You Down With Friday Odds & Sods?

Hello, friends. As ever, I hope this week finds you well. I myself have been having pleasant week, enjoy the slow cooling of the weather that marks the end of summer and the approach of fall. These transitional times have always been my favorite part of the year, containing as they do all the pleasure of anticipation of opening a new life chapter in addition to the satisfaction of closing an old one. May autumn bring such satisfaction to you as well, dear readers, but let's first turn to this week's Odds & Sods.

• To start the round-up, an interesting article that uncovers a new perspective on the  Southern rationale for secession: Stopping the Red Menace! 
• Speaking of the Confederacy, this article explains the disturbing number of White Supremacists who are latching onto the Donald's presidential campaign.
• Finally, two stories that use the Ashley Madison hack to prove the truth of the old adage that on the internet, nobody knows you're a dog: No women actually used the site, and the women who were on it were company-made profiles.
• A little blues-y number for your late-summer-early-fall listening pleasure.