JAK CHAT

A Nice Family  Gathering                                                                    Sponsored by Racine Theatre Guild and  Written by Managing & Artistic Director Doug In stenes My stock answer to anyone asking me to state my favorite kind of play is: "The one I'm working on now." And that is true.  But if you really pushed me, I'd say that my favorite plays are those that tell a story that can make you laugh one minute and put a tear in your eye the next. Welcome to  A Nice Family Gathering, READ MORE ...  a play that, first of all, is just plain funny. Yet the story of this kooky and somewhat dysfunctional family will also get you a bit choked up. We all bring our own family experiences to a story, and Phil Olsen’s comedy hits close to home for me. I am a husband and a father of two, so I identify with how a father communicates with his family. I also recently saw my own father turn 94, and I don’t know how much time I have left with him. So I also iden...

Breastfeeding in Public. Again. by JAK guest dad blogger, Toby Mueller,  from Raymond Let me just say right off the top that I think that breastfeeding IS beneficial for children.  Let me say it again just in case you didn't hear me...I THINK THAT BREASTFEEDING IS GOOD FOR KIDS. What I don't get is why do it in public? READ MORE... Yes, covering up helps. But why not doing it in a corner or somewhere not right in front of me. This seems to be a recurring theme in my life as a stay at home dad. I am at an event with my daughter.  She is of at her activity while I am watching her from a windowed room.  I am sitting by myself reading when a mom with an 8 month old comes in and sits down across the table from me.  We make small talk about our girls and as we are talking, she starts to prep for feeding time. Right there as we are talking! Is there a protocol for this situation? Do I keep up the conversation? Do I look away while still talking?  What do I do? I can't end the conv...

A Heart to Help JAK  is inspired! For quite some time now, I've been thinking about ways that I can give back to the community.  I don't have a lot of money, I don't have a lot of time...however, the one asset I do possess is that I somehow, over the last 18 years of living in southeastern Wisconsin, I have been able to make a ton of connections. I've connect with you, for instance, right? Now, I know today's commentary might be starting out pretty blah, however, can you stick with me, and click on over to Read More... Last year, I proposed a great initiative (or so I thought) to a few non-profits around the area, ones that serve families who need food and clothing.  Part of my mission, without going into too much detail, was to share the "face of families" who need the food, or the coats, or the services that many of the agencies provide.  At a meeting I had attended a year ago, these organizations really stressed the growth in numbers of the individuals ...

Get Out!   What is the deal with the recent rash of high school evacuations due to bomb threats? I was informed about the one at Racine's Park High School via my high schooler's text. Read more... While my daughter is not a student at Park, apparently word travels fast in this world of immediate connectiveness via mobile phones.  It seems one of her friends, a senior at Park was giving her the lowdown.   That same day, high school students in Grafton were evacuating their building, taking shelter at a nearby church.  Last week, it was Greendale High School. While kids were in no real danger in the two latter situations, indeed, there was a bomb assembled in the case of Park High School, that ended up being "a bomb", thank goodness, as apparently it didn't detonate as intended (or not, who knows). The sad reality of the Park High School situation is that it actually validates the necessity of taking each and every threat seriously.  Who would've thought so, eh...