Late night open thread

Uh oh, bed bugs...

Time for Oscoda, After Dark

Let's get our first look at Oscoda football 2022 shall we?

The Owls have already won their first game, last Thursday evening in Houghton Lake Oscoda defeated the Bobcats 30-12, not a bad way to start things off. Oscoda is on the road again this week, another Thursday start, 7pm at Maple City Glen Lake who took it on the chin from Kalkaska last week, 46-8. 

As always, Go Owls!

Finally, a positive development in the ongoing PFAS crisis in Oscoda

No, sadly it's not the Air Force finally stepping up and living up their obligations, it might actually be better than all that. What if the 'forever chemicals' weren't actually forever? Northwestern University researchers, take it away:

So scientists have tried for years to find ways to break down PFAS, an acronym for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. On Thursday, researchers at Northwestern University published a study showing that PFAS can be destroyed using two relatively harmless chemicals: sodium hydroxide or lye, a chemical used to make soap, and dimethyl sulfoxide, a chemical approved as a medication for bladder pain syndrome.

Good news for our fair town. We'll see how this all breaks down over the next little while as to which PFAS chemicals Oscoda may be able to get rid of in a safe and timely manner. Still, this is just the news Oscoda needed!

Late night open thread

It's evenings like this the blogger hopes he or she has built up enough goodwill to feel comfortable to ask readers a favor or to let something slide. You all know how much Johnny loves his Music Series posts. Most weeks it's the only thing running here. Well folks, Johnny would love a one-time only pass on a weekend Music Series. Johnny has been dealing with some middling health issues lately and today he had to deal with a more serious one (Don't worry friends, not life threatening, just one of those things that had be dealt with) and it's left him wiped out tonight. 

Now, next weekend unless Johnny is dead things will get back to the way fall intended this blog to be, a Friday Night Music Series and a Saturday Night Scoreboard Show!

Time for Oscoda, After Dark

Late night open thread

With apologies music fans, Johnny will have to run the Music Series tomorrow evening this week. Good thing the weekend has multiple days!

Time for Oscoda, After Dark

Late night open thread

Time for Oscoda, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE BOOMTOWN RATS!

How prophetic were Bob Geldof and The Boomtown Rats? There's just no way, no matter how good the song is that Johnny's posting 'I Don't Like Mondays' with the school shooting storyline. Johnny will listen to it in private but he's just thinking there's something better by the Rats to post so how about 'Rat Trap' which honestly, Johnny likes better anyway. It's the song that got him into the band to begin with. 

Au Gres, it's a rat trap Judy...

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with SANTO AND JOHNNY!

Wrong Johnny, sorry. 

If you look up nostalgia in the dictionary this song plays. It's perfect for so many things isn't it? Movies, ads, teevee shows, all of it. BUT, did you know in all the times you've heard it, it has lyrics. Oh it does. If you click this link you can hear it, perhaps for the first time with the lyrics. For everyone who just got out their dictionaries, you can put them away, Johnny will just play the Santo and Johnny version of 'Sleep Walk' for you.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with MIKE NESS!

There's some good 2ing and 4ing in this song for sure. Also now 2ing and 4ing are words.

FACT! Mike Ness taking us out with 'Don't Think Twice'

Late night open thread

Time for Oscoda, After Dark

Saturday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with LUSCIOUS JACKSON!

It's been a while since we had that Luscious feel around here so let's fix that up right quick. 'Naked Eye' starting the festivities on this glorious summer Saturday night.

Saturday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE POLICE!

Admit it, you loved this song the first time you heard it and you still have a place for it. 'Walking On the Moon' up next tonight. 

Saturday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE CARDIGANS!

A cautionary tale on driving US-23 between Standish and Oscoda when the tourists in front of you insist the speed limit is 48. The Cardigans taking us out tonight with 'Favourite Game'

Late night open thread

Gonna have to go with a Saturday Night Music Series this week. Johnny and his girlfriend are binging Game of Thrones to get ready for The House of the Dragon later this month. Tonight just got away.

Time for Oscoda, After Dark

Late night open thread

Johnny was down in East Tawas this evening and caught this picture of the moonrise over Tawas Bay.

Time for Oscoda, After Dark

So, we need to talk about Rock Fest, Oscoda

Johnny should have been more question-oriented when the first Rock Fest came to Furtaw Field in 2019. Oh yes he should have. Like many he was just happy Oscoda was getting another big day, with rock music no less. No social media outlet based in Oscoda did more to promote it every week when it came up than the Oscoda City Desk. Eight song Music Series' featuring all the performers. Stories and Twitter promotion were all over. 

Not this year or going forward.

When the Rock Fest moved this year from the perfect location to show off Oscoda having a big day, Furtaw Field to a small patch of land over near Veteran's Memorial Park, which made no logistical or PR sense, Johnny started asking those questions he should have asked before. As it turns out, the ENTIRE gate receipts for Rockfest goes to Vet's Park, guided by a handful of supporters building unneeded memorials to the 1970's and 80's. While the situation of War Dogs was sad, why is Oscoda shortchanging other needs for this? Robert Tasior tries to make a failing case:

“The park honors our veterans,” Tasior said. “All of our proceeds actually go to that park. This year, we’re raising money to build a War Dog Memorial. Even though our base closed in 1993, we still have a 2.5-mile-long runway that’s used for cargo and operations, and our military presence has never gone away. 

First off, Johnny is gonna go ahead and guess that tax money is used to set up and take down and police Rock Fest. Yet, all the money being spent goes to a niche crowd and an even bigger niche memorial. Bothersome. How many people sans a couple days a year does anyone see actually walking through and looking at the monuments? Exactly. The Rock Fest money is not being applied wisely at all. It's being done for the benefit of a few "Military in Oscoda dead-enders" who seem to have forgotten the military left giving Oscoda the middle finger and a town poisoned. Sure, let's build monuments to them. FYI, according to Tasior this war doggy wall monument will run upwards of $100,000 so how many Rock Fests will it take to pay off, again, a niche memorial in a part of town many people don't even travel by? Glad 4 or 5 people have decided all this. 

Let's not promote Oscoda by using Furtaw Field either, Why let people know Oscoda even has such events as they drive by on US-23. Rock Fest money should be being used to save Furtaw Field, not shortchange it. Maybe the money could be used, you know, for the actual betterment of the town. 

It's at best now a public concert to provide private funds for something nobody here voted on or beyond a handful of people can prove anyone wants. So, while Johnny will probably mention the bands playing going forward he's not going to go all in on something with an end goal that makes zero sense in 2022. Not how his blogs or Twitter have ever worked. He's not for sale.

So, Rock Fest this Friday and Saturday, not at Furtaw Field. Woot!

Late night open thread

Johnny has a whole week to hype next weekend's TWO DAY, TWO NIGHT Rockfest! Giddyup!

Time for Oscoda, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE B-52'S!

Let's see Neil deGrasse Tyson and all his fancy astrophysicists reclassify 'Planet Claire' to a dwarf planet.

Ain't nobody having that! The B-52's kicking things off tonight.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE ROMANTICS!

It's ok, you can say it (and not be wrong), the Music Series always sounds better with a little Michigan influence.

How about a lot of Michigan influence with 'What I Like About You'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with JERRY LEE LEWIS!

Taking us out tonight how about a little Ferriday Fireball? Johnny will make it so. Goodness, gracious, 'Great Balls of Fire'