Dailytakes

James Wigderson wants you to know that although his wife (Doreen from Waukesha) has a crush on Milwaukee area radio talk show host Jay Weber, he still loves her. And even though many of you misspell his last name (just think Anderson—but then why isn’t his nickname Wigdy?) he still loves you, too.

James, his wife and two children live in the City of Waukesha. He’s lived in Southeastern Wisconsin his entire life but somehow is not a Packers’ fan. He grew up on the northwest side of Milwaukee and has ventured as far as the east side, Wauwatosa, Brown Deer, and Franklin.

He coyly states that he works for a large corporation and proudly notes he writes a small column for the Waukesha Freeman. A film buff, his favorite movie is Casablanca. A lover of classic rock, if not a classic lover, Wiggy tries his best to be classy. He’s been a season ticket holder of the Florentine Opera and the Milwaukee Ballet, as well as the Milwaukee Brewers.

He’ll be the first to admit his wife is the classy one. She’s a former member of the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus, after all. She’s clearly destined for some holy recognition for putting up with his love of the Dallas Cowboys (she’s normal, she’s a Packers fan). The Wigdersons watch very little television, but when they do it’s mostly Sopranos reruns, Project Runway, Ghost Hunters and Seinfeld reruns.

They, however, freely admit they watch a lot of movies and documentaries. James reads a lot of non-fiction, some science fiction (Robert Heinlein, Larry Niven, Frank Herbert) and the occasional classic. “I have a rather well-thumbed and marked-up Complete Works of William Shakespeare,” sayeth Wiggy.

How long have you been blogging? Since June 2004.

How often do you post new entries, on average? Almost every day, often two or three.

What is the purpose of your blog? To vent? To influence? To report? To write. To entertain myself, mostly. If I wasn’t writing about politics, it would be something else.

How many other blogs do you read in a typical day, either via rss or browsing? Twenty-thirty. I’ve cut back.

Do you allow comments, and why or why not? Yes, I like comments, although sometimes they’re the most frustrating part of blogging. I often can learn something from the comments, or my readers can. The downside of comments is policing them. I really have a liberal comments policy, but sometimes it gets pushed.

What topics have most interested you? Local politics, mostly. My natural bent is international relations but it’s hard to write about while still being entertaining and interesting. Foreign policy tends towards very specialized knowledge and vocabulary. But otherwise I’m interested in writing on any topic I find interesting at the moment.

Do you feel your blog has an impact on public policy or the public’s awareness of certain issues? Certainly on school funding, campaign finance reform, ethanol, gay marriage, shrinking the county board. I like to think I’ve had a role in the some of the party’s discomfort with their attorney general. Better to be disillusioned now than disappointed later. We’ll se if any students ever take my advice and abolish student government.

Blogging has led you to….Drink. No, seriously. Blogging has led to my column in the Waukesha Freeman, which is great. It’s also led me to some interesting media appearances on WTMJ-AM, WMCS-AM, and Channel 4 in Milwaukee. It’s also led me to meet some very interesting people. Not just the local politicians. How often do you get to have a few drinks with a Kennedy assassination conspiracy expert like John McAdams? Or for that matter talk with people involved in local talk radio? Or listen to Asian Badger discuss charter flying? Or take a shooting lesson from Dad29? Or talk pro-life issues with Rick Esenberg?

On the other hand, it’s led to some strange situations. One election night I spent at the County Courthouse waiting on results Judge Michael Bohren asked me who I was. He was thrilled to discover he was talking with a blogger!

Three blogs you’d recommend:If you’ve never read a blog other than Brian Fraley’s, I’d suggest the following as good starts:

Shark and Shepherd by Rick Esenberg I think Rick is almost as smart as I am, and always has something interesting to say.

Badger Blogger, the essential news read in Milwaukee. His counterpart in Waukesha would be the Spring City Chronicle. In Racine it’s Real Debate Wisconsin. I’ll probably offend someone, but I’m shocked I can’t find a blog like that in Madison.

McBride’s Media Matters. Jessica McBride is one of the more controversial bloggers with her ear to the political wall. She turns out interesting content despite being a constant target of attacks. She’s also a good friend.

Of the liberal blogs, I could recommend the following: Pundit Nation, the Other Side of My Mouth, Waxing America, the Political Environment.

Just like Wiggy. I ask for three recommendations, he gives me seven. I guess it’s that “I’ll do it my way” attitude that makes Wigderson’s Library and Pub such a popular destination on the cheddarsphere.

If you would like to be a part of a future feature, or would like to nominate a fellow blogger, just drop me a line at dailytakes at gmail dot com.