Bloody Birthday Greetings

It's novelist Cormac McCarthy's birthday today. McCarthy is the author of numerous books, including All the Pretty Horses, The Crossing, and Cities of the Plains. But my favorite is Blood Meridian, McCarthy's black magic Western incantation to the beast in man. Here's a quote from Mr. McCarthy:

"There's no such thing as life without bloodshed. I think the notion that the species can be improved in some way, that everyone could live in harmony, is a really dangerous idea. Those who are afflicted with this notion are the first ones to give up their souls, their freedom. Your desire that it be that way will enslave you and make your life vacuous."

Amen.