Category Archives: Life

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 Afrikaans, conflict resolution, History Channel, learning a language, lifelong learning, Nelson Mandela, peace, self-taught | 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 archeology, climate change, glaciers, global warming, human artifacts, ice, ice age, ice patches, nature, Science | 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 "Downton Abbey", Carnarvon, entertainment, Highclere Castle, King Tut's tomb, Lord Carnarvon, Robert Crawley, Robert Crawley's dog | 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 Christmas, Christmas Tree, City of Milwaukee, Downtown Milwaukee, longstanding tradition, Milwaukee, Milwaukee City Christmas Tree, Milwaukee City Hall, Milwaukee School of Engineering, pine tree, Red Arrow Park, Slice of Ice skating rink | 3 Comments

TBDBITL

Posted on November 2, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

Great article in today’s Wall Street Journal titled “The Real Million-Dollar Band” that I just have to share. Its title, FYI, is a reference to (and repudiation of 🙂 ) the official name for the University of Alabama’s marching band, … Continue reading →

Posted in Life | Tagged entertainment, gloved-one, marching band, Michael Jackson, Ohio State, ohio state football, ohio state marching band, script ohio, tbdbitl | 1 Comment

Crab-apple season (photos)

Posted on October 12, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

I have mixed feelings about our crab apple. On the one hand, it’s a beautiful tree, especially covered with soft pink flowers in spring. But it also dumps piles of fruit on the ground every autumn. Which the chipmunks love, as you … Continue reading →

Posted in Life | Tagged "il faut souffrir", "one must suffer to be beautiful", autumn, beautiful tree, chipmunks, crab apple, crab apples, dogs, nature | 4 Comments

Keeping up with Tess Gerritsen’s “Great Indiana Public Libraries Tour”

Posted on October 4, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

One of my favorite authors is medical-thriller novelist Tess Gerritsen, whose continuing series’ characters Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles have inspired the hit TNT network television show “Rizzoli & Isles.” Since 2005 Gerritsen has also written a blog that focuses … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and reading, Life, Writing, blogging | Tagged "The Great Indiana Public Libraries Tour", author, book tour, books, Garry Knight, Gerritsen, Indiana, Jane Rizzoli, libraries, Maura Isles, novelist, novels, public libraries, Tess Gerritsen | Leave a comment

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright

Posted on September 18, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

It all depends on your perspective . . . Yesterday I happened to look up through the branches of our crab apple and silver maple trees and saw that the leaves way, way up there were suffused with late-afternoon sunlight. … Continue reading →

Posted in Life | Tagged "Casey at the Bat", joy in mudville, mighty casey, mood, nature, perspective, silver maple trees, sunshine, there is no joy in mudville | 2 Comments

September Mint (and other photos of summer’s end)

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

September is here, and Mother Nature is wrapping up summer here in Milwaukee. After a busy August, I now am back in school (I teach at Milwaukee School of Engineering) and catching up on chores around the house whenever I … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Milwaukee | Tagged autumn, autumn leaves, baby birds, cardinals, leaving the nest, mint, mint plants, nature, outdoors, plants, seasons, September, silver maple tree | 8 Comments

Watching the “Up” Documentary Series (Film #5, 35 Up)

Posted on August 12, 2013 by Katherine Wikoff

This past weekend I watched 35 Up. As I said in my last post, I’m going to try a different approach in structuring my thoughts on the film this time around by first providing a brief update on each of … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Movies and film, WPLongform (posts of 1000 words or longer) | Tagged "35 Up", coming of age, documentary film, films, longitudinal study, Michael Apted, movies, psychology, The "Up" series, WPLongform | 4 Comments