FREE CAB RIDES IN MILWAUKEE (not in cabs)!

Need a lift?  Put away your wallet!  A cab war in Milwaukee means for the next couple of weeks, you can get a free ride anywhere in MKE (for a ride that would costs $25 or less).

Ironically, the war is between two companies who vehemently deny being cab companies.  It appears the only people not offering free rides in Milwaukee are legitimate cabbies.

On Friday, Lyft, a "ride sharing service" launched in Milwaukee.  They're known for their strange mustaches in front of their cars.  To kick things off in Milwaukee, they are offering 50 FREE rides for the next two weeks for EVERYONE.

SWEET!  That's a lot of rides.

Not to be outdone, UberX, who launched a couple weeks ago, is offering free rides through April 20th.

What in the world is Uber and Lyft?  Well it is the cabbie of the future (but once again, they DENY being cabs).

Basically, a Joe schmo with a decent car, picks you up and drives you somewhere.  You ask for a ride through the Lyft and Uber Apps.  

You also don't give your driver money.  When you download the app, you insert your credit card information.  When your ride starts, your driver hits a button on his smart phone, and when they drop you off they hits another button.  

The tip is already built in.  The car stops, you get out, say goodbye, wave, blow a kiss, AND BAM, you're done.  (Kinda sounds like a cab doesn't it?).

The only issue is the whole service may be illegal.  Lyft and Uber drivers do not have cab permits.  No government official is checking to make sure the break pads aren't worn down to nothing and you are getting into a death trap surely to end in your fiery demise.

It's pissed off city hall.  So far, the two companies appear to be basically sticking middle fingers out the window as they drive by on Water St.

If you are OK with that, then enjoy the FREE RIDES!  Let me know how your trips go!

If you haven't seen Conan's Lyft adventure, it's worth a couple minutes of your time.

Go Uconn, from a kid who never went there

"You didn't go to Uconn Ben, how can you be a Uconn fan?"
"You're not even a real Uconn fan."
"Ben, you went to Quinnipiac, why are you even cheering for Uconn?!"


Ahhhh.  The common complaint.  Why do you cheer for Uconn? Why do you act like Jonathon the Husky dog is a family pet? What the heck is Quinnipiac?

No.  I did not attend Uconn.  But to not understand why I love Jim Calhoun like a God, Ray Allen as the best basketball player to ever grace this earth, is to not understand the beautiful state of Connecticut.

CT, has no major professional sports team since these guys left town.

Uconn defines in many ways who the people of CT are.  The nutmeg state is split right down the middle when it come to baseball with the Yankees or Red Sox.  Jets, Giants, or Patriots split the NFL.  Bruins and Rangers for the NHL.  And don't even get me started with METS fans.  Who the heck are they?
Growing up, everyone cheered for Uconn.

We all cried when they lost.
We all rioted when they won.

OK, I did not take part in any riots (although I did witness them in 2004).

UCONN defines my childhood, my home state, and a lot of good memories.  So with the game about to kick off, GO UCONN!

On the other side of the bracket--- I'll be rooting on the Badgers.

Lipinski Stradivarius, you've done it!

Lipinski Stradivarius violin, you've done it.  You've made me want to hear you in PERSON.

 If this was your sick twisted magical way of making me want to buy a Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra ticket, bravo.  THIS is quite the performance.

Before the 6 million dollar musical instrument went missing, this was my favorite classical performance.

This, even though I played the following instrument in high school.

Lipinski, you did it.  You had me fascinated, when a couple armed with a taser attacked the MSO concertmaster as he walked out of a recent performance.

What's that?  It may be the largest heist in Milwaukee history.  Of course it is.  You were made in 1715? Why didn't I know that?

So where's the violin?  New York?

No it would be impossible to sell a 6 million dollar violin in the US without getting caught.
Russia?
Maybe.
China?

OK, that's IT!  A network of international criminals has stolen the violin and shipped it to China to be sold to emperors who care little about its origin.

Wait....  what's that you say?  It's in Bay View?  Like the one over the Hoan Bridge?

Interesting...

It was tracked using evidence left behind by the taser, which led cops to a sale from Texas, which tipped them to a man in Wisconsin?

I'm listening...

The man's name is Universal Knowledge Allah?

AND HE RECENTLY CUT MILWAUKEE MAYOR TOM BARRETT'S HAIR????!

Lipinski.  You've outdone yourself.  I need to hear you.  Move over Jurassic Park, get me some popcorn, because I want to hear this puppy for myself.  In the meantime I'm going to watch this video 40-thousand times.

Covering the death of Andrew Boldt

On Tuesday January 21st, a Purdue student is suspected of bringing a knife and a gun to an electrical engineering lab, and killed a fellow teaching assistant.

21-year-old Andrew Boldt was described as a brilliant stand out student.  In the newsroom Tuesday, we were of course aware of what was going on down in Indiana.  It became OUR responsibility to cover the story when we learned his hometown, was West Bend, Wisconsin.

I am very proud our station decided traveling to Purdue was important.  We could have picked up stories from our affiliate in Indianapolis, but I don't feel we would have truly grasped the impact his death.

 It was clear early on that Andrew was a special kid, and his story deserved telling.  He seemed to be a kid made the right choices in life and had such a bright future.

My news director called me Tuesday (while working on my story for the day) and informed me I would be heading out the next morning.  Off we went.

I had a different view of "business trips" before actually being employed by someone.  It seemed like an adventure to travel to new places on the companies dime.  I can't speak for other professions, but when news bosses say "we're sending you to XYZ" it means long days, little sleep, lots of stress, and hard work.

Our first day in Indiana was a 15 hour day.  We made the trip, captured enough video, and collected enough sound for 4 stories. (5,6,9,and 10).



We then went to sleep, and had another 10 hour day to turn stories for Thursday.

I am happy we went to campus, to truly grasp the impact of Andrew's death.  No other Milwaukee station chose to do so.  I believe it is a story worth telling.

We were the first station to speak to Andrew's professor who hired him as a teaching assistant.
We were the only station to get former governor, now Purdue President Mitch Daniels, touring the electrical engineering building for the first time.
Most importantly we were able to talk to students recovering from their emotions.

Some will return to class, virtually unaffected.  Others, especially those who knew Andrew will be changed forever.  I'm glad by covering this story I was able to learn so much about a great young man.  Too bad it had to be this way.

I WANT TO RIDE THIS!

Tonight brings us more sad pictures of reporters (and photographers) in snow.

Maybe I should just do a whole blog based off sad snow reporter faces.  I'm not opposed.

However, tonight makes me think of wanting to not be sitting in snow... which makes me want it to be summer... which makes me want to go swimming....or a beach... OR A WATER PARK!

And that my friends... makes me want to go to Kansas City and ride this.


No seriously, click that link and LET'S GO TO KANSAS CITY.

There's something going around...

It's everyone's favorite time of the year... see if you can survive the work sick zombie apocalypse.

Each day, it seems more and more people are dropping like flies.  I check work emails each day, just to see the list of "___ has called out sick" numbers pile up.

One coworker told me today she is not feeling well.  She also told me she does not believe in flu shots.  Instead she read on the internet to eat this raw:

You don't believe in vaccinations, but you believe in internet rumors about garlic?  I won't stop you... eat away.  Anyone else have any weird "how to avoid the plague" remedies? 

I hope everyone who is not feeling well this week has an army of these.

I hope you're not mad if I ask you not to come by my desk this week!

Covering the cold!

The greatest thing happened to me this week.  As Milwaukee lay waste under a cloud of arctic cold and ice, with temps at highs of -11 and wind chills at.... awful.... I was IN WARM PJ'S!

  It was my day off baby! (at least for 1 of the days)

While my reporter friends looked like this:

And this:

I looked like this:

Reporting in the cold is no fun, at all.  There is something to be said for those who try to write a script on a computer, while we have no idea if our fingers are still attached.  I guess it beats working true outdoor jobs this time of year, like construction. (ON THAT NOTE: Can someone tell me why construction continues outside my window at 7am in these temps?!  I thought I would get to sleep in...)

Everyone who lives in a cold climate knows this is coming from your "southern" relatives and friends while you suffer.

My thought...I can't go to the beach, so I might as well have fun with it!

TAKE THAT FLORIDA RELATIVES.  You can't turn boiling water into snow fog!

Then someone pointed out, maybe they don't want to!

Maybe we are all just better off freezing our T-shirts.

Whatever the case, I'm told by my trusty weather man the deep freeze is almost over!

So hang tough fellow reporter friends, we've almost made it.  In the meantime, show this to your Florida friends.