A medical mystery tour Experts probe Dane County's stunning turn-around in infant mortality rates Mary Ellen Bell on Thursday 10/15/2009 Ta-Shai Pendleton was just 16 in 2005, when her first pregnancy ended with a stillbirth -- a boy, six weeks too early. Three years later, her daughter Savannah, now 2 years old, was born at about seven and a half months. She weighed five pounds at birth and suffered a number of medical problems during her first year due to her premature birth, but she's now a healthy, active toddler. >More
NEWS
Madison Metro ridership takes a hit But accounts differ as to whether rate hike is to blame Joe Tarr on Thursday 10/15/2009 When Mayor Dave Cieslewicz pushed through a 50-cent bus-fare hike earlier this year, opponents predicted a catastrophic drop in riders. It's probably too soon for either side to claim they were right, but Madison Metro ridership has been dropping since May, a month after the cash fare rose from $1.50 to $2. And the more important number -- paid ridership -- began dropping in July. >MoreSegredo promises to be a different kind of bar Local entrepreneur has 'secret' plan to transform local nightlife Joe Tarr on Thursday 10/15/2009 Michael Hierl oozes confidence. The 53-year-old Madison native and Harvard graduate calls himself a "serial entrepreneur" who has generated more than $100 million in sales with his various companies. But Hierl's latest venture has an altruistic component, something he calls "social entrepreneurism." >MoreNew life sought for James Madison Park neighborhood Joe Tarr on Thursday 10/15/2009 Ald. Bridget Maniaci is worried about the James Madison Park neighborhood in her district. For years, its old homes have mostly been used for student rentals, which are a bit worse for wear. Now that students are living more in high-rise developments closer to campus, she sees an opportunity. >MoreMan plausibly contends he was falsely accused at Olin-Turville Isthmus article was not the whole story Bill Lueders on Thursday 10/15/2009, (1) Comment The lead "Watchdog" item in last week's Isthmus mentioned a man who received a disorderly conduct citation in March after a mother and daughter reported to police that he appeared to be masturbating in a vehicle parked alongside them at Madison's Olin-Turville Park. >More
MUSIC
His & Her Vanities cross the finish line After five years, local group completes an album Rich Albertoni on Friday 10/16/2009 This Saturday, Oct. 17, His & Her Vanities will release their third album, The Mighty Lunge, with a show at the Frequency. The CD, five years in the making, is a collection of eight well-honed indie-pop songs that showcase the Riemers' perfectionist approach to making music. "At the end it was like, 'We've got to get it done this year or it's never going to come out,'" says Terrin. >MoreSugar & Gold make danceable ear candy San Francisco group plays some hipster disco Jessica Steinhoff on Friday 10/16/2009, (1) Recommendation "Sugar & Gold" sounds a bit like the title of an eighth-grade report on the Brazilian economy. In actuality, it's a freaky, funky and thoroughly eclectic band from San Francisco known not only for dance-inducing songs but outrageous outfits whose style falls somewhere between the Village People and the cast of Cowboy Bebop. >More
OPINION & COMMENTARY
Barack Obama is right to keep kids in class longer Yes, we can teach more Vikki Kratz on Thursday 10/15/2009 A few weeks ago, President Obama floated the idea of adding time to the school day or extending the school year. I was delighted. So were most of the teachers I know. In my district, teachers and administrators work hard to provide students with the best education possible. But there's simply not enough time in the day to get to everything they'll need to succeed in a global economy. >MoreScoffing at the NFL in Packerland Andy Moore is a member of the Scornie nation Andy Moore on Thursday 10/15/2009, (1) Recommendation It's hard to be a 40-year-old pro football quarterback. It's harder to live in Wisconsin and not care about the Green Bay Packers. Or worse, not give a rip about the NFL at all. >MoreShould I sing in public with my new boyfriend? Perfect harmony on Thursday 10/15/2009 Dear Tell All: I'm in the early stages of a relationship with a really nice guy I met in my dorm. I think I like him more than he likes me, so I'm trying to play my moves just right to keep from scaring him off. We first bonded over guitars. I noticed he had an acoustic in his room, and I told him that I played too. We noodled around with a few songs, trading off lead and harmony vocals. Neither one of us is very good, but I still think we made beautiful music together. Romance blossomed from there. >More
Souvenir's soprano can't sing, but she thinks she can Foster Jenkins believed she had a perfect pitch Josh Wimmer on Friday 10/16/2009, (1) Recommendation There was nothing pretty about Florence Foster Jenkins' singing. But there might be something beautiful about it. Foster Jenkins is one of the two characters in Madison Theatre Guild's Souvenir, which opened Oct. 14 at the Bartell Theatre. She's odd, compelling -- and utterly real. >MoreJungle Jack Hanna advocates for wildlife The beast goes on at Overture Susan Kepecs on Friday 10/16/2009 When I was a kid in Chicago the whole family used to gather around the black-and-white Motorola for Marlin Perkins' Sunday afternoon Zoo Parade, broadcast live from Lincoln Park. Today my sibling the PETA activist and I disagree vehemently on the nature of zoos. To him they're prisons; to me they look like endangered species' best refuge. >MoreNCIS: Los Angeles succeeds the old-fashioned way Dean Robbins on Friday 10/16/2009 The new spinoff NCIS: Los Angeles doesn't try anything fancy. No gimmicks, no strenuously original ideas -- just a pair of agents (Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J) going undercover to catch the bad guys against a backdrop of L.A. skyscrapers, with a high-tech team assisting at HQ. >MoreNBA 2K10 cheats and scores while NBA Live 10 just steals NBA 2K10: PC, PlayStation 2 & 3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360 (Rated Everyone), NBA Live 10: PlayStation 3, PSP, Xbox 360 (Rated Everyone) Doug Elfman on Friday 10/16/2009 Question: Why do sports games cheat? I mean, here you are in NBA 2K10, playing as the L.A. Lakers, and you're killing, say, the Sacramento Kings in the third quarter. And you should be. You're a better team. >More
MOVIES
Where the Wild Things Are not The movie adaptation lacks the book's mythic power Kenneth Burns on Friday 10/16/2009 Like any good myth, Where the Wild Things Are has lessons to teach, but also ambiguities. To his credit, director Spike Jonze retains ambiguities in his film version, which he wrote with Gen-X literary icon Dave Eggers. But given the book's austerity, the film has quite a few gaps to fill, even at a brief hour and 34 minutes. >More
Jovian Taphaus tries to integrate beer hall and fine dining But the pub works more than the food Adam Powell on Friday 10/16/2009, (7) Recommendations The Jovian Taphaus tries to mash sports bar, beer hall and upscale restaurant into one entity and succeed as a community watering hole for the Grandview Commons neighborhood. Plus, the place needs to whisk away memories of its predecessor, Cloud 9 Grille, which flamed out last March. It's a tall order. >More
SPORTS & RECREATION
The suite life at Camp Randall Jason Joyce on Thursday 10/15/2009 The view from the Camp Randall luxury suite is spectacular, but removed from the much-trumpeted Badger game atmosphere. One of my fellow guests gazes out the window and says, "It's like watching a really sweet high-def TV." >More
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