­­ Bumper sticker of the week: Downsize This (middle finger sticking up)

­­ Quote of the week: ''True patriotism is an act of love. If your country is about to run into the street without looking, there is absolutely nothing disloyal about crying, ''Stop.'' How to be a Patriot, Sam Smith

­­ I haven't got much faith in union leadership anymore. These people strike me as quasi management wannabes. Management dictates the terms, the union leaders jump. Most of them have pretty well given away the ship. They don't want to be ''confrontational.'' I suppose most of them are worried about someone accusing them of being radicals, or socialists, or worse, liberals. I'd put just about the whole lot of them in a dump truck and let them off at the landfill. Today our union leaders want to keep the peace. They enjoy making speeches at party conventions, most of which fit in best at the Republican Party Convention. They want to be ''friends'' with management. ''Can't we just all get along.'' Pretty rhetoric. Pretty stupid. Management and unions are diametrically opposed to one another. Management has never given workers anything, short of grief. Everything has needed to be taken, earned, sweated for. People have died for the eight hour day, the five day work week, a decent wage, some days off. These were never offered up by management. Every inch of progress the American worker has made over the last 150 years has been a struggle. Today's union leaders don't get it. They want to wear $1000 suits and drive BMW's. They're all show. They all need to go. Every job above minimum wage is heading south of the border. And these guys watch. Now is the time for a national strike. Every union member in the country gets sick on Mondays until the NAFTA legislation is burned on the White House steps with millions of union members cheering in the background.

­­ Some of my thoughts about things:--

I'm thinking about adding a food column to my column. Why should I make fun of everything else but not restaurants? And I'm sure the restaurant owners will love it. Immediately, they're going to ask me what my credentials are. I eat, therefore I am.--

I'd like to go to France. I've never been to Paris. I like French food, I'm not too crazy about wine, I love frog legs and snails, I can hardly live without French pastries, and I like the French people, mainly because they don't like us, which obviously makes them good judges of character. Once I explain to them I'm the Peever, and I don't like much of anything, I'm sure we'll get along.--

I'm planning a trip to Peever, South Dakota. It's about 650 miles away. I plan on doing some publicity shots for my upcoming book, The Peever.Com. You'll be glad to know the book is about you. I'm sure you'll love it. Hopefully the peeverites will be friendly. I hope they're not a bunch of red-necked, right-winged crusaders. Otherwise, I'm liable to be lynched on the town square. I suppose that would make a pretty good cover photo.--

I've been thinking about running for the city council. I'm really starting to worry myself. Where do these sadistic ideas come from? I suppose I should see a counselor. Oh, hell, I am a counselor. I might as well see myself and save $80.--

I'm really worried about what's going on in Washington. These morons are trying to get us all killed. Of course, they have secret places to hide, as demonstrated on Sept. 11 by our courageous President. Apparently a shadow government lurks in a cave somewhere outside Washington. And we're worried about people in caves in Afghanistan? I suppose we could try voting them out of office, but we didn't vote them into office. If that happened in any other country, we would call it anarchy. Here we call it Bushmocracy.

­­ Food for Thought:

Place: Mixons Fixins, 111 Simmons, Galesburg.

Ambiance:I had a table overlooking Duffys Tavern.

Cleanliness:Clean as a whistle.

Service:Friendly. fast, willing to get me some extra BBQ sauce.

Main course: Pulled chicken sandwich. Excellent.

BBQ sauce has a bite. I thought it was excellent. I hear it's a secret recipe.

Red beans and rice. Also with a bit of a bite to it. I thought it was very good.

And no after affects.

Dessert:Peach cobbler. Not quite as crunchy as I would like, but tasty. (By the way, I'm an expert on desserts. I grew up above a bakery).

Cost:All the above was about $6.50, including a Coke, or Pepsi, I forget. Very reasonable. Overall grade: B+. I will definitely return. The biggest thing it has going for it, the food is home spun vs. industrial. I love that.