S2L77: Venice

From 1977 05 02 Italy

Well out of Asia and deep into Europe, we're moving fast now. A different city every day. Today, it's Venice. Enjoy.

More photos after the jump.

Skyline Women at RHS: Basketball at its Finest

From 2014 02 04 Skyline vs Richardson women

It was the last game of the District 9-5A season. It was also the game of the year. The two teams had a combined district record of 21-1. The outcome would determine the district championship. The crowd was large and boisterous. The players talented and scrappy. It was basketball at its finest.

Three weeks ago, when these same two teams met, the Richardson women's basketball team handed Skyline their first defeat in district play in 134 games. But Tuesday night, in the rematch at the RHS gym, Skyline prevailed 58-52. Richardson lost the game, but still ended up winning a share of the district championship with Skyline, both with 11-1 records. Thanks for the great season, Eagles and Raiders.

More photos after the jump.

CAFR Rebounds

For city finance wonks, Christmas comes twice a year: once in August when the city budget is set and again in February when the city financial audit is published. The budget specifies the city's cash flow (its planned revenues and expenses). The financial audit details the city's assets (the value of city property, bank accounts, etc.) and its liabilities (outstanding debt, pension obligations, etc.).

After the jump, a quick look at this year's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR).

OTBR: Mile-wide Floodplain of the Mississippi

Latitude: N 39° 29.976
Longitude: W 091° 02.382

A child on a road trip with his family asks, "Where are we?" and the father answers, "Let's check the map. We're off the blue roads [the Interstate Highways marked in blue on the road atlas]. We're off the red roads [the US and state highways]. We're off the black roads [the county highways]. I think we're off the map altogether." It was always my dream to be off the map altogether.

After the jump, a few of the random places (and I mean random literally) that I visited vicariously last month that are "off the blue roads".

Repeat Tweets: High School Basketball

Repeat tweets from January, 2014:

• Jan 3 2014: High school men's basketball final: Richardson 75, Lake Highlands 64. #txhshoops
  
• Jan 6 2014: Star Trek Into Darkness (2013): Starships swim, garbage trucks fly, Kirk struts. Safe, formulaic, campy, non-stop bloodless violence. C+
  
• Jan 6 2014: Headline: "US marks 4 straight years of slowing health costs." @SenTedCruz repeats his cry for #FullRepeal #wacko
  
• Jan 6 2014: Headline: "Health care shrunk as a percent of GDP for the first time since 1997." @SenTedCruz repeats his cry for #FullRepeal #wacko
  
• Jan 6 2014: MT @SenTedCruz: "I cannot support Janet Yellen's nomination to serve as Chairman of the Federal Reserve." This is news? Why? #Obstruction
  
• Jan 6 2014: MT @SenTedCruz: "Federal judge, nominated by President Obama, finds Chicago's handgun sales ban unconstitutional." Judicial activism.
  

After the jump, more repeat tweets.

Hairspray at BHS

Hairspray at BHS: '60s music and student activism, what more could you ask? Hilarious & inspiring. All voices owned the house! Best ever!

After the jump, a surprise show stopper.

Berkner Sweeps Pearce

From 2014 01 31 Pearce vs Berkner

The Berkner Rams men's basketball team swept their season home-and-away series against the Pearce Mustangs with a 69-44 win Friday night at the Berkner gym. With the win, the Rams retain sole possession of first place in District 9-5A, with a record of 10-1. It's a great time to be a Ram!

More photos after the jump.

Shrek the Musical at RHS

Shrek at RHS: The ogre, the princess, smart-ass donkey, and big cast. Kids let their freak flags fly with clever songs and dancing.

Suburban Freeways

Eisenhower himself didn't realize the Interstate Highway System would cut through American cities until a few years after construction began. Ike had wanted a national road network like the one he'd seen in Germany during World War II. But he'd also wanted these roads to stop at the doorsteps of cities, not push right past.

Source: The Atlantic.

This story about the history of freeways in America is an old one. The notion that "the Interstate Highway System should have been two distinct systems: one running between cities, and another running within them" is almost conventional wisdom now. There's even a grassroots movement, "A New Dallas," that seeks to tear up one of that city's downtown freeways, IH345.

I'm sold on the vision. After the jump, does this apply to Richardson?

Captain Phillips (2013)

IMDB

Captain Phillips (2013): Suspense relentlessly builds towards climax. Liberties? So what? Tom Hanks deserves Oscar nom with Barkhad Abdi. B+