Economy – Page 4 – Perpetual Adoration

July 9, 2014

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A Lesson From Amazon.com

If you use the Internet to shop for items, there’s a good chance you’ve purchased products from Amazon.com. With 96 fulfillment centers located throughout the United States, Amazon is a financial threat to a number of local and national businesses. Products that are ordered from Amazon are routinely delivered to customers’ doorsteps within one to three days.

September 28, 2013

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Creative Ways to Find a Job

During the fall semester of my senior in high school (1974), my friend Dennis told me about a new grocery store that had opened in the Westlake Shopping Center (across the street from Northwoods Mall). The name of the store was Randall’s, and it was the first store in Peoria that had scanners at checkout lanes instead of cash registers, so items didn’t have to be rung up one at a time by hand. At that time, I was 17 years old. I asked Dennis for the name of the store manager, and he told me that his name was Steve.

September 21, 2013

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Rebellion Among McDonald’s Employees

When my wife and I returned to Peoria after I graduated from law school (1982), a cloud of fear overshadowed Central Illinois. Peoria was still reeling from the thousands of layoffs that had taken place in the late 1970s. Families were fleeing to other states in search of good-paying jobs.

November 24, 2012

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The Collapse of the Twinkie Empire

The year was 1969. I was 12 years old, and the boy who delivered the local newspaper to my parents’ home told me that he was going to quit delivering papers. His name was Richie. I asked Richie what I needed to do to take over the job, and he gave me the name and telephone number of his supervisor at the Peoria Journal Star. After talking to my mom about applying for the job, I called the supervisor and set up a time for me and my mom to meet with him.

July 7, 2012

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A Government of Unlimited Powers

I owe my patriotism and my love of country primarily to the two men who had the most influence on me while I was growing up – my dad, Carl Williams, and my grandfather, Tom Williams.

June 30, 2012

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Cooperation Among Strangers

The Ford Quadricycle

November 5, 2011

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A Wicked Experience

As you may know, the Broadway show, Wicked, played in Peoria from October 12th through October 30th. When tickets went on sale a few months ago, I bought tickets for me, Georgette, and our three youngest daughters, Mary, Christine and Teresa. Tickets ranged in price from $42 to $127. I got by “cheap” by purchasing the $42 (second balcony) tickets for a total cost of $210..

October 29, 2011

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Scary Times

BOO! IT’S GETTING SCARY OUT THERE! As I am writing this, there are “Occupy” protests going on in numerous cities throughout the United States. One of the gripes of the protestors is the lack of jobs that are available. The protesters remind me of Linus in It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Instead of going trick-or-treating with his friends, Linus waited up all night in the pumpkin patch for the Great Pumpkin to arrive with free toys and candy. My favorite quote from the show came from Linus when he said: “There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin.”

September 24, 2011

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Job Creation & The Big Bang Theory

The year was 1966. I was 9 years old and had just started the fourth grade at St. Mark’s grade school in Peoria. When my mom questioned me about what school supplies I needed, I asked her to buy me a mechanical pencil (refillable lead pencil). I had asked for a mechanical pencil in the past, but was told that I didn’t need one. When my mom returned from the store, she surprised me with a new mechanical pencil.