Daily Dose of BS Nov 14 Packers

Is it time to call for the helmets and the hats of the top brass of the Packers?  I don’t think so.  We have become so accustom to winning that when we have an average year we want the tree to be shaken up from the top down calling for the heads of all involved.  I say work harder, put your nose to the grindstone and work on winning some games but no we don’t need to fire the coach.  We and by we I mean a collective we always want our teams to win, from when we watch our kids play to our favorite high school and college but when it comes to our professional team we expect a win.  I look at it like the election that we just had, that one team will win and one team will lose, you really don’t know for sure who the winner will be until the last whistle is blown and final score is posted.  We sometimes think we will know the outcome but as we keep finding out we can only guess. 

Daily Dose of BS Nov 11 Veterans Day

My Father and my Grandfather served in the military, many of my good friends served in our military and a few of my friend’s children are currently serving.  To all of these men and women, I thank you.  You have given us the chance to have the freedoms that we have.  If it had not been for the bravery of these fine folks we wouldn’t even be able to have this discussion.  We would have our government telling us what we need to believe in, and how to feel.  We would be brain washed to think the way they think and our own thoughts and beliefs, our own interests would be what they the government wants, we have the rights to think what we want, to protest what we don’t feel is right and to have my job in the media.  If you know a veteran, give a nod, say thanks or buy them a drink.  The stories of our veterans are varied, some saw combat, some were behind the scenes, some never returned but all left something behind.  On this Veterans Day we honor all those who have made the sacrifices many of us can only imagine, to the families and the veterans out there, thank you.  

Daily Dose of BS Nov 10 election

There has been lots of protesting around the country, I have seen people complain on Facebook claiming that if only people would have not gone in to vote for the 3^rd party candidate, of even a couple of posts saying if you are going to vote 3^rd party don’t go to vote at all.  Excuse me?  For the lets say 60% of Americans that actually voted, thank you for being a part of the process.  I wonder of the thousands of protesters that were out in force last night how many of them voted?  I will tell you what I don't get, it is all the negative talk on Facebook about shamming people for voting for a third-party candidate. I didn't vote for a third party candidate but I'll tell you what I wasn't a big fan of either of the two at the top. At least people that voted for a third-party candidate got out and voted! And who's to say that if they voted for one of the top two that they would have voted for your candidate anyway?  Right now is an important time in our country, we need to work together and show the rest of the world that we can overcome. When your favorite team loses you pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep on routing, don’t give up on America.  There is always the next election if you weren’t happy with this one.  We are a great country, yes we make mistakes. But guess what this is America, we too can pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off... We are the land of the free, the home of the brave. God Bless America!

Daily Dose of BS Nov 9 election

Well It is a new day and the sun is expected to shine at least here in La Crosse.  About a quarter the people out there are unhappy with the election results, and are ready to move from the country and want to blame everyone under the sun for the loss, about a quarter of the people are ecstatic and feeling euphoric with the victory and about 50% of us are glad that it is over.  I can honestly say I am glad that this is over.  I can honestly say that some of my candidates won and some of them lost.  I liked candidates on both sides of the ticket.  I did not throw away any of my votes, I went in and voted for the person whom I thought was the best candidate for me and what I believe.  I am unhappy with some of the results and wish that we would have had better choices at the top but today is here, the election is over.  Let’s just enjoy a few months before the next election cycle starts up again. 

Daily Dose of BS Nov 8 election day

Ya know it is funny when you are a kid when your parents tell you that you are going someplace fun the time seems to take forever to get there, as you get older that time slips right on by.  For example, if you were going on a family vacation the perspective of the child is I can hardly wait for the 2 days leading up to it while the parent would be I can’t believe that it is over.  My life seems to be like that in almost every aspect except for this election, this election can not come soon enough, and even though the day is here, the day will drag on and on and on.  Please do your part and vote.  I usually try to stay away from political people on my posts, but who do you hope wins?  Then after asking that how many people who said that they are leaving the country if their candidate doesn’t win will leave?  

Daily Dose of BS Nov 7 tomorrow

Thank goodness tomorrow is the election.  I am not sure how much more of the people bashing we can take.  I look over the past few months and think that our time could have been used in a more productive manner.  What have we learned?  We have learned that democrats like to fall in love with a candidate and will fight for that person.  We have learned that republicans are no longer going to follow the company line, that they want different.  We have learned that the news cycle is a lot shorter than it used to be, we have heard stories from both of the candidates that were the biggest stories then brushed under the rug.  We have learned what riles up each of the players, and that they both have tempers.  We have learned that the more negative you go the more the news will cover you.  Also we picked up that money doesn’t matter, that email sucks and that the system is rigged.  We only have one more day to put up with this BS.  I for one can not wait.  Can you? 

Daily Dose of BS Nov 4 time

Parts of Arizona, parts of Indiana, and all of Hawaii have it right…leave the time alone.  I very much dislike changing the clocks, I hate that people say you have an extra hour of sleep, and as the sands of time continue and I am getting older, my body doesn’t seem to cooperate with the change as it once did.  Here are the 3 main issues that I have with the time change, not only the one scheduled for tomorrow or should I say the one set for 2 am on Sunday but the one in the spring as well.  1- I hate changing my clocks, well La Crosse Technologies has helped with this, however, I finally got my microwave and stove to show the same time, now with the change and they are going to off again. Number 2- you don’t get an extra hour of sleep, I am smart enough to listen to my body when tired I sleep and when my alarm rings I get up, I won’t be getting an extra hour of sleep this weekend, and I am guessing you won’t either.  Which brings me to my 3rd issue my body is not as elastic as it once was, I have trained my body the past 6 months or so to go to be at 9:30pm and get up at 4am.  Let’s all get together and ban the time change, or have a compromise the next time and switch it by 30 minutes and call it good.   

Daily Dose of BS Nov 3 politicians

I have about this much patience...especially since I am getting older, and the political BS is wearing on my last nerve.  I don't know about you but sometimes it is the little stupid things that bug me like there is no tomorrow.  Like rude people, or people who talk on their phone at a volume 10x what the normal volume would be.  It is a piece of equipment with a microphone...microphones amplify sound; you don't need to yell in to the phone.  I am also annoyed by the fact that the politicians are further right and further left than most of us Americans.  In the group of people that I hang around with there are some democrats and some republicans but for the most part they are pretty close to the middle, there is no far left or far right.  These politicians are saying that they are for the people, I want to know which people that they are for?   I don't know what it is about getting older and not being as flexible but I am trying but please quit being stupid so we can get along.   

Daily Dose of BS Nov 2 lives matter

I am going to start by saying that black lives matter, I agree with that statement, but I also think that all lives matter.  Nobody’s life is more important than anyone’s else’s nobody’s.  In the past week there was a shooting death of a police officer doing their job in Rusk County here in Wisconsin, and I woke this morning to hear that 2 police officers in the De Moines area were shot and killed in an ambush style execution.  I am not sure I understand why there isn’t outward anger over these facts?  I feel as though there is a double standard when it comes to protesting of unfortunate killings of anyone.  What happened to justice for all, or is it justice for some?   

Daily Dose of BS Nov 1 parking

Well the city of La Crosse didn’t take too much time to start putting warnings on cars.  While driving into work this morning I noticed a bunch of cars with a red tinted envelope tucked neatly under the driver’s side windshield washer blade.  It makes sense since we are starting off this morning at 57 degrees, and only looking for a high of 67 later today.  The annual free for all money grab started at 1am this morning as the yearly alternate side parking debacle begins.  At least one of our city council people have our backs Councilman Padesky introduced last year to the council a shorted alternate side parking term, it fell on deaf ears as we still have to same old stupid money grad going on again this year.  From today until March 31 we will have to follow the even, odd parking rules, this is even if we don’t have any snow or even any snow in the forecast.  I wonder where the parking money even goes?  

Daily Dose of BS Oct 31 Halloween

Funny to think about it but Halloween goes against everything we teach our kids, don’t talk to strangers.  Don’t beg for stuff.  Don’t take candy from strangers.  We for some reason let our guard down on October 31st.  Halloween has gotten to be such a huge holiday.  I remember when I was a kid I was always either a bum or a ghost, and they were always homemade costumes.  My mom cut holes in an old white bed sheet for the ghost costume and I wore my grandpas hat and some of my Dads old clothes to be a bum.  What happened to the good old simple days of homemade costumes?  Nowadays there are stores dedicated to only Halloween to isles at the box stores all devoted to spooking it up.  You are even seeing more and more homes putting up lights and decorations in their yards…in fact there are many homes that go way overboard on the macabre.  Something else to think about with today being Halloween and many will be wearing masks, but maybe today we are really showing who we really are. Happy Halloween

Daily Dose of BS Oct 28 La Crosse

Let me start by saying I love La Crosse, Wisconsin.  I love that we have base of people who are ready, willing and able to lend a hand with just about anything.  I love that we have revitalized our downtown, we have beautified our parks, worked to bring new businesses in, have a mix of old and new architecture and that we are close to the rivers, the bluffs and the interstate.  In my eyes we are a rock solid community.  I do however question all the new downtown apartments and storefronts that are being built.  Like I said I love La Crosse but question whether we can fill all the new spots that are being built.  It seems like we see a small possibility of growth then everyone jumps on that same train of thought.  Look at the 87% more hotel rooms that we will have once the last local hotel gets built.  I am happy to see all this growth, and hope I am wrong in thinking that there may be lots of empty apartments and store fronts once all the new work is finished. 

Daily Dose of BS Oct 27 Military

Last night I was hanging out with a few buddies of mine that were in the military in the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s and found out that because of the time when he served in the military that some weren’t able to be a part of certain military groups because of dates of service, that because there were no conflicts at that time he wouldn’t be allowed to join.  Excuse me, but didn’t the men and women who were ready to go to battle for our country at a moment’s notice be allowed to join a group?  I questioned a couple of other friends about this practice and they said that the United States Congress sets these dates.  This to me is an outrage and that I believe that people who served and were honorably discharged should be able to join the group.  Speaking of the military I also think that it is wrong that all these solders from California have to repay the signing bonus that they were given because of some unscrupulous recruiters.  

Daily Dose of BS Oct 26 obamacare

Rumors are that next year Obamacare will be anything but affordable.  With reports saying the average cost will rise 25% how much more will our pocketbooks take?  One candidate says he is going to repeal it the other days she is going to fix it, what is the real answer?  I popped over to healthcare.gov to see if that site is even still up and running, guess what it is.  Looks like it may be the only thing working with the affordable care act.  It was supposed to be affordable right?  Have you found it affordable?  I have heard from many who said that what they have now is a catastrophe plan, meaning high deductible and low payout.  Wasn’t the whole reason behind the roll out of the mess healthcare.gov to make that different, to offer good quality health care at an affordable price?  I have yet to hear from anyone who got that.  What have you heard?  Or, are you using it? 

Daily Dose of BS Oct 25 smoking

I was a smoker on and off for much of my teen years and into my 20’s and 30’s, sure I heard that it was bad to smoke and blah, blah, blah.  I enjoyed it, but I tell you what I am glad I quit.  Recently I was at a buddy’s house where they smoke inside and it reminded me that I made the right choice in quitting.  I read earlier this morning that one in four cancers deaths are caused by smoking.  Like I said I am glad I quit.  Don’t get me wrong, there are days that I sometimes think of a cigarette but thankfully haven’t had one in over 9 years.  Which brings me to another smokers issue, when I see someone toss their cigarette butt out the window it makes me angry.  I watched a woman the other day waiting in the grocery store parking lot with the windows rolled up smoking, only to roll down her window to toss her butt out the window.  Doesn’t your car have an ash tray?  Or some receptacle that you can toss your stinky burn butt into?  If you smoke remember that the world is not your ashtray.  The littered butts present a threat to wildlife. Cigarette filters have been found in the stomachs of fish, birds, whales and other marine creatures who mistake them for food ... don’t be an ass pick up your butt. 

Daily Dose of BS Oct 24 tie

Could you imagine the outcry if on November 8^th the election was a tie?  How many recounts do you think that they would do?  I bet that they would keep counting until there was a winner.  What about if the Super Bowl ended with a tie, or any other football game.  Wait that happened just last night.  I do not understand why the NFL doesn’t have the rule that the game can not end in a tie.  No one likes to see a tie in professional sports, no one!  The Seahawks-Cardinals Sunday night game last night played out to a 6-6 tie.  In that situation why not have sudden death?  These players and the fans deserve to have a clear winner, and we deserve to have a clear winner come November 8^th.  Please get registered to vote and lets not vote this election to a tie.  

Daily Dose of BS Oct 21 water

Most of the water we drink from a bottle is tap water.   Kind of makes you think a second on why are we paying a premium for something that we could get for basically free by turning on any tap.  I just watched a video on how most of the water is done at plants that take the water in and bottle it up.  Some of it has something added to it or filtered but for the most part guess what it is the same thing we get when the tap is on.  I guess I am a bit shocked on this as some is way more expensive than others.  I guess when I buy cases of water in the summer while the kids play baseball or softball I do it for convenience.  I am a big drinker of water about a gallon a day.  I like to not be dry I guess.  The reason I bring this up is that we need to drink about 2 liters of water a day or about a half-gallon, are you getting that much? 

Daily Dose of BS Oct 20 debate

For some reason the word wrong echoed in my head though the night.  Thank goodness that we saw the last of the 3 debates last night.  I thought beforehand that we would see World War 3 then when it started it seemed to have a calmer demeanor than the previous 2, I held hope that the debate would end up as a strictly informational debate on what the candidates believed.  I was wrong.  It seemed like Chris Wallace had a handle on the event when all of a sudden there were 2 and sometimes 3 people talking at once.  I am hard of hearing and I have a hard time hearing one voice at times, two is even more difficult and 3 – don’t get me started.  My parents always told me it was wrong to interrupt when someone else is talking, I don’t think that Trump or Clinton was around for that lesson.  And what was it with the interruption of the word wrong so many times?  I guess the best thing about the debate is that there isn’t any more of them.  Only 19 days and counting till election. 

Daily Dose of BS Oct 19 Spam

Someone asked the other day do you eat spam fried, I replied no way.  Yuck.  I like my Spam raw either on a sandwich or chopped up in my mac and cheese.  I don’t eat Spam very often at best maybe one time a year, but when I was a kid it was a staple at the Schmidt house, my Mom would dice it up and put in mac and cheese with some peas and bam we had a dinner.  Fast forward 30 years and sure I have it in the cupboard but I really don’t remember the last time I had the pressed ham product.  I guess it was when one of my wife’s co-worker made some Spam sushi.  It was actually really good.  Do you eat Spam, if so when was the last time and are you a raw or fried kind of Spam eater? 

Daily Dose of BS Oct 18 voting

I have always honored my privilege to vote, in fact I have voted in every general election I have been able to vote in and in the past 20 years I have voted in the primaries as well.  You often hear of people saying I only vote in the presidential election.  Guess what because so few people vote in the primary we are stuck with the two most unpopular candidates we have ever had, we are going to eventually have either Clinton or Trump leading our country for the next 4 years.  Have you thought about that?  4 years of what?  Anyway this is the reason that we need to take our privilege to vote more seriously because the lack of interest put us in this situation.  Every voting cycle I look forward to what I feel is a civic duty and I look forward to the dog and pony show of going to stand in line to cast my vote, lately there has been an uptick in the amount of early voters in fact it opened yesterday in Wisconsin, and I noticed quite a few of my friends have voted already, I am glad that they voted, early voting isn’t for me.  Here is something to think about just because you voted it doesn’t mean that you are going to get any less robo-calls or people ringing your doorbell.  They will still bug you until November 8^th.  

Daily Dose of BS Oct 17 Packers

I find it funny to read for the calling of the heads of McCarthy, Rogers and Thompson.  After the conclusion of yesterday’s Packer game against the Cowboys people took to social media demanding for a regime change. ??? I don’t get it.  I get that they look lost at times, but, to call for the heads of the team that put together the team that we love to watch, I just don’t get.  If the Packers all of a sudden turn it around next week and end up with a flawless last 10 games will the outcry change.  You bet it will.  Am I upset that they have lost a couple of games this season, sure, am I going to ask for the resignation of the brass?  No way.  I look at it this way, they have a public job and people see their flaws, if we could peer into your day at the job, would we see yours?  I bet we would.  Give the Packers a break. 

Daily Dose of BS Oct 14 do you return the change

I read a post on Facebook this morning that asked the simple question “When you're undercharged at the store do you point out the mistake?”  This is a really good question and one that should be asked of our political candidates, I am guessing that they will say yes of course they do, but I would then follow up with what is the cost of a gallon of milk, a loaf of bread or how much is a gallon of gas.  I am going to guess that most of our political candidates on the national level have no idea what the cost of the basic necessities of life costs, how about a stick of deodorant or laundry soap?  I bet no idea, and maybe just maybe this is what is wrong with the top, that they are so far removed from the “normal” life that we lead there is no connection.  Back to the will you point out an undercharge while at the store, yes of course I will, and I have, I have also given back extra change and you are damn sure I will point out when I am overcharged as well.  I also use coupons, I work hard for my money. 

Daily Dose of BS Oct 13 no guns

Wouldn’t you think that a police officer in a court room with a jury watching a case, that they would be able to carry a side arm as part of their uniform?  I read an article yesterday that had Judge Gonzalez disarming police officers while they were testifying in a battery case.  Three La Crosse Police officers were told that they couldn’t wear their firearm or their duty belt while in the courtroom.  Apparently having a gun on a belt on a police officer is a distraction to a jury and could be cause for a mistrial.  I’ll tell you what I think, if there was a cop in a courtroom on the stand while I was on a jury, and the cop wasn’t packing heat, that would be more of a distraction to me than a cop without a gun on the stands?  What do you think?  To me it is like a firefighter without their tools trying to fight a fire.  

Daily Dose of BS Oct 12 Pop

Looks like the government wants to reach deep into our pockets once again this time taking from those who are drinkers of sugary drinks, like sports drinks, energy drinks, fruit punch, sweetened iced tea, and drinks like Kool-Aid and lemonade.  Oh yeah this reach for money of course includes pop, or is it soda, or do you call it Coke?  I grew up in the Twin Cities and I called it pop, now when I ask for a drink it is usually water.  Other people call it soda, and in Georgia they call it Coke.  It is all the same, it is sugary, caffeinated water with carbonation.  Back to the story of the WHO World Health Organization, they are backing a controversial measure to reverse type 2 diabetes, a 20 to 50% soda tax.  I think that they think that an increase in the tax will increase the cost of goods, in turn it will drive the prices up and make people think about buying the pop before they do, in turn making less people buy pop.  I don’t know if it will work, look at the amount of people still smoking with those taxes, and how many of us still drive, look at the gas tax. 

Daily Dose of BS Oct 11 roundabouts

I sometimes feel like I am running around chasing my tail, (in case you are wondering, no I really don’t have a tail) with how busy life is these days do you ever feel like you are running in circles as well?  The government is now adding to that feeling, well even more than they usually do.  More and more communities are getting the run around and the turn around with the roundabout, I go through one now every day on way to work.  I don’t mind when they are in a neighborhood since there are no other cars around when you approach plus you can try for the world record of laps in a quiet roundabout.  I am going to admit this to you, I get anxious when I approach them, what if I do it wrong, it stems from when I first approached one in the Dells, I didn’t know what to do I got off too early and ended up having to go out my way to get back on track.  Personally not a fan of the roundabout, but I am getting better though. 

Daily Dose of BS Oct 10 debate

I didn’t get a chance to watch the Packers game last night.  I was watching the Town Hall style debate.  WOW.  It started off harsh and didn’t let up.  I honestly think that if the first question asked would have been the question that was posed to the candidates at the end of the night the tone would have been set differently.  The final question of the night was what is one thing that you respect about your opponent, Clinton respects Trumps kids and Trump respects Clintons tenacity.   I knew right off the bat that the debate was going to be feisty since they didn’t come out and shake hands, hell they didn’t even look at each other.  But by the end they shook hands, I wonder what was said in that moment and if there was a power play by either for hand dominance?  BTW if that was a Town Hall style debate, it certainly isn’t a town I would like to be a part of.  

Daily Dose of BS Oct 7 clowns

I really don’t get the whole clown thing going on across the country.  What?  People are afraid of clowns or is a made up fear since there are weirdos out there dressed up in their creepy macabre clown makeup.  One of my good friends who is a performer of physical comedy and makes his living clowning around.  He wrote a good piece on the current clown bashing starting off saying that “The clown arts are based on the purpose of serving to create joy.  he understands that some don’t like clown entertainment, this is a time when our world could use some extra joy, and that Real clowns are being lumped in with a disturbing group of people, who are sadly perpetuating a sick myth. These terrible people are not clowns.  A simple truth... audiences know a real clown.”  Kenny, I agree.  Be safe out there.  I am not sure why these people are trying to freak people out, maybe just maybe they too are just clowning around.  

Daily Dose of BS Oct 6 Obamacare

President Bill Clinton said what a lot of Americans have been thinking for a long time.  Clinton criticized President Barack Obama's signature policy reform Monday calling Obamacare "the craziest thing in the world."  Here’s the deal, a lot of the big insurers are backing out and premiums are going up I have heard over 60% in places. The fix?  Raise the penalty in an effort to FORCE people to buy insurance.  On paper I would think that it would work and would lower the premiums for the masses, but we just aren’t seeing it we are seeing the cost of health care heading even higher.  I feel as though we are lucky living here with two great hospitals and access to some of the best care in the country but at what cost?  And how about the subsidies?  How do they work, or do they?   Has anyone’s health care gone down since this started? 

Daily Dose of BS Oct 5 taxes

I liked the VP candidates better than their running mates.  One of topic that seemed to bring the most arguments was the not paying taxes of Trump.  Excuse me but as a tax paying American, I always try to pay the least amount of taxes I can.  I have regular conversations with the IRS media people and they want each American to pay their fair share of taxes.  I agree with that assessment.  Heck if we all didn’t want to get a benefit of tax breaks, wouldn’t we just pay the max and call it good?  I work hard for my money and would like to have all that I can to use, wouldn’t you?  

Daily Dose of BS Oct 4 internet selling

We are in an interesting time.  Google is introducing hardware to go with their popular search engine, Facebook is looking for a bigger piece of the pie and my third favorite site Craigslist is an amazing beast.  I get how Google and Facebook make money but when it comes to Craigslist, I wonder what the business model is when it comes to making money on that site.  There is no advertising and no charge for listings.  What am I missing?  I am glad to see this business work because it allows us to upcycle and to have it be new to us yet keeps it out of the land fill.  I also have found that people will be willing to pay a bit more for items on craigslist compared to if you were to sell it at a rummage sale.  Plus you can look for the bargains you are looking for without leaving your house, and if you are selling - the best part of it all is I have sold most of the items I have tried to sell and even better is you don’t have to have a rummage sale.  

Daily Dose of BS Oct 3 56th Oktoberfest

Well we did it.  We made it through the 56^th annual Oktoberfest celebration, what did you think?  I enjoyed this years fest, I think even more than previous fests, I did fest all 4 days and I liked it.  It is funny since fest became a shorter celebration, I didn’t find myself at fest any less than other years, in fact I think I headed down even more.  I took part in the Slicing of the Golden Brat, I drove the Mapleleaf Parade on Saturday, it was typical we were number 102 in the parade and supposed to line up by 930 am for a 10am start to the parade, we didn’t even start to move until after noon, which made for a long morning.  At least the weather was awesome.  I hit a few concerts and yesterday I was a judge in OktoBRATfest featuring 7 chef made brats.  I had fun seeing many people that I haven’t seen in quite a while.   My biggest issues with the fest isn’t with fest at all but with the get as drunk as possible mentality of too many.   The drunk and disorderly folks especially around the college area left their garbage strewn all around.  I thought that West Avenue looked like a dump site.  Pick up after yourself.  And remember a community fest isn’t about getting a drunk as possible and wrecking the beauty around you.  

Daily Dose of BS Sept 30 golden brat

Today is slicing of the golden Brat, and many are hitting up different places getting ready for Oktoberfest.  As we roll through town today hitting up whatever prefest, festivities please think before you hop in a car.  We are going to be seeing many people drinking to excess this weekend.  It unfortunately is a fact.  I contend that you can go to Oktoberfest and either drink just a couple to be social or not drink at all.  I have been on both ends of the spectrum over living in La Crosse for the past 24 year, I gotta say the years that involved less drinks were just as fun and maybe even more fun than the ones that had overindulged Bob.  I understand that at festivals and especially ones where everyone seems drunker than the next person, you feel the pressure to drink to excess, as I try to show my kids in moderation it is ok, but don’t let it get away from you.  Think before that last drink.

Daily Dose of BS Sept 29 phones

Starting Saturday in Wisconsin it will be illegal talk on a hand held mobile device while driving through a work zone.  This new law is part of the effort to reduce distracted driving and make a safer working environment in Wisconsin.  The first ticket will cost you $40 then it jumps up to $100 after that.  According to the Wisconsin DOT holding a phone up to the ear takes precious attention away from the road, that drivers need to stay focused and alert at all times.   In the four years from 2011 to 2015 there were 47 people killed and 3,592 injured in a total of 9,664 crashes in Wisconsin work zones.  The DOT goes on to say that the more we work to eliminate distractions and focus on driving the safer each of us will be.  This also goes for texting and driving.  Remember it can wait.  Be safe and give your undivided attention to the road.

Daily Dose of BS Sept 28 3rd party candidates

I have been seeing and hearing more people talk about the throwing away of your vote, that if you vote for a third party candidate that it was like throwing your vote away.  Huh?  You are telling me how I can vote now.  There were a few long discussions posted on Facebook and a few conversations that I was a part of that seemed to have no end.  I stepped back and just let the them run their course.  Explain to me how if I do my homework, and believe in a candidate that if I vote for them it is like voting for the opposite of who you want to win?  I am not really sure I get your logic?  First of all, you want me to vote, then you want me to vote for your candidate and if I don’t then we can’t be friends?  WHAT?  This is America, right?  Here’s my deal, do your homework, then vote who you want to.  If it is a 3^rd, 4^th or 5^th tier candidate or a first or second.  VOTE.  Guess what your candidate may or may not win, if they don’t accept the will of the people, then work to change it for the next election.  Don’t try to recall the will of the people, guess what elections are just that there are winners and losers.  Be gracious no matter how it ends.  

Daily Dose of BS Sept 27 debate

They were expecting 100 million people to watch the debate last night.  I was one of them, were you?  I think I expected more from Lester Holt.  As the moderator of a debate I would expect better time management and also better control of the floor.  I don’t think I could have done any better, but I wish there was more professionalism.  I did notice right off the bat that both candidates had a look about them, that Trump looked tired and Clinton looked bored and what was it with the snuffing from Mr Trump and the creepy smile from Mrs Clinton?  I asked on Facebook last night who won the debate and I am not sure who did, but I know who did not.  I don’t think that America has won, not at all with these choices.  The two candidates are polarizing and as a county we do not need people to pull us apart, we need someone to bring us together.  

Daily Dose of BS Sept 26 hackers

I own a handful of websites, and host many others through my business.  I hate hackers.  I don’t get what hackers get out of putting malicious programs on someone’s site.  I also don’t know why these hackers are always trying to hack someone’s email?  We heard last week that 500 million yahoo accounts were hacked.  This one hit close to home for me as I have used a yahoo account since I have had email I really think that hackers are making our world a tougher place to live.  Thank goodness I listen to the radio or I wouldn’t have known that yahoo got hacked.  I got no email from them this past week saying that my email may have also been compromised.  We hear of other hacks or compromises in business about every other day.  I am not a fan.  These all compromises all hurt us, especially the attacks on small businesses.  Lots of hackers are breaking into small business websites and emails.  This is costing us all, time, effort and energy.  And what are they getting out of some of the hacks?  I don’t get it.

Daily Dose of BS Sept 23 rain

An umbrella wouldn’t have helped the last few days.  If you were outside in the rain you got wet, if that is all that happened to you, you were lucky.  In the 24 years I have lived here I have never seen rains like these, there have been some big rains and many multiple days of rains but I really don’t recall these types of rains.  And I am not sure if we are just seeing more pictures faster now than we did in the past but everywhere you looked the past couple of days there were pictures of over flooded streets, yards that are now water front property, trees down, mudslides into many different areas from yards, to streets, to the woods to the DeSoto football field.  Not to mention the deadly mudslide that took a house down and closed the roads.  The old nursery rhyme keeps playing in my head, it’s raining its pouring the old man is snoring he bumped his head and went to bed and couldn’t get up in the morning. 

Daily Dose of BS Sept 22 working

Things are moving, the earth, the roads, the economy.  If you have driven anywhere in the La Crosse area lately you will notice construction, be it road, home, business or industry.  I hope that with all the work being done in and around our little piece of heaven – that the work now will add some good paying jobs to the work force in the future.  We have a 3.5 % unemployment rate which is sixth lowest in the state.  But while we have such low unemployment we also have many who can not afford to pay their bills.  My hope with all this construction that we will build some good paying, skilled jobs, that will afford people to do the things that they would want to do with their free times rather than the things that they do because it is all that they can afford. 

Daily Dose of BS Sept 21 phone books

Ever thought about things that you used to use that have gone away?  I am thinking about the phone book. I don’t know about you but I used to look forward to the phone book being delivered.  I would grab it and look through it to see what new information was being offered this year.  I was a weird kid, and sure I am a bit weird now as well, that is ok as I am ok with who I am.  Back to the phone book thing, I would read about the city, the county and the state.  The information was right at my fingertips.  Plus I always checked to see if our listing was right, I would then check on my Grandparents numbers and my friends, I even remember looking for “famous” peoples phone numbers they were never in there.  The world at least my community was right at my fingertips.  I grew up in the Twin Cities so the phone book was lots bigger than the La Crosse phone book.  I remember going to look up the family’s information and finding another person with the same name as my dad who lived on the same block name and almost the same address for example they were on 1235 east Main Street when we were on 1234 west Main Street.  I am sure I wouldn’t find that now…because no one uses the phone book anymore, infact I don’t remember the last time I grabbed one.  Do you?  I like now that any info you need for the world is at your fingertips…on the internet.  

Daily Dose of BS Sept 20 fist bump

Howie Mandel does it, I see political candidates doing in now as well as business owners and sports stars.  I very much dislike the fist bump, and I always get caught with it, meaning I bump back.  I think I am old school when it comes to hellos and meetings I like the good old fashioned hand shake and eye contact, but it has to be a good handshake with a firm grasp, hand not too sweaty.  I had a handshake the other day that I had to wipe off afterward, and I don’t like that.  A while back I was at an event and saw a dad of one of my sons friends and said hi, he turned said hi to the other guy at the table shook his hand gave a few pleasantries to him looked up to me, gave me a fist bump and a nod then moved on.  I have been kicking myself since for allowing this to happen.  After that I have been saying I’m not comfortable with the fist bump.  Is that rude of me to call the fist bump out?    

Daily Dose of BS Sept 19 terrorism

It is 2016 and it is important for us to be vigilant and protect ourselves.  With the terrorism that happened over the weekend we have to go back to the see something say something that was all so important after the past terrorism that was perpetrated against us in the past.  The see something say something is probably something that we shouldn't have ever given up, even in our own neighborhoods.  Tomorrow night I will be hosting a Crime Stoppers Forum at the Weber Center focusing on neighborhoods.  As we look around and see the issues with our world today it makes me wonder are we ever going to find peace, in the world, our country, our own backyards?  What can we do to make our families and our friends safe?  

Daily Dose of BS Sept 16 5 second rule

I think that all of us have heard of the 5 second rule, it was a rule I have been living by for most of my life, from the very first time I heard it as a child at the Burger Chef in Roseville Minnesota when my Grandmothers burger fell on the floor and she actually ate it, to just this past weekend when my family and I were enjoying some family time on the back deck and some of the popcorn that my son was eating fell on the ground he proudly claimed the 5 second rule and picked it up.  New research shows that the 5 second rule isn’t really a thing that bacteria can instantaneously contaminate your food, and with 1 in 6 people in America getting sick due to food borne illnesses each and every year, I don’t think that it is worth it.

Daily Dose of BS Sept 15 household income

The average household income in La Crosse County rose about 7 grand in the past year to just over 73 thousand dollars.  This is the largest 1 year gain in 5 years.  While the average household income rose so did the county’s overall poverty rate from 12.5 percent to 15.2 percent.  Nationwide that number dropped about 1 percent.   While the county of La Crosse had quite a jump in average household income, there is still about 15 percent of our neighbors living in poverty making only $11,770 per individual or $24,257 for a family of four.  Didn’t I hear a few weeks ago that it takes about a quarter of a million dollars to raise a child from birth to 18, how is that even possible with a person living in poverty?   And what about the saying that it takes money to make money, if 15% of our neighbors are in poverty, how are they making money?  

Daily Dose of BS Sept 14 phones

It isn’t the first time that I have heard this, not even the second time.  How often have you heard about a business not wanting your money?  I have been a customer with a cell phone company for 12 years now.  12 years of loyalty to the same company, at the time a when the industry was new and everyone was working to become the go to phone company.  I had a good contract, one that I really didn’t want to let go but then the phones became smart, smarter than us, and the deals changed.  You needed to add on the services that included more than just phone, and phone calls.  Now mind you 12 years ago my wife and kids didn’t have phones, there was just a single phone, with no texting and no data.  Now with 6 people at my house with cell phones and 6 people with data and texting, the bill has definitely inflated.  Inflated to the point where I want to shop my phone contract out to other businesses, to see what kind of a deal I can get or if I am getting the best service I can.  I have asked for information from a company more than twice, and that is unacceptable.  Who have you had good service and a fair price within the cell phone market?   

Daily Dose of BS Sept 13 fests

Soon it will begin, day after tomorrow in fact, with La Crescents Applefest, then the parades hit the area and hit us hard.  This coming Sunday, is the King Apple Parade, and again the La Crosse Radio group will get the chance along with Bauer’s Market to hand out thousands of apples, to parade goers that line the streets of La Crescent.  Up next lighting up the vehicles on September 29^th for the Torchlight Parade on the North Side of La Crosse kicking off Oktoberfest 2016.  The Edelweiss Parade is Friday morning leading to the tapping of the Golden Keg, then the gran-daddy of all parades begins on Saturday Morning with the Mapleleaf Parade.  I always think that the Rumor of almost 250,000 people line the streets of La Crosse for the Mapleleaf, is a little far-fetched.  Don’t forget about the events that speckle in fun for Oktoberbest, like the Slicing of the Golden Brat, at American Legion Post 52, an 8-foot brat that made GMA last year.  I like our celebrations of fall for the area with Applefest and Oktoberfest, what are your favorite memories of fest?  

Daily Dose of BS Sept 12 Hillary

Health is not something to mess with.  Yesterday at the 9/11 memorial in New York City we saw Hillary Clinton swagger and then many step to her rescue.  Then the security team encircled her and didn’t allow her to be photographed.  I get that health is important.  The shared diagnosis of her swagger was that of pneumonia, something that is curable and something that may take on some of the same symptoms of her ordeal, I too have pneumonia and it isn’t something to laugh about in fact when I do laugh I start coughing.  I also have a cough similar to Hillary’s cough and the doctors have been working on fighting that for me.  I haven’t lost my footing or missed any work over it, but it does take a toll on you physically.  Here’s hoping for you to have a healthy day.

Daily Dose of BS Sept 9 September 11th

This weekend will be a weekend filled with emotions from the Steppin Out in Pink walk tomorrow where 6500 people walk for breast cancer, to the Freedom walk Sunday and all the emotions with that.  Fifteen years ago this Sunday is a day that most in our generation will remember like the landing on the moon of the generation before, and the death of President Kennedy of the generation before that.  The patriotism that America felt, the American Pride that you had for the days, weeks and months after the tragic 9/11 attack at the World Trade Center.  I was working on the radio here in LaCrosse when a listener called and said a plane crashed into the World Trade Center and then a few minutes later another caller and then even more callers called with the news.  We reported the news and the feelings of the people who were living it, experiencing it, seeing it.  It was weird to have all air traffic cease after that day and when it finally resumed, remember how weird it felt and sounded?  I hope and pray that we never have to relive another 9/11 type attack on America.  God Bless America. 

Daily Dose of BS Sept 8 suicide

A handful of disability rights groups in the state of Wisconsin are working to stop a 14-year-old Wisconsin girl from killing yourself. The 14-year-old girl Jerika Bolen is in terrible awful pain every single day; the pain is so intense that on the pain scale of 1 to 10 she is at least 7 even on her best days.  Jerika, who has an incurable illness said that she would attend high school and her prom this year then, and enjoy a final summer with her mother, and when that is done she would then kill herself.  A disability rights activists are asking Child Protection agencies to stop the teen from ending her life.  When somebody is in constant pain should they have the right to end their own life? I know that it goes against everything that many believe in but doesn't pain and suffering have some sort of trump card over committing suicide?  

Daily Dose of BS Sept 7 Jacob Wetterling

I don’t recall the date but I do remember the fall of 1989, I was dating my wife and we were planning our wedding, I had left a radio job in Mason City, Iowa to be closer to Marcia.  In the fall of 1989 I was working for a group home that my friends’ family owned, I had learned how to play cribbage and life was carefree.  I don’t remember the exact moment that I had heard that Jacob Wetterling had been abducted but I recall the images of Jacob being shown on the news, in the paper and all over the place.  The abduction happened within 60 miles from where I lived.  I recall the feeling of loss and truly feeling like I couldn’t do anything.  I have often thought of what happened to Jacob, I have interviewed his mother Patty a few times in my radio career and over the years had unfortunately forgotten about him, that is until this week.  The thoughts came flooding back with the recent discovery of his remains, the feelings of these poor parents and the thoughts of I hope that monster who did this burns in HELL.  

Daily Dose of BS Sept 6 trust

I took a break from reality over the past few days, spent 5 days and 4 nights at the family land, it is pretty rustic compared to city living, by rustic I mean no running water and no cable.  There is no shortage of things do there as I have better cell phone service there than I do in the city.  Which brings me to my break, I stepped away from Facebook for a few days and guess what it didn’t kill me, I didn’t go crazy and as a matter of fact I feel a little bit smarter for doing so.  When I turned my computer on this morning I had 87 notifications and a handful of messages to return and a few friend requests, all in all it was a good break.  On my way to the cabin I stopped in New Albin, Iowa at the Valley Ag to pick up a few things for my non-existent garden and wasn’t sure if I had enough cash to pay for all I needed, the guy behind the counter said that is ok, I can bill you.  HUH?  You don’t know me, I said, his response floored me, he said you look honest, I know you’ll pay.  What ever happened to this kind of trust and service?  BTW I did have enough cash to cover it.  

Daily Dose of BS Aug 31 internet

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

Daily Dose of BS Aug 30 National Anthem

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

Daily Dose of BS Aug 29 smoking

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

Daily Dose of BS Aug 25 monopoly

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

Daily Dose of BS Aug 24 homework

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

Daily Dose of BS Aug 23 lochte

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

Daily Dose of BS Aug 22 crime

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

Daily Dose of BS Aug 19 hacks

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

Daily Dose of BS Aug 18 politics

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

Daily Dose of BS Aug 17 lying

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

Daily Dose of BS Aug 16 libraries

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

Daily Dose of BS Aug 15 death

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

Daily Dose of BS Aug 12 rides

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

Daily Dose of BS Aug 11 credit cards

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

Daily Dose of BS Aug 10 words

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

Daily Dose of BS August 9 neighbors

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

Daily Dose of BS Aug 8 road construction

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

Daily Dose of BS Aug 4 republican party

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

Daily Dose of BS Aug 3 birds

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

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

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

Daily Dose of BS Aug 1 gas tax

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

Daily Dose of BS July 29 garbage

Parents are our first teachers, for example my mom would always say waste not want not.  I have been a believer of this for most my life, but I think that we waste too much stuff as Americans.  Look at anyone’s pile on garbage day.  We throw away everything.  Wednesday was my garbage day, and driving though the alleys around my house it would look like the economy is doing pretty well, boxes for new tvs, a couch, a few chairs and a kitchen table.  It often bugs me at what gets thrown away as there are many people in need that could use much of what is tossed.  I know when the big push for everyone to start using the flat screen tvs that many perfectly good tvs were placed out in the alleys and boulevards.  It really bugs me when bikes get thrown away and the scrappers grab them, I could name a few kids right now that could use a bike.  And when it comes to food we throw away tons, and my family is probably worse, we throw away lots of food each week.  What can be done about this problem?

Daily Dose of BS July 28 age of consent

In the land of make believe who is at fault?  Are young girls who at the age of 12 committed murder really going to be tried as adults?  I have serious questions about this, why are girls who are now 14 going to be charged as adults.  I have two 14 year olds at home and I can tell you even though they are mature that they are no way capable of being adults, they are still kids, sure they know right from wrong but I am not sure if they see the big picture, we all know adults who don’t quite see the big picture.  I think that once we charge these two girls as adults we open up a slippery slope that who knows where it will stop, will we charge 10 year olds or 8 year olds?  When do we start charging kids as adults?  Should we then move the age of consent to that age? 

Daily Dose of BS July 27 comunication

With voicemail I miss out on returning calls, because either they don’t show up on my phone or I forget to check, one or the other, what is the proper time to return a message?  Is it different for personal rather than professional?  When I know I have a message, I try to return messages within the next day part, or at least by the next day.  I dislike when I leave either a voice mail message or an email or a text to someone and I don’t hear back from them.  I wonder if others have the same issues as me with their voice mail.  What about a text is the protocol the same?  I know that I send out and receive way more texts nowadays than I do phone calls, and wonder what the protocol for texts are?   Do you think it matters who they are on how fast they get back or don’t get back?  A friend would get back sooner than an acquaintance or other way around?  I think if a friend, or a family member I do wish for a return in the communication as soon as possible.  Unless they can’t or there is something wrong.  I tend to have an active imagination and when I don’t hear back from a loved one I tend to awfulize what has happened to them when they don’t call back, and no one likes to picture a friend upside down in a ditch.  

Daily Dose of BS July 26 VCR

I remember when they first became popular and were priced at where people could buy them.  My buddy Jim and his family had one and little Bobby Schmidt was amazed and jealous.  The VCR changed my life and the life of millions of other people.  You no longer had to be glued to the couch to watch your favorite program, you didn’t have to be home to catch the latest show.  When there were free preview weekends of the movie channels you could build up your movie collection.  My parents were always the last to jump on a new technology, we were the last to get the microwave oven, the dishwasher, and VCR, but when we got the VCR my brothers and I learned it and learned it well, we could make it display the right time, and get it to record the shows that mom and dad wanted and eventually we were able to have it record our shows as well.  A sad day for VCR purists the last of them are going to be rolled off the assembly line this week.  I haven’t used a VCR since my kids were little and wanted to watch Disney movies, but I do love the door that VCRs opened up for all of us.  

Daily Dose of BS July 25 weather

Over the weekend I was in Dubuque, Iowa for a baseball tournament, my sons team took second in the consolation bracket.  I bring up the trip because while we were there many of our phones went off with severe alerts and an extreme alert.  No sooner than my phone went off the sirens all around went off and we got moved from the lobby of the hotel where we were staying into an inner conference room with no windows and a tv that lost image while we were tracking the storm.  The sky was dark and the air was thick and calm.  Then the sky opened up and the winds came water was coming in the windows and doors it was raining so hard.  No sooner had it started it was done.  I guess what I am saying is it is good to listen to the weather people when they tell you to move, move.  We missed the big one this weekend, but it is better to be safe than sorry.  

Daily Dose of BS July 22 wearables

I have been wearing a Garmin Vivo Fit 2 for over a year now, using it to monitor my steps and my sleep, giving me something to compare and something to keep me accountable for my actions on the day.  I hate to admit it but yesterday was probably my most slug like day I have ever had.  All I did yesterday was come to work, and go home, my only outside was home to car, car to work then in reverse on the way home, with the exception of bringing out dinner to my wife to deliver to our son at work.  About 2800, when I should be doing about 10 thousand.  Kind of sad considering when I was on vacation I was walking about 16000 steps a day.  Do you wear a step tracker, and if so do you check your steps?  

Daily Dose of BS July 21 old style

What goes around comes around and what is old is new again.  Good news for fans of Old Style, Pabst Brewing is returning to the roots of Old Style and rolling out the new Old Style Oktoberfest just in time for the festival that Old Style helped to start 56 years ago.  I had even heard but not confirmed that the City Brewery was going to re-brand the World’s Largest 6 Pack, personally I think that would be cool as the La Crosse Lager rap that is on it now needs work.  Another thing that Old Style will be doing is taking a page from Miller Lite and going back to the old style of the Old Style cans.  I hope that this marketing idea works for them.  I also hope that the 60 pack that I saw Coors Light was coming out with works as well.  I guess that with today being as hot as it is going to be I am just looking to stay cool with a couple of brews.  Have a great day and enjoy life responsibly.  

Daily Dose of BS July 20 political bashing

I read a post on Facebook yesterday that said “can’t listen to anymore Hillary bashing.  Especially from women.”   At first I scrolled right by it then had to go back and find it, because, to me that would be the same thing as someone saying I can’t listen to anymore Trump bashing, especially from men.  I think with national politics thrown in all of our faces and the republican convention being broadcast this week and the democratic convention on the air next week, we are all at the tipping point of no more politics.  When I think about the post I read from yesterday I just chuckle to myself and think there is going to be a whole lot of political bashing between now and November, as a matter of fact there will be a whole lotta political bashing between now and the rest of our lives.  

Daily Dose of BS July 19 found purse

I read a story yesterday about a forgotten purse being returned with about 12 grand left untouched.  To hear this brings a smile to my heart because being in the media we are often blamed for bringing nothing but bad news, the news of dregs of society and the bad things in life.  I also smile because I would have also turned it back in.  In my life I have found two purses and have brought them to the customer service areas of the stores.  I really believe that most people would turn in a purse.  It is the right thing to do and I do believe that people are generally good.  Think to yourself would you return a found purse of wallet?  If so why, if not why not?  Here is another scenario if you found a 100-dollar bill on the ground with no one around would you pocket it, what is there were people around would that make a difference?  

Daily Dose of BS July 18th cops

I wouldn’t want to be a cop, not a chance in the world.  People don’t respect them, they get called names and there is a hate for them.  I don’t understand why people don’t like cops.  I have a few good friends who choose this line a work and they are great people.  It is funny a few years ago we went on vacation with a cops family and I asked why there is such a distain for police officers, he responded that people remember the ticket they got or the time their innocent grandma got pulled over.   Well I for one respect the job that they are doing, it isn’t easy, especially in todays political climate and the distrust of everyone in a uniform.  Over the weekend a handful of officers were shot, and a couple died in the line of duty, my heart goes out to the families of these people doing their job, trying to make their cities safe.  

Daily Dose of BS July 14th pokeman

I played in a pinball tournament back when I was a teenager, I loved pinball, my first real job that wasn’t at a restaurant was as at an arcade in Har Mar Mall in Roseville, Minnesota.  Pinball was my game, I had a couple of machines at my parents’ house and new the basics of fixing them.  They got sold off, I got a real job and I haven’t played pinball in years.  After I got married I had a Nintendo and used to love the game of Tetris, I loved that game so much that I used to dream about it, I then grew up and didn’t really play any other games until Farkle was on Facebook and then Angry Birds but nothing is as big and blew up as fast as the Pokémon Go game.  The nice thing about this game is that it gets its players outside and in the fresh air, the bad thing is that I guess that is super addictive, so much so that the players are walking into things such as the street and into lakes.  I didn’t think that that would be possible, never mind we see people all the time looking down at their phones.   

Daily Dose of BS July 13 violence.

From the sounds of the national media there is violence everywhere.  That everyone hates everyone else.  I just got back from a trip out east and I didn’t see it there, I have been all over the Midwest and I haven’t seen it here either.  Of course there is going to be pockets of anger and pockets of violence but that is like any given group.  Look at the group that you are most familiar with, be it your family, your job, your friends there will always be a pot stirrer, the one who likes to push buttons, and rock the boat.  I bet that everyone either reading or hearing this, has been the cause of a fight or two in their lives.  Just because there is violence and fighting in some areas doesn’t mean that there is violence everywhere and it certainly doesn’t mean that we all hate each other, because we don’t.  I feel as though the national media is building the violence up and causing much of the fighting that is happening all around us. 

Daily Dose of BS July 5 selfdriving cars

I used to watch the Jetsons and think it was cool that they had tubes to get somewhere rather than walking and cars that flew, but the thing I thought was the coolest was the phones where you could see the person you were talking to.  In a weird way the stuff shown on that kids cartoon came to fruition, we have moving sidewalks at the bigger airports, there are personal flying machines, and you can talk to anyone via skype.  The video phone to me was a huge disappointment in theory I thought it was cool but in practicality I don’t like it because it feels old school where you have to sit and talk.  Who has time for that?  Another technology that has been making headlines of late is the self-driving car, which I think is cool, but would I trust it, I am not sure.  Would you? 

Daily Dose of BS July 1 job

I am not much of a job jumper.  In the 23 year I have lived in La Crosse I have worked for 4 different companies, the longest for 15 and a half years.  The reason I bring this up is I have been working for the La Crosse Radio Group for 6 years and the station that I anchor every morning was switched over from Adult Standards to Talk Radio 4 years ago today.  I have said it many times on my show that if you find a job you love doing it isn’t like you are working, and I still believe that today.  Sometimes getting up at 4 am sucks, I am not going to lie but getting home for lunch most days is fantastic.  When I started things off 4 years ago my goal was to entertain, educate or inspire with each of the guests that I have had on the show, I believe that is what I have done.  For those of you who have taken the ride, I hope that it wasn’t to bumpy, and I hope that the future is even smoother sailing than the past.  Thanks for hanging with me this past 4 years and here’s hoping for a long future. 

Daily Dose of BS June 29 big fine

15.3 billion or a little more than 2 dollars per person in the world.  Volkswagen could spend up to $15.3 billion settling lawsuits and government allegations that it cheated on emissions tests.  According to some they are ruining the world’s air quality.  Really?  Aren’t there millions of drivers out there driving millions of miles a day, and factories pumping unsafe exhaust into our environment, don’t forget about power plants and who knows what is spewed into our air systems, fires, people smoking, fireworks.  The list of contaminants flying into our environment every day is a lot.  I don’t think you can blame our poor air quality on just one company.  But I do think that they should be held responsible for lying to the world.  You don’t just lie to everyone and you don’t just go faking tests.  For that the punishment should be harsh, but for causing an environmental distraction, I think we are all to blame for part of that. 

Daily Dose of BS June 28 job

Have you ever taken any online tests?  I took one this morning to see what my ideal job would be, it pegged me to be either a MUSICIANS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, ACTORS, MUSIC COMPOSERS AND ARRANGERS, SINGERS, RADIO AND TELEVISION ANNOUNCER.  Well at least I know I am doing the right job for me.  I am glad that it wasn’t only music because I can’t carry a tune not even in a bag.  I have had many conversations with my kids about what they want to be for a living.  And they know then they don’t know.  I told them to not worry about it because chances are what they choose to do for a living will probably not be what they either study for or will end up retiring from.  I happened to luck out in finding a job that I love doing and have fun doing.  If you can do that you are golden, it isn’t like working a day in your life.  BTW here is that link to the test I took this morning http://time.com/4343767/job-personality-work/?xid=newsletter-brief how did you come out? 

Daily Dose of BS June 27 toothbrush

Ever had your toothbrush fall into either the garbage or the toilet?  I have.  This morning I went to grab my toothbrush off the ledge where it sits and it slipped right out of my hands I reached for it and it bobbled right into the garbage, needless to say I left it there.  I wonder why when you drop things that about half the time they do what you don’t want them to do meaning I thought please don’t fall into the toilet, it didn’t, but it fell right into the garbage.  Here is a better example, how many times have you dropped something and had it roll behind something or under something or worse yet fell right into a hole and it was lost and not found without some effort.  I hope that your day is filled with finding things that were lost and for things not falling or getting lost. 

Daily Dose of BS June 24 staycation

This morning I am broadcasting at Lock and Dam 7.  When was the last time that you came over to the dam to check it out?  For me it has been many years, here is a reminder 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?  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.   When someone says I am going to La Crosse what do you tell people to check out?

Daily Dose of BS June 23 protests

What started off as a 16 hour sit in with many of the democrats protesting, dwindled down to just a few protesters.  The cameras were shut off, however a few of the Democrats vowed to keep it going, do protests work?  I was listening to the Democrats sit in demanding action on gun control.  There are protests all time.  Do they work?  Have you ever changed your mind on something because someone protested?  I am not sure that I have.  I may have had my mind changed for me because of a protest or two, with businesses giving in in the long run, or maybe driving a different way to somewhere because of a protest going on, or something I was at was started later than it should have because of protesters but have I been a part of a protest not that I can think of.  Have you?

Daily Dose of BS June 22 traffic

Last night I saw what people are talking about.  We had to be in Galesville last night by 6:15 for my sons baseball game, we left our house by 5:25 to give ourselves a few minutes of wiggle room.  We needed that extra time, the traffic from about Clinton Street all the way north to highway 53 was stop and go.  I was getting irritated and thought to myself how do people deal with this each and every day?  I only usually have to deal with traffic at Christmas time by the mall and when traveling so this was a different feeling for me living in Western Wisconsin.  For those who drive this daily, how do you put up with it?  And for those that don’t ever see it, I wish I could go back to just thinking that we don’t have traffic in La Crosse. 

Daily Dose of BS June 21 computers

For the past 3 years the La Crosse Schools had I-Pads for the middle schoolers, I know for a fact that bringing this technology into the class rooms has helped out and brought our kids to the front of the class when it comes to technology and computing, as well as finding information and how to use the technology that is available to them.  The La Crosse School District just signed a lease with Apple to pay them 814,378 dollars per year for laptop computers for our current high schoolers.  I think that this a great idea because it levels the playing field for the kids who maybe don’t have the availability of a computer at home.  I do wonder about the exclusive use of Apple computers with the kids though, because in my line of work as well as my wives work we use PC’s rather than Apple computers.  I don’t know if there is a compatibility issue with the two platforms.  And if maybe this may be a hindrance. 

Daily Dose of BS June 20 Hayden

1995 was the last time that I didn’t get to celebrate Father’s Day since then, I have been a Dad.  Yesterday was an awesome day, I got greetings and presents from my four children.  The biggest joy of being a Dad is the birth of your child, I had been in love before but never loved so much as when my son Hayden was born.  Hayden paved the way for me to be a Dad, he came into the world a month early after my wife Marcia sent 3 months on bed rest.  But it was all worth it.  Usually these birthday greetings are filled with mushy things like In the past 21 years it has been amazing to see him grow into a responsible young man.  How Hayden has been on the Honor Roll every quarter and trimester of his 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 17 Fathers Day

With Father’s Day coming up on Sunday, have you ever thought that Dads get the short end of the stick?  When I was a kid Mother’s Day was that special day of the year when we and by we I mean my brothers and I would always do something above and beyond for our Mom, we would be nice to each other and offer up our services to help with chores around the house pick flowers and give plenty of hugs and kisses.  For Father’s Day we would punch the old man in the arm, and tell him Happy Father’s day and move on.  Dads are an important piece of the puzzle, they help you to become the person you are, as a Dad we are often over looked as a caregivers, I recall when my kids were little and I would watch the kids, and someone would always say oh you are babysitting, how nice.  Not the case, I am a Father and I was parenting my children, as my Father did for my brothers and I.  Parents do not babysit their own children.  For all the lessons taught both when I was a child and the lessons in life that you teach me now I thank you Dad and remember I love you.  Happy Father’s Day.