The story of a journalist named Hunter
Who used drugs and drank lots of liquor
Writing made him a celeb.
But now he is dead
Although he inspired a generation of writers.

From the Chicago Tribune:

In a bid to offset slumping ad sales and rising costs, The Daily Telegram in Superior, Wis., said Thursday it will publish the majority of its 118-year-old paper on the Internet starting this fall.

The afternoon paper, which has a circulation of about 6,000, will print only two issues a week, down from its current six. It wasn’t clear yet which days the paper will print, said Ron Brochu, executive editor.

The Superior/Duluth area provides a similar example to Madison - an area with two dailies basically in the same town.  I wish the paper luck, and plan to watch closely as changes take place at The Daily Telegram.

Still having issues with the latest version of Wordpress.  I plan to move the site to new webhosting soon which may help with some of the probems I am currently dealing with.  I am also working on a complete redesign of the site, just because it needs one.

If you stop by and the site is down, this is why.  I will post a new update once everything is koshar again  Thanks for your patience.

Those that read my blog on a regular basis know my thoughts on the NBA. Last year I stated that the draft was the equivalent of a funeral for the players I enjoyed watching in college. It was one last chance to see them before they faded into the nothingness of the NBA.

This year’s draft is like a funeral for a long-lost great aunt I haven’t seen in a decade and almost forgot was alive to start with. The passing requires my attention, but in the end I really don’t care that much. Maybe it’s because of the problems the NBA has had over the last year (which I will talk about in more detail later). Maybe it’s because very few of my favorite players from favorite will probably be drafted. Maybe the fact the draft is so pathetically weak except for the top two players.

Whatever the case may be, I’m about as excited about this as a fried liver sandwich. I guess I’ll just close my eyes and eat it. Here comes the first bite.

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I can’t believe it took this long.

After living here for almost two years, I’ve determined it is necessary to add an “Only in Madison” section to this website.

In a Cap Times article,  Eric Sundquist, a member of the Madison Plan Commission and former Atlanta newspaper reporter proposes restricting or banning the drive through in Madison.  Quoting:

“Given the concern about all the carbon going into the atmosphere, I’m not sure we should be building more places for people to sit idling in their cars,” says Eric Sundquist, who was appointed to the citizen panel by Mayor Dave Cieslewicz this spring.

A former newspaper reporter in Atlanta now working as a researcher at the UW-Madison’s Center on Wisconsin Strategy, Sundquist notes that several cities in Canada have recently moved to ban the drive-through coffee shop or stand-alone fast food restaurant.

Seriously, what happened to American ingenuity?  Are we now forced to copy  bad ideas from Canada?
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An editorial today on The Capital Times site suggests that Madison should embrace Alderman Mike Verveer’s proposal to restrict sales of cheap alcohol downtown. The CT says:

The truth is that sales of cheap booze should be regulated. It is unlikely that Verveer’s proposal will address every social ill or challenge associated with such sales, but it is the beginning of a rational response — a response that can be tinkered with, extended or otherwise altered as evidence suggests is wise.

I’m sorry, I thought prohibition was overturned in 1933.

For a city that is supposed to be open and liberal, an ordinance governing what types of alcohol can and cannot be sold seems extremely hypocritical.

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A great discussion from “Countdown” about the possibility of impeachment of President Bush as brought up by Representative Dennis Kucinich.

I’m currently having issues with the latest version of Wordpres (2.5) publishing anything with images and videos.  I am working to correct the problem, and plan to have some fresh posts once this is working correctly.  If anyone has any suggestions, please post them in the comments.

July 4th — day synonymous with independence and revolution.  A day we remember the rebels that created a new country and basis of government.

It seems fitting that “Gonzo,” a documentary about journalist Hunter S. Thompson opens on Independence Day.  Thompson was a true rebel, reinforcing “new journalism,” and adding his own spin.  Gonzo journalism involves first-person accounts of stories, and mixes in drugs, vulgarity and fictional elements to make standard stories more appealing and interesting.

Like many writers over the past two decades, Thompson is the reason I became interested in journalism and chose to pursue it as a career.   A synopsis of the film provided by Apple Trailers:

From Oscar-wining director Alex Gibney and producer Graydon Carter comes a probing look into the uncanny life of national treasure and gonzo journalism inventor Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. A fast moving, wildly entertaining documentary with an iconic soundtrack, the film addresses the major touchstones in Thompson’s life-his intense and ill fated relationship with the Hell’s Angels, his near-successful bid for the office of sheriff in Aspen in 1970, the notorious story behind the landmark Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, his deep involvement in Senator George McGovern’s 1972 presidential campaign, and much more. Narrated by Johnny Depp.

Watch the trailer:

Since I graduated with my journalism master’s three weeks ago, I’ve indulged my creative side by writing fiction.  Novels, short stories, and movie scripts have consumed my time recently.  I’ve enjoyed the break from blogging/journalism, but plan to get back to it within the next week.  Updates coming soon - I thank you for your patience - JD.

Christina Ricci,
Kung-fu cars and cool graphics
Make this movie cool

3.5 out of 5 stars

Write your own haiku review in the comments.

Since videotapes and DVD’s became popular, movies have played a more significant role in our lives. After a bad night at the bar, it’s easy to pop in a movie that relates to your current mode or to make you feel better. We each have movies that we relate to different life experiences. As I sit watching one movie from this list, I’ve created short list of some of mine:

“I quit/got fired from my job” – Reality Bites. When you feel a bit bummed about leaving a job (by choice or otherwise), the thought of Winona Rider losing her job, and Ethan Hawke being fired from 14 makes a person feel a bit better for some reason.

“Women make no sense” – High Fidelity. Yes, women are confusing as hell. What better way to celebrate this than by watching a movie where the man is actually the one with a few screws loose (or is completely sane depending on the day)?

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Those not familiar with Jonathan Coulton are probably the type of people that “have lives.”

When opening band Paul & Storm asked the audance to produce a 20-sided die, you could see numerous people in attendance frantically searching their bags to try and find one. When Coulton himself took the stage, a fan was able to produce a power adapter for his Apple Powerbook that was low on battery life.

Such is the audience at a Coulton concert.

This is the second time I’ve seen Coulton with Paul & Storm opening. It’s less a matter of an opening act and a headliner as two bands that work together well. Paul & Storm provide backup for many of Coulton’s song.

The end result - three hours of laughter and music in the key of geek.

Related links:

My interview with Coulton for 77 Square - “Songwriter embraces lyrical nerdiness”

Madisonite John Kovalic of “Dork Tower’s” cartoon about Coulton’s show tonight.

A link to Mr. Coulotn’s music online.

With changes to the local media landscape in Madison, Thursday is the epicenter for publication releases. Within 24 hours, The Cap Times, Onion, Isthmus, and 77 Square are released into the Madison wild. This week we caught our first glimpse of the two CapTimes.com weeklies. Here are thoughts on each paper for this week.

The Onion. Wow, with the headlines in the Onion, it seems they never left Madison. The “Dying Newspaper Trend” article is ripped right from local media (including this site), while the “‘Get the fuck outta the road’ program” should be directed towards the students at the UW. The Onion also provided a great summer movie preview, that helps me hate Hollywood even more.

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“Change is inevitable. Change is constant,” — Benjamin Disraeli

Change is all around in Madison. Drive by where University Square was once located, past the Chazen Art Museum and the addition to Granger Hall.

Change is not limited to campus. Downtown is in a constant state of flux. The west side continues to grow. Even the suburbs seldom remain the same.

For those not from Madison, change is noticeable when you visit your hometown. A favorite clothing store is replaced by Target; the local drug store is now a Walgreen’s.
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