Daily Dose of BS Dec 28 2012

Fitting as we have snow falling this morning in La Crosse, people are slip sliding around corners and at stop signs, the year is wrapping up and many are off after today until Wednesday.  I remember when I was a kid the last day of school before the Christmas break I would always say see ya next year, I thought I was funny back then as well, and some wisenheimer would do doubt yell back not if I see you first, everyone would laugh and go on our way.  At the end of each year I tend to be reflective of the year, the year 2012 for me has been great, I have had ups and downs, but if I were to rate the year for me personally I give it an A-.  I have been blessed.  Time to raise our glasses or coffee mugs and toast the year that was and again for the year to come, cheers.  

Daily Dose of BS Dec 27 random musings

Went to a big box store yesterday to return two gifts, I walked in gave the person working the two receipts, swiped my card and was on my way.  I was surprised about how easy it was to do, and how quickly it was taken care of.  Speaking of how quickly things get done, remember awhile back when I talked about the f word being written on a street sign, well it is still on the sign.  Any ideas on who I can talk to about getting that sign replaced or at least written over?  And finally on my mind as I have gotten older I haven’t been as much in the need column of things and if I want something I usually go out and buy it, sometimes feeling buyer’s remorse afterward, I never used to be a fan of gift cards but as I think about it now, it makes life a bit easier because if I keep the restaurant ones in a pile and the store ones in another and when I want to go for lunch or dinner I grab a gift card and go, same for the other ones.  Finally is it ok to regift? 

Daily Dose of BS Dec 26 Fiscal Cliff

Got on my boots, getting ready to start the decent of the fiscal cliff, so little progress has been made on this, with congress and the senate reconvening today I hope that some compromise is going to be made.  I really don’t get this many millions of lives are at stake here, I mean there are so many of us living pay check to pay check with no end of the financial pain in sight.  It is kind of scary, I was watching a tivo’ed show over the Christmas break about the working homeless, I am guessing that if we slide over the fiscal cliff and any one of us get a bump it will put us that much closer to being part of that working homeless group.  It is too bad that we have allowed ourselves to be so dependent on the government; I mean we are all waiting to see what will happen.  On my way in to work this morning I heard about something new to think about The Alternative Minimum Tax or sometimes referred to as AMT and how if it expires we are all going to be in a world of hurt.  

Daily Dose of BS Dec 24 Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas.  Before this year I have always just said Merry Christmas and got upset by those that said anything different.  During the past week I have had the chance to talk with many people about this and a few church leaders about the saying of Merry Christmas.  Rabbi Saul Prombaum I think said it best, that we are all so politically correct these days, that we let the little things bug us, and I agree, we let the little things get under our skin, what one person says or doesn’t say isn’t going to make or break my day or my life and why should I let it.  When I was finished with my interview with Saul he looked me right in the eye and said Merry Christmas my friend then gave me a hug.  I think that we all need to take a page from that act of friendship, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Seasons Greeting  and hopes for a great New Y ear to all my friends, and family including my facebook followers and listeners.   

Daily Dose of BS Dec 21 Mayan Calendar

Doom and gloom, nah sayers, and wishers of no good it didn’t happen.  Many went to bed last night wondering if we would wake up this morning, I hate to pop your bubble but the world did not end.  I feel bad for those who were counting on the Mayan Calendar to be right.  I think that they either got bored making the calendar or lost the next part.  Would you really want to know when the world is going to end?  I can think of at least a dozen days that have come and gone where I have heard that this is going to happen or that is going to happen, but really, I think if you live your life to its fullest each and every day, take advantage of opportunities that are put your way and try to smile and pass on your knowledge by either teaching, or mentoring you doing well.  Holding grudges is a waste of time and so I worrying, I am not saying I don’t do these things but I do try to live it.  Have a great day and a super weekend.

Daily Dose of BS Dec 20 Snow Day

Got an automated call last night on my home phone just after 9 and email and a call to my cell phone about 9:30 to let me know that there was going to be no school this morning, as of the moment of phone call there was no snow.  I woke up about 3:30 this morning so that I could shovel my car out, there was barely 3 inches of snow, wet and heavy snow.  The snow was still falling as I drove in to work this morning, there were 2 spots where I slid a little but for the most part, I was able to navigate the snowy roads well.  I live on a side street but right off the snow routes so the only non-plowed roads I drove in on this morning were my alley, about a block and a half of sidestreet and the back road that leads to the radio station.  Snow plow drivers were out in full force doing a great job.  Remember if you are heading out in this snow or any of the future snows we are going to get, give the plows their room, drive slowly and pay attention. Even though the shoe didn’t fall during the overnight, kids are off today, so be looking for kids running around enjoying the white blanket of snow.

BS ETIQUETTE FOR THE OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY:

This week is one of the most popular for corporate holiday get-togethers, so keep these rules in mind …
✗ Do NOT mention how nice it is to have a boss who can play Santa … without padding.
✗ Do NOT ask the CEO’s wife, “Would it be OK if I touch your hair?”
✗ DO try to act with dignity, decency, and decorum… even if you are a lawyer.
✗ Do NOT attempt to do a cannonball … into the eggnog.
✗ Do NOT whip out your iPhone and show hilarious pictures you took of your daughters playing in the bathtub … especially if your daughters are 22 and 19.
✗ Do NOT recommend to the boss that she mix her Chivas with Slim-Fast.
✗ Do NOT attempt to appear festive by wearing mistletoe … on your lampshade.
✗ Do NOT at any point display your exotic (or erotic) dancing skills, particularly if they involve a less-than-smooth move called ‘Wangham Style’.

Daily Dose of BS Dec 18 Guns

I think we need more gun control because it has clearly worked in the war on drugs.  I know that when we make something illegal that we no longer do it or want it look at how well prohibition worked.  You can't buy Sudafed for a cold without a note from your mommy, but if you are using it for something illegal you can get as much of it as you want.  Some fireworks are illegal in Wisconsin and Minnesota and we never ever see any of the illegal ones lit off do we.  How about crack, meth, cocaine, heroin, and you can't forget about marijuana I am sure that making those illegal made them more difficult to obtain, right.  If we make guns illegal the law abiding citizens won't have them to protect or to hunt, but I bet that the criminal element has a guy that they could get one if they need.  If we start tightening down on guns the people who are selling legally, and obtaining them legally I think that would be a slippery slope.  What about video games, they are so real now a days, what happened to Donkey Kong, Pac Man and Tron?  I think that the child of today has been desensitized to the killing of characters on the video games that they have no issues with the real thing.  Maybe we should look into this.

Some more BS

• The average person’s DNA has 400 flaws. (We’re all far from perfect.)
– BBC News
• Lobsters sometimes eat each other. (Do they add butter?)
– Salon.com

People don’t judge your generosity by the amount of advice you give away.

Daily Dose of BS Dec 17 Newtown Ct

So sad, I really don’t know how to express myself in the wake of the shooting at Newtown Connecticut.  I along with the rest of the nation and the world are saddened by this unnecessary killing of the most precious of gifts, our children.  When we send our kids off to school we are sending them off to get the foundation, the foundation of life, we expect that when our children are off at school that they are safe, and in good hands, and from what I can see this is truly the case, there are however some cracks in the armor unexpected cracks.  Who could have guessed that a crazed 20 year old would have picked last Friday as a day to make his point, what a coward, going in to an elementary school and shooting at kids in a classroom, hell going anywhere and shooting at people, something is not right with a world where that can happen.  What kind of evil can do this?  Why would someone do this?  Does this make me not want to send my kids to school, absolutely not, as I mentioned we are setting our children’s foundation and that foundation is what our country will continue to be built on.  

Daily Dose of BS Dec 14 Reality TV

Dave Hester just told us something I think I have known for a long time, that reality tv is not real.  How could it be?  Have you watched theses shows?  There are many people who are messed up in their minds, and full of drama, but how could they be as messed up as they are portrayed on these shows.  I have to admit they are a guilty pleasure, they didn’t used to be but watching Pawn Stars, and Dirty Jobs, Storage Wars, and Undercover Boss are always fun.  The only one I watch on a regular basis is Undercover Boss cause it is on regular tv, the others I see once in a while on Netflix, really in everyone of these shows, you know that there is going to be drama, an uncovering, some anger, some crying and a lot of hugs and smiles, if the equation didn’t work they wouldn’t do it.  Back to Dave Hester, he claims that the show producers plant valuable items in the units to presumably make the show more interesting. The suit also claims the show rigs the bidding process. Well duh, you didn’t think that this was all real did you?  Reality tv if real would be like following you around for a day, and how much fun would that be?

Safe for the holidays?

http://readywisconsin.wi.gov/news/2012/Holiday_Gift_Ideas_2012.pdf

Daily Dose of BS Dec 13 computers

Can you make it a week without using any computers at all?  My guess is that most of us can't make it a day, from our cell phones, to our cars, to the tvs we watch to our watches, computers are everywhere.  I know I can't go a day without mine, I am an information junkie, I love that I can go to a computer or my phone or a tablet and go to a site like google and find out pretty much anything I want right at my fingertips, if I want to hear a certain song, watch a clip of tv or read a passage of a book, I could find just about anything I would ever want right there.  My job has come a long way from when I started in 1987, we used to play records and carts and recorded on to a reel to reel deck, we used razor blades almost every day and I will bet if you knew a radio person from before 1992 I will bet that if you asked them they carried a razor blade in their wallet.  (for cutting tape in case you’re wondering)   Now the last two radio groups that I have worked for don’t even have record players, cart machines or reel to reel decks and none play music off cd any longer, it is all computerized.  I bet your job is different now than it was 20 years ago as well.  Here’s to the past, the present and the future.  What could possibly be next?

Daily Dose of BS Dec 12 right to work states

I heard this morning on the way to work that Michigan is now a right to work state.  I have never been in a union so I don’t get it.  I am not too sure I like someone telling me how to vote or where my money is spent.  The definition from the National Right to work website is A Right to Work law secures the right of employees to decide for themselves whether or not to join or financially support a union. However, employees who work in the railway or airline industries are not protected by a Right to Work law.  To me this makes since.  If you want to support it do so if not, why should you have to?  I guess it falls into my basic beliefs, like if you are don’t like someone don’t hang out with them, if you don’t like your job quit, if an apple is bruised or a grape is squishy, or the toast is burnt don’t eat it grab something else, oh yea and life is too short to drink crappy beer.

Daily Dose of BS Dec 11 Rotary Lights

While walking through the Rotary Lights last night I was taking in the beauty of the season, the freshly fallen snow the Santa Claus, the football player, the dragon, the sounds and the 2.6 million lights.  I read the La Crosse Tribunes article on Sunday that said in its title “Religious display? City says Rotary Lights do not cross line separating church and state” I agree, I think that this is a nice display of many service groups getting together to light up riverside park.  With a mission of feeding the hungry, and collecting thousands of canned goods and thousands of dollars every year, how can this be taken as anything other than the beauty that it is.  According to the Tribunes article Hank Zumach an outspoken opponent of organized religion says this is no longer a holiday display it obviously is all about Jesus his problem: The display is on public property.   (to read the trib article http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/religious-display-city-says-rotary-lights-do-not-cross-line/article_aacc55a6-41c1-11e2-9577-0019bb2963f4.html) The Rotary Lights group rents the park, pays for the electricity and is an inspiration to most that see it.  Yesterday we went because my 14 year old wanted to go and this isn’t the first time the kids have asked to see the lights, also whenever we have guests in town this time of year we make a trip to the lights, for those who think it is a religious display, I disagree, there are some religious items there but there are many more non-religious displays there, and I think it is beautiful, and a great asset to the community because of the smiles it brings. 

Bad toys

Advocacy group ‘World Against Toys Causing Harm’ (WATCH) has just published its 40th annual list of toys that could be dangerous to kids. This year’s warnings include …
✗ ‘Magnetic Fishing Game’ – A yummy-looking metal lure on a fishing line intended for children just 16-months-old … what could possibly go wrong?
✗ ‘Bongo Ball’ – Children as young as 3-years-old are encouraged to climb inside this colorful inflatable ball. No mention of how they’re supposed to breathe.
✗ ‘Dart Zone Quick Fire 12 Dart Gun’ – It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye.
✗ ‘Spinner Shark 4-Wheel Kneeboard’ – The product’s own instructions warn: “Kneeboard riding can be a hazardous activity.”
✗ ‘Explore & Learn Helicopter’ – Said to reward ‘baby’s curiosity’ … with a cord measuring approximately 24-inches-long.
✗ ‘N-Force Vendetta Double Sword’ – A 4-and-a-half foot long weapon that comes with the warning: “Do not poke or swing at people or animals.” Gee, can’t imagine kids ever doing that.
✗ ‘Water Balloon Launcher’ – It’s actually marketed as having the capability to shoot water balloons at speeds of up to … 75 mph.
✗ ‘Power Rangers Super Samurai Shogun Helmet’ – This headgear includes an attachable ‘crown’ with pointed, rigid plastic tips as long as 9 inches.
✗ ‘The Avengers Gamma Green Smash Fists’ – Oversized fists to enable 3-year-olds to ‘smash everything that gets in the way!’. Are cute little brass knuckles also being developed?
✗ ‘Playful Xylophone’ – Tots as young as 12-months-old are encouraged to use an unattached slender, 5-inch long wooden dowel as a drumstick. No one would try to eat that, right?
NET: http://toysafety.org/worstToyList_index.shtml
– ToySafety.org

Daily Dose of BS Dec 10 first snowfall

How soon we forget.  How soon we forget, I of course am talking about driving in the snow, yesterday while out I noticed that people do not remember how to drive in the snow.  I rode with my son to see how he did and how his truck handled in the snow, btw he did well his truck did not.  We will have to get some weight for the back of the truck.  But while driving down Mormon Coulee people do not remember how to drive, one young driver sped by us like we were racing at the La Crosse Fairground Speedway, my 17 year old son said I bet that person causes an accident.  I am glad that he is noticing that a car can be dangerous.  While driving into work today and every day, remember to be careful, not take chances and by all means quit texting.  With the snow came some other events like shoveling and salting, and if you wanted to be young again snowball fights, forts and snowmen, my kids made a huge snowman last night it was over 7 feet tall and took snow from all over the yard, they rolled from the back yard to build in the front, the snowman was huge with arms, and a face, the reason I say was huge, is that between 815 last night and 445 this morning someone knocked over and smashed the head of the snowman, that was mean Mr Grinch.  

Cyberstalking to the nth degree

I am deeply disturbed by this story.  I can't believe that this is going on.  Cyber and phone stalking

Daily Dose of BS Dec 7 What the Fa-riday

It’s a what the Fa-riday I walked out the door this morning without my breakfast, I remembered that I forgot it about 2 blocks from home and decided not to go back home to get it.  Learned last night from a friend of mine that people are milking the system, I know big shock right, but was told that some people he works with have kids with their significant other but are not married, because they are not married the girlfriend and the child are on badgercare, and food stamps, the guy gets hit with child support but it doesn’t matter as he and his girlfriend are living together like a married couple.  I am not super sure on all the details but to me it seems as though the system is getting milked by this.  I just heard a news story about who you need to tip and how much.  Ok when people are doing their jobs do you need to tip?  I do understand when you go out for dinner and someone is bringing you food and making sure that everything is ok, albeit they always come by and ask how things are when your mouth is full but at least they are checking on you.  Since when do other types of business need to get tipped for doing their job?  Do we tip the weather guy for telling us it is going to be sunny, the dj for playing the song you want, the gas station attendant because the price of gas dropped?  Do you tip the bus driver for getting you to your destination?  Let’s stop the madness. 

Daily Dose of BS Dec 6 teaching

I am friends on facebook with lots of people I went to high school with and at least one of my high school teachers, I’m not sure if they remember or not that I was not a great student, or remember that I was not one who loved school too much, in fact I hated english and social studies and I now talk for a living.  I am guessing that not many students loved school, my oldest is a senior this year and senioritis has hit hard.  The reason I bring this up is that I would have never thought that teaching would be something that I would like, besides being a dad that is, but anyone who is a parent is a teacher rather you like it or not.  A friend of mine owns a radio school in La Crosse and a few years ago he asked me to fill in when he was going to be gone a day here and a day there.  I never thought I would like it but I love teaching, since then I have had opportunities to teach more than just radio also, I have got to share some knowledge that I have picked up about improv as well.  I guess it goes to show if you have a passion for something, you can help others to understand it.  I do not think I would be able to do it every day, but teaching a few days a month has been a great outlet, if you are a teacher, thank you for spreading your gift. 

Daily Dose of BS Dec 5 non holiday gift giving

We have too much….we all do, that is why it is hard to gift give.   If I want something I will find a way to get it rather than wait for either Christmas or a Birthday.  I am guessing that most of us do the same, which is why we have so much credit card debt.  Many times though out the year we are surprised by the good that people do and shocked when doors are opened or when we get a dozen roses or a candy bouquet just because, maybe that is how gift giving should be.  Instead of giving on the expected days, be a surprise giver and celebrate the holidays with your friends and families but gift at different times of the year.  This way we are spreading our dollars out when we can afford them, don’t over extend ourselves and can bring a smile at a different unexpected time, for example if you have a lunch with someone and they surprise you by buying they could say happy day, gift back or pay it forward.  I think we may be onto something here. 

Daily Dose of BS Dec 4 graffiti

I saw some graffiti yesterday that rattled in my mind since I saw it, someone wrote in black marker on a street sign on West ave the F word then God under it.  Is this someone who is going through a hard time right now, a believer that has hit a snag?  Someone who needs a hug?  Seeing this really bugged me to see this, first of all because it is blasphemous which means in its rawest form A contemptuous or profane act, utterance, or writing concerning God or a sacred entity.  Secondly this upsets me because kids will see this graffiti and repeat it without knowing what they are saying, thirdly because it is defacing property.  I am not here today to argue the existence of God or not.  I am not a fan of when people push their beliefs on others, either way.  We need to learn how to respect and to argue fairly, all too often we try to change others by yelling the loudest or slamming your beliefs, this is not the way to do it.

James Bond Music beat mixed

Bond, James Bond

Daily Dose of BS Dec 3 Toilet Paper

I use coupons when I shop, it doesn’t bother me to do it, my kids started watching this extreme couponing show and wow, these people are hoarders.  Who in their right mind needs 57 bottles of bbq sauce?   I love bbq sauce but would never go through that many bottles even in a decade.  Enough of the madness.  These shows got me thinking about buying multi products just because they are on sale or because you have a coupon, what about the toilet paper, you know the latest charmin commercials have bears in the woods using toilet paper, what ever happened to Mr Whipple and please don’t squeeze the charmin.  Is toilet paper embarrassing to buy?   I don’t think so, but you don’t need to buy 50 packages of 100 rolls do you.  Toilet paper is a necessity and a necessity that you can't skimp on, if you buy crappy toilet paper you may be touching what you are trying to wipe away.  

Daily Dose of BS Nov 30 Supertramp Give a Little Bit

Supertramp had it right with their song "Give a Little bit" back in the 70’s although they were singing about love, it applies to so many other things like your resources, think about it, the lyrics continue to say “give a little bit of your time to me” and at this time of year there are lots of needs out there from the need of Bell Ringers for the Salvation Army, to non-perishable food items for the many food pantries, to the La Crosse Jaycees Toys for Tots,  to the needs of your neighbors and your church.  Kind of weird that a song from the 70’s gives so much, back to more lyrics “now’s the time we need to share” from reaching into your pocket for change to the time shared to help a child, to holding a door for a stranger at the mall.  I think we get out of life what we give, so “send a smile and show you care.”

Daily Dose of BS Nov 29 the big disappointment

I did not buy into the big disappointment.  Did you?  The lottery drawing was last night and I did not buy a ticket so I am plus 2 dollars this morning.  I call it the big disappointment because I know if I won the whole 500 million I would be bombarded with calls and requests from every person with their hand out.  Not only that but think if you won the million dollar prize like 58 people did last night, they picked the right numbers minus the power ball number, and let’s say you were trying to decide to pick this number or that one, and you chose wrong, so instead of 500 million you only won a million, I am telling you it’s the big disappointment.  I was given a ticket by a random stranger at the bar down by my cabin with the words live the dream, and as I said I do not buy tickets but I did dream about the multi-million dollar prize when I slept that night only to be disappointed when I found out I didn’t even get a single number.  If you got a ticket or a handful of tickets, are you sad that you didn’t win?  Like I said the lottery to me is the big disappointment.  

Daily Dose of BS Nov 28 seeing red

I got new glasses yesterday, it takes a while to get used to the way they fit and how you don’t have to squint to see anymore.  The reason I mention this is that if you see me later today you may notice the different look, you may also notice that my right eye is a bit blood shot at least as I write this it is, weird cause I used the kids body wash to shave my head this morning and some of the soap got in my eye, I thought it was kids stuff, you know no tears, I didn’t cry so I guess it was technically no tears.  I did see red on Monday though as I had to drive down to the family cabin to get my sons I-pod touch that he thought he dropped out of his pocket while getting in to the car on Sunday, it was where he thought it was, we checked the deer cams and had 3 different deer on the cameras, nice.  The reason I saw red was on the drive home I passed a car going just under the speed limit and as I passed him I glanced over at the car to notice that the driver had his IQ showing, flipping me the bird, for what passing?  Give me a break, it wasn’t as if I pulled out in front of him only to turn on the next road.  Needless to say I saw red and wanted to pull over to see what his deal was, I didn’t but it took will power.  

12 Surprising Signs You Could Be an Entrepreneur

12 Surprising traits for the entrepreneur

Daily Dose of BS Nov 27 Rotary Lights

The Rotary lights this year are awesome; thousands of hours go in to setting up and running such a well-oiled machine.  Yesterday I spent a few hours down at Riverside Park, and I gotta tell you every year it is better than the year before, over 2.6 million lights shining and twinkling with the back drop of the mighty Mississippi.  If you are one of my friends who have never had the chance to see these lights, please come and visit La Crosse because you will not be let down.  I found out this year that 11 other Community Lighting displays began because of the gorgeous lights at Riverside Park.  One of the new things this year at the Rotary Lights display is the new Santa House, and after playing the big guy last night, anyone who goes and visits will not be disappointed, you get a full look of the beauty of the park, you get the sights and the sounds, plus you are out of the cold and wind, and next year a toy/gift shop will be housed in the same space.   Put the Ho-ho-ho back in the Holidays and do yourself a favor, visit the Rotary Lights, and don’t forget to bring a few non-perishable food items to help the Hunger Task Force.  

Daily Dose of BS Nov 26 Black Friday now cyber Monday

Black Friday has come and gone, I have been hearing over the weekend that this is not necessary the best time to buy, in fact one of the worst?  If you are looking for a specific item and it is on sale and the only extra cost to you is your time, isn’t it worth it?  I got up at 5:15 on Friday morning headed to Farm and Fleet and bought a trail cam and a pair of boots for half the cost of normal price.  I got to the store at 5:58, doors opened while I was walking up to the doors, they opened and the rats were scurrying to their predetermined  destinations, I mean they ran, I was glad I am a big boy, my son and I leisurely walked back to the hunting area, picked up the trail cams, walked over to the boot area tried on a pair put them in my cart walked by some super inexpensive toilet paper picked it up since I was going to close down the cabin and thought I could use it down there.  Bought only on my list and the super blowout toilet paper stood in line to buy was back in my car headed out the parking lot at 6:08 not too bad 10 minutes on the busiest shopping day of the year.  I talked to some friends that work retail over the weekend and the 8p opening on Thanksgiving cut in to the early morning shoppers.  Today more buying with cyber Monday, 1.5 billion expected to be spent today, is it all for Christmas gifts you think or is it for personal use?  Btw should I keep writing these longer posts?  

Not a good cook? Fake it...

Not a chef?  Fake it till ya make it.

Daily Dose of BS Nov 20 - Thanksgiving part 2

Thanksgiving week continues part two of thanks, brings me to the great area that we live in, I am a firm believer of if you don’t love something, do something about it.  Why live in an area that you don’t find beautiful, safe and worth exploring, too many people complain about where they live, don’t like it move.  I have lived around the Midwest, and visited most of the rest of the country, for me the upper Midwest is where I like living, and in La Crosse Wisconsin I am at home.  I am also thankful for my health, even though I have a couple of issues with my hearing and eyes (I think that most of us get to be glasses wearers at some point in our lives.), for the most part this big man is in pretty good shape, I guess that round is a shape right?  We are lucky to have such great health care right here in our backyard.  Education is a high priority and we are lucky to have access to great public and private education here without having to bus our kids for hours, plus the three higher learning facilities, bringing in great minds from all over, experiencing the beauty of the area.  Having a roof over my head, transportation and food on the table round off today, we all have many things to be thankful for, what are yours?  

Daily Dose of BS Nov 19 Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, there are no expectations, there is good food, football, friends and family.  This week I would like to focus on things that I am thankful for as often here I point out things that I am not too fond of.    I first and foremost am thankful and proud of my family, they are the people who put up with me at my worst, because they are truly the ones that see the good, the bad and the ugly.  For my family thank you and I love you.  My friends are next on the list for many of the same reasons, we may hold back a bit around them, but they pretty much know who you are and what you stand for, these are people with a choice, they choose to be with you, where your family is kind of stuck, friends are the people who choose to hang out with us, so thank you for putting up with my BS and for being a friend, it means so much.  My neighbors are next on the list, when you move into a new neighborhood you really have no idea what you are getting into, from the old man across the street to the couple and their kids next door, to my single neighbor down the street, to my buddy across the alley I wouldn’t trade who live by me for the world, neighbors take care of where we live, look after each other, and take pride in where they live.  And finally I thank my listeners you have a choice, and you choose to give me a moment of your life, a chance to share a story or a laugh.  Happy Thanksgiving week.  

Daily Dose of BS Nov 16 Gun deer hunt

This weekend is the opening weekend for gun deer season in Wisconsin, you will see blaze orange if you drive by any woods, fields or go by any restaurant or bar.  In Wisconsin the deer season is a right of passage, a bonding experience if you will.  You will not find a better and more fun group of guys than the guys that I share my hunting experiences with, and within the past 5 plus years my sons have began joining us and experiencing the joys of getting together and bonding with friends.  If you are lucky enough to have the camaraderie of a hunting group you know what I am talking about.  I never hunted when I was a kid, my Dad didn’t hunt and my Mom didn’t grow up in a hunting family so I never had the chance.  I love the chance to get together with my friends, tell lies, eat lots and play cards, oh yea we get into the woods too.  If you are out in the next 9 days be safe, and remember tab-k the rules of gun safety, Treat every gun as it was loaded, Always control your muzzle direction, Be certain of target and Keep finger out of guard and safety on.  Be safe, have fun and here’s to a successful and adventures filled hunt.

Hi I'm Bob Schmidt

Think that radio people say their names too much?
The answer

Daily Dose of BS Nov 15 Twins and smokeout

Last night I said to both my twins that tomorrow is the Great American Smoke out and you should give up smoking for your birthday.  They both told me Dad I don’t smoke and I never will.  I responded that’s great please don’t ever start.  I was a smoker on and off for much of my teen years and into my 20’s and 30’s, I quit on my 39^th birthday which was 1,905 days ago, it was the best present I could have ever given myself.  In the 5 plus years since I quit I have been lots more active and feel so much better.  The weird thing about having twins is when I met Marcia she said that she wanted four kids and twins, she got what she wanted, I always said that I wanted to retire at 50 we will see if that will happen, I kinda doubt if it ever will happen.  When my twins were born I was scared, excited and full of love, now that they are turning 11 today I am scared, excited and full of love, it’s funny how the more things change the more they stay the same.  You would also think that two kids that spent 9 months together in the womb that they would be alike, that my friends is not the case, oh ye they are not identical, ones a handsome boy and the other a beautiful girl.  So to my twins, Happy Birthday and to those of you who are giving up smoking for the Great American Smoke out, good luck and congratulations on taking the first step to a healthier life. 

Daily Dose of BS Nov 14 - 37 days

37 days, a little more than a month, remember the last 37 days of school, the anticipation, of what is in store for us, the fear of the unknown, the excitement of something new, the wonderment of what was up next.  37 days till your wedding, how about when you started off your work life and your first vacation was straight ahead, or 37 days till you became a parent for the first time, the second time, the third and fourth times, 37 days.  Are we going to get all that we had wanted to get accomplished in our lives?  If you knew you had an expiration date would you change your life?  The Mayan calendar has the world ending in 37 days on December 21, 2012.  Ever given any thought that they may be right?  If you believe in the Mayan Calendar are you going to Christmas shop, if you do would that make you a hypocrite?  If we truly are headed for the end of the world, we haven’t really publicized it as it should have been, it could have been like the Crazy Larry tv commercials from the 80’s we’re not crazy just 37 days left for you to enjoy this new car, no payments until next year, heck we won't even make it to next year, buy, buy, buy.  It’s too bad that the world ends on a Friday, it would have made it lots better if we could have at least enjoyed the weekend.  What are you doing different for the next 37 days?  

Romney logo on face....

Why would you do this?

Daily Dose of BS Nov 13 Secede from country

Not happy with the election from last week?  Why-not secede from the United States?  There are a handful of states that are looking to secede from the United States in the wake of the election last week.  This is horrible- the ribbon generation wins again, what is that generation you ask, it’s a group of young adults that got a ribbon for everything, they never lost, never kept score, played to a tie.  The ribbon generation, makes sense to me if the kid wants to be the pitcher let him do it.  If she wants to play tackle football let her do it.  Playing soccer, running a race, hockey lets all play to a tie….yeah everybody wins.  If you don’t like who is in office lets secede or have a recall.  I am ok with not liking who is voted in for an office, there have been many times I wasn’t happy with the results but I have never nor will I ever sign a petition to recall someone from office, or to have any of the states to secede from the land of the free.  If you want to move from the country because of who is in charge, fine move, but to break up my United States, shame on you.  We just celebrated Veterans Day are you willing to look into the eyes of someone who was just risking their life for you to be free so that you can sign a petition to secede from this great country, again I say shame on you.  I understand that this is mostly a symbolic gesture, but why feed into this BS?  Don’t like the outcome of this election?  Try harder next time.

Daily Dose of BS- Veterans Day / Snow Fall

I saw it driving in this morning, there is not much but we can now say it is here.  I am glad that I am already at work as today as if we get any that sticks around, we will have many people acting like they have never seen it, never been in it, never driven in it, you know I am talking about the first snow fall, while the snow that I saw was like diamonds shimmering in the light of my headlights, with no accumulation, thank goodness.  With the rain from yesterday and the rapid cool down last night, I had a slippery deck this morning, I am glad that my oldest warned of it last night, not that I wouldn’t have seen it but the out loud mention last night made me aware of it this morning.  Yesterday I was thinking of the veterans in my life from my Grandfather to my Father to my Uncles and brother-in-law to many of my friends’ including many who are active now, thank you for your service to our county, thank you for your sacrifice of time, so that we can be free, and live in this awesome country.   Yesterday was  Armistice Day (which overlaps with Remembrance Day and Veterans Day) is celebrated every year on 11 November to commemorate the end of World War One on the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” , Thank you.

Daily Dose of BS Nov 9 - James Bond

I was told I wasn’t a man.  Really not a man, come on.  Here is the reason why, I have never seen a James Bond Movie, the latest in the 007 series is now out and I have never seen a whole James Bond Movie.  I have seen bits and pieces of them, but I have never sat down and watched an entire one of the spy movies.  I don’t see how what movies I have seen make or break a person’s manhood.  I like comedies and well comedies, and only the funny ones like the Naked Gun series and Happy Gilmore, I also really liked Bridesmaids.  While I am admitting it, I watched the first of the Star Wars movies, you know the ones in the 70’s and 80’s but have not seen them since, nor have I seen any of the newer ones, I am not a fan of science fiction.  I feel so much better like a weight lifted off my shoulders, in fact, if there are more of us out there I could see it now.  Hi, I’m Bob and I haven’t seen a James Bond Film. 

Daily Dose of BS Nov 8 - Street Painting

Highway 35 opened a few weeks ago and the crew that put it together did a fantastic job, it looks nicer than I expected it to look, from the landscaping to the streetscaping to the cobblestone crossings the highway project looks great.  The one thing I do not get on the project is the painting of the arrows, I understand when there are arrows that point to a destination like a street or perhaps a driveway but arrows that point to nothing that has to do with driving then why put them on the road?  If you look at the road painting north of Traditions Restaurant there are arrows pointing both East and West, if you go West you will run into driveways, which I can understand having the arrows there, if you go North of the Bed and Breakfast on Highway 35 there are no more driveways and the arrows point off to the river, but to get there you have to go down quite an embankment and over the rail road tracks.  I guess I just don’t understand.  I also would think that the street painters would have thought of that.  Speaking of street painters remember about 5 or 6 years ago on Monitor Street behind Menards it looked like an etchasketch drew those street lines.  While I’m bitching about the roads, when did it become ok to put speed bumps on a city street?  There are speed bumps now in Onalaska and on the South Side of La Crosse in front of the Dairyland Power building.  Just so you know you can get air.   

Daily Dose of BS Nov 7 - Day after election

The 2012 election is done, it was down to the wire, down to a percentage point here and a percentage point there.  Can one person at the top be the difference between day and night?  I do not believe so, I really think that this is why we have more than one branch of government. I personally think that they all have some good ideas, and many, many more bad ones, if politics were cut and dry that if this is up and this is down then maybe just maybe it would be easier to like what they do, and maybe it would be easier for things that are good for us as Americans to get done, a simple yes or no for this and that is better than filling up a bill with two thousand pages of fluff.  We have a day or two of election talk, and a week or so of no political ads then back with both feet to the fire for 2016. 

5 THINGS YOU CAN TELL ABOUT A WOMAN IN 5 SECONDS:

1. If she looks out of place, she could be there on purpose. She’s savvy enough to know the proper dress code for a dive bar. So if she’s dressed to the nines, she’s probably not there for the beer list. Women go places all the time specifically to meet men. There’s your green light.
2. If she’s drinking red, she could want more action. Italian researchers have found that women who drink 2 glasses of red wine per day crave sex more frequently than women who drink less often. They credit red wine’s polyphenols, which improve blood flow.
3. If she’s wide-eyed, she could be adventurous. Florida State University researchers have found that when women look at men with wide eyes, raised eyebrows, and/or sidelong glances, they usually have higher levels of sexual openness.
4. If she’s sporty, she’s not too concerned about your looks. Meet a cute woman at the weight rack? Don’t worry about being sweaty. Athletic women tend to be less choosy when it comes to a guy’s looks, say Polish researchers.
5. If she seems like an ice queen, she may have been around-the-block. Villanova researchers have found that ladies with cold personalities tend to have more sexual partners. That, psychologists say, is because they aren’t as inclined to form relationships.
– Condensed from MensHealth.com

Daily Dose of BS November 5

I’m not a fan of the switching of time, in March and November we have to switch our lives around, albeit an hour, it is an hour of either lost or gained sleep.  That is what they want you to believe, I have never got the extra hour of sleep, I have lost lots of sleep but not gained an hour.  Take last night for example I went to bed at 8:03pm, I was tired my body was telling me it was 9 o’clock so I went up to bed, in my head I knew it was 8 and thought I shouldn’t go to sleep now cause I will not be able to fall asleep, guess what I got what I was thinking.  Last I looked at the clock it was 8:45 I woke at 2:05a then tossed and turned, got up let out the dog, checked emails for the day thought I was ready for the day, about 3:30 back to bed for 30 minutes, I slept hard for that 30 minutes, now I am tired.  There is no reason for us to change the time now because we have lights, what a concept.   We have lights in the home, on the streets, and we live in a 24 hour a day 7 day a week world why do we have to switch our time?  Plus for many of us we are now at work the entire day of sunshine, and kids don’t get to play outside in the daylight.  You could say I dislike intensely, loathe and despise let’s just say I hate the clock change.  

Daily Dose of BS Nov 2

Day two of the 5 month long debacle is now done, the nice thing is we are in the grace period, the bad thing is the grace period ends soon.  I am talking about alternate side parking.  I hate it.  I don’t park on the street usually but am selling a vehicle so I need to change sides every day now.  Last year my son started driving and I told him at the beginning of the season that I would pay for one ticket, he made the entire winter without getting a ticket he asked me for the 10 bucks for the ticket after the season ended ( a chip off the old block) I have been told by the city that this is not a fund raiser for them, I don’t think I believe it.  How can it not be, it is for plowing the streets.  I have lived here for 20 years and I don’t recall ever having plowable snow the first part of November.  If it is not a money maker, the question I have is this, are you employing more people now overnights to enforce the no parking rule? Only 150 days to go or four months and 30 days, if you think about it that would only be 75 tickets or 750 dollars to park in front of your house.  Happy parking.

Daily Dose of BS November 1

I went to bed last night at 8:59 I noticed the time on my clock next to my bed, I was happy with myself for getting to bed at the right time for a person who gets up at 4.  I was super tired yesterday fighting off not feeling well, with a headache and stomachache.  I woke a couple times during the overnight thinking about what I had going on today, work, the CMNH radioathon, the La Crosse Chamber business expo, I got to bring my kids to the dentist afterschool and a friend of mine will be stopping by later this afternoon to help me sell my van and pick up.  My alarm rang at 4 I listened to the top of the hour news, got ready for work as I always do, headed down to the computer and was checking emails and playing Farkle on facebook when my wife yelled down its quarter to 6.  I gotta be on the air at 6 I live 20 minutes from work, the dirty version of shuckky darn hit me and panic was rolling in.  I grabbed my computer, my jacket and out the door thinking all the way to work don’t speed, don’t speed, don’t speed.  I made it here by 6:04 was on the air as I should have been, but my biggest question is what the hell happened to my alarm clock how did it wake me up at the “right time” but be an hour off?  Am I going to be able to sleep tonight without buying a new alarm clock, my guess is no.  Happy Thursday, I guess the acronym Sure Happy its Thursday is fitting here.   

Daily Dose of BS Halloween

Lions and tigers and bears oh my.  Tonight we will be inundated with short people, short people who are doing a few things that we as parents have told them not to do throughout most of their lives.  Like don’t talk to strangers, don’t take candy from strangers, don’t eat and run.  I guess that we are good at setting rules but not following them, for example the person I was following through La Crosse this morning on my way to work has kids, I know this because they have the little stick figure stickers on the back window that told me there were 5 people and a couple of dogs in that family, this person went straight thru a turn lane about 10 miles per hour over the speed limit, and then when she had a green turn signal she stopped before she went, after I yelled a string of niceties to myself of course, I passed her when possible and guess what, she was texting.  I bet if her teenager was in the car that she would be yelling at him to stop texting and pay attention, but then again many of our kids are out ringing door bells talking to strangers and taking candy from the weirdo on the next block.   Remember kids do as we say not as we do, we mean well.  

Don't get scamed

Disaster scams are crimes of opportunity. Desperate people are willing to do almost anything when catastrophe strikes — and these scamsters prey upon them like buzzards.
For more info click here

Daily Dose of BS Oct 30

Over 16 dead, millions without power for up to 2 weeks, cars floating, over 7 subway lines are submerged in water, an economic impact of over 100 billion dollars, and super storm Sandy is not done yet.  My heart goes out to the families and businesses devastated by the losses of their homes, businesses and their lives.  The one bright spot is that there will be many in the construction trade that will be busy for years with the rebuild.  To help our brothers and sisters on the East Coast the American Red Cross is accepting donations people can visit www.redcross.org, call 1-800-RED-CROSS, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.  

Daily Dose of BS Oct 29

We are in the midst of the presidential election and people say stupid things, we hear garbage from all the candidates, I bet if you think about it you can think of stupid things said by each and every person running for office.  We have 8 days left then it all starts again for the next election cycle.  The reason I started with the people say stupid things is that I was on facebook yesterday (by that is not the stupid thing) someone posted “In some parts of the country school is being canceled because of the hurricane” and someone posted “lucky” in response.  Really?  Why would that be lucky?  I understand that some people just don’t get it and some people are trying to be funny, I have been accused of try to be funny many times in my life, but I don’t think I ever wished bad on anyone or was happy for anyone’s misfortune.  This huge super storm dubbed Hurricane Sandy that will be hitting the east coast later today or early tomorrow, will be devastating when it does make land fall.  Walls of water flooding the area, gale force winds, heavy rains and cold weather afterward making for miserable living, I hope and pray for the best.  

Friday night date night...make it memorable

You and your significant other don’t need to go far or spend big to have a special evening together. A few activities you may not have tried in awhile …
✓ TV marathon, 2012 style. Curl up on the couch for the night (weekend?) and plow through an entire TV series you’ve been dying to watch.
✓ Savor the memories. Trot out the old college yearbooks, scrapbooks, and/or photo albums and reminisce and laugh about old times.
✓ Put on your chef hats. Cooking is a great way to get you focused and more attuned to all your senses. Plus, no one can argue with the delicious rewards!
✓ Form your own private book club for two. Read the same tome, grab some grub, and spend the night discussing your deep literary thoughts.
✓ Be cheesy. You could spend big bucks at a wine bar or you could do the pouring, slicing, and tasting at home. Stock up on cheeses, pour some vino, and let your taste buds do the rest.
✓ Belt it out! Download the iKaraoke app, which transforms your Apple device into a makeshift Karaoke machine.
✓ You’ve got game. An adult-only game night plus a bit of sexy wagering could lead to some stiff competition.

Daily Dose of BS Oct 26

Our early afternoon guy Michael Smerconish is going to be interviewing President Obama one-on-one in the Oval Office today.  If you had the chance to sit down with either the President or Governor Mit Romney what would you ask them?  Would you be civil to the other guy (the guy you don’t support) or would you play your political cards?  In your opinion do you like the way that the political process is, if not what would you change?  BTW the Michael Smerconish’s  interview can be heard during Michaels show noon-3 on Today’s Talk 1490.  Every morning I leave my house before 5am to get to work, this morning was one of the few times while driving in that I had to stop at more than one stoplight, I had to stop 3 times on way in I think this is the most times I have ever had to stop this early in the morning (since most of the time the lights are flashing yellow), usually there is no stopping.  I hope the rest of the day goes the way they usually do with no stopping, forward thinking.  I guess that our day is what we make of it, so my goal is like every other day.  It is my choice to make it a great day.  

Life by numbers

A BS breakdown of who we are and what we do …
• 73% of daily commuters do it alone.
• 72% of men have a cookbook, but only 35% actually use it.
• 71% of men feel their dog understands them at some telepathic level.
• 40% of woman have thrown something at a man while arguing.
• 29% of women say they want to be lied to when asking whether they look fat in something.
• 10% of people over age 60 do not have a grey hair.

Daily Dose of BS Oct 25

There are only 185.5 million people in the US on facebook.  That is over half the population, not bad for a company that didn’t even exist 10 years ago.  With the average person spending almost 7 hours a month on facebook that is a lot of screen time for those little ads to make their way into your brain, and with facebook being a public company now they have to answer to their shareholders, meaning they have to make money, you would think a company with over a billion active monthly users would be raking in the dough, I bet they are.  From posts that used to go to everyone to posts that you can now pay to have seen, there is a lot of growth for this company in its infancy.  I started using facebook kicking and screaming after learning and loving myspace, weird now I am not even sure if myspace even exists.  The voyeur in me keeps me looking and the thoughts that plague my mind give me endless topics to post on here on facebook.  Are we better off now knowing that John had a burger for lunch with his bff?  Does it matter that Sally sold seashells by the seashore, you bet it does, the average person has 130 friends on facebook.  I at one time actually knew all my facebook friends, and many of my radio friends have two accounts the work one and the real one, I guess I wasn’t smart enough to do that when I started with facebook, and now I don’t think I have the time to do more than one facebook account.  I think I like the sharing that happens here, otherwise where would I catch up on the snarky thoughts of my friends, both real and online.  

Daily Dose of BS Oct 24

Things are easier now than they have been, when it comes to voting.  I look forward to going to my polling place November 6^th many are voting early, prior to this year, I have always been against it but after hearing from both sides decided that it is better for the process to open up and allow more to get out and vote.  I remember when Rock the Vote first rolled into existence back when I was starting my voting career.  I have as mentioned in previous posts in every single election and almost every primary election since I have been able to vote.  As I am getting ready to talk with many politicians and others about the up and coming election I found out about the website http://www.myvote.wi.gov on this site I can go and enter a few things and up will pop a voter profile, including when I registered to vote, where I vote, a sample ballot, how to vote absentee and a vast wealth of other information.  I checked myvote.gov and myvote.mn.gov and sorry to say the federal government and the state of Minnesota do not offer this info by going to those websites, but if you live in Wisconsin you can have at your fingertips the ease of knowing, now.  For those of you in Minnesota I did find the link you need it is http://www.sos.state.mn.us/index.aspx?page=134 if you live elsewhere you can always google it.

POPULAR HALLOWEEN COSTUMES 2012

According to National Retail Federation, these are some of the top-selling prepackaged get-ups so far …
KIDS –
1. Princess
2. Batman
3. Spider-Man
4. Witch
5. Disney Princess
ADULTS –
1. Witch
2. Vampire
3. Pirate
4. Batman
5. Zombie
PETS –
1. Pumpkin
2. Devil
3. Hot Dog
4. Cat
5. Bee
– Wtop.com

Daily Dose of BS Oct 23

I am not a big fan of bruised apples or bananas or any bruised fruit or vegetable for that matter.  We picked apples last weekend in Galesville and I grabbed one as heading out the door this morning and was a big bruise on it, a quick couple of cuts and good as new.  The World Series begins tomorrow, not a big fan of baseball on TV, much better to take in a game with the boys of summer live.  My brother went to game seven of the World Series when the Twins won back in the 80’s.  Did you catch any of the debate last night?  It seemed to me that the commentator Bob Schieffer had things in control a bit better than the other moderators that we have seen, but then again I may be partial since we share our initials and a first name.  I thought both candidates seemed tired and got to the shiny foreheads faster than they did in the other debates, also if you are louder than the other candidate are you a better debater?  We have two weeks to get to the polls, early voting opened yesterday in Wisconsin, and early voting ballots were mailed out a couple of weeks ago, there should be no excuses to why you didn’t vote this time around.  Your vote does matter.  As BS mentioned last night that his mom said, I should say Bob Schieffers mother said, "go vote it makes you feel big and strong".  Please do vote November 6^th, or before.

Daily Dose Oct 22

I wash my hands every time I use the restroom, not because I have pee’d on my hands but because it’s the right thing to do.  No one wants your personal germs and waste on anything that you touch when you are done, and when you don’t wash your hands you are spreading germs.  You have seen the signs at every restaurant that you have ever been to and at every gas station restroom that you have stopped by that not washing your hands spread disease.  I do not want to be the cause of or be the effect of someone not washing their hands.  I saw a news story over the weekend that a middle schooler Jasmine Roberts, hypothesized that the ice at fast food joints was probably dirtier than the toilets.  She went to five fast food restaurants and collected samples, by ordering cups of ice and put them in sterile beakers.  She also went into bathrooms, flushed the toilet once, and collected a sample.  The findings were pretty disturbing.   According to Jasmine she" found that 70-percent of the time, the ice from the fast food restaurant's contain more bacteria than the fast food restaurant's toilet water.”  Yuck now I have to rethink my ice consumption.  Because of these type studies I have quit getting lemon in my water and stopped using the glass glasses at hotels.  Maybe sometimes it is better just not knowing. 

Daily Dose of BS Oct 19

Expectations, we all have them for everything from how our day goes, to dealing with people to your day at work, school and home.  Here are a couple of expectations that have been blown apart at least for me, we have all seen movie trailers and have had friends tell us about which movie that you have to see, if “the” have to see movie of the year has a trailer that you liked, you plop down the money for the ticket, get your popcorn and pop and head into the theater to watch the flick only to be disappointed 9 out of ten times at the movie choice, I think part of it has to do with the buildup in your mind of the movie, either that or the only good parts were in the trailer.  Another disappointment that comes to mind is when you make or go out for dinner and order something either new or a returning favorite and for some reason it doesn’t make the cut either something got overdone or an ingredient was missing or your taste buds changed or something just isn’t right with the meal.  There are other expectations that fall thru the cracks regularly too like expecting a candidate to follow through with their promises.    

Daily Dose of BS Oct 18

Magnets are polarizing, so are political campaigns.  When I was growing up I was always told that who I vote for is my opinion and mine alone.  Of all the stuff I learned not to share this is about the one thing that I try not to tip my hand on.  I have opinions and I share them and if you ask my kids I overshare sometimes.  But politically I try to keep those opinions to myself.  The reason I bring this up is that there is a backlash happening right now with people who overshare their political ideas on facebook.  There are thousands of people dropping millions of friends over their sharing and over sharing of political bs.  I have a hand full of these so called friends, sharing their thoughts about why they think that this candidate is better than that one and to be honest I really don’t mind the facts but when people start putting out the same bs that we are seeing and hearing from the political action committees then they have gone to far.  I have not unfriended any of my facebook friends because of their thoughts, I would like to learn how to hide their status’ though.  A couple of questions I pose to you, have you unfriended anyone on facebook or in real life because of their political views, also how do I make it so that I do not have to see all the political bs that they keep posting on facebook? 

Don't be Bored.....be Unbored

If you hate it when your kids say, "I'm Booooooooooooooooooored!", instead of giving them chores to do, give them this book.  "Unbored" is by Joshua Glenn & Elizabeth Foy Larsen (Bloomsbury, ISBN 978-1-60819-641-8) and is filled with things kids ages 7-15 love to do.

Your kids will find movie and book suggestions, ideas for creating a band, and games they can play. They'll learn to (safely) blow things up, create a parkour field in your back yard, short-sheet a bed, determine the architectural history of a house at a glance, decorate their rooms and more.

Unbored by Joshua Glenn & Elizabeth Foy Larsen

Bloomsbury

$25.00

Check out the bookwormsez.com 

Daily Dose of BS Oct 17

Let’s get ready to rumble…it was the rumble in the Bronx last night…ok not right in the Bronx but it was in New York.  I thought that Governor Mitt Romney and President Barak Obama were going to throw down their microphones, take off their coats, and come to blows.  A few times they were toe to toe and the interruptions from last night’s debate were like a family dinner table at Thanksgiving.   The lost look from both candidates a few times, and the refusal to answer the questions directly make me wonder if they listened to the questions.  Also when you know you are going to be asking a question don’t you think that you would have your question all ready to go?  Wouldn’t you have your glasses on and question in hand?   Being a person in media and always looking for ways to promote, I am proud of the Man “Kerry” for mentioning his business name and his buddies as he rattled off his question.  Only 21 days, can you handle it?

THINGS YOU SHOULD DO RIGHT NOW

-Floss. Shut up about blood and it getting stuck in your teeth or a general fear of dentistry and just floss.

 -Watch both a sunset and a sunrise.

 -Sell your microwave. You’d be shocked how much healthier you eat when you have to clean a pan after every meal.

 -Stop blaming your parents for telling you you’re special. You now know it’s a lie, but you can only blame yourself for continuing to pretend it’s true.
 -Read books. Don’t blow your money on a Kindle under the premise that it’ll make you read more. There’s likely a library near you that’s full of wonders … and they’re all free.
 -Leave 15 minutes early for everything.
 -Drink chamomile tea. It’s good for nearly every part of your body. Instead of hoping one more cup of coffee will halt the shaking, drink some calming, honey-laden tea and think for a second.
 -Meet your neighbors. Bake something and give it to them. You don’t even have to talk to them; just give them cookies.
 -Stop pretending you’re sick of something when you seek it out on purpose online. You can willingly ignore Snooki’s baby. Either admit that it interests you or shut up.
  -Learn how to talk to kids. You’ll find out they aren’t little aliens or monsters; and no matter your gender or orientation, being good with kids is a massive plus in the dating world.
 -Catch up on your local news. What’s going on with Miley Cyrus’ hair is important, yes, but it doesn’t really affect your everyday life.
– ThoughtCatalog.com

Daily Dose of BS Oct 15

The robo calls are coming the robo calls are coming.  I am not being chicken little but the robo calls are coming, election day is 22 days away.  I don’t know about you but we have less phones around the house than we used to, I believe we have 4, one in basement, one upstairs and 2 on the main floor.  The phones are like the remotes and the keys at my house, you set them where they are supposed to be and they migrate, and hid under things, like sofa cushions, under the blankets that drape over the chairs, in the fridge, I am still scratching my head on that one.  I did many years ago put the ice cream in the cupboard so I guess the phone in the fridge is not that big a stretch.  When the home phone used to ring back in the day everyone would jump to answer it, now when it rings no one moves even if the phone is right next to them it just rings and rings and rings, and if someone is inclined to pick up the phone they look at it see who it is and 9 of ten times don’t even answer.  What has the world of communications come to?  We jump over hurdles to text with someone and if we forget our phone at home our day is ruined, I have forgot to grab my phone a few mornings and most of the day I am worried about who I missed calls and texts from.  Guess what there are days I don’t even get calls or texts, I really don’t know what I am missing.  

Daily Dose of BS Oct 12

Not really sure who won last night.  I think if you are an Obama fan then Biden won, if you like Romney then Ryan won.  I posted on my facebook last night during the debate the question who is winning, and I think since I am in Wisconsin that more homegrown Wisconsin people are my friends that they picked Ryan, if you are listening to this, same deal, you most likely think that Ryan won, I think for just geographic reasons.  Who do you think won, and why?  I will tell you what I didn’t like was the interrupting, by the candidates, and by the moderator.  I feel that this was a tighter run debate than the past debate and I think that the candidates looked more at ease than their bosses.  It could be that they are sitting or it could be that they are not the face for the party but as the secondary face.  The CNN poll from immediately after the debate had Ryan topping Biden 48 to 44% while CBS had Biden winning 50 to 31%.  There are 25 days until the election, and that means only 25 more days of candidate overload and 25 days for you to make up your mind. 

Daily Dose of BS Oct 11

3 things on my mind today, well three things that are top of mind awareness.  Number 1 yesterday we heard that the La Crosse Police Department arrested a suspect in the double murder at Mays Photo, I am relieved that a suspect has been tied to this horrific event, I hope if found guilty that he gets what is coming to him. Number two, tonight Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan face off in what will be the biggest stage for these two men during the campaign, I have to say that I am excited to see what they will be talking about and how the two will match up.  Finally I am thinking about something that Pat Stephens was talking about yesterday at the Rotary Lights press conference, he said that more than $350,000 have been given to the many area non-profits that have helped with the Rotary Lights project, also keyed us in in the new displays and the new Santa Village.  Over 2.6 million lights will again be lighting up Riverside Park.  

Daily Dose of BS Oct 10

You’ve seen the Seinfeld episode where George Costanza eats a snickers bar with a fork and a knife right.  Yesterday afternoon I was at a joint meeting with the La Crosse Area Business Club and the Onalaska Area Business Association and I was sitting next to one of our members who was eating a chocolate covered strawberry with a knife and a fork.  Which made me think of other strange things that we have seen over the course of being at different places, I have seen many people use a paper towel at a restroom in order to open the door, people use straws to drink out of a can, eat a tootsie roll by holding on to the paper to pop it into their mouth.  I have some weirdnesses too ask my kids, friends and family.  For one it took me a long time to be able to bring my kids into a public restroom, I hated that they wanted to touch everything, I am ok with it now, but it took me a couple of years.  We all have our weird stuff and it is ok to be different, celebrate who you are and be proud of your differences.  

Daily Dose of BS Oct 9

Four weeks from today hopefully a record turnout, I am talking about the presidential election.  Kind of funny when I was a kid I always looked forward to Christmas and Summer vacation, now with Christmas the day comes and goes quickly but the season is there for a while, and with summer vacation a week isn’t anything like getting a whole summer off.  But Election Day now that is a day that we as Americans can sink our teeth into.  We hear about the day starting about the first Wednesday in November (that is the day after election day for those keeping score) and from not only the candidates, but from the pacs and the super pacs and I am guessing if we wait around enough there will be super-duper pacs and maybe in the future we will see the supercalifragilisticexpialidocious pac.  I can hardly wait until that one hits.  Maybe that will be the return to truth.  What is it with these ads?  I was watching a TV show I recorded on Sunday last night and for grins and giggles I let the commercials play, and in my best Gomer Pyle impersonation there were nothing but political ads.  I have said it in the past the only people making money during an election are the political advisors, and the media.  Also why would someone want to be out in the public for people to watch your every move?  God bless them as they seem to love it.  And heck if they didn’t do it I would miss one of my favorite times of the year.  Happy month before election, strap in and enjoy the ride. 

Daily Dose of BS Oct 8

I don’t get it, you go to the doctor because you have pain in your back, you get a shot, then you have to worry about coming down with a deadly fungal meningitis.  As of 530 this morning 91 people have been sickened 91 people who went to the doctor’s office expecting to be fixed and 91 people so far, and the potential of hundreds more getting affected by this nationwide outbreak of meningitis.  I understand that this was a horrible mistake made by a pharmacy in Massachusetts, don’t they test for this?  The CDC website lists the names of 75 clinics in 23 states where this drug was sent.  Over the weekend Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio joined 6 other states that have been hit.  In Tennessee alone 32 cases of meningitis with 3 deaths, this type of meningitis is not contagious and can't be spread from person to person.  Prescription drugs making more news today too, I heard a report this morning that said that now prescription drug overdoses are the leading cause of accidental death of people even higher than car accidents.  I am glad when I mess up it is a song title or a misread forecast, and not death and mayhem, I guess when I miss speak maybe you will wear a coat at the wrong time, or buy the wrong song, but not die.  I see why insurance rates keep rising.  

Daily Dose of BS Oct 5

What a difference 24 hours makes.  Yesterday at this time I was in shorts, was aware that it was going to get cold, but was in shorts.  Last night while getting ready to ride in the Oktoberfest Torchlight parade, I had to dig out the long pants, winter jacket, hat, and gloves.  What a difference that 24 hours makes, I hear that Northern Minnesota and Western North Dakota got hit with a winter storm with up to a foot of snow blanketing the area.  Way, way, way too early.  This weekend is an exciting time for a bunch of kids and their parents, a learning experience if you will, this is the official youth deer hunt weekend giving children between 10 and 15 a chance to get into the woods with an adult hunter a month or so before the more seasoned hunters and the regular hunt at the end of November.  I have done this hunt every year for the past at least 6 years with my boys usually heading to hunt with a group of great friends in Wonewoc Wisconsin this year my son Zak wanted to try it with just the two of us at our family land, I will let you know the results come Monday.  So if you are headed out to the woods this weekend, be safe remember the rules, be respectful and most of all have fun.  

Daily Dose of BS Oct 4

Talk about uncomfortable.  Watching the debate last night, was like I felt when I was a kid getting lectured by my parents, the uncomfortable look that each candidate had when the other was talking was at times hard to watch; from the look around, to the awkward smiles, eyebrow raises, and face scratches I am sure that that is what I did when I was getting talked to when I was a kid, heck I bet I do it now when the boss calls me in the office.  Where was the control of the debate?  Jim Lehrer in my eyes didn’t have control of the debate at all, as a friend of mine Chris posted on facebook last night “Jim Lehrer is like the grandpa at dinner table who falls asleep and wakes up randomly shouting.”  I heard a news story yesterday afternoon that said the candidate who blinks less usually wins, so of course I noticed the eye blinking, they both were big blinkers, I felt like I was following a car with the blinker stuck.  The think about these debates is that it seems like the candidates try to get their talking points out for the public to hear rather than answer the questions.  And I don’t know if you caught the bowling hall pin crash toward the end of the debate (what the heck was that?).  I am not sure if these debates help or hurt a candidate, who in your opinion won the debate?  And why?

Want to publish a book?

How many books you think are published yearly?
http://ptbertram.wordpress.com/2012/04/17/how-many-books-are-going-to-be-published-in-2012-prepare-for-a-shock/

Daily Dose of BS Oct 3

I am proud of my friend Jennifer Livingston she was called a bad role model for young girls because of her weight.  Jen has taken an email from a viewer, a negative email and flipped it into a positive thing, Jennifer standing up for herself and using this negative moment in her life as a teaching moment has me and a hundred thousand others including the national news shows, and Ellen standing and cheering in her corner.  As a person in the public eye you get ridiculed and are often put under a more powerful microscope than the average person, also for some reason people feel the need to point out your flaws.  Didn't your mom teach you about those in glass houses?  We all have our crosses to bear, our kryptonite if you will that weighs us down.  As Jennifer so eloquently put it “to all the children out there who feel lost...who are struggling with weight, the color of your skin, your sexual preference, your disability - even the acne on your face...listen to me right now. Do not let yourself worth be defined by bullies.”   Jennifer went on to point out that October in National Anti-Bullying month.  I leave you with this be yourself, live life to its fullest, love yourself, and be proud of who you are.

Movie catch phrases

ALL-TIME BEST MOVIE CATCHPHRASES:
According to a new Now TV poll, these are the best-ever famous lines from films …
5. “Life is like a box of chocolates …” – Tom Hanks in “Forrest Gump” (1994).
4. “May the Force be with you.” – Harrison Ford in “Star Wars” (1977).
3. “Houston, we have a problem.” – Tom Hanks in “Apollo 13” (1995).
2. “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” – Clark Gable in “Gone With the Wind” (1939).
1. “I’ll be back!” – Arnold Schwarzenegger in “The Terminator” (1984).
– WENN.com

Daily Dose of BS Oct 2

Today marks the 3^rd anniversary of my life changing.  Three years ago today I got called into the operations managers’ office and my program director was in there, they said sit down.  I think in the back of my mind I knew why I was called in but didn’t want to believe it.  I was working at my former employer for 15 and half years, 15 and a half years all coming crashing down around me.  I was one of a handful of people I knew in the radio business that hadn’t been laid off.  October 2, 2009 that all changed.  It was the biggest kick in the shorts that I could have had at the time, Christmas was coming up and the 4 kids wanted i-pod touches.  It’s funny to look back at it now, I thought that my job was what defined me, I thought of what I did, was who I was.  Getting laid off was in retrospect the best thing that happened to me; it allowed me to know that radio is not the definer of Bob Schmidt.  The reality check was there, it gave me the chance to grow my personal business,  Kooler Promotions LLC and my www.LaCrosseWisconsin.com , it also gave me the chance to work on my relationships with my kids, friends, and family, it gave me the chance to spread my wings and grow as a person.  At the time I wanted to yell and cry and I did do both, but ended up in a better and a place, a place where I am appreciated and that is a much better fit for me.  For the guys that laid me off, thank you for giving me the chance to spread my wings, and for my team at the La Crosse Radio Group thank you for giving me the opportunity to grow.  

If its rusty you must be a teenager....What your car color says about you

Green – You’re an optimistic, well-adjusted joiner who likes the good things in life. (Only someone really materialistic could want a money-colored vehicle.)

Red – You are impulsive, athletic, and quick to speak your mind, but suffer emotional ups and downs. (Most likely to give another driver the dastardly digit.)

Blue – You’re relaxed and at peace with yourself. (No wonder you only drive so damn slow … move it, gramps!)

Brown – You’re conservative and like to plan everything out carefully. (Like never having to wash your car.)

White – You’re honest, nurturing, supportive, and need to feel needed. (You’re a mom.)

Daily Dose of BS Oct 1

Best fest parade ever.  I usually hate parades, I have had to be in them on and off over the past 25 years because of my chosen profession, and they usually are long and the weather is usually less than desirable, this year we got thru the parade in about an hour and a half, with a perfect temperature.  It is funny if you have something to giveaway there are always people with their hands out wanting the freebie, that is fine with me since it is a parade and but when you expect it that is where I have a problem with it.  I don’t owe anybody anything especially someone whom I have never met how is on the parade route asking for a can cooler saying I love your music or you are my favorite station when wearing another stations t-shirt.  First of all we are a Talk station so music wise we don’t play any and when it comes to wearing another stations t-shirt cool I have a bunch of station t-shirts from over the years, but don’t tell me I am your favorite and then not know where we are on the dial.  Got a few beverages from friends both old and new at the parade and Olys Donuts brought me over a bag of mini donuts.   Wrapped up the night at the Duct Tape Lodge with friends, happy rest of fest.  

Daily Dose of BS Sept 28

After living in La Crosse since 1992 I have been around Oktoberfest for 20 years, participating in the parade many, many times over those years, watching it multiple times and always amazed at the amount of people who come out of the wood work to watch and cheer.  I drove the long way to work yesterday morning to see if there were people lined up on Copeland Park and there were, ok, I understand that the parade is fun and a party in its self but aren’t there things going on, such as life?  Do people take vacation to go stake their claim of park land or boulevard for a 5 hour parade?  I have never staked my claim to city property for parade watching, I am more of a floater.  On the years when I didn’t ride in the parade I would start in one area, and kind of party hop.  I hope that this years parade is more manageable in time than some of the years when it ended up being a 5 plus hour parade.  Here is to a safe, fun, trouble free Oktoberfest.  Gemütlichkeit, Ein Prosit and Old McDonald has a farm, ummm I mean EiEiEio…have a great fest. 

Daily Dose of BS Sept 27

Went to comedy last night and the comedian and I were BS’ing after the show talking about the economy and how great it is, he mentioned that he has to take a “real” job soon to make ends meet after the price of gas is flirting with 4 bucks, he mentioned that if you think about it we spend more on our cars than on our homes, I called BS of course cause that is what I do, anyway he walked me through it and asked how many cars have you had in your life?  What about the other cars in your household, what was the total cost of all vehicles?  What did you pay for your house?  He continued saying and that is how we spend more on our cars than our houses.  Weird right?

Bad call Monday night....be mad....tell the world

http://www.oppermacher.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=OPP&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=WORST_CALL_EVER

Funny the price is 12.07 what the score would have been without the blown call

Daily Dose of BS Sept 26

They say that parents get stressed out with putting together a kids lunch before school.  Did your mom, or do you get stressed putting together the perfect lunch for jr?   Personally I look forward to the quest to putting together the best quote breakfast that I can, using building blocks of last nights supper, leftovers from the fridge from a day or two ago and possibility a dry good as well.    I do have a fridge when I get to work so if I have leftover meat or vegies and pasta I do have a place to store it before it gets reheated in the microwave.  I think my adventurous way with food began when I was a kid my mom was in a bridge club and when there was left overs we and by we I mean the kids my brothers and I always had creative ways of eating the leftovers, mom used to multi purpose the food, for example one time there was lots of leftover nacho cheese dip, that became a building block for sandwiches, add a few chips to it and you have a crunchy spicy lunch.  I bet if you ask the other Schmidt boys about the pancakes, they will say mom put syrup soaked pancakes on the bottom of a bowl and it got topped with chili when mom and dad went out for dinner that night.  So for that, my adventurous food creations and for the many other great memories I think you Mom.   

Daily Dose of BS Sept 25

I am not going to lie I am a bit upset this morning.   I thought that each of the touchdowns that are scored are checked and double checked, the Packers lost on a bad call, Rogers was sacked 8 times but they may have been the victim of a bad call.  Now to what has me really upset today, I lock my garage every night before I head in for the night, this morning when I was letting out the dog, the garage door was open.  And I know it was closed since I locked it last night after returning from a birthday dinner with the family, all six of us, it was amazing.  My dog usually barks at things going on outside, last night not so sure either that or I slept really well.  Any way a crow bar was used to break in to the garage, the fridge in the garage was left open, I am glad that I drank all the beers, there were a few pops left in the garage fridge, a few things moved around and my car was gone through, and I mean really gone through they took everything out of the glove box, the ashtray, the arm rest storage and left it all on the seats, I am not sure what they found if anything cause there really wasn’t anything in there, I did get a chance to meet a nice La Crosse Police officer, Officer Roden, she was there in minutes, we went through my garage, looked at the evidence, a cigarette that was left on the top of the car, talked about safety, putting lights up in and around the house.  There have been more and more break-ins in La Crosse we have had murders and drugs making headlines.  What happened to the friendly small community that I moved into 20+ years ago?

Funniest Movies of all time

FUNNIEST FILMS:
A new study of classic film comedies rates them on the number of laughs they generate per minute. Results show that a 1980 Leslie Nielsen film tops all others, generating 3 belly laughs per minute. The top 10, according to their ‘Laugh-A-Minute’ scores …
10. “Life of Brian” (1.2 laughs per minute)
9. “Shaun Of the Dead” (1.3)
8. “Bridesmaids” (1.4)
7. “American Pie” (1.5)
6. “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” (1.6)
5. “Borat” (1.7)
4. “Superbad” (1.9)
3. “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!” (2.3)
2. “The Hangover” (2.4)
1. “Airplane!” (3)