Bishop Arts District

From 2014 10 20 Bishop Arts District

My photos of the Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff are unexciting, for two reasons. One, don't go to the Bishop Arts District on a Monday, when many of the businesses are closed. Unless you want to get a lot of photos of buildings and not people. Two, I'm just not very good at taking candid photos of people. My bad. But even though my photos of the Bishop Arts District are not exciting, the Bishop Arts District itself is. More, please.

More unexciting photos after the jump.

Musical Chairs in Richardson Real Estate

"State Farm's move to Richardson will leave behind big blocks of empty office space." That was the headline to a story in The Dallas Morning News revealing the ugly secret behind the big win for Richardson.

After the jump, how the game is played.

Before Midnight (2013)

IMDB

Before Midnight (2013): Falling in love made first two movies good. Being in love doesn't. Lots of talk about state of relationship. C+

Before Sunset (2004)

IMDB

Before Sunset (2004): Don't look up old girlfriends. It's awkward at best. Slow to get going but redeems itself in end. Lots of talk. B-

Before Sunrise (1995)

IMDB

Before Sunrise (1995): Two strangers fall in love in Vienna. Endless talking like the night will never end. It does. That was me, kinda. A-

Phantom of the Opera at PST

Pocket Sandwich Theatre

Phantom of the Opera at PST: Popcorn-throwing melodrama that can't be overacted. 12-way tie for biggest ham. Fun for cast and audience. B-

State Fair of Texas - Animals

From 2014 09 30 State Fair

More photos after the jump.

Main Street Rezoning Initiative Initial Survey

Source: City of Richardson.

Somehow I was chosen to take part in the city's online SurveyMonkey Main Street Rezoning Initiative Initial Survey. Mostly I was presented with a series of pictures of what the Main Street area would look like from different locations if several four to eight story buildings were built there. One of the "viewsheds" is shown above. I was asked if each of those views was acceptable to me.

After the jump, my answers.

Mesquite 28, Berkner 7

From 2014 10 17 Mesquite vs Berkner

It was the most winnable lopsided loss you'll ever see. Berkner's defense shut down Mesquite in the first half only to fall behind 7-0 with 12 seconds left in the half when Mesquite blocked a field goal and returned it 62 yards for a touchdown. That, plus a Berkner fumble at Mesquite's one yard line and more failed fourth down conversions than you can count, added up to that lopsided score.

On the bright side, it was Berkner Homecoming, Junior High Band Night, and the Mighty Ram Band performed the show that earned it "one" ratings at the UIL Region 3 Marching Contest and a spot in the Area Competition next week.

More photos after the jump.

State Fair of Texas - People

From 2014 09 30 State Fair

More photos after the jump.

Gardening in the Shadow of Construction Cranes

Source: City of Richardson. Groundbreaking is not Gardening

It's like pulling teeth to get the Richardson City Council just to permit farmers markets, but the city is getting into "economic gardening" with no hesitation at all. Richardson plans to "launch a new economic development initiative to help revenue-generating technology startups grow even more quickly." Maybe farmers markets would have been shown some love if the special use permit application had called them "Garden iMarkets."

After the jump, just what is economic gardening? Spoiler alert: it's not turning a shovelful of dirt in the shadow of construction cranes.

State Fair of Texas - Rides

From 2014 09 30 State Fair

More photos after the jump.

Richardson Comes Off My "On Notice" Board

Source: H/T Stephen Colbert.

Richardson no longer has a place on my "On Notice" board. This is what triggered my change of heart:

This evening, the Richardson City Council authorized a purchase/sale agreement and an economic development agreement clearing the way for acquisition of nearly 60 acres of land from Galatyn Properties Ltd. consisting of members of the Margaret Hunt Hill family. Acquisition of the four parcels, which adjoin the existing Spring Creek Nature Area, will enable the City to more than double the nature area’s current size.

Source: City of Richardson.

Well done, Richardson. One hundred years from now, this acquisition will be looked back upon as the most significant action taken by Richardson in the early 21st century. That's just how valuable this large piece of heavily-wooded, undeveloped land in the middle of a growing urban area will be. With this move, Richardson comes down off my "On Notice" board.

After the jump, a look back at my love affair with the Spring Creek Nature Area.

George Clayton, DINO

George Clayton is the Democratic candidate for Texas House District 102. He is running against Linda Koop, the Republican candidate. I call Clayton the Democratic candidate loosely. Sometimes, people use the term RINO (Republican In Name Only) or DINO (Democrat In Name Only), but that's mostly done when one faction of the party wants to write a person out of the party. In this case, however, George Clayton appears to be trying to write himself out of the Democratic party tent.

After the jump, Clayton's strange response to The Dallas Morning News's endorsement of his opponent, Linda Koop.

Texas House District 102: Koop vs Clayton

A candidate forum for Texas House District 102 was held on October 8, 2014, at RISD's Westwood Junior High School. Linda Koop (R) and George Clayton (D) answered questions from the audience.

After the jump, where the two candidates stand on a wide range of issues.

State Fair of Texas - Midway

From 2014 09 30 State Fair

More photos after the jump.

OTBR: A Narrow Street in Zagreb

Latitude: N 45° 49.680
Longitude: E 015° 56.220

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".

My Turn to Squeal on Rodger Jones

I have something in common with the author of last week's fascinating Points essay, a woman who got raked over the coals by authorities for letting her kids play in the nearby park, unsupervised.

Source: Rodger Jones.

That's how Rodger Jones, editorial writer for The Dallas Morning News, sets the stage for his readers to sympathize with whatever it was that happened to him. Can you say false equivalence? Do you think Jones was innocent of wrongdoing, like the innocent woman he's comparing himself to? No, Jones admits, passively, that in his case "mistakes were made." Do you think maybe Jones "got raked over the coals" for those mistakes? No, Jones admits, "There were no coals in my case and no raking."

So what exactly does Jones have in common with the woman who suffered injustice? Let's find out, after the jump.

Cottonwood Art Festival - Fall 2014

From 2014 10 04 Cottonwood Art Festival

Saturday was sunny and warm, perfect weather for Richardson's twice yearly Cottonwood Art Festival, now in its 45th year. After the jump, more photos from this Fall's festival.

Wunderland at RHS

Wunderland at RHS: Alice meets Captain Hook, Frankenstein and Nazis in dark twist on a children's story. Mental whiplash. World premiere.

Review: The Woman Who Lost Her Soul

Amazon

From The Woman Who Lost Her Soul, by Bob Shacochis

Oh, my God, she said. What's on these pants? Is this blood? Her sweet, earnest face, becalmed by the gentle tides of a comfortable life, filled with a look of mortification. Dutiful wife, instinctive mother, she sniffed at a patch of the stains, repulsed. They’re covered with blood! There's so much of it. Tom, what happened? Yes, that. What happened. He would have to tell her something but he did not know where to begin or where to end and he did not know if she should ever, ever know him so well, or how he spent his days when he was away from her."

And so the mystery begins. After the jump, my review.

Repeat Tweets: Someone Pick Up LaDarius Perkins

Repeat tweets from September, 2014:

• Sep 1 2014: Saw outstanding performance by @DarioPerkins27 at Lambeau Thursday. Sadly, there's not enough room on the roster. Someone will pick him up.
  
• Sep 2 2014: Payday lender CashAmerica donates to Ken Paxton and Linda Koop (say it ain't so, Linda). fec.gov (h/t @davelevinthal)
  
• Sep 3 2014: Payday lender CashAmerica reports giving money to Linda Koop. Her campaign says she returned the unsolicited money. @MarkSteger
  
• Sep 2 2014: Headline: "Ted Cruz Tells Koch Conference: Stopping Amnesty Most Important Issue." Before it was jobs. Or Obamacare. Mostly it's Cruz 2016.
  
• Sep 2 2014: RT @Neil_Irwin: "New WashPost publisher was founding CEO of Politico." Why not Breitbart? Or Newsmax? WashPost has fallen so far so fast.
  
• Sep 2 2014: A company "dedicated to understanding human behavior through the creative application of randomized-controlled experiments" is following me.
  
• Sep 2 2014: Richardson ranks 10th best in nation, according to WalletHub.com or 37th best in DFW area, according to D Magazine. Go figure.
  

After the jump, more repeat tweets.

Silver Screen Slayer at PST

Pocket Sandwich Theatre

Silver Screen Slayer at PST: Silly parody of '30s private eye, Nazi spy movies. Jokes about Hollywood Jews and gays not as funny as rest. C+

Meet Michael Morris... and his Boss

Who cares what this guy says? Oh, believe me. Eeeeverybody who knows what's what cares deeply. You can forget about mayors and city councils and state legislators and sometimes even congresspersons. Morris has way more stick than those guys.

Source: Jim Schutze.

Meet Michael Morris, the unelected bureaucrat behind many of the highway decisions in north central Texas. The Director of Transportation for the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) seems to be in the news everywhere this year, from the debate over removing IH345 in downtown Dallas to the debate over tolling US 75 through Richardson to the possibility of building a new toll road from Wylie to Greenville.

After the jump, what people are saying about Michael Morris.

Rivalry Game: Lake Highlands 37, Berkner 22

From 2014 09 26 Lake Highlands vs Berkner

It was the annual cross-town rivalry game between the Lake Highlands Wildcats and the Berkner Rams at shared Wildcat-Ram Stadium. Although the stats were more or less balanced (456 total yards for LHHS and 400 for BHS), because of some big plays on both sides of the line of scrimmage Lake Highlands came out on top 37-22. Tyler Hughes led the Wildcats with 25 rushes for 206 yards and one touchdown. Davis Steelman led the Rams, completing 18 of 26 passes for 240 yards and one touchdown.

From 2014 09 26 Lake Highlands vs Berkner

More photos after the jump.

Memorial Union Terrace on Lake Mendota

From 2014 08 29 Madison

What's your standard for excellence? How about the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Memorial Union Terrace on Lake Mendota on a Friday afternoon in summer? If there is a finer single place to be on any university campus anywhere, I haven't seen it. Add a brat and a beer and nowhere else comes close.

More photos after the jump.

Drive Through Government

Someone on Facebook asked the reason for a zoning change request for the property on West Campbell Rd where Nikki's restaurant used to be. Two people answered, saying a multi-tenant building is planned, to be occupied by Starbucks and Pei Wei.

I asked why a zoning change request was needed. What's the big deal? One restaurant is being replaced by another (or by two in one multi-tenant building).

After the jump, the answer.

Football. Lambeau. Say No More.

From 2014 08 28 Green Bay

It was the last pre-season game. The starters were going to sit out the game, resting for the season opener. Rain was in the forecast and it did start sprinkling late in the third quarter, but it didn't last long. The game was a blowout, the Packers beating the Chiefs 34-14. It would be understandable if the stands were sparsely filled. But 74,059 Packer faithful turned out for the game, with the vast majority staying until the end, enjoying every last minute. There was dancing in the stands at the two-minute warning. That's football at Lambeau Field, one of the most storied venues in pro sports in America. A fun time was had by all. But that didn't need to be said, did it?

More photos after the jump.

Urinetown at PHS

Urinetown at PHS: Drought leads to ban on private toilets. Subversive satire with music and jokes. Really talented production. Loved it.

Of Farmers, Arts and Crafts, and Fleas

The Richardson City Council is considering an ordinance regulating farmers markets. I've blogged about this before. The city didn't listen to me then (go figure ;-). Now, The Dallas Morning News picks up the story.

"It comes down to, what is a farmers market?" [Richardson Mayor Laura] Maczka said. "By the name it should focus on farmers' produce. During the non-peak growing season, if you’re not careful, you could have a weekly arts-and-crafts fair."

Source: Dallas Morning News.

I read that sentence. Then I read it again. Then I scratched my head. I wondered to myself, "and a weekly arts-and-crafts fair would be bad...how???"

Of farmers, arts and crafts, and fleas...after the jump.

Dallas Arts District Fall Block Party

From 2014 09 19 Dallas Arts District

The Dallas Arts District put on another world class Fall Block Party Friday night. The Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, and the Crow Collection of Asian Art all were open late, with live entertainment (shout out to the Mariachi Los Unicos de Griener Middle School Exploratory Arts Academy), food trucks and more, the activity spilling over into the surrounding streets.

More photos after the jump.

Making Paper at the Paper Discovery Center

From 2014 08 27 Paper Discovery Center

Long before Richardson's Telecom Corridor or even California's Silicon Valley, the Fox River Valley in northeastern Wisconsin was known as Paper Valley. The combination of Wisconsin's vast timber resources and water and power from the Fox River was ideal for making paper. The resulting paper mills created prosperous communities and wealthy paper barons with names like Kimberly and Clark. A hundred years ago, it was said that there were more millionaires per capita in Neenah, Wisconsin, than in any other city in America.

Source: The Wheel.

The Paper Discovery Center is a museum located in a repurposed paper mill on the Fox River in downtown Appleton, Wisconsin. Besides exhibits showing everything you need to know about making paper, there's a hands-on exhibit that lets you make your own sheet of paper.

More photos after the jump.

Harry Houdini's Boyhood Hometown

From 2014 08 26 Houdini

Harry Houdini grew up in Appleton, Wisconsin, living there from age four until age thirteen, when his family moved to New York City. The History Museum at the Castle in downtown Appleton (next to Lawrence University) has a hands-on exhibit of Houdini tricks and artifacts.

More after the jump.

Ellen Accepts the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

From 2014 08 25 Appleton

Adrianne, Ellen, Stacy and Mikayla accepted the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. A fun time was had by all.

More photos after the jump.

Bobblehead Day at Miller Park

From 2014 08 24 Milwaukee

The Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 on Sunday, August 24, 2014, at Miller Park. It was Jean Segura Bobblehead Day. Attendance was 42,761 (102.1% full, based on regular season capacity). A fun time was had by all.

More photos after the jump.

Late Summer in the Steger Garden (2014)

From Flowers

From Flowers

Berkner 14, Mesquite Poteet 45

From 2014 09 12 Berkner vs Poteet

Ouch! There aren't many highlights to report from this game. The marching bands from both schools were excellent, as usual. The cool weather was welcome, with temperatures in the sixties. The misty rain that fell throughout the game was not. With the loss, Berkner drops to 2-1 with a bye next week and the start of district play September 26 with the annual rivalry game against Lake Highlands.

More photos after the jump.

Chicago Kids

From 2014 08 23 Chicago

More photos after the jump.

Correction: Mayor Maczka's Stand on Tolling Central

At the September 8 city council worksession, Mayor Laura Maczka clarified her statements to the Texas Transportation Commission, denying that she or the mayors of Plano and Allen expressed support for tolling Central Expressway, contrary to an unverified report I quoted from. In the worksession she said the city has not taken a position on tolling. I was wrong to state that she was still silent on where she or the city stands. I regret the error.

The Wheel Award for Excellence in Motion Pictures

Oscar night is six months gone. "12 Years a Slave" was the Academy's pick for "Best Picture." I couldn't say at the time that it was my pick for "best" movie of 2013 because I hadn't seen all of the nominees. In fact, I hadn't yet seen "12 Years a Slave" when it received the golden statue in March. Well, now that it's September, I can finally say I've seen all of the Oscar nominees for "Best Picture" of 2013 and I can pick a winner. Call this the Netflix Oscar.

After the jump, my own pick for "Best Picture".

Is It Too Early to Talk Richardson Elections?

The Richardson City Council elections aren't until May, 2015, but if there's anyone out there who is going to challenge the incumbents, he or she has to start thinking about it now. So, let's look at the lay of the land, shall we?

After the jump, is the current city council vulnerable?

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

IMDB

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013): Over the top depiction of excess. Too campy to be serious. Not campy enough to be funny. Bad Scorsese. D+

Confluence

From 2014 08 22 Confluence

If there's a site that combines such geographic and historic importance while remaining relatively untouched by human development, I don't know where it is. I'm speaking of the confluence of two mighty rivers, the Mississippi and Missouri, a few miles north of St. Louis.

Geographically, the combined river system is the world's fourth longest, draining almost half of the continental United States. Historically, the confluence was the winter campsite of the Lewis and Clark expedition before they set off on their voyage of exploration of the newly acquired Louisiana Territory in 1804. And why is the area still undeveloped? Perhaps because the rivers are untameable, their courses changing with each year's floodwaters. Because of that, today you can stand at the historical marker and see a natural vista that must be indistinguishable from what Lewis and Clark saw.

From 2014 08 22 Confluence

Lakeview Centennial 50, Richardson 14

From 2014 09 05 Lakeview Centennial vs Richardson

Garland's Lakeview Centennial Patriots defeated the Richardson Eagles, 50-14, Friday night at Eagle-Mustang Stadium.

Lakeview Centennial scored on the opening kickoff and never looked back, outgaining Richardson 474 yards to 214. Lakeview Centennial was led by T.J. Edwards (174 yds passing, 81 yds rushing) and Jamil Linwood (131 yds rushing). Richardson was led by Daevon Woods (112 yds rushing).

With the win, the Patriots move to 2-0 on the season while the Eagles fall to 0-2.

More photos after the jump.

Berkner 45, Naaman Forest 27

From 2014 09 04 Berkner vs Naaman Forest

The thermometer may still be flirting with triple digits, but on the gridiron it's football season again. Thursday night at Garland's Williams Stadium, the Berkner Rams defeated Garland's Naaman Forest Rangers 45-27. It's a great time to be a Ram!

Berkner was led by Davis Steelman (108 yds passing, 133 yds rushing) and CaDarius Edwards (147 yds rushing). Naaman Forest was led by Michael Nelson (239 yds rushing) and Juwan Saddler (117 yds passing and 90 yds rushing).

More photos after the jump.

Richardson Misses the Harvest

From 2014 06 28 Vancouver

Farmer's Market in Vancouver, British Columbia

The farmers market season isn't over, not by a long shot, as farmers gear up with fall crops. There's still plenty of end-of-summer produce, too, such as yellow and zucchini squash, some tomatoes, okra, eggplant, peas and peppers. Fall crops coming on include greens, such as arugula and bok choy, as well as cool-weather squashes such as spaghetti and butternut.

Source: The Dallas Morning News.

When it comes to big projects, Richardson gets things done (not always the right things, but at least something). Whether it's CityLine, Palisades Village, State Farm, or Raytheon, if the project is big, Richardson finds a way to move ahead and get it done. This is true even when there is significant opposition to the projects from the surrounding neighborhoods.

But when it comes to small, neighborhood-sized things, Richardson seems to drop the ball. Even when the neighbors are on board, Richardson kills popular ideas or bogs them down with red tape.

After the jump, the latest example.

OTBR: A Farm on Galveston Bay

Latitude: N 29° 29.724
Longitude: W 094° 57.708

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".

Tolling Central: Where Does Richardson Stand?

NCTCOG and TxDOT want to convert the HOV lane on Central Expressway (US 75) into a tolled express lane between IH 635 and Allen. Do you know where the City of Richardson stands on this? Seriously. Do you?

Different possible answers after the jump.

A Drive Through Ferguson, Missouri

From 2014 08 22 Ferguson Missouri

When a white policeman, Darren Wilson, shot and killed an unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Missouri, he set off a chain of events that put Ferguson, Missouri, in the headlines for days. The community protested against police violence and the militarized police responded with tear gas and armored vehicles. Naturally, we just had to see things for ourselves.

After the jump, my impressions of Ferguson.

Repeat Tweets: Extrapolating US Politics to Middle East

Repeat tweets from August, 2014:

• Aug 3 2014: Extrapolating US politics to the Middle East: Tea party/Hamas (fighting on at any cost) vs Dems/Israel (refusing to dismantle the state).
  
• Aug 4 2014: MT @DaveLieber: "How a school board broke a zillion rules in five minutes. thescoopblog.dallasnews.com.html" Which reminds me, when will RISD tape?
  
• Aug 4 2014: Headline: "Rick Perry forms political action committee." Or as it might be called, a roll call for Rick, or you know: youtube.com
  

After the jump, more repeat tweets.