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| 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.
"Texas to Thailand,
Sticker's global defiance,
Under golden spires."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| 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.
"Jade not emerald,
A green stone guards the kingdom.
Bangkok's beating heart."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| 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."
"Between marble past,
and gilded still eternity,
giant seeks his peace."
—h/t ChatGPT
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.
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...
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| 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."
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| 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.
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| From 2024 12 22 Rome |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from the roof of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.
"At last the rooftop,
Michelangelo’s great crown,
Standing where he dreamed."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| 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.
"Marble folds like cloth,
a mother cradles her son,
sorrow carved in stone."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| 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."
"Family gathered
beneath gold decorated
ceiling far above."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 12 22 Rome |
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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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'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.
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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.
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| 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.
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| From 2024 12 22 Rome |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Capitoline Museums in Rome. The "lady in red" is Dessy.
"Ancient hall of Rome.
A single spark of crimson
contrasts with gray stone."
—h/t ChatGPT
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| 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."
"Whimsy and terror,
A scream frozen in marble,
Absurdly grotesque."
— h/t ChatGPT
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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.
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.
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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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Source: City of Richardson.
carousel (kar-uh-sel) noun.
1. An amusement ride where you go around and around and end up where you started
2. An hour's deliberation by the City Council about public art
The Richardson City Council spent almost an hour talking about a single proposed public art piece for the new City Hall plaza. They pitched to each other various alternative designs and placements, but ended up with six of the seven agreeing to support what the selection panel of experts recommended in the first place, a design called Carousel placed between the new City Hall and the existing fountain.
It reminded me of the quote attributed to Winston Churchill, "Americans can always be trusted to do the right thing, once all other possibilities have been exhausted."
Source: North Texas Municipal Water District.
On August 28, 2025, the Richardson City Council reviewed the proposed 2025-2026 budget. One subject frequently came up: our ever-rising water bills.
Source: City of Richardson.
On August 18, 2025, the Richardson City Council reviewed the proposed 2025-2026 budget. You can watch the whole thing on the city's website. Or you can read a comprehensive account of it or watch an AI video summary on Justin Neth's Substack. Here I'm only going to focus on a few quotes that stood out for me.
Bottom line: The total proposed FY 2025-2026 budget is $418,498,270, an increase of $12,419,51 or 3.1% from FY 2024-2025. The typical taxpayer impact will be an increase of $237/year in taxes and fees paid to the city.
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| From 2024 12 22 Rome |
Today's photo-of-the-day is of tourists posing in front of the most photographed ruin the world — the Colosseum in Rome. I don't usually fill these pages with snapshots of tourists posing in front of tourist attractions, but it's important to me this time. You never know when it might be your last such photo.
Two bonus photos are after the jump.
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| From 2024 12 22 Rome |
Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Colosseum in Rome. According to Wikipedia, "It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world, despite its age. Construction began under the Emperor Vespasian (r. 69-79 AD) in AD 72 and was completed in AD 80 under his successor and heir, Titus (r. 79-81)." The Arch of Titus is near the Colosseum. So, two of the most memorable buildings in ancient Rome today are connected to the emperor Titus, whose reign lasted only two years.
Two bonus photos are after the jump.
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| From 2024 12 22 Rome |
Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Arch of Titus in Rome. I've seen photos of this arch in travel books and history books my whole life, but I've never learned its own history. It's a history that reverberates down to today's headlines.
More text and a bonus photo are after the jump.
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From South of the Border, West of the Sun, by Haruki Murakami:
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#VeryTardyReview
Source: Nay Café by Google Street View.
The Richardson City Council voted unanimously on August 11, 2025, to deny a request for a special use permit for a smoking establishment for an outdoor patio in conjunction with a restaurant.
"Forum far below,
Empire sprawls in ruined grace
'neath Palatine Hill."
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| From 2024 12 22 Rome |
Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Roman Forum from the Palatine Hill. The Palatine Hill, "relative to the seven hills of Rome is the centremost, one of the most ancient parts of the city; it has been called 'the first nucleus of the Roman Empire.' Imperial palaces were built there, starting with Augustus."
A bonus photo (by Dessy) of Ellen and me on the Palatine Hill is after the jump.
"Past and present meet,
Where love was once deified,
Another two stand."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 12 22 Rome |
Today's photo-of-the-day is of John and Dessy posing in front of the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina in the Roman Forum. "The temple was constructed by the Emperor Antoninus Pius, beginning in 141 AD. It was initially dedicated to his deceased and deified wife, Faustina the Elder. Because of this, Faustina was the first Roman empress with a permanent presence in the Forum Romanum. When Antoninus Pius was deified after his death in 161 AD, the temple was re-dedicated to both Antoninus and Faustina by his successor, Marcus Aurelius."
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Source: Ramsee Consulting Group.
In my fourth installment of what happened during the Richardson City Council's 5-hour goal-setting worksession, I reported this about the tactics the council came up with:
After a lunch break, the council broke into two groups of four (with the City Manager added to the seven council members). They were tasked with coming up with their top ten or so tactics. I was confused. There are 13 strategies, but only 10 tactics? Rick Robinson explained that council will decide the top ten tactics, but staff will come back with a long, full list of tactics. When the council came back together they had eight unique tactics, which I wasn't able to capture. Rick Robinson will take the list and do some combining and type them up. The council as a whole then talked about other tactics they wanted to add. Individual council members offered individual tactics. There was little attempt at voting to accept or reject the ideas offered, only some wordsmithing, as always, so I don't know how this discussion will move forward. It seemed to me they ran out of time to produce what I most wanted, a SMART set of short-term action items for the next two years.Source: Ramsee Consulting Group.
At the August 11, 2025, Richardson City Council meeting, we got to see more. Not the final version, but more.
