Wake Me Up When Sept Ends

Summer has really come and gone. Today is the first day of Autumn. Whether you are ready for it or not, it doesn't really matter. You will be going back to school, starting a new job like me, or at least wearing more scarves and sweaters like everyone else. I am convinced that Starbucks and Barnes & Noble probably do better during this season, simply because people are more likely to sit on a nice lazy sofa, open up a good book, and drink some coffee, tea or hot chocolate.

Today a new CNN/Gallup poll revealed that a majority of Americans believe the war in Iraq is unwinnable. For most people, the combination of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, coupled with the rising gas prices, have really taking their toll on their patience. No one wants to see the U.S. retreat from the Middle East. But people are understandibly frustrated with the current situation. Over 2,000 soldiers have been killed, and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. What the American people want to see, is a convincing argument for why we should stay longer, and a leadership team that is worthy of our trust, confidence and resources. Someone needs to step up to this challenge.

For now, just wake me up when September ends. From Green Day: "Summer has come and passed, the innocent can never last, wake me up when september ends."

On a lighter note, I found some interesting information about Autumn on Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autumn

"Autumn (often referred to as Fall in North America) is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition from summer into winter.

"In the temperate zones, autumn is the season during which most crops are harvested, and deciduous trees lose their leaves. It is also the season in which the days rapidly get shorter and cooler (especially in the northern latitudes), and of gradually increasing precipitation in some parts of the world.

"Astronomically, it begins with the autumnal equinox (around September 23 in the Northern hemisphere, and March 21 in the southern hemisphere), and ends with the winter solstice (around December 21 in the Northern hemisphere and June 21 in the Southern hemisphere). However, meteorologists count the entire months of March, April and May in the Southern hemisphere, and September, October and November in the Northern hemisphere as autumn. An exception to these definitions is found in the Irish Calendar which still follows the Celtic cycle, where Autumn is counted as the whole months of August, September and October.

"Although the days begin to shorten in July or August in the northern lattirudes and in January and February in the south, it is usually in September or March where twilight becomes evidently shorter and more abrupt in comparison with the more lingering ones of summer.

"Autumn colours at Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire, England.Autumn is often defined as the start of the school year in most countries, since they usually begin in early September or early March (depending on the latitude).

"Either definition, as with those of the seasons generally, is flawed because it assumes that the seasons are all of the same length, and begin and end at the same time throughout the temperate zone of each hemisphere."

By the way, the picture above is of an art sculpture at the University of California, Riverside campus.