April Fool’s Day 2009;

Stories flood in about how this day can cause “trauma.” We get a memo from our big bosses not to pull any stupid stunts. But, the world of radio was very different back on April 1st, 1989.  That’s the year Carole and I decided to have some fun. We set it up for weeks by having Carole talk about how excited she was to experience her first skydive. The morning of April 1st she started out in the studio and then took off for the “airport.” After the big buildup, she jumped. That’s when we lost contact. For a full 20 minutes people called. Cars stopped to watch her jump in downtown Milwaukee. No one could see her ’cause she was sitting in the studio. Amazing what a few old sound effect records and a good scream can accomplish. Cruel? Absolutely. Stupid? Sure.  We’ll be playing a clip of that jump on the Fool’s Day ‘09 show on ‘KLH.

And while WE won’t be pulling any wacky radio pranks , GREAT practical jokes still happen. Check this one out but BEWARE IT MAY NOT BE SAFE FOR WORK. It’s from CollegeHumor.com

http://www.inquisitr.com/19311/collegehumor-delivers-a-champagne-basketball-prank/

Wow! I can’t believe how quickly it’s taken hold. Friends from all over the country have been calling this morning wondering if we have any hotel rooms left. Most of them told me that when our state’s slogan was “Life’s So Good” they had no interest in coming here to visit. Now? Are you kidding! They want to “Live Like You Mean It!” By the way, our state’s new slogan has been the slogan for Bacardi for at least the past 5 or 6 years?!

Why do we have so much trouble with this? When it comes to sculptures or slogans we always seem to strike out swinging. From the big, blue shirt, to “Stay a Little Longer,” from the Fonzie statue to the “Great City on a Great Lake,” we seem to always miss the mark.

Next time (and there will be a next time) why not celebrate our uniqueness? Rejoice in things that are Wisconsin-centric. I’m clearly no expert but can’t we save some tax money and focus on what makes us, us?

How about;

Wisconsin…

*Five million people and almost all of us polka

*Born to be Wild (homage to Harley)

*Our balls are made of malted milk (invented in Racine)

*Houdini could’ve escaped, but didn’t want to

*Our potholes are as deep as our people

*Where our taxes are as big as we are

*Our deepest lake is Green (Green Lake)

*Milk us for all we’ve got

*We love your bum (for our toilet paper industry)

*We can drink you under the table 

Then again, it could have been worse. Instead of ripping off Bacardi with “Live Like You Mean It” they could’ve ripped off Tim McGraw. How does this sound; Wisconsin, “Live Like you’re Dying?’” 

When Carole Caine and I began hosting the “Miracle Marathon” on 96.5 WKLH back in 1998 we had no idea what to expect. It was our first ever 60 hour radio marathon, a.k.a. “radiothon” and it went by in a flash. Sure, we knew we’d be exhausted. Obviously we knew we would raise some money. But we had no idea! Having never planned something like this before, we were woefully short on volunteers and operators. At one point I was on-air trying to stall for time, because Carole, our producer, and even one of my scheduled interview guests had to go and help answer phones! It was obvious that we were all experiencing something very special.

So, what made this so special? Quite simply: the kids. Their stories and the way they tell them are priceless. These children display uncommon wisdom and a sense of humor. Their stories and the genuineness they exude touch everyone within earshot. These kids, and their families, are what make the Miracle Marathon so special.

Every year we are blown away by how courageous the children and families are. We are touched by how much love they show the doctors, nurses and all the caregivers. We’re amazed that each of these kids has become an “expert” in the diagnosis and treatment of their particular illness. These are children who, in many cases, are dealing with grave situations that would devastate most adults. Yet, they were the ones who were providing comfort and support to their family and friends. And let’s not forget the medical staff at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. Carole and I are humbled every year when we witness their interactions with the kids. These are people whose expertise is world-renowned. Yet, they treat each child and family with tenderness, dignity and compassion.

I consider it an honor and a privilege to host the Miracle Marathon every year. As a matter of fact, some of us have even had to use the services at Children’s Hospital for our own kids through the years and we know first hand how amazing this place is. It’s not an exaggeration to say that we, and our audience, get far more out of doing the Miracle Marathon than we give back.

Since 1998, we’ve raised more than $11,000,000 for Children’s Hospital. Every penny we’ve raised has stayed right here in the state. The money raised has helped purchase new, innovative equipment and has helped finance the hospital’s recent expansion. All the money we raise helps Children’s Hospital maintain its exceptional level of care.

We’ve come a long way since that first Miracle Marathon. Subsequent years have seen radiothon innovations such as online donations, moving the broadcast and call center to Children’s Hospital, an on-site web cam and increasing the number of operators and volunteers exponentially.

One thing has remained constant. The kids. They truly are special. Their stories inspire listener donations. That’s where you come in. If you’d like to be featured on the Miracle Marathon coming up May 20th, 21 and 22, contact Erin Hareng at ehareng@chw.org or (414) 266-5429.

Please join us, Dave & Carole, on 96.5 WKLH and help make a difference in the life of a child

I’m not usually a grassy knoll conspiracy type and I don’t think this was a well thought out plan. If it was, it’s been executed to perfection. I’ve got to believe that no one, especially those in charge of government intelligence, ever thought it would be this easy. How could they have ever predicted this? Not only would we not protest giving up our privacy, we would actively contribute to it. It’s amazing what’s happened in the last decade or so. And we actually PAY for most of it. GPS devices in our cars and in our phones can locate us anywhere, any time. Our credit and grocery discount cards register every single purchase, cameras sit high above us at every intersection, cable boxes and satellite systems keep track of what we watch. Everyone’s IP address is registered and Facebook and Twitter give everyone access to such minutiae as where you are, what you’re doing and how you feel. 

A couple of weeks ago, Google breathlessly announced its new service Latitude. Steve Lee, a Google product manager, said “What it does is allow you to share your location with friends and family members, and likewise be able to see friends and family members’ locations.” Awesome! Now, you can’t even use any Twitter or Facebook misdirection without getting caught.

 “Hey, where are you?”

“I’m at work.”

“No, you aren’t, Latitude says you’re at a bar on Water Street!”

Oops.

There are even microchips embedded in things like printers, shampoo bottles and “smart” refrigerators. Fox News asks “How long will it be before you find a tag in your underwear?” Why not? Pfizer has already begun chipping bottles of Viagra, mind as well see if it’s having its intended effect?!Orwell was famous for stating “Big Brother is watching you.” Of course he is, George. Big Brother is one of my Facebook friends.

I am one of those disgusting baby boomers that joined Facebook thereby launching it into its new phase: un-cool. Sorry about that. But I have enjoyed connecting with old friends, new friends and even some ‘KLH morning show listeners. At first, I was surprised by how many of my friends felt the urge to send me their “25 Random Things about Me” list.  I can honestly say, though, that most of them have been entertaining and enlightening. But what occurs to me is that we, meaning us, meaning human beings, are far more alike than we care to realize.

So here’s my list of “25 Random Things About Us”;

1. None of us are normal. We have all come from dysfunctional families. And if you haven’t come from a dysfunctional family, well, that’s dysfunctional.
2. Every single one of us thinks we’re a better driver than that moron in front of us.
3. Everyone wants to lose some weight. For some reason this is especially true for really skinny people.
4. You know when we see someone we haven’t seen in a while and think “Man, they look old”! Guess what they’re thinking about us?
5. We all love gossip.
6. We all hate Mondays
7. We all hate meetings.
8. We all feel like we hit the lottery when we find that extra ten dollars in our pants pocket on laundry day.
9. We all have bad hair days. For some, this is every day.
10. We are all suckers for infomercials.
11. We all love the Sham Wow (see # 10)
12. We all have one person we trust. That’s why it’s so tough to keep a secret.
13. We’ve all said stuff we regret. Some of us do it every day.
14. We all end up saying the same stuff our parents said to us. Even when we try not to.
15. No one likes mosquito’s.
16. It doesn’t matter how cool we think we are, we will embarrass our children.
17. We all think we can dance.
18. Most of us can’t.
19. No one thinks they’re going to grow old.
20. We could all use an extra fifty bucks before payday.
21. Other people’s babies are never as cute as our own.
22. No one wants to read those “brag” letters at Christmas.
23. We all have an annoying habit that no one has told us about.
24. We all want love and acceptance.
25. We all LOVE lists. That’s why you made it this far.