POTD: The Hollywood Gang Hideaway

From 2018 01 29 Acapulco

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Hotel Los Flamingos in Acapulco, Mexico. "The hotel is located on the highest cliff of Península de las Playas, about 150 meters above sea level." In the 1950s, the hotel was the scene of wild parties with guests such as Johnny Weissmuller (Tarzan), John Wayne, Cary Grant, Errol Flynn, and Clark Gable. It's still in operation today.

Bonus photo after the jump.

POTD: Commerce, the Universal Imperative

From 2018 01 27 Guatemala

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Antigua Guatemala. Antigua is a UNESCO World Heritage Site "famous for its well-preserved Spanish Baroque-influenced architecture as well as a number of ruins of colonial churches."

If you go to Central America, buy something from the hardworking people. They are good people. They welcome us to their country. Maybe we should consider doing the same. Just a thought.

Bonus photo after the jump.

Civil Rights Violations in RISD

Every year, the U.S. Department of Education investigates thousands of school districts and colleges around the country for civil rights violations ranging from racial discrimination in school discipline to sexual violence.

Source: ProPublica.

So, what's the story in the Richardson ISD?

POTD: The Walkable City that's Hard to Walk

From 2018 01 27 Guatemala

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Antigua Guatemala. Antigua is a UNESCO World Heritage Site "famous for its well-preserved Spanish Baroque-influenced architecture as well as a number of ruins of colonial churches." It should also be famous for being an incredibly walkable city, if you make allowances for the fact that it's d*mned hard to walk on cobblestones.

OTOH, it's hard to drive on cobblestones, too, making car drivers slow down naturally without the need for stop signs and traffic lights. All in all, a worthwhile tradeoff.

Bonus photo after the jump.

Ocean's 8 (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes

Ocean's 8 (2018): Heist sequel with switched genders. Nothing new here but it does show that women can ably fill these roles. Plot has more than a few holes, and gadgets outshine brains, but hey, the story was credited to a man. Still, fun overall. B-

POTD: Shade Tree Mechanics

From 2018 01 27 Guatemala

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Plaza Mayor of Antigua Guatemala, the place to see and be seen, and apparently to work on your car. Antigua is a UNESCO World Heritage Site "famous for its well-preserved Spanish Baroque-influenced architecture as well as a number of ruins of colonial churches." Antigua was our favorite city in Central America during our visit in January.

Bonus photo after the jump.

POTD: Quinceañera

From 2018 01 27 Guatemala

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Antigua Guatemala, a UNESCO World Heritage Site "famous for its well-preserved Spanish Baroque-influenced architecture as well as a number of ruins of colonial churches." Antigua was our favorite city in Central America during our visit in January.

Photos of volcanoes and earthquake damage can get you down. The loss of life such natural disasters can bring is tragic. But the human spirit can never be kept down for long. This photo of a girl celebrating her quinceañera just outside the ruins of San José Cathedral gives hope that things do get better.

POTD: San José Cathedral, or What's Left

From 2018 01 27 Guatemala

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Antigua Guatemala, a UNESCO World Heritage Site "famous for its well-preserved Spanish Baroque-influenced architecture as well as a number of ruins of colonial churches." Antigua was our favorite city in Central America during our visit in January.

This photo shows one of the ruined churches, San José Cathedral, destroyed by earthquake in 1773, then its partial restoration damaged again and again by subsequent earthquakes. One side chapel was restored and is still in use for church services. But the people seem resigned to leaving the main part of this church in its ruined state.

Bonus photo after the jump.

POTD: Volcán de Agua

From 2018 01 27 Guatemala

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Antigua Guatemala, a UNESCO World Heritage Site "famous for its well-preserved Spanish Baroque-influenced architecture as well as a number of ruins of colonial churches." Antigua was our favorite city in Central America during our visit in January.

In this photo, lost in the haze and clouds behind the archway is Volcán de Agua, one of several active volcanoes near Antigua. The history of Antigua is a history of volcanoes and earthquakes. The recent eruption of Volcán de Fuego, another nearby volcano, which killed about 100 people, is the latest natural disaster in this disaster-prone region.

Bonus photo after the jump.

POTD: Volcán de Fuego

From 2018 01 27 Guatemala

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the base of Volcán de Fuego in Guatemala, as it looked in January. During the hour or so it took us to drive past the volcano to Antigua, we saw three or so such small eruptions. Our tour guide, who lives in Antigua, said the volcano was active almost every day. At night, the molten lava might light up the peak. During the day, puffs of smoke and ash like this. But we were told that there were no large eruptions for the last century. I considered it a tourist attraction along the lines of Old Faithful in Yellowstone Park. Well all that changed on June 3, 2018, when the volcano had a major eruption, "unleashing a fast-moving mix of ash, rock and volcanic gases" that left at least 99 dead and 192 still missing. What had been a fascinating tourist attraction for us suddenly became deadly for those who lived in the mountain's shadow.

Molly's Game (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes

Molly's Game (2018): Former Olympic skier turns to running poker games until the stakes get too high and the FBI intervenes. Lots of fast dialog and narration that reduces cinematic quality but highlights the plot. Chastain and Elba top-notch. B+

POTD: Tiempos de Victorias

From 2018 01 26 Nicaragua

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the small town of Telica, Nicaragua, and shows a roadside billboard promoting President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo, the Vice-President and First Lady of Nicaragua. The sad news is that since our visit in January, Nicaragua has been "slipping into darkness." Protests calling for democratic reforms have been violently suppressed by the government, leaving at least 127 dead and thousands injured. All of which has caused the slogan on the billboard, "Times of Victories," to sound bitterly false.

POTD: Up on the Roof

From 2018 01 26 Nicaragua

When this old world starts a getting me down
And people are just too much for me to face
I'll climb way up to the top of the stairs
And all my cares just drift right into space
On the roof, it's peaceful as can be
And there the world below don't bother me, no, no

Source: James Taylor.

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the roof of The Lady of Grace Cathedral, León, Nicaragua, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It's also known as the "Real and Renowned Basilica Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (Wikipedia). That's a mouthful. It's said that for penance after confession, priests ask you to say that name ten times, fast.

But we're here for the view, not bad stand-up comedy. The León town square is right below. Other churches dominate the mid distance. And a ring of volcanoes are on the horizon. All sandwiched between the stark white roof and the bright blue tropical sky.

More photos after the jump.

RISD TRE for M&O

If Texas school funding discussions seem to bury you in acronyms (see the headline above), or terminology (recapture and "golden" pennies and "copper" pennies), or worst of all, dense spreadsheets, I feel your pain. The simplest thing to do, and actually wisest in many cases, is to elect good school board trustees, hold them accountable for doing their due diligence, then trust that their decisions are in the best interest of children, parents, teachers and homeowners.

The Richardson ISD board of trustees called a tax ratification election (TRE) for September 4 to ask voters to raise the district’s operating tax rate. You can find out all about the election, and why there is no good alternative, on the district's website.

Before the trustees acted, there was a public hearing at which the public had their say. Only a couple dozen people attended the public hearing. Pitchforks and torches were not in evidence. Only a half dozen or so of those people chose to speak.

"You Want All-Over? OK, How About This?"

Recently I had a conversation in which I wondered how many great painters are working today. A century ago, there was Matisse, Picasso, Rousseau, Mondrian, Kahlo, O'Keefe, Pollock, Dali, and more. Who can name anyone in their league today? The Dallas Museum of Art is currently showing an exhibition by Laura Owens, who it calls "one of the most influential artists of her generation." Well, OK.

POTD: La Gigantona

From 2018 01 26 Nicaragua

La Gigantona and El Enano Cabezon are giant dolls constructed on wooden frames that are paraded in the Central Plaza in León, Nicaragua. Both dance to the rhythm of drums. Accounts of gigantonas on the streets of León date back to at least the mid-1800s.

The Insult (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Insult (2017): Lebanese Oscar nominee. A street insult ends up in court, uncovering Middle East wounds that never heal. At heart it's a personal story of two aggrieved and stubborn men and their struggle to deal with Lebanon's past and each other. B-

POTD: Momotombo

From 2018 01 26 Nicaragua

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in the ruins of the Spanish colonial city of León Viejo, a World Heritage Site in Nicaragua. The volcano is Momotombo.

Momotombo is a stratovolcano in Nicaragua, not far from the city of León. It stands on the shores of Lago de Managua. An eruption of the volcano in 1610 forced inhabitants of the Spanish city of León to relocate about 30 miles west. The ruins of this city are preserved at León Viejo (Old León). It also erupted in 1886, 1905, and most recently November 30, 2015.

Source: Wikipedia.

A bonus photo is after the jump.

Repeat Tweets: Victim of the Crazies

Repeat tweets from May, 2018:

• May 1 2018: RT @tgiovenetti: "You did nothing wrong @daumkeziah. You are a victim of the crazies who spend their time criticizing others instead of just living their own lives."
  "crazies who spend their time criticizing others instead of just living their own lives." Today's award for unintended irony.
• May 3 2018: Avengers: Infinity War (2018): More like Infinity Cast. Full of deaths, resurrections, near-deaths, and scratches. Needs less over-the-top acting and more self-aware pop culture references. I did not see ending coming, but in hindsight, it's brilliant. C+
• May 3 2018: "Euless City Council Candidate Salman Bhojani Has Jonathan Stickland Very Upset."
  @AngieChenButton, you serve with Stickland and represent me. You need to call out this behavior for what it is.
• May 3 2018: RT @TXHouseCaucus: "Join us in unity as we celebrate today's National Day of Prayer with the rest of America."
  In your prayer, how about condemning the religious bigotry on display in the @TXHouseCaucus by one of your own? dallasobserver.com
• May 3 2018: RT @tgiovenetti: "Facebook continues to needlessly flounder. There is a simple solution for this: Social media platforms should only block content that is ILLEGAL."
  Yeah, that'll solve Facebook's problems. Turn it into a white nationalist bullying site.
• May 3 2018: Headline: "Mystery pooper at N.J. high school's track turned out to be superintendent, cops say."
  Reason #126 to be grateful to live in RISD.

After the jump, more repeat tweets.

David Brooks as Rorschach Test

The New York Times's columnist David Brooks is like a Rorschach test for Americans' view of politics. He equally pisses off conservatives and liberals alike. Conservatives because he refuses to pay obeisance to Donald Trump. Liberals because he pines for a mythic past that never was. His latest column doesn't disappoint. It's a Rorschach test that both sides can criticize. Let's unpack.

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018): Finally a Stars Wars movie I like. Minimum mumbo jumbo about the Force, Jedi and the Empire. Instead a popcorn-worthy heist movie about the Millennium Falcon's first Kessel Run. Look for winks at classic movies and genres. B-

School Sports

I didn't think this needed saying. I didn't think this was controversial. But apparently, I was wrong, so here goes...

Every student should have the opportunity to play sports. But not every student should make the varsity team. There needs to be varsity sports, junior varsity, intramural, physical education classes, etc. Every student should be given a chance to play in a setting appropriate for his or her age and ability.

Book Club (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes

Book Club (2018): Four mature women seek to refind romance by reading "Fifty Shades of F*%#ed Up." Four great actors with so-so material. Hope this movie leads to more opportunities. Some laughs, some sympathy. Some of it falls flat, but satisfying overall. C+

POTD: Puntarenas Sunset

From 2018 01 25 Costa Rica

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken just offshore of Puntarenas, a Pacific port town on Costa Rica's Gulf of Nicoya.

POTD: Hopped Up on Caffeine

From 2018 01 25 Costa Rica

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Doka Estate, a coffee plantation in Costa Rica. The photo is of the plantation tour guide, or as I like to think, an example of what happens to you if you work too long on a coffee plantation.

I think I may have had a similar look after writing this week's earlier blog posts. ;-)

Time to Review Richardson's Code of Ethics

Yesterday I called out the City of Richardson's Code of Ethics as being deficient and in need of review. So, color me surprised to find this section deep in the code itself:

Sec. 2-10. Review.
The City Council shall review this article once every two years following its adoption on September 27, 2010.

Source: City of Richardson.

Maybe those periodic reviews have been happening like clockwork and I just missed them. Can someone alert me when the next one happens so I can contribute?

The City Has Some Explaining To Do, Too

Yesterday, in response to the federal indictment for bribery of former Richardson mayor Laura (Maczka) Jordan, I explained and apologized for my endorsement of her for mayor in 2013. The City of Richardson itself (whoever the "City" might be) offered up its own response to the indictment. I'll let others judge my response. But in my opinion, the City's own response falls short of any hint that I might not be the only one with some explaining and apologizing to do.

Never Apologize, Never Explain

"Never Apologize, Never Explain." Purportedly, that was the guiding philosophy of the Victorian English in how they ran the British Empire. I don't believe I have any English ancestry, and I certainly don't rule an empire. I find a better personal guiding philosophy to be, "Always Apologize, Always Explain." That brings me to a rather awkward moment in my blogging archive: that time when I endorsed Laura Maczka for Richardson mayor.

Review: The Underground Railroad

Amazon

From The Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead:

The music stopped. The circle broke. Sometimes a slave will be lost in a brief eddy of liberation. In the sway of a sudden reverie among the furrows or while untangling the mysteries of an early-morning dream. In the middle of a song on a warm Sunday night. Then it comes, always—the overseer’s cry, the call to work, the shadow of the master, the reminder that she is only a human being for a tiny moment across the eternity of her servitude."

"The Underground Railroad" had me by its awards: Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. But then there was this: Winner of the Arthur C Clarke award for Science Fiction. Say what???

POTD: Coffee Beans Soaking Up Sun

From 2018 01 25 Costa Rica

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Doka Estate, a coffee plantation in Costa Rica, where what look like parking lots are coffee bean drying patios where beans are spread to dry in the sun. All in all, a much better use of space, in my opinion.

POTD: Costa Rica Hydrangeas

From 2018 01 25 Costa Rica

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Doka Estate, a coffee plantation in Costa Rica. Although most the estate is given over to growing, drying, roasting, tasting and selling coffee, the grounds are beautiful for other reasons, especially if someone in your party doesn't drink coffee.

(P.S. I like coffee.)

The Square (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Square (2017): Museum curator experiences crises with a pickpocket, PR stunts, and sex. This Swedish, Palme d'Or winner pokes at art, money, society, political correctness and social consciousness. Hit or miss on the satire, but always weird. B-

Mapping Racial Diversity in the RISD

Source: Washington Post.

The Washington Post published a tool that allows one to use census data to map changing racial diversity in cities across the country from 1990 to 2016. The graphic here is roughly contiguous with the Richardson ISD boundaries. There are no surprises.

Neighborhood Schools

Recently, 300 community members of the Richardson school district wrapped up months of meetings, making 27 recommendations that were accepted by the school board to comprise the RISD's Strategic Plan 2017. One recommendation in particular caught my eye.

Adopt a neighborhood school policy and create a formal definition of neighborhood school to provide clarity on future decisions regarding school construction, boundary lines, and transfer policies.

Source: RISD.

POTD: Scarlet Macaw

From 2018 01 25 Costa Rica

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Botanical Orchid Garden in La Garita, Alajuela, Costa Rica. The garden is filled not only with tropical flowers but shows off a few native bird species as well, like this Scarlet Macaw.

All the Money in the World (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes

All the Money in the World (2017): Forget the drama surrounding Spacey/Plummer, this is a surprisingly good thriller. Maybe JP Getty is made too much the villain, but maybe in real life he was. Wahlberg and his character are weak points. Michelle Williams is great. B+

POTD: Land of Orchids

From 2018 01 25 Costa Rica

Costa Rica, land of orchids, volcanoes, coffee, jungles, beaches, you get the picture. Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Botanical Orchid Garden in La Garita, Alajuela, Costa Rica. The garden is filled with trails, greenhouses, nurseries and a laboratory, mostly but not exclusively devoted to orchids.

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail (2017): Documentary of how a small family bank in Chinatown became the only US bank the govt prosecuted for mortgage fraud during banking crisis. The only one. Besides the injustice, movie provides insight into Chinese-American community. B+

POTD: Add Some Color to the Skyline

From 2018 01 23 Panama Canal

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Biomuseo in Panama. a museum desiged by Frank Gehry, showcasing Panama's natural and cultural history. Three million years ago, rocks rose creating the isthmus of Panama. The resulting land bridge joining North and South America allowed species exchange. Simultaneously, species exchange between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans was blocked. The museum tells the story of the significance of Panama to the history of life on the planet. And for the casual passerby in a cruise ship, the museum provides a splash of color to the monotonous gray color palette of the Panama City skyline.

A bonus photo after the jump.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes

Avengers: Infinity War (2018): More like Infinity Cast. Full of deaths, resurrections, near-deaths, and scratches. Needs less over-the-top acting and more self-aware pop culture references. I did not see ending coming, but in hindsight, it's brilliant. C+

Metadata and Education

I understand the benefits of metadata collection. I want to know what school children who are failing have in common so that by targeting that, maybe I can have more children succeed. Is it the school, the teacher, socioeconomics, health, language, etc. If you look at one child's academic results, it's difficult to understand why that child is failing. But if you look at dozens or hundreds or thousands of children's results, patterns emerge that can be used to pinpoint the source the problem and suggest ways to improve teaching methods.

But I also understand that metadata collection and analysis is unpopular in some circles. I'm not unsympathetic to some of their concerns.

Repeat Tweets: Nasi Mexi-Goreng

Repeat tweets from April, 2018:

• Apr 1 2018: The closest these Texans came to having a traditional Easter dinner in Jakarta was having quesadillas and something called Nasi Mexi-Goreng.
• Apr 3 2018: Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017): Aging civil rights lawyer has trouble fitting into modern legal system. Vehicle for Denzel Washington and he is superb, but character overwhelms story. C+
• Apr 4 2018: Justice League (2017): Only as much plot as needed to give each superhero his or her time in front of the camera. With wisecracks. I guess the Flash stands out as most interesting character but that isn't saying much. C-
• Apr 5 2018: Coco (2017): Oscar for animated feature. Boy travels to land of the dead in search of his gg-grandfather. Sweet tale about power of music and family. More music please. B-

After the jump, more repeat tweets.

Richardson ISD Accepts Strategic Plan

"Board Unanimously Accepts Strategic Plan." That's what the headline says. "Trustees voted unanimously to accept the 27 recommended strategic action items from RISD’s Strategic Plan 2017—a culmination of the work from more than 300 community members shaping the future of RISD."

What's not to celebrate?

Review: The Secret History

Amazon

From The Secret History, by Donna Tartt:

We hadn’t intended to hide the body where it couldn’t be found. In fact, we hadn’t hidden it at all but had simply left it where it fell in hopes that some luckless passer-by would stumble over it before anyone even noticed he was missing. This was a tale that told itself simply and well: the loose rocks, the body at the bottom of the ravine with a clean break in the neck, and the muddy skidmarks of dug-in heels pointing the way down; a hiking accident, no more, no less."

I chose to read this 1992 novel because I so enjoyed Donna Tartt's 2014 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, "The Goldfinch." The earlier debut novel reveals Tartt learning her craft. It's not as good, but it's still a good read.

POTD: Now That's a Signature Bridge

From 2018 01 23 Panama Canal

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Puente Centenario, a cable-stayed bridge with a modern design carrying 6 lanes of traffic over the Panama Canal.

Another photo after the jump.

How About Affordable Housing at Arapaho DART Station?

The area around the Arapaho DART station is ripe for redevelopment. The entire East Arapaho/Collins neighborhood is a target for enhancement/redevelopment by the city, in fact, the largest such area in Richardson. So, it's not too early to get my careabout added to the wishlist, right?

The Florida Project (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Florida Project (2017): Children growing up in a cheap budget motel in Orlando in desperate need of a little structured play. Deft balance of charm and pathos. Cinéma vérité without a narrative arc, leaving things much as they began. Fun and sad. B+

A Quiet Place (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes

A Quiet Place (2018): A monster movie with a simple plot and lots of padding. The family love at the heart of the movie makes you care for the characters and overlook the plot holes and telegraphed ending. C+

POTD: Culebra Cut

From 2018 01 23 Panama Canal

Today's photo-of-the-day is of the Culebra Cut in the Panama Canal. The cut is an artificial valley that cuts through the Continental Divide in Panama, allowing ships to sail across the isthmus from ocean to ocean. The amount of earth-moving involved in the cut is one example of the many feats that make the construction of the canal a modern marvel of engineering.

Excitement is Building in Downtown Richardson

Excitement is building in downtown Richardson. Or at least that's what the city said about its information outreach Wednesday evening, where it showed posters for the "Main Street Infrastructure Project," a redevelopment of streets, sidewalks, parking, and landscaping. I can't link to the drawings the city showed because, I confess, I can't find them online, even after about fifteen minutes of searching the city's new, user-friendly website.