Month: August 2009

California has a garage

Jimmy Kimmel Live did a funny bit about the “Great California Garage Sale” coming soon to a broke state near you.

“This is a win-win for the state and for shoppers,” Schwarzenegger said in a statement Tuesday announcing that a selection of items also would be sold on eBay and Craigslist. “Together we are eliminating waste and providing great deals in this tough economy.”

Wow. Big Scary Knives.

Can we leave negative feedback? What would yours be? Apparently their eBay approach is raising some eyebrows.

UPDATE: Items are going fast after day one.. Final sales are over 1.5 million.

“Success For Every Student By Name”

Success for this student by name: Melvin Van Nerdlinger
Success for this student by name: Melvin Van Nerdlinger

It’s that time of year again, with schools opening from Rocklin to Dixon, and so I return to one of the biggest educational mysteries of the Sacramento region: the enigma that is Sac City Schools’ motto: “Success For Every Student By Name.” I have blogged about this before, when at the time I thought it was merely the motto for the open enrollment department. But with Sac City’s website undergoing a redesign for the new school year (actually I believe it’s been completely re-engineered, not just redesigned) that motto is right there staring me in the face, daring me to either stand up and challenge its naked lack of sense or sit politely and accept that the Emperor’s new motto is quite beautifully crafted.

Continue reading ““Success For Every Student By Name””

Some State Fair Weirdness

Put this on the ballot - When the budget is late, we have to fly this above the Capitol.
Put this on the ballot - When the budget is late, we have to fly this above the Capitol.

As encouragement for you to head over to Cal Expo for the California State Fair, I will entice you with some little tastes of what you could be enjoying if you were there right now. But first, a huge congrats to the state’s most famous purveyor of deep fried treats and his new bride! Chicken Charlie got married at The Fair today on the promenade stage in front of his food stand. The wedding cake? Totally fried cheesecake, and it was delicious. Mazel Tov, and thanks for sharing the special day with us!

Continue reading “Some State Fair Weirdness”

Urban Farm Celebrates Autumn Equinox

Soil Born Farms
Soil Born Farm: “A Day On the Farm”
by Annie&John via Flickr

Some folks wait with giddy anticipation for their latest movie rental to arrive in the mail. Others look for letters from Mom. Me? I pace the front porch waiting for the arrival of my seed catalogs. Well, apparently, it’s still too early for those. But I got something equally exciting yesterday: my invitation to the Soil Born Farm AUTUMN EQUINOX CELEBRATION!

What better way to party than with a gang of dirt-loving, plant-hugging gardeners? Weeds and wall flowers won’t stand a chance with this bunch! The affair promises live music, strolls under the stars and through the gardens on Hurley Way, and seasonal, organic food prepared by some of Sac’s finest chefs. The Waterboy, Grange, Hawks, Old Soul, and plenty of others are turning out to provide yummy eats. They’re even serving up wine and organic beer.

In case you haven’t heard of the wildly popular farm yet, Soil Born Farms started in 2000 when two ambitious youngsters left a note in the mailbox of a local landowner, asking permission to grow crops in exchange for fresh produce. With a nod and a handshake, the farm began.

Today, there are two farms: one on Hurley Way and another in Rancho Cordova. In addition to growing food, they educate youth and reconnect them to the land. On Saturdays, you can volunteer at their American River Ranch in Rancho Cordova and discover farm life first-hand. You can also sign up for one of their monthly gardening seminars to learn about pruning fruit trees or composting with worms. Or, if you just want to eat their juicy heirloom tomatoes already, you can sign up to receive a weekly box of fresh farm goodies year-round. The fun never ends!

It’s pretty cool stuff, and it’s happening right here in urban Sac. If you want to join the fun, hurry and get your ticket to the Autumn Equinox Celebration, held Saturday, September 19 from 4:30 to 8:30 P.M. They anticipate a sold-out event. You can call the farm at (916) 363-9685, or purchase tickets at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op, 1900 Alhambra Blvd.

Keith Lowell Jensen’s “To The Moon … Live at Luna’s”

Keith Lowell Jensen: To The Moon... Live at Lunas
Keith Lowell Jensen:
To The Moon...Live at Luna's
Some of the best stuff on Keith Lowell Jensen’s debut comedy CD, “To the Moon … Live at Luna’s” comes at the beginning of the record; Jensen turns a throwaway Light Rail Drivers joke into an extended piece about remixing the joke for different audiences, and segues from that into a great series of jokes about performing in small town “comedy clubs,” building to a great bit about parents who bring their kids to bars, with a classic R-rated punchline. In fact, beneath his “alt comic” veneer there are lots of classic comic skills behind KLJ’s act. He does pretty slick segues (except for one groaner, you’ll know it when you hear it) and keeps his bits threaded into the act, such as his comment about the phrase “I’m just saying.” He seems very comfortable mining his personal life for his act, with some raunchy jokes about his wife’s pregnancy and his own childhood and educational experiences at “Success High.” But he seems equally comfortable in lots of other areas like Windows Vista and tech support.

Continue reading “Keith Lowell Jensen’s “To The Moon … Live at Luna’s””

If a comment falls in the forest

The Internet continues to push the topic of online comments around like a kitten with a ball of yarn. We all know it helps generate traffic as nothing makes people happier than voicing their unhappiness anonymously online. We even battle with it here. But, we’re not claiming to be journalists or news people. There’s a difference.

At any rate, the sacbee.com has figured out the perfect solution to this problem: Just hide them!

Let’s get straight to the point. You can now decide for yourself whether you want to see comments on sacbee.com. We’ve added a button (see below) at the bottom of every story and blog post that allows you to turn comments on and off.

Click the button and ALL comments on ALL stories are hidden from view. Click the button again and ALL comments reappear. The site will retain your preference to hide or show comments every time you visit as long as you have cookies enabled in your browzer.

Browzer. Nice.

Whatever you do, don’t un-hide those comments. There’s nothing to read here, these aren’t the comments you’re looking for. Stay classy, Sacramento.

State Fair Drinking Guide

Your guide to the best beer and wine at the California State Fair!

The California State Fair's incredible wine garden
The California State Fair's incredible wine garden

The California State Fair was created by the legislature in 1854 to celebrate and promote California agriculture and industry. I choose to celebrate The Fair’s historical origins by seeking out the finest alcoholic beverages in the realm of Cal Expo. If you choose to join me on this quest, print up this handy guide to the best beer and wine offered at The Fair.

Since 1854, The Fair has honored California’s winemakers in what is now North America’s oldest wine competition. This year, almost 1200 wines were designated as bronze, silver, gold or double gold award winners. At the Save Mart Wine Garden, you can choose from more than 100 winning wines. 100! How can you decide? Before I get to the recommendations, I’ll give you tip #1. If you plan on enjoying more than a few wines, invest in the souvenir wine glass. For $5, your wine purchase will double from a 5 oz pour in a plastic cup to a 10 oz pour in a reusable, stylish glass.

Continue reading “State Fair Drinking Guide”

David Cook gives The Fair what it needs

David Cook, in a photo that has been approved by his corporate overlords
David Cook, in a photo that has been approved for publication by his corporate overlords
Friday’s opening of the State Fair was capped with an appearance from American Idol David Cook. This was, without question, one of the funnest musical moments I have witnessed at The Fair in years.

Why? RELEVANCE! Most bands that play The Fair are either blasts from the past or up and comers. Cook is NOW, baby. The vibe from the audience was amazing as Fairgoers had the rare privilege to see someone playing Cal Expo whom they are listening to, today. And, as icing on the cake, he and his band met expectations and rocked the house.
Continue reading “David Cook gives The Fair what it needs”

Your State Fair Dining Guide-Part 1

deepfriedwhitecastle1-225x300One of the best things about the state fair is the deep fried edible glory that accompanies it.  It’s like junk food Christmas. However, there are so many options throughout Cal Expo that you’re just as likely to waste those precious calories that you’ve been hoarding all summer on just average junk instead of on incredible junk.  Hopefully this little list will help you from stepping into a grease and candy filled pothole with your dining choices.

Best Meal: BBQ Beef sandwich at “Buns on the Run” – Still the best food seller at the fair, this little trailer on the east side of the park, just across from the petting zoo with the word “Sausage” emblazoned on it’s sign doles out the best meal on the grounds. The bbq beef is sweet and succulent, the roll is incredible, a deep fried masterpiece of dough science, and the homemade potato chips on the side are just awesome. Also, this place does a damn fine boneless rib sandwich.

Best Deep Fried Delicacy: Deep Fried Oreos at Chicken Charlie’s– Charlie’s has been setting the standard in deep fried audaciousness for years now. I was a huge fan of the fried Elvis — a battered and fried peanut butter and banana sandwich — but it was taken off the men after the piping hot pb sent 158 people to the local burn unit. Now, I go for the Oreos with chocolate sauce. The small cookies have a great filling to breading ratio and they manage to stay fairly crispy inside the batter shell. However, if you’re really daring and haven’t eaten this year , try the deep fried White Castle Hamburger.

Best Sweet Treat: Country Fair Cinnamon Rolls– Two stands, one located in the county exhibit building, the other on the east side of the consumer pavilion (aka crap hut) , dole out some of the best cinnamon rolls in the world. The syrupy white frosting and tender cinnamon ladened dough is on par with the finest Austrian pastry. It’s only improved by asking for extra “gunk,” which is the cinnamon, sugar and butter on the bottom of the pan scraped up and sprinkled on top of your roll. Continue reading “Your State Fair Dining Guide-Part 1”

There’s Only One Book for Sacramento

Oprah sent Lisa Ling to investigate it. Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey, Jr. star in a film about it. Kevin Johnson camped out to highlight it. Now the Sacramento Public Library is asking you to read about it with its One Book Sacramento campaign.

I’m talking about homelessness. Just because Tent City has folded doesn’t mean the problem has. And reading about the crisis was never this… well, fun.

In the moving book, The Soloist, by Los Angeles Times columnist and best-selling author Steve Lopez, you’ll read the true account of Lopez’s unusual friendship with a homeless man, Nathaniel Ayers. You’ll find a Sacramento familiar, Darrell Steinberg, whom Lopez reaches out to for support as he experiences mental illness first-hand through Nathaniel. This homeless musician’s talent and his hard life on the street rocks Lopez to the core. Join their incredible journey through this grabbing, real-life page turner.

Continue reading “There’s Only One Book for Sacramento”