

for cover charge.

HI-FI HANGOVER, (Cover Band) 8 pm, Loose Moose,

Contact the venue for cover charge.

READER RECOMMENDS US & THEM, (Blues) 7 pm, McKenna’s Booze, Blues &

BBQ, Free.

THE CONFIDENTIALS, (Jazz) 8 pm, OzoNE Lounge at

Anthony’s Steakhouse, Free.

READER RECOMMENDS DOM’S FAVORITE THINGS:A CONCERT BENIFITING PROUD HORIZONS, 7 pm, Pizza Shoppe Collective, $4 at the

door / $3 with food donation.

CITRUS CLUB, (Cover Band) 8 pm, Red9, Contact the

venue for cover charge.

READER RECOMMENDS WHITEWATER RAMBLE, 9 pm, Slowdown, $8.

MIDWEST ELITE CONCERTS PRESENTS: PANDORA’S BOX 3,

8 pm, Waiting Room, $8.

THE MEZCAL BROS., 5 pm, Zoo Bar, Contact the venue for

cover charge.

READER RECOMMENDS SIDEWALK CHALK (CHICAGO) W/ JOSH HOYER AND THE SHADOWBOXERS, (Blues) 9 pm, Zoo Bar, $8.

SUNDAY 8

THE NEW RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE, 7 pm, Bourbon

Theater, $20: ADV / $25 DOS. JON ERIC W/ DR. WEBB, 8 pm, Duffy’s Tavern, $5.

SALSA SUNDAY @ LATIN MADNESS, 7 pm, House Of Loom, $5.

O’LEAVER’S OPEN MIC NIGHT, 9 pm, O’Leaver’s Pub, Free.

OPEN MIC NIGHT AND PLAYING WITH PHIRE!, 8 pm, Red9, Free.

MIDLAKE W/ SARAH JAFFE, 9 pm, Waiting Room, $13.

READER RECOMMENDS THE PINES W/ BRAD HOSHAW, 8 pm, Slowdown, $8.

JR HOSS, 2:30 pm, Soaring Wings Vineyard, Free.

READER RECOMMENDS CONCERT FOR THE 11TH ANNUAL TOY DRIVE FOR PINE RIDGE,

2 pm, Sokol Hall & Auditorium, $15.

READER RECOMMENDS BLUES SOCIETY OF OMAHA ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY AND

FUNDRAISER FOR THE TOY DRIVE FOR PINE RIDGE,

2:30 pm, Sokol Hall & Auditorium, $15.

READER RECOMMENDS CHRISTMAS AT THE CATHEDRAL, (Classical) 8 pm, St.

Cecilia Cathedral, $30/person; General seating $18/person 10% discount available for groups of

10 or more.

MONDAY 9

READER RECOMMENDS OPEN MIC & SONGWRITER SHOWCASE, (Folk/Singer-Song writer) 9 pm, Barley Street Tavern, FREE.

READER RECOMMENDS FIRST CUT W/ DJ DRDIGGS, (DJ/Electronic) 9 pm, House Of

Loom, FREE. BIG BAND MONDAY FEATURING MIKE GOOCH AND HIS LAS

VEGAS LAB BAND, (Jazz) 6:30 pm, OzoNE Lounge at

Anthony’s Steakhouse, FREE. OPEN MIC NIGHT! AT RED9, 8 pm, Red9, Free.

WAITING ROOM MUSIC QUIZ, 8 pm, Waiting Room, FREE.

READER RECOMMENDS PIANO HOUR W/ EMILY BASS, 5 pm, Zoo Bar, contact the

Zoo Bar for cover charge.

ZOO BAR HOUSE BAND, 7 pm, Zoo Bar, $3.

TUESDAY 10

VIC NASTY, 8 pm, Bar 415, Contact the venue for cover charge.

DAD’S BEER NIGHT W/ AZP, PURVEYORS OF THE CONSCIOUS SOUND, 8 pm, Duffy’s Tavern, Free.

READER RECOMMENDS CHRIS SAUB FAMILY XMAS SHOW, 8 pm, OzoNE Lounge at

Anthony’s Steakhouse, $5.

READER RECOMMENDS KAT 103.7 PRESENTS: RODNEY ATKINS A BENEFIT FOR

CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL W/ BROTHER’S OSBORNE,

(Country) 7:30 pm, Waiting Room, $10.

JAZZOCRACY, (Jazz) 6 pm, Zoo Bar, Free.

READER RECOMMENDS YARN (NEW YORK), 9 pm, Zoo Bar, $8.

WEDNESDAY 11

DJESSI JUST JACE BURN WON, 8 pm, Bar 415, Contact the

venue for cover charge.

READER RECOMMENDS CRASH & BURN BLUES JAM, (Blues) 6 pm, Barley Street

Tavern, Free .

HIBOU, 8 pm, Bourbon Theater, $5: 21 and up / $7: 18

and up.

DICEY RILEYS, 7 pm, Brazen Head Irish Pub, Free.

READER RECOMMENDS THE BLACK LILLIES W/ BONEHART FLANNIGAN, 8 pm, Duffy’s

Tavern, $8.

TRACY SKRETTA, (Rock) 8 pm, Firewater Grille, contact the

venue for cover charge.

WARPED WAX W/TURNTABLIST CMB, (DJ/Electronic) 8 pm,

House Of Loom, Free.

CRATE & CRAFT CLUB | JAZZ VINYL W/ANDREW MONSON,

(Jazz) 8 pm, House Of Loom, Free.

DAVE LEVERETT, 9 pm, Knickerbockers, Contact the

venue for cover charge.

THE RUMBLES, 8 pm, OzoNE Lounge at Anthony’s

Steakhouse, Free.

READER RECOMMENDS MIMOSA W/ THRIFTWORKS, BOGL, RYGOL, 9 pm, Slowdown, $15.

READER RECOMMENDS BASTILLE W/ WILD CUB, 8 pm, Sokol Hall & Auditorium, $15.

BY B.J. HUCHTEMANN

Indigenous Plays Toy Drive

T

oy Drive for Pine Ridge takes the spotlight with a concert featuring Mato Nanji and Indigenous at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8, at Sokol Hall. This 11th Annual Toy Drive for Pine Ridge event is a multi-band benefit coordinated by the Blues Society of Omaha. Doors open at 2 p.m. and music begins at 2:30 p.m. with Little Joe & Big Trouble. Toy Drive organizer Larry “Lash LaRue” Dunn and his new band LL Dunn & The Hired Guns perform at 4 p.m.

Christy Rossiter & 112 North Duck plays at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 at the door. Donations of new, unwrapped toys are also appreciated.

I’ll be joining Dunn on Rick Galusha’s PS Blues radio show on KIWR, 89.7 The River, Sunday, Dec. 8, 9 a.m.-noon. Musical guests will perform in the studio and we will play cuts of original music produced in years past for Toy Drive fund-raising CDs. The Toy Drive for Pine Ridge, founded by Larry “Lash LaRue” Dunn is a 501c3 non-profit and all funds raised by the Toy Drive go to help the families on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The Toy Drive toy delivery provides hope and cheer to the children who might otherwise receive nothing. The Toy Drive also contributes to the emergency-heating fund for the

hoodoo

elders and toward resources for food, clothing and education for youth and families. The Pine Ridge area is one of the poorest zip codes in the country.

For details on conditions on the reservation, to find toy donation drop-off sites or to make an online donation, visit toydriveforpineridge.com.

Davina Jumps In: The always fresh and swingin’ Davina & The Vagabonds hits The 21st Saloon Thursday, Dec. 5, 6-9 p.m. This New Orleans style piano-driven, jazz, jump and old-school R&B band has made multiple European tours as well as appearances at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and the Monterey Jazz Festival. The Monterey Herald called Davina “easily among the breakout stars at this year’s festival.”

Hot Notes: 40SINNERS plays Lincoln’s Zoo Bar Thursday, Dec. 5, 6-9 p.m. and is among the acts launching the OEAA Music Nominations showcase on Friday, Dec. 6. Catch 40SINNERS with some surprises on tap at PS Collective Dec. 6, 7 p.m.

The OEAA Music and Visual Awards Nominations Showcase offers more than 50 music nominees plus some nominated comedy artists. See oea-awards.com for the schedules for Waiting Room, PS Collective, Barley Street Tavern, Burke’s Pub and The 402. A $10 wristband gets you into all Showcase venues. ,

HOODOO is a weekly column focusing on blues, roots, Americana and occasional other music styles with an emphasis on live music performances. Hoodoo columnist B.J. Huchtemann is a Reader senior contributing writer and veteran music journalist who has covered the local music scene for nearly 20 years. Follow her blog at hoodoorootsblues.blogspot.com.

hoodoo blues

| THE READER |

DEC. 5 - 11, 2013

17

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 halfhour movie podcast (movieha.libsyn.com/rss), catch him on the radio on CD 105.9 (cd1059.com) on Fridays 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).

18

DEC. 5 - 11, 2013

D

angling from the edge of Mount Treacly, overlooking the icy abyss of Cliché River, Frozen hurls a Bechtel rope and swings itself to safety in the nick of time. And just in case you miss the climax’s blatantly obvious flipping of established Disney gender roles, which mandates female-on-female violence prior to male rescue, there’s a joke about how a dude will like his new “sled” because “it’s got cupholders.” Oh, Frozen, you so hawt.

A menagerie of people assembled Frozen’s plot into icy stain-glass art from the broken glass of other stories, including Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen.” Co-director Jennifer Lee is given sole screenplay credit, but whichever scribe blissfully ixnayed the expected “woman on woman” fairy tale savagery in favor of a largely villain-less experience deserves kudos and a kiss on the mouth. Probably both.

Frozen begins with Anna (Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel) playing together as children. Instead of playing make-believe, the kids roll around in Elsa’s ability to create ice like a friggin’ ladysized sno-cone maker. When Elsa accidentally wounds Anna, she discovers that her powers will only grow more dangerous. So she is locked in the obligatory tower that all castle architects build “in case of daughter.”

Anna grows up believing her sister hates her, which is problematic when her parents meet the fate that befalls most Disney parents. On the day Elsa is made queen, her powers go wonk-city, and the whole kingdom is plunged into ice, so she bolts. Anna then goes on a quest to find her, with the help of the kind but reclusive Scandanavi-nerd Kristoff (Jonathon Groff ), his adorable reindeer, Sven, and a talking, anthropomorphic pile of snow named Olaf (Josh Gad). True love is mentioned (and mocked), a life-saving kiss is pivotal (and subverted) and feminine bonds are extended to virtues beyond swooning at the right heaving bro bosom.

For the first time in…honestly nobody can even agree anymore, the songs in Frozen are all absolutely killer. No wonder; they were penned by the husband-andwife duo behind “Avenue Q” and “Book of Mormon.” And while Bell’s adorably awkward Anna and Menzel’s kind-but-tortured Elsa are great, it’s Gad’s Olaf that steals the show. From a hilarious ditty about how much the snowman is looking forward to summer, since he’s never seen one, to his dim-witted slapstick shenanigans, Olaf is the supporting humor Disney has long tried to replicate by formula but couldn’t.

Frozen is a bit childish, but that’s okay. Its level of sophistication isn’t Pixar-ian, but that wasn’t its aim. This was an attempt to travel back to mermaids, little and beasts, beautiful. And by and large, it does just that. Also, a note to the honchos behind liveaction, big-budget superhero movies: not only does Lee’s script not waste a lick of damn time providing some kind of “origin story” for Elsa’s powers, but The Snow Queen proves without a doubt a female with powers can absolutely work and resonate with audiences. Best get on that before audiences get cold. , GRADE: A-

REPORTCARD

n Just a quick note on how we’re all terrible. I found out that Paul Walker had been killed in a car accident leaving a charity function via Twitter…in a joke. After celebshaming site TMZ broke news, the internet decided to wait all of zero seconds before making tasteless, classless jokes about a guy who by all accounts was a pretty decent person. There’s lots of debate to be had about whether the internet is making us more awful or just allowing us to reveal it better, but regardless, it is certainly making it easier for me to know who not to associate with. Best wishes to Walker’s family, and herpes wishes to everyone who told a joke within the first 10 minutes of finding out a PAUL WALKER person died. n Quentin Tarantino writes like he likes his blood: in spurts.

Apparently, he’s pounding out his next sure-to-begreat-and-horrifying script, and it’s gonna be a western. This comes as great news for everyone who loved the QUENTIN action and setting of TARANTINO Django Unchained but had a hard time celebrating it, what with all the soul-crushing inhumanity of slavery and all. n There’s a lot to debate when it comes to another director stepping in to a spot vacated by the legendary Stanley Kubrick. When SPIELBERG Steven Spielberg, a guy with a pretty decent rep, did it when he took on A.I., critics second guessed him. I wonder what they’re going to say about Baz Luhrmann, the man who broke on the scene by giving Leo DiCaprio’s Romeo a gun, taking on the great white whale Kubrick never finished: a film about Napoleon. HBO bought all of Kubrick’s unfilmed stuff regarding ole Nappy, and now comes word that they are giving Lurhmann the first shot at making something out of it. Relax everyone: the guy who turned the Police’s “Roxanne” into a tango is on the job. No worries here.

—Ryan Syrek

12 Years a Slave

A+ Brutal, horrifying and difficult to watch. As it should be.

Thor: The Dark World

B+ As good (if not better) than the first. Will we see Throg in the 3rd one?

Captain Phillips

C A fake-feeling real-life story that’s fine but unnecessary.

Nebraska

BAnother nice, quiet, muted film from the master of such content.

| THE READER |

film

READER RECOMMENDS

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire The best sci-fi sequel since Empire Strikes Back.

ON DVD

A

The Wolverine

BIt’s only pretty good, but after what Wolverine did last time out, that’s great.

The World’s End

A The summer’s best was saved for last.

We’re the Millers

C Classic comedy misfire: The trailers have all the funny.

New Year, New Lineup Purchase gift certificates at OmahaCreativeInstitute.org!

Jan. 11

10 a.m.

Beginning Ukulele with Mark Gutierrez ($35)

Jan. 25

10 a.m.

Blacksmithing with Elmo Diaz ($65)

Jan. 25

10 a.m.

Lampworking with Kathy Diaz ($65)

Feb. 8

10 a.m.

Brushstroke Painting with Ying Zhu ($35)

Feb. 22

10 a.m.

Sculptural Party Hats with Natalie Linstrom ($35)

Feb. 22

10 a.m.

Beginning Drawing, Part I with Ann Pape ($35)

March 8

10 a.m.

Watercolor with Madalyn Bruning ($35)

March 22 10 a.m.

Stenciling & Stationary with Natalie Linstrom ($35)

March 22 10 a.m.

Beginning Drawing, Part II with Ann Pape ($35)

April 5

10 a.m.

Song Writing with Beth Heimann ($35)

April 10

6 p.m.

April 19

10 a.m.

Print Making with Maranda Allbritten ($35)

May 10

10 a.m.

Mixed Media with Dori Settles ($35)

Information and Registration:

“AN EXPRESSIVE, JAZZY, AND AMBITIOUS MOVIE. Daniel Radcliffe is fearless and full of vitality.”

- Lisa Schwarzbaum, ENTE ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

Omaha Creative Institute Spring Fling ($50)

OmahaCreativeInstitute.org Rebecca@OmahaCreativeInstitute.org 785.218.3061

CALL OR CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR MOVIE TIMES AND PRICES

| THE READER |

DEC. 5 - 11, 2013

19

newsoftheweird

T H E WO R L D G O N E F R E A K Y B Y C H U C K S H E P H E R D W I T H I L LU S T R AT I O N S B Y T O M B R I S C O E

Family of Man

T

he Marvels of Science: The notorious white separatist Craig Cobb is currently soliciting like-skinned people to move to his tiny town of Leith, N.D. (pop. 16), to create a deluxe Caucasian enclave, but at the urging of a black TV host submitted to a DNA test in November to “prove” his lineage -- and turned up 14 percent black (“Sub-Saharan African”). He has vowed to try other DNA tests before confirming those results. Bobby Harper, previously Leith’s only black resident, was gleeful: “I knew there was one other black person in town.” (In mid-November, Cobb was charged, along with an associate, with seven counts of terrorism for walking menacingly through Leith wielding a long gun.)

Government in Action Recurring Theme: The Environmental Protection Agency, already revealed in June to have allowed a contractor to maintain taxpayer-funded “man caves” (TVs, appliances, couches, videos, etc.) hidden away in a Washington, D.C.-area warehouse, made the news again during the government shutdown in October when soup with a 1997 expiration date was found during the shutdown in an EPA employees’ refrigerator. Furthermore, in September, former high-level EPA executive John Beale pleaded guilty to defrauding the agency of $900,000 in salary, expenses and bonuses dating back to the 1990s by claiming work orders (including secret projects for the CIA) that no one at EPA appears ever to have tried to verify.

In October, Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro created a “Vice Ministry of Supreme Social Happiness” to coordinate the welfare programs begun by the late President Hugo Chavez. Critics charged, however, that there is much to be unhappy about, given the country’s annual rate of inflation (near 50 percent), and an Associated Press dispatch quoted one critic who said she would be happy enough if only stores were not constantly out of milk and

20

DEC. 5 - 11, 2013

| THE READER |

weird news

toilet paper. (Another skeptic said he looked forward to maybe a Vice Ministry of Beer).

The U.S. government has engaged in some legendarily wasteful projects, but leaders in China’s Yungai village (pop. 3,683), in Hunan province, have surely raised the bar for epic squander after borrowing the equivalent of $2.4 million and building an impressive sevenstory government headquarters -- but with 96 still-unlooked-out front windows because there is no activity beyond the first floor. According to an October London Daily Telegraph report, the only occupants are the village government’s eight employees.

Though many people might agree with blind musician Stevie Wonder that it is “crazy” to let people like him carry guns, federal and state laws seem ambiguous, according to a lengthy analysis of Iowa’s supplied by the Des Moines Register in September. Some Iowa sheriffs believe that federal antidiscrimination law limits their discretion (though they can deny permits for lack of physical or mental ability to handle the gun). The National Federation of the Blind generally trusts its members never to use guns recklessly, a spokesman said, and blind Iowa activist Michael Barber emphasized his right. “(Y)ou take it out and point and shoot,” he said, “and I don’t necessarily think eyesight is necessary. ... For me, the inspiration is just to see if I run into any difficulties.”

Great Art! Leandro Granato, 27, said that he discovered, as a kid in Argentina, that liquids sucked up through his nose could then be squirted out of his eye -- and an art career was born. News sites reported in October that Granato’s “eye paintings” of ink colors, splattered out as tears on canvas in various motifs (from up to 1 1/2 pints of ink each), are offered for sale at a top-end price of the equivalent of $2,400 each. (Huffington Post’s story also reminded readers that Chilean artist Carina Ubeda is another who uses her body functions as a medium -- specifically, her menstrual blood, which she employed in the form of 90 used sanitary napkins arranged in a hoop

COPYRIGHT 2013 CHUCK SHEPHERD. Visit Chuck Shepherd daily at NewsoftheWeird. blogspot.com or NewsoftheWeird.com. Send Weird News to WeirdNewsTips@yahoo.com or P.O. Box 18737, Tampa, FL 33679. Illustrations by Tom Briscoe (smallworldcomics.com).

featuring an apple, symbolizing ovulation. Her June show ran in Quillota, Chile.)

Police Report Informal Georgia Sobriety Tests: Rachel Gossett blew a .216 alcohol reading in Loganville, Ga., in November, but that was probably a formality after an officer witnessed her attempt to put a cheeseburger from a Waffle Shop onto her foot as if it were a shoe. And Rashad Williams, 38, was charged with DUI in Atlanta in October after he crashed through the front of a Walgreens drugstore and then, according to a witness, calmly exited his vehicle (which was sticking halfway into the building) and resumed drinking next door at the Anchor Bar. Round Up the Usual Suspect: Indicted for rape in August in Hamilton County, Tenn.: Mr. John Allan Raper, 19. (Other recent miscreants were Mr. Batman Suparman, 23, convicted in Singapore in November of housebreaking and theft, and Mr. Bamboo Flute Blanchard, 18, who was arrested in June in Gainesville, Fla., and accused of trying to stab his father for an unreported provocation -- although one possible motive suggests itself.)

Chutzpah!: Sheriff ’s deputy Darrell Mathis of Newton County, Ga. (30 miles east of Atlanta), a fiveyear veteran, was arrested in September and charged with selling marijuana locally -- from his squad car, in uniform, and apparently without inhibition. A confidential informant, unnerved by Mathis’ alleged brazenness, convinced FBI agents in April 2013 to do a by-the-book sting (with which Mathis, of course, naively cooperated, according to bureau affidavits). (In their final meeting before the arrest, for example, Mathis took pains to assure the agents: “Don’t worry. I’m on your side.” He was reportedly enthusiastic about the sting’s plan to run marijuana and cocaine from Alabama to North Carolina.)

Sights to Behold When Franco Scaramuzza witnessed two men pepperspraying a couple in a shopping center parking lot in Nashville, Tenn., in September, he bravely responded

in the only way he knew. Scaramuzza, who teaches the art of fencing, drew his fencing sword (“epee”) and challenged the men. With his epee held high and aimed, and chanting fencing-type yells, he charged at the men. As he said later, “They completely panicked and dropped everything ... and really took off.” Michael Butt and Zachary Johnson were arrested nearby and charged with robbery.

In a courthouse lobby in Kelso, Wash., in October, a woman brought a cake in with her through security. Robert Fredrickson, a stranger, was also in the building on business. Without warning, Fredrickson attacked -- the cake, not the woman -- feeding himself with his hands before washing them off at a drinking fountain. “(S)tand right there. Don’t move,” yelled a deputy, attempting to bring Fredrickson to justice. As soon as the officer looked away, however, Fredrickson returned to clawing at the cake and stuffing his mouth. Finally, several deputies arrived to subdue Fredrickson and charge him with theft and resisting arrest.

Least Competent Criminals Not Ready for Prime Time: Derek Codd, 19, apparently left his cellphone, by accident, at the house in Lake Worth, Fla., that he had burglarized in November, and just as investigating officers were arriving and noticed it, the phone rang. (“Who is this?” an officer asked. The caller answered innocently, “Derek Codd’s mother.”

Derek was arrested a short time later.)

A News of the Weird Classic (February 2009) Among the medical oddities mentioned in a December (2008) Wall Street Journal roundup was “Jumping Frenchmen of Maine Disorder,” in which a person, when startled, would “jump, twitch, flail their limbs, and obey commands given suddenly, even if it means hurting themselves or a loved one.” It was first observed in 1878 among lumberjacks in Maine, but has been reported also among factory workers in Malaysia and Siberia. It is believed to result from a genetic mutation that blocks the calming of the central nervous system (but could be merely psychological, from the stress of working in close quarters). ,

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