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| THE READER |

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heartlandhealing N E W A G E H E A LT H A N D W E L L N E S S B Y M I C H A E L B R AU N S T E I N

Trouble Sleeping? Meditation vs. The Drunken Monkey

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friend visits from Los Angeles two or three times a year. Often when he’s here, the topic of sleeplessness creeps into conversation.

Last time, I invited him to tell me about it.

“I have no problem falling asleep,” he said. That’s understandable. He’s one of the hardest working people I know. At day’s end, he’s exhausted. “But after a couple hours, I wake up and can’t go back to sleep. My thoughts are racing with things I have to do or problems or creative ideas. I can’t stop thinking. My mind is spinning like a, like a…”

“Drunken monkey?” I offer.

“Yes, exactly, like a drunken monkey.”

Monkey Time My pal isn’t alone. Half of all Americans report sleep difficulties. The Centers for Disease Control, our reliable CDC, labeled it a “public health epidemic.”

Chronic insomnia has reached record proportions. Insomnia presents in many different ways but almost always, that racing mind, uncontrolled thoughts, that “drunken monkey” is at the bottom of things. How does the monkey get that way? Better yet, how can we send him back to the zoo?

I told my friend to give me a call when he’s ready to change it. There are some pretty obvious and simple steps one can take because the undisciplined, untrained mind really does serve as home to that monkey and is at the core of sleeplessness. Many things drunken the monkey.

Prescription Drugs Pharmaceutical drugs are almost always the first thing I look at when I seek to understand a person’s unnatural behavior or experiences. An insane 70 percent of Americans are on prescription drugs. And guess what? All ten of the top ten most-prescribed drugs list insomnia as a side effect. That means my friend, who has told me he takes blood pressure meds, acid reflux meds and cholesterol meds is going to bed with a drug-induced handicap right off the bat. Here’s how the American mindset works: My friend visited last holiday season and we stopped at M’s for lunch. His next stop was the drugstore. “I have to get some acid reflux meds because I’m going to a big dinner tonight and I know I’ll eat a bunch of prime rib and stuff so I want to be prepared.” Uh, why not just forgo the gluttony and thus the drugs? “I love prime rib.” Let’s remember, in almost all cases there is a natural alternative to drugs.

Alcohol and caffeine The second thing I would curtail would be both caffeine and alcohol. That should

be a no-brainer but we’ve already established that sleep deprivation can lead to fuzzy thinking. After eliminating the inebriates listed above, training that monkey-mind is the next obvious step.

Get proactive with meditation. I’ve been studying the mind and the creative use of thought energy since reading Our Friend the Atom at age 9. (See HeartlandHealing.com/atom). Then I studied with brujos in high school, did pre-med and C.U.M. Smith’s The Brain in college, A Course in Miracles since 1983, studying Neville Goddard, learning at the feet of Gil Boyne and Joseph Chilton Pearce (Evolution’s End, Crack in the Cosmic Egg) — the list goes on.

It wasn’t until I learned Transcendental Meditation that all that knowledge and understanding became experiential. Thirst is one thing. Leading a horse to water is vain until the horse actually drinks. With TM, I learned the monkey is mine to command.

Meditation works. It’s easy and it’s scientific. I leave the science to those who need it. Understanding through experience and non-analytical knowing is my preferred path.

Seeing and expressing in metaphor and analogy is most valuable to me. That becomes how I know something makes sense.

Harmony in waves. We can measure brainwaves, like any kind of waves — radio, ocean, light, sound, etc.

Thought waves emit characteristics that can be quantified. Without getting too didactic, those are wavelength, phase, amplitude, harmonic content, shape, frequency and velocity. These are what we can measure. They emerge from the thought generator, the mind. Meditation is a way to modulate those things.

As my old pal Stephen Stills once said in the studio, “Turn down the meaning.” He even drew it out. Quieting the mind is a necessary step in life, as necessary as sleep, nourishment, air and water.

Like exercising, eating right and sleeping enough, the benefits of a natural action like meditation pay off, 24/7, during every minute of every day we live. Ha, and probably beyond that! The real benefit of going to the gym isn’t necessarily the hour we spend there lifting weights. It’s that the other 23 hours in the day are more productive, more harmonious, more clear, healthier. Since all things, and I mean all things, begin with mind, learning a method for the mind to be itself and rule its own domain is essential. That method is meditation.

Once my friend gets tired of pushing a shopping cart with wobbly wheels, I expect I’ll hear from him.

Meanwhile, sleep, monkey, sleep.

Be well. ,

VISIONS FROM FIVE MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE • NOVEMBER 20, 2014 • Black Friday, America's annual orgy or consumerism, will soon have expanded from a day to a week, badly named Black Friday Week. This will start to crowd out Thanksgiving, as it interrupts a shopping week with a full day in which people suspend other

activities in favor of a dinner with family and friends, and so stores will start offering Thanksgiving meals as part of the shopping experience. It will be common in the future to take your family to the mall for the Thanksgiving holiday, rather than spend it at home.

HEARTLAND HEALING is a metaphysically based polemic describing alternatives to convention-

al 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.

heartland healing

| THE READER |

NOV. 20 -26, 2014

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MEET ME AT MARKS: YOU’LL FEEL RIGHT AT HOME

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Green Street

Cycles 1310 Mike Fahey St 402.505.8002 NOV. 20 - 26, 2014

| THE READER |

here else can you find a quiet coffee spot, hip sandwich shop, romantic date on a patio, or occasional celebrity sighting over a glass of wine?

And where in the world can you find all of this under one roof? Specifically, under the roof of a charismatic turn of the century house now known as Marks Bistro.

The charming bistro has fed regulars for 11 years, but also finds itself hosting the occasional big name. So big, in fact, that they use only one. Names like Bono, Buffett, and Springsteen, for instance.

Walking through the doors feels like walking into the home it once was. It’s bustling without feeling industrial. It’s cozy without feeling cluttered.

It is warm and full of activity as waiters laugh with guests and long lost friends wave from across the room.

The bartender doesn’t even ask the man in front of him what he’ll have. He’ll have what he always has, where he always has it. Right here at the bar in his favorite place to eat, drink, and meet with friends.

I ask him who he has come to meet with today and he laughs. “Nobody,” he tells me “but someone will be here. At some point, you don’t remember if you meet with your friends at Marks, or if they became your friends when you met them at Marks.

In any case, someone will be here. Meanwhile, pull up a seat. Since I’m not waiting for anyone, today you can be the friend I met at Marks.”

As I make my way to a quiet table in the back, a tall man steps from behind the bar and introduces himself.

“Hey!” says the new friend I’m about to make, “I’m Mark.”

Though I’ve been here before, I immediately set to work on the menu. I notice that an item I had enjoyed months ago is absent, and 3 new items jump off the page demanding to be eaten.

Voters from The Reader declared the Macaroni at Marks their favorite, so I order a snack mac, which is an appetizer-sized Havarti, cheddar, asiago, and bleu cheese sauce over cavatappi pasta, topped with toasted panko.

I notice several vegetarian and gluten free options and ask Mark about the changing menu. Signature dishes are almost always available, but I feel like I’m frequently finding new items. He explains that this is because he does his best to buy locally, and being Nebraska, some foods just stop being available as the weather changes. “Luckily,” he smiles “this means that comfort foods become more available in the fall and winter when people really need them.”

I’m forced to agree as I gander the menu of irresistible items like the duck confit quesadilla and the utterly decadent looking s’mores brownie with sea salt. I find their 48-Hour Short Ribs with orange-tamarind demi-glace, and white truffle whipped cauliflower and determine that it’s time to have a dinner date with my paleo friends, as this place has many beautiful and compliant dishes.

The conversation quickly dissolves into chatter about children and social media and I realize that the atmosphere has gotten the best of us.

The romance of the patio and ambiance of the dining room keep Marks at the front of your mind when contemplating a night out, but after lunch Mark shows me upstairs to a newly remodeled Sunroom, which can comfortably seat 20, and the “Sage” room, which seats a more intimate party of 8. Like any humble homemaker, he tells me that renovations aren’t quite complete in this beautiful space. He has yet to hang the artwork on loan from a local talent (he grins when he mentions it’s “on loan” as this artist just happens to be his wife) and he always has plans to make his guests feel more at home.

I decide not to mention that I’m contemplating moving in. I suppose that’s what happens when you make a place this inviting. People never want to leave. ,

crumbs

■ FREEZE YOUR FACE FOR TABLE GRACE Table Grace Café, a donation-only eatery in Downtown Omaha, is hosting a 5k or 1 mile run/walk Saturday, Dec. 6. Proceeds from the race will benefit Table Grace’s mission.

The race is appropriately titled, “Freezing Race for Table Grace,” especially considering it starts early in the morning. Take solace in the fact that hot cocoa will be available to runners. www.eventbrite.com ■ 8TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY BEERFEST Saturday, Dec. 6, is a big day for fans of beer in the Omaha area. Reserve your spot soon for the 8th annual Holiday Beerfest at The Crescent Moon Alehouse. You’ll sample a bunch of holiday beers (unlimited samples, actually) and get a souvenir glass to take home. Buy your ticket in advance to save some money on the cost of tickets. www.etix.com — Tamsen Butler

■ HOLIDAY MARKET You can never have too much fancy cheese and jams and all that jazz on hand during the holiday season, whether it’s to gift to someone or to eat on your own because it’s too cold to venture outdoors to find food. Either way, plan on heading to the annual Holiday Market at Aksarben Village, sponsored by the Omaha Farmers Market. This outdoor market is on Dec. 6 and 7, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. www.omahaholidaymarket.com ■ INTRODUCING: BEER! Ploughshare Brewing Company in Lincoln recently released their first four specially brewed beers. This new brewery has big plans for the future, so the next time you’re in Lincoln you may want to stop by and grab a beer or order something to eat off their seasonal, locally-sourced menu. www.ploughsharebrewing.com

We fix bicycles.

Also, we sell them!

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BY SARA LOCKE

dish

Marks Bistro, 4916 Underwood Ave, Mon - Thu: 11 a.m. 10 p.m., Fri - Sat: 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

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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• 8-11 PM

5 advance / $ 7 door • theslowdown.com

N E W C D • L A R G E R WO R L D •

| THE READER |

NOV. 20 - 26, 2014

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coldcream

T H E K I L L I N G C O N T I N U E S FA R B E YO N D T H E W A L L S O F T R OY

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ou’d think that one person standing alone on a dark bare stage could not possibly bring alive the massive story, the tragic agony and pain of The Trojan War. Behold. It can be done. Playwrights Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare have found a way to vivify Homer’s enduring masterpiece leaving it to just one person to make it unfold again: The Poet.

Brigit Saint Brigit Theatre director Cathy Kurz and actor Daniel Dorner superbly call that forth, personified as a timeless reminder that men keep on killing each other in war, after war, after war, after war. Yes. Men. This experience is called An Iliad because it is no longer only Homer’s. Peterson and O’Hare have re-worked Robert Fagle’s translation turning the words, phrases, descriptions and dialogue into something new. Contemporary. Just like war.

They do not attempt to encompass every moment or every event of the original 24 books and its over 18,ooo verses. Principally they have distilled the drama to just a few crucial parts involving a few prime characters. The hubristic Greeks: Achilles, Patroclus, Agamemnon. The noble Trojans: Hector, his wife Andromache and his father Priam. The frivolous Gods: Zeus, Apollo, Athena.

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NOV. 20 - 26, 2014

Three triads. You are thrust into the horror, the brutality, the pity and terror. Meanwhile, the writers remind us that everyday, ordinary, unheroic life goes on beyond the killing fields and outside the hills of Troy.

Like the poetic precursor, there is a tempo, a rhythm, a pulse coursing through all of this. You feel the throb even if you don’t think about it. With simple means, one performer, lightly personifying the characters, recreates a tale which penetrates time. Kurz and Dorner bring that off impressively, never emphasizing a bravura performance. This not about an actor. It stays elemental.

The Poet does not stand or sit with tranquility. He lives it. Dorner makes it so, seething, soaring with energy, vitality and sorrow. Meanwhile double-bassist Max Stehr underscores dynamically, playing music and effects created by Mark Bennett for the original off-Broadway production of 2012. Watch too how Kurz makes the shadow of almost-immortal killing- machine Achilles loom larger than life.

Moreover, her exceptional program book comes full of fascinating and informative reading from playwright O’Hare plus background material from Princeton’s McCarter Theatre about Homer and live

| THE READER |

culture

BY GORDON SPENCER

■ SNAP Productions latest offering is the new Christopher Durang comedy Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike. The show’s director, Daena Schweiger, took the time to talk with The Reader about the production.

Q: Tell me about the unique challenges in directing this play. No doubt, Durang’s writing calls for its own unique interpretation.

A: Indeed it does...he really puts his own spin on family dynamics — so much of his writing is commentary on his own family dynamics growing up.

This play, out of the ones I’ve read, seems a little more grounded in realism, which is why I suspect it gained the recognition it did. Of course, it too has it’s own absurdist twists to it, which did present a challenge. He was very specific in his notes about making these six people characters and not caricatures. It’s a fine line to walk. Is it too realistic — thereby losing some of the humor, or does it sway too much the other way, making them unrealistic?

I hope I succeeded.

How did you approach the works of Chekhov in relation to the script?

The interesting thing about the Chekhov references is that you really don’t need to know them in order to enjoy the show. Durang spoke about taking the works of Chekhov and putting them into a blender - and it’s true. He makes obvious references to some of Chekhov’s works during the course of the play - the property has a cherry orchard, for example, the three siblings all have names from Chekhov plays, which is explained during the course of the evening, and Vanya writes a play that is a modern riff of Konstantin’s play in The Seagull, but other Chekhov references are rather subtle. For example, he substitutes a dead seagull for a wild turkey. If you are familiar with Chekhov’s works you’ll notice some of the same themes and the clever way in which Durang utilizes those themes.

The SNAP space is always a unique one to perform in for both its size and intimacy. How did the space dictate or alter the performance?

We’ve been very lucky to have designers over the years who have a real knack for working in the space, and this show is no exception. The play itself takes place in the morning room of a country home in Bucks County, PA. So our fabulous designer, Ronnie Wells, created a space that showcases the morning room, while also showing the back exterior of the house and a little path to an offstage pond. For a 55 seat theatre it’s really quite stunning, and one of the more detailed sets we’ve done. We pre-built the majority of the set during our previous production and then disassembled it and stored it while our sister theatre, The Shelterbelt, was in performance. We had one week from when they closed to reassemble everything, add additional painting detail, floor tile, and trim, and then the set dressing. It made for some really late nights, but it was worth it.

storytelling across the centuries. Larger local theatre companies could learn from this model and further win over audiences.

Thinking outside the frame of this experience, bear in mind that, underpinning the ancient battles, the Greek cause was a shabby pretense. So what if Helen was kidnapped or colluded in her own departure? The peaceful, happy Trojans had no cause to take arms.

Tragedy on a major scale. Consider, too, the phantom WMDs of Baghdad. Or ponder shadowy shelling in The Gulf of Tonkin. More hubris. Each time causing thousands upon thousands of young warriors to be slain. More tragedy.

Bear in mind as well, that, without CGIs and a cast of thousands, the object is not entertainment. Although the Gods randomly take sides as if for their own amusement, the gory, graphic killings are not portrayed to thrill and excite. They terrify. Reminding us that we Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike runs through December 7th at Snap Production on 33rd and Calihave never buried the paths to war. , fornia St. More info can be found at www.snap-

An Iliad continues through Nov. 30 at Brigit Saint Brigit productions.com.

— William Grennan Theatre, 1002 Dodge Street. Fri- Sat: 7:30 p.m. Sun: 2 p.m.

Cold Cream looks at theater in the metro area. Email information to Tickets $20-$25. www.bsbtheatre.com. coldcream@thereader.com

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2014 3:00 PM | Holland Performing Arts Center | Kiewit Concert Hall

FREE ADMISSION! VoicesofOmaha.org | THE READER |

nov. 20 - 26, 2014

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DAYS

PICKOFTHEWEEK Through Dec. 7

HYDRA: AN EXHIBIT OF MIXED MEDIA WORKS BY JEFF KING AND ERIC BAUGHMAN

RNG Gallery, 157 West Broadway, Council Bluffs Tuesday-Friday:11 a.m. to 2 p.m. & 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Closed Mondays Jeff King is a life-long Omaha resident. At age 4, he began drawing and has continued to both draw and paint. Jeff has been influenced by several artists, including Basquiat, Twombly, de Kooning and also has interest in graffiti and street art. Not one to be set in one style, King combines many elements and technical skills to arrive at a final image often working on layers. King’s works range from cartoons and characters to realistic portraiture, with leanings towards expressionistic images. Eric Baughman earned an Associate of Applied Science Graphic Communication Arts and Design degree from Metropolitan Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from The University of Nebraska at Omaha. Eric was also a screen printer for twelve years. He is inspired by the music, art, and culture of today and of the past. He has currently been creating paintings using hand cut stencils and enamel paint on canvas.

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NOV. 20 - 26, 2014

FRIDAY21

RL GRIME

Through Nov. 23

ASSASSINS

Chanticleer Theater 830 Franklin Ave., Council Bluffs Fri- Sat: 7:30 p.m. Sun: 2 p.m.

Tickets $10-$20 www.chanticleertheater.com “All you have to do is move your little finger and you can change the world.” Stephen Sondheim’s fingers wrote those words. And the melodies, the rhythms that went with them, exploring, underscoring, with playwright John Weidman, what happens with deadly weapons in the hands of crazy people. Re: four U.S. presidents slain by four men in fewer than 100 years.

Re: four other presidents closely surviving similar threats. In a musical. A musical whose aim is satirical. The target: the ubiquity of guns. Guns kill people.

People kill people. These murderers, these losers, from different blood lines, mix and mingle their affinities across time with John Wilkes Booth urging Lee Harvey Oswald to pull the trigger. In 2004 the Broadway version of this ground-breaker won a Tony as Best Revival of a Musical. It comes with more than one warning. Among them: it contains adult content. No shock there. — Gordon Spencer

SATURDAY22 Nov. 22

disappointment. Too often we hear a beat that continues to reach further and further and in anticipation of the exciting jump we pump our fists, but to no avail and the song ends abruptly. RL Grime will not leave his audience with a fist falling at their side, but they will be able to raise it high and jump along. Grab your ticket early and join in on the sick electronic dance beats. Joining RL Grime will be Lu- nice and Branchez who will only add to the enticingly crazy sound that will be coming from the Bourbon and spilling onto the Omaha streets. Check out the theatre’s website for information on how to meet RL Grime and receive other special advantages by purchasing a VIP ticket.

Maves. In the same concert, the brass section takes on the challenges of Dutchman Jan Koetsier’s 1979 Symphony wherein jazz influences make themselves heard. More contemporary American music unfolds.

Brooklyn’s Jack Gallagher explores dance conceptions of many nations in his Sinfonietta for String Orchestra and the string section follows the intricacies of Duke-Ellington-prompted “Night Creatures” by Saint Paul-born Robin Olson. There’s more brass circa 1600: multi-dialogue resonances by Venice’s Giovanni Gabrieli astound your ears. Meanwhile, just outside the concert hall doors, many other multiple colors await your eyes. — Gordon Spencer

SUNDAY23

DWIGHT THOMAS

RL GRIME W/LUNICE AND BRANCHEZ

The Bourbon Theatre, 1415 O Street 9:00 pm, 18+, $20 ADV | $22 DOS - $75 VIP Ticket www.bourbontheatre.com

| THE READER |

Nov. 23 Henry Steinway aka RL Grime or Clockwork works beats like there’s no tomorrow. He is an American producer of electronic hip-hop music who has learned the craft of being able to keep a solid rhythm while switching it up and twisting into a direction you didn’t see coming. His technique with music is one that builds up without ending in an anticlimactic

picks

MUSICAL COLORS: MUSIC FOR TIMPANI, STRINGS AND BRASS Omaha Symphony’s Symphony Joslyn Dwight Thomas, timpani Thomas Wilkins, conductor Joslyn Art Museum’s Witherspoon Hall 2200 Dodge St. 2 p.m. Tickets: $33 www.omahasymphony.org

Principal timpanist Dwight Thomas hits his stride in a world premiere concerto commissioned by Music Director Thomas Wilkins from Oregon-born David

BEST OF THE BIG O

| THE READER |

NOV. 20 - 26, 2014

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BEST DINING BEST BAKERY

Best of the Big O: Pettit’s Pastry Readers’ Choice: Wheatfield’s, Jones Bros Cupcakes Readers’ Recommend: Panera Bread, Le Quartier Readers’ Refer: Cake Gallery, Gerda’s Bakery

BEST BBQ RESTAURANT

Best of the Big O: Famous Dave’s, Restaurant Readers’ Choice: Heartland BBQ, Swine Dining Readers’ Refer: Boyd & Charlie’s, Dickey’s BBQ Readers’ Recommend: McKenna’s Blues, Booze & BBQ

BEST VALUE RESTAURANT

Best of the Big O: Cheddar’s Readers’ Refer: Applebee’s, Village Inn, 11-Worth Cafe, Petrow’s, Amsterdam Falafel & Kabob, McDonald’s

BEST BUFFET

Best of the Big O: Stella’s Readers’ Refer: Red Robin, Smash Burger, Louie M’s Burger Lust Readers’ Recommend: Dinker’s, Five Guys

| THE READER |

BEST CATERER

Best of the Big O: Hy-Vee Readers’ Choice: Hap Abraham Readers’ Refer: Attitude on Food, A Catered Affair, Global Gatherings, John Benker Catering, Patricia Catering, Valentino’s Readers’ Recommend: Eddie’s, Catering Creations

BEST CHINESE RESTAURANT

Best of the Big O: J.C. Mandarin Readers’ Choice: Grand China Buffet Readers’ Refer: Ming’s Readers’ Recommend: Three Happiness Express, P.F. Changs, China Road

BEST COFFEESHOP

BEST DOUGHNUT SHOP

BEST BURGER JOINT

NOV. 20 - 26, 2014

Best of the Big O:11 Worth Café Readers’ Choice: Leo’s Diner Readers’ Refer: Shirley’s Diner Readers’ Recommend: Petrow’s, Lisa’s Radial Cafe, Vidlak’s Brookside Café

Best of the Big O: Scooter’s Readers’ Choice: Starbuck’s, Crane Coffee Readers’ Refer: Blue Line, Caffeine Dreams Readers’ Recommend: Aroma’s

Best of the Big O: China Buffet Readers’ Choice: Valentino’s, Golden Coral Readers’ Refer: HuHot, Pizza Ranch Readers’ Recommend: Grand China Buffet

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BEST CAFÉ/DINER

BEST OF THE BIG O

Best of the Big O: Dunkin Donuts Readers’ Choice: Krispy Kreme, Pettit’s Pastry Readers’ Recommend: LaMar’s, Winchell’s Readers’ Refer: Donut Professor, Donut Stop

Tequila Corner

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learned a lot at the Tequila Tasting Dinner at La Mesa Nov. 11. First, I learned that KFAB’s Scott Voorhees is really good at making conversation while sitting with a bunch of strangers. I also learned that the next big thing in cocktails is “Multi-Culti,” which basically means that mixologists are utilizing flavors from myriad cultural flavors in order to give people what’s called “global flavor experiences.”

And rightly so. The margaritas I sipped on throughout the night were unlike anything I’ve tried before, and I really went away from the evening feeling as though I’d been a part of something unique and special.

Sly Cosmopoulos was our expert mixologist at this event. One thing I’ve noticed after attending a few of these tastings is that each mixologist has their own flair and flavor. As for Sly, she definitely has a spicy, robust way about her cocktails. Every drink she mixed for us had some bite to it, which was complemented splendidly by the food La Mesa pulled together for the evening.

Take, for example, the Wabbit’s Wink, which was a shaken margarita featuring El Jimador Reposado Tequila, carrot juice, ginger liqueur and other tasty stuff. I’ve never been served a margarita that had a baby carrot floating in it before, but it worked for this drink. This complex drink was served with a smoked brisket quesadilla that was simple, yet scrumptious. There was guacamole too, of course, and one of the people at my table declared the entire dish, “Simple and beautiful.”

When it came time for the mango and jicama salad, Sly served us all an Avocado Pineapple Margarita. The salad was sweet yet spicy, and the drink was spicy yet sweet. Yes, the drink had actual avocados in it, but it was all blended with pineapples, Herradura Reposado Tequila and other ingredients that gave it an unexpected color and consistency. This drink impressed everyone at my table almost as much as my jicama knowledge did, or at least I’d like to think that I dazzled everyone with my jicama knowledge.

Dinner for me was tilapia but I also had the option of beef or pork. The cocktail accompanying the entrée was a Hot Mamacita. By this time all of us had enjoyed a few cocktails so the jokes about the drink’s name were flying like mad.

It was a spicy drink – by far the spiciest we’d had all night. Sly delighted in telling us all that she had gone heavy on the habanero bitters with this one, but she assured us that she trusted we could handle it. We handled it like champs, by the way.

I do adore mixed drinks, but my favorite drink of the night was at the end when we all enjoyed shots of Avion Reserva 44.

I use the term “shots” loosely because this wasn’t tequila you just tossed into your mouth and then hit the dance floor. No, this tequila was aged for 44 months and was the epitome of smooth. I savored this tequila in small sips, pausing to appreciate the care that went into crafting this particular tequila. Downing it all in one shot would have been a crime, as far as I’m concerned.

If you weren’t at the Tequila Tasting Dinner at La Mesa with me on Veteran’s Day then there’s a good chance you’re feeling a little jealous right now. I can’t say I didn’t give you fair warning that this was coming up, but I still feel badly if you missed it. Take solace in the fact that more La Mesa Tequila Tasting Dinners are in the works, and I’ll be sure to tell you beforehand so you can also enjoy some Multi-Culti tequila fun.

—Tamsen Butler

BEST OF THE BIG O

| THE READER |

NOV. 20 - 26, 2014

11

BEST ICE CREAM SHOP

Best of the Big O: Ted & Wally’s Readers’ Choice: eCreamery, Coldstone Creamery Readers’ Refer: Goodrich, Red Mango Readers’ Recommend: Dairy Queen

BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT

Best of the Big O: La Sole Mio Readers’ Refer: Vincenzo’s, Sgt. Peffers Readers’ Recommend: Olive Garden, Malara’s, Mangia

BEST JAPANESE RESTAURANT

Best of the Big O: Kobe Steakhouse Readers’ Choice: Hiro 88, Blue Sushi Readers’ Recommend: Genji, Sakura Bana, Sushi Japan

BEST KID-FRIENDLY (NOT KID-FOCUSED) RESTAURANT Best of the Big O: Red Robin Readers’ Refer: Amazing Pizza, Pizza Ranch, Spaghetti Works Readers’ Recommend: Applebee’s

BEST LATE NIGHT RESTAURANT

Best of the Big O: Village Inn Readers’ Choice: Blue Sushi Readers’ Refer: Amsterdam’s, Hiro 88, Lighthouse Pizza, Taco Bell Readers’ Recommend: Albelardo’s, M’s Pub

BEST LOCAL FOOD-SERVING RESTAURANT Best of the Big O: The Grey Plume Readers’ Choice: Lot 2, Block 16 Readers’ Recommend: Kitchen Table

BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Best of the Big O: La Mesa Readers’ Choice: Hector’s Readers’ Refer: Nettie’s, Romeo’s Readers’ Recommend: Rivera’s Mexican Restaurant, Cilantro’s, Maria’s

BEST NEW RESTAURANT

Best of the Big O: Salt 88 Readers’ Refer: Cheddars, Dudley’s Readers’ Recommend: Avoli, Over Easy, Pig & Finch

BEST NOUVEAU CUISINE

Best of the Big O: J Coco’s Readers’ Refer: The Grey Plume, Salt 88, V. Mertz Readers’ Recommend: Jam’s, Wave Bistro

BEST ORGANIC GROCERY SELECTION Best of the Big O: Whole Foods Readers’ Choice: Trader Joe’s, Hy-Vee Readers’ Refer: Akin’s Natural Food Store, Jane’s Grocery Readers’ Recommend: Natural Grocers

BEST PIZZA PARLOR

Best of the Big O: Zio’s Readers’ Choice: Mama’s Pizza Readers’ Refer: Big Fred’s, The Pizza Shoppe Readers’ Recommend: La Casa, Pitch Pizzeria

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| THE READER |

BEST OF THE BIG O

Zio’s Continues to be the Best Pizzaria in Town

H

DEBRA S. KAPLAN

DEBRA S. KAPLAN

ow does a local pizza place manage not only to stay open for thirty years, but also to thrive and grow? When it comes to Zio’s Pizzeria, the answer is clear: they started with an absolute focus on quality ingredients, and they’ve continued to focus on those quality ingredients every single day.

Offer the best quality pizza, made from handstretched dough and fresh ingredients, and it’s no wonder that Omaha keeps voting Zio’s the best pizzeria in town.

“That’s what we’ve always done,” says Usha Sherman, one of the owners at Zio’s. “Our pizza is made with love and care.” She likens Zio’s to a Mom & Pop pizza shop you might find in Italy, and with good reason. You won’t find bagged, pre-cut veggies here. You won’t see machines stretching out the dough. Instead, you’ll see people busy chopping fresh toppings, preparing meats with signature seasoning, and folks behind the counter tossing dough in a way that can only be described as agile and artistic.

Tossing dough might be labor-intensive, but it makes for the best pizza. It’s also pretty darn entertaining to watch. Kids especially like watching the dough getting tossed, and they also love playing with small balls of dough at their tables while they wait for their food.

There’s a real showmanship behind pizza tossing, and it’s a talent that Zio’s employees take real pride in.

Zio’s also sets itself apart as the pioneer in the Omaha area as the first place to offer customizable pizza by the slice. “Our customers love pizza by the slice,” says Usha. “They can get the slices all day long, custom-made with their favorite toppings.”

Speaking of toppings, there are more than forty fresh toppings from which to choose. Try the antibiotic-free, natural chicken, cooked and

seasoned right at the restaurant. Or try something a little more unexpected, like zucchini, asparagus or shrimp. Choose a specialty pizza or create your own taste combination. Zio’s is the place for pizza lovers who want variety and fresh, great taste.

It’s not just about the pizza. Usha says that customers are often surprised by the ample portions of the calzones and many customers say that the wings offered by Zio’s are the best, hands-down. Customers love the lunch specials menu, which offers a wide range of options including pizza, salads, hoagies and more. Dessert aficionados delight in the sweet treats available at Zio’s, which, of course, includes New York style cheesecake.

You won’t believe the great selection of beer they offer at Zio’s, but if you’re more of a wine fan you’ll be impressed by their wine offerings as well. If you’re instead looking to have your own fiesta at the table, order some margaritas on the rocks.

If you’re just looking to have a small bite to eat, or if you want to nibble on something while you wait for your pizza, check out the appetizer menu. Cheese and beef raviolis and garlic bread are all made with the same attention to quality that the rest of the menu receives.

These are just a few of the reasons why Zio’s has managed to stay locally-owned since 1985.

“We’ve had people from New York visit us and they tell us that it’s the closest to authentic New York pizza they’ve had outside of their city,” says Usha. “We take no shortcuts,” she adds. “We stay true to ourselves at all times.”

Small changes that are made are always made for the benefit of the customers and never compromise quality. “Customers are our bosses,” says Usha. Zio’s has opened new locations slowly but surely in order to add more seats. They’ve added gluten-free options.

They’ve recently changed their Happy Hour to be from 4:00-6:00 daily, allowing more people to enjoy half-price drinks. “We really appreciate our guests,” says Usha, and that’s why the changes they make are designed to give customers a better experience without scrimping on quality or service.

You can expect a relaxed, friendly atmosphere when visiting Zio’s. The staff takes pride in providing a fun environment that is great for everyone. What started as a small pizza shop answering the need for true New York style pizza has grown into a thirty year celebration of offering the freshest pizza in Omaha.

Stop in to any of the three locations and or-

BEST OF THE BIG O

der a slice with just about any topping you can imagine, knowing that the toppings are freshly prepared there at the restaurant. There are no prepackaged, hastily-prepared toppings at Zio’s; everything is fresh and prepared with care. You’ll notice it with the first bite –this is some special pizza..

Zio’s Locations:

7834 Dodge Street: This is the original location. Come try some pizza where it all began!

12997 West Center Road: Opened since 1989, this location offers a sun patio for when the weather is nice.

1109 Howard Street: Located in the Old Market, limited delivery is available from this location.

Hours: Monday – Thursday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Friday & Saturday: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Sunday: Noon – 9 p.m.

Ziospizzeria.com

| THE READER |

NOV. 20  26, 2014

13

BEST GREEK RESTAURANT

BEST SWEETS SHOP

BEST RETAIL DELI COUNTER

BEST TAPAS/SMALL PORTIONS

BEST RETAIL MEAT COUNTER

BEST TEX-MEX

Best of the Big O: The Greek Islands Readers’ Choice: Jim & Jenny’s Greek Village, Katie’s Greek Readers’ Refer: Legacy Gyros Readers’ Recommend: Feta’s, King Kong Best of the Big O: Hy-Vee Readers’ Refer: Fareway, Spirit World, Readers’ Recommend: Baker’s, Whole Foods, Jason’s Deli Best of the Big O: Fareway Readers’ Choice: Hy-Vee,Best Retail Meat Counter Readers’ Refer: Wohlner’s, Baker’s Readers’ Recommend: Stoysich, Just Good Meat

BEST RETAIL PRODUCE SELECTION Best of the Big O: Hy-Vee Readers’ Choice: Whole Food, Baker’s Readers’ Refer: Costco Readers’ Recommend: Trader Joe’s, Fareway

BEST THAI RESTAURANT

Best of the Big O: Mai Thai Readers’ Choice: Thai Spice Readers’ Refer: Bangkok Cuisine, Salween Thai, Taste of Thailand Readers’ Recommend: Thai Pepper

BEST YOGURT SHOP

BEST RESTAURANT MENU SPECIALS

Best of the Big O: Jam’s Readers’ Refer: Anthony’s Steak House, Block 16, Blue Sushi, Crave, Dante Pizzeria, IceHouse, Jazz a Louisiana kitchen, Kitchen Table, Salt 88

BEST RESTAURANT WINE SELECTION

Best of the Big O: Brix Market Readers’ Refer: 801 Chophouse, Brother Sebastian’s, Charleston’s, Dante Pizzeria, Flemings, M’s Pub, Olive Garden, Salt 88, Stoke’s, The Boiler Room

BEST STEAK HOUSE

Best of the Big O: Texas Roadhouse Readers’ Choice: The Drover, Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse Readers’ Refer: Gorat’s Readers’ Recommend: Anthony’s Steak House, Piccolo Pete’s

| THE READER |

Best of the Big O: Julio’s Readers’ Refer: Hector’s Readers’ Recommend: Stoke’s, Fernando’s, Roja’s, Romeo’s

Best of the Big O: McFoster’s Natural Kind Café Readers’ Recommend: Cantina Laredo, Kitchen Table

Best of the Big O: Hy-Vee Readers’ Choice: Brix Readers’ Refer: Whole Foods, Costco Readers’ Recommend: Spirit World, Trader Joe’s

NOV. 20 - 26, 2014

Best of the Big O: Espana Readers’ Refer: Brix Readers’ Recommend: Cantina Laredo

BEST VEGETARIAN

BEST RETAIL WINE SELECTION

14

Best of the Big O: Jones Bros Cupcakes Readers’ Choice: The Cordial Cherry, Old Market Candy Shop Readers’ Refer: Eileen’s Cookies, Wheatfields Readers’ Recommend: Hollywood Candy Shop

BEST OF THE BIG O

Best of the Big O: Orange Leaf Readers’ Choice: Red Mango Readers’ Refer: Peach Wave Readers’ Recommend: TCBY, Yo-Yo Berri, Cherry Berry

BEST GETTING AROUND BEST AIRLINE

Best of the Big O: Southwest Airlines, Readers’ Choice: Delta Airlines, Readers’ Refer: American Airlines, Frontier Airline, Midwest Express Readers’ Recommend: United Airlines

BEST AUTO DETAIL SHOP

Best of the Big O: Dolphin’s Readers’ Choice: Cornhusker Auto Wash and Detail Center

BEST AUTO BODY SHOP

Best of the Big O: Dingman’s Readers’ Choice: Charlie Graham, B Street Collison Readers’ Refer: CarStar, Shadow Lake Auto Body Readers’ Recommend: Dave’s Auto Body Shop

BEST AUTO DEALER SERVICE SHOP Best of the Big O: Woodhouse Readers’ Choice: Atchley Ford Readers’ Refer: Baxter, Performance, Stan Olsen Readers’ Recommend: H & H, Superior Honda

BEST AUTO DEALERSHIP GROUP

DEBRA S. KAPLAN

Best of the Big O: Woodhouse Readers’ Choice: Performance Readers’ Refer: H & H, Sid Dillon, Stan Olsen Readers’ Recommend: Huber, Baxter, Beardmore

BEST AUTO GLASS

Best of the Big O: Safelite Autoglass Readers’ Refer: Galvin Glass, Glassman’s, Metro Glass, River City Glass Readers’ Recommend: ABC Glass, Omaha Glass Co., Heartland Glass

BEST AUTO PARTS

Best of the Big O: O’Reilly Auto Parts Readers’ Choice: Advance Auto Parts, AutoZone Readers’ Refer: Atchley Ford, U-Pull It Readers’ Recommend: NAPA

BEST AUTO REPAIR SHOP

Best of the Big O: Jensen Tire and Auto Readers’ Choice: Exclusive Honda and Acura, Excellence In Auto Repair Readers’ Recommend: Bunchanan’s Auto Center & Convenience Store

BEST BIKE SHOP

Best of the Big O: The Bike Rack Readers’ Choice: Trek Bicycyle, Olympic Cycle Readers’ Recommend: Greenstreet Cycles, Re-Cycle Bike Shop Readers’ Refer: Bike Masters, Bike Way, Omaha Bicycle Co.

BEST BOAT DEALER

Best of the Big O: Omaha Marine

BEST CAR AUDIO

Best of the Big O: Stereo West Readers’ Choice: InPhase Readers’ Refer: Nebraska Furniture Mart Readers’ Recommend: Best Buy

BEST CAR WASH

Best of the Big O: Russell Speeder Readers’ Choice: Dolphin’s Car Wash Readers’ Refer: Cornhusker Auto Wash Readers’ Recommend: Fantasy’s, Gorilla Car Wash, Bucky’s

BEST GAS STATION/CONVENIENCE STORE Best of the Big O: Bucky’s Readers’ Choice: Quick Trip Readers’ Refer: Kwik Shop Readers’ Recommend: Hy-Vee Gas, Casey’s, Kum & Go

The Best End Result

W

illiam (Bill) Pfeffer’s Law Firm has been open since 1990. Before that, Bill was practicing law and working with another lawyer, one who became a mentor of sorts. His first boss trained him in personal injury and the law of negligence.

Pfeffer Law Firm specializes in criminal defense and personal injury cases involving negligence. Bill has been working on negligence cases since 1988.

Early on in his career, people were hiring him for events like DUI’s, so he had to quickly learn how to practice criminal law. He said he started dabbling in criminal law in addition to his personal injury practice and criminal defense really took off.

“I won a lot of cases and was able to keep out evidence in many instances (that meant a lot of trials didn’t take place at all). The word got around and the next thing I knew, I was extremely busy in my private practice,” said Bill.

He built his practice on hard work that often meant 60-hour workweeks. Bill also traveled a lot in the beginning. He went all over the country to do criminal defense cases. Utah, California, Arizona and Colorado are just a few of the places Bill worked. He is also licensed in Iowa.

Bill was able to practice law in these places through a process called ‘Pro Hac Vice,” which means though he was not licensed to practice in those jurisdictions, he received dispensation to participate in a particular case within that jurisdiction.

“If you are in good standing and can show it, they will let you come in and work there,” Bill explained.

If you go to Pfeffer Law Firm for assistance, Bill said you are not just getting one lawyer you’re getting three. Bill’s daughter Kelsey and cousin Danny also work in the firm with Bill.

BEST OF THE BIG O

Danny and Kelsey receive many appointments from judges. Bill said the judges are generous with them because they are good lawyers. Kelsey explained taking appointments is a great way to keep abreast of changes in the law.

With Danny and Kelsey being in court a lot of the time, they learn on a day-to-day basis.

Without the two of them at the firm, Bill said he wouldn’t be where he is today.

“They both work hard and are very well respected,” said Bill.

Kelsey said she didn’t necessarily want to be a lawyer growing up, but loves it now.

She enjoys helping people. Pfeffer Law Firm cares about their clients and the outcome of their case.

“We take the time to get to know them on a personal level, not just the facts of their case. We do what we can to help them so they don’t get into that particular situation again,” Kelsey explained.

Bill said where he grew up he saw people without much influence or money getting trampled on and decided those were the people he wanted to help. Bill wanted to be an advocate for them.

“You have to have a bit of a chip on your shoulder to be a good criminal defense attorney. I have that. I resented authority growing up. At Pfeffer, we will work hard because we love the people we represent. The end result will be the best result,” said Bill.

Pfeffer Law Firm 1823 Harney St. Omaha, NE 68102 (402) 341-8415

| THE READER |

NOV. 20  26, 2014

15

BEST LUXURY AUTO DEALER

Best of the Big O: Lexus of Omaha Readers’ Choice: Markel BMW, Mercedes of Omaha Readers’ Refer: Infiniti of Omaha, Stan Olsen Readers’ Recommend: Acura, Gorges Volvo

BEST NEW AUTO DEALER

Best of the Big O: Performance Readers’ Choice: Woodhouse Readers’ Refer: Baxter, Nissan of Omaha, Plaza, Sid Dillon, Superior Honda

BEST PRE-OWNED CAR DEALER Best of the Big O: CarMax Readers’ Choice: Atchley Ford Readers’ Refer: Beardmore, Woodhouse Readers’ Recommend: Performance, Sid Dillon

BEST TIRE STORE & SERVICE

Best of the Big O: Jensen Tire and Auto Readers’ Choice; Discount Tire Readers’ Refer: Marion Tire Readers’ Recommend: Midwest Tire, Tires Plus, Firestone

BEST TOWING SERVICE

Best of the Big O: AAA Readers’ Refer: A-1 Towing, Arrow, Bam’s, Grabow Towing, Hansen Towing, Neff Towing, Paul’s Sinclair, Youngs

BEST TRANSPORTATION / LONG-DISTANCE TRAVEL (NOT AIRLINES) Best of the Big O: MegaBus Readers’ Choice: AmTrak, Greyhound Readers’ Recommend: Lyft, Ollie The Trolley

BEST PROFESSIONAL & HEALTH SERVICES BEST ALLERGIST PRACTICE

Best of the Big O: Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Associates, PC Practice, Boys Town Allergy Readers’ Choice: Midwest Allergy and Asthma Readers’ Refer: Asthma & Allergy Center, William A. Ingram MD PC

BEST ATTORNEY - CRIMINAL

Best of the Big O: James Martin Davis, Readers’ Choice: Pfeffer Law Office, Bianchi Law

BEST ATTORNEY - DIVORCE

Best of the Big O: McGill Law, Kinney Law, Anderson, Bressman and Hoffman

BEST ATTORNEY - DUI

Best of the Big O: Schaffer Shapiro

BEST ATTORNEY - PERSONAL INJURY Best of the Big O: Abboud Law Firm Readers’ Choice: Hauptman O’Brien Wolf & Lathrop Readers’ Recommend: Knowles Law Firm

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NOV. 20 - 26, 2014

| THE READER |

BEST OF THE BIG O

Defense Attorneys are Liberty’s Last Champions

C

riminal Defense Attorney James Martin Davis said he knew he wanted to be an attorney every since he was in grade school.

“Even though I was a special agent in the U.S. Secret Service and later an Organized Crime and Anti-Corruption Strike Force Prosecution, ultimately my goal was to become a trial lawyer with my own private practice,” Davis said.

When he first got admitted to the bar, Davis had the opportunity to join the litigation section of a large corporate law firm. It was an offer he turned down because he wanted to represent people rather than businesses. He admits he was much more interested in protecting an individual’s liberty than their property rights.

Protecting people As a criminal defense attorney, Davis explained that he protects the U.S. Constitution, one citizen at a time.

Davis can practice law in four states: Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado and Indiana. He is also admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Claims, the U.S. Tax Court and numerous federal, district and circuit courts.

During his career, Davis said he has tried more than 150 jury trials in numerous states as well as in Washington, DC. “My office primarily handles criminal cases, both state and federal. I also handle personal injury cases where the individuals are injured as the result of the negligence of others,” said Davis.

His office represents people in both federal and criminal matters in Omaha and across the Midwest. In addition to his recognition as Best Criminal Defense Attorney in The Reader for several years, Davis has also been named one of American Trial Lawyers Top 100 Lawyers, Great Plains Super Lawyer and is on the National Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers.

Davis explained his staff is committed to providing personal service for each client. Initial consultations are complimentary, phones are answered 24/7 and he has bilingual staff members.

Innocence is more important than guilt He explained that in order to punish all of the guilty individuals out there, we would have to punish a certain number who were innocent. Davis said this is something our democracy won’t allow. He explained that it is much more important to protect the innocent than it is to punish the guilty.

Davis wants people to understand that liberty is America’s most precious ideal. That’s why our founding fathers established the system they did. Davis said they knew it was impossible to devise a system where all the guilty were punished and all the innocent set free.

In order to insure the innocent individuals go free, the system has to permit a number of the guilty to go free as well.

“In our system, the criminal defense attorney is liberty’s last champion. I am proud of the work I do,” said Davis.

James Martin Davis

DEBRA S. KAPLAN

1623 Farnam St. Suite 500 Omaha, NE 68102 402.341.9900

BEST OF THE BIG O

| THE READER |

NOV. 20  26, 2014

17

BEST BANK

THANK YOU.

Best of the Big O: First National Bank Readers’ Choice: Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank Readers’ Recommend: Great Western Bank, Bank of the West, Pinnacle Bank

BEST CHIROPRACTIC PRACTICE

Best of the Big O: Hauser Chiropractic & Acupuncture Readers’ Choice: Koca Chiropractic Readers’ Refer: Clark Chiropractic Clinic, Elasser Chiropractic, Essentials, Hoogeveen Chiropractic, Martin Chiropractic and Wellness Readers’ Recommend: Armour Chiropractic

BEST COSMETIC DENTIST

Best of the Big O: The Smile Design Studio, The Tooth Doc, Nebraska Institute of Comprehensive Dentistry, The Dentists

BEST COSMETIC SURGERY PRACTICE

Best of the Big O: Aesthetic Surgical Images Readers’ Choice: Finkle Cosmetic, Sculpt Readers’ Recommend: Denenberg Facial Plastic Surgery, Popp Cosmetic Surgery

BEST COUNSELING CLINIC

Best of the Big O: Boys Town Behavioral Health, Readers’ Recommend: Alliance Family Counseling, Associated Counseling Professionals, Children’s Behavioral Health, Family Enrichment, Lutheran Family Services

BEST CREDIT UNION

Best of the Big O: SAC Federal Credit Union Readers’ Choice: Centris Federal Credit Union Readers’ Refer: First Nebraska Educators, Omaha Douglas FCU Readers’ Recommend: Metro Federal Credit Union, Metro Health Services Federal Credit Union

WE’LL SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS. We’ve built relationships with the

people of Omaha for nearly 160 years.

In return, they’ve named us the Best

Bank in the 2014 Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O! For that, we thank you.

Stop by one of our 38 convenient area locations

today to start building a lasting relationship with Omaha’s best bank.

BEST DENTIST OFFICE

Best of the Big O: Rainbow Dental, Readers’ Choice: Mancuso and Mancuso Readers’ Recommend: “Dr. Curry, DDS”, Dundee Family Dental, Greder Dental Group

BEST DERMATOLOGY CLINIC

Best of the Big O: Midwest Dermatology, Readers’ Choice: Dermatology Specialists of Omaha, Braddock Finnegan Readers’ Refer: Joel Schlessinger, Dr. Christopher Huerter Readers’ Recommend: Methodist Physician’s Clinic Dermatology

BEST FINANCIAL ADVISOR OFFICE

Best of the Big O: Feltz Wealth Plan Readers’ Choice: Amerprise Readers’ Refer: Centris Federal Credit Union, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, UBS Financial Services, Wells Fargo Readers’ Recommend: Edward Jones

BEST HEALTH CLINIC

402.346.3626 | firstnational.com | Member FDIC

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NOV. 20  26, 2014

| THE READER |

BEST OF THE BIG O

Best of the Big O: Alegent Creighton Readers’ Choice: Methodist Physicians Clinic Readers’ Refer: One World Health Clinic Readers’ Recommend: Boys Town, Physicians Clinic, UNMC

DEBRA S. KAPLAN

Contemporary & Compassionate

D

r. Gerard J. Stanley, Jr., is not what you may expect of a cosmetic surgeon. He won’t tell you to drastically change your appearance or suggest procedures that you don’t need. He shares a philosophy of honesty, integrity and compassion with each patient he welcomes into Sculpt Contemporary Cosmetic Surgery.

Established in 2012, Sculpt is the vision of Dr. Stanley and the future of cosmetic surgery.

As a magna cum laude graduate of Creighton University, Dr. Stanley attended his residency in rural family medicine and surgery at the renowned North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley, Colorado, where he served as the Chief Resident in his final year.

After completing his initial training, Dr. Stanley served in the National Health Service Corp for four years doing charitable work in lowincome and critically underserved areas of the Midwest. Following his service, he spent an additional year training on minimally invasive and contemporary cosmetic surgical procedures.

Once back in Omaha, Sculpt opened its doors in October 2012. It was here he could practice his passion for cosmetic surgery in a way he has always wanted.

“Our focus is on minimally invasive procedures,” Dr. Stanley explains. “We do a lot of the procedures that everybody has heard of, but we do it a little bit differently. None of our patients are asleep. We don’t put them under general anesthesia. Patients recover seemingly quicker. The surgeries are a little bit slower.

You can’t go as fast as you want to, but when you go slower you can make it an overall better experience for your patient.

“It’s technically very fun surgery and it’s happy,” he adds. “It makes people happy. I think it’s the last bastion of medicine that’s customer service driven. They plan for what they want and they are excited for it when they come in.”

As the winner of The Reader’s Choice Award for Best Cosmetic Surgery Practice, Dr. Stanley was admittedly surprised Sculpt was chosen.

He assumed the award was reserved for more established practices in the area.

“It was an absolute honor to win,” he says.

“I was completely amazed. It was unexpected and I was just tickled.”

At Sculpt, Dr. Stanley and his team focus on the patient. In fact, they don’t even call them patients, they refer to them as guests. With a full medical spa that includes massage therapists, spray tanning and facials, Sculpt provides a place for men and women to go for all of their needs.

“That was the dream,” he says. “I wanted it to be a place where all types of people could come to be special and it’s become that.

Sometimes it’s not the biggest transformations that are the most life changing. Sometimes it’s the unexpected, little things. For some people, it’s about getting their confidence back and for other people, it’s about finding harmony in their lives or helping them feel good after cancer. I feel like I have the best job in the world.”

Thank you, Readers!

We are honored to be selected among The Readers’ Choice Best of the Big O! Best Retirement Community Hillcrest Country Estates Best Assisted Living Hillcrest Mable Rose Best Long-term Care Hillcrest Country Estates’ Cottages

Enhancing Lives

Sculpt

(402) 682-4800

2255 S 132nd St #100 Omaha, NE 68144 Phone:(402) 884-6700 www.sculptomaha.com

Every day, we strive to enhance the lives of aging adults. Learn more at

hillcresthealth.com

BEST OF THE BIG O

| THE READER |

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19

BEST HOSPITAL

Best of the Big O: Methodist Hospital Readers’ Choice: Nebraska Medical Center, Readers’ Refer: Lakeside, Children’s Hospital, Methodist Women’s Hospital Readers’ Recommend: Bergan Mercy Medical Center

BEST INSURANCE AGENCY

Best of the Big O: State Farm Readers’ Refer: Geico, Chastain Otis, Progressive Readers’ Recommend: Farm Bureau, American Family, Allstate

BEST LASIK CENTER

Best of the Big O: Kugler Vision Readers’ Refer: Brumm Eye, Lasik Plus, Nebraska Laser Eye Associates Readers’ Recommend: Omaha Eye and Laser

BEST LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY Best of the Big O: Brookstone Meadows Readers’ Recommend: Brighton Gardens, Hillcrest

BEST MASSAGE THERAPY PRACTICE

Best of the Big O: Massage Envy Readers’ Refer: Essentials, Massage Associates, Omaha School of Massage and Healthcare, Alternative Therapies - Sheila Zealand, Downtown Omaha Massage, Gloss Salon and Spa, Massage Heights, Take Five

Aging Gracefully with Hillcrest

“H

illcrest works hard to enhance the lives of aging adults,” says Jim Janicki, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Hillcrest Health Services.

Founded in 1967, the company was founded

by Wallace Tiller. Jolene Roberts acquired the company from him in 1988 with a visionary goal of creating a full continuum of services for aging adults. Fast forward to 2014 and Roberts is the CEO of the largest senior care organization in Sarpy County.

Janicki says Hillcrest offers more services for aging adults than any other provider in the region.

This includes independent and assisted living, household-model skilled nursing, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient physical therapy, certified home health, hospice and palliative care.

Hillcrest operates three campuses on Highway 370 in Sarpy County and the Hillcrest Home & Community Services division serves nine counties in Nebraska and Iowa.

“In total, Hillcrest has more than 800 team members actively serving over 1,000 aging adults,” Janicki says.

Hillcrest continues to grown and evolve at a fast pace to meet the changing needs of aging adults within the community. Next year, they will open three new services: 1. The Grand Lodge at Hillcrest Country Estates- A resort-style community offering maintenance-free living, amenities, more than 100 independent living apartments and 60 assisted

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living and memory support apartments 2. The Rehab Cottage-Offering 22 accommodations for short-term, post-acute care in a household setting 3. A dedicated inpatient hospice care program-Located adjacent to Hillcrest Health & Rehab in Bellevue “More than 75% of the Grand Lodge apartments are already reserved and more will be reserved in the coming months as we prepare for opening next spring,” Janicki says.

He says Hillcrest is unique for several reasons: • They offer more services for aging adults than any other provider in the region, which helps ensure smooth transitions and better outcomes as seniors move through their system.

• The innovative cottages at Hillcrest Country Estates offer a nursing-home level of care in a setting that is far removed from the traditional nursing home.

• Their memory support communities use the latest techniques of the Montessori Method and are garnering national attention in nursing and trade journals.

“We love serving aging adults and making their lives better as much as possible,” says Janicki.

Hillcrest

www.hillcresthealth.com

| THE READER |

BEST OF THE BIG O

BEST NURSING HOME

Best of the Big O: Brookestone Meadows, Readers’ Choice: Rose Blumkin Home Readers’ Recommend: Parson’s House

BEST OB/GYN PRACTICE

Best of the Big O: Methodist Women’s Clinic Readers’ Choice: Alegent Creighton Readers’ Refer: Associates in Women’s Health Readers’ Recommend: Mid City OB/GYN, Omaha OB/GYN

BEST OPTICAL STORE (EYEWEAR STORE)

Best of the Big O: Pearle Vision Readers’ Choice: Shopko Optical, Target Readers’ Refer: Legacy Eyeware, Midwest Eyecare Optical Center, Stanton Optical Readers’ Recommend: LensCrafters, Millard Family Eyecare

BEST OPTICIAN

Best of the Big O: KuglerVision Readers’ Choice: Midwest Eyecare Readers’ Refer: Legacy Eye Care, Pearl Vision, Primary Eye Care

BEST ORTHODONTIST OFFICE

Best of the Big O: Igel Orthodontics Readers’ Choice: Orthodontics Omaha Readers’ Refer: Longo Orthodontics, Peter Ziegler Readers’ Recommend: Barnard Orthodontics, Reis Orthodontics

BEST PEDIATRIC PRACTICE

Best of the Big O: Children’s Physicians Readers’ Choice: Boys Town Pediatrics Readers’ Refer: Village Pointe Pediatrics, Methodist Children’s, UNMC Readers’ Recommend: Creighton Alegent Health

Five Weeks of Holiday Lights

Events Launch on Thanksgiving Night

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he Holiday Lights Festival, produced by Mayor Jean Stothert and the Downtown Omaha Inc. Foundation and presented

by ConAgra Foods, KMTV-Channel 3 and Star 104.5, showcases Downtown Omaha and celebrates the spirit of the holidays by providing a full season of fun, festive, family-friendly activities. Festivalgoers will find an abundance of holiday spirit in Downtown Omaha this winter.

The five-week Holiday Lights Festival is packed with exciting activities to offer a little something for everyone each weekend. More than 40 blocks of white lights, painting an incredible picture of Downtown Omaha, will again illuminate this year’s event, and more than 300,000 people are expected to enjoy the sight of the lights over their five-week display period.

Making Spirits Bright Holiday Concert

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ollowing the lighting ceremony, the Making Spirits Bright Holiday Concert will be presented at the Holland Performing Arts Center located at 13th and Douglas streets.

Beginning at 7 p.m., the free concert will feature special guest vocalist Mary Carrick accompanied by the Nebraska Wind Symphony for holiday classics and sing-alongs. The Making Spirits Bright Holiday Concert is sponsored by Cox Communications. Additional support is provided by the Mammel Foundation.

Old Market Shopping and Dining

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ome of the Old Market’s finest shops, restaurants and pubs will be open after the Thanksgiving Lighting Ceremony. Also available will be horse-drawn carriage rides through Magical Journeys Carriage Service.

Old Market merchants and restaurants open Thanksgiving evening are listed on the Holiday Lights Festival website.

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| THE READER |

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ne of Omaha’s most anticipated events of the holiday season, the annual CenturyLink Thanksgiving Lighting Ceremony will take place this year on Thursday, November 27, in the GeneLeahy Mall at 14th and Farnam. The illumination of the awe-inspiring display of hundreds of thousands of white lights is expected to draw approximately 10,000 people to Downtown Omaha, who will also be treated to a variety of musical performances including MasterSingers and the Jingle Bell Brass Ensemble beginning at 5:30 p.m. At 6 p.m., Omaha holiday lights

Mayor Jean Stothert will lead the crowd in a countdown to the 2014 lighting display. Many downtown businesses and residences will feature lighting and holiday decorations as well. The lighting display will be turned on each evening from 5 p.m. until 1 a.m. through January 4, 2015. “CenturyLink is proud to support this Omaha-area holiday tradition enjoyed by so many families,” Steve Pacholski, CenturyLink market development manager, said. “We’re looking forward to starting off the holiday season in a big way with the lighting ceremony

and shining the light on hunger in partnership with ConAgra Foods.” Aetna is sponsoring the lighting display along Gene Leahy Mall on Douglas and Farnam Streets between 10th and 13th Streets during the Holiday Lights Festival period.

“The Gene Leahy Mall lights serve as a focal point for the Holiday Lights Festival and are considered the crown jewel of the entire array of downtown lights,” Aetna Market President Dale Mackel said. “We are pleased to be the sponsor for this amazing display for the third consecutive year.”

holidaylightsfestival.org

FREE Family Fun Downtown

Wells Fargo Family Festival Returns

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ells Fargo presents the 2014 Holiday Lights Family Festival, offering the community an opportunity to experience many of Omaha’s leading downtown attractions for free. This year’s Family Festival will be held Sunday, December 7, from noon to 5 p.m. Families can park at any participating venue to access a free trolley service provided by Ollie the Trolley that connects the six participating venues, which each offer free admission and family activities.

In addition, select Omaha musicians will perform at The Durham Museum, W. Dale Clark Public Library, the Wells Fargo Bank at 20th and Douglas Streets and Joslyn Art Museum. Families can also participate in holiday sing-alongs with the members of the UNO Chamber Choir and ACDA Collegiate Chapter on the trollies during their adventures.

Families are encouraged to “Shine the Light on Hunger” and donate non-perishable foods and household goods to be distributed to families in need through Food Bank for the Heartland.

“The Wells Fargo team is pleased to be sponsoring the Family Festival again this year,” said Kirk Kellner, region president for Wells Fargo in Nebraska. “We have greatly enjoyed seeing the Family Festival grow and become an annual holiday tradition for many area families. It also provides families a fun and memorable afternoon of enjoying some of the community’s best family-friendly venues—for free.”

The 2014 Family Festival will feature the following attractions and special programs at these locations:

Omaha Children’s Museum, 500 South 20th

• Engage in active play in the museum’s permanent exhibits • Take a carousel ride for $2 • Visit with Santa • Enjoy the free Amazing Science Shows in the Science Lab

Omaha Police Mounted Patrol Barn, 615 Leavenworth • Tour the stables and visit with Santa • Learn how police officers care for the animals at the Mounted Patrol Barn and get a photo picture taken with the horses; watch officers present horse demonstrations and warm up with Swiss Miss hot cocoa courtesy of ConAgra Foods • Allens Traveling Pony Rides will be onsite from noon to 3 p.m.

• Wells Fargo will be giving free stage coach rides from 1 to 4 p.m. and helping young buckaroos decorate their own cowboy hats • The Citizen’s Foundation for the Omaha Police Mounted Patrol will offer face painting, and families can enjoy entertainment from a balloon artist

Wells Fargo, 20th and Douglas Streets

• Enjoy Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn courtesy of ConAgra Foods • Children can pose for a picture with Wells Fargo’s very own “Jack the Dog” and make fun holiday crafts • Stop by the company museum and see the historically accurate reproduction of the Wells Fargo Stagecoach in the lobby • Listen to holiday music and participate in other activities

W. Dale Clark Library, 215 South 15th Street

• Stop by the Wells Fargo activity area for cookie decorating and Swiss Miss hot cocoa courtesy of ConAgra Foods • Other activities include face-painting, story times, music, a photo booth and more • Children will received a free book while supplies last

Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge Street

• Explore Joslyn Art Museum’s galleries including In Living Color: Andy Warhol & Contemporary Printmaking from the Collections of Jordan D. Schniter and his Family Foundation • Don’t forget to visit the studios and experiment with hands-on activities to create your very own works of art (inspired by Andy Warhol and Keith Haring) using cut paper, crayon sticks, screen print, paint markers and more • Don’t miss the chance to get your magic wand from Wells Fargo and watch Amazing Lindy perform magic at 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

holidaylightsfestival.org

holiday lights

The Durham Museum, 801 South 10th Street • Experience the wonder of the season at the Durham Museum during Christmas at Union Station • See Omaha’s largest indoor Christmas tree, visit with Santa and enjoy an exceptional lineup of family-friendly events • Visit the Ethnic Holiday Trees exhibit, an annual favorite which highlights the holiday traditions of approximately a dozen cultures in the Omaha community • View the wonderful temporary exhibitions on display including Identity: An Exhibition of You and If You Build It: Omaha’s Urban Design • Children can also meet Wells Fargo’s “Jack the Dog,” pan for gold, and participate in a scavenger hunt | THE READER |

NOV. 20 - 26, 2014

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Ice Skating Rink Helps ‘Shine Light on Hunger’

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onAgra Foods invites the Omaha community to help “Shine the Light on Hunger” for the eighth consecutive year as part of its role as a presenting sponsor for the 2014 Holiday Lights Festival. The company will again open the ConAgra Foods Ice Rink on its campus at 10th and Harney Streets, providing the public with an opportunity to enjoy outdoor ice skating while supporting the effort to fight hunger. Skaters will be able to drop off non-perishable food and household items at the ice skating rink and festivalgoers can do the same at collection barrels that will be placed at other locations throughout the festival event sites.

The ConAgra Foods Ice Rink will be open Friday, December 12, through Sunday, January 4, so families with schoolchildren can enjoy the rink for an extended period during the winter break. The rink will be open from 1 to 10 p.m.

Sundays through Thursdays; 1 p.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays; and 1 to 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. The rink will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. A $5 admission fee includes skate rental, although patrons may bring their own skates. CenturyLink will provide wi-fi service to the site for spectators.

The ConAgra Foods Foundation will match all rink income dollar for dollar up to $100,000 and donate all proceeds to Food Bank for the Heartland as a component of the ConAgra Foods Shine the Light on Hunger campaign. Donations of non-perishable food and household goods will also be collected onsite.

Last year, ConAgra Foods and the community collected more than 177,000 pounds of food and raised $460,000 during the campaign, the equivalent of more than 1.5 million meals donated to Food Bank for the Heartland. The ConAgra

Foods Foundation matched donations to Food Bank for the Heartland dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000. The campaign exceeded its goal of 1.2 million meals and the total collected was also an increase over the previous year. The 2014 goal is 2.3 million meals.

“As presenting sponsor of the Holiday Lights Festival since shortly after it began as the Millennium Lights 15 years ago, ConAgra Foods is pleased to see how this event has grown to become a holiday tradition for area families and serve as an opportunity for the entire community to help those in need,” said Gary Rodkin, chief executive officer of ConAgra

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| THE READER |

Foods. “By attending the Holiday Lights Festival events and supporting the Shine the Light on Hunger campaign, participants can have fun while continuing to make a real difference in the lives of children and families throughout Nebraska and western Iowa.”

The community is invited to enjoy a special Skating Extravaganza at the ice rink featuring skaters from the Blade & Edge Figure Skating Club on Saturday, December 20, and Sunday, December 21, at 3 p.m. Both 30-minute performances are free of charge. Baker’s Supermarkets is encouraging the community to help “Shine the Light on Hunger” by supporting the campaign in each of its Omaha area stores throughout the month of December.

Baker’s will be collecting food donations and selling $1 paper “light bulbs” posted in each store in recognition of those customers who wish to donate to the campaign. All proceeds will go to Food Bank for the Heartland.

The Shine the Light on Hunger campaign builds on a 20-year commitment by ConAgra Foods and the ConAgra Foods Foundation to improve the quality of life for millions of families by taking action to solve child hunger. Taking a year-round approach to address child hunger with nonprofit partners across the U.S., ConAgra Foods donates food, engages its employees as volunteers and conducts consumer outreach to mobilize the public to support food and meal programs for children and families when they need it most. Since 1993, the ConAgra Foods has contributed more than $60 million from its Foundation to nonprofit organizations pursuing sustainable solutions to end child hunger, and it has donated more than 355 million pounds of food to Feeding America member food banks across the country.

holidaylightsfestival.org

Fireworks Spectacular to Usher In 2015 with a Bang

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he Holiday Lights Festival’s New Year’s Eve Fireworks Spectacular will fill the sky with colorful bursts of light on New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, December 31, starting at the familyfriendly hour of 7 p.m. The fireworks display, visible for miles, will take place

holidaylightsfestival.org

at the Gene Leahy Mall at 14th and Farnam streets. One of the largest New Year’s Eve fireworks displays in the region and the closing event of the Holiday Lights Festival, the show is expected to draw more than 30,000 people to downtown Omaha. Elderly

persons and citizens with disabilities are welcome to view the fireworks from the fourth floor of the W. Dale Clark Public Library at 215 S. 15th St. (15th and Farnam Streets). The fireworks display, created by J&M Displays, Inc. is choreographed so that each shell holiday lights

explodes on cue to a unique musical score featuring a lively soundtrack of party-themed music from different decades. Spectators are encouraged to bring portable radios and tune in to Star 104.5 to enjoy the accompanying music while watching the dazzling show.

| THE READER |

NOV. 20 - 26, 2014

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Holiday Lights Festival Events CenturyLink Thanksgiving Lighting Ceremony

Thursday, November 27, 6-7 p.m.

One of Omaha’s most anticipated events of the holiday season is the night holiday spirits are boosted with the annual CenturyLink Thanksgiving Lighting Ceremony held on Thanksgiving evening, November 27, in the Gene Leahy Mall at 14th and Farnam. The dazzling lights are sure to amaze people of all ages. Patrons will gather to hear a variety of musical performances, including the choral group MasterSingers and the Jingle Bell Brass Ensemble, beginning at 5:30 p.m. At 6 p.m., Mayor Jean Stothert will lead the crowd in a countdown to turn on the cheer and the 2014 lighting display.

Trees throughout the Gene Leahy Mall and neighboring streets will be lit with hundreds of thousands of white lights. The trees along 16th Street from Howard to Dodge Streets and 10th Street from Douglas Street to Abbott Drive will also be lit. Many downtown businesses and residences will feature lighting and holiday decorations as well. The Gene Leahy Mall lights are sponsored by Aetna.

Following the ceremony, the lighting display will be turned on each evening from 5 p.m. until 1 a.m. through January 4, 2015.

After the ceremony, the public is invited to shop and dine in the Old Market and attend a free holiday concert at the Holland Performing Arts Center.

Making Spirits Bright Holiday Concert sponsored by Cox Communications

Thursday, November 27, 7 p.m.

The Making Spirits Bright Holiday Concert will be presented at the Holland Performing Arts Center located at 13th and Douglas streets.

Beginning at 7 p.m., the free concert will feature special guest vocalist Mary Carrick accompanied by the Nebraska Wind Symphony. The Making

CenturyLink Thanksgiving Lighting Ceremony 6 – 6:30 p.m.

Gene Leahy Mall, 14th & Farnam.

Old Market Shopping and Dining 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Making Spirits Bright Holiday Concert 7 p.m.

Holland Performing Arts Center 13th & Douglas

Saturdays, November 29-December 27, 7-8 p.m.

Each Saturday from November 29 through December 27, from 7 to 8 p.m., the Sounds of the Season will showcase the talent of local choral groups ranging from youth to professional performers, including Golmanaviches and Giselle, Mater Dei Academy and Omaha Academy Choir.

Performances will take place throughout the Gene Leahy Mall and the Old Market.

1 p.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays; and 1 to 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. The rink will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. A $5 admission fee includes skate rental, although patrons may bring their own skates.

The ConAgra Foods Foundation will match all rink income dollar for dollar up to $100,000 and donate all proceeds to the Food Bank for the Heartland as a component of the Shine the Light on Hunger campaign. Donations of nonperishable food and household goods will also be collected onsite. For details, visit the “Shine the Light on Hunger” website at www.shinethelightonhunger.org.

Wells Fargo Family Festival

New Year’s Eve Fireworks Spectacular

Spirits Bright Holiday Concert is sponsored by Cox Communications. Additional support is provided by the Mammel Foundation.

Pacific Life Insurance Company Sounds of the Season

ConAgra Foods Ice Rink

Friday, December 12-Sunday, January 4 The ConAgra Foods Ice Rink, located on the ConAgra campus at 10th and Harney streets, will return for a seventh year to entertain families and “Shine the Light on Hunger.” The rink will be open from 1 to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays;

NOV. 20 - 26, 2014

CALENDAR OF EVENTS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27

Sunday, December 7, noon-5 p.m.

The Wells Fargo Family Festival offers an afternoon of free family fun. Six downtown arts and cultural institutions will provide free admission and hands-on activities for the entire family.

Free trolley service provided by Ollie the Trolley will connect all participating locations from noon to 5 p.m. “Shine the Light on Hunger” donation barrels will be located at selected Family Festival venues.

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HOLIDAY LIGHTS FESTIVAL

| THE READER |

holiday lights

Wednesday, December 31, 7 p.m.

As a grand finale to the 2014 Holiday Lights Festival, the Fireworks Spectacular will begin at 7 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Spectators are encouraged to arrive early as the event is expected to draw more than 30,000 people. The show will feature an amazing display of fireworks designed by J&M Displays. The official viewing site is the Gene Leahy Mall located at 14th and Farnam. Each firework burst is choreographed to explode in sequence to a unique musical score featuring lively party-themed music. Spectators are encouraged to bring a radio tuned to Star 104.5 to enjoy the musical accompaniment. The fireworks show offers a perfect ending to the fun-filled weeks of holiday activities and events.

For more information, visit www.holidaylightsfestival.org.

SATURDAYS, NOVEMBER 29 - DECEMBER 27 Pacific Life Sounds of the Season 7 – 8 p.m.

Gene Leahy Mall and the Old Market

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7 Wells Fargo Family Festival Noon – 5 p.m.

Downtown Arts and Cultural Institutions FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12SUNDAY, JANUARY 4 ConAgra Foods Ice Rink 1 to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays 1 p.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays 1 to 5 p.m. Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve closed Christmas Day & New Year’s Day

ConAgra Foods Campus, 10th & Harney

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31 New Year’s Eve Fireworks Spectacular 7 p.m.

Gene Leahy Mall, 14th & Farnam

holidaylightsfestival.org

EVENT MAP AND PARKING GUIDE

North and South Omaha Holiday Lights

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or the fourth year, the Holiday Lights will expand to North Omaha and South Omaha, thanks to the generosity of The Sherwood Foundation.

Lights will shine bright in South Omaha at 24th Street between L and Q Streets and in North Omaha along a six-block area around 24th and Lake Streets. These trees will be illuminated each evening beginning the first weekend in December. The official ceremonial tree lighting for the North Omaha displays will take place after Christmas in the Village on Saturday, December 6, at 5:30 p.m. near 24th and Lake Streets. A South Omaha lighting ceremony will take place Friday, December 5, at 6 p.m. at La Plaza de La Raza, 24th and N Streets.

holidaylightsfestival.org

holiday lights

| THE READER |

NOV. 20 - 26, 2014

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orn in Omaha, Dr. Kort Igel is a third generation dentist. Both his father and grandfather practiced general dentistry but Igel had other plans and decided to pursue orthodontics.

He opened a small practice in Omaha once he had finished his orthodontics program at UNMC. Later he purchased a small, existing practice in Papillion.

Igel’s goal is simple. He said his mission is to, “understand each patient’s unique needs and use state-of-the-art orthodontic practices with a warm, friendly manner to create beautiful, healthy smiles that will last a lifetime.”

He said he and his team are also committed to offering their patients a comfortable experience.

They accomplish this by giving each patient personal attention and a customized treatment plan.

Igel said his team is friendly and professional and always work to provide the highest quality care.

Latest Trends Igel and his team work hard to stay abreast of the latest trends in orthodontic technology. Igel’s investment in the iTero scanner allows for a digital impression of a patient’s mouth – which elimi-

nates the need for a goopy impression.

“Our younger patients benefit from early treatment with the goal of preventing impacted teeth, extractions and possible airway problems.

We also offer ceramic brackets at no additional charge,” said Igel.

Invisalign, a tooth straightening system, has become a favorite among both adults and teens.

Other services include early treatment and airway conscious orthodontics, headgear-free appliances and an emphasis on non-extraction therapy.

Something to Smile About Igel said he’s not only concerned with the patient’s end result, but hopes to give his patients something to smile about throughout the entire process. He said his practice offers convenient appointment schedules, has two office locations, provides clarity and guidance regarding costs and payment options, as well as email and text reminders and hassle-free processing of insurance claims.

“We also promote the importance of great oral hygiene throughout treatment by providing an

Oral B electric toothbrush to all patients at the start of treatment and reward points for great oral hygiene and cooperation throughout treatment, which translates to awesome prizes,” said Igel.

A New Addition Dr. Nate Hawley joined Igel’s practice over the summer. Hawley graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Master’s Degree and Specialty Certificate in Orthodontics. Igel said Hawley exemplifies everything people expect from IGEL Orthodontics.

“Dr. Hawley’s treatment approaches and bedside manner go hand-in-hand with my methodologies of where our practice is heading,” Igel explained.

With the addition of Dr. Hawley to the team, IGEL Orthodontics will offer additional appointment times at both their Omaha and Papillion office locations by seeing patients at both locations, Monday through Thursday from 7:30-5:30.

A Rewarding Job Dr. Igel said he feels he has the best job in the

BEST OF THE BIG O

DEBRA S. KAPLAN

Igel: Understanding Each Patient’s Unique Needs

world. For him, it’s rewarding to see the self-confidence and self-esteem in people that a beautiful, healthy smile can provide.

Igel said he is excited and grateful to both his patients and the community for this honor.

“Great treatment outcomes require terrific patients and a team that excels at both quality clinical skills and excellent customer service. I am grateful to have both,” he said.

You can take a virtual tour at www.igelorthodontics.com. IGEL Orthodontics offers complimentary consultations so individuals can find out how they can achieve a healthier smile. do what I do every day,” said Vogtman.

IGEL Orthodontics

10801 Pacific St. Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68154 402.330.1152.

Papillion Office 107 Highland St. Papillion, NE 68046 402.330-1152

| THE READER |

NOV. 20  26, 2014

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BEST PHARMACY

Best of the Big O: Walgreens Readers’ Choice: Hy-Vee Readers’ Recommend: CVS, Baker’s Pharmacy, Wal-Mart Readers’ Refer: Target Pharmacy

BEST PHYSICAL/OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PRACTICE

DEBRA S. KAPLAN

Best of the Big O: Excel, Readers’ Choice: Alegent Creighton Immanuel Rehabilitiation Center, Methodist Health West, Nebraska Orthopaedic Hospital, Readers’ Refer: Community Rehab, Edge Physical Therapy, Go Physical Therapy, Integrated Rehab, Makovicka Physical Therapy

Fully Equipped Pet Hospital The Early Years Mobile Animal Clinic was established in 1967 and began as a company that provided “house calls” for pets. In 1987, the business expanded and began offering office hours at its current location.

Over the years, new veterinarians joined the practice, the office space was expanded, and Mobile Animal Clinic became a fully equipped veterinary hospital, providing medical and surgical service for small animals.

In 2011, the house call service was dropped, but the name remained the same because the name “Mobile Animal Clinic” was synonymous with experienced, common sense medicine pets and their owners rely on.

Mobile Animal Clinic offers medical and surgical services for small animals, such as dogs, cats, reptiles and pocket pets like gerbils, rabbits and ferrets.

In addition to its regular office hours, Mobile Animal Clinic offers an after-hours phone service for clients who have concerns about a current medical or surgical case.

Lifelong love of animals Mobile Animal Clinic’s doctors and licensed veterinary technicians are all individuals who have wanted to work with animals from an early age and pursued the education necessary to become a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or a Licensed Veterinary Technician. This love for animals is also seen in the doctors’ and staff members’ personal lives, as they all have unique pets of their own that occasionally spend time at the clinic.

Mobile Animal Clinic’s mission is to provide, “Experienced, Common Sense Medicine Pets and Their Owners Rely On!” Clinic doctors and staff strive to make their clients’ pets healthy and happy by providing an accurate diagnosis coupled with practical, cost effective treatment options. The clinic believes owner education in

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general care and preventive medicine is essential for a happy, healthy pet.

Continuing education Doctors and staff work to provide clients with up-to-date information concerning their pet’s specific needs and to answer any and all questions to the client’s satisfaction.

Dr. Ellis Jensen is the owner of Mobile Animal Clinic. He enjoys seeing healthy pets and believes in doing wellness exams on his patients, but also loves the challenge of finding answers to problems they may be experiencing with their health. He insists on high quality medical care from both his staff and himself.

Weekly veterinary meetings are held at Mobile Animal Clinic to discuss difficult cases as well as new treatments and protocols. Doctors and staff are always in learning mode at Mobile Animal Clinic.

Prevention and maintenance Mobile Animal Clinic’s website offers a blog called “The Faithful Scoop,” offering news pet owners may find useful including breaking news, tips and the latest health concerns.

Along with routine spays and neuters, Mobile Animal Clinic offers a variety of complicated orthopedic and soft tissue surgical procedures.

Other services offered for pets include microchipping, nail trims, worming treatments, digital x-rays and pet dental care to name a few.

The clinic also connects clients with services they don’t offer, including crate training, grooming and boarding services. They can also provide information on rescue groups for those looking to expand their family!

Mobile Animal Clinic 2437 S. 120th Street Omaha, NE 402.333.3847

| THE READER |

BEST REHABILITATION FACILITY

Best of the Big O: Brookestone Meadows Readers’ Choice: Alegent Creighton Immanuel Rehabilitation Center

BEST VETERINARY CLINIC

Best of the Big O: Ralston Vet Readers’ Choice: 24th Street Animal Clinic, Mobile Animal Clinic Readers’ Recommend: Best Care Pet Hospital, All Creatures Veterinary Clinic, Rockbrook Animal Clinic

BEST LIVING & HOME SERVICES BEST APARTMENTS-DOWNTOWN

Best of the Big O: Old Market Lofts Readers’ Refer: Bull Durham Building Apartments, SoMa, The Greenhouse, The Highline

BEST APARTMENTS-MIDTOWN

Best of the Big O: Midtown Crossing Apartments Readers’ Choice: Broadmoor at Aksarben Village Readers’ Recommend: Peony Village

BEST APARTMENTS-WEST

Best of the Big O: Broadmoor Hills Readers’ Choice: Harrison Hills, Stone Gate Park Apartments Readers’ Recommend: Apple Creek Apartments, Standing Bear Lake Apartments, The Grand Legacy, The Vanderbilt

BEST ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY

Best of the Big O: Brookstone Meadows, Readers’ Choice: New Cassel,Best Assisted Living Facility Readers’ Refer: Rose Blumpkin, Silver Ridge (Gretna), Waterford at Miracle Hills Readers’ Recommend: Hillcrest

BEST CARPET / FLOORING STORE

Best of the Big O: Nebraska Furniture Mart Readers’ Choice: Kelly’s Carpet Readers’ Refer: Carpetland, Lowe’s, Mrs B’s, Baldwin Flooring America, Lumber Liquidators

BEST CONCRETE COMPANY

Best of the Big O: Flatwork Inc., Harms, McGill Restoration, Schroeder Concrete, Twin City Masonry BEST OF THE BIG O

BEST CONDO DEVELOPMENT Best of the Big O: Riverfront Readers’ Choice: Beebe + Runyon

BEST ELECTRICIAN

Best of the Big O: Miller Electric Company Readers’ Refer: Bruce Kutler Electric, Burton A/C Heating Plumbing & More, Oak Hills Electric, Robert’s, Superior Electric

BEST EXTERMINATOR COMPANY

BEST HOUSE CLEANING SERVICE Best of the Big O: Merry Maids, The Maids

BEST INTERIORS STORE

Best of the Big O: Nebraska Furniture Mart Readers’ Choice: Pier 1 Readers’ Recommend: Garden Ridge, Gordman’s, Lowe’s, Pottery Barn

BEST KITCHENWARE STORE

Best of the Big O: Presto X Readers’ Choice: Lien Pest Control, Orkin, Terminix Readers’ Recommend: Echo Pest Control, Pest Solutions 365

Best of the Big O: Bed Bath & Beyond Readers’ Choice: Sur La Table Readers’ Refer: Hockenbergs, Home Depot, Nebraska Furniture Mart, Target Readers’ Recommend: Williams-Sonoma

BEST FURNITURE STORE

BEST LANDSCAPER

Best of the Big O: Nebraska Furniture Mart Readers’ Refer: Allen’s, Ethan Allen

BEST GARDEN CENTER / NURSERY Best of the Big O: Mulhall’s Readers’ Choice: Lanoha’s Readers’ Refer: Lowe’s Readers’ Recommend: Earl May, Menard’s, Canoyer

BEST GUTTER COMPANY

Best of the Big O: The Gutter Truck, Z’s Home Improvement

BEST HARDWARE STORE

Best of the Big O: Westlake Ace Hardware Readers’ Choice: Menard’s, Lowe’s Readers’ Refer: True Value, Ideal Hardware Readers’ Recommend: Home Depot

BEST HEATING & A/C COMPANY

Best of the Big O: Aksarben Heating and Cooling Readers’ Choice: A-1 United Heating and Air Readers’ Refer: Burton A/C Heating Plumbing & More, Fred’s Heating & Air Readers’ Recommend: Controlled Comfort, Thermal Services

BEST HOME WINDOW COMPANY

Best of the Big O: Pella Window Readers’ Choice: Omaha Door & Window, Renewal by Andersen, Window World Readers’ Recommend: Champion, Builders Supply Co.

BEST HOME BUILDER

Best of the Big O: Craig Tuttle, The Home Company

BEST HOME THEATER STORE

Best of the Big O: Mulhall’s Readers’ Choice: Greenlife Gardens Readers’ Refer: Executive Lawn and Landscaping, Jay Moore, Kinghorn Gardens, Patera Landscaping Readers’ Recommend: Lanoha

BEST LAWN CARE SERVICE Best of the Big O: Heartland Lawns Readers’ Choice: Kozy Lawn, TruGreen

BEST LOCKSMITH

Best of the Big O: Big Red Locksmith, Carl Jarl, Keymasters Readers’ Choice: Enterprise Locksmith

BEST PAINTING COMPANY

Best of the Big O: Certa Pro Painters, Harwood Services

BEST PLUMBING COMPANY

Best of the Big O: Backlund Plumbing Readers’ Choice: Burton, Roto Rooter Readers’ Recommend: 2 Men and a Snake, Eyman, Tritz Plumbing

BEST REALTY COMPANY

Best of the Big O: CBS Home Real Estate Readers’ Choice: NP Dodge Readers’ Refer: Hike Realty, Malloy Real Estate Readers’ Recommend: Deeb Realty, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services

BEST RETIREMENT HOME

Best of the Big O: New Cassell, Rose Blumkin Jewish Home Readers’ Choice: Hillcrest Readers’ Recommend: Elmwood Towers

Best of the Big O: Nebraska Furniture Mart Readers’ Choice: Best Buy Readers’ Refer: BOSE, The Sound Environment Readers’ Recommend: Stereo West

BEST ROOFING COMPANY

BEST HOTEL

BEST SIDING COMPANY

Best of the Big O: Hilton Omaha Readers’ Choice: Marriott Readers’ Refer: DoubleTree, Hyatt Place, Magnolia Hotel Readers’ Recommend: Embassy Suites

Best of the Big O: Pyramid Roofing Readers’ Choice: Thompson and Thompson 3rd Generation Readers’ Recommend: Home Science Solutions, Integrity Roofing, McKinnis Best of the Big O: ABC Siding, Elite Exteriors

BEST STORAGE FACILITY

Best of the Big O: Dino’s Readers’ Choice: Milt’s Mini Storage Readers’ Recommend: Center Street Storage, PODS, Strong Box Mini Storage BEST OF THE BIG O NOV. 20 - 26, 2014 | THE READER | 31

THIS IS MORE THAN JUST AN EDUCATION: With over 470,000 hours of volunteer student service*, we’re proud to call Omaha home.

THANK YOU for selecting us as Reader’s Choice, Best of the Big O! *Hours reported for 2014 President’s Higher Education Community

creighton.edu 32

NOV. 20  26, 2014

| THE READER |

BEST OF THE BIG O

BEST PERSONAL SHOPPING & SERVICES BEST BARBER

Best of the Big O: Sports Clips Readers’ Choice: O’Brien’s Readers’ Recommend: Great Clips, Papillion Barbers, Southside Barbers

BEST BEAUTY SALON

Best of the Big O: Garbo’s Readers’ Choice: Creative Hair Design, One Drake Place Readers’ Recommend: Salon Platinum, Mod Salon

BEST BOOKSTORE

Best of the Big O: Barnes and Noble, Readers’ Choice: The Bookworm, Half Price Books Readers’ Refer: Jackson Street Books, Parables

BEST CELL PHONE PROVIDER / CARRIER

BEST CHURCH

Best of the Big O: Christ Community Church Readers’ Choice: Westside Readers’ Refer: Christ the King Catholic, Countryside Community Church, Sacred Heart Catholic, St. Robert Bellarmine, St. Vincent de Paul, St. Wenceslaus Readers’ Recommend: Holy Cross Catholic, King of Kings, Stonebridge Christian Church

BEST COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY

Best of the Big O: University of Nebraska at Omaha Readers’ Choice: Creighton University Readers’ Refer: UNMC Readers’ Recommend: Metropolitan Community College, Bellevue University, University of Nebraska at Lincoln

BEST DANCE STUDIO

Best of the Big O: Nebraska Dance Readers’ Choice: Kitty Lee Dance Studio, Sue’s Stepperettes, Readers’ Recommend: Cherrie Anderson Dance, Mickie’s Dance

BEST DAYCARE

Best of the Big O: Montessori, Morning Star Preschool & Child Care Readers’ Choice: Children’s Heaven, Creative learning center, Get Ready Set Grow, Hamilton Heights Child Development Center, JCC, Little Lambs, Millard Children’s Academy, Pre K and Play, Small Miracles, Through the Years Daycare

BEST DAY SPA

Best of the Big O: Gloss Salon & Day Spa Readers’ Choice: Faces, Creative Hair Design Readers’ Recommend: Kimberly Day Spa, Sanctuary Day Spa

BEST DRY CLEANER

Best of the Big O: Max I Walker Readers’ Choice: Fashion Cleaners, NuTrend Readers’ Recommend: Tide Dry Cleaning, Key Cleaners

DEBRA S. KAPLAN

Best of the Big O: Verizon Wireless Readers’ Choice: Sprint Readers’ Refer: US Cellular, Cricket, Virgin Mobile Readers’ Recommend: AT&T

Quality Staff, Quiet Ambience

F

ACES Day Spa has been open for 14 years, with current owner Dan Nedved taking over the reins in 2003.

Dan bought FACES because he believes in customer satisfaction and is results-driven. He says that’s the foundation of what the spa is about and it’s what the staff strives to do every day.

According to Dan, FACES stands out from the competition in a number of ways including: 1.The quality of the staff 2.The professional products used for services 3.The quiet ambience of the spa “Because we push for giving clients the results they want, clients tend to come back again and again,” said Dan. Esthetician Carmen Becker said she loves the calm atmosphere and says her co-workers are “like a family.”

To work at FACES, an individual must be professional, have a good attitude with clients and coworkers and believe in teamwork. For Dan, the importance of teamwork cannot be underestimated.

Dan is quick to remind people FACES is a spa as opposed to a salon. FACES does not offer hair services which means you won’t hear blowdryers while you’re trying to relax.

FACES has a diverse group of estheticians that appeal to every age range, from teenagers to those with mature skin.

“We have a client come in and we talk about what their concerned with, if they’re having problems with their skin at that moment and if there’s anything they want to work on in general.

I give them some options of facials that I think

BEST OF THE BIG O

would work best for their skin and I put the facial together,” explained esthetician Kathi Halsey.

“Once you are in the spa, we are all about relaxation. We want you to leave your troubles at the door because that’s the best way we can help you look and feel better,” Dan said.

After many years in Countryside Village, FACES Day Spa is moving to a new location, at the corner of 84th and Center Street.

The move means FACES will be able to accommodate more clients due to an increase in the number of rooms. Currently, FACES Day Spa is 3,800 square feet, but the new building has 5,500 square feet.

The new facility comprises two floors and is wheelchair accessible. But Dan said the two biggest advantages are the location’s visibility now that it’s a standalone building on the corner, and its accessibility, which is now much better from the interstate.

The move is something he feels will enhance the staff’s business, especially on evenings and Sundays.

“The facilities will allow us to accommodate our clients easier because of how the building is situated. I anticipate a seamless transition from our current location to the new one,” Dan said.

FACES Day Spa 84th and Center (NEW ADDRESS) 402.384.8400

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NOV. 20  26, 2014

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BEST STORE FOR ENGAGEMENT RINGS

Best of the Big O: Borsheim’s Readers’ Choice: Helzberg’s, 14 Karat Readers’ Refer: Goldsmith Silversmith, Zale’s Readers’ Recommend: Greenberg’s Jewelers, Kay’s Jewelry

BEST FARMER’S MARKET

Best of the Big O: Aksarben Village, Old Market Farmer’s Market Readers’ Choice: Village Pointe Readers’ Recommend: Benson Farmers Market

BEST FITNESS CENTER

DEBRA S. KAPLAN

Best of the Big O: 24 Hour Fitness, Lifetime Fitness Readers’ Choice: Prairie Life, Aspen Readers’ Recommend: Blue Moon Fitness, YMCA

Taking Pride in Tattoos

J

en Beirola, Owner of Grinn & Barrett Tattoo Studio, has been tattooing since 2000.

She started tattooing while she was active duty in the Air Force. Beirola knew she wanted to get a tattoo apprenticeship but that it was a tough thing to find.

If you find an opening you have to jump on it and that’s exactly what Beirola did. She got her foot in the door in a little tattoo shop in Papillion.

Once she got through the initial apprenticeship part, she was able to work every Saturday or be in the shop.

She said the Air Force treated her apprenticeship as if it was a trade school or college and gave her some flexibility.

Unfortunately, the shop closed not long after she started there.

In a twist of fate, Dick Warsocki, then owner of Grinn & Barrett, picked up her apprenticeship where she had left off and took Beirola under his wing. He taught her his way of tattooing the Grinn & Barrett way.

Change of ownership Around 2006, Warsocki decided he wanted to retire. Right around that same time, Beirola was getting out of the military. The timing couldn’t have been any better and Beirola took over the shop.

Grinn & Barrett has been around since 1991.

Currently, Beirola employs four artists (including herself). She said she looks for good artists that are able to represent her work well if she is not the one doing the tattoo. She hires people who are professional, provide quality tattoos and love what they do. Beirola said that positive attitude reflects in how they treat the customers as well as the overall vibe of her shop.

The tattoo business fluctuates by season. Beirola said there are times the shop gets backed

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up and cannot handle everything that is walking in but the fall is a great time to get tattooed.

People are more easily able to get right in.

For Grinn & Barrett, the busiest time of year is right after people get their tax returns back and up until school starts.

Beirola said they don’t just slap tattoos on.

The staff takes a lot of pride in what they do.

In fact, Beirola said she has several big pieces in progress that she is excited about that are ongoing. Customers need multiple sessions for bigger tattoos. And Beirola said about three hours is the longest you can expect someone to sit without getting uncomfortable.

Ready for a tattoo?

People should dress appropriately for getting a tattoo as well. In other words, if you want a tattoo on your thigh, don’t wear skinny jeans.

She said tattoos tend to go in trends. When she first started tattooing, everyone was getting their lower back tattooed. Now, she said you see a lot of ribs and both those places are pretty painful to get tattooed on.

Beirola said you will get a better piece if you are willing to give up a little control. If you show her artists an idea, they can design something that’s going to be a really nice tattoo.

At Grinn & Barrett, the artists take the time to sit with people and consult with them. They talk about how the tattoo will flow with the body.

Ultimately, Beirola said they care about what they do, always do their absolute best and push themselves further all the time.

Grinn & Barret

3021 Leavenworth St. Omaha, NE 68105 (402) 553-7714 omahatattoo.com

| THE READER |

BEST OF THE BIG O

BEST FITNESS EQUIPMENT STORE Best of the Big O: Body Basics, Scheel’s

BEST FLORIST

Best of the Big O: Hy-Vee Readers’ Choice: Janousek’s, Baker’s Readers’ Refer: Bloom’s, Flowerama Readers’ Recommend: Dundee Florist

BEST GROCERY STORE

Best of the Big O: Hy-Vee Readers’ Choice: Baker’s Readers’ Refer: Trader Joe’s, Bag N Save, Whole Foods Readers’ Recommend: Fareway

BEST JEWELRY STORE

Best of the Big O: Borsheim’s Readers’ Refer: 14 Karat, Helzberg’s, Greenbergs Readers’ Recommend: Erwin’s, Goldsmith Silversmith

BEST MARTIAL ARTS STUDIO Best of the Big O: Dragon Arts

BEST MEN’S CLOTHING STORE

Best of the Big O: Men’s Wearhouse Readers’ Choice: Von Maur Readers’ Recommend: Jerry Ryan’s, Lindley’s, Parsow’s

BEST MEN’S SHOE STORE Best of the Big O: Von Maur Readers’ Choice: Haney’s, DSW

BEST MUSIC EQUIPMENT STORE Best of the Big O: Dietze, Guitar Center Readers’ Choice: Schmidt’s Music

BEST MUSIC LESSONS

Best of the Big O: Dietz Music Readers’ Choice: SNJ Studios, 402 Arts Collective

BEST NAIL SALON

Best of the Big O: Martini Nails Readers’ Choice: Legacy Nails Readers’ Refer: V Nails Readers’ Recommend: American Nails and Spa, Mohegan’s, La Vista Nails

BEST NUTRITION STORE

Best of the Big O: No Name Nutrition Readers’ Choice: GNC, Complete Nutrition Readers’ Recommend: Natural Grocers, Jane’s Health Market, Whole Foods

BEST PAWN SHOP

Best of the Big O: Sol’s Jewelry and Loan

BEST PET GROOMING

Best of the Big O: PetSmart Readers’ Choice: Petco Readers’ Refer: Audrey’s Pet Groomer, Bark Avenue, Spaw at Three Dog Bakery Readers’ Recommend: Susie’s Grooming

BEST PET STORE

Best of the Big O: PetSmart Readers’ Choice: Petco, The Green Spot Readers’ Refer: Three Dog Bakery, Pets R Us Readers’ Recommend: Long Dog Fat Cat

BEST SHOPPING DISTRICT/MALL

Best of the Big O: Westroads Mall Readers’ Choice: Village Pointe,Best Shopping District/Mall Readers’ Refer: Old Market Readers’ Recommend: Oakview Mall, Shadow Lake Towne Center, Nebraska Crossing Outlets

BEST SPORTING GOODS

Best of the Big O: Scheel’s Readers’ Choice: Dick’s Sporting Goods Readers’ Refer: Sports Authority Readers’ Recommend: Cabela’s

BEST TANNING

Best of the Big O: Palm Beach Tan Readers’ Choice: Sun Tan City Readers’ Recommend: Ashley Lynn’s

BEST TATTOO SHOP

Best of the Big O: Big Brain Tattoo and Piercing Readers’ Choice: Black Squirrel Tattoo, Grinn & Barrett, Liquid Courage Readers’ Recommend: Authentic Ink, Dr. Jack’s Ink Emporium

BEST TECH OR VOCATIONAL SCHOOL Best of the Big O: Metropolitan Community College

BEST THRIFT STORE

Best of the Big O: Goodwill Readers’ Choice: Thrift World Readers’ Refer: Big Wheels to Butterflys, Lucky’s Vintage, Salvation Army Readers’ Recommend: New Life Thrift

BEST STORE FOR UNIQUE GIFTS Best of the Big O: The Afternoon Readers’ Refer: Francesca’s, Goodwill Readers’ Recommend: Imaginarium

BEST WEDDING VENUE

Best of the Big O: 1316 Jones Street, DC Centre, Elmwood Groto Readers’ Choice: Bridal Traditions, Soaring Wings Vineyard BEST OF THE BIG O

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BEST WOMEN’S CLOTHING STORE Best of the Big O: Von Maur Readers’ Choice: Kohl’s Readers’ Refer: Chico’s Readers’ Recommend: Maurices

BEST WOMEN’S SHOE STORE

Best of the Big O: DSW Readers’ Choice: Von Maur Readers’ Refer: Kohl’s Readers’ Recommend: Dillards, Shoe Carnival

BEST YOGA STUDIO

Best of the Big O: Lotus House of Yoga Readers’ Choice: One Tree Yoga Readers’ Recommend: Omaha School Of Yoga, YogaMed

BEST YOUTH ATHLETICS FACILITY Best of the Big O: YMCA Readers’ Choice: MAA

BEST NIGHTLIFE AND PLAY BEST BAR WITH LIVE MUSIC

Best of the Big O: Waiting Room Readers’ Choice: The Slowdown, Waiting Room Readers’ Recommend: Ozone, Two Fine Irishman

BEST BEER SELECTION

Best of the Big O: Old Chicaco Readers’ Choice: Crescent Moon Readers’ Refer: Beercade, Hy-Vee Readers’ Recommend: Krug Park, Brix

BEST BILLIARDS BAR

Best of the Big O: Big John’s Readers’ Choice: Upstream Readers’ Recommend: Fox & Hound, The Den

BEST COLLEGE BAR

Best of the Big O: Bluejay Bar Readers’ Choice: Stiles Pub Readers’ Refer: Billy Frogs, Dubliner Readers’ Recommend: Crescent Moon, Stadium Club

BEST CASINO FOR SLOTS Best of the Big O: Ameristar Readers’ Choice: Horseshoe Readers’ Recommend: Harrah’s

BEST CASINO FOR TABLEGAMES Best of the Big O: Horseshoe Readers’ Choice: Ameristar Readers’ Recommend: Harrah’s

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| THE READER |

BEST OF THE BIG O

BEST CIGAR BAR

Best of the Big O: Jake’s Readers’ Choice: Havana Garage Readers’ Refer: Safari Cigar & Lounge

BEST BAR FOR CONVERSATION

Best of the Big O: Homy Inn Readers’ Choice: Choo Choo’s, Mr. Toad’s, M’s Pub

BEST BIKE TRAIL

Best of the Big O: Keystone Trail Readers’ Choice: Wabash Trace, Papio Creek Readers’ Refer: Field Club, Swanson Park

BEST DANCE CLUB

Best of the Big O: The Maxx Readers’ Choice: Whiskey Tango Readers’ Recommend: Capitol, House of Loom, Rednecks

BEST DARTS BAR

Best of the Big O: Elbow Room

BEST DJ SERVICE

Best of the Big O: Complete Music, Readers’ Choice: Bandstand Music, DJ Entertainment

BEST FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT CENTER Best of the Big O: Amazing Pizza Machine Readers’ Choice: Family Fun Center Readers’ Recommend: Sempeck’s, The V, Dave & Buster’s Readers’ Refer: Fun-Plex

BEST FIREWORKS STAND

Best of the Big O: Bellino Readers’ Choice: Big Bear, Wild Willy’s Readers’ Recommend: Kaboomers, Kracklin Kirks

BEST GOLF COURSE

Best of the Big O: Tiburon Readers’ Choice: Happy Hollow Club, Benson Readers’ Recommend: Champion’s, Indian Creek, Miracle Hills, Omaha Country Club

BEST HAPPY HOUR BAR

Best of the Big O: Blue Sushi Readers’ Choice: Kona Grill Readers’ Refer: Applebee’s, The Den, Two Fine Irishmen Readers’ Recommend: Crave, Roja

BEST BAR FOR HIDING OUT

Best of the Big O: Homy Inn Readers’ Choice: Brother’s Lounge Readers’ Refer: Clancy’s, Elbow Room Bar, The Hideout Lounge, The Trap Room Readers’ Recommend: Bud Olson’s

BEST BAR FOR AN INTERNET DATE Best of the Big O: Beercade

BEST OF THE BIG O

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NOV. 20 - 26, 2014

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BEST KARAOKE BAR

READY TO ROCK

Best of the Big O: Choo Choo, Mic’s Readers’ Choice: Full House, Grandmother’s

BEST BAR FOR STIFFEST POURS

Best of the Big O: Green Onion Readers’ Choice: Charlie’s on the Lake, Elbow Room

BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE

Best of the Big O: Stir Concert Cove Readers’ Choice: The Waiting Room Lounge Readers’ Refer: CenturyLink, Sokol Auditorium Readers’ Recommend: The Slowdown

BEST TOURIST ATTRACTION

DUSTIN LYNCH 11.28

ARCH ALLIES 11.29

Best of the Big O: Henry Doorly Zoo Readers’ Refer: Old Market, College World Series, Boys Town

BEST LOUNGE / ULTRA LOUNGE Best of the Big O: Liv Lounge Readers’ Refer: Interlude

BEST MOVIE THEATER

Best of the Big O: Marcus Majestic Readers’ Choice: Aksarben Cinema Readers’ Refer: Oakview Readers’ Recommend: Twin Creek, Marcus Theater Village Pointe, AMC

BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY’S WILD & SWINGIN’ HOLIDAY PARTY 12.5

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GET YOUR TICKETS AT THE ROCK SHOP OR ONLINE AT WWW.HARDROCKCASINOSIOUXCITY.COM

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I SIOUX CITY, IA 51101

Management reserves all rights. Must be 21 or older. If you or someone you know needs gambling treatment call 800.BETS OFF.

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD TAVERN

Best of the Big O: Homy Inn Readers’ Choice: Barrett’s, Tanner’s Readers’ Recommend: Benson Brewery, Brownie’s, Crescent Moon, Dinkers, Dundee Dell, Elbow Room, Geno’s, Jerry’s, Tiger Tom’s

BEST OUTDOOR FESTIVAL

Best of the Big O: Summer Arts Festival Readers’ Choice: Maha Music Festival, Taste of Omaha Readers’ Recommend: Jazz on the Green, Santa Lucia, Papillion Days

BEST PATIO AT A BAR

Best of the Big O: Mr. Toad’s, Salt 88 Readers’ Choice: Benson Brewery, Brix, Cantina Laredo, Stories Coffeehouse, Upstream

BEST PERFORMING ARTS THEATER

Best of the Big O: Orpheum Theater Readers’ Choice: Omaha Community Playhouse, Holland Performing Arts Center Readers’ Recommend: Rose Theater, Blue Barn

BEST SAND VOLLEYBALL

Best of the Big O: O’Leaver’s Readers’ Choice: Spikers Readers’ Refer: Big Red Keno, Winchester Bar and Grill Readers’ Recommend: Digz, Sinnott’s

BEST SHUFFLEBOARD BAR

Best of the Big O: Musette Readers’ Choice: Elbow Room, Harold’s, My Way, Sullivan’s

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| THE READER |

BEST OF THE BIG O

BEST BAR FOR SPIRITS SELECTION Best of the Big O: Jake’s Readers’ Choice: Dundee Dell, Krug Park

BEST SPORTS BAR

Best of the Big O: DJ’s Dugout Readers’ Refer: IceHouse, Brewsky’s Readers’ Recommend: Oscar’s Pizza & Sports Grille, Tanners, Buffalo Wild Wings

BEST STAYCATION DESTINATION (WITHIN 8 HOUR

DRIVE)

DEBRA S. KAPLAN

Best of the Big O: Kansas City Readers’ Choice: Worlds of Fun Readers’ Refer: Branson Missouri, Mahoney State Park, Minneapolis, Okoboji Readers’ Recommend: Chicago, Great Wolf Lodge, St. Louis

BEST VINEYARD / WINERY

Best of the Big O: Soaring Wings Readers’ Choice: James Arthur Vineyard Readers’ Refer: Glacial Till Readers’ Recommend: Cellar 426, Slattery Vintage Estates

BEST WINE SHOP

Best of the Big O: Brix Readers’ Choice: Spirit World Readers’ Refer: La Buvette, The Winery Readers’ Recommend: Cork Screw, Hy-Vee

Omaha’s TRUE Billiard Hall

S

Since 1981, Big John’s Billiards has been the place for billiards in the Omaha area. Sure, other places have come and gone that have offered tables here and there, but Big John’s is the only large place that is a true billiards hall, focusing on the art and skill of cue sports.

“There’s a couple smaller places, but they don’t have our capacity,” says Bill Prout. He stepped into the ownership role last May after his father handed over the reins. Bill was ready and excited to run the place. “I was wanting to build my own way,” he says.

Few changes have been made to Big John’s Billiards over the years, but that’s for good reason: they got it right from the beginning. Bill did add a few new elements to Big John’s Billiards without changing the overall feel of the place. He recently put more of an emphasis on being open during the day for the lunch crowd, adding food and pool specials for those people who venture in on their lunch break. You might even find yourself playing pool for free if you stop in and get lunch.

Food is a big deal at Big John’s Billiards.

Try the Wednesday night enchilada special, or swing by Friday night to devour a steak. “More specials are coming,” says Bill. His hope is to soon offer a food special every single night of the week, which is good news for hungry billiards players.

Happy hour is every day from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. It’s a great time to enjoy some food and drinks before the nighttime crowds start showing up, but luckily the space is so large that Big John’s Billiards never really starts to feel too crowded, even when it’s packed full of people. After all, when you offer more than 30 playing tables from which to choose, there’s a good chance everyone will get a chance to play.

What if you don’t really care too much about the food or drinks, but instead really care about

BEST OF THE BIG O

playing billiards? Big John’s Billiards offers tournaments every Sunday night, and they’ve proven over the years to be quite popular with both novice and seasoned players alike. “We have a pretty solid, good turnout on Sunday nights,” says Bill.

They also offer a variety of video games, many of which will make you feel nostalgic for the 90’s. Shuffleboard and darts are also available for play. Basically, if you like to have fun, you’re going to get a kick out of this place.

Bill mentions that the colder weather seems to draw more people into Big John’s Billiards, perhaps to escape the cold for a while and enjoy some fun. “Winter is our time to shine,” he say. Bill adds that winter is also the time of year when he gets a lot of requests from businesses wanting to hold their holiday parties there, and Bill’s more than happy to oblige. “We provide a lot of room and we don’t charge for the space,” he says. “We have plenty of seating.”

Folks who need a spot to host meetings also frequently turn to Big John’s Billiards, partly because there’s no charge to hold the meeting there and party because it’s such a fun venue.

What better way to conclude a business meeting than by challenging some coworkers to a couple games of pool?

Keep Big John’s Billiards on your radar as they continue to thrive and grow. Bill has some grand plans for the future of Big John’s Billiards, all of which are right in line with the original idea that Omaha needed a place where people could come play billiards, eat good food, and enjoy drinks with their friends.

Big John’s Billiards 9819 M Street Omaha, NE 68127 bigjohnsbilliards.com (402) 553-7714

| THE READER |

NOV. 20  26, 2014

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C

o-owners Dave Vogtman and Nick Dolphens started The Home Company almost three years ago. The two had come from another builder and had a lot of ideas about how to do things a little differently.

They wanted to fill a niche in the market that they didn’t see available, for more affordable homes that offered customization at a particular price point.

Dolphens went to architecture school for a couple years but decided he wanted something more tangible and switched to construction management.

Even though in college he wore a tool belt and did roofing, Vogtman came into construction and building through the business and sales side of it.

The two have been in the building business for 15 years each and have a lot of experience between them.

Dolphens focuses on construction and Vogt-

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man handles day-to-day operations as well as coordination with sales and marketing.

The Home Company builds homes from the ground up, which is a process the two owners said takes about six months.

This year, they have increased the number of floor plans they offer from two to three, which includes a new price point.

The new line is called the Innovate Collection and serves a price point of $225-$250k. That’s a price point the company hasn’t offered in the past. This line is geared primarily toward first time homebuyers.

The bread and butter of their business is their Elevate Collection, which covers the $250-300k range. These homes typically appeal to those who want to move up with their second home or retirees who want to scale back from a bigger house to a smaller one. Vogtman said these are chiefly ranches and two stories.

Their final line is the Create Collection and is

| THE READER |

BEST OF THE BIG O

fully customized, with houses starting at $300k.

The Home Company partners with Boyer Young Land Development, as far as purchasing their lots, so they have good availability all over the city.

Quality and innovation of design are two things The Home Company focuses on. The company is on the leading edge in Omaha in terms of the number of energy efficient homes they are building.

Being a newer company, Vogtman and Dolphens said they look for nationwide and local trends for their designs and focus on how people want to live today versus how they lived while growing up.

At any given time, The Home Company is working on 45-50 homes. The two estimate they will finish about 100 homes this year alone.

Vogtman said they only design homes that feel good to live in and that are suited to the way their customers want to live. With floor

DEBRA S. KAPLAN

Building Innovative Homes from the Ground Up

plans that are extremely flexible, the company never builds the same home twice. Dolphens and Vogtman design their own plans and create a unique experience for each buyer.

Dolphens said his favorite part of the business is designing clients a house that meets their needs and tying that plan into how they envision their future while also making it efficient.

“For me, it’s the end experience, when I get to see them living happily in their home, it’s why I get up and do what I do every day,” said Vogtman.

TheHomeCompanyOmaha.com 9719 Giles Road LaVista, NE 68128 402.884.4854 (402) 341-8415

eventcalendar For more information about these events and more, go online to:

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Upload your events online at thereader.com/events Questions: listings@thereader.com ONGOINGCULTURE Katie Frisch - All Day | Free Fred Simon Gallery Textile artist Katie Frisch, of Lincoln, exhibits her latest works in this solo show.

Conrad Hinz: Solo Art Exhibition – All Day | Free Star Deli Gallery A local Omaha artist, Hinz attended the University of Nebraska before transferring to the Corcoran School of Art in Washington D.C. where he obtained his BFA degree. He works out of his home studio in Omaha.

Hinz’s work depicts the surrealism of dreams.

His oil paintings convey imagery that come from imaginative narratives that connect with art history, culture, and the obscure. The exhibition will open on Nov. 7th with an opening reception from 7pm-9pm to coincide with Benson’s First Friday Art Walk. The exhibition will run through Nov. 30.

Attend, Admire, Acquire, Adorn - 12:00 pm | Free Artists Cooperative Gallery Four artists show new work through Nov. 23. Painters Jean Barban and Joan Fetter along with weaver Agneta Gaines and glass artist Bob Schipper. Featuring live music by cellist Christina Allred.

Pté Oyate From the Heritage Center at Red Cloud Indian School, Pine Ridge, SD - All Day | Museum of Nebraska Art Through November 30. Pté Oyate (Pté is Buffalo, Oyate is Nation) explores the “long and complex” relationship between the Lakota people and the buffalo.

The four artists who have created the paintings, drawings, prints, and sculptural works comprising this exhibition are Roger Broer, Keith BraveHeart, Lalyi Long Soldier, and Michael James Two Bulls.

George Catlin’s North American Indian Portfolio - All Day | Museum of Nebraska Art Through December 7. George Catlin (17961827) was among the earliest artists to venture to the West undertaking eight years of field research and visiting 48 tribes to produce a rich record of Native Americans. Comprised of 36 images, the Museum of Nebraska Art is proud to feature its Catlin Portfolio in its entirety.

Cut, Formed, Folded, Pressed: Paper - All Day | Museum of Nebraska Art Through January 18. At its simplest, paper is an ordinary, everyday item that is a part of most of our lives. Yet when it is found in the hands of an artist and is purposefully manipulated in some fashion, it can become a complex, three-dimensional artwork that speaks of form, function, our culture, our land, and our lives.

The Highgrove Florilegium - All Day | Included with Garden Admission Lauritzen Gardens Plants from the garden of Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. The exhibit is published in a two volume fine art facsimile of original watercolors by many of the leading botanical artists from around the world. Depicting the plant life growing at in the sustainable, organic gardens at Highgrove House in Glouchestershire, a selection of forty pieces from the publication will be on display through December 31.

Digital Hands - All Day | Free Creighton University Lied Art Gallery The Creighton University Lied Art Gallery will host Ceramic 3D Printing artists John Balistreri and Greg Pugh. Through Dec. 7.

UNO Theatre Festival - 7:30 pm | UNO Theatre A celebration of all things that make UNO Theatre so vital. We have invited alumni and seasoned professionals to work with our students in the development of extraordinary theatre. You will see spoken word and slam poetry, movement pieces derived from the Comedia Dell Arte’, staged musical reviews and a play by contemporary female playwright, Heather Raffo. Each performance of the musical reviews will highlight some of your favorite UNO Theatre graduates back to our stage. Design students and faculty will have their work on display.

Love’s Labor Lost - Times Vary | University of Nebraska-Lincoln King Ferdinand imposes a ban on women who will not be allowed within a mile of the court. The princess of France, insulted by the ban, begins to plot ways on taking revenge.

Love’s Labor’s Lost is a comedy complete with disguises and mistaken identities.

Radio City Christmas Spectacular - 7:30 pm | $35 Orpheum Theater-Omaha Don’t miss the Omaha debut of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular Starring the Rockettes. They dazzle in the newly enhanced production of this cherished family show, more spectacular than ever before.

So Now You’re a Zombie - 7:30 pm | $30 Apollon Most zombie shows make the extremely arrogant assumption that YOU were the ONE person to survive the zombie apocalypse. We’ll play along at first and take you through knowing your enemy and trying to fight them off, but here at The Apollon, we know you mostly order pizza and watch Netflix and there is literally no chance you’ll be humanity’s last hope. We’re bringing in experts to teach you how to be the best zombie you can be, one moan, stumble, and shrieking person at a time. Through Nov. 22.

A Christmas Carol - 7:30 pm | $18-$40 See Website Omaha Community Playhouse It just isn’t Christmas without A Christmas Carol. Experience Omaha’s favorite holiday tradition as Ebenezer Scrooge takes us on a life-changing journey filled with beautiful costumes, exquisite music, perfectly crafted sets and special effects second to none. Perfect for the whole family.

THURSDAY NOV 20

Bread & Jam - 1:00 pm | Free Western Historic Trails Center First Drafts: What They Are and What they Aren’t - 5:30 pm | Free The Kaneko What does a poet’s workday have in common with a costume designer’s? And how is their work similar to an entrepreneur’s? How about a chef’s, or a cancer doctor’s? These questions, and more, will be answered by experts from a wide range of disciplines as they come together for a new series.

Measure for Measure - 5:00 pm | $5-$10 College of St Mary Gross Conference Center College of Saint Mary Concert Series presents ‘An Evening of Art And Music’ Measure for Measure: College of St. Mary Music Department Student Recital - 4:30 pm | Free College of St Mary, Gross Conference Center Doors open 30 minutes prior to performance. Performances are recommended for children ages 8 years and older.

Creighton Women’s Volleyball - 7:05 pm | $5-$15 D.J. Sokol Arena The Creighton women’s basketball team announced the signing of Jaylyn Agnew, Olivia Elger, Audrey Faber and Ali Greene for the 2015-16 season.

Live Jazz Pianist Mark Misfeldt - 7:30 pm | Free The Omaha Lounge Verbal Gumbo - 7:30 pm | $7 House of Loom The most enduring Spoken Word open mic in Omaha!

Why? Because we have the best poets, spoken word artists, writers, monologuists, rappers and vibes in the Midwest. Bring your spoon and get your GuMbo on! Hosted by Michelle Troxclair and Withlove,Felicia.

Reggae Night - 8:00 pm | Free The Hive Lounge Live Bandaoke with Sh*thook - 9:00 pm | Free Duffy’s Tavern Lincoln Live band karaoke with Sh*thook. Come sing your favorite songs with a band backing you as you belt out the tunes! Music starts around 10 pm.

Calm Fur - 9:00 pm | $5 Barley Street Tavern 21+ SUPER GHOST Omaha transplants from Minneapolis providing an intense and intimate musical conversation with the audience. WHITE GIRL is on a mini-tour from Kansas City providing a live electronic dance.

FRIDAY NOV 21

Grand Marquis - 6:00 pm | $10-$15 Sokol Auditorium This band has that classic, timeless straightfrom-the-Kansas City-speakeasy sound while injecting a vibrant relevance into their brand of hot swinging jazz & jumping blues. Versatile and buoyant, distinct and refreshing a rhythm cocktail served by masterful musical mixologists.

OEAA Showcase - 8:00 pm | $10 Benson The Omaha annual nominee showcase with over 40 bands performing will take place this weekend at seven venues. $10 will get you a wristband into all of these venues. Check out oea-awards.com for more information about the event.

Live Jazz Pianist Kevin Lloyd - 7:30 pm | Free The Omaha Lounge UNO Hockey - 7:37 pm | $17-$25 CenturyLink Center Omaha The UNO hockey team took the rink October 6 to challenge NAIT for an exhibition game. This began the season for the Omaha Mavericks and they finish up with Colorado College March 7. Head coach Dean Blais has guided the Mavericks through a remarkable half-decade.

Cassie Taylor - 8:00 pm | The Hive Lounge Cassie Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and blues musician. She started her career in the early 2000s touring as a bassist for her father Otis Taylor, a blues-trance musician.

Live Music - 9:00 pm | Free Horseshoe Council Bluffs Casino Capitol Ave. - 9:00 pm | $10 The Slowdown Omaha Capitol Ave. is not defined by conventional genres or bound in a box of preconceived notions. Instead, Capitol Ave. seeks to simply create good music and spread a positive message that resonates with their fan base. The roots of Capitol Ave. can be traced back to Omaha, Nebraska in 2009.

Red Delicious - 9:00 pm | Whiskey Roadhouse Horseshoe Council Bluffs On the Fritz - 9:00 pm | Free Arena Sports Bar “Interrogated” - 10:00 pm | Free Backline Improv Theatre Our weekly show featuring a rotating cast of Backline’s finest players. Audience members volunteer to come up on stage and confess something they’ve gotten away with in their life, then we send them back and perform scenes based on that information.

The Arena - 11:00 pm | Backline Improv Theatre Two teams compete to see who comes back next week. Also our 2nd Happy Hour.

SATURDAY NOV 22

PWP - Live Pro Wrestling - 6:30 pm | $10 Council Bluffs National Guard Armory Fans, as we head into our second to last event of 2014, we’d like to thank each and every one of you who have made this 9th year of Pro Wrestling Phoenix one of our best ever! 2015 will mark 10 years of PWP, but before we get there, we have some very exciting events.

University of Nebraska Football - 7:00 pm | Free University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletics UNO Hockey - 7:00 pm | $17-$25 CenturyLink Center Omaha Live Jazz and Blues Guitarist George Walker - 7:30 pm | Free The Omaha Lounge Yelawolf - 8:00 pm | $20-$75 Sokol Auditorium Michael Wayne Atha, better known by his stage name Yelawolf, is an American hip hop recording artist from Gadsden, Alabama.

National Black Rodeo Finals - 8:00 pm | $25.75 CenturyLink Center Omaha The National Black Rodeo Finals presented by the Real Cowboy Association return to CenturyLink Center.

Get ready to sit on the edge of your seats as you watch exciting horse and bull riding during the baddest show on the dirt!

Live Music - 9:00 pm | Free Horseshoe Council Bluffs Casino RL Grime - 9:00 pm | $20-$75. The Bourbon Theatre Henry Steinway, better known by his stage name, RL Grime, and also known as Clockwork is an American producer of hip hop, trap and bass music, and member of the Los Angeles electronic music collective WeDidIt. $75 for VIP Tickets Saturday Night Dance Party - 9:00 pm | The Hive Lounge Check out our Saturday Night Dance Party featuring DJ Sam E.C.! No cover until 10pm. Join in the Fun and BEE HAPPY! Taxi Driver - 9:00 pm | Whiskey Roadhouse Horseshoe Council Bluffs Hott 2 Trott - 9:00 pm | Free Arena Sports Bar V-Twin Band & Skretta Ect - 9:00 pm | $5 Duggans Pub Party After the Game with V-Twin Band & Skretta Ect. This is the first time appearance of one of Omaha’s hardest working bands.

7 Minutes in Purgatory - 9:00 pm | $5 O’Leaver’s Pub The hit Chicago comedy show 7 Minutes in Purgatory is coming to Omaha for one special night. Join host Ian Abramson as ten comedians take on the greatest challenge in comedy, performing without an audience. They’ll be telling jokes in a sound proof room as the crowd watches them panic on a video.

SUNDAY NOV 23

Healing Tender Hearts - 11:30 am | Free Stinson Park, Aksarben Village Healing Tender Hearts Eat Healthy- Stay Fit Zumba Fitness Takeover Join us for Zumba Fitness on Sundays.

Have fun while working the cardio. Shop Farmer’s Market before or after class. Eat HealthyStay Fit.

University of Nebraska Women’s Basketball - 1:00 pm | Free University of NebraskaLincoln Athletics Creighton Men’s Basketball - 3:00 pm | $15$50 CenturyLink Center Omaha CenturyLink Center Omaha is home to the NCAA Division I Creighton University Bluejays men’s basketball team. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. Graduating student-athletes, record win totals, sold-out crowds, regular-season and tournament titles and postseason success.

Woodcliff Restaurant’s Wine Dinner - 7:00 pm | Woodcliff Restaurant We are very excited to announce that Jeff Mathy, owner and winemaker of Vellum Wine Craft will be joining us from Napa Valley. Vellum is a 3 time World Wine Award Winner and we are very honored to be serving their beautifully crafted wines with our chefs perfectly paired dishes. Reservations are required and the seats sell out fast. A credit card is required to reserve your spot.

Salsa Sundays - 7:00 pm | $5 House of Loom We’ve dedicated our Sunday nights & our classic wood floors at House of Loom to all things salsa, buchata, merengue, cha-cha-cha, pachanga & guaguanco. And to host & DJ the night, we’ve choses long-time loom collaborator & someone we think to be the most Live Jazz and Blues Pianist Ray Williams 7:30 pm | Free The Omaha Lounge Tech N9ne - 8:00 pm | $35 The Bourbon Theatre Some artists get writers block, but for Tech N9ne, the ideas keep flowing. Thats why, more than a decade after he released his first nationally-distributed album, the pioneering Kansas City rapper decided to call his forthcoming studio album Something Else.

Luigi, Inc. - 9:00 pm | Free Mr. Toad’s Pub Omaha Since 1975, Mr. Toad has brought you the finest Jazz Omaha has to offer in our Library. The legendary Luigi Waites held court there for nearly 35 years until his passing in April of 2010. The gig goes on as Luigi would’ve wished, with his band ‘Luigi, Inc.’ holding down the fort.

Open Mic - 9:00 pm | Free O’Leaver’s Pub

MONDAY NOV 24

Live Blues and Jazz Saxaphone with Ed Archibald - 7:30 pm | Free The Omaha Lounge UNL Wet Ink - 7:30 pm | Free Westbook Music Building Wet Ink is a bi-annual event in the Glenn Korff School of Music that showcases the original compositions of undergraduate and graduate students. The event is split up between two days, Nov. 24 and 25. The nights are split with undergraduates on Monday and the graduate students on Tuesday.

Open Mic - 9:00 pm | Free Barley Street Tavern Sign up at the bar after 7pm.

Monday Night Comedy - 9:00 pm | Free Duffy’s Tavern Lincoln Come check out Nebraska’s best up and coming comedians as they test out new jokes and perfect crowd favorites.

TUESDAY NOV 25

Science Cafe and Pub Quiz - 9:00 pm | Free The Slowdown Omaha Science Cafés involve a face-to-face conversation with a scientist about current science topics. They are open to everyone (21 and older), and take place in casual settings like pubs and coffeehouses. A science café’s casual meeting place, plain language, and inclusive conversation create a welcoming environment. For the Pub Quiz, gather up a team of friends (or brains) and get ready for a challenge from the Quiz Masters.

Creighton Men’s Basketball - 7:00 pm | $15$50 CenturyLink Center Omaha University of Nebraska Men’s Basketball - 7:00 pm | Free University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletics Live Blues Guitarist and Vocalist “Hector Anchondo” - 7:30 pm | Free The Omaha Lounge UNL Wet Ink - 7:30 pm | Free Westbrook Recital Hall Monthly Blues Jam - 8:00 pm | The Hive Lounge Eric Hutchinson - 8:00 pm | $22-$25 The Bourbon Theatre It’s hard to not feel good while listening to the new Eric Hutchinson record. It is a damn satisfying experience; the joys of melody and counter-melody and a myriad of rhythms from across the globe, as each song manages to reflect a pleasing sense that it is possible to remain transfixed in that.

WEDNESDAY NOV 26

Live Jazz Pianist Ben Tweedt - 7:30 pm | Free The Omaha Lounge Comedy Open Mic - 10:00 pm | Free Barley Street Tavern Comedy open mic every Wednesday night at 10pm.

Ray’s Piano Party - 7:00 pm | Free_Mr. Toad’s Pub Omaha_Led by local legendary pianist Ray Williams, our every other Wednesday bash goes until 10:00 or later.

listings

| THE READER |

NOV. 20 - 26, 2014

41

overtheedge LIFESTYLE COLUMN BY TIM MCMAHAN

I Want a New Drug

T

DAVID ALLAN COE DECEMBER 12

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| THE READER |

over the 11/12/14 edge 4:14 PM

his week, I write about…drugs.

Yes, drugs. Because to an extent, I’m a virgin to the topic. I’ve never taken drugs.

I’ve never even smoked weed before, as odd as that sounds considering I’ve spent a good part of the past 20-odd years writing about rock bands and rock music and rock shows where no doubt handfuls of pills and bails of cheeba have been consumed somewhere below my sullen gaze.

There was a time in American politics where an admission such as the one above would make the admitter a prime candidate for political office. But these days, lack of “consumption” immediately raises suspicions: Either the person is lying or the person is so out of touch with modern culture that s/he cannot be trusted. After all, didn’t Obama admit he imbibed in his youth?

My excuse for not partaking has nothing to do with any sort of self-righteousness. I simply couldn’t stomach the thought of my parents knowing I smoked dope or took drugs. As a child, I was never disciplined in the Adrian Peterson school of the switch. Instead, the most stern and effective punishment was simply… a look of disappointment from my father.

Fear of disappointing him was enough to keep me out of any smoke-filled vans. Even after I got older and realized some of his disapproving looks were unfounded (Dad always thought buying records was a waste of money), I still did what I could to avoid them. The thought of being walked up to the front door of our house accompanied by a cop with strobe lights blazing in the background for every neighbor to see — and my dad’s reaction — well, that embarrassment was too much to bear.

I’ve been told by musicians that my lack of drug experiences has tainted my music criticism, that some music (certainly heavy rock music) was created to be consumed under the influence of hallucinogens. And that most certainly the musicians making that music were stoned out of their gourds when they recorded it.

I have no doubt that’s true.

My take on other people’s drug use: I could care less if someone smokes weed or partakes in things heavier. What they put in their bodies is their decision, it’s their lives. Sure, I’m concerned about their health, but we all make choices we know may come back to haunt us. I’ve met drug addicts. But most people I know who smoke dope handle it just fine.

Only a few have let dope consume their lives, have let the drug get in the way of getting things done.

Not surprisingly, its those same habitual dopers who complain the loudest about their art or music not getting the respect it deserves, never admitting they’ve wasted countless afternoons getting high instead of refining their craft.

What brought me to this topic was reading another in a series of articles where an ‘80s pop singer emerged from years of drug addiction, seemingly unscathed. Throughout the story, the guy went into great detail about all the heroin and other drugs he’d gobbled up for the past 20 years. We’ve all heard similar stories of people who mainlined cocaine or lost their 20s and 30s (or 40s) tripping on LSD and somehow emerged from the rabbit hole with perfect hair. A few look back on those lost drug years with regret, but just as many nod with a wry, knowing smile (and a few say they’d do it all over again).

Meanwhile, here I am, struggling to find a simple blood pressure medication that doesn’t turn me into a zombie. The background: I’ve worked out in a gym at least three times a week since I was 15. Four years ago I also began running three to four miles every other day. I try to eat well. I avoid processed and “fast food.” I literally eat an apple a day, along with a cup of carrots.

Despite that, my blood pressure has slowly crept up over the past decade and is now at a point where my doctor said I need to start taking daily medication. There’s nothing else I can do. I can’t exercise more. I can’t lose more weight. I can’t eat better.

Sometimes high blood pressure is genetic.

So my doc put me on a drug called hydrochlorothiazide, a mild diuretic. Within a week of taking it, I began feeling jumpy. The floor swayed if I stood up too fast. Within two weeks I was having a hard time sleeping. My heart pounded in my chest like a freight train. I couldn’t concentrate at work. It felt as if I’d drunk a dozen espressos.

During dinner one night Teresa noticed my fingers were trembling.

Always the hypochondriac, I looked up the symptoms on the internet (the wrong thing to do) and began wondering if my thyroid was acting up. Maybe I’ve got cancer. Or maybe it was the drug. My doctor told me to stop taking it. It hadn’t lowered my blood pressure, anyway. And within a week, the symptoms were gone. My mind… cleared.

But my blood pressure remained the same.

I know I have no reason to complain. There are people who would trade their medical problems for my high blood pressure in a hot second. There are people out there fighting cancer. There are people who are having a hard time simply getting out of bed in the morning.

And yet, this week I begin a new drug regimen for my blood pressure, and I’m scared. There’s nothing I can do about it. Modern medicine has made drugs unavoidable. For some, drugs provide pleasure, for others drugs are for survival, and for some like me, they stem off the fear of what could happen without them.

Down the hatch. ,

OVER THE EDGE is a weekly 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. And be sure to check out his blog at Lazy-i.com

BY B.J. HUCHTEMANN

Toy Drive, Bonneville, Paladins

T

he Toy Drive for Pine Ridge hosts one of its main events this Friday, Nov. 21, at Sokol Hall’s ballroom, 6 p.m. Proceeds from the 12th annual event, organized by local musician Larry “Lash” Dunn, provide Christmas gifts for the children of the Pine Ridge Reservation. The area is historically one of the poorest zip codes in the United States. The toys donated by the Omaha community bring hope and encouragement to the children on the reservation, where Christmas would be bleak without the donations Dunn gathers. The event has expanded in recent years with additional funds available for emergency heating, clothing and food for elders and others in need on the reservation. Donations also go toward educational resources for young people.

The lineup Nov. 21 features Christy Rossiter & 112 North Duck at 6 p.m. Popular Nashville swampblues act Too Slim & The Taildraggers plays at 7 p.m. Kansas City’s Grand Marquis swings at 9 p.m.

Admission is $15. Donations of new, unwrapped toys are encouraged. This event is sponsored in part by The Blues Society of Omaha, The Omaha Jitterbugs and The Reader. I will join Dunn and Rick Galusha on Galusha’s “Pacific Street Blues” radio show on KIWR, 89.7 The River, Sunday, Dec. 7, 9 a.m. to

hoodoo

noon. As in past years, we’ll have live musical guests.

See toydriveforpineridge.com where donations can also be made.

OEAA Showcase The Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards’ annual nominee showcase is Friday, Nov. 21, in Benson. Over 40 bands perform at seven venues: The Waiting Room, The Barley Street Tavern, Reverb Lounge, Burke’s Pub, P.S. Collective inside the Pizza Shoppe, The Sydney and The 402 Arts Collective.

A $10 wristband gets you into all participating venues all evening. It’s a great way to sample the work of very talented local artists on our scene. Selected work from visual arts nominees will be featured in on-street window displays. See oea-awards.com.

Hot Notes Rockabilly kings The Paladins play Lincoln’s Zoo Bar Friday, Nov. 21, 9 p.m. The 21st Saloon hosts versatile Dallas guitarist Jason Elmore & Hoodoo Witch Thursday, Nov. 20, at a special 5:30 p.m. start time. Elmore opens for Boston’s bluessoul-gospel act Gracie Curran & The High Falutin’ Band. See thehighfalutinband.com. Jason Elmore also plays Lincoln’s Zoo Bar Wednesday, Nov. 20, 6-9 p.m. The Sunday Roadhouse presents folk-blues singer-songwriter Ray Bonneville at Reverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave., Sunday, Nov. 23, 5 p.m. Ray Wylie Hubbard describe’s Bonneville’s music as “like gunpowder and opium.” See sundayroadhouse.com. ,

CIGARETTES © SFNTC 4 2014

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.

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Omaha Weekly Reader 11-20-14.indd 1

| THE READER |

NOV. 20 - 26, 10/29/14 2014

43

10:58 AM

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

The Other World Series

I

n October, another premier world sports event reached its climax, with one team left standing, rewarded for months of grueling practices, to the cheers of adoring, frenzied fans. The “world series” of professional team computer games was settled on a stage in a packed, 40,000-seat stadium in Seoul before three gigantic TV screens and an Internet audience of millions. The powerhouse Samsung White team out-moused and -keyboarded the Chinese champions at “League of Legends” (which 27 million gamers worldwide play every day), using its fantasy characters to destroy opponents’ bases. The winning team took home $1 million of corporate money, but future earnings should escalate when idolized world-class players unionize and swing merchandising endorsement deals.

Can’t Possibly Be True Carnell Alexander at one point owed about $60,000 in child support for a kid he did not father (according to a DNA test) and knew nothing about, but despite “successfully” challenging the claim 20 years ago, he still owes about $30,000. The mother who accused him long ago admitted lying (in that naming a “father” was necessary to get welfare benefits), and while a judge thus wiped out Alexander’s debt to her, the state of Michigan nonetheless still demands that Alexander repay benefits it had paid to the mother.

-- America’s largest pornography website, PornHub.com, decided recently to erect a public billboard prominently encouraging the use of its service, first selecting as its location the New York City neighborhood formerly the smut epicenter of the city,

44

NOV. 20 - 26, 2014

| THE READER |

weird news

Times Square. However, that area is now respectably tourist-friendly, and the billboard had to be relocated to Los Angeles’ West Hollywood, near the headquarters of PornHub’s parent, MindGeek. The sign features a person’s two thumbs and fingers forming a rough version of a heart, beside the message (inspired by a Beatles song), “All You Need Is Hand.”

Brits Behaving Britishly Bad (1) Literature professor Thomas Docherty was back at work in October following his nine-month suspension from the University of Warwick for “inappropriate sighing” during meetings with a senior colleague, along with “making ironic comments” and “negative body language.” (2) In October, Andrew Davies, 51, was ordered by magistrates in High Wycombe, England, not to lie down in public places anymore (unless genuinely stricken by emergency). Previously, he had a habit of making bogus “999” (911) calls to get attention, and when police confiscated his phone, he began compensating by lying in roads until compassionate passersby called for ambulances.

The New Math More than 6 million students have downloaded the new iPhone app PhotoMath to solve Algebra I and Algebra II problems by pointing the phone’s camera at a printed equation. The answer, and the explanation, quickly appear on a screen, as a teaching tool -- or for the students to show “their” work if PhotoMath is used on exam questions.

The Croatia-based developer told the Quartz website in October that it is working on upgrades for higher-level math equations (though no relief is in sight for those chronically pesky “word problems”). Meanwhile, the debate has been triggered over whether PhotoMath is a dynamic technological advance in education -- or a cheating-enabler.

COPYRIGHT 2014 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).

Bright Ideas Neighbors in the Mandarin neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida, complained to the city recently about a resident who scattered hundreds of mothballs -- over 400 now, at least -- around her front yard, even driving over them in her car to crush them open and extend their noxious odor. The National Pesticide Information Center warned that the mothballs were hazards to plants, wildlife, water and air, but the female resident (unnamed in a report by First Coast News) said she was forced into the tactic in order to prevent neighborhood dogs from defecating in her yard.

-- Celebrity Musicals: In September in Hamburg, Germany, “Charles Manson: Summer of Hate -- The Musical,” opened at the Thalia Theater, covering the influences and failed musical career of the man convicted in the notorious 1969 Sharon Tate murders.

And “I Am Stephon Marbury,” a musical featuring the former star NBA basketball player, ran for 11 nights in September in Beijing, where the popular Marbury has led the Beijing Ducks to national basketball championships the last two seasons. Marbury has a role onstage in what is described as a parable about pursuing one’s dreams.

-- The most challenging toys this holiday season might be the series of furry human innards from the U.S. firm I Heart Guts -- not just the soft and cuddly pancreas, brain and prostate, but especially the rectum. Each part is packaged with a cheekily written educational description explaining its importance (the rectum being “the butt of many jokes” yet with “a serious role” in waste disposal as the “fecal loading dock”), and each sells for about $20.

Weird Scenes (1) Richard Shear, 28, was arrested in Muskegon County, Michigan, in October after an apparent violent episode with his mother and girlfriend. Shear had allegedly threatened the two, slashed an SUV

tire, and tried to burn down their home with gasoline and a lit candle -- but when it was time to flee the premises, hopped on his moped, ensuring his flight from police would be a short one. (2) A woman (described only as “robust”) in Darmstadt, Germany, fled with the equivalent of about $125 from a pharmacy in October and is still at large. According to the police report, she swiped money from two cash registers by twice lifting her shirt and squirting breast milk at a clerk as a diversion.

The District of Calamity The Washington, D.C., school system last year declared Avery Gagliano, 13, a habitual truant whose parents somehow require special training to ensure her attendance. The eighth-grader was a straight-A student at Alice Deal Middle School, but also a piano prodigy selected for prestigious world exhibitions -- which caused her to exceed the maximum 10 “unexcused” absences that trigger the assignment of a truancy officer and a series of relentless threats against the parents (which ultimately provoked them to withdraw Avery and this season to home-school her). (In October, following a Washington Post account, D.C.’s governing council honored Avery in a public ceremony, and the D.C. schools chancellor overnight began begging the Gaglianos to bring Avery and her suddenly “excused” absences back to school.)

The Aristocrats!

(1) Sean Johnson, 19, was arrested in Brooksville, Florida, in October at the Wal-Mart after he was spotted at about 3 p.m. taking a toy stuffed horse into the bedding department and masturbating with it. (2) Paul Mountain, 38, pleaded guilty to burglary in Darwen, England, in October -- accused by a homeowner whose shed was vandalized. Among the damaged items was a teddy bear streaked with semen. Mountain told officers that he was coming down off of an amphetamine high and felt an “overwhelming need for sexual relief.” ,

Upcoming Events Women’s Basketball Thursday, Nov. 20th, 7:05 PM vs.

Women’s Volleyball Friday, Nov. 21st, 7:00 PM vs.

Sunday, Nov. 23rd, 12:00 PM vs.

Men’s Basketball Sunday, Nov. 23rd, 3:00 PM vs.

“The

Tuesday, Nov. 25th, 7:00 PM vs.

movie To see and Talk abouT if you wanT To experience The absoluTe besT of conTemporary cinema.”

- Kenneth Turan, Los AngeLes Times

“The

mosT acuTely observed comedy of The year, if noT in several years.”

- Richard Lawson, VAniTy FAiR

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exclusive enGaGemenT sTarTs friday, november 21

Omaha Film Streams Ruth Sokolof Theatre (402) 933-0259

weird news

| THE READER |

NOV. 20 - 26, 2014

45

OMAHA READER

cuttingroom

WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BIRDMAN

I

I know two things for sure: (1) Birdman aims to relentlessly drive home one singular point, one thoroughly expressed thesis about life and art.

(2) It does not succeed. You would think that would make the work of writers Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo and writer/director Alejandro González Iñárritu a total misfire. Not so fast, my fine-feathered friends. Despite its lack of clarity, conflicting thematic messages and indecipherable tone, the film is the rarest of oddities: accidental genius.

Michael Keaton plays Riggan Thomson, the washed-up former star of “Birdman,” a blatant Batman analog. After years spent squandering his celebrity, Riggan is a fame junkie trying to get his

fully in opposition to the herky-jerky performances.

Keaton is brilliant, flitting between Willy Lowmanlike self-loathing and kinetic comedic beats. Norton steals the show, riffing on his real-life reputation for being “difficult” in service of his craft. Both Watts and Stone don’t get enough to do, but each lands a nice moment: Watts when she’s emotionally naked in Riggan’s dressing room, and Stone when she mentally pantses Norton.

But about that “accidental genius” stuff… It’s clear that Iñárritu and company set out to do something brilliant. They did. It’s just not the brilliance they intended. They clearly wanted to make a statement about the blurred line between “actor as celebrity” and “actor as artist,” along with jabs about cultural

fix of public adoration and respect. So he sets out to write, direct and star in a Broadway version of “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love,” a classic Raymond Carver tale that should never find its way into a theatrical adaptation. In search of another actor to anchor the production, Riggan is forced to turn to Mike (Ed Norton), an acclaimed thespian and lover of the female lead in the play, Lesley (Naomi Watts). As Riggan’s rehabbed daughter, Sam (Emma Stone), looks on and his lawyer/best friend, Jake (Zach Galifianakis), gets progressively worked up, the show spins from chaos to promising to disaster and then to something uniquely bizarre.

Iñárritu’s film grafts Emmanuel Lubezki’s cinematography to look like one continuous shot.

Some have derided the choice as too “showy” and unnecessary, but the smoothness and fluidity of the strategy gives a consistency that stands delight-

critics and modern definitions of fame. None of that stuff lands. Instead, Birdman works as an unintentional satiric condemnation of artistic pretension.

From Keaton’s meta-performance to Iñárritu’s use of surreal content, such as Riggan’s potential actual superpowers, art-based pseudointellectualism is hilariously impeached. Consider that Norton delivers monologue after monologue about the need for “honesty” in performances in a movie that features no honest performances, while Keaton indicts and spits on the audience he asks for love. Even the choice to use Carver, English undergraduate students’ go-to for intellectual posturing, is revealing. Maybe I’m wrong.

Maybe Iñárritu and pals intentionally mocked themselves and other pretentious “artists,” “critics” and consumers. I can’t be sure. What I am sure of is that Birdman is one hell of a riot. ,

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

46

NOV. 20 - 26, 2014

BY RYAN SYREK

n Dollar, dollar bills, y’all. That’s what Film Streams’ Ruth Sokolof Theater is rollin’ in after their fundraiser featuring Alexander Payne and David O. Russell. Feature VI raised an eyepopping $328,000 for the nonprofit theater that has helped single-handedly resurrect film as art in Omaha. That total is a new record, which shouldn’t stop you from donating and supporting because they deserve all of the moneys.

Congrats to a great theater and great people. n I’ve been a fan of how Christoph Waltz has managed to do more than simply become Hollywood’s go-to bad guy. That said, it was kind of inevitable that he would one day be a Bond villain, right? In the 24th 007 film, Waltz will try to off Jimmy once and for all. I am completely sure he will and this will be the last Bond film ever. n Honestly, it’s like Aaron Sorkin goes around trying to find the absolute least interesting source material he can to make movies from.

First it was Facebook (The Social Network), then it was baseball finances (Moneyball) and now comes word he’s adapting Molly’s Game, about a real-life underground poker game in Los Angeles. Oh. Wow. Poker… Let’s hope he can find a way to contain the energy of slowly turning over cards with stacking poker chips. n It’s too early to celebrate, as Warner Bros/ DC Comics can and will screw things up at any point in the development process, but things are looking good for Wonder Woman. News broke this week that the front runner for the director’s job is Michelle MacLaren, who has directed some of the best episodes of “Game of Thrones” and “Breaking Bad.” Instead of giving the job to one of the whopping three or four female directors people can actually name, I’m all about bringing another woman into the bigtime with a project like this. Of course, this is DC we’re talking about, so the whole project could turn to farts in an eye blink.

—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 halfhour 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).

GRADE = B+

First-Run Films

Films of David O. Russell Met: Live in HD

Birdman First-Run (R)

The Fighter 2010 (R)

Dir. Alejandro G. Iñárritu.

Through Thursday, December 4 Michael Keaton stars as a washed up actor known for once playing a super hero trying to stage a comeback.

Force Majeure First-Run (PG-13)

November 22, 23 & 25

Russell’s breakthrough comeback.

Forever Young Porco Rosso 1992

Dir. Ruben Östlund.

Starts Friday, November 21

Dir. Hayao Miyazaki.

November 22, 23 & 27

A wickedly funny and precisely observed commentary on masculinity and family dynamics.

From the master Miyazaki comes the tale of a WWI fighter ace cursed with the head of a pig.

| THE READER |

film

Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia

Live: Saturday, November 22, 11:55 am Encore: Wednesday, November 26, 6 pm Presented with Opera Omaha.

Prelude Talk before live broadcast.

Coming Soon The Theory of Everything First-Run (PG-13) Citizenfour First-Run The Tale of the Princess Kaguya First-Run

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nov. 20 - 26, 2014

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