Monday, May 2, 2022

"CRT-esque Ideologies"

In case you still wonder, CRT is not a subject taught in public schools in Richardson ISD, nor anywhere else in Texas. It's against state law to teach CRT in Texas public schools. Where does the myth that it's in RISD come from and why is it so hard to put down? In part, it's because partisans wanting to take over school boards know that people have bad connotations for the words "critical," "race," and "theory." Put them together and people think surely CRT must be something really bad, even if people can't say exactly what it is. If critics actually define the term CRT, they fall back on making up their own definition. And their own definition is something even libtards agree is bad. It's a straw man that the critics erect because it's easy to argue against. But it's not being taught, no matter how many times the critics cry "CRT, CRT, CRT."

Sunday, May 1, 2022

Random Thoughts: 1950 Census Has Been Released!

Tweets from April, 2022:
  • 2022-04-01: 1950 Census has been released! Woot for everyone over 72.
  • 2022-04-02: "In 2019, Mike Tyson said on Joe Rogan's podcast that, ever since smoking toad, he's 'never been the same.' " If there's a straight line with more openings for a punchline than this one, I haven't seen it.
  • 2022-04-04: The Bubble (2022): Judd Apatow comedy about making a movie in a pandemic quarantine. The bubble's isolation eventually cracks everyone. Pokes fun at actors, directors, producers, social media influencers, (crew escapes unscathed), all with characters immediately forgettable. C-
  • 2022-04-04: I just got an email from Trump that I can't figure out. "Friend, This has NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. As THE TOP donor, I've texted you 3000% more. Do you want to stay on top?" Then it says, "CONTRIBUTION STATUS: PENDING. DEADLINE: IMMEDIATELY."
    Is he losing it?
  • 2022-04-04: Steve Brown has a job with DMN copy-and-pasting developers' press releases into the newspaper. Nice work if you can get it.

After the jump, more random thoughts.

Saturday, April 30, 2022

RISD Eight Day Finance Reports Tell a Story

From: source unknown

Campaign finance reports are available for review on the Richardson ISD website under "Election Filings". Earlier, I reviewed reports from the first three months of 2022. Now, eight days out from the election, reports for the last month are available. The new reports tell much the same story as the earlier ones, but with a few interesting updates that caught my eye.

Friday, April 29, 2022

Let's Talk: Graphic Sex in Novels

Source: What Girls are Made Of, by Elana K. Arnold.

During the public comment section of the April 11, 2022, Richardson ISD school board meeting, one speaker raised a concern about a book she says is in the school libraries of Berkner High School, Richardson High School, and Richardson West Junior High School. After warning audience members that they might want to leave the room, she read a long passage from the book. Or maybe it just seemed long. It was explicit. It was embarrassing.

Thursday, April 28, 2022

The Northman (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes
The Northman (2022): Based on Viking myth. Amleth seeks to avenge death of his father by his uncle. Sound familiar? Substitute Hamlet and you know the key plot points. Full of savagery, blood and gore. Authentic looking throughout, but I never got invested in the characters. B-

The closest movie I can think of that has a similar look and feel, although it's an entirely different period and story, is 2019's The Lighthouse, also directed by Robert Eggers. These movies tend to make an impression that sticks with you.

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

WAIW: "To Those Who Exercise It"

Where Am I Wednesday!

Where Am I Wednesday?

Fifty points to the first person to locate this photo.

The answer is after the jump.

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

Let's Talk: Seven Dirty Words

Source: Lost in the Sun, by Lisa Graff.

During the public comment section of the April 11, 2022, Richardson ISD school board meeting, one speaker raised a concern about a book her third grade daughter found in her school library.

Monday, April 25, 2022

Want RISD Elections to be Nonpartisan? Say Something.

Call out political parties who insist on turning our local elections into partisan affairs.

You know how I feel about keeping local city and school elections nonpartisan. I have always wanted state and national political parties to stay out of local elections. I have called out both Democrats and Republicans when I feel they are crossing the line.

Let's Talk: Lawsuits

Source: Adam Maida / The Atlantic.

During the public comment section of the April 11, 2022, Richardson ISD school board meeting, one speaker raised a concern about how a complaint they submitted is being handled.

Sunday, April 24, 2022

Somebody Somewhere (TV 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes
Somebody Somewhere (TV 2022): Breakout hit for Bridget Everett. Sitcom about a woman in a midlife crisis who returns home to Manhattan, Kansas. Show doesn't make the residents there the butt of the jokes. Instead, it's sweet, sensitive, and real. And sometimes funny, too. B+