Daily Dose of BS July 12

I know a guy who gave up his smart phone since he couldn’t not look at his phone while he was driving.  I think that if you know you can't not look, this is a smart thing to do.  I am not sure how many times throughout the day that I notice someone texting while driving, and it is both men and women, young and old.  I am often looking at my phone when I am stopped but have been tempted to look at it I am not going to lie.  I heard on the radio yesterday morning that there is new technology out there that will stop your phone from being able to text while driving but only if you are the driver.  I like this, I think that this kind of technology will be a good thing for our younger drivers and heck even the more seasoned drivers like myself who are tempted to look at the phone while driving.  The only thing is how does the phone know that you are the driver and not just a passenger.  I was making a phone call the other day from my phone in my car and the guy who was in the truck next to me laid on the horn, at first I was mad, but then realized that he assumed that I was texting, and I was still mad, but I got over it and understand why he was upset.  

Daily Dose of BS July 11

Are you as irritated as I am when you call a business to talk to someone and they come on with a recorded voice saying we are trying to make it easier on you by streamlining the process by automating?  I call BS I do not recall a single time in my life that the automated phone answerer has made my life or anyone’s life easier.  How can listening to an answering machine telling me to listen as our options have changed possibly make it easier for me to get my job done?  I called a huge business that every one of you have heard of the other day a number that I had memorized as I have talked to these people for many years, only to end up 7 minutes later still trying to navigate their stupid time saver, the only saver of time that was saved was the person on their end of the line answering the phone and putting me thru to the person that I wanted to talk to.  This reminds me of another Midwest business that has a generic number out there, and the listing for you to talk to this department push this etc and I thought I would beat the system and push zero to get the operator, guess what that just repeated the message and then I was on a mission to find the operator number so that I could voice my opinion on how I loved the system, it was a double digit number and when I hit it I was transferred to a full mail box and hung up on.  Needless to say I voiced my opinion next time I visited the store; the voice mail however is still the same.  Damn. 

Daily Dose of BS July 10

I had the most surreal week last week.  I always wanted to have a 3 hour long morning talk show, I have been doing radio for much of the past 25 years, and in that time I have had a 30 minute talk show for about 5 years and produced a talk show for over 15 years, and filled in for that talk show many times., but the past week was one of trial and error, more error than trial.  I learned a lot, for example you cannot walk in to a new situation thinking you are able to BS your way through an hour if someone was not available to talk.   I also learned that a billboard is huge, especially if your mug is on it.  It is so surreal to look at a 12 foot high mug shot on a billboard.   It is also weird to have people be totally blunt with you, for example someone said you are horrible on the radio and I am glad you got fired from your last job, another person told me I have the face for radio, I have also heard that I love your voice and I think you are funny.  I guess when you have a media job and you are in the public that you can expect the unexpected.  But when you are totally blunt with someone try to remember that we do have feelings, and maybe try to tone it down a bit, and I know I got the face for radio and the voice for newspaper.

Daily dose of BS July 9

We have all heard someone we know say I long for the good old days when things were much simpler.  Heck I bet that many of you have said it at a point or two in your lives.  Now correct me if I am wrong the good old days meant black and white tv, only am radio, no remotes, cell phones, microwaves, or dvd players and dvrs.  It also meant getting on your hands and knees to trim grass around the fences, washing dishes by hand and hours and hours of research done at the library.  I guess we all love having a hot and humid home especially after last week, and love to cut wood, and stack it only to be woke in the middle of the night to add wood to the fire.  And who can forget the ice cold outhouse seat at 2 in the morning with no lights.  I for one am glad that we have the modern conveniences, and for the every once in a while that I think otherwise, there is nothing stopping me from getting rid of the modern convenience that have made our lives easier and more productive.  If ya don’t like it try spending a day living in the past, winding up your record player, having your phone in your kitchen and having to open your garage door by yourself, oh yea remember men you have to wear a suit to work, with a fancy hat.

Daily Dose of BS July 5

Hot enough for you? I hate when people say that but have been finding myself saying it within the last few days. The temperatures around La Crosse have been unbearable and as I am getting older I am not as tolerant when it comes to heat and humidity. I was thinking that I have had the air on in my house for the past at least 10 days and maybe even longer. I even gave up going to my cabin on Tuesday night because there is no air there, also didn’t go to Riverfest Tuesday night because of the same thing. I did spend much of yesterday there and also will be walking a mile in her shoes for prevention of domestic violence tonight, come down to the fest grounds to cheer us on and to look at over 300 men wearing high heel. And when we are done doing the walk, I expect that the La Crosse Jaycees Beer tent will be full of men with high heels…the picture of that is just scary and disturbing. Daily Dose of BSweekday mornings on Today's Talk 1490 and weekday afternoons on Magic 105

Daily Dose of BS June 25

I have been in radio for most of my adult life; I have worked in many different formats meaning music genera over the past 24 years from top 40, to oldies, from active rock to talk and adult contemporary to country.  I have worked all shifts starting out overnights in Mason City Iowa, moved to Scottsbluff Nebraska and over the 2 ½ years there, worked all the shifts mornings, middays, afternoons and nights.  I have spent the last 20 years here in La Crosse Wisconsin.  Most of that time working in radio; one break I took ,the other was a layoff.  I have been with the La Crosse Radio group since about 6 months after my layoff, I have been here almost 3 years, working in news and doing the afternoon shift on Magic 105.  About 6 months ago I was asked if I wanted to help switch the format of Adult Standards 1490 WLFN to Today’s Talk 1490.  Would I?  It would be a dream come true, as working talk radio was always my favorite.  The dream is getting closer as I will be taking over the morning show calling it BS with Bob Schmidt, 6-9 Monday – Friday.  I have never been part of a format change before, and I am sure some will be upset, hopefully more will love it than hate it.  You know as a person with over half my life on the radio, I am surprisingly nervous as I type this out.  It is getting closer and closer by the day.  I am asking you to please join me when you can weekday mornings on Today’s Talk 1490 and then again weekday afternoons here on The Best Variety Magic 105.  And to all my team members at La Crosse Radio Group thank you for believing in me, I won't let you down.  Daily Dose of BS 

Daily Dose of BS June 22

I did not write this, I don’t know who did, I tried to find the original author, I couldn’t, but I liked it so am sharing it.  Me, behave/normal?  Seriously?  As a child I saw Tarzan almost naked, Cinderella arrived home after midnight, Pinocchio told lies, Aladdin was a thief, Batman drove over 200 miles an hour, Snow White lived in a house with 7 men, Popeye smoked a pipe and had tattoos, Pac Man ran around to digital music while eating pills that enhanced his performance, and Shaggy and Scooby were mystery solving hippies that always had the munchies. The fault is not mine!  Also don't forget that Elmer Fudd didn't practice gun safety.  Fred & Daphne used to head off alone together.  Captain Caveman was a throwback raging on 'roids.  There were like 99 Smurfs, but only one was female....and they lived in shrooms.  It's still unclear what George Jetson did for a living.  A dune buggy had a speech impediment.  And somehow the Harlem Globetrotters ended up in all of the cartoons mentioned.  Captain Kangaroo could see us thru the tv, there was sexual tension between Mr Skinner and Miss Krabapple , the Simpson kids always disrespected their parents, how am I to know any better. As I said I don’t know who originally wrote this, but thought I would share.  It’s just not my fault.

Daily Dose of BS June 21

Is it so bad to want to communicate when you go to the bar or to a restaurant?  It seems like bars and restaurants are trying to hide something by pumping the volume up in their establishments, is there a correlation between the volume of the jukebox, radio or tv in a place and the quality of the food, drink or service?  I haven’t found this to be the case, but  I have poor hearing and am getting older and like to sit and just BS when I go out, communications are the cornerstone of any relationship and if you don’t get a chance to talk when you are out, how do you build friendships?  No wonder the younger generation has a hard time communicating beside with short answers, the art of conversation will be lost forever if we don’t insist on quieter surroundings, I hate conversations that are interrupted with a huh, or a what because of the ambient noise.  And when you have to yell to talk to the person sitting right next to you, it probably isn’t good for the relationship.  

Daily Dose of BS June 20

My oldest turns 17 today.  In the past 17 years it has been amazing to see him grow into a responsible young man.  From his help around the house, to getting and holding a job through his junior year at Bions Service Station to lettering in golf, and getting a job this summer at Forest Hills.  Hayden has done this all while being on the Honor Roll every quarter of his High School Career.  As his dad I am so proud of this guy.  He has great friends, who all have high aspirations in life.  He is polite, caring and has a great scene of humor, he is also smart-alecky at times and people always throw at me where do you think he got that.  I don’t know, can you pick that up off a toilet seat somewhere?  I expect many great and exciting things for this young man.  I don’t mean for this to be embarrassing but I am so proud of him.  Hayden I hope you have a great birthday, and remember I always love you buddy.  

Daily Dose of BS June 19

Two words “thank you” not hard to say but often forgotten, don’t be that person that gets something and doesn’t say the two little words.  How hard is it to thank someone for what they have done for you?  I make a conscience effort to say thank you for everything from the waitress bringing me a glass of water to the person holding the door to the person that is doing their job right, because we all know that, that does not always happen.  (You know who I most often forget to say thank you to, my family, we often take our families for granted, and for that I am sorry.)   Another two words we tend to forget is I’m sorry.  How hard is it to say I’m sorry, it makes a huge difference as we go thru life, it is so easy to say and the repercussions of saying it are huge.  If you made a mistake admit it and move on don’t dwell on it, it will save you heartache later.  So to wrap up this BS thank you for listening and sorry if this topic didn’t sit well with you.

Daily Dose of BS June 18

So there we were, the seven thousand people who weathered the storm at FreedomFest 2012 getting ready for the 3^rd and final band Steve Miller who called himself Stevie Guitar, when Don Weber founder of FreedomFest got up to speak, to remind us again of the reason we were all at FreedomFest, it is for our Veterans, it was a celebration of life for those who made it home after their tours and a celebration of the lives of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives so that we have our freedoms.  This was the first FreedomFest that I have been a part of and am looking forward to enjoying it again next year.  From the moment that the Remainders took the stage, I knew it was going to be an electrifying night, with great music, and I was not disappointed from the cover and original songs from the Remainders to every single hit that Foreigner played to the bluesy renditions of the Steve Miller Band the music did not disappoint.  There was an hour break after Foreigner as the weather decided that the music was too hot and needed to be doused with buckets of rain, besides it being the world’s largest wet t-shirt contest I might add with no winners it was a great concert.  Back to Don Weber and his tribute to the Fallen Heroes, I listened to what he was saying and watched on the screen as Patriotic Music played and a slide show of the Brave Men and Women who lost their lives for our freedoms flashed by onscreen.  I was standing shoulder to shoulder to thousands as we watched and not a dry eye in the crowd, I guess I am not too big to cry.  

Daily Dose of BS June 15

I am lucky I had a dad to talk to when I was growing up and my dad continues to be my friend to this day.  There were times when we didn’t see eye to eye but I think that is the way it should be, you can't be a puppet of your parents or your boss or your spouse.  My parents were there for me when I needed them to be and surprisingly were absent when I needed my space.  That is the sign of a good parent I guess, it is what I try to do for my children.  What I am trying to say is that this Sunday is Father’s Day, a day for us to call or stop by and talk to our dads.  If your father is still alive, I invite you to give the old man a call and tell him what you think of him, even if you don’t see eye to eye, I would bet that he would like to hear what you have to say.  Dads are a rare breed that sometimes get overlooked especially with the dead beat dads that are out there, it is too bad that these so called donors were there for the fun but when it came time to step up and be a man, they didn’t, they took the low road, not fessing up to or helping out with and not being there for their kids.  We all have heard the stories of these people who want nothing to do with the child that they helped to create.  For you men that stepped up and take care of your children or help your loved one take care of her children, thank you for being there and being a man for your kids and step kids I wish you a happy father’s day.  And to my dad Bob Schmidt, I love you dad Happy Father’s Day, and thanks for being a man.

Daily Dose of BS June 14

I admit it I make mistakes each and every from typing this up to later reading it on the air.  I do and will make mistakes many throughout the day, I guarantee it.  The thing about the mistakes I make is you will hear them when I mess up on a word on the radio, or see them when I use the wrong word posting this on facebook, if not for the automatic spell check on my computer you would see many more mistakes than are showing now.  The reason I bring this up is when I mispronounce a name on the air, I will hear about it.  Names are for me the hardest to pronounce as sometimes, you look at a name like s-m-i-t-h and you say Smith, and nine times out of ten it will be pronounced that way, the person who got their name on the news however will pronounce s-m-i-t-h as Smyth.  And then feel the need to call you to tell you, that you said it wrong.  I want to say if you didn’t do wrong then your name wouldn’t have been pronounced wrong on the radio to begin with.  But I don’t.  Needless to say I do wrong on a regular basis, and if you have a problem with that, then I think it would be your issue as I admit I am wrong and am ok with who I am.  

Daily Dose of BS June 13

Have ya ever broken a mirror, how about, spilled salt, sneezed 3 times, opened an umbrella in the house?  I am guessing unless you have lived in a padded box you have done one or all of these supposed bringers of bad luck.  I had the ultimate BS happen last night, a bird dropped a big old load of BS on my head and shoulder.   If you are wondering what BS stands for in this case it stands for Bird Schmidt.  Right on my head and this isn’t the first time that this has happened to me.  I was riding my motorcycle on Father’s Day 1995, 3 days before my oldest was born when a bird let loose all over my head, face and glasses; thank goodness I was close to my destination.  I am in a long line of Schmidt’s that have been target practice for our winged friends, I remember when I was a kid my Dad told us of a day when he was watching his Dad take a nap on a hammock and Grandpa Schmidt slept with his mouth open, needless to say my Dad saw some awesome maneuvering from the bird and splat right into the open target, I guess Grandpa just moved his mouth a few times and didn’t wake, I asked Dad if he told him, he said no way.   Back to trying to clean up my little mess, I was at the Shelby ball diamonds last night to watch my daughters softball game and the only have the hand dryer there so I was grabbing toilet paper to help with the cleanup I might add that it only came off one sheet at a time, that’s a whole other Daily Dose.  I was able to clean up to the best of my ability, I am thankful that there is no smell.  BTW a great friend of mine told me that getting splattered on by a bird was good luck, yea good luck that cows don’t fly.   

Daily Dose of BS June 12

I have not turned on the air conditioning in my home yet, with shades drawn, and ceiling fans blowing I have avoided the closing up of the house at least for the time being.  It helps that over the 2 hottest weekends so far this year we were out of town.  I am guessing if we reach the expected high of 90 this weekend I will be breaking down and flipping on the air.   I grew up in a house where air wasn’t turned on until it was 100+ with 100 percent humidity.  I like to be comfortable so when the house gets too warm or too humid I turn it on.  Once the air is on for a couple of days for a stretch of heat, I usually leave the air on for an extra day just because, and then when I do finally turn off the air and open the windows it needs to be turned on again, I wish there was a magic home comfortable switch.  It is all about comfort I think, for all of us not just me, we all love comfort and hate it when we are uncomfortable.  We collectively prefer things to go our way and like it when we are not put out too much; I think it is just human nature.  Remember that being uncomfortable pushes you into greatness, that being uncomfortable has brought forth many of the best inventions.  

Daily Dose of BS June 11

Ever have one of those weekends that you couldn’t wait to get back to work? I have had them as well, this past weekend sure wasn’t one of them. The 11th annual Algoma Fishing weekend brought in 3 new faces, two of my boys and a hockey dad joined the usual gang from La Crosse, Milwaukee and St. Louis, Missouri. Friendships have blossomed over the years and not only is it a great time fishing but also a so called brotherhood where many jokes, and one-liners are shared over a cast and a beer. This year no different in fact a few baahd pranks have been pulled on a few of the guys. The guys from Fishin Magician Charters took great care of the gang again this year as we got a total of 24 salmon between the groups and no shortage of fish stories and camaraderie among the fisherman. It was great for me to spend time with my boys and allow them to blossom into young men, and just as great to grow and make new friends. If you are looking for a get away from your regular life and want to spend some time fishing a great lake, I would suggest a trip to Algoma Wisconsin fisherman’s paradise and a trip with family and good friends both old and new. And for the newbies, maybe remember the Dramamine. Daily Dose of BS weekday afternoons on Magic 105 and soon on 1490

Daily Dose of BS June 7

Pick up after yourself.  Don’t throw your cigarette butts on the ground.  Use the trash receptacles, separate your recyclables.  The world is not your garbage can.  I feel like the Dad here, but pick up your crap.  I am sick and tired of going to the park and seeing some rude inconsiderate person leave their garbage on the picnic tables, and by the swing sets and on the walking trails, how about the person that almost made the garbage can, and splattered their mess all over the side of the can, come on how hard is it to make it in the reciprocal it seems like it was more effort to miss the can.  Also the world is not your ashtray.  Do not flick your butts on the ground.  And you who leave your kids dirty diapers in the parking lot, I hope that someone accidently fills your car with crap, but then you probably won't notice it.  

Daily Dose of BS June 6

Voters turned out in droves, I made it to the polling place yesterday at about noon and it took me a whole 7 minutes to get a parking spot, walk in to the polling place, get directed to my ward number from the check in person, stand in my ward line to sign and get my ballot, cast my vote, talk to a couple of neighbors and go home, 7 minutes out of my day, I waste more time everyday during my work day than that.  If your excuse for not voting was you don’t have the time, it is not a big time issue, and your boss has to let you have time off to vote, so in the next election, please vote.  So now that the recall is done and over with, time to start campaigning for the next election, you didn’t think that it was over did you?  If the results were not what you wanted are you prepared for a recall of the recall?  I am not sure I get the whole recall idea anyway.  I thought if you vote for a candidate and you are not happy with their performance that you try harder next election to get your candidate in.  I am also not extremely happy with all the negative ads.  I am sure we all have things in our past that we would not like to come up, why re-hash these candidates past with things that they did 40 years ago, let’s focus on what have they done lately, what ever happened to live and let live and forgive and forget?  For those of you that got out and voted yesterday, pat yourself on the back for doing your duty.  For those that didn’t, and are not happy with the outcome, you could be the reason that the election turned out the way it did.   

Daily Dose of BS June 5

If you are in Wisconsin and are not a convicted felon today you need to vote. Polls are open until 8 tonight and they are expecting a huge turnout. Well 60-70% the other 30-40% can't be bothered. I was trying to think of what reasons you would not go out and vote, if someone you love has passed away in the past few days, if you were in an accident on the way to the polling place, if your kid, parent, loved one got hurt, you died. I really cannot think of any other good reason for you not getting to the polling place. If you are on vacation and didn’t vote, you could have voted with an absentee ballot. Get it, this is important, you need to vote. Make a difference be heard, please vote.

Daily Dose of BS June 1

They are talking about making it illegal to sell sugared drinks larger than 16 ounces in New York City.  Isn’t a 16 ounce pop a super small?  I remember when I was a kid that the largest pop you could buy was a 32 ounce big gulp at the local gas station, I would head there after school and get 32 ounces of icey cold goodness and it would last the rest of the night.  Fast forward many years and 32 ounce pops are the small sized, at most the medium pop, in fact at Kwik Trip I think they have a 22, 32, 44, and 52 ounce pop.  Heck for coffee I believe that the sizes are 24, 20, 16, and 12 ounce, and if New York follows through on the sugary drink ban, most of what people drink will be effected, how often do you see someone only getting black coffee, many add sugar and cream and are drinking instant cappuccino.  I don’t see New York following through on this.  If they do it will it force everyone to go smaller, to force people to drink out of smaller bottles, maybe taller bottles so that way they look like they are drinking more, either that or people from New Jersey will coming over the bridge with illegal bottles of pop in 20 ounce and 24 ounce bottles, I could see it now black market Mt Dew and Pepsi, I would say Coke but that is already sold on the black market.  

Daily Dose of BS May 31

I have an addiction my son pointed it out to me.  Hi I’m Bob and I am addicted to my cell phone.  I constantly am checking it for information.  From my emails, to my facebook to what news is breaking locally, to using my camera to the maps and gps.  There is so much that the phone has become that I feel naked if I am without it.  When I got my first watch for my first communion, I started wearing it and have been a watch wearer ever since, when I got my first job, I started carrying my wallet, most of the time it is empty but always is in the right hip pocket, when I started driving my keys were always close at hand and now the phone is teetered to my hip.  It is like an accessory that gives back tenfold, what other carry with do you have that gives you so much.  From the ability to go online, look up information, text, among other things, like a calendar and an alarm.  Oh yea you can also use it to make and receive calls.  

Daily Dose of BS May 30

In Wisconsin we are facing the recall of our Governor Scott Walker, the man who faced him in the 2010 gubernatorial election Tom Barrett is facing Mr Walker once again.  The polls show Walker leading Barrett by a margin of 50 to 45 percent.  There was a ton of effort going into this recall election from the people who stood on street corners collecting signatures for the recall, to yard signs, to door knockers, and automated robo calls, to people standing and picketing at different events, lots of time, effort and tons of money spent on political advertising.  Don’t you think that this is over kill?  If there would have been this much effort put forth the first time around that this would not be taking place today.  In the general election there was a turnout of less than 50% they are expecting between 60-70% out to the polls this coming Tuesday.  60-70% this is a lot of people but still not all the people who are eligible to vote.  Don’t you think that only the people who voted in the first election should be allowed to vote in the recall?  If you were too busy to be bothered the first time around why should you get a do over?  If you are not happy with the turn out of this election or any election maybe you should have helped with the original outcome and gone to the polling place and voted in November of 2010.  If the outcome comes back not the way you wanted this time around are you going to want another recall?  A recall of the recall?  This of course is tongue in cheek, but I am sure I have ticked off quite a few and they didn’t make it down here.  I think that you have every right in the world to vote, it is your right as an American.  Please take your responsibility to go to the polls on June 5^th and at every election after, don’t just make the exception to vote at this election because you either weren’t happy with the candidate or situation, please get out and vote in every election.  

Daily Dose of BS May 29

It has been over half my life since I have been able to legally buy beer.  I was up in Northern Minnesota this past weekend for the graduation party of one of my nieces.  Boy was it cold, when we left LaCrosse on Sunday morning it was 70 on the way up to a high of 96 heard from many that air conditioning was turned on for the day.  When we got to Two Harbors Minnesota it was foggy and cold, of course we dressed for LaCrosse weather, big mistake it was a high of 45 foggy, cloudy and damp.  What the heck were we thinking?  It is always fun though to get together and visit with family.  My nephew texted me on the way up asking me to pick up some beer since they were in Minnesota and you can't buy beer on Sunday, ah the joys of Wisconsin living, beer on Sunday and no 3-2 at grocery stores (at least that is what my 24 year old nephew thinks).   After hanging out at the hotel, my nephew who just turned 21, my 24 year old nephew, my sister-in-law and I went out for a beer at a local tavern.  It was the first time my 21 year old nephew was to buy a beer, I thought being the uncle that I would give him the money to buy the pitcher of beer I give him 9 bucks and said leave a buck for the tip, he proceed to leave a dollar on the table and then headed to the bar, I said no leave it with the bartender, he got the beer came back to the table gave me back my money and said that he didn’t have to pay for it, that they just put the beer on his cousins tab.   So he still never bought his first beer, I guess I will just have to go out with him again someday.  

Daily Dose of BS May 25

The next time you go to any store that sells cleaning supplies look around at the packaging for the soaps and cleaners, they are in colorful bottles, made with coloring that mimic power drinks and some of the bottles are in the shapes of pop bottles.  Why in the world would these companies do this?  I remember when I was a kid the Mr Yuck stickers were prevalent.  There was even advertising reminding parents to put the Mr Yuck stickers on the poisonous things under the counter, you would think that with how we have all become overprotective of our most valuable resource our children that we would continue with putting Mr Yuck stickers on our corrosive cleaning supplies and also work on packaging of cleaning supplies that did not looking like kool-aid. I heard on the radio this morning about in Texas so far this year that 71 kids had ingested the new Tide Pod laundry detergent because it looks like a piece of candy.  The people are Proctor and Gamble are now working on new packaging so that way kids don’t think of it as candy.  I think we should bring back Mr Yuck.

Daily Dose of BS May 24

This is it, my final day on the radio according to an email I got I am the winner of 1 million dollars.  I am going to pack up my stuff and hit the road.  How lucky am I, I never even bought a ticket.  All I had to do was respond with my social security number to the email and they will send me a check.  They promised.  People don’t lie and people don’t scam do they?  Heck it seems legit.  I wonder how many people fall for this?  I read a letter to the editor the other day about a grandfather getting a call from who he thought was his grandson asking for some money, the grandpa wanting to help withdrew the money and sent it to some foreign country to his grandson.  He ended up getting his money back because someone was paying attention and told him it was most likely a scam.  I wonder how many fall victims to something like this?  It is unfortunate that there are people out there taking advantage of the elderly and the socially inept.  As for me I am going to pack up my desk and am going someplace nice, after all I got a million free dollars coming my way.  

Daily Dose of BS May 23

It’s hard to admit I am getting old.  I take a nap daily, I can't stay out late, drinking doesn’t appeal to me as it once did, I have hearing aids and I sometimes hurt when I do things I am not used to doing.  I mention this because last night I went to a metal show at the LaCrosse Center.  I used to love going to shows the louder the better, it all started with my first concert with Motley Crue opening up for Ozzy back in 84, I have been going to shows ever since.  I first saw one of the bands last night back in 2001 Megadeth played at the Hollywood a few weeks before my twins were born.  In the past few years, not as many rock shows since there hasn’t really been any, I saw Korn and Disturbed last year, and a few lesser known bands since then, but none have been as loud and visually stimulating as the Rob Zombie show last night.  I found myself closing my eyes a few times and looking away from the stage because of the pulsating red and overabundance of things to look at.  I also hate to admit I was wearing hearing protection during the show, the nice thing is that my ears didn’t have any new ringing when I got home, just the ringing in my ears from earlier hearing damage from not wearing the hearing protection.  Today back to work, a bit tired, hearing aids in, glasses on and coffee grasped firmly in hand, I hope my memory isn’t going next, remind me when is nap time?  

Daily Dose of BS May 22

Have you ever been in the middle of your favorite TV show and had the weather alert go off and the weather guy come in over the best part of the show?  I am guessing we all have if you ever watch TV.  It was a year ago today.  Do you remember what you were doing?  I do I flipped on the TV in time to have Dan Breeden tell the other meteorologist that they should head to the basement.  If the TV weather guy is headed to the basement I had better do it too is what I thought.  Five of the six of us were home, my youngest son was at a friends.  I had called his friends mom to let her know that the kids should be in the basement, no sooner did I get the words out of my mouth a loud band and no electricity.  Thankfully the flashlights were right there and surprisingly they had working batteries.  The rain stopped, the sky color was a pale yellowish blue haze, things got quiet, the dog started barking and a weird eeriness was all around.  Pretty soon you could see it had cleared up, out the back door to see what had happened.  I was two blocks from the damage, the storm had blown out my back windshield of my car, and ripped some siding off my garage, but we faired really well.  I grabbed my recorder and camera, threw on my station shirt then headed out to check out the neighborhood damage, with all the trees down and the power lines down,  roofs off, damage done, it was amazing that we had no serious injuries, and no deaths in La Crosse, in Joplin Missouri they had a tornado on the same day, they weren’t as lucky as we were, 161 dead.   It could have been a lot worse, it is still weird to drive down 16^th Street with so many of the trees gone, I’m just thankful we didn’t get what could have been.

Daily Dose of BS May 21

It seems like more and more dropping their home phone lines.  I still have a home phone and am sure I will for many years as I have young kids, that and I have a great home phone number.  I have been running a business out of my house for many years and have had a business phone/ fax number for many years compliments of a magicJack internet phone, I am one that saw the late night tv commercial many years ago and thought what the heck, if I buy it and it doesn’t work I’m only out 20 bucks or so, I have had mine for at least 4 years and have been nothing but pleased, I bought a thin client so that I could keep my magicJack on all the time without running my computer, this worked well for quite awhile, soon after I got the thin client hook up, the folks at magicJack came up with the magicJack Plus, a device so that I could plug into my router and power and wa-la I would have phone, I finally broke down and got one, the only complaint I have is that I was not able to port over the pre-paid time I bought on my original magicJack, there is a $20 a year service fee for having the magicJack phone but for me well worth the fee.  Having a cell phone is lots easier, but if you need a fax number or a back up phone at your home, you should check out the magicJack.  

Daily Dose of BS May 18

Yesterday I had an awesome day I got to spend it with my twins in Madison, the annual 4^th grade field trip to the state capitol and the Wisconsin State Historical Museum.  You could not have asked for a nicer day for travel, and for this dad.  It was amazing.  I am so proud of the kids and how well each and every one of them behaved, everyone stayed in their groups and none of the teachers had to raise their voices.  We had well informed tour guides in both the capitol and the museum, in the almost 20 years that I have been in Wisconsin I have been on the capitol grounds but never inside, can you say beautiful, our tour took us into the Wisconsin Supreme Court, The Assembly Chamber, The Governor’s office, and the Wisconsin State Senate Chamber, while in there I asked where Senator Jennifer Shilling sat and the tour guide said right where you are sitting, how weird is that, and the proof was on the back of the chair.  As we were leaving one of the legs of the tour we ran into a protester, I don’t care which side of the Governors recall you are on, I as a parent of 4^th graders do not think that it is appropriate for you to protest with your anti anyone signs pointed toward and pandering to 10 year olds, on the other hand it is a free country and we have the right for free speech, I guess I didn’t like that the protester played up and for the kids cameras, and it did open up dialog with the kids and the teachers.  There were other protesters on the capitol grounds I read the messages, but they were a more passive protester.  We ended up the field trip at the robot museum in the Dells, I wish we had more time in the Museum.

Daily Dose of BS May 17

Lots of people give gift cards for gifts, I used to always be against them, but as I have gotten older I have had less a need than a want.  When you are first starting off in life there are things that you need to live like food, shelter etc, those needs don’t change when you get older but if you played your cards right those should be available to you.  Then you add the next tier of things like cable, internet, cell phone and home phone.  Bringing me back to the gift card idea, when I get a card now I will go out and buy something that I wouldn’t normally buy.  So it does in fact become a special gift, one of the bad things about them though is that you are forced to buy from a store maybe you wouldn’t normally shop at or maybe you may have to add your own money for the gift.  I have received a few of the Visa or Mastercard $50 or $100 cards over the years.  And saved them for a special day, like this past weekend when I went to the Mall of America.  I pulled out the cards so that I would be able to get something special.  One of the cards was from Christmas a few years ago and when I went to use it, it had about 36 dollars less than I expected it to have, well I looked at the back of the card and to my surprise after 12 months the card started charging you $2.95 per month.  Don’t you pay 5 dollars for the card to begin with, and don’t lots of people not use or forget about having the gift cards so that way the credit card company is making money that way anyway.  I am all for a 5 year expiration date but to charge me for not using it that is silly.  

Daily Dose of BS May 16

Having a cold when temperatures are above freezing sucks, my nose has been dripping, my throat has been hurting, I have been coughing and been sneezing, not one or two times but multiple times in a row.  If that isn’t a cold I don’t know what is.  I hate having a cold in the winter and when you get one when it is nice out it is even that much more of a pain in the rear.  Walking around coughing and sneezing while wearing shorts isn’t cool, also blowing your nose when it is 80 outside isn’t either.  When I am not feeling well in the winter I want to cuddle up with a warm blanket, when it is warm out, I don’t  want to be hot, how do you get rid of a cold and not boil to death with blankets?  Unfortunately I find if you want to stay awake you can only take Nyquil at night.    

Daily Dose of BS May 15

Why is it so damn expensive to order stuff at a ball game?  I went to a Twins game on Sunday and for two pops and two hot dogs it was 21 dollars, 21 dollars.  You know I could see if these were the best hot dogs in the world and if the bun wasn’t tore and the pop was bottomless, but it was an ordinary hot dog with way too many fried onions, and a 20 ounce Diet Dew, I am not a big pop drinker but I was not about to start shelling out 7.50 per beer.  The hot dog had almost a whole onion on it and I asked for light onion.  I thought to myself when you add ketchup and mustard to the dog you most certainly will spill, guess what I did.  Maybe it was a premonition or maybe I just know the way I eat and with a belly that covers a lap, if I spill I almost always stain a shirt.  Target Field is a good place to watch a baseball game but it is no Miller Park.  I don’t understand that when you live an area that is cold and snowy from the end of September till mid April why you wouldn’t put in a retractable roof, also when you go to a Twins game or a Vikings game at the Dome you don’t get the added excitement of tailgating at least not the whole tailgating experience that you get when you go to a Brewers game or a Green Bay Packers game.  Speaking of over-priced food I shopped to make breakfast for my mom for Mothers day at a grocery store in the cities and we are lucky here in La Crosse, the prices for food and beer here are a lot cheaper.  Plus we can buy beer at the grocery stores.

Daily Dose of BS May 14

What time is it?  Are you tied to a clock?  Does your life revolve around knowing the time and being somewhere by a certain time.  I am lucky enough to have a job that I love but is very tied to a clock.  From the top of the hour news, to the timing of what is said and how long a commercial or as we in the business call it a spot is, a 30 second spot is 30 seconds long and a 60 second spot is 60 not 59 or 61 seconds.  I live in a career where time is of the essence, and when things are not on time at work and in life I am stressed.  I forgot my watch this morning and realized it when I was backing out of the garage, how often will I look at my watch?  Guess what when it isn’t there you look at it all the time.  I never thought I was that dependent on my watch.  I must have looked at my wrist at least 10 times in the first hour I was at work, I finally put my phone on the desk so that I could read the time.  This past weekend I met my Mom and Dad and their spouses as well as my brother and his wife at the Mall of America, we all ran into traffic because it is the Twin Cities and traffic is part of the daily life there, needless to say most of us were late, and I was the latest.  I hate being late, but hate traffic even more.  

Daily Dose of BS May 11

I remember being in Banff National Park when I was a kid on the giant snow bus taking a tour of the glaciers there, above the driver was a sign that said Tipping is not just a city in China.  I remember asking the driver what that meant and having him embarrassed by it and said never mind.   For as cheap as I am with somethings, I like to say frugal, I am a pretty good tipper; I enjoy good service and don’t mind paying for it.  When did it become mandatory for every Tom, Dick and Harry to get tips though?  I truly can see if you go above and beyond in your job maybe get a little something once in a while, but when did it become the expected rather than the once in a while thing?  I am waiting for the tip jar to come out at the grocery store, or the convenience store, how about at the checkout at a fast food restaurant?  Do we need to tip the guy that walks in ahead of you into a building for holding the door?  Are we expected to tip the gal who slows you down in a construction area?  How about when you are driving through Illinois and have to stop at the toll road?  I know what would be a great time to tip, next time you get pulled over offer the cop a tip, and make sure that they know it is a tip for doing their job and not a bribe I would hate to have you get in more trouble for doing that.  I have a great money making idea, since I am just doing my job and entertaining and informing, if you feel the need to tip me go ahead, Daily Dose of BS 1407 2^nd Avenue North, Onalaska, Wisconsin 54650.

Daily Dose of BS May 10

Up till yesterday I have always wondered what the heck people were talking about when they complained about the people at the Onalaska office of the DMV. I have always gotten great service from a smiling happy employee.  I am trying to get rid of an old hard sided Normad camper that was on my land when I bought it.  I ended up giving it to some friends of mine who have a young family and would really get lots of use out of it.  This camper has been sitting on my land well before the time I bought it and was last licensed in 1998 so it has been quite a while.  I wanted to get the title for it so that my friends could license it and start enjoying it.  Well the first thing I did was call the Madison office of the DMV and spent over 30 minutes on hold only to get some paper work mailed to me.  The paper work asks me all sorts of questions about how I obtained the camper, asking for pictures both inside and out, having to have a police officer look for and write down the VIN number and sign off on it.  My camper is such an old camper that when they ask for the VIN number of it, there isn’t one on it, there is a serial number and there is a number stamped on the frame of the camper but it isn’t the VIN number either.  There is a patient number and other random numbers on the tongue of the trailer but not VIN number.  Leading me back to Onalaska, I brought my paper work that I got from the office in Madison, figuring that it would be easier for me to explain in person what I wanted to do than to write it out and send it back in to Madison.  Guess what the local office didn’t even want to have anything to do with me or my issues, saying send your writings to Madison along with a check.  With some prodding I was at least given the rest of the right paperwork to fill out and send.  Should it be this hard to get rid of a camper, I am beginning to think that I should have just scraped it for the money.  Daily Dose of BS weekdays at 5:15 on Magic 105.  

Daily Dose of BS May 9

Having four kids I have had my share of going to sporting events, conferences, art shows and school concerts. I remember when I was in band in middle and high school that after our concerts I always wanted to go somewhere for a special treat and it was always either Farrells or Bridgemans I don’t even know if either of those Ice Cream shops are around anymore. Fast forward about 30 years and things don’t change much, at least for the going out for a treat part, yesterday after my twins spring concert they wanted to go for Ice Cream at Ranison Ice Cream & Candy, great choice kids. Back to the music, the 4th and 5th graders at Spence did an awesome job of singing, playing instruments and speaking on the microphone, and as a person who does that for a living I am a bit jealous as there was one speaker who is in either 4th or 5th grade that could have a career as a voice over artist right now. The kids music teacher Mrs Pierce spoke after the show and said the kids came up with their own melodies after learning the songs for the show. I didn’t hear an off note. They say that children are our future and if that is true, we are on track for a bright future. Daily Dose of BS 5:15 weekday afternoons on Magic 105

Daily Dose of BS May 8

Are you mobile?  I am guessing that 99% of us are.  Only one of my 16 year old friends doesn’t have a phone, and of the kids that do each of them have a better and cooler phone than mine.  I have a blackberry curve.  I originally got a blackberry for the business aspect of it, and then got another one because I didn’t want to have to learn a new system.  My phone has been locking up so I went to the phone store yesterday and they suggested I get the update.  I agreed and proceeded to go home and downloaded the newest operating system, backed up my phone, tried to sync it and then installed the update.  A friend of mine works for a cell phone company and said the backup is easy and everything should be back to the way it was.  He was wrong.  It took about the whole afternoon yesterday to update and upgrade my phone, then all the shortcuts I put in to the phone were not in place, and all the newest phone numbers I put into my phone were not available.  The thing that gets me the most is my entire calendar was on my phone, so if I have an apt with you in the next year, please send it to me and if I miss an apt in the next while, I am going to apologize for it now.  

Daily Dose of BS May 7

Does anyone have pictures?  I am looking for any pictures of me in mid stride of Saturdays 5k.  I promise this is the last time I talk about my 5k quest until I can do the whole thing.  I am so proud of everyone who participated in this past weekend’s La Crosse Fitness Festival.  The organizers had a tough call for Sundays Marathon, as the thunder, lightning and rain hit the area early and by 5:15 they had to call the marathon and pushed the half marathon back by an hour and a half.  I bet that the disappointment was there for those who have pushed, trained and worried about the race.  Back to Saturdays 5k, I was sick to my stomach as I was getting ready for the 5k, I had nerves, and anticipation as we walked up to the starting line,  I went toward the back of the pack since I am not a speed runner, hell I am just starting after 43 years of not running.  Someone said the starting gun was fired and the 1000 people in line started to move, it took me 52 seconds to get to the starting line the fear turned into excitement, I know I can do it, we started walking, wanted to get warmed up for the jog, got to 2^nd street and up the incline, jogged up the hill thought it was about 5 minutes, was about 90 seconds, ooh ooh I am in trouble, how do I bail out of this is going thru my mind, then thought I can do this.  The next mile is a blur, I have no recollection of what happened.     At the half way point there was water, oh sweet h-2-o oh how I love thee.  Again conscious of my surrounding, hey there are people walking faster than I am jogging, wtf?  How is this happening, what am I doing wrong, they all look happy, me I am cursing each and every miserable step, the next mile or so was blurry again, we are getting close to Riverside Park, my legs feel like they each weight a ton and each shoe is a concrete barricade but the end is in sight, way way way over there.  My thoughts go from I can make it, to how much longer, to what was I thinking, to why am I here.  I all of a sudden hear Chad yell you can do it Bob, go.  It was the push I needed, I sprinted ahead, 3 turtles and a baby passed me up but I was bound and determined to finish with that awesome pace of molasses.  I reached the last turn of the 5k and my legs decided that I was done at that moment, Melissa who was in my training group said you can do it, its just a few more yards, it was enough to get me to the mouth of the finish line and Eric and his wife were there to help me through the finish line.  In a running time of 46.28 but take off the 52 seconds that we started with and have a time of 45.36.  I know I won't be winning any land speed records, but I got nothing to go but up from here.  You know it really wasn’t that bad and I am looking forward to doing another one sometime in July.  I plan on training until I can finish without stopping to walk.   

Daily Dose of BS May 4

As you have heard over the past 6 weeks or so that I have been in training for the La Crosse Fitness Festival 5k that takes place tomorrow.  When I started out I was able to run a total of 90 seconds.  At the beginning of this week I clocked in 20 minutes of jogging over the course of a 5k, last night I walked the fitness fest 5k to see how long the walk would take, I was able to finish with a walking time of about 57 minutes so just over 3 miles per hour, not a bad stride.  Tomorrow will be my first official 5k as a jogger; I walked it last night so I will have a time to beat tomorrow.  At 10 tomorrow morning the weeks of training will be put to the test, I have a bit of anticipation and am a bit nervous as I will be embarking on the unknown.   To all the runners, bikers and walkers in this weekend’s La Crosse Fitness Festival, congratulations on all your training and good luck.

Daily Dose of BS May 3

You’ve heard the old nursery rhyme rain, rain go away come again some other day.  Or its raining its pouring the old man is snoring he bumped his head and went to be and couldn’t get up in the morning.  I smile when I hear those old nursery rhymes.  They bring me back to a less busy time in my life, when it was fun to play in puddles, when you actually went outside to get wet rather than curse the fact that it is raining.  I am sure if you look back you used to enjoy a good rain.  I for one love the fresh smells right before a gentle rain or the greening of the earth after the pounding of a good rain storm.  It is funny I really don’t recall if we had much rain in April because the cool temps that we had at the end of the month after the beautiful weather we had at the beginning of the month skewed my perception of the weather.  But I do know we have had some big rain producing storms so far this month.  I think next time there is a gentle rain we should go out and celebrate the life that water brings us.

Daily Dose of BS May 2

They say judge not lest ye be judged.  I am sorry to say we are all judges, and juries as we all judge and try people on a fairly regular basis.   My friend Amy posted today as her post “Today, I will judge nothing that occurs. I will not classify, define, or label or analyze. I will shed the burden of judgement.”    I am ashamed of myself for taking in stray conversations and putting together my own assumption of what happened with the Sara Hougom murder in LaCrosse.   I am sorry for the passing of my theory to a few others.  I did keep my thoughts off the radio and for that I am happy, but am mad at myself for judging at a time when I should not have been.  You know what happens when you assume, you make an ass out of you and me and we have all been down that road a few times in our lives.  I am happy that the La Crosse Police have cracked the case of both the drive by and the senseless murder of a 20 year old college student.  I was sickened when it happened as was the rest of La Crosse and then to find out that she was killed over a purse, really.  How much money was in the purse?  I am guessing not enough to take a life.  In the LaCrosse Tribune today there was a story about the Hmong community and how they are bracing themselves for a backlash from the community, because the homicide suspects are Hmong.  I don’t get why there would be backlash there are idiots in all cultures and races, want proof look at your family tree, if you can’t find at least one outcast on the tree then I am guessing it is you.   

Daily Dose of BS April 30

Sleep is something that most of us do not get enough of, a study last week showed that we are getting well less than the 7-9 hours we need to be productive and useful.  I for one am one that is lacking in the sleep department.  I did sleep 8 ½ hours on Friday night.  I can’t remember the last time I did that.  It was wasted by the time that Saturday rolled around as I didn't sleep to well, and then last night don’t get me started.  I had tried to go to sleep about 9:30 tossed and turned till 12 or so got up watched tv for about an hour, closed my eyes and woke up an hour later.  Was up for about 20 minutes then back to the recliner for about 2 more hours of shut eye, and that is what it was.  I am sure that wasn’t considered sleep, because recliner sleep doesn’t let you stretch out and let you enjoy a great sleep.  So needless to say, Bob is tired today and cranky.  So if I blow-up at you or seem crabby today, that is the reason, well either that or you just rub me the wrong way, try to remember go with the grain. 

Daily Dose of BS April 25

I must be on a roll, yesterday I talked about the proper placement of tp today the history and my thoughts on softness.  If you have visited any restrooms in your time you know that tp is not built equally.  There are anywhere from one to three ply to your typical toilet paper with rumors of the wholly grail of butt wipe of a 4 ply, I have only heard of such a king worthy wipe.  When I was a kid we had a pink bathroom in my parents’ house it was the 70’s and 80’s after all, and my Mom always had pink tp in that bathroom and blue upstairs in the kids bathroom and white in the basement, I have no idea what they had in the master bath, I am pretty sure they were all scented Charmin (scented toilet paper, don’t get me started) I think I even got in trouble a few times for squeezing the rolls. For my money the Charmin Ultra Strong is the way to go, no rip, no surprises.  The first documented use of toilet paper in human history dates back to the 6th century AD, in early medieval China.  Since then it has become a 2.4 billion dollar business with 26 billion rolls sold a year, it sure beats using a catalog or corn husk.  By the way whoever thought that putting the tube that the tp comes on up to your mouth to make a make shift trumpet, don’t you know where that’s been?  

Daily Dose of BS April 24

There is a question that is plaguing humanity.  A question that makes or breaks relationships a question that gets asked anywhere from 1 to 14 times a week or even more depending on how many are involved.  The question once I pose it, you will immediately have a thought on what I asked, no ifs and or buts.  The question that plagues most people and most families is this.  Should toilet paper go over the top?  Ok there are some butts involved.  Some of you will get this wrong, yesterday I found a funny picture and posted it on facebook about this very topic and from the looks of most of those who posted many think that the toilet paper should indeed come up over the top instead of hanging from behind.  I don’t know why I have such a strong need to have the toilet paper to go over the top, could be my childhood.  When you are in your own home and someone puts the roll on wrong, do you change it?  I do, and if I am putting on a new roll at work I will make sure that it is right also.  Whoever does the changing of the rolls at work most of the time puts the roll on wrong, but at work I can deal with it, it’s not the way I like it, but there are others using it, more often than me.  Let me make this observation about the toilet paper roll then you can judge, if you have it with it going down the back you miss out on the print of the paper, the nice designs if you will that are printed on the toilet paper.  Coming up tomorrow soft and supple or sandpapery paper.  

Daily Dose of BS April 23

Last night as I was getting my clothes ready for work this morning I grabbed from the bottom of the pile, figuring that I have been jogging and working on being healthy for about the past 9 months or so that the jeans at the bottom of the pile would fit.  I was excited since my jeans have been loose the last few days that the next size smaller would be perfect.  After my shower I grabbed the jeans, this is the moment of truth, I put in one leg, then the other hitched them up, ok so far so good, sucked in my gut and came about a centimeter from making them work, back in the dresser for another few weeks I guess.  It is probably a good thing, since I do need to breathe at work and safety goggles are not worn at the radio station, you know it would take out an eye if the button popped with that much pressure.   

Daily Dose of BS April 20

Ever see the motorized scooters at the store?  I was shopping at Menards yesterday for a project we are working on around the home when an old man in a motorized cart swung around doing a 360 in front of the checkout area almost mowing down both the young lady working the front and me.  I said something sarcastic to the lady working something like I bet he got his license taken away but can drive at the store, then said never mind I better keep my mouth shut and walked out the door.  It made me think, who is at fault if some driver of a motorized cart at a store where to hit me?  If you are drunk and on one of them can you get a dwi?  Are they worth a store having, does the amount paid for the machine make it worth the extra spent by someone driving the carts, maybe it is like having the ball pit at the fast food places, if you have a cart the older generation is happy and if you have balls, never mind. 

Daily Dose of BS April 19

The upside down triangle posted on some corners, are called yield signs.  I am pretty sure I know what they mean and how they are used, so I did a search on google of what the yield sign means and had a hard time finding the definition of a yield sign.  There is no good definition to what a yield sign means it is no wonder people don’t know what to do when they come to one.  On my way home yesterday I approached a yield sign and did as I was supposed to do I slowed down looked to the left then the right then the left again, I noticed a car approaching to my right so I stopped and waited for them to proceed through the intersection, they stopped and waved me through the sign and then turned to the left.  I don’t get it, this is not the first time that this has happened to me, when I brought it up this morning at work it has happened to others around the office as well.  According to page 15 of the Wisconsin Divers Book a yield sign means “Slow down.  Other cars on the road that you want to cross or enter have the right-of-way.  You must let them go first.  The yield sign is a triangle pointing down” HUH that is not a clear definition.  Ok here it is as I understand it when you get to a yield sign slow down look both ways if there is someone coming stop if not proceed with caution any questions ask, don’t look it up on google it will just confuse you more.  

Daily Dose of BS April 18

Shoes are something we all wear, we also have our favorites.  Some friends of mine posted this the other day on their facebook “Do you think it's rude for somebody to ask you to remove your shoes before you walk into their house?”  I responded “No, I think it is rude when people don't ask if they should remove their shoes.”  Half the people who posted on their comment “liked” what I said.  It made me think, when I was growing up I never had to take off my shoes at my parents’ house, now when I visit I have to at my Mom’s and don’t have to at my Dad’s, but do since that is what I do.  When my Mom comes for a visit she always takes off her shoes but my Dad never does, weird.  When did we become so obsessed with taking off our shoes?  I wear as my friends like to call them “potato shoes” they are really just slip on shoes for easy on and off.  I seldom wear socks, but I don’t feel weird walking bare footed around someone’s house, maybe it is a bit weird.  A couple of things at play here, are you a take your shoe off at the door person, if so why, and is it acceptable to go bare foot around someone else’s house?  I was able to walk around my folks house with shoes on as a kid but couldn’t sit on the nice furniture in the front room and had to use a coaster for my water glass, now the only coaster around my house is the kid who doesn’t pedal down the alley.  

Daily Dose of BS April 17

Procrastination.  We all do it, some better than others.  I for one am great at it, I have a list of things to do this long and it is growing by leaps and bounds daily.  I don’t know why everyone feeds into it from Moms, and Dads to bosses to the US Government.  The Government you ask, yes and here is why, I understand setting a date for filing our taxes, I get it that people will wait until the final possible minute to do their taxes, but if tax day were say on the 2^nd Tuesday or Wednesday of the month of April it would make more since that way there is no weekend or holiday in the way and no Tuesday or Wednesday holiday that I can think of since most of the date exclusive holidays are mostly religious holidays that we get in trouble for saying Happy this or Merry that to anyway.  I hope I don’t end up being bullied into not saying Happy or Merry holiday in the future, I don’t think I will.  You know I have to write these Daily Dose of BS’s every day, what was the point of this one?  I will have to let you know some other day.  Happy Tax Day.   

Daily Dose of BS April 16

Imagine yourself driving on a road no one in front of you and no one behind you cruzing at the speed limit, not a care in the world.  Up ahead you see a car gliding up to the stop sign, you are about a ¼ mile from that person, thinking in your head they won’t pull out in front of me, they will stop fully and wait the 3.2 seconds that it takes me to drive past them, and then they can pull out and be on their merry way.  Wouldn’t that be nice. It seems as if I encounter every-me-first-idiot on the road.  It usually happens to me on the highway to the cabin, where there is no passing for miles on end and the car that pulls out usually doesn’t have the power to go up to the speed limit or if they do they pull out like a bat out of hell and speed to the very next turn either right or left, causing me to slow down, tap the cruise if you will.  I just don’t understand why it is that people feel the need to do this, these kind of drivers cause accidents and road rage.  This type of encounter happened to me this morning on my way into work, a truck with Kansas license plates pulled out in front of me from the street just south of the McDonalds lot on the Northside and then proceeded to pull in to the McDonalds lot.  I gave this guy the benefit of the doubt since all the tornados that happened over the weekend in Kansas, and maybe just maybe his mind was there, if you are driving use your head for something more than just holding your hat. 

Daily Dose of BS April 13

My daily morning routine is down to a science, give or take a couple of minutes.  On my drive in to work I know by this time I should be here and by that time I need to be there on my way in.  Today I was running 3 minutes behind, I know this because I had a hiccup at home putting me back that much further, I was on West Avenue / Lang Drive through the marsh by Menards and was boxed in, the guy in the left lane was going under speed the guy in right lane was at speed and I was stuck behind it all.  The guy in the right lane finally passed the guy in left when the guy in left lane sped up to match the speed of the guy on the right in turn keeping me boxed in, as I mentioned a moment ago I was 3 minutes behind schedule, I had to do something, and had to do it quick, I saw my chance the guy in left slowed a moment, I hit it, riding the guy on the right, quick left turn signal then gas and go, I made it over and out of the box, at that exact moment, I saw the cherries, the dreaded red lights on top of the vehicle in my rear view mirror, my heart skipped a beat the bead of sweat on my brow dripped into my eye, I checked my speed only 5 over no worries, another check in the rear view mirror, it was an ambulance and not a cop, it was a whew moment for me, I hope for the same luck to the person that was transported in the ambulance.  Don’t get me started on the first day cluster on Hwy 35 heading north through Onalaska. 

Daily Dose of BS April 12

I remember my Mom telling me stories about when she was a kid that around Christmas mail was often delivered 2 x a day.  I also remember the old tag line of “We are mothers and fathers. And sons and daughters. Who every day go about our lives with duty, honor and pride. And neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, nor the winds of change, nor a nation challenged, will stay us from the swift completion of our appointed rounds. Ever.”  For many years I thought that, that saying was the Postal Service’s motto, did you know that the post office does not have a motto.  I am impressed that if I mail something in La Crosse that it will get to the Twin Cities in a day, two days at the most.  The letter carriers have a job that I would not want.  They know going in that they have Sundays and holidays off, but from there a rotating schedule of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday etc. off so really very rarely do they get two days off in a row.  The senate is talking about doing away with mail on Saturdays and offering mail delivery Monday – Friday, essentially cutting a day of mail delivery and all that goes with it.  I for one think I can do without the weekend mail delivery, and think about the money it would save us as taxpayers.  Also I think it would help the letter carriers have more of a normal schedule.  I don’t look at it as downsizing, but as budget cutting move.  Your thoughts? 

Daily Dose of BS April 11

So when you open your refrigerators is it nice and neat, are things where they need to be?  Fruit in the fruit crispers and the vegies in the climate controlled veggie drawer?   Ketchup is stored in the door next to the mustard and bbq sauce?  Milk also stored in the door leaving the bulk of the fridge for food, from what is for dinner later tonight to the luncheon meats for lunches and you can’t forget about the leftovers or in my case the planed overs for my lunches.  In a perfect world all would fit in to the refrigerator like a game of well played Tetris, with left over space for what is new.   I opened my fridge this morning to what looked like a poorly played game of Tetris, with this box here and that container there, a few Styrofoam boxes shoved into the top shelf with vengeance and a bottle of ketchup placed on the edge of the shelf so the air movement of opening up the fridge will knock it off to a fiery death below.   Ok maybe a bit exaggerated but pretty close to the truth.  Getting my lunch ready for the day often involves a bit of hunting around the fridge for the best mix of leftovers to fill the belly of the beast.  Today as I pulled one of the Styrofoam boxes out it caught the top of the ketchup bottle and splat the unbreakable plastic bottle didn’t break but the lid smashed into 20 pieces on the floor, the ketchup was oozing its red contents out all over the floor the only thing missing was the chalk line.   

Daily Dose of BS April 10

12 minutes, 12 long minutes.  In 12 minutes you could drive 12 miles; you could put together a meal, cook a burger on the grill, change the oil, do the dishes, or get a load of laundry done.  There are so many things you can do in 12 minutes.  For 12 minutes yesterday evening, I pushed myself.  I enrolled in the La Crosse Park and Rec 5k class and yesterday I ran a total of 12 minutes over a 2 ½ mile stretch.  Now I say run with a grain of salt, it is more like a brisk walking speed with arms moving but this is the most I have ever run in my life.  I had one stretch of running where I did 3 minutes in a row.  I know for you runners out there that this is not a big feat but for a 43 year old who never and I repeat never ever ran, this is a huge feat for me, a personal goal.  I am pushing toward the goal of a 5k in the beginning of May with the La Crosse Fitness Festival, I have been training 3x a week and have come a long way (and have a long way to go), as I mentioned here 3 weeks ago when this started that I ran a total of 90 seconds, last week I made it to 11 minutes.  I guess I look at it this way, if you set your mind on a goal and work toward that goal, nothing can stop you, nothing that is except for you.   

Daily Dose of BS April 9

I think I am wearing Magnetic shirts to work every day.  Not that they attract metal but they sure do attract coffee stains, and it seems the nicer the shirt the bigger and bolder the stain is.  I love a cup of coffee on the way to work in the morning, and then throughout the day.  I either warm up the leftover coffee from the day before or use the Kerig for a fresh brewed dark roast.  I use a travel mug for my daily caffeine intake, supposedly with a spill proof lid.  Amazing the amount of spillage that the so called spill proof lid allows by almost daily, the best way to not spill for me is to take the lid off and drink it without the lid, I would but when driving, that is just inviting a bigger problem, a stain can be taken off the shirt with a Tide pen once I get to work, a hot coffee burn, this is a string of swear words waiting to happen.  I suppose I could quit drinking coffee, but what would I mix my Baileys with when I am watching a hockey game?  

Daily Dose of BS April 5

Bananas, apples and oranges good food for thought, and a great way to start the day.  I try to start my mornings with a piece of fruit and a granola bar, nice to tide me over on my way into work every morning.  I eat my fruit and always toss my fruit wrapper, core, peel out the car window.  My kids asked me about this before since I am adamant about not littering, why is it ok for me to toss the food out the window, I say because it will break down and animals can eat it.  What is your thoughts on this, is this littering or is it ok to toss a fruit cast off out the window of a car?

Daily Dose of BS April 4

I have a flowering crab apple tree in my back yard; yesterday it was in full bloom, the smell was fantastic.  I love spring as the grass starts to green the trees start budding and the windows can be opened to let in fresh air.  This year we had a weird beginning of spring with the heat and record breaking temps of a few weeks ago.  The grass in my yard is already in need of cutting, and the weed whacking needs to be done also.   Spring also brings Easter and family. This year we are doing an Easter get together with most of my family at my brother’s house, and we are not having ham but lasagna and we are not doing Easter on Easter but on another day.  I am looking forward to the family get together, as they don’t happen nearly enough.  I watch my kids when they bicker and fight and say mean things to each other and think to how I would like to do that with my brothers in person and not just on the phone.  One lives in the Cities and the other in California, and we are all busy with life.  To be young again and realize the gift of family, sometimes it is not appreciated until later in life.  Another gift this time of the year is the Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs, why is it that they taste so much better than a plain Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup?  

Daily Dose of BS April 3

I talked about it the other day about how it is good to hire someone to do the jobs you don’t know how to or want to do.  This past weekend I put it to the test.  I needed some work done at the family cabin and hired Harter Trucking Inc. to move some earth.  Two of my boys came with for the trip and to watch the work being done.  I was amazed at the hard work and the skills of John, the guy who did the work.  As a man who likes to try new things I thought I can do that, and asked about driving the skid steer.  Reluctantly he allowed me to drive it after teaching the kids how to move the skid steer forward and backward.  I timed John and from load drop to going and grabbing the next load to drop, time of 1 minute 4 seconds.  When I did it total time 6 minutes and 59 seconds and my bucket wasn’t even full.  For the amount of earth moved if it was me doing the work, I would still be driving the machine and it wouldn’t be flat.  So again when it comes to getting work done by a professional, when it is a skill you are not too sure of or if it is something that you want to look good at the end, it is often cheaper and less stressful to hire a professional than to hire your buddies for beer.    

Daily Dose of BS April 2

I made it through the April Fool’s day debauchery again this year.  Not a single joke was played at the Schmidt household, and I didn’t even hear of any good jokes until I got to work this morning and saw that Mitt Romney’s campaign tricked him into thinking that no one showed up to his campaign stump speech in Milwaukee yesterday.   I remember when I was going to school for radio and they had a segment on April fools jokes and they talked about this crazy guy from La Crosse that talked people into putting bags over their phones so that the phone company could blow out the phone lines.  I never got the chance to work with Brucie Bumchuckles but have become friends with him over the years of being in the same business, and his prank on the people of La Crosse and area to this day is funny.  I am always happy when April 1^st comes around as it is the end of the joke perpetuated on the tax payers of the city of La Crosse, April 1^st means no more alternate side parking, well at least until November 1^st.  We had fewer than 10 snowfalls this past season and only 2 or 3 would have been affected by the parking.  I am guessing that the parking money helps to subsidies something, I am not sure what, as my taxes are still through the roof.   I wrote about the alternate side parking at the beginning of the season and wondered just how many parking tickets my 16 year old would get.  I am here to say the he got none, zero, zip, nada, that makes a dad proud.  

Daily Dose of BS March 30

Dream.  Two years ago the lottery was huge, not as huge as it is for the drawing tonight but at the time a record.  I was at a bar down by my cabin the night before the drawing and started talking to one of the locals about life and pretty soon conversation got to the lottery.  I told Glen that I am not a lottery player very often, that I only have bought when someone at work collected.  He pulled a stack of lottery tickets out of his pocket and set them on the bar.  He had ten tickets and he offered me one, I was hesitant, I asked him what if I win I suppose I gotta share it with ya then.  He answered no and continued on to tell me that he buys these tickets and hands them out as tips, and that one of them that he gave was worth a couple of thousand dollars.  I put the ticket in my pocket; our conversation shifted to something else and soon after I was on the road and back to the cabin.  That night when I went to bed I started thinking about that ticket and what if it is a winner, what if I woke up as a multimillionaire what would I do with all that money, my mind was racing, my heart was thumping what if I was a millionaire?  When I got home from the cabin I checked my ticket, not a single number matched, but for the 24 hours of dreams, it was worth it.  If you are going out to get a ticket remember that you have a better chance of hitting two holes in one during the same golf game than winning the lottery, but for a buck you have the same chance of winning as the next guy.  And also for the dollar the dream may be worth it.

Daily Dose of BS March 29

Hey could you do me a favor if you are reading this please “like” it I keep hearing from people saying that they read my Daily Dose of BS but never comment.  So if you’re reading this even if you don’t like it please “like” it.  The phenomenon of facebook is just that a phenomenon.  It is how people communicate, get their news, entertaining themselves and also kill time.   Facebook is the world’s biggest website and world’s largest collection of photos.  I spend way too much time updating this or uploading that.  It has also changed how we do our jobs, it has changed our views on things and how we perceive things, when I was growing up my parents taught me to not ask people to be your friends, if it was meant to be it will happen, but every day we get requests from this person and that person to be our friend on facebook.   I bet if you are on facebook that you have poked some people you don’t even know.  I know I have, and it isn’t even the 70’s.  The poking on facebook is harmless but what does it mean?  What does it mean to “poke” someone?  I am I going to get in trouble or get something broken?  Is it ok to poke a co-worker without getting written up, or can I poke a friend without getting in trouble from their spouse or significant other?  And what am I poking with?  Sometimes I am confused and think back to poking my brothers, with a stick.  That got me in trouble.  Has facebook changed your life or perception of life?  

Daily Dose of BS March 28

You are not the only one dealing with this problem.  I was talking with another father of boys and he told me I am not alone, pretty soon other parents where chiming in about their kids and I now realize that it is an epidemic.  Kids just don’t pick up after themselves and if they do it is half assed.  How many times have you heard yourself telling your children to pick up that plate or toss that wrapper in the trash only to either find that wrapper on the counter next to the garbage can or even worse how about finding the wrapper on the top of the garbage can lid?  How much extra effort is it to lift the lid and toss your piece of trash into the can?  And if the can is overflowing, take the bag out, put a new one in and set the bag outside, you don’t even need to take it out to the trash, the next person out will.  Kids do your parents a favor and look to see what needs to be done and do it without being asked, and do it right.  As a parent of 4 I do know that this too much to ask.

Daily Dose of BS March 27

I love a nap.  I get up at 4 weekdays for work, and I have four kids, so life happens after 5 quite often.  Every one of my kids is involved in some sort of extra curricular activities, from sports to ccd to work and life.  If I were to not nap I would need to go to bed by 9 every night so I could get my 7 hours of sleep, and if I was the person who needs 8 hours I would have to be in bed by 8, not going to happen as it is still light at 8 for part of the year.  With my life a 9 pm bed time is not possible.  There are days I go to bed by 9 and sometimes earlier but for the most part I push 10 maybe 11 and sometimes midnight.  Naps are important, without a good nap I would walk around in more of a daze than I already do, be zombie like if you will.  A good power nap will refresh and give you a new outlook on life.  I try to take between a 15-30 minute nap daily.  There are a few days that I miss, but for the most part, most of my days involve a nap.  Some are jealous, others think it is lazy, me, I am just glad I don’t have to go to bed at the same time as the neighbors 4 year old kid.   

Daily Dose of BS March 26

According to Wikipedia “abuse is the improper usage or treatment for a bad purpose, often to unfairly or improperly gaining benefit.  Abuse can come in many forms not only physical or verbal, but injury, sexual assault, violation, rape, and many more forms.”  I write this with a heavy heart today as a friend of mine asked me to write about abuse as she is afraid that a friend of hers is being abused.  I have said many times that life is too short for _____ fill in the blank of anything that you don’t like to do.  When you are in an abusive relationship you think that you are alone and that no one out there knows what you are going through. They may not know your specific issues, but there are people out there that do understand and are ready to step in and help you and your kids out of the situation.   In the La Crosse area people from New Horizons Shelter and Women’s Center are available 24 hours a day by calling 608-791-2600 or 888-231-0066 there is information available http://www.co.la-crosse.wi.us/departments/da/docs/VictimWitness/RrcsVicDomViol.htm ( by googling abuse resources and the name of your city)  As we approach April, child abuse prevention awareness month remember you are better than being a verbal or physical punching bag, and there is help available.

Daily Dose of BS March 23

We are a society that buys things when we want them whether or not we need them.  If you don’t believe me look in your closet or your junk drawer or garage.  It seems like we are collectors of stuff, junk if you will.   I am just as bad as the next guy.  I remember Christmas when I was a kid, I was excited because of the great hints I dropped to my parents, and then made sure I told Santa, and 9 out of 10 times I would get at least some of what I asked for.  Fast forward 30 years and if I want something I go buy it so when it comes to surprises there really aren’t too many, because of that.  We are buyers, not if we need it but if we want it, this is why we are in the financial problems we are in as a country.  Credit is too readily available for people without the means to pay it back, look at our housing problems and the fact that there are record bankruptcies.  As I remember hearing many times as a kid if you understand interest you earn it if not you pay it.  

Daily Dose of BS March 22

The customer is always right.  I heard these words uttered by someone in the office as they were walking past my door.  This was the concept that I have always lived by, even if you thought the customer was wrong, they are right to their face, they could be wrong afterward but to their face they are always right.  I think that businesses often forget these words and the concept of the customer being right is out the door.  I would think as the almighty dollar gets more and more scarce that businesses out there would embrace those words and especially the concept.  I had a dealing with a big company the other day, I called the 800 number on the bill and got sent on a barrage of number pushing prompts, when I finally got to speak with someone, they spoke quiet and being a wearer of hearing aids, it was hard to hear, but the broken English made it all the harder to understand.  I had a question about my bill, it had doubled from the last time I remember seeing it, I am not the bill payer in my house, so when I saw the new double price for same service I was a little perturbed.  I tried to explain my issue and the person on the other end of the line they were rude and kept interrupting.  In my opinion if are taking phone calls for your business, once in a while double check the quality of the people to make sure that they are upholding the mission of your business.  And if you are not happy as a customer switch.

Daily Dose of BS March 21

Break a leg, ever wonder what that even means?  According to Wikipedia “People in theatre consider it bad luck to wish an actor good luck, so instead they wish the opposite, by saying "break a leg!” “   The Improv Group I am involved in Sum Assembly Reekwired is having a show tomorrow night at The View on Highway 16 starting at 7:30.  We are going to be playing improv games like the games that they play on the TV show “Whose Line is it Anyway”.  The thing about improv is that the concept of the games is practiced, but you have no idea where it is going to go, every show is different as nothing is scripted.  Which is why improv is an excellent concept for me, because I forget things way too often.  As an Improv’er you learn to take what line or situation is given to you and add to it, sometimes it works and is funny and other times, well you know.  The number one rule in improv is to say yes and, and as in improv yes and works in life and business as well.  Try it sometime, try saying yes and, and add to the conversation, you may be surprised at what results come of it.  If you are looking for a cheap date please join us tomorrow night at The View, and to my fellow improv’ers Break a Leg.  Daily Dose of BS with Bob Schmidt on Magic 105 5:15 weekday afternoons on Magic 105