War of Words: Battle of Immigration

In an innocent little blog post talking up the upcoming fifth annual Plano International Festival at Haggard Park, reporter Theodore Kim made an unfortunate aside about how Plano has so far managed to avoid controversies over immigration reform.

You know what's coming in the reader comments, right? Controversy. The very first commenter says, "Immigration reform? Funny, I though it was 'illegal immigration' reform." The second commenter immediately demonstrated that the anger is broader than just illegal immigration, taking a whack at the H1-B visa program, which is "legal" immigration. It seems that there are folks opposed to immigration of any kind, legal or illegal. And they are fighting a war of words. "Undocumented worker" is already a casualty. "Illegal immigrant" is considered a contradiction, as foreigners without visas are considered invaders, not immigrants. I'm surprised the first commenter didn't opt for "illegal alien", which is still safe to say without drawing incoming fire.

So, Plano, enjoy your festival. Celebrate diversity, I say, ducking.

What's the Speed Limit, Really?

The North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) raised the speed limit on the Dallas North Tollway. Or did they? The brand new white speed limit signs saying 65 MPH certainly suggest they did. The NTTA soon decided that slight curves and rises cause blind spots that called for lower speeds along some stretches, so NTTA erected brand newer yellow signs specifying a 50 MPH speed limit. In some cases, the newer yellow signs are within sight of the new white signs. So, what's the speed limit? Hard to say. Two signs, different numbers.

Some drivers believe that the yellow signs aren't speed limits at all, only recommended maximum safe speeds. They claim that the "real" speed limits are posted on the white signs. Left unexplained is why the Department of Public Safety would set the real speed limit at 15 MPH above the maximum safe speed.

The Texas Department of Public Safety doesn't completely clear up the confusion. In a story in The Dallas Morning News, spokesman Lisa Block says police do not enforce the yellow advisory signs, except if you cause an accident. So, is a speed limit that police usually ignore, but sometimes enforce, a speed limit or not? Conspiracy theorists might call it entrapment. The Department of Public Safety lures drivers with the white signs suggesting it's OK to drive at an unsafe speed, then when accidents ensue, tickets the drivers for violating the yellow signs.

There's a simple solution. Remove the white signs in the stretches of highway with limited visibility, leaving only the yellow signs there. Whether or not the police choose to enforce that yellow speed limit, at least there'll be only one speed limit posted for each stretch of road. Not that it will make much difference. The DMN quotes one driver who points out the irony of the whole matter, "Obviously, no one is paying attention to [the signs], white or yellow. People seem to drive as fast as they want."

Green Line to the State Fair

From 2009 10 State Fair

It was Fair Day for the Richardson ISD and that means a day off to enjoy the State Fair of Texas. Ellen and I took the newly opened DART Green Line. It was hassle free. No traffic jams. No long walks from remote parking. No risk of having our car towed if we chose the wrong private lot. At the Fair, Ellen was interested in trying the new treat fried butter, which somehow we never got around to trying. ;-) We did split a funnel cake. Other than that, it was just a leisurely stroll through the park, seeing the prize steer, sheep, goat and pig, seeing all the prize arts and crafts, seeing but not riding or playing the Midway rides and games, a quick walk through the automobile building futilely looking for a Chevy with a joystick instead of a steering wheel ("That's not in the GM lineup") then, at the end, serendipitously following the US Marine Corps Band to the parade grounds for their concert. Then, it was back to the DART Green Line for a ride to the West End and dinner, then a ride on the DART Red Line back to Richardson. Another successful Fair Day!

To see all of our photos, look here.

Michael Crabtree's Unemployment Check

ESPN GameDay sign

OK, this one will take a bit of explanation. Bear with me. First, who is Michael Crabtree? According to Wikipedia (which, at the risk of making myself the target of derision, I still say is the single best source of information on the Internet), "Michael Crabtree is an American football wide receiver who was selected by the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League in the 2009 NFL Draft. He was drafted by the 49ers with the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, but currently remains unsigned by the team." OK, that explains why Michael Crabtree might be receiving an unemployment check from the Governator. After the jump, let's bring the story a little closer to home.

Cottonwood Art Festival: Rain 1, Art 0

From 2009 Family

Saturday morning was sunny and pleasant, a perfect day for Ellen and me to go to the Cottonwood Art Festival with Walt and Ruth. By 2:30 PM, the time we got around to going, the clouds had moved in. By 3:00 PM, minutes after we arrived at the park and were strolling among the booths, the rain sprinkles began. No umbrella. One wheelchair. A walk of several blocks back to the car. Luckily it was a sprinkle, not a downpour, making the whole outing an adventure, not a disaster. All in all, a good time was had by all.

After the jump, a few photos I managed to snap off before the rains came, and then a final word about parking