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| From 2025 03 13 Bangkok (1) |
Today's photo-of-the-day was taken on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, the city's busy water thoroughfare. I don't know the man's story, nor the story of the place behind him. This sight was more typical in Bangkok's past. More commonly seen today on the busy Chao Phraya River are longboats speeding up and down the river, powered by modified automotive diesel motors connected to a long drive shaft and a propeller at the rear.
A bonus photo is after the jump.
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| From 2025 03 13 Bangkok (1) |
Today's photo-of-the-day is of a Western tourist striking a pose in front of the Grand Palace in Bangkok. I think it makes a good bookend for the photo of the young Buddhist monk snapping a photo in about the same place. Both photos, taken only moments apart, bring me joy.
"Royal palace gleams,
tourist stretches arms held wide,
snapshot of Bangkok."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2025 03 13 Bangkok (1) |
Today's photo-of-the-day is of a young Buddhist monk snapping a pic at the Grand Palace in Bangkok. I found it charming.
"Shining saffron robe,
snap of joy in sacred place,
peace caught in pixels."
— h/t ChatGPT
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Netflix
Transparency is not like pregnancy, where either you are or you aren't pregnant, and there are no in-between states. Transparency, like democracy itself, has an endless number of in-between states. No matter where a city government is on the spectrum, there is the opportunity to achieve greater transparency. No one should ever be satisfied with the status quo. It's important to celebrate whenever government takes small steps in the right direction. The Richardson City Council did just that October 6, 2025.
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Netflix
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| From 2025 03 13 Bangkok (1) |
Today's photo-of-the-day is of a sticker posted to a light post in the grounds of the Grand Palace in Bangkok. I think it speaks for itself.
"Texas to Thailand,
Sticker's global defiance,
Under golden spires."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2025 03 13 Bangkok (1) |
Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok. According to Wikipedia, "Wat Phra Kaeu is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. The complex consists of a number of buildings within the precincts of the Grand Palace in the historical centre of Bangkok. It houses the statue of the Emerald Buddha, which is venerated as the country's palladium." I'm not too proud to admit that I had to look up the meaning of "palladium." It means "protective relic."
Whereas the nearby Reclining Buddha lives up to its hype (46 meters long really is looooong), the Emerald Buddha falls short, for two reasons. For one, it's only about 26 inches tall. And second, it's not made of emerald (beryl). It's made of a semi-precious stone, usually described as jade (nephrite) or jadeite, maybe even jasper, but testing has never been done to confirm its composition.
P.S. Cameras are not allowed inside the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. This photo was taken through the open front door. I don't think I broke any rules.
"Jade not emerald,
A green stone guards the kingdom.
Bangkok's beating heart."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| 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."
"Between marble past,
and gilded still eternity,
giant seeks his peace."
—h/t ChatGPT
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.