Life Is No Brief Candle

LIFE IS NO BRIEF CANDLE TO ME.
IT IS THE SORT OF SPLENDID TORCH
I HAVE GOT HOLD OF FOR THE MOMENT,
AND I WANT TO MAKE IT BURN AS
BRIGHTLY AS POSSIBLE BEFORE
HANDING IT ON TO FUTURE GENERATIONS.

~George Bernard Shaw

Of Note: It took much courage for TIME magazine to run a picture of an Afghan woman on its cover whose nose and ears had been cut off by her husband in Taliban approved retribution for running away from abusive in-laws. The photo is startling. Reading about such sadism is different than actually seeing the results. Here is a beautiful 18-year old with a hole in the middle of her face. Dark hair covers where her ears used to be. The accompanying article highlights how in the last nine years since the Taliban government was routed, women have generally been set free of this kind of oppression. Many women fear that with the withdrawal of UN troops, the horrific scenes like the one perpetrated upon this young woman will once again become the norm. What responsibility do we have as nations to assure this woman and others like her in many other places that humanity will not condone such acts? If you have not seen this TIME magazine, it is worth finding a copy to read.

Today's Weather Report: It is 68 degrees Fahrenheit and gray because of massive cloud cover with humidity near 100%. Looks like rain any minute. Ah, more rain. Wonder of wonders, after a very wet spring and summer, the lake it up at least a foot. I can't imagine the water ever coming up to the original shoreline but any creeping toward it would be nice (rather than the opposite.)