POTD: Public Art on the Silk Road

From 2025 09 17 Khiva

Today's photo-of-the-day is of a sculpture in Khiva, Uzbekistan. It shows a camel train on the ancient Silk Road.

Bonus photos are after the jump.

POTD: Minarets in Khiva

From 2025 09 17 Khiva

Today's photo-of-the-day is a selection of minarets in Khiva, Uzbekistan. The largest is unfinished. The ruler of Khiva, Muhammad Amin Khan, ordered construction of the minaret in 1852. He wanted it to be the tallest minaret in Central Asia, possibly 70-80 meters. Muhammad Amin Khan was killed in 1855 during a military campaign, and construction stopped. The political turmoil that followed meant nobody resumed the expensive project.

Bonus photos are after the jump.

Solos (TV 2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

Solos (TV 2021): Sci-fi anthology series. Not a drama as much as character studies of seven compelling people each in their own world. The premise of each episode is set up, but nothing much happens after that. B-

Prime

#VeryTardyReview

The Boroughs (TV 2026)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Boroughs (TV 2026): Sci-fi. A group of residents in a senior-living community have to investigate what's behind a string of deaths. It's like Stranger Things except instead of kids, its senior citizens who are the heroes. The story doesn't quite make sense, but that's not the point in these stories. B+

Netflix

The Worst Places to Eat in Richardson Last Month

Graphic by City of Richardson.

The City of Richardson is rightly regarded as having some of the best and most diverse dining options in north Texas ("Eat & Drink"). But that doesn't mean every restaurant in Richardson exceeds in every measure. Here is a list of the worst places to eat in Richardson last month, based on the City of Richardson's Health Department Restaurant Scores from inspections last month. Not all Richardson restaurants are inspected each and every month. Only those inspected last month are ranked here. Only the lowest scores are shown.

Monday Night Follies at City Hall

Random Thoughts: Hostilities Terminated

2026-05-04:
May 1: Trump declared Iran hostilities ‘terminated’ in letter to Congress.
May 4: U.S. and Iran exchange fire in strait as Trump attempts to open shipping lane.
Who are you going to believe, Trump or your own lying eyes?

Zombie Zoning in the Auto District

Source: ZF 26-08 (enhanced by ChatGPT).

A zombie is shambling in Richardson, this time in the form of Zoning File 26-08. The City has a "Car Lots and Repair Shops District" that it insists on calling the "Interurban District" despite the fact that the City Council approves what feels like every zoning application for that district with an automotive use. The latest zombie incarnation is a property with three lots formerly owned by Clay Cooley Volkswagen. In 2024, the City Council, by a 4-3 vote, gave a special permit to Clay Cooley to operate a car repair shop there ("Council Recap: Sell Out for a Mural"). The question now is, will the City Council award a permit to another zombie? After all, zombies are notoriously difficult to kill.

POTD: Khiva at Night

From 2025 09 17 Khiva

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Itchan Kala, the walled inner town of the city of Khiva, Uzbekistan. At night, as the heat gives way to cool breezes, the outdoor spaces of the city come alive. Outdoor dining fills the squares that are empty of people by day.

Bonus photos are after the jump.

POTD: Juma Mosque, Khiva

From 2025 09 17 Khiva

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Juma Mosque in Khiva, Uzbekistan. It dates to the tenth century and was rebuilt in 1788, although its celebrated hypostyle hall still retains 112 columns taken from ancient structures. It looks unused today because it's undergoing reconstruction yet again.

Bonus photos are after the jump.