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I am ... stuck in between

Sarah Silverman talks about season premiere

Old Crows hit big with new album

Taking fun and games seriously

Ah, summer! Finally, things are winding down at school, the weather's starting to creep above 45 degrees and the dying TV season is giving way to the booming and banging summer blockbusters. Iron Man,"" for instance, not only won over critics but made quite a bit of money its opening weekend too - over $200 million according to the New York Times. That's not bad, of course, but a little game called ""Grand Theft Auto 4"" did even better.  

Parting and taglines are such sweet sorrow

Let's Talk Nerdy

For some of my nerdy friends, it appears that wishes do come true. Now, to ensure we get off on the right foot, I don't mean 'nerd' as a pejorative, just as a casual description. For as long as high school movies have existed, nerds have been the object of fun, but recently many have started being proud of their skills, and even their ineptness. As I said, they got their wish: somehow, against all odds (and definitions), nerds are becoming popular.  

Coming in last when making first impressions

I'm not very good at first impressions. 

'The King of Kong,' a fistful of comedy, drama and wit

These days, the videogame is king. From Madden"" to ""Halo,"" gaming franchises are devouring the free time of palm-callused college students faster than Ms. Pac-Man can swallow a stream of yellow dots. These graphically-superlative games demand both masterful hand-eye coordination and intricate strategizing from players to outsmart crafty AI and online opponents. However, as Seth Gordon, director of the documentary ""King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters"" reveals, the true joystick-jostling Jedis of competitive gaming are old-school junkies, practicing their art in the realms of the penny arcade. The result is a combination of entertaining character studies, pixilated suspense and button-pushing social commentary that makes it a candidate for funniest film this year. 

The Medici collections: dark, classic, intense

As one walks through the dimly lit rooms housing the Natura Morta"" Medici ""still life"" collections at the Chazen Museum of Art, it becomes easy to see how the Italian term for still life developed from the word for ""death."" The botanical subjects of the paintings emerge vividly from an eerie and intense darkness as if they decorated the gates of the Underworld - the meticulousness of their creation at once fantastic and frighteningly realistic. 

Machine Head’s latest to reign over ’07

Machine Head started their career with 1994's Burn My Eyes, which went on to become one of the seminal metal albums of the decade. That success proved hard to live up to. The band caught criticism from metal fans on their next three discs for a shift to a more radio-friendly, hard rock sound.  

Getting the hang of hangovers

The scene is fall 2004. Frank*, a UW-Madison sophomore, had come home from class on a Friday after a grueling week of upper-level math exams and little sleep.  

New consoles and music players flood holiday market

News flash! It's the holiday season! At least, the conglomerations of retailers, manufacturers and marketers have decided that it is holiday season, and whether we like it or not they are going to do everything they can to convince us to give them money! The big ticket items, as always, are the consumer electronics. TVs, PDAs, MP3 players and, this year, new seventh-generation (yeah, we've been through that many) video game consoles. In order to either A) surreptitiously advance the schemes of marketers or B) undermine them from below, I've compiled a short list of the major offerings this year, along with some cynical and possibly useful commentary. 

Game Over, dude: Jason's Ducat's column will soon be (Argo)naught

A Golden DucatGaming has undoubtedly been one of the great joys of my life. It has been with me from the time I was little and got my first Nintendo for my birthday, up to this day when I maxed out my credit card so I could buy a new Xbox 360. I've seen Nintendo survive the 16-bit wars only to have their crown stolen by the upstart—as far as gaming is concerned—Sony.  

SERF patrons need to exercise improved manners

Amid the buzz of the Southeast Recreational Facility, a thin girl in a Puma tracksuit approached the office with an odd accusation: The stupid treadmill broke my phone. Can I file a complaint?\  

Why Hollywood ruins video game movies

Many movies originate from another source: books, stage productions and occasionally even video games. So prevalent is the trend to base a movie on a previously existing story that screenplays for these movies have come to be recognized by their own Academy Award. And when judged against original cinematic ideas, these adaptations have faired quite well. Except for those movies based on games. 

Pudas is a man outside his time

\As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.' This is the most famous line of Scorsese's 'GoodFellas,' which is, and will always remain my favorite movie, and it generally sums up how I feel. It's not because I absolutely love organized crime (or at least the cinematic depiction of it), but rather because gangsters thrived in the most fascinating, tumultuous historical periods in the United States. In short, I feel as if I was born in the wrong decade'this era of hip-hop, blogging and 'Halo''and my preferences in music and especially movies reflect it. 

Behind the trigger: an FPS retrospective

With games like 'Far Cry,' 'F.E.A.R.' and of course 'Half-Life 2' doing so much for the first-person shooter genre, it is easy to forget the true pioneers. The following games earn recognition not only because they are really great games, but because each one contributed something to the industry, either via software or hardware. Come back with me and let's revisit the top five most important FPSs of all time. 

At last, Chappell and Potter meet

If there's one thing the world of literature suffers from, it's a lack of excitement when something happens. Unlike movie previews for 'Star Wars,' which are often more exciting than the actual film, or video games like 'Halo 2' that gamers order weeks in advance, books just don't command much public interest when they come out. 

A ’Right’-minded Rep. gone wrong

Everyone knows college students have long been one of this country's most oppressed demographics. When it comes to taking jive from the man, this group of mostly white, upper-middle class twenty-somethings with little or no financial responsibility (aside from beer money, of course) is right up there with country-club tennis pros and trophy wives.  

The obligatory Halloween cop-out column

This column bought to you by Eric's Bail Bonds. Were you a little too drunk? Was that pumpkin 'asking for it'? Did the tree you were relieving yourself on turn out to be a cop's leg? Eric's Bail Bonds: your not-so-free 'get out of jail free' card. Ask about our Out-of-Towner discount!