Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Tuesday, March 31, 2009: Manual Newsfeed

(Manual in the sense that I don't actually have feeds feeding me things.)
Local Industrial Economy Improved in March

Tuesday, the Milwaukee chapter of the Institute for Supply Management said that its seasonally adjusted manufacturing index registered 30 in March, up one point from February.


I never know what to think of reports like this. Yay we're up! Boo it's only up slightly. But improvement is improvement.

We are still below 50, which means that Milwaukee is still loosing more on the industrial side of things we are gaining. Apparently this index is something I am supposed to be watching to help me figure out the economy. (Along with other things I've been told to watch including supermarket prices, gas prices, if the sky is falling or not, and if the sun rises and sets each day).


Realtors:City Hall Should Take Over Park East Land

“The City has the tools, resources and expertise to work directly with potential developers and investors, as well as the County, to ensure the best and most effective use of the property,” said Jim Villa, group president, in a statement.


Yes, the city does have these tools ect...just not the money or the cooperation of the county board who believes that it is only the economy that keeps the Park East land barren. Not red tape or sluggish governmental boards.

Since apparently downtown Milwaukee hasn't been developing since...whenever we tore that freeway down. I'm fairly certain that there have been plenty of good economic times to get something there.

Now, I don't mean to sound like I'm up for anything, but I'm really getting sick of seeing that giant swath of earth there. Come to Downtown Milwaukee! See acres of dirt and surface parking! Blame it on the economy!

(Obviously it isn't a result of the virtual non-existent cooperation between the City and the County.)

And In Waukesha News:
Housing May Fill Waukesha YWCA Site

After the presentation, neighbor Kim Pipkin expressed her concern that 16 homes would be too close together and the lots would be undersized.

"Obviously, they'll really be starter homes," she said. "I was glad to hear plans for condos."


Let me translate that last quote for you. "I'm afraid that we might have poor people or minorities living in Waukesha and getting family supporting jobs! They also might build houses on lots less than 1/2 an acre and have houses closer together! That might create a sustainable neighborhood! Oh God...we'll look like Milwaukee or something! That disgusting city with poverty and sidewalks and neighborhoods and black people!"

Yeah, that was a little harsh, but I don't see how homes that are priced between $150,000-$200,000 are really all that affordable priced.

Also, what "condos?" Is this the suburban way of saying that condos=family-owned versus houses=rental properties?

I guess redevelopment is good and all, but I think that Waukesha's supposed push for affordability is really fake.


In other news, will spring be coming to Milwaukee again so I can go out and explore without getting wet and cold?

Monday, March 9, 2009

New York Times Article - "All Boarded Up - How Cleveland is Dealing With Mass Foreclosure"

This is what I'll be reading today and tomorrow.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/08/magazine/08Foreclosure-t.html

I'll comment more on it later, but I'm sure that they are things us Rust Belters have been seeing for a long time. Now the rest of the country is facing it and freak it out.

Also, I know that this applies to more than just Cleveland.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Word 2003: Overly Optimistic?

Hmmm...

My copy of Word 2003 doesn't seem to like the term "deindustrialized" and would rather replaced it with "reindustrialized."

I guess I can't blame it for looking up.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Starting This Blog Up Again

If anybody is still out there and reads this, hi!

If you are new to this corner of the internet, hi!

Originally, this blog was born out of a class about blogging. Now this blog is being reborn out of a class; an independent study that is seemingly constantly evolving, but always interesting.

In essence, this blog will serve as notes on my independent study of Rust Belt Cities and their web presence, including but not limited to:
-Official City Webpages
-Development Blogs (Both official and unofficial)
-Virtual Museums of City History (Do they exist for Rust Belt Cities? Are they any good?)

In the end, this blog may or may not become a virtual museum of the History of Milwaukee. I may build a virtual museum somewhere else.

For an idea of what I'm looking at, click on my links to the right.

Thank you for joining me on this adventure,
-Peter

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Test

Test

Sunday, April 8, 2007

Audio Post? Podcast?

Or just a file in MP3 format? Give it a listen. Or not.

This is an experimental audio file

Milwaukee Explorer now in Audioblog format. Maybe.