The thunder and lightning, and primarily the rain yesterday afternoon, had helped drive the temperature down a wee bit, but it was still warm and sticky-humid for this morning’s run, and my ankles decided to ache a bit at the halfway mark. My mile was, in the end, 9:40, with which I content under the conditions. Fruit breakfast, Morning Office (delayed cos Margaret woke up earlier than usual), and some research about James and miracles. I got sidetracked, though, by reading John Darnielle’s book in the 33 1/3 series on the Black Sabbath album Master of Reality, which — once again, as in Wolf in White Van and in so many of his songs, gently unfolds the cruelty of systems designed to care for adolescent mental health. I’m not a fan of Black Sabbath or Ozzy Osborne, but the short book certainly amplifies my sympathy for those who are; and further, Darnielle focuses and intensifies my shame at the passivity and distance with which the structures of late modern capitalist cultures shrug off responsibility for the well-being of all who labour and are heavy laden with wounds to their mental health.
Margaret made a very tasty dinner of miscellaneous refrigerator veg, we finished The Deceived, and finished the evening with some QI and University Challenge (I was intrigued to learn that University Challenge is actually the progeny of the US version, College Bowl, which I used to watch avidly with my dad).