Lo and Behold (2016)

IMDB

Lo and Behold (2016): History & future of the Internet. Some topics are promising (AI), some scary (solar flares), some badly misjudged. C+

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (2016)

IMDB

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (2016): War in Iraq. Pro football in Dallas. A study of PTSD. Flat acting. Clichéd characters. Watchable. C+

As is usually the case, the movie is not as good as the book, which was reviewed here in 2013.

Magnet Schools vs Neighborhood Schools

Five years ago, I blogged about magnet schools — their purpose and their effect. I think it holds up well, in that I had questions about the purpose and effect of magnet schools in Richardson that I couldn't answer then and I still can't answer today. I don't believe there has been adequate public discussion. It's time.

POTD: D'Amico

From 2017 01 29 Caribbean Cruise

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Galveston Bay, the entrance to the busy Houston Ship Channel, ranked first in the United States in foreign waterborne tonnage; first in U.S. imports; and first in U.S. export tonnage.

Local, State, Nation: Same Story

Recently, I posted a graph showing Richardson ISD schools' academic ranking plotted against the percentage of students they have on the free and reduced lunch program. As I expected it showed a correlation — as socio-economic status drops, so too does academic ranking.

From SchoolDigger.com

Today I want to look at state and national data.

Logan Lucky (2017)

IMDB

Logan Lucky (2017): Redneck Oceans 11, where NASCAR not Vegas is the target. Decent fun if you bring enough suspension of disbelief. B-

Local Evidence that Demography is Destiny

When looking at Schooldigger.com school performance numbers, I fell back on a story of demographics to explain why the Richardson ISD has some of the highest performing schools in the state *and* some of the lowest performing. Same school district. Same policies. Same curriculum. Same central administration. But widely differing results. Different demographics, I said.

I was confident my story wasn't a fairy tale, but I didn't bother backing it up with more than just a couple of quick data points. I believe that it's a good personal habit to challenge one's own preconceptions now and then. Because sometimes I'm wrong. (I know. Hard to believe.) So I did my homework.

Transforming Fashion

It's the last weekend to catch the Dallas Museum of Art's exhibit Tranforming Fashion featuring designs by Iris van Herpen. These dresses are bold, sure, but I just can't see them "transforming fashion." No woman is going to be wearing anything that looks like any of these dresses. Sci-fi aliens, on the other hand, maybe. High fashion will probably come to use the technology van Herpen used, like 3-D printing, but it will be put to more practical styles than seen here. It's still great fun.

Coincidentally, Season 16 of Project Runway premiered this week. I have to admit, it's my guilty pleasure. I haven't picked a favorite this season yet, but I'm forever on Team Mondo.

A bonus photo is after the jump.

Oh, Hello on Broadway (2017)

IMDB

Oh, Hello on Broadway (2017): Comic duo plays two old NY friends. Mix of skits and standup. Relentlessly paced, eventually tiresome. C-

The Incredible Jessica James (2017)

IMDB

The Incredible Jessica James (2017): Aspiring playwright after a breakup. Works with kids. She's complicated. Light, fun, believable. B-

War Machine (2017)

IMDB

War Machine (2017): Afghanistan war. Mash of history, satire, tragedy. Brad Pitt is miscast. Mannerisms more Forrest Gump than general. B-

Richardson's Budget - Black or Red?

It's August and that means it's time for Richardson budget roulette. Will the proposed city budget be balanced? You'd think that would be a simple question. Isn't the city required by law to have a balanced budget? Well, yes, but it all depends on the meaning of "balanced".

Last year when I looked at this question, I concluded that the city's 2016-2017 budget was indeed balanced and didn't require use of that sneaky asterisk ("plus reserved fund balance and other financing sources").

After the jump, reviewing that conclusion and looking ahead at 2017-2018.

The Big Sick (2017)

IMDB

The Big Sick (2017): Mixed-culture romcom. Tension between him, her and their families. Laughs, tears, and straight drama. Great acting. B+

POTD: Idle Oil Rigs

From 2017 01 29 Caribbean Cruise

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Galveston Channel in Texas, where oil drilling rigs stand idle due to the prolonged slump in oil and gas prices.

Every Number Tells a Story

It's almost back-to-school time. So let's look at the Richardson ISD by the numbers. Specifically, the numbers from SchoolDigger.com: "K-12 school performance data at your fingertips." RISD's overall numbers can tell any story you want.

"Steady as she goes": RISD consistently ranks in the top half of all school districts in Texas.

"Sound the alarm": RISD dropped from the 86th percentile in 2010 to the 56th percentile in 2015.

"Back on Course": RISD climbed from 56th percentile in 2015 to 72nd percentile in 2017.

So have at it. What's your story?

POTD: Ready to Cast Off

From 2017 01 29 Caribbean Cruise

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the cruise ship terminal in Galveston, Texas.

Dunkirk (2017)

IMDB

Dunkirk (2017): Lots of action. Nameless, interchangeable characters. Little dialog or historical context. But powerful climactic scene. B+

OTBR: A Deer Farm in Australia

Latitude: S 37° 20.592
Longitude: E 144° 22.386

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 last month I visited vicariously (not actually) that are "off the blue roads".

POTD: A Streetcar Named Riverfront

From 2016 12 15 Louisiana

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the riverfront in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Riverfront is not as poetic as Desire, but the Streetcar named Desire was converted to a bus line in 1948. Sigh.

The Girl on the Train (2016)

IMDB

The Girl on the Train (2016): Psychological mystery borrows heavily from Rear Window and Gaslight. Well-crafted if maybe too predictable. B-

Repeat Tweets: Watch the Uninsured Rate Drop

Repeat tweets from July, 2017:

• Jul 4 2017: RT @sparksjls: "Watch the uninsured rate drop across the country as the ACA went into effect." @sparksjls
Watch Texas stand out as a laggard in this animation.
• Jul 6 2017: RT @bonojl: "Poll: Most voters blame state for school money woes." mystatesman.com
I'll believe it when I see it at the polls in 2018.
• Jul 6 2017: RT @EricCeleste: "Well, now. This is super interesting." @EricCeleste
Good for DMN. Better late than never. A win for Jim Schutze.
• Jul 6 2017: RT @BraddJaffy: "In a span of 13 minutes, on foreign soil, Trump trashed the American free press, the U.S. intel community, and Obama."
  Trump's own apology tour??? But who is he apologizing to? Russia?
• Jul 6 2017: RT @GregAbbott_TX: "Join me in a statewide call to stand with law enforcement on July 7. Let's band together to #BackTheBlue."
  You didn't stand with Texas police chiefs who opposed SB4.

After the jump, more repeat tweets.

POTD: How Can Something So Sweet...

From 2016 12 15 Louisiana

How can something so sweet come from some place so gritty? Today's photo-of-the-day is from Domino Sugar's Chalmette Refinery on the Mississippi River below New Orleans.

The Chalmette refinery typically produces about 2 billion pounds annually, or about 7 million a day. That generally accounts for about 19 percent of the country's cane sugar.

Source: The Times-Picayune.

Bonus photo after the jump.

Chasing Coral (2017)

IMDB

Chasing Coral (2017): Documentary of massive die-off of coral worldwide due to global warming. Not 2100. Today. When will world wake up? A-

A Conversation About Health Care

In response to the GOP effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), I was sucked into a Facebook conversation (I know, I know better). Spoiler alert: I was against repeal. For the possible amusement of my future self, I reproduce the conversation here (well at least my part, which is only slightly edited). The "points" in favor of repeal are greatly condensed (hey, it's my blog; if you want your say, that's what the comments are for). The "counterpoints" are my own wordy answers. The whole thing was kicked off by a third person's comment that taking health insurance away from millions of people is not the Christian thing to do.

---

Point: As a method to "help" people, Obamacare further entrenches health care within the swamp that is "political ideology."

Counterpoint: As a method to "help" people, I propose making health care affordable and accessible to all, whether that involves charity (which is individuals acting for the good of others) or government (which is us, acting collectively for the general good). In contrast, supporting removing health care from millions is elevating political ideology above the teachings of Jesus.

POTD: Any Port in a Storm

From 2016 12 15 Louisiana

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Mississippi River below New Orleans.

Okja (2017)

IMDB

Okja (2017): Korean girl & her giant pig. Evil meat industry. Bumbling animal rights activists. Heavy-handed. Who was intended audience? C-

POTD: Beignet, Anyone?

From 2016 12 15 Louisiana

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the French Quarter in New Orleans.

Bonus photo after the jump.

POTD: The Neon Lights of Bourbon Street

From 2016 12 15 Louisiana

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the French Quarter in New Orleans.

Neon Lights
Shimmering neon lights
And at the fall of night
This city's made of light.

I dream of you
With me tonight
We're all alone
Under neon lights.

Source: Ralf Huetter, Florian Schneider-Esleben, Karl Bartos.

Bonus photos are after the jump.

Get Out (2017)

IMDB

Get Out (2017): Psychological thriller. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner in The Twilight Zone. Big reveal is silly. Best PR for TSA ever. B+

A Clarification, Apology and Grace

A morality play in five acts...

• Preface: Lynn Davenport challenged an incumbent for a seat on the Richardson ISD school board. She lost.
Curtain rises...