POTD: Bergen

"A meadow once stood,
Now a pulse of modern days.
Sea and city blend."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 10 Bergen

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Bergen, Norway. "As of 2022, its population was roughly 289,330. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway after the national capital Oslo. The municipality covers 465 square kilometres (180 sq mi) and is on the peninsula of Bergenshalvøyen. The city centre and northern neighbourhoods are on Byfjorden, 'the city fjord'. The city is surrounded by mountains, causing Bergen to be called the 'city of seven mountains'...According to tradition, the city was founded in 1070 by King Olav Kyrre and was named Bjørgvin, 'the green meadow among the mountains'."

A bonus photo is after the jump.

POTD: Kjosfossen

"Falls sing to the gorge.
Huldra dances in the spray.
White thunder pours down."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 09 Flam

Today's photo-of-the-day shows Kjosfossen, "a waterfall located in Aurland Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The waterfall is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Norway. Its total fall is around 225 metres (738 ft)...The Flåm Line passes directly in front of and over the upper part of the waterfall, which is one of the main attractions for tourists who take the Flåm Line...During the main tourist season in the summer an actress dressed as a legendary Huldra (a seductive forest creature in Scandinavian folklore) dances and sings in front of the waterfall as the trains enter the station for the amusement of the tourists."

The Four Seasons (TV 2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Four Seasons (TV 2025): Remake of 1981 original movie. Follows the same formula: Three couples go on vacations together throughout the year, gradually exposing personal flaws and rifts in friendship. Light, fun entertainment in eight, easy-to-swallow bites. B-

Netflix

The Four Seasons (1981)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Four Seasons (1981): Original movie by Alan Alda with an ensemble cast. Story of three couples who take vacations together. Spring starts with fun and games, but as the year wears on, things get less fun as everyone gets on each other's nerves. More like a light TV movie than a serious drama. B-

Netfli

#VeryTardyReview

Mickey 17 (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Mickey 17 (2025): Satire by Bong Joon Ho. A man volunteers for dangerous missions on a long space voyage. He's expendable because his body can be 3D printed anew each time he dies. As much broad comedy as satire, the movie works on multiple levels. Maybe the satire targets a bit too much, making it a bit too long. B+

Max

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, 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 ten worst places to eat in Richardson last month, based on the City of Richardson's Health Department Restaurant Scores for last month. Not all Richardson restaurants are included in this ranking. Each month, different restaurants are visited by the Health Department. Only those visited last month are ranked here. Only the bottom ten are shown^*.

^* This month, only nine restaurants are listed. Four restaurants tied for tenth place with a score of 87, which is objectively very good. So rather than including all four, I left all four out of this report.

Random Thoughts: Lessons for Richardson, Texas?

2025-05-06: Lessons for Richardson, Texas?
"In the early 2020s, the economic model that had sustained Chinese economic growth since 2008 basically collapsed. This model was based on massive real estate investment — the biggest development boom in the history of the world. Real estate sales funded local governments, so local governments basically approved and supported any and all development that would increase the value of land."
Thoughts on Sinofuturism - by Noah Smith
noahpinion.blog/p/thoughts-on-...

POTD: Nærøyfjord

"Steep walls touch the clouds,
Mountains cradle mirrored skies.
Nature's breath is cold."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 09 Flam

Today's photo-of-the-day shows the Nærøyfjord in Norway. "The narrow fjord is a branch of the large Sognefjord. The 11 mile long fjord is only 500 metres wide in some parts." "The Nærøyfjord has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has also been rated by the National Geographic Society as the world's number one natural heritage site along with the Geirangerfjord."

A bonus photo is after the jump.

POTD: Undredal

"Fjord hugs quiet town,
Goats outnumber village folk.
Brown cheese slowly cures."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 09 Flam

Today's photo-of-the-day shows Undredal, Norway. "Undredal is a small village in Aurland Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The popular tourist destination of Undredal is located along the Aurlandsfjorden which is a branch off the massive Sognefjorden in Norway's 'fjord-country.' It sits along the Aurlandsfjorden, about 5 kilometres south of the mouth to the Nærøyfjord."

Book Review: The Vegetarian

From The Vegetarian, by Han Kang:

Amazon

"As far as I was concerned, the only reasonable grounds for altering one’s eating habits were the desire to lose weight, an attempt to alleviate certain physical ailments, being possessed by an evil spirit, or having your sleep disturbed by indigestion. In any other case, it was nothing but sheer obstinacy for a wife to go against her husband’s wishes as mine had done."