Daily Dose of BS Aug 17 shooting

I moved to the 900 block of 5th ave 23 years ago when I first moved into LaCrosse, it wasn’t the nicest neighborhoods, but it was home for a couple years. I never felt unsafe, I never had anything stolen or in the case of this past weekend, I never got shot at nor did my house ever get shot at. What is our city becoming? Our family had discussion at dinner last night about the multiple shootings in the city over the weekend, and my youngest asked if there were shootings everyday like we had in bigger cities like Chicago? I told him unfortunately yes there are shootings in big cities all the time, in which he responded why. That is a dang good question, why? I read a blog yesterday that said if we rode our bikes more and had more green space that this wouldn’t happen. I hope for humanities sake that they were only kidding.

Daily Dose of BS Aug 14 wi dot

Houses didn’t used to have flair and inviting look that they have now, when you go to build a house now or go to remodel an older home you want your home to have a certain look, you want it to be individual and to have the style that the homeowner likes, right?  Sometimes the general contractor makes the look of the home the way they want it, and not taking in the account of the people that are going to be living there.  I kind of feel that is how an entrance to a city should be also, don’t you?  The city of LaCrosse is facing this same type of thing with the exit 3 work that will be going on over the next several years.  The Mayor wanted the city council to reject the Wisconsin DOT plan for rebuild, the city council doesn’t want to spend the money to even have it looked at.  Where were these folks when the plans were being drawn up?  Didn’t they attend the meetings to give their ideas for the planning?  Do you think the city should pony up the cash to make the changes to the exit?

Daily Dose of BS Aug 13 bathroom spray

I am not and have never been a fan of the spray.  I am talking about the masking scent that lots of people spray in the bathroom after destroying a toilet.  Almost every place that has a can sitting there has someone who likes to press the button, and pressing the button is fine for a moment, the goal of having the cover up there is not to see how much of the can you can empty into a little room.  I am not sure why I don’t care for the stuff.  I just know that it doesn’t make the room smell like flowers.  I also don’t care for the natural smell either, but that is what the fan is for.  Speaking of bathrooms, I think that the public restrooms are learning after many use the paper towel to open that door, putting the garbage can by the door- that is a brilliant move.  You know what would be even smarter don’t you, have the doors push out. 

Daily Dose of BS Aug 12 forgotten kids

I saw a campaign on facebook to leave your phone in the backseat when your baby is in the car, not so you don’t text and drive but so you don’t forget your baby in the car.  Huh?  Did I read that right, unfortunately I did read that right.  How in the hell can you leave your baby in the car?  I just don’t get it.  When I was a kid we stopped to have dinner at a McDonalds and my brother wouldn’t get into the car, after my parents pleaded with him to hop in, he didn’t so my dad drove around the block and came back to pick him up.  Now days you would probably go to jail for that stunt, which brings me to the family from France who drove 90 miles before realizing that they left their 3 year old daughter at a rest area.  As a dad myself, don’t you check the car seats or look in the mirrors at your kids while you are driving?  This phenomenon of parents forgetting their kids happens so often it has a name it’s called Forgotten Baby Syndrome.  Here’s some advice, look before you get out of your car, and look before you take off.

Daily Dose of BS Aug 11 neighbors

They say that 12 % of people hate their neighbors.  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 toys

Remember growing up and the boys got GI Joes and the girls got Barbie’s?  I never had sisters so we never had the traditional girl’s toys at our house.  The toys at the Schmidt house were always gender specific towards boys, my brothers and I used to play also with Legos, and cars and trucks.  Target is now going to be removing the boy and girl label from most of their children’s department toys, after complaints from some shoppers.  For quite a while retailers have been moving away from boy and girl type of label on toys, and quite honestly having 3 boys and a girl at my house, while my kids were growing up, I often wondered why some of the things were labeled with either sex.  I thought the more creative items were always labeled with the girl label and more the cars and trucks with the boy label.  My kids played with both until they got to the age where they started to notice that this is a girl toy or a boy toy.  I get it with some of the toys, but really.  Who cares, as long as a toy or activity can help with the developmental growth of a child, let them play. 

Daily Dose of BS Aug 7 staycation

Often times our own backyards are overlooked.  I am talking about taking a vacationing at home or a staycation.  My buddy Smiley from Nebraska and his family are coming to La Crosse for a visit, and I want to show them the best of our area.  They have been here a handful of times over the past 23 years, and we have done the bluff, gone on the river, walked the marsh and had ice cream at a couple places, hit the bars downtown the places that we think of first.  If you were showing off our city where would you take your guests?  I am proud of where we live and don’t want to miss out on that overlooked gem of Western Wisconsin.  

Daily Dose of BS Aug 6 forgetful

My memory is not what it used to be.  I forget the most basic of things, for example this morning I was trying to remember to bring a um…thing this morning.  I got about to work and I swore to myself for forgetting my um thing.  My dad tells a joke where one of his clients stopped halfway on the staircase and called out to his wife, honey, um do you remember if I was heading up or down.  That makes you smirk because we have all felt like that at times, forgetting the most basic things.  How often have you set your keys down and forgot where they were, or didn’t grab your phone or watch as you headed out the door?  What about your car in a parking lot.  We have all forgotten things, but as I am getting older it seems to me that those forgetful moments are coming more often.  You?  

Daily Dose of BS Aug 5 to many

Is it to early to care?  I am thinking about the 23 declared candidates for President.  There are 18 on the Republican side and 5 on the Democratic side.  Are we focusing too early on who these people are?   I find it weird that FOX picked the top 10 republicans for debate, while the other 8 have a different slot to fill.  I wonder if the earlier slot for these candidates is because of the equal time rule.  I do know that the primary is an important vote as you get to help to whittle down the amount of candidates from 23 to two.  Even though I think it is way too early to even be thinking of this stuff, we do need to pay attention and be informed on what policies are important to us. 

Daily Dose of BS Aug 3 facts

I find this odd more than 50% of the people in the world have never made or received a telephone call.  I found that stat over the weekend, then I started to do the math in my head, ok most under let’s say 3 have never made or received a phone call, then what?  I like these kind of stats if they can be backed up.  The internet spews out lots of useless knowledge and lots of people who think that they are experts, heck anyone can write a book and claim expert status.  What are some of the weird facts that you have found that you know to be true?  I know that A 2 X 4 is really 1-1/2 by 3-1/2, and that each king in a deck of cards represents a king from history.  What strange facts do you know?

Daily Dose of BS July 31 hunting

Every once in a while we get reminded that there are hunters that sometimes aren’t ethical, this past week for example, we heard of the dentist from Minnesota that went safari hunting and took out a giant cat.  There are people who hunt out of necessity, there are people who hunt for the camaraderie, there are some who go for the history and family time, and there are people who hunt for the trophy.  I guess I don’t get the trophy hunter.  If you are only going for the trophy or the kill aren’t you kind of defeating the purpose?  I admit I have gone on a few charter fishing trips and have enjoyed my catch, I have had friends who have gone on guided hunts and they too have enjoyed the bounty from the hunt, but to hunt just for the pelt or the trophy, I guess that I don’t get that, am I missing something?  

Daily Dose of BS July 30 brady

Does someone innocent bust up their cell phone and wreck their sim card?  Nope, no way, not at all.  I think that the NFL should take away the Super Bowl from the Patriots for lying, and cheating.   If Tom Brady wasn’t guilty why would he bust up his phone?  I think that the NFL and all sports leagues should put their foot down and make examples out of players who cheat.  Not only did he cheat, but he changed the course of NFL history.   I don’t think that a 4 game suspension is enough.  

Daily Dose of BS July 29 dads

I was lucky over the weekend to spend some quality time with my Dad.   Dad and I have not always seen eye to eye, in fact we differ on many things still.  However, I wouldn’t trade our relationship for anything.  I now know why I like to talk and tell stories; he is a story teller and doesn’t like a quiet car ride.  I think it is funny when he says something now I can either beat him to the punch or question why he does something a certain way since when I was a kid it was this way and only this way.  I guess it shows that I have always been a listener.  With Dads comes advice, and lessons, what was the one lesson that resonates when you think of your parents?  For me a couple stand out like always be thinking a few steps out, and always pay off your credit card.  

Daily Dose of BS July 24 another shooting

Another movie theater shooting last night, a month ago a church shooting, and for what reason?  I wonder what the reason this time will be?  It seems like every time there is a tragedy that we feel like we need to blame someone other than the person or persons involved?  If you get caught speeding is it the fault of the designer of the road because if they hadn’t built the road to handle the speed, or the maker of the radar device that clocked you at that speed, or better yet the police officer that was doing their job?  No it is the fault of the person doing the crime.  We need to stop making excuses and trying to find someone other than the shooters to blame and we need to figure out the reasons that they made these horrible choices.  

Daily Dose of BS July 23 people

There are lots of people that work, they work hard for their money.  Lots of us go to work each and every day, fighting for the chance to survive.  We choose to live within our means, don’t overspend, we try to get a handle on the money we have coming in, so we know what we can spend.  I get that we sometimes need a hand up or a hand out.  There are government agencies and private funded agencies that will help you out.  Yesterday two different people stopped me to say that they have been noticing more and more people with a sign saying that they are down on their luck and would like to work for food, or can you help me because I’ve lost everything.  I just wonder why these people who don’t have any problem sitting by the side of the road holding a sign, couldn’t get a job doing something.  I mean if I were in that situation, I would, I believe take anything and work my ass off to try to achieve success, wouldn’t you?  

Daily Dose of BS July 22 dt

Am I the only one that thinks that Donald Trump is making a mockery out of the mockery that politics has become?  His throwing people under the bus from saying that John McCain isn’t a hero, to his disparaging words about Mexicans, and all the other bang on the drum yell at the top of his lungs antics to get his point across.  I don’t like the fact the he says let’s make America great again.  I think we are great and have always been great, sure there are politicians I don’t like and don’t agree with but guess what a few politicians don’t make or break a country.  There are people that don’t like you, does that make you a bad person or make your family bad or where you work bad?  No.  I for one wish that the media wouldn’t even talk about Trump, but since he is making the biggest waves right now he is the story of the day, put the gloves back on Donald and fight fair.  Also I still believe that America is great, and will continue to be so no matter who wins the election in 2016. 

Daily Dose of BS July 21 front seat

It is a rite of passage for a child to call shotgun on a car ride with mom or dad.  My kids always did, and still do to this day, sitting in the back seat sucks.  In Massachusetts they are talking about making it illegal for kids under the age of 13 to ride in the front seat, under fear of a 25 dollar fine for violating the law.  So if you have a pick up and no extended cab are us supposed to put the kids in the back of the truck?  If so that could be cool.  Data show that back seat riding is 40% safer than the front seat for children under 13.  You know what is 100% safer right?  Every kids should be staying home, never going outside, living in a bubble, never watching tv.  Come on, let the kids live a little and share the front seat with their moms and dads every once in a while.  

Daily Dose of BS July 20 what would you do

There is a college professor at the University of Maryland that posed this question on a test.  “Here you have the opportunity to earn some extra credit on your final paper grade.  Select whether you want 2 points or 6 points added onto your final paper grade.  But there is a small catch: if more than 10% of the class selects 6 points, then no one gets any points.  Your responses will be anonymous to the rest of the class, only I will see the responses. “  How would you  answer that question, and why?  I find that what we do when no one is watching is who we really are as people.  Sure anyone can do or say the right thing when there is an audience, but when you are doing something without the watchful, eye, how do you respond?  I also find when you don’t think people are watching, they are.  

Daily Dose of BS July 17 roundabouts

Remember the game Frogger?  I used to love playing that game trying to get the frog across the street, and over the logs on the river, we are going to be able to play the game of Frogger for real on Cass Street.  How so you ask?  Well, the city and the state will spend close to a million dollars to acquire land, and then build a roundabout connecting the offset 7^th street and Cass Street, causing a cluster for drivers and pedestrians alike.  I get anxious when I approach them, what if I do it wrong, what to do I got off too early and ended up having to go out my way, how do I get back on track?  Personally not a fan of the roundabout, and am not looking forward to the roundabout on Cass Street, are you?  Maybe we could kill two birds with one stone and put a parklet in the middle of the roundabout.  

Daily Dose of BS July 16 pizza

When I grew up we used to get Totino’s Pizza it was inexpensive and it was what we knew.  Every once in a while Mom would splurge and we ended up with a Tombstone Pizza, those pizza days were awesome.  I loved the Tombstone Pizza.  As I got older and started cooking for myself, I decided that I would no longer buy Totino’s Pizza, it was just a plain old boring pizza with little or no topping, Tombstone was still a treat when I could afford it, and other brands caught my eye.  I am a big fan of the Lloyds Pizza, and really like the Lotzza Motzza Pizza.  Which brings me back to the Tombstone Pizza, is it just me or did the quality of the Tombstone go way down?  As I said it used to be a treat to have one, and last night we popped a couple of them in the oven, and memories from my childhood came flooding back, how disappointed was I when the pizza curled up looking taco like and the taste was disgusting.  What is your favorite frozen pizza?