Friday, 5/3

On both accounts, the timing could probably be a little better..

The first issue of timing is this—right now in Germany it's gorgeous...sunshine and temperatures in the 70s. In other words, perfect Spring weather. When we get there next week? At least as of now, rain and much cooler temps. I'm hopeful it'll change, but it wouldn't surprise me if our usual “curse” follows us. You see, one of the places we're going is Freiburg, which (and this is backed up by science) is Germany's sunniest cities, although both times we've been there it's been cloudy and wet.

So, citizens of Freiburg, if the weather is NOT sunny & warm when we're there, it's our fault. We apologize in advance.

8-)

The second case of potential bad timing? Here's how my favorite lilac bush looked last night--

I think they'll hold out long enough (at least I hope they'll hold out long enough), but how much would it suck if the lilacs came out while we were in Germany and I missed them? I mean, it's not gonna stop me from going, but I could just see them blooming while we're gone and then, for some freaky reason, start to die right as we get back.

That would suck.

Both things, of course, are out of my control, and the world will not stop spinning should either (or both) actually happen. I just find it...curious. And that's all I'm wanna say about that lest, you know, I jinx myself or something.

Have a great weekend. Aside from celebrating "Star Wars" day tomorrow, I'll be packing, so wish me luck!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 5/2

How many of you out there are “lurkers”?

It’s not a bad thing being a “lurker”. I don’t mean it like that you’re hiding in the shadows thinking nefarious thoughts or that you’re ready to pounce upon unsuspecting individuals who happen to walk by. Nope; when I say “lurker”, I’m actually referring to the vast majority of you. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

I’ve been thinking about “lurkers” after recently receiving notes from several people who read this every day but who have never written in, at least until I asked for votes on whether or not I should blog during our trip. And that’s the kind of “lurker” I’m talking about--someone who reads a blog or checks a website every day, but doesn’t actively get involved in the message boards or comments section of the site. If you are one of those “lurkers”, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. About 98% of the people who check out a web feature are “lurkers”, a badge that I myself wear proudly on just about every single site I check out.

It’s funny; whenever I get a note from someone who hasn’t written me before, there’s almost an apologetic tone to it, as if the person writing doesn’t want to intrude on my time or my personal space. And while I imagine there are a lot of content posters who feel that way, I’m certainly not one of them. If you have something to say, I’d love to hear what it is. After all, I write these things for you guys, so if you think I’m spot-on when discussing a topic (a rare event) or think I don’t know what I’m talking about (a much more common occurrence) just let me know. I promise I won’t bite.

However, that is in no way a requirement. If you want to be a “lurker”, go ahead and be a “lurker”. Like I said, I’m a “lurker” on every web site I visit. But if you ever want to say something, I’d love to hear what that something is! My e-mail, address, in case you’ve never noticed it? It’s this one--

(jim@wmqt.com) !!

Wednesday, 5/1

I'm happy with the way this one turned out.

This week's “Pieces of the Past” video for the History Center is on a topic that's fascinated me for almost two decades now, every since Loraine originally came across the story while doing her World War II research and shared it with me. I'm not exactly sure WHY it fascinated me; I'm guessing the unresolved aspect of it (at the time) played a big part. Then as I researched it more, was given access to police files on the case, and, and, finally, discovered the truth about what may have happened, it became clear why I was fascinated.

It was a fascinating story. A sad story, but a fascinating one, and one that I always felt should be immortalized on video, if one so that future generations might hear that sad (but fascinating) story.

So with that in mind, and on the 80^th anniversary of the discovery of his body, here's the story of Billy Powers--

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 4/30

At T-minus one week and one day, I have my new European toy ready to go.

These days it seems you can't walk out the door without having a phone in your pocket. You use it for messages, for directions, to watch cat videos, and, on increasingly rare occasions, even to call someone. Unless you want to pay for it, when you're an American in Europe your phone doesn't work. There is, however, a simple way to get around that.

Get a phone (or a SIM card) that works in Europe.

When we were in Leipzig a year and a half ago I actually bought a German SIM card that, sadly, didn't work in the phone I had, one “locked” by my American carrier. So a couple of months ago I bought an unlocked phone, one into which you could insert any SIM card from any company and use it anywhere. A few days ago I took the new unlocked phone, inserted the SIM card with a German phone number, and within seconds was received a bunch of texts (in German) telling me (I think) that my phone was active and did I REALLY want to use up all my minutes and all my data in the US?

So I shut it off. But I now have a phone that works in Germany.

In all honesty, I don't know that I'll use my German phone number that much while we're there. It's mostly for emergencies, or if we have to call a hotel and tell them we'll be late, or to simply send my mom a text to let her know we made it to Germany safely (Moms are like that, you know). But it's ready to go and, depending upon where we end up in the future, is also ready to have any number of SIM cards from any number of countries ready to be inserted.

Technology really is a good thing, isn't it?

Eight more days!!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 4/29

That's quite the number.

At the end of every April I start wearing a new pair of running shoes, changing out my old ones because, well, that's what you're supposed to do every 500 or so miles. That, of course, led me to start thinking about something, which led me to do some math in my head, and as we all know, whenever math and I get involved, dangerous things can happen.

Here's what I figured out. I started running when I moved back to Marquette in 1988. That’s been (gasp) over 35 years. If I run on average 10 miles a week, an average which takes into account that I used to dial back in the winter when I skied, that takes into account those times when (ahem) I injure myself and can't run, but doesn't take into account the fact that I now run around a soccer pitch for an hour or two each week, that’s 520 miles a year. And if I’ve been doing that for over 35 years now, you know what that means? It means that I have run, in my life, just over 18, 720 miles. I have run over three quarters of the way around the Earth.

My feet hurt just typing that!

As far as I can tell, 18,720 miles from Marquette is somewhere smack dab in the middle of Middle east, at least if you left Marquette and headed west. That’s a long way. Or you can put it in space nerd terms, if you want. That’s like running 1/14^th of the way from the Earth to the Moon.

18, 700 miles in 35+ years. Wow. And you know what’s scary? There are SO many people who’ve run further than I in the last three decades and change that it boggles the mind. I mean, I’m just a recreational runner. There are people out there who’ll do 500 miles in a month, and don’t even break a sweat. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do that.

I don’t remember most of the 18,700 miles I’ve run, mostly because my mind is occupied with thoughts other than running while I’m out running, but there are several jaunts that definitely stick in my head, and probably will forever. One would be the three miles I ran by myself, early one Saturday morning through the winding and narrow streets of Bayeux, France. Another would be a sticky & sweaty few miles in Washington DC. And the third would be a VERY sticky & sweaty 8 miles in Marquette a decade or so ago, one of my long, meandering Saturday runs when it was 80 degrees at 8 in the morning.

Trust me--you DON’T forget runs like that, even after racking up 18,000+ miles.

I supposed I should set a goal of running at least 25,000 miles in my life, so I can say (at least in jest) that I’ve run around the world. So far, it’s taken me 35+ years to get three quarters of the way there. I still plan on running as long as I can, so the goal is possible. We’ll just have to see if my feet, my knees, and the new shoes I’m using hold out.

Wish me luck!!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 4/26

If a picture is worth a thousand words, let's wrap up the week with 3,000 words.

First of all, a picture that tells a story. This is a picture I used during my “Life in the 906” Monday--

What's the story about it, you ask? Well, I answer, this isn't a new picture. It's one I took waaaaay back in 2005 when gas prices were at the high point of one of their endless price cycles. I did a little calculating, and the price of gas using that 2005 per gallon cost in 2024 dollars?

$5.56 a gallon.

The next picture?

The Marquette City Police do periodic door checks for downtown businesses, and when I came in to check on things last Saturday morning the card was sticking in the door. It's nice to know they're keeping us safe.

It's even nicer to know they appreciate what we do, if the hand-drawn musical notes are any indication.

8-)

Finally, this picture--

Do I have to say more? They're just a few weeks away!

Have a great weekend...

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 4/25

You know, you might want to actually watch something before you unleash your internet comments about it.

If there's one thing I do know, it's that you never read the comments section of anything on the Interwebs; after all, it's where some of the “finest” examples of humanity dwell. Yet I broke my own rule this week, and now I'm wondering why I did.

My “Life in the 906” Monday was a joking piece on gas prices in the UP. I used jokes to actually make a point about how arbitrary prices are up here (as an example I used the real time shocker from a week and a half ago when Loraine & I went to Negaunee and found that gas prices were 30 cents a gallon cheaper than they were eight miles away in Marquette). Part of the humor in the piece (I hope) came from my admission that I don't own a car myself.

Most people got the piece. A few didn't.

It doesn't matter at all to me if I get criticized for something. I've worked in the media long enough to know not to pay attention to it. But if you're gonna criticize someone, at least watch (or listen to) what you're criticizing. There was a whole torrent of insanity released in the comments on WZMQ's Facebook page under the video, from people that only read the copy the station posted as a tease--that I don't own a car. Mostly, they sarcastically marveled that the station would “send out a reporter who doesn't even own a car to do a story on gas prices” (and, by the way, that's the cleaned up version).

If they had actually watched the bit they'd know how I used my not owning a car as part of whole thing. Of course, if they had actually watched it they'd know that I'm not a reporter, I'm commentator. And I didn't do a story on gas prices; I did a humor piece on gas prices. But that would, you know, require someone to actually watch something, instead of just unleashing vitriol for vitriol's sake.

And where's the fun in that?

Like I said, it doesn't bother me; it just makes me wonder what's up with a certain segment of humanity and how, no matter what the situation, they find the need to express some kind of...well, that word I talked about earlier this week that I don't use. And that's all I have to say about that.

Wanna see the piece for yourself? Just CLICK OR TAP HERE . And feel free to leave whatever comments you want. Just please actually watch it before you leave them.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)