Three-Legged Stool of Mixed-Use Development

Mixed-use development rests on three legs. First, residential. Second, retail and restaurants. Third, businesses like hotels that depend on nearby restaurant/retail to attract customers to their own business. Like a stool, all three legs are needed to provide stability. Unlike a stool, you don't have to have all three legs in place for the first leg to serve its purpose. Richardson has a development application that offers a perfect example.

POTD: Rijksmuseum's Cuypers Library

From 2022 07 03 Amsterdam

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Cuypers Library in Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum. The museum is home of thousands of masterpieces by artists like Rembrandt and Vermeer. But the Rijksmuseum is also home to a fantastic research library.

POTD: Canal House Gables

From 2022 07 03 Amsterdam

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the gables of a row of canal houses in Amsterdam. The story we heard is that the style of these gables evolved over the decades and centuries, with older styles losing favor and new styles arising as the architecture fashion changed.

Miracle Workers (TV 2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

Miracle Workers (TV 2019): Heaven as a workplace comedy. A slacker God (Steve Buscemi) decides to end the world. The Answered Prayers dept. determines to prevent that. Not a bad concept, but the show runs out of ideas before it runs out of episodes. Won't be watching season 2. C+

#VeryTardyReview

Tár (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Tár (2022): Orchestra conductor's career is threatened when a former protege commits suicide. I recognize a great movie even though the music theory is over my head and the cancel culture storyline is unresolved. Cate Blanchett is brilliant as the aloof and obsessive genius. A-

Mediterranean Antiquities

Ellen and I cruised the Mediterranean Sea with a Viking ocean cruise. Here are the daily posts we made reporting our progress.

1. Guess where we are.

Bullet Train (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Bullet Train (2022): Toyko mafia, Mexican drug cartel, and Brad Pitt as a reluctant assassin. Kidnap for ransom on a train. Or something. Forget the plot. Lots of quirky characters, lots of action. Lots of fun. Just go along for the ride, even if it isn't going anywhere. B-

POTD: Bike. Canal.

From 2022 07 03 Amsterdam

Today's photo-of-the-day is of a bicycle on a bridge over a canal in Amsterdam. Bicycles and canals seem to be Amsterdam's signature impressions. This one is doing its best to stand out.

POTD: Vrouw met Stola

From 2022 07 03 Amsterdam

Today's photo-of-the-day is of a sculpture on a canal in Amsterdam: Vrouw met Stola (Woman with Shawl), by Pieter d’Hont. He made eleven copies beginning in 1957. This one was placed here in 1996, after previously having been vandalized and dumped in a canal. So the stories about bikes in the canals are true, and it's not just bikes that end up in canals.

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022): A London house cleaner wants a Christian Dior dress, so she saves until she can afford a trip to Paris where she wins over the House of Dior with naivety, charm, and persistence. A feel-good story full of charm itself. B+