Weekly Bookmarks – Monday, 27. October 2008
Switchboard, from NRDC › Josh Mogerman’s Blog › Fish Fence Failure: How the Guard, Corps, and EPA are failing to protect the Great Lakes OnMilwaukee.com Politics: State sets sights on rebuilding the Zoo Interchange MilwaukeeWorld: STATE 51%; FEDS 49% IN MARQUETTE PROJECT FINAL COST TALLY JS Online: Mayor Barrett opposes referendum on mandatory paid sick leave JS Online: City unveils federal solar power initiative JS Online: Forecast predicts further drop in commercial, residential activity JS Online: DOT weighs super-sizing interchange JS Online: Wisconsin job loss figures show biggest year-to-year drop since 2004 JS Online: Foreclosure rate in state still below U.S. average State issues RFP for sale/redevelopment of DNR’s King Drive office building – Small Business Times Milwaukee area office space posts negative absorption – Small Business Times Aloft hotel developers may be close to obtaining financing – Small Business Times High end spa operator announced for Palomar development – Small Business Times JS Online: Crowds protest budget plan
Oct 26th, 2008 by Dave Reid
Blatz Market & Liquor Depot
Blatz Market & Liquor Depot, located in the former Blatz brewery on Broadway, isn't your regular liquor store.
Oct 26th, 2008 by Jeramey Jannene
Friday Photos Friday, 24. October 2008
Kane Commons The North End Breakwater Condos The Edge Park Lafayette
Oct 24th, 2008 by Dave Reid
Mlwaukee Film Launches To A Packed House! Go Milwaukee Film Go
The Milwaukee Show Launches Successfully “I Want You to Know” wins Jury Award, “The Waiting Room” wins Audience Award MILWAUKEE (October 24, 2008) — Nearly 600 people attended last night’s inaugural program of Milwaukee Film. The Milwaukee Show, announced the award winners at the Discovery World – Pilot House last night to a packed house of filmmakers and attendees. The Milwaukee Show Jury Award Winner: “I Want You To Know” Directed, produced and edited by Derek Kimball Written and produced by Matthew Konkel A bated tension and quiet disclosure provides the milieu for this father and son camping narrative about reserved honesty and stunted youth. The Milwaukee Show Audience Award Winner: “The Waiting Room” Directed by Tate Bunker Produced by Mark Metcalf Written by Emily Downes In a room full of strangers, people come and they go…while a young woman waits. Filmmakers Derek Kimball and Matthew Konkel were awarded the first ever Jury Award prize, a $20,000 filmmaking production package to help them shoot their next short on film. Milwaukee Film’s next event is the much anticipated Milwaukee premiere of “Song Sung Blue” on Thursday, November 6 at 7:15pm at the Oriental Theatre. The multiple award winning “Song Sung Blue” goes backstage into the personal lives of Lightning & Thunder, a Milwaukee-area husband and wife singing duo who pay tribute to the music of Neil Diamond. Over several hundred tickets have already been sold for this one time only screening; please buy your tickets in advance to guarantee a seat. Tickets are available at the Landmark Oriental Theatre box office 4-10 p.m., Monday to Thursday; noon-10 p.m., Friday to Sunday.
Oct 24th, 2008 by Howie Goldklang
Wisconsin as a battlegound
Lots of people are assuming that Barack Obama has wrapped up Wisconsin. Certainly the polls suggest that Obama has a safe lead here and the fact that the Republican Party has stopped spending money on television ads here reinforce that impression. But, as we all know, the only poll that matters is the one on Election Day and we really don’t know how this will end. With that in mind, I call your attention to a video developed by the Washington Post capturing some of the diverse opinions and attitudes here in Wisconsin. It’s more than eight minutes long but I think you’ll find it as captivating as I did. The focus is on race and whether it will confound the results predicted by the polls. What I found most compelling about this video was the broad disparity of beliefs and attitudes across our state. Not that it should come as a surprise but it still makes your jaw drop. So, in a democracy, anything can happen when people go and vote. That’s why our system of government is so attractive and so difficult. You have to pay attention and take action. And that’s why that other guy from Illinois who ran for president called our country “the last, best hope of earth.” Lincoln’s words, quoted out of context, seem to reek of nationalistic hubris. But when you read the text of Lincoln’s speeches, especially the greatest one of all, his Second Inaugural Address, you can’t help but sense his humility and respect for every individual, friend or foe. “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.” I mean does it get any better than that? Roger Johnson in The New Statesman, draws an interesting contrast between the evocation of Lincoln’s words in Obama’s speeches and the repeated references to Ronald Reagan by John McCain and Sarah Palin. Kind of makes you think. And then there’s this analysis of Lincoln by Jean Bethke Elshtain of the University of Chicago from 2002. Check out this concluding passage: More than a hundred years later, there is no point in hoping for another Abraham Lincoln. But one may hope that we have not entirely forgotten the possibilities of political and moral leadership that he exemplified. Wow. From 2002! So, remember, it’s a democracy. Who do you want as your president? And, finally, here’s a little comic relief. Washington Post cartoonist Tom Toles has a little fun with the McCain campaign’s use of robocalls. Only 11 days left. Make sure you vote.
Oct 24th, 2008 by Ted Bobrow
Imagine a More Just Milwaukee
Go ahead. Take a few seconds and give it some thought. If you had a magic wand and could do anything you wanted, how would you change Milwaukee to make it a better place to live, work and raise a family? Better schools? More jobs? Improved transit? More statues of fictional characters? We all have our ideas about how to improve our city. We talk about it all the time. And that’s okay. It’s good to talk about things we care about. But you know what? Just talking about it isn’t going to change a damn thing. We’d all like to think that simply voting on Election Day and paying our taxes will be enough to insure that all of our community’s needs are taken care of. Well I’ve got news for you. It ain’t. So do something. Anything. Want to see better schools but don’t know where to start? Confused by all the news reports that say MPS schools are underfunded or riddled with waste? Here’s an idea. Wherever you live, there’s a school near by. Stop by or call and get contact information for the PTA (that’s Parent Teacher Association for those of you who just arrived on this planet). Chances are they’ll have an idea or two about what you can do to help. Mentor a student. Help raise some money. Donate some materials. Whatever. You’ll be doing something concrete and you’ll feel better for it. Need other ideas? Visit Volunteer Milwaukee and look at all the local opportunities to make a difference. Don’t want to do it alone? Well here’s a suggestion. MICAH is holding its annual public meeting tonight to recruit members and solicit ideas about improving our community. MICAH stands for Milwaukee Innercity Congregations Allied for Hope. It’s a whole bunch of folks who believe that God helps those who help themselves. Yes it’s a faith-based organization but it’s open to everyone who cares about our city. Are you tired of religion being used as a cudgel of intolerance and divisiveness? Come and see how people of all faiths can join together to do something constructive. After all, whatever you believe, you gotta believe there’s strength in numbers. So check out MICAH’s public meeting tonight at 6 pm at St. Adalbert Catholic Church, 1923 W. Becher Street. As they used to say, “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.” It’s really that simple.
Oct 23rd, 2008 by Ted Bobrow
Development Committee Hears Southeast Side Area Plan
The Southeast Side Area Comprehensive Plan was presented for approval by the Department of City Development. It included site specific recommendations for each district based on smart growth principals such as promoting dense mixed use projects that preserve the unique character and qualities of the neighborhood. District plans were laid out for the Port of Milwaukee District, Kinnickinnic River District, Bay View District, South of Morgan, General Mitchell International Airport, Airport Gateway Area and the Airport Neighborhoods.
Oct 22nd, 2008 by Dave Reid
Sludge Suckers
Early this morning, the day after the third Presidential debate, my phone rang. On the other end an aggressive recorded voice, informed me that Obama consorts with terrorists, i.e. Bill Ayers. The voice did not identify itself as being aligned with any particular group. I slammed down the phone in disgust. How much lower can we sink into this cesspool of crap? Years ago when I lived in a suburban tri-level, our sewage system consisted of a septic tank dug into the side of our yard. I’d never dealt with one before, but it wasn’t long until I had to, and I soon learned that the Honey Wagon that came around each month didn’t sell honey. No indeed. What it did was suck out the stinking contents filling the concrete receptacle.When the lid was lifted you could smell the shit all over the leafy confines of our block. The guy who serviced the shit removal, inserted a long hose into the tank, flipped a switch, and voila, the gunk disappeared into the bowels of his truck which hauled it off to god knows where. What disemboweled voices spewing shit need, is a long hose stuck down their throats. I envision it as a snake-like device that clamps onto their rotten mouths and then works its way into their intestinal tract. Not once in this arduous political race have I ever received a call from an Obama supporter that was anything less than polite. Don’t try calling me again whoever (or whatever) you are.
Oct 22nd, 2008 by Stella Cretek
Rabbit Hole
The Milwaukee Chamber Theater has made a commitment to producing a Pulitzer-prize winning play every season for the next five years. Rabbit Hole, written by David Lindsay-Abaire, won the Pulitzer Prize in 2007 for Drama and is the second production in this endeavor. It is the achingly sweet, heart-rendingly bitter story of a family, the Corbetts, dealing with the loss of a child, and the ways in which they come together and pull apart as they grieve and begin to heal. Rabbit Hole is an intimate production: the entire play takes place in the Corbett house, and there are only five characters in the cast. Howie and Becca Corbett (played by Steven Koehler and Jacque Troy) are dealing with the death of their four-year-old son, Danny. Becca’s sister Izzy (Katheryn Bilbo) and mother Nat (Jan Rogge) offer a head-on approach to dealing with Becca’s loss. The cast is rounded out by David Bohn in the role of Jason, the teenage driver responsible for Danny’s death. Becca is the star of the show. Troy brings a completely believable level of restrained neurosis to the role as she navigates her younger sister’s pregnancy, her mother’s clumsy attempts to provide comfort and a house full of memories. Howie finds solace in a support group of other parents that have lost children and absents himself from the house for long periods. He cannot understand why Becca isn’t as comforted by the group as he is, and their different grieving processes create rising tension between them. Koehler is perfect as the frustrated Howie, trying to be supportive to a wife in a very different emotional space than he, but becoming increasingly frustrated by their growing distance. Bohn is note-perfect as the self-centered but emotionally connected teenager responsible for Danny’s death. His attempts to set things right with the Corbetts is a study in doing the right thing for the right reasons and still managing not to do it all correctly. Bilbo and Rogge are welcome relief from the seriousness of Howie and Becca’s relationship, giving the whole play a lighter touch than most dealing with death. Since the entire production takes place in one space, the stage at the Cabot Theater is divided into distinct areas, accomplished quite well by using a bent backdrop and multiple levels of action. The entire production has an intimate feel despite the grandiose surroundings. Rabbit Hole will make you laugh and cry. It is a touching story that is performed and delivered with remarkable sensitivity and realism. We should all hope that we could deal with a tragedy as well as Lindsay-Abaire portrays, despite the dark times that Becca and Howie go through. VS The production runs through November 2 at the Cabot Theater. 414-291-7800 or milwaukeechambertheatre.com.
Oct 22nd, 2008 by Ryan Findley
How I Learned to Love the Lunatics)
The lunatic fringe right wing of America is eating itself alive, and frankly, it’s cracking me up. Whether it’s the old lady claiming Obama’s an “Arab” (because suddenly there’s something wrong with that), crowds in Minnesota booing McCain when he insists no one should fear an Obama presidency, or–for fuck’s sake–a Republican Congresswoman from Minnesota calling for investigations of her colleagues for “Un-American views,” the nutter contingent has gone completely around the bend, and as Obama extends his lead, their heads are this much closer to exploding, Scanners-style. Many of my friends have expressed all sorts of rage and disgust at the long-simmering ugliness that is bubbling to the surface these days, but me? I can’t help but laugh. What else can you do but laugh? This ugliness has been there for the last eight years, or at least since September 11. It’s easy to hide racism and fear-mongering behind faux patriotism and demands for “security” when you feel like your team is solidly on the winning end (to say nothing about the sad state of affairs in America when people are more concerned with whether their team wins than with what’s best for America). But the Republicans’ politics of fear are finally being exposed with the ascent of their worst nightmare–a Black candidate with a foreign-sounding name who actually might live in the White House in 2009. HOLY SHIT, IT’S THE END TIMES! SAVE ME, JEEBUS! The frayed ends of sanity exposed themselves perhaps the most nakedly while my band was out on the East Coast, driving in deep blue Maryland and Washington, DC. When you run out of stand-up on the iPod and get sick of the music you brought along, a surefire way to stay awake in the van is to listen to conservative talk radio (back when i went to work at 9, i’d listen to Charlie Sykes on my drive downtown. Laughing at the radio is better than coffee! Really!). And lemme tellya, if you think the right-wing loonies on the radio here in Milwaukee are off the chain, you should see how bonkers they’ve gone in states where the polling’s never been close. One dude we listened to in the Baltimore market went into a commercial break saying “i really wish the mainstream media would take a closer look at where Obama’s money is coming from, because i’m convinced a good chunk of it is coming from the Middle East.” …Really? Look, the average donation sent to the Obama campaign may be $86, but even that’s a little beyond the means of the working-class Al Qaeda grunt, isn’t it? Where’s the proof, Cowboy? Watching the nutters implode, i can’t help but wonder about the effect it’s having on rational swing voters. Do you think, on the insane chance that there are still SOME people in America that haven’t decided whom to vote for yet, they look at these McCain/Palin hate rallies and react like when the earth found out that the aliens in the […]
Oct 22nd, 2008 by DJ Hostettler
A Dead Rodent Plus Two Carrots
What’s small and elegant and depicts a rodent, and in another work, two carrots? I first saw these paintings by the late John Wilde (1919-2006), at the Tory Folliard Gallery. Sandwiched between another Wilde (a green pepper), the terrific surrealist trio knocked me out. Let’s start with the painting of the rodent, and beyond that, an obviously dead rodent. It’s one of the finest paintings I’ve ever viewed, bar none. But why depict decay? Why not depict the firmness of living flesh? Wilde seldom settled for the ordinary, which isn’t to say he slacked off while producing his juicy Cucumber Regal, a small Silverpoint and wash. Magic Realism is tricky. It often takes us where angels fear to tread. Wilde wasn’t afraid to go there. Microtus Pennsylvanicus, 2003, Oil on Canvas Mounted on Panel. 6 x 8” So here rests the rodent, memorialized in oil on canvas. Microtus Pennsylvanicus is, at 6 x 8 inches, charmingly small. There’s no trap in sight, no traces of poison, and not a drop of blood anywhere. The bundle of raggedy white fur appears to have dropped in its tracks, weary (I’m imagining here) of living the rodent life, or more properly, the life of a meadow vole, which is what Microtus Pennsylvanicus is. Burrowed under ground, the vole is the food of foxes and fowl. On the other hand, the lowly vole enjoys decimating vegetable gardens. Untitled (Two Carrots), memorializes a duo of carrots entwined. They’ve obviously lost the garden-freshness of their youthful days, the days when their leafy heads poked above the earth while they waited to be snatched and eaten. Now they resemble worn-out lovers lacking the will to go forward, their best days behind them. Untitled (Two Carrots), 2003, Oil on Panel, 6 x 10” Do yourself a favor. Go to Folliard Gallery and ask to see their full selection of Wilde’s work.
Oct 22nd, 2008 by Stella Cretek
Aloft Hotel Project Gains Momentum
Despite delays, alterations, and setbacks the 160-room Aloft hotel project has finally started to overcome some of these hurdles.
Oct 21st, 2008 by Dave Reid
