There can be something poetic about the frailty of human existence. It has been our habit to push against this vulnerable side and try to control our environment. Despite this effort, there is a level of futility in our plan. Something will always be broken. Something will inevitably not fit in the right order. If we look close enough, there is always something unresolved and discordant.

Being funny is no joke. If you want to make it in comedy, it takes a daunting amount of time, effort, dedication, and sacrifice, not to mention seriously tough skin. Sometimes people will laugh at an off-the-cuff remark you thought was stupid. Other times, the joke you crafted over days at multiple small open mics bombs when it gets to general audiences. It has been said that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at anything, but the average open mic only allows three minutes of material per comedian.

Bayview Foundation Inc.s guiding purpose is to facilitate families as they meet their needs, realize their dreams, and make contributions to the community. Together, Bayview Foundation and Bayview Townhouse residents have created a people-proven model of successful, dynamic cooperation that works.

How many weeks in a year? 52. How many weeks in two years? 104. Easy math, right? So simple a toddler could even do it. You know what else a toddler can do? Pick up a gun and shoot someone. In fact, thats exactly what happened each week the past two years. Every week, one toddler. Possibly even more disturbing is the fact that this statistic is on the rise6 percent each year since 2014.

R.P. Adlers stellar sandwiches, seafood, and pasta dishes make it one of the most popular upscale casual restaurants on Madisons west side. But its the locally owned eaterys chicken strips that keep locals coming back for more. Made to order, never frozen, and hand dipped in beer batter, the deep-fried chicken strips at this urban oasis are second to none.

Its hard to believe, but Madisons dining scene has a three-flat brownstone apartment near Wrigley Field to thank for three of the citys most acclaimed restaurants: Sardine on Williamson Street, Marigold Kitchen on Pinckney Street, and Gates & Brovi on Monroe Street.

Every beer drinker has had a Blonde Ale. Heck, odds are it was one of the first beers they ever tasted. But if you ask anyone who drinks a lot of microbrews what their first Blonde Ale was, youll most likely receive little more than a shrug. Why? Is the style so bland, so unexciting that it deserves not even the hint of a nod? Perhaps brewers are to blame for treating the style as little more than something for the patron who only drinks Bud or Miller. Or maybe its time for the beer drinker to revisit the style.

Metcalfes Market has beaten the odds. This family business with two stores in Madison and one in Wauwatosa is celebrating its 100th year in business. According to the Family Firm Institute, about 30 percent of family businesses survive into the second generation, 12 percent remain viable into the third generation, and only about 3 percent of all family businesses operate into the fourth generation and beyond.

The scent of a garden awakens our awareness, stimulates us to breathe deep, and lifts our heads to seek its source. Without thinking, we are drawn to bury our noses in flowers. Fragrance elicits emotions and evokes memories. Yet, seduced by the visual attributes of many new plant varietiesshowy flowers, novel leaves, and tidy habitswe may unwittingly sacrifice the unseen beauty of fragrance. When we follow the traditional wisdom of also selecting plants for their fragrance, we can imbibe natures intoxicating perfumes and revitalizing aromatics from spring until fall as we walk through our busy days and relax at the days end.

Trees add value to the home in a number of different ways. They not only offer a variety of colors and textures throughout the seasons, but they also help to soften lines on built structures. A house without trees can look barren, but add trees and the structure has shadow, dimension, and interest.

There are days when I just want to cuddle up in my warm bed or laze on the couch watching Netflix. There are enough things to keep me occupied for days, maybe even a couple weeks, if I didnt leave my house. But after a weekend, I get stir crazy. Getting outside in the fresh air, seeing new things while driving, meeting and talking to people, and even grocery shopping help alleviate my boredom. Humans are lucky that waymost of the time we are able to do what we want and go where we want. Unfortunately, our pets cannot.

If you wander past the kennels of adoptable dogs and the kittens vying for your attention, youll find yourself in a part of Dane County Humane Society (DCHS) few ever seea wilder side.

At a time when it seems everyone is considering the future of healthcare in the United Statesits affordability, quality, and accessibilityI am heartened to have the opportunity to share my perspective as a womens health provider, along with some useful health information and hope for the future of womens health as I see it.

While Convivio owner Mary D Alton is from suburban Chicago, she has lived in Spring Green for more than 20 years. Theres no simple answer for what brought me here, she says. Mary chose Spring Green to set up shop because of her love for the small town. I wanted to do something that added to what the village didnt have.

What do Delavan, Janesville, Prairie du Chien, Appleton, Baraboo, Evansville, Portage, Whitewater, and Watertown have in common? They all served as home to one or more circus troupes at the end of the 1800s and into the early 1900s. Some famous circus names came out of Wisconsin: W.C. Coup of Delavan first thought up the idea of a three-ring circus, and Colonel George W. Hall started his own show in 1886 based out of Evansville. In the end, over 100 circuses were based in Wisconsin. One of the most famous was the Ringling Bros., who grew up in Baraboo and later made it their winter headquarters.

Putting yourself in someone elses shoes is an essential part of building and maintaining interpersonal relationships. Empathy has received a lot of press recently, from the psychology researcher Paul Bloom, who argues that empathy is not nearly as important as compassion and behaving morally, to the Harvard Business Review, which has published a top 20 list of the most empathetic companies.