Daily Dose of BS April 30 pay attention

Well I did it.  I did exactly what I said I would never do.  I pulled out on hwy 35 to cross the highway in the line of a speeding car.  My heart stopped and skipped a few beats and I saw in slow motion the look of terror in the women’s face as she was mouthing something that I can’t repeat without getting in trouble.  The thing is it was accidental, I was seriously looking where I was going, I thought I was paying attention, and I thought I did the look l learned many years ago the left, right, left, right, left look.  I may have but I did it, I pulled right out in the line of an oncoming car.  Thank God that she was paying attention and avoided hitting me.  I tell you what I was shaken the rest of the day yesterday.  I guess it shows me that even if you aren’t texting, and are paying attention that you can still be involved in an accident, I was not but it was a matter of moments that saved me.  Drive safe and pay attention.  

Daily Dose of BS April 29 drunk

I am sad that a young woman in La Crosse has died after drinking too much, and taking a fall.  Why is it that the legal drug- alcohol causes so much pain, and is so widely abused?  I bet that most of the people of age who read or hear this have at one time or another been drunk, yet that seems to be ok.  We make excuses for people saying that they are young, or that they are depressed.  I have done it more times than I wish to remember, but I have cut way back on my drinking, and now it isn’t a quest to see how many brain cells that I can kill, but more a social thing.  We tend to drink way too much and then think that we are bullet proof and that we can do anything, this makes me sad, and worried as a dad.  Look after each other and make sure your buddies make it home safely; we don’t need any more drunken deaths.

Daily Dose of BS April 28 riotous nation

When did we become a riotous nation of thugs?  Why do thugs of every color take a sad situation and make it worse?  There are families hurting around the country, not just the families of the hurt or killed, but look around.  The communities that have been affected by riots have been savaged by those who claim to love those communities.  I really don’t get it.  If you want to make a statement, turn around and go home.  That’s right, turn around and go home, and the keep peace.  Instead of destroying the community around you, build it up.  Those that are rioting and looting are destroying these cities, and at what cost.  Since when did we become a riotous nation of thugs, turn around and go home.   

Daily Dose of BS April 27 phones

My cell phone just quit on Friday.  I was checking out facebook, clicked on a story, my phone shut down, restarted and just stuck on the G3 logo.  I took out the battery, put it back in, and nothing.  I then switched batteries, tried plugging in to the wall and finally the computer, and nothing.  I have a worthless smart phone.  I posted I was looking for a phone on Friday and my friend Dawn came through with the same phone I had before, but in lots better shape.   Thanks to the cloud I was able to back my phone up to basically what I had on it before.  All of my contacts have been saved on google contacts, my calendar the same, in fact because I use the google play store all of my apps were also saved.  I have always used dropbox to back up my photos.  The service person at US Cellular got my phone switched over in about 15 minutes, I guess the only thing that I really missed is about 6 hours of texts and phone calls, and we all need a break right.  On your next phone what app could you not live without? 

Daily Dose of BS April 24 time

Time stands still for no one.  My folks used to say don’t wish your life away.  They also used to say that you are the oldest you have ever been right now and the youngest you will ever be.  Time doesn’t stand still for anyone.  This weekend you will notice that the 48 hours of your Saturday and Sunday will go by so much faster than your Monday and Tuesday.  Why is that?  Time doesn’t stand still for anyone.  How are you going to be spending your time…helping or hurting?  Me I choose to hopefully make a difference.  Have a great weekend.

Daily Dose of BS April 23 working the system

Did you hear about Clarence David Moore?  He is the guy who escaped jail a few times and just turned himself in, because he is dying.  He had a stroke last year and couldn’t get medical help because he doesn’t have a social security number, because he was incarcerated.  In my mind the only reason he turned himself in is because he is dying and needs the help.  Does it make me a cold person that he is playing the system?  In my mind there are way too many people working the system.

Daily Dose of BS April 22 parents parties

Trouble brewing for those who host underage drinking parties or social hosting, the county is taking steps against those who intentionally set up, aid, or conspires to commit - and the fines aren’t cheap.  First offence carries a fine of 500 bucks with fines up to 2 thousand for subsequent violations.   A prohibited act entails a teenage drinking party at the parents’ home or at a place set up for by an adult, and the parent or person doesn’t have to be at home.  The issue I have with this, is what about a parent who goes out of town leaves their kids home, the kids have a party and steal the parents beers, or other booze, they get busted, and the parents have no idea until the cops call to say that little Johnny had a raging party that got busted.  The parent didn’t set it up, but the ingredients were all there with the shelter, the booze, and the food.  Not a good idea in my opinion.  

Daily Dose of BS April 16 cigarette butts

Earth day is tomorrow, what will you be doing to celebrate it?  Our world is much like our bodies if we abuse it, it won’t be around forever.  I know we do many things to the earth that we shouldn’t but I want to just focus on one thing, one little piece, the cigarette butt.   I hate let me repeat that I hate with extreme prejudice when someone who smokes tosses out the cigarette butt out the window of a car, tosses that butt on the ground, basically doesn’t dispose of the cigarette butt in a way that litters.  While I am on it I really dislike any litter, it annoys me to no end.  You have garbage find a receptacle do not just toss on the ground, you are making needless work for someone else and you are polluting our world.  Also remember to pitch your gum where someone isn’t going to be stepping on it.

Daily Dose of BS April 20 pot

I am not sure what 4:20 means when the dope smokers use it.  I have asked a few times never got a straight answer.  I really don’t think that they even know, it is just something that has been said.  I have brought this topic up before and what better day than today to bring it up again.  Legalize pot and tax the hell out of it.  I don’t smoke, nor do I plan on it, but I am unsure why we don’t tap into this seemingly bottomless pit of funds.  I also look at it this way that we would be getting tax dollars from some who never has, nor ever will pay taxes, I am talking about the pot pushers.  The money raised will be able to pay off some of America’s debt; it would also allow much of the extra funds to go toward treatment for those that have problems, much like the lottery has gone to help those with gambling addictions.  Just look at the amount of funds that have been brought into the states that have legalized marijuana. I know much of the argument is that it is the gateway drug, I disagree, I feel that smoking tobacco is the gate way drug.  

Daily Dose of BS April 17 ad

Not sure if you read the paper?  I do.  If you do, do you dislike the sticker ad that started out as a Sunday only thing then creeped into the Saturday paper and now graces the paper each and every day.  I get that advertising needs to be sold, but at what cost?  I would think that the paper wouldn’t want that placed over the front page, headline and story.  Plus when you go to take it off, if you have big clumsy hands like I got, you rip the paper and then what do you do with the scrap of paper with semi-sticky stuff on the back?  I know there are much bigger issues out there but this has been bugging me for a while.  

Daily Dose of BS April 16 15$ an hour

I don’t know how many stories that I saw pop up yesterday about the 15$ minimum wage, and how many around the country want it.  I don’t, let me repeat myself I do not want the minimum wage to go to 15$ an hour, and it is not because I want to hold anybody down, it’s not because I wouldn’t like more money for myself.  It is for the plain and simple reason of if the minimum wage doubles won’t that mean that every price will double, rent, gas, food, electricity, internet, cable, hospital visits, everything.  I wish that we had business leaders who instead of huge profits rolled some of that money into wages.  I heard of a local business that had such a great year last year that they bumped everyone’s wage up a buck.  You know that those employees are happy.  The federal minimum wage isn’t a maximum wage, and if we impose a 15$ wage as a minimum I fear that many who are in the ball park of that now will see their potential for higher wages.  A fifteen dollar an hour minimum wage will stifle the economy.  

Daily Dose of BS April 15 tax day

This is it; you have until midnight tonight to send in your taxes.  Since 1955 tax day has been on April 15^th.  What started out as a simple thing, turned into a complicated pile of mess.  I am glad I have an awesome tax accountant, and would suggest that everyone get someone that they trust to look over personal and business taxes.  If you cannot get your taxes done by today you should submit IRS Form 4868 so that you can get an automatic six-month filing extension, you can find that form and others at irs.gov.  As for the scammers and cheaters that are out there, shame on you there are lots of people depending on your money.  See yesterday’s entitlement Daily Dose of BS.  Happy Tax Day, here’s for many happy returns.  Get it?

Daily Dose of BS April 13 construction

Its construction season!  On your mark, get set, STOP!  I for one am not ready for the backups and hurry up and wait mentality of the spring fix up the road time that comes our way every year.  It seems sometimes that there are construction projects that happen just to slow the traffic down.  Have you ever driven from Minnesota to Chicago, through Wisconsin?  Has there ever been a time where there wasn’t construction?  I honestly think that they are still working on the freeway in Rockford Illinois that they were working on when I was a little kid.  I think lets finish the jobs we are working on and then put new things on our plate.  What do you think?  On the bright side of this spring driving, gas prices are down again a few cents from last week, which is good since we are going to be idling while waiting for  construction this summer.  

Daily Dose of BS April 7 election day

Couple things I am thinking about today.  Today is Election Day, meaning you should go to your polling place and cast your vote.  Here is where I am going to back track just a bit, I do feel that you should vote to bitch, but if you don’t know who or what you are voting for then maybe you shouldn’t vote.  I think that is the first time I have ever said that.  I kind of feel a little dirty saying it, as for the past um-teen years I have been pushing you should vote.  All too often people just vote the populace without doing the research or thinking of the retributions.  Second thing on my mind today, congrats to the Badgers and making it to the big game, the outcome wasn’t what you wanted but you did the state proud, and you got a guy who normally doesn’t watch basketball to root for Bucky.  Also, it was nice to have a local athlete in the starting lineup.  

Daily Dose of BS April 2 tv

Yesterday was April Fools day, I saw a few online photos, read a few stories about how Brett Farve was coming back to play for the Packers but that was about it.  I remember when April Fools day was something more than just a few print jokes.  Oh well times change, I also recall when I was a kid we never had cable tv, all my buddies did, but the Schmidt Family did not.  That changed once I got out on my own, I for a while had it all, but never used it.  Dropped to basic, had kids got some back and about a year ago decided to cut the cord all together, at first the kids weren’t happy but it is funny how things change.  Now they are ok with it having found other things to do with their time.  For me cutting the cord was easy, the shows I liked were all on the networks.  I bought a few antennas, got Netflix and hooked up PlayOn and PlayLater, combine the PlayOn and PlayLater with my Tivo and all is well and good at the Schmidt house.  How do you get your tv?

Daily Dose of BS April 1 pet rock

Remember the pet rock?  How about the chi-pet or the clapper?  Ever thought how did that ever get to market?  I have had lots of ideas that I thought could be the next pet rock, guess what none of them ever hit.  All it takes is the right place and right time for many products to go from insignificant to significant and then back.  What makes someone buy a pet rock or a chi-pet or any of the other millions of things that we as consumers buy, but don’t need?  Because who ever needed a pet rock?  I guess they are a lot easier to clean up than a dog, right?  By the way this week is International Pooper Scooper week, again, a job that who would have thought would have existed.