" 'Banned in Boston' is a phrase that was employed from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century, to describe a literary work, song, motion picture, or play which had been prohibited from distribution or exhibition in Boston, Massachusetts...Commercial distributors were often pleased when their works were banned in Boston—it gave them more appeal elsewhere."
The modern equivalent is "Banned by Facebook."
Source: The New Yorker.
In a book review in "The New Yorker" of Hanno Sauer's new book "The Invention of Good and Evil: A World History of Morality", Nikhil Krishnan writes:
It was five million years ago, Sauer tells us, that creatures rather like ourselves, having only just evolved from some now extinct ape, started to develop the psychological dispositions that made them capable of coöperation. Unlike the chimpanzees and bonobos of the dense forests around central Africa, our ancestors had to survive in exposed grasslands. Coöperating for mutual defense against our predators, and for collectively pursuing prey, was our way of compensating for our new vulnerability. Among the dispositions that emerged to help us get along, Sauer writes, was the capacity for altruistic behavior: “putting aside the interests of the individual in favour of a greater common good.”Source: Nikhil Krishnan.
In short, according to this theory, there was a competitive advantage for our species to cooperate. Today, when we're good, it's because we evolved that way. So, how do we explain wars? Or even closer to home, how do we explain the rancorous divisions in America's body politic?
Source: City of Richardson.
In yesterday's special Tuesday edition of "Where Am I Wednesday?" we were in southwest Richardson, specifically in the Richardson Heights neighborhood where the City of Richardson has encroached with new sign toppers branding residential streets as "Heights." What is wrong with the "Richardson Heights" sign toppers already in use, you may ask? That's the subject of today's speculation.
Source: Google Maps.
Where Am I Wednesday! (Special Tuesday Edition)
Fifty points to the first person to identify where this photo was taken. Specifically, what is the name of the neighborhood? Before you answer, read on.
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In theaters
Source: Adobe Firefly.
On December 2, 2024, the Richardson City Council appointed eleven members to a Charter Review Commission, as required by law every ten years to review and suggest changes to Richardson's City Charter. Here, in a series of posts, I am presenting my own suggestions.
"Hot springs still bubble.
Terraces gleam in the sun.
A city of spas."
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| From 2024 05 15 Hierapolis |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from the ruins of Hierapolis, Turkey, a city that dates back to ancient Rome, and before that to ancient Greece, and even before that to peoples lost in the Iron Age. What drew everyone to this site then, and still does today, are the hot springs and the limestone terraces deposited by them. Even today tourists soak in the hot pools. The Romans went all out at Hierapolis, building a city that exceeded 100,000 inhabitants between 100-200 CE.
P.S. I first visited Hierapolis in 1977. It looked great then and it's even better today, if more crowded.
Bonus photos after the jump.
"Turquoise waves embrace
Antalya's cliffs standing tall.
History meets now."
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| From 2024 05 14 Antalya |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Antalya, Turkey, an ancient city on the Turkish Mediterranean coast. Turkey is such a delight to visit because of its diversity of tourist attractions. Antalya is a microcosm, with historic sites dating to ancient Rome paired with beaches and resorts. Antalya is "recognized as the 'capital of tourism' in Turkey and a pivotal part of the Turkish Riviera."
Bonus photos after the jump.
The City of Richardson is rightly regarded as having some of the best, most diverse, dining options in north Texas ("Eat & Drink"). Feeling a bit like "Opposite Man," I thought I'd offer a list of the ten worst places to eat in Richardson last month. It's based on the City of Richardson's Health Department Restaurant Scores for last month. That is, not all restaurants are included in this ranking. Each month, different restaurants are visited by the Health Department. Only those visited last month are ranked here.
2024-12-01: Re: Potential 2026 primary battle by Ken Paxton for John Cornyn's Senate seat: "Cornyn has cast Paxton as too shady to be a U.S. senator, an argument that could appeal to Republicans who worry about Paxton’s legal entanglements."
lol. Are there any Republicans "who worry about legal entanglements" anymore?
dallasnews.com/news/politics/2...
