Category Archives: History

Countdown to Downton Abbey (13 days to go) — The Dowager Countess’s “Mom” Jeans

Posted on December 23, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

Or at least the equivalent thereof. Have you noticed that as other women’s hemlines rise and hairstyles modernize, Violet Crawley (played by Maggie Smith) remains somewhat stuck in a pre-WWI Edwardian time warp?  Her hats are a bit smaller and slightly … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Life, Movies and film, Popular culture, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

He couldn’t keep a jailer: Why Nelson Mandela was a great leader

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

Much has been said about Nelson Mandela over the past day.  But one thing I haven’t heard anyone speak of on the news channels—because, really, it’s pretty small potatoes when compared with this man’s towering greatness in so many areas—is … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Life, News | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Is climate change cyclical?

Posted on December 5, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

Although most media reports on climate change focus on looming disaster, I’ve read some interesting articles recently that look backward and provide some long-term perspective. Melting glaciers are revealing ancient human artifacts as they recede.  Beneath ice thousands of years … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Life, Nature, News, Popular culture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Countdown to Downton Abbey (36 days to go) – Pharaoh and Isis

Posted on November 30, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

The title of today’s post refers to the countdown clock on the Masterpiece “Downton Abbey” page on the PBS website.  For those of us anxiously awaiting Season 4 (or “Series 4,” as they say in England, where this season’s episodes have … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Life, Movies and film, Popular culture, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Milwaukee Christmas Tree arrives at Red Arrow

Posted on November 9, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

Yesterday marked the 100th year that the City of Milwaukee has placed a pine tree downtown during the holiday season.  Our longstanding tradition is supposedly second to New York City, but the first tree was not erected at Rockefeller Center … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Life, Milwaukee, News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Watching the “Up” Documentary Series (Film #3, 21 Up)

Posted on July 24, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

Over the weekend I watched the third film in the “Up” series.  All the original seven-year-olds are back and are now age 21. I started writing this post on Saturday; today is Wednesday.  In a couple of days I’ll be … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Life, Movies and film, WPLongform (posts of 1000 words or longer) | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Great Books: The Devil in the White City

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

Last night was my Great Books Dinner and Discussion event at Milwaukee School of Engineering.  I usually facilitate a book discussion every June, and lately I’ve added the November discussion to my rotation, as well.  This month’s selection was The Devil … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and reading, History, WPLongform (posts of 1000 words or longer) | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

The banality of evil (Boston Marathon bombing)

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

A death in Milwaukee last week got me thinking about the nature of evil. Patrick Kennedy (NOT evil), the Milwaukee police detective to whom serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer (evil) confessed his heinous crimes, died last Thursday of an apparent heart attack.  … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Life, Milwaukee | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The MOOCS that laid the Golden Egg

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

True fact: America once had thousands of auto manufacturers. When the horseless carriage craze swept the nation, carriage makers in cities across the country shifted gears, as it were, to become automobile makers instead.  An ad for “The American Carriage … Continue reading →

Posted in Higher education, History, Teaching, Technology, WPLongform (posts of 1000 words or longer) | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Hawks Do Not Share”: Re-reconsidering Zelda Fitzgerald

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

I’m not sure why, but a slew of books is being published right now about Zelda Fitzgerald, wife of F. Scott.  Here is an article/ book review from the March 22, 2013, Wall Street Journal that discusses several of the new (fictional) … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and reading, History, Movies and film, Writing, blogging | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments