Chomp!

A friend of mine is a stay-at-home mom to a four-year-old and a two-year-old. Her days are full of the minute-to-minute care of little ones, the way mine was just a few years ago. Most mornings, we enjoy 15 minutes on the phone while I drive to school and she makes breakfast for the kids. If you’ve ever had a conversation with someone in her position, you know that there are frequent interruptions. Usually, it’s a minor thing. The four-year-old asks for a drink of water or the two-year-old gets a bonk on the head. The other day, though, I heard through the phone an unmistakable high-pitched shriek from the four-year-old. That particular sound can only mean one thing: the child has been bitten. I’ve never heard of a toddler who hasn’t bitten someone at least a few times, and I can’t think of a single parent who doesn’t react strongly to biting. It’s a hot button for adults. When your child gets bitten, you want to take down the biter! And when your child has sunk her pearly whites into another, it’s even worse. Because biting seems to be a constant of early childhood, it’s important to look at what motivates little ones to clamp down so the behavior can be corrected as quickly as possible. I think what makes adults so angry about biting is the same thing that causes it – it’s a very animal thing to do. Despite the fact that toddlers are small people, they are also very animal. Those instincts have not yet been replaced with more socially acceptable behaviors. The biggest thing we do as parents is guide our children through their first 18 years, raising compassionate, empathetic adults who can feel the difference between right and wrong in their hearts. Most of us know this starts at birth. We interact with our babies in ways that affirm “people skills.” We are delighted when the baby smiles at us; we videotape those first laughs. We teach please, thank you and you’re welcome by example, and then by reminding. As adults, we have to remember the reason toddlers bite and work from there. Most young children bite because they don’t have the words to express their feelings. They have all the same emotions that you and I do, with the same intensity. But they don’t have any way to talk about it. So those feelings well up, just building up inside the chest of the toddler, and they have to be let out! The question for the parent is how to bring a swift and sure end to biting before it really takes hold. It seems best to immediately employ a strategy that combines lessons of empathy and vocabulary. Empathy is largely learned, and it’s important to start early. When your child hurts another through biting (or hitting, pushing, or any other wonderful, typical toddler interaction), it is important to point out the other child’s pain. It’s also important to be honest about the […]

Knowledge is power- at any age

Out like a lion

Where have I been? I’m so glad you asked. Painting the town red I’ve been to the Old German Beer Hall (once on my birthday, for shots on skis and that hammer/stump game; again, days later, after the Scarring Party show at Turner Hall with Brent Gohde and Matt Wild, where I ran into a bunch of guys I sort of knew in college) and I’ve seen bar time at the County Clare, BBC, Roots, the Riverhorse and Walter’s. On St. Patrick’s Day I drank gin and tonics with some financiers at the Hi-Hat and lost my wallet not once but twice – first at the Landmark, then at the Nomad (I got it back the first time, but lightning never strikes the same place. Milwaukee bartenders and bouncers, beware; that pretty girl with the dubious Michigan driver’s license is SO not for real.) I’ve sidled up at Foundation with Captain Rick and Eddie Kilowatt and I’ve hunkered down at The Social , Coppola zinfandel precariously in hand, to get the inside story on Milwaukee film culture (and other less serious subjects) from scenesters like Andrew Swant and Bobby Ciraldo of Special Entertainment and Milwaukee’s own Mark Metcalf, who told me how he drove from Ann Arbor to Detroit in 1967 to see the riots — while he was on mescaline. Seeing shows I’ve been spending a lot of time at the Echo Base Collective down in the factory district, which on the basis of my three visits I’ve inferred is ALWAYS a good time, regardless of whether it is packed with hundreds of people watching an Israeli punk band light themselves on fire or attended by two dozen high school kids watching their friends jump up and down on a beat-up crash cymbal. Dave Casillo (the brains AND the brawn behind the organization) brings in shit-crazy local and underground bands (think Geocash, We’rewolves, Cougar Den) and some folksy, understated operations (like the soft-psychedelia of Minneapolis’ Daughters of the Sun). He also fixes up bikes for kids. This was the first place I thought to seek shelter during that terrible Friday snowstorm when my car was buried in high, desperate drifts, and I was comforted with beers, a puppy, terrific music and a couch on which to crash. There’s also been the typical noise issuing forth from the Bermuda Triangle of the Pabst/Riverside/Turner – the aforementioned Scarring Party CD release show at Turner Hall, the champagne-brunch-appropriate Pink Martini at the Pabst two days later, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks (that was the show where PR maven Cecilia Hrobsky crab-walked across the floor of the Cudahy Pub to score a tote bag) – and just last night, Swedish pop crooner Jens Lekman with his honey-voiced tales of love, woe, excitement and incredible beauty. Hiding away I house-sat in Wauwatosa and stayed in all weekend playing waltzes on my accordion, drinking tea and cuddling with an elderly schnauzer, leaving only for a well-documented trip to Rooter’s with Matt Wild, Chinese take-out on […]

Vote As If Your Life Depended On It

Yes, we all have the right to stay home and not vote. That doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. Yes, elections are messy, aggravating, distasteful affairs. But the brains in our head (the gray matter, if you will) give us the capacity to evaluate the candidates and make an informed decision. Yes, there is an incredibly important presidential election this year that seems to be sucking the oxygen out of the multitude of local contests here in Wisconsin and elsewhere. But the truth is that your vote for Wisconsin Supreme Court justice may be the most important one you cast this year. Look, I know that the deluge of manipulative, offensive ads run by so-called independent third party groups make it difficult not to turn your back on the whole unseemly process and wish a pox on both of their houses. But there is a reason these organizations with deep pockets are spending so lavishly on this race. It really matters. Just imagine if we held a national vote to elect a justice to the Supreme Court of the United States. The airwaves would be bursting with provocative ads trying to convince us of the relative merit (or, more likely, the scandalous past) of one candidate or the other. Could you possibly decide to ignore the process and stay home on Election Day? So I urge you to approach Tuesday’s election as if your life depended on it. By that I mean you should do what you would do if you learned you have a serious illness and had an important decision to make about your care. You would go online and research your options. You would seek out experts with the knowledge and experience that could provide you with valuable information to help with the decision. And you would talk to your friends whose opinions you respect. Time is short. Do your due diligence and vote tomorrow. I think the choice is clear. Justice Louis Butler is an intelligent, accomplished, respected, ethical jurist who has the support of an overwhelming majority of his fellow judges. His opponent, Mike Gableman, has been a judge for a fraction of the time Justice Butler has and has engaged in the kind of sleazy campaign that is so antithetical to our notion of a respected and thoughtful judiciary. But don’t take my word for it. Visit the candidates’ own websites, see how the campaign has been covered by the state (and the nation’s) media, and talk to people. Can’t we all please agree that elections are important and that all of our votes matter? Do I need to remind you of that drawn out debacle 8 years ago in Florida when the term “hanging chad” entered our nation’s vernacular? So vote. I don’t want to hear any excuses.

A graceful duet

The stomach twists into a knot, the palms springs tiny beads of sweat, and the heart flutters. These are the agonizing symptoms of performance in a piano recital, and they may occur as well in an anxious audience, holding its collective breath, waiting for every note to sound clearly and correctly. Yet PianoArts, a Milwaukee organization that hosts their own Biennial National Piano Competition, seeks to alleviate these physical feelings of insecurity and replace them with confidence. This year the PianoArts 2008 National Piano Competition runs from June 19 through June 24. Twelve chosen semifinalists will compete to be selected as one of three finalists; three finalists then perform with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in conjunction with Andrew Sill, musical director for PianoArts. The elite standards that PianoArts asks of these youths, from ages 15 to 19, includes speaking to the judges about their music, why they selected their piece and what these musical movements mean to them. The finalists perform a duet involving cello or violin as well as an entire concerto with the MSO, conducted by Sill. They are also asked to perform a solo to further elevate the level of competition. But before any of this happens, members of the PianoArts faculty use two days of the week before the final recital to help each of the semifinalists perfect their performance skills. This is critical to the competition, as the mission of PianoArts, slightly simplified, is to “develop innovative ways to foster appreciation and performance of classical music… through identifying and training America’s future concert artists.” This literally means that as every semifinalist practices on the piano, they concurrently study how to move on stage, present themselves to the public and make connections with an audience when they discuss their music. Sue Medford, manager and a co-founder of the PianoArts Competition in 1999, explains this unique aspect of their competition. “Today’s audiences like to be brought into the experience; they like to connect with the people on stage.” Her enthusiasm for their commitment shows as she continues. “Classical music is a form of true art, reflecting what we are as a culture, and the performing artist, the pianist, must bring that concept to life and to the audience.” After the competition concludes, first and second place winners (with prizes of $8,000 and $5,000, respectively) return for artist-in-residence programs that allow them to practice their skills on an on-going basis. PianoArts professionals mentor these award winners by encouraging them in their continuing musical education, often at prestigious college programs, offering fine-tuning and support for their performance schedules. A typical artist-in-residence pianist may be in the city from three days to three weeks, contributing to educational programs and family concerts. This enhances not only the pianist’s abilities, but provides opportunities to enrich elementary-age students with classical music. These outreach programs also help develop future audiences for symphonies and concert venues, not only in Milwaukee, but throughout the nation. The PianoArts winners travel worldwide to promote the prevailing mission of […]

Hula Hoop Sha-Boop

When I was in grade school, some of the biggest hits on pop radio spoke of paternity suits, what it was like to be a virgin “touched for the very first time” and the sound of doves crying. By the time I got to high school, pop radio was openly dealing with sex, anatomy and human aggression. It’s difficult for someone who grew-up in the 1980s and early 1990s to understand that there was a time when the pop music hit parade was overwhelmingly innocent. Aside from a few dark songs like “Mack The Knife” (a song about murder), most of the music on the pop charts back then were the kind of innocent teen love songs that make it so easy to forget that the 1950s were anything but innocent. While intolerable amounts of racism and sexism were socially acceptable, pop radio asked, “Do you love me?” While the CIA was ramping up to do extremely malicious deeds overseas, pop radio asked, ”Do you want to dance?” As the cold war was building-up the military industrial complex, pop radio asked, “Why do fools fall in love?” The Milwaukee Rep returns to an age of pop-cultural innocence as it stages these songs and more in the Stackner Cabaret’s production of Hula Hoop Sha-Boop. They may not have been the most poignant songs to come through the airwaves, but there was a real passion behind the hits of the 1950s, driven as they were by the emotional energy of jazz and blues. Much of that passion had been bleached and sanitized from the music by the time it made it to the recording studio and out over the airwaves, but it was still there. The music comes to the Stakcner cabaret with nearly all of its remaining soul drained from it. This is not to say that Hula Hoop Sha-Boop isn’t a great deal of fun. It is. Really. Hula Hoop Sha-Boop is a deftly-weighted package of nostalgia balanced by a contemporary understanding of mid-century culture. The show opens with an audio mix that swiftly takes the audience from the present back to mid-century with brief, iconic sound bytes from every decade. Occasional glances are taken at the adult word beyond pop culture, the most savvy of which takes the audience through a performance of the “Duck and Cover” PR jingle – the U.S. government’s attempt to calm public fears of the threat of nuclear weapons. It’s easily the cleverest moment in the production. With no real plot to weigh it down, the show quickly barrels through medleys of over sixty songs from ‘50’s and ‘60’s pop radio. The quick pace of the show moves swiftly through a tightly packaged collection of songs presented without intermission on a set packed with more nostalgic visuals than a Rock’n’Roll McDonald’s. The cast keeps up with the pace of the show and keeps things together. (Scott Rott’s costuming carries a great deal of weight as well.) Mo Brady looks perfect as the mid-20th century […]

Weekly Milwaukee Development Bookmarks

Articles from the past week covering development in Milwaukee. Parking lots make downtown Milwaukee prime real estate – The Business Journal of Milwaukee: Arts task force created by Lawton, Burmaster – The Business Journal of Milwaukee: Action! Milwaukee is on verge of film stardom – Small Business Times JS Online: Asian funds sought for redevelopment JS Online: Property values in region rise 6% JS Online: Transit money could be rescued JS Online: Landmark on lakefront falls JS Online: Harley shrine invites faithful JS Online: Tosa site for campus opposed Milwaukee-area unemployment at 5.5 percent – The Business Journal of Milwaukee: Harley-Davidson Museum to open in July – The Business Journal of Milwaukee: JS Online: Airport belt in need, officials say JS Online: Milwaukee is still losing jobs New Park East Request for Proposals — Urban Milwaukee — Championing Urban Life In The Cream City JS Online: State struggles on where to draw the line JS Online: Passage in Wisconsin isn’t deal’s last hurdle

The North End Development Enters New Phase

For most of the past year Mandel Group‘s $185 million The North End development consisted of demolition and remediation. A historic winter, a fire, and significant environmental issues may have slowed progress at the site but signs of actual construction can now be seen. Along the Milwaukee River a portion of a new river wall has been constructed and the process of driving piles for the foundation has started. This first phase of construction will include 83 apartments and 15,000 square feet of retail space. This summer should see this new neighborhood begin to take shape and rise out of a formerly blighted property.

Public Works Committee Considers Parking Study

Resolution 071600 requested an additional $20,000 to help fund a parking study of downtown. Specifically, the parking study is to be conducted in conjunction with the downtown planning process. Allison Rozek, Senior Planner at the Department of City Development, explained the study would focus on “parking with economic impact” and would help determine the City of Milwaukee‘s role in supplying parking. This resolution was held as committee members indicated the need for a better understand of the resolution’s value and necessity.

Community & Economic Development Committee

City Hall 200 East Wells Street, Room 301-B Milwaukee, WI 53202 Agenda

Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee

City Hall 200 East Wells Street, Room 301-B Milwaukee, WI 53202 Agenda

Public Safety Committee Approves Two-way Conversion

Resolution 071566 recommended converting a one block stretch of North Broadway between East Michigan Street and East Clybourn Street from one-way to two-way. Alderman Bob Bauman commented that “many of the property owners as well as prospective developers of what ought to be considered prime real estate have indicated to us that the absence of two way operation, even modified two-way operation of the type being proposed here, is a significant impediment to their ability to develop that property.” Although this conversion will increase street access to a portion of North Broadway it does not convert the block of North Broadway underneath I-794 to two-way leaving a gap in the connection between Downtown and the Third Ward. This resolution was passed by the Committee and will move on to the full Common Council for approval.