Sunday, January 31

Sexy Saxophone Man Timmy Cappello
Daily Dose
If you watched the most recent episode of "Saturday Night Live," you may be asking yourself, "Why was Jon Hamm shirtless and playing a saxophone while thrusting his groin a whole bunch?" This is why...

Write on: Langston Hughes Award winners experience twists and turns in literary careers
Amy Stuber is amply familiar with legendary Lawrence writer Langston Hughes. "I taught college writing for about 10 years, and his work was one of my favorite things to teach," she says...
Critter Care: Web site created to combat prejudice against pit bulls
The happy little brown pit bull strolls around with the awkward gait of any tripod, his front legs carrying him powerfully forward as his single back leg pumps to keep up. But he doesn't notice that much...

Pests still active in lawn and garden
When the snow melted, several Lawrence and Douglas County residents were left with what some described as looking like bicycle tracks in their lawn. The 1- to 2-inch wide channels are not the work of neighborhood pranksters, though; the paths are runways constructed by prairie voles...
Some experts say supplement craze has gone into overdrive
Shelf after shelf of strangely named bottles can fill an entire aisle at the supermarket or drug store. There are "CoQ10" softgels, "charcoal" pills and mysterious "hoodia" tablets. But why would anyone take charcoal? What exactly is a CoQ10? And can you eat a hoodia?
Saturday, January 30
Hand Ninja
Daily Dose
An Asian girl performs hand puppet karate. Her hands are lethal weapons, for they can neutralize you with adorableness.

Sending out an S.O.S.
Save Our Schools exhibit set up to help prevent New York, Cordley from closure
The Percolator event highlighting East Lawrence grade-school art is far from child’s play...
Friday, January 29

Selleck Waterfall Sandwich
Daily Dose
Not much to explain...photos of Tom Selleck in the vicinity of waterfalls and giant sandwiches, and only photos of Tom Selleck in the vicinity of waterfalls and giant sandwiches.
Arts Commission Seeking Applicants for Community Arts Grants
The goal of the Community Arts Grant Program is to promote awareness of and appreciation for the arts in Lawrence and encourage collaboration within the Lawrence arts community. Proposals that address this goal are welcome from applicants with Lawrence addresses...

What to do in Larry tonight, Friday edition
Grand Opening of the Art House, Songwriter Night at the LAC, Pat Green and Cory Morrow, The Ben Miller Band, AA Bondy, Mouth's First Birthday Bash, Monte Carlos with Pat Boone's Farm and Modie Bones, and new movies...

Ozark stomp: Ben Miller might just be the best juke joint vagabond in the Midwest
Ben Miller went down to the crossroads, but he didn't sell his soul.

Poverty proves brutal, uplifting in 'Precious'
Poverty is ugly. Every now and then we need to be reminded of that. "Precious," the brutal and unflinching film based on the novel "Push" by Sapphire, gives us neediness at its ugliest and most shocking.

Net Worth: Wife shares husband’s sleep-talkin’ orations in popular blog
I snore. I have for quite some time, but it didn’t become an issue until I got “married.”
Thursday, January 28
The Half Court Shot Prank
The birth and evolution of the prank shot out of Olathe heard round the world.

Style scout: Hawley Alexandra Shoffner
People say I look like Angelina Jolie in "Hackers" and Liza Minnelli when I have shorter hair...

Re-opened mic: After a run-in with the copyright police, Mudstomp Mondays picks up where Pub Sessions left off
The day the music died came earlier than expected at Dempsey's Pub. The death sentence was a letter from ASCAP...

Style scout: Geoffrey Benzing
In high school, my grandma made most of my clothing. We would pick out the fabric together, creating patterns out of clothing that I already owned. She was my personal tailor - I had a customized wardrobe.
Wednesday, January 27

Grocery Store Dancing
Daily Dose
A guy dances his way through the aisles of an Asian market, plus unawares people shaking their moneymakers in front of surveillance cameras. Dance-a-thon 2010, y'alls!

Straight from the hearth: Making bread is as easy as erasing your fear of yeast
Pumpkin bread? No problem. Zucchini bread? Pssh, easy. Banana bread? A piece of cake. French bread, sandwich bread, pizza crust .... um, it's easier to buy those, right?
Tuesday, January 26
Double Take: Privacy issues or not, children still need parenting on the Internet
Dear Dr. Wes & Samantha: I have a 10-year-old daughter, and I feel like if she is given no privacy and no trust she will move heaven and earth to break every rule I give her. But I don’t want her getting in trouble online. She has Facebook and MySpace accounts and e-mail and is happy to tell me the passwords. However, where do you draw the line?

Can’t hardly wait: Early graduation not coming soon enough for young Lawrence artist
Carlin Francis dabbles in just about every type of art there is to work with. She draws. She paints. She takes photos. She does it all...
Monday, January 25

Brendan Fraser Clapping
Daily Dose
What is the sound of one Fraser clapping? It sounds like a remix with Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl," actually. Silly Buddhists.
Uncommon scents: Former Lawrence resident opens own soap-making business
For more than 20 years, Kathy Richards perfected her hobby of making soaps and lotions, mixing all kinds of different natural ingredients. Eventually the products overflowed the house, and a business was born.

Color down the aisle: Trends for summer 2010 on display at Free State Bridal Show
In two years, Sarah Jenkins will walk down the aisle and say 'I do.' That date might seem far away, but Jenkins is thinking ahead: to prepare for her big day, she attended the Free State Bridal show, which took place from 10 to 3 p.m., Jan. 16, at the Granada.

Good dog (bad bill): Area vets talk about the upper limits of pet costs
Kristin Howard has had a few pets in her time. Two dogs, four cats, three rats, umpteen hamsters and guinea pigs, a slew of fish and mice, a turtle and a raccoon. Yes, a raccoon. Named Popeye.
Tough love for your closet
Although the New Year is well under way, it is not too late to turn over a new leaf.
School essay winners offer tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.
Central Junior High School recently announced winners of its essay contest to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. This year the topic was “Bridging the Dream.”

Spell check: Lawrence schools are staging qualifying events to determine which students move on to the Douglas County Spelling Bee on Feb. 6
Don’t let the candy-colored murals and construction paper-plastered bulletin boards fool you — beneath the juvenile trappings of Kennedy School roils the same spirit which transforms mortals into Olympians and grade-school students into spelling deities.
A flexible career: Variety of jobs motivates KU housemother
Don’t even ask Kansas University Sigma Delta Tau’s housemother, Betty Nichols, 86, when she’s going to retire. It’s not on her radar.
In transition: Teens weigh in on pros, cons of moving ninth-graders to high school
• Lawrence’s system works, so don’t change a thing • Mature environment would benefit freshmen
Veggie love: Chef creates winter menu for ‘Jayni’s Kitchen’
“Wonderful Winter Vegetables” debuts at 6:30 p.m. today on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6 with repeats throughout the week.
Having the money talk: Fiscal responsibility gives your kids a big leg up
It’s never too early to teach your children the value of a dollar and how to manage those dollars once he or she has a number of them. With consumer debt at an all-time high among American adults, it seems the least we can do is help the next generation avoid the same problems.
There's more than one way to thaw a pipe
Thawing a frozen water line in your home is easy when you have a little patience and a mild heat source. Frozen pipes are likely to burst if heated too fast, so slow and steady is the best plan of action.
Parent night induces panic
Sitting in the junior high auditorium at parent information night, listening to school officials outline the expectations for my soon-to-be eighth-grader, was a piece of cake. I was calm and relaxed, and, unlike at last year’s parent information night for incoming seventh-graders, I never once hyperventilated.
Sunday, January 24

The Lawrence bucket list
Readers, staff compile 10 things you must do in Lawrence
We asked readers, friends and colleagues to suggest "must-do" adventures unique to our town — here's the best entries...

Behind the Lens: Time-lapse photography captures Fieldhouse atmosphere
I'm always going to put a premium on quality over quantity. However, there are days when it would be really beneficial to be paid by the image...
Saturday, January 23

What to do in Larry tonight, Saturday edition
KU vs. ISU, "The Sorrows of Young Werther" by KU Opera, "The Show" with Krizz Kaliko, Fortnight, Left on Northwood, UUVVWWZ, Red Kate, Sellout, Shanks and Sidener Rock and Roll DJs, and new movies...

Fondant memories: Newlyweds retrace their life together through flour, cream and sugar
Mallory Hannah had her cake, but she couldn’t eat it, too. Right there, just inches away, lit by hot studio lighting, was a 3-foot testament to her love for her husband, Jack, all done up in fondant and food coloring.
Faith Forum: Can you imagine your life without your faith?
• No matter what you believe, faith is there • Shudder to think of closing out God
Friday, January 22

What to do in Larry tonight, Friday edition
"The New Show" at Signs of Life, Fundred/Project Paydirt reception at LAC, “The Sorrows of Young Werther,” Sonic Sutra and Brother Bagman, Hidden Pictures and The Caves, and the "Jockin' My Fresh" hip-hop showcase...

Call of duty: Volunteer call line Headquarters could use a few more good listeners
Message received 1:10 a.m., Aug. 28, 2009: “Without the crisis line, I doubt that I would be alive. I’m still not thrilled about being alive, but I know that I can call on the worst days and it helps get me to the next one” ...

‘Messenger’ filmmaker explores war’s effect on the home front
It’s been a good year in Hollywood for Israeli directors named Oren.
Bad news is impetus for a great war movie
In a sense, the soldiers at the center of “The Messenger” are engaged in house-to-house combat.
Thursday, January 21
Computer Animated Reenactment Of Leno Vs. O'Brien
Daily Dose
Jay Leno turns into Superman and Conan O'Brien becomes The Hulk. Thank you, Taiwan. Plus a "Draft Coco" movement!

Style scout: Jim Dandy
People say I look like Keanu Reeves, but I don't see it. One guy at the Cave told me I look like Justin Long, the Mac Guy. He was really drunk...

The old college try: Students organize fundraiser for Joe College in its fight against Kansas University
The controversy between KU and Joe College will be reignited this week with the Joe College Jamfest, a student-organized fundraiser for the T-shirt shop on the brink of collapse ...

Style scout: Lisa Roberts
I only wash my hair once a month. I'm growing it out, and washing it less keeps it healthy and strong...
Wednesday, January 20

Review: Darksiders (360)
Darksiders has its moments of brilliance. But they are lost in a sea of muddled mechanics and unfocused game design. As the first effort from Vigil Games, a lot can be forgiven. As a $60 title competing with the big boys, it’s just an average title...

Little Italy: Basil Leaf Café serves big food from out of a tiny kitchen in a gas station
If your stomach craves a fill-up on the fancy side of the typical gas-n-go type fare, there's only one place in Lawrence to leave with both your tummy and tank topped off: Phillips 66 Gas Station at 3300 W. Sixth St...
Tuesday, January 19

K2 proponents urge lawmakers to think twice before banning marijuana-like substance
Senate poised to consider bill among first acts of the session
Users and sellers of K2 pushed back Tuesday on attempts to ban the chemicals in the herbal mixture that some say produces a marijuana-like high.
Polar Bear Blows Up The Earth
Daily Dose
Parable for climate change or hockey team video intro? Who cares. There's Kenny Loggins and Metallica. It's awesome.

Indelible impressions
Couple witnessed Haitian destruction firsthand
Many tears were shed Monday afternoon when a Lawrence couple greeted their families after escaping the aftermath of the earthquake that devastated Haiti last week.

Review: Dark Void (360)
If you’ve played the demos or read about Dark Void and think it might be up your alley, my advice would be to either rent it on a snowy weekend or wait for it to come down in price substantially...
Monday, January 18

Review: Army of Two: 40th Day (PS3)
For all its relative shortcomings, 40th Day's extraction mode will reign supreme when it goes public. If you're looking for a solid cooperative experience, this is just what you have been waiting for...

Preview: Calling (Wii)
I haven’t felt this tense in a darkened video game house since the original Resident Evil way back in 1996...

Winter skin strategies: Lawrence experts offer suggestions to beat dryness, itching
It’s called “winter itch,” and it’s not a name for the hankering you feel to escape to a balmy beach in the Bahamas.
That pioneer spirit
Every winter, as I fight my natural instinct to wait out the wind and snow, curled up fetal under a pile of fleece until April, my thoughts turn to the pioneers from long ago and their little houses on the prairie.
Chili rally: Community shows support for annual New York School event
Concerns about New York School’s closure helped draw more than 400 people to the school’s 23rd annual Martin Luther King Chili Feed, which was Tuesday.

Trivial matters: Live games at Lawrence bars, restaurants gain momentum
You would think that alcohol and general knowledge quizzes would go together about as well as cough syrup and heavy machinery, and — frankly — you would mostly be right...

Winter survival kit: Tips for making it through the gray days until spring
Nicole Van Velzen is determined to make 2010 her Year of Happiness. The 30-year-old Lawrence resident generally considers herself a happy person. But she thinks she can do even more to put herself in a perpetually good mood...

Tour of duty: Young reservist puts work ethic on front line
“My parents instilled a strong work and service ethic in me,” says Marine reservist Sgt. Michael (Mick) Waisner, 25.
Bierocks: Old World culinary icons live on in Kansas
You’d think most Kansans would know about bierocks. After all, Kansas and Nebraska are bastions of America’s bierock tradition, and bierocks play a significant role in Kansas’ culinary heritage. But say “bierock” to a Kansan, and the general response is silence, or something about the music at a frat party.
Replace your cabinet hinges with five simple steps
Replacing old and worn cabinet hinges is simple, when you find hinges that are the same size and shape. If the new hinges do not match up to the old ones, the job becomes a little more complicated.
Fiscal Fitness: Financial blunders that we make
There was no class in school that taught us to make wise decisions with finances, so most of us have learned through trial and error. It is important to identify the mistakes to avoid repeating them, so here are some of the most common financial blunders.
Dress chic despite the cold
Sick of winter weather advisories? Tired of leaving your favorite suede boots at the back of your closet — or worse yet, angry because you ruined them in the snow, like me? Dressing warmly and fashionably is a tricky matter; however, with a bit of creativity, dressing cute even in the snowy cold becomes a cinch.
Cozy bed and breakfast established in former governor’s residence
Chris Wildy never considered herself a risk-taker until six years ago when the former nurse rolled the dice, converted a former governor’s residence into a bed and breakfast, and became an innkeeper.

Group Dine-amics: Local dining clubs foster friendship, feasting and economy
While the nostalgia of meatloaf and macaroni and cheese undoubtedly nourishes our souls, globalized Midwestern palates increasingly dig sashimi and pisco sours...
Sunday, January 17

Home work: Restage your house with what's on hand
The holidays are over. You've curbed the Christmas tree, stowed the snow village and turned out the twinkling lights. Suddenly, your house looks bare, bland and boringly blah...

Behind the Lens: Put together your own panoramic image
Sometimes wide-angle lenses can't capture the magnitude of a scene you want to photograph. A fun option is to create panorama images...
Saturday, January 16

What to do in Larry, Saturday edition
The KU game, Son Venezuela, The Kinetiks, Deadman Flats, Werner Herzog's new film "The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans" and more...

The cutting edge: Experts recommend best tools for gardening
The right tool for the right job makes all the difference in the garden, but sorting out the always-in-my-back-pocket tools from the sits-in-the-corner-unused tools can be a challenge...

Un-Orthodox Church: St. Sophia finds worship in an unexpected space
“I really love being involved and part of a faith that I feel like encompasses every part of my being and of my daily life,” says Erin Moulton...
Friday, January 15

Cute Things Exploding
Daily Dose
Cute things and explosions. Goes together like chocolate and explosions.

What to do in Larry tonight, Friday edition
Eskmo, American Low Life EP release party, Euforquestra, The CoppeliaProject at the Arts Center, Werner Herzog's new film "The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans" and more...

Net Worth: Manners often lacking on social networking hub
I’ve been known to go on tirades about the plummeting lack of manners and etiquette at movie theaters. I’ve even been on the aggressive end of sending a patron’s phone flying toward the exit after a cellular conversation went on too long during the climax of an adventure pic. So you texters beware ... But today my diatribe takes aim at my favorite social networking site.

Effects-heavy approach overwhelms 'Lovely Bones'
It won't surprise you that to New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson, heaven, or at least a lovely version of purgatory, looks an awful lot like the forests and valleys of New Zealand...

Hollywood Hawks: Casting directors help foster link between Kansas and entertainment industry
Maria Skeels is hungry, and she's surrounded by food. But she's not allowed to touch any of it. The Leavenworth native is one of the casting directors for the upcoming Fox series "MasterChef" ...
Thursday, January 14

Kinetik Energy: Lawrence’s The Kinetiks up the ante and the tempo on second album “Science Is Magic”
In the midst of putting on silver tights and a cape prior to a recent show, Rani Waugh had a revelation about her band. "I don't understand why we aren't taken seriously'" ...
Wednesday, January 13

French Disco Star Wars
Daily Dose
Plus a very easy way to help relief efforts in Haiti. Seriously (for once).

Review: The Saboteur (360)
For fans of sandbox games, this will likely tide you over for a month or two until the next GTA contender pops up. For fans of adventure and stealth games, this one's a toss-up at best...
Pizza deliveries spike with bad weather
If you’ve had your fill of cheese, sauce and crust in the past few weeks, you’re most certainly not alone.
Call now? Most infomercial products aren’t worth buying
Do you scrub, scrape and scour baked-on crud on cookware; fall off your ladder when cleaning gutters; and torture yourself to get a firmer fanny? Wish there were a better way?

Go Go Gadgets! With the prevalence of kitchen helpers, determining what's needed isn't cut and dry
It slices! It dices! It pulverizes! It's the greatest invention in the history of home cooking ... or is it?
Tuesday, January 12

The invisible world: Young adult book 'The Secret of Invisibility' sets its fantasy adventure in Lawrence
Most of the time in pop culture, Harry Potter's cloak being a notable exception, invisibility leads to sinister scenarios involving mad scientists or perverts in locker rooms...
Double Take: Inappropriate situation calls for further consequences
I read your column last year on teaching kids not to get into trouble with their sexual behavior. Unfortunately that’s what we’re facing right now.
Monday, January 11
The Best Fails of 2009
Daily Dose
A wonderful compilation of wince-inducing online moments conveniently boiled down to an easily digestible self potato.
Runway to reality: Fresh beauty for spring
Runway shows premiere more than just fashionable new clothes. Check out these fun and intriguing beauty looks for 2010.
The Edge
• ‘Committed’ (Books) • Skyzoo (Music) • ‘Psycho Too’ (Books)
Lawrence Public Library’s top 10
Here are the top-10 most-requested books at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vt., for 2009.

Second Life: Organ donation saves Lawrence man’s life
2010 is an extra-special year for Glynn Sheridan, president of Sunflower Bank in Lawrence. He’ll celebrate two important birthdays: the big five-O and the fifth anniversary of his new life.

Waxed: Staff writer Gavon Laessig takes a personal journey through the manscape
Frankly, I’m a hirsute man. Aside from occasional, youthful experiments with shaving, I’ve never been a big proponent of so-called “manscaping”...
‘Jayni’s Kitchen’: Weeknight comfort food
Join “Jayni’s Kitchen” for Jayni Carey’s take on tasty, quick and easy weeknight meals.

Transition time: West principal offers families suggestions on upcoming junior high enrollment
This week, parents of sixth-graders in Lawrence will have the chance to find out what junior high is all about.
Stuck inside? Liven up walls with fresh paint
Painting one wall or a whole room is a great job for a cold winter day.

Record keepers: Experts discuss benefits of pouring thoughts, ideas onto paper
Wrapped in a red coat on a cold Saturday night, Holly Charlton sits on a stool at the Replay, talking to some friends. Then, out of nowhere, something stirs her, and in an instant, Charlton plucks a journal from her purse, flips it open and begins to write.
Christmas additions
Our family grew by two over the holiday break. We planned to give our two older daughters Taylor Swift concert tickets for Christmas and wanted to get our youngest daughter, Caroline, something equally exciting that would not involve taking a 6-year-old to a concert. Or owning a puppy.
Attentive living full of rewards
My granddaughter learned to walk early. We have a picture of her at 6 months, standing unsupported in the middle of the living room. Within a month she was walking freely. During this process she was completely obsessed. You could have strewn toys all over the living room, and she would have honed in on the chair she needed to pull herself up, the coffee table she needed to pull herself along. She never thought: I know, I should learn how to walk, and I’m going to do it, I promise, I’ll start next week, really …

Meditation for the ‘monkey mind’
Lawrence instructors offer suggestions to settle into healthy state
You’ve resolved to take a little time for yourself every day to go to your quiet place. Get away from the TV, stereo and kids and clear the cobwebs from your mind. Escape the outside world to find the peace that lives inside you. You’re going to start meditating, even if it kills you!
Resort on the range: Farmstead converted to unique pet-care site
By most definitions, Homestead Pet Resort is out in the middle of nowhere. About an hour north of Lawrence —east of Holton and southwest of Atchison — Loretta Hiatt is hoping to build something big on land that’s been in her family for more than 120 years.
Sunday, January 10

Fraternal reorder: Clubs, lodges face dwindling membership in modern world
Ask any member of the millennial generation - accustomed to fraternizing on Facebook, Twitter and smart phone apps - what Masons, Eagles and Knights of Columbus are, and he's likely to answer, "Some random bands on MySpace?"

Trip to crane migration site offers special experience
Last winter my wife and I combined our love of travel and nature to experience the Sandhill Crane migration along the Platte River in southcentral Nebraska...

New friends to feed: The right seeds will attract birds during winter gloom
Even with a heavy blanket of snow on the ground and single-digit temperatures, I can hear the boisterous chirps of overwintering birds outside my office window...
Saturday, January 9
Better Know Your Meme: Self Potato
Daily Dose
Want to know why all the tweens and Twi-sexuals are screaming "self potato" after you failed to detonate your underwear bomb and instead lit your pants on fire? Watch this "Wheel of Fortune" clip.

What to do in Larry tonight, Saturday edition
LHS Model U.N. Benefit, DJ Smoove, The Irietions, DJ Candlepants, A Pack of Wolves, and new movies...

How to embrace your cabin fever
Finding constructive ways to use your time indoors
Old Man Winter, you’re given us the fever. And not the kind worth singin’ about either — though we surely have the time to hum a tune or 80.
Friday, January 8

What to do in Larry tonight, Friday edition
Lynda Andrus art opening, six really loud bands at the Bottleneck, Rooftop Vigilantes, Mammoth Life, Ween-O-Rama, and new movies...

Net Worth: Techno-heavy holidays salvaged by batch of weird books
Overwhelmed by the invasiveness of iPhones, MacBooks and Nintendo DS players favored by my family, I vowed to stop the madness.

Unwrapping the past: Manhattan artist Lynda Andrus connects with childhood through assemblage
For the last decade or so, Andrus' go-to medium has been the wax-coated paper everyone else throws away - Starbursts, Tootsie Rolls, Tootsie Roll Pops, Dubble Bubble, Bit-O-Honey - any colorful wrapper from a retro candy fits her palate...
'Doctor Parnassus' features Ledger finale
I don't know whether to call this a comedy or an oddity. I'd love to report that "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" is a work of renegade genius. Alas, it's a minor film..

Fleetwood Mac and Chocolate Cheese
On the eve of local tribute shows to Fleetwood Mac and Ween, we offer this handy guide
UPDATE: Everywhere (A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac) is CANCELLED. But "Don't Stop" thinking about the Ween Tribute!
Thursday, January 7

Nic Cage As Everyone
Daily Dose
A site dedicated to Photoshopping the face of actor Nicolas Cage over everyone else's face. Like that movie "Face/Off," starring Nicolas Cage, but not awful.

Style scout: Rachelle Netzer
I am happy that the fashion industry as a whole has grown more accessible to the masses and people on a budget. Stores like Forever 21 and Target’s designer collaboration make it possible to buy a current trend at a really affordable price...

Style scout: Phil Canty
I'd like to see less dirty dudes with flannel thinking they're fly and hating frat dudes feeling entitled. I feel like since there are so many like them, they feel like it's hot. Wrong. On the flip side, I'd like to see less people pretending they're being modest. Don't masquerade. Ball out and be proud...

Scot Topic: Jayhawk and NBA star Scot Pollard sounds off on everything from Twitter to Tiger
Can someone known for his larger-than-life persona really retreat quietly into domesticity or muzzle his notoriously opinionated mouth? Nope...
Wednesday, January 6
McDonald's Freak Out In Kansas City
Daily Dose
A Kansas City McDonald's is trashed by a disgruntled customer. Nobody could tell the difference afterwards.

Great grains: Overlooked grains become a useful alternative to wheat and flour
Rice? That is sooooo last century. The latest and greatest in the grain world? Everything that is old is new again...
Many cultures contribute interesting soup recipes
From the Aztecs comes a chicken vegetable soup with poblano chiles and chayote squash; from Paraguay there's bori-bori, a beef broth and dumpling soup; from the Caribbean there's callaloo, in which the greens of taro root are cooked with okra and bacon...
Tuesday, January 5
Crazy Lady On Airplane
Daily Dose
Adding an ominous undertone to "Complimentary Nuts With Your Flight."

Best Local Music of 2009
From indie-pop to hip-hop, the decade in local music came to an abundant end
Here's 10 albums from the Lawrence and Kansas City area that we truly, wholeheartedly enjoyed — and a nice long list of honorable mentions...
Double Take: A few more New Year’s resolutions for parents and for teens
I know we’re five days into 2010, but it’s never too late to drop a few more New Year’s resolutions on our readers.
Monday, January 4

Backwards Walking Cat With Its Head Stuck In A Box
Daily Dose
This cat has a bad case of the Mondays. Zing.

Building bonds: LHS alumni share unique perspectives on teaching in Lawrence schools
Teachers aren’t people. They sleep on cots in their offices, emerging at 8 a.m. with lesson plans and 20-ounce coffees. They don’t shop at the same places normal people do, and they surely don’t go to rock shows.

Shop like a dietitian: We ask Lawrence experts how to make healthier choices at the grocery store
Vowing to eat right is an easy resolution to make, until faced with the chance to eat your words along with a few cookies.

New studio a sound move for KJHK
Student radio station will get new space in Kansas Union this spring
This spring, the student-run radio station at Kansas University will find a new home in the Kansas Union.
Sunday, January 3

The Best of Willard Scott
Daily Dose
The best of weatherman Willard Scott from 2009. Grip tightly to your sanity.

Gardening trends for the New Year
Expect tropicals, edibles and gadgets in 2010
Every January, in addition to visiting garden centers just to smell the fresh air, I start looking for hot new items...

Change of habit: Advice to make your resolutions stick
At their core, most new year's resolutions are about breaking bad habits and replacing them with better ones. Out with the old unhealthy behaviors; in with the new and improved...
The text-Web hybrid: As books move beyond print to multimedia experience, what happens to reading?
Predicting the eventual death of the traditional novel sounds practically heretical. But the genre has actually existed in English for only about 300 years, and that experimentation and evolution have always been a part of the way we tell stories...
Film highlights the harm done by cyberbullies
Hundreds of Bergen County, N.J., teachers are being trained to use a new film, “Sticks and Stones,” to help students understand the irreversible consequences of cyberbullying via social networks, e-mail, cellphones, instant messages and texting.
Behind the Lens: Seeking plethora of photo submissions
I'm looking for ideas for subjects to discuss or techniques to illustrate. Whatever your interest, we want to provide answers or insight to your questions and help you become a better photographer...
Saturday, January 2
Grandma Green Screen Roller Coaster
Daily Dose
Old ladies pretend to ride a roller coaster in front of a green screen. The elderly are neck and neck with cats for "Most Adorable Meme."

What to do in Larry tonight, Saturday edition
For the truly hardcore who still have something left after Thursday and Friday nights...

Winter wipeout
The great blizzard of ‘09 snuffs out special Christmastime services
The phone calls had been coming in as fast and furious as the snow.
Top 5 social media screwups of 2009
Today we count down the five worst (and most frequently committed) online faux pas that we witnessed in 2009.
Friday, January 1

Mario Trailer That Will Make You Cry
Daily Dose
A fan made trailer for Super Mario Galaxy set to a song by Sigur Rós that reduces people to tears. Happy New Year!
Ego, talent explored in 'Me and Orson Welles'
Me and Orson Welles" is a sparkling love letter to a gigantic talent, a romance, a comedy, a drama. Above all it's a tale of puberty, the period between childhood and adulthood for both of its title characters, and for America...

Net Worth: Memorable Web discoveries help bolster 2009
While Americans are spending most of December obsessing over what gifts to give, journalists occupy their time mulling over what awards to bestow.