POTD: Cambodian Commute

From 2015 03 20 Tonle Sap Lake

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the waterway northwest of Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia. It was taken in a floating village. Boats are the only means of transportation.

Multi-Use is not Mixed-Use

We've been through this before, but it's kinda my pet peeve, so here we go again. Steve Brown, real estate editor of The Dallas Morning News, breaks this news:

The new shopping center in the works at Richardson’s $1.5 billion CityLine development is getting a second phase. Developers of the project at the northeast corner of Plano and Renner roads have filed plans with the City of Richardson to add more than 20,000 square feet to the retail center which is already under construction. It's part of the 186-acre mixed-use development that includes State Farm Insurance's 4-story regional office campus.

Source: Steve Brown.

POTD: Floating Banana Trees

From 2015 03 20 Tonle Sap Lake

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the waterway northwest of Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia. It was taken in a floating village. Not only the houses are built on bamboo rafts, even the gardens are. This photo shows floating banana trees. Good times.

Nightcrawler (2014)

IMDB

Nightcrawler (2014): Portrait of a creepy, night-shift TV news photographer. A bit better than watching local news itself for 2 hours. C+

The Wheel Award for Excellence in Motion Pictures

Oscar night is five months gone. "Birdman" was the Academy's pick for "Best Picture." I couldn't say at the time that it would be my pick for "best" movie of 2014 because I hadn't seen it yet. I hadn't seen most of the nominees at that time. Well, now that it's summer, I can finally say I've seen all of the Oscar nominees for "Best Picture" of 2014 and I can pick a winner. Can I get a drum roll?

Repeat Tweets: Instilling My Religious Liberty

Repeat tweets from July, 2015:

• Jul 1 2015: "We are not issuing them because I am instilling my religious liberty in this office." Hood County Clerk Katie Lang star-telegram.com
• Jul 2 2015: "3 reasons the American Revolution was a mistake." History you probably weren't taught in schools. vox.com
• Jul 4 2015: Into the Woods (2014): Musical mashup of fairy tales. By the numbers. Who is target audience? Kids? Adults? Maybe Stephen Sondheim fans. C-
• Jul 8 2015: "What we learn [from Greece] is that fiscal austerity plus hard money is a deeply toxic mix." krugman.blogs.nytimes.com
• Jul 9 2015: Meanwhile, on Tea Party planet, @PeteSessions is "too willing to compromise on critical issues." trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com

After the jump, more repeat tweets.

POTD: Tonle Sap Lake

From 2015 03 20 Tonle Sap Lake

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the waterway northwest of Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia. In the rainy season, the lake floods all of this surrounding land. In the dry season, the channel has to be dredged to reach the lake. Navigating the channels is a challenge. Good times, if you're a passenger on one of the boats.
;-)

Hybrid, Urbanized-Suburbs

I've long promoted growth in Richardson that's walkable, mixed-use, transit-oriented. To me, that's more Uptown/Bishop Arts/Oak Lawn than anything in Richardson, whether it's old like Richardson Heights or new like CityLine. Now Peter Simek in FrontBurner gives me something to think about.

As we have seen in places like Addison and Legacy Town Center in Plano, the suburbs now offer a kind of hybrid, urbanized-suburban situation that can satisfy millennials loves of hikes and bikes and coffee shops without having to give up the suburban conveniences of larger dwellings at more affordable prices.

Source: Peter Simek.

POTD: Rural Cambodia

From 2015 03 20 Tonle Sap Lake

Today's photo-of-the-day is from rural Cambodia, outside Siem Reap, near Angkor Wat. Good times.

American Sniper (2014)

IMDB

American Sniper (2014): Hawkish tale of unreflective man with simple sense of duty with a soul deadened more by war. Selective history. B-