POTD: Selfie at 433 Feet

From 2015 03 11 Jakarta

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Jakarta, Indonesia, specifically the top of the National Monument, a 433 foot tower in central Jakarta built to commemorate the struggle for Indonesian independence. The photo shows a universal tendency of smartphone owners to snap a photo of themselves at tourist sites (and almost anywhere else, for that matter). It turns out we really are all alike under the skin.

The One I Love (2014)

IMDB

The One I Love (2014): Couple in counseling meet their doppelgängers in a guest house. Who's who? Fun movie if you don't question it. B-

OTBR: California Redwoods

Latitude: N 37° 24.270
Longitude: W 122° 21.288

A child on a road trip with his family asks, "Where are we?" and the father answers, "Let's check the map. We're off the blue roads [the Interstate Highways marked in blue on the road atlas]. We're off the red roads [the US and state highways]. We're off the black roads [the county highways]. I think we're off the map altogether." It was always my dream to be off the map altogether.

After the jump, a few of the random places (and I mean random literally) that I visited vicariously last month that are "off the blue roads".

15 Highway Projects North Texas Needs

Not really. More like 15 highway projects the highway industry and their lobbyists want. The list is offered unquestioningly by Dallas Business Journal's Nicholas Sakelaris.

There are two numbers buried in this story that suggest to me that maybe we ought to be rethinking our dependence on highways to, as Sakelaris puts it, "keep the economy rolling."

Interstellar (2014)

IMDB

Interstellar (2014): Wormhole shows humans way off dying Earth. Mishmash of ideas. Explains plot with dialog not action. Waste of talent. D+

Repeat Tweets: No Higher, No Wider US 75

Repeat tweets from April, 2015:

• Apr 1 2015: "What happened to 'no-higher, no-wider' for US 75 through Richardson?" For once I agree with Rodger Jones. dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com
  
• Apr 3 2015: Force Majeure (2014): Different reactions to skiing avalanche split family. Not a disaster movie, but OK psychological study of stress. C+
  
• Apr 8 2015: Headline: "Denver Broncos CB Aqib Talib Involved In Dallas Nightclub Incident." Berkner grad. So sad. dfw.cbslocal.com
  
• Apr 11 2015: Birdman (2014): Pretentious. Over-acted. Movie and theater-industry navel-gazing. Oscar mistake. C+
  

After the jump, more repeat tweets.

POTD: Young Friends

From 2015 03 11 Jakarta

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Jakarta, Indonesia, specifically the steps of the National Monument, a 433 foot tower in central Jakarta built to commemorate the struggle for Indonesian independence. I don't have a story to go with this photo. I just like the image. The white clothing. The green space in an urban setting. The photo is not even of the monument itself. It's of school children sitting together on the steps of the monument. Their backs are towards the monument. To me the image symbolizes the limitless possibilities of youth and the universality of friendship. Good things to contemplate after the discouragements of the last few days. Don't ask about those. I'd rather think about young friends.

A Very Bad Wizard

Dorothy: "Oh - You're a very bad man!"
Wizard: "Oh, no my dear. I'm a very good man.
I'm just a very bad Wizard."

Source: L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

First, let's dispose of the dry, legal matters. As widely expected, the report of the outside legal counsel, George A. Staples, Jr, to the Richardson City Council found no violations of the city charter, the code of ethics, or state law regarding the actions of Mayor Laura Maczka or the city council in the Palisades zoning case or in the mayor's decision not to serve another term.

Whiplash (2014)

IMDB

Whiplash (2014): Young jazz drummer is tyrannized by a domineering teacher. One note drama. No character development. Awful pedagogy. B-

The Wheel Voter's Guide

The Richardson City Council election is Saturday, May 9, 2015. Early voting begins today, April 27.

The City Council has seven members. Four incumbents (Mark Solomon, Scott Dunn, Paul Voelker, and Steve Mitchell are running for re-election unopposed. One incumbent, Bob Townsend in Place 1, is being challenged by Rick Wilder. One incumbent, Kendal Hartley in Place 4, has chosen not to run for re-election. His place is being contested by newcomers Mabel Simpson and Claudia Tatum.

Mayor Laura Maczka is running for re-election unopposed, but has announced that she will not take the oath of office for a second term. That means, according to the City Charter, that whoever the new Mayor Pro Tem is, chosen by the new council, will become Mayor for the next term. So, even though there will be an election for Mayor this year, the electorate's choice will not actually serve as mayor. Call it Democalypse 2015 (h/t Jon Stewart).

Not that anyone should care, but here are The Wheel's recommendations for how to vote.