Greater Milwaukee Men

July 4th, American Independence Day, has passed - but one of its primary activities has not, at least here in Wisconsin. Storms yesterday and today have postponed many community's shows. But maybe, just maybe, we shouldn't have them at all. Maybe we should replace them all with something else, like laser light shows. Some communities, like Salt Lake City, are already doing it because of a few of the many reasons I will argue everyone should. Fireworks are... I'm looking for an appropriate word here... problematic. Personally I have stronger feelings against them than that, but I understand that many people enjoy the spectacle. But most people don't understand the negative effects. I'll start with the first and most obvious one and after the break I'll get into more. As a dog companion, specifically a dog with noise anxiety among others, fireworks are entirely unenjoyable. The times when official fireworks are set, and usually for days before and after at random

Boy Scouts from Appleton, WI jumped into action when the Amtrak passenger train they were on derailed in Missouri and acted as First Responders.  2 different troops consisting of a total of sixteen youth and 8 adults were on the train when it derailed. WBAY reports that the students "played a major role in the rescue -- breaking windows, helping people off the train, and attempting to save the life of the dump truck driver who died." BSA , The Boy Scouts of America, has had its issues, mainly due to sexual abuse allegations against adult leadership, and has taken a deservedly black eye to its reputation. But they are trying to build it back. Their values and standards can still give youth moral and ethical standards to grow on and provides not only leadership and teamwork experience that can help later in life, but also practical skill like first aid that were used in this situation. The organization changed its name to Scouts BSA when they started to  allow girls to join a

There is another similar saying, one I believe, but when those three words are uttered, they shut down conversation. So instead, I am going with this new phrase: Guns Destroy Lives. These words are probably more provocative, but also probably more definitive and demonstrative, because they do more than just being used to kill people. photo cr. ABC News Before I start, as I always do when I broach the subject, I must state the usual disclaimer. I am not anti-gun. I am for gun control. Now that you know I am not out to take away your 'rights', let's get into this, once again, in the aftermath of the Uvalde, TX school shooting that as of this writing took 18 children's and one teacher's lives.

Giannis is a Milwaukee Buck. An outstanding one at that. Or is he? One reporter claims he is a Blue Dolphin, or at least uses the concept whether he knows it or not. Giannis has shown the ability to shake of the doldrums of 'failure' such as losing Game7 of the Celtics series and being taken out of the playoffs by turning the problem in its head and looking instead at positives. Justin Bariso of Inc. Magazine posits in a recent article that this ability by Giannis is a tool we can all use in our own lives. From his dad jokes to his general positive demeanor, there is little not to like about the Bucks superstar. He seems a genuine person without some of the usual flaws we see in professional athletes. But even someone of his caliber will deal with negative situations, usually compounded by having to talk to reporters about them. But Giannis always seems to remain positive, or at least see something to learn from the situation. According to Bariso, this is called the blue dol

In today's world, we marvel at billionaires, yet very few actually understand what it means. I know its a ridiculous number we cannot fathom, but the more I looked into it, the more it shocked me how much these people really are worth.  Among the general populace, making 'six-figures' or $100,000 is a benchmark of success and wealth. Millionaires are truly wealthy. But what is often misunderstood is how exponentially large adding another, let alone 3, or 6 a number becomes.  The wealthiest aren't just billionaires either, they are hundred billionaires. Elon Musk is worth 265 billion. That is 265 with 9 zeroes after it. 265,000,000,000. It would take someone making six-figures 2,650,000 years to amass that wealth with no expenses. 2.65 MILLION years. To reach Jeff Bezos' wealth would only take them 1.77 million years. Even someone who makes a million dollars a year (which is wealthier than a millionaire which is just a net worth not annual salary delineation) would

There's a lot going on in the world right now, a lot of bad news. In times like this we look to hobbies and interests for distraction, and following professional sports has long been one of those activities. For as many fans there are of major league sports, there are as many detractors. I'm not here to say either side doesn't have its points, rather, to say that for all the negative in professional sports, they do have their moments. And its not just about the successes of teams or players, its not all about winning. The past few days have displayed moments of true sportsmanship in its best sense from baseball to basketball to golf, in moments that show perseverance, but more importantly caring, and vulnerability. Something we need more of, especially among men. Freddie Freeman consoles opponent José Iglesias photo cr. USA Today