Both Sides of the Fence
A Tosa resident since 1991, Christine walks the dog, cooks but avoids housework, writes and reads, and enjoys the company of friends and strangers. Her job takes her around the state, learning about people's health. A Quaker (no, they don't wear blue hats or sell oatmeal or motor oil), she has been known to stand on both sides of the political and philosophic fence at the same time, which is very uncomfortable when you think about it. She writes about pretty much whatever stops in to visit her busy mind at the moment. One reader described her as "incredibly opinionated but not judgmental." That sounds like a good thing to strive for!
Memo to my future employer
Re: Hiring
I thought of doing this as a personals ad but decided against it. Why trivialize something important: finding the right partners in work.
Art snark: moms and the Milwaukee Art Museum
I don't remember which birthday it was, but I'll never forget a handful of skinny, longhaired little girls running down the long white marble hall at the Calatrava in delight and awe. "This is where I want my wedding," crowed one girl. My daughter declared "This is what I want my house to be like!"
Let them eat credit default swaps
The New York Times continues to point out that people -- and by people, they seem to mean all people, not just effete liberal New York Times readers or their opposite rough-edged numbers in Dittohead radioland, but the whole lot of us – really are feeling very cranky about the AIG bailout.
Branding places: the state of Wisconsin
I'm not the biggest fan of brands, whether they have to do with parks or people. Whenever the branding language gets trotted out, a little voice inside whispers "Emperor. . . clothing." That's especially the case when the brand seems, well, generic: anyone could apply it to their "uniqueness." But I must be wrong, because everyone's doing it.
Sunshine principle, not just for some but for everyone
On the federal level, lawyers and legislators are arguing for keeping secret the names of the AIG bonus-eaters. They give a lofty-sounding argument underpinned by extreme example: the crazies are making vivid and sickening death threats to AIG members and their families.
Insert bowling shoe in mouth
I was not one of the people who voted for George Bush because it seemed like he was a regular guy. Someone you could drink a beer with over a side of barbecued beef and small talk. (Okay: I wasn't one of the people who voted for George Bush for any reason.) And I certainly didn't want to hear his jokes. Personally, I think the POTUS (President of the United States) should opt for a little dignified distance.
Butterflies and jet fuel on the County Grounds
The Milwaukee County Board Committee on Economic and Community Development will hold a public meeting at the Zoofari Center Wednesday March 25, from 6 - 8 pm. The purpose is to "gather comments" on the proposed sale of up to 89 acres of land to UWM Innovation Park LLC for development of an engineering campus and more. I'm a little nervous about the "and more" part.
Earth Mamas vs. the Patriarchs
The love of people for the land isn't just an economic proposition. It goes much deeper. Maybe you believe that God shaped a little figurine from clay and blew the breath of life into him. Or that our fishy ancestors crawled from the sea to find home on the muddy shore. In either case, our connection with the dirt on which we live is the stuff of mythology.
The worlds we live in
Snow at the start of spring is pretty normal in Wisconsin. More than once we've been turned back by bad conditions on Hwy. 41 heading north to Oshkosh for my nephew's April Fools Day birthday. Whether we want to or not, sometimes larger forces make us step back when we think we should be moving forward.
New school-based technology prevents obesity
A study in the journal Pediatrics has found a new way to prevent obesity in school-age children:
