Fair Maps, Lyin' George And The Great Tree Debate (Hour 1)

From the Civic Media Radio Network, moving Wisconsin forward one joke at a time.

This is As Goes Wisconsin with Kristen Brott.

Now, filling in for the new mom, here's Jane Mattenair.

Good morning and welcome, welcome, welcome to As Goes, Wisconsin, so glad to have you

joining us.

Calvin is on the board, Greg Buck with me in studio and joining us on the live stream

as he has been doing every Monday our own colleague and friend Todd Albaugh for the

Todd Albaugh show.

You can catch him from noon to two across the Civic Media Radio Network.

Good morning, Todd.

How are you doing?

Good morning, Jane.

Good morning, Greg.

Good morning, Kelvin.

It's fantastic to see you all.

We are now officially in the holidays.

It is official.

Thanksgiving is over.

Right.

So before we go any further, congratulations, I see Greg is now a proud puppy Papa.

I am.

Congratulations.

Thank you very much.

She's adorable and I'll talk about her a lot.

Well, he picked us.

They picked her up yesterday.

Yesterday.

Yeah.

So, and no, unfortunately, as generous as Civic Media is, they do not allow a paternity

leave.

That was supposed to be my joke.

Although that was Jane's idea, a paternity.

The whole thing was I said, well, you know, Kristen just had a baby and she got three months

of maternity leave.

And I said, you know, getting a new dog, should I get, you know, and I was going to say

paternity, she goes, paternity, I'm like, and I was so mad as a standup, when a non-standup

comedian comes up with a joke that is over and above funnier than anything you could

think of, the level of anger you start to feel.

It's fantastic.

Punchline envy.

Yeah.

All kinds of things coming up this over the course of the next two hours next hour.

And this was on a listener recommendation.

So thank you so much for hooking me up with Lisa Doer, who is a farmer along with her husband

in Wisconsin.

And she has spent the last five years educating people in Polk and Burnett counties

about the impacts of K-Fos.

And we have talked about these before, these controlled animal feeding operations.

So she is going to be joining us at 1106 to talk about her work in Polk and Burnett

counties.

It's a really, really important issue, especially when we consider a water in Wisconsin and

the water quality in Wisconsin.

Right now, though, I wanted to start off with your boss, your former boss, I should say,

Dale Schultz has an opinion piece in today's Madison.com about fair maps and the potential

for finally getting fair maps in Wisconsin, the state Supreme Court began hearing arguments

last week.

And again, your former boss, Dale Schultz, is thinks this is a good thing.

He's, I would read it before we came on the air, usually he gives me a heads up when

stuff like this is going to land.

And I didn't hear from him, but you have to give him a break because in the Schultz

Household, the holidays actually begin the first weekend of gun deer season.

So Dale's already in the holidays.

That's it.

He's been out in the woods, but no, I thought it was well written.

He was on our show last Tuesday with his former colleague, also a former Senate Majority Leader

of the Democratic side, Tim Cullen from Jamesville.

And they were both on talking about redistricting fair maps and, yeah, I mean, I give Dale a

lot of credit.

He, you know, he, I think it was on devil's advocate years ago before there even was civic

media.

And Dale just said bluntly, even then when he was a city and state senator, I, I'm, I'm

through defending them.

I can't defend my colleagues anymore.

Wow.

And he, that, that may be a little national news, I think, actually, for the devil's.

But anyway, yeah, I mean, he's one of these guys who admits his faults and says, look,

I participated in this.

I'm not without fault.

As, by the way, did Tim Cullen, who said, look, this is not a partisan issue, Democrats

did this one when we were in power, right?

And so I, I think it's really great that they can do this in a bipartisan voice.

They were the last two to co-author a true bipartisan bill on redistricting back in, I

think it was 2012, 2013.

And, and yeah, I mean, Dale is, is, is calling it out and saying, look, clearly these maps

were done for political gain and it's time that we move forward and really hopes the

Supreme Court now in Wisconsin can apply constitutional law.

You know, I think that's the important thing, right, is that at least for me, I'll let

you guys speak for yourselves or callers can call in.

I don't believe the Supreme Court should be a reactionary body.

You know, I, I just don't think, you know, the Supreme Court should look out the window

and say, oh, geez, there's a hundred thousand people here, give them what they want.

I, I actually believe that the Supreme Court should apply the law as it is written.

And that's what makes justice blind, right, is that it is not reactionary is based on

the law.

That's my opinion.

So, I, I hope I feel that the current Supreme Court will apply the law as written as the

former conservative court in my opinion did not.

And I think if you apply the law as written, that the current maps are unconstitutional and

I hope to be rewritten.

Well, and it's really nice to hear from former lawmakers on both sides of the aisle admit

that there was some hanky and some panky going on and with the drawing of maps on both sides

and we've talked about this many times, that people just want it to be fair.

Yep.

People just want it to be fair.

And what don't Wisconsinites like?

Wisconsinites do not like people who cheat.

There it is.

Wisconsinites don't like cheaters on either side.

Which is why I was pulling for Ohio State this weekend, but that's another bottle of

wine or cup of coffee.

Oh, okay.

What do you know, Todd, what do you think?

So last week we played on Pat so on up north news radio, we played a clip of Justice Bradley

just interrupting the opening of the entire thing and say, yeah, the here's the saying,

well, why are you not, why are you doing this now?

Why are you bringing it?

Where were you two years ago?

And Pat very, very smartly said, he's like, well, did they say the same thing when

the Dobbs decision was brought forth in the Supreme Court.

Why did you wait so long?

It's, yeah, you wait because you know when you have the ability to do it, but also she

just railroaded him and just was like, no, why are you doing this now?

It was, it just seemed very like desperate.

Well, I think it is.

And in my opinion, others can feel free to have their own in my opinion.

It's just sad that again, partisan politics has just worked its way into the courts more

and more over the years.

I mean, there was a time when that line of questioning would be repugnant.

I mean, I can't imagine that if the late great Shirley Abramson was still the chief of

on the Supreme Court that she would not hit her gavel or at least be outraged by that.

And the dignity of the institution of the court, unfortunately, has suffered over the

years.

I think that's an example of it.

Hey, she has a Supreme Court justice.

She has the right to ask what she wants, but I found the line of questioning undignified

for a Supreme Court justice because to your point, Greg and to Pat Crite Lose as well.

It's happened on the other side too, and again, it's all about partisanship in my opinion.

844-967-2789-844-96 party.

If you want to check in, you can call and or text.

If you were watching on the live stream on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, you can also leave

a comment there as well on the live stream.

And we will see that's 844-967-2789.

We're at a switch gears, a little bit, and talk about Robin Voss in a comment on Twitter

over the weekend.

And here is what it was in response to.

So California passed a new law mandating that K through 12 students learn media literacy.

The bill is designed to help students develop skills in identifying false information online,

amid a worrying rise in distrust in the media.

And Robin Voss commented on this and said for anyone who believes the indoctrination of

DEI in schools is just about respecting differences, this is the real agenda of the left, controlling

what young people think, and telling them only a single belief system is acceptable is their

true goal.

I am so baffled by that.

First of all, I'm interested because I don't necessarily follow him, but I look up, he

has two accounts, speaker Voss, which is like a special one, and he has like a Robin.

I could get into the speaker one, I didn't find it there, I'm assuming this is from his

personal or campaign account.

It's at rep Voss, R-E-P-V-O.

Because I couldn't, I wonder what all did I get blocked, that would be fantastic.

I've been trying to get blocked by him for years now, and he's just, but so I didn't know

if he disappeared or not, let's check.

No, I can still thank you, Greg, there it is.

You're welcome.

Greg, you know, a wealth of information, especially for old man like me on technology.

But here's what I think, and I'd be interested to know what you guys' opinion and the listers

as well.

These, I call them pot shots, right?

They're just cheap pot shots, and I don't want to say I know speaker Voss well, what

I worked for Dale Schultz was in the legislature.

I sat in several meetings with him.

I was in rooms where we were to go shading with him between the assembly and the senate.

I at least have a flavor of how he thinks, and I don't personally believe that Robin

Voss himself believes a lot of this rhetoric, and he ought to make fun of him being thrice-married

sometimes.

Look, my parents were divorced, you know, the person without sin cast the first stone.

Sure.

So what I think of him is because he acts so holier than thou when he has his own problems

to worry about, and I don't believe that whether it's this indoctrination crap or anything

else, he doesn't believe that, but look back at what happened to him.

When he, you know, he didn't want to really, I don't believe, he personally didn't want

to appease Jennifer Proto-Saitwoods or Megan Wolfe, but his base, his, the MAGA base,

the money base does, and he's forced to, to expel these things that he doesn't believe

in, because he knows he relies on those people, whether it's votes or money, for he and his

caucus to get reelected.

Now, if you go in the building, the capital, and on the halls, and privately, he and his

staff would be like, well, we're not, we're not actually going to do that.

Don't worry.

98% of Wisconsinites don't understand that they don't mean it, and so when they say things

like this, they don't actually mean it, but it gins people up, and then you have these

nut jobs that go to school board meetings and attack really great school board folks

and other people, because they believe that their leadership actually believes this stuff,

and it's very dangerous in my face.

It is.

It's very dangerous.

And all of this placating, his base certainly hasn't turned into good approval ratings.

What is his latest approval rating?

Is it like 16%.

It was 16.

16 maybe the sweet 16.

And I find it so disturbing, Todd, that they spew these things that they have no intention

of following through one.

And as you said, this, this motivates certain people to take things into their own hands.

My, my boss, you brought up deals shows earlier, it is farewell speech on the Senate floor.

He said something that I've never forgotten.

He said, we fear that which we do not understand.

And he talked about this in 2015 and 2014 on his way out, that this country, this state

needs to start listening to and understanding each other because fear is going to perpetuate

division.

844-967-2789, 844-96, if you want to call or check in, we will be right back.

Stay with us.

You're listening to As Goes Wisconsin on the Civic Media Radio Network.

Good morning and welcome to As Goes Wisconsin, Jane Mattner, int for Kristen Brie.

Greg Bach is with me in studio, Calvin's on the board, Todd Alba, our colleague and friend

joining us on the live stream.

The Todd Father.

And you can always join us to at 844-967-2789, want to give a shout out to Richland Center.

If you're listening on WRC and in Amory, Amory Amory Amory, that's my, Todd, I have this

vision of Amory.

It's, I've never been there and I want to go really badly because I think it's the

perfect place on Earth.

I can't say I've been in Amory proper up and close by, but we've had on April, who's

the editor of the Amory Free Press on our show.

And we've talked about this beautiful outdoor concert facility they have along the lakes

there on the Amory.

And I had promised I would get there this summer and broke that promise.

So I got to happen.

I got to get up there.

Yeah.

We all, we all need to do a tour of the state.

I agree.

And all of our, all of our stations across the state, I think it would be really a lot of

fun.

I do too.

Well, let's get a big like RV and just, you know, go across the state station RV.

Sage.

Are you listening?

Oh, Sage are you listening?

Come on.

Right.

Coming up in a little bit because it is now officially the holiday season.

We're going to talk Christmas trees and your family's tradition regarding Christmas

trees, real or alive.

When do you put them up?

Is it already up?

How long does it stay up?

All of that will be coming up after 10 30 right now, though in battled New York representative

George Santos is predicting he's going to be expelled from Congress this week after

that incredible report from the health house ethics committee, which found substantial

evidence.

He knowingly violated ethics guidelines, house rules, criminal laws.

He is facing 23 federal charges and then he speaks down on Trump said Donald Trump said

hold my beer.

Yikes.

He spent he was on Twitter in the Twitter live space, whatever for three hours.

Complaining.

Complaining essentially reporters who are like more, more, more say more, he described the

ethics committee report as slanderous and claiming his colleagues are trying to force

him out of his house seat.

He has accused the chair of the ethics committee of weaponizing his position and publishing

a hit piece against him.

He also described himself George Santos described himself as the Republican it girl and the

Mary, the Mary Magdalene of the U.S. Congress, I am not leaving.

See, I would describe as the other Mary, like if you're familiar with the Bible on the

morning, the resurrection that says, you know, early in the morning, Mary Magdalene and

the other Mary went to, you know, I described George Santos as the other Mary and don't forget,

I mean, this ethics committee reports, accuses him of stealing money from his campaign,

lying to donors, making up fictitious loans, engaging in fraudulent business dealings.

He reportedly used money intended for his campaign on Botox and other spot treatments

and paying down his credit card debts.

He says, let's not forget only fans, right?

Let's not forget only.

He is not going to be seeking re-election next year, done, done, done.

George says he doesn't listen to this, George says he doesn't want to continue working

with a bunch of hypocrites in Congress who he says have committed more egregious sins

than his, including being more worried about getting drunk every night with lobbyists.

He also accused colleagues of trying to sell off the American people and of voting while

they're hung over or coming in, hung over and then passing off their vote to someone else

to cast their vote for them.

I can't really, that last part will be like, I guess you were just saying that, I buy

that for a dollar, absolutely, yeah, you're right, but you shut up, dude.

He says he will wear his expulsion like a badge of honor.

I'm being expelled simply because people do not like me.

Um, no, I think you're being expelled because, because people don't like you.

It's because you're a liar.

You're terrible at this.

You're not even a good liar.

I think what's interesting for me, just from a partisan standpoint, is, is there still

a line because from strictly a numbers game, three publicans and the new speaker, Mike

Johnson need that vote in order to get certain things done in order to protect the speakership,

you know, to a certain degree, because the margins for Republicans are so slim.

And so they need that vote.

That's why Kevin McCarthy was reticent to, to expel him.

But I think now with this new ethics report and now that Republicans are in charge of

the committees doing this, that it's pretty hard, I mean, it's guy, it wasn't what, to

me, it's what's the line, it, you know, what is the line for Republicans that say, no,

we probably shouldn't do this because of course in today's world, I think what it's come

to is Republicans have said, wait a minute, this could become a national or at least in

districts where they have Republican members of free election in which Joe Biden won that

district.

They could use this and say, look, Republicans are protecting this guy and he now becomes

an issue in eight other races, which they have to win in order to hang on to the majority

in the House in 2024.

I just think it's an amazing example of, you know, he's the low guy, he's the low guy,

he's the, you know, he's not, because you said before, Donald Trump is looking at all

this going, well, I, you know, I did that before breakfast.

And they, like, almost every one of those Republicans in the House representatives are

just going to like fall on the spikiest of spikes to keep him from getting in trouble.

But George does some terrible things, they're like, yeah, get him out, just give him the

old spanish archer elbow, see what they do there, boom, that's a joke.

We'll see it, we'll see if it actually happens.

You know, the vote hasn't been, the vote hasn't been cast yet, what, what I find interesting

is him casting all these aspersions now on his fellow Congress people.

And if you remember, uh, Madison Cauthorn, who was a lawmaker, who was making allegations

that he's been invited to orgies and cocaine parties and, uh, all of these other things

among other members of Congress.

And I don't know, George might have a really interesting book to write.

I mean, that's the thing is like, there's, I mean, yeah, that doesn't surprise me at all.

And at no point did I think Madison Cauthorn was lying when he said that.

That's the point.

George Santo sure he has a great book, but how much of it if Eddie is true?

Yeah.

You know what I mean?

I mean, he can, he writes a book every single day and he has no qualms whatsoever about

just making crap up.

No, that's for sure.

It doesn't bother him in the least.

It will be interesting to follow and, and see what happens with, uh, with good old George

Santo.

So we will keep you up to date on that.

All right.

Coming up.

We're going to be talking about Christmas trees and your Christmas tree traditions.

Is it already up?

When do you put it up?

Is it real?

Is it a fake one?

All things, all trees coming up when we return.

You're listening to Asco's Wisconsin.

Thank you so much for joining us on the Civic Media Radio Radio Network.

I said, who had a mitigator, I know you mean it just for play, I said, wait a minute

get out.

I know you mean it just for play, don't you know you really hurt me, and this is what

I have to say.

See you later, I'll get her, after a while, I'll get out, see you later, I'll get her,

after a while, I'll get out, can't you see you're on my way now, don't you know you're

going to realize it?

Yeah, let me start, see you later, I'll get her, after a while, I'll get out.

See you later, I'll get her, so long.

Good morning, welcome to Asco's Wisconsin.

Welcome to Asco's Wisconsin, Jane Maddner, in for Kristen Brite.

Breakbox with me in studio, Calvin, on the board, Todd, all the doing some chair dancing

on the stream.

You can always join us at 844-967-2789-844-96 party and stick around coming up after 11

o'clock, after the 11 o'clock news, I guess it's going to be joining us, actually suggested

by a listener and if you ever want to suggest someone that we should talk to or an issue

you think needs attention, you can always let us know at civicmedia.us, you can always

call and or text at 844-967-2789, Lisa Doherr is going to be joining us, she and her husband

farm hay in a part of Wisconsin and she's been working to educate people in a Polk

and Burnett counties about CAFOs, these control, controlled animal feeding operations

and she's going to join us at 11 o'clock to talk about her efforts in that.

It's really an important issue and something that we have talked about before these CAFOs.

Right now though, a little bit lighter subjects, it's Christmas tree time, Thanksgiving on

Thursday.

I know some people, I have a good friend who puts up her tree the day after Thanksgiving

and then she takes it down the day after Christmas.

Boom, really.

I think I mentioned this, my sister on Christmas night, it's gone.

On Christmas night?

They have dinner, they get in their jammas, they pack up all the stuff and the next day

there's a picture of a tree on the front lawns and I'm done.

Wow.

No.

Amy.

No.

Amy Bach doesn't mess around.

It's not even over yet.

In their house it is.

I guess.

Apparently so.

I am the person that cuts my hair, which she gets a great deal.

I keep saying she's charged me less because she has less work to do every week or every

month.

But my hair style, she says, but she puts hers up right after Halloween and then it's

like the day after Christmas she's done.

So I guess, but you know, to me it's the holidays go through the year's day and then January

2nd, okay, fine.

See, when I was growing up, at least as a child, we always kept it up until the seventh,

which is when the wise guys come.

They were so late.

Yes, the epiphany.

Right.

Right, right.

The three wise men.

The three wise guys.

Did we miss it?

You brought more to a baby shower.

But now, I mean, okay, so let's start with this dividing line because people have very

strong feelings about real trees versus fake trees.

Yeah.

Let's go around the table.

Greg Buck.

Okay.

So there is a feeling this is a two-part question, do I care whether or not people use it and

what do I use or you just ask me what I use that you can you can do both.

We have fake tree.

Okay.

And I don't care what people do.

You're not a you're not a diehard real tree person.

No, I'm not.

I'm really not a diehard.

Anything except for die hard.

It's a Christmas movie.

I'm tired about that.

All right.

Calvin, what about you?

A fake or a real tree?

A real tree is all I've never ever known.

So your parents have never had a real tree?

No.

And Todd, what about you?

It's a mixed bag.

You know, it's a local political answer.

I know, right?

Most of my life I've had a real tree and there was a short time after my parents were

divorced from mom got an artificial tree.

But we've gone back the last 20 years, 25 years to a real one for her and I've always had

a real tree except when cleaning out my mom's basement a couple of years ago, we found

an old like four full artificial one, which I used last year because sometimes the needles

just when you live in an apartment building, it's not convenient.

No doubt.

And so I may use the artificial one again this year.

But by tradition, I'm a real tree type of guy.

We use an artificial tree because we don't entertain, but we still want to have a little

spirit.

This year we're not doing anything because we don't want me belted with a new puppy.

Yeah.

Now, Calvin, I have a question for you with your fake tree that you've only known.

At the end of Christmas, do you guys take it apart and put away or do you just take

the, because we did this as I was, when I was a kid, we had a fake tree.

We just take the whole tree downstairs, put it in the corner of the basement and put a bag

over it.

A bag over it and just let it sit until the following Thanksgiving, we usually take it apart.

Okay.

All right.

Aristocrats, I'm talking to you here.

You constructing Christmas.

Really quick here.

Jane, here at Asgones, Wisconsin, scientific labs and stuff, the official name, Asgones,

Wisconsin, scientific labs and stuff, we commissioned a poll.

We put out some 120 minutes ago to the watching, listening public of Asgones, Wisconsin.

And I have the results of this poll.

This highly scientific.

Not Festivist poll, but a poll about Christmas.

So we asked the question, why are you putting up your treat?

Overwhelming of the 58 votes cast, 66% said this week, 21% said closer to Christmas.

All right.

And number five, five percent said sometime in January, and with unrausing 9% still up

from last year.

They just left it up.

Sometimes you got to.

844, 967, 2789, 844, 960, where do you come down on the Christmas tree issue?

Is it fake?

Is it real?

When does it go up?

When does it come down?

I used to be a very, very hardcore real tree person.

Really?

Super hardcore.

And then as I got older, and it became more and more of a pain in the neck.

And because I'm the one who decorates it, my husband does not help.

Oh, really?

Yeah.

And it just became too, it just became too much work.

So do you now have a fake tree that's already decorated that's in the basement waiting to

be put up?

I have several fake trees.

Oh, wow.

I have two, I have two little tabletop ones.

And then last year my sister gave me a real, real skinny like five, five and a half foot

corner tree, which has to come apart.

But it also, it came pre-lighted and then three quarters of the lights didn't work.

So I had to cut all the lights out of the fake tree, and it comes apart in three pieces.

So now I have to take all of the lights off of it in order to put it away.

So she just gave you work?

Pretty much.

Yeah.

Pretty much.

And it's funny.

We were talking last night, my sister and I about what it was like when we were kids.

And we always had a real tree.

And my mother was obsessive about putting on lights.

My mother was kind of obsessive about everything because we had to put ten, do you remember

a tinsel?

Oh, yeah.

Absolutely.

Go ahead.

Yeah.

We had to put on tinsel one piece of tinsel at a time.

Yeah.

That's the only way to do it.

Is that insanity?

That might be insanity.

It was a, it was a, it was a really long process.

You get the correct dangle when you do that.

If you just throw it on, there, there's no dangle.

You understand?

You got it.

Yes.

You got it.

You got my tinsel for it would not be Christmas.

But but here now, Jane has given us the, the great example of why you should go real.

Just for what you said, if the lights go out, you got to throw the thing away.

And here according to the, and it's a great site, Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association.

Yes, there is a thing.

You can find it at Christmastrees-wi.org Christmastrees-wi.org, either there's a map, you can find

a real tree grower according to them.

Most artificial trees are manufactured in Korea, Taiwan, or Hong Kong consist of plastics

and metals that are not biodegradable when disposed of the artificial trees will never

deteriorate.

Oh boy.

Their effects on our environment are evident and remain for countless generations.

So if you want to do the environment, and not to mention all the, you know, trucking

it over here from, from overseas and, and the impact on the environment, trees, when

you, when you buy one, when you cut one down, they plant two or three in its place, it

helps clean the air, it helps keep soil in place, it stops erosion, it gives wildlife

environment, correct places to live.

It is the green way to go and, and we just cut my mom's tree at the Shower Christmas

Tree Farm in Richland Center.

Really?

They, they advertise on WRC, so we have shot out to them the Shower Tree Farm in Southwest

Wisconsin.

And her phrasier for is standing tall in the, in the living room dining room.

Hey, Todd, remember how we started this whole thing with, let's keep it a little lighter

for this next part, um, like death and destruction, follow you in your big tree.

Why?

No, it's, it's, it's simply fake tree shaming.

Oh, I got you.

It's fake tree shaming.

I wouldn't say shaming.

It's just like if you have a guilt.

Your point, I mean, my, my mom said if it wasn't for me and my, my sister, she probably

would have an artificial one as well.

But if you're able, if you're able, you know, uh, go and, and it's a great experience

to get outside, you get a little exercise to get some fresh air.

It's great.

Buy a real tree.

We take my mother a lot to get her tree every year.

We're going there next Sunday.

Oh, you do.

She, she gets a real tree every year.

That's, you know, that's her thing and that's cool.

We go pick it up for him.

We, we did have two Christmas's ago.

She went a little late.

We did get ourselves a Charlie Brown tree.

That is for sure.

It lost like a third of its needles on the way home.

Oh my.

It was so, we all tried to, we all tried to make the best of it.

But we were all like, this is waiting a little too long.

We got a comment on the live stream from Tony, uh, says when you get to holiday traditions,

here's a different take a holiday pig.

Excuse me.

Pig.

Point blank.

Wish I could send a picture.

I don't.

Uh, got one inside of the house.

I'm just kidding.

And inside and outside the house, we used to get live trees.

Then the kids grew up one year of one of our trees started sprouting the new growth for

the, for the new year, the pig goes up in the, in the living room and is also outside

the house on the stoop.

So they have a Christmas pig.

Both pigs have lights embedded in in them.

Nice topic.

Tony Hornugged.

Thanks, Tony.

I'm not, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not getting a Christmas pig.

That sounds amazing.

I can see that.

I can see that as a, as a standout neighborhood decoration.

Yeah.

Very much.

That's kind of impressive.

Yeah.

Eight, four, four, nine, six, seven, two, seven, eight, nine, eight, four, four, nine,

six party.

If you want to check in on the great Christmas tree, real versus fake debate, anyone out there

to do the Christmas pickle?

Never did the Christmas pickle.

No, that's just for those who don't know.

I believe that German, German, you just, we, you're, you're supposed to hide a pickle

in the tree.

And then whoever gets it gets the pickle.

And I feel like that's kind of, Todd, have you never heard of the Christmas

pickle?

It was my understanding.

This is a family show.

But no, I guess, you know, I guess we could go there if you want.

You're the one who's talking about dangling tinsel, Todd.

Yeah.

You started us down this path.

Yes.

I mean, oh, you actually, when you were say, well, does it go up?

Does it go down?

Does it stay up?

You know, all right.

Is she getting a tree of my egg right?

I mean, what's going on?

I mean, is that preserving it?

I don't know.

Cause I mean, some people put like sugar in the water to, to make it last longer.

Yeah.

Or you can buy that stuff.

So it's just, it's basically just buy a healthy, cut your own if you can or buy it from

a tree farm.

Yeah.

And we do have many, many Christmas tree farms in Wisconsin, that is definitely an industry

here.

That's the point.

They employ a lot of people.

It's environmentally conscious.

The Christmas tree industry in Wisconsin is fantastic all over the state.

And go to Christmas trees dash w i dot org to find one near you.

And what do you think is a fair price to pay for for a Christmas tree question?

Yeah.

It's cheaper.

The far, so my mom, I'm not sure you won't care.

She is probably not even listening.

Who knows?

But by the way, mom got lost last night, but that's a whole other story.

But anyway, she's fine.

She's all right.

She is recovering to bokeh.

Thank you very much.

Okay.

But, but no, I think she got, we got like a nine and a half, ten foot flavor for

her.

And she got high ceiling.

She said.

Yeah.

That's $65.

That's great.

That's a really good.

Now, now, closer to Madison, you're probably going to pay like maybe $85.90.

See, we get ours and we're seeing county.

I think, I think they're like between 50, 60, a nice, a nice, uh, full, Douglas fir.

Yeah.

Beautiful.

It's the oldest thing I've ever talked about in my life.

That's like, they would tell you something about a good Douglas fir, my friends.

You got to get a good, good one.

Pay the money too.

844-967-2789-844-96 party.

If you want to weigh in on the great Christmas tree debates, we will be right back.

Stay close.

You're listening to Asgos Wisconsin on the Civic Media Radio Network.

So party won't get around, the Christmas tree have a happy holiday.

Everyone dancing, narrowly in the new old fashioned way.

You will get a settlement of feeling when you hear voices singing, let's be godly dead.

So party won't get around, the Christmas tree have a happy holiday.

Everyone dancing, narrowly in the new old fashioned way.

Good morning.

Welcome to Asgos Wisconsin, Jane McNair, in for Kristen Brie, Calvin's on the board.

Greg Bach with me in studio, Todd Alba joining us on the live stream you can always check

in.

Call and or text at 844-967-2789-844-96 party.

And if you're watching on the live stream on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter you can also

leave a message there as well.

We're talking about the great real versus fake Christmas tree debate.

Kind of tree do you have, when do you get it, when does it go up, when does it come down?

844-967-2789-Sam from Madison is on the line, good morning Sam.

Morning guys, I'm over at the Civic Media Control Room in Madison right now.

But I've got some thoughts about Christmas trees for real ones.

You're missing out on the best part of it, which is after the Christmas season is over just having

a giant bonfire where you burn the tree.

And another thing about that.

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

Greg mentioned the pickle tradition.

My family used to do the pickle tradition until one year when we were having our post-Christmas

season bonfire.

We accidentally burned the pickle because we couldn't find it on Christmas morning.

And we went a whole couple of weeks now knowing where the pickle was and then we burned the tree

and we were like, oh no, there's the pickle.

Now do you suffer from like the pickle curse or something?

PTSD, pickle.

What are the ramifications of the burning of the pickle?

I mean, we just haven't bought a new pickle ornament to restart the tradition.

So it's just like a sad, but temporary at this point.

Yeah, yeah.

The one I had was like that ornament glass where if you looked at it wrong, it would crack.

Yeah, so I can only imagine what that smelled like burning.

Say we're absolutely right.

Not good.

One of the greatest things.

Right.

I mean, after the tree, a lot of times when my mom does, she puts it.

She lives kind of like in right near the edge of town.

And so there's kind of a small woods.

And so we'll put the tree outside and the birds nest or not nest.

I mean, they'll take refuge there and enjoy it or you can have the bonfire.

And it goes back into the earth.

It's the circle of life.

It's the Lion King of Christmas, the real tree.

And you'll want the real tree.

Yeah.

You know what?

For me, with the fake tree, the circle of life starts when I put it up.

And then it continues when I put it back in the box.

I put it in the basement.

Then the next year I do it again.

Circle of life.

Thank you for calling.

Sam really appreciated it.

And now everyone in Madison knows what to get you for Christmas.

You need a new pickle.

Yes.

844-967-2789.

If you want to comment on this.

Listener from WFHR.

My tree is a house plant.

Norma has been up all year.

We took off her fall decor on Thanksgiving night.

We will put on her Christmas wear the first week of December.

That's Laura from Wisconsin.

I like it.

That's great.

I do know some people that not mean some people have like one of those kind of like indoor.

I call them like an indoor pine, Charlie Brown tree.

And they just decorate that.

That's probably the most environmentally friendly, right?

A tree that a living tree.

Yes.

Some people will buy like a pine tree or like an arbor vita shrub and bring it inside.

And then they go and plant it outdoors.

Which is a great idea.

Look at all the tree tied over here knowing all about these trees.

He's very passionate.

I come from Southwest.

I was like 10ish or so.

We planted I think was 3,000 pine trees.

Holy cow.

Oh, my grandparents family farm.

Wow.

And eventually cut a couple down for a Christmas tree.

It wasn't a Christmas tree farm proper, you understand?

Yeah.

But yeah.

Jack from Merrimack.

Many years ago, my girlfriend and I were in grad school just finishing up.

We put up a natural tree the first day of winter break when school resumed.

We got so busy again that we kept postponing taking it down.

Finally during spring break, we took down the tree after celebrating it as our Easter tree.

Yes.

How many this and how many call in?

Let us know.

Have you put Valentine's Day decorations on your Christmas tree?

If you can get a tree that will last that long, that's pretty remarkable.

Because don't they stop.

They kind of stop taking up water after about three weeks.

Somewhere there.

But again, it's Greg.

I mean, the balsam and the Frazier for they have a little bit of that, especially the Frazier.

And I call it almost like a waxy coating on their pine needles.

And so they stay a lot longer.

And if you cut it fresh, then the water is already in there, you understand.

True.

You get even longer time on your tree.

I tried watering my tree just water got everywhere.

So it wasn't really.

Well, you were trying to water the big tree.

Yeah.

I'm trying to implement some of these environmentally friendly things that Todd's talking about.

So I watered my tree.

The problem is going to be if your new puppy tries to water the tree.

That's what that's exactly why we're not putting up anything this year.

She's not going to eat anything, eat anything, not going to pee.

Well, and certainly that's an issue with dogs.

And I don't know why, but when Barkley was still alive, our dog Barkley was still alive.

That was his favorite water dish.

Was the Christmas tree stand.

Yep.

When we had a real.

Yep.

When we had a real tree.

It's like my dude.

It's got to be all sappy and exactly.

You know, with the little needles in there and what, you know, why is that tasty to you?

Don't get one of those.

Don't get one of those air fresher.

Is the pine scent the dog devoured that?

I cannot be the only person with a dog who'd like to drink the Christmas tree.

Oh, I'm sure there are tons of people out there who have that.

But you do want to be careful if you're using sugar to try and prolong it.

That's one thing.

Yeah.

But you can also buy additives to put in there.

You don't want your dog drinking that.

Of course, no.

No, no.

I'm just trying to get her to drink water right now.

She's still nervous.

Well, you just pop.

You just got her.

I know.

But just picked her up yesterday.

It's going to be a little, it's a little getting to know you skate.

No, I absolutely agree.

And you're absolutely right.

And I'm just wanted to be comfortable enough to, you know, just, I just want to be here.

To be your dog, your best dog.

Yeah, exactly.

Exactly.

All right.

Todd, what is coming up on your wonderful program today at noon from noon to two across the civic media radio network?

Well, I'm going to review a couple of things that people may have missed over the Thanksgiving day break.

Of course, the packers got a big victory on Thanksgiving.

The acts is back in Madison.

And we're also going to take a look at something more serious.

What happens when there is a news?

I don't want to call it a disaster.

But for those that missed it in near Niagara Falls.

Oh, yeah.

A car, a car exploded at a checkpoint.

And, and Fox News and Republicans went bonkers, immediately calling it terrorism, immediately say this is Joe Biden's fault.

And throughout the day, by the end of the day, it turned out the FBI said, uh, no, it wasn't terrorism.

And it was just unfortunate and incident.

And, you know, what, I think it's a great little microcosm to our news cycles or lack thereof and trying to keep our head about us when we hear things.

Talk about that little.

Yeah, that's a really, really big story.

I'm really glad you're going to do that.

Thank you so much for joining us, Todd.

All the really appreciated.

Thank you so much.

Make sure you stay around and listen to his show beginning at noon.

We will be right back with Lisa Doerr to talk about KFOs after the 11 o'clock news.

This is as goes Wisconsin on the civic media radio network.

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