ArtBeast Studio provides open studio space, arts exploration rooms, and loads of classes so that children can dig into the arts.

It benefits the awesomely named Tubman House. For parents of little kids this is a godsend — both because of the budget and because of the lack of things to do in Sac when it is hot or raining. And I can’t say enough about the fact that they have a “pledge to the shy.” In addition to arts & crafts they have puppets and costume stuff and a music room, and in addition to free range play ArtBeast will also offer a number of organized classes. Perfect for preschool age kids or homeschooling families. This might be the coolest thing to ever hit the 916, family fun-wise. Not to mention the pretty slick Web design!

ArtBeast Studio
2226 K St.
(916) 441-1233

When you travel to any of the riverside joints that promise great views, relaxed atmospheres, and top-notch food, you usually leave about two-thirds satisfied. Whether it’s Chevy’s, Crawdad’s, Joe’s Crab Shack, Delta King, or any of the other dozen or so eateries on the city’s riverbanks, the food is not what you’re going for.

Unfortunately, Pearl on the River lives up to the standard set by its neighbors.

Located in the restaurant space on Garden Highway, once home to Woody’s then Blue Gecko, Pearl on the River tries to take the typically casual riverside eating experience up a few pegs.  And in many ways, they succeed. Upscale bar with decent wine selection and good beers on tap? Check. Separate upstairs bar with view? Check. Nice interior redesign? Check. Attentive service? Check.

Unfortunately, it falls into the trap that many restaurants fall into when they focus more on the presentation and atmosphere and less on the food itself. Menu with lots of foreign sounding words? Check. Hip, modern design that makes the place great to look at, but winds up reflecting sound like boxcar full of bullhorns? Check. Ridiculously shaped dishes that wind up dwarfing the food, making reasonable portions look minuscule? Check. A frighteningly similarly shaped urinal in the men’s room? Check.

On my only visit, a few things marred the meal: a nearly hour wait for our entrees to arrive, severely overdone shrimp in my seafood fettuccine (which otherwise was good), and the unbelievably loud group of Rotarians that took up three tables next to ours. Note to civic organizations and restaurant owners, civic groups- if you plan to have an event at a restaurant that will involve speeches, the giving of awards, drunk exchanges, group cheers, myriad applause breaks, and playground games similar to leapfrog, you may wish to ask the restaurant owner if they have a private room, or go to a casual eatery — such as the Costco foodcourt — at which no one will mind; restaurant owner, don’t book a group of 40 people if you can’t handle it.

Thankfully, our waitress was kind enough to comp us a few desserts after the rather long wait for the entrees, and they were the highlight of the meal. The simple fruit tart was spec-tac.

Here’s the good news, if any restaurant on the river has a chance to be a great dining destination, Pearl is it. With some tweaks to the food, tweaks to the servingwear, and tweaks to the kitchen, they might actually be able to bring the dining experience up to the standard already set by their neat bar and great service.

Pearl on the River-1379 Garden Highway, Sacramento

Food** Service *** Atmosphere***

“People are coming in and saying, ‘I want to buy a gun today,’” Barrett said. “We’re specifically seeing people say, ‘I want it because I’m not going to be able to get the protection that I need from the sheriff’s department.’”

This can’t miss. Luckily, folks will not be able to conceal these weapons …

Faced with the potential loss of more than 200 deputies due to budget cuts, McGinness said earlier this month that he may consider issuing more concealed weapons permits.

So, we have this going for us. From the comments area:

People have to be able to protect themselves and their families!!! Yes, case studies are proven about when honest, law abiding citizens are armed and ready that crime does go down.

I wonder if case studies would also prove that if folks installed a soft serve ice cream machine in their kitchen obesity would go down.

The bathroom closure announcement is probably the most unfortunate and glaring change in the city’s gutted rec budget, but I’m really disappointed that almost all the pools will now only be open 3-5 PM. There will be no city pools open after 5pm, and several pools — including my beloved Glenn Hall pool — will be closed to recreational swimming entirely. The changes take effect Monday. Oh well, at least the kids can play in the sprinklers, right? Oh wait.

• Press Release – Fiscal Year 2010 Budgetary Impacts to Department of Parks and Recreation Programs, Services and Facilities (62 KB PDF)

Cbs13.com hears your concern and helps you out with a little image to help.

What about an article that reports on a man performing lewd acts near a playground?

Officers say they found 35-year-old Alfonso Valladarez “gyrating his hips in the grass,” as if he was having sexual intercourse.

Hmm, playground, eh? What’s the big deal? Once again, Cbs13.com is there.

Do I need to see a photo of children playing at sunset while I read about a man gyrating his hips in the grass as if he was having sexual intercourse while looking toward the playground? No, I do not. In fact, just typing that sentence makes me want to vomit.

Damn straight he can. Stand and deliver he can. Give it to ya’ with a swift, casual kick to the culinary crotch he can.

Ok, here’s the scope. OneSpeed is a laid-back, medium-sized neighborhood bar/restaurant. The menu has a decent number of Med-inspired offerings with a predominance of pizza and salads. Entree specials seem to rotate pretty regularly and are up on the chalkboard. Prices are fair, portions are small to reasonable. Vibe is ultra-casual with ladies showing off very heavy tan lines and guys wandering in wearing their nut-snuggling bike shorts and sweaty technical fabric jerseys. Note to said guys: just because the name of the place evokes great cycling nostalgia — “one-speed” being a term for one-speed bicycles — there is no justification for spreading your cycling stink all over my pizza.

The swordfish special was a home run, with calms, coconut broth, and bizarre but tasty purple potatoes. The gnocchi were divine with a brown butter, and the beets with goat cheese were beet-a-riffic.  The one flop was a small app dish of marinated peppers, artichokes and fennel, which really had no flavor at all other than olive oil and black pepper. Desserts were great, other than the slight weirdness in numenclature on the dessert menu which made a $5.00 panna cotta look like a $50 panna cotta. Luckily I wasn’t paying so I didn’t bother clarifying with the waitstaff. Instead I just ordered the panna cotta, which was delicious, along with what may have been a $250 cup of coffee.

So, well done to Mr. Mahan. His little side project is undeniably worthy of his nameplate and, if the line out the door is any judge, an unmitigated success. Oh, there is one thing though.  The doors.  Not the band, the doors to the restaurant.  While the rest of the room has a hip, colorful, modern vibe, the doors look like they were purchased at an ’80s tract home liquidation sale, all cut glass and stained oak. Once they replace those godawful doors, the place will be perfect.

OneSpeed- 48th & Folsom, Sacramento

Food *** Service**** Atmosphere***

“Don’t close the parks, don’t cut from education, don’t cut from health care, don’t cut from anything,” said Shriver, amplifying what people tell her. “I say, ‘We have a $25 billion deficit: What would you do?’”

I told you! I spent it with my uncle in Alaska hunting wolverines!

Uh, er, sorry about that … she goes on to say:

…nearly everyone replies that they don’t want to pay higher taxes and don’t have any of their own ideas about what parts of government to cut.

Really? Nearly everyone, eh? No suggestions? Drawing a complete blank? I am sure that nearly everyone of the 10 to 15 people that read this here web log semi-regularly have an opinion or two on this topic.

What say you, Raggers?

Wednesday, June 24- 9 to 10:30, 2oth & J, 1 to 2:30, Fountains at Roseville

Wednesday, July 1- 9 to 10:30 Alhambra and Folsom, 1 to 2:30, Pleasant Hill in Roseville

Wednesday, July 8- 9 to 11am, 20th & J

Family Gameshow Night- 7:00

Village Green Amphiteater- Rancho Cordova- Admission is FREE

After a legislative committee votes down a 5% salary reduction for state workers, Darrell Steinberg asks his colleagues in the Senate to take a 5% pay cut. A great factoid in that story is that the operating budget of the CA Senate is $100 million. That’s $2.5 million per member. For reference, that is exactly the same size as the Sacramento Fire Department’s budget. But that includes, you know, the pool … er I mean fighting fires and stuff. For a Senate, $100 million just gets you 40 people to show up — you want extras? That costs more.

Something else to keep in mind: the legislators gave up the right to cut their own salary by fiat when the voters approved Prop 112 in 1990. But who told us to do that? Who put Prop 112 on the ballot? Hold on to your seats: it was the California Legislature!

The Union (Nevada County), all up in Web 3.0, caught the breaking news from cyclist Lance Armstrong hours ago via Twitter that he and Astana Cycling teammates Levi Leipheimer (winner of the 2009 AMGEN Tour of California) and Chris Horner will be racing at the 49th annual Nevada City Classic bike race on Saturday. Let’s hope NVC gives him a better welcome back than Sac did.

UPDATE: Word on the streets of Nevada City is that the town is “in the running towards becoming” host to the first leg of the 2010 AMGEN Tour. Cool!

The best example I’ve seen lately is from this article about the potential for public urination in our city and county parks with the closure of restrooms.

“We’re going to have heavy cuts to our park staff and our park maintenance and also to our recreation,” Combs said. “We’ll be closing community centers and pools and children’s programs. All the decisions are difficult. We regret this, but right now that’s what we’re forced to do because of the budget.”

In case you heard about this story and thought, hey, what the heck, I think I will relieve myself in the rose garden at McKinley Park, you better think again. The Sacramento police are on to you:

Sacramento police Sgt. Norm Leong said park visitors will simply have to plan ahead if the bathrooms are closed. Anyone caught going to the bathroom in parks may be cited, he added.

Right, as long as nothing happens to the number of police officers patrolling these areas we should be safe from public pee’rs.

“Sometimes it’s just too busy at work,” said Ms. Roberson, whose pay was cut in February as part of the state’s effort to close a multibillion-dollar budget deficit. “You start to feel guilty.”

Roberson has other tricks up her sleeve, however:

To make extra money, Ms. Roberson teaches belly-dancing at girls’ birthday parties on weekends, something she has been doing more of lately.

A growth industry if there ever was one! By the way, it may just be me but between the State Worker blog and Capitol Alert it seems like “blogs” on sacbee.com are where all the action is.

For example, “Chief blames ‘knuckleheads’ for Lakers disturbance.”

Looting and vandalism that broke out in the aftermath of the Los Angeles Lakers’ basketball championship won’t keep the city from celebrating the team’s victory …

See, don’t you feel better now? Have your own? Feel free to comment it.

Read the City’s ordinance (PDF)

(Hat tip to Chris Shannon of North Sac Beat)

From the Home page of cbs13.com:

Last week, we brought you a story about an accused shoplifter who used a baby as a shield against law enforcement in the parking lot of a strip mall. We have since learned the alleged shoplifting crime happened inside a Ross store, not a Marshalls as previously reported. We are sorry for any confusion caused by the initial report.

When I first read that story last week I thought, “No way!”, and it turns out my spidey-sense was right. Now, the only confusion I have is about the future of the human race.

From sacbee.com:

Editor’s Note: Comments on this story have been removed because too many users have violated our rules against personal attacks.

And from our very own web log:

Went to Barret Junior High with Lisa Ling. Stuck up snotty bitch who did everything possible to make life hell for the few kids who went there that were poor, like myself. Doesn’t have anything to do with her sister, just wanted to put that out there …

We haven’t had to use it in a while, but I think today it’s worth dusting off …

Stay classy, Sacramento.

As we get ready to switch to digital television, I want you to be prepared. I have provided a series of resources on my website to help answer any questions you may have. Please see my Digital TV Transition Guide if you have any questions or concerns, and please see below for the schedule of transition for each television station in Sacramento:

Thanks, Doris. At least now I won’t be TOTALLY ambushed by this change. On the good side, the mayhem that should ensue will keep our minds off the economy for a few days.

Prep catchers Max Stassi (Yuba City) and Andrew Susac (Jesuit) have yet to be taken in the draft. At this point (end of 2nd round) I would assume both young men will be college bound next year. UPDATE – The Oakland A’s drafted Stassi in the 4th round. So now the kid has to choose between turning pro or going to UCLA, and I would think the prospect of playing for a Norcal team might tip the scales toward joining the MLB. I gotta think signing bonuses for 4th rounders are not stratospheric.

This means almost all of the representatives in our area who are doing something to voluntarily lower their pay, including Assemblymembers Joan Buchanan and Alyson Huber. I know it’s kind of a silly topic — I think I’d actually be okay with raising their salaries if they could get us out of this mess — but I think that does matter.

“Our kids get their information from the internet, downloaded onto their iPods, and in Twitter feeds to their cell phones … Basically. kids are feeling as comfortable with their electronic devices as I was with my pencils and crayons.”

I am sure this is true in many cases, but will the government require kids to have iPods, cell phones, and computers connected to the Internet to access these digital textbooks?

Mr Schwarzenegger has ruled out tax increases to make up the shortfall. He said in a statement that he would concentrate on getting better value for money for the state, reconsidering everyday purchases just as ordinary families were having to do during the recession.

What a unique idea. It sort of makes you want to do the Running Man, er, or go Commando, or, or have Twins …

In a court ruling today, Judge England of Sacramento, dismissed a charge from a plaintiff that Quaker Cereals had blatantly misled consumers by labeling one of its products as “Crunch Berries” when in fact the product contained no real fruit. First of all, how dare someone try to impugn the character of retired naval hero Capt. Horatio Magellan Crunch. Second this person is obviously an attention seeking moron, who will now probably try to sue Kellogg’s for including no real smacks in its Sugar Smacks cereal. Third, and lastly, Judge England is awesome!

I was fortunate enough to sit in a jury in a trial adjudicated by Judge England, and it was truly impressive. First of all, he’s straight out of central casting: a barrel-chested, deep-voiced, African-American man with graying hair and a stern-but-fair disposition that some judges work their whole careers at creating. Besides that, he’s a fair, even-handed judge that runs his courtroom efficiently. But most of all, he seems to take no personal pleasure in the power that he wields as a judge. If there’s one mark against judges, it’s their somewhat transparent love of their own power. Not with Judge England. He seems to be everything the public looks for in a judge: fairness, toughness, and humility. Don’t be surprised to see him on the short-list of Supreme Court nominees one day.

What percent of 1.5 million is 300? Find out here!

In case you have never met the trio on 98 Rock, they star as self-caricatures on a radio/comedy show with three hyper-opinionated friends. Think Seinfeld in Cowtown. Arnie plays the fat, dumb, loser, hick. Rob plays the successful capitalist genius. Dawn plays the crazy, loudmouthed, overly-emotional woman. Each show features voyeuristic details of their lives, which helps keep their loyal audience. Regular listeners get to be in on a lot of jokes, like Dawn’s therapeutic vacations, Arnie’s tiny penis, and Rob’s snobbish tastes.

The show makes jokes and provides commentary on retarded children, fat people, gay men, nerds, people with chronic diseases, single mothers, lesbians, people from every foreign country, liberals, illegal immigrants, women, child molesters, environmentalists, and dumb people. They were fined $55,000 in 2004 for “graphic and detailed discussions of various methods that men may employ to disgrace, degrade and humiliate women before, during and after sexual intercourse,” according to the FCC.

We all know that talking dirty and inciting sexual violence on the air are no-no’s but RAD’s show is currently coming under fire for creating a dangerous atmosphere of intolerance. I am curious to see how this plays out as Arnie, to me, has no credibility. He plays a dumb-ass on the radio named Arnie. His role in the theater of the airwaves may be protected as artistic expression.

While I look forward to discussions that Arnie is a satirist of his own hickery a la Jeff Foxworthy, a more salient discussion will be identifying people in danger from falling prey to Arnie’s influence. I am optimistic and believe that there is not a legion of ArnieHeads that were indoctrinated in to a life of dumb-assery by Arnie’s radio rants enough to beat gay classmates, siblings or children.

Or, am I naive? Is Arnie dangerous?