Saturday

It rained hard and long overnight. Of course, we're flooded. This was the first night that the cats had to be kept in the house all night, and I am surprised that Sammy remained quiet. My joy, however, is mixed with the concern that this might be about his health rather than empathy for my desperate need for sleep. ... ... Schopenhauer, as I take him, argues that the will as we have it is a sort of unalterable iron core of being-existence, constantly pursuing it's own goals, perhaps not always consciously knowable to ourselves, and the only way it can be influenced is for one to be persuaded that this or that course is the more efficacious way of obtaining what we really want. One has a sort of mission in life, and our surest purpose may be to discover what that is, and thus learn who we truly are and how we fit in in this world. Often times, a person may have a wrong about who he is, and in thus going down wrong paths he only finds pains. [The World as Will and Representation] Sammy's wound is actually looking much better today, appearing as though it really might heal on its own. It might help if he would stop getting Ash to lick it, which perhaps only freshens the wound. ... ... David Frum tweets: "The Trump White House will be a battlefield between crass plutocrats and dangerous lunatics, and we all must hope the plutocrats win." ... ... Aside from the ready convenience, there is a good reason to still play Solitaire on the computer sometimes. The hints, which you can click for, can be instructive and perhaps awaken you to kinds of moves that you might otherwise be inclined to overlook, hence sharpening and deepening your instincts when you play on your own.