POTD: Something Bad in Chillicothe

From 2015 08 09 TX and OK Panhandles

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Chillicothe, Texas, northwest of Wichita Falls and on the road to the Texas Panhandle. I figure there's a story to be told here, but what it is, I have no idea. Maybe something about hubris.

High School Basketball is Ba-ack

From 2015 12 01 Naaman Forest vs Berkner

High School Basketball is back. The Berkner Rams had their 2015-2016 home opener December 1, 2015, against Naaman Forest. The Rangers won 64-52. The Rams are young, talented, and well coached. Once they work out some of the mental mistakes that hurt them in this game, they will do alright. Come out and support the team.

More photos can be seen on Google Photos.

Repeat Tweets: Being Different, A Freak

Repeat tweets from November, 2015:

• Nov 1 2015: Bat Boy The Musical at RHS: Halloween treat. Age-old story of being different, a freak. Quirky B&W tragedy. Great voices and production.
• Nov 2 2015: I'm thrilled to see Berkner's Torey Everett is in college and still showcasing his considerable basketball skills. mscok.edu
• Nov 2 2015: Same @SenTedCruz who thinks govt targeting Planned Parenthood for perfectly legal actions is not a breach of trust. @SenTedCruz: "The #IRS's targeting of citizens for their political viewpoints represents a significant breach of the public trust"
• Nov 3 2015: Channeling @marcorubio: Wars have always killed people. No need to try to do anything about new threats. @marcorubio: "The climate has always changed. There's never been a time where the climate has not changed."
• Nov 3 2015: All Richardson city charter amendments passing big in Dallas County early voting. Lowest "YES" vote is 63% for Prop 60 about civil service.
• Nov 3 2015: With all Dallas and Collin County precincts in, all Richardson city charter amendments pass by large margins.

After the jump, more repeat tweets.

2016 Bond: Listen Up, RISD

The Richardson school district (RISD) is conducting a "listening tour" to get community feedback on a proposed 2016 bond package. Meetings are being held this week at each of the four high schools. The first was Monday night at JJ Pearce High School. Nothing is finalized yet (hence the listening tour), but here are the wish list numbers and how much debt RISD can carry without a tax rate increase.

Wish List:

• Maintenance: $216 million
• Capacity expansion: $59 million
• Enrichment options:
• Multipurpose facilities: $82 million
• Career and Technical Education, JROTC: $10 million
• Library transformation: $23 million
• Technology enrichment: $23 million
• Total: $417 million

Bond capacity

• No tax rate increase: $235 million
• Raise tax rate by 10 cents: $460 million

First, I'll give my impressions of the feedback of the JJ Pearce community. Then I'll discuss the elephant in the room.

POTD: Quintessential Texas

From 2015 08 09 TX and OK Panhandles

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Quanah, Texas, northwest of Wichita Falls and on the road to the Texas panhandle. Quintessential Texas.

Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015)

IMDB

Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015): Too many storylines. Romance at heart not compelling. Star-studded cast but Jaipur is the star. C+

POTD: Love Vietnamese Style

From 2015 03 28 Hanoi

One last photo from Vietnam. Today's photo-of-the-day is from central Hanoi. It shows a wedding couple posing for photos by Hoan Kiem Lake in the historical center of the city. It's a fitting photo to end on, symbolizing the love and joy, friendliness and happiness that we experienced in our tour of this ancient and diverse country. Times change, indeed.

Locke (2014)

IMDB

Locke (2014): Man with a job, home, family and a big problem gets in a car and deals with all in 90 minutes. High concept that works. B+

"Food-Only" is the new "Mixed-Use"

"Food-Only Project". That's what The Dallas Morning News called the construction of a row of up to seven restaurants on Central Expressway just north of Spring Valley Rd. There was no hint whether or not that was meant ironically.

The original vision for this property was a mixed-use environment with ground floor retail and office with residential uses above, perhaps including a boutique hotel. Instead of that, developer Kirk Hermansen told The Dallas Morning News what we're really getting: "We’re all restaurants, no retail by design."

Who deserves the credit/blame for this?

POTD: Ellen and Her Vietnamese Peeps

From 2015 03 28 Hanoi

Today's photo-of-the-day is from central Hanoi. It shows five college women who saw Ellen and me sitting on a park bench by the lake and decided that we looked like a good couple they could practice their English on. We ended up spending an hour chatting with them. A great way to wind up our stay in Vietnam.

Muscle Shoals (2013)

IMDB

Muscle Shoals (2013): Documentary of studio in Alabama that turned out more great music than you can name. There's magic in that water. B+

POTD: Hanoi Street Food

From 2015 03 28 Hanoi

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the old quarter of Hanoi where all kinds of commerce is transacted, including the sale of food from the backs of bicycles.

Manakamana (2013)

IMDB

Manakamana (2013): Documentary. 90 minutes of a camera in a gondola going up and down a mountain in Nepal to a temple. Yes that dull. F+

POTD: Hanoi Street Cafe

From 2015 03 28 Hanoi

Today's photo-of-the-day is from central Hanoi. It shows the lunch crowd at the Cong Caphe, a popular coffee shop across the street from St. Joseph Cathedral. Richardson needs this.

Civics Class in the School of Hard Knocks

I was told to get involved. I did. I and others worked hard to be heard. We weren't. We were told the city didn't agree-I didn't know agreement was part of the deal? My civics classes and theirs vary.

Source: Facebook.

Let's say that this Facebook lament is about the Richardson city council voting to approve a rezoning request for the Palisades development despite vocal opposition from neighbors in Canyon Creek. Otherwise, the rest of this might not make sense.

Three things about this Facebook lament.

Love and Mercy (2014)

IMDB

Love and Mercy (2014): Brian Wilson. Moving biopic about a musical genius battling mental illness. The story behind the Beach Boys. A-

POTD: Hanoi Girls

From 2015 03 28 Hanoi

Today's photo-of-the-day -- two girls, cute, curious, friendly -- could have been taken anywhere, but happens to be from a village west of Hanoi. Children are everywhere in Vietnam, which isn't really newsworthy, but it is hopeful and promising, in Hanoi as everywhere.

POTD: Hanoi Woman

From 2015 03 28 Hanoi

Today's photo-of-the-day is from a village west of Hanoi. It shows a woman sitting in the courtyard of her home. Her posture, her gaze, her patience, were striking. I'm sure there are stories she can tell, but the language barrier limited my side of the conversation to a smile and a nod of the head. She never broke her gaze.

5,171 Texas Poppies

"The Richland College 'Poppy Project' is one major component of the college's 2015 Arts Fest. The 5,171 poppies are symbolic of the 5,171 Texas veterans who died during World War I."
"The Blood of Heroes Never Dies"

POTD: Healthy Black Smile

From 2015 03 28 Hanoi

Today's photo-of-the-day is from a village west of Hanoi. It shows a Vietnamese woman with blackened teeth. The methods used to blacken teeth and the reasons for doing it are varied, so I won't try to explain the practice in general, but at least for this woman, it's both deliberate and a source of pride.

Are Richardson's Goals SMART?

There's a common philosophy in management that goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based. There's even an acronym for it: S.M.A.R.T.

Let's evaluate the "2015-2017 Goals" set by the Richardson City Council according to the S.M.A.R.T. standard. On second thought, let's not. You know, don't you, that they are going to come up short. And they do. Because the goals are pretty much the same as two years ago, let's just review what I wrote then, "The 'Wow Factor' of Richardson's Goals", when the city council of that time published its "2013-2015 Goals". Go ahead. Go off and reread it, then come back. I'll be here.