Thursday, August 1, 2024

Random Thoughts: Absolute Immunity

Mastodon

2024-07-01: "Supreme Court says Trump has absolute immunity for official acts only." -- Texas Standard
Remember when Trump said, "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK?" I guess the part about not losing MAGA voters is still true. The only thing left in question is whether this Court would side with Trump that any shootings on Fifth Avenue are "official acts." But with this MAGA Court, is even that in question?
texasstandard.org/stories/supr...

2024-07-13: Headline: "Joe Biden avoids further gaffes at Detroit rally."
It's a low bar.

Wednesday, July 31, 2024

City Council Waits for a Sign

Source: Alamy

The bug infestation shows no sign of being exterminated. In fact, the big bug is being catered to. In 2013, it was AutoNation VW asking for a zoning change to allow them to expand their auto dealership in Richardson's Interurban District ("Lemon"). The City Council complied. For some reason, AutoNation didn't go through with their plans, but in 2022, the dealership, now Clay Cooley VW, was back again, asking for approval to expand the car dealership. Again the City Council complied. Now in 2024, Clay Cooley VW is back yet again, this time with two different requests. On August 12, the City Council will hear a request for Clay Cooley VW to add a repair shop, a body shop, and a vehicle storage lot on the property. Separately, they are asking for a variance on the height of their business sign, wanting to erect a 39 foot pole sign, despite an ordinance limiting pole signs to 20 feet.

Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Rotten Tomatoes

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024): Comedy requires novelty to elicit laughter. There's a new family living in the fire station, but they get overshadowed by the original characters who are still around, too, making for a too-crowded movie. Show your kids the original instead. D+

Netflix

Monday, July 29, 2024

City Council Lays an Egg

The World War I poster proclaims: "Uncle Sam expects you to keep hens and raise chickens...In time of peace a profitable recreation; in time of war a patriotic duty."

A century later, the Richardson City Council spent over an hour discussing updating the City's animal ordinances, much of the time spent on setting a limit on how many chickens one household can keep.

Sunday, July 28, 2024

POTD: Beach Tricks

"Casablanca's shore,
In the air, a fleeting flip,
A moment to soar."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 09 22 Casablanca

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Atlantic Ocean beach in Casablanca, Morocco. Just a young man doing a back flip in the sand. That is all.