Audrey Nowakowski

Experiencing wars through film is often one of the few ways that audiences of all ages can connect with the tragedy of conflict. World War II and Vietnam War have had their share of films, but World War I has yet to get quite the same treatment. However, the film 1917 could change that.

"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side," according to the Star Wars character Han Solo. But philosophy and the need to understand our personal journeys in the world has been a human need for centuries — from the Odyssey to Beowulf.

Whether you’re participating in dry January or still drinking alcohol, tonics and mixers can be enjoyed regardless. And while Milwaukee is best known as a beer brewing city, more spirit distilleries have made the city home. Top Note Tonic has been here since 2014, adding its artisanal mixers to the growing field.

How are your New Year’s resolutions coming along? If you’re like many people, your determination to exercise more, eat healthier, lose weight, or get better rest isn’t as strong as it was on Jan. 1. By the second week of February, about 80% of people who made resolutions have failed.

The Indianapolis 500 is one of the world’s most famous races. Thirty-three of the fastest drivers of open-wheel cars partake in the ultimate competition — and no drivers are guaranteed spots. Since 1911, drivers earn their starting place based on the order of qualifying time. 

It’s obvious when you look at the drivers on the track that this sport is still dominated by men. But one woman who made racing history is Janet Guthrie.

Ranch homes — people either love them or don’t ever want to live in one. Still, despite their association with shag carpet and wood paneling, these single-story homes remain in high demand today.

Louisa May Alcott released the first part of her novel Little Women in 1868, with the second volume published in 1869. The story follows the lives of the four March sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, and their journeys from childhood to adulthood.

The novel — and it’s now eight film adaptations — address themes of domesticity, work, love, and women’s longing for independence and greater meaning during a time where little opportunity was given to them. The novel was an immediate success when it was first published, and the story still captures our attention today.

It gets more difficult to stay warm as the winter temperatures drop. Putting on more layers of clothing or doing cardio can help keep you warm, but yogic breathing techniques and movements can also increase your body temperature right away.

Twisting stimulates circulation, creating a heating effect in the body. But before starting a twisting practice — seated, split kneeling stance, or while on your back on the floor — it's important to follow these guidelines:

If there are readers on your holiday shopping list — or you’re looking to add some titles to your own reading list — Boswell Book Company’s Daniel Goldin has suggestions for readers of all ages.

Here are some of Goldin's favorite books of 2019:

Milwaukee Noir, edited by Tim Hennessy

Milwaukee is known for a lot of architectural gems — cream city brick, the Calatrava, Frank Lloyd Wright designed homes, and on a smaller scale, its bungalows. This style of house can be found all over the Milwaukee area and typically have one, or more, classic stained glass window incorporated into its design.

Sheepshead – it’s a family gaming tradition that is as uniquely Wisconsin as fried cheese curds and bubblers. This card game is (to simplify it) a trick-based, team-oriented game. Sheepshead is a bit complicated, and the variations are as unique as the different people and families that play it.

Chris Drosner, executive editor of Milwaukee Magazine comes from a sheepshead family and wrote “An Ode to the Game of Sheepshead” for this month’s issue. 

Milwaukee was once called the city that "feeds and supplies the world." It was also known as "the machine shop of the world." Milwaukee began to industrialize around the Civil War, thanks in big part to a canal on the bank of the Milwaukee River to supply hydropower.

"Having hydrofacilities available allowed companies to move in, then use the hydropower as a resource to drive machinery and the like," notes Thomas Fehring, author of The Magnificent Machines of Milwaukee and the Engineers Who Created Them.

Here at Lake Effect, one of our favorite holiday traditions is our annual Games to Gift list. Complied by our resident games expert Jim Lowder, the list is in its 10th year.

Lowder says there continues to be an oversaturation of games in the market. The influx of new games not only causes shelf shortage in hobby stores, but an attention shortage for players. So no matter how fantastic a game is, "finding a market now is really tough because the competition is very, very rigorous," says Lowder.

The iconic PBS program Firing Line with William F. Buckley ran from 1966 to 1999. The show was known as a platform for debate and discussion for everything from politics to philosophical issues with experts. It was the longest running program with a single host in television history. And with over 1,000 programs in the archive at the Hoover Institution, it has quite the legacy.

Medical error is the third leading cause of death in America. Miscommunication between medical practitioners themselves, and between them and their patients can lead to life-changing outcomes for patients and their families.