BE SURE TO READ THE COMMENTS: Socialism's attraction to 'intellectuals'.

SUNDAY SMILES from Hot Air. As usual, you'll have to Walz through the initial commentary, but it's worth it -- take your time as you scroll down to my favorite this week:

The 'Best of the Babylon Bee is quite good as well if you don't spend time clicking on the links.

FALLING LEAVES 2026 Week 2: We start by welcoming the beginning of real Fall. The picture is taken along side of the carport wall; obviously it hasn't noticed that the autumn season has begun.

Here are my normal usuals: the pond and fire pit views from our back porch. Nothing much has changed from last week, although the grass is a bit browner.

Across the driveway, the trees that always seem to be near death seem to be nearer death and the others on both sides are browning rapidly. Even ones outside the picture -- that side is subject to higher winds, so I suppose it's more subject to the environment than the east side of the ridge.

Here are two views south and north along the road. As you can see, the grass is browning significantly and the taller trees to the south especially have dropped their leaves. The number of leaves along the road to the north indicates significant dropping there too.

Finally, a second view of our pond down the slope shows a fair amount of leaf fall has already happened. No colors anywhere yet.

Until next week, then.

'DECEPTIVE' IS BEING POLITE: What Elizabeth Warren won’t say about Social Security.

It's a pity that Scott Brown lost to her in 2012.

IT’S GOOD TO BE THE NOMENKLATURA: Abdul El-Sayed billed county taxpayers $9,000 a month in ‘consulting’ fees while running for Senate.

He should get a real job running (meaning driving) a garbage truck. It would be a step up for him.

DEMOCRATS OR DEMONCRATS? Meet the child abuser sanctuary Fairfax county released.

Glad I left Virginia years ago....

KURT SCHLICHTER (AGAIN): Why the Democrat-friendly polls may be way wrong.

RICHARD J. SCHENK ON X: EU Commission staff refuse to move to Brussels North station due to crack smoking, public defecation & human trafficking.

I was right! Trump should demand the UN move to Brussels. The majority (all) of the members would be right at home there.

And Turtle Bay could be turned into an outbound way station for illegal aliens -- it would serve NYC right.

FORGET THE SQUAD. Meet The Bloc.

Blockheads, spelled correctly....

DIFFICULT DECISIONS: Save the cows, sink the ships?

RANDOM OBSERVATION: a trans woman is a vagina-free, usually white, whine 'woman'.

GENOCIDE HYPOCRITES: The Left’s cries of “genocide” against Israel ring hollow when many of its loudest critics ignore the far bloodier histories of their own ancestral homelands.

TRUMP'S COLLEGE LOAN TWEAKS ARE BEING FELT ... and campus liberals are going to blow a gasket.

[VIP] REPUBLICANS DO THE WORK, Democrats take the credit.

Modified from my university years (as a student): Those who can, do; those who can't, teach talk.

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: AI and the same old politicized hysteria.

I blame smart phones and data centers....

JIM CROW HAD A PARTY AFFILIATION: Remind yourself which party it was and vote accordingly.

COULDN'T HAPPEN TO A BETTER BUNCH OF IDIOTS. Loudoun County (VA) residents share the real cost of Amazon, Microsoft data centers.

HASAN PIKER IN A FRENCH MAID OUTFIT? Probably last thing you want to see, but you need to see it.

Final quote: "Radical socialists are more than capable of destroying your country, even in a French maid's outfit."

A SLUSH FUND FOR JUNK SCIENCE: Federal judge strikes down New York’s $75 billion climate superfund.

YOU'LL OWN NOTHING AND BE HAPPY WITH GOVERNMENT SOYLENT GREEN PORRIDGE: Socialism for thee; cronyism for me.