Hang on UTD Students, Housing is Coming...Maybe

On May 17, 2022, The City of Richardson's City Plan Commission (CPC) recommended approval of an application for development of a 5-story apartment building with up to 171 units to accommodate 529 beds on the north side of UT-Dallas at Richardson. It's been a long, hard road to get (back) to this point. The application now moves to City Council, where it has to be considered an underdog for getting approval there, too.

The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021): I first read this >50 yrs ago. Seeing it acted now reinforces my love of it then. Stark, stylized cinematography with larger than life, mostly bare, stage-like sets. The acting is powerful. The witches are great. The abridged script feels rushed. B+

The Outlaws (TV 2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Outlaws (TV 2021): 7 misfits performing community service bond despite widely different backgrounds. A duffle bag full of drug money raises the stakes. More comedy than thriller. Can writers resolve all their predicaments by end of series? No, but by then you don't care. B-

Moon Knight (TV 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Moon Knight (TV 2022): Marc/Steven and a superhero struggle with dissociative identity disorder and a pair of fighting Egyptian gods. Story runs out of things to say well before its short six episode run concludes. A miss by Marvel. C-

Silicon Valley - S01 (TV 2014)

Rotten Tomatoes

Silicon Valley - S01 (TV 2014): Satire about computer nerds trying to strike it rich with a tech startup. 8 years old, but it still feels fresh. The nerds and the VC billionaires are equal targets. The characters are all ambitious and earnest, but each is unique in own way. B-

#VeryTardyReview

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (TV 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (TV 2022): Magic and Kareem are here, but this is owner Jerry Buss's story. Characters are surface thin. Script takes too many liberties with history. But it's watchable, maybe even if you don't follow the NBA. Maybe. B-

Wanted: Superintendent, Practically Perfect in Every Way

The Richardson school district (RISD) is seeking a new superintendent. Everybody has an opinion. Expectations and demands are as high as those set by the George Banks family in Edwardian England when advertising for a nanny.

"If you want this choice position, have a cheery disposition.
Rosy cheeks, no warts. Play games, all sorts.
You must be kind, you must be witty, very sweet, and fairly pretty.
Take us on outings, give us treats, sing songs, bring sweets.
Never be cross or cruel. Never give us castor oil or gruel.
Love us as a son and daughter, and never smell of barley water.
Hurry, Nanny! Many thanks!
Sincerely,
Jane and Michael Banks!"

Assuming that someone with the qualifications of Mary Poppins isn't available, what criteria should be used to identify the RISD's next superintendent?

WAIW: Something for Everyone

Where Am I Wednesday!

Fifty points to the first person to identify where this photo was taken.

Answer is after the jump.

Dining, Hookah, and Belly Dance

Yours truly enjoying hookah in Egypt

Richardson, Texas, is not Egypt. Everything here has to be so difficult. The property in question here is zoned retail and has been for decades. The property to the immediate north is, too, but is undeveloped. The property to the south across the street is zoned retail and unified residential. So zoning is not the problem. The plan is for a restaurant, not a bar or lounge. It's not just another hookah lounge in a neighborhood of hookah lounges. It's family friendly. It offers a mix of services — food, entertainment, alcohol, hookah. It's a unique concept for Richardson. Maher Maho of Frisco, mayor of that city from 2008-2017, came to Richardson to speak before the City Council to support the request. I can't remember that happening before.

Pachinko (TV 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Pachinko (TV 2022): Four generations of a Korean family in Japan. Story jumps back and forth in time, which is part confusing, part spoiler because you see the family's future. American viewers will learn some history that Japanese viewers won't like. Ends without resolution. B-

The Batman (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Batman (2022): Long, dark, and repetitious. No humor. Batman has to catch a serial killer. No mystery. Riddler and Penguin are villains, but not evil geniuses. Catwoman is defined by her relationship to men. They are all lifeless comic book characters. Need another reboot. C-

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022): Nicolas Cage plays a movie star (himself) who gets mixed up in a CIA plot to capture an arms dealer. Billed as an action-comedy, it comes up short on both. Also fails as a character study of a fading star. For Nicolas Cage fans. C+

Doctor Strange (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes

Doctor Strange (2016): Origin story. Insufferable neurosurgeon recovers from a car accident by going to Kathmandu and studying sorcery. In the process he becomes even more insufferable and has to save the world from the darkness. Occasional wise cracks keep matters light. B-

Needed to watch this before "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" was released. #VeryTardyReview

Severance (TV 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Severance (TV 2022): Sci-fi mystery. Ever wish you could free your mind of work when you leave the office? With Lumon's mind chip you can. Four co-workers grow suspicious. Show is slow to reveal what's going on, even slower why, setting up Season 2. Equally devious and absurd. B-

WAIW: Oils, Watercolors, and Acrylics

Where Am I Wednesday! Fifty points to the first person to locate this photo.

Answer after the jump.

The Partisans Are Coming for District 5

From: Anna Donlan

"The Partisans Are Coming for Your Cities and Schools." That was the headline of a Texas Monthly article as far back as five years ago. The Wheel wrote about the encroachment of partisan party politics several times (e.g., in November, 2020: "Partisan Nonpartisan Elections"). I do not like it when the Republicans do it. I do not like it when the Democrats do it. I do not like it.

I DO NOT LIKE THEM HERE OR THERE.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM ANYWHERE.
I DO NOT LIKE GREEN EGGS AND HAM.
I DO NOT LIKE THEM, SAM-I-AM.

Let's Talk: Child Grooming

Source: Alliance for Children.

During the public comment section of the April 11, 2022, Richardson ISD school board meeting, one speaker criticized RISD for practicing child "grooming" in elementary schools as part of official RISD policy. Yeah. Then it got worse.

"CRT-esque Ideologies"

In case you still wonder, CRT is not a subject taught in public schools in Richardson ISD, nor anywhere else in Texas. It's against state law to teach CRT in Texas public schools. Where does the myth that it's in RISD come from and why is it so hard to put down? In part, it's because partisans wanting to take over school boards know that people have bad connotations for the words "critical," "race," and "theory." Put them together and people think surely CRT must be something really bad, even if people can't say exactly what it is. If critics actually define the term CRT, they fall back on making up their own definition. And their own definition is something even libtards agree is bad. It's a straw man that the critics erect because it's easy to argue against. But it's not being taught, no matter how many times the critics cry "CRT, CRT, CRT."

Random Thoughts: 1950 Census Has Been Released!

Tweets from April, 2022:

• 2022-04-01: 1950 Census has been released! Woot for everyone over 72.
• 2022-04-02: "In 2019, Mike Tyson said on Joe Rogan's podcast that, ever since smoking toad, he's 'never been the same.' " If there's a straight line with more openings for a punchline than this one, I haven't seen it.
• 2022-04-04: The Bubble (2022): Judd Apatow comedy about making a movie in a pandemic quarantine. The bubble's isolation eventually cracks everyone. Pokes fun at actors, directors, producers, social media influencers, (crew escapes unscathed), all with characters immediately forgettable. C-
• 2022-04-04: I just got an email from Trump that I can't figure out. "Friend, This has NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. As THE TOP donor, I've texted you 3000% more. Do you want to stay on top?" Then it says, "CONTRIBUTION STATUS: PENDING. DEADLINE: IMMEDIATELY."
  Is he losing it?
• 2022-04-04: Steve Brown has a job with DMN copy-and-pasting developers' press releases into the newspaper. Nice work if you can get it.

After the jump, more random thoughts.