– Quote of the week: "It is not coincidental that, in the U.S. today, those pushing "crusades" against "evil enemies" oppose equal rights for women and advocate harshly punitive child-rearing." Riane Bisler

– Tree trimmers are still a’hacking: Amerin (Illinois Power) promised to be kinder to our trees. Yea, and I’m going to be nicer to the city council. These guys will do anything to a tree to make sure they don’t have to bother with it later on. I still say they ought to do the tree a favor and just chop it down. It’s an embarrassment to the tree and should be to the community. The city council continues to do nothing about the problem. And they’re good at it. They sit on their hands and worry about getting the city manager an assistant. We need an assistant city manager like I need the flu.

– Violence in sports: A brawl at a recent NBA game has taken center stage. Gee, violence in sports. There’s a new happening. I’ve seen fights at Little League games, much less at major sporting events where many of the fans are engaged in that well-known sport of drinking as many beers as possible before the game is over. If we made a list of what’s wrong with sports, the list would have to start with Little League, include junior high and high school, college, and professional sports. With all the hoopla going on, only the surface will be scratched. No one will want to get anywhere near the underlying causes for athlete and fan violence at sporting events:

1. We are a society that condones violence, at all levels. Many sporting events feature it.

2. Money is the name of the game at many levels. The "win at all costs" mentality is ruining sports.

3. Racism is still a major factor in sports.

4. Alcohol is a major fan issue and a huge promoter of fan violence and stupidity.

5. Personal responsibility for one’s behavior is quickly disintegrating in America. Everyone reaches for excuses. One needs to be held accountable for their actions.

Fan safety and player safety are marginal issues. The issue that needs to be explored is one of civility. On both sides of the ball.

– State of the Burg: I see the local movers and shakers had a pep really recently. Ah, the boys love to have some fun. Jack Schultz, author of the fiction work "Boomtown USA," was on hand to lead the cheers. He called Galesburg, "A diamond in the rough." I assume he realizes a diamond in the rough is worthless. One needs to skillfully cut it into a gemstone. The mayor praises GREDA for its comprehensive economic development efforts. Could someone write these down for me? All I ever hear is, "Man, there is really interest out there." Ten years on the county board, all I ever heard was, "Man, there is really interest out there." For all the money being spent on another industrial park, the same thing. "The interest is very high." Schultz calls Galesburg an "agurb." I call it a "joka."

– Percent of female representatives in the national legislature of Rwanda: 48.6

Percent in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan: 21.6

Percent in the U.S.: 14.3

– Number of Iraqi civilian deaths attributed to the 2003 invasion (through September, 2004): 100,000

– I should have been an athletic director: I hear that some of our retired school district personnel have become well paid athletic directors. Good move. Nice supplemental income. But a little excessive. You’re making many of us paranoid. We’re afraid to bend over.

– Crystal digging: One of the things I do while in Arkansas is dig quartz crystals. I’m getting pretty good at it, if I do say so myself. Many people laugh and ask why I would waste my time. Little do they realize I’m a typical capitalist entrepreneur. I sell them as diamonds. In the rough. I too am proficient at fooling people.