Lincolnite

Shadowbrook Salad Company is no more, yet another victim of a restaurateur's eyes being bigger than his stomach, so to speak. It was a good idea that just never quite gained traction.

Classic Lincoln body art shop Guns 2 Roses (possibly NSFW) has moved Downtown to 14th and P. Normally I wouldn't pay that news much attention -- I've never even worn a temporary tattoo -- but in this case I'm worried. Where will the gorillas go? Those things are icons. Maybe if they were to sit on a bicycle it would be considered art... Hat tip: Matt Olberding

I didn't realize that in Nebraska there is no official record of each senator's vote at every step in the legislative process. The Platte Institute's latest policy report lays out the case for what they call "true" transparency in Unicameral voting procedures. I'm all in favor of transparency in government. Improving the official record of votes will improve citizens' ability to track a senator's support of a bill. That, in turn, can provide additional clues to the political processes that led to a bill's passage or failure. Are there any downsides to improving vote tracking at all stages of the legislative process?

Watch the presidential debate last night? So did Chuck Hagel's wife....at the invitation of Michelle Obama. Surely, this must bode well for those who believe Hagel has a place in a future administration, whether it be an Obama or McCain one.

It is great to see that Nebraska has logged its first exoneration under the state's law that allows convicted persons to request DNA tests that may prove their innocence. Unfortunately, in this case it is difficult to declare Joseph White and Thomas Winslow completely innocent since the results of DNA tests only rule them out as the rapists of Helen Wilson; the results don't tell us anything about their role, if any, in Ms. Wilson's murder. DNA-based exonerations are a double-edged sword. On the one hand they get innocent people out of prison. But on the other hand, exonerations of any kind expose flaws in the justice system for all to see. In some jurisdictions, prosecutors fight DNA testing because they would rather have somebody behind bars than nobody. Victims' families often fight the process because they don't want to have to deal with the pain of the crime again. When convicted persons are proven not guilty, evils like racism and corruption in the criminal justice system are often exposed at the same time. Ultimately, it proves that countless taxpayer resources have been spent punishing someone while the real criminal is still on the loose, leaving us no safer than we were before. Freeing the innocent is worth uncovering those uncomfortable truths, but we need to be ready for them. This all leads me to wonder how good Nebraska is about pursuing post-conviction claims of innocence and analyzing potentially exculpatory evidence. Separating the valid claims from the baloney is no easy task, to be sure. Do we have any local versions of Craig Watkins, or perhaps his opposite?

Lincoln City Libraries is holding its annual book sale today through Saturday. Hours are Noon until 8:00pm today, and 10:00am until 6:00pm tomorrow and Saturday. The sale takes place at State Fair Park in the Ag Building. Most items sell for $1.

Would anybody care to do a little analysis of the proposed changes to the firefighter pension plan for us? The basics are these: Lincoln's firefighters don't receive social security benefits, and their pensions don't increase annually to keep up with inflation. That means the longer a firefighter is retired, the less his monthly pension is worth. The proposal before the City Council would initiate cost of living adjustments (COLAs) in 2010 of the lesser of (a) 1.5% or (b) the Consumer Price Index (CPI). That's all pretty easy to understand. What's much more difficult to understand -- and what the Council is currently trying to figure out -- is whether it's a good deal for the City. I don't know. I'm also curious as to whether it's a good deal for the firefighers. A maximum 1.5% annual increase sure doesn't sound like much given the CPI's history. Recent year-to-year changes in the CPI have been roughly in the 2.5% - 3.0% range, on average. And what if the CPI decreases? That hasn't happened since the 1950's, but the possibility exists. Should the City accept the proposal?

Normally I love cold weather. I love snow and ice, and I even enjoy shoveling the driveway. And sleeping is so much better in cold weather than in the summer. Despite all that, I absolutely protest tonight's frost advisory. I'm not ready. Can't we hold off another couple weeks? Pretty please?

Mr. T and I had lunch at Roost on Friday. I had received a coupon for their new noodle bowls earlier in the week, so we intended to check them out. I'm a big fan of Roost's sandwiches. Would their noodle bowls match up? For $5.95 you get a decent serving of cavatappi noodles in one of a variety of styles:

• BANGKOK PEANUT: Peanut curry sauce, topped with fresh cilantro. Delicious with Chicken added.
• CRAZY MAC™: Fresh cream with a splash of our own wing sauce then topped with bread crumbs & cheddar-jack cheese. Try with Chicken or Shredded Bacon added.
• VODKA BELT™: Cream based marinara sauce, vodka style! Topped with fresh basil. Tasty with our chop-chop™ Chicken added.
• CHEESY CHEESE: Fresh cream sauce topped with cheddar-jack cheese. Great with Chicken or Shredded Bacon added.
• JALAPEÑO CREAM: Diced jalapeños mixed with our fresh cream sauce. Try with Chicken or Shredded Bacon added.
• SWEET CURRY: Sweet curry sauce. That’s all we can say, the rest is a secret. Delicious with Chicken added.
• PESTO CREAM: Homemade pesto cream sauce. Great with our chop-chop™ Chicken added.
• FRESH BASIL MARINARA: Our house marinara topped off with fresh basil. Delicious with Chicken added.

Adding chicken runs an extra $1.79 (if I remember correctly), bringing the total close to $8. The serving size should satisfy most people. On the whole it's not a terrible value, but I do think the price is too high for the Downtown lunch crowd. To me, a lunchtime meal and drink should together come in under $8. Alternately, Mr. T suggested that adding a breadstick might give the diner more bang for his buck. Pictured here is the item I ordered, a jalapeno cream noodle bowl. Note in the description above that the item promises jalapenos mixed into the cream sauce. That wasn't the case in the bowl I was served. And that's what was most disappointing to me. The bowl consisted of four very distinct ingredients: noodles, cream, jalapenos, and chicken. Each of the four ingredients was fine, but they didn't really do anything for each other. There was no teamwork, if you will. Mr. T opted for the pesto cream noodle bowl. He said it was "very good" and compared it favorably to a similar item available at Noodles & Co. He commented that the noodles and the sauce were prepared very nicely. So how do Roost's noodle bowls grade overall? I admire their attempt to reach out and grab more business in the hyper-competitive Downtown dining market, but in my opinion the noodle bowls are average and unexceptional. Note that I'm not -- repeat not -- saying they are bad. They're fine. But when I crave noodles Downtown, I'm still going to go to either Noodles & Co. or Spaghetti Works. Roost hasn't done anything to break me out of that habit. Meanwhile, when I want a sandwich Downtown, Roost sits comfortably among my top picks. Then again, I didn't care for Roost's sandwiches the first time I had one, whereas now I crave them. Roost has shown both a willingness and an ability to adapt and evolve. With a little work, perhaps the noodle bowls will make a name for themselves.

Mr. T and I are meeting at Roost today at Noon. We are going to give their new noodle bowls a try. We would like to invite you folks to come along. Please stop by and join us for some good food and conversation. If you don't know who we are, look for the bald guy in khaki shorts and a faded blue polo.

Omaha recently passed a new batch of dog ordinances. I wonder if any of these will soon come to Lincoln. One in particular would affect me. The new laws bar tying up dogs outside for longer than 15 minutes unless an adult is outside with the dog. We put Daisy outside on a leash all the time. During the day while I work in the basement I often put her outside for longer than 15 minutes at a stretch. I figure hanging out outside is better than laying on the couch all day. When she wants inside she barks and I go get her. That's likely not what the ordinance is trying to prohibit, but it is prohibited nonetheless. The act of letting my dog sleep on the front porch rather than on the couch could make me a "reckless owner", according to the ordinance. Which of Omaha's new laws would you like to see enacted here? Do you think it's likely the City Council will bring up this sort of legislation in the near future?

Senator Chuck Hagel and former Senator Bob Kerrey will speak today at Kimball Hall on the topic "Ensuring Health and Financial Security for All: Can We Identify Reasonable Solutions to These American Challenges?" The event takes place from 10:00am until 11:30am and is moderated by NET's Rod Bates. Later this evening, Mr. Kerrey will speak at Nebraska Wesleyan University at 7:00pm in O'Donnell Auditorium on the topic of public leadership.

According to Animal Control, the first "official" (dead) armadillo was found in Lincoln in September. But armadillos have been in Nebraska for at least a decade. In fact, according to Game and Parks another dead armadillo was found not far from my house back in 2000. The Missus told me this morning that she saw one once near the bike trail at 33rd and Calvert. Have you ever seen an armadillo in or around Lincoln?

I have really grown to enjoy Roost, so I was awfully intrigued when earlier this morning I received an e-mail announcing Roost's new noodle bowls. They're so new, they're not even on the menu (PDF). It's yet another step in the restaurant's interesting evolution as it tries to stay relevant in the competitive downtown dining market. Roost began with pretty much one thing on the menu: cold diced chicken. Now they offer cold sandwiches, hot sandwiches, salads, soups, and apparently as of today, noodle bowls. Please let us know if you give the noodle bowls a try!