What Has Stefani Carter Been Up To

2013: Ringing Opening Bell on NYSE (Stefani Carter on left)

You may remember Stefani Carter. The former Texas state representative for parts of Richardson, swept into office in the 2010 tea party wave. The ambitious politician who attempted to climb to statewide office (Texas Railroad Commission) in 2014 only to discover that the moneyed interests had other candidates in mind. Who then scrambled back to her legislative race in north Texas but lost her seat when even GOP voters abandoned her in the primary for Linda Koop. The last time we checked in on her was in 2020. What has Stefani Carter been up to since?

The New Look (TV 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

The New Look (TV 2024): Biopic of Christian Dior (and Coco Chanel). Don't be fooled. It's less about the "new look" of fashion than it is about navigating the dangerous politics of Paris during and after the Nazi occupation of WWII. What makes one a collaborator? Oh, and how much of the story is real? B-

Apple TV+

Council Recap: Missing Middle Housing

Part 2 of the April 8, 2024, Richardson City Council meeting. See Part 1 here: "Council Recap: Placetypes".

The City Council received a briefing from consultants on progress on updating the City's Comprehensive Plan. The "Key Policy Areas" presented were placetypes, missing middle housing, and vision for reinvestment areas. Upcoming public engagement opportunities will allow the public to comment on the consultants' recommendations. Here I will report on the City Council's own feedback on missing middle housing and the vision for reinvestment areas, as expressed in the City Council meeting.

Council Recap: Placetypes

On April 8, 2024, the Richardson City Council received a briefing from consultants on progress on updating the City's Comprehensive Plan. The "Key Policy Areas" presented were placetypes, missing middle housing, and vision for reinvestment areas. Upcoming public engagement opportunities will allow the public to comment on the consultants' recommendations. Here I will report on the City Council's own feedback on placetypes, as expressed in the City Council meeting.

POTD: Ronda, You Look So Fine

"Perched on cliff's edge high,
Ronda's beauty spans the sky,
River far below."
—h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 11 Ronda

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Ronda, Spain. "Ronda is known for its cliffside location and a deep canyon that carries the Guadalevín River."

POTD: Toro de Osborne

"Osborne's black bull reigns
On Spanish roads, silent guard,
Cultural icon."
—h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 10 Cordoba

Today's photo-of-the-day is of a highway billboard, the Osborne bull, "a black silhouetted image of a bull in semi-profile...As of July 2022 there are 92 of them installed on hilltops and along roadways throughout much of Spain", as tall as 46 ft. Their history is a fascinating example of bureaucracy at work. Created in 1955 for an advertising campaign, the bulls grew on people and became the symbol of the company, and eventually, the nation. When a 1962 roadside beautification law outlawed billboards within 20 meters of the roadway, the bulls were moved back and enlarged. When a 1974 law banned billboards within 50 meters of roadways, the bulls moved again. A 1994 law targeted the bulls yet again, threatening their removal altogether. This time, the Spanish Supreme Court ruled that the bulls could remain, as they had "aesthetic or cultural significance."

2024 Eclipse Mini Road Trip

The Diamond Ring. Photo by Amir Omar.

We made a mini road trip to see the 2024 total eclipse of the Sun. This despite our backyard being smack dab in the path of totality. For a week leading up to the eclipse, we anxiously checked the weather forecasts. They were stubbornly pessimistic, predicting rain for the day of the eclipse. But...the National Weather Service said the odds of seeing the eclipse were better the farther northeast of Dallas you were. So, to improve our chances, we planned to drive 100 miles to Paris, Texas, on the morning of the eclipse, then check the forecast and local conditions and decide what to do from there. And so we did.

Wish (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Wish (2023): Disney homage to its own history. Animation and story feel like something from the vault. Not even the music is fresh. The moral—surrendering your dreams for security is a bad exchange—gets lost in a traditional story about an evil villain. C+

Disney+

Charter Review in Dallas

The City of Richardson is due for a Charter Review this year. It's a once-in-a-decade process. Likely, a Charter Review Commission will be formed, including members of the public. It's not too soon for members of the public to start doing homework to ensure the public interest is served. A good place to start looking is at the city to our south. A Dallas Charter Review Commission is in process of gathering and winnowing recommendations for charter amendments for that city. The Dallas Morning News has an update on its progress.

POTD: Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba

"Great Mosque encircles
Cathedral nestled within,
Unity in stone."

—h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 10 Cordoba

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, officially known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, but due to its status as a former mosque, it is also known as the Great Mosque of Córdoba. Not to take sides, but it's the architecture of the mosque that is impressive here. The cathedral was built inside of the mosque and, big as it is, is completely encircled by the sprawling mosque. Little appreciated fact: Jesus lived his whole life without ever stepping foot inside either a mosque or a cathedral.

A bonus photo of the cathedral inside the mosque is after the jump.