Greetings from Antarctica The UW leads 'Big Science' projects to discover clues to the cosmos David Medaris on Friday 09/04/2009, (4) Recommendations Mark Krasberg avoids the worst weeks of Wisconsin's harsh winters by lighting out for sunny Antarctica. There, at the bottom of the world, the UW-Madison physics researcher is helping to build a $270 million telescope, called Ice Cube, that promises to bring into focus some of the most violent and intriguing phenomena in the universe. >More
NEWS
Next stop: Yahara Station? Citizen group advocates for isthmus train terminal Joe Tarr on Thursday 09/03/2009, (1) Comment, (2) Recommendations As the Oct. 2 deadline looms to apply for federal funds for the Milwaukee-to-Madison high-speed rail line, a group of residents is lobbying to move the proposed station from the airport closer to downtown — to First Street and East Washington Avenue, next to Burr Jones Field. >MoreDrumlin Farm's days may be numbered Residents agree to move; efforts to save gardens could come up short Joe Tarr on Thursday 09/03/2009 For the past three years, Celia Barrera hasn't needed to buy much produce from the grocery store. She grows her own at the Drumlin Farm in Fitchburg. "All my vegetables, I get here," Barrera says in Spanish. "I save a lot of money." A native of Mexico, Barrera uses the produce to feed her family of four. But she's about to lose her plot. >MoreAnother option for Edgewater Hotel Architect Kenton Peters offers alternative vision Jay Rath on Thursday 09/03/2009, (3) Comments A pair of prominent downtown players are proposing a rival redevelopment vision for the Edgewater Hotel. The concept by local architect Kenton Peters and downtown booster Troy Thiel would essentially take the 11-story tower proposed by Hammes Sports and Entertainment and turn it sideways, addressing concerns about various ordinances limiting building height. >MoreA tug-of-war over towing contract Joe Tarr on Thursday 09/03/2009, (1) Comment, (1) Recommendation If you have an accident or your car breaks down, you may appreciate getting advice from police on which towing company to call — at least until you get the bill. >More
MUSIC
What is a Snake on the Lake? It's a radio station and a fest, and the phrase started as a joke Rich Albertoni on Friday 09/04/2009, (1) Recommendation I have one burning question as I take the elevator up to the fourth-floor studio of UW-Madison's student radio station, WSUM, on the west end of the Lucky apartment building. What does Snake on the Lake mean? >MoreThe Depreciation Guild makes lush pop with old Nintendos 8-bit dreams Jessica Steinhoff on Friday 09/04/2009 The bleeps and bloops of 8-bit video games have been combined with quite a few types of electronic music, but they're still relatively new to the American pop landscape. >MoreIn the Beginning: An Evolutionary Musical Comedy ribs the creation story Spoofing Genesis Jay Rath on Friday 09/04/2009, (1) Recommendation It's the world's first love story and the world's first love triangle. Adam meets Eve in Mercury Players Theatre's In the Beginning: An Evolutionary Musical Comedy, opening Friday, Sept. 4, at the Bartell Community Theatre. >More
OPINION & COMMENTARY
Justice is everybody's business The public needs to hold police and prosecutors accountable Bill Lueders on Thursday 09/03/2009, (2) Recommendations In April 2008 I wrote a web article about an astonishing legal filing in the Ralph Armstrong case. It alleged that a Dane County prosecutor, by then retired, not only failed to investigate a tip that pointed to a wrongful conviction but set out to destroy evidence that might have proven this. >MoreBad advice State Journal columnists peddle conventional wisdom on Thursday 09/03/2009 Dear Tell All: I find the Wisconsin State Journal's advice columns boring, but I keep reading them anyway, maybe just because they're there. I'm curious about your take on them. >More
Lorrie Moore, at long last The acclaimed author's hotly anticipated new novel doesn't quite click Jennifer A. Smith on Friday 09/04/2009, (1) Comment, (3) Recommendations At 52, novelist and short-story writer Lorrie Moore has lived in Madison nearly half her life. Yet Moore, in both her work and the way others perceive her, retains a curious insider-outsider relationship to the Midwest. >MoreThe new Melrose Place is sleazier than ever Love the neighbor Dean Robbins on Friday 09/04/2009, (1) Comment I didn't hear anybody clamoring for a new version of Melrose Place, but here comes another crop of beautiful young adults living and loving in an L.A. apartment complex. The remake wants very badly to be wicked. >MoreShoot the Nazis in Wolfenstein PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 (Rated Mature) Doug Elfman on Friday 09/04/2009 Middleton's Raven Software made its name developing PC and then next-generation games bearing familiar names, from Star Wars to X-Men and Quake. This year, Raven got its hands on one of the most valued series in gaming and has delivered one of the summer's best games, Wolfenstein. >More
MOVIES
In the Loop depicts government at its worst Attack of the bureaucrats Kenneth Burns on Friday 09/04/2009, (2) Recommendations Ah, for the days when we invaded countries based on fabricated information. The British political comedy In the Loop finds laughs in spoofing the colossal failures, American and British, that preceded the war in Iraq -- a country that's never named, but it's clear what this is about. >MoreMeet me in the Cinematheque: A Fall 2009 preview Kenneth Burns on Friday 09/04/2009 I'm sad summer is ending, but crisp weather also portends the fall's entertainment options. Among them is the new calendar of free films at UW's Cinematheque. It starts Friday and offers weekend screenings at Vilas Hall through December. Did I mention it's free? >More
Casa del Sol in Fitchburg marries innovation and faithful standards Soak up the sun Erin Hanusa on Friday 09/04/2009 There are restaurants you go to for a quick bite, and restaurants you to go for an ethereal, transcendent experience. Somewhere in between lie those restaurants that you can always count on to serve a reliably decent meal. It might be off once in a blue moon, it may even be great on occasion, but you almost always leave feeling satisfied. All of us have these old faithfuls in our dining lineup. >MoreFrom the farm to the jungle Do-it-yourself field trips this fall Linda Falkenstein on Friday 09/04/2009 It's September, and the handoff of the kids to school has probably taken place. (Unless you're home schooling, in which case you too should read on.) These days, with budgets tight, school-sponsored field trips are few. Enrichment activities are more and more in the parents' court. Preschoolers, the Girl or Boy Scout troop, or even a birthday party can benefit from these opportunities to mix fun and hands-on learning. You might even learn something yourself. >More
SPORTS & RECREATION
'Brent' Favre shirt hits the fans Jason Joyce on Thursday 09/03/2009, (2) Comments On June 18, amid rumors of Brett Favre's talks with the Minnesota Vikings, the national sports blog Deadspin posted a link to a Madison website. It was for a green-and-yellow T-shirt with the image of Favre and the state of Wisconsin with the words, "We'll Never Forget You, Brent." But most of those who clicked the link to buy the shirt got an error message. >More
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