Berkner Band to Perform at The Midwest Clinic

From 2011 11 Concerts

The Berkner Symphonic Band I has been selected to perform at The Midwest Clinic in Chicago the week of December 14-17, 2011.

After the jump, the singular honor this is.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

From 2011 11 Concerts

The Lake Highlands High School Choral Department, under the direction of Michael O'Hern, performed its annual Holiday Concert Monday, December 5, 2012, in the Lake Highlands High School Auditorium. If you've never heard these talented young voices, you are missing a treat. Their Christmas concert is a traditional highlight of the season's entertainment.

Sound the Bells!

From 2011 11 Concerts

The Lone Star Wind Orchestra Youth Winds performed a concert Sunday, December 4, 2011, at Plano's St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church. The LSWO Youth Winds is made up of 60 of the finest woodwind, brass, and percussion players in grades 9-12 from dozens of schools throughout the D/FW area. The LSWO Youth Winds is under the direction of Dr. Bradley Kent, Director of Fine Arts for the Richardson ISD (RISD).

The LSWO Youth Winds' next concert will be "An American Portrait," Sunday, March 4, 2012 at 2:30 p.m. in Caruth Auditorium at SMU. Don't miss it.

Everything's Coming Up Roses!

Source: Neil Ament.

OTBR: An Unpaved Forest Road in Finland

Latitude 60.597400° N
Longitude 22.563200° E


A child on a road trip with his family asks, "Where are we?" and the father answers, "Let's check the map. We're off the blue roads [the Interstate Highways marked in blue on the road atlas]. We're off the red roads [the US and state highways]. We're off the black roads [the county highways]. I think we're off the map altogether." It was always my dream to be off the map altogether.

After the jump, a few of the random places (and I mean random literally) that I visited vicariously last month that are "off the blue roads".

What Does a Yellow Light Mean?

It's not a trick question. Stop and think about it before reading further. Unfair Park's Jim Schutze, normally a surprisingly level-headed curmudgeon despite the photo of him that accompanies his blog showing him aiming some kind of rifle vaguely in the direction of the reader, asks that question and answers, no less than four times, that a yellow light means you're supposed to slow down.

After the jump, why you should stay away from Jim Schutze when he's behind the wheel.

Review: Maphead

Amazon

From "Maphead," by Ken Jennings:


the way modern mapheads discover maps as children is more like the way cavemen must have discovered fire: as a flash of lightning. You see that first map, and your mind is rewired, probably forever. In my case, the Ur-map was a wooden puzzle of the fifty states"

After the jump, my review.

Point-Counterpoint: Drainage Utility Fee

The agenda for Richardson's Monday night city council meeting contained a public hearing concerning the establishment of a drainage utility fee. (This blog item is being written before that public hearing takes place.)

After the jump, a case for and against this new utility fee.

Towards Ever More Transparent Government

Last week, I summarized the legal arguments against the process used by the Richardson City Council to award City Manager Bill Kefler a 2% raise. I found the arguments either weak or outright bizarre. I asked readers to correct my understanding of the arguments or supply a stronger argument, if they were able. One reader, Nathan Morgan, took me up. What followed was a long comment thread (33 comments now). In my opinion, he offered nothing new, only restating arguments I had included (and rejected) in my original summary of the legal arguments against the city.

So, it's time for me to move on. After the jump, the advice I offered on just how to do that. And to start the ball rolling, a suggestion.

Hoops: Berkner 62, Allen 48

From 2011 11 Berkner Basketball

With football season over for most high school teams (except those making deep runs in the state playoffs), it's time to turn our attention to basketball. Most teams are already well into their non-district tune-up game schedule. Saturday night, the Berkner Rams defeated the Allen Eagles 62-48 on the Ram's home court. The Rams look to be a threat to repeat as District 9-5A champions, so look up the schedule and come out and cheer on the team.

For more photos from Saturday's game, look here.