Sunday, April 16, 2023

POTD: Schönbrunn Palace

From 2022 07 16 Vienna

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Schönbrunn Palace the summer residence of the Habsburg rulers, just outside Vienna, Austria. The photo was deliberately chosen to pass on an important tourist tip: give yourself plenty of time to tour the palace. It's huge. You might tire out just walking across the courtyard at the entrance.

Bonus photo after the jump.

Saturday, April 15, 2023

Looking for Leadership in a Mayor

Source: Dubey for Richardson

The mayor's race is heating up. The Dallas Morning News endorsed Janet DePuy. In its interview with her opponent, "[Bob] Dubey said Voelker’s 'micromanagement from the top down' has deterred some council members and residents from speaking at council meetings." Then, in a Facebook post, Dubey said, "I vow to show each city council person and city staff member respect and let their voices be heard." It all sounds good (if you ignore the disrespectful subtext Dubey himself shows towards Mayor Voelker), but what's really behind it?

POTD: Sacher Torte

From 2022 07 16 Vienna

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Hotel Sacher in Vienna, Austria. I'll let Wikipedia explain what makes this place special.

Hotel Sacher is a five-star luxury hotel in Vienna, Austria, facing the Vienna State Opera in the city's central Innere Stadt district. It is famous for the specialty of the house, the Sachertorte, a chocolate cake with apricot filling.
Source: Wikipedia.

Bonus photos after the jump.

Friday, April 14, 2023

The Money Race for City Council

Source: DALL-E

Candidates file campaign finance reports 30 days before elections. For the City of Richardson, that means all candidates in contested races for City Council, including mayor, have filed reports. In a recent post, I looked at the money race for mayor. In this post, I'll focus on the other City Council races. We'll look at the Richardson ISD later.

Thursday, April 13, 2023

Following the Money 30 Days Out

Source: DALL-E

Candidates file campaign finance reports 30 days before elections. For the City of Richardson, that means candidates for City Council, including mayor, should have filed reports by now. In this post, I'll focus on the main draw on the card, the mayor's race between Bob Dubey and Janet DePuy. We'll look at the other races (and the Richardson ISD) later.

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Living (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Rotten Tomatoes

Living (2022): Bill Nighy, in an Oscar nominated role, plays a bureaucrat skilled at burying citizen petitions in red tape who gets a medical diagnosis that changes his life. A little story, quietly told. A heartwarming tear-jerker, in the best possible way. A Kurosawa remake. B+

Sunday, April 9, 2023

POTD: Hofburg Palace

From 2022 07 16 Vienna

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, the former principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty.

Bonus photos after the jump.

Saturday, April 8, 2023

POTD: Modern Vienna

From 2022 07 16 Vienna

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Vienna, Austria. It shows modern Vienna, maybe an unusual view of this major city of Europe better known for its rich history. Vienna was the site of a fortress built by the ancient Romans to guard the frontier against Germanic tribes. For five hundred years it was the seat of the Hapsburg emperors. That history has resulted in so many historic buildings and sites that the city center was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

The Morning Show - S01 (TV 2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

Rotten Tomatoes

The Morning Show - S01 (TV 2019): The #MeToo movement as it plays out on a network morning program. Some scheme to get their job back, some to hang onto theirs, some to get a promotion. Stories converge to a suspenseful finale. Already seems dated. It doesn't add much, but it's fascinating to watch. A-

#VeryTardyReview

Monday, April 3, 2023

POTD: Göttweig Abbey

From 2022 07 15 Melk and Gottweig

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Göttweig Abbey on the Danube River in Austria. Founded in the 11th Century, the abbey was rebuilt in Baroque style after a catastrophic fire in 1719. The photo shows the imperial staircase, the largest Baroque staircase in Austria.

After the jump, there is a photo of the organ in Gottweig Abbey church.