A Fourth Grade Texas History Lesson

Do Texas lawmakers not know the Texas Constitution? Or do they think Texans can't read? Or do they just not care?

After the jump, a lesson in fourth grade Texas history.

Repeat Tweets: City Council, Bin Laden, Mavs

Repeat tweets from May, 2011:

• 2011 05 01 - In 2007, Sheryl Miller outpolled William Gordon almost 2 to 1 in a 5-way race for City Council. I didn't know that. http://goo.gl/wXsFV
• 2011 05 01 - Headline: "Houston Texans take Rice defensive end Cheta Ozougwu with NFL draft's last pick." Go Owls! http://goo.gl/VBaUK
• 2011 05 01 - Where to Live to Avoid a Natural Disaster. Avoid N. TX like the plague - but not because of plagues. Yay, Appleton WI. http://goo.gl/zGGNC
• 2011 05 01 - MT @brucetomaso: "Trump's reaction to jokes may be clue that he's not cut out for a natl campaign." Hell, he's not cut out for, say, Alaska.
• 2011 05 01 - Thank you, Apple. Rumor is that Osama bin Laden just activated the new iPhone sent to him by the CIA.
• 2011 05 02 - Headline: "MetroPCS expanding Richardson HQ." Richardson on the move. Keep it goin'. http://goo.gl/rIzmO
• 2011 05 02 - Headline: "Benning moves HQ from Dallas to Richardson." Richardson on the move. Keep it goin'. http://goo.gl/cydnM
• 2011 05 02 - Headline: "CVS Caremark call center in Richardson lays off 250." Ouch! Two steps forward, one back. Pick up the pace. http://goo.gl/XnDTI
• 2011 05 02 - I'd like to learn how far a city council can change zoning laws before courts rule it an illegal taking without compensation. No I wouldn't.
• 2011 05 02 - Steve Mitchell has the perfect situation. A legitimate reason to step aside from a vote that might come back to haunt him years from now.
• 2011 05 02 - I want Spring Valley rezoning to go through but I'm not a property rights lawyer. I don't want city to lose a lawsuit or screw prop owners.

After the jump, more repeat tweets.

Are Richardson's Voting Districts in Need of Change?

The Richardson City Charter calls for a review of the city's voting district boundaries every ten years, making adjustments based on US Census results to ensure that the four districts have similar population size.

During the election campaign, one idea that all council candidates were open to was formation of a citizens' commission to review and make recommendations to update the Richardson City Charter. Some candidates were champing at the bit to do it; some were merely willing to go along with it if it's the will of the people. It is likely that *something* will have to be done.

If we already know we have to adjust the district boundaries in any case, and we're likely to open the Pandora's Box of a full City Charter review, should we consider making dramatic changes to how Richardson elects its City Council?

Let's discuss, after the jump.

Analysis of the Votes for Richardson City Council

The voters have spoken. The votes have been tallied. The new City Council in Richardson has been seated. Another council term is already underway. Before we get into all the issues to be faced by the new council, let's take one last look back to see if there are any surprises to be found in a precinct-by-precinct vote analysis.

After the jump, crunching the numbers.

Rice and Northwestern: Champions

Northwestern Wildcats: 2011 NCAA Lacrosse Champions

Rich Barnes/Icon SMI

3-day weekend. Lazy start to summer vacation. Before we close the books on the 2010-2011 school year, let's celebrate some deserving athletic achievements by two schools that are known more for academic success than success on the playing fields.

This weekend, the Northwestern Wildcats, the school that other Big Ten fans mockingly say are kept around to boost the conference GPA, won their sixth NCAA championship in seven years in women's lacrosse. It's not a sport that draws the audiences of football or basketball, but the athletes work just as hard and deserve the same credit when that work pays off. Congratulations to a group of young women who demonstrate that it's possible to excel on both the playing field and in the classroom.

Also this weekend, congratulations to the Rice Owls baseball team, who won both the Conference USA regular season and conference tournament -- the latter by an extra-inning 4-3 win over cross-town rival University of Houston. Good luck to the Owls in the NCAA tournament, which picked Rice as one of the eight top regional seeds in the 64-team tournament. The tournament climaxes in the College World Series starting June 18 in Omaha, Nebraska. Rice won it all in 2003.

The Steger Garden on Memorial Day (2011)

From Flowers

CityArts Festival at Fair Park (2011)

From 2011 05 Fair Park

For photos of all the fun at the CityArts Festival at Fair Park in Dallas, look here.

What's The Matter With Politics?

You don't have to be an Einstein to know something is the matter with politics. Politics is frustrating to anyone with any training in, say, business or science or engineering. British economist Tim Harford, in an interview with The Washington Post's Ezra Klein, pinpoints a key difference between politics and these other human endeavors.

After the jump, risk analysis.

Cottonwood, Cotton Belt, Cotton Fields

From 2010 03 High Five

Texas is on pace to have the first road building project to feature a road wider than it is long. OK, maybe that's exaggerated, but it has the ring of truthiness.

After the jump, the evil genius scheme behind Texas's road building plans.

Cheers and Jeers: Tornado Edition

"Jeers: To CBS 11's chief weather guy, Larry Mowry, for being the new 'Chicken Little.' He keeps interrupting the TV programs to bring us a weather update every time a clap of thunder occurs."
-- Harlan Wood, Grapevine, in Fort Worth Star-Telegram, May 14, 2011

Just ten days ago, Fort Worth Star-Telegram panned Channel 11 for taking thunderstorms in Tornado Alley seriously, worthy of informing its viewers about. Since then, at least 120 people were killed in a tornado in Joplin, Missouri. Just Tuesday night, 8 more people were killed in a tornado in Oklahoma City and several more in Kansas and Arkansas. Let's never get blasé about them, OK?

After the jump, north Texas's turn to duck and cover!