Review: Double Down

Amazon

From Double Down, by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann:

On election night, when Mitt called the president to concede, he had congratulated Obama for his side's turnout efforts -- specifically expressing his own team's astonishment at the numbers in Cleveland and Milwaukee, where African American participation was off the charts. When Obama related Romney's comment to Axelrod, Messina, and Plouffe, they all had the same bemused reaction. What Boston was saying, in effect, was, Holy cow, where did all these mysterious minorities come from?"

"Big Boy [Chris Christie]'s sense of where the real fault lay was crystal clear: with the clowns on Commercial Street. On the phone with Ryan two days after the election, Christie listened while Fishconsin [Ryan] talked about how he, too, had been certain that he and Mitt were headed for the White House. 'On election morning,' Ryan said, 'they told me and my wife we were going to win.' 'Well, that just shows how shitty they were,' Christie harrumphed."

After the jump, my review.

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

IMDB

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013): '60s folk singer's life and career going nowhere. Character-driven movie by Coen Bros succeeds. Great songs. B+

Raytheon. Mixed-Use? By What Definition?

Source: The Dallas Morning News.

This is what Richardson Mayor Laura Maczka said when Raytheon announced plans to build a 490,000-square-foot office campus near the Bush Turnpike DART station:

We are also excited about this addition to KDC's CityLine project, which is poised to become one of the region's premier mixed-use developments, anchored by outstanding corporate citizens.

Source: Mayor Laura Maczka.

After the jump, questioning the mayor.

Final Four Block Party

From 2014 04 04 Final Four

The NCAA Final Four basketball tournament this year is being held in North Texas (specifically, AT&T Stadium in Arlington). The City of Dallas hosted a block party downtown on the site of the old, long gone, Reunion Arena. The main attraction was a March Madness Music Festival sponsored by AT&T. A lot of people came out for the music, but it wasn't hard to spot the people who were in Dallas this weekend for basketball.

More photos after the jump.

S2L77: North Atlantic

From 1977 05 10 England

After the jump, the end of the road.

OTBR: Morning Mood near Joehlingen, Germany

Latitude: N 49° 02.724
Longitude: E 008° 33.942

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".

"All the Beachfront on Renner"

Earlier, I looked at the GreenVUE apartment complex under construction at Greenville Ave. and Collins Blvd. and was disappointed in its failings as transit-oriented development. Today, I look north to another apartment complex under construction "just south of State Farm and the CityLine mixed-use development at Plano and Renner roads". It doesn't have a name yet that I know.

After the jump, you guessed it, another opportunity lost.

Repeat Tweets: Really Dumb Column

Repeat tweets from March, 2014:

• Mar 2 2014: "Some really smart people have praised this really dumb idea." But not Steve Blow. Really dumb column. dallasnews.com
  
• Mar 2 2014: .@DMNSteveBlow, really dumb column. You say really smart people have praised this idea, but you don't address any of their arguments.
  
• Mar 3 2014: "Blow doesn't understand how traffic works." A good explanation for Steve Blow's really dumb column. frontburner.dmagazine.com
  
• Mar 3 2014: Blow to conventional wisdom: Texas "taxes the middle class at rates as high or higher than in California." washingtonmonthly.com
  
• Mar 3 2014: Blow to conventional wisdom: "Except NY, every major state has lower total effective business tax rate than Texas." washingtonmonthly.com
  
• Mar 3 2014: Blow to conventional wisdom: "Smaller share of people in Texas own their own business than in all but four states." washingtonmonthly.com
  
• Mar 3 2014: No surprise: Texas' "Robin-Hood-in-reverse system gives Texas the fifth-most-regressive tax structure in the nation." washingtonmonthly.com
  

After the jump, more repeat tweets.

What Makes GreenVUE Transit-Oriented?

San Antonio development firm Embrey Partners Ltd. has started work on a luxury, transit-oriented multifamily development on Greenville Avenue in Richardson near the DART rail line.

Source: Dallas Business Journal.

What makes the GreenVUE apartments under construction at Greenville Ave. and Collins Blvd. transit-oriented development? Beats me. Other than maybe because it's somewhat near a DART station. More likely, just because the developer uses the description when plugging it.

After the jump, the GreenVUE impostor.

ADEC at the Eisemann

The Richardson Community Band performed a concert, "A Kaleidoscope of Color," at the Eisemann Center Sunday afternoon featuring the RISD All-District Elementary Choir (ADEC). The band was conducted by George W. Jones, with the RISD's Director of Fine Arts Brian Britt as guest conductor. The choir was directed by Lindy Perez. As usual, the band was enjoyable and the choir delightful.

Spring in the Steger Garden (2014)

From Flowers

S2L77: Windsor

Windsor Castle
May 21, 1977
We took a train out to Windsor Castle. "Too many tourists."

Source: Personal travel notes.

Funny how I remember the grand settings in Windsor Castle, the quaint village of Eton, the picturesque River Thames running between them, but I don't remember the tourists. Maybe I should have snapped a photo. ;-)

From 1977 05 10 England

More photos after the jump.

World War Z (2013)

IMDB

World War Z (2013): Brad Pitt fights sudden worldwide outbreak of running zombies. Even more clichés than zombies. What's not to dislike? C-

Econ 101

I'm not totally wedded to these particular numbers, but let's say for the sake of argument that the right policy is two years of fiscal expansion amounting to 3 percent of GDP each year, plus a permanent rise in the inflation target to 4 percent. These wouldn't be radical moves in terms of Econ 101 -- they are in fact pretty much what textbook models would suggest make sense given what we have learned about macroeconomic vulnerabilities. But they are completely outside the bounds of respectable discussion.

That's the sense in which we are "doomed" to long-term stagnation. We have met the enemy, and it's not the economic fundamentals, it's us.

Source: Paul Krugman.

Does it bug you that the tea party's hold on politics makes it politically incorrect to apply basic knowledge ("Econ 101") to our economic problems? It does me. It's the anti-science attitude that denies evolution and global warming carried over to economics. Except that in the former two fields, the know-nothing attitude is still being challenged. In economics, the know-nothing attitude is so dominant that "Econ 101" is "outside the bounds of respectable discussion."

By the way, if there's anyone who knows Econ 101, it's Paul Krugman. He wrote the book on it, literally.

LSWO Pre-UIL Concert Band Festival

Seventeen bands from all eight junior high schools in the Richardson ISD performed Monday at the Eisemann Center in an 8.5 hour marathon pre-UIL concert sponsored by the Lone Star Wind Orchestra. It was a pleasure seeing and hearing these talented and disciplined young musicians put on an outstanding show. Be sure to catch one of their concerts when they play again in their local schools.

The RISD owes a big thanks to the LSWO for its support of the music programs in the RISD. It is a credit to the RISD that the district maintains one of the best music programs in the state despite the budget cuts imposed on public school systems by Texas legislators.

P.S. 50 points to anyone who can name the band shown in the photo above.

Review: Naked

Amazon

From Naked, by David Sedaris:

I'm also used to pulling my pants above my navel and tightening my belt to diminish my gut. Jangling the keys in my pocket, thoughtlessly gnawing at the collars of my shirts: these things are lost to me now. It feels dangerous to drink a cup of hot coffee, and twice in the last hour I've hopped up to brush glowing cigarette ash off what I once considered to be my private parts."

That's David Sedaris describing life in a nudist camp. After the jump, my review.

Wadjda (2012)

IMDB

Wadjda (2012): Girl deals with repressive Saudi culture at home and school. She just wants a bicycle. Simple tale well told. Eye-opening. B-

S2L77: London - IV

Around town.

From 1977 05 10 England

A Kensington residential neighborhood

More photos after the jump.

Cutie and the Boxer (2013)

IMDB

Cutie and the Boxer (2013): Aging Japanese couple in NY, both artists. Their relationship, life and art. Art is a demon. Love is a roar. B-

"A Whole Bunch of Cranes"

Put it all together and you have a system easily dominated by insiders that is sometimes run for the benefit of the few, sometimes for no discernible benefit to anyone, but then there is this: Back away from it, fuzz your eyes a little, rake the skyline with your gaze, and what do you see? I see a whole bunch of cranes. I see stuff happening, some of it stupid but much of it pretty great. As long as the arrangement keeps clogging along and doesn't step too hard on the wrong toes, I don't think the vast majority of people will want to take on the sheer bother of changing it.

Source: Jim Schutze.

Writing in the Dallas Observer's blog Unfair Park, Jim Schutze is talking about the city council system in Dallas and how the city's single member districts influence how power is wielded in that city. Richardson has council members elected at large, but the general observation still holds: as long as "stuff" is happening, voters are unlikely to push too strongly for changing the system.

That set me to thinking (I know, always a dangerous practice). After the jump, unfinished business in Richardson.

Texas State University Wind Symphony at Plano West

Texas State University Wind Symphony Tour 2014 at Plano West: Pre-conference concert. "Sonic debauchery" and I mean that in a good way.

People Watching at the Dallas Arts District Block Party

From 2014 03 14 Dallas Arts District

After an afternoon of people-watching in Dallas' Klyde Warren Park, we extended the day by attending the Dallas Arts District Spring Break Block Party. The crowds and warm weather were perfect for more people watching.

More photos after the jump.

People Watching at Klyde Warren Park

The nice Spring weather brought out the crowds to downtown Dallas' Klyde Warren Park Friday afternoon. It was perfect for people watching.

From 2014 03 14 Klyde Warren Park

If you haven't heard, the park was built on top of the Woodall Rodgers freeway. Klyde Warren Park reminds me of Chicago's much larger Millennium Park, which was built on top of a railroad yard. Klyde Warren Park heals a gash in downtown Dallas created by building the freeway. The park bridges downtown with the Uptown district and draws people from both to the park. I guess I can still dream of something like this covering up the gash in Richardson's old downtown, Central Expressway. If you can't tear the freeways down, the next best thing is to cover 'em up.

More photos after the jump.

S2L77: London - III

From 1977 05 10 England

Tower Bridge (not the Tower of London, not London Bridge)
See how I used foliage to hide the unsightly scaffolding?

The Tower of London -- is there any single place in the world where so much compelling history took place? Really. Is there? I'd like to know.

By the way, the British crown jewels are on display at the Tower. Eye-popping. Yet, I was spoiled by being fortunate to see the crown jewels of Iran in Tehran first. You can't help comparing and concluding that the Queen of England comes across as a poor cousin to the Persian emperors of times past. Sorry, IJS. OTOH, the Persian jewels are kept in some bland, bank building basement. The British crown jewels are kept in the Tower of London! Advantage there to Lilibet.

More photos after the jump.

The Act of Killing (2012)

IMDB

Act of Killing (2012): Aging Indonesian death squad members re-enact 1965 killings for movie. Nation cheers. Surreal. Chilling. Obscene. B+

Quinceañera at Dallas Blooms

From 2014 03 11 Dallas Blooms

The weather was perfect -- 81 degrees and sunny. The smiling girls were out in their formal evening dresses to have their portraits taken with a backdrop of flowers. And what better backdrop of flowers can you arrange than Dallas Blooms? The girls' quinceañera birthday party itself is still to come, but for today, the whole world could share the girls' joy.

The Square (2013)

IMDB

The Square (2013): Documentary of Arab Spring in Egypt. Exhilaration. Disappointment. Perseverance. Which way does arc of universe bend? A+

Goodbye, Tom Thumb

Goodbye, Tom Thumb. Oh, the name might remain, but big changes are coming to the traditional supermarket, no matter what name is above the door.

The private equity company Cerberus Capital Management announced that it was acquiring Safeway. Cerberus already owns Albertsons. Safeway already owns Tom Thumb. With all of these under one ownership, you can bet changes will come in order to compete. Whether or not the name Tom Thumb stays or goes is only a minor matter.

After the jump, what to expect from the new Tom Thumb overlords.

S2L77: London - II

From 1977 05 10 England

1977 was the year of the Queen Elizabeth II's silver jubilee. When I visited in May, the capital of the British Empire was already decked out and large events were already in rehearsal for the June celebration. The queen has since celebrated her golden jubilee (2002) and even her diamond jubilee (2012), but that silver jubilee still stands out.

More photos after the jump.

Changing My Mind About Freeways - ctd

Yesterday, I wrote about how I am forced to rethink freeways, to at least consider the possibility that freeways through cities aren't some Frankenstein's monster, the unintended consequences of legislative sausage-making. I am forced to consider the possibility that freeways through cities were a deliberate attempt to solve a problem that was already apparent to urban planners of 1939 -- that America's cities were becoming clogged by automobile traffic.

After the jump, what does all this have to do with Richardson? Or Dallas?

Changing My Mind About Freeways

I'm always on the lookout for facts that make me rethink my preconceived notions. I think I might have found one regarding highways.

More than once, I've written about the "fact" that the Interstate Highway System was not originally intended to cut through cities. My thinking was influenced by articles such as one by Eric Jaffe in The Atlantic.

Eisenhower himself didn't realize the Interstate Highway System would cut through American cities until a few years after construction began. Ike had wanted a national road network like the one he'd seen in Germany during World War II. But he'd also wanted these roads to stop at the doorsteps of cities, not push right past.

Source: The Atlantic.

The conventional wisdom is that in order to get the interstate highway system built, Ike had to get the votes of urban congressmen, and to get those votes, he had to direct some of the construction their way, in the form of freeways in their urban districts. The argument has a certain logic.

After the jump, a contrarian opinion that deserves consideration.

Dirty Wars (2013)

IMDB

Dirty Wars (2013): Bush. Obama. Secret orders. Covert ops. Cover-ups. War on terror spins out of control. Kill list grows without end. A+

OTBR: A Personal Observatory in Australia

Latitude: S 37° 37.050
Longitude: E 144° 20.580

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".

Repeat Tweets: Best Musical Ever

Repeat tweets from February, 2014:

• Feb 2 2014: Hairspray at BHS: '60s music and student activism, what more could you ask? Hilarious & inspiring. All voices owned the house! Best ever!
  
• Feb 3 2014: New 2014-2016 UIL District 10: Richardson, Berkner, Lake Highlands, Pearce, Highland Park, Mesquite, Mesquite Horn, North Mesquite. Wow!
  
• Feb 4 2014: MT @SenTedCruz: "If a President can choose which laws to follow, ..." Get local police to strictly enforce jaywalking while you're at it.
  
• Feb 4 2014: Our Lake Wobegon climate. Headline: "2013 Marked the Thirty-seventh Consecutive Year of Above-Average Temperature." grist.org
  

After the jump, more repeat tweets.

Early Spring in the Steger Garden (2014)

From Flowers

Daffodil? Jonquil? Narcissus?
Daffodil! Also, narcissus. All clear?

Basketball Playoffs: Atascocita 71, Berkner 49

From 2014 02 28 Regional Semifinals

The Berkner Rams men's basketball team's magical season came to an end in Waco Friday night when they lost to the Humble Atascocita Eagles 71-49 in the Regional Semifinals (round four) of the Texas UIL state tournament.

The Rams have a lot to look back on with pride -- an overall record of 24-8, District 9-5A tri-champions with a district record of 11-3, and winners of the first three rounds of the state tournament. There are about 250 Class 5A schools in Texas. The best 128 teams started the tournament. Berkner made it to the final sixteen. Sweet! It's a great time to be a Ram!

More photos after the jump.

S2L77: London - I

From 1977 05 10 England

White Cliffs of Dover

In these days before the Chunnel, we crossed the English Channel on a hovercraft, meaning our first view of England was the traditional one, the white cliffs of Dover. We drove into London, the destination of our trip of over 9,000 miles as the crow flies from Singapore to London. Subtracting a flight to leapfrog Burma (whose land borders were closed), that's more than 7,500 miles on the ground across southern Asia and Europe. Whew! Time for rest and relaxation after so much ... rest and relaxation. I spent two weeks in London, longer than any other stop on the trip. Time for lots of photos. Here's the first batch from London.

More photos after the jump.

Richardson Coalition Abandons Nonpartisanship

If you had the impression that the Richardson Coalition was some kind of civic volunteer service organization, it may have been because the Richardson Coalition fostered that impression by sponsoring programs like the Richardson Real Heroes award. But if you look closely at fine print at the bottom of the Richardson Coalition web page, you'll notice "Pol. Adv. paid for by the Richardson Residents for Responsive Government, a Political Action Committee (also commonly known as the Richardson Coalition PAC)."

Yep, the Richardson Coalition is a PAC, organized to collect money in order to influence elections. Up to now, the only elections the PAC has attempted to sway were Richardson city council elections.

Up to now, that is. After the jump, the PAC expands its reach.

Basketball Playoffs: Berkner 75, Plano West 73

The Berkner Rams men's basketball team won a huge victory Tuesday night over the Plano West Wildcats 75-73 at Garland's Culwell Center. It was the third round of the Texas UIL state tournament, the regional quarterfinals. Plano West came into the game as champions of District 10-5A and ranked eighth in the state. The Rams were no slouches themselves, District 9-5A tri-champions and ranked 17th in the state. They proved it by taking a second quarter lead over Plano West that they never relinquished, stretching it to twelve points late in the game.

Keenan Evans put on a show, leading all scorers with 35 points, including two clutch free throws with three seconds left to give Berkner a five point lead. Plano West's D.J. Hogg, with 27 points on the night, did his best to rally the Wildcats down the stretch, hitting a couple of three pointers in the last four seconds of the game to make the final margin of victory two points. Berkner's big lead was too much to overcome.

It's a great time to be a Ram!

With the win, the Rams advance to the regional semifinals at Baylor's Ferrell Center in Waco Friday night at 8:00 pm.

Review: The Unending Mystery

Amazon

From The Unending Mystery, by David Willis McCullough:

Labyrinths are painted on the walls of ancient caves and carved onto Neolithic rock outcroppings. They appear in some of the oldest legends in lands as different as the Greek Isles and the American Southwest, but were also the stuff of myths even older than the stories as we now know them."

After the jump, my review.

A Potential Problem in Denton Becomes Real

Mayor Laura Maczka:

One of the strengths that our city has is that we recognize potential problems before they become problems.

Source: neighborsgo Richardsone.

When I quoted the Richardson mayor last week, it was on the topic of farmers markets, which the city sees as a "potential problem," not an asset, and wishes to tangle in red tape. The city council has already devoted time in two meetings to look into how to restrict them. At least another meeting is needed for the council to formally adopt an ordinance. So, our city council is on top of this "potential problem."

All that set me to thinking (always dangerous). What other "potential problems" are out there that Richardson ought to be acting on before they become real problems? That's when I came across the city of Denton's clusterf*ck over gas drilling in residential neighborhoods (sorry, that's the word that came to mind, for obvious reasons). The story, after the jump.

RALC Murder Mystery in the Library

RALC "Anger Games": Who knew an ESL program would lead to MURDER? A great night of whodunnit, but I'll never feel safe in the library again.

Basketball Playoffs: Berkner 66, Rockwall 59

From 2014 02 21 Berkner vs Rockwall

The thrill of victory

Berkner and Rockwall met in the area round of the Texas UIL playoffs Friday night in a neutral site, the Allen High School gym. In the round two match-up between two of the top three scorers in the Dallas area, Rockwall's Austin Grandstaff came out on top of Berkner's Keenan Evans, 25 points to 16. But, in an overtime thriller, the Berkner Rams as a team outlasted Rockwall 66-59 for the win.

It's a great time to be a Ram!

More photos after the jump.

S2L77: Munich, Cologne and Heidelberg

Heidelberg
May 8, 1977
Walked through the Schloss Heidelberg and cobblestone streets, had a pizza and apple schnapps.

Source: Personal travel notes.

From 1977 05 06 Germany

1972 Olympic Stadium, Munich

Our last country on the continent before our destination in London was a rushed visit to Germany, including the site of the 1972 Olympics Summer Games in Munich... and a night at the Hofbräuhaus am Platzl which might account for the lack of other photos of Munich. The next day, we were on the road again. We had a stop for lunch in Cologne and a quick tour of the cathedral, followed by a final night in Heidelberg.

More photos after the jump.

Blue Jasmine (2013)

IMDB

Blue Jasmine (2013): Like winner of a "Bad Woody Allen Movie" contest. Artist is tapped dry. Cate Blanchett does most with weak script. C+

Basketball Playoffs: Berkner 41, Plano 39

Torey Everett and two impressed young fans

In a tense finish, the Berkner Rams men's basketball team held on for 41-39 victory over the Plano Wildcats Friday night at the Pearce gym. It was the first round of the Texas UIL playoffs. Win and play another day. Lose and go home.

With a minute left and the score tied, the Rams played for the last shot. With seven seconds to go, Keenan Evans, the lead scorer of the game with 19 points, drove to the basket, was fouled, and hit two clutch free throws to give Berkner a 41-39 lead. Then at the other end of the court, a blocked shot with less than a second to go protected the lead. Finally, an inbounds pass under the basket was tipped harmlessly away at the buzzer to seal the win. Exhale. Fittingly, it was tight defense in the end, as throughout the whole game, that won the game for the Rams.

It's a great time to be a Ram!

Nipping Potential Problems in the Bud

Mayor Laura Maczka:

One of the strengths that our city has is that we recognize potential problems before they become problems.

Source: neighborsgo Richardson.

The Richardson city council is always on the lookout to nip potential problems in the bud. Or seed. Or pod. Or whatever.

What's the potential problem this time? The answer, after the jump.

Let's Bury Power Lines. No Let's Don't.

After the December ice storm in Richardson, when whole neighborhoods were without power for hours or even days, one lonely person on Facebook repeatedly posted a status update along the lines of "Let's bury our power lines." He was quickly dismissed with answers along the lines of "It's too expensive."

Well, now that it's the southeast and east coast who are dealing with an ice storm, the question is resurfacing there. After the jump, the pros and cons.

S2L77: Innsbruck and Salzburg

From 1977 05 04 Austria

With the XXII Olympic Winter Games going on in Sochi, it's a nice coincidence that the next waypoint to revisit from my 1977 route from Singapore to London happens to be Innsbruck, site of the XII Olympic Winter Games in 1976. The Olympics were over by the time I got there, but the spirit remained. I also visited Salzburg. Good places. Good times.

More photos after the jump.

Stefani Carter's Terrible Accident

First a confession. When I reported on the District 112 candidate forum, I buried the lede. No, that's not it. I missed the story altogether. Yeah, I showed why I am not getting paid for this.

I never mentioned Stefani Carter's opening remarks where she informed the forum audience that she had recently suffered a "terrible accident" that triggered a "moment of truth when you feel like your life could end." Turning to retired Captain Sam Brown, who actually did suffer exactly that, Carter said "I know that our colleague here, Sam Brown, understands that." In 2008, in Afghanistan, an IED blew up near Brown, burning much of his body. To this day Brown bears disfiguring scars on his face and head (and elsewhere, less visibly). Then Carter moved on, sounding extremely conservative and ambitious, pretty much like she has always sounded, pre-life-altering event.

I may have missed the story, but professional journalists Tim Rogers of D Magazine and then Tom Benning of The Dallas Morning News didn't. After the jump, catching you all up on what I should have caught.