The House (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

The House (2022): Three 30-minute stop-motion animations. Same house, different timelines. House is either haunted, infested with fur bugs, or infested with deadbeat renters. Not much in the way of plot. Quirky and weird. Kind of movie college kids might like to watch stoned. C+

The Righteous Gemstones - S01 (TV 2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Righteous Gemstones - S01 (TV 2019): Satire of a family of spoiled, selfish preachers at a megachurch. Plots involve blackmail and a heist but mostly it's the complicated family dynamics that drive the story. Blasphemous. Gratuitous nudity. Crude humor. Meh. C+

#VeryTardyReview

Richardson Doesn't Want Your Help Redistricting

Redistricting, or drawing new political boundaries, is something that happens every ten years after the Census is completed. The City of Richardson has to complete this exercise for City Council districts, but because of our at-large election system, the stakes are low. Creating districts that stretch and snake this way and that in order to predetermine the outcomes of elections is not an issue here. The City Council voted last Monday to appoint members of the City Plan Commission to a district boundary commission. The City Council missed an opportunity for opening an avenue for public engagement and input.

POTD: Inside the Burial Chamber of a Pharaoh

From 2019 11 22 Valley of the Kings

Today's photo-of-the-day is from deep inside a mountain in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. It was taken inside the (empty) burial chamber of Pharaoh Rameses IV (died 1149 BCE). The tomb was looted by grave robbers probably about three thousand years ago, along with the mummy of the pharaoh, so we thought it OK to smile and pose for photos. What? Too soon?

Station Eleven (TV 2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

Station Eleven (TV 2021): Flu kills 99% of humans. Survivors carry on. Lots of cuts between times and places and characters' stories. There's Shakespeare and a graphic novel, adding metaphor and symbolism. It gets surreal at times. The humanity at heart makes this so good. A-

#NoNeedForAnotherSeason

Read my review of the 2014 novel.

Divining the Votes on Rezoning Applications

2009 Future Land Use Plan
Red: Employment. Yellow: Residential

There's another rezoning application before the Richardson City Council. This one is for 16 acres of undeveloped land at Glenville and Lookout. The developer wants to build apartments, an independent living facility, townhomes, and live-work units. The 2009 Land Use Plans designates the property for "Regional Employment." The City staff report states that, despite that 2009 plan, an 8.5 acre tract on the northern half of the property has rights that allow for apartment development equating to approximately 153 units. The property owner is now coming back for another bite of the apple, asking for rezoning for the other 8 acres from industrial to residential to allow for a total of up to 590 residential units. That's almost four times as many apartments as current zoning would permit and, of course, infinity times more than the zero called for in the 2009 Land Use Plan. Will that 2009 Land Use Plan or the current zoning pose an insurmountable barrier for this City Council? That remains to be seen, but my money is on "No." By which, of course, I mean the answer to the developer's request will be "Yes."

Richardson to Netflix: Pay Up

This agenda item for the Richardson City Council caught my eye.

A lawsuit against Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+? What's that all about, I wondered. That sent me in search of lawsuits by other cities against Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and other video service providers. That turned up a story from The Dallas Morning News from November, 2021.

Review: The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity

From The Dawn of Everything, by David Graeber and David Wengrow

Once upon a time, the story goes, we were hunter-gatherers, living in a prolonged state of childlike innocence, in tiny bands. These bands were egalitarian; they could be for the very reason that they were so small. It was only after the ‘Agricultural Revolution’, and then still more the rise of cities, that this happy condition came to an end, ushering in ‘civilization’ and ‘the state’ — which also meant the appearance of written literature, science and philosophy, but at the same time, almost everything bad in human life: patriarchy, standing armies, mass executions and annoying bureaucrats demanding that we spend much of our lives filling in forms."

Amazon

The subtitle of this huge work is "A New History of Humanity" and as the name implies, Graeber and Wengrow range over the whole planet and tens of thousands of years. In the process they challenge the almost universal assumptions of humanity's social evolution. No one will be able to write another "big history" book without addressing the questions raised here.

Eternals (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

Eternals (2021): Too many characters. Too complicated. Character motivation is never clear, so you can't tell who the bad guys are. The humor falls flat. Normally, action scenes make up for these failings, but even those scenes got repetitive. A miss by Marvel and Chloé Zhao. C-

POTD: Deep into the Tomb

Tomb of Rameses IV (died 1149 BCE)

From 2019 11 22 Valley of the Kings

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. There are 63 known tombs. From the outside, the tombs are nondescript, deliberately so. The ancient Egyptians hid the tombs by filling the entrances with the rock excavated in making the tombs. Inside is a different story. This photo shows the long, inclined rock-cut corridor leading to the burial chamber of Rameses IV (died 1149 BCE). The walls and ceilings are decorated with paintings and chiseled hieroglyphs, still vibrant after more than 3,000 years.

Being the Ricardos (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

Being the Ricardos (2021): It's an Aaron Sorkin movie, so more dialog than action. Even the explosive Desi/Lu marriage is more talk than passion. If you want to know what made "I Love Lucy" so significant, or you don't know what the Hollywood Red Scare was, this is for you. B-

TIL: MLK on Economic Justice

Minimum Wage by State

Today, our country honors Martin Luther King, Jr. Normally the focus is on his movement for voting rights. It's tragic that today, more than half of a century after his death, the voting rights secured in MLK's day are under threat in America. In 2021 alone, "19 states have enacted 33 laws that will make it harder for Americans to vote." But voting rights are not what I want to focus on today. Instead, I want to turn to a speech by MLK that ties voting rights to economic justice. In it, MLK makes an observation that explains a feature of that map above showing the minimum wage laws by state. The connection MLK drew between economic justice and segregation is what I learned today.

Licorice Pizza (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

Licorice Pizza (2021): Southern California, 1973. Teen boy and mid-20s woman, independent go-getters, both too busy hustling to connect. Movie is a series of good standalone scenes that lack a connecting thread. Sean Penn and Bradley Cooper each get a scenery-chewing cameo. B-

Hawkeye (TV 2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

Hawkeye (TV 2021): Clint Barton is on the way out and Kate Bishop is getting started. The crisis surrounding the handoff is crowded with characters and subplots. I would trade a quiver full of trick arrows for a gun. On the plus side, it's Marvel's best Christmas show. C-

TIL: Iran is Winning

"Isfahan is half the world"

From 1977 03 29 Iran

When the United States withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, most Americans barely noticed. We were too busy dealing with Covid-19. Not even the clear and present danger to our democracy could focus out attention. Still, the danger we face in Central Asia and the Middle East is not gone. Who was the big winner from the American experience in Afghanistan? It was Iran. And Iran is likely to extend its winning streak.

POTD: The Valley of the Kings

From 2019 11 22 Valley of the Kings

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. It's across the Nile River from Luxor. Whereas Luxor itself was splendid with magnificent temples, the Valley of the Kings was deliberately underwhelming. The pyramids far to the north had all been ransacked by grave robbers in previous centuries, so later pharaohs tried to protect their tombs by digging deep into the mountains, then covering up the entrances to hide them from future grave robbers. (Spoiler: it didn't work, with one notable exception, but more on that later.) Today, tourists can walk into the valley, but other than some uncovered tomb entrances, there's nothing to see to suggest the magnificent displays deep inside.

Bonus photo after the jump.

From "The More Things Change..." Dep't: CPC Edition

"Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose."
("The more things change, the more they stay the same.")
— Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, 1849.

From the December 13, 2021, Richardson City Council meeting minutes:

City Plan Commission

Motion to: reappoint Joe Costantino and Gwen Walraven for a term effective 08/01/2021 to 08/01/2023; to appoint Sibyl LaCour as a full member effective immediately for a term ending 08/01/2023; to appoint Bryan Marsh as Chair for the remainder of his term and Stephen Springs as Vice Chair for the remainder of his term; and to appoint Nate Roberts as an Alternate for an unexpired term ending 08/01/2023. Motion by Councilmember Justice, seconded by Councilmember Corcoran, and approved unanimously.

Source: City of Richardson.

From the (few) CPC meetings I've attended, Walraven and LaCour were "furniture" members of the CPC, contributing nothing but their votes in support of the majority, and Bryan Marsh was the leader of that majority supporting the establishment position against needed change. Seeing them all reappointed is no surprise. What is a surprise is that the motion was made by Jennifer Justice and seconded by Joe Corcoran. Was I fooled by their candidacies into believing they would bring change or have they succumbed to the indoctrination into the "Richardson Way"? The vote was 7-0.

Encanto (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

Encanto (2021): Disney animated musical. Huge ensemble, mostly female. Latina power. Abuela's magical house gives magical gifts to all except Mirabel. When magic stops, it's up to Mirabel to save the day. Everything is enchanting. Grading for family viewing, it's a hit. B+

The Lost Daughter (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Lost Daughter (2021): Woman vacations alone in Greece. Events cause her to revisit regrets from her past. Dialog is scarce and emotions are suppressed. Movie needs voiceover narration by Olivia Colman's character to explore the question, can one be an "unnatural mother"? B+

Landscapers (TV 2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

Landscapers (TV 2021): Couple is suspected of murdering wife's parents. Is their story believable? Original filmmaking with surreal elements. Less a mystery than a compelling character study. Olivia Colman is outstanding as the mousy wife, David Thewlis as the caring husband. B+

The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Matrix Resurrections (2021): Tired franchise resurrected with nothing new to add. Lots of dialog about how dead characters are alive again. Token "bullet time" fights. Overstuffed with world-building. No chemistry between Neo and Trinity. Keanu Reeves's hair is still good. C+

Don't Look Up (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

Don't Look Up (2021): Two astronomers detect a comet headed towards Earth and can't convince anyone to care. Of course, half of America consider it Fake News. A satire that doesn't quite land because today's reality is satire. If it hits, we'll deserve it. Loaded with stars. B-

My New Year's Message

Happy New Year, America. I hope you survive. You see, I've been growing more and more concerned with the fragile state of our American democracy. I no longer take solace in the fact that America has faced crises before and somehow survived, perhaps because of our fundamental values, perhaps because of dumb luck. "Past performance is not indicative of future results" is the usual legal boilerplate language used in ads for financial investments. It's time we apply it to American democracy as well, which is being attacked in plain sight.

Random Thoughts: House of Gucci

Tweets from December, 2021:

• 2021-12-02: House of Gucci (2021): More or less true story of business troubles of Gucci brand brought on by family infighting (and some tax evasion). Part satire, part camp. More than a little over-the-top acting. Jared Leto goes too far. Adam Driver not far enough. Lady Gaga is perfect. B+
• 2021-12-03: The Power of the Dog (2021): Set on a remote ranch in 1925 Montana owned by two brothers, one a bully, the other with a new wife and a bookish son. Like a kettle on a hot stove, the tension slowly builds to a climactic boil. The mystery at heart is what drives the characters. B+
• 2021-12-05: In the 1996 election campaign, Bob Dole expressed his frustration that his campaign's attempt to paint Bill Clinton as a randy snake gained no traction. Meanwhile, the Clinton campaign succeeded in painting Dole as an out-of-touch old man. In hindsight, the voters were stupid.
• 2021-12-06: The Curse of Von Dutch (TV 2021): Documentary of a clothing brand that became wildly popular in the early 2000s, then flamed out. The people behind it were an odd assortment of losers, crazies, double-crossers, and even a killer or two. All get to tell their side here. C-

After the jump, more random thoughts.