Milwaukee, WI

Last Sunday I finally had the opportunity to go see the Bodyworlds exhibit at the Milwaukee County Museum. I had been regretting my decision to pass it up a few years back when it was at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago - the lines were exceedingly long there. The exhibition running in Milwaukee is Bodyworlds 1. It is my understanding that there are now three Bodyworlds exhibitions touring worldwide, with a fourth to be added starting in Europe in the future.

Bodyworlds is an exhibition of the work of Gunther von Hagens, a German anatomist that invented the technique of plastination, which is used to preserve tissue. Rather than displaying the human body as one would see it at a funeral, the plastination process apparently allows the display of different organs, muscles, etc. The effect is a bunch of “skinned humans” sliced open to allow the viewing of their internal workings. The bodies are posed and dissected in different ways to display different tissue types.

To the question I posed at the start of the blog: was the display science, or was it art?

I went to the exhibition thinking that I was seeing science. There was a great wealth of information about the inner workings of the human body displayed along with the plastinated bodies. But alongside the scientific explanations were philosophical quotes about the nature of mankind, of life and of death. As I moved further through the exhibition I began to see less of the science aspect of the contorted bodies and more of the art. The two dancers, one perched elegantly for all eternity…the man locked forever in an unending chess game. That’s art…isn’t it?

Interestingly, the observations I heard the most from people around me were not commentaries on the gruesome nature of the displays, as I had expected. Rather, many people seemed fascinated by the displays exhibiting illness - the turned spine or the smoker’s lungs. That in itself was an interesting commentary on human nature.

In any event, the exhibit was an interesting one and although it was uncomfortably crowded I did enjoy what I saw. Rather than leaving me with questions about the frailty of life and the nature of the soul it left me with questions about the boundary between science and art and whether there necessarily must be such a boundary. I’ve been thinking that over for the past few days, and that alone was worth the price of admission.

I realize this isn’t a “Miss Manners” blog, but nevertheless I present the following scenario for your consideration, my readers:

You and your fiance at are at family restaurant for a nice dinner after work. You are both well dressed, not because the restaurant commands such attire, but because that is how you like to appear. You place your coat, hat and scarf on the booth seat and take your place at the table next to your fiance. You are enjoying good conversation, and you joke with the waitress as she takes your order.

The waitress comes back with a glass of red wine which she spills all over your wool coat, your Stetson fedora, and your scarf. Fortunately, your clothes are dark so there are no stains apparent, but your clothes need a good cleaning because the smell of wine is unmistakable and pungent. You can’t even wear them out of the restaurant because it is cold and they are quite wet. Unfortunately, we’re not talking about a NASCAR T-shirt that can just be tossed in the washing machine along. The coat definitely needs to go to the dry-cleaner, and the hat…well, who cleans hats these days?

What should the waitress do? An apology is expected, of course. But should she go beyond that?

I think the appropriate reaction would have been to not charge for the dinners that evening, or offer a certificate for a meal free of charge at a later date. Alternately, offering to pay the dry cleaning bill would have been acceptable. A simple apology presented along with a full bill for the meal seemed lacking.

This isn’t a hypothetical, as this happened at a nice little family restaurant last night. I was very, very surprised that the waitress didn’t offer to do more than the, well, nothing that she did. The spill was entirely her fault, there was no question about that.

Am I wrong for thinking that? What was the appropriate response here?

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FM 106.1 deserves a big “hell yeah” for their Holidays for Heroes drive at the Veterans Day Parade in Milwaukee this Saturday. FM 106.1, along with Wisconsin We Care, the Milwaukee County War Memorial and the Veterans Day Parade of Milwuakee, Inc. are gathering items to send to the troops serving overseas.

There are some wonderful programs out there which are geared towards helping individuals send care packages to soldiers overseas. Soldiers Angels is one of the most well-known of these programs. The problem, however, is that shipping a large care package overseas can be very cost-prohibitive for those who do want to give. Drives like this Saturday’s Holidays for Heroes drive lets us skip that shipping cost so we can focus on getting more good stuff to our troops.

At this time, they are asking for donations of holiday items - greeting cards, decorations, etc. - non perishable food items, and items to pass the time like crossword puzzle books. A full list of suggestions can be found on FM 106.1’s website.

The 44th Annual Veterans Day Parade begins at 10:00 a.m. this Saturday, November 10, 2007. The parade steps off from 4th and Kilbourn and heads East to the War Memorial, ending in Veterans Park.

Veterans Day, Military

Last night I had occasion to visit the Wisconsin Humane Society on Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee and I was so impressed that I had to crow about it on this blog.

The primary purpose of my visit was to see whether there were any bulldogs available for adoption. The secondary purpose was to look at all the cute cats and lovely dogs and make goofy baby-talk noises at them. “You’re a cute widdle guy aren’t you? Yes you are! Oh yes you are!” No luck on the bulldog, but I did get to ooh and aww at a kitty or two, so it was a good night.

I didn’t expect to be all that impressed with the Humane Society, though. I’ve seen other Humane Society facilities, and while they certainly weren’t bad, they were just mediocre. The Wisconsin Humane Society, however, really goes above and beyond expectations.

The Wisconsin Humane Society has an extremely up to date and very useable website. I looked at the available animals on the website before my visit, and lo and behold, the website was updated enough that many of those very same animals were there during my visit. (It seems like a small thing, but we’ve all seen horribly outdated websites, so when something is actually as it should be on the web, I’m allowed to be pleasantly surprised). The website shows good pictures and descriptions of the animals and is actually quite entertaining to read.

The Humane Society facility is large, clean, and very comfortable. The cats have their own section away from the dogs, and the animals’ areas are sparse but nice. Each animal’s room has a little description of the animal along with their personality type which makes it easy to find a pet that is a good fit. For example, my favorite dog personality is “Goofball - I’m a fun-loving, happy all the time, glass is half full kind of dog looking for someone who loves to laugh and play. You must have a great sense of humor and a bunch of tennis balls.” Animals that were being considered for adoption were clearly marked, as were those who were going to be going to their new homes in the near future.

We were free to wander among the animal rooms and there was enough staff present even at 8p.m. that when we had questions they were answered promptly.

For some reason there was a large number of labradors at the Humane Society when we visited, so if you are looking for a lab, please check out the Humane Society. Particularly this little gem here named Jessie - she came right to the window, wagging and sweet-eyed when we approached. She’s an adorable little doll and will make someone very happy when they find her and take her home.

With any luck, in a month or two I can share my “We adopted a bulldog from the Humane Society” story here.

I had a close encounter with extreme rudeness last night.

I live very close to a tavern in Bay View. Even though the tavern is usually pretty busy and often features live music, my street is primarily residential and remains surprisingly quiet as the bar patrons are usually impressively well-behaved.

Until last night.

At 12:30 a.m. I was attempting to get some sleep when this horrible rhythmic sound shook my second floor bedroom windows. In my sleepy state, it took me a moment to discern what was going on, but I realized quickly that it was a car stereo being played very loudly. That’s not so unusual. Occasionally a car with a loud stereo will drive down Kinnickinnic, but the offensive noise usually passes fairly quickly.

But not this time.

The pounding and window rattling was incessant. Ridiculously incessant. It went on for a good ten minutes before I couldn’t stand it any longer. I looked out the window and saw that the offending car was parked directly in front of my house, right below my bedroom windows.

Kids, I assumed. Stupid, drunk kids. I was feeling might old as we tried to determine what to bring with us to tell those kids to get off of my lawn. Flashlight? Baseball bat? Stun gun? Air horn?

Heh. Air horn. Totally. That will scare them.

We went outside to give the damn kids the universal sign for “turn your terrible music down, you inconsiderate twits” and were surprised at what we saw.

This wasn’t a bunch of kids who were too young to know common courtesy. It wasn’t some drunk college guys out having a good time. It was an older couple. Not exactly elderly, but a far cry from the frat boys we expected to find.

My point is that they were certainly old enough to know better.

People: it is great that you like your music. I’m glad you have something in your life that brings you such pleasure that you are willing to risk injury to your hearing over it. It is just fan-damn-tastic that you even like your music so much that you feel you should share it with those around you by blasting it forth from your vehicle whenever you can. But playing your loud music in a primarily residential neighborhood in the middle of the night on a weeknight? Love of music or not, that’s just plain rude.

I have been misled by companies. I have been amazed at the utter incompetence of companies. But I can’t recall ever being a part of such a perfect storm of stupidity, disorganization and ridiculousness as I have witnessed with AT&T this week.

I have AT&T for my home telephone and DSL service. I don’t really want or need a home telephone, but it was the only way I could get my much-loved DSL, so I signed up for both at a cost of about $40.00 per month.

I thought I had scheduled an online payment on my AT&T bill, but somehow I hadn’t completed or confirmed the payment process, so the payment wasn’t made. Imagine my surprise on Tuesday, October 16 when I logged on to view my AT&T bill online and found that there was a past due amount! I immediately scheduled a payment for the following day and expected no problems.

That night a letter from AT&T arrived in my mailbox advising that my DSL service would be discontinued on 10/17/07 (the following day!) if I didn’t pay my bill. It further advised that if I had already paid my bill, I could disregard that notice. I disregarded the notice, as I had scheduled my payment and expected all to be hunky-dory.

On October 17, 2007 the payment was taken from my bank account, as planned, and applied to my account.

And my DSL was shut off that night.

Well, that must be some mistake. I called AT&T but there was no one available to assist me that time of night, so I was advised to call the following morning.

What transpired was a series of amazingly ridiculous events.

Call #1: Thursday morning, 9:00 a.m. The nice lady on the telephone acknowledged the payment, apologized for the interruption of service, and advised that we should be back online in about four hours.

Call #2: Thursday afternoon, 4:00 p.m. Seven hours had elapsed, and the internet was still not working. We called back and were advised that they could not determine the problem at that time, but would call us back shortly with more information.

Call #3: Thursday evening, 7:00 p.m. After three hours of no callback, we called again. This time the woman on the telephone advised that the order to reinstate the service was placed on October 16 and completed October 17, so we should have internet access at this time. But we don’t, so she transferred me to tech support.

Call #3, Continued: Tech support says everything on their end indicates that we have service running, so we must have a problem with our hardware or configuration. Wait a minute, our hardware was running just fine two days ago…how can that be? He assured me that everything was a-okay on AT&T’s end of things and that once we jiggle a few wires we should be good to go.

Call #4: Thursday night, 8:00 p.m. The guy from Call #2 calls back to advise that service will be back up and running on Monday. Wait, we were told that it was running now. Okay, he says, just disregard what I just said.

Call #5: Thursday night, 10:30 p.m. Still no internet, and another call to tech support. We are advised that everything we were told during the day was incorrect. In fact, no work order has been placed to reinstate service at all. And no, one can’t be placed now…we’ll have to call back in the morning. He has no idea why we were told that our service was up and running and has no idea why we were told that work orders were placed and processed.

Can someone please tell me why we should stick with AT&T at this point?

Call #6: Friday morning, 9:00 a.m. We call back to find out that our service will not be reinstated until we allow them to auto-debit their fees from our bank account every month. although we can immediately cancel the auto-debit service. Um…okay. Then, and only then, will a work order be placed and we may get internet again in the future, unless they are mistaken once again.

Forget it. Service canceled. This just isn’t worth it.

I already miss the internet at home, but what are the alternatives?

I try not to drive down Wisconsin Avenue. Don’t get me wrong - it can be quite a scenic trip. The houses along Wisconsin are incredibly beautiful, the lawns impeccably manicured, and on a nice sunny Friday morning there are even some really good rummages sales. But ultimately Wisconsin Avenue ends in the dreaded downtown, land of constant construction, orange road cones and terrible traffic, and so for that reason I make every effort to avoid Wisconsin Avenue in its entirety.

On Saturday, however, I decided to take the trip from Highway 100 all the way down to 35th Street via Wisconsin Avenue, and I was awestruck by the number of “For Sale” signs on houses in the nicer parts of Wisconsin Avenue. Shorewest, First Weber, For Sale By Owner - nearly every block had someone’s tag on the lawn, and more than just a few blocks had multiple properties for sale.

What happened to Wisconsin Avenue? Did I miss something?

When I was a student at Marquette, I obviously spent a lot of time on Wisconsin Avenue. Those houses were always very desirable, and with good reason. They are beautiful, large, single family homes with a lot of character. So why is everyone leaving?

I won’t pretend to have the answer to that question. I’m still too astounded to really form a reasonable opinion on it. Is the neighborhood “transitioning” to something less desirable? Are these homes becoming unaffordable due to increasing mortgage rates? Is everyone leaving for warmer weather? And if so, why have they waited so long?

I wouldn’t want to be trying to sell a house in today’s market, but obviously something on Wisconsin Avenue is motivating a whole lot of homeowners to risk the market and put their homes up for sale.

And what is this mass migration from Wisconsin Avenue going to do to that area in the coming years?

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Urban, Home Selling

It has been nearly a month since moving and I finally feel settled in to my new apartment. Of course, this is also the point when the glossy sheen of excitement starts fading away, and flashbacks to the Tom Hanks film, Money Pit, begin sinking in.

I exaggerate, but I certainly can’t lay claim the perfect apartment. The kitchen sink drips with an agonizingly rhythmic “ding,” the windows have no screens, the cabinets were made by Dr. Caligari, and the basement… Anyone need a set for their next horror film?

Stacked up against the dog-sized rats and cat leavings some of my friends have had to deal with, I suppose I made out pretty well. Still, it’s always disappointing to step in to a new place and realize that it is not the fairy-tale abode you thought it was. That’s why I put together this handy list of considerations for your next apartment hunt.

1. Never trust a landlord who says, “It’ll only take five minutes.”
If a landlord tries to rush you through a showing, it’s a good bet that he or she is trying to hide something. Activate spidey-sense.

2. Don’t sign before it’s finished.
Never sign a lease for an apartment under renovation. A landlord might dazzle you with promises of new this and new that, but there are no guarantees until the job is done. And what if the job isn’t done by moving day? You’re still legally obligated to pay the rent.

3. Open everything.
This includes doors, cabinets, windows, refrigerators, etc. Nobody likes being surprised by a bathroom door that doesn’t close or a dishwasher brimming with mildew.

4. Test the pipes.
Go ahead and turn on the water. Make sure the pipes don’t leak, the heater works, and that the water looks, well, like water. It wouldn’t hurt to give the toilet a flush to make sure gravity is working in the right direction.

5. Check the electricity.
These are modern times and surely you’ll want the modern devices to go with them. Flip the lights on and check for the ever-popular “what does this do” switch. It could be a short in the wiring. Make a mental note of your electronics and make sure there are enough outlets to supply them. If you plan on getting internet service, find out where the phone/cable jacks are.

6. Meet the neighbors.
Meeting them might not happen, but if you’re sharing a building you can at least try to find out a little about them. Are they fond of late-night parties? Do they have barking dogs? If you’re feeling especially brazen, you might even ask the other tenants what they think of the place.

7. Make damage and repair lists.
This should be the first thing you do after moving in, unless you want to get blamed for the unnoticed damage of previous tenants. Then, make another list of things that need to be fixed. Sign it, have your landlord sign it, date it, and make copies. If worst comes to worse and you have to go to court, you have written proof. Judges love that.

I hope these tips can be of some help. Feel free to share your own tips or horror stories in the Comments section.

Remember the Park East project? Remember the mountains of crushed steel and bent rebar stretching from 43 to the East Side? I certainly do. Not only was the demolished highway the easiest way to drive home, but I had the unfortunate displeasure of working at a store smack dab in the epicenter of construction. Suffice to say, raises were not in the budget that year.

Over the past few years, both the East Side and downtown have grown by leaps and bounds. Go to where Humboldt meets the river, and the area is almost unrecognizable. Meanwhile, the Park East area sits quietly, patiently waiting for its numerous vacant lots to be filled. A few businesses and condos have slowly moved in, but it’s still far from being the busy downtown hub we were promised so many years ago.

Apparently I am not the only one to wonder what became of the Park East project. Last month, the Common Council made a 5-0 vote that forced Mayor Tom Barrett’s Department of City Development to examine proposals for financial assistance. I wish that I could say I am surprised, but it looks as though the examinations have done little but bring the Park East project to yet another frustrating standstill.

Barrett and city officials have agreed to give $8.8 million to begin housing and retail development for the North End. This is in addition to the $17 million already spent preparing the area for development. The cost for developer Richard Curto’s planned project is estimated to be $175 million. Even the downscaled version of the project would cost $41 million. Instead of diving in, the city has chosen to test the waters with minor developments first. Part of the problem to consider here is whether or not minor developments will be able to turn the profit needed to represent the area’s potential.

The main issue concerning city officials is whether or not the Park East area can be financially self-sustaining. Developers maintain that the opening of new hotels, residences, and businesses will provide more than enough sales and property taxes to offset the original costs. Still, the question remains as to whether other businesses, including those of the Grand Avenue Mall, can withstand the competition.

The sad truth is, many downtown businesses are already struggling to stay alive. I have seen this same scenario a decade earlier in Green Bay, at the site of Port Plaza Mall. The city largely ignored proposals to renovate the area, only to be left with a veritable ghost town shortly thereafter. Accept for a few popular nightclubs the downtown district is nearly vacant, and all the businesses have moved across the river to Ashwaubenon.

Cities are dynamic places that change over time. Just because an area is currently active, does not mean that it will be a few years from now. We have to admit that the downtown area is in drastic need of assistance, especially with the more accessible Bayshore Towne Center only ten minutes away. Continuing the Park East project could be just the solution to draw people in and remake the area into a bustling center of consumer activity.

For the past two weeks, there’s been a growing fiasco involving the CVS on Farwell, the Shepherd Express, and a man named Jeff White. After CVS refused to carry the weekly Shepherd Express newspaper, White took it upon himself to protest the decision by standing out front with a sign that read, “CVS: Where is the Shepherd Express?”

As a result of his actions, White had been arrested for “loitering and prowling” and issued a $160 citation. Although all charges against White have been dropped, the conflict is not over yet. Whether you consider them martyrs or fanatics, numerous people have taken White’s place on the sidewalk with signs in hand.

Shepherd Express readers certainly can be a dedicated group, but that dedication may be part of the problem at hand. I applaud the convictions of the protesters, but at the same time, I find their actions foolishly narrow-minded. The choice of whether or not to carry Shepherd Express belongs solely to CVS, and not to its patrons.

There is no denying the liberal leanings of the staff at Shepherd Express. It is a quality publication with great reviews and editorials, but that doesn’t mean that everyone on the East Side agrees with the views presented. If the management at CVS holds such disagreements with the political and personal opinions of the paper, they are completely within their rights to not carry it.

How many people would cry foul if the disputed publication had been a journal of neo-nazi propaganda, or an ultra-conservative paper touting the evils of women’s rights? How many people would still stand behind White’s protest? I assure you, not many.

CVS is not infringing upon your rights. CVS is not trying to change your political views. They have simply made a choice as to what publications they will represent themselves with. If you want to be an open-minded person, first you need to accept the freedoms and choices of those around you.