Owens Farm Redevelopment

It's been seven years since Owens Farm closed. That was plenty of time for the city and neighbors to solve the problem of what would replace it. Why we always wait until a property sells before paying attention to it is frustrating. I blogged about it in 2013. I don't think that post ages all that well (meaning I didn't set my hair on fire sounding the alarm). I guessed that developers would try to build an office building or an apartment building. I didn't guess it would be warehouses. Don't we have a whole warehouse district just to the southwest that we're trying to figure out how to redevelop? Why doesn't the left hand know what the right hand is doing?

Motherless Brooklyn (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

Motherless Brooklyn (2019): 1950s Brooklyn film noir. Detective gets whacked. His partner digs into why and turns up corruption at highest level of city govt. A study in power, urban development, and race relations. Fictionalization of Robert Moses, the master builder of NYC. B-

#VeryTardyReview

POTD: Aswan High Dam

From 2019 11 19 Aswan

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Aswan, Egypt. It shows Lake Nasser, one of the world's largest man-made lakes. It was created by the Aswan High Dam, the world's largest embankment dam built across the Nile River at Aswan Egypt. I remember when it was built in the 1960s. In my mind's eye, I saw another Hoover Dam. But it's less impressive. Instead of being built across a deep canyon, the Aswan dam is built across a broad valley. Nevertheless, it was a major engineering feat, even if it's not as photogenic as Hoover Dam.

One Night in Miami (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

One Night in Miami (2020): Malcolm X, Cassius Clay, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke meet in Miami after Clay wins world title. Four friends, all "young, black, righteous, unapologetic, famous," but all very different. Adapted stage play gives each actor time to shine, and all do. A-

POTD: Essence of Life Perfume Palace

From 2019 11 19 Aswan

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Aswan, Egypt. When you take an organized tour, you sometimes have to go to stops whose only purpose is to sell the tourists something. In this case, perfume. You see and learn interesting things. This man is blowing glass into perfume bottles (whether or not it's merely a show is immaterial, right?).

Bonus photos after the jump.