respublica

Trick or Treat 2009 version

Everyone in a good mood because there is no rain with an extra hour of sleep as the real treat.

First!

A monkey

Look at Ferdie laugh!  Click picture

They just kept coming

Wha'cha got in that bag

The littlest pumpkin and her princess sister

How to eat a chicken wing

I think not. 

Who's online?

A PEW Research Center survey of Americans who use the internet.

The chart shows the percentage of each group wired up.

Donut vote

The Post-Dispatch's Joe Holleman has a list of places in the St. Louis area which make donuts and you can vote for your favorite. 

Kruta's Bakery in Collinsville is one of the choices.  Go and vote for Kruta's, the bakery with the best donuts around. 

Let Joe know St. Louis donut sellers can't hold a jelly donut to Kruta's.

The rainiest October on record

That's not news around here.  What is news is that tomorrow, Halloween, may actually be dry.  But just in case, here's a look at what Ferdie will be wearing as he greets Trick or Treaters.

Another health bill? Ah, dither

I like the way everyone has been dropping the word 'dithering' into the political world lately.  Sometimes dithering is a good thing, sometimes it's an insult. 

Today Nancy Pelosi is all excited about the new House health care bill she unveiled today.  I'm not overly worked up over this news, after all, between the House and Senate there are quite a few of these bills languishing unread or having quietly disappeared into the ether. 

So, Dither away, Congress.  Take your time, read the entire 1900 page new edition of a health care bill.

What? No coffee?

Exactly two years ago I wrote a couple posts on our search for a new coffee maker to replace one which just did not get coffee hot.

The one we decided on worked well, made good hot coffee...until today.  This morning it wouldn't turn on.  Nothing.  I tried plugging it into a different socket.  Nothing.

Here we go again.  I've been reading reviews on coffee makers and that just makes things harder.  Just when I think I've found what we want, someone writes that their heating tray melted or they need to microwave the coffee just to get it hotter.

We liked the one we got two years ago, the Cuisinart DDC 1200, and it looks like there isn't much new out there.  I may just go get the same model, but I hesitate because two years seems like a short life time for something used once a day.

But it is a decision which has to be made before tomorrow morning.  Two days in a row without coffee in the kitchen wouldn't be good.

Signs of the Apocalypse

Wal Mart will now begin selling caskets and urns online.

Caskets ship within 48 hours.

Collinsville receives outstanding award

The East West Gateway Council of Governments has awarded Collinsville the "Outstanding Local Government Achievement Award" recognizing the extraordinary work of government organizations that have provided the highest level of leadership for projects that raise the bar and that provide a level of excellence, expertise and service. 

The award recognizes the city's unique effort in the implementation of "Lean Thinking" and its continuous improvement effort with its Process Improvement Events. 

The city will receive its award at the annual meeting of the East-West Gateway Council on November 13 at the Millennium Hotel in downtown St. Louis.

Bravo Joe

Joe Lieberman:

"We're trying to do too much at once," Mr. Lieberman said. "To put this government-created insurance company on top of everything else is just asking for trouble for the taxpayers, for the premium payers and for the national debt. I don't think we need it now."