Labor Day Blues

The anarchists breaking windows and creating violence in St. Paul. These are 5 to 8 thousand people this country could do without. I would like to be an officer in that city with a dozen cans of pepper spray. A dozen cans a day and a dozen sets of handcuffs.

Michael Moore surfacing again. And not in Adams Family fiction reruns. Nor posing as Ozzie Osbourne. He is too ridiculously obese, sloppy looking and indeed, too much of an idiot to even be good fiction. But the socialist love him. Hmmmm.

Hurricane Gustav disaster with two more approaching in the wings. Some reports claim that hurricane #three (Ike?) may be worse than Gustav.

Sorrow for those people who believed they had built far enough away from danger.

Further realization that we are all at risk from disasters; both natural and manmade.

Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter. From all evidence I have seen, the baby will be loved. Voters should know teen age pregnancy and worse happens with regularity and even in the best of families. Voters should also know they will be voting for Sarah Palin and John McCain, or vice versa, and not their wives or children.

Arnold Schwartzenager turning out to a charming Benedict Arnold and driving California to ruin.

Fear that Obama will charm the voters into making their worst mistake in the history of this country in November.

Realization that one incumbent in Peoria County is making a list of those who support that incumbents opponent. And not a jolly old St. Nick list either. Shades of the days I ran for park board president.

Realization that radical environmentalist's will be high "fiving" each other if Obama is elected and the fear for businesses that don't buckle in too their most radical demands.

Sorrow over the passing of long time community participant George Zweifel.

Realization that gas price will rise tomorrow and the stock market will plummet further.

Learn that Museum Committee people will hold a press conference tomorrow to open a new drive a to get the taxpayers to support a Museum on the riverfront that they expect will draw 360,000 visitors, including the Caterpillar Visitors Center, year in and year out while admitting they will not have the funds to operate it's $4 million PROJECTED budget. Remember that by now it was projected that the new zoo would be open as would the Peoria Playhouse. So much for projections.

Realization that even though the Peoria Chiefs Baseball team had a record year in attendance, not one soul has shown any interest buying my stock, on sale since 1998.

The good news on the day? I was able to get in two hours of pretty good tennis, participated in the Labor Day Parade and renewed a number of old acquaintances including the friendship Lou McMurray, a nice a man as you will ever meet. And Kenny Carrigan a friend who not only cares for this community but makes a daily impact by his hard work and persistence.

Also, knowledge that our actions in Iraq have the increasing potential for freedom and a form of democracy to gain traction in that part of the world can be the biggest victory for everyone. Radical changes that not be totally evident for many years to come.

Good night and I hope this day was a meaningful day for both labor and management.