Throttling down

We and the weather, kind of cooling down and regrouping; our nonegenarian is perplexed by the temperatures, wonders why it feels more like May. I explain about the marine push, pointing out that we get free air conditioning and don't ahve to swelter like all the folks in many other parts of the country. Not sure she's buying it, but I appreciate the gray coolness for a bit.
Rory Stewart is well on his way across Afghanistan, 2002, in The Places in Between, and I am getting increasingly disgusted by the Afghani men. From top to bottom, they appear to be a violent, ignorant, bullying lot of jerks. The adult males abuse the male children in various ways, small wonder they grow up like their elders; there has been no sight of any female yet. There has been mention of obvious mineral deposits apparent in the passing scenery, which perhaps gives a clue to the purpose for any other country's presence there. Mr. Stewart is going to have to do some heavy lifting to convince me this place needs our help, and not just our removal.