Our Little Angel

No context.

Mayor Bob Dubey: "Our little angel, our Charlie's Angel"

How Comprehensive is the Comprehensive Plan?

Recently, I've been meddling in the City of Richardson's efforts to update its Comprehensive Plan. To decide who is off the rails—them, me, or maybe neither—I've decided I need to back up (to first principles), or pull up (for a birds-eye view), to understand just what the City thinks is included in this effort.

Jury Duty (TV 2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Jury Duty (TV 2023): Mockumentary follows a trial where everyone is an actor except one juror. Crazy things happen that would not in any real courtroom. Humor is in the unknowing juror's reactions. Last episode spoils the magic, revealing how the audience was tricked, too. C+

Council Recap: Planning a Comp Plan

The Richardson City Council and the City Plan Commission held a rare joint work session July 31. The main topic on the agenda was "REVIEW AND DISCUSS THE ENVISION RICHARDSON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE AND COMMUNITY SUMMIT ONE." That took almost all of the 3.5 hours the meeting lasted.

Random Thoughts: Black Mirror

2023-07-01: In the "Black Mirror" episode "Beyond the Sea" (S6, E3), astronauts on a deep space mission get R&R by periodically transferring their consciousness to replicas on Earth. If this technology exists, why wouldn't NASA use it the other way around, sending replicas into space and keeping the humans safe on Earth, except when needed in space?

2023-07-03: Life would be easier to figure out if it were accompanied by melodramatic music like in bad movies.

2023-07-03: I'm reminded of when I taught high school in Australia in 1976. I told my students that in honor of the upcoming American bicentennial, there would be no school on July 4. An initial burst of excitement was quicky followed by irritation when they realized July 4, 1976, fell on a Sunday.

What To Do with the Doghouse When Fido Dies

In Facebook's "Richardson Urban and Neighborhood Discussions", Andrew Laska shared an announcement by the City of Richardson about open houses to gather community feedback about the City Hall/Comp Plans. He offered his own priorities, the first one (two?) of which were "1) Legalize missing middle housing. 1a) Legalize ADUs."

POTD: The Arch of Hadrian, Now and Then

From 2022 11 03 Athens

This photo-of-the-day is from Athens, Greece. It shows the Arch of Hadrian. Hadrian was a Roman emperor and this arch is in Athens, at the foot of the Acropolis. What's with that? Ancient history is long...and messy.

A bonus photo, then and now, is after the jump.

POTD: Genuine Fake Watches

From 2022 11 02 Ephesus

This photo-of-the-day is from the ancient city of Ephesus, Turkey. Every stop on the tourist trail has them — souvenir stalls at the entrance/exit extending for as far as the eye can see. And common items for sale at these stalls are "Rolex" watches. This stall stands out for its honesty.

Full disclosure: I once bought a watch at a souvenir stand. In Russia. It turns out to have been one of my favorite souvenir purchases ever, even though I no longer have the watch. You can read the story here: "My Uglich Watch".

Silo - S01 (TV 2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Silo - S01 (TV 2023): Sci-fi mystery, drama, thriller. In dystopian future, all live in underground silo. Story starts with big questions (Who built it? When? Why? What's outside?) then develops characters, ending with a big reveal, which raises more questions for season 2. B+

Council Recap: All Budget

The Richardson City Council held a work session July 24-25 focused solely on development of the 2023-2024 budget. Attendance by the public was sparse. There will be public hearings on the proposed tax rate and budget in mid- to late-August.

Oppenheimer (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Oppenheimer (2023): Biopic of the "father of the atomic bomb." Morally conflicted, he developed the A-bomb to beat Hitler to it, but afterwards tried to put the genie back in the bottle. The era's anti-Commies are the ends-justify-the-means bad guys. Smart, compelling blend of history and science. A-

#OscarWorthy

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023): I didn't expect to like it, but I did. The original was a modern take on an old-timey serial. That take still feels modern with Phoebe Waller-Bridge as the costar. Harrison Ford is too old, the plot predictable, but the action scenes deliver. A-

Semiannual Campaign Finance Reports

In Texas, officeholders and candidates for local offices must file semiannual reports. In addition, candidates who have an opponent must file two pre-election reports, one 30 days before the election and one 8 days before. Political action committees have these same deadlines to file.

The Wheel has previously looked at the 30-Day reports (twice: here and here) and the 8-Day reports here. Today we look at the July 15 semiannual reports.

POTD: Library of Celsus

From 2022 11 02 Ephesus

This photo-of-the-day is from the ancient city of Ephesus, Turkey. It shows the pre-eminent structure standing (again) in the city, the facade of the Library of Celsus. "It was the third-largest library in the Greco-Roman world behind only those of Alexandria and Pergamum, [and is] believed to have held around 12,000 scrolls." Is it too late to submit this library to be used as inspiration for the renovations to the Richardson Public Library?

POTD: Ephesus, Still Walkable after 3,000 Years

From 2022 11 02 Ephesus

This photo-of-the-day is from the ancient city of Ephesus, Turkey, still walkable after 3,000 years. Much of the city dates to Roman times but it was founded in the 10th century BCE, on the site of a yet older city. The Street of Curetes was one of three main streets in Ephesus. In its day, "The street was home to many fountains, monuments, and statues. There were also houses on the slope that would have been used by the wealthiest of Ephesians. Under these houses were colonnaded galleries and shops with mosaic tiled floors."

The AfterParty - S01 (TV 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

The AfterParty - S01 (TV 2022): Murder at high school reunion. Detective Danner interviews each guest, with each showing the audience the same events thru different eyes. Comedy/mystery with episodes of thriller, rom-com, musical, even animation. Fun show with a satisfactory solution. B+

Council Recap: Audit, Audit, Audit

The Richardson City Council held a work session July 17. There were several topics on the agenda for which the Council received lengthy presentations: National Parks Month, Park maintenance strategies, IT work plan, and Drainage utility strategies. There was one other item on the agenda that received little time. Less than six minutes, in fact. That topic was "Review and discuss the 2021-2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) Presentation." Because the Council's review and discussion was perfunctory, those six minutes are what I want to talk about.

WAIW: Neighborhood Mural

Where Am I Wednesday?

Fifty points to the first person to identify where this photo was taken. This fence is a great improvement over the usual, boring, weathered fences seen all over Richardson. To this homeowner, I say "Well done."

Answer will be given on Thursday.

Platonic (TV 2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Platonic (TV 2023): Two old friends, one newly divorced and the other in a stale marriage, reconnect, platonically. A broad, slapstick comedy of middle-aged people getting drunk and doing stupid things that get them in trouble. Not my kind of humor. For Seth Rogen fans. C-

ACFR: Christmas in July

For city finance wonks, Christmas comes twice a year: once in August when the city budget is set and again in February when the city financial audit is published. The budget specifies the city's cash flow (its planned revenues and expenses). The financial audit details the city's assets (the value of city property, bank accounts, etc.) and its liabilities (outstanding debt, pension obligations, etc.).

For some reason, Christmas is coming late this year. The Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for fiscal 2022 is being published in July, not February as before. I'm sure there's a good explanation, but I don't know what it is. Fire??? The public will see it when it's presented at the July 17 City Council meeting.

POTD: Alleyways of Chania

From 2022 11 01 Chania

This photo-of-the-day is from Chania, Crete, Greece. It shows a random door in a random alleyway. The old city is a delight to wander.

A bonus photo is after the jump.

POTD: Relaxing in Chania

From 2022 11 01 Chania

This photo-of-the-day is from the Greek port of Chania in Crete. Chania is sometimes called a Venetian port, not because of any canals or anything, but because the walls date back to the Venetians, who bought Crete for 100 silver marks in 1252. The site itself has been occupied since Neolithic times, too far back to document (7000 BCE). Now you can count us among the many, many people who have come through Chania, Crete, in its unimaginably long history. I doubt any had a more relaxing time than we did sitting on a bench in the old harbor.

65 (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

65 (2023): Survival tale in a jungle with dinosaurs. Astronaut and child crash land on Earth 65m yrs ago. Gee, what happens next? Unimaginative and predictable. Only astronaut speaks English, so all action, not dialog. A Quiet Place did that better. A waste of Adam Driver. C-

Transatlantic (TV 2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Transatlantic (TV 2023): True WWII story. A non-profit in southern France in 1940 works to get Jews to America. Opponents everywhere: Gestapo, Vichy France police, and even the American consul. Low budget (it shows). Too many characters. And, I'm afraid to say, too few Nazis. B-

#NoCasablanca

Council Recap: Food Truck, Police Radios, Massage

The Richardson City Council held a five hour marathon session Monday night. The first 90 minutes of it were taken up by a topic not even on the agenda: a possible NRA move to Richardson. I've covered that in "Richardson, Guns, and the NRA". Here I want to focus on the intended agenda, presentations, and Councilmembers' questions, comments, and policy suggestions. Oh, and one important fact check at the end.

Richardson, Guns, and the NRA

The Richardson City Council held a 5 hour marathon session Monday night. The first 90 minutes of it were taken up by a topic not even on the agenda: a possible NRA move to Richardson. That story was exaggerated in one direction before the meeting (that the NRA is coming to Richardson) and then exaggerated in the other direction afterwards (that the NRA is not coming to Richardson). In fact, according to the NRA itself, "Texas remains a preferred choice for a future HQ. That said, the NRA Board of Directors has not made any decision." For its part, State Farm issued a statement saying that they "are not actively marketing space for sublease at City Line." So, is the NRA coming to Richardson? Probably not, but nothing said by anyone rules out the possibility that it could still happen.

Sharper (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Sharper (2023): A caper movie where every time a new character is introduced, the caper changes, with a new villain and a new mark. By the end, it's anyone's guess who is going to come out on top. Plot gets more and more implausible, but it's a fun ride anyway. B-

How Richardson's New City Hall Went Wrong

U of Wis Humanities Building

The City of Richardson is in process of getting public input that will shape the design of a new City Hall. I'm here to report on lessons-learned from another building, new in 1969, from a university campus a thousand miles away that I always think of when I think about Richardson's own municipal campus. That building is the UW Humanities building on the campus of the University of Wisconsin—Madison. There are lessons for Richardson to learn from that building if you don't want to see a headline like the above sometime in the future.

POTD: Sicilian Ceramic Heads

From 2022 10 30 Mt Etna and Taormina

This photo-of-the-day shows typical Sicilian ceramic heads in Taormina, Sicily, Italy.

According to legend, "there was a beautiful girl who loved to take care of flowers in her balcony. One day, while she was watering the flowers, a young Moor, who was walking in the street, saw her and fell in love at first sight...She didn’t know he was married...When she discovered the painful truth, in a rage, she cut off his head and used it as [an] ornamental vase for her balcony." (I know, legends often are very dark.)

Taormina is the setting for the second season of White Lotus. Fans of that show definitely should add Taormina to their bucket list of places to travel to. Its history goes back to ancient Greece.

A bonus photo is after the jump.

POTD: The Tallest Volcano in Europe

From 2022 10 30 Mt Etna and Taormina

This photo-of-the-day shows Mount Etna. It's an active volcano, by far the largest and tallest volcano in Italy. Its height varies from eruption to eruption, the last of which was in 2017. It's in Sicily, an island and a world apart from Italy.

A bonus photo is after the jump.

The Diplomat (TV 2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Diplomat (TV 2023): Explosion kills 41 British sailors in Gulf. Who did it? Iran? Russia? US ambassador in London works to find out, complicated by politics in both capitals, and a love/hate triangle with Keri Russell in the middle. Intrigue and personal drama. A-

POTD: Portrait and Cityscape

This photo-of-the-day is from the Meadows Museum at SMU in Dallas. It shows two paintings in the exhibit "In the Shadow of Dictatorship: Creating the Museum of Spanish Abstract Art".

Fifty points if you can say which painting is a portrait and which a cityscape. Extra credit for knowing which person the portrait is of and which city the cityscape is of. Muchisimo puntos if you know the model in the middle.

Texas Chain Saw Massacre: Promising Change

After apologizing for the "Texas Chain Saw Massacre", the City of Richardson pledged on Facebook, "We will also do everything in our power to make sure this never happens again."

Random Thoughts: Mike Pence is Connor Roy

2023-06-01: Mike Pence is the 2024 presidential campaign's Connor Roy.
Headline: "Mike Pence is a man without a constituency."

2023-06-01: Ted Lasso series finale (with spoilers): True to the end, Ted Lasso stays nice win or lose. Laughs were never the main goal here (warm fuzzies were), and became less a goal as the series wore on. Series could continue without Ted, with a sharper edge (I'd watch that), but won't. B-

2023-06-04: TIL: "In a typical year, the country builds more three-car garages than one-bedroom apartments."
How Parking Ruined Everything - The Atlantic

Texas Chain Saw Massacre

Condition of trees? Dead.
Cause of death? Chain saw.
Chief suspect? City of Richardson.
Statement by the accused? Sorry, not sorry.

POTD: Galleria Umberto I in Naples

From 2022 10 29 Naples

This photo-of-the-day shows the Galleria Umberto I, a public shopping gallery in Naples, Italy.

A bonus photo is after the jump.

POTD: Vesuvius at Dawn

From 2022 10 29 Naples

This photo-of-the-day shows the Gulf of Naples with dawn coloring the sky behind Mount Vesuvius. Quiet. Beautiful. Right? Well, it wasn't that lovely in 79 AD when it blew its top and buried the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. What looks like two peaks in this photo was actually all just one much bigger mountain before it collapsed in the eruption, leaving the famous profile we see today.

Bonus photo after the jump.

Asteroid City (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Asteroid City (2023): It's by Wes Anderson. That's all you should need to know to see it. It's got his quirky style and a star-studded cast like all his movies. The plot is beside the point, but it's got a play-within-a-play of a weird sci-fi story in a 1950s Western setting. B-

You Will Always Remember Where You Were July 28, 1994

Why July 28, 1994? Why not June 28, 2023? Because we weren't in the stands in Oakland, California last night to see the New York Yankees' Domingo Germán throw MLB's 24th perfect game in its history and the first perfect game since 2012.

We don't attend many Texas Rangers games, but the ones we do turn out to be memorable. We were in the stands for Kenny Rogers' perfect game on July 28, 1994, just the 14th perfect game at that time.

Past Lives (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Past Lives (2023): 12-yr-old girl comes to America with her family, leaving her childhood friend behind. 25 yrs and many life-changes later, they reunite in NY for one week. An immigrant's story and so a deeply American story. A story of Korean In-Yun, of destiny, of what-ifs. A-

WAIW: WWJD

Where Am I Wednesday!

By itself, a sign in a restroom asking patrons not to flush paper towels down the toilet is unremarkable. It's that "WWJD" appended at the bottom that caught my attention and made me smile. As I imagined Jesus contemplating how to use a flush toilet, my smile only grew broader.

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

White House Plumbers (TV 2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

White House Plumbers (TV 2023): Watergate was a political tragedy, but 50 years on, it gets the farce treatment here. As absurd as the story is, it's mostly fact-based. Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux are over-the-top in the roles of committed partisans and third-rate burglars Hunt and Liddy. A-

Thinking Outside the Big Orange Box

Richardson taxpayers voted to approve issuing $46 million in bonds to partially pay for a new City Hall, the old one having suffered a disastrous fire. The City hired consultants to gather inputs from Richardson stakeholders. They interviewed Councilmembers already. If they had interviewed me, what I would have told them is below. The rest of the public can now weigh in, too.

POTD: Tourist

From 2022 10 28 Rome

This photo-of-the-day is from Vatican City in Italy. I don't know this man's story. I imagine him as a simple tourist. Visiting what has been the center of one of the world's great religions since the 4th century. Posing for a photo, because that's what tourists do. Eating an ice cream cone, because of course. Anyway, that's what I'm thinking.

POTD: Pilgrim

From 2022 10 28 Rome

This photo-of-the-day is from Vatican City in Italy. I don't know this woman's story. I imagine her as a pilgrim. Visiting the center of the religion she's devoted her life to. Carrying what worldly belongings she needs in a rolling suitcase — a change of clothes, a Bible, a rosary. Crossing the street at a crosswalk, because that's what nuns do. Turning her head to St. Peter's Basilica, because that's where her thoughts lie. Anyway, that's what I'm thinking.

Council Sound Bites: 2023/06/19

The City of Richardson had a City Council worksession June 19, 2023. The agenda had some weighty topics: DART, Comprehensive Plan, and Mobility Work Plan. I'm not going to cover what was presented. You can review the slides used in the presentation yourself. Or watch the four hour video. I'm just going to cherry pick a few questions, comments, and suggestions made by Councilmembers. Call these my nominees for the best comments of the night.

Book Review: Remarkably Bright Creatures

From Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt:

Amazon

"Darkness suits me. Each evening, I await the click of the overhead lights, leaving only the glow from the main tank. Not perfect, but close enough. Almost-darkness, like the middle-bottom of the sea."

Book Review: Remarkably Bright Creatures: Story of an octopus and two aquarium night janitors who care for him. He repays them with clues to a mystery. The octopus is way too bright. Coincidences abound. A heartwarming, workmanlike story with something for all ages. B+

After the jump, my full review.

Extrapolations (TV 2023)

Rotten Tomatoes

Extrapolations (TV 2023): Sci-fi. Next 50 years on Earth as temps rise and pollution builds. Earth's pretty much a hellhole, but life goes on, now with AI and VR and robots. Preachy, but can't decide if we're doomed or we'll all be saved in the end by science and engineering. C+

TIL: What's With All the Vacant Storefronts?

Once a Wendy's, then vacant.
Then a Quizno's, now vacant.
Maybe soon a Lucky's Chicken.

Have you ever seen one of your favorite restaurants, one that seemed popular and busy, go out of business, with the owner explaining that the landlord raised the rent to an unaffordable level? And then watch the now vacant building sit empty for months or years with a "For Lease" sign out front? What's with that?

Coaching from the Stands

An open letter to Coach,

You are probably tired of me heckling from the cheap seats in the grandstand, so I thought I'd take the time to write a fan letter instead. I do more booing than I'm proud of. Once I even called on you to quit coaching. You're not good at it, I said. It's not even your job, I said. I now admit I was wrong. You were right. I'm embarrassed if I ever sound like that fan in the picture above.