I may have to form a rock band, so I can use this as the cover of our first cd. www.livescience.com/space/the-su...

Hey, kids! It's time to play... ART or N'ART?

Marianne and I had lunch yesterday with David Axler and our friend Janis Ian. We hadn't seen her since before the Covid Years, so it was good to touch base again.

Universe Box Monday is up on File 770. Today's post is titled AUTUMN LEAVES and explains how I came to write a yearly Halloween story on leaves. file770.com/autumn-leaves/

Just a reminder that it's still autum

Big moon tonight.

Marianne at sunset.

Caught between the waters of birth and death, the road goes ever on.

Gravestone of Robert Morris Sr., a Liverpool ironmonger who became a rich Colonial merchant. His son, Robert Morris Jr., signed the Declaration of Independence and was the Financier of the Revolution.

We went to an antique shop and bought...

One eagle.

Two eagles.

I went online to discover the author of "The Breast" and after the answer (Philip Roth), the search engine's AI offered three related questions I might want answered. The first was "What are the benefits of touching a woman's breast?" And I thought: AI, you were obviously never a teenage boy.

A shore county is offering prizes and competitions for deer hunters, celebrating their minimizing the deer population. And I thought of Kipling's immortal lines: Oh, it's Bambi this, and Bambi that an' 'Shove 'em out, the brutes!" But it's 'Savior of their county' when the deer gnaw at the shoots.

V-8 mailboxes. This is America.

We stopped at the historical marker for Harriet Tubman's birthplace and found someone had left three apples and a whisk broom in the grass. They form an arrow pointing north.

Oyster po'boy for lunch, orange creamsicle Smith Island cake for dessert.

Today's UNIVERSE BOX MONDAY details the strange path that led to me getting a writing credit with Janis Ian (yes, =the= Janis Ian), despite not writing a word of the song. file770.com/a-song/

I think we showed restraint at the bookstore.

One of my favorite bookstores in the world.

Marianne and I went to Philly Zine Fest today, a festival of young and arty introverts. And did our bit to support them.

Life in the City: Oak tree. 2

Happy All Souls Day! My Halloween story is done, but if you'd like to read it from start to finish, I've posted the whole thing on Imgur. imgur.com/a/autumn-dre...

The trick-or-treaters have come and gone. We had great gobs of candy and gave it out by the handful. And we ran out. Lots of stalwart little kids in great costumes. We are so very happy.

Cocktail Hour! Autumn Sours while we wait for trick-or-treaters.

AUTUMN DREAMS Part 31 concludes this year's surprisingly gentle Halloween story. floggingbabel.blogspot.com/2025/10/autu...

Nanotyrannus is back!!! www.npr.org/2025/10/30/n...

AUTUMN DREAMS Part 30. The surprisingly sweet climax to the story. floggingbabel.blogspot.com/2025/10/autu...

AUTUMN DREAMS Part 29. The debauchery continues. floggingbabel.blogspot.com/2025/10/autu...

Astonishing clip, brought to our attention by File 770. www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9It...

AUTUMN DREAMS Part 28. Only four more to go! floggingbabel.blogspot.com/2025/10/autu...

It's Universe Box Monday again. Today, one of my most cherished possessions--a mask. Not, however, an ordinary mask. file770.com/a-mask/

AUTUMN DREAMS Part 27. Roaring toward the story's culmination. floggingbabel.blogspot.com/2025/10/autu...

Remember that stolen Picasso, the one that disappeared in transit? It's been recovered. And the CajaGranada Foundation might want to consider using a different transport service in the future. www.thetimes.com/world/europe...

AUTUMN DREAMS Part 26. A subtle poetic reference. floggingbabel.blogspot.com/2025/10/autu...

A reindeer floozy lolling in a cocktail glass. This is America.

AUTUMN DREAMS Part 25. Finally! floggingbabel.blogspot.com/2025/10/autu...

So: bovine, ovine, ursine, taurine, vulpine, anserine... but also avian. I believe the English language's motto is "Death Before Consistency."

In Baltimore a high school student was surrounded by police with guns drawn and handcuffed because the school's gun detection AI mistook a bag of chips for a gun. It's important to remember that such AI systems are all in beta. We're being used to train them. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

AUTUMN DREAMS Part 24. A simple sentence, possibly my favorite in the story. floggingbabel.blogspot.com/2025/10/autu...

A short essay titled 'Love and Marriage," on a widower I once met at Jiffy Lube. floggingbabel.blogspot.com/2025/10/on-l...

AUTUMN DREAMS Part 23. A quiet but meaningful moment. floggingbabel.blogspot.com/2025/10/autu...

AUTUMN DREAMS Part 22. Awwww.... floggingbabel.blogspot.com/2025/10/autu...

AUTUMN DREAMS Part 21. A romantic admission. floggingbabel.blogspot.com/2025/10/autu...

Our first jack-o-lantern.

Our second jack-o-lantern.

It's Universe Box Monday again! Today... mermaid's toenails. file770.com/mermaids-toe...

AUTUMN DREAMS Part 20. "Do you believe...?" floggingbabel.blogspot.com/2025/10/autu...

Some oligarch's wife is very happy today. abcnews.go.com/Internationa...

AUTUMN DREAMS Part 19. A quiet moment in the midst of orgiastic excess. floggingbabel.blogspot.com/2025/10/autu...