Elemental (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Elemental (2023): In Element City, fire, water, earth, and air characters co-exist. Lessons about the immigrant experience and metaphoric ethnic tolerance abound. It's also a romcom (opposites attract), but with friendship more than romance and not much comedy. Still, it's Pixar and family-friendly. C+

Council Recap: Library and Campus Plan

At the September 18, 2023, Richardson City Council meeting, the Council heard an update on the Public Library design and the Civic Center Campus site plan. I'm a big fan of what I saw for the Library. (I say "saw" because of the recorded video, a neat feature the City Council should consider for all City Council meetings.) Still, I think the preferred campus site plan (Option A2) has a problem with traffic flow that could be easily and significantly improved, as I'll diagram later.

Random Thoughts: Dan Patrick and Appearances

2023-09-01: "Dan Patrick says he won't accept donations during impeachment trial." He wants to remove the appearance of "the trial being wide open to outside political influence."
Logically, doesn't this mean he should quit accepting campaign contributions during regular sessions, too, to remove the appearance of legislation being wide open to outside political influence? Which it is, of course.

POTD: Moulin Rouge on Christmas Night

From 2022 12 25 Paris

"Outside, lights ignite,
Moulin Rouge on Christmas night,
Snapshot's sweet delight."
—h/t ChatGPT

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Paris. No trip to Paris is complete without a visit to the Moulin Rouge cabaret. Unfortunately, tickets for Christmas Day are not only very expensive, but sold out far in advance. So a snapshot of the outside will have to do. Ah, the memories of an imagined visit!

Blackberry (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Blackberry (2023): Meteoric rise and fall of the world's first smartphone. There's the introverted tech genius, the undisciplined techies around him, and a brash marketing genius who knows how to turn it into gold...until the crash comes. Better than most such stories. B+