Maybe we are. Maybe we’re not. Who can really say for sure. No matter which side of this question you land, it’s still interesting to think that UFO taxonomy is fairly uniform across international borders. I just remembered that one of my classmates, in 3rd grade, swore that he had seen a UFO while away at camp. Even at age 8, I remember feeling derision and scorn for what could only be deemed a complete prevarication. Now, I’m not so certain. Are you? Images and info from here, here, here and here.

After the trees shed their leaves, and before the snow falls, I find the landscape offers up a kind of dolefulness. The one-sided bed is a picture my brother-in-law took of a bedroom in their soon-to-be new home. And the striking (but sad) photo of the starling is from Matt.

So, we are now more than two weeks out since Sandy hit. Among the many haunting and devastating images – and there are many far worse than this – I can’t seem to get out of my mind the plain sight of hundreds of people lined up at gas stations with some variation of the red gas can in hand. Many post-storm conversations, with people who lost power and heat and water for over a week (or more), have been centered on the idea of finally purchasing a generator. While I fully understand this impulse to have a back up plan, it ultimately doesn’t offer up a lot of solace. In the short term, perhaps, but in the long term, all it does is create another outlet for our use and reliance on dwindling resources. I increasingly think about what it would take to get off the grid. This may be a fantasy, and in some ways a luxury, but it’s a good time to think about it. I have to admit, I’ve been doing my own form of research regarding generators. Solar and/or wind powered generators. I’ll let you know what I find out. All gas can images from Amazon.

Get out there and vote! Vintage FDR pins courtesy of Wayne P.