Hodgepodge

So I missed a few days. Not because I was too busy or because I had nothing to write about. I couldn't decide what's most important to put out there. So you get highlights instead:

Into The Wild
Jon Krakauer's book was adapted by Sean Penn into a film that, while sorrowful, will show you glimpses of such beauty that you won't know why exactly why the tears are rolling down your cheeks. And while the NY Times said that Eddie Vedder overdid the melodramatic music, I felt transported by his voice and harmonies. Yes, I cried. I'm such a sap.

If Not Indian Summer...
I'm assuming it's un-PC to call this bizarre weather "Indian summer". What exactly, then, can we call it? "Global Warming In Progress" summer? The "Ex-VeeP Who Cried Wolf Was Right" summer? "Seasonal Patterns Are Permanently Shifting" summer? I'm stumped. Suggestions?

Is Iran Next?
Getting nervous that the ubiquity of Ahmadinejad and his bizarre campaign to poke at the Bush White House, and that that same ubiquity might lead to a gigantic mistep into yet another unjustified war. At the same time, I wonder if it's a gimmick to steer the media and the public away from the continuing call to decrease troops in Iraq. Misdirection has worked before. Various journalists have analyzed whether the possibilty truly exists. All I have to say is, "OH NO, NOT AGAIN!"

Homelessness Rates Go Up In New York?
Is it just me, or are there more people living in the streets recently compared to, say, 5 years ago? According to the homeless advocacy group Robin Hood (www.robinhood.org), homelessness is at its highest in recent years. Is this a fallout of the slowing economy? Or is it just simply the city administration not making the right decisions? And what is truly the best way to help?