Book Review: South of the Border, West of the Sun

From South of the Border, West of the Sun, by Haruki Murakami:

Amazon

"We were, the two of us, still fragmentary beings, just beginning to sense the presence of an unexpected, to-be-acquired reality that would fill us and make us whole. We stood before a door we’d never seen before. The two of us alone, beneath a faintly flickering light, our hands tightly clasped together for a fleeting ten seconds of time."

Black Sails S01 (TV 2014)

Rotten Tomatoes

Black Sails S01 (TV 2014): A prequel to Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson, with pirates, prostitutes, Spanish treasure, and sea battles. It took me a few episodes to figure out all the characters. There's more gratuitous sex and violence than in the books. C+

Netflix

#VeryTardyReview

What Did We Learn from a Rare Vote by the City Council?

Source: Nay Café by Google Street View.

The Richardson City Council voted unanimously on August 11, 2025, to deny a request for a special use permit for a smoking establishment for an outdoor patio in conjunction with a restaurant.

POTD: View of Roman Forum from Palatine Hill

"Forum far below,
Empire sprawls in ruined grace
'neath Palatine Hill."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Roman Forum from the Palatine Hill. The Palatine Hill, "relative to the seven hills of Rome is the centremost, one of the most ancient parts of the city; it has been called 'the first nucleus of the Roman Empire.' Imperial palaces were built there, starting with Augustus."

A bonus photo (by Dessy) of Ellen and me on the Palatine Hill is after the jump.

POTD: Temple of Antoninus and Faustina

"Past and present meet,
Where love was once deified,
Another two stand."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is of John and Dessy posing in front of the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina in the Roman Forum. "The temple was constructed by the Emperor Antoninus Pius, beginning in 141 AD. It was initially dedicated to his deceased and deified wife, Faustina the Elder. Because of this, Faustina was the first Roman empress with a permanent presence in the Forum Romanum. When Antoninus Pius was deified after his death in 161 AD, the temple was re-dedicated to both Antoninus and Faustina by his successor, Marcus Aurelius."