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.