http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/blogs-1-1-1-19.html There's a lot of talk lately connecting the 40 drowning deaths of college aged men to a gang of serial killers working together across the country. Drowning is the third leading cause of accidential death, and males are more likely to drown than females, especially ages 18-24. New evidence has come up regarding the deaths and the string of smiley faces appearing at the drowning sites in 5 states. Other evidence includes one man whose arms wer]]> In a previous blog I touched on MPS and the problems the district must face each and every day. The 207 schools hold 87,360 students and the budget allows for 14,149 staff positions. Today the majority of students are African-American 57.4%, 21.8% are Hispanic, and 12.4% are White. Thirty years ago MPS was over 60% white. There's no denying that the district has changed drastically over the past several decades with most families, mine included]]> Two students from South Milwaukee High School will have to deal with the implications of a decision that has changed their lives in a major way. A 18 year old man had sex with two students while failing to tell them that he is HIV positive. Police are currently looking for the suspect. HIV infections have been on the rise the past few years in Wisconsin. Numerous new cases are involving young adults, a “new generation” facing H]]> The end of opening weekend at Miller Park brings with it the hope of a winning season to Brewers fans everywhere. My peers who weren't able to witness the excitement of 1982 believe that 2008 will be the lucky year. Sadly I wasn't able to attend any of the games this weekend, but driving past full parking lots and seeing clips on the news was enough to convince me that I missed out on a great deal of fun. If there's one thing I love about baseb]]> ...what I heard on the bus today." It's a phrase I find myself saying a great deal. Riding the bus has really become an adventure for me lately, each ride I'm always hearing, seeing, and sometimes smelling something interesting. "Interesting" is a term I use loosely. If you ride the bus, especially the 15, you know what I mean. The times I don't have my ipod charged and blasting into my eardrums, I listen to what goes on around me. College kids]]> In my last post I used images to try and convey the natural beauty of Milwaukee and although I may be biased I think there is plenty in this city. However, I am not naive and I am made well aware of the ugliness and problems that Milwaukee struggles with on a daily basis. America's 22nd largest city deals with drug use, violence, educational crises, and poverty each day. Poverty- A few years back, 2003-2004, poverty in Wisconsin rose the f]]> Henry David Thoreau was a leader in transcendentalism and exploring the natural beauty that surrounds each of us. After reading Thoreau's "Walking" our class was assigned a project in which we all would simply walk and document our journey in images and later create a story. I took full advantage of the 40-plus degree weather yesterday and took some beautiful shots all from around the lakefront and UWM campus (there is even a surfer in the second]]> Milwaukee is a city filled with great date opportunites. Wonderful resturants, art galleries, concert venues, and sports arenas only add to the prospects of a great date night. For some the only question that remains is, where do I find my date? Meeting someone by chance can happen just about anywhere. It could be someone you run into at the store, a crowded club, or sitting next to you in class. However, in our age of technology I see many of ]]> Happy St. Patrick's Day Milwaukee. Following only the Polish and German, Milwaukee's thrid largest ethnic group is the Irish with 82,000 residents claiming ancestry back in 2000. Impress your bartender tonight by ordering your green beers in Irish, Beor ghlas, le do thoil (green beer, please)! For best results: try this before your 4th pitcher. If you really get into the Irish spirt, go ahead and try out these other Irish phrases and sayings. ]]>   Since I am a car-less, college student I quite often walk places and ride the Milwaukee County buses. It's usually in these two instances I encounter on a regular basis interesting strangers. I sometimes wonder about their life, what's important to them, where they live, etc. You can get an overall glimpse of someone by what they're wearing, how they speak, how they act, but what do you really know about the person sitting next to you on]]> I'm more than ready for some warm weather, Brewer's games, and walking outside. I can almost smell it now..the beautiful spring air. I'm guessing most of my fellow Milwaukeeans are anxious for the same. This winter has been too long and harsh. Also hearing that Texas received an inch of snow seems to only lesson our dreams of spring in the near future. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Our lost hour of sleep will produce, of cou]]> I can't believe the entire state of Wisconsin is still questioning whether or not to enact a full smoking ban. There are plenty of states and cities around the country that have already taken the step. The first U.S. city to enact a full smoking-ban was a California city back in 1990. Other countries around the world are taking notice. The entire nation of the United Kingdom went smoke-free just last summer. Articles show that it helped decline n]]> Although I have never come face to face with a ghost, I've been places and seen things that are unexplainable and creepy. I always knew the ouija board was a liar, yet I've always been curious about ghosts ever since I saw the movie Casper. I later got into the television show Unsolved Mysteries, but I was far more scared of the creepy host appearing out of the fog and darkness than I was of the actual mysteries themselves. Recently I've been h]]> It all began with corsets and eventually shifted to diet pills, breast implants, the "herion chic" look, and numerous other dangerous ways for women to perceive themselves. The average American woman is 5'4 and weighs 140 lbs. Why is it that (besides the new Dove campaign) I have yet to see an advertisment that includes an average American woman? In the 1960's model Twiggy (pictured) glamourized the thin look with her 5'6 frame weighing a mere 90]]> It's only about an hour and a half drive from here, but Chicago tends to stir up some animosity for some of my fellow Milwaukee natives. I must admit that sports, although I like to play, I could care less about watching games. Up until a few years ago I thought the yellow line making random appearances during football games was painted on the field (sad but true). My brother and Step-dad have not gotten over this. However, I do know that there]]> I travel a great deal but sadly the only celebrity sighting I've witnessed was at my local Best Buy a few years ago. Browsing through some CD's and DVD's who do I see? Screech from Saved by the Bell. He isn't a Milwaukee native but I've heard he lives around the area and does stand-up. Dustin Diamond is his actual name. These were his pre-sex tape, pre-"Save Screetch's House" T-shirt selling days. He looked a lot heavier and I had to do a doubl]]> The other day one of my professors passed around a flyer that asked something I found to be quite complicated: Describe modern ideas of love, relationships, and dating. I'm fairly young but have had my fair share of relationships and dating, both good and bad. In talking with my grandmother and mother I've learned that what happens today is quite different than what they were accustomed to. Of course ideals change but looking around me I see th]]> I was 13 when the Columbine High School Massacre occured. I remember the news stations were flooded with accounts of the killings, the heartbreak, and possible warning signs. I was too young to fully comprehend the severity of the situation. I was more concerned with writing notes to my friends that night and picking out my outfit for the next day. Looking back I wasn't much younger than the two killers who were 17 and 18 at the time. Each day ]]> With the Wisconsin primary less than a week away, many are predicting the turnout to be the highest since 1988. In 2004 the turnout for the primary was 24%, this year it is predicted to be around 35% of the voting age population (according to Wisn.com). Wisconsin's primary is open, heated, and sure to draw much attention. I'm hoping for a big turnout, but I remember the turnout for the actual 2004 election being a disappointment. What's your ]]> Facebook is celebrating its fourth birthday today. The popular social networking site was launched back in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg. I hate to admit that I use it at all but I'll admit it: I'm a facebooker and I use it quite frequently. My fellow facebookers will agree that there has been an increase in needless applications in the past year. It has been dubbed "stalkerbook" by my friends and I, because of its increasingly personal introductions]]>