Author Archives: Katherine Wikoff

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About Katherine Wikoff

I am a college professor (PhD in English, concentration rhetoric) at Milwaukee School of Engineering, where I teach film and media studies, political science, digital society, digital storytelling, writing for digital media, and communication. While fragments of my teaching and scholarship interests may quite naturally meander over to my blog, this space is intended to function as a creative outlet, not as part of my professional practice. Opinions are my own, etc.

20 gallons’ worth of network security?

Saw this truck parked outside an office building in downtown Milwaukee last Friday morning. I don’t know what business these hats’ owner works in, but given the “white hats,” I figured network security was as good a guess as any … Continue reading

Posted in Milwaukee, Photography, Technology | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Highwaymen: “Highwayman”

I heard this song on the radio while driving home the other night. Here’s the Wikipedia article on The Highwaymen supergroup. Like some other songs I really like—for example, “Wichita Lineman,” “Galveston,” “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” and … Continue reading

Posted in Music, Popular culture | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Sunset in grays and pastels, downtown Milwaukee

Evening arrives this past Tuesday as I’m getting ready to leave work for the day. Taken from the staircase landing between the second and third floors of the Grohmann Museum looking west toward the Marcus Center (colored lights) and the … Continue reading

Posted in Milwaukee, Photography | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

All the colors of the rainbow

The Reuss Federal Plaza (that horizontal sliver of cobalt blue at the center) kind of throws it in that direction anyway. Taken Thursday morning on my Starbucks run 🙂 Oh, gee, I was just checking to make sure I spelled … Continue reading

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Warped Time

It’s fascinating to notice those weird moments when historical eras overlap. My husband, who is 10+ years older than I am, can remember seeing milk being delivered to homes in his neighborhood via horse-drawn wagons in the 1950s. Here is … Continue reading

Posted in History, Life, Movies and film, Music, Popular culture, Television | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

War of the Worlds – Fake News! About Fake News!

So 80 years ago at Halloween time, Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre of the Air broadcast the historic War of the Worlds radio drama that set off a nationwide panic at the (fake!) news of Martians landing in New Jersey and … Continue reading

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Buses, Buses Everywhere

A kid-friendly production must be happening at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts right now. On my Starbucks run this morning I saw at least 13-15 school buses total parked along Kilbourn, State, and both sides of Water. You … Continue reading

Posted in Life, Milwaukee | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Changes at MSOE – A snapshot of the old and the (very) new

Walking back to my office from the scholarship luncheon today (a really nice event where MSOE scholarship sponsors and recipients get to meet over a meal), I noticed the old Blatz Brewing Company logo atop MSOE’s Alumni Partnership Center. The … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, Food, Higher education, History, Milwaukee, Photography | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

The impact of “small” differences

I happened to look up as I was walking into the Red Arrow Starbucks this morning, and I saw a photo. I took a couple pictures but can’t decide which of these I like best. They’re practically the same, just … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Creativity, Photography | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Gaining clarity from a second look around

So about three weeks ago I posted this photo: One of the things I liked about it was the crisscrossed bands of shadows across the lawn. I assumed it came from the sun shining through the mall of trees on … Continue reading

Posted in Learning, Life, Milwaukee, Photography | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments