Dear Newton,

… Stop stealing Sabretooth, and hiding him behind the litter box. This is the third time.

Sincerely,
Your loving mother.

Thing learned today-

In 388 BC, Plato went to the court of Dionysius, ruler of Syracuse, hoping to be taken on as philosopher-in-residence. From The Essential Plato by Paul Strathern:

Dionysius was not the kind of man to let himself be cowed by some philosophic nob who was trying to cadge a job at his court. When he and Plato turned to discussing philosophy, the sparks soon began to fly. At one point Plato found himself forced to point out a flaw in Dionysius’ thinking.

‘You speak like a geriatric fool,’ exclaimed Dionysius in disgust.

‘And you speak like a tyrant,’ replied Plato.

Whereupon Dionysius decided to live up to the philosopher’s observations and had Plato clapped in irons. Plato was placed on a Spartan ship bound for Aegina, where the captain was instructed to sell Plato as a slave. ‘Don’t worry, he’s so much of a philosopher he won’t even notice,’ remarked Dionysius… And it wasn’t long before Plato was spotted in the slave market at Aegina by his well-heeled old friend Anniceris the Cyrenaic, who bought him for the bargain price of twenty mina. Anniceris was so pleased with his cut-price philosopher that he sent him back to Athens with enough money to set up a school.

I never knew that.

Until later, dear journal… off to work.