Friday, 10/29

Because it's Friday and because I have to go shoot a TV show in a few minutes and because, well, it's Friday, I'm going to leave you with something I wrote a couple of years ago. For some strange reason, this particular blog has always stuck in my head.

Maybe because it explains so much of what people have become these days.

Have a great weekend. Back with something new Monday!

(jim@wmqt.com)

****

(as originally posted 11/20/2018):

And here, I thought the internet was supposed to make us smarter.

A couple of days ago Loraine and I were listening to a couple of songs by The Carpenters (don't ask). As is our wont, we became curious as to who was playing on the tracks, and because the internet DOES have a lot of useless information on it, we were able to look up and see whether or not legendary drummer Hal Blaine was playing on both “Ticket To Ride” and “It's Gonna Take Some Time”. (Spoiler alert—he does on both. Not that anyone other than us cares). Anyway, when I went to Google to type in “Carpenters 'Ticket To Ride'”, you know what the first suggestion was that Google offered, meaning Google had been asked this question more than any other about the song?

“Who wrote The Carpenters 'Ticket To Ride'”?

We were both kind of flabbergasted for a second. Who wrote “Ticket To Ride”? Isn't that kind of having to ask “Who wrote 'Romeo & Juliet'?” I mean, I know that many (or most) people aren't as conversant about pop songs as the two of us are, and I know that some people may have questions about things, but who wrote “Ticket To Ride”?

Really?

I mean, I can understand asking who wrote “Rainy Days & Mondays”. I can understand asking who wrote “Close to You”. I can really understand asking who wrote “It's Gonna Take Some Time” (Carole King, if you're curious). But to ask who wrote “Ticket To Ride”? And have it be the first thing that pops up on Google when seeking information on the song?

Some days, I really worry about the future of humanity.

I mean, I shouldn't be a snob about this; really, I shouldn't. But the original “Ticket To Ride” was a Beatles' classic—a number one song, in fact—and I would've thought that a great chunk of humanity would at least know who originally did it. And that's backed up by observation—this year on “High School Bowl” I've had chats with three different students who are fans of the Beatles. And if even teenagers these days know about the group and their music, then why, oh why, was that question the first thing Google popped up about the Carpenters' version of the song?

Oh, the humanity.

I know; I'm getting worked up over nothing. Like I said, not everyone knows all the useless crap that resides in my brain. Not everyone, apparently, knows everything there is to know about The Beatles. And, to look at it another way, at least people ARE interested in who wrote the song, which if nothing else may show the enduring power of it and the the writers behind it. But to have it be the first suggestion that pops up when you Google it?

We live in a weird world, I guess. I'm just on one end, and the rest of humanity is (apparently) on the other.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

(Here. To cleanse my brain and yours...

Thursday, 10/28

 Why yes, I HAVE lost my mind. Thanks for asking.

You know how, between Radio Jim, TV Jim, and History Jim, I always seem to have too much to do? Especially during the winter months, when I can't play outside and sometimes overload my schedule? For instance, coming up in the next few months I have all my usual work stuff, all my usual TV stuff, a big Kaufman show with Jack, a bunch of newspaper articles (including one next week) to write, and actually trying to get my “The Greasier The Spoon” documentary finished. So why, oh why, would I think about taking on another project?

Because I, apparently, have lost my mind.

And I should know better, because I've tackled this project twice before, and I know how time consuming it can be. The project to which I'm referring is another season of those “Pieces of the Past” short videos I produced, first during the pandemic lockdown (when I didn't have anything else to do) and then again last year because I wanted to learn my new video editing software. There's no immediate, burning reason I have to produce another series of the videos, yet here I am, mulling over ideas and a different concept for them.

Because I, apparently, have lost my mind.

I'm actually considering it for a couple of different reasons. One is that people keep asking me if I'm doing more of them and/or give me ideas for ones they'd like to see. If I knew how to say “no” to things I wouldn't even take that into consideration, but 1) I don't know how to say “no” and b). I've actually been given a few goods ideas I haven't done yet.

Not only that, but I've had an idea pop into my head while running the past few days. Instead of me doing all the videos, why not shoot experts on certain subjects and have them talk about what they know on those subjects? There are people out there who know a LOT more about certain things that do I, and it would be nice to learn something from them. From a personal point of view, I think that would be a cool thing. And all I'd have to do is shoot them, find pictures, write up parts of it, edit their video, and post it. That would only, oh, double the work I have to do on each piece, at least compared to the first two seasons I produced.

Have I mentioned that I've apparently...oh, never mind.

I have no idea if I'm actually going to tackle this project. All I know is that my collection of notes on subjects to think about and people to possibly feature keeps growing, and that's never a good thing. That often means my brain has committed to something, even though I haven't personally agreed to it yet. I dunno; we'll see how it goes. Maybe I'll yet come to my senses and either say “no” or put it off until I have time to tackle it. Maybe...although I wouldn't count on it.

Because, apparently, I have lost my mind. Yet again.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 10/27

It's wouldn't be strange to put “cow” on one's Christmas list, would it? I mean, that's something a normal person would do, right?

Just asking for a friend.

Because it's almost the 23^rd month of the ongoing experience that was 2020 I've already had to put together my annual birthday/ Christmas list, alerting family members as to what they may consider picking up when shopping for those two events in December. For most of my life, I've included a few items that I know no one in the world could get me, either because of cost or because of the laws of physics. But they're things I'd enjoy. I started off all those years ago with “world peace” and “my own spaceship”, and about a decade ago I added “a 25^th hour to the day” to the suggestions. And now I'm wondering about tossing a fourth item onto the list.

One of these--

As I always say, I have NO idea why I find cows so fascinating, but I do. And by adding it to the flight of fancy with which I end my annual birthday/Christmas list it just shows that cows have made the leap up to equality with extra time and a spaceship. And think of how cool it would be if someone DID get me a cow. It would be sitting there under the tree on Christmas morning (or, in our case, because we have a tree that's only two feet high, more likely ON the Christmas tree), looking at me with those big cow eyes as my human eyes wept tears of joy. I could then take it for walks and play with it and watch our very small backyard fill up with cow droppings in a matter of just a few days.

It would be glorious.

However, much like my yearly requests for world peace, my own spaceship, and an extra hour to the day, I realize that my requests for my own cow would probably go unheeded. And that's okay, I guess. After all, despite all appearances to the contrary, I AM mature enough to realize that having a cow as a pet, especially in one of the most densely packed neighborhood in the city, would not be a good thing. It wouldn't be fair to our landlords, it wouldn't be fair to our neighbors, and, I guess, it wouldn't be fair to the cow.

But a boy can dream, right?

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 10/26

 I had no idea that a thirty year old bike could be such a conversation piece.

This is the bike in question--

It's what I refer to as my “auxiliary bike”. It's a mountain bike I bought in the early 90s, a bike that now sits at work in case I need to get somewhere in a hurry. It's not my “bike” bike; that would be the Giant I picked up a few years ago.

Yet my old Shogun, my “aux bike”, seems to have become a conversation piece. I used it when I gave a bike tour for the History Center a few months ago, and there were a couple of people on the tour who seemed more interested in the 30-year old bike I was riding than in the tour itself. When people stop into the station and see it, they feel the need to comment on it, either about its age or its size..

Apparently, without even trying, my 30-year old auxiliary bike has become a conversation piece.

And I guess I can kind of see why. For one, it's old. For two, it's heavy. It has a solid metal frame, and seems to weigh several thousand pounds, unlike the lightweight bikes (like my Giant) of today. For three, it's a weird color. And for four, well...it's old. And I'm still using it.

Go figure, right?

I'm almost tempted to put it up on something like eBay or Craigslist & see how much I could get for it. After all, it's in good shape and it gets used quite often, so you know it works. Some people may not like the hybrid street/mountain tires that are on it, but I personally think that gives the bike a little personality. So I'd be curious—if people seem compelled to comment on it when they see it, how much would they actually pay for it?

Not that I'm planning on selling it, mind you. I'd just be curious.

Because it's old and not my primary bike I actually use it even when the weather's crappy, at least until the snow gets a little too thick or slippery to maintain any semblance of control while I'm riding. So when the weather starts to get to the point where I don't want to take my good bike out, I know that I'm still able to ride, should I want to.

And it's all thanks to a 30-year old conversation piece.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 10/25

 Why, yes. I DID have a reason for wearing a Christmas tie in October.

In a small way, you may have thought the world was ending last Friday. Or at least that's the impression I got when not one, not two, but three different people commented on the tie I was wearing. For some strange reason they all seemed concerned with my neck wear. I don't know if they thought I had lost my mind or had wandered through a time warp, but none of the three could comprehend why I was wearing a tie with Christmas lights and Looney Tunes characters dressed up in Santa hats on October 22^nd.

I'm guessing they haven't worked in TV. Unless, of course, their lack of comprehension had something do with why ANYONE would wear a tie with Christmas lights and Looney Tunes characters dressed up in Santa hats.

That I could actually understand.

Nope; I was wearing a tie with Christmas lights and Looney Tunes characters dressed up in Santa hats because we were shooting the episode of “High School Bowl” that airs a few days before the holiday, and I just wanted to mark that occasion. If I had been really smart—something about which no one accused me—I also would've contacted the coaches for the teams and had them dress up in Christmas gear, something they said they all would have been happy to do, had they known.

But then, no one's ever accused me of being really smart, so...there's always next year, I guess.

I always find the things people about me funny, though. Aside from comments about my tie Friday I've had (in the past) everything ranging from “why were you walking up the street with a bag of broccoli” to “why were you standing on a porch twirly a broom like a baton” directed at me. Admittedly, I DO make it easy for people to question my actions; maybe if I were a normal person, that wouldn't happen. But, as we all know, I'm NOT normal, so it's just one of those things. However, unlike the time I was standing on a porch twirling a broom like a baton, I actually had a good reason for wearing a Christmas tie in the middle of October.

In fact, you can see why I did it December 18^th!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 10/22

 Another day, another taping of a TV show.

It seems like it, at least. After not being able to shoot “High School Bowl” for almost two years we've been back at it with a vengeance the past few weeks. We're taping another show today—this time, both parts of the same episode for once, which means I don't have to bring a chance of clothing with me—so I'll have to keep this a little short, and I apologize for that.

However, let me pivot from TV Jim to History Jim for a second, and have you write this date on your calendar--

Thursday, January 27^th 2022.

Why that date, you ask? Well, I answer, speaking of things we weren't able to do for almost two years that's the date my pal Jack & I are slated for a return to our big Kaufman Auditorium show for the Marquette Regional History Center. We don't have the title 100% locked down yet, but it'll be something along these lines--”Cops & Robbers: Jack & Jim's True Life Crime Tales”.

Hopefully you can guess what it'll be about. And it's scheduled for three months and five days from today!

Okay; I have to mosey along to a TV studio now. I don't know if I've mentioned it, but all the shows we've been taping recently (and that a lot of them) start airing two weeks from tomorrow—November 6^th.

Feel free to mark THAT date on your calendar, as well. And while you're at it, have yourself a great weekend!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 10/21

 How is it that 19 years seems like the blink of an eye?

The fact that it turned cool, windy, and wet around here the past few days actually caused me to have a very strange moment of deja vu yesterday. I was standing next to the big window in the front of the station, taking a break from staring at a computer screen by watching the cars go by and listening to the very unique sound that comes through the window when they drive by. I don't know what the window is made of, but when a car drives by on a wet day it makes a sound that's almost like a “swoosh”, if that make any sense.

Not that that matters. I apparently haven't heard that sound for quite a while, because when I heard it yesterday I immediately flashed back to the first time I heard it, which was also an October day, although this time back in 2002. And that's when it struck me--

It's been 19 years since I started working in this building.

I first heard the sound in October 2002 when our late founder Joe Blake decided that it was time to move from the drafty, dusty, yucky place we had in Ishpeming to a newer, more computer-friendly building in Marquette. I was the first person to start working here, if only because I had to get all kinds of work done on our new computer system before the real computer experts showed up. Since I still had all the stuff I was doing at the old station occupying my days I would come down here at night or on the weekends to work. And since during those times there was no other noise competing for my attention, that's when I first heard the “swoosh” of tires on wet pavement through the front window.

Nineteen years ago.

It's funny; right about the time I realized I first heard that sound 19 years ago I came across a meme on social media that said something along the lines of “I'm not comfortable with the fact that 20 years ago was 2001 and not the 1980s”. That's basically the same reaction I had when hearing the “swoosh” and figuring out how long ago it was I first heard it. It does not seem like 2002 was 19 years ago. It seems, at least to me, that it was five or six or, at the most, ten years ago.

But twice that? Sigh...despite what a great British philosopher said ll those years ago, time is NOT on our side.

I don't think I'll be working here in another 19 years. Heck, I don't even know if radio as it currently exists will be around in another 19 years. But if for some strange reason I find myself in the window of this building in 2040 and I hear that “swooshing” sound from passing cars or hover-cars or whatever we're driving them, you can be sure the first thought going through my head will be...

“There's no way it's been 19 years since I remembered hearing that sound back in 2021”.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 10/20

It all started because I needed to dig something out of my backpack.

Let's review, shall we? I had an idea for a blog this past Friday, and promptly forgot about it. I spent the weekend trying to remember what that idea was, to no avail. Then the idea finally reappeared to me Monday night, after which I had no time to write about it, because I had to shoot three segment of the TV show I host yesterday.

That brings us to now. What was the blog topic that's been taking up waaaaay too much space in my brain the past few days? Well, it came to me when I had to dig through my backpack to find something Friday, and I discovered I had three masks buried deep within the folds of my bag.

So the topic was (or is) just how many masks do we have lying around and don't even know about?

I know; I myself am trying to decide if the topic is worthy of all the brainpower I've devoted to it the past five days. But that's neither here nor there. It's the topic that (almost) drove me insane, and it is a valid one. In the past year and a half just how many masks HAVE we accumulated, whether it's in a purse or car glove compartment or in jacket pockets or, as in my case, a backpack? I'd venture to guess that the number's probably a bit higher than one would think.

Especially since, in the Before Times, we never would have thought about accumulating masks like we do gum wrappers or pocket fuzz.

And it's not just finding our own masks everywhere we look. If you spend as much time walking as I do you'll notice all kinds of discarded and/or lost masks floating around on the streets or in the drains. If I wanted to be snarky, I could make the claim that old masks have become the new cigarette butts, as least as far as street trash goes, and I probably wouldn't be wrong.

Like I said, they're everywhere you look.

So if you get bored, take a look through your jackets and purses and backpacks and glove compartments. Figure out how many old and long-forgotten masks you have in there. That way, maybe some of the brain power I've devoted to the subject the past five days would not have been in vain.

Because, you know, I are an idiot for not remembering it in the first place.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 10/19

I remembered what it was.

As you recall, I spent a good chunk of the weekend trying to remember a blog topic I came up with while running around on Friday. I thought it was something relatable, a topic upon which everyone might have an opinion. And now that I've remembered what it was I still think so.

However...I have three segments of “High School Bowl” to shoot coming up in (looking at a clock) a half an hour. I won't be able to write about it today, so you don't mind waiting until tomorrow to find out what it was, do you?

I appreciate it. But if you want a little tease, look around your house, in your purse, in your backpack, and in your glove compartment. You might be surprised (or shaking your head in disbelief) in what you might see in any or all of those places.

Like I said, more tomorrow. Now, I'm off to shoot the first half of the third “High School Bowl” and all of the fourth!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 10/18

Okay. This is really irritating.

Friday afternoon when I rushing around trying to get a thousand things done at work I had an idea for a blog pop into my head. As I remember it it was a really good idea; something that I could expand upon and something to which a lot of people could relate. That was about 1 pm Friday.

By 130 pm Friday, I had totally forgotten what I was going to write about.

That, of course, meant I spent the entire weekend wracking my brain, trying to remember what that really good idea was. Alas, though, it was to no avail. If I was a normal person I could've put it aside and used my weekend for its intended purpose—relaxing and not worrying about work.

But, of course, when I have I ever been normal?

I remember the idea had something to do with either the number of something most people have or how often a person does something. That's why I thought it would be relatable; whatever the idea was was something most of us have to deal with. I tried thinking of every obscure little fact that had been added to my brain, but couldn't come up with it. I even went back to work and re-traced my steps and actions when I came up with the idea.

Sadly, that didn't work. And just as an aside, how come I can remember obscure little facts that pop into my head and NOT the topic about which I was going write? Sometimes, I amaze even myself. But as always, it's hardly ever in a good way.

I have no idea if I'll ever remember what the blog was supposed to be about. I do, though, have the feeling that I ever recall the topic it'll be at 4 in the morning, jolting me out of a sound sleep. After all, that's how things work, at least in my little pea brain.

So instead of what I had originally intended to write you find yourself lucky enough to cruise through this babble. I'm sorry; if I had an actual brain instead of the blob of matter that resides in my skull, that would have been different. But keep this day in the back of your (functioning) brain, and in a few weeks or months or years if I actually DO remember the topic about which I wanted to write, you can mentally head back to this entry and say to yourself (or say out loud)--

“Took you long enough to remember it”

Sigh...

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 10/15

I never really thought about it, but you know what? I don't have a lot of “stuff”.

One of my favorite George Carlin routines ever is about “stuff”--getting stuff, finding a place to put your stuff, and doing stuff with your stuff. But as I was running this morning I came to realize that for as much as I like that routine I really don't live it very well, if only because I don't have a lot of “stuff”.

Oops. My bad.

I spent part of my run doing something I often do, and that's letting my mind wander. And where it wandered was, to say the least, an interesting place. I actually spent part of my run trying to figure out what I have that might be worth something to other people if I should unexpectedly vanish off the face of the Earth. And it struck me, not for the first time, that I don't have a lot of “stuff”. Or at least I don't have a lot of stuff that people might consider as “stuff”. I don't have expensive toys, or expensive jewelry, or expensive pieces of property to leave someone. I'm not surprised; after all, I've never really cared about “stuff”, but it made me think.

And as we all know, that can be a dangerous thing.

Thinking about it, I realize that I don't accumulate “stuff” as much as I accumulate something much more ephemeral. I accumulate memories, and I accumulate experiences. I write. I take pictures and make videos. I give tours & programs. I do TV shows. And I travel. Or, at least I traveled when I could back in the Before Times. Apparently, I don't keep score in the traditional way, with a bigger car, a bigger house, and a bigger collection of “stuff”. Instead, I just look back on what I've done so far, and what I still want to do.

When I was young(er), I always wanted to have a lifestyle that was a bit out of the ordinary. Little did I know that I'd actually be able to, without even realizing it, do exactly that.

Weird how that works out, huh?

So I suppose I should apologize in advance to anyone who might materially benefit from my untimely death. You're not gonna get much. But what I hope I could pass along is this—you don't need a lot of “stuff” to live a happy, creative, and productive life. You don't need to accumulate everything you possibly can to leave your mark or to leave a legacy. I'm keeping my fingers crossed I can be a living example of that.

And a living example, I should point out, that hopefully has a lot more years of living--and experiences-- left.

Have yourself a great weekend!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 10/14

 Now I'm kind of embarrassed.

We've been shooting episodes of “High School Bowl” left and right and, as we've done for the seven years I've hosted the show, we have an interview segment in the middle of things. On one of the episodes we shot Tuesday I chatted with a young lady from Norway who wanted to live in the world of a certain Broadway musical. I made a joke afterwards, she laughed and answered the way I thought she would, and it wasn't until I woke up in the middle of the night last night that I realized I had made a big mistake.

Oops.

The student wanted to live in the world of the musical “Heathers”, based on the 90s movie about a group of girls. The joke I made (and she answered) was actually about the film “Mean Girls”, another movie about a group of girls but nothing at all like “Heathers”. So I, once again, despite my supposed mastery of pop culture, blew it big time, and this time on TV.

As I always say, some days I amaze even myself. And usually not in a good way.

I think I mentioned a habit of mine off-handedly yesterday, about sometimes trying to shoehorn a joke in where a joke may not fit. This might very well be one of those instances; I could've just let her answer stand, and this all would have been avoided. But no...I had to go for the laugh, and look what I did.

I are a genius, apparently.

Now, I realize that 98% of the people watching the show either won't know I goofed or care that I goofed. And I'm thankful for that. But I know I made a mistake, and it was a mistake that could have been easily avoided if, you know, I had actually thought about it. But nope...

I didn't know the difference between “Heathers” and “Mean Girls”. For that, I will now go in the corner and feel shame.

Really, I will.

*****

However, before I go into that corner and feel shame, I do have to wish one of the sweetest people in the history of sweet people a happy birthday! My niece Mallory (the one whose bookmark I take to Europe with me every time I go (at least when I'm able to go)) turns another year older today, and in keeping with family tradition really isn't planning much in the way of a celebration. However, she was kind enough to share some raspberry cheesecake bars with me yesterday as a way of marking the event, and I do appreciate that.

Happy birthday Mallory!!!!!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 10/13

 There are a ton of them in France. I wonder why there aren't any in the U.S.?

Because we haven't been able to travel anywhere outside of the US since (gasp) last decade I've been going through a couple of our trip blogs recently. And there was one that actually made me think, not because of the garbled syntax or the horrid attempts at trying to shoehorn in a joke where a joke probably doesn't totally fit.

What made me think? Well, in one of those blogs, I made the off-handed comment that you can't drive around Normandy without running into a memorial to the Americans who fought and died there during World War II. The exact phrase, in fact, was “you can't swing a dead cat without running into a memorial”. And it's true—everywhere you go, not only in Normandy but in most areas of France, you'll find a statue or a monument or a flagpole to a certain division or company that fought in that particular area. It's not surprising; after all, tens of thousands of Americans died liberating the land, and the French just want to show their appreciation.

That's fine.

And that's why a statistic I saw a few days ago made me scratch my head. In this country's very first war—The Revolutionary War—our biggest ally was France. In fact, over 7,000 French soldiers died in North America giving the U.S. its independence. Yet, as far as I know (and I could be wrong) there is not a national memorial to honor the sacrifices those soldiers made in liberating this country. The French have their memorials to Americans who fought in World War II, but we don't seem to have any memorials to the French who fought in the Revolutionary War.

I hope I'm wrong about that. I hope that someone drops me a note and lets me know that there is a memorial, even if it's in a little town somewhere in, say, Massachusetts. Then I will withdraw my complaint and admit to the world that I was wrong about something (because, as we all know, THAT never happens). But I have a feeling that there isn't one around. It might be because it was 245 years ago and any memorials have crumbled into dust. It might be that Americans don't even realize it or don't care.

I just think I know what the answer is.

Hopefully, I'm wrong. Hopefully, someone sets me straight. But if I'm not wrong and there isn't a memorial to the French soldiers who died on American soil, shouldn't there be? I mean, there are monuments galore in France to the Americans who fought and died there. Shouldn't we, at the very least, return the favor and thank THEM for helping us become a country?

Just one of the things you start wondering about when you haven't been able to go anywhere for a bit...

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 10/12

 What is it with men these days?

You've probably uttered that on occasion recently. I know I sure have, and (last time I checked) I'm a man myself. But there's been an explosion of something I've noticed in the past year or so, all of which can be blamed on men. What is that, you ask? Well, I answer--

Just what is it with men and (incredibly) loud cars & trucks?

I'm being serious about this. I walk everywhere, and I live on a very busy city street. In the past year (maybe two) there's been an exponential increase of vehicles on the road either without mufflers or with some kind of noise enhancement doo-hickey on it. I always thought that was against the law—although that law could have changed—but it seems like every time I'm out or even every time I sit down to work on something in our living room I hear an insanely loud vehicle a few feet away from me.

And trust me—those vehicles are a joy to be around.

I'm not quite sure WHY someone would do that to a vehicle, unless they have a desire to be a pest to the general population and/or prove to everyone that they have a small...piston rod. But vehicles like that are everywhere you look (or walk) these days. And like I said—every single one of them I've come across the past year or so—and that's been a LOT—has been piloted by a guy. Sometimes there's a woman in the passenger seat. More often than not, the dude's alone in the vehicle. But whenever there's a loud vehicle there's a guy present.

As I said before, what is it with men these days? I mean, this is just me speaking, and I may be missing the whole point of car-casting your presence to the entire world. But what makes you think the rest of the world wants to hear how loud your car or truck is? Do you think the 99.9 percent of us woke up this morning and thought to ourselves “You know, I wonder how loud (fill in the blank) can get their car today?”

Let me give you a hint—I really don't think we DO wanna how loud your vehicle can get. So if it's at all possible, do you think you could either a). show a little common courtesy, or 2) use the money you'd spend on a noise enhancement doo-hickey and maybe, I dunno, buy the rest of us earplugs?

We, the general public, would appreciate it.

Thank you.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 10/11

I wonder how much money I could make doing even just one day a week?

Loraine and I had our usual Saturday this past weekend, albeit one where the temperatures were in the 70s in the middle of October.  We ran out to the Kaufman Sports Complex to kick a soccer ball around for an hour and a half, and then came back downtown to clean up and grab some lunch.  This was around 2, so it was way past a traditional "lunch hour".  Now, I don't know if was because the weather was nice and everyone was out enjoying it or if there was something going on in Marquette we didn't know about, but every place we stopped into and every place we called for takeout said they were filled up.

We ended up waiting until late afternoon and getting a couple of pizzas from Smelted, a truck parked at Blackrocks Brewery near where live.  But, I guess, such is life in 2021 Marquette.

As we all know and as most of us have experienced, there is a labor shortage these days, especially at restaurants.  Every single restaurant in Marquette has "help wanted" signs, some offering quite a bit more in the way of pay than food establishments used to.  Almost everyone is looking for experienced line cooks, and that's what got me to wonder how much money I could make doing it.  Admittedly, I have no experience in being a line cook, but I'd like to think I'm a quick learner and I'd like to think that I do know how to cook.

So if I ever need a fourth side gig, I'm guessing I could probably land one without too much effort.

Thinking about it, though, I realize that there are two other reasons why Loraine and I couldn't get lunch on Saturday.  One is because of the massive influx of people visiting the city in the past two years.  Last year everyone came to Marquette because it was one of the few places (relatvely) untouched by the pandemic that tourists could visit in Michigan.  And then this year the masses (and then some) continued to swarm into Marquette, even in mid-October.  All these visitors need someplace to eat, which has the unfortunate side effect of kind of crowding those of us who live here out.

And that, in a way, is connected to the other reason that popped into my head.  Despite the fact that downtown Marquette is home to amazing restaurants left and right, there aren't as many as there used to be.  I mean, think of five or six years ago when places like Upfront or the Marq or the Third Street Border Grill (& the Third Street Jimmy John's) were around.  They're not any more.  Plus, the New York Deli (one of our favorites) shut down a few weeks ago ahead of moving to a bigger location.  If any of those places were still around they'd be able to soak up some of the excess demand that's exploded among diners over the past few years.

I know that finding workers in the food service industry is almost impossible these days.  But if you could, having a few more new downtown restaurants open would, at least to me, seem to be a surefire money maker.

I don't write this to complain; I really do feel for not only the owners of restaurants these days, but also for the overtaxed and overstressed people who work in them.  Every single person to whom I spoke Saturday seemed almost apologetic about not being able to squeeze us in, even for takeout.  And it's not their fault, which is something I hope I got across to them after they were forced to say "no".  It's just a sign of the times, a sign of one of those periodic transformations in the way we live our lives.

Whether or not it'll be a good change is something that only time will tell.  But, if I ever need a few extra dollars or want to add "chef" to the list of garbage collector, astronaut, and media dork that I spoke of Friday, I know that I probably won't have to search very hard to make it a reality.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 10/8

Garbage collector, astronaut, and what I'm doing now. That's pretty much it.

Believe it or not I had someone at one of the Rotary meetings I've been making presentation to comment on that "Word on the Street" profile  of me that came out a few years ago. In all honesty, I had kind of forgotten about it. And when I did remember it it seemed like it came out a lifetime ago.

But apparently one person remembered it better than I.

Anyway, in that profile I came out of the closet as a lifelong space nerd, something that's no surprise to those of you who read these yet an apparent shock to some people. And because of that the person who brought up the interview wanted to know if I ever wanted to become an astronaut. After I got done laughing and saying “duh” to myself 28 and a half times, I started to to think. And as we all know, that can be a dangerous thing.

Did you know I only wanted to be three things in my life? It's true, which means I'm either the luckiest person on the face of the Earth or I really need to work on getting a little ambition into my life. I'll let you decide which it is.

According to my parents, when I was a real little kid I wanted to be a garbage collector. I was apparently transfixed by both the trucks that they used and the noise those trucks made. My mom, especially, says I would wait and look out the window in the morning when the garbage truck was scheduled to come, and then be all happy when they stopped and collected the trash. For the first five or six years of my life that's all I ever wanted to be.

Then I discovered space.

I probably spent, oh, the next decade or so wondering if I could become an astronaut...which, if I have to admit, is probably still a dream of mine. I know it probably won't happen, but if anyone has an extra quarter million bucks lying around and wants to buy me a ticket for one of Virgin Galactic or Blue Origin's suborbital flights, I wouldn't complain.

Really, I wouldn't.

What made me realize that I probably would never become an astronaut? Well, to be totally honest, it was math. Even today, when mission specialists and non-pilot astronauts abound, you still need to be smart. You need to be good at certain things like physics or biology or (ugh) math. You need to have a skill set that makes it worthwhile to send you up into orbit. And I don't have that sort of skill set.

Unless, you know, they need someone to be really sarcastic on the International Space Station for a few weeks. Then I might be at the head of the line.

So that brings us to the final of three things I wanted to be when I was growing up. I loved the media. When I was a kid I would take a radio at night and listen to clear channel AM stations throughout the country. I would be fascinated by TV shows, and how they're put together. And when I realized that my one true skill set in life—not math, not athletics, not being able to put a car together while blindfolded—was being able to get up in front of a microphone or a camera and perform, I was set.

And all these years later, I haven't had to pick out a fourth career choice.

Everything I'm doing now—radio, TV, history—all comes from that one skill set. It comes from me talking and me performing. And considering that I was a really shy kid, it's kind of astounding, when you come to think of it. I would've put good money on a bet that the 9-year old me would not have grown up to do what the adult me does. And there's not one point at which I can pinpoint the change from shy kid to “Jim Koski, Media Wh*re”; it just kind of happened over a couple of years, and before I knew it I could talk without thinking and work a crowd (perhaps my one REAL skill) like a pro.

Who knew?

So there you go. Yes, I DID want to become an astronaut. I just wasn't smart enough, just like I probably wasn't mechanically inclined enough to become a master garbage collector, either. It's a good thing that performing requires neither brains or muscle. That way, I'll (hopefully) never have to make that fourth career choice!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 10/7

 Three. There are three Rotary Clubs in Marquette, if you're curious.

As I had mentioned yesterday I made a presentation to a second Rotary Club in Marquette in as many weeks. I was actually a fill-in speaker, as their original speaker didn't make it, and seeing as how I had made the presentation to a first Marquette Rotary Club the week before, it was a breeze.

Now, how long until the THIRD Rotary Club wants to hear it, too?

8-)

The talk is one I've given several times this year, on exactly how Marquette has changed over the past 50 years. You see, it's kind of apt, because 50 years ago this December the last shipment of iron ore went out of Lower Harbor. For half a century now Dock #6 has sat silent, and that half century has seen a profound change in Marquette. No longer is it a dirty, grungy industrial city.   Now, it's a home to arts, education, medicine, and bike paths.

Lots and lots of bike paths, almost all of which were made possible because the train lines that ran through “old” Marquette made a perfect bed for them.

Just a few of ways the “old” Marquette has been radically transformed over the past half century? Well, the Coal Yard is no longer here. It went from this--

To this--

The old Roundhouse property went from this--

To this--

And so on, and so on. The transformation continues even today, as two old coal fired power plants are coming down in favor of beaches and other uses. It's a point I try to make in the presentation—Marquette has changed several times over the 172 years it's been around, but (at least in my opinion) the change has been the most profound in the past half century, during the lifetimes of most of us.

And if those pictures don't prove it, I don't know what does.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 10/6

 Yay, no one died. And that's always a good thing when you're doing a TV show.

8-)

The first half of the first episode of “High School Bowl” is now in the books. And if you don't believe me believe the slate on the studio monitor--

It actually went surprisingly well yesterday morning; everyone (including the dorky host) fell into the routine quickly, the new set worked amazingly well, and the audience (hi, mom & dad!!) were enthusiastic clappers. In fact, the only surprise, if you can even call it that, was that because I'm six feet away from everyone else I didn't have to wear a mask on camera.

Good thing I shaved before the show, huh?

That was the first half of the first show; next week, we shoot the second half of that show and the second half of the third show. We don't shoot the first half of the third show until, I dunno, 2023. And the first half of the second show?

Hopefully we'll get to that before I retire from hosting.

I joke about that, of course. We'll actually get to all segments of the first five shows before the end of October, even if we're shooting them (way) out of order. You shouldn't notice a thing, especially on Saturday, November 6^th, when the 43^rd season premiere of “High School Bowl” hits the airwaves.

Hopefully.

*****

On that note, I have to get to work early, if only because I'm leaving for a bit to be a fill-in speaker at my second Rotary Club meeting in two weeks. Apparently people at Marquette's many Rotary Clubs enjoy hearing about what the city was like 50 years ago. Either that, or I'm the only person who actually said “yes” in enough time.

I'll ask today and report back.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 10/5

 It's actually happening. For the first time in 21 months we actually get to shoot a TV show today.

Actually, technically, we shooting half of a TV show today. But that's not the point. In just an hour or so I'll be gathering with eight of the brightest young people on the planet to shoot the first half of the first episode of season 43 of “High School Bowl” on WNMU TV.

It's been a long time coming. And we can't wait.

Maybe it's a good thing we're only shooting half an episode today; after all, we haven't done it in 21 months, we have an all-new student crew and, as I mentioned yesterday, we have an all new set.

Wanna see it?

That's right--”High School Bowl” is finally entering the 21^st century. Gone are the set walls with the gray carpeting from the 1980s, replaced by LED lighting and actual video monitors. It looks even cooler on-screen than in the phone picture I took, so I can't wait to see what people think.

We're also expanding our reach this year. The Michigan Learning Channel, which feeds educational programming to every public TV station in the state, has picked up our little program for distribution. That means every person in Michigan can watch the show and shake their heads in wonder and/or confusion as they try to figure out just what in the heck a “Copper Country Death Match” is.

I think that's really cool.

I suppose I should stop now, as I need to get into the clothes I picked out this past weekend and get ready to head over there. After all, we get to do TV for the first time in 21 months today. Details tomorrow!!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 10/4

 Oh...what to wear. What to wear?

TV Jim has a problem that Radio Jim never has to worry about, and that's making sure I look good. Or, at least, look presentable, seeing as how I'm not quite sure that I can ever look good. When I'm just Radio Jim I can dress however I want, assuming that the clothes I choose don't have too many holes in them and are reasonably wrinkle free.

TV Jim? Not so much.

I bring this up because one of my projects the past weekend was to finalizing what I'm gonna wear this year on “High School Bowl”. We start taping the first show tomorrow, and as I've mentioned we're shooting the first few weeks in different segments, so I had to make sure everything (including what color mask to wear so it matches my tie for the week) was on point so I know which clothes to bring for which taping.

Because, for several of the weeks coming up I have to bring different sets of clothes and change them between segments.

A normal job doesn't really require that.

8-)

So here's what I did. I figured out what I have in my closet, and what I've been thinking of picking up for future use. I then (and don't laugh here) write down all the combinations on 3x5 cards. I stare at the 3x5 cards for a while, and then start to move them around, until I think I have a schedule that varies color & texture throughout the season. Then I write down which sets I needed on which dates

Once again, just let me say that a normal job doesn't require that.

There's actually no reason to do all that. I mean, I could probably wear the same clothes on the show for three weeks in a row and no one would notice. That way I wouldn't have to change clothes in the middle of a taping. There's no reason for me to go through all this effort, and yet all that effort has been gone through.

It's not easy being me. Really, it isn't.

Anyway, I seem to have worked out all the kinks, and think I know what I'm wearing each week of the show this year and which clothes to bring during which weeks. Of course, if this is like years past, I'll end up buying something halfway through the year and want to wear it as soon as possible, thereby throwing my system all out of whack. But if that happens, I'll just do what I always do...haul the 3x5 cards out again, and start the whole thing over.

Yes, I'm a dork. What's your point?

****

Like I said tomorrow we tape the first half (and only the first half) of the first show of the season, and we do it on a brand-new set! I'll share those pictures (and the story of how more people than ever will be able to watch the show) tomorrow.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 10/1

 Not that there was ever any doubt, but I guess I really AM a happy person!

I came across a list on a website a couple of days ago, a list of 10 items that may indicate you are, by nature, a happy person. Eight of them describe me perfectly, one doesn’t apply (yet), and I’m not totally certain about the tenth. The list?

1. You make good eye contact when you speak with someone.

2. You’re 95 years old, because happy people live the longest.

3. You’re kind, selfless, and empathetic

4. You’re distracted by things. Studies show that happy people are more easily distracted.

5. You’re generous and laid back.

6. You’re healthy.

7.You’re not addicted to anything.

8.You’re successful.

9.You have a lot to look forward to.

10. You’re very trusting of others.

Interesting, huh? Looking over the list I find that numbers 1,3,4,5,6,7,9, and 10 describe me perfectly to a “T”, I’m not the best person to judge if number 8 is accurate, and I still have quite a bit of time to deal with number two, although I am planning on living to be at least 100, so I guess we can put that one in the “pro” column, as well.

Cool!

I guess I’m lucky in that way, in that I’ve always been a glass half-full kind of person, and in that I’ve managed to find a life and lifestyle that seem to make me content. I know there are a ton of people out there who haven’t been able to do that; I feel incredibly fortunate that I’ve someone come out on the optimistic side of things. I don’t know if it’s because of background or temperament or brain chemistry (or any combination thereof), but I’m lucky. I like what I do. I like where I live. I truly like the people I hang out with. And even on those sucky winter days when it’s cold and windy and snowy and just generally crappy, I can take comfort that in a few months the sun will be out and I’ll be walking on a warm beach.

That’s a good thing, right?

I hope many of those ten items apply to you, as well, because everyone deserves to be happy in their lives. Oh sure, we may have setbacks along the way, and there may be stretches of time when things don’t exactly go the way we want them to, but everyone deserves a little happiness in their lives.

Everyone deserves to have at least 8 items on the list apply to them.

*****

Speaking of someone who deserves to have at least 8 items on that list apply to them, it's my sister's birthday Sunday! Mel's the hardest worker I know, so it wouldn't surprise me if she just kind of ignored the day while going about and doing 34,973 different things. But I hopes she stops long enough to realize that it's her big day over the weekend

So happy birthday!!

(jim@wmqt.com)