Every Friday, Off The Record looks to other Milwaukee publications (and beyond) for bits of news we missed throughout the week.
• It’s that time of year again—the time to round up the best music of the year, the best food of the year, and, yes, the drunkest states of the year. Any guesses who tops the latter list? Wisconsin, of course. According to the United Health Foundation’s annual “Health Rankings,” Wisconsin is the worst state in the country for excessive drinking. Roughly 24 percent of Wisconsin adults report drinking to excess. Compare that to the most prim and proper state, Utah, where only 12 percent of folks regularly get shitty.
So what does “excessive drinking” mean, anyway? You’re definitely from Wisconsin if you scoff at the numbers: “Binge drinking” is defined as drinking four or more (women) or five or more (men) drinks on one occasion in the past 30 days, while “chronic drinking” is defined as having eight or more (women) or 15 or more (men) drinks per week. [Wisconsin Public Radio]
• In case you’re wondering where the “Drinking in the ’80s” picture came from… [YouTube]
• Milwaukee failed to secure a federal grant (again) to extend the streetcar route to the Fiserv Forum, but it’s cool. [TMJ4]
• According to Summerfest, the Big Gig has been losing acts to the Fiserv Forum, but it’s cool. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Renaissance Books is out of the Grand Avenue (along with almost everyone else), and has set up shop in Southridge Mall. [Shepherd Express]
• There are new reservation slots available for Café Benelux’s incredibly popular Lux Domes. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Incredibly busy Milwaukee architecture firm Rinka Chung is now just, well, Rinka. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• New Vincent Van Great video! [YouTube]
• New Trapper Schoepp video! [YouTube]
• Free bus rides on New Year’s Eve! [OnMilwaukee]
• Michelle Obama is coming to the Miller High Life Theatre on March 14. [TMJ4]
• Scott Walker doesn’t know what a Venn diagram is. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• More flag shit. [Shepherd Express]
• Have a great weekend, Milwaukee!