Tuesday, 3/31

Two things this time around, the first being that today may be the day we find out if our trip is canceled.

As you may recall, despite everything going on Loraine and I are still scheduled to go to Germany four weeks from today. Sure; we know that it's not going to happen, but there hasn't been anything announced yet that would officially cancel it. The flight's still going, as of today Europe's still accepting visitors on the 30^th, and as of today the soccer match scheduled for May 4^th hasn't been postponed.

So technically—technically--our trip's still a go.

However, today's the day the DFB—the German Football Federation—meets to decide what the next month holds for the Bundesliga. Believe it or not, the league has games scheduled for this weekend, even though everyone knows they won't be played. So during the meeting today they're set to decide on not only those days but the matches for (at least) the rest of April. A board has recommended that they all be postponed, and that any subsequent games, if they're played at all, be played in front of empty stadiums.

So if they make that decision, that would give us an indication if our trip in four weeks would be officially canceled or not.

One thing the DFB may also decide today is pushing back the season, to play games in June and July, when the teams usually have their off-season. If they were to do that, that could present us with another option—heading over there in the middle of summer to see a match. That would give us a different set of things for us to consider, the least of which would be the fact that we're still scheduled to go to France at the beginning of September. But it would provide us with another option to consider.

We'll just have to see how the meeting turns out today.

The other thing to mention? I kinda like how the “Hearts of Hope” project going around Marquette these days inspired the people who run the dance studio above the station--

Businesses and homes all around the city look like that these days. Even in the middle of all the crap going on, it's nice to see that there's still hope out there!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 3/30

You know how there's “comfort food”? Well, I wonder if there's such a thing as “comfort music”, as well.

Like I do every so often, I checked my iTunes playing stats to see what I've been listening to recently. That's the radio programmer in me, I guess; for work, I like to know what other people are listening to. And on occasion, I turn the tables and see what I've been checking out. After all, there are days when I can't remember what I had for breakfast, much less what I listened to while running or working out.

Anyway, I just checked to see what I've been listening to, and what I found surprised me. The time period I checked roughly coincides with the time that all this self-quarantining/statewide shutdown stuff started, so I don't know if it should be a surprise or not that I listened mostly to the same music over and over again. The music is what I like to call the “Music of my Childhood”--Philly Soul acts like The Spinners, other R&B Supergroups of the 70s like Sly & The Family Stone, and modern music that pays homage to it (I'm thinking of you, Mayer Hawthorne)—and from the looks of it, I listened to that kind of music and pretty much nothing but that kind of music since the pandemic really hit home.

And that's what got me thinking about “comfort music”. You know how, during times of stress, people tend to eat the foods that calm them down, the foods that they grew up with? Right after 9/11, in fact, there was a study done that showed a nationwide surge in consumption of dishes like macaroni & cheese and meatloaf, meals that would certainly fall into the “comfort foods” category. Well, maybe some people don't turn to comfort “foods” when they're stressed. Maybe some people turn to comfort “music” instead.

While I don't have any hard evidence to back me up, I have a lot of circumstantial evidence to prove my point. Usually when I listen to music, it's all across the musical spectrum. I listen to old stuff, new stuff, local stuff, established artists, artists no one has ever heard of, and artists no one ever wants to hear from again. But not in the last couple of weeks. Nope; in the last couple of weeks, the statistics show that I listened almost exclusively to 70s R&B or to music that is its direct descendant. I apparently skipped over, consciously or subconsciously, anything that didn't fall into that musical category. And since my favorite music while growing up was 70s R&B, only thing conclusion I can come to is that it's my “comfort music”.

Like I said, I've never come across a study that talks about comfort “music”, like I have with comfort “food”, but based on what I saw when checking my iTunes stats, I can't come up with another explanation.

Think I could get someone to pay me to investigate further? Not that I'd want to have us collectively keep going through what we're going through now for an extended period to get more data, but it would be interesting to find out.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 3/27

I don't know if that's the way I'D spent time in self-quarantine, but to each their own, right?

I received a note yesterday from someone who wishes to remain anonymous. She (and I am allowed to use her gender) has heard me talk about these ramblings for years now, but has never actually read them. But because she's off from work, she spent almost the whole day Wednesday reading each and every one of these that are up on our website.

She read all 825 of them. And, from the sounds of it, she's still sane. Who knew that was even possible?

8-)

There are only about four years of blogs up on the site; had she attempted to read all 3,000+ that I've written over the years, I'm sure she would've given up based solely on my quirky syntax and penchant for complaining about the weather. But nope; apparently, four years (minus a few months) is somewhat tolerable, at least if you have a strong stomach. And while this is not probably not a surprise, she said that she enjoyed looking at a lot of the summertime pictures that I've posted over the past few years. They said they remind her of brighter days to come.

And, I guess, that's something that we all need these days.

So if you get really bored stuck at home, I guess reading all 826 (including this entry) blogs that are posted is an option. I don't know that you should read them all at once; after all, I want you to have a little sanity left over. But if you do do that and if you come across one that you particularly enjoyed, let me know.

I'll see if I can crank out more like it.

Have a fairly sane self-isolating weekend!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 3/26

Much like the vomit story yesterday, I think I've found another upside to this whole Corona Crisis.

I'm getting a lot of work done.

That's a good thing, too, if only because the reason I'm getting a lot of work done is I'm the only one doing it. Because of the shutdown and the collapse of the economy and all the fun stuff going on, I'm the only one at the station each & every day. For nine or ten hours, I'm all alone. I am literally doing everything that needs to be done. So it's a good thing I'm all alone. No one's coming in my office to ask a question, or to have me do something, or to gossip. I can sit down, tackle a project or something that needs to get done right away, and actually do it without interruption. I can devote my attention to it, and make sure it's done correctly.

Who knew that was even possible?

Now, I don't want to sound like a curmudgeon or make it sound like I don't like people, because neither of those are true. But you know me—I'm part Vulcan. I like to do things that are, well, logical. And getting interrupted while I'm the middle of something isn't logical. It's also a very inefficient use of time, especially on days when time is in short supply. So to be able to work without someone interpreting me or derailing my train of thought has been a wonder. I'm able to get a lot of things done, and I'm able to get them done quicker than before.

And, like I said, that's a good thing., because I'm having to do much more than I've ever had to.

Tomorrow, the story of how at least one person is spending their time alone.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 3/25

If there is ANYTHING good to come out this whole pandemic, stuck-at-home, self-quarantine era in which we live, I think I may have found it.

I don't see piles of puke walking to work every morning.

As I know I've mentioned in here before, living and working in downtown Marquette does allow one a few unique perks, among them seeing piles of vomit from people who were walking home from the bars the night before. It happens so often, in fact, that Loraine and I know just where to look—between Bluff & Ridge on Front & Third Streets. It's in that area that the physical exertion of walking up the hills causes really drunk people to lose whatever it was sitting in their stomachs. Usually, it's purple, red, or yellow, and it's usually, although not always, in chunks.

It's one of the joys of living in downtown Marquette.

However, since the bars were shut down last week the vomit has disappeared. When I walk to work in the morning (because, of course, I still have to work) the sidewalks are vomit free. The steps at Peter White Public Library (a favored spot for barfing) are vomit free. The streets are vomit free. For the first time in the 18 years I've been working downtown, there's not a sign of spewing, hurling, blowing chunks, or projectile vomit anywhere.

I know it's hard to look for a bright spot in the world these days, but who knows. Maybe I've found it.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 3/24

I didn't know it would make that big of a difference.

A lot of famous musicians have been doing concerts from their living rooms the past week, to try & lift the spirits of people as we're going through this...whatever it is we're going through. Inspired by that, and since I can't sing, I decided to do something I AM not totally sucky at--

Telling history stories.

Over the weekend, I put together a little video about a story from Marquette history and posted it. Within seconds I was getting likes and comments and shares and, perhaps most importantly, requests from people to keep doing them. One lady, in fact, mentioned that it was the one thing that made her day a little brighter.

Well. I guess I can't stop making them now, can I?

So over (at least) the next three weeks, while everyone is supposed to be stuck at home, I'll try putting together as many as I can. With everything else going on, I can't promise anyone a set schedule, but whenever I have a few seconds, I'll work on one.

Wish me luck. And watch the first one, if you'd like!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 3/23

I wonder what the world will look like by the end of this week?

Having lived through a week in which the world was upended last week, I'm almost afraid to ask. If you had told me last Monday that the country would literally be shut down by Friday, I would've scoffed. I would've been wrong, but I would've scoffed. The rapidity with which our world changed was breathtaking and staggering, which makes me wonder--

Is there even anything left that can change as much as things changed last week?

I'm almost loathe to ask that question; after all, just look at what happened last week. Every time I think things can't get any more bizarre they do. As I write this, we're not under a stay-at-home or a total shutdown order. However, by the time you read this—and it might be just 10 minutes after I post this—we could be. That's the speed with which things move these days.

And that's why I'm wondering what the world—or at least our little part of the world—will look like by Friday.

Who knows; maybe, by some miracle, things won't be that different. Schools and restaurants may still be closed, and toilet paper may be conspicuously absent from the stores, but we'll still be able to get around. That could happen. But I also wouldn't be surprised if we were told to stay home and not go to work. If we were told we could only go to the stores on certain days or certain times. And I wouldn't be surprised if things just keep getting stranger in stranger.

Nothing would surprise me. Unless, of course, toilet paper re-appeared in stores.

THAT would surprise the heck out of me.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 3/20

I can't tell if it's the coolest thing ever or the scariest thing ever.

Following yesterday's blog about trying to put together a home studio should I need it, I now find myself in possession of a document that I never thought I would have, nor one that I ever thought I would actually want. Should the state come under a quarantine or a stay-at-home order, I have permission to leave my apartment and go to work, and not get arrested for doing it.

That's just waaaaay too weird for me.

However, radio is considered an essential service in this country, and is still, despite all kinds of social media floating around, one of the primary ways in which people get information. So it's not like we can just stop our lives and hunker inside with everyone else. We're licensed to operate in the “public interest”, and this is one of those times that literally define “public interest”.

Hence, we're an “essential service”.

However, that doesn't preclude still working on a backup system. Sure, if we were quarantined I could walk the three blocks to work no problem, but what were to happen if I were to become infected or just do something totally klutzy and totally in character and, say, break my leg? I could still work from home; after all, all you need a voice to do what I do, and propping my broken leg up on a couch or resting my weary body in bed would still allow be to do what we do.

Either way, we'll make sure you know what you need to know. And, perhaps more importantly, we'll also provide a little fun and a diversion from everything else that's going on. More than anything, I think that's the biggest role we can play these days, and one that we're actually relishing.

On that note, I have to go meet with an engineer about all this stuff. Have a peaceful weekend, and remember—no matter what happens, we'll be here.

The piece of paper I have says so.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 3/19

It's a precaution I hope we never have to put to use.

First of all, a picture I took while walking to work yesterday--

I think Marquette has that whole “stay inside/social distancing” thing down pat!

Secondly, if you were to walk into our station right now (and actually you couldn't just “walk into” it, as we've kinda locked the door to the public) you'd notice all kinds of cables, microphones, and mixers strewn all over the place. Why, you ask? Well, I answer, we're trying to set something up just in case we'd have to start working from home.

Think of it as a mobile studio, just in case.

That's not everything we'd need, either. A laptop would be involved to control our studio computer, and we're also working on a rig that would actually let me take phone calls and stick them on the air. Like I said before, I don't think we'll ever have to use it. I certainly hope we never have to use.

But just in case, should the order come down, we wanna be ready to go.

*****

Finally, I don't know if you've seen this list, but if you're in Marquette and you want a list of restaurants that are still open for delivery, the great people at Travel Marquette have put one together.  

Now get out there and eat some food!!

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 3/18

I'm sure it'll be an exercise in futility, but I'm still working ahead.

As of right now, the trip Loraine and I were planning to Germany at the end of April is still officially on. This despite--

1.  The fact that American Airlines has canceled almost every single flight to Europe.

2.  The fact that the Bundesliga has absolutely no plans past April 4^th.

3.  And the fact that the E.U.'s new ban on people entering the continent would end 11 days before we go.

I mean, I'm realistic to know that the trip's probably not gonna happen. But at this moment, everything technically is still a go. Even though American's not flying to Europe, British Airways is. The Bundesliga has not yet canceled the RB Leipzig/Fortuna Dusseldorf match we want to see. And the E.U.'s ban on entering the area, as of this moment, ends on April 18^th. We're supposed to fly over the 28th, and be there on the 29th.

So, officially, the trip is still on. And because of that, I'm still working ahead on the admittedly infinitesimal chance that we actually get to go.

Now, I'm realistic enough to know that all the work I'm doing now will almost certainly go for naught. As you know, I'm an optimist by nature, and I'm always hoping for the best from people and from the world in large. However, I'm also enough of a realist to know that this...thing isn't going away any time soon. Heck, there's even a small part of me that thinks our second trip this year, the one in early September to France, may not even happen. And yet, despite all that, I'm still working ahead.

Go figure.

Part of me is actually enjoying working ahead, and that surprises me. As I've written in here before, I abhor having to do work that never gets used, as it's a colossal waste of a finite resource, time. And I don't have enough time in my day (or the rest of my life) for that. Yet even though I'm absolutely certain that I'll never use the work I'm doing now, it still gives me a little comfort, and a little joy. I'm guessing because it brings a little normalcy into a very abnormal situation, and it's also providing a little hope, at least to me.

And since hope seems to be lacking anywhere and everywhere these days, maybe that's a good thing.

So I'll keep trudging along, working toward being able to leave on April 28^th. I'm not planning on it, but who knows. Maybe a miracle will happen. Maybe all will become right in the world. Maybe, just maybe, there will be a small crack in the window and we'll be able to take advantage of it.

Maybe. And that's why, in the face of all logic, I keep working ahead.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 3/17

And coming from someone who's 12 percent Irish (thanks for the exact number, Ancestry) Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Now do you think we can get him to come back to life and drive the Coronavirus out of the U.S.?

It's just one domino after another, especially following Governor Whitmer's order about the closing of bars & restaurants (at least for dining in) yesterday. I have to admit that I'm amazed by the number of restaurants around Marquette that are still open for take out, delivery, or Doordash, but I'm also kinda wondering how many of my favorite eating places may not make it out of the crisis alive.

As you may know and/or recall, I do a lot of eating out. In fact, just looking at my list (a list I REALLY need to update) of “107 Things to Love About Marquette County” fully a quarter of them are restaurants, bakeries, and other food establishments. What can I say. I live in a place with a lot of amazing food options. It would be a shame not to enjoy them.

Hopefully, I'll still get to enjoy them once the ban (currently at two weeks) is lifted. Knowing several people who own or manage restaurants I know how tight their budgets are and how thin their profit margins can be. And I'm also aware that up to 90% of all food service establishments don't make it. So while I'm hoping all my favorite places will be back and be back soon, I'm also realistic enough to know that one or two of them might not make it.

And that would be a shame.

I keep reminding everyone that in ten years, we'll look back at all this with a little perspective and marvel how we handled everything during an unprecedented time. I just hope that in ten years we're also not looking back with a little sadness at a favorite restaurant or bar that didn't make it.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 3/16

On a day of insanity, both actions were a reminder that we really do live in an amazing community.

To cap off an overwhelming week last Friday, the state of Michigan basically shut down for the rest of the month. Schools were closed, people were told to avoid large groups, and it seemed like every single community organization, from the library to the Children's Museum, shut down for the next few weeks. And knowing that some vulnerable people—children--rely on schools for things like meals, a bunch of local restaurants made sure that they'd still be fed. Some offered themselves as a place for makeshift food banks, where anyone could drop off food, while other started offering kids free lunches, no questions asked.

No matter what, if kids need a lunch, at least here around Marquette, they'll be fed.

The other action? Well, last Friday was also “Spread Goodness Day”, in which you were supposed to do a kind act or to somehow pay it forward. It was supposed to be a day to throw a little sunshine in an occasionally gloomy world. Halfway through my afternoon I received a phone call from someone who didn't want to tell me her name. She just wanted to thank me for writing the article last week about Charlie Pong. Thanking me was one of her acts of goodness for the day.

She also wanted to let me know that she had been so moved by what she read that, once the snow melts, she plans on heading over to Park Cemetery to find a grave that looks like no one's paid attention to in years, much like the way I found Charlie Pong's. She then hopes to clean it up and adopt it, and maybe even find something out about the person who's buried there.

Wow.

In the total insanity of the day I'd kind of forgotten that it was “Spread Goodness Day”. I actually felt that, with telling people what was going on, that I was more like the Grim Reaper than anything else. But the actions of the local restaurants and the call from anonymous lady made me realize that, at least around here, every day is “Spread Goodness Day”. Things just kind of came together to allow everyone to spread a little goodness on the actual “Spread Goodness Day”.

I know both of those things threw that proverbial sunshine into my gloomy world last Friday.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 3/13 (!)

The fact blew what little was left of my sanity.

With all this virus hysteria going on right now, I've been doing my part to tell people that the simplest thing you can do to stop the spread of ANY kind of germs is to wash your hands. It's so simple, and it's so effective. I do it myself quite often, and how often do I get sick?

At least (ahem) physically sick?

So I wanted to find a “Weird Fact of the Day” yesterday about hand-washing; specifically, how many times per day the average American does it. It's 8.6 times, if you're curious, which means that in at least one way I'm quite above average. But the fact that accompanied that was the one that blew my mind--

73 million Americans—22 percent of us—don't wash their hands at all. Whatever was on their hands after working, pooping, and touching anything and everything is still on there.

I'll pause here for a moment if you feel the need to dry heave for a second.

22 percent of Americans go from wiping their butts to unwrapping a Twinkie without washing their hands. 22 percent of Americans go from sneezing in their hands to shaking your hand without washing said hand.. 22 percent of Americans go from digging through the garbage to changing a child's diaper without washing their hands.

Now, I'm not a germophobe, nor do I play one on TV, but is it any wonder at all that something like the Coronavirus can spread so quickly? And not just Coronavirus, but the flu, the common cold, and any kind of crud that you can pick up from another person? A little simple personal hygiene could make everyone safer & healthier. It could stop mass cancellations. It could even allow toilet paper to re-appear on store shelves

Any one of those would be preferable to what's going on this week.

So don't be one of the 22%. Wash your hands. Practice good personal hygiene. Don't do stupid things. Be the smart the world needs right now.

And have a great (& peaceful) weekend while you're at it.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 3/12

The NBA season is put on hold.  Schools are shutting down.  People from one part of the world (but not the others) can't come to the US.  Even Tom Hanks (Tom Hanks!) has been affected by it all.

Yesterday was not a good day.

I had actually written a blog about how the Coronavirus could have an effect on our trip to Germany at the end of next month.  And then an hour after I wrote it--one hour--all hell broke loose, and almost every single thing I wrote about (which I'll post below) was rendered moot.  While I really feel for NBA players and fans, for students who can't go to class (but can still live in crowded dorms) and even for Tom Hanks (Tom Hanks!) it's the 30-day travel ban on Europe that hits the closest to home.

In some ways, it just doesn't make sense to me.  Why ban travel from Europe but not for other parts of the world, where the greatest number of people have been infected?  The virus is already here; it's not like keeping people from countries with the infection will keep it out of the U.S.  That's like the whole horse/barn door metaphor, isn't it?

But maybe that's just me.  Maybe, just maybe, because the ban ends 16 days before I'm supposed to go over to Europe, I'm a little touchy about the whole thing.  And why just ban travel from countries in the European Union and exclude the United Kingdom, which has among the highest number of cases on the continent?  If I was a cynic, I'd say it's because the UK just left the European Union and, well, you know...politics?

Of course, maybe the whole thing IS turning me into a cynic.  With all the sensational news coverage and all the social media hype, it would enough to turn even the most sunny, optimistic person into a quivering pile of jello-like cynicism.  And, truth be told, I'm 48 days away from going to Europe.  Does that mean I won't be able to go?  And if I do go, does that mean that if something else like this happens I won't be able to come back home?

Is it any wonder this whole thing is turning me into a cynic?

Okay; I'll stop now.  You didn't come here to read about my first-world problems or my penchant for hyperbole.  I just hope that things calm down over the next few weeks, that students and NBA players and Tom Hanks (!) can get back to normal, and that everyone who's come down with this disease makes it through okay and comes out the other side with their health back to 100%

That's all we can ask for.

(jim@wmqt.com)

                      ******

(here's what I originally wrote for posting today)

Now I'm starting to get just a little nervous.

Yesterday, the government of the German state of Saxony—where Leipzig is located—declared that for the time being gatherings of over 1,000 people should be avoided. Red Bull Arena in Leipzig—where we hope to see a game at the beginning of May—holds 43,000 people.

You do the math.

RB Leipzig has one home game left this month, this Saturday against SC Freiburg, and it was also announced yesterday that the game would be played in front of an empty arena. Thankfully, we still have a month and a half before our game takes place, and hopefully, all restrictions will be lifted by then, but the way this whole Coronavirus panic is spreading around the world, you never know.

So like I said, I'm nervous, but I'm still optimistic that things will go off without a hitch.

But what if we get to May 2^nd or 3^rd and they're still playing games with no spectators? Loraine and I have had several people ask us that question, and I don't know that we yet have a ready answer. We can still go to Leipzig and just not watch the game; after all, it's an amazing place to visit, and we could always watch the game with a bunch of drunk Germans in a sports bar.

That would be a unique experience.

However, there's always the slight possibility that the German government—usually ultra-cautious about these things—does something like shut down the airports or train system, or advises people to stay inside and not go out in public. If that were the case, we couldn't get into the country or, if we could, then couldn't do anything once we were there. That would entirely defeat the purpose of us spending all that money and me having spend the past four months working ahead so that we could go. If that were the case, that would really, REALLY suck.

And if that were the case, I don't think we have any idea of what we might do.

Like I said, though, I'm nervously optimistic that things will go off without a hitch. We're still six and a half weeks out from leaving, and some experts say that the (now) pandemic should run its course by then. Who knows; maybe everything shutting down now is a good thing. Maybe it means that by the time we're ready to go things will be back to normal.

That's what I'm hoping for. If you feel like keeping your fingers crossed for us, as well, go ahead. I'm guessing that by this point it wouldn't hurt.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 3/11

It's never the picture you expect it to be.

As you may recall, I spent part of the very warm and very sunny Sunday afternoon a few days ago walking around and taking pictures. I posted a few of them in here, and stuck other ones up on the “You Know You're From Marquette If...” Facebook group. I finally had a chance to go back in there and see what people said, and you know what?

The picture with the most reactions was not the one I would've expected.

It wasn't a picture of melting snow or a melting harbor or two people melting into each others arms as they walked down the street. Nope...it was this one--

One of the reasons I went out to take pictures (aside from, as I noted jokingly in Monday's entry, to work on my tan) was that with the snow (mostly) gone and the leaves not yet popped out, you get to see things slightly differently than you do when it's summer. The sun's at a different angle; trees aren't blocking your view. So when I was climbing around a snowbank at the Marquette County Courthouse and saw the two iconic Marquette buildings line up just so, I took the shot.

Apparently, I wasn't the only one who liked it.

With the two buildings quite readily apparently, I had written a caption that mentioned the staggering amount of history that you can get in one shot. Of course, it wasn't until studying it even further that I noticed the old train station photo-bombing the picture, as well as the corner of the First National Bank/Wells Fargo/Flagstar building, as well. I often tell people that it's almost impossible to take a bad picture in downtown Marquette, if only because you never know what might pop up in it.

And unlike something things I might utter, it's not that hyperbolic. It's actually really, really true!

In the interest of full disclosure, the picture I thought would have gotten the most reactions from the Facebook group? You remember this one from Monday, right?

Goes to show what I know, I guess.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 3/10

The bad news is that Leipzig has its first reported case of Coronavirus. The good news is they haven't panicked & shut down the city yet.

While keeping an eye on the spread of the pandemic and keeping an even closer eye on cancellations of public events like soccer matches (they're letting a crowd in for today's Champion's League match against Tottenham, so I'm optimistic), I was able to get a little work done on our upcoming trip to Germany this weekend and started thinking a strange thought..That thought?

That I actually get excited when I get to fly somewhere. I know; it's strange. Most people look upon flying somewhere with the same enthusiasm they would have looking forward to a root canal. But not me. For some reason, even on those days when it takes 22 hours to fly from Munich to London to Chicago to Marquette, I actually get excited that I'm gonna be up in the air soon.

Go figure.

I don't know why I always so look forward to flying. I just do. And before you think I'm totally insane, know that I am fully aware of the hassle of flying. I know what it's like having to stand in long security lines. I know what it's like losing luggage. I know what it's like when some idiot sitting in front of me decides to recline their seat as far back as it goes just as soon as the plane takes off. And I know first hand what it's like having to make a short connection or re-book a canceled flight.

Yet, I still look forward to doing it.

I suppose, if I had to think about it, that maybe it's because I like the romance of flying. Not romance as falling head over heels in love, and not romance as in joining the Mile High Club, but just the “romance” of doing something out of the ordinary and going somewhere special. Maybe I like it because flying is a gateway to an adventure. And that's true. But it still wouldn't account for the fact that I even enjoy the flights home after the “adventure” is finished. I still enjoy boarding the plane, spending hours gazing out the window and watching the world slip by below me, and I still enjoy the rhythm of life that's unique to an airport.

I can't explain why. I just do.

Ask me again at the beginning of May, when something may have happened on our three-stop flight to Berlin, either because of the Coronavirus or during our stop in London, where Brexit just went into effect and the country's not playing too well with the rest of Europe. But you know what? Even someone strange and/or inconvenient were to happen, even if I spent a lot of time afterward grumbling about it, I'd probably still harbor a weird, secret wish--

That I'd be able to fly again, and fly again soon.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 3/9

MONDAY, 3/9:

It's nice when you can work on your tan in March.

Now realize that I didn't set out to work on my tan yesterday. I just went out to play (in shorts, no less) in the 56 degree sun of Marquette, and to take a few pictures while I was at it. Yet, when I woke up this morning, I noticed my face was a little pink, something that took me a little by surprise yet, after too many months of dull gray skies, was a welcome relief.

Now, if we can just keep it this way for, oh, the next eight or nine months, things will be perfect. So let's all work on making that happen, okay?

8-)

What did I see out with my camera yesterday? Well, I saw a harbor almost ready for summer activities--

I saw snow melting everywhere

I saw people out enjoying the sun.

I saw dog owners out enjoying the sun.

I saw new parents out enjoying the sun

I saw parking meters out enjoying the sun

And I even saw the first sign of (what we hope is) the next eight or nine months.

Sure, it's supposed to rain and/or snow the next few days, and temperatures will be closer to 40 than 60, but you know what? I've already started working on my tan for the year. That's all I need for now.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 3/6

I had totally forgotten about the newspaper article.

As you know, History Jim's been on a tear recently. In between putting together programs and researching programs and writing programs and actually doing the programs I've also cranked out a bunch of newspaper articles. In a move VERY unlike me, I wrote several one weekend so they'd be done ahead of schedule and I wouldn't forget about having to turn them in.

So with that in mind, I was leafing through the Mining Journal Wednesday when I came across a picture on the back page. Me being me, I thought to myself, “Hey—why is there a picture of Charlie Pong on the back page?” I've told Charlie's story several times before in various settings, and was kind of curious as to who picked up on it and stuck it in the Mining Journal.

As it turns out, that “who” is me, in an article I wrote a month and a half ago and then promptly forgot about.

Oops.

To quote a great American philosopher, sometimes I amaze even myself. And that was especially true when I came across Charlie Pong's picture in Wednesday's Mining Journal. You think that I'd also realize that underneath his picture was a shot of his grave that I took after cleaning it nine years ago. You'd think, right?

You'd be wrong.

I'm pretty sure, too, that this will happen at least twice in the next few months. The day that I wrote the Pong article I also wrote about the first movie ever made in Marquette (and no, it wasn't “Anatomy”) and the day the president of the US Hobo Association visited Bum's Jungle. I'm kinda guessing I'll have forgotten about those by the time they come out, as well, so if I write this same blog in six weeks, you'll know why.

Because I are an idiot.

If you have some time the next few days and want to check the article out, just click here. Other than that, have yourself a good weekend. Hopefully, you won't forget anything you need to do (or have already done)!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 3/5

I wonder which show really did have a greater effect on me?

After yesterday's blog about replacing handshakes with the Vulcan hand salute I had a couple of people jokingly ask just what kind of kid I was. Well, as the whole world knows I was a dorky nerd growing up, which means that (among other things) that I really haven't changed much since I was young.

So I have that going for me.

Obviously, since I spent part of my childhood practicing the Vulcan hand salute, I was highly influenced by “Star Trek”. I actually think that's a good thing. It made me believe that there's hope for the future, that (one day) humanity will get along, and that all people (human or otherwise) are equal. . It gave me a healthy trust in science. And it also affected the way I look at things. As it turns out, I'm much more logical than emotional. Some people might fly off the handle when something stupid happens to them. I just kind of look at whatever it is quizzically and wonder to myself why the stupid thing happened.

That's how “Star Trek” had an effect on me.

However, there's another show that had just as strong of an effect, if not more. Aside from growing up on “Star Trek” I also grew up on “MASH”, which has allowed to, among other things, make a living at being sarcastic. It also instilled in me a wary eye at authority, a healthy distrust of war and the violence that comes with it, and a surprisingly dark sense of humor that can rear its head at the most inopportune time.

“Star Trek” was logical, “MASH” was emotional.

Aside from my parents, I wonder which one really did have the biggest effect on me? If you were to ask me at different times on different days I'd have to give you different answers. Heck, I might give you different answers if you were only to ask me once. First of all, I'd wonder why the question was being asked, and then I'd give some kind of smart-alecked answer to it. I guess I'm the best (or, depending upon how you look at it, the worst) of each. Just like I'm a mix of my mother and my father, two very different people, I also seem to be a mix of “Star Trek” and “MASH”, two very different TV shows.

As to which had the greater effect, I'll leave that up to you.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 3/4

I know exactly what we should do to practice proper “distance hygiene”, to make sure the Coronavirus doesn't keep spreading.

The only problem is...not everyone can do it.

Authorities around the world are telling people to do three things to try & slow the spread of the virus. You're being warned to not touch your face, and to constantly wash your hands. The third this is the practice of “distance hygiene”, in which you're not supposed to do things like shake hands, kiss strangers (if you're in Europe) or even high-five (if you're in the NBA). Basically, you're not supposed to touch people you don't know.

So how, then, do we greet people? Simple. The Vulcan hand salute.

Yes, I know I'm a dork, but hear me out. If we were all to adopt the Vulcan hand salute instead of shaking hands, kissing, or high-fiving, wouldn't that eliminate a possible way in which the Coronavirus (as well as cold & flu germs) could be transmitted?

Sound logical to me, as inhabitants of that planet would say, if a little, uhm, nerdy, as inhabitants of THIS planet would say.

Now, admittedly, there is a small problem or two with the idea. The first came up when I mentioned the idea to Loraine, who said it won’t work because she, like many people, can’t do the salute. And that, both surprised me and didn’t surprise me, in that I can do the salute easily, so I thought everyone can, and in that, unlike me, I’m sure no one else devoted hours of their childhood in an attempt to actually perfect the salute.

(Now, for those of you who DON’T know what the salute is, it’s holding your right hand up, with a gap between your middle and ring fingers. Your index and middle fingers are together, while ring and small fingers are together, as well. Click HERE to see what I’m talking about.)

And Loraine's not the only one. If you listen to the director’s commentary on the 2009 theatrical reboot of “Star Trek” JJ Abrams (the director) has a fine time going on about how Zachary Quinto, the actor who plays Spock, is one of the many people who can’t do the Vulcan salute. In fact, there Quinto was, playing the most famous Vulcan of all time, and they had to glue his fingers together in the one scene where he had to give the salute (to, ironically, Leonard Nimoy, also playing the most famous Vulcan of all time, and the guy who came up with the salute in the first place).

So if Loraine can’t do the Vulcan salute and Zachary Quinto can’t do the Vulcan salute and a large majority of the people in this country can’t do the Vulcan salute, I’m guessing that it’ll never replace the handshake as a form of greeting between people, no matter how germ-free it is.

But still, it does have its good points. Unlike handshakes, kisses, or high-fives, there is absolutely no skin to skin contact, and no way that viruses can be passed from person to person. And one could then logically infer that disease transmission, whether the Coronavirus or cold or flu, could be cut down drastically. And all it would take is for the entire planet to nerd up.

The entire planet would be willing to do that, right?

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 3/3

Yay. I get my hair cut tonight!

Now, I realize that celebrating a hair cut may not be the biggest cause for joy in the world, but because things have been so hectic and because schedules haven't coincided it's been a bit since I've had a haircut. As it turns out, a little longer than normal. And because of that, if you know what you're looking for, you can really tell I need a trim.

You can really, really tell.

I can't speak for anyone else in the world, because as we ALL know I'm not like anyone else in the world. But for a certain window in the hair growing process—say five or six weeks after I get a cut—my hair starts to get really weird. For the next two or three weeks it starts to get curly. Really, really curly. Whatever natural wave my hair has to it gets really exaggerated. For those two or three weeks I can look like I'm a human mop, a human mop that just stuck a finger in an electrical socket. And then, if I keep growing my hair, it starts to look normal again.

But for those two or three weeks—the two or three weeks I'm in right now—I can, on occasion, look like Carrot Top, expect my hair's brown (& gray) instead of red. Yikes!

Normally, I'll get it cut before that happens, but like I said, the last month or so has been kinda hectic. And since I'm done shooting “High School Bowl” for the season, I don't necessarily have to have the best looking hair. So for the past four or five mornings, when I get up for work or to lounge around, I look at the mass of hair sticking out here and poking out there and just chuckle. It'd be easier if I wore hats, because I could just throw one on and be done with it. But since I don't (another story in itself) I try to tame it.

The operative word, of course, being “try”. Because when we're in that little hair growth window, like we are now, my hair pretty much has a mind of its own.

I really don't care if my hair is long or if it's short; as long as it hasn't totally fallen out (yet) I'm happy. So I suppose I could try to live through the next few weeks and let it grow out to the point that it looks normal again. But that means I'd have to spend the next few weeks looking at it in its present state and trying to make it presentable. And that, in all honesty, just takes too much of my (rapidly diminishing) brainpower. So by getting it cut tonight, I can now spend the next four or five weeks not even thinking about it.

And I'm fine with that.

Now, we just have to make sure that my next hair cut happens on schedule. Otherwise, I'll be right back at the same place, looking at the same curls and the waves that are currently invading my head, and starting the process over again. Either that, or I could just start shaving my head and be done with that.

That, however, would probably open up a whole 'nother can or worms, a can I'd rather not deal with at the moment!

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 3/2

In a strange way, it was a blast from the past.

First of all, hope you had a good weekend. I know I did, if only because our computers worked the way they were supposed to and I didn't have to spend the weekend babysitting them. I always like when that happens.

Seeing as how they still haven't closed Germany to travelers (at least not yet) I did spend a small part of the weekend digging out stuff I may need when we (hopefully) head over there next month. Part of that entailed searching for a few things that fell behind a bunch of boxes in a closet that has too many boxes.

And that's when I came across the video tape.

The VHS tape was unlabeled and in a black case, so I had no idea what was on it. Thankfully, it wasn't anything embarrassing or that could lead to potential blackmail. Instead, it turned out to be about 10 minutes of video that someone (and I have no idea who) had shot during one of the first times we did our Fourth of July “Parade of Cash” in Ishpeming, which would have been either 1993 or 1994. I don't know why someone shot it, and I certainly have no idea why the tape was sitting in a box in my closet, but I have 10 minutes of video from that year's parade.

Go figure.

Anyway, while the footage isn't that big of a deal to me, I figure there might be someone who's interested in seeing it, if only because they might wanna play “Spot the Ex” in the crowd, or something. So if I can get it into a digital form, I'll stick it up on our station Facebook page for all to see. Unfortunately, like most people, I have no way or transferring it from VHS to digital. While I have a VCR that's still functional (if never used), I don't have a video capture card on any of my computers. Audio, sure. I can work wonders with audio. But I don't have a way to digitize the tape.

I know that I could pay a company to do so, and if I can't find another way to get the project done, that's what I might do. But in the meantime, if you have any suggestions, let me know. After all, that's a piece of history I have in my hands. And besides...you wouldn't want me to deny people the chance to play “Spot the Ex”, would you?

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)