Senior Viewpoint - All Comments

re: Seniors Deserve Respect

intewedm — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:00:06 GMT

Mick, you nailed it!

re: Seniors Deserve Respect

mick — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 03:25:54 GMT

You don't EARN respect just by virtue of being here longer than others. You still get it the old fashioned way, through your actions and deeds.

re: Seniors Deserve Respect

Santa's Elf — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:16:04 GMT

Dick,

While I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment of your blog, I fear that future pressures may cause today's society to head in the opposite direction.

How long do you think it will be before serious undertones are heard opining the euthanizing of everyone who reaches retirement age. That would solve the Social Security and Medicare problems, that of building and supporting nursing homes for seniors, etc.

Grandmas and Grandpas like us may be fun at birthday and Christmas. But when they grow to numbers that threaten the national lifestyle, it's time to make the hard choices.

I predict that Church and Chapel will one day lead NASDAQ back through the ceiling.

re: The Great Pretender

Larry Knetzger — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:05:26 GMT

Hi Richard. I beleive the Platter Members name is Herb Reed. I went to their internet site and looked up Herb Reed's tour dates and low and behold he must have been on at least a dozen different cruise ships last year. People like that perform to share their god given talent with the world. Many entertainers have great gifts.

Not to expand the conversation here but Karen Carpenter of the "Carpenters" truly had a gifted voice that I appreciated. She of course is no longer with us. Many others of course.

Take a cruise and enjoy life, we have done many and will do more.

re: The Great Pretender

Tom Gehl — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:41:36 GMT

Rap music is an oxymoron. One could argue whether or not it is an art form, but in my humble opinion, it is NOT music.

re: The Great Pretender

Richard J. Steinberg — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 18:31:47 GMT

Larry,i'm sorry to have missed the cruise. Wish they would publish the entertainers in advance for a cruise.The music appeared in the movie The Tin Drum, at Normandy before D-Day, and the original version was used in the 1985 movie Mischief.Thanx for your comments. I agree about Rap, cannot understand the words, cause I always enjoyed lyrics.

re: The Great Pretender

Larry Knetzger — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 17:25:38 GMT

Hi Dick, The Platters are of course one of the great musical groups that have music that you could actually understand and listen to. The enjoyment level is shown by their music being used in movies that play to the heart. We were entertained by one of the remaining members of the Platters on a cruise a few years ago and even though he had aged, his music gave you chills and brought tears to your eyes. He received many standing ovations from the crowd. I really enjoyed that show of talent,expertise,heart felt expression.

Even though he had aged it really made no difference in the quality of the music,lyrics and his performance level was fantastic. Just Great !

I believe the movie Ghost also had some of their heart thumping music also. During one part of the movie you could feel the energy and emotion in the air from the audience and the lump in your throat created by the lyrics and it's connection with the movie. Music that is created by artists that deal with human emotion and relationships are always remembered for what they have to say when expressed in a humanistic meaning.Your subject matter here brings back memories of my own life. Some good, some not so good, but that is life in itself. But no Rap please, that's disgusting.

re: Songs for all Seasons II

Cheri M. — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 16:35:33 GMT

All these, plus "Singin' in the Rain" and the songs from South Pacific!

re: Songs for all Seasons

Cheri M. — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:38:22 GMT

Our family enjoys Nat King Cole. Also Johnny Mathis.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

re: FOR THE RECORD

Santa's Elf — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 19:42:25 GMT

"Several months ago there was a framed picture of the Mayor in his police uniform on a motorcycle. It was on the counter of the place where you pay property taxes."

Was he sporting a half a mustache? We've got to be wary of 'army corporals' who distribute their pictures. These guys usually end up taking themselves too seriously. Having a flaky city government is one thing. Living in the Fourth Reich is quite another.

re: FOR THE RECORD

Richard J. Steinberg — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 01:03:21 GMT

Several months ago there was a framed picture of the Mayor in his police uniform on a motorcycle. It was on the counter of the place where you pay property taxes.

re: FOR THE RECORD

Cindy — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:49:47 GMT

Oh Elf, you are a kick.

Brookfield has a strong mayor system. It's just that a few of the aldermen left over from Kate Bloomberg's days remember how she cooed "we have a week mayor system, you big boys have all the power" as she enacted new laws for commissions that only she appointed and raised the mayoral salary by enormous amounts.

Some of those "big boys" simply can't see past their own egos to get the facts straight.

re: FOR THE RECORD

Santa's Elf — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:11:26 GMT

I believe the mayor is hoping to remain in office long enough for someone to offer to buy his seat from him. Then he plans to return to the police dept. and play squad car demolition derby till he retires.

re: FOR THE RECORD

mikeyd — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:33:41 GMT

Hi Mr. Steinberg,

I agree that the statement metioned does not correspond with a 'weak mayor' appointment.

I also agree with your mention of the Major's inconsistency in describing his budget cut recommendations as being "totally ridiculous", but I do understand what he is saying. These are the cuts that he believes should be investigated, but he personally thinks that they should not be enacted. I think it is very reasonable that he mention the possible cuts, even if he doesn't agree with them. I prefer this method to him just stating that he does not think any cuts should be made. Putting the items on the table for a vote is better and more democratic than avoidance in my opinion.

I believe occasional change in government personnel is a good thing, but I think the position of Mayor is best left to the voters to decide when he/she no longer deserves the post or when someone else running for the office deserves it more. What happens if/when we find a mayor with very strong majority approval, but then is forced to leave office when still favored by a strong majority? I think a term limit would limit the voter's choice more than it increase the choices in many instances at the mayoral level. I just believe the voters should have the right to impose their own limits.

re: Pearl Harbor Day II

Richard J. Steinberg — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 01:28:21 GMT

I agree it is a day we must never forget, but the local press forgot with only a small back page story. Veterans groups seem to be the only organized people who have memorial ceremonies. Nothing heard from our city hall.

re: Pearl Harbor Day II

Santa's Elf — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 03:45:03 GMT

It is, I think, interesting that on this 67th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, I should end up reading a health article about the extraordinary longevity of the citizens of a rural region in Okinawa. Most of the inhabitants of this area live to work in the hills and climb in the trees of their beloved island well into their 100th year!

As I read, my mind flashed back to the stories of their WWII experience in living through a protracted land battle following the largest amphibious assault of the war (larger than D Day at Normandy). A battle that cost as many civilians as it did soldiers.

There is no question in my mind that Okinawa was a principal reason for our dropping the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There is also no reason in my mind to doubt that these folks - who were but children during the invasion of their island - richly deserve the peace and longevity they enjoy today.

There were, for many the world over, bitter and painful moments in the years that preceded it, as well as the four plus years that followed it. But December 7th, 1941 marked the beginning of our own time of travail.

A day we must never forget.

re: Pearl Harbor Day 1

Santa's Elf — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 05:13:38 GMT

Update. If you are interested in the life of WWII German and Japanese POWs in Wisconsin, you can read all about it. See 'Stalag Wisconsin' at our own Brookfield Library.

re: Pearl Harbor Day 1

Santa's Elf — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 05:04:26 GMT

"We had block captains with little tin hats"

Yes! And they would walk round during a 'blackout' looking for light sneaking through a window.

I also recall that at St. Mikes, we'd have air raid drills and have to march down to the basement and stand facing the wall.

And I saw German prisoners working what local farmers referred to as 'pea viners' out in the fields just down the road from my grandfather's farm. Seems to me that they were pretty happy to be here rather than back in Europe facing Patton.

But I'll bet you never came home from school to find the FBI sitting in your living room, grilling Dad? I'll have to finish that story one day when we meet.

re: Pearl Harbor Day 1

Richard J. Steinberg — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:00:11 GMT

SANTAS ELF. I know and knew almost all the guys from St.Michaels in my era. We hung out at Norris playground, 18th and Kilbourn. I attended West Division HS. The family in the upper flat lost 3 Sons in WWII and I remember the postman ringing once and the screaming upstairs. We had block captains with little tin hats, ration stamps amd victory gardens, some at home, and some at the outskirts of the city. War Bonds were sold everywhere and Bob Hope ended his radio show with "bye bye,buy bonds".

Every weekend the Sailors from Great Lakes Training Station in Illinois came to town to the USO and elsewhere for R&R.If you were in the military it was for the duration, draftee or enlisted. The song "Lets remember Pearl Harbor as we did the Alamo" was popular.

re: Pearl Harbor Day 1

Santa's Elf — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 05:11:23 GMT

On 12/07/1941 I was two years old and living in West Allis (I think). Shortly thereafter, we moved to Milwaukee and bought a corner grocery on 24th and Cherry St. That's right across from St. Mikes church and about five or six blocks from you. Small world, ain't it?

Mom worked the store while Dad worked third shift at Blackhawk Machine - making bomb casings I believe.

The only things I remember about the war were all the gold stars on the doors of homes down the block, ration cards, and when I met a returned amputee who lived half way round the block. He used to let me push his wheel chair when we went for 'a walk'.

Following the war, I met a returning vet who had lived with us in Ripon - where I was born. He was a student at Ripon College, and the ski jump champ of Wisconsin one winter. He used to carry me down to the college on his shoulders for pep rallies. During his short visit to our store, he accompanied us back into our living quarters, dropped his pants, and revealed his two new artificial legs. They were awarded to him for living through a mortar attack on a jeep in which he was riding. I don't know if he ever skied again.