POTD: Avenida Francisco I. Madero

From 2025 05 30 Mexico City

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in a major shopping street in central Mexico City, La Avenida Francisco I. Madero.

Another photo, of Calle de Fray Pedro de Gante, is after the jump.

Ballerina (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Ballerina (2025): The torch is passed on the John Wick saga. Ana de Armas takes over as an assasin in training. Same old shit as Keanu Reeves's four movies. If you like action movies with lots of violence (or you're stuck on an airplane over the Atlantic), this could be for you. C+

On airplane

The Chair Company (TV 2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Chair Company (TV 2025): Corporate fraud thriller/comedy? Tim Robinson plays a manager whose chair collapses while he's giving a presentation. He's embarrassed enough to investigate the chair company and uncovers a vast conspiracy theory that gets more convoluted as time goes on. Don't expect answers. C-

HBO Max

No Truman Exception in Richardson

The Richardson City Council directed the City Manager to draft a City Charter amendment that would require a council member who announces their candidacy for another office to immediately resign from the City Council. The amendment, if passed by voters in May, would apply retroactively, meaning that Council Member Dan Barrios, who is running for Congress, would automatically be removed from office.

Can they do this? Setting aside the retroactive nature of the amendment, they can. ("A home-rule city with two-year terms may provide in its charter that a mayor or council member who becomes a candidate for another office automatically vacates the current office." — Attorney General Opinion No. GA-02 17.)

Ne Zha II (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Ne Zha II (2025): Children's movie, but be warned: it's nonstop violence. Visually stunning animation, but the style seems to change with each scene. Too many characters. Too much confusing back story. Maybe you have see Ne Zha I first. C+

HBO Max

Marty Supreme (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Marty Supreme (2025): Timothee Chalamet plays a small-time, fast-talking hustler trying to beg, borrow, or steal the funds needed to get into the world table tennis championship in Tokyo. Fascinating to watch the acting, even if you can't like the character. A-

In theatres

POTD: Sanborns Madero

From 2025 05 30 Mexico City

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Sanborns Madero in cental Mexico City. According to Gemini, "Sanborns Madero in Mexico City is the iconic, historic first location of the Sanborns chain, nestled inside the stunning blue-tiled Casa de los Azulejos (House of Tiles) on Madero Street, offering traditional Mexican food like Enchiladas Suizas, a classic department store experience, and a glimpse into history with its beautiful architecture and murals, making it a must-visit landmark in the Centro Histórico."

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"A café, a store,
a museum of habits
still alive, still strong."
— h/t ChatGPT

POTD: National Museum of Anthropology

From 2025 05 30 Mexico City

Welcome to Mexico City. Our first photo-of-the-day in Mexico was taken at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. According to Wikipedia, it is the largest and most visited museum in Mexico. The exhibition halls surround a courtyard with a fountain featuring a huge concrete umbrella supported by a single pillar.

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"Under umbrella,
many worlds stand side by side,
still speaking softly."
— h/t ChatGPT

TIL: Americans Are Not Exceptional

I used to think (a long, long time ago) that America was exceptional. That it couldn't happen here, where "it" was some atrocity or another that was perpetrated by another country in another time and place. Then I had to acknowledge that there were just too many exceptions to hold that naive thinking. Today I read two things that bring that point home, from two different eras in history.

Pluribus (TV 2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Pluribus (TV 2025): Extraterrestrials make everyone on Earch happy. Only Rhea Seehorn is immune. So she takes it as her mission to save the world from happiness. It's like a Twilight Zone episode where the twist happens in the first episode and the interesting part is watching how it all plays out for nine episodes. A-

AppleTV

Materialists (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Materialists (2025): A professional matchmaker's own perfect man must offer it all — love and money. When a client is sexually assaulted, she questions everything about her job and her own goals. The first half of movie is a thought-provoking look at dating. Second half reverts to rom-com tropes. B-

HBO Max

Ballad of a Small Player (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Ballad of a Small Player (2025): High stakes gambling addict knows his luck will change if he can just con someone into staking him enough for one big bet. Colin Farrell is great and Macau is luxurious, but the plot and the characters are threadbare. C+

Netflix

Champagne Problems (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Champagne Problems (2025): Young woman is sent to Paris to negotiate the acquisition of a champagne winery. First day she meets a handsome man. Naturally, romance ensues. The only plot twist is predictable. But it's harmless fun with plenty of shots of Paris at Christmas time. B-

Netflix

POTD: Goodbye to Thailand...and to John

From 2025 03 26 Bangkok (2)

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken at Wat Arun in Bangkok on the morning of our last day in Thailand.

After the jump, one last photograph.

POTD: Our Last Dinner

From 2025 03 26 Bangkok (2)

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken at the rooftop restaurant of the Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit on Ellen's and my last night in Thailand after a wonderful two week vacation. We were thankful that John and Dessy flew from Jakarta to Bangkok to be with us. Little did we suspect it was to be our last supper ever with John. Three months later, back in Jakarta, John was hospitalized after a short illness. Ellen and I made the long trip to Jakarta to be with him. John passed away, surrounded by Dessy, Ellen and me, and Dessy's family and many of their closest friends. John was only 36. We will be forever grateful for those 36 years and all of the times and places we were able to share with him.

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"Rooftop memories
where our laughter met the dark.
Love outlives the meal."
— h/t ChatGP

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 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: Something Deeply Disturbing About AI

2025-12-01: I just tested a web service that "detects AI-generated content." I fed one of my blog posts through it. It reported that it contained 74% AI-generated content. Then, for a fee, it offered to rewrite my blog post to make it appear 100% human. There's something deeply disturbing about that.