Bugonia (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Bugonia (2025): Wacky conspiracy theorist (Jesse Plemons) kidnaps a drug company CEO (Emma Stone), convinced she's an extraterrestrial planning to destory the Earth. Most of the movie is them failing to communicate, as the blood and stakes rise in this black comedy. Oscar nominations are deserved. A-

Peacock

A Look at the Primary Race for TX-32

It's primary time in Texas. First, a brief look at the US Senate. Incumbent Senator John Cornyn (R) is being challenged by impeached and indicted, but never convicted, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R). Maybe not surprisingly, polls show GOP voters prefer Paxton. The Democrats have two candidates who are running against each other (James Talarico and Jasmine Crockett). Crockett found fame attacking Trump. Talarico is attacking Crockett. Dems can be their own worst enemies.

Another race to watch is the US Congressional race for Texas District 32, which includes Richardson, although it's weighted to give heavily Republican east Texas a majority. In the Democratic primary is current Richardson City Council member Dan Barrios ("We recommend Barrios...who is running a campaign centered on kitchen-table issues, such as the rising cost of living, housing affordability and opportunities for small businesses." — The Dallas Morning News). Running against him is Anthony Bridges ("Donald Trump and Chuck Schumer are going to HATE me as much as we hate them and their billionaire buddies." — Bridges's campaign website) All I've said before about that race is the effect of Barrios's candidacy on the City Council of Richardson (not their shining hour).

On the Republican side, I have a lot more to say. The pack is circling the seat that was opened up by redistricting. Julie Johnson, the incumbent, was drawn out of her own district. [Correction: District 32 was redrawn to make it harder for any Democrat to win it, not just Julie Johnson.]

POTD: LEY SECA

From 2025 06 01 Puebla

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Puebla, Mexico, at a restaurant we chose to eat at. Food was fine, but we found it odd that the bar was closed, with "LEY SECA" posted over it. The translation is basically: "Yes, we are a bar. No, you cannot drink today." The reason was it was election day. I guess the thinking is that it takes away an excuse the electorate could use for electing bad politicians: "Don't blame us. We were drinking." Texans don't have that excuse for the results of our elections.

---

"Election Sunday,
the barroom stays out of it.
Beer can wait its turn."
— h/t ChatGPT

POTD: Taller Talavera de la Reyna

From 2025 06 01 Puebla

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Puebla, Mexico, at Taller Talavera de la Reyna. It shows ceramic plates arrayed on the ground, some broken. I can't explain it (the plates). I can explain Talavera de la Reyna. "Angélica Moreno founded the Talavera de la Reyna workshop in 1990, with the objective of preserving, rescuing, innovating and valuing one of the most important artisanal processes in Mexico." Today, you can watch artisans at work and purchase their products. It's worth a visit.

---

"Not trash, not display,
just ceramics marking time
through chips and edges."
— h/t ChatGPT

Book Review: Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman

From Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman, by Robert K. Massie:

Amazon

"Traveling toward an unknown country, propelled by an empress’s sentimentality, a mother’s ambition, and the intrigues of the king of Prussia, an adolescent girl was launched on a great adventure. And once the sadness of parting with her father had passed, Sophia was filled with excitement. She had no fear of the long journey or the complications of marrying a boy whom she had met only briefly four years before. If her future husband was considered ignorant and willful, if his health was delicate, if he was miserable in Russia, none of this mattered to Sophia. Peter Ulrich was not the reason she was traveling to Russia. The reason was Russia itself and proximity to the throne of Peter the Great."

Harry Up, We Have a Deadline to Meet

The big news February 9, 2026, was that the Richardson City Council ordered a $223.4M bond election for May 2, 2026. So let's talk about something else instead.

Also on February 9, 2026, the council ordered a Charter Amendment election. There was some urgency involved. Ready or not, this week's council meeting was the last chance for the council to call an election for May, either for a bond package or for charter amendments.

Agatha Christie's Seven Dials (TV 2026)

Rotten Tomatoes

Agatha Christie's Seven Dials (TV 2026): Fast-moving (only 3 episodes) whodunnit set in a 1925 English country house. Like the original, the hero is a smart young woman who is the equal of the superintendent detective investigating the murder. Not bad for a story from 1929. C+

Netflix

The Coming Squeeze on City Budgets

Community Impact.

Community Impact has a straightforward report on the coming challenges for Richardson's finances. The bottom line: "Richardson could see a budget shortfall in the next few years due to the statewide cap on property tax increases."

POTD: Alley of the Frogs

From 2025 06 01 Puebla

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Puebla, Mexico. It shows a street lined with colorful shops and restaurants. It's home to a weekend antique and handicraft market. Why it's called Alley of the Frogs, well, I think that's a relic of history long gone. Something about regular flooding or something.

Another photo is after the jump.

POTD: Biblioteca Palafoxiana

From 2025 06 01 Puebla

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Puebla, Mexico, in a public library founded in the 17th century. It houses thousands of rare books, naturally.

It's also colorful. Another photo showing that is after the jump.

The Amateur (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Amateur (2025): Rami Malek stars as a low-level CIA analyst whose wife is killed and wants revenge, only to uncover a bigger crime involving the CIA itself. Malek lacks the killer instinct, leading to gimicky methods to take out his wife's killers. That's the only thing novel about this. B-

Hulu

Council Recap: Development Priorities

The Richardson City Council met Monday, February 2, 2026. There was one agenda item that I particularly wanted to witness. That was: "9. PRESENT AND DISCUSS THE CITY COUNCIL’S CURRENT DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES." I'll get to it in a minute, but let's dispense with the other agenda items first, or at least the one I have something to say about.

The Worst Places to Eat in Richardson Last Month

Graphic by City of Richardson.

The City of Richardson is rightly regarded as having some of the best and most diverse dining options in north Texas ("Eat & Drink"). But that doesn't mean every restaurant in Richardson exceeds in every measure. Here is a list of the worst places to eat in Richardson last month, based on the City of Richardson's Health Department Restaurant Scores from inspections last month. Not all Richardson restaurants are inspected each and every month. Only those inspected last month are ranked here. Only the lowest scores are shown.

Random Thoughts: Championing Richardson's Marwan Marouf

2025-10-06: Public speakers were out in force today at the Richardson Texas City Council meeting to speak on behalf of Marwan Marouf, a community leader from Richardson, TX, who was detained by ICE on Sep 22, 2025, while dropping his son at school. His detention coincided with the denial of his green card application, which cites decade-old accusations of providing "material support" to the Holy Land Foundation (HLF) through his volunteer work and nominal donations in the 1990s.

POTD: Puebla's Calle de los Dulces

From 2025 06 01 Puebla

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Puebla, Mexico, along a (mostly) pedestrian avenue known for its wealth of candy stores. It's Calle de los Dulces.

---

"Footsteps slow themselves
when sweetness fills the senses.
Commerce yields to joy."
— h/t ChatGPT

POTD: Bike Lanes in the Sky

From 2025 06 01 Puebla

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken on the road into Puebla, Mexico. Above us was an elevated lane dedicated to bicycles. Really. I can't say what the usage is or the economics of doing it this way, but it sure looks cool. According to PedalPowerTouring.com, "Puebla definitely outdoes itself by adding a bike-path and propping it up high in the sky, about one or two stories over the car traffick. Not only do we get to enjoy stress-free riding, we also get a great view!"

---

"Stress-free bike riding,
a phrase rare as quiet streets,
made literal here."
— h/t ChatGPT

POTD: Real del Barro

From 2025 05 30 Mexico City

Today's photo-of-the-day was from Real del Barro, a restaurant in Mexico City. It's where we were served an appetizer of ground up grassphoppers on a small, flat taco shell. That's all I remember.

Bonus photos are after the jump.

POTD: Mexico City Street Food

From 2025 05 30 Mexico City

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken on a street in Mexico City. Whether it's called tacos al pastor, or shawarma, or döner kebab, it's delicious.

---

"Spinning spit of pork,
thin slices fall like petals,
tortillas wait warm."
— h/t ChatGPT

A House of Dynamite (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

A House of Dynamite (2025): A single ICBM is headed towards the US. 18 minutes until impact. Tension mounts as the entire government — military, diplomatic, political — tries to determine who is behind it and how to counter it. A thriller without resolution. B+

Netflix

Roofman (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Roofman (2025): Channing Tatum plays a smart but struggling army vet who takes to burglarizing small stores by entering them through their roofs after hours. He takes to hiding out in a Toys-R-Us. Eventually he falls for a single mother working there. Keeping his secret leads to complications. Movie is a charming true story. B-

On airplane

Nobody 2 (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Nobody 2 (2025): Bob Odenkirk plays a working stiff whose undercover job happens to be assassin. In this sequel, he just wants to take his family on vacation to an aging theme park in Wisconsin, where he runs into all kinds of bad guys, which he dispatches in clever ways. Think of this as a violent "Home Alone" for grownups. C+

On airplane

Jurassic World Rebirth (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Jurassic World Rebirth (2025): Nothing wrong here, just meh. A predictable story about having to get DNA samples from the three largest, baddest beasts on land, sea, and air. What's missing is intelligence and cunning on the part of any dinosaurs, like those velociraptors in the original. C+

Peacock

POTD: Teachers Strike

From 2025 05 30 Mexico City

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Mexico City. It shows a tent city set up by teachers on strike against the government. Everything was quiet and peaceful when we walked freely in the area, but writing of the striking teachers, a report in The New York Times said, "The 100,000-strong group's demands include doubling teacher salaries and appealing pension and education laws they deem harmful. Earlier this week, the group paralyzed traffic along one of Mexico City's most emblematic avenues, and Mexican journalists reported that they were assaulted by protesting union members outside the National Palace in the old city center."

---

"Banners speak of pay
of years promised, years withheld.
Hope stitched into seams."
— h/t ChatGPT

POTD: Avenida Francisco I. Madero

From 2025 05 30 Mexico City

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in a major shopping street in central Mexico City, La Avenida Francisco I. Madero.

Another photo, of Calle de Fray Pedro de Gante, is after the jump.

Ballerina (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Ballerina (2025): The torch is passed on the John Wick saga. Ana de Armas takes over as an assasin in training. Same old shit as Keanu Reeves's four movies. If you like action movies with lots of violence (or you're stuck on an airplane over the Atlantic), this could be for you. C+

On airplane

The Chair Company (TV 2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Chair Company (TV 2025): Corporate fraud thriller/comedy? Tim Robinson plays a manager whose chair collapses while he's giving a presentation. He's embarrassed enough to investigate the chair company and uncovers a vast conspiracy theory that gets more convoluted as time goes on. Don't expect answers. C-

HBO Max

No Truman Exception in Richardson

The Richardson City Council directed the City Manager to draft a City Charter amendment that would require a council member who announces their candidacy for another office to immediately resign from the City Council. The amendment, if passed by voters in May, would apply retroactively, meaning that Council Member Dan Barrios, who is running for Congress, would automatically be removed from office.

Can they do this? Setting aside the retroactive nature of the amendment, they can. ("A home-rule city with two-year terms may provide in its charter that a mayor or council member who becomes a candidate for another office automatically vacates the current office." — Attorney General Opinion No. GA-02 17.)

Ne Zha II (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Ne Zha II (2025): Children's movie, but be warned: it's nonstop violence. Visually stunning animation, but the style seems to change with each scene. Too many characters. Too much confusing back story. Maybe you have see Ne Zha I first. C+

HBO Max

Marty Supreme (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Marty Supreme (2025): Timothee Chalamet plays a small-time, fast-talking hustler trying to beg, borrow, or steal the funds needed to get into the world table tennis championship in Tokyo. Fascinating to watch the acting, even if you can't like the character. A-

In theatres

POTD: Sanborns Madero

From 2025 05 30 Mexico City

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Sanborns Madero in cental Mexico City. According to Gemini, "Sanborns Madero in Mexico City is the iconic, historic first location of the Sanborns chain, nestled inside the stunning blue-tiled Casa de los Azulejos (House of Tiles) on Madero Street, offering traditional Mexican food like Enchiladas Suizas, a classic department store experience, and a glimpse into history with its beautiful architecture and murals, making it a must-visit landmark in the Centro Histórico."

---

"A café, a store,
a museum of habits
still alive, still strong."
— h/t ChatGPT

POTD: National Museum of Anthropology

From 2025 05 30 Mexico City

Welcome to Mexico City. Our first photo-of-the-day in Mexico was taken at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. According to Wikipedia, it is the largest and most visited museum in Mexico. The exhibition halls surround a courtyard with a fountain featuring a huge concrete umbrella supported by a single pillar.

---

"Under umbrella,
many worlds stand side by side,
still speaking softly."
— h/t ChatGPT

TIL: Americans Are Not Exceptional

I used to think (a long, long time ago) that America was exceptional. That it couldn't happen here, where "it" was some atrocity or another that was perpetrated by another country in another time and place. Then I had to acknowledge that there were just too many exceptions to hold that naive thinking. Today I read two things that bring that point home, from two different eras in history.

Pluribus (TV 2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Pluribus (TV 2025): Extraterrestrials make everyone on Earch happy. Only Rhea Seehorn is immune. So she takes it as her mission to save the world from happiness. It's like a Twilight Zone episode where the twist happens in the first episode and the interesting part is watching how it all plays out for nine episodes. A-

AppleTV

Materialists (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Materialists (2025): A professional matchmaker's own perfect man must offer it all — love and money. When a client is sexually assaulted, she questions everything about her job and her own goals. The first half of movie is a thought-provoking look at dating. Second half reverts to rom-com tropes. B-

HBO Max

Ballad of a Small Player (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Ballad of a Small Player (2025): High stakes gambling addict knows his luck will change if he can just con someone into staking him enough for one big bet. Colin Farrell is great and Macau is luxurious, but the plot and the characters are threadbare. C+

Netflix

Champagne Problems (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Champagne Problems (2025): Young woman is sent to Paris to negotiate the acquisition of a champagne winery. First day she meets a handsome man. Naturally, romance ensues. The only plot twist is predictable. But it's harmless fun with plenty of shots of Paris at Christmas time. B-

Netflix

POTD: Goodbye to Thailand...and to John

From 2025 03 26 Bangkok (2)

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken at Wat Arun in Bangkok on the morning of our last day in Thailand.

After the jump, one last photograph.

POTD: Our Last Dinner

From 2025 03 26 Bangkok (2)

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken at the rooftop restaurant of the Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit on Ellen's and my last night in Thailand after a wonderful two week vacation. We were thankful that John and Dessy flew from Jakarta to Bangkok to be with us. Little did we suspect it was to be our last supper ever with John. Three months later, back in Jakarta, John was hospitalized after a short illness. Ellen and I made the long trip to Jakarta to be with him. John passed away, surrounded by Dessy, Ellen and me, and Dessy's family and many of their closest friends. John was only 36. We will be forever grateful for those 36 years and all of the times and places we were able to share with him.

---

"Rooftop memories
where our laughter met the dark.
Love outlives the meal."
— h/t ChatGP

The Worst Places to Eat in Richardson Last Month

Graphic by City of Richardson.

The City of Richardson is rightly regarded as having some of the best and most diverse dining options in north Texas ("Eat & Drink"). But that doesn't mean every restaurant in Richardson exceeds in every measure. Here is a list of the worst places to eat in Richardson last month, based on the City of Richardson's Health Department Restaurant Scores from inspections last month. Not all Richardson restaurants are inspected each and every month. Only those inspected last month are ranked here. Only the lowest scores are shown.

Random Thoughts: Something Deeply Disturbing About AI

2025-12-01: I just tested a web service that "detects AI-generated content." I fed one of my blog posts through it. It reported that it contained 74% AI-generated content. Then, for a fee, it offered to rewrite my blog post to make it appear 100% human. There's something deeply disturbing about that.

The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Shop Around the Corner (1940): Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan in a romcom with the "Lubitsch Touch." Also starring Frank Morgan, who you will recognize as the Wizard of Oz in the 1939 classic. See how many romcom tropes that are still standard today are in this movie, some used for the first time. B+

HBO Max

#VeryTardyReview

Weapons (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Weapons (2025): Less a horror film, more a mystery/thriller. All but one child from the same class flee their homes at 2:17 am one night and disappear. Story is told from different perspectives, each filling in a few more details. Slow build to a satisfactory conclusion. B-

HBO Max

Book Review: On the Calculation of Volume (Book I)

From On the Calculation of Volume (Book I), by Solvej Balle:

Amazon

"My name is Tara Selter. I am sitting in the back room overlooking the garden and a woodpile. It is the eighteenth of November. Every night when I lie down to sleep in the bed in the guest room it is the eighteenth of November and every morning, when I wake up, it is the eighteenth of November. I no longer expect to wake up to the nineteenth of November and I no longer remember the seventeenth of November as if it were yesterday."

POTD: High Protein Refreshment

From 2025 03 23 Chiang Mai

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken at a food store at the foot of Doi Suthep, the site of a popular temple. As healthful as I imagine the products on sale here to be, we didn't partake.

Bonus photos are after the jump.

POTD: Wat Phra That Doi Suthe

From 2025 03 23 Chiang Mai

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. According to Wikipedia, it "is a Theravada Buddhist temple (wat) in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. The temple is often referred to as "Doi Suthep" although this is actually the name of the mountain where it is located. It is a sacred site to many Thai people...The temple is said to have been founded in 1383 when the first stupa was built."

Bonus photos are after the jump.

Wicked: For Good (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Wicked: For Good (2025): Elphaba is not all bad. Glinda is not all good. Kind of like this movie. The running time of the two movies is twice the length of the entire stage musical. There's just too much. There's a great two hour movie in there. B-

In theatres

F1: The Movie (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

F1: The Movie (2025): Cocky, arrogant Formula 1 racer, played by Brad Pitt (of course), tries to reclaim glory 30 years after a bad accident. It's a sports movie. Enough said. What did I learn about F1 racing? The win goes to the car with the best tires. Or at least the driver who knows how to get the most out of them. B-

AppleTV

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025): A murder mystery where the crime is just an excuse to explore irreconcilable views of religious faith, with Benoit Blanc's lack of faith also on view. As for the murder plot, it has too many elements that lack credibility. B+

Netflix

TIL: More Offensive Words

Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer.

I first wrote about the loss of values in American politics in 2011, with "Civility: What's Not To Like?". But "civility" was not the first word to transform from being a value to being offensive. I wrote in 2017: For me, "it started with 'tolerance'. Long ago, I was surprised to learn that tolerance is not universally considered to be a virtue. (Tolerance was imagined to be synonymous with approval - approval of gays, of Muslims, of sin.) Then, I learned that 'compromise' is not universally considered to be a virtue, either. (Compromise was imagined to require a surrender of principle.)" That article was called, "Now Kindness is a Dirty Word, Too".

Now in 2025, I learned a whole bunch of other words that have transformed from being values to being offensive. Also, I learned an explanation of what's behind it.

POTD: Umbrella Factory

From 2025 03 23 Chiang Mai

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken at an umbrella factory in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Beautiful. That is all.

Bonus photos are after the jump.