POTD: Street Food in Samarkand

From 2025 09 22 Samarkand

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken on the street outside the Observatory of Ulugh Beg in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. According to Wikipedia, "Ulugh Beg, the son of Shah Rukh and grandson of Amir Timur, became the ruler of Samarkand in the 15th century AD. Ulugh Beg was very skilled in mathematics and astronomy...[The observatory] could accurately measure the sun from the horizon, the altitude of a star and other planets. The duration of the year, period of planets, and eclipses were measured by this device. Ulugh Beg's measurements of planets closely relate to today's measurement."

Oh, the photo. It shows, not a model of Saturn's rings, but freshly baked bread offered by a street vendor outside the observatory.

A bonus photo of the observatory itself is after the jump.

POTD: Madrasa Interior

From 2025 09 22 Samarkand

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the interior of the Tilakari Madrasa in Samarkand, Uzbekistan's Registan Square. It was built between 1646 and 1660. According to Wikipedia, "The Tilakari Madrasa is widely regarded as a masterpiece of Timurid architecture, a tradition deeply rooted in the Persianate architectural and artistic legacy that dominated Central Asia during the 14th-17th centuries...The madrasa reflects the refined aesthetics developed in Iran, Khurasan, and Transoxiana, where Persian cultural and artistic norms shaped the visual identity of the Timurid Empire."

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"Samarkand still glows;
A thousand careful details
Defying the years."
— h/t ChatGPT

Council Recap: Debating a Rounding Error—Day 2

The Richardson City Council conducted its annual budget workshop. Yesterday, I reported on Day 1's peculiar focus on one $5,000 budget expense ("Council Recap: Debating a Rounding Error"). Here I want to cover Day 2, specifically what happened to any leftover questions regarding that one item. This time, roughly 18–20 minutes was devoted to this topic. The mills of government grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly fine. Spoiler: there was a surprise ending!

Council Recap: Debating a Rounding Error

The Richardson City Council started its annual budget workshop August 3, 2026. Day 1 focused on the General Fund revenues and expenditures. Day 2 is scheduled to focus on the Operating Funds. (Note: this article was written after Day 1 but before Day 2.) The graphic above is one slide from the city's presentation. I am not going to discuss the $190 million General Fund Expenditures in the proposed budget. That would be too logical. Instead, I'm going to discuss one proposed $5,000 expenditure. Why? Because that's what the council spent time talking about. Too much time, in my opinion, given its tiny impact on the budget.

Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025): A war movie painted in pastels. For visual sweep and grandeur, Dances with Wolves is better. For emotional punch, Apocalyse Now is much better. Avatar is 192 minutes too long. C-

Disney+

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.

POTD: Mausoleum of Tamerlane

From 2025 09 22 Samarkand

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken at the Mausoleum of Tamerlane in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. According to Wikipedia, "Timur (c. 1320s—1405), also known as Tamerlane, was a Turco-Mongol conqueror, first ruler of the Timurid dynasty, and the founder of the Timurid Empire, which ruled over modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia. He was undefeated in battle and is widely regarded as one of the greatest military leaders and tacticians in history, as well as one of the most brutal and deadly. Timur is also considered a great patron of the arts."

Surprisinly, this photo is not of his mausoleum. It's only the gate that leads to his mausoleum, which becomes visible after you walk through the gate. The photo of his actual mausoleum is after the jump.

POTD: Waiting for the Caravan

From 2025 09 22 Samarkand

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken at Registan Square in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. It shows a wooden bench outside one of the madrasahs, where "L" sits at peace in a city older than time.

Bonus photos are after the jump.