Category Archives: News

Al Jarreau as “The Jazz Singer” (SCTV)

Among my favorite moments from Al Jarreau (who was born in Milwaukee and passed away yesterday) is this parody of Neil Diamond’s 1980 remake of The Jazz Singer. You know it’s going to be great the moment you see Sid Dithers … Continue reading

Posted in Life, Milwaukee, Movies and film, News, Popular culture, Television | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Remembering CCCP 1

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

Three Views of the Val. Blatz Brewing Bottle House (MSOE Campus Center)

Light changes the appearance of things, as shown in these photos I took yesterday. What initially caught my eye was the gleam that obliterated detail as sunlight hit the stone tiles above the windows. (Update: I noticed a few days later, … Continue reading

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

Dontre Hamilton: “Rest in Power”

In making the wide circuit back to my office after running an errand on the other side of campus, I decided to swing through Red Arrow Park to pick up a sandwich for lunch at Starbucks. And this is what … Continue reading

Posted in History, Life, Milwaukee, News | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Another post on America’s role in the Middle East (or lack thereof)

I just picked up this morning’s Wall Street Journal and was surprised to see an article on the front page of the “Review” section that echoed my own thoughts about what’s happening in the Middle East right now. (It made me … Continue reading

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Russia, Syria, Ukraine, and Turkey: And so it begins

I hardly know where to start with this post; so many bits of knowledge are swimming around in my head. First, I think something really significant is happening in the Middle East right now. Lots of pieces that have been … Continue reading

Posted in News, WPLongform (posts of 1000 words or longer) | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

He came to the fork in the road . . . and took it. RIP, Yogi Berra.

America’s greatest living philosopher is no more. He died yesterday at the age of 90. The New York Times ran a beautiful obit, which you can read here. Yogi Berra the baseball player was phenomenal, one of the very best catchers … Continue reading

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

Buddha mummy proves truth about statues

Last April I wrote a short post titled “The Truth About Statues” about my childhood belief that statues were made by pouring concrete over dead people—or maybe not dead until AFTER the concrete casing went on! Possibly you’ve seen this photograph and story today? … Continue reading

Posted in Art, History, Life, News, Science | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Brian Williams, Jonah Lehrer, and kleptomania

By now, who hasn’t heard the news about NBC anchor Brian Williams? That he lied multiple times, over a period of many years, about his helicopter being hit by ground fire in Iraq. That he apparently lied about many other … Continue reading

Posted in Books and reading, Life, News, Popular culture, Television, Writing, blogging | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments