Daily Dose of BS Aug 31 internet

The other day at work we lost our internet, It is amazing how much we use internet technology in such an old school job.  The national programming on our talk radio station comes over the internet, all five of our radio stations get special programming and commercials sent over the internet.  News, sports, weather and more - all internet.  So when our internet goes down here there are issues, I also believe that some of our old school corded phones are internet based also. Its kinda scary that when internet is down our show prep goes down also, plus when the internet goes down we can’t check emails, or go on facebook.  Plus how are we supposed to watch cat videos?  On a side note,  I am going to take my yearly break from the internet, well Facebook over the weekend, wish me luck, going to attempt a good 4 day break.

Daily Dose of BS Aug 30 National Anthem

Does Colin Kaepernick have the right to sit out during the National Anthem absolutely he does. Is it going to help him win friends and influence people? Absolutely not is it going to help him to further his stance on whatever it is that he is fighting for absolutely not. Doesn't make him look like a baby yet does Kaepernick sitting down during the National Anthem put him in the bad graces of most around the country? My guess is absolutely it does. I get you have the right to protest what you want, but isn't there a time and a place for that rather than at your job? The 49ers said “The national anthem is and always will be a special part of the pregame ceremony. It is an opportunity to honor our country and reflect on the great liberties we are afforded as its citizens. In respecting such American principles as freedom of religion and freedom of expression, we recognize the right of an individual to choose to participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem.” The NFL went more to the point: “Players are encouraged but not required to stand during the playing of the National Anthem.”

Daily Dose of BS Aug 29 smoking

Today it has been 9 years since I was a regular smoker.  The reason I say since I was a regular smoker, because I had one cigarette about 2 years ago, and it reminded me why I quit, I wish I had all that money back and the health that went with me starting smoking.  I had been a smoker on and off from the time I was in high school till 9 years ago, I quit for 4 and 5 years in there at different times but 9 years ago I decided after my oldest son caught me smoking to give it up for a year.  I gave it to myself for my birthday, it was a one-year contract that I had with myself.  I then continued to give myself that gift.  That time I quit was easy, as I was doing it for my kids and for me.  Don’t get me wrong there were times when I really wanted to light up, especially when faced with stress, but each day it got a bit easier and the cravings less.   I am happy to say that I am giving myself the gift of non-smoking again this year.  If you are a smoker and you want to quit, I know you can do it, if you really want to. 

Daily Dose of BS Aug 25 monopoly

Here's a good case against monopolies.  Look at the EpiPen.  The EpiPen cost has risen 600% in the last 9 years.  There seems to be so many people out there that have allergies these days, and so many people out there that are on the verge of death once they come in contact with their life threatening allergy.  And one of the only things between living and dying is the EpiPen.  Really Mylan officials you are you are going to raise your wages on the backs of those in need?  This doesn’t seem like the right thing to do.   I'm kind of sick of the entire Pharmaceutical industry as a whole, this isn’t the first time that we have heard of big pharm raising prices once they have the consumer where they want them.  I get that there is millions in research and trials but, come on. 

Daily Dose of BS Aug 24 homework

I have always hated homework, disliked the fact that we had to do work outside of our school day, and as a parent, I really don’t like it because it shows me what I really don’t know.  I had problems helping my kids with math after the 7^th grade and now my youngest ones start high school in a week.  With school starting and I am assuming that kids today like homework about as much as I did when I was a kid, it was nice to see a viral post yesterday about a teacher who doesn’t believe in homework.  The note begins “After much research this summer, I am trying something new,” then goes on to say “Homework will only consist of work that your student did not finish during the school day. There will be no formally assigned homework this year.”  I would love to have had this teacher.  What are your thoughts on homework?  Personally, I think that the kids get too much when your kids bring home more than 90 minutes a day, that is too much. 

Daily Dose of BS Aug 23 lochte

I think if you make a mistake and someone points it out you should fess up.  If Ryan Lochte and his fellow teammates would have just said yes, we were dumb and yes we got drunk and yes we wrecked a bathroom.  I am sorry, I am made a mistake and it will never happen again, I believe that he would have looked like a hero to some and this would have been over for him.  But since he went on and lied about his stupidness that this is going to be in the news for a while longer.  I read this morning that he has lost Speedo and 3 other endorsement deals because of the back lash of his actions.  I have also heard that because of this he stands to lose 11 million dollars.  That is a big loss for a night of stupid.  On top of it all he is in his 30’s and on the tail end of his swimming career so redemption is probably not in the cards.  I hope that with this act of stupidity and his lying to try to cover will at least teach us that you can’t lie your way out of a lie. 

Daily Dose of BS Aug 22 crime

Yet another reason I don’t want to be a cop, oh let me count the ways.  My wife woke me up this morning at 2:10, with a nudge and the words there is someone in our house.  It took me a second to respond, after the initial shock of what was said, glasses went on, and heart started racing and I was up and out of bed.  I heard a girl yelling and saw flash lights flailing, my first thought is wtf, then I got to call 911.  I then noticed realized that it was a scuffle outside in my yard, a woman was yelling at police officers in my yard at 2:10 am.  I saw at least 3 cops, in the yard, and another one or two drive by, when the suspect was finally contained I asked one of the officers what went down and why my yard, the as because she took off and we had to pursue her.  I thanked them for doing what they do and tried to go back to sleep for two hours, just try going back to sleep after something like that happened in your yard.  

Daily Dose of BS Aug 19 hacks

We were in a meeting the other day talking about using Facebook live, and incorporating it into our radio shows.  Heidi said if you are looking for a way to hold your phone use a coffee mug and it will hold your phone in a perfect angle for going live on Facebook.  I liked that idea, it made me think of other life hacks that are floating around.  I have just seen a few online that work well for this time of the year like turning your steering wheel 180 degrees to keep you from burning your hands when you start driving or using a Ziploc bag for keeping your phone dry on rainy days.  I have also rubbed my house key on a candle to help to lubricate the lock, and that works great.  What life hacks have you tried and had work? 

Daily Dose of BS Aug 18 politics

I think the younger generation hates when us Gen X’er of the Baby Boomers talk about when we were kids, but here is something that I think will straighten up all that is wrong politically in our county.  This is so simple and something that anyone over the age of 40 has heard and heard more than once.  Are you ready for some earth shattering, ear blowing words of advice from days gone by?  Here it is, keep your political opinions to yourself, opinions are like bellybuttons, everybody’s got one.  Back when I was a kid people never talked about religion or politics because it would ruin the family or a friendship.  I think that if we go back to that way of thinking that we would be a better country and not have all this fighting amongst families and friends. 

Daily Dose of BS Aug 17 lying

Every morning I get up shower, get ready for work and head to the computer to look at Facebook and then to check the news.  This morning I saw an article that seemed farfetched in fact seemed down right unbelievable, but it had an ABCNews.com web address.  I clicked on it, and it seemed legit.  I then searched a few other media sources and then googled the story, it seems as though I was fooled.  The story was fake.  I then relooked at the story and the domain name of where it came from and it did say abcnews.com.co notice the extra .co on the link.  Why would someone blatantly lie and tell falsehoods.  I don’t care if it is in jest or not, people read just what they want with these stories then pass them on as truth.  I bet that half the stuff that we think is true is not.

Daily Dose of BS Aug 16 libraries

Just over two years ago over 200 people packed the South Side Library to show our support for keeping the library open.  Today the library is in the news again, this time as the topic of merger.  I kind of wondered why there were two library systems so close to each other when I moved here 24 years ago.  Mayor Tim Kabat is suggesting a merger of city and county libraries.  The story claims that the three branches of the library will remain open, I do hope that if this goes through that that remains to be true and that we continue to have the neighborhood libraries.  I know that the south side one gets used as a meeting place, and a safe place for this neighborhood kids, oh yea and a place to get books.

Daily Dose of BS Aug 15 death

Tell me something.  How is violent protesting going to solve anything?  In case you haven’t heard over the weekend in Milwaukee there was another police shooting, and as we have grown accustom to more violence in the wake of that shooting.  According to the Washington Post website Fatal Force there have been 587 police shooting so far this year.  So far this year 38 police officers have been killed in the line of duty.  There have been 10457 homicides, and 15564 drug abuse deaths so far this year.  Why aren’t people protesting this number there have been 909 domestic violence deaths so far in 2016.  Here is an idea, if you have contact with the police, listen to what they say, and don’t run or act like you have a gun.  

Daily Dose of BS Aug 12 rides

Three of my 4 kids like to go on rides, the other not so much.  I remember about 10 years ago we went to Navy Pier in Chicago and took the kids to the Ferris Wheel, I was bound and determined to get my son onto the ride, he went but he wasn’t happy.  I look back on that day and cringe a bit, I was trying to force him to be not afraid of something that he was scared of, and at the same time annoying all the others around us.  I fast forward to just this week and perhaps he was right to be afraid of the rides, 4 amusement park ride issues in 5 days including a decapitation.  Plus, if I remember correctly a couple of years ago at a park we visited a park here in Wisconsin there was an issue with a ride within a few days.  Are you a fan of amusement parks, or rides in general?  I like the roller coaster and wild rails, also a fan of the rides that move your stomach from here to here.  How about you? 

Daily Dose of BS Aug 11 credit cards

I have the chip on a couple of my credit cards, it really doesn’t bug me that I have to put it in the hole and wait for the card reader to read the chip, I bet there have been a few times that people have left that card in the machine and walked away.  Most of my purchases are done with a credit card, as I don’t carry cash and I haven’t written a check in over a year.  When you purchase things are you more likely to pay with cash, check or credit?  I find if I have cash in my pocket it burns a hole in my pocket but if I have to take out that card for some reason it makes me think.  

Daily Dose of BS Aug 10 words

The word pixelated bugs me so do made up words like amazballs, and redonkadonk, generally I dislike made up words.  There used to be a commercial that said people judge you by the words you use, they really do.  There is no avoiding it, but there is changing it.  A while back I was hanging with some friends and found out that a couple of my friends hate a few words from the English language.  I would have thought that these words were going to be reminiscent of the old George Carlin routine you know the seven words you can't say on TV, but none of the words that they had issue with include a single bad word.  In fact, one that is a marketing tool for Betty Crocker, and this word, the word moist, is one of the least favorite words out there, and the other word these friends of mine had an issue with was the word panties, and they weren’t even brought up together.  I wonder if they were compounded if they would have more of a revolting reaction?  When it comes to words, I don’t care for slang words for any group of people, I am not a fan of labels that people place on people but they are words, and I always remember my mom telling me that sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me.  What words do you dislike?  

Daily Dose of BS August 9 neighbors

They say that 12 % of people hate their neighbors, that a third have never met their neighbors and that half don’t know their neighbors’ names.  How are yours?  At one time I was living in the neighborhood that I had always dreamed of, great neighbors who care about their lawns, we took care of the elderly that lived close by helping with window washing and lawn mowing.  I still know most of my neighbors but not all, at one time I knew every single family that lived on my side of the block and about half of those across the street.  With our society as it is with it being so fluid, people have moved in and out of the neighborhood, and I don’t know if I just got lazy and content with my space, but the friendships that I once had with lots of neighbors has whittled down to the few of the neighbors who I’ve become good friends with.  Do you reach out to know your neighbors, or not?  

Daily Dose of BS Aug 8 road construction

We have all become accustomed to the orange barrels littered throughout our fair community.  Starting on Wednesday there will be even more.  But for the ones starting on Wednesday it is about time.  The road in between La Crosse Street and Monitor Street that runs through the marsh otherwise known as Lang Drive will be resurfaced with the outside two lanes completely removed and redone and the inside lanes patched then resurfaced.  The project is expected to take only about 2 months.  I for one am happy to see this project getting done and can say it is about time.  My car has been bouncing down that road for about a year now.  Expect overnight closures, and single lanes during the day.  I think the memories of 2016 will be the summer of road construction.  

Daily Dose of BS Aug 4 republican party

I think we are seeing the eroding of the republican party.  There is fighting and dissension among the top players, the state top republicans are not even going to see their presidential candidate when he visits the state.  To me that spells trouble in paradise.  I heard a story this morning saying that there are rumblings that Donald Trump may quit the race.  If that happens then what?  I am fed up with this year’s political malarkey and I don’t know about you I am looking forward to November 9^th so that way the election and this cycle of beat down will go away only to have it start again for another cycle in 4 years.  What happened to the government of for the people by the people?  The people running our country are not like any of the people I know.  

Daily Dose of BS Aug 3 birds

The city of La Crosse is discussing what to do with the feral pigeons, I suggest that we allow the feral cats do away with them.  In my south side La Crosse neighborhood not only do we have feral pigeons, but we have outdoor cats, tons on rabbits, one neighbor caught a possum, this morning I saw a raccoon, and there were reports earlier about a black bear roaming a few blocks away.  Don’t forget about the mice and other animals that within the border of the city.  I failed to mention the bird problem a few weeks ago when we made national news, and the talk show circuit with the forced sterilization program putting contraceptives in the food of the pigeons, but I feel that lots of the reason that these birds are taking over the air space over the city is that people keep feeding them and also we give them so many moving targets. 

Daily Dose of BS Aug 2 technology will be the death of us

I am not too often a doom and gloom person, but I was thinking that our technology is going to someday be the death of us.  I have written about texting and driving and pokemoning and driving and generally just not paying attention but I haven’t talked about some of the other dangers of technology.  For example, just this morning there is a story about a person in Australia who had their cell phone battery blow up and cause 3^rd degree burns on their body.  My brother had his cell phone battery expand to the point that the glass shattered in his pocket.  These are just a couple of the things that have happened in just the past few days.  I really think that our technology will be the death of us maybe not all but some.  

Daily Dose of BS Aug 1 gas tax

I have an idea, I think a pretty good idea, we hear of people bitchen about the roads all the time and we are also paying historically low gas prices, what if we have a gas tax that is rolled out that kicks in when the price per gallon of gas hits a certain mark.  As I have mentioned on my show in the past that I feel a fair price to pay for gas is $2.50 per gallon, so if that was the agreed upon price then the tax would kick in when the prices fall lower than $2.50 per gallon, that money in turn will pay for our roads and once all the roads are fixed which would be never we could take that tax off the gas.  I know it is a crazy idea, but it would help us to fix our roads without having it be a huge burden.  And those that use the roads the most would be helping to pay the most by paying more fuel tax.  What do you think about this idea?