August: Osage County (2013)

IMDB

August: Osage County (2013): Dysfunctional family is an understatement. Like a Godzilla movie, but a family gets shattered, not a city. B-

The Grandmaster (2013)

IMDB

The Grandmaster (2013): Kung-fu biopic. Chinese history, romance and stylized martial arts. Lush cinematography. Disjointed story. B-

TxDOT to Collin County: STFU

According to Brandon Formby of The Dallas Morning News, "The Texas Department of Transportation and the Regional Transportation Council have answered complaints from Collin County officials about plans to turn Central Expressway's carpool lanes into managed toll lanes." TxDOT's response? STFU. (Not their exact words.)

After the jump, a few thoughts on what this says about the state of government in Texas in general and north Texas in particular.

Richardson Community Band Portraits

From 2014 08 03 Richardson Community Band

The outdoor summer season finale for the Richardson Community Band is Sunday, August 17, 2014, at 7:00 pm at the Richardson Civic Center.

More photos after the jump.

Fairbanks, Alaska's Golden Heart

From 2014 07 10 Fairbanks

Fairbanks is farther north than Hudson Bay in Canada. It's farther north than the northern tip of Scotland. It's north of Reykjavik, Oslo, Stockholm, or Helsinki. There's no larger city farther north anywhere in the world. Fairbanks residents know this. That's why when you drive north out of Fairbanks up Alaska Highway 2, the tour guide informs you on the outskirts of town that you just passed the northernmost traffic signal in the United States. That's why Big Daddy's restaurant bills itself as the "Northernmost Southern BBQ" in the world (passably authentic, by the way).

More about Fairbanks after the jump.

Pina (2011)

IMDB

Pina (2011): Recreated dances in tribute to choreographer. Visually stunning. For modern dance fans, a must-see. So naturally I give it a C-

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 2013-2014 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 2014-2015.