Thunder is heard afar, but no rain here. Broadcast television actually offered up a movie last night, though it was evident there were cuts. It was one of the Jean-Claude Van Damme Chinese-directed efforts, in this case Double Team, courtesy of Tsui Hark, whose penchant for artiness didn't harm the plot, which was confused anyway. Dennis Rodman did the best acting in the flick; Mickey Roarke probably did the worst. The amusement-park scenes were very beautiful visually. We do all our cooking early and outdoors on one of those little portable chef's gas burners that run on cartridges. This morning it was a treat of steak, accompanied by summer squash cooked in the 60-watt microwave oven in a glass bowl. Tufted titmice are the latest birds attracted to the little bowls of water that we've been setting out in all this heat; apparently it was 104 degrees yesterday.