Lincolnite

Those of you spending Christmas Day in Lincoln may need or want to find an open business tomorrow. Unfortunately, pickings are usually pretty slim. If you happen to know of a business that will be open at least part of the day tomorrow, let us know. The Journal Star's list includes coffee, laundry, beer, and porn. If that doesn't float your boat, you can always catch a movie.

Gene Hogan dropped me a note yesterday:

Our first record, An Evening At Lee's, has been available over the internet for a while. Our second record, Golden Testament, just recently. Both records were recorded and produced ourselves in a basement in midtown Lincoln, with the lone exception being "Better Times" which was expertly recorded completely live by Chris Steffen. He records for money and you should hire him and pay him lots of money. Special thanks to everyone that played on these records, especially Ken Morton for lending us his talents as a full-time band member and songwriter. He's since moved on to The Allendales. You should go hear his band and buy him lots of drinks. Thanks to the "Street Choir" for showing up and singing backing vocals. One of them even stuck around and joined the band.

Go ahead and download the two albums for your weekend listening pleasure.

I'm sure the "victim" isn't laughing, but this burglary "tail" easily wins the Story of the Day award.

Looks like Lincoln will soon be the happy recipient of two new ice rinks in a new arena to be placed somewhere near Haymarket Park. That's good news for the many users of the Ice Box, who currently have to practically fight each other to get ice time. Details about the new arena -- and the gift that made it happen -- are due at a news conference at 1:15pm today. Update: Some details have been released. It's a two-rink, $11 - $13 million facility, thanks to a gift from John Breslow. One piece of the article raised an eyebrow: "The facility will be somewhere in the West Haymarket district." Hmm, that could mean "organizers are in the final stages of securing a location", or it could mean "we have a great idea but we don't have any idea where we'll be able to put it". Hopefully the truth is much closer to the former than the latter.

An Omaha woman was sentenced to 90 days in jail for prostitution in Lincoln. Nothing very remarkable about that, right? Except check out the comments on the story. I'm surprised by how many of the commenters either: a) think it's silly that prostitution is illegal; or b) think this case is an example of entrapment. I guess I thought Nebraskans had more of a knee-jerk anti-prostitution reaction. To see so many of the early commenters direct their mockery to LPD rather than the woman surprised me.

The Wilsons are all signed up for the Lincoln Safari. The Missus was the very first person to pick up a packet from Eiseley Library. (In fact, the woman had just begun preparing the packets.) Included are:

• A tote bag
• A map
• A set of "calling cards" used for prize drawings
• A sketchings book
• Crayons
• A pencil

I'll post a photo of everything just as soon as I get my camera batteries charged. Now, where can I get a nice pith helmet for Robbie to really make the adventure authentic?

The Cooper Foundation dished out over $1 million in grants in 2007. Thanks!

I'm going to miss Ernie Chambers after his last session in the Unicameral. Nebraska's most powerful senator will be forced out by term limits after this 60-day session. Most Nebraskans will celebrate his departure, calling out "Good riddance!" when they should pat him on the back and say "Thanks for doing what you do". Indeed, Senator Chambers' controversial ways have provided important stability to the Unicameral, forcing the majority to play by the rules -- Ernie is the undisputed master when it comes to knowing and abiding by the rules -- and preventing the majority from bulldozing over the minority. The importance of Senator Chambers' role in protecting the integrity of Nebraska's one-house legislature should not be overlooked. I can't help but feel that somebody (or somebodies) must fill Senator Chambers' shoes if the Unicameral is to be sustainable into the future. That's not to say that this "somebody" must also replicate Senator Chambers' mannerisms and quirks; after all, those quirks constitute one of the primary reasons Senator Chambers is getting the boot after this session. Instead, Nebraska needs somebody to step up and act as a filter to help ensure the legislature's output is as good as it can be. The role of filter is extremely important in a one-house legislature. Without it, a bicameral body may very well be the best way to protect ourselves from ourselves. Love him or hate him, Ernie Chambers has made his mark in Nebraska. He needs to be recognized for his work. I only half-jokingly suggest that we name a roundabout -- either an existing one or one that hasn't yet been built -- the Ernie Chambers Roundabout. The man can talk in circles for hours, but in the end, most of the time, he gets the conversation directed to where it needs to go.

Remember how I told you about The Wilsons' Adventures in Customer Service last week? Here's a quick update from the JCPenney situation. We didn't end up returning our photos because The Missus wanted to be able to send out photos with our holiday [sic] cards. She asked for peoples' opinions of the photos. Some people said "Oh, those are great!", while others went with the somewhat more truthful "Those aren't so bad". I think they were just being polite. To add to the situation, The Missus had ordered more prints before we had seen the first batch. We didn't cancel the additional order because we figured maybe the new batch would be better. The new batch was ready on Friday, but The Missus delayed in picking them up. On Saturday we finally (!!!) got a call from the manager in regard to our phone calls from the previous weekend. The manager's excuse for the lengthy delay? He had just seen the note. That's some nice organization they've got going on over there. Anyway, The Missus told him about our problems with the previous batch and asked him to look at the new batch to see if they were any better. He told her, "No, these aren't very good at all. You can have them for free if you want to come get them. Otherwise I'll just throw them away." She is always looking for an excuse to take Robbie on the carousel at Gateway, so she went and got them. They're just as bad as the first batch. So there you have it, the conclusion to The Wilsons' adventures at the JCPenney photography studio. We won't be going back.

I think the Wilsons definitely have to sign up for the Lincoln Safari. Anybody else?

Wal-Mart dropped plans to build at Highway 77 and West Denton Road, which was a huge blow for the development planned there. So now the developer is offering up the land for the State Fair. In many respects it's an excellent location. It's much more accessible than either the Fair's current location or the Events Center's location. Nevertheless, I don't see it happening. It was a nice offer, though.

Say so long to Linc FM (105.3). It is now Wow! FM. Bah. I prefer the whimsical dude with the recognizable voice who always had something to say between tunes. The "new" Wow, on the other hand, sounds like the most generic station you'll ever hear. Plus, the music seems to be directed at a slightly older audience. Damn. This totally screws up my station rotation in the car.

Yesterday Mr. T and I dropped by Burrito Shack -- 221 South 9th Street, 402-477-2577 -- for lunch. It's a small local joint with a unique twist on a few Mexican favorites. For some of you the fact that it's local and/or Mexican will be enough to get you to stop by. For everybody else, the food has a fresh, homemade taste unlike anything else in town. And on top of that, it's reasonably-priced. Owner Joaquin De Los Santos is friendly, outgoing, and a tireless promoter. It's obvious he's willing to bust his hump to get your business and to keep you coming back. For now it's pretty much just him and a couple guys in the back. If business picks up, he'll need to add another front room person. Burrito Shack's atmosphere is pretty basic. The decorations are simple and not overpowering. The temperature inside could have been warmer; you might want a sweater on a cold day. Customers eat at picnic tables in the clean dining area. You order up front at the counter and food is delivered to your table within minutes. Burrito Shack's menu is relatively small. I'll start with the one item Mr. T and I didn't try: 6 oz. ribeye steak sandwiches. They are available in regular ($6.50); surf and turf ($7.75); fajita style ($7.00); and swiss, mushroom, and avocado ($7.50). I don't know about you, but I'm dying to try that last one. Add chips for $0.50. The burritos are "fajita style", served with chicken ($4.00) or steak ($4.50) and sauteed peppers and onions. Make it a platter (rice and beans) for $5.99. Size-wise they roughly resemble those at Oso Burrito. Mr. T ordered the chicken burrito and found the meat to be very moist and nicely grilled. He described the burrito as having "very nice flavors -- not over powering and not bland." I noticed the burrito continued to steam even as he reached the bottom. Overall, he called the burrito "killer". Wednesday featured a special on tacos, so I opted for a mix of three. First up was a hardshell ground beef taco ($0.50 on special, not on the regular menu). The meat was nicely seasoned and topped with lettuce and tomato. Next came the pork ($1.50 / $.75 on special) and chicken ($1.75 / $1.00 on special) soft tacos. They were served on a small flour tortilla and topped with tomato, a touch of cilantro, and white cheese. Both were excellent. So much so, that as I ate my tacos I knew I had to have more to eat. Not because I was still hungry, but because I was really enjoying the food. Mr. T apparently felt the same way, because he next ordered a fajita steak taco (not on the menu, $2.00). It was served like the pork and chicken tacos, but with large strips of fajita-style beef. He described the strips as "bigger than what one might normally find in Lincoln -- closer to the carne asada one might find in the Southwest or California". I followed up with chipotle shrimp soup ($3.49 cup, $4.99 bowl). The soup featured shrimp, potatoes, and corn in a delicious broth infused with a light chipotle flavor. Perfect for warming up on a chilly day. Drinks are served by the can ($0.75) or bottle ($I don't remember). That works for now, but I can't help but wonder if a pop machine would make the restaurant feel more "legitimate" to some people. Just a thought. Mr. De Los Santos might also consider featuring more "unusual" drinks -- horchata, Mexican sodas, etc. -- as well. Also available are a variety of homemade salsas, sold by the cup or pint. These aren't your everyday salsas:

• pico de gallo (OK, that's everyday)
• maple chipotle shrimp
• chipotle apple/mandarin orange
• coconut lime
• chocolate chipotle raspberry
• caramel apple
• strawberry kiwi (seasonal)
• watermelon (seasonal)
• peach/mango (seasonal)

We tried the maple chipotle shrimp salsa. Its flavor was out-of-the-ordinary and very tasty. Tamales are also available by the dozen, but they must be ordered in advance. Delivery is available in the Downtown area with a minimum $20.00 order. Overall, Mr. T and I both were very pleased with our experience at Burrito Shack. Without a doubt we will go back. And dare I say, it may even become a regular spot for us on our periodic lunch outings. Jeff Korbelik gave the food at Burrito Shack 2.5 stars (out of 4). I'd put the food at 3 stars minimum; consistency over time will determine whether I can bump that up to 3.5 stars.

Is it just me, or does it seem like there have been a lot of burglaries and robberies lately? Maybe I'm just noticing the articles more frequently than I used to. After all, once you get the notion in your head that you see a trend, you'll see the trend whether or not there is one.

Ken Svoboda -- the Ken Svoboda? -- doesn't like one of Neal Obermeyer's cartoons:

I, on many occasions, have been disappointed with the editorial cartoons of Neal Obermeyer. While reading my Sunday, Dec. 9, newspaper, that disappointment was replaced with pure shock. [View the cartoon.] The lack of sensitivity, compassion and respect for the victims’ families, their friends and their coworkers was not only distasteful but blatantly irresponsible. As we Nebraskans attempt to face the reality that there are those among us that wish to do us harm, the last thing we need in our time of mourning and understanding is the cold slap of a humorless and senseless editorial cartoon. I am shocked not only by the meaningless scribbling of Obermeyer but equally as shocked by the editorial staff that allowed this trash to be printed.

It's obvious that the cartoon was meant to generate fiery discussion. That's Neal's shtick. But I'm a little surprised how much ire Mr. Svoboda directs at the cartoonist in this case. I don't see the "lack of sensitivity, compassion and respect for the victims’ families, their friends and their coworkers" when I look at the cartoon. I don't see any glorification of the shooter; condemnation of the victims; or disrespect toward the victims' kin. The cartoon's only target, as far as I can see, is the media. Considering the amount of discussion on that topic, Neal's cartoon is neither surprising nor inconsistent with many peoples' feelings. Mr. Svoboda calls the cartoon "humorless" and "senseless". I disagree. It's filled with humor. It's dark humor, but humor nonetheless. Neither is it senseless. On the contrary, the cartoon intelligently highlights one of the post-tragedy discussions that we as a society and the media as an industry need to have. I can't help but think that Mr. Svoboda completely missed the point, and that his anger is based on a perception of the cartoon that is well outside of its explicit or implicit intent. Of course, I certainly could be the one with the perception problem. What do you think? Incidentally, Mr. Svoboda signed off with this:

I personally expect more from Lincoln’s only printed news source.

I have to ask: Really?