Rodger Jones Knows What Women Think

If you tuned in this morning expecting to read my reaction to President Obama's State of the Union address, you're out of luck. I learned yesterday during the day that no one waits for the president to actually give his speech anymore before giving a rebuttal. Now, it's the practice to give a "prebuttal" before even hearing what the president has to say. It's too late for me to do that. That train has left the station, so to speak. Now since we're on the subject of trains...

I can't tell if Rodger Jones, of The Dallas Morning News, is just obtuse or is stubbornly attempting to mislead readers in his ongoing campaign to disparage Richardson's DART stations.

This is not a new topic for Jones (e.g., see here and here). After the jump, his latest criticism.

Review: Destiny of the Republic

Amazon

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President, by Candice Millard: Turns forgotten murder of an obscure president into a gripping national tragedy. B-

From The Destiny of the Republic, by Candice Millard (2011):

Had Garfield been shot just fifteen years later, the bullet in his back would have been quickly found by X-ray images, and the wound treated with antiseptic surgery. He might have been back on his feet within weeks."

After the jump, my review and excerpts.

Countrywide, CashAmerica and Pete Sessions

The photo above is not of the official campaign headquarters of Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), Richardson's Congressman since about forever. Nor is it even Sessions's official fundraising headquarters, although you'd be forgiven if you thought it was. Let's just call it his unofficial something.

After the jump, Pete Sessions in the news.

Putnam County Spelling Bee at LHHS

From 2012 01 Musicals

25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, at Lake Highlands High School: Singing, dancing, comic acting. Fresh, fun musical. Celebrity spellers! See it.

Spoiler alert: I've always suspected it, but now I have proof, and hundreds of witnesses, that Ellen doesn't know "crapaud." ;-)

Anything Goes at RHS

From 2012 01 Musicals

Anything Goes, at Richardson High School: Singing. Dancing. Jokes. Large cast on a big stage. Live orchestra. See it. Two words: Cole. Porter.

You can still catch the final performances. Check the website for times.

Hola, MoFo

After dropping out of the presidential race, Rick Perry is coming home to Texas. Welcome back. What does the future hold for the Texas governor whose presidential campaign crashed and burned so spectacularly?

After the jump, some instant wild speculation.

Newt-mentum

Headlines:

• After Recount, Santorum Wins Iowa
  
• Perry Drops Out, Endorses Gingrich
  
• Newt-mentum Surging in South Carolina
  

After the jump, the cold splash behind the headlines.

Review: The Art of Travel

Amazon

The Art of Travel, by Alain De Botton: Not a travel guide, but a guide to seeing places with fresh eyes. B-

From The Art of Travel, by Alain De Botton (2002):

My motive was simple and hedonistic: I was looking for beauty. 'Delight and enliven me' was my implicit challenge to the olive trees, cypresses and skies of Provence."

After the jump, my review and excerpts.

Richardson Racks Up Rackspace

The one piece of real estate most responsible for starting Richardson on the way to becoming "Telecom Corridor" is the old Collins Radio site on Collins Boulevard. Collins Radio opened its Richardson office in 1951. Sadly, more recently the site sat mostly abandoned after Collins and other tenants moved to newer homes. Recently, the old site is enjoying a renaissance as a computer data center.

After the jump, the electronic age sixty years after Collins Radio.

A Barn Raising in Southwest Richardson

In recent posts, I reviewed the City of Richardson's system of representation by at-large elections of its seven city council members. In one post, I pointed out how Dallas's city council (elected in single-member districts) was likely to divide on the issue of a $300 million flood control project that would be of most benefit to only a portion of the city. In another post, I pointed out how Richardson's city council (elected at-large) had pulled together on the West Spring Valley Corridor Reinvestment Strategy that will be of most benefit to only a portion of the city.

David Chenoweth responds in a long post on his own blog titled "Logic, Absurdity and Single Member Districts." I can't tell for sure, but I feel like he thinks his post supplies the "logic" and mine the "absurdity." [Update: Chenoweth clarifies that he was not referring to me or my argument as absurd. I regret the false conclusion on my part.]

After the jump, a brief look at his "logic."