Last Hurrah! to the Old World, welcome to the new one! (In theatres, homes, supermarkets and gas tanks later this month?)

Happy October all! This is my favorite month because of the change of seasons. Summer is on its way out the door, bags in hand like a guest who's overstayed their welcome, scurrying toward the taxi waiting curbside to hustle it off to the airport. The already cooler nights are hinting at the foliage that will soon be shouting in crescendo their encore of riotous color before fading and falling to expose the bleakness of the cold, naked limbs of winter.

Making this autumn extra exciting is that oft anticipated quadrennial event - a presidential election. And what makes this one better than the last is the fact that, even if republicans manage to steal yet another one, we're going to have a new face in the White House come January! (Okay, maybe I should have said an old face. Or even better, a different face.)

But putting a damper on all of the excitement in the air are some very bleak outlooks for the nation. There's the economic meltdown as I've noted here before, the Bush--Paulson threat of serious consequences if we don't give 'em what they want by saying something like, "You don't even wanna know how screwed you'll be!"

And at the risk of sounding conspiratorial, maybe the story in the Army Times of the return of the 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team from Iraq to perform a new, special type duty takes on extra significance in light of the what's happening with the republican's and democrat's stink reeking economy.

Trained in war torn Iraq "The 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team has spent ... months patrolling in full battle rattle, helping restore essential services and escorting supply convoys."

"Now they’re training for the same mission — with a twist — at home.

"They may be called upon to help with civil unrest and crowd control or to deal with potentially horrific scenarios such as massive poisoning and chaos in response to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive...attack." (Ooh, an *extra, special* October surprise? ~Dada)

They'll be learning new skills and using some of those "they acquired in the war zone and more than likely will not be shot at while doing any of it."

This taken with the dire predictions of predictive linguistics over on Urban Survival for a totally "life as we know it altering event" on or around October 7th could have significant consequences for us all.

Conspiratorial? I don't know, maybe. But let's wait for a week or two before getting all "Pooh, pooh!" about it. In the meantime, I'm going to the bank tomorrow for a couple hundred bucks to at least get me through a week or two (as recommended on Urban Survival) during the possible credit card meltdown.

Then I'm heading up to the High Desert Brewing Company to rendezvous with a couple of electronic friends in what may be "The Last Party of the Century" for me for awhile.