In lieu of my semiannual rant about Daylight Saving Time, I thought I’d share this photo I took at the grocery store today in Sacramento, CA.

“Our old courtesy signs were several years old and were showing their age,” said Flannery. “Our old signs also had a lot more wording, and because we realized that most trail users reasonably wouldn’t take the time to read the entire sign, we cut the words by half.”

And people still won’t read/follow them. Anyone that has had to do anything that involves people of any kind should know by now that you can’t win no matter what you do. On the Parkway, at the grocery store, you name it. People just suck.

This is about the time of year where the Parkway etiquette debate heats up. The Parkway, like The Sac Rag, follows the “if you live here, you know” slogan.

I am sure a billboard for Chili's is coming soon

When Sacramentans are faced with adversity (like the recent economic downturn) they often times know how to make the most of a bad situation. The would-be TGIF restaurant on Truxel Road has been an eye-sore for quite some time. The smart folks at Beach Hut Deli and Sport Clips saw this as an opportunity to promote their business in a high traffic area. Nice work.

I still can’t believe this location hasn’t been torched yet. Er, I mean, something horrible like an accidental fire.

It's worth watching again.

Of course, we all know that the announcement is that the San Francisco football Redwoods will be moving to Sacramento. I know, I know. Crazy, huh?

Coached by Dennis Green (of “…they are who we thought they were! And we let ‘em off the hook!” fame) and owned by Paul Pelosi (yes, that name does sound familiar) the Redwoods are one of four teams mixing it up in the semi-almost-better-than-arena-football league entering its second season.

“To fulfill the needs of football fans in major markets currently under-served by professional football by providing a high quality traditional football league comprised of world class professional football players. The UFL will serve its communities with pride, dedication and passion, and uphold a leadership role in the development of football worldwide. The UFL will provide every fan with an affordable, accessible, exciting and entertaining game experience.”

Hey, you never know, right? Will you go?

Safety never takes a holiday.

via RealityWanted.com

We are looking for real life experienced Security Guards to be part of a new reality series. Are you the toughest, boldest, no bs Security Guard? Are you a natural leader? We are looking for real people who are the biggest and most energetic security guards to be part of a new show taking place in Sacramento. We are not looking for actors. You must have experience working in security and you must already have the proper training. This casting is for Sacramento only, you must pay your own way if you live outside the Sacramento area.

I believe they are called Security Officers…

Man, who doesn't love pancakes?

* There is a limit of one free short stack per guest. The offer is valid at participating restaurants for dine-in only while supplies last and is not valid with any other offer, special coupon or discount.

Oh, and all they ask is that you consider making a donation to support local children’s hospitals through Children’s Miracle Network, or other local charities.

From news10.net, looks like Jack in the Box is in on the action, too.

Also on Feb. 23, Jack-in-the Box will kick in a free grilled sandwich when you buy a large soft drink. On the menu: the turkey bacon cheddar and deli trio sandwiches.

You’ve been warned, errr, uh, now you know!

Except when it comes to U.S. Census workers and maybe cookie-peddling Girl Scouts, legitimate neighborhood salesmen are pretty much a thing of the past, said Sherrie Carhart, a crime prevention specialist for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department.

Note to self: disguise yourself as a U.S. Census worker the next time you want to solicit door to door.

I kid the person from my community who is hired by the Census Bureau to make sure that my neighborhood gets represented as accurately as possible.

I did find this tidbit interesting…

Carhart said sales people are required to carry a copy of the county permit they must obtain for door-to-door solicitation, as well as a copy of their business license.

So, do I just not answer the door when someone I do not know comes-a-knockin’? Do I look through my peep-hole and give them a once-over to determine if they are cookie-peddlers or there to find out why I didn’t mail it back?

As it turns out, what do you know …

The state has tapped the California Redemption Value fund for $417.7 million in loans to help deal with its budget crisis. Consumers pay about $1.2 billion a year in 5- and 10-cent deposits on most soda, sports drinks, juice, beer and water bottles and cans sold in California.

The parking-lot recycling business operates as a for profit enterprise helping to make it easier for folks to return their recyclables for cash. You know, creating jobs, providing a service to the community. Yawn…

From the Bee…

And, by law, supermarkets not served by parking-lot recyclers are supposed to either pay the state $100 a day – only one store is doing so – or redeem the containers themselves, but many do not.

What a joke. Luckily, a short term fix has been announced:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is throwing a financial lifeline to California’s troubled recycling program for cans and bottles that should keep it alive for at least several months, even though the long-term prognosis remains uncertain.

Let me get this straight. You cut the hours of these places or you shut them down completely. You make it increasingly difficult to get your nickel or dime back. All the while, folks continue to purchase the beverages and pay the CRV. The money keeps rolling in. Man, that’s some value.

Bernie Madoff would be so proud.

When we decided to revitalize the long-standing Sacramento Marathon in 2005 our goal was to give it a name, identity, and personality that would be fun and relevant for our community. At the risk of being offensive to some, we renamed the event to the Sacramento Cowtown Marathon. Our runners not only embraced the name “Cowtown”, but also the theme, the festivities, and, of course, our cows. After all, who could resist those loveable, yet admittedly forlorn, cows that grace our race shirts each year?

Makes sense to me. If you can’t beat’em, join’em, right?

Simply put, Sacramento is no longer a cowtown & the name no longer accurately describes our community. We’re ready to forge ahead proud to leave this outdated ‘description’ behind us…Apparently, not so in Texas! The folks in Fort Worth, TX, their runners, their attorneys, and no doubt their cows, are so pleased to have the distinction of still actually being, well, a “cowtown” that they will go to any lengths to covet the name “Cowtown Marathon” exclusively. So, we are relinquishing the name and they can now maintain a legacy Sacramento no longer has to endure.

Alrighty then…So, what would your suggestion be? Feel free to submit it formally, and even in the name of the SacRag if you want to be really cool. Otherwise, leave your snarky goodness as a comment and we’ll have some fun at Sacramento’s expense.

There will be $0.50 fee for reading this post.

I think we’ve all figured out by now that more and more gas stations price their product depending on your method of payment.

The two-tiered system is completely legal, however is not an option for many gas station owners. Pumps that have the technology able to track dual-prices cost anywhere between $12,000 to $15,000, meaning many small stations simply cannot afford such a luxury…and are stuck with smaller margins due to processing costs.

Wouldn’t NOT upgrading pumps at a cost of around 60K to 100K also help with those margins?

At any rate, here’s a photo taken at the 76 Station on Watt & Fair Oaks. If you have coins on you, it’ll run you $0.75 to fill up those tires. If you don’t, the price goes up to $1.25. You know, “Same as Cash.”

With more people on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, the marketplace is shifting as more retailers accept food stamps and some retailers consciously market to those customers.

Well, that’s a catchy name isn’t it? And now even Whole Foods Market accepts your SNAP stamps. Our society sure loves to react to the symptoms of problems rather than the causes, huh?

Since 2004, SNAP benefits have converted to Electronic Benefit Transfer, or what is essentially a debit card loaded with the benefit amounts that are deducted by retailers. As discreet as gift cards, EBT cards lessened the social stigma and simplified the process for retailers, Berg said.

Wasn’t the “social stigma” sort of the deal you made with the government when you accepted the assistance? That is, regardless of where you stand politically, isn’t shame the one constant social regulator we have left?

That and the “Pants on the Ground” song, of course.

Tesla girls, Tesla girls

I had occasion to visit the California Automobile Museum (formerly The Towe Auto Museum) this weekend and boy was I impressed. I’ve never been much of a “car guy” but I appreciate a sweet ride when I see it. The inventory is quite remarkable and with the new “Born to Ride” exhibit showcasing the evolution of motorcycles you get quite a bang for your buck ($7 for adults with an AAA card). I enjoyed the “Going Green” exhibit as well and got my first look at a Tesla Roadster which will be up for auction on January 22, 2010.

Check out the fact sheet for more details or visit them on Facebook or Twitter. Great reviews on Yelp, too.

It’s a bit tricky to get to with downtown construction (link to Google map), but there was plenty of free parking once I got there. They also participate in Sacramento Museum Day (free admission!) which will be held on February 6, 2010.

“I think the city has been good about making conditions better for cyclists,” he said, noting a number of changes the city made last year in midtown.

Several streets, including P, Q, 19th and 21st, went from three lanes to two with bike lanes. The city also converted a number of parking meters to bike racks.

Remind me where midtown is again?

At any rate, we are very fortunate to have the American River Parkway (great article here, btw) and other trails that help make bicycling easier and safer in Sacramento. I do think that employers can make it easier to commute by bicycle (many have already, I know) by providing secure bike lockers and storage areas for equipment. A lot of bicycle commuting has to do with the type of job you have, too.

What have your experiences been with bicycle commuting? When HeyMeg wrote about this topic in 2007, safety was a big concern. Still a major issue? Access to trails from outlying cities?

You can print this coupon or show it on your mobile device in the store.

I won’t have a chance today, but please let me know if anyone is successful showing their mobile device to a Peet’s barista.

Oh, and check out the many exceptions/exclusions.

Anything below the stereo and on this side of the bicentennial glasses. Anything between the ashtrays and the thimble. Anything in this three inches right in here in this area. That includes the Chiclets, but not the erasers.

Enjoy.

Police said when they showed up at 3:30 p.m. Friday they found that people had been taking items and leaving money at the registers.

Sounds like an opportunity to dust off the old Sac Rag “Right Awn” right? Not if you read the comments. Ah, the comments…

“This is why I LOVE ROSEVILLE! We are hard-working, trust-worthy people. You would never read a story like this (the honest people part) happening in Sacramento or most other cities.”

“SERIOUSLY? nothing at ALL was stolen and everyone just happened to have cash AND, yes, trespassing? I don’t buy it for a minute (no pun intended) … I think they are low balling it to the media to cover their back sides…and please, Roseville, Granite Bay etc…get off your high horse of being above law breaking citizens…it’s getting old”

“Did any of those so called paying trespassers report that the stores were unlocked to the sheriffs dept? Man if i went in that store and saw no employees, I would have hightailed it out of there. Trespassing is a crime last I heard!”

And of course, the mandatory…

“If it had been in south sac the store would have been empty”

Then the junior reporters chime in with the “real” story.

but one of the rarely-used locks was compromised by the first of the trespassers by shaking it loose. Contrary to the story here, a few items were indeed stolen (but still likely less than on a normal business day.)

I know there are two sides to every story, but man it gets old with people. Are they happy with anything? Or is it that the types of people that read news stories online and then comment on them are just passive/aggressive curmudgeons?

Feel free to, uh, comment.

Go, EBOY, Go!

• cbs13.com offers up a slideshow of bad tattoos. Some real gems in there.
• ESPN’s Rick Reilly puts together some of the *best* ink in professional sports.
• The Athlete Tattoo Database hopes to become “the main source of information for those curious about the details/meanings of the tattoos we see on the athletes“. Let’s hear it for hope.

Nothing on current Sacramento Kings, but I did find more from former King, Jason Williams.

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays.

From cbs13.com we learn that, in spite of these tough economic times, people still covet sneakers and are willing to wait in line for them.

Crowds were in line waiting for the release of Air Jordan 11. The crowd that gathered for the $175 sneakers became so unruly, police were brought in and the mall closed. As a result, many customers who had been standing in line for hours became angry…Some people reportedly tried to get into the mall through back doors.

No word if any were wearing hoodies. Although I can report that Mrs. TopofIt has intentionally worn a hoodie at the Arden Fair Mall without so much as a second look.

Only six people were able to get shoes before the mall was closed. They received a special police escort from the mall to their vehicles.

$175 for reissued shoes! Man, people are funny.

You need somebody watching your back at all times.

Patrons inside a Roseville Taco Bell got much more than they bargained for Thursday night when a karate instructor walked inside and tried to place one of his employees under citizen’s arrest…”I walked in the front door and I said Riley Lockett, I said you’re under arrest for theiving from me, right now, citizen’s arrest, right now,” Marinoble said.

Boy, sounds like a real tussle. The story continues to get curiouser…

“I did do something really dumb. I went in there and I was stealing money from him because I wasn’t making enough money to pay for my speeding tickets,” Lockett said.

Well, why didn’t you say so? We all know those dang speeding tickets can get pricey. Especially when you’re 17! Man.

As witnessed by the comments at News10.net, folks are split on this one. It is a tough call.

What do you think? Should Marinoble have called the police and asked for their assistance in apprehending this youngster? What should happen to the teen? He did confess to the crime and was caught on video.

A Kings-sized mixed message

Tonight’s Kings game versus the Washington Wizards will be nationally televised on ESPN starting at 7:30 p.m.

Much has been made about the dollar beer promotion, but times are tough and folks gotta do what folks gotta do, right?

“Our fans’ response to our dollar beverage promotion including beer, water and soda has been phenomenal,” said Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof. “Sacramento and ARCO Arena will look awesome on national TV tomorrow night.”

Hmm, dollar beer night or dollar beverage night? Come on, guys, own it.

NOTE: Fans will be able to purchase 12-ounce domestic draft brews for $1 through halftime and can purchase two at a time. No word on whether this applies to water and soda, too.

Whatever happened to common decency?

I had lunch at Mezcal Taqueria today on West El Camino near Truxel Road. It wasn’t bad (Hey, Taco De Sacto, can we search your site to see if you’ve reviewed a restaurant already?) and I would go back again. What was bad, though, was the mixed messages in the restroom.

As I walked in I noticed a sign indicating that workers are required to wash their hands before returning to work. You know the sign, we’ve all seen it. However this one had a little twist…

“Common Decency and the State Law Health and Safety Code Require That You Wash Your Hands Before Leaving This Room to Resume Work”

Perfect for passiveaggressivenotes.com, huh?

Whatever happened to
common anything?

My lesson in common decency continued when I noticed this sign advertising a taxi company (it’s a horrible camera phone shot, I know) having to do with a girl that is unattractive at 10:00 p.m. but more desirable throughout the night until it is time to call a taxi, or something, I’m not quite sure. Has anyone else seen it? So odd.

From the Bee article:

To avoid waiting in long lines at the public clinics, call your doctor’s office to see if they have the vaccination.

Hmm. A lot can be read into that statement, huh?

I won’t even comment on the comments because I am all about the “Hide comments on sacbee.com” feature. It’s like you get to read about what’s going on in Sacramento and form your own opinions! Imagine.

The article did use my favorite phrase:

Homeless advocates have been scrambling to find emergency housing since funding for the Cal Expo winter shelter was closed because of budget cuts.

In other news, the CIM sold out five and half weeks early…because of these hard economic times.

It’s all about how you look at it, right?

At any rate, being homeless has to suck in pleasant conditions. Being homeless when it’s 28 degrees and snowing…

Man, that’s catchy.

For additional entertainment be sure to check out Rashida Jones singing the “I Love Stuffing” song. Or at hulu.com. She is great. You may remember her in the “Prop 8: The Musical” video featuring Sacramento Community College.

A random post about a dream I had to a Sacramento connection in 8.6 seconds. A new record!

From News10.net:

“We don’t advertise. We do promote ticket sales to our members, but it’s just a word of mouth event over the last three years,” said Mello.

Of course, people have to be people and some have scalped auctioned tickets on eBay (tickets are normally $24 for adults, $16 for children).

At any rate, this is good news for Sacramento and for our otherwise crappy economy.

(For the 2010 Polar Express train ride, members of the California State Railroad Museum will have the opportunity for advance ticket purchase before the general public. For more information on becoming a member, call the Membership Office at (916) 445-5995.)

The finish line area around 8th, 9th, and 10th Streets and Capitol Mall will be closed from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.