Month: May 2010

Old Fashioned Music/New-Fangled Internet Radio

If you haven’t had a chance to check out Nick Brunner’s show “Off-Air” on Capital Public Radio, you really should. Nick does a great job of putting together quality music, live in-studio performances, and wit and wisdom rarely seen on midweek NPR programming.

I might recommend also, that you tune-in to this week’s rather outstanding show since it features one of my favorite bands, my band, The FreeBadge Serenaders. If you are a fan of a) depression-era ditties, b) household implements put into service as musical instruments, and c) gratuitous references to Keith Lowell Jensen (where ya’ been KLJ?) then this is the broadcast for you. In addition you can catch tracks from bands with beards like “Broken Social Scene” and “LCD Soundsystem.”

Click. Listen. Enjoy. Sassafras.

Sacramento Bee Online. Really?

http://www.hulu.com/embed/1kxT2gV3iJ9EicMKMFNeWQ

Have you been to sacbee.com lately? Good grief has it become an advertising battleground. Do you remember that scene in Airplane! when Rex Kramer is trying to walk through the airport and has to fight off one activist after the other? That’s what browsing sacbee.com is like for me right now. The last straw was the “your free content will start in….” lightbox pop-up that you can’t close.

I get it, times is tough all over and you have to keep the lights on, but really? Really?

Sacramento to sign former NFL star

The Sacramento Mountain Lions are close to signing former NFL quarterback Daunte Culpepper. Culpepper tried to give it up two years ago only to come back with the Detroit Lions last season.

How the sporting world views the UFL:

Not being able to land a job anywhere in the NFL, even as a third-stringer, has got to be difficult to accept for Culpepper, who most recently played quarterback for the Detroit Lions. We’re talking about a two-time All-Pro, a three-time Pro Bowler and a guy who once graced the cover of Madden. Now he’s on a team that’s also accepting players from open tryouts.

Ah, open tryouts, that’s right. 280 prospective players showed up for the Sacramento audition last week.

“I believe there are enough talented athletes out there who can succeed in professional football and we are giving them that opportunity,” said Sacramento Mountain Lions head coach Dennis Green. “Players who enjoyed successful college careers but for whatever reason did not then play at the professional level are still out there and we plan to find them.”

So, will you go to a Mountain Lions game?

Maker Faire: not just for steam punks!

This weekend the Bay Area plays host to the fifth annual Maker Faire, held at the San Mateo County Event Center:

[Maker Faire] celebrates arts, crafts, engineering, green design, food, music, science and technology and brings together communities who embrace the DIY (do-it-yourself) spirit.

From butter to Halloween animatronics to MIDI controllers, there are programs on making just about anything you can think of.

Maker Faire
San Mateo County Event Center
May 22, 10am – 8pm
May 23, 10am – 6pm

Orphan: Hipper Than Thou, and Tastier Too

About five months ago, you may have been one of the hundred or so people that told me to read Blair Robertson’s Bee review of this new breakfast joint in town. The place was called Orphan and apparently “Robo,” as his friends call him (ok, I’m not really sure if his friends call him that, but they should, because “Robo” is a badass nickname, almost as badass as “Badass” being your nickname, which is pretty badass) tore the place a new muddy starfish and ripped it up and down for serving tasteless muck and for having an owner who is a bit of a jackass. Well, today I had my own Orphan experience, and at least they’ve improved the food.

It seems like they’ve improved the food quite a lot actually. The food was wonderful, flavorful, comforting.  My flank steak hash was packed like a clown car with onions, peppers, herbs, beatifully cooked potatoes, and lovingly seared steak. My lovely companion’s dish was equally well spiced, and served with a beautiful side of fruit and ridiculously good rosemary bread that did a fine job soaking up the yolk from the spot-on over-medium eggs and the sinus-clearing horseradish cream that came on the side. Continue reading “Orphan: Hipper Than Thou, and Tastier Too”

Mountain Lions Hold Fund Rais, err, Open Tryout

Al Bundy could have been a contender!
He once scored four touchdowns in a single game

Break out the ibuprofen, the Sacramento Mountain Lions are holding an open tryout tomorrow at Natomas High School from 7:30 a.m. – 1:45 p.m. (3301 Fong Ranch Rd, Sacramento, CA 95834).

Sounds like fun, huh? I used to be able to throw the ball around in my day. Maybe I’ll stop by and see what’s doin’…

Date: Saturday, May 15th, 2010
Location: Natomas High School
Address: 3301 Fong Ranch Rd, Sacramento, CA 95834
Cost: $60 Online Registration (Spots Limited)

Ah, there it is. Doesn’t specify if there is a cost to register in person ($60 *Online* Registration).

What passes for science these days?

Thousands of intermediate grade elementary school students will be at the Capitol building on May 19 for “State Scientist Day.” The event is sponsored by the California Association of Professional Scientists, a group that one assumes knows a thing or two about science. The kids who attend this event, however, will probably still only know literally a thing or two about science when it is over, as some of the topics covered are “Fishing in the City” and “Reduce-Reuse-Recycle.”

I’m stretching a bit, as the other topics on State Scientist Day agenda do sound like hard science — chemistry, wildlife tracking and earthquakes for example. This event is my hook into discussing something I’ve been bugged by lately: the sorry state of science education in California.

Continue reading “What passes for science these days?”

Three beer fests this weekend

Craft beer lovers rejoice, as you have several opportunities to try great beers ranging from local favorites, NorCal stalwarts and examples from around the world at the Raley Field Brewfest on Friday evening, the West Coast Brew Fest on Saturday and the Shriners Hospital Cyclebration Saturday evening.

The Raley Field Brewfest is hosted by the Northern California Brewers Guild and benefits the California Small Brewers Association. Almost 40 brewers from across Northern California will serve up their best beers in their annual celebration of California’s brewing history. I am particularly excited to see how an evening brewfest will do as the weather promises to be perfect. Music from Utz and the Shuttlecocks and Private Criminals. VIPs enter at 6pm, general public at 7pm. If you want to avoid the Ticketbastard charges for advance tickets, click here and enter code “RB”.
Continue reading “Three beer fests this weekend”