The Pitt (TV 2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Pitt (TV 2025): Hour by hour, a day shift in a hospital ER in Pittsburgh. Lots of fast talking by impressively talented doctors. Watching each episode is like binging an entire season of another show. There's no overall plot; each patient, each doctor has a story. The whole is so much more than its parts. A-

HBO Max

POTD: Richardson's Budget Workshop - Day 1

Source: City of Richardson.

The Richardson City Council is holding a two day budget workshop to set the 2025-2026 budget. The City summarizes the global economic environment as: "Conflicts, trade restrictions, and geopolitical rivalries are disrupting global supply chains. Political instability and shifting international policies contribute to an unpredictable policy environment, making businesses more hesitant to invest in expansion, new hiring, or infrastructure upgrades. Wars, sanctions, and diplomatic tensions may cause energy price spikes and commodity shortages, possibly leading to inflationary pressures."

The City had three more slides calling out risks and threats to Richardson's economic situation. "Tariffs and Tariff Driven Inflation." "Labor Market Challenges." "Slowing Revenue Amid Rising Costs."

I am pleased that City government, if not the State or Federal governments, knows the answer to the question, how is MAGA working out for us?

And that's before the City gets to what our Texas legislature is up to. "SB 924 reduces FY2026 franchise fees by ~($260,000)." "HB9 will reduce FY2027 property tax revenues by ~($1,500,000)." "SB9 would reduce FY2027 property tax revenue by ~($1,500,000)." We can be sure the impact of that will be cuts to city services. How much of those cuts will show up as more money in in your wallets is much less certain.

Stick (TV 2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Stick (TV 2025): Owen Wilson stars as a former pro golfer who mentors a teen golfing phenom. It's just another sports movie with a full cast of stereotypes, but somehow the show works. It grows on you and you come to care more about these characters than how the big golf match turns out. B+

AppleTV+

Opus (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Opus (2025): Creepy satire/thriller about celebrity cults. John Malkovich is the eccentric pop star surrounded by his cult. Ayo Edebiri is the young writer who finds herself at his isolated ranch. Watchable, but "The Menu" and others did it better. C+

HBO Max

POTD: San Giorgio Maggiore from Doge's Palace

"Framed through palace glass,
marble rising from the sea.
Bells ring over waves."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 09 11 Venice

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, Italy. The photo was taken through the windows at the Doge's Palace. The island of "San Giorgio is now best known for the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, designed by Palladio and begun in 1566. The belltower has a ring of 9 bells in C#."

This view makes a good bookend to the opening POTD of Venice (Venice by Sea). With that, we say ciao to Venice. Next stop, Rome.