Month: June 2010

Masullo:Revisited

Over a year ago, I had my first experience with Masullo, the small, upscale pizzeria on Riverside Boulevard. I sung its praises on this here weblog  and vowed to return often to sup full on Masullo’s perfect pies.

Well, until last weekend I hadn’t been back once. Don’t ask me why. Life just has a way of moving right by you like a slick river of slurry underneath your feet as you stand in front of the slurry outflow of the slurry plant in slurry county USA. Slurry aside, I was a bit anxious about revisiting the pizza purveyor, worried my memories of the place wouldn’t quite add up to the reality. It turns out that my memories, instead of hyperbolizing the savory goodness that lies behind Masullo’s simple glass door, had dulled like…some…uh…thingamajig that gets dulled by slurry. Masullo is as fresh and vibrant as ever, pumping out pies that touch that little inner pizza child in all of us (and not in an SVU way). Continue reading “Masullo:Revisited”

Domino’s pizza asking for SSN?

If you’re ordering a Domino’s pizza, that’s your first mistake, but beware the following, via Consumerist:

[Consumerist reader Brent says] the Domino’s dude wouldn’t let him pay with a credit card unless he offered up his Social Security Number or driver’s license number. Since Brent was smart enough to know you only give such information to Girl Scouts and those guys who go to door-to-door selling magazine subscriptions, he checked it out with his local Domino’s, which told him the nosyness is store policy.

I’m not sure if there is a problem with giving the DL#, and this is not confirmed to be happening here in Sacto, but still, caveat eator.

More radio retreading in Sacramento

Radio station 100.5 The Zone has been made over as Now 100.5.

CBS Radio has relaunched Hot AC “100.5 The Zone” KZZO Sacramento as Adult CHR “Now 100.5″ playing “Today’s Best Hits Without The Rap” at noon today.

“Without the Rap.” Love it.

The first hour consisted of:
Daughtry – What About Now, Nickelback – This Afternoon, Lady Gaga – Bad Romance, The Script – Breakeven, Train – Calling All Angels, Pink – Who Knew, Bon Jovi – Who Says You Can’t Go Home, Ke$ha – Your Love Is My Drug, 3 Doors Down – Kryptonite, Shinedown – Second Chance, Uncle Kracker – Smile, David Cook – Light On, Kings Of Leon – Sex On Fire, Kris Allen – The Truth, Theory Of A Deadman – Not Meant To Be, Adam Lambert – Whataya Want From Me, Daughtry – Home, John Mayer – Heartbreak Warfare

Taking a real chance, huh?

City pools open today

James McClatchy Park pool, c.1918. Ralph Congdon Collection

For what it’s worth. Five pools are closed this year for recreational swimming, and those that are open are typically open a grand total of 12 hours per week. The schedule is wack, as the kids would say. All pools that are still open are open from 2-4pm, and one assumes the bright spot was supposed to be that they are all open 6 days a week, but any way you slice it, gone are the days of killing time by the pool.

Obviously they are in dire straits to keep the doors open at all. Since these are permanent assets they basically have to keep them open. I’m not sure whether they considered closing a few of them permanently, keeping the larger pools open for longer periods. I’m also not sure why they didn’t consider staggered schedules (T/Th or M/W/F) as they used to do. It seems like either of those schedules would be more convenient for patrons.

Not to mention: how do they find trained lifeguards willing to work a grand total of 12 hours per week?

Flea Market for Iceland

Scroungers, pickers and rememberers of days past will not want to miss out on tomorrow’s fundraiser to rebuild Iceland. More than 30 local vendors and artists will be selling Sacramento-centric treasures, including a wide variety of antiques, jewelry, and items from the Northern Sacramento Historical Society, KZAP and Tower Records. There will also be an exhibit of art photos of Iceland. Music, food, and a DIY tie dye station will be available. Admission is free!

Urban Flea Market
Saturday, June 19
1309 Del Paso Blvd
9am-3pm

Sac City Superintendent’s reading challenge aims high

Not.

Join Superintendent Raymond’s SUMMER READING challenge and Get Caught Reading a great book!

Read two or more books this summer and record the titles on a Reading Log. (Emphasis mine)

Two books! In just one calendar season?! “Get caught reading”?! Not to mention, judging at least by the 1st-2nd grade suggested list, the reading level is not exactly reaching for the stars either. It includes mostly picture books and “easy reader” type books.

Fortunately the Sacramento Public Library offers several literacy programs this summer. The Make a Splash reading contest aims to get kids to complete at least 5 literacy related activities. They also have a program with Fresh Choice that I believe encourages kids to read 5 books with a free meal as a reward. I cannot find anything about it online but it definitely is a thing — ask your librarian!

Zombie Jamboree

Braaaiiiinssss

In celebration of Trash Film Orgy‘s 10th Anniversary, an attempt will be made to break the world record for the largest zombie walk (current official record = 4,026). More details will be coming to their website, but the parade will be Saturday, July 10 from 7-9pm starting at Sub-Q. To get prepared, there are plenty of sources for advice and inspiration on perfecting your undead look. One great spot uses the Socratic method to help you fill out your story (Were you buried underground? Have you eaten yet?) and eHow has a fifteen part video series that provides step-by-step instruction.

NYTimes’s grim view of housing market

The housing market has a good local angle, so I don’t think it’s out of place to point out this accidentally terrible page design in none other than the New York Times today:

These guys are so picky! Don’t they know that even only-partially-destroyed homes are getting snatched up fast these days? You want walls and doors you really have to go out of your price range anymore.

Far at Daytrotter Studios

gratitude1
Creative Commons License photo credit: justingaynor

Another Sacramento band graces the Daytrotter Studio, this time the recently reconstituted ’90s proto-emo band Far, led by Jonah Matranga. From the trippy-dippy (in a good way) intro by Daytrotter’s Sean Moller:

… [T]he band builds itself around very intense and very serious thoughts of when we’re living and when we’re doing something less than living. It could refer to dying, but more often than not, in listening to the words that Matranga pens, we get the feeling that being dead and dying don’t carry all of that permanence. These just happen to be conditions – no less serious – but situations that can be fixed if the winds and minds are right.

Daytrotter.com: We All Live On (Far session)

Toilet Paper Saves Lives

If you’re living on a budget, you might have done the unthinkable to get by in these tough times: switched to cheap toilet paper. Going from soft to scratchy is the ultimate fiscal sacrifice.

So imagine how local nonprofits must feel. These budget-savvy agencies (they don’t call them “non” profit for nothing!) have been penny-pinching on their toilet paper budgets all along. In these tough times, there’s really nowhere else to cut back. So when cuts have to be made, agencies look to their life-saving programs.

“It’s amazing the number of expenses nonprofits face that people don’t think about,” said Steve Heath, president of United Way California Capital Region. “Nonprofits work magic with their budgets to make a positive difference in countless lives in our region, but there’s only so much they can do. Donating toilet paper is a great way to join together… ensuring more money goes toward vital programs that change people’s lives.”

Save a life with your toilet paper! (Did you ever think you’d hear that phrase uttered?) Continue reading “Toilet Paper Saves Lives”