OTBR: The Classic Red Barn In Iowa

Latitude: 40.403300° N
Longitude: 94.832800° W

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".

Twitter Tracks: LeBron, World Cup, Richardson Symphony

Twitter tracks from July, 2010:

• 2010 07 08 - I can't be the only one who watched more of the LeBron James special than watched of any NBA regular season game this season.
• 2010 07 09 - When you woke up this morning, did the world seem completely different? Yes? That's how important yesterday's LeBron James announcement was.
• 2010 07 09 - Crazy Heart: washed-up country singer whose career is on the skids, then things go downhill. I'd buy that album. The Wrestler with guitars.
• 2010 07 11 - When Ellen walked in late and asked what she missed, I said, "nothing." The World Cup announcer was more blunt - it was a "pig of a game."
• 2010 07 11 - The Richardson Symphony Orchestra is "in a toxic mess." You can't support music without supporting the musicians. http://goo.gl/JcCf
• 2010 07 11 - What's the difference between an RSO musician and a pizza? A pizza can feed a family of four (H/T to Wanderer) http://goo.gl/JcCf
• 2010 07 12 - Run, Newt, Run! Seeing Newt and Sarah on stage during a GOP primary debate would make for great political theater. I'm popping corn already.
• 2010 07 12 - Richardson only the 30th best suburb in Dallas?!? Hey, there's always Garland (45th). http://goo.gl/rArX
• 2010 07 13 - Selling Bonds Without Voter Approval: When state law trumps city charter. http://goo.gl/qlrM
• 2010 07 14 - Patrick "Car-Free" Kennedy Talks to Texas Observer About His Idealized Dallas (http://goo.gl/9Idr) - Spoiler alert: it's car-free.

After the jump, more Twitter tracks.

Women's Rights: Different Worlds, Related Advice

Dallas Police Chief David Brown got himself in trouble this week with comments about the increase in incidences of rape in Dallas. Half a world away, in Afghanistan, rape and mutilation and denial of rights to education, jobs and free movement outside the home are the issues women struggle with.

After the jump, how two very different worlds deal with crimes against women.

Richardson Seeks Gold Medal In Financial Transparency

During Monday's Richardson City Council work session, the subject of putting the city check register online was discussed. It's not like this should be controversial. The office of Texas Comptroller Susan Combs promotes government transparency, urging cities, counties and school districts to put their budgets, financial reports and check registers online. Plano has done so. So has McKinney and Frisco and Arlington and Irving and numerous other cities around Texas. Good governance was a new section added to this council term's statement of goals, specifically calling for transparency and financial accountability.

After the jump, where does Richardson stand on this committed goal?

Beat Meets Heat. Neat.

Director George W. Jones

From 2010 08 Richardson Band

The temperature was 104° but that didn't stop the Richardson Community Band from playing their regularly scheduled outdoor concert Sunday night on the Fountain Plaza by the library. The music lovers who brought their lawn chairs and blankets were treated to a program of "Conductor's Choice", including two more Sousa marches (the 93rd and 94th played by the band while under the decades-long direction of George W. Jones), the always inspiring Battle Hymn of the Republic, an unusual arrangement of 76 and a Half Trombones, Rushmore and other musical selections that had the crowd tapping their feet and forgetting about the heat.

Come on out for the season finale on August 15 at 7:00 PM. The heat wave will have to be over by then, right?

To see more photos, click here.

A Tale Of Two School Districts

It was the best of scores. It was the worst of scores. Too dramatic? OK, how about this? Woot! Phhttttttttt! This week, the Richardson ISD (RISD) announced that the school district was judged "Recognized" in the Accountability ratings of the Texas Education Agency. "Recognized" doesn't sound like much, but it's a really big deal. The RISD is rightly proud when it trumpets the achievement:

"This is the fifth consecutive year RISD has earned the rating. RISD is the largest, most diverse district in Texas to have achieved Recognized status for five consecutive years. Every RISD campus received a rating of Exemplary (42 schools) or Recognized (11 schools)."

On the other hand, everyone knows that the Accountability ratings are not the be-all and end-all of academic accountability. The system defines the floor, not the ceiling. Inspired by the goal of "no child left behind," the scoring system (TAKS) severely penalizes a school district if any socio-economic subgroup fails to reach minimal levels, that is, if any subgroup is left behind. You can't hide your problems. The RISD takes the ratings seriously and the results show it. Not content, the RISD is moving beyond the TAKS to improve other aspects of education such as career and technology programs, talented and gifted programs, advanced placement programs, etc. In fact, last year, they parted ways with a former superintendent over a difference of vision on this very subject. Apparently, the board of trustees wanted ..., well, as a Dickens character might put it, "more."

After the jump, another school district's worst of times.

End Run Around The Electoral College

If you've lived in Texas for the last thirty years or so, you've probably noticed how your vote in presidential elections didn't mean much. Or maybe you didn't notice because you don't know any different. If you're under fifty or so, it's been this way your entire voting life. The reason is because of our Electoral College system that awards all of a state's electoral votes to the winner of the vote in that state. Texas has been so reliably Republican for decades that presidential candidates pretty much bypass the state during the quadrennial campaign for the White House.

After the jump, why that just might change.