Monday, 10/31

Well, I made it, just under the wire. I managed to watch “It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” before Halloween actually occurred.

I'm so proud of myself.

For whatever reason over the past five or ten years I seem to have become a Halloween Scrooge, in that I don't dress up, I don't give out candy, I don't decorate, and I don't go to parties. In fact, the only Halloween tradition I do seem to still have is a yearly viewing of “Pumpkin” assuming, of course, I remember it's Halloween. And I can find the DVD. Well, I did find it, I popped it in, and I watched it, continuing my one Halloween tradition. Unless, of course, you count my saying the lines along with the cartoon characters as a tradition while Loraine laughs and/or rolls her eyes while sitting next to me and watching it. Then I have two traditions.

I say the lines along with the characters because I've seen the cartoon what...50 times in my life? And after you watch it that many times you tend to know what's coming up next. In fact, it's so bad that I bought a soundtrack CD for the show a couple of years ago. All it has it the background music as it's presented in the show. Listening to it the first time I was actually saying the lines as the music cues came through the speakers.

And if you think Loraine rolls her eyes when I do that while watching the cartoon, you should have seen her when I was doing it while listening to the CD!

But now that's done, and I might actually start a new one, as well. I have a UP ghost story ready to tell during “Life in the 906” on 19 News tonight, and who knows—if it goes over well, maybe I'll make it a yearly habit. After all, everyone likes to be scared on a day like today, right?

So there you go. Maybe I'm not quite as much of a Halloween Scrooge as I thought. So on that note, have yourself a great Halloween. If you dress up, I hope you win an award. If you give out candy, I hope you get hundreds of kids showing up (or just a few, if you enjoy eating all the left over chocolate you have). All in all, I just want to say--

Happy Pumpkin Day!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 10/28

Since I have to go back on TV (again) in a few minutes, just let me take this opportunity to unveil the picture that I'll be looking at at work until the next time I go somewhere. Of course, I asked everyone to vote on six possibilities earlier this week, and this is the one that came out on top.

So without further ado...the winner is--

The Spree River in Berlin early in the morning...with the added bonus of a sun flare in the shot.

Thanks for the votes. Have a great weekend. Try not to eat too much of the candy you're supposed to be giving away!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 10/27

Okay. So maybe they're not QUITE as good as I remember.

When I was a kid I loved Godzilla movies (explains a lot, doesn't it?). I would sometimes stay up late to see them, I bought a monster movie book once just because it had pictures of the creature, and I would always look forward to hearing the “rawr” and watching the cardboard buildings get the heck stomped out of them.

Don't look at me like that. You already knew I was a weird kid.

Anyway, a cable channel is featuring Godzilla movies this month. They're showing each and every movie Toho made featuring the creature from 1955 to 1976, the films I watched as a kid, so I figured I'd DVR them and see if they live up to how I remember them as a kid.

Spoiler alert—with the exception of one, they don't.

That one would be the original Japanese version of the tale, “Gojira”. That's the film they cut Raymond Burr into for the first US release of “Godzilla, King of the Monsters”. I've seen the movie many times; I even have a Blu-ray with both versions of the film. And the original is a harrowing, atmospherically black & white allegory of the dangers of nuclear war, perhaps not surprising considering Japan was just a decade past having had two atomic bombs dropped on them. Even the Americanized version of the film still holds on to some of the power of the original.

So that one still holds up.

The rest, though? Not so much. As the years advanced and Godzilla was made more and more human-like, the series devolved into a formula piece, where you knew that Godzilla would make X number of appearances throughout the film, stomp a building or two, and then would be joined by one or two other monsters, ending in a fight that made even pro wrestling seem unscripted by comparison.

That was especially true in a movie they showed last weekend, “Invasion of the Astro Monster”. I remember loving the Americanized version of it, “Godzilla vs Monster Zero”, almost as much as the original. But upon viewing it in bits & pieces over the past few nights my fond memories turned into thoughts that I must've been drunk when I watched it, even though I don't drink and even though I was probably eight the first time I saw it. The plot made no sense, the characters made no sense, and even Godzilla was in an alien-induced coma for most of the film. Loraine walked into the living room while I was watching it, caught a few seconds, and said (and I'm quoting here) “This isn't a very good movie, is it”.

And I found it very hard to disagree.

So while I'll always have fond memories of watching Godzilla movies as a kid, the adult version of me now realizes that there wasn't really that much to recommend those fond memories. But I'll always still love “Gojira”, and no matter what, seeing a guy in a rubber suit stomp over a cardboard version of a skyscraper—no matter how badly produced or how formulaic--will still always bring a nostalgic smile to my face.

(jim@wmqt.com)

(ps—One more day to vote for which picture appears on my computer desktop. Scroll down to Tuesday's entries for the choices if you're interested!)

Wednesday, 10/26

Yes, I'm insane. What's your point?

Over the past weeks I've had several people ask when I sleep, seeing as how I have a full-time radio job and two different weekly TV gigs that require a lot of preparation and/or writing. So I guess it's s fair question, although, in all honesty I love what I'm doing and it really doesn't seem like work.

But that's not the point. If the people who asked me when I have time to sleep also knew that, aside from my radio & TV jobs, I've received my History Center assignments for next year, then they'd think that I've REALLY gone over the edge.

But maybe I'm not quite insane. Not yet.

Here's what it looks like I'm doing next year (and keep in mind that this is on top of a full-time radio job and two different TV gigs that require a lot of preparation and/or writing)--

January—Kaufman show with my pal Jack called “Lights, Camera, Marquette” that features old movies (from the 1920s) of Marquette. Lots of video editing there.

March—The possibility of my long-gestating “The Greasier the Spoon” documentary having its debut. That means that I would actually have to, you know, finish shooting it and putting it together.

July—A “Burn, Baby, Burn: The Infernos of Downtown Marquette” walking tour.

September—A stand-up comedy/history show, tied in with Beer Week in Marquette, about bars and the stupid things people do while drunk (because, if you're not aware, people do stupid things while drunk. Really, they do)

Add into that another season (sometime) of my “Pieces of the Past” video series and, oh, four or five newspaper articles, and...

Well, now that I think about it, maybe I AM insane. If nothing else, we'll find out by the end of 2023, won't we? But the cool thing is I really enjoy doing all of this, and it's not like I'm dreading tackling any of the projects. In fact, I'm really looking forward to most (if not all) of them. The only problem—and I'm not sure yet if this will be a problem—is trying to find the time to (properly) put together everything on a timely (and tight) schedule. We'll just have to see.

And besides, if I need them, I always have the seven or eight hours I should be in bed, right? If people are wondering where I get the time now, maybe they should look at my schedule for next year.

Then the questions might really begin.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

(ps—don't forget to vote for the picture that adorns my computer desktop for the foreseeable future. Scroll down for details and the pictures!)

Tuesday, 10/25

I almost forgot about this.

Oops.

Every year when we come back from Europe I ask for your opinion on which of the pictures I took should become my work desktop shot for the upcoming year. And since we're in the process of getting new computers, this takes on added important (and, sadly, explains why I forgot all about it).

So here's the deal—I've chosen six shots I took while in Germany earlier this month. I've chosen these ones because (at least to me) they're pretty good, represent what we saw over there, and won't drive me insane looking at them the next 10 months to seven years, the timeline we've set for ourselves trying to go back again.

Look at each of the pictures, and decide which one you think I should have on my desktop. I'll be taking votes through Friday, and then announce the picture that you've decided I should be staring at for the foreseeable future. The choices?

The Spree River in Berlin--

The daily market in Leipzig--

Some of the yummy stuff you can buy at the daily market in Leipzig--

Clara Zetkin Park in Leipzig--

The Johannapark in Leipzig--

Or the Tiergarten in Berlin--

The choice is yours, and unlike some people these days, I will trust the results of the vote and honor it. So if you're reading this before Friday, let me know your choice.

Thanks!!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 10/24

You know how Marquette County was built on the mining of natural resources? How even today we have working iron ore & nickel mines? Well, I have another natural resource Marquette County could export, if we so choose--

Goose poop.

Okay; I realize that there may not be much of a market for goose crap out there, but we sure seem to have a surplus of it everywhere. And this year, for some reason, it seems to be even worse. You can walk anywhere along Marquette's lake shore bike path, and spend most of your time dodging those little pieces of, uhm, stuff. And forget about trying to play soccer in Marquette's Lower Harbor Park or at NMU's practice field out by the Dome. For the last few weekends, when Loraine & I went out to do just that, we ended up having to wipe off the balls with sanitizer wipes after playing, and a few days later STILL have dried up goose crap stuck in our shoes.

It's glorious. It really is.

Marquette's had goose problems before. That's to be expected when you live on a huge lake (with lots of little ponds around) underneath a goose migration path. So we've had to deal with goose waste before. But as I previously mentioned, I don't think I've ever seen as much crap lying around as I have this fall. I don't know if there are just simply more geese using Marquette as a roadside rest area, or if the poop just hasn't been cleaned up as much as before, but it seems like it's everywhere.

It's a crappy situation to have.

If you don't believe me, just go down to Lower Harbor Park. It looks all nice & green and like a fun place to play. But as soon as you start walking on the grass, look down. Do it for two reasons—one, to be amazed at how almost every single inch of that nice green grass is actually nice & green because that's the color of the goose stuff covering it. And also do it so you don't spend the next ten minutes trying to get goose poop out of your shoes which, trust me, is an exercise in futility.

You know what? On second thought, DON'T go down to Lower Harbor Park. I like you guys too much to subject you to that crap. Maybe wait until, I dunno, spring. Maybe it'll be gone by then.

Like I said, I wish I knew why there's an marked increase in goose poop around Marquette this year. I wish it would go away; however, I have the feeling it's only going to get worse. That's why it would be nice if there was a market for it somewhere, maybe as fertilizer. Not only would it continue Marquette County's legacy as a provider of natural resources, but it would also allow those of us who like to play outside with a chance to do so, free of shoes that still carry a reminder of the bird's legacies days after the event.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 10/21

Because I have to go play TV dork for “High School Bowl” in a few minutes, and because I've had a few people ask exactly what it was that I said during my latest segment of “Life in the 906”, here it is.

Have a great weekend. Back with a question for you on Monday!

*****

(as originally aired on WZMQ 19 News 10/17/22)

I was speaking with a friend a couple of days ago, and she was telling me she’s planning on dressing as a Yooper for a Halloween party.  I asked her, “what kind of Yooper”, and that’s when she just stared at me.

Now, I’m pretty sure that she meant she’ll be dressing as the stereotypical Yooper who wears plaid, lives for deer season, and can take a snowmobile apart blindfolded.  

But I thought I had a legitimate question.  After all, 300,000 of us call the UP home, and we’re not all alike, are we?

I once had a conversation with a guy from Champion, where I was told that even though I was born in Marquette and still live here, that I’m not a Yooper.  Because I dress a certain way and vote a certain way, because I ride a bike instead of a four wheeler, and because I live in a place with sidewalks, in his eyes I’m not a Yooper.  I’m a “city boy”.

At the time it made me laugh, but since then that conversation has stuck in my head.  What exactly makes someone a “Yooper”?  I’m sure there are some who would only consider the deer-camp version of a Yooper a “Yooper”.  But you know what?  That’s leaving out the vast majority of us.  Not every Yooper is a “Yooper”. 

I know people in the UP who CAN take a snowmobile apart blindfolded.  But I also know people in the UP who are amazing artists.

I know people in the UP who are iron ore miners, but I also know people in the UP who can write the most complex computer code.

I know people in the UP who bag their buck on day one, but I also know people in the UP who are world-renowned experts on black holes.

The point is…there is not one monolithic definition of a Yooper.  All of these people I’ve mentioned, and everyone else who calls this amazing place home, no matter where they live or how they live, can stake their claim to the title.

Because in the end, no matter how you define it, the one thing that we have in common…

Is that we’re ALL Yoopers.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 10/20

Well, it’s nice to know that some people are watching.

I did my third “Life in the 906” segment on 19 News Monday night.  As with everything I do, I have no idea if people are paying attention.  One of the things about working in media– especially live media–is you do it, people either watch or don’t watch, and you move on to the next thing.  It’s not like, say, writing a book and then seeing it in stores over the next few months, gauging sales by how big (or small) the stack becomes.

TV (& radio) are a little different than that.

So it’s kind of nice to get emails or social media messages or even get stopped by people in the street, all wanting to talk about something you did or something you said.  And that’s why the emails and social media messages and the very wet gentleman who stopped me on the way home from work last night, wanting to talk about the segment I did Monday, all add up to one awesome thought.

Wow.  People are actually watching.  And, apparently, they’re liking what they see.

When I agreed to do these weekly segments I had no idea if anyone would care or if anyone would watch.  Three weeks into it, I can honestly say that that question has been answered.  From people coming up to me in the grocery store asking how to get the station over the air to the very wet gentleman last night it’s obvious that people are watching the newscast.  And for that, I’m glad, not only because everyone associated with it works quite hard to ensure it’s a quality product, but also because it gives viewers another option to learn about what’s going on in the UP.  

The more information options you have, the better it is, not only for the people watching but also for the country in which they live.  And it sure looks like we need a lot more of that these days.

So thanks to everyone for watching, and thanks to everyone who’s let me know that they’re enjoying what they’re seeing, even if it is just my little two minute bit on Monday nights.  Hopefully, it keeps getting better each and every week. 

And hopefully, more and more people keep watching it each and every week.

(jim@wmqt.com) 

Wednesday, 10/19:

 What a difference a couple of miles makes.

Monday I was writing about how people had started to wear winter clothing and insinuating that the weather forecast did not look good.  Well, I wasn't kidding; as of this morning, there were some places to the west of Marquette with 18 inches of snow on the ground, schools are finally starting to reopen, and "The Today Show" thought it so bad that they had to open Tuesday's broadcast from the middle of a snowy street in Negaunee.

So I can just imagine the reaction when I received several messages from people downstate asking if we were shut down, and sent them this picture in reply--

That was right outside the station yesterday afternoon, right in the middle of Snowmageddon for everyone else.  While everyone else was dealing with snow, snow, and more snow, we had nothing but rain and wind.  Oh, schools were closed because students coming into Marquette couldn't make it, but aside from a few errant flakes in the air we were snow free.

What we did have (aside from copious amounts of rain) was wind, and lots of it, howling off the very same lake that kept us snow free.  When I went running a few minutes ago I had to dodge downed branches half a dozen times and twice saw trees that had been knocked over.  Presque Isle is closed, not only so city officials see what kind of damage was caused, but also to keep people off of Black Rocks when there are strong winds and 20 foot waves.

That's right--people were at Black Rocks taking pictures during the storm even though two were swept to their death a few years ago during another event with strong winds and 20 foot waves.  You'd think they'd learn, but, apparently...

So if you're curious, we came through it without a scratch.  I can't say the same for everyone just a few miles away, but at least here in Marquette, I don't think the "Today Show" will be stopping by for a weather-related live broadcast any time soon.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 10/18

I'm having trouble remembering what day of the week it is.

Now, I'm sure those of you well-versed in being a smart aleck are at this moment shouting out something like “Jim, you're getting old. Pretty soon, you'll be forgetting where you put your teeth”, and the sad thing is you may be right. Add to that the fact that I've always had a problem remembering what day it is, and you wouldn't think it's be that big of a deal.

But it is.

Three times in the past week and a half I've had to figure out what day it is, and that's a bit of a surprise. After all, my life is rather regimented; I have to do certain things on certain days, and you think that would be ingrained in my brain. But it doesn't appear to be. Thankfully, I haven't missed being where I'm supposed to be, but the way things are going, you never know.

The strange thing is that I'm wondering if our trip to Europe is, at least partially, to blame. And lest you think I'm weird (okay, weirder than normal), let me explain. During the nine days we were traveling I didn't need to know what day of the week it was. It was blissful; I didn't know if it was Saturday or Monday or Wednesday. I just went where I was told, and I was able to zone out any thoughts of time or day.

But since getting back and having to zone IN any thoughts or time or day; well, that's when it's been a bit problematic. It's not ongoing, but like I said it's a pain when you have to ask someone what day of the week it is, and have to do that three or four times a week. You'd think I'd be back in the groove by now, but apparently I'm not. Is that the fault of those blissful nine days on the road? Is it the fault of (gulp) being on the on-ramp of starting to forget where I put my teeth? Or is it just a by-product of having so many things going on?

Never fear. I have the feeling that now the problem's been identified and talked through, that it'll slowly disappear. That's usually what happened what something strange occurs in my life. I write about it here, you guys act as my online shrink, and things work out.

So I appreciate it. I'd give you the $150 an hour a real shrink gets, but I have this gut feeling I'd forget to pay you. After all, that's how I roll these days.

(jim@wmqt.com) 

Monday, 10/17

Just how soon is too soon to break out the hats & mittens?

I'm not asking for myself; after all, as long as it's above freezing it's shorts weather for me. But it's been wet & cold here for, like, forever (or since, you know, last week). And yesterday afternoon I started seeing people walking down the street dressed up in winter gear—in heavy jackets, in hats, and in a couple of cases, mittens.

On October 16^th.

I won't get into whining about the weather again. I guess I do that enough, and I'm sure that you don't need to hear it from me again. But it's still mid October. Last year around this time, we had an 80-degree weekend, and wearing hats & mittens were among the furthest things from our minds. But because we were denied an Autumn this year (seriously—aside from it being 76 a week ago it's rarely been above the mid 50s for the past month or so, and now it's snowing away from Lake Superior) it's something we have to consider.

I don't in any way blame the people I saw wearing mittens & hats yesterday. For October (heck for most times of the year, save January & February) it was bone-numbingly cold. And when you add in the hypothermic rain, a rain that draws heat from your body, it was even worse. For many people, wearing hats & mittens was the only was they COULD go outside. But for me, at least, that didn't mitigate the shock of seeing people wear them.

On October 16^th.

Because I'm a masochist, I checked the National Weather Service's forecast for Marquette for the next week. Because I'm not a sadist I won't reprint it here. Let's just suffice it to say that I won't be surprised if I see more and more people don the apparel of winter at least for the next few days of October 2022. So if you haven't rummaged through your closet to find your hats & mittens, or if you haven't made it to your favorite stores to pick up new ones, you might want to think about doing it soon. No one will blame you.

Even if today is just October 17^th.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 10/14

Since I have to be at a TV studio in just a little bit I'm going to leave you with something I wrote four years ago, about a ritual I've done every since since starting to host “High School Bowl”. Only...

I haven't done it yet THIS year. Shall chaos reign? I guess we'll find out.

(jim@wmqt.com)

*****

(as originally posted 10/2/18)

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 (aside from trying to get Toto's “Rosanna” out of my head) was to figure out what I'm gonna wear this year on “High School Bowl”. We start taping the first show tomorrow, so I had to dive in with my annual ritual of deciding what gets worn when.

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

There is an actual reason for the ritual, believe it or not (I mean, aside from the fact that I'm a dork). I shoot 20 episodes of the show each year, and I wanna make sure that what I wear varies throughout the season. After all, I wouldn't want to wear black shirts or a gray jacket three or four weeks in a row, would I? Nope; I wanna mix things up, and make sure that each week I'm in a different color scheme.

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

So here's what I do. I figure 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.

Yes, I'm a... Oh, never mind.

There's actually no reason to do this. I mean, I could probably wear the same color on the show for three weeks in a row and no one would notice. There's no reason for me to go through all this effort, and yet for four seasons in a row I've done the exact same thing.

If nothing else, it's a pre-season ritual, right?

And if you think that's bad, I also have to add this into the equation. The last four shows of the previous season are always repeated right before the new year starts, so I have to remember what I wore on those shows, and make sure the outfits and/or color scheme aren't worn again until the middle of the new year. And that's the reason behind the 3x5 cards. If I discover a mistake on my part, I can just move the 3x5 card to another week, and hope that by doing that I'm not setting into motion a daisy chain that leads to a giant cascade failure of me standing in front of the cards yelling out something along the lines of “No...you can't have red AND red back to back”.

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. 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?

8-)

Thursday, 10/13

Wow. It's a good thing that I don't need to talk or anything for a living.

Oh, wait...

If you've been reading this for a long time, you may remember that every fall I seem to suffer from a small bout of hay fever. It's been going on since I was a teenager, but (or at least I thought) it seemed to have tapered off as I've been getting older (maybe one of the few good things about getting older). However, this year's bout with it seems to be one of the worst in a long time. I don't know if it's the ever-changing weather or the airplane and airport air from coming home a week ago or what, but it's bad.

If you were listening yesterday, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

I alternated between sounding like someone whose nostrils were plugged by cotton balls and a 12-year old boy hit by the first pangs of puberty. There were moments when I almost—almost--sounded like myself, but they were few and far apart. Even if you weren't a regular listener and had tuned in for just a few seconds, you might've had a thought along the lines of “there's just something not right with that boy”.

And you would've been correct. Or at least correct even more than usual.

Of course, the stupid thing is that I'm fine. I'm not sick, I'm not diseased, and I'm certainly not bedridden. I just have stuffed sinus cavities. So stuffed, in fact, that when I went running yesterday morning my teeth actually hurt from the gunk in my sinuses pressing down on them.

It was fun. But at least I could (kinda) speak. The worst of it was this past weekend, when my voice was a mess. It's getting better; now, I just hope that's it's back to full strength for tomorrow when I have to shoot a couple of episodes of “High School Bowl”.

So if I still sound like a wreck on the air today, remember that it's not the fault of your radio. Instead, it's the fault of a bunch of stuff sloshing around in my skull, stuff that I am doing my best to kick out for the season.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 10/12

You wouldn't think it would work...

But it does.

One of the things I looked forward to when we were finally able to go back to Europe for the first time in three and a half years was the opportunity to explore (and don't laugh here) new teas. Breakfast buffets have an amazing spread of different kinds of teas on them, and it's always fun to discover a flavor combination I've not yet come across this. This year's example?

That is a strawberry/mint Rooibos (red) tea. When I saw the tea pack I was delighted by the combination, but also not quite sure how it would work. Strawberry & mint together? But you know what? It does work. And I think that may be because of the Rooibos, a tea that doesn't have a strong flavor of its own but, much like tofu, takes on the taste of whatever it's mixed with.

And in this case it really works with the strawberry and the mint.

Of course, now that I've discovered how much I like it, I have a conundrum. Because I didn't discover it until later on in our trip I only “liberated” four or five extra bags of it from the buffet. So I don't have a big supply of it, and when checking with our favorite online store for food from Germany I noticed that they don't (for whatever reason) carry it.

So...what is a boy to do? Get as much enjoyment out of them while I can? Stretch them out over the months, savoring each bag like it was the last piece of ambrosia on the planet? Make another trip back to Germany with the expressed purpose of buying a few boxes?

As this point, all of those are valid options.

We'll see how it turns out. With any luck, I'll find someplace to buy it online. But if not, I have a decision to make. And if, for some strange reason, I write about going back to Germany right away, you'll know which choice I made.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 10/11

I laugh every time I hear the commercial.

We're running commercials right now for the new CBS station in Marquette, the one for whom I'm doing those weekly essays. Part of the commercials talk about their newscasts, and mention some of the contributors to it, including me. And it's what comes right before the mention of my name that makes me giggle.

The announcer says “Insight from people you trust”. Uhm...insight? Me? Are they sure they thought that through?

8-)

Yes, I know it's actually a compliment, but as you may have figured out over the years I don't really don't take compliments that well. Whenever I think of an insightful person, one might trust, I think of some wise old adult or some important person. I don't think of someone like me. So to be lumped into that group is a bit...strange. Or weird. Or disconcerted.

You choose whichever adjective you'd like.

It's strange especially because I've only done two of them so far, and can you REALLY judge insight on a sample size of just two? I mean, it's not like the topics upon which I've expounded were particularly deep or (more to the point) insightful, so...

I dunno. Like I said, I'm not the best person to judge whether or not I really do fit the “insight from people you trust” bill. I guess we'll just have to see. In the meantime, I can keep laughing every single time one of those spots hits the air.

If you'd like to see for yourself what I'm doing that's so "insightful", check out last night's newscast.  My drivel starts about 13 minutes in.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 10/8

The change of one word makes all the difference.

The inaugural “High School Bowl” taping of the season (my 8^th, and the 44^th overall for the show) went off with only a hitch or two Friday morning, and it was during it that someone said something that I had to correct. It's a correction I've had to make a lot over the past eight years, in fact.

In all honesty, I may be the only one who thinks it's a big deal, but it's still something I think needs to be pointed out. Dozens of times over the past eight seasons I've been referred to (by various people) as the “star” of “High School Bowl”, and I don't think that's right. I'm the host of the show. The kids who are up on the chairs with the buzzers in their hands? Those are the stars of the show.

I'm just the host, making sure that they get their time in the spotlight.

If there's one thing that I've noticed during the years, it's that these kids are bright. And some of them are more than bright; some of them are scary smart, something you'll notice if you watch any of the episodes. I mean, I can come off as someone who seems to know everything, but we're all aware that that's just a really good facade. Some of these kids, on the other hand, really DO seem to know everything. I've asked questions ranging from hard math to Greek mythology to ancient history to pop culture, and they have it down cold.

THAT'S why they're the stars of the show.

I may have mentioned this before, but my favorite part of hosting (and the favorite part of a lot of people who watch, based on the comment I get) is been the part of the show where I get to spend a couple of minutes talking to the kids and asking them a question about themselves. Before they show up they fill out a sheet with a couple of standard questions, and from their answers I figure out what to ask them. Occasionally, their answers are on the serious side, but I've been able to get enough from the questionnaires to be able to have some fun with them.

In fact, one of those standard comments I previously mentioned goes something along the lines of “you guys look like you have a lot of fun doing the show”, which means that we're doing gets picked up by the audience. That's a good thing...not only for the host of the show, but for its :stars”, as well.

If you're curious, the 44^th season premiere is just a few weeks away...Saturday, November 5th, to be precise. Hope you have the chance to check it out!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 10/7

Seeing as how I have to be at NMU in a few minutes to shoot the season opener of “High School Bowl”, how about I leave you with something from 12 years ago? However, it's just as topical as it was then, as proven by what I looked at out the window of an airplane 36 hours ago.

Have a great weekend!

(jim@wmqt.com)

******

(as originally published 1/5/2010)

The first sign of life is the algae.

Now, I mention this because Loraine and I just bought the tickets for our next trip to France, the one scheduled for this October. And, of course, if you’re flying to or from France, you spend a LOT of time staring out of airplane windows. . .nine hours, in fact, on the trip back.

And that’s how I know about the algae.

When you leave France, you have about 45 minutes to look out the window and see land; England and Ireland, to be specific. Then for four, four and a half hours. . .nothing. You can look down and see the north Atlantic. Sometimes you might see icebergs, sometime you might see waves so big that, at 35,000 feet, they appear as little white dots, but mostly you see nothing but water.

Until, that is, you hit Canada.

When you enter Canadian airspace, you first fly over the Labrador Peninsula, which is nothing but desolate, barren rock. For half an hour, you stare down at a vast landscape of nothing-ness; if you were an alien being exploring the planet for the first time, you’d probably assume that the planet was devoid of life.

And then you see the green.

The first few times I flew back from Europe, I was intrigued when I noticed that, about half an hour after crossing over land, the ponds and lakes sitting on top of the Labrador rocks looked a little green around the edges. Then I figured out what it was. . .it was algae building up around the shores, much like algae builds up on lakes around here.

After over 5 hours of seeing nothing, it’s the first sign that there’s still life on the planet.

A few minutes later, some of the rocks appear green, as well, indicating either moss or algae has started to cling to the rocks. The green increases over time, until you see something you thought you might never see again--

A road.

As with the algae, I had no idea where the roads led during my first few flights. Then on the last few flights, I began to notice the roads leading to complexes, complexes that I’m guessing are mines, or research facilities, or military facilities. Soon, the roads begin to branch off into other roads, and along those roads you soon notice more green.

The roads are cutting through grass. And soon, the roads begin to cut through trees. And then a small town or two. And before you know it, you see more roads, more trees, more towns, and then the pilot says you’re crossing over Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, and entering the U.S.

All a mere 8 or so hours after leaving France, and just an hour and a half after you thought you’d never see a sign of life again.

If you’ve ever wondered how you kill those 9 hours on a plane, that’s how I do it. And that’s how I’ll be doing it again in a mere 9 months.

(jim@wmqt.com)