David Tyson's Complaint

Former Richardson ISD school board trustee David Tyson, Jr., has sued the RISD, alleging its at-large election system is a violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Thanks to the reader who forwarded to me David Tyson, Jr.'s legal complaint against the Richardson ISD, I now have a better understanding of Tyson's case. It also affects my thinking about whether single member districts or cumulative voting is a better and/or more likely change to address Tyson's complaint.

Cumulative Voting Coming to RISD

Former Richardson ISD school board trustee David Tyson, Jr., has sued the RISD, alleging its at-large election system is a violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. There are two ways this lawsuit could play out. One, the RISD could engage in a long and expensive fight in court and win, leaving the status quo in place. Or two, the RISD could lose the lawsuit and have to adopt a court-imposed solution. (There's a third outcome, a negotiated out-of-court agreement, but that is more or less equivalent to outcome two, losing the lawsuit.) There's no betting line on this, but if there were, I suspect outcome two would be the betting favorite.

Lady Macbeth (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes

Lady Macbeth (2017): Starts as a sexist bodice-ripper, turns steadily darker. A character study of innocent victim turned evil ogress. Brush up on your Shakespeare, but this movie feels more like bleak Russian literature than the bard's tragedy. C+

Call Me by Your Name (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes

Call Me by Your Name (2017): Sensitive, coming-of-age love story. Forbidden love. Beautiful Italian settings and scenery. But come on, the subject matter is child molestation, even if consensual, dragging down grade a lot. That and the fruit porn. C-

Review: Sing, Unburied, Sing

Amazon

From Sing, Unburied, Sing, by Jesmyn Ward:

They perch like birds, but look as people. They speak with their eyes: He raped me and suffocated me until I died I put my hands up and he shot me eight times she locked me in the shed and starved me to death while I listened to my babies playing with her in the yard they came in my cell in the middle of the night and they hung me they found I could read and they dragged me out to the barn and gouged my eyes before they beat me still I was sick and he said I was an abomination and Jesus say suffer little children so let her go and he put me under the water and I couldn’t breathe."

Jesmyn Ward is the winner of two National Book Awards for Fiction: Salvage the Bones (2011, also reviewed here) and Sing, Unburied, Sing (2017). This latest novel is a heart-wrenching story that starts in a bad place, takes us steadily to darker places, and then ends in a kind a truce with death.

Phantom Thread (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes

Phantom Thread (2017): A study in codependency. He's a dress designer, a standoffish fussy genius. She's his model, hopelessly in love. They're cuckoo for each other. Or maybe just cuckoo. Very slow. Very arty. B+

Single Member Districts Coming to RISD

Former Richardson ISD school board trustee David Tyson, Jr., wants to change the RISD's at-large election system. He wants it enough that he has sued the RISD, alleging its at-large election system is a violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. One possible solution (not the only one) is for RISD to adopt single member districts.

POTD: Steampunk the Dickens out of Galveston

From 2017 12 01 Galveston

Today's photo-of-the-day is from December's "Dickens on the Strand" festival in Galveston, Texas. Three clothing styles dominate the Strand during the festival: Victorian fashion, pirate costumes, and steampunk fashion. Oddly, they don't clash; they compliment each other.

Repeat Tweets: Here Lies Mark

Repeat tweets from January, 2018:

• Jan 1 2018: RT @azalben: "How about we use predictive text to write our own epitaphs? Write 'Here lies [YOUR NAME]. [preferred pronoun] was...' and let your phone finish the rest."
  Here lies Mark. He was going to be so awkward.
• Jan 1 2018: RT @EmilyRCWilson: "My Odyssey translation is ... $3.99 RIGHT NOW ON KINDLE."
  If your New Year resolutions involve supporting scholarship in the humanities, this is a no-brainer (and they should, d'oh).
• Jan 1 2018: RT @jaketapper: "Trump's first 2018 tweet: Pakistan has 'given us nothing but lies & deceit'".
  Trump is a textbook case of psychological projection.

After the jump, more repeat tweets.

POTD: Ice Bar

From 2017 12 01 Galveston

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Ice Bar in Ice Land at Moody Gardens in Galveston. The temperature is kept at 9 degrees Fahrenheit. The tables and chairs are made of ice. Cold hands. Warm heart.

Bonus photo after the jump.

Personal Shopper (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes

Personal Shopper (2017): Three movies in one. Ghost story that doesn't go anywhere. Crime thriller that comes and goes quickly. And a study in grief that maybe explains all the rest (or not). Kristen Stewart's portrayal of grief is the best thing here. D+

I Married into Royalty

What do Meghan Markle, Kate Middleton, and I have in common? Quit sniggering. The answer? We all married (or are engaged to marry) into the British royal family. Again, quit sniggering. I'm serious. Kate Middleton married Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. Meghan Markle is engaged to Harry, Prince Henry of Wales. And I, of course, am married to Ellen, princess/duchess something/something, ...well, read on.

POTD: Pirates of the Gulf

From 2017 12 01 Galveston

Today's photo-of-the-day is from December's "Dickens on the Strand" festival in Galveston, Texas. Three clothing styles dominate the Strand during the festival: Victorian fashion (as expected), steampunk fashion, and pirate costumes. Oddly, they don't clash; they compliment each other.

Oscar Snubs and Surprises

Oscar nominations were announced January 23, 2018, and as usual there were some snubs and surprises. I happened to see more than my usual number of movies this year before the Oscars are handed out on March 4, so naturally I have some strong opinions.

The B-Side (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes

The B-Side (2017): Documentary of 20x24 Polaroid portrait photographer Elsa Dorfman. Elsa is mildly interesting but movie needs more info on her absolutely amazing large-format camera that makes giant, instant, high-detail prints. C+

POTD: The Merrie Mary Show

From 2017 12 01 Galveston

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Strand in Galveston. Comedic acrobat Mary Evanoff is the star of the Merrie Mary Show, juggling while balancing on her Evanoff Pole held on the shoulders of two volunteers from her audience.

Bonus photo after the jump.