Indoor Practice Fields...for Swimming

The Richardson ISD asked voters to approve $437 million in bonds in 2016 for a range of capital projects, including $60 million for four indoor practice fields for a variety of activities including athletics. Voters did approve. But the RISD board of trustees took a lot of abuse from voters who thought the district was squandering money.

POTD: Taxi to the Airport

From 2016 02 14 Mumbai

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the streets of Mumbai, India. The taxi to the airport led to a long flight from Mumbai to Dubai to D/FW. This brings to an end the series of photos-of-the-day from India. India is a large and fascinating country — a photographer's delight.

Review: A Brief History of Seven Killings

Amazon

From A Brief History of Seven Killings, by Marlon James:

There's a reason why the story of the ghetto should never come with a photo. The Third World slum is a nightmare that defies beliefs or facts, even the ones staring right at you. A vision of hell that twists and turns on itself and grooves to its own soundtrack. Normal rules do not apply here. Imagination then, dream, fantasy. You visit a ghetto, particularly a ghetto in West Kingston, and it immediately leaves the real to become this sort of grotesque, something out of Dante or the infernal painting of Hieronymus Bosch. It's a rusty red chamber of hell that cannot be described so I will not try to describe it. It cannot be photographed because some parts of West Kingston, such as Rema, are in the grip of such bleak and unremitting repulsiveness that the inherent beauty of the photographic process will lie to you about just how ugly it really is."

Spoiler alert: This novel is not brief and there are way more than seven killings. But the excerpt above is an accurate description of the world depicted in this novel. The novel won a shelf-load of awards, probably deservedly so, but be warned: it's not for everyone.

After the jump, my review.

Fundamentals of Caring (2016)

IMDB

Fundamentals of Caring (2016): Man takes care of handicapped teen. Both have issues. Road trip buddy movie. Sweet, but by the book. C+

POTD: Ellen's Mumbai Peeps

From 2016 02 14 Mumbai

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the waterfront by the Gateway of India in Mumbai. Tourists from all over the world come here to see and be seen. Getting your photo taken with strangers is both easy and fun.

A bonus photo is after the jump.

Diplomacy (2014)

IMDB

Diplomacy (2014): Swedish diplomat and German general debate fate of Paris as Allies advance. Each faces the trolley problem. Gripping. A-

POTD: Mumbai Waterfront

From 2016 02 14 Mumbai

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the waterfront by the Gateway of India in Mumbai. It's right in front of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, target of a terrorist attack in 2008. Ten men in inflatable speedboats came ashore here, split up and attacked multiple sites in south Mumbai. The attacks killed 164 civilians and security officers. It took four days for authorities to regain control.

Bonus photos are after the jump.

Firewall in Old Downtown Richardson

City of Richardson

The rendering above is of the new police and fire department facilities planned for old downtown Richardson. There is little news here. The old facilities were outdated. The 2015 Bond Program funded part of the reconstruction. The 2016-2017 budget funds more. I knew all that, but seeing this rendering triggers the thought that this might turn out to be a huge missed opportunity for Richardson.

POTD: Hare Krishna

From 2016 02 14 Mumbai

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Sri Sri Radha Gopinath Mandir, a temple in Mumbai, India, of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

A bonus photo is after the jump.

Campbell Road Deterioration Outlined

"Campbell Road Improvements Deterioration Outlined."

There, Richardson, I fixed the headline to your "Week in Review" item. Widening Campbell Rd from US 75 to Collins Blvd is not an "improvement."

Those added lanes will fill up as fast as you can pour the concrete. TxDOT is overhauling Central Expressway (again). Adding lanes to Campbell Rd only encourages the added cars on US 75 to use Campbell Rd. You can't build your way out of traffic congestion. Induced demand is the phenomenon that after supply increases, more of a good is consumed. Road construction is Exhibit A.