Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Top Gun: Maverick (2022): Predictable. To understand how far America has gone astray since the Cold War, replace the American pilots with Japanese pilots bombing Pearl Harbor in 1941. Would we still be pulling for them to succeed? Watch it like I did, on a plane experiencing turbulence. Extra exciting. C+

Random Thoughts: Runaway Slaves Escaping To Mexico

Tweets from October, 2022:

• 2022-10-03: A chapter of US history that's rarely told that holds a lesson for today. If we couldn't stop runaway slaves from escaping *to* Mexico pre-Civil War, why do we think it's possible to stop desperate refugees fleeing the other direction today? Why would we even want to?
• 2022-10-03: Today's Trump fundraising email: "We need a clear picture of how all voters in your Congressional District are leaning, and you are a leader in your district." A leader? He must read my blog!
• 2022-10-03: Up until recently, regardless of when life begins, in the United States nobody could force you to donate your own body to save another person. Republicans want the government to force you to donate your body to save even fertilized eggs. Small government, my eye.

After the jump, more random thoughts.

Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Hocus Pocus 2 (2022): Sequel to the 1993 original. This one doesn't so much build on that one as repeat it, beat for beat. Bette Midler's big musical number is better than the one in the original, but it's no "Time Warp." Skip it and go trick or treating with the kids instead. C-

Hocus Pocus (1993)

Rotten Tomatoes

Hocus Pocus (1993): I never saw this Disney original, so I watched it before watching this year's sequel. I can't tell if it's bad because the humor is dated, or aimed at kids, or what. Bette Midler vamps. You'd think that alone would have saved the movie, but no such luck. C-

#VeryTardyReview

POTD: Anne Frank House

From 2022 07 03 Amsterdam

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the most famous of Amsterdam's canal houses: the Anne Frank House. Seventy five years on, tickets to enter the house, now a museum, still sell out days ahead of time. But tourists come by anyway to see the house from the outside.

Bonus photo after the jump.

POTD: Amsterdam's Canal Houses

From 2022 07 03 Amsterdam

Today's photo-of-the-day is a classic look at Amsterdam's canal houses. There are miles and miles of canals in the old city center, all of them lined with canal houses.

King Donald the First

The ad from Donald Trump, Jr., says, "My father is the Great MAGA King." It says the hat was "personally designed" by Donald himself. History lesson: since the United States Constitution was adopted in 1789, there has not been any serious movement for another King George III ruling America. Until now, maybe. My first thought was to mock Trump for not knowing American history, but on further thought, the lack of a monarchy in the USA may be what attracts him to the idea of crowning himself king. He's been President. How did that work out for him? Why not try king? His MAGA cult already stormed the Capitol for him once. Why would we think they would hesitate to toss out the Constitution altogether and genuflect to King Donald the First?

WAIW: The Staff of Hermes

Where Am I Wednesday!

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

Answer is after the jump.

Blonde (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Blonde (2022): Biopic of Marilyn Monroe. All the bad is here. Broken home. Childhood PTSD. Casting couch. Abusive marriages. Exploited her whole sad life, even after death by this movie. Lurid details invented. Hallucinations. She deserves better. But Ana de Armas is terrific. B-

Code of Ethics "Covers the Basics"

Given thorough review and amendments in 2020, Staff has no recommended additions or changes.

Source: City of Richardson.

And with that, in 17 and a half minutes the Richardson City Council rushed through another biennial review of its Code of Ethics, making no changes.

POTD: Windsurf

Today's photo-of-the-day is of unidentified riders on the Windsurf ride on the Midway at the State Fair of Texas in Fair Park in Dallas. Despite appearances, the photo is upside right.

If you haven't caught the State Fair yet, you have only one more day to do so. It closes today.

All photos from the 2022 State Fair of Texas can be found on Google Photos.

POTD: Midway Rides

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Midway at the State Fair of Texas in Fair Park in Dallas.

Angie Chen Button Equates Public Schools with Mao's China

During the recent Richardson ISD school board election, I wrote a lot of blog posts (a lot) about the incendiary and false charges being leveled by extreme right-wing candidates against public education. But I have to say, nothing they wrote compares to this outrageous claim in a mailer by Angie Chen Button.

Catherine, Called Birdy (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Catherine, Called Birdy (2022): Coming-of-age tale by Lena Dunham. In 1290 England, Catherine, a spirited, independent girl, sabotages the suitors her father tries to marry her off to. It might work for the 13-yr-old girl market, but neither the satire nor comedy work for me. C+

The Empress (TV 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Empress (TV 2022): German. Costume drama of 16-yr-old Elisabeth's marriage to Habsburg Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria. Lots of court intrigue, international jostling for leadership, and revolution afoot. As good as "Victoria" or "The Crown" but in Vienna. B+

Prey (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Prey (2022): Prequel to six Predator films. Set on the Great Plains in 1719. Comanche girl wants to become a hunter and stalks a hostile alien. More a coming-of-age tale than a sci-fi monster movie. Amber Midthunder is fantastic as Naru. She's brave, smart, and persistent. A-

The Hamlet Syndrome on Richardson City Council

Source: The Hamlet Syndrome.

Between the May public hearing and the June codification into ordinance, one Council Member flip-flopped his vote from "yes" to "no", denying a special use permit for a smoking establishment in Richardson. Now, in October, the Richardson City Council voted 6-1 to approve a special use permit for a smoking establishment for the same restaurant, reversing that 4-3 vote in June. This time, three Council Members flip-flopped their votes from "no" to "yes." The codification of this latest vote into ordinance will follow, assuming the Council is now done flip-flopping. Armchair psychiatry is stupid, but here I go anyway. What's with this Hamlet Syndrome on Richardson City Council?

POTD: Caricature Artists

Today's photo-of-the-day is of a caricature artist at the State Fair of Texas in Fair Park in Dallas.

POTD: Youth Market Livestock Show

Today's photo-of-the-day is of a steer entered in the Youth Market Livestock Show at the State Fair of Texas in Fair Park in Dallas.

Bonus photo is after the jump.

Book Review: The Pursuit of Italy

From The Pursuit of Italy: A History of a Land, Its Regions, and Their Peoples, by David Gilmour:

Amazon

  I was astounded by the next words of Signor Rossi, who twenty years earlier had been minister of education. ‘You know, Davide,’ he said in a low conspiratorial voice, as if nervously uttering a heresy, ‘Garibaldi did Italy a great disservice. If he had not invaded Sicily and Naples, we in the north would have the richest and most civilized state in Europe.’ After looking round the room at the other guests, he added in an even lower voice, ‘Of course to the south we would have a neighbour like Egypt.’ "

Cramming 2,500 years of history and culture into a dense 400 pages, this book focuses on Italy's divisions. It's a wonder that Italy ever came together into a single modern state. That didn't happen until the 1860s. Maybe it hasn't happened yet. B+

After the jump, my full review.

Amsterdam (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Amsterdam (2022): A 1930s noir comedy/mystery that gradually reveals itself to be a message film with an anti-fascist warning for today. A slow-developing, complicated plot with too many quirky characters, the critics mostly hated it, but I loved it for all the same reasons. A-

Brawl Breaks out at Police Station Over Hookah

At the end of a five hour meeting held at the Richardson Police Department, the Richardson City Council voted 6-1 to approve a special use permit for smoking for the "Another Time & Place" restaurant. I applaud the City Council for where they ended up in the vote, but how the Council got to "yes" was embarrassing. The pre-bout betting line was anything but a sure thing. In the end, the lopsided vote belied the jabs and uppercuts that preceded it during the Council deliberations on the matter. Brawl is an overstatement in comparison with, say, a Dallas City Council meeting, but it was a dustup by Richardson standards, where Council Members usually show deference to one another and votes are often unanimous.

Borgen - S01 (TV 2010)

Rotten Tomatoes

Borgen - S01 (TV 2010): Denmark. Workplace drama set in the offices of Denmark's first female prime miniter, who is faced with challenges in politics, press, business, and her marriage. All the fast-paced story lines are blended seamlessly. Great comparison to America. A-

#VeryTardyReview

Lou (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Lou (2022): What would be overworked with a man in the lead turns out to be mildly novel with Allison Janney as a retired CIA agent dragged into chasing a kidnapper. Good action scenes, even though some are implausible. And some good psychology at work, too. B-

POTD: Big Tex

Today's photo-of-the-day is of Big Tex at the State Fair of Texas in Fair Park in Dallas.

Bonus photo of Big Tex from head to toe (and Big "L") is after the jump.

POTD: State Fair of Texas 2022

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the State Fair of Texas in Fair Park in Dallas.

Medici: Masters of Florence - S01 (TV 2016)

Rotten Tomatoes

Medici: Masters of Florence - S01 (TV 2016): Historical drama about the dynasty that ran Florence in 1400s. Politics, intrigue, sex, and violence with lots of 2-D characters. Easy way to absorb history. Only in the last episode did I realize S01 was a murder mystery at heart. B-

#VeryTardyReview

Tehran - S01 (TV 2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

Tehran - S01 (TV 2020): Israel. A thriller. Secret Israeli mission in Iran is blown due to mistakes obvious to the viewer. Israeli spycraft doesn't live up to its reputation. The characters who make those mistakes are human, with some stereotypes surprisingly broken. B-

#VeryTardyReview

The Woman King (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Woman King (2022): Female African warriors fight European slave traders. Revenge. Tragedy. Joy. Formulaic movie with roles reversed. Ahistorical? So were all those John Wayne movies. It's time Hollywood paints Africans as the heroes. Viola Davis rules. so does Thuso Mbedu. A-

Foundation (TV 2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

Foundation (TV 2021): Galactic empire challenged by ragtag rebels. Another sci-fi classic (this one by Isaac Asimov) ripped off by Star Wars. This one lacks passion or fun. Cerebral psychohistory instead of the Force's woo-woo. Main characters seldom interact with each other. C+

POTD: Viking River Cruises 2023-2024

Today's photo-of-the-day is of a map in a brochure we received in the mail from Viking Cruises advertising their European river cruises in 2023-2024. Think of it as our wish book. Where will we go? The Rhine? Danube? Elbe? Seine? Rhone? Douro? Wait. What happened to the Volga? We had a great vacation in 2018 on the Volga, sailing the "Waterways of the Tsars", but I don't see us getting to go back again. That red oval on the map (added by me) encircles the terra incognita that Russia has become for Western tourists since Vladimir Putin decided to become Ivan the Terrible.

POTD: Grand Café De Kroonprins

From 2022 07 03 Amsterdam

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Amsterdam. Why the Grand Café of the Crown Prince would have the Statue of Liberty over its door was never discovered. The outdoor seating area offered great views of the street scene. We just had appetizers and dessert. Bitterballen was new to us. Apple strudel wasn't, but it is hard to imagine improving on the Grand Café's version.

Bonus photo after the jump.

POTD: Canals and Bicycles

From 2022 07 03 Amsterdam

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Amsterdam. It captures many aspects of the Amsterdam experience in one photo: canals and canal houses, bicycles, and views of church steeples. Look at how those bicycles are parked. A side benefit of getting cars off the streets is that not only do you need less pavement for cars to drive on, you also need fewer parking lots and garages to park them. Amsterdam remains one of our favorite cities.

Random Thoughts: The Most Effective Frog Boils are the Slowest

Tweets from September, 2022:

• 2022-09-01: The most effective frog boils are the slowest.
• 2022-09-02: I can't see Jason Villalba's tweet because he has me blocked (no idea why) but it must be something good.
• 2022-09-03: NASA Scrubs Artemis I Launch to the Moon Again." Again. The moon doesn't want us to come back.

After the jump, more random thoughts.

TIL: The Best Form of Government

What's the best form of government? Winston Churchill reportedly arrived at the answer from the opposite end of the spectrum. "Democracy is the worst form of government, except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." That settles the question. Or does it?

In The New Yorker, Adam Gopnik reviews Jedediah Purdy's book, "Two Cheers for Politics: Why Democracy Is Flawed, Frightening-and Our Best Hope."

Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Remember Me (2022): Biopic of Mahalia Jackson. Could use more room to let scenes play out. Mother, aunts, husband(s?), business manager, MLK, each come and go in a hurry. Best thing by far about the movie is Ledisi's singing. More of that, please. C+

WAIW: Sitting on a Swing

Where Am I Wednesday?

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

Answer is after the jump.

The U.S. and the Holocaust (TV 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

The U.S. and the Holocaust (TV 2022): Heroism and sacrifice are here, stories America likes to tell itself, but also here are xenophobia and the failure to do more. No matter how much you know, watch this. And have every generation of kids watch, too. Our sins live on today. A+

Keep an Open Mind about Special Use Permits

The City of Richardson's zoning ordinances allow for special use permits for smoking establishments after ensuring "safeguards as are necessary to protect adjoining property, as well as the public health, safety, morals and general welfare." A Richardson restaurant owner applied for a special use permit. His application was considered by the City Plan Commission, where it was approved 5-2 and will be considered next by the City Council. I want to examine those two negative votes more closely.

POTD: City of Bicycles

From 2022 07 03 Amsterdam

Today's photo-of-the-day shows the Basilica of Saint Nicholas in Amsterdam. But the real focus is on the bicycles. Amsterdam is a city of bikes. And canals, of course, but it was the bikes that surprised us. They are everywhere. They are used not just for exercising, but for commuting to work and school and shopping and dining. Central city pedestrians (like us) learn quickly to look left and right first for bicycles, then for street cars, finally for the real cars. What looks chaotic at first quickly settles into a natural rhythm. Amsterdam turned out to be our favorite city.

POTD: Sea Palace Chinese Restaurant

From 2022 07 03 Amsterdam

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Sea Palace Chinese Restaurant. Where is it? The water the restaurant is floating on is a clue. A bigger clue is the Basilica of Saint Nicholas in the background. Surprisingly, it's in Amsterdam, Netherlands.European tours are sometimes described as ABC tours — "Another Bloody Church". We got some of that. We also got the variant ABC Tour — "Another Bloody Castle". Prepare yourself. Our next photo-of-the-day selections will be up the Rhine River from the sea to the Main River and then down the Danube River. First stop, Amsterdam.

Book Review: Dance Dance Dance

From Dance Dance Dance, by Haruki Murakami: "The hotel should never have been built where it was. That was the first mistake, and everything got worse from there. Like a button on a shirt buttoned wrong, every attempt to correct things led to yet another fine—not to say elegant—mess."

Amazon

Book Review: Dance Dance Dance: 1988 novel with Haruki Murakami's signature touch of magical realism. This sequel to "A Wild Sheep Chase" is even better. A Japanese writer goes through an early midlife crisis as people around him disappear. What's real? What's imagination? B+

After the jump, my full review.

Legalities of Short Term Rental Regulations

The City of Richardson is likely to adopt short-term rental (STR) regulations. Richardson is not the first city to try this. It won't be the last. There is a legal thicket surrounding cities' attempts to adopt STR ordinances. Several key cases are still working their way through the courts and haven't yet reached a final judgment. Courts have looked more favorably on reasonable regulation than outright bans. So, rather than risk having more aggressive regulation tested in court, Richardson's regulations are geared to trying to control the nuisances (noise, parking, trash) that STRs bring to neighborhoods.

Schmigadoon (TV 2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

Schmigadoon (TV 2021): Backpacking couple wanders into a 1940s musical and is stranded there until they find true love. A form of entertainment that doesn't exist anymore. More homage than parody. Unexpectedly, it gets better the longer it goes. Just go with it. Delightful. B-

Short Term Rental Regulations Coming to Richardson

Source: Movie Photo, Everett Collection.

The Richardson City Council reviewed a possible ordinance regulating short-term rentals (STRs). This is in response to a public outcry over an out-of-control explosion in the number of short-term rentals in the City of Richardson, accompanied by an enormous number of nuisance violations (noise, parking, trash). (The police chief was on hand to define "out of control" and "enormous": he said that the police receive "a handful" of complaints each year.) But the public wants short-term rentals banned, so the City Council has to do *something*. So they shall.

Dining, Hookah, but not Belly Dancing

Another Time, Same Old Place

Back in June, a wild night at the Richardson City Council meeting saw the Council reverse themselves on a key rezoning vote. After voting 4-3 in May to approve a rezoning request for an outdoor venue for dining/hookah/music on Abrams Road in Richardson, in June Council Member Joe Corcoran reversed himself and voted against the actual ordinance that was drawn up to make the May vote official. The property owner, knocked back on his heels by this reversal, went back to his corner and licked his wounds. Now he's back with a request for approval of a similar application for the same property.

POTD: Grand Bahama Port Back in Business

From 2020 02 04 Bahamas

Today's photo-of-the-day is from February, 2020. It shows Grand Bahama Island, five months after Hurricane Dorian devastated the island. According to ReliefWeb, "Dorian hit The Bahamas on September 1, 2019 as a Category 5 hurricane, causing flooding and mass destruction on the northwest islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama...Hurricane Dorian was one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record -- and the strongest hurricane to have ever hit The Bahamas." We visited Grand Bahama five months after the hurricane. The port was back in business, receiving supplies of food and building materials for reconstruction. Bahamians are resilient. Don't hesitate to visit.

POTD: Hurricane Dorian and Grand Bahama

From 2020 02 04 Bahamas

Today's photo-of-the-day is from February, 2020. It shows a nature conservancy in Grand Bahama, five months after Hurricane Dorian devastated the island. According to ReliefWeb, "Dorian hit The Bahamas on September 1, 2019 as a Category 5 hurricane, causing flooding and mass destruction on the northwest islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama...Hurricane Dorian was one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record -- and the strongest hurricane to have ever hit The Bahamas." We visited Grand Bahama five months after the hurricane. The hurricane stripped almost all the leaves from the trees in the nature conservancy, but life was slowing coming back. Like nature, Bahamians are resilient. Don't hesitate to visit.

Bonus photo after the jump.

Get On Board...A Streetcar Conductor Replies

This week, I had a few things to say about the City of Richardson's process of appointing people to boards and commissions. City Council member Joe Corcoran graciously took the time to reply.

The Bear (TV 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Bear (TV 2022): A sitcom, but there's no comedy. A rising chef inherits struggling family restaurant when his brother commits suicide. Kitchen is pure chaos, with everyone shouting at each other simultaneously. An intense study in grief, anger, and heart. Not for everyone. A-