"From the hill’s great height,
her hands open, blessing all,
A promise of peace."
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| From 2024 03 08 Santiago |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from the top of San Cristóbal Hill in Santiago, Chile. "On April 26, 1908, the sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception was inaugurated, with its large statue [of the Virgin Mary]. This statue, visible from much of the city, is considered a symbol of Santiago."
A bonus photo is after the jump.
"In Santiago,
Catalina may be gone,
but her spirit lasts."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2024 03 08 Santiago |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from central Santiago, Chile. It shows a shrine placed at the site where 17-year-old Catalina Opazo was killed when the car she was traveling in was crushed by two buses. The tragedy occurred on November 12, 2016. Seven years later, the family still maintains the shrine. Thousands of people walk past it every day. Hopefully, more than a few pay their silent respect to this stranger and pledge to drive more safely.
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Driving home Saturday night, I noticed that a grate on a storm drain in the alley was out of place, leaving a potentially dangerous surprise for an unsuspecting driver. But...another neighbor had already taken action, moving an orange traffic cone from a nearby construction site over to the missing grate. Thank you to a good neighbor. Immediate danger addressed, I filed an issue on the MyRichardson app.
"Night falls, city hums.
Skyline sparkles in the dark.
Dinner in the sky."
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| From 2023 12 24 Singapore |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from a restaurant on the roof of the Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore. If offers a stunning view of Singapore at night in all directions. Singapore was our family's destination for Christmas, 2023.
Click for a bonus photo.
"Skyscrapers reach high,
Lotus floats in calm repose,
Balance in the bay."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2023 12 24 Singapore |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from the lotus pond at the Marina Bay Sands Resort in Singapore. The growing skyline of Singapore is the backdrop. Singapore was our family's choice of destination for Christmas, 2023.
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2024-09-06: You maybe could have seen this day coming fourteen years ago when his son was born and he named him "Colt."
cbsnews.com/news/georgia-scho...
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"Lively hawkers call,
Seafood sizzles, flavors dance,
Night market alive."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2023 12 24 Singapore |
Singapore has always been known for plentiful, great food. Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Newton Food Centre in Singapore. It's described as a "lively market with numerous stalls & hawkers offering seafood & local specialities." It was an easy walk from our hotel. The offerings were delicious and numerous enough for us to choose this market for meals on two nights.
"Vertical giants,
Holding gardens in their arms,
Nature redefined."
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| From 2023 12 24 Singapore |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Supertree Grove in Singapore's Garden by the Bay. "Supertrees are the 18 tree-like structures that dominate the Gardens' landscape with heights that range between 25 and 50 metres. They are vertical gardens that perform a multitude of functions, which include planting, shading and working as environmental engines for the gardens." They also provide a great view of Singapore.
A bonus photo is after the jump.
At the September 23, 2024, meeting, the Richardson City Council approved by a vote of 4-3 a request by Clay Cooley Volkswagen to add a repair shop, a body shop, and a vehicle storage lot on their property in the Interurban District. That was all covered in "Council Recap: Sell Out for a Mural", which was already a long post, so I left out a couple of points that should be made. About that mural. And about that landscaping.
At the September 23, 2024, meeting, the Richardson City Council approved by a vote of 4-3 a request by Clay Cooley Volkswagen to add a repair shop, a body shop, and a vehicle storage lot on their property in the Interurban District. This is the district Richardson once envisioned as an "edgy, mixed-use district built upon the existing bones of the district, focusing on adaptive reuse of existing buildings and targeted infill development." We are now faced with admitting that the Interurban District would have been better named the "Car Lots and Repair Shops District."
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"Dinner in the bush,
Stars above and beasts below,
Wild eyes watch, unseen."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2023 11 04 Zimbabwe |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Zimbabwe. It's at a dinner in the bush just outside Zambezi National Park. There's really nothing separating us from the wildlife, so I guess either 1) the animals are more afraid of us than we are of them, or 2) the animals are well fed and see no need to challenge humans, or 3) the people in charge of safaris and bush dinners don't value tourists' lives. You decide. On the drive back to our resort after dinner, we were driving down a dark, dirt track when we suddenly came across two male elephants facing off. Our vehicle driver quickly stopped, reversed course and took another route, saying that it's a really bad idea to get anywhere close to elephants fighting.
"At the water hole,
Safari pauses for cheers,
A toast to wild ways."
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| From 2023 11 04 Zimbabwe |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Zimbabwe. After a safari ride in the bush of Zambezi National Park, our safari driver stopped our vehicle at a watering hole, got out and set up a bar on a shelf attached to the front of the vehicle. Time for a sunset Happy Hour in the wild.
A bonus photo is after the jump.
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"Bushland, river, sky,
Each new path holds wild wonders,
Eyes wide, hearts alive."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2023 11 04 Zimbabwe |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Zimbabwe. It's a track through the bush of Zambezi National Park. We took a half dozen rides of several hours through such bush, sometimes thick like this, sometimes open grassland, sometimes along a river, sometimes through wooded land. Sometimes we took to the water in boats, looking for hippos, crocodiles, or even elephants crossing the Zambezi River. We did this in South Africa, in Zimbabwe, and in Botswana. Watching for wildlife never got old.
"Mile-wide in full flood,
Rainbow in Thundering Smoke.
We stand in wonder."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2023 11 04 Zimbabwe |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Victoria Falls, "a waterfall on the Zambezi River, located on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is one of the world's largest waterfalls, with a width of 1,708 m (5,604 ft)." We were there in the dry season, which is why there are gaps in the waterfall. We were told that in the rainy season, the falls are filled a mile wide with so much water that all you can see is mist. That's what gives the falls the name Mosi-oa-Tunya, "Thundering Smoke." All in all, we were more than happy with the view we got.
"Resting in the bush,
Lioness with steady gaze,
Full belly at ease."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2023 10 25 Wildlife of Southern Africa |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Chobe National Park. It is Botswana's first national park, proposed back in 1931, and also the most biologically diverse.
Today's photo-of-the-day is a lion, resting under a bush, guarding her kill, an impala (not shown), of which only the hindquarters are left. We saw another pride of lions, about four or five females and one male, not too far away, also resting under a bush. We were able to drive right up to them to get this close-up photo from about 10 meters away. They pretty much ignored us. We guessed their bellies were full.
"Under Kruger's sky,
Leopard rests in silent grace.
Hunter in repose."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2023 10 25 Wildlife of Southern Africa |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Kruger National Park in South Africa. It became South Africa's first national park in 1926 (although Hluhluwe—iMfolozi Park was already a game reserve dating back to the Zulu kingdom of the early 1800s).
This is a photo of a leopard, one of the game animals in the so-called "Big Five". "The term was coined by big-game hunters to refer to the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot." We saw fewer leopards than any other of the Big Five game animals. This particular one was difficult to spot. It was resting on an outcrop of rocks about 50 meters from the trail we were driving on. Our guide spotted it, and that's how "L" was able to get this photo.
"In Africa’s heart,
Rhinos push with gentle might,
Power without rage."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2023 10 25 Wildlife of Southern Africa |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Hluhluwe—iMfolozi Park in South Africa. It's the oldest nature reserve in Africa. "Thanks to conservation efforts, the park now has one of the largest populations of white rhinoceros in the world, although this population remains severely threatened by the poaching of hundreds of rhinos every year in the park."
This is a photo of two White Rhinos locking horns. They pushed and shoved each other for a bit, but never really broke out into serious fighting. Maybe they were just posing for the tourists. ;-) Many of the rhinos we saw lacked their distinctive horns. Rhinos are dehorned to make them less attractive to poachers, but there are still some in all of their fighting glory, like these two.
"Gentle giants walk,
Through Chobe’s golden sunlight,
Majestic in stride."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2023 10 25 Wildlife of Southern Africa |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Chobe National Park in Botswana. It's a photo of a herd of African Elephants, one of the game animals in the so-called "Big Five". "The term was coined by big-game hunters to refer to the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot."
We encountered this family group as they crossed the trail that our 10-passenger, open 4WD safari vehicle was driving down, affording us an up-close view of these magnificent animals.
"Herd of thirty strong,
Footprints mark the dusty trail,
Brawny buffalo."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2023 10 25 Wildlife of Southern Africa |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Zambezi National Park in Zimbabwe. It's a photo of a Cape Buffalo, one of the game animals in the so-called "Big Five". "The term was coined by big-game hunters to refer to the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot." Our guide warned us that what makes the Cape Buffalo particularly dangerous is that it's apt to charge without any warning signs.
We encountered a herd of 30 or so Cape Buffalo when they crossed the trail that our 10-passenger, open 4WD safari vehicle was driving down, affording us an up-close view of this magnificent animal.
"Graceful, towering,
Necks reach for the highest leaves,
Silent, they wander."
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| From 2023 10 25 Wildlife of Southern Africa |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Zambezi National Park in Zimbabwe. It shows a giraffe in its natural setting. Seeing one of these magnificent animals in the wild walking slowly through the bush snapping off branches to feed on is an unforgettable sight.
A bonus closeup is after the jump.
"Victoria Falls.
Bones picked clean by hungry beaks.
From leftovers, life."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2023 10 25 Wildlife of Southern Africa |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge in Zimbabwe. The lodge feeds the vultures from leftover meat scraps and bones from the hotel's restaurant. "As well as providing the opportunity for visitors to spot white headed vultures, hooded vultures, lappet faced vultures and white backed vultures, this supplementary feeding program aids the survival of these remarkable, but endangered birds."
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2024-08-01: "Any Westerners who set foot in Russia should always understand that they could be the next bargaining chips for some future deal." - The Atlantic
Why we won't be booking any tour of Russia any time soon.
theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/...
2024-08-02: On even days, Trumpers are scaring up votes by warning, "She's BLACK!!!" On odd days, they claim, "She's really not Black at all." I remember when campaigns would strive for consisent messaging.
2024-08-02: Headline: "Kamala Harris ‘honored’ after earning enough votes to become Democratic nominee."
Kudos to her...for saying 'honored' instead of 'humbled.'
"Sister’s tear-streaked face,
Brother carried through the smoke,
Youth's voice silenced here."
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| From 2023 10 23 South Africa - Part 2 |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Soweto, a township of the City of Johannesburg, South Africa. Soweto "experienced civil unrest during the Apartheid regime. There were serious riots in 1976, sparked by a ruling that Afrikaans be used in African schools there; the riots were violently suppressed, with 176 striking students killed and more than 1,000 injured."
When we toured the Apartheid Museum in Soweto, we met Antoinette Peterson, a guide working at the museum. Her story is after the jump.
"In Soweto's streets,
Memories of pain remain,
But joy still finds light."
— h/t ChatGPT
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| From 2023 10 23 South Africa - Part 2 |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from Soweto, a township of the City of Johannesburg, South Africa. "Soweto was created in the 1930s when the White government started separating Blacks from Whites, creating black 'townships.' " The legacy of those tragic times of apartheid is still visible today. The photo above shows maybe the worst of the living conditions in Soweto. There are other neighborhoods that are better off. Nelson Mandela was from Soweto. A bonus photo, showing his small but comfortable house, is after the jump.
The Richardson City Council reviewed its Ethics ordinance on August 26, 2024, as required by law every two years. Two years ago, the City Council found nothing to amend. This year, City staff recommends six amendments. Three of the suggestions are simple clarifications to head off potential misinterpretations. Two of the changes relax the ordinance in favor of officers. And one toughens penalties, from $200 to $500 for an officer failing to obey a subpoena. I have no objection to any of these changes, and in the interest of reducing the length of this post, I won't even summarize them. Watch the video yourselves. ;-)
Instead, I want to talk about a related subject that City Manager Don Magner rolled into this agenda item, and that's for either the Ethics ordinance or the Council Rules of Order and Procedure to add guidelines for Councilmembers meeting with property owners, developers, and other stakeholders that have action scheduled for consideration by the Council, or merely to discuss topics that may come before the Council in the future.
From Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, by Olga Tokarczuk (Author), Antonia Lloyd-Jones (Translator):
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The current issue of The New Yorker has a story by Dexter Filkins on the growing risk of war between Hezbollah and Israel in Lebanon ("Will Hezbollah and Israel Go to War?"). It delves deeply into not just the current crisis, but the entire history of Hezbollah, which was founded in 1985. Hezbollah has had the military aim of destroying Israel ever since. It has adopted a political strategy inside Lebanon as well, preventing the existence of a functioning government in that nation. American politics aren't explicitly addressed in Filkins's article, but I recognized a similarity between Hezbollah's tactics and the GOP's.
"Animal spirits,
Trapped within the shining glass,
Recycled, reborn."
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| From 2023 10 23 South Africa - Part 2 |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from the glass-blowing factory Ngwenya Glass in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). Tourists can watch being made, and later buy, drinking glasses, vases, and ornamental African animals, all handmade from recycled glass.
A bonus photo is after the jump.
"A table stands still.
Warning sign keeps it open.
White rhinos nearby."
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| From 2023 10 23 South Africa - Part 2 |
Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park in eastern South Africa. It was the first of many national parks we toured in southern Africa. It's the oldest nature reserve in Africa. "Thanks to conservation efforts, the park now has one of the largest populations of white rhinoceros in the world, although this population remains severely threatened by the poaching of hundreds of rhinos every year in the park."
The photo was taken at a picnic area in the park. The warning sign is probably what keeps the picnic table open. Click for a bonus photo closeup of another warning sign.
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Part 2 of an important topic.
Part 1: "Council
Recap: Comp Plan Update"
In the August 12, 2024, review of progress on the City of Richardson's update of its Comprehensive Plan, City Manager Don Magner and Mayor Bob Dubey laid out competing models of how development works in Richardson. Neither view was laid out in detail. I'm not sure either person has given the matter enough thought to do that. I'm not sure either one even sees the conflict between the two models. Going by what little they did say, conflict there is, and both models should raise warning flags.
On August 12, 2024, the Richardson City Council and City Plan Commission (CPC) received an update on the development of a new Comprehensive Plan for the City. The emphasis was on land use with focus on allowed secondary uses, missing middle housing, and identified redevelopment zones. City staff plan to finish the Comp Plan and present it to the City Council for adoption in December, 2024.
My hopes for this update to the Comp Plan, the first since 2009, have steadily fallen during the year-long effort to produce it. Here's why.