2008-05 Vital Source Mag – May 2008
No more gilding the lily
“To gild refined gold, to paint the lily… is wasteful and ridiculous excess.” —Shakespeare, from King John (1595): This morning my son and I were planning his 10th birthday party. I live in East Town Tosa, a neighborhood that straddles the border between affluent aspirations and working class reality. His first few years of school, in the early 2000s, I was frequently faced with extravagant birthday parties and gift-giving that felt like either intense competition between parents or the setting of an unhealthy precedent. Of course, everyone’s intentions were good, but it still bugged me. So each year when Harry’s turn to “celebrate” came, I sent a note to parents asking that he not receive gifts in excess of $20 and informing them that we would not open presents at the party, but would send thank-you’s afterward. To my surprise, a few parents whispered their approval in my ear, though just a few took up the call. Harry’s parties get great reviews – we’ve done a backyard campout, a day at Miller Beach, an all-night Star Wars movie-thon (complete with light saber battles in the living room) and my favorite – inviting three boys over to pick up all the sticks in my yard, then burning them in the fire pit while roasting marshmallows. Two for one, everybody wins! And here’s what you don’t see at his get-togethers: boys comparing the gifts they brought; begging for more tokens when they run out first; crying quiet tears in the back seat because they didn’t win a big prize at the arcade. The reason is simple: contentment truly is more about imagination than money. And Harry’s story is a metaphor for what I see all around me these days. Over the last decade, so many fools (yeah, I said it) have spent up their available credit simply because they could, blindly swallowing fantasy stories about an ever-expanding economy and America’s lifestyle entitlement. They believed it was okay to pay way too much for a house because interest rates were low; they justified gas-guzzling, expensive-to-insure, high-payment vehicles for the flimsiest of reasons, which in fact came down to no more than, “It’s shiny and I want it like an Oompa Loompa – now.” At the same time, over 40 million citizens were without health insurance and 13 million children were living below the poverty line. If put to the question, only the most megalomaniacal of conservative thinkers could believe the situation was good for the future of the nation. It just goes to show another apparent deficiency in our education system: the lack of emphasis on cautionary tales. The Panic of 1893, the 1907 Bankers Panic (the 4th in 34 years), the Crash of 1929, the Great Depression, the 1973 oil crisis, the 1979 energy crisis, the 1990 oil crisis leading to the Gulf War, five recessions in less than 30 years. The list is incomplete, but long enough to establish a pattern: We rise, we fall. As individuals we don’t control market […]
May 1st, 2008 by Jon Anne Willow
Tim Fite
Timothy Sullivan ain’t proud of his past life as an MTV “one track” rap wonder, and his work under alias Tim Fite is his attempt at renewal. His free 2007 internet LP, Over the Counter Culture, lashed anger at the state of our hate- and greed-mongering union. Fair Ain’t Fair beelines to the acceptance stage. Opener “Roots of a Tree” insists that we shouldn’t be measured by bygones but by whom we have grown to be. Hippy-dippy sentiment aside, this release isn’t for the faint of heart. An f-bomb drop within seconds of play sets an abrasive tone, but more significantly, since each song is a patchwork of obscure banjo and accordion samples recovered from record store discount bins, the musicality takes patience to comprehend. It’s best to start with the approachable “Yesterday’s Garden,” about a distracted Fite accidentally driving through his girlfriend’s flowerbed. The language is plain and details are omitted, yet a lucid snapshot develops over the course of the record. Outside of literature, these moments are rare, but “Motorcade,” a scene suspended in slow-mo as if ripped from a Wes Anderson film, does it more than once, flecked by toy piano. Tympanis, snares, and other percussion — courtesy of a high school orchestra — on “The Names of All the Animals” and “Rats and Rags” pique interest and help the CD achieve more than just cut and paste. Though “Sing Along” finds Fite back in his old pop politics, he primarily continues to propel forward. “Everyone gets to make one,” he says on “Big Mistake.” If lucky, the error of apocalyptical proportions he’s saving up can match Fair Ain’t Fair’s success in overcoming his minor ones.
May 1st, 2008 by Amber Herzog
Happy Trails
It’s official: you have no good excuse to stay home this summer. Okay, we take that back. If you want to stay home this summer, you’re welcome to. But there’s a ton to do around here, so we want to make sure you have plenty of ideas for ways to enjoy yourself. Look, we hear you. Times are tight. Fuel costs are insane, which means prices for everything else are insane, too. Consumer confidence is at an epic low, and everywhere we turn, another flawed system we’ve trusted for too long seems poised to collapse: the housing market, health care, energy, the American dollar. We’re still at war. We’re facing down a mighty sense of global unease. And, increasingly, we’re called to task on the bad shape our planet is in, thanks to a hundred odd-years of industrialization, exponential growth and the unchecked exploitation of our natural resources. It’s too soon to determine the consequences of humanity’s reckless abandon, but they could be dire – even disastrous. We know that if we don’t curb the depletion soon, we’ll be helpless when things start to get really nasty. It’s enough to make you hunker down in your cellar with some canned goods and a few good books and say, “See you at Christmas.” But here’s the good news: Wisconsin is amazing. We mean it: rich natural beauty, a diverse cultural landscape, a wide swath of arts offerings. It sounds tired, but it’s true. And thankfully, traveling lightly in Wisconsin – whether you want to kayak, see Shakespeare outdoors, hear a bluegrass band or just eat some chocolate – is easy. It’s good for your wallet and for the world at large. In fact, there has never been a better time to gain perspective, to reconnect with yourself, your family and the land we all share, to learn, to be an active, fearless member of society. We are so anxious for you to have a good summer that we’ve spent some time and thought putting together this idea book of low-stress, low-cost, low-impact summer leisure options. It’s a starting point, so browse and brainstorm. Grab some Post-Its or take some notes. Tread lightly this summer, but please, whatever you do, never forget that fun is a top priority. FOR THE ACTION/ADVENTURER You might think of the rugged north woods or the towering bluffs of the driftless zone when you think of adventure travel in the Badger State, but you don’t have to go that far. Get in gear with Bike to Work Week, brought to you by the Bike Federation of Wisconsin, May 11 – May 16. It’s not just a healthier and more conscious way to conduct a daily commute; there are events planned throughout the city for every day of the week, including a Mother’s Day ride along the lakefront, a morning cruise downtown with the Mayor, daily coffee breaks at the Alterra Foundry, mid-week bar trivia, and a grand finale meet-up at Jackalope Lounj and bike-in to the movies […]
May 1st, 2008 by Amy Elliott
R.E.M.
“Accelerate” is the perfect title for this recording. After eight years of this millennium mired in a slow gear, seemingly lost on some road in the countryside of musical exploration, R.E.M. has picked up the pace and returned to the path they pretty much paved. This recording is thicker, brighter and much more confident in every aspect: songwriting, production and musicianship. The composition is pure and lean, with 11 tight songs that keep the focus on substance. It all works. Starting off with “Living Well is the Best Revenge,” Michael, Peter and Mike (with exemplary playing from second guitarist Scott McCaughey and drummer Bill Rieflin, whose work is the most urgent and propulsive in the band’s history) lay it all out for the listener. Co-Producer Jacknife Lee has situated each instrument in an incontrovertible sonic space/place. There’s a fresh sound throughout, yet it’s undeniably authentic to the band’s history. Beyond all the subtext of their redemption and rebirth, R.E.M. has not just crafted songs that are cohesive as a collection; they also stand up alongside much of their best work. And like the rest of R.E.M.’s best work, they have captured their muse in each song: four minutes or less of absolute essence. The back-to-back middle passage of “Accelerate” and “Until the Day Is Done” are prime examples: each of a different ilk, both undeniable in their certainty.
May 1st, 2008 by Troy Butero
VITAL’s Online Summer Recreation Guide
As promised, here’s our comprehensive guidebook for living low-impact this summer, with links, contact info and more good ideas than you can shake a stick at. Have fun! ADVENTURE CHARTER BOATS Lake Michigan dive charters, right outta Milwaukee. THE ALDO LEOPOLD FOUNDATION E13701 Levee Rd., Baraboo BIKE TO WORK WEEK May 11 – May 16, statewide. And check out the City of Milwaukee’s Milwaukee By Bike map! BURLINGTON CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL May 23 – 26 in Burlington CAVE OF THE MOUNDS 2975 Cave of the Mounds Rd., Blue Mounds CEDAR GROVE CHEESE In Plain. 800-200-6020 CIRCUS WORLD MUSEUM 550 Water St., Baraboo 866-693-1500 CIVIL WAR MUSEUM 5400 1st Ave, Kenosha 262-653-4140 HOUSE ON THE ROCK In Spring Green. 608-935-3639 HEIDI FESTIVAL/TASTE & TREASURE of NEW GLARUS June 27-9 in New Glarus. LEN-DER CHARTERS Lake Michigan dive charters from Milwaukee. 414-482-1430 LIVING ADVENTURE 88260 State Hwy 13, Bayfield 866-779-9503 MILWAUKEE COUNTY PARKS Need we say more? MOREL MUSHROOM FESTIVAL May 17-18 in Muscoda NEENAH STREETBALL CHALLENGE June 14-15 in Neenah PORT WASHINGTON PIRATE FESTIVAL June 6-8 in Port Washington THE RENEWABLE ENERGY & SUSTAINABLE LIVING FAIR June 20-22 in Custer SPRING FORAGER’S HARVEST May 17-18, W5066 State Hwy 86, Ogema TEN CHIMNEYS ESTATE & FOUNDATION In Genesee Depot. 262-968-4110 WISCONSIN STATE PARKS Info on all of the parks, forests, recreation areas, state campgrounds and trails. GROTTOS DICKEYVILLE GROTTO 305 W Main St, Dickeyville 608-568-3119 GROTTO OF THE HOLY FAMILY St. Joseph, WI RUDOLPH GROTTO 6957 Grotto Ave., Rudolph 715-435-3120 WEGNER GROTTO Cataract, WI MEMORIALS KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL PARK OF WISCONSIN Worzella Pines Park, Plover MEMORIAL CLOCK TOWER Mead Rapids View Park, 1st and Baker St.,Wisconsin Rapids WISCONSIN STATE FIREFIGHTERS MEMORIAL Ben Hanson Park, 2nd Ave., Wisconsin Rapids MUSEUMS AMERICA’S BLACK HOLOCAUST MUSEUM 2233 N. 4th Street, Milwaukee 414-264-2500 BETTY BRINN CHILDREN’S MUSEUM 929 E. Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee 414-291-0888 CAPTAIN FREDERICK PABST MUSEUM 2000 West Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee 414-931-0808 THE HEARTSTONE HOUSE 625 W. Prospect, Appleton 920-730-8204 THE HISTORY MUSEUM AT THE CASTLE 330 East College Avenue, Appleton 920-733-8445 HISTORIC MUSEUM WALKING TOURS 828 N. Broadway, Milwaukee 414-277-7795 INTERNATIONAL CLOWN HALL OF FAME 161 W. Wisconsin Avenue (inside the Grand Avenue Mall), Milwaukee 414-319-0848 KENOSHA HISTORICAL CENTER 262-654-5770 KENOSHA PUBLIC MUSEUM 5500 1st Ave, Kenosha 262-653-4140 MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM 750 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive, Milwaukee 414-224-3200 MILWAUKEE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 910 N. Old World Third Street, Milwaukee 414-273-8288 MILWAUKEE PUBLIC MUSEUM 800 W. Wells Street, Milwaukee 414-278-2702 MITCHELL GALLERY OF FLIGHT General Mitchell International Airport 5300 S. Howell Avenue, Milwaukee 414-747-5300 RACINE ART MUSEUM 2519 Northwestern Avenue, Racine 262-636-9177 RACINE HERITAGE MUSEUM 701 South Main Street, Racine 262-636 3926 WEIS EARTH SCIENCE MUSEUM University of Wisconsin Fox Valley Campus 920-832-0125 NATURE/GARDENS THE BARLOW PLANETARIUM 1478 Midway Road, Menasha 414-276-5760 BOERNER BOTANICAL GARDENS 5879 S. 92nd Street, Hales Corner 414-425-1130 GORDON BUBOLZ NATURE PRESERVE 4815 N. Lynndale Drive, Appleton 920-731-6041 GREEN BAY BOTANICAL GARDEN 2600 Larsen Road, Green Bay 920-490-9457 HECKRODT WETLAND RESERVE 1305 Plank Road, Menasha 920-720-9349 LAKE GENEVA ANIMAL GARDENS 5065 Highway […]
May 1st, 2008 by Vital Archives
