Whither Hillary?
I may be wrong but I don’t think Barack Obama will choose Hillary Clinton as his Secretary of State. For one thing, during the campaign they took significantly different positions on foreign policy; from her vote for the Iraq War to the wisdom of meeting with bad guy foreign leaders to going after bin Laden in Pakistan. Then there was how she inflated her role as First Lady being sent to hotspots around the globe. Then there’s the Problem with Bill. The former president is already an extraordinary diplomatic resource of cosmic proportions; traveling around the globe on behalf of his foundation, he is able to meet with state leaders and serve as an emissary, if asked. Hillary’s Foggy Bottom appointment would require some restraint on 42 (good luck with that) and I’m not sure that serves our nation’s best interests or Obama’s. Then there’s the Biden factor. Surely, Joe the Veep was brought on board to make use of his extensive experience on the world stage. It’s hard to imagine two egos the size of Biden’s and Clinton’s effectively sharing responsibility for advising the new president on all things foreign. My guess is that Hillary would be a much better choice as Health and Human Services Secretary, following in the footsteps of two prominent Badgers, Tommy Thompson and Donna Shalala. Both Obama and Clinton promised health care reform during their campaigns. Nobody knows this issue better than Hillary and she has already been rebuffed from leading the effort in the Senate by Edward Kennedy who intends to champion it himself as long as he’s drawing breath. And way too much was made of the difference between Clinton’s proposal and Obama’s. Clearly, the children’s mandate proposed by Obama would be a lot easier to pass than the universal mandate endorsed by Clinton. But nothing will happen unless Obama undertakes an Olympian effort in collaboration with Congress. Hillary and Bill tried to ram their proposal down the throats of Kennedy, Pat Moynihan, Dan Rostenkowski, George Mitchell and other Lions of Congress which was the main reason the effort failed miserably. Everything Hillary Clinton has done since 1994 demonstrates that she learned this important lesson. She has become extremely engaged in the art of legislative compromise and could be a valuable leader in this effort. In addition, children’s issues are near and dear to her heart and the HHS position would provide her with a platform to develop and implement new initiatives that could improve the lives of millions of young people. It might seem as a step down for someone of her stature and some of her supporters might see it as an insult. But she is savvy enough to know the HHS position would provide her with an ideal platform to develop a legacy that could last for generations. Not a bad deal for her and the country.
Nov 17th, 2008 by Ted Bobrow
Fall back into derby
After missing much of the off season, the old Krulos is back to report on the Bruisers. I’ve teamed up with our fine friends and roller derby fans at Vital Source magazine to bring you the good Derby word every month, so check back for post-bout recaps, commentary and maybe even some video action. You didn’t hear it from me. I watched the bout with Carny Power, one of the league founders (along with Butch Cassidy, who has moved on, and Jesse Jameson, who still laces up the skates with the Rollettes), and she was able to lend helpful insights throughout the bout. Thanks Carny! RETURN OF THE COLD WAR? RUSHIN ROLLETTES, 92 win over MAIDEN MILWAUKEE , 51 Jammer Rejected Seoul (far left) of Maiden Milwaukee edges past Rushin Rollettes jammer Fly Girl (Photos by Joe Kirschling) After suffering losses at the end of last season, the Rollettes were eager for a comeback, and they got it with a 41 point win over the Maidens. The Rollettes returned with most of their key players from last season as well as a few new skaters. Jammer High D. Voltage helped erase an early 14 point lead by the Maidens and later scored a “Grand Slam,” which is when a jammer skating solo cruises by all the other team’s players. Other new Rollettes include Sevo, Voodoo Grrrl, and HackSAW, who used to skate for the Reservoir Dolls in Madison league the Mad Rollin Dolls. “I had a lot of encouragement joining BCB from both Madison and Milwaukee on transferring,” HackSAW told me. “I developed my love for skating and derby in Madison and the Reservoir Dolls helped shape that. I LOVED every second of the bout and sharing it with not only my team but a league of kick ass women role models. I can’t wait for the next bout and the chance to kick butt with my fellow comrades!” I also spoke to the notoriously lippy Smirk Savage, one of the Rollettes’ star jammers. I asked her if the Rollettes were back for another championship winning season. “The Rollettes were never gone! We were simply down for a hot minute at the end of the season there, but we’ve got some amazing new additions this season who’ve significantly contributed to this first win,” Smirk said before explaining the Rollettes’ win formula. “We’re gunning for the championship again this year! Getting back to the roots of Rollettes derby … hit them hard, hit them fast, kill kill kill, and win win win!” The Maidens tried to hold their own, with stellar skating from jammers like Rejected Seoul, co-Captain Madd Mallett, the crazed Romaniac and new recruit Super Hera, who formerly played with the Dominion Derby Girls straight outta Virginia Beach. The energetic skating, however, wasn’t enough to turn the tide pink. HALFTIME REPORT The Beerleaders in zombie gear Back again for the Bruisers fans are the rah rah rahing, pom poming, beer running Beerleaders, led this year by Robin Ya’Blind and […]
Nov 17th, 2008 by Tea Krulos
South Water Works Tour Photos
Tom DeMuth of Lighthouse Development gave Urban Milwaukee a tour of his company's redevelopment of the former Transpak facility in Milwaukee's Walker's Point neighborhood.
Nov 17th, 2008 by Jeramey Jannene
Weekly Bookmarks – Monday, 17. November 2008
Let’s roll, Milwaukee – JSOnline Milwaukee to create land bank for water-related businesses – BizTimes New King Drive project will include fresh foods market – BizTimes Coalition formed to help push regional transit – The Business Journal of Milwaukee: Commuter rail could finally be on track – The Business Journal of Milwaukee: Milwaukee seeks solution to sinking City Hall Waukesha unveils details of Lake Michigan water plan – JSOnline The UWM Post – Mandel holds working sessions for new dorms We must save the 27th Street freeway ramps – BizTimes OnMilwaukee.com Milwaukee Buzz: Park East development continues despite economy Medovations to expand plant on Milwaukee brownfield – Small Business Times Anti-regionalism by Holloway – JSOnline City: Work begins on Aloft Hotel – The Business Journal of Milwaukee: Wisconsin Builder : Developer of the Year More vacant office space in region – Small Business Times City wants “net zero energy development” for Bay View site – Small Business Times Planning group asked to move to Milwaukee – JSOnline Holloway to RTA: Hands off our sales tax, you carpetbaggers – JSOnline
Nov 17th, 2008 by Dave Reid
The Solution – Update
Recently, we advocated for the formation of a regional transit authority that has a dedicated funding source as a solution to the transit issues facing the Milwaukee region. Following that editorial we wrote an open letter to Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett encouraging him to vote on the morning of November 10th for the sales tax proposal.
Nov 15th, 2008 by Jeramey Jannene
Show People
What would you give to your art? Would you mortgage your house? Max out your credit cards? Make promises you couldn’t keep? Show People shows what one actor will do to produce his ultimate production, performed solely for his own benefit. Tom (Brian Richards) hires married acting duo Jerry and Marnie (played by Randall T. Anderson and Sharon Nieman-Koebert, respectively) to pretend to be his parents for the weekend. Jerry and Marnie are once-up-and-coming actors that have fallen on leaner times, and so when Tom approaches Jerry and offers $10,000 to spend a weekend at a house in Montauk, Long Island playing his parents for the benefit of his girlfriend, Jerry agrees. Jerry and Marnie turn up at the appointed time and meet Natalie (played by Gloria Loeding), and while there are a few awkward moments, everything appears to be going smoothly. That is, until Natalie decides that she can’t keep up the pretense any more and admits to Jerry and Marnie that she’s not actually Tom’s girlfriend and that he hired her to play his girlfriend for the weekend for the benefit of his parents, who don’t know that Tom is actually gay. What ensues is a hilarious weekend as Jerry, Marnie and Natalie try to figure out what exactly is going on while maintaining their roles and attempting to discern if Tom is dangerously psychotic or merely eccentric. Show People was written by Paul Weitz, who is best known for his work as a screenwriter, director and producer in Hollywood. He’s the comic hand behind such hits as About A Boy and Meet the Fockers, and his play is full of the same kind of absurd humor that is film work is known for. Show People has it’s tender moments, as well, though, including a touching scene between Marnie and Natalie in which Natalie asks for acting advice. Sharon Nieman-Koebert as Marnie steals every scene she’s involved in. Almost as good is Randall T. Anderson as her husband, and the two of them are eminently believable as a pair of good artists frustrated by their ability to capitalize on their talents, even after long years. Brian Richards and Gloria Loeding are both a bit stiff, but given time and exposure both of them can grow into wonderful actors. The Astor Theatre is small and intimate, but director Raymond Bradford uses the entire space quite effectively. VS RSVP Productions presents Show People at the Astor Theater until November 22. 414-272-2694 for tickets.
Nov 14th, 2008 by Ryan Findley
Friday Photos Friday, 14. November 2008
South Water Works South Water Works South Water Works Marquette University Law School Building Marquette University Law School Building
Nov 14th, 2008 by Dave Reid
Hometown Dorm Site – Project Renderings
The Mandel Group's efforts to construct a new UWM dormitory on the East Side have included five public meetings, the release of basic site plans, and preliminary project renderings.
Nov 13th, 2008 by Dave Reid
Blog Meat
In continuing an explanation about the meat of blogs, I’ve been re-reading the November issue of the Atlantic, specifically, Andrew Sullivan’s “Why I Blog.” There’s more online at www.theatlantic.com/blogging. The secret seems to be links, Duh. I’ve been clueless. The other big deal clue is “if you don’t paddle, you’re dead in the blog waters.” Or something like that. This suggests that genuine bloggers, blog at least once daily, and often twice or more, and whoa! there’s a whole generation running around that have never written anything other than blogs, a frightening thought for one who really actually truly believes that writing is way beyond blogging. That said, I’m including a link to Milwaukee artist Tom Kovacich, http://www.thomaskovacich.com. He exhibits at Gallery 218, is a modernist, and from that standpoint, would seem a nice fit for blogging which Sullivan describes as postmodern communication. In a recent email he commented that he had read Judith Ann Moriarty’s vitalsourcemag.com feature about MAM’s Act/React exhibit, and also Dem Bones take on art critics. He sent me a fruit basket as a reminder.
Nov 12th, 2008 by Stella Cretek
Artsy
www.artsyschmartsy.com Go there, then pick up the forthcoming (soon!) issue of INFO magazine, for a feature about artsy, a chap who wears cheaters and is learning about art. Interviewed by Judith Ann Moriarty in her digs overlooking splendid Milwaukee, Schmartsy reveals himself fully. Let Stella hear if you like it. As I write, susceptibletoimages.com seems to be down, but by the time you read this, hopefully it will be up. Who’s making paintings these days worth viewing? Tom Kovacich. kovacich@earthlink.net. See them at Gallery 218. Photographs? Kevin Miyazaki at inova/Kenilworth. Sculptures? Bernini, but he’s dead. Should VS have a sex column, or is sex dead? Can’t seem to locate Nikol Knows which was featured online at Milwaukee Magazine .Oh well, great sex usually doesn’t last forever anyway. I’m thinking of running a blog about “condo rules.” Some of them are hilarious. Here’s one:” If your doggie pees or poops on the elevator carpet, perhaps it needs diapers. It is not the job of the concierge to clean up what doggie does.”
Nov 12th, 2008 by Stella Cretek
a Well-Intentioned Rebuttal (Or: Oh! Matt! Gimme a Hug!)
Fig.1: This image of a packed Cactus Club witnessing Call Me Lightning is sure evidence of a dying scene Matt Wild needs a hug. If you’ve read this month’s edition of SubVersions, Matt’s back-page column in the pages of VITAL’s print edition, you may have gotten that impression. Every year, to close the annual music issue, Matt gives his take on the state of the Milwaukee Music Scene, and he’s not in a very good mood this month. “You want to know my take on the state of the scene? It sucks. What’s more, I’m glad I’m out of it. And that HiFi lyric [NOTE: Read the article and you’ll see he’s referring to “Success! Success! Success!,” a rock song by the band I drum in. Do note that I found it totally flattering that Matt referenced us! Oh, Matt]? Oh, it’s true all right, though I would argue that in Milwaukee, no one hears you, period. It doesn’t make a lick of difference whether you’re 20, 30, or 48, because the only people that are going to give a shit about your band are your friends and girlfriends, and even they’ll piss and moan if you don’t put them on the guest list. Is the idea of a bunch of slowly graying adults playing basements and barely-attended clubs inherently ridiculous? In a world of few absolutes and rampant relativism, let me just come out and say it: Yes, yes it is. Give up now. Feel the shame.” Jon Anne Willow, our fabulous Editor in Chief, the Robbie Robertson to my Peter Parker, suspects what I am certain is true. She “has known Matt for many years and has believed for a while now that he was heading for that aspirations-vs.-reality wall most young artists collide with eventually.” Since Matt ended the music issue on such a downer, I thought I’d take a stab at a well-intentioned rebuttal to his contention that the current Milwaukee Music Scene is sucky and awful. I also would like to send Matt a small ray of hope from the other side of that wall Jon Anne is talking about, not unlike the black GI who peers over the Berlin wall and rescues Hedwig from cold East Berlin in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Only, ya know, with slightly less gay. (But only slightly.) Fig.2: Let me save you from all this strife and sauerkraut, Matt What I’m trying to say, Matt, is this: Jon Anne is 100% correct about that aspirations-vs.-reality wall. I know because I full-on smacked into it head first two years ago. The year was 2006. The Republicans were about to cede control of Congress to the Democrats for the first time in 12 years, and a little tv show called Heroes had caught the nation’s imagination before jumping the shark a season later (because, really…West? That kid sucked). And your humble narrator had just ended a 5-year relationship because he didn’t follow his lady love to grad school, choosing instead […]
Nov 12th, 2008 by DJ Hostettler
Activity at the Aloft Site
A new development team, the Milwaukee River Hotel LLC which includes Ed Carow of Wave Development, has taken over development of the $27 million Aloft hotel. This change in the development team has visibly jump started the project.
Nov 11th, 2008 by Dave Reid
