WASHINGTON — Critics of Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision to bring the self-proclaimed mastermind of the 9/11 attacks and four other accused terrorists to New York for trial can’t seriously believe the city will have trouble handling the expected “Trial of the Century” hoopla. The critics can’t really think a judge is going to give Khalid Sheik Mohammed an open microphone to spew his jihadist views, or fear that a jury — sitting just blocks from Ground Zero — will look for reasons to let an accused mass murderer off on some technicality.

Everyone knows that the bloodthirsty blowhard — whom officials often refer to by his initials, KSM — is never going to see the light of day.

It was, as is said, a chance encounter. He was a patient in the hospital, and she was one of his nurses. Something clicked. He was interested.

After discharge, he called her up and asked her out. She agreed and waited for his arrival on the scheduled evening. When he drove up, she was ready for what anyone would call an odd first date. He parked the hearse street side and walked to her door.

South Carolina gets extended press coverage on its chronic school dropout rates. Reports are that only half of the state’s ninth-graders receive diplomas. A dreadful statistic.

Rep. Tim Young Jr. of Aiken is mulling over the statistic. He is considering legislation to tie a teenager’s driver’s license to being enrolled in school until age 18 … a year over the state’s compulsory school attendance age.

Many veteran gardeners in the spring watch the pecan trees for a sign that the last frost has passed and that it is safe to plant the garden. When the long, dangling catkins appear on the trees’ bare twigs, the killing frosts are gone, or so they say. Most years this sign holds true, but sometimes even these late-blooming nut trees get nipped in the bud by a killing cold snap.

Drive along almost any stretch of road in our area, and you will see tall pecan trees next to older homes or rows of newer houses situated between rows of a mature pecan orchard. The pecan is a multi-purpose tree that not only provides tasty nuts in the fall, but also shade throughout the hot summer months. Squirrels, birds and other creatures live among the twiggy branches, and they, along with ground-feeding turkeys, will do their best to beat you to the spoils.

Some students have a knack of seeking, even at times demanding, special attention from their professors, advisers, mentors. With their own special ways, whims, attitudes, demeanor or even, at times, by annoyance, they end up occupying a special place in their targeted audiences’ hearts.

Ms. Vanessa Thomas was one among them. However, unlike many others who try to get my attention, she grabbed my attention inadvertently. During all these years, whenever she needed my help, she asked straightforwardly, and as soon as she received it, she thanked me and proceeded on with her work. She had a no-nonsense attitude: Dash in, say “Hi,” while signing-in, and then occupy any available computer and stay for hours, if required to complete her assignments, and then dash out after a quick sign-out and a “goodbye.” Not rude but her stubborn attitude toward getting her work done to her satisfaction made me pay a little more attention to her.

WASHINGTON — No force on Earth can stop Sarah Palin from becoming our very own “lite” version of Eva Peron — a glamorous and tragic legend, minus the tragedy. Eventually, some clever composer will write a blockbuster musical about her life and times. Stage directions will include: “SARAH fires gun. MOOSE dies.”

It’s futile to try to ignore Palin, however noble the effort may be.

There’s a disturbing trend among our female callers, especially the ones who sound like they may be a little … uh, older.

I hate to say old ladies are becoming rude. So let’s just say that old ladies are becoming “rhymes with dude.” And believe me, there are a lot more words I can rhyme with.

Thanksgiving is a time for reflection and appreciation. Things could always be better, but they could also be worse. We are so blessed in this country that sometimes we let great expectations interfere with our happiness.

Although we would all be overjoyed to win the lottery, it will not happen to most of us, so it’s better to have more realistic dreams. Happiness comes from inside and feeling good about what you do have and being grateful for what you don’t have.

It’s a great time for taking walks! I took a walk this morning and was reminded why I have always been thankful that I live in the temperate zone where there are four distinct seasons. The trees were ablaze in the early morning sun, with autumn’s magnificent blend of orange, red and gold, and my hooded parka was just right for enjoying the refreshing coolness without getting chilled. I can live nicely without the sweltering and unending heat of the tropics! After once experiencing the restful beauty, cool and calm of autumn, how could anyone want to live anywhere else?

The special time that I love most of all is “Indian summer.” The first cold spell of the fall signifying the change of seasons makes me — and many people — long for Indian summer. So what exactly is Indian summer? Some say that true Indian summer is a period of abnormally warm weather following the first killing freeze of autumn. A killing freeze occurs when the overnight temperature reaches 28 degrees of cold … and may or may not occur with frost. Indian summer typically occurs in mid to late autumn and can occur more than once.

When my granddaughter spent the evening with me a few weeks ago, I told her the story of the Gingerbread Man, as was told to me by my mother years ago.

Every time we made gingerbread cookies, she told us children about the old farmer’s wife who, to her surprise, made a gingerbread man who came to life and lead everyone in the countryside on a wild chase, singing, “Run, run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me — I’m the Gingerbread Man.”