What can you find in this week's Isthmus? Highlights from the latest issue follow:
- Ann Grauvogl gets up close and personal with Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker of the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
- Watchdog: A report on a housing issue of incomprehensible concern to the guy who writes Watchdog.
- Jay Rath reports on a deepening of neighborhood support for the Madison Landmarks Commission.
- Ruth Conniff digs into the devious hidden conspiracies behind last week's snowstorm.
- Joe Tarr reports on the south-side statue a cop torched 23 years ago, and the work of sculptor Djam Vivie who's paying tribute.
- David Medaris talks to Madison photographer Lewis Koch about his new book Touchless Automatic Wonder.
- Jessica Steinhoff grooves to the violin music of Randal Harrison, whose "Bach in a Backpack" concert series is a morning coffee house pick-me-up.
- Rich Albertoni profiles Male, the eclectic Chicago act performing at the Project Lodge.
- Dean Robbins notes that Kyra Sedgwick in The Closer on TNT is as hammy as ever.
- Marc Savlov is wowed by James Cameron's Avatar, a dazzling science fiction epic with chick-flick overtones, and Marjorie Baumgarten says Precious takes an unstinting look at pain and abuse.
- Lind Falkenstein reports that Middleton now has a casual Korean bistro with K Peppers at Cayuga Court.
- Terese Allen totes up the best in local food reading over 2009.
- Tell All analyzes State Street's holiday windows.