Friday, 12/11

 To quote a great American philosopher, “Oops...I did it again”.

Sigh.

All this year I've been writing about a strange habit I've picked up, the habit of writing newspaper articles for the History Center, turning them in, and then promptly forgetting about them until weeks later when I open the paper and am shocked by what I see.

I'm thinking that maybe I should just stop reading the Mining Journal. That way I won't be shocked by myself!

8-)

So, to wrap up the week, I will once again re-purpose something I wrote weeks ago and then totally put out of my mind. This time of the year, we can always consider it the gift that keeps on giving.

That's okay. You can thank me later.

Have a great weekend!!!

(jim@wmqt.com)

*****

MARQUETTE'S DAY OF INFAMY

December 7^th, at least for the United States as a whole, has gone down in history as a “day of infamy”.For the city of Marquette, there's another December day that may be remembered in much the same way, although for very different reasons.

There haven't been too many days in Marquette history like Sunday, December 17^th, 1905. It began on the north side of the city at the Powder Mill, which was an explosives factory that Peter White had started in what is now Tourist Park. It supplied dynamite and other things that went “boom” to mines all around the UP. When it was constructed in 1869 it was put up as far as was then practical from the city itself, just in case there was accident.

And what with explosives being inherently unstable, there were a few accidents over the years. The most serious of which, prior to 1905, may have been an accident in the building where they packed the dynamite in 1881, which killed 11 people. That particular incident could have been much worse; the nitroglycerin building at the complex was within the blast radius. Thankfully, the building was protected by a huge boulder that pushed the shock wave away from the structure.

By 1905 DuPont was running the mill, and on that December morning something went very wrong. An explosion occurred in plant's mixing room, which at the time contained 1,000 pounds of dynamite and 1,400 pounds of nitroglycerin. The explosion was so strong it wrapped a 35-pound rail around a tree. It threw equipment a half a mile away. It killed five people, seriously injured 10 others, and was so strong that it actually broke windows at the Peter White Public Library in downtown Marquette, over three miles away.

That was only the start of the day.

A few hours later, in an entirely unrelated incident, the first Longyear Hall at NMU—the first structure ever built for the Northern Normal School—was also the scene of a tragedy. The building was only four years old, and it, along with White Hall, served as the backbone for the rapidly expanding school.

The afternoon of December 17^th Longyear Hall suffered major damage when a fire of undetermined origin broke out on the upper floor. By the time firefighters could get it under control, the blaze had damaged major portion of the building and consumed all of the school's equipment and art work.

Firefighters were able to save most of the school's fledgling library, but the classrooms in the structure were a loss. Officials at the Normal School said the fire wouldn't hinder the beginning of the winter semester, which were set to start after the holidays. They said they would find alternative places to hold classes until the damage could be repaired.

Longyear Hall was rebuilt in the next year and served a long and useful life until it was unceremoniously torn down in 1991. The heavily damaged Powder Mill complex faded into history as safer forms of making explosives were developed. However, the street that heads into what is now Tourist Park—Powder Mill Road—still bears the name of the facility, and it stands as a legacy to one most unique—and explosive—days in Marquette history.

Thursday, 12/10

 I'm doing my part. I don't know if it'll make a difference, but I'm doing my part.

I usually try to do this anyway, but because it's 2020 and so many local merchants have had a less than good year I'm attempting to buy as many Christmas gifts as possible at small mom & pop stores, especially here in downtown Marquette. I probably won't be entirely successful—there are a few things people want that you just can't get, uhm, in this country—but I'm trying to do my best.

Being a resident of downtown Marquette I've always tried to support my (literal) neighbors, but this year, what with stores being totally shut down for two months earlier this year and what with stores still being buffeted by the crapstorm that is 2020, I'd like to do my little bit to ease that burden.

It may not be an awful lot, but I'm doing my best.

Of course, restaurants have been hurt worst of all, what with spending most of the year only being able to offer take-out. I've been trying to order take out as much as possible this year, but whether or not that makes any difference, I don't know. Gift cards for my favorite places will make good gifts, even if they're just gifts for me to use sometime in the future (assuming, of course, that the places are still in business in the future, whenever that is), so that's my plan.

Another reason I'm doing this? I can. I know a lot of people who've been out of work or who have had their hours cut back, and just can't afford to try & support local businesses. I've been lucky. Even though I've been working alone for nine months now I have been working. My life really hasn't been tossed asunder, thankfully. So if I can do my part, no matter how small that part may be, I'm more than happy to do it.

This year, especially, more than ever.

So no matter where you are when you're reading this, think about the people who own local stores, and how they've been suffering this year. Then remember Amazon's been making record profits, and Wal-Mart's been making record profits.

Who do you think could use your shopping dollars more?

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 12/9

 Maybe that’s why I’m always so calm.

While going through one of the eight zillion emails I get each and every day I came across a rather interesting fact. A new survey shows that people who compulsively check their phones for texts or messages or e-mails suffer anxiety or depression at a rate up to 60% higher than people who don’t.

Sixty percent higher!!!

I actually know a couple of people like that; people who look at their phone every two minutes and seem disappointed when there’s nothing new to attract their attention. These are the same people who will send me a text or an e-mail and then wonder why I don’t get right back to them, even if the text or e-mail was trivial in nature. Well, that’s probably because I don’t check my phone every two minutes. In fact, I can actually go (gasp) hours without even giving it a second thought.

Oh, the horror!!

Call me weird (it certainly wouldn’t be the first time) but I don’t see why I should be checking my phone every two minutes. After all, that’s like being at work or being on call 24 hours a day. I wouldn’t want to do it without a phone; why should I do it with a phone? There are times when you just need to separate yourself from whatever or whomever. You need to allow your brain to detach and de-tangle, and that doesn’t happen when you’re checking your phone every two minutes.

I can’t say I was surprised when I saw that statistic; we seem to live in a world where there’s too much information and not enough time to process it. And before you go thinking I’m a technological Luddite or something, be aware of the fact that I use technology just as much or more than the average person. I just don’t feel this. . .compulsion to use it every single second I’m awake. I’m fine with leaving my phone at home when I go to the beach or to leave it in another room when I’m spending time with loved ones. After all, what’s more important in the scheme of things, especially for your mental health--a walk on the beach, or a text message you really don’t need at that moment?

Now can you see why that survey was probably quite accurate?

So the next time you see someone in store or in their car or even (heaven forbid) in a restaurant (when they're open) spending time with someone else yet checking their phone every few minutes, make sure you don’t say “boo” around them.

After all, they’re probably anxious enough as it is.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 12/8

 We'll just have to see how it all turns out.

As you may be aware, I'm in the midst of putting together another documentary for the Marquette Regional History Center, this one taking the place of the usual Kaufman Auditorium show Jack Deo & I do every January. Entitled “Skis, Skates, and Slapshots”, it'll talk about the history of winter sports in the area. This one's Jack's baby, but we're drawing on the experience I had in putting together “Third Street: Day & Night” to make this a multimedia extravaganza.

With, of course, silly stories. You can't have a Jim & Jack show without silly stories.

One of the things we'll be replicating from “Third Street” in this production will be interviews with people who actually made local history on skis and skates. This time around, though, we'll be facing a few difficulties I didn't face this past summer. There's the Covid surge, the resultant “pause” (now extended through the 20^th ) in Michigan, and the fact that the people to whom we're speaking are all elderly and therefore fall into the high risk category for the disease.

That, however, (hopefully) won't stop us.

I don't know how people would've been able to conduct remote video interviews in the olden-days (you know, like 2015) but Zoom is a wonderful thing. Instead of asking these high-risk individuals to come into the History Center we'll just do the interviews remotely. Assuming, of course, they either can figure out how to Zoom or have someone around who can help them out. Sure, it'll make the documentary look a little different, but if someone stumbles upon it in 2035 or 2040 they can take one look at the production and say--

“That's SO 2020”. Because it will be.

8-)

We'll see how it all turns out. The world will also get a chance to check it out on January 21^st, 2021, the date on which we would've done the show live. And who knows—maybe this is the way in which we'll have to do ALL of our shows for now.

Time, of course, will tell.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 12/7

 Larger than life? Me? Really?

You sure you have the right person here?

I've been reading through some of the birthday greetings sent my way on Facebook and two Facebook friends of mine, from opposite ends of the country, mentioned a “larger than life” personality in describing me. While I admit I don't have the personality of a “normal” person, I don't know that I'd call it “larger than life”. Dorky, sure. Weird, perhaps. But “larger than life”?

I don't even think the Backstreet Boys would agree with that.

I mean, I guess I can see where they're coming from. I do things that “normal” people don't do; I do radio and TV and public speaking and all that stuff. But I don't know that that gives me a larger than life personality. Even when I do those things I'm low-key. I'm more observational than I am a “performer”. But that's because that's now I am in real life. No matter what I'm doing, what you see is what you get.

I'm just, you know, me. Doing what I do. Probably because I'm not that good at much of anything else.

It's funny; when I think of a “larger than life” personality I think of someone who's “on” at all times and who drives the world around them. That's not me. Like I said, I'm laid back. I notice things more than I drive things. I react, instead of instigate. I make the pithy little comments instead of the laugh out loud punchlines. That's just who I am. My public persona is exactly the same as my private persona, with the possible exception of a being a little better dressed when the “public” me is out there.

Yet, there are still some people who think I'm “larger than life”. I know they meant it as a compliment, and despite my whining I AM taking it that way. I just think they're running down the wrong path. I've known me a lot of years now, and the one thing that I would not call myself is “larger than life”. However, I've been wrong (many times) before, and I'm sure I'll be wrong again, so as far as this goes, who knows?

I just don't think I am.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 12/4

 I was supposed to be spending my birthday shooting a TV show. Now, I have no idea if that'll even happen at all this year.

First of all, I turn another year older today. That's not a big deal. As I joke each & every year if anyone deserves cheers and/or sympathy it's my mom, if only because I was born a month past my due date.

SHE'S the one who deserves all the accolades today.

I'm not big on birthdays, anyway. All it means is that I'm another year older, and if there's one thing that the Koskis don't do is acknowledge aging. So today would, during a normal year, just be another day, albeit one with pumpkin bars and mint chocolate chip ice cream. And, as it's been happening the past few years, a shooting date for that little TV show I host.

But alas...2020 has been anything BUT a normal year.

If things had gone according to the original plan we would've been shooting the first episode of our second round today. If things had gone according to the revised plan we put together after the original plan went out the window we'd be shooting the second episode of the season today. But because nothing has gone according to either original or backup plans this year, I get to spend my birthday not under the lights of a TV studio but sitting in my office, wondering if we'll ever get to shoot an episode at all this year.

I wouldn't take bets on it.

Once the original plans went out the window we thought we had a good revised plan in place; we'd shoot beginning in December so the programs could begin airing January 2^nd. We'd get a bunch of shows in the can this month and be off to a flying start. But between this third wave of the gunk and the fact that high school students aren't allowed any extracurricular activities (like, say, appearing on a TV show); well, those plans went out of the window, as well.

So instead of spending my birthday in my preferred way, I'll just go to work like it's a normal day. I do get birthday pizza tonight (thanks, Loraine) and thawed-out pumpkin bread (thanks, mom, for thinking of doing that before you escaped Michigan for the season), so it WILL be a little above average for a Friday.

It just won't be the exact way I had hoped to spend it. But it's 2020, so what are you gonna do right?

Have a great weekend...

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday,12/3

 I guess it's really not that bad. But at the same time, it really does suck.

December’s one of those months that I can’t quite decide if I really like; after all, it has the good (Christmas cookies, at least during a non-Covid year when I make Christmas cookies), the bad (cold, and no time to do anything), and the ugly (I turn another year older). But it also has something that happens during this time of the year. It gives me my only chance (or two) to see a phenomenon that I otherwise am unable (or unwilling) to experience.

That’s right--December allows me to see my only sunrise (or two) of the year.

Those of you who know me know that during most of the year I’m never awake to see a sunrise. The closest I come are those nights in June when I fall asleep a few hours before the sun rises. I’m not complaining, or anything; based on my body clock, that’s just a fact of life. But with the sun rising so late (if at all) during December, it does allow me the opportunity to get out and see it come up. . .if, of course, our ever-present cloud bank actually allows it.

This year, though, I've been a little lucky. Especially yesterday morning when there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

Yesterday, and on those various days when I do get to see a sunrise, it occurred when I was out running, and it usually seems to occur when I’m out running on the bike path near Shiras Park. I’m pretty sure you get the best view of a sunrise in Marquette from there; after all, there must be a reason a bunch of cars are parked in the lot every morning around the time the sun comes up. And I have to admit, the one sunrise (or two) a year I see from that location is much different than the sunsets I see from many different locations on a regular basis. The sunsets always seem to be “dirty”, for lack of a better word. When the sun goes down for the night it’s masked by all kinds of gunk in the air, kicked up by the activities of everyone during the day. Sure, the sunsets can be quite vivid, but like I said, they seem “dirty”.

Not the one sunrise (or two) a year I see, though. The atmosphere’s had the chance overnight to clean out all the gunk that accumulated in it the previous day, so that when the sun comes up, it comes up undiluted by the flotsam of the previous day. Like the daybreak it heralds, the sun when rising is clean and clear and full of promise. I can see why people enjoy watching it come up, and I’d do it more often myself, if only during most of the year the sun just didn’t come up so darn early.

So aside from Christmas cookies, I guess you can add “sunrises” to the list of good things that December brings. I’m not quite sure if those two outweigh the cold and lack of time and the fact that I turn a year older, but at least December has one or two things going for it.

Unlike, say, January. But that’s a topic for another month!

(jim@wmqt.com)