POTD: Bigfoot in Bangkok

From 2025 03 13 Bangkok (1)

Today's photo-of-the-day is of Bigfoot in Bangkok. Our last sighting of Bigfoot around the world was in Rome. Bigfoot in Bangkok outdoes that ancient Roman by a good stretch.

According to Google AI Overview, "The 'Temple of the Reclining Buddha' is Wat Pho, a prominent Buddhist temple complex in Bangkok, Thailand, known for its massive, 46-meter-long gold-plated Reclining Buddha statue. This colossal statue symbolizes the Buddha's passing into Nirvana."

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"Between marble past,
and gilded still eternity,
giant seeks his peace."
—h/t ChatGPT

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 and 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 from inspections last month. Not all Richardson restaurants are inspected each and every month. Only those inspected last month are ranked here. Only the lowest scores are shown.

Random Thoughts: So Much for Registering New Citizens to Vote

2025-09-02: "Voter registration groups blocked from naturalization events"
-- NPR
So much for the non-partisan League of Women Voters decades-long partnership with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to register new citizens to vote at naturalization ceremonies.
npr.org/2025/09/02/nx-s1-55258...

POTD: Spanish Steps

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Spanish Steps in Rome. According to Wikipedia, "The monumental stairway of 135 steps is linked with the Trinità dei Monti church, under the patronage of the Bourbon kings of France, at the top of the steps and the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See in the Palazzo Monaldeschi at the bottom of the steps. The stairway was designed by the architects Francesco de Sanctis and Alessandro Specchi."

POTD: Italian Opera Experience on Christmas Day

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Ponte Sant'Angelo Methodist Church. On Christmas Day, this intimate church across the Tiber River from the Castel Sant'Angelo hosted an "Italian Opera Experience." It was a great way to close out our Christmas Day in Rome.

A bonus photo is after the jump.

POTD: The Roof of St. Peter's

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the roof of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.

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"At last the rooftop,
Michelangelo’s great crown,
Standing where he dreamed."
— h/t ChatGPT

Bosch - S01 (TV 2015)

Rotten Tomatoes

Bosch - S01 (TV 2015): Cop works a cold case involving a boy's bones and a case of a serial killer who seems to be teasing Bosch. Bosch might be uncorruptible, but the LAPD isn't. Seven seasons and a spinoff (Ballard) tell me it's time I finally watched this one. B+

Prime

#VeryTardyReview

The Decameron (TV 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Decameron (TV 2024): A satire set in medieval Italy where nobles and servants quarantine themselves from the Black Death. Flippant, dark humor abounds. As the deaths from pestilence and violence mount, the dark humor turns more serious, if that makes sense. C+

Netflix

Highest 2 Lowest (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Highest 2 Lowest (2025): Spike Lee's latest homage to NYC, with Denzel Washington playing a music mogul whose son is kidnapped, setting off both professional and personal crises. When he takes the law into his own hands, he sets off obligatory and implausible chase scenes. B+

AppleTV+

POTD: Michelangelo's Pietà

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is from inside St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. Just inside the Jubilee Year's Holy Door stands Michelangelo's Pietà, which along with Michelangelo's David, get my vote for most beautiful statues ever made. David for its bravado. The Pietà for its pathos.

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"Marble folds like cloth,
a mother cradles her son,
sorrow carved in stone."
— h/t ChatGPT