Daily Dose of BS Oct 15

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

Daily Dose of BS Oct 12

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

Daily Dose of BS Oct 11

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

Daily Dose of BS Oct 10

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

Daily Dose of BS Oct 9

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

Daily Dose of BS Oct 8

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

Daily Dose of BS Oct 5

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

Daily Dose of BS Oct 4

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

Want to publish a book?

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

Daily Dose of BS Oct 3

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

Movie catch phrases

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

Daily Dose of BS Oct 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Daily Dose of BS Oct 1

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

Daily Dose of BS Sept 28

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

Daily Dose of BS Sept 27

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

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

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

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

Daily Dose of BS Sept 26

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

Daily Dose of BS Sept 25

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

Funniest Movies of all time

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