If the idea of organic clothing gives you visions of shapeless hemp sacks worn by granola-munching hippies, it's time to go shopping. These days, organic duds are not only good for the environment, they actually look good, which puts the "fashion" back in earth-friendly fashions. What's more, the green clothing world now offers an array of fabrics, from the softest bamboo to the silkiest soy, which helps not just in the style department but feels comfortable as well. Organic cotton has made it big, for sure-you can find an organic onesie for your baby at Whole Foods, Target, and (close your eyes, this one hurts . . .

How does a landlocked urban university expand? The question has vexed such institutions for centuries and has sometimes led to violent confrontations between town and gown. Columbia University recently marked the 40th anniversary of the uprising of 1968, which was spurred, in part, by the university's attempt to seize public land in nearby Morningside Park. Making this anniversary even more relevant was the fact that Columbia is once again venturing into neighboring Harlem-a move that has not pleased a number of that community's long-time residents. Other colleges, including the University of Pennsylvania and Yale, find themselves facing tough community opposition to plans to expand their respective core campuses . . .

Certain authors are gifted with the ability to create characters that simply cry out to be transferred to movie screens and theater stages. Alice Walker provided a shining example in Celie, the principal character in her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Color Purple. Steven Spielberg first brought Celie to life on the silver screen in 1985, when he earned 11 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Later, Quincy Jones (who wrote the movie's score) and lead-producer Scott Sanders set the stage for a theater production in "Oprah Winfrey Presents The Color Purple."

There’s no denying it: We live in a world ruled by huge multinational corporations increasingly estranged from their places of origin. Perhaps the best any of us can hope for is that they outpace even themselves and eventually run out of steam. Luckily, Milwaukee is home to a growing number of enterprises taking a more active stance, seeking egalitarian alternatives to the corporate model in a bid to give community building more important role than investment seeking. Among them is People’s Books Cooperative, an independent bookstore that marks its first anniversary as a cooperative enterprise on Sept. 1 . . .

When Mike Brenner threatened last winter to close Hotcakes Gallery and leave town if funds were raised to erect a bronze statue of The Fonz, a lot of people accused him of being whiny, or worse. But at the heart of his complaint was the fact that, despite easily raising $85,000 for the Bronze Fonz, people just aren’t walking into local galleries and purchasing art, which makes it hard for those galleries to stay in business. Milwaukee loves art, though, right? Gallery Night is heavily attended, so much so that it’s sometimes hard to actually enjoy the art on the walls through the cheese-nibbling crowds. But galleries, particularly those showing emerging artists, come and go . . .

Controversial comedian Bill Maher, whose digs can strike the funny bone while hitting a nerve, wants to stimulate critical thinking through the gateway of humor. The fearless if not ruthless cynic, host of HBO’s Emmy-nominated series “Real Time,” will perform at the Riverside Theater on Thursday, July 24. We spoke with Maher by phone in early June, discussing politics, religion and the war on drugs. We began by probing about the relevance of his profession. “Too many people, especially the younger generation, don’t get their news from real sources but comedy shows, which is a little like reading the CliffsNotes instead of the actual book,” he says. “I guess it’s better than watching ‘America’s Next Top Model.’ At least . . .

A woman plays the dholak, a Pakistani drum, while other women surrounding her croon offbeat to a yesteryear Pakistani classic, “Teri meri jori barri fit rawai gi” (“Our couple would fit very well together”). A little girl bangs on a tambourine in her own little world. And the other side of the room starts booing. “Start the dancing! What is this oldie singing?” screams a boy. The “other side,” the groom’s side, wants to start the dance competition, while the aunts from the bride’s side want to sing their old classics.

"The route was kept secret until all the riders were present and ready to start. The rules were laid out and checkpoint procedures explained at a riders’ meeting. Then the race began with a “Le Mans start,” which means all the riders ran to their bikes, started them and roared off to glory! Unless they had a bulky kick start, vintage mount…" That’s an account of the first Milwaukee to Minneapolis Tourist Trophy café race (M2MTT) in 1998 by Gary Charpentier, written for the Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly. The M2MTT traditionally takes place the first Saturday after the Fourth of July and has developed a devoted, secretive following.

I am an unabashed admirer of Spike Lee movies, especially Do the Right Thing (1989) and Malcolm X (1992). His achievements as a director are among the most notable of the last 20 years. Thus, I took to heart Lee’s recent criticism of Clint Eastwood for failing to use black actors in Flags of Our Fathers and its companion piece, Letters from Iwo Jima (both 2006). In fact, some 900 blacks participated in this bloody World War II battle, including my late uncle, Lonnie Brake, a U.S. Marine from Milwaukee. On the whole, though, Eastwood has an admirable record . . .

James Cameron was not as acclaimed as he would soon become and his America’s Black Holocaust Museum was mostly a rumor when a pair of white faces peered through the window at the museum’s original inner-city location. It was 1988 and whispers of something called a Black Holocaust Museum had trickled into Milwaukee. Truth be told: The two white faces were puzzled by the term “Black Holocaust,” but the kindly man who stepped up to the door and admitted them was eager to show that the word “Holocaust” was not hyperbole when applied to the black experience. Cameron experienced the catastrophe of American racism firsthand . . .