Wednesday, September 19, 2012 - The Daily Cardinal by The Daily Cardinal

Expand your musical horizons

A HUGE CAT-ASTROPHE (We’re not kitten around right meow) +PAGE TWO University of Wisconsin-Madison

+ARTS, page 4

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Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Appeal filed, stay requested of Act 10 ruling By Adam Wollner The Daily Cardinal

Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen officially asked for a stay and filed for an appeal Tuesday of a Dane County judge’s ruling that struck down certain portions of Act 10, the law that eliminated most collective bargaining rights for many public employees. In a motion requesting the stay the Department of Justice filed with the Dane County Circuit Court, Van Hollen argued Judge Juan Colas’ decision, which declared much of the bill passed by Gov. Scott Walker and his Republican allies last year unconstitutional, would cause confusion for local governments if it went into effect immediately. He added the ruling would likely be overturned by the state’s appeal, which Van Hollen filed with the Madison-based 4th District Court of Appeals hours after the request for a stay. “Act 10 addressed real and significant financial problems faced by local governments,” Van Hollen said in a statement. “It makes no sense to force a return to a broken system before the appellate process is completed.” Last Friday, Colas ruled Act 10’s limits on collective bargaining violated public sector unions’ state and federal constitutional

rights to free speech, free association and equal protection. His decision only applied to local and county government workers, not to those at the state level. Madison Teachers, Inc. initially brought the lawsuit with several other unions. MTI’s attorneys sent a charged letter to Van Hollen Tuesday asking if he agrees with Walker’s accusation that Colas is a “liberal activist judge,” a term Walker used in a statement following the ruling. The lawyers said that if he does not share Walker’s opinion he should clarify his position, but if he believes Colas is biased he should ask for his recusal from the case. University of WisconsinMadison political science professor Donald Downs said the court will likely grant Van Hollen’s request for a stay because the basis of many of Colas’ arguments, especially his classification of collective bargaining as a constitutional right, are up for discussion. “The constitutional foundations are certainly open to different interpretations,” Downs said. “This is certainly a debatable issue.” If the court stays the decision, Downs said Act 10 would go completely back into effect until the appeals court rules on the case.

Abigail Waldo/the daily cardinal

Protesters gather at Library Mall Tuesday to protest alleged animal mistreatment during UW-Madison research. Participants held signs and pictures of the cats involved in the study.

PETA protests alleged animal cruelty in UW-Madison study By Sam Cusick The Daily Cardinal

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals visited the University of WisconsinMadison Tuesday to protest the university’s alleged mistreatment of animals during research. The protest group congregated at Library Mall at noon and grew to approximately 40 people who displayed signs and pictures of the cats involved in the research to alert students of the alleged animal cruelty. PETA initially filed com-

plaints with federal agencies last Wednesday, accusing UW-Madison of harming animals during research by drilling holes into their skulls and intentionally deafening the cats. Following PETA’s complaint, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Institutes of Health launched a formal investigation into the allegations, according to a statement released by PETA. PETA spokesperson Jeremy Beckham said supporters rallied Tuesday to inform

UW-Madison students about the allegations as well as convince them to sign a petition to end the research. “What these experimenters are doing to cats in this laboratory would be criminal abuse if it weren’t happening in a laboratory,” Beckham said. “And just because they have Ph.D.’s and wear lab coats doesn’t make their acts of cruelty any less deplorable.” A group of research students

peta page 3

City passes legislation allowing cabs to cruise State Street during peak bar hours By Abby Becker The Daily Cardinal

Stephanie Daher/the daily cardinal

Madison’s Common Council passed legistlation allowing cabs to cruise on State Street for one block from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

After hours of discussion, Madison’s city council approved legislation to allow taxi drivers to cruise on State Street from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. According to the legislation, taxis can now drive on State Street from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. but can only cruise along the street with the intention to stop and pick up passengers for one block before they must turn off again. Associated Students of Madison representative David Gardner said the student government’s top priority this year is safety, and students should be able to easily locate a cab when they are out on State Street late at night.

“We need to ensure that our students feel safe when they’re going to class, out on weekends or on State Street, they need to feel protected and welcome,” Gardner said. Due to recent budget cuts, University of WisconsinMadison Transportation Services cut funding to SAFEcab, a nighttime cab service, in addition to altering several Metro Transit bus routes including the late night 81 route. Associated Students of Madison Legislative Affairs Chair Dan Statter said the issue should be a “common sense decision” for city council. “There’s no negative in ensuring that there are a plethora of responsible options available for students

to get home safely,” Statter said. Mayor Paul Soglin said the city needed to consider all the characteristics of State Street, such as the roles of local businesses and pedestrian-friendly streets instead of only resident and student safety. Director of Planning & Community & Economic Development Steve Cover said more vehicles on State Street could detract from its unique character. “I think by adding more vehicles and more traffic on the street, you are going to make it a less desirable street,” Cover said. But taxi drivers said they play a part in increasing safety

cabs page 3

“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”

page two 2

hi 73º / lo 46º

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

An independent student newspaper, serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison community since 1892 Volume 122, Issue 14

2142 Vilas Communication Hall 821 University Avenue Madison, Wis., 53706-1497 (608) 262-8000 • fax (608) 262-8100

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Today: Showers

Editor in Chief Scott Girard

Managing Editor Alex DiTullio

News Team News Manager Taylor Harvey Campus Editor Sam Cusick College Editor Cheyenne Langkamp City Editor Abby Becker State Editor Tyler Nickerson Enterprise Editor Samy Moskol Associate News Editor Meghan Chua Features Editor Ben Siegel Opinion Editors Nick Fritz • David Ruiz Editorial Board Chair Matt Beaty Arts Editors Jaime Brackeen • Marina Oliver Sports Editors Vince Huth • Matt Masterson Page Two Editors Riley Beggin • Jenna Bushnell Life & Style Editor Maggie DeGroot Photo Editors Stephanie Daher • Grey Satterfield Graphics Editors Dylan Moriarty • Angel Lee Multimedia Editors Eddy Cevilla Science Editor Matthew Kleist Diversity Editor Aarushi Agni Copy Chiefs Molly Hayman • Haley Henschel Mara Jezior • Dan Sparks Copy Editors Ali Bartoli Meghan Jacobson

Jenna Bushnell jennarally speaking Let me preface this column by saying that I’m a proud, card-carrying dog lover. If I see a dog on the street, especially in Madison, I will accost its owner until he or she lets me pet it. I’ve been known to throw social propriety to the wayside when I see a canine, especially one that is particularly worthy of high affect and baby goo-goo talk. I have a framed picture of my dog by my bed. Now that we have that settled:

Last fall, when my nowroommates told me they were planning to get cats this fall, I shrugged and offered my indifferent approval. I thought to myself, why not? Cats kinda suck… but only kinda. I guess I should explain my disinclination toward cats is rooted in childhood experiences featuring feline rejection and hostility. It’s not like I was always opposed to cats though. In fact, “AristoCats” was number seven on my list of favorite animated Disney movies about domesticated animals. I was hardened by a number of cat-astrophic experiences (hope you like cat puns, readers, because there’s more

business@dailycardinal.com Business Manager Emily Rosenbaum Advertising Manager Nick Bruno Senior Account Executives Jade Likely • Philip Aciman Account Executives Dennis Lee • Chelsea Chrouser Emily Coleman • Joy Shin Erin Aubrey • Zach Kelly Web Director Eric Harris Public Relations Manager Alexis Vargas Marketing Manager Becky Tucci Events Manager Andrew Straus Creative Director Claire Silverstein Copywriters Dustin Bui • Bob Sixsmith

Editorial Board Matt Beaty • Riley Beggin • Alex DiTullio Anna Duffin • Nick Fritz • Scott Girard David Ruiz

Board of Directors Jenny Sereno, President Scott Girard • Alex DiTullio Emily Rosenbaum • John Surdyk Melissa Anderson • Nick Bruno Don Miner • Chris Drosner Jason Stein • Nancy Sandy Tina Zavoral

For the record Corrections or clarifications? Call The Daily Cardinal office at 608-262-8000 or send an e-mail to edit@dailycardinal.com.

hi 68º / lo 48º

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My catty roommate situation

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Thursday: Sunny

Graphic by angel Lee

where that came from). I spent numerous Thanksgivings pulling on my cousins’ cat’s tail, wondering why it wouldn’t stay around long enough for me to pet. It’s probably because I was yanking its tail, but still, I was pissed. I also have three scars on my hand from a traumatic birthday party when my friend’s cat actively opposed joining me on the slip-n-slide. Needless to say, I am not a cat advocate—not an advo-cat, if you will. Nevertheless, time had passed and my emotional and physical scars were fading. I thought to myself, Jenna, you’re stronger than this. Don’t let those mangy furballs dictate your decisions. This is college, try something new. YOLO. So while other juniors were out learning how to sail, getting internships and drinking Wando’s fish bowls alone, I was going to try my hand at living with cats. Feeling brave, I signed the lease with four other girls and two cats. Well not the cats, as they lack opposable thumbs. Fast forward to move-in day. I was pleasantly surprised to learn the cats were, in fact, kittens— two adorable, soft, loving kittens. Or so I thought. You know how they say every relationship has its honeymoon period? Well, the Jenna-kittens (or as I would later call them, shittens) honeymoon lasted about a day and a half. Don’t get me wrong, that day and a half was pure magic. We frolicked, napped and danced together. They even took a liking to my shoulders and (when I forcefully kept them there) would perch on them like my own little parrot-cats. It was heaven. Then things changed. The two kittens—Mogubichu (“Bichu” for short) and Rue-Samba-Fuck (I simply call her “Fuck” because

I’m not sure what her actual name is and because I love unnecessary expletives)—made themselves comfortable. And by this I mean they essentially took over our apartment, for better or for worse. For better, they’ll snuggle up on your chest while you’re watching television and purr softly. For worse, they’ll snuggle up on your laptop while you’re sending an important mass email and you’ll prematurely send it with the subject “D sdvS df KJSEVcv –dfb dfv38bcv0 qero2v4 vos7.” For better, they’ll greet you at the front door when you come home from a stressful class. For worse, they’ll greet you in the bathroom and scare the shit out of you when you didn’t expect a furry creature to be drinking from the toilet bowl. For better, they’ll play catch with their squeaky toys. For worse, they’ll play hide-undert h e - o t t o m a n - a n d- s e e - h owmany-toes-they-can-claw-andmake-bleed. All that said, I can’t help but have a soft place in my heart for these little shittens. I genuinely care about them. I mean, I’d be lying if I said I haven’t caught myself asking them how their day has been. Some may call it schizophrenia, I call it love. Although my dog Sparky is still No. 1 (expect a column on that later, my dedicated readers), for better and for worse, until lease do us part, these cats and I are enjoying cat-rimonial bliss. Alright sorry, that was especially bad. I just can’t figure out the purrfect way to end this… I guess the cat’s got my tongue… and laptop… and toes. Do you dislike cats? Do you dislike cat puns even more? Email Jenna at jbushnell@wisc.edu with your purrferences.

Happy students come from UW-Madison Zachary Pestine the pestine scene Well folks, it looks like we’re in for another splendid academic year in the happiest place on Earth— er, the happiest college campus in the country! The sun is shining, crushed, empty Keystone Light cans are littered throughout the campus and Montee Ball is on his own two feet and running for touchdowns despite the best efforts of his foes. Indeed, we are already living the life. Well, sort of. Our favorite drunk food on campus, Fat Sandwich, went under, as did Fridas, the best margarita joint in town. Nothing gold can stay. F(at) and F(rida’s) have expired. Luckily for the letter F, reincarnation exists in the form of Fried and Fabulous, a new drunk food cart located on Broom Street, across from the Chocolate Shoppe. For the last week and a half, the proprietor of the stand has offered fragmented figures of fried fatteners free of charge, and boy are they fabulous. Forget about any pedestrian deep fried peanut butter sandwich you may have had in the past. When you

have had a few too many from Fried and Fabulous, you will find yourself exceedingly fond of this foundation. And that’s just the foodie scene around town. My personal favorite part about being back on campus is the mid-afternoon school day. To me, the experience of waltzing through Library Mall, with the September sun and a light breeze playing second piccolo to the sensation of glancing at the cornucopia of colors and the array of aromas emanating from the food carts, not to mention listening to a man in a bright orange jumpsuit play a calming tune on the piccolo is ineffable. If I had my druthers, it would always be 1:30 in the afternoon, I would have a lifetime supply of iced coffee and stimulating reading material, and I would pop an eternal squat on the nearby steps next to the four-sided clock with hands that point to different minutes on each side. For the last three years, I have viewed this campus as my playground. The Serf, my monkey bars. State Street, the tunnel that you can army crawl through one hundred times in a day and

never tire of. The Kohl Center and Camp Randall Stadium, the merry-go-round where you almost always have an incredible time, but every once in a blue moon, your experience there just makes you feel like puking. With such a wealth of toys in our arsenal, with so many tools for elating ourselves at our disposal, it is no wonder that the Huffington Post has endorsed us as the kings and queens of bloated endorphin levels. It is sad to imagine the day in which I can no longer stroll down State Street, patronize the four–block long Farmers Market, watch the Badgers stomp on conference and non-conference opponents alike, get postgame Chipotle, and gulp down a Wando’s fishbowl accompanied by an entourage of joyous sports fans amid a sea of red. We rock out so hard here that myriad kids from Los Angeles, who have never even seen a snowflake in their lives, pledge to dedicate four years of their lives here knowing full well that for roughly half of the time they are here, the air outside will be colder than [insert harsh celebrity breakup due to an affair here]. Like anyone else, we are

human and we have our share of woes. For starters, we’re still looking at bringing home our first Rose Bowl since 2000, which will be an uphill battle. Secondly, the terrace is only habitable for three and a half months out of the school year. Thirdly, we have way too many ice cream and Badger gear shops around. What’s that you say? None of these are legitimate complaints, and all are in fact positives, as in we’ve been to consecutive Rose Bowls, we have a beautiful terrace to watch boats sail and drink pitchers of Spotted Cow for roughly half of the time we are here, and we can eat ice cream and support Bucky from almost any square block on campus. Fine, if that’s the way you see it, I suppose the glass is half full. At the end of the day, the Huffington Post hit the nail on the head. For here at UW, our student body is synonymous with the production company behind the last decade of mediocre Adam Sandler movies. We are Happy Madison. Have any solid UW-Madison treats that Zac forgot? Enlighten him at pestine@wisc.edu.

news

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 3

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Student representatives, city leaders to collaborate on SAFEcab alternative By Abby Becker and Cheyenne Langkamp The Daily Cardinal

City officials and University of Wisconsin-Madison student representatives plan to collaborate in arranging an alternative late-night transportation service to SAFEcab, a nighttime cab service recently eliminated from the university budget. Although the Student Services Finance Committee voted in April to reinstate funding for SAFEcab, UW-Madison Transportation Services said they would no longer manage the nighttime cab program, leading to its discontinuation. Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said he is working with Associated Students of Madison representatives and city staff to find an alternative solution to SAFEcab. Although at this point the three proposed solutions are in their introductory phases, Resnick said the alternative ideas include administering SAFEcab through another university department such as the University of WisconsinMadison Police Department or using a cab service other than Union Cab. Another idea involves a city proposal of a rapid taxi service in downtown Madison, according to Resnick. For a standard cost of around $3 or $4, students would be able to use a taxi service that would cover the immediate campus area. “Making sure someone

gets home safely or making sure you as an individual get home safely should be one of the highest priorities, particularly any time alcohol is involved,” Resnick said. ASM Press Office Director David Gardner said student leaders would address the issue through ASM’s Campus Safety campaign, which was created after students told ASM representatives they felt campus crime seemed to be increasing. “There have been a lot of big issues that make students question whether they’re safe on campus,” Gardner said, referencing the recent attack on UW-Madison running back Montee Ball as one example. Resnick said there are benefits and drawbacks to the proposed ideas, such as administrative costs and city zoning laws, but city and student leaders are working toward an alternative to SAFEcab. “It’s going to be a fight, but I believe it is one of the top priorities for students,” Resnick said. Gardner said ASM plans to hold a town hall meeting in the coming weeks to reach out to students, city officials, university transportation and the community at large for further opinions and proposals. “Primarily we hope to work with the alderman, with city officials, with UW transportation services in finding what the best way for us to move forward would be,” Gardner said.

Like to write? Want to get paid? Enter the “$1000 for 1000 words” contest!

Just send 1000 words to edit@ dailycardinal.com, and you could win $1000 and have your response printed in The Daily Cardinal! Prompt: “What’s at stake for our generation in the 2012 election?” Deadline: October 20 Judged on: Writing quality, passion, humor, originality and thoughtfulness Open to any UW-Madison undergrad or graduate student

On campus

New cars on the block

Students will see the new 2013 Ford Police Interceptor SUVs cruising around campus this year, after the University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department replaced older vehicles with the new model. + Photo by Stephanie Daher

Police to educate students after increase in burglaries The downtown area has seen an increased number of burglaries last August compared to other years, particularly on Spring Street and on both sides of Regent Street, according to Madison police and city officials. Madison Police Department spokesperson Joel DeSpain said there is a burglary spike every August, and this could be attributed to students moving into houses and apartments off-campus who do not lock their doors and windows. This year, the spike is more pronounced with 58 total reported burglaries in August while the number of burglaries in

cabs from page 1 late at night in the downtown area by monitoring inebriated patrons. “When I drive on State Street...and I see people who are so intoxicated they can’t walk...I want to be able to get to these people before they get to their vehicles,” Union Cab driver Dee Pachlehofer said. According to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, Soglin plans to veto the 10 p.m. time. The city council will hear the ordinance again at their next meeting, and council members can override Soglin’s veto with 14 votes.

peta from page 1 including senior Sean Kelly, said PETA’s allegations against the university are completely false. “I work in the labs that do experiments on animals,” Kelly said. “I’m the one who is responsible for making sure that they are anesthetized and they are. [PETA] really has no argument.” PETA also believes the

August 2009, 2010 and 2011 averaged 39, according to MPD Lt. Kristen Roman. “Most of the time burglars target laptop computers and other electronic items,” DeSpain said. “We advise people to make sure their doors are locked, their windows are secure and if they are not going to be home, not to leave their laptops sitting on a kitchen table.” As students come back to campus, these burglaries “are not completely uncommon,” according to Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8. Resnick said although he does not know the explanation

for the increase in burglaries this year, city officials, the Associated Students of Madison and the MPD are taking this “very seriously” and working together to reach out to students. Police are currently experimenting with social media, going on safety walks and knocking on doors in an effort to educate students about preventing burglaries, according to Resnick. City officials, ASM and the MPD will host a neighborhood walk Monday to talk about risks and areas of improvement in another effort to reach out to students living off-campus. —Taylor Harvey

City prohibits panhandlers Madison’s City Council approved legislation Tuesday prohibiting panhandling on State Street and in the Capitol Concourse area. According to Madison Police Department Officer Jeff Pharo, there is a specific group of 18 people who frequently panhandle on State Street who have violated 295 city violations over the past two years. Pharo said 12 of the 18 panhandlers are felons while seven are regulars at detox. Mayor Paul Soglin said this ordinance is necessary to curb

research taking place on campus is little more than “killing for cash,” according to Beckham. He also said that more than $3 million dollars has been “wasted on this cruel project.” PETA volunteer Charlie Talbert said the protest is a way for the group to reach out to students and let them know what is going on at their university. “I think right now the ani-

the “profound” effect less than two dozen people are having on the city such as diminishing police and fire resources. But Ald. Brian Solomon, District 10, who voted against the ordinance, said he is not convinced this ordinance will stop the illegal activity of those involved in panhandling. Community members such as Monday’s bar owner Gary Garten, spoke in favor of the amendment, saying panhandling is the worst it has ever been. Abby Becker/The Daily Cardinal

mal research operation here at the university is a really a stain on the reputation of a really great university,” Talbert said. Juniors Hayley Pernsteiner and Sadie Olson said while UW-Madison’s experimentation with cats is “not a good thing,” the benefits outweigh the negatives. “They’re obviously doing it to learn something,” Pernsteiner said.

arts Busting out of musical comfort zones 4 Wednesday, September 19, 2012 l

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By Andy Holsteen The Daily Cardinal

This past weekend I traveled to see David Byrne and St. Vincent in concert at Riverside Theater in Milwaukee. As a fan of both artists, I had an inkling this performance was going to be special, and it definitely was. But the sheer talent on stage wasn’t the only thing that made seeing these two together exciting: their audiences bridged separate generations. Byrne, who is best known as the former leader of Talking Heads, was one of the main figures in the pseudo-Avant-garde scene of my parents’ young adulthood. His unique stage presence and message to “stop making sense” radiate a cryptic elegance. While St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark)—my elder by less than a decade—enraptures listeners with her chillingly beautiful voice and perfectly simple guitar melodies. Although the performance was incredible, something else really grabbed my attention: there were a good number of people in attendance who didn’t know who St. Vincent was at all beforehand. With the issue that a person should know what they’re paying for before going to a concert aside, there seems to be a deeper conundrum here: at what point does one decide they don’t need to actively pursue new music? Considering Byrne and St. Vincent can share a stage, their musical identities are relatively similar. Regardless, a large portion of the concert crowd was obsessive over one, and almost entirely unaware of the other. It isn’t a bad thing to have

Photos courtesy nonesuch.com (left) and npr.org (right)

Concertgoers may show up to a performance as a fan of one artist and leave with a new love of the companion act. The David Byrne and St. Vincent concert in Milwaukee last week was a case in point of this generation-bridging phenomenon. a few all-time favorite bands. Something about being oblivious to anything outside of those groups seems counterintuitive though. There’s no point in completely separating oneself from the broad, and evergrowing, music world. Maybe this complacency to discover new artists after a certain age comes from resentment for specific genres of modern music. Everyone has been lectured by their grandparents about how the stuff kids listen to these days is garbage compared to Patsy Cline and Elvis. I mean, it’s reasonable that there aren’t many people

in retirement listening to Nicki Minaj. It isn’t logical, however, for someone to dismiss all new music just because some of it doesn’t jive with them. The still semi-relevant and grossly parochial culture of listening to music on the radio might be partially to blame for this. Stations that play one exclusive genre of music irk me more than anything else about FM radio. I’ll pick on classic rock stations in particular because, well, it’s pretty easy. They play the same narrow catalogue of songs (mainly Led Zeppelin, the most regurgitated group of all time) over and over. For some

reason, people keep listening. With the rise of the Internet, the phenomenon of getting stuck in a musical vacuum after a certain age may be coming to an end. Sites such as Pandora are bringing about a paradigm shift in how we listen to and discover music. Pandora is a fantastic tool for finding new music, as giving recommendations is a huge part of the site. Platforms like this are becoming more ubiquitous by the day, thus making FM radio a thing of the past. It’s hard to blame the David Byrne fans who didn’t know anything about St. Vincent for

being uninformed. They grew up in an era when the Internet hadn’t even been invented, and radio was essentially the only way to hear new music. I have a feeling that generations from here onward will at least have some immunity from stagnating into the bleak world of musical sameness. With the movement away from FM radio towards the Internet, which harbors infinite possibilities, discovering new artists is easier now than ever before. It’s hard to be anything but optimistic about our chances of not having to settle musically, even as adults.

‘Are you going to finish that?’: the reader’s ultimate choice Sean Reichard your raison d’être

hat was the last book you didn’t finish? Come now: you’re not all perfect little literature angels heralding the merits of the written word. Was it a class reading? Was it a book for recreation? Did one of you little fools try and read “Finnegans Wake” on a dare? On a related note, did you survive and/or avoid hospitalization? There’s no shame in not finishing a book. It may be something as innocuous as not having enough time in the day/ week/month/year/life. After all, life is not a void of time in which to finish “Wuthering Heights,” especially during these hectic college years. But of course, there are more selfish reasons to not finish a book. Like, you don’t like it, or you don’t agree with the author on this or that, or the concept of reading is just utterly repulsive to you. Whatever the reason, it’s valid, and even a career reader like me can succumb to the

temptation of quitting prior to the finale. Recently, I tried to read “London Fields” by Martin Amis. I had no context as to what the book would be about, but everything I had ever heard about Amis was nothing if not enticing: master craftsman, prose virtuoso, terribly compelling, yadda yadda yadda. And so I dove into what was, by all accounts, his chief achievement.

There’s no shame in not finishing a book. It may be something as innocuous as not having enough time in the day/week/month/ year/life.

I got 50-odd pages in and stopped. Keith Talent had gotten Nicola Six’s phone number and I just couldn’t go any further with these people. I got “London Fields” from the library; it’s still sitting on my shelf, and the gold letters glow dimly when I turn on my reading lamp like a subtle mockery. I still don’t know whether I’ll pick it up again. I can’t really say what made

me put down “London Fields.” True, I found nothing redemptive in the characters—or in the meta descriptions of the characters by another character—but that wasn’t it. I was expecting the unpleasantness. It’s Amis’s trademark. And the writing was inspired, or at least had a razzle-dazzle. Nonetheless, something was amiss about Amis. This is an odd scenario for me, since I usually finish whatever book I’m reading, even if it’s not particularly good. ‘Tis a compulsion of mine. You could say I read with a vengeance. And speaking of which, immediately after sputtering with “London Fields,” I picked up “White Noise” by Don Delillo, which I proceeded to read with a vengeance. It’s not my usual kind of book (distinctly postmodern with a mild literary flair) but it spoke to me on multiple levels. The first level was that I didn’t think it was very good. The dialogue was horrendous and barefacedly didactic, and any book that seeks to ensnare the zeitgeist will always fall short for me since the zeitgeist is, by definition, so damn flippant. The second level was

that I just didn’t agree with the ideas presented. Besides the commentary on consumer culture, industrial pollution and the aforementioned problem of white noise i.e. ambient television and radio waves and our dependence upon them (all valid points but ultimately glossed over or simplified), “White Noise” was a book about death. Death errywhere.

So if you don’t finish a book because you can’t, no hard feelings, it happens. But if you don’t finish a book because you won’t, think twice.

Imagining the characters mewling and agonizing over death struck me as histrionic, and in a certain sense, pathetic, which may have been Delillo’s point. But it’s fair to also assume that Delillo buys into the death anxiety idea, which is shamelessly solipsistic. So the point is I didn’t really like it. At the same time, I’m half tempted to buy my own copy someday and make it a regular read. Why exactly, if I

disdain it so much? Because it struck me, fundamentally. I feel like “White Noise” is a book I would want to return to, if only to reject its premise. I would’ve never reached this conclusion had I simply given up on reading it before the end. In the contest between Book and Reader, there’s a peculiar satisfaction which comes from finishing a book you’ve decided is no good. It gives you the whole picture, even if the whole picture is fraught with unpleasantness. And it gives you better basis for explaining what made a book unpleasant. Best of all, it gives you ammo against the zealots of bad literature—or “good” literature, it’s all relative. So if you don’t finish a book because you can’t, no hard feelings, it happens. But if you don’t finish a book because you won’t, think twice. You very well might surprise yourself. Are you affronted that Sean would assume you’ve ever started a book without finishing? Or do you constantly pick up books only to leave them perched open and waiting on the table for months on end? Send tales of your reading habits to sreichard@wisc.edu to discuss further.

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Monday, September 19, 2012

life&style

Trendspotting at New York Fashion Week By Kelsey Eichman The daily cardinal

New York’s famous fashion week ended with a bang last week after eight days of runway shows previewing the trends for spring and summer 2013. In the first few days, designer Jason Wu wowed with a collection more risqué than his usual. Wu’s sexy, sheer trends carried over into many designers’ collections that week. Even at the end of the week, designers like Narcisco Rodriguez highlighed a pared-down, black and white style theme that could make for a unique fashion season for spring and summer 2013. It is very rare that one sin-

gle trend comes on so strongly from almost every designer. Marc Jacobs’ looks were almost twothirds entirely black or white. His use of skin was also key to making his collection surprisingly fresh. Although Jacobs is known for favoring a “coveredup” girl, he featured low-slung skirts and high cut jackets that featured the model’s midriffs and hipbones. He used simple styles yet changed the amount of skin typically shown to make conventional clothes sexy, without being too vulgar or too showy. Both Alexander Wang and Cushnie et Ochs did almost entirely black and white collections as well. Both heavily fea-

tured cut-outs but Wang’s were more geometric and “tron-like” while Cushnie et Ochs’ had a gentler feel. Both designers also used leather quite a bit, which was surprisingly common among collections considering the warm spring season. Proenza Schouler primarily focused on keeping their leather light and appropriate for spring by using it in a patchwork, collage way in jackets and dresses. However, not all designers used leather in this way. Wu’s use of leather was meant to be more menacing and sexy than springtime sweet. Wu said he was inspired by photographer Helmet Newton’s retrospective,

shown earlier this year at the Grand Palais. Newton’s S&M shots gave Wu inspiration to work lace and leather into an incredibly chic, elegant collection. He accessorized with leather harnesses, black veils and the same red lipstick worn by models in some of Newton’s photographs, but still maintained the ladylike quality he is well-known for. Another designer to wow was Diane Von Furstenberg who partnered with Google to use the latest technology of the season in her show. All of Von Furstenberg’s models wore Explorer Edition Google Glasses, which retail at $1,500. The small cameras on

the glasses allow footage to be shot from the model’s perspective, which Von Furstenburg’s team will use to create a short documentary film, debuting later this week. Google also notes the glasses can be used for photo sharing, video chat, shopping and line-ofsight direction display. New York Fashion Week certainly did not disappoint its not only well-dressed, but critical fashion industry audience. Designers at this year’s fashion week had a clear response to the overly loud trends of the past and didn’t fail to present stunning collections that gave freshness to timeless trends.

Style tips from UW-Madison CollegeFashionistas By Maggie DeGroot The daily cardinal

CollegeFashionistas are the ones who capture and write about the stylish students on the UW-Madison campus, but what about the styles of the Style Gurus themselves? Two of our UW-Madison CollegeFashionista Style Gurus, Taylor Viegut and Chelsi Zollner, sat down with The Daily Cardinal to share their own style tips. Maggie DeGroot: Let’s get started with a question to get you know you both better on a style level. Give me three adjectives to describe your personal style. Taylor Viegut: Relaxed, eclectic and feminine.

Chelsi Zollner: Boho, comfortable and warm, as far as colors go. MD: As college students, our budgets are often pretty limiting and we fall back on a couple of key outfits. What is your favorite go-to outfit? TV: My favorite go to outfit is my denim button-up with a classic white tank underneath, in case I get hot, with a printed scarf, black or grey leggings and my classic red Vans. It’s comfortable and easy to walk around in all day. CZ: Go-to outfit would have to either be a knit maxi dress, which I’m wearing now, or boyfriend

jeans and some sort of graphic tee or sweater. Both option are super comfortable for running around all day and can be dressed up with accessories if needed. MD: College students, especially UW-Madison students, are crazy busy and we don’t have much time for sleep so it tends to be difficult to get out of bed during the week. What are some tips for getting ready quickly in the morning? TV: I usually get ready in a half hour or less, and a classic high pony tail is a go-to for me because it looks polished and is easy. A tip I always use is to take a small portion of hair from your pony and wrap it around your hairband so you can’t see it, plus it looks extra chic. I also keep my makeup to a minimum. NARS Laguna pressed powder, Laura Mercier lip shimmer and a little mascara and I’m good to go. CZ: For the morning a top knot bun is my go to. You know it’s going to stay secure all day and with the weather right now you don’t have to worry about getting hot. Also using as little makeup as possible, cover-up, mascara, etc., because I never know when I’m going to have a chance to go home to touch up. MD: Sometimes UW-Madison fashionistas get sick of wearing the usual Badger football jersey. Any advice for creating a stylish, unique gameday outfit? TV: I paired white cut-offs with a reversible Wisco Lacrosse jersey, honestly my new favorite purchase, and again my classic red Vans with a focus more on the accessories. I would try adding a chunky gold necklace to your gameday attire and layering a ton of different bracelets. Also have fun with your makeup on game day, like try a bright red lip with a gold smokey eye.

photo courtesy Sammy Luterbach/collegefashionista

UW-Madison CollegeFashionista Style Guru Chelsi Zollner shows off her black and white polka dot pants she pairs with a Badger shirts for football gamedays.

CZ: Game day! One of my favorite things is creating unique gameday outfits. Two weeks ago I cut one of

photo courtesy Sammy Luterbach/collegefashionista

UW-Madison CollegeFashionista Style Guru Taylor Viegut shows off one of her looks to help transition from summer to fall. my guy friend’s t-shirts into a tank and paired it with black and white polka dot pants from H&M. I’ve also put on leopard print tights underneath jean shorts, and always pair the outfit with off-white Chuck Taylors. MD: Wisconsin weather is crazy and often can go from hot, humid weather one day to almost freezing the next. On top of this crazy Wisconsin weather, college students also have a limited budget and closet space. Any advice for transitioning outfits from summer to fall? TV: I just had an article last week on transitioning from summer to fall—check it out! But I would say layering your sweaters over shorts and

skirts. A white knit sweater over a maxi skirt is a great fall outfit that still has some summer left in them. Simply adding a scarf to your daily attire is an easy fix as well. It has been too hot to wear them all summer so by adding a scarf to the tanks we’re still wearing around campus is an easy way to dress up your attire. CZ: Denim tops are great for transcending seasons, whether it is a vest, button up or jean jacket. Sweaters, my personal favorites are oversized sweaters, are also nice to have with you when temperatures are varying. Maxi skirts are also really great because once it starts to get cooler you can always put tights or leggings underneath.

opinion 6

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

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peta, despite reputation, could be useful on campus

e have all heard the stories of the extremes members of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have gone to in order to turn heads and call attention to incidents they determine to be animal cruelty. So upon learning of PETA’s accusations that a UW-Madison animal research lab violated animal welfare laws while using cats to perform brain experiments, many of our initial reactions were to question the legitimacy of the claims. But while the group is controversial and sometimes disruptive, we welcome its insight onto our campus. Animal research has seemingly always been a topic of debate, and rightfully so. At UW-Madison in the 1950s, experimenter Harry Harlow separated monkeys from their mothers to study childhood attachment styles, despite the notion that maternal deprivation typically has a severe negative impact on psychological development. In other experiments, baby monkeys were totally isolated from other monkeys for up to 24 months,

leaving them seriously psychologically disturbed. But today, legal guidelines are in place to ensure animal research is conducted in a humane manner. As long as animal experimentation follows the regulations set in place, we do not disprove of it. Abigail Waldo/the daily cardinal

PETA’s recent allegations of misconduct against the University of Wisconsin-Madison have sparked protests against the abuse of animals during scientific research. If PETA is willing to work with the university’s researchers in a constructive way to improve experimentation tactics, it could bring a beneficial perspective to the table.

In the situation at hand, we do not particularly trust either side with their accounts of what happened in the UW-Madison lab. PETA alleges “Double Trouble,” an orange tabby cat used in the experiments, underwent several invasive surgeries and was eventually euthanized. The lab,

Judge Juan Colas should stay his repeal David Ruiz opinion columnist

ate last week Judge Juan Colas struck down major portions of Act 10, the law that severely curtailed how public employees can collectively bargain. Judge Colas argues that the implementation of the law violates the constitutional rights of state employees, specifically the rights of free speech, association and equal representation under the law. Colas views Act 10 as illegally denying public employees the rights afforded to workers who earn their wage in the private sector. Judge Colas was correct in his ruling against Act 10. Although I doubt that his ruling will survive litigation, especially given the conservative leaning State Supreme Court, I sincerely hope that his ruling will allow Act 10 to be re-structured. Walker’s actions against public unions were unwarranted. Walker’s efforts to bring the state budget were necessary; however, the way that he shredded what many, including myself, view as a worker’s basic rights was an unnecessary partisan attack against the unions. Judge Colas’ decision gives Act 10 a chance to undergo a facelift. The law can simultane-

ously help control Wisconsin’s budget without pulling out the carpet from under collective bargaining. The debate surrounding Act 10 will certainly continue into the future in Wisconsin, and as other states pass similar legislation the debate will only spread. Judge Juan Colas’ decision will hopefully set a good example of how the court system can restructure a broken law. However, Judge Colas should heed Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen’s request to stay his ruling until the appellate process is complete. By placing a hold on his ruling, Judge Colas would allow Act 10 to continue functioning as before. Ultimately, the appeals process will not be affected on whether Act 10 is currently in place or not. The only incentive I can see to shuttering the law until the appeals process is done is that it will encourage the appellate courts to speed up their judgements. The upside to staying the repeal of Act 10 is that school’s front offices won’t be in a perpetual state of confusion until the law is either wholly repealed or substantially changed. The Madison Teachers’ Union has already attempted to resume contract negotiations. Until Judge Colas’ decision is dealt with, these negotiations will only be a waste of time and money. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

however, said the cat was used in legally sound experiments on cochlear implants. Lab officials said the experiments have revealed information that has allowed a young boy to hear. Without knowing exactly what occurred within the confines of the lab room, we strongly support the National Institutes of Health and the United States Department of Agriculture’s ongoing investigation into the experiment. If animal welfare guidelines were breached, the lab deserves to be penalized. While we believe the Food

and Drug Administration and other government entities that hold researchers accountable for abiding by regulations are enough, and PETA is often more disruptive than constructive, we welcome its watchdog role onto our campus. If PETA is willing to work with the university’s researchers in a constructive way to improve experimentation tactics, it could bring a beneficial perspective to the table. And while we trust the FDA is competent to hold experimenters accountable to engaging in lawful research practices, having the extra check on researchers can help

ensure no valid cases of animal cruelty slip through the cracks. Possibly most importantly, the group brings publicity and debate to controversial issues, such as animal experimentation, and forces members of society to engage in constructive dialogue surrounding ways to improve the treatment of animals. Conversations such as these that call into question the status quo are part of what makes UW-Madison the intellectual powerhouse that it is. The Editorial Board is composed of 7 members of The Daily Cardinal. Please send all responses to edit@dailycardinal.com.

A few words of advice to whoever eventually takes over the Orpheum David Ruiz coming back for more

ooks like the Orpheum Theater, an icon on the 200 block of State Street, will soon be shutting its doors after being mismanaged straight into the ground. The details of the demise of the Orpheum aren’t exactly clear to me, but I know that a lost liquor license, shoddy booking and inconsistency in every other aspect of running the company surely didn’t help. This is an open letter to whoever sinks the time and money into the next iteration of the Orpheum theater, conveniently organized for you, future owners. One: Please, don’t do anything stupid. Now, I know that this sounds fairly evident, but given the behavior of the previous management, I feel as if it needs to be said. If you feel yourself falling behind on loans, or you think that your liquor license application might not be best served written in crayon, do yourself a favor and nip these problems in the bud. Have a competent accountant or at least know someone who owns a calculator. Buy some file cabinets, then use them. Maybe get one of those fancy desks that has built-in folders for incoming and outgoing papers. If all else fails, throw a fundraising pajama party a la Kid ‘N Play’s House Party 2; make sure to have them in attendance.

Two: Realize the shortcomings and strengths of owning the Orpheum. It is a bar/concert venue/restaurant/theater. Unfortunately this seems to create more problems than it adds in diversified revenue streams. Just because you have four aspects to your business doesn’t mean you can half-ass each one and end up with two whole asses. That’s unfortunately not how it works. Bring in music acts that are appropriate to the size of the stage and the location of the theater, but don’t be too limited either. The Found vs. Found event held last year was nothing if not unconventional, and it was an awesome and seemingly successful event. The most important advice I can give to you is that

you’re going to have to spend a lot of time figuring out what events work and what won’t work at this venue. Keep putting on events. Scaling back only means that it will take you longer to find the winning formula. Yes, you’re going to have to spend a lot of money. No, there are no guarantees. Three: Be open consistently. This will require a consistent and dedicated staff, and after the awkward mismanagement of the past few years, you might have to do a lot of re-building. Hire younger students and give them incentives to stick around for multiple years. Four: Don’t be dumb. I really can’t emphasize this one enough. David is a senior majoring in English literature.

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Today’s Sudoku

Albert Einstein famously quoted, “The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.” Wednesday, September 19, 2012 • 7

Bring out the windbreaker

Evil Bird

By Caitlin Kirihara kirihara@wisc.edu

Eatin’ Cake

By Dylan Moriarty www.EatinCake.com

Caved In

By Nick Kryshak nkryshak@wisc.edu

Solution, tips and computer program available at www.sudoku.com.

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.

Today’s Crossword Puzzle

First in Twenty

Answer key available at www.dailycardinal.com

JUST FACE IT ACROSS 1 Voodoo spell 5 Title for von Trapp 10 Take it on the lam 14 ___ Bator 15 Kick out 16 Be lazy 17 Bastes or hems 18 After-meal tools 20 Reggae artist Peter 21 Don’t just stand there 22 Bid the bed adieu 23 Reacted with awe 25 Sibilant “Over here!” 27 Noisy brawl 29 Like a decorated Yule tree 33 Cunning ways 34 Prefix with “focus” 35 Flintstones’ pet 36 Self proclaimed “greatest” of boxing 37 Pasta shape 38 Drug book for MDs 39 Sports officials, briefly 41 Family group 42 Sealy alternative 44 Soaks 46 Small parts for big people 47 High-seas greeting 48 Cuban dance 49 Grown-up bug 52 A pop

3 Being No. 1? 5 56 Unable to speak 59 Hardly scarce 60 Adjective for babies and puppies 61 Crestless wave 62 Annoying buzzer 63 Follow the advice of 64 Break down a sentence 65 Shrek, for one DOWN 1 Is compelled to 2 Muffin spread 3 Emergency extrication device 4 Landlubber’s locale 5 Fashion designer Johnson 6 Stay clear of 7 Word with “act” or “gear” 8 Six mos. from Apr. 9 Unspecific degree 10 Was coquettish 11 Mathematical sets of points 12 Many wapiti 13 “What,” “who,” “how” or “where” follower 19 Make the grade? 24 Possesses 25 Mountain climber’s aid 26 Winter blanket

27 Clio, Edgar, Hugo, Oscar or Tony 28 April form submitter 29 Heavy horns 30 Hearing visually? 31 Put an ___ (stop) 32 “The Explorer” of kid shows, and a Freud subject 34 Narrow lane between buildings 37 Rebounded sound 40 Acquired by acting quickly 42 All of America’s uncle 43 Economic warfare tactic 45 ___ En-lai 46 Turn bad, as milk 48 Staggers 49 Scratch cue 50 Expression of distaste 51 Predeal chip 52 Wharf 54 Way off yonder 55 Apportion (with “out”) 57 Psychic’s claim to fame 58 Erstwhile airline

lassic Two Word Title Classic, 2006

By Angel Lee alee23@wisc.edu

By Jon Lyons

By Melanie Shibley shibley@wisc.edu

Sports

Wednesday September 19, 2012 DailyCardinal.com

Football

Badgers’ offense looks to bounce back egories rank Nos. 113, 116, 94 and 114 in the nation, respectively. There is no shortage of Despite such significant questions in regards to the struggles and despite the Wisconsin football team’s (2-1) breadth of those struggles, redoffense in the days leading up shirt junior Travis Frederick to Saturday’s non-conference said he feels like the offense finale against Texas-El is making steady progPaso (1-2). ress towards consistent First, of course, production. is who will start at “A lot of people quarterback. Nobody on the outside aren’t Points per budged on that quesgoing to see it, because game by the tion Tuesday, when it comes down to a Wisconsin offensive players and step here or a step offense, which ranks assistants regularly there or where your last in the meet with reporters— hand placement is, but Big Ten though the quarterI do think we played backs were not made a lot better than we available this week. had, obviously minus Average It also remains to the penalties,” said yards per be seen how much Frederick, who himcarry by r e d sh i r t junior self was flagged twice Badger running wide receiver Jared against Utah State. backs Abbrederis will be For the year, UW able to contribute— has averaged just 3.1 if anything—as he rushing yards per recovers from a concussion carry and 4.3 yards per play, suffered in the second quarter but Frederick pointed to a sixagainst Oregon State. Without play, 42-yard drive in the fourth him, UW wide receivers quarter as a sign of where the accounted for just two catches unit is headed. Senior running against Utah State Saturday in back Montee Ball carried the a 16-14 win. ball on all six plays, capping the To have these questions drive off with a 17-yard touchat such important positions down run. could be seen as troublesome “That whole drive was a for the Badgers, considering good gain and a good gain and a the underperformance of the good gain and then it popped,” offense so far this year. Frederick said. “That’s what Wisconsin ranks last in the we’re used to and that’s kind Big Ten in scoring offense (16.3 of what I came into the season points per game), total offense expecting, and it hasn’t been (276 yards per game) and pass- what we’ve had.” ing offense (156.3 yards per game) Redshirt junior tight end Jacob and No. 11 in rushing offense Pedersen echoed the sentiment. (119.7 yards per game). Those cat“When you’re watching film

By Parker Gabriel the daily cardinal

16.3 3.1

Grey Satterfield/the daily cardinal

Redshirt junior Center Travis Frederick and the rest of the Badgers offense will have to make noticeable improvements to get out of the basement of the Big Ten’s statistical department. on that kind of stuff, and you see a play that got made for a two-yard gain and you see that if I would have stayed on my block it would have hit for 50, it kills you,” said Pedersen, who has been held to seven catches for 63 yards so far this year. “We’ve got a ton of plays where, boom, it’s the last guy that makes the play.” While the Badgers have been close to big plays on several occasions, their longest running play of the year was a 20-yard run by junior James White. Ball was held to two yards or less on 9 of his 19 first-

half carries against Utah State before averaging 4.7 yards per carry in the second half.

“A lot of people on the outside aren’t going to see it..., but I do think we played a lot better than we had.” Travis Frederick offensive lineman Wisconsin Badgers

UTEP may provide an opportunity for the UW ground game to get on track. Through three

games, the Miners have given up an average of 215.7 rushing yards per game. It remains to be seen if the Badgers can really be so far off the mark statistically, but still so close to hitting a gold mine of production. However, if big plays are contagious Saturday would be a good time to start, with a trip to Lincoln, Neb. looming beyond UTEP. “I have that mentality every game, but from looking on film and stuff I see the opportunity to make big plays,” Ball said. “I feel like this is going to be a really good game for us.”

Replacement referees costing NFL integrity on the field Vince Huth huth the truth

he NFL’s replacement referees had a gruesome first two weeks of games, but I’m not sure how much blame they really deserve. I think the majority of us knew that football player in high school who went on to play at some Division III school. He was the guy who looked helpless when he went against the Division I prospect who played for a cross-town rival. His chances of success were about as good as someone who spends a night at Mondays hoping to not black out. If you knew that guy, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about when I say the D-I prospect made that guy look—along with a number of other unappealing attributes—slow. Slow and weak. Even if you didn’t know that guy, you probably understand the point I’m trying to make: The difference between D-I and D-III college football players is massive. The difference in speed and complexity between the two levels is overwhelming. So, if the D-III ref-

erees were asked to step in for their D-I superiors, it’s understandable they’d be blown away, incapable of keeping up with a game far more complicated than the one they were accustomed to officiating. That’s what’s happened with the NFL’s replacement referees, except the league has brought the D-III guys through D-I and straight to the NFL. It’s a colossal leap, and it’s evident beyond the calls they might have missed these first two weeks. While I don’t think it’s fair to hold them to the standard of the striking referees, the replacements have certainly embarrassed themselves. Seattle played at Arizona in Week 1. The Seahawks trailed by four during the game’s final minutes, and wide receiver Doug Baldwin was injured on a play that resulted in an incomplete pass. Seattle used its final timeout to tend to Baldwin— something it needed to do under NFL rules. But with 30 seconds left Seattle called for another timeout, and it was granted. The refs wrongfully concluded Seattle’s previous “final” timeout didn’t count because the play’s result naturally stopped the clock. The Seahawks failed to take advantage of their lucky break, how-

ever, and the refs’ mistake fortunately didn’t determine the game’s outcome. Those refs didn’t just make the wrong ruling. They misunderstand one of football’s simplest rules, one that doesn’t require making a judgment call. Perhaps due to the refs’ lack of authority, it’s evident that the players and coaches know they can walk all over the replacements. It appears players are getting into dead ball tussles with each other more frequently than they would if the referees weren’t so inexperienced.

While I don’t think its fair to hold them to the standard of the striking referees, the replacements have certainly embarassed themselves.

Further, Yahoo! reported Eagles running back LeSean McCoy told a Philadelphia radio station, “[The referees are] like fans… One of the refs was talking about his fantasy team, [and said], ‘McCoy, come on, I need you for my fantasy [team].’” Beyond the claims of biased officiating, that kind of behavior shows what kind of position

the replacement refs are in. But despite how obvious it is they’re in over their head, I don’t think we’ll see the striking refs back anytime soon. Scott Van Pelt tweeted on Sunday, “You cannot allow your product to be compromised like this. Period.” I love Scott Van Pelt and would jump off a bridge if he told me to, but I don’t think the NFL will follow his orders quite as easily as me. After all, the ratings haven’t been affected. The ratings are only slightly lower than last season’s, and the NFL drew its second-highest viewership in 2011 since 1989. As long as we continue to watch the games and the owners continue to make money, I don’t see their incentive to come off their current stance with the referees union. The owners had to have known the replacements would struggle when they chose not to negotiate with the striking referees. The owners had to have known the product wouldn’t be the same. If they didn’t give in then, why would they now? The replacement referees will get better as the season goes on, and pretty soon NFL fans will come to accept that they’re here to stay (if they haven’t done so already).

But what if one of the NFL’s elite players gets injured because of the replacement refs? In Sunday’s game between Baltimore and Philadelphia, Eagles quarterback Mike Vick threw a pass off his offensive lineman’s helmet. It bounced backward and hit the ground, resulting in an incomplete pass and dead play. No whistle blew, and the players carried on as though the ball had been fumbled. While the refs eventually blew the play dead, it still got me thinking: What if a player had been injured on that play? I can’t imagine how much criticism the NFL would receive if one of its stars were lost for the season on an extended play like that. What if Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady or Jay Cutler—just kidding, Jay—tore his ACL trying to recover a fumble in that situation? It might be one of the only ways to bring the striking referees back. And if they do come back, you can bet the house that fans will continue to complain about all the bad calls, despite how much better the officiating would be. Do you think the replacement refs have embarassed themselves? When do you think the referee strike will end? Let Vince know at vhuth@dailycardinal.com