St. Francis H.S. alum Analeigh Tipton finished third in the 11th cycle of America’s Next Top Model tonight, which I believe means that she wins the ceremonial title of Greater Midwest’s Next Top Model and takes the national throne if and when the other two are unable to serve out their terms.

I’m honestly surprised that she didn’t at least finish second, though she did totally blow it toward the end there. I just never thought Samantha would get that far, considering she looked like an Applebee’s server and couldn’t walk on the runway, which as job skills go is crucial when you’re a model. However I have a history of being terrible at calling these things.

But did not move to keep the initiative from going into effect, the Bee reports.

Carousel Works’ work at the Kansas City Zoo

According to the Sacramento Zoo email newsletter, the Zoo is planning to add a carousel by next spring.

Yes! A carousel at the Sacramento Zoo! Well, not quite yet… By next spring, we will have a beautiful carousel located in our shaded Redwood Grove area (where the Magellanic Penguin temporary exhibit was previously located). This carousel will feature 32 carefully hand carved animals from the skilled craftsmen at Carousel Works – maybe your favorite animal will be one of them!

The carousel is being crafted by Carousel Works out of Mansfield, Ohio. At approximately 300 feet apart, I’m going to make the bold proclamation that this carousel and the one at Funderland are the two carousels in closest proximity to each other in the entire world. Prove me wrong. Roadside carnivals don’t count.

Not exactly what I wanted to see on my burrito bag… “Beef”

Though I suppose it could have said “Beef?”

After being twice admonished by reader Brambles for not blogging the KJ appearance on Colbert (I think partly I blanked because it was supposed to be on tonight, and not on the 11th) I finally checked it out. Thank Jeebus for the online television. I myself have gone without cable for a few years now and mostly not had to look back, what with the plethora of online options, and the sublime unintentional comedy of “One Tree Hill.” Next week: a 1920s fantasy episode written by Chad Michael Murray. That is can’t miss TV right there. But I’m digressing…

Continue reading “Sacramento gets the “Colbert Bump”!” »

Gay and lesbian artists calling for a boycott of California Musical Theater, after it was discovered that CMT artistic director Scott Eckern donated $1,000 to the Yes on Prop 8 campaign, have succeeded in pressuring Eckern to resign from his position with CMT, the nonprofit theater company he served for almost all of his adult life. The Wall Street Journal’s MarketWatch has the press release.

I worked for Music Circus in 1996 and 1997, when Eckern was the managing director. He interviewed me for my first position, and I worked closely with him (as everyone did who was anywhere near the tent, it seemed — from volunteers to headliners). He is a good man and plainly no bigot. It saddens me to think that all the work he did for that company — and on behalf of the gay community — will count for nothing.

Continue reading “BREAKING: CMT’s Eckern loses job over Prop 8 support” »

This guy probably gets
free washes everywhere

Today is Veteran’s Day, and Harv’s Metro Car Wash will be offering free car washes for veterans.

[Harv's co-owner] Aaron Zeff and business partner Doron Levitan are both veterans themselves. Zeff trained locally at Mather Air Force Base before its closure and finished his career flying the supersonic RF-4 Phantom.

Harv’s Metro Car Wash
1901 L Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
916.446-0129
http://www.harvscarwash.com

Reader Eric emails some potential bad news:

Our much beloved Mamma Susanna’s Italian Ristorante in River Park is changing owners in mid Dec. New chef, new staff members, but apparently, the current owners are cross-training the new owners and “it won’t change too much.” I’ve got to be positive about this, but it’s my favorite restaurant, it’s in my neighborhood, and I’m resisting change!

Eric also reports the servers seemed “unenthusiastic” about the change. I think you should stay positive, Eric, it doesn’t seem like they would go through with cross-training if they weren’t serious about keeping things copacetic, but that could also be a clever ploy: “Sure sure, cross training, let’s do this.” And then they open an oyster bar. Is this helping, Eric?

Me, I haven’t been to that location since it it was Paradise Pizza. But it looks cute!

Andy Richter Jack Nance in “Eraserhead”

Film critic extraordinaire and die-hard zydeco apologist DB, launches a new site Monday (November 10), The E Street Film Society. DB writes:

Any of you who have followed my other blogs (The Barnesyard and Movie City USA) know what you are in for, but this blog will lean much heavier towards movie reviews, discussion, and interactivity. My goals are threefold:

Continue reading “New film blog/community debuts” »

This is shameful. Proposition 8 was decided by the democratic process, for good or for bad, and this kind of uncivil behavior should not be tolerated. Just as it should never be tolerated when it is pointed the other direction.