POTD: 1952 Hudson Hornet

From 2015 08 11 Manitou Springs

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Garden of the Gods, a public park and National Natural Landmark located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Naturally, the photo includes a car built for the gods, a 1952 Hudson Hornet four-door sedan. The editors of Consumer Guide praise the car, saying, "The Hornet proved near-invincible in stock-car racing." To me, the Hudson seems right at home in the vacation snapshot, given that my only previous visit to the Garden of the Gods was in the late 1950s, when many similar vintage cars filled the park.

More about Enrollment Growth

I had three takeaways from the Richardson ISD's 2016 Bond "listening tour."

• Those multipurpose facilities (MPFs) seemed expensive. Comparisons with similar facilities in other school districts were lacking.
• There wasn't enough in the bond to address anticipated enrollment growth over the next five years.
  
• There appeared to be no way to avoid a tax rate increase, even if only maintenance and construction for enrollment growth were addressed.
  

The RISD school board addressed the first two of my takeaways at their December 7th meeting. Here, I want to cover the board's actions on enrollment growth.

More about those Multipurpose Facilities

I had three takeaways from the Richardson ISD's 2016 Bond "listening tour."

• Those multipurpose facilities (MPFs) seemed expensive. Comparisons with similar facilities in other school districts were lacking.
• There wasn't enough in the bond to address anticipated enrollment growth over the next five years.
  
• There appeared to be no way to avoid a tax rate increase, even if only maintenance and construction for enrollment growth were addressed.
  

The RISD school board addressed the first two of my takeaways at their December 7th meeting. Here, I want to cover the board's actions on those MPFs.

Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge at RHS

From 2015 00 00 Miscellaneous

Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge at RHS: Absurd Christmas Carol with an inept ghost. Don't know what the moral is, but I laughed.

Review: A Thousand Acres

Amazon

From A Thousand Acres, by Jane Smiley

Because the intersection was on this tiny rise, you could see our buildings, a mile distant, at the southern edge of the farm. A mile to the east, you could see three silos that marked the northeastern corner, and if you raked your gaze from the silos to the house and barn, then back again, you would take in the immensity of the piece of land my father owned, six hundred forty acres, a whole section, paid for, no encumbrances, as flat and fertile, black, friable, and exposed as any piece of land on the face of the earth."

Recently I read The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, a retelling of Hamlet set in 20th century rural Wisconsin. Coincidentally I just finished reading A Thousand Acres, a retelling of King Lear set in 20th century rural Iowa.

After the jump, my review.

POTD: Ship Wreck Ranch

From 2015 08 09 TX and OK Panhandles

Today's photo-of-the-day is from southeastern Colorado. The natural beauty of the Great Plains as as impressive in its own way as any other natural wonder in America. This area is also ground zero for the Dust Bowl disaster of the 1930s. Driving north through the Texas and Oklahoma pandhandles into southeastern Colorado, try to imagine the black dusters of those years. As you drive, read "The Worst Hard Time" by Adam Johnson, the story of people like Ike Osteen, who recalls how even "the simplest thing in life -- taking a breath -- was a threat."

Life itself (2014)

IMDB

Life itself (2014): Biography of Roger Ebert. Alcoholic. Movie critic. Husband. Cancer victim. Movie touches on all of these, shallowly. C+