Monday Morning

It looks like the temperature may not break above 90 today, and it feels autumnally cool this morning. In fact, it has felt a little autumnal in the mornings for a few days now. The afternoons are still quite summery, though it has not been the heatwave of 100-degre days of summers past.

I am letting the cats stay outside today, bringing their plate of food to the patio. I don't think Little Ratso is a problem in the day, probably burrowed away somewhere sleeping, though I may need to watch out for birds and ants. However, it is early August, and this is only a one-day treat. The temperature is expected to climb back up to the mid-nineties tomorrow.

Of Stalin

Stalin’s two most memorable utterances are “Death solves all problems. No man, no problem” and (advising his interrogators on how best to elicit a particular confession) “Beat, beat and beat again.”

-- Martin Amis, “Koba the Dread”

[Source: Christopher Hitchens, “Martin Amis: Lightness at Midnight” in Arguably]