I’m not on Facebook very often nowadays, but one day last spring, I noticed that an old Union Cab friend working for Tone Madison had invited me to a joint fundraiser for their organization and Communication Madison. It was a vintage vinyl and CD sale. I didn’t think too much about it until I saw … Continue reading Communication Madison mask requirement makes the arts space available to everyone
Category: madison
twenty years in madison
Soundtrack in my head: Nick Drake, "Introduction." Well, that went by quickly. I have now lived in Madison Wisconsin for twenty years. How I ended up here is still a fascinating story I haven’t told in a while, so click elsewhere if you’ve heard this one. In July 2000, I was at the peak of … Continue reading twenty years in madison
the COVID failed states of america
11.720 Westlight 26 (Earth Epic Calendar) Soundtrack in my head: Midnight Oil, "Dreamworld Engin_Akyurt / Pixabay This is the second in a series of posts about the epic failure in the U.S. to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. It focuses more about the epic fail at the state and local level. The first one--focusing mostly on … Continue reading the COVID failed states of america
postcard from Coronavirus Limbo, WI
I don’t even know where to begin when talking about my new home called Coronavirus Limbo. Coincidentally it looks a lot like my studio apartment. But there’s living in my apartment, and then there’s living in Coronavirus Limbo, Wisconsin. Outwardly, they look very similar, but inwardly, they feel very different.
Halloween snow…must white be a fall color?
Having lived in Wisconsin for over a decade and a half, October snowflakes aren’t unusual or particularly strange. But Halloween snow that accumulates and stays for a while? That has felt weird. This past week, several snowfalls brought eight inches of snow accumulation, switching us from a feeling of fall to winter overnight.
madison moving day madness magnifies mucked-up mid-town milieu
Soundtrack in my head: The Primitives, "Really Stupid" hpgruesen / Pixabay During the month of August, and particularly August 14-16, U-Haul and other trucking rental companies unleash thousands of trucks on the streets of Madison, Wisconsin--driven by people without licenses to be truck drivers. Yes, it's Madison Moving Day. Does chaos result? Yes and no. … Continue reading madison moving day madness magnifies mucked-up mid-town milieu
new internet discovery: Noosa, “Walk On By”
Soundtrack in my head: Noosa, "Walk On By (Sound Remedy Remix)" A new internet discovery has given me a new favorite song. At some point while on YouTube, I stumbled across this video showing time-lapse scenes of life in Madison. The time-lapse filming is incredible in and of itself but what blew me away was … Continue reading new internet discovery: Noosa, “Walk On By”
Lyft and Uber: 20% tech, 80% talk, and 100% invasive species
Soundtrack in my head: They Might Be Giants, "Don't Let's Start" vainodesositis / Pixabay How would you feel if a new company set up shop in your town and immediately proceeded to start breaking the city's laws? And when threatened with enforcement of such laws declared that your laws were outdated and needed to be … Continue reading Lyft and Uber: 20% tech, 80% talk, and 100% invasive species
graduate school daze, part too
Before class started, I remember wondering what I should bring to class with me. A spiral notebook? A three ring binder? A Trapper Keeper? I agonized over whether I should bring my laptop to class and whether I could simultaneously take notes and check Facebook at the same time like any good Gen-Y'er.
graduate school daze
The UW isn't that much bigger than the University of Illinois where I got my bachelor's degree, but somehow it feels more intimidating. Either that or I just didn't worry as much the first time around. In any case I feel like a freshman at 43 and need one of those kind-hearted guides in the red Wisconsin t-shirts to guide this scared little puppy through the system.