Monday, 8/31

I wish I could say I'm surprised. But, sadly, I can't.

I'm in the process of reading a book called “Head in the Cloud” by William Poundstone. In it,.the author writes about whether or not it's important to know stuff in the age of Google. If you can look it up on the Internet, why should you have to know it? It's an interesting book; as someone who seems to have a lot of random knowledge stuck in my head I never thought about the fact that one might not need to learn every trivial fact that you come across, but apparently that's not the case.

Especially for about a third of the country.

As part of his research for the book Poundstone did surveys about how much Americans know and how they get that knowledge. He (and I, when I read it) was shocked to find out that about a third of the people in the United States have absolutely no interest in learning stuff. They have no interest in furthering their education, and they have no interest in acquiring new knowledge, especially (and this is what blew my mind) if it goes against the pre-conceived notions they already carry around.

So if you ever wondered why there are still people who believe the Earth is flat, and refuse to accept any and all evidence that it's not...well, that's why.

I wish I could say I'm shocked by that fact, but I'm not. I just can't believe that there are people out there who don't wanna learn anything new, especially if it changes their mind or their outlook on a matter. One of the great joys of my life is learning something new; in fact, that's why I'm read books like “Head in the Cloud”. I can't imagine not having a desire to learn anything new. How can you grow as a person that way? Why would you want to be stuck in 1996, or whatever year you finished your formal education? The world is constantly changing; how can you expect to keep up if you're not learning about what's going on?

I just don't get it.

I mean, sure; people who don't wanna learn anything new can look up whatever they need to know on Google. But you have to know WHERE to tell Google to look. You have to know what you're looking for in the first place. And if you're convinced you don't need to know anything new (or you don't want to learn anything new), pretty soon you may not even possess the critical thinking skills that allow you to know where to look, or for what you need to look.

(As an example--one of the many facts I gleamed from reading the book and learning about the self-imposed ignorance of Americans? Nine percent of the people who live in the United States don't know what country New Mexico is in, nor do they know how to look at a map to find it.

Sigh...)

To me, at least, learning isn't something that ends when schooling ends. Learning is something you do all your life. It's one of the ways that you make yourself a better person and a better citizen. Not wanting to learn? That's just...

Well, I don't know what it is. I just wish more that 68 percent of Americans agreed with me.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 8/28

I suppose I should get out & visit the park at least once.  After all, it is named for part of my family. 

 I've been spending a lot of time riding the Iron Ore Heritage Trail this summer, and if you're familiar with the trail you know the park to which I'm referring. Just past where you cross County Road 492 right outside of Marquette, and where the trail used to turn from pavement to gravel (at least before they paved it this year), you'll notice a bench and a sign pointing toward the “Schwemwood Park” trail-head. I usually keep going past it, but I really should stop one day and check it out. 

 After all, I'm part of the extended Schwemin family for whom it's named. 

 The park was donated to Marquette Township by my late great Aunt Evelyn (my grandfather's sister)15 or so years ago. It was the last part of the old Schwemin family farm that hadn't yet been sold off to & developed by Walmart, Michael's, and Starbucks (a process that was actually started by my parents, when they started their auto repair facility (now Lafayette Collision) 45 years ago). Right behind the strip malls & big box stores sits several acres of trees & trails, not something you'd expect in an insanely busy commercial district. 

 That's probably another reason I should actually pay it a visit. 

And here's a third reason—I actually spent the first few years of my life just a couple of hundred feet from the park. In fact, even though I would have no memory of it, I probably was on the land quite a few times. You see, my parent's first home was on the edge of my mom's family's farm. The house, in fact, sat pretty much where the back driveway to Walmart is now located. For the first four or so years of my life I lived there, and have seen pictures of a young me in the woods behind the house So who knows—maybe I've been in the park, and just didn't know it. 

 I just haven't been there since it actually BECAME a park. 

 So on one of these trips I may have to take a few seconds, hop off my bike, and take a stroll through the trails. After all, there is a bit of history behind it, and unlike many of the historical things I study, it's actually a bit of family history. 

 And you don't get the chance to do that that often. 

 On that note, have yourself a fantastic weekend...the last one (sob) of meteorological summer.

 (jim@wmqt.com)

Thursday, 8/27

 I'm not ready for summer to be over.

The rain of yesterday, the cool temperatures forecast for this weekend, and the fact that I just typed “8/27” when starting this blog have added to the feeling I've been carrying around the past couple of weeks that my favorite time of the year is coming to a close. I mean, it's been a great summer—mostly warm, mostly dry, and one that's given me plenty of chances to play outside.

But it's still almost over.

If you're a weather professional, the season actually ends Monday, when “Meteorological Summer”, the months of June, July, & August wrap up. And that's how I usually think of summer, even though the three weeks of September before the actual equinox occurs can often be nicer than the beginning of June. However, there's just something about the high sun angle and the promise of warm days to come in June that you can't get in September, no matter how hard you try.

But...what are you gonna do, right?

I know there are plenty of people who are looking forward to the cooler days, the changing leaves, and the pumpkin spiced everything that mark the next few months. I don't begrudge them that at all. But for me, summer—especially in 2020—is an escape from reality. It's a time when I can head to the beach or jump on my bike and just mentally run away from everything.

Call it a character flaw on my part, but I, at least, can't do that when it's cold or snowy or pumpkin spiced. I just can't.

Hopefully, everything that I was able to get out of summer this year will help me get through to summer next year. Given the way this year has gone so far, I'm not 100% sure, but I'm hopeful. Otherwise, come January or February get ready for me posting a lot of pictures of sun & leaves & blue skies and maybe, just maybe, a lot of whining about I'm soooooo ready for summer to begin.

Don't say you weren't forewarned.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)

Wednesday, 8/26

 Because 2020's been so insane, and because I've had a documentary and purple hair to obsess about, I've realized that I haven't really been out a lot this summer with a camera, just wandering around and taking pictures of things I see.

That changed this past weekend.

For some strange reason, as I was out walking around with a camera I started noticing the geometry of buildings around downtown Marquette, a rather ironic thing seeing as how I suck at geometry. However, that led me to take a series of pictures I call, with great imagination, “Angles”--

I don't know why I ended up taking so many pictures like that; I guess the juxtaposition of one wall against the other just spoke to me, in whatever strange language it is I speak when I have a camera in my hand.

I've also taken a turdload of pictures of the Savings Bank Building over the past two decades. Yet this weekend, I took it from a slight different angle and with a slightly different lens. That way, at least to me, it becomes a whole new building--

And finally, it's nice to see that people follow the rules around here.

I really need to get out with my camera more. And now that “Third Street” is done and the purple had faded (way too early) from my hair, I just may have to.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Tuesday, 8/25

 I don't know if I should be surprised or not, but most of the color is already gone.

As I posted yesterday, I colored my hair purple over the weekend. The first day the purple was bright and vivid, the second day it was a little more muted, and when I woke up this morning it was barely there, just acting as highlights in the black & gray that normally covers my head.

Hmm.

This is both bad & good. It's bad because the coloring I bought says it would last 35 shampoos, and I'm still something like 33 shampoos away from that. So so much for truth in advertising. It's good in that I actually wanted it to be subtle. I actually wanted it to act as highlights in the black & gray that normally covers my head.

Now I'm just hoping that it doesn't disappear any further, that it actually sticks around for the 35 shampoos for which they promise. We'll see.

I put a picture of the purple up on Facebook over the weekend, and it engendered all kind of comments, including one that said, and I quote, “I don't know you, but why would you do that to yourself”? Well, if that person DID know me, they'd know why. They'd know of this...obsessive curiosity I've had with my Corona Curls, they'd know of my fondness for purple, and they'd know that I have no problem making a fool of and/or a statement about myself.

Most people, however, found it a cool thing.

I have no idea how long the purple will last. I could wake up tomorrow and it may be all gone. I'll be disappointed, but I'll live. After all, it was just an experiment.

An experiment I'm glad I conducted.

(jim@wmqt.com) who, by the way, left the long hair & Corona Curls on my head...at least for now.

Monday, 8/24

 Well, it didn't turn out QUITE like I thought it would, but here 'tis--

Yup; after weeks of ruminating about it and/or threatening to do it, I put the purple dye I bought Thursday into my hair. I honestly thought I would get black hair with purple highlights. Instead, I have purple hair with black (and gray) highlights. I'm wondering if perhaps I should've used a slightly different shade; maybe a plum, or something a little more subtle.

But, you know, if you're gonna do it, do it whole hog.

The reactions to it have been for the most part quite positive and for the most part quite fun. I've also learned something else—a large majority of people who said something mentioned they like the long hair I've been sporting recently, the “Corona Curls” that have been growing since March. I didn't really expect that, and that now sets up a quandary.

You see, I colored my hair purple at this particular time because I have a hair appointment tonight. I figured if I didn't like the color that I could get my hair cut to its normal length and it wouldn't be quite as noticeable. And, to be honest, I'm still undecided about the color, so I had been leaning ever-so-slightly toward getting the curls chopped off. But now that people have said what they said, I'm not quite so sure.

I know. I'm devoting way too much thought to all of this. But I've been devoting way too much thought to this hair since March, so why change now?

As I type this I have no idea what I'm going to do tonight. As it is, I'll probably change my mind a couple of hundred times between now and 7. I just have no idea how it'll end up.

I'll let you know tomorrow, I guess.

(jim@wmqt.com)

Friday, 8/21

 Three quick things to wrap up the week. First, a piece of Marquette history is being destroyed--

That is (or was) the passenger platform from the old Fifth Street train station. It was a 200-foot long slab of concrete that marked an era long gone, and was one of last (if not the last last) pieces of urban grunge left in the city. Surprisingly, not many people knew it was there, but for those of us who are (or were) fans, it's a sad, sad day.

On a brighter note—Susan from American Airlines thinks we got shafted.

I spent quite a lot of time on the phone with Susan last night (at the exact safe time that the ceiling in our apartment started leaking water from somewhere, but that's another story for another day). Like I mentioned yesterday, Susan couldn't understand for the life of her why we had been turned down for a refund for our flights to France after the airline had canceled said flights. After speaking with a couple of people and filling out forms on our behalf, she said we should be getting said refund in a week or so.

So thank you, Susan, for making a strange week a little less strange. And for restoring, if just a little bit, my faith in your employer.

Finally, I think this might just be one of my weekend projects--

We'll see...

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)