The Day of the Jackal (TV 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Day of the Jackal (TV 2024): A British sniper-turned-assassin is hunted across Europe by MI6 agent. Family lives complicate the chase from both sides. Plot is implausible but set pieces are compelling and, at times, exciting. B+

PeacockTV

Book Review: The City and Its Uncertain Walls

From The City and Its Uncertain Walls, by Haruki Murakami:

Amazon

" 'The real me lives there, in that town surrounded by a wall,' you said. 'So the you that is sitting here next to me isn't the real you?' I had to ask. 'That’s right. The me here with you now isn't the real me. It's only a stand-in. Like a wandering shadow.' I thought it over. A wandering shadow? But I kept my opinions to myself."

POTD: Mevlana Museum

"Rumi’s words take flight,
In the Mevlana’s calm halls,
A soul’s journey ends."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 05 13 Konya

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Mevlana Museum in Konya, Turkey. Originally it was the dervish lodge of the Mevlevi order, better known as the whirling dervishes. It houses the mausoleum of Jalal ad-Din Rumi, a Persian Sufi mystic who founded the order. He died in 1231.

Bonus photos after the jump.

POTD: Caravanseria in Central Turkey

"Old walls hold the tales
Of journeys made long ago
Along the Silk Road."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 05 13 Konya

Today's photo-of-the-day is from a caravanserai halfway between Cappadocia and Konya in central Turkey. A caravanserai is an ancient roadside inn where travelers (caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. This particular one has been restored and serves as a museum.

Bonus photos after the jump.

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024): Supervillain prunes the multiverse timeline with goal of leaving only the Void. Our heroes stop her. Gratuitous violence and foul language. Lots of cameos and callbacks and breaking the fourth wall. "Wizard of Oz did the multiverse first. And they did it best." C-

Disney+

The Sticky (TV 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Sticky (TV 2024): Absolutely not the true story of the great Canadian maple syrup heist, but a whole lot more absurd and fun. A "Fargo" knock-off full of wacky, small-town people who stumble into and through a multi-million dollar heist. Abrupt ending. B+

Prime

POTD: Merry Christmas

"Gilded faces shine,
In Hagia Sophia's hush,
Lost in time's embrace."
— h/t ChatGPT

Virgin and Child, Hagia Sophia, ca. 1134

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey. The Hagia Sophia is the last of three church buildings to be successively erected on the site by the Eastern Roman Empire. It was completed in AD 537. For almost a thousand years, it was the world's largest cathedral. It was converted to a mosque in 1453 after the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans.

The photo shows a mosaic of the Virgin and Child from the south gallery. It dates from ca. 1118-1134. The full mosaic (not shown) has Emperor John II and Empress Irene of Hungary flanking the Virgin and Child.

Enough art history. To all readers, neighbors, friends and family, Merry Christmas! And thanks for visiting.

The Miracle Club (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Miracle Club (2023): Maggie Smith's last movie. Dublin churchgoers take a pilgrimage to Lourdes, hoping for miracles. Ensemble cast of stars. Plot is heartwarming, but predictable. Lourdes comes across as a bit of a tourist trap, but movie shouldn't offend anyone, churchgoer or not. B-

Airplane

City Charter: Initiative and Referendum

On December 2, 2024, the Richardson City Council appointed eleven members to a Charter Review Commission, as required by law every ten years to review and suggest changes to Richardson's City Charter. Here, in a series of posts, I am presenting my own suggestions.

POTD: Whirling Dervishes

"Within ancient walls
A sacred dance fills the room.
Faith in motion swirls."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 05 13 Konya

Today's photo-of-the-day is from a caravanserai between Cappadocia and Konya in central Turkey. A caravanserai is an ancient roadside inn where travelers (caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. This particular one is now used as a religious center that opens its doors for tourists to witness the sacred dance and prayer ritual known as the sema, performed by whirling dervishes, members of a Sufi Muslim religious order founded in the 13th century by Rumi, a Persian poet who believed that dance and music are a path to enlightenment. Accordingly, the dance and music are a religious ritual, not a "show". The audience doesn't clap. It's an altogether calming and moving experience.

Bonus photos after the jump.

POTD: Balloon Ride over Cappadocia

"Balloons in the sky,
Over rocks and valleys wide,
Soaring at sunrise."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 05 11 Cappadocia

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Cappadocia, a historical region in central Turkey. It is a tourist draw for its natural wonders. A highlight of any tour is a hot air balloon ride at dawn over the other-worldly landscape. What a view. We were lucky not to miss it. We were in Cappadocia for three mornings. On the first, our scheduled balloon ascent was canceled because of wind — there wasn't enough of it. On the second morning, our rescheduled ascent was canceled because of rain. On the third morning, our departure from Cappadocia delayed to give us one final chance to ascend, everything worked out for a glorious balloon ride.

Bonus photos after the jump.

Interior Chinatown (TV 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Interior Chinatown (TV 2024): Play within a play. A waiter in a Chinese restaurant who is tired of always playing a background character in TV shows finds the wall between TV and real life breaking down. Great concept for satirizing how TV and society treat ethnic characters. B-

Hulu

A Man on the Inside (TV 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

A Man on the Inside (TV 2024): Ted Danson stars as a recent widower who takes up a new hobby by going undercover in a retirement home to investigate a series of thefts. The mystery isn't the point here. Neither is the comedy. It's the relationships he forms. A sensitive treatment of aging. Seniors will like it. B+

Netflix

What Did We (Not) Learn from the Boil Water Notice

Source: 5 NBC DFW.

Richardson City Manager Don Magner read a memorandum to the City Council on December 16 titled "Boil Water Notice: Summary of Findings and Recommendations." I have three takeaways:

1. To his credit, Magner admitted that individuals on City Staff made errors in judgment on the day of the event and he disciplined four individuals.
2. Magner failed to assign blame for all of the "gaps in training and operational oversight" that contributed to the need for a BWN.
3. There is still a five hour period in the timeline that deserves more investigation.

Pedro Páramo (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Pedro Páramo (2024): Spanish. Adaptation of Mexican masterpiece. A surreal story of a man who returns to his family home only to find it a ghost town. Literally. Ghosts still inhabit the town, and, through flashbacks, tell the story of his cruel father's quest to gain power. C+

Netflix

City Charter: Single-Member Districts

On December 2, 2024, the Richardson City Council appointed eleven members to a Charter Review Commission, as required by law every ten years to review and suggest changes to Richardson's City Charter. I will be presenting my own suggestions.

The City of Dallas just completed its own once-a-decade review of its City Charter. As homework, the Richardson Charter Review Commission ought to review the City of Dallas's work, certainly before concluding that no significant changes are needed to Richardson's Charter.

POTD: Cappadocia Happy Hour

"Mountains in the dusk,
Wine poured in an empty land,
A toast to the day."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 05 11 Cappadocia

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Cappadocia, a historical region in central Turkey. It is a tourist draw for its natural wonders. After a long day touring, it's time for happy hour. What a site. What a view.

Bonus photos after the jump.

POTD: Cappadocia's Fairy Chimneys

"Geology's gift:
Churches carved out of soft stone,
Filled with ancient faith."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 05 11 Cappadocia

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Cappadocia, a historical region in central Turkey. It is a tourist draw for its natural wonders, with so-called fairy chimneys and underground cities. It was a center of early Christian life, with dozens of churches carved into the soft stone. The cave-churches and most of the private cave-homes are no longer in use, but a few families still remain. Our tour group was invited into one.

Bonus photos after the jump.

Blitz (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Blitz (2024): Mother evacuates her 9-yr-old son from London during Blitz of WWII. With indomitable will, he seeks to return on his own. As well-crafted as the story is, we've seen it all before. The historically accurate scenes play out one by one to a compromise of an ending. B-

AppleTV+

Monsieur Spade (TV 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Monsieur Spade (TV 2024): Clive Owen plays Sam Spade less as a hard-bitten detective and more as a burnt-out case. He's in retirement in southern France in 1963. The MacGuffin is an Algerian boy who, for various reasons, everyone is interested in kidnapping, and I mean everyone. Way too many parties in this action/thriller. C-

Netflix

Council Recap: 7 Brew Drive-Thru Coffee

Corporate website: "7 Brew is so much more than just a coffee stand." What is the "so much more?" It isn't food. It isn't a sit-down restaurant. It's "service, speed, quality, energy and atmosphere." In other words, it's still a coffee stand, but one that customers allegedly love.

Yet on December 9, 2024, the Richardson City Council denied a request by 7 Brew to build a coffee stand on the south side of East Belt Line Rd between Plano Rd and Glenville Ave. The vote to deny was 5-2, with only Mayor Bob Dubey and Mayor Pro Tem voting to grant the permit. If this were a parliamentary democracy, I might say the leaders have lost the confidence of the body. But it's not a parliamentary system and a vote for a drive-thru is hardly consequential enough to be considered a "vote of no confidence" in the leaders. No need for any resignations, but there's a message there somewhere.

The Veil (TV 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Veil (TV 2024): Elisabeth Moss is an MI6 agent tasked with bringing a woman from a Syrian refugee camp to Paris and learning her secret before a terrorist attack she's behind can happen. Plot is far-fetched but that's not the real story here. It's the relationship between the two women and their back stories that matter. B-

Hulu

Council Recap: Charter Review Commission

On December 2, 2024, the Richardson City Council appointed eleven members to a Charter Review Commission, as required by law every ten years. Details on the 2014 amendments can be read in "Charter Amendments: Vote Yes AND No".

Let's examine the new commission members for 2024.

POTD: Hattusa "Wish Stone"

"Temples in ruins
in the Anatolian sun.
Stone's secret persists."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 05 10 Hattusha

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the ruins of Hattusa, in central Turkey. Hattusa was the capital of the Hittite Empire in the late Bronze Age (c. 3300 — c. 1200 BCE). The remains of at least thirty-one temples survive at Hattusa. The Green Stone is a roughly cubic block of nephrite standing in the remains of the Great Temple. It is believed to have had some religious use or purpose, but what that may have been is unknown. The local inhabitants call the stone a "wish stone" and attribute to it magical wish-granting properties. It's amazing to me how little information remains of one of the world's largest empires of antiquity. And how people, even today, use magic to explain phenomena they don't understand.

Bonus photo after the jump.

POTD: Anitkabir

"Ascend marble steps
To Atatürk's resting place,
Eternal repose."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 05 09 Ankara

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Anitkabir, the mausoleum complex in Ankara, Turkey, containing the final resting place of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey.

Bonus photos after the jump.

La Maison (TV 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

La Maison (TV 2024): French. Fashion design house faces existential threats: scandal, succession, and a takeover attempt by a rival. Competition is less on the runway and more in the boardroom and the bedroom. It's soap opera, not prestige drama. C+

AppleTV+

Wicked (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Wicked (2024): Didn't live up to expectations. Last 45 minutes of action, music, and storytelling were great, but first 90 minutes (Shiz University) was more "where is this going?" I buy Elphaba's back story of being discriminated against because she's green, but Glinda as a sheltered and privileged airhead? No way. B-

In theaters

The Penguin (TV 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Penguin (TV 2024): Backstory for the villain who rises from small time mobster to kingpin of organized crime in Gotham City. Lots of action and violence, sure, but what makes this series great is the psychological study of a criminal. Like 2019's Joker. A-

Max

AI's View of Me

It's said that the internet knows everything about you. So I asked ChatGPT, "Based on what you know of me, create a photograph that depicts how you view me."

This is what I got:

"Here’s a photographic depiction inspired by your interests and personality as I perceive them. It combines a serene atmosphere with thoughtful elements that resonate with your love for history and meaningful storytelling. Let me know how it aligns with your vision!"

Source: ChatGPT

Nailed it! ;-)

The Worst Places to Eat in Richardson Last Month

The City of Richardson is rightly regarded as having some of the best, most diverse, dining options in north Texas ("Eat & Drink"). Feeling a bit like "Opposite Man," I thought I'd offer a list of the ten worst places to eat in Richardson last month. It's based on the City of Richardson's Health Department Restaurant Scores for last month. That is, not all restaurants are ranked here. Each month, different restaurants are visited by the Health Department.

Random Thoughts: Pre-election Musing

2024-11-02: The Lincoln Project asks, "Other than Trump, which Republicans do you REALLY want to lose this November?"
That question drew 3.5K comments.

2024-11-04: This is Texas District 112, represented by Angie Chen Button. To keep her Dallas County district packed with as many reliable GOP voters as the GOP legislature in Austin can find, Angie Chen Button is backed up against the wall (Collin County to the north, Rockwall and Kaufman Counties to the east). She is cornered. This is what they mean by politicians choosing their voters instead of voters choosing their representatives.

2024-11-04: The biggest problem with the US Constitution is due to the Founding Fathers not respecting democratic elections.

2024-11-04: "Moldova's pro-European Union incumbent President Maia Sandu won a tense presidential runoff election Sunday, beating a rival backed by a pro-Russian party in what she called as a 'lesson in democracy.'
'Today, dear Moldovans, you have given a lesson in democracy, worthy of being written in history books.... Freedom, truth, and justice have prevailed," Sandu declared.'"
Let's hope Americans can say the same thing on November 5.
cbsnews.com/news/moldova-elect...

POTD: Grand Bazaar, Istanbul

"Ancient market hums.
Treasures in a thousand nooks.
Ottoman splendor."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 05 06 Istanbul

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. It is "one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops." It dates back to the 15th century.

Bonus photos after the jump.