Here (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Here (2024): Heartwarming story about generations of families who lived in a single house. Story keeps jumping around in time. Some families get short shrift. Too much story telescoped into short scenes to feel the emotional pull of any. Feels like a gimmick. C-

Netflix

A Catalyst, Just Not the One Imagined

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?

The Wheel Award for Excellence in Motion Pictures

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...

Oscar Snubs

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...

Charter Review: Articles 5, 14

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.)

POTD: 19th Century Tivoli Gardens

"Rollercoasters climb,
Music from a bye-gone era,
Tivoli still sings."

— h/t ChatGPT

	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.

POTD: Copenhagen, a Bicycle Friendly City

"Carbon-neutral plans,
can-do spirit seen on streets.
Copenhagen thrives."

— h/t ChatGPT

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.

A Real Pain (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

A Real Pain (2024): Dramedy. Cousins take trip to Poland to visit their Jewish grandmother's homeland. A vacation from hell: one cousin (Jesse Eisenberg) exhibits OCD and the other (Kieran Culkin) is irresponsible and lacks self-control. Culkin dominates every scene. Oscar buzz is deserved. B-

Hulu

Thelma (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Thelma (2024): 93-year-old grandma gets scammed out of $10,000. Police are no help, her family are useless, so she undertakes to get the money back herself. Like Mr. Magoo, she keeps running up against obstacles, but somehow keeps going. Light-hearted comedy for the whole family. C+

Hulu

Council Recap: No Video of Charter Review

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.

Kinda Pregnant (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Kinda Pregnant (2025): Woman's dream of marriage and a baby falls apart, so she hatches a fake pregnancy plan. I don't know where it goes from there because I didn't finish the movie. Full of crude jokes and what's maybe worse, unfunny. Amy Schumer is better than this. F+

Netflix

The Substance (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Substance (2024): TV fitness instructor sells her soul for a drug promising restored youth. A satire of Hollywood's treatment of women that starts small but grows increasingly over-the-top, grotesque, even comically absurd. An instant cult classic whose last 30 minutes leave you wondering WTF. It's great but is it any good? B+

Prime

POTD: Christiansborg's Tapestries

"The Great Hall stands tall,
Home of woven history.
Myths and monarchs."

— h/t ChatGPT

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.

POTD: Christiansborg Palace

"Palace of power,
Three branches under one roof,
Denmark's marble halls."
— h/t ChatGPT

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.

Fly Me to the Moon (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Fly Me to the Moon (2024): An entertaining trifle, a rom-com dramedy about the Apollo 11 mission. More fiction than fact, but presented in a way that audiences will say, "So that's how they faked it." Never saw chemistry between Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum. B-

AppleTV+

I'm Still Here (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

I'm Still Here (2024): Portuguese. In 1970, a Brazilian man is "disappeared." Movie focuses on his family's helplessness in seeking answers and his wife fighting to keep the family together. A history lesson that's powerful without sensationalism. Oscar-nominated Fernanda Torres carries the film. A-

In theatre

Council Recap: Goodbye, Downtown Street Grid

Source: h/t DALL-E.

The City of Richardson approved an application to build 279 apartments on Polk Street in downtown Richardson. The applicant requested exceptions from current zoning requirements: 1) 4-stories instead of 3-stories. 2) less open space 3) longer block length (580 ft) 4) less residential parking 5) service doors placed on street frontage. The request was approved by City Council 5-2, with Mayor Pro Tem Arefin and Councilmember Dan Barrios voting no. I applaud their votes, as I, too, would have voted no. But let's hear from the five Councilmembers who voted to approve this superblock apartment project.

Bad Monkey (TV 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

asdf (TV 2024): A comedy set in the Florida Keys and Bahamas. Fast-talking, flippant detective (Vince Vaughn) latches onto a case of a human arm pulled up from the ocean by a fisherman and can't let go. Lots of oddball characters. Even the bad guys are fun. A-

AppleTV+

Charter Review: Articles 9,10

Artist: John Trumbull.

On February 6, 2025, the Richardson Charter Review Commission continued their review of the Richardson Charter, covering Articles 9 (Boards and Commissions) and 10 (Civil Service). (Still no video by the City to link you to.)

POTD: Farewell to Turkey

"Two weeks through Turkey,
Friendship in every smile,
Bridges, not walls."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 05 19 Ephesus and Izmir

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken along the seafront of Izmir, Turkey at sunset on our last night in Turkey. That's a warship, Turkish I believe, but I note that Turkey is a US ally, a member of NATO since 1952. Its membership was prompted by aggressive moves by the Soviet Union after WWII. It's perhaps instructive to note that Ukraine does not have NATO membership. Alliances are important. Enough said about global politics. For what it's worth, on our two weeks of travel through Turkey, we were met with nothing but friendly interactions with locals in all places.

Next stop: Copenhagen, Denmark.

POTD: Strolling the Aegean Esplanade

"Seafront in Izmir,
Sila's voice warms the cool night,
Joy flows through the square."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 05 19 Ephesus and Izmir

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken along the seafront of Izmir, Turkey. The Kordon esplanade runs along the Aegean Sea for 1, 3, 5 miles, or more, depending on who you ask. It's a great place to dine, stroll, and people watch. At night, you might be lucky enough to see a local festival, like the free Sila concert that was on at Gündogdu Square on the night of our stay in Izmir, the Turkish holiday known as "May 19th Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day".

Bonus photos after the jump.

The Worst Places to Eat in Richardson Last Month

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.

Nickel Boys (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Nickel Boys (2024): In the 1960s, a wrongfully convicted Florida teen gets sentenced to an abusive boys reform school. With first-person POV, closeups, handheld camera shots, quick cuts, it feels immediate. Fictional but based on a real story, it's a tragedy that ought to madden you. A-

In theatres

Compare with the original novel: Nickel Boys.

One of These is Not Like the Others

Consider four different streets, four different apartment buildings. One of these is not like the others.

Source: Belt+Main.

The others are after the jump.

A Blockhouse Two Football Fields Long

Source: Planned Development Main Street Form Based Code.

On February 10, 2025, the Richardson City Council is scheduled to hear a zoning application to build a 275 unit apartment building smack dab in the middle of downtown. Some people might be opposed to this because it's yet another apartment building. Not me. I'm OK with the use. It's the form of the apartment building that I think is a disaster for future development of downtown.

Richardson Now Has a Three-Way Race for Mayor

Source: Ketomed.com.

Richardson will elect a new Mayor and City Council on May 3, 2025. The mayor's race will have three candidates on the ballot: incumbent Mayor Bob Dubey, former City Councilmember Amir Omar, and outsider Alan North.

Charter Review: Articles 1,2,17,18

Artist: John Trumbull.

On January 30, 2025, the Richardson Charter Review Commission started their review of the Richardson City Charter, article by article, beginning with Articles 1, 2, 17, and 18. (Only the five visitors in attendance saw what happened. Maybe someday, someone will invent something that could record government meetings for the convenience of people who can't attend in person.)

The Commission was looking for changes to the Charter to suggest to the City Council to put before voters in November. The City Council has the last word about what goes on the ballot. The citizens, at the ballot box, have the last word about what goes in the Charter. In three hours of deliberation, there was only one substantive change that was deliberated.

POTD: Street Life in Izmir

"Street food delights.
Dress shop filled with modern flair.
Sweet Danger Menu."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 05 19 Ephesus and Izmir

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in a shopping district of Izmir, Turkey, "a city on the west coast of Anatolia, the third most populous city in Turkey, and the largest urban agglomeration on the Aegean Sea."

Bonus photos after the jump.

Random Thoughts: My CFP Bingo Card

2025-01-01: On my CFP bingo card I didn't have Ohio State blowing out Oregon and Arizona taking Texas to two overtimes. Crazy day of football.

2025-01-03: Georgia lost to Notre Dame by 13 points. National reaction: Notre Dame is good.
Indiana lost to Notre Dame by 10 points. National reaction: Indiana is bad.

POTD: Walkable Ephesus

"Columns line the way.
Gentle slope and stone beneath
Worn by countless feet."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 05 19 Ephesus and Izmir

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in the ancient Roman city of Ephesus, Turkey. It shows Curetes Street, which is "one of the three main streets of Ephesus. It runs between the Hercules Gate and the Celsus Library. The street was an archaic Processional Way, an important sacred route that lead to the Temple of Artemis. Therefore, it takes its name from the priests that would walk the street during religious ceremonies."