In case you weren’t around then (I luckily was in the thick of it — or at least on the edges of it, experimenting with it in our department — while working at UCLA in the 80s and 90s), the World Wide Web (WWW) came to life 25 years ago.
Month: August 2016
rDays Five-Hundred-Fifteen & Sixteen
Walking around the old neighborhood east of campus, where we visit the Community Garden, Candy Cane Park and just walk the back streets. And watch the sun set earlier and earlier these days.
So Far, So Good … Read On
Here at Chez H we have embarked on a new set of reading adventures, having completed Sarah Bakewell’s hard act to follow of At The Existentialist Cafe.
On my own, I am reading Bakewell’s earlier (2010) How To Live, a piece of non-fiction on 16th century essayist Michel de Montaigne. And loving it.
But we have also been searching for a good read-aloud book (following our success in that mode with Joseph Mitchell’s Up In The Old Hotel). Now we think we have found it in Jane Gardam’s Old Filth, fiction about a postwar retired English barrister and judge who was once a British Empire civil servant in Hong Kong.
A melancholy sort of comedy, I’d say, Old Filth might be worth a movie or series of BBC or Masterpiece Theatre ilk. This thing is the first in a trilogy, which we will happily move on to if it continues at this rate. You can hear an audio excerpt on this page, btw.
rDay Five-Hundred-Fourteen
Library, Farmers Market, downtown walk.
Existential Developments
A few days ago, I mentioned reading “At The Existentialist Cafe“. Finished it and now Kim is devouring this wonderful book. Two items of note:
1. Author Sarah Bakewell frequently refers to books and films with relevant influences and connections. One she mentioned was the 1949 film “Rendezvous in July” (“Rendez-vous de juillet”) in which French youth, driven by American culture and trends, adopt lumberjack-inspired fashion (a forerunner of today’s metrosexuals?). Here is a clip from that film:
2. Herman followed up with his previous mention of having seen Sartre’s and Beauvoir’s gravesites in Paris (about ten years ago?) by sending along photos he made of a postcard that appeared in the grass alongside, apparently from an admirer who had jotted down some sentiments upon a visit to Montparnasse Cemetery.
I am encouraging Herman to send his photos to Bakewell, so we shall see what happens.
rDay Five-Hundred-Twelve
Hot today, again.
As this is written at mid-afternoon, outside temp — depending on who says — is 97 degrees F. or 94 degrees F. Yet my recent cooling system work is holding up.
But by 8pm, things had cooled off a bit for the Walk of Charles.
rDay Five-Hundred-Eleven
Nik drops in for a visit, then we all go for a slow late afternoon walk in ninety-degree temps.
Utah, September 1974
Some Utah in general. Probably not the definitive photographic portrait of the state.
rDay Five-Hundred-Ten
Late afternoon EONI drop-in to see Zach and avoid the heat while Kim shops Farmers Market. Dusk walk with The Charlie. Off to visit at 103, returning in darkness and coming upon Eastern’s football action.
‘Roving in Utah – September 1974
I knew it was wrong for me to be in Utah, where I was clearly an outsider — after all, my vehicle was a pure British RHD (right hand drive) model … And I know that some people talk of their horses the way that I may have of my Land Rover.
