slanted magazine southern minnesota arts and culture

The Stimulus

Issue

Rockin Ronnies’“The Punisher”

Local Events Calender

More Inside

We See ThingsA Bit Differntly

Slanted Magazine &Lawson Mediaand Publishing(612) 460-5851223 1/2 S. Minnesota Ave.St. Peter, MN56082lawsonmediapub.com

Slanted • May 2012 3

Slanted

MagazineTable of Contents

Page 4

Page 5Page 7Page 10

Message from the Publisher and Introduction to Slanted Magazine

About the St. Peter Arts Center

The Punisher: A Bangin’ Beer Truck by Rockin Ronny’s

A Grad’s Guide to the Economy (Cover Story)

Page 12 Cinco De Mayo Traditions

The $timulu$ Issue

Page 13 How I Built My Own Electric Drum Set With Buckets and Wood

Page 16Mapleton Author Pens Fourth Book in Mystery Series: Atlas’ Burden by Jason Willis

Page 17 Film: Memorial Day. Game: Mars Smash.

Page 18 New Biz: Tandem Bagels Downtown Mankato

Page 19 Events Calendar

Page 22Comics

Slanted Magazine Copyright 2012 Lawson Media and PublishingContributors:Rob Lawson, PublisherMichael Ludowese, Artist and WriterChris Graham, Artist and Writer

Slanted AdvertisingDennis Urban, Sales SupervisorMichael Rosillo, Marketing Manager

Slanted • May 20124A

Mes

se

age From

The Publisher of Slanted Magazin e

Rob Lawson, Publisher of Slanted Magazin

e

Message from the publisher, Rob Lawson, Lawson Media and Publishing

Hello everyone. My name is Rob Lawson and I am the publisher of Slanted Magazine and media specialist for Lawson Media and Publishing. I am 27 years old. I created this magazine because I felt a strong need to create something unique to our region that focuses on the issues, information, people and activities of our communities in South Central Minnesota, a place that is close to my heart for so many reasons. Let me explain further.

I have lived across the United States, from the South to the West to the northern Midwest to the Southwest and back again. I live in Mankato and I operate Lawson Media and Publishing from my office in St. Peter, sharing a wonderful office loca-tion with like-minded entrepreneurs and hard workers like Liz Beaudry with Envi-sion Design that Works, Michael Schwertfeger with Lime Rock Photography and Doug Kvedra with Pearson (his employer). My primary professional experience is in media and journalism and I have worked in all media including print, mobile, web and broadcast media. I graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2007 with a B.S. in journalism, a minor in technical communication and special study in web journalism. I started college as a Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) student at 16 years old in Duluth, more than 4 hours away from my high school in Albert Lea. I studied broadcasting at Lake Superior College, wrote for the LSC Student Newspaper, was involved with the LSC Broadcasting Club and was P.R. Liaison for the LSC student senate. I graduated from Albert Lea High School in 2003. At MSU, I wrote for the Reporter and was a web editor for the MSU Newsletter. I completed internships for Southwest Newspapers Group (Shakopee Valley News, Lets Go Southwest, Savage Pacer, Prior Lake American, Chanhassen Villager, Chaska Herald and Jordan Independent) and No Alternative Media (Static Magazine, Two Fish Studios and No Alternative Records). After these internships, I moved to Minneapolis and freelanced for a while for different web publications, including Mill City Scene and helped start up a Spanish/English newspaper called El Heraldo. I then took a job as a crime reporter in Roswell, New Mexico. During the recession, I moved back to the twin cities and worked as a volunteer staff writer for the Stillwater Gazette. I also worked for AOL/City’s Best in Minneapolis as a staff writer and photographer. Eventually, I wound up back in Mankato because I

took the job of editor of a weekly newspaper in Ma-pleton called the Maple River Messenger (Mapleton, Good Thunder, Amboy, Minnesota Lake and Vernon Center). I have been published in more than 15 news-papers, 30 or so websites and I still currently work as a production assistant for St. Peter Public Access TV.

I had always planned on starting a media and pub-lishing business since I was a teenager. In fact, my independent study at MSU involved building an inter-active news, information and entertainment website. The project eventually evolved into a redesigned site that is turning itself into an enterprise of its own. I have always advocated “entrepreneurial journalism” because let’s face it: journalists are in the business of selling their work (to the public, to a publisher, etc.) and a job interview isn’t really any different

than making a sales pitch to an advertiser, sponsor, customer or client. With a proper balance of ethics, any journalist can become a successful and useful entrepreneur, so long as they are advocates for their communities. Thus, LMP and Slanted.

The vision I have for Slanted Magazine is a mag-azine that showcases all of the interesting people, places and things to do in South Central Minnesota in a fun, unique and thoughtful way. Think of this magazine as your Rolling Stone of South Central Minnesota. Slanted is all about art and culture: mu-sic, books, film, television, art, people, food, nightlife, business, technology, relationships, games, events, children’s activities and much more. There certainly isn’t a shortage of art and culture in our area. Just look around. If you have ever been curious about what you see (like I have been), then you might be pleased to find an article about it in Slanted! Or you might even want to write something yourself, take a photo or send us an idea... We want our community to be able to participate in our discussion and transfer of ideas as well. Coming soon: a website, tablet/e-reader version and smartphone and tablet apps. We appreciate any ideas you might have for us as well :)

Help Wanted:Staff Writers/Photographers

Advertising SalespersonEditorial Interns

Submit Resumes To:Lawson Media and Publishing

PO Box 721Mankato, MN 56001

[email protected](612) 460-5851


About

By Rob LawsonPublisher

The Arts Center of St. Peter is a unique treasure for this rural commu-nity, but it has the advantage of being situated along Hwy. 169 just south of the twin cities and just 10 miles or so north of Mankato. Executive Director of the Arts Center, David Goldstein pointed out that keeping this unique opportunity means investing in a wide variety of media and attractions.

“Most rural communities don’t even have an arts center, and usually not one like this,” Goldstein explained.

The Arts Center is equipped with studio space, a coop studio, full service ceramic studio, two galleries with pro-fessional shows of artists from around the country and a sales gallery. The Arts Center of St. Peter is involved in outreach at local schools and with the St. Peter Community Center and in special events like poetry slams, book readings, bluegrass and jazz concerts and many other events.

“We represent about 85 regional artists,” said Goldstein. “Our mission is to support and stimulate local art-ists.”

There are classes for children and adults. Classes may cover a wide range of offerings in various media and styles including ceramics, water-color, acrylic, prints, drawing, sculp-tures and a number of others. The Arts Center also provides for artist demos and workshops.

“Our main focus is education, in terms of being a vital creative resource

to the region,” said Goldstein. “You name it, we got it. We try to

offer as many types of creative oppor-tunities as possible. We have to sort of be everything for the smaller com-munity and we try to offer things that appeal to everyone.”

The Arts Center’s predecessor, the Arts and Heritage Council, Inc., incorporated in 1979 and spent the next 19 years immersed in restoring and maintaining St. Peter’s historic school building. In 2011, the Arts Center engaged over 15,000 children, adults and seniors in the arts. Hosting 14 exhibitions that featured nearly 75 artists from across the country, the Arts Center galleries welcomed more visitors than ever. With the goal of providing the region with exhibitions that challenged and engaged visitors, the galleries hosted a diverse range of creative opportunities including the exploration of music through in-teractive displays, ceramics from the acclaimed McKnight Foundation fellows, photography from Minne-apolis-based artist Carrie Elizabeth Thompson and the fi rst-ever Rural America Contemporary Artists group exhibition. The Arts Center partners with groups like Women Celebrating Women, Nicollet County Historical Society and artists, writers and poets from Gustavus Adolphus College.

The Arts Center hosts 15 exhibi-tions per year. More information at www.artscentersp.org.

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Check www.pub500.com forfood, drinks and events.

Slanted Magazine Thanks Our Proud SponsorsFor more information about advertising and marketing with Slanted Magazine, contact Lawson Media and Publishing at (612) 460-5851 by phone or [email protected]. Ad artwork may be submitted to [email protected]. Visit lawsonmediapub.com to learn more about what Lawson Media and Publishing can provide your business or organization.

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The Banginʼ Beer Truck Built By Rockin Ronnyʼs

The following responses came from Derran Dugger at Rockin Ronny’s in Mankato:

Q: When was the truck com-pleted? When was the idea con-ceived and who was involved?

A: I received a phone call from a good friend by the name of Ben Gruber in October of 2010. He asked if I was still looking for a truck for the radio station. He then informed me that he saw one for sale at a Ford dealership over in New Ulm. I said ‘no way!’ So I gave the dealership a call and sure as shit they did indeed and it was in phenomenal shape for a 1997.

The execs up at the radio sta-tion were excited as well, be-cause our initial idea was circling around doing an armored truck. But it turns out that there are only a couple places in the U.S. that are allowed to sell armored trucks and to actually buy one you have to have a serious back-ground check with the govern-ment that could take up to a year to get approval. So we threw that idea out the window.

The radio execs and the deal-ership finally came to an under-standing in June of 2011. We took

delivery of the vehicle shortly after that. Since Three Eagles is located in North Mankato, it was extremely important to them that they have the truck in time to do the reveal at the North Mankato Fundays parade. That gave us a little over 30 days to complete it. I basically took a month off from working up at the store and devoted 12-18-hour days to make this monster breathe. I also recruited one of my employees Jamie Spangler to come down to help as well. Jamie worked al-most as many hours on it as I did and I could never have finished it on time without him.

I also got one of my best friends Mike Hein to come down on the weekends to help with the enormous task of build-ing the subwoofer enclosures to house the (24) 15-inch JL Audio W3 subwoofers. Because of the size of this truck, we had to do most of the initial fabrication outside. Because if we tried to put it in the shop, we would have no more room to even move around. So, we had to fabricate a makeshift shelter out of many tarps so we could work out in the rain. Which, if I remember right, it rained every weekend in June.

We were very fortunate to be

able to have another good friend of mine by the name of Mike Ec-cles to design and install the ginor-mous vinyl wrap that was applied to the outside of the truck. Mike also designed and installed vinyl on the other three vehicles we have built for Three Eagles over the last five years as well. Mike is a very talented individual and was a huge asset to the making this dream into a reality. We were very lucky to have Gibson Guitars come aboard with all four vehicles so that we could get special per-mission to use images of their newest Les Paul edition guitar.

The last persons we could never have done this truck with out are friends of mine I have known since high school. One’s name is Jeremy Reich and his company is called Reich’s Qual-ity Iron Works. He as well has been involved with every build we have done for the radio sta-tion. He was kind enough to dedicate time out of trying to run his own business and created the grille and rear bumper as well as all the aluminum diamond-plate trim that you see everywhere. The other is Scott Sanderson who did all the custom paint on the hand fabricated gas tank cov-ers and grille.

Q: What are the tech. specs ?

A: The growl for this monster was handled by our friends at JL Audio who partnered with us to help create something never done before in our industry. There are 36 amplifiers putting out roughly 30,000 watts of power. There are (24) 15-inch subwoofers, (24) 8-inch midrange drivers and (24) tweeters. The over one-mile of wiring was courtesy of our friends at Stinger Electronics. To keep this monster fed, we used six 18 wheeler-sized deep cycle batteries from Stinger as well as alternators custom built by Wen-zel Auto Electric from here in Mankato. Neubert Millwork out of North Mankato delivered the pallet of 2x4’s and the 38 sheets of 4’ x 8’ MDF plywood.

To keep this monster from blowing apart, we used over 750 square ft. of Road Kill sound deadening material and over 30 yards of ultra leather and suede from Aamp of America and Stinger. We used 10 gallons of upholstery glue as well as 15 gallons of fiberglass resin and bondo to shape her skin.

Continued on Page 9

Rockin Ronnies has worked on similar projects like the van above for Three Eagles Radio

Slanted • May 20128Before

After


The cab of the truck was buffed to new shine and a set of steps/gas tank covers were com-pletely hand fabricated out of fi berglass exclusively by Rockin Ronny’s and painted to match. We also had a one off custom grille polished stainless steel grille built by Reich’s Quality Iron Works that also houses a spot right in the middle for our very own Rockin Ronny’s cus-tom embossed emblem. We had a special one off chrome front bumper made from the infamous Chromemasters guys that you regularly see on Discovery’s American Chopper show. To fi nish off the look we wanted, we outfi tted the truck with four brand new Goodyear long haul tires and a set of polished stain-less steel wheel simulators.

We never actually had the time to test with our RTA exactly how many decibels it puts out, but you know its damn loud when businesses three blocks away are calling to complain dur-ing the testing periods. We can also gauge its loudness from all the old people along the parade routes who give us the stinkeye

with their fi ngers in both their ears. When I see that, I knew all this hard work was worth it.

Q: How do you feel about the project and how have people re-acted?

A: Like I mentioned before, this is the fourth vehicle in the Pepsi sponsored “Street Fleet” that we have built over the years for Three Eagles Communica-tions. We have also built a Pepsi-

sponsored themed “Rockband” vehicle a couple years ago for Radio Mankato when the gui-tar-themed video games were all the rage. This vehicle even had a 42-inch plasma TV integrated into the rear opening of the ve-hicle and a seat fabricated so a

person could sit behind the ve-hicle and play the drums while his two other buddies can play a guitar and actually sing into a real microphone while playing Rockband with over 5,000 watts

of stereo sound pumping out.

Q: What other projects have you worked on since and what future projects do you have planned?

A: As far as any cool future products planned, we are cur-rently building a custom RZR for Polaris complete with over-the-top custom paint and sound system, and are in negotiations with Monster Energy to build them a custom truck for the up-coming motocross season.

Rockin Ronny’s would like to thank the following people for their support and dedica-tion to this project- Mike Hein, Ben Gruber, Mike Eccles, Jamie Spangler, Ryan Schwartz. Dan Fasching, Alan Wenzel, Andy Oxenhorn @ JL AUDIO, Neal McSweeney @ Aamp of Amer-ica, Jeremy Reich @ Reich’s Quality Iron Works, Scott Sand-erson ,Jim Reyburn @Chrome-masters, Shane Yule @ RIHM Kenworth, Photoshoot done by Erin Mason @ Pixels By Erin, and especially Brad Leggert @ Three Eagles Communications.

“You’ve left us all speechless. A great job on both the install and paint scheme of the truck. Thank you for partnering up with us on this project.”

-Alan Wenzel, VP-Business Development/Strategic Planning

JL Audio, Inc.

Continued from Page 8


A GRAD’S GUIDE STIMULUS: A Graduate’s Guide to the EconomyBy Rob Lawson, Publisher

This article is written in two parts, two perspectives: The college graduate’s and the employer’s.

The GraduateFinding a job in this economy is not easy for anyone, but it seems the young have some extraordinary obstacles to overcome in this marketplace. Political and economic un-certainty, coupled with inflation has kept employers from hiring enough people to feed demand for work. Plus, people are cut-ting back on their spending, impacting economic growth for businesses. Older workers, also uncertain about their future, are hanging on to their jobs and putting off retirement. All of these factors present overwhelming challenges to the young.

It’s not all doom and gloom, however. College graduates have one advantage: higher education. Economists today indicate a shift in the economy that favors the highly skilled and educated. Recent data shows the economy is slowly growing and unemploy-ment slowly falling. Beneath this trend, there are other problems though. A piece of paper stating you have a degree is not enough to land you a job in this ever-more-competitive marketplace. Experience and attitude seem to play a large role in hiring. I decided to ask some recent and soon-to-be college graduates what they thought about this information.Mary Harders, a corrections/Spanish MSU graduate, class of 2006, said she expects honesty, respect and equal rights from her employer. She believed the most desirable assets in an employee would be honesty, respect and a hard work ethic. Jesse Larson plans to graduate from MSU in 2013. His expectations from an employer included “good benefits” and “respect.” “As an entry level employee, you have to earn what you get,” he noted, though. He valued healthcare benefits a great deal. Larson indicated that the most admirable traits in employees, to an employer, are the employees’ breadth of knowledge about the job and ability to work independently, citing the employers’ need to save money on training costs. Kojo Addo, 22, will graduate from Gustavus Adolphus College this month with a degree in communication studies. Addo said he expects employers to be understanding about recent graduates’ anxiety about entering the market fresh from college. He said they should give the employees room to grow and ask questions to understand how to move forward and help the company succeed. Addo said employers should ex-pect employees to be open to feedback/criticism, to have excellent oral and written communication skills, to be able to work independently and be able to think on their feet.


TO THE ECONOMYThe EmployerEmployers urge students to take advantage of internships and col-leges to leverage their career services departments more. According to a study by Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU), also cited by Minnesota Public Radio, employers cited the following top ten skills most needed to improve upon:One: More realistic job expectations, Two: Professionalism, Three: Communication, Four: Interviewing skills/preparation, Five: Work Ethic, Six: Lose sense of entitlement, Seven: Writing skills, Eight: Flexibility, Nine: Leadership and Ten: Knowledge of company/orga-

nizationLocal employers also have opinions about what potential employees need in terms

of skill and attitude in the workplace. Jim Buckley, a Colonial Life Insurance Agent, said he mostly hires 1099 independent contract agents. They work for themselves, in essence. Buckley pointed to a few key things that he looks for in employees. “When they talk to you, do they look you in the eye?”Buckley is looking for customer service skills, enthusiasm and business to business sales and com-munication. He avoids those who have jumped from job to job. He said if they don’t ask many ques-tions during an interview, it shows they are not interested. “Are they engaging you?”

Kory Ness is the store manager at Lloyd Lumber in North Mankato. He looks for people who are highly motivated, enthusiastic, able to finish tasks and work independently. Disqualifications

would include poor appearance, lack of enthusiasm, jumping from job to job and not looking people in the eye when speaking to them. “It lets me know how serious they are,” said Ness. “We’re looking for people with long-

term goals.”Grant Moody, Business Manager at Computer Technology Solutions (CTS) and Hiring Manager at Express Personnel Services in North Mankato, knows a thing or two about

employment. Express is a staffing agency that employers look to for specific types of jobs. Express manages the HR. Prospective employees come to Express to find a “match”. “Employers are looking for talent and people they can rely on and trust,” explained Moody. “It’s getting difficult to find that nationwide.” Moody attended a leadership conference in San Antonio. They talked a lot about recruitment and many employers expressed this difficulty. Moody said he thinks

society has produced a different type of culture that doesn’t aim to work at the same job for decades. He believes factors such as financial bubbles, the way

children are raised and the way families operate may have an effect on the talent pool. Moody is in his 20s himself.

“There are so many variables, though,” he said. “Social programs also sometimes influence the incentive for people to work, particularly if they can collect more money in unemployment insurance than they could bring in while working.” Moody said the top three priorities for employees should be their work

experience, basic computer skills and customer service skills. These are what employers are desperately looking for. He said applicants need to

have some interest in the job they are applying for as well. Be aggressive and dress to impress.


Cinco de MayoTraditions

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta - Minnesota’s Spiciest Celebration!

St Paul, MN 55107http://www.districtdelsol.com/cinco.htmlPhone: 651-222-6347Fax: [email protected]: Festivals & Events, Heri-tage EventsEvent Location: Cesar Chavez Street - District del SolThe Cinco de Mayo Fiesta is one of the 10 largest festivals of its kind nationwide, attracting more than 100,000 visitors to District del Sol on the West Side, one of St. Paul’s most diverse neighbor-hoods. Embracing the colorful history and rich traditions of His-panic/Latino culture, this award-winning, family-friendly experi-ence features over six blocks of food, music, dancing, children’s activities, a lowrider car show, col-orful parade, a “People’s Choice” salsa tasting contest and more.

Tamales are a wonderful treat in most Mexican households during holidays or festivities like Cinco de Mayo. Three components needed:Filling (Carnitas or shredded pork)Corn husk wrap driedMasa (corn mase or “tamale dough”)Prepare carnitas by cooking pork shoulder. Trim fat and cut 4-5 lbs. meat into cubes. Simmer meat in wa-ter after boiling. Keep adding water as needed to avoid drying out. Remember to save pork broth. Add spices: 2 tsp. salt, 2 onions coarsely chopped, 8 garlic cloves, a dozen whole pepercorns, 2 tsp. whole cumin seeds and a tsp black pepper. After meat is finished cooking, shred and add a tsp of Mexican oregeno, 2 tsp. ground cinamon and a tsp paprika and mix into shredded meat. Refrigerate broth and pork while preparing tamale dough. Using a 1 lb. bag of dried corn husks (hojas), fill a large pot with water and soak the husks. Pour 2 lbs. of masa into a pot or really large mixing bowl and add 3 tbsp. garlic pow-der. Skim fat off and pour pork broth into mixture a cup at a time and add 2 cups of corn oil. Work together with your hands until all ingredients are mixed together well. Spread across corn husks and add carnitas. Wrap in husks and steam for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Enjoy.

Tamale Recipe


How I Built My Own Electric Drum Set With Buckets and Wood By Rob Lawson

Publisher

1. Use a jigsaw to cut your hoops and cross-members. See www.edrums.info for more.

2. These are what you are going to attach the hoops to. You will need 8 hoops total.

3. Here are some finished hoops. Use a router to cut a groove on the center edge to fit the heads.

4. Use a sander to smooth the edges of 4 of the hoops. These will be your top hoops.

5. Mark 5 evenly spaced holes to cut for your crossmembers and trigger platforms.

6. Use a hacksaw to cut 5 gallon buckets to size for rims.

7. Drill holes for 1/4” insert for use with trig-gers and a drum module. I use an Alesis D4.

8. Make sure pieces fit together to make sure everything can be assembled correctly.

9. Use fiberclass or vinyl windowscreen mesh as heads. They will be sewn to metal wire to fit.


10. As you can see above, turnbuckles are drilled into bottom hoops to fasten heads.

11. Clamp 2 layers of mesh as tightly as possible.

12. Use a heavy duty type of sewing yarn. I be-lieve I used leather stitching. Sew to edges of wire.

13. Here is a finished head. It will be fastened between the hoops atop the bucket rim.

14. Again, check for snugness. The cross-members, kick and triggers will be built next.

15. This was of my own creation. A stencil used to build a custom kick assembly.

16. I recycled some of the leftover hole pieces to build the sides of the kick assembly.

17. I reversed the beater on a Tama kick ped-al and cut a custom piece to attach across.

18. Here is the other piece I cut. I attached my piezo electric transducer to this piece for a trigger.

19. Piezo triggers are pressure sensors that we wire up to 1/4” inserts to plug cables that route to a drum module. I bought a sticky pad to act as a beater surface while also affixing the trigger.

20. Here is a piezo sensor in on of the bucket drum rims. As you can see, it is soldered to a 1/4” insert and JB Welded into the side hole. These items can be found at Radio Shack.

21. We cut holes into the crossmember using a jig-saw and drill for relief marks. Use these holes as platforms to mount your triggers about 1/8” above the rim. Affix with 3M double-sided tape.


22. Here is a better view. Affix a sanding block atop 2-sided tape, piezo and more tape. Screw in.

23. Here is another of my creations using re-cycled pieces of the oak veneer pressboard.

24. Again, I affixed a trigger to the custom-made unit and wired it up.

25. As you can see, I used a different type of insert.

26. After this step of screwing screen over it, I also stapled a round mat over the trigger area.

27. Here is a completed bucket drum. Isn’t it pretty?

28. Here are six completed pieces. I also added two Rock Band cymbals, a Roland PD-5 pad for a hi-hat, a Rock Band pedal for hi-hat pedal and a Roland rack. The drums are mounted with custom u-bolt and wood assemblies I built.

29. Here is the completed kit alongside other music equipment all crammed into my apart-ment studio room. I still need to purchase a thrown. Annectdote: The floor of the apart-ment is slanted. How ironic.

30. Here is an action shot taken just after the drums were put together. It provides a clear shot of the cymbals used. The two semi-circle rub-ber cymbals are Rock Band. The round one is a Roland PD-5 pad.

Attention!Slanted Magazine seeks various musical performers, artists, stage talent, dancers, comedians, etc. to be part of our local promotional

events. If you are a performing artist, band, solo artist or have a tal-ent that is entertaining in nature in front of a live audience, con-

tact Slanted Magazine, P.O. Box 721, Mankato, MN 56001. Email - [email protected]. Call Rob Lawson at (612) 460-5851 or

Michael Rosillo at (507) 276-1898. We are now booking monthly events.


Mapleton Author Pens Fourth Book in Mystery Series: Atlas’ Burden by Jason WillisInterviewed by Rob LawsonSlanted Publisher

The following responses came from Mapleton Author and Eng-lish Teacher at Maple River High School, Jason Willis via Face-book:

Q: What was it like writing this latest novel?

A: Writing my last novel was a considerable challenge. Since the main plot is set in the 1960s, I had to do a lot of research with the little details, especially with all of the Vietnam War details. Before I even wrote a page, I had to thoroughly understand the Vietnam War, and more specifically, the workings of the 11th ACR. So I spent months learning about things from tanks to insects. After gathering up all these random anecdotes and facts, it took an entire summer just to put togeth-er a useable plot. Even once I began writing, I found it very tough be-cause the little details kept tripping me up. Since my dad is a Vietnam vet, I often called him numerous times for each chapter just to check if an idea was plausible. So he was a huge part of putting the whole book together.

But besides the Vietnam timeline, which is 80 percent of the novel, I also had two other parallel plots that have more of a connection to the “bigger” storyline involving char-acters and situations for the other books. These were much easier to write, so I did them during the school year last year. Once summer came around, I got down to writing the Vietnam era chapters, which

lasted from May until January.

Q: Is it getting easier?

A: Easier? Yes. Considering the difficultly level in my subject matter with Atlas’ Burden, I’ve become much more efficient at writing. Again, my method is to

thoroughly plot out each chapter prior to writing. So when I do have a day or even a few hours to write, I can quickly dump all of my ideas on the page. As I begin work on the fifth novel, I’m finding it consider-ably easier to get the ideas down on paper.

Q: What has influenced you this time around?

A: Influences? My dad. I grew up knowing he was a Vietnam Vet, and through the years, I’ve been fortu-nate that he’s been open about his experiences. Usually there is a trig-ger that will make him think about a specific instance. For years, I’ve always known I was going to write a story about his experiences, and even in the first three novels of The Seven Fires Chronicles, I made allu-sions to the affect the Vietnam War had on characters in those stories. But it wasn’t until the summer of 2010 that I thoroughly interviewed him and began researching the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Not only did I discover context for his anecdotes, but I also came across variant accounts of the same events, which often came from another point of view. That is when I real-ized that I wanted to write this novel from multiple perspectives. As a result, I have an ensemble cast of characters that are all related to each other and influence each other. In a way, movies like Magnolia, Pulp Fiction, or even Christopher Nolan

movies follow a similar con-cept. While I developed this fourth novel, I really began to develop a stronger series “theme.” As a result, I not only did a revision of the first three books to include the “big picture” mystery of the Ojibwe Seven Fires prophe-cy, but I also used synchronicity as a term to describe how my books and series work together. Syn-chronicity is a series of seemingly unrelated events that are actually connected. In that light, my books and characters, although separated by time and circumstance, are all pieces of a bigger puzzle. The first four books are like corner pieces.

Q: How many books are left in the series?

A: Atlas’ Burden is the fourth book in the series. I’ve already written about 150 pages of the fifth book, Pan’s Apprentice. Although they are part of a series, each of the seven books in the Seven Fires Chronicles takes on a different flavor. Hamlet’s Ghost was a little more supernatural. Cassandra’s Curse was a murder-mystery. Ulysses’ Bow was a family drama. Atlas’ Burden is a war story. Pan’s Apprentice is almost a horror story in subject matter. Eurydice’s Quest is an adventure story. Lavinia’s Sac-rifice is a psychological thriller. But all seven books are part of a bigger mystery involving the Seven Fires prophecy given by the Ojibwe. By the fifth book, the “what” part of the mystery will be clear, but not until the final book in the series will the ready understand the “why” of the big mystery surrounding the lake.

Q: Where can your books be purchased?

A: My books are available or can be ordered at all bookstores. I receive a bigger royalty if ordered on Amazon.com. I get the best deal financially if people order off of my website. The first three books are available for Nook, Kindle, and Apple readers also. I will be doing a book tour this summer at a dozen midwest bookstores.

Q: Lastly, are there any other projects you have cooking?

A: Projects cooking? Yes, I have another book series shaping up al-ready that will pick up where the Seven Fires series leaves off. This series is more a historic series that will not feature Minnesota, but there will be some major connec-tions including a few of the minor characters transferring into the other series. I’ve already written 1 1/2 of these books as well as another book that will be a companion piece to both seven book series.

Jason Willis was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 1971. Even in elementary school, he began writing stories mixing classic my-thology and biblical themes. Begin-ning in 1996, work began on Walk-ing Through Shadows, a 500+ page monstrosity that took three years to complete. After feedback from sev-eral publishers, Jason spent a few years retooling structure and style until Hamlet’s Ghost came together finally came together in 2005. Visit jasonwillisnovels.com for more.

16


Two generations. Two wars. One story. On Nov. 21, the Minneapolis St. Paul Interna-tional Film festival had a pre-mier showing of Memorial Day (changed from Souvenirs), a film by director Sam Fischer, staring James Cromwell (“Babe”, “Six Feet Under”, “The Artist”).

Here’s the synopsis:“When Sgt. Kyle Vogel leaves

a handwritten letter on the seat of his car, grabs a pistol and steps into a Minnesota forest, we wonder who he is and what he’s

about to do. Flash back a few months as Vogel lies wounded in a hospital near Anbar Prov-ince, Iraq. The night before he’s due to return to combat, his doc-tor, Lt. Kelly Tripp, presses him on why he’s so obsessed with collecting battle souvenirs. Kyle proceeds to tell her what hap-pened on Memorial Day, 1993, when, as a 13-year old boy, he discovered his Grandpa Bud’s WWII footlocker.

Though reluctant to talk about the war, Bud, who served with

the 82nd Airborne, strikes a deal with Kyle: “Pick any three objects, and I’ll tell you the story behind each one.” As we see Bud’s WWII tales from Europe, we also see how Kyle’s experi-ences in Iraq have paralleled them—and how that day on the porch will affect how he ulti-mately deals with the losses, regrets and moral dilem-mas that unite all soldiers across wars and generations.”

I have an unnatural fear of hipsters and anything involv-ing the words independent or international is going to be filled with tight jeans and thick rimmed glasses, possibly. I object to none of these in prin-ciple, but refuse to listen to any conversations on the legitimacy of American theatre, and I’m certainly not interested in hav-ing any three ways with middle aged empty-nesters looking to find culture and hot young ac-

tion, which I hear can happen at these events...

That being said, it does look worth a watch. It has gotten some really great reviews al-ready and James Cromwell is a severely underrated actor with one Oscar nomination under his belt already. The movie has been selected for several inde-pendent film festivals includ-ing the GI Film Festival and the Newport Beach Film Festival. There was a special showing at the Minneapolis St. Paul Inter-national Film festivals in late April. The festival runs through mid-May. The film seems to ring true with both soldiers and civil-ians at a pre-screening with the Minnesota National Guard 34th Red Bull Infantry Division at Camp Ripley the film received a standing Ovation.

Said Fischer, “Everybody knows someone who “won’t talk about the war.” And millions of people have footlockers in their attics filled with memories that are both joyful and difficult. This film is for everyone who identifies with that sense of the untold story, and my hope is that it affects each person who sees on it a very personal level.”

Two GenerationsFilm By Michael Ludowese

Game New 3D Running Shooter Game ‘Mars Smash’ Ships

Montreal, Quebec (PRWEB)

Martians started invad-ing Earth! Survive count-less Martian Soldiers in this endless shooting adventure. Run as far as possible and use multiple weapons, ac-cessories and special pick-ups item to shoot martians and complete your objec-tives. Upload your best run on online leaderboard. More information can be found on SixDead Entertainment web-site.

“We wanted to give mobile games a running shooter game that is addicting and also has

outstanding 3D graphics that we feel no one has ever done before”

Independent game devel-oper SixDead Entertainment has released “Mars Smash” for free through Android Market and will be released on March 19th on iTunes App Store.

Game Features :-Real 3D stunning graph-

ics, character and weapons-Gameplay optimized

for touch screen devices-Countless hours of

gameplay with 3 different adventure world

-Upgrade your gun to run even further

-Over 30 Achievements-High Score Online

LeaderboardsMars Smash trailer is avail-

able on youtube.Mars Smash itself can be

downloaded directly from Android Market and soon on iTunes app store.


New BIZ Tandem BagelsDowntown Mankato

By Rob LawsonPublisherInterview with

Tandem Bagels is one of those new businesses that arouse your curiosity and you can’t help but to come visit and try what they have to offer. Between the bicycle-themed décor and branding, and the delicious prospect of bagels, how could you go wrong? You couldn’t.

Tandem Bagels is located at 200 East Walnut Street in Mankato, near the City Center. It opened January 31, 2012. Tony Frentz and his Wife Anne, a native of Germa-ny, operate the business. Tony’s cousins, Nick and Joe Frentz, helping with the family business, are minority owners and family investors.

The idea behind Tandem Bagels has interesting local history. Tony Frentz started Bagel Bros. In the 1990s with a partner. Turns out that Tony was more interested in

building the structures than op-erating the stores, which has led him to his current business, Frentz Construction. Frentz started Bagel Bros. right out of college in 1994. He ran five stores for seven years, then sold all of his 50 percent share in the company to his partner, who eventually shuttered Bagel Bros.

“A lot of people said to me that they missed the bagels,” said Frentz.

Tony and Anne have three chil-dren, the youngest in Kindergar-ten. Anne was looking for some-thing to do for work and Tony had already been pondering starting another bagel bakery and coffee shop.

“So we started talking seriously about it,” said Frentz.

This was in 2010. Tony had started collecting equipment and the plan was in full swing by the

next year.“In 2011, we started getting re-

ally serious and we said ‘let’s do this’.”

Tandem’s location is the former Sugar Room, which was closing anyway, so the timing was perfect for the Frentzs. Frentz completely gutted and renovated the interior of the building and turned the basement into the current bakery.

The Frentz family was blessed to have friends in the region, who have helped turn Tandem into a success. Tony approached a guy by the name of Colin Brower who made his bagels at Bagel Bros.

“He still lived in the area and we got him to come back.”

Brower is now the Bakery Man-ager. Anne’s friend, Lisa Friend (for real, it’s her name), is a co-manager, running the shop.

Why bagels?

“People really like ‘em. They’re versatile. You can make a ton of stuff with them. They taste good, and they fit the business of being a coffee shop and bakery combined. Also, a lot of our customers are ac-tive and live healthy lifestyles, and they seem to love our products. We want to use local and organic products whenever possible.”

Why Tandem?“First, we loved the bike look.

Second, there’s the health angle again. Our signature sandwiches are named after local bike and outdoors shops, like The Flying Penguin. The best selling signa-ture sandwich is The Nicollet Bike Shop.”

What’s the best selling item? “The Kitchen Sink.” Tony’s favorite?“Salomi Pizza Bagel and the

Kitchen Sink.”


MANKATOCOMPUTER HAPPY HOUR - Q ComputersAvoid getting hot under the

collar this summer, by avoid-ing computer problems. Q Computers is offering a 1- hour “Happy Computer Hour” from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. each Tuesday evening beginning on April 24. Most trips to computer repair shop could be avoided with some basic maintenance. Classes will teach how simple this is to do yourself. Call 507-387-0226 to register. Cost is $19.95, much less than a repair bill! And keep your kids cool

and entertained with the Kids Computer camp. Two sessions are being offered : Morning (8 – Noon) on June 18-22 or Afternoons (1-5) on August 6-10. They’ll learn ba-sic web-site development, a marketable job skill!Q Computers offers one to

one tutoring in the software, as well as business trainings for corporate and small busi-nesses. They sell new and used computers, repair com-puters, as well as develop a web presence for businesses and organizations, large and small. Give them a call with any questions you may have regarding your computer needs. 507-387-0220 2140 Hoffman Rd. Mankato

THEORY OF A DEADMANWith Pop Evil and Stellar

Revival

THEORY OF A DEADMAN

* Date: Saturday, May 5, 2012 * Doors: 6:00 PM * Start Time: 7:00 PM * Purchase Tickets

Saturday, May 5 7:00 PMArena.Mankato welcomes THE-

ORY OF A DEADMAN with special guesst Pop Evil and Stellar Revival to the Verizon Center on Saturday May 5.Tickets are $24 in advance,

$27 day of show. This is a general admission, all ages show. Tickets go on sale Friday, February 3 at 10 a.m. and will be available at the Verizon Wireless Center Ticket Office and all Ticket-master locations. Charge by phone at 800-745-3000 or online at ticketmaster.com.

SENIOR EXPO - Verizon Wireless Center

* Date: Tuesday, May 15, 2012 * Doors: 9:00 AM * Start Time: 9:00 AM

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 9:00 a.m.Arena Banquet HallVerizon Wireless Center is

proud to host the 8th Annual SENIOR EXPO! The 2012 Senior Expo will be held on Tuesday, May 15th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Verizon Wireless Center. We

are pleased to announce our keynote speaker, BUD GRANT, to speak at 2:30 p.m.Keynote Speaker: Bud

Grant2:30 p.m. in the Verizon

Wireless Center Banquet HallThis event is FREE and

open to the public!Senior Expo Highlights in-

clude:* Medical Screenings*Over 100 Exhibit Booths*Sales Representatives with

information & applications*Free Admission*Door Prize Drawings*Snacks and Beverages*Free Parking*Live Entertainment*AgeWell Room promoting

healthy living

KARAOKE WITH JAKE PALMER - Party Sounds Start Time: 9:00 pm End Time: 2:00 amEvery TuesdayWhere: 526 South Front

Street , Mankato, MN 56001

PARTY SOUND KARAOKE - SavoyStart Time: 9:30 pm End Time: 2:00 amEvery Tuesday

ANN JUDKINS EXHIBIT “Radius 1.64.” Start Time: 12:00 pm End Time: 4:00 pmdaily until May 9, 2012523 South 2nd Street,

Mankato MN 56001North of the Cray Mansion,

south of United Centinary Methodist Church.One block south of Post Of-

fice.Parking available on south

side of building

BLUES DANCING - SavoyBlues Dancing class and

dance the rest of the nightStart Time: 9:00 pm End Time: 1:00 amEvery Wednesday Savoy bar and grill, 526

South Front Street

OPEN MIC WITH OCHO - SavoyCome and show your tal-

ent at savoy open mic night organized by Ocho every Thursday

FISH FRYE - SavoyEarly ShowWhen: 05/24/2012Start Time: 6:00 pm End Time: 8:00 amBrace for a happy hour sen-

sory overload -- the tastes of Savoy’s great cuisine and the sounds of Fish Frye’s dy-namic repertoire of hot origi-nals and cool covers.

LIFEWORKS - Twin Rivers Center for the Arts located in the Emy Frentz Arts GuildWhen: 05/24/2012 -

06/27/2012Start Time: 12:00 pm End Time: 4:00 pmDaily until June 27, 2012


UNIQUE AND CLASSIC CAR ROLL-INS - Buster’s BarThursdays 5-8 p.m.

BIKE NIGHT - Buster’s Bar5 p.m.Fridays

POKER - Buster’s Bar1 p.m.Saturdays

IV PLAY - Buster’s BarFriday, May 4IV Play (4 Play for all you 3rd grade dropouts) introduced itself to the music scene in 1999. Playing anything from the Village People to Pantera, this premier rock band will have you on the dance floor in no time! Based out of Manka-to, Minnesota, you may have seen the name playing most of their dates in the upper mid-west, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and South Dako-ta. IV Play can take you from the arena rock and hair metal of the 80’s, to the down and dirty grunge rock of the 90’s, to the hot pop dance hits of today! Oh yeah, and every-where in-between! IV Play hopes you enjoy the show and looks forward to seeing you at a gig soon!!!

BLUE RINGERS - Buster’s BarFriday, May 11Hazy Shade Of Winter – The Bangles 1st Cut Is The Deep-est, Steve McQueen – Sheryl Crow Hungry Like The Wolf – Duran Duran Better Now

– Collective Soul Spaceman, What’s Up – 4 Non Blondes Walkin’ After Midnight – Patsy Cline Bye Bye Baby, Bobby McGee – Janis Joplin Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison Low Rider – War Ring Of Fire – Johnny Cash Kryptonite – 3 Doors Down Hard To Handle – The Black Crowes Tainted Love – Soft Cell Ran So Far – Flock Of Seagulls Best Friend’s Girl – The Cars Are Gonna Go My Way – Lenny Kravitz Ege Of 17 – Stevie Nicks Fever – Peggy Lee Fat Bottom Girls – Queen I Want You To Want Me – Cheap Trick Helter Skelter, Oh Bla Di – Beatles Summer Of 69

SIDE FX - Buster’s BarFriday, May 18If frontman-lead vocalist Erik Mann’s impressive sing-ing ability doesn’t blow you completely away, his terrific personality and zany antics surely will! Eric “Beast” Jentz on bass guitar commandingly lays down a rock solid musi-cal foundation. Jason Wachtel masterfully drives the drums with chest pounding, booty-moving beats. Skilled guitar-ist Ed Hiller provides hot licks and tasty chops while Jim Piampiano not only rocks out on the 6-string but absolutely amazes while making the ivo-ries sing on the keyboard!!!

UNBROKEN - Buster’s BarFriday, May 25Unbroken is a Rock driven Country band From Minne-

sota. After playing in some well regarded Twin Cities area Country/Rock bands, the boys decided to come together to knock a little dust off of the local Country music scene. With a “stand on it son” approach to todays hits and yesterdays classic’s, Unbro-ken will have the dance floor shakin’ it’s ass! Now, saddle up and hold on tight, it’s gon-na be one hell of a ride!

AMERIKAN JUNK - Whats Up LoungeMay 19Featuring AMERIKAN JUNKw/ THE NEW SUNS, and To Be Announced...10pm // 5.00 // 21+

THE SOLD OUTS - Whats Up LoungeMay 26 2012Featuring The Sold Outsw/ NEAR-VANA10pm // 21+The Sold Outs are back for one night only! and now with new and improved facial hair!!

NEW ULMOutdoor Classical Play: Julius CaesarMay 4, 2012 - May 5http://www.mlc-wels.edu

Alpenglow (Folk)May 48:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.http://www.thegrandnewulm.comAlpenglow, a duo from the Twin Cities, will make their

debut at the Grand. Mem-bers include Brian Laidlaw on guitar and Ashley Hanson on ukulele.

Renaissance FaireDate: May 5 - May 6http://www.mlc-wels.eduGerman Park

Schell’s Lager LaufMay 19http://www.schellsbrewery.comA 5k and 10k run, possibly to be called a “6-pack” and “12-pack!” There will be live music after the run at the Brewery.An evening portion of this event will be a downtown “Pseudo-pub Crawl” to be calledthe “Lederhosen Lope” and the “Dirndl Dash.” The first 200 participants will get a t-shirt. Participants will be given a marker that will be re-corded as they progressthrough the bars trying differ-ent beers. Starting point will be South Park and it will end at the Au-gust Schell Brewery grounds.Date/Time Information Satur-day, May 19, probably running from 11:00am to 4:00pm.An evening component will take place downtown at the bars. Contact Information507-354-5528

The Prizefighters (Reggae/Sak) May 26 8 - 11 p.m.The Grand


Submit Your Event to [email protected]

BACCHUS FESTIVALMay 1911:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.h t t p : / / w w w . m o r g a n -creekvineyards.comEvent Description Celebrate the return of the growning season! Today we honor Mor-gan Creek’s grape growers in Southern Minnesota. Live music 1-4 p.m. with Gordan Aase and the Flathead Cats. . Kick back, relax and salute the Minnesota grape grow-ers with a glass of fine wine and gourmet appetizers from our wood fired oven.Watch for more details on our upcoming IMU OVEN PIT DINNERS- FARM TO TABLE culinary evenings with Chef Paul Lynch. Farm to Fork gourmet meats and wine pairing demonstration and tasting experience.Morgan Creek Vineyards23707 478th AvenueNew Ulm, MN 56073

THE LOST WALLEY OR-CHESTRA - The GrandMay 5 8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.http://www.thegrandnewulm.comThe Lost Walleye Orchestra play a mix of goodtime, clas-sic rock, americana, blues,

folk and electric bluegrass. Members include Billy Stein-er, Ron Arsenault, Dale Hae-fner and Dave Pengra.The Grand Kabaret210 N. Minnesota St.New Ulm, MN 56073Contact Information507-359-9222

THE TINDER BOX - The GrandMay 128:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.http://www.thegrandnewulm.comHumbled by their south-eastern South Dakota roots, The Tinder Box (Chad Kon-rad, Dominic Osterloh, & Jon Wallner) offer a uniquely co-hesive blend of Folk, Blues, & Bluegrass. With their Feb-ruary 2011 release of their debut EP These Winds (re-corded at Blacklodge Re-cording in Eudora, KS), The Tinder Box has emerged as a three-member band with the driving force of most full-bands. Foot-tapping kick hits, pierce banjo picking, trumpet fills and full harmo-nies have helped to already create a name for this young band.The Grand Kabaret210 N. Minnesota St.

New Ulm, MN 56073Contact Information507-359-9222

DON SCOTT & CURTIS BLAKE (Blues) - The GrandDate: May 188:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.http://www.thegrandnewulm.com

NEW PRAGUEIn the FieldsMay 4 9:00 pm Friday125 Main Street E. New Prague, MN

ST. PETERTRIVIA - PATRICKS ON THIRDTuesdaysSchell’s Night, Trivia at 7 p.m.

LIFEWORKS RENDEZ-VOUSExploring Art through Col-laboration and Community - Arts Center of St. Peter May 1 - 13

FRAGMENTS OF REALITY - Arts Center of St. PeterMoline GalleryPaintings by Bryan Holland

11 a.m. - 6 p.m.May 1 - 13

McKNIGHT TOURING EX-HIBITION - Arts Center of St. Peter2010 McKnight Fellowship & 2009 McKnight Residency Recipients11 a.m. - 6 p.m.May 16 - 31

OPEN STUDIO NIGHT - Arts Center of St. PeterClay CenterFree Open to the PublicAll ages and abilities wel-come. Experienced instruc-tors on hand. 6 - 8 p.m. May 17

OWATONNARELAY FOR LIFE - FAIR-GROUNDSJoin us on July 20th and 21st for Relay For Life at the Steele County Fairgrounds in Owatonna, MN.

KIWANIS BELGIAN WAF-FLE BRUNCH - VFWA breakfast brunch, featur-ing all-you-can-eat Belgian waffles and sausage, will be served as a Kiwanis fund-raiser at 7:30 a.m.


COMICS

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In Memory of Daniel Gulbrandson, AKA

Penguingod. R.I.P. June 13, 1984 - July 16, 2010

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