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Joe Senft

@joesenft

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Places. Cultures. Armchair economics. Beauty in everyday things. #texas

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Travel around Texas and you come to realize that the Lone Star State has distinct regions. Seven actually. How big is Texas? It is four times larger than Florida. That’s about three times larger than either the UK or the state of Victoria in Australia. 🟥 THE VALLEY Here in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), your neighbors are Mexico and the celebrated coastline of the Gulf of Mexico. (along with a heapin’ helpin’ o' heat an’ humidity 😎) This is Harlingen, a small town with an occasional big-city vibe. The old downtown is one of my favorites. ⬜ ROUGH and TUMBLE Around the turn of the last century, Harlingen went by nicknames such as “Rattlesnake Junction" and "Six-Shooter Junction". The famed Texas Rangers (the state equivalent of the FBI) put their headquarters here for a number of years. That’s how busy they were! Eventually innovation took hold. New methods of crop irrigation would transform the economy. Vegetables could be grown in winter and shipped to eager shoppers in cities up north. Cotton provided the basis for a burgeoning market in textiles. Harlingen became part of “The Magic Valley”. 🟦 THE DESIGN None of this happened by accident. It came from the revolutionary mind of Mr. Lon C. Hill. He conceived of Harlingen as a center of commerce that could drive both the development of agricultural technology and the logistics to harvest, warehouse, and ship produce. He bundled these tasks into a municipal design that emphasized the plaza: a public square in the traditions of Spain and Mexico. Mr. Hill wanted trains to come directly into town. He collaborated with industry to make that happen. He also prized quality of life. Early on, Hill set aside large tracts for green spaces and other public use. Harlingen is an easy drive from Houston, the fourth largest city in America. At a leisurely pace, that’s about seven hours over a distance of 350 miles / 560 km. Hat tip to: @visitharlingentx @cityofharlingen @harlingen_mayor @harlingenartnight @hgncommunitytheatre @harlingenconcertassociation @harlingenartsandheritagemuseum #usa #texas #travel #roadtrip #lonestarstate taken in Harlingen, Texas by @joesenft
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4 months ago
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The town of Hidalgo sits on the border of the United States and Mexico. CREATIVITY I’m on the hunt for that fabled expression of modern design, El Vocho (also known as the Volkswagen Beetle). Each year Hidalgo hosts the JuneBug Jam, an all-day event at the historic Old Hidalgo Pumphouse. This music and cultural festival includes classic cars. In keeping with the title of JuneBug Jam, these are almost all the VW Bug (Beetle). Where does the nickname El Vocho come from? It’s a portmanteau of Volkswagen and bicho, the Spanish word for bug. CULTURES The city of Hidalgo has been known by several names. Some were given by native peoples; others by Spaniards, Mexicans, or Americans. And one by a Scot. 😁 It’s a small town. If you’re like me, however, you’ll appreciate the food and the older buildings. It’s no accident that the term “our home town” appears here and there. Exactly 140 years ago, folks in Hidalgo picked up and moved. Nearly the entire town! The new location, two miles away, offered more protection from floodwaters of the Rio Grande. Texans have always known severe weather (and have pushed onward regardless). On the other side of that great river is Reynosa, the most populous city in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. Things in Hidalgo remain as multicultural as ever: Texans and Mexicans hop back and forth daily. River cousins. Even the advertising is in two languages. TIMELESS You will have noticed this blend of cultures in the news. When Americans move interstate, many choose Texas. Not just now, but for centuries. The capital of Texas – Austin – is named for a man born in Virginia. As was Houston (and he was a former governor of Tennessee as well). Dallas was named for a man born in Pennsylvania. The attraction is in the duality: some things evolve, but the foundation remains as it should be. That’s a hallmark of the Lone Star State – an American story within the American story. Observed in Hidalgo, Texas on June 13, 2026 Hat tip to: @june.bugjam @cityofhidalgotx @hidalgocountytx @hidal.go.tx @traveltex @hidal.go.tx #rgv #texas #hidalgotx #classicvw #lonestarstate taken in Hidalgo, Texas by @joesenft
3
4 months ago
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Did you know? Houston is a pioneer of popular running. Decades ago Seymour Lieberman would jog when nobody knew what it was. "Everyone thought he was nuts," his daughter would later say. Today some 7000 people run the Seymour Lieberman Exercise Trail each day! It's one of the most frequently run routes in America say leading sports apps. The pathway of crushed granite is shaded and accented with water fountains and bathrooms. On Friday the members of Freaks Come Out at Night Run Club joined in. June 21, 2024. Hat tip to: @freaksrunclub and @memorialparkconservancy Sources: @houstonchron @greatruns #running #jogging #fitness #sportshistory #htx #the713 #spacecity #bayoucity #houston #texas #lonestarstate taken in Seymour Lieberman Exercise Trail - Memorial Park by @joesenft
2
2 years ago
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Sunday afternoon in the city of Gdynia. The mural is Tadeusz Wenda. He's the Polish engineer who designed the massive port (and supervised its construction) in this city on the Baltic Sea. In 1920 the national government in Warsaw urgently sought a way to export Polish coal and import foreign goods and materials. Before Mr. Wenda, there was no city. Almost nobody lived here. 🟦⬜ REMARKABLE At the end of the First World War, Gdynia was a village of 1200 people. In less than 20 years the population would balloon to 100 times that. 😳 To operate a busy port, this new city would require tens of thousands of employees: laborers, tradesmen, and engineers as well as personnel in brokerage, railroads, and food service. To invest in and protect big ideas, thousands more would work at schools, hospitals, and banks. Fittingly, Gdynia would be built on Modernism – an optimistic view of tomorrow that saw machines in the service of people. 🟦⬜ NEW THINKING Forward motion was fundamental. Buildings, trains, and appliances would adopt a streamlined aesthetic. Streets were wider than in the old cities of Europe: the automobile ascendent. This boom town on the Baltic would allow a lifestyle of motoring. To me, the shapes speak of flow. There is motion as well as an understated sense of possibility. (I wouldn’t mind more of this today) Of course subsequent pages of history were not always kind. And newer buildings varied in design. 🟦⬜ COMMUNITY It’s an honor to walk these streets. Gdynia is one city, but there are two more: Sopot and Gdansk. Together they are the Tricity (Trojmiasto), home to 1.5-million. They share a local railroad as well as a culture notable for skilled trades and the sea. (Lech Wałęsa for example) Today is a wicked -14 °C (7 °F). 🥶❄️ I nevertheless enjoy a taste of what the interwar period might have felt like: ...those halcyon days of tomorrow. #cities #gdynia #polska #design #urbanplanning Hat Tip @gdynia_official @visitgdynia @muzeum_miasta_gdyni @kulinarnagdynia @polska.travel @visitpoland_official @lavenda_cafe_galeria_gdynia @mora.bistro2.0 @kg_psp @pkp.skm.trojmiasto_official @gdynski_szlak_modernizmu @przyplyw.galeria taken in Gdynia, Poland by @joesenft
5
9 months ago
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Let's savor the "beautiful greys and smokes and pearls of the winter afternoon." Suitable words by the Canadian author L. M. Montgomery from her novel of 1925. Sat here by the Baltic Sea, how compelling is the document on my laptop screen? If you guess "not very" -- you're not alone! 😁 🟦 COMMUNITY In Sopot I stumble upon a restaurant that offers coworking during the day -- coffee and a bite included. It's a compelling concept. Two floors of glass and wood perched on the beach! Although I'd adjust one or two things, you'll find productivity and local color here. Thumbs up from me. 👍 (note: this is my personal observation; this post is not advertising) #poland #polska #sopot #trojmiasto #europetravel Hat tip to: @white_marlin @polska.travel @miasto_sopot @pomorskie_official taken in White Marlin by @joesenft
2
9 months ago
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At the kiosk I grab a couple of titles. OUTRAGEOUS. Poland has been hit by agitprop from America. 🟥🟦  COMMUNITY Donald Trump has said that America’s allies have not served on the front lines. General Roman Polko of Poland has condemned this. In Afghanistan and Iraq, General Polko HIMSELF led special forces – the storied GROM (thunder) unit of Poland. Even BEHIND enemy lines! Some 25 coalition nations, including Poland, lost lives in those wars. Here’s what I find in the Polish press: 👉 Loss of Trust Observers in Poland speak of “the hegemon’s madness” (exact quote) to describe the superpower that behaves in ways which evoke mental illness. Countries are said to ask why they are in NATO and “Who is the real enemy?” 👉 Instability Poland is a “middle-class state and not an empire.” It relies upon alliances “from the United Nations, through NATO, to the European Union. All of these are under attack by Trump.” “Poland, without the support of international law, will in time of crisis be in the same situation as Ukraine." 👉 Nuclear Proliferation Some in Poland call for Warsaw to consider a Polish nuclear deterrent. This could be independent or with regional partners like Sweden which, in the past, pursued research in atomic weapons. 🟥🟦 HISTORY The news is difficult to read. The United States is home to 10 million people of Polish heritage – the most outside Poland. Many bridges, roads, and parks in the US are named in honor of Kościuszko and Pułaski. Poland has been, and is today, a dauntless fighter for freedom. NATO is nothing without the nation of Mickiewicz. 🟥🟦  UNAMBIGUOUS So why the abuse? America's allies are indignant. Voices are rising in Poland and in MANY MORE countries. The US Constitution gives Congress – and additionally the Vice President and Cabinet – powers to remove a President. 👉 Founding documents of the United States are robust 👉 As is evidence of crime and dereliction by Mr. Trump When will US officials take action? Hat Tip @donaldtusk @marcin.matczak @mon_gov_pl @tygodnik @gazeta_wyborcza @kolporter.com.pl @rezydentsopotmgallery #usa #nato #polska #historiapolski #community taken in Sopot, Poland by @joesenft
2
9 months ago
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The beach is cold. And fun! On the last day of 2025, everyone's out and about. It’s -2C / 28F. Winds gusting, snow falling. ❄️❄️❄️ Walking in a winter wonderland. (also running, biking, and dogs!) 🟦 BEAUTIFUL Sopot sits on the Baltic Sea. Together with the neighboring cities of Gydnia and Gdansk, it forms the Tricity metropolitan area (in Polish: Trojmiasto). For generations this seaside town has hosted beachgoers and spas – the latter with mineral waters from natural springs rich in iodine and bromide. The saline waters of the Baltic Sea (it’s brackish) have also played a role. Relaxation and all sorts of activities are increasingly a year-round affair. For countless individuals and families, the off-season has its charms. Linger about a cafe? Oczywiście! Simply take the SKM commuter train from Gdansk (20 minutes) or an intercity express from Warsaw (less than three hours). As part of the Trojmiasto region, Sopot is essentially multiple destinations in one. 🟦 MEMORABLE Each of the three cities has its own history and character. The architecture alone is an adventure. Together this agglomeration offers an immense catalog of things to do, indoors and out. Crack open a history book. You’ll be rewarded with a cavalcade of events that reaches beyond the borders of modern Poland. Think the Nordics and the Baltics as well as the traditionally German-speaking archipelago, If you happen to find an 800-year-old map of this part of the world, Sopot might be on it. The name of this centuries-old town is believed to come from an old word - sopoth - meaning “spring” or “stream”. Quite appropriate! It’s been many years since I last visited. Sopot is, yet again, another engaging stop on my holiday in Poland. Hat tip to: @miasto_sopot @visit.sopot.pl @polska.travel @visitpoland_official @poland.pl #sopot #polska #tradycja #trojmiasto #polandtravel taken in Sopot, Poland by @joesenft
6
10 months ago
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This might be the most notorious resident of Warsaw. Welcome to the Palace of Culture and Science (in Polish: Pałac Kultury i Nauki). Think of it as an offer you can’t refuse. The Soviets ring up and say that you’ll be receiving a new building – as a gift. You don’t ask why; you just break out the tools. And in 1955 it was completed. 🟩 PROLETARIANS UNITE Designed in the Stalinist Empire style of architecture, this building is not small. It borrows from Art Deco skyscrapers of America and includes architectural features prominent in Polish history. Inside and out, one is greeted by idealized depictions of workers, farmers, and Soviet-Polish friendship. The result is a rigorous rendering of Socialist Realism. Look familiar? You’re not wrong. In Moscow there are similar palaces – the so-called Seven Sisters. You'll find additional such gifts in the Czech Republic, Latvia, and Romania. 🟩 21ST CENTURY SUCCESS Today a forest of new skyscrapers tells a markedly different story: Poland is strong. From 1992 to the pandemic of 2020, Poland experienced continuous economic growth – an accomplishment unequaled in Europe. (indeed only one other country worldwide achieved the same) In Poland, GDP per capita (using the crucial metric of Purchasing Power Parity - PPP) increased by over 200% in the three decades since 1990. Oh… And Poland is safe. Crime is low. Social strife common in other parts of the developed world is, in the nation of Adam Mickiewicz, rare. 🟩 MY POINT OF VIEW While some have called for the demolition of this Stalinist stalagmite, I prefer the idea that the people have seized the palace. Transform the past into a useful and creative future. The light show - above - provides just the right amount of joy (and cheek!) I’d say. It’s remarkable how much has changed over the years. I’m delighted. It’s great fun to be visiting Poland during the holidays. #warszawa #historiapolski #design #economics #poland Hat tip to: @palackulturyinauki @go2warsaw @visitpoland_official taken in Pałac Kultury i Nauki Warszawa by @joesenft
3
10 months ago
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The economics were astounding. And the local population jumped by 900 percent! Gdynia was a fishing village of 1200 inhabitants at the end of the First World War. By 1939 it boasted some 127,000 people in a newly-constructed city that would be steeped in Modernism. ⬜🟥 PROGRESS From all over the world, ships came and went. The design of buildings spoke of tomorrow. Wide boulevards offered an optimistic landscape ideal for cars. Surely the future would be more ambitious. And, boy, was it ever! The port of Gdynia was bustling. Ships carried not only freight, but also people. During the interwar years, hundreds of thousands of individuals and families emigrated via Gdynia -- most to new lives in the New World. ⬜🟥 EMIGRATION MUSEUM OF GDYNIA These were predominantly Poles. Others came from across Central and Eastern Europe. Some had only the clothes on their backs. There are letters. Emigrants are swindled. A heartbroken boy says goodbye to his dog. It was a challenge just to purchase a ticket or find a safe place on the ship (in the grim holds below). More emigrants died in transit than were turned away at their destinations. The door closes a final time, of course, with the start of the Second World War. In the New World, immigrant communities would thrive. ⬜🟥 COMMUNITY I'm grateful to have visited the Emigration Museum of Gdynia: intelligent spaces, compelling narratives. I was accompanied by friends who live in this metropolis known as the Tricity (Gdynia, Sopot, and Gdansk). Is anything better than lingering about a community-minded cafe? Let's talk about food and aesthetics, followed by a walk around the neighborhood. What's changed and what hasn't? There's plenty to discuss in terms of design. Gdynia has provided just some of the many stops on my holiday visit to Poland. Moments are variously inspiring and poignant. #history #design #emigrants #gdynia #poland @muzeumemigracji @tlok.kawiarnia @kawiarnia_delicje_gdynia @fried_rice_crew @pkp_sa @gdynia_official taken in Gdynia, Poland by @joesenft
0
10 months ago
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What's your blood type? Amazingly some are much less prevalent than others - like only 1% of the population! 😯 Eight are common. Years ago I never donated blood. I believed that it was complicated or painful. Wrong. Giving blood is easier than a visit to the dentist. 🟥 HELP OTHERS AND One donation of whole blood can help up to four people. Officially the figure is three people (not four). But I say four because you help three OTHER people AND yourself. Regular blood donation is linked to lower blood pressure as well as a reduced risk for heart attack and certain cancers. After you donate, your circulation can improve and the body works to replenish your blood supply. Both are advantageous. 🟥 GIVING THANKS With the arrival of Thanksgiving, it makes sense to do a bit more. I'm grateful to be able to donate and help three other people. Blood is the sort of gift you hope never to need. Based in Houston, Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center is one of the largest such centers in the United States. It serves 170 hospitals and healthcare facilities in 26 of the 254 counties of Texas. At the La Concha location, Ms. Dalana performed tests - blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen, etc. - before preparing my arm and administering the needle. It's nice to have those vital signs. 🟥 INVALUABLE NETWORK Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center is the only 24/7/365 provider of blood in the region. Its most notable recipient, Texas Medical Center, is the largest medical campus in the world. Furthermore the US is the largest exporter of blood plasma, supplying about 70% of plasma used for medicines globally. This means, among other things, helping burn victims and those suffering severe disease - in many countries. Houston, Texas November 25, 2025 Hat tip to @commitforlife, @thetexasmedicalcenter #blood #donateblood #bloodtype #community #bloedskenk #献血 #bloeddoneren #donnerdusang #blutspenden #रक्तदानकरें #mendonorkandarah #donareilsangue #გაიღესისხლი #badagudummawarjini #헌혈하다 #duotikraujo #donereblod #oddajkrew #doesangue #donarsangre #kuchangiadamu #здатикров #hiếnmáu #fiẹjẹkun #bayoucity #spacecity #houston #texas #lonestarstate taken in Gulf Coast Blood by @joesenft
3
a year ago
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It's a tradition that goes back some 3000 years. 🎉 Vibrant colors and dramatic faces visited downtown Houston for "Día de los Muertos" (Day of the Dead) -- a pillar of Mexican culture. 🇲🇽 Each year families create "ofrendas" (altars) that honor those who have passed. These include photographs, marigolds, and even favorite foods -- to entice the spirits to visit! It's a distinctive blend of indigenous Aztec tradition with practices of the Catholic church introduced by Spain. Joy is the fundamental message. Colorful costumes are a way to celebrate. Death is understood as a continuation of life (and not the end). ✨ The holiday runs for two days. Photographs from Discovery Green in Houston, Texas. November 2, 2025. #traditions #díadelosmuertos #aztec #mesoamerican #mexico #méxico #spain #españa #傳統 #tradicemi #tradities #traditsioonid #traditionen #hadisai #tradizioni #hagyományok #tradicijos #伝統 #전통 #omenala #tradycje #tradições #tradiciones #traditioner #традиції #truyềnthống #spacecity #lonestarstate #houston #texas taken in Discovery Green by @joesenft
1
a year ago
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Did you know? The coffee bean is actually a seed. There are two such seeds in each coffee "cherry" or "berry" (although the coffee fruit is neither a cherry nor a berry). Whew! Who knew that definitions could be so complicated? 😁 The two seeds are ground to make your morning cup. The Oromo people of Ethiopia were the first to consume coffee, having first chewed the coffee fruit (again: neither a berry nor a cherry!) for the stimulating effect of caffeine therein. That was in the 9th century. Today coffee (the beverage) has traveled the world. It is woven into history itself, as witness to events and traditions in countless communities. Don't you just love how coffee is at once many things and one thing? So diverse and versatile? What is more heartwarming than sharing coffee with others? Or enjoying coffee in blissful solitude? Well, there's also tea. But that's another topic (and, like coffee, an expansive topic as well). On this day - International Coffee Day - I hold aloft my coffee bean grinder. Turn the handle, and it grinds some beans, uh, seeds. Each morning I must turn the handle dozens of times before making the daily brew. ☕ And that's just the way I like it. A bit of elbow grease makes coffee all the more a pleasure. #coffee #cupofjoe #koffie #কফি #ကော်ဖီ #咖啡 #káva #kape #café #kaffee #कॉफी #kávé #caife #kopi #caffè #커피 #kavos #kawa #кофе #kávu #buna #kofe #kahawa #กาแฟ #кава #càphê #houston #spacecity #lonestarstate #texas taken in Houston, Texas by @joesenft
5
a year ago
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