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.

Nearly Sunset

Posted on February 8, 2017 by Katherine Wikoff

Which is coming later and later every evening, thank goodness. Last week I noticed that for the first time this winter it wasn’t dark as I was leaving work. I took this picture on my way out the door this … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Milwaukee, Photography | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Is Hollywood Over?

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Katherine Wikoff

Really interesting article in Vanity Fair Magazine this month, “Why Hollywood as We Know It Is Already Over.” Basically it says that Hollywood is too bloated and calcified, producing unoriginal action movies that it hopes will hit big in foreign … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, Movies and film, Popular culture, Television, Writing, blogging | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Lines and Rings

Posted on January 25, 2017 by Katherine Wikoff

A gloomy, rainy day in Milwaukee. But I’ll take it—way better than 10 inches of snow or below zero temperatures! Snapped this picture on my way from the CC to the Grohmann this morning (on MSOE’s campus downtown). Rain was … Continue reading →

Posted in Milwaukee, Photography | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Farewell, Iconic Dinosaur

Posted on January 23, 2017 by Katherine Wikoff

I wrote a post back in 2012 about this relic from a long-closed amusement park on Milwaukee’s northwest side. The dinosaur has been a familiar fixture on North 76th Street in Milwaukee for at least 40 years, and for the past five … Continue reading →

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

Meal Inspiration

Posted on January 22, 2017 by Katherine Wikoff

Originally posted on What's for Dinner Moms?:
Someone asked where I get meal ideas. They come from many different places. Cookbooks, Pinterest, and menus are some of my favorite places to find inspiration. I have been known to snap…

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Remembering CCCP 1

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Katherine Wikoff

Last week’s 10-minute interruption by a state-run Russian television network of the CSPAN 1 television feed of Rep. Maxine Waters speaking from the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives reminded me of SCTV’s prescient programming back in 1981. First, … Continue reading →

Posted in News, Political Analysis, Popular culture, Television | Tagged , , , , , , | 15 Comments

What’s in a Tagline? (Or: My Blog’s Identity Crisis)

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Katherine Wikoff

I’ve had this sinking feeling for a while that the actual content I’ve posted on my blog for the past almost-five years had almost nothing to do with the blog’s original tagline: Ideas on creativity, innovation, lifelong learning, and other random stuff … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing, blogging | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

A Downton Abbey Anachronism?

Posted on January 2, 2017 by Katherine Wikoff

(Note: See comments for an updated answer to the question asked in this post’s title.) My daughter and I both had projects to work on last night and, wanting some familiar, companionable television in the background, decided to put on … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Life, Popular culture, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

When you forecast the weather in Wisconsin

Posted on December 16, 2016 by Katherine Wikoff

Milwaukee’s Fox 6 meteorologist Rob Haswell walks the talk😄  

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Drinking the Kool Aid

Posted on November 18, 2016 by Katherine Wikoff

It still kind of shocks me to read or hear people using that phrase to describe positive buy-in to a new idea. As in, “We’re extremely excited about our company’s new product. Everyone has been drinking the Kool Aid, and … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Milwaukee, Movies and film, Popular culture | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments