Sunday, December 11, 2022

POTD: Horses, Free if not Wild

From 2022 07 06 Kinderdijk

Today's photo-of-the-day is of horses on the bank of the Rhine River in Netherlands. They look so wild and free, even though they were certainly on some farmer's land whose fences were out of sight for me traveling along the river.

Saturday, December 10, 2022

POTD: A Bridge Too Far

From 2022 07 06 Kinderdijk
A modern bridge, not the Bridge Too Far

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Rhine River in Netherlands. If you're of a certain age, you might remember the epic war film "A Bridge Too Far". It depicted a failed Allied military operation in Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II. Thousands of Allied soldiers were air dropped behind enemy lines. The objective was the bridge at Arnhem. Capturing that would cut off the German army from retreat and give the Allies a safe crossing of the Rhine to invade Germany. The problem was that the road to the bridge was a single lane across marshy land, with several key bridges to capture on the way to Arnhem.

Thursday, December 8, 2022

The Devil's Hour (TV 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Rotten Tomatoes

The Devil's Hour (TV 2022): A woman wakes from nightmares every night at 3:33 am. It gets creepier from there. Not a horror movie. A murder mystery with the emphasis not on whodunnit, but on mystery: precognition, parallel lives, or just madness? Resolution is satisfactory. B-

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Joyful and Triumphant

O come all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant
O come ye o come ye
To Bethlehem
Come and behold Him
Born the King of angels

"Joyful and Triumphant." I've heard those words sung in that Christmas carol since childhood. But recently at a church concert these same words were belted out by a church choir at the top of their lungs singing songs I have never heard before. Not just one song. The whole concert was one of Christian triumphalism sung loud and proud. To me, Christmas carols never sounded quite so, well, contrary to Christian humility. But that could just be me.

Tuesday, December 6, 2022

The Patient (TV 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Rotten Tomatoes

The Patient (TV 2022): Steve Carell as a therapist kidnapped by a serial killer who desperately wants someone to cure him of his urge to kill. Claustrophobic feel. Episodes become more introspective until you don't know who is the patient. Resolution, revealed late, is good. B-

Monday, December 5, 2022

Elections Matter: Book Banning Edition

Richardson ISD and Frisco ISD had school board elections last year. In both cases, some candidates objected to being characterized as being "book banners." The outcomes in the two elections were quite different. The book banners lost in RISD. They won in Frisco ISD. The consequences are now being felt.

Sunday, December 4, 2022

POTD: Shoe Rack

From 2022 07 06 Kinderdijk

Today's photo-of-the-day is of a shoe rack in a windmill house in Kinderdijk, Netherlands. Wooden shoes are more a curiosity than footwear seen today, but they did have a historic advantage. Not only do they provide foot protection (think of today's steel-toed work shoes), they were waterproof (good for living on canals and marshes), durable and cheap.