Daily Dose of BS June 20 Hayden

1995 was the last time that I didn’t get to celebrate Father’s Day since then, I have been a Dad.  Yesterday was an awesome day, I got greetings and presents from my four children.  The biggest joy of being a Dad is the birth of your child, I had been in love before but never loved so much as when my son Hayden was born.  Hayden paved the way for me to be a Dad, he came into the world a month early after my wife Marcia sent 3 months on bed rest.  But it was all worth it.  Usually these birthday greetings are filled with mushy things like In the past 21 years it has been amazing to see him grow into a responsible young man.  How Hayden has been on the Honor Roll every quarter and trimester of his School Career.  As his dad I am so proud of this guy.  He has great friends, who all have high aspirations in life.  He is polite, caring and has a great scene of humor, he is also smart-alecky at times and people always throw at me where do you think he got that.  I don’t know, can you pick that up off a toilet seat somewhere?  I expect many great and exciting things for this young man.  I don’t mean for this to be embarrassing but I am so proud of him.  Hayden I hope you have a great birthday, and remember I always love you buddy. 

Daily Dose of BS June 17 Fathers Day

With Father’s Day coming up on Sunday, have you ever thought that Dads get the short end of the stick?  When I was a kid Mother’s Day was that special day of the year when we and by we I mean my brothers and I would always do something above and beyond for our Mom, we would be nice to each other and offer up our services to help with chores around the house pick flowers and give plenty of hugs and kisses.  For Father’s Day we would punch the old man in the arm, and tell him Happy Father’s day and move on.  Dads are an important piece of the puzzle, they help you to become the person you are, as a Dad we are often over looked as a caregivers, I recall when my kids were little and I would watch the kids, and someone would always say oh you are babysitting, how nice.  Not the case, I am a Father and I was parenting my children, as my Father did for my brothers and I.  Parents do not babysit their own children.  For all the lessons taught both when I was a child and the lessons in life that you teach me now I thank you Dad and remember I love you.  Happy Father’s Day.

Daily Dose of BS June 16 roads

It has to be true I read it on the internet and heard it on the radio, Wisconsin has some worst roads in the country, ranked number 47^th out of 50^th.  I am not sure where these people are driving, I for one have driven on much worse roads than the roads here in Wisconsin.  Growing up in Minnesota the roads there are much worse.  My brother in law lives on a dirt road, to get to my parents you have to dodge pot holes that will swallow a car and like here there is road construction all the time.  I lived in Iowa where there were bigger pot holes than there are here.  I am thinking that it depended on where you drive on how you think the roads are.  If you only drive on Lang Drive everyday then your perspective is different than most.  There is talk in Wisconsin of toll roads, and gas tax, and a registration fee increase for your license.  I get that there are bad roads out there, but being at the bottom of list when it comes to driving conditions, I disagree, there are much worse.

Daily Dose of BS June 15 Packer Hat

Last winter my son saw the Packers wearing their cool camo winter hats, he asked for one, and received it for Christmas.  We looked around to get it and finally bought it from a company in Wisconsin.  We purchased it from packertime.com, well after wearing it a few times the elastic in the headband was wrecked, he got it for Christmas 2015 and my January 15^th I was contacting the company for exchange, they claimed it was not their fault and put me onto the company New Era Hats I contacted them, the customer service person there was amazing, she took my information and said send it back we will take a look and help you out.  I did just that.  Fast forward to yesterday, I was wondering about the winter hat that I sent back to the New Era Hat Company and called them, the customer service person was pleasant but couldn’t help me even though I had a trail of emails from both the companies involved.  Not that I am telling you not to use either of these companies, because I am not but I know for one I won’t be purchasing anything from either of these two companies ever again, and if you asked me I would suggest against it.

Daily Dose of BS June 14 restaurants

Don’t get me wrong we have some of the greatest local restaurants in La Crosse but living in a smaller town we miss out on some of the restaurant chains that are out there, I really like to go to Noodles while traveling, I have seen the ads for Chili’s but I have never been, and I would like try them, also would like to try Sonic.  For a great sandwich I like eating at Pot Belly’s in Madison and Chicago, but also while in Chicago I love the pizza and the hot dogs.  The In and Out Burger was the hit of the trip last time I was in California.  Growing up I loved White Castle, Bridgemans, The Pizza Factory and Burger Chef.  Don’t get me wrong I love all the locally owned home cooking place that we have around here, and I do have my favorites.  But, what restaurant chain would you like to see come into the La Crosse area?  

Daily Dose of BS June 13 shooting

In the four years that I have been doing this radio show, this isn’t the first time that I am writing about mass shootings on American soil, this isn’t the first time that many have been shot and killed at the hands of someone not mentally all there.  I am both sad and mad that someone could walk into a club and open fire.  It hurts me to see this happen.  Personally I feel as though this isn’t a gay issue or a gun issue this is a the shooter is crazy issue and that obviously he was out of his mind.  I don’t think that taking away people’s rights for bearing arms would have stopped this shooting or for that matter any shooting.  Maybe if we put more guns in the hands of regular folks, someone looking to shoot up a place may have second thoughts doing it.  I think when you buy a gun that education will help, I also feel that mental and welfare checks are important, and should be done, but how? 

Daily Dose of BS June 10 video

Have you ever been sucked right into a video?  A friend of mine posted a video on my facebook page about a homeless guy who gave up his brand new sleeping bag for someone else because the homeless man said that the other guy needed it more than him, and that he could do without.  I watched that video and had a weepy eye.  I think that sometimes we get wrapped up into our own little world of our own problems and don’t pay attention to the needs of the others around us.  I don’t know if it possible to open our eyes and start seeing the things that need to be changed around us.  Do you do as most of us do and walk by someone with their hand out?  I know that I do, and I am skeptical of someones bs story as well, however there are times that I do stop.  If you want to watch the video, here is the link, if not that is ok also.  Have a great day and keep cool.

https://www.facebook.com/dave.foster.7549/posts/1089129207800740?notif_t=mention&notif_id=1465525273252396

Daily Dose of BS June 9 bear

I don’t know about you but when I saw the video of the black bear walking through a neighborhood on the south side of LaCrosse I was a bit concerned, but then I thought about it, I bet that there are a lot of other critters that are more dangerous than the black bear, let’s look at the everyday pests that are right here and in full force and in full view of us on a daily regular basis.  I am talking about the mice and rats that live in La Crosse, or the ticks, especially the deer ticks and the mosquito and the common house fly, all of these spread disease.  We can’t forget about the spiders and the also one that I like least of all the drug dealers in the city.  We have a lot more to fear than the black bear.  

Daily Does of BS June 8 pick up

I know I talked about large item pick up last week, but this week I want to talk about trash and yard waste.  I live on the South Side of La Crosse and I drive by West and Adams at least one time every day.  There has been a pile of sticks sitting on that corner for at least 3 weeks and I would bet even longer than that.  I would think that someone who lives by there, or one of the businesses that are in the vicinity would bend over and pick up to put in the trash.  Also across from Gordy’s where the Johnny Aloha’s service used to be there is a caution work sign and holder just sitting on the street, like it got hit and then left, this has been here for at least a couple of days.  I get that this isn’t your job to pick it up, it isn’t mine either, but is me having this attitude part of the problem?  If we all keep looking past these issues, won’t the issues become bigger, and worse?  I have said it before and I will say it again, we need to keep our surroundings picked up and respectable. 

Daily Dose of BS June 7 Clinton

Hillary Clinton clinches the nomination, becoming first woman to top a major party ticket, and Bernie Sanders is under no obligation to drop out.   Now with the presumed presidential candidates for both parties locked up, that means that everyone is happy right?  Ha, I think that the American voter is angrier now than they were before.  We are getting to be more of a polarized society than ever before as well.  I look at the way that we despise our neighbors and those that think different than us.  There are even those that think the same as us irritate us.  I have about 2 thousand “friends” on Facebook, and I would say about 45% are democrats, and 45% are republicans and about 10% are undecided.  And I have seen some posts saying if you support one candidate or another you will be unfriended.  I guess that if you get unfriended you really weren’t that good a friend now were you.  What people say and post online or rant and rave about in public isn’t going to pull an undecided voter in, I think that it will repel a perspective voter.  I guess I am ready to see the worst in people for the next few months.  

Daily Dose of BS June 6 food disappeared

Ever had anything just disappear from your fridge?  I went out for Chinese food the other day and had a take-out container leftover.  I put it in my fridge and was looking forward to enjoying it when I got home from work on Friday afternoon.  I used to have to put my name on my leftovers in the fridge but as my kids got trained to not eat other people’s food in the fridge I didn’t have to do that anymore.  I don’t know what happened to that Chinese food as I saw it on Friday morning and by Friday midday it was gone.  I asked everyone in my house, including my son who doesn’t even live there if they grabbed the food and no body grabbed it.  Weird thing is that I looked in the garbage to see if someone accidently had thought it was trash or maybe ate it but lied to dad, but nope can’t even find the evidence that I was even at the Chinese restaurant.  Maybe I wasn’t there and maybe I didn’t have Chinese food, then again maybe I don’t have sunburn either.  Nope I got that.  Have a great day, and I hope that the mysterious food eater doesn’t stop by your house. 

Daily Dose of BS June 3 things i do

I wanted to revisit a topic from before, one that made me smile, one that talks about the weird things and have weird habits that we have, for example I always grab 3 paper towels when drying my hands.  I also will say ouch when someone fake punches me, I check the fridge for new and different food even though I know there is only the same old stuff.  I will sometimes look into a window at the store to just to see if I can catch my reflection.  I put the music on my phone on shuffle but then hit skip until I find a song that I really want to hear.  I sit on the step in the kitchen to put on my socks, I have to reread things often because I wasn’t really paying attention when I read it the first time or sometimes even the second time.  When I sit down to watch tv at lunch I don’t start eating until the show is starting. I baby talk to babies and bark at dogs and finally I occasionally check to see if I can move things with your mind.  Are any of these things that you do?

Daily Dose of BS June 2 last day of school

Is there too much pressure on students these days?  There was another school shooting yesterday this time in California at the UCLA campus.  I get that there is pressure on students to get good grades, but who does it ultimately fall back on?  That’s right the student.  Work harder, get better grades.  I think that it boils down to taking personal responsibility for your actions and reactions.  With that being said, today is the final day of school for local kids, some moving on to new schools in September others moving on to new careers and others just moving on.  I remember the huge dreams that I had as a kid the first few days of summer were spent planning out what great adventures that were going to be out there for me and my friends.  We always had huge plans, we were going to start our own lawn mowing business, and we were going to have fun camping trips, ride our bikes everywhere, and stay up all night.  I am sure we accomplished a few of those goals, but it never worked out quite how you had it planned.  That is ok, life doesn’t always turn out as planned, it turns out how you make it.  Kids, enjoy your summer and parents, let your kids live.  Be safe in all your adventures. 

Daily Dose of BS June 1 trash

Is it just me or has La Crosse become more littered with trash?  I know we had the large trash pick-up over the past couple of weeks but it seems like we have more and more things just piled on the boulevards, and by the colleges it is worse.  There are also the junkers or pickers that comb through your trash in search for the ultimate treasure, and then leave the trash where it lands.  There are a few of the pickers that live on Jackson Street as you see their overflowing garbage spilling out of their half-assed trailers.  Isn’t there some sort of a beautification law in La Crosse where this garbage has a place and that place isn’t on one of the main thoroughfares in the city?  If you are going to be a picker, pick and clean up after yourself, if you are going to throw away big items put them out on trash day, or take them to the dump.  It is time that we pick up our community. 

Daily Dose of BS May 31 gorilla

You had to have seen or at least heard about the silverback gorilla from the Cincinnati Zoo.  Saturday a 4 year old boy struggled to find a better vantage point to see the gorilla the boy lost his footing and down he went into a moat around the gorillas, the 400 pound gorilla grabbed the 4 year old and began dragging him through the concrete moat.  To save the boy from further harm, the staff fatally shot the ape.  To me the weird thing about this whole story is that there are people outraged about the fact that the gorilla was shot, a 4 year old boys life was at stake, the zoo did what needed to be done. 

Daily Dose of BS May 27 staycation

It is the first big weekend of the summer season.  Be a tourist in your own community.  I think we should look at the great things we have in our own back yard the things that we take for granted like the rivers, and lakes.  When was the last time you were out on the water here in our backyard?  How about the bluffs and the many miles of trails both on the bluffs and through the parks.  I also invite you to take in the great local shops in Downtown La Crosse or a short drive to the north there is the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway, many different foods can be found here and you can't forget the salute to this that and the other thing, almost every single weekend we are blessed to live in an area that has fest fairs and fun weekly.  So look around and take in what is around and live life to its fullest.  And share what you have found, don’t just sit on that diamond, let everyone know.   When someone says I am going to La Crosse what do you tell people to check out?

Daily Dose of BS May 26 emails

I don’t know about you but there are a lot of emails that I have deleted in my many years of using emails, emails that I have accidently deleted to emails that I deleted than immediately wanted to know why I hit delete.  As a matter of fact, I accidently deleted some emails I meant to keep the other day.  So when Hillary Clinton says that she didn’t delete anything that she shouldn’t have I don’t believe her, add to that this that she is a politician and I really don’t believe her.  Should she get a bye on the email issue I don’t think so.  But I do believe that this should be an eye opener and should bring on new rules for people who work for the government, if you have a government job and you are required to have email, all your work email should go through a server that has been set up for your official government correspondence.  Also if they really wanted to know what those emails said, I am guessing that there is a trail somewhere, like in the NSA’s servers.  

Daily Dose of BS May 25 sticks and stones

The bible says do to others as you would have done to you.  I guess there are a lot of people out there that would prefer violence against them.  I often wonder when I hear the news of protesters doing their thing, often times what we hear people protesting is politics and often those protests turn ugly.  Look at last night’s political protest against Donald Trump, the protesters broke through a door and smashed through barriers.  If you are trying to bring your word of peace, this isn’t the way to do it.  I think that we have become a crazy political not only country but a crazy political world.  My biggest wonder is do you think that we will ever have a world filled with peace and people using just words to fight rather than sticks and stones?

Daily Dose of BS May 24 adhd

I remember the conversation well, not the date, not the situations that lead up to it, but the words that came from my Dad.  My Dad and I went out for breakfast many years ago after I got off the air, we had the usual small talk that happens when you are sitting with your parents, the small talk that leads up to the big talk.  Well the small talk didn’t take long that day it was mostly I listened to your show this morning, it was good.  Then he jumped into the big talk of your mother and I were glad that you got into radio because we honestly had no idea what you were going to do for a living.  I laughed, and still laugh at it to this day when I think about it.  I am sure that he was referring to the fact that my attention span isn’t very long.  I have often wondered if they had ADHD when I was a kid if I would have been assigned that label.  I for one am glad that they didn’t.   About 11% of U.S. children have been diagnosed with ADHD, and it affects about 5% of U.S. adults.  Here is a good test, squirrel.  Did you look?  I did. 

Daily Dose of BS May 23 annoying things

How often do you run into something that is annoying to you?  I am guessing daily, because daily I am annoyed by something most of the time it is small things that don’t mean anything.  But what I am talking about today is that stuff that makes you cringe, the things that you can’t believe that get done, by adults.  For example a few years ago there was a lady cutting her fingernails at church.  Not only rude but gross, it was so disgusting that I am not even sure what she did with the nails, let them fly or she pocketed them.  I have seen people cut their fingernails at work too, also unacceptable.  Another of the things that bug me is when people don’t treat an item that you loaned to them as their own, most of my friends will, but occasionally someone won’t and that is irritating, also when someone uses the last of something and doesn’t tell you that they did, for example the last of the coffee, milk, or worst of all toilet paper.  I hope that your week is full of non-angering events.

Daily Dose of BS May 20 political system

I think that it is time that we change up the political system, that we throw everything that we know about politics out the window and start over.  Right now we are in the midst of the paring down process, only to have 6 more months of mudslinging for what, to become President of the United States, and whomever the winner is will work hard their first term at getting reelected for a second term.  We see it with Congress now and with the Senate every six.  How about this, for the President let’s change it to a six year term and you only get one, then you move into a past president spot, then let’s move the two year term of Congress to 3 years and you can run a total of 3 times for a 9 year life cycle in that position.  We could leave the Senate at a 6 year term but limit that to two years.  This would mix it up and maybe just maybe we would get rid of the career politicians and then we could get things done in Washington. 

Daily Dose of BS May 19 drunk

Well we did it again, we made the list.  Of the top 10 drunkest cities in the US, Wisconsin has 7 of the top 10 spots.  How do we celebrate this one? By going out and having a few, it looks like we already do that.  I find it hard to believe that we have 4 of the top 5 and 7 of the top 10 drunkest cities, I have been to Vegas.  What the study was looking at was men having 5 or more drinks in one sitting and women having 4 or more drinks in one sitting and 15 or more drinks per week for men and woman having 8 or more drinks per week.  The weird thing is that the national report shows that 18% of adults on average drink unhealthy amounts of alcohol.  Wisconsin is not even in the top five for beer consumption yet we get the bad rap, North Dakota drinks the annual per capita consumption: 43.6 gallons of beer, and we have the drunkest cities.  Do we collectively have a problem, I would say yes.  Are we the drunkest state out there?  I would say no.  What are your thoughts?

Daily Dose of BS May 18 breakfast

I have always heard the best meal of the day is breakfast, yet many of us skip it.  I used to never eat breakfast, but now it is one of my 3 favorite meals of the day.  I don’t have time for a bowl of cereal in the morning on my way into work, since I have the morning commute down to a science, I do however grab a banana or a granola bar as I head out the door.  Breakfast for me usually consists of yogurt and granola or oatmeal.  Every once in a while I will go grab a bite to eat with someone, but for the most part, my morning is filled with culture, yogurt culture that is.  One of my children is the breakfast king, Robert loves his breakfast and has gotten to be quite the breakfast chef, he can mix about anything with eggs and make a tasty breakfast.  Are you a daily breakfast eater or not? 

Daily Dose of BS May 17 parklets

They’re back.  I spent some time downtown La Crosse yesterday and noticed that the parklet is back on 5^th Ave.  Have you seen it?  Last year I talked about not getting the thought behind the parklet, this year no different.  I guess I don’t get the thought behind the parklet parks taking up street space, maybe it is that we have plenty of green space in the La Crosse area, maybe that we only have so many parking spots that line the streets.  The main difference between last year and this year is that I actually sat in a parklet now and can still say that I just don’t get them.  I am also concerned about the two possibly three spots that the one spot park is taking up, hear me out, people don’t know how to parallel park either that or they are afraid to do it, so with that they pull in to a spot and when they do they leave plenty of room for the car in front of them or behind them taking up a space and a half, multiply that by the length of the street and sure enough two to three spots are taken up.  What are your thoughts on the baby parks?  Are they a good idea?

Daily Dose of BS May 16 big brother

I hate to tell you this but your smart phone is tracking your every move.  I have always wondered if my moves were being tracked by my phone but pushed out the thought of it ever being real by thinking that big brother doesn’t care about Bob Schmidt, why would he?  Turns out I was both right and wrong.  Right about the fact that big brother is watching us, using our phones and our Google accounts to do so and wrong about the fact the he wants to know where I am.  If you follow this link https://maps.google.com/locationhistory/b/0 I think that you will be surprised.  I found out my top 5 places I visit are home, work, Menards, WTC and Festival foods.  I even had my location on my phone turned off.  I have nothing to hide, but it bugs me that my movements are being monitored.  I wonder if it could pinpoint my exact location at my home if it would have a picture of my chair? 

Daily Dose of BS May 13 beer

I am a beer drinker, I love beer.  Moving to La Crosse added to that love as many beer brands have been brewed right down the street.  Not sure if you heard this one or not but a few days ago Budweiser's parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev announced plans to rechristen America's beer just that — "America."  I had to check the calendar on that one because it sure seemed like an April Fools joke, the world’s biggest beer brand isn’t even corporately owned in the United States, they are owned by InBev in fact even the biggest brewer in Wisconsin Miller is owned but a foreign company.  Would it bother you to drink a beer called America that is brewed by a company owned outside of America?  Would a name change of a beer make you want to drink it more or less?  What is your favorite beer brand?  

Daily Dose of BS May 12 anniversary

I always think that it is funny when people say that they married their best friend.  I don’t know about you but I go through fazes of best friends, I have the same core group of friends that I have had for many years, however the friendships do ebb and flow.   Which brings me to May 12^th, 26 years ago I married Marcia Brooks, in that 26 years we have built a great life for ourselves, we have 4 wonderful kids, and nice house and really couldn’t ask for much more of anything.  When we first were going to be married, many people warned us of first of all getting married so young, I was only 21, they said it wouldn’t last.  We have outlasted many marriages, and the thing is we still can tolerate each other, heck we like and love each other.  I don’t know how I got so lucky.  Just think of the 26 years, and how life can change on a dime, or in a split second, our lives have changed many, many times in the past 26 years for both the good and the bad, but what I think makes us work as a team is that we are willing to overlook each other’s short falls and focus on the things that we love about each other.  So no I didn’t marry my best friend, I married Marcia, happy anniversary honey, I love you.   

Daily Dose of BS May 11 patience

They say that patience is a virtue.  As I am getting older I am realizing I am less patient than I was when I was younger and when I was younger I was not very patient.  It is the little things that push my buttons the things that I should let go, the things that don’t even matter but for some reason they matter to me and matter to me a lot.  According to the dictionary. "Patience: the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, difficulty, or annoyance without getting angry or upset."  I guess that I can accept or tolerate delay, difficulty of annoyance without getting angry but sometimes I let myself get upset over the stupidest of stuff because I know that people sometimes just don’t think.  

Daily Dose of BS May 10 dirty jobs

We have seen the show Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe, well how would you like to have one of those jobs? My job is pretty much grab a glass of ice water, head into my studio, turn on my computer do a little reading, write a few things, then talk on the air. I don’t get dirty too often. There were guys working on moving our electrical this morning when I came into work and they were doing it while it was pouring. Not a job I would want, the reason they are moving the power is because of the construction that is going on, on highway 35, also a job that I wouldn’t want. How many times have you driven thru a construction zone and had the person there holding the slow and stop sign? Not the job that I would want, how about the garbage collector or sewer worker, all jobs that I wouldn’t want but all necessary. I think that there are all kinds of jobs out there that I wouldn’t want but I bet that every one of us have a job that someone who has the job that we wouldn’t want that they wouldn’t want. I guess what I am trying to say is that all jobs matter.

Daily Dose of BS May 9 life is short

While off work for the past week I was reminded again of how precious and short that life is.  One of my son’s coworkers was involved in a fatal car accident.  This accident opened the eyes of my son and his siblings that life is short and when it is your time to go, it is your time to go.  I was reminded that when something like this happens it is not only a sad time full of questions from the family who lost a family member but also a time of reflection from those who knew the person who passed.  I also used this tragedy as a teaching experience for my children as we were reminded that seat belts, texting, drinking, and speed are among the things that can and will kill, while driving.  Remember that life is precious and all too quick.  Take the time to stop and smell the roses, because you just never know.  

Daily Dose of BS April 29 put down the glass

Remember to put the glass down.  As we head into a weekend and a new month, reflect on the things around you but also remember to let your big worries go.  Life is short and we don’t know when it will take an unexpected twist or turn, and honestly every time that I have worried about something, every single time I wasted time and energy on negative feelings, what I worried about didn’t happen or if it did it wasn’t as bad as I made it out to be.  Next week I am taking the week off from work to get a few projects done around the house, but if I don’t get them done, or they don’t go the way that I had planned I am going to try to remember that it is ok.  It is ok to not carry the weight of even the smallest of worries, I am going to try to remember to put the glass down. 

Daily Dose of BS April 28 tv

I guess we will have a few months to catch up on our favorites as the end of the season for tv is here.  I always hate when this time of the year comes around and the shows that I enjoy watching disappear into thin air, never getting wrapped up only airing the last show leaving you hanging there waiting for what is going to happen next.  There was a show that was on a few years ago that dealt with 6 degrees of separation and I started watching it on week one, by week 3 I was hooked, the show was cancelled in week four never to be seen again.  This kind of tv programing bugs me since it usually takes a few weeks for a new show to hit.  I see this year in and year out as the network programmers look to fill space.  I have an idea, if you cancel a show in midseason, sell it to Netflix or Hulu, so that way we can at least finish the season.

Daily Dose of BS April 26 ash tress

I just talked about it a month ago, when the city took out the trees in Riverside park, and now they are in the news again, the city of La Crosse has a hate relationship with the Ash Tree, and the Emerald Ash Borer.  The latest plan calls for the removal of 2700 ash trees over the next 5 years.  The city of La Crosse will be eradicating the Ash Tree from the fabric of the city.  I am guessing that when we drive down most of the city streets we will notice the clear cutting of the Ash trees from the roads and boulevards.  It saddens me to think that all these trees will soon be gone from our beautiful city, a tree city, and that our lovely canopy of leaves and shade will for a long time be missing from the city streets.  I think the next time we plant trees for shade that the city should look at different species so that way we don’t get stuck in another Elm and Ash situation.  

Daily Dose of BS April 25 life

Did life turn out as you expected?  I think that mine is better than I expected.  I had dreams early in my career of being a DJ in a major market, and tried finding a few jobs in that, but ultimately decided that I loved talk radio and the city of La Crosse.  Money is not a motivator, but freedom for me is.  Here is something to think about, what is your biggest motivator?  What gets you up in the morning and what sustains you for the day?  As I said for me it is the events going on daily that when done correctly I have the freedom to do what I want later in the day or on the weekends.  

BS With Bob April 22 Earth Day

Today is earth day and a day to celebrate Mother Earth, what are you going to be doing to save her for the future generations?  I have been recycling, and I am shocked about how painless it is.  Our world is much like our bodies if we abuse it, it won’t be around forever.  I know we do many things to the earth that we shouldn’t but I want to just focus on one thing, one little piece, the cigarette butt.   I hate when someone who smokes tosses out the cigarette butt out the window of a car.  While I am on it I really dislike any litter, it annoys me to no end.  When you have garbage find a receptacle do not just toss on the ground, you are making needless work for someone else and you are polluting our world.  Also remember to pitch your gum where someone isn’t going to be stepping on it.

Daily Dose of BS April 21 money

Are we ready for new money?  For the first time in about a century there will be a big change in money with the proposed replacement of Andrew Jackson on the $20 dollar bill with Harriet Tubman, and also to add women and civil rights leaders to the $5 and $10 dollar bill.  I wrote about the need to keep pennies many years ago, I think I am going to rethink that one, either round it up or round it down to the nearest nickel.  Also since I am talking about money I think we need larger than the one hundred dollar bill, cause when you make a bigger purchase and it is a cash purchase, you got a pretty big wad of cash, and also with the way inflation is, to buy your weekly groceries you need at least a hundred bucks and with an election coming up and the uncertainty of all that, we will need bigger than a c-note.  

Daily Dose of BS April 20 credit cards

I don’t carry a lot of cash, I use my credit card and then pay it off, as my parents used to say those that understand interest make it those that don’t pay it.  I try and pay things off as the bills come, once in a while it takes an extra month to pay but not too often.  The card that I have been using is one where I get points at a specific store, and then end up getting free stuff the more I spend the more I get.  Since about last year there has been a chip on the front of the card and if you try swiping it when there is a reader present it doesn’t work and you have to insert the card in the slot and wait, and wait and well you get the drift.  How is a chipped card going to help with credit card fraud if everyone isn’t using it and if the old technology is still on the card?  And ever wonder how soon the credit card thieves will learn to steal your new information.  

Daily Dose of BS April 19 police work

Good old police work and a gps chip helped the UWL police department to bust a couple of bike thieves.  Just about 30 bikes were found after a bait bike was placed in with others and was taken by the thieves, I don’t know about you but I am all for using technology and surveillance for stopping thieves from taking what isn’t theirs.  I know that the city of La Crosse has new cameras up down town and that people were complaining about them when they were going through the fund raising process, I guess the way I look at it is if you aren’t doing anything wrong then what do you have to worry about?  You know with more and more people posting things for sale on craigslist and on facebook, we have to be more diligent on making sure that what we buy from a private seller is bought and paid for by them not by someone else. 

Daily Dose of BS April 18 vandals

At 10^th and State Street there is a fenced in piece of property that has been kicked in and beaten down for many years.  You drive by once and it is in great shape like every fence should be then you go by a week or two later, usually after a weekend and there are fence boards missing off the fence.  I have seen this going on and off for the past handful of years, and honestly the more I see it get wrecked the more I get mad about the situation.  I really don’t understand why people have to wreck other people’s property?  It isn’t theirs, it doesn’t belong to them, they don’t maintain it, it has no sentimental value to them, yet people think it is ok to wreck other people’s property.  I just don’t get it.  If you’re a vandal, shame on you. 

Daily Dose of BS April 15 buy American

You hear the chat of buy American, pride for America, but do show that pride with your dollars?  Are you going out of your way to make sure that the products you buy are built in the good old USA?  I am not sure that I have ever looked to see if something that I was buying is made here or globally.  I take that back I will look where my canned mushrooms come from, and I don’t even know why I do but once I saw the can I was buying say that they came from China and that kind of seemed weird to me, and I don’t even know why it was, maybe I was thinking how did they get here, and why are they from China, do they really grow mushrooms that are that much better than the ones grown here, where are they really growing?  Anyway back to the topic at hand, do you search to see where your products are made, and do you buy based on that?  

Daily Dose of BS April 11 positive thinking

I have talked about the power of being positive many times on this show, and that if you are you are goal oriented, optimistic and enthusiastic that people want to be around you.  Research shows that this is exactly right with those that are self-made millionaires.  Most people like to spend time with likeminded people looking for success, and the majority of people enjoy long term success when they have a positive mental outlook.  Looks like what I have told my kids to be true that negativity will derail you from pursuing success, because optimists attract optimists and pessimists just repel. 

Daily Dose of BS April 8 comfort foods

I heard yesterday that we have comfort foods based on who made them and how we felt around that person.  What’s your favorite comfort food?  I have a food and a meal my comfort meal it is meatloaf, baked potato and acorn squash.  I remember as a kid we got to pick our favorite meal for supper on our birthday and that is what I picked and still would today if offered any meal prepared for me by my Mom.  If I just need a quick fix I love a good english muffin with butter not margarine, then smothered in peanut butter and drizzled with honey.  Yum.  I also have a new comfort food of banana bread toasted in the toaster and then slathered in butter.  What is your favorite comfort food?

Daily Dose of BS April 7 complaint log

I have a school project of writing down things that I complain about or make me mad for the day.  I have started a list a few times but let it go after I had about a page and it was only noon.  Well I let it slide and it is due today.  So yesterday I was thinking that it is due I am just going to have happy thoughts and not let anything bug me for the day so I can legitimately say that nothing bugged me.  Bahaha, I had complaining thoughts in the shower as my razor wouldn’t clean quickly, my internet wasn’t fast enough, I had to put on my stupid hearing aids, my glasses needed washing, my socks were tight, there was nothing quick to grab for breakfast, my radio was too loud when I got in the car, the road was bumpy, an idiot pulled out in front of me on a green light sped up then slammed on his breaks – that one got me mad, then he pulled off and sped away.  I got to work and my studio was warm, I am sure I have forgotten a few and I have only been up for a couple of hours.  If this stuff is the worst of the day, then it is going to be a terrific day, I am going to try to find the good in today and not sweat the small stuff and I suggest that you do the same, it isn’t like my stuff is life and death, heck it is just first world problems.  Have a terrific day.  

Daily Dose of BS April 5 road construction

On your Mark get set go, then stop, then go again now stop, ok change lanes, change back, slow down, pick up speed now stop.  Welcome to construction season.  We are only a few days into the new season and already I am sick of the disruption to my life.  Every year we get bombarded with road work.  It seems as though there are construction projects planned just to slow us down.  Have you ever driven from here to Chicago, has there ever been anytime when there wasn’t snow on the ground that there hasn’t been any road construction?  And with the construction around La Crosse almost every direction that you head out of town there is some sort of road work being done.  Here is a novel idea, let’s work to finish one job then work on the next so we don’t have construction all around us. 

Daily Dose of BS April 5 primary

In case you didn’t know, today is primary election day in Wisconsin.  In case you hadn’t noticed, Wisconsin is the national spotlight for the wannabe presidential candidates, as well as lots of local races.  In case you cared, we hadn’t been a state that mattered for the presidential primary for a long, long time.  In case you forgot this election you need to have your photo id with you when you vote.  If you live in La Crosse you may have a new polling place, mine got moved now for the second time in the past handful of year.  I lived walking distance to my last two polling places, not the case this time.  The nice thing about the primary being now is that it gives us a little break from all the political BS between now and November.  After a little time off though we better strap in and enjoy the ride, it is a long time to November.  Please don’t forget to vote. 

Daily Dose of BS April 4 phone

Here is the setup, last week there was a home invasion on the North Side of La Crosse, and within the past few weeks someone has broken into my neighbor’s house and taken her purse, as far as I know the police are still looking into both of these cases.  I bring this up because last week someone knocked on my door at 8:45pm stumping for one of the presidential candidates, when is too late to knock on someone’s door when they are not expecting you?  Back in the olden days as my kids would call my childhood we had unwritten rules like no phone calls between the hours of 9pm and 9am, that you shouldn’t go to someone’s house before 9am and that you should not knock on doors after the sun goes down.  What are your thoughts on phone calls and doorbells?  I think I still agree with the doorbell rule but with phones, who hasn’t made a phone call after 9pm?    

Daily Dose of BS April1 april fools day

Today is don’t trust your family and co-worker day, April fool’s Day.  I have had the typical goofy pranks pulled on me like you dropped your pocket or an extra hole poked in a pop can so it dribbles on me.  I think that having a day that we celebrate foolery and silliness is good, it helps our kids to understand that life doesn’t always need to be serious, it also teaches planning and execution.  To have a super April fool’s Day prank really work you need to have a plan and find a way to execute.  Funny about this day the trust factor isn’t really there is it?  But I am always happy when April 1st comes around as it is the end of the joke perpetuated on the tax payers of the city of La Crosse, April 1st means no more alternate side parking, well at least until November 1st.  Enjoy your next 7 months of parking on either side of the street. 

Daily Dose of BS March 31 naps

Every afternoon about 2 I am ready for a nap.  It doesn’t matter if it is a weekday or a weekend.  If I woke at 4 or 8 that morning, I am ready for a nap at 2.  I have come to cherish my 20 minute siesta as a quick revitalization of my mind and my body.  I have a few friends who never ever take naps and I know many, most of them are fellow radio people who take a nap daily.  I find myself craving my quiet alone time and as the time ticks down to 2 I can feel myself falling into a lull.  Are you a napper or not?  If not I suggest you grab a blanket and a comfortable chair and give it a try. 

Daily Dose of BS March 30 service organizations

One of the things my parents instilled in my brothers and I, was to give back either monetarily or with time. I chose to work in radio so I have more time than money. There are tons great organizations out there that are in need of your time, and your money. Find one and help when you can. Today is Kiwanis radio day so as you pop around to the different radio stations in the La Crosse Market you will hear lots of different unfamiliar voices, talking about the benefits of being in the Kiwanis. The best thing about being a part of a service group is that if you are active in the group you are pretty much guaranteed to make some good lifelong friends, I am still friends with some of the guys I was in Boy Scouts with and my best friends are people that I was in the Jaycees with. My suggestion to you is be active within our community and let us all work to make our great communities an even better place to live.

Daily Dose of BS March 29 politics

With the Wisconsin presidential primary one week from today we are seeing the candidates crisscrossing across Wisconsin making empty promises and saying what we want to hear.  I wonder if once the primary is finished if they will even think of Wisconsin until the last couple of weeks before the general election come November.  My guess is nope.  These men and women running for president are just making their stump speech with their forced smiles and vacant assurances.  I am so ready for the hate in all the politics to be set aside and for us to start working on some solutions to some real problems.