Wednesday, December 18, 2024

What Did We (Not) Learn from the Boil Water Notice

Source: 5 NBC DFW.

Richardson City Manager Don Magner read a memorandum to the City Council on December 16 titled "Boil Water Notice: Summary of Findings and Recommendations." I have three takeaways:

  1. To his credit, Magner admitted that individuals on City Staff made errors in judgment on the day of the event and he disciplined four individuals.
  2. Magner failed to assign blame for all of the "gaps in training and operational oversight" that contributed to the need for a BWN.
  3. There is still a five hour period in the timeline that deserves more investigation.

Tuesday, December 17, 2024

Pedro Páramo (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Rotten Tomatoes

Pedro Páramo (2024): Spanish. Adaptation of Mexican masterpiece. A surreal story of a man who returns to his family home only to find it a ghost town. Literally. Ghosts still inhabit the town, and, through flashbacks, tell the story of his cruel father's quest to gain power. C+

Netflix

Monday, December 16, 2024

City Charter: Single-Member Districts

Zachary Carnell/WUFT News

On December 2, 2024, the Richardson City Council appointed eleven members to a Charter Review Commission, as required by law every ten years to review and suggest changes to Richardson's City Charter. I will be presenting my own suggestions.

The City of Dallas just completed its own once-a-decade review of its City Charter. As homework, the Richardson Charter Review Commission ought to review the City of Dallas's work, certainly before concluding that no significant changes are needed to Richardson's Charter.

Sunday, December 15, 2024

POTD: Cappadocia Happy Hour

"Mountains in the dusk,
Wine poured in an empty land,
A toast to the day."


— h/t ChatGPT
From 2024 05 11 Cappadocia

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Cappadocia, a historical region in central Turkey. It is a tourist draw for its natural wonders. After a long day touring, it's time for happy hour. What a site. What a view.

Bonus photos after the jump.

Saturday, December 14, 2024

POTD: Cappadocia's Fairy Chimneys

"Geology's gift:
Churches carved out of soft stone,
Filled with ancient faith."


— h/t ChatGPT
From 2024 05 11 Cappadocia

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Cappadocia, a historical region in central Turkey. It is a tourist draw for its natural wonders, with so-called fairy chimneys and underground cities. It was a center of early Christian life, with dozens of churches carved into the soft stone. The cave-churches and most of the private cave-homes are no longer in use, but a few families still remain. Our tour group was invited into one.

Bonus photos after the jump.