At one time last night, we had six tornado warnings going on at the same time in Southern Wisconsin. It seems not every body heeds the warnings to find a safe place (like a basement) to ride out the storm.
Don't do what this guy did when a tornado came straight for his Minnesota farm. He takes FOREVERÂ to decide to go to the basement.
It starts out pretty funny, because he has a classic Minnesota accent. Then it gets scary..and then the lights go out. I know it's 8 minutes long, but it's worth watching.
This morning Jonathan and I had the pleasure of meeting Charlotte Deleste from Channel 3's Morning Show..she filled us in a a benefit for a new charity that helps parents of kids with special needs. It's called Gio's Garden. There's a benefit tomorrow night (Thursday June 10) at Scatz featuring live music from Lube, SuperTuesday and Whitney Mann, plus a live auction, and more.
Find out all about it here.
Big news in the fast food world! Subway is going to start tessellating its cheese.
What?
I thought this had something to do with the raw milk movement, but I was incorrect.
Here's the definition, from dictionary.com:
tes·sel·late   (tÄs'É-lÄt')
tr.v.  tes·sel·lat·ed, tes·sel·lat·ing, tes·sel·lates
To form into a mosaic pattern, as by using small squares of stone or glass.
Or in this case, cheese.
Apparently there was an internet campaign demanding this change from Subway. There was even a T-shirt. And now, it seems, victory.
According to a document leaked to various sources, Subway says: âtriangles or half moons of cheese will be placed on the sandwich in an offset, or staggered pattern. This will improve the cheese coverage on the sandwich.â
Can't wait to bite into more cheesy goodness in my next Subway sandwich..and to try using the word tessellate in lots of sentences.
Bet you didn't know there were lyrics to that theme song for The Andy Griffith Show. That's just one of the things I was reminded of as I got ready to write this blog about the star of that show, who celebrates birthday number 84 today.
The song was called "Down By The Fishing Hole," and the whistling was done by Earle Hagen, who was one of the theme song's co-writers.
Sing it everybody:
"Well, now, take down your fishin' pole and meet me at The Fishin' Hole,
We may not get a bite all day, but don't you rush away.What a great place to rest your bones and mighty fine for skippin' stones,
You'll feel fresh as a lemonade, a-settin' in the shade.Whether it's hot, whether it's cool, oh what a spot for whistlin' like a fool."
I also discovered that a lot of people have birds that can whistle the theme song. And their owners are so proud of that fact that they videotaped them and put the video on youtube. Here's the best one I found. A fitting tribute to old Sheriff Taylor. (What-- you were hoping for a Matlock tribute?)
So how do you pronounce the name of that volcano that's creating all that havoc in Europe? So far, I haven't even given it a try, and just say "that volcano in Iceland." When I have heard people trying to say it, it sounds kind of like the warbling call of a chicken in heat.
In my years of newscasting I've always believed that if you mispronounce with authority, no one will notice if you're screwing it up. And I actually got pretty darn good at pronouncing Polish last names when I worked in Stevens Point. It's kind of a fun game to pick up the Point phone book and try to find the most unpronounceable name and give it my best shot!
But as far as volcano names go, I think I'll stick with "Mt. St. Helen's." That one I can handle. I made that decision after watching this video! It's pretty funny.
A new survey suggests that 20 percent of us belive there are aliens among us. Only 20 percent?
The poll taken of more than 23-thousand adults in 22 countries shows 1 in 5 believe aliens exist and they live among us disguised as humans. (Link to the news story here). Â
Now is where you'd probably expect me to make some kind of joke about Dick Cheney or Newt Gingrich, but I'm choosing to go in a different direction.
I guess I don't understand the 80 percent who don't believe that aliens are among us. There's plenty of concrete evidence, dating back thousands of years. And I'm not just talking about all those cool cave paintings that look like they're depicting men in spacesuits.
I'mreferring to a certain Stone-age family and their little two foot tall green friend. Don't know what I'm talking about? Watch the video.
What was your favorite Super Bowl commercial? I loved the Snickers ad with Betty White and Abe Vigoda (and so did everybody else.) But I really got a big charge out of the Hyundai ad featuring good old Brett Favre. I'm just afraid the joke may be on us in ten years when the commercial comes true!
Here's a video with some behind the scenes footage and some outtakes! I hate to admit this, but Brett's a pretty good actor. Make sure you watch 'til he gets to the part about computerized referees.
Thanks to Andy Wallman from Knupp & Watson and Wallman for coming on the show to talk about the Super Bowl ads this morning. You can read his blog on the topic here!
Yes, Jimmy the Groundhog in Sun Prairie predicted an early spring, but what did Snohomish Slew have to say about this situation? As I mentioned in my blog the other day, Jimmy has some non-rodent competition from a bullfrog in Washington State..who actually made his prediction over the weekend.
Despite the fact that this video looks like it came from a fake news source (like the Onion or Fox News) it's really from a Seattle TV station. If you watch 'til the end you'll see the news anchor try to keep from laughing.
Groundhog Day is coming up next Tuesday, and all eyes will be on Sun Prairie as Jimmy the Groundhog makes his weather prediction.
Okay, not all eyes. Not hardly. Jimmy doesn't get a much publicity as say, Punxsutawney Phil out east in Pennsylvania. Old Phil has been around a lot longer than Jimmy, and there was that whole Bill Murray movie that gave him extra cred, so it is tough to compete.
But did you know there are other weather prognosticating animals vying for your attention as well?
There's Furby the Wonder Chicken in Vancouver, British Columbia. Spike the Porcupine hails from Duluth, MN. In Cottage Grove, a pot-bellied pig named Hamlet would go shadow-seeking, but alas he died last year.
Did you hear about the cold-blooded alternative in the fine metropolis of Snohomish, Washington? There, they celebrate "GroundFrog Day," with a big old bullfrog named Snohomish Slew. He lives in a 75 gallon tank at the Just Frog Amphibian Center in Snohomish.Â
If you think all that is kind of silly..I wonder what you'll think of this. PETA  is now asking the folks in Punxsutawney to replace their groundhog with a robotic version. William Deeley, who's president of the Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, says hogwash to the group's claims that Phil is being mistreated. He says says the animal is "being treated better than the average child in Pennsylvania."
HAPPY GROUNDHOG, GROUNDFROG, ROBOT DAY EVERYBODY!
More about Sun Prairie's Groundhog festivities here.
It's great to see how many people are opening their wallets to help with the relief efforts in Haiti. That includes musicians who have made their music available for download in exchange for donations.
You can now add Wilco to that list. They're making two complete concerts available, in hopes you'll donate to Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam International.
Click here for more information.
So the Vikings choke again. Not a real surprise, but definitely a bummer for folks who still haven't jumped off the Brett Favre train. There are those who say bad calls killed the Vikings. Or it could have been that Favre threw an interception late in the game (you think?)
But here's the real reason the Vikings lost. It was their bad choice of "inspirational guest speaker" before the game. Because Brett became such a pop culture sensation when he sang "Pants on the Ground" after the Vikings beat Dallas, they brought in the bizarre dude who "sang" it on American Idol during the auditions a couple weeks ago. His name is General Larry Platt, and it's obvious the players were into it...and that they have the sense of humor of five year olds.
They couldn't think of any one else to bring in? Like maybe Dr. Phil..or Conan? He gave a very nice speech on his finale show Friday night and could have shared some wisdom.
Or maybe they should have invited another American Idol wannabe who's gotten more than his 15 minutes of fame. William Hung could have sung "She Bang" and whipped them into a frenzy.
Here's the video of Mr. Platt entertaining the boys. I think it's on a cell phone camera so the quality's not that good.
Music can be a great healer...and musicians are doing their part to help victims of the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti. We've got a whole list of ways you can help, including benefit concerts and more.
Another cool way to get involved: donate to Haiti relief, and you can download a compilation album that features unreleased music from Peter Gabriel, the Dave Matthews Band, Alanis Morissette and more. Money goes to organizations including the United Nations and Habitat for Humanity. Click here to find out more about Music For Relief.
Also, Paste Magazine is giving you access to cool unreleased music if you donate. Their project is called Songs for Haiti, and artists including the Indigo Girls, the Jayhawks, the Decemberists, and the Avett Brothers are making mp3's available for you to download for a donation to Haiti relief. In this case, organizations benefitting will include Doctors Without Borders, the Red Cross, and Wyclef Jean's Yele Fund. Click here for more about Songs for Haiti.
If you've ever been stuck at the airport due to some kind of delay, you probably pass the time similar to the way I do. You read. Play with your phone. Browse the closest newsstand. Buy a 4-dollar banana.
But what if you were in a security lockdown because some bozo went through the security screening through the exit instead of the entrance? Well that's what happened in Newark, NJ the other day, and some passengers were "locked down" while every one was re-screened and they looked for the guy. (They never found him).
That probably would have freaked me out a bit...but that was not the case with a musician who happened to be affected by that situation. He decided to have a little sing-a-long, to "Hey Jude" by the Beatles.
Most of the people who were there seemed pretty into it!
By the way his name is Josh Wilson, and if you're intrigued, you can get more info at www.joshwilsonmusic.com.
Amidst all the traffic reports this morning, we got several calls from folks about the cool rainbow like image in the sky. We actually think it's a sundog,which is defined as a small or incomplete rainbow. Or it could be a parhelion, which dictionary.com says is usually one of two or more bright circular spots seen on opposite sides of the sun, and often accompanied by additional luminous arcs and bands.
Thanks to some Triple M listeners for sending in cool photos!Â
This one came from Katrina:
Samantha submitted this one:
And thanks to Lannia for this shot:
Leave it to college kids to find the fun in a foot and a half of snow! Last night, while we were all sleeping, thos crazy kids were making the best of things.
Mayor Dave told us this morning that there was a snowball fight involving 400 college students on Dayton Street, and they also created a snowball ten feet high! Meanwhile, some other students were having fun on the other side of the Capitol on Gilman Street.
Note: Neither I, Triple M, or any one I know, condones this kind of mischievious behavior.
A big winter storm is headed our way..with frigid cold temps to follow. Luckily, the hearty souls of Wisconsin are tough enough to handle it. I want to thank Triple M listener Gary John Feest for sharing this with us on Facebook.
WHEN THE TEMPS GET:
60 ABOVE ZERO:
FLORIDIANS TURN ON THE HEAT.
PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN PLANT GARDENS.
...
50 ABOVE ZERO:
CALIFORNIANS SHIVER UNCONTROLLABLY.
PEOPLE IN SUPERIOR SUNBATHE.
40 ABOVE ZERO:
ITALIAN & ENGLISH CARS WON'T START.
PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN DRIVE WITH THE WINDOWS DOWN.
32 ABOVE ZERO:
DISTILLED WATER FREEZES.
THE WATER IN HAYWARD GETS THICKER.
20 ABOVE ZERO:
FLORIDIANS DON COATS, THERMAL
UNDERWEAR, GLOVES, WOOL HATS.
PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN THROW ON A FLANNEL SHIRT.
15 ABOVE ZERO:
NEW YORK LANDLORDS FINALLY TURN UP THE HEAT.
PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN HAVE THE LAST COOKOUT BEFORE IT GETS COLD.
ZERO:
PEOPLE IN MIAMI ALL DIE.
PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN CLOSE THE WINDOWS.
10 BELOW ZERO:
CALIFORNIANS FLY AWAY TO MEXICO
PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN GET OUT THEIR WINTER COATS.
25 BELOW ZERO:
HOLLYWOOD DISINTEGRATES.
THE GIRL SCOUTS IN WISCONSIN ARE SELLING COOKIES DOOR TO DOOR.
40 BELOW ZERO:
WASHINGTON DC RUNS OUT OF HOT AIR.
PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN LET THE DOGS SLEEP INDOORS.
100 BELOW ZERO:
SANTA CLAUS ABANDONS THE NORTH POLE.
WISCONSINITES GET UPSET BECAUSE THEY CAN'T START THE MINI-VAN.
460 BELOW ZERO:
ALL ATOMIC MOTION STOPS (ABSOLUTE ZERO ON THE KELVIN SCALE.)
PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN START SAYING..."COLD 'NUFF FER YA?"
500 BELOW ZERO:
HELL FREEZES OVER.
WISCONSIN PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL OPEN 2 HOURS LATE.
In the classic holiday special, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie Brown is given the task of picking out a Christmas tree for the holiday pageant. Loudmouth Lucy Van Pelt tells him to get a "big shiny, aluminum tree, maybe painted pink."
 I always thought was some kind of sarcastic commentary about the commercialism of Christmas. It was only recently that I discovered that shiny aluminum Christmas trees were very popular in the 1960's, and that most of them were made in Wisconsin!
My boyfriend Mike says his family even had an aluminum tree, and some kind of color wheel that lit it up and changed colors. I've never seen one in person...but they do sound pretty cool.
If you'd like to get into the holiday spirit by walking through a forest of aluminum Christmas trees, head to the Wisconsin Historical Museum, now through January 9th.
The exhibition, called Tis the Season, features aluminum trees of all shapes, sizes, and colors from the 1960s. That includes silver trees made by  The Aluminum Specialty Company of Manitowoc, Wisconsin. They  had been manufacturing aluminum toys for decades when they stumbled upon a new idea , the aluminum Christmas tree. They debuted it a toy fair in 1959..and it caught on with the public, big time, and were popular through the mid-60's. Now they're quite collectible.
Find out more about the exhibit here.
America's Oldest Teenager Dick Clark turns 80 today! Although in recent years he's most remembered for "Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve," it feels like I've been watching him on TV my whole life.
After he suffered a debilitating stroke a few years back, he only makes a cameo on that New Year's Eve show, which is now hosted by Jonathan Suttin's Number 1 enemy Ryan Seacrest.
Didn't you love Dick Clark on $25,000 Pyramid? Vicki Lawrence didn't love him too much on this particular day...
Dick Clark also did some acting back in the day, appearing on the final episode of Perry Mason..and as himself on an episode of Batman. Check this out!
Almost everybody's family is a little bit dysfunctional...and that's never more evident than during the holidays, Thanksgiving included.
Not sure your family fits the bill when it comes to dysfunctionality? I've compiled a list that should help you out.
Top Ten Signs You're Having AÂ Dysfunctional Family Thanksgiving
1. Dad decides to make beer can turkey this year..and slams back a case searching for the perfect can.
2. To get a headstart on Black Friday shopping, you have Thanksgiving dinner in the Walmart parking lot.
3. Hey this is a timesaver--Grandma thaws the turkey in the shower, while she's in it!
4. You're most thankful for the fact the judge threw out all that incriminating evidence.
5. While setting the table, you look for the family heirloom silver, and find a pawn ticket and an I.O.U.
6. You always set a place at the table for the local police officer. You know he'll be stopping by before the night is over.
7. You can't start eating until Uncle Joe says grace..when he calls collect from jail.
8. It's a little embarassing when your pit bull gives birth during the main course, under the dining room table.
9. Mom accuses you of burning the yams. You're not serving yams.
10. Your turkey is stuffed with repressed emotions.
Next week is a big travel week..not only will folks be riding in the one horse open sleigh and automobiles to Grandma's house....they'll also be flying. And God Bless the Transportation Security Administration, which has included on its website a list of Thanksgiving  items that you're not allowed to carry onto the plane. These include gravy, cranberry sauce, and creamy dips and spreads.
Who's going to get a doggie bag of gravy and take it on the plane? Seriously!Â
You know, the last time I was on an airplane and they gave me that tiny bag of peanuts, I thought to myself, "you know what would go good with these? Gravy!"
Here's the complete list, which includes some non-Thanksgiving items as well.
Cranberry sauce
Cologne
Creamy dips and spreads
(cheeses, peanut butter, etc.)
Gift baskets with food items
(salsa, jams and salad dressings)
Gravy
Jams
Jellies
Lotions
Maple syrup
Oils and vinegars
Perfume
Salad dressing
Salsa
Sauces
Snowglobes
Soups
Wine, liquor and beer
The website also contains this note: "You can bring pies and cakes through the security checkpoint, but please be advised that they are subject to additional screening."Â Good to know.
And in case you think I'm making this up, here's a link to the official TSA site.
It's too bad we need the government to declare a specific day for veterans..we should be thanking them each and every day! If you're not in close enough proximity to give 'em a hug..a phone call with a big thank you works too.
I come from a long line of veterans..my Grandpa Andy served in World War I, my dad was in World War II, and my brother Tim served in Vietnam. I guess I'm sending them a blog hug to say thanks today! (Would you call that a blug?)
I could write a lot of sappy stuff about freedom and sacrifice..but that's been said by so many others in much better ways than I could. So I'll just say "thanks much."
I would also like to give a plug to a couple great veterans charities. Badger Honor Flight transports vets to Washington D.C. to see their war memorials. Right now priority is being given to the World War II vets because..frankly we don't have much time left. Find out more about this great organization, and donate cash or volunteer here.Guitars for Vets is based in Milwaukee. It helps vets deal with post-traumatic stress by providing them with free acoustic guitars and music instruction. The idea is to help them regain joy that the trauma has robbed from them, through the healing power of music. I'm not sure if there is a program like it in Madison, but you can find out more about the Milwaukee program here. They're always looking for donations of guitars and cash.
Today is Snowplow Driver Appreciation Day in Wisconsin. I've got to admit--it sure is a whole lot easier to appreciate them when the temperature is in the 60's!
According to Governor Doyle, who declared today's special day for drivers of snow plows, we need to be more careful around snow plows while they clear the roads of ice and snow so we can get where we need to be. The proclamation also notes that there are 400 crashes involving snow plows every year in Wisconsin.
All right, I guess I agree that we should use extra caution around snow plows, and that we should be thankful that the government pays people to clear the roads so we don't have to wait until spring to leave our houses. That does merit some appreciation.Â
I know it's been a while since the last snowstorm, but it hasn't been so long that I've forgotten the chore of re-shoveling a clear driveway that a snowplow has just refilled. Whoever does my street goes so fast and flings that stuff so far that I've also had to re-shovel the entire sidewalk in front of my house!
Appreciate them, yes. Run out and buy them a card? I don't think so.
Here's somebody else who's probably not a fan:
Mike and I headed up to Wisconsin Dells this weekend for Autumn Harvest Fest, which includes a great beer tasting festival called Dells on Tap. As usual, we enjoyed tasting all the different Wisconsin beer varieties...and also enjoyed live music provided by the band Swing Crew..and during that band's breaks a country-rock band called Main Street Wisdom performed.
Look at that! The lead singer is none other than Carleen Wild from NBC-15 here in Madison...and she's really good! She and the band definitely looked like they were having a good time.  I only caught a few songs--covers of Sheryl Crow and the Dixie Chicks...and a rockabilly band called the Cigar Store Indians. But what I heard sounded great.
Okay..this picture is kinda fuzzy..but remember--I was at a beer tasting event. Recognize the guy on acoustic guitar? That's Dan Smith, who's no stranger to the TV news room himself.
More info on Carleen's band here.
The Wizard of Oz is my favorite movie. I can imitate the Wicked Witch, Dorothy, and Glinda, and can quote dialog from memory. You should see my sister-in-law Donna and me when we really get going!
So it's only natural that I'd be excited about the reissue of the movie in Blu-ray. It comes out tomorrow in a couple of different formats..remastered DVD, Blu-ray, and the Ultimate Collectors Edition which includes the Blu-ray and a whole bunch of other stuff, including a coffee table book, and a collectible 70th anniversary watch.
As I leafed through the flyers in the paper yesterday, I noticed that Target was offering an exclusive Blu-ray (without all the bells and whistles) for around 34 bucks, but Best Buy had a collectors box in the $50 range.
I'm a little muddled about which of the versions I'm going to buy (do I need the Wizard of Oz watch?), but must admit I've got a pretty bad case of Oz fever right now.
Can't wait 'til tomorrow? Check out this video preview!
Happy Birthday to Les Paul!
The inventor of the solid body electric guitar is still alive and well, and probably has more working brain cells at the age of 94 than you and I ever did.
I was lucky enough to meet Les Paul in 2004 when he was in Madison to get a lifetime achievement award from the Wisconsin School Music Association. It was quite a big shindig. Mike and I sat at a table right near the front, with other dignitaries including the Superintendent of Public Instruction right next to us. Both Ben Sidran and Steve Miller spoke at the dinner.
Miller's speech was great..he's known Les Paul his whole life because he spent his early years in Milwaukee, and Les Paul and Mary Ford stood up for his parents when they got married! Wouldn't it be cool to be able to say that Les Paul taught you your first chords on the guitar? Well Steve Miller says that and means it! Others who were in the crowd included Ben Sidran and members of Garbage. (Side note: I was too nervous to introduce myself to Butch Vig, but went right up to Steve Miller and shook his hand!)
My boyfriend Mike (who's a guitar player)  had Les autograph an old Les Paul Mary Ford album, as well as a copy of Guitar Player Magazine from the 1970's with Les's picture on the front. He wrote "Keep on pickin'!"
One of the highlights of that evening had to be when Les Paul got up on stage and played a song with Steve Miller, and members of Madison's very own Gomers. Les Paul's son was his handler  for the night..he was probably in his 70s and walked with a cane. Les Paul walked unassisted and got right up on stage, probably the same way he'd been doing it since he was called "Rhubarb Red" back in the old days.
He still plays live once a week at a jazz club in New York City. Check him out in this clip from a fantastic documentary called "Chasing Sound."
I collect old board games, and found one over the weekend at Savers that I was completely unfamiliar with. It's from Kohner, the same company that created Headache and Trouble. It's called Tension, and instead of a Pop-o-matic dice it has something called a "Spin-o-matic. " It came out in 1971, which was a big year for me and games, so I'm surprised I never heard of it!
Apparently the way to win is to get rid of all your color discs, by quickly matching the color on the Spin-0-matic. I'm kind of bummed because when I got home and did inventory on my purchase, I was missing several discs (two yellow, and one each of the other colors.)
So now I've got to try and find another incomplete game and combine the two! And since I've never seen this game before anywhere, I'm afraid it's going to be a tough task.
You could say this whole incident is giving me tension headache trouble.
Here's a commercial from the game Trouble...Kohner's Pop-a-matic game. See if it brings back any old memories.
Like me, you probably try to be Earth friendly every day, but since it is Earth Day, you want to do a little something extra. Here are some ideas I considered, but for some reason decided against.
1. Hold a seance on Gaylord Nelson's grave. The Earth Day founder's cremated remains are buried in the family plot in Clear Lake, in northwest Wisconsin. Not carbon neutral.
2. TP the Aldo Leopold Nature Center with toilet paper made from 100 percent recycled materials. Earth Day pranks are so last year.
3. Sow seeds of discontent. Already handled by Rush Limbaugh.
4. Reduce phantom energy use by calling Ghostbusters. Really? An '80s reference?
5. Hug a tree. They don't hug back--and my life is full of enough rejection already.
I thought it best I wait until after Easter to share these thoughts with you.
I am not a fan of rabbits. Oh, I like Bunny Rabbit from Captain Kangaroo. I don't mind the Trix Rabbit or even Thumper.Â
Just stay the hell out of my garden!!
Stop eating my flowers and veggies. I do not want to share my harvest with you.
I have tried just about everything to keep them out of my garden, and I tell you none of it works. That product called Liquid Fence has provided me with limited success, but I'm not sure it's worth the price. And the smell is great if you're into rotten eggs.
Cayenne pepper does nothing. It simply makes the rabbits crave Cajun food.
Human hair? My rabbits don't mind a little hare here and there.
Once when I saw a particularly brazen bunny dart across my backyard, I flung the patio door open..ran outside and yelled at the top of my lungs, "Rabbit!"
This was witnessed by my boyfriend and slightly disinterested gardening partner, Mike, who said something like, "that oughta show 'em."
I know a fence would do the trick, but doesn't that seem a bit divisive to you? If you have any ideas, feel free to share them here.
It's that time of year again..when news organizations all over the country bombard us with stories about last minute income tax filers. And as a public service, those stories usually include some tips for all of the procastinaters out there.
And as usual, I am right on that bandwagon with all the other lazy journalists out there, who just haul out the same stories year after year.
But I think my tips are much more useful.
1. No matter how intuitive it may seem, negative thoughts are not tax deductible.
2. On the up side, you also don't have to pay tax on positive thoughts!
3. Don't forget to include the correct postage. Writing "Uncle Sam's got this one" in the corner of the envelope will not suffice.
4. Don't forget to sign your return. Unsigned returns, according to the I.R.S, do not exist.
5. Resist the temptation to sign your return Penny Lessenbroke. The folks at the Internal Revenue Service will not read the name out loud and will not get the joke.
1. You have to be very patient to hard boil eggs without cracking them. I looked this topic up on the internet, and there are about a million descriptions of how to do this. Supposedly you are should just boil em for a minute and then let them sit in the hot water for around 14 minutes. Get more info here.
2. Before you dye eggs, you can draw or write on the eggs with crayon. The dye won't stick to the message...it's pretty cool. But don't write anything you don't want your mom to see. For example, don't write JOE IS DUMB, especially if your brother's name is Joe. My best friend did this and got in a heap of trouble.
3. In a pinch, speckly malted milk eggs can be used as a colorful lip gloss.
4. Peeps are more fun to experiment with than they are to eat, as evidenced here.
5. More Easter songs are needed immediately! Easter Parade and Here Comes Peter Cottontail are fantastic songs, but get old after awhile.
6. If you are helping the Easter Bunny hide eggs, it pays to take notes. When I was a kid, I found a purple egg in a dried flower arrangement a couple of months after Easter. Funny I saw it before I smelled it.
I bet you didn't know that February is Spunky Old Broads Month? I find that exciting, since it's my birthday month, and I aspire to be a spunky old broad myself someday. (Okay..keep your wise-a** comments to yourself!)
I'd like to dedicate today's blog to my favorite spunky old broad, Betty White! She turned 87 last month and still appears to be going strong. I loved her as the sex craving Sue Ann Niven on the Mary Tyler Moore Show..and thought she did a great job as the naive Minnesotan on The Golden Girls.
She still keeps showing up as a guest on lots of shows. She was great as Kitty's mom on That 70's Show. I saw her on the new Regis Philbin version of Password recently and while she  wasn't quite as sharp as she was 40 years ago with her hubbie Allen Ludden..she still did a great job. (I think she may have needed new batteries for her hearing aid).
I always love when Betty shows up on talk shows..she's hilarious, and definitely spunky. Check out this clip from the Ellen DeGeneres Show. Betty'll prove she's still got it.
Have you heard the song "Rumble and Sway" yet on Triple M?
The singer sounds like a raspy blues dude who's definitely been around the block a few times....but surprisingly, Jamie N. Commons is only 23 years old!
He was born in England, but...
Last week, I decided I would try one new, healthy food a week, and asked my facebook friends to make some suggestions.
The first thing I tried was mango. I'm sure I've had other mango flavored things, and mango as part of something else, but...
There's only one thing that might be worse than the Neil Diamond/Barbra Streisand duet "You Don't Bring Me Flowers." And that's Jonathan Suttin doing his best crooning...doing both parts. Most unpleasant.
A lot of people liked this song...
Artist: Alchemilla
Hail From: Boston
Song: 'The Wheel'
Album: Diamonds From The Penny Arcade
Sounds Like: Hole, Pearl Jam
In Their Words: "Alchemilla had been trying to write a ballad for a little while but it wasn't happening. There...
Last weeks challenge we thought went excellent! Of course we are a little biased.
The drinking song couldn't have been any better, or any less fun. We had a blast through out the whole process, and our performance rocked.
This week is an easy...
So the story goes Michael Jackson completed this song while watching cartoons with Paul McCartney. We'll just let that sink in for a moment.
Not sure what cartoons they were watching, but it must have worked because this song made it to number 2...
The Dalai Lama is back in town, sharing his message of peace and kindness with likeminded individuals, and the Wisconsin legislature. He also held a private meeting with Gov. Walker, who said he mostly listened to what His Holiness had to say (wise...
This duet by Ol' Blue Eyes and his daughter went all the way to number 1 back in 1967. It seems a little creepy that Frank and Nancy Sinatra are singing a love song. However, a lot of Triple M listeners were in the mood for it.
Here's...
Have you heard the song "Rumble and Sway" yet on Triple M?
The singer sounds like a raspy blues dude who's definitely been around the block a few times....but surprisingly, Jamie N. Commons is only 23 years old!
He was born in England, but...
Last week, I decided I would try one new, healthy food a week, and asked my facebook friends to make some suggestions.
The first thing I tried was mango. I'm sure I've had other mango flavored things, and mango as part of something else, but...
There's only one thing that might be worse than the Neil Diamond/Barbra Streisand duet "You Don't Bring Me Flowers." And that's Jonathan Suttin doing his best crooning...doing both parts. Most unpleasant.
A lot of people liked this song...
Artist: Alchemilla
Hail From: Boston
Song: 'The Wheel'
Album: Diamonds From The Penny Arcade
Sounds Like: Hole, Pearl Jam
In Their Words: "Alchemilla had been trying to write a ballad for a little while but it wasn't happening. There...
Last weeks challenge we thought went excellent! Of course we are a little biased.
The drinking song couldn't have been any better, or any less fun. We had a blast through out the whole process, and our performance rocked.
This week is an easy...
So the story goes Michael Jackson completed this song while watching cartoons with Paul McCartney. We'll just let that sink in for a moment.
Not sure what cartoons they were watching, but it must have worked because this song made it to number 2...
The Dalai Lama is back in town, sharing his message of peace and kindness with likeminded individuals, and the Wisconsin legislature. He also held a private meeting with Gov. Walker, who said he mostly listened to what His Holiness had to say (wise...
This duet by Ol' Blue Eyes and his daughter went all the way to number 1 back in 1967. It seems a little creepy that Frank and Nancy Sinatra are singing a love song. However, a lot of Triple M listeners were in the mood for it.
Here's...
Groundhog Day is coming up next Tuesday, and all eyes will be on Sun Prairie as Jimmy the Groundhog makes his weather prediction.
Okay, not all eyes. Not hardly. Jimmy doesn't get a much publicity as say, Punxsutawney Phil out east in Pennsylvania. Old Phil has been around a lot longer than Jimmy, and there was that whole Bill Murray movie that gave him extra cred, so it is tough to compete.
But did you know there are other weather prognosticating animals vying for your attention as well?
There's Furby the Wonder Chicken in Vancouver, British Columbia. Spike the Porcupine hails from Duluth, MN. In Cottage Grove, a pot-bellied pig named Hamlet would go shadow-seeking, but alas he died last year.
Did you hear about the cold-blooded alternative in the fine metropolis of Snohomish, Washington? There, they celebrate "GroundFrog Day," with a big old bullfrog named Snohomish Slew. He lives in a 75 gallon tank at the Just Frog Amphibian Center in Snohomish.Â
If you think all that is kind of silly..I wonder what you'll think of this. PETA  is now asking the folks in Punxsutawney to replace their groundhog with a robotic version. William Deeley, who's president of the Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, says hogwash to the group's claims that Phil is being mistreated. He says says the animal is "being treated better than the average child in 
It's great to see how many people are opening their wallets to help with the relief efforts in Haiti. That includes musicians who have made their music available for download in exchange for donations.
You can now add Wilco to that list. They're making two complete concerts available, in hopes you'll donate to Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam International.
Click 
So the Vikings choke again. Not a real surprise, but definitely a bummer for folks who still haven't jumped off the Brett Favre train. There are those who say bad calls killed the Vikings. Or it could have been that Favre threw an interception late in the game (you think?)
But here's the real reason the Vikings lost. It was their bad choice of "inspirational guest speaker" before the game. Because Brett became such a pop culture sensation when he sang "Pants on the Ground" after the Vikings beat Dallas, they brought in the bizarre dude who "sang" it on American Idol during the auditions a couple weeks ago. His name is General Larry Platt, and it's obvious the players were into it...and that they have the sense of humor of five year olds.
They couldn't think of any one else to bring in? Like maybe Dr. Phil..or Conan? He gave a very nice speech on his finale show Friday night and could have shared some wisdom.
Or maybe they should have invited another American Idol wannabe who's gotten more than his 15 minutes of fame. William Hung could have sung "She Bang" and whipped them into a frenzy.
Here's the video of Mr. Platt entertaining the boys. I think it's on a cell phone camera so the quality's not that good.
Samantha submitted this one:
And thanks to Lannia for this shot:
Leave it to college kids to find the fun in a foot and a half of snow! Last night, while we were all sleeping, thos crazy kids were making the best of things.
Mayor Dave told us this morning that there was a snowball fight involving 400 college students on Dayton Street, and they also created a snowball ten feet high! Meanwhile, some other students were having fun on the other side of the Capitol on Gilman Street.
Note: Neither I, Triple M, or any one I know, condones this kind of mischievious behavior.
A big winter storm is headed our way..with frigid cold temps to follow. Luckily, the hearty souls of Wisconsin are tough enough to handle it. I want to thank Triple M listener Gary John Feest for sharing this with us on Facebook.
WHEN THE TEMPS GET:
60 ABOVE ZERO:
FLORIDIANS TURN ON THE HEAT.
PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN PLANT GARDENS.
...
50 ABOVE ZERO:
CALIFORNIANS SHIVER UNCONTROLLABLY.
PEOPLE IN SUPERIOR SUNBATHE.
40 ABOVE ZERO:
ITALIAN & ENGLISH CARS WON'T START.
PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN DRIVE WITH THE WINDOWS DOWN.
32 ABOVE ZERO:
DISTILLED WATER FREEZES.
THE WATER IN HAYWARD GETS THICKER.
20 ABOVE ZERO:
FLORIDIANS DON COATS, THERMAL
UNDERWEAR, GLOVES, WOOL HATS.
PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN THROW ON A FLANNEL SHIRT.
15 ABOVE ZERO:
NEW YORK LANDLORDS FINALLY TURN UP THE HEAT.
PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN HAVE THE LAST COOKOUT BEFORE IT GETS COLD.
ZERO:
PEOPLE IN MIAMI ALL DIE.
PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN CLOSE THE WINDOWS.
10 BELOW ZERO:
CALIFORNIANS FLY AWAY TO MEXICO
PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN GET OUT THEIR WINTER COATS.
25 BELOW ZERO:
HOLLYWOOD DISINTEGRATES.
THE GIRL SCOUTS IN WISCONSIN ARE SELLING COOKIES DOOR TO DOOR.
40 BELOW ZERO:
WASHINGTON DC RUNS OUT OF HOT AIR.
PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN LET THE DOGS SLEEP INDOORS.
100 BELOW ZERO:
SANTA CLAUS ABANDONS THE NORTH POLE.
WISCONSINITES GET UPSET BECAUSE THEY CAN'T START THE MINI-VAN.
460 BELOW ZERO:
ALL ATOMIC MOTION STOPS (ABSOLUTE ZERO ON THE KELVIN SCALE.)
PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN START SAYING..."COLD 'NUFF FER YA?"
500 BELOW ZERO:
HELL FREEZES OVER.
WISCONSIN PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL OPEN 2 HOURS LATE.
In the classic holiday special, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie Brown is given the task of picking out a Christmas tree for the holiday pageant. Loudmouth Lucy Van Pelt tells him to get a "big shiny, aluminum tree, maybe painted pink."
 I always thought was some kind of sarcastic commentary about the commercialism of Christmas. It was only recently that I discovered that shiny aluminum Christmas trees were very popular in the 1960's, and that most of them were made in Wisconsin!
My boyfriend Mike says his family even had an aluminum tree, and some kind of color wheel that lit it up and changed colors. I've never seen one in person...but they do sound pretty cool.
If you'd like to get into the holiday spirit by walking through a forest of aluminum Christmas trees, head to the Wisconsin Historical Museum, now through January 9th.
The exhibition, called Tis the Season, features aluminum trees of all shapes, sizes, and colors from the 1960s. That includes silver trees made by  The Aluminum Specialty Company of Manitowoc, Wisconsin. They  had been manufacturing aluminum toys for decades when they stumbled upon a new idea , the aluminum Christmas tree. They debuted it a toy fair in 1959..and it caught on with the public, big time, and were popular through the mid-60's. Now they're quite collectible.
Find out more about the exhibit
America's Oldest Teenager Dick Clark turns 80 today! Although in recent years he's most remembered for "Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve," it feels like I've been watching him on TV my whole life.
After he suffered a debilitating stroke a few years back, he only makes a cameo on that New Year's Eve show, which is now hosted by Jonathan Suttin's Number 1 enemy Ryan Seacrest.
Didn't you love Dick Clark on $25,000 Pyramid? Vicki Lawrence didn't love him too much on this particular day...
Dick Clark also did some acting back in the day, appearing on the final episode of Perry Mason..and as himself on an episode of Batman. Check this out!
Almost everybody's family is a little bit dysfunctional...and that's never more evident than during the holidays, Thanksgiving included.
Not sure your family fits the bill when it comes to dysfunctionality? I've compiled a list that should help you out.
Top Ten Signs You're Having AÂ Dysfunctional Family Thanksgiving
1. Dad decides to make beer can turkey this year..and slams back a case searching for the perfect can.
2. To get a headstart on Black Friday shopping, you have Thanksgiving dinner in the Walmart parking lot.
3. Hey this is a timesaver--Grandma thaws the turkey in the shower, while she's in it!
4. You're most thankful for the fact the judge threw out all that incriminating evidence.
5. While setting the table, you look for the family heirloom silver, and find a pawn ticket and an I.O.U.
6. You always set a place at the table for the local police officer. You know he'll be stopping by before the night is over.
7. You can't start eating until Uncle Joe says grace..when he calls collect from jail.
8. It's a little embarassing when your pit bull gives birth during the main course, under the dining room table.
9. Mom accuses you of burning the yams. You're not serving yams.
10. Your turkey is stuffed with repressed emotions.
Next week is a big travel week..not only will folks be riding in the one horse open sleigh and automobiles to Grandma's house....they'll also be flying. And God Bless the Transportation Security Administration, which has included on its website a list of Thanksgiving  items that you're not allowed to carry onto the plane. These include gravy, cranberry sauce, and creamy dips and spreads.
Who's going to get a doggie bag of gravy and take it on the plane? Seriously!Â
You know, the last time I was on an airplane and they gave me that tiny bag of peanuts, I thought to myself, "you know what would go good with these? Gravy!"
Here's the complete list, which includes some non-Thanksgiving items as well.
It's too bad we need the government to declare a specific day for veterans..we should be thanking them each and every day! If you're not in close enough proximity to give 'em a hug..a phone call with a big thank you works too.
I come from a long line of veterans..my Grandpa Andy served in World War I, my dad was in World War II, and my brother Tim served in Vietnam. I guess I'm sending them a blog hug to say thanks today! (Would you call that a blug?)
I could write a lot of sappy stuff about freedom and sacrifice..but that's been said by so many others in much better ways than I could. So I'll just say "thanks much."
I would also like to give a plug to a couple great veterans charities. Badger Honor Flight transports vets to Washington D.C. to see their war memorials. Right now priority is being given to the World War II vets because..frankly we don't have much time left. Find out more about this great organization, and donate cash or volunteer 
Today is Snowplow Driver Appreciation Day in Wisconsin. I've got to admit--it sure is a whole lot easier to appreciate them when the temperature is in the 60's!
According to Governor Doyle, who declared today's special day for drivers of snow plows, we need to be more careful around snow plows while they clear the roads of ice and snow so we can get where we need to be. The proclamation also notes that there are 400 crashes involving snow plows every year in Wisconsin.
All right, I guess I agree that we should use extra caution around snow plows, and that we should be thankful that the government pays people to clear the roads so we don't have to wait until spring to leave our houses. That does merit some appreciation.Â
I know it's been a while since the last snowstorm, but it hasn't been so long that I've forgotten the chore of re-shoveling a clear driveway that a snowplow has just refilled. Whoever does my street goes so fast and flings that stuff so far that I've also had to re-shovel the entire sidewalk in front of my house!
Appreciate them, yes. Run out and buy them a card? I don't think so.
Here's somebody else who's probably not a fan:
Happy Birthday to Les Paul!
The inventor of the solid body electric guitar is still alive and well, and probably has more working brain cells at the age of 94 than you and I ever did.
I was lucky enough to meet Les Paul in 2004 when he was in Madison to get a lifetime achievement award from the Wisconsin School Music Association. It was quite a big shindig. Mike and I sat at a table right near the front, with other dignitaries including the Superintendent of Public Instruction right next to us. Both Ben Sidran and Steve Miller spoke at the dinner.
Miller's speech was great..he's known Les Paul his whole life because he spent his early years in Milwaukee, and Les Paul and Mary Ford stood up for his parents when they got married! Wouldn't it be cool to be able to say that Les Paul taught you your first chords on the guitar? Well Steve Miller says that and means it! Others who were in the crowd included Ben Sidran and members of Garbage. (Side note: I was too nervous to introduce myself to Butch Vig, but went right up to Steve Miller and shook his hand!)
My boyfriend Mike (who's a guitar player)  had Les autograph an old Les Paul Mary Ford album, as well as a copy of Guitar Player Magazine from the 1970's with Les's picture on the front. He wrote "Keep on pickin'!"
One of the highlights of that evening had to be when Les Paul got up on stage and played a song with Steve Miller, and members of Madison's very own Gomers. Les Paul's son was his handler  for the night..he was probably in his 70s and walked with a cane. Les Paul walked unassisted and got right up on stage, probably the same way he'd been doing it since he was called "Rhubarb Red" back in the old days.
He still plays live once a week at a jazz club in New York City. Check him out in this clip from a fantastic documentary called "Chasing Sound."
I collect old board games, and found one over the weekend at Savers that I was completely unfamiliar with. It's from Kohner, the same company that created Headache and Trouble. It's called Tension, and instead of a Pop-o-matic dice it has something called a "Spin-o-matic. " It came out in 1971, which was a big year for me and games, so I'm surprised I never heard of it!
Apparently the way to win is to get rid of all your color discs, by quickly matching the color on the Spin-0-matic. I'm kind of bummed because when I got home and did inventory on my purchase, I was missing several discs (two yellow, and one each of the other colors.)
So now I've got to try and find another incomplete game and combine the two! And since I've never seen this game before anywhere, I'm afraid it's going to be a tough task.
You could say this whole incident is giving me tension headache trouble.
Here's a commercial from the game Trouble...Kohner's Pop-a-matic game. See if it brings back any old memories.
Like me, you probably try to be Earth friendly every day, but since it is Earth Day, you want to do a little something extra. Here are some ideas I considered, but for some reason decided against.
1. Hold a seance on Gaylord Nelson's grave. The Earth Day founder's cremated remains are buried in the family plot in Clear Lake, in northwest Wisconsin. Not carbon neutral.
2. TP the Aldo Leopold Nature Center with toilet paper made from 100 percent recycled materials. Earth Day pranks are so last year.
3. Sow seeds of discontent. Already handled by Rush Limbaugh.
4. Reduce phantom energy use by calling Ghostbusters. Really? An '80s reference?
5. Hug a tree. They don't hug back--and my life is full of enough rejection already.
I thought it best I wait until after Easter to share these thoughts with you.
I am not a fan of rabbits. Oh, I like Bunny Rabbit from Captain Kangaroo. I don't mind the Trix Rabbit or even Thumper.Â
Just stay the hell out of my garden!!
Stop eating my flowers and veggies. I do not want to share my harvest with you.
I have tried just about everything to keep them out of my garden, and I tell you none of it works. That product called Liquid Fence has provided me with limited success, but I'm not sure it's worth the price. And the smell is great if you're into rotten eggs.
Cayenne pepper does nothing. It simply makes the rabbits crave Cajun food.
Human hair? My rabbits don't mind a little hare here and there.
Once when I saw a particularly brazen bunny dart across my backyard, I flung the patio door open..ran outside and yelled at the top of my lungs, "Rabbit!"
This was witnessed by my boyfriend and slightly disinterested gardening partner, Mike, who said something like, "that oughta show 'em."
I know a fence would do the trick, but doesn't that seem a bit divisive to you? If you have any ideas, feel free to share them here.
It's that time of year again..when news organizations all over the country bombard us with stories about last minute income tax filers. And as a public service, those stories usually include some tips for all of the procastinaters out there.
And as usual, I am right on that bandwagon with all the other lazy journalists out there, who just haul out the same stories year after year.
But I think my tips are much more useful.
1. No matter how intuitive it may seem, negative thoughts are not tax deductible.
2. On the up side, you also don't have to pay tax on positive thoughts!
3. Don't forget to include the correct postage. Writing "Uncle Sam's got this one" in the corner of the envelope will not suffice.
4. Don't forget to sign your return. Unsigned returns, according to the I.R.S, do not exist.
5. Resist the temptation to sign your return Penny Lessenbroke. The folks at the Internal Revenue Service will not read the name out loud and will not get the joke.
1. You have to be very patient to hard boil eggs without cracking them. I looked this topic up on the internet, and there are about a million descriptions of how to do this. Supposedly you are should just boil em for a minute and then let them sit in the hot water for around 14 minutes. Get more info 
