LEAVE IT TO PEEVER

 

That monster government is really us

 

– Bumper sticker of the week: Born Again Bimbos for Sarah Palin

– Quote of the week: "Life is the sum total of all your choices." Albert Camus

"The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it." Henry David Thoreau

Weik's Happy Hour–Half Hour of Faith: Happy Hour does not promote down–and–out, sorry assed, moaning and groaning, hell and damnation sermons. Ours is an hour (in keeping with ministers who always talk too much, it's really only a half hour) of uplifting, get–it–on, readyfire–aim, praying as a state of life, not an asking for, let's get it on, spiritual building, positive, come as you are, leave as you will, revival. Or maybe survival. At any rate, there will be plenty of cheap advice. You'll get what you pay for. You want cheap crap, go to China. Here, for one ­hundred bucks in the offering, you'll get some serious, down home advice. You need some advice on an affair you are having, no problem, I'll tell your wife or husband that the devil made you do it. If they don't buy that, we'll excommunicate them. Problem solving. That's what we're all about. You got it, we'll get rid of it. Barking dog, rotten neighbor, mean old bill collector. Your kid got a problem with a bully? No problem. You get the right amount in the offering plate, God will answer your prayers. If that ain't good enough, the ushers will help when necessary. So stop on by. There currently is a half price, pre-Christmas special. Sermon and guaranteed pray answering for $85. Where else you gonna get religion like that?

– I got a report the other day on a pleasant site on South Street. Out in front of a rental, there seemed to have been a lifetime of accumulation. I'm guessing it was from any number of rentals, thrown out by the owner of the rentals. Seems you can only get universal pick-up at rentals that are hooked up for water service. Some of the neighbors saw them bringing loads of stuff by pickup truck. I hate to be the one to mention this, but I would send this guy a bill if I were the city. This guy has gotten by with slum rentals since I been in Galesburg. He must have something on some of the city employees, or otherwise he would be run out of town. Two bits says you can't name him?

– When you find out things about yourself that you really shouldn't know, don't come knocking at my door. I'm retired.

– Why I believe capitalism does not work? Look around. Capitalism will not work without a healthy dose of government intervention. It's all about Greed!

– The truth: The truth is not much more than what my brain believes. Short of that, your truth is not likely to be mine. At least I don't hope so.

– What a mess we got ourselves into, Ollie: Homelessness, hunger, bankruptcy, unpaid utility bills, no health insurance, poor credit, higher and higher costs of living. There seems to be no end to the assault. Things do not appear to be getting much better. The rich are simply getting richer. The stock market goes up, not because the economy is getting any better, but because the rich are taking advantage of low stock prices. Take a look at gold, the traditional warning of impending economic disaster. Selling price while I'm writing: $1053.00. The highest price ever recorded. We are on somewhat more stable ground with our banking industry. The auto industry should be in a little bit better shape. But what about jobs? No public work projects yet. What about bankruptcies over health care prices? No health-care relief yet. What about people going hungry? Little money dwindling down to shore up food banks? What about reeling in utility companies who are completely out of control? No government intervention in that area. Government is failing to protect us, which in reality means that we are failing to protect ourselves. They say government cannot do everything, yet we are the government. If we don't do something to help us, to help one another, who will? The government is us.