Thursday, December 5, 2024

Wicked (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Rotten Tomatoes

Wicked (2024): Didn't live up to expectations. Last 45 minutes of action, music, and storytelling were great, but first 90 minutes (Shiz University) was more "where is this going?" I buy Elphaba's back story of being discriminated against because she's green, but Glinda as a sheltered and privileged airhead? No way. B-

In theaters

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

The Penguin (TV 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

Rotten Tomatoes

The Penguin (TV 2024): Backstory for the villain who rises from small time mobster to kingpin of organized crime in Gotham City. Lots of action and violence, sure, but what makes this series great is the psychological study of a criminal. Like 2019's Joker. A-

Max

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

AI's View of Me

It's said that the internet knows everything about you. So I asked ChatGPT, "Based on what you know of me, create a photograph that depicts how you view me."

This is what I got:

Source: Adobe Firefly

"Here’s a photographic depiction inspired by your interests and personality as I perceive them. It combines a serene atmosphere with thoughtful elements that resonate with your love for history and meaningful storytelling. Let me know how it aligns with your vision!"

Source: ChatGPT

Nailed it! ;-)

Monday, December 2, 2024

The Worst Places to Eat in Richardson Last Month

Restaurant Scores

The City of Richardson is rightly regarded as having some of the best, most diverse, dining options in north Texas ("Eat & Drink"). Feeling a bit like "Opposite Man," I thought I'd offer a list of the ten worst places to eat in Richardson last month. It's based on the City of Richardson's Health Department Restaurant Scores for last month. That is, not all restaurants are ranked here. Each month, different restaurants are visited by the Health Department.

Sunday, December 1, 2024

Random Thoughts: Pre-election Musing

Mastodon

2024-11-02: The Lincoln Project asks, "Other than Trump, which Republicans do you REALLY want to lose this November?"
That question drew 3.5K comments.

2024-11-04: This is Texas District 112, represented by Angie Chen Button. To keep her Dallas County district packed with as many reliable GOP voters as the GOP legislature in Austin can find, Angie Chen Button is backed up against the wall (Collin County to the north, Rockwall and Kaufman Counties to the east). She is cornered. This is what they mean by politicians choosing their voters instead of voters choosing their representatives.

2024-11-04: The biggest problem with the US Constitution is due to the Founding Fathers not respecting democratic elections.

2024-11-04: "Moldova's pro-European Union incumbent President Maia Sandu won a tense presidential runoff election Sunday, beating a rival backed by a pro-Russian party in what she called as a 'lesson in democracy.'
'Today, dear Moldovans, you have given a lesson in democracy, worthy of being written in history books.... Freedom, truth, and justice have prevailed," Sandu declared.'"
Let's hope Americans can say the same thing on November 5.
cbsnews.com/news/moldova-elect...