POTD: Copenhagen, a Bicycle Friendly City

"Carbon-neutral plans,
can-do spirit seen on streets.
Copenhagen thrives."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 01 Copenhagen

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Copenhagen, Denmark, a bicycle friendly city. According to a 2013 Guardian article, "Everywhere, visitors are greeted by streams of bicyclists; 36 percent of trips to work or school in the Danish capital are made by bike, and more than 20,000 cyclists enter the city center at peak hours, filling Copenhagen's 249 miles of cycle tracks."

New buildings in Copenhagen must now be constructed according to Low Energy Class ratings. A Low Energy Class building in Copenhagen is likely more energy-efficient than even a LEED-certified building in America (LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Meanwhile, at home, "Richardson Says No to LEED". :-(

A bonus photo is after the jump.

A Real Pain (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

A Real Pain (2024): Dramedy. Cousins take trip to Poland to visit their Jewish grandmother's homeland. A vacation from hell: one cousin (Jesse Eisenberg) exhibits OCD and the other (Kieran Culkin) is irresponsible and lacks self-control. Culkin dominates every scene. Oscar buzz is deserved. B-

Hulu

Thelma (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Thelma (2024): 93-year-old grandma gets scammed out of $10,000. Police are no help, her family are useless, so she undertakes to get the money back herself. Like Mr. Magoo, she keeps running up against obstacles, but somehow keeps going. Light-hearted comedy for the whole family. C+

Hulu

Council Recap: No Video of Charter Review

Source: h/t DALL-E.

On February 17, 2025, the Richardson City Council discussed the potential video recording of Charter Review Commission meetings. Some questioned the need. Some the cost. Some were concerned about the fairness to Commissioners who did not anticipate being recorded. Councilmember Dan Barrios argued for recording the remaining meetings due to the Commission's significance. Councilmember Jennifer Justice made a motion to leave the current situation as it is (no video), with future Commissions informed in advance of whatever was decided at that time. The motion passed 4-3, with Mayor Pro Tem Arefin, and Councilmembers Dan Barrios and Joe Corcoran opposed. Kudos to them for taking the side of increased transparency.

Read on for details of the arguments.

Kinda Pregnant (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Kinda Pregnant (2025): Woman's dream of marriage and a baby falls apart, so she hatches a fake pregnancy plan. I don't know where it goes from there because I didn't finish the movie. Full of crude jokes and what's maybe worse, unfunny. Amy Schumer is better than this. F+

Netflix

The Substance (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Substance (2024): TV fitness instructor sells her soul for a drug promising restored youth. A satire of Hollywood's treatment of women that starts small but grows increasingly over-the-top, grotesque, even comically absurd. An instant cult classic whose last 30 minutes leave you wondering WTF. It's great but is it any good? B+

Prime

POTD: Christiansborg's Tapestries

"The Great Hall stands tall,
Home of woven history.
Myths and monarchs."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 01 Copenhagen

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, the seat of government of Denmark. One room is filled with tapestries. Usually tapestries in old buildings are faded and threadbare. But in the Great Hall of Christiansborg Palace are "17 quite modern tapestries, one of the greatest depictions of Denmark’s history ever made."

After the jump a bonus photo shows a dark period of recent history.

POTD: Christiansborg Palace

"Palace of power,
Three branches under one roof,
Denmark's marble halls."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 01 Copenhagen

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen. "The palace is home to the three supreme powers of Denmark: the executive power, the legislative power, and the judicial power. It is the only building in the world that houses all three of a country's branches of government. The name Christiansborg is thus also frequently used as a metonym for the Danish political system, and colloquially it is often referred to as simply Borgen ('the castle')."

For us, visiting "Borgen" was a highlight of our trip because we had previously enjoyed the TV series Borgen.

Fly Me to the Moon (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Fly Me to the Moon (2024): An entertaining trifle, a rom-com dramedy about the Apollo 11 mission. More fiction than fact, but presented in a way that audiences will say, "So that's how they faked it." Never saw chemistry between Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum. B-

AppleTV+

I'm Still Here (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

I'm Still Here (2024): Portuguese. In 1970, a Brazilian man is "disappeared." Movie focuses on his family's helplessness in seeking answers and his wife fighting to keep the family together. A history lesson that's powerful without sensationalism. Oscar-nominated Fernanda Torres carries the film. A-

In theatre