Wednesday, December 16, 2015

POTD: 1952 Hudson Hornet

From 2015 08 11 Manitou Springs

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Garden of the Gods, a public park and National Natural Landmark located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Naturally, the photo includes a car built for the gods, a 1952 Hudson Hornet four-door sedan. The editors of Consumer Guide praise the car, saying, "The Hornet proved near-invincible in stock-car racing." To me, the Hudson seems right at home in the vacation snapshot, given that my only previous visit to the Garden of the Gods was in the late 1950s, when many similar vintage cars filled the park.

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

More about Enrollment Growth

I had three takeaways from the Richardson ISD's 2016 Bond "listening tour."
  • Those multipurpose facilities (MPFs) seemed expensive. Comparisons with similar facilities in other school districts were lacking.
  • There wasn't enough in the bond to address anticipated enrollment growth over the next five years.
  • There appeared to be no way to avoid a tax rate increase, even if only maintenance and construction for enrollment growth were addressed.
The RISD school board addressed the first two of my takeaways at their December 7th meeting. Here, I want to cover the board's actions on enrollment growth.

Monday, December 14, 2015

More about those Multipurpose Facilities

I had three takeaways from the Richardson ISD's 2016 Bond "listening tour."
  • Those multipurpose facilities (MPFs) seemed expensive. Comparisons with similar facilities in other school districts were lacking.
  • There wasn't enough in the bond to address anticipated enrollment growth over the next five years.
  • There appeared to be no way to avoid a tax rate increase, even if only maintenance and construction for enrollment growth were addressed.

The RISD school board addressed the first two of my takeaways at their December 7th meeting. Here, I want to cover the board's actions on those MPFs.

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge at RHS

From 2015 00 00 Miscellaneous
Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge at RHS: Absurd Christmas Carol with an inept ghost. Don't know what the moral is, but I laughed.

Friday, December 11, 2015

Review: A Thousand Acres

A Thousand Acres
Amazon
From A Thousand Acres, by Jane Smiley
Open quote 

Because the intersection was on this tiny rise, you could see our buildings, a mile distant, at the southern edge of the farm. A mile to the east, you could see three silos that marked the northeastern corner, and if you raked your gaze from the silos to the house and barn, then back again, you would take in the immensity of the piece of land my father owned, six hundred forty acres, a whole section, paid for, no encumbrances, as flat and fertile, black, friable, and exposed as any piece of land on the face of the earth."

Recently I read The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, a retelling of Hamlet set in 20th century rural Wisconsin. Coincidentally I just finished reading A Thousand Acres, a retelling of King Lear set in 20th century rural Iowa.

After the jump, my review.