Monday, January 24, 2005|W|P|Angie|W|P|

On the Thursday debut of the third season of the Apprentice, a new twist was revealed. Instead of the group being divided into girls vs boys, the teams would be decided by Book Smarts vs Street Smarts. College grads versus High School grads. My friend and I were discussing why it is that we (as college grads) were already rooting for the street smart group. I think it's because we don't have Master or Doctorate degrees-which most of them have. Plus, we've worked enough mainstream jobs over the years that we qualify as being street smart.The 1st task involved working at a fast food restaurant, marketing & promoting a sandwich and getting people to buy that particular burger. That was pretty funny. The College Grads looked like they were thrown into a lion's den. Hello? How did you get through school and survive? It all goes back to my theory that every single person should have to work in a restaurant at least once.
The street smart team won the challenge and thus the book smart project leader had to bring two people into the boardroom. The team leader brought in Danny ( a self-proclaimed marketing master) who couldn't come up with a better promotion than tossing balls into a sandwich board. While he stood out front playing the guitar and looking like he was trying to earn some cash. He also brought in Alex, who he had put in charge of managing the restaurant. What I didn't understand was why the leader didn't train himself so he could jump around and help where needed? Alex accepted the blame for not training enough cashiers and Trump blasted him for admitting to his shortcomings. He told him that he was coasting and he couldn't believe he'd put himself on the line. Hellllllooooo???????????????? He admitted his mistake. He took responsibility for his actions. What a great role model the Trumpster has become. In a time when it's fairly rare for someone to accept blame rather than pin it on someone else-he just couldn't believe someone would be so stupid. That says a lot about a man's character.

|W|P|110659792227242139|W|P|The Apprentice: A Horrible Example|W|P|2/03/2005 06:04:00 PM|W|P| Aleksu|W|P|I say the Trumpster needs to take responsability for the psychological damage he inflicts on people when he walks out of his mansion with that hair-do.2/09/2005 08:57:00 PM|W|P| AnalisaGuzman|W|P|Blex you are funny.
Unfortunately, what Trump does a lot of parents are doing. That is how they raise their kids: to believe someone else is to blame for your mistakes.Friday, January 21, 2005|W|P|Angie|W|P|

According to TV Guide http://www.tvguide.com/news/entertainment/, Beowulf is coming to a theatre near you. Do they think that people will actually pay to watch that movie? Doesn't anyone remember the hell of reading that thing? Interpreting, dissecting and all the freaking essay questions! Oh my word... If I had spend a semester on that without the help of a movie, every teen in America should have to endure it. My idea of hell: forced to read Beowulf again and being tested on it.

|W|P|110634788300099913|W|P|Are You Kidding Me?|W|P|Wednesday, January 19, 2005|W|P|Angie|W|P|

I wish I could say more but I'm scared to death he's an internet junkie and may read this.
All I will say is 7-up and grapefruit juice don't really make Squirt and the world is not out to get you because they don't serve grapefruit juice. It's hard to keep grapefruit juice in stock when no one drinks it anymore. And, could you, just once, smile.
That is all.

|W|P|110617627436144552|W|P|Prince Valient|W|P|1/19/2005 06:18:00 PM|W|P| Aleksu|W|P|Which reminds me of the dude that wanted to make sure that the tap water did not come from the Illinois River.Monday, January 17, 2005|W|P|Angie|W|P|

Mama Walker is going up to the U of I hospital in Chicago this week. She's due to have the bone marrow transplant on the 24th. They're going to harvest her bone marrow in the event something goes wrong with the transplant. She looks so healthy that it's hard to grasp the severity of the leukemia.
Please keep her in your prayers.

|W|P|110599064765218087|W|P|Mama Walker|W|P|1/17/2005 04:02:00 PM|W|P| Bill Dennis|W|P|Best wishes to Mama Walker. I'm sure she's going to be just fine.1/18/2005 09:56:00 PM|W|P| Aleksu|W|P|Angie, my best wishes to Mama Walker.Monday, January 17, 2005|W|P|Angie|W|P|

So, I've been spotting Willie lately. Each time I see him he's wearing a different color war paint on his face. He's actually been hanging around with Jessie (the Fulton Plaza guy). I know Willie usually tries to go to jail in the winter-I guess he's not having much luck. When Rob worked at Eagle Cleaners, Willie would build a shack with all the pallets near the heating vent. Every morning Rob would have to go to the back of the building and dismantle the homestead. But, he always placed the paletts in a stack so Willie could re-build it at night. When I worked at Pepperoni's, Willie was always around. If there were police officers having dinner, he'd watch the police car so nobody messed with it. The only people who even stop to look at Willie are people not from Peoria. So, we could do a book on all of the "characters" that call Peoria home. There's Willie, Jessie, Huck (you see him walking downtown with the straw hat and the limp), Don King (the guy with the radio who's always dancing), the guy/girl with long hair, nails and a purse who is always walking along Knoxville or downtown and the tall guy with reddish blonde hair who is always by the Downtown Library. I know I'm missing a few. If you think of any more-please let me know. Sully and Sandberg don't count either.

|W|P|110599010421285986|W|P|Hometown Heroes|W|P|1/17/2005 04:04:00 PM|W|P| Bill Dennis|W|P|Don King? I've always called him Music Man. He works up at the Workshop next to Wal-Mart, and he stands on the corner a lot, dancing and singing, while waiting for a bus.1/18/2005 10:39:00 AM|W|P| Angie|W|P|His actual name is Don King. A couple people at the station know him.1/18/2005 09:57:00 PM|W|P| Aleksu|W|P|What about the Prince Valiant that used to come into Rizzi's and order Sprite and Grapefruit Juice?1/19/2005 10:59:00 AM|W|P| Angie|W|P|Alex, you're so right!!!!!!!!Monday, January 10, 2005|W|P|Angie|W|P|

We had to cover the UAW vote yesterday at the Robertson Memorial Field House. That's one thing I'd like to never have to experience again. I was unable to locate power outside, so I asked a "security guard" if he could get me power. He yelled at me about planning ahead and how I should have discussed this with the union earlier. There was no way I could access the power inside since I was part of the "media." I realize no one responds well to being yelled at, especially by someone who really carries no authority. I'm really not accustomed to be yelled at all, much less while I'm working. I'm pretty good at surrounding myself with people who treat others with respect and dignity.

|W|P|110537842082068281|W|P|Again, only me!|W|P|1/11/2005 08:46:00 AM|W|P| Aleksu|W|P|You've got to be kidding me!

What was all that union crap about?Monday, January 10, 2005|W|P|Angie|W|P|

Rob was voted Best Waiter in Peoria! How nice to see his efforts and commitment at F.Scott's finally acknowledged! F.Scott's was voted #1 Steakhouse and received several honorable mentions in various categories. Happily, the Recovery Room also made it into several categories. Jaime Ardis even got honorable mention for the Best Bartender. For a bar that doesn't advertise, it seems a lot of people like the place. My radio station, 1470 WMBD was voted #1 Radio Station and Sullivan's got some props for their extensive drink selection and burgers! Be sure to pick up a copy of the River City Times!

|W|P|110537802704580696|W|P|River City Times Reader's Choice |W|P|1/11/2005 08:48:00 AM|W|P| Aleksu|W|P|Well, congrats to Rob and Jamie.

I know important Peorians, how bout that?1/13/2005 09:15:00 PM|W|P| Bill Dennis|W|P|I'd like to say I put the fix in for you. But that's not true. If it were, I would have put the fix in for my bother, whose restaurant was nonorable mention in several categories.