Friday, 4/11

A couple of small things to wrap up the week, the first being a note from blog reader Chelsea of Marquette, who, after checking out yesterday's entry about my new soccer cleats, asked--

“Really? You don't have any vices?”

Believe it or not Chelsea, I really don't, unless you count soccer cleats the color of cotton candy. I'm almost apologetic in saying that; after all, it seems like everyone has something they're a little ashamed of, but not me.

Well, unless you count chocolate and/or the inability to say “no”. If you count those, I have plenty of vices.

8-)

Secondly, since I've been doing this monthly since November, and since I know that several of you actually wonder about it, here's this month's response to the question “is the traffic cone still on top of the Range Bank ATM”?

I personally think the traffic cone's in it for the long haul.

Finally, some of you may read Brian Cabell's blog about Marquette, “Man About Town”. But if you haven't yet checked out his latest entry, I highly recommend it. The writing's amazing, the story compelling, and it proves that even during these turbulent times some people are still demonstrating that humanity's good thing, day after day.

Check it out here—https://manabouttown.substack.com/p/from-ukraine-to-marquette-a-story

On that note, have yourself a good weekend. Up here we're looking forward to having the rest of our snow melt, because it'll be (hopefully) in the 50s!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 4/10

How do you like my new soccer cleats?

As you probably know, I don't have many vices in life. I don't smoke, I don't drink, I don't gamble, and I actually like the person to whom I'm married. So when it comes to frivolously spending my money I have to look for creative way in which to do it. That's why I travel, get new cameras, and, for the past decade or so, buy really colorful soccer cleats.

Maybe some month soon I'll even get to use them.

This is probably the fourth or fifth time now that Loraine has seen a soccer player wearing colorful cleats, shown me a picture of said cleats, and watched a few days later as I open the box and (invariably) proclaim “look...they're so pretty”. And they usually are.

Now, I realize that most people would not buy soccer cleats because “they're so pretty”. But, as we all know, I'm not most people.

This new pair, which Adidas just released, is filled with Easter colors, which makes me wonder if that's why they just released them (what with Easter being a week and a half away). It doesn't really matter; I just think it's cool that we can see cleats on professional players in Europe on a Saturday and then have the same cleats in my hands five days later.

Despite what some people seem to think, having a world-wide economy really IS a good thing.

I actually won't be wearing them right away, for a couple of reasons, the most obvious being that (as I've mentioned) we've been having our entire winter in the past month, and are waiting for the remaining snow to melt so we can get back out on a pitch.

The other reason? These will actually be my backup pair of cleats. I'm still using pretty purple cleats I bought last fall and a pair of pretty bright orange ones I bought last spring, and I'll keep this new pair in reserve for when I need to retire one of those colorful pair that I'm currently using.

For now, I can just gaze lovingly upon them, and look forward to keeping them in pristine shape until the day comes when I slip them on and use them to kick a ball for the first time. Then I'll be able to say “look...they're so pretty. AND they help me kick the ball so well”.

At least, that's what I hope I can say. But, just between you & me, the way the cleats help me kick will always come in second when I decide which pair to buy.

It always has been, and always will be, the colors that are the most important.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com), human being with strange vices

Wednesday, 4/9

So...just what IS the protocol for removing dead people from your contacts?

I'm curious because I had to add a couple of new numbers to my phone this past weekend, and it made me think about that question. Actually, it made me think about a couple of things, the other being that heaven forbid I—we, actually—have to remember phone numbers these days, right? I mean, the only phone numbers I know without having to look them up are Loraine, both my parents, and the Q107 transmitter, which I have to call every time something goes wrong.

Can you guess which one I wish I didn't know by heart?

Anyway, as I was adding the new numbers in I noticed my phone contained the numbers of three people who, sad to say, have passed away in the past couple of years. They were individuals that I had met thanks to the History Center or “High School Bowl”, and were people who had become friends. Sadly, my favorite mother-in-law was in there, as well, almost a year after she passed away.

So when I saw I still have their numbers, I found myself in a bit of a quandary. After all, I don't need them any more. They're dead. But, for whatever reason, it didn't feel right deleting their info. I don't know why. The rational, logical part of me knows I don't need the numbers any more. But to the rest of me it just didn't seem right to get rid of the info. It's a dichotomy I can't explain. It's not like by deleting the numbers I'm removing them from my life. That happened when they passed away. And it's not like I'm ever gonna use the numbers again. Knowing my luck, I'd accidentally touch of the entries and call the number, only to have whoever picked it up when it was reassigned by the phone company answer the call and wonder what's going on.

Just what is one to do? Is there a proper etiquette for dealing with a situation like this?

In the end, the logical, rational, and practical side of me won out, and the numbers are gone. I know I don't need them, and I know there's absolutely no reason for me to digitally carry them around with me. So there—I guess we can now consider that the proper etiquette for dealing with a situation such as this.

Still, it just seems strange not having them in my phone. Now, if I could only do that with the number for our transmitter, all would be right in the world.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 4/8

The story you are about to watch is real. Some of the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

As I think I've mentioned (or at least inferred) I have been spending time recently with Trolls—people from Michigan's Lower Peninsula (and, for those of you who don't live here, they're called “trolls” because they live below the (Mackinac) Bridge. Get it?) As we all know, people from the UP and people from the LP are not always the same, so I took the opportunity to ask three of these Trolls about their impressions and thoughts regarding Upper Michigan.

And then I spun a TV bit out of it.

As you'll hear when you watch it, I'm not surprised by the three different answers I received. In fact, in the back of my mind, I was expecting a variation of each of them. I don't know if I was just able to grasp the relationship between the two peoples, or if Trolls are just that predictable, but they answered the way I pretty much thought they would.

And that's now I got last night's TV piece. Check it out for yourself--

(jim@wmqt.com), not a Troll.

Monday, 4/7

At least it was a sign of spring. And these days, I’ll take what I can get.

Once again, I wasn't gonna talk about the weather, but those of you who are in the U.P. know that we’ve had, well, quite the weather month. We’ve had snow...lots of snow. We’ve had cold. We’ve had ice pellets. We’ve had wind. We’ve had just about an entire year’s worth of winter weather compressed into one 30 day period. And I feel confident in saying that most of us are starting to get sick of it, and are looking for a sign--any sign--that spring may soon be returning.

Well, I think I had one of those signs while cleaning some ice (yes, in April) off of Loraine's windshield after running this morning. And while it may not have been the most traditional sign that spring is inexorably on the way, I’m cool with that. You see, as I wiping Loraine's windshield clean I noticed something on it. It wasn’t on the windshield earlier (at least I don't think), so I knew it had just happened, and I knew it was a sign spring may be lurking about, no matter what the forecast has to say--

There was a big splattering of bird poop on Loraine's windshield.

Now normally we look at a big splattering of bird poop on a windshield as an inconvenience, because we know we have to clean it off. We may also look at a big splattering of bird poop as a personal affront, especially when said splattering happens to appear, say, right after we’ve finished washing our car. But this particular big splattering of bird poop may have been the most welcome big splattering of bird poop in recorded history, if only because it means that there are actually birds around to leave the big splattering of poop. And since birds only start to return to the U.P. when spring is (supposedly) here...

Well, let them splatter the car as much as they want.

I know that in a couple of weeks or a couple of months I won’t feel the same way about seeing a big splattering of bird poop on Loraine's windshield, but for now I look upon it as a sign. A very good sign, in fact, that despite the snow and cold and wind and ice of the past few weeks there is hope. There’s hope that Spring, with its warmer temperatures and green grass and lilac blooms, will show up, no matter what it looks like outside now. And how do I know that?

I saw the big splattering of bird poop on Loraine's windshield. That’s how I know.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 4/4

I think I've inherited a lot from my mom. I'm pretty sure the ability to draw isn't one of them.

First of all, happy birthday (tomorrow) to one of the two people without whom I wouldn't have been possible. She's down in Florida right now with Chicky-poo soaking up the sun & the warmth, while the rest of us are still up here suffering through the snow and the cold. So, when you think about it, maybe there are two things I didn't inherit from her—the ability to draw, and common sense.

We'll have to debate and discuss that further one day in the future.,

The reason I bring this up on her birthday is that she has a website. I don't know if you're aware of this, but I put it together for her so she could show off her talents as a watercolorist. She came to this hobby after beginning to spend winters in Florida; she took a class, and found out she could paint. And trust me—she can really paint. Don't believe me?

Yes, that last one is of me and a cow in Germany. It was a surprise Christmas present after we all went over there a few years ago, and it's currently hanging in the Jim & Loraine Apartment Gallery, along with several other of her originals.

We call it “A Dork and a Cow”. I think you know which one is which.

Those are just a few of her works; you can check out the rest of them, should you wish, at www.darlenekoski.com. Lest you think I'm biased about her talent (and while I am, it's for a good reason) go ahead and see for yourself just how good she is.

Have a happy birthday, mom. Can't wait to see what you bring back home with you this year!!

Love,

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 4/3

Once again, apparently, I am an oddball.

Our “At Work/Online Network” question for this week deals with a person's LEAST favorite Easter candy. I kinda sorta did it to see just how many people agree with me that the abomination known as black jellybeans should be banned from the face of the Earth. As of yesterday, though, only one person who answered the question online agreed with me.

The rest thought it should be Peeps.

I wasn't quite sure what people have against Peeps; I mean, I know they're cloyingly sweet and quite chewy, but to me, at least, they're nowhere near as bad a black jellybeans, which taste like someone throwing up in your mouth after eating too much road tar. But maybe that's just me; in fact, if you look online, you can find whole communities of people who gather to rag on the candy. And while there are others like me who aren't fond of black jellybeans, they seem quite outnumbered by those who loathe Peeps.

Wow. I had no idea.

If nothing else, this was an exercise in Confirmation Bias, where someone supposes that everyone believes the same things they do but find out (often quite explicitly) that others actually don't. So, I guess I'll take away two things from this—one, that if there's a more universally loathed candy than Peeps, I have yet to find it.

And two? Well, I guess I'll remain an oddball for a little while longer.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 4/2

You knew it was Hungarian, didn't you?

I did indeed resurrect the old habit of writing a blog and then posting in a strange language yesterday for April Fools Day, and having read several books on strange languages the past few years figured Hungarian would work just fine. For some reason, it's not really related to any other European language (except Finnish, for some bizarre reason) and so there are few recognizable words for someone who speaks a Germanic language (like English) or a Romance language (like Spanish or French) to recognize.

Anyway, thanks for indulging me in my flight of fancy. It actually puts you in good company these days, in the company of the people taking part in our “Easter Parade of Colors” contest. If you've been listening, it's a contest built around a whimsical theme—that we're now broadcasting in color, and people can use their new color radios to guess the color of an Easter egg I hold up to the microphone.

The amazing thing? So far every single person has played along with the gag.

And it IS a gag. After all, sound doesn't come in colors, and even if it did, you'd need a color radio, which according to the promos we're running are available at stores like The Sound Center and Colorvision, both of which closed over 30 years ago. The whole contest is basically one giant whimsical joke, and I have to say I've been heartened that everyone (at least so far) is in on the gag.

And we're going whole hog on that gag, now that we're broadcasting in “full color” (as many of our liners say). Of course, I suppose it helps that we're giving away almost $700 in prizes. A total like that will almost certainly lead someone to willingly suspend their disbelief long enough to qualify. But the way that listeners are willing to play along with such a straight face warms the cockles of my weird little heart.

And we all know how weird THAT is.

So over the next two and a half weeks, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everyone keeps playing along. And if they do? Maybe I'll amp up the whimsy even more.

I just probably won't try to take a qualifier in Hungarian. That might be a little too much.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 4/1

És boldog április bolondok napját!

Valójában nem fogok sokat írni ide, de arra gondoltam, hogy KELL írnom egy kicsit, ha valaki kitalálja, hogy ezt a bejegyzést magyarul tettem fel, és képes vagy maga lefordítani, vagy, mint én, találni egy webprogramot hogy megtegyem helyetted.

Úgy értem, nem gondoltad, hogy valójában tudok magyarul, igaz?

Az a vicces, hogy valójában ezt a blogot akartam közzétenni azon ó, 3 millió nyelv egyikén, amelyen a C-3PO állítólag a „Csillagok háborújában” beszél, mert ha hiszed, ha nem, néhány hete olvastam, hogy ott több „Star Wars” nyelvű fordító az interneten, mint bármely más nyelv esetében. Sajnos úgy tűnt, hogy egyiket sem találtam. Vagy legalábbis bármelyik működött.

Aki tudta? Valójában nem hiszel el mindent az interneten. T

ehát ahelyett, hogy ezt egy bolygón kívüli nyelven tenném közzé, úgy gondolom, hogy ezt az egyik legfurcsább nyelven tenném közzé, amivel valaha találkoztam. És hidd el - ez az egyik legfurcsább nyelv, amellyel valaha találkozhatsz. Most itt van a húsvéti tojás a mai bejegyzésben.

Kattintson erre a linkre -

https://en.eprevodilac.com/prevodilac-madjarski-engleski

És eljut egy webhelyre, ahol lefordíthatja a blogot, és elolvashatja, amit írtam. Sok szerencsét!\

(jim@wmqt.com)

********

And happy April Fools’ Day!

I’m not actually going to write much here, but I figured I SHOULD write a little something in case somebody figures out in which language I posted this and is able to either translate it themselves or, like me, to find a web program to do it for you.

I mean, you didn’t think that I actually know that particular language, do you?

The funny thing is, I was actually going to post this blog in one of the, oh, 3 million languages that C-3PO claims to speak in “Star Wars” because, believe it or not, I read a few weeks ago that there are more “Star Wars” language translators on the web than for any other language. Unfortunately, I didn't seem to find any of them. Or at least any of them that worked.

Who knew? You actually can't believe everything on the Internet.

So, instead of posting this in an off-planet language, I figure I’d post this in one of the strangest language I’ve ever come across. And trust me--this IS one of the strangest languages you’ll ever come across.

Now, here’s the Easter Egg in today’s entry. Click on this link--

https://en.eprevodilac.com/prevodilac-madjarski-engleski

And it takes you to a site where you can translate the blog, and read what I wrote. Either that, or wait until tomorrow when I post the translation. It's up to you.

Good luck!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 3/31

Well, we survived. The storm really, actually for the first time in a long time was everything they predicted, and more (picture taken at 9:48 am March 31st)--

But even despite that, Loraine and I were able to maximize our time with her nephews Nathan & Jeremy.

And that's always a good thing.

There's one thing I've always noticed when we have company come up & visit, especially members of Loraine's family from downstate. A lot of them want to see the things that even during yucky (ish) weather are part of our everyday life–a great lake, or a mountain, or a waterfall.

I think it’s great when visitors want to see the natural beauty that surrounds us.  Because I think that’s one of things that a lot of us who live here take for granted.

A couple of years ago, my sister-in-law and her boyfriend came up.  He had never been here before, and he wanted to check out some waterfalls. Now to me, to someone who grew up here, waterfalls are no big deal.  But where he lives it’s flat farmland. Not a waterfall in sight, unless, I dunno, someone’s combine springs a leak.  So when we took the two of them out to a few falls, I looked at it through their eyes.

And that’s when I realized I’d been taking this beauty, this amazing display of nature that’s unique to the UP, for granted.  For us, waterfalls (or hills, or parks, or Lake Superior) are just something we live near. But for the vast majority of people, this is where you get that picture you’ll be showing friends for years.  This is where people who visit us stop for a second and think to themselves… “this is a really magical place”.

And you know what?  They’re absolutely right.

There are so many things that we pass by every single day, and really don’t pay much attention to.  Lakes, hills, trees…even things like ore docks, or the view looking across Portage Lake.  Because we grew up with those things, because we see them every day, they’re no big deal.  

But when people who aren’t lucky enough to live here DO lay eyes on them? They go home with memories of a uniquely amazing place.

So, despite what a trio of great American philosophers once said, maybe we SHOULD go chasing waterfalls.  And lake shores.  And hills with views so amazing they can take your breath away.

Because even though they’re just part of our everyday life, we should remember that not everyone is as lucky to have them as we are.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 3/28

This is one that I don't think I've seen before.

As I type this, we are under an Ice Storm Warning here in Marquette, the latest piece of wackiness in a month that has seen its fair share of weather wackiness. Temperatures are right around freezing, and depending upon where they hit determines what kind of precipitation we'll get. At this point, the temps are forecast to be in the sweet spot for freezing rain; hence, the Ice Storm Warning.

I'm really ready for "winter" to be over.

Normally, I'd just ignore the warning and ride it out. However, Loraine's nephews are up visiting, and while they DID want to get a touch of what winter is like up here, I'm guessing that this might not have been what they were hoping for.

Although it may be what they're getting.

Hopefully, it'll be like the rest of the wacky weather events we've had to live through this month, and skim (or completely bypass) Marquette. If not...well, it is what it is. They wanted to see what winter is like in Marquette, and even though we don't get “real” winters anymore, we apparently still get stuff like ice storms.

I hope they enjoy it.

And with that, I'm off to do a few things with them before I head to work later on. Have yourself a great weekend. Hope that, wherever you are, your weather's not too wacky!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 3/27

Yes, he was a real person.

As I was writing yesterday, I've been spending a lot of time with my laptop going through pictures.The laptop also has a bunch of old radio shows on it, and for a reason I can't remember, one of those is an episode of “The Lone Ranger”. I don't know why; I was never a fan of the show, and I can't ever recall listening to it.

But there it sits.

In fact, the only thing that might interest me about the show is its iconic theme, taken from Rossini's “William Tell Overture”. And when I saw that I had the episode, I started to think...which, as we all know, can be a dangerous thing.

Especially when it causes me to fall down a rabbit hole on the internet.

I really didn't know the story of William Tell beyond the basics—he was the guy who defied authority a thousand years ago, had to shoot an apple off of his son's head to stay alive, used the same arrow to kill the king whose authority he was defying, became a folk hero to the new country of Switzerland in the process, inspired an opera by Rossini six or seven hundred years later, and then because of the finale of that opera single-handedly made the Lone Ranger the icon that he is today.

And also provided the spark to make me head down that rabbit hole.

It's actually a fascinating story, and that's why the trip down the rabbit hole was a total waste. Aside from the apple and the Overture, I had no idea who William Tell really was. And the story's quite interesting; like I mentioned before, he's now venerated in Switzerland. You can stop and pay visits to all these places at which he supposedly did things, including where he shot the apple off his son's head.. I didn't know that. I didn't know he was a national folk hero to one of the oldest countries in Europe.

But now I do. And because of all this I have to ask one simple yet profound question—what DID we do before Google and Wikipedia existed?

8-)

So anyway, that's what happens when you comb the dark recesses of your laptop for pictures. I'm loathe to think what else I might find on there that could lead me into yet another bizarre search. But I'm sure I WILL find that out soon, right?

Now, to stick it in your head...

Think of it this way. Getting stuck in your brain IS better than getting an apple shot off your head... right?

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 3/26

I had totally forgotten about the picture. And that's a shame.

One of the interesting aspects of my weekly TV piece is that I finally get to use some of the thousands of pictures I've taken over the years. For instance, if you watched the piece I posted yesterday (and if you haven't yet, just scroll back a day and do so) you would have seen ten photographs, nine of which I took myself (the head shot of Tom Izzo being, obviously, the one I didn't).

It's kind of nice to actually share the pictures with other people on occasion.

For another project, I was looking for a picture of green nature. I have a ton of them, but I didn't come across one that captured the spirit of what I was looking for. Then I found this shot--

I took it in the sleepy little town of Triberg, Germany, during our rain-filled tour of Bavaria in 2018. Because it was taken in weather that was less than optimal, it had kind of slipped my mind, unlike a lot of the sun-filled pictures toward which I tend to gravitate. But in this case, it was perfect for what I needed.

And I'm glad I came across it.

In the two and a half years I've been doing “Life in the 906” I've had the chance to use any number of shots that I've taken the past 20 years. I usually have an idea in which year I took them, so I can find them with minimal searching. There have been, though, several instances in which I knew I had taken a picture, but couldn't for the life of me find where it was. It was during one of those searches that I came across the Triberg shot, so while (if I remember correctly) I never did find the shot I was looking for, at least I came across something I could use.

In fact, it's something I could use twice, as I've now gotten an entire blog out of it. So I'm guessing that even though I couldn't find the picture for which I was originally searching, it was not a fruitless task.

Although one day I DO hope I find the picture for which I was originally searching. Wish me luck!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 3/25

I was totally serious about the dog poop.

My TV piece last night was a joking little bit about the signs of Spring in the UP. Theoretically, technically, we're now five days into the season (although it may not look like it if you're glancing out the window), and I thought I'd pass along a few things that people may notice over the next few weeks.

And that's where the dog poop comes in.

Those of you who've been reading this thing forever (and have, for whatever reason, managed to retain your sanity) may recall that I used to post a blog each and every year about all the leftover dog poop we see as the snow melts. I haven't posted it for a few years, if only because I figure everyone must be tired of it by now, but I still stand by what I wrote.

That much hasn't changed.

But when I was putting together this week's TV piece that thought did pop into my mind, and eventually made it into the final product. Unlike an entire blog on the subject it was just a throwaway gag line, but who knows—maybe subtlety gets the point across better.

Besides, I'm pretty sure my TV bosses don't want me to spend two minutes of valuable air time going on and on about leftover dog poop. I have a lot of leeway on what I can talk about, but I'm pretty sure that leeway might disappear should I spent my time talking about that particular subject.

Really, I do.

So did it hit the mark? Decide for yourself--

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 3/24

The place is bad enough to deal with when it's functioning. I can't even fathom what it would be like when it's shut down.

I don't know if you heard, but London's Heathrow Airport was shut down for almost 24 hours due to a fire at a power transformer on Friday. Heathrow is the busiest airport in Europe, something to which I can personally attest, as it's picked up the nickname (at least by me) of “A seething pit of humanity”. At its best (which isn't very good) it's tolerable. At its worst?

It's really not a fun place to be. Take it from someone who once had to spend 12 hours there through no choice of his own.

What happened on Friday would really be my biggest nightmare as a traveler. Can you imagine being halfway through an 8 hour trans-Atlantic flight, only to be told you have to turn around or diverted to another airport because the one at which you're trying to land has no power? While you're wondering where you're going to land, you'd also have to deal with missed connections, possible layovers in an entirely different country, and no idea whatsoever when (or if) you'll get to your eventual destination.

You know—that kind of nightmare.

Things are slowly getting back to normal at my least favorite airport in the world, but I have to ask a question that I'm sure many travelers are asking—how does one of the world's busiest airports stick its main power source and both of its backup system in the exact same place? Did they not think that something like this could happen? Would it not have been prudent to have one of those backup systems on an entirely difference system at an entirely different place?

You know...to make sure that 1,200 flights and 200,000 passengers don't get stranded?

Loraine and I have always gone out of our way not to have to go through Heathrow, but these days you don't have much of a choice. It's literally the hub for air transport into or out of Europe. The next time we go back there—whenever that is—we'll do our best to avoid Heathrow, but it may just not be possible.

If that's the case, hopefully—HOPEFULLY--they won't be having another incident like the one that occurred Friday.

(jim@wmqt.com), shuddering at the thought.

Friday, 3/21

Why do I still dislike UB40 so much?

I don’t know what it is, but that thought popped into my head as I was playing one of their songs yesterday. I’m sure the members of the group are (or were) fine individuals, I’m sure they are (or were) talented musicians, and I know that many people here in Upper Michigan enjoy their music, but for some reason, UB 40 seems to have become, at least for me, the musical equivalent of a cold winter day.

And we all know how much I like a cold winter day.

For those of you who don’t know who UB40 was (and, believe it or not, they’re still around in an altered form), they’re an English ska-pop group that’s been together since the early 1980s. They had a string of top ten hits over here in the late 80s and early 90s, mostly with remakes of songs like “Red Red Wine”, “The Way You Do The Things You Do”, and “I Can’t Help (Falling In Love With You”). Now you know who I’m talking about, right?

When I first started doing this job back in 1988 the station was what was known as “Hot Hits”; they’d play the same 20 songs over and over so you were guaranteed to hear the same songs every 75 minutes or so. And one of the songs that was massively popular at the time was “Red Red Whine”, which means that I got to hear it four times every 6-hour air shift. And since at the time I worked 6 days a week, that means I heard the song 24 times a week, whether I wanted to or not. Multiply that by the 12 or 14 weeks the song was massively popular, and, well, that’s a lot of times to listen to a song, especially one that I didn’t like in the first place.

The more singles the group released, the more I seemed to not enjoy them, even though, like I said, a lot of people did. And a lot of people still do like their work, based on requests we get and audience research we do. That just proves again, I guess, that I’m a little out of the mainstream, as if, of course, we needed any further proof of that. But to me, the songs all sound the same, and most of their U.S. hits were what I considered to be wimpy remakes of songs that probably didn’t need to get remade in the first place.

However, my taste in music doesn’t have a lot with what we play here on the radio. And that’s a good thing, because while I don’t like UB40 most of you do, and since we program for you, and not for me, that’s why you’ll keep hearing it. After all, as a wise philosopher once said, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few”. Or, in my case, the needs of the one, at least as far as taste in music goes.

So if you want, keep requesting UB40. We’ll keep playing their songs as long as you wanna hear them. I, personally, may be turning the speakers down, but that’s my problem, and not yours, right?

And on that note, have yourself a great weekend!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 3/20

I wonder if they've used up all their toilet paper yet?

Happy anniversary month, by the way. It was five years ago this month that our world started to fall apart, as the sports leagues cancelled games, schools started to close, the US & the EU shut its borders, and Tom Hanks—TOM HANKS!--informed the world he had contracted Covid. It only took a few days before everything was shut down and our world has yet, in some ways, to recover.

Ah. Good times.

Of course, even though it was five years ago that things really struck home, we had been dealing with the growing impact of the burgeoning pandemic even before that. I'm thinking, specifically, on perhaps the most surreal aspect of those early days, the fact that people were going out and clearing store shelves of toilet paper.

Five years later still don't get WHY they did it, but that's neither here nor there.

The toilet paper “shortage” (there really wasn't a shortage until some people decided that it might be a good time to go out and buy a thousand rolls) led to lots of bemused stares, hundreds of late night TV jokes, and some creative ideas for people. I recall walking down Front Street in Marquette right before everything was shut down and seeing this sign--

I have no idea if it actually worked as a promotion, but it sure was a heck of a great idea.

Of course, as it turned out the toilet paper “shortage” was the least of our worries as things fell apart five years ago. As I mentioned in here a couple of weeks ago things changed so quickly over so many days that for the first month or so of the pandemic just seems like a blur. Even from gaining a little (just a little) perspective over those five years it's still kind of hard to believe, especially (and probably) because we're still dealing with the fall out from it.

But that's neither here nor there. Assuming that you use two rolls of toilet paper a week (and that's just an assumption; I could be totally wrong about that number) sometime around the 10^th anniversary of the pandemic—early 2030—could loom as a significant date.

Why, you ask? Well, I answer, if you do the math, that'll be just around the time people who bought 1,000 roles of toilet paper back in 2020 might need to go out and buy some more.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 3/19

I can't believe that it had been three months. Really, I can't.

Yesterday I posted pictures I took in Florida, but what I didn't do is tell you the story about getting ready to take them. A few days before I left, when I turned it on to make sure it worked, I found my camera's battery had gone dead. I guess I wasn't surprised; I knew that it had been a while since I had even powered the stupid thing up. Once I switched to the backup battery I have (itself with only half of its charge left) I came to the realization that I had not yet once during 2025 taken it out of its bag. In fact, the last picture I took was on December 30^th, and it was (ahem) a picture of a bunch of chocolate Loraine and I bought at Donckers with a gift card someone gave us for Christmas.

It's been three months since I even thought of taking a picture with a (non-phone) camera. What the heck's wrong with me?

(That's a rhetorical question, by the way, even though I'm quite positive many answers have already popped into your head).

I'm hoping it won't be another three months until I take it out again. In fact, I KNOW it won't be another three months until I take it out. Yet I can't say I'm surprised. If you look at the folders of shots I've taken over the past 20 or so years, they're mostly dated during warmer-weather months. I don't know if it's because I'm not big on winter, if there aren't a lot of winter pictures to take, or it's just because I'm being stubborn, but I don't like shooting when it's yucky out.

It may be a character flaw, but it certainly IS me.

And just so show that you CAN take a nice picture during winter, here's one from a few years ago--

Maybe one of these years, I'll learn my lesson and haul out a camera between December and April. After all, you never know what you'll see, right?

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 3/18

And now, as promised, the pictures.

After I transferred them to my laptop I realized I really didn't take that many pictures as I was down in Florida visiting my parents. Not that that's a bad thing; it probably just means I was actually enjoying my time with them and was too busy to be snapping away. But I'd like to think what I did shoot was good, so let's go through a few.

As always, when you're in Florida beaches are an important thing, right?

And I was at the beach a couple of times, allowing myself to be hypnotized by these--

I noticed that water, in fact, was a theme in many of the pictures I took, either of piers--

Or pelicans

By the way, have you ever tried to capture a pelican in a picture? They're fast little buggers.

On land down in Florida, you never know what you might see. It might be bikes--

Or colors that catch your eye--

Or signs that catch your eye--

And then there's one of my favorite pictures out of the batch I took. Unlike some of their neighbors, my parents are quite active, and will often help out by taking care of a few things. My dad, for instance, takes the neighbor's dog for a walk almost every day, an event that makes my mom laugh, as she claims the little creature is, and I'm quoting here, “a chick magnet”.

So here's Chick with his chick magnet--

Like I said, I had a great time down there, not only because I got to spent some quality time with my parents, but also because no matter where you look, it seems like there's an interesting picture to be taken.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 3/17

You know how Tom Petty says “the waiting is the hardest part”. Well, it's not.

The unpacking is the hardest part.

I'm back from my little jaunt to visit my parents in Florida.  I had a great time in the sun--in fact, I'll share pictures tomorrow--but in a way, my voyage is not yet over

I don't know why, but whenever I get home from a trip, even a short one like this past weekend, it takes me a while to get everything out of the suitcase, carry-on, and/or backpack I've been using, and put it all away. I'm not quite sure what drives some people to unpack as soon as they get home; I know I couldn't do it. Heck, after a 24-hour trip home from Europe unpacking is the last thing on my mind. So maybe it's not a surprise that it usually takes me a few days to haul everything out and put everything away.

For instance—while the carry-on I brought down to Florida is empty of the clothing it contained, it's still filled with the souvenirs I brought back (minus the ones I gave to Loraine). Likewise, while I took my small laptop out of my backpack, it's still filled with everything else I had, including but not limited to some chocolate, the John Lewis biography I'm only about a third of the way through, and my bag of liquids, which I haven't even thought about until typing this sentence.

Don't let me forget to put those away, if you wouldn't mind.

I'm sure everything from this trip will be put away after I get done with TV tonight, unlike one of those trips to Europe, when it may take almost a week or as long as it takes Loraine or I to get sick of looking at our suitcases, whichever comes first. But maybe that's not a surprise when you're trying to get your body clock readjusted to American time, dealing with whatever crap has come up at work, and trying to stop your head from spinning because you've just come a quarter of the way around the planet.

That's the excuse I have for then. I really don't have one for now. And that's why I'm hoping the unpacking will be done tonight. Wish me luck. Given my history, I may need it.

Like I said, a few pictures tomorrow!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 3/11

Okay...I AM on my way to Florida, but as promised--

This week's "Life in the 906".

Now, as I way saying--back Monday!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 3/10

Now, it's all over except the shouting.

Well, now that I think of it, I probably could have picked a better metaphor for the statement I'm trying to make; namely, this is my only day of work this week, as I'm heading down to Florida tomorrow to visit daily blog readers (and snowbirds) Chicky-Poo & Dar in Melbourne Beach.

And I really can't wait.

After the snow we had last week, I was heartened to see that this week's weather forecast appears to be conducive to flying tomorrow. That's always one of the big risks of trying to travel from the UP in January or February or March. You never know what the weather's gonna be like. But each time I've gone to visit them during a winter month I've lucked out, and I hope that string of luck continues this time around.

So keep your fingers crossed for me, if you would.

That, of course, means there won't be a new one of these for the rest of the week. Or, maybe I should say, there won't be a new one of these the rest of the week unless tonight turns out well. What am I babbling about, you ask? Well, I answered I have (what I hope) is an interesting “Life in the 906” planned, and if it comes off like I hope it will, I may post it several places, including here.

We'll see.

Otherwise, like I said, I'm off for the rest of the week. Back on Monday with, I'm guessing, pictures of things including but not limited to sun, fun, flowers, water, food, and space shuttles.

Because, you know, that's how I roll.

Behave yourself while I'm gone!!

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 3/7

This has been a week, hasn't it?

And to cap it off, here's a picture I took yesterday right after the Marquette Downtown Development Authority plowed the sidewalk outside of the station. Now, keep in mind that the sidewalk was clear as of Tuesday afternoon, and that the thing you see in the shot is a yard stick--

See? It HAS been a week, hasn't it?

And with that, I'm off to take care of my final “High School Bowl” responsibility of the year—shooting my segments for the “Year in Review” show that airs after the championship match.

Have a great weekend. Hopefully, have a snow-free weekend, as well!

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 3/6

To quote a great American, when I'm wrong I say I was wrong.

And boy, was I wrong about this.

As you may recall, when we last met I expressed a little skepticism about the possibility of a winter storm actually occurring, going so far as to post a picture of what it was like before it all began--

Well, if you're wondering how my prediction turned out 24 hours later, here's your answer--

Yup. I might have been a little off in my prediction. Just a little.

8-)

And that's just what it looked like here in downtown Marquette, where we really haven't had a storm like this in almost two years. Away from the city and away from the lake things were probably twice as bad, with more snow, higher winds, and additional junk that we didn't have to face here. I'm not surprised that almost literally every single school and business in the area was closed.

And since it's just starting to wind down, I'll be curious to see how many of them are closed today.

In a way, of course, I'm glad that if it had to happen that it happened this week. Can you imagine if I was trying to get to or from Florida, like I'm planning on next week? That would not be fun, and my heart goes out to anyone who's had a flight canceled or re-routed the past few days.

Let's just hope everything's back to normal by Tuesday. I'm going to delve into the cancellation list now, and see what's open & what's closed. After all, I'm sure that, with everyone still digging out, the former will outpace the latter.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 3/5

Well...this should be interesting. Or maybe it'll just be the same as it has been the past few years.

As I type this we're in the middle of a Winter Storm Warning for what could potentially be a HUGE winter storm, with up to a foot and a half of snow. Or, it could be a HUGE dumping of rain. Or both. At the moment, we've gotten rain mixed with maybe an inch of snow, which has made things a bit of a mess, but with the way our winters go, nothing we get over the next 24 hours would surprise me, up to and including a plague of locusts.

Because that's how we roll up here.

Yesterday, before the event started, I took this picture--

I took it as part of a “before & after” series, because every so often I'll get someone who doesn't believe that we don't seem to get major winter storms—or any major snowfall, for that fact—here in downtown Marquette any more. When I say there's hardly any snow on the ground, I'm not joking.

Really, I'm not.

So tomorrow (assuming we all survive whatever comes) I'll put up the “after” picture, and we can all compare and contrast. Will this storm (for once) live up to expectations? Will it be another tale of lots of snow to our east & west but nothing here? Or will this finally be (for the first time in a few years) “the big one”, and we'll get a taste of what winters used to be like around here?

I guess we'll find out in the next 24 hours, won't we?

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 3/4

Did I mention I'm going away for a few days?

That crossed my mind this morning when I realized it's just a week before I head down to Florida for a few days to visit daily blog readers Chicky-Poo & Dar in Melbourne Beach. I know I had informed my boss (who them promptly forgot) but I don't remember who else I had told. And looking back on the past few entries I noticed I hadn't mentioned it here.

So now I am.

It's actually going to be a quick jaunt for a variety of reasons. My TV schedule's one, while anther's the fact that I only decided to do this a month or so ago and, as you know, I have to work ahead and haven't had a lot of time to do so.

It's also quick (Tuesday through Friday) because, as I discovered if you want to fly on a weekend the cost of a ticket to Florida in March can double in price. And since I'm almost paying as much as I did to go to Europe last year...

Tuesday through Friday it is.

Actually, I'd pay any amount to hang out with my parents for a few days. They're snowbirds over half of the year, and those seven months can be a long time. Sure, I talk to them and video chat with them, but it's so much better when you can see them in person.

And I'm REALLY looking forward to it.

So next week when you don't see anything new here or I mention on the air Monday that I'll be gone the rest of the week, that's why. Seeing as how I keep forgetting to mention it, I figured I should do so now.

You know...just in case I forget to do so again.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 3/3

In case you're wondering, the traffic cone is still there.

You may recall when, at the beginning of the year, I wrote one of these blogs about some construction work they were doing on the upper floors of the building in which I work. The construction crew had left a couple of traffic cones around the building, to make sure that people walking by didn't wander into a dangerous area. Well, as often happens in downtown Marquette, one of those cones was picked up by (I'm guessing) someone walking home from a bar late one night, and placed (or thrown) on top of the Range Bank ATM building across the street.

As of last Friday, guess what was still on top of the Range Bank ATM building?

I'm not surprised; after all, when I wrote the original blog, I wondered how long it would be up there. And after two months, it's kind of become a piece of downtown. Every day when I walk to work I see iconic buildings & the equally iconic sight of Mount Marquette looming above the area. Now, I also check to make sure the traffic cone is still on the roof of the building.

And it still is.

I have no idea how long it'll be up there. Loraine works at Range Bank, and she's told several people about the cone, but it hasn't been removed. Maybe they feel about it the same as do I...that's it's now part of downtown Marquette, and as such, should be left alone.

I mean, I doubt you, but you never know, right?

Anyway, I'll keep my eyes on it. And who knows, maybe in another two months I can write another entry here, and further update everyone on whether or not the cone is still there,

I bet you can't wait, right?

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 2/28

Given my past (and, if we're being honest, my present) you think I would have known this.

I don't know how this escaped me, and if I hadn't been reading an article in a newspaper (you remember what those are, right?) I still would be in the dark about this. But here it is—there's a town in the U.P. named Vulcan, named not after a legendary science fiction planet but instead after a mine that the town was built around. But it doesn't matter where it got the name. What's important to know is that there's a town in the U.P. named Vulcan, and in the town of Vulcan there's a business that calls itself Starship Enterprises.

Greatest. Business. Name. Ever.

First of all, kudos to the Trekker who named the business, which deals with things like wood products, Starship Enterprises. It takes a special person to put the town name and the business name together, and I bow down to shower them with as much praise as humanly possible.

I really do.

But second of all, how did I not know about this? It seems like somehow, sometime, it should have come to my attention. Admittedly, Vulcan's about a hundred miles away from Marquette and, admittedly, it's been a while since I've even been in the neighborhood. But usually, when there's something strange, quirky, or just plain awesome in the UP I do find out about it eventually. So why didn't I know about Starship Enterprises of Vulcan? The nine year old me would have exploded in joy, just as the modern day me exploded with joy when I read about it in the newspaper.

Yet did I know? Nope. I must be slipping in my old age.

So the next time you find yourself in need of something like wood flooring, you really need to beam yourself to Vulcan. Apparently there's a company there that will help you get up to warp speed. And, if you're lucky, by the time you're done you'll be able to live long and prosper.

And with that, I'll show myself out the door.

8-)

Have a great weekend!!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 2/27

My life is weird. And it keeps getting weirder.

I know I say that a lot, but I keep saying it because it's true. Every week, it seems, something happens that I never thought would happen, and I just kinda shake my head in bemusement and/or amazement at the twist and turns my life seems to be taking.

If you watched the “906” video I posted yesterday, the one about Shakespeare, you may have noticed that Kevin congratulated me on something at the end. On what did he congratulate me? Well, in the latest twist and turn of a very weird life, I can now call myself an award winning TV producer--

That's right; “Marquette @175”, the history show that Kenn Baynard and I put together for TV 19, won the Michigan Association of Broadcasters award for Best Special Program in the state for 2024. I'm a bit surprised, considering it's basically just me and other history geeks talking about history, but maybe these days I shouldn't be surprised about anything.

After all, my life is weird.

Joking aside, it is quite an honor. The awards were judged by people from another state, so there would be no possibility for bias and favoritism, and it still walked away as the winner. As the writer and host, I can say it was a blast to put together. And then when Kenn worked his magic editing it and sticking in all the pictures I provided, it because something even better.

And I guess the MAB agrees.

I don't know if my life can now get any more weird than this. And I say that knowing full well that the way things are going, it WILL get more weird. It's just that at this moment, I have absolutely no idea how.

8-)

Wanna see the (now) award-winning show? CLICK OR TAP HERE..

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 2/26

It's all Jimmy Ludwig's fault.

Spread out all over my kitchen table I have Post-It notes, scraps of paper, and pages of legal pads filled with potential ideas or lines for a future edition of “Life in the 906”. One of those that's been on the table for, oh, probably over a year was “Yooper Shakespeare lines”. I never developed it any further because it was just an idea with nothing solid (at least yet) to put in it.

And then I interviewed Jimmy Ludwig.

Ludwig is a Yooper who went to New York to act on Broadway and has come back to his home region as a theater instructor at NMU. He and a bunch of students are currently in the midst of a two-week run of the Shakespeare comedy “Much Ado About Nothing”, but set at a UP deer camp. I interviewed him about it last week (by the way, he gives GREAT interview, as would befit a Broadway vet), and after the interview rolled around in my head for a few days it triggered something.

Namely, the bones for a “906” bit about Yooper Shakespeare lines.

Like many of the segments I've done, once that trigger was pulled the ideas just came flowing out of my brain. But unlike some of the segments I've done the ideas kept getting weirder and weirder, especially as I recalled more and more of Shakespeare's most famous lines. As I was typing them into my laptop at home I alternated between laughing and shaking my head at the sheer stupidity of some of the lines I was writing, causing Loraine to look at me like she often does.

You know, like I'm a little puppy who runs into a wall, thinks it's cute, and keeps doing it over and over again.

So—was it a good “906” or one of those that seems to amuse only me? Check it out for yourself. If you think it's a good one, then thank you. And if you don't?

Well, then its all Jimmy Ludwig's fault.

 

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 2/25

In one respect, yesterday was weird. And it also pointed out a huge change in something around here.

How was yesterday weird, you ask? Well, I answer, there was freezing rain overnight, even though the temperatures were in the upper 30s. Schools everywhere were cancelled, something I didn't realize until I went out running (and or sliding on the ice, depending upon where I was). Then by afternoon all the ice melted, because temperatures got into the 50s.

It was weird.

Aside from all of the ice melting a good chunk of our ground snow cover did, as well, and that's what made me think of a huge change around here. Back when I was a kid (you know, last century) we used to have months & months of snow cover. Sometimes, in fact, snow would hit the ground in November and then not leave until April.

But not any more. Our snow cover the past few years has lasted no more than eight or nine weeks. Don't believe me? Here's a picture from January 7^th of this year--

And then one from yesterday--

That is an eight week span when we actually had snow on the ground last year, about the same as in 2023 and, uhm, seven weeks longer than last year. It blows my mind that there are people out there who still believe to refuse in climate change, because the pictures show it, plain & simple.

It IS supposed to snow a little today; however, the forecast calls for a dusting, which in weather speak is less than an inch. I don't think we'll be getting another big dump any time soon, which means that our snow may indeed be (mostly) gone for the year.

Freezing rain, though? That could be en entirely different proposition. And if we DO get another night like last night, remind me not to run until it actually melts for the day.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 2/24

In ten years, we've never had THAT happen.

When we last met, I was talking about going to shoot one of the semi-finals and the championship game of my tenth season of “High School Bowl”. Well, that we did, and they're now in the can, but not before we had to interrupt taping for a few things, including but not limited to--

Very loud construction sounds

A broken buzzer

A mispronunciation of a school name during a check presentation, and

A camera operator passing out.

Yeah. It was an interesting morning.

We strive shoot shoot the shows “live to drive”; in other words, we do it like it's a live show—what you see is what you get. Rarely—maybe once or twice a season—we have to stop the recording because of an unavoidable incident. However, we've never—at least in the decade I've been doing it—had to stop a show multiple times for multiple problems.

But then Friday rolled around.

When the shows air in April you probably won't notice much, with one big glaring exception. And to cover that exception, one of the editors at WNMU-TV came up with a jokey little transition, so what you'll see might make you shake your head wondering why it's on, but at least it covers something up that needed to be covered up.

And that's a good thing.

Other than, you know, having to stop tape multiple times it was a fun morning, as always is the case when we do the last shows of the year. It's also a little sad, as well, as the team that ends up runners-up is rightly bummed. But as we were discussing after the show was over, only two teams out of almost 40 make it to the championship match, and that's saying something.

Now, all that's left is putting together a “Year in Review” show, and then setting up a schedule for the (gulp) '25-'26 season...my (insert another gulp here) 11^th as the show's host.

Yikes!!

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 2/21

Wow. The sheer number almost kind of blows my mind.

I'm about to head out to shoot the final “High School Bowl” for this season. And yes, I know I said something about doing exactly that a few weeks ago. However, one of the teams had a snow day that day and couldn't travel, so we're getting ready to shoot the second semi-final and the championship match. As I was getting ready last night I started to think And that, as we all know, can be a dangerous thing. But maybe not in this instance. Tomorrow I'll be wrapping up my (gulp) tenth season of hosting the show, which means I've done 196 hours of the series. Each hour has two games. If you subtract the nine (so far) “year in review” shows from the mix, that means I've how hosted 392 games of “High School Bowl”.

392 games. Maybe one of these days I'll even get it right.

8-)

I personally can't believe it's been that many games. The science, though, is 100% correct. And if there's one thing I've learned doing 392 games is that science is always right. Of course, I'm also having a little trouble grasping the concept I've been doing the show for a decade now, as it seems like it's been, at most, a year or two. But ten?

Once again, the science doesn't lie.

I am, however, still saying the same things about the show that I said after hosting the first few, foremost among them that the kids who take part are smart. I mean, they're really, really smart. I'd like to think I know a little something after all the decades of life that I've accumulated, but if we were being honest I only know the answers to maybe a third of the questions I ask. The rest I just sound like I know what I'm talking about. But some of the young people who've come through the show the answer to every single thing I've asked. And if they don't know it outright, they're able to infer what the answer might be. And they're doing this at the age when (joke coming here) I was still learning to feed myself.

They're that smart.

Now that production of season 46 is (almost) in the books we've already started talking about season 47, what we hope to accomplish, and any changes that might need to be made. And I'm sure that twelve or thirteen months from now, I'll be sitting here and wondering to myself how it is that I'll have done 216 hours—432 games—of a TV show that I thought I had just started hosting a few months prior.

And with that, I'm off. Have a great weekend!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 2/20

It's a good thing I'm not superstitious. Or, in this case, maybe it's a bad thing I'm not superstitious.

Loraine and I were talking yesterday about the last time we had to put gas in her car (Christmas Eve, if you're keeping track at home) and how it's my turn to fill it up soon. Even though I don't own it, I still drive it, so I pay for half the upkeep (including insurance and dead batteries). The reason I remember it was last filled up on Christmas Eve is because we filled it up going over to my sister's to celebrate.

And because of the total amount that I put in it--5.555 gallons. Freaky, huh?

That's a, what? One in 10,000 chance that that number pops up? I know I've never remembered how much gas I've purchased all the other times I've filled up a tank, but I'm guessing I may remember this one for a while.

5.555 gallons.

Because I'm not a superstitious person I realize that it was just random chance that that number popped up. If you fill your tank 10,000 times, odds are that one of those times will see you pumping exactly 5.555 gallons. It's just math. It's just probability. It's just science.

However, if I WERE a superstitious person I'd take this as a sign. I'd start to wonder if there was something cosmically aligning about the number five, and I'd rush out and buy as many lottery tickets I could that had combinations of the number. I'd sit in anticipation, waiting to see if lightning struck twice.

But, alas, I'm not superstitious. I know that the odds of both my pumping 5.555 gallons of gas and those being the winning lottery numbers are, like, infinitesimal. So maybe it's a good thing I'm not superstitious. It'll save me a buck, or however much a lottery ticket costs these days.

That being said, if you ARE superstitious, so ahead and give it a try. Maybe you can change my mind...and make yourself a little money in the process.

(jim@wmqt.com)