get your fixx

Frozen custard: it's a Milwaukee staple. There are state-reknown (and perhaps even Midwest-reknown) custard stands all across the metro area. The stands that everyone's heard of? Kopps. Gilles. Leons. Oscars. Admittedly, I have been to all of them on more than one occassion.

However, there is one custard place that seems to get lost in the shuffle. But to us east side dwellers, it's the place to get our fixx...our Lixx Fixx.

Lixx, on the corner of Belleview and Downer, has been a cornerstone of the upper east side for as long as I've been in Mil-town. The great thing about Lixx: you can create your own Fixx from a list of numerous ingredients from heath bar to blueberry to peanut butter...well, you get the point. Of course, my mom went with her standard rasberry. My personal fave...cinnamon apple bits and caramel.

You really can't go wrong with a Lixx Fixx. It's a delicious treat for people...and canines...of all ages. Just ask Caye.

schadenfreude

Schadenfreude: pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others or simply put, happiness at the misfortune of others.

"Wow, that IS German!" I can say that, I'm 1/2 German. And after meeting some of my German relatives, I can verify that it is scarily accurate. Yet this concept (or phenomenon, if you will) has transcended far beyond one ethnic group....right into the very fibers of our society and culture.

American society as a whole was introduced to the concept "schadenfreude" through pop culture as early as 1991 thanks to The Simpsons. Lisa asks Homer if he's ever heard of schadenfreude after he is excessively happy that Ned Flanders' business is failing. Defining it for him, she says, "It's a German term for "shameful joy", taking pleasure in the suffering of others." The word/concept has also appeared in other hit shows, including Malcolm in the Middle. If you've seen that show, it shouldn't shock you. Malcolm seems to be based upon that very premise.

However, most people became familiar with the term by way of Avenue Q; the Broadway musical that can be described as: Sesame Street gone wrong. Any sick and/or twisted thought you conjured up about Sesame Street, well, you're not the only one. Here it is in a musical.

To quote the song Schadenfreude from said musical: "Nothing I can do! It's Schadenfreude makin' me feel glad that I'm not you!" Later in the same song, the happiness at the misfortune of others continues...

Nicky: How 'bout straight A students getting B's?
Gary: Exes getting STDs!
Nicky: Waking doormen from their naps!
Gary: Watching tourist reading maps!
Nicky: Football players getting tackled!
Gary: CEOs getting shackled!

Hysterically funny? Yes. But think about it. Society as a whole does it...especially the news.

The May 2008 earthquake in China stands out as a perfect example of schadenfreude and how it has affected society as a whole. I was on vacation in Greece when this natural disaster occured. Not able to understand a damn word of Greek, I received any information deemed newsworthy from BBC News and CNN. As we all know from the pictures and live footage, the destruction was massive and left tens of thousands dead. I understand the need to be "live on the scene" as it is, and likely will remain, one of the worst natural disasters of our lifetime. However, I don't understand the need to interview a grandmother (with help from a translator) who cannont locate any of her family in the rubble. It is highly likely that her children and grandchildren have perished in the devastation, and we're seeing her have a breakdown on national, no...international, television. As a society we thrive on sensationalism, but quite frankly, this was ridiculous.

I experienced wide range of emotions. I was saddened at the death and destruction, disgusted that they continued to interview survivors obviously going through major emotional turmoil; yet I found it somewhat comical with people frantically shifting through the rubble as it resembled a scene from a really bad B movie (I'm blaming the Mythos beer for this). And I caught myself thinking "I'm so glad that's not me. It would suck. I'm happy I'm safe on vacation and not in China." And there it was: on the island of Mykonos I had a schadenfreude experience.

Is it wrong? Definitely.

But again, it reinforces the fact that no one is immune. Schadenfreude is also readily evident with common sayings/catch phrases:

• "Sucks to be you." I'm willing to bet that everyone has said this. If not, you're lying.
• "I'm glad I'm not that guy." You've said that too. You know you have.

Or common daily occurances:

• Being amused when someone is trying to walk a straight line in a 40 mph wind gust.
• Feeling warm and safe in your home while watching people in the their cars stuck in a snowstorm.
• Chuckling (or in my case, Nelson's "ha-ha" from The Simpsons) when someone is pulled over for speeding. Admittedly, I do this all the time.

Or on the web:

• http://www.fmylife.com/: I check this daily. In a strange, twisted way it makes me realize my life could be so much worse and really doesn't suck.

Yes, schadenfreude is alive and well in our daily lives, whether we want to admit it or not.

Now I think I'm going to take the elevator to get a coke and if someone asks me to hold the door, I won't. Then on the ride down, I'm going to laugh at them.

east side special

Mid-August in Milwaukee is known for many things. IrishFest at Summerfest grounds. Chocolate-covered bacon at State Fair. Scrambling to make the most out of those last summer weekends.

And lastly, the east side of Milwaukee transforming into garbage dumps.

This is a tradition much unlike any other. Seeing that this area of Milwaukee is highly populated with college students, it's safe to say most leases run August-July or something similar. This also begins a coexisting tradition called "moving". As a result, between 1-15 August, materials magically appear on the sidewalks (sometimes overflowing into the streets) - just about the time most leases expire. This also explains the increased presence of a vehicle known as a U-Haul.

Now I understand that some of this furniture is Wal-Mart quality and probably can be tossed, as actually moving it to a new place would a pain in the ass and it's easier to buy something new (and maybe upgrade to Target quality in the process). Some of it really is trash, i.e. cardboard boxes; that couch that has numerous stains from beer, pizza, puke...well, you get the point. Some abandoned articles make you wonder; for example, how on earth did that toilet split in half like that?

However, not all of it is trash. Once in a while you can find a diamond in the rough. One year a loveseat and bookcase were among my "east side specials".

Although I'd be weary of getting any sofas or loveseats this year. I think my dog has peed on most of them.

there's no nice way to say it...

Kicking the bucket.
Going six feet under.
Having the angels ask you to fly.

No matter how metaphoric or flowery you put it, death is not a fun or happy subject nor is there a nice way to say it. I realize this blog is (or at least is so far) about more frivolous and less life-altering subjects, but once in a while, a trip down a darker road is deemed necessary.

Let's face it, there's been quite a bit of death in 2009. Personally, my Grandmom and my dog, Tiger Lily, passed on.

Grandmom's death was somewhat expected and "a relief" (as my dad put it) as her health was failing. She also wasn't her usual feisty, spunky self; which was quite strange and sad as she was always busy running around and quick with a sassy comment. Grandmom was also the relative who always told me I was so creative and should really doing something with those talents. Well, it took a few years but I finally listened...thanks Grandmom.

Tiger Lily's passing was completely unexpected which makes it a little sadder on some level. She was also my first pet as an adult, so she'll always hold a special place in my heart. Lily was a good dog that sometimes did bad things (such as eating couch cushions) but overall had a good and happy life. Her mom and her brother Caye also miss her very much.

However, death has affected almost everyone on some level this year as a number of high-profile "rich and famous" people have passed. Not that celebrities overshadow our families, friends or pets passing because that is certainly not the case. But in this years "class of 2009", at least one of them has had some impact on each of us (whether it be directly or indirectly).

Ed McMahon: Carson's sidekick - thus making him the most well-known sidekick in history. The former host of Star Search - arguably the precursor to American Idol (and all the other reality talent competitions). I don't know if I can forgive him for that.

Farrach Fawcett: I remember playing Charlie's Angels as a kid but since I was a brunette I always ended up as Kate Jackson. Honestly, that's probably why I wasn't huge fan of hers in the day. However, the way she publicly and courageously dealt with her battle with cancer speaks volumes. For that alone, she should be admired.

Michael Jackson: Personal life aside, MJ truly was "The King of Pop" and one of the few all-around entertainers of the 80s. Sure he was certifiably bizarre and whiter than I was, but we can only speculate on the "inner" demons. He will be forever recognized (and rightfully so) for his contributions to the music and entertainment industry.

Billy Mays: Maybe a pseudo-celebrity, but the world would be a much dirtier place without Oxy Clean and Orange Glo.

Walter Cronkite: As a broadcast minor, we watched early footage of Mr. Cronkite. Amazing. The man could almost transport you to the live action to the point where you felt like you were experiencing it yourself. How could he do it? "That's the way it is". There is no other way to sum it up.

John Hughes: Perhaps of all the celebrities, this one hits the hardest as his movies were a fabric of our lives in the 80s. We may have forgotten (until recently anyway) that he was involved in Uncle Buck and Home Alone (and thus largely responsible for Macaulay Caulkin's career)...but movies like Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Sixteen Candles and my personal favorite, The Breakfast Club remain true classics. Each one of us could relate to at least one of the characters in The Breakfast Club, and the film helped us to realize that no one social sect in high school had it easy. Hughes effectively tackled the highs and lows of growing up in a humorous way, yet made you think at the same time. I doubt anyone in the near future will come close to capturing the essence of adolescence quite the way Hughes did.