Can't let this review get past me before I die. For a couple of years in the early 1990s, I used to live down the street from Le Tigre Lounge up in Madison, Wisconsin. Back when I was doing what guys do - tinker with old trucks, boats, and motorcycles, I would swing buy Dorn's Hardware at the north-side corner of the Beltline and Midvale hunting some unique screw or bolt and always wonder about said bar next door. And, oddly enough this is back in the days when I could not crank up a lawn mower without drinking three Leinenkugel beers before one blade of grass was murdered. But, I did not go in bars for a few years, trying to avoid the cost. One day the curiosity finally broke me down and I went in Le Tigre after I bought some truck knob or boat hook or some such nonsense in the hardware store. Keep in mind this whole presentation is in an old 1960ish strip mall.
I remember telling Heide about the eclectic tiger place and her response was, "Whatever, finish mowing the lawn." Seventeen years later now or so as I peruse around the Web looking for taverns-bars-eateries and fish fry ad nauseam I happened across a mention of Le Tigre.
I was pulled back to the old neighborhood like a Salmon swimming up stream. The joint had not changed a bit. Inside, the place is narrow and there is a lot of stuff crammed into the small venue. There are statues of tigers, stuffed-animal tigers, pictures of tigers, and figurines of tigers. Pictures of Elvis are spattered amongst the tigers. The old juke box brags 200 songs - of course it overflows with Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Elvis.
The bar has an ample arm pad and a polished ceramic bar-top. There is a step to put you tired feet on. There is a nifty seven-chair horseshoe table with dated lounge chairs on the way to the back door. The cooler is the old chest-type with sliding doors. The carpet is tiger design - hokey of course. And part of the wall has a similar covering. Part of the wall is brick, probably fake, and a fake fire place. Next up is a wheeled popcorn machine...with...popcorn. The place is dark and the colors of course give off an African and tiger timbre.
There is no tap beer, but there is no room to keep the kegs I suspect. There are 1960ish vertical blinds on the storefront windows. There are a few silver-framed kitchen tables and chairs tucked against the wall.
The day I was there the bar-keep had two cute, well-behaved doggies behind the bar. Mini-Greyhounds/Whippets? The bartender meticulously prepared chow for said puppies. That just rather capped off the whole event of going in the place.
I have heard a rumor that swearing is forbidden in the place. No signage that I could see - must be word-of-mouth. No pun intended.
The Le Tigre Lounge is brutally unapologetic for its demeanor; and, it is still cool with Cool Dadio. Find it at 1328 South Midvale Boulevard, Madison, Wisconsin; north of the Beltline. Call (608) 274 - 0994 for more information.
Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
(each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)
Army Specialist John O. Tollefson, 22, was killed by a bomb while on patrol in Ashraf, Iraq, on July 27, 2005. He was from the Fox Valley city of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. John was a 2001 graduate of Goodrich High School in Fond du Lac. Specialist Tollefson was with the 411th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade out of Fort Hood, Texas. At the time of his death, John was survived by his parents Walter Tollefson of Fond du Lac and Mary Steinman of Rosendale, and two sisters, Katie and Jessica. Specialist John Tollefson was the 42nd Wisconsin service member killed in Iraq since the spring of 2003.
As of this blog entry's posting date:
95,593 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
9,411 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,386 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
1009 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
317 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
656 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
31,716 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
5,190 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
101 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
17 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
140 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
21 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
Wisconsin military service person special mention of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org; Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; iraqbodycount.org; and, icasualties.org.
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| Posted by Bob Keith at | | | |
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If the walls could talk. The Bear Chest Lounge has been around for a long time. It has seen good economies and bad. It still perseveres. It has the swagger of another era when strip clubs actually got plopped in residential neighborhood segueing off the neighborhood bar construct so endearing to Wisconsin.
Now days more often than not, you will find your favorite strip clubs no doubt looming in the confines of an industrial park or on the edge of your town. But not the Bear Chest, its right by your grandma's house. It is easy to get lost looking for it on the near north side of Beloit. Unless of course your grandma actually really does live down the way from it.
For a residential neighborhood, there is ample parking. There is an old glass sign near the roof that says, "Go-Go Entertainment Dancing." Another painted sign on the outside wall has a picture of a bear and a treasure chest.
The building basically has the demeanor of a house or corner grocery. The ceilings are low, the back room is the dance area. You step down a few steps to get to the seating and stage. I imagine the bar area as what was once the old house's kitchen. The lap dance cubicles are on the way to the rest room. I don't know, but I kind of like the well-worn old demeanor of the place. That's just me of course.
Cover charge seems to be five Bucks lately. The place opens about five or sixish in the evening. You might want to call first.
Be careful if you have high hopes of gaggles of girls; there may only be three or four, especially on a week day. Now this lends itself to an economic cascade of sorts. Fewer girls, lends itself to fewer guys, which in turn tends to nudge the girls into pestering you to buy drinks or let them give you a lap-dance you may not be in the mood to do. Remember, it is their job to extract all your money from you - one dollar at a time if necessary.
As always, you are in control of your own visit. If you let the girls pressure you into something you will regret...well, Christ, I am not your damn mom. In general, the bartender girls are laid back yet polite and friendly. The dancers are in general friendly and chatty, if you stumble on the right one.
The girls will dance naked, but the caveat is, it seems to be left up to them. Some will keep their skimpy threads on. The girls will not usually wander around after the stage dance and ask for another tip like some places. Word is a lap-dance will set you back 20 Bucks. The lap-dance cubicles are well-worn and there is only a few. There is a V.I.P lounge, I took a peek in the open door and it actually looks rather spiffy. But I did not get to do an up-close inspection - could be a different story when the door is closed. One of the girls suggested a half hour in the V.I.P would run a hundred Bucks for a half hour of private dances et cetera. Sorry, I am on a tight "Great Recession" budget.
A bottle of Miller Lite will run you four Bucks. If you linger without buying anything, the soft-spoken bartender girl will politely remind you there is a one-drink minimum. On Monday and Tuesdays the drink special is six, 8/ounce Miller Lites for 10 Bucks. I think they put them in a bucket for you. They also have a couple of gaming machines.
I don't find the old neighborhood threating. I used to live in an inner-city burrow similar to the north side of Beloit down in Dallas. If you act like a fool in any neighborhood you will usually find yourself in the minority. Yuppy subdivisions with their covenants and no-vehicle-repair-in-the-driveway ordinances can be way more obnoxious than an old neighborhood with a gritty old strip club.
Cool Dadio probably will fire up the teal and cream Harley in the summer and make a swing back by the place. Drop in the joint sometime before the nanny-staters discover it is a place they have not run off yet. Keep your attitude and expectations in reality and you might find it a hoot.
Find the Bear Chest Lounge at 1901 Wisconsin Avenue, Beloit, Wisconsin. Call (608) 365 - 3333 for more information.
Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
(each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)
Army Specialist John O. Tollefson, 22, was killed by a bomb while on patrol in Ashraf, Iraq, on July 27, 2005. He was from the Fox Valley city of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. John was a 2001 graduate of Goodrich High School in Fond du Lac. Specialist Tollefson was with the 411th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade out of Fort Hood, Texas. At the time of his death, John was survived by his parents Walter Tollefson of Fond du Lac and Mary Steinman of Rosendale, and two sisters, Katie and Jessica. Specialist John Tollefson was the 42nd Wisconsin service member killed in Iraq since the spring of 2003.
As of this blog entry's posting date:
95,593 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
9,411 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,386 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
1009 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
317 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
656 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
31,716 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
5,190 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
101 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
17 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
140 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
21 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
Wisconsin military service person special mention of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org; Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; iraqbodycount.org; and, icasualties.org.
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| Posted by Bob Keith at | | | |
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Now I know just a smidgen of what Moshe the Beadle felt like. No one believed him after he escaped the death trains and came back to warn his village of the Nazi concentration camps. To my knowledge, none of us here in Wisconsin have been marched off to economic gas chambers as yet, but the "Great Recession" is still young. Stand by.
I was reflecting about when I graduated from undergraduate in 2003 at almost 50 years old with 35 years of work experience. A Madison grocery story offered me a job cutting lettuce while I stood in inch-deep water in the deli. I was sniffing around in Madison because in 2003, the Janesville job market was already falling apart. And, if your over 50, you ain't getting past the Human Resource Nazis. No job for you old sucker. Canary in the coal mine back in 2003? I don't care much nowadays. It's all lettuce under the bridge now.
I am tiring of continually firing off warnings to the banal at large. Each time the state drops to another layer of economic agony, the faithful re-adapt and move on. Soon we will all be living in cardboard boxes. I am here people. I am not a statistic. I live this economic hell...and I can connect a sentence or two. Most people just move away. None, and I mean none, go before the County Boards or City Councils and say, "See you later you fools, you ruined my life, I am moving away."
Down the road from us, Brodhead School District voters turned down a three and a half million dollar referendum. Both state Republicans and Democrats are mad at the beleaguered voting peeps for not coughing up cash for the schools and being willing to live in poverty while the "Great Recession" works itself out.
Spanish trains are a'com'n. 'Cause the good Gov says so. Wonder why we can't build our own trains? We were once a great Wisconsin industrial nation-state. Ain't it on our damn state flag? And, why is Southern Wisconsin so inviting to the nation of Spain with its near 20-percent unemployment? Moving jobs to America must have gone over real well over there. Perhaps their tough labor laws have driven said train company to a Southern Wisconsin worker population now conditioned to accept non-benefit, part-time, meritless, seven-day-per-week, lousy jobs. Naa. It is just my imagination going a muck. Anyway, Rock County probably lost out on the train factory bid because most of its hapless working schleps have moved away in desperation to escape Janesville and Beloit's double digit unemployment reality.
Democrats are mad because the union matrix is destroyed down here on the great prairie on the threshold of glaciated Wisconsin. Republicans are mad because the "new norm" Globalism is not flying well with the aforementioned besieged Neo-Second World Wisconsin workers. Oh my.
In moments of budgetary angst, I think of those who have nurtured this economic-hell-culture for the better part of 35 years with decisions that have manifested into the misery we languish in now. I would like to see any perennial economic bureaucrats, and their Republican and Democrat handlers, die of pancreatic cancer. Just kidding. Wait...no I am not. I hear it is a horrible death. Actually, probably too good a death for the perps of this wrecked economy. But I digress into vindictiveness. Well then, come visit my 21-year-old Chevy car I live in with my cat and convince me of my wrong-headedness. Me thinks that ain't a'go'n't'happ'n.
What keeps Rock County afloat? Oh, could it be: soon-to-end unemployment benefits; Aid-to-Families-with-Dependent-Children; floundering factory pensions; bulging college campuses with unemployed workers using student loans for income; and, IOUs from Social Security. It's got to be something, 'cause sure as heck, no one is working down here. And where will all those excess students work when they graduate? Never mind.
And then there is the "Perpetual Optimists." Quoted in the Janesville Gazette, City of Janesville economic development director Vic Grassman says, "We're going to be OK...It's not 'if', it's 'when.' We will be successful."
In a Gazette sister article to the above, Rock County economic development manager James Otterstein (one of the most Orwellian double-speak obfuscating bureaucrats in the region) says, "What was demand-driven two years ago might not be demand-driven as we move forward."
Alleged business man-slash writer, and for sure idiot, John Torinus occasionally apologizes for the current Great Recession, carping in innuendo that it is our fault we can't adjust to Third World wages as workers. He seems to imply if we can just hold on a few more years, all will be fine. I'll grab some more plastic sheeting and duct tape for my lean-to.
In Torinus' latest masterpiece in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he says, "Seven percent of the world's public stock value was in emerging markets a decade ago, and now it is 24%...reports show that massive infusion of capital [is] lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty [in Third World markets]. That means rapidly growing market demand there. Long term, it will be good for American businesses if they are in those markets as players."
What the fuck? Let's celebrate - pass the MD 20/20 and the crackers. They are in my back seat somewhere. What fuck'n Wisconsin products are people going to put in their huts in Iraq, Viet Nam, and Laos? I have fuck'n been there recently. They don't even have electricity in most villages. In the mean time I will keep living in my Chevy with my three-legged cat until Omar and Nguyen can effort carpet for their huts made in Wisconsin.
"Duuh!" I respond to them all. Great. I hope the cardboard box houses down here in Rock County do not get rained on in the mean time until the fantasy world they live in somehow becomes reality. Perhaps these economic-hell apologists will just keep on a'click'n those ol' economic Ruby polyester slippers 'til the bitter end. They will no doubt still be mumbling obfuscated economic crap from their death beds as old fools in the economic pundit nursing home.
As for me, I ain't a'doing anymore pieces like this here one. Each time I do, talking insect-head pundits like Torinus come out of the woodwork to explain it is all in my imagination. And, any notion of being economically boiled like a frog is just actually the kerosene furnace in my Chevy house acting up again.
The spiral of economic reality silence is stunning.
Good luck Southern Wisconsin. You are damn sure going to need it now. As for me, well...the Dadio train (no pun intended - oh, yeah it was intended) has left the literary train station.
Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
(each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)
Army Specialist John O. Tollefson, 22, was killed by a bomb while on patrol in Ashraf, Iraq, on July 27, 2005. He was from the Fox Valley city of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. John was a 2001 graduate of Goodrich High School in Fond du Lac. Specialist Tollefson was with the 411th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade out of Fort Hood, Texas. At the time of his death, John was survived by his parents Walter Tollefson of Fond du Lac and Mary Steinman of Rosendale, and two sisters, Katie and Jessica. Specialist John Tollefson was the 42nd Wisconsin service member killed in Iraq since the spring of 2003.
As of this blog entry's posting date:
95,593 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
9,411 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,383 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
1008 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
317 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
656 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
31,706 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
5,131 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
101 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
17 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
140 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
21 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
Wisconsin military service person special mention of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org; Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; iraqbodycount.org; and, icasualties.org.
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| Posted by Bob Keith at | | | |
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Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
(each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)
Army Specialist John O. Tollefson, 22, was killed by a bomb while on patrol in Ashraf, Iraq, on July 27, 2005. He was from the Fox Valley city of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. John was a 2001 graduate of Goodrich High School in Fond du Lac. Specialist Tollefson was with the 411th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade out of Fort Hood, Texas. At the time of his death, John was survived by his parents Walter Tollefson of Fond du Lac and Mary Steinman of Rosendale, and two sisters, Katie and Jessica. Specialist John Tollefson was the 42nd Wisconsin service member killed in Iraq since the spring of 2003.
As of this blog entry's posting date:
95,568 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
9,411 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,383 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
1007 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
317 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
655 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
31,706 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
5,131 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
101 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
17 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
140 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
21 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
Wisconsin military service person special mention of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org; Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; iraqbodycount.org; and, icasualties.org.
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| Posted by Bob Keith at | | | |
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Around 11: 00 a.m. on Fridays you can start getting in on the Fish Fry at the Belmont Casino. I like those good old morning fish fry starts. Of course my schedule is so erratic I got there at 5:30 p.m. or so, but it is still just as good. Now these days, it looks like the Casino part of the Belmont Casino is a nod to watching sports and racing on the televisions in the place. The sign in front says "Established 1967." It is a family affair.
The bar is topped with a couple thick 12 inch wide, well worn church-pew wood planks. They are distressed by default. There are unfinished sections of the walls and floors. It reminds me of a couple on-going construction works-in-progress I have up and running my self. But we are here to talk fish not carpentry.
The fish is offered in a three or five piece dinner. The Cod comes with a different cut, almost like a Catfish or Walleye slab. You can choose fries or cheesy hash browns. The cheesy hash browns come in a good sized bowl. Your tarter will be in a good old bottle. There will be a side of great creamy tavern cole slaw. I ate up at that good worn bar top.
Fish, cheesy has browns, and slaw are excellent. God bless the "tavern fish fry." Belmont Casino is cool with Cool Dadio. Find them at 29 Sherman Avenue West , Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. For more information call (920) 563 - 4646.
Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
(each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)
Army Specialist Charles A. Kaufman, 20, was killed when a car bomb detonated near his Humvee in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sunday, June 26, 2005. Charles was in Company C, 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry Regiment, Wisconsin Army National Guard. His unit was from Arcadia, Wisconsin. Kaufman was from Fairchild, Wisconsin. Fairchild is about 30 miles southeast of Eau Claire and has a population of 511. Charles Kaufman was a Humvee driver with his unit. His Charlie Company was stationed in Samarra, about 60 miles north of Baghdad. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel mentioned Charles was known for his fondness of motorized vehicles of all sorts, and that he was also a rather good pool player. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel went on to mention Kaufman's cousin, Kelly was also in Charlie Company, and the two went through Osseo-Fairchild High School together and graduated in 2003. They had joined the same National Guard unit. Specialist Charles Kaufman was the 41st Wisconsin service member to be killed in Iraq since the spring of 2003.
As of this blog entry's posting date:
95,568 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
9,411 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,383 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
1001 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
317 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
655 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
31,706 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
5,131 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
101 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
17 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
140 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
21 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
Wisconsin military service person special mention of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org; Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; iraqbodycount.org; and, icasualties.org.
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| Posted by Bob Keith at | | | |
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The coup de grace with the truck assembly job in Green County came one day while I was in a position to watch the crew work area. I was assembling some air-tubing connectors while sitting at a table and watching the theater of the assembly activity.
A big ol' farm boy from Lafayette County walked up to the armor plate welder who happened to be from Madison. Now there was a contrast in profiles, physical and psychologically. Be that as it may, Big Ol' Boy was just out of high school; Madison dude was 40ish and lean, and well...Madison Dude. Anyway, Big Ol' Boy walked in with a 100 mile role of electrical wire bundling rolled over his shoulder. He looked like a paunchy John Wayne with his cowboy roll of rope. Big Ol' Boy walked up to Madison Dude who was welding armor plate onto the armored car like a moe'foe.
"Hey, Madison Dude," Big Ol' Boy said. "You didn't weld that plating up yet dit'cha?
Madison Dude lifted his welding helmet and looked at Big Ol' Boy and said, "What the fuck does it look like I am doing; why do you ask?"
Big Ol' Boy smiled a crooked smile and said, "We ain't put this here wire in there yet."
So, Madison Dude would take a torch and cut out the armor plating he just spent all morning putting in. Insanity like this went on week after week.
Boss Man would just shake his head and say, "Fix'er up then boys."
It would have been a great job thirty years earlier during the Viet Nam War. There was a, "milk The Man" timbre back in those days. But, that was decades ago. I had been through all this before in work life. I wanted to move on to a new work mantra; a new outlook. Had this been the old Soviet Union, it would have meant something. The old saying in the Soviet Union was, "We pretend to work; the government pretends to pay us."
I just could not stand the banal lunacy of that work culture. I had worked too many years to now live it all over again. A week after thinking it over, I turned in my uniforms at the main office, picked up my tool box, and never set foot in the place again.
Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
(each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)
Army Specialist Charles A. Kaufman, 20, was killed when a car bomb detonated near his Humvee in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sunday, June 26, 2005. Charles was in Company C, 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry Regiment, Wisconsin Army National Guard. His unit was from Arcadia, Wisconsin. Kaufman was from Fairchild, Wisconsin. Fairchild is about 30 miles southeast of Eau Claire and has a population of 511. Charles Kaufman was a Humvee driver with his unit. His Charlie Company was stationed in Samarra, about 60 miles north of Baghdad. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel mentioned Charles was known for his fondness of motorized vehicles of all sorts, and that he was also a rather good pool player. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel went on to mention Kaufman's cousin, Kelly was also in Charlie Company, and the two went through Osseo-Fairchild High School together and graduated in 2003. They had joined the same National Guard unit. Specialist Charles Kaufman was the 41st Wisconsin service member to be killed in Iraq since the spring of 2003.
As of this blog entry's posting date:
95,568 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
9,411 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,383 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
1001 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
317 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
655 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
31,706 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
5,131 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
101 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
17 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
140 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
21 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
Wisconsin military service person special mention of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org; Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; iraqbodycount.org; and, icasualties.org.
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| Posted by Bob Keith at | | | |
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By the summer of 1995 we were getting used to our life in rural New Glarus. I had quit the farm-hardware-retail-auto store. I had also abandoned the many years of landscape work I had invested in. And, much to my mom's disappointment, I had rejected working for the almighty state of Wisconsin emptying trash cans in the middle of the night as a good job. Remember my mom's generation made the transition from farmers to university janitors and thought they had been dropped in heaven.
None-the-less, I needed a damn job while I went to Emergency Medical Technician class. Down the road in the opposite direction as Madison, sits Monroe down in Green County. There is a truck accessory assembly plant down that way that builds a compendium of odd vehicles. They work up ambulances, armored cars, snow plows, train track service vehicles, utility vans, tool trucks, and just about any kind of vehicle the working world might need. All they needed was the truck chassis and they could build any kind of monstrosity vehicle around it.
A contract came in for armored cars and I responded to the job posting for help. After all, I had my own mechanical tools from the auto mechanic part of the farm-hardware-retail-auto store. I had also already worked in a truck assembly plant in Janesville back in 1980 (Tenth Job of Bob). But here is the caveat. Then I was 24 years old. But in New Glarus I was 40. Time is cruel and causes one to forget how hard past tasks might have been.
The Green County company gave me a thoughtful panel interview. That was back in the days when Human Resource departments actually behaved themselves and cut a man a break. Now days, the Human Resource culture at large seems to relentlessly cull old employees and block eligible employees from interviews in lieu of drinking buddies and relatives. But I digress.
It was good hours and around nine Bucks an hour. Like the City of Dallas, I was in by 6:00 a.m. and out by 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. And, they provided an ample number of work uniforms and a laundry service to wash them; a combination that old truck assembly job in Janesville never offered.
It was a new contract so the crew of about 20 guys had to work up an old annex building to facilitate the project. The crew boss-man was a decent fellow. He did however, buy into the neo-supervisional crap of bringing birthday cakes in for employees, et cetera. And, if a dilemma arose, he would always say, "We will solve this fellows, remember we are using the Japanese Management Rubric Model." What ever dude, most of the guys could not spell "Japanese" let alone know what a rubric was.
That was a pleasant summer in 1995. Boss-man discovered I was an adequate forklift driver and he delegated me with the task of moving in all the material in, and building the metal shelves to hold it all. I had actually thought I might have stumbled into a nice gig. No one messed with my wheeled tool box. All the guys were respectful of other people's belongings.
The job worked good with my Emergency Medical work and school because I did most of that starting at 6:00 p.m. in the evening. Everything seemed to be in good speed to move on in life.
But, then came the Fall of the year and the actual beginning of the armored car contract production. The vehicles would be built, each one at a time. One reason for this was, say it with me, "the Japanese Management Rubric Model." Another reason to do one vehicle at a time was some armored car security issue I never quite could understand.
Then, after a few vehicles were built, and tons of armored plating, wiring, and bullet-proof glass were handled, I would begin to see the results of being 16 years older since the last time I worked in a production factory. There would be all that heavy material, dirty welding tasks, ill-prepared co-workers (kind way to say illiterate), countless assembly crew mistakes, and the repairs those mistakes require. At night, my body ached and cramped.
It was probably a great gig in the 1960s if you were trying to milk an hourly job and stay out of the Viet Nam War. But the 1990s and its new technologies were a long way from the 1960s. I was beginning to yearn for the new work world that the 1995 society boasted, and I of course, had locked myself back in the 1960s in this strenuous, truck assembly culture.
Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
(each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)
Army Specialist Charles A. Kaufman, 20, was killed when a car bomb detonated near his Humvee in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sunday, June 26, 2005. Charles was in Company C, 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry Regiment, Wisconsin Army National Guard. His unit was from Arcadia, Wisconsin. Kaufman was from Fairchild, Wisconsin. Fairchild is about 30 miles southeast of Eau Claire and has a population of 511. Charles Kaufman was a Humvee driver with his unit. His Charlie Company was stationed in Samarra, about 60 miles north of Baghdad. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel mentioned Charles was known for his fondness of motorized vehicles of all sorts, and that he was also a rather good pool player. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel went on to mention Kaufman's cousin, Kelly was also in Charlie Company, and the two went through Osseo-Fairchild High School together and graduated in 2003. They had joined the same National Guard unit. Specialist Charles Kaufman was the 41st Wisconsin service member to be killed in Iraq since the spring of 2003.
As of this blog entry's posting date:
95,568 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
9,400 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,383 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
1000 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
317 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
655 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
31,693 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
5,064 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
101 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
17 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
140 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
21 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
Wisconsin military service person special mention of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org; Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; iraqbodycount.org; and, icasualties.org.
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| Posted by Bob Keith at | | | |
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What do Boomers do for fun?
by Becky Bechtel
What on earth is there to do for us Baby Boomers on the weekends? Right now it's 4:30 a.m., and of course the leg cramps woke me up at 3:30, so we've drunk a pot of coffee and are watching the "Agribusiness" show on TV and attempting to Google up "weekend events" in the area. So far, I've found the R.V. show in West Allis and the St. John's Lutheran Church chili cook-off in Grafton. Since, we're on the frickin' "heart healthy" diet the chili cook-off is out (plus I don't think the Lutherans would serve beer with the chili). I do like to tour the R.V.s and imagine where we could go if we ever are able to retire after the 40% plunge in the market; however, I'm not resigned to spending summer weekends sandwiched up in an R.V. park with an asphalt parking lot, one tree, and a plethora of over friendly, jeans-short and Capri-clad neighbors. The most disturbing thought is that I acknowledge we actually ARE at the age where we should be considering this as fun.
My two "girlfriends" (a/k/a T.O.B.s [The Old Bags]) are retired, so their options are unlimited. They're leaving Monday to spend the month of March at the Villages in Florida - yes, the mini-city that has everything within its boundaries, so all you need is a room and a golf cart. Methinks they might get some "action", as they are younger than 62 and have been known to pop a Miller before noon on Fridays. I did hear a scandalous report that STDs are rampant in such communities and that eldsters are not "protecting" themselves properly. We were "active" in the era when penicillin killed everything out there (or "in there" as the case may be), and we have no clue about of the wicked stuff going around. When I asked T.O.B.s what they were going to do with a whole month's time and only a golf cart for transportation, they replied that they were going to hang out at the pool and drink. The thought of them in their waistline-whittling spandex suits, slathered in number 110 sunscreen, sweating beer and hooting at "hot" men raises the skin on the back of my neck. Nothing good can come of this. These are the same two women who quilt, volunteer at the Food Pantry and Lutheran Church, and clean out horse stalls for the SMILES program.
We thought about going to the Milwaukee Public Museum to see the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit. Of course, after we thought about parking, paying $26 a ticket and waiting in line for an hour, we discarded the cultural option. Besides, the scrolls would spark a theological argument between us, and would inevitably escalate to politics and my calling that "spunky young gal" Sarah Palin the Antichrist.
As a last resort, we could always call our married kids and hang out with them, but we have to be very sly when doing so, because if I call and them and ask what they're doing for the weekend, they rattle off several attractive options, but when I say that all of them sound promising (meaning we would like to join them), they misconstrue my interest as an offer to babysit while they go out and enjoy said fun events.
Matt is single and living the "high" life in Milwaukee. Maybe he could meet us for dinner - he might even agree to do something "fun" with us, if we agree to pay. Whoops, I just remembered that he doesn't get up on the weekends before 2:00 p.m., and then he has to work out, shower, find a clean, non-wrinkled shirt, text message, twitter, etc., before he would be ready to go out. By then we'll be starved (we always eat before 6:00 p.m.) and ready for bed. If we got there early to motivate him to hurry, I would be entirely too tempted to dust, throw some cleanser in the toilet and sink, vacuum, sort laundry, look through his mail and drawers, etc.
I guess we'll end up going to Walmart and wandering aimlessly up and down the aisles, looking at the $5.00 DVDs and not remembering which ones we've seen. I like to think that we're way too worldly to consider Walmart an "outing"; and, of course, we always snicker about "those other people" who are there who have nothing better to do. Why is it that we usually run into most of our friends at Walmart, listening to the musical cards? Oh, now I get it - we DON'T have anything better to do.
Help me - and tell the truth - what do all of you other fifty-somethings do for fun????????
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Cool Dadio Media is endeavoring to bring a Guest Writer Category to the fray.
Becky Bechtel is a comrade of mine from high school days here in South Central Wisconsin. These days you will apparently "not" find Becky at an R.V. park, in Capri pants, or at a Sarah Palin function. This particular posting is as it was originally sent and has not been edited other than bolding Becky's name and adding an "is" in a sentence. Thank you Becky for your contribution.
Bob Keith...Cool Dadio Media
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Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
(each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)
Army Specialist Charles A. Kaufman, 20, was killed when a car bomb detonated near his Humvee in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sunday, June 26, 2005. Charles was in Company C, 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry Regiment, Wisconsin Army National Guard. His unit was from Arcadia, Wisconsin. Kaufman was from Fairchild, Wisconsin. Fairchild is about 30 miles southeast of Eau Claire and has a population of 511. Charles Kaufman was a Humvee driver with his unit. His Charlie Company was stationed in Samarra, about 60 miles north of Baghdad. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel mentioned Charles was known for his fondness of motorized vehicles of all sorts, and that he was also a rather good pool player. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel went on to mention Kaufman's cousin, Kelly was also in Charlie Company, and the two went through Osseo-Fairchild High School together and graduated in 2003. They had joined the same National Guard unit. Specialist Charles Kaufman was the 41st Wisconsin service member to be killed in Iraq since the spring of 2003.
As of this blog entry's posting date:
95,568 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
9,378 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,383 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
1000 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
317 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
649 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
31,693 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
5,064 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
101 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
17 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
139 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
17 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
Wisconsin military service person special mention of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org; Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; iraqbodycount.org; and, icasualties.org.
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| Posted by Bob Keith at | | | |
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Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
(each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)
Army Specialist Charles A. Kaufman, 20, was killed when a car bomb detonated near his Humvee in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sunday, June 26, 2005. Charles was in Company C, 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry Regiment, Wisconsin Army National Guard. His unit was from Arcadia, Wisconsin. Kaufman was from Fairchild, Wisconsin. Fairchild is about 30 miles southeast of Eau Claire and has a population of 511. Charles Kaufman was a Humvee driver with his unit. His Charlie Company was stationed in Samarra, about 60 miles north of Baghdad. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel mentioned Charles was known for his fondness of motorized vehicles of all sorts, and that he was also a rather good pool player. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel went on to mention Kaufman's cousin, Kelly was also in Charlie Company, and the two went through Osseo-Fairchild High School together and graduated in 2003. They had joined the same National Guard unit. Specialist Charles Kaufman was the 41st Wisconsin service member to be killed in Iraq since the spring of 2003.
As of this blog entry's posting date:
95,568 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
9,378 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,383 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
1000 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
317 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
649 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
31,693 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
5,064 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
101 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
17 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
139 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
17 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
Wisconsin military service person special mention of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org; Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; iraqbodycount.org; and, icasualties.org.
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| Posted by Bob Keith at | | | |
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A week ago we headed over to Heide's old stomping ground in the Lake Como area of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. She has returned to College and had some work to do about the Frank Loyd Wright-esque library on the lake-shore of Lake Geneva. Anyway, we hooked up with an aunt of Heide's and headed for the home turf out in Como.
Just into the residential area of the North shore of Lake Como is a cluster of eateries/taverns. Believe it or not after all these decades of connections with the area, neither of us had ever been to Club House Inn. It was a pleasant surprise. It is a small light blue building. Once inside you realize it has a cozy timbre. There are 11 four-chair tables and a couple bigger ones. The inside is adorned with that good old lake house wood paneling. There is a bar with a large glass mirror wall.
Heide and I both chose the two-piece deep-fried Cod with potato pancakes. The Cod came in tender chunks; the cakes are homemade on-sight. Heide ordered a Chicken Tortea soup and I got a salad with both Ranch and French - an old preference my mom always ordered. Heide's aunt got the pan-fried Perch with potato pancakes and a bowl of Clam Chowder soup which she maintained was excellent. Everyone seemed pleased with the eats. I cleaned up every crumb of mine.
The cole slaw will come creamy with a thicker texture, and in a dish. To start out with, they will bring the table a thoughtful vegetable dish with cheese, butter, et cetera. A basket of rolls will come for the table.
Club House Inn is cool with Cool Dadio. Find them at W13731 Club House Drive, Lake Geneva (Lake Como), Wisconsin. They are on the hill off County Highway H, down by the Lake Como Association Club House and another bar. You got to go back into the matrix of Lake Como streets to get there. Take Beach Road or Club House Drive off of Hwy H. Call (262) 248 - 9862 for more information. They also have a Web site at www.clubhouseinnribs.com .
Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
(each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)
Lieutenant Michael McGreevy Jr., 30, was killed when the MH-47D Chinook helicopter he was in was shot down during operations near Asadabad, in Kunar Province, Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. McGreevy was a U.S. Navy SEAL. He had received a Congressional Appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy where he earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1997. After commissioning, Lieutenant McGreevy served aboard the USS OAK HILL (LSD 51) as a Surface Warfare Officer. Information about Michael has been compiled by cooldadiomedia.com from pow-mia-kia.org; livinglegendteam.blogspot.com; usmountainranger.org; and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In recent years Michael was a resident of Portville, New York. He was however, a Wisconsin native, and was born in Milwaukee where he lived until 10 years old. His family moved away from Shorewood, Wisconsin when he was still in grade school. At the time of his death Michael was survived by wife Laura and daughter Molly, around a year old at the time. McGreevy was assigned to SEAL Team 10 as Officer-in-Charge of Echo Platoon, Naval Special Warfare Group Two, stationed out of Virginia Beach, Virgina. This is the unit he was in when deployed to Afghanistan in April of 2005. During his service time McGreevy was awarded many military medals including the Bronze Star (with "V" for Valor), and the Purple Heart. Lieutenant Michael McGreevy was the third Wisconsin military service member with Wisconsin roots to die in Afghanistan since 2001.
As of this blog entry's posting date:
95,412 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
9,378 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,382 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
995 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
317 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
649 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
31,693 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
5,064 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
101 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
17 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
139 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
17 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
Wisconsin military service person special mention of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org; Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; iraqbodycount.org; and, icasualties.org.
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| Posted by Bob Keith at | | | |
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One of my main sources for keeping track of casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan is CNN.com. I use various sources, but CNN usually weighs in after verifying casualties. Some outlets report on numbers from preliminary reports from the battle field. That just seems a little too quick to push numbers. All the "numbers" dare we remember, represent a grieving family.
Regardless, CNN is getting close to reporting that the United States now has 1000 military personnel killed in Afghanistan since the fall of 2001. Coincidently, the number of wounded in Afghanistan surpassed 5000 within the last couple weeks.
Poetically, just as I returned from Iraq in March of 2008, I had to make a post noting the 4000th American death in Iraq since the spring of 2003. That number passed by the public rather unnoticed. Although the death rate has slowed in the last couple years in Iraq, that does not diminish that every death has ruined some family's dreams. The number of American dead in Iraq is now 4382. The American wounded in Iraq hovers around 32,000 - having served in the Vietnam era, that high a number is disturbingly Vietnam-esque.
I suspect this current Afghanistan War 1000 casualty number will slip under the public radar too. We do after all, need to focus on fallen-from-grace professional golfers, and other "professional" millionaire athletes that compete as "amateurs" in international competition. To our credit however, American groups are still trying to help Haiti. But Toyota cars with mechanical schizophrenia have knocked Haiti's tens-of-thousands of earthquake dead out of the collective media-noise. But I digress.
Bear in mind, these casualty numbers only reflect American loses. Between the two wars, another nearly 1000 coalition military personnel from contributing countries have also died - including 442 Britons. Canada opted to participate in Afghanistan exclusively and has lost 140 military personnel. And of course, the number of dead Iraqis and Afghans is many thousands, both civilian and military.
Bringing the number of dead to our own state, the two wars have claimed nearly 120 military service people with Wisconsin connections. They come from places with names that befuddle the rest of the country: Fort Atkinson; Little Chute; Rhinelander; Peshtigo; Onalaska; Waukesha; Ladysmith; Menomonie; Oshkosh; Milwaukee; Oneida; and Fond du Lac. All places mispronounced by national talking heads. All places that represent a rich Native American, French, and German history. And, the biographies of the dead reflect the culture of the peculiar hometown names. They liked to ice fish, snowmobile, snow board, four-wheel, turkey hunt, deer hunt, play hockey, and play football. They went to Friday fish fries; and, in random free time played cards with family and friends - Euchre. They are both men and women, many college students, and all volunteers. Many were in the Guard or Reserves. Their family names reflect an eclectic citizenry: African American; Hispanic; German; Irish; Polish; and, Norwegian. They all had plans for their futures.
There is something disturbingly Orwellian about this two, perennial-war culture we now live in. If we pay attention at all, year after year, we see and hear only numbers. It is in a way overwhelming to comprehend it at its core costs. But, these numbers represent our fellow citizens, our allies, our neighbors, our friends, our family members - real living souls, and the many people they connect with. Behind the numbers is...meaning.
There is nothing that I could adequately contribute or say to ease the grief of the families and friends of the many thousands of dead and wounded.
Like an old supervisor and friend of mine always says, "Bob, sometimes things are just better left...un-said."
Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
(each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)
Lieutenant Michael McGreevy Jr., 30, was killed when the MH-47D Chinook helicopter he was in was shot down during operations near Asadabad, in Kunar Province, Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. McGreevy was a U.S. Navy SEAL. He had received a Congressional Appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy where he earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1997. After commissioning, Lieutenant McGreevy served aboard the USS OAK HILL (LSD 51) as a Surface Warfare Officer. Information about Michael has been compiled by cooldadiomedia.com from pow-mia-kia.org; livinglegendteam.blogspot.com; usmountainranger.org; and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In recent years Michael was a resident of Portville, New York. He was however, a Wisconsin native, and was born in Milwaukee where he lived until 10 years old. His family moved away from Shorewood, Wisconsin when he was still in grade school. At the time of his death Michael was survived by wife Laura and daughter Molly, around a year old at the time. McGreevy was assigned to SEAL Team 10 as Officer-in-Charge of Echo Platoon, Naval Special Warfare Group Two, stationed out of Virginia Beach, Virgina. This is the unit he was in when deployed to Afghanistan in April of 2005. During his service time McGreevy was awarded many military medals including the Bronze Star (with "V" for Valor), and the Purple Heart. Lieutenant Michael McGreevy was the third Wisconsin military service member with Wisconsin roots to die in Afghanistan since 2001.
As of this blog entry's posting date:
95,412 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
9,378 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,382 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
995 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
317 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
649 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
31,693 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
5,064 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
101 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
17 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
139 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
17 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
Wisconsin military service person special mention of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org; Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; iraqbodycount.org; and, icasualties.org.
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| Posted by Bob Keith at | | | |
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Although my blue-collar work (at least I still have a job) schedule sucks, I endeavor to still do "stuff." I popped down to Beloit on Friday last week to snoop in on the Beloit International Film Festival (BIFF) activities. Straight off, I will tell you I am not going to write about any film. Although I did want to see "Fish Fry Friday Night Milwaukee" by Ron Faiola. Of course I missed it. But I know where I can buy it. But I digress.
I dropped in Bushel & Peck's which was one of the places showing films on behalf of BIFF. I was quite surprised - it is well suited for such an endeavor. It is in the old Woolworth's building right downtown. They have a large back area - probably the old warehouse - that is perfect for showing films or other presentations - high ceiling; good acoustics.
Bushel & Peck's is a...well...trendy grocery-coffee-sandwich-beer/wine-eatery. Weeyu. The best price on beer believe it or not was a 24 ounce bottle of Heineken for five bucks. That night they had a popular Angus Burger presentation. So if your thinking it is a veggie place, it ain't.
There are plenty of sofas and stuffed chairs about the place and an eating area to chow down. There is a nice spot to sit on a sofa by the pellet stove near the old big retail picture windows. You get a good view of old Beloit. There is some eclectic art strewn about the place. There are the consummate ceiling fans hanging amongst Chinese paper lights. They have a naked ceiling exposing the duct work like so many places do since the 1990s interior design constructs took over. Besides, old hanging ceilings collect dust.
By the by. It is no secret in these parts that Beloit has gone though industrial and economic change for decades - long before neighbor General Motors town Janesville collapsed. Beloit has adapted and compensated rather well for a community with now some of the highest unemployment in Wisconsin. I suspect some of the people in Bushel & Peck's were out-of-towners. The place was crowded. And my job is to eavesdrop. But, I did not hear the languishing misery banter and prattle common in Janesville these days.
People have been telling Janesville to take a page out of sister-city Beloit's survival guide for years, but to deaf ears. But again, I digress. Or perhaps I do not. It is my job after all to put a tone, a musical timbre mood to the places I visit. They tell me Bushel and Peck's has been there for a couple years. Should I dare say since I lived through the 1960s? - Bushel & Peck's carries itself like, and there is a waft of what, the 1960s and ' 70s actually hoped to look like and feel like (and never really did) in this place.
Bushel and Peck's is cool with Cool Dadio. I will no-doubt be back to give them a try perhaps during Beloit Farmers Market when the weather tunes up real soon now. Find them at 328 State Street in Beloit, Wisconsin. Call (608) 363 - 3911 for more information.
Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
(each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)
Lieutenant Michael McGreevy Jr., 30, was killed when the MH-47D Chinook helicopter he was in was shot down during operations near Asadabad, in Kunar Province, Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. McGreevy was a U.S. Navy SEAL. He had received a Congressional Appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy where he earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1997. After commissioning, Lieutenant McGreevy served aboard the USS OAK HILL (LSD 51) as a Surface Warfare Officer. Information about Michael has been compiled by cooldadiomedia.com from pow-mia-kia.org; livinglegendteam.blogspot.com; usmountainranger.org; and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In recent years Michael was a resident of Portville, New York. He was however, a Wisconsin native, and was born in Milwaukee where he lived until 10 years old. His family moved away from Shorewood, Wisconsin when he was still in grade school. At the time of his death Michael was survived by wife Laura and daughter Molly, around a year old at the time. McGreevy was assigned to SEAL Team 10 as Officer-in-Charge of Echo Platoon, Naval Special Warfare Group Two, stationed out of Virginia Beach, Virgina. This is the unit he was in when deployed to Afghanistan in April of 2005. During his service time McGreevy was awarded many military medals including the Bronze Star (with "V" for Valor), and the Purple Heart. Lieutenant Michael McGreevy was the third Wisconsin military service member with Wisconsin roots to die in Afghanistan since 2001.
As of this blog entry's posting date:
95,412 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
9,378 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,382 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
995 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
317 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
649 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
31,693 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
5,064 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
101 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
17 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
139 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
17 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
Wisconsin military service person special mention of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org; Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; iraqbodycount.org; and, icasualties.org.
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| Posted by Bob Keith at | | | |
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The News business
What - if anything- is the relationship between journalism and the news business?
By Tim Morrissey
Used to be if you wanted to write for the local paper, you went to "Journalism School" or majored in English if they didn't have a "J-school" at your college.
Apparently, even with the print industry tanking and the Internet taking over, it's still the case. You go to J-school. Even though thousands and thousands of newspaper jobs went away last year and are never coming back, young folks are still going to J-school, here at the UW and most everyplace else.
I'm a dinosaur because I still read the print edition of the paper every day, scan a dozen news websites, and because I'm a news junkie, I watch national and local news on TV and catch a radio newscast. I feel out-of-touch even on vacation if I can't grab a local newscast or the local paper. I'm just one of those folks who likes to know what's going on, and I don't mean what's going on with celebrities or entertainers.
The news business today is de facto the TV news business, which I've maintained for decades has very little to do with journalism. Radio news is undergoing death by a thousands cuts and for pretty much as long as I was in the biz, the late Paul Harvey's national radio newscast was the number one radio news program in the nation. Those of us who listened knew Paul's broadcasts had more to do with the "comment" part of his "News and Comment" billboard than the "news" part. At least he had the decency to call it "comment."
One of Rush Limbaugh's self-given labels is "America's Anchorman." There are no opinion anchors, so he's got to be pretending to be a "news" anchor. It's terrifying how many people think he's giving "news." Almost as terrifying as the number of people who think morning TV shows like "Fox and Friends" have anything to do with news. Except Rush reaches a lot more people.
In many cases, when you want to be a TV news person, you don't go to J-school. You go to college and major in Broadcasting. I think they still make you take a couple courses in "Journalism," but it's pretty much all about broadcasting. I often wonder what attracts people to radio and TV news jobs, because most of the ones doing it seem to have so little real interest in "news." I think they're mainly interested in being "on the air." Big difference. Radio is now taking employees who don't even WANT to be news people and forcing them to read newscasts.
I'm pretty well convinced that broadcast news is doomed, the newspaper industry is on life support, and what you're doing right now is where news is going to end up.
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Cool Dadio Media is endeavoring to bring a Guest Writer Category to the fray.
Tim Morrissey is well-known in the Madison and Wisconsin news-person world. These days you will probably find Tim on Rifles at Dawn ; and, YourNews.com . This particular posting is as it was originally sent and has not been edited other than bolding Tim's name. Thank you Tim for your contribution.
Bob Keith...Cool Dadio Media
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Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
(each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)
Lieutenant Michael McGreevy Jr., 30, was killed when the MH-47D Chinook helicopter he was in was shot down during operations near Asadabad, in Kunar Province, Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. McGreevy was a U.S. Navy SEAL. He had received a Congressional Appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy where he earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1997. After commissioning, Lieutenant McGreevy served aboard the USS OAK HILL (LSD 51) as a Surface Warfare Officer. Information about Michael has been compiled by cooldadiomedia.com from pow-mia-kia.org; livinglegendteam.blogspot.com; usmountainranger.org; and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In recent years Michael was a resident of Portville, New York. He was however, a Wisconsin native, and was born in Milwaukee where he lived until 10 years old. His family moved away from Shorewood, Wisconsin when he was still in grade school. At the time of his death Michael was survived by wife Laura and daughter Molly, around a year old at the time. McGreevy was assigned to SEAL Team 10 as Officer-in-Charge of Echo Platoon, Naval Special Warfare Group Two, stationed out of Virginia Beach, Virgina. This is the unit he was in when deployed to Afghanistan in April of 2005. During his service time McGreevy was awarded many military medals including the Bronze Star (with "V" for Valor), and the Purple Heart. Lieutenant Michael McGreevy was the third Wisconsin military service member with Wisconsin roots to die in Afghanistan since 2001.
As of this blog entry's posting date:
95,412 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
9,378 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,380 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
991 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
317 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
648 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
31,651 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,923 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
101 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
17 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
139 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
17 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
Wisconsin military service person special mention of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org; Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; iraqbodycount.org; and, icasualties.org.
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| Posted by Bob Keith at | | | |
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Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
(each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)
Lieutenant Michael McGreevy Jr., 30, was killed when the MH-47D Chinook helicopter he was in was shot down during operations near Asadabad, in Kunar Province, Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. McGreevy was a U.S. Navy SEAL. He had received a Congressional Appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy where he earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1997. After commissioning, Lieutenant McGreevy served aboard the USS OAK HILL (LSD 51) as a Surface Warfare Officer. Information about Michael has been compiled by cooldadiomedia.com from pow-mia-kia.org; livinglegendteam.blogspot.com; usmountainranger.org; and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In recent years Michael was a resident of Portville, New York. He was however, a Wisconsin native, and was born in Milwaukee where he lived until 10 years old. His family moved away from Shorewood, Wisconsin when he was still in grade school. At the time of his death Michael was survived by wife Laura and daughter Molly, around a year old at the time. McGreevy was assigned to SEAL Team 10 as Officer-in-Charge of Echo Platoon, Naval Special Warfare Group Two, stationed out of Virginia Beach, Virgina. This is the unit he was in when deployed to Afghanistan in April of 2005. During his service time McGreevy was awarded many military medals including the Bronze Star (with "V" for Valor), and the Purple Heart. Lieutenant Michael McGreevy was the third Wisconsin military service member with Wisconsin roots to die in Afghanistan since 2001.
As of this blog entry's posting date:
95,315 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
9,378 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,380 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
980 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
317 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
639 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
31,648 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,923 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
101 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
17 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
139 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
17 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
Wisconsin military service person special mention of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org; Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; iraqbodycount.org; and, icasualties.org.
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| Posted by Bob Keith at | | | |
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The wood sign on the kitchen counter says, Gene Bennett's Meadowood County Club since 1977. The building on Freeport Road looks well over 100 years old. This ain't the first time we've been here. Heide and I lived a few houses down back in 1992 and '93. This is the consummate neighborhood bar. It looks like they have set up a smoking trailer to upstage the smoking-ban Nazis and nanny-staters in Madison.
There was another Bennett's closer to downtown. Go figure, only in Wisconsin - its like the Farm and Fleet, and the Fleet and Farm saga. Urban legends abound. I hear the Bennett's downtown-ish is no longer.
Anyway, our old stomping ground Bennett's is alive and well and we are here to talk fish. The Friday fish fry starts tavern early - around 11 a.m.-ish. You will start out with an interesting salad offering up top of the kitchen counter. There are six items: cold elbow macaroni and cheese; potato salad; cottage cheese; cole slaw; chicken and ham salad; and, Cajun chicken salad (to-die-for).
The lunch price of the Walleye is $6.50; later in the day it goes up to $9.00. Heide ate light and just ordered some onion rings as we were on a mission to go out later that night. I ordered the Walleye with French fries. The Walleye has a type of Cajun breading I will not soon forget. For a noon fish fry, it rivals upper crust supper clubs in taste.
The place is packed at noon; just like I remember it always was. People talked about life - not about the miseries of the day like the mantra down in former GM-town Janesville. The Sword Fish and Wild Pig are still on the wall. I believe there is a Blue Marlin hanging in there too.
The Sunday Smut-N-Eggs and Porn-in-the-morn innuendos still peek out of menus and various places in the tavern. Oddly, I have never made the Sunday porn pilgrimage. Perhaps now that I have a Strip Club Category I could find time to make it fit in some where in my particular blog shtick.
Bennett's Meadowood Country Club is cool with Cool Dadio. Find Bennett's on Freeport Road just off of Verona Road and Raymond Road as you get close to the Belt-line. Call (608) 271 - 3827 for more information.
Wisconsin Military Service Person Special Mention of the Week
(each week Cooldadiomedia mentions a Wisconsin service person killed in Iraq or Afghanistan)
This week's Wisconsin military service person to remember is Marine Lance Corporal John Mattek Jr., 24, who died from wounds he received from a roadside bomb that exploded near his Humvee in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. John died in the Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland on Monday, June 13, 2005. The explosion was on June 8. He was a gunner on an armored vehicle. Lance Corporal Mattek was flown to Germany and then to Maryland. He was assigned to Company B, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team-2, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force. The unit's home base is in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel mentioned John had been valedictorian of his high school graduating class of 1999 at Antigo High School. He was also active in student government serving as class president throughout his four years and also serving as student council president. The Journal Sentinel went on to say John played linebacker on the high school football team and after graduating, he went on to play strong safety and special teams for the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's football team. John Mattek Jr. was the 40th Wisconsin service member to be killed in Iraq since the spring of 2003.
As of this blog entry's posting date:
95,315 Iraqi civilians have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
9,378 Iraqi Security Forces have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,380 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
980 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
317 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
639 Coalition soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
31,648 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
4,923 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
101 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
17 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
139 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
17 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
Wisconsin military service person special mention of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; washingtonpost.com; thehighground.org; Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; iraqbodycount.org; and, icasualties.org.
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| Posted by Bob Keith at | | | |
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