respublica

An ususal theft

There are lots of thefts in our world, but this one surprised me. Normally people steal things in order to sell them on the street or for their own use. But stealing greenhouse supplies and equipment like happened in Alton on Sunday night? That's interesting. The greenhouse in question was one which grew vegetables for the local Meals on Wheels program so that seniors could have some healthy meals. The greenhouse security cameras show the man using a cart to take away pumps and the systems for a new hydroponics program,overhead lights and fans.

This guy must have a buyer in mind for all this or else he's in the growing business himself because these things need a very specific buyer.

About that tax bill

Here's the issue with the tax bill coming from the senate. Senate leadership (GOP) has disallowed following the normal 'regular orders' for this bill which means it cannot be discussed and argued over in the full senate. It also makes it impossible for individual members to put forth amendments in areas which trouble them. It's all or nothing and this is why we are seeing some GOP senators coming out and saying they will not vote for it. It appears to me as though many out there just want to pass a tax bill no matter how troubling some parts of it may be.

It's been a beautiful and ugly Fall

We've had some gorgeous November weather and the most amazing sunsets we've ever experienced. But another way of observing this phenomenon is that it brings out more people who want to cause trouble. Recently there has been a rash of car break-ins, robberies, car thefts at gunpoint, shootings and property damage. Just last night a Tower Grove neighborhood had homes egged which is probably better than being robbed at gunpoint, but still...

If the weather was more November-like, cold, rainy, it would keep those who want to do harm off the streets more. There seems to be no way to stop all this crime right now.

And a tub on the highway

Yesterday a bathtub was reported to be on southbound 55 in south St. Louis City. This just adds to the amazement over what hits our highways.

Here's the latest update on the other stuff:

Mattresses 151 1/2

Ladders  134

An amazing statistic

Take a look at this:

What amazes me is not so much the content which is surprising, but who on earth thought of even doing this? It has to involve math in some way.

What do airline passengers find rude

A chart of flying rudeness from a survey of airline passengers, what they think is the most rude.  Click to englarge

It seems bringing a baby on a plane is not popular with 30 percent of other flyers.  Also children. 

The person in front of me reclining their seat does not go over well with me. 

Happy Thanksgiving

A Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving

Two years ago we had some fun with our Thanksgiving dinner. Along with Lizzie and her family and two of our former Collinsville neighbors, we re-enacted the Rockwell painting. We used the picture as a guide to clothes and placement, I put my camera on a tripod and used the remote shutter setting and clicker.

20 years in a parking garage

This story.... "Man reunited with his car 20 years after forgetting where he parked."

There's a song about this am I right?  "Reunited and it feels so good."

As to the story which took place in Germany, a now 76 year old man thought his car had been stolen in 1997, but in reality he just forgot where he'd parked it. It was found this week in the garage of an old building about to be demolished. Police were somehow able to track him down. "Unfortunately for the man, though, the car was in no shape to provide Fahrvergnügen — or “driving enjoyment,” as described in an old ad campaign — and was sent to the junkyard to be scrapped."

One question: Even if you thought you'd parked on one floor of a parking garage or other, if you didn't see your car, wouldn't you have at least gone and looked at other levels just to be sure?

 

There's more to Thanksgiving than food

Food is the main thing on Thanksgiving for sure, but if the day will be celebrated at your house, oh boy, there's more to do. I had to laugh this morning as I sorted through magazines which were on the coffee table and debated which ones to recycle and get out of here. I asked Dale a couple of times about one or the other and he'd tell me, yes, keep that. He'll probably never look at them again, but for now they stay.

Then he said as he looked up from his laptop, "Ferdie, next thing she'll say is we have to get the dining room table cleared off." I looked over at that table and, whoa, it had been cleared. Then he said, Ferdie, next thing she'll want are those boxes by the front door moved." And, again my surprise, they'd been put away. The third time was the charm. He said, "Ferdie, the next thing she'll say is we need to get those old paint cans off the driveway by the back door." Well, that made me go out and look and sure enough the cans were gone. He's probably done with his part and is quite satisfied.