"Tour boats glide softly,
beneath cafés and willows,
boys balance with joy."
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| From 2024 09 10 Ljubljana |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Ljubljana, Slovenia. It shows river scenes in the heart of the country's capital city. Needless to say, I love how Ljubljana's downtown features its river.
Bonus photos are after the jump.
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Prime
Artist: John Trumbull.
On July 14, 2025, the Richardson City Council held a worksession where they reviewed draft language for amendments to the City Charter. That language would be placed on the ballot in the November election for the citizens of Richardson to approve or reject.
The Charter Review Commission recommended 48 amendments. Of those only four contain substantive changes. A fifth contains a requirement that the city have an ordinance setting out a Code of Ethics. That is substantive, but because the City already has a Code of Ethics, nothing will need to change. It does prohibit any future City Council from repealing the Code, and for that it is important, maybe the most important amendment, as it emphasizes the importance of a Code of Ethics to the people of Richardson. All of the other amendments are minor changes to clarify the language or to use consistent language in different parts of the charter. The council deliberated on the four substantive amendments and reached a consensus on the direction they'd like to see the City Manager take on the final draft wording of the propositions.
On July 28 a final draft of the amendments will be presented to the council for their approval. Then, on August 11, an ordinance calling an election in November, 2025, will be presented for council's approval.
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Netflix
From Wild Chocolate, by Rowan Jacobsen:
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"Containers at rest.
Order pressed against the sky.
Stacked intentions wait."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 09 10 Ljubljana |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Ljubljana, Slovenia. It shows stacked shipping containers at the port where our cruise ship docked. No story here, just a captivating image of geometric regularity imposed by humans on a natural landscape.
"One small capital
turns a climate tale around —
Slovenian green."
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| From 2024 09 10 Ljubljana |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Ljubljana, "the capital and largest city of Slovenia, located along a trade route between the northern Adriatic Sea and the Danube region, inhabited since prehistoric times. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center." It's also progressive regarding its movement away from fossil fuels, judging by these snapshots from around town.
More photos after the jump.
"The tides softly play
Adriatic Sea music,
symphonies of waves."
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| From 2024 09 09 Zadar |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Zadar, Croatia. It shows that city's Sea Organ, "an architectural sound art object located in Zadar, Croatia and an experimental musical instrument, which plays music by way of sea waves and tubes located underneath a set of large marble steps...The waves interact with the organ and create somewhat random but harmonic sounds."
More photos after the jump.
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Netflix
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Disney+
"From damage to gem,
Dubrovnik doesn't forget—
It only rebuilds."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 09 08 Dubrovnik |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Dubrovnik, Croatia. "In 1991, during the Croatian War of Independence, Dubrovnik was besieged by the Yugoslav People's Army for seven months and suffered significant damage from shelling." Dubrovnik's iconic orange tiled roofs have since undergone repair and today have an orange-red shine, brighter than before. Once again, Dubrovnik is one of the Mediterranean's top tourist destinations.
"In a rear courtyard,
Smoking grandmother keeps watch,
While clothes dry on line."
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| From 2024 09 08 Dubrovnik |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Dubrovnik, Croatia. Dubrovnik is heavily touristed, but as this photo shows, there are still locals behind the walls who make Dubrovnik their home.
A bonus photo is after the jump.
"Dubrovnik stands proud,
A jewel cupped by the coast—
Stone walls kiss the sea."
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| From 2024 09 08 Dubrovnik |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Dubrovnik, Croatia. Dubrovnik is a walled city on the Adriatic coast. You can explore the city on foot. You can walk the walls that surround the city. Dubrovnik is a gem from any angle.
Graphic by City of Richardson.
The City of Richardson is rightly regarded as having some of the best, 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 ten worst places to eat in Richardson last month, based on the City of Richardson's Health Department Restaurant Scores for last month. Not all Richardson restaurants are included in this ranking. Each month, different restaurants are visited by the Health Department. Only those visited last month are ranked here. Only the bottom ten are shown*.
* This month, thirteen restaurants are listed. Five restaurants tied for ninth place with a score of 81, which is objectively good.
2025-06-10: US Marines invading Los Angeles shows the folly of 2nd Amendment supporters saying it's needed to oppose government oppression. It's tragic how many school kids have given their lives for a theory of the 2nd Amendment that's proven to be a fiction all along.
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On airplane
"He said, 'Let’s elope.'
She laughed, 'We’re already here.'
Mountains held their breath."
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| From 2024 09 07 Korto |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Kortor, Montenegro. "The old Mediterranean port of Kotor is surrounded by fortifications built during the Venetian period. It is located on the Bay of Kotor, one of the most indented parts of the Adriatic Sea. Some have called it the southernmost fjord in Europe, but it is a ria, a submerged river canyon."
But that's not what you came to read about. Today's photo-of-the-day is a photo of a bride. I like taking photos of brides who I don't know. Sometimes you can make up a story about them.
A bonus photo is after the jump.
"Here, history sighs
not in ruins, but in life.
Corfu ever thrives."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 09 06 Corfu |
Today's photo-of-the-day is of Corfu, Greece. "The ancient city of Corfu, known as Korkyra, took part in the Battle of Sybota which was a catalyst for the Peloponnesian War, and, according to Thucydides, the largest naval battle between Greek city states until that time. Thucydides also reports that Korkyra was one of the three great naval powers of fifth-century-BC Greece, along with Athens and Corinth.
"Medieval castles punctuating strategic locations across the city are a legacy of struggles in the Middle Ages against invasions by pirates and the Ottomans. The city has become known since the Middle Ages as Kastropolis (Castle City) because of its two castles.
"From 1386 to 1797, Corfu was ruled by Venetian nobility; much of the city reflects this era when the island belonged to the Republic of Venice, with multi-storied buildings on narrow lanes. The Old Town of Corfu has clear Venetian influence. The city was subjected to four notable sieges in 1537, 1571, 1573 and 1716, in which the strength of the city defenses asserted itself time after time, mainly because of the effectiveness of the powerful Venetian fortifications. Writer Will Durant claimed that Corfu owed to the Republic of Venice the fact that it was the only part of Greece never conquered by the Ottomans"
Needless to say, with that history, Corfu offers a blend of surprises around every corner.
"No marble remains,
yet a stride can still be felt.
The race never ends."
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| From 2024 09 05 Olympia |
Today's photo-of-the-day is of the ancient stadium in Olympia, Greece, "where the ancient Olympic Games were held every four years throughout classical antiquity, from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD." There's not much left of the stadium except the bowl itself. After the jump is a bonus photo of a modern athlete demonstrating how heroes are made.
A bonus photo is after the jump.
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Netflix
"Domes of quiet faith,
curved against the cobalt sea.
Santorini blue."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 09 04 Santorini |
Today's photo-of-the-day is the classic view of Santorini, "the largest island of a small, circular archipelago formed by the Santorini caldera." The city clings precariously to the rim of an ancient volcano. "One of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history struck the island about 3,600 years ago, leaving a large water-filled caldera surrounded by deep volcanic ash deposits." Today, it's a Greek paradise in the Aegean Sea.
"High on donkey trails,
buzz of tourists fades away.
I hear only wind."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 09 04 Santorini |
The curse of the Greek Island of Santorini is its popularity. It's usually packed with tourists. So for this photo-of-the-day, I had to use this photo of our Viking cruise ship at anchor in Santorini to try to tell a different story — one of aloneness. Maybe it requires a little too much imagination, but this is my memory of Santorini and I'm sticking to it.
"The theater sleeps.
We walk among its old dreams.
Past lives whisper still."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 09 03 Delphi |
Today's photo-of-the-day shows us back in Greece, back in antiquity, in Delphi, "the seat of Pythia, the major oracle who was consulted about important decisions throughout the ancient classical world. The ancient Greeks considered the centre of the world to be in Delphi". For fifty years, my favorite kind of travel has been time travel. The theater at Delphi was first constructed in the 4th Century BCE. It holds 5,000 people. Standing where they did and imagining all the plays, poetry and musical recitals that our predecessors saw brings the joy of travel to life.
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Netflix
"Fløyfjellet stands still,
Bergen nestled far below,
Fjord gleams like silver."
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| From 2024 07 10 Bergen |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Fløyen, or Fløyfjellet, "one of the 'seven city mountains' in Bergen, Norway. Its highest point is 400 m (1,300 ft) above sea level. The view of the Bergen peninsula makes Fløyfjellet a popular attraction among tourists and locals alike. The Fløibanen funicular transports passengers from the centre of Bergen to a height of 320 m (1,050 ft) in roughly eight minutes."
As the sun sets over Bergen and the Byfjorden (the City Fjord), we say farewell to Norway.
Our next stop? Greece.
A bonus photo is after the jump.
"Windows of thick light,
Gazing down on the bright fjord.
Sea and crown aligned."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 07 10 Bergen |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Haakon's Hall in Bergen, Norway. "It is a medieval stone hall located inside a fortress. The hall was constructed in the middle of the 13th century, during the reign of King Håkon Håkonsson (1217—1263). In medieval times, it was the largest building of the royal palace in Bergen. It is the largest secular medieval building in Norway."
Source: h/t DALL-E.
Project Rodeo. Project Nova. Project Journey. Project Connect. Do you know what any of these are? Even in general terms? I don't. Is that a problem? The Richardson City Council has discussed each of these...subjects, I guess I'll call them, in executive session during council meetings this year. That's all I know about them, the code names used the way code names are used in the military — to keep the enemy from knowing what's going on. In this case, the "enemy" is the public.
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AppleTV+
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AppleTV+
Artist: John Trumbull.
The once-every-ten-years Charter Review Commission concluded their service with their submission to the City Council of a report of their recommendations. I've blogged about the commission meetings. Justin Neth has reported them as well. Dustin Butler of Community Impact (the closest thing Richardson has to a local newspaper) reported on the commission submitting its report to the City Council.
"A meadow once stood,
Now a pulse of modern days.
Sea and city blend."
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| From 2024 07 10 Bergen |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Bergen, Norway. "As of 2022, its population was roughly 289,330. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway after the national capital Oslo. The municipality covers 465 square kilometres (180 sq mi) and is on the peninsula of Bergenshalvøyen. The city centre and northern neighbourhoods are on Byfjorden, 'the city fjord'. The city is surrounded by mountains, causing Bergen to be called the 'city of seven mountains'...According to tradition, the city was founded in 1070 by King Olav Kyrre and was named Bjørgvin, 'the green meadow among the mountains'."
A bonus photo is after the jump.
"Falls sing to the gorge.
Huldra dances in the spray.
White thunder pours down."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 07 09 Flam |
Today's photo-of-the-day shows Kjosfossen, "a waterfall located in Aurland Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The waterfall is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Norway. Its total fall is around 225 metres (738 ft)...The Flåm Line passes directly in front of and over the upper part of the waterfall, which is one of the main attractions for tourists who take the Flåm Line...During the main tourist season in the summer an actress dressed as a legendary Huldra (a seductive forest creature in Scandinavian folklore) dances and sings in front of the waterfall as the trains enter the station for the amusement of the tourists."
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Netflix
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Netfli
#VeryTardyReview
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Max
Graphic by City of Richardson.
The City of Richardson is rightly regarded as having some of the best, 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 ten worst places to eat in Richardson last month, based on the City of Richardson's Health Department Restaurant Scores for last month. Not all Richardson restaurants are included in this ranking. Each month, different restaurants are visited by the Health Department. Only those visited last month are ranked here. Only the bottom ten are shown*.
* This month, only nine restaurants are listed. Four restaurants tied for tenth place with a score of 87, which is objectively very good. So rather than including all four, I left all four out of this report.
2025-05-06: Lessons for Richardson, Texas?
"In the early 2020s, the economic model that had sustained Chinese economic growth since 2008 basically collapsed. This model was based on massive real estate investment — the biggest development boom in the history of the world. Real estate sales funded local governments, so local governments basically approved and supported any and all development that would increase the value of land."
Thoughts on Sinofuturism - by Noah Smith
noahpinion.blog/p/thoughts-on-...
"Steep walls touch the clouds,
Mountains cradle mirrored skies.
Nature's breath is cold."
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| From 2024 07 09 Flam |
Today's photo-of-the-day shows the Nærøyfjord in Norway. "The narrow fjord is a branch of the large Sognefjord. The 11 mile long fjord is only 500 metres wide in some parts." "The Nærøyfjord has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has also been rated by the National Geographic Society as the world's number one natural heritage site along with the Geirangerfjord."
A bonus photo is after the jump.
"Fjord hugs quiet town,
Goats outnumber village folk.
Brown cheese slowly cures."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 07 09 Flam |
Today's photo-of-the-day shows Undredal, Norway. "Undredal is a small village in Aurland Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The popular tourist destination of Undredal is located along the Aurlandsfjorden which is a branch off the massive Sognefjorden in Norway's 'fjord-country.' It sits along the Aurlandsfjorden, about 5 kilometres south of the mouth to the Nærøyfjord."
From The Vegetarian, by Han Kang:
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The appeal of MAGA is an imagined past where America used to make things, before globalization took all the manufacturing overseas. Today I learned that the basis for that belief is just wrong. The graph above shows why. America is still making stuff — about ten times more today than we made in 1947, in inflation-adjusted dollars. That's stuff made right her in the USA, not in China. What gives? Why don't we have ten times more Americans working to produce those goods? That's because of a growth in productivity. While we're making ten times more, the number of Americans working in manufacturing has stayed pretty much flat from 1947 to 2025. Productivity growth through technology, not globalization, is the more important story here.
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Peacock
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AppleTV+
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Netflix
"High above the world,
Norway carves its winding road
through the mountain pass."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 07 08 Sogndal |
Today's photo-of-the-day shows Fortun, Norway, a village on the Sognefjellsvegen, the highest mountain pass road in northern Europe.
"Through cabin windows,
a frozen lake lies silent;
white upon more white."
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| From 2024 07 08 Sogndal |
Today's photo-of-the-day shows the view out the windows of the Sognefjellshytta, "a serviced private tourist cabin in Lom municipality in Innlandet county, completed in 1947." The cabin is located in Norway, near the highest point of the highest mountain pass road in northern Europe.
A bonus photo showing the highway is after the jump.
The Richardson City Council, adding to its long history of misjudgment, has just elected Ken Hutchenrider as Mayor Pro Tem. One of the main duties of Mayor Pro Tem is to chair council meetings in the Mayor's absence. What can go wrong? Richardson City Council meetings have never been a shining example of parliamentary procedure. Often things are confused, and sometimes just plain wrong.
Part 3 of 3.
Source: Hamilton: An American Musical.
No one really knows how the game is played
The art of the trade
How the sausage gets made
We just assume that it happens
But no one else is in the room where it happens.
Source: Hamilton.
In the first two parts of this (too long) blog post (Part 1, Part 2), I congratulated Mayor Amir Omar on trying to add transparency to the council's decisions. And I applauded Jennifer Justice and Joe Corcoran for joining him in voting against moving the decision-making process into secret. And I didn't applaud Hutchenrider, Barrios, Dorian, and Arefin who all voted to continue excluding the public from witnessing the council conduct this important business.
Today, I'll examine the result of the council's closed-door session, their pick for Mayor Pro Tem for 2025-2027. I could have led with that two days ago, but I seriously think the process used (closed instead of open) was the more important story. Mayor Pro Tems come and go. The principle of transparency is forever. My mission is to rescue "transparency" from the lip service that politicians pay it, and give gravity back to the word, so people take it seriously again.
Part 2 of 3.
Source: Hamilton: An American Musical.
No one really knows how the game is played
The art of the trade
How the sausage gets made
We just assume that it happens
But no one else is in the room where it happens.
Source: Hamilton.
Yesterday, in Part 1, I congratulated Mayor Amir Omar on trying to add transparency to the council's decisions. And I applauded Jennifer Justice and Joe Corcoran for joining him in voting against moving the decision-making process into secret. And I didn't applaud Hutchenrider, Barrios, Dorian, and Arefin who all voted to continue excluding the public from witnessing the council conduct this important business.
Today, I'll examine the council's reasoning behind their decision to keep their deliberation secret.
Source: Hamilton: An American Musical.
No one really knows how the game is played
The art of the trade
How the sausage gets made
We just assume that it happens
But no one else is in the room where it happens.
Source: Hamilton.
Amir Omar, when campaigning to become mayor of Richardson, wrote, "As Mayor, I envision propelling our city to regional leadership in transparency." Well, Amir Omar became mayor and on Monday night, while presiding over his first City Council meeting, Mayor Amir Omar began delivering on his promise. It came during the selection of the Mayor Pro Tem.
