Monday, 11/30

 It turned out pretty well, thanks for asking.

First of all, hope you had a great Turkey Day weekend, in whatever form it took this year. My girlfriend and I did, taking the soccer balls out into Thanksgiving (!) sunshine before digging into that casserole-type thingee I mentioned last time we met. It took parts of two days, but we were both happy with the end result--

It all started Wednesday night, when I roasted a turkey breast with rosemary butter and made home made cranberry sauce. Then after we kicked the balls around for an hour Thursday I put those two ingredients together with cornbread stuffing and baby spinach, and topped the whole things with chopped pistachios.

20 minutes later at 350, and we had ourselves a feast. And, without tooting my own horn (too much), a pretty good feast at that.

I can't claim full credit for the dish; Loraine found a recipe that called for some of the ingredients, and I just took it from there. It called for turkey cubes (whatever those are), but I went the roasted rosemary butter route. I also chose the cornbread stuffing instead of boring old white bread stuffing. The recipe called for dried cranberries; it was Loraine who suggested I make fresh sauce. And, for some strange reason (probably because this is America) the recipe called for the whole thing to be covered by half a pound of cheddar cheese.

Thankfully, my girlfriend thought of topping it with the chopped pistachios instead. Have I ever mentioned we make a pretty good team?

8-)

So that's how the Covid Thanksgiving dinner turned out. It wasn't what we usually eat and it wasn't where we usually eat it, but we made do. Hopefully, he says way too optimistically, by the time the next holiday rolls around we'll be able to celebrate it at least partially like we usually do. But if not, I think we'll be able to handle it.

I really do.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 11/25

They say the average Thanksgiving dinner only goes 64% according to plan. I'll have to see if I can beat the odds.

That statistic once again comes form “Jim's Weird Fact of the Day”, which means that somewhere some scientist sat down and crunched the numbers. Apparently, when putting together a Thanksgiving dinner, you have hopes & dreams as to how it will turn out. And, on average, 64% of your hopes & dreams come true. That number goes up to 90% if you don't have guests, which means that if you DO have guests you are, from the looks of it, setting yourself up for failure.

Good thing you're not supposed to have guests over this year, huh?

8-)

Because of the pandemic and family members either playing it safe or in other parts of the country it's just me & my girlfriend for Thanksgiving for the first time in a LONG time. Aside from an apple pie I'm getting from the grocery store my sister owns, I'm putting together the whole feast myself. Don't worry; I'm not going whole hog by cooking a whole turkey just for the two of us. Instead, I'm making a casserole-type thingee that combines cranberry sauce (which I made myself), stuffing mix (made of cornbread, so I'm hoping it's okay), and a turkey breast, which I'm roasting tonight in a rosemary-sage butter that I made up last night.

Hopefully, it'll turn out closer to the 90% than the 64%. We'll just have to see.

I know it'll be a strange Thanksgiving for everyone, Loraine and I included. I'm just hoping that, no matter how or with whom you're celebrating, that you have a safe and a fun holiday. And that your celebration, like mine (fingers crossed) is closer to 90 percent than 64!

(jim@wmqt.com)

(ps—due to work schedules this may be the final entry for the week. If that's the case, see you Monday. If not, see you Friday!) 

Tuesday, 11/24

 11 am, huh?

I have no idea why this fact interests me so, but it does. For some strange reason, someone did a survey on death; specifically, someone did a survey on the typical times and dates people die. For instance, according to this study in the Annals of Neurology, the older you get, the more likely you are to die on your birthday (which means I should be REALLY careful next week). You're also a little more likely to die after getting a paycheck, as well (probably from the shock of seeing how underpaid you are). And, more people die in the late morning than at any other time. In fact, a few minutes either side of 11 am seems to be the deadliest time of the day for humans.

For whatever reason.

I used it as my “Weird Fact of the Day” yesterday, and for whatever reason it's been stuck in my head ever since. Why 11 am? You always hear about people dying in their sleep, so shouldn't it be 3 in the morning? And you know how many drunk drivers are out there, so why not 11 pm? Nope; the most likely time for a human to die is around 11 am.

And that's exactly how it was worded—”for a human”. I don't know if that's because they were writing in, you know, the Annuals of Neurology and wanted to be specific, or if they included chipmunks or brown bears or squid in the study, but if you're a human—and I'm guessing that's, oh, 60% or so of you reading this—you're more likely to die at 11 am than any other time.

Yikes.

I'm hoping I'm safe; after all, most days at 11 am I've been awake a couple of hours, I've quaffed a cup or two of (green) tea, and I've had my morning dark chocolate. All those are things that are good for your health. I'm usually at work by then, which means that I've successfully navigated crossing a bunch of streets without getting hit by a car. And it's usually early enough so that all the little things that might cause one's blood pressure to shoot out of control haven't happened yet.

11 am seems safe for me. I hope it is for you, too. However, I will stick in this addendum--if you're reading this within a couple of minutes of 11 am today, be careful out there. After all, I'd like you to come back tomorrow (at 11 am or any time) and read this again.

The more you know, after all...

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 11/23

 It took me 24 hours to figure it out, but I really am a lucky person.

My girlfriend Loraine was watching an interview over the weekend with Noel Gallagher, the brains behind Oasis, and the interviewer was throwing a series of rapid-fire questions at him. He would be given two items, and he had to choose which one he would give up forever if he was forced to pick. Most of them were goofy and musically oriented (“The Stones or The Who”? “Fender or Gibson”?) and gave Gallagher fits having to choose, but there was one he had no problem with—the city or the beach? He rattled off “the city” quickly; as it turns out, he doesn't even like the beach. The question, though, stuck with me. If I was forced to choose between giving up either the city or the beach, the two places I love to be in more than any other, I don't think I could. It's be like Sophie having to choose between her children.

There's just no good outcome to that question, and no one—NO ONE—should ever be forced to have to make that horrid decision.

As I've written in here many times before, I am an urban creature. I need concrete and I need people and I need the feeling of being a part of something, even in the joy that is 2020. If you were to force me to live in the woods or in someplace without a sidewalk I probably couldn't handle it. And as I've written in here before, my dream job is being a (highly paid) beach bum. So the thought of having to choose between the two just wouldn't work.

As I was running this morning I came to a realization. I realized that, living where I live, I would never have to make that choice. I would never have to choose between being in a city or going to a beach. I can have my concrete and sidewalks and people, and I can have my beach. I can have them at the same time. In fact, I've had them at the same times many times, as I leave work or my apartment, and hop on a bike or take a short walk down to McCarty's Cove or South Beach. I actually live in a place where I can be in a city AND a beach at the same time.

I live in a place that has BOTH of my versions of heaven. How many people get to say that?

I mean; seriously—how many people get to say that? How many people get to be in an urban core of a city and yet have a beach a few seconds away? Very few. And of those few, how many actually take time out of their day to appreciate it? I mean, even I think I've been a little guilty of taking the fact that Marquette has great beaches for granted; after all, they're just part of what makes this city so wonderful. Maybe it took that question to point out just how amazingly lucky we are here. Maybe when you're pondering having to choose between two incredible things, your eyes are opened just a little bit more as to how lucky you really are.

I hope I never, ever have to answer that question posed to Noel Gallagher. But in a way, I'm glad he was asked.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 11/20

 Sure...just one day after admitting I've been subverting the will of the voters I get a note that calls me “a friend of democracy”.

Oh boy.

8-)

Yesterday, I was joking about not being happy with “Kokomo” being named Upper Michigan's favorite Beach Boy song ever, and how I was going out of my way to try to get that overturned (not that that would EVER happen in real life). When the mail came to the station after I wrote the blog there was a thank you card in it from the League of Women Voters, who wanted to express their appreciation for the series of educational and “Get Out The Vote” announcements we ran prior to the election. And in it, they truly did say that I am “a friend of democracy”.

Do I feel like a heel now, or what?:

You see, I really am a friend of democracy. I believe each and every vote counts, that the people who run elections know what they're doing, and that if you lose, you should accept the results. Because, you know, that's how a representative democracy works. No matter how much you don't like the way it turned out, you just can't try to get rid of votes against you. You can't. That's not how it works. And I should not have done that with the vote of our listeners naming “Kokomo” as Upper Michigan's favorite Beach Boys song ever.

So here's my vow. From now on, I WILL play the liner I was talking about yesterday each time before the song airs. After all, as “a friend of democracy”, it's the right thing to do. The people have spoken. If I don't follow their wishes, I'm not better than any autocrat or dictator who's ever tried to rule unjustly.

So “Kokomo” it is. All “friends of democracy” can rest assured that their vote will count, now and forever.

(jim@wmqt.com), friend of democracy.

Thursday, 11/19

 I wonder if I'm being a little too petty.

Let me explain. Those of you who've listened to the station know that for the 13 or 14 years we've been doing this thing called “Upper Michigan's Favorite Friday”, in which we take listener votes for Upper Michigan's favorite song by a particular artist or along a particular theme. I usually don't have an opinion on which song wins; after all, it's not Jim's favorite song by a particular artist or along a particular theme, it's Upper Michigan's favorite, and my vote is just one out of 300,000. Once we find out the winner, we play a liner before we play the winning song, saying something along the lines of “Q107-WMQT, with the song you voted as Upper Michigan's favorite ______ song ever”. After all, if the song wins the honor, it should be noted for everyone listening, right?

Well, I'm gonna come clean here, because there's one winning song for which we don't play the liner. I know that because I played it yesterday.  And since I'm the one who schedules the liners, I think that maybe I'm allowing my personal opinion to override the votes of all of our listeners. And I don't know if that's a good thing. I'll let you guys decide.

I think I've written here too many times about my admiration for the talent of and the songs written by Brian Wilson. I think he's one of the iconic pop composers of the last 50 years, and when you dive into the breadth of his work for The Beach Boys, you just walk away stunned. I don't think anyone would disagree, and I think everyone can name at least one song of his from the group's catalog that puts a smile on their face.

And yet listeners, twice, have picked “Kokomo”, a schlocky piece of movie soundtrack fodder recorded 20 years after the group's heyday, as Upper Michigan's favorite Beach Boys song ever. Not “Good Vibrations”, not “God Only Knows”, not “California Girls”, but “Kokomo”, a song recorded by only two or three members of the original group and featuring among its four co-writers only one of those two or three original members. That would be like Bernie Leadon and Don Felder recording a Randy Meisner song and having people vote for it as Upper Michigan's favorite Eagles song ever.

It's just not right.

Now, like I said, maybe I'm a little biased here. Maybe my admiration for Brian Wilson and the work of the original group is clouding my judgment. But I don't consider “Kokomo” a Beach Boys song. Sure, it's a song recorded by people who call themselves “The Beach Boys”, but does it stack up next to anything the original group recorded? I don't believe so. But a plurality of our listeners do, which is why it's been twice voted as “Upper Michigan's favorite Beach Boys song ever”. And since you can't change the results of an election by, oh, threatening to sue or threatening to throw out votes or by just refusing to acknowledge the results, I'll just have to protest my own way.

By not scheduling the liner before the song every time it plays.

Yes, I know it's petty. It's like a six year old holding their breath because they can't have a Snickers bar for dinner. I should take the high road and play the liner before the song; after all, the song won the vote, and often times in a democracy your candidate doesn't win. A big person accepts the results and moves on.

A sore loser doesn't play the liner. A sore loser can be a bit petty about it all. And that, in this instance, describes me.

Sorry about that. I will be a better person than that.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 11/18

 Apparently I'm swearing to myself in German quite a bit these days.

Actually, let me rephrase that a little. I'm not actually "swearing" so much as verbalizing the insanity of 2020.  And while I don't know a lot of German, among the phrases I do know are “Mein Gott” and the all-purpose German declarative “Scheisse”. Since, as I mentioned yesterday, I now work alone, every so often, either to keep my vocal chords limber or because I've forgotten to do something or,  as I said, to express general bemusement at the way the world is going, I'll let loose with one of those phrases.

If things are going really well I might even use both.

I don't know why I started doing it; after all, if I were going to swear in a foreign language you'd figure it would be French, right? But nope; for some strange reason, if I need to let loose with an epithet, it's in German. I don't know if there's something kind of guttural or ephemeral about German, but it just seems a little more satisfying to let loose in that language, especially the way it reverberates around an empty studio complex.

Yes, I need help. What's your point?

I suppose I could break it up a little. I suppose I could use Google Translate and see those phrases in different languages. For instance, I could shout out “mano dieve“ or "môj Bože“ or "tanrım “ if I wanted to use Lthuanian or Slovak or Azerbaijani, respectively. And I could replace "Scheisse“ with "bok“, "merda”, or “lapoa “ in Turkish, Portugese, or Samoan, should I feel like it.

If I wanted to.

I may have to put that on my list of things to do, which means that I'll be getting to it by, uhm, June of 2022. But until then, I still have the old German fallbacks upon which to fall back. I just wish I knew why I actually started doing it, just like I wish I knew how I do most things in my life these days.

Mein Gott!!!

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 11/17

 It's been eight months. What's a few more between friends?

What with Michigan's latest (& much-needed) quasi-lockdown order starting tomorrow it doesn't look like I'll be joined by co-workers any year soon. Not that I mind; after all, I've written in here several times about how I seem to get much more done when I'm not being bothered by anyone. But, that being said, it's been eight months.

I'm actually old enough to remember when we thought this would all be over in two or three weeks.

I'm guessing that I'll be working by myself for the foreseeable future. After all, even if one of the vaccines they're developing were to be approved tomorrow it would still be quite a while before it was manufactured, distributed, and then given to everyone. I'm not a scientist, nor to I play one on TV, but I wouldn't not be surprised one way or another if I'm still sitting here alone six months from now.

In fact, I'm planning on it.

Not only will I be working alone for the foreseeable future, but all this also has an effect on both TV Jim and History Jim. The newest order doesn't allow high school students to partake in extracurricular activities through (at least) December 8^th.. We were supposed to start shooting “High School Bowl” on December 2^nd. So, we'll have to see how that turns out.

Meanwhile, History Jim and his show partner Jack Deo have had their annual January show at Kaufman Auditorium transitioned from in-person to pre-produced. That's right; our “Skates, Skis, and Slapshots” program will now be a video a-la the “Third Street: Day & Night” thing I did this past summer. I'll be curious to see how it all turns out. After all, it was easy to transition one of my tours to video; if I can do it with one of those unwieldy shows Jack & I put together, I'll be impressed.

Really, really, impressed.

But for now, I'll just keep going to work as I have every morning, and taking it a day at a time. We've all been doing it for eight months now; what's another five or six between friends, right?

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 11/16

 So...just what am I missing out on by not liking stuffing?

A couple of years ago on our “Tuesday Topic” we asked listeners about the food they most enjoy on Thanksgiving. And I have to admit I was a little surprised when the winner was stuffing. Not turkey, not pumpkin pie, my two favorites, but stuffing. And then Loraine and I (excuse me...my girlfriend and I) spent several minutes this weekend on what we want to have for our 2-person stay-at-home 2020 Thanksgiving celebration, and a casserole that contains stuffing seems to be the winner.

Hmmm. Guess I'll have to start liking it, huh?

I think this all proves a couple of things, one being that it's further evidence I'm not like other human beings. I've never been a big fan of stuffing, and I don't know that I ever will be a big fan. I don't know why; I like many of the ingredients that go into stuffing. But I guess I've just never liked the overall end result, per se, of stuffing. I don't know if it's the flavor, the texture, or the fact that it's usually shoved up a turkey's butt to cook. For whatever reason, I personally don't like stuffing.

But I know I'm in the minority here. I know that every other single person with whom I traditionally share my Thanksgiving dinner adores the dish. And they're probably happy I don't like it. After all, it just means more for them. From the sounds of it, I'm guessing this would also get replayed in any other households where there are a bunch of stuffing lovers and one naysayer. The people who love the dish—the vast, vast majority of people—get a little more because there's one person who, for whatever rational or (ahem) irrational reason doesn't like it.

You know...like at any Thanksgiving dinner where I'm a guest. Unless, of course, someone figured out a way to make it with chocolate. Then, just maybe, I might consider it.

Maybe.

8-)

But, I guess we'll see how it turns out when I use it as an ingredient next week. Who knows...maybe I'll end up like that kid in those old Life cereal commercials and actually like it. That's happened before, after all.

And if that's the case, you can just start calling me Mikey. I'll have earned it.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 11/13 (!)

 Two totally unrelated things today, the first being that my favorite three-year old in the world becomes my favorite four-year old in the world!

It's my nephew Abel's 4^th birthday tomorrow, and as he's growing up we have quite the interesting relationship. For the first two years of his life, he would cry every time he saw me. He didn't do that for anyone else; I was just the lucky person in that regard. Since then, though, he knows me as the uncle with the camera, and since Abel apparently wants to be a model when he grows up guess who's become one of his favorite people in the world?

Yup. That's me; coolest uncle in the world.

So happy birthday, Abel. And if anyone disagrees that maybe he might not become a model some day, look at one of the (hundreds) of pictures he's had his personal staff photographer take--

See what I mean?

8-)

*****

Secondly, happy Deer Season weekend! That’s a real holiday, right?

For the 22nd time (22 times???????) I present an epic “poem” (using the word rather loosely) to commemorate the U.P. national holiday. Even though I've never personally celebrated the holiday, I know a lot of people do. So if you are, I hope it's both a successful and safe day.

And remember—if you stay hydrated your hangover won't be as bad as it could be.

(jim@wmqt.com)

“’Twas the Night Before Deer Camp”,

by Jimmy Koski, grade 3.

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE DEER SEASON

AND ALL THROUGH THE CAMP

HUNTERS WERE UNLOADED BEER CRATES

AND LIGHTING UP LAMPS

THE RIFLES THEY HUNG

IN THE PICKUP WITH CARE

IN HOPES THAT A 10-POINTER

SOON WOULD BE THERE

I IN MY ORANGE

MY BUDDY IN GREEN

SAT DOWN TO A CRIBBAGE GAME

THE BIGGEST EVER SEEN

WE PLAYED THROUGH THE NIGHT

AND EMPTIED THOSE CRATES

BUT MORNING SOON CAME

WE DIDN’T WANT TO BE LATE

WE SET OUT AT SUNRISE

AT DAWN’S EARLY LIGHT

PUT DOWN A BIG BAIT PILE

IN HOPES THAT BAMBI WOULD BITE

WE SAT AND WE WAITED

AND WAITED SOME MORE

I KEPT MY EYES OPEN

MY BUDDY STARTED TO SNORE

WHEN TO MY SURPRISE

STANDING RIGHT BY A TREE

WAS A BIG 12-POINT BUCK

MY PANTS I DID...WELL, NEVER MIND ABOUT THAT

I BROUGHT UP MY RIFLE

I LINED UP THE DEER

THEN MY BUDDY WOKE UP AND YELLED

“HEY--WHERE’S THE BEER?”

THE BUCK RAN AWAY

I LOWERED MY GUN

MY BUDDY JUST LAUGHED

SAID “LET’S HAVE SOME FUN”

WE WENT BACK TO DEER CAMP

AND HAD US A BALL

SO LET ME SAY THIS--

GOOD LUCK DEER HUNTING TO ALL...

Thursday, 11/12

 To paraphrase a guy who wrote a thing or two a long time ago—to bake, or not to bake. That is the question.

This is usually the time of the year when my mind drifts to making Christmas cookies, and while it has drifted there it's for two entirely different reasons than usual. And, like everything else that's happened this year, that's thanks to 2020.

First of all, when I'm done writing this I'm going over to my parents to bake their Christmas cookies. Normally, I do this the weekend before the holiday, but because they're trying to escape the Covid wasteland that is Michigan by going to Florida this weekend (and not coming back until next Spring) I need to bake their cookies now so they can freeze them, take them down there with them, and enjoy eating them on the actual holiday along with other Christmas-like items along the lines of palm trees and ocean breezes.

Now, because of the fact that a big chunk of my family won't be here for the holidaze and because I'm guessing most people don't want food from people they don't live with, I've also made the decision not to, for the first time in decades, make many (if any) cookies to give to people. This is a big thing; normally, as you know, I make six or seven different kinds and give them out to family and friends. But this year, I'd feel weird giving them out to people, especially because you're supposed to avoid things like food from other people. And since the people I would not feel weird giving them to won't be here to get the cookies...

That's why I'm not making them this year.

Actually, I will be making one or two of the usual kinds, just because my girlfriend wants to munch on them and because there are a few other people who said they wouldn't mind eating them. But it won't be the full-blown, several day production, followed by the mass distribution of 30,000-some calories to the greater Marquette area. It was one of the only holiday traditions I had...but, like many things this year, that tradition has, sadly, bitten the dust.

Hopefully, though, just temporarily.

So, if you don't mind, I have to head six blocks down the hill to bake whatever I need to bake today. You better believe I'll enjoy doing it, as well, if only because I won't have the chance to do it again much this year.

Sigh...

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 11/11

 Even a few days later we're still chuckling about it

I think I've written in here before about how a lot of people mention they see Loraine & I walking everywhere. It's just a fact of life; we do walk a lot, a lot of people seem to know who we are, and for whatever reason it sticks in their head. In fact, it's gotten to the point where if someone DOESN'T bring up our walking habit sometime in the course of us knowing them it just seems weird.

But that's life. And it's not what we're laughing about.

Yesterday I met someone for the first time. And one of the things she mentioned was about seeing Loraine and I walking everywhere. Only, she phrased it just a little differently than people who know us better. She said that she sees me “and my girlfriend walking everywhere”. And while I do consider Loraine my girlfriend, she is also a little more than that. When I pointed out that we're married, my new acquaintance looked at me and said this--

“Oh, I'm sorry. You look like you actually like each other, so that's my mistake”.

Yup. The reason we don't look like we're married? Because we look like we like each other. Who knew?

8-)

When I mentioned this to my girlfriend Loraine last night she burst out laughing, and then kinda wondered about the reasoning behind it. Does that mean that people who are married are supposed to look like they DON'T like each other? Are we just weird, and for some reason still have the look that a dating couple has? Is there something in the background of the person I met that leads her to believe you can't be happy & married at the same time?

I'm not sure. I just know that my girlfriend and I just thought it funny. And interesting. And, if I have to admit it, kind of reassuring, too. I mean, I know we like each other. But it's kind of nice to know that other people notice it, too.

See what you get when you walk everywhere, and people notice you doing it?

(jim@wmqt.com)

(ps—speaking of the geeky couple, here we are after taking the soccer balls out in the 73 degree weather Sunday--

(I know...we're weird. But that's what boyfriends and girlfriends should be on occasion, right? 8-) )

Tuesday, 11/10

 Geez. Just how many people watch the show?

I was on TV this weekend. That in itself is not a big deal; after all, the show that I host for WNMU TV airs (when it's on) every Saturday night. However, I made a bonus appearance on another station a Sunday morning, and I'm amazed by the amount of people who mentioned they saw me on it.

Especially because I totally forgot doing it. But in my defense, I shot it the day before Election Day, and it seems like that was, what—eight months ago?

8-)

The show in question is “The Ryan Report”, whereas Don Ryan sits down and speaks with important and/or interesting people. I'm guessing he's run out of those type of people with whom to speak, because I was on the show, but we spent 15 or so Zoom minutes talking about radio, history, and the other TV show I host. And even though it's on at 730 on a Sunday morning, when a sane person should still be in bed drooling the drool of the righteous, I've had half a dozen people mention they saw me on the show, which means they were all awake at that hour AND watching “The Ryan Report”.

Who knew?

First of all, I'm glad everyone enjoyed it. I'm glad my babbling didn't cause you to throw things at your screen, and I'm sure Don appreciates the fact that you didn't turn it off halfway through looking for something better to do, like removing that one last piece of lint stuck between your toes.

So thanks.

Secondly, just how many people are awake and watching TV that early on a Sunday? It kind of blows my mind, because I personally would never be awake at 730 on a Sunday and, therefore, unable to watch TV. However, I'm just one person, and I'm apparently not normal in that regard. Apparently, a lot of people are up at 730 on a Sunday morning, and, apparently, there are quite a few of them watching “The Ryan Report”.

Once again, I guess I'm so far outside the mainstream that it's not even funny. Go figure.

Anyway, thanks for the kind words. All I did was stare into my laptop camera and answer a few questions, so it didn't require too much effort on my part. I'm glad the end result, though, made such an impression on the people who watch the show.

And apparently, that's quite the big number!

(jim@wmqt.com)

(ps—if you're curious to see what it's all about, here's the link—https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2020/11/09/ryan-report-november-8-2020/ )

Monday, 11/9

 Free at last. . .free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last!!

I hope Dr. King doesn’t mind me appropriating the words from an old spiritual that he himself borrowed 57 years ago, but now that the never-ending saga of this year's American Presidential election is over, that’s kind of how I feel. No more talking heads, no more slowly rolling over vote totals, no more bizarre press conferences, no e-mail inboxes filled with messages asking for contributions to this candidate or that cause, and most importantly, no more turning on your favorite media source and seeing endless conjecture, speculation, and filling of time with whatever they can up with until more real news can be reported. It's over.

So exhale a sigh of relief. You made it, and you deserve it!

Of course, now that it’s over, now what? Whenever there’s a big, transformative event—be it on a large scale, like yesterday’s election, or on a much more personal scale, like a birth or a wedding or a graduation—we tend to realize, if only for a fleeting moment, that the curtain is coming down on one act of our lives, while at the same time rising on the next. There’s a “before” the event, and an “after” the event. Now, we’re living in the “after”. Our lives go back to normal. Of course, after last night, that means that just over half of the population will be happy with their “normal” while just under half of the population won’t be, but at least whatever lingering uncertainty we’ve been facing has been removed, at least for a little while.

So I guess we next turn our attention to what the holidays will be like during the age of Covid. And then to the snow we know is on the way. And then to a new year. And then to a spring, and a summer, and another fall. And by then, next fall, a year from now, you’ll hear the first rumblings about the 2022 Congressional elections, and everything that’ll bring with it.

Enjoy your peace while you can.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 11/6

 Wow. I didn't know anyone would actually take it seriously. But I'm glad it's helping out.

Election Day, of course, I posted pictures of pretty things to help, if even momentarily, take a reader's mind off of the stressful events of the day, if even for a second. Then the day after, I did the same. And the day after that.

And that brings us to today.

Daily blog reader Kayley of Marquette says she didn't realize it, but the pictures have given, to quote her, “a little peace on on her daily trip through social media”. I'm happy to hear it. I mean, I'm not happy to have to had to do it, but I'm happy it's having an effect.

So Kayley, and everyone, once again this is for you--

By the next blog, Monday, we get to return to normal (we hope). So on that note, have yourself a great and stress-free weekend. And if you're around Marquette, enjoy the almost summer-like weather!

(jim@wmqt.com), wearing shorts to work today!

Thursday, 11/5

 Wait. It's still NOT officially “over”?

Wow. Good thing I take a lot of calming pictures.

I know this is another one of those times when, in a few years, we'll look back on it and say “that election was SO 2020”, but come on. If you do the math you know how it's turning out, and it seems like we're just one state away from knowing the winner. As much as I'm surprising myself by saying this, math doesn't lie. It is what it is. If enough votes get counted today it should be over.  Of course, I've been wrong about that before, so maybe you shouldn't put too much faith in that statement.

8-)

Okay, one more picture for one more moment of zen.--

 

It'll be over soon. Really, it will. Just hang in there!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 11/4

Wait.  It's still not over yet?

Much like the Coronavirus itself, the 2020 election is the gift that keeps on giving. Onerous laws and the slow counting of ballots means that seven states (at the time I'm writing this, around 8 am) haven't yet reported full results. If you listen to the experts and dive into the numbers you have a idea of what will eventually happen, but until then we're left with uncertainly and appeals for calm and threats of lawsuits.

Ain't America grand?

So as I did yesterday I'll pass along what I hope is moment of calm in a sea of chaos, threats, and yet another history defining moment that 2020 has passed our way.

Not that we needed another one of those, but I think that this year we don't get much of a choice in the matter.

Stay sane, 

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 11/3

 Well, you made it. Welcome to Election Day.

Because I know everyone seems to have been on roller-coaster of feelings, ranging from anxiety to disgust, lo these past 18 months, I am going to offer nothing political today. In fact, to help cleanse your palette, knowing that science shows people actually become calmer when looking at flowers, here's what Marquette had to offer at various times this past summer--

Marquette offered a mix of magenta & purple--

A little yellow--

Every single color the human eye can see--

And even a rose or two for good measure--

And a few funky things, as well, including someone to felt a little artsy--

Turtles with hats on--

Someone keeping his eye on you--

And someone else who's also probably glad the election is almost over--

So there you go. If you need a break from watching the election results roll in tonight, these pictures will be here.

It's the least I could do.

(jim@wmqt.com)

(ps—it's finally over!!!!!)

Monday, 11/2

 Why does my phone think I'm a giraffe?

I don't know if this has happened to you, but it's happened to me. I downloaded the latest update for my phone a week or so ago. I'm always kind of loathe to do updates; for some reason, the people who put the updates together decide they always wanna change the layout of the phone, how the programs work, and add and delete apps on a whim. Still, I know it's important to keep your devices up to date, so I usually grin and bear it.

One of the changes on the latest update is on the text message page; for some reason, my phone now wants to assign a picture or a letter to each person on my contact list. For the people sending me messages, it's the first letter of their name. When Loraine sends me something, she's represented by a big “L”; when my Mom does, she's a big “M” (because she's in my phone as “Mom” and not “Darlene”, something my phone is apparently not smart enough to know). The last time the phone updated it asked me for a picture so my photo would pop up next to what I wrote whenever I replied to or sent a text, but because I never do what everyone else does I refused to do it. Every time I sent or received a text I was just represented by a “J”.

Well, apparently the latest update of my phone didn't like that. Apparently, the latest update of my phone was determined to make me do what I didn't want to do. Apparently, the latest update of my phone took one look at me and knew exactly what it was going to do.

The latest update of my phone has replaced the “J” that used to indicate me with a picture of a giraffe. And no, I have no idea why.

I mean, I know my “phone” doesn't have a mind of its own. It just does what its programmers tell it to do. For all I know, EVERYONE with my particular phone and particular operating system (at least those that never put a personalized picture up) has had their “J” replaced with a picture of a giraffe. But I just find it funny that someone who on the tall side and who inherited his grandfather's long and gangly limbs has a generic “J” replaced with a picture of the animal to whom he most bears a resemblance.

I'm sure it's just a coincidence. Although these days, with all privacy and hacking concerns you have to deal with, and with the growing specter of artificial intelligence, you never know.

So now I have a dilemma. Do I cave into my phone's peer pressure and and actually give it a picture of myself, or do I just leave the picture of a giraffe as the representative of all I am and ever will be? On one hand, I do value my individuality and wouldn't want to cave into my phone's pressure, just because everyone else is seemingly doing it. On the other hand, do I wanna be a giraffe for the rest of my life (or until at least the next time my phone updates)? That's a hard choice, and one that may require some thought.

Unless, of course, I pursue a third option—going out and buying another phone, one that won't turn me into a giraffe. That would be worth however many hundreds of dollars it would cost, right?

8-)

***

Before I go I have to wish my favorite brother in the world a happy birthday. Since he's my ONLY brother he wins that title by default, but it's still his big day today. So if you happen to see someone who looks like me, only slightly taller and (ahem) with a lot less hair, his name is Marc.

Wish him a happy birthday.!

(jim@wmqt.com)