I may be one of a few, but I find the automated “Hi! Would you like to try a hot chocolate today? Order when you’re ready please!” at the McDonald’s Drive-Thru quite refreshing actually. I mean, if that doesn’t wake you up, what can? Check your pulse. You might be dead.

Really. I love McDonald’s. Nothing quite like heart attacks served up in sacks. Good old American grease. Good people. Good service. And a good place to read a newspaper.

And at Hardee’s? Crickets chirping.

That’s odd to me. While cars and trucks and things that go crowd the Golden Arches like teenagers flocking to a Jonas Brothers concert, Hardee’s is eerily empty (except, of course, for breakfast).

And Hardee’s has good burgers. Thick, cheesy, Angus beef extravaganzas. They’re good. (Although when you step into Hardee’s and look at the menu it feels like like you’re lining up for a ride at Six Flags – THE COLOSSAL MUSHROOM SWISS BURGER!, THE CHILI DOG AVALANCHE! – Everything is in capital letters…kind of frightening).

All I’m saying is: give Hardee’s a chance. It is, after all, one of Greenville’s first fast food restaurants, (the other being that juggernaut a few hundred feet away that serves billions).

My email is stocked almost daily with press releases and announcements from people running for Governor of this great state. Artur. Ron. Kay. Brad, etc.

Someone says something about this in an email. Then, someone fires off an email to refute what this person said concerning that.

I have this to look forward to until November.

God Bless the electoral process.

Speaking of emails, I received one the other day through the website. It was pretty brutal and laced with profanity. About how we’re the sorriest paper in existence and how we tell lies because it’s more fun to tell lies and not the truth. Lots of capitalization. Little punctuation. The email equivalent of being screamed at (or reading the menu at Hardee’s).

Then I noticed the sender’s address: Greenville, Illinois.

I don’t know what The Greenville Advocate in Greenville, Illinois did to tick this guy off, but I’m glad they’re there and we’re here.

Had a nice chance to visit with Col. Eric Cates last week at the office of The Chamber of Commerce. Myself, Ashley Vansant (Publisher), Francine Wasden (Director), and Angela James (future First Lady?) talked with the good Colonel about Greenville in the 1940s and businesses that helped promote the Chamber and its annual banquet.

This year’s banquet, on Feb. 25, will be the first such event in some time.

Just taking this opportunity to plug this event because, truly, where would Greenville be without its Chamber of Commerce?

Call 382-3251 for more info about what’s sure to become an annual tradition.

Funny thing I saw at Wal-Mart: Lots of Auburn car flags.