• “This film will be the biography of the continent’s most magnificent species, an improbable, shaggy beast that nonetheless has found itself at the center of many of our nation’s most thrilling, mythic, and sometimes heartbreaking tales. It is a quintessentially American story, filled with a diverse cast of fascinating characters. But it is also a morality tale encompassing two important and historically significant lessons that resonate today.” – Ken Burns Website.  I’m looking forward to this October 16 and 17.
• It upsets me to read that “progressive” university students support the terrorist organization Hamas which is backed by Qatar and Iran under the pretense that it’s the real government of Palestine. The reports of Hamas’ attack against Israel read as war crimes, not legitimate protests against Palestinian problems. I stand by Israel against these barbaric terrorist organizations that won’t leave it alone.
• I continue to enjoy the Kathy Reichs “Temperance Brennan” series of novels, having just ordered the 12th book in the series 206 Bones. I started reading these novels to learn more about the inspiration behind the “Bones” TV series and have not been disappointed. They read well, often put Temperance in danger when she goes into the field on her own recognizance, and have plenty of humor.
• Temperatures are falling in the South and I very much approve of that since I don’t like the summer heat. As a Leo, I know I should like sunshine, but I much prefer falling leaves and snow storms. I must admit, though, that as I grow older, cold weather bothers me more.
• As I fight against the stomach infection I got in June from unknown sources, I see that even after two rounds of antibiotics (along with green tea), the old medication Tagament that cured my stomach when this first happened years ago may prove to be the most effective. When I first had it, it was a prescription drug. Now it’s OTC. I’m feeling better.
• It’s been interesting noting the difference between “Chicago Fire” and the older series “Emergency.” The fire trucks on “Emergency” hit the burning structure with water immediately while “Chicago Fire” sends firefighters into the burning building first to search for those trapped and/or injured without charging up a hose. The “Chicago Fire” approach makes for good drama but intuitively looks like a wrong-headed way to fight fires. My own experience comes from a hands-on Navy fire fighting school. And yes, we learned that water will put out an oil fire.
• I’m happy to see that Hope Clark, a long-time force behind the site Funds for Writers, is maintaining a high-impact novelist career with her books, The Carolina Slade Mysteries,  The Edisto Island Mysteries, and The Craven County Mysteries. The books are compelling and well-written, If you haven’t found them yet, you have gems awaiting you. I enjoy these books that are set in the South where Hope lives with her husband who was in law enforcement. Each of the series has believable characters fighting against real problems.

–Malcolm