respublica

Best sellers

Amazon's Best Seller list in Health and Personal Care:  The top three best sellers right now are surgical/respirator masks!

In Amazon's apparel category of best sellers on the other hand, Crocs are 1 (toddler) and 2 (adult).

The Best seller page is here.

In books, the number two best seller is by Stephenie Meyer.  Ever since we accidently wandered into a Border's just before a live appearance by this woman we've wondered...

...just who is Stephenie Meyer.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled gardening

Okay.  The day of whoopla and celebration marking the president's 100 days in office is over, so now we can get back to regular life.  And this year that means, gardening.  Seems having vegetables in the backyard garden is a huge thing this year with tomatoes being the number one house plant for 2009. 

The Gateway Gardener, a free newspaper found around the St. Louis area, has a website which provides lots of advice for home gardeners. 

Here at Concordia Seminary, growing vegetables is all the rage.  Like last summer, all the public flower beds and flower pots are combined with vegetables and herbs. 

Faculty living on the northwest corner of the campus combined their efforts and constructed 3 raised planting beds and are in the process of building two more.

Our grounds director, Gayle Zollmann has planted tomatoes all along the soccer field fence.

There are pea plants growing in the parking island bed next to the chapel.

And, the island in the turnabout is circled with spinach, lettuce, turnips, and radishes.  Once these are finished, the bed will be planted with peppers of all sizes, color, and level of heat.

There are cabbages in big planters, herbs everywhere and soon even more summer vegetables will be popping up among the flowers.

Understanding the federal budget

A short video which illustrates rather brilliantly the basics of the federal budget and how the president's 100 million in cuts really looks.  This makes the federal budget pretty darn understandable.

The lamest question ever

New York Times White House reporter, Jeff Zeleny, asked this question at President Obama's 100 Days news conference last night. 

"What has surprised, troubled, enchanted and humbled him in the past 100 days."

Softball season.

I watched the news conference and sort of chuckled at the question as did the president.  However, in this morning's New York Times story, Zeleny neglected to mention that it was he who asked that question.  He phrased it this way, "There were a few light moments, particularly when Mr. Obama was asked what has surprised, troubled, enchanted and humbled him in the past 100 days."

Surely the NYT's could have come up with a more substantial question.

Thanks Mr. Biden

Vice President Biden offered some Swine Flu prevention advice yesterday.  Nothing like giving us more to worry about.

He told the Today Show's Matt Lauer what advice he would give to his family:

"He would tell his family members not to use subways in the U.S." and as to air travel, "The vice president said if one person sneezes on a plane "it goes all the way through the aircraft."

So where's the MAtH at this moment?  On a plane to Austin Texas.  I picture a germ laden aircraft and me greeting him when he comes back tonight with one of those bags emergency workers put their clothes in after dealing with toxic chemicals.

Official photos of the Obama White House

On Flickr, courtesy of the official White House photographer, Pete Souza, up on Flickr.  It's possible to comment on each one as well.  Great photos, cool idea.  Pictures of Bo the dog have him on a leash even in the house. 

You can also subscribe to get the latest White House photostream.

First Lady Fashion

From Ann Althouse on a MIchelle Obama Washington Post slide show narrated by the paper's fashion critic, Robin Givhan:

"From the headline to that slideshow to every sentence of the Robin Givhan narrative, everything seemed not quite honest.  What's the point of writing about fashion if you can't say cutting, critical things?"

I watched the slideshow and Givhan's rather dull narrative notwithstanding, I was struck by a fashion trend I've overlooked.

Michelle Obama seems never (rarely) to wear stockings (pantyhose) no matter how dressed up she is.  I'm showing my age here, but wearing pointy, narrow heeled shoes with no stockings when you know you'll be walking and standing alot, strikes me as very uncomfortable.

Then again, I could be totally out of it.

Handling Bo

The Obamas' dog, Bo, has been photographed many times since he arrived at the White House.  In almost every image he is on a leash.

Here's a view of Bo with his White House handler, Dale Haney, the resident horticulturist and, yes, Bo is once again on the leash.

Isn't the White House fenced?  Can't the puppy have a chance to run and run and chase stuff?  Or do they just hold him back when there are press people around so that none of them get bitten?

I sure hope that dog gets a chance to take advantage of the huge fenced in 'yard'.

Sound familiar?

Arlen Specter's case against the republican party and his defection to the democratic party:  "As the Republican Party has moved further and further to the right, I have found myself increasingly at odds with the Republican philosophy," he said.

Democratic senator Zell Miller back in 2003-4

He argued that the Democratic Party, as it now stands, is a far left-wing party that is out of touch with the America of today and that the Republican Party now embraces the conservative Democratic ideals that he has held for so long.  He believes his own Democratic Party is badly out of step with most of the country and needs to shape up or ship out.

In 2003 a commentary in the Long Island Business News described the then conventional wisdom on the Democratic party: 

"Nationally, the Democrats are floundering all over the place, with eight or nine presidential candidates desperately in search of a theme that will resonate with the voters.

With 17 months to go before the presidential election, and President Bush enjoying high popularity ratings, Democrats are confused and confusing to all concerned."

2009 and the republican demise:

"Specter's decision provides further evidence that the party is continuing to contract, especially outside the South. Northeastern Republicans have gone from an endangered species to nearly extinct. Obama's victory in Pennsylvania in November was due in part to a sizeable shift in party registration toward the Democrats. Republicans have lost ground in the Rocky Mountains and the Midwest in the past two elections. That is no way to build a national party."

If the democrats have taught the pundits and the voters anything, it is that you just don't go around pronouncing a party dead when things go bad.  The democrats of 2002-2005 were done.  Ha.  How many of the same pundits now telling us the republicans may never be a viable party again told us the same thing about the democrats 6 years ago?  

Maybe complete disarray is what a party needs to sort the wheat from the chaff.  Obviously the experts were wrong about the democrats needing to get more to the center if they ever wanted to win again.  Will they be proven wrong when they tell republicans the same thing?

Why Arnold?

Tomorrow President Obama will be holding a town hall affair of some kind to commemorate his first 100 days in office.  Some of the tv news outlets have been so excited about this 100th day, they've had the little countdown symbol on their broadcast screen. 

So why did he choose Arnold, Missouri to do this?  Arnold.  Where the Meramec River meets the Mississippi.  The southern gateway to St. Louis and Money Magazine's 12th most affordable city.

But still.  Why Arnold? 

I'm thinking maybe it's to help get some fire into the congressman who represents the Missouri 3rd District which includes Arnold, Russ Carnahan.

Carnahan is pretty much the forgotten guy.  Since he is also our congressman, I have to confess, there almost nothing heard from or about him.  Rarely does he get quoted in the paper or make appearances, hold office hours.  So this will get his name out there, give him a push.  Which he needs.

And it won't do his sister Robin any harm should she run for Kit Bond's senate seat next year. 

There's always a campaign race down the road.