POTD: Bigfoot

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is of Bigfoot, or rather a big foot because we're not in the forests of North America. We're in the Capitoline Museums in Rome.

POTD: Not the Sistine Chapel

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Vatican Museums. It's plural because there is a seemingly endless number of interconnected galleries, each more marvelous than the last. They all lead to the Sistine Chapel, the most extraordinary of all. But they don't allow photographs to be taken inside the Sistine Chapel, so you'll have to be satisfied with my photo of a different gallery.

A panoramic photo is after the jump.

Too Much (TV 2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Too Much (TV 2025): A Lena Dunham sitcom full of dysfunctional relationship, starring Megan Stalter as a needy, high-maintenance, intense young woman surrounded by others just as dysfunctional. It's in the title - TMI for my taste, but I'm not the target audience, am I? C+

Netflix

Carousel Ride

Source: City of Richardson.

carousel (kar-uh-sel) noun.
1. An amusement ride where you go around and around and end up where you started
2. An hour's deliberation by the City Council about public art

The Richardson City Council spent almost an hour talking about a single proposed public art piece for the new City Hall plaza. They pitched to each other various alternative designs and placements, but ended up with six of the seven agreeing to support what the selection panel of experts recommended in the first place, a design called Carousel placed between the new City Hall and the existing fountain.

It reminded me of the quote attributed to Winston Churchill, "Americans can always be trusted to do the right thing, once all other possibilities have been exhausted."

Ever Rising Water Bills

Source: North Texas Municipal Water District.

On August 28, 2025, the Richardson City Council reviewed the proposed 2025-2026 budget. One subject frequently came up: our ever-rising water bills.

Budget Talk by the Council

Source: City of Richardson.

On August 18, 2025, the Richardson City Council reviewed the proposed 2025-2026 budget. You can watch the whole thing on the city's website. Or you can read a comprehensive account of it or watch an AI video summary on Justin Neth's Substack. Here I'm only going to focus on a few quotes that stood out for me.

Bottom line: The total proposed FY 2025-2026 budget is $418,498,270, an increase of $12,419,51 or 3.1% from FY 2024-2025. The typical taxpayer impact will be an increase of $237/year in taxes and fees paid to the city.

POTD: Tourists Photobomb the Colosseum

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is of tourists posing in front of the most photographed ruin the world — the Colosseum in Rome. I don't usually fill these pages with snapshots of tourists posing in front of tourist attractions, but it's important to me this time. You never know when it might be your last such photo.

Two bonus photos are after the jump.

POTD: Three Views of the Colosseum

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Colosseum in Rome. According to Wikipedia, "It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world, despite its age. Construction began under the Emperor Vespasian (r. 69-79 AD) in AD 72 and was completed in AD 80 under his successor and heir, Titus (r. 79-81)." The Arch of Titus is near the Colosseum. So, two of the most memorable buildings in ancient Rome today are connected to the emperor Titus, whose reign lasted only two years.

Two bonus photos are after the jump.

POTD: Arch of Titus

From 2024 12 22 Rome

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Arch of Titus in Rome. I've seen photos of this arch in travel books and history books my whole life, but I've never learned its own history. It's a history that reverberates down to today's headlines.

More text and a bonus photo are after the jump.

Exterritorial (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Exterritorial (2025): German. Mildly entertaining action thriller. Ex-soldier with PTSD hunts for her young son who vanishes inside a US consulate where the whole movie takes place. The plot is full of convenient occurrences and unexplained elements. C+

Netflix