High School Basketball is Back

From 2013 12 03 McKinney Boyd vs Berkner

Now that the football season is over for the four Richardson ISD high schools, it's time for basketball to take center stage. The Berkner Rams, coming off a 2012-2013 season that was one of the two best in school history, culminating in a trip to the state Final Four in March, are off to another great start this season.

After the jump, the Berkner Rams take on the McKinney Boyd Broncos.

Review: The Hidden Reality

Amazon

From The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos, by Brian Greene:

The trek in this book has been toward what may be the capstone Copernican correction. Our universe itself may not be central to any cosmic order. Much as with our planet, star, and galaxy, our universe may merely be one among a great many."

After the jump, my review.

Repeat Tweets: Hungry Kids Work Harder

Repeat tweets from November, 2013:

• 1 Nov 2013: Headline: "Deep cuts to country's food stamp program kick in as Congress debates more." Hungry kids work harder.
  
• 1 Nov 2013: MT @KenPaxtonTX: "27 years ago I married my best friend and absolute love of my life." Someday all Texans in love will have same right.
  
• 1 Nov 2013: High school football final: Berkner 41, Richardson 38. It's a great time to be a Ram! #txhsfb
  
• 2 Nov 2013: MT @SenTedCruz: "Good news: Taliban terrorist mastermind Mehsud has been brought to justice in Pakistan." By Kenyan Muslim Commie Obama. :-)
  

After the jump, more repeat tweets.

Palisades Passes a Test

The proposed Palisades Village development (a pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use development on the west side of Central Expressway across from Galatyn Park DART station) passed a key test, getting a 7-0 recommendation for approval from the Richardson City Plan Commission (CPC). I've expressed my support for this development before.

After the jump, the latest incarnation of the developer's proposal and the additional conditions imposed by the CPC.

What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)

IMDB

What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993): Depp and DiCaprio together, back when they played ordinary, believable characters. Less is more. A-

S2L77: Istanbul

From 1977 04 08 Turkey

Istanbul, straddling the Bosphorus, seen from Asia

From 1977 04 08 Turkey

Istanbul, seen from the Bosphorus

Istanbul, like Tehran, like New Delhi, is one of those cities where one's first impression is determined by one's direction of approach. Coming into Istanbul from the east, after travelling overland the length of Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, etc., I was struck by how Western, how European, how ... familiar Istanbul felt. However, we ran into tourists arriving in Istanbul from Europe and they remarked on how exotic Istanbul felt. In Istanbul, East meets West.

More photos after the jump.

The Great Gatsby (1974)

IMDB

The Great Gatsby (1974):
Redford > DiCaprio.
1974 > 2013.
Book >>> Movie (either one).
Less is more.
That is all, Old Sport. C+

The Great Gatsby (2013)

IMDB

The Great Gatsby (2013): Over-the-top, overdone CGI recreation of Roaring '20s. This Gatsby is not great, you don't even care about him. C+

Arbitrage (2012)

IMDB

Arbitrage (2012): Tycoon's business collapses. Fraud, affair, lies, cover ups grow as law closes in. Usual Hollywood stuff, well told. B-

Voting Is Just So Messy

The City of Richardson has a policy regarding electioneering at the Civic Center during early voting: "During early voting, political signs may not be erected on public property." The State of Texas has other ideas.

On June 14, 2013, the Texas Legislature passed HB 259, thereby amending Section 61.003 and 85.036 of the Texas Election Code by requiring a public entity that controls or owns a building used as a polling place to allow electioneering on the premises, subject to reasonable regulations.

Source: City of Richardson.

So, let's amend Richardson's policy to allow electioneering at the Civic Center, so long as it occurs outside the 100 foot boundary state law specifies. Easy peasy. Next issue.

Not so fast, says Richardson's City Council. After the jump, their thoughts.