POTD: State Fair of Texas 2022

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the State Fair of Texas in Fair Park in Dallas.

Medici: Masters of Florence - S01 (TV 2016)

Rotten Tomatoes

Medici: Masters of Florence - S01 (TV 2016): Historical drama about the dynasty that ran Florence in 1400s. Politics, intrigue, sex, and violence with lots of 2-D characters. Easy way to absorb history. Only in the last episode did I realize S01 was a murder mystery at heart. B-

#VeryTardyReview

Tehran - S01 (TV 2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

Tehran - S01 (TV 2020): Israel. A thriller. Secret Israeli mission in Iran is blown due to mistakes obvious to the viewer. Israeli spycraft doesn't live up to its reputation. The characters who make those mistakes are human, with some stereotypes surprisingly broken. B-

#VeryTardyReview

The Woman King (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Woman King (2022): Female African warriors fight European slave traders. Revenge. Tragedy. Joy. Formulaic movie with roles reversed. Ahistorical? So were all those John Wayne movies. It's time Hollywood paints Africans as the heroes. Viola Davis rules. so does Thuso Mbedu. A-

Foundation (TV 2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

Foundation (TV 2021): Galactic empire challenged by ragtag rebels. Another sci-fi classic (this one by Isaac Asimov) ripped off by Star Wars. This one lacks passion or fun. Cerebral psychohistory instead of the Force's woo-woo. Main characters seldom interact with each other. C+

POTD: Viking River Cruises 2023-2024

Today's photo-of-the-day is of a map in a brochure we received in the mail from Viking Cruises advertising their European river cruises in 2023-2024. Think of it as our wish book. Where will we go? The Rhine? Danube? Elbe? Seine? Rhone? Douro? Wait. What happened to the Volga? We had a great vacation in 2018 on the Volga, sailing the "Waterways of the Tsars", but I don't see us getting to go back again. That red oval on the map (added by me) encircles the terra incognita that Russia has become for Western tourists since Vladimir Putin decided to become Ivan the Terrible.

POTD: Grand Café De Kroonprins

From 2022 07 03 Amsterdam

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Amsterdam. Why the Grand Café of the Crown Prince would have the Statue of Liberty over its door was never discovered. The outdoor seating area offered great views of the street scene. We just had appetizers and dessert. Bitterballen was new to us. Apple strudel wasn't, but it is hard to imagine improving on the Grand Café's version.

Bonus photo after the jump.

POTD: Canals and Bicycles

From 2022 07 03 Amsterdam

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Amsterdam. It captures many aspects of the Amsterdam experience in one photo: canals and canal houses, bicycles, and views of church steeples. Look at how those bicycles are parked. A side benefit of getting cars off the streets is that not only do you need less pavement for cars to drive on, you also need fewer parking lots and garages to park them. Amsterdam remains one of our favorite cities.

Random Thoughts: The Most Effective Frog Boils are the Slowest

Tweets from September, 2022:

• 2022-09-01: The most effective frog boils are the slowest.
• 2022-09-02: I can't see Jason Villalba's tweet because he has me blocked (no idea why) but it must be something good.
• 2022-09-03: NASA Scrubs Artemis I Launch to the Moon Again." Again. The moon doesn't want us to come back.

After the jump, more random thoughts.

TIL: The Best Form of Government

What's the best form of government? Winston Churchill reportedly arrived at the answer from the opposite end of the spectrum. "Democracy is the worst form of government, except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." That settles the question. Or does it?

In The New Yorker, Adam Gopnik reviews Jedediah Purdy's book, "Two Cheers for Politics: Why Democracy Is Flawed, Frightening-and Our Best Hope."