"Sunlight takes the stage,
Dancing on the angled roof
Of smooth white marble."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 07 06 Oslo |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Oslo, Norway at the Oslo Opera House. "The roof of the building angles to ground level, creating a large plaza that invites pedestrians to walk up and enjoy the panoramic views of Oslo."
Graphic by City of Richardson.
The City of Richardson is rightly regarded as having some of the best, most diverse, dining options in north Texas ("Eat & Drink"). But that doesn't mean every restaurant in Richardson exceeds in every measure. Here is a list of the ten worst places to eat in Richardson last month, based on the City of Richardson's Health Department Restaurant Scores for last month. Not all Richardson restaurants are included in this ranking. Each month, different restaurants are visited by the Health Department. Only those visited last month are ranked here. Only the bottom ten are shown.
"Naked forms embrace,
Unashamed beneath the sky—
Flesh reborn in stone."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 07 06 Oslo |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Oslo, Norway in Frogner Park, site of the Vigeland installation of 212 granite and bronze sculptures, all designed by Gustav Vigeland.
On April 2, 2025, the UT-Dallas Student Government hosted a debate of Richardson mayoral candidates, moderated by Dr. John Gooch. Mayor Bob Dubey and former Councilmember Amir Omar participated. It was announced that Alan North "did not get back to us in terms of attending this debate." That's something that Alan North has denied. "I RSVP'd yes to their April 2 debate, sent Aidan Boyd three emails, with 2 different e-mail addresses, called, left voicemails—silence."
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Peacock
Artist: John Trumbull.
On March 27, 2025, the Richardson Charter Review Commission continued their review of the Richardson Charter, covering Articles 12 (Franchises), 13 (Ordinances), and 19 (Effective Date).
(Still no video by the City to link you to. By now, you know the story. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis said, "Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants," but the Richardson City Council is fine with darkness; not only no live video feed, but no official video record of the Charter Review Commission at all. Politicians seem to have an inherent fear of sunlight.)
2025-03-03: Anora won the Oscar for Best Picture. I think Brutalist is a timeless film that will age better, but I liked Anora, too.
2025-03-08: "During Starship's ascent burn, the vehicle experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly and contact was lost," SpaceX said in a post on X.
"Rapid unscheduled disassembly." Kind of like the impact of President Musk's DOGE on the federal government.
2025-03-29: My Bluesky chat address is @marksteger.bsky.social. It's where I discuss all of my war plans. Just out in the open, readable by all. You can join in.
More random thoughts can be found on Mastodon.
On March 25, 2025, the Richardson Area Democrats (RAD) hosted an online forum for Richardson mayoral candidates. The forum also included Place 6 candidates and RISD District 2 trustee candidates, but here I focus only on the mayoral candidates. You can watch it on YouTube yourself (the mayoral portion is short) or you can read my takeaways here. I recommend you do both.
"Close to Oslo's heart,
A tribute to those who strive
For a world at peace."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 07 06 Oslo |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Oslo, Norway at the Nobel Peace Center, "a showcase for the Nobel Peace Prize and the ideals it represents. The center is also an arena where culture and politics merge to promote involvement, debate and reflection around topics such as war, peace and conflict resolution."
"Statue guards the door.
Grandeur at Oslo's center.
Crown and tradition."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 07 06 Oslo |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken at the Royal Palace of Norway in Oslo. The Palace "was built in the first half of the 19th century as the Norwegian residence of the French-born Charles XIV John, who reigned as king of Norway and Sweden. The palace is the official residence of the current Norwegian monarch...King Charles John never had the pleasure of residing in his palace before he died in 1844, and its first occupants were his son Oscar I and his queen Josephine."
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Max
"Glimpse the fortified
old town preserved in the past.
Fredrikstad stands still."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 07 05 Fredrikstad |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Fredrikstad, Norway, founded in 1567 by King Fredrick II. "The city centre is on the west bank of the Glomma, while the old town on the east bank is Northern Europe's best preserved fortified town." Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Old Fredrikstad.
"Flags, pendants above.
Cobblestones beneath your feet.
Gothenburg alive."
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| From 2024 07 04 Gothenburg |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in the city center of Gothenburg, Sweden. Walkable, vibrant, busy. What's not to love?
A bonus photo is after the jump.
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Max
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Max
"On water's edge, where
Smoke once darkened sky and stone,
Now blue buildings smile."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 07 04 Gothenburg |
Who says a power plant has to be ugly? Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Gothenburg, Sweden. It shows the Rosenlundsverket, a century-old heat and power plant. Originally fired with coal, it was replaced by an oil-fired plant in the early 1950s. Natural gas firing was put into operation in 1988. Today, Sweden generates only about 2% of its electricity from fossil-based fuel. The vast majority comes from hydropower (around 40%), nuclear power (about 30%), and wind power (about 20%).
"Once a bustling trade,
Fishmongers' voices now gone.
Diners take their place."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 07 04 Gothenburg |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Gothenburg, Sweden. It shows the Feskekörka (Fish Church), "a building that formerly housed an indoor fish market. Its name is based on the building's resemblance to a neo-Gothic church. It opened on 1 November 1874...Feskekörka underwent a renovation for several years, beginning in 2021. There is now a single occupant of the building operating a restaurant business."
For just the seventh time in Richardson's history, voters get to vote for mayor. Three of those races were uncontested. Three offered a choice between two candidates. In 2025, for the first time in Richardson's history, voters will get to choose among three candidates. It's still early in the campaign. We've had no forums. We've had no campaign mailers, robocalls or text messages. Social media campaigns have barely begun.
I thought now would be a good time to research the archives for what I said about these candidates when they ran for City Council before. For Alan North, I chose 2011, the one and only time he filed to run for office. For Amir Omar, I also chose 2011, the first time he ran for re-election. For Bob Dubey, I chose 2019, the first time he ran for re-election. I found it interesting what I wrote in those more innocent times.
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Netflix
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AppleTV+
Artist: John Trumbull.
On March 6, 2025, the Richardson Charter Review Commission continued their review of the Richardson Charter, covering Articles 6 (City Manager), 7 (City Attorney), and 8 (Administrative Department).
(Still no video by the City to link you to. One commissioner said, "I know I wasn't here last week, but I watched it on the video, so I'm completely caught up with the discussion." He didn't credit Justin Neth, but I'm guessing it was Neth's personal video he was referring to. It's ironic that the City Council voted 4-3 against video recording of Charter Review Commission meetings, citing an unwillingness of commission members from having their discussions video recorded, only to have the value of a video record demonstrated so quickly and clearly by the commission itself.)
"Proud, worn, ever strong,
gazing over Gothenburg,
Prompting our judgment."
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| From 2024 07 04 Gothenburg |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Götaplatsen, a public square and the cultural hub of Gothenburg, Sweden. It is "enclosed by the Gothenburg Concert Hall, the Gothenburg Museum of Art, the Gothenburg City Theatre and the City Library."
In its center is a statue of the sea god Poseidon by Carl Milles. The statue was inaugurated in September, 1931. Opinion on it is divided, some saying Poseidon's face is ugly (a subjective judgment), some saying Milles himself was a Nazi sympathizer (fact). Art is never just art.
"One day in Sweden,
but Gothenburg's tastes remain,
meatballs, berries, joy."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 07 04 Gothenburg |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in a restaurant in Gothenburg, Sweden, the only city we visited in Sweden. When you have only one day in Sweden, you just have to eat Swedish meatballs, right? And so we did. They were served with lingonberries. Sweden on our tongues.
Source: AP Photo.
The season is coming to an end for the team. The coach's contract is expiring. The coach was gifted good enough game plans, but he couldn't deliver on the reason he was hired, which was to bring a championship to the city. When it came time to decide if the team should extend him a new contract for another season, the team decided to go in a different direction. Most fans thought it was the right decision.
That might sound like I'm talking about the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Mike McCarthy, but if you guessed I was really talking about the mayor of Richardson, Bob "Coach" Dubey, I can't say you're wrong. The City of Richardson's "Coach" is in the same boat that McCarthy was. Having a long career on the sidelines can result in enough friendships to win you the job in the first place, but that won't save your job if you don't win championships. Too often, Coach Dubey went with his gut, throwing out good game plans on the fly, and ending up with a string of losses. Sooner or later, a coach trading on his longevity needs to be thanked for his service and replaced. Let's look at the results on the field this term to decide if that time is now.
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AppleTV+
From Linguaphile: A Life of Language Love", by Julie Sedivy:
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Hulu
On November 19, 2024, Mayor Bob Dubey was interviewed by Poonam Sandhu, CPA, on her podcast "Tax Bites with Poonam." In the introduction, Mayor Dubey said, "I really don't consider myself a politician. I'd like to say I'm a statesman." A politician calling himself a statesman is like a used car salesman calling himself a "Transportation Solutions Consultant." But Poonam politely let Mayor Dubey's self-aggrandizement slide. Luckily for him, she wasn't in a fact-checking mood. I guess she left that to the listeners. I listened.
"Vaulted ceiling rises
Above stained glass saints and kings.
Crown and cross entwined."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 07 01 Copenhagen |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Denmark's Frederiksborg Palace in Hillerød, Denmark. "It was built as a royal residence for King Christian IV of Denmark-Norway in the early 17th century...Frederiksborg Castle was the first Danish castle to be built inland. All previous castles had been on the coast or close to ports as the sea had traditionally been the principal means of travel. It was also the first to be built for purely recreational purposes rather than for defence."
Graphic by City of Richardson.
The City of Richardson is rightly regarded as having some of the best, most diverse, dining options in north Texas ("Eat & Drink"). But that doesn't mean every restaurant in Richardson exceeds in every measure. Here is a list of the ten worst places to eat in Richardson last month, based on the City of Richardson's Health Department Restaurant Scores for last month. Not all Richardson restaurants are included in this ranking. Each month, different restaurants are visited by the Health Department. Only those visited last month are ranked here. Only the bottom ten are shown.
"There are more things
in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of
in your philosophy."
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| From 2024 07 01 Copenhagen |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Helsingør, Denmark. It shows Kronborg Castle, much better known as Elsinore in William Shakespeare's Hamlet. "Rendered as 'Elsinore,' it's actually the anglicised name of the surrounding town of Helsingør."
"The castle's story dates back to a stronghold, Krogen, built by King Eric VII in the 1420s. The castle is situated on the extreme northeastern tip of the island of Zealand at the narrowest point of the Øresund, the sound between present Denmark and the provinces of present Sweden." The narrowness of the sound leads to "the strategic importance of maintaining a coastal fortification at this location commanding one of the few outlets of the Baltic Sea."
A bonus photo is after the jump.
2025-02-02: Musing on the Luka Doncic trade...maybe Miriam Adelson, Las Vegas real estate player and new owner of the Mavs, is trying to replicate Jerry Jones's results with the Cowboys. Don't win championships, win real estate deals and increase the value of the franchise. Maybe Adelson wants to take the money that would have gone to Luka and invest it in a casino, once Texas leg opens the door to that possibility.
2025-02-05: I am not a conspiracy theorist but if there were something that might just make me one, it could be the Luca Doncic trade.
2025-02-07: There's a major free-speech battle being fought right here in Richardson, Texas. Student editorial control of student journalism is at stake.
Inside UT-Dallas’ fight over the student press
dallasnews.com/news/education/...
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Netflix
Source: Google Street View.Staycation Coffee's current home
Catalyst: "a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction"
Example usage: "I'll be honest, I think this is a catalyst type project that will spur on to bigger, better things." — Mayor Bob Dubey, speaking of Polk Street Apartments.
City leaders have a fondness for the term "catalyst project." It's a buzzword that makes them sound knowledgable about the future. Do they ever go back and measure the performance of past catalyst projects?
Source: DALL-E.
The Academy Awards will be given out Sunday, March 2, 2025. I've seen all the nominees for Best Picture. That means my opinion means something. Right? Regardless, I've ranked the movies in order of my preference for "Best Picture."
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science uses ranked choice voting (RCV) to ensure that the winner has broad support throughout the Academy members. I wish US political elections used something similar (see proportional voting). But that's for another post.
My personal ranked choice of the Oscar nominees is based on the grades I gave the movies immediately after seeing them. In case of ties, I ordered them by my judgment today. Note this is not my prediction of which movie will win (Anora) but how I would vote, if I had a vote.
The envelope please. The winner of "The Wheel Award for Excellence in Motion Pictures" goes to...
The 2025 Oscar nominations snub some worthy movies, as always. This year, the lowest grade The Wheel gave to a "Best Picture" nomination was a "B-". Eight movies received a better grade than that but weren't nominated for "Best Picture." The list of Oscar snubs of 2025 are...
Artist: John Trumbull.
On February 20, 2025, the Richardson Charter Review Commission continued their review of the Richardson Charter, covering Articles 5 (Recall) and 14 (Initiative and Referendum).
(Still no video by the City to link you to. Mayor Bob Dubey slammed the door on that, saying, "Initially, I'll be honest, I said I don't think we even really need to discuss that." Forced to discuss it, and vote on it, he supplied the tie-breaking vote to reject video recording.)
"Rollercoasters climb,
Music from a bye-gone era,
Tivoli still sings."
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| From 2024 07 01 Copenhagen |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark, an "amusement park and pleasure garden in Copenhagen, Denmark. The park opened on 15 August 1843 and is the third-oldest operating amusement park in the world."
A bonus photo is after the jump.
"Carbon-neutral plans,
can-do spirit seen on streets.
Copenhagen thrives."
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| From 2024 07 01 Copenhagen |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Copenhagen, Denmark, a bicycle friendly city. According to a 2013 Guardian article, "Everywhere, visitors are greeted by streams of bicyclists; 36 percent of trips to work or school in the Danish capital are made by bike, and more than 20,000 cyclists enter the city center at peak hours, filling Copenhagen's 249 miles of cycle tracks."
New buildings in Copenhagen must now be constructed according to Low Energy Class ratings. A Low Energy Class building in Copenhagen is likely more energy-efficient than even a LEED-certified building in America (LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Meanwhile, at home, "Richardson Says No to LEED". :-(
A bonus photo is after the jump.
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Hulu
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Hulu
Source: h/t DALL-E.
On February 17, 2024, the Richardson City Council discussed the potential video recording of Charter Review Commission meetings. Some questioned the need. Some the cost. Some were concerned about the fairness to Commissioners who did not anticipate being recorded. Councilmember Dan Barrios argued for recording the remaining meetings due to the Commission's significance. Councilmember Jennifer Justice made a motion to leave the current situation as it is (no video), with future Commissions informed in advance of whatever was decided at that time. The motion passed 4-3, with Mayor Pro Tem Arefin, and Councilmembers Dan Barrios and Joe Corcoran opposed. Kudos to them for taking the side of increased transparency.
Read on for details of the arguments.
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Netflix
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Prime
"The Great Hall stands tall,
Home of woven history.
Myths and monarchs."
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| From 2024 07 01 Copenhagen |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, the seat of government of Denmark. One room is filled with tapestries. Usually tapestries in old buildings are faded and threadbare. But in the Great Hall of Christiansborg Palace are "17 quite modern tapestries, one of the greatest depictions of Denmark’s history ever made."
After the jump a bonus photo shows a dark period of recent history.
"Palace of power,
Three branches under one roof,
Denmark's marble halls."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 07 01 Copenhagen |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen. "The palace is home to the three supreme powers of Denmark: the executive power, the legislative power, and the judicial power. It is the only building in the world that houses all three of a country's branches of government. The name Christiansborg is thus also frequently used as a metonym for the Danish political system, and colloquially it is often referred to as simply Borgen ('the castle')."
For us, visiting "Borgen" was a highlight of our trip because we had previously enjoyed the TV series Borgen.
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AppleTV+
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In theatre
