The Card Counter (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Card Counter (2021): Mistitled. It's not about casino gambling. It's about Abu Ghraib and PTSD. It's about revenge and redemption. Oscar Isaac is the best thing in the movie but he's not served well by the script, which has all the major showdowns playing out off screen. C+

WAIW: Water, Trees, Serenity

Where Am I Wednesday?

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

Answer is after the jump.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (TV 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Obi-Wan Kenobi (TV 2022): The Mandalorian gave us baby Yoda. This series gives us cute little Princess Leia. Spoiler: Obi-Wan Kenobi spares Darth Vader in the big battle in Episode 6. To think he could have saved us from all those other movies. For fans only. C+

Civil Dialogue? Sure. And More.

Source: Aero Magazine.

This blog usually focuses on local matters, for which there's too little coverage in the news media. For national affairs, there's plenty of coverage of that elsewhere. My comments aren't needed. But somehow, SCOTUS repealing the Roe v. Wade decision that was the law of the land for fifty years feels different. I can't resist responding to this comment in my Facebook feed: "We as human beings and citizens of this great nation are better together when we have respectful and civil dialogue to discuss the issues." Civil dialogue? Sure. And More.

Hustle (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Hustle (2022): NBA scout finds prospect in Spain (played by NBA player Juancho Hernangomez) but struggles to get him a chance at home. A traditional sports story, but this one is filled with cameos of real NBA stars playing themselves. Adam Sandler wins by playing it straight. B-

Nonprofits, PACs and Political Spending

From: source unknown

Postscript to the look at spending for the recent Richardson ISD election for board of trustees. There was a new player involved in the money race that I didn't mention, that I didn't see mentioned elsewhere, one that I wasn't even aware was a player until after the election. That's North Texas Parents for Academic Excellence. It's a nonprofit corporation formed March 16, 2022, with three directors, Brandon Walls, Bryan Stone, and Sam Jarvis. If the name Brandon Walls is familiar, it might be because he's the Campaign Treasurer for the Richardson ISD Families First PAC. I was very aware of that PAC's involvement in the election. What's curious about the connection between the nonprofit and PAC?

WAIW: Plant a Tree Where It's Needed Most

Where Am I Wednesday?

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

Answer will be given on Thursday.

Bonus points to the person who knows the name of the sculpture and artist. Don't wait for me to tell you because I don't know.

Operation Mincemeat (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Operation Mincemeat (2022): WWII drama about plot to deceive Germany about where Allies would invade southern Europe. Fact-based spy story is padded with a romantic angle. Too much time spent on planning the operation, too little on executing it. Still a good history lesson. B-

Review: Behold the Dreamers

From Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue:

He'd never had to worry about whether his experience would be appropriate, whether his English would be perfect, whether he would succeed in coming across as intelligent enough. But today, dressed in the green double-breasted pinstripe suit he’d worn the day he entered America, his ability to impress a man he’d never met was all he could think about. Try as he might, he could do nothing but think about the questions he might be asked, the answers he would need to give, the way he would have to walk and talk and sit, the times he would need to speak or listen and nod, the things he would have to say or not say, the response he would need to give if asked about his legal status in the country."

Amazon

Immigrant from Cameroon builds a life in the Bronx. Wall Street banker faces ruin in the 2008 collapse. Their lives intersect in a quintessentially American story. Straightforward, simple prose, most authentic in the Cameroonian household.

"Behold the Dreamers" is the 2022 selection for "Richardson Reads One Book".

Quick Takeaways from the Joint Runoff Election

The Richardson ISD held a trustee election runoff for District 2 on Saturday. Congratulations to Vanessa Pacheco for winning. Dallas College held a trustee election runoff for District 1. Congratulations to Catalina E. Garcia for winning.