respublica

No school-Deer

Many schools in Pennsylvania were closed today because it is the first day of deer hunting season.

Setting up the trees

Wednesday is Collinsville's annual Festival of Trees.  Local groups decorate trees with themes of their choice on Tuesday followed by a panel of judges who choose the top three trees.

On Wednesday night the Gateway Center is alive with music, food, the Christmas trees displayed and auctioned off. 

But ahead of that, the committee in charge of putting on the Fesitval must get the trees set up and ready to be decorated.  This year Collinsville Progress and Cahokia Mounds are partnering in this effort.  As a member of Progress, I met up with a number of others this morning to wait the tree delivery.

Here come the trees, delivered at 7 a.m. by Dave, the owner of Daniken tree farm in Pocahontas.  We helped him get the trees off the flatbed and then Dave went around and chain sawed a sliver of trunk off each tree so that the water would absorb.

Then John (Tot) got up on the truck and began handing down the stands.

The stands were put next to each tree and hammered into the hole in the trunk Dave put in before he left his farm.

When the trees were taken into the Gateway Center and lined up, we realized just how gorgeous they were, full, fragrant and so fresh not a needle dropped.

We watered them all and then left so that the convention center staff could get the rest of the room ready.  Tomorrow is a big day, so much decorating to come.

Internet out

For the past few days our cable internet has gone out for a length of time and then comes back on for a while. I never know what to expect, it goes out in the middle of something and comes on when I'm not there.

I've re-booted checked the connections, nothing stops this. We're probably looking at the dreaded call to Charter repair and if my guess is correct, the guy will waste all kinds of time doing everything else to avoid the source. I think it may be the result of the outside line come loose or chewed by a squirrel.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Christmas going to the dogs tonight

There are two Christmas shows on TV tonight, both involving dogs. 

Hurray, I say.  Sunday night television is normally blah, but throw a couple of dogs into two new, original shows and you've got something. 

Times are central standard time

7 on ABC Family-The dog who saved Christmas

8 CBS-A dog named Christmas.

Food issues

So which is it?

The New York Times has a story promoting the idea that getting Americans to eat healthier will result in health care savings.  Reporter Melanie Warner interviewed someone promoting this idea and that someone just happens to be the chief executive of a food company called Full Yield.  Full Yield will be selling food "intended to take the guesswork out of what constitutes a healthy diet."

Then, the UK Telegraph reports that doctors should offer climate change advice to patients.  Seems there's a direct link between climate change and better health.

Sheesh.  Didn't these UK people get the memo?  The climate scientists over there in the UK were cooking the books.

The worst newspaper column of the week

Was written by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Horrigan.

St. Louis soups and sandwiches

St. Louis Magazine current issue features a cover story on where to find the best soups and sandwiches in the area. 

One unexpected pick was the egg salad sandwich from Jennifer's Pharmacy in downtown Clayton.  The MAtH (man about the house), loves egg salad sandwiches and he claims the best are found in the House of representatives cafeteria in DC.  Now he can get his sandwich a little closer to home.  If you've never been to Jennifer's Pharmacy you really should stop in sometime.  It is filled with fun and unusual things to buy, especially toys, toys you won't find anywhere else.  One side of the store is a long soda fountain counter that just begs you to sit down and have a bite to eat.

30 N. Central

Ferdie's home

After almost a week at Kennelwood Village, Ferdie's back in the fold.

When we got to his cabana, he was sound asleep after a morning spent at the spa getting the full bath treatment.  It took a second or two for him to wake up enough to realize he wasn't dreaming.  It was really us.

As soon as he got out of the car, he ran over to his outside water bowl and took a long drink.

Then, off to the front door.

He's so happy to be home.  He's going to help me put the Christmas lights on the front bushes.

Black Friday shopping results

Just as sports writers analyze how teams won or lost, news reporters are out in force the day after Black Friday shopping to analyze the minds and wallets of shoppers.

The New York Times veered off of last night's local reporting on the biggest shopping day of the year by taking some of the glow off the spending habits of the large crowds which flocked to stores and malls.

Part of today's story reads:  "Despite the improved mood, frugality has not gone out of style. Many of Friday’s shoppers seemed to stick to lists and take advantage of discounts, rather than give in to impulse purchases."

Take a look at some of the photos accompanying the story and pictures of shoppers in other papers.  Good grief, carts are full of things that people want, rather than what they really need.

SI's pre-season basketball rankings

Sports Illustrated's college basketball pre-season preview came out last week and no where is Missouri listed on the magazine's picks for top 65 teams.

This seemed odd and annoying, especially after the Tigers made it to the Elite Eight last year.  

Some of the top 65 teams are schools you would be sure Missouri would beat this year.

Mizzou is  now 4-0 and playing in the title game of the South Padre Island Invitational against Richmond, a team which beat Mississippi State yesterday.

So how did Sports Illustrated see this tournament coming out?  They predicted Mississippi State would be playing against Old Dominion or Missouri. 

At least they got the "or Missouri" right.

As a very partisan fan, these predictions are why I always keep this particular issue of SI, just to look back in March to see how well the experts did.

Is Mississippi State on SI's pre-season list?  Yes.  Old Dominion?  Yes.  They're gone.  Is Richmond?  No.  Missouri?  No.  They're both still playing.

As for the Big 12, SI has 6 teams in its top rankings.  How about Baylor?  Nope.  Baylor really came on last year, made it to the Big 12 Conference Title game and the Championship game of the NIT.  Today they are 5-1.

Here's a prediction:  Expect to see Mizzou in the field of 65 come tournament time.