Our theme for the week is "Get smarter!" and not just because of arts and entertainment editor Kenneth Burns' happy visit with Alex Trebek and the other denizens of the daytime game show Jeopardy. Burns was the winner on this Monday's episode of the show and a close second on Tuesday's. His winnings have made him the lunch partner of choice around the office.
Yeah, Burns is smart, but, like the rest of us, he could be smarter. And given the current economic climate, a large portion of the population is reconsidering vocational choices. Thus, in this issue, we have Get Smarter, the supplement that accompanies your Isthmus this week. Get Smarter touts continuing education, and to that end it carries a list of institutions offering the same, and a locator map to help you find them.
It also has articles referring to in-demand occupations, classes you didn't suspect were taught, opportunities to get cookin', and where to go to learn about green business practices. In his address to the nation Tuesday night, President Obama recommended that everyone take a class. Get Smarter is a very patriotic thing to do.
And we're not done with getting smarter. Debuting in this issue is "Tell All," an advice column for the 21st century that replaces the venerable Mr. Right. (I received a letter from an anonymous reader, signed "Left Hanging," who wants to know "where Mr. Right's going, why he's leaving, and what he's going to do." The answers are, in order: nowhere, the economy, writing for national pubs, maybe a book.)
"Tell All" will be like Mr. Right but more Madison-oriented, according to the mystery author(s) of the column. (I swear, it's not me!) Its weekly installments will deal with love, sex, relationships and aspects of life in this city. If you have a question regarding those areas of interest, or any area of interest, address it to Tell All, c/o Isthmus, 101 King St., Madison, WI 53703 or tellall@isthmus.com. You'll be the smarter for it.