Daily Dose of BS Dec 15 yahoo

Yahoo has suffered yet another hack.  The breach is believed to be separate and distinct from the theft of data from 500 million accounts that Yahoo reported this September.  The stuff taken this time user account information including names, email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, hashed passwords and possible encrypted or unencrypted security questions and answers.  I used exclusively Yahoo for my emails up until the last time they were hacked since then I have moved to Gmail.  I hate hackers.  I don’t get what hackers get out of putting malicious programs on someone’s site.  I really think that hackers are making our world a tougher place to live.  The real sad thing about Yahoo getting hacked is that I saw on Facebook before I got an email from the company letting me know.  Are they working on covering their own asses?  What about all the ones that they left exposed?  All these hackers breaking into small business websites and emails, 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 Dec 13 America is great

Does America need a reboot?  The calls during the election were let’s make America great again, are we really not great anymore?  I have spent my entire life in America minus a few days and I for one feel like we are great.  Are there a few things that I would change, oh yeah, but even in the best scenario of the best events in your life there are still things that you would like to change.  I think that in our constant strive to always be bigger, better, faster, stronger that we don’t take the time to enjoy what has been built up.   Do we have things to do to make our county even better, yes we do, but is America not great?  I kind of think that we are but then again I am kind of biased. 

Daily Dose of BS Dec 14 online shopping

When is the last time you ordered something online?  25% of Black Friday purchases were online.  Free shipping day is coming up on Friday this week.  Many are shopping Amazon prime and all the deal websites out there are being shopped more than ever.  I see the UPS truck, the Fed Ex truck and of course the Mail truck hit up my neighborhood every day.  A couple of weeks before Thanksgiving I ordered something online from the biggest of big box stores because I couldn’t find what I was looking for locally, and I did look.  I was supposed to get my package on the 28^th of November and I ended up getting it on the 23^rd I was happy because it was a new wig for playing the man in red.  My gig was to be on the 3^rd.  I eagerly opened my package and it was the wrong wig, they sent me the Mrs. Claus wig.  (insert jokes here) I immediately jumped online filled out a return request and waited.  I thought that they would get me the wig I ordered in time for the gig.  Guess what it didn’t happen.  In fact I am still waiting after 4 times of contacting the company.   I guess long story short is if you are dealing with a company and ordering it online, be ready for disappointment.  

Daily Dose of BS Dec 12 shoveling

Obviously over the weekend snow fell, funny how soon we forget, I of course am talking about driving in the snow, I am sure I am not the only person that noticed that people do not remember how to drive in the snow. With the snow came some other events like shoveling and salting, and if you wanted to be young again snowball fights, forts and snowmen. Back to the business of snow, I shovel my walk when we get any amount of snow but I was wondering when other people shovel, my guess is that most people shoveled with the snowfall we just received but in your mind when is the right time to shovel the walk or plow the parking lot? I also wonder when the city decides to bring out the plows? Up through the weekend they didn’t have much practice time, but all the way to work today I had great driving, thanks to the hard working road crew.

Daily Dose of BS Dec 9 Big Mac

Do you have a favorite food?  I have a few favorite types of food but I don’t think that I could narrow it down to a one specific food.  "Big Mac Daddy" Don Gorske from Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin did something that I don’t think anyone will beat, he ate his 29,000 big mac sandwich from Mc Donalds.  29,0000 of the same thing.  Don has been having 2 a day for a long, long, long time.  I took 29,000 and divided it by 2 for the 2 a day and then divided it by 365 for the number of days in a year and came up with the number 39.72 so if my math is right Don has eaten 2 Big Macs a day for almost 40 years.  There is nothing that I like that much that would have me doing it two times a day for 40 years.  Nothing.  Back to the whole favorite food thing, what is your favorite food?  For me?  Mexican food, not a particular item but the category.  

Daily Dose of BS Dec 8 food

I made chicken noodle soup on Sunday.  Yesterday I went to reheat the leftovers for dinner.  I opened the bowl and cleared out the kitchen.  How did 3 day old soup turn from delicious to deadly?  I hate to waste food.  I usually make enough food for 2 meals when I cook so that way a day in the future will be a bit easier with the leftovers.  Have you ever taken out a bigger pack of meat and and forgot it on the counter, then went to bed?  I have also done that, thank goodness that this doesn’t happen too often.  I also dislike when other food gets tossed because of improper putting away like bread, or fruits of veggies. I searched for food wasted on google and it says that about twenty five percent of our food budget is tossed away every year. For a family of six they say the average food bill per week is $291 so about 15 thousand dollars per year. Wasting about 4 grand per year on throw away. It just hurts to think that, that much is wasted.

Daily Dose of BS Dec 7 earworms

Tis the season, for Christmas songs to be playing on the radio, in stores, as backgrounds in tv commercials, at church and generally hummed as people go about their daily business.  Yesterday I had the chance to be at a lunch meeting and one of the guys started humming fla la la la, well that song stayed in my head throughout the day and on my way into work this morning.  Ever had a song or jingle roll through your head at the moment you are ready to sleep, talk to someone, close a sale or just about any other activity?  These types of songs are called earworms.  According to Wikipedia an earworm is a catchy piece of music that continually repeats through a person's mind after it is no longer playing.  What are some of the songs that are the earworms for you, this time of year Christmas songs are mine, what are yours? 

Daily Dose of BS Dec 6 porch pirates

A lot of us have had packages delivered to our homes either from ordering online or gifts that have been delivered.  I know I have and with teenagers wanting to have the latest and greatest of things we have quite a bit delivered to our homes plus with the way the insurance companies are and the bulk medicines that are prescribed there are packages being delivered all the time.  I have been hearing of some big cities having problems with porch pirates, and by porch pirates I mean the people who help themselves to the items that you have ordered.  I really only thought that this type of thing only happens in big cities but no.  I was talking with my neighbor and she said that it had happened to her a couple of different times but when she told me she laughed a bit saying that they only got toilet paper both times.  

Daily Dose of BS Dec 5 Santa

In my 48 years I have seen some good Santa’s and some bad Santa’s.  You know the character I am talking about the jolly old elf in red with the white beard.  I too have played the part.  My favorite question is are you the real Santa?  I have always followed it up with what do you think?  If they say yes then I mention I just say yes just like you are real child and if they say no I follow up with why would you think that, and when pushed will say that there are many helpers.  Playing the part of Santa is not an easy job you have to listen, laugh, engage and smile.  The Mall of America is taking some heat for the hiring of their Santa.  The Mall has hired their first black Santa Larry Jefferson and from what I have seen a fantastic Santa.  Remember that Santa is a fictitious and legendary figure who brings gifts to the homes of well-behaved, as long as the part is played well, does it matter who plays the part?  And aren’t we all a little Santa this time of the year?  

Daily Dose of BS Dec 2 shoes

Here is something weird to think about but think about your shoes for a minute.  When is the last time you bought a new pair?  I just picked up a new pair of shoes.  I like a good pair of slip in shoes for heading into work, and for a quick shoe to throw on when around home or if I gotta run and do a few errands.  I found a pair of slip ons that I found super comfortable and wore them about the past 9 months only to have them wear out.  I returned to the same store where I originally bought them and they didn’t have the same color that I had but had black, I bought them, they aren’t the same, not as comfortable and don’t fit as well.  Same thing has happened with tennis shoes over the years, you find a pair you really like, your feet get used to the feel and you know the quality, you wear the heck out of the shoes, and when it comes time to replace you head to your favorite shoe store, you go looking for your shoes, and either they don’t have them or they have them and the quality has changed.  Why?  We spend most of our days with shoes on, you would think that the shoe people would want us to keep buying their shoes.  Wouldn’t you? 

Daily Dose of BS Dec 1 smiles

Ever looked at old family photos, or some real old school pictures of people from the 1800’s?  I have often wondered why aren’t the smiling?  Why are most old pictures people just flat faced, no smile no cheer in the eyes and just cranky looking.  I remember my wedding day 8.3 million photos with the fake smile, I could see not smiling for many of these.  Nowadays people have more smiles on their faces, just look around and watch people have conversations, the smiles come more free, and why wouldn’t they, we have much better dental nowadays than they had the past and with the better dental comes better teeth, both whiter and straighter, plus we have access to cameras all the time, I challenge you to go a day outside of your home to not be caught on someone’s camera.  I was downtown yesterday afternoon and I know there are a bunch of cameras placed around down there, guess what I didn’t look for them nor did I notice them, but you are damn sure I was walking around with a smile on my face.  I gotta keep them wondering what I am up to. 

Daily Dose of BS Nov 30 throwaway society

We just bought a new refrigerator, our old one didn’t die, my wife just wanted a new one.  You see we had our old one for at least 18 years, maybe more.  It still kept cold things cold and frozen things frozen and it lasted through 4 kids.  My wife decided that it was time for us to up grade to a new double door with a freezer drawer on the bottom and since we are big water drinkers she wanted water and ice on the door.  Well she got what she wanted, it is about 4 inches wider than the old fridge and about 4 inches taller, a cupboard had to be removed but I have to say the new fridge looks nice.  Here is the thing when we did our research on the refrigerator we found out that they only last 7-10 years now a days.  7-10 years I have underwear and socks that are older than that.  We now live in a throw away society and I am not a fan of that.  When was the last time you used a fixit person for anything?  Most of the society today is throwaway, from tv’s to beds, to washers and dryers to –the sky is the limit. That is almost everything, the remote control is the one thing when it stops working we go into a panic, we don’t know what to do, we look at it, we push all the buttons, we take off the back, we roll the batteries in the back if that works we are relieved, if not we take the batteries out, switch sides then try again if that doesn’t work we replace the batteries. Thank goodness for batteries right, cause I don’t think I could go back to changing the channel by getting up and going to the tv to do it.

Daily Dose of BS Nov 29 another day

Another day another headline of multi people hurt at the hands of a lunatic.  When did going to somewhere public end up being a threat to your health?  I for one am sick of the what seems like weekly attacks here in America and daily attacks on foreign soil.  What ever happened to respect and showing signs of respect.  We are all different, we all have our beliefs and our moral compass and our own drive.  So explain to me why there are so many out there that want to hurt one another?  I think if we think and as my Dad used to tell me use your head for something other than to hold up your glasses that the world would be a better place.  

Daily Dose of BS Nov 28 recount

Ever been in middle of counting something and then one of your smart alex friends start throwing out other numbers trying to mess you up?  I am sure it has happened to you and that you have done it to others.  Sometimes it is funny, but sometimes you irritate.  Right now green party candidate Jill Stein has raised about 6 million dollars to do a re-count of 3 key states that President Elect Donald Trump has won.  What I don’t get is that what is she going to get out of it?  Is the re-count in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin going to get Jill Stein elected?   Or was this an olive branch placed out by the green party?  I look the same way on any re-count or any re-call election.  The cards are down, the hand has been played you have your next chance to win at the next election.  Here is a novel idea lets try to get along as a country.  Is that even possible anymore?  

Daily Dose of BS Nov 18 give a little bit

It is kind of funny that a song by Supertramp had it right.  Think about it for a moment, with the song "Give a Little bit" released back in 1977 even though they were singing about love, it applies to so many other things in our lives like your resources, think about it, the lyrics continue to say “give a little bit of your time to me” and at this time of year there are lots of needs out there from the need of Bell Ringers for the Salvation Army, to non-perishable food items for the Hunger Task Force, to the La Crosse Jaycees Toys for Tots which has their toy drive going on today until 6pm at the La Crosse Center,  to the needs of your neighbors and your church.  Kind of weird that a song from the 70’s gives so much, back to more lyrics “now’s the time we need to share” from reaching into your pocket for change to the time shared to help a child, to holding a door for a stranger at the mall.  I think we get out of life what we give, so “send a smile and show you care.” 

Daily Dose of BS Nov 17 vaping

What kid doesn’t like candy, more specifically chocolate or mint, and if they don’t like candy maybe some fruit would hit the spot.  I think it is funny that the vaping manufactures are saying that there is no way that they are marketing to kids, the flavors I mentioned at the beginning of this are the big vape flavors.  The flavors that are not being marketed to kids.  The positive side of the story is that Wisconsin kids are turning away from cigarettes but are looking for that nicotine from another source.  The study goes on to say that while kids are turning away from smoking there are twice as many middle and high schoolers inhaling e-cigarettes these days.  We just had a new company hand book that mentions e-cigarettes in it, that you can’t smoke them in the buildings, and I agree.  I have been seeing the e-cigarettes more and more and in the weirdest places, like while walking through the grocery store and in the movie theater.  I am now hearing that these are causing cancer similar to regular cigarettes.  I wish that the kids that are picking up this habit think about what this habit could lead to. 

Daily Dose of BS Nov 16 no regrets

You should live your life with no regrets.  If you want to try something but never have, do it, write a bucket list of things you want to do then start on that list.  In the back of my mind I have always wanted to try a Maid-Rite and I never did, now that they are closed I am thinking I made a mistake, how did I not try them out.  What if I would have tried them and I would have loved them and then I would have told two people who would have told two people and so on and so on.  Maybe they would still be in business. I have these feelings of regret when I hear that any store that I wanted to check out closes.  I am not sure why I never went to that restaurant I just never did.  I for one am going to try to live more and do things on my list.  I guess first of all I have to come up with my list.  Life is short and we don’t know what is around the next corner, life could be grand today and changed tomorrow.  We have the gift of life lets live it.  

Daily Dose of BS Nov 15 birthday

15 years ago today I doubled the amount of kids I had.  Come to think of it each time we had kids we doubled.  From zero to one, one to two, and two to four.  Thank goodness we stopped.  When Marcia and I started dating she said she wanted 4 kids with twins.  Me, I wanted to retire at 50.  At least one of us got our wish.  Back to the kids, our precious twins were born 15 years ago today, and I couldn’t be more proud of them.  They are awesomely different.  You would think that 2 that spent the first 9 months of their existence together would have been at least a little alike.  Nope, I take that back, they are both hard working, smart and gifted.  I am super proud to be their dad, they have taught me so much about myself and challenged me like no others, well like no others besides their brothers.  Robert and Kenedi I am blessed to be your father, keep up the great work, and keep pushing each other to be the best.  I love you and happy 15^th birthday.  

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.