Autumn Non Sequiturs

Autumn officially starts in the USA in about 3-1/2 hours (in Oregon, at 2:18 p.m. September 22, 2009, according to the paper).  I learned recently that in Australia, someone has sensibly assigned the season changes to calendar dates, so it has been Spring there since September 1st. (And wouldn't it be easier if Winter began December 1st and "exits March the second, on the dot"?)  That said, I do appreciate the old-fashioned view that the seasons change with the sun and stars, not the calendar or the earthbound weather.

(a much better quality video is available here - after the ad - one I can't pull into my blog)

Here is a charming interview with a little girl who displays a thick Yorkshire accent. I have not been able to trace it back to its origin, but I wonder if it wasn't for a linguistic study (or a joke to be played upon the girl's father). To be watched only as long as you are interested in hearing the dialect. [Note added later: I did track it down finally on Youtube -- the interview was by her uncle, because she is cute.]