You hear it all the time, "Milwaukee's an underrated city."  And now there's more national validation for not only Milwaukee's underrated nature but its "incredible" nature.  This time the national list comes via Residence Inn by Marriott on Buzzfeed.com.

Milwaukee made this Buzzfeed list of "10 Incredible And Underrated Cities To Live In." Brew City came in fourth behind only Portland, Ore., Charleston. S.C., and Providence, R.I.

Here's what this latest bit of national buzz had to say about our hometown:

"Boasting cool neighborhoods, funky bars, a diverse dining and a great live music scene, this is one city that truly stands out. And it isn't called the city of festivals for nothing! In the summer, it plays host to the world's largest music festival, Summer Fest and other world renowned festivals such as Irish Fest, German Fest, Polish Fest and Festa Italiana. This city of friendly, fun locals is one you probably would have never guessed to be so cool."

Nice work, Milwaukee.

There are several big ideas out there on what's best and next for greater Milwaukee. Fresh water, metro government, Streetcars, technology, creative industry incubators. The list – a solid one and ever changing – goes on and on.

Here at OnMilwaukee.com we've been pushing the Milwaukee envelope and building community for nearly 15 years. We're proud of the media we make, businesses we help build, stories we share and ideas we help promote.

Yet, it's the small stuff that we all do that can truly help transform a community. Allow me, please, to offer 12 simple ideas on how to make positive change in Milwaukee.

Enjoy, get off the sidelines, dig in and please share this list with friends and family.

Become a mentor
Even if you have children of your own, we should all find time to mentor a child. Even a college student. It's easy, fun and you'll learn more than you give. Call Boys and Girls Clubs, a local university or your neighborhood school.

Champion an idea
We all want stuff to happen. From fixing a crack in a sidewalk to having more shopping options Downtown or, of course, bigger wishes like better schools or lower taxes. Whatever your hot-button issue is, own it, use it and champion it relentlessly.

Buy a membership or season tickets
From a membership to the Betty Brinn Children's Museum to Milwaukee Bucks season tickets, there are plenty of ways to support Milwaukee's entertainment and arts scene. Pick your passion, and support it. Unlimited annual admission for two to Discovery World is only $50. Several other venues and organizations have similar pricing structures. Can't afford a full season to your favorite theater? Share season tickets with friends. Support our area's entertainment for it's an incredible driver for our economy.

Randomly buy the next person in line coffee
Hat tip on this tip to my friend and former boss Joe Sweeney. Do this one regularly. You're in line at your favorite coffee place. Turn around and say, "what are you h…

Old Milwaukee is back with more buzz from Will Ferrell.

I saw the beer brand's new ads on Reddit this morning and certainly they'll be all over Facebook soon.

HuffPost just posted them too, so I thought I'd share Ferrell's latest ads for Old Milwaukee with you here.

They were filmed in Sweden where the actor has family ties and a home.

Enjoy.

For the sixth straight year, October is Dining Month on OnMilwaukee.com, presented by Concordia University. All month, we're stuffed with restaurant reviews, delectable features, chef profiles and unique articles on everything food, as well as the winners of our "Best of Dining 2012."

More than 20 local restaurants are supporting United Way of Greater Milwaukee's 2012 Community Campaign by participating in the third annual "United We Dine" event on Thursday, Oct. 11.  

What a perfect fit, too, for Dining Month.  MillerCoors and OnMilwaukee.com are proud corporate sponsors of this event, so we're urging you to get out and eat tomorrow.

This year it's more important than ever to raise the funds needed to support the health and human service programs that United Way helps fund and respond to emerging and critical community needs.

It's pretty easy to take part in United We Dine.  Just visit participating restaurants for breakfast, lunch or dinner on Thursday, Oct. 11 and a percentage of food and beverage sales will be given to United Way of Greater Milwaukee to support local programs in education, income and health. 

Bring your appetites, Milwaukee.  Let's help our community through dining.