How does one stomach a city that can be characterized as 75 percent lousy Americans? A lousy American is one who is eligible to vote, but ignores the privilege that for centuries contributed mightily to make America the greatest nation on the planet.

The so-called season of giving is officially behind us. Even in these sluggish economic times, Americans still managed to spend more than $50 billion in gift-giving. Now that all the gifts have been opened, all that is left is for us to enjoy them.

Yet I can't help but wonder whether our pleasure would be dimmed were we to truly understand what is involved in bringing these gifts - at the bargain prices Americans love - to our homes.

Niabi Zoo has openings for volunteers. An informational meeting on Thursday, January 17, at 7 p.m. will answer questions about the volunteer program. The meeting will be held in the Kohler Discovery Center on the zoo grounds. Zoo volunteers help with educational programs, landscaping, diet preparation, and special events, among other things. No experience is required. Volunteers must be 18 years of age. Individuals who cannot attend the meeting can also volunteer by submitting the volunteer application, which is available at (http://niabizoo.com), or by calling the zoo education department at (309) 799-3482.

 

While the River Cities' Reader is best known as an arts-and-entertainment newspaper, we often publish in-depth articles on business and politics.

Below is a sampling of our business coverage over the past 18 months.

Pieta BrownThe title of Pieta Brown's new record, Remember the Sun, evokes a seemingly endless darkness without sounding hopeless, and the opening track, "Innocent Blue," does, too. On a bed of warm keyboards, she sings: "Iron bars with no irony / One is bound so none get free / In the innocent blue ... the innocent blue."

The Artists Advisory Council, a volunteer organization within the Figge Art Museum, will host an exhibition at The Arts Café at the Figge, a new gallery opening in the dining area of the museum. The exhibition Mississippi Flyway will complement the Audubon show coming to the Figge in February. Artists who live within 150 miles of the Quad Cities are invited to submit up to five works for consideration. Artwork will be selected by judges representing MidCoast Fine Arts, Quad City Arts, and the Figge Art Museum. The submission deadline is January 9. For details about submission formats and the exhibition, contact Arts Café Chair Heidi M. Sallows at at (309) 781-2891 or (hmms33@yahoo.com).

 

My 2007 Album

Reader issue #664

This isn't a list of the "best" songs of 2007, or even my favorites. It's a personal 2007 compilation that tries to capture my experience with music over the past 12 months. The songs are meant to play off each other - sometimes in obvious ways, often not - and there's a purpose to the sequencing.

 

 

best stamp 270.jpg Click here to vote. The deadline is January 25, and we'll be conducting weekly drawings from valid ballots for great prizes. Remember: You must provide valid answers for at least 40 categories for your ballot to be counted.

The words "thoughtful" and "newspaper columnist" don't normally go together. Columnists can be many things - angry, or incisive, or crabby, or nostalgic, or funny, or cloying - but rarely do you find one who seems genuinely curious about the world around him, and who has many experiences through which to view it.

Kim Wiseman & Mark A. JohnsonKim Wiseman & Mark A. Johnson, Visiting Old Friends at Christmas

 

This holiday album announces itself with three trumpet blares, and by the time you've checked the case to make sure you haven't made some mistake - Is this mariachi? - the familiar lyrics of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" have clarified what's going on: The CD from Quad Cities vocalist Kim Wiseman and producer/arranger/musician Mark A. Johnson is a modern take on Christmas classics and a few more contemporary songs.

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