Daily Dose of BS Oct 15 overdose

Why is it news when a celebrity overdoses or is on the verge of death when they brought it on themselves?  There are thousands of cases of regular old people who are struggling with addiction each and every day.  I will bet that you are close with someone who is or is recovering from substance abuse.  When the national media glorifies the fact that this celebrity has gone in to a coma or that celebrity has died I think it takes away from the local problem that we have right here, in our own back yard.  I am sorry that these celebrities have issues, and cannot deal with the celebrity machine that they have built, but it was something that has been done by them, as it is when it happens here with someone you love.  All we can do is reach out and offer a hand, and an ear.  And let them know that there is help.  Let’s stop glorifying drug use and abuse.

Daily Dose of BS Oct 14 phone

I did the software update in my phone sometime in the past two weeks, and my phone has been acting up ever since.  I went in yesterday to ask why my phone was telling me that I had no space left, I don’t have anything on my phone but a few hundred pictures and a handful of songs.  With the update my phone started propagating contact info from all my accounts and it didn’t know when to stop, my contacts ended up eating up over half my phones memory.  I got that fixed.  Ever given much thought to how things change?  Life is what happens in between your planned events.  I got a call from my Dad yesterday afternoon saying I will be there in about 90 minutes we are just outside the Dells.  I had no idea what he was talking about as apparently I wasn’t getting texts because of my phone issue, I am glad that I got to spend some time with my father.  

Daily Dose of BS Oct 13 capx

The landscape has changed.  You used to be able to drive about anywhere and see wooden utility poles, now the rural landscape is peppered with monster rusted metal poles holding powerlines high above the terrain.  The CapX power line is done and there is a dedication ceremony today to celebrate the fact that they finished ahead of time.  At a cost of 2.2 billion dollars the cost of these power moving lines will be shared over the 16 states that are receiving service from these lines.  I personally think that they are ugly, and an eye sore.  I do think that it was pretty cool though watching what construction I was able to watch, but that doesn’t change the fact that they look like rusted out dead trees peppered on the roadsides of the Midwest.  

Daily Dose of BS Oct 12 dine and dash

Well it took me till 47 years old to dine and dash.  My son and I headed up to the cities over the weekend to hang out with my brothers, and it just happened to be a get together of some of my high school classmates.  My brothers and I headed out to meet up with them to get together to BS about life.  We had a few beers and then left to head back to my brother’s house.  I didn’t think anything of it, till I heard from one of my friends the next day telling me I left without paying.  I honestly thought that my brother was picking up the drinks.  I was wrong.  Needless to say I owe someone 20 bucks because one of my classmates picked up my tab.  My brothers and I also hit up a bar that our Dad and Grandpa’s drank at one time.  Besides forgetting to pay for my beers at the one place it was a pretty awesome weekend.  

Daily Dose of BS money Oct 9

I read sometime in the past week that is costs about 2 cents to make a penny and about a dime to make a nickel.  It got me wondering, are we at a point where we don’t need to make these pieces of money any more, or should we find a better more efficient way of making them?  I for one would bet that if we dropped either or both of these iconic money pieces that prices would go up to the closest dime rather than drop to the closest multiple of ten.  I also thought if the cost is higher than the value isn’t that for the first time use then with each use after we split that cost, and eventually it would be insignificant, right?  I also wonder if the cost of the metal to make the coins is higher than the value of the coin, won’t that cause hording of the money for the value of the metal.  Oh the things I wonder.

Daily Dose of BS texting Oct 8

You know that texting and driving is against the law right?  Daily I look at the people around me the others that are sharing the road with me and my family and friends.  Daily I see distracted drivers plowing through their lives eyes down on a phone or other device while they should be paying attention to the stuff going on around them.  Daily I see a distracted parent texting while in the car with their most precious of cargo in the back seat.  I have even seen senior citizens looking down at a phone while driving.  This is a problem, a serious problem that not only is affecting us, but affecting people all over the country.  The laws have been written to keep people from texting and driving but that hasn’t helped.  The police in La Crosse for 5 days this month will be cracking down on distracted driving including stopping those who are texting and driving.  Remember that whomever you are texting can wait. 

Daily Dose of BS fair? Oct 7

Everybody wants life to be fair, guess what it isn’t, and it never will be.  I think of all the times that things were fair in my life, and really truly they never were.  Someone always has the advantage or the upper hand.  How we deal with that is what makes us who we are.  I recall when I was a kid and my brothers and I would fight over the last piece of anything and mom would always jump in and try to make it fair, offering to cut it up into thirds the “fair” thing to do.  Someone always got the smaller piece or was the last to pick or wasn’t happy for this reason or that reason.  Fast forward to life now, people get opportunities that you never got, how unfair is that?  Guess what life isn’t about being fair it is about making your own opportunities and knowing when to take them.  Quit whining about life and take it. 

Daily Dose of BS breakfast for supper Oct 6

McDonald’s has heard the call and starting today will be offering breakfast all day long.  Breakfast for supper has been a staple around the Schmidt house for many years, who doesn’t like a quick bowl of cereal and toast when there isn’t something else around.  I have made oven bake French toast for dinner and the family loves it when homemade biscuits and gravy is the evening meal.  There is something about having breakfast for supper, it is comfort food at a time when most of us need to be comforted, we are just getting home from a hard day at the office or at school.  McDonalds I’m loving the fact that you are now doing breakfast all day, now you just got to expand the menu to include my favorite McGriddles.  

Daily Dose of BS Oct 5 trash

My parents taught me not to litter, to pick up after myself, to leave things in better shape when you are finished using something.  For the most part I believe that I do all of the above.  I really enjoyed Oktoberfest this year, I like that for the most part that people were respectful of others, and of other people’s things, there were a few issues like there always are when your community grows by a hundred thousand for a day, but mostly things were good.  What I don’t get is the litter that is strewn on the parade route and the cyclone of trash that is in the college neighborhoods.  I didn’t venture to deep into college town, but on West Avenue I think that the visitors into our beautiful city forgot to pick up after themselves.  How hard is it to pick up your beer bottle, chip bag, or solo cup when you are finished with it and put it in the trash?  Remember you Mom doesn’t live here, pick up after yourself, in fact even if your Mother did live here, pick up your own stuff.

Daily Dose of BS Oct 2 Oktoberfest

Year two for the shortened Oktoberfest, I said it last year and will say it again.  I liked the fest being whittled down into 4 days of action packed fun instead of dragged out over 9 days.  You know that things need to change or face doom, and this was a step in the right direction.  After living in La Crosse since 1992 I have been around Oktoberfest for 23 years, participating in the Maple Leaf parade and always amazed at the amount of people who come out of the wood work to watch and cheer.  I always wondered though, do people take vacation to go stake their claim of park land or boulevard for a 5 hour parade?  One last thought, no matter how you celebrate Oktoberfest, I hope that great memories are made.  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.  And join us at the American Legion Post #52 for the slicing of the Golden Brat.  

Daily Dose of BS Oct 1 prices

I love a bargain, really who doesn’t?  Starting today Target is now matching prices of their online rivals, isn’t this something that has always been done?  I guess I always assumed that when you bought something from a national online store that you automatically got the lowest price.  I do know if you have an ad from somewhere and the price is lower that you bring it to the attention of the cashier that they will often discount the item to the lower price, I guess I always assumed that it was available to online shoppers also.  I like that this feature is now available, but it can’t help to make me think, is this a good thing?  Hear me out, will this end well for us consumers, if everyone is matching everyone else’s prices, won’t that just push all retailers to not have sale prices and just use the manufacturers suggested retail price? 

Daily Dose of BS Sept 30 drinking at fest

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 23 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 animals

On my way into work this morning a possum ran out in the street and under my car.  I somehow missed it.  I also saw a mouse crossing the road, when I saw the mouse I started laughing and thought to myself why would a mouse cross the road, then immediately thought well to get to the other side.  I was lucky that I didn’t hit either of these animals, I have in the past thought about the point value, you know the old game there’s 10 points, but then kept on driving.  One time a squirrel ran right under my wheels and I felt bad, another time a rabbit did the same thing, suicide by car, not a cool game in the animal kingdom.  I especially hate when the person in front of me gets a skunk.

Daily Dose of BS Sept 28 thanksgiving dinner

I got an email on Friday announcing that the annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner was going to be cancelled.  Even though I had only attended that diner once, I had always talked about it and thought it was one of the gems about living in our community.  The reason for the cancellation is because of lack of volunteers to step up and help.  I am hopeful that this gem will return even brighter than before.  I guess that this goes to show that even if something is good and helps the community that the community needs to get behind and share their talents with these events, remember that they don’t run on their own.  If there is an event that you like, this could be the wakeup call for maybe you to step up and help out, I know it was a wakeup for me.

Daily Dose of BS Sept 23 happy birthday song

I always thought it was funny whenever there was a birthday on tv or movie that they never sang the happy birthday song there was always some made up song that went along with that birthday.  Well that may change as the holder of the copy write for that piece of music may only own the copy write for the piano music and not the lyrics.  I don’t know I will kind of miss the different renditions of the song that we have grown accustom to.  Speaking of birthdays, my wife has a big one tomorrow she turns the big 5-0.  Happy birthday Marcia and here is too many more birthday tunes for you. 

Daily Dose of BS Sept 22 Christmas in September

I was walking through Shopko last week and they were already pushing Christmas, over the weekend I stopped at Kmart and guess what the same thing.  When is it too early to start pushing Christmas?  Also what do you think the take away for Christmas is these days?  It certainly doesn’t have the same meaning as it did when I was a kid.  Now it seems like the more crap you can get in the hands of the consumer the better.  What about the simple times?  One of my favorite Christmas memories was when my kids were babies and we went to church as a family, had a great meal and good family time.  We did all this with the traditional Christmas décor and of course the classic Christmas carols in the background. Christmas used to be enjoyed in December not pushed down our throats starting in September.  Merry Greedmas, and lets ho ho hope for lots of profits.  

Daily Dose of BS Sept 21 Farm and Fleet

Have you driven from La Crosse north to Farm and Fleet?  How did you get there?  The Wisconsin DOT is working off a grant from 2003 to extend the turning lane on to Kinney Coulee Road.  If I were Farm and Fleet I would be mad as hell, I am mad and I am just an occasional consumer.  I am mad that I have to either go up by Woodman’s and turn around or drive onto the interstate and loop back around to head westbound on Highway 16 to turn into the store.  Not cool, not cool at all.  When the DOT comes up with their plans don’t they look at the impact of businesses around?  I also wonder if now that you have to plan for an extra mile to get to Farm and Fleet if they will get an entrance from parking lot over by Target now?  How inconvenient for consumers and employees.  Also how rude for the planners to shut down access to a business. 

Daily Dose of BS Sept 18 Favre

Big year for Brett Favre first his number 4 is going to be retired on Thanksgiving night and was just announced that he is a nominee for the 2016 pro football hall of fame.  It is funny when you bring up Brett Favres name there are some that love and some that hate him.  One of my good friends Tom never liked him even in his hay day.  Another buddy Jim loves him.  Me I thought that Favre rocked the game and was an iron man and was amazing when he was on.  I remember being like lots of other Packer fans and wondered what the heck were they thinking when they choose to start Rogers over Favre, honestly I was quite mad about it.  I guess that goes to show you what I know – not too much apparently.

Daily Dose of BS September 17 racism

According to you do we live in a racist society?  I am not sure that I qualify to answer this question, as I am a middle aged white male.  From what I see I think that we are living in a racist society, I believe that racism has no color boundaries, that there are people in every shade that don’t like or want to talk with another race.  According to Google when you type in define racism the answer you get is “the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, prejudice or discrimination directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior.”  After hearing that definition I wonder if people truly are racist or if people are just egotistical and they don’t know about other races or people other than themselves.  

Daily Dose of BS Sept 16 panhandling

Three times this week I ran into panhandlers and it is only Wednesday.  Two over by Walmart on the south side and yesterday while sitting at a light for about 5 minutes out by the Mall.  I want to say get a job.  The effort that is taken standing out there with a sign is more than they would have to do for many jobs.  As I have been getting older I have become more cynical and when I see the sign that says will work for food, or anything will help or down on my luck.  I want to say we all have bad days, how we choose to let those days guide us is up to us.  I have heard from others around town that they have given food and drinks to some of these people and it has been left there on the side of the road.  I also notice that once someone leaves from a particular panhandling place that often that place is left littered with candy bar wrappers and pop cans.