Friday, 1/10

Since I have to get back into the “High School Bowl” groove in a couple of minutes (three shows in seven days!) I'm going to leave with with an oldie but a goodie...actually, something I've been thinking about again recently, for some bizarre reason.

Have a great weekend. Back with something brand spanking new Monday!

(jim@wmqt.com)

******

(as originally posted 1/25/17)

I wonder if 5 O'Clock Charlie made me the person I am today?

Let me explain. I'm currently reading Norman Lear's autobiography; Norman Lear being the guy who turned television comedy on its head in the 1970s with shows like “All in the Family” and “Maude”. While I did watch several Norman Lear shows growing up (“All in the Family” and “Good Times” foremost among them), they didn't have as much of an effect on me as did two other shows. And it wasn't until I started reading Lear's book that I realized a fictional character named “5 O'Clock Charlie” may be one of the reasons I turned out the way I did.

When I was eleven or twelve I came across a repeat of an episode of a TV show that featured the character “5 O'Clock Charlie”. I was quite taken by the episode and the absurdity of “5 O'Clock Charlie”, so I began watching all the episodes I could of the show, both in first run and reruns, and found myself enchanted by not only the writing but the characters, the way they acted, and what they believed in. All these decades later, I can tell you that I really think watching the show growing up formed a big part of who I became, the way I act (especially my sense of humor), and what I believe in.

I turned out the way I did because a toss-off, one-shot character named “5 O'Clock Charlie” was featured on an episode of “MASH”.

I've always known growing up watching “MASH” had a big influence on me, but I never actually realized WHY I watched it. It seems like the show was always on, and it seems like I always watched it. That why I was surprised when I was reading Norman Lear's book and, for some reason, the character of “5 O'Clock Charlie” popped into my head. I've always loved the episode from the show's second year, and I've probably seen it a dozen times over the years. But for whatever reason I never actually remembered that particular episode was my gateway to the series. Why Norman Lear's book made me recall that, I don't know. I just know that it did.

I think I know why the eleven or twelve-year old me liked the episode “5 O'Clock Charlie” so much. It was actually rather goofy and absurd, about a near-sighted North Korean pilot who flew over the unit every day at 5 and tried to blow up a nearby ammo dump. He was so bad that the doctors would take bets on how far off he'd be, and his daily fly-over was cause for a big party. Unlike many of the “MASH” episodes I would like in the future, the first one I watched was more goofy and strange than serious and thoughtful. Maybe if “5 O'Clock Charlie” hadn't been the first episode of the show I watched, the eleven or twelve-year old version of me would've been bored, and I never would've viewed the series again, probably changing the way I turned out.

I could've been a very different person if it hadn't been for “5 O'Clock Charlie”.

I highly recommend Norman Lear's book. Not only does he have all kinds of great TV history in it, but he's an amazing storyteller, as well. And who knows—maybe in reading it, you'll have some sort of weird flashback to the “5 O'Clock Charlie” in your life. You never know...

Thursday, 1/9

It's amazing what a difference a day makes.

Here's a picture I took Tuesday--

Then, the same shot from the same time of the day yesterday, Wednesday--

I guess we won't be having a non-winter winter this year, huh?

8-)

While I'm not surprised we received the snow (after all, it's been almost a month since the last flakes fell) I AM surprised at how it fell. You could tell it was lake effect; it was snowing insanely heavy here in downtown, while a mile and a half to the west—out by the Holiday Inn—the sky had not one flake in it.

Not one.

Will this be enough snow? I mean, I for one think any snow is too much snow, but I ask that question in the context of this—is this enough snow for all of our winter events? The route of the Noquemanon has already been shorted to end outside of Marquette, while the fate of the UP 200 is still up in the air. Did the four or so inches we received in the past 24 hours make any difference? Will be getting more snow to add onto it?

If you recall, we received 13 inches during the one day we had a "storm" last January, and we thought winter was here to stay. A week later, we were all wearing shorts. Looking at the extended forecast I don't think that's gonna happen, but you never know. Laura and I had a discussion on the air Monday about whether or not this type of winter is our “new normal”; while she says we should wait and see what the next few years hold, she says it wouldn't surprise her if a non-winter winter was indeed what we'll be having from here on out.

We'll see. All I know for now is that we have a base, even if it's not a lot, on the ground. Will we build upon it, or will it disappear?

I'll let you know in a few weeks, if not before.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 1/8

I'm kind of surprised at how nicely they turned out.

Loraine and I went for a night-time stroll a few evenings back, and ended up at the walking piers in Marquette's lower harbor. It wasn't snowing, although it was a little chilly. It lent a nice, crisp air to everything, and when we ended up at the piers, lit up for the night as usual, they just looked...pretty. So I did something I usually don't do—I took out my phone and took a picture--

I don't like to take night (or low light) shots without a tripod; depending upon the camera you'll get a bad exposure or a fuzzy picture or just a glob of light. But things looked just right, and thanks to the lights on the pier the shot turned out nicely.

Or, at least, I think so.

Once on the pier, I looked back at the city, saw another nice shot, and (despite my usual reticence at night time photography) took another phone picture of the glorious place in which we live--

Then on the way back home, strolling through the Rosewood Walkway, there seemed to be enough light for one last shot. Specifically, this one--

I don't know if there was just enough light in all of these pictures, or if the cold air did something to sharpen the images, but all three pictures—taken with a phone camera, of all things—prove that even at night, you can get some amazing shots. I guess that when I joke it's hard to take a bad picture in Marquette I wasn't kidding.

And that was even before taking those pictures in the dark.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 1/7

And now, the rest of the story.

As I was explaining yesterday I've been up to my eyeballs in the research of pr*stitutes recently. I've also been searching for what's starting to turn into a bit of a personal white whale for me—a picture of the old narrow building that sat right smack dab in the middle of East Main Street in Marquette, between the Vierling and the Upfront. For many years it was the home of the Marquette Chamber of Commerce, and while the building's been gone for decades now people still remember it.

However, while it was around, no one ever thought to take a picture of it. Nor to mark when it was actually torn down. And I should know—I've been searching for both for a few years now.

Anyway, I was at the History Center last week researching the big story about a certain lady of the evening I'll be telling at “Legends & Lore II—Even More Legendary” in a few weeks. I needed to take a picture of a newspaper picture from the summer of 1960, which I did. And then, for some reason, my eye caught an image on the opposite page of that particular Mining Journal. I was stunned by what I saw... this--

That's right; on the opposite page of the newspaper I was taking a picture of sat the pictures and story of how that mythical building was torn down.

How freaky is that?

My mind, a week later, is still kind of reeling from the serendipity that allowed me to open that particular page of a random newspaper. It's also led several people at the History Center to (jokingly) wonder if my guardian angel is indeed that lady of the night from the 1880s. That I don't know; what I do know, sadly, is that despite the delight in my discovery, it comes just a little too late to include the story of that mysterious building in the show on the 23rd. However, I do have to write a newspaper article and make a promotional video for the epic, so you know what I'll be talking about in both?

You'd better believe it.

(jim@wmqt.com), mind still blown.

Monday, 1/6

I've been up to my eyeballs in pr*stitutes recently.

Now, if I was a different kind of person, I'd end the blog right there. I'd write that opening line, and I'd just walk away, leaving everyone to wonder just what the heck I've been doing in my spare time. But thankfully, at least for you, I'm not. So here's the reason I've been up to my eyeballs in pr*stitutes recently--

History Jim made me do it.

(And if you're wondering why I'm writing “pr*stitutes; well, Google's Blogger program flags the real word as “unacceptable” and won't post it).

Anyway, the big “Legends & Lore II: Even More Legendary” program I'm doing with Jack Deo is coming up in a few weeks at Kaufman Auditorium (tickets still available, hint hint), and one of the things I'll be talking about is what we've discovered about (apparently) Marquette's favorite old-time lady of the night (and day) since introducing her during the “Walk On the Wilde Side” tour last year. After all, it's an amazing story, and since no Jim Koski ™ program isn't complete without either hookers, killers, or bootleggers, well...that's why I've been up to my eyeballs in them?

(As a bonus, I will be talking about killers, too. I just haven't spent days digging through research on them).

As always. the segment on Marquette's favorite old-time pr*stitute will be (hopefully) one of the funniest of the show, if only because all I have to do is read what local newspapers printed about the “problem” back in the 1880s. It would be putting it lightly to say they went over the top in writing the subject, treating it as if it were to be the end of the world if a little hanky-panky was going on. So to hopefully get big laughs, I don't even have to come up with a punch line. I just have to read what a newspaper wrote.

I just wish ALL history programs were that easy!

Of course, I had to dig through all kinds of newspaper articles from the 1880s to the 1920s to find the best, and that's why I've been up to my “eyeballs” in pr*stitutes the past few weeks. So sure, I've spend time on everything from old schools to department stores to sidewalks (long story), but a big chunk of that time goes to the ladies of the night and, perhaps more importantly, the loggers, sailors, and (gasp) community leaders who kept them in business. Let's just hope that all the work pays off in some big laughs.

I think it will.

Like I said, the program is two weeks from Thursday--January 23rd--at 7 at Kaufman, and unlike most of my programs is actually a fundraiser for the Marquette Regional History Center so you will need a ticket to get in, but I can make this (almost) 100% guarantee—you will laugh at least once. Because with the material I've gathered, if you don't, then I've really lost my touch!

Speaking of which, an amazing discovery I made while being up to my eyeballs in pr*stitutes. That story tomorrow.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 1/3

I wonder how long it'll stay up there?

You get to see a lot of things working in downtown Marquette. You get to see all the tourists, you get to see all of the shoppers, you get to see all the banners and flags flown, and, on occasion, you get to see something like this--

Yup, that's a traffic cone sitting on the roof of Range Bank's ATM across the street from the station. It's been there for almost three weeks now. How do I know how long it's been? Well, three weeks ago there were traffic cones around the building where I work because they were replacing windows on the floors above me. At one point one of the cones moved from our side of the street to atop Range Bank's ATM.

And if I had to bet money on it, I'd lay odds that at one point a drunk college student was walking up Front Street, saw the traffic cones, and thought “you know, I bet the traffic cone would be happier on top of the ATM”, and proceeded to move it there.

Because, you know, stuff like that happens in downtown Marquette after most of us are safely tucked in for the night. That's another one of the things you get to see while working and living around here.

The company that replaced our windows never came back to look for it, and it's not bothering anyone sitting on top of the ATM, so it wouldn't surprise me if it sits up there for an extended period of time. I'll keep an eye on it, and report back. In the meantime, the next time you're driving down the Front Street hill and happen to notice there's an orange traffic cone on the top of the Range Bank ATM building...

Well, now you know where it came from.

Have a great (and hopefully) traffic cone-free weekend!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 1/2

I like the way it turned out. But I think it may have been better with just the written word.

First of all, Happy New Year! Hope your transition into '25 wasn't too painful, and that you're now ready to face the abyss of the upcoming year head on. I've already hit the ground running, thanks to my TV piece Monday--

My ode to Trenary Toast.

It was inspired by a Christmas gift of said Yooper delicacy from Loraine, and was one of those things that just popped into my head. I unwrapped the gift last Tuesday night, and by Christmas morning I had it (almost) fully formed in my head. It became fully formed when I told the person who gave me the gift what I was writing about, and she threw a one liner in for good effect.

Loraine. She's the gift that keeps on giving.

8-)

Anyway, like I said, when I did it Monday night I think it went over quite well. But everything went by quick. It was densely packed two minutes. And while this may just be me, reading this particular piece may unpack a gag or a reference or a thought—maybe even Loraine's joke—that may have whizzed by if you just watched it.

Decide for yourself. Here's the video version or it, followed by the script I wrote. See if you agree with me, or if you think I'm insane. The cool thing about it? No matter which one of those options you choose, you're probably correct.

And that's not something that often happens.

The video--

And the script--

So…how was everyone’s Christmas?  Mine was quiet and peaceful, and I was lucky enough to be the recipient of some great but pleasingly random gifts–a cow calendar, a Spanish soccer ball, and a Funko Pop of…Martina McBride??

But another gift I received reminded me that for many people living in the UP there’s more to our diet than just  the four basic Yooper foods of pasties, cudhigi, fudge, and beer. There are also such specialties as pizza from the Congress, pizza from the Amassabor, the Yooper fondue of squeaky cheese dipped in coffee, or, in the case of that other Christmas gift I mentioned, Trenary Toast.

That’s right–I got Trenary Toast for Christmas.  Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Trenary Toast.  Is this a great world or what?

For almost 100 years now Trenary Toast has been woven into the fabric of UP life, even if it doesn’t have the universal fame of a food like pasties.  But I think Trenary Toast deserves to be on that very same level.  Think of the two foods–pasties & Trenary Toast–like you do the past two Green Bay Packers quarterbacks. Pasties are like Aaron Rodgers–they get all the attention.  But Trenary Toast is like Jordan Love, getting the job done without all the hype.

And which one of those two is going to the playoffs this year…huh?

Admittedly, Trenary Toast can be an acquired taste.  But it IS quintessentially Yooper–down to earth and built to last, but with a sweet side to it, as well.  And you know that once people try it they’re hooked.

Just ask the tourists who keep coming back to buy Trenary Toast year after year after year.

So in a holiday season that sees soccer balls and calendars and, uhm, Martina McBride sitting under my Christmas tree, just know the one gift that I’ve already opened and sampled–quite a bit–is the one that deserves a UP food group of its very own.

I’m Jim  Koski, and that’s another slice of Trenary Toast…I mean, another slice of  “Life in the 906”

Like I said, the choice as to which one (if either) might be better is yours.

(jim@wmqt.com)