At the September 18, 2023, Richardson City Council meeting, the Council heard an update on the Public Library design and the Civic Center Campus site plan. I'm a big fan of what I saw for the Library. (I say "saw" because of the recorded video, a neat feature the City Council should consider for all City Council meetings.) Still, I think the preferred campus site plan (Option A2) has a problem with traffic flow that could be easily and significantly improved, as I'll diagram later.
2023-09-01: "Dan Patrick says he won't accept donations during impeachment trial." He wants to remove the appearance of "the trial being wide open to outside political influence."
Logically, doesn't this mean he should quit accepting campaign contributions during regular sessions, too, to remove the appearance of legislation being wide open to outside political influence? Which it is, of course.
 |
| From 2022 12 25 Paris |
"Outside, lights ignite,
Moulin Rouge on Christmas night,
Snapshot's sweet delight."
—h/t ChatGPT
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Paris. No trip to Paris is complete without a visit to the Moulin Rouge cabaret. Unfortunately, tickets for Christmas Day are not only very expensive, but sold out far in advance. So a snapshot of the outside will have to do. Ah, the memories of an imagined visit!
|
At a special Saturday meeting of the Richardson City Council on September 16, 2023, the Council deliberated its goals for the 2023-2025 term. I can't provide a link to the video because there is no video. The Council decided not to televise this meeting. But in attendance was Justin Neth. If you haven't been reading his reports from City Council meetings, you are missing the best way to follow what's going on. He usually keeps his opinions to a minimum (unlike yours truly) and covers the whole meeting (unlike yours truly). I couldn't attend in person, so my opinions on this goal-setting meeting are entirely drawn from Justin Neth's own report (in which he offers his own cogent opinions).
Where Am I Wednesday!
Fifty points to the first person to identify where this photo was taken.
Answer is after the jump.
|
At the September 11 City Council meeting, the Council approved a request (ZF 23-06) to rezone 36 acres on Waterview Parkway north of UT-Dallas from technical office use to a transit-oriented, mixed-use, planned development. The vote was 5-1 (Dan Barrios voted no; Jennifer Justice was absent.) What makes this case complicated is that the property is owned by two different entities — UTD and a private developer. What makes this case simple is that one of the applicants is UTD. Usually, UTD gets what UTD wants. This case was no exception. I have two reactions.
We are on location in Marrakesh, Morocco. Life here has recovered from the recent earthquake. Some serious building damage is visible in the medina, but most buildings show nothing more than the expected wear and tear on thousand year old buildings. We didn't go into the nearby Atlas Mountains where the earthquake was centered and damage was more widespread. Recovery there will take much longer. We were thanked several times by Moroccans for coming to Morocco despite the earthquake. Tourism is important to the local economy. We are having a great visit throughout the country. Don't hesitate to make Morocco your vacation destination.
|
#VeryTardyReview
|
#VeryTardyReview
|
 |
| From 2022 12 25 Paris |
"Louis's power play,
In Place Vendôme's grand display,
Paris's heart today."
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Place Vendôme in Paris. Place Vendôme was built by Louis XIV as a grand setting to embody absolute power in the heart of Paris. The Vendôme Column was erected by Napoleon I to commemorate the Battle of Austerlitz.
A bonus photo is after the jump.
 |
| From 2022 12 25 Paris |
"Champs-Élysées' charm,
Arc de Triomphe in the night,
Christmas memories."
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Paris, France. Christmas in Paris: dream vacation or cliché? Regardless, our whole family gathered last year for Christmas at the home of surplus vowels and accent marks for five days of seeing as many sights as we could fit in.
Bonus photos are after the jump.
|
|
#VeryTardyReview
|
From Killing Commendatore, by Haruki Murakami:
|
Book Review: Killing Commendatore: Magical realism by my favorite author, Haruki Murakami. An artist, after breaking up with his wife, secludes himself in a mountain cabin belonging to a dying famous Japanese artist whose long hidden secrets emerge from a covered well. A-
After the jump, my full review.
|
 |
| From 2022 11 03 Athens |
"Sunset's silent bow.
Spain to Greece, voyage complete.
Sounion farewell."
—h/t ChatGPT
This photo-of-the-day was taken in Greece. It shows the sun setting over the Saronic Gulf from the Sounion Peninsula. It's a fitting finale to our cruise of the Mediterranean Sea from Barcelona to Athens.
 |
| From 2022 11 03 Athens |
"Two millennia,
Echoes of applause linger,
Epidaurus dreams."
This photo-of-the-day was taken at Epidaurus, Greece, which is "best known for its healing sanctuary and the Sanctuary of Asclepius, situated about five miles (8 km) from the town, with its theatre, which is still in use today." So, were we two thousand years late for the show? Or just a few hours early?
A bonus panorama of the theatre is after the jump.
|
|
1964: The Free Kick Game: Vince Lombardi's Packers were the first team to ever invoke the "fair catch free kick" rule. After Elijah Pitts fair caught a punt on the Packers 48 yard line just before halftime, Vince Lombardi informed the referees that they would be trying a free kick. There was confusion among all. Neither team had ever seen it before or practiced it.The Packers lined up on the line of scrimmage with Bart Starr holding the ball. Paul Hornung stepped up and made the 52-yard field goal as the half ended. Everyone was shocked and the Bears were embarrassed as the Packers went on to win 23-12. Lombardi said after the game it was probably a "once in a lifetime" occurrence. He was proven wrong, however, as the Bears would return the favor 4 years later, beating the Packers on the free kick.
Source: Bleacher Report.
I wasn't at that 1964 game, but I was in the stands in Lambeau Field for that 1968 game. I remember I was shocked to see this play call. That Lombardi knew the rule in 1964 doesn't surprise me. That George Halas knew the rule in 1968 doesn't surprise me either, especially after the Packers exploited it against the Bears four years earlier. Great coaches know the rules inside out.
|
|
 |
| From 2022 11 03 Athens |
"Narrow islet's grace,
Gambello's castle of stone,
Stories etched in time."
This photo-of-the-day was taken at Nafplio, Greece. It shows Bourtzi Castle, built by the Venetians in 1471. "The design was made specifically to fit the narrow shape of the islet. At first it was used as a small castle where an executioner lived and killed prisoners. Now it's a famous tourist attraction."
A bonus photo of a closeup is after the jump.
 |
| From 2022 11 03 Athens |
"Bronze Age's echo,
Mycenae's enigmatic
Tomb of kings and myths."
This photo-of-the-day was taken at Mycenae, Greece. It shows a large underground beehive-shaped tomb constructed between 1400 and 1200 BCE. It was the largest dome in the world for a thousand years. Today, no one knows who was buried here. Sometime in the last three hundred years, it became known as the Tomb of Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae who commanded the Greeks during the Trojan War. It's also known as the Treasury of Atreus, another ancient king of Mycenae known more through myth than history.
Whatever its true history, we're talking ancient. It's during the late Bronze Age. For comparison, the pyramids were built in the early Bronze Age, a thousand years earlier than this tomb. And the Parthenon was built half a millennium later. There are centuries of history mostly lost to us today. What's left are the ruins of a few monuments.
A bonus photo of the exterior is after the jump.
2023-08-02: Today's NextDoor top post:
"I am trying to understand why people say climate change isn't real.
It's 107 degrees."
The post was promptly deleted.
Because, of course it was.
2023-08-03: She asked, "I need WOWZA headshots. Who do you recommend?"
Without thinking, I answered, "Charlize Theron. No contest."
And that's how I got canceled.
2023-08-10: A person I was with, seeing a car's license plate bracket: "Dickinson State University. Where is that?"
Me, shrugging: "Dunno. But my guess would be it's now in the Big Ten."
2023-08-22: I ate in a fast-food restaurant today. At the POS machine the woman who waited on me told me to press "No tip" when it asked. I hesitated. She explained, "We don't get the tips. The manager does, and he's not here."
More random thoughts can be found on Mastodon.
At the August 21, 2023, meeting, the Richardson City Council was shown two draft designs for a redeveloped municipal campus. The Council generally favored the building placements of Option A, but with one controversy. That was a new entrance off Arapaho Rd between the library and a relocated City Hall with a drive that will go by the fountain. It's safe to bet that the building placements in Option A will be part of the selected site plan, but what to do with that drive is very much up in the air.
Below, after the diagram for Option A, are selected comments by the Council Members that I find illustrative of their thinking.
Where Am I Wednesday!
Fifty points to the first person to identify where this photo was taken.
Answer is after the jump.
Are you in the camp of people who think celebrities (singers, actors, athletes) are overpaid? If so, I understand where you are coming from. But Paul Krugman, economics columnist for the New York Times, isn't so sure. He provides some facts that caused me to change my mind. Try changing your mind now and then. I highly recommend the feeling it gives you. Now Paul Krugman has me asking, is Taylor Swift perhaps underpaid?
|
#VeryTardyReview
 |
| From 2022 11 03 Athens |
"Ancient dream fulfilled,
Grandiose feat is complete.
Corinth's isthmus split."
—h/t ChatGPT
This photo-of-the-day was taken at Greece's Corinth Canal. A canal there was attempted as early as the 7th century BCE but wasn't successfully built until 1893. "The canal was dug through the Isthmus at sea level and has no locks. It is 6.4 kilometres (4 miles) in length and only 24.6 metres (80.7 feet) wide at sea level, making it impassable for many modern ships. It is currently of little economic importance and is mainly a tourist attraction." Hence, our visit.
 |
| From 2022 11 03 Athens |
"By the gods' side, dine.
Baklava's gold layers shine.
Plaka's blessings found."
This photo-of-the-day, showing "L" walking away from the camera, was taken in Plaka, "the old historical neighborhood of Athens, clustered around the...slopes of the Acropolis, and incorporating labyrinthine streets and neoclassical architecture. Plaka is built on top of the residential areas of the ancient town of Athens. It is known as the 'Neighborhood of the Gods' due to its proximity to the Acropolis and its many archaeological sites."
Bonus photos of our dinner in Plaka at a sidewalk cafe beneath the Parthenon are after the jump.
|
"Off shiny glass wall,
Death ray pierces rooftop screen,
Aimed at Nasher's art."
—h/t ChatGPT
This bonus photo-of-the-day was taken in the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas. Almost twelve years after it first appeared, "The Glare" is still there. "The Glare" is the sun's reflection off the shiny glass facade of Museum Tower next door and down through the Nasher Sculpture Center's "delicately calibrated roof screen", thereby endangering the art within its galleries. This photo shows three metal sculptures by Mark di Suvero. Behind them, on the wall, you can see "The Glare" and the shadows of the roof screen. The dispute over how to fix the problem, and who should pay, remains unresolved a decade after the problem was first discovered.
Few observers of the state’s demographics were shocked when, in 2022, Census Bureau estimates revealed that Hispanics had become a narrow plurality in Texas. At 40.2 percent of the state’s population, they just edged out the non-Hispanic white population of 39.4 percent. The state will never be the same!Source: Texas Monthly.
That's what I learned in a Texas Monthly article by Richard Z. Santos. He adds the million dollar question: "Texas Is Now a Majority-Minority State. Why Haven’t Our Politics Changed?" He never satisfactorily answers that question. After the jump, the litany of reasons that each contribute to an answer.
|
|
 |
| From 2022 11 03 Athens |
"Shadows grow longer,
Temple guards the ancient shores,
Late afternoon's hush."
This photo-of-the-day was taken on Cape Sounion about 25 miles south of Athens, Greece. It shows the ruins of the Temple of Poseidon (circa 700 BCE).
A bonus close-up photo is after the jump.
 |
| From 2022 11 03 Athens |
"Patroklos island,
Ship of sorrow under waves,
War's dark tragedy."
—h/t ChatGPT
This photo-of-the-day was taken on Cape Sounion about 25 miles south of Athens, Greece. It shows a fish farm. That's mildly interesting I suppose, but it's not really why I snapped this photo. Besides fish, also below the waves here lies the SS Oria. In the background of the photo is Patroklos island. It has a long history, going back to the Chremonidean War. If you never heard of that war, forgive yourself. I hadn't either. The war was fought from 267-261 BCE. But it's not for that ancient war that I snapped this photo, either. It was for a tragedy that happened during a much more recent war, World War II. According to Wikipedia, "On 12 February 1944, SS Oria sank in a storm on the south east rocks of Patroklos island with 4,074 killed, mostly Italian military internees." It was the greatest loss of life in a single maritime disaster in the Mediterranean's history. Travel is enlightening...for some. For others, it's deadly.
It's been a while since we checked in on a couple of lawsuits against the Richardson Police Department. First, there's a lawsuit by former police officer Kayla Walker charging the RPD with running an illegal ticket quota system. Walker's lawsuit is still slowly, slowly, making its way through the wheels of justice. Then there's the lawsuit by Neco Bonham, who, as an eighteen-year-old in 2021, was stopped by RPD for what seemed like a routine traffic stop, only to end up Tased, punched, and arrested. The district attorney's office dropped all charges against him. The arresting officer was reprimanded. Bonham sued. I haven't read anything about Bonham's lawsuit in over two years. I did read something about the officer who stopped him — he's still with the RPD and, two years later, was promoted.
That brings us to this week's news.
The San Antonio Express-News reports that "Last year’s Miss Texas is entering another competition where she’ll be judged on her talents, leadership abilities and appearance. But this time it won’t be a beauty pageant. Averie Bishop became the first Asian American winner of the Miss Texas competition in its 85-year history. Now she’s running for the Texas House."
What's the Richardson connection? Two, actually. Averie Bishop is running for Texas House District 112, which includes much of Richardson up to the Collin County line. And Averie Bishop was crowned Miss Texas at the Eisemann Center right here in Richardson.
|
At a work session August 14, 2023, the Richardson City Council reviewed the 2023-2024 budget proposed by City Manager Don Magner. With property appraisals up, the City is awash in additional tax revenue. With the economy booming (historically low unemployment and solid consumer spending), public complaints about the cost of local government are unusually muted. There were no public speakers at this week's Council meeting. Drawing up this year's budget must have been as easy as falling off a log. The bottom line: the City has $15.4 million more in revenues and is having no trouble finding ways to spend it.
|
Texans who follow the history of public schools in Texas are familiar with the story. The legislature passes mandates theoretically to improve schools but fail to provide sufficient money to pay the costs of implementing the new requirements. The latest example is Texas House Bill 3 (HB3). Except this time, it doesn't even pretend to improve education. It requires Texas school districts to have an armed officer on every campus, as if the secret to better reading scores is more guns. No, that's too absurd for even the Texas legislature. For them, it's the secret to ending gun violence in schools that is more guns. More guns seems to be their answer to every problem. In any case, for Richardson ISD, it's an underfunded mandate requiring the hiring of an additional 34 security personnel (plus two supervisors) and equipping them with handgun, duty belt, ballistic vest, and RISD Logo shirt.
 |
| From 2022 11 03 Athens |
"Chromatic music,
Athens sings in bright colors.
Melody of paint."
—h/t ChatGPT
This photo-of-the-day was taken in the Stavros Niarchos Park in Athens, Greece. It's just an open piano where park visitors can sit for a minute and pluck out a tune. Or an hour and play a concerto. If you are lucky enough to experience chromesthesia, so much the better for you.
 |
| From 2022 11 03 Athens |
"In oils and water,
The most painted soul endures,
Art's eternal muse."
—h/t ChatGPT
This photo-of-the-day was taken in Athens, Greece. Who is the most painted person in history? It's got to be Jesus, right? By a long shot. Wikipedia has a page devoted to a partial list. Wikipedia even has a page devoted to paintings of Jesus just in the Louvre, and even that is long. Anyway, no matter what the answer is, this artist at the foot of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, is adding to history's collection of Jesus art. And doing a pretty good job of it, too, in my untrained opinion.