POTD: Qutub Minar

From 2016 02 04 New Delhi

Today's photo-of-the-day is from India's Qutub Minar, the tallest brick minaret in the world. It stands 73 meters (240 feet) tall. It dates back to the 1190s, when its construction was commissioned by the founder of the Delhi Sultanate.

Except this photo is not of that minaret. This photo is of the base of the accompanying Alai Minar, which was intended to be twice the height of Qutub Minar. Construction was halted upon the death of the Sultan who commissioned it, when the Alai Minar was only 24.5 meters (80 feet) tall. That's how it has stood for over 600 years.

P.S. Faithful readers of The Wheel might remember an earlier mention of Qutub Minar, a stop on my Singapore-to-London travels in 1977. The only thing that has changed in the intervening years is that tourists can no longer climb the tower. :-(

Tangerines (2013)

IMDB

Tangerines (2013): Fruit farmer in Caucasus carves out separate peace between two wounded soldiers. Implausible, sad and uplifting. B+

POTD: Chandni Chowk - cont.

From 2016 02 04 New Delhi

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Chandni Chowk, "one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, India." Take a bicycle rickshaw ride through the narrow lanes, variously devoted to silver, stationery, books, fabrics, hardware, whatnot. The alleys are unbelievably congested. The air is dusty and smoky. The curbs are littered with garbage (made much worse by a municipal workers strike). But the energy is palpable. It may not be for everyone, but it was clearly one of my highlights of India.

Residential Uses Not Allowed in Mixed-Use

"Residential uses of any kind are not presently allowed elsewhere in PD."

It will take a zoning change to build residences in Richardson's crown jewel of "mixed-use" development, CityLine. OK, maybe the tract in question is not officially part of CityLine (the boundaries are kind of vague). The tract could be called CityLine Southeast. Or Somewhere Close But Technically Just Outside CityLine. In any case, it's a 2.44 acre tract within all that ongoing development between Renner Rd and the Bush Tollway. And the current zoning doesn't allow people to live there. So much for mixed-use.

POTD: Chandni Chowk, Delhi

From 2016 02 04 New Delhi

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the narrow streets of Chandni Chowk, "one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, India." Bicycle rickshaws, hand-pulled carts, and foot traffic are the means of transportation here. Businesses seem to be thriving, getting along just fine without the cars...or zoning code parking minimums. Maybe there's a connection.

Spectre (2015)

IMDB

Spectre (2015): You watch 007 for exotic locations and action, not plot or characters. On those low expectations, Spectre delivers. C+

POTD: Jama Masjid, Delhi

From 2016 02 04 New Delhi

Delhi's Jama Masjid is one of the largest mosques in India (maybe the largest, but who knows? Wikipedia says "one of the largest" so that's what I'm going with). The previous two photos-of-the-day were taken outside this 350-year-old landmark, so it's only fair that today's photo takes us inside.

OTBR: A Swanky RV Resort in Arizona

Latitude: N 32° 40.134
Longitude: W 114° 31.938

A child on a road trip with his family asks, "Where are we?" and the father answers, "Let's check the map. We're off the blue roads [the Interstate Highways marked in blue on the road atlas]. We're off the red roads [the US and state highways]. We're off the black roads [the county highways]. I think we're off the map altogether." It was always my dream to be off the map altogether.

After the jump, a few of the random places (and I mean random literally) that I visited vicariously last month that are "off the blue roads".

RISD Bond Chatter

What are people saying about the RISD bond election? Not much, from what I can tell. I've seen no formal activity (yet) by any "Vote YES" or "Vote NO" committees -- no yard signs, no emails or direct mail, no robo-calls (thank goodness). Social media has the usual chatter, but not a whole lot compared to recent controversies. Opposition to the bond, what there is, seems to fall into several categories.

Abortion

Usually, I don't cover hot-button issues like abortion. So much has been said on the subject, there's nothing new I can add. And I'm a man so I don't feel empowered to impose my beliefs on others who might personally face this situation. Nevertheless, The Dallas Morning News's Jeffrey Weiss's always thoughtful Facebook feed suckered me in. To preserve my thoughts (which might be of interest to a distant future me, if no one else), here's what I had to say on the subject. I'm not including the context that prompted me to jump in, but I think what I say can stand alone.

POTD: Smoke Break

From 2016 02 04 New Delhi

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the outside Delhi's Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques in India. It's a photo of a man taking a smoke break. I don't know if it's the nicotine, the religion, or just his temperament, but he seems very much at ease, which is saying something given the hustle and bustle of Delhi's streets all around.

After the jump, exhale...

Steve Jobs (2015)

IMDB

Steve Jobs (2015): Even more an asshole in this one. Even his design skill is more egotistical fetish than genius here. Needs a reboot. C+

POTD: Would You Buy a Whip From This Man?

From 2016 02 04 New Delhi

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the outside Delhi's Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques in India. It's a photo of a man selling whips to tourists. At least I think that's his target market, because I never saw any Indians using whips. Come to think of it, I've never seen any Americans use whips, either, at least not in some kind of show. Anyway, I guess all this is an explanation why I didn't buy a whip.

Repeat Tweets: UIL Realignment

Repeat tweets from February, 2016:

• Feb 1 2016: New District 9-6A for 2016-2018: Coppell, Jesuit, Skyline, WT White, Richardson, Berkner, Lake Highlands, Pearce.
• Feb 5 2016: Tangerine (2015): Christmas Eve on LA streets with trans prostitutes. Gritty, explicit and alien to this old straight guy. Great acting. A-
• Feb 8 2016: Thomas Becket: History of rise and fall of a "Warrior, Priest, Rebel" 900 years ago. A great man (not perfect) by his actions not birth. A-

After the jump, more repeat tweets.

Catching Up on the Cotton Belt

It's been a while since I've written about the Cotton Belt rail line, that dream of east-west mass transit through Richardson, connecting everything from Wylie to D/FW Airport. That's because the Cotton Belt line remains more dream than reality.

The Martian (2015)

IMDB

The Martian (2015): Too far-fetched for serious drama, but mostly fun in a sciency, good way. Spoiler alert: of course he's saved. B-

Room (2015)

IMDB

Room (2015): Woman and son locked in backyard shed for years. Horrific premise, delicately treated. Faithful to novel, if more detached. B+

POTD: Chichen Itza

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Chichen Itza on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. Whereas Dzibanche is still far enough off the beaten path for the few tourists who make it there to still be allowed to climb all over the ruins, in Chichen Itza that's no longer the case. It's been ten years since tourists have been allowed to climb to the top of the pyramid for an awesome view. Still, the view from the ground is awesome enough and worth the trip.

Bridge of Spies (2015)

IMDB

Bridge of Spies (2015): Cold War prisoner exchange. Well-done, paint-by-numbers movie. Tom Hanks in what used to be a Gregory Peck role. B-

Vote YES on the RISD Bond

It seems like it took forever, but the Richardson ISD school board finally approved a bond package to go to the voters in the May 7 election. Public engagement began way back in November with a series of meetings in a so-called listening tour.

I was originally skeptical. There were gaps, there were frills, there were areas not thought out yet. But the RISD administrators were up front with the public. They said they deliberately asked for public feedback early in the process to give the public maximum opportunity to shape the final package. And it looks like that's just what happened. The "listening tour" was, in fact, really truly, a listening tour. The RISD listened and adapted the bond package accordingly. Kudos to the RISD.

The End of the Tour (2015)

IMDB

The End of the Tour (2015): Five days with David Foster Wallace, brilliant, self-conscious, troubled author. All talk. Shallow. Flat. C+

The Propaganda Game (2015)

IMDB

The Propaganda Game (2015): Look inside North Korea and its brainwashed people. Can't help wondering if I'm not a little brainwashed too. B-

POTD: Above the Treetops

From 2015 11 13 Caribbean Cruise

Today's photo-of-the-day is from deep in the forests and swampland on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. It's of the archaeological ruins of Dzibanche, an abandoned major Mayan city. It's still relatively off the beaten path, so I'm torn between feeling glad to have seen it before the path gets beaten and feeling sad for beating my own path there.

Inside Out (2015)

IMDB

Inside Out (2015): Children's quest movie, all inside young girl's psyche with cartoon emotions in the lead. For kids, B+. For adults, C+

POTD: Grand Cayman's Green Iguanas

From 2015 11 13 Caribbean Cruise

Today's photo-of-the-day is from George Town, Grand Cayman, where the green iguana is a tourist favorite, but according to the National Geographic, to the locals "this invasive species has long outstayed its welcome." Introduced in the 1980s and once protected, its spread now a threat to the native blue iguanas.

Beasts of No Nation (2015)

IMDB

Beasts of No Nation (2015): African child soldier. Violent, brutal, dehumanizing, heartbreaking. Powerful film-making. Why no Oscar nom? A+

POTD: Belly Flop

From 2015 11 13 Caribbean Cruise

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the cruise ship Liberty of the Seas. It's self-explanatory. Well, maybe one thing needs explanation. That's not me in the photo or anyone else I know.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

IMDB

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015): One long desert car chase with crashes, explosions and grunts. Mind-numbing. Cartoonish. Sexist. "Mediocre." D+

POTD: Come Back to Jamaica

From 2015 11 13 Caribbean Cruise

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the cruise ship Liberty of the Seas sailing from the port of Falmouth, Jamaica. Cheers and a fond farewell.

Come Back to Jamaica
Come back to Jamaica.
What's old is what's new.
We want you to join us.
We made it for you.
So make it Jamaica.
Make it your own.
Make it Jamaica.
Your new island home.