Follow us on TwitterNovember 30, 2011
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We Are All ‘Closing Time’: Why Semisonic’s 1998 Hit Still Resonates
At some point, it was decided that in order for a song to be great, it has to “stand the test of time.” This has since become a problematic cliché, but initially it must’ve seemed like a bright idea, and not just something that Jethro Tull fans use to dismiss Justin Bieber.
The “test of time” typically rewards iconic artists who produce capital-C Classic work; which is why over the course of decades, certain songs lose their original meanings and become statements about the legacies of their creators. It’s been 40 years since “Imagine” was a hit, and if people still care about that song 400 years from now, it likely will be tied up in the altruistic saintliness that John Lennon (theoretically) still signifies. Similarly, listeners no longer notice the jokey reference to a brand of kiddie underarm deodorant in the title of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”; 20 years later, the song has been drained of its irreverence. “Teen Spirit” now tells us what Nirvana is supposed to represent about ’90s culture (namely shooting heroin and hating yourself). And while it’s been only five years since Amy Winehouse released “Rehab,” people from here on out will no doubt focus on the song’s tragic irony, not Mark Ronson’s brassy production.More » -
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Is the new domesticity a step back for American women?
I’m planning on canning homemade jam this holiday season, swept up in the same DIY zeitgeist that seems to have carried off half my female friends. I picked and froze the berries this summer, and I’ve been squirreling away flats of Ball jars under my kitchen sink for months. For recipes, I’m poring over my favorite food and homemaking blogs — the ones with pictures of young women in handmade vintage-style aprons and charmingly overexposed photos of steamy pies on windowsills.
“That’s neat,” says my mother, as I babble to her about pectin and jar sterilization. She’s responding in the same tone of benign disinterest she would have used had I informed her that I was learning Catalan or taking up emu husbandry.
My baby boomer mother does not can jam. Or bake bread. Or knit. Or sew. Nor did my grandmother, a 1960s housewife of the cigarette-in-one-hand-cocktail-in-the-other variety, who saw convenience food as a liberation from her immigrant mother’s domestic burdens. Her idea of a fancy holiday treat was imported lobster strudel from the gourmet market.
My, how things have changed.
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WI State park stickers, trail passes go on sale Thursday
Looking for a stocking stuffer for the outdoors lover in your family? The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has just the thing.
The 2012 Wisconsin state park vehicle admission stickers and state trail passes go on sale Thursday, and for the first time, phone orders will be accepted.
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Mommy Bloggers Need to Shut Up About This Dirty Gay Billboard
Is there anything worse than mommy bloggers? That is a rhetorical question because if you have two firing synapses, you know the answer to that question. Now one of them is all up in arms about a Manhunt billboard that dared to be on the way to her child's school.. -
The 50 Best Songs of 2011
Every day between now and New Year’s Eve, we’ll be looking back at the best music and pop culture of 2011. Yesterday we looked at The 50 Best Albums of the Year. Today we narrow that in to particular songs. One thing I noticed filling out my own ballot was that while I tend to shy away from glossier pop, I’m still a sucker for a good hook and a joyful chorus. Looking through the final list, it seems I’m not alone.More » -
Can local food movement prove a broader economic engine?
Marathon County entrepreneur Tony Schultz is bubbling over with thoughts on growing Wisconsin's economy.
"Honestly, I've got about got 10 micro-food enterprise ideas in my mind right now," says Schultz, a third-generation farmer who, with partner Kat Becker, runs Stoney Acres Farm near Athens, about 30 miles northwest of Wausau.
Schultz and Becker grow a variety of vegetables and fruits, along with raising pasture-fed beef and pork. They also run a successful community-supported agriculture business, or CSA, where customers pay in advance for boxes of fresh produce during the growing season.
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Huntsman hopes to break up big banks
Republican presidential contender Jon Huntsman has released a plan to break up the nation's biggest banks.
The former Utah governor says officials haven't done enough to protect against future taxpayer bailouts. He says too many banks are still considered "too big to fail."
Huntsman plans to discuss his financial overhaul plan with New Hampshire voters Monday night. Along with capping the size of banks, he wants larger financial institutions to pay fees to help cover any future bailouts.More » -
79 Year old man arrested for handing out jury nullification info
Christopher Dunn, associate legal director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said: “The government is dangerously wrong in claiming it can criminalize sidewalk advocacy supporting jury nullification. Other than the extremely limited situations in which someone seeks to influence a known juror in a case, jury nullification advocacy is squarely protected by the First Amendment.”. -
The 5 Best Toys of All Time
Here at GeekDad we review a lot of products — books, toys, gadgets, software — and I know it’s impossible for most parents to actually afford all of the cool stuff that gets written up. Heck, most of us can’t afford it either, and we’re envious of the person who scored a review copy of a cool board game or awesome gizmo. (Disclosure: that person is probably me.) So while we love telling you about all the cool stuff that’s out there, I understand that as parents we all have limited budgets and we sometimes need help narrowing down our wishlists.
So to help you out, I’ve worked really hard to narrow down this list to five items that no kid should be without. All five should fit easily within any budget, and are appropriate for a wide age range so you get the most play out of each one. These are time-tested and kid-approved! And as a bonus, these five can be combined for extra-super-happy-fun-time.More » -
Humble tree captures spirit of Christmas in Arizona
Once upon a time on a Thanksgiving weekend long ago, an unassuming juniper tree on Arizona Interstate 17 became more than just a tree.
File photo by Joshua G. Weisberg, The Arizona Republic
This juniper on Arizona Interstate 17 has been decorated each year for decades. Those responsible for its holiday attire remain a mystery.
Enlarge
File photo by Joshua G. Weisberg, The Arizona Republic
This juniper on Arizona Interstate 17 has been decorated each year for decades. Those responsible for its holiday attire remain a mystery.
Under cover of darkness, parties unknown adorned the evergreen with ribbons and ornaments and tinsel so that motorists between Phoenix and Flagstaff might smile and admire its cheery demeanor.More » -
The Great Global Warming Fizzle
How do religions die? Generally they don't, which probably explains why there's so little literature on the subject. Zoroastrianism, for instance, lost many of its sacred texts when Alexander sacked Persepolis in 330 B.C., and most Zoroastrians converted to Islam over 1,000 years ago. Yet today old Zoroaster still counts as many as 210,000 followers, including 11,000 in the U.S. Christopher Hitchens might say you can't kill what wasn't there to begin with.
Still, Zeus and Apollo are no longer with us, and neither are Odin and Thor. Among the secular gods, Marx is mostly dead and Freud is totally so. Something did away with them, and it's worth asking what.
Consider the case of global warming, another system of doomsaying prophecy and faith in things unseen.More » -
Why ‘Harry Potter’ Might End Its Long Streak of Oscar Snubs
During the course of J.K. Rowling's seven novels and the eight movies that have been adapted from them, Harry Potter has managed to get his hands on any number of magical objects -- the Marauder's Map, the three Deathly Hallows, even the seven Horcruxes. But there's one object of desire that so far has eluded the makers of the Harry Potter films: the almighty Oscar.More » -
Lions DT Ndamukong Suh Suspended 2 Games
Ndamukong Suh's stomp will cost him two games.
The NFL suspended Detroit's All-Pro defensive tackle on Tuesday for roughing up a Green Bay Packers player in front of a national television audience during a loss on Thanksgiving Day. Suh will miss Sunday night's game at New Orleans and a Dec. 11 home game against Minnesota and he won't be paid until he is reinstated Dec. 12.
Suh called NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Sunday to apologize, but it didn't seem to help. He has three days to appeal the suspension and if he does, the league plans to expedite the hearing to make a decision before the Lions play the Saints.More » -
The 50 Best Albums of 2011
Every day between now and New Year’s Day, we’ll be looking back at the best music and pop culture of 2011. We start with the year’s best albums.
We had more than two dozen music critics vote, and 282 different albums showed up on their ballots. Our album of the year, however, ended up on 20 of the 29 ballots, making it the winner by a landslide. But, chances are, we missed some of your favorites when we narrowed it down to 50. Let us know what we got right or wrong in the comments section below. Our hope is that both our list and our readers’ comments will help you discover some new favorites you might have missed as we look back on the year.More » -
Jon Stewart Mocks Fox News for Overreacting to Obama’s ‘Godless’ Thanksgiving Address
In case you were too busy eating last Thursday to keep up with the news, some conservatives were very upset with President Obama for leaving God out of his YouTube Thanksgiving address. . -
Weird and Wacky Wisconsin Museums
A visit to one of the many museums in Wisconsin is a great cold day activity. And while you can’t go wrong with stops like the Milwaukee Public Museum, or the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, there’s no shortage of places where you can learn a little and have a lot of fun.. -
Illinois AD interested in Chryst
Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas on Sunday removed Ron Zook as head football coach and promised to start a search for his replacement immediately.
That search began in earnest on Monday and according to a college football source Thomas is interested in Wisconsin offensive coordinator Paul Chryst.
Neither Thomas nor Chryst could be reached Monday night.. . -
Badgers rake in Big Ten honors on way to Indy
A school-record nine Badgers were named first-team All-Big Ten, the highest total of any team in the conference. Additionally, Russell Wilson, in his one and only season in Madison, was named quarterback of the year, while teammate Montee Ball picked up running back honors.
Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year: Russell Wilson, Wisconsin
Named for Purdue’s Bob Griese and Drew Brees
Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year: Marvin McNutt, Iowa
Named for Wisconsin’s Pat Richter and Michigan’s Desmond Howard
Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year: Montee Ball, Wisconsin
Named for Wisconsin’s Alan Ameche and Ron Dayne
Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year: Drake Dunsmore, Northwestern
Named for Penn State’s Ted Kwalick and Iowa’s Dallas Clark
Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year: David Molk, Michigan
Named for Nebraska’s Dave Rimington and Ohio State’s Orlando Pace
Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year: Devon Still, Penn State
Named for Michigan State’s Bubba Smith and Penn State’s Courtney Brown
Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year: Lavonte David, Nebraska
Named for Illinois’ Dick Butkus and Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald
Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year: Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska
Named for Ohio State’s Jack Tatum and Purdue’s Rod Woodson
Bakken-Andersen Kicker of the Year: Brett Maher, Nebraska
Named for Wisconsin’s Jim Bakken and Michigan State’s Morten Andersen
Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year: Brett Maher, Nebraska
Named for Illinois’ Dike Eddleman and Michigan State’s Brandon Fields. -
Wisconsin DA charges 6 year old with sex crime, issues gag order barring parents from speaking out
That behavior by a prosecutor is outrageous," said Christopher Cooper, an attorney for the boy's parents....
"She [Riniker] bypassed the parents and sent a 6-year-old boy a summons, on which is a threat that the 6-year-old will go to jail for failure to appear," Cooper said.. . -
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Stalin’s daughter and Wisconsinite Lana Peters dies at 85
Soviet dictator Josef Stalin's daughter, whose defection to the West during the Cold War embarrassed the ruling communists and made her a best-selling author, has died. She was 85.
Lana Peters — who was known internationally by her previous name, Svetlana Alliluyeva — died of colon cancer Nov. 22 in Wisconsin, where she lived off and on after becoming a U.S. citizen, Richland County Coroner Mary Turner said Monday.
Her defection in 1967 — which she said was partly motivated by the poor treatment of her late husband, Brijesh Singh, by Soviet authorities — caused an international furor and was a public relations coup for the U.S. But Peters, who left behind two children, said her identity involved more than just switching from one side to the other in the Cold War. She even moved back to the Soviet Union in the 1980s, only to return to the U.S. more than a year later.
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Calling Interference on Pass Interference
Let's try and solve the pass interference quandary.
A series of big pass interference calls on the defense during Week 12 has led to the latest outcry from fans and media members about changing the rules for these penalties. The 49ers-Ravens game turned on a 50-yard pass interference call against Tarell Brown that seemed innocuous. Reggie Wayne picked up 42 yards and set up the first Colts touchdown on Sunday when Captain Munnerlyn struggled to keep up with him. Then Josh Wilson allowed 44 yards on a pass interference call that even color commentator Jim Mora couldn't find fault with. The issue will fade when there aren't three noticeably large calls next week, but this comes up at one point or another each season.More » -
Now You’re Just Messing With Us Wikipedia
The good news is that Wikipedia has finally switched up that image of Jimmy Wales begging for money on its homepage. The bad news is that they’ve replaced it with another unfortunately left-aligned image of some random guy (Wikipedia programmer Brandon Harris to be precise) who, according to my email inbox, looks like everything from Jesus, to Nickelback lead singer Chad Kroeger to a member of the Hell’s Angels.. -
Vikings ‘But For’ Stadium Plan
The money to pay off the bond would come from the income taxes of Vikings and visiting players, team employees, as well as a sales tax on anything a fan would buy inside the stadium.. . -
Nation’s 10-Year-Old Boys: ‘If You See Someone Raping Us, Please Call The Police’
In the wake of the sex abuse scandal that rocked Penn State earlier this month, a coalition of 10-year-old boys from across the nation held a press conference Saturday outside Beaver Stadium, home of college football's Nittany Lions, to remind Americans that if they see someone raping a prepubescent boy, they should contact the police immediately.. . -
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Tom Colicchio’s ‘Only in New York’ Moment
To quote Tom Colicchio (via Twitter) directly, you "can't make this stuff up." This holiday season, the Chinese Restaurant Association of the United States is giving thanks ... to Jewish people. More » -
Tweeting Teen Won’t Apologize to Crybaby Kansas Governor
High-school student Emma Sullivan has decided not to follow her principal's orders and write an apology to the Republican governor of Kansas, Samuel Dale Thinskin Crybaby Brownback, for tweeting that he #blowsalot. She was only speaking the truth. Apologizing would be phony and politician-y.More »
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