The Pale Blue Eye (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Pale Blue Eye (2022): Macabre murder mystery set in the cold, gray winter at West Point in 1830. A cadet is found dead, with his heart removed. Christian Bale is the detective who recruits a cadet named Edgar Allan Poe (yes, that one) to assist him. Everyone is quirky, creepy, and suspicious. B-

Netflix

#VeryTardyReview

Conclave (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Conclave (2024): The cardinal running the conclave picking the next pope uncovers one deep secret after another. An intelligent plot that sheds light on the ancient practice of Vatican polit ics. Informative if maybe implausible at times. It keeps you guessing who it's going to be. A-

In theaters

Council Recap: Review of Almost Final Comp Plan

On October 21, 2024, the Richardson City Council and City Plan Commission (CPC) reviewed a close-to-final draft of a new Comprehensive Plan.

My own feedback can be found here:

• Point North...Park?
• Grading Richardson's Comprehensive Plan
• Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker

I'll add that the best thing about this draft Comp Plan isn't the plan. It's the list of 77 action items. It's a better list than the list the Council came up with during their own goal-setting retreat at the beginning of their term. But there's too much latitude in it. They shouldn't leave it to City Manager Don Magner to prioritize and schedule, not if they care about what gets done and what gets kicked down the road.

POTD: Calafate Smoothie

"After the long day,
Calafate refreshment.
Mountains call me back."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 03 11 Chile Patagonia

After a long day touring the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, we relaxed at the Hotel Las Torres with a calafate smoothie. Calafate is a small, round, purple fruit with a sweet and sour taste. It's the symbol of Patagonia. A legend says if you eat calafate berries you will be sure to return to Patagonia. Sure enough, the next day we returned, this time to Argentinian Patagonia. More glaciers in store.

POTD: Torres del Paine National Park

"Horns of blue in mist,
Clouds hide the towering peaks,
Knee bends against will."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2023 03 11 Chile Patagonia

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Chile's Torres del Paine National Park (Towers of Blue). The park "encompasses mountains, glaciers, lakes, and rivers in southern Chilean Patagonia." From a distance of 20 miles we got our first, and least obstructed, view of the Cuernos del Paine (Horns of Blue).

A bonus photo is after the jump.