POTD: Genuine Fake Watches

From 2022 11 02 Ephesus

This photo-of-the-day is from the ancient city of Ephesus, Turkey. Every stop on the tourist trail has them — souvenir stalls at the entrance/exit extending for as far as the eye can see. And common items for sale at these stalls are "Rolex" watches. This stall stands out for its honesty.

Full disclosure: I once bought a watch at a souvenir stand. In Russia. It turns out to have been one of my favorite souvenir purchases ever, even though I no longer have the watch. You can read the story here: "My Uglich Watch".

Silo - S01 (TV 2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Silo - S01 (TV 2023): Sci-fi mystery, drama, thriller. In dystopian future, all live in underground silo. Story starts with big questions (Who built it? When? Why? What's outside?) then develops characters, ending with a big reveal, which raises more questions for season 2. B+

Council Recap: All Budget

The Richardson City Council held a work session July 24-25 focused solely on development of the 2023-2024 budget. Attendance by the public was sparse. There will be public hearings on the proposed tax rate and budget in mid- to late-August.

Oppenheimer (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Oppenheimer (2023): Biopic of the "father of the atomic bomb." Morally conflicted, he developed the A-bomb to beat Hitler to it, but afterwards tried to put the genie back in the bottle. The era's anti-Commies are the ends-justify-the-means bad guys. Smart, compelling blend of history and science. A-

#OscarWorthy

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023): I didn't expect to like it, but I did. The original was a modern take on an old-timey serial. That take still feels modern with Phoebe Waller-Bridge as the costar. Harrison Ford is too old, the plot predictable, but the action scenes deliver. A-

Semiannual Campaign Finance Reports

In Texas, officeholders and candidates for local offices must file semiannual reports. In addition, candidates who have an opponent must file two pre-election reports, one 30 days before the election and one 8 days before. Political action committees have these same deadlines to file.

The Wheel has previously looked at the 30-Day reports (twice: here and here) and the 8-Day reports here. Today we look at the July 15 semiannual reports.

POTD: Library of Celsus

From 2022 11 02 Ephesus

This photo-of-the-day is from the ancient city of Ephesus, Turkey. It shows the pre-eminent structure standing (again) in the city, the facade of the Library of Celsus. "It was the third-largest library in the Greco-Roman world behind only those of Alexandria and Pergamum, [and is] believed to have held around 12,000 scrolls." Is it too late to submit this library to be used as inspiration for the renovations to the Richardson Public Library?

POTD: Ephesus, Still Walkable after 3,000 Years

From 2022 11 02 Ephesus

This photo-of-the-day is from the ancient city of Ephesus, Turkey, still walkable after 3,000 years. Much of the city dates to Roman times but it was founded in the 10th century BCE, on the site of a yet older city. The Street of Curetes was one of three main streets in Ephesus. In its day, "The street was home to many fountains, monuments, and statues. There were also houses on the slope that would have been used by the wealthiest of Ephesians. Under these houses were colonnaded galleries and shops with mosaic tiled floors."

The AfterParty - S01 (TV 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

The AfterParty - S01 (TV 2022): Murder at high school reunion. Detective Danner interviews each guest, with each showing the audience the same events thru different eyes. Comedy/mystery with episodes of thriller, rom-com, musical, even animation. Fun show with a satisfactory solution. B+

Council Recap: Audit, Audit, Audit

The Richardson City Council held a work session July 17. There were several topics on the agenda for which the Council received lengthy presentations: National Parks Month, Park maintenance strategies, IT work plan, and Drainage utility strategies. There was one other item on the agenda that received little time. Less than six minutes, in fact. That topic was "Review and discuss the 2021-2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) Presentation." Because the Council's review and discussion was perfunctory, those six minutes are what I want to talk about.