Realizing I have nothing to lose now by being overtly political, I'd like to announce that I'm off to vote for Jim Sullivan for Milwaukee County Executive in the primary. While I had high hopes for Chris Abele to bring fresh blood and ideas to the office, Sullivan seems to be the only one who grasps the dire straits of parks and transit. If Abele makes it to the general, I can only hope he will educate himself on these issues and come up with more original solutions that the retread "cuts, cuts, cuts."
Also, would one of these candidates get on a bus one day themselves. Milwaukee, please realize that transit is an economic development tool, not a social service. Keep that in mind when you vote today.
Showing posts with label milwaukee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label milwaukee. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
My 500th Post: 30 Great Things About 30
It's fairly appropriate that this is my 500th post here at ye olde blog. It's also fairly appropriate that the title of my favorite album of Year 30 was "This Is Happening." Because 30 for me, was the year I, for the most part, finally learned to go with the flow and stop freaking out about what others would think, preferring just to remove myself from the drama.
After most of my crazy exploits, bizarre injuries, missed trains to Freiburg...I pretty much just shrugged and thought "well, that happened."
On a more somber note, perhaps it was easier to remove myself from drama in a year that was bookended by massive tragedies (Haitian Earthquake - 1/12/10 & Tuscon Terrorism - 1/8/11). Perhaps my contempt at Wisconsin's beyond broken political environment replaced any energy I'd have previously focused on petty personal issues. Or maybe I really am getting older and wiser.
At any rate, looking back, 30 was surely my most memorable year since 23, and that's saying a lot.
Although many of these are coded (my mother reads this blog), here are 30 things that I don't want to forget about Year 30 (in no particular order):
1. Running my first 5k and first half marathon within 10 months, thanks to the encouragement of awesome running buddies like Becky, Tony and Jason and of course the Daily Mile crew. Special thanks to my "top three motivators" - Anne, Amy, and Augie. All in all I logged over 1,000 miles of fitness activities - and that counts barely a fraction of my bike commutes!
2. Memorable nights out abroad with random Germans and Brits. Counting up conquering the
Allied and Axis powers.
Allied and Axis powers.
3. Rediscovering my love for film with continued involvement with Milwaukee Film, dipping my toe further into the local film community, and becoming a semi-regular at the UWM Union Theatre.
4. Connecting through both family and social media to wonderful hosts while I traveled solo in Belgium and Germany - thanks Bernie, Kyle, and Bridgit!
5. Witnessing four great couples commit to each other -- congrats Jane & Ralf, Beth & Fred, Jessica & Ben, and Jackie & Mike.
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| I vote to balance out people who dress their children like this. |
6. Exercising my right to vote in each election and making efforts to write or call my representatives on issues that matter to me.
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| Siblings! |
8. Visiting my hometown of Portland twice and really, really liking it. Especially the running, the beer, the transit, the music, the donuts, and the random evenings. Oh and the whole family and lifelong friends thing too.
9. Jason losing a bet. It makes for a good story for those who are privileged to know.
10. Extending my "Cool Auntie" love to Joey D., Joey S., Oliver S., and A.J. Q.
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| Good friends take nerdy pictures with you. |
11. Maintaining my priceless existing friendships, becoming closer with people that once were just acquaintances, and making new wonderful friends.
12. Scaling back my involvement in organizations when my heart wasn't with them and learning to relax a bit more.
13. Breathtaking hikes both at home (Devil's Lake) and abroad (the Calvert in Malmedy, The Black Forest, Philosophersweg in Heidelberg)
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| Wren & I not smelling like ass. |
14. The smoking ban. Rediscovering loveable dive bars.
15. Realizing how much I truly love being #carfree and the different advantages of the bike/walk/bus mix.
16. Raising over $1500 for the performing arts (I still can't thank AJ Bombers enough for letting me fundraise there). Then biking 75 freaking miles (not on this bike, but my photos are limited).
18. Having my music snobbery parlay itself into a blogging opportunity. Feeling proud of Milwaukee's music scene for both national touring acts and #mkemusic and the accessibility of movers and shakers in the local scene via social media.
19. Getting hooked into the #fitmke and #mkefoodies communities via twitter - and making some wonderful IRL friends because of it.
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| I'm in the blue floaty thing |
20. Appearing in public in a swim suit - a two piece for that matter!
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| One of the photos I used for online, unsuccessfully. |
21. Getting asked out by someone I didn't meet at a bar or through a set up or dating service. Giving online dating a legitimate shot and realizing it wasn't for me.
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| Watch out boys, she'll chew you up. |
22. Being secure in my singleness. More than that - ROCKING my singleness.
23. Meeting and exceeding my fitness goals of doing at least one paid community event a month.
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| All hotels should have lovely floral arrangements. |
26. Indulging my fashion fetishes and buying nicer clothes for my new bod.
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| Reentering the Meat Zone. |
28. Watching several of my talented friends reinvent themselves or relaunch themselves career-wise. Special props to the talented Ellen Winters for booking more jazz gigs and hitting the studio, to the gourmet guru and Globaco Queen Jackie Valent Lucca for delighting Milwaukee's tastebuds with her food cart the Fast Foodie, and my dear friend Maribeth for embracing the opportunity to become an incredible teacher in the near future.
29. Having both parents visit me in Milwaukee and spending a whole day in the Seattle-area hanging out with my awesome grandma.
30. Strengthening my relationship with Kathleen, my best friend, to new levels and watching her, in the face of fear, begin to share her unbelievable (but true!) life story with the greater world. I could not be more proud.
***
The night I turned 30, Wren took me to Bryant's and basically played the role of "30 coach" assuring me this would be the most amazing decade. She hasn't been wrong so far. I look forward to what 31 brings on.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Milawesome Volume 4: Santa Cycle Rampage 2010
Well, anyone that reads this blog still or has Googled any iteration of "santa cycle milwaukee" could have predicted the inevitable -- Santa Cycle Rampage 2010 filled me with Christmas Joy just as much as the two other years I've participated.
Yes, the weather this year was atrocious and the free beer didn't flow quite as freely, but you can't ever change the absolute magic of seeing 300 Santas spread joy throughout the town by the simple act of banding together on bicycles.
A little of column A, a little of column B.
My gang started to form at Hollander. Not only did my comrades, Ben and Becky, from last year join up, but Ben brought along his awesome friends Lisa and Scott. There was a bit of confusion regarding the availability of "Santa Specials," so we only managed to get one drink in -- for me it was a Lakefront White. This "pacing" likely paid off later.
Pushing 11, it was time to parade over to Lakefront Brewery. It seemed far more people were out and about on in that North/ Farwell / Brady stretch this year so the cheer began to spread. As I mentioned last year, I just love watching my friends as they experience such an incredible phenomenon for the first time. Laura, Tony, Bart, and I were a pack in this part and the three of them were just so excited about it. This part makes me believe that you could *almost* get rid of the drinking aspect and it'd still be amazing. But then it wouldn't be a Wisconsin event. Nor could you probably convince 300 people to ride around in the cold with costumes on for 6 hours. Scratch that. Alcohol is a critical factor in this joy spreading.
Learning from past year's mistakes, we grabbed an essential slice of pizza at Lakefront immediately upon arrival. I washed it down with an Organic Amber, and later sampled a Rendevous (which Monica accurately described as a "nasal" beer and I commented "just like the French accent!") and a Riverwest Stein, thanks to both the "Santa Sample" and rounds appearing. I was thrilled to have Monica round out our posse at this stop, since she was my partner in crime for Year 1.
Speaking of which, the Santa Cycle alumni community is pretty sweet. It's fantastic to chat with people you see year after year, to learn about bike geekery, to feel PART of something organic and cool. Even though the event continues to grow, the bike geeks are still at the core of it. I mean, look at the bike tree above -- there were probably 10 people surrounding it, staring in awe, and saying "that's my kind of Christmas tree." Especially with the weather being the worst I've encountered, as the day wore on, only the hardcores kept on.
Stop three was Great Lakes Distillery, of which I don't have many photos. Mainly because we were outside the bulk of this time and I didn't quite want to take off my gloves. Luckily Bart had overlayered and I got to hijack his extra warm down vest (I described as being as warm as the pelts of 10,000 bears).
A change up from years past was the routing my band of Santas took to get there. We missed the first wave out of Lakefront, so followed another group down Water St. Instead of turning on Wisconsin Ave., we rode through the Third Ward, bringing joy to the shoppers hitting the boutiques. While I missed the hustle and bustle of the Ave., since the stops didn't change, it was nice to add some variety. We then took this crazy shortcut through an industrial area and rode UNDER the Sixth Street Viaduct. The area was a bit sketch, but man, it's a handy shortcut to know. If I can ever find it again!
At Great Lakes I bought a Santa punch (no samples this year), and then connected with my co-worker and his buddy. Apparently his friend had googled the event and emailed my blog link to my co-worker...ah, small world. For this coincidence, and using my feminine wiles to get the bartender to look our way, I was rewarded with a boozy eggnog made with Roaring Dan's Rum. Actually, I'm not quite sure if there was eggnog in there. Groups left GLD in several waves, and the area down there is fairly tricky, so I got a bit turned around and almost followed some rogue Santas into Conejito's. Keeping my eyes on the prize of the impending shotski, I swung around the block and found Monica & Bart in a convoy heading up Bruce Street. I'm not 100% sure the route we took to Kochanski's Concertina Beer Hall, mainly as the pomp and circumstance of a ride down the main thoroughfares was pushed to the side for the purpose of getting there quickly as the icy rain was starting to set in.
Fairly chilled after our trek, the warmth of Kochanski's both in atmosphere and crowdedness was very welcome. The ever-present polka band provides that extra layer of awesomeness, and after filling up on some chili and tamales (yay for my decision to eat meat this year!), and being traumatized by a "peek-a-boo" incident with a Santa in hotpants, we set our eyes on the prize -- THE SHOTSKI.
Imagine my disappointment then when we were told that it was "too busy" to bring down that ski. I feel like if I ever write a Christmas episode of my life, this will be a major plot point. But in the end, after some persistence (I may have thrown some blog weight around -- I am a nerd and I'd had a few High Lifes), the bartender's heart grew three sizes that day and we were allowed our Rumpleminze off a ski.
Anyway, Shotski #1 was where the trouble started. As I was closing out the tab for it, I ended up chatting with a really cute Santa at the bar. He told me he and his friend had done the shotski with Polish Blackberry Brandy, but it'd been on his list because of a blog he'd read about last year's event. They were actually Madison residents, heard about the event, Googled it, and then read a recap presenting how super fun it is. So, right, guess who's blog that turned out to be?
Well we had to do ANOTHER shotski to toast to that coincidence. And then somehow there were more. I kinda lost count. This is probably a good thing, as the ride to Cafe Centraal was really cold and wet.
The extra layers of liquid warmth were welcome. As it was last year, Centraal is a blur. It's sort of funny because the group encounters families at the start of the day, but then also after a day of drinking. I'm sure the kids who see us at 10 a.m. dream of sugar plums, whereas the kids who see us at 5 p.m. probably have the same dreams as one would if their unsuspecting parents accidentally rented them Bad Santa.
Despite walking out into the worst biking weather ever, I successfully guided wayward Santas back downtown, peddling faster than a road race to try to get out of the rain and into any sort of warm situation.
My post-ride Santa nap was well-earned.
And no, I did not make my friend's party AGAIN this year. It was too cold and I was way too cozy.
Another memorable year of Santa Cycle, and another way Wisconsin swoops in and re-steals my heart...I simply can't imagine missing this event.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
world AIDS day: keep your mocha local
Red ribbons are donned, celebrities are hopping off Twitter, and Starbucks is donating a whopping 5 cents to the global fight against AIDS. Yes, I may have a sardonic tone, but I do recognize the importance of these activities to raise awareness and funds to fight a horrible and preventable disease.
However, I have a something I'd to point out.
While it's undeniable that in developing nations, especially in Africa, AIDS is a terrifying issue, I guess I always have on my live local, think global hat and fear that people forget about those in their own community who are suffering from HIV/AIDS.
Maybe it's the impact of seeing pieces of the AIDS Quilt at the Milwaukee Art Museum last summer or having participated in AIDS Walk Wisconsin in the past, but I think its critical for folks to be aware that AIDS isn't a foreign disease, nor a gay disease, but something that can happen to anyone, in their own communities.
That's why today I kept my "mocha" money local and decided to donate $5 to a local organization contributing to the fight against AIDS. While I gave to AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin, here is a list of a few Milwaukee-based organizations doing work with HIV/AIDS, considering donating what you would've spent on coffee today to them...instead of just 5 cents, your whole $5 will make an impact.
Know of others? Please leave them in the comments section. Will you keep your mocha local today?
Friday, November 26, 2010
Milawesome Volume 3: Shop Local All Weekend
This post obviously isn't going to hit the freakshows who were at Kohl's or Wal-Mart at 3 a.m. (Oh, and I realized Kohl's is technically shopping local here in Milwaukee, but stop trying to justify.) Instead, if you think "gee, maybe I have to run over to Target or Best Buy later today, or I may brave the mall..." don't do it, here are 10 alternatives for you:
10. The Our Milwaukee Local Business Alliance. They'll give you a great listing of places to hit up. After all, for every $100 you spend with local business, $68 is kept locally (versus $43 with a national chain)
9. Unleash your inner creativity! Bucketworks hosts a Holiday Make-A-Thon from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. TODAY.
8. While re-gifting for the holidays is a little tacky, giving recycled gifts is awesome! Buy a t-shirt from Teecycle.org for all the quirky loved ones in your life. Plus, $1 of every sale goes to the Milwaukee-based River Revitalization Foundation.
7. Explore Milwaukee! Start with the shops of Brady Street...continue on to the Historic Third Ward...
end down in Bay View's eclectic shopping district.
6. Need to stay suburban? I adore the cute little main streets in Tosa Village, Shorewood, and Whitefish Bay. And if you can make the trek, Cedarburg is always quaint.
5. Being a Material Girl is so 1985. Give the gift of helping the community and donate to local non-profits this year.
4. If pure donations are hard to grasp, consider a membership with some of the fantastic organizations providing outreach, education, and just generally cool stuff in Milwaukee -- like The Urban Ecology Center, The Milwaukee Art Museum, Discovery World, The Park People, and so many more.
3. Give the gift of the arts! Sometimes I think the United Performing Arts Fund needs a "randomize" button on their website so you can try tickets to all the new troupes that emerge. Prefer your performances on celluloid? Then throw a membership to Milwaukee Film in someone's stocking!
2. Patience is a virtue. Wait for upcoming events like the Easttown Holiday Market (December 3), HoverCraft (December 5), and/or the Give Local, Buy Local Fair (December 5).
1. The mother of all local bazaars - Art V. Craft - takes place tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Humphrey Masonic Center. Right across from my apartment, I'll definitely be there!
What are you doing to keep money in the local economy this holiday season?
10. The Our Milwaukee Local Business Alliance. They'll give you a great listing of places to hit up. After all, for every $100 you spend with local business, $68 is kept locally (versus $43 with a national chain)
9. Unleash your inner creativity! Bucketworks hosts a Holiday Make-A-Thon from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. TODAY.
8. While re-gifting for the holidays is a little tacky, giving recycled gifts is awesome! Buy a t-shirt from Teecycle.org for all the quirky loved ones in your life. Plus, $1 of every sale goes to the Milwaukee-based River Revitalization Foundation.
7. Explore Milwaukee! Start with the shops of Brady Street...continue on to the Historic Third Ward...
end down in Bay View's eclectic shopping district.
6. Need to stay suburban? I adore the cute little main streets in Tosa Village, Shorewood, and Whitefish Bay. And if you can make the trek, Cedarburg is always quaint.
5. Being a Material Girl is so 1985. Give the gift of helping the community and donate to local non-profits this year.
4. If pure donations are hard to grasp, consider a membership with some of the fantastic organizations providing outreach, education, and just generally cool stuff in Milwaukee -- like The Urban Ecology Center, The Milwaukee Art Museum, Discovery World, The Park People, and so many more.
3. Give the gift of the arts! Sometimes I think the United Performing Arts Fund needs a "randomize" button on their website so you can try tickets to all the new troupes that emerge. Prefer your performances on celluloid? Then throw a membership to Milwaukee Film in someone's stocking!
2. Patience is a virtue. Wait for upcoming events like the Easttown Holiday Market (December 3), HoverCraft (December 5), and/or the Give Local, Buy Local Fair (December 5).
1. The mother of all local bazaars - Art V. Craft - takes place tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Humphrey Masonic Center. Right across from my apartment, I'll definitely be there!
What are you doing to keep money in the local economy this holiday season?
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Milawesome Volume 2: Stuff the Bus
Even though it means getting up at the literal crack of dawn, I'm very fortunate each year to be able to participate in the annual Stuff the Bus event for Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin.
If you've never stopped down to the Pick 'N Save on 111th & Greenfield in 'Stallis on the day before Thanksgiving, I highly recommend it. Even though, I was formerly against Christmas music before Thanksgiving, I make the exception as the holiday cheer that 99.1 The Mix pumps into the parking lot all day is contagious. Said cheer is of course helped by the generosity of the community. People drive from homes and office parks from all over the metro region to donate. My workplace did a food drive this year and I have to say after collecting it today for tomorrow's delivery, I'm so proud of the selflessness of my co-workers!
Bus stuffers get an extra bonus treat tomorrow, as the Milwaukee County Transit System unveils its new community-created bus design at 7 a.m.
If you can't physically make it to the event you can donate online to help make a difference for area families this Thanksgiving.
If you want to pretend that you're there all day like me, you can follow these participants on Twitter:
I'll be there from 6 a.m. to about 3 p.m., stuffing away!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
girl on film: #mff2 thursday-monday
One of the simultaneously challenging and exhilarating things about a film festival is that you have to have your flexibility hat ready to whip out at all times. Especially if you're volunteering to earn your keep (seriously, the most fun volunteer gig ever). Especially if your long-distance parent rolls through town the second night of the fest, other groups you have an affinity for schedule events during screenings, and if you're trying to keep some semblance of a workout regime going during those crazy 11 days. So sometimes movies run late, times get bumped, and you don't get to catch everything on your list. Sometimes you sacrifice a screening for some sleep.
However, I felt like the gauntlet was thrown yesterday when, after saying I'd caught eight screenings up until that point (it's ten now), I was met with a "that's all?" In fairness, at almost three hours, the Bollywood hit 3 Idiots should probably count for two screenings.
As for my original schedule? I've deviated greatly. I traded Breathless for Only When I Dance, which was a hard, hard decision, but a win-win either way. I traded the Irish crime-comedy Perrier's Bounty for the rant-worthy Who Is Harry Nilsson? (And Why Is Everybody Talking About Him), and if you read my blog you know how that turned out (badly). Due to timing conflicts, I missed Gerrymandering (it started 30 minutes later) and Enemies of the People (ran up too closely to the sold out Waiting for 'Superman').
Although I'm took a break tonight to attend an incredible stage performance (review hopefully forthcoming), I plan to be back at it tomorrow. I'm also adding back in Wasteland, a run, or a nap, as I think it would be too ambitious of me to try and get over to the southside for the Banned: Taboo Books, Bites, & Libations event (sorry Burp! Friends).
Since I reviewed two films last night, here's my quick synopsis of the rest of my festival viewings thus far:
Thursday
I haven't heard anyone rave that they loved this film, I can't say I did, but nor did I hate it with the passion that some folks have expressed to me. It was pretty much what I expected -- a portrayal of a dissolution of a marriage with excellent acting from Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams (if every movie could cast her or Samantha Morton as the heroine, I'd be happy). It was an uncomfortable film, but that didn't make it worthy of being trashed. I found it sort of ironic that I refuse to see the closing night film, Buried, because of my issues with claustrophobia, yet Valentine reached extremely claustrophobic levels of intimacy, emotions, and even cinematography. This was definitely a movie for the open-minded, the film lovers who don't mind squirming in their seats, and I suppose the voyeurs intrigued with the issues of others.
Am I being that big of a film snob by saying this movie isn't for mass public consumption? Probably not. Case in point, at the opening night party I was asked by a middle-aged couple what I thought of the film. While I was working on formulating an answer akin to the paragraph above, the man interrupted me, and said, in an accent/tone more appropriate for a South Milwaukee bar on Packer Sunday, than a gala at Discovery World, "Hows 'bout I tell ya what I tot of it, and then yous can give me your opinion and be honest?"
Me: "Ok, fair enough."
Him: "Well I hated it. It was probably one of the worst mooovies, I's ever seen."
Me: "Alright, why do you say that?"
Him (I couldn't make this up): "Well I ain't need to see no moooovie, with no guy, smokin', and drinkin', and havin' sexual relations the whole mooovie, then flashing back to when he was younger and doin' the same thing. Not that I gots anything against smokin', drinkin', or sex, I just don't need to see it in no movie."
Me: **jaw on floor** "Well, um, it is a film festival so the movies seem to be a little grittier than what you'd generally find at mainstream theaters."
Him: "Well everyone around us was complainin'...I don't know....I may have been confused because my wife here told me the movie was Blue Velvet, and I thought maybe it was a remake of the '80s movie with Dennis Hopper, y'know."
Me: "Ohhhh, well, uh, yeah, those are two very different movies. I suggest maybe flipping through the program book and hopefully you find something you like."
At this point I believe they realized how uncomfortable I was, and kindly let me exit the conversation.
Friday
Nope, not about the "film critic" above. This is apparently the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time, and unlike certain high-grossing American films, it actually earns the title with its great story, relevant themes, vibrant cinematography, and super fun musical numbers. Plus, it was freaking hilarious. Despite the fact that every time I watch a good Bollywood film, it makes me hate Slumdog Millionaire more and more, this movie made me want to go on a Bollywood marathon. Yes, it was cheesy and melodramatic in some parts, but those even seemed tongue-in-cheek, realizing that's just a requisite part of film structure, so why ignore it? Embrace it instead. I could probably watch this movie on a weekly basis (if I had 3 hours to spare a week) and be happy, I highly recommend viewing.
I really wanted to like this movie. Midnight screening, zombies, buddy comedy...what's not to love? I even had the privilege of chatting with the director beforehand, an affable fellow, who appreciated that at the Portland premiere, the audience turned up in full zombie costume (oh, Milwaukee, we could stand to get a little stranger). The film itself, unfortunately, just came up short for me. It tried to be both funny and scary and came up short on both. It delved into far too much pathos of the characters' relationships and the actors just didn't have the chops to pull that off, so it seemed too forced. I did like the "twist" at the end (won't give it away, but I coined the term "bombies" to describe it) and the homage to Boondock Saints, but this isn't one I'd recommend, nor rewatch. However, it was okay enough where I wouldn't deter someone from watching it.
Saturday
One of my personal goals for this year's festival is to take in more "short" films. As Netflix broadens its reach for distributing indie films on DVD/Streaming, viewing shorts outside of festivals (even though a small percentage show up on YouTube or Vimeo) is a harder task. While my brother is a comic artist, I've never been as into animation as he, so I scheduled this in to remedy that. Another bonus is this year Milwaukee Film received funding to bring in tech specialists with fancy projectors, so the shorts are screening in top quality resolution, which for animation makes all the difference. The colors on some of these were spectacular.
My favorites of this package were: "12 Years" (quirky and hilarious), "The Little Dragon" (visually and literally awesome), "Tussilago" (I don't know if I've ever seen an entirely animated documentary before, but this made me want to see more), and "Wisdom Teeth" (any movie that contains the line "that sick bastard is eating babies" automatically wins in my book).
As I mentioned above, I had the difficult decision of watching the restored Breathless or this doc. Realizing that I'm more likely to watch Breathless on my own time than an obscure documentary, I opted for this. Luckily it didn't disappoint. Focusing on two ballet students from the Rio favelas, trying to use ballet as the ticket out of abject poverty, the story was heartwrenching, suspenseful, beautiful, and well-constructed. It was a Brazilian, dance-centric Hoop Dreams. The characters were massively complex. (I am still conflicted about the woman who ran the dance school. While she challenged the system to an extent and made concessions for some of the impoverished families, she also had a bit of a savior complex and universally accepted some of the dark parts of the dance world -- putting education second, unrealistic weight expectations, etc.) And the dance, the dance was incredible. I'm actually intrigued to know where the subjects are now, and without giving anything away, I'll say that the male dancer featured in the film was one of the most gifted artists I've ever watched.
Rasmalai Dreams with opening short Something Theater
At yesterday's FUEL Milwaukee Q&A with Milwaukee Film Executive and Artistic Director Jonathan Jackson, I asked him to elaborate on the exposure that this film festival gives to local filmmakers. I was actually pleasantly surprised to find that we're a rarity amongst festivals, in highlighting our homegrown talent alongside international heavyweights. (GO MILWAUKEE!) Because of this unique attribute, I make a solid effort each year to see as much local filmmaking as possible. Even if it's totally not up my alley. Even it's a waaaaaaaay out there double-feature of low-budget experimental madness/performance art. I want to see what the guy up the street (obviously in Riverwest in this case) is doing. I want to see the technical talent, even if the creative vision is a little out of my grasp.
Luckily, since I read the program booklet, I knew this one was going to be, uh, "weird." However, after Something Theater warmed me up with extreme weirdness, Rasmalai Dreams could've been a Sandra Bullock vehicle. Not to take off my critical hat, but the most obvious question for the Q&A for ST would have been "What drugs are you on and are they required for viewing this piece?" Apparently, this short has aired late at night on our local CW affiliate, which would probably certainly surprise someone flipping on expecting reruns of Gossip Girl. Unless there's some episode with Chace Crawford with an axe sticking out of his head, drooling at an animated raccoon, while slamming a Miller High Life, that I'm unaware of. That said, I can't let my bias toward plot and characters cloud my vision of the technical achievements of a piece like this. The montage and animation showed promise, and filmmakers should have the freedom to experiment with the bizarre, just like I do as a writer (I just keep those ones out of the public eye).
I have conflicted thoughts about the feature, Rasmalai Dreams. I suppose you could call it a documentary, as it featured Indian thespians (and wannabe thespians) doing readings for a fake (but actually real in a way) audition of an American feature film. Visually, it was fairly enticing, showing that indie films can integrate 3D technology (although I have issues with 3D paper glasses fitting around/under my regular glasses). I appreciated how the director and editor chose to overlay the performances upon shots of city life in India (with some stills of dioramas from the Milwaukee Public Museum thrown in for good measure). My issues with it are more from a cultural perspective. Essentially these individuals were "tricked" into providing footage for the film. In the Q&A it was fairly evident that most of them aren't ever going to know the film exists. Their performances, whether intentionally or not, were presented in a comedic light. I guess to me, it made me uncomfortable to laugh with worries that I may just be laughing at their culture. I mean, I laugh (or used to until it got old) at those American Idol bad auditions, but it's okay when it's Americans directing other Americans, right? Not to be too overly PC, but do we laugh because this is actually funny or because it's different? Would we laugh if the same monologue was read in English and directed by an Indian? Would the Indians in the film laugh?
Criticisms aside, this film is a perfect example of the importance of cultivating a film community in Wisconsin. The only reason it was actually made because the director worked on the more traditional film The Pool (by the Milwaukee-grown, internationally-respected, filmmaker Chris Smith). I also hope my mixed review doesn't deter you from checking out any of the other excellent locally-made films the rest of the festival, there's plenty left to screen!
Sunday
Interesting fact, I learned yesterday, that director Davis Guggenheim is married to Elisabeth Shue. That's all I have to say about this film. Kidding.
Obviously like any documentary with loads of money and buzz behind it, taking on a highly-politicized topic, this is going to be both slammed and revered. I say watch it, but with a grain of salt. It definitely oversimplifies the issues at hand. It doesn't address poor parent involvement, nor does it profile (just brushes over them in statistics) good public schools and poor charter schools. As a product of both public and private schools, with a mother who has spent her career in suburban public schools (and recently just got screwed over by both her district and her union), I can understand the arguments from multiple sides of the aisle. At the end of the day, we do have to fix this mess we're in. Adults need to adopt change in the bureaucracy of the system. Bickering needs to be set aside. Good teachers need to be rewarded.
I did find the focus on the testing/tracking in the public education system interesting, especially since it was trumped up by the Bush Administration. I recall being in upper-elementary school during the waning days of the Cold War and being explicitly told how grateful I should be to attend American public schools where you can be anything you want to be and you aren't tested constantly and put on track when you're 7 years old that will determine if you're going to be a doctor or a carpenter. Apparently, that's not the case anymore, comrade. Oh, but this is Obama's fault right?
A movie like this reminded me why documentaries are so important. Not necessarily to tackle issues everyone knows exists (see above), but also to give a voice to those with a unique story. This was about a couple with Downs Syndrome that met in Adult Learning Class and got married. Luckily, the subject, Monica, in this film is lucky enough to have a talented filmmaker as a cousin, so the story of this extraordinary couple gets to be told. While my previously-viewed documentary showed me how a system has declined, this one showed what happens when a system succeeds. In the past few decades, the life-expectancy of people with Downs Syndrome has over doubled. That means these individuals are given a shot at living a life, one that you and I likely take for granted -- which includes falling in love, getting a job, traveling, living independently, etc. Monica & David wasn't just a film about the subjects and their relationship, but a focus on their whole family. It was funny, sweet, challenging. An excellent film. I wish I'd been able to stay for the Q&A, because one thing that wasn't really focused on in the film, just sort of accepted, was this family being Hispanic-American and bilingual. I was curious how that affected the family-dynamic and also if speaking two languages positively affects the cognitive development of people with intellectual disabilities.
I highly recommend this movie to all audiences. Locally, anyone who liked this film should check out the work of IndependenceFirst, a fantastic Milwaukee-based non-profit.
***
What have you seen? What do you recommend? Do you feel differently about any of the above?
Sunday, September 19, 2010
girl on film: #mff2 or 2010 milwaukee film festival preview
Okay, beloved readers, after a couple of weeks of grinding through the program, creating diverse algorithms and spreadsheets, turning down social invites and binge sleeping to store up for my 11 Day Cinematic Christmas/Hanukkah Combo, I've finally created my schedule for the 2010 Milwaukee Film Festival* (*subject to change based on how much sleep I've actually gotten)
All shows that I'm attending are at the Oriental, although there's a great variety at the Marcus North Shore and Marcus Ridge Cinemas, which are awesome places if you have a car. (And guess what kiddos, if you elect Scott Walker governor in November, you're NEVER EVER EVER getting to those places on public transportation. EVER. In fact, you probably won't even be able to get to the Oriental.)
Thursday, September 23
7P: Blue Valentine
9P: MFF Opening Night Party @ Discovery World
I'm very excited for this whole evening because I've worked Opening Night for the last several festivals and always showed up late to the ball, starving, and scraping up crumbles of cheese. Need to find a fabulous outfit in the recesses of my closet and get my party on. Also, the film itself is getting loads of awards buzz, so I'm ready to kick off 11 days of viewing with a good one.
Friday, September 24
3:30P: 3 Idiots
9:45P: Winnebago Man (maybe - because my dad is making a rare appearance in Milwaukee)
Midnight: The Revenant
Bollywood Comedy, Business Man turned Viral Video Celeb, Buddy-movie zombie flick.
Because of all that's going on, I have a single ticket to the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's interpretation of Beethoven's 9th tonight that I need to sell. I paid $25, but will take best offer. I wish I could go because Beethoven and I bonded whilst I was in Bonn (bonn-ded?). I visited his birthplace, cried in his digital library (piano sonatas get me in the heartstrings), and may or may not have a small scar on my right elbow from the cobblestones underneath his statue in the Münsterplatz.
Saturday, September 25
3:30P: Let's Get Animated
5:15P: Breathless
7:45P: Rasmalai Dreams
Let's start here in reminding you all that I bust my arse volunteering as a Theatre Manager during the festival so that I can see all these great films. You too should volunteer! Maybe not as insanely as yours truly, but do it, it's fun! So my first shift is today also, from 10:15 PM to 2:30 AM. If you're going to the midnight show, shoot a wink and a smile to your friendly Theatre Manager.
The movies I'm seeing? Fun shorts, French restoration, Funky locally-made genre-bending insanity.
Sunday, September 26
12:30P: Enemies of the People
2:00P: Waiting for 'Superman'
4:45P: Monica & David
6:15P: Gerrymandering
A day of documentaries for this gal. I really want to see Monica & David, so I'll probably skip the talkback after Superman although if you have a stake or interest in education, definitely check that out. I'll also be working from 8:15P until close, so if you're coming to the awesome looking It's Kind of a Funny Story, say hello.
Monday, September 27
5:15P: Nora's Will
Catching a Mexican feature after work and I am then working from 7P-close this evening and will be completely avoiding the small screen drama of the Packers versus that Favre scoundrel.
Tuesday, September 28
7:15P: Soundtrack for a Revolution
9:45P: Perrier's Bounty
In a perfect world, I'd be in orchestra seating with my rich, classy, handsome, intelligentsia soulmate to see the restored Metropolis accompanied by the Alloy Orchestra. Because honestly, this event sounds AMAZING. But in my penny-pinching efforts, I can't spend the extra cash to go and also feel obliged to go to the FUEL Milwaukee/Milwaukee Film joint event that night. Soundtrack to a Revolution looks interesting, but why they think young professionals prefer John Legend and Joss Stone to 1920s German sociopolitical silent films, well...hmm, I guess again I'm not like the "others." However, if YOU have $15-$50 to spare and have never seen Metropolis, GO TO THIS SCREENING. And if your schedule doesn't permit, gets your hands on a copy of Metropolis cuz it's awesome and you'll feel smarter afterward.
Wednesday, September 29
There's another screening of Metropolis tonight, but I'll be engaging in another Deutschy activity and seeing Cabaret at the Milwaukee Rep. I have several friends involved in the Entourage planning and I will try not to hold it against them that they planned this season's debut right smack in the middle of Film Fest season.
Thursday, September 30
7:15P: Mark My Words
9:15P: Ride, Rise, Roar
After seeing Howl at the UWM Union Theatre recently, I feel that it would be fitting to swing over to Great Lakes Distillery before film festing tonight to support the Banned: Taboo Books, Bites, & Libations event to raise money for public libraries. The good folks over at Burp! Blog are putting it on and it'll be a good way to fill up before a night of film appreciation. More documentaries on tap for me -- a locally made one on spoken word poets and a concert doc about the always awesome David Byrne.
Friday, October 1
5:15P: My Perestroika
7:00P: A Somewhat Gentle Man
9:15P: The Red Chapel
Midnight: Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil
I took today off to gain some sanity and will be working the afternoon at the Oriental, if you did the same, come say hi. My evening will be spent with two documentaries on Communist regimes, a Norwegian drama, and a horror-comedy...how can you not love the schizophrenia of an 11 day film festival?!
Saturday, October 2
5:00P: The Milwaukee Show
7:00P: Gravity
10:00P: Blood Junkie
Midnight: Best Damn F$#&ing Midnight Shorts Ever. Sh*t.
Working the early afternoon shift, then watching movies until my eyes bleed. Excited to see local talent highlighted, then (hopefully) a German dark comedy (I think that's redundant), more local talent in a homegrown horror flick, and crazyass midnight shorts.
Sunday, October 3
11:00A: About Elly
1:15P: My Way Home
I'm wrapping up my film fest experience in the early hours with an Iranian drama and a locally made Hmong documentary. I don't want to subject myself to Buried later on. Since being buried alive is one of my major freakout points (the only thing worse would be spontaneously human combusting whilst buried alive with a swarm of bees), I don't think I can handle a whole film based on that theme (I could barely deal with the 20 or so minutes in Kill Bill Vol. 2). So I'm working Closing Night instead.
See you at the movies!
All shows that I'm attending are at the Oriental, although there's a great variety at the Marcus North Shore and Marcus Ridge Cinemas, which are awesome places if you have a car. (And guess what kiddos, if you elect Scott Walker governor in November, you're NEVER EVER EVER getting to those places on public transportation. EVER. In fact, you probably won't even be able to get to the Oriental.)
Thursday, September 23
7P: Blue Valentine
9P: MFF Opening Night Party @ Discovery World
I'm very excited for this whole evening because I've worked Opening Night for the last several festivals and always showed up late to the ball, starving, and scraping up crumbles of cheese. Need to find a fabulous outfit in the recesses of my closet and get my party on. Also, the film itself is getting loads of awards buzz, so I'm ready to kick off 11 days of viewing with a good one.
Friday, September 24
3:30P: 3 Idiots
9:45P: Winnebago Man (maybe - because my dad is making a rare appearance in Milwaukee)
Midnight: The Revenant
Bollywood Comedy, Business Man turned Viral Video Celeb, Buddy-movie zombie flick.
Because of all that's going on, I have a single ticket to the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's interpretation of Beethoven's 9th tonight that I need to sell. I paid $25, but will take best offer. I wish I could go because Beethoven and I bonded whilst I was in Bonn (bonn-ded?). I visited his birthplace, cried in his digital library (piano sonatas get me in the heartstrings), and may or may not have a small scar on my right elbow from the cobblestones underneath his statue in the Münsterplatz.
Saturday, September 25
3:30P: Let's Get Animated
5:15P: Breathless
7:45P: Rasmalai Dreams
Let's start here in reminding you all that I bust my arse volunteering as a Theatre Manager during the festival so that I can see all these great films. You too should volunteer! Maybe not as insanely as yours truly, but do it, it's fun! So my first shift is today also, from 10:15 PM to 2:30 AM. If you're going to the midnight show, shoot a wink and a smile to your friendly Theatre Manager.
The movies I'm seeing? Fun shorts, French restoration, Funky locally-made genre-bending insanity.
Sunday, September 26
12:30P: Enemies of the People
2:00P: Waiting for 'Superman'
4:45P: Monica & David
6:15P: Gerrymandering
A day of documentaries for this gal. I really want to see Monica & David, so I'll probably skip the talkback after Superman although if you have a stake or interest in education, definitely check that out. I'll also be working from 8:15P until close, so if you're coming to the awesome looking It's Kind of a Funny Story, say hello.
Monday, September 27
5:15P: Nora's Will
Catching a Mexican feature after work and I am then working from 7P-close this evening and will be completely avoiding the small screen drama of the Packers versus that Favre scoundrel.
Tuesday, September 28
7:15P: Soundtrack for a Revolution
9:45P: Perrier's Bounty
In a perfect world, I'd be in orchestra seating with my rich, classy, handsome, intelligentsia soulmate to see the restored Metropolis accompanied by the Alloy Orchestra. Because honestly, this event sounds AMAZING. But in my penny-pinching efforts, I can't spend the extra cash to go and also feel obliged to go to the FUEL Milwaukee/Milwaukee Film joint event that night. Soundtrack to a Revolution looks interesting, but why they think young professionals prefer John Legend and Joss Stone to 1920s German sociopolitical silent films, well...hmm, I guess again I'm not like the "others." However, if YOU have $15-$50 to spare and have never seen Metropolis, GO TO THIS SCREENING. And if your schedule doesn't permit, gets your hands on a copy of Metropolis cuz it's awesome and you'll feel smarter afterward.
Wednesday, September 29
There's another screening of Metropolis tonight, but I'll be engaging in another Deutschy activity and seeing Cabaret at the Milwaukee Rep. I have several friends involved in the Entourage planning and I will try not to hold it against them that they planned this season's debut right smack in the middle of Film Fest season.
Thursday, September 30
7:15P: Mark My Words
9:15P: Ride, Rise, Roar
After seeing Howl at the UWM Union Theatre recently, I feel that it would be fitting to swing over to Great Lakes Distillery before film festing tonight to support the Banned: Taboo Books, Bites, & Libations event to raise money for public libraries. The good folks over at Burp! Blog are putting it on and it'll be a good way to fill up before a night of film appreciation. More documentaries on tap for me -- a locally made one on spoken word poets and a concert doc about the always awesome David Byrne.
Friday, October 1
5:15P: My Perestroika
7:00P: A Somewhat Gentle Man
9:15P: The Red Chapel
Midnight: Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil
I took today off to gain some sanity and will be working the afternoon at the Oriental, if you did the same, come say hi. My evening will be spent with two documentaries on Communist regimes, a Norwegian drama, and a horror-comedy...how can you not love the schizophrenia of an 11 day film festival?!
Saturday, October 2
5:00P: The Milwaukee Show
7:00P: Gravity
10:00P: Blood Junkie
Midnight: Best Damn F$#&ing Midnight Shorts Ever. Sh*t.
Working the early afternoon shift, then watching movies until my eyes bleed. Excited to see local talent highlighted, then (hopefully) a German dark comedy (I think that's redundant), more local talent in a homegrown horror flick, and crazyass midnight shorts.
Sunday, October 3
11:00A: About Elly
1:15P: My Way Home
I'm wrapping up my film fest experience in the early hours with an Iranian drama and a locally made Hmong documentary. I don't want to subject myself to Buried later on. Since being buried alive is one of my major freakout points (the only thing worse would be spontaneously human combusting whilst buried alive with a swarm of bees), I don't think I can handle a whole film based on that theme (I could barely deal with the 20 or so minutes in Kill Bill Vol. 2). So I'm working Closing Night instead.
See you at the movies!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
that's (budget) entertainment
By my next birthday I'd like to have made some headway on paying down my debt and getting together a gameplan for the next stage in my life. This means reeling in my spending by cutting back on some of the things I love to do. Below I'm outlining some of my entertainment addictions and then proposing solutions. If you have any additional suggestions, please leave them in the comments!
Concert Frequenting
Issue: Let's face it...I drop a LOT of my disposable income on concerts. I love going to shows. I'm hooked. And with the magic that is The Pabst Theater Group in town, you could see "the next it band" practically every week. To add to the dilemma, with the passage of the recent smoking ban, The Rave has become tolerable for me again...not to mention the small clubs around town.
Solutions:
Issue: My music loving extends to private as well as public. I have an eMusic subscription, but once those credits run out each month I'm always tempting by Amazon or iTunes. I try to limit my internet scouring (especially since most of the artists I like need the money), so what is a girl to do?
Solutions:
Issue: Luckily this isn't too much of an issue anymore, and the lack of a mainstream theater anywhere near downtown helps. Still, during the summer if I just "feel like going to a movie," I'm inevitably shelling out $15+ for a ticket and snacks. It adds up.
Solutions:
Hopefully I'll get another post up soon about other expensive hobbies and my budget solutions! Anything you'd like to see?
Concert Frequenting
Issue: Let's face it...I drop a LOT of my disposable income on concerts. I love going to shows. I'm hooked. And with the magic that is The Pabst Theater Group in town, you could see "the next it band" practically every week. To add to the dilemma, with the passage of the recent smoking ban, The Rave has become tolerable for me again...not to mention the small clubs around town.
Solutions:
- Allow myself one over $25 concert treat per month
- Limit self to going to no more than one under $15 show per week
- Try to see more local bands, especially while the free, outdoor season is ongoing
- Follow the twitter and facebook feeds of local radio and venues to try and win tickets
Issue: My music loving extends to private as well as public. I have an eMusic subscription, but once those credits run out each month I'm always tempting by Amazon or iTunes. I try to limit my internet scouring (especially since most of the artists I like need the money), so what is a girl to do?
Solutions:
- Subscribe to available "Song of the Day" podcasts
- Request CDs from the Milwaukee Public Library
- Watch for "sampler" albums promoted on social media
- Revisit old music / make new playlists
Issue: Luckily this isn't too much of an issue anymore, and the lack of a mainstream theater anywhere near downtown helps. Still, during the summer if I just "feel like going to a movie," I'm inevitably shelling out $15+ for a ticket and snacks. It adds up.
Solutions:
- Gear up to volunteer for the upcoming Milwaukee Film Festival. Can't wait for the program release on September 4!
- Frequent the UWM Union Theatre this semester. Just got their program in the mail (website not updated at time of this posting) and I need to make a concerted effort to make it up there more often. This will offset some of the concertgoing too.
Hopefully I'll get another post up soon about other expensive hobbies and my budget solutions! Anything you'd like to see?
Thursday, July 22, 2010
art attack: my "mini" summer gallery night
It's hard to believe it's been a quarter of a year since my epic adventures at Spring Gallery Night (photo above depicts the first of what would be many beers). I'm definitely toning it down for summer, have to watch my spending for my impending Europe trip and am running the Sausage 5k early Saturday morning.
There's a ton of awesome shows around town, including one in Bay View and the Urban Ecology Center that I can't make it too, so if you have the time, check them all out.
If you want to stalk/look at art with me, here's a handy dandy map of where I'm going to be (click the markers to find out when, also zoom out for the full view):
View Summer Gallery Night 2010 in a larger map
Again, for those not into interactivity, here's the schedule:
5:30P: Dean Jensen Gallery
5:50P: DeLind Fine Art
6:10P: Pfister Hotel Lobby Gallery
6:45P: Peltz Gallery
7:10P: Caggio Gallery
Thanks as always to the awesome folks at the Art City blog for making Gallery Nighting a decipherable experience.
Oh, and if you don't get enough art on Friday, I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend you make a trip to the Milwaukee Art Museum for the Milwaukee Artist's Marketplace on Saturday from 10-5. This is one of my favorite events of the year, and even though I may not be able to buy more than a $10 painting this year, there ARE $10 paintings and all sorts of awesome stuff by local artists. Worth the trip down.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
why ride wednesdays: entourage
I'm going to use the Wednesday posts building up to the Miller Lite Ride for the Arts to briefly touch upon my relationship to the performing arts and why I'm motivated to ride and raise a significant amount of money for them.
The Milwaukee Rep's Entourage: Support the arts, support your friends.
My dear friend Heather has been involved with the Milwaukee Repertory Theater's Entourage program for almost as long as remember knowing her. This program is designed to get young people into the theater and offers a nice socializing opportunity before and after the show to check out local restaurants, chat with friends, or meet new ones.
Over the years, my friends Ben and Kate, who I introduced to Heather and Entourage, have since become involved in the planning committee. I really try and get to at least a couple of the events each season, because not only am I supporting the arts, but I'm also supporting an organization that values getting young people involved in planning events around the performing arts. How are you supposed to stop the "graying" of the theater if you don't consult young professionals on how to attract other YPs? The really great thing about the Entourage volunteers that I know put in a lot of time, but I don't think they're required to put in a lot of money (unless that gang has secret trust funds that I'm unaware of). I give the Rep a lot of credit for engaging people for a committee without having dollars tied to it.
This outlook also transfers to keeping the prices extremely low for the performances - just $15 for play tickets and the social event.
This season I had the pleasure of seeing both Happy Now? and Seven Keys to Slaughter Peak as part of the Entourage program. One was a relationship dramedy and the other a slapstick mystery. This group definitely mixes it up, which is really important in showcasing the diversity of the theater company. With an exciting 2010-11 season on the books, I'm sure I'll be thrilled at the lineup the Entourage team throws together for next year.
Hopefully you've enjoyed this insight into why I'm so passionate about the arts in Milwaukee. Perhaps it's motivated you to online here for my ride efforts?
Or you help me raise money in as super fun way on Friday, May 7, 2010 • 5:30 PM to 9 PM - Guest Bartending for the Arts @ AJ Bombers
The Milwaukee Rep's Entourage: Support the arts, support your friends.
My dear friend Heather has been involved with the Milwaukee Repertory Theater's Entourage program for almost as long as remember knowing her. This program is designed to get young people into the theater and offers a nice socializing opportunity before and after the show to check out local restaurants, chat with friends, or meet new ones.
Over the years, my friends Ben and Kate, who I introduced to Heather and Entourage, have since become involved in the planning committee. I really try and get to at least a couple of the events each season, because not only am I supporting the arts, but I'm also supporting an organization that values getting young people involved in planning events around the performing arts. How are you supposed to stop the "graying" of the theater if you don't consult young professionals on how to attract other YPs? The really great thing about the Entourage volunteers that I know put in a lot of time, but I don't think they're required to put in a lot of money (unless that gang has secret trust funds that I'm unaware of). I give the Rep a lot of credit for engaging people for a committee without having dollars tied to it.
This outlook also transfers to keeping the prices extremely low for the performances - just $15 for play tickets and the social event.
This season I had the pleasure of seeing both Happy Now? and Seven Keys to Slaughter Peak as part of the Entourage program. One was a relationship dramedy and the other a slapstick mystery. This group definitely mixes it up, which is really important in showcasing the diversity of the theater company. With an exciting 2010-11 season on the books, I'm sure I'll be thrilled at the lineup the Entourage team throws together for next year.
Hopefully you've enjoyed this insight into why I'm so passionate about the arts in Milwaukee. Perhaps it's motivated you to online here for my ride efforts?
Or you help me raise money in as super fun way on Friday, May 7, 2010 • 5:30 PM to 9 PM - Guest Bartending for the Arts @ AJ Bombers
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