I'm Still Here (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

I'm Still Here (2024): Portuguese. In 1970, a Brazilian man is "disappeared." Movie focuses on his family's helplessness in seeking answers and his wife fighting to keep the family together. A history lesson that's powerful without sensationalism. Oscar-nominated Fernanda Torres carries the film. A-

In theatre

Council Recap: Goodbye, Downtown Street Grid

Source: h/t DALL-E.

The City of Richardson approved an application to build 279 apartments on Polk Street in downtown Richardson. The applicant requested exceptions from current zoning requirements: 1) 4-stories instead of 3-stories. 2) less open space 3) longer block length (580 ft) 4) less residential parking 5) service doors placed on street frontage. The request was approved by City Council 5-2, with Mayor Pro Tem Arefin and Councilmember Dan Barrios voting no. I applaud their votes, as I, too, would have voted no. But let's hear from the five Councilmembers who voted to approve this superblock apartment project.

Bad Monkey (TV 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

asdf (TV 2024): A comedy set in the Florida Keys and Bahamas. Fast-talking, flippant detective (Vince Vaughn) latches onto a case of a human arm pulled up from the ocean by a fisherman and can't let go. Lots of oddball characters. Even the bad guys are fun. A-

AppleTV+

Charter Review: Articles 9,10

Artist: John Trumbull.

On February 6, 2025, the Richardson Charter Review Commission continued their review of the Richardson Charter, covering Articles 9 (Boards and Commissions) and 10 (Civil Service). (Still no video by the City to link you to.)

POTD: Farewell to Turkey

"Two weeks through Turkey,
Friendship in every smile,
Bridges, not walls."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 05 19 Ephesus and Izmir

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken along the seafront of Izmir, Turkey at sunset on our last night in Turkey. That's a warship, Turkish I believe, but I note that Turkey is a US ally, a member of NATO since 1952. Its membership was prompted by aggressive moves by the Soviet Union after WWII. It's perhaps instructive to note that Ukraine does not have NATO membership. Alliances are important. Enough said about global politics. For what it's worth, on our two weeks of travel through Turkey, we were met with nothing but friendly interactions with locals in all places.

Next stop: Copenhagen, Denmark.