Elvis (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Elvis (2022): The movie is rushed only because Elvis reinvented himself many times in his short career. Col. Parker gets as much time as Elvis and Tom Hanks may get a supporting Oscar nod, but it's Elvis's movie. Hanks is a convincing con man and Austin Butler has electricity. B+

POTD: Saying Cheese Around the World

From 2019 11 23 Luxor

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Karnak Temple in Luxor, Egypt. It shows a typical situation in Egypt. Point a camera at a group of kids and they'll swarm you wanting to get their photos taken. Not so in Germany. There, point a camera at a group of kids and the kids will ignore you and the adults chaperoning them will scold you for violating the children's privacy rights. Different strokes for difference folks.

Bonus photo after the jump.

C'mon C'mon (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

C'mon C'mon (2021): Man with issues with his mother, sister, and own past relationships, finds himself unexpectedly taking care of his nephew, a 9-yr-old boy with his own emotional issues. It's complicatead. Joaquin Phoenix can play Joker. He can play quiet family man, too. B-

Navalny (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Navalny (2022): Documentary about a Russian dissident who was poisoned by Putin, recovered and returned to Russia where he was imprisoned and remains so. His investigation into who poisoned him (Putin's agents) is a fascinating detail, as is Putin's refusal to say his name. B+

Cyrano (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Cyrano (2022): Musical unexpectedly starring Peter Dinklage. A love triangle. His love is built on a lie. Her love is misplaced. Cyrano's love can't be expressed. Beautiful retelling of the classic love story. A-

POTD: Karnak Obelisks

From 2019 11 23 Luxor

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Karnak Temple in Luxor, Egypt. The two upright obelisks were erected by Thutmose I (reign c. 1520 - 1492 BCE) and Hatshepsut (1479-1458 BCE). I don't know the story of the third obelisk lying flat on the ground. Something about erectile dysfunction, I'm sure.

POTD: Great Hypostyle Hall

From 2019 11 23 Luxor

Today's photo-of-the-day is the Hypostyle Hall of Karnak Temple in Luxor, Egypt. It dates to c. 1290-1224 BCE. It covers an area of 54,000 sq ft. The roof, now fallen, was supported by 134 columns, the tallest being 79 ft. high. Despite the size, with all those columns, it felt like it would have been crowded inside.

POTD: Karnak Temple

From 2019 11 23 Luxor

Today's photo-of-the-day is Karnak Temple in Luxor, Egypt. It's a massive complex, constructed over two millennia (1900 - 30 BCE).

Come From Away (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

Come From Away (2021): Stage musical about small town that opens their hearts and homes to passengers from 38 jumbo jets diverted to Newfoundland after 9/11. Story told through singing to the audience. Fast. Energetic. An uplifting tale out of tragedy. America needs this now. A-

POTD: Luxor Market Tailor Shop

From 2019 11 23 Luxor

Today's photo-of-the-day is from a market stall in Luxor, Egypt. No tailor was in sight.

POTD: Luxor Street Market

From 2019 11 23 Luxor

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Luxor, Egypt. Just a roadside street market.

Review: Sea of Tranquility

From Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel:

Edwin St. John St. Andrew, eighteen years old, hauling the weight of his double-sainted name across the Atlantic by steamship, eyes narrowed against the wind on the upper deck: he holds the railing with gloved hands, impatient for a glimpse of the unknown, trying to discern something—anything!—beyond sea and sky, but all he sees are shades of endless gray."
	Amazon

A time travel story in which a glitch in time brings centuries together. And sends characters from earlier novels into alternate timelines. These stories slowly weave together into a mesmerizing whole. B+

POTD: Oum Kalthoum Cafe

From 2019 11 23 Luxor

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Oum Kalthoum Cafe in a street market in Luxor, Egypt.

Oum Kalthoum was an Egyptian singer and actress and is considered to be a national icon. Upon her death in 1975, an estimated 4 million people lined the route of her funeral procession to pay their respects. We didn't know any of that before we chose to sit and relax in a hookah cafe named for her. But now we do, and so do you.

For All Mankind - S01 (TV 2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

For All Mankind - S01 (TV 2019): Alternative history of NASA where Russians win the Space Race to the Moon. A few references to alternative facts that people familiar with history will appreciate, but also a lot of soap opera storylines and convenient plot developments. B-

#VeryTardyReview

The Supreme Court has Gone Rogue

Family Fourth Celebration, Breckinridge Park, Richardson, 2015

The Supreme Court refuses to respect prior rulings by the Court. It has gone rogue. Just this term, it overturned major rulings that were settled law for decades. Rove v. Wade is the obvious one. But the decision to prohibit the EPA from regulating power plants is perhaps even more threatening to our American system because of the legal reasoning behind the decision. The Court based its decision on what's called the nondelegation principle. That holds that Congress cannot delegate its rights to the Executive Branch. Think of all the regulations of the federal government. Almost all of them are set by agencies of the Executive Branch. The agencies were given the authority to create administrative law through laws enacted by Congress. It's this action by Congress that the Supreme Court has said is unconstitutional. If all that is not bad enough, it gets worse.

Random Thoughts: The Lincoln Lawyer

Tweets from June, 2022:

• 2022-06-01: The Lincoln Lawyer (TV 2022): A David E. Kelley courtroom drama fit for 1980's network television. The cast of characters has all the usual stereotypes. The plot is full of as many holes as twists. Whodunnit? Everyone. Watch Goliath instead. C+
• 2022-06-02: In gun-crazy Texas, Gov Abbott's idea is a good way to get shot.
• 2022-06-03: We Feed People (2022): Ron Howard doc about chef Jose Andres and his nonprofit World Central Kitchen. His focus? Feeding people, not raising money. It turns out that running a restaurant kitchen is good training for managing natural disasters. Inspiring. Watch, then donate. B+
• 2022-06-05: Today's Trump fundraising email: "BRAND NEW TRUMP GOLF BALLS." My suspicions are immediately raised. Has he been selling used golf balls in the past?
• 2022-06-05: Do you know what would show they really mean it? Withholding some of those "Big $" from GOP politicians until they pass common sense gun regulations.

After the jump, more random thoughts.

The Card Counter (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Card Counter (2021): Mistitled. It's not about casino gambling. It's about Abu Ghraib and PTSD. It's about revenge and redemption. Oscar Isaac is the best thing in the movie but he's not served well by the script, which has all the major showdowns playing out off screen. C+

WAIW: Water, Trees, Serenity

Where Am I Wednesday?

Fifty points to the first person to identify where this photo was taken.

Answer is after the jump.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (TV 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Obi-Wan Kenobi (TV 2022): The Mandalorian gave us baby Yoda. This series gives us cute little Princess Leia. Spoiler: Obi-Wan Kenobi spares Darth Vader in the big battle in Episode 6. To think he could have saved us from all those other movies. For fans only. C+

Civil Dialogue? Sure. And More.

Source: Aero Magazine.

This blog usually focuses on local matters, for which there's too little coverage in the news media. For national affairs, there's plenty of coverage of that elsewhere. My comments aren't needed. But somehow, SCOTUS repealing the Roe v. Wade decision that was the law of the land for fifty years feels different. I can't resist responding to this comment in my Facebook feed: "We as human beings and citizens of this great nation are better together when we have respectful and civil dialogue to discuss the issues." Civil dialogue? Sure. And More.

Hustle (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Hustle (2022): NBA scout finds prospect in Spain (played by NBA player Juancho Hernangomez) but struggles to get him a chance at home. A traditional sports story, but this one is filled with cameos of real NBA stars playing themselves. Adam Sandler wins by playing it straight. B-

Nonprofits, PACs and Political Spending

From: source unknown

Postscript to the look at spending for the recent Richardson ISD election for board of trustees. There was a new player involved in the money race that I didn't mention, that I didn't see mentioned elsewhere, one that I wasn't even aware was a player until after the election. That's North Texas Parents for Academic Excellence. It's a nonprofit corporation formed March 16, 2022, with three directors, Brandon Walls, Bryan Stone, and Sam Jarvis. If the name Brandon Walls is familiar, it might be because he's the Campaign Treasurer for the Richardson ISD Families First PAC. I was very aware of that PAC's involvement in the election. What's curious about the connection between the nonprofit and PAC?

WAIW: Plant a Tree Where It's Needed Most

Where Am I Wednesday?

Fifty points to the first person to identify where this photo was taken.

Answer will be given on Thursday.

Bonus points to the person who knows the name of the sculpture and artist. Don't wait for me to tell you because I don't know.

Operation Mincemeat (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Operation Mincemeat (2022): WWII drama about plot to deceive Germany about where Allies would invade southern Europe. Fact-based spy story is padded with a romantic angle. Too much time spent on planning the operation, too little on executing it. Still a good history lesson. B-

Review: Behold the Dreamers

From Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue:

He'd never had to worry about whether his experience would be appropriate, whether his English would be perfect, whether he would succeed in coming across as intelligent enough. But today, dressed in the green double-breasted pinstripe suit he’d worn the day he entered America, his ability to impress a man he’d never met was all he could think about. Try as he might, he could do nothing but think about the questions he might be asked, the answers he would need to give, the way he would have to walk and talk and sit, the times he would need to speak or listen and nod, the things he would have to say or not say, the response he would need to give if asked about his legal status in the country."

Amazon

Immigrant from Cameroon builds a life in the Bronx. Wall Street banker faces ruin in the 2008 collapse. Their lives intersect in a quintessentially American story. Straightforward, simple prose, most authentic in the Cameroonian household.

"Behold the Dreamers" is the 2022 selection for "Richardson Reads One Book".

Quick Takeaways from the Joint Runoff Election

The Richardson ISD held a trustee election runoff for District 2 on Saturday. Congratulations to Vanessa Pacheco for winning. Dallas College held a trustee election runoff for District 1. Congratulations to Catalina E. Garcia for winning.

Follow the Money in Dallas College Runoff

From: source unknown

If you're looking for a comprehensive article on the Richardson ISD Board of Trustees election, go here: "The Wheel's 2022 RISD Runoff Voters Guide". In most of this post, we're going to follow up on how the money trail of Lynn Strawn Davenport (LSD) leaves a lot for her to answer for. An earlier report about the overlaps in campaign finance for the RISD campaign of Jan Stell and the Dallas College Board of Trustees campaign of Davenport left a few curious details dangling. We'll try to tie things up today. Spoiler alert: Vote for Catalina E Garcia.

The Wheel's 2022 RISD Runoff Voters Guide

For RISD trustee in District 2, I recommend Vanessa Pacheco.
For Dallas College District 1, I recommend Catalina E Garcia.

Election Day (again!) is Saturday, June 18. Even if you voted in the May 7 Joint General Election, you have to vote again in the Joint Runoff Election. Have to. Even if you voted for a different candidate in the first election, you can vote for the right candidate this time. ;-)

Even if you didn't vote in the May 7 Joint General Election, you are still eligible to vote in the June 18 Joint Runoff Election. So vote!

Dealbreaker #8: She Thinks RISD is Better Without Dr. Jeannie Stone

In Richardson ISD's June 18th runoff election for its District 2 seat on the Board of Trustees, I'll be voting for Vanessa Pacheco. I won't be voting for Sherry Clemens because of dealbreakers like this: she thinks RISD is better without Dr. Jeannie Stone.

Dealbreaker #7: She Thinks She Speaks for All Christians

In Richardson ISD's June 18th runoff election for its District 2 seat on the Board of Trustees, I'll be voting for Vanessa Pacheco. I won't be voting for Sherry Clemens because of dealbreakers like this: she thinks she speaks for all Christians. Needless to say, she doesn't.

Maybe Your Neighborhood Park Isn't

Source: City of Richardson (p. 53).

When is a park not a park? That's the question I asked in May concerning Point North Park in Richardson. At the City Council meeting on June 6, 2022, I learned the answer. When is a park not a park? When it's "open space." Open space with a playground. Open space with a trail. Open space with a ballfield. Open space with a multi-purpose field. Got it? It's got all the amenities of a park, but it's not a park. It's open space. Definitely not a park.

Bad Things Come in Threes, City Council Version

The Richardson City Council meeting June 13, 2022, has three items on its agenda that could turn out either bad, really bad, or maybe a mixture of bad and not so bad. We'll see.

1. Meet the new Interurban District. Same as the old Interurban District:

Source: Writing for Designers.

The VW dealership in the Interurban District is making another run at ruining Richardson's "edgy, mixed-use district built upon the existing bones of the development." Read what I had to say August 15, 2013, when an auto dealer last tried to pull this on this property: "Lemon". The Wheel's odds of the City Council approving this...again...are set at 10:1 in favor.

Every time we get a car, this place turns into a whorehouse.

Source: Don Draper, Mad Men.

Dealbreaker #6: She Lies about CRT

In Richardson ISD's June 18th runoff election for its District 2 seat on the Board of Trustees, I'll be voting for Vanessa Pacheco. I won't be voting for Sherry Clemens because of dealbreakers like this: she lies about CRT.

Dealbreaker #5: She's Against Books with Serious Themes

Source: San Antonio Current.

In Richardson ISD's June 18th runoff election for its District 2 seat on the Board of Trustees, I'll be voting for Vanessa Pacheco. I won't be voting for Sherry Clemens because of dealbreakers like this: she's against books with serious themes.

Voting in Schools; Graduate Profile; and Turncoat Quislings

I attended the June 6th Richardson ISD school board meeting to keep an eye on what these trustees I elect are up to. I learned something on one subject, I had my attitude adjusted on another, and I wholeheartedly agreed with another member of the public on a third issue.

Dealbreaker #4: She Fought Against Covid Mitigation Policies

In Richardson ISD's June 18th runoff election for its District 2 seat on the Board of Trustees, I'll be voting for Vanessa Pacheco. I won't be voting for Sherry Clemens because of dealbreakers like this: she opposed efforts by RISD to mitigate COVID-19 transmission.

RRR (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

RRR (2022): India. A patriotic historical drama, with Brits as the bad guys. An over-the-top action movie, violent and bloody. Frenzied Bollywood singing and dancing. What's not to like? (Brits excepted, but they can watch James Bond instead.) Best movie of 2022 so far. A-

Dealbreaker #3: She's Aligned with Lauren Davis

In Richardson ISD's June 18th runoff election for its District 2 seat on the Board of Trustees, I'll be voting for Vanessa Pacheco. I won't be voting for Sherry Clemens because of dealbreakers like this: she is aligned with the anti-masker candidate for Dallas County Judge, Lauren Davis.

We Feed People (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

We Feed People (2022): Ron Howard doc about chef José Andrés and his nonprofit World Central Kitchen. His focus? Feeding people, not raising money. It turns out that running a restaurant kitchen is good training for managing natural disasters. Inspiring. Watch, then donate. B+

Dealbreaker #2: She's Turning RISD Into Southlake

In Richardson ISD's June 18th runoff election for its District 2 seat on the Board of Trustees, I'll be voting for Vanessa Pacheco. I won't be voting for Sherry Clemens because of dealbreakers like this: she is aligned with Southlake's anti-diversity, anti-equity, anti-inclusion advocates in Carroll ISD.

Random Thoughts: Holiday Pro-Tip for May Poles

Tweets from May, 2022:

• 2022-05-01: Holiday Pro-Tip: If, like me, you forgot to buy a May Pole again this year, repurpose that Festivus Pole in your attic. Only you will know the difference.
• 2022-05-02: RISD's Eron Linn (who won't see this because he's blocked me) is running a quiet campaign for re-election. He raised little money. Endorsements on his website haven't been updated since 2019. The last time an incumbent lost an election was Jim Herblin in 1995. Deja vu?
• 2022-05-03: The US Supreme Court is intent on returning women to a status of second-class citizens under the US Constitution, despite a hundred years of rulings gradually recognizing women's right to rights given to men. In 2022, they're about to lose the right to control their own bodies.
• 2022-05-04: Latest fundraising email from DJTjr has the subject: "My father does not care what they think. He never has and never will." On the contrary, there's never been a more thin-skinned politician than Donald Trump.
• 2022-05-05: Severance (TV 2022): Sci-fi mystery. Ever wish you could free your mind of work when you leave the office? With Lumon's mind chip you can. Four co-workers grow suspicious. Show is slow to reveal what's going on, even slower why, setting up Season 2. Equally devious and absurd. B-

After the jump, more random thoughts.

The Lincoln Lawyer (TV 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Lincoln Lawyer (TV 2022): A David E. Kelley courtroom drama fit for 1980's network television. The cast of characters has all the usual stereotypes. The plot is full of as many holes as twists. Whodunnit? Everyone. Watch Goliath instead. C+

Dealbreaker #1: She's Extreme, Even for Conservatives

In Richardson ISD's June 18th runoff election for its District 2 seat on the Board of Trustees, I'll be voting for Vanessa Pacheco. I won't be voting for Sherry Clemens because of dealbreakers like this: she promotes extreme propaganda like "The Mind Polluters."

A Very British Scandal (TV 2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

A Very British Scandal (TV 2021): Argyll v. Argyll, the trial of the century, 1963. The marriage and divorce of the Duke and Duchess. Both unsympathetic characters, at first exploiting each other cooperatively, then at each other's throats, literally. Deliciously scandalous. B+

TIL: An Old Saying in Police Precincts

Source: Precinct Saying.

In college, I read Thomas Kuhn's "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions." In it he popularized the term "paradigm shift" for insights that forever change the framework in which we view the world.

An example is Copernicus's upending of the Ptolemaic cosmology with a helio-centric model. Just think: before Copernicus, the term "solar system" didn't even exist. Now it's second nature to all of us. Another example is Einstein's upending of Newtonian gravity with general relativity. Just think: before Einstein, the word spacetime didn't even exist. Now it's...well, still not second nature. Relativity is still impossible to wrap our minds around, even a century after Einstein, but it has fundamentally changed science.

Thomas Kuhn's work had a big impact on my formative thinking. That's maybe too portentous an introduction for what I'm about to say I learned today, but I'll say it anyway. In all the commentary on Uvalde, one comment (actually a Tweetstorm) has the potential of causing a paradigm shift in my worldview of law enforcement and public safety.

Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022): If you're not a fan, you'll be lost in all the characters and subplots. If you are a fan, you'll laugh and cry. You'll love the sets and costumes. There are twists and turns and head fakes to keep you guessing. Is this the last Downton Abbey? B+

When is a Park Not a Park?

The City of Richardson is beginning a project to build a 5 million gallon ground storage tank. Where? Well, I can tell you nearby streets. I can even tell you approximate GPS coordinates. What I can't tell you is whether or not the tank is going to be in Point North Park. What I can tell you is that a city-owned playground will have to go. So will trees. Maybe they'll be moved. Maybe new trees will be planted. And after all is said and done, some of the land that many visitors to the park always considered to be part of the park will be sacrificed to a water storage tank.

POTD: Colossi of Memnon

From 2019 11 22 Valley of the Kings

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Colossi of Memnon across the Nile River from Luxor, Egypt. According to Wikipedia, "The Colossi of Memnon are two massive stone statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III, which stand at the front of the ruined Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III, the largest temple in the Theban Necropolis. They have stood since 1350 BCE, and were well known to ancient Greeks and Romans, as well as early modern travelers and Egyptologists."

Where does Memnon come into this? Memnon was a mythological Greek king. Blame the ancient Greeks for not knowing about even more ancient Egyptian history.

Review: The Idiot

From The Idiot by Elif Batuman

I didn’t have a religion, and I didn’t do team sports, and for a long time orchestra had been the only place where I felt like part of something bigger than I was, where I was able to strive and at the same time to forget myself. The loss of that feeling was extremely painful. It would have been bad enough to be someplace where there were no orchestras, but it was even worse to know that there was one, and lots of people were in it—just not me. I dreamed about it almost every night."

Amazon

Elif Batuman's debut novel is a first person account of her freshman year in college, followed by a summer teaching English in Hungary. She has a keen eye for detail. She shows wry humor throughout. You learn about love and linguistics along the way.