respublica

Et tu Ikea?

It has been found that Ikea's famous meatballs contain horsemeat. So far the horsemeat has only turned up in those sold in Sweden but has anyone check into the American Ikea meatballs? After the furniture and accessories the company sells, meatballs are most mentioned as a reason to go there. Heh.

Best quip on this story so far: Horse in Ikea meatballs? They will be finding wood in the furniture next.

And there's Michelle Obama

The Academy Awards ended with Michelle Obama announcing the best picture award. The general feeling among most people, Obama fans or not, was one of way too much Obama in every single cultural event. There was so much talk about MO's Oscar surprise that a Twitter hashtag broke out. There were many clever quips and comments about her appearance one of which was "Soon she'll be in every movie theater preview telling you to shut your cellphone off & put away the popcorn."

That might seem an overreach by someone who is definitely not one of the Obama fans, but here's what NYC's Mayor Bloomberg"s new rules look like:

His ban on soda's over 16 ounces will now include the 2 liter bottles of soda that are often ordered with pizza deliveries. And pitchers of soda with pizza served in pizza restaurants are now forbidden. 

Bellbottoms, beads, textured hose and no fat people

Looking at these pictures of high school fashions in 1969 reminds me of the reason I hate bellbottoms. Bad memories of dressing badly. Today they call them "flared" or "wide legged" but if it's all the same to you, they're still bellbottoms and they show up in womens clothing departments all over the place. Oddly the bellbottoms with their too much material dragging on the ground, partnered with another late 60's fashion-the mini skirt. Polar oppositites.

What we need to realize is that for a good part of the 60's womens clothing was sort of Jackie Kennedy-esque, it wasn't until the late 60's that fashion caught up with the hippie movement on college campuses.

Great pictures though, a so different time and as the commenters to this feature noted, no one is overweight.

Nashville Hornets State Champs

Congratulations to the girls baskeball team of Nashville Illinois for winning the state championship in Class 2A last night. They beat the number one ranked state team, Champaign St. Thomas More.

When Dale was the pastor in Venedy Illinois we were right down the road from Nashville which was the county seat and we were in Nashville many times for grocery shopping or what not. We were in the Okawville school district at that time which was also down the road from Nashville. Both high schools had a long tradition of winning basketball teams, both boys and girls. 

Funny, many of the names of the players on this year's championship team are the same as the names of those who played when we lived out there. Likely they are the children of those players.

So Congrats, Nashville, what a thrill for the girls and the city.

The late term abortion doctor is devastated

A Montgomery Country Maryland abortion clinic who's head guy is one the few doctors nationwide who publicly acknowledge performing late-term abortions, had a woman die this week. Here's how the story in the Washington Post led off:

"A 29-year-old woman died of natural causes after visiting an abortion clinic in Montgomery County and suffering a rare complication related to childbirth." The pregnancy was 33 weeks along which means the baby was close to a month from full term. Most abortion doctors won't perform them after 24 weeks.

She went in for an abortion of an almost full term child. If this doesn't make your mind reel as you picture this in actuality I don't know what would. It isn't merely sad that a doctor feels it's ok to publically let it be known he'll perform such acts, it's a horrible glimpse into our culture and where it's headed.

A part of me just does not believe a doctor or a nurse would be able to do such things, but the future looks very dark indeed.

Unsubscribe and unsubscribe

This morning I decided I've had it with waking up to endless emails, junk emails, from businesses, politicos and anyone else who thought I wanted to hear what they're selling. I have no idea how I got on many of these bulk mailing lists, but it has to stop. 

So it's sit here at my desk and open each email, scroll down to where I have the option to unsubscribe and get rid of them. Boring and it remains to be seen if it will even work. First to go, Omaha Steaks which sends me two a day.

It's time SLU and Mizzou

Time to get serious and put each other on a yearly schedule for men's basketball. I'd suggest alternating years, home and home. Kentucky and Louisville finally saw the positives in playing each other after decades of ignoring their closest in state rival. Now it's time for Mizzou and SLU to do the same.

When it comes to math...

This speaks to me.

That was yesterday this is today

Our seminary maintenance men and student workers did a yeoman's job clearing the campus of snow so that everything is walkable and driveable this morning. They were working past midnight and have been at it since around 6 this morning.  Thank you all so very much!

Yesterday

Yesterday afternoon Ferdie climbed the stairs way over the to side with less snow.

Today he went right up the middle

Also today

And the traditional snowman in the quad appeared over night.

The roofs here at Concordia Seminary are pitched very steeply and when big snow loosens up, the snow roars down and crashes in huge piles on the sidewalks or on top of someone's head...if they aren't careful. Here's our back door

That big pile came down from the roof all at once. 

 And a couple of our front boxwoods got hit hard by roof snow

U.S. to air drop toxic mice

What could possibly go wrong?

"Guam—Dead mice laced with painkillers are about to rain down on Guam's jungle canopy. They are scientists' prescription for a headache that has caused the tiny U.S. territory misery for more than 60 years: the brown tree snake."