Jim had a wonderfully wry sense of humor. He was so funny that hundreds of times in the middle of a chess match I would laugh out loud and say, I've got to write that down. For years I collected these scraps of paper and put them in a book for his birthday. It was called OUT OF CONTEXT - THE WIT AND WISDOM OF JAMES G. BLANCHARD. Amazingly people never read it once. They would go back and read it again because it was that funny.
For fifty years I have been a Document Examiner and that is how I earn my living.
For over 50 years I have also been a publicist for actors, singers, writers, composers, artists, comedians, and many progressive non-profit organizations.
I am a Librettist-Composer of a Broadway musical called, "Nellie Bly" and I am in the process of making small changes to it.
In addition, I have written over 100 songs that would be considered "popular music" in the genre of THE AMERICAN SONGBOOK. My family consists of four branches. The Norwegians and The Italians and the Norwegian-Americans and the Italian Americans.
My mother is Pamela Thompson. My dad is Richard William Russell. My mom grew up in Fenwick Michigan. My dad grew up in Hart Michigan. They had 2 kids together. Living in Michigan. I have other Half siblings out there somewhere