The calendar says it’s fall but you wouldn’t know it from today, where the temperaature hit 104 in my backyard. I give the pool another week max before it goes from “refreshingly cool” to “I think I’ll take a bubblebath instead”. Even with today’s heat the nighttime temps have dropped to the low-to-mid ’70s, so the water temp just can’t jump like it used to do just a month ago. But 84 degrees still isn’t bad for a late-night swim.

There are a lot of fingers you can use to point blame for the current economic crisis – as Ed Morrissey rightly points out, the landmines were laid a long time ago during the Clinton era – but I still believe that the President and Republicans have to take more than their share of the blame because the lack of oversight that brought us to this point happened on their watch. At this point, I think everyone agrees something has to be done, but count me as one who believes it’s Wall Street that has to bail out Wall Street, not the American taxpayer.

It frustrates me to no end to hear all the talking heads on cable in a dither and foaming at the mouth over whether or not tomorrow night’s debate should or will happen. Where were these clowns months ago when Barack Obama turned down John McCain’s offer to do all those town meetings together? Now in a time of true economic crisis Obama’s concern is not about his responsibilities as a U.S. senator; he just wants to campaign and fund-raise while other people make the tough decisions. Talk about voting “Present”!!

Look, both McCain and Obama are paid handsomely well by the taxpayers to be U.S. senators, not candidates for the Presidency. Both should and need to be in the nation’s capitol leading the effort until an economic agreement is hammered out. On this point Dick Morris is absolutely right – McCain is doing the people’s work while Obama is just phoning it in. You only learn about someone’s true priorities during a time of crisis, and McCain choosing to suspend his campaign and head to Washington while Obama sought to keep focused on his Presidential campaign speaks volumes about the differences between the two candidates – something not even the greatest debate in the world could ever have revealed. Leadership, indeed.

Powerline’s John Hinderaker is right: Shouldn’t this story be getting a lot more play than it is? Of course, that would mean the Fourth Estate would have to set aside its expressed mission to personally destroy Sarah Palin in every way, shape, and manner possible. And you know THAT’S not gonna happen anytime soon.

Congrats to the Boston Red Sox for once again taking it to the post-season. And congrats to the Red Sox owners for doing the right thing and deciding to retire Johnny Pesky’s number while he’s still around to enjoy the honor and share it with the Red Sox fans. A classy gesture.

My re-reading of John Barry’s “Rising Tide” has really re-kindled for the umpteenth time my love of New Orleans and the Mississippi River, so much so I finally broke down and ordered Chef John Folse’s marvelous “The Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine”, just THE authoritative collection on Louisiana’s culture and cuisine. Can’t wait to delve into that.

…So now I’m thinking of great movies that involve Louisiana, New Orleans, and the Deep South. Anyone out there want to suggest some definitive titles that would be worth renting?