Wednesday, 11/10

For me, personally, I think it’s a little too soon.

I’ve been in three different Marquette stores over the past three days, and in each and every one of them Christmas music was being played. I heard Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas” in each of the stores, I heard different versions of “Santa Claus is Coming To Town” in each of the stores, and in one of the stores in particular—I won't mention them by name, because (normally) I like shopping there--I heard two different versions of “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” played within 20 minutes of each other.

I mean, I know these stores are trying to get people into the holiday mood so they’ll spend their holiday money with them. But we just finished Halloween. The temperatures have been at or near the 60s the past few days. A lot of the trees around here still have their leaves (and are, in some cases, still green). Is it really time to start laying on the Christmas music and the Christmas sales and the Christmas mood, even before Thanksgiving? Don’t we deserve a little bit of a break between, say, Halloween and Turkey Day? I mean, if you start playing Christmas music almost two months before Christmas, doesn’t that rob the music of some of its special power, especially as we get closer to the holiday but find ourselves increasing sick of the tunes? I like Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas”—I really do--but if I’ve heard it three times in the last three days, a span of three days a month and a half before the holiday itself, how many times am I gonna hear it before the holidays are done? And how soon will it be before I don’t wanna hear it again?

Like I said, maybe it’s me. I know there are people out there who just love Christmas music, and who can’t get enough of it, holiday or not. There are even radio stations around the country (including two in Marquette) that start playing Christmas music (and nothing but Christmas music) in late September or early October, and will get some pretty good ratings because of it. But does it really make sense to start listening to (or being forced to listen to) Christmas music when you’re still wondering what to do with the rest of your kid's Halloween stash, or what you might make for Thanksgiving dinner?

I dunno; I don’t get it. But this wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been out of the ordinary about stuff like this. Maybe it is normal or practical or fun to listen to Christmas music two or three months before the holiday. Maybe it is normal or practical or fun to listen to Christmas music while you’re in a store two or three months before the holiday. Maybe it drives sales up; maybe it puts people in a good mood. So maybe I’m the outlier here. It wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened, and it certainly won’t be the last.

All I know is that, for me, the Christmas music can sit on the shelf just a little while longer.

****

By the way, don't believe me when I say that most of our trees up here still have leaves and are partially green? Here's a picture taken yesterday at 1:54 pm--

Yup; that's how Marquette now looks in mid-November in a post climate-change world. I have a feeling that people who grew up here 50 or 100 years ago would be stunned.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 11/9

 All in all, I think it's kinda cool.

I've written in here before about the TV show “Joe Pera Talks With You”, a late-night Adult Swim series that's set in Marquette. What I haven't written about yet is that last winter the producers of the show were scanning the Marquette Regional History Center website and came across the “Pieces of the Past” videos I make. One evening soon afterwards I found myself on the phone with Joe and one of his writers, telling them stories about all the churches that have burned down in Marquette's history.

Those stories ended up in the episode that aired Sunday night.

Not only did my stories end up in the episode but so did a bunch of History Center pictures, and local photographer Steve Lindberg had one of his pictures of a three-antlered deer turned into a minor plot point during the show.

How cool is that?

If you've never heard of the show or have never seen it, don't worry. It airs at 12:30 on Sunday night (or, more to the point, Monday morning) on the Cartoon Network and it's a very...peculiar show. It's a comedy but it's usually not that funny. It is, however, quite touching. It's a very laid-back show; Joe Pera himself says he doesn't mind if people use it to help them sleep. It's just a quirky little gem that has the added benefit of being set in (and occasionally shot in) Marquette.

And that's the best reason to check it out.

I'd recommend starting from the beginning, if you can. The episode from Sunday night has several characters and story-lines that go back to last season (which aired two years ago) and the show is off-kilter enough as it is without someone going into it not knowing just what the heck has happened in the past. Unless, of course, you just want to see the pictures of churches burning and hear Joe's character talk about the stories that I shared.

Then, by all means, go ahead and watch. And who knows—maybe the quirkiness will rub off on you.

I've written in here a lot the past year or two about just how many bizarre things seem to keep happening in my life, but never did I think it would manifest itself in this way. I'm just glad I came up with some information, passed it along to some very creative people, and had it turn out the way it did.

Check it out for yourself  (and be aware you may need to tell them to which cable company or TV provider you subscribe).

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 11/8

Hey, spell check. You trying to tell me something?

First of all, I had a very nice three-day weekend, thanks for asking. Friday I shot a TV show and then spent the afternoon baking Christmas cookies at my parents, so they could freeze them and take them down to Florida with them. Then between a very mild weekend and a few other things I spent most of the rest of the time playing outside.

Add 20 degrees to the very mild weekend and it would have been a PERFECT three day weekend.

But now, back to spell check. Whenever I type—be it emails, scripts, or even these blogs—I type very quickly, just letting the words flow out of (what passes for) my brain. But because I type very quickly and because I only use four to six fingers while typing (much to Loraine's eternal consternation) I often make mistakes. I'll hit the wrong key, I'll hit the right key twice, and I'll (on occasion) leave out entire words.

Well, I really don't have to tell YOU that, do I? After all, you read these every day and quite often see the results of my typing style.

Anyway, while quickly typing something over the weekend I managed to spell my last name wrong. That's not uncommon; like I said, I often do that (in fact, while typing this sentence I spelled “often” “foten”). When I tried to type “Koski” it came out “Koksi”. I was typing it on a machine that I haven't used that much, which means that the spell-check dictionary on that particular machine didn't know there's an actual name spelled “Koski”. So when I right-clicked on “Koksi” to correct my mistake what word did that computer's spell-check decide should be its replacement?

How about “sicko”? Yup...even though I don't use that machine much it apparently knows a thing or two, doesn't it?

8-)

I mean, I guess I can see the logic behind it. “Koksi” does have four of the five letters of “sicko”, if only in a different order, and maybe the computer just thought I wanted to play a game of Word Jumble. Needless to say, I added “Koski” into the dictionary of that particular machine, so the next time I make a mistake typing—which we all know I will do--”sicko” will NOT be a suggestion if my fingers mis-spell my last name.

Even if “sicko” might be one of the most appropriate choices the computer could make.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 11/4

Much like the $50 in free stuff I wrote about earlier this week from Kohl's “Bowl's”, it's the gift that keeps on giving.

In February I spent a half an hour at the History Center researching one of the video shorts that I made earlier this year. That half an hour has now netted me the video, a radio bit based on it, a newspaper article based on it, and now, a blog based on it

Don't say I never take a good idea and run it into the ground.

The actual phrase is, of course, “re-purposing”, a term we've discussed in here before. But it's a cool story, and if, by sharing it over a variety of media, I've helped spread it even a little more, then that half an hour I spent back at the History Center in February was worth it.

Of course, I also have an ulterior motive it, too. I'm taking tomorrow off, giving myself a long (non-traveling) weekend for the first time since June, and I have a lot of work to do to make sure it comes off. So if I save a few minutes by turning the newspaper article that appeared in the Mining Journal yesterday into a blog today, what's the harm? Especially because you'll be getting to see a picture that was cropped in the newspaper article full sized.

No, that's okay. You're welcome.

So without further ado, here 'tis. Have yourself a great weekend, too, be it two days or three days or more!

(jim@wmqt.com)

(ps—don't forget “High School Bowl” is back Saturday night at 8 on WNMU-TV!)

*****

It's not very often that a city has a scent associated with it, but if Marquette did indeed have an official smell, there are several possibilities—one might choose the smell of Lake Superior early in the morning. People who lived in North Marquette between 1905 and 1970 might claim it would be the odor that came from the Cliffs Dow Plant.

But for several generations of residents across a wide swath of the city that smell would probably have to be the smell of freshly baking bread that emanated from the Our Own Bakery

For many years just colloquially called “The Bunny Bread Bakery”, this facility on Washington Street was owned by several different companies and produced several different lines of bread during the seven decades it operated. But the one thing it produced no matter what the year or no matter who the owner was the smell of fresh baked bread that emanated from the place. Depending upon which way the wind blew, you could catch a whiff over a large swath of the city, a scent that gave Marquette a smell unlike any other.

In 1925 a group of Upper Michigan grocers opened the Merchants Wholesale Bakery in the Soo, in order to provide fresh breads and rolls to their stores. However, the need soon arose for a bakery that was more centrally located in the Peninsula, so in December of 1936 the second Merchants Wholesale Bakery was opened at the corner of Washington and Lincoln in Marquette.

About that same time, three brothers from Illinois--Amos, Arnold, and Jack Lewis--opened their own bakery in their home town and decided to begin manufacturing their own brand of bread.

That brand--Bunny Bread--soon became synonymous with the Merchants Wholesale Bakery in Marquette.

The Marquette bakery--officially renamed the Our Own Bakery in the mid 1950s--was one of the main production facilities for Bunny Bread for over 30 years. In fact, most area residents just called it "The Bunny Bread Bakery", a name that was definitely helped by the sight of a giant neon bunny on the east side of the plant, whose ears could be seen moving back & forth whenever it was lit up.

Picture from "Marquette Mirror" courtesy Marquette Regional History Center

At its peak, the Our Own Bakery employed 150 bakers, drivers, and maintenance workers. And during those peak years it baked and shipped Bunny Bread bread and buns throughout the Upper Midwest. The plant even won the coveted American Bakeries Co-op “Golden Loaf Award” four years in a row in the 50s for the quality of its Bunny Bread products.

The breads and rolls that were produced at Marquette's Our Own Bakery were also backed up by one of the catchiest ad jingles of the 1950s and 1960s. In fact, if you were to ask people around during that era to finish the phrase that began with "That's what I said...", it's most likely many of them would finish it by saying "Bunny Bread".

The bakery produced Bunny Bread until the late 1970s when it was sold to Heilman Bakeries, and the Bunny Bread brand began to fade away. Other product lines began to be manufactured in Marquette, although the iconic neon Bunny Bread sign on the side of the building remained. That was eventually taken down, where it now has a place of honor in the entryway of the UP Children's Museum.

The bakery was eventually sold again, this time to national chain Sara Lee, which produced and shipped its eponymous products around the upper Midwest. By the mid 2000s employment at the plant dropped down to 80 workers, and it produced its final loaves on June 27^th, 2009...the final time anyone could catch a whiff of the “Official Smell of the City of Marquette”.

Wednesday, 11/3

 I don't think I'm ready for it.

For those of you who don't know, here's what we woke up yesterday in Marquette--

That's downtown, right across the street from the station and just a couple of blocks from the (relatively) warm Lake Superior. There was a whole lot more snow just half a mile from where I took the picture. I shouldn't be shocked it happened; this is actually one of the later dates for the first snowfall in quite a few years, and we've been lucky in that respect.

But still—I am so not ready for winter.

I don't know what it is, but I look less and less forward to winter every year. Keep in mind that I never actually ever looked forward to winter; I don't know if anyone in their right mind would. But at least I accepted the fact that it's going to happen, whether I want it to or not. But that's getting harder and harder to do. The more I come to appreciate summer and sun and warmth the less I come to tolerate snow & cold, even if it means I can cross-country ski and snowshoe for a couple of weeks or months.

Or, in the case of our mild winter last year, I get to ski once.  Just once.

As I may have mentioned, we've been spoiled with an absolutely gorgeous fall so far, as evidenced, perhaps, by another picture I took just this past Saturday--

Yup. Sixty degrees and mostly sunny and with leaves ablaze on October 30^th. That's how spoiled we've been this fall.

Thankfully, what I pictured in the first picture has now disappeared, and by this weekend we should be back in the 50s. But if nothing else, it served as a reminder as to what we can soon expect.

Whether we're ready for it or not.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 11/2

Not that I'm complaining...but is this how capitalism is supposed to work?

Let me explain. A couple of weeks ago I went to a store. For the sake or argument let's call it, oh, “Bowl's”. I bought a suit jacket and a couple of shirts & ties because TV Jim needed them. When I paid for everything at “Bowl's” they gave me a slip that would allow me to spend 50 dollars with the company at a later date. So this past weekend I went on the “Bowl's” website where I was indeed able to pick up a pair of noise canceling headphones for free (although I did pay for shipping). After the order, “Bowl's” then sent me an e-mail saying I now had another 10 dollars to spend with them,

So correct me if I'm wrong, but “Bowl's” gave me a shot at getting free stuff from them just because I got some free stuff from them. Isn't capitalism wonderful?

8-)

Now, I'm not an economic expert, nor do I play one on TV, but just how do you make money from something like that? I mean, I realize it actually has to do with loss leaders and mark-ups and profit margins, but just how do you make money by, basically, giving people stuff like that? And it gets even stranger when you consider this—I paid for the original stuff with a credit card. I get points for buying something at “Bowl's”, and I could redeem those points for a ”Bowl's” gift card, should I choose, which makes it another way that I could get more free stuff at “Bowl's” just because I've already gotten free stuff at “Bowl's”.

As I mentioned, I'm not complaining. I really like “Bowl's” as a store, and I'd shop there even if I didn't get free stuff from them just because, you know, I got some other free stuff from them to begin with. And I realize two things—that isn't actually “free” stuff (much like airline miles aren't “free” but a cost built into your ticket). And I also know that this is all (probably) an insidious scheme to make me go back to “Bowl's” and buy even more stuff. But each time I buy something they give me more free stuff, and then they give me more free stuff just for getting the free stuff.

Like I said, I'm not an economic expert, but shouldn't things get to the point where this because economically unsustainable? Either that, or I'm just overlooking something here, which wouldn't be a surprise because, as we all know, I have absolutely no interest and/or ability in the field of business.

All I know is that I'm getting free stuff just because I already got some free stuff. And I'm actually okay with that.

******

Before I leave, I have to wish my favorite brother in the whole wide world a happy birthday! Now, he's my only brother in the whole wide world, so I'm probably contractually obligated to say that. But nonetheless, I hope Marc has a great day despite everything that's going on. Marc—hope Tiffanie and the boys spoil you rotten.

You deserve it!

(jim@wmqt.com)

Monday, 11/1

How stupid is it that I can't even spell the word in English anymore?

I tell you; it's not easy being me sometimes. As those of you who read this on a regular basis know my mind sometimes does stuff that defies logic and/or reality. There are days or times when I don't seem to have any control over it (my mind, that is), and that once again became apparent when I was going through the list of what I still need to buy for the the main course I'll be making for Loraine and me on Thanksgiving. I've been picking up things over the past week or two and slowly but surely crossing things off that list. One of the things still on my hand-written list?

Pistache

Now, I know what it means. It's a certain kind of nut that I gobble by the handful, and a certain kind of nut that resides in some of my favorite French bars. And that probably explains why I wrote it on the list in French; after all, when I see it written down it's usually in that language. I can understand that. What I can't understand is why, after realizing I wrote it in French and then went to change it to English, that I had absolutely NO idea how to spell the word “pistachio” in my native language.

Sometimes I amaze even myself. And, as always, usually not in a good way.

I stared at the word when I tried to write it in English, but it still resembled the French version more than it did the English (well, technically, Italian, right?) way of writing it. For whatever reason, my brain couldn't comprehend the translation of the word from my second language to my first. It just didn't work. So I did what any reasonable person did—I pulled out my phone, went to Google, and typed in “p-i-s-t” where, within a matter of nanoseconds, the English version of the word popped up on my screen. It still didn't look right, but I figured that if anyone knew how to spell it Google would know how to spell it.

After all, everything we find on the Internet is correct all the time, right?

Anyway, “pistachio” is now written on my list of things yet to buy, right next to the crossed-out French version of the word. However, given my track record of late, it wouldn't surprise me if I spent a big chuck of the day wandering around the grocery store in search of “pistaches”.

I just hope there's someone there who speaks French and can point me in the right direction.

(jim@wmqt.com), lost cause, from the sounds of it.