Having recently celebrated its first birthday, Firestarter Films is quickly gaining notoriety, and a following, for its bimonthly film festivals. Filmmakers and film lovers flock to the forum to screen independent films of any format or style, be it stop-motion animation, 3-D, documentaries or highlight reels of feature-length narratives. From its inception in November 2008...

The hoopla surrounding the Tiger Woods Indiscretions Tour has really showcased our culture’s infatuation with scandal. Milwaukee has had its share of nation-gripping news stories, many of...

It’s one of those ideas you kick yourself for not thinking of. While a dry martini is rarely served without an olive, or a gin and tonic without a lime, coffee liqueur- and cream-based cocktails are often left naked, without a single garnish to boost their character. Graphic designer Joe Hausch observed this vacancy within the world’s garnish caddies and came up with a simple but brilliant concept: the Cholive, featuring whole cream...

As the Olympic torch treks across Canada en route to Vancouver for the 21st Winter Games in February 2010, it’s only appropriate to look at Wisconsin’s contribution to the monumental sporting event. Milwaukee’s own Pettit National Ice Center is one of...

To our great fortune, we’re in the midst of a culinary renaissance motivated by our appreciation for Old World methods of food production and the fine-tuned flavors that result. All around us, artisans are joining up to hand-make mustards, spirits, pickles and chocolates the way others form artists’ collectives and bands...

Why Christopher Latham Sholes and his typewriter aren’t as well known as Alexander Graham Bell and the telephone and Johannes Gutenberg and the printing press is curious. Whereas stories of the latter can be found in history books, Sholes and his major contribution to humankind are notably absent. Like many inventions, pinpointing...

Mars’ Cheese Castle is Wisconsin’s first line of defense against marauding barbarians with Illinois license plates. The state with which we share our southern border taketh our coin by demanding a toll to travel its road. But our way is cleverer. Protected by timber ramparts and turrets, Mars’ Cheese Castle sits between Milwaukee and Chicago...

Seated in an ergonomic chair in a comfortable, temperature-controlled office in the cozy embrace of today’s regulations from the U.S. Department of Labor, it’s easy to lose sight of just how bad our forebears had it. Here in Milwaukee, where industry was king...