It was just another weekend, a rather small slice of time, this one at the end of September. Around these parts, autumn leaf-peeping was at its peak. As beauty goes, that was about the extent of it.

The nation witnessed nine, count ‘em, mass shooting incidents in this brief period, such a case being defined as a gun attack with multiple victims. Indianapolis was one scene of such mayhem to go along with Selma, Alabama, deep south Texas, and two such cases of carnage in Louisiana, North Carolina and Michigan.

Each entailed mindless horror, though the worst, as gauged by the body count and sheer evil intent, took place halfway up Michigan’s eastern thumb, where a deranged individual harboring animus toward the Mormon church set a chapel ablaze while unleashing a spray of bullets.

At the same time, the federal government marched toward a shutdown. Well, perhaps “marched” is a misnomer as that would imply purposeful, concerted direction with a sought-after endpoint in sight. It might also infer the presence of something known as leadership.

YouTube joined the list of those bowing to administration coercion and sent our president a $24.5 million check. Who needs to build golf courses or brand tall buildings or hawk steaks or Bibles when big media companies are all too willing to open their wallets under threat and intimidation?

Giving new meaning to arbitrariness, President Trump slapped a 100% tariff on movies made overseas. Leaving aside the legal issues, good luck collecting that levy, as films don’t exactly arrive at a port of entry.

That announcement came on the heels of his declaration of a 25% tariff on heavy-duty pickups and a 100% import duty on patented drugs. Left unsaid was how the former would boost vehicle sales or the latter would help patients dependent on such already pricey medicines.

By executive whim and fiat, National Guard troops were deployed to Portland, Oregon. The Rose City can be a silly place, but it hardly rates among the hotspots of violent crime.

While Trump was again showing his determination to use military might for domestic purposes, his Defense Secretary, excuse me, his War Secretary, the callow Pete Hegseth, summoned 800 generals, admirals, and other top brass to D.C., where a few days later he lectured them about “standards.”

His record of sexual misconduct, workplace intoxication and physical threats against his former wife gave him more experience than credibility on the subject.

An ICE officer, after having been relieved of duty for needlessly throwing a woman to the ground outside an immigration courtroom, was reinstated. After the incident, a Department of Homeland Security statement described the conduct as “unacceptable and beneath the men and women of ICE.” I guess those standards changed as well.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, polling in the high single digits on a good day, brought his reelection campaign to a close. As part of a political quid pro quo, Trump had previously helped Adams dodge a federal corruption charge. Is there any doubt that a federal job awaits the soon-to-be-former hizzoner as recompense for clearing the field?

Just outside the Big Apple, the Ryder Cup golf competition between the United States and Europe devolved into American underperformance and ugliness.

On the first score, America was outplayed. It happens. On the second, too many American fans, perhaps hyped up on patriotic fervor and liquid refreshment, turned what has historically been a friendly match with plenty of rooting for the home squad into a demonstration of our worst.

The television picture was of a loud, crude, boisterous, insulting, and unwelcoming America. Is that who we are or the face we want to show the world?

Miami Dolphins star gladiator Tyreek Hill suffered a frightening, gruesome knee injury as football fans continue to show up and tune in for the weekend butchery.

The NFL announced that Bad Bunny would be the halftime entertainer at February’s Super Bowl. Reaction was mixed, with many, myself included, muttering, “Who’s that?” while some in the online right went to full outrage mode due to the singer’s views on immigration and his Spanish lyrics. One commentator labeled him a “demonic Marxist.” Which leads one to ask whether a bunny is capable of such monstrosity.

Back here, the Colorado GOP held a chaotic meeting to decide on canceling next year’s Republican primary out of spite for unaffiliated voters being allowed to participate. The question could have been otherwise put: Are we already sufficiently irrelevant or do we want to become more so?

The session adjourned due to the expiration of their room rental, with both pro and con sides uncertain which had prevailed.

On Sunday, Dick Monfort’s Rockies concluded a season of near-record futility and embarrassment. Mercifully, their subsequent loss is six months off.

That is the account of a single weekend. It will be another week before this column runs. Who knows what excesses and disgraces will intervene?

Eric Sondermann is a Colorado-based independent political commentator. He writes regularly for ColoradoPolitics and the Gazette newspapers. Reach him at EWS@EricSondermann.com; follow him at @EricSondermann