POTD: Wat Mahathat Monks

From 2025 03 17 Central Thailand

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken at Wat Mahathat, the Temple of the Great Relic, a Buddhist temple in Ayutthaya, Thailand, north of Bangkok. The young monks, perhaps even without knowing it, recall a detail from the temple's origins.

According to Wikipedia, "The history of Wat Mahathat starts in 1374 when King Borommarachathirat I erected a temple at this place, bearing another name. ... His nephew and successor Ramesuan (1369-1370, 1388-1395) expanded the site in 1384 to build a great temple, while he was here as a monk between his throne offices. During this time the temple got its present name."

---

"Young monks in saffron,
walking where kings once knelt down —
Centuries converse."
— h/t ChatGPT

House of Guinness (TV 2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

House of Guinness (TV 2025): A dark, fictionalized account of the Guinness family business in the 1860s, as they deal with sibling rivalry, scandal, Irish politics, and expansion of the family business to America. After learning the characters' personalities and flaws, the show grows on you. B+

Netflix

Council Recap: Institutional Jealousy

Institutional jealousy: a situation where one organization competes with another because of perceived threats to its status, authority, resources, or reputation.

The Wheel's November 2025 Voters Guide

Early voting is open. Election Day is Tuesday, November 4. If you live in Richardson, your ballot will have 17 Texas constitutional amendments on it, and if you also live in the Richardson ISD, it will have three RISD bond propositions for you to vote for.

In general, Texas constitutional amendments serve one of two purposes. Either they are giveaways to the rich (ask yourself if Scrooge McDuck would be for them or not), or they are panders to the GOP base. They are placed on the ballot by the legislature, which is in the firm control of business interests and/or the far right of the GOP. (Just last week, the Texas GOP voted to censure five of its own members in the Texas House for being insufficiently conservative. These included north Texas representatives Angie Chen Button, Jeff Leach, Morgan Meyer, and Jared Patterson!) Still, there are some amendments I find to be reasonable. To find out which, read on. Also, at the end, I'll have something to say about those RISD propositions.

POTD: Bang Pa-In Royal Palace

From 2025 03 17 Central Thailand

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken at the gardens of the Summer Palace north of Bangkok on the Chao Phraya River. According to Wikipedia, "King Prasat Thong constructed the original complex in 1632, but it fell into disuse and became overgrown in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, until King Mongkut began to restore the site in the mid-19th century. Most of the present buildings were constructed between 1872 and 1889 by King Chulalongkorn."

A bonus photo is after the jump.

POTD: The Death Railway

From 2025 03 17 Central Thailand

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken at Hellfire Pass on the so-called Death Railway, a railroad built to connect Thailand with Burma during WWII, using POWs as forced labor. I learned of the railway, as many did, from the 1957 Oscar Best Picture, "The Bridge on the River Kwai." There is still a museum and memorial to the men who were worked to death in service of the Japanese Empire's war effort.

According to Wikipedia, "More than 250,000 Southeast Asian civilians and 12,000 Allied soldiers built the railway line, including Hellfire Pass. The pass is noted for the harsh conditions and heavy loss of life suffered by its labourers during construction. It was called Hellfire Pass because the sight of emaciated prisoners labouring by burning torchlight resembled a scene from Hell."

A bonus photo is after the jump.

POTD: Bangkok Floating Market

From 2025 03 17 Central Thailand

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken on one of the canals of Bangkok, the city once called the Venice of the East. Today, the city is paved with highways and has some of the worst traffic in the world, but there are still a few places where the old way that commerce was conducted in Bangkok can still be seen. The Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is one such place.

A bonus photo is after the jump.

One Battle After Another (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

One Battle After Another (2025): Former leftist terrorist (Leo DiCaprio) is hunted down by rightwing Col. Lockjaw (Sean Penn) after 15 years. Lots of explosions, gun fights, and car chases, but the broadly drawn characters keep it from being too serious. Lots of plot holes, but great acting makes it excel. A-

In theatres

Superman (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Superman (2025): An overstuffed, unfocused mishmash. Too many villains: Lex Luthor, several supervillains, and an Asian dictator. Too many characters from old comics with nothing to do: Perry White, Jimmy Olson, Ma and Pa Kent, Supergirl. Best thing about it is letting Lois Lane know who Clark Kent is and banter with him. C+

HBO Max

POTD: Quiet Spot on the Chao Phraya River

From 2025 03 13 Bangkok (1)

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, the city's busy water thoroughfare. I don't know the man's story, nor the story of the place behind him. This sight was more typical in Bangkok's past. More commonly seen today on the busy Chao Phraya River are longboats speeding up and down the river, powered by modified automotive diesel motors connected to a long drive shaft and a propeller at the rear.

A bonus photo is after the jump.

POTD: Tourist Strikes Pose at Grand Palace

From 2025 03 13 Bangkok (1)

Today's photo-of-the-day is of a Western tourist striking a pose in front of the Grand Palace in Bangkok. I think it makes a good bookend for the photo of the young Buddhist monk snapping a photo in about the same place. Both photos, taken only moments apart, bring me joy.

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"Royal palace gleams,
tourist stretches arms held wide,
snapshot of Bangkok."
— h/t ChatGPT

POTD: Monk Strikes Pose at Grand Palace

From 2025 03 13 Bangkok (1)

Today's photo-of-the-day is of a young Buddhist monk snapping a pic at the Grand Palace in Bangkok. I found it charming.

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"Shining saffron robe,
snap of joy in sacred place,
peace caught in pixels."
— h/t ChatGPT

La Dolce Villa (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

La Dolce Villa (2025): American father and daughter fix up a rundown Tuscan villa and find fullfillment and new purpose in life. The entire movie is revealed in dialog in the first 7 minutes and 40 seconds, then predictably plays out to its happy ending. Still, it was a welcome palate cleanser after "Black Rabbit." C+

Netflix

Transparency is Not Like Pregnancy

Transparency is not like pregnancy, where either you are or you aren't pregnant, and there are no in-between states. Transparency, like democracy itself, has an endless number of in-between states. No matter where a city government is on the spectrum, there is the opportunity to achieve greater transparency. No one should ever be satisfied with the status quo. It's important to celebrate whenever government takes small steps in the right direction. The Richardson City Council did just that October 6, 2025.

Black Rabbit (TV 2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Black Rabbit (TV 2025): Jude Law plays the owner of a hot NY restaurant when his prodigal brother, played by Jason Bateman, returns from the West Coast and everything goes to shit. Did you think "The Bear" had a restaurant's intensity dialed up to 10? Black Rabbit needs a whole new dial. B+

Netflix

POTD: No I.C.E.

From 2025 03 13 Bangkok (1)

Today's photo-of-the-day is of a sticker posted to a light post in the grounds of the Grand Palace in Bangkok. I think it speaks for itself.

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"Texas to Thailand,
Sticker's global defiance,
Under golden spires."
— h/t ChatGPT

POTD: Emerald Buddha

From 2025 03 13 Bangkok (1)

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok. According to Wikipedia, "Wat Phra Kaeu is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. The complex consists of a number of buildings within the precincts of the Grand Palace in the historical centre of Bangkok. It houses the statue of the Emerald Buddha, which is venerated as the country's palladium." I'm not too proud to admit that I had to look up the meaning of "palladium." It means "protective relic."

Whereas the nearby Reclining Buddha lives up to its hype (46 meters long really is looooong), the Emerald Buddha falls short, for two reasons. For one, it's only about 26 inches tall. And second, it's not made of emerald (beryl). It's made of a semi-precious stone, usually described as jade (nephrite) or jadeite, maybe even jasper, but testing has never been done to confirm its composition.

P.S. Cameras are not allowed inside the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. This photo was taken through the open front door. I don't think I broke any rules.

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"Jade not emerald,
A green stone guards the kingdom.
Bangkok's beating heart."
— h/t ChatGPT

POTD: Bigfoot in Bangkok

From 2025 03 13 Bangkok (1)

Today's photo-of-the-day is of Bigfoot in Bangkok. Our last sighting of Bigfoot around the world was in Rome. Bigfoot in Bangkok outdoes that ancient Roman by a good stretch.

According to Google AI Overview, "The 'Temple of the Reclining Buddha' is Wat Pho, a prominent Buddhist temple complex in Bangkok, Thailand, known for its massive, 46-meter-long gold-plated Reclining Buddha statue. This colossal statue symbolizes the Buddha's passing into Nirvana."

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"Between marble past,
and gilded still eternity,
giant seeks his peace."
—h/t ChatGPT

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 ten 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.

Random Thoughts: So Much for Registering New Citizens to Vote

2025-09-02: "Voter registration groups blocked from naturalization events"
-- NPR
So much for the non-partisan League of Women Voters decades-long partnership with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to register new citizens to vote at naturalization ceremonies.
npr.org/2025/09/02/nx-s1-55258...

POTD: Spanish Steps

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Spanish Steps in Rome. According to Wikipedia, "The monumental stairway of 135 steps is linked with the Trinità dei Monti church, under the patronage of the Bourbon kings of France, at the top of the steps and the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See in the Palazzo Monaldeschi at the bottom of the steps. The stairway was designed by the architects Francesco de Sanctis and Alessandro Specchi."

POTD: Italian Opera Experience on Christmas Day

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Ponte Sant'Angelo Methodist Church. On Christmas Day, this intimate church across the Tiber River from the Castel Sant'Angelo hosted an "Italian Opera Experience." It was a great way to close out our Christmas Day in Rome.

A bonus photo is after the jump.

POTD: The Roof of St. Peter's

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the roof of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.

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"At last the rooftop,
Michelangelo’s great crown,
Standing where he dreamed."
— h/t ChatGPT

Bosch - S01 (TV 2015)

Rotten Tomatoes

Bosch - S01 (TV 2015): Cop works a cold case involving a boy's bones and a case of a serial killer who seems to be teasing Bosch. Bosch might be uncorruptible, but the LAPD isn't. Seven seasons and a spinoff (Ballard) tell me it's time I finally watched this one. B+

Prime

#VeryTardyReview

The Decameron (TV 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Decameron (TV 2024): A satire set in medieval Italy where nobles and servants quarantine themselves from the Black Death. Flippant, dark humor abounds. As the deaths from pestilence and violence mount, the dark humor turns more serious, if that makes sense. C+

Netflix

Highest 2 Lowest (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Highest 2 Lowest (2025): Spike Lee's latest homage to NYC, with Denzel Washington playing a music mogul whose son is kidnapped, setting off both professional and personal crises. When he takes the law into his own hands, he sets off obligatory and implausible chase scenes. B+

AppleTV+

POTD: Michelangelo's Pietà

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is from inside St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. Just inside the Jubilee Year's Holy Door stands Michelangelo's Pietà, which along with Michelangelo's David, get my vote for most beautiful statues ever made. David for its bravado. The Pietà for its pathos.

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"Marble folds like cloth,
a mother cradles her son,
sorrow carved in stone."
— h/t ChatGPT

POTD: St. Peter's Basilica

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is from inside St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on Christmas Day. According to Wikipedia, "It was initially planned in the 15th century by Pope Nicholas V and then Pope Julius II to replace the ageing Old St. Peter's Basilica, which was built in the fourth century by Roman emperor Constantine the Great. Construction of the present basilica began on 18 April 1506 and was completed on 18 November 1626."

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"Family gathered
beneath gold decorated
ceiling far above."
— h/t ChatGPT

POTD: The Holy Door

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Pilgrims throng the stairs to the Holy Door

Today's photo-of-the-day is at the open Holy Door at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on Christmas Day. According to Wikipedia, "A Holy Door is traditionally an entrance portal located within the Papal major basilicas in Rome. The doors are normally sealed by mortar and cement from the inside so that they cannot be opened. They are ceremonially opened during Jubilee years designated by the Pope, for throngs of pilgrims to enter the basilica through those doors to gain the plenary indulgences attached with the Jubilee year celebrations."

We witnessed Pope Francis open St. Peter's Holy Door on Christmas Eve, which marked the beginning of the Jubilee Year 2025. We returned on Christmas Day to walk through it ourselves, along with thousands of pilgrims.

Bonus photos are after the jump.

Nonnas (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Nonnas (2025): Vince Vaughn plays a man who wants to honor his mother by opening a restaurant with four grandmas serving their family recipes. Nothing subtle here, just a big helping of good-hearted nostalgia. B-

Netflix

Eric (TV 2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Eric (TV 2025): Benedict Cumberbatch plays Vincent, the creative genius behind a long-running TV puppet show in the 1980s in NYC. His son is kidnapped and his personal and professional lives start falling apart. Too many side issues are packed into six episodes, including urban decay, crime, AIDS, homophobia, alcoholism, and mental illness. B-

Netflix

POTD: Urbi et Orbi

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is from St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on Christmas Day. Our family is attending the Pope's Urbi et Orbi address. According to Wikipedia; "The Urbi et Orbi address and blessing is the most solemn form of blessing in the Catholic Church, and is reserved for the most solemn occasions. These occasions include Easter, Christmas, and the proclamation of a newly elected pope concluding a conclave...Urbi et Orbi blessings are usually given from the central loggia of Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, at noon." So, even though we were just there on Christmas Eve, we returned on Christmas morning to hear Pope Francis's address and receive his blessing.

Bonus photos are after the jump.

POTD: Hot Chocolate by the River Tiber

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is from a cafe by the River Tiber outside Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome. It's where we stopped on our walk back to our hotel from the Vatican to enjoy hot chocolate. Our family's Christmas Eve in Rome will forever be our favorite Christmas memory.

A bonus photo is after the jump.

POTD: Christmas Eve at Saint Peter's

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is from St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. The photo was taken on Christmas Eve during our family vacation in Rome. We witnessed (via a big screen TV in Vatican Square) Pope Francis opening the Jubilee Door.

A bonus photo is after the jump.

I Still Believe in Empathy

I've been keeping a collection of civic virtues that I once thought were generally non-controversial in American politics, but as I get older I'm finding aren't universally valued at all. Civic virtues like tolerance, compromise, and civility, even virtues like kindness, and democracy itself are no longer valued by some.

Untamed (TV 2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Untamed (TV 2025): Murder mystery makes Yosemite National Park just as gritty and corrupt as any TV police precinct in New York City. The body count climbs, as well as child abductions, missing persons, drug cartels, and bad marriages. Even El Capitan gets splashed with blood. B-

Netflix

Thunderbolts* (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Thunderbolts* (2025): Misfits are separately recruited to assassinate each other until they figure out they've been set up and unite to fight back. Much of the movie feels like a cheap bottle episode set in a dark vault, but it does reach a satisfactory conclusion. It's more about dealing with PTSD and grief than about action heroes. B-

Disney+

The Thursday Murder Club (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Thursday Murder Club (2025): Four old thoroughbreds ham it up playing residents at a senior living center who investigate murders as a hobby. You won't remember the plot, but you will remember these actors playing off each other. That might be enough for you. C+

Netflix

Rules of Order and Procedure

The Richardson City Council's "Rules of Order and Procedure", as approved by Resolution No. 24-03 on February 26, 2024, is the single best place to get your questions answered about how things are run at City Hall on Monday nights. I don't have a change history for that document, but rereading it just now, I see that it (finally) answers questions that I first had years ago. I still have some ideas on future changes needed.

POTD: Victor Emmanuel II Monument

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Victor Emmanuel II Monument in Rome. It's at the head of the Roman forum, but it looks too modern to be from ancient Rome. That's because it is modern. According to Wikipedia, "The monument would celebrate the legacy of the first king of a united Italy and would become a symbol of national patriotism. The project was realized by Giuseppe Sacconi in 1885, in an eclectic style."

A bonus photo is after the jump.

POTD: Lady in Red

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Capitoline Museums in Rome. The "lady in red" is Dessy.

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"Ancient hall of Rome.
A single spark of crimson
contrasts with gray stone."

—h/t ChatGPT

POTD: Grotesque

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Capitoline Museums in Rome. I don't know much about the statue itself, even its age. I neglected to look at the information sign for it — my bad. But, according to EBSCO, an online research service, "Grotesque art is a decorative style characterized by strange, fantastic human and animal forms interwoven with elaborate designs and natural elements, such as plants. Originating in ancient Rome, this style gained renewed interest during the Italian Renaissance after the discovery of the Domus Aurea, Emperor Nero's lavish palace. Artists of the Renaissance, including Raphael and Hieronymus Bosch, embraced grotesque motifs, creating imaginative and playful artworks that contrasted with the era's emphasis on realism. The term "grotesque," derived from the Italian word for cave, evolved to encompass both whimsical and absurd elements, which often included bizarre combinations of figures and intricate patterns. While grotesque art peaked in the sixteenth century, its influence persisted, inspiring later artists like Francisco de Goya."

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"Whimsy and terror,
A scream frozen in marble,
Absurdly grotesque."
— h/t ChatGPT

Ballard (TV 2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Ballard (TV 2025): Whodunnit police action movie. Ballard is on the outs with higher ups and is assigned to work cold cases, where she uncovers things that rattle others in the LAPD. There are multiple overlapping murders/crimes, making the plot hard to follow at times, but it pays off in the end. B+

Prime

The Åre Murders (TV 2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Åre Murders (TV 2025): Swedish. Police procedural. Two murders in the winter snow. Both solved by a visiting detective from Stockholm using her intuition and empathy. Some other shows drag out their seasons to fill 8 or 10 episodes, but this one flies by too soon. Two full stories are told in only five episodes. 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, 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 lowest scores are shown.

The Worst Places to Eat in Richardson Last Month

Graphic by City of Richardson.

Note: This post is late. July's scores were not published on time. (My Bad).

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 July. 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 lowest scores are shown.

Random Thoughts: Progressivism has a Conformity Problem

2025-08-05: "Progressivism — forgive me, left-wing readers — has a conformity problem. Even more than on the right, there are incredible social pressures in left-wing circles to not say anything objectionable. (On the right, by contrast, it seems that you get rewarded the more objectionable things you can say.)"
-- David Brooks.
I can't say he's wrong.

2025-08-08: Headline: "Texas GOP sics FBI on absent Democrats as Texas Senate panel advances gerrymandered congressional map."
I'm old enough to remember when the Texas GOP wanted nothing more than the feds to stay out of Texas's business. I guess it was never about states' rights at all.

POTD: Two Views of the Skyline of Rome

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken through a window of the Capitoline Museums in Rome. The window is old, which I think is why it is textured, rippled, and uneven. Or maybe the antique glass blower wanted it that way. I don't know.

In any case, after the jump is the same scene through a modern glass window.

POTD: Bigfoot

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is of Bigfoot, or rather a big foot because we're not in the forests of North America. We're in the Capitoline Museums in Rome.

POTD: Not the Sistine Chapel

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Vatican Museums. It's plural because there is a seemingly endless number of interconnected galleries, each more marvelous than the last. They all lead to the Sistine Chapel, the most extraordinary of all. But they don't allow photographs to be taken inside the Sistine Chapel, so you'll have to be satisfied with my photo of a different gallery.

A panoramic photo is after the jump.