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| Martin Luther King Blvd, Dallas. Source: Google. |
The City of Dallas has bond proposals on its ballot in the May 4, 2024, election. Proposition A will ask voters to approve "$521 million in bond money to repair streets, alleys, sidewalks, bridges and other transportation-related infrastructure over five years." That sounds like a lot. It isn't. It's not even enough to keep up. The Dallas Morning News has the details.
"In Málaga's heart,
stop for coffee and the news,
Spanish elegance."
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| From 2023 09 12 Costa del Sol |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Calle Marqués de Larios in Málaga, Spain. Wikipedia describes it as "the most expensive street to live on in Málaga, and the eleventh most expensive to live on in all of Spain." To sit and read the paper, however, costs only a small tip.
A bonus photo is after the jump.
"In Málaga, Spain,
Picasso's legacy lives
in tapestry's weaves."
—h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2023 09 12 Costa del Sol |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Picasso Museum in Málaga, Spain, the city of Picasso's birth. The museum is only 200 meters from where Picasso was born. It now houses 285 works donated by members of Picasso's family.
In a surprise to me, the work photographed here is not a Picasso painting, but a wool tapestry by Jacqueline Dürrbach made in 1958 after an original Picasso painting, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, from 1907. That painting is housed in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Picasso has been reported to have described the tapestry as better than his original painting.
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Netflix
If the population of north Texas continues to grow, where we will house all the new people? There are only two options: either greater density or more sprawl. Lately, Jim Schutze has been writing on Facebook against so-called "gentle densification" efforts in Dallas. His arguments seem, to me, to lack logical rigor. It's not that he's not smart. He is. It might just be the nature of social media. Anyway, let's examine one of his responses to my own comment in which I suggested that sprawl is worse than density from a cost viewpoint. I said, "Sprawl creates the need for additional future maintenance. Density uses existing infrastructure."
Early voting for the 2024 local elections in Texas is underway. Election Day is May 4, 2024. On the ballot for Richardson voters (at least on my ballot) will be two races. Use Vote411.org to see your personalized ballot. Read on to learn how to vote.
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In theaters
"From Seville's palaces
To Ronda's forbidding cliffs,
Extra virgin bliss."
—h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2023 09 11 Ronda |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from the countryside between Seville and Ronda, Spain. It shows some of Spain's countless olive groves. Spain is the world's largest exporter of olive oil. In 2022, 43% of the world's exports came from Spain.
"Plaza de Toros,
Bullfighting's historic ring,
Hemingway's retreat."
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| From 2023 09 11 Ronda |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Ronda, Spain.
"The city of Ronda is home to the Real Maestranza de Caballería, the oldest and most noble order of horsemanship in Spain since 1485."
The Plaza de toros de Ronda is claimed to be the oldest bullfighting ring in Spain.
"American artists Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles spent many summers in Ronda as part-time residents of Ronda's old-town quarter called La Ciudad. Both wrote about Ronda's beauty and famous bullfighting traditions."
A bonus photo is after the jump.
You may remember Stefani Carter. The former Texas state representative for parts of Richardson, swept into office in the 2010 tea party wave. The ambitious politician who attempted to climb to statewide office (Texas Railroad Commission) in 2014 only to discover that the moneyed interests had other candidates in mind. Who then scrambled back to her legislative race in north Texas but lost her seat when even GOP voters abandoned her in the primary for Linda Koop. The last time we checked in on her was in 2020. What has Stefani Carter been up to since?
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Apple TV+
Part 2 of the April 8, 2024, Richardson City Council meeting. See Part 1 here: "Council Recap: Placetypes".
The City Council received a briefing from consultants on progress on updating the City's Comprehensive Plan. The "Key Policy Areas" presented were placetypes, missing middle housing, and vision for reinvestment areas. Upcoming public engagement opportunities will allow the public to comment on the consultants' recommendations. Here I will report on the City Council's own feedback on missing middle housing and the vision for reinvestment areas, as expressed in the City Council meeting.
On April 8, 2024, the Richardson City Council received a briefing from consultants on progress on updating the City's Comprehensive Plan. The "Key Policy Areas" presented were placetypes, missing middle housing, and vision for reinvestment areas. Upcoming public engagement opportunities will allow the public to comment on the consultants' recommendations. Here I will report on the City Council's own feedback on placetypes, as expressed in the City Council meeting.
"Perched on cliff's edge high,
Ronda's beauty spans the sky,
River far below."
—h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2023 09 11 Ronda |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Ronda, Spain. "Ronda is known for its cliffside location and a deep canyon that carries the Guadalevín River."
"Osborne's black bull reigns
On Spanish roads, silent guard,
Cultural icon."
—h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2023 09 10 Cordoba |
Today's photo-of-the-day is of a highway billboard, the Osborne bull, "a black silhouetted image of a bull in semi-profile...As of July 2022 there are 92 of them installed on hilltops and along roadways throughout much of Spain", as tall as 46 ft. Their history is a fascinating example of bureaucracy at work. Created in 1955 for an advertising campaign, the bulls grew on people and became the symbol of the company, and eventually, the nation. When a 1962 roadside beautification law outlawed billboards within 20 meters of the roadway, the bulls were moved back and enlarged. When a 1974 law banned billboards within 50 meters of roadways, the bulls moved again. A 1994 law targeted the bulls yet again, threatening their removal altogether. This time, the Spanish Supreme Court ruled that the bulls could remain, as they had "aesthetic or cultural significance."
We made a mini road trip to see the 2024 total eclipse of the Sun. This despite our backyard being smack dab in the path of totality. For a week leading up to the eclipse, we anxiously checked the weather forecasts. They were stubbornly pessimistic, predicting rain for the day of the eclipse. But...the National Weather Service said the odds of seeing the eclipse were better the farther northeast of Dallas you were. So, to improve our chances, we planned to drive 100 miles to Paris, Texas, on the morning of the eclipse, then check the forecast and local conditions and decide what to do from there. And so we did.
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Disney+
The City of Richardson is due for a Charter Review this year. It's a once-in-a-decade process. Likely, a Charter Review Commission will be formed, including members of the public. It's not too soon for members of the public to start doing homework to ensure the public interest is served. A good place to start looking is at the city to our south. A Dallas Charter Review Commission is in process of gathering and winnowing recommendations for charter amendments for that city. The Dallas Morning News has an update on its progress.
"Great Mosque encircles
Cathedral nestled within,
Unity in stone."
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| From 2023 09 10 Cordoba |
Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, officially known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, but due to its status as a former mosque, it is also known as the Great Mosque of Córdoba. Not to take sides, but it's the architecture of the mosque that is impressive here. The cathedral was built inside of the mosque and, big as it is, is completely encircled by the sprawling mosque. Little appreciated fact: Jesus lived his whole life without ever stepping foot inside either a mosque or a cathedral.
A bonus photo of the cathedral inside the mosque is after the jump.
"Through centuries past,
Alcázar's splendor endures,
A timeless fortress."
—h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2023 09 09 Seville |
Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Royal Alcázar of Seville, "a historic royal palace in Seville, Spain. It was formerly the site of the Islamic-era citadel of the city, begun in the 10th century and then developed into a larger palace complex by the Abbadid dynasty (11th century) and the Almohads (12th to early 13th centuries). After the Castilian conquest of the city in 1248, the site was progressively rebuilt and replaced by new palaces and gardens." Is it a fort, a castle, a citadel, a palace, a city? Yes. It's a sprawling maze of delights.
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Max
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Hulu
For city finance wonks, Christmas comes twice a year: once in August when the City's budget is set and again when the City's annual comprehensive financial audit (ACFR) is published. The budget specifies the city's cash flow (its planned revenues and expenses). The financial audit details the city's assets (the value of city property, bank accounts, etc.) and its liabilities (outstanding debt, pension obligations, etc.).
2024-03-03: Column: "As measles spreads, 'herd stupidity' grips Florida's government."
Pretty much. Conservative government is harmful to public health. Add that warning to others: Conservative government is harmful to democracy. Conservative government is harmful to the climate. How about just the catch-all warning: "Conservative government is harmful."
sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/colu...
