The war over wind Critics say green groups are too tight with industry Brian McCombie on Thursday 09/10/2009, (10) Comments, (1) Recommendation It was the strangest sensation Lynda Barry ever felt: a near-constant vibration within her body. "You know how sometimes, around your eye, you'll get this little tic that kind of wiggles?" says Barry, of Footville, Wis., south of Janesville. "It was like having that in your ear and your chest. A pulsing. It's the weirdest feeling!" >MoreCity of Madison cracks down on socialists Citations to newspaper hawkers set up First Amendment clash Bill Lueders on Thursday 09/10/2009, (2) Recommendations Chris Dols almost got away with it. On May 28, he and several others were selling the Socialist Worker newspaper in the 400 block of State Street. Madison Police Officer Chanda Dolsen informed them that this was not allowed. Dols says they agreed to leave, and she agreed not to write any tickets. >MoreA voluntary assault rifle purchase program for Madison cops Bill Lueders on Thursday 09/10/2009, (5) Comments Bryon Eagon and Paul Skidmore both see the logic in a proposed new program to let Madison police officers buy their own AR-15 assault rifles for on-the-job use. There's a current shortage of these weapons, which should be scoped for each officer's use. >MoreAlcohol-serving rules may change in Wisconsin Bills aim to curb taverns' role in culture of abuse Anita Weier on Thursday 09/10/2009, (1) Recommendation Josh Zepnick has a deeply personal reason for proposing two controversial laws affecting the sale of alcohol in Wisconsin. "The guy who killed my sister had been drinking all day, on Sept. 8, 1990," says the Democratic state Assemblyman from Milwaukee. Afterward, he looked for ways to make a difference. "I became interested in urban policy and how public safety is affected." >More
MUSIC
Madison World Music Festival 2009 hosts global village of acts Sounds from distant places Susan Kepecs on Friday 09/11/2009 The Great Recession can't stop the sixth annual Madison World Music Festival. It's the city's splashiest single-payer party, provided free for all by the Wisconsin Union Theater with a little help from friends and funders. >MoreKitty Rhombus deconstruct their herky-jerky new album Spazz cats Jessica Steinhoff on Friday 09/11/2009, (1) Recommendation Local band Kitty Rhombus is one of those groups that thrive on finding the layer of order that exists in chaos -- then cracking its shell and unleashing an even more spectacular version of mayhem. >MoreThe Nod: Shoddy Heart (Yes Please) Jessica Steinhoff on Friday 09/11/2009 If their debut album is any indication, The Nod have the ideas, wit and chops to make some great songs; they just haven't yet found the recipe to get you nodding along for very long. >More
Wisconsin needs to rein in payday loan outfits Curb their exploitation Emily Mills on Thursday 09/10/2009, (4) Comments, (2) Recommendations When I heard that state Rep. Gordon Hintz, a Democrat from Oshkosh, was introducing a bill to cap the interest on payday loans at 36%, I was excited. Finally, I thought, someone is doing something about this unchecked industry. >MoreA date with the dudes Should I go to a Man Cave party? on Thursday 09/10/2009 Dear Tell All: One of my coworkers invited me to a Man Cave party. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but on some primal level, I'm sure I don't want to go there. How do I get out of it? >More
Wanted: Imagination Public input sought in planning downtown culture Jay Rath on Friday 09/11/2009 Creative minds already craft performances and works of art. They and the public will be challenged to craft downtown Madison's arts future at a city planning session in the Madison Municipal Building on Sept. 25. >MoreThe Vampire Diaries hops on the fang fad New blood Dean Robbins on Friday 09/11/2009 Pop culture has done wonderful things with vampires lately, from the Twilight movie to HBO's True Blood. Then there's The Vampire Diaries. The CW's new series is nothing more than a turgid teen soap opera -- Gossip Girl with sharper fangs. >MoreBatman: Arkham Asylum melds deadpan imagination with fun gameplay PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC Sept. 15 (Rated Teen) Doug Elfman on Friday 09/11/2009 Batman escorts Joker into Arkham Asylum. Joker escapes. For the rest of the game, you play as Batman as he wends his way through many hours of tracking Joker down. >More
MOVIES
Adam dramatizes the struggles of Asperger's syndrome Learning the basics Kenneth Burns on Friday 09/11/2009, (2) Recommendations The Asperger's syndrome-themed romantic comedy Adam reminds me of the ABC Afterschool Special films of my 1980s youth. I mostly mean that as a compliment. >More9: The machines won Marc Savlov on Friday 09/11/2009, (1) Recommendation Co-produced by Tim Burton, 9 is a beautifully animated but narratively compromised fable. It's hard to tell what the moral message is, other than "It's good to work together to achieve your goals" or "Don't press random buttons unless you know what they might do." >More
Help me I'm hungry Fill your tum near campus for less than $7 Linda Falkenstein on Friday 09/11/2009, (1) Comment Low on cash and facing a greasy pile of fried rice and a resto with grim fluorescent lighting? Don't go there. Here are some options for inexpensive but interesting meals close to the UW campus. >MoreReimagining the black bean salad A salt-less, oil-less, sugar-less, tropical toss Marcelle Richards on Friday 09/11/2009, (1) Recommendation My girlfriend is on a diet in which she does not eat animal products, grains, salt, sugar or oil. People often have the same reaction that I first had, which is, "So what do you eat?" The answer is: fruit, veggies, beans, nuts and seeds. She feels great. >More
Get on your bikes and ride Mondays Around Monona! David Medaris on Thursday 09/10/2009, (1) Recommendation The Mondays Around Monona bike ride is a low-key circumnavigation of the Lake Monona bike path by a bunch of bikers in no particular hurry to complete the loop. Starting from the path's crossing at Fair Oaks Avenue, the rides began as one woman's need to spend more time on two wheels. >MoreState Journal's loss of Packers reporter Jason Wilde is Good Karma's gain Jason Joyce on Thursday 09/10/2009 The Wisconsin State Journal didn't exactly kick Green Bay Packers beat reporter Jason Wilde out the door, but longtime fans may be sore that it didn't do enough to keep him. After 13 years with the paper, 10 as full-time Packers beat reporter, Wilde accepted a voluntary buyout and this week went to work for Good Karma Broadcasting, which owns Madison ESPN affiliate 100.5 FM. >More
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