The Reader Nov. 27 - Dec. 3, 2014

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News You Can Use: November 2014 The Bad ‘We aggregate so you’ll cogitate’

The Good Europe Says No to GMO A couple high profile GMO labeling initiatives narrowly failed at the polls this month. There was, however, a sparkle of good news about the anti-GMO movement. The European Union’s Environmental Committee determined that member countries of the EU have the legal right to ban GMOs in basically any way, shape or form. The approved text would entitle member states to pass legally binding acts restricting or prohibiting the cultivation of GMO crops even if they have been authorized at EU level. They could also ask, when a new GMO crop is being assessed at EU level, to adjust the geographical scope of the authorization.

European countries generally ban GMOs and this furthers the restrictions. Earlier this year, Monsanto announced they were in effect pulling up stakes and were no longer trying to promote GMOs in Europe. Bayer and Syngenta are still trying.

It’s important to realize that GMOs are an economic disaster for the American farmer. All of our major markets overseas are banning GMO corn, wheat and soy. It’s like American agriculture and American consumers are living in a bubble: while the rest of the world is renouncing GMOs, we plug along with a losing franchise.

Mickey D’s Says No to GMO, too. The largest commercial potato producer, Simplot, announced that our ever-vigilant USDA has approved their new genetically modified potato. Called the Innate, it won’t brown after cutting and most significantly, doesn’t produce as much acrylamide when fried, as in French fries. Acrylamide is the cancer-causing agent that appears when foods are fried and Simplot found a way to decrease that phenomenon.

Simplot was McDonald’s major supplier of potatoes for French fries but Mickey D says no to the GMO version, worrying that it will confuse consumers. But who’s running those think tanks for the GMO guys? Can you hear them in a brainstorming session on what genetic trait to go for next? “Hey, let’s go for lowering a chemical in fried foods that causes cancer!” Sounds good until you realize that trying to make French fries into a health food is like using organic soap in the showers at Dachau. If you’re eating at McDonald’s and dining on French fries, a little acrylamide is the least of your worries.

As Charlie Sheen once said, “Plan better.”

Boomer Sooner Fracking Backers. Congratulations Oklahoma! Your football team may have dropped off the face of the earth (alongside Nebraska’s) but at least Oklahoma has a new national title to celebrate. This year the state passed California and became the number one state for earthquakes and by a wide margin.

Unbelievably, thousands of miles from the Pacific Rim and its Ring of Fire, Oklahoma now has more earthquakes than the Golden State. That’s right. In the first half of 2014, the Sooner State racked up 191 medium quakes to only 71 for California. A study in Science magazine found that fracking is linked to a swarm of 2547 small quakes near Jones, Okla. alone. Property damage, injuries and upheaval are increasing exponentially. During a 30 day period ending November 17, Oklahoma recorded 137 earthquakes of at least 2.5 magnitude.

How can a society, a government or any individual believe that fracking and what we’re doing to the planet is a good thing in the face of news like that?

The Ugly Heads will roll. It’s a ghastly and inhuman action and the criminal crazies currently on the political stage in the Middle East are making the most of it. What is uglier is the lack of perspective that our leadership has. The extremist rabble in the news and on YouTube channels has paraded innocents before the camera a half-dozen times already this year. But their barbaric slayings are far overshadowed by the daily actions of one of America’s so-called allies in the region, Saudi Arabia. That Arab state, which the United States supports with money, guns and lawyers, has beheaded 59 people thus far this year. Some have been executed for witchcraft or public dissension with government policy. And Saudi Arabia takes it a step further: after execution, the body is raised on a pike with the head wrapped in plastic, suspended above. Now, granted, the terrorist groups are undoubtedly murdering many more than those shown on CNN, but we’re not pretending to be friendly with them as we are with the Saudi state.

What is really hard to understand is why we continue to provide a platform for public exposure of terrorist acts. If I post a video on YouTube with a Beatles song, YouTube censorship ‘bots pull it within minutes.

If I do it a second time, my account is closed. Why the hell can’t we just pull the plug on the internet in those countries? Blow up a few cell towers and how the hell can the bad guys upload videos or get on the internet to recruit new members? At the least let’s tell our diplomats to stop dining with the devil.

Be well. ,

• FEBRUARY 27, 2014 • The food trend of the future will be fermentation. American food will be aged, bitter, and heavy thanks to a series of scientific tests that show fermented food is necessary for healthy intes-

tinal functioning. The result will be a healthier, if gassier, population, and a developing taste for foods that are bitter and sour on the American menu.

Dr. Mysterian has seen it.

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.

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| THE READER |

NOV. 27 - DEC. 3, 2014

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7M GRILL’S WEDNESDAYS AT 1: A CULINARY COLLABORATION

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Green Street

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NOV. 27 - DEC. 3, 2014

| THE READER |

to what they say. Recent tastings featured dishes such as brandy mushroom beef tenderloin, chicken poutine and seafood verde jambalaya.

Davis says 7M doesn’t want to offer the same steak and potatoes or the same wines as the restaurant down the street, so they do a boutique-y menu with boutique-y wines and food.

She changes the wine list frequently and starts every tasting with a glass of new wine. So in addition to getting opinions on the food, Davis asks about the wines as well. She says 7M always wants to find those reasons for people to want to come back to their restaurant.

Davis says she sees lots of repeat tasters and lots of new ones, which makes it a nice mix for the restaurant.

7M rarely repeats these specials, but if a particular dish ends up being extremely popular in the restaurant there’s a good chance it will end up on the next season’s menu. Davis says 7M changes its menu twice a year with a spring/summer menu and a fall/ winter menu.

Davis and Mackevicius sit down every six months and go back through all the specials to see what did well and what wasn’t popular.

“Sometimes he will take a dish and swap out the vegetables with more seasonal choices. So if we have a special with summer veggies that we want to use on our fall/winter menu, he will replace these vegetables with things like sweet potatoes and squash,” says Davis.

Specials run Wednesday night at 5 till Tuesday at close. 7M also offers half price bottles of wine on Wednesdays Davis says 7M sees their Wednesdays at 1 program as their own little episode of Chopped. “Food shows are popular right now. Everyone is into being a foodie.

People love to be heard and it’s fun for chef to hear what guests think of new dishes. Customers love interacting with chef and enjoy being a part of putting a dish together,” Davis says. ,

crumbs

and might wind up on TV. www.benepizzaandpasta.com ■ BEANSMITH COFFEE ROASTERS Look out, Old Market.

Beansmith Coffee Roasters will open their first coffeehouse in February 2015. Check out the Beansmith’s website for updates on this exciting development. www.beansmith.com ■ ART + HEART Star Deli in Benson is hosting a group art exhibit opening Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. This exhibit runs through Jan. 31. Portions of the proceeds from art sales go to Habitat for Humanity. This is an excellent opportunity to look at local art while helping a worthy cause, all while eating some of the good food offered by this eclectic deli. www.facebook.com/stardeli — Tamsen Butler

■ CONGRATS, NEBRASKA BREWING COMPANY Nebraska Brewing Company just added another award to their growing list, and this one’s international. In the European Beer Star competition, Nebraska Brewing Company’s Cardinal Pale Ale won the Gold Medal. This is no easy feat considering the judging was done by a panel of international beer experts. nebraskabrewingco.com ■ RESTAURANT: IMPOSSIBLE If you’re a fan of the television show “Restaurant: Impossible,” you’ll be pleased to hear that they’re on their way to Omaha in early December to help out Bene Pizza and Pasta. If you’re a BIG fan of the show, you might want to sign up to help with the renovation process. You’ll get free food for your time

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BY CHERIL LEE

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?

A 7M Chef Aron Mackevicius likes to take normal comfort foods and add his own little twist to it.

“7M Grill offers a comfort fusion menu,” says Front of House Manager Robyn Davis.

One of his most popular dishes is his Caribbean chicken. He takes a coconut chicken breast and serves it over cilantro rice with black bean and corn salsa on the side and a mango jalapeno cream sauce on top of it along with curried bananas.

That particular dish has been on 7M’s menu since day one. Another popular pick is Mackevicius’ coffee dusted salmon which is paired with a sriracha risotto and has a mango guacamole on top, drizzled in white chocolate cream sauce.

Chef Mackevicius comes up with many of these amazing dishes by consulting his customers through a program he calls Wednesdays at 1.

Davis explained that the chef comes up with three new specials each week. On Wednesdays at 1, they invite the public to sample these dishes and customers then offer the chef feedback on what they liked and what they think could be improved after they finish the tasting.

Reservations are required to attend and the tasting is limited to 10 people at a cost of $10 each. Davis said each week guests get to sample a beef dish, a seafood dish and something from 7M’s other category. In the past this has included duck, quail, pork and Cornish game hens.

“The focus group gets to try everything. After chef tells us what we are eating, we kick him back into the kitchen while we eat. During the tasting, I ask the customers what they are thinking, what they like, what they don’t like, what they would do to improve the dish.

And when we are finished eating, we bring the chef back out and give him feedback on the dishes that were sampled,” says Davis.

She says 7M wants feedback on everything from the aesthetics of the plate to the flavors on it.

She also says the chef is good about listening to what the focus group says and he changes dishes according

dish

7M Grill, 15808 West Maple Road, Suite 10, Omaha, NE 68116, 402.614.4100, http://7mgrill.com/

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

The Meaning of Thanksgiving:

When strangers are neighbors

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hile bountiful fall harvests are celebrated around the world, Thanksgiving in the United States has a twist fundamental to its nature that has defined our country’s growth – a uniquely American ideal that welcomes strangers, making us a beacon for hard-working, freedom-loving people everywhere.

Pilgrim leader Miles Standish and his small group of undocumented immigrants at Plymouth had barely survived the winter, thanks to the public assistance of the land’s long naturalized citizens, the Wampanoag Indian tribe.

The tribe also gave the undocumented colonists the seeds and knowledge to plant the native crops that would sustain them into the future. At the colony’s first harvest, the invitation was extended and Wampanoag Chief Massasoit walked two days with 90 men to build their own guest quarters, adding to the small village’s seven homes, meeting hall and three storehouses. Over the course of a week and in between songs, performances, games and tests of skill, many meals were eaten together and some separately – the Indian gift of venison likely supplemented by duck and other water fowl from the pilgrims.

Where’s that spirit today? Planning for this issue of The Reader on the Next Americans started this summer, but President Obama’s recent executive action

From the Field to the City: One undocumented

immigrant’s journey to legalization

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lacido Bustamante Salgado was born in La Concordia,Teloloapan, Guerrero: “It’s the classic rural town where everyone knows each other, People work the field and mainly harvest corn and beans.

Nowadays there is an elementary school and a Telesencudaria [distance education program], but when I lived there we only had an elementary school.”

Bustamante comes from a large family: “I’m one of the middle sons. We are five men and three women, and most of us live here in the United States. My parents had a hard time working to raise all of us, because my father always worked the field, harvesting corn, beans and peanuts, and my mother was a full-time housewife. As we grew up, we all had to leave our town to continue studying.”

At the Centro de Bachillerato Tecnologico Industrial y de Servicios (CEBETIS) at Teloloapan, Bustamante was able to learn about electro mechanics: “After that I worked for a while until I later enrolled at the Tecnologico de Acapulco for three years to become an accountant.”

He got married before finishing college, and the birth of his first daughter encouraged him to seek new opportunities outside of Mexico: “My father worked here when he was young with the help of the government. It seems that during World War II a lot of people enlisted in the army, and this created a void since there weren’t enough people working in the country. Thus the United States made a deal with Mexico to allow Mexicans to enter the country to work. They were called braceros, and my dad was one of them. My uncles also came here and stayed over in Washington, working collecting apples, cherries and peaches.”

just about insures there’s going to be a new topic at this year’s Turkey Day table. The big difference between that first Thanksgiving and today is that undocumented immigrants aren’t strangers, they are our neighbors and have been for some time – paying taxes, building our community. Underlining this collection of stories on our Next Americans are some fundamental facts, courtesy of The Immigration Policy Council’s aggregation of the best research available: n Nebraska is home to 116,124 immigrants, 6.3% of the state’s population and the Pew Hispanic Center estimates about 1/3 are undocumented, mostly Latino, but also Asian and African. n According to the Urban Institute, 85.3% of children in Nebraska with immigrant parents are naturalized U.S. citizens. n All immigrants pay sales, property and gas taxes and many pay income taxes. If undocumented immigrants were granted legal status, the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy estimates Nebraska’s annual state and local tax revenues would increase $10.3 million to $52.6 million, mostly from income taxes. n UNO reports that immigrants contribute $1.6 billion to Nebraska’s economy, generating 12,000 jobs. ­— John Heaston Reporting for this feature package has been possible thanks to underwriting and editorial support from the Heartland Project, a joint initiative of the Asian American Journalists Association and the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association.

In 1988, when he was 22 years old, Bustamante crossed the US border for the first time as an illegal immigrant: “I made the trip with a family I knew back then, and they contacted a guide, called a coyote, and he’s the one that takes you to the person waiting for you in the United States. We all arrived together at Tijuana at around 7 p.m., right as it was getting dark. We walked until 2 or 3 a.m., and, due to an error in our guide’s planning, we ended up where the border patrol was and we were arrested. Back then laws were not as strict, so they simply took us to a detention center where we waited for around 8 hours. That was long enough for them to arrest more people in order to send all of us back on a bus. There was no abuse, but I don’t know how hard things are today.”

Instead of feeling discouraged, this first failure motivated Bustamante even more: “You think about the family you’re leaving behind, and even though you know you’re taking many risks, you go on. You just want to get there to start working because they’re expecting you to start helping them with some money. There is definitely uncertainty, but you don’t give up so easily. For example, we went back to a hotel in Tijuana to recover from the journey and to wait for the right time to do it again during the next day. For this second try we walked with our guide pretty much all night long. Around 3 or 4 a.m., the person who was our contact at the United States came to pick us up. Our group had kids (the smallest one was 6 years old), young people and older adults.”

Carrying only a backpack with his ID, two changes of clothes, a sweater, a jacket and plenty of water, Bustamante carried-on: “We crossed in California, so we didn’t have to cross the river but we did get close to some streams, and we even crossed part of the interstate.

Sometimes we had to run, and sometimes we had to take things slowly, always being quiet. I wasn’t think-

ing of the danger because I was lucky to be young and in great shape. Things have changed now, and I probably wouldn’t do it again, because if something goes wrong, my family would be left adrift.”

The cost of this journey “wasn’t too much, maybe $800,” and this allowed him to arrive at Riverside: “After that, our relatives waiting for us in this country must be ready to pay the guide so that he can present us before them.”

Once he was with his relatives, Bustamante started to work very hard in Washington state, were he managed to legalize his status: “Back then there was a program that allowed me to obtain my papers. Since at the time the government wasn’t as strict, I didn’t have to wait long before bringing my family here.”

By the time he was living at Nebraska, Bustamante got a chance to work at several jobs, including meatpacking companies and even in the kitchen of a Chinese food restaurant: “While working full-time I also studied English at Metropolitan Community College and this allowed me to get a job at several companies such as ConAgra, First Data and eventually Wells Fargo. On top of that, I took some classes at Metro that made it possible for me to transfer to Bellevue University where I graduated in Marketing.”

After getting his license as a real estate agent, Bustamante went on to work a local realtor group: “I’m very happy with what I have accomplished. My second daughter and my son were born here. My two daughters graduated from UNO and my son will study engineering at the University of Florida. I have shown them that it is possible to work and study at the same time, and that education is key for having a better life.”

Even though he misses the “calm and cheaper” life of La Concordia, Bustamante acknowledged that “the insecurity at the state has grown considerably.” ­— Marina Rosado

cover story

Rubbing In: Omaha’s

booming African immigrant population

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wahili, Arabic, Dinka, and Nuer voices loudly, spoke and sung over fast and slow drum beats.

This rhythmic sound ringing through the auditorium doors at Bryan High School. As dozens of Sudanese immigrants gathered in south Omaha for the second “Youth Empowerment Opening Ceremony,” on the stage is the United States flag and Nebraska state flag standing to the right and left of a center table draped with the Sudanese flag.

Although Sudan is located a little less than 8,000 miles away from the “Good Life” of Nebraska, thousands of Sudanese have settled here in the metro area and now call Omaha home. On this particular evening, a welcoming spirit filled the air as these dark brown shades of people of all ages greeted each other with hugs and smiles.

“Yeah, that’s how they greet. If you go to any Sudanese gathering you see that rubbing, --- shoulder knocking, hitting and patting on the back -- is always there,” explained Christine Arach Ross. Ross is the refugee healthcare liaison for the Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska.

Ross has been in the United States for 18 years. In 2005 she said she moved to Omaha to attend University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) for her master’s degree in public health. Prior to living in Omaha, she lived in Mankato, Minn. Ross said as a refugee, when she hears on the telephone of other’s stories of struggle with language and basic daily functions including going to the grocery store, she feels inclined to invite them to come over to her state.

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nov. 27 - dec. 3, 2014

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y continued from page 5 “People talk on the phone, people have been in the [refugee] camps together, people know each other. So, when they go to different states they exchange phone numbers and then they communicate,” she said. “They check on each other by asking how things are going, where they are located and share how things are going, good and bad.” Ross said she encourages people to come where they can get the best help. “So, people are trying to help each other to settle.”

When more Sudanese people from familiar tribes populate an area, there is a stronger support system and sense of family. Ross credits local groups like Omaha Together One Community (OTOC) and various church members from the Catholic, Lutheran, and Baptist churches for supporting her family and peers in transiting to Omaha.

Kara Tofte also works at Lutheran Family Services as the program coordinator at the International Center of the Heartland, a United Way community impact initiative providing “one-stop shop services for Refugees and immigrants.” Tofte said it is important for “outsiders” to welcome and help these communities because they treat everyone like family and deserve the same treatment.

“I’ve never felt unwelcome at any event or anyone’s home. It’s been extremely open. I can stay there for hours without feeling like I am bothering them. That’s huge because in the U.S., we’re not always like that,” Tofte said.

About an hour later the disc jockey took his post and the program started. Koang Dolouny organized the annual Youth Empowerment Opening Ceremony and it takes place in the early part of June. Dolouny is the program coordinator for the Omaha Talons Basketball Academy. The group currently works with about 70 to 120 young boys in grades 3 through 12.

In 1999, Dolouny and his family initially settled in New York but ultimately ended up in Omaha. Dolouny said Omaha became the perfect place for them because of the low cost of living, housing, education and jobs. He said his family had relations to the growing Sudanese population here.

“In New York they felt isolated. They felt like there wasn’t really anybody that they could mingle with, and connect with and relate to. I also think it was the large number of Sudanese people and the fact that they could feel a little bit at home. And, they could be somewhat traditional among their peers. I think that’s what ultimately brought us here [to Omaha].”

At the ceremony, live performances by local and national African musicians continued. Traditional African dancers took the stage and Sudanese trivia questions were asked throughout the night. This event was filled with musical messages of hope, education, family and an independent Southern Sudan. ­— Angel Martin

Refugees Flee Persecution: Making

a new home

I

n 2000, 90,000 refugees, seeking protection from their homeland persecution, were accepted into the United States. In Nebraska, Lutheran Family Services resettled 152 refugees, that year, according to the organization. It is difficult to get an exact population count of the Omaha Sudanese because there is currently no system in place to track these numbers, some may resettle here or just leave, the majority of them being women and children. In 1999, Dolouny and his family arrived

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nov. 27 - dec. 3, 2014

to the United States. Dolouny said his immigration story is unique because unlike many other Sudanese his journey to the United States included both his parents. As the middle child of seven children, he recalls growing up in a refugee camp boarding Sudan and Ethiopia. Dating back to 1955, Sudan has been in civil wars, and in 2011 South Sudan gained its independence from the country. During these wars villages were bombed and Dolouny said, “all hell broke loose,” forcing them to live in camps. He said the camp was like an alien planet with a wide mix of families in the middle of nowhere.

“I didn’t own a pair of shoes until I got here [United States]. I walked around barefoot my entire childhood.

I owned one pair of trouser shorts,” he said. “There was one meal a day that we ate which was dinner, and even that was a struggle.”

Dolouny is a part of the Nuer Tribe, the second largest tribe in South Sudan. Omaha has a large population of Nuer members. He said his tribe is very spiritual and connected to surroundings.

“We were a part of that environment. On a regular basis we maintained that eco system,” he said. “It’s a culture too where we didn’t have time. So, there was a lot of our time spent in leisure activity. Internally we were very connected to life. Everything wasn’t so much external. We still are very connected to family like a bond very connected to the moon and the sun,” he said.

He said only one of his sisters was left in Sudan for about seven years until she was reunited with them. Dolouny said his father prayed for that connection.

“When a kid is born everybody accepts that social

| THE READER |

cover story

responsibility to make sure that this kid gets to where they’re supposed to be in life,” he said. “That’s one of our strongest quotes,” Dolouny stated, “is that it takes a village to raise a child.”

Moving forward, Dolouny is now college educated and the program coordinator for the Omaha Talons Basketball Academy. He said basketball teaches the young boys in his group character skills like discipline and leadership.

“The worst thing that could possibly happen to the youth is that we move here and we just completely disappear and become a part of the system that is America.

Omaha gives us the chance to maintain that uniqueness, our lineage, and our history,” he said.

At the age of 24 he said those younger then him look up to him as an elder in the community. And, he’s taken on that responsibility by working with anywhere from 70 to 120 boys twice a week. He knows what it is like, to “live in two different worlds,” and is there to help them build character and adjust.

“They trust and understand that I have their greatest good in mind,” he said.

Many of Dolouny’s peers have returned back to Sudan working in leadership roles including a director/advisor to the Vice President. “On his way to become the president of the country,” he said. He also has a friend who graduated from Syracuse University, in 2003 who’s currently the largest exporter of goods in South Sudan.

But, as for now, he said, “Only God knows” his plans and his “passion is right here in Omaha.” So Dolouny will continue to call Omaha home.

— Angel Martin

Language of the Land: Over 109 different languages spoken in OPS

T

hiep Gach, along with his younger siblings and cousin, sit in their living room watching the Disney Channel, on a hot summer evening. Gach is a 12-year-old, Sudanese-American boy. He is attending Bryan Middle School this fall. Gach said his favorite school subject is reading.

“I want to be a lawyer when I get older,” Gach said.

Gach is bilingual and he speaks Nuer and English. In fact, there are over 109 different languages spoken in Omaha Public Schools (OPS), according to the 2013 enrollment numbers. Susan Mayburger works for OPS as a coordinator of ESL, Migrant and Refugee Education. She is responsible for the work involved with teaching the 7,000 English Language learners (majority from Spanish speaking homes), migrant, and Refugee students in the district.

She said OPS has a history of serving ESL students for decades. “We have our systems in place so that we’re able to serve students in all of our elementary schools. We have programs in probably seven middle schools and five out of our seven high schools.”

The number one goal of the district is to have high student achievement, have students graduate high school and have options for post secondary education or be ready for career and jobs, according to Mayburger. ESL has three main goals including; reading, writing, speak-

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| THE READER |

NOV. 27 - DEC. 3, 2014

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y continued from page 6 ing and understanding English at the highest level. Secondly, to be successful in the content area classes that are needed to pass and to graduate from high school.

Lastly she said, “we want them to have pride in their culture and in their first language, we don’t ever want to take away a skill set that they have so we want them to feel proud that they are bilingual individuals.”

One challenge she said she faces is sufficient funding to do the level of programming she wants. For example, North High School doesn’t have an ESL program because there are fewer than five students needing those services.

She said if a family does need that help and moves to that attendance area, other options will have to be worked out, such as transportation. But, overall, Mayburger said, she’s proud of the feedback she receives from parents with students in her programs.

“We do a survey of all of our parents who have children in the ESL program, every year. We have parents respond in the high nineties, saying ‘yes’ the Omaha Public School is meeting the needs of my child,” she said.

Mayburger is also an administrator for Yates Early Childhood/Community Center. This OPS facility includes early childhood education along with classes for parents to learn English, a sewing lab and a computer lab.

Programming started on August 18. She said we should see the immigrant community as an asset to Nebraska.

“We should do our very best to educate both the children and the parents well. So that we can in the end have individuals that can really contribute to our community. Let’s just do it right from the beginning, let’s teach them English, well, from the beginning. Always respecting the home language and the fact that they’re bringing a bilingual skill set to the workforce, which I think is very helpful to Nebraska as we compete on the global economy,” Mayburger said.

At Gach’s north Omaha home, his mother, Nyangak Thoan, sits on a couch in a colorfully decorated living room.

A poster hung on the wall above her, reading, “God Bless This Home.” She works at a hotel and said her children help her when she has English related questions. In fact, during our interview, Thoan’s children asked her questions in Nuer and translated her responses to English. She said the educational system here is good.

“In my country, Ulang, it’s war, and not peaceful but there is peace here. God doesn’t want us to hate,” she said.

In 2000, she migrated to America. Thoan said she didn’t choose to come here but rather her faith in God has her in Omaha. They attend Trinity Lutheran Church and sing in the choir and help with outreach and fundraising activities. Thoan said she is thankful for programs like the Omaha Talons for working with her children and she hopes for the best for them.

“They will do great things and succeed in life, when they get older, here and back in Africa,” she said.

— Angel Martin

Leaning a New Language: When you’ve

known a different one your entire life

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heir faces light up as they recite the alphabet all together, eager to show they know their letters. “T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z,” they say with a flourish and clap their hands when they’ve finished, pride beaming in their smiles.

This would describe many a kindergarten classroom, but in this instance, these are no children. Their faces show the wrinkles of time and the weathered skin of peo-

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ten years. So far, 150 people have signed on, despite the fact that many of them have low-paying manual labor jobs. The donations so far have banked $500,000 and enabled the purchase of the site.

And while so many people praise what the Karen are doing and how fast they’re adapting, Khu laughs at the notion. “To me it’s very long. I would like to have it faster.”

Having fought as a soldier on the battlefields of Burma, to living in a refugee camp, to finally settling down in Omaha, he wants to make sure the Karen have a spiritual home here, where family and community are valued and celebrated. But he’s not stopping there.

“My dream is bigger than this. I would like to see this church become international delegation so this is for all people, not just Karen. We want to see all people, all colors,” he shares. “’This is your country now.’ I never thought this before until I became a citizen.” ­— Carol Wang

Law of the Land:

Fishing and hunting laws can be new to immigrants

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ple who have seen their fair share of life. One of them, Shree Subba, is 66 years old. He grew up in Bhutan but at the age of 45 was forced to flee his homeland with this wife and seven children. A year and a half ago, with the help of the United Nations, he re-settled in Omaha from a refugee camp in Nepal.

“Everywhere there is just house and road and all cars everywhere, but in back home country there is a lot of land to farm,” Subba says through a translator. “I struggle to find friend.”

That is a common adjustment issue that the people who run the Intercultural Senior Center in south Omaha understand. With the emphasis on getting adults employed and children educated, the older refugees can feel left out and isolated. They don’t speak English, they don’t drive.

“I think they all look for a place where they’re accepted,” explains Carolina Padilla, the Executive Director of the center. The senior center originated as a place for older Latinos to find a sense of community. It found its home at 20th and U, also known as Sokol South Omaha, the home of the Czechoslovak Museum which celebrates the an earlier wave of Omaha immigrants.

A year ago, it opened its doors to refugees. “Response has been amazing.”

Today there are four people working with the Asian population and programs run five days a week. Typically about 60 Bhutanese and a dozen Karen immigrants participate weekly. The number is limited to what the center can provide for transportation.

Once the seniors arrive, there are activities, English classes, help with health resources, and plenty of socializing. “It is a great place to come and fellowship and help them improve their lives,” Refugee Program Coordinator Marie Schussman points out. Already there are plans to look for a new home for the growing center.“He’s very happy to be here,” Subba’s interpreter tells us. “There’s no way to go back to Bhutan, but he hopes, someday, to go to visit.” As Subba sits contentedly, watching the set-up for another activity, a petite Latino woman holds the hand of a Bhutanese lady to show her around. Proof that friendship and a sense of belonging doesn’t need a language. ­— Carol Wang

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A Home in Their New Home: Karen community breaks ground on church campus open to all

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ike a proud father, Saw Khu, who everyone calls “Rocky,” opens his tablet and starts showing off pictures. But they aren’t of his children, they are of twelve acres of land and the church about to break ground and become the Karen Christian Revival Church.

“It’s not just a church, it will be a community center. The church for all people,” Khu says with strong conviction.

The $2.3 million project at 49th and Sorensen is an ambitious capital campaign for any organization to undertake, but it’s extraordinary for a refugee group who has only been in Omaha since 2007. People who work with the Karen immigrants say it’s largely been driven

by Khu. “He’s a real visionary with a humble soul,” enthuses Lacey Studnicka, Program Development Officer for Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska. Studnicka says Khu encouraged other refugees to move to Omaha to take advantage of the opportunities he saw and they’ve taken off from there. “Their sense of community is really inspiring and they inspire other refugee groups.”

Along the way, Khu has become a successful businessman. He and his family own a grocery store and restaurant both named Salween Thai at Northwest Radial Highway near Nicholas Street in Omaha and a second grocery store named K’nyaw Poe Asian Market at 90th and Fort. They’re currently scouting out locations for a second restaurant.

“All we are doing now is for them [future generations],” Khu states simply. As one of the pastors of his church, he’s determined to lead his people as they adjust to their new lives. “We have never seen this amount of money, this big a house.” He says they need to move past being refugees and raise their standards of living to that of other Americans.

His community is responding. The fundraising calls for members of the church to commit $5,000 a year for

hink of the last time you moved to a new city and what it entailed: finding a place to live, packing your things, saying goodbye to friends and family, learning your way around town, making new social connections, not to mention being the new person in your workplace again. It can be all-consuming in the first initial months. Add to that a language and cultural barrier and you can just begin to understand how difficult the process is for an immigrant new to Omaha.

“Yeah, it was really hard,” Krishan Subba, a refugee originally from the country of Bhutan, remembered.

“Now it’s okay.”

But part of learning the way life works in Nebraska is also understanding the laws that can be completely foreign for those who have been just focused on survival. It’s an issue Lutheran Family Services, an organization that works with refugees in acclimating to their new home, sees regularly. LFS also takes the calls when some of the city’s newer immigrants get in trouble with law enforcement and end up in the court system.

“One of the biggest things we see, especially in the summer, are people getting tickets and/or arrested for fishing and hunting either without a license or they are not following the law on how they fish and hunt,” Kara Tofte, a coordinator at the agency explained in an email response to questions.

Violations of fishing and hunting laws have become enough of an issue that Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is working with Lutheran Family Services to reach out to the estimated 8,000 Bhutanese and Burmese who have settled in Omaha in the last five to seven years.

“There certainly is a need, in our opinion, for Lutheran Family Services and officers to do this type of outreach,” concurs Duane Arp, Assistant Law Enforcement Administrator for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission A current case is highlighting just how serious the consequences can be for not understanding the regulations around wildlife. At the end of June, Nebraska State Patrol troopers arrested three men from Burma after spotting them at Cunningham Lake. In the report, the officers stated they found the men named So Reh, Lu Reh, and Su Reh in possession of 207 protected birds. Some had been cooked, according to the paperwork.

Typically, this type of offense is a misdemeanor and has the same consequences as a traffic ticket—those

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| THE READER |

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y now, the sordid rumors that Macaulay Culkin has died have settled like dust to a floor and the internet has moved on to more important things—like Kim Kardashian’s posterior (yawn). Omaha will find out the truth soon enough when Culkin and his band The Pizza Underground make their way onto The Waiting Room stage with longtime friend Har Mar Superstar.

Har Mar, real name Sean Tillman, has been making the trek to Omaha since living in his home state of Minnesota. After high school, he moved to St. Paul where he really started to hone his unique musical talent, which often included stripped down performances in not much more than his underwear, sometimes even less. In 2000, he released his self-titled debut on Kill Rock Stars and that put him on the musical map. In 2001 while recording his follow-up, 2001’s You Can Feel Me, he had a fateful encounter with The Strokes’ vocalist Julian Casablancas. He didn’t know it at the time, but eventually he would sign with Casablancas’ label, Cult Records.

“We’ve been friends for probably like 14 or 15 years,” Tillman explains. “It actually started in Omaha. I was recording with The Faint for the You Can Feel Me Album. It was right when The Strokes’ Is This It came out. I was going to go back to Minneapolis that night, but they talked me in to going to Lawrence to see The Strokes show. I liked that record so I wanted to see it live. There was all this backlash and I wanted to see for myself. The show was great.

“We went to a house party afterwards and I was talking to Julian for awhile,” he continues. “He and Fab [Fabrizio Moretti of The Strokes] had shown up at the party. We were talking and talking, and leaning up against the wall, watching everybody as the party progressed. Somebody came by and said, ‘Har Mar, I love you!’ I always had a good following in Lawrence.

Julian was like, ‘Oh I love him. Where is he?’ I was like, ‘Uh that’s me.’ I was wearing glasses and he hadn’t recognized me [laughs]. He was like, ‘Holy fu*k! I saw you play at the Mercury Lounge. He asked me to open for his tour.

It was just hilarious. I was like, ‘Yeah right, that’s not going to happen.’ I met Ryan, their manager, and I didn’t really believe it, but I got a phone call two days later that I was on all the shows.”

That relationship led to a record deal with Cult Records, home to another friend/collaborator Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Albert Hammond, Jr. of The Strokes.

“I happened to be in Minneapolis when Julian was on his first solo tour,” he recalls. “He was talking about the label as a far off kind of dream. I was

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recommending bands and stuff. By the time I was making my record a year or two later, I sent it to him on a whim. He wanted to do it. We were the second album they put out.”

The result was Tillman’s fifth studio album, Bye Bye 17, a huge departure from the raw, tongue-in-cheek style of “hip-hop,” he did on previous efforts.

This record finds Tillman at his most vulnerable and most soulful. After living in Los Angeles from 2003-2011, he made the cross-country move to New York City. Once surrounded by the seasons and electric energy of the Big Apple, an older writing style began to scratch at the surface. Bye Bye 17 is a tale of that transition.

“As I was getting back in the seasons after living in LA for so long, I awakened a different kind of writing style,” he says. “I wrote everything on acoustic guitar like I did when I was in Sean Na Na. I guess it’s just where my voice goes when I’m playing the chords that I’m drawn to. It’s more of an independent record that I made and me sitting down and getting into my own head. I just like the kind of gloom and emotion of winter. It’s nice to have that balance.

“Moving to New York City sort of revitalized me,” he adds. “I love LA, but I was getting bored. It’s an insular place if you don’t work a job with other people. You end up not seeing anybody until nighttime for a couple hours. I was going to the same bars over and over again. Also, I had a terrible home loan so I got out of that and said, ‘Let’s go to New York.’ I like not having a car. I like not making plans and just walking out my door to see where the night takes me.”

The move seems to have done wonders for Tillman in a slew of ways. The video he did for the single “Restless Leg” was done with his girlfriend and a couple of friends on a budget of $500. It’s a funny and admittedly disturbing video involving puppet love and a ventriloquist. (That’s right, puppet love.)

“My girlfriend and I always joke that we are Muppets and all of our friends are Muppets in a way,” he says. “When you see us in a big group, it’s like backstage at the Muppet show. The story just kind of evolved. Once we agreed on it, it was hilarious.”

As the six-week tour with The Pizza Underground inches closer to completion, there’s a sense Tillman doesn’t want it to end. He’s made a comfortable niche for himself and anyone that’s ever met him (or seen him perform) has nothing but kind things to say about him. He could be your friend, your neighbor or that guy you just jam with on a Sunday afternoon. Perhaps that’s what makes Tillman so magnetic. He loves his job and he’s just…cool.

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“When I come off tour, there’ll be the requisite three days where you lay around for a few days and watch television,” he says. “I can do that. I guess it’s easier to live in New York when you don’t work a real job and your job involves getting drunk at night.”

Culkin is no doubt involved in lots of the tour debauchery. In fact, when the death rumors began to circulate, he posted several pictures of himself looking like a corpse just to have a little fun with the presumptive public.

Tillman didn’t even realize it was happening at the time.

“I saw the thing and I assumed it was an earlier hoax that had happened when he was 15-years-old,” he says. “I didn’t even entertain the notion because I had just seen him the night before. It was also reported that he died at his apartment in New York, but were in like New Orleans. I didn’t know how far it had gone. I saw it the next day and I was like ‘Oh wait, that’s a thing?’

People will believe anything that’s written [laughs].

“We’re really good friends,” he adds. “Mac has a factory style vibe. He opens up his apartment in New York to Adam Green and me to make art, make weird stuff, play charades, and get creative. It’s a good vibe. He loves going on tour. He’ll jump in the van with Adam or me all the time. Basically, it made sense when he got his own band. We just wanted to do it together. It’s a nice excuse for us to hang out every day for six weeks.”

As far as The Pizza Underground goes, apparently all they talk about is pizza. (“You wouldn’t want to talk to them [laughs],” he says.) Tillman believes it’s because he doesn’t want to answer a bunch of Home Alone questions, which is respectable. Who would? Unfortunately, there are a lot of people out there that would barrage him with a bunch of questions about his childhood. It’s like asking Sean Lennon about his famous father, you just don’t. Nonetheless, the motley crew is on its way.

“Omaha is pretty close to the end of the tour,” he says. “I love coming to Omaha. I lived in Minneapolis until I was 25 so I would go to Omaha all the time just to hang out with The Faint guys and Conor [Oberst]. I would go for a week at a time and just mess around. I know the place well and Denver Dalley plays in the band so that’s another strong connection. We run Omaha deep.” , Har Mar Superstar and The Pizza Underground with Rig1, November 28, at The Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St., 9 p.m. Tickets are $15. Visit www.onepercentproductions.com for more information.

y continued from page 8 caught face a fine and court costs. But in this instance, the number of swallows the Rehs are accused of taking means they’re facing charges of fishing/hunting without a permit and taking protected birds which could net a maximum of a $1,000 fine and a year in jail. On top of that, the state statute allows for damages, which means if the accused are found guilty that could cost them up to $10,000.

This is the first time David Smalheiser, the City Prosecutor, has faced this scenario in his 30 years of law. He has, however, seen the impact immigrants have had on the judicial system.

“The courts have seen a rise in the need for interpreters in the courtroom,” he notes. And the language barrier creates challenges in helping Omahans with limited English skills access the law. “Whether it’s Karen or a dialect of a tribe from Central America, it certainly impacts our people who come to the counter and need our services.”

Tofte tells us Omaha Police and the Douglas County District Court work closely with Lutheran Family Services on legal and law enforcement issues that arise with Bhutanese, Burmese and Sudanese individuals.

The agency also collaborates with other organizations like the WCA to help their clients who are dealing with domestic violence find safety and self-sufficiency as well as Nebraska Families Collaborative when there are child abuse claims.

The cultural orientation program Tofte coordinates will now likely involve the Game and Parks Commission.

Arp says his department is ready to help, having worked with other groups in the past to help them understand the need for permits, when hunting for certain game is allowed, how much hunters and fishermen are allowed to take and what wildlife is off-limits. He believes the volume of cases his department is seeing involving immigrants can be lessened with education and awareness.

As for the three men accused of killing protected birds, the Rehs’ fates will be in the hands of a jury.

Their trial is slated for October. ­— Carol Wang

Finding Family in Omaha: Bhutanese build

community here

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hen Krishna Subba thinks about the place he grew up in, there’s a sense of disbelief that comes across in his eyes and his voice.

“It was so painful and so terrible.”

Subba’s memories are not of his homeland—Bhutan-a small country that sits between China and India. Instead, they’re of a refugee camp in Nepal. In the 1990s, struggles between ethnic groups and the government led to his people, Lhotshampas, fleeing into exile.

Subba was two years.. The “house” he moved into, he estimates was about 15 feet by 20 feet—the size of one bedroom—for his three siblings, parents and himself.

“Meat once a month; walk fifteen minutes to get water,” recounts the now 25-year old young man. Because the walls were bamboo, he says there was no privacy and you could smell what everyone was cooking.

“When we were in camp we were always told, ‘next year we’ll be back In Bhutan’ and then the next year, ‘next year

we’ll be back in Bhutan.’ We never felt like it was home.”

Twenty years later, in June of 2011, Omaha became his new hometown. He was one of the 738 refugees resettled in Nebraska that year. An estimated 2,000 people originally from Bhutan and living in camps, have been re-settled in the city in the last five years.

Families from Bhutan and Burma have made up the majority of the refugees brought to Nebraska beginning in 2007 and tracked by Nebraska’s State Refugee Coordinator, Karen Parde. She says people selected to immigrate usually end up in states where they have family ties so there is a support system in place to help them adjust.

“Nebraska has a huge amount of family tie cases,” when it comes to Burmese and Bhutanese people.

More than 1,000 refugees were placed in Nebraska last year, according to Parde, largely because they already had family connections here. Typically, the state’s target number for resettlement is 720 people a year. “We’re not trying to grow a program.”

However, in the world of secondary migration, Omaha has become a popular attraction for the Karen (pronounced Kah-wren), an ethnic people from Burma.

“Omaha is a wonderful place to re-settle because we have a welcoming community and employment opportunities,” explains Lacey Studnicka, who works with refugees for Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska.

Saw Khu, moved with his family from Minnesota because of economic possibilities and the low cost of living.

He says word has spread among his people and at the camps, “If you’re going to America, go to Omaha, best place to raise family.”

Today, the best guess is that some six thousand Karen refugees are in the community.

Moving to the U.S. is not an easy feat. The state of Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services works with Lutheran Family Services and Southern Sudan Community Association to provide services for the refugees. Studnicka says the federal government gives the non-profits $925 per refugee to get them established during their first 90 days. That means providing an apartment, furnishing it, and stocking the fridge.

Within 5-7 days of getting off a plane in Omaha, the refugees are working with staff to create employment plans, making appointments to see doctors for their health screenings, enrolling kids in school, applying for food stamps, and other programs they might be eligible for including medicare, social security and disability.

The main emphasis for adults is on filling out paperwork and looking for work.

The resettlement program in Nebraska is so successful, a report from The Office of Refugee Resettlement lists the state as having the highest rates of success when it comes to refugee self-sufficiency.. But Studnicka and the others who work with the refugee population are quick to heap praise on the immigrants and their work ethic for the positive outcomes.

“Refugees bring a lot to the state,” Parde states. “I’ve seen lots of success stories. It’s just their plain determination to make it work here.”

Subba knows he still has a lot of hard work ahead of him. His first three years in Omaha were spent employed at a manufacturing plant and learning English. He now works as a hospital interpreter. In 2015 a book he wrote about his life will be published in Nepali. He’s working on the English translation in his free time, when he’s not in school. And while he admits, Omaha is not yet home, “Someday, I’ll feel it’s my home.” ­— Carol Wang

fromthepublisher By john heaston

Print Deep, Web Daily: Our Search for Sustainable Local Journalism in 2015 and Beyond

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oming to work at The Reader before our first issue in March 1994 meant heading to a 2-bedroom loft at Alahambra Apartments on 49th & Dodge Sts., preferably after its newlywed residents were up and the boundless husky pup had been taken for a walk. That route took me right by one of Omaha’s first gas stations, at the time being transformed into vegetarian restaurant icon McFoster’s, a flurry of long-haired activity determined to open that spring. It was such a flurry, that after a pit stop to peak in on progress, I found out that the folks who had been organizing Omaha’s nascent annual Earth Day weren’t planning another.

And so I found myself part of a great group helping to launch The Reader, Omaha’s original alternative newsweekly, at the same time I was organizing my first Earth Day. Leading a celebration of sustainability as I was about to vastly expand my carbon footprint wasn’t even a thought. Carbon was barely on the radar then. It was all about other forms of more immediately toxic pollutants.

Today, The Reader has its biggest readership in our history. We also publish the bilingual community weekly El Perico and run OmahaJobs.com and its job fairs. A little known fact is we have grown into a local leader in the fast-growing digital services area under PioneerMedia.Me. We are helping over 50 local businesses become their own media channels online. And for the last few years our team has partnered with Earth Day on sponsorships and programming, while I find myself behind the microphone, emceeing another Earth Day, Nebraska’s original holiday.

Twenty years later carbon pollution clearly threatens the long-term future of our planet. As a print media, we need to find a way to sustain a carbon-neutral path forward, using new technologies and assuming the environmental costs or cutting our impact.

While that might be the best reason The Reader is aiming to cut its carbon footprint in half next year by going monthly in print and daily online starting this January, there are a few others.

Print Deep As a monthly print publication, The Reader will have a glossy cover, significantly expanded coverage, increased circulation and an affordable home delivery rate. You will still be able to find us in your usual trusty pick-up spots, but for $25 per year we will put every issue in your mailbox, less than the cost of a monthly latte.

As valuable, durable and impactful as print should be, we can also better live up to the most important part of our traditional editorial mission: With a commitment to the freelance culture and by empowering our writers to pitch stories that affect the community, we strive to deliver the most compelling, accurate and relevant stories to our readership, acting as watchdogs to go beyond the surface of issues to bring

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awareness, clarity and perspective for those without a voice. We don’t pander, challenging our readership to a deeper understanding and involvement by covering the culture of politics and the politics of culture.

That mission expands in the digital age by engaging our community before and after the story and across platforms. ¡ aims to create partnerships that dive deep into some of our most important issues, facilitate positive change and track those changes (or not), into the future. While politics governs us, culture binds us. Expect to see the same writers and new ones – journalists and other guest contributors.

After 20 years of covering the same issues, and being at our best when we illuminate important civic and cultural matters, hold public officials accountable and celebrate artistic achievements, we’re ready to do whatever we can to make a difference in our community and to preserve the editorial independence and honest journalism you have come to rely on from us. If you are interested in partnering with us, we’d love to hear from you.

Web Daily Like almost every other print publication finding its way in the digital age, our readership has an exponentially growing universe of informational sources across multiple screens. One of the questions we’ve been answering for 20 years is “what am I going to do tonight/ this weekend?”

In that time, the universe of things to do in Omaha has also increased exponentially. When we started around an effort to keep Sokol Auditorium open, Benson had only a very few hangout spots and we didn’t have five world-class performance venues in the CenturyLink Center, The Slowdown, Holland Performing Arts Center, Stir Concert Cove and Waiting Room, not to mention entertainment options at Village Pointe or Midtown Crossing. Performing arts has never been more dynamic and visual arts more vibrant. The restaurant scene has exploded.

To better serve your ongoing informational needs and to be instantly responsive to whatever your schedule demands, we will also be relaunching TheReader.com in January, updating it daily and sharing across social media platforms. We are determined to create more opportunities for current coverage, artist features, previews, reviews and on-the-town planning. Look for more digital developments including a mobile-ready site, an app, community engagement tools and an exciting newsletter partnership.

We wouldn’t have gotten this far and be in such a strong position to make this shift without your steady readership and the support of our advertisers. We have an outstanding office and freelance team that isn’t afraid of change and who inherently understands an important part of our mission is to serve our community. We can’t thank you enough for the opportunity you’ve given us and this chance to take it even further. We look forward to serving you more deeply in print and daily online, and helping our clients not only advertise, but to grow their own digital solutions. ,

| THE READER |

nov. 27 - dec. 3, 2014

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8 DAYS

PICKOFTHEWEEK Thursday, Nov. 27

SARPY YMCA 5K TURKEY TROT AND FAMILY FUN RUN Shadow Lake Towne Center, 7775 Olson Drive 8 a.m., $10-$25, www.sarpy.metroymca.org

The feast has arrived and you might be wanting to reach for that second scoop of mashed potatoes with warm butter or that extra slice of pecan pie, but won’t you feel guilty after? Not if you’ve already gotten your workout in for the day. The Sarpy YMCA is hosting their annual 5k Turkey Trot and Family Fun Run this Thanksgiving. This event will take place behind the Shadow Lake Towne Center around a small lake. The cost is $25 a person, but let’s say you’re not a runner or your family is in town and you don’t want to leave them out, you don’t have to! The 1.6 mile Family Fun Run/Walk begins at 8:30 am and is $5 a person or $10 for a family. Bonus: if you dress in your favorite Thanksgiving themed attire you will be entered to win a Village Inn Pie. Brave the cold so you can reach guilt-free for some of that delicious pumpkin pie…with whipped cream! — Mara Wilson

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THURSDAY27 Thursday, Nov. 27

THANKSGIVING, HOLIDAY LIGHTS AND MORE Slowdown, 8729 N, 14th St. 8 p.m., $5 ADV / $7 DOS (402) 345-7569, theslowdown.com

There’s a couple events to highlight around this Thanksgiving. If you have stepped inside a store lately it looks like Christmas has arrived early (and along with it the cold and snow!), but don’t let those early bird signs get you into a scrooge mode, enjoy the holiday season. The annual and miraculous Omaha Holiday Lights Festival will take place on Thanksgiving followed by a free concert at the Holland with special guest vocalist Mary Carrick accompanied by the Nebraska Wind Symphony. For more information on this event and other holiday festivities that go through Jan. 4, check out www.holidaylightsfestival.org The Omaha Children’s Museum from Friday, Nov. 28, through Dec. 23 will be hosting what they call their magical tradition of Santa’s Magic. This is an interactive show in their own version of a winter wonderland. Guest appearances from a “Frozen” Snow Queen, and Elf and even the big man himself! See www.ocm.org for times and prices.

Papillion will be hosting their own annual lights festival on Saturday, Nov. 29, in a Winter Wonderland from 5–9 p.m. Carriage rides, bonfire, music, hot chocolate, popcorn, chili, meeting Santa and his helpers including some of his reindeer and special offers from merchants, along with turning on the downtown lights with a community. This event couldn’t be more fun and it’s free. You will find more information on www.papillionfoundation.org If that’s too much holiday cheer for you, don’t forget to check out the local bars and venues (or look on our events page) for their regular rock and roll schedules to resume after the holiday. You have to dance all of the turkey off somewhere, right? — Mara Wilson

| THE READER |

picks

CLARK AND COMPANY

FRIDAY28 Friday, Nov. 28

CLARK AND COMPANY CD RELEASE PARTY W/ALLI & I Slowdown, 8729 N, 14th St. 8 p.m., $5 ADV / $7 DOS (402) 345-7569, theslowdown.com

Omaha Entertainment & Arts Awards nominee Clark & Company will release its second album at the Slowdown Friday, Nov. 28, 8-11 p.m., with special guest Alli & I. The band is a nominee in the R&B/Soul category for the 2015 awards. Lincoln-based Alli & I will open that night. Indie R&B band Clark & Company’s second album — Larger World — includes 12 original songs that incorporate a host of acoustic sounds and styles — including rhythm & blues, jazz, soul, rock and singer/ songwriter. The album take listeners on a lyrical journey, while forging new musical ground that features mature melodies, fresh arrangements and a stirring, signature style. The band’s first album, Three of Swords,

was released in January 2014, with 13 original songs.

“Larger World is definitely different from ‘Three of Swords’ in the sense that it has fuller sound with more of a horn section, and the songs are generally more upbeat and driving,” Clark & Company’s Sophie Clark said about the new record. Audiences who see Clark & Company play live are surprised to learn the band was created by 17-year-old triplets from Omaha—with Sophie Clark on keyboard and vocals, Cooper Clark on acoustic and electric bass and Simon Clark on drums and percussion. Sophie is also the songwriter for the group.Company members include musicians Cameron Thelander on tenor saxophone, Michael Palandri on alto saxophone and Sam Tarin on trumpet. Although a relatively new band, Clark & Company has already received international recognition. The band’s song “Battle Cry,” off its first album, was named a finalist last winter in the 10th Annual International Acoustic Music Awards in the Best Group/Duo category. The band was in good company: Finalists in other categories for this award included Emmylou Harris and JD Souther, who co-wrote the songs “Best of My Love” and “New Kid in Town” with iconic band, the Eagles.

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

www.thereader.com/events

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.

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.

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.

Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!) - 7:30 pm | $25-$30 The Blue Barn Theatre They’re Back! Theresa Sindelar, Ben Beck, and Bill Grennan reprise their hilarious characters in this fast, fond, and furious look at the holiday traditions we all remember, and a few we’d like to forget! From Tiny Tim to the Grinch, from Frosty to It’s a Wonderful Life, nothing is spared in this rollicking tour de farce!

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 27

Live Jazz Pianist Mark Misfeldt - 7:30 pm | Free The Omaha Lounge

FRIDAY NOV 28

Escape from AlcaJazz CD Release Party 6:30 pm | Free Brewsky’s Food & Spirits - Park Drive Whether you will have just come from watching the early Husker game or from Black Friday shopping. Please join us for the release of our second album ‘a dark matter.’

University of Nebraska Mens Basketball 7:00 pm | Free University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletics Live Jazz Pianist Kevin Lloyd - 7:30 pm | Free The Omaha Lounge Kris Lager Band & Sophistafunk - 8:00 pm | The Hive Lounge Kris Lager Band is a Nebraska born group who have dedicated their lives to playing Soulful, original music.

Live Music - 9:00 pm | Free Horseshoe Council Bluffs Casino 3D In Your Face - 9:00 pm | $5 The 21st Saloon Rock N Roll never sounded so sweat and never looked so good. 3D In Your Face brings you another night of full on debauchery all set to the InYour-Face sounds of the 80’s. If you are ready to be ‘Up All Night’ then this is the party for you.

“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 Love Down Below - 10:00 pm | $7 The Side Door Lounge After ThanksGiving come get stuffed with some soul filled love.... The Love Down below is a love based sensory evening filled with sensual love poems, witty love games and breathe taking live music. Featuring: The love sounds of Shauna B & Transition. *Eventbrite allows you to purchase ahead of time with a small fee or $10 at the door. For: Singles, Couples, Boos, Lovers, Friends and fun Family Members. Sweet treats by The Cupcake Nerds

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

SATURDAY NOV 29

The Music Of Charlie Brown And The Peanuts - 4:00 pm | $12-$15 Joslyn Art Museum Celebrate the holiday season kick off this year with a live recreation of the music from many of the Charlie Brown Holiday specials, including ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ and ‘A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.’ Take a trip back to a simpler time, and begin your holiday season with the best memories of the holidays from days past. Omaha’s only ‘Music Of Charlie Brown And The Peanuts.’ There will be a cash bar, door prizes, and a Toys For Tots donation effort. Held at the beautiful Joslyn Art Museum in Abbott Hall. The concert features Donovan Johnson, piano; Bucky McCann, sax/flute; Michael De Luca, drums; Rickie Williams, bass; Carlos Figueroa, percussion Tickets are $15 at the door, $12 online. Children 12 and under are $10.

Children under 5 will be admitted free of charge.

Crawford vs. Beltran - 6:30 pm | $27-$127 CenturyLink Center Omaha WBO Lightweight champion Terence Crawford, ‘the Pride of Omaha’ and No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger Ray Beltran of Mexico with fight for the World Lightweight title. It will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark.

Flusha Art Pop Up Opening Featuring Dojorock - 7:00 pm | Free The Side Door Lounge Opening Reception featuring art by Flusha followed by dance music provided by Dojorock.

Flusha is a local Omaha street artist using acrylic spray graffiti techniques and mediums applied to canvas, wood panels, and brick murals. His inspirations and muses comes from his personal life experiences viewed through the eyes of mystical and spiritual perspectives to reflect the polarities, dualities, and perceptions of humanity and the limitations of the human ego.

Live Jazz and Blues Guitarist George Walker - 7:30 pm | Free The Omaha Lounge Live Music - 9:00 pm | Free Horseshoe Council Bluffs Casino Sophistafunk - 9:00 pm | $5 The Slowdown Omaha This group met in 2007 and rapidly evolved into a national-touring live act. Known for their huge sound (created by only three members), the band has won over crowds with a captivating stage presence and tight musicianship. Rooted by old school funk / hip hop, the trio explores electronic dance grooves while infusing each tune with soul and positively charged lyrics.

The Matt Wallace Fusion Force - 9:00 pm | Free Havana Garage Matt Wallace began playing the alto saxophone at the age of 10 because ‘W’ was at the end of the alphabet and every other instrument was taken. He played his first professional gig with the popular big band ‘Resurrected Swing’ at age 13 on baritone saxophone and it was jazz clubs by night, junior high by day. At 16 he appeared on the front page of the daily’s entertainment section with Dizzy Gillespie. The two men would later become friends traveling in Europe and the US together playing dates all over the world.

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. McCarthy Trenching - 9:30 pm | $5 O’Leaver’s Pub McCarthy Trenching has released two albums on Team Love Records, 2007’s McCarthy Trenching and 2008’s Calamity Drenching. Plays the Piano will be the second release with Slumber Party Records on October 9, 2012, following 2011’s Fresh Blood.

SUNDAY NOV 30

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.

University of Nebraska Women’s Basketball - 2:00 pm | Free University of NebraskaLincoln Athletics

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 charismatic & talented salsa dancer in Omaha a Mr. Blandon ‘Salserodalante’ Joiner.

Live Jazz and Blues Pianist Ray Williams 7:30 pm | Free The Omaha Lounge 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 with their cool contemporary jazz.

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

MONDAY DEC 1

Live Blues and Jazz Saxophone with Ed Archibald - 7:30 pm | Free The Omaha Lounge 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 DEC 2

Pub Quiz - 7:00 pm | Free The Slowdown Omaha Pub Quiz is a pretty-much-weekly event at Slowdown, typically on Tuesdays unless a rock show moves the day around. Gather up a team of 5 or less people and get ready to have your wits tested with 40 questions from the Quiz Masters.

Always a nice prize for the winners.

Live Blues Guitarist and Vocalist “Hector Anchondo” - 7:30 pm | Free The Omaha Lounge UNL Percussion Ensemble - 7:30 pm | $3-$5 Kimball Recital Hall The UNL Percussion Ensemble presents its Fall 2014 concert with staples of the repertoire by Varese, Reich, and Thierry de Mey. The program will also include Jake Remington’s tour de force for percussion orchestra Prelude to Paradise and regional premieres of Mechanical Ballet by Anders Coppel and tilted spheres by Dave Hall.

WEDNESDAY DEC 3

Live Jazz Pianist Ben Tweedt - 7:30 am | Free The Omaha Lounge Lunch at the Library - 12:00 pm | Free Bennett Martin Public In the 4th Floor Auditorium. Sponsored by the Nebraska Literary Heritage Association, support group for the Jane Pope Geske Heritage Room of Nebraska Authors. Bring your lunch and enjoy coffee provided by The Mill. Vicki Wood, Youth Services Librarian, Lincoln City Libraries: ‘Great Books for Giving.’

University of Nebraska Women’s Basketball - 6:30 pm | Free University of NebraskaLincoln Athletics 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, Ray’s easily kept when the crowd is rapt). From jazz to showtunes to classical to blues to sing-a-longs, Rays keeps the crowd hopping with whatever songs are needed.

Creighton Women’s Volleyball - 7:00 pm | $5$15 D.J. Sokol Arena Christmas with the King’s Singers - 7:30 pm | $22 Holland Performing Arts Center This special Christmas program features one of the world’s most celebrated vocal ensembles, The King’s Singers. A class act with a delightfully British wit, The King’s Singers have a packed schedule of concerts, recordings, media and education work that spans the globe.

Live Jazz Pianist Ben Tweedt - 7:30 pm | Free The Omaha Lounge UNL Campus Orchestra - 7:30 pm | $3-$5 Kimball Recital Hall The overseeing faculty member is Dr. Tyler White, Director of University Orchestras. The conductors are graduate conducting students Canes Nicolas and David Galant, they will lead the ensemble in performance of works by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Handel, LeRoy Anderson and a Haitian folk song arranged by John Jost.

UNL Sax Ensembles - 7:30 pm | Free Westbrook Recital Hall The University of NebraskaLincoln Saxophone Studio is pleased to present its fall 2014 ensembles concert featuring works for saxophone choir, Supersax ensembles and for jazz quartet. This concert will feature works

by Bryd, Bach, Schmidt, Parker, Varga and more.

Comedy Open Mic - 10:00 pm | Free Barley Street Tavern

listings

| THE READER |

NOV. 27 - DEC. 3, 2014

13

BY B.J. HUCHTEMANN

Musical Cornucopia

T

here are great music options for getting out this holiday weekend. The 21st Saloon hosts Brad Cordle & The Mighty Jailbreakers in a special reunion show Wednesday, Nov. 26, 6-9 p.m. There is no show on Thursday this week since it is Thanksgiving Day. Matt Cox presents his fifth annual Barley Street Tavern Thanksgiving eve event gathering donations for the food bank. Cox and friends perform. Music starts about 9 p.m. Josh Hoyer & The Shadowboxers spend Thanksgiving eve performing in Denver for the final show of a 14city tour. Then they make it back to Nebraska just in time to throw down a Zoo Bar show Thanksgiving night, after 9:30 p.m. Kris Lager Band returns from touring with Andy Frasco and has a gig at The Hive Friday, Nov. 28, with Sophistafunk. See thehiveomaha.com for details.

Zoo Bar Lincoln’s Zoo Bar spotlights blues-boogie piano queen Kelley Hunt Friday, Nov. 28, 5 p.m.

Coming up next week, the charismatic John Nemeth plays Wednesday, Dec. 3, 6-9 p.m. And mark your calendar for Hoodoo favorite and three-time Austin music hall of fame inductee Jon Dee Graham at the Zoo Monday, Dec. 8, 7 p.m. with guest Mike June. Both will play acoustic sets. Graham is a

hoodoo

must-hear songwriter, guitarist and vocalist whose songs are truly life changing for many listeners. See jondeegraham.com.

Jazz with Dave Stryker Omaha native Dave Stryker gigs at Harney Street Tavern Sunday, Nov. 30, 7 p.m.

Stryker was recently named as one of the best jazz guitarists in DownBeat Magazine’s annual readers poll. His CD, 8 Track, was listed as one of the best jazz albums of the year. Stryker will play with highly respected local musicians Dana Murray on drums, Mitch Towne on Hammond organ and Jorge Nila on sax. Find out more about Stryker at davestryker.com.

Midwest Jazz Collective The Midwest Jazz Collective brings together talent from several musical communities.

Omaha’s own keyboard virtuoso Mitch Towne will be joined by Chicago guitarist Scott Hesse, Sioux City trumpet player Justin Kisor and Kansas City’s John Kizilarmut on drums. The quartet plays Harney Street Tavern Saturday, Nov. 29, 9 p.m.

Hot Notes Tijuana Gigolos plays the Roca Tavern just outside Lincoln Saturday, Nov. 29, 9 p.m. The wildly popular Kansas City-based band of siblings Trampled Under Foot hits The 21st Saloon Thursday, Dec. 4, 6-9 p.m. The band is on their final tour before sister and brother Danielle and Nick Schnebelen step out fronting their own bands. See tufkc.com. ,

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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NOV. 27 - DEC. 3, 2014

| THE READER |

hoodoo

overtheedge lifestyle column by tim mcmahan

A Commitment to Paper and Ink

I

f you didn’t read the publisher’s note on page 11, please go read it now. It gives the whys behind The Reader transitioning from a weekly newspaper format to a monthly magazine format.

The shift in publication calendar in January means the end of the longest-running alternative weekly newspaper in Omaha history.

I make it sound bleak. In fact, the change will be looked upon as an improvement by many. Moving to monthly will mean a return to the long-form journalism that used to be a hallmark of this newspaper years ago, before advertising began to shrink the editorial hole, before everyone cast their attention away from the printed word toward the electronic shit-heap we call the Internet.

Needless to say, The Reader’s 2015 transition also will include an enhanced online experience at thereader.com, and our hero, editor/publisher John Heaston, promises daily and real-time online updates rather than merely updating the website’s content once per week.

It also means that after more than 500 entries and about 500,000 words, this weekly column, which began Dec. 2, 2004, will be no more. No doubt Over the Edge will be back in the new monthly edition of The Reader, but we’ve yet to determine if this screed will have a weekly place at thereader.com. Or should I say, I have yet to decide.

Because writing for online publications just ain’t the same as writing for the printed word. I have been asked to contribute to other online-only pubs in the past, including a couple “national” blogs, but the appeal of writing for digital just wasn’t there.

For years now, anyone with a computer and access to the Internet has been able to set up their own “online publication.” I include myself in that digital cacophony. Lazy-i.com, my personal music website, has been online since 1998, but only because back then The Reader didn’t have a website, and it was a convenient way to prove to record labels that I did, in fact, review their lousy records.

Whether it’s online news sites, blogs, Twitter or Facebook, anyone can write and “report” and criticize to their hearts content to a potential world-wide audience, all at the cost of nothing but time and electrons. The Internet is the ultimate vanity press.

Writing for a printed publication is different. A real printed publication — one that exists on paper— requires a commitment of money and other costly resources. It is tangible. And having your words published in one means someone thought enough about what you’ve written to invest in taking your words and physically printing them on paper thousands of times and then physically distributing

that paper so others can read it, hold it, pass it along or crumple it up and throw it away.

There is a sense of commitment and permanence that comes with the printed word — with print publications— that simply doesn’t exist in the instant, online, disposable, short-attention-span world of the Internet. In the world of journalism, putting ink on paper is a commitment to the truth. It means someone will stand by what you’ve written long after the lights go out.

That is why the printed version of The Reader is so important. When it finally got to a point where he needed to make a decision about the future of The Reader, John could have done what so many other weeklies, magazines and other publications have done. He could have folded up his tent and walked away from the physically printed word and dedicated his resources solely to an online publication.

Instead, he’s made a commitment to continue printing on paper.

It’s a daring choice. It’s risky. It’s bold. On the other hand, some will say it’s stupid. They’ll point at the Internet and say, “Why bother?” These are the same people who will tell you they no longer buy physical record albums (if they ever did). They don’t watch “TV” because they stream programs and movies on their tablets. And they haven’t held a physical, printed newspaper, magazine or book in their hands in years. With the internet, they’ve had no reason to.

It’s up to John and his staff to give them a reason. And knowing what he has in mind for this new monthly publication, I think he will.

To the faithful who have been with us over the years and don’t want to see it change, don’t worry.

You’ll still get the news, features, columns and writing you’ve come to love in the weekly version of The Reader. But in addition you’ll get insightful, in-depth reporting on topics and issues that touch your lives in a way you won’t find anywhere else — in print or online. Wait and see.

Hopefully it will be enough to keep the presses rolling. Maybe it won’t. Maybe we’re headed to a future where the printed-on-paper word is doomed to go the way of the dinosaur, where every bit of news and information and “media” will be received via the Internet.

That future is up to you. And when it comes to the future of the printed version of The Reader, it’s in your hands, literally. You can either pick up a copy and pass it around and tell other people about it (including its advertisers), or you can leave it in the stack and keep on walking.

Hopefully, we’ll continue to give you a reason to hold a copy of The Reader in your hands. But as they say, the future is yet to be written…or in this case, printed. ,

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

over the edge

| THE READER |

nov. 27 - dec. 3, 2014

15

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

Weird Patriotism

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ovember is tax-publicizing season in Finland, where, starkly unlike America, the government releases all individuals’ tax records to help build public support for the country’s vast welfare state. Thus, reported Foreign Policy magazine, Finnish society gets a “yearly dose of schadenfreude” ... “opening the door for a media frenzy of gossip, boasting and fingerpointing” about “fair share” and who’s more worthy. A few, however, proudly pay high Finnish taxes as a “badge of patriotism,” rejecting common tax shelters.

“We’ve received a lot of help from society,” said one homegrown (and wealthy) entrepreneur, “and now it is our turn to pay back.”

“Offended!” (Tiptoeing in America) Steve Soifer, CEO of an international support group for people with “shy bladders,” excoriated DirecTV in November for its series of commercials featuring Rob Lowe, whose “awkward” character in one ad stands at a urinal and says, “Fact: I can’t go with other people in the room.” Soifer says the ad ridicules a serious problem -- and compared it to “making fun” of a man missing an arm or leg.

-- The Power of One Sensitive Soul: (1) Lt. Col. Sherwood Baker was turned away from Adams High School in Rochester, Michigan, in September by a guard who said a school official sent word that Baker was not allowed in to discuss his daughter’s class schedule until he changed to civilian clothes -- because “a student” might be offended by his military uniform. (The Rochester school superintendent later apologized.) (2) The British Embassy in Washington, D.C., apologized twice in August, first a tongue-in-cheek “apology” for England’s War of 1812 attack on the White House and then for making that “apology” in the first place -- because of a

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NOV. 27 - DEC. 3, 2014

| THE READER |

weird news

backlash on Twitter from Americans complaining the jokey “apology” was “offensive.”

Bright Ideas David Van Vleet asked for certain supposedly public records in Tacoma, Washington, and was forced into federal court when the city turned him down. Van Vleet wanted data from the city licenses of strip club employees (dancers’ stage and real names, date of birth, etc.) so that he could pray for them individually, by name, to make his appeals more effective. (In October, Judge Ronald Leighton denied Van Vleet a temporary restraining order against the city.)

Ewwww -- Gross!

Daniela Liverani, 24, of Edinburgh, Scotland, and British singer Katie Melua recently survived inadvertent, grotesque ordeals hosting, respectively, a three-inch leech and a spider. The leech had found its way into Liverani’s nose during an Asian backpacking trip and had poked part-way out several times (though Liverani had assumed it was a nosebleed clot and “sniffed (it) back up”). When she finally saw a doctor in October, she said, the leech played peek-a-boo for a halfhour until the doctor grabbed it with tweezers. Melua’s tiny spider apparently lived in her ear for a week, creating a constant “rustling” noise until her doctor vacuumed it out. She guessed that it came in through old earbud headphones on an airline flight. (Her spokesperson said the singer had no hard feelings and had released the spider into her garden.)

Chutzpah!

-The law finally caught up, partially, to squatter Darrell Beatty in September, as he was charged with grand larceny for forging a deed to a home owned by Jennifer Merin, 70, in Laurelton, New York. However, he bailed out of jail on Oct. 22 and immediately re-

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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).

turned to the house. In fact, Beatty’s two sons had remained “at home” even while Beatty was locked up. The home has been in Merin’s family since 1930. “Mind-boggling,” she said.

-- The Law Works in Strange Ways: (1) The Gothamist news site reported in October that bicyclist John Roemer, who was rearended by a driver in Brooklyn in May (and whose intensive-care bill was paid by the driver’s insurance company), is now being sued by the driver in small claims court for $2,000 damage to her car.

(2) In November, a civil court in Lindau, Germany, ordered Rory Gray to pay Dr. Daniel Ubani for calling Ubani “an animal” (for having injected Gray’s father with 10 times a drug’s safe dose in 2008, which led to his death). The court found the epithet unwarranted and ordered Gray to help pay Ubani’s legal expenses.

Well, Of Course!

The owner of the world’s largest corn maze (63 acres), at Cool Patch Pumpkins in Dixon, California, told Sacramento’s KOVR-TV in October that “several” times this season, visitors have called 911 to come get them out of the maze. Said owner Matt Cooley, “When it’s dark, all you see is corn.” (Also, two months earlier, an emergency crew in Braintree, England, was forced to use special equipment to find and rescue an elderly woman who had fallen while inside the 10-acre Blake House Craft Centre maze.)

-- Cliches Come to Life: (1) In a $460,000 police-brutality settlement with the city of Birmingham, Alabama, in October, plaintiff Anthony Warren will receive $1,000, with the rest going to his lawyers. (The un-angelic Anthony is serving 20 years for running over an of-

ficer during a high-speed car chase in 2008; he took a beating once officers caught him.) (2) Condemned California inmate Steven Homick, 74, finally took his last breath on Nov. 5 -- more than 29 years after committing the two murders that put him on death row. However, Homick died of natural causes (the 65th condemned California man to go that way in the last 35 years).

Best of the Foreign Press (1) “Dwarf Stripper Gets Bride Pregnant on Her (Bachelorette) Night” (an October report from the LasCincoDelDia website in Spain after the husband was surprised that “his” weddingnight consummation resulted in a baby born with dwarfism). (2) “Man’s ‘Drugs Test Trick’ Foiled by Pregnancy” (a November report from Egypt’s AlYawm al-Sabi website on a male bus driver who tried to game a drug test by using his wife’s urine, only to inadvertently discover that he would soon become a father).

Update The desert sands of the Arabian Peninsula are fine-grained and smooth -- unable to be used in manufacturing or, especially, the concrete industry, which is crucial to the massive upscale developments in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and other countries. Nor does desert sand work for beach restoration in the United States and other areas -- because it blows away so easily.

The resultant “sand crisis,” with various countries bidding against Middle Easterners for the Earth’s sea sand (described in a November New York Times essay), sounds much more severe than the first time News of the Weird mentioned (in 2007) how relatively easy it is, contrary to cliche, to sell sand to Arabs. ,

Upcoming Events Women’s Basketball Wednesday, Dec. 3rd, 7:05 PM vs.

Thursday, Dec. 11th, 8:05 PM vs.

Men’s Basketball Tuesday, Dec. 9th, 8:15 PM vs.

For more information call or visit:

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| THE READER |

NOV. 27 - DEC. 3, 2014

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M O C K I N G JAY M O C K S P RO PAG A N DA

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n the one hand, any film subtitled “Part 1” is a naked cash grab. On the other hand, shut up and take my money, Hunger Games. Mockingjay Part 1, like the rest of the franchise, is billed as “Young Adult” fare. Because what hormonal “young adult” doesn’t constantly think about the role of media-savvy propaganda in influencing dissidents to provoke regime change rallied around a hesitant figurehead? If you’re keeping score at home, “should I kiss him/her or not” is a young adult question. “Should I knowingly endorse mass bloodshed for the greater good” is just a damn good question.

Picking up where Catching Fire left off, we see Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) lookin’ rough. As is wont to happen when you’re placed in a cage and forced to kill humans, Katniss has extreme PTSD and tons of guilt over leaving Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) behind. Now ensconced in the Fragglelike, underground military bunker of District 13, Katniss is hounded by Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and President Coin (Julianne Moore) to become their

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

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symbolic leader. In a hilarious scene, Plutarch lays out his plans for propaganda, which he gigglingly calls “propos.”

Because Katniss sucks at acting, they send her into the field accompanied by a director, Cressida (Natalie Dormer), and cameramen. When she sees the price paid by the impoverished who have used her near-childish acts of personal rebellion as a catalyst for a holistic revolution, Katniss finally understands that the stakes are bigger than her love triangle. Speaking of which, it turns out President Snow (Donald Sutherland) kidnapped Peeta and is using him in the press to counter Plutarch’s propos. In the film’s most brilliant sequences, Katniss and Peeta exchange dueling rhetorical instigations, a “propo off,” if you will.

It’s hard to judge a film that outright tells you it’s half a movie. Functionally, it does little to further events in the larger story. Lawrence gives another raw, broken performance in a series that will define her acting legacy. The sparse action is well delivered by director Frances Lawrence. But, honestly, nothing in Mockingjay Part 1 is necessary. Audiences would

accept Katniss immediately embarking on a final conflict to overthrow the Capital. Of course, this is why Mockingjay Part 1 is what makes The Hunger Games special.

This film is a psychological exploration of the complex genesis of dissident movements. The faceless military of District 13 is no less savage than the faceless militia of the Capital; they just have crappier uniforms. Coin’s manipulation of Katniss isn’t as overt as Snow’s torturing of Peeta, but both are puppeteers. Even the core conceit of the rebellion is questioned, as Katniss pauses to consider that maybe the Capital is right; maybe avoiding huge death tolls is worth surrendering certain freedom.

As a movie unto itself, Mockingjay Part 1 should earn a grade of “incomplete.” It opens and ends mid-thought and has absolutely no arc. Yet, when absorbed into the series as a whole, this chapter supplies some of the most thoughtprovoking, sophisticated thematic content to ever find its way into so-called “young adult” science fiction. , GRADE = B+

n Ah that old Hollywood motto: “Anything worth doing is worth overdoing.

Now, bring me more cocaine!” For no good reason, the latest attempt to bring Stephen King’s The Stand to the big screen has seen the big book split into four movies. Four. As in one more than our beloved family dog, Tripod, has legs. While I’m a fan of the book, this seems a bit excessive. Then again, in Hollywood, excessive is a synonym for “more cocaine.” n Mel Gibson is about to see if we’re over it yet. He is currently circling a directing gig with Hacksaw Ridge, which is the true story of the first “Conscientious Objector” to win the Congressional Medal of Honor. Andrew Garfield is contemplating the lead role and, I’m sure, whether he wants to tie his first major dramatic role to a guy who once unironically used the phrase “sugar tits.” n It still holds up, but I don’t know how many of us not named Ben Stiller have been breathlessly awaiting a Zoolander sequel. Awaiting or not, it’s a-coming, as Zoolander 2 just cast Penelope Cruz.

While that casting announcement is interesting, I think we’re all holding our breath for one name and one name only: Will Billy Zane be back or not? n Sometimes, you get to write a sentence about a movie that is so incredibly cool without having to inject one creative word of your own. Chris Pratt is going to play a Cowboy Ninja Viking.

Based on the comic, Pratt will play an assassin with multiple personalities.

Do you know what those different personalities are? I’ll give you a hint. They rhyme with Sowboy, Pinja and Biking.

I think I speak for all of us when I say, consider that ticket purchased.

—Ryan Syrek Cutting Room provides breaking local and national movie news … complete with added sarcasm. Send any relevant information to film@thereader.com. Check out Ryan on Movieha!, a weekly half-hour movie podcast (movieha.libsyn.com/rss), catch him on the radio on CD 105.9 (cd1059.com) on Fridays at around 7:30 a.m. and on KVNO 90.7 (KVNO.org) at 8:30 a.m. on Fridays and follow him on Twitter (twitter.com/thereaderfilm).

First-Run Films

Coming Soon

Films from Warhol’s Factory

The Theory of Everything

Citizenfour First-Run The Tale of the Princess Kaguya First-Run

Sunday, November 30

First-Run (PG-13)

Dir. James Marsh.

Starts Friday, November 28 A biopic about famed cosmologist Stephen Hawking. An Omaha exclusive!

Forever Young

Birdman First-Run (R)

Kiki’s Delivery Service 1989 (G)

Dir. Alejandro G. Iñárritu.

Through Thursday, December 4

Dir. Hayao Miyazaki.

November 29, 30, December 4, 6, 7 & 11

Michael Keaton stars as a washed up actor known for once playing a super hero trying to stage a comeback.

From the master Miyazaki comes the tale of a resourceful young witch who starts an air courrier to make ends meet.

| THE READER |

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Couch 1964 (4:30 pm) Beauty #2 1965 (5:30 pm) Wednesday, December 3

Vinyl 1964 (6:45 pm) Kitchen 1965 (8:15 pm)

Two-for-one double features presented with with Joslyn Art Museum to coincide with their exhibition In Living Color: Andy Warhol and Contemporary Printmaking, Film Streams celebrates Andy Warhol’s productive and tumultuous history with film.

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CORRECTION: The 2014 goal for the ConAgra Foods Shine the Light on Hunger campaign is 1.3 million meals. The figure was incorrect in last week’s Holiday Lights Festival special supplement.

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turn on t he See downtown dazzle

CHEER

November 27 - January 4

A Season of FREE Events

CENTURYLINK

WELLS FARGO

G N I V I G S K THAN G L I GH T I N C E R E MO N Y

Family l a v i t F es

Gene Leahy Mall

Family activities and entertainment

Please bring a canned food item to the lighting ceremony for Food Bank for the Heartland.

Ollie the Trolley provides transportation between sites.

Thursday, November 27 6-6:30 pm

CELEBRATE the Holiday Lights Festival and help Shine the Light on Hunger.

WWW.HOLIDAYLIGHTSFESTIVAL.ORG

Sunday, December 7 noon-5 pm

PRESENT ED BY

Lights provided by Aetna.