Carlos Laack's Blog

I was talking with our intern, Michelle, about this issue (I have no idea what made me think this). So what if MillerCoors leave Milwaukee -- is the Brew City not the Brew City anymore?

What impact do you think it will have with the image of the city? Is MillerCoors really all that important for the Milwaukee economy?

It's time to get ourselves talking about some of the issues we are facing in our ever changing Milwaukee landscape. I would like to hear what you think.

Maybe this is a few days late, but let's get a vote on what you think of the acts of Summerfest this year. Which ones did you like? Which ones do you wish they wouldn't bring back.

And, if you were a Summerfest planner, what acts would you bring for the festival?

Share your comments and thoughts here. I'm curious to know what people are thinking.

What a race for president this has turned out to be. While the Republican party eventually rallied behind John McCain to make him the potential nominee for president, the Democratic party has been fractured with two strong opposing candidates.

On Tuesday, both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama battled it out to pick up steam before the Democratic National Convention later this summer. It has been a whirlwind turn of campaign rallies, town halls, debates, and mudslinging. The ultimate victor may not even be decided until the DNC and may rest with those superdelegates.

Now if you're not familiar with the superdelegate system, basically it means someone who is not pledged to the vote of the people and can vote any way they choose. It is these people that Clinton and Obama will want to court to win the presidential nomination for the Democratic party.

As of Tuesday morning, Obama has an estimated 1,415 delegates and Clinton has an estimated 1,253 delegates. It takes 2,024 delegates to win the nomination.

So what do you think of all this political circus stuff? Are you tired of it all? Are you ready for Mickey Mouse to run for the White House? Let's talk politics in this edition of Carlos' Corner.

Being big is beautiful in the United Kingdom. A British plus-sized model was crowned Miss Surrey in a pageant in March (read story here). She will be competing in July for the Miss England crown. What makes this such a controversy is that she weighs 176 pounds is 5 feet 10 inches tall and has a size 16 waist.

So is being big healthy? Some would say that big is beautiful and is perfectly fine. Others would say that big (wo)men do not take care of themselves and are unhealthy.

Here's the government figures for the state of Wisconsin:

According to a 2004 report from the Centers for Disease Control, Wisconsin ranked 26 out of 50 in terms of the percentage of people who were obese. Colorado ranked in first place.

A chart from the state's Department of Health and Family Services illustrates this best. From 1990 to 2005, the percentage of people obese was 11% in 1990. In 2005, the percentage rose to 24%. This is more than double over 15 years.

So what does it mean to be obese?

According to WedMD and the Cleveland Clinic, obesity "is an excess proportion of total body fat. A person is considered obese when his or her weight is 20% or more above the normal weight."

According to Wikipedia, health experts say obesity could lead to such conditions as diabetes, cancer, liver disease, infertility, and depression.

But doing a search on Google, I found many websites devoted to Big & Beautiful people. Everything from sex guides, dating websites, dolls, and a magazine for teens.

Growing waistlines are big business and a big expense. In Wisconsin, the state spent $272/person on obesity related expenses in 2003. That's according to a October 2004 report from the Trust for America's Health Report.

So what does all this mean to you? Do you think we should leave bigger people alone? Should we encourage them to lose the pounds and "get healthy"?

Share your thoughts on this blog. Remember -- keep it real and keep it clean.

April Fools Day is also Election Day in Milwaukee. It is expected that 20% of registered voters will be headed to the polls. There are various races happening throughout the state including Milwaukee Mayor, Milwaukee County Executive, and State Supreme Court Justice.

While this may be a more local election than the primary, are you particularly excited about the races?

Let's put you in the shoes of the politicians. Share with us what you feel are the big issues of the day where you live and in the State of Wisconsin.

(By the way, last week I was sick so I didn't do my Carlos' Corner. I'm back now)

The economy seems to be a growing concern on the minds of people these days. So many events are happening that are leading more and more economists to consider the United States in a recession.

Here's a few examples:
1) The foreclosure rise as a result of decreasing home values and the increase in interest rates on adjustable rate mortgages.
2) The increase in fuel prices.
3) Financial institutions on rocky foundations or near collapse.
4) The rate of job creation is slowing down significantly.
5) The rise in unemployment figures.

These are just a few factors that are being considered. The Federal Reserve is trying to combat this by reducing the interest rate they charge banks to loan money. Then there's the economic stimulus package that should be coming in the mail soon. All these measures are meant to help this faltering economy gain some traction.

But do you think it will? Are we in a recession? Are you going to be changing your spending habits as a result of economic conditions?

Let's start the discussion here. I'm curious to see what you have to say.

Religion in our country seems to be taking the forefront. In politics, some candidates are using their religions to tell voters they will be moral -- above board. One candidate, Mike Huckabee, embraced his southern baptist roots.

In many places, laws mirror religious norms. Pro-life advocates use the "thou shall not kill" commandment to justify their cause. Drinking laws in Salt Lake City are based on Mormon principles of not drinking. The laws of marriage being between a man and woman are devised from religious roots.

I'm not here to tell you what to believe. That's up to you. But I do what to show you some trends in the United States.

According to a survey done by the City University of New York, about 77-percent of Americans say they're Christian of any denomination (as of 2001). That's almost a 10-percent decrease in ten years. On the other hand, more than 14-percent of people say they are not religious or practice in non-religious groups. That was an increase of almost six-percent in ten years.

While this may not be the definitive proof that religion is on the decline, but it certainly does shed some light on the trend. If you need more current figures, never fear, I am here.

This time from the Institute for Humanist Studies, Americans between 18-25 who are nonreligious climbed from 11-percent in 1986 to 20-percent in 2006. This trend matches a more acute slide happening in European counties.  According to a sourced articled on Wikipedia, 44-percent of Britons and 69-percent of Swedes say they have no religious affiliation.

What do these trends mean to you? Is religion changing worldwide? Is religion important for making sense of an unknown world? Let's start the discussion here.

I know this is another potentially charged topic so let's not attack each others beliefs. But, don't be afraid to express what you truly feel.

Racism (noun)
1 : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race

2 : racial prejudice or discrimination

According to the Merriam Webster Online Dictionary

There seems to be a taboo about this subject. Many people would say they don't consider themselves to be racist. But are they being honest?

According to a poll conducted by Opinion Research Corp. for CNN in December 2006, 1 in 8 Americans consider themselves racist. While this poll illustrates that racism exists, the respondents were mostly African American and Caucasian.

But we see in the news the disparage between Hispanics when it comes to immigration. The "Minutemen" are a strong force in parts of the border. Their mission is to protect the frontier from the mass rush of illegals entering the country (especially in an area from Texas to Arizona).

Historically, there's also been segregation of Asians. One example being during World War 2 when Japanese Americans were relegated to camps.

You could also argue there is racism between other minority groups as well. One Example includes strife between Blacks and Hispanics. In many larger cities where there is a larger concentration of both races, there seems to be more violence between the two groups. This is true in the Los Angeles area.

But how are things in Milwaukee? This is where I would like to take the discussion. Are you racist? Do you believe it is a problem in this city?

Let's start the discussion by posting a comment here. Remember, let's keep this discussion from being a personal attack of each other's beliefs. I want to hear your honest opinions.

If you were (or are) are 20-something and you just graduated college, where would you move to? Minneapolis? Chicago? New York City? Los Angeles? How about Milwaukee?

I know when I was a college senior at Drake University (in Des Moines, Iowa), Milwaukee was the last place on my list to move to. My radar consisted of Chicago at the time. I know many other college graduates feel similarly.

One intern we had at FOX 6 desires to be away from the city after graduation. So what repels people from Brew City?

What I would like to talk about is what makes this city great and what makes this city unattractive to people (including residents)? Is there anything we can do to change this?

This Carlos' Corner is more interactive, so let's get the discussion started. And as always, I'll see you on the web.

That's the question I want to pose to everyone on the blog site. Do you think Milwaukee is a great place to get a good mix of music?

I know there are a lot of up and coming acts in this city. So tell me some of your favorites.

What venues do you think are hot for getting the best in music?

Now back to you.