Friday, 1/31

It's the end of January. Have you finished eating all of your Christmas gifts yet?

I don't know if you're like me, but a big chunk of the gifts I'm given over the holidays, maybe even half, consists of food. Chocolate makes up a large majority of it, but you could count cookies, nuts, fruit, all sorts of various strange items people see and give to us, and, well, more chocolate as part of the sum total. I don't mind; after all, people know how much Loraine and I like certain kinds of food, and that makes us easy people for whom to buy, I guess.

And this, by the way isn't even counting the box of world foods I wrote about yesterday. (And,, if you're curious, I still have NO intention of eating the haggis flavored potato crisps). But what that means that after the holidaze both Loraine and I have a lot of food to eat. The chocolate's not a problem, especially the huge collection sent to us each and every year by daily blog readers Floyd of Reese (thanks, other Dad!), but the other stuff—especially the perishable items like fruit or semi-perishable stuff like cookies—do need to get eaten before they go bad. And that usually means they they need to be gone by, say, now.

We're almost done with those items. Are you?

I mean, you may not have to worry about it. You may not have a lot of food given to you over the holidays, and you may not feel the pressure to get it all consumed by a certain date. Maybe that's just us. And maybe that's just karma biting us on the butt for spreading out 30,000 calories of cookies to friends and family before the holidays, and maybe karma doesn't feel the need to pay back you and yours.

Maybe.

One system that we have found that works is this—we sample each and every thing we're given. More often than not, we end up consuming the whole gift. But on occasion, especially if it's one of several of a certain kind we've been given, or if it's of a taste with which we may not be totally enthralled, we'll “donate” the rest of it to Loraine's office mates. Unlike me, she works with a big staff of people, a staff of people who don't mind sampling food brought in by coworkers. In that way, it's a win-win—they enjoy it, and we manage to get all the food consumed before it goes bad.

See? We've thought this through.

We appreciate all the food we're given each year, and enjoy sampling every single thing that's given to us. It's just that, on occasion, we realize we should eat something actually GOOD for you.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com), who hopes that YOU'VE managed to eat your way through all of your yummy Christmas gifts!

Thursday, 1/30

I will try most of what I was given. There is, however, one I can say with 100% certainty that I won't.

A couple of days ago I was gifted a box of snack foods from around the world, snack foods that not only trace the history of food on the planet, but that also expose you to the different tastes that different cultures represent--

There are some familiar foods in the package, including chocolates from both France & Germany, as well as other items you might normally never get the chance to try, including dandelion pop, pine-flavored hard candies, and hazelnut-carrot Turkish Delight. I'm looking forward to sampling those, as well as, say, the purple yam snack cakes or the Indian-spiced corn nuggets and green peas. But, if I'm being totally honest, there's one I have no desire to sample at all--

The haggis and cracked black pepper potato crisps--

I had no idea that anyone would even consider making haggis and cracked black pepper potato crisps, but a company in England does. I'm guessing you know what haggis is, but in case you don't, it's a Scottish dish made from a sheep's heart & lungs, oatmeal, spices, & suet, all cooked in an animal stomach until it's nice and, uhm, ready to eat. I don't know if there are many (if any) people who would eat haggis.

I'm guessing there are even fewer who would want to eat haggis flavored potato chips.

I have no idea what I'll do with the chips; maybe just hang onto them and, every so often, look at them and wonder to myself “what were they thinking”? But if you have enough guts to give them a try, let me know, and I might slide them your way.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the box. But the haggis and cracked black pepper potato crisps?

Uhm...not so much.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 1/29

The second Loraine played the song, I knew I had heard it before.

I know I talked about music yesterday, so forgive me doing it again today. But there's a song out there that's the basis of that strange occurrence I mentioned. Loraine and her brother Joe share an affinity for long-forgotten music, and for Christmas each year Joe will send Loraine CDs and sound files of various obscure works he's discovered throughout the past year. One of those he sent her this Christmas was Was (Not Was)'s “What's Up Dog”. You'll know the album as the one that gave the world “Walk The Dinosaur”. I know it as the one that gave the world the forgotten classic “Spy in the House of Love”.

And then there was the song I didn't even know I had heard before.

The album is weird, as was Was (Not Was)'s entire career. The music is quirky, the lyrics sometimes downright bizarre, and if you listen to the entire thing at once you'll quite possibly shake your head in wonder at the whole project. But stuck in the middle of songs like “Somewhere There's a Street Named For My Dad” and 'Wedding Vows in Vegas” (guest lead vocal by Frank Sinatra Jr) lies a song that's insanely good...

“Anything Can Happen”.

It's a perfect 80s pop song, with a lush arrangement and a melody that sticks in your head. I'm not quite sure what it's doing on that album, but there it is. And when Loraine wanted to play me “a cool song I'd never heard”, I couldn't wait to hear it. But as soon as it started I realized that, waaaaay back at the start of my life here at this particular station, I had played it a few times.

I checked, and it was the follow-up single to “Walk the Dinosaur”. It only spent a few weeks on the chart, peaking at number 75, but for those few weeks I obviously gave it a couple of spins, and then promptly forgot about it for the next 35 years. But something about the tune obviously lodged itself deep in the hidden recesses of my brain, because as soon as the first few notes drifted from Loraine's computer speakers, I knew what it was.

Now you get to, too--

I don't recommend the whole album, unless you're a fan of quirk and/or have downed three or four gummies. But if you'd like to listen to a piece of pure pop perfection, there's one song on that disc definitely worth checking out.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 1/28

While I enthusiastically agree with the sentiment, I'm not quite sure I agree with the end result.

As I mentioned, I was able to do a little pondering over the weekend. And one of the things I pondered was an old article I finally got around to reading—after 7 years, believe it or not--from the late great Slate magazine. In the article, the writer talked about the run of classic albums Stevie Wonder produced during the 1970s, five albums (three of which won Grammy awards for Album of the Year) that rank among the best ever recorded.

Like I said, I enthusiastically agree with that statement. The albums are among the best ever recorded. But what I didn't agree with was the idea that the last of the five albums, “Songs in the Key Of Life”, an album that produced classics like “Sir Duke” and “I Wish”, was, and I quote Jack Hamilton, the dude who wrote the article, “perhaps the most ambitious work ever made by a pop star at the height of his or her powers ”.

Now, you guys know how much I like Stevie Wonder. Lord knows I've written about him in here enough. And while I'll certainly agree that Stevie Wonder is a genius and “Songs” is an amazing album, is it REALLY “perhaps the most ambitious work ever made by a pop star at the height of his or her powers ”? I might personally posit that it's not even Wonder's best album (hello, “Innervisions”). And when I re-read that statement, I had these albums pop into my head--

-Marvin Gaye's “What's Going On”

-Brian Wilson's “Pet Sounds” for the Beach Boys

-Pete Townshend's “Tommy” for The Who

-Prince's “Purple Rain”

-Bruce Springsteen's “Born in the USA”

Who's to say that you couldn't make the very same claim about any of those five albums, plus the others that didn't pop into my head in the 30 seconds to which I devoted any thought to the subject? “Songs in the Key of Life” is a great album, well deserving of the Grammy for Album of the Year and the two number one songs that sprang forth from it. But is it appreciably that much better than any of those I listed? Is it any more groundbreaking, revolutionary, or hit filled than any of those five?

I don't know.

I always feel uncomfortable when someone makes an “absolute” statement—something is the best ever, or “everyone” thinks a certain way about a certain thing. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that there are no “absolutes” in life. Yes, I think Stevie Wonder is an amazing artist, and he's one of my favorite singers ever. But as much as I admire him and love his work, I'm still uncomfortable that “Songs in the Key of Life” is, and I once again quote, “perhaps the most ambitious work ever made by a pop star at the height of his or her powers ”. Maybe it's a personality quirk/fault on my part. Maybe I'm just weird that way.

It certainly wouldn't be the first time, you know.

But like I said, “Songs” is an amazing album. Don't believe me? Then listen--

Amazing, right? Incredible, isn't it? But “it is perhaps the most ambitious work ever made by a pop star at the height of his or her powers ”? For me, at least, the jury's still out on that one.

(jim@wmqt.com), who, perhaps, shouldn't ponder so many things on a quiet weekend.

8-)

Monday, 1/27

Maybe that explains it.

First of all, hope you had a good weekend. I enjoyed mine, as I had (for the first time in a LOOOOONG time) nothing pressing to do, other than touch up tonight's “906” script (which I had written and intended to use last week, but was forced by the Lions' loss to quickly write another one). So I got to ponder matters which, as we all know, can be a dangerous thing.

And I came to the conclusion that it might have been a good thing, if only for me, that the Noquemanon wasn't held this year.

I know; that's kinda bad, isn't it? But after the insanely successful History Center show Thursday and “High School Bowl” and radio Friday, both my voice and my psyche were kinda shot. If I had to spend six hours announcing names last Saturday; well, let's just say that one of the possible outcomes may have been me ending up as a puddle on the floor, crying out silently because I had lost my voice along with my sanity.

Maybe.

Now, had the race been run as scheduled I certainly would have done my part to make it a great experience for everyone coming across the finish line. But sadly, especially for the race organizers and the local businesses that count on the race and its participants for some winter profit, I didn't have to. I wish it hadn't been that way, and even though it worked out a little for me I gladly would have traded it for a full race.

Not having to announce, like I said, gave me time to think, especially after I came across an interesting statistic from the National Weather Service, a statistic that explains exactly WHY the Noque was cancelled. The areas to the east & west of Marquette—Alger County and the Copper Country—are running at between 120 & 150% of their usual snowfall. Here in Marquette?

We're only at about 40%.

Thanks to wind directions and speeds, we're not getting the lake effect snow that the rest of the UP has been getting. That's why the Noquemanon course didn't have enough the white stuff for safe skiing. And that's why I spent the weekend pondering instead of announcing.

You know the old Chinese curse that says “may you live in interesting times”? Well, I can speak with authority that, at least here around Marquette we DO live in (sadly) interesting times...at least as far as the weather goes.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 1/24

I'm thinking it went pretty well--

That's part of the sold out crowd moments before Jack & I hit the stage for “Legends & Lore II—Even More Legendary” last night. The two of us had a great time sharing the stories we've been working on the past few months; based on their laughs, the crowd may have had an even better time. And since they actually paid money to join us, I'm guessing that's a good thing, right?

8-)

I'd like to write more, but as I mentioned yesterday I'm off in a few minutes to shoot yet another edition of “High School Bowl” (only two more shoot dates after today, though!). But since I don't have a History Center show to prepare for this weekend (I'm sure the 18 other projects I'm currently working on will appreciate that) I'll hopefully have a few minutes to jot down some thoughts for you to peruse Monday.

Hopefully.

Have yourself a great weekend!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 1/23

Well, tonight's the night.

The SOLD OUT “Legends & Lore II—Even More Legendary” show that Jack & I are putting on for the Marquette Regional History Center starts at 7, and I'm hopeful that the show we ended up with justifies a sold out house. I mean, I think it does, and Jack thinks it does, as well, but when you get over 800 people shelling out their hard-earned money you just wanna make sure.

So keep your fingers crossed.

I'll have a report on how it went tomorrow, although not much of a report, as I do the show tonight, run home, get a little sleep, and then head over to NMU to shoot a “High School Bowl” early tomorrow morning before then heading into work and doing radio for the rest of the day.

You do know my life is weird, right?

8-)

So to get everyone in the mood, here's the newspaper article I wrote to promote tonight's extravaganza. It kinda sorta tells part of the same story I shared in the video I posted here last week, but you know what?

If you have a good idea, you might as well run it into the ground.

Wish us luck!

(jim@wmqt.com)

*****

The Secrets of Main Street

By Jim Koski

Marquette Regional History Center

One of the shortest streets in the city of Marquette is downtown’s Main Street, running a mere two blocks from the Commons to the Fish Dock.

It’s also a street that holds three different secrets.

The first secret is readily apparent to anyone who’s been in Marquette–despite its lofty name, Main Street is in no way Marquette’s main street. That honor first went to Superior Street (now called Baraga Avenue), and eventually shifted, as businesses moved there, up to Washington Street.

And it never became Marquette’s main street because of Main Street’s second secret–until the 1910s the street itself didn’t exist.

Downtown Marquette was shaped by two things–fires & railroads. And the railroad lines that ran through the area were fed by the main set of tracks that ran into the city from the west end of Marquette County (what is now today’s Iron Ore Heritage Trail). That main line first ran down to what was called the Iron Mountain Dock (the pilings of which now hold the fish dock). Because there was quite an elevation drop in the final quarter mile of the line, a gradual decline had to be built into the tracks, which necessitated constructing what was basically a tunnel under Front Street so the trains safely could make it through down to the dock.

If you look at pictures of Front Street from the 1860s to the early 1900s, you’ll see a wall where East Main Street now sits, to protect pedestrians from falling onto the tracks below. Even after train traffic shifted to docks being built to the south of the original Iron Mountain dock, the “tunnel” remained. However, with the construction of a new passenger train station along the rail line, it was decided to fill in that particular rail approach to Lower Harbor and turn it into a new, two block street.

It was given the name Main Street.

Shortly after Main Street itself came into existence, its third secret was also constructed–what some people called “the building in the middle of the street”.

The then Marquette Light & Power Department had a store in the Bacon Block on South Front Street where they sold appliances and other gadgets powered by electricity, the thought being that if people had those devices in their homes the department could make money off the electricity being used. Changing needs & changing times led to the closure of that store in the 1910s, but the need for a downtown office led to construction of another structure, built a few dozen feet away in a location that was quite out of the ordinary–

Right in the middle of Main Street, between the Vierling Building and what’s now commonly called the Upfront Building.

The long, narrow building unintentionally recalled the train cars that used to run under the now-paved street. Aside from several offices, the building also had public restrooms for passers-by who needed to use the facilities. In 1931 the newly formed Marquette Chamber of Commerce, needing space, moved into the structure, which then became known as “the Chamber Building”.

For the next two and a half decades the Marquette Chamber of Commerce conducted business from the building in the middle of Main Street. By the late 1950s it needed bigger facilities, and constructed the structure that still sits on top of Lakeside Park. No longer needed, the “building in the middle of the street” was torn down, allowing cars to park for the first time on the eastern portion of Main Street. It is still, however, fondly recalled by city residents who frequented the downtown area in the 1940s & 1950s.

Today, it’s home almost exclusively to parking lots and parking spaces, but since the founding of Marquette the two block section of downtown we now call Main Street has had its fair share of what we might now consider secrets.

Wednesday, 1/22

If I'm gonna get bumped by something, I sure don't mind getting bumped for this particular reason.

As you know, I do my weekly “Life in the 906” bit on TV 19 every Monday night at 6. But I didn't this Monday, two days ago. Oh, it was written, rehearsed, and ready to, but around 4 that afternoon Kevin called to let me know that 1). I was getting bumped from the 6 pm show, but B) would I mind coming in to record it so it could air at 11 that evening? Once he told me the reason I had no problem with his request; in fact, I believe what they aired in my place was much better than anything I could ever come up.

You see, they aired Martin Luther King's “I Have a Dream” speech in its entirety.

Normally on King Day, all of the stations in the Lilly group (including WZMQ) will air a half hour special on Dr. King, with the speech included. But because Monday was a busy news day (apparently something was going on in Washington DC at the time) they just decided to air the speech during the newscast. That meant everything that wasn't 100% vital—including me—was axed.

But like I said, if they did it to air perhaps the greatest piece of oratory ever, I have no problem with that.

“906” did air at 11, though, something for which I'm glad, as it was a VERY topical subject. But since not a lot of people watch late newscasts these days, I'm guessing not everyone who wanted to saw it. So, without further ado...

(jim@wmqt.com)

(By the way, the audio glitch about halfway through was not my fault. Most of the time technology's wonderful. Sometimes, it isn't)

Tuesday, 1/21

This may not work for you. Heck, it may not even work for me. But I think I've come up with a way to mentally, at least, handle this hellaciously cold snap we currently find ourselves in.

Just think of the (pardon the pun) polar opposite,

First of all, hope you had a great weekend, and it was, like mine, a three-day as opposed to a two-day weekend. Second of all, let me explain about what I meant in the opening paragraph--

If you study weather or if you're just obsessed with temperatures (like some of us), you know that winter is kind of a mirror-universe version of the summer. Even though the temperatures are cold and the precipitation is solid instead of liquid, winter and summer are like the matter and anti-matter versions of each other, or like the evil and good versions of each other.

Which, I guess, would make winter the Spock with the beard.

(And, hopefully, someone is currently rolling on the floor laughing out loud. Either that, or my jokes are just getting WAAAAAAY too specific).

So let's work from that theory, that Summer & Winter are the same seasons, just 180 degrees apart. In that theory, January and July are the yin and yang of the seasons. They both represent the extremes of their respective seasons (which, in real life they do, January being the coldest month of the year in Marquette and July the warmest). If something happens in January there would have to be something happening in July that's a mirror version of it. That would then mean that there is an equivalent version of these hellaciously cold January temperatures of the past few days, and it's the thought of that that's keeping me going.

Because, after all, the July equivalent of this cold streak would be a nice long streak of hot & humid weather in July.

From a meteorological point of view, both streaks are pretty much the same. They're both caused by weather systems that have stalled over the area or that have popped in from a place where they usually don't visit. They both bring extreme and uncomfortable conditions, and they both last longer than (some) people would like. When they finally go, people rejoice in the fact that “normal” weather returns. They're almost exactly like a mirror copy of each other.

Except one's brutally cold, and the other is heavenly warm. And while I can't speak for every single person, I know which one I prefer.

So that's how I've been trying to get through these past few days. Whenever I shiver or have to throw on extra layers or, heck, even look out the window, I just think—I'm in the Mirror Universe now. But soon, I'll be back in the real one. And when this summer's equivalent of this cold comes around, I'm gonna bask it in as much as I can.

Hopefully, that will work. Keep your fingers crossed.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 1/17

Well, this is a bit of a shock.

I don't have a lot of time to write (“High School Bowl” once again calls), but I'm still kind of in shock at the cancellation yesterday of this year's Noquemanon Ski Marathon, scheduled for next Saturday in Marquette. It's big in a couple of ways—it's big in that I've announced at the finish line every year this century (with, of course, the exception of 2021, in the midst of a Covid surge). It's big in that there are a LOT of hotels and restaurants in the city and surrounding area that will be losing a big chunk of their revenue.

And it's big because climate change has claimed yet another victim. While we have had more snow this year than last it was nowhere near enough, and while they tried their best last year, organizers weren't sure they could pull it off again this year, especially keeping skier safety in mind.

So no Noque.

I don't blame them one bit. They're having to adapt to a new normal, just like the rest of us. Hopefully, next year will bring a bumper crop of snow and hopefully, the races--all five or six different ones they do--can go off as scheduled.

But this year? Sadly, no.

Okay, I really DO need to head over to NMU. Have a great weekend. I know I'll spend a chunk of it trying to wrap my head around this news.  And, by the way, because of company schedules I won't be here Monday (King Day).  Back with something new Tuesday!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 1/16

It's not quite as good as “The Martian”. But I would consider it my second favorite film of the century, so far.

As some of you may remember, I've been a Godzilla freak since I was a kid. And while I now watch most Godzilla movies these days and chuckle over how bad they are, I still think the original Japanese film, the one that started it all--”Gojira”--is an amazing movie.

In fact, every chance I get I watch it again (and again).

For Christmas I was given the Blu-Ray of “Godzilla: Minus One”, the latest reboot of the franchise (in fact, the 30^th Toho film in the series). It was supposed to be a return to zero for the story, the film that was supposed to be the closest in spirit to the original “Gojira”.

And in my view, it's just as good as “Gojira”, the movie that started it all.

Like “Gojira”, it's set in post- World War II Japan, where the country's trying to rebuild. The original, of course, was a metaphor for the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and “Minus One” carries that on. But unlike the original, the one that set the template for all “Godzilla” films to follow by having a guy in a rubber suit stomp around cardboard buildings, this one uses cutting edge CGI. In fact, it's the first “Godzilla” film—believe it or not, the first Japanese film ever—to win an Academy Award for those visual effects.

If you had ever told the younger me that a “Godzilla” film would one day win an Oscar I just would have laughed. But that's how good “Minus One” is.

Now, I realize “Godzilla” movies can be an acquired taste. But if you get the chance, check it out for yourself. It's not like any other Godzilla film—Japanese or American—you've ever seen.

In fact, it might just be one of the best movie of the 21^st century, at least so far.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 1/15

Because I (as has been my wont this year) have to skip over to NMU in a little bit to shoot two different parts of two different episodes of “High School Bowl”, I'm going to leave you with a video that's having its world premiere today...

That video? The promo video for “Legends & Lore II-Even More Legendary”. And it has me telling the story I shared with you a week or so ago, the story of finding a picture I've been looking for for years in a newspaper I just happened to have open.

It still blows my mind. Really, it does.

(jim@wmqt.com)

 

Tuesday, 1/14

 Well...THAT didn't turn out quite like we expected.

Last night's 19 News had a couple of technical issues, mostly tied into the teleprompter, which meant that nothing at all went as smoothly as it usually does, including "Life in the 906".  As I started my bit the first whole paragraph of the script disappeared.  I tried to cover the best I could; I knew the spirit, if not the actual verbiage, of what I was supposed to say.  Thankfully, I had a typed copy of the script in a pocket (which I always do, just in case), and started to read that as soon as the first graphic was up on screen.  

Sadly, the technical issues also extended to the graphics, which didn't necessarily air when they were supposed to, and which also meant that they came back to me once while I was reading off the paper copy I also had with me (just in case).

Live television is just like walking a tightrope.  And last night may have been the first time we've fallen off of it.

Anyway, the piece I wrote did not come off the way I wrote it.  And since I was happy with the way it turned out, it's a bit of a bummer.  But at least I have another option for sharing it, and that means you get to read what it originally said, minus the stumbles, misplaced graphics, and missing opening paragraph.

Next week will, I'm sure, be much better.

(jim@wmqt.com)

                                                    ******

"Life in the 906" #117, as it was SUPPOSED to sound on January 13th, 2025--

Now that the holidays are over and we’re just trying to make it through January, it seems like there’s nothing to look forward to, doesn’t it?  Well, I’m here to remind you that there IS one thing most of us will get to deal with soon, one thing that seems to be an annual UP tradition…

And that’s the winter crud.

You know what I’m talking about–the runny nose, the scratchy throat, the watery eyes, the cough, the fever, the loss of appetite,and the relentless ennui of being subjected to gray skies, gray snow, and gray thoughts day after day after unending day.

You know…that crud.

I’ve often wondered if it’s a chicken or egg thing–do we get the crud because we’ve spent the past few weeks clustered around people and running ourselves ragged?  Or do we get the crud because we’ve enjoyed those few weeks of friends and family and busy schedules, and now have nothing to look forward to other than heading out to snowblow three times a day?

I’m sure someone who’s actually smart can tell you that.  All I know is that the crud seems to be as much of a Yooper winter tradition as surfing and snow days.

Thankfully, the crud is like winter in the UP.  I mean, I hope if you get the crud it doesn’t last seven months, but like winter it has a finite life span.  Even if the crud seems to stick with you for weeks on end, one day you will wake up and things will seem… different.  They’ll seem better.  Your nose will stop running and your cough will no longer rattles the windows.  

It’s just like when you open your front door one day in March to find the sun is out and the snow has begun to melt.

All you have to do is make sure it doesn’t get the best of you before then.

I hope you’re lucky this year.  I hope you’re able to defy tradition and escape the dreaded winter crud.  But if you get it?  Just remember–get a lot of rest.  Stay hydrated.  And hopefully it won’t be like winter and last for 7 months.  

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

Monday, 1/13

I never really thought of it that way.

I know I say my life is weird a LOT in here, and it is. But Friday I realized that it can be weird in a good way, so let me explain. Friday morning I went to shoot an episode of “High School Bowl”, followed by a stop at the History Center to shoot more video (a promotional clip for “Legends & Lore II”), after which I hightailed my butt to work. That's a typical day for me, just one of the reasons my life is indeed weird.

But when I finally did get to my radio job and was talking to a co-worker something struck me. Because my life is weird, I have several “families” of which I'm lucky enough to be part.

Here's what I mean—you know how we all have a “work” family to go along with our family of friends and our “family family”? Well, because my life is weird, Friday I went to Northern and spent a little time hanging out with my “High School Bowl” family. Then I went to the History Center and hung out with my history family. Then I went to work and dealt with my radio family. Finally, I went home and hugged my “family family” (ie Loraine).

That's four different families, four different groups of people with whom I spent time on Friday. And that's not even counting my TV 19 “family” or any of my non-work family of friends.

Yes, my life is weird, but I'm insanely lucky because of it.

I have no idea why I never noticed this; maybe I'm just dense or too busy to realize it (or both). But I'm lucky enough to be part of several groups, several worlds, several “families” which I can shuttle between. All of them contain different people, different habits, different goals, different relationships, and different in-jokes, yet I get to be part of them all. Because my life is weird, I get to be part of different groups that would, in all probability, never in any way intersect, never meet. But for me, they DO, and because of that, I'd like to think my life in enriched in a way that most people would never get to experience.

And, as I sit back and ponder it, that's something for which I should be eternally grateful.

So, the next time I say my life is weird (and we both know I'll be saying that a LOT), remind me that yes, Jim, it is. But because of that you get the side benefit of having more “families” than many people ever get to be part of.

And if I have to accept a “weird” life for that? Well, that's a trade I'd be willing to make every single time.

(jim@wmqt.com)

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)