Blaska's Blog explains the stimulus David Blaska on Friday 03/12/2010 1:23 pm Here we are a year after the $787 million and one out of every 10 Americans are out of work. Many more are discouraged workers, meaning they’ve quit looking. Even Dane County's unemployment rate is twice normal. No wonder tax revenues are down. So, what is the response of our liberal/progressive friends? More government stimulus! More government spending! Only they call it a "jobs" bill. >More
Beer Here: Big Slick Stout from Ale Asylum Robin Shepard on Friday 03/12/2010 1:00 pm, (1) Recommendation St. Patrick's Day is the holiday of choice for the beer enthusiast. It conjures visions of all things green, ranging from leprechauns to beer. However, I just can't bring myself to contaminate my favorite brew with food coloring. After all, the phrase "green beer" is often used to describe young and unfermented brews with yeast so active they turn your stomach. >More
Madison holds pep rally to woo Google Fiber Nick Penzenstadler on Friday 03/12/2010 9:38 am Mayor Dave Cieslewicz has said Madison does not need cheap gimmicks to attract the global tech goliath Google to install a new experimental high-speed Internet system. That idea gave way Thursday at a techy pep rally at Olbrich Gardens, with the introduction of a new Babcock Ice Cream flavor to score some brownie points with Google. >More
The Week[end]: March 12-14, 2010 on Friday 03/12/2010 6:00 am Spring forward reclaims an hour off the clock this weekend, so be sure to make the most of the remaining time. The calendar includes: Bike-o-Rama and Canoecopia; productions of The Odd Couple and Cinderella; Boomerfest and a performance of 100 Years of Broadway; the conclusion of Literacy 24/7; live music by The August Teens, bomshel, The Machine, Rodrigo Villanueva Quartet, Greensky Bluegrass, LMFAO, Kieran McMullen, 1964 the Tribute, the UW Chamber Orchestra with the Eroica Trio, The Kissers, David Ford, and Ted Leo & the Pharmacists; and the Madison St. Patrick's Day Parade. >More
Emily's Post: The Barrett vs. Walker gubernatorial cage match is on and full of promise Emily Mills on Thursday 03/11/2010 2:18 pm, (1) Recommendation Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker really wants to be governor of Wisconsin. So does Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. In order to win over the hearts and minds of voters, they're making plans and promises, as politicians are wont to do, many of which may seem awesome -- but only at first blush. >More
Should Wisconsin buck the electoral college? Jack Craver on Thursday 03/11/2010 1:15 pm There's been quite a bit of chatter on the blogosphere about Rep. Kelda Helen Roys' introduction of the National Popular Vote bill, a piece of legislation being circulated in state legislatures that would bind states to give their electoral college votes to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote. >More
Brunch Links Jack Craver on Thursday 03/11/2010 8:43 am, (2) Comments Happy Brunch everyone! Due to a couple technical issues, we might have to forgo the actual brunch photo today, but I'd like you to visualize a heaping plate of banana pancakes with a side of grilled potatoes. All of which can be found at the Sunroom Cafe. High of 53, low of 37 today in the capital of the Sconz. >More
Kicking the tires on the MPD's new Dodge Charger squad cars Max Schlusselberg on Thursday 03/11/2010 8:30 am, (1) Comment, (1) Recommendation At 6'2", Officer Matt Wentzel of the Madison Police Department spends most of his days folded up inside a Ford Crown Victoria, patrolling Madison’s south side with an aching back. But he seems rejuvenated when I meet him last Friday, stretching his legs under the steering wheel of a Dodge Charger, the newest addition to MPD’s fleet of squad cars. >More
Madison Snaps -- March 11, 2010 on Thursday 03/11/2010 8:00 am Today's image titled “Rest in Peace, Winnebago Man” was photographed by Jon Tanke. >More
Chef Rick Bayless to keynote Isthmus Green Day 2010 on Thursday 03/11/2010 7:00 am, (1) Recommendation Rick Bayless -- award-winning chef-restaurateur, author and television personality -- is the keynote presenter at the 2010 Isthmus Green Day on Saturday, April 17 at Monona Terrace. >More
Blaska's Blog flunks the school for Leftists David Blaska on Wednesday 03/10/2010 4:45 pm, (2) Comments, (1) Recommendation Miss Emily Mills, fearless sifter and winnower that she is, is aghast that a respected University of Wisconsin political scientist would oversee public opinion polling for the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute -- a "partisan" organization. Unclean! Unclean! >More
Feingold on earmarks Jack Craver on Wednesday 03/10/2010 2:34 pm How will the GOP use Feingold's opposition to earmarks? Will the Republican candidates break from their principle and accuse Feingold of neglecting the state's needs? >More
Cookbook cues: The Art of Eating In by Cathy Erway Linda Falkenstein on Wednesday 03/10/2010 2:00 pm, (1) Recommendation Brooklynite Cathy Erway definitely has something right. Americans do not cook their own dinners often enough and when we do, it's too often an indifferent, hurried effort. No wonder eating out seems like a better idea. >More
MadTracks: 'A Kiss in Wisconsin' by The August Teens Jessica Steinhoff on Wednesday 03/10/2010 1:30 pm, (2) Recommendations Few things compare to holy trinity of big guitars, pretty harmonies and pop hooks aplenty. The August Teens know it well and worship it often. Heck, they've been doing it for 10 years now. >More
Cap Times loses open records battle Jack Craver on Wednesday 03/10/2010 1:20 pm, (1) Comment The decision might have been legally sound, but what are we going to do to check the power of the governor to withhold records whenever it suits him? >More
Brunch Links Jack Craver on Wednesday 03/10/2010 10:00 am, (1) Comment A run-down of the top local news accompanied by a delicious display of a local delicacy. >More
Willy Street Co-op plans to open second store in Middleton Linda Falkenstein on Tuesday 03/09/2010 4:24 pm, (3) Recommendations The Willy Street Co-op has finally released its long-awaited plans for a second store. The second site chosen is in Middleton, at the corner of University Avenue and Park Street, in a pre-existing shopping center. The store would move into the end space vacated by Walgreens, which built a new free-standing location some blocks east on University Avenue at Branch Street. >More
Welcome to The Sconz... Again! Jack Craver on Tuesday 03/09/2010 3:40 pm, (2) Comments Introducing The Daily Page's brand new political blog, The Sconz, which focuses on issues relating to the campus, city and state. >More
Blaska's Blog conjures a new enemy: private insurance! David Blaska on Tuesday 03/09/2010 3:07 pm, (3) Comments, (1) Recommendation One would think portraying insurance companies as inglorious basterds would be a tough sell in a place like metro Madison, WI, home to American Family, National Guardian Life, CUNA, General Casualty, and others. But that is what our current President is trying to do to breathe life into his moribund ObamaCare. >More
Emily's Post: Poll dancing with WPRI and UW-Madison Emily Mills on Tuesday 03/09/2010 2:15 pm, (10) Comments, (1) Recommendation Here's the question for today: Should a public university that prides itself on intellectual honesty and vigorous sifting and winnowing in order to discover truth join forces with a partisan organization to conduct public opinion polls? >More
Trappist beers paired with fusion barbeque at forthcoming Haze dinner Linda Falkenstein on Tuesday 03/09/2010 2:00 pm, (4) Recommendations Real Trappist beers, from the abbeys of Belgium, will be the unifying theme of an upcoming dinner at The Haze on Sunday, March 21. The idea for the event came from Madison author Madeline Scherb, whose book A Taste of Heaven, published last August, is a guide to some of the best foods produced by monks and nuns in the U.S. and Europe. >More
Great Performance Fund moves on from Madison Rep Forward Theater, Milwaukee Rep can apply for theater grants Jay Rath on Tuesday 03/09/2010 10:47 am Qualifications for applying to Overture's Great Performance Fund have loosened up considerably. Beginning this fall, grant money once set aside exclusively for Madison Repertory Theatre will be available to any professional theater company in Wisconsin. The change was announced March 4. >More
Win tickets to Danu, Shidara, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and more! on Tuesday 03/09/2010 10:00 am The Isthmus Guest List is back with another round of free tickets to amazing concerts, shows and more fun events around Madison. This week's contests include tickets to: Eric Church at the Orpheum; Danu, Shidara, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, One Republic, Four Bitchin’ Babes, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago at Overture; B*itch at the High Noon; and more! >More
Tierney Sutton to headline the 2010 Isthmus Jazz Festival Dean Robbins on Monday 03/08/2010 4:03 pm The Tierney Sutton Band will headline the 2010 Isthmus Jazz Festival on Saturday, June 5, at the Wisconsin Union Theater, featuring Sutton's unique approach to jazz singing. The festival also features free performances by regional jazz bands the weekend of June 5 and 6 at the UW Memorial Union Terrace. >More
Blaska's Blog turns up the heat on City Hall David Blaska on Monday 03/08/2010 11:45 am, (14) Comments, (2) Recommendations The squire of Stately Blaska Manor, clad in a black velour smoking jacket, entered the Karl Rove Study of the Stately Manor, now hushed for the midnight hour. There he encountered Ruben Mamoulian, his bibulous manservant, in his customary state of dishabille, face-down in a bowl of punch. >More
Madison Snaps -- March 8, 2010 on Monday 03/08/2010 8:00 am Today's image titled “Winter Festival - Girl And Ice Sculpture” was photographed by Dana O'Shea. >More
The Week: March 8-11, 2010 on Monday 03/08/2010 6:00 am Spring is right around the corner, and everything seems to be warming up this week. The calendar includes: the Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival; talks by Warrington Colescott, Catherine Malabou, V.S. Ramachandran, John Milton Cooper, and Mary Beard; and, live music by Vetiver, Matias Aguayo, Deadstring Brothers, Laarks, Umphrey's McGee, Eroica Trio, and Tally Hall. >More
Oscars 2010 live blog with Isthmus film critic Kenneth Burns on Sunday 03/07/2010 4:00 pm, (1) Recommendation When you settle in to watch the Academy Awards Sunday night, don't forget your laptop. Kenneth will be blogging along, live, and you're encouraged to log in and share your thoughts and questions here. >More
Zola Jesus is in colossal voice at intimate Project Lodge show Sally Franson on Sunday 03/07/2010 11:38 am, (1) Comment, (1) Recommendation Zola Jesus celebrated the release of her new EP, Stridulum, last night at theProject Lodge. The show marked the UW-Madison’s student’s return to playing in her hometown after a year’s absence, and based on the raucous admiration from the audience, she was sorely missed. >More
Shot fired in the air during disturbance in Willy St. parking lot. MPD
What's going on with the library? Alders want to know! Brenda Konkel
"Don't blink, you'll miss it. The new/amended TIF and land use applications for the Edgewater may fly by in 9 days." Brenda Konkel
Madison resident Benjamin Nelms takes out full-page ad in Hattiesburg paper calling for Brett Favre to return to Vikings. Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Why is there no development in the East Washington corridor? Brenda Konkel
The cutting and slashing at ABC News is bound to happen here in Madison. Tim Morrissey
Shit, I agree with a Wisconsin State Journal editorial. Brenda Konkel
"Cimino's seemed to be a jumping joint even in the middle of a rainy/slushy night. People came in to grab take-out pizza most of the time we were loitering at their tables. Having not had comparative fare, we're happy to know that there's at least decent pizza in Waunakee." Eating in Madison A to Z
Quick question: why is Madison Metro allowed to run its operations so sloppily that this overtime problem even happens? Tim Morrissey
A report on the Madison Plan Commission discussion on the waterfront setback ordinance change for the Edgewater Brenda Konkel
"Frustration over a lack of city action will greet the proposed Edgewater Hotel renovation when it arrives at the Madison Plan Commission for review on Monday" Paul Snyder
A report on the Monona City Council meeting on February 1 Doug Wood
"New UW-Madison agronomist leads international corn-breeding project" UW Comm.
"Edgewater: We don't agree on anything! (This project and process is a mess!)" Brenda Konkel
"Wisconsin should follow Cali on open source software" Lukas Diaz
"What's with the open water on Lake Wingra?" Peter Patau
"After venturing out on Lake Monona one chilly Friday morning, I learned that braving the elements to provide a meal for your family is about as gangster as it gets" Rob Franklin @ 608 Magazine
Blaska's Blog conjures a new enemy: private insurance! David Blaska on Tuesday 03/09/2010 3:07 pm, (3) Comments, (1) Recommendation One would think portraying insurance companies as inglorious basterds would be a tough sell in a place like metro Madison, WI, home to American Family, National Guardian Life, CUNA, General Casualty, and others. But that is what our current President is trying to do to breathe life into his moribund ObamaCare. >MoreBlaska's Blog turns up the heat on City Hall David Blaska on Monday 03/08/2010 11:45 am, (14) Comments, (2) Recommendations The squire of Stately Blaska Manor, clad in a black velour smoking jacket, entered the Karl Rove Study of the Stately Manor, now hushed for the midnight hour. There he encountered Ruben Mamoulian, his bibulous manservant, in his customary state of dishabille, face-down in a bowl of punch. >More
Emily's Post: Poll dancing with WPRI and UW-Madison Emily Mills on Tuesday 03/09/2010 2:15 pm, (10) Comments, (1) Recommendation Here's the question for today: Should a public university that prides itself on intellectual honesty and vigorous sifting and winnowing in order to discover truth join forces with a partisan organization to conduct public opinion polls? >MoreEmily's Post: Wisconsin's overcrowded prisons aren't rehabilitating inmates Emily Mills on Thursday 03/04/2010 9:04 am, (1) Recommendation The U.S. has the highest documented incarceration rate in the world. Even taking into consideration those countries that don't properly report the number of people it locks up, the numbers in America are staggering. Prison overpopulation has become a very real, very urgent problem in most states, so I can't say that it's a surprise to hear about it happening right here in Wisconsin. >More
Brunch Links Jack Craver on Wednesday 03/10/2010 10:00 am, (1) Comment A run-down of the top local news accompanied by a delicious display of a local delicacy. >MoreCap Times loses open records battle Jack Craver on Wednesday 03/10/2010 1:20 pm, (1) Comment The decision might have been legally sound, but what are we going to do to check the power of the governor to withhold records whenever it suits him? >More
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