2004-10 Vital Source Mag – October 2004
October 2004
Families on the edge? Having read your article “Brave New Family” in your September issue, I can’t help but think you are missing out on one important aspect in the work-family-money triad. Authors Willow and Tomaszek spoke of the difficult choices parents need to make when it comes to working and raising families, and of the sacrifices some are making financially in order to have more time with their kids. Nowhere do they mention what is necessary to get ahead. Those interviewed seemed extremely focused on the present without mention of what it takes to earn enough for retirement, future college education for children, or for emergency situations. They describe families truly living on the edge, as when they described Becca and Joe’s only car being stolen. I don’t disagree with the picture that they paint. These are tough times and we all have difficult decisions to make about work and family time. Throw into that mix a need to think about future financial drain and the issue becomes even more complex. Denise Lubotsky Riverwest (Milwaukee) Kudos for Cosby Dear Ms. Willow, I am writing to comment and thank your writer, Frizell Bailey. I admired his comments about Bill Cosby. [“Cosby’s Clarion Call,” August 2004] Written with such clarity and to the point, I wish it could be reprinted and discussed in many publishing and other media venues. Sincerely, R.A. Holzhauer Milwaukee Love that new look – rrrowwrr! You almost had me fooled. Earlier this month [September 04], I went around on my customary hunt for a copy of Vital, but couldn’t find it anywhere. I was sad, thinking you had finally been gobbled up by some media giant or otherwise closed up shop. But then I noticed this magazine I’d never seen before. I picked it up and there you were – Vital Source MAGAZINE. Way to go! Jeff Reitzer Milwaukee Just picked up the new Vital Source from Ray’s in Wauwatosa. The new size is great, very nice use of color, too. I also thought the new layout was more logical and easy to follow. Keep up the good work. Jessica Wertzke Wauwatosa Props to the SCP Dear Lucky, Thank you for your piece on the difficulty of finding school clothes for children that are cute, but not “cool.” [“Slightly Crunchy Parent” September 2004] Anyone with kids, especially girls, faces this battle. But it was nice to see you treat it with a mixture of firmness and humor. I loved your “fashion code” for your kids! It was funny and too true at the same time. Thanks again, Lisa Maryland (by email)
Oct 1st, 2004 by Jon Anne Willow
Bjork
By John Hughes Atlantic www.bjorkweb.com It would be misleading to write that Bjork’s new disc is sort of an Icelandic spin on that Chant album that was such a phenomenon in the 1990s. Medulla is in no way churchy. I mention the comparison, though, because both albums demand that you listen with both ears. They are about the human voice, and both evoke some sort of inflamed Spirit, in their individual ways. Medulla, a visionary record for the new millennium, will no doubt expand the musical lexicon of its listeners. It certainly expanded mine. This music utilizing human beat boxes, Inuit (indigenous Canadian) throat singing, and choirs from Iceland and England, in addition to the writing and singing performance of Bjork’s inventive life—is thoroughly unusual. It took me some time to realize that what I was hearing on most tracks was profound and challenging beauty. It’s futuristic yet warm, postmodern yet sensual: a heart-stoppingly elegant, deeply subtle and erotic celebration of humanness. Unlike Bjork’s previous outing, Vespertine, which was heavy with instrumentation and electronica, Medulla is almost entirely instrument-free; a piano, for example, accompanies only two songs. The album has an organic, rich and compelling texture. It’s like a beckoning to your own primordial awareness. This is avant-garde music, and like most albums that can be so labeled, it may strike you as “weird” at first. (It makes Moby’s Play sound like three chords and 12 bars.) The considerable rewards will surface gradually, and for an hour, make you glad to be alive.
Oct 1st, 2004 by Vital Archives
Buddy Miller
New West www.buddyandjulie.com Nashville might not be what it used to be, but the city must have something to recommend it still, because Buddy Miller lives there. Perhaps he serves as a reminder—like better-known friends Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris—of precisely what Nashville used to be: a place where a man like Miller, who ordinarily wouldn’t get noticed walking down the street, could create magic from little more than his throat and his hands. Earle occasionally has credited himself with big balls (the phrase is his) simply for standing on the same stage with Miller. For his part, Miller, on Universal House of Prayer, displays considerable cojones by taking ownership of both the Louvin Brothers’ “There’s a Higher Power” and Bob Dylan’s “With God On Our Side.” In those two songs alone—the first a bluegrass-brushed gospel number, the second a spark that builds to an all-consuming wildfire in little over nine minutes—Miller encapsulates the best of American faith: its constant questioning doubt, its constant steadfast renewal. Miller runs through that cycle repeatedly on this album, through the songs of others and through those he writes (with Victoria Williams, Jim Lauderdale, and his wife Julie). Whether pondering his travels on “Wide River to Cross” or considering fate on “Fire and Water,” Miller always seeks redemption, even salvation. His music, which bears the sheen of modern country without the burden of its pandering, lights the way. His voice, which contains the power of experience and the wisdom of the country, carries him home. On October 23, Buddy Miller plays with Emmylou Harris at Lund Auditorium in River Forest (Chicago area), 7900 W. Division St.
Oct 1st, 2004 by Jon Gilbertson
Mike Watt and the Secondmen
By Jeremy M. Rottgen Columbia Records www.wattage.com Dubbed a punk opera on Mike Watt’s spiel place, www.hootpage.com, The Secondman’s Middle Stand is quite a departure for the seasoned bassist. Busting things down to a trio with bass, drums and keyboard, the formula is simple, but the outcome is huge. The inspiration for the album came after Watt fell seriously ill and decided to document his experience. The result is a very personal account that puts the listener inside Watt’s head for once. It’s quite a trip, even for the most avid of Watt fans. The album is divided into three sections of three songs each. Watt borrowed from great literature like Dante’s Divine Comedy to describe his death-defying journey back to health. You can feel the flu-like symptoms from the beginning with “Boilin’ Blazes.” The organ blasts from Pete Mazich keep things moving like psychedelic bombs bursting around Watt’s thuds. Odd time signatures keep the drums beating, mixing and swirling around. The dynamics created by these three is a testament to great musicianship. Songs like “Puked to High Heaven,” “Pissbags and Tubing,” and “Beltsandedman” describe his agony with the straight-ahead, brutal honesty you’d expect from the spiel-meister. On October 3, Mike Watt plays Shank Hall, 1434 N. Farwell Ave.
Oct 1st, 2004 by Vital Archives
Teaching Tolerance
By Lucky Tomaszek Children begin noticing differences in people at a very early age, just as they notice different colors of crayons, or a goat from a lamb at the petting zoo. Often they make “judgments” like “I like the red one better.” Sometimes they merely repeat something they have heard like “goats are so ugly.” But when these judgments are extended to people, it is difficult and often shocking to parents who strive to teach their children to respect others. I work very hard to teach my children tolerance. I know I’m not alone in this. My sisters and close friends are doing the same thing and it’s inspiring to see us all work toward the same goals. There are times, though, when I realize that teaching tolerance is not a one-time only lesson. This became painfully obvious to me this summer. My best friend and I took all six of our kids to Menomonie for a family vacation. We have dear friends who live there, a lesbian couple and their ten kids, six of whom are teenagers. Our friends Melissa and Mandy lead the local GLBT teen group in the area, so the house is typically full of lots of teenagers. Kids say the darndest things… gulp! A house full of gay, lesbian, and bisexual teenagers tested my children’s ability to accept people who are different than those in their immediate family. My kids got to see their first Mohawk up close, hear different kinds of music, and learn some interesting slang terms. Multiple, visible body piercings were also a source of endless intrigue for my little ones. Then there were the less visible, but more profound differences. My friends’ home represents a refuge for these adolescents, a place where they can be themselves and hold hands with their same-sex partners without recrimination. It’s not uncommon to stumble across a pair of them in a warm welcoming embrace or sneaking a good-bye kiss behind the garage. For all six of our little kids, this was new. My best friend and I have both been active with the Human Right Coalition and their work to grant same-sex marriage rights in our country, so our children know a little about homosexuality and the GBLT community. But seeing it was very different. One evening, our friends’ 15-year-old daughter was saying goodnight to her girlfriend. They had ducked into a hallway for a moment of quiet and a quick g’night kiss when one of our little ones came out of the bathroom and saw them. She stood there stunned and said, “Did you just KISS her?” The couple smiled and nodded. The little girl looked amazed and said, “That is so GAY!” Fortunately, all of the big kids at Melissa and Mandy’s house are good-natured and were happy to spend a few minutes talking to our little kids about the fact that it’s okay to be gay. And that it’s important to be whatever you really are inside. Our children asked some […]
Oct 1st, 2004 by Lucky Tomaszek
Anybody But Bush?
By John Hughes American electoral politics is not so much an organized debate over the supremacy of ideologies—a national, logical quest for the best governing ideas—but a rugged skirmish between two warring camps. It’s a ruthless wrestling for power. Oftentimes, the coalition with the most money wins the election. The media, often portrayed as liberally biased, but almost always owned by very wealthy white men, plays a huge role, as does the charisma, or lack thereof, of the candidates. There are famous examples of the power of charisma: Kennedy vs. Nixon, Reagan vs. Carter, Reagan vs. Mondale, Clinton vs. Dole. This fact, of two vast coalitions in a constant struggle of power and public relations, without tremendous regard for fairness or even truth, rankles many people. The rankled people, when they feel that they don’t fit under the electable umbrella of either coalition, become disenfranchised. When they discover that there are millions of other disenchanted citizens, they form a coalition of the rankled: a third party movement. Third parties: a voice for our righteous indignation. In the Presidential election of 2000, the candidacy of legendary consumer rights crusader Ralph Nader, as the nominee of the Green Party, garnered four percent of the vote, but considerably more than that in media attention. George W. Bush defeated Al Gore in one of the thinnest electoral victories in history, and Nader’s winning of 2.8 million potential Gore supporters converged with the voting poll and juridical farces in Florida to deliver the presidency to Bush. But what drives people to support Ralph Nader or David Cook or, for that matter, Ross Perot or Jesse Jackson or John Anderson, or 1948’s Henry Wallace? The answer lies in understanding what drives third party movements. Third parties share the desire to be heard, for acknowledgement of ideas not necessarily prioritized by the two mainstream parties. Some of the best, if least powerful, desire that the process be a debate over ideas, rather than a cage match for political domination. Third parties are also about righteous anger. The elections of Presidents have a pre-fabricated feel to them. There are obviously many individuals of good will and honest intentions within each coalition, but the Democratic and Republican parties themselves became machines long ago, with the twin primary motives – self-perpetuation and self-assertion. In the eyes of many independent voters, this underlying motivation translates into unacceptable policy. There’s a time for independence, and a time for… Even to the most casual and jaded observer it’s evident that altruism, the genuine desire for the highest good for the greatest number of people, has taken a back seat to power politics. Third party movements are an attempt to cleanse the temple, overthrow the tables and bring altruism and egalitarianism to prominence in our national conversation. In Wisconsin, third party politics plays a major role in electing public officials. Lest we forget, Ralph Nader won 94,070 votes in Wisconsin in 2000. Al Gore barely won the state, holding off Bush by just 5,708 […]
Oct 1st, 2004 by Vital Archives
Robyn Hitchcock
By Jon M. Gilbertson Yep Roc www.yeproc.com William Burroughs complained that the English were capable of granting him hours of charming conversation without telling him anything personal about themselves. The English have never filed an official reply, but singer/songwriter Robyn Hitchcock—an English charmer since at least 1977 (when he formed the Soft Boys and introduced literate wit to punk rock) —would probably suggest to Burroughs that at least he got an evening’s entertainment. Nevertheless, Hitchcock reaches his most affecting moments when he at least gives the appearance of dropping his verbose reserve. With Spooked, his two major accompanists are Nashville residents Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, who have made their own careers from a history of honest and moderated revelation. They gently encourage him to play quietly, and in the familiar crackling of his voice there comes a sense that he’s actually checking to see that what he sings is worth saying. Hitchcock scatters a handful of the usual chuckled asides (“We’re Gonna Live in the Trees”) and obsessions (“Demons and Fiends”), but the atmosphere of the recording—two friends welcoming a third into their circle and letting him hold forth—coaxes intimacy from his sheltered heart. The feathery “Full Moon In My Soul” ranks among his finest true love songs; the delicate fingerpicking of “Television” indicates genteel sympathy for its TV-addicted protagonist; and the airy “Flanagan’s Song” closes Spooked in hushed reflection. In conversation with Rawlings and Welch, Robyn Hitchcock charms, to be sure, but he also tells them a few things about himself. On November 5, Robyn Hitchcock plays Shank Hall, 1434 N. Farwell Ave.
Oct 1st, 2004 by Vital Archives
Tenuta’s a Hit in Bay View
By Catherine McGarry Miller “It was either the job or get married. I chose the job,” says Tenuta chef Frank Alia who picked a culinary career over wedded bliss. To do both would lead to divorce, he admits, and cooking is a zeal bred from his Southern Calabrese Italian heritage. After a short stint as dishwasher in one of his uncle’s Kenosha restaurants, Alia began cooking in earnest at just 16 years-old. His pride is in doing the job right. “Anyone can follow a recipe but [the outcome] depends upon the kind of passion you put into a dish – I love making a product that people really enjoy,” he says with great delight. Alia honed his skills with lots of practice. “I listened to a lot of good chefs, went to school [Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago (CHIC)], and wasn’t really afraid to make mistakes.” And as all young chefs, mistakes he made. Once, he made a real doozy, ordering his staff to cook raviolis for forty people, only to realize halfway through the painstaking process that the party was the next evening. “It made a nice employee meal, but I don’t make too many mistakes now,” he says grinning. Alia’s cooking philosophy is true to his Italian heritage. He seasons his dishes with a simple palette of salt, pepper and oregano, roasted garlic and vegetables and vinegars of all kinds. “I use Balsamic vinegar as a base and infuse it with various flavors: raspberry, lemon and sometimes honey like an Italian sweet sour.” The house vinaigrette is so good a bottle of it sits on each table for bread dipping as well as for dressing salads. For Alia, the key to gastronomic success is to start with the freshest ingredients available. Gnocchi all’ Fungi is Alia’s specialty and a dish he loves to recommend. “The gnocchis are made by hand made fresh. The Alfredo sauce is light and creamy, not pasty or heavy. It’s velvety on the tongue.” Alia himself prepares the daily specials and makes the foccacia bread. All specials, pizzas and sauces are made-to-order. Italian loaves are purchased from Canfora Bakery. “We use as many local purveyors as we can – it’s good for business,” Another local business, Battaglia, makes Italian sausage for the restaurant using Tenuta’s own recipe. Desserts, including the popular Tiramisu and Chocolate Godiva Cheesecake are made from scratch. As with any job, there are occupational obstacles to overcome. For Tenuta’s, it is a snug cooking area. “I’m afraid to measure the kitchen, it’s so small,” Alia says with a smile. No more that 25’ by 18,’ equipment is packed in cheek to jowl. The chefs must perform a nightly ballet choreographed between several small prep areas and the ovens, broaster, fryer, steam table and six-burner stove. With all the coolers and freezers in the basement, Alia estimates that he makes a hundred trips a day, which keep him slender enough to navigate his tight quarters. The Bay View Tenuta’s is the […]
Oct 1st, 2004 by Cate Miller
Afghanistan
By Paul McLeary “Our Nation is standing with the people of Afghanistan and Iraq, because when America gives its word, America must keep its word. As importantly, we are serving a vital and historic cause that will make our country safer.” “Since 2001, Americans have been given hills to climb, and found the strength to climb them. Now, because we have made the hard journey, we can see the valley below. Now, because we have faced challenges with resolve, we have historic goals within our reach, and greatness in our future.” “Our allies also know the historic importance of our work. About 40 nations stand beside us in Afghanistan, and some 30 in Iraq.”Above from Bush from RNC “Afghanistan is free and moving forward.”Donald RumsfeldDoD New Briefing, Jan 06, 2004 “The job in Afghanistan is only half done and will be no easier in the year ahead.”Kofi AnnanUnited Nations Secretary-GeneralUN Press Conference, Dec 18, 2003 While we are all familiar with the debacle that has become the occupation of Iraq the original salvo in the war on terrorism, Afghanistan, has faded well into the background over the past year and a half. The quick, relatively bloodless victory in Afghanistan was supposed to be a shining example of everything that is right with the American military machine. In targeted, lightning strikes, less than 10,000 American troops defeated the Taliban and scattered al Qaeda’s leadership across the mountainous border region with Pakistan, and for a time, we seemed poised to capture Osama bin Laden and his Taliban host, Mullah Omar. The United States had been sucker punched on 9/11 but had quickly identified its enemy and through tough, decisive action, was poised to bring him to justice. By the end of 2001, we had scored a major victory in the war on terrorism while the world stood with us in our grief, sending military and civilian aid to help in the reconstruction of the country we had recently vanquished, and indeed, liberated. The Administration fiddles while Afghanistan burns.But by the end of 2002, the world had become a very different place. More than 200,000 members of the U.S. armed forces were beginning to muster near Iraq as massive anti-war protests were flaming up across Europe. The Bush administration, through a startling mix of macho rhetoric, policy failures and simple ham-fisted diplomacy, managed to alienate and insult many of our former allies, squandering the emotional capital we amassed after the 9/11 attacks. In the confusion over where best to fight the terrorist threat and the administration’s willful obfuscation of who our real enemies are, the issue of truly securing and rebuilding Afghanistan became lost in the heated debate over Iraq’s non-existent chemical weapons stockpiles and phantom nuclear capabilities. While the world argued over weapons inspections in Iraq, the Bush administration, as well as the American public, quickly forgot about the tenuous situation in Afghanistan, and as the president fiddled with faulty intelligence, Afghanistan continued to burn. As James Fallows says in his scathing critique […]
Oct 1st, 2004 by Vital Archives
John Jeske is He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Interviewed.
By John Jeske & the Scribe Cleverness, thy sin is Ego! Any writer with even the slightest tendency towards thinking their own ideas are great can fall for this one. The staff of Vital was planning the October issue, when someone threw out the idea of interviewing a Witch for Vital Lives. It didn’t catch on at first, but the seed of a thought had been planted… what if, instead of interviewing a plain old Pagan about a simple Harvest holiday, we spoke with a real Warlock who openly practices Magick? Wouldn’t that be much more interesting? For some reason, this sounded like a good idea at the time. We even instantly concurred on the perfect Warlock. One person said “Who could we talk to?” Immediately, another shot back “John Jeske.” It seemed perfect. I contacted Jeske the next day and we met at the agreed-upon time a few days later. There was only one problem. The man cannot be interviewed. An elder statesman of Milwaukee’s poetry scene and artistic and political undergrounds, Jeske is by turns brilliant, charming, angry, wistful and vaguely disoriented. He read my cards, told me the meaning of my name and examined my palm. If lines don’t lie, I have a long life to look forward to. We had a deeply fascinating conversation. Unfortunately, it wasn’t linear in any sort of narrative way. I tried to pin the man down on facts, but was left with impressions, bits of past-life history, some of the duties and responsibilities of persons of his Order. Not being an expert on the subject, it wasn’t much to go on. And it’s not like the facts are posted anywhere in plain sight. At least not where I could find them in regards to his specific affiliation. When I contacted Jeske again and told him I needed more tangible information, he informed me that he didn’t care to be interviewed, per se, but he would be happy to share some thoughts with me in writing, which he did. So after much wringing of hands, I’m taking the easy way out, just sharing his words as they were shared with me. John writes: Somewhere in this messy, ever-changing world of mine, is a stack of journals, a few feet high, that records all of my magickal adventures. You see, a sorcerer keeps meticulous records of all the fantastic happenings in its life. Without your journals, your magickal career is worth exactly the value of the air you blow over your teeth as you proclaim yourself Magus, master of Magick, minerval, man of earth, king, queen – and why not? I don’t know, sorcerers don’t give or get medals and usually; when too many of them are in one place, there is, well, change. I ask: How did you discover Magick? John replies: When I was 17, my first performance at the Avant Guard [2111 N. Prospect] was watched by a 35 year-old woman who was as powerful as she was beautiful. There […]
Oct 1st, 2004 by Vital Archives
