The FDA has approved the first drug in nearly 20-years to treat the flu. The oral medication, Xofluza, is designed to reduce symptoms and shorten the flu’s duration for people who have developed their flu symptoms in the past 48-hours.

The husband and wife that fell to their deaths recently at Yosemite National Park were apparently taking a selfie. Taft Point allows visitors to walk to the edge of a vertigo-inducing granite ledge that doesn’t have a railing. Park visitors discovered the couple’s camera and tripod near the ledge the next morning. Hikers who had seen the couple the day before said that the woman seemed very comfortable close to the edge.

In a recent auction, five bottles of wine sold for nearly $2-million total, each joining the list of the priciest bottles in history.

In January of this year, a bottle of the world’s most expensive vodka was stolen from a bar in Copenhagen. The bottle was on loan to the bar, uninsured and estimated to be worth $1.3-million. The bottle was covered in about 6.6 pounds of gold, 6.6 pounds of silver and the cap was encrusted with diamonds in the shape of the Russian Imperial Eagle with the actual bottle made of bullet-proof glass. The bottle was later found empty at a construction site. Hmmm.

California Governor Jerry Brown has been named executive chairman of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a group that measures ‘manmade threats to human existence.’ The planet is in one of its most dangerous times since the atomic bomb was dropped and Brown stated, “it is crucial to wake people up to the dangers that still persist.” You know, little things like nuclear weapons, climate change (have you paid attention to our weather lately? Turn off your lights, drive less, switch to LED, plan a meatless meal one day a week, NY and London are already thinking of solutions for potential rising tides), pollution (Google: Great Pacific Garbage Patch, recycle), oceanic dead zones (146 dead zones were found in the world’s oceans, caused by high levels of chemicals in the waters. North America’s Gulf Coast has a high concentration of dead zones, which causes fish to become unable to reproduce), explosive population growth (the human population is growing to a point that our society and systems can’t handle), deforestation (use recycled paper and plant a tree), loss of biodiversity (bees and butterflies) and the list goes on and on. Again, I repeat (with a sarcastic edge.) What if it’s a big hoax and we create a better world for nothing?

In Time Magazine said that there was a tiny little article that said there was a study published showing that climate change may make beer more expensive. eee-gads. I had to know more. Nature Plants says that the price of beer could double with climate change, as droughts and extreme temperatures will cause barley yields to drop. If this doesn’t get your attention, then nothing will. 😊

Venice, Italy was hit with a high tide this week, leaving about 70% of the city covered in 5ft. of water. There was a combination of more rain in two days than they’d had in 3 months and the highest tide in years, then news stated because of rising sea levels, the Venetians could expect this again in the future.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was released in 1998 which makes it now 20 years old. Hard to believe. Just think. Those kids have kids reading the series now. These books brought so much joy to my own kids that if asked, I would suggest this as the “best” gift you could give a child. My 19-year-old daughter agrees since she has read the whole series four times and is listening to the audio books right now while she works in the studio for architecture at college. Put it on your Christmas list.

RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Rock singer musician Bob Weir is 71. Grateful Dead. Actress Dawn Wells is 80. Mary Ann on Gilligan’s Island. Actress Pam Dawber is 68. Mork & Mindy. Writer producer Chuck Lorre is 66. Called the “King of Sitcoms” he has created and produced Grace Under Fire, Cybill, Dharma & Greg, Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, Mike & Molly, Mom, and Young Sheldon. Actor Jean-Claude Van Damme is 58. Kung Fu Panda 2 & 3. Jazz musician Wynton Marsalis is 57. Actor Zac Efron is 31.  The Greatest Showman. Actor Tim Robbins is 60. Rock musician Flea is 56. Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Singer John Mayer is 41. Fashion designer Donna Karan is 70. Photographer Annie Leibovitz is 69. Singer actor Sting is 67. Country singer Kelly Willis is 50. Talk-show host Kelly Ripa is 48. I still remember her as a teen in All My Children. Astronaut Mae Jemison is 62. She resigned from NASA in ‘93 to start a company researching the application of technology to daily life and holds nine honorary doctorates in science, engineering, letters, and the humanities. Country singer Alan Jackson is 60. Movie critic Richard Roeper is 59.

Rockabilly singer Wanda Jackson is 81. Queen of Rockabilly or the First Lady of Rockabilly. Actor Viggo Martensen is 60. The Lord of the Rings. Rapper Snoop Dogg is 47. My son met and got his picture made with him last month when he was in Houston for a show. Cute picture. Actress Marion Ross is 90. Happy Days. Basketball Hall of Fame Bob Knight is 78. Nicknamed ‘The General.’  Pop singer Helen Reddy is 77. I Am Woman, I Don’t Know How to Love You, Delta Dawn. Political strategist James Carville is 74. Pop singer Katy Perry is 34. Singer Ciara is 33. Rock singer Manfred Mann is 78. Blinded by the Light.

Judge Judy Sheindlin is 76. She should run for president. Actor Jeremy Miller is 42. Ben Seaver on Growing Pains. Black Panthers co-founder Bobby Seale is 82. Actor Christopher Lloyd is 80. Doc Brown in the Back to the Future. Actress Catherine Deneuve is 75. Actor Jeff Goldblum is 66. Christian singer Toby-Mac is 54. Former First-Daughter Amy Carter is 51. Rock musician Zac Hanson is 33. Hanson Brothers. Soccer great Pele is 78. Artist Peter Max is 81.

We are the people our parents warned us about. Jimmy Buffet

In 1955, Dorcas Reilly was a Campbell Soup kitchen supervisor. She has died at the age of 92. This probably doesn’t mean much to you except for the fact that she created the dish that every single one of us has eaten on Thanksgiving for as long as we can remember. Green beans and cream of mushroom soup topped with crunchy fried onions. Yep. Green Bean Casserole. That dish was among hundreds that were created during her time at Campbells (1940’s to 1988 when she retired,) but it has remained the most popular recipe to ever come out of the corporate kitchen. I’m going to make it gluten free for my son this Thanksgiving because I was able to find a can of gluten-free onion rings at Aldi and I’ll use homemade cream of mushroom soup that I have put up in the freezer that is wheat-free. I will make “good mother” points for this, I can assure you.

Found on Facebook: Didn’t win the lottery, but I did wake up in the best country in the world and that’s kind of the same thing.

When someone says they have 20/20 vision, what exactly does that mean? Well, that means you’re able to see an object at a distance of 20 ft. For someone with 20/60 vision to see clearly, they must be 20 ft. from an object that a person with normal vision can see at 60 ft. It’s not unusual for the average Major League Baseball player to have 20/12 vision. That could be one of the reasons they’re so good at aiming their bat at ball racing towards them at triple-digit speed.

While I was piddling around this week I came across a list. ‘21 Books That Everyone Should Read’. 1. War and Peace – legendary masterpiece.  2. Song of Solomon – Nobel Prize winning author.  3. The Fountainhead.  4. Ulysses.  5. The Shadow of the Wind. 6. The Lord of the Rings. 7. The Satanic Verses. 8. Don Quixote – “one of the best books of all time”.  9. The Golden Compass – fantasy tale. 10. Catch-22.  11. 1984.  12. The Kite Runner. 13. Little Women.  14. The Cloud Atlas. 15. The Picture of Dorian Gray 16. Lolita – funny.  17. The Help – beautiful & funny.  18. The Liar’s Club. 19. Moby-Dick.  20. Gravity’s Rainbow. 21. The Handmaid’s Tale.  These are just some reading ideas that will make you smarter, funnier and prettier – ok, not prettier, but definitely well-read.

It takes no more time to see the good side of life than to see the bad. Jimmy Buffett

Rowan Atkinson (63) is back in Johnny English Strikes Again. The official trailer is a hoot but maybe they’re just showing all the funny parts. “When the identity of every field agent in the UK is exposed, they have no choice but to bring Johnny out of retirement.” The British comedian say he was excited to once again play the spy who’s not as good as he thinks he is. Emma Thompson plays the prime minister.

Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton and her husband of 27 years, Shannon Kelley, were recently divorced.

I was at H-E-B last night and found myself in front of the freezer section staring (again) at the frozen pizzas and wondering (again) which one was the best pizza to pick up for office lunches on the days I forget to bring my leftovers. I didn’t leave the store with a pizza.  Imagine my surprise when I opened The Chronicle this morning and saw their list of the ‘Top’ grocery store frozen pizzas. In repeating this information to you, I’m going to list just their #1 pizza choice in each of the four categories. *Classic Brands – Freschetta Naturally Rising Crust Pepperoni Pizza. *Fancy Pizzas – Bola Pizza Lamb.  *Tons of Toppings – Home Run Inn Deluxe Pizza and *Gluten-Free Pies – Against the Grain Nut-Free Pesto Pizza. Hope this helps you in your own selection. Our family favorite is still a package of Stonefire Naan bread, then we build our own with spinach, artichokes, green onions, pesto, fresh mozzarella and mushrooms.

People who think too much before they act don’t act too much. Jimmy Buffet

On October 2^nd, a dwarf planet was located by astronomers far beyond Pluto. Its official name is 2015 TG387 but it earned the nickname ‘Goblin’ because it was first observed around Halloween 2015.

Book review: I just finished the 2008 book, Barbara Walters, Audition: A Memoir. She was the first woman to co-host an American news program in 1974 and in 1976 she became the first female co-anchor of a network evening news with Harry Reasoner. She fought many battles being a woman in a man’s world (when Frank McGee was host at NBC, he refused to do joint interviews with Walters unless he was given the first three questions) but she certainly paved the way for today’s women in broadcasting. It was a good read and I recommend it.

Pollinator Palooza, Butterflies & Bees, is set for Saturday November 3, from 10-4pm at Quintana Beach County Park Discovery Event Center. There will be a walk-in butterfly enclosure, crafts and activities, caterpillar & chrysalis exhibits, pollinator gardening tips, Brazoria County Beekeepers live bee hive display, local honey for sale and free milkweed seed while supplies last. 979-233-1461.

If life gives you limes, make margaritas. Jimmy Buffet

Thanks for taking the time today to pick up this paper and read this column. We appreciate it. Lisa Baker

Remember that I know a little about a lot of things. Just enough to make me dangerous.

A top Idaho wildlife official has resigned after emailing a picture of himself smiling with a family of four dead baboons propped in front of him that he had just killed during a hunting trip to Africa. I’m a firm believer that you have to eat what you kill, so do you eat baboon? The man and his wife had also killed a giraffe, a leopard, an impala, a sable antelope, a waterbuck, a kudu, a warthog, a gemsbok and an eland during their Africa trip. Hmmm.

Caroll Spinney, the actor who has played Big Bird and the lovably disgruntled Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street since 1969, is retiring after almost 50 years. Spinney says, “Playing Big Bird is one of the most joyous things of my life.” For us, too. Thank you, Mr. Spinney for giving us so many years of sweet innocence for our children and grandchildren.

Have you voted? Early voting started on 10-22 or you can vote on Election Day 11-6. Your choice.

Florida police officers recovered a stolen van filled with Krispy Kreme doughnuts. The store manager then donated the entire cargo to the officers, who ate some and handed out the rest to the homeless.

Two high school students in Sacramento, California allegedly used their grandparent’s ashes to make cookies then took them to school and passed them out to their classmates. Police are investigating the incident but say that it would not be considered poisoning because cremated human remains are not toxic. So, was it a crime? It’s just plain weird in my book. What kind of child would even think of doing this.

Disney’s new ticketing system is here. Ticket prices will vary from day to day since many factors will play into the final cost, including length of stay, Florida residency, park-hopping ability, and what month it is.

More than 225 cats were seized from a home in Spring after they were found in poor condition. Yikes, I’m not sure what that means but, 225 cats. I have two – Sully & Winnie. I can’t in my wildest dreams imagine what you would do with 225 of them. I already spend a fortune just on litter and food. Crazy.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this winter will be 1 percent colder than last year. Which means more electricity, which means more $$$.

My birdfeeder has seen better days but it’s a really nice big birdfeeder so with all the recent rains, the squirrels and racoons, the folding lid fell off, so I decided to save the birdfeeder’s life. The nice people at Home Depot cut the cedar boards for me and I marched home to do the repairs, only to find that I couldn’t get my rachet screwdriver to accept a bit. I took it personally thinking I wasn’t quite smart enough or capable of working a screwdriver, so I took it to Lowe’s where I had purchased it and asked to please show me what I was doing wrong. It wasn’t me. They couldn’t get it to work either, so they gave me a brand new one, no questions asked. Many thanks to Carmen, Stephen and Angela. That’s why I always buy Kobalt now. Thanks, guys.

Join the Museum of Natural Science at The Center for the Arts and Sciences on Saturday October 27^th at 11am for a slimy, wormy morning of crafts. Make an earthworm house, get an earthworm treat for the birds and maybe a pet earthworm to take home that will need no tending. Prepare to get slimed.

Prayer, the world’s greatest wireless connection.

RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Broadcast journalist Chris Wallace is 71. Actress singer Susan Anton is 68. “Where there’s Muriel smoke, there’s fire.” Actor Hugh Jackman is 50. Actor Adam Rich is 50. Nicholas Bradford, the youngest son on the television series Eight Is Enough. Actor Kirk Cameron is 48. Growing Pains. Actress Joan Cusack is 56. Actor Luke Perry is 52. Fashion designer Ralph Lauren is 79.  Musician Paul Simon is 77. One of our greatest songwriters and one of the best concerts I’ve ever seen. His final concert was this month and was performed very close to where he was raised in NY.

Musician Sammy Hagar is 71. Van Halen. Singer Marie Osmond is 59. Actress Kate Walsh is 51. Dr. Addison Montgomery on the ABC television dramas Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice. Actor Caleb McLaughlin is 17. Stranger Things. TV personality Arleen Sorkin is 63. Days of our Lives. Rapper Eminem is 46. I told my son recently, that years ago when I first started hearing the name Eminem, I thought they were saying M&M, like the candy. Gage laughed at me, but I can remember thinking that and it made sense to me then (and still does.)

Singer Jackson Browne is 70. TV personality Sharon Osbourne is 66. Country singer Scotty McCreery is 25. American Idol. Entertainer Ben Vereen is 72. Country singer Tanya Tucker is 60. Pro Football Hall of Fame Brett Favre is 49. Actress Angela Lansbury is 93. Actress Suzanne Somers is 72. After breast cancer and a mastectomy, Somers had non-traditional reconstruction. The way I understand it, they took fat from her stomach, took out stem cells, separated them, cleaned them, discarded weak ones, took the strong ones and put them in a small amount of her harvested fat, then injected that fat into the breast until they made it the size of her other breast; it has feeling, it’s soft, and there are no scars. Wow. I think it’s the most incredible thing to happen in breast cancer.

Peggy Sue Gerron Rackham, the Texas woman who inspired the 1958 Buddy Holly song, ‘Peggy Sue’ and ‘Peggy Sue Got Married’, has died in Lubbock at age 78. Gerron attended high school in Lubbock, Texas where she met Holly and his friends. The song was originally going to be ‘Cindy Lou’ but the drummer in the band was trying to impress Peggy Sue, so he got Holly to change the name. It must have worked because Peggy Sue married the drummer (but they later divorced.)

Autumn Barrier, the owner of Wine Revue, will be having her Second Storm Silver Linings 6^th Annual Auction to raise money for breast cancer awareness on Thursday 10-25 from 7-11pm at 219 Parking Way in LJ. There will be live and silent auctions of unique “boob” art (you have to see it to understand) and handmade jewelry. If you’ve been meaning to drop by the new wine bar…aahhh, it’s a perfect time.

I can explain it to you, but I can’t understand it for you.

Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley will launch a food bank next year in Nashville. It’s their way of giving back to the town where they live, is called The Store and will be designed just like a regular supermarket. Good people doing good things.

Having just left H-E-B with three large pumpkins, I am reminded of this recipe for Pumpkin Dip. It’s simple and everyone always loves it. Take 8-ounces of softened cream cheese, 2-cups of confectioner’s sugar, 1-cup of canned pumpkin, 1-teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1-teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, ½-teaspoon of ground ginger, ½-cup heavy cream. Beat the cream cheese, heavy cream and sugar until light and creamy. Add the pumpkin and spices. Stir. Refrigerate until ready to serve with ginger snaps, graham crackers, and apples. You can add 8-ounces of Heath Toffee Bits if you want to be fancy but it’s good without it.

Hazelnut Spread M&M’s, with a chocolaty, nutty filling similar to Nutella will be on grocery shelves in April. I must be hungry because I’m only writing about food right now.

Texas singer-songwriters Robert Earl Keen and Lyle Lovett will open for country music icon George Strait during his concert-only performance on Sunday, March 17, the final night of the 2019 Rodeo. The remaining concert lineup will be announced Jan. 3, 2019 and tickets on sale Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019.

Something in House Beautiful caught my eye. Go to: TheFloralSociety.com. Enter. Go to Individual Seed Packets. They’re so pretty and very unusual. Madame Butterfly Snapdragon. Chocolate Sunflower. Zinderella Peach Zinnia, Watermelon Sweet Pea. I just can’t decide. Chocolate Sunflower for sure. And they have tutorials on flower arranging. Wish I had seen the tutorial on the boutonniere making before I made the one for my daughter’s date last year. It was beautiful, but it DID NOT even last through the picture taking. Luckily, I had a silk one already made and waiting in the car.  Just in case. Phew. Girl Scout rule. Always be prepared.

Bob Dylan performed last Sunday evening at Smart Financial Centre in Sugarland and my son wanted to go so we made sure that it happened. We were lucky to find $32 tickets because there’s no time like the present. Dylan is, of course, a huge talent, but he never even acted like he knew there was an audience sitting out there. He was dressed really cool and can now say I’ve seen Bob Dylan but other than that…

Bids will be taken online, by phone or in person beginning 11/1, should you want to own artifacts or mementos that belonged to the first human to walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong. Many pieces that went with him to the moon including bits of a wing and propeller from the 1903 Wright Brothers Flyer, his Boy Scout cap and much more. A series of auctions will end November 2019.

A 12-pound piece of the moon that fell to the Earth as a lunar meteorite and was found in a remote area of Northwest Africa last year, has sold at auction for $612,000. The meteorite is composed of six fragments that fit together like a puzzle. With this knowledge I think that Neil Armstrong may do OK with his auction.

Do you have any Christmas traditions in your family? Well, you should. Here is a tradition you can start that involves so much excitement, magic and just plain fun. Very soon, the Brazosport Center for the Arts & Sciences’ Elizabethan Madrigal Feast will transport guests to The Warwick Castle in Renaissance England aka small coastal town of Clute, Texas. As Queen Elizabeth I and her court arrive, you can bring friends and family to join the Earl of Warwick, a rag-tag cast of Shakespearean actors, dancers and singers in period costumes and enjoy a delicious three-course gourmet feast. 979-265-7661. I’ll see you there. I’ll be in the kitchen helping serve your dinner and dessert each evening. It’s a tradition in our family that if you can’t sing and dance then you better find some gloves and prepare for scullery work.

Today is the last day for one of The Source Weekly’s best. Tom Aucoin is retiring after almost 18 years with our office family. He came to work with us back in 2001 to “fill in” when we were in one of our “dire needs” and just never left. I can’t even find that he ever filled out an application, he’s just always been here – without fail. Well, except when there’s a Jimmy Buffet concert or working his fireworks stand on 4^th of July or New Year’s. Every Wednesday afternoon as we finish proofing the paper, he says, “Another good week. Nice paper, girls,” then he empties a few trash cans, afterwards peeking his head around my office door and reminding me with a big smile, “Don’t forget the carrier checks.” Thank you, Tom. Thank you for helping raise my children and for being the “throw down” male in a sea of women. You better show up with iced tea for our birthday luncheons. We love you. We will miss you.