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)