Lupin (TV 2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

Lupin (TV 2021): French. Burglar inspired by 100-yr-old novel seeks revenge for injustice done to his father 25 years before. He steals a priceless necklace from the Louvre. Heists. Action. Lovable rogue. At heart is Lupin's relationship with his own son. Story is incomplete. B+

POTD: Abu Simbel

From 2019 11 20 Abu Simbel

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Abu Simbel on the shores of Lake Nasser in southern Egypt. The construction of the Aswan High Dam that created Lake Nasser in the 1960s also flooded more than a dozen ancient Egyptian temples. Before the floodwaters could reach the Abu Simbel temples, "the entire site was carefully cut into large blocks (up to 30 tons, averaging 20 tons), dismantled, lifted and reassembled in a new location 65 metres higher and 200 metres back from the river, in one of the greatest challenges of archaeological engineering in history."

The White Tiger (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

The White Tiger (2021): A lower-caste Indian grows up wanting to rise above his servant caste. He talks his way into being a driver for a rich man. But a betrayal convinces him that being a loyal servant won't protect him. Hero or anti-hero? A good insight into modern India. B+

Owens Farm Redevelopment

It's been seven years since Owens Farm closed. That was plenty of time for the city and neighbors to solve the problem of what would replace it. Why we always wait until a property sells before paying attention to it is frustrating. I blogged about it in 2013. I don't think that post ages all that well (meaning I didn't set my hair on fire sounding the alarm). I guessed that developers would try to build an office building or an apartment building. I didn't guess it would be warehouses. Don't we have a whole warehouse district just to the southwest that we're trying to figure out how to redevelop? Why doesn't the left hand know what the right hand is doing?

Motherless Brooklyn (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

Motherless Brooklyn (2019): 1950s Brooklyn film noir. Detective gets whacked. His partner digs into why and turns up corruption at highest level of city govt. A study in power, urban development, and race relations. Fictionalization of Robert Moses, the master builder of NYC. B-

#VeryTardyReview

POTD: Aswan High Dam

From 2019 11 19 Aswan

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Aswan, Egypt. It shows Lake Nasser, one of the world's largest man-made lakes. It was created by the Aswan High Dam, the world's largest embankment dam built across the Nile River at Aswan Egypt. I remember when it was built in the 1960s. In my mind's eye, I saw another Hoover Dam. But it's less impressive. Instead of being built across a deep canyon, the Aswan dam is built across a broad valley. Nevertheless, it was a major engineering feat, even if it's not as photogenic as Hoover Dam.

One Night in Miami (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

One Night in Miami (2020): Malcolm X, Cassius Clay, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke meet in Miami after Clay wins world title. Four friends, all "young, black, righteous, unapologetic, famous," but all very different. Adapted stage play gives each actor time to shine, and all do. A-

POTD: Essence of Life Perfume Palace

From 2019 11 19 Aswan

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Aswan, Egypt. When you take an organized tour, you sometimes have to go to stops whose only purpose is to sell the tourists something. In this case, perfume. You see and learn interesting things. This man is blowing glass into perfume bottles (whether or not it's merely a show is immaterial, right?).

Bonus photos after the jump.

Chernobyl (TV 2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

Chernobyl (TV 2019): Dramatization of 1986 nuclear accident. Part history, part science, part a view of dystopia. Good series on so many levels. A corner of the world whose people, failed by their leaders, have suffered so much over the centuries, but still display heroism. A-

#VeryTardyReview

Video Scoreboards - Here We Go Again

Richardson ISD trustees approved replacing the scoreboards at the district's two stadiums. Their justification included this detail: "The upgraded scoreboards will offer enhanced video capabilities...The new, digital scoreboards will allow RISD to generate increased revenue from advertisers." We've been down this road before, in 2011 when the current scoreboards were installed (without video displays). Then, I called video scoreboards for high school athletics a "dumb idea." I am still against them today.

The King of Staten Island (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

The King of Staten Island (2020): Pete Davidson plays a messed-up tattoo artist living with his mother. When he was 7, his fireman father was killed in a fire. Movie is about him pulling his life together despite himself. Davidson really sells it. About 30 minutes too long. B-

Richardson Police, It's Time to Step Up

Local democracy can't survive if our national democracy fails. A week ago, I called on local politicians to step up and take a stand and condemn the President of the United States for inciting an insurrection at the US Capitol.

Today, I extend that call to the Richardson Fraternal Order of Police. The President of the United States incited an insurrection that resulted in the deaths of five people, including one Capitol Police officer who was beaten to death by a Trump mob. That's the same president whom the Richardson police "proudly endorsed" in November. That endorsement must be retracted. The president cannot "Back the Blue" while calling on the mob to storm the Capitol and overwhelm its police protection. The president cannot be for "Law and Order" while inciting insurrection. And the Richardson police cannot have our trust and respect unless they renounce their endorsement of President Trump. Richardson Police, it's time to "Back the Blue" yourself and admit your mistake in endorsing Donald Trump for President.

POTD: Painted Brick

From 2019 11 19 Aswan

Today's photo-of-the-day is from a Nubian village on the Nile River near Aswan, Egypt. The age-old question — should a homeowner paint his brick? This homeowner gets a big thumbs-up from me.

Sylvie's Love (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

Sylvie's Love (2020): Jazz is still king, women still stay at home, but times are changing. This is a modern love story in a new setting: Harlem in 1957. Makes an old story fresh. Young woman finds her ambition to be a TV producer in conflict with love. Tessa Thompson shines. B+

Rally at the (Texas) Capitol

If you expected Wednesday's insurrection at the US Capitol to cause extremist Republicans to pause, you were wrong. Texan Republicans are advertising a rally at the Texas Capitol just three days later. There are two things about this poster that drew my attention. First is the slogan at the bottom that ties Texas Republicans directly to QAnon. And, second, one of the featured speakers is a former candidate for Richardson ISD school board.

Review: Deacon King Kong

From Deacon King Kong, by James McBride:

The morning after the shooting, the daily gathering of retired city workers, flophouse bums, bored housewives, and ex-convicts who congregated in the middle of the projects at the park bench near the flagpole to sip free coffee and salute Old Glory as it was raised to the sky had all kinds of theories about why old Sportcoat did it."
	Amazon

That "Old Sportcoat," aka Deacon King Kong, did it is clear from the first paragraphs. But why he did it takes a whole book, not just for the reader, but for Sportcoat himself. Great characters and story from a diverse neighborhood in Brooklyn.

Local Politicians, It's Time to Step Up

This week started with several local politicians announcing their candidacies for Richardson City Council or Richardson ISD Board of Trustees. It all felt so traditional, so inspiring, so...American. And then Wednesday happened. Suddenly, the America I love and remember seemed so long ago.

As the US Congress gathered to officially count the electoral votes and name Joseph R. Biden the winner of the presidential election, defeated President Trump incited his followers to reject the electoral defeat and instead to march to the US Capitol, where they stormed the building, and occupied the House and Senate chambers and many elected officials' offices throughout the Capitol. Afterwards, Trump empathized with the insurrectionists' hurt feeling over the "stolen" election and expressed his love for them. His behavior was shameful. Their insurrection was shameful. Anyone who doesn't give a full-throated condemnation of what our President has incited is also shameful.

That brings me back to our local politics.

POTD: Egyptian Street Gang

From 2019 11 19 Aswan

Today's photo-of-the-day is from a Nubian village on the Nile River near Aswan, Egypt. Kids are kids all over the world.

POTD: Boats at Rest

From 2019 11 19 Aswan

Today's photo-of-the-day is from a Nubian village on the Nile River near Aswan, Egypt. Just a quiet, peaceful scene, an appropriate image for someone hoping for a quiet, peaceful 2021.

Bridgerton (TV 2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

Bridgerton (TV 2020): 1800s costume drama. Pouts and swoons. No racism in this England, but lots of sexism. Too many singles looking for proper matches. All prigs. A vow of revenge made by the Duke to his dying father proves a barrier to happiness. Who cares? Only the prig. C-

Random Thoughts: A Collision of Two Dump Trucks

Tweets from December, 2020:

• 2020-12-01: When H-P and Compaq merged years ago, someone described it as a collision of two dump trucks. The wreck is being towed back to Houston.
• 2020-12-02: Watching PBS series "The Rise of the Nazis" with this shit happening in Washington is like watching annotations to current events in the US. Enlightening and frightening.
• 2020-12-02: Profile in courage. Not.
• 2020-12-03: Germany wasn't special. America isn't somehow immune. "If [Hitler's] life and career teaches us anything, it is how quickly democracy can be prised from its hinges when political institutions fail."

After the jump, more random thoughts.

2020 Gets Last Licks In

Just when I thought we were through with this annus horribilis, 2020 proved it was still capable of causing mischief. The last week of 2020 brought me some bad news. But it wasn't all bad news. The good news is that by the time my test results came back confirming my suspicions, my symptoms were already disappearing or already gone.

Symptoms, you ask. Symptoms of what? That's the bad news. I've been tested for COVID-19 and the test results came back positive. It was a nasal swab PCR test. It was irritating, but not intolerably so. What was more irritating is feeling that Ellen and I have been good at wearing facemasks, social distancing, avoiding gatherings, etc. And yet I still caught it. It's a nasty disease.

The Midnight Sky (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Midnight Sky (2020): After planetary disaster, the last man on Earth tells astronauts from Jupiter not to come home. Science and space, right? Then why the wolf attack during a blizzard in Arctic? Plot is goofy. Characters forgettable. Connecting element contrived. C+

The Undoing (TV 2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Undoing (TV 2020): A whodunnit that will keep you guessing 'til the end. I wanted to yell at Nicole Kidman, "Don't listen to your husband," and "Get your own lawyer." I couldn't believe she'd play the role of a weak woman. Turns out she was stronger than she was revealing. A-

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020): Crystal in museum gem collection grants people's wishes, most of them bad. WW must get people to revoke their wishes before civilization ends. Villains are more like spoiled children than evil masterminds. Not even Gal Gadot can save this bad sequel. C-

POTD: I'll Be Home for Christmas

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Dallas Museum of Art. It's a detail from Alex Da Corte's neon ghost house, "Rubber Pencil Devil" ("2018, glass, aluminum, vinyl, velvet, neon, Plexiglas, high res digital video, color, sound"). It's part of the exhibition "For a Dreamer of Houses".

"I'll Be Home for Christmas" was recorded by Bing Crosby in 1943 during World War II. It was written to honor the millions of soldiers and sailors overseas who longed to be home at Christmas time. It still strikes a chord with people who are prevented from being with family at Christmas, especially this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Bonus photo after the jump.

POTD: Crocs

From 2019 11 19 Aswan

Today's photo-of-the-day is from a Nubian village on the Nile River near Aswan, Egypt. In Texas, the house decoration might be Longhorn skulls. In Egypt, it's crocodile skulls.

Bonus photo after the jump.

How To with John Wilson (TV 2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

How To with John Wilson (TV 2020): Quirky looks at subjects from everyday life (scaffolding, risotto, plastic furniture covers) that lead Wilson to quirky people. Part documentary, part comedy. Much of the humor comes from the film snippets he pairs with his commentary. B-

The Great Conjunction 2020

Nature cooperated (for me anyway). Clear skies, warm temperatures, longest night of the year. That's Jupiter on the left. The slightly oblong smudge on the right is Saturn. None of the moons of Jupiter or Saturn are distinct enough with my camera to be visible in this photo. So, in the second photo, it's our Moon. By the way, if you didn't catch this last night, go out tonight, or tomorrow night, or the next. Jupiter and Saturn will be drifting away from each other only slowly, so they'll be putting on a celestial minuet in the southwestern sky soon after sunset for the next few weeks.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020): Adapted stage play about a 1927 recording session by the "Mother of the Blues." She demands respect. Her band's ambitious young trumpet player wants a shot at stardom. Energy like a tea kettle about to boil over. Deserves Oscar nominations. A-