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the windy what Yesterday morning an opinionated coworker was explaining to me how much of a small town Milwaukee is in comparison to the oh so cosmopolitan world of Chicago. He also went on to say that the fictional rivalry between the two cities is all in the minds of the good people of Milwaukee, because Chicagoans could care less. Okay, whatever. I'll be the first to admit that Milwaukee is a classic blue collar town with what the media likes to deem as traditional values, but a certain city to the south of the border doesn't have that much more going for it. Oh, Chicago may have some more cultural attractions than Milwaukee, but from my experience a good part of that town resembles the Saturday Night Live skit where they sit in a bar drinking and talking about dah bears. I also seem to remember that the charming television program Married With Children was set in the fair city of Chicago. Another point that he kept emphasizing was that they were so much more professional in the media that came out of Chicago, but from what I have seen on WGN, I would have to disagree. That channel has to be the worst that cable offers and I often believe that they have monkeys running the cameras there. Once you take the Art Institute, The Museum of Science and Industry, The Shedd Aquarium and the Sears Tower away from the city, there isn't much left. If Illinois didn't have Chicago the state is one quick step away from being either Iowa or Kentucky. I am not lying when I say that they have Southern accents at the lower half of the state. Of course I can't forget that the fine cultural program known as The Jerry Springer Show is filmed in the fair city of Chicago, which is more than enough reason to honor such a refined metropolis. Then another part of me has to wonder if Chicago is such a wonderful place to be then why do so many people from Illinois vacation in Wisconsin. Yes, I know that the state needs the tourism, but sometimes I wonder if it is worth it. What I will admit is that there are better paying jobs in Chicago, but I would never live there. Some of my cousins live and work there, but it isn't an option for me. Earlier this week I received an invitation to subscribe to an upcoming season of chamber music here in Milwaukee. At first I was a little surprised to get the mailing and then I thought about it some more. I may never have been a member before, but my being a season ticket holder with the Milwaukee Repertory probably had something to do with it. Now I am just trying to decide if I want to try it or not. The chamber music series is held close to where I see the plays, so location isn't a problem. Nor is the cost an issue since it is about the same as what I pay for play tickets, but there are other concerns that make me wonder if I would enjoy the music as much as I do the plays. First of all my knowledge of classical music is limited and I have a feeling that I would have to dress a little more formally than I do for the plays. Time and time again I have said that I like cello music and this is where they are offering, but I'm not sure if I could sit still just listening to music. Suddenly I sound as though I am trying to avoid going to church which is probably a bad comparison, but that is the only other place that I have been where people sit in formal clothes and listen to music. With the plays there is much more overt interaction. I can see the actors changing expression and what they say has an impact on me. Music on the other hand operates on a more subtle level or at least I think so. What I mean to say is that I when I listen to classical music at home, I don't get all emotional or focused on the music. More often than not I just seem to relax and forget about everything. Speaking of music, my friend Dan mailed me a copy of his album.
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