I read the NY Times with sadness today.

First, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn has died. I remember reading his books in high school, most notably The First Circle, but also Cancer Ward and of course “A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.” I even selected one of his books, the first book in the Gulag trilogy, for a book report for my advanced-placement English class.

Second, at least 148 people died in a stampede in India. A large number of pilgrims had gathered in Naina Devi, a hilltop temple in the state of Himachal Pradesh. When rumors started that an avalanche had started or a bomb set off, a human stampede followed. Rumor has it that at least 50 of the dead are children.

And third, at least 11 climbers are dead on K2, the second highest peak in the world and perhaps the hardest to climb. Apparently an ice outcrop broke off and cut a set of ropes for descending on the Pakistani side of the mountain. There are still 4 missing.