Triangle of Sadness (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Triangle of Sadness (2022): Satire of social class on a cruise for ultra rich. Catastrophe strikes, roles are reversed and the real makers and takers are revealed. The satire is too blunt. The ambiguous ending is a cop out. Overall, it's too shallow to be great. But it's fun. B-

POTD: Pfifferlinge

From 2022 07 11 Bamberg

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Bamberg, Germany. It shows golden yellow mushrooms (pfifferlinge) offered for sale in a street market in the center of this medieval town.

Bonus photo after the jump.

POTD: River Regnitz through Bamberg

From 2022 07 11 Bamberg

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Bamberg, Germany. According to Wikipedia, Bamberg is "one of Germany's most beautiful towns, with medieval streets and Europe's largest intact old city wall, the old town of Bamberg has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993." This view is of the river Regnitz which runs through Bamberg close to its confluence with the river Main.

MLB Spring Training is Here

From MLB

I remember listening to spring training games on the radio from Wisconsin. I remember Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, Warren Spahn, and, yes, Bob Uecker, who all played for the Milwaukee Braves when I was young. I'm that old. I remember shoveling snow from the grass in the yard to make enough room to play catch. I remember baseball.

David Letterman: "Is that right?"
Bob Uecker: “Whether it’s true or not, I’m going to tell the story.”

TIL: George Washington Burned New York

Source: Wikipedia .

General George Washington ordered the burning of New York City in 1776 after his retreat from the city before the advancing British. Well, that's not exactly historically proven. The headline in The Atlantic article by Daniel Immerwahr is less definitive: "Did George Washington Burn New York?" There's a lot of circumstantial evidence saying he did and he wanted his involvement kept secret.

What Immerwahr does make clear is that total war is a tactic as old as, well, war itself. And the side telling the story always blames the other side for engaging in it, never themselves. And that includes George "I cannot tell a lie" Washington.

Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities (TV 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities (TV 2022): Anthology of creepy stories with graveyards, rats, nightmares, haunted houses, etc. Most stories have a long buildup with little to no payoff. Spooky maybe, but no horror. No surprises in this old cabinet. C-

Cunk on Earth (TV 2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Cunk on Earth (TV 2023): Philomena Cunk, the fictitious host of this satiric documentary about the history of humanity, says outrageous things with such a deadpan delivery that it's hard to know how her interview subjects keep a straight face. Meanwhile, viewers at home keep thinking, "She's not wrong." A-

POTD: Würzburg Power Station

From 2022 07 10 Rothenburg and Wurzburg

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Würzburg, Germany. It shows a modern power station for the City. Normally, I take photos of historic sites and buildings. This one caught my eye because of the lone woman, barely visible, sitting on the steps down to the river. I thought the closeup of that made for an artsy photo. That photo is after the jump.

POTD: Alte Mainbrücke

From 2022 07 10 Rothenburg and Wurzburg

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Würzburg, Germany. That's the historic city center of Würzburg in the background. In the foreground is the Old Main Bridge (Alte Mainbrücke) over the River Main, built in the 15th Century.

Bonus photo after the jump.

First Impressions of Candidates for Local Elections

The deadline to file for a place on the May ballot was February 17, 2023. The lineup for elections for City of Richardson City Council and Richardson ISD Board of Trustees is now set. Here are some mentions of the candidates in opposed races from The Wheel's archives. There is more to draw on, but these will do for first impressions. Some of these are from endorsements from past elections. Do not take any of these old quotes as an endorsement in 2023. Which candidates are worthy of endorsement in 2023 remains to be seen. Stay tuned.