A good event for good Broads!

Last week Broad Vocabulary Books in Bay View announced it was closing. Another blow to the local small business malaise, for sure. But, just when you thought it was all over for the Broads, there's a group of feminist book aficionados out there who just don't want to see it die. So, they have organized a fundraiser this weekend they are calling the Phoenix Rising Extravaganza Fundraiser to help raise some bucks to turn Broad Vocabulary into a fully functioning community cooperative called Broader Vocabulary.

It's a good idea. A really good one. One of those great "pull yourself up by the seat of your bootstraps" one that we should all applaud.

Here's the details. I can't say enough about how I think this is a grand idea. I hope it works.

Help Save Broad Vocabulary!

This Sunday, November 30
from 11 am to 5 pm
At Broad Vocabulary, 2241 S. Kinnickinnic

A Broader Vocabulary, a newly formed cooperative is working hard to keep this independent feminist bookstore open, and we can't do it without you! Are YOU Broad Vocabulary? JOIN US! Find out how to become a founding member!

All day: Fantastic arts and crafts by local feminists on sale! Join our Femiknits Knit-a-thon! Other events still being scheduled!

11 am -- Children's activities/story time
1 pm -- Belly dancing performance & lesson with Shaia Fahrid
3 pm -- A Woman's Touch Workshop: Sex Toys 101

5:00-10:00 pm -- The party moves to the back room of the Sugar Maple (441 E Lincoln), to include an open mic "adult story time" and special guest Laura from THE TOOL SHED

Bring: yourself, your friends, your favorite adult or feminist story to share, your hard earned pennies. your check book!

Cost: All events are free of cost, but we need your investment in order to purchase the store! Come prepared to be generous and festive. You will be generously entertained by these feministy festivities!

For more information, email abroadervocabulary@gmail.com

Mail donations to: A Broader Vocabulary, PO Box 070612 Milwaukee, WI 53207.

Ray's Five: Day Twelve

We've made it to one hour of Ray talking. One hour. Wow. That may be more time than you've ever wanted to spend with Ray, but I urge you to continue the ride. Today, we turn a corner. You remember those deep waters that I talked about that Ray has gurgling down in his soul? Well, stick a camera in his face at midnight after a very long day of work and you can just about take a shower in them. Today we hear what educator Jivoff thinks about the youth of America and what they are up against. All while wearing a garish head dress, of course.

Ray's Five: Day Eleven

When Ray and I are together for several hours, late at night, we get a little punchy. Today, here's the underbelly of a group of actors trapped in a long, tedious technical rehearsal. With Ray wearing an outfit that somehow combines International Male and K-Mart.

Okay, on second thought...

...this Greater Milwaukee Committe November Board meeting on the GMC's website is required viewing for all Milwaukee artists. It's is a call for artists to take control of their own destinies. Otherwise we have the very distinct possibility of living in a community where we have the big arts, and the small arts, and nothing in between. And that, pardon the expression, would be poopy.

Greater Milwaukee Committee talks about Cultural Assets

I'm giving you a tip today. And I anticipate writing about it in the near future with some of my thoughts. The Greater Milwaukee Committee (GMC) recently unrolled a report on the Milwaukee Region Cultural Assets Study from the Cultural Alliance and the GMC Quality of Life Committee. At their November Board meeting, civic leaders talked about the tremendous value of the arts in a downward economy.

Oh, boy. I've only read a little and watched a little bit of the videos that are posted of the presentations, but, oh, boy, oh, boy, oh, boy.

Check it all out at The Greater Milwaukee Committee website. Kudos to them for making all the info discussed in that meeting accessible through their webite (even if it is sometimes painful for someone working in the arts to listen to and read about).

Also, Julia Taylor, President of The Greater Milwaukee Committee has some curious thoughts on social media and the arts in her blog at ThinkMKE.com. I like that there this type of thought going on from our civic leaders. I just hope they include some artists in the discussions. At this point, I question if they have.

Ray's Five: Day Ten

Today Ray tells us what is (and isn't) in a name.

Ray's Five: Day Nine

Today, you have a chance to hear about Ray's thoughts on football. And you have the chance to change the course of history for five minutes. You'll see how in today's Ray's Five, and afterwards just do what I tell you to do an e-mail me at jonathanwest@artsyschmartsy.com. That's all for now. Now waste...er...enjoy another five minutes with Ray.

Ray's Five: Day Eight

Merry CHRIST-mas according to Ray.

Ray's Five: Day Seven

On the seventh day, God rested. Not Ray. He talks about musical theatre and soul music.

Ray's Five: Day Six

Ray weighs in on some Obama cabinet picks. And soup.

Ray's Five: Day Five

Day Five and Ray is getting a little hot. So hot, he needs to take it off. It's scandal day.

Sticking my nose in where I have little to no business sticking

Let me say first and foremost that I think that anyone who supported California's anti gay rights Prop 8 is a total, utter moron and I have little nice to say about their moronic behavior.

But a residual casualty in this Prop 8 war has caused me to ruminate over some other big tragedies involved in this whole mess. I'm talking about the story of Scott Eckern.

For those of you unfamiliar with Scott Eckern, a little background. He was the Artistic Director of California Musical Theatre until he resigned a little over a week ago after outrage over the fact that he donated $1,000 to support Prop 8. The musical theater fans of the world didn't like what Mormon Scott did, and they called for his head in oh so many ways. (Marc Shaiman, the composer of HAIRSPRAY, told California Musical Theater that they could no longer produce his work because of what Eckern did.)

For more insights you really should read Theater Director Resigns Amid Gay-Rights Ire (the NY Times piece on the whole mess) and several posts at Clyde Fitch Report starting with Scott Eckern: Enemy of Freedom, Lover of Bigotry, Death and Hatred. Leonard Jacobs, the man behind Clyde Fitch Report, is particularly full of laser hot insight on all this.

But here I sit as a hetero white man, the most blessed of the unpersecuted in America, and I just feel kind of crappy about this whole thing. Maybe it's the Catholic in me, but I kind of hate the sin in this case, and not the sinner. I cannot in good conscience defend Scott Eckern's actions, and maybe his resignation was the only way that this whole thing could ever play out, but a tragedy of a higher order is at play here.

It gives me pause to consider every donation I ever took as an arts administrator. I think of the fella who loved, loved, loved George Bush and gave oodles of cash to me for a couple of projects. I think of the guy who made me meet him in a strip club one day to talk about a major gift. I think about the countless ticket buyers who supported my work as an artistic director, who I can say with almost absolute certainty didn't share every belief and value system that I hold near and dear to my heart.

My point is that Scott Eckern took a bullet that will eventually open up a huge can of worms. In terms of cultural administration, I can't see that Scott Eckern was promoting his individual beliefs to his constituency at California Musical Theatre. He was just some righteous conservative guy who opened his check book and contributed to something that the majority of the musical theater fans in the world think is wrong. I think it's wrong, but I don't think Scott Eckern should have been forced out of his job because of it.

I do think that we liberal do-gooders in the arts should brace for the conservative forces that sometimes support us to give us a taste of our own medicine when we least expect it. I know that in this case, the people who I think are on the side of right (those being gay rights activists) did the flinging. But, and I have said this before as a cautionary tale against knee jerk activism, "If you are ready to do some flinging, you had better be ready to be flung."

I hope we're ready for the fling to come. Because it most surely will creep up and knock us on our collective ass with unyielding force.

Insert quotes here.

Ray's Five: Day Four

Ray talks about voting on his self-described "great day!" The shocking reality of that "great day" is here for you to see.

My response to Roller Derby terrorism

About a week and a half ago, I received this comment about my commentary piece on my Roller Derby crush of WUWM's Lake Effect.

Hi Jonathan:
I listened to your piece today on WUWM! I think you should bring Penny Larceny to our bout tomorrow, Nov. 8. I'd be more than happy to leave you tickets at our will-call booth.

I realize that a few years ago there was a moment of tough love between yourself and the Bruisers, but I really think you should give us another chance. We also bring in 1000, 2000 or 3000 fans per bout, so I think the idea you seem to espouse: that our league is less-than-serious, or some podunk, backwater rag-tag group, is one that you really need to rethink. Unless you have been to one of our bouts lately? If you have been, fine, you may bag on us all you want if you feel you need to, although why you'd want to denigrate a hard-working grass roots organization -- just entering into our third season, by the way -- is beyond me. No, we're not the Gotham Girls. Yes, they kick total ass. They are the second in the nation. That's awesome. But this is Milwaukee, and your roller girls here are also very serious about what they do. We will continue to rise through the ranks (currently 31 out of 50), and when we do finally reach the upper echelons of derbydom -- and that we haven't yet seems to be your biggest complaint against us -- I'd like to think that you would've by then gotten past your contempt of us to realize you have an awesome league, here, where you live. Which is not NYC.

Thanks!
-Rhoda Ruin, Brewcity Bruisers

P.S. please tell Penny Larceny she is awesome.

I simply want to say to Rhoda Ruin and the rest of the ladies that I will get to a match soon, hopefully attend with the beguiling Ms. Larceny, and maybe you broads can show me how to skate...once you learn to yourselves, that is. (OW! Yeah! I said it!)

Area Non-Profits brace for lean times? Duh!

There's an article in the Journal Sentinel today called Milwaukee-area nonprofits brace for lean times ahead. Are we shocked by this? No.

So what to do about it? The non-profit model is just screwy right now. Governance issues abound. Board of Directors act out of fear when there are economic downturns and staffs of non-profits scramble to keep missions alive. If you doubt that assertion I'd challenge you to tell me about a non-profit Board that is doing something innovative and new in the face of dwindling public support.

I talked to a professional telefund manager at a wedding recently who said his biz wasn't being hit that hard because the people he was contacting were the $25-$50 donors. I found it interesting that the $25-$50 donors were willing to keep giving while the big pocket donors are shying away from any types of commitments, even reduced ones from previously promised ones.

But let's face it, the market will always be fickle and it is just a little dicey for non-profits to rely on the public sector for half or more than half of their operational funding.

So what gives? Where are the new ideas? What's working? I don't know, but this morning I think we're on the precipice for some good crisis thought. And when crisis thought starts coming, I think that some really great ideas pop to the surface in the pool of shitty ones.

Got any shit popping ideas? Let me know.

Ray's Five: Day Three

Today we learn that Ray is a Gemini. And a sad clown.

Ray's Five: Day Two

Ray Jivoff has a yellow lunch box growing up. Now you get to hear what his mother Natalie put in it.

Ray's Five: Day One (and an explanation of my newest obsession)

No, that's not Sinatra.

It's Jivoff. Get ready because Jivoff is going to be popping up on Artsy Schmartsy a whole hell of a lot in the next few weeks.

There are plenty of reasons why Ray Jivoff needs further exploration. I will try, try, try to elucidate. Some of you may get it, but some of you may just think it's some cruel inside joke gone wrong. But trust me, we all have things to learn from Jivoff. And we're going to do it through the magic of video.

This past week I posted something called Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's finest, is highjacked!
Jim was a great sport. A superb foil to some wacko with a video camera. I had grand illusions that Jim Higgins would become an overnight sensation, a journalist par excellence whose internet day of fame had come. But no. The people have demanded more Jivoff because of Ray's starry supporting role in that 11 minute video.

And when I say "the people" I mean there actually are a collection of folks who wrote me saying, "We want more Ray Jivoff videos!" Ever the one to listen to my people, I say, "Hell, yeah! If it's Jivoff you want, it's Jivoff you'll have!"

Beyond listening to all you blog reading squawkers, I see a lot of value in learning more about Ray Jivoff with a daily video installment. Ray is certainly one of my best pals, but for all of you who don't know him, he's also kind of a wonder to behold. If you've ever seen him perform on stage, you know he's full of pep and verve. His role as an educator in the community is ever expanding, ever evolving and ever shifting to meet the needs of the kids he works with. And, I can say this because I know him, Ray's rivers run deep.

And that friends is the point of this little experiment: to dip our toes in Ray's deep waters.

For the next several weeks I will endeavor to post one five minute video of Ray per day (or at least every day I see him, which is gonna be a lot over the next few weeks) so that we all can lap up some of that Jivoff wisdom.

Without further ado, I welcome you to Ray's Five: Day One.

Mike Brenner: The Decider.

Mike Brenner is not "the decider." Lord help us all if he was. But he is writing for The Decider, The Onion's new on-line shooting gallery.

Mike's writing about arts. His missive on art happenings this week includes this photo:



The caption for that image is Untying A Shoe With An Erection, sans erection.

Ah, Mike. Check it out, erection or no.

Sex strike! See it for yourself!

Got this notice about a show going on at UWM this weekend. I'm all in favor of the "sex strike" shows. Not in favor of the actual sex strikes, however. Check this out. Sounds interesting.

The Boycott is a one-woman play by Vermont native Kathryn Blume that tells the story of the First Lady of the United States, Lyssa Stratton, who launches a nation-wide sex strike to fight global warming. The First Lady has to take on her indifferent husband, a hostile press, and a romantic rival who’s not only in bed with the President, but with the darkest powers of the oil industry.
“The Boycott is a magical experience: at times hilarious, at times heart-wrenching, and at all points absolutely necessary,” says the Charlotte Citizen.

When and where: Now-Saturday, November 15. UW-Milwaukee Union Room, 2200 E Kenwood Blvd, 2nd level. Call 414-229-3111.

Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's finest, is highjacked!

A video for you today.

This is what happens when I'm asked to participate in a press thing.

Marketing directors might think twice about giving me the invite in the future.

Oh, and come see THE PRODUCERS at The Skylight. You're goofy if you don't.

New Cabaret Series you should check out!

I once bought something called Side Meat. Basically it was bacon that hadn't been cured. Not a good idea.

Side Notes, however, is a good idea. That is to say, the Sunset Playhouse's new cabaret series that opens this weekend looks too true to be good.

This weekend, seasoned crooners Peggy Peterson Ryan and Bob Hirschi kick things off with their two-hander called The Two of Us.



They'll sing songs from the past and the present, and with their years of experience and showmanship, this one is bound to be a goodie.

This evening of cabaret is only 10 bucks! Yep, 10 smackeroonies! This first ever event at The Sunset Playhouse is the first in three planned cabaret events this season. After The Two if Us, you can look forward to the talented Rhode Sisters (and honorary sister Rhonda Rae Bush) in The Rhode Sisters (sort of), and a show called Out The Door and Innuendo with local ladies of song Leslie Fitzwater and Paula Foley Tillen.

Let's give a try to the new this weekend, shall we?

When and where: November 14-23. Sunset Playhouse, 800 N. Elm Grove Road, Elm Grove. Call 262-782-4430 for tickets or visit www.sunsetplayhouse.com.

On leadership, oratory, thanks and how I would cast THE WIRE from the ranks of local politics

As you may have read, last week the Milwaukee Common Council was voting on Amendment #117 along with a host of other budget type thingamajigs (the technical term preferred by all economists, of course). I'm happy to report that Amendment #117, one that would have cut about $100,000 from The Milwaukee Arts Board budget, was squashed. Like a grape.

I applaud all my Artsy Schmartsy readers for chiming in to your alderpeople. Huzzah! Your big mouths are good for things other than commenting on what a boob I am, it seems. I also am giving a symbolical pat on the back to all the aldermen and women who voted against Amendment #117. There's one dude who voted for it, but you know who you are and we'll bury the hachet somehow Aldreman Bohl. Actually, Aldreman Bohl argued that the a county sales tax could increase funding for MAB, so he's actually a white hat wearing kind of guy, too.

But in sharing the applause, I must point out one great champion of the arts on the Milwaukee Common Council. I am told that his support of arts funding oratory last week was passionate, informed, humane, and eloquent. We're lucky that Michael Murphy, a tremendous ally of the arts in general, is our Milwaukee Arts Board chair.

Doesn't he look mayoral? (I'm crossing my fingers for a Michael Murphy mayoral bid someday.)



You can e-mail Michael and tell him he's a hell of a guy at mmurph@milwaukee.gov. And he is just that, a hell of a guy.

Now, I must also mention that I firmly believe that Michael Murphy has been moonlighting for the past few years on HBO's The Wire as an actor playing Tommy Carcetti, the young, brash alderman who would become mayor of Baltimore.



You see it right? A little makeup and a slightly different haircut can't hide the fact the Michael Murphy and Tommy Carcetti are the same person. I mean, I've never seen them together, have you?

Please, no spoilers. I'm watching old episodes of The Wire now and have just finished Season Four. I want to find out who dies or gets fired or thrown in jail on my own terms.

Just e-mail Tommy...er, Michael right now at mmurph@milwaukee.gov and tell him he's doing a bang up job.

My Roller Derby Crush and I talk about each other on Lake Effect today!

That's right! It's another exciting day when they let me talk some words I wrote on WUWM's Lake Effect. When will they learn (I always spit on the studio mics, that the big problem I see with this arrangement)?

Today more roller derby crush gal pal Megan Gerrity (aka, Penny Larceny) talk about a random connection in our lives and the effect it had on us both in the "Personal Do Overs" segment of the show. All I can say is that Megan's piece is really great. And I limp along trying to keep up, though I think I might just be louder than her. To see if I'm telling the truth about decibels, tune into WUWM 89.7 FM from 10 am - 11 am today. Or go to WUWM Lake Effect on-line to hear it streamed in real time or as an archived piece.

More info on how to take action on the Milwaukee Arts Board possible funding cut

Here's a link to easily send a letter about having Alderpeople vote no on Amendment #117.

http://capwiz.com/artsusa/wi/issues/alert/?alertid=12166691&type=LO&show_alert=1

Also, hit your Alderperson hard directly and go to the link below to find information on how to contact your council rep directly:

http://www.ci.mil.wi.us/router.asp?docid=304

This is critical. Critical. It's not a huge pot of money, it never has been, but the possibility of cutting it further is a staggering blow to an already struggling arts community.

I urge you all to send in your voice, and do whatever it takes to get your friends and colleagues to chime in, as well.

Milwaukee Arts Funding Alert

This just hit my e-mail mailbox from a couple of different sources. Please contact your Alderperson immediately:

Dear friends of the arts in Milwaukee:

At tomorrow's meeting (11-7-08) of the Milwaukee Common Council, an amendment to the city budget will be presented which would cut $100,000 from the Milwaukee Arts Board budget. Please see below the impact this would have on arts groups throughout the city.

We urge all friends of the arts to contact their Alderperson TODAY and urge them to vote NO on Amendment #117. Alderman Murphy, chair of the Arts Board and Alderman Kovac, a Board member, are working to preserve these funds. Your support, by calling YOUR Alderperson, will help their efforts.

Amendment #117: This amendment would substantially reduce funding for the Milwaukee Arts Board. We would note that the department's proposed 2009 budget is already less than the amount budgeted in 2008. The Arts Board uses these funds to make small grants to arts and cultural organizations for specific projects that broaden their audiences and make arts and culture more accessible to all citizens of Milwaukee. In 2008, the Arts Board funded projects by 29 groups that employ more than 1,000 people. Two-thirds of the funds went to arts education projects for children and youth.

If the City of Milwaukee provides at least $150,000 to the Arts Board, the State of Wisconsin will supplement the City funds. Milwaukee received $32,900 in supplementary State funds in 2008. The proposed amendment would make Milwaukee ineligible for State funds in 2009.

Please pass this on to staff, Board members and other friends of Milwaukee's arts.

To find your Alderman's contact information, please visit:http://www.city.milwaukee.gov/router.asp?docid=304

My November 4th, 2008

5:08 AM Reminded by my wife that I was driving five children to school in a friend's minivan so that the parents of four of those children could do lawyerly things at the polls and drive people wherever they needed to vote.

5:09 AM Turned over and tried to go back to sleep.

5:48 AM Finally dragged my sorry ass out of bed and checked e-mail and Facebook doings noticing that nearly every one of my Facebook friends had donated their status to Barack Obama along with me.

6:59 AM Was like, "Holy shit!" when I realized I hadn't packed my daughter's lunch for school, showered or gotten my children out of bed and ready for their day. Immediately rectified situation to the great irritation of my slumbering children.

7:45 AM Dropped my youngest daughter off with a friend so I could take five kids to school in that minivan, a sweet ride. Told the kids rather than going to school, we were going to Vegas. The just asked me to turn up the radio, and let my obvious talent for jokestering fly over their heads.

8:20 AM Drove past a local voting place to stare in awe at the massive line of people waiting to participate in the democratic process.

9:08 AM Dropped my youngest daughter off with another friend so I could go to an audition for some commercial work that I will probably never get. Chatted politics with nice ladies in the office and heard that the Shorewood voting places have good bake sales.

10:31 AM Voted. With my youngest daughter. Guy in suit looked suspiciously at us as Carmela held my ballot. Voter fraud? Nah. Just a kid eager to have a voice in all this electing business.

11:06 AM After playground time, headed to the local burger joint that was giving away free cheeseburgers if you voted. Line at burger joint was maybe longer than longest line I had seen earlier in the day. Hoped that people don't like cheeseburgers more that voting, but had mine with cheese and fried onions.

12:30 PM Put Carmela down for nap and talked with someone about a full-time job. Considered the need for health insurance for my family, some financial security and sense of purpose derived from hard work. Was scared for others who weren't as lucky as me when I considered the messy economy and the general national malaise.

3:15 PM Picked daughter Dorothea up from school and got the sad report that Fish had not won in the grade school election. Dog was the victor, but Fish had distinguished itself with a fair campaign. Parrot had totally tanked in the election because, "Kids just don't like parrots, daddy."

4:00 PM Traded my wife children for ability to volunteer and do some canvassing for Barack Obama in the final hours of the campaign. Heard how she had walked up to her first door earlier in the day and been told, "GO AWAY!" Gulped hard.

5:15 PM Returned from my first round of canvassing and felt good about how things were going. No slammed doors. Many voters. One guy who told me he couldn't vote because he was a felon. Then found out that you can vote if you're had priors if you're no longer on parole. Fucking Hollywood with their felon-can't-vote lies.

5:21 PM Got in a car with Joe Smith, a middle aged guy raised in Christian County who had decided to basically dedicate his life to Barack Obama for the past several months. Heard about how he had never considered volunteering on a campaign, but felt he had to because Barack Obama was a different kind of human being. Navigated the map for Joe as we two whiter than white guys found our way into a primarily Latino community to do last minute canvassing.

7:12 PM Waited on a deserted corner for Joe Smith to come back and pick me up with his car and considered the past could of hours. Had knocked on doors and regretted I didn't know Spanish. Had heard illegal immigrants tell me they couldn't vote, but sincerely wish they could so they could cast their ballot for Obama. Had engaged with an angry young black man who just wanted to talk about how disenfranchised he was and why he wasn't voting. Thanked him for his wisdom and was humbled when he thanked me for mine. Arranged a ride for a guy to his voting location after his dog jumped through his screen door ready to attack me. Watched Joe Smith ride off in his car with said guy leaving me in a struggling Latino neighborhood to finish canvassing. Thought again about how lucky I am to have a loving family, a wonderful home, and access to every opportunity in the world. Saddened by the struggle I saw, but inspired by the people who told me they had voted for the first time.

7:28 PM Back at Obama headquarters in my neighborhood with Joe Smith and new pals. Watched on a fuzzy television as Pennsylvania was announced for Barack.

8:12 PM Opened the door to my home for election crazy friends who gorged on popcorn and wine as we watched history being made.

10:08 PM Holy Fuck. Barack Obama is going to be our next president.

10:22 PM John McCain, why didn't you speak like that on the campaign trail? Goodbye Sarah Palin until you go head to head with Jerry Springer in the daytime talk show world.

11:00 PM The Obamas. The face of our nation. Damn, we look good.

Midnight Said goodbye to the last of my friends and looked at the mess of my home. Remembered that Barack had said their was hard work ahead. Rolled up my sleeves and did the dishes.

1:00 AM Sleep. Hopeful, hopeful sleep. I can't wait to tell my children the Obama kids are getting a puppy.

Hope your day was just as perfect as mine.