Vlogging from Branson, MO (Pt. 2)

Committee Approves Land Sale

Resolution 080183 was brought forward to authorize a land sale of approximately 7.8 acres in the Menomonee Valley to Charter Wire for their future relocation.

Residents of Janesville Flock to Milwaukee and Chicago

The title of this post is purely fiction at this point, but is what this writer believes should happen.

Guyshouse 48 Hr Film Project Fundraiser Party

Maybe it’s because his website has 2 logos and doesn’t really link to anywhere. www.guyshouse.com Or maybe it’s because his film production plan consists of $5 keg parties and throwing friends behind and in front of cameras but Guyhouse film happenings seem to capture everything good about punk rocker, renegade indie films. Want proof? Go to their fundraiser for the 48 Hr Film Project: Sat 6/14 Movie Night Kegger 2930a Booth Street Riverwest Click Here For Movie Night Kegger Info As Ever, Howie REEL Milwaukee

The mayor and the cowboy

Branson was absurdly hot and sunny today, and it is absurd that we are still awake; I think we’re pushing 36 hours at this point. Even more absurdly, I haven’t had any coffee since breakfast: We spent the early afternoon browsing historic downtown Branson, which is lined with flea markets, antique rummage stores, “bazaars,” diners and a few out of place boutiques, including a five-and-dime that claims to be “just like the old times,” shown here in this ridiculous portrait: After a beer at Waxy O’Shea’s (which sounds like a hiccup from a computerized generic-Irish-bar-name generator) we cruised the 76, Branson’s strip of country gospel barns, mini golf courses and kitschy museums, on our way to Celebration City, a picturesque amusement park replete with fountains, bumper cars, an arcade and doo-wop music. Where, among other very important and interesting things, we rode a killer wooden coaster, saw a performance by some Ultimate Dogs (who were adorable, but mostly just good at catching frisbees), and MET THE MAYOR OF BRANSON, the lovely Raeanne Presley. Lovely, who are we kidding? She is a total babe, and very charming, and has a gorgeous accent, and is well dressed. Okay, I’ll admit it: it’s love. Mayor Presley, by the way, is the wife of one of the members of the Presleys’ Country Jubilee, Branson’s original live show and the family dynasty that has made Branson into the live country music capital of the world. Suspicious, disingenuous or just plain confusing? Maybe it would be … anywhere but here. As we were driving home, the blaring sun finally sinking and the ice cream parlors all shutting down for the night, I saw what looked like a real (and really stunning) Missourah cowboy cross the street in muddy jeans, a white shirt and the sassy cowboy hats I keep seeing for sale on the street (which, by the way, look terrific on me): We shared a glance and my heart fluttered. Branson, I might be wrong, but against my more pedestrian expectations, you might be out for my heart.

No day but today

We just woke up after about 12 hours of much-needed sleep. Today holds the following promises: Yakov Smirnoff: Shoji Tabuchi: A visit to Rocky’s, where Branson’s “young up-and-comers” go for fun on Friday nights, and finding a liquor store so we can take part in some good, honest, down-to-business vice: You’ll be hearing from us (we might even go out and find ourselves a firewire cable so we can share the 60 minutes plus of uproarious video we’ve been shooting, mostly in the middle of the night when we are delirious). If I had my way we’d go to the lake today and sit quietly and come to terms with things, but Matt wants today to be funnier than yesterday. Also, it’s supposed to storm.

Friday Photos Friday, 06. June 2008

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Say cheese

We thought about turning around in Rockford, mostly because neither of us could really grasp the concept of driving to Branson, Missouri in the middle of the night for no good reason, but we prevailed. I drank liters of coffee and Matt consumed an entire four-pack of Red Bull. (He also picked up some really inadvisable “energy spray” at a gas station in southern Illinois.) St. Louis came and went in a heartbeat. The sunrise chased us through the low, rolling hills of lower Missouri. And here we are in muggy, disarming Branson, where breakfast is fast and cheap, the views are idyllic, and Yakov Smirnoff has his own theater. We’ve been up for almost 24 hours straight, but hey! Our hotel has an amazing view of Lake Taneycomo and we were greeted with a plate of cheese, fruit and crackers and a bottle of San Pellegino. Branson is onto something. Decked out in our magazine-insider finest (huge glasses, dark clothing), we’re about to grab a drink, naturally. Pictures, videos and hilarious exploits are to come (we have to find someplace in this sleepy outpost to find USB cables), so keep checking the site as we stumble around wondering what exactly it is we think we’re doing here.

Committtee Approves North End’s Job Training Plan

Dick Lincoln from the Mandel Group presented resolution 071618 which is the job training program portion of The North End development that receives funding from TIF No. 48. He explained that it would be “a little bit different than traditional workforce development” in that in focuses more on mentoring and coaching of emerging businesses to “take them to the next level.” Specifically, the program will help emerging business develop business and management skills so these firms can enter into larger contracts and participate in The North End project. This resolution was approved by the committee and will go before the full Common Council. Resolution 080209 changed the operating plan and structure of Business Improvement District No. 41 which represents the Downer Avenue business district. The changes would enlarged the board from five to seven members and it would adjust various line items within the proposed operating plan to allow the BID greater flexibility in their future operations. Although this resolution seems inoucous enough it gives the appearance as though these changes are connected to New Lan Enterprises’ controvsional re-development efforts on Downer Avenue. It appears this way because while Alderman Nik Kovac has worked to expand BID No. 41 both Boris Gokhman and Joel Lee have had their appointments to BID No. 41 held in committee. This resolution was approved by the committee and will go before the full Common Council.

The Girl in the Frame

What would life be like with the perfect partner, romance, or relationship? Exploring all these possibilities, Jeremy Desmon’s 2003 play The Girl in the Frame closes In Tandem Theatre’s season. This tribute to the romantic ideal focuses on the seldom-realized fatal discrepancies to these overrated dreams. The Girl in the Frame intersperses musical numbers throughout the two acts while centering on the faltering relationship between Alex and Laney, two 30-somethings who have been engaged for four long years. Alex, who seemingly unemployed waits for executive-on-overdrive Laney to return every evening, begins to imagine another person in their home, a beautiful girl in one of those stock images from the picture frame he gives Laney as a gift on their anniversary. He dreams about her while once again Laney catches a flight overseas to straighten out a business deal gone awry. To Alex’s surprise, a very real girl sashays through his bathroom door that evening. This is the girl in a white dress, whom he names Evelyn, that lived mid-twirl inside the picture frame and begins to fulfill his every need, including cooking chicken Florentine and chocolate mousse for dinner. When Laney returns home from her European business trip she discovers Alex and Evelyn, this figment of her fiancés imagination, replacing her in the bedroom. So she conjures her own fantasy fireman, Tomas. For a short time, the four live in unimaginable bliss, everyone’s dream a reality. But the dreams begin to fade over time, which allows Laney and Alex to discover a fitting end to their dueling dilemmas through humor and love. An entertaining evening full of many delightful moments, The Girl in the Frame fills the stage with touches of truth. What woman would refuse to imagine or flirt with the idea of a sensuous sculpted fireman who cleans, cooks and carries your favorite flowers to your arms every evening? The play’s musical score occasionally obscures the story, but the twisted duet between Tomas and Evelyn, “What Would You Do,” describes the traumas of remaining ever perfect with precise timing. Courtney Jones as Evelyn and Travis A. Knight as Tomas, both newcomers to In Tandem, capture these faultless ideals and the essence of their roles. Knight charges the stage, incredibly versatile, visually enhancing the capable sexy fireman that rescues Laney from routine as he fans the flame of her every desire. Alison Mary Forbes as Laney and Simon Jon Proven as Alex both revel in developing their fantasy relationships, although Alex’s character in the script could be more developed. But together the four create chemistry on stage, giving the play’s premise a credibility the audience embraces even if the set could use a sophisticated tweaking to brighten the scenes. Anne Von Deusen deserves special applause as the piano accompanist throughout the performance. When the enjoyment and laughter of the evening recedes, the production grapples with several questions regarding the expectations of romance and relationships, especially over long time spans. The disillusioned Laney admits in one scene, “Sometimes you outgrow […]

The Big Dog Proved to be an Albatross

It’s over. Sooner or later, Hillary Clinton will suspend her campaign and throw her support behind Barack Obama. And when she does, it will be fairly obvious that a major part of her campaign’s failure was due to our nation’s 42nd president. Certainly, Bill Clinton’s efforts on her behalf left room for improvement though few would have predicted it would be so. President Clinton is widely perceived as the Democratic Party’s most effective campaigner in recent history. But, his missteps and flubs in support of Hillary’s campaign suggest that he ain’t so hot at being second fiddle. It may infuriate Hillary supporters that Bill proved to be such a liability but the irony is indisputable. Some who knew her in college and law school saw a remarkable woman with the potential to rise to the highest level of leadership. She spent decades holding her personal ambitions in check while assisting with his exceptional rise to power and she redefined the role of a political spouse. His ultimate retirement from the White House gave her a unique platform to launch her own political career. Yet this path proved to have its downside. Bill Clinton left office extraordinarily popular at home and abroad. But his years as president are not remembered nostalgically by everyone. You have to go back to FDR to find a Democrat who angered Republicans to the extent that Bill Clinton did. And, of course, the personal failings that, rightly or wrongly, lead to his impeachment were an embarrassment and disappointment to many Americans regardless of party. Clinton loyalists will argue that it is unfair to hang his difficulties, real and perceived, on Hillary. But how could you not? One of George W. Bush’s first acts as president was to completely renovate the Oval Office. The implication was that the shenanigans of the previous occupant required a housecleaning of epic proportions. Unfortunately, his legacy left a metaphorical stain on his wife’s presidential aspirations that proved fatal. But this should not be viewed as Hillary Clinton’s obituary. She has twice won election as New York’s junior senator and she has proved to be an effective and accomplished legislator. With the Democrats in charge of Congress and, hopefully, occupying the White House, Hillary Clinton should play a critical role to enact the policies she believes in. Many of her supporters, craving a woman president, feel this may have been the last, best chance they are likely to see in their lifetimes. But there are many, many women in the leadership pipeline and the taboo of a president in a pantsuit has been broken. Nancy Pelosi and Condoleeza Rice are among the top officeholders to ascend to the presidency should something happen to Bush and Cheney and both presidential candidates are expected to consider women as running mates. Women who established their political careers, at least partly, in the wake of their husband’s success often have asterisks attached to their legacies. Hillary Clinton has already demonstrated her exceptional talents in government and […]

Public Works Committee Considers Vehicle Registration Feed

This special committee meeting was scheduled to discuss resolution 080034. It was brought forward by Alderman Robert Bauman, Alderman Bob Donovan, Alderman Wille Wade and, Alderman Willie Hines Jr. and proposed replacing large assessments on property owners to pay for road repaid projects with a $20 vehicular registration fee. Alderman Bauman laid out the three principal goals for this resolution which included improving the infrastructure of the City of Milwaukee, diversifying the City of Milwaukee’s revenue streams and to bring fairness in the assessment process. Specifically this resolution would move $3.5 million in special assessments costs and approximately $3.1 million in property taxes on to the vehicle registration fee. It was pointed out that many suburban commuters and absentee land lords utilize City of Milwaukee roads and although this resolution was held it clearly has merits in that it attempts to find a more equitable distribution of the expense of road construction.