Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Molly's Game (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes
Molly's Game (2018): Former Olympic skier turns to running poker games until the stakes get too high and the FBI intervenes. Lots of fast dialog and narration that reduces cinematic quality but highlights the plot. Chastain and Elba top-notch. B+

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

POTD: Tiempos de Victorias

From 2018 01 26 Nicaragua

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the small town of Telica, Nicaragua, and shows a roadside billboard promoting President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo, the Vice-President and First Lady of Nicaragua. The sad news is that since our visit in January, Nicaragua has been "slipping into darkness." Protests calling for democratic reforms have been violently suppressed by the government, leaving at least 127 dead and thousands injured. All of which has caused the slogan on the billboard, "Times of Victories," to sound bitterly false.

Monday, June 11, 2018

POTD: Up on the Roof

From 2018 01 26 Nicaragua
When this old world starts a getting me down
And people are just too much for me to face
I'll climb way up to the top of the stairs
And all my cares just drift right into space
On the roof, it's peaceful as can be
And there the world below don't bother me, no, no
Source: James Taylor.

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the roof of The Lady of Grace Cathedral, León, Nicaragua, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It's also known as the "Real and Renowned Basilica Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (Wikipedia). That's a mouthful. It's said that for penance after confession, priests ask you to say that name ten times, fast.

But we're here for the view, not bad stand-up comedy. The León town square is right below. Other churches dominate the mid distance. And a ring of volcanoes are on the horizon. All sandwiched between the stark white roof and the bright blue tropical sky.

More photos after the jump.

Friday, June 8, 2018

RISD TRE for M&O

If Texas school funding discussions seem to bury you in acronyms (see the headline above), or terminology (recapture and "golden" pennies and "copper" pennies), or worst of all, dense spreadsheets, I feel your pain. The simplest thing to do, and actually wisest in many cases, is to elect good school board trustees, hold them accountable for doing their due diligence, then trust that their decisions are in the best interest of children, parents, teachers and homeowners.

The Richardson ISD board of trustees called a tax ratification election (TRE) for September 4 to ask voters to raise the district’s operating tax rate. You can find out all about the election, and why there is no good alternative, on the district's website.

Before the trustees acted, there was a public hearing at which the public had their say. Only a couple dozen people attended the public hearing. Pitchforks and torches were not in evidence. Only a half dozen or so of those people chose to speak.

Thursday, June 7, 2018

"You Want All-Over? OK, How About This?"


Recently I had a conversation in which I wondered how many great painters are working today. A century ago, there was Matisse, Picasso, Rousseau, Mondrian, Kahlo, O'Keefe, Pollock, Dali, and more. Who can name anyone in their league today? The Dallas Museum of Art is currently showing an exhibition by Laura Owens, who it calls "one of the most influential artists of her generation." Well, OK.

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

POTD: La Gigantona

From 2018 01 26 Nicaragua

La Gigantona and El Enano Cabezon are giant dolls constructed on wooden frames that are paraded in the Central Plaza in León, Nicaragua. Both dance to the rhythm of drums. Accounts of gigantonas on the streets of León date back to at least the mid-1800s.

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

The Insult (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes
The Insult (2017): Lebanese Oscar nominee. A street insult ends up in court, uncovering Middle East wounds that never heal. At heart it's a personal story of two aggrieved and stubborn men and their struggle to deal with Lebanon's past and each other. B-