Why do I care about the dewpoint?

After reading yesterday a breathless tweet from the National Weather Service in Portland about Eugene's record-setting 111 degree day-- apparently that the dewpoint is or was 66 or 67 is significant-- I spent some time reading about 'dewpoint', wasted, really, because I didn't gain any understanding why I should care about it. That it is to be a bit less hot today, and that this morning was in the low 60s instead of more or less 70, is enough for me.

Today is the Vigil of the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul (Introibo), the feast of Saint Irenaeus (CE, Wiki), and the, only commemorated, feast of Pope Saint Leo II (CE, Wiki). And the Octave of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist continues, also only commemorated. Since I didn't drag myself to bed until after 2300 last night, and finally slept who knows when-- it was 90 degrees at 2315-- I was up late (0545) today, and have had to fuss about the Office; have abandoned Matins although I'll read the lessons (from 2 Kings, Saint Irenaeus, Saint Augustine) later. This is the Communion of the Vigil Mass-- it was too much to be expected that the Introit Dicit Dominus Petro would be at YT.

Post Tertiam. Was pleased to see this article about Cluny Media from Catholic World Report in the mail this morning. 

... That there is an unwitting (at best) or dismissive (at worst) presumption that the so-called “every day” man, woman, or child either cannot or is not interested in reading “difficult” books surprised and continues to surprise me. A good number, if not the majority of Cluny’s books, are heady brews; but they are not academic in the sense of being highly specialized, esoteric, or inaccessible. At face value, books like Guardini’s The Humanity of Christ, Pieper’s Hope and History, Journet’s The Meaning of Evil, Claudel’s The Satin Slipper, are daunting reads, perhaps most at home in academic circles. Our thought, however, was and is that they should reach much further; they are precise contributions in their respective fields, which can make them not “easy” reads, but-- to paraphrase a wise man who shall remain nameless-- they are an opportunity to enter more deeply into the mystery. In our experience, sadly, we have found that those who could assist in providing this opportunity too often dismiss or redirect the “content” because “ordinary” Catholics might not “get it.”

Ante Sextam. I re-read Michael Crichton's Andromeda Strain at some point in the last couple of days and think I will re-read Sphere next, after the Matins lessons. Amy, reviewing the book at Amazon a couple of years ago, "thought the women characters were written poorly" and that "in real life, Beth would have had much more depth and would never do some of the things he had written". I expect that 'in real life'... well, that is a pointless game. Amy continues:

"Some of the facts sprinkled into the book were fascinating, and I truly hope they are factual and not something he made up, because I am taking them as truth. Yes, I know I can google it but I am too lazy to do that." 

I wonder where in the White House Amy works. I can imagine saying such a thing in conversation, jocularly, but I'd never write it in a forum where my nonsense might be read by thousands of people. Eh. Now I think of my nonsense on Twitter (or here! but no one reads this other than myself) and am forced to reflect. The psychologist fellow hasn't been on the ship for more than sixty seconds before he's informed that the plumbing is backed up because so many women are on board due to the 'incident' or whatever it is he's, they're, there for. 1987. 

Ante Vesperas. It's true-- Amy is right, so far-- that four of the five females who participate in the undersea adventure are more or less caricatures. Beth is the one whose characterisation is most generous and well-developed and whose importance in the plot is clearly evident throughout; certainly she is at least the peer of four of the five males, however it may be that Sharon Stone had the role in the 1998 movie. It's also true that the fifth male is the principal protagonist and she's not. 

The temperature has dropped already to 83 from a high of 95-- hallelujah. There's been a constant breeze for several hours, too. I have to admit that the constant high heat afflicts me like a bad toothache: unending, inescapable distress, although aspirin and acetominophen mitigate the toothache. I think I must add Vespers of Our Lady to the first Vespers of Saints Peter and Paul in gratitude for the relief. 

O felix Roma, quæ tantórum Príncipum

Es purpuráta pretióso sánguine!

Non laude tua, sed ipsórum méritis,

Excéllis omnem mundi pulchritúdinem.

O happy Rome! who are consecrated by the glorious blood of two such Princes; empurpled by their blood, thou alone do surpass all other of the beauties of the world. (Dom Matthew Britt OSB)

It is also the feast of Pope Saint Paul I (8th century), of Saint Potamioena of Alexandria (3rd century), and of Saint John Southworth (17th century).

V. Et álibi aliórum plurimórum sanctórum Mártyrum et Confessórum, atque sanctárum Vírginum. R. Deo grátias.

LDVM