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https://shepherdexpress.com/food/eat-drink/kegels-inn-puts-the-steinholding-contest-in-stein-dine/
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Photo: Keen-Eye Photographs juliankegel.com
Steinholding
Steinholding
Join the fun and test your endurance when Kegel’s Inn hosts Stein & Dine’s Steinholding competition. According to the official rules: In the experience of the U.S. Steinholding Association, rules and enforcement are critically important to the legitimacy of any competition.
Not to worry. Julian Kegel will no doubt be a less stern judge. “All seriousness aside, we still want to make it fun so we’re pretty generous with the rules,” he said. “Or else most people- who don’t train, would be out before three minutes are up.”
Kegel also emcees the event. “Sometimes it’s just more fun to get the crowd involved. To bring them up close and personal to see why the sport is actually more fun as a spectator.” The race to be the last one standing is a tough challenge for anyone, but he’s found that with the crowd’s support, most contestants will grin and bear it for longer. “It all makes for a great show!”
The 3:30 p.m. competition is open to both men and women. Entry fee is $20 which includes the stein and the beer in it. There will also be prizes for the winners.
In case you are a stickler, the official rules are here. And please, no pine tar. ussteinholding.com/info/official-steinholding-rules
Photo: Keen-Eye Photographs juliankegel.com
Steinholding
Steinholding
The Beer Cooler by the Lake
Kegel’s Inn will be joining Stein and Dine with their "Beer Cooler by the Lake,” a converted 1957 Grumman-Olson step van which makes up the beer portion of their Beer Garden at the War Memorial Center downtown Milwaukee. The War Memorial Beer Garden will kick off its second season on Friday, May 27, with the Field of Flags presentation Memorial Day Weekend and run through October. The beer garden is a fundraiser for the WMC.
Kegel’s Inn, the West Allis German restaurant, is operated by fourth generation Kegel’s, Julian and Stephanie. When the pandemic struck, their 59th Street outdoor beer garden became a safe gathering place as well as a familiar spot to socialize safely. Kegel’s Friday fish fry was a finalist in the 2022 Shepherd Express Best of Milwaukee competition. We featured Kegel’s beer garden in this video:
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https://shepherdexpress.com/food/lets-eat/celebrating-damascus-gate/
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Photo: Damascus Gate - Facebook
Damascus Gate dining room
Damascus Gate
Damascus Gate is a family-owned Halal food restaurant located at 807 W. Historic Mitchell Street, in a part of town that’s sometimes feels overlooked or forgotten. However, this casual sit down has some of the best Middle Eastern food around.
Living my 20s out in New York had me eating a lot of Halal food out of carts on the streets after a night out. I learned to love it for all its flavors and textures and was happy to see the famous Halal Guys make its way to Milwaukee after being a secret New York City spot known for its “white sauce” and late-night lines.
A friend brought me to Damascus Gate right when I moved back to Milwaukee after I was complaining about not having as much access to global cuisine. We each had the mixed grill plate which serves chicken and six-meat skewers alongside grilled veggies, hummus, baba ghanouj, salad (or fattoush), and pita bread. This time, I opted to try some other items and went with the hummus appetizer which is a mix of sesame oil and garlic served with pita bread, one lentil soup and a kefta kabab.
Depending on where you are in the world, a kebab is served differently but resulting in the same myriad of mixed meats, vegetables, sauces, and spices. Here, kebabs are wrapped in large shrak bread and look close to what we would call a wrap.
Everything was homemade fresh for me and delicious. I ordered with the intent to take some home for later, and I got what I wanted. Seems like a good place to order party platters for special occasions and gatherings. Who doesn’t love hummus?!
There were not many people dining in on a Monday at noon, but I would imagine their delivery has gotten popular since COVID-19 setbacks. I could hear the men cooking and speaking Arabic alongside the clanging of kitchen ware, evidence that everything is made fresh to order.
This is one of those spots in Milwaukee we should all go out of our way to try for ourselves and try to save. Once a big dining hall fit for large parties and buffets, it needs patronage to add the allure that the food deserves. I invite you to take a trip to Damascus Gate and taste it for yourselves.
Photo: Damascus Gate - Facebook
Damascus Gate - rice with meat and kubbeh
Damascus Gate - rice with meat and kubbeh
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https://shepherdexpress.com/news/community-news/daily-wisconsin-covid-19-update-470-new-cases-no-deaths/
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Summary:
- 470 new cases
- No new deaths, 2 deaths added to system
- 12,790 total deaths;
- 180 hospitalized patients, 31 in ICU
Source: Wisconsin Department of Health Services
On Thursday, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported an additional 470 new COVID-19 cases. The state has averaged 360 new cases per day in the last week.
On this day last year, there were 638 new cases, and a 7-day average of 567 cases per day. In 2020, 196 cases were recorded, with a 7-day average of 137 cases per day.
Source: Wisconsin Department of Health Services
There were no new deaths, and two deaths added to the Department of Health Services system, putting the total Wisconsin death toll at 12,790. A lag in death reporting statewide has affected these numbers.
In Milwaukee County, there were 92 new confirmed cases reported and have been 268,171 total cases in the county since the pandemic began. The 7-day average in the county is 65 cases per day. One of the deaths added to the system were attributed to Milwaukee County, putting the county death toll at 2,274 since the beginning of the pandemic.
If you are looking for COVID-19 testing or vaccination, consult the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website.
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https://shepherdexpress.com/cannabis/cannabis/in-1972-nixon-appointees-already-stated-the-obvious-marijuan/
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Image: Flickr via herb.com
1960s hippies smoking pot
Fifty years ago, what should have saved tens of millions of Americans from unjust arrests occurred and was promptly dismissed by President Richard Nixon. The National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse, better known as the Shafer commission, delivered its report after two years of research, concluding that marijuana should not be illegal. That report was supposed to determine how the Nixon Administration would treat marijuana within the Controlled Substances Act, which is still today the ultimate authority in terms of drug legality.
What the Shafer Commission Found
Under the guidance of former Pennsylvania governor, the Republican Raymond Shafer, the commission analyzed why marijuana is considered to be a problem. It correctly points out the fact that alcohol is much more dangerous to one’s health and far more commonly consumed, yet it is not considered to be a societal ill like marijuana was at the time. “For many, marihuana symbolized disorder,” the report reads. “For decades, its use was mainly confined to the underprivileged socioeconomic groups in our cities and to certain insulated social groups, such as jazz musicians and artists. As long as it remained confined to these groups, [...] the vast majority of Americans remained unconcerned.”
Marijuana as a recreational drug was traditionally limited to African Americans and Mexican immigrants, which the Shafer report diplomatically refers to as “underprivileged socioeconomic groups in our cities.” But when the rebellious youth started challenging the racial imbalance inherent to American society in the 1960s, marijuana was held up by conservatives as a symbol of race mixing and the rabble contaminating the youth’s minds, alongside rock music and sexual liberation. “Marihuana symbolizes the cultural divide,” says the report. “Any statement frequently repeated in public assumes the status of fact. With so many people continually arguing about marihuana, the public has understandably become alarmed and confused.”
The link between Americans’ rejection of marijuana and race cannot be understated. Before the 1900s, it was always referred to by its proper name, cannabis. The word “marijuana” itself, and its equivalent “marihuana” with a rolled H, only exist because American conservatives wanted a word that sounded Mexican to incite Americans to hate what it describes.
When the architect of marijuana prohibition, Harry Anslinger, testified before Congress to ban cannabis, he presented as evidence a letter from the Alamosa Daily Courier in Colorado. It read, “I wish I could show you what a small marihuana cigarette can do to one of our degenerate Spanish-speaking residents. That’s why our problem is so great; the greatest percentage of our population is composed of Spanish-speaking persons, most of who are low mentally, because of social and racial conditions.”
No Physical Dependence
Once they analyzed the root of the rejection of marijuana by the conservative American society, the Shafer commission looked at the health and social consequences of marijuana use. They noted that heavy marijuana users can have a form of psychological dependence but not physical dependence, and they found no harm done by marijuana. “There is little proven danger of physical or psychological harm from the experimental or intermittent use of the natural preparations of cannabis, including [hashish].” The only potential harm done by marihuana identified by the Shafer commission was present in only 2% of marijuana users, and it was purely a potential emotional instability linked to heavy daily use of marijuana. “Unfortunately, these marihuana-related problems, which occur only in heavy, long-term users, have been overgeneralized and over-dramatized.”
The Atlantic journalist Eric Schlosser reported on the consequences of the Mexican revolution of 1910, which led to a wave of Mexican immigration in Texas: “The prejudices and fears that greeted these peasant immigrants also extended to their traditional means of intoxication: smoking marijuana. Police officers in Texas claimed that marijuana incited violent crimes, aroused a ‘lust for blood,’ and gave its users ‘superhuman strength.’” This is the sort of absurdities that were widely believed by opponents of marijuana, largely due to the general racist sentiment permeating American society, regardless of facts.
“The belief that marihuana causes or leads to the commission of violent or aggressive acts first emerged during the 1930s and became deeply embedded in the public mind,” Shafer notes, before presenting the results of months of systematic review of all available data at the time and the results of several studies sponsored by the commission itself: “No substantial evidence exists of a causal connection between the use of marihuana and the commission of violent or aggressive acts. Indeed, if any relationship was indicated, it was not a positive and direct connection, but an inverse or negative statistical correlation. Rather than inducing violent or aggressive behavior through its purported effects [...], marihuana was usually found to inhibit the expression of aggressive impulses by pacifying the user, interfering with muscular coordination, reducing psycho-motor activities and generally producing states of drowsiness, lethargy, timidity and passivity.”
Ultimately, the Shafer commission made recommendations—which were the very reason why its members were appointed in the first place—regarding marijuana. They recommended that the government should focus on studying cannabis and its potential medical uses, that heavy marijuana users should be referred to community-based treatment facilities, that the federal and state governments should separate marijuana from opiates, and that marijuana should not be criminalized.
Nixon went on to bury the report and take none of the recommendations made within.
Marijuana’s Illegal Status Was Never Meant to be Permanent
The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 separated drugs into schedules based on dangerousness. This act is culpable for placing marijuana at the very top, in Schedule I, alongside heroin, ecstasy and peyote. Every drug in Schedule I, in theory, has no medical use and a high risk of abuse. As the U.S. government itself owns a patent regarding medical use of marijuana—U.S. patent US-6630507-B1, which determined that cannabinoids have a value in treating age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases—marijuana does not fall under the definition of Schedule I drugs.
In fact, this is something that the Shafer commission specifically called out in 1972: “The Commission recommends that the legislatures distinguish marihuana from opiates [...]. The consequence of inappropriate definition is that the public continues to associate marihuana with narcotics such as heroin. The confusion resulting from this improper classification helps to perpetuate prejudices and misinformation about marihuana.” Then, how did harmless marijuana even end up in Schedule I, alongside deadly opioids?
It was initially supposed to be a temporary measure while the Shafer commission worked to determine which legal status should be given to marijuana. Assistant Secretary of Health Roger Egeberg stated it explicitly in a letter to the Chairman of the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce:
“[Marijuana] is presently classed in schedule I along with its active constituents, the tetrahydrocannibinols and other psychotropic drugs. Some question has been raised whether the use of the plant itself produces ‘severe psychological or physical dependence’ as required by a schedule I or even schedule II criterion. Since there is still a considerable void in our knowledge of the plant and effects of the active drug contained in it, our recommendation is that marijuana be retained within schedule I at least until the completion of certain studies now underway to resolve the issue,” the letter reads.
But when the Shafer report, which Egeberg refers to as “certain studies now underway,” finally came out, the Nixon Administration decided to ignore their findings entirely.
“President Nixon said, ‘Even if the commission does recommend that it be legalized, I will not follow that recommendation,’” The New York Times reported in 1972. “The National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse has unanimously decided to recommend that all criminal penalties for the private use and possession of marijuana be eliminated. No state has yet gone this far, and the recommendation of the conservatively oriented 13‐member commission, which includes nine members appointed by President Nixon, could generate a dramatic shift in the public's attitudes toward the legal status of the drug.” The newspaper was far too optimistic.
The reasons why Nixon chose to ignore common sense, science and the advice of his own appointees are not particularly mysterious. Nixon top aide John Ehrlichman famously admitted what they were: “The Nixon White House had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.”
In order to serve Nixon’s short-term political goals, the findings of the Shafer commission were buried, and more than 500,000 Americans have been arrested every single year for half-a-century for non-violent, harmless possession of a psychoactive plant that never had any reason to be criminalized. Even today, police arrest more people for benign possession of marijuana alone than for all violent crimes combined.
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https://shepherdexpress.com/culture/books/milwaukees-april-author-round-up/
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This month, there are several new books and author appearances in Milwaukee that feature stories of change and times of upheaval.
At 7 p.m. on April 12, the Jewish Museum Milwaukee will host author Shirley Ann Higuchi, who will share her personal journey in uncovering her family history involving the Japanese American internment camps during World War II. Higuchi’s book, Setsuko’s Secret: Heart Mountain and the Legacy of the Japanese American Incarceration, follows Higuchi’s path of discovery after her mother Setsuko passes away. When she learns the truth about how her parents met, and about their early life together in the rough internment camp on Heart Mountain in Wyoming, Higuchi realizes how these traumas affected her family and her community.
This program is available both in-person and virtually. Pre-Register to choose your option and pay $5 for museum members/$10 for non-members.
Mystery readers won’t want to miss best-selling author, Cara Black, appearing in-person to discuss her newest installation to the Aimeé Leduc mystery series. The event, co-hosted by Boswell Books and Alliance Française de Milwaukee, will be on April 7 at 6:30 p.m. Black’s boo, Murder at the Porte De Versailles, is set in Paris in November 2001, just after 9/11. World tensions are running high as heroine, Aimeé Leduc, balances solving a mystery laced with danger from spies and terrorists, taking care of her of her young daughter Chloe, and dealing with pressure from Chloe’s father who wants them to move out of Paris to live in the quiet countryside.
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Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
To attend this free event pre-register here.
Cara Black "Murder at the Porte De Versailles"
Fiction lovers will enjoy seeing best-selling author, Jennifer Close, during an in-person event at Boswell Books, 6:30 p.m. on April 29. Close will be discussing her latest novel, Marrying the Ketchups, which tells the story of a restaurant-owning family in Chicago coping with tough personal losses, huge sports victories, and the post-election shock of Trump’s win in 2016. Even good food can only help so much when facing a myriad of unknowns and the highs and lows of life. Marrying the Ketchups is Close’s fourth novel.
To attend this free event, please pre-register here. Information about attending virtually will be available on the day of the event.
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https://shepherdexpress.com/culture/happening-now/at-unsil-world-fair-kids-display-their-knowledge-of-nations-/
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Photo: United Nations Association - Greater Milwaukee - Facebook
2019 Milwaukee United Nations School of International Learning
2019 Milwaukee United Nations School of International Learning
In a democracy, the importance of a well-informed citizenry was recognized as long ago as ancient Athens. Today, with the whole world more interconnected than ever before, knowledge of other countries and cultures is essential.
Education is crucial. Since 2016, more than a dozen Milwaukee Public Schools have incorporated the United Nations Schools of International Learning (UNSIL) program into their curriculum. On April 19, at the UWM Panther Arena, some 2,000 students enrolled in the program will present displays of their class projects on the United Nations, its agencies and member countries. As the promotional flyer for the UNSIL World Fair puts it, “It’s like a science fair but with geography, economics and more.”
The age-appropriate curriculum begins in fourth grade and continues through eighth. In fourth grade, students learn to understand the definition of nations. In fifth grade they are introduced to the United Nations and its mission. The following year, students examine the workings and procedures of the UN.
Sixth grade focuses on sustainable development goals and learns how the world is linked together. Seventh grade focuses on humanitarianism and dives into UN agencies and programs. Eighth grade prepares students for taking action in their own community.
“They essentially put on their blue helmets and get to work,” says Annette Robertson, a counselor and fundraiser for the program. She also chairs the Education Committee of the United Nations Chapter of Greater Milwaukee. “As a former teacher at MPS my second graders were involved in in live conversations with Afghan students,” she recalls. “My interest in further involvement of introducing an international studies program to elementary students in MPS lead to UNSIL.”
The 16 participating MPS schools are:
95th Street, Fairview, Fernwood Montessori School, Garland, Grant, Lincoln Center for the Arts, MACL, Manitoba, Milwaukee French Immersion, Milwaukee German Immersion, Milwaukee School of Language, Parkview, Story, Stuart, Victory K8 and Milwaukee Italian Immersion School and Zablocki.
The grade and middle school students and their projects are the event’s highlights, but the UNSIL World Fair will also include drumming, dancing and a clothing display. “The students will engage with visitors to inform them of all that they have learned from their research and creation,” Robertson says.
The UNSIL World Fair takes place 9:45 a.m.-1 p.m., Tuesday April 19 at the UWM Panther Arena, 400 W. Kilbourn Ave.
United Nations Association - Greater Milwaukee
2019 Milwaukee United Nations School of International Learning
2019 Milwaukee United Nations School of International Learning
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https://shepherdexpress.com/culture/mke-speaks/milwaukee-entrepreneur-ali-acevedo-brings-fashion-and-togeth/
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Photo by Isa Kregel
All Goods shirts
All Goods
T-shirts galore are organized by color and style. You can find Milwaukee Bucks gear, college crewnecks, and even Disney tees. The graphics are eclectic, and the vibe of the store is a whole aesthetic itself.
Located on South 72nd Street, All Goods is one of two locations owned by Ali Acevedo. It is a vintage street wear shop. Acevedo has been collecting pieces for it since he started selling on eBay at the age of 15. Just over two years ago he was able to transform his online shop into a physical space where Milwaukee residents can shop for the latest fashion at good prices.
“I always wanted to be my own boss … being able to control my lifestyle, being able to have my own time back to do what I want to do. I’m doing something I love,” said Acevedo. “I enjoy when customers come in and seeing what they pick up.”
Born and raised on Milwaukee’s South Side, Acevedo started selling everything from books to video games, to posters and clothes while working a 9-to-5 job at US Bank. Acevedo knew he belonged elsewhere. Even though his full-time job was paying him well, he wasn’t happy. As he drove across the bridge on 60th and Hawley Road to get to work, he would think about what to do next with his career.
“I just remember getting to that bridge and thinking ‘Damn, I got to be here for eight hours,” Acevedo recalled. “Entrepreneurship is not for everybody, it’s very risky. I put my all into it, like every dollar I had. I risked it all. But I had the support of my wife, I had the support of my family and that really made this business successful.”
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He quit his job and opened his store with the help of his family and his wife Almi Avila. Avila and Acevedo have been together for about 15 years and tied the knot a month before opening All Goods. Simultaneously preparing for a wedding and a grand opening was stressful at times, but Avila said she knew it would all come together because of her husband’s drive to perfection.
“Anyone who knows Ali knows how he is. He’s always had that hustle mentality,” said Avila. “I always have had a lot of faith in him. I know that whatever he’s going to do and whatever he wants to do, he’s going to give it his all.”
Acevedo and Avila have two daughters together. Family has been a motivator. The importance of teaching and guiding the kids in their family has been at the forefront of All Goods. Acevedo and Avila want to provide a place where their children can enhance their skills and show them that they can do anything they put their minds to.
“In his eyes, every single thing that we’re doing is for our family. It’s for our younger community. Our 12-year-old has been helping and even our four-year-old helps by taking the lint brush to clothes. The future of All Goods is for our children to run it,” said Avila.
Acevedo’s mother, Delinda Acevedo, knew her son would be in the resale industry since he was just a kid too. He would accompany her to “thrifty stores,” as she called them, and she helped him sew things up to get items in the right condition before posting online. She said he never was a person to over-buy.
“He knows his customers. He pays attention to what they are really looking for and that’s what gets him a lot of followers,” she added.
Personalized service is another objective Acevedo carries throughout his business. He has made it an effort to get to know his customers and to build a sense of trust among them. If there’s ever a problem with a purchase, Acevedo wants his customers to go to him and find something that will make them happy.
“It’s more personable when you learn about the people. You learn about so much stuff going around in the city from having those conversations that you never knew,” he said. “Every now and then it’s nice to just know that you’re helping your community and that they’re helping somebody who took the chance.”
The Resale Industry
Acevedo’s store is part of the growing resale industry. The resale industry is expected to grow 11 times faster than the broader retail clothing sector by 2025, according to the 2021 Resale Report released by ThredUp. This is mostly driven by wide-reaching internet access and easy-to-use applications for selling secondhand items.
The executive director of the National Association of Resale Professionals (NARTS), Adele Meyer, said consumers enjoy shopping in resale because they never know what they can find, especially as new products continue to be put out on display.
“Sustainability is much more important to consumers and saving money is always a factor. During the pandemic people were home much more which gave them time to clean out closets and rearrange their living areas. Many had to change things to accommodate home offices and home-schooling areas. This resulted in the industry experiencing an increase in inventory and in sales,” said Meyer.
Acevedo said there are always obstacles when running a business, especially by yourself. When the COVID pandemic first hit the country, he made the decision to remain open for people who needed a sense of normality. His mother admired his strive to remain positive throughout that time of turmoil.
“There have been many times where he could’ve given up,” she said. “It made me very proud to know that he got through all of that.”
The future of All Goods
It’s just the beginning for Acevedo. He is planning a vintage pop-event with the Milwaukee Bucks and events throughout the Bayshore center. The second All Goods Fest is also in the works this year where other vendors come together like a block party to sell and socialize. Acevedo said it would be cool to branch out around the country, but Milwaukee will always be at the center of it all.
“I don’t want to lose touch of where some of my family is still living today and the struggles that they still live with today. It’s where I came from and it’s also what drives me every day,” said Ali. “I love the Milwaukee Bucks. I love Milwaukee… Ultimately this is the home base.”
For more information, visit his website or follow his Instagram @allgoodsmke.
Photo by Isa Kregel
All Goods posters and shoes
All Goods
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https://shepherdexpress.com/culture/visual-art/sculpture-milwaukee-elevates-the-landscape-of-our-citys-dow/
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Photo by Brian Pfister - Sculpture Milwaukee
Allison Janae Hamilton "The peo-ple cried mer-cy in the storm"
Allison Janae Hamilton "The peo-ple cried mer-cy in the storm"
Something remarkable has been happening around Milwaukee’s Downtown area the past five years. If you’ve been out and about you may have spotted outdoor art installations like Robert Indiana’s LOVE outside of the Milwaukee Art Museum or Radcliffe Bailey’s Pensive outside of City Hall depicting W.E.B. Du Bois in the same pose as Rodin’s famous The Thinker. Sculpture Milwaukee Board Member Cory Ampe believes it’s been a positive addition to Wisconsin Avenue where several pieces have been on display. Ampe says, “It makes art purely accessible. Out in the raw elements and the hustle and bustle of Downtown. It changes our environment and our whole cityscape for you whether you’re interested in art or not.”
What began as a vision of Stephan Marcus of the Marcus Corporation in the early 2000s to bring artwork, but specifically sculptures, to the streets of Downtown Milwaukee has grown into a non-profit organization called Sculpture Milwaukee. “It’s really grown into itself,” says Ampe. The group become big enough to shift to a guest curatorial model. Meaning, now they select people outside of the organization to choose the art, with only some guidance from the board of directors of Sculpture Milwaukee.
Pieces like Pensive and LOVE are part of the group’s legacy collection on permanent display. The group also hosts a new exhibition approximately every 16 months with a newly curated collection. “We used to only display from June to October, but the logistics of transporting sculpture, especially internationally, can be tricky in normal times,” says Ampe, “and because of the shipping challenges during COVID we kept some of the pieces up on Wisconsin Avenue longer than we had before.”
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Nature Doesn’t Know About Us
“There is this We,” the name of the current exhibition curated by artists Teaster Gates and Michelle Grabner, began in summer of 2021 and runs until autumn of 2022. This will overlap the new exhibit opening in June called “Nature Doesn’t Know About Us” which is curated by Swiss-born artist, Ugo Rondinone. “It’s unusual to have public art on display outdoors as long as this,” says Ampe. “But it's also great to have such easy access to works of art like these, especially during a time where some may not feel comfortable being too near to others indoors.”
Exhibiting two collections at the same time means that Sculpture Milwaukee’s footprint will continue to expand as they’ll need more spaces to display the works. Which means we’ll have more opportunities to interact with the art. Ampe sums up the goal of Sculpture Milwaukee saying, “Inadvertent or incidental interactivity with art is pretty cool—seeing these sculptures doesn’t require you to go to a gallery or buy a ticket expecting to be exposed to art. It’s just a part of our lives.”
Find a map of the current sculptures at sculpturemilwaukee.com. Printed maps with the newest exhibition locations will be available in June or July.
Photo by Kevin J. Miyazaki - Sculpture Milwaukee
Paula Crown "Jokester"
Paula Crown "Jokester"
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Photo via restaurantji.com
El Tucanazo
El Tucanazo
Among Milwaukee’s Mexican restaurants, the ambiance can range from borderline theme park to the bare bones vibes of standing outside of a truck, with tacos served on Styrofoam plates. Then there is El Tucanazo (3261 S. 13th St.), a restaurant that juts out from under a building, which looks like it was once a storefront. Indeed, the place was a pet store back in the early ‘60s and was transformed into a lunch counter by 1978. No one seems to have much information on what kind of diner it was, but from the looks of it inside—the wraparound Formica counter with the stools attached and the booths lining the wall—it was probably one where a gum smacking waitress asked you “Whatcha havin,’ hon?” It is a place that would make Tom Waits proud.
Recently however, the booths were torn out and the stools uprooted to make way for more mobile stools; the booths were replaced with tables with patterned tablecloths, the kind you might see at your tia’s house. South 13th St. in Milwaukee, just slightly west of Morgan, is a delightful block, one that boasts some of Milwaukee’s best kept secrets and hidden treasures such as Bombay Sweets, Tortilleria El Sol, La Sierrita and El Tucanazo. It is named after a dance that is popular in the coastal state of Veracruz, which basically means to “hit it with the force of a toucan,” a bird that populates the jungles of the state and is known for its colorful beak, which acts as a powerful vise.
Seafood and Steak
It is no surprise that in a place named after a tropical bird, the main dishes that it is known for are seafood, because of its connections with rainforests and proximity to oceans. Mojarra frita, an entire tilapia fish that has been cleaned, scored and deep-fried, is one of the reasons many people homesick for Veracruz come here to dine. Its citrusy seasoning calls to their taste buds. The fish has a flaky flesh and lays across a wide plate on a bed of iceberg lettuce with rice and beans on the side, a stack of tortillas in a bin to keep them from getting cold.
The other most popular dish here at El tucanazo is the bistec a la tampiquena (“Tampico style steak”), named after the city of Tampico in the northern coastal state of Tamaulipas. The state is relatively close to the Texas border and is something of a mutant in terms of its history. The dish is a cut of skirt steak, which is not run through a tenderizing machine, rather left to maintain its thick juiciness. It is typically served with fries, but also rice and beans. This makes it a Mexican dish, but also a Tejano one, which has enjoyed its own life as a hybrid between Mexican and American food, like enchiladas, nachos and burritos, known for their portability.
El Tucanazo is a place to sit down on a Saturday morning, to order camarones a la diabla, shrimp that have been fried and roasted in a guajillo-based sauce where the heat level can range from mild to tear inducing. It is a place that gets the flavors right while also being off the wall spicy. It is really hard for food to do both usually, especially when the vehicle is a main dish as opposed to a salsa. El Tucanazo is a hidden gem that makes complicated dishes the main star in its theater. However, culinary players like simple tacos still get the treatment and attention they deserve, making El Tucanazo one of Milwaukee’s most solid and well-rounded joints in the limbo between the heart of the South Side and Bay View. It is worth the journey.
Photo via restaurantji.com
El Tucanazo exterior
El Tucanazo
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Summary:
- 458 new cases
- No new deaths, 8 deaths added to system
- 12,800 total deaths;
- 164 hospitalized patients, 32 in ICU
Source: Wisconsin Department of Health Services
On Friday, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported an additional 458 new COVID-19 cases. The state has averaged 371 new cases per day in the last week.
On this day last year, there were 778 new cases, and a 7-day average of 578 cases per day. In 2020, 152 cases were recorded, with a 7-day average of 150 cases per day.
Source: Wisconsin Department of Health Services
There were no new deaths, and eight deaths added to the Department of Health Services system, putting the total Wisconsin death toll at 12,790. A lag in death reporting statewide has affected these numbers.
In Milwaukee County, there were 97 new confirmed cases reported and have been 268,268 total cases in the county since the pandemic began. The 7-day average in the county is 72 cases per day. One of the deaths added to the system were attributed to Milwaukee County, putting the county death toll at 2,276 since the beginning of the pandemic.
If you are looking for COVID-19 testing or vaccination, consult the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website.
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Photo by Rachel Malehorn
Milwaukee Ballet "PUSH"
Milwaukee Ballet "PUSH"
Milwaukee Ballet presented a trio of highly original contemporary one-act ballets at the Marcus Center last weekend, including two world premieres and the revival of a past favorite, all by rising international choreographers. PUSH was the program’s title. Whatever old images the word ballet conjures, forget them.
Choreographer Aleix Mañè Sáez from Spain won Milwaukee Ballet’s international choreographic competition, “Genesis,” in 2019. The prize included a commission to create a second work for these dancers in 2020. The COVID lockdown arrived during final rehearsals and Mañè Sáez and the dancers have waited over two years to bring their work to an audience.
It’s titled SixthBreatH. I’ll never forget it, just as I’ll never forget the work that won Mañè Sáez the commission. That work was inspired by his ancestors’ flight from the Spanish dictator Franco; this one by the courage of a friend diagnosed with a terminal disease. His work is dramatic and deeply felt. It asks, as I said, everything from dancers, and in this case, especially from its protagonist, created for Lizzie Tripp who did the role full justice. Even standing still, she was riveting.
The title comes from the musical composition Sixth Breath, The Last Breath by the prolific Italian composer Ezio Bosso, who died in 2020 at age 48 of a years-long degenerative disease. Among many other things, he composed music for ballets.
The dance starts with Tripp sitting on the floor in a dim spotlight, her back to us, flesh visible, touching her hair with minimal movement, listening at length to a recording of woman singing a powerful Spanish lament. Then Bosso’s music starts. A company of shadowy dancers appear in the darkness around her. They’re the life she knows she’ll lose. With intense involvement, she witnesses a couple—Annia Hidalgo and Davit Hovhannisyan on opening night—dance their love in astonishing partnering, with strings of lifts I’ve never seen. Tripp, weighted by grief, does a quiet, haunted solo. Then others come to help her to new vitality. It leads to a moment of blinding white light and a kind of ecstatic dancing I found completely convincing.
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Born in Spain, choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo became Chicago-based in 2008 as the resident choreographer for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. He created his feathery fantasy Extremely Close that year and restaged it in 2012 for Milwaukee Ballet. In 2020, he became the first ever resident choreographer at Seattle’s Pacific Northwest Ballet.
It’s another unforgettable piece. White walls reveal and conceal bits of life as dancer’s slide them left and right, on and off stage, to music by Philip Glass and Dustin O’Halloran. The stage floor is filled with white feathers that fall like snow, and then randomly fly as they meet dancers’ moves.
Make of it all what you will. It’s fast-moving, delicate, filled with surprises and mood shifts, solemn in its ending. Its lovers were beautifully performed by Hailee Rodrigues and Hovhannisyan. Eight other dancers looked happy to play in a formal world as light as air. In a standout role, Garrett Glassman was elastic and vital.
Choreographer Stephanie Martinez’s El Maestro pushed PUSH to a joyous ending. It was the evening’s second world premiere.
A much-awarded Chicago-based dance artist, Martinez identifies as a woman of color. She’s the founder and artistic director of Chicago’s PARA.MAR Dance Theatre, a repertory company championing diversity. El Maestro honors the life and work of Francisco Toledo, an internationally celebrated indigenous Mexican visual artist who died in 2019. El Maestro, Martinez writes in a program note, “explores Toldeo’s inner mind: a world filled with mythical animals, folk tales and an eternal devotion to the people and culture of Mexico.”
The curtain raised on a sweet painted canvas, Toledo-style, representing a bit of the Maestro’s house. Placed off center, it was big enough for a backdrop but nowhere near the size of the Marcus stage. It represented the Maestro’s house. A ladder and an open window provided spots for our artist hero to view the world.
In a breakout performance, Craig Freigang danced the role, drunk on joy because the world that unfolded around him in dance was the world he loved most, the world of his imagination, the world he would spend his life painting and sculpting and drawing. It was embodied with perfect abandon by thirteen dancers, all to a series of glorious Mexican songs.
True to her subject, Martinez managed to feature every dancer in the cast. Faster and faster, the women in pointe shoes danced as freely if they were barefoot. When our hero is thrilled by a kite, others bring more kites, and the artist is lifted and flown like a kite. “PUSH” couldn’t have come to a happier end.
Photo by Nathaniel Davauer
Milwaukee Ballet Company "PUSH"
Milwaukee Ballet Company "PUSH"
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Image: Cooperative Performance - cooperativeperformance.org
Sarah Moore "One Universe"
Sarah Moore "One Universe"
For most dancers, the movements of the human body are the sole canvas on which they create their art. But for dancer Sarah Moore, movement is just the beginning, a framework and energy source through which ideas and passion crowd together with social activism, creating something that stretches beyond mere dance performance.
“I always wanted to be the Laurie Anderson of dance,” the Milwaukee performance artist and self-described “wild woman” says, referencing the avant-garde musician, composer and filmmaker. “I call myself the dancer with the mouth.”
This month Moore will wrap her many talents, including dance, narrative, poetry and song into a one-woman show called One Universe, part of local theater company Cooperative Performance’s spring season. The show will run April 8-16 for five performances at Sunstone Studios MKE. Guitarist Ionlion will provide the music.
The show’s thesis compares a single human life to the universe as a whole, says Moore, who with her sister Claire Moore also owns Pink House Studio, a yoga, meditation and eclectic movement space in the city’s Riverwest neighborhood. The dancer’s commitment to social activism and passion for storytelling combine into a multi-faceted interactive narrative designed to engage the audience with the realization of how they align with the universe and, in many ways, are individual universes unto themselves.
“I used to lead songs at Midwest Women’s Herbal Conference and was asked to tell stories.,” says Moore, who holds a dance degree from UWM. “Since I’m a mover I decided to weave them together with a little movement.”
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Ecosystems through Art
Moore’s dance background includes performances with Milwaukee troupes Wild Space and Foothold. Following her degree, she also spent time dancing in San Francisco as well as exploring the Bay Area’s more radical social ideas. Since returning to Milwaukee she has become a social activist and is dedicated to local permaculture efforts to create more natural ecosystems within the city.
Moore’s new work builds on her past experiences in both art and life, involving a much higher, more expansive concept. “I decided to do a larger piece about life, interweaving it with the origin of the universe as we understand it,” she explains. “It’s a very full piece, and very eclectic. I have a broad artistic palette and anything that I can do on stage that’s socially appropriate is in my box.”
There are a lot of parallels in Moore’s show between human life and the life of the universe, comparing the relative trauma of human birth to the proposed “big bang” theory of the universe’s origin. She explores the human predicament through art, which she says is often the only way such difficult conversations can be held.
“In One Universe I am using my life as an infinitesimal sample to try and understand the bigger picture, “Moore says. “We all want to share our stories and try and return the gifts we were given to the world.
“I am just making my sound. This is what I know how to do,” she adds. “I can sing, write and be vulnerable. Every single one of us has an amazing, beautiful and important story to tell. I am just adding mine to the universal conversation.”
Sarah Moore’s One Universe runs April 8–16 at Sunstone Studios MKE, 127 E. Wells St. Content warning: The performance contains nudity and mature themes, including violence. Tickets are $25 and can be preordered at www.cooperativeperformance.org.
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Photo: Times Cinema - Facebook
Times Cinema exterior
Times Cinema
In 1978 I saw Madame Rosa at the Times Cinema—and for the first time saw wine and cheese served in a movie theater. The Times was an art house on Milwaukee’s West Side in those days. In the years since it has seen several manager-owners including Larry Widen and Eric Levin; has shown a variety of films including classics, midnight flicks and first runs of new releases; and hosted film festivals ranging from the Milwaukee International Film Festival to the horror-oriented Twisted Dreams Film Festival.
On Friday, April 8, after being shuttered for two years because of the pandemic, the Times will reopen with an Alfred Hitchcock weekend. “Our new programming plan is for the Times to become a theater that shows older films in series or theme-based runs. We hope to build our own mini film festivals and reflect elements of what is happening in our community, the nation and around the world,” says Lee Barczak, owner of the Times and Bay View’s Avalon Atmospheric Theater.
The thematic runs will be programmed around genres, directors, film stars and events on the calendar. Later this month, the Times and the Avalon will host screenings for the Milwaukee Film Festival (April 2-May 5) along with the Oriental Theater on Milwaukee’s East Side.
All these years later, the Times is serving wine again—and a full bar—in addition to nachos, waffle fries and a variety of housemade pizzas. Yes, there will be popcorn.
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Photo: Red Bull redbull.com
Red Bull Flugtag
Red Bull Flugtag
Engineering and aviation enthusiasts will get a chance to unleash their creativity, along with their inner daredevil, at the Red Bull Flugtag competition July 16 at Veterans Park.
The competition, which takes its name from the German word for “flying day,” will be the popular energy drink company’s first of its kind held in the Midwest.
Held in 50 countries including Austria, Sweden and Portugal almost every year for 25 years and attracting nine million spectators to date, the Flugtag competition stipulates that its teams build their own aircrafts—the wackier, the better.
On July 16 in front of nearly 40,000 viewers, teams of up to five pilots will launch these ingenious aircrafts off a 27-foot-tall flight deck overlooking Lake Michigan. Past winning Flugtag designs have included the Snoop Dogg House at a San Francisco competition in 2003.
Aircrafts will be judged based on design, flight distance and performance. Contest winners will be chosen by a group of Wisconsin celebrities and athletes, including former Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver; JMatt, a TikTok content creator and host of HashtagMKE; and Nick Lorenz, a Kenosha-based Red Bull Snocross Athlete.
“It’s great to see more attention being put on the City of Milwaukee, and RedBull bringing Flugtag to Veterans Park will continue to do just that,” JMatt said. “From the videos online of human-powered flying contraptions plummeting into the water below in epic fashion, it’s easy to see why Red Bull Flugtag has become so popular around the world in the last few decades. I’m really curious about what the teams will come up with—will they go for distance or entertainment, or manage to merge the two?”
The deadline to enter the competition is 5 p.m., April 25. For more information, rules and safety regulations, visit redbull.com/flugtagmilwaukee.
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Photo: America’s Black Holocaust Museum - abhmuseum.org
America’s Black Holocaust Museum exhibit
America’s Black Holocaust Museum
Of the many racist atrocities visited upon Black people over the years in America, perhaps none was as heinous as lynching. Most of these cowardly acts—claiming untold thousands of victims—were in the 1800s in the South. But not all.
Perhaps the most famous depiction is a black-and-white photo of two bloodied Black men hanging from limbs of a tree, surrounded by amused White onlookers. An empty third noose dangles between them.
But this all-too familiar, sickening photo was not taken in the Deep South in the 1860s, ‘70s, ‘80s or ‘90s. It was taken in Marion, Indiana on Aug. 7, 1930, and serves as the cover of a chilling book by James Cameron called A Time of Terror. And that third noose was intended for Cameron, who was 16 years of age.
Cameron, who passed way at age 92 in 2006, was founder of America’s Black Holocaust Museum in Milwaukee, which has become world-famous. After closing 10 years ago, the museum reopened in February on the ground floor of the Griot Building, at 401 W. North Ave.
We first met in 1986, when I was a columnist-editorial writer with The Milwaukee Journal, and he presented me with a signed copy of his book. Over the next decade, I toured the museum’s original building at North Fourth and West North Avenue, and we had many private conversations.
In 1994 and 1996, Cameron, a soft-spoken, old school gentleman, appeared as a guest on two news talk shows I co-hosted“The Carter-McGee Report” on WNOV radio, and “Eye on Milwaukee” on CBS Channel 58. Our in-depth interviews about his awe-inspiring museum, which he founded in 1988, and his unique literary achievement, were among the most moving, and fulfilling, of my career.
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The genesis of Cameron’s book is testament to his indomitable spirit. After many rewrites and some 300 rejections by publishers over 45 years, he copyrighted the work in 1980 under the title From the Inside Out. Two years later, he renamed it A Time of Terror and mortgaged his home to self-publish the book in Milwaukee (T/D Publications). In February 1994, it was re-published by Black Classic Press in Baltimore.
Here is how Cameron introduces the account of his miraculous escape from slow death by lynching—a must-read for every Black man, woman and child in this country:
“Have you ever watched one man die and then another, knowing that your turn was next? Have you ever looked into ten thousand angry faces whose open mouths screamed for your blood? Have you ever felt yourself in the hands of such a mob whose sole purpose was to destroy you?
“All of these things and more happened to me several years ago. This I acknowledge not boastfully but humbly, for the fact that I am alive to tell this story is due to a power greater than myself or any man ...”
Lynching in the Heartland
It should be noted that a compelling recounting of Cameron’s near-lynching also was the subject of a book called A Lynching in the Heartland by James Madison, published in 2001 by St. Martin’s Press. But with all due respect, Cameron’s spellbinding, first-person account is, quite frankly, in a class by itself. As is the wonderful man who lived it.
Cameron’s stunning story begins the evening of Aug. 6, 1930, in Marion, a hotbed of Ku Klux Klan activity. Cameron went along with 18-year-old Abe Smith and 19-year-old Tom Shipp in a plan to rob a White couple parked in a lover’s lane. Recognizing the White man as Claude Deeter, whose shoes he had shined, Cameron ran away.
He was later arrested at his mother’s home, told Deeter had been shot and the woman—who knew the Black teenagers—said she was raped. In jail, Cameron was beaten by sheriff deputies and coerced into signing a confession. The next day, after the town’s mayor brought a masked man to jail to look at the three Black prisoners, Deeter died.
An upcoming lynching was aired on the radio and a mob shouting “nigger, nigger” stormed the jail. The sheriff—whom Cameron later learned was a Klan member—stood by as Shipp was badly beaten and hung from a tree in the courthouse square. Then Smith was dragged out, hit with rocks and bricks and a crowbar was rammed through his chest.
Cameron says: “I watched from my window upstairs knowing that Abe was dead before they hung him. After about 15 minutes of celebrating, the mobsters started back toward the jail.” Beaten again, he prayed as his neck was put in a noose. Miraculously, he heard a voice say “Take this boy back. He had nothing to do with any raping or killing.”
At that point, he relates, the mob and onlookers—comprised of men and women—parted and he was permitted to make his way back to the jail. Later, the state militia arrived and the bodies of the two teenagers were cut down. Cameron was taken to another county and spent a year in jail. In a subsequent trial, in Anderson, Ind., he was found guilty of being an accessory to manslaughter. However, it was determined that the White woman had not been raped. None of the lynch mob was arrested or charged.
Cameron was to serve another five years in prison and when released in 1936, put on parole for five more years. In February 1993, he was pardoned by Indiana Gov. Evan Bayh. But he’ll never forget the night his life was spared. It began his journey, chronicled in A Time of Terror and culminated in the treasure trove of history known as America’s Black Holocaust Museum in Milwaukee.
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Photo: Bombshell Theatre Company - Facebook
Bombshell Theatre Company "Bubble Boy"
Joey Chelius in Bombshell Theatre Company's "Bubble Boy"
One of Milwaukee’s newest theater companies, Bombshell Theatre, made its impressive debut earlier this year with a wonderful production of the musical Funny Girl. Now the troupe is back on the boards with its second musical, Bubble Boy. This delightful show opened last weekend at Inspiration Studios, a small art gallery and theater space located near Milwaukee’s State Fair Park in West Allis.
While many theater lovers are familiar with the story of Funny Girl, the show that launched Barbra Streisand to stardom, few have ever heard of the history behind Bubble Boy. Older readers may recall the 1976 made-for-TV movie, The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, starring a young John Travolta and Diana Hyland as his mother. Hyland ended up winning an Emmy award for her performance. The film was based on the true story of a boy born without any natural immunities who was forced to live in a plastic bubble until he died at age 12.
A remake of the film was launched in 2001, with Jake Gyllenhaal playing Jimmy, the isolated youth. Swoosie Kurtz played his mom. Eventually, Jimmy falls in love with the girl-next-door, Chloe. But he cannot share his feelings with her.
In a bizarre turn of events, Jimmy is destined to stop Chloe’s wedding to a jerk (à la Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate) so that he can marry her himself. The film, with a screenplay by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, was a box office flop. However, over the years it has developed a cult-like following.
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Soon, the team of Paul and Dario decided to remake their screenplay into a musical. The show opened in 2008, but it didn’t make its Off-Broadway debut until 2013. The show made a cast recording (with Alice Ripley), and the album attracted its own following. Meanwhile, Paul and Dario went on to write the scripts for the animated “Despicable Me” films.
More than Scratching the Surface of Bubble Boy’s Humanity
For all the wackiness that ensues in Bubble Boy, Bombshell co-creators Tim Albrechtson and Eric Welch never forget that the show has plenty of heart. The two-hour show (with intermission) takes the audience into the world of a young boy who just wants to be like anyone else. Woefully unprepared for adulthood, Jimmy (convincingly played by Joey Chelius) is coddled by his over-protective mother (Jennifer Larsen). Even as Jimmy nears his 21st birthday, he thinks that the only magazine published is Highlights, and the only TV show is ”Veggie Tales.”
Larsen, who plays her role like Barbara Billingsley on a bad acid trip, further distorts Jimmy’s world by reading him fractured fairytales. As she tells it, all the characters eventually run away and die.
No wonder Jimmy is immediately interested in a teenage girl, Chloe (Rae Elizabeth Paré), who moves in next door. Eventually, Chloe comes over to check him out. Trailing close behind her is Jimmy’s mother, who constantly sprays the air with a can of Lysol. Despite the mother’s objections, the two teens form a bond.
Although most of the musical’s songs are forgettable, Paré does an especially nice job with Act I’s “Falling for the Boy.” In the song, Chloe claims she’s just interested in Jimmy as a friend. (Music and lyrics are by Cinco Paul.)
Meanwhile, a couple of other neighborhood boys are vying for Chloe’s attention. Mark (Adrian Ford) and Shawn (Cody Lindau) are so outrageously funny as the goofy, hormone-addled teens that they practically steal every scene. Mark and Shawn are supposedly forming a rock band. But instead of playing real instruments, they seem content with “strumming” an air guitar (as if channeling actor Jack Black in School of Rock).
The attractive Chloe decides that her life isn’t going anywhere after high school graduation. So, she decides to marry Mark. In the hilarious song, “Something Called Forever,” Mark hints that his future with Chloe will also include a permanent spare room for his pal, Shawn.
Tiny Stage Can Barely Contain Production Numbers
One of the show’s highlights is its production numbers, which are crammed onto the tiny stage. (Keep in mind that the entire stage width can only contain eight people standing beside each other.) The cast of 10 appears regularly in many scenes, including the opening number, prom night, in the desert (more on this later), outside the church and the finale. Cody Lindau provides choreography that is more like stage movement, with characters being careful not to bump into each other. Some of Lindau’s best dance moves are intentionally corny, such as Jimmy’s encounter with members of a cult.
The music, under the direction of Ashley Sprangers, is pre-recorded. Set designer Katie Meylink makes room on the small stage by showing projections of different locales on a screen. As costume designer, she is tasked with providing everything from prom dresses to motorcycle gang attire, not to mention a wedding dress. Lighting designer Joshua Groth does a good job with relatively few lighting instruments. The sound is provided by Instrumental Motion.
Whereas all of Act 1 is in Jimmy’s home, where he is protected by his room-sized plastic bubble, things branch out considerably in Act II. Wearing a portable blue bubble suit, Jimmy races across the country to stop Chloe’s wedding.
Along the way, he encounters an upbeat cult-type group of bus travelers, a motorcycle gang riding in the desert, and a gay, vegan, ice cream truck driver. Jimmy uses various modes of transportation to reach his goal. Along the way, one of his songs, “I Stole a Bus,” is particularly humorous.
Too Many Fine Actors to Mention
Although limited space prohibits more than a few brief words about other actors, one standout surfaces. As a biker named Slim, Kurtis Wolf displays a fine grasp of his character (as well as a lovely voice). He and the other bikers (all women dressed as tough guys and wearing moustaches) sing the memorable “Regret.” The singing and choreography make this one of the show’s best moments.
Director Eric Welsh keeps things moving at a fast clip, which is especially important in the second act. Regardless, things seem to drag a bit about halfway through Act II, and a couple of the musical numbers could be condensed or cut. As a result, the show seems to run about 15 minutes too long.
However, there’s one scene that must be kept at all costs. The gay, vegan ice cream truck driver (Cody Lindau) is trying to escape the police when he hits – and kills – a cow crossing the road. With cornball special effects reminiscent of the old TV show, “Hee Haw,” this scene is not to be missed.
Although this show is all in fun, Jimmy’s isolation may seem more relevant today in this pandemic world. People everywhere can relate to their own sense of isolation, loneliness and, in some cases, grief. As the pandemic era seems to ebb and flow, audiences may find themselves yearning for their own “bubble.” This musical may not have all the answers, but it certainly will take one’s mind off of today’s headlines.
Bubble Boy continues through April 10 at Inspiration Studios, 1500 S. 73rd Street in West Allis. For tickets, visit bombshelltheatre.org. Vaccination cards and COVID-19 test results are not required. Masks are optional.
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Photo by Mark Frohna
Milwaukee Opera Theatre "Preludes"
Natalie Ford as Natalya and Joe Picchetti as Rachmaninoff in Milwaukee Opera Theatre's "Preludes"
Milwaukee Opera Theatre stages a strange and tumultuous interlude for an artist with Preludes. Actor Joe Picchetti is magnetic as composer Sergei Rachmaninoff desperately trying to pull himself together for long enough to manifest his next piece. Picchetti has a tremendous amount of emotional turmoil to tumble through over the course of the story.
To his credit, Picchetti gives every twitch and tumble of the inner maelstrom a sense of place and purpose. Natalie Ford gracefully moves through the periphery of the story as the composer’s fiancé. She’s a music teacher who has some difficulty keeping the composer grounded in a healthy day-to-day reality. Jenny Wanasek plays with calm and patient wisdom in the role of the composer’s hypnotherapist. Joel Kopischke summons wit, whimsy and gravitas to the stage in a variety of characters in positions of authority including playwright Anton Chekhov. Gage Patterson brings a charismatic fraternal energy to the story in the role of opera singer Feodor Chaliapin.
There is a grand sense of uneasiness the playfully plays through the narrative as music saturates the air from synthesizers offstage and the onstage piano of Ruben Piirainen, who also plays the musical persona of the legendary composer. There’s something truly hypnotic in the mix as Picchetti sits on the edge of the piano bench lost on monologue as Piirainen plays piano. The drama plays out like a disjointed dream as the composer twists and turn trying to find his voice after a failure. It’s deliciously delirious disorientation when it works and not at all unpleasant when it doesn’t. Jim Padovano lights an intimate theater environment. Stage Director Jill Anna Ponasik has done a strikingly impressive job of maintaining a coherent narrative in the midst of a very, very disjointed, emotionally driven narrative.
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Milwaukee Opera Theatre’s production of Preludes continues through April 9 at the Woman’s Club of Wisconsin, 813 E. Kilbourn Ave. For tickets, visit milwaukeeoperatheatre.org.
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Ambulance (In Theaters April 8)
Director Michael Bay remakes a Danish movie into this overstuffed actioner featuring the director’s trademark odd camera angles and frenetically revolving shots. Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II portray adopted brothers Danny and Will, respectively. Danny is a career criminal, so when his straightlaced brother Will needs $230,000 for an experimental treatment, Danny concocts a bank robbery with a potential $32 million take. When the heist goes South, Jake and Will take refuge in an ambulance along with its feisty EMT (Eiza González), and her patient, a critically injured rookie cop (Jackson White).
It’s all a flimsy excuse for a two-hour patrol car/helicopter/ambulance chase through the streets and freeways of Los Angeles. Though a swirling camera is generally ill-advised during dialog, Bay shrugs off such concerns. The chase scenes occasionally benefit from a fresh take on the proceedings, but as this 2-hour-15-minute romp passes the 90-minute mark, many viewers will have motion sickness. (Lisa Miller)
Breaking Bread (Cohen Media Group DVD)
Nof Atamna-Ismaeel was the first Arab Muslim to be a winner in Israel’s popular Master Chef contest. Leveraging the positive publicity, Atamna-Ismaeel organized a food festival in Haifa that brought together chefs from diverse backgrounds, Jews and Arab, to cook and share.
The documentary of those events, Breaking Bread, features delicious looking Levantine dishes but is infused with the social mission of building bridges across barriers of politics, religion and history. Haifa was well chosen as a relatively tolerant city by some accounts and a showplace for the surprising heterogeneity of Israel. The stories told by the chefs interviewed for Breaking Bread are as varied as the dishes they prepared. (David Luhrssen)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (In Theaters April 8)
This Sonic sequel further mines the Sega video game. Players who recall the “Green Emerald” will find it’s now a gem of contention, prized for its Universe-controlling properties. Directed by returning Sonic devotee Jeff Fowler, the film brings back Jim Carrey as villainous Dr. Robotnik. Carrey’s fixed smirk is accented by Dr. Robotic’s huge mustache as he unleashes a revenge plot to take out Sonic the Hedgehog (rendered in CGI—voice reprised by Ben Schwartz). Idris Elba and Colleen O’Shaughnessey intone animated characters, Knuckles the echidna and Tails the fox. One look at the trailer reveals the film’s breakneck pace along with rapid cuts and jarring sound effects. Grounding Sonic emotionally, James Marsden appears as the hedgehog’s surrogate dad, dispensing fatherly advice. (Lisa Miller)
Soumaya (IndiePix DVD)
A SWAT team raids Soumaya’s apartment on suspicion that her work at a mosque ties her to jihadist militants. They find nothing, but she is dismissed afterward from her airport security job on false accusations of “gross negligence.” She worked at the airport for 14 years. A lawyer convinces her to fight her dismissal.
Soumaya is about the particular situation of French Muslims, under scrutiny after the shocking attacks by Islamist militants. The film touches on French policies surrounding the wearing of religious garb in public and the conflict between French secularism and religious faith. Police violence, the abuse of profiling the role of media in shaping misperceptions about our world are examined. Soumaya tells a complicated story involving several perspectives within the Muslim community. Directors Ubaydah Abu-Usayd and Waheed Khan makes\ judicious use of editing to establish his settings within a low budget. The screenplay is compelling. (David Luhrssen)
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https://shepherdexpress.com/film/reviews/you-wont-be-alone-is-art-house-horror/
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Photo: You Won't Be Alone - Facebook
"You Won't Be Alone" movie still
You Won't Be Alone
Don’t come to You Won’t Be Alone expecting a conventional movie narrative. Instead of telling its story prosaically, You Won’t Be Alone is a visual poem set in forested, mountainous Macedonia during the 19th century around a village where the wheel was the most recent form of new technology. And even wheels are scarce in this art house horror film by Goran Stolevski, an Australian filmmaker of Macedonian heritage.
The story concerns the evil Old Maid Maria, whose dead soul is covered by a shriveled parchment skin. Although the villagers call her a witch, properly speaking, she’s a shapeshifting vampire. Entering the village undetected in the form of a cat (the camera follows low-to-the-ground), Maria materializes in the hovel of a new mother, demanding Nevena, the woman’s screaming newborn. The terrified mother negotiates a covenant in blood to give Nevena to Maria once the child turns 16. Apparently hoping to keep her hidden, the mother conceals Nevena, raising her in a cavern, but Maria claims her when the time comes.
You Won’t Be Alone is covered in blood. Maria feeds on the blood of animals and humans and after changing Nevena into something like her, the young girl learns not only to sustain herself on the blood of others but to kill and take possession of her victims’ bodies. She becomes a dog, a young man and a young girl again, growing into womanhood as the story unfolds.
The editing flips from frame to frame, incident to incident, yet the film’s rhythm remains somehow tied to rural life without even horses, only donkeys with bells jangling as they plod under their burdens. You Won’t Be Alone is a vivid montage of impoverished premodernity. The villagers live in fieldstone huts with dirt floors; they raise sheep and spin yarn to make their clothes; they feed the chickens and pigs they will kill to eat. Their lives are yoked to the ground, and they must yank their sustenance from the unpromising Earth.
The old women tell tales by the flickering hearth of Old Maid Maria, the victim of unspeakable things centuries before when the Turks were exterminating entire villages along the rough hillsides. Maria, the spawn of an unholy act, haunts Nevena throughout her life. Unlike Maria, Nevena has a conscience.
The dialogue is apparently in archaic Macedonian, translated in Yoda-like subtitles that enhance the strangeness of Nevena’s life. She is a potentially ageless outsider experiencing a terrible, wondrous series of sensations. You Won’t Be Alone’s international cast includes Sweden’s Lisbeth Salander (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) playing one of Nevena’s incarnations.
You Won’t Be Alone is playing at the Downer Theater.
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https://shepherdexpress.com/food/lets-eat/story-hill-bkc-puts-eclectic-locally-sourced-spin-on-contemp/
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Photo by Kames Photography
Story Hill BKC dinners
Story Hill BKC
Story Hill BKC has a story to tell. It involves house made and locally sourced ingredients with backup from their sister restaurant Blue’s Egg bakery a few blocks away. The Story Hill part of the name tells what Milwaukee neighborhood it’s in, and the BKC stands for bottle kitchen cocktail, in case you were wondering.
With three different sections of the restaurant, you can essentially choose your vibe for the day. There’s the bar area with views of the kitchen, the dining area for longer stays, and a bountiful retail shop equipped with all the fixings for a take-home boozy brunch. Whether you’re popping in for a quick bite, gathering with friends, or picking up curbside, Story Hill BCK has you covered.
For a Wednesday at noon, this place was hopping with a midweek brunch crowd. Known for their crêpes and “innovative sandwiches” there’s really something for everyone on this menu, including those with food allergies and dietary restrictions. Next to the Burger on the Hill is the vegan BBQ shiitake wrap. Sweet and savory are well-represented and sides are pretty healthy to accommodate your possible over-indulgence on mains.
My choices were approved by the very friendly staff, opting for the crêpe monsieur and the trending Buffalo cauliflower wrap. I figured I’d go full savory and come back someday for sweeter choices with someone who appreciates them more than me.
I started with the crêpe monsieur and wow is this a dish that gives you a reason to brunch on a Wednesday. It’s basically a Cubano sandwich as a crepe dressed with pickle bites, Dijonnaise and two poached eggs. It is dressed to impress! Although I only ate half in preparation for my second course, this dish won’t leave you hungry. A beer in between was necessary after adding a lot of their homemade South by North hot sauce (available in the retail store). Going vegan next was also necessary after all that ham.
The Buffalo cauliflower wrap proves why this dish has been a big trend recently with the vegan movement. With just enough heat and a bounty of veggies, it hits the spot as a replacement to an otherwise unhealthy classic. I chose the Brutus salad as my side.
Photo by Kames Photography
Story Hill BKC hamburger
Story Hill BKC
After venturing for brunch and peeping the dinner menu, a return to Story Hill BKC was imminent. Prepare ahead of time: reservations on a Friday night can be hard to get.
Collectively, my guests and I all had stressful weeks and were ready to indulge. On tap and handcrafted cocktails alongside a bountiful beer list started off our night. The dinner menu is divided into taste, share, pass, and bindings—which basically means you can divide and conquer every way you turn.
There wasn’t much strategy to our order but we were very pleased with it—crayfish Rangoon, mushroom lasagna, chicken paprikash and the beef short rib gnocchi. While these items might not sound like they go together, they oddly do and very much so. Each person at the table had a different favorite from the other.
Much like its brunch menu, Story Hill BKC’s dinner is an eclectic spin on American fare worth seeking out.
- Story Hill BKC
- 5100 W. Bluemound Road
- (414) 539-4424
- storyhillbkc.com
Photo by Kames Photography
Story Hill BKC interior
Story Hill BKC
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https://shepherdexpress.com/lifestyle/art-kumbalek/from-the-city-that-always-sweeps_15/
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Painting image by sedmak - Getty Images
Art Kumbalek angel
I’m Art Kumbalek and man oh manischewitz what a world, ain’a? So listen, as the too-long Lenten season culminates finally with a late Easter Sunday this month, let us pray, what the fock:
“Dear Lord, ol’ buddy, ol’ pal:
“Remember me? It’s been a while, ain’a? Yeah, me, your spittin’ image under this orange doom-skinned earflap cap, a regular Davy Fockett, razin’, blazin’ new trails through this valley of travail. Ring a bell? That’s what I figured. Hey, you’re not the only one, so no need for you to feel like a jackass, I kid you not.
“I’ve heard that a good prayer is supposed to be like a conversation with You, the Lord; so you mind if I beseech thee that for once you hold up your end of the gabfest? Thanks.
“I can’t remember the last time I made an official prayer. I almost did that time years ago when I was riding with my buddy Little Jimmy Iodine and we just barely missed nailing that stalled Pinto in the middle of I-focking-94. But it all happened so fast, and then we had to turn around and go home for clean underwear. In all the commotion, seems I forgot about making out a prayer. I do know that I call out your name several times daily, requesting that you send this or that straight to hell—‘Jesus H. Christ, these focking Republicans…’—I suppose legalistically that might not add up to regular praying but it sure feels good, so what the fock, ain’a?
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“Anyways, I can’t stay on this prayer line too much longer ’cause I got to get back to finishing off my goddamn April income tax form, yeah, April, the same month you got crucified; although, some years here in the modern times, on the calendar they say you were crucified in later March, go figure.
“But I got to tell you, my tax return every year consists of a short note I mail in, and it goes something like this:
“Dear IRS Sir or Madam,
“Hey, I already paid. The federal tax on cigarettes alone I cough up yearly to you’s ought to be enough to buck-up a bridge or fill a focking pothole somewheres, ain’a? So let’s call it even. And may I remind you that in the Book of Kumbalek, ‘income’ is a synonym for ‘imaginary.’
“But thanks for your interest.
“Sincerely,
“Art Kumbalek
“And good lord, I do believe this Internal Revenue Service tax compact really ought to be made voluntary, like they did with the military service years ago. How ’bout they turn tax-time into a pledge drive, à la National Public Radio. If the citizen chooses to flip the government some dough, he and/or she at least should receive a focking tote bag or coffee mug for making the donation, don’t you think?
“And if any high-roller millionaire chips in big time to the government, say, in appreciation for all the corporate welfare entitlements the Feds provide, the high roller receives, not some crappy-ass tote bag, but the CD boxed set of all the John Philip Sousa marches as recorded by the United States Air Force Band.
“Talk about listening pleasure, you betcha. JPS, all told, wrote 136 marches; or was it he wrote one march one hundred and thirty-focking-six times? I forget. But I do know that a CD collection of the Sousa marches would last me a musical lifetime. I could listen to one of his marches and, what with all those blaring blugelhorns blasting their butts off to kingdom come and back, I’d say it’d be at least a year ’til I was ready to listen to another. One down, only 135 to go, yes sir.
“But before I go, a little story for you’s. My buddy Little Jimmy Iodine told me he was over by his brother-in-law’s place in West Allis on Easter Sunday last year when they had the Easter egg hunt in their dinky backyard for Jimmy’s two little nephews. So these katzenjammer kids are traipsing around and they come across some rabbit turds, except the younger kid doesn’t know that, so he asks his older brother, ‘Hey, what are those?’
“The older kid says, ‘They’re smart pills. Eat them and they'll make you smarter.’ So the younger nephew chews on a couple, three and says, ‘Hey! These taste like poop smells.’ And the older boy says, ‘See? You're getting smarter already.’ Ba-ding!
“So I’m guessing that the moral of the story is that the older you get, the more you know what shit tastes like. But the trick is that you never want to develop a taste for it.
“Okey-dokey, Lord, that’s about it. And come to think of it, don’t worry about getting back to me ’cause like I’ve always said, one day you start hearing voices out of thin air, next day you’re out carving up Cub Scouts. I don’t need that kind of aggravation, what the fock.
“And please grant me the continuance to be the hot flaming palaver poker lodged up his-or-hers butt sideways but good; so that an unfettered bantering of ideas may be bandied around the town today, tomorrow and yesterday. Amen, ’cause I’m Art Kumbalek and I told you so.”
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https://shepherdexpress.com/news/community-news/daily-wisconsin-covid-19-update-208-new-cases-no-deaths/
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Summary:
- 208 new cases
- No new deaths added to system
- 12,799 total deaths;
- 147 hospitalized patients, 27 in ICU
Source: Wisconsin Department of Health Services
On Monday, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported an additional 208 new COVID-19 cases. The state has averaged 396 new cases per day in the last week.
On this day last year, there were 552 new cases, and a 7-day average of 615 cases per day. In 2020, 222 cases were recorded, with a 7-day average of 160 cases per day.
Source: Wisconsin Department of Health Services
There were no new deaths reported or added to the Department of Health Services system, putting the total Wisconsin death toll at 12,799. A lag in death reporting statewide has affected these numbers.
In Milwaukee County, there were 31 new confirmed cases reported and have been 268,453 total cases in the county since the pandemic began. The 7-day average in the county is 77 cases per day. The county death toll is at 2,276 since the beginning of the pandemic.
If you are looking for COVID-19 testing or vaccination, consult the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website.
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https://shepherdexpress.com/news/features/fostering-climate-resilience-economic-equity-in-milwaukee/
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Illustration by Ali Bachmann
Earth Day illustration
Climate scientists consider this decade a make-or-break time to avert full-on climate catastrophe. The National Climate Assessment—compiled by 300 experts—outlines the following climate-related threats facing Wisconsin and the Midwest: “Extreme heat, heavy downpours, and flooding will affect infrastructure, health, agriculture, forestry, transportation, air and water quality, and more. Climate change will also exacerbate a range of risks to the Great Lakes.”
Milwaukee faces major challenges from both climate change and racial disparities. It is widely documented that disinvested neighborhoods, often those with high percentages of people of color, face the worst impacts of the climate crisis, pollution and other environmental degradation. This is called environmental injustice. While people of color may experience the worst impacts, all communities have reason to be concerned about the increased risk of extreme storms, flooding, and other impacts of climate change.
Climate scientists urge taking two complementary approaches: reduce the use of fossil fuels, a leading cause of climate disturbance and harm; and proactively plan to adapt to current and looming impacts.
To address these realities, Milwaukee’s City-County Task Force on Climate and Economic Equity has developed a framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing racial and economic inequities. City and county officials created the task force in 2019. Interested individuals within nine working groups met throughout 2021 to make recommendations. After the plan is fully developed by a consultant, and further community engagement, it will go before Milwaukee’s Common Council and Milwaukee County’s Board of Supervisors, likely this year.
A Two-Pronged Approach
Proposals focus on reducing community-wide net greenhouse-gas emissions by at least 45 percent by 2030 and achieving net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050 or sooner. Efforts to decrease racial and income inequality will strive to ensure that greenhouse-gas-reduction investments and policies “will create the maximum number of permanent living-wage green jobs for people living in Milwaukee’s most impoverished neighborhoods with limited economic opportunity.“
Erick Shambarger, sustainability director for Milwaukee’s Environmental Collaboration Office (ECO), is coordinating the planning process on behalf of the task force. Shambarger said that the City of Milwaukee already has implemented numerous energy-efficiency and clean-energy programs. Milwaukee also leads nationally in “green infrastructure” to help manage risks relating to extreme storms. Fortuitously, federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) could help launch new climate-resilience projects.
One overarching goal is to “make sustainability mainstream, to make the environmental choice the easy choice,” Shambarger said. “Climate action can help create a healthy and vibrant community. It does not need to be about scarcity, but rather about using our resources more efficiently.”
10 Ways to Promote Climate Resilience
The task force has identified 10 essential “big ideas.”
1. Increase Residential Energy Efficiency and Solar Retrofits
Residential energy-efficiency upgrades can lower electric bills and other energy costs while reducing individual carbon footprints. The plan would expand existing programs across a range of incomes and owner/rental situations. It would give more families access to affordable upgrades: high-quality insulation or high-efficiency heating-and-cooling systems, as well as lead-abatement options.
2. Build New Green Buildings
Housing is a critical aspect of Milwaukee’s infrastructure. The task force proposes a model for efficiently and affordably building new net-zero-energy homes. Efficient housing components would be fabricated in a new factory in Milwaukee’s 30th Street Corridor.
3. Reduce Energy Usage in Commercial Buildings
It’s crucial to help owners of commercial buildings reduce their environmental impacts. Requiring them to report annually on energy and water usage will collect benchmark data and support the phase-in of building-performance standards to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
4. Shift to Electric Vehicles
Cars and other vehicles remain greater Milwaukee’s dominant form of transportation. Local governments can lead by purchasing electric vehicles (or hybrids, when applicable) for their fleets, installing infrastructure, and changing codes and ordinances to make EVs easier to buy and operate.
5. Reduce Vehicular Miles
Transportation is a major source of greenhouse-gas emissions. In addition to individuals driving less, emissions also can be decreased through transit-oriented development, new zoning standards, “Complete Streets” practices, and “last mile” solutions that address gaps in safe and accessible public transit.
6. Move to a Net-Zero Electric Grid
A transition to clean, renewable energy is essential to combatting climate-related harm. The task force is advocating for state-level changes, such as net-zero power grids and a proposed Community Energies Program to purchase renewables through the utility. This would give local governments and large nonprofits opportunities to source 25 percent or more of their electric power needs from new large-scale renewable-energy projects built in partnership with the electric utility.
7. Preserve and Restore Nature in the City
Parks, shade trees, environmental corridors, soil restoration and other greening efforts help mitigate climate-change impacts, including “urban heat islands” and extreme flooding. They are also essential to healthy and equitable communities. The “Nature in the City” work group has identified four parcels to acquire for conservation within Milwaukee, and 25 parcels throughout Milwaukee County. The plan also stresses that it is “important to manage and maintain all 110 Natural Areas and Critical Species Habitat Areas that have been identified in the County.” Other proposals include expanding Milwaukee’s Green and Healthy Schoolyards program and increasing tree canopy.
8. Reduce Food Waste and Harmful Plastics
Food waste is a major contributor to greenhouse-gas emissions and energy drains. Proposals to reduce food waste prioritize the two top strategies of the Environmental Protection Agency's Food Recovery Hierarchy. An educational campaign would offer guidance about reducing food waste at the source level. Other efforts would work to ensure that all people can affordably access safe, healthy food.
9. Accelerate Green Jobs
As the city and county work to combat current and oncoming climate change, ever-more skilled environmental professionals will be needed. A proposed “Green Jobs Accelerator” would recruit, train, and connect people, especially those in disinvested neighborhoods, to new green jobs and contracting opportunities.
10. Rely on Resilience Ambassadors
“Resilience Ambassadors” are neighborhood leaders engaged to help connect existing and new climate-oriented initiatives, such as programs serving residents such as anti-displacement services, weatherization, flood insurance, green infrastructure, and cooling centers during heat emergencies.
Offer Feedback on the Plan
Residents may engage with the Climate and Equity Plan in several ways:
- Complete the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Public Survey and urge the City of Milwaukee to prioritize climate resilience efforts for the $394 million in federal stimulus funding Milwaukee is receiving.
- Sign up for the City of Milwaukee’s ECO Newsletter or follow ECO on Facebook for updates, event information and feedback opportunities.
- Engage on Social Pinpoint, an online platform open to everyone for sharing ideas and feedback with the task force.
Pitch in to Protect the Planet
Individuals make a difference by contributing to collective positive impacts on the Earth's ecosystems. Here are some options.
- Take advantage of available climate-friendly programs, such as subsidized weatherization, renewable energy, and native plantings.
- Initiate changes you can sustain. For example, set achievable goals to reduce fuel use, food waste or single-use plastic by a doable amount. Increase targets after achieving those goals.
- Collaborate with others and advocate within your circles. Enthusiastically promote green choices and their benefits within family, school and work settings.
- Urge effective climate action at all levels of government.
- Remember that caring for the planet yields many benefits. Importantly, it can help counter widespread “eco-anxiety.” A new study from the Brennan Center reported that “civic engagement [on climate issues] is good for young people’s well-being and our democracy.”
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https://shepherdexpress.com/news/issue-of-the-month/ukrainians-are-giving-their-lives-for-democracy/
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Image: vladm - Getty Images
American flag as smoke
You have to be in awe as you watch Ukrainian people from all walks of life sign up to defend their democracy from an autocrat. A country with a small military and very few military aircraft led by a former actor/comedian are holding back a major military power. The Ukrainians know what they have and what they are fighting for, their democratic homeland, and they know the fight is worth it. If they lose, they will fall under the autocratic rule of Putin and will lose their democracy. The Ukrainians know what that means. They had a budding autocratic leader in 2014 who was undermining their democracy, and they ran him out of the country.
While we are watching the heroic Ukrainians put their lives on the line fighting for their young democracy, we are also watching one of our major political parties working to undermine America’s 235-year-old democracy. We have several egregious examples of disloyal or seditious acts by some of our elected officials in Wisconsin and throughout the country. It appears that their goal is to weaken our democratic system to see it replaced with a faux democracy as we see in countries like Hungary, Turkey, Venezuela and, of course, Russia. In these faux democracies, autocrats can be re-elected for life without real checks and balances and with puppet legislative bodies kowtowing to the autocratic leader.
Trump Lost in 2020, But We Didn’t All Live Happier Ever After
In 2020 our country had one of the most carefully monitored and clean elections America has ever seen, and we managed to democratically remove a budding autocrat by seven million votes. Our democratic institutions prevailed. Unfortunately, it doesn’t end there, and we all don’t live happily ever after. Instead, we see Mr. Trump continuing to build an army of Un-American subversives or quislings, some heavily armed and prone to violence and some unwittingly thinking that they are being good American patriots.
As we know, democracies are fragile and survive because citizens believe that their democracy is better than the alternatives. It is virtually impossible to mobilize an insurgent army to defeat the military of the United States of America. So, to destroy our country, the quislings need to cause people to lose faith in our democracy and have Americans believe that our elections are rigged and illegitimate especially when they are on the losing side of the vote.
Republican controlled legislatures in over 20 states including Wisconsin are now passing laws that are making voting more difficult for voters in high Democratic areas. Thanks to Gov. Tony Ever’s vetoes, these bills are not becoming law in Wisconsin. A few Republican states are even trying to allow the state legislature to reject the vote and nullify the election if they don’t like the outcome. That would end our democracy as we know it.
So, What’s Happening in Wisconsin?
In Wisconsin we see this attack on our election integrity and our democracy starting with the “Big Lie” that Trump won the election. After the 2020 election, Speaker Robin Vos freely admitted that Trump lost Wisconsin. Then Trump yanked the leash, and summoned Vos down to Florida. Vos came back a changed man. He immediately hired the discredited former State Supreme Court justice, Michael Gableman, to investigate the 2020 election in Wisconsin. Before even starting his “investigation,” Gableman categorically declared the 2020 election was stolen and Trump won without any evidence to support this claim.
Gableman was given a $680,000 budget for this faux investigation, which included flying around the country meeting with the “Pillow Man” and other conspiracy characters and having a rather pleasant vacation at taxpayer’s expense. After spending the $680,000, Gableman still had no evidence of corruption in our 2020 election. So, what does Vos do? He extends Gableman’s contract and continues to throw away our taxpayer dollars to keep Mr. Trump happy.
At the Congressional level, Wisconsin recently sent two new members to Congress in 2020, Republicans Tom Tiffany and Scott Fitzgerald. The first official act by these two newly elected Congressmen occurred on Jan. 6 when they voted to challenge the Electoral College results essentially saying the election count in some states was corrupt.
Their vote was intended to invalidate the votes of tens of millions of citizens in a half dozen states and change the outcome of the election. This bordered on sedition by totally undermining the will of the people. Even Vice President Mike Pence, who is a longtime partisan, refused to go along with the plot since he is also an attorney by training and understands the 12th amendment. He knew that his actions could fundamentally cripple our democracy and end America as we know it.
Why?
So, one must ask the basic question: what were Tiffany and Fitzgerald thinking when they tried to undermine the American election as their first official act as new Congressmen?
Did they understand that Trump lost the election, but they don’t particularly believe in our democracy, and would rather see America led an autocratic strongman? Did they understand that the Wisconsin 2020 election that also put them in office was accurate, but they were afraid to offend Trump and were selfishly putting keeping their own job over protecting their country?
Or did they really believe all this conspiracy stuff and if so, they are as dumb as a post and shouldn’t be in Congress?
In addition to these two Congressmen, we have U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson who admitted on video that Trump lost Wisconsin because 51,000 down-ballet Republicans didn’t vote for him, but still continues to undermine our democracy by promoting the Big Lie.
This is About American Democracy
Any reasonable person has to question what kind of people are we sending to Congress? Is this really the best Wisconsin can do for a Congressional delegation? To be clear, this is not about any issues, even the very emotional wedge issues like abortion or gun rights and how Vos, Tiffany, Fitzgerald or Johnson might vote. Those issues should be debated and voted on by our elected officials. If you are unhappy with the vote of your representative, you try to change your representative on election day and possibly run for office yourself.
This is very different. This is about our democracy, the underpinnings of what makes America the great country it is. If these people have their way and continue to undermine the democratic foundation of America, eventually we will not be able to change representatives on election day.
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Photo: Wikimedia Commons - www.kremlin.ru
Putin at Crimea rally in 2022
Vladimir Putin at Crimean reunification rally in 2022.
Seriously, is there anyone in America other than Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson who doesn’t agree with President Biden that Russian President Vladimir Putin should not remain in power?
Only in partisan politics, would the president of the United States be accused of committing “a gaffe” for saying right out loud, “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power!” as the entire world watches Putin leveling cities slaughtering men, women and children in the neighboring democracy of Ukraine.
The worst part is the days of media bed-wetting last week over whether it was polite for Biden to speak the truth on behalf of every decent human being in the U.S. and around the world overshadowed a far more important political story about Putin’s continuing efforts to destroy American democracy from within.
Russia announced on state television last week it was now openly supporting the installation of “our partner Trump” as president of the United States just as it did covertly through massive propaganda campaigns on social media in 2016 and 2020. Evgeny Popov, the host of Putin’s version of 60 Minutes, declared “It’s time for us, our people, to call on the people of the United States to change the regime in the U.S. early and to again help our partner Trump to become president.”
Abolish Democracy?
Get that? Republicans don’t have to wait around until 2024 when to the party’s shame Trump remains its leading candidate for the presidential nomination again despite being defeated after a single disastrous term by the largest vote in U.S. history. Elections are for namby-pamby world democracies. Republicans should simply abolish democracy as a violent mob of them tried to do on Jan. 6, 2021. Russia would be thrilled to welcome back its partner Trump.
How is that not the biggest story in American politics and why has there been so little media reporting about it? That might explain why widespread support for President Biden’s leadership of world democracies aiding Ukraine, equipping it militarily and devastating Russia economically hasn’t boosted Biden’s political approval ratings very much yet.
The savagery of Putin’s invasion is bringing together Americans across the political spectrum in strong bipartisan opposition to a villain threatening the world. But how many Americans realize every action Biden has taken so far against Russia on their behalf has been opposed by most elected Republicans? House and Senate Republicans have attacked all the sanctions Biden’s coalition of world democracies have taken against Russia as too weak, but very few of them have voted for any sanctions at all against Russia.
GOP Refuses to Punish Putin
Despite all the rhetoric, Republicans have blocked Congress from passing a single piece of stand-alone legislation punishing Russia or aiding Ukraine. A $13.6 billion package of military, economic and humanitarian aid for Ukraine only passed because it was included in a massive “must-pass” $1.5 trillion spending bill to keep the federal government operating for the remainder of the fiscal year.
Even then, it was opposed by a majority of 31 Republicans in the Senate including Wisconsin’s Ron Johnson, who said he didn’t have time to read such a large bill providing $180 billion to his state for job creation, safe drinking water, health care, housing, transportation and education.
Instead of widely reporting Russia’s eagerness to renew its partnership with Trump, the media claimed Biden had made another “gaffe.” He didn’t. Biden, who previously described Putin as “a butcher” and “a war criminal” has never had any difficulty justifying everything he’s said about Putin, whose army just carried out a mass execution of civilians in Bucha outside Kyiv. “I was expressing moral outrage that I feel, and I make no apologies for it,” Biden said. “He shouldn’t be in power. People like this shouldn’t be ruling countries, but they do.”
Putin’s Favorite Ex-President
Republican leaders have a lot more explaining to do to justify their failure to distance their party from Trump, Russia’s favorite American president.
Even worse, Republican governors and legislatures across the country are passing laws to make U.S. elections more like Russia’s by destroying voting rights for Americans of color and others living in urban communities who are less likely to vote Republican. No Republican state has made it illegal to vote Democratic yet, but several would leave it up to Republican legislators to decide whether to count all the votes cast if they don’t like the results.
Legal investigations continue into seven states including Wisconsin won by Biden where fake Republican electors submitted fraudulent documents to the U.S. Senate and National Archives falsely claiming to cast those states’ electoral votes for Trump. The plot to steal the election by Trump and a goofy law professor in a cowboy hat failed when Vice President Mike Pence refused to violate the Constitution by throwing out Biden’s real electoral votes on Jan. 6.
It was a heart-breaking disappointment for both Trump and Russia, but not for America.
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Poll Question: April 4, 2022
Poll Question: April 4, 2022
Apr. 04, 2022
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Photo: Christian Yelich - Twitter
Christian Yelich
Christian Yelich
With Opening Day just a few days away, it’s time to make some predictions about the 2022 Milwaukee Brewers. For the fifth consecutive year I’ll do that with help from BetOnline, who has published a list of 18 proposition bets for the season ahead.
After an extremely successful 2019 season (12-6), I’ve had a rough couple of years with these predictions: I went 7-8 with a pair of pushes in the abbreviated 2020 season, and 7-8 again in 2021. As is often the case, some of these lines were impressively close to reality: Omar Narvaez’s final home run of the 2021 season was his eleventh, for example, pushing him half a home run clear of BetOnline’s 10.5 over/under and moving my season slate from a win to a loss.
So, let’s give this another shot. This season there are 18 over/unders to consider featuring 10 Brewers, five position players and five pitchers. Last season the Brewers reached the over on just five of the 15 propositions. Let’s see what they have in store this year:
Christian Yelich: 23.5 home runs, 76.5 RBI
The hardest Brewer to predict might be the first one, as once again we’re being asked to guess if Christian Yelich is going to be the MVP contender he was in 2018 and 2019 or the significantly diminished player he’s been the last two seasons. Last season BetOnline wanted us to guess if Yelich would hit 34.5 home runs and 93.5 RBI. He finished with nine and 51, respectively.
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The projection systems don’t offer much help on the first of these two numbers: The seven models curated at FanGraphs all have Yelich between 22 and 27 home runs this season. Throughout his extended struggles Yelich has continued to hit the ball hard but has not been able to elevate it reliably: Statcast estimates that last season his slugging percentage should have been under .400. I’ll take the under on home runs.
Furthermore, if Yelich’s power continues to lag then his plate discipline may be best used nearer the top of the lineup. He batted in the second spot in 20 games in 2021, a role he could be asked to fill more often this season. Unless he regularly bats in the middle of the lineup, 76.5 RBI will also be hard to come by. I’ll take the under here, also.
Luis Urias: 19.5 home runs, 68.5 RBI
Urias cleared both of these marks despite a slow start in 2021: He had a .640 on-base plus slugging on May 12 and an .829 mark the rest of the way. He’s only 24 years old, and so there’s reason to believe the best is yet to come. This season, however, it’s going to be harder for Urias to catch anyone by surprise. He’s gone from being a potential contributor in the Brewers’ lineup to someone opposing teams have to plan for. He’s going to get fewer pitches to hit, and opposing pitchers will know his weaknesses.
There’s also the question of Urias’ lingering quad injury, which popped up nearly immediately in camp this spring and will keep him out past Opening Day. If that injury lingers or reoccurs it’ll make him a long shot at best to reach these numbers. Urias could have a very good season in 2022 but still fail to reach either of these numbers. I’ll take both unders.
Hunter Renfroe: 31.5 home runs, 87.5 RBI
These are some high bars to clear for the Brewers’ newest all-or-nothing slugger. Renfroe hit 31 home runs in Boston last season in a lot of opportunities at the plate: He played in 144 games for the Red Sox. He’s surpassed the mark here just once in his career, with the Padres in 2019. He also has a .297 career on-base percentage, so his power has come at a cost to his other attributes at the plate.
For our purposes here the biggest thing Renfroe needs to approach these numbers is playing time, and there are some questions on that front. The first is the Brewers’ depth: While Renfroe has been extremely good against left-handed pitchers in his career, he’s not as good against righties and the Brewers will have lots of candidates to play in his place on those days. There’s also the question of Renfroe’s plate discipline and the Brewers’ willingness to tolerate it if he continues to drag a sub-.300 on-base. That’s enough question marks to justify a pair of unders.
Willy Adames: 24.5 home runs, 74.5 RBI
In less than a year Adames has gone from being a player who was struggling in Tampa to being the Brewers’ most indispensable performer. These numbers are roughly in line with his 2021 contributions between his two teams, as he finished with 25 and 73.
Adames has the opposite of Renfroe’s problem: The Brewers have a distinct lack of options to take over if something happens to Adames, especially while Urias remains on the shelf. Barring an injury or a sharp decline Adames is going to play most days and bat high in the lineup. I’ll take the over on both fronts.
Andrew McCutchen: 20.5 home runs, 63.5 RBI
He’s closing in on a decade since his 2013 National League MVP season and it’s been seven years since McCutchen was an All Star, but the 35-year-old is still a notable offensive contributor. Even as his bat has slowed a bit, McCutchen has remained effective at least in part due to exceptional plate discipline: Since the start of the 2019 season his on-base percentage (.343) is more than 100 points higher than his batting average (.238). And when he strikes, McCutchen can still put a charge into the ball. He hit 27 home runs last season.
Given that combination of McCutchen’s power, plate discipline and his veteran status, he’s likely to play a lot. The fact that the National League added the designated hitter gives the Brewers another chance to get him into the lineup each day and could keep him healthy and strong for a long productive season. I’ll take both overs.
Brandon Woodruff: 12.5 wins, 205.5 strikeouts
Corbin Burnes: 12.5 wins, 220.5 strikeouts
I’ll take these two together, because the same arguments apply to both. Woodruff was a perfect example of how pitching wins can be deceptive as a statistic: He was one of the best pitchers in all of baseball in 2021 and still won just nine games. Burnes had slightly better luck but still only won 11. The Brewers’ pitching philosophy simply is not conducive to starting pitchers racking up large win totals: They’re too inclined to go to their bullpen, even if the designated hitter will mean their starters no longer need to be lifted for pinch hitters. I’ll take the under on wins for both.
There is no reason to believe, however, that baseball’s recent trend of increased strikeouts is going away anytime soon. Woodruff struck out 211 batters and Burnes struck out 234 last year and, if anything, those numbers seem more likely to increase than decrease in 2022. I’ll take the over on both.
Freddy Peralta: 10.5 wins, 200.5 strikeouts
The caveats regarding Woodruff and Burnes above also apply to Peralta. His sub-3.00 ERA only netted him 10 wins last season. For Peralta to clear his marks, however, he needs to pitch more, either working deeper into games or pitching more often: He logged just 144 innings last season and so, good as he was, his “counting stats” lagged a bit.
The Brewers know Peralta can be extremely effective with a workload that’s noticeably less than a traditional starting pitcher, and they may not have cause to press their luck by seeking more: Pitching depth is the organization’s greatest strong suit, so they have everything they need to manage Peralta’s workload without sacrificing their chances of winning. I’ll take both unders.
Adrian Houser: 8.5 wins
Houser just gets the single stat to predict and, unfortunately, it’s the luck-driven one. The Brewers provided the right combination of inputs for Houser to clear this bar a year ago, as he won 10 games despite logging just 142 ⅓ innings, even less than Peralta.
The Brewers only allowed a pitcher to throw 100 pitches in a game in 16% of their games last season, but they did let Houser reach that mark four times. When he’s on he has the ability to work deep into games with relative efficiency, getting early outs instead of working to a strikeout. His bar to clear is also lower than Peralta’s. I’ll take the over.
Josh Hader: 32.5 saves
The National League Reliever of the Year Award is named after Trevor Hoffman but in recent years they could have called it the Josh Hader Award: He’s won it three of the last four seasons, including last year when he recorded 34 saves.
There is a mild concern regarding the schedule here: Fitting 162 games into a slightly abbreviated window of time may lead to a few extra days when Hader is unavailable, and the Brewers have demonstrated a strong interest in managing his workload. With that said, Hader has proven to be a consistent performer in a field wrought with inconsistency. He needs to be treated as an elite closer until he proves otherwise, and that includes betting the over here.
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Photo via Twitter / Bucks
Jrue Holiday
It all comes down to this week for the Milwaukee Bucks in terms of playoff seeding. With an instant classic overtime win against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night, the Bucks punched their ticket to the playoffs, on the strength of 44 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo, making him the all-time leading scorer in Bucks history. In typical Giannis fashion, he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with a game tying three-pointer in the final seconds of the matchup with the Nets, who went from last year’s Eastern Conference Semifinals and NBA title favorite to the league’s play-in tournament this year. Even without the milestone, Thursday night was a thrilling game that could very well be a first round matchup in this playoffs, and would instantly be the talk of the league.
The questions remaining this week for Milwaukee are now which playoff seed they will hold, and who they will play in the first round of the postseason. Three of the four games on the Bucks’ schedule this week come against potential Eastern Conference playoff opponents, so while Milwaukee will want to preserve the team’s health to end the regular season, look for them to send some messages as they wrap up this phase of the year. Here is what is in store.
Tuesday, April 5 at Chicago (7 p.m., ESPN)
The week will certainly start on a high note, with the Bucks looking to sweep the season series against the Chicago Bulls on their home floor. All three of Milwaukee’s previous wins against the Bulls happened in this calendar year, as Chicago quickly descended from the top of the Eastern Conference to one of the last guaranteed playoff spots. The Bulls have won only four of their last 10 games, after losing guard Lonzo Ball. Chicago needs every game that they can get, but if they slip into the play-in games and Milwaukee retains one of the top two spots in the conference, these teams could meet again in round one of the playoffs. Look for the first half of this game to be particularly intense, and the halftime score will likely determine whether the Bucks want to focus on postseason health or closing out a potential first-round opponent on their home court.
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Thursday, April 7 vs. Boston, (7 p.m., TNT)
The Boston Celtics come to town on Thursday, and come into the week sitting just above the Bucks in terms of the standings. While they likely won’t see Milwaukee until later in the playoffs, should both teams advance, there is still some jostling to be done at the top of the Eastern Conference. The standings at gametime will likely determine each team’s strategy on Thursday, though Boston has defeated the Bucks twice already this year, including a 122-113 overtime win back in November. In both of the Celtics’ wins this year, Milwaukee has been without one of their big three, as Giannis was scratched for that overtime loss, and Khris Middleton was injured in a December meeting. Boston recently lost center Robert Williams III to a torn meniscus, and star forward Jason Tatum is listed as day-to-day down the stretch. Thursday will be a tough game, but there likely won’t be big implications for the start of the postseason here.
Friday, April 8 at Detroit (6 p.m., Bally Sports Wisconsin)
The Bucks will head to Detroit on Friday night, who are mathematically eliminated from the 2022 playoffs. Even if Milwaukee is jostling to take the top of the conference, look for the reserves to get some substantial minutes here. The Pistons have the third-worst record in the NBA right now, and are guaranteed a draft lottery pick for next season, but have proven to be a tough young team. Detroit did take the last matchup with Milwaukee back in January, but the Bucks have won two of their three games with the Pistons this year. Injuries have ravaged Detroit’s lineup, with seven players currently dealing with issues, including future stars Hamidou Diallo and Jerami Grant, both of which are out the remainder of the season along with forward Chris Smith. The Bucks will need to utilize their bench in the playoffs, and they’ll likely get some warmup minutes on Friday night.
Sunday, April 10 at Cleveland (Time TBD, Bally Sports Wisconsin)
To close out the regular season, Milwaukee will head to Cleveland for what is likely to be a matinee matchup against the Cavaliers. The Cavs come into the week in a play-in game spot, sitting in the seventh seed in the East. Depending on what happens during the week, however, they may be in a position that these two teams could meet up in the first round of the playoffs, and Cleveland could be looking to play the spoiler if the standings come down to the final game of the year. Conversely, everything could be decided by Sunday, in which case Milwaukee’s bench would be taking over the majority of the minutes in Cleveland. The Bucks have lost two of their three games against the Cavaliers this season, though, including a December contest in which Milwaukee did not have any of their starting lineup available due to injuries and COVID-19 health and safety protocols. It could either be a very important game for Milwaukee, or an inconsequential one, all depending on what happens in the games during the week. In either case, the Bucks will likely want to head into the playoffs with a win.
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Photo: Nastco - Getty Images
Marijuana plants from above
Police have a bone to pick with drug users, and only drug users, according to a new study by the Pew Charitable Trust, which found that while arrests are down across the board and prosecution for drug use has plummeted, arrests for minor drug possession remained constant since 2009.
“Over the 10 years ending in 2019, the trends in drug arrests, prison admissions and prison population diverged,” the study found. “The U.S. continue[s] to rely heavily on the criminal legal system to address substance misuse,” while the police act as if the past decade of drug reforms and shifting mentalities did not happen.
Since the cannabis reform movement started in 2012 with the legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado and Washington, 18 states and three U.S. territories legalized cannabis entirely, 31 states have decriminalized it and 36 legalized medical marijuana. Even in states that did not pass significant cannabis reform, progress has been happening at the local level, such as the cities of Milwaukee, Madison, Eau Claire and Green Bay choosing to decriminalize marijuana possession despite lack of state-level leadership on the matter in Wisconsin.
Drug Possession Arrests Run Counter to Other Metrics
Unfortunately, it seems the police did not get the memo. In 2009, the police arrested more than 1.3 million people for minor drug possession offenses. In 2019, they again arrested more than 1.3 million people for minor drug possession offenses. There are more places in the U.S. where possession of personal-use amounts of marijuana is tolerated than places where it is criminalized, today. Yet, arrests for petty drug possession offenses only decreased by 0.4% since 2009, and marijuana remains the top drug leading to arrests. This runs counter to all other policing metrics, as all arrests are down across the board, including arrests for drug trafficking, with the exception of arrests for drug possession.
Chart courtesy of the Pew Charitable Trusts
Drug arrests and state prisons chart
Unlike the police, the justice system in those states mirrored the changes in the law through a sharp decline in incarcerations for marijuana offenses. Prison admissions for drug offenses fell 34% between 2009 and 2019, Pew found. Researchers allege that a lot of this change is driven by a 32% drop in arrests for drug sales and manufacturing. Because while the police continue to crack down on minor, non-violent drug possession, they seem to have lightened suppression of drug trafficking.
Another large part of the decline can be attributed to the legalization of hemp through the 2018 Farm Bill. Spearheaded by Sen. Mitch McConnell, that bill made it legal to grow, sell and purchase cannabis with less than 0.3% THC (which stands for tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive component of cannabis). Industrial hemp is merely another nickname for the marijuana plant—once it became federally legal, even conservative states reevaluated how they approach legal punishment for simple possession of the now-legal cannabis plant. Before, merely owning a bit of green was evidence enough to obtain a conviction; now, even the most minor cases of petty possession of marijuana require extensive laboratory analysis to determine whether it might be a piece of perfectly legal industrial hemp.
Even Texas, with the nation’s toughest marijuana penalties, saw prosecutions for marijuana possession fall by more than half between 2018 and 2020. “Since the law change, prosecutors and state crime labs have dropped hundreds of pending marijuana charges and declined to pursue new ones because they don’t have the resources to detect a substance’s precise THC content, arguably keeping them from the evidence they need to prove in court if a cannabis substance is illegal,” The Texas Tribune reports.
Yet, the police continue to arrest people for offenses that will never be pursued further because they are just too small and inconsequential to be worth a prosecutor’s time and resources.
Meth and Racial Imbalances
Race is a central factor of the War on Drugs. Despite consuming marijuana at the same rate as white people, Black Americans are arrested almost four times as often for simple possession.
In fact, John Ehrlichman, one of the architects of the War on Drugs and domestic policy chief of the Nixon Administration, famously admitted that the purpose of policing drugs was racist at its very core: “We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin. And then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities,” Ehrlichman said. “We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.”
The racist nature of policing drugs has not changed. “The percentage of 2019 drug-related prison admissions of Black folks (28%) was double their share of the general population,” says Tracy Velazquez, manager of criminal justice research for Pew and co-author of the study.
“Racial disparities in drug arrests dipped between 2009 and 2019. However, despite being only 13% of the U.S. population, Black people made up 37% of marijuana arrests in 2019. That's up from 32% in 2009,” the study reads. While there are fewer marijuana arrests in absolute numbers, white offenders benefited from this development more than their Black peers did, leading to Black marijuana users representing a relatively larger portion of marijuana arrests now than 10 years ago.
However, racial imbalances in all drug arrests, and not just marijuana, have been reduced. That is largely due to the rise in arrests for possession of methamphetamines, which rose by 260,000 in the time frame when arrests for possession of marijuana were reduced by 260,000. “Declines in marijuana arrests were backfilled with those for meth,” says Tracy Velazquez. Arrests for possession of meth doubled between 2009 and 2019.
Chart courtesy of the Pew Charitable Trusts
Drug arrests by race and substance
As it happens, white people use meth at a far higher rate than black people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that nearly 1.2 million white people and only 72,000 black people use meth per year on average. On average, there are 16 white meth users for every single black meth user. Yet, even as police arrest hundreds of thousands of mostly white additional meth users, there are only five white arrestees for each black person arrested by the police.
Does Arresting Drug Users Help Anyone?
In spite of the ultimate pointlessness of arrests made for an offense so minor that the justice system will dismiss it out of hand, police arrested more than 500,000 individuals for simple marijuana possession in 2019. For what purpose?
It started roughly 50 years ago, when then-President Richard Nixon declared war on the concept of drugs. Originally, the purpose was to end the illicit manufacture of drugs, repress trafficking and help the end users, whose quality of life suffered from drug abuse. The purpose of the War on Drugs was allegedly to help the victims of drugs: the addicts. Instead, addicts were targeted, harassed, arrested and imprisoned. Instead of receiving support, counsel and appropriate follow-up by medical professionals, millions of drug users were put behind bars and promptly forgotten.
“Richard Nixon declared drug abuse public enemy number one, and Congress passed legislation that sought to expand treatment and research. However, at the same time, intensified enforcement launched what became known as the ‘War on Drugs,’” the study reads. “The harsher penalties led to a 1,216% increase in the state prison population for drug offenses, from 19,000 to 250,000 between 1980 and 2008.”
Today, law enforcement agencies dedicate more than three times as many police hours and resources to minor drug offenses than to violent crimes. Nearly 90% of drug-related arrests for drugs are for simple possession, and a massive portion of all drug cases are for the most harmless substance of all, marijuana. Yet, in 2019, U.S. police made 1.56 million arrests for all drug offenses, more than 1.3 million of which were for simple possession; but they made only 500,000 arrests for all violent crimes combined. Arresting non-violent offenders for minor drug possession is by far the biggest piece of an average police department’s time and effort; more than policing traffic, assaults, property crimes and all violent crimes.
Why such intense focus on the most harmless category of offenses? Drug possession harms no one except the addicts themselves.
One could argue that an arrest and a prison sentence could turn someone’s life around by forcing them to be sober for the length of their prison stay. However, study after study proved that having been arrested, and to a greater degree having been incarcerated, drastically reduces employment opportunities for the rest of one’s life. Individuals who were imprisoned have an unemployment rate five times higher than average despite actively looking for work at a greater rate than the rest of the population. A blemish on one’s record, even for minor non-violent drug offenses, can sabotage a person’s ability to find employment, housing or any opportunities for the rest of their lives.
Pew found that addicts very rarely receive any help at all behind bars. “About 1.1 million people with past-year illicit drug dependence or misuse reported being arrested and booked in the past year, but of those, just 1 in 13 (85,199) reported receiving drug treatment while in jail or prison,” Pew reveals. “Drug-related mortality rates increased fivefold in prisons and threefold in jails despite the decreases in the number of people in prison for drug offenses.”
Most damning of all is the drug-related mortality rate in jails, which tripled between 2009 and 2019. Drug-related deaths while in law enforcement custody rose from 9 per 100,000 to 26 per 100,000 in just one decade. Even when arresting a drug user in need of immediate help, police tend to shove them into a cell and deny them access to medical care until death follows. Not only are those arrests pointless—as they are non-violent, non-harmful, minor offenses which will be dismissed by prosecutors—but the arrests themselves can prove deadly for the victims.
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Stefan Kartman, the principal cellist of the Festival City Symphony, will be featured in the orchestra’s performance of Antonin (German publishers Germanized his Czech name to Anton) Dvorak’s Cello Concerto, op. 104 in B minor. Brahms, a master of orchestral composition, corrected the proofs of Dvorak’s score and supposedly said, “If I had known that it was possible to compose such a concerto for the cello, I would have tried it myself!” Needless to say, the concerto is a technical challenge and a listeners’ delight. The statements by the solo cello will remain with you long after you return home.
The Festival City Symphony Orchestra, formerly the Milwaukee Civic Orchestra, has been here for almost a century with a current mission of extending the reach of classical music throughout the Milwaukee area. Thanks in part to Franklyn Essenberg’s generosity, all of their concerts are free to the public. Carter Simmons, the current music director, will be on the podium. The program will also include Franz Schubert’s Overture to Rosamunde, D. 644 and Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations, op. 36.
Stefan Kartman is a professor of music at UWM and his wife Jeannie Yu is a concert pianist. Together they perform as the Florestan Duo. I know firsthand the love of music found in this family. Their son, Jonah, plays the violin and I pester them continually to invite me to their “rehearsals.”
I talked with Kartman about music, tradition, and the preparation necessary as a soloist and for this concerto in particular which is full of technical challenges.
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His own parents met while at Julliard as did he and his wife. Kartman’s father, Myron, studied with Karl Döll, a student of Joseph Joachim, Brahms’ friend and advisor for violin compositions and chamber music. And Brahms was Dvorak’s mentor. There is thus an intimate and immediate connection of Kartman back more than 100 years to the composer and performers of that time.
Kartman refers to this tradition and coaching as “Passing it on.” It’s a subtle way of helping others to find the sound closest to what the composer had in mind when the music was first performed. The premiere performance of this concerto was on March 19,1896 in Queen’s Hall, London, with Dvorak conducting and Leo Stern playing the cello.
“Passing it on”—how you hold the bow, attacking a chord at the frog (bottom) or the tip of the bow, or the angle the hair makes with the strings. All of that and more is heard and adjusted as musicians strive to find the sound the composer wanted. A musical memory heard and then shared with the next generation. Something that he and Jeannie do with their son and their students.
Kartman shared his connection back to Brahms and Dvorak. It was Brahms who encouraged Dvorak to go to “The New World” along with Franz Kneisel, a student of Joachim. Dvorak served as the head of the National Conservatory of Music—later the Julliard School (small world). Kneisel taught chamber music and violin and played in a quartet with a cellist by the name of Willem Willeke. Willeke was the teacher of Harvey Shapiro, one of Kartman’s teachers. Passing it on and passing it on.
Which brings us fast forward to this concert. Kartman first studied this piece in the ‘80s with Harvey Shapiro. As with other performances, months before the concert date, the practice begins in earnest—hours each day. And for this he rehearses with Yu (orchestral scores are transcribed for piano) plays online for his father, for Jonah (his son), and for his students—a wise man learns from all.
The Festival City Symphony is Milwaukee’s oldest professional symphony orchestra. Kartman reminded me that this ensemble is one of Milwaukee’s best kept musical secrets. He hopes that one and all from the Milwaukee area can share with him and the other musicians in the orchestra their performance and participate in the act of passing it on.
Further information, including tickets, can be found on the symphony’s web site: festivalcitysymphony.org.
There is also a preview video on Stefan’s website: cellokartman.com.
This will be an exciting concert in a wonderful new venue, a way to make a Saturday afternoon very special. Enjoy.
Festival City Symphony Orchestra performs 2 p.m. Saturday, April 9 at the Bradley Symphony Center.
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A wise mentor of mine once said, ”If you listen, the Dance will tell you what it needs.” The reason this is so personally profound to me is that within us there is an innate ability to trust our intuition as embodied sensing beings, whether it be in our own body or in a staged piece of work that we are sharing with our community.
Time and time again I meet people at Danceworks who have lost a sense of self and have returned to dance to listen to what their dance within needs. No matter the age, our community finds themselves through sensing and embodying their own urge to be kinetic.
We are thrilled each time a young student performs on stage for their family and feels the joy of communicating through movement, or one of our Intergenerational dancers returns to dance and says, “I haven’t done this in 30 years.”
We are thrilled even more about how dance sparks conversation on what being a human in this world means for all of us. There is true joy and meaning in an audience who fully witnesses the embodied research our professional performance company is presenting and leaves having a deep conversation about the meaning of life. Dance is for everyone, no matter the age or ability, and we invite you to find the dance within and discover what it is telling you.
Visit: Danceworks
Photo Credit: Erol Reyal
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Photo by Ross Zentner
David Cecsarini and Mark Ulrich in Next Act Theatre "Equivocation"
David Cecsarini (left) with Mark Ulrich in Next Act Theatre's "Equivocation"
Next Act Theatre announced that founding member David Cecsarini will step down at the end of the 2022-2023 season. Cecsarini has been with the company since it began 32 years ago and has served as Producing Artistic Director for the last 30 years
Next Act was founded in 1990 with the merger of Theater Tesseract, which brought contemporary Off-Broadway shows to Milwaukee, and Next Generation Theater, devoted to children’s productions. “I had been affiliated with both,” Cecsarini recalls. “We tried to combine our missions, keeping both kinds of theater on a parallel track. We confused everybody—as anyone who knows anything about marketing could have told us.”
The new company wasn’t selling many tickets. Working with his colleague Jonathan Smoots, Cecsarini “came up with a survival plan—lose the children’s mission and pursue contemporary theater.” The downsized agenda fit well in their provisional home, the Rep’s Stiemke Theatre. Funds were raised, debts were forgiven and tickets were sold. “Intimate and Powerful” became Next Act’s motto. As the Stiemke grew busier, Next Act became semi-itinerant until renting space at 342 N. Water Street. “We were happy there for 10 years,” Cecsarini says.
By 2010, the property was under new management and, as Cecsarini puts it, “a non-profit organization was not part of their plan. We looked for other spaces and found our final destination”—the Next Act Theatre at 255 S. Water Street where the company opened its Fall 2011 season.
“It was a scramble,” Cecsarini recalls. “Lease negotiations held us up. We started building up [the site] in April. We scrambled for our opening in October and we made it.”
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Like other performing arts groups, Next Act’s reliance on season subscriptions has been challenged by a changing world. “It’s a different game these days—with streaming and so much on demand,” he says.
As for why he is stepping down from the leading role at Next Act? “I’ve been doing this for 32 years. I’ll be 68 this fall and I’m looking for an opening to do other things—acting, directing—without the additional responsibility. For another reason, “32 years is a long time for one company’s leadership. Our culture is changing. Next Act could use a new perspective on things, including finding a younger demographic and connecting with other communities. I’d like to clear the way for another person.”
Next Act will focus its search for Cecsarini’s replacement on the Upper Midwest region. “Someone from Milwaukee would be terrific, someone with loyalty and commitment to this community,” Cecsarini says, adding, “Next Act for me is about producing stories that reflect the challenges in our lives and communities.”
Cecsarini will have the opportunity to show his successor the ropes—and he may continue being visible at Next Act as an actor or guest director in seasons to come.
Photo by Ross Zentner
Next Act Theatre "Laughter on the 23rd Floor"
Seth K. Hale, Dylan Bolin, Mohammad Elbsat and David Cecsarini in Next Act Theatre's "Laughter on the 23rd Floor".
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Photo by June Xie
Gaetano Marangelli
Gaetano Marangelli
Iron County has a slightly forbidding ring, suggesting something dark and ominous, like a January snowstorm or a story by August Derleth. It’s a real place in northern Wisconsin, the forested setting of Gaetano Marangelli’s play Iron County, debuting at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre this month.
The five-man play has been compared to David Mamet for its taut, repetitive, chiseled language. The drama unfolds in 1975 at a liminal moment in American history, in between Nixon and Carter, as the counterculture fades and the Me Decade had only just begun. Iron County concerns two brothers, Sam and Ted, onetime hippies having trouble realizing their dream of living off the land; Noah, a taciturn Native American who is living off the land; Bob, the bartender at a rural roadside tavern; and Bob, a motorist passing through.
The motorist is the catalyst after hitting a deer crossing the road and coming to the bar, asking for help. The mishaps and mayhem that ensure start to sound like the Coen brothers’ Fargo, but Iron County isn’t a dark comedy. “I’d call it a drama that asks who owns the land we call America. It explores how the land became divided,” Marangelli says.
Iron County might have more metaphors than characters, at least as Marangelli describes the contending historical forces at work—Manifest Destiny, the Frontier Theory of American History, American Exceptionalism, America as the Melting Pot ... However, the characters aren’t merely ideas embodied but are fully drawn, containing multitudes of contradictions. Their worldviews are a mosaic of attitudes formed from the elements in their environment.
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Ultimately, Iron County asks the question: Are we in this together or is it us against nature, us against them?
The granular complexity of human characters is one thing that separates art from propaganda. “It’s a problem sometimes in contemporary theater, which reads like a ‘lesser form of journalism’ expressed through didactic characters,” Marangelli says. “A play is not an op-ed piece. It should be richer than that.”
Iron County began as a short play and was given a full-length reading by the Drama League of New York in 2018. “The story at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre began four years ago,” Marangelli says. “I sent the first draft to Marcy Kerns, the associate artistic director. She responded immediately.” Iron County was scheduled for March 2020—but the pandemic intervened.
Iron County finally receives its production in a staged reading, 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 18 at the Broadway Theatre Center’s Studio Theatre. Iron County will be directed by Lisa Kornetsky and will feature Marcus Truschinski, Josh Krause, Chris Klopatik and Shayne Steliga with stage directions by Jarrod Langwinski. Admission is free.
A second staged reading, by Brigata Theater, has been scheduled at UW-Parkside’s The Rita Studio A (900 Wood Road, Kenosha) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 11. It will be directed by Lisa Kornetsky with a cast to be announced. For more information, visit Brigata Theater at facebook.com/BrigataTheater.
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Photo: That Taco Guy - Facebook
That Taco Guy nachos
We heard you!
Thanks to your feedback we have increased the food options at this year’s Stein & Dine.
Bring your appetite and sample six flavors of Vollwerth’s sausage: Original, Pizza, Honey, Cheddar Bacon, Cheddar Jalapeño and Hot & Spicy. shepherdexpress.com/food/eat-drink/vollwerth-puts-the-dine-in-stein-dine That Taco Guy is getting ready for festivals season with his taco truck. At Stein & Dine try a nacho sample with their signature Beer Cheese and a side of Texas Candy—candied jalapenos cooked with sugar, vinegar, and other spices shepherdexpress.com/food/eat-drink/that-taco-guy-puts-the-dine-in-stein-dine
Oak Creek cheese maker Alpinage Cheese will be serving up two versions of their signature Raclette, a smear ripened, semi-hard cheese traditionally melted over foods shepherdexpress.com/food/eat-drink/alpinage-cheese-puts-the-dine-in-stein-dine/ Anyone with a sweet tooth will have to save room for Whisked Away bakery’s classic sugar cookies as well as chocolate stout cake, “to be very on-brand with the theme!”
In addition to the food samples, this year Stein & Dine guests will receive a voucher for menu items. General admission gets you a $6 food voucher and VIP admission gets you a $10 food voucher. Options include the baseball-inspired Secret Stadium Dog, Ballpark Nachos, Jalapeno Cheese Dog, Mac Brat (brat, mac & cheese, bacon bits) or the football-inspired Pack N' Cheese and Gridiron Brat—and more!
See you this Saturday at State Fair!
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Photo Credit: Allen Halas
Ruthie
Dear Ruthie is proudly brought to you by C3 Designs — Award Winning Fine Jewelry. C3 Designs offers a variety of services performed in-house, including custom jewelry design, jewelry and watch repair, appraisal, pearl and bead stringing, engraving and flip guards. C3 Designs is the winner of the Jewelers of America 2019 CASE Award.
Dear Ruthie,
I had a Facebook friend who lived in another state, and we never got to meet in person. We always commented on each other's posts, however, and we shared many interests. We messaged each other often.
One night I went to his FB page to check on him after he had surgery. He had unfriended me. I was shocked because he commented on some of my posts two days before! I sent him a message, which he read but never replied to.
I am disappointed and hurt. Am I alone in thinking people have become self-centered, egotistical and lacking in regard for one another’s feelings nowadays?
Thanks,
Hurt Kurt
Dear Kurt,
Digital communications are changing quickly, but unfortunately social graces haven’t kept up with these trends.
There could be a myriad of reasons why your Facebook buddy ghosted you (that’s what the kids call it, btw). While the situation is a head scratcher, try to forget it and move on. (I know … easier said than done.) You’ve clearly looked at this situation from every angle, reviewed your communication, reconsidered your posts and reached out to the person in question. Let it go. You’ve done all you can.
Don’t let this ruin your faith in people. No matter what technology throws at us, I’m still convinced people are generally good. Focus on the friends you truly have and try not to give this person another thought!
Ruthie’s Social Calendar
April 8—Pride Night for Titanic: The Musical at The Milwaukee Rep (108 E. Wells St.): Join me, Karen Valentine and BJ Daniels for a spectacular night of theater, mixing, mingling and more! Your $25 ticket gets you into the pre-show cocktail party at the Saint Kate Arts Hotel as well The Rep’s production of Titanic: The Musical at the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater at 8 p.m. Hosted by Wisconsin’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce, this is sure to be a wonderful evening, so nab your tickets before they’re gone. Simply visit www.milwaukeerep.com/pride, using promo code “Pride” when ordering.
April 9—Stein & Dine at Wisconsin State Fair Park (640 S. 84th St.): One of the city’s favorite samplings comes back to State Fair with more food than ever before! Enjoy unlimited samples from the state’s finest breweries, distilleries and wineries along with live entertainment and more. If you’ve never been to Stein & Dine, make this the year you check it out. Order tickets at www.shepherdtickets.com.
April 9—Milwaukee Comic Con at Events Building, Wisconsin State Fair Park (640 S. 84th St.): Comic Con is back and bigger than ever with more than 300 tables of geeky goodness, anime awesomeness and sci-fi satisfaction. See www.mightyconshows.com for $8 tickets as well as lineups of speakers, artists and special guests.
April 10—The English Beat at Turner Hall Ballroom (1040 Vel R. Phillips Ave.): The happy, soulful, lively music of The English Beat hops into the city with this 8 p.m. concert. Enjoy Highball Holiday as the opening act when you buy tickets ($32.50) at www.pabsttheatergroup.com.
April 11 through April 13—"Shakespeare RAW: Anthony and Cleopatra” at Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery (901 W. Juneau Ave.): What happens when a group of actors get together, pull character names out of hat, toss back some booze and hit the stage? Find out during another installment of boozy-Bard insanity. Tickets are $10 at the door ($5 if you’re wearing toga).
April 11—Karaoke Night at Club Charlie’s (320 E. Menomonee St.): It’s always a good time at this Third Ward hot spot, and Monday nights are no exception. Join the sing-along fun from 8 p.m. to midnight, order up some grub, slam back a few cocktails and pat yourself on the back for making it through another Monday.
April 13—“Unexpected: AM Radio, Volume #1” at Story Hill Firehouse (407 N. Hawley Rd.): Vocalists Marcya Daneille and Donna Woodall celebrate the soft-rock and soul music of the ‘70s with this change-of-pace show. Support live music in the city and check out this exciting new venue at the 6 p.m. concert. Seating is limited so order your $5 ticket soon via www.eventbrite.com.
Have a question for Ruthie? Want to share an event with her? Contact Ruthie at DearRuthie@ShepEx.com.
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Image: nadia_bormotova - Getty Images
Women holding hands and Pride flag
April is a celebratory month for the lesbian community with International Lesbian Visibility Week, April 25 through May 2. In Milwaukee, the community has been a leading force in achieving LGBTQ equality with many early lesbian activists recognized by the Shepherd Express LGBTQ + Progress Awards.
Propelled in part by the pre-Stonewall women’s and feminist movements, local lesbian political activism exploded in the early 1970s. Several helped co-found the city’s first queer organization, the Gay People’s Union (GPU). In 1972, The Amazon: A Feminist Journal first appeared as a mimeographed flyer and evolved into a full-fledged news, health and political publication for the women’s movement addressing the salient issues of the times. It remained in print until 1984. Activist and writer Jamakaya served as Amazon’s editor from 1979-1983.
Presaging the struggle for marriage equality and garnering national attention at the time, perhaps the most daring political act of the era was undertaken by Donna Burkett and her partner Menonia Evans. On Oct. 1, 1971, the couple applied for a marriage license at the Milwaukee County Clerk’s office. Their application was refused and they sued. Meanwhile, they married in a ceremony on Christmas Day that year. However, two weeks later, their lawsuit was dismissed on a technicality.
Later that decade, in 1974, a local lesbian would enlist in the US Army and begin a military career like no other. Miriam Ben Shalom first made history as one of the first female drill sergeants. That would pale compared to the history she was about to make. Admitting she was a lesbian, the Army discharged her in 1976. She sued in 1980 and, based on questions of the constitutionality of her discharge, a judge ruled in her favor, ordering the Army to reinstate her. A legal contest ensued.
Eight years later, Ben Shalom became the first gay or lesbian to be re-instated in the U.S. military. Her service was short lived, however, as she was again discharged in 1989. An appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court failed, with the court refusing to hear her case. She would go on to help found the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Veterans of America, now known as Veterans for Equal Rights.
Ben Shalom continued her activism but not without controversy, this time within the LGBTQ community. In 2016, the Milwaukee Pride Parade board of directors selected Ben Shalom as its Grand Marshall. It then rescinded the honor when it learned of Ben Shalom’s publicly expressed views on transgenderism that it considered transphobic and incompatible with the Pride Parade’s mission. Deeming transwomen as “fetishistic” and “delusional,” her more recent activism has seen her aligning with anti-trans conservative religious factions in the name of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
Founded in 1989 by Donna Utke, Karen Gotzler and other local activists, the Lesbian Alliance of Metro Milwaukee (LAMM) soon became the city’s go-to organization for its lesbian community. Serving the social, political, artistic, and spiritual needs of Milwaukee-area lesbians, LAMM had a broad appeal that attracted hundreds of members. One described its various activities including concerts, Valentine’s Day dances and its famous house parties where “women were packed in breast-to-breast.” It also had specialized sub-organizations including the LAMM Education Fund and Silver Space, a support group for older lesbians as well as other support groups addressing the various needs of its members.
As with many LGBTQ groups, the LAMM’s heyday has waned in recent years. Brenda Hanus, a lesbian transwoman involved since 2002, and its current chairperson, pointed out the realities of contemporary lesbian life. “When I got involved there were lots of activities. Today it’s a different world since the early days. The older people aren’t participating anymore and younger lesbians aren’t interested. Attendance has been dropping off but we still had game and movie nights. Since the pandemic hit, we’ve been in a stand-by mode. When the LGBT Community Center opens up again, we hope to get people involved again,” Hanus said.
Milwaukee’s lesbian bar scene saw its peak in the later quarter of the 20th century and early 2000s. Popular spots like Fannies, Mona’s Out and About, Kathy’s Nut Hut and Station 2, among others, are long gone but remain a constant source of lesbian lore and nostalgia. Only Walker’s Pint, having just celebrated its 20th anniversary, retains the appellation “lesbian bar.” However, the “Pint” makes its reputation on its inclusiveness and all are welcome. It has also recently established its own philanthropic organization, formalizing its traditional role of supporting the Milwaukee’s greater LGBTQ community.
Lesbian artists and athletes have also made their mark on the greater community’s cultural life and recreational sports. Visual and performance artists regularly exhibited at the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center (MGAC) where solo and group shows addressed a range of issues from hetero-normative gender expectations and male patriarchy to motherhood. LAMM once sponsored an art show at MGAC exhibiting works created as art therapy by women.
Founded in 2006, Women’s Voices Milwaukee performed at venues throughout the city including MGAC and PrideFest. Other recognized artists include poetess Carmen Murguia and filmmaker-musician Ashley Altadonna. Of course, a large contingent of lesbian athletes play on any number of teams across the local LGBTQ sports spectrum.
In politics, Karen Gotzler became Milwaukee’s first out candidate for the city’s Common Council in 1996. Sura Faraj ran for the same office a dozen years later. Both campaigns were unsuccessful but they raised awareness of the community’s political engagement.
Although the age of activism has waned with the achievement of a degree of rights not enjoyed in the past, lesbian empowerment created over the decades since Stonewall has translated to high profile personalities across the business, professional educational and political realms continuing the struggle for equality.
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Illustration by Michael Burmesch
Scale with footprints illustration
Mary came to me with several health problems, the most pressing of which was her 100-plus extra pounds. She had tried various programs over the years, sometimes dropping significant weight but then putting it back on. She wanted a new approach.
Many patients come to me frustrated with their inability to lose weight. For many, weight was never an issue until they reached middle age. Others have carried substantial excess weight much of their life, posing a serious health risk. Still they can’t take it off—or if they do, even worse, they “yo-yo”.
Weight loss resistance is complicated. There is confusion brought on by the onslaught of “experts” touting “the best diet” (often with conflicting approaches): low fat, low carb, keto, paleo, vegan, vegetarian, carnivore and more. Yikes! More importantly, neglected underlying health issues can significantly impede one’s efforts. Also, and not to be minimized, our psyche, our relationship with food, our family and friends can all play a role.
It is critical to adopt a way of eating that can be part of a way of life—for life. So not a fad diet. If you regularly consume a lot of unhealthy food, it can take time to shift your palate, but with some initial consistency, it happens. It is possible to crave a salad! Slow and steady weight loss is ideal. Briefly, the guidelines I suggest are a clean (think low pesticides) plant forward whole foods diet. This means fairly strict avoidance of processed foods and added sugars. As Michael Pollan quips in his book Food Rules “Don't eat anything your great grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.” For a stretch goal, aim for 6-8 cups of vegetables a day—a colorful variety of non-starchy choices.
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Overcoming Resistance
But diet is rarely enough. It is key to address underlying health issues that may be getting in your way. While this may seem daunting, these common factors that contribute to weight loss resistance can be overcome:
- insulin resistance (optimal blood sugar control)
- stress leading to excess cortisol
- disturbed gastrointestinal health (intestinal bacteria or microbiome imbalance, “leaky gut”, poor digestion, gut inflammation)
- hormone imbalances (thyroid, sex hormones)
- toxins (a common contributor to metabolic dysfunction)
- chronic inflammation
- nutritional deficiencies
- lack of sleep or circadian rhythm disruption.
I often see one or more of these problems show up in people who already follow an ideal diet and exercise regularly but can’t shed pounds.
Finally, if you have a dysfunctional relationship with food, work on cultivating an attitude that honors food as nutrition for your body and applying a mindful approach to eating with a sense of gratitude. Creating a shift from an orientation of denial to reframing food as nourishment can be a game changer. It can also help to surround yourself with others who equally engage healthful lifestyle and food choices
Mary and I worked together to form a plan prioritizing her health—-gut health, hormone balance, stress management and toxic load. She incorporated fundamental lifestyle changes—good sleep habits, increased movement and healthy food choices. Nine months after she started these interventions, she informed me that she had lost 45 pounds. She said “It’s funny that I am not focused on weight at all (for the first time ever) and because it's secondary, I am not obsessed with it at all. I only weigh myself occasionally out of curiosity.”
No longer using a “dieting” approach to weight loss, Mary was engaging a whole person approach to being healthy.
I know this isn’t easy! But—like Mary‑it can be transformative to your health, your energy and your zest for life.
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Photo: cyano66 - Getty Images
Home improvement illustration
These days, prices are rising on just about everything, and home-improvement initiatives are no exception. Inflation and the effects of the pandemic continue to increase material costs and hamper the availability of items such as lumber. Last summer’s Consumer Price Index noted that appliance prices have risen nearly 5% compared to the previous year; washing machines and dryers were up about 18%.
Recent studies indicate that prices will continue to rise on the home-improvement front, causing homeowners to find ways to reduce remodeling budgets; however, cutting costs doesn’t mean cutting corners. Take a look at these ideas to help you renovate without breaking the bank.
Set a budget. Like any remodeling project, creating a smart budget is key. Be sure to add another 10% to cover any surprises that might pop up along the way. Next, make a spreadsheet of costs you can update regularly to keep yourself on track.
Do it yourself. It sounds obvious but rolling up your sleeves and putting in a little sweat equity will pay off financially. There are plenty of publications and online tutorials to walk you through whatever project you’re considering, and even the most inexperienced renovator can paint a room or insulate an attic.
Do your own demo work. You’ll stash some cash if you do the demolition work versus leaving it to a contractor—but proceed with caution. Demolishing a carport or deck may be easy but be careful when taking down walls. You need to be sure you’re not damaging a loadbearing wall or putting yourself at risk for sawing into wiring or damaging plumbing.
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Ditch delivery fees. It pays to schlep around town and pick up materials yourself. Many home improvement stores offer rental trucks just for this purpose. Have a buddy with a truck or a trailer? Ask if you can borrow it and avoid delivery fees.
Watch the windows. See if you can improve the insulation around existing windows before replacing them. Are there other repairs that could be made without replacing a window? If so, you could be in for huge savings. If you ultimately need to purchase new windows, keep them the same size as the existing windows and you’ll pocket a bit of cash.
Visit recycling centers. Picking up slightly used fixtures, secondhand building materials, scratch-and-dent appliances, and other salvaged items can help cut costs. Milwaukee is home to several Habitat for Humanity Restores, and you can even find some materials at local auctions.
Reconsider expensive renovations. Kitchen and bathroom remodels are the most popular and expensive home improvements. You’ll save a lot of money by keeping the layouts the same, leaving the plumbing intact. Instead of gutting these rooms, consider simply painting or re-staining existing cabinets and vanities and adding new hardware. Retiling a kitchen backsplash or bathroom shower is actually easier and more economical than you might think.
Hire a contractor. While hiring a contractor will significantly increase costs, sometimes it’s simply the smartest thing to do. Get at least three quotes and avoid hiring during busy periods—the middle of summer and September through December. Stash some cash by keeping manhours low when you prep areas yourself (removing old carpeting, for instance).
Most important, pace yourself and focus on one project at a time. Review your wish list and assess which renovation project makes the most sense to tackle first. Can you afford one project more than the others? Will one project add value to a home you’re about to put on the market? Choose your project wisely, and you (and your bank account) will surely be happy with the results.
5 Ways to Renovate on the Cheap
- Update the front door.
- Reface kitchen cabinets.
- Swap out mirrors and fixtures in bathrooms.
- Add new trim and/or crown molding.
- Create space by reorganizing to increase efficiency.
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Photo courtesy Maxwell Street Klezmer Band
Maxwell Street Klezmer Band
Maxwell Street Klezmer Band
Music lovers in the Milwaukee area are fortunate that klezmer is coming to town. The Maxwell Street Klezmer Band will play at the Polish Center on April 10. Wear your dancing shoes and be prepared to laugh and cry. Or, perhaps as Lori Lippitz, one of the directors of the band explained, “Laugh through your tears.” The venue and program—“more of a straight-ahead seated concert”—will still have you tapping your toes.
Klezmer music is founded on the traditions of the Ashkenazi Jews of Central and Eastern Europe. It is ever evolving, building on traditional dance tunes, ritual melodies and folk songs of the various countries where Jews were tolerated over the centuries. It includes elements from throughout the Ottoman Empire including Greek and Romanian modalities picked up from sojourns in Poland and the Balkan countries.
With the revival of klezmer music in the United States, one can now hear the influence of jazzy rhythms from the big band. However, even newer forms of the music still incorporate Eastern European melodies. Anything and everything that makes one want to dance, clap or celebrate can find its way into klezmer music.
The Maxwell Street Klezmer Band was formed in 1983 by Lippitz, who still serves as its artistic and musical directors in addition to being one of their vocalists and guitarists. The band has played at Carnegie Hall, toured Europe, and was featured at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in the world’s first klezmer opera, The Property. The band’s violinist and musical director, Alex Koffman, combines his classical training with the band’s jazz orientation to create a unique sound.
Many of the musicians who have joined the band in recent years are immigrants from Eastern European countries where they received their musical training. Minsk, Lodz, Prague and Odessa are just some of the cities in their resumes. They share the stage with others who are from Chicago, New York City, and Skokie. Their bios (www.klezmerband.com/bios) are worth reading. One of the clarinetists, Jeff Jeziorski, lives outside of Milwaukee and has performed with Milwaukee’s Skylight Music Theatre.
Their newest clarinetist, Bartosz Warkoczyński, a graduate of the Music University in Lodz, Poland, will also be featured in the concert on Sunday.
When asked if the band has changed much over the years, Lippitz smiled and answered, “Yes, we’re more polished and experienced after decades of playing together.”
Many of the musicians in the band are educators and teachers. I pleased to learn that “[their] Junior Klezmer Orchestra, which trains young people in klezmer and Yiddish songs, has been running nonstop since 1994.”
I clapped when she told me that “One of [their] graduates is the musical director of Hamilton on Broadway.”
But hearing that members of Maxwell Street collaborate with members of the Arabic and South Asian music community to learn and play each other’s music was truly the best news of all in these divisive times. It demonstrates that music can be used to preserve ones heritage and at the same time bring people together. Lippitz is the founder of the Salaam-Shalom Music Project (an interfaith orchestra combining members of Maxwell Street and members of the Chicago Muslim musical community). She invited me to visit: salaamshalommusic.org.
Photo: The Chicago Salaam-Shalom Music Project - salaamshalommusic.org
Chicago Salaam-Shalom Music Project
The Chicago Salaam-Shalom Music Project
One final note: you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy klezmer music. Think Fiddler on the Roof meets a Dixieland jazz band and be prepared to have a wonderful experience in a delightful venue.
Further information about the concert, ticket pricing, driving directions etc. can be found on the Polish Center’s web site: polishcenterofwisconsin.org.
Maxwell Street Klezmer Band performs 6 p.m. Saturday, April 10 at the Polish Center, 6941 S. 68th St., Franklin.
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Summary:
- 431 new cases
- No new deaths, 11 total deaths added to system
- 12,815 total deaths;
- 157 hospitalized patients, 26 in ICU
Source: Wisconsin Department of Health Services
On Tuesday, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported an additional 431 new COVID-19 cases. The state has averaged 401 new cases per day in the last week.
On this day last year, there were 974 new cases, and a 7-day average of 655 cases per day. In 2020, 170 cases were recorded, with a 7-day average of 174 cases per day.
Source: Wisconsin Department of Health Services
There were no new deaths, but 11 added to the Department of Health Services system, putting the total Wisconsin death toll at 12,815. A lag in death reporting statewide has affected these numbers.
In Milwaukee County, there were 82 new confirmed cases reported and have been 268,488 total cases in the county since the pandemic began. The 7-day average in the county is 77 cases per day. Two of the deaths added to the state system were attributed to Milwaukee County, putting the county death toll at 2,278 since the beginning of the pandemic.
If you are looking for COVID-19 testing or vaccination, consult the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website.
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https://shepherdexpress.com/news/hero-of-the-month/dontrell-corey-fells-shares-the-value-of-therapy/
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Photo by Erin Bloodgood
Dontrell Corey Fells
Dontrell Corey Fells
For Dontrell Corey Fells, co-founder of Black Space, therapy wasn’t always a pleasant experience. When he was a teenager in late high school, his mother passed away. “After that, there was just a young boy that wanted to be able to find somewhere to live and to figure out life for myself,” says Fells.
His family suggested he see a therapist to cope, but the man they found made Fells uncomfortable. As a young Black man, Fells couldn’t relate to his therapist who was an older white man. He felt the need to use coded language and give additional context to explain where he grew up and the challenges he faced. It wasn’t working.
Soon after, at 18 years old, he enlisted in the military “to find some type of solace, some type of consistency,” Fells explains. But the military left him with a lot of questions and after eight years of service, he found his way back to Milwaukee to begin his life as a civilian—unsure of what to do next.
Black and Brown
Filled with anxiety and living through a global pandemic in 2020, Fells was looking for answers. His friend suggested he see a therapist, so he decided to give it another try. This time, he found Dr. Lia A. Knox, a therapist from his neighborhood who looked like him—someone who could relate to his experiences and struggles. He felt like he could be himself and didn’t have to put up any walls.
Therapy took on a whole new meaning and he began telling friends about it, including his friend Darius Smith, who was on the front lines of the Black Lives Matter marches, leading thousands of people. It wasn’t long before Smith, Fells and Knox identified a need in Black and Brown communities and began discussing ways to offer therapy for free.
Thus, Black Space was started. “The name Black Space is a symbolic name—there’s a gap between providing Black and Brown people with the necessary tools for something like therapy because there’s this classism surrounding therapy,” says Fells. He explains that many people he knows see therapy as expensive and unattainable. Additionally, the traditional format of therapy—a short one-on-one session—doesn’t lend itself to the culture of Black and Brown people. “We’re storytellers, so that one hour isn’t enough for us.”
Fells, Smith and Knox chose to offer group sessions, led by Knox who is trained in cultural competency, where people can share their experiences with others who can relate to them. Their goal is to foster connections in each group, which are separated into Black and Brown men, Black and Brown women, and Black and Brown LGBTQIA+ identifying individuals. The group therapy experiences continue to fill up, showing the need for an inclusive, safe space addressing mental health.
Fells seems to have found his calling shepherding the organization to help more and more people of color, but he continues to work through his angst and find meaning in his own life. Now with a baby on the way, he has a new motivation to create a future his child can thrive and feel safe in. “That is my ultimate goal,” he says, “to make sure this world, or at least this place, is better off than I left it when I was a young kid.”
Learn more about Black Space at blackspacehq.com.
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https://shepherdexpress.com/podcasts/laughing-liberally/laughing-liberally-milwaukee-episode-44-greg-bach/
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Laughing Liberally Milwaukee Episode 44: Greg Bach
Laughing Liberally Milwaukee is back, and host Matthew Filipowicz is joined by comedian Greg Bach. The two break down the controversy at Disney over a same-sex kiss in the upcoming animated film 'Lightyear.' That led to Ben Shapiro's Daily Wire launching DW Kids, and the two comedians discuss the possibilities of right-wing kids programming. We also get an update on what Bach has been up to in terms of his comedy and what's around the bend. Check it out!
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https://shepherdexpress.com/culture/classical-music/an-impressive-sibelius-at-the-mso/
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Photo by Martin Cherry
Tracy Silverman violinist
Tracy Silverman
As resident conductor at Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Yaniv Dinur spends more time on the podium with the players than any other leader, including pops concerts, school concerts, and sometimes, classical subscription concerts. He has grown enormously as a conductor over his several years at MSO, evolving in maturity and musical authority and fluency.
Dinur led an impressive account of Jean Sibelius’s Symphony No. 1 in E minor last weekend. Conducting without score, he seemingly easily communicated his intentions to the musicians, creating more of a collaboration than imposing a willful, inflexible interpretation. This music has been compared to Tchaikovsky in some ways, particularly in the sections where the violins and cellos are playing the same melodies in octaves. Todd Levy kicked things off in a lengthy, expressive clarinet solo, with sound emerging from nowhere and gracefully tapering away to nothingness at the end of the phrase.
Don’t tell the ushers, but after intermission I moved from my seat in row N on the main floor to one high in the balcony. I recommend sitting upstairs. The blend and mix of the sound is better in Allen-Bradley Hall from there. On the main floor the balance between brass and strings―a tricky topic in this new hall―is rather dicey. The strings come through with more presence when listening from the balcony.
I’ve only recently become acquainted with African American composer Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson (1932-2004), who was named in honor of the Afro-British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (who himself was named after British poet Samuel Coleridge Taylor, no hyphen this time). None of these men were related except in kinship of the arts. Perkinson was programmed with his Sinfonietta No. 1 for Strings, a handsome three-movement piece from 1954-55.
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The music definitely has a mid-20th century American sound, which made me ponder what exactly that means. There are obvious characteristics of American classical music of the era; George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, and Howard Hanson immediately come to mind. Perkinson’s sound is not as distinctive but plays with counterpoint and imitation in playful and attractive ways, and spins melody with pathos in the second movement.
Dharma (OK, I had to look this up as a refresher) is the “essential quality or character,” according to dictionary.com. John Adams’s The Dharma at Big Sur attempts to capture something, in the composer’s mind, that is quintessentially about the California coast. It was written in 2003 for electric violinist Tracy Silverman, who was soloist with MSO. His electric violin has six strings, rather than the usual four, allowing for an additional low range on the instrument. He plays with a pleasing combination of flair and restraint.
This is atmospheric, almost cinematic music. Beds of undulating sounds, often mutating into various textures, underly a freely rhapsodic violin solo. It’s a slow-moving piece, hypnotic in its spell, culminating in the insistence of a steadily repeated note in various instruments that seems like the never-ending pounding of waves. A moody film by Adam Larsen, showing dancers on the shore in slow movement, was shown as the music was played. I was so fascinated with the ever-changing details of the orchestration that I admit I didn’t always pay attention to the film.
I was pleased and impressed with the warm embrace of this music by the audience. Would that have happened twenty years ago? Some music that once seemed outside-the-box and experimental to a degree has become mainstream. It buoyed my spirits with hope.
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https://shepherdexpress.com/food/eat-drink/james-beard-awards-recognize-milwaukee-chefs-restaurateurs/
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Photo: Bavette La Boucherie - bavettelaboucherie.com
Karen Bell of Bavette La Boucherie
Karen Bell of Bavette La Boucherie
Our fantastic dining scene in Milwaukee continues to be recognized nationally. Three local chefs have advanced to the final round of the esteemed James Beard Awards, in the best chef Midwest category: Karen Bell of Bavette La Boucherie (currently at 330 E. Menomonee St. and moving to 217 N. Broadway in April), Dane Baldwin of the Diplomat (815 E. Brady St.) and Gregory León of Amilinda (315 E. Wisconsin Ave.).
The annual awards are presented by the James Beard Foundation to recognize culinary professionals in the United States. Bell is a previous Beard Awards finalist. Baldwin has previously been a semifinalist. León is a first-time nominee.
Bell opened Bavette La Boucherie restaurant and butcher shop in 2013. The restaurant serves a daily changing menu of sandwiches, cheese and charcuterie and small plates.
Baldwin started his culinary career at Gil’s Cafe as a prep cook. He later worked at Bacchus, Harbor House and Mr. B’s, all owned by The Bartolotta Restaurants, and at Carnevor. He opened The Diplomat, which serves approachable American fare in a sharable plate format, in 2017.
León’s travels provided inspiration for Amilinda’s Spanish-Portuguese menu. Amilinda began in 2013 with a pop-up dinner format. He opened the brick-and-mortar location on Wisconsin Avenue in 2015.
More Favorable Nods
Several Milwaukee-area chefs and restaurants got nods in the semifinalists round in February, including Kyle Knall of Birch (Outstanding Chef), and Dan Jacobs and Dan Van Rite of EsterEv, the tasting menu restaurant inside DanDan, their Chinese American restaurant (Best Chef: Midwest).
Milwaukee’s Odd Duck (Outstanding Restaurant), Sanford (Outstanding Hospitality), Goodkind (Outstanding Bar Program) and the Black Shoe Hospitality (Outstanding Restauranteur) were also semifinalists.
Earlier this year, Solly’s Grille in Milwaukee was named one of six recipients to receive the James Beard Foundation's America's Classics Award for their butter burger.
Elsewhere is Wisconsin, Nicolas Blouin, executive pastry chef at Destination Kohler, in Kohler, Wis.; Daniel Bonanno of Pig in a Fur Coat, in Madison, Wis.; and Mary Kastman of Driftless Café, the Viroqua, Wis. restaurant owned by Wisconsin Foodie host Luke Zahm, were semifinalists. (Zahm was a James Beard semifinalist in 2017.) L’Etoile, in Madison, was a semifinalist for outstanding wine program.
Photo: driftlesscafe.com
Driftless Café - Viroqua, Wisconsin
Driftless Café - Viroqua
Minneapolis restaurateurs with Wisconsin roots are also representing the Midwest in the final rounds. Yia Vang, from Port Edwards, Wisconsin, now owns Union Kitchen in Minneapolis. Vang has held pop-ups in Milwaukee. Jorge Guzmán, chef-owner of Petite Leon, in Minneapolis, worked in La Crosse and has cooked at collaborative dinners in Milwaukee. Sean Sherman, co-owner of Owamni, an indigenous restaurant in Minneapolis, also made the finals. Sherman was born in Pine Ridge, S.D., and focuses on the revitalization and awareness of indigenous foods systems in a modern culinary context.
Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony—which was on hiatus for two years during the pandemic—June 13 in Chicago.
For more information, visit jamesbeard.org/blog/the-2022-james-beard-awards-nominees.
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Illustration by Michael Burmesch
Forgiveness heart
Forgiveness. For many of us, that proves a tough nut to crack. Often, when we harbor chronic resentment toward someone we feel has done us wrong, the emotional toxicity gradually intensifies. This mental toxin feeds on its host, not its target, which is why proponents of positive psychology encourage us to forgive ... or suffer the emotional, physical and spiritual consequences.
How do we know whether we are suffering the ill effects of being unforgiving? Along with the usual suspects—anxiety, depression and agitation—a key symptom is obsessive ruminating over the offending party and their hurtful actions. It feels like one is haunted by the painful memories. Liz was one such soul.
“I just feel sour inside, like being emotionally sick to my stomach,” she struggled to explain.
Letting Go
She felt incapable of letting go of resentment toward those who wronged her, which included some family and co-workers. Her reflexive approach was to write these persons off, or, if impossible, to minimize her interactions with them and, when those occurred, exhibit a cold-as-ice demeanor.
“I often ruminate about what these people said or did to me that was unfair or unkind,” she confessed.
Most of us have at least one person we can’t seem to forgive, which is understandable. There are offenses, particularly those driven by intentional malice, that don’t seem to deserve absolution, at least in the absence of a sincere apology from the perpetrator. Research suggests the most difficult offenses to forgive involve breaches of trust, such as embezzlement or infidelity, as well as being victimized, socially ostracized or harshly bullied. So, while Liz finally recognized her bitterness was corrosive to her well-being, she felt incapable of granting pardons to all. She embraced the common belief that we possess only two choices in such matters—forgive the person and make peace or remain bitter. Not so.
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Bury the Hatchet
The most clear-cut form of forgiveness is when we bury the hatchet with the other party, a reconciliation made far easier when that person apologizes for their misdeed. However, even when the offender is contrite, it can be challenging. It’s one thing to let go of rancor toward someone, but another altogether to interact with the offending person in a positive manner going forward. What’s more, when that individual remains unapologetic, the challenge is more about coming to terms with one’s self than them.
“When we can’t bring ourselves to forgive someone, and the bitterness is taking a toll on us, there is another way through,” I suggested to Liz.
If the offending party has no remorse, fails to apologize or is inaccessible (won’t respond, incapacitated, deceased, etc.), that doesn’t prevent us from letting go of our resentment. How? Acceptance. This does not require forgiving the other person. What it does require is letting go of the desire for fairness, a just outcome or a self-affirming resolution. It involves adopting the attitude of “It is what it is ... and will remain so.” Realizing there won’t be a satisfactory resolution and accepting that as an unchangeable reality helps the mind and heart let it go.
Releasing Ritual
If we struggle to embrace acceptance, as many do, it sometimes helps to employ a “releasing ritual” that engages the feeling brain not just the thinking one. Liz’s approach focused on an estranged relative who sent her scathing letters crammed with self-righteous criticism. They hadn’t spoken in years. In a ritual fashion, she burned the letters, collected the ashes and scattered them in a river at sunset. The outcome?
“I don’t think about it much anymore,” she reported. “And when I do, it feels more like disappointment than anger. I’m not churning inside.”
This kind of acceptance, as opposed to outright forgiveness, involves lightening up, unburdening oneself both emotionally and spiritually. Some years back, I was trudging through the Milwaukee airport in route to a wilderness trek, loaded down with baggage and gear, straining under the load. An elderly gentleman striding by, nothing in hand, stopped me in mid-stride.
“Do you know the Roman word for baggage?” he asked me, but despite my years of Latin, I had to admit I didn’t.
“Impedimenta,” he proclaimed before walking away.
Without acceptance, the emotional baggage of resentment weighs us down emotionally and spiritually, impeding our capacity to live our best life.
For more, visit philipchard.com.
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