POTD: World's Tallest Wooden Buildings

"Steel still rules the sky,
But the smell of pine reaches
Up where clouds drift by."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 07 Lillehammer

Who says wooden buildings can't be more than four or five stories tall? Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Brumunddal, Norway. It shows Mjøstårnet, "an 18-storey mixed-use building completed in March 2019. At the time of completion, it was officially the world's tallest wooden building, at 85.4 m (280 ft) tall, before being surpassed by Ascent MKE in August 2022." Who knew there was even a competition?

POTD: Norway's Odd Roadside Attractions

"Shining against clouds,
A strange shape stands by the road.
Life begins with laughs."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 07 Lillehammer

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Norway at a highway rest stop. The artwork is "Sædspira" by Linda Bakke, and in case you're wondering, yes, the sculpture is exactly what it looks like.

The Dubey Way: Even More "Heads in Beds"

Head shot from City of Richardson. CGI by Adobe Firefly.

July 8, 2024: Despite a City plan for mixed-use development in CityLine, including entertainment uses, Mayor Bob Dubey voted to approve construction of 1,175 more apartments, overriding the City Plan Commission, who rejected the application, saying they wanted to see "more creative retail or entertainment uses," as called for in the plan.

The Richardson Way: Plan the Work, Work the Plan.

The Dubey Way: Plan the Work, Wreck the Plan.

The Dubey Way: Outdoor Lumber Storage

Head shot from City of Richardson. CGI by Adobe Firefly.

January 21, 2024: Despite a City plan to redevelop the Interurban District as an "edgy, mixed-use district", Mayor Bob Dubey voted to approve a new outdoor storage lot, described as, "It could be lumber, it could be steel, it could be aluminum, it could be, he does a lot of concrete."

The Richardson Way: Plan the Work, Work the Plan.

The Dubey Way: Plan the Work, Wreck the Plan.

The Money Race for City Council

Candidates file campaign finance reports 30 days before elections. For the City of Richardson, there are only two contested races: the Mayor's race (Dubey vs Omar vs North) and Place 6 (Arefin vs Kupfer). Five incumbents have drawn no challengers. What will it take to get more Richardson citizens to run for political office? Good question, but not one we'll get into today. Today, it's all about the money. We also won't get into the question of just how close money and candidates can get before the Code of Ethics gets invoked. Apparently, a lot closer than you'd think.