Daily Dose of BS May 27 staycation

It is the first big weekend of the summer season.  Be a tourist in your own community.  I think we should look at the great things we have in our own back yard the things that we take for granted like the rivers, and lakes.  When was the last time you were out on the water here in our backyard?  How about the bluffs and the many miles of trails both on the bluffs and through the parks.  I also invite you to take in the great local shops in Downtown La Crosse or a short drive to the north there is the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway, many different foods can be found here and you can't forget the salute to this that and the other thing, almost every single weekend we are blessed to live in an area that has fest fairs and fun weekly.  So look around and take in what is around and live life to its fullest.  And share what you have found, don’t just sit on that diamond, let everyone know.   When someone says I am going to La Crosse what do you tell people to check out?

Daily Dose of BS May 26 emails

I don’t know about you but there are a lot of emails that I have deleted in my many years of using emails, emails that I have accidently deleted to emails that I deleted than immediately wanted to know why I hit delete.  As a matter of fact, I accidently deleted some emails I meant to keep the other day.  So when Hillary Clinton says that she didn’t delete anything that she shouldn’t have I don’t believe her, add to that this that she is a politician and I really don’t believe her.  Should she get a bye on the email issue I don’t think so.  But I do believe that this should be an eye opener and should bring on new rules for people who work for the government, if you have a government job and you are required to have email, all your work email should go through a server that has been set up for your official government correspondence.  Also if they really wanted to know what those emails said, I am guessing that there is a trail somewhere, like in the NSA’s servers.  

Daily Dose of BS May 25 sticks and stones

The bible says do to others as you would have done to you.  I guess there are a lot of people out there that would prefer violence against them.  I often wonder when I hear the news of protesters doing their thing, often times what we hear people protesting is politics and often those protests turn ugly.  Look at last night’s political protest against Donald Trump, the protesters broke through a door and smashed through barriers.  If you are trying to bring your word of peace, this isn’t the way to do it.  I think that we have become a crazy political not only country but a crazy political world.  My biggest wonder is do you think that we will ever have a world filled with peace and people using just words to fight rather than sticks and stones?

Daily Dose of BS May 24 adhd

I remember the conversation well, not the date, not the situations that lead up to it, but the words that came from my Dad.  My Dad and I went out for breakfast many years ago after I got off the air, we had the usual small talk that happens when you are sitting with your parents, the small talk that leads up to the big talk.  Well the small talk didn’t take long that day it was mostly I listened to your show this morning, it was good.  Then he jumped into the big talk of your mother and I were glad that you got into radio because we honestly had no idea what you were going to do for a living.  I laughed, and still laugh at it to this day when I think about it.  I am sure that he was referring to the fact that my attention span isn’t very long.  I have often wondered if they had ADHD when I was a kid if I would have been assigned that label.  I for one am glad that they didn’t.   About 11% of U.S. children have been diagnosed with ADHD, and it affects about 5% of U.S. adults.  Here is a good test, squirrel.  Did you look?  I did. 

Daily Dose of BS May 23 annoying things

How often do you run into something that is annoying to you?  I am guessing daily, because daily I am annoyed by something most of the time it is small things that don’t mean anything.  But what I am talking about today is that stuff that makes you cringe, the things that you can’t believe that get done, by adults.  For example a few years ago there was a lady cutting her fingernails at church.  Not only rude but gross, it was so disgusting that I am not even sure what she did with the nails, let them fly or she pocketed them.  I have seen people cut their fingernails at work too, also unacceptable.  Another of the things that bug me is when people don’t treat an item that you loaned to them as their own, most of my friends will, but occasionally someone won’t and that is irritating, also when someone uses the last of something and doesn’t tell you that they did, for example the last of the coffee, milk, or worst of all toilet paper.  I hope that your week is full of non-angering events.

Daily Dose of BS May 20 political system

I think that it is time that we change up the political system, that we throw everything that we know about politics out the window and start over.  Right now we are in the midst of the paring down process, only to have 6 more months of mudslinging for what, to become President of the United States, and whomever the winner is will work hard their first term at getting reelected for a second term.  We see it with Congress now and with the Senate every six.  How about this, for the President let’s change it to a six year term and you only get one, then you move into a past president spot, then let’s move the two year term of Congress to 3 years and you can run a total of 3 times for a 9 year life cycle in that position.  We could leave the Senate at a 6 year term but limit that to two years.  This would mix it up and maybe just maybe we would get rid of the career politicians and then we could get things done in Washington. 

Daily Dose of BS May 19 drunk

Well we did it again, we made the list.  Of the top 10 drunkest cities in the US, Wisconsin has 7 of the top 10 spots.  How do we celebrate this one? By going out and having a few, it looks like we already do that.  I find it hard to believe that we have 4 of the top 5 and 7 of the top 10 drunkest cities, I have been to Vegas.  What the study was looking at was men having 5 or more drinks in one sitting and women having 4 or more drinks in one sitting and 15 or more drinks per week for men and woman having 8 or more drinks per week.  The weird thing is that the national report shows that 18% of adults on average drink unhealthy amounts of alcohol.  Wisconsin is not even in the top five for beer consumption yet we get the bad rap, North Dakota drinks the annual per capita consumption: 43.6 gallons of beer, and we have the drunkest cities.  Do we collectively have a problem, I would say yes.  Are we the drunkest state out there?  I would say no.  What are your thoughts?

Daily Dose of BS May 18 breakfast

I have always heard the best meal of the day is breakfast, yet many of us skip it.  I used to never eat breakfast, but now it is one of my 3 favorite meals of the day.  I don’t have time for a bowl of cereal in the morning on my way into work, since I have the morning commute down to a science, I do however grab a banana or a granola bar as I head out the door.  Breakfast for me usually consists of yogurt and granola or oatmeal.  Every once in a while I will go grab a bite to eat with someone, but for the most part, my morning is filled with culture, yogurt culture that is.  One of my children is the breakfast king, Robert loves his breakfast and has gotten to be quite the breakfast chef, he can mix about anything with eggs and make a tasty breakfast.  Are you a daily breakfast eater or not? 

Daily Dose of BS May 17 parklets

They’re back.  I spent some time downtown La Crosse yesterday and noticed that the parklet is back on 5^th Ave.  Have you seen it?  Last year I talked about not getting the thought behind the parklet, this year no different.  I guess I don’t get the thought behind the parklet parks taking up street space, maybe it is that we have plenty of green space in the La Crosse area, maybe that we only have so many parking spots that line the streets.  The main difference between last year and this year is that I actually sat in a parklet now and can still say that I just don’t get them.  I am also concerned about the two possibly three spots that the one spot park is taking up, hear me out, people don’t know how to parallel park either that or they are afraid to do it, so with that they pull in to a spot and when they do they leave plenty of room for the car in front of them or behind them taking up a space and a half, multiply that by the length of the street and sure enough two to three spots are taken up.  What are your thoughts on the baby parks?  Are they a good idea?

Daily Dose of BS May 16 big brother

I hate to tell you this but your smart phone is tracking your every move.  I have always wondered if my moves were being tracked by my phone but pushed out the thought of it ever being real by thinking that big brother doesn’t care about Bob Schmidt, why would he?  Turns out I was both right and wrong.  Right about the fact that big brother is watching us, using our phones and our Google accounts to do so and wrong about the fact the he wants to know where I am.  If you follow this link https://maps.google.com/locationhistory/b/0 I think that you will be surprised.  I found out my top 5 places I visit are home, work, Menards, WTC and Festival foods.  I even had my location on my phone turned off.  I have nothing to hide, but it bugs me that my movements are being monitored.  I wonder if it could pinpoint my exact location at my home if it would have a picture of my chair? 

Daily Dose of BS May 13 beer

I am a beer drinker, I love beer.  Moving to La Crosse added to that love as many beer brands have been brewed right down the street.  Not sure if you heard this one or not but a few days ago Budweiser's parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev announced plans to rechristen America's beer just that — "America."  I had to check the calendar on that one because it sure seemed like an April Fools joke, the world’s biggest beer brand isn’t even corporately owned in the United States, they are owned by InBev in fact even the biggest brewer in Wisconsin Miller is owned but a foreign company.  Would it bother you to drink a beer called America that is brewed by a company owned outside of America?  Would a name change of a beer make you want to drink it more or less?  What is your favorite beer brand?  

Daily Dose of BS May 12 anniversary

I always think that it is funny when people say that they married their best friend.  I don’t know about you but I go through fazes of best friends, I have the same core group of friends that I have had for many years, however the friendships do ebb and flow.   Which brings me to May 12^th, 26 years ago I married Marcia Brooks, in that 26 years we have built a great life for ourselves, we have 4 wonderful kids, and nice house and really couldn’t ask for much more of anything.  When we first were going to be married, many people warned us of first of all getting married so young, I was only 21, they said it wouldn’t last.  We have outlasted many marriages, and the thing is we still can tolerate each other, heck we like and love each other.  I don’t know how I got so lucky.  Just think of the 26 years, and how life can change on a dime, or in a split second, our lives have changed many, many times in the past 26 years for both the good and the bad, but what I think makes us work as a team is that we are willing to overlook each other’s short falls and focus on the things that we love about each other.  So no I didn’t marry my best friend, I married Marcia, happy anniversary honey, I love you.   

Daily Dose of BS May 11 patience

They say that patience is a virtue.  As I am getting older I am realizing I am less patient than I was when I was younger and when I was younger I was not very patient.  It is the little things that push my buttons the things that I should let go, the things that don’t even matter but for some reason they matter to me and matter to me a lot.  According to the dictionary. "Patience: the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, difficulty, or annoyance without getting angry or upset."  I guess that I can accept or tolerate delay, difficulty of annoyance without getting angry but sometimes I let myself get upset over the stupidest of stuff because I know that people sometimes just don’t think.  

Daily Dose of BS May 10 dirty jobs

We have seen the show Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe, well how would you like to have one of those jobs? My job is pretty much grab a glass of ice water, head into my studio, turn on my computer do a little reading, write a few things, then talk on the air. I don’t get dirty too often. There were guys working on moving our electrical this morning when I came into work and they were doing it while it was pouring. Not a job I would want, the reason they are moving the power is because of the construction that is going on, on highway 35, also a job that I wouldn’t want. How many times have you driven thru a construction zone and had the person there holding the slow and stop sign? Not the job that I would want, how about the garbage collector or sewer worker, all jobs that I wouldn’t want but all necessary. I think that there are all kinds of jobs out there that I wouldn’t want but I bet that every one of us have a job that someone who has the job that we wouldn’t want that they wouldn’t want. I guess what I am trying to say is that all jobs matter.

Daily Dose of BS May 9 life is short

While off work for the past week I was reminded again of how precious and short that life is.  One of my son’s coworkers was involved in a fatal car accident.  This accident opened the eyes of my son and his siblings that life is short and when it is your time to go, it is your time to go.  I was reminded that when something like this happens it is not only a sad time full of questions from the family who lost a family member but also a time of reflection from those who knew the person who passed.  I also used this tragedy as a teaching experience for my children as we were reminded that seat belts, texting, drinking, and speed are among the things that can and will kill, while driving.  Remember that life is precious and all too quick.  Take the time to stop and smell the roses, because you just never know.  

Daily Dose of BS April 29 put down the glass

Remember to put the glass down.  As we head into a weekend and a new month, reflect on the things around you but also remember to let your big worries go.  Life is short and we don’t know when it will take an unexpected twist or turn, and honestly every time that I have worried about something, every single time I wasted time and energy on negative feelings, what I worried about didn’t happen or if it did it wasn’t as bad as I made it out to be.  Next week I am taking the week off from work to get a few projects done around the house, but if I don’t get them done, or they don’t go the way that I had planned I am going to try to remember that it is ok.  It is ok to not carry the weight of even the smallest of worries, I am going to try to remember to put the glass down. 

Daily Dose of BS April 28 tv

I guess we will have a few months to catch up on our favorites as the end of the season for tv is here.  I always hate when this time of the year comes around and the shows that I enjoy watching disappear into thin air, never getting wrapped up only airing the last show leaving you hanging there waiting for what is going to happen next.  There was a show that was on a few years ago that dealt with 6 degrees of separation and I started watching it on week one, by week 3 I was hooked, the show was cancelled in week four never to be seen again.  This kind of tv programing bugs me since it usually takes a few weeks for a new show to hit.  I see this year in and year out as the network programmers look to fill space.  I have an idea, if you cancel a show in midseason, sell it to Netflix or Hulu, so that way we can at least finish the season.

Daily Dose of BS April 26 ash tress

I just talked about it a month ago, when the city took out the trees in Riverside park, and now they are in the news again, the city of La Crosse has a hate relationship with the Ash Tree, and the Emerald Ash Borer.  The latest plan calls for the removal of 2700 ash trees over the next 5 years.  The city of La Crosse will be eradicating the Ash Tree from the fabric of the city.  I am guessing that when we drive down most of the city streets we will notice the clear cutting of the Ash trees from the roads and boulevards.  It saddens me to think that all these trees will soon be gone from our beautiful city, a tree city, and that our lovely canopy of leaves and shade will for a long time be missing from the city streets.  I think the next time we plant trees for shade that the city should look at different species so that way we don’t get stuck in another Elm and Ash situation.  

Daily Dose of BS April 25 life

Did life turn out as you expected?  I think that mine is better than I expected.  I had dreams early in my career of being a DJ in a major market, and tried finding a few jobs in that, but ultimately decided that I loved talk radio and the city of La Crosse.  Money is not a motivator, but freedom for me is.  Here is something to think about, what is your biggest motivator?  What gets you up in the morning and what sustains you for the day?  As I said for me it is the events going on daily that when done correctly I have the freedom to do what I want later in the day or on the weekends.  

BS With Bob April 22 Earth Day

Today is earth day and a day to celebrate Mother Earth, what are you going to be doing to save her for the future generations?  I have been recycling, and I am shocked about how painless it is.  Our world is much like our bodies if we abuse it, it won’t be around forever.  I know we do many things to the earth that we shouldn’t but I want to just focus on one thing, one little piece, the cigarette butt.   I hate when someone who smokes tosses out the cigarette butt out the window of a car.  While I am on it I really dislike any litter, it annoys me to no end.  When you have garbage find a receptacle do not just toss on the ground, you are making needless work for someone else and you are polluting our world.  Also remember to pitch your gum where someone isn’t going to be stepping on it.

Daily Dose of BS April 21 money

Are we ready for new money?  For the first time in about a century there will be a big change in money with the proposed replacement of Andrew Jackson on the $20 dollar bill with Harriet Tubman, and also to add women and civil rights leaders to the $5 and $10 dollar bill.  I wrote about the need to keep pennies many years ago, I think I am going to rethink that one, either round it up or round it down to the nearest nickel.  Also since I am talking about money I think we need larger than the one hundred dollar bill, cause when you make a bigger purchase and it is a cash purchase, you got a pretty big wad of cash, and also with the way inflation is, to buy your weekly groceries you need at least a hundred bucks and with an election coming up and the uncertainty of all that, we will need bigger than a c-note.  

Daily Dose of BS April 20 credit cards

I don’t carry a lot of cash, I use my credit card and then pay it off, as my parents used to say those that understand interest make it those that don’t pay it.  I try and pay things off as the bills come, once in a while it takes an extra month to pay but not too often.  The card that I have been using is one where I get points at a specific store, and then end up getting free stuff the more I spend the more I get.  Since about last year there has been a chip on the front of the card and if you try swiping it when there is a reader present it doesn’t work and you have to insert the card in the slot and wait, and wait and well you get the drift.  How is a chipped card going to help with credit card fraud if everyone isn’t using it and if the old technology is still on the card?  And ever wonder how soon the credit card thieves will learn to steal your new information.  

Daily Dose of BS April 19 police work

Good old police work and a gps chip helped the UWL police department to bust a couple of bike thieves.  Just about 30 bikes were found after a bait bike was placed in with others and was taken by the thieves, I don’t know about you but I am all for using technology and surveillance for stopping thieves from taking what isn’t theirs.  I know that the city of La Crosse has new cameras up down town and that people were complaining about them when they were going through the fund raising process, I guess the way I look at it is if you aren’t doing anything wrong then what do you have to worry about?  You know with more and more people posting things for sale on craigslist and on facebook, we have to be more diligent on making sure that what we buy from a private seller is bought and paid for by them not by someone else. 

Daily Dose of BS April 18 vandals

At 10^th and State Street there is a fenced in piece of property that has been kicked in and beaten down for many years.  You drive by once and it is in great shape like every fence should be then you go by a week or two later, usually after a weekend and there are fence boards missing off the fence.  I have seen this going on and off for the past handful of years, and honestly the more I see it get wrecked the more I get mad about the situation.  I really don’t understand why people have to wreck other people’s property?  It isn’t theirs, it doesn’t belong to them, they don’t maintain it, it has no sentimental value to them, yet people think it is ok to wreck other people’s property.  I just don’t get it.  If you’re a vandal, shame on you. 

Daily Dose of BS April 15 buy American

You hear the chat of buy American, pride for America, but do show that pride with your dollars?  Are you going out of your way to make sure that the products you buy are built in the good old USA?  I am not sure that I have ever looked to see if something that I was buying is made here or globally.  I take that back I will look where my canned mushrooms come from, and I don’t even know why I do but once I saw the can I was buying say that they came from China and that kind of seemed weird to me, and I don’t even know why it was, maybe I was thinking how did they get here, and why are they from China, do they really grow mushrooms that are that much better than the ones grown here, where are they really growing?  Anyway back to the topic at hand, do you search to see where your products are made, and do you buy based on that?  

Daily Dose of BS April 11 positive thinking

I have talked about the power of being positive many times on this show, and that if you are you are goal oriented, optimistic and enthusiastic that people want to be around you.  Research shows that this is exactly right with those that are self-made millionaires.  Most people like to spend time with likeminded people looking for success, and the majority of people enjoy long term success when they have a positive mental outlook.  Looks like what I have told my kids to be true that negativity will derail you from pursuing success, because optimists attract optimists and pessimists just repel. 

Daily Dose of BS April 8 comfort foods

I heard yesterday that we have comfort foods based on who made them and how we felt around that person.  What’s your favorite comfort food?  I have a food and a meal my comfort meal it is meatloaf, baked potato and acorn squash.  I remember as a kid we got to pick our favorite meal for supper on our birthday and that is what I picked and still would today if offered any meal prepared for me by my Mom.  If I just need a quick fix I love a good english muffin with butter not margarine, then smothered in peanut butter and drizzled with honey.  Yum.  I also have a new comfort food of banana bread toasted in the toaster and then slathered in butter.  What is your favorite comfort food?

Daily Dose of BS April 7 complaint log

I have a school project of writing down things that I complain about or make me mad for the day.  I have started a list a few times but let it go after I had about a page and it was only noon.  Well I let it slide and it is due today.  So yesterday I was thinking that it is due I am just going to have happy thoughts and not let anything bug me for the day so I can legitimately say that nothing bugged me.  Bahaha, I had complaining thoughts in the shower as my razor wouldn’t clean quickly, my internet wasn’t fast enough, I had to put on my stupid hearing aids, my glasses needed washing, my socks were tight, there was nothing quick to grab for breakfast, my radio was too loud when I got in the car, the road was bumpy, an idiot pulled out in front of me on a green light sped up then slammed on his breaks – that one got me mad, then he pulled off and sped away.  I got to work and my studio was warm, I am sure I have forgotten a few and I have only been up for a couple of hours.  If this stuff is the worst of the day, then it is going to be a terrific day, I am going to try to find the good in today and not sweat the small stuff and I suggest that you do the same, it isn’t like my stuff is life and death, heck it is just first world problems.  Have a terrific day.  

Daily Dose of BS April 5 road construction

On your Mark get set go, then stop, then go again now stop, ok change lanes, change back, slow down, pick up speed now stop.  Welcome to construction season.  We are only a few days into the new season and already I am sick of the disruption to my life.  Every year we get bombarded with road work.  It seems as though there are construction projects planned just to slow us down.  Have you ever driven from here to Chicago, has there ever been anytime when there wasn’t snow on the ground that there hasn’t been any road construction?  And with the construction around La Crosse almost every direction that you head out of town there is some sort of road work being done.  Here is a novel idea, let’s work to finish one job then work on the next so we don’t have construction all around us. 

Daily Dose of BS April 5 primary

In case you didn’t know, today is primary election day in Wisconsin.  In case you hadn’t noticed, Wisconsin is the national spotlight for the wannabe presidential candidates, as well as lots of local races.  In case you cared, we hadn’t been a state that mattered for the presidential primary for a long, long time.  In case you forgot this election you need to have your photo id with you when you vote.  If you live in La Crosse you may have a new polling place, mine got moved now for the second time in the past handful of year.  I lived walking distance to my last two polling places, not the case this time.  The nice thing about the primary being now is that it gives us a little break from all the political BS between now and November.  After a little time off though we better strap in and enjoy the ride, it is a long time to November.  Please don’t forget to vote. 

Daily Dose of BS April 4 phone

Here is the setup, last week there was a home invasion on the North Side of La Crosse, and within the past few weeks someone has broken into my neighbor’s house and taken her purse, as far as I know the police are still looking into both of these cases.  I bring this up because last week someone knocked on my door at 8:45pm stumping for one of the presidential candidates, when is too late to knock on someone’s door when they are not expecting you?  Back in the olden days as my kids would call my childhood we had unwritten rules like no phone calls between the hours of 9pm and 9am, that you shouldn’t go to someone’s house before 9am and that you should not knock on doors after the sun goes down.  What are your thoughts on phone calls and doorbells?  I think I still agree with the doorbell rule but with phones, who hasn’t made a phone call after 9pm?    

Daily Dose of BS April1 april fools day

Today is don’t trust your family and co-worker day, April fool’s Day.  I have had the typical goofy pranks pulled on me like you dropped your pocket or an extra hole poked in a pop can so it dribbles on me.  I think that having a day that we celebrate foolery and silliness is good, it helps our kids to understand that life doesn’t always need to be serious, it also teaches planning and execution.  To have a super April fool’s Day prank really work you need to have a plan and find a way to execute.  Funny about this day the trust factor isn’t really there is it?  But I am always happy when April 1st comes around as it is the end of the joke perpetuated on the tax payers of the city of La Crosse, April 1st means no more alternate side parking, well at least until November 1st.  Enjoy your next 7 months of parking on either side of the street. 

Daily Dose of BS March 31 naps

Every afternoon about 2 I am ready for a nap.  It doesn’t matter if it is a weekday or a weekend.  If I woke at 4 or 8 that morning, I am ready for a nap at 2.  I have come to cherish my 20 minute siesta as a quick revitalization of my mind and my body.  I have a few friends who never ever take naps and I know many, most of them are fellow radio people who take a nap daily.  I find myself craving my quiet alone time and as the time ticks down to 2 I can feel myself falling into a lull.  Are you a napper or not?  If not I suggest you grab a blanket and a comfortable chair and give it a try. 

Daily Dose of BS March 30 service organizations

One of the things my parents instilled in my brothers and I, was to give back either monetarily or with time. I chose to work in radio so I have more time than money. There are tons great organizations out there that are in need of your time, and your money. Find one and help when you can. Today is Kiwanis radio day so as you pop around to the different radio stations in the La Crosse Market you will hear lots of different unfamiliar voices, talking about the benefits of being in the Kiwanis. The best thing about being a part of a service group is that if you are active in the group you are pretty much guaranteed to make some good lifelong friends, I am still friends with some of the guys I was in Boy Scouts with and my best friends are people that I was in the Jaycees with. My suggestion to you is be active within our community and let us all work to make our great communities an even better place to live.

Daily Dose of BS March 29 politics

With the Wisconsin presidential primary one week from today we are seeing the candidates crisscrossing across Wisconsin making empty promises and saying what we want to hear.  I wonder if once the primary is finished if they will even think of Wisconsin until the last couple of weeks before the general election come November.  My guess is nope.  These men and women running for president are just making their stump speech with their forced smiles and vacant assurances.  I am so ready for the hate in all the politics to be set aside and for us to start working on some solutions to some real problems.  

Daily Dose of BS March 28 expectations

Have we become a nation of people who expect mediocre, I think that we have, because if we ever have anything meets or comes close to what we expect we are happy.  Have your expectations ever been exceeded?  This past weekend my family joined another family for a mini vacation in Milwaukee we made it to a Bucks game and didn’t really have any other plans except for have fun.  I had seen a picture of a huge Bloody Mary, one that had all the fixings including a whole chicken, it was called the Beast, and it lived up to and exceeded its name.  I think that it is amusing that when we have good service or have something that is superior to what we expected we are blown away, but with the Bloody from Sobelman’s we were blown away.  Have you ever had something that far exceeded your expectations?  If so what was it?  

Daily Dose of BS March 25 Love

I ran across an article yesterday that had a list of things you should do for your kids every day.  Pretty far down on the list was the say I love you.  To me that was shocking.  I would have thought that you would say I love you regardless to your children.  I have been a dad for coming up on 21 years and a son for 47 years and I have said to my children every day that I love them, and every time that my folks and I end a conversation we pass on our feelings of love.  It was funny even when I was a kid and things didn’t go my way and I would have a fit yelling at my Mom and Dad that I don’t love them, I can still hear them saying back I don’t love the way you are acting but love you.  With Easter coming up on Sunday and families getting together, if you didn’t have the chance to say it in the past, there is no time like the present to say or show I love you. 

Daily Dose of BS March 24 small world

We live in a small world.  Yesterday I had the chance to interview the Governor of Guam an American territory and during conversation I mentioned to him that I didn’t know anything about Guam except that my cousin lived there, he asked his name I asked if he knew David, and he said that everyone knew David, to my shock, he really did know him.  Which made me think of the other people that I have run into that I either knew or knew someone I knew.  I was in Madison and ran into Morrie Enders after he moved away, I have ridden an elevator with someone I knew long ago in Milwaukee and while at a concert in the Twin Cities I ran into high school class mates.  Who have you run into in weird spots?

Daily Dose of BS March 23 sidwalks

In our couple of weeks of reprieve between snowfalls, lots of people have literary taken to the streets in all forms.  I have seen more people out and about walking, running, skating and biking in the past couple weeks than I ever recall.  I am glad to see people out moving, which brings me to my concern.  We were out walking yesterday enjoying the afternoon before the expected snowfall later today and a woman came running up behind us, then passed us on the grass but at the same time as she passed she shot my wife and I a dirty look, my wife apologized and that apology changed our conversation, we then started talking about the rights of the sidewalk, and the passing of people.  The woman jogging didn’t say to your right or left, she just assumed we had eyes in the back of our heads and were to be on the lookout for her, so we could move and give her the right of way, um sorry - not.  I guess what I am trying to say today it to look out for everyone one the road even the ones not looking out for themselves. 

Daily Dose of BS March 22 drugs

A couple of local police departments are looking at a new approach to the addiction problem.  The agencies in Campbell and Holmen are looking at a program that has had success in Massachusetts that helps an addict kick the habit, by offering treatment rather than jail time.  I am all for this, as we are seeing more people headed to court for possession of heroin and other drugs but only having them turned back to the streets.  I really think that something needs to be done and done sooner rather than later.  My wife and I have been going for walks lately and taking different routes to mix it up, we have been down just about every street and alley in our neighborhood in the past few weeks and there are lots of discarded syringes laying on the streets and alleys of La Crosse.  I have even seen them in a couple of the business parking lots.  With the amount of needles that have been handed out I guess I am not surprised that there are so many unattended needles. 

Daily Dose of BS March 21 voting

The smart phone companies announce in plenty of time that they are going to be releasing a new phone, the tease the new features, they bring out the pomp and circumstance and many are fighting to be first in line to be the first consumers to have the new widget.  I wish that people were as pumped up about voting.  It is funny that even though there are a million people posting each and every day that this candidate and that candidate are the best, they bad mouth these people and talk up these, there are still going to be people who even though they are waving the flag loudly for a particular candidate I will bet that they don’t get to the polling place to vote.  I used to know a person like that, she would wave the flag and then not vote.  I don’t get it.  Back to the phone thing I guess that Apple is introducing something today, I can hardly wait – just kidding I really I don’t care. 

Daily Dose of BS March 18 trees

The landscape at Riverside Park is a bit sparse.  The city of La Crosse eradicated 12 of the Ash Trees from the fabric of Riverside Park.  I am guessing that there will be a feeling of sadness and emptiness when we drive through Riverside this spring and summer, and of course the trees will be missed at Rotary Lights.  It saddens me to think that all these trees are gone from our beautiful city, and that our lovely canopy of leaves will for a long time be missing from the park.  I grew up in the Twin Cities and remember when Dutch Elm hit that area and the landscapes of the older neighborhoods changed.  I hope that something can be done to bring back some trees to Riverside Park.

Daily Dose of BS March 17 parking

A couple of years ago the city of La Crosse was talking about alternate side parking year round. I’m glad that that fell by the wayside. On Tuesday, La Crosse Councilman Gary Padesky proposed legislation that would end alternate-side parking on March 1 rather than April 1, and for many in La Crosse that is a welcomed relief. This really doesn’t affect me because we have off street parking but it is the principle of the thing in my mind. The fines aren’t enough to kill ya but at 10 bucks each and double then double again over time just for parking in front of your house for the season is enough to make a dent in your life’s savings. Looking back to last year the City of La Crosse Police Department issued 13,095 alternate-side parking tickets that at ten bucks a pop generated a minimum of $130,950, and that is if they were paid on time. To me it seems like a money grab, where does that money go to?

Daily Dose of BS march 14 time change

If you missed it you’re early, Saturday was one of my two least favorite days of the year.  This past Saturday at 2am we were supposed to change our clocks to 3am a little trick that helps it to be light later.  Obviously whom ever thought of this magical trick didn’t have kids.  I always loved it when it got dark earlier so I could put the kids to bed earlier, nowadays it doesn’t work that way as my kids stay up later than I.  I have been bitching about the changing of time since anyone would listen, guess what people hear it but no one is doing anything about it.  In the year 2016 there is really no need to move the clock.  They originally did it because of kids going to school and work in the fields, back before there were such good quality lighting, heck they even work on highways in the middle of the night as the lighting sources have gotten so good.  Let’s be like Ron Popeil and stop the madness we should just set it and forget it.  

Daily Dose of BS Mar 10 protect your home

There are more and more drugs making it into our society and with increased drug use, comes increased criminal activity.  What are your thoughts when it comes to defending your home?  Should you be allowed to defend your home at all costs?  If someone breaks into your home for whatever reason, do you have the right to defend to the death your house?  I ask because there is a case in Minnesota that had happened and the man is in prison.  The man has had his home broken into many times and was sick of it, defended him home by killing the two teens who broke in.  He is now in jail for 1^st degree premeditated murder for life with no parole after being convicted in killing the teens with no chance at a new trial.  At what point in a break in do you feel your life threatened?  For me, I think as soon as someone uninvited is in my house.  What are your thoughts?  

Daily Dose of BS Mar 9 lessons

Ever thought back to the lessons in life that you learned from your first job?  For me it was long ago, when I was in the Cub Scouts then the Boy Scouts we did a lot of volunteering at various places including the nursing home that was a block from my house.  That is where I landed my first real job as a maintenance guy.  I was rolling in the money making a decent wage of $4.25 an hour when all my friends were at minimum which was $3.35 an hour.  My have things changed.  You could almost add those two numbers together to reach minimum.  I think at that first job I learned how to work, I mean get my hands dirty and do the jobs I didn’t want to do.  I did learn that doing that wasn’t something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.  I do look fondly back at the memories, and experiences that I picked up at that gig and I am sure I use them to this day.  I was taught to give it my all, to think, and to get along with co-workers.  I am sure there were other lessons learned as well.  

Daily Dose of BS Mar 8 erin andrews

When you are in your hotel room you have a certain assumption of privacy, right?  I think that you do, however I don’t feel like the hotel should be held responsible for Erin Andrews’ payment of 55 million dollars.  Hear me out, most of us have had something happen to us because of a product that we have used, right.  I lost my fingertip because of a dog leash, people get cancer from smoking, there are car accidents each and every day.  There are people who have taken pictures of people picking their nose and posting that picture online, there are pictures of people doing all kinds of weird and inappropriate things on the internet, either by choice or because someone took a video of them without their knowledge, do you think that the goofy pictures of the website the people of Walmart wanted to have their pictures taken and shared?  It is a fact of life.  Back to Erin Andrews, I think the stalker should go to jail for a long time, what he did was wrong, but I don’t think that the hotel should have a fine for someone altering a peep hole in a door. 

Daily Dose of BS Mar 4 music

Even though I work in talk radio, I love live music, live loud music, live loud 80’s music.  Yesterday I bought tickets to Def Leppard with REO Speedwagon and Tesla.  The show is October 7^th at the La Crosse center, and the tickets are the highest price I have ever paid for a music ticket $82.50 for the show.  Which is ok since it breaks down to just $27.50 per band and as I said I love live, loud, 80’s music.  Here is the kicker, I used Ticketmaster to buy my ticket.  There was $10.35 fee for each ticket bringing the cost per ticket to $92.85 and then on top of that there is an additional fee of $4.15 for the order for processing fee.  Wait a minute, am I the only one who finds fault with this?  Isn’t there a truth in pricing law out there?  I am all for live music, and for people to make money but aren’t these fees a bit much?  

Daily Dose of BS Mar 3 coffee

On Tuesday I didn’t have any coffee, and I had a splitting headache by the time I went to bed, about 85% of all US citizens use caffeine every day. I usually get my high octane caffeine from coffee, I used to be a huge pop drinker in fact when I first started out in radio I was a 12 pack a night person, of sugary caffeine filled bubbles (blah), I don’t know how I did it, I am not a fan of it these days. When I was a kid we didn’t have pop around the house except for a special occasion and that was on Mom’s bridge club day and a holiday when the relatives would come over and they would bring it.  A breakdown of the 85% of the population that drinks caffeine, pop is the most common source of caffeine, followed by tea then coffee. Funny how now caffeine is even in foods and other drinks as well. We are seeing it in some jelly beans, marshmallows and some gums too, it is no wonder we have a society of jittery jumpy people.

Daily Dose of BS Mar 2 hunger

It really doesn’t matter where here is, unfortunately there are hungry people here.  This past Sunday the LaCrosse Radio Group had a food gathering event for the Hunger Task Force, as part of Family Fest.  This Saturday will be another fund raiser for the Hunger Task Force, with Rockin out Hunger.  They are the food pantries food pantry, supplying over 60 different pantries and meal sites.  Whenever there is a Hunger Task Force event I encourage you to help as you can.  I have been lucky I have never been hungry nor do I ever want to be.  I try to think of these food gathering events as what would l want to eat rather than what can I clean out of the cupboard.  Please try to remember that if you don’t want to eat it or wouldn’t eat it why would someone else? 

Daily Dose of BS Feb 23 sidewalks

I grew up in Roseville, a suburb in the Twin Cities and in my neighborhood there were no sidewalks.  Since my formative years I have lived in 3 different states and 4 different communities in every one of these other communities there have been sidewalks, I have complained about my front sidewalk only a few times, usually after a heavy snow fall or when my wife suggests that I do the edging, otherwise I am a fan.  I think that sidewalks are the great neighborhood unifier, hear me out.  When you decide to go for a walk you head out to the sidewalk, there are others around walking, you see your neighbors, you say hi.  Life is grand, why because of a sidewalk.  La Crosse is continuing to invest in the neighborhood concept with the possibility of up to 12 new sidewalks.  Let’s all converge on the cities sidewalks.

Daily Dose of BS Feb 22 transportation

I have only been in a cab about 10 times in my life, I have never taken an Uber ride, and public transportation isn’t taken too much.  If I lived in a big city I believe that I would use the above more often, however working at 5am when the busses aren’t even out of the bus corral is a huge hindrance for me.  When it comes to cabbing it I have done so when I have flown into big cities.  The last time I took a cab was a few years ago when it cost my brother and I $250 to cab it from San Francisco to his home in Livermore, because we missed the train back.  I guess I bring this all up because we put a lot of trust into people we don’t know to get us from place to place.  Uber has been making a splash making news with problems that drivers have.  Do you trust an Uber driver or a taxi driver to get you there safely?  

Daiy Dose of BS Feb 19 songs

We all have those special songs, the ones that get you up and off the couch, gets you in the mood for action, the Rocky song if you will.  For me I like a lot of the old school Beastie Boys, Pantera’s Walk, Kiss’ Cold Gin, and just about anything from System of a Down.  What are your Rocky songs?  Speaking of music have you ever had that song or jingle roll through your head at the moment you are ready to sleep, talk to someone, close a sale or just about any other activity?  There has been the same couple of songs going through my head over the past few days.  I don’t know why but that Taylor Swift song we are never ever getting back together keeps rolling through my head at the weirdest times, its weird cause I think that is the only part of the song that I know and it’s like on a loop.  UGGH stop the madness.  These types of songs are called earworms.  What are some of the songs that are the earworms for you? For me these types of songs are enough to give you heartburn, I know a relief, plop plop fizz fizz oh what a relief it is.

Daily Dose of BS feb 18 privacy

I have always been under the assumption that nothing that I text, email, or look at on the internet is private, that someone can always go back and check it out, someone locally or remotely.  I have come to the realization that our information is out there, just hanging in midair being ready to be plucked when they want it, and I am not even sure I know who they are.  In the news lately is that the federal government is asking Apple to unlock a phone that belonged to a terrorist, I always just assumed that the government had the ability to do this.  I wonder if they are asking Apple out of a ruse that they are pulling over our eyes, claiming that they cannot get into someone’s phone.   In a situation like this, I can honestly say that I believe that Apple has an obligation to help the government to unlock this phone, and here is why I think that, first of all the phone is owned by the shooters employer San Bernardino County and they have given permission and secondly I still think that all our information is just hanging out for the picking but most importantly I think that if they could foil some terrorist plot then it is worth it. 

Daily Dose of BS Feb 16 award shows

I have never been a fan of the award shows, none of them from the one that crowns the Miss, to the ones that have the Actors, to the biggest musical stars.  I have never been a fan, and guess what that hasn’t changed.  I have worked with people in the past that have had a party for this show or that show, but for me a no go.  I think it goes back to my childhood and that my folks didn’t watch them and now I don’t.  I also think that it is because even though I am in radio I don’t know the artist or the songs of the music I like I am always like you know that one song that goes dum, da, dum, de, de, de drum, by that group that sang that one other song that I like.  Or when it comes to actors it was that guy on that show with that dog and the funny lady, you know.  Then I would get mad if you didn’t know what I was talking about.  And the beauty shows, don’t get me started, for beauty it is in the eye of the beholder, I think that all people are beautiful, especially that one, you know. 

Daily Dose of BS Feb 15 tipping

We ordered pizza last night for Valentine’s Day because nothing says happy Valentine’s Day like a heart shaped pizza.  We ended up getting 3 pizzas and some bread sticks, a 4 dollar delivery fee was added to the cost.  I still tipped the guy, but is it necessary to tip a delivery person even when you are already paying for them to drop off your food?  What about tipping at a buffet?  How about any other place that looks for tips?   Maybe what places are tips a necessity? 

Daily Dose of BS Feb 12 valentines day

Love is in the air, Sunday is Valentine’s Day. Funny how guys think that this is the one time a year to be romantic, the one time a year to gift flowers, or something special the one time a year - to show our love.  Guys, we can be romantic and loving and still be men ya know. There is nothing wrong with going the extra mile anytime of the year to say something nice, drop off a little gift or just let your loved one know you love them - after all a year is 365 days long.  For those who are new to this way of thinking, you still have the weekend to get a special valentine treat, but remember you have 364 other days to show your love as well.  What is the most romantic gesture you have ever given or received?  This year, I am going to stimulate the local economy and take my wife out for dinner, and maybe a movie, if not its roller dogs and Netflix.  By the way what’s good on Netflix these days?

Daily Dose of BS Feb 11 heroin

Do we hand out too much Narcan?  Narcan is the drug that reverses the effects of heroin and other opiates.  I have even heard that as part of the needle exchange at The AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin in La Crosse, that not only are needles handed out but also Narcan training is available.   According to the La Crosse Tribune that in the first 40 days of 2016 26 doses of Narcan was used on 16 patients.  Is handing out a lifeline the right thing to do?  Should there be a certain number of times you can administer it?  I am like the rest of the community and wonder out loud when the news reports say that bad heroin has hit the streets wonder isn’t all heroin bad? 

Daily Dose of BS Feb 10 wash hands

I think that bathroom doors in public places should swing out.  Here is the reason why.  How often have you been in the bathroom and the person in the stall next to you flushed opened the door and left the bathroom without washing their hands?  I find this sickening, I don’t want to touch their filth…this is also the reason I don’t eat popcorn at bars.  I know this is just another look into the weirdness that is me.  I wash my hands every time I use the restroom, not because I splashed 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.  Have a great day and don’t forget to do as the sign says in most public restrooms employees must wash hands before returning to work.

Daily Dose of BS Feb 9 be seen and heard

I am guilty of it, I think that most of us fail to be seen.  I have a black jacket, I wear blue jeans and sometimes I have on a dark hat.  It is hard to see people who are wearing dark clothing, especially when the person walking isn’t paying attention to their surroundings because of texting or talking on the phone, look where you are going and don’t walk out in front of someone on the roads, remember your mom taught you that.  Speaking of being seen, why is it that so many people don’t use their fog lights when there is fog, my friend Diane reached out to me yesterday and said it was hard to see so many of the cars out there when they are driving around without lights when there is fog, heck turn on your lights when driving period, it will help you to be seen, I just have to remember to do it, on two of our vehicles it happens automatically but my everyday car, not so much.  Speaking of being seen, it is an election year this year, we should practice on being heard as well. 

Daily Dose of BS Feb 8 ID's

Last time I was at the cell phone store I had to sign in and show my I.D., even though I knew the guy working.  Hard to believe but when buying a case of beer a few weeks ago I had to show my I.D.  I got pulled over a couple of months ago, guess what, I had to show my I.D.  Check writing, which I don’t do much of but still I.D., get on a plane, rent a car, a hotel room or a house, you need an I.D.  When I bought Sudafed I needed an I.D.  It is pretty clear to me that you need an I.D. for just about everything you do, oh wait everything but to vote, that changes this year in Wisconsin.  Do I think it is a bad idea?  No.  Why would I?  There are people who will complain that showing an I.D. will stop certain people from voting, now personally I wouldn’t want that but I did some research and you need to have a photo I.D. to apply for food stamps, welfare and unemployment.  I am just saying that I would guess that most adults have an I.D. and if they don’t there are programs out there that will help someone get one.  

Daily Dose of BS Feb 5 waffle bowl

This coming Sunday is finally Waffle Bowl Sunday, it is also big game day, a national day of tv, wings, other high calorie tasty treats and lots of alcohol. My family however has a totally different menu when it comes to the big game, it started many, many years ago. At the Schmidt house we have a family tradition of waffles, and sausage on the day when football plays its big game. I remember the year we started it, it was right after reading the Sunday paper I glanced at a glossy newspaper ad that had a waffle maker on the front page, we went to the store and bought it, as a family we have been making waffles every single Waffle Bowl Sunday since. I love Waffle Bowl Sunday, because even if your team isn’t playing in the big game you can still waffle back and forth and enjoy the plays and of course the commercials. I even left a party a few years ago when the Green and Gold was in the waffle bowl to go home to have the breakfast of hotels with my family. Have a great Waffle Bowl Sunday no matter how you spend it and go team go.

Daily Dose of BS Feb 4 cultural sensitivity

Has cultural sensitivity gone too far?  There is a school in St Paul that is kissing off Valentine’s Day and other holidays as a way of being more culturally sensitive and inclusive.  Some of these schools around the country are teaching our kids to not have any beliefs, how are we going to raise this generation now if they cannot celebrate holidays, or other beliefs, I know let’s have a culturally generic celebration 4 times a year, spring, summer, winter and fall.  But we cannot call it anything because we don’t want someone 50 years or 100 years down the way to take it away.  Heck I am surprised that we are still able to celebrate our birthdays and that someone hasn’t complained that it is Johnnies special day today and no one can be special everybody has to feel the same.  Well if that is the case do you have a sore ankle today because mine is bugging me? 

Daily Dose of BS Feb 3 smile

Ever heard smile and the whole world smiles with you?  My mom used to say that to my brothers and I, there is now some studies out there that support this.  These studies show that during conversation we tend to mimic those around us.  I guess that this makes sense as if you watch a salesperson they will nod and smile when you are talking with them, inviting you to sign on the dotted line.  It works with others as well, note when you are in a classroom setting or a work event heck even in your own home and someone is happy you want to smile with them, same goes the other way as well, if someone is in the room angry they tend to bring the rest of the group down, it guess what I am trying to say is turn that frown upside down, and make it a great day.

Daily Dose of BS Feb 2 snow day

Am I the only one that thinks it is weird to cancel school the night before for the threat of the shoe dropping?  I woke this morning to 25 degrees and no snow, the weird part is every school in our area is closed.  Today is ground hog day and I am wondering if kids want life to be like the movie and relive the no snow – snow day.  I haven’t seen that movie in a long time, I should find it to watch today with the kids.  Ever thought about the history of the first ground hogs day?  It dates back to the 18^th and 19^th centuries, however the first documented time in America is 1841.  I hope that the ground hog sees his shadow, or is it not sees his shadow.  Anyway I am hoping to enjoy a bit of ground hog at the Moose Lodge later today, the Lions Club is serving a Ground Hog dinner.  All I gotta say is it is yummy.  

Daily Dose of BS Feb 1 trains

When I was a kid I always heard that if you put a penny on a train track that it could derail a train.  I am not going to lie, as a rebellious teenager I tried it.  As soon as we ran away the feeling of guilt overtook the thrill of doing something bad.  The sudden urge to run back toward the oncoming train to rescue the Lincoln from the oncoming train, only to be reminded of the almost certain decapitation of an arm or worse.  Thank goodness that the derailment didn’t happen, in fact a quick google search shows that it has never happened, but as an adventurous boy it could have.  Again, thank God that it didn’t happen.  With more trains moving through the country, there have been more and more derailments there has even been a couple close to home.  Shouldn’t the railroads be required to make the manifest public as soon as a train jumps the tracks, I for one would like to know.  Especially since there are tracks about 100 yards from where I work. 

Daily Dose of BS Jan 29 luck

I have heard all too many people say you are lucky.  I am not sure that I believe in luck do you?  I think that we make our own luck, sure great things happen to all of us, but does a 4 leaf clover, a fuzzy troll or a horseshoe make or break your day?  I think that those work because you think that they will work, I am not sure that some people are luckier than others.  Here is why I think that, the people that lots of people think are lucky have worked harder or longer on something, not making them lucky but just more versed.  I think that the same goes for bad luck, I get it that we have bad things that happen to all of us some of us choose to have that derail us others look at it as a step and others just look at it as the cost of doing business.  Which person are you?

Daily Dose of BS Jan 28 school

What an awesome email I got from Western Technical College the day before yesterday, I found out that I received two different scholarships for my schooling this year.  I am humbled by the fact that I received these.  When I was a student in High School and then in radio school I wasn’t the best student, I guess I really didn’t care about school so much, I had other things in life to do, like go out and hang out with friends.  As an adult I still have things to do, more things than I did as youngster, like support a family, go to work every day, run a small business, and hang out with friends, but now have the drive to succeed and find the way to make it happen.  Besides getting the scholarships I also made the Presidents List all three trimesters, ending up with 11 A’s and 1 B, not too shabby.  This past year of school has not been easy but I made it and also made some really great friends as well.  

Daily Dose of BS Jan 27 debate

I guess if you don’t want to do something you don’t have to do it.  I get this from Donald Trump backing out of the debate in Iowa.  Whether you like him or not he is garnering tons of free publicity, and it seems as though he is getting the publicity for doing the unheard of standing up and being a bully.  I was bullied when I was a kid but I think that all of us were to some extent.  I decided quite a while ago that that wouldn’t put up with bullying.  We still have 10 months and honestly out of the candidates that we have running for President I am not sure that I like any of them.   As for the bullying and the child like behavior of not doing the debate because you don’t like the commentator, shame on you, if you are running for President you should be able to deal with something you don’t like.  

Daily Dose of BS Jan 26 sick

Seems as though just about everyone I know has a cold of some sorts.  I am hacking up a lung and feel run down, some of my fellow employees are doing the same, in fact yesterday it was like an echoing sneeze effect as I started it in the studio, it moved out to the front desk then I heard it ricochet right on down the building.  What are your opinions of calling in sick or coming to work?  I am not a fan of calling in sick and have done so only a few times in my whole career where some people have a hang nail and call.  Also are there any home remedies that work for you?  I am a fan of a hot totty made with brandy, water, honey and lemon, I am not sure if it helps but after a couple I really do sleep well.   

Daily Dose of BS Jan 25 snow

For the majority of my life I have lived in the upper Midwest.  I often complain about people not being able to drive, I am guessing that this is a common thread for most of the country.  The east coast got belted with snow this past weekend, and they basically shut everything down.  I recall a few big storms in the upper Midwest that slowed somethings down, and there were times when some of the roads were suggested not to drive on but, a few years ago I remember driving across the state of Wisconsin to get home from a hockey tournament when 20 plus inches of snow fell and there were drifts about 4 feet high on the sides of the road.  The thing is even when that much snow fell there were still stupid drivers on the roads, I guess including myself for risking it, but at the time I didn’t even think of it. I guess I am trying to say I am glad that the snow that fell in the east didn’t fall here, so we don’t have to deal with idiot drivers in the snow, just regular idiot drivers. 

Daily Dose of BS Jan 22 friends

Back in August I proved to myself that I could step away from Facebook for a week, I made it 9 days.  I took the app off my phone and it is still not back there.  I do however look at Facebook on my phone online, but there are more steps to it than the app.  I read today that even though there are tons of people with tons of friends on their “friends” list that we really only have about 4 friends.  Do you know who your four are?  I do but it is funny even though we are friends we really don’t flaunt our friendships on Facebook.  From the 4 real friends we have about 15 we can confide in and about 50 who are close from there we go to our casual friends and then acquaintances tops out at about 500.  Do you who all your friends are? 

Daily Dose of BS Jan 21 school

It is funny the difference between a child starting school and an adult starting a new year of school.  As the college students head back to LaCrosse and college classes starting all over the country, myself included.  Yesterday I started year number two as a student at Western Technical College, working toward my Associates Degree in sales and sales management.  While driving to class last night I was laughing to myself as I thought about the pomp and circumstance that goes into a child’s first day of school you get a new backpack, have new clothes, maybe Mom and Dad will take you out for breakfast, you most likely will be measured with your back up against a door jam.  At least that is the way it is for my kids on the first day of school, and it didn’t matter if it was the first day of kindergarten or your senior year, every year the same routine.  I guess when you start college the second year you get none of that, come to think of it I didn’t get any of it last year either I guess.  

Daily Dose of BS Jan 19 not fast sandwiches

You need a password for just about everything these days, long gone are the days when you can use the word password as your password.  In fact they are now suggesting that we use 12 characters to keep our things safe, using symbols and numbers and caps.  As we are moving toward a more person-less and paperless society with more and more businesses offering apps for us to order, in fact I used a sandwich ordering app yesterday to show my kids I am hip, and know how to use my phone, we ordered sandwiches online, drove to the store, told the people working we were there to pick up the sandwiches, watched 4 other customers come in and order and pick up their sandwiches, and wonder in amazement how that could be freaklishly fast.  It wasn’t, on top of having to wait we got a wrong sandwich and I now have to remember another user name and password to order a sandwich that was proven I could order there, and pay for it in about a third the time.  

Daily Dose of BS Jan 18 cold

As I drove in this morning I was worried what if I get a flat tire, or what the freezing point of rubber is, what if my tires hit a pot hole and just blow out. Then I thought nah it won’t happen, guess what it didn’t. It is weird how our minds sometimes start building up scenarios in our heads then we end up convincing ourselves that that may happen. I knew in the back of my mind that there was no way that this would happen but there was the shadow of doubt that it may. I guess what I am trying to say that even though it is 10 below outside that my mind is still active and being active on a day like today is great. Get up and do something, inside, it is way too cold outside to do anything.  By the way do you warm your car on a cold winter’s day?  I do for about 15 seconds.  Stay warm.  

Daily Dose of BS Jan 15 customer service

All this talk nationally about Zulily and how they told a customer to give their wrongly ordered item to someone who needs it is all good and gives me hope for customer service into the future, but we didn’t have to go nationally to hear a story like this.  My friend Kenny’s wife had the same issue happen to her, she accidentally ordered three extra items from Zulily. When she called to return the items, the customer rep said, "No problem, we will credit your account and please give the extra ordered items to someone who could use them or donate." I find this to be outstanding customer service.  I have also had super customer from Amazon, and quite often the customer service at many of the big box stores is great as well.  Now not everyone has great customer service, but I believe in order for companies to grow, great customer service needs to be present.  

Daily Dose of BS Jan 14 lottery

Imagine my surprise this morning when I didn’t win the lottery.  I am not much of a lottery player and I thought that the guys that never plays wins, sure- I throw in my two bucks every time that work has a buy, just so I am not left out when everyone else gets to quit.  But yesterday I asked my wife to do something that she had never done in her life, I asked her to pick up a few lottery tickets.  During dinner last night we talked about how our lives would change if we did win.  Funny how the first thing that the majority of the family said we would move.  I love where I live and don’t think I would have moved from the city, I don’t even think I would quit my job.  Any way it was fun to dream for a few hours and it actually influenced my dreams last night.  I didn’t win and neither did you, so off to work.  

Daily Dose of BS Jan 13 sportsmanship

Poor sportsmanship was the theme of an email that went out to all WIAA schools last week. April Gehl a student at Hilbert High School had an opinion of her own about the email that said the schools need to step back up in enforcing what the WIAA sees as disrespectful fan chatter.  Aprils response was “Eat shit WIAA” and she was subsequently suspended by her school for 5 games, the same amount of suspension as a player caught drinking or smoking pot.  The email suggested that the typical banter that is commonly heard at games is detrimental to the players of the opposing teams - chatter such as “You can’t do that,” “Fundamentals,” “Air ball,” “There’s a net there,” “We can’t hear you,” “scoreboard,” ‘Warm up the bus’” and “season’s over” during tournament play.  I am all for respect of all players and teams but suspending a player for her right to freedom of speech is, in my opinion, BS.

Daily Dose of BS Jan 12 pet peeve

I am sure I have my faults, and I do things that annoy others, there are days that I feel as though I do some of these things just to do them.  Sometimes though they just happen, like forgetting to close the cupboard after getting a plate, or not hanging up my coat in the closet when I get home, I am sure that my wife can come up with hundreds of things that I do wrong, or that she finds annoying.  None of us are without our faults, not a single one of us.  What is your biggest pet peeve?  I have a couple, when someone leaves the roll without toilet paper and when there is only a little bit of coffee left in the pot, because someone can’t be bothered to make more.  When someone annoys you do you point it out or are you Teflon and don’t let it bug you?  For me it depends on where I am, and who I am with.   

Daily Dose of BS Jan 11 sneezing

God bless you, gesundheit, bless you or don’t acknowledge it.  What do you do when some sneezes?  I have always said either God bless you or just bless you.  It is funny but I think that there is some sort of protocol for saying something after a sneeze.  I think it is weird when someone doesn’t say anything, for example have you ever been in a group of people and someone sneezes, my first inkling is to blurt out the quick blessing, but time has shown me that you must give the person that that person is with ample time to give their blessing, if you don’t then you have committed an improper sneeze etiquette, or a sneeze foul.  And no one wants to have that on their permeant record, now do they.  I guess what I am trying to say is if someone sneezes give the proper amount of time before acknowledging it however you acknowledge it.  

Daily Dose of BS Jan 8 credit cards

My folks always used to say those that understand interest make it and those that don’t pay it.  According to polls 71% of us have credit cards.  When I was younger I thought I was rich I got a credit card with a large limit, and I spent it, and spent it, I was maxed out by 21 and it sucked.  I took out a loan paid it off and have been a smart credit user since.  When my bill comes I pay it and at most only carry a little balance.  That brings us to Walter Cavananagh otherwise known as Mr Plastic Fantastic he has 1,497 valid credit cards, with a line of credit at 1.7 million dollars.  I have 3 cards myself one reward card, my business card and one issued by our bank.  In your mind how many cards are to many?

Daily Dose of BS Jan 7 Netflix documentary

I have not watched the Netflix series “Making a Murderer”, well not yet.  It seems as though every person out there has an opinion on the series.  My dad told me when I was a kid a couple of different things about opinions first of all that everybody has got one, and a couple times I was told that my opinion was wrong, that is a story for another day.  Back to this series, the thing about this “documentary” is that it casts doubt yet again on the media and the media that covered the story in the first place.  As with many documentaries the makers have an agenda, and I am guessing that the film maker of this piece also has an agenda that they want to push.  Think about it this way, anyone can go in after the fact and twist things to fit into the framework of what they want.  How many times were you able to explain away something that you did? 

Daily Dose of BS Jan 6 e-cig

I used to be a smoker, I look back at it now on it and wonder why.  I see many young kids picking up the habit and think the same thing, why.  I heard the other day that smokes are going to be even closer to ten bucks a pack real soon. One of the smarter things I have done was to quit.  I have a few friends who still partake in the habit but for the most part they have all quit as well.  I have been seeing the e-cigarettes more and more and in the weirdest places, like while walking through the grocery store and in the movie theater.  I am now hearing that these are causing cancer similar to regular cigarettes.  Why is it ok to smoke these in public but not a regular cigarette?  I understand that these are only water vapor or steam but I don’t want to smell it.  I get offended when I see someone walking through the grocery store puffing away at their vape pen.  You don’t like walking through my sneeze do you?

Daily Dose of BS Jan 5

Too many people have the entitlement mentality, the I deserve it, and the you owe it to me mentality.  How do we break free of that?  We have the affluenza teen, the kid that has had everything handed to him and he doesn’t know right from wrong.  Whatever happened to teaching your kids right from wrong, whatever happened to the stand up and fight for yourself, what happened to take responsibility for yourself?  I am not sure I like the way that the world is going, and I am sure that my kids are looking at me the way I looked at my parents when they said that, but I really do believe that we are growing a bunch of kids with the sense of entitlement, and it doesn’t make me happy.  

Daily Dose of BS Jan 4 fight for it

As we settle in to work in the New Year, and think about the up and coming year, get our goals set and our budgets ready.  We think about the things that we want to change and the things that we did pretty well over the past while, it is the time for us to reset our priorities.  I read an article over the weekend that hits on this exactly an article that invites us to look at it in a different way, rather than what do we want for the New Year but to ask ourselves what would we fight for?   This is a whole different way of looking at the same ol same ol.  Maybe a chance for us to reexamine our life and existence.  I know what I want out of life but do I know what I am willing to fight for?  That is question I have been pondering since I read that article.  In 2016 ask yourself what are you willing to fight for?

Daily Dose of BS Dec 31 end of year

This time of year gives many the chance to reflect and remember.  As we wrap up 2015 and begin our journey of 2016 I just want to hit a few highlights of my 2015, my wife and I celebrated our 25^th wedding anniversary, I was a full time student at Western Technical College, earning a total of 11 A’s and 1 B, in my 1 year of college I achieved better grades than my whole career in High School.  My favorite memory of my family was trumped every Sunday when we all got together and laughed and loved, but if I had to pick one it would have been Father’s Day, just because of the laughter and good times.  My job is awesome and I wouldn’t trade it for the world but I did get to do the coolest thing I have ever got to do as a radio personality, I got to climb down and go inside of the I-90 bridge during the construction phase.  Here is to the memories of 2015 and also to the unpublished pages of 2016, may they be the best ever.  Happy New Year.  

Daily Dose of BS Dec 30 pizza

Everyone who eats pizza has a favorite.  Either frozen or fresh.  I have a couple of favorites in the area, but don’t have a favorite La Crosse pizza.  I like Pizza Coral in Holmen and Great River Roadhouse in Desoto, but haven’t found the perfect place to get a pie in La Crosse.  When it comes to frozen I love the Sweet Home Chicago from Lloyd’s Pizza and am really beginning to like most of the Lotsa Motza pizzas that are out there, lots of cheese and a pretty good ratio of toppings to bite.  My question today is what is your favorite restaurant pizza and frozen pizza?

Daily Dose of BS Dec 28 phone

I have had a cell phone for about 15 years give or take, not sure exactly when I ended up with one but I am sure I can count on two hands how many times I have forgotten it at home.  And two of those times were in the past 3 days, and I actually left the home yesterday forgetting my phone and then recalled that it was forgotten before I even hit the garage, so it could have been three for three.  I wonder how often this happens to people when they forget their phones and then obsess about it for the day?  This morning I was about 3 blocks from home when I realized I had forgotten it and thought the heck with it I am going to leave it home.  The weird thing is that it is habit and even though I don’t make many phone calls or text lots it is a security blanket, it will be missed.  I kind of feel naked without it.

Daily Dose of BS Dec 24 Christmas

It’s the day before Christmas and no presents are bought. 

You are feeling quite down, real sad and distraught

What kind of gifts can you buy now and not look real bad

Some last minute presents cause feelings of sad

There are things that can be bought and wrapped or downloaded and shared

And also items that showed that you cared

The trick to shopping last minute is easy

Is to not look like you waited, don’t make it look cheesy

As Boy Scouts have taught me to look all prepared

And when going to buy last minute gifts don’t look scared.

From BS with Bob and crew that work here.

Merry Christmas to all and have a great year. 

Daily Dose of BS Dec 21 pageants

By now I am sure that you heard about Steve Harvey’s Miss Universe flub.  If not he basically read the wrong name, he read the runner up rather than the winner’s name.  Ok it was a mistake, let’s move on.  I get it working in the public when we make a mistake people know, the outcomes are different than those who make mistakes in the privacy of your office cube or the walls of your home.  Steve’s mistake isn’t going to ever make anything that you do any different than what it is was.  Time to let it go and honestly who cares.  With that being should we even have beauty contests anymore?  I can honestly say I have never seen one, and couldn’t tell you who any of the Miss Americas have been with the exception of Vanessa Williams and the only reason I know that name is because of the controversy she was in.  For Steve Harvey I get it man it is tough to mess up in front of people but move on and don’t let this be the defining moment of your career and for the promoters of the Miss contests is it time to hang up the crown?  

Daily Dose of BS Dec 17 economy

The Fed is working on trying to get the economy back to normal.  After 7 years of about 0% interest the Fed is now going to be hiking up the interest rates by a whopping .25% in hopes of stabilizing the economy.  I hope that it works.  The decision to move the rate up reflected the federal officials’ faith in the resilience of the nation’s financial recovery and with the announcement stocks surged.  The biggest change for most of us will be a higher interest rate on our credit cards and our loans that we have outstanding, it will be a long, long time I think until the banks will start paying interest for the savors of the group.  

Daily Dose of BS December 16 snow

I heard something this morning that I hadn’t heard in a while.  The heat was running at my house when I got out of the shower.  We have had a weird 4^th quarter weather wise.  My grass at home is greener now than it was during the summer, but I am guessing that this is because I don’t water my lawn.  I am one of those that use the natural form of watering, when it rains the grass gets wet and when we don’t get rain I end up with a dry brown lawn.  Here we are in December and I have a full lush lawn that is going to need mowing if we keep getting rain.  I grew up in the Twin Cities and it is funny how you just think there is supposed to be snow on Christmas but did you know that in 116 years of snow measuring in Twin Cities, a white Christmas happens about 72% of the time. And there have been 33 years with either a "zero" or a "trace."  In fact the last time the Twin Cities has seen a brown Christmas was 2014.  Are you ok with this weather?  

Daily Dose of BS Dec 11 Debbie Brague

I remember meeting Debbie Brague about 10 years ago at a now Parenting Place event, we started out as competitors working for different radio groups.  Even though she and I were competitors she was friendly.  A little over 5 years ago we began working together with her as my boss, I guess I am not that easy to work with.  Over the past 5 years our forced union of boss and employee became a great friendship.  Today I am sad and happy as my good friend / boss is moving on to a new adventure.  I have no doubt that Deb will rock her new job as a regional manager for Verizon.  Deb will be missed here at La Crosse Radio , she is absolutely the hardest working person I have ever worked with, according to the Deb Brague way of thinking there is nothing that can’t be done.  Also there is nothing that she would ask you to do that she wouldn’t do.  I am glad that I have had the chance to learn from her.  Best of luck for everything in your future Deb, I will miss our conversations….A lot! 

Daily Dose of BS Dec 10 shutdown

Are we headed for another shutdown?  The answer is no, the government just keeps pushing funding through, pushing us further and further into debt.  It makes me sick.  Have you ever thought about your job when they talk about non-essential jobs?  Is your job essential? I’m not sure mine is. In fact I know mine is not. Funny thing when they do have these government shut downs, the non-essential people get some days off, then they get back pay for the time that they didn’t go into work.  Hum.  I call that a vacation.  If the government truly wants to make a difference next time they do one of these instead of a making a point - have the whole government shutdown. I am guessing that that will not happen cause the man never goes without. Could you imagine the people in Congress or the Senate say no to a pay check?   What about the President?  There may be a few out there who will as a gesture give it up but really? It isn’t really going to affect them the way it hurts the common person.

Daily Dose of BS Dec 7 verted?

Introverted or extroverted that is the question.  I am not sure where I fall in the spectrum.  I like people but love my time alone.  Anyway I found an article that could help anyone with networking.  We all have Christmas parties and other family get togethers this time of the year and these tips can be helpful in any social instance.  Don’t label yourself. Some of the labels we assign to ourselves are holding us back. Let go of negative focus. Train your mind to stop focusing on a potential negative outcome.  Imagine the obstacles aren’t there. Most of the time, we tend to imagine the outcome as a worst case scenario.  Find the common ground. Preparation often eases anxiety.  Use self-fulfilling prophecies to your advantage. But what if you appear less nervous and warmer.  New behaviors are like new shoes. When you first wear a new pair of shoes, it’s bound to feel uncomfortable. But the more you break them in, the better you feel wearing them. It’s the same with new behaviors. I think that these ideas and a couple of egg nogs will help with the dreaded Holiday party.  

Daily Dose of BS Dec 4 work

I will help my kids with their shoveling and mowing jobs but they have to pay me for my time.  I said that on the air about 10 years ago and took the wrath of many but I got the praises of a few.  I still do help my kids with jobs that they are hired for and still do collect a wage for my time.  What are your thoughts when it comes to this?  I have always had the strong entrepreneurial spirit and have always found new and different ways of making a few bucks, from doing commercial voice overs for businesses, to building and hosting and websites, I even had a couple of candy machines placed around, I have always had the drive and desire to get this done even as a kid and am trying to pass that spirt on to my own kids.  There is nothing wrong with going out and working for your money.  

Daily Dose of BS Dec 3 shootings

Another day another shooting in America.  Do you feel safe?  Are we as Americans safe?  I don’t know if it is naivety on my part but up until yesterday I think I felt safe, like I am an American and this is my home.  This morning I woke up to the realization that these shootings can happen anywhere, and that no one and no place is safe.  There have been shootings in schools, churches, malls, neighborhoods, homes, work places, movie theaters, parks, when did this happen?  What made us as a society susceptible to all the violence?  September 11^th showed us what could happen, but it was in a big city, but these shootings we are now seeing are middle America.  What can be done? 

Daily Dose of BS Dec 2 names

In my 47 years of being on this earth we have seen a lot of changes from our cars, and houses to the things we buy and eat…heck about 15 years ago I would have never bought bottled water, now water is one of my favorite drinks.  I would have never thought I would be able to have a phone with me at all times let alone a computer in my pocket.  When facebook came into existence I avoided it like the plaque now I post on facebook everyday, It is kind of weird when I don’t.  The reason I bring this up is because I was thinking I don’t know any kid named Bob, when I was growing up there where about 15 of us in my class from Rob, to Robby, and Bob to Bobby and don’t forget about Robert.  I was born in 1968 and then the top names were Michael, David, John, James and Robert….for the boys and Lisa, Michelle, Kimberly, Jennifer and Melissa for the girls.  Number one for 2010 was Jackson for boys and Sophia for girls and Robert was no where in the top 50.  Michael or Lisa the top names from 1968 haven’t even broke the top 10 in this generation.  To see where your name ranks check out the Social Security Administrations website http://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/