Tuesday, January 26, 2016

POTD: It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere


From 2015 11 13 Caribbean Cruise
Today's photo-of-the-day is from the beach at Montego Bay, Jamaica, where it's always five o'clock at Margaritaville.

Monday, January 25, 2016

What's Up with the RISD Bond?

The RISD is facing a February deadline to put a bond proposition on the ballot in the May election. What's the sticking point in finalizing what will go into the bond package?

It doesn't appear to be the size of the bond package or the need to raise the tax rate. The size is projected to be $417 million, with a likely tax rate increase of eight cents per $100 dollars. Most of the public commotion is not over these numbers, but seems to be over what's in the bond package, not how much it costs.

It doesn't appear to be those multipurpose facilities (aka, indoor practice fields). The scope of those has been cut down from $80 million to $60 million ($15 million each for four high schools). Now that the sticker shock has been addressed and the price is more in line with the dozens other such facilities already built by other school districts in north Texas, this issue seems to have moved to the back burner. Whether it's still simmering away, ready to boil over at the ballot box, is an open question.

It doesn't appear to be how to break up the bond items into separate bond propositions for voters to decide on. The Community Bond Advisory Committee recommends a single proposition. All or nothing. Not what I would recommend. There are too many angles to attack this bond proposition to feel comfortable that an all-or-nothing proposition will pass. But it's likely the school board will go along.

So, what's the sticking point? It's what to do about enrollment growth, especially in Lake Highlands.

Friday, January 22, 2016

Frida (2002)

IMDB
Frida (2002): Mexico in the 1920s. Biopic of Frida Kahlo. Art, politics, and volatile marriage to Diego Rivera. Leaves you wanting more. A-











Thursday, January 21, 2016

POTD: A Helping Hand

From 2015 11 13 Caribbean Cruise
Today's photo-of-the-day is from the cruise ship Liberty of the Seas. The photo shows an unknown passenger learning to ride the onboard FlowRider® surf simulator with help from an attentive crew member. Everything is better when someone's got your back.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Ex Machina (2015)

IMDB
Ex Machina (2015): SciFi. Explores what it means to be human. Creepy rich eccentric builds an AI robot. Is it conscious or itself creepy? B-