If you haven't heard, or if you've been ignoring the message, now is the time to begin paying attention: America’s digital transition is less than one year away. On Feb. 17, 2009, all television stations will cease broadcasting the analog signals that the medium has used since 1941, and will switch entirely to digital signals. If you’re like the average American, you don’t fully understand what this transition means for you. A poll released in November found that less than half of respondents were even aware of the switch, and only 17% could correctly identify the year analog signals would be cut off.

IN JANUARY 2006, UW-MILWAUKEE SENIOR EVAN MCDONIELS WAS ITCHING TO EXPLORE the world beyond campus. When he heard that the Venezuelan consulate was offering free trips to Venezuela for nearly 40 U.S. citizens, he jumped at the chance to learn some Spanish...

SITTING ALONE AT A LONG, WHITE TABLE BY THE ENTRANCE GATE, KELSEY KAUFMANN SMILED at the festivalgoers, handing them concert schedules as they filtered into the park. They were arriving for a bash called Mess With Texas, one of the largest of the storied day parties...

If state Sen. Lena Taylor was tired at the end of a long day that included tending to a young son, working in the state Senate, the umpteenth campaign debate with Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker and preparing for the next forum, to be held at 7:30 the following morning, it didn’t show.

On day two of his new job, Daniel Keegan is juggling the usual problems of a transcontinental move. First there is his car, shipped to Milwaukee from San Jose, Calif., and damaged on arrival. With wind chills hovering near zero, it’s not the greatest day to wait at the bus stop, but one senses that Keegan is warmed by the anticipation of his work. Keegan is the new director of the Milwaukee Art Museum. He’s excited about his job. Although he came here from California, Keegan has more than nodding familiarity with Wisconsin winters. He’s a native of Green Bay, where his mother and siblings still live. “I’m the only one who left Green Bay,” says Keegan, who enjoyed two decades in academia, including chairing the art department at West Virginia Wesleyan College, before becoming director of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City and the San Jose Museum of Art. “They think I’m crazy for coming back because of the weather.”

Both companies are tight-lipped about what’s in store for the future MillerCoors, but it’s apparent that two corporate headquarters will merge in one location, a process that will match Milwaukee in a corporate beauty contest with picturesque Golden—or even another location.

EVERYONE WAS WRITING ABOUT THE WRITERS’ STRIKE AND I WAS WONDERING ABOUT AMERICAN GANGSTER AND CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR. To put it another way, the pundits were focused on the obvious potential impact of an ongoing strike on the big night.

The 2008 election could alter our course, and Sen. Barack Obama is the one person who could transform that desire for change into real results. That’s why Obama has earned the endorsement of the Shepherd Express as the next president of the United States.

"I love you.” The whispered words float across the linen tablecloth, over the delicate silverware, the fine china, between the glasses of wine that glow with the light of a nearby candle. It’s Valentine’s Day and you sit across from the person you love most in the world.

Nine candidates are running to represent the Sixth District on the Milwaukee Common Council, but the contest is marked by the one man who isn’t able to actively campaign for the seat—

Wisconsin consumers are using less energy. That’s a good thing. But we’re paying more for that energy. In 2006, we paid a record amount—almost $19.5 billion, about $1.1 billion more than we spent in 2005.

Modern man is a mass of contradictions—especially when it comes to evidence of his own mortality. One needs only to compare the unsurpassed gore of today’s horror films and video games and the popularity of shows like “C.S.I.” with the outrage the Body Worlds exhibit has provoked in some circles.

When attending a classical concert, most of us are accustomed to sitting quietly in one place and allowing the music to transport us. If the venue is particularly noteworthy, you might reflect on how the surroundings are enlivened by the play of sounds.

In 2004, 20 million unmarried women—single, divorced, separated or widowed—didn’t vote. In 2006, that number was 30 million. Depressing? Yes. But in 2008, these women are considered the voting bloc that could determine the outcome of the next presidential election and many more to come.

In spite of its outdated reputation for $4.99 lobster buffets, Las Vegas is an expensive city, especially when it comes to entertainment. Even aging singers who would have a difficult time selling $30 tickets on tour can easily charge $100 in Vegas, since they know that tourists arrive desperate to be entertained and prepared to splurge.

The year started on a high note, at least for progressives. At long last, Democrats took control of both houses of Congress, as well as the state Senate in Wisconsin. With the shift in power came promises to bring the troops home, spend more money on domestic issues such as health care, and begin undoing the damage brought by six full years of the Bush administration.

The gray skies of December grow colder, and this reporter hunkers down to mixed drinks and mixed messages. Economic recession, we are told, is imminent. Foreclosures are skyrocketing, real wages remain stagnant and your best pal is heading for the territories, still owing you 50 and with no forwarding address.

CITY CONFIDENTIAL, DINING, BOUGHT AND SOLD, SERVICES, FUN FOR ALL...

The owners of Beans & Barley, the natural foods grocer and café on Milwaukee’s East Side, expected to take a hit last year when the national chain Whole Foods opened a super-sized store just a few blocks away, but they were still surprised by the number of customers they lost. It didn’t help that around the same time another chain vying for the same health-conscious clientele, Trader Joe’s, moved in to the new Bayshore Town Center.

Anew movement is emerging in southeastern Wisconsin that has the potential to alter the way we care for those who struggle to feed themselves every day. The food justice movement—made up of newly intertwining strands of social justice activists, urban farmers and gardeners, “buy local” advocates and “foodies” who live to eat—is raising awareness of our local food system’s deficiencies and strengths.

May 03, 2007 Few things on TV are as likely to stir our emotions as the local news. When it's done right, the stories can impact us deeply on a personal level and even promote change in the community. But when it's done the wrong way, it makes us embarrassed and even angry.

February 08, 2007 Ireland, Cuba and New Zealand did it. France is doing it. And cities as diverse and vibrant as New York, Chicago, El Paso, Madison and Appleton have done it.

December 07, 2006 The ballots have been counted, the ballots have been recounted, and the chads have been surgically excised.

December 21, 2006 It`s no secret that beer is the drink of choice in Milwaukee. In all four seasons, with any type of food, and at any occasion you`ll find Milwaukeeans hoisting a can, bottle or pint glass full of suds.

February 15, 2007 What`s hot? In Milwaukee, sex with an ex, spanking, playing with adult toys and posing for dirty pictures is hot. Lying when saying "I love you"—not so much.