Rock River Coalition Paddles to Janesville


Paddling from Horicon Marsh to Beloit in 11 days, the Rock River Coalition is testing the water's purity and stopping at communities along the way to share what they are learning and provide a forum for discussion about water quality solutions.

May 23, 2016

Car Title Loans Can Be Trouble for Millennials

Consumer Reports
This high-cost form of credit, secured by the borrower's vehicle, can be financially risky for younger consumers and catastrophic for others

Testing Rock River's Purity Watch Live


Paddling from Horicon Marsh to Beloit, the Rock River Coalition is testing the river's purity. And you can watch it live.

Many lakes and and streams in the Rock River basin are impaired and polluted from excessive phosphorus coming from water treatment plants, municipalities, industry and agriculture, says the WI Dept of Natural Resources.

Phosphorus keeps urban lawns green but also turn lakes green with algae. Algae clouds water, blocks sunlight to aquatic plants, lowers oxygen levels, and kills fish!

Reduction of phosphorus and sediment will improve water quality, reduce dangerous algae blooms and increase the value and usefulness of the river.

May 15, 2016

Thank you, Consumer Reports

Thanks to Consumer Reports for all the advice appearing in this blog. A CR subscription will save you from ripoffs and physical harm. Don't ever buy a new or used car before checking out what CR says. When I was a TV reporter I would pass along car-buying advice from CR. As a result, major local car dealerships banded together and withdrew a million dollars of advertising from my TV station.

Hello Hawk!


A very big Red-tailed hawk flew very close to me, landed in a nearby tree, and let me take all the photos I wanted.

Puny Powerehouses: Best Jump Starter Buying Guide - Consumer Reports

 Consumer Reports

It used to be that a set of jumper cables (and an obliging fellow motorist) or a call for roadside assistance was needed to jump-start a car, but a convenient alternative has recently hit the market: The mini jump starter. These micro-sized battery packs are small enough to fit in your glovebox and powerful enough to jolt your car back to life. 

May 9, 2016

Listen to the red wing black bird


Our friends--the red-wing black birds--are fun to watch and hear, but don't get too close to their nests because you might get dive bombed. Look for the female in this video. She is smaller, streaky brown, doesn't have red wings and has a white line over each eye.

May 1, 2016

Do vendors really charge more for a wedding than for a 50th-anniversary party?

Behind the Scenes: How Consumer Reports Put on a Wedding
Thanks to Consumer Reports for its advice on putting on a wedding and paying for it. And thanks to CR for all of the stories I link to every week. A subscription to Consumer Reports is a good investment in keeping families safe and their finances sound!

Crabby and the cool crow


In this video you will see that crabs eat pretty much the way humans do...claw to mouth. In addition to their role in delicate feeding, these claws can savagely pinch predators.  I've seen a crab hold off several menacing  crows with quick moves and threatening gestures. But the laid back crow in this video isn't bothering anyone and has the softest call I've ever heard.