Isthmus back issues from December 2007:
Truth about cats and dogs
Dec 07, 2007; ... I guess there's a new cat woman in town. I don't mean the acrobatic, crime-fighting type, but the kind who likes cats, and cares about their fata That would be our staff writer and government reporter, Vikki Kratz, whose devotion to the domesticated (for the most part) feline species has led her ...
THEDAILYPAGE.COM
Dec 07, 2007; ... Forum Excerpts from Forum, on TheDallyPaqe.com I can walk all right on ice and snow, but to leave your sidewalk uncleared is like simultaneously shitting on and giving the finger to the disabled. Even if it's your landlord's job. Even if it's cold. Even if you're high (I can work ...
Pollak remembered
Dec 07, 2007; ... "Felix Pollak died on Nov. 19," Progressive editor Erwin Knoll begins in an Isthmus tribute. Born in 1909 in Austria, the renowned UW-Madison poet and rare-books curator "loved language and languages (among them his native German and the English he wrote with a felicity given to few natives) ... ....
Buzz, buzz, buzz
Dec 07, 2007; ... THEDAILYPAGE.COM The following is an excerpt from Blaska Blog, which can be found in The Daily section of TheDailyPage.com. Now it is "spin" that Iraq is stabilizing, according to the afternoon Progressive Dane newspaper in a Tuesday editorial titled "Reality, not spin, on ...
Happy birthday, Progressive Dane
Dec 07, 2007; ... Lefty party looks back on 15 years of stirrin' things up One day in 1994, Michael Jacob decided to attend a meeting of the local Democratic Party The Madison resident did not feel welcome. "I remember sitting at a table, trying to make conversation and feeling like, I haven't ...
FORTUNES
Dec 07, 2007; ... UP: Dick Wagner. The civic leader wins the city's first Civility in Public Discourse Award. The award was created in honor of Jeff Erlanger, a disability activist who died this summer. Wagner served 14 years on the Dane County Board of Supervisors, including a stint as board chair, and was ...
Hopes and spokes
Dec 07, 2007; ... Bicyclists mobilize for the Badger State Trail Taking a page from the local motor sports lovers' playbook, more than 100 bicyclists showed up at the annual meeting of the Friends of the Badger State Trail in Belleville last week and swept three of their own into open seats on the ...
A clash over student fees
Dec 07, 2007; ... Policy change would alter equation for how funds are spent Rachel Butler, a junior at the UW-Madison, is worried that students are losing their right to decide how their money is used. "Right now, the ability to use our student fees to support student life and our campus ...
Our unhealthy care system
Dec 07, 2007; ... Everyday encounters with nonproviders feed a growing unrest In mid-August, I had a mishap with a chainsaw. I fell while cutting a branch and the saw nicked the side of my head, slicing my right ear nearly in half. I ended up in the emergency room. Three of them, ...
Better off dead?
Dec 07, 2007; ... Six years ago, dissidents upset with euthanasia rates took over the local Humane Society. Now they're the ones accused of killing too much A year ago, on the day before Thanksgiving, my cat Bodhi died. He was a fat, mellow tabby cat, who loved people, loved to play and really really ...
SCARY ?
Dec 07, 2007; ... Forget naughty or nice. When it comes to toys, are they safe or SCARY ? The toy-buying season is upon us, but there's a cloud over the joyful forays up and down the glutted aisles - lead paint poisoning. If you're a parent, you probably know that since August, millions of toys ...
Sweet!: The Delicious Story of Candy
Dec 07, 2007; ... Sweet!: The Delicious Story of Candy The colorful jellybeans on the cover may be eye-catching, but it's what's inside this book that's the real treat. We know today's kids (and grownups) love candy, but is the sweet tooth a modern phenomenon? Hardly! It seems humans have been chasing a ...
Today I will Fly!
Dec 07, 2007; ... Today I will Fly! Every so often, a children's book is published that's both entertaining and accessible to the newest readers. This year, it's the Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems. One of the books is Today I Will Fly!, which plays off the saying, "When pigs fly" Piggie ...
Keeping Corner
Dec 07, 2007; ... Keeping Corner Twelve-year-old Leela's enthusiasm for life is infectious; her mom can no more resist Leela's love for bright new bangles than she can her pleas to wear the sari she thinks looks the most beautiful on her. The story, set in Gujarat, India, in 1918, reflects the ...
Good acoustics
Dec 07, 2007; ... Caroling in a cave and other creative approaches to the season Going underground You've heard holiday songs on the radio and at the mall, but give them a fresh listen in an unusual natural environment. Caroling at the Cave offers Christmas music performed underground by area ...
CHRISTMAS IN THE CLUBS
Dec 07, 2007; ... When you don't want to stay home for the holidays NIGHTLIFE When it came to Christmas music, Waylan Nate Palan used to be a Grinch. "I was like, 'I hate Christmas music,'" says the Madison songster. His Scrooge-like conversion came 11 years ago, when he worked at ...
Live in your living room
Dec 07, 2007; ... Live in your living room YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT TILL JANUARY TO SEE PAT MACDONALD LIVE. HE PLAYS GLASS NICKEL PIZZA-ATWOOD AVENUE ON SATURDAY, DEC. 8, AT 9:30 PM. Wisconsin Public Television presents homegrown music Andy Moore isn't interested in imitating Austin City ...
Internet rock star
Dec 07, 2007; ... Internet rock star Jonathan Coulton Friday, Dec. 7, Majestic Theatre, 7:30 pm TOUR STOP Jonathan Coulton finds a new way to market music Jonathan Coulton gets the kind of press coverage most musicians only dream of. In the past year alone, he's been ...
SCOOPS
Dec 07, 2007; ... Madison's Crustacean Records is taping at the High Noon Saloon on Dec. 15 for the label's first DVD. "We have released over 70 albums over the course of 14 years," says label co-owner Jake Shut, "so it is about time we put something out with a visual dimension as well. We see it both as a vital ...
THE BIN
Dec 07, 2007; ... THE BIN KT Tunstall: Have Yourself a Very KT Christmas (EMI) Christmas albums have an inevitability about them. It doesn't matter if the artist is better known for multiple stays in rehab or salacious hip-rolling than warming the family hearth with song. If they have a notion to pull on ...
Rug rats
Dec 07, 2007; ... Rug rats Madeline's Christmas Presented by MadCAP Theatre at Bartell Theatre, through Dec. 15. Magic carpets save the day in Madeline's Christmas Itook my 7-year-old daughter with me to opening night of Madeline's Christmas, MadCAP Theatre's holiday offering at ...
WORT2
Dec 07, 2007; ... The radio station will launch a second digital channel WORT just struck a coup on the front lines of the technological revolution. Last week, at its 32nd birthday fete, Mad City's listener-sponsored community radio station (89.9 FM) announced the coming launch of a second digital ...
Holiday spirits
Dec 07, 2007; ... Holiday spirits For One More Day takes a ghostly path to redemption You can immediately tell that Oprah Winfrey Presents: Mitch Albom's For One More Day (Sunday, 8 p.m., ABC) is a meaningful movie. For starters, the title name-checks not one, but two very important people. During ...
Music for the masses
Dec 07, 2007; ... Rock Band Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 Rated Teen This holiday's most ambitious new videogame is a rock band in a box. Rock Band retails for $170. Yes, that's insane. But it comes with a game you can play for months. Plus a guitar. Plus a microphone. And a drum ...
People person
Dec 07, 2007; ... People person The heroine of Ira and Abby is insanely empathetic Ira and Abby is such a blatant crowd-pleaser, so determined to entertain us, that I wanted to kick myself for not liking it more. Why wasn't I pleased? Well, it's got too many influences, for one thing, and they're ...
VIDEO
Dec 07, 2007; ... Released this week: Arctic Tale, The Hottest State, The Nanny Diaries, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Superbad. The Hottest State: Ethan Hawke has adapted his own novel about an up-and-coming actor (Mark Webber) who meets the girl of his dreams (Catalina Sandino Moreno), only ...
Letter love
Dec 07, 2007; ... A reunion of UW's star athletes, young and old Like a lot of UW-Madison alums, I get a warm squeeze from the song "Varsity." It didn't mean a dang thing the year I earned my varsity letter in swimming three decades ago. In fact, I never even wore the jacket during the years I competed ...
The culture of style
Dec 07, 2007; ... SHOPPING Even the hardiest party girls grow up someday. Owned by Urban Outfitters Inc., Anthropologie is the answer for these slightly older indie girls who have hung up their fishnets but seek an edgier look than their J. Crew-wearing contemporaries. This new storefront at the ...
Market Square marvel
Dec 07, 2007; ... Market Square marvel La Mestiza serves solid Mexican food One of the benefits of the growing Latino presence in Madison is the proliferation of good and varied - and especially Mexican - restaurants. In the past year we enjoyed Taqueria Guadalajara, the tiny diner on South Park ...
A cheesehead in New York
Dec 07, 2007; ... Wisconsin's artisanal products have national reach We'd been walking through Greenwich Village in New York last spring when we stopped at Rocco's, a glorious Italian bakery, for espresso and cannoli. Next up: Murray's Cheese, a famous foodie outpost founded in the 1940s by an American ...
Flushing out the privacy freaks
Dec 07, 2007; ... Readers weigh in on bathroom etiquette Regarding the letter from "Behind Closed Doors," who prefers her privacy over sharing the bathroom with her boyfriend (Mr. Right, 11/23/07): I've been married three times and lived with someone for several months, so I feel I've got some credibility ...
Think recreationally, buy locally
Dec 07, 2007; ... Holiday gifts for the athlete on your list Does the holiday season have you stumped about what to get for the recreation enthusiast who has everything? Puzzle no more, friends. Forthwith, the sometimes annual Isthmus Recreation Desk gift guide for those engaged in the sporting ...
Highly classified
Dec 14, 2007; ... To some it will seem strange that this week we publish an ode to a competitor, but on its 90th birthday The Capital Times is truly an anomaly in the newspaper industry, and its enduring presence harbors interesting questions about that industry. The worry these days is about the threat that the ...
THEDAILYPAGE.COM: Forum
Dec 14, 2007; ... Excerpts from Forum, on ThcDailyPage.com We all complain when the city can't provide the services we need. But let's face it, the city's money is our money. When the city runs out of money what it means is that we, the taxpayers, were too cheap to pay the funds necessary to make the ...
'A shotgun wedding'
Dec 14, 2007; ... 20 YEARS From the Isthmus archives, Dec. 11, 1987 News editor Bill Lueders, after conducting more than two dozen interviews and reading previous undisclosed letters and documents cached at the State Historical Society, begins a two-part series examining the peculiar business ...
Airline to local monk: You stink!
Dec 14, 2007; ... Body odor gripe got religious leader booted from flight David Tenenbaum can say one thing for sure about his friend Soy Seng: He doesn't smell bad. Not at all. "We have sat side by side more or less once a week format least 10 years, and I have never smelted any body odor on this ...
MPD fires parking enforcer
Dec 14, 2007; ... WATCH OUT! Kendall Hallett was right. The Madison Police Department, the parking enforcement officer's employer for 11 years, did indeed "want me gone," just as he told Isthmus (Watchdog, 11/30/07). On Dec. 5, Hallett was fired, setting up a battle between the MPD and Hallett's ...
FORTUNES
Dec 14, 2007; ... UP: Homeless. Dane County announces a number of initiatives to help the homeless, including nearly $150,000 in extra funding. The county will use the money to operate a year-round warming shelter at the Salvation Army and to start a new jobassistance program. DOWN: WYOU and City Channel ...
Comp Time with Mike McCabe
Dec 14, 2007; ... Mike McCabe is the executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, which tracks campaign contributions and votes, and publishes dozens of reports detailing shady dealings in the Capitol. In a single generation, says McCabe, the state's once-proud political culture has been corrupted by ...
Are you ready for kamikaze carp?
Dec 14, 2007; ... An insidious new invader threatens Wisconsin waterways On the Mississippi River near Cassville, John Lyons of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is looking for Asian carp. Twice a summer for the last five years, Lyons has dragged the river bottom with trammel nets, seined the ...
A missed opportunity for 4K
Dec 14, 2007; ... The United Way should he backing this vital community A new report on kindergarten readiness from the United Way of Dane County is a major disappointment. The report, the product of a task force chaired by Madison School Supt. Art Rainwater and attorney Ave Bie, certainly means ...
Still Kickin'
Dec 14, 2007; ... Madison's afternoon paper has a proud legacy - and reasons to be optimistic When he's not giving speeches and writing books, or traveling the country as The Nation's Washington correspondent, The Capital Times' John Nichols is usually churning out editorials on his wireless laptop at ...
Enter, Roth
Dec 14, 2007; ... The novelist discusses his alter ego Nathan Zuckerman, the appeal of biography, and the perils of age Has Philip Roth finally said goodbye to Nathan Zuckerman? Over the course of three decades and nine novels, Zuckerman has been Roth's fictional alter ego - once the literary hell-raiser ...
Too much coffee, man? Heck no!
Dec 14, 2007; ... Too much coffee, man? Heck no! Jeff Hagen wanders the state in search of a comfy buzz Jeff Hagen has plenty of time to talk about his new book, Brewed Awakenings: An Illustrated Journey to Coffeehouses in Wisconsin (and Beyond) from Blue Mounds' Itchy Cat Press. He's recuperating ...
Scratching the polish of new country
Dec 14, 2007; ... Scratching the polish of new country Eric Church wants to scuff up Nashville Eric Church Thursay, Dec. 20, High Noon Saloon, 8 pm Eric Church likes to take on uncommon points of view when he sings a song. On his 2006 debut, Sinners Like Me, he was the ...
THE BIN
Dec 14, 2007; ... THE BIN Burial: Untrue (Hyperdub) Untrue is destined - for now anyway - to be the landmark album of a 21st-century electronic genre called dubstep. The recording is awash in reverberating bass lines, waves of synth, two-step beats and impressionistic vocals, capturing dubstep's essential ...
SCOOPS
Dec 14, 2007; ... Looking for the perfect stocking stuffer for a Madison music scene fanatic? I recommend the Wa-Ha Palooza Reunion DVD. Released last month and recorded in June at the Barrymore Theatre, the video features 22 songs from Free hot Lunch! The campy, harmonic, beach-soaked acoustics of this ...
Together again
Dec 14, 2007; ... Smokin' With Superman's reunion may be more than a one-night stand Smokin' With Superman with dumate and the Selfish Gene, Friday, Dec. 14, High Noon Saloon, 9 pm Popular local bands generally don't duck out when they're on top. But that's exactly what the sprawling seven-piece ...
The money man
Dec 14, 2007; ... Eric Salisbury seeks to revamp Overture's fund-raising Eric Salisbury is ecstatic about being back in Madison. After working outside of Wisconsin, Salisbury, a graduate of the UW's Bolz Center for Arts Administration, has returned as a full-time fund-raiser for the Overture Center, and ...
A group-home Christmas
Dec 14, 2007; ... A group-home Christmas A disabled woman offers Tidings from the Seasonally Affected Tidings from the Seasonally Affected Presented by Encore Studio for the Performing Arts at the Bartell Theatre, through Dec. 15 It's become a contemporary truism that the "most ...
Queens of spleen
Dec 14, 2007; ... Queens of spleen Nasty mother-daughter teams compete in the pageant series Crowned I love beauty pageants for taking themselves so seriously The straighter they play it, the more unintentionally funny they are. With a name like Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants (Wednesday, 8 ...
Shocking violence
Dec 14, 2007; ... Lately there's a whole slate of violent games of the Wii. Nintendo even has an excellent new gun device called the Wii Zapper for $25. It looks like a small rifle. You snap your Wii controllers into it and point the whole thing at the TV, which reads your aim and trigger finger. You can ...
Kinder, gentler heresy
Dec 14, 2007; ... Kinder, gentler heresy The Golden Compass tames a provocative novel "My books are about killing God," Philip Pullman has been quoted as saying, and you don't have to be the pope to view that as a rather provocative statement. Pullman's young-adult trilogy, His Dark Materials, ...
VIDEO
Dec 14, 2007; ... VIDEO Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Director David Yates improves on its source material, paring J.K. Rowling's sprawling novel down to its essence while losing none of its urgency. Our young wizard (Daniel Radcliffe) deals not only with evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), ...
Tapas time
Dec 14, 2007; ... Tapas time It's small plates galore at the Icon The Icon really wants you to have fun, and a lot of people seem to be diving right in. It's getting rave reviews from critics, and the crowd on a recent buzzing Friday night all seemed to be enjoying themselves. In fact, the woman ...
Nancy Kolberg and Rhonda Shapiro
Dec 14, 2007; ... OCCUPATION: Owners, with Dan Almquist. WHERE: Madeleine's Patisserie, 3742 Speedway Rd., Madison. WHY YOU SHOULD GO: For a delectable breakfast or lunch, buttery, utterly fresh bakery treats to eat there or take home, and even gourmet dog biscuits for your best friend. My dog ...
Whose athletic department is it?
Dec 14, 2007; ... Dissident board member is asking the hard questions Last Friday's UW athletic board meeting began on a gleeful note. Athletic Director Barry Alvarez "reported that the Big Ten conference would allow football games to be played after Thanksgiving next season, which means the Badgers will ...
THEDAILYPAGE.COM: Forum
Dec 21, 2007; ... Excerpts from Forum, on TheDailyPage.com The situation with the Nativity scene up in Green Bay puts in perspective what happens with the local governments here. Say what you want about the odd impeachment resolution, but at least they're dealing with the here-and-now and not matters of ...
FORTUNES
Dec 21, 2007; ... UP: John and Tashia Morgridge. The former chairman of CISCO Systems and his wife donate $175 million for grants to help public school graduates attend the state's universities or tech schools. John Morgridge is a UW-Madison alumni and his wife a former public school teacher. Their gift will be ...
Is Tammy Baldwin bold enough?
Dec 21, 2007; ... Madison rep's year in the majority draws mixed reactions When Tammy Baldwin was reelected last year to her fifth term in Congress, progressives had high hopes. Democrats now had control of both houses of Congress. And Baldwin, an ally of hew Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California), was ...
Accused baby killer faults county
Dec 21, 2007; ... Attorney for mom says social worker should have intervened A Madison woman charged with killing her baby this summer plans to sue Dane County for failing to protect her child. Ee Lee, 23, has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide, recklessly endangering safety and ...
Gersmann returns
Dec 21, 2007; ... 20 YEARS AGO From the Isthmus archives, Dec. 18, 1987 Joel Gersmann's 11th annual review of his yearly reading list is a typically brilliant evocation of the eccentric playwright's teeming intellectual life. His favorite book is the unknown Austrian novelist Heimito Von Doderer's ...
BACK FROM THE BRINK
Dec 21, 2007; ... The Madison Theatre Guild gets its act together Once it was the largest and most powerful theater in town, perhaps in the state. It was courted by the city It was the critics' darling. And it had a near-monopoly with an astounding 4,500 season ticket holders. It likely will never ...
Ghost with the most
Dec 21, 2007; ... Ghost with the most A Christmas Carol lifts your spirits A Christmas Carol Presented by Children's Theatre of Madison at Overture Center's Capitol Theater, through Dec. 23 Don't be surprised to see misty-eyed theatergoers at A Christmas Carol. Charles Dickens' ...
Raising the barre
Dec 21, 2007; ... Raising the barre Pros boost Madison Ballet's Nutcracker Madison Ballet's Nutcracker took a leap forward this year. At a time when many American companies are using canned music, or are on hiatus for lack of funds, Madison Ballet is buoyed by the Overture Center for the Arts ....