POTD: Peterhof Grand Cascade

From 2018 08 14 Peterhof

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the bottom of the Grand Cascade outside Peterhof, the palace built by Peter the Great of Russia.

Bonus photos are after the jump.

Hello I Must Be Going

The Richardson City Council saw two council members step down, Marta Gómez Frey and Mabel Simpson, after serving only two terms. In contrast, Steve Mitchell and Mark Solomon are beginning their eighth term and sixth term, respectively. At the end of this coming term, both of them will also step down, being the first council members affected by Richardson's term limits. At Monday's City Council meeting, Frey and Simpson gave valedictories, full of gratitude to family and friends, citizens, colleagues, city management and staff.

Love, Death & Robots (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

Love, Death & Robots (2019): Sci-fi anthology series. Animation and blended animation/live action. Stories are hit or miss, too many with gratuitous nudity or battles or violent monsters. None really thought-provoking. But entertaining escapism for 10-15 minutes at a time. B-

The Wandering Earth (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Wandering Earth (2019): Chinese sci-fi blockbuster. Sun is dying. Salvation lies in rocketing Earth to another solar system. Things go haywire using Jupiter as slingshot. Preposterous. Absurd. Silly. Non-stop crises. Stock characters. But better than Snowpiercer, barely. D+

Concern Over Growth Sparks A Revolution In Richardson

Elections in Richardson have long followed the pattern of most suburban cities: low interest, low turnout, and long tenure for incumbents.
...
This [year], however, the status quo in Richardson was radically reshuffled. After an unusually spirited campaign, voters dumped three incumbents.

Source: D Magazine.

Just kidding. That D Magazine story is not from this year. Or 2015. It's from 1987. But it's worth reading. It's like seeing Richardson in a funhouse mirror, an alternate universe where the Palisades scandal resulted in the defeat of Mayor Maczka and key council members in their re-election bids in 2015. But in our reality, in case you forgot, Mayor Maczka and four council members ran unopposed in 2015. The issue in 1987 was a familiar one. Only the electoral outcome was different.

Wine Country (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

Wine Country (2019): Six women travel to Napa for a 50th birthday. What happens is less party than mid-life crisis and group therapy. Could have been better if they had picked a lane, either lol comedy or Albee's Virginia Woolf. Instead we get Thoreau's quiet desperation. C+

Long Shot (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

Long Shot (2019): Rom-com with Seth Rogen as speechwriter for Sec. of State Charlize Theron. Surprisingly, the movie works despite its preposterous premise and a gratuitously gross key plot point. Charlize Theron on molly looks like it was as fun for her as for the audience. B+