Autumn has arrived. Yesterday the sun was shining and it was quite warm. Today it is raining and it has cooled considerably. The weather forecast has the temperature going steadily downwards. The leaves are dropping in droves and soon we will be looking at naked branches. It reminded me of this little poem I wrote a year or two ago about the autumns of my memories.

AUTUMN IS A MELANCHOLY TIME

Autumn is a melancholy time
a time of yellowing and falling
leaves. A time of beauty and
quiet.



Of man and beast preparing to face
winter, the harshest season of all.
The season of silence and introspection
a season to dwell on deep thoughts,
a time to foster friendships deep.



Yeah right!

It’s cold and wet

and stinking nasty.

My feet are cold, my nose is

running faster than my car which

has a frozen radiator.

Ice has formed on all my trees,

and loud snaps threaten me with

the sounds of timber as they

fall and bring my garage to the ground.



Yet it is a serene season,
a season to reflect on all the
good things of nature.



Yeah, right again!

I have many times proclaimed my complete unappreciation, or uneducation, of modern art, Jackson Pollock in particular. I cannot understand people standing back from one of Pollocks works, or to the extreme, standing back from a blank canvas with the title of Snow or White and conversing about what the artists was thinking or some other gibberish.

I saw this in the comics today and firstly thought it was pretty funny and secondly figured it illustrated what I think of the subject.

Appeared in the New York Observer. For those who never watched Star Trek, McCain is depicted as Capt. Kirk, the emotional one; and Obama as Dr. Spock, the unflappable one. But wait. What is that strange hand gesture? Hmmmm.

This has to be McCain's finest moment. His thoughts and concerns had to be on the country and the consequences if he let the dialog continue in the way it was headed. Good for you Senator McCain.

McCain calls Obama 'decent person,' is booed

McCain sort of can't win here.

Parnes reports from Minnesota:

A man in the audience stood up and told McCain he's "scared" of an Obama presidency and who he'd select for the Supreme Court.

"I have to tell you. Sen. Obama is a decent person and a person you don't have to be scared of as president of the United States," McCain said as the crowd booed and shouted "Come on, John!"

"If I didn't think I'd be a heck of a lot better, I wouldn't be running for president of the united states."

If it's not the Times editorial board jeering him, it's his own crowd.

ALSO: Whoa:

A woman at the town hall asks softly: "I've heard that Sen. Obama is an
Arab."

McCain quickly cuts the woman off.

"No, maam. He's a decent family man and citizen," McCain says. "He's
not. Thank you."

NOTE: Some reports from the ground said the woman used the word "terrorist." She didn't.

By Ben Smith 06:09 PM

THE RNC PLANNING GROUP


"Perhaps we could connect him to the attack on Pearl Harbor"
What's that you say? He wasn't born yet.
Does it matter? He was born in Hawaii wasn't he? Suspicious don't you think?

I like poetry, but not all kinds. I like the simple form that pretty much is easy to understand. A little like roses are red etc. but maybe just a little more sophisticated. I ran across this web site by Gene of some poetry he likes including a picture and a little music. Quite enjoyable I thought.

I just like train pictures.

I know you've run across one of these lists before. I know I have. I like this one though because it only requires that I read 30 books before I die, and I have already read three of the first ten. Here is the list. 30 books you should read

I kind of have a handicap though. I am 71 so I'm getting a little late start. On the other hand I have a little advantage to getting it done, I am retired so I can read until my eyes fall out if I wish. I don't of course but I could. You understand all that I'm sure. The eyes will hang in there long enough I think, but my rear end will only allow sitting for so long. I may have to learn to read while I walk. I read somewhere recently and I forget where but it's not that important that this guy couldn't master speed reading so he had to figure out an alternative. He discovered he could read while he walked during the day, so I guess where there's a will there's a way.

While reading these thirty books will come a little late in making me a more rounded person, it will provide satisfaction like crossword puzzles do. It won't include cheerleaders, or bands playing when you enter the field, so I will have to be satisfied with self congratulations. Kind of an empty finish, I was kind of looking forward to the bands and confetti. Oh well, I will report when I have finished the first five books and let you know what I learned from each. I already know that I will report failure on at least one. I know I will not read WAR AND PEACE. Too long and I already attempted that years ago, but I won't again.