​ Somehow September disappeared before we even could appreciate that sort of summer, sort of autumn weather. Now it's October and we have no reason to deny that it's fall and that means it is pumpkin time!

We particularly enjoy the humongous pumpkins that will keep their integrity and not be forced to be chopped into some pathetic jack-o-lantern face. If only we could surprise our friends and family by dumping these giants in their front yards just to see what they would do with it.

Photo by aturkus, more photos on Flickr.

Still not in the mood for fall? Watch a clip from "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown"

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If you're desperate for some extra cash this holiday season, Best Buy might be just what you're looking for. The electronics retail giant plans to hire more holiday season staff this year than it did last year, said its CEO today. We wouldn't dare be caught in those obnoxiously bright blue uniforms bugging people every five minutes to be sure they aren't lost in the sea of electronics or trying to steal, but the possibility of discounts is tempting.

Thanks to the fall of Circuit City, Best Buy is doing pretty well and gained market share since last year and they are planning on big sales this holiday season. We'd be a little less optimistic, but to each their own. We just won't be buying anyone a flat-screen TV this Christmas.

So what will be their biggest sellers this holiday season? Best Buy predicts flat-screen televisions, Blu-ray players, digital eReaders, smartphones and netbooks to be flying off the shelves.

 

​Ever since smoking/writing about the legal--and very potent--hallucinogenic plant salvia divinorum a year and a half ago, we've been keeping casual tabs on the herb's status outside our fair state. (It's currently banned in 16 states). Today comes news, via the the Washington Post, that a resort city in Maryland has gone so far to pass "emergency legislation" to prohibit the strange little mint.

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​ If you've ever thought politics was higher than grade school debate lessons, Twitter will surely prove otherwise. Thank you Internet for showing us what is really going on in Washington.

Rep. Keith Ellison, Minneapolis's U.S. Representative, has been using his Twitter account in recent days to really jab at the conservatives trying to rail on ACORN and CRA for all of America's problems. Don't get us wrong, both sides have gone down a new road of ridiculousness recently, but we can thank Twitter for letting us into the minds of the people who represent us.

When conservatives talk, Ellison just hears a bunch of "blah blah blah". Kind of like that teacher in the Peanuts cartoon.More >>

Today on Citypages.com's 'In The Stream' with TD Mischke:

• Today In the Stream: Lydia Reich. She has a story to pass along today which fewer and fewer people can pass along first hand. She was still a girl in 1940 when her family was deported to Poland, to a crowded Jewish ghetto. But she first began to witness the depravity of the Nazi regime long before the start of the war, when former friends and neighbors in Germany's Upper Silesia turned against her and her Jewish neighbors. These difficult experiences early in life helped steel her for the still tougher war years, when she was separated from her parents and sent to detention centers, followed by a slave labor camp. Worse still, in 1944, she was deported back to Germany. To get there, she was forced to trek hundreds of miles on the infamous Death March to Bergen-Belsen, where she eventually met and befriended Anne Frank.
• The future of toilets. See photo number two. What, pray tell, is wand cleaning?

Tune in from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and feel free to leave comments about today's show below. Call and talk to Mischke live on the air: (651) 330-4091

Comments WILL be posted within minutes -- please do not hit the 'Post' button more than once. If you are having trouble, send us an email.

Check out the previous shows in the archives or subscribe to the iTunes podcast. If you are having problems downloading the show via iTunes, please try using a browser other than Internet Explorer.

Photo by JL.V

​Just one crash in broad daylight is bad enough. But four in seven minutes? How is that even possible?

Authorities say Kiriko Masasi, 23, crashed his 1996 Lincoln into a guardrail, a traffic standard, and five vehicles. In the final crash, he hit three cars head-on and suffered life-threatening injuries. All of the crashes happened in just four miles.

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Police have arrested two men in the deadly Monday night shooting of a man at a pawn shop in Richfield.

A tip led to the arrests, according to the Star Tribune. Here's what happened, according to the Strib:

Malcolm Cowens, 33, was the only customer at at Avi's Pawn and Jewelry shop around 6:15 p.m. Monday when two men -- one dressed as a security guard -- entered and demanded money as they held guns on Cowens and the clerk behind the counter. Security cameras captured the movements of all four.

Suddenly, one of the robbers fired a single shot. Where he was aiming is unknown, but the bullet grazed the clerk and struck Cowens in the back. The robbers fled the bloody scene with a small amount of money.

​ Most of us quickly learned the art of TV channel negotiation as kids. Punching other siblings when they wouldn't watch your favorite cartoon quickly meant a trip upstairs to sit alone in your bedroom. This guy seems to have missed that part of childhood development. Makes sense since he is already sitting in jail on charges of attacking his ex-girlfriend. A classy man, we must admit.

Dakota County Jail inmate Carlos Robles, 25, has been charged with breaking another inmate's face when they couldn't agree on what TV channel to watch in jail.

According to the complaint, Robles tried to change the channel on the TV earlier this month while other inmates were already watching something else. Robles TV selfishness caused an uproar when those inmates refused to watch anything else.

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Photo courtesy of Rochester Arts Council

​A drunk Utah man visiting Rochester for a wedding this weekend was charged with two misdemeanors after he was caught punching and kicking a goose statue Sunday in front of a library, police said. The man seems to have a serious problem with geese. But don't we all?

George Eric Tangalos, 28, was charged with fourth-degree intentional damage to property and disorderly conduct, according to the Rochester Post-Bulletin.

When police caught Tangalos after he was spotting attacking the statue, he said he did it "because it was a goose." Oh, of course. We totally understand.

Police say he punched the head of the statue and kicked its base. He had a 0.24 percent blood-alcohol content.

The four-and-a-half foot tall Shakespeare-themed sculpture, named "Bird as Bard," is one of the 18 pieces on display in Rochester as part of a public art project.

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Apparently some people are still legitimately upset about Brett Favre's decision to keep making bank by joining the Minnesota Vikings. Get over it, folks. He plays a game for a living. He never loved you in the first place.

One Wisconsin bar is helping people in the anger phase of their mourning by hosting a half-time "Favre Burn" during the Vikings-Packers game this weekend. Yep, bring all of your once-treasured Favre memorabilia and throw it into the bonfire. You'll feel better and lose Favre items that might be worth something someday. Smart.

At least each item burned will help collect money for charity. What charity did they choose? A youth camp for burn victims. Classy.

Check out the video report below.

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