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6 River
12 Hunting for Hauntings
18 Iowa
City Author on Obamamania
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October 2008 | Little Village
contents | Issue 73
4 UR Here
18 Finding Wonderland
5 It's About the Food
20 The Sit-Down
Digging at the mystery beneath Midwesterners' everyday masks A look back at Slow Food Nation
6 Active Life
Kayaking: It's the new water aerobics
8 Burrito Wars
Iowa Citians choose sides in the battle for burrito bucks
12 Ghost Hunters
Iowa's paranormal response team is on call
14 Green Livin'
More green for your buck
Part two of one man's trip to a field of dreams Iowa City political author critiques Obama-fever
22 Talking Movies
Taking us to the Edge of Heaven
23 The Haps
No costume required
24 Local CDs
Kent and Craig on the latest Iowa City releases
26 Calendar
The same old for a different month
27 A-List
You thought August was a treat for film freaks
29 News Quirks
Tales from the weird, wild world we live in
30 The Straight Dope 16 Prairie Pop
Double Dee & Steinksi deliver a lesson for hip-hop
Cecil Adams on another Atkins alternative
31 Stars Over Iowa City
Dr. Star delivers your October fortunes
Volume 8 | Issue 73 | October 2008
PUBLISHER | Andrew Sherburne email@example.com EDITOR IN CHIEF | Alissa Van Winkle email@example.com FEATURES EDITOR | Melody Dworak firstname.lastname@example.com LAYOUT & DESIGN | Andrew Sherburne ADVERTISING | Kelsey Fritz firstname.lastname@example.com CONTRIBUTORS | Cecil Adams, Mike Brownlee, Adam Burke, Thomas Dean, Craig Eley, Kurt Friese, Kembrew McLeod, Sara Pralle, Scott Samuelson, Brian Schmarje, Dr. Star, Caroline Stedman, Roland Sweet, Tom Tomorrow, Kent Williams PHOTOS | Scott Chernis, Iowa Paranormal Advanced Research Team, David Patton, Andrew Sherburne CONTACT | P.O. Box 736 Iowa City | Iowa | 52240 www.LittleVillageMag.com email@example.com Advertising and Calendar deadline is the 19th of every month. Contact Little Village for an ad rate card.
October 2008 | Little Village
U R Here
Thomas Dean
Inscrutable Iowa
his is the month of masks. As the calendar veers toward the month's end, more and more false faces and outré makeup will replace our regular countenances. Who is that? Who are you really? In Iowa, I sometimes wonder if every day is Halloween. People from our state, as well as most Midwesterners, are stereotyped as "nice." There is without question a certain politeness about midlanders. But what lies beneath the manners, the quiet demeanor? Are we all that "nice?" Jason Rentfrow doesn't think so. This University of Cambridge social psychologist (who hails from the U.S. South) has completed a supposedly exhaustive study of U.S. regional character traits. I'm always suspicious of studies, no matter how well-controlled or broad, that reduce human complexity to simple categories. But if we just go for a minute with Rentfrow's results, he tells us that Iowans don't crack the top 10 in any one of his five categories of extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism (propensity for anxiety and stress), and openness. We actually score higher on neuroticism, the only negative category, than we do on openness, our worst category of all. I don't really know what all these broad categories mean in their particulars, if much of anything. I'm going on the summary of a Gannett newspaper article here, so that should tell you something. But I think, even from this thin veneer of information, we can say that, on the whole, Midwesterners aren't exactly the most outgoing folks. There's a reserve behind the smiles, a mystery behind the good manners. As the chorus of River City, Iowa sings to Professor Harold Hill in Meredith Willson's The Music Man, "So, what the heck, you're welcome. Glad to have you with us. Even though we may not ever mention it again." That great firebrand Carol Bly, whom we sadly lost to ovarian cancer last year and who never met a phony she didn't like to eviscerate, takes the legendary "Minnesota nice" of her native state to task in one of her last essays (full disclosure: this appeared in the anthology 4
October 2008 | Little Village
There is without question a certain politeness about midlanders. But what lies beneath the manners, the quiet demeanor? Are we all that "nice?" I edited in honor of another lost sage, Paul Gruchow). She said, "Midwest sociability depends on kidding and a psychologically damaging informality." We speak in low-key language, masking our hatred and judgment with kidding, with friendliness—or perhaps silence. Midwesterners often live a "practical, non-contemplative life of a culture that clearly prefers kidding to moral grief," says Bly. Rather than hating and facing up to cruelty, we coat it with smiles and put it to bed with
a lullaby. Avoidance is preferable to confrontation. I lived for two years in northwestern Minnesota and heard my share of That's Differents. I thought a lot about Carol Bly while I enjoyed a documentary at this past summer's Landlocked Film Festival here in Iowa City, Sasha Waters Freyer's This American Gothic. The film chronicles the efforts of some townspeople of smalltown Eldon, Iowa, who are trying valiantly (and ultimately successfully) to build a visitor's center for the American Gothic house, which appears in the background of Grant Wood's iconic painting and still stands in Eldon as a State Historical Society of Iowa historic site. While the film focuses on the sociology of a typical Midwestern small town in economic decline, some artistic commentary by the likes of art historian Wanda Corn and historian Steven Biel reviews for us the cultural persistence of the painting and some of its standard interpretations. Once we get past the parodies, the Green Acres theme song, and the corn flakes commercials, we are left with inscrutableness. Who are these people? What is going on with this father and daughter? What lies behind the stern farmer's frown—defiance, cruelty, defense of the honor of his beloved daughter? What is deflected from the young woman's slightly turned face and eyes that avoid direct contact with us— suitors, sexuality, shame, family oppression, or worse? As one of the critics asks in the film, the real question is, "What is going on behind that window?" The townspeople of Eldon themselves know it's all about the window, at least as far as the house itself is concerned. But behind INSCRUTABLE continued on page 21 >>
Kurt Friese
It's About the Food
Food, It's Not Just for Elites Photos by Scott Chernis for Slow Food Nation
t's going to take me a long time to fully understand the effects and implications of the first Slow Food Nation, held in San Francisco over Labor Day weekend. The brain power on display was impressive enough: Wendell Berry, Vandana Shiva, Michael Pollan, Winona LaDuke, Carlo Petrini, Raj Patel, Eric Schlosser, and other luminaries took center stage at panels. Add to that the myriad of other events and mindblowing food, and you get a truly unforgettable event for the thousands who attended. Despite the multitude of free activities at Slow Food Nation, I heard in the weeks leading up to it that it was all too expensive and was further evidence of food snobs run amok. Yet during the event, the chief complaints I heard were that it was too crowded and that the events that did cost money were all sold out. So while accurate numbers on attendance are still being calculated, it was easy to see that attendance exceeded expectations, and that those who appreciated its worth outnumbered those who did not. As to the elitism charge, while there are those who will not be convinced otherwise regardless of what Slow Food says or does, it simply does not hold up upon close examination of Slow Food's work as an organization on the whole. Does it contain members who are snobs or who occasionally act snobby? With 17,000 members before this event and predictions by some that that number may double as a result of it, yes, there is no doubt that in a sampling that large you will find some—perhaps quite a few—"elitists." But to dismiss the organization's important work, from networking rural farmers in Africa to helping revive milpas in Mexico, simply because much of what Slow Food does is academic or expensive is myopic. Slow Food does not do everything right and will never please everyone, nor is it any form of panacea, nor does it claim to be. It can and has made lives better for thousands of people not just in the United States and Italy (where it was founded) but from Bolivia to the Ivory Coast to India by supporting farmers and aiding to reinvigorate local food traditions. Here in the states it raised thousands of dollars to help the farmers and fishers affected by Katrina, then raised thousands more for
Midwest flood relief. Already Slow Food USA has turned its attention once more to the Gulf in the wake of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. The event itself was a joy to behold. At one of the free events, called the Soapbox and held adjacent to the Victory Garden in San Francisco's Civic Center Plaza, speakers and performers offered a huge range of ideas, from the political to the poetic (sometimes both), through speeches and dance, drumming and prayer. Especially moving was a performance by peach farmer David Masumoto and his daughter Nikiko of a poem about a hailstorm that wiped out an entire harvest accompanied by the traditional Teiko Japanese drum. Some in the audience wept as they heard the thunder and felt the hail rip the flesh off the peaches. In the end, many people came just for the food, and it was indeed excellent food, from the Indian naan to the Native American Manoomin rice cakes to Iowa prosciutto to
abalone to tamales to mufaleta. But they came away with a message, one summarized in the Declaration for Healthy Food and Agriculture, which urges the government to adopt "twelve principles [that] should frame food and agriculture policy, to ensure that it will contribute to the health and wealth of the nation and the world." I strongly encourage you to read it and endorse it at FoodDeclaration.org. It's About the Food is a monthly feature of Little Village. Chef Kurt Michael Friese is co-owner, with his wife Kim, of the Iowa City restaurant Devotay and serves on the Slow Food USA Board of Directors. His forthcoming book, A Cook's Journey: Slow Food in the Heartland has just been released. He lives in rural Johnson County. Questions and comments may be directed to devotay@mchsi. com. October 2008 | Little Village
Active Life
Caroline Stedman
here is a different mid-life crisis happening. It involves a doublebladed paddle, Kevlar boat and Mother Nature's therapy. She doesn't charge by the hour. "You can kayak until you can't do anything. As long as you can get down to the water," said Larry Hinds, 62, who has been teaching sea kayaking and whitewater kayaking almost 30 years for the Touch the Earth program at The University of Iowa. Iowa City outdoors store, Fin and Feather, reports that the majority of their kayaks go home with people between the ages of 45 and 60. Not youthful 20-somethings. "It's a lifetime leisure skill," David Patton, a Touch the Earth program coordinator, said. "You can't play football when you're 60." Fin and Feather employee Travis Eiselstein says the connection to nature
and the sport's low-impact workout makes it appealing. "Some of us older people have problems with our knees, so we don't want to jog, and racquetball is out," Hinds said. It works the whole upper body and even the
legs if the paddling is done correctly. Hinds would recommend the sport to anyone of any age, whether it's for exercise or relaxation. Entry-level kayaking is easy to pick up. He has even taken a blind student out to Lake McBride. "He wasn't just legally blind," he said,
"this guy can't see anything. And we went all over." Mary Mathew Wilson, an Iowa City resident in her mid-50s, has never kayaked. She intends to buy one anyway. She is getting into the sport to be in better physical condition, have more upper arm strength and for stress management. It's a healthy sort of mid-life crisis, if even a crisis at all. Unlike Mathew Wilson, Hinds started kayaking when he was much younger. He and a few friends took a trip to Wisconsin where they took a class on whitewater kayaking. From there he expanded to flatwater kayaking. "Your sense of adventure changes as you get older," he said. Now he sticks to sea kayaking because he no longer has the desire to do whitewater. Canoeing is how both Mathew Wilson and Hinds started on the water.
Photos by David Patton
October 2008 | Little Village
"I love the water," Mathew Wilson said, "but it's hard to round up a group." She used to live in Columbia, Mo., where she would go canoeing frequently with friends and hopes to take her kayak back down there some time. Compared to a canoe, kayaks have a much lower profile that keeps them from being as influenced by the wind. Their top will keep the rain out. "They're like little water bugs or something," Hinds said. He believes that these advantages in the elements make a kayak more useful than a canoe. Three main types of kayaks exist on the market today. Recreational kayaks, which run
roughly nine to 14 feet, have a larger cockpit, making them easy to get in and out of. Sea kayaks are generally 16 feet or longer. Finally, whitewater kayaks are made of heavier material in order to withstand collisions. Hinds recommends sea kayaks for beginners because of their maneuverability and stability on the water. They work well on many of the smaller lakes in Iowa that are too small and shallow for things like jet skis or motorized boats. "It's not hard," he said. "You just sit in it and away you go." Both these and the recreational kayaks come in materials like Kevlar, making them easy to transport. "It's going to have to be really lightweight, so I can manage it," Mathew Wilson said, "at least until I build my upper body strength." "Don't just go out and buy the pretty red one," Hinds said. Each boat has a different feel. Seats vary. Stability varies. He recommends that people try several different boats, and talk to other people who have already bought, before they lay down their money. Many outdoor stores, such as Fin and Feather, will let people test kayaks before they
Kayaking buy them. There are also rental centers, such as Touch the Earth, with a variety of kayaks available to test. On the low-end, kayaks are several hundred dollars up front. Then add in the cost of a paddle and a life jacket. The lighter weight materials are also more expensive than heavy plastics. "It's no more expensive than joining a gym," Mathew Wilson said. She believes that working people can build it into their budget. "Older people have an extra dollar or two," Hinds said, "so they can go where students can't go." This also translates to spending the night in a hotel instead of on the ground, in a tent, on a weekend trip. Safety is the other issue. "The solitude aspect is appealing," Mathew Wilson said, "but there is the common sense factor of not going alone." For all of its benefits, kayaking can be a life and death situation. Hinds believes that many people out recreating wouldn't know how to rescue themselves if they tipped their boat, and recommend taking some sort of rescue or safety class before going out on the water. Mathew Wilson's husband is concerned about her safety out on the water alone since she isn't a strong swimmer. Despite that, she is still determined to go. "You never get to where you know everything," Hinds said. "Anyone can get in and muscle a boat." All these years later, he says he continues to refine his paddle stroke and learn easier, better ways to do it. "There is really no end to the places you can go and the things you can see," Hinds said. As autumn takes hold, there is still plenty of open water to take advantage of, whether it is for an hour or a weekend. Migratory birds, like pelicans, are currently making their way south through the lakes of Iowa and the leaves are turning. This is prime-time to have what some might call a "crisis." Caroline Stedman is a journalism student at the University of Iowa and kayak enthusiast, who hopes to have a mid-life crisis one day that gets her a new kayak.
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Burrito Wars
MIKE Brownlee
Border Dispute S
ince 1992, Panchero's Mexican Grill in downtown Iowa City has been serving burritos and other southof-the-border foods to customers ranging from homegrown Iowa City residents to drunken college kids. It's the flagship location for a restaurant that has branched into 17 states across the country. A year ago, a new "hombre" rolled into town—one with a lot of clout and money, ready to take on the burrito sheriff in town. Chipotle was the new gun in Iowa City, and not only did it open up shop downtown, they opened up in a location kitty corner from Panchero's. The chain trumpeted its opening with three days of free burritos for employees with the Old Capitol Mall, University of Iowa students and other groups and organizations. Lines stretched down the sidewalk outside Chipotle as people waited for free food and a look at the new burrito place. The burrito war had begun. With a similar restaurant in town, Panchero's launched a new advertising campaign, and slogan: "Every ingredient in every bite." Panchero's has a new mascot for the campaign, Bob the Tool, a spatula that makes sure the ingredients are mixed evenly. A series of televised spots showed two guys eat burritos, complaining about getting too
October 2008 | Little Village
much of one ingredient or another in each bite. A woman joins them, also eating a burrito, but without their problem. "I'm eating a Panchero's burrito. The ingredients are mixed evenly." The most entertaining of the ads features one man swinging his wrapped burrito around with his belt, trying to mix the ingredients. The commercial campaign harkens back to the days when McDonald's and Burger King never mentioned each other by name, only referring to the "other burger." The Panchero's
"We don't have to stay open until 2 a.m. to make our money." ads don't mention Chipotle by name, but appear to be taking a swipe at the burrito giant. The uneven burrito in the commercials is wrapped in tinfoil, which is what Chipotle does with each burrito and is one of the symbols of the chain. In a card game of coyness, Panchero's marketing coordinator, Alyssa Smith, wouldn't show her hand as to whether or not the uneven burrito signified the work of Chipotle. She
instead focused on the campaign itself and what she says it's trying to convey to customers. "It's a new addition to our concept," she said. "We're known for our fresh-pressed tortillas. Now we also have the concept that we mix it together evenly so you get every ingredient in every bite. "No one else does that. Right now we're doing two things that the competition isn't doing. I think if you're a burrito connoisseur, those are two things you'll appreciate." Whether it's staying above the fray or doesn't think Panchero's is a threat, Chipotle has not countered the Panchero's ads directly. People associated with the company, however, had no qualms about speaking about Panchero's. "We don't have to stay open until 2 a.m. to make our money," said Drew Hanshaw, kitchen manager of the Chipotle in the Old Capitol Mall. When asked why Chipotle serves better burritos than Panchero's, Chris Arnold, public relations director for Chipotle, had a simple answer. "In a word: food," he said. "We've been on a quest to make better food, from socially responsible sources. We use naturally raised meat, meaning no hormones, a pure vegetarian diet; free range animals. What Chipotle does with food is different than any other restaurant we've seen in the country, chain or local."
Local Food
The burrito battle by the numbers
Chipotle Style: Chicken burrito, all the salsas, cheese, black beans, sour cream
Style: Chicken burrito, all the salsas, cheese, black beans, sour cream
Length: 6 1/8 in *
Length: 7 3/4 in *
Circumference: 10 5/8 in *
Circumference: 9 7/8 in *
Weight: 1 lb 3.5 oz *
Weight: 1 lb 2 oz *
Price: $6.20
Price (tax inc.): $6.10
Calories: 1174 **
Calories: 998 ***
Hometown: Denver, CO
Hometown: Coralville, IA
Stores: 775
Stores: 55
Founded: 1993
Founded: 1992
* One-day sample, results not exactly scientific. ** Fom Chipotle nutritional information. *** From Panchero's nutritional information.
Moving In Arnold said moving into the Iowa market was a logical choice for Chipotle, which already has locations in Minnesota, Illinois and other surrounding states. He said the chain wasn't worried about Panchero's being so close. "We've never been concerned with what competitors are in the area," Arnold said. "We are confident in the food we make. We feel if we run the restaurant well it will do well regardless of competitors in the market." Though the commercials imply Panchero's noticed the behemoth's presence, Smith was unwilling to discuss Chipotle in any way.
"There's no reason to," she said. She refused to answer how Panchero's felt about Chipotle opening. "We couldn't be happier to have started in downtown I.C.," and similar answers were common to Chipotle question-related questions. Finally, a question of if Chipotle opening has hurt sales was, predictably, not answered. "We're happy with our results." Style Both companies fall under the "fast casual" restaurant model, which emphasizes
customizing meals to each individual customer's liking. The food is made quickly, but with ingredients a step above traditional fast food. The model was made popular and perfected by sandwich giant Subway. Panchero's is known for its fresh-pressed tortilla. When getting a burrito, quesadilla or soft-shell taco, a ball of dough and other ingredients is pressed into the tortilla shape, then heated on both sides on a skillet. The tortilla comes out fresh—just-made for each burrito. At Chipotle, pre-made tortillas are heated. After the tortilla, the burrito-making process
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Take I-380 to I-80E to I-280E. Exit #18A/Quad City Airport
October 2008 | Little Village
Burrito Wars
MiKE Brownlee
at each is similar. A tortilla is heated, a main ingredient chosen—chicken, beef, pork or veggies—and extra ingredients are added. Wrap it up and let the customer have at it. The final product looks the same. Where it is different, Chipotle says, is the commitment to "food with integrity." In its manifesto of the same name, Chipotle claims, "food with integrity" means, among other things, "encouraging growers to pursue humane and healthy practices, and rewarding small famers who eschew mass production in favor of quality." Chipotle prides itself on producing its food in a sustainable, environmentally friendly way. Chipotle's marketing is centered on this philosophy.
A Panchero's burrito, ready for mixin'.
The "Local" Battle The marketing advantages of fresh tortillas and even ingredient distribution are important for Panchero's, but another claim is just as important to some consumers: it's a local chain. Having Iowa City roots goes a long way in an age of growing backlash against conglomerates that infiltrate every city and market. "Buy local" is a common theme among area business owners and environmentalists alike. "I'm a local guy," said Andrew Fisher, a student at The University of Iowa. "I support the local businesses. I haven't tried Chipotle yet, on principle alone." A corporate goliath compared to Panchero's, Chipotle is able to absorb the "local" argument blow and even has a counter-punch. The Iowa City location gets the majority of its pork and some of its beef from local farmers. In addition, the produce used comes from local sources. So while Panchero's is the local business, Chipotle allows customers to support local
business, albeit through a non-local business. History After opening in downtown Iowa City, Panchero's opened a second location in East Lansing, Mich., home of Michigan State University. The company expanded gradually for eight years before starting to franchise in the year 2000. Since then, they have grown exponentially and have 55 locations scattered across the nation, with three more coming before the end of the year. Chipotle comes from similar humble, college-area beginnings. In 1993, founder Steve Ells opened the first Chipotle near the University of Denver as a way to make money to help him open an upscale restaurant. The popularity of Chipotle, however, steered his business aspirations and he opened
a few more locations. In 1998, Chipotle had 15 locations. That year Ells sent his business model to McDonald's asking for investment, and McDonald's obliged. The mega-chain invested in Chipotle and eventually become majority investor in 2001. Chipotle's ties with McDonald's were completely severed in October of 2006. By then Chipotle had made its own name and money, and according to Arnold, McDonald's decided to shift its entire focus back to its bread-and-butter restaurant. While rich Uncle Ronald was behind the company, Chipotle exploded to over 500 stores. It currently has over 775 locations. The People During lunch hour one Sunday, the clientele at each eatery fell distinctly on a side of the battle lines.
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October 2008 | Little Village
Local Food
With both sides pumping in the corporate mixed music you find at restaurants, department stores and the like, diners chowed on burritos and other Mexican items, while taking time to explain why they were at one and not the other.
While rich Uncle Ronald was behind the company, Chipotle exploded to over 500 stores. "They have fresher ingredients at Chipotle," Rob Posekany said. "I liked Panchero's when I was in college, at two in the morning and I could go there and eat. As I've gotten older, I want better quality food." His wife, Dawn, said she likes Chipotle because of its commitment to environmental responsibility.
"I like to feel good about where I'm going and what they're involved with when I go out to eat," she said. Jeff Nolz chooses Chipotle for a reason that should raise alarm in the house of Panchero's. "I like the tortillas at Chipotle better," he said. "Panchero's just isn't quite the same." Down the street at Panchero's, the customers were just as steadfast in their support of Panchero's. Sitting in a booth were Dave Balmer and Hillary Foster, who explained their preference for the purveyors of fresh tortillas. "We're both Iowa City folks and grew up with Panchero's," Balmer said. "I don't really see a reason to go to Chipotle, versus here. I think Panchero's is better." For UI student Alex Harms, it's a matter of taste. "I think the spices they put on the Chipotle meat is a little weird for me," he said. "It's a different taste." Though the people mentioned above are fans, they pale in comparison to Dan Wolfe and Jennifer Sandrock. After meeting at Panchero's after bar hours
on a Tuesday night in August of 2007, the pair hit it off. Sandrock, who attended Michigan State University at the time, eventually moved to Iowa City. The pair made a tradition of getting to Panchero's once a week, usually on Tuesdays. On a Tuesday this past July, Wolfe got Sandrock's cousin to take her to the establishment. Wolfe showed up later, and in the same booth they sat in when they met, he pulled out a ring and proposed. "She saw the ring, got excited," Wolfe said. "She didn't know it was coming. It worked out well." Wolfe said he tried Chipotle when it first opened and wasn't a big fan. "It's not the same for us," he said. Mike Brownlee is a student at the University of Iowa. He is a sports writer for The Daily Iowan and a stringer for the Associated Press. He lives in Iowa City with his fiance and roomate, along with cats Lola and Jackson. He loves his cats, but in these tough economic times wishes they'd get off the couch and find a job.
October 2008 | Little Village
Andrew Sherburne
Searching for the supernatural in Iowa.
here are no proton packs. No positron colliders. No Ecto-Containment unit. Turns out, the world of ghost hunting, like most everything else, is a lot less sexy than the movies would make it. "A lot of people think it's just like TV," says Vicki Stinson. "But, there are all of these reports and standard operating procedures. Sometimes it's grimy. Sometimes you get doors slammed in your face. It isn't all that romantic intriguing stuff. It's a lot of work." Stinson would know. She serves as a Team Leader for the Iowa Paranormal Advanced Research Team (IPART), organizing crews for on-site investigations of paranormal activity 12
October 2008 | Little Village
"once or twice a month." While neutrona wands are not standard equipment, IPART teams do come wellequipped for their nighttime stakeouts. Armed with night-vision video cameras, microphones, laptop computers, heat sensors and electromagnetic field meters, groups of ghost hunters respond to calls from concerned citizens in search of the unexplainable. The investigations never cost the client a dime. "A lot of times, people will say 'It's my imagination. I must be seeing things.' They try to rationalize it," Stinson explains. "But they know deep down—they have a gut feeling that something just isn't right." When a call comes in from anywhere in the state, it goes to a case manager who walks the caller through 50 questions to screen out the
frauds and jokesters and unearth promising leads. If the story has intrigue, it gets funneled to Dan Berger, the manager of IPART. Using his 20 years of paranormal research experience as a guide, Berger makes the decision to send out a team from one of IPART's nine chapters throughout the state. "It's kind of slow in this area," says Jay Caffery, referring to the Iowa City metro. "We've only had one case recently, in North Liberty." Caffery is the Team Lead of the Cedar Rapids chapter of IPART. His team has investigated about a dozen leads from Oskaloosa to Dubuque in his year and a half on the hunt. But, they're still searching for that big ghost story. "We've had some interesting cases, but
Photos courtesy of Iowa Paranormal Advanced ResearcH Team
nothing you could take to a skeptic that says there is definite proof of paranormal activity." Still, Caffery is satisfied that the group has been able to help concerned homeowners by debunking their paranormal fears, letting them sleep a little easier at night. Back in Des Moines, however, Stinson says things have been much more active. "We had a case at an old farmhouse in Waukee," she says, her voice rising at the thought of it. "We always rate a case from zero to 10. Zero is nothing; 10 you've got blood coming down the walls. This one was a six."
Her team had been summoned to investigate multiple hauntings on the property. What they found didn't disappoint them. "We had a full body apparition on one floor. We had wicked laughter on the tape recorder. We also had the presence of a shadow man— who was intelligent to boot. He would move into a closet if he knew you had seen him and anyone who stayed near that closet would get sick. "The people ended up having the house blessed because the entity on the second floor was not a good person. The first floor entity wasn't bad though." Whether the activity is natural or supernatural, uncovering the truth is the mission of
Going on a hunt? "It is coming up on Halloween, so if you're looking for paranormal activity, don't go tromping through cemeteries and knocking over headstones," suggests IPART's Jay Caffery. "We're also cemetery conservationists, so we want people to be respectful."
IPART according to Caffery. "We don't want to be the group that does publicity stunts," he says. "We want to help families. If we catch evidence of paranormal activity, 'great!' Otherwise first and foremost we're out to help people." Running a publicity stunt is exactly what the Carroll Area Paranormal Team (CAPT) was accused of this spring when they tried to arrange a ghost hunt at the old Iowa Poor Farm outside of Iowa City, now a private residential care facility for the mentally ill called Chatham Oaks. Despite never having any reports of paranormal activity on the grounds, The Johnson County Board of Supervisors initially approved the hunt, before changing its mind about allowing CAPT (no relation to IPART) to search for spirits.
Perhaps that decision was all for the better. After all, according to Stinson, you never know what you may open the door to if your goal is to provoke. "It's possible to bring something in that wasn't there before. We want to remain neutral and scientific. We don't call them names. It would be disrespectful. If it is a ghost, they were people too at one time. How would you like it if someone came into your house and started saying things to you?" I wouldn't like it one bit. But if I do start hearing whispers in the night, at least I'll know who to call. Andrew Sherburne has never met a ghost, but he does believe in haunted houses. He's enjoying life on the west side while his real house is on the mend. He is publisher of Little Village.
October 2008 | Little Village
Green Building
Sara Pralle
nergy crisis? This phrase makes the nightly news every week. The rising costs of nearly everything, including food, gasoline and home energy, has become a slow, insidious flood of its own that shows no signs of receding during the long winter months ahead. Both presidential candidates produce sound bites saying they understand the challenges facing ordinary citizens. Each promotes his plan to help us cope with rising utility bills. However, the election is still a month away, whomever wins won't take office until the dead of winter and Congress will have to actually agree on a bill before any legislative help reaches the American people. Where does that leave us? You might think that your home energy usage is just a drop in a very big bucket. But according to the U.S. Department of Energy's Home Energy Saver website, nearly 25 percent of the U.S. energy bill is attributed to households.
on facing page). But, with so many options, how will some homeowners know where to start? How do you know whether your green investment will pay for itself? Audit: It's not a dirty word MidAmerican Energy understands conserving energy can be an intimidating task, and the company's supplying experts so you don't have to do it alone. In fact, with the Energy Advantage® program, you won't even have to pay for it alone. The power company offers two options that help homeowners calculate the potential savings/costs of improving their property's energy efficiency: HomeCheck® Online Audit or For Your Home. The online audit asks you a series of questions about your home and then provides an appliance calculators to show you how much
Average yearly energy bill for an Iowa City home.
dent energy specialist to make a personal visit to your home and give you a free energy assessment.
While the auditor's there, he'll also install a bunch of freebees to lower your energy cost right away, including: • • • •
A water heater insulation blanket; Six feet of water pipe insulation; Up to two low-flow faucet aerators; Up to two low-flow shower heads; • A waterbed mattress pad (if you need one); • Up to six energy-efficient light bulbs; and • A programmable thermostat (for only $30).
Closer to home In fact, the site calculates the averIn addition to these immediate image energy bill for Iowa City homAverage yearly energy provements, your energy auditor will eowners at $1802 per year (adding up bill of an efficient Iowa also review the status of your insulaenergy used for heating, cooling, water City home. tion. If it's not up to snuff, he'll refer heating, major appliances, small appliyou to a local insulation contractor and ances and lighting). Sound about right? estimate the cost of the work, the rePotential savings On the other hand, the average energy for the average bates you're eligible for and the overcosts of an efficient Iowa City home Iowa City home. all savings you can expect. And did I are $897 per year. Where does your mention that MidAmerican will pay up home weigh in? to 70 percent of the instillation costs If you're like most of us, you're for basement insulation and 70 percent leaving a potential savings of $905 on of any wall and attic insulation (maxithe table each year. Want to cut your energy bill in half? Then you can save by replacing old appliances; a mum of $600 each)? Auditors have noticed that more and more maybe it's time to take a proactive approach to comparison of your energy bills for the past energy conservation and do your part to lower year to the average home of similar size; and Iowa City households are buying compact flothose worrisome bills. Resources are spring- tips on how to make your interior lighting and rescent light bulbs and low-flow showerheads of some kind, according to energy expert Alan ing up right and left with helpful suggestions heating and cooling system more efficient. Your other option—and my personal favor- Dornick. But homeowners can do a lot more to to lower your energy consumption (see chart ite—is the on-site energy audit, available for lower their heating and cooling bills. "We rarely see low-flow faucet aerators any property that's at least 10 years old. Here's or pipe insulation on the hot water line. And how it works: MidAmerican hires an indepen14 October 2008 | Little Village
Green Building
• Use Your Dishwasher (full loads only): The machine actually uses less water than doing dishes by hand, saving more than 2,000 gallons/year on average. • Keep Lamps Away From Thermostats: The heat produced can cause your furnace to run less than needed or your air conditioner more than needed. • Dust Light Fixtures: A heavy coat of dust can block up to 50 percent of light output. • Lighten Your Home Décor: Pale colors on walls, ceilings and floors, and high-gloss paint reflect more light, so you can use lower wattage bulbs and delay turning on lights. • Cover Up Your Cooking: Use lids on pots and pans to reduces cooking times. • Use Fans With Your AC: By circulating the air you can set the thermostat up to five degrees higher and maintain the same comfort level. • Clean Your Lint Trap: Lower your energy bill by cleaning your clothes dryer's lint trap before every load to improve air circulation and cut down on energywasting drying time. • Don't Overdry Clothes: Operating the dryer for an extra 15 minutes per load can cost as much as $34 per year. • Remember Your Computer: Enabling your computer and monitor's power management features so they go into sleep mode when idle (no screen savers) can save from $25 to $75 each year in energy costs. Also, turn off computers and peripherals at night. • Think Old-fashioned: Use reel mowers, manual can openers, carpet sweepers, whisks and wooden spoons instead of electric mixers.
approximately 80 percent of the homes need some kind of insulation work, either in the attic, side walls or basement." If your primary heating energy is supplied by MidAmerican, you can call 800-545-0762 to schedule your own energy audit. Don't wait too long, though. As winter approaches and energy bills increase, appointments are likely to fill up quickly. If all American homeowners made their homes more efficient, the Department of Energy estimates a national energy savings of
• Switch to Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) Bulbs: They last 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs and use 75 percent less energy. You'll save $40 over the life of just one bulb! • Install Dimmer Switches: Can't or won't go with CFLs? Use dimmer switches to shave a bit off an incandescent bulb's energy use and makes the bulb last longer (Note: Most compact fluorescent bulbs can't be used with dimmer switches). • Check Your Furnace Filter: A dirty filter can make your furnace and central air conditioner run harder, quickly reducing its operating efficiency and life span. • Winterize Your Home: Plastic sheeting and caulking on windows will cost about $50, but you can save two to three times that much in energy savings in just one winter. • Reduce Outside Lighting: Install motion sensors, photocell controls or timers so outdoor lights are only on when needed. • Get a Programmable Thermostat: This device can reduce energy bills by as much as $150 a year by automatically adjusting the temperature when you leave the house or go to sleep.
• Do Some Landscaping: Trees and shrubs can provide windbreaks and shade to help reduce your heating and cooling costs. Keep an eye out for tree giveaways and savings sponsored by local energy companies and conservation organizations. • Look for the Energy Star: Sometimes to save a lot, you have to spend a little. Energy Star-qualified appliances may cost a bit more than standard models, but they use 10 to 50 percent less energy and water, which means more money in your pocket year after year. • Check Your Ducts: Get your ductwork routinely checked for leakage, especially when installing a new heating and cooling system. • Upgrade Your Fridge: You should consider replacing it if it is more than 15 years old. New efficiency standards went into effect in 1993, and older units are typically two to three time more expensive to run than new ones. • Install a New Generation Attic Fan: Solar-powered attic fans exhaust hot air and help keep your home comfortable while reducing cooling costs. • Replace Old Windows: To keep heat inside during winter and outside in the summer, choose doublepane windows with an appropriate energy rating for our climate. • Consider Radiant Flooring: Unlike forced-air systems, radiant floor heating doesn't blow dust and other allergens around. Thanks to warm water circulating in flexible tubing installed under the floor, heat radiates evenly up through the floor, providing quiet, even warmth while using less energy. • Reflect the Heat: Attic radiant barriers can help keep homes comfortable and reduce cooling bills. Made of a reflective foil, radiant barriers block the transfer of radiant heat from a hot roof into the attic. • Think Beyond Shingles: Cool roof products come in a variety of colors and materials (including ceramic or concrete tiles, metal and synthetic membranes) and reflect more of the sun's heat, lowering the roof's temperature by up to 100 degrees.
$100 billion between 1998 and 2010. Not a bad drop in the bucket! All you renters out there, don't despair! You can conserve energy, too, as long as you get your landlord's permission for the bigger stuff. MidAmerican's website has plenty of ammunition to help you make a case for an energy audit, and the small changes, at least, require no effort or expense on their part. If your landlord isn't very responsive, then compact flourescents and low-flow showerheads can be installed while you're there and replaced with
the originals when you leave. The outcome? All united on the conservation front! Sara Pralle is a Midwest farmer's daughter from a beautiful spot in the-middle-of-nowhere Kansas. She now lives in Iowa City and works as a full-time writer for The Whetstone Group, Inc., a growth planning marketing firm in Marion. Her interests include the KC Chiefs, yoga and knitting.
Photos courtesy of Stven Stein
he most unlikely outsiders to make a distinct, lasting impact on hip-hop were two ad men named Douglas DiFranco and Steven Stein—Double Dee & Steinski, respectively. Together, they produced a series of 12-inch singles in the mid1980s now known as "The Lessons." Steinski had been attending hip-hop shows around New York since the late-1970s, and by the early-1980s he had turned Double Dee onto the scene as well. "We had been going to the Roxy quite a bit," Steinski says, "and we understood what a hip-hop remix could be. We were seeing the cream of the hip-hop deejays in the world every weekend—Red Alert, Afrika Bambaataa, Jazzy Jay, DST, just to name four off the top of my head." The two started their collaboration in 1983 when Tommy Boy Records held a promotional contest that challenged the entrants to remix the recently released single "Play 16
October 2008 | Little Village
That Beat, Mr. D.J." by G.L.O.B.E. and Whiz Kid. The grand prize consisted of a Tommy Boy Records shirt, Tommy Boy's back catalogue, and a handsome $100. At the time, Stein was working as an advertising copy supervisor at the firm Doyle Dane Bernbach, and DiFranco worked in a commercial recording studio that produced radio ads, which gave him an extensive knowledge of audio editing techniques. Instead of simply remixing the original, Double Dee & Steinski pulled the song apart and put it back together, adding several elements not in the original. Their contest entry was called "Lesson 1—The Payoff Mix," and it included spoken word recordings, an old Little Richard song, dialogue from movies, even voices from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration—as well as snippets of contemporary hits like Culture Club's "I'll Tumble 4 Ya," Herbie Hancock's "Rockit," and other recordings. "Douglas would listen to something and he'd go, 'Oh, okay, we need to edit that
Prairie Pop
down and slow it down a bit, and add an extra beat here,'" Steinski remembers. "Douglas was expert, expert, expert. What I added was ideas and thoughts along with his ideas and thoughts." Dance and hip-hop music legends Jellybean Benitez and Afrika Bambaataa (and others) served as contest judges, who were supplied with pizza and beer. "Lesson 1" was the clear and obvious winner, and the judges reportedly burst into applause at the song's conclusion. "It was great," says Tommy Boy CEO Tom Silverman, "but they ended up creating a re-
I went, 'Wow, this is great! Oh my God, that Jungle Book thing. That's awesome!' So yeah, I was very impressed." "People were sampling before that, but Coldcut and Double Dee & Steinski changed everything," adds British-based, Russian-born DJ Vadim. "Those records would take rock and roll records, pop records, funk, reggae, rock, heavy metal, classical, Indian, world music, and then blend them together. … So, in five minutes, and you could hear 60 tracks." After amicably parting ways with Double Dee, Steven Stein continued to make records, most notably "The Motorcade Sped On," credited to Steinski & Mass Media (in this case, "Mass Media doesn't refer to a person, but rather mass media itself"). It remixed television and radio broadcasts of the John F. Kennedy assassination, throwing in snatches of JFK speeches—including his "I am a Berliner" speech— and the song is introduced by Ed McMahon trumpetSteinski in the studio mixing his retrospective. ing, "Heeeeeeere's Johnny," from The Tonight Show with cord that would never be legally released." Johnny Carson. Steinski says that he found His company's attorney was sure it would pro- a lot of that source material on vinyl (there's voke a lawsuit, "So we released it to radio sta- a whole subgenre of JFK assassination LPs), tions promo only," Silverman says, explaining which he pulled from his collection. It was an that they only serviced it to radio, not record influential record, particularly in Britain. For years Steinski's music has largely gone stores. It was the first of a series of three "Lessons" unheard, because of the same copyright issues that were big underground hits, not only in the that prevented his first record from being sold a quarter century ago. Thanks to the Illegal Art United States, but across the Atlantic Ocean. "It created a lot of noise, and it also established them internationally," Silverman remembers. "It was very popular, but again only on bootleg." "Double Dee and Steinski's records—Lessons 1, 2, and 3—were so important in kicking off the sampling revolution," said Matt Black, part of the British duo Coldcut. "I was into hip-hop, and Double Dee and Steinski's records sparked something in me that said 'Hey, this is fucking cool. We've gotta do this with label—the same indie record company that a four track.' So, that was the original inspira- has released Girl Talk's sample-laden work— Steinski's work has finally been compiled in tion." In 1987, Coldcut recorded their debut a retrospective double CD, What Does It All 12-inch single, "Say Kids, What Time Is Mean? 1983-2006 Retrospective, released this It?"—which mixed James Brown's "Funky past summer. The clock is now ticking on when the first Drummer" with a song from the Disney film The Jungle Book, along with a couple dozen lawsuit will drop. other elements. Matt Black sent their single to Steinski, who remembers, "I think it came Kembrew McLeod lives, works, and plays in with handwritten inscription that said, 'We Iowa City. He is still waiting for his jetpack to made this because of you.' I listened to it, and arrive from the future. October 2008 | Little Village
Camp Euf Taking a trip at in our Par t I of this stor y appeared e. September issu
he first thing that happened in the morning was I couldn't find my glasses. I stumbled towards the second stage area and a tripping was guy met me. He said I believe that there osed supp was I that some important reason ed me a to meet you at this time and he hand . toke a took ptly prom I h bowl, whic and I said, "7/22/66, 42, life the universe everything." he He said, "Got it." The rest of the day I tion. ersa conv my of parts on ing was tripp trip. of kind e was told that four guys did som e guys I guess it was synthetic mescaline. Thre bitnd arou t wen guy r othe were okay and the him. ed jack y ebod som until le ing peop in Then I found my glasses and all the guys into ran I y. happ the second stage area were drink the a guy who I had asked to buy me a
October 2008 | Little Village
Par t two of two
them there were a in I think about the free coffee. I told other night. He was throwing a fest and if we thought ee coff ng got me lot of people getti Storm Lake August 21. Anyway he d make it hapcoul we gh enou hard es about about it high and I met his wife. He told stori the Cow Tipping ming pen. I went up and the girl at how he lined up the bands for the upco coffee. free Cafe hooked me up with gig. work. Three or to go to time Then it was ding A girl with tie-dye everything inclu ulled trailer or-p tract this on got us She had four of socks came up with her boyfriend. ride. We went . She thing sort of like a hayrack a Space Your Face tattoo on her back g the beaten alon age to live around emptying the garb was from Des Moines. I told her I used your dead." out ng "Bri , said heard of track. Someone there and asked her if she had ever pster and dum huge a in trash the tied if I had We emp been my buddy. She said no but asked me have t e mus , "yes." the cans in a can pile. Ther ever been to Greenwood Park. I said dered a fortune in cans. She said, "It's the shit." Then she wan s and I Then this sociology major from Ame and off and I didn't see her again. bag a with tions direc rate sepa in the took off up I had a rather difficult time returning pick to s psite direc- went to the individual cam and red rose blanket. I went in the general le peop the all t to know trash. It was cool to mee tion where I got it and no one seemed ved. they were glad to have their trash remo . e's whose it was. I left it at a campsite nurs the at ped stop I on reas e som For .I Then I was on to the Cow Tipping Cafe imwas I at. ed d the station to have my foot look simply had to get a free burrito. I aske injured reserve list. the on ed plac y iatel med e hom girl if she could hook me up. I said my ld nurse who also working The curvaceous 28-year-o boys are missing out. I told her I was dn't believe it coul ital hosp the at en. She worked today and that we could make it happ wrapped didn't hurt. She dressed my wounds, hooked me up. s. The sock n clea e joking it up and gave me som I talked to some guys who were
greatest thing was her touch. I joked that she could tie me up if she wanted to. We talked about the Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test and the guy who got a fishhook stuck in his head the night before. She sent me on my way and told me to stay off the foot. I simply couldn't be on the sidelines at the fest. I had an interesting conversation with a girl who was going to a Catholic school to be a social worker. I tried to tell her not to be a social worker. But, then I realized it was her trip and as much as I dislike social workers they are necessary. I was complaining that I should be dead already. That Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley all died young. She went on to say that Jerry Garcia lived a full life, Kurt Vonnegut lived a long life, Aerosmith is still around, Bob Dylan is still alive and Keith Richards is still alive. I said I guess I got some unfinished business to take care of and just because my buddy is gone doesn't mean it's over. I was hungry and went in search of something to eat. A group of people hooked me up with some turkey burgers and vodka. I remember the blonde because I was impressed that she took calculus in high school. They said they didn't care they only wanted to be mentioned in my book. They were concerned and wanted to take me to the nurse's station but I told them that I just came from there. For a while I was all over the campground talking about how treatment centers made you a better drug addict. I talked to a black girl about the monkeys and the ghost we caught on tape. I talked to a girl in the bar about the mural and how the black guys at Palmer used to call me Jeffrey Dahmer. I think she was convinced that I was going to kill her. I ran into a guy at the nurse's station who wore a shirt that was obviously advertising psychedelic mushrooms. I told him to work on that white rabbit. I saw him again with another mushroom T-Shirt on. I asked him if he could hook me up since I rode up there on a bicycle and all. He said he would if he saw me later. I looked all over for him the rest of the night. Someone said he had a tent near the
Brian Schmarje nurse's station. Between the second stage and the house, I was seeing trails and a guy dressed in a costume that looked like something form another century in France. I said to a guy in a Jim Morrison T-Shirt, "It will be all right if I just don't talk to anybody." He said, "No, you got to talk to everybody." The rest of the night I told everybody if I made an ass out of myself you can find the guy in the Jim Morrison T-Shirt and beat him up. I ran into three people from Muscatine. One was a typical river rat named Steve. My dad was his sponsor for a while. Last time I asked him for some spare change he reluctantly gave it to me and said he was going to kick my
ass one of these days. I asked him if he knew where to get some shrooms. He said I needed money. He went around telling people what a big freak I was in Muscatine. I had to disassociate for the fest. I remember waltzing to Casey Jones. Sitting with a guy who was tripping on acid, it was like Apocalypse Now. I was caught by the stage by one of the nurses who told me I had to sit down. For a while I was running and hiding from the nurses. I went to the first camp I visited to hide out. It was like a scene from The Outsiders. Sometimes I would try to find
Creative Nonfiction their camp and wind up talking to a whole different bunch of people. I tried to hide out in the cornfield for a while. I stole a sweatshirt because I was cold. A tall black guy who was in a band and his girl caught up to me. I apologized profusely the next day. The sociology major from Ames and I were in charge of parking cars. He was dancing around all crazy and waving his flag. Every time he would say, go past that trash can and find a place to park. Every time a car would roll up, I would just burst out laughing. We took turns going out into the parking lot to talk to new arrivals only the sociology major wasn't into it like I was. When a band started playing "Sympathy for the Devil," I rushed into the crowd waving my flag. Finally the girl at the gate said the people can figure out where to park go have fun. There were some people dancing with fire. It looked more like a dream than reality. I started to worry that the white rabbit wasn't going to happen. I went back to find a place to crash. I had heard about the Gglitch. I guess they were supposed to be the Sundaymorning-going-to-church-with-it main event. I ran into one of the guys from the band. I told him I can't make it work tonight I'm going to sleep. I think I slept about 5 minutes and was off to the second stage. The white rabbit guy was there and handed me a mushroom at 2:00 a.m. I remember talking to a guy who had a book on DMT before it stated to kick in. He looked like a guy I met at a roof party. He said he had my back. Then someone said, Discover nature, go to the cornfield. I remember walking on gravel and the rocks wouldn't stay still. Yes, I was there for the Gglitch and the white rabbit happened. When I came down I passed around my website. The guy in the green pants said you won't get into an airport with this, they'll think it's a Jihad. I rode home on the Fuji and returned the bike to Worm. The White Rabbit store opened August 5 in Iowa City, but it was a low-key event and the song no longer plays in the sky. Brian Schmarje was raised on generations of the family business, first the button business then the tool business. He began experimenting with psychedelic drugs after his first drug treatment experience. Having been a founding member of the Bad Art Movement, he figured he could always fall back on the family business if he didn't become a famous artist. However, things didn't work out that way.
Find part one at www.LittleVillageMag.com
October 2008 | Little Village
The Sit-Down
Adam BUrke
THE SIT-DOWN with
Paul Street
owa City author Paul Street's latest book, Barack Obama and the Future of American Politics, is a critical report on the phenomenal rise of the junior senator from Illinois. Street is a historian and former Chicagoan who worked for the Chicago Urban League as a policy researcher. Obama fanatics will read this book at their own devotional peril, but this is no slimy hatchet-job like Jerome Corsi's Obama Nation. Street's book (from Paradigm Publishing) is thoroughly researched and contains acute analysis of the political games people play. He examines the money horse that all politicians must ride and gives a pitch-perfect analysis of race and U.S. politics in a chapter titled, "How 'Black' is Obama?" Street also looks at the "anti-war" candidate and the conditions of Obama's rise to the top of national politics. He answered our questions by email.
PS: I'm personally left of Kucinich. I published pieces critical of Edwards on foreign policy prior to the Caucus. I agreed with Noam Chomsky that Edwards was "the least objectionable" of the "viable" contenders. If Kucinich had made any considerable effort in Iowa, I would have worked for him. Edwards ran a semi-progressive, heavily issue-based
LV: Your preferred caucus candidate was Dennis Kucinich but some might accuse you of drinking Edwards Kool-Aid before the caucuses. Does every voter put blinders on and drink candidate Kool-Aid to some degree?
October 2008 | Little Village
LV: You describe yourself as a reformer and a revolutionary. How do you negotiate those sometimes opposing perspectives? PS: Reforms are necessary but insufficient. They will not do the job of creating a viably sustainable and decent democratic future in the long-term. We either transcend the corporate-managed profits system or we descend ever further into barbarism, totalitarianism, and ecological ruin over the long haul. Still,
Candidate-centered politics is a problem: you live and die by the candidate's image and "qualities," not by the issues that should matter most.
Little Village: Your book is heavily researched and footnoted; you quote from a wide range of sources; and you've been a critic of Obama since his 2004 DNC keynote address. What drew you to this subject? Paul Street: I figured Obama was a leading future candidate after the keynote address—a pretty conservative speech, by the way. Once Kerry lost, I figured Obama would be irresistible in 2008 to certain sections of the U.S. power elite and to much of the "liberal" electorate. For various reasons, I was well-positioned to write about something that was clearly going to be a major historical development: the Obama phenomenon.
politician, not some kind of transformational, quasi-millennial savior or other such nonsense. This guy has wanted to be president since a young age. He came up through the world of Chicago and Illinois politics. He hired David Axlerod to put him over the top. The Dr. Martin Luther King analogies should stop. This doesn't mean don't vote for him. It just means "buyer beware" and get ready to fight and protest, guilt-free, once we remove the Republicans (if we can) from the White House.
we very much need reforms to improve immediate experience and to build towards truly transformative change. The problem isn't reform, it's reformism.
campaign that said more about labor rights and class inequality (and against "corporate Democrats") than anything I've seen from a "mainstream" candidate. But candidatecentered politics is a problem: you live and die by the candidate's image and "qualities," not by the issues that should matter most. We can all see what would have happened with an Edwards nomination. LV: Many people will close their minds to the possibility that this candidate is not everything they imagine. How should people view a politician like Obama? PS: They should see him as just that—a
LV: Is Barack Obama an incrementalist? Is he an incremental reformer? PS: Quite explicitly. He's been careful, conservative, cautious and conciliatory from the word go. Larrissa MacFarquahar and Ryan Lizza have written careful pieces that find this about Obama in The New Yorker (hardly a left magazine). Here's a quote from Lizza last July: "Perhaps the greatest misconception about Barack Obama," Lizza writes, "is that he is some sort of anti-establishment revolutionary. Rather, every stage of his political career has been marked by an eagerness to accommodate himself to existing institutions rather than replace them." Later in the same essay Lizza notes that Obama is "an incrementalist," something that MacFarquahar found last year.
LV: Iowa City's first African-American mayor Ross Wilburn was an early Obama supporter and, like Obama, a community organizer. I once heard Wilburn talk about how people in Iowa City tended to make assumptions about him based on his skin color, specifically, that there was a false perception that he was an extreme leftist progressive. PS: Wilburn was on to something. There's research showing that voters tend to assume a black candidate is more progressive than a white candidate even when there are no real policy differences between them. I saw this in Iowa: a lot of liberal voters could not process that Edwards was running to Obama's left. Obama ran to Hillary's right on domestic policy (especially on health care) and had few meaningful ideological differences with her on foreign policy but voters still tended to assume that he was left of her. Part of the "progressive Obama" illusion is and was also about age and novelty and his claims to be an antiwar candidate. LV: Do you feel Obama has become a vessel for people to pour their own ideologies into, and if so, how has he done this? PS: Sure. It's what presidential candidates do in a big-money "winner-take-all" system that leaves no room for the full diversity of the real ideological spectrum, where most people are actually to the left (on basic policy issues) of both dominant political parties and of the business sector that tends to control the action behind the scenes. They do it with market research, advertising, micro-targeting, and image-building, emphasizing each candidate as a "man for all seasons." McCain is doing it. Bill Clinton did it. It's nothing new. American presidential politics has involved mass-marketing candidate imagery and crossideological voter-cooptation since the 1830s. Astute commentators since the Progressive Age have noted that campaigns market U.S. candidates like cars, candy, and toothpaste. LV: How is "presidentialism" dangerous to the United States? How do we escape/transcend the cult of the presidency? PS: I don't really do the imperial presidency. My main issue is our quadrennial corporatecrafted and candidate-centered presidential election extravaganza. In writing this book, I drew a lot of inspiration from something Noam Chomsky wrote on the eve of the 2004 elections. "The U.S. presidential race, impassioned almost to the point of hysteria," Chomsky
The Sit-Down
wrote, "hardly represents healthy democratic impulses. Americans are encouraged to vote, but not to participate more meaningfully in the political arena. Essentially the election is yet another method of marginalizing the population. A huge propaganda campaign is mounted to get people to focus on these personalized quadrennial extravaganzas and to think 'That's politics.' But it isn't, it's only a small part of politics." "In the election," Chomsky argued, "sensible choices have to be made. But they are secondary to serious political action. The main task is to create a genuinely responsive political culture, and that effort goes on before and after electoral extravaganzas….The urgent task for those who want to shift policy in a progressive direction—often in close conformity to majority opinion—is to grow and become strong enough so that they can't be ignored by centers of power." Like the civil rights, women's and labor movements. Here we are on the eve of another quadrennial personality-centered, mass-marketed election spectacle and again we have two candidates representing establishment parties both of which stand to the right of majority opinion. Neither of the two candidates is in the ballpark when it comes to meeting real human needs at home and abroad. One of them (McCain) is probably too terrible (messianicmilitarist among other things) not to block, but the deeper point remains. LV: Your book is both an indictment of Obama's neoliberal centrism and is a critique of the national corporate-managed political system. "Our" system is sick and it may be that Obama's words of change and hope are just that—words. How does a voter stay engaged without becoming cynical, overwhelmed or discouraged? PS: Keep a healthy distinction between the "quadrennial extravaganza" and the "main task" that Chomsky talked about. The last chapter of my book is titled "Beyond the Narrow Spectrum" and it includes a 10point plan for "what is to be done" by left progressives in the immediate sense in regard to the Obama phenomenon. The afterword of my book is titled "Imagining a Progressive Future" and it includes a nine-point outline, an imagined "Real 'Change' Presidency." Words matter. Adam Burke covered the run-up to the Iowa caucuses for the Iowa Independent and C-SPAN.
U R Here
>> INSCRUTABLE from page 4 all the cheery laughter, the funny costumes, the pitchfork-laden skits, the town picnic fundraisers, I wonder if that's the extent of their insight into what "American Gothic" and what these stoic Midwesterners represent. One of Eldon's traditions is the annual "Gothic Days." A local tattoo artist interviewed in the film extols the virtues of his profits when he sets up a trailer at the festival, but when pressed, he clearly has no clue what "Gothic Days" is even celebrating. The film ends with the grand opening of the successfully completed new American Gothic House Visitor Center, but we don't even get to see what is inside. What is going on behind those doors, those windows, those smiles, that politeness, that niceness? For me, the most interesting and provocative aspect of Waters Freyer's film are the "portraits" interspersed throughout the 60-some minutes. At regular intervals, we are treated to a lengthy, silent shot of two or more Eldonians, young and old, in their natural habitat, silently posing
The portraits are oddly disturbing. for the video camera. On the surface, these are amusing recreations of the still stares of our American Gothic heroes. But they are also oddly disturbing. It's not just the incongruity of video footage serving as still picture. Rather, the townspeople's mostly reserved stares challenge us to question whether we've gotten to know them at all in this visit to their community. What is going on behind those frequently uncomfortable stares? Is there the boosterish optimism of the town cheerleaders of Gothic Days and the new Visitor Center? Is there the rank pessimism that occasionally peeks out from behind the grins, the fatalism over what possibilities a 900-person town over 60 miles from the Interstate have to offer anyone? Or is there something else? Something dark? Or something beautiful? It seems we'll never know. After all, we're nice here in Iowa. Or maybe not. Since we're not so open, you'll have to work harder at seeing behind the mask. Boo! Thomas Dean lives in Iowa City, and that's about all he's going to tell you.
October 2008 | Little Village
Talking Movies
Scott Samuelson
Heaven and Earth
here is an old poem by Horace that celebrates simple country living; its surprise ending is that the whole thing turns out to be the pitch of a city dweller trying to sell some rural property. During the Olympics, there was a series of ads—Go World—narrated by Morgan Freeman, which, but for their lack of irony, reminded me of that Horatian epode. If we reduce those stirring, kitschy ads to their true content, they read essentially thus: Forget your unique cultural textures, if indeed any still remain, and forget especially the nasty political regimes that regulate our ability to manipulate consumers and markets; focus just on your roles as passive spectators of action and potential runners-up of high-interest debt: We are all equal, we are all consumers. Go World! The ads, I believe, were for Visa. Fatih Akin's The Edge of Heaven—the German title translates literally as "On the Other Side"—is a movie with a feel for what unique cultural textures and real national divisions still remain in our world, but it is equally alive to the genuine hopes and profound difficulties of universal justice. At the same time, the movie tells two interlocked tales about the love and struggle between parents and children. I say "at the same time," because neither the political story nor the human story can be relegated to the backdrop. The writer-director, Fatih Akin, was born in Germany of Turkish parentage, and the complex German-Turkish relationship is integrated into the generational drama. If you are unfamiliar with the German-Turkish situation, a good starting-point is to think about undocumented Mexicans in America. But the situation, unbelievably enough, is even more complicated than ours for two big reasons: (1) Turks are mostly Muslim, so the cultural divides with a secular German with Christian roots are deeper; and (2) there is the problem of the value of the European Union and of Turkey's membership in it. The initial plot is set in motion when two Turks in Germany meet up by chance: a retired widower, Ali, and a prostitute, Yeter. Ali falls for Yeter and offers to pay her regular salary if she lives and sleeps exclusively with him. (A German philosopher once defined marriage as a contract between two people for lifelong use 22
October 2008 | Little Village
Nurgül Yeşilçay and Patrycia Ziolkowska in The Edge of Heaven
of their sexual organs—he was unmarried.) Yeter does move in with Ali, at first to the chagrin of Nejat, Ali's son and a professor of German literature. A separate plotline concerns Yeter's estranged daughter, Ayten, a feisty young Turkish activist, and the trouble Ayten gets into with the Turkish government. The first plotline drifts from Germany to Turkey; the second drifts from Turkey to Germany and
The global world painted by the film is so dislocating and even random that homey rooms are needful stays against confusion. ends up involving yet one more parent-child relationship—between a German mother and her rebellious college-student Lotte. It's to the writer-director's credit that these plotlines cross and overlap in important ways, but never quite as one expects. The story is told with terrific urgency. Few scenes are lingered on; there is so much to get to: murder, romance, crime, plot twists, and all the other good stuff of the movies. Yet there are a few crucial moments where the camera lingers and the story pauses, usually to take note of a character's relationship to a room. The global
The Edge of Heaven
(Auf der anderen Seite) Directed by Fatih Akin Bijou Theatre, www.bijoutheatre.org October 3-5
world painted by the film is so dislocating and even random that homey rooms are needful stays against confusion. One of my favorite scenes, as a book lover myself, is of Nejat walking into a German bookstore in Turkey and simply savoring the walls of literature. After their paths have tragically intersected, the German mother stands beside Nejat in Turkey and asks him what the Turks are being called to worship. He explains that it pertains to the story of Abraham and Isaac, a story that he was rightly horrified of as a child. She says, "We have the same story." It is a wonderful fact—and I don't mean this entirely ironically—that Christians and Muslims can find common ground in the story of a parent's willingness to kill his child. The mother asks Nejat what his own father said to him about the story. Ali told his son that he would make God an enemy sooner than harming his boy. Go World. Scott Samuelson teaches philosophy at Kirkwood Community College. He is also sometimes a moderator on KCRG's "Ethical Perspectives on the News" and sometimes a cook at Simone's Plain and Simple, the French restaurant in the middle of nowhere.
Craig Eley
The Haps
Spirited Shows
would be looking forward to it if I weren't going to see some guy named Stephen Malkmus play the Picador. I don't expect a lot of covers, but I do expect some old songs and a lot of new ones, especially from his damn fine most recent album, Real Emotional Trash. Speaking of Malkmus, he's also played with the Silver Jews, who followed 2005's excellent record Tanglewood Numbers with this year's Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea. Fronted by the talented David Berman, they'll play The Picador on the 9th, setting into motion a series of concerts that are sure to jeopardize your ability to attend work or class. On the 11th, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone headlines a super-intimate show at Public Space One, also featuring Brooklyn loop-rocker Ill Ease along with up-and-coming acts Gangi and Rainbow Arabia. The show will be $5, all ages, and almost certainly pack the house. Two days later, on the 13th, Spencer Seim (of Hella) brings his solo project sBACH to PS1, and then you have a few days to rest before Genghis Tron hits the Picador on the 17th. Two days later the Philadelphia Man Man's live show is said to be a sweaty, bizarre carnival. madmen Man Man will also month. The Picador calendar alone is enough play The Pic. This six-piece band is fronted by to fill your metaphorical goody bag, so bring a man named Sergei Sogay, and the band's on a toothbrush—especially if you end up going a label (Anti-) with fellow shouters Tom Waits home with the 35th "Slutty Devil" you run and Will Whitmore. The live show is said to be a sweaty, bizarre carnival. into that night. If you like bands that have women in them About that big night, and Phish-heads get together now, we have a long tradition of bands (still too rare, you know?), then I would check donning "musical costumes" to pay tribute to out Baby Guts at Public Space One on the 4th, the music they love. This makes Halloween bringing their brand of punk alongside local no different from any other night at the Yacht faves Lipstick Homicide. Also playing is MC/ Club, which must be the number one venue in VL, a Minneapolis hip-duo (they're dudes, sorthe world for cover bands. We Funk will do ry), who rocked last year's Mission Creek fest their Halloween duty by playing P-Funk songs. so hard that they were added to another show the Over at the Mill, some of the best local indie next night. Other shows, briefly, of note: Sunset rock bands will be having a tribute fest variety Rubdown at the Picador on the 2nd, Melissa show of their own. Mannix will play the part Ferrick at The Mill on the 20th, Roommate at of Blondie, their friends and fellow rock-n- Public Space One on the 25th. rollers The Puritanicals will be The Beatles, 12 Cannons is David Bowie, and Shame Train will Craig Eley is a music writer, promoter and be performing Neutral Milk Hotel's classic In American studies grad student, usually in that the Aeroplane Over the Sea it it's entirety. I'm order. Got news on the music scene? Write to really looking forward to Sam Knutson sing- him at email@example.com. ing "Semen stains the mountaintops"—well, I elcome to the War on Xmas, pt. II. If it were up to me, starting every Oct. 1st, every department store—and one random radio station—would start playing Halloween music all damn day and night. From the classics (Boris Pickett's "Monster Mash") to unheralded gems (Bob Marley's "Dracula") to the downright stupid (Zacherley's "Dinner with Drac"), Halloween music is the by far the best holiday music out there. Plus, October is also the height of the fall concert season, which means delights both ghoulish and sublime can be found in Iowa City's venues this
October 2008 | Little Village
Jugs Across America Jugs Across America: A Modern Jug Band Compilation
Self released myspace.com/whiskeyforbreakfastrecords Kellie Everette, Banjo Kellie from Escape The Floodwater Jug Band, has taken things up a notch with this new compilation, impishly titled Jugs Across America. It's always been possible to find jug band music—either the original recordings, the '60s revivalists, or the geographically isolated contemporary proponents. For the first time in the new millennium, Kellie has brought together a cohesive collection of songs from 20 different bands from across the United States. It isn't exaggerating to say that this CD is historic. JAA proves that jug band music isn't just jokey nostalgia; it's people reclaiming homemade entertainment with a deep tradition, firing a shot across the bow of the greedy fakery of contemporary pop music. Of course, it's also jokey nostalgia, too. Eleven out of 19 tracks here are performances of traditional songs, and kazoos and jugs are hard to hear without cracking a grin. No one here takes themselves too seriously, or restrains themselves from reaching for hokey Americana. But what ties all these performances together is their vitality and freshness. In a musical world, where studio trickery has turned everything into a form of electronic music, what is more revolutionary and liberating than getting together with friends and playing
October 2008 | Little Village
send cds for review to: little village, po box 736, iowa city, ia 52244
acoustic music? Even if you're playing an old song you learned from thrift store sheet music or an 80-year-old 78 RPM record, every performance is a fresh act of creation. Key tracks: "Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think)" by the Jim Kweskin Band. Jim Kweskin is jug music's elder statesman, who came to prominence in the folk revival of the early '60s. It may be the least 'juggy' track here, but his homely vocal style and the acoustic instrumentation are every bit as charming. "Which Side Are You On?" by Wahoo Skiffle Crazies is a Wobbly Labor album, delivered with ragged brio. "Achin' For Some Bacon," Escape The Floodwater Jug Band's entry is fronted by Kellie's distinctive vibratoladen alto. But to single out individual songs does the album a disservice—there's no duff tracks at all. The anthology format also gives you enough variation in style and instrumentation to keep it interesting for the whole hour.
Lord Green Selt-Titled EP Self released
on myspace.com somewhere Lord Green is a reviewer's dream—this EP is about five and a half minutes long, which means I can sit through the whole thing without having to devote an hour I'll never get back again. In fact the copy I have only has three tracks, while the silkscreened artwork lists four. I think the "long" track (at 2 minutes 24 seconds) is "Crucible" and "Moderate The Man" together. Off the top of my head, I'd call this thrash-metal-punk-screamo music, but I'm out of the loop with this kind of
music, so I don't know what style Lord Green is going for. What I can say is that this is really loud, screamy, intense music, forcefully delivered. The blink-and-you'll-miss-it song length means there's no room for noodling. In fact, there's barely any repetition of phrases at all— it sounds "through-composed," meaning nothing is left to vamping or improvisation. To my over-the-hill ears, Lord Green sounds like an a quick street skirmish between Black Flag and the Scorpions. Like life, it's nasty, brutish, and short. Unlike life, there's never a dull moment. Kent Williams Mit einem Dach und seinem Schatten dreht sich eine kleine Weile der Bestand von bunten Pferden, alle aus dem Land, das lange zögert, eh es untergeht.
Samuel Locke-Ward Sacrilege, Treason, Treachery & Thyme
Self released myspace.com/samuellockeward If there is a party at the end of the world (and there will be, right?) then count on Samuel Locke-Ward to send out the invitations. With his new record, Sacrilege, Treason, Treachery & Thyme, he further establishes himself as not only a harbinger of doom but also the host with the most, turning moody and deeply paranoid songs into country foot-stompers, pop anthems, and straight-up sing-alongs. But no matter what the tune, the album, at its core, is very serious. Like any good party, there are
political conversations side-by-side with embarrassing behavior, everyone using their eyes to either undress or stab each other until things end in total collapse. This record is all of those things and more, and yes, it's a concept album that plays out beautifully. This is a shining portrait of neuroticism in a post-freedom (fries) world. Album opener "Now (We Have Won)" sets the mood with a scathing critique of domestic and foreign policies fueled by religious fervor, hatred, and violence. That the song is sung from the perspective of the people who believe in these policies makes it all the more striking. "Blood in the streets / Tears in your face / Now now now we have won" is as good a paraphrase of Bush's policies as I've ever seen. Blood is a theme here, as the two longest tracks ("Bleed 1" and "Bleed 2") are where the album's themes get developed most fully. "Bleed 1" moves along a plodding, deliberate pace, laid down on a trap kit. Locke-Ward pushes his versatile voice to the breaking point, resulting in a sound not unlike Will Sheff in some of his finer moments. (Of course, that Sheff also recorded a fine antiBush song in "The President's Dead" is also worth mentioning.) "Big Brain" is a nostalgic 90s rock piece that marks the run-up to the album's furious conclusion. The album's last 15 minutes are the finest since the first two (the album has 18 tracks in 50 minutes), culminating with "Bleed 2." Narrated more than sung, it's the story of a day in the life of someone who just can't take it any more. It's great. This is technically Locke-Ward's sixth solo record, but the fact that he has so many great friends makes the album more rewarding, and his dark visions more fully realized. Pete Balestrieri of the Violent Femmes plays sax, Will Whitmore takes his turn at the mic, as does Shame Train's Sam Knutson. Kate Kate of Lipstick Homicide plays guitar, and Ed Gray lends his electric guitar strings as well as his voice. It's tour only and DIY as hell (CD-R with photocopied sleeve), so go see Samuel and the Boo-Hoo's on tour, buy the record, listen to it, and raise your fist. Craig Eley is a music writer, promoter and American studies grad student, usually in that order.
October 2008 | Little Village
African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa
www.blackiowa.org Check website for locations due to flooding Learning Safari: Shake Your Sekere, Oct. 3, 10:30am ▪ Learning Safari: How to be a Pharoah, Oct. 8, 10:30am ▪ Learning Safari: Unraveling Egypt, Oct. 9, 10:30am ▪ Curse of the Mummy Tomb, Oct. 26, 12-4pm ▪ Haitian Art Workshop, Nov. 1, 1-3pm
257 East Iowa Avenue Iowa City www.akardesign.com New ceramic work by Joy Brown & Karen Karnes, featuring artist Christa Assad, through Oct. 15 ▪ New ceramic work by David Crane, Suze Lindsay & Laura Ross, featuring artist Neil Hora, Oct. 17 through Nov. 7
Amana Heritage Museum
4310 220th Trail, Amana www.amanaheritage.org Blacksmithing & Printing Demonstrations, Saturdays, 11am–4pm The Community of True Inspiration: Pacifism and Patriotism, through Dec. 2008
Cedar Rapids Museum of Art
410 Third Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids www.crma.org Grant Wood Studio and Visitor Center, Guided tours of Grant Wood's home and studio, Saturdays & Sundays, hourly 12-4pm The Year of the River: Flood Photography from The Gazette, through Feb. 22, 2009 ▪ All-Stars: American Sporting Prints from the Collection of Reba and Dave Williams, through Oct. 12 ▪ The ESPY Collection, through Oct. 12 ▪ Environmental Film Festival, see website for details Oct. 4-26 ▪ Tom Ecker, Olympic Historian, Oct. 2, 1pm ▪ Metro Gallery Walk, Oct. 3, 4:30pm-6pm ▪ Eden's Lost and Found: Chicago, Oct. 5, 1-3pm ▪ Photographing and the Flood: An Evening with The Gazette Flood Photographers, Oct. 16, 7-8pm ▪ Members Only Preview of Mary GrandPre: Harry Potter and Beyond, Oct. 30, 5-7pm ▪ The Magic of Illustration Family Fun Day, Nov. 1, 11am-3pm
2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids www.brucemore.org Brushes at Brucemore; Opening reception Oct. 3, 5-7pm; Oct. 4, 10am-3pm; Oct. 5, 12-3pm
Englert Theatre
221 E. Washington St., Iowa City www.englert.org Found Art Object, Barbara Bianchi, through Oct. 18
October 2008 | Little Village
Calendar listings are free, on a space-available basis. For inclusion, please email firstname.lastname@example.com
Faulconer Gallery
Grinnell College, 1108 Park St., Grinnell www.grinnell.edu/faulconergallery A Survey of the Work of Roger Shimomura,1969– 2004, through Oct. 26 ▪ A Constructed Balance: Photographs by Emily Grimes, through Nov. 2, gallery talk Oct. 1, 4:15pm, Burling Library ▪ Gallery Talk: Ukiyo-e Prints and the Work of Roger Shimomura, Oct. 3, 12:30-12:50pm ▪ An American Diary: Scholar's Convocation with Roger Shimomura, Oct. 9, 11am ▪ Community Day, gallery tours, hands-on activities and refreshments, Oct. 11, 1-3pm ▪ Democracy in Peril on all Sides: World War II Veterans Reflect, Oct. 12, 2pm
Iowa Artisans Gallery
207 E. Washington, Iowa City www.iowa-artisans-gallery.com Works in glass, Stephanie Trenchard & Jeremy Popelka, Oct. 3 through Nov. 9, Opening Reception, Oct. 3, 5-8pm
The Iowa Children's Museum
1451 Coral Ridge Ave., Coralville www.theicm.org Sock Dolls Art Adventure, Oct. 2, 3-5pm ▪ Make a Turtle Art Adventure, Oct. 4, 1-3pm ▪ Paper Bag Houses Art Adventure, Oct. 9, 3-5pm ▪ Troop ICM: Creating with Clay, Oct. 11 & 25, 9-11am ▪ Dharma Dolls Art Adventure, Oct. 16, 3-5pm ▪ Crazy Costume Art Adventure, Oct. 18, 9-11am ▪ Mexican Wrestling Masks Art Adventure, Oct. 23, 3-5pm ▪ Child Health Day & Grand Re-opening of City Children's Hospital, Oct. 25 ▪ Dios de los Muertos, Oct. 30, 3-5pm
Johnson County Historical Society
860 Quarry Rd., Coralville www.jchsiowa.org Toys I Never Played With: Early 20th Century African-American Toys, Games, and Books, through Oct. 4
Legion Arts / CSPS
1103 Third St SE, Cedar Rapids www.legionarts.org Legion Arts introductory lunch, Oct. 8, 12-1 pm ▪ Bluesman Guy Davis w/Ann Rabson, Oct. 17, 8 pm ▪ Out of Bounds, Oct. 25, 8 pm ▪ Singer-songwriter Fred Eaglesmith, Oct. 29, 8 pm
National Czech & Slovak Museum
www.ncsml.org Check website for locations due to flooding. Grand Opening for NCSML at Lindale Mall, 4444 First Avenue NE, Cedar Rapids, Sat. Oct. 11, 10am ▪ Káva a Knihy, coffee & books reading group, The Axe by Ludvík Vaculík, Mon. Oct. 13, 7pm ▪ Cooking in Babi's Kitchen, Oct. 18, 10am ▪ Shock and Aftershock: Conversations about 1968 "Dying for Democracy: Lessons from Czechoslovakia, China, and Burma" by Dr. Rex Honey, Sat. Nov. 1, 2pm
Old Capitol Museum
Pentacrest, UI Campus, Iowa City www.uiowa.edu/~oldcap A Community of Writers: Creative Writing at the University of Iowa, through Oct. 12 ▪ The World Comes to Iowa: Portraits of the International Writing Program, through Oct. 12 ▪ Know the Score, LIVE! with Joan Kjaer, featuring the International Saxophone Quartet, Oct. 10, 5-7pm ▪ Creepy Campus Crawl, Oct. 24, 6-8pm
Science Station
Temporary location: lower level, Lindale Mall, 4444 First Avenue NE, Cedar Rapids www.sciencestation.org Be the Dinosaur Exhibit, Oct. 3 through Jan. 4, 2009 ▪ Track 'Em Down and Dig 'Em Up DinoTalk, Oct. 12, 2-3pm ▪ From the Jurassic to the Cretaceous DinoTalk, Oct. 19, 2-3pm
UI Museum of Art
Temporary location: Old Capitol Museum, Pentacrest, UI Campus, Iowa City www.uiowa.edu/uima Know the Score LIVE!, Oct. 10, 5-7pm ▪ The Museum pARTy!, Hotel Vetro, Oct. 11, 8-11pm
MUSIC Clapp Recital Hall/Harper Hall
www.uiowa.edu/artsiowa Check website for locations due to flooding University of Iowa Symphony Band, Oct 1, 8 pm ▪ Ensemble Voltaire, Oct. 5, 2pm ▪ David Kassler, euphonium, Oct. 6, 8pm ▪ International Saxophone Quartet, Oct. 10, 8pm ▪ Cello Daze concert, Oct. 11, 8pm & Oct. 12, 2pm ▪ UI Chamber Orchestra, Oct. 12, 3pm ▪ Maia String Quartet, Oct. 16, 8pm ▪ Philharmonia Orchestra, Oct. 19, 8pm ▪ Composers Workshop, Oct. 19, 8pm, ▪ University of Iowa Symphony Orchestra, Oct. 21, 8pm ▪ Kantorei, Timothy Stalter, conductor, Oct. 24, 8pm ▪ University Choir and Women's Chorale, Oct. 25, 8pm ▪ Iowa Woodwind Quintet, Oct. 27, 8pm ▪ Joel Schoenhals, piano, Oct. 30, 8pm
Englert Theatre
221 E. Washington St., Iowa City www.englert.org Saul Lubaroff Quartet, Oct. 3, 7:30pm ▪ The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Oct. 13, 7pm ▪ Jason Reeves w/ Tyrone Wells, Oct. 23, 8pm
The Industry
211 Iowa Ave., Iowa City www.myspace.com/theindustryic All shows at 8pm Unity the Band, Oct. 3 ▪ Thee Armada, Oct. 4 ▪ Beaker Brothers, Oct. 10 ▪ David Haack DH3, Oct. 11 ▪ Tuttle, Skypiper, Filling Space, Band From Town; Oct. 17 ▪ Poison Control Center. Oct. 18 ▪ Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad w/Public Property
CALENDAR and Dead Larry, Oct. 20 ▪ Minus Six w/Tarfuti, Oct. 24 ▪ Treologic, Oct. 25 ▪ Halloween with Public Property, Oct. 31
The Mill
King Corn, filmed in Iowa, will show at the environmental film festival.
Cedar Rapids Environmental Film Festival October 4-26
Iowa City Experimental Film Festival October 7-11
www.icefilmfest.org Apparently the Iowa Filmscape is bit richer than our cynical features editor gave it credit for (see "Film in Iowa", August). Not only did self-declared art-loving homebodies have the chance to miss the Hardacre and Landlocked film festivals in August, but now they have the chance in October to miss the Environmental Film Festival and Iowa City Experimental (ICE)! Those chief executives of the domicile can busy themselves with housework and ignore the opportunity of seeing experimental films that will never come to a multiplex. ICE is striving to bring international formand genre-breaking film and video to this town, and those alphabetizing their bookshelves that week will not get to separate the brilliant from the sucky. The be-at-home-loving individuals might decide that cleaning with the new Clorox Greenworks is enough to do their part to save the earth, and therefore can miss seeing (for the 4th time) King Corn show how earth-killing corn-for-ethanol subsidies really are, but at least they don't have to worry about losing sleep from packing it all in. So what about people who want to leave the dirty dishes until tomorrow? Well, they have 12 chances to procrastinate for the sake of the Environmental Film Festival between October 4 and October 26, and can find details at www.crma.org/event. ICE provides seven chances to procrastinate October 7-11, with details on the Program page of www.icefilmfest.org.
120 E. Burlington St., Iowa City www.icmill.com Shows at 9pm unless otherwise noted Sunday Night Pub Quiz, Sundays, 9pm-Midnight Open Mic, Mondays, 8pm, call 338-6713 to sign up Tuesday Night Social Club, Tuesdays Finders and Youngberg, Oct. 2, 8pm ▪ Filling Space w/Cellar Door, Oct. 3 ▪ Big Wooden Radio, Oct. 4 ▪ Birth Rites, Puritanicals, Mannix!, Oct. 7 ▪ Burlington St. Bluegrass Band, Oct. 8, 7pm ▪ Talk Art Caberet, Writers' Workshop readings, Oct. 8, 10pm ▪ John Craigie w/Rachel Marie & Chicago Farmer, Oct. 9, 8pm ▪ Matthew Grim & The Red Smear w/Brian Troester, Oct. 10 ▪ Nikki Lunden Trio w/Zach Heath, Oct. 11 ▪ Brighton MA (CD Release), Jared Mees and the Grown Children, Finn Riggins, Oct. 14 ▪ Dance Party for Obama w/Public Property, Oct. 15, 7pm ▪ Kent Burnside & The New Generation w/Liberty Leg, Oct. 16 ▪ Diplomats of Solid Sound Featuring the Diplomettes, Oct. 17 ▪ The Salsa Band, Oct. 18 ▪ The Faris Family, Oct. 19 ▪ Melissa Ferrick w/Coyote Grace, Oct. 20 ▪ Broken Spokes, Musee Mecanique, Sam Knutson w/special guests, Oct. 21 ▪ Burlington St. Bluegrass Band, Oct. 22, 7pm ▪ Talk Art Caberet, Writers' Workshop readings, Oct. 22, 10pm ▪ Samuel Locke Ward & The Boo Hoo's w/Teddy Boys and Old Panther, Oct. 23 ▪ Kevin Gordon w/Amelia White, Oct. 24 ▪ Wylde Nept, Oct. 25 ▪ University Of Iowa Jazz Performances, Oct. 28 ▪ Down Lo & The Mayflies, Oct. 29 ▪ Stickman w/Captain's Verses, Oct. 30 ▪ Halloween w/Shame Train, Twelve Cannons, Mannix!, and The Purticals, Oct. 31
National Czech & Slovak Museum
www.ncsml.org Check website for locations due to flooding. Piano concert by Joshua Russell, Oct. 11, 7pm ▪ Concert by pianist Radoslav Kvapil, Oct. 30, 8pm
Old Capitol Museum
Pentacrest, UI Campus, Iowa City www.uiowa.edu/~oldcap Chamber Music in the Senate Chambers presented by The University of Iowa School of Music: Maia Quartet, Oct. 16, 8pm ▪ Iowa Woodwind Quintet, Oct. 29, 8pm ▪ Joel Schoenhals, piano, Oct. 30, 8pm ▪ Rising Stars, Piano Sundays, Oct. 5, 1:30pm
The Picador
330 E. Washington St., Iowa City www.thepicador.com Doors at 9pm unless otherwise noted Sing It Loud w/You, Me, and Everyone We Know and Take Cover, Oct. 1, 5pm doors ▪ Sunset Rubdown w/Datagun, Oct. 2 ▪ Pete Lombardo & Elastik Soul w/The Ben Lehl Band, Oct. 3 ▪ Breathe Carolina, w/ Brokencyde and The Morning Of, Oct. 4, 6pm doors ▪ Ed Gray, w/Manhorse III The Meatbag and Open
Goat, Oct. 5, 7pm doors ▪ Raw Mojo w/Say When, Oct. 7, 6pm doors ▪ Seneca (from Ireland), w/TBA, Oct. 8 ▪ Silver Jews, w/The Mattoid , Oct. 9 ▪ The Envy Corp, w/The Silent Years, The Dig Angees, and Chrash Flood, Oct. 10 ▪ Minus The Bear w/Annuals and Themes, Oct. 13 ▪ USAISAMONSTER, w/ TBA, Oct. 14 ▪ Joshua Radin, w/TBA, Oct. 15 ▪ Genghis Tron w/Yip Yip, Black Cobra, and Shores of the Tundra, Oct. 17, 7pm doors ▪ Maylene & The Sons of Disaster w/A Static Lullaby, Showbread, Confide, and Attack! Attack!, Oct. 18 ▪ The New Duncan Imperials, w/Kickass Tarantulas, Oct. 18, 10pm doors ▪ MAN MAN w/Tim Fite, Oct. 19, 7pm doors ▪ Nachtmystium, w/Wolves in the Throne Room and Nethervoid, Oct. 21, 6:30pm doors ▪ Fucked Up w/Psychedelic Horseshit, local TBA ▪ The Horde, w/Parasytic (ATP & ex-Avail), Oct. 24 ▪ Mark Rose (ex-Spitalfield) w/Empires, 5pm doors, Oct. 25 ▪ Bad Accident w/Bear Weather, Liberty Leg, Wax Cannon, Oct. 25, 9:30pm doors ▪ Jonathan Richman featuring Tommy Larkins on drums, Oct. 27, 7pm doors ▪ Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks w/ Blitzen Trapper, Oct. 31, 7pm doors
Public Space One
115 E. Washington St., Iowa City www.myspace.com/publicspaceone Shows at 8pm Old Man Charlie w/Jessie Blaine and Mike Anichini, Oct 3, 7pm ▪ Baby Guts and MC/VL w/Lipstick Homicide, Oct 4, ▪ Casiotone for the Painfully Alone w/Gangi, Ill Ease, Rainbow Arabia, Oct 11, 8pm ▪ sBACH, Oct 13, 9pm ▪ ▪ Open Goat w/Boar and Make Believe Bombs..., Oct 18, 8pm ▪ Roommate w/the Judy Green , Oct 25, 8pm
Redstone Room
129 Main St., Davenport www.redstoneroom.com Brother Trucker and The Goodyear Pimps, Oct. 3, 9pm ▪ Bumper Crop, Oct. 4, 9pm ▪ Earth Charter Summit Concert featuring Andrew Landers, Oct. 10, 8pm ▪ Alejandro Escovedo, Oct. 13, 7:30pm ▪ Louie Bellson, Oct. 15, 6pm ▪ Late Nite Blues Brothers THE TRIBUTE, Oct. 18, 9pm ▪ Terry Bozzio drum clinic, Oct. 21, 6:30pm ▪ Rena Jones & The New Millennium Orchestra, Oct. 23, 8:30pm ▪ Smooth Jazz Series Presents: Nils, Oct. 24, 7pm ▪ Smooth Jazz Series Presents: The Sax Pack, Oct. 25, 7pm ▪ RME Halloween Bash featuring the Ellis Kell Band, Oct. 31, 9pm
Riverside Casino
3184 Highway 22, Riverside www.riversidecasinoandresort.com Jake Owen & Lady Antebellum, Oct. 11, 7pm ▪ Jeff Dunham's Spark of Insanity, Oct. 24, 6 & 9pm
October 2008 | Little Village
CALENDAR SCOPE Productions
www.scopeproductions.org Check website for locations Will Bernard w/The Diplomats of Solid Sound, Oct. 2, 7:30pm ▪ My Morning Jacket, Oct. 7, 7:30pm
Yacht Club
13 S. Linn St., Iowa City www.iowacityyachtclub.org Mondays Blues Jam ▪ Tuesdays Dance Party ▪ Wednesdays The Jam ▪ Thursdays Battle of the Bands Kinetix + Nifty Mountain Pow Wow, Oct. 2, 9pm ▪ Cosmopolitics/Insectoid/Dig Angees/Colin Braley/ Red Lining Aspec, Oct. 3, 9pm ▪ Magic Bus Party During Iowa/Michigan St. Game w/Sugar Nipples, Oct. 4, 12pm ▪ Dennis McMurrin & The Demolition Band + Derek Perez & Brad Rieks, Oct. 4, 9pm ▪ Public Property + Heatbox, Oct. 9, 9pm ▪ David Zollo, Oct. 10, 9pm sharp ▪ Yacht Club/Minstrel Studios/New Belgium Battle Finale, Oct. 11, 7pm ▪ The Jumbies w/Strange Arrangement, Oct. 16, 9pm ▪ Family Groove Company, Oct. 17, 9pm ▪ Cornmeal w/The Cellar Door and Flavor Savers, Oct. 18, 9pm ▪ Mad Monks w/Ephraim Zehn and Mint Wad Willy, Oct. 20, 9pm ▪ Bumpus w/Slip Silo, Oct. 25, 9pm ▪ We Funk, Oct. 31, 9pm
CINEMA Bijou Theater
Van Allen Hall, Lecture Rm 2, 335-3258 www.bijoutheater.org Check website for showtimes. The Edge of Heaven, Oct. 3-5 My Winnepeg, Oct. 10-12 Man on Wire, Oct. 17-19 Rocky Horror Picture Show, Oct. 24-26
Englert Theatre
221 E. Washington St., Iowa City www.englert.org A Friend Indeed: The Bill Sackter Story; Oct. 1, Oct. 4 & 5; 7:30pm
Iowa City Experimental Film Festival Five Locations, Iowa City Over forty films in competition, Oct 7-11
Becker Communication Studies Building
University of Iowa Campus IWP Cinematique series: Dispatches from Mindanao presented by Teng Mangansakan, Oct. 5, 8pm ▪ Dreams of Hind and Camilia (Egypt), presented by Laila Al Atrash, Oct. 12, 8pm ▪ Sangrador (Venezuela), presented by Leonardo Henriquez, Oct. 19, 8pm ▪ The Widow (Nigeria), presented by Uche Umezurike, Oct. 26, 8pm
October 2008 | Little Village
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PERFORMANCE Art Culture Experiment (ACE)
Old Brick, 26 Market St., Iowa City Inclusive Ballroom, Tuesdays through Dec. 16, 7-8:30pm ▪ Actors Dance Lab, Tuesdays through Dec. 16, 8:30-9:45pm
Dreamwell Theatre
Unitarian Universalist Society, 10 S. Gilbert St., Iowa City The Pillowman, Oct. 3, 4, & 11, 7:30 pm
Englert Theatre
221 E. Washington St., Iowa City www.englert.org Alley Cabaret, Oct. 2 & 3, 24 & 25, Midnight ▪ Second City: Deface the Nation, Oct. 9-12, 8pm ▪ School House Rock Live; Oct. 17 & 18, 7:30pm; Oct. 18 & 19, 2pm ▪ Beauty and the Beast; Oct. 30, & Nov. 1, 7:30pm; Nov. 1 & 2, 2pm
Hancher Auditorium
www.hancher.uiowa.edu Check website for locations due to flood Kathy Griffin, Oct. 4, 7:30pm ▪ Global Drum Project, Oct. 15, 7:30 pm ▪ An Evening with Judy Collins, Oct. 17, 7:30 pm ▪ Chiara String Quartet, Oct. 23, 7:30pm ▪ Dance Gala 2008: Special Issue, UI Dance Department, Oct. 30 & 31, 8pm
Old Creamery Theater
39 38th Ave., Main Stage, Amana www.oldcreamery.com Check website for showtimes Leaving Iowa; Oct. 1-5 ▪ Little Red Riding Hood, Oct. 4 & 11 ▪ Whose Wives Are They Anyway, Oct. 10-Nov. 16 ▪ Spooky Tales, Oct. 18 & 25 ▪ Ghost Stories, Oct. 25-31
Riverside Theatre
213 N. Gilbert St., Iowa City www.riversidetheatre.org Check website for showtimes Coffee and Hope, Oct. 4 - Nov. 9
Summit Restaurant Comedy Night
10 S. Clinton St, Iowa City www.thesummitrestaurantandbar.com Wednesdays at 9:30pm Warren B. Hall & Mike Malone, Oct. 1 ▪ Tommy Johnagin & Andy Woodhaul ▪ James Johann & Sean Brennan, Oct. 15 ▪ Sparkmann & Tony Wendland, Oct. 22 ▪ Mark Fradl & Ken Schultz, Oct. 27
Theatre Cedar Rapids
Grant Wood House, 800 Second Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids unless noted www.theatrecr.org The Children's Hour, Oct. 2-4, 7:30pm, Oct. 5, 2:30pm ▪ Audition Workshop, Adult Education Class, Oct. 6, 6pm ▪ Place Your Bets On TCR, TCR fall fundraiser, Elmcrest Country Club, Cedar Rapids, Oct. 9, 6-10pm ▪ Film Versus Theatre: This
Season, Adult Education Class, Oct 13, 6pm ▪ The Rocky Horror Show, TCR Lindale, 4444 1st Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids Oct. 24, 25 & 31, 7:30 & 10:30pm ▪ Using Your Voice, Adult Education Class, Oct. 27, 6pm
The University of Iowa Theaters
www.uiowa.edu/~theatre Undergraduate Directors Festival, Space/Place Theater, North Hall, UI Campus Oct. 2-4, 8pm & Oct. 5, 2pm;
U.S. Cellular Center
370 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids www.uscellularcenter.com American Jukebox, Oct. 6, 7:30pm ▪ Gran Folklorico de Mexico, Oct. 14, 7:30pm ▪ Harmony Hawks Barbershop Quartet Fall Convention; Oct. 10, 3:30 & 7pm; Oct. 11, 10:30am & 7:30pm ▪ River Corridor Redevelopment Plan Open House, Oct. 16, 10am & 4pm ▪ Cedar Rapids Rollergirls vs. Quad City Rollers, Oct. 25, 7pm ▪ 12th Annual Indoor Marching Band Classic, Oct. 27, 6:30pm
WORDS Barnes & Noble
Coral Ridge Mall 1451 Coral Ridge Ave., Coralville All Storytimes begin at 10am unless noted I Like Myself! Storytime, Oct. 3 ▪ Raggedy Ann Visits Storytime, Oct. 4, 2pm ▪ Give a Cat a Cupcake Storytime, Oct. 7 ▪ A Long Way Gone discussion, One Community One Book, Oct. 7, 7pm ▪ Scrabble Night, Oct. 8, 6:30pm ▪ Cat and Mouse Storytime, Oct. 10 ▪ Educator Appreciation Reception, Oct. 13, 6:30pm ▪ School Poems Storytime, Oct. 14 ▪ Little by Little Storytime, Oct. 17 ▪ Bearenstain Bears and the Prize Pumpkin, Oct. 21 ▪ Coffee and Crime Book Group: A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch, Oct. 21, 7pm ▪ Dinosaur Days: Harold! Storytime, Oct. 24 ▪ Halloween Storytime, Oct. 28
Iowa City Public Library
123 S. Linn St., Iowa City www.icpl.org What Matters Now: Social Change in the World, Oct. 10 ▪ Note to Self: Why I Write What I Write II, Oct. 17 ▪ The Migrant as a Figure in Literature Today, Oct. 24
Prairie Lights
15 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City, 337-2681 www.prairielightsbooks.com All "Live from Prairie Lights" readings at 7pm unless otherwise noted David Weiss and Jim Crenner, poetry, Oct. 1 ▪ Gary Presley, nonfiction, Oct. 3 ▪ Veronica Raimo (Italy) and Madzirov (Macedonia), Oct. 5 ▪ Jeff Gates, nonfiction, Oct. 6 ▪ Porter Shreve, fiction, Oct. 7 ▪ Molly McNett, fiction, Oct. 8 ▪ Forrest Gander, fiction, Oct. 9 ▪ D.K. Smith, fiction, Oct. 11 ▪ Maya Kucherskaya (Russia) and Agnes Lam
Roland Sweet (Hong Kong), Oct. 12 ▪ Tom Piazza, nonfiction, Oct. 13 ▪ John McNally, fiction, Oct. 14 ▪ Robin Schiff, poetry, Oct. 16 ▪ Mary Swander, nonfiction, Oct. 17 ▪ Alexis Stamatis (Greece) and Laila Al-Atrash (Jordan), Oct. 19 ▪ Amy Shearn, fiction, Oct. 20 ▪ Steve Sherrill, fiction, Oct. 22 ▪ Allison Amend, fiction, Oct. 23 ▪ Sarah Vowell, fiction, Oct. 24 ▪ Niq Mhlongo (South Africa) and Maryam Al Amjadi (Iran), Oct. 26 ▪ Rick Campbell, poetry, Oct. 27 ▪ Francine Prose, fiction, Oct. 30
University of Iowa
www.uiowa.edu/artsiowa Richard Kenney, Ida Beam reading, Oct. 7, 8pm ▪ Michael Cunningham, Writers' Workshop Ida Beam Lecture, Van Allen Hall, Oct. 15, 7pm ▪ Mary Jo Bang, poetry reading, Dey House, Oct. 21, 7pm ▪ International Writing Program Readings at Shambaugh House: Laila Al Atrash (Jordan) and Haifa Bitar (Syria), Oct. 10, 5pm; ▪ Uche Umezurike (Nigeria) and Gyeongmee Kim (South Korea), Oct. 17, 5pm; ▪ Open World writers from Russia. International Writing Program, Oct. 24, 5 p.m
MISC Amana Colonies
4310 220th Trail, Amana www.amanacolonies.org Oktoberfest; Oct. 3, 11am-11pm; Oct. 4, 10am11pm, Oct. 5, 10am-5pm ▪ Oktoberfest Homebrewers Competition, Oct. 4, 12pm ▪ Autumn Days Craft and Fine Art Show; Oct. 4, 9am-5pm; Oct. 5, 10am4pm ▪ Amana Volksmarch, Middle Amana Park, Oct. 12, 1pm ▪ Iowa Heartland Fall Fling Flyball Tournament, Oct. 25 & 26, 8am
2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids www.brucemore.org Nooks and Crannies Tour Oct. 4, 11, 18, and 25, 9:30am ▪ Wrapping Up the Garden, Oct. 1, 6pm ▪ Autumn Seasonal Landscape Hike, Oct. 18, 10:30am
Iowa City Senior Center
28 S. Linn St., Iowa City American Sign Language class, Call 319-356-5220 to register, Mondays Oct. 6-27, 12pm ▪ What You Don't Know Can Hurt You, identity theft workshop, Oct. 7, 11:30am ▪ I Wouldn't Be Caught Dead In That!, funeral pre-planning class, Oct. 8, 1-3pm ▪ English Country Dancing, Oct. 4, 7pm
International Writing Program
Old Capitol Senate Chamber, Old Capitol Building, UI Campus, Iowa City Paul Engle Centennial, play reading, Oct 12. 2pm
Secrest 1883 Octagonal Barn
Five miles east of Iowa City on Highway 6, then Oasis north and Osage east one mile 125th Anniversary celebration, Oct. 5, 1-6pm
Curses, Foiled Again • Miami police investigating the hit-and-run death of Ana Iris Perez-Hernandez, 25, identified Jose Santiago, 62, as their suspect after finding remains of the homemade spaghetti and tomato sauce she had been carrying underneath the grill of Santiago's gold Toyota Corolla and on the bottom part of the windshield. "There aren't too many vehicles with spaghetti on them," Detective Lorraine Rubio told the Miami Herald. She added that Santiago wasn't home, but police towed the car and arrested him when he showed up later at police headquarters "wanting to know when he could get his car back." • Someone smashed a 6-foot-tall hole in the wall of a clothing store in Tulsa, Okla., then spent the next six hours trying to break into a safe that contained several thousand dollars before giving up and fleeing empty-handed. Jime Breece, the clothing company's vice president, noted that the safe was unlocked the whole time. • Albanian native Jugert Haxhiu, 26, was ordered to leave the United States in 2004 but didn't. He was arrested in August when he applied for a job with the U.S. Border Patrol and claimed to be a U.S. citizen. Women in Black • An Italian priest from Mondragone announced he was organizing an online beauty pageant to give nuns more visibility within the Catholic Church and to fight the stereotype that they are all old and dour. "External beauty is a gift from God, and we mustn't hide it," the Rev. Antonio Rungi proclaimed, adding contestants could pose with the traditional veil or with their heads uncovered. "We are not going to parade nuns in bathing suits." Despite such assurances, four days later, Rungi called off the "Miss Sister 2008" contest, yielding to pressure from some Catholics, particularly the association of Catholic teachers. The group's president, Alberto Giannino, said the pageant "belittles the role of nuns." When Guns Are Outlawed • Police said wheelchair-bound Jesus Javier Ortega, 30, was being helped out of a car in the parking lot of a church in Cedar City, Utah, when he stabbed his brother-in-law in the face several times with a ballpoint pen. "The suspect had been in prison, and the victim has been helping raise his children," police Sgt. Jerry Womack said. "There was some dispute over the way the victim was raising his children."
News Quirks
• Police in Gainesville, Fla., charged Crystal McCook, 29, with throwing a "deadly missile" at a vehicle after they said she dropped a 15-pound duffel bag from the top of her stairs onto the car, followed by plates, spaghetti sauce and a glass candleholder. • Two men reported they were sleeping in a home in Fresno County, Calif., when a burglar rubbed spices on the body and in the face of one man and then used an 8-inch sausage to smack the other in the head. Deputies had no trouble identifying the suspect as Antonio Vasquez, 22, because he left behind his wallet with his identification, according to sheriff's Lt. Ian Burrimond, who said both the spices and sausage came from the victims' kitchen. Deputies recovered $900 that was stolen from the home but said a dog ate the sausage used in the attack. Without the weapon, prosecutors said they lacked sufficient evidence to charge Vasquez.
Cuddly But Dangerous
Japanese police reported three men were hanging out on a Tokyo street corner dressed as a mouse, a panther and Winnie the Pooh, when the one in the Pooh costume, Masayuki Ishikawa, 20, objected to two people staring at them. He and his friends beat up the two gawkers and stole $160 from them, according to police, who said the group apparently donned the costumes because they had run out of clean clothes.
Aerial Escapades While officials awaited the arrival of skydivers to deliver the game ball to start a football game at the University of North Carolina, the two jumpers from Virginia-based Aerial Adventures landed 8 miles away where Duke University was supposed to face James Madison University. Raleigh's News & Observer reported the pilot carrying the jumpers thought they were over UNC's Kenan Stadium, not Duke's Wallace Wade Stadium. "In about five years," UNC athletic director Rick Steinbacher said, "maybe this will be funny." Compiled from the nation's press by Roland Sweet. Submit items, citing date and source, to P.O. Box 8130, Alexandria VA 22306. October 2008 | Little Village
Article The Straight Title Dope
author CECIL ADAMS
Tale of the Tapeworm In her book Seabiscuit Laura Hillenbrand states that in the 1930s racehorse jockeys trying to lose weight would swallow a capsule containing a tapeworm egg. The worms would then mature in the jockeys' stomachs and eat whatever food was dropped their way. I'm sure you've heard this same story in connection with the great opera singer Maria Callas or about other celebrities with a weight problem. When I expressed doubt, I was told I'm full of worms because Hillenbrand wouldn't have included this in her book if it weren't true. Help me worm my way out of this. —Jim Small, Denville, New Jersey I swear, every time you think you've heard the absolute stupidest thing imaginable, something else comes along to make you realize you've barely scratched the surface. It's one thing to accidentally ingest a tapeworm, as one Chicago diner recently claimed to have done, but surely no one would do so on purpose. On investigation, however, we discover that not only is Hillenbrand's story plausible, somebody's hawking a tapeworm diet plan on the Web even now. Let's talk tapeworms. Ideally adapted for living inside other animals, most species of tapeworm have a similar life cycle. Once within its host a tapeworm continuously releases eggs (or pregnant segments of its body), which are passed out with the feces and then ingested by a subsequent animal—a cow, say, via contaminated feed. Larvae hatch from these eggs and infect the tissues of their new host, hiding inside a protective cyst, where they wait until the animal dies and its flesh is eaten by yet another animal, e.g., us. When we digest the infected meat the outer layer of the cyst dissolves, freeing the worm, which attaches itself to our intestines, where it starts laying eggs and the process starts all over. The great circle of life—ain't it beautiful? We'll get to the practical implications of tapeworm dieting in a moment. First a more pressing question: Did anybody honest to God think this would work? Answer: Evidently. A 30
October 2008 | Little Village
few seconds with Google turns up an authentic-looking advertisement for "sanitized tapeworms" ("friends for a fair form") that appears to date from the turn of the last century. A hoax? Maybe, but it convinced at least one medical expert, endocrinologist Zachary Bloomgarden, who in a 2000 article in Diabetes Care wrote, "Approaches to decreasing nutrient absorption date from the early 1900s, when diet treatment with 'sanitized tapeworms' was widely advertised." So let's assume the ad is legit, in
the sense that this product was actu- ally for sale a century ago. Did whatever they were selling really contain live tapeworms (or tapeworm cysts or eggs or heads)? Beats me, but I'm betting significant tapeworm consumption was low—else the screaming would still be reverberating today. Fact is, having a tapeworm inside you is beyond gross. An adult tapeworm can grow up to 50 feet long and live up to 20 years. Tapeworm eggs are even worse, as the larvae that emerge from them are prone to burrow out of your intestines and find homes elsewhere in your body. For example, the pork tapeworm can cause neurocysticercosis, in which the larvae migrate through the stomach or intestinal lining and up into your brain.
There they form destructive cysts, triggering immune responses that can lead to epileptic seizures or worse. The cysts formed by sheep tapeworm larvae may reach the size of grapefruit; they can rupture blood vessels when they break, resulting in shock and death. Death, schmeath, you say: will I lose weight? Probably, but there are some real downsides to tangling with even the relatively benign beef tapeworm, including nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and a general feeling of illness. There's also the risk of malnutrition. The fish tapeworm, for instance, can steal vitamin B-12 from its host, leading to anemia. If you ask me, the possibility of having a worm emerge unexpectedly from a bodily orifice is also a significant disincentive. Plus you might get ascites, a fluid buildup causing your gut to swell, which is hardly the desired effect. But come on, if people will try stomach stapling, they'll try anything. It's quite possible jockeys in Seabiscuit's day at least talked about swallowing tapeworms to lose weight, presumably after having struck out with all-egg diets, forced vomiting, running in the heat wearing a rubber suit, and gut-wrenching laxatives that probably put the rider's life at risk as much as any tapeworm. Whether any actual tapeworms got eaten, and if so with what result, are matters on which I'm content to remain agnostic. As for celebrities, I'm not seeing many confirmed cases. You mentioned opera diva Maria Callas, rumored to have taken tapeworms after she abruptly lost a bunch of weight in midcareer. Though she was indeed diagnosed with at least one tapeworm infection, biographer Anne Edwards (Maria Callas: An Intimate Biography, 2001) says the likely cause was her love of raw meat. —CECIL ADAMS Comments, questions? Take it up with Cecil on the Straight Dope Message Board, straightdope.com, or write him at the Chicago Reader, 11 E. Illinois, Chicago 60611. Cecil's most recent compendium of knowledge, Triumph of the Straight Dope, is available at bookstores everywhere.
Contact Dr. Star at email@example.com
STARS Over Iowa City
ASTROLOGY FORECAST FOR OCTOBER 2008 For Everyone—Waiting for inspiration to do its work. October 2008 is a very rare kind of month. Our outer, material life is waiting on developments in our inner, intuitive life. We sense the possibility and the need for forward movement. But all we have are old ideas that we already know will not work. We are all waiting for a new idea to work its way into our awareness, for an inner light to grow strong enough to light a new path, one that we maybe never noticed before. We are waiting on the same thing to happen in other people. As October progresses, we will begin to move forward and notice others moving forward as this inner process goes forward. Aries—You have the bit between your teeth. Try not to feel like a time bomb. Control your impatience. The arrogance and lack of consideration of certain parties will upset you. But negotiation and cooperation are the keys. Healing discussions will uplift all concerned. Your dissatisfaction with the status quo will still remain strong. But you should sense that the status quo is changing. These changes will bring you luck, and opportunities to shape the future to your liking. Just be sure certain people don't make changes to their own advantage. Taurus—It always lands in your lap. The relative calm early in October is the eye of a storm. Chaos will resume mid-month. People come to you repeatedly with thorny, insoluble problems. Maybe they sense your access to those in power. But the authorities don't have the answers either. You'll have to come up with the answer and then explain, dramatize, persuade and...well...bully people—both high and low—into cooperating, for their own good. Maybe you can slip in a helpful suggestion while the boss is feeling good. Gemini—Enlist. People all around you are desperate to find a solution. Those in power are even more desperate to open lines of communication with their unruly subordinates and restless allies. They need people to cooperate with the search for answers and to keep peace during the search. You are acutely aware of differences with your superiors, but if you choose, you can be an important middle-person during these turbulent times. That will bring rewards as stability and progress return. Pressure from family members could dampen social and romantic impulses. Cancer—Intensity. Cancerians are overwhelmed with emotion now. Your mind is full of inspiration. Your heart is full of empathy. Your stomach is tight with determination to get to the bottom of something. Your best bet is to keep your mind on the big picture. Stick with the ideas that are broad enough to include everyone and grand enough to inspire everyone. For the rest, help people understand the meaning of what they are feeling. Help them relate their feelings and ideas, and most importantly, their actions, to the big picture.
Leo—Getting over the hump. Leos love to love and be loved. Their favorite way to achieve that is gentle persuasion, encouraging words, tap dancing around the tough issues all the while. This month, that tactic won't work. Neither will glistening generalities and noble sentiments. People are focused on the nitty-gritty and won't be distracted. Be down to earth. Help them express that confused feeling or complicated idea and do or say those difficult, realistic words. Most important of all, help them take that scary next step, or make that important commitment.
Maintain self-confidence. Planetary forces are testing your selfconfidence. Many people will use questionable methods to undermine your faith in yourself. Don't let them. Measure yourself against real situations, not the questionable opinions of others. Your help is vitally necessary to help others sort out their rapidly changing lives. However, you will need to rethink many cherished beliefs about yourself and the world. Just don't let others take advantage of you or make you feel badly while you're doing this vital personal maintenance. Your quest will directly benefit others. Virgo—Network. In contrast to other Sun signs, who are scrambling to get it together, Virgos will find themselves in the midst of a sizable, supportive new network of friends and associates. They are energetic, optimistic and full of exciting plans for the future. Beyond that, you will profit from the cooperation of people with the power and inclination to make things happen for you. The resolution of many outstanding, interwoven financial issues will help you heal relations with loved ones. This, in turn, will help you heal longstanding personal issues. Scorpio—Keep your feet on the ground. There are many confusing things going in your world right now. At the same time, your mind is opening up to subtle, intuitive ways of thinking and perceiving. This is healthy and natural. It will provide inspiration and bring new ways of thinking through stubborn issues. It will also help you escape tiresome limitations. Keep your mind on simple, down-to-earth things to help maintain a realistic perspective as you learn to deal with all this new input.
Sagittarius—Mark time. You might find yourself going around in circles. The same questions, the same solutions, the same obstacles, again and again. There are exciting ideas around. However, they aren't clear enough. People don't understand them. From all that's been said, its not clear that you can get there from here anyway. Everyone will have to wait until everyone else has mulled things over and gotten themselves ready to think and act out of the box. It will be a month or so before the impasse breaks down completely. Capricorn—Not your average Capricorn month. Capricorns like clear directions, neat schedules, firm ground and concrete choices. October isn't like that. Still, you sense that optimism is justified. Things will soon start moving in the right direction, slowly but decisively. But you also face a new life challenge. You need to completely rethink all the important relationships in your life. This challenge is long-term. Shepherding people past the present impasse, nurturing their communication with each other and with you, are only the first steps in meeting this long-term challenge. Aquarius—Keep it light. The world is very, very much in need of the kind of inventive and inspiring things that routinely go through your Aquarian mind. But they aren't ready to show a focused interest or make any major commitments. You can accomplish a lot and help many people simply by making yourself available for small talk. That will provide the inspiration they want without the commitment they fear. Your vibes are just right for this task right now. Achieving your own concrete, personal goals will soon become much easier. Pisces—Make it realistic. Things have started moving forward. Your mind is awash with exciting ideas. Many of them might seem unrealistic or to need extensive revision. Or maybe not. You might have no choice but to work through the details very, very carefully, sorting out the wheat from the chaff, making sure the ideas fit the reality and vice versa. You'll be surprised how much this process helps all concerned. Success is on the horizon. Gaining acceptance from new people might require some temporary compromises. Don't brood over perceived slights.
October 2008 | Little Village
Office of National Drug Control Policy
Trapped. Controlled. Alone. Also known as meth addiction. Those who use it can lose everything. Think twice. methresources.gov
Published on Oct 6, 2008
Little Village | Iowa City's News and Culture Monthly