Friday, 4/26

If a picture is worth a thousand words, let's wrap up the week with 3,000 words.

First of all, a picture that tells a story. This is a picture I used during my “Life in the 906” Monday--

What's the story about it, you ask? Well, I answer, this isn't a new picture. It's one I took waaaaay back in 2005 when gas prices were at the high point of one of their endless price cycles. I did a little calculating, and the price of gas using that 2005 per gallon cost in 2024 dollars?

$5.56 a gallon.

The next picture?

The Marquette City Police do periodic door checks for downtown businesses, and when I came in to check on things last Saturday morning the card was sticking in the door. It's nice to know they're keeping us safe.

It's even nicer to know they appreciate what we do, if the hand-drawn musical notes are any indication.

8-)

Finally, this picture--

Do I have to say more? They're just a few weeks away!

Have a great weekend...

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 4/25

You know, you might want to actually watch something before you unleash your internet comments about it.

If there's one thing I do know, it's that you never read the comments section of anything on the Interwebs; after all, it's where some of the “finest” examples of humanity dwell. Yet I broke my own rule this week, and now I'm wondering why I did.

My “Life in the 906” Monday was a joking piece on gas prices in the UP. I used jokes to actually make a point about how arbitrary prices are up here (as an example I used the real time shocker from a week and a half ago when Loraine & I went to Negaunee and found that gas prices were 30 cents a gallon cheaper than they were eight miles away in Marquette). Part of the humor in the piece (I hope) came from my admission that I don't own a car myself.

Most people got the piece. A few didn't.

It doesn't matter at all to me if I get criticized for something. I've worked in the media long enough to know not to pay attention to it. But if you're gonna criticize someone, at least watch (or listen to) what you're criticizing. There was a whole torrent of insanity released in the comments on WZMQ's Facebook page under the video, from people that only read the copy the station posted as a tease--that I don't own a car. Mostly, they sarcastically marveled that the station would “send out a reporter who doesn't even own a car to do a story on gas prices” (and, by the way, that's the cleaned up version).

If they had actually watched the bit they'd know how I used my not owning a car as part of whole thing. Of course, if they had actually watched it they'd know that I'm not a reporter, I'm commentator. And I didn't do a story on gas prices; I did a humor piece on gas prices. But that would, you know, require someone to actually watch something, instead of just unleashing vitriol for vitriol's sake.

And where's the fun in that?

Like I said, it doesn't bother me; it just makes me wonder what's up with a certain segment of humanity and how, no matter what the situation, they find the need to express some kind of...well, that word I talked about earlier this week that I don't use. And that's all I have to say about that.

Wanna see the piece for yourself? Just CLICK OR TAP HERE . And feel free to leave whatever comments you want. Just please actually watch it before you leave them.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 4/24

Because I have to be at the dentist in a bit for my 10-month checkup I'm going to take the easy way out and leave you with this week's new “Pieces of the Past”, which may be of interest to daily blog reader Chicky-Poo of Melbourne Beach, Florida, who, if I'm not mistaken, may have broken a bone or two at the location it talks about.

But then he's talented like that.

Tomorrow, the story of my TV bit from Monday night, and how some people either don't pay attention to things or just really don't seem to care.

With that, I'm off to get my teeth cleaned. Here's the video!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 4/23

Words can get you into trouble. Ask any politician, any celebrity, any person, in fact, who’s ever opened their mouth. Everyone has, at one time or another, uttered something they probably wish they hadn’t. So I wasn’t totally surprised when, a few days ago, I was asked by someone if there were any words--outside of the obvious ones--that I would never say on the air.

My answer surprised the person who asked the question. But I hope it doesn’t surprise you.

There are words that some people use all the time, and words that people use all the time, yet never think about why they use them. In that latter category falls a word that I can’t bring myself to use, even though it’s a word that people bandy about freely, like the sound of it is the sweetest thing on the face of the Earth.

It’s a word that’s been around forever, and it’s a word that, sadly, seems to be part of our genetic makeup. I know it’s in the Bible, I know it’s in Shakespeare, and I know it’s been used by half the country while describing the other half.. It’s four simple letters that, on their own, mean nothing, but when you put them together, it just doesn’t seem, well, right.

The word I’m talking about, the word that surprised the person asking me the question, is “hate”.

Is it just me? Is “hate” that bad of a word? Am I just strange in that I feel uncomfortable using it? Even when talking about food that makes me gag, or people whose political views make me gag, I can’t bring myself to use “hate”. I may “dislike” them, or find the food “repellent”, but I have yet to meet a person, a food, or a situation so bad that “hate” comes into play.

Of course, maybe I’m lucky. Maybe I’ve lived enough of a charmed life that I’ve never been forced into a situation where the actual use of the word “hate” pops up. If that’s been the case, just ignore me. But it sure seems that so many things on this planet would be, I dunno, better if “hate”, both the word and the emotion, weren’t part of who we are. I mean, think of everything we as humans have done in the name of “hate” (a list that goes on and on and on). You may (to quote a great philosopher here) say that I’m a dreamer, but just think of it. Imagine a world without hate.

Nice place, wouldn’t it be? I mean, it'll probably never happen...

But just imagine it.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 4/22

Does this describe you?

90% of Americans say they recycle or turn their thermostats down.

85% of say they buy energy efficient cars & appliances, & wash clothes in cold water when they can.

70% say they’re willing to walk, bike, or carpool to cut down on their driving.

I'm hoping those numbers are true, although some days I look around and wonder.  But I bring this up because today is Earth Day, and what with a rapidly changing global climate and various ways you can help the environment in the news these days, it seemed an apt time to share those interesting statistics.

Having grown up in the 70’s, when people actually seemed to care about the environment and pollution, I’ve always tried to live an environmentally friendly life. It's just ingrained in my brain. As you know, I walk and bike almost everywhere; when I do drive, it’s in a car that gets 40 miles per gallon. Cold water laundry? Check. Recycling? Despite the occasional stupidity of Waste Management, I put out plastics & metals & paper every week, and when I have enough glass lying around I hop on my bike and bring it all to the city recycling station. Air conditioning in the summer? Are you kidding? Enjoy the heat while it’s here!

Major reports the last few months from the U.N. and from researchers worldwide have backed up the fact that, as humans, we’re having a severe impact on Earth’s environmental systems, and most of the impact is NOT good. In fact, the past nine months have been the warmest stretch of months on the planet since records have been kept (with our non-winter winter as proof). Not only that, but areas of droughts and storms have been among the most severe in recorded history. So if you find yourself getting a little tired of all the information, dire warnings, threats, and pleadings to cut back that you’ll hear over the next few days, remember. . ..

For now, at least, it’s the only planet we have!

So on that note, have a happy Earth Day, do what you can to help stabilize and repair the environment, and think good thoughts for Mother Nature. I'm sure she'd appreciate it!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 4/19

There's no way it's been that many years. That's just not possible.

Is it?

Sunday's a big day for me and Loraine; it's our wedding anniversary. And despite the fact that I can't seem to fathom the quantum mechanics of the whole situation, it's a rather big anniversary for us.  You see, we were married 35 years ago Sunday.

Told you it's not possible.

While it doesn't seem like it happened yesterday, it sure doesn't seem like it was that long ago that we stood out on the steps of the Marquette County Courthouse on a sunny Friday afternoon and said our “I do”s. And when I look at the picture of the two of us from that day, the one sitting in our living room, we don't look that much different. But then I look at the other people in the picture—Loraine's sister, who was 8 at the time, and my grandmother, who passed away 18 years ago, and I then realize--

We've been married for 35 years!!

When we got married, I don't think there was any way that I could fathom we'd be celebrating our 35^th anniversary. I mean, 35 years? That's, like, a lifetime. That's how long your parents have been married, or that's how long your grandparents were married. When you first get married, or at least when I first got married, a time span such as that just did not register in any meaningful way. Yet, here we are, 35 years later, and still together.

I think I've mentioned in here before about how we have anything but a “traditional” relationship, yet among most of our family and friends we're the only couple of our generation still together. I don't know if that's because we don't have a “traditional” relationship, or if we've been lucky, or what, but when I look at all the people we know of our generation, and we're among the only ones still together, it makes me feel two things—it makes me feel very happy, and it makes me feel like the past 35 years have been a gift.

Which they have.

And it's funny; if anything, both the passage of time and seeing other people battle with marital difficulties seem to have made our relationship stronger than ever. Oh, sure, I'm sure (okay,. I know) there are times when Loraine wants to throttle me, but those pale in comparison to the times we find ourselves embarking on some adventure or just marveling at the occasional sheer insanity of our lives. But that's a good thing; it means we've found our groove.

It means that I wouldn't have wanted to spend the last 3 decades-plus with anyone else.

We'll probably spend our anniversary doing o few of the things that has connected us over the past 35 years. You see, we're a perfect match in that I like to cook, and she likes to eat. So I'll whip up something, but not before we spend part of Sunday on the soccer pitch, running around and burning off the calories we'll be eating.

Because that's what we do.

Happy early anniversary, Loraine!!!!!!!

Love,

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 4/18

It's going well, thanks for asking.

Yesterday was T minus three weeks until Loraine and I (hopefully) hit the skies and head over to Germany. As you may recall, for me to take any time off requires a LOT of work ahead of time, and aside from all of my Q107-WMQT work that also now entails programming our two stations up in Baraga AND getting a couple of “Life in the 906”s ready for TV-19.

Yes, I realize that for some people that's just a recipe for screaming and jumping off a building, but I think we all know I'm a little different than that, right?

8-)

If you were to visit me at work right now you'd notice legal pads with notes & instructions spread all about, and if you were to visit me at home you'd notice index cards and pieces of paper with notes and reminders spread all about. Believe it or not, that means I'm organized. That means I know what I still have to do, how I'm going to do it, and when I'm going to get to it.

It's a system that works for me. What can I say?

Jim's system, work version

As far as radio stuff goes, everything's all planned out. While I haven't gotten to all of it yet, I still have three weeks (well, okay, two weeks and six days) and as long as nothing blows up or sets me back a day or two I'll be fine. As far as the TV stuff goes? Well, that's a little different. Because it was one of those ideas that came to me in the middle of the night a few days ago I've written the piece I'll be recording to air the Monday I'm in Europe, and I know what I'll be doing this upcoming Monday, even if I haven't written that one yet. That just means I need one for the 29^th, one for May 6^th, and, maybe, an extra one for the 20^th just in case I'm, like, stuck in Europe or something.

But since these things seem to (for some reason) come to me out of nowhere, I'm hopeful I'll get them done in time.

That's how things are looking now. With any luck, no extra work or tragedies or anything will get in the way, and in three weeks—excuse me, two weeks and six days—I'll be able to leave.

Now, as long as the airline cooperate on that day, we'll be set.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 4/17

This was a story that I had no idea about.

This week's “Pieces of the Past” video details a story with a story. Here's the “story” part; we'll get to the actual “story” in a second. It starts back a few months ago when we were shooting the first round of “High School Bowl”, and Negaunee was one of the teams. I have students fill out a form with six or seven potential questions I might ask them during the halftime interview segment, and one of those questions was “tell us something we don't know about the place you live”.

Well, Riley Williams, who was the captain of the Negaunee team, told me something about his home town I had never heard before. It intrigued me, if for no other reason that the sheer improbability of it, so I did a little research on it. The more I discovered about the story the more I was drawn in, and was so fascinated by it that I ended up making it a segment in the “Legends & Lore” show Jack & I did at Kaufman in January. Since the story's so cool, I also decided to make it a segment this season on “Pieces”.

THAT'S how both totally strange and totally unknown to me it was.

Okay...that's the story, and now the “story”. See if you're as intrigued by it as I was.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 4/16

I guess I know one thing I'll be doing every day when I'm in Germany next month.

A couple of days ago I mused about whether or not I should write a blog each & every day while Loraine and I are visiting Kaiserslauten & Freiburg. I asked for your opinions, and got them--

Everyone who responded said I really DO need to write something every day while we're there. So...I guess I'll be writing something every day while we're there.

Isn't democracy a wonderful thing?

Most everyone disagreed with me when I said one of the reasons I was thinking of not doing them was because they seem (at least to me) humble-bragging. Almost everyone said that they enjoy seeing the pictures and hearing about the weird things we come across, and that we're not bragging. We're just reporting, said most of the people who responded, and allowing people who can't (or won't) travel to another continent to travel vicariously through us.

So by writing, I guess, I'm performing a public service? Think I could write the trip off of our taxes because of that?

8-)

The first one, then, will appear on May 9^th, the day we get to Germany. And before I leave the topic I need to mention two things. One is a musing from one of the voters who, out of nowhere, made me laugh when he joked about William Shatner saying something along the lines of “Captain's Blog, Stardate...”.

But then, I'm easy that way.

The other thing to mention? My niece Sydney is making HER first venture to Europe tomorrow. She and her boyfriend Ricky are going to Italy, and she's more than excited. In fact, she was even fully packed on Monday, which is much better than her well-traveled uncle. Way to go, Syd. Have a fantastic time!!

*****

Finally, I had promised a link to the championship match of this year's “High School Bowl” and, as always, I keep my promises. So if you wanna watch the first ever overtime championship match, just CLICK or TAP HERE!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 4/15

It was as exciting in person as it was on TV.

First of all, if you have any interest in this season of “High School Bowl” and have not yet watched the championship match from this past weekend, DO NOT READ THIS. It contains spoilers, and if you have yet to watch the match you SHOULD NOT GO ANY FURTHER.

Okay?

Okay.

“High School Bowl” is a great show to host, if only because every so often something cool happens. Oftentimes, especially in the early rounds of a season, the matches are blowouts, as a good school goes up against a school that's a little weaker and the final score ends up along the lines of 400-10 (an actual score this year). But as the rounds increase the number of blowouts decrease, and in the last few rounds you have close matches, just like in our championship game this past week.

How close was it, you ask? Well, I answer, at the end of the match the two teams that made it to the finals—West Iron County and Houghton—were tied. It was so close between the two teams that the 25 minutes of questions asked of both of them could not separate the two. For the first time in the 45 years of “High School Bowl” the championship game ended in a tie score.

It was cool.

Now, of course, you can't end a match, especially a championship match, without a winner. So after building the suspense for a minute or so by explaining what was going on (even though the suspense probably did not need to be build any more) I asked the question that would determine the champion. It was a winner-take-all question; whoever answered it correctly walked away with the title. When I asked, five out of the eight students gave it a shot, all incorrectly. The West Iron County captin bided her time, sifted through the incorrect guesses, and gave the right answer.

And that's how West Iron County became season 45 champs on “High School Bowl”.

We shot the match two months ago, so it's a secret I've been sitting on since early February. I'm amazed at the amount of people who watch the show but don't know how it turns out, so I in no way wanted to spoil it for them. I just hope they enjoyed watching Saturday; if you wanna see just how suspenseful it was—and trust me, it WAS suspenseful, especially when we were shooting it live—I'll post a link to the show tomorrow.

In the meantime...how about a dorky host and the two teams who helped put together the most exciting and memorable “High School Bowl” finale in the 45 years of the show--

                                        ******

Also tomorrow?  Whether or not I blog while in Europe, based on YOUR votes.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 4/12

You know, it would be one less thing to worry about.

At T minus three and a half weeks before we (hopefully) leave for Germany things are starting to kick into high gear. I've started working as far ahead as I can at work, I have enough episodes of “Pieces of the Past” produced to carry me through the end of May, I've started writing my “Life in the 906”s ahead a few weeks, and I've already started to try and decide what goes where in luggage, backpacks, and carry-ons.

Plus I'm wondering about the blogs.

Here's the deal—as you may recall, every time we go to Europe I'd write a blog on a nightly basis about what we did that day. People seemed to enjoy it, even if it does seem (at least to me) to be a little humble-bragging about what we were doing. But seeing as how it's been a year and a half since we went anywhere I'm starting to wonder--

Do I need to do it any more?

There are several points behind my pondering the question, not least of which is the fact that we have no idea whether or not this trip is either going to come off as planned or even come off at all. Because of strikes in Germany we could find ourselves stranded at Frankfurt Airport for four days or find ourselves struck in Charlotte or Chicago because of tight connection times (thanks, American Airlines). We just don't know.

Not only that, but we're not actually doing much this time around. We're just going to two cities, one we haven't visited before (Kaiserslauten) and one that's actually one of my favorite places in the world (Freiburg) and just hang around. Of course, without a lot of concrete plans for the days we're there I might have the extra hour or two it takes to put one of the blogs together.  And, I have to admit, I do enjoy going back and reading them after the trip's over, even through I have no idea if anyone else enjoyed them, so...

See why I can't decide anything yet?

Thankfully, I still have a couple of weeks left to make that decision, as I probably wouldn't be able to write anything until we get to Frankfurt on May 9th. If you have an opinion on the matter, please let me know, as I don't write the blogs for me, I write them for anyone who wants to read them.

So vote early, and vote often. Your voice is the one of the most important as I ponder whether to do these again or not. Thanks, and have a great weekend!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 4/11

Facebook sucks.

Yes, I know complaining about the world's largest social media service is a hobby for some people, but it really does suck, and I have the hard, quantifiable data to back it up.

Here it is--

Your Facebook feed is set up by the company's mysterious “algorithm”, a formula that is supposed to give you things that want to see. As anyone who's on the service knows, that algorithm is highly subjective and highly variable; what it thinks you might find interesting one day doesn't come anywhere near what it thinks you might find interesting the next day, and can lead to all kinds of bizarre things popping up in your news feed, like the two or three days recently when my feed consisted almost exclusively of posts not from friends or pages I follow but instead from what could (literally) be every single Hooters restaurant in the US.

Me? Hooters restaurants? Really, Facebook?

So their algorithm is bizarre, to say the least. Like I said, what it determines people see varies from one day to the next. It's what drives people on the service insane (yet, conversely, may also be what keeps some of them hooked). I promised proof that it sucks, that it varies from one day to the next, and here it is--

I posted another “Pieces of the Past” video yesterday. When I did one last week it reached thousands of people and had almost 600 views. The one I posted yesterday, at the same time of day? It reached 40-ish people and had about a dozen views. I asked some people I knew had enjoyed the first one if they liked the one from yesterday, and to a person they said--

“You put up a new video yesterday”? Why yes, I did. Facebook just decided not to show it to you.

Stupid Facebook.

So, since only 12 people saw it, here it is. At least a few more people should enjoy a story of fire and how people entertained themselves before the internet.

And, have I mentioned—Facebook sucks?

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 4/10

The turnaround is kinda quick. But I like it that way.

You may recall that it's been a weird winter up here, capped off by the two feet of snow most of the UP received last week while we here in Marquette received none. So it's probably not a surprise that things seem to be happening a little earlier than usual. As evidence I present this--

And this--

The buds of some of the flowers around here actually started to pop out several weeks ago, and now that the flowers themselves are blooming I have a feeling that “Spring”, which usually only lasts a week or two around here, might be an actual season this year.

We didn't have a “winter”, after all, so why not follow it up by actually having a “Spring” for once?

Usually when we do get a “Spring” it pops out all at once, blazes brightly for the aforementioned week or two, and then gives way to what passes for “Summer” around here. But this year, I'm sure because of our lack of a winter, it's been a more gradual thing. Like I said, flower buds started appearing a few weeks ago, followed by the flowers now. Instead of seemingly occurring overnight, the grass has been turning a beautiful shade of green slowly (but surely). And the amount—and variety—of songbirds trying to wake you up in the morning has been multiplying at a steady pace the past few weeks.

There were many benefits (to some of us) in not having a real “winter' this year. Could actually having a real “spring” be one of them? This year, nothing would surprise me.

Now, if we can make sure our “Summer” is everything it can be (and, hopefully more) then we'll be all set.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 4/9

 So...did you enjoy Eclipse Day yesterday?

As you may know, yesterday was the last total eclipse that'll hit Michigan until (I think) 2099, and it was supposed to be a big deal. Here in Marquette, while it wasn't a total eclipse, we were supposed to get 80% coverage, which is nothing to sneeze at. And for a while, we didn't think we'd get to see it--

Yup...clouds were more prevalent than anything else yesterday, although it wasn't as bad as originally forecast. At one time, we were supposed to be overrun with rain & thunderstorms during the time of totality. As it turns out, we just had mostly cloudy skies but, luckily, right before totality was supposed to hit, the skies cleared and took on a weird glow, and thanks to Leah, who works next door at Superior Health Foundation and loaned me her eclipse glasses. I was able to see a mere sliver of a sun as the city around me was cast in a strange light you don't normally see at 3:11 in the afternoon.

It was awesome.

It was a good thing, too, that skies cleared a bit, seeing as how the next one in Michigan won't occur for another 75 years, I'm guessing that if I ever do want to see another total solar eclipse outside of Michigan in my lifetime I may have to travel to do it.

Bummer.

Anyway, hope you were able to (indirectly) see and enjoy what went on yesterday. It doesn't happen very often, and when it does, you have to take advantage of it.

Unless, of course, you plan on being around to see the next one in 2099.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 4/8

The ham is finally gone. Thanks for asking.

Like many people for Easter, I baked a ham. It actually wasn't a whole ham; just one of those chunks that weighed four pounds. I slathered it with a brown sugar/orange/ginger glaze, and it made for quite the nice main course for our Easter feast.

Little did we know that six days later, Loraine & I would still be eating it.

Seriously—that hunk of ham must have had some kind of self-replicating feature to it, because no matter how much of it we ate there seemed to be more that we needed to consume. I have no idea how that happened. We started with a four pound hunk of it, ate a large portion on Sunday, had leftovers on Monday, threw more of it into a salad Tuesday, used some of it for omelets Wednesday, took a break for a day, and then finally finished it off Friday night when Loraine threw in the towel and tasked me with eating the last piece.

That's five days of consumption for a four-pound hunk of pig. Short of self-replication, how exactly does that happen?

Now, don't get me wrong. I like ham, and it really doesn't seem to be Easter or any other holiday without it. I don't mind eating it at all. I don't even really mind having to eat it for five out of days in a row. I just want to know the how & why we had to eat it five out of six days in a row. It was a four pound hunk. How can it last five days? It's not like we cut off a little slice, had one bite, and called it quits for the day. Nope; we attacked the ham (pardon the pun) whole hog. We ate big chunks of it eat and every day.

And yet, it still took us five days to finish it.

I'm guessing we won't be eating any more ham any time soon; I think we're both looking forward to a ham-free meal or three. But the next time we do, I'll be curious to see if we can get through it like a normal couple does, or if we've picked up another one of those magical self-replicating hams.

Just like the one we finished Friday night.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 4/5

Like all good Gen Xers, I blame my parents.

Don't worry; I'm really not blaming them for anything other than warping me for life, which is the duty of any parent. But at least when they warped me it was in a good, although in this case, a time-consuming way.

Let me backtrack a little. As you know, I've been producing another series of those “Pieces of the Past” video history shorts. The latest one (which the public will see in a month or so) I did pushed the boundaries of the equipment I have—namely, a camera and a laptop. Yet I tried to include digital effects, HD video, and a screen split into four different shots. I'm really happy with how it turned out, and thanks to the way my parents warped me it only took eight different attempts to get it right.

Thanks, mom & dad.

I put the video together the first time and then rendered it, which is basically digitally mastering the master file so people can watch it. It's a process that takes a little time. So when I watched the mastered file the first time, I wasn't quite happy with an edit. So I changed it, and then re-rendered it. I watched it again, and noticed another slight change I could make. After re-rendering it again, I pondered changing the rhythm of it a little, which is something no one else would have noticed but was something that was slowly driving me insane. So I changed it, re-rendered it again, and then watched it again.

You can guess what happened after that.

I blame my parents for being a perfectionist. After all, they were the one who told me “If it's worth doing something, it's worth doing something right”, which is the reason I watched a video eight different times and noticed something that absolutely no one else would've noticed. But to me, it wasn't right, which is the reason I re-did it eight times.

In the end, though, I'm happy with the way it turned out. Given endless time and endless chances I'm sure I would make many more changes to it, but seeing as how it's just a three minute piece with a bunch of old pictures, I'm going to say the eighth time is the charm and leave it at that.

See how my parents warped me for life?

8-)

*****

Now, speaking of one of those two people, it's my mom's birthday today. As you know, we don't acknowledge age or anything else along those lines, which means I'll simply say “happy birthday”, have a fantastic day, and I hope Dad & Mel do something nice for you. I'll give you a call in a little bit!

Love,

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 4/4

To quote a dude, it apparently was much ado about nothing.

As I wrote during it “worst” of it yesterday, our apocalyptic April storm ended up being anything BUT apocalyptic, at least here in downtown Marquette. To prove my point, here's a picture I took Tuesday afternoon before it started--

And then here's one I took 36 hours later, this morning at 9:55--

Like I said on the air yesterday, I realize that I took these pictures less than a thousand feet from lake Superior, and than means it was in no way indicative of what the rest of the UP's weather was like, but geez...

That is NOT apocalyptic at all.

Yet schools (including NMU) were canceled all across Marquette County for the second straight day today.  Now, I realize that in some places they're dealing with 2 feet of snow in the past two days, as evidenced by this picture from station Facebook fan Linda Carilli--

But here in downtown Marquette?

Zip.  Zilch.  Nada.

Have I ever mentioned this has been a weird year?

8-)

*****

I gave you a video yesterday, and since we released two of them to everyone else, we don't wanna leave you out. Here's the second. Enjoy!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 4/3

I don't know whether to be disappointed or not.

Right now, we were supposed to be getting all of our winter in one 24 hour span.  There was a blizzard warning in effect, and depending upon where you are in the UP you could see up to three feet of snow.  So what does it look like in Marquette, as of 9:30 this morning, just a few minutes ago--

I'm underwhelmed.  How about you?

I'm not really serious; after all, to the west of Marquette there's a lot of snow and in the southern UP roads are almost impassible, especially in Menominee and Delta Counties.  But every single school and many businesses preemptively closed last night thinking today would be horrid.  Instead, at least here in Marquette, it's merely inconvenient.

But it's also the winter of 2023-24, when nothing has gone the way it normally does.  So why should we expect anything different than what we're getting today?

But since most of Upper Michigan IS dealing with weather worse than what we're getting there is a bright side to it all.  Most of the UP won't want to leave their house or apartment today. That means they'll be looking for something to do, which means that the premiere of our new season of “Pieces of the Past” might actually draw a few eyeballs. We're releasing two of them today (and then one a week through the beginning of July). Here's the first, with a recommendation that you watch it on as big of a screen as you can, as there are a lot of details you can see.

With that, I'm off to venture into the "apocalypse". Hopefully, I'll live to write another one of these tomorrow.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 4/2

Based on what she wrote, I had no idea who she was talking about.

A month or so ago I mentioned in here about how a writer for Marquette Monthly wanted to do a profile on me. (And no, I have no idea why, either). I spent 45 minutes talking to her, put it in the back of my mind, and promptly forgot about it.

At least until the new edition came out this past weekend.

There it was in block & white, four pages of me, complete with pictures. I'm not quite sure if anyone would actually WANT to go through all four pages, but from what I've heard from a lot of people they did (and, by the way, if you ever need anyone to testify as to whether or not people read the Marquette Monthly, I have the answer to that). The interview was mostly about History Jim, but other aspects of my life were included, as well.

The thing that got me, though, was the intro to the interview. It was six paragraphs long, with phrases like “local luminary”, “a comforting companion”, “affable host”, and someone whose “zest for life mirrors the vibrancy of his beloved community”.

After I stopped laughing, I figured out she was talking about me.

As you may have picked up over the years, I'm not really comfortable having someone make a big (or any kind of) deal about me. I don't do what I do for fame, nor do I expect anything to come out of it. Yet every so often something does come out of it, and when it does it makes me...uncomfortable, for lack of a better word. I don't know why; I'm sure a shrink could probably make something out of it. But I don't feel like it's needed or necessary. I just do what I do.

I don't expect words like “stalwart guardian” to be uttered.

But uttered they were, and now they're there for posterity. If you wanna check it out for yourself, you're more than welcome. Just CLICK HERE, start on page 21, and get ready to chuckle to yourself as you try to figure out exactly about whom the reporter is writing.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

(PS--”Pieces of the Past” season four premieres tomorrow...you'll get to see the first of the TWO videos that kick it all off.  Unless, of course, the winter storm we're supposed to get is SO bad I feel the need to whine about it!)

Monday, 4/1

My perspective on reality has been altered, and that doesn't often happen. Especially when it's because of car tires.

First of all, hope you had a great Easter. I know we did, especially with all the goodies I whipped up yesterday, including a ham with an orange-ginger glaze that turned out a lot better than I thought it would. Between that and all the chocolate the Easter Bunny (who did visit) left, it was a good day.

But now, back to the blown mind. One of the things I did on my day off Friday was to bring Loraine's car in for an oil change. While there, I asked the service technician to check and see if her tires needed replacing. He said “no”, that they look fine, but DID mention that the treads didn't have a “great winter pattern” to them. When he said that lots of things clicked in my brain, especially regarding the fact that Loraine's car doesn't seem to handle as well on the snow as some of her others.

And that's how I discovered “All Season” tires are really just “Three Season” tires.

Her car came with “All Season” tires, which we figured were just fine for winter driving because, you know, winter is a season and “All Season” is in the tires' name. But after the guy at Fox Marquette Chevrolet pointed out what he saw, we did a little digging, and found that “All Season” tires really aren't made for winter and don't work really well when the temperature is under 40 degrees. Their name is, basically, a lie. Sure, “All Season” tires may work in places like Florida where every season is pretty much the same, but in the UP where we actually DO have four seasons? Not so much.

Now, “All Weather” tires apparently work in all weather, including winter. And that's what we'll put on the car. But Loraine's a little upset (and rightly so) that when she bought her car she wasn't given the choice between the two kinds of tires. Basically, Chevrolet is assuming that every car they sell is going to someplace where “All Season” tires will be okay. But there ARE places—especially in Chevrolet's home state—where it might be better to offer “All Weather” tires. Yet, for some reason (and I'm quite sure it's because they're cheaper) her car only came with “All Season”, and for people (like us) who don't pour over the minutia of cars and think “All Season” actually means, you know, ALL the seasons, getting “All Season” tires would seem to be fine.

Until you notice that whenever you have to drive through snow and/or in temperatures under 40 degrees (a possibility 10 months of the year around here) things just don't seem right.

I'll be the first person to admit that I don't know everything, especially when it comes to things like (and I can see my dad cringing right now) cars. But when I DO learn something new, especially something that really makes no sense or could lead to actual danger while driving, my perspective on reality gets altered.

And not always in a good way.

Tomorrow, the story of how my very weird life has gotten even weirder. And slightly embarrassing, as well.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 3/28

I didn't think it would be that much of a landslide. And the results once again show that I'm a bit of an oddball.

Our “At Work/Online Network” for this week is tied into what's coming up Sunday, asking how individuals eat their chocolate Easter bunny—ear first, tail first, or some other way. I had no idea how people would respond, so I was a little stunned when almost everyone (or at least everyone's who's answered so far) said “ears first”.

Really?

Now, I don't want to make this into another one of those “which way to hang your toilet paper” controversies, but that's not the choice I would have made. Why, you ask? Well, I answer, there are many chocolate bunnies that have solid ears, unlike their hollow tails & bodies, so why not save the part with the most chocolate (the ears) for the end. You know, save the best for last.

At least, that's what I do.

Of course, I understand that some people want to scarf the good part first. I totally understand that, and won't fault you one bit. But unlike the Great Toilet Paper Controversy, I'm not totally agnostic on this. I do have a preference. I'm just surprised that my preference is so out of the mainstream. Of course, I shouldn't be surprised; after all, many of the things I do or find interesting are out of the mainstream.

But this far out? That's a new one even for me.

8-)

On that Easter-y note, we have tomorrow off, so there won't be a new one of these. I hope you have a great Easter weekend, and enjoy your chocolate bunny...no matter how you eat it!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 3/27

I wonder if anyone knows this about me?

I received a text from daily blog reader Chicky-Poo in Melbourne Beach, Florida over the weekend (hi, dad!), and he was telling me about a video he was watching. The video dealt with a seven year old, and how the seven year old's dad was supposed to speak to his class. The dad had something come up, so the kid instead asked his garbage collector to come in and talk about collecting trash.

Apparently, the garbage collector was the most popular speaker the class had all day.

Anyway, my dad brought this up because of his nerdy first-born. As has become readily apparently over the years, I was an unusual kid (thankfully, I grew out of that, right? (and as a side note, it's a pity sarcasm doesn't transform into the written word very well). And that...uniqueness apparently translated into my first-ever dream job. Nowadays, my dream job is to be a beach bum; when I was growing up, it was astronaut. But when I was five or so, I had a really different dream job.

I wanted to be a trash collector.

I don't really recall this personally, but both my parents have mentioned it over the years. When I was young, I would always wait for the day when the garbage truck would come by. I would then watch as the trash dudes threw stuff into the back of the truck, and stare in fascination as everything was compacted together. Whether it was the truck or the noise or something else, I don't know. But whatever it was made me proclaim to my ever-understanding parents that, one day, I wanted to be a garbage collector.

How I went from that to doing what I do now...I have no idea.

It actually reminds me of what happened here ten or so years ago, when we had a first or second grade class tour the station. There was one boy who, when told that we had a big battery downstairs to keep things running if the power went out, had no further interest in the station itself, or talking on the air, or recording himself. All he wanted to see was the big battery. He kept asking about it until I took him downstairs and showed him.

And by doing that, I'm pretty sure we made his day.

Kids are interested in what adults think are the strangest things. But that's what makes them kids. They're curious. They're learning about the world, and what makes it run. And if they see or hear about something that's big or loud or both, so much the better, whether it's a battery or a garbage truck.

Some kids, in fact, are so impressed that, if even for a short while, they dream of growing up and being able to put one to use every day when they go to work.

(jim@wmqt.com), garbage collector in another life.

Tuesday, 3/26

It's not my fault. I'm sure of that.

Winter finally decided to make an appearance (only its second of the season) yesterday in Marquette--

As a joke yesterday, we solicited people who were to “blame” for the return of the nasty weather. One listener blamed their husband because he put their snowblower away, while another blamed herself because her knees hurt every time it snows and she was trying to wish it away. I guess in the end it doesn't matter; as I mentioned last week or the week before, we've just become really spoiled this year, and when winter decides to reclaim its rightful territory, we get a little upset.

But still, winter—go away. It's April next week. Those flower blooms that are already popping our of the ground need their space. Really, they do.

****

Speaking of stuff I wrote about a while ago, you may recall that I mentioned, in once of those “my life just keeps getting weirder” posts, that I spoke with a reporter for Marquette Monthly, because they wanted to do a profile on me. Well, that profile is coming out this week, in their April issue. I have no idea what it'll be like, but the editor says it' a “highlight” of this month's edition. So, I guess, check it out and see if you agree.

By the way, have I mentioned my life is weird?

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 3/25

You know, maybe I need to enunciate a little more clearly.

I’ve now had two people come up to me at entirely different times in the past two weeks and ask the exact same question--“How come, when you’re taking Instant Requests, you ask the caller about their station for “More Music, More Fun, and and Instant Request? Why do you say ‘and' twice”? Well, I actually don’t. I ask them about their station for “More Music, More Fun, and AN Instant Request”. And once I explain that to the person asking the question, they realize what’s going on, and nod their head in acknowledgment.

However, as I’ve found out many times over the hundreds of years that I’ve been doing this, if more than one person notices something, then a LOT of people are noticing that same exact thing. Therefore, I guess I need to enunciate a little more clearly.

In all honesty, I don’t even pay attention to stuff like that, and I’m sure I should. I’m sure a vocal coach could come in and explain dozens of things I’m doing wrong (like not enunciating clearly and being overly dependent on the words “okay” and “like”). I’m sure a real radio “professional” would point out that I don’t punch the right words or phrases, and that I often just sound like I’m talking to someone, instead of having a voice that sounds like I Should Be On The Radio.

My bad. I guess I just don’t really have a radio voice, something that’s been pointed out many times when people meet me for the first time and say, “You sound just like you do on the radio!” Well, yeah...that’s just because it’s me talking. I’ve never approached it like I should sound like I Should Be On The Radio; I just always figured it’s just me talking to you guys, and why should I have a “radio voice” to do that? Yet there are so many people in this business who are what are known as “pukers”; people with big RADIO voices that make themselves sound like their tonsils are coming out of their throats. I’m sure you’ve heard them before, and I know that’s what some people expect when they turn on the radio.

But that’s not me, and it’s not something to which I ever aspire.

However, maybe I SHOULD work a little on the enunciation, especially if people keep wondering about the double “ands” at the end of an Instant Request. I do tend to speak rather quickly, and maybe, sometimes, on occasion, my words tend to run together, especially if they have the same sounds, like “and” and “an”. So I’ll try and work on that.

Like I said, my bad.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 3/22

Because I have to go out and shoot a couple pieces of coverage for some “Pieces of the Past” before I head to work, I'm going to leave you with something I wrote a couple of years ago. But considering I'm working on another set of the videos, and I'm up to my eyeballs in old pictures, maybe it's appropriate.

Maybe.

Have a great weekend!

(jim@wmqt.com)

******

(as originally posted 3/1/21)

I know dreams don't literally come true. But I sure wish this one could.

As I've gotten older, the dreams I have at night have become less vivid. No longer about falling from the sky or walking down the street with no clothes on, my dreams now tend to be a bit more prosaic,.a bit more down-to-Earth. Because of that, I don't really seem to remember them when I wake up as much as I used to.

And that's why the dreams I had two nights ago really stuck with me.

The dream wasn't about anything weird or strange; it didn't involve zombies, dragons, Jennifer Aniston, or me heading down the street wondering where I had left my underwear. It was another in a series of prosaic, boring dreams. No one died, no one was in danger; my subconscious wasn't trying to tell me anything. It was just a dream. But it was an amazing dream, at least for me. It's a dream that has stuck with me the past two days, and a dream that makes me wish dreams really could come true. Some of you may laugh when I tell you about the dream, while others will think it makes perfect sense.

What was the dream that's stuck with me the past few days? Well, I had a dream that I was wandering around downtown Marquette, taking pictures with my 20 megapixel Nikon DSLR camera, which is something that I actually do all the time.

But in my dream, I was doing it in 1935.

That's right—the dream that I had involved me having a piece of modern technology in my hand and using it to document buildings and people that were around decades before I was even born. Instead of looking at the black & white pictures that exist from that era, I was able to capture structures that burned or were torn down in vivid, stunning color. In my dream, I saw the old Marquette in a way that I'd never actually be able to in real life. In my dream, I was able to walk down Washington & Front Streets and take pictures of the Opera House, of the Union National Bank building, of the Nester Block, of all the bars that existed on the 300 block of South Front, and all the old hotels that existed around the train station.

And all the pictures I was taking of those amazing old buildings were in color.

I know; I'm a dork. You won't get any argument from me. The fact that, in my dream, I was able to walk down the street and know exactly where each old building was is a testament to that. But just to have the chance to break multiple rules of physics and to go back in time, even if it was in a dream, was amazing. I've poured over hundreds of historic photographs in a decade-plus of doing programs for the History Center, but those were all black & white. In the back of my mind, I always wondered what those buildings looked like in person, what they looked like to those who passed by them on a daily basis.

And thanks to my dream, I now know. Kind of. I mean, whatever images popped into my brain while I was sleeping weren't true. They weren't real. They were just stylized images, put together with whatever clouding and shading my unconscious mind generated. But still...they were in color. Unlike every other time in my life when I've glanced at those long-gone buildings, they looked like living, vital structures, and not just mono-chromed images from decades past. I realize no one else would probably ever have a dream like that, but I still think that it was an amazing way to spend part of an REM cycle.

It's just too bad a dream like that can never come true.

Thursday, 3/21

I guess we really HAVE been spoiled so far this year.

I've written in here quite a bit about the mild winter we've had. It really hasn't been cold at all, we're only at about 40% of our usual snowfall, and even though Spring technically started a few days ago it seems like it's been Spring since, oh, Thanksgiving. So when we actually do get a little winter-like weather, which we have on occasion, we whine.

A lot.

Here's what it looked like outside yesterday--

Yeah, I know. There was an inch or so of snow and a cold north wind, both of which occur quite often as we head into the latter part of March. But because we've had such a mild winter it now seems as if we feel we're entitled to nice weather. So when we get “normal” late-March conditions, like we did yesterday (and should again today) we complain that it's cold and it's wet and it's yucky in general.

Amazing how quickly you can get spoiled, huh?

Now, if this was late April (or, heaven forbid, late May) I could see the reason for the complaining. In fact, I would probably lead the masses in that complaining. But even I realize that it's still March, and in many Marches if we had a day like we had yesterday we'd look at it as a sign Spring was on the way because we ONLY had an inch of snow and temperatures were up to (gasp) the 20s.

But not in the “winter” of 2024.

The way things have been going this year I'm guessing we'll soon be back to the sunny skies and, I dunno, temperatures in the 90s by next week. Honestly, in 2024, nothing would surprise me. But even if the more seasonal weather sticks around, we probably shouldn't complain about things being “normal” too much.

After all, as we all know, it could be a whole lot worse.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 3/20

Because I was curious (or because I'm a masochist...I'm not quite sure which) I went back into the archives to see what I wrote on this date back in 2020.

It was not a pretty thing to read.

That, of course, was right in the heart of the Covid shutdown. The week prior saw the world turn upside down, with no idea what would happen. Because radio was considered an essential service I still went to work every day into a studio complex that was devoid of people except for me (something that lasted for over a year, if you're curious). And because no one knew how bad things would get, on this date four years ago I wrote about something I hope I never have to write about again--

“I now find myself in possession of a document that I never thought I would have, nor one that I ever thought I would actually want. Should the state come under a quarantine or a stay-at-home order, I have permission to leave my apartment and go to work, and not get arrested for doing it.

That's just way too weird for me.

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

Hence, we're an 'essential service'”.

Thankfully, I never had to use the piece of paper. Thankfully things did, after several starts & stops, get better, even if the virus is now part of our everyday lives. But when you think about what we were going through four years ago this month & next it makes you shudder. Or, at least, it makes me shudder, not only because of what we went through back then but also because of the fact that we're still dealing with the fallout from it, in many different ways, four years later.

Our world really did change four years ago. And not for the better. But for now, at least, you don't need to be in possession of a piece of paper to walk three blocks to work.

And let's hope it stays that way.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 3/19

We now have a release schedule.

I think I've been mentioning on and off in here about how I'm prepping a new series of the “Pieces of the Past” video shorts I do for the History Center. In fact, that's why I took this past Friday off, to shoot interviews & B-Roll footage, and to get a little research done. I got so much done, in fact, that I also had a little time to sit down with the amazing Emily Varga at the History Center, my cohort in getting the videos posted, and we decided that they will go up on a weekly basis beginning April 3^rd.

So...yay???

Picking a date means, of course, that the new series is real. Before, I could play around with them and not really commit to doing anything. However, after sitting down with someone else and picking a date, that commitment becomes real, which means that I actually have to follow through. Not that that's a worry; I actually have the first three of them already finished, and the other (gulp) 16 are in various stages of production, but just to have a firm date means that I have to follow a schedule and get them done.

I just don't get to futz around with them, like I've done the past few months. I actually have to do them.

However, this has worked in the past, thanks to Emily, of all people. We were siting in a meeting a year and a half ago when I mentioned that I had been noodling around with my restaurant documentary “The Greasier the Spoon”. She suggested that if I had a release date that I might actually get it done, and you know what? She was right, and it was actually the kick in the butt that I needed to finish it.

Have I mentioned Emily's amazing?

So each Wednesday beginning April 3^rd there will be a new video for the world to peruse on all the History Center's social media, plus my Facebook. I will, of course, be posting many of them on here, as well. Because, as you know, I never waste the opportunity to re-purpose things over and over and over.

After all, now that I actually HAVE to make them, I might as well get as much out them as possible, right?

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 3/18

Which way does your toilet paper hang?

I ask this because, unbeknownst to me, there's apparently a huge controversy regarding which way your toilet paper roll is “supposed” to hang once you put it up. There's a large, vocal group of people who are adamant that the tube must hang with the paper coming over the top of the roll. There's another large, vocal group of people who insist that the tube must hang with the paper coming from the bottom of the roll. And as far as I can tell, a member of one of those very vocal groups will never, ever agree that the other group could possibly be correct.

You thought politics was splitting this country in two? Heck, that's child's play compared to how you hang your toilet paper!

I've had this discussion with friends, family, and co-workers over the years. I myself could care less which way the roll is hung. If the paper comes off the top, fine. If the paper comes off the bottom, that's equally as fine. After all, it's just toilet paper. There are way too many problems in the world on which people should be concentrating and devoting their time and energy to solving. But which way the toilet paper hangs?

Probably not so much.

Of course, and as usual, I seem to be the oddball out in this situation. I didn't realize this was a problem. I didn't realize people had such strong feelings about the subject, especially with some of the people with whom I've discussed the topic. I also didn't realize that this was situation that's tearing at the very fabric of our country. But apparently it is. In fact, there are a ton of websites devoted to which way is “right” and which way is “wrong”. So in the future, when you sit down with your extended family at a holiday dinner, here are the topics you should NOT bring up while eating--

Religion.

Politics.

Toilet paper.

That's okay. You can thank me later.

8-)

*****

If you're curious, here's how the weekend's cheesecake project turned out--

(jim@wmqt.com), who, as someone named after an Irish great-grandfather, hopes you had a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Thursday, 3/14

Happy Pi Day!!

(I'll take a slice of blueberry and a couple of pumpkin, if you don't mind).

But instead of pie, I'm gonna try making something else in the next few days...a pistachio raspberry cheesecake. I saw a recipe for one a few days ago, and after pondering it for those few days decided to do a variation of it. It'll consist of a graham cracker crust, four bricks of cream cheese, a big bag of ground pistachios, and a crumbled dark chocolate raspberry bar as a topping.

I'm sure it'll be yummy. And I did the math looking at all the ingredients. The whole cheesecake will be over 5,000 calories, enough to put a pound and a half of extra weight on a person.

Needless to say, I won't be eating it all myself.

I'm actually looking at the cheesecake the same way I do at all those Christmas cookies I make. I'll only eat a handful, and give the rest of them out to other people, to spread the calories around. I'm thinking I may only eat a (small) slice or two of the cheesecake. Loraine can have as much as she wants, and whatever's left either goes out to friends or to Loraine's co-workers, who have a seemingly inexhaustible ability to devour whatever's brought in.

Even if it's several thousand calories of cheesecake.

I haven't made a cheesecake in a bit, so I'll be curious to see how it turns out. I am, however, taking into account that it IS a cheesecake (with pistachios and chocolate), so even if it doesn't look the way I'd like, I'm pretty much guaranteed that it WILL be yummy.

We'll see this weekend!

*****

On that note, I'm taking tomorrow off, and will actually be doing a lot of work (in the form of interviews) on the next season of those “Pieces of the Past” videos I do for the History Center., so there won't be a new one of these tomorrow.

Have a great weekend, whether it's three days, filled with cheesecake, both, or neither!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 3/13

Let's stay on the theme, I guess.

Monday, I wrote about my upcoming driving expedition in Germany. Yesterday, I wrote more about cars. So today we'll continue the thread with a bonus of throwing a language lesson in, as well. I had mentioned that I needed to dig out the sheet I have explaining what German traffic signs and lights mean, and I was immediately reminded of my favorite aspect of the German language--

Compound words.

The German language seems to believe that the more syllables a word has, the better. And that's often shown in their use of compound words, words that take two words in another language to form one German word.

As an example, the German word for “glove” is handshuh, which would translate into English as “hand shoe”. And as a side note, it sometimes IS hard to believe that German is actually the mother language of English.

Really, it is.

Anyway, while looking at the sheet of traffic signs & lights I remembered my favorite German compound word of all time. I'm not quite sure how they get this many syllables from a single term, but would you like to see the German word for “traffic light”? Here it is--

Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzungsschild

Oh, those wacky, wacky Germans and their wacky, wacky language.

8-)

In English, “traffic light” is three syllables. But in German, the language from which English is descended, it's (if I'm reading this correctly), ten. And what's even more amazing, the German word for “light” (Licht) isn't even part of the compound word. Neither is the word for “traffic” (Verkehr) Yet somehow, that 33-letter word is what a German would say if I were to point to a traffic light.

So if you ever need a good word for Scrabble, there you go. And if you ever get bored on a rainy day, head over to Google translate, type an English word in, and see what the German translation might be.

Because, I'm guessing, that's not the wackiest compound word that's out there.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 3/12

I wonder when (and how) the balance shifted?

Those of you who've read these forever may recall the results of a “survey” I've done twice in the past seven or eight years. That “survey” stemmed from observations made by me & Loraine walking around Marquette all the time, observations that led us to conclude that for every Subaru Outback you come across in the city of Marquette you will soon find a Chevrolet Silverado. The “survey” I did twice was basically just counting all the Outbacks and all the Silverados I saw in one week's span of time. The first time I did the “survey” there was an equal amount of both vehicles. When I did it a few years later, Silverados outnumbered Outbacks by two (out of several hundred counted).

So even though we just had a “theory” it was backed up (twice) by a “survey”. If you get rid of the quotation marks you could call it actual “statistical analysis”.

Almost.

Anyway, the past few months we've noticed an imbalance in the Force. It seemed as if we were seeing a lot more Outbacks than we were Silverados. So I decided it was time for another “survey”, and you know what I found? There IS an imbalance in the Force. In fact, it's quite a big one. During my latest one week count, I saw almost two Outbacks for every Silverado that rolled around (65-35, to be exact-ish).

It was weird.

I don't know what the deal is. I'd say I was just counting during the wrong week, but the “survey” just backed up anecdotal observations we've been making for several months now. There ARE now more Outbacks than Silverados. In fact, like I said, a LOT more. As to the why...I have no idea. Maybe because Outbacks are cheaper to operate? Maybe the new Silverados are flawed in some way that the old one weren't? I couldn't even venture a guess as to why.

All I know is that after years of equilibrium the title of “Marquette's favorite vehicle” has shifted in a BIG way toward Subaru Outbacks. I don't think any of us saw it coming, but it has.

We live in a weird world these days, don't we?

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 3/11

I guess as Plan Bs go it's not too bad of a Plan B.

As you may recall two months from today Loraine and I will be in the middle of our trip to Germany. And as you may recall, that trip to Germany is fraught with uncertainty over train strikes, airport strikes, and municipal transit strikes. Because of that uncertainty we took a leap and decided not to travel to our destinations by train, as originally planned.

Guess who gets to drive a rental car instead?

8-)

We had originally decided to forego a rental car for trains for a number of reasons, including cost and environmental impact. However, with the uncertainty surrounding whether or not we'd get where we wanted we figured we might was well bite the bullet and get a car. It was either that or face the (unlikely, but still possible) fact that we might spend all 10 days at the Frankfurt Airport.

And I don't think anyone would consider that a “vacation”.

So now I have to get ready to drive in a foreign country, which means digging out and updating the GPS I haven't used in (gulp) six years since the last time I drove in Europe. I need to get an International Driving Permit, and I have to find the sheet of road signs I printed out the last time I drove in Germany (six years ago!) so I can remember not to do something stupid like, you know, ending up in jail because I drove the wrong way down a one-way street.

Excuse me...an Einbahnstraße.

But in the end that's nothing compared to the uncertainty with which we were faced. Now that we have a car, we don't need to worry that much about train strikes or municipal transit strikes. Airport strikes... well, that's another thing. So keep your fingers crossed for us, if you would, and who knows—maybe we'll actually get to see sites like this two months from today--

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 3/8

So...what are YOU going to do today?

Here in Marquette, and in an increasing number of communities across the upper Midwest, it's “Spread Goodness Day”. Started by Marquette native Anna Dravland, it's just a day when you're supposed to do something nice. That's it—you just need to be kind to someone in some way. It's probably one of the easiest things you could ever do, and in a world where kindness sometimes seems on the verge of extinction, a day like today is welcome.

Very, very, welcome.

In the past couple of years I've been the recipient of a few acts of kindness on “Spread Goodness Day”, once when a pre-school here in downtown Marquette stopped by to give me a bag of gummies and crackers, and the other last year when some random lady called me out of the blue just to thank me for everything I do. I didn't need either of those acts, and I'm sure that other people could have probably benefited from them more than me, but they're both perfect examples of what “Spread Goodness Day” stands for.

After receiving those kind acts, I make sure I do a little something for someone. I don't wake up on “Spread Goodness Day” and think to myself that I'll do this thing or that thing, but when an opportunity presents itself I definitely take it. It might be something as simple as holding a door for someone whose arms are full, or telling someone who like their jacket, or by buying muffins for the next person in line at Babycakes.

It doesn't matter what you do. As long as it's done with kindness, that's the most important thing.

So go out and spread a little goodness not just today, but every single day you can. The world will be a better place for it. It really will.

And while you're at it, have a great weekend, too!

(jim@wmqt.com)