Spotted At Marathon Park

Well, I am not normally one to be a shill for a giant corporation, but this is kind of neat. The Budweiser Clydesdales are in town, they are going to be in a couple of parades around the Northwoods, including the Wausau Labor Day Parade on Monday. They have set up temporary quarters out at Marathon Park and I got a chance to see the giant beasts. Beautiful horses, really.

Here is a teaser picture, the rest are on the Flickr Site.

FCC Comes to Wisconsin

Dino found this notice and I agree with him that it is an extremely important opportunity to tell the FCC directly that we need more locally controlled media and that in this case we actually need tighter regulations to prevent media monopoly. Milwaukee is not that far away, so if you have the time, please do consider going — Bill

FCC Town Meeting in Milwaukee

Do you want more quality journalism? Are you concerned about the consolidation of media ownership? Do you think important issues don’t get enough air time? Is your community fairly represented in the media?

Here’s your chance to tell the Federal Communications Commission!

On Thursday September 7, FCC Commissioners Jonathan Adelstein and Michael Copps will be in Milwaukee, for a town meeting on the future of media. Members of the public will raise media issues with the Commissioners directly.

This fall, the FCC will consider new media ownership rules that will increase the number of newspapers, radio stations and TV stations that one company is allowed to own. There is no better time to speak out than now!

Event type:
public meeting

Location:
UW-Milwaukee Helen Bader Concert Hall, Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts, 2419 E. Kenwood Blvd.

Spotted in Weston

OK, maybe sometimes thinking “outside the box” has its drawbacks…

Unconnected Dots

So I was walking through Target tonight. Just sort of roaming. I needed razor blades, and they tend to be the cheapest at Target. In my head I just sort of allowed Target a pass in the anti-Walmart dogma I held onto. I was blinded by something or other, there was a real blind spot.

You see, I have railed against the box store for years. I do not buy books at Barnes and Noble, I go to Et Als books store. I do not buy music at Best Buy, I go to Inner Sleeve Records. I do not get coffee at Starbucks, I go to Jeannies. I do not wear Nike shoes. I sort of tried this life.

But honestly I failed. I engaged as a cog in the Economics of Scale. I bought the Veggie Pattie at Subway, when I fell of the wagon I went to Taco Bell. I own Fruit of the Loom underwear, and we can only assume some poor child is working for nickels a day, and making that stuff. I own a SONY stereo.

You know I hide that all in this sort of wrapped up version of the anti-corporate me. Ranting against whatever, chiding a girl I know for literally making her drive to NYC for a tour of the America’s Starbucks. I subscribe to a ton of Zine, leftie content…yadda yadda.

Vegetarian, not yet vegan. Thats me in a lump. That right there says all for me that I need to say.

Tonight I was walking around Target, and I saw they sold clarinettes. And other musicial instrumentation. I was exploring the cheap audio gear, as I have a bit of a jones for that (being a Sonic Youth fan). I called Bill, the editor of this here sheet, and he was in the middle of dinner (Sorry Bill), and he hit me with like three sentences of truth bombs. For whatever reason they hit me so hard. I think I went and sat down by the Target pharmacy.  (Yeah, don’t even get me started on the idea that those employees have oxycontin in the room)

These stores are not just benevelont forces in communities. They seek to take it all away from us. To create the service based city, where we all work there…and then we spend there. Little automatons in red aprons. Selling stuff, so later on we can afford to buy stuff.

They have CDs, books (bad books though so we still have hope), and drugs. They have co-opted the Pharmacy. And that lady in there sucks. When my brother was injured this last time they were the only ones open, it was the end of her shift…and she sucked. Sally at 29 knows my name, my brothers name, my parents names. She may not always be happy to see me, but she always pretends. This lady at Target barely gave me the instructions as she threw the bags at me.

I have been living a lie. Not shopping at Best Buy or Wal Mart is not enough. I have to actual go find the things I need for daily living. I need to buy from the producer, or at least a local person. I will not get into the media, I simply will not have that discussion…because as we know this city is not cranking out a lot of content right now.

So heres what I am looking for — and maybe you all can help me — these are some of the staples of my life:

I need razor blades. I use one of two razors, both Gilette products. Like my father, I want to make my razor my razor for life. My Dad had the same razor for my whole life. So, Gilette razor blades.

I need toilet paper.

I need paper towel.

I need lightbulbs.

I need CD-R. I go through about 100 a month.
I need Systene, and Refresh Gel Drops.

I like to buy socks on a regular basis.

Toothbrush, and toothpaste.

I like Dial soap, but again, is there a local alternative?

I need deodorant…boy do I ever.

Laundry Detergent.

So you intrepid buy local cats…where does a guy go for these things?

What about Car Repair? Sears versus the local guy?

Friday Dudley 8/25/06

Had the good fortune to see them putting one of the precast facade panels in place this morning, here is a montage. The originals are on the Flickr site.

Last Museum Show for the Season

You know that summer must be winding down and soon Camp Wausau will be coming to an end.  The Concerts on the Square have already packed their tents, and last night was the last Concert in the Garden at the Woodson Art Museum.

Actually, it wasn’t quite a concert.  The featured performer was Kenny Ahern, who said he had a BFA (Bachelor of Fun Arts) from the Ringling Brothers Clown school.  Kenny’s show was part juggling, part mime and all funny.  A very nice way to end the season.

I am already looking forward to next summer to see who shows up at the various venues around Camp Wausau.  All summer there was more fun than you could shake a stick (or a picnic basket) at.  Thanks to the folks at the Museum, the Library, Wausau Events, the City Pages and many others who give us so much wonderful entertainment and fun things to do!

There are a few more pictures of Kenny Ahern on the Flickr Site.

And yes, that is a real eight foot ladder Kenny has balanced on his chin.  If you are wondering (as all the kids seemed to at the after show question and answer period) he does it very, very carefully.  And yes it does hurt!

Small Batch

So for the past week or so I have been eating my lunch from DowntownGrocery.com. I have gone in each day, and had a great soup, or quiche, or salsa concoction…all with locally produced produce. It has been an amazing experience to walk into a business like that, in that location, and get food and eat it. To see something downtown with that sort of bravery, that sort of standing in the way of everything and offering an alternative.

Today I shopped there for groceries for the first time. I left with the staples of the vegetarian diet I am embracing, and I paid less for the food than I do at the big stores. I think I sacrifice things like big purchases…I mean at 29 it made sense to buy 150 dollars worth of whatever for two weeks…but I think the downtowngrocery.com experience is based on small batch. Small batch growing, and small batch shopping.

I finally have a use for those canvas bags.

Friday Dudley 8/18/06

Externally it hasn’t changed much in the last couple of weeks, but I wish I could have taken a sound movie to post today, the place was literally abuzz with activity this morning.

Asking For Advice

I have lived in NYC, and LA. Let’s start there.

Two days ago I was posed with a bit of an interesting possibilty. I reached out to some friends for advice, not that I was going to do whatever they told me…but I trust their opinion and wondered what they thought.

5 of the 6 people RAN from the idea of telling me what they thought. Instead falling back on the “its your decision” thing. I was shocked.

This has happened in Wausau several times. Now I am wondering what it is. Is this some northern European thing? Norwegians do not make declarative sentences?

I am declarative sentence guy. I say things, and I say them with my voice. I do not expect anyone to care, but I am going to say them.

I simply want Wausau to say something.

Declarative Sentence for today…I DO NOT LIKE COCONUT.

Going Back in Time

Today I had an experience that although not unique to Wausau is probably becoming rarer and more likely to be found in smaller cities.  I did business with someone who actually has a conscience and provides real service to his customers, rather than that smarmy “customer service” (Did you find everything you were looking for?)you find at most stores these days.  Do I sound like an old fogey or what?

Here is the background.  About a year ago I bought a vacuum cleaner from a chain store.  Not a Big Box store, but a chain, none the less.  It is a national brand.  Within a month or so the switch stopped working.  I was able to fix that little problem with a Philips screwdriver and life went on.  A few months later the stupid thing started plugging up after using it for a few minutes on the carpet.  The attachement hose worked fine, but cleaning a carpet was impossible.  Finally, I took the thing to get it repaired.

After a diligent search of the phone book (look in the Wausau phonebook under “vacuum repair” and you will see what I mean) I took it over to Ken’s Vacuum Center on Thomas Avenue, mostly because it was closest to me.

Now, my wife’s father ran a one man vacuum shop so I had some idea what to expect, and Ken did not disappoint.  Later Ken told me he had been in the business for 35 years and while it doesn’t show in his face, it does in his knowledge.  At Ken’s you don’t get that fake “yes sir, no sir” “the customer is always right” kind of stuff you get at a big box.  Ken knows his stuff inside and out and is not afraid to tell you exactly what he thinks.  The first opinion Ken gave me was about how bagless vacuums, like the one I was bringing in for repair, were just terrible — a waste of time and money.  Thanks, Ken, now you tell me.   But he said it with such good humor and in a very factual way so there was no way I could take any offense.  And if there had been any offense, it would have been totally wiped away by what happened next.

One day later Ken called me and told me that he had found the problem.  A mechanical valve was not opening like it was supposed to when the handle was pulled back to vacuum carpets.  One part should fix it he said. Unfortunately, though he is not a dealer for the company that makes that vacuum so, although he could get the part it might take a while.  AND the part takes a special tool to put in right, which he doesn’t have.  SO, I would be better off to take the vacuum over to this here shop over yonder that is a dealer for that brand.  AND to make sure things get done right he would call over there and tell them I was coming and just what the problem was and so on.  Wow! Thanks Ken!

So I go over to pick up the vacuum and asked a simple question, “If they can’t fix this thing or it is too expensive, what should I buy?”  What I got was not a sales pitch for the vacuums that he sells, but rather a combination of dissertation and discussion of the business of making and selling vacuums (and other consumer products) and how business has changed over the last 30 years.  I will not to summarize all we talked about, but I found myself agreeing with almost everything he said.  Ken is definitely a guy I can deal with.

Here is an example of what kind of guy he is.  The most common problem with vacuums is that the belts go bad.  Vacuum cleaner belts go for about ten dollars or so.  People call him all the time he said, and describe a vacuum that needs a new belt, and he tells them, come in and buy a belt and change it yourself — it’s pretty simple.  But even when someone brings in a vacuum that needs a belt, he is never quite sure what to do.  He said it takes him about 3 minutes to change a belt on most machines.  “So, what am I gonna do, charge the customer three dollars?” he wondered out loud. “I suppose I should post a shop minimum charge…” he began, but his voice trailed off.  I could just see that he could not bear to overcharge his customers in that way.  Integrity in business? Still exists in some corners of the world.

After our discussion of where we would work when everthing was made in China, I finally got around to asking him what I owed him.  “Oh, the other place will charge you for fixing that thing, don’t worry.”  I thought about pressing him about some kind of shop minimum, but decided that, of course, I knew where I was buying my next vacuum.  So I thanked him and headed out.  Now, I am not one plug businesses willy-nilly, but if you want a vacuum that will actually last longer than your carpets, stop by and see Ken.  Plan on spending some time.  You might learn something.

And after spending your time with Ken — walk across the street to the Wausau Oriental Super Market for the best damn egg rolls — or spring rolls or whatever you want to call them — in town.  Real flavorful food, hot and fresh, a perfect complement to the real customer service.

It was like being a time machine, back to a simpler, and perhaps better, time.  And a wonderful way to spend a morning.