Author: CoolDMZ

"X-ray vision to see in between / Where's my kimono and my time machine?"

Sacramento Public Library boasts big web redesign

The Sacramento Public Library’s website got a big facelift today and is looking pretty hot. The new design by local firm PMC is a big step up from SPL’s former ’90s era design.

I’m loving the big showoffy Locations pages and the responsive design (the layout modifies itself in mobile browsers instead of forcing you to squint). The catalog section of the site does not appear changed, but it had already gone through a recent change.

What do you think? Will you finally break down and read a book now, doofus?

ABC sitcom features “Real World: Sacramento”

Because I only saw a few mentions of this on local Twitter feeds, I present to you a clip from last week’s episode of the ABC sitcom “Happy Endings” which featured gag about a (fictional) un-aired season of “Real World: Sacramento” on which “the gang first got together.” Copious shots of the Sacto skyline, but an unfortunate lack of Sacramento mockage. Unless the shot of the Pearl St. sign is a joke about how Sacramento idolizes Portland? Everything after the first 0:27 featuring the cowtown version of the iconic opening of RW is really more for the “Happy Endings” fans out there. If you haven’t seen the show yet you should, it is highly underrated and one of the best comedies going. I believe it airs at Hulu-o’clock on Hulusday. NSFW for language.

Rumors of our demise etc. etc.

The venerable Heckasac today:

Remember all the blogs that have come and gone? The ones that started off strong and faded away? Remember when Sac Rag was a big thing? Oh wait, they are still posting! I’ll have to go back to checking. Although when SNR had a “best of” blogs category, I argued and will still argue that a “blog” with a whole roster of posters is really not a blog. Remember when I used to start fights with everyone before I knew that people would find out about it?

“Remember when” you used to start fights with everyone, eh? Just kidding. We will be here on the internet until you pry Sac-eats from our cold dead hands, or until one of us moves to Wisconsin.

Election 2012 Open Thread

It’s Election day, Sacramento. Make sure you cast your ballot. Find your polling place at SmartVoter.org. If you are “Vote By Mail,” don’t put it in the mail today, drop your ballot at any polling place. Keep this page open in your browser to find out what’s happening as soon as it develops and one of us comes up with something snarky to say about it. So basically until Thursday. Continue reading “Election 2012 Open Thread”

Kings season starts tonight at Chicago

“Teamwork makes the dream work” via Twitter/@Isaiah_Thomas2

Your Sacramento Kings tip off in a few hours in Chicago. Jonathan Santiago at Cowbell Kingdom has a great roundup of the national media predictions for the 2012-13 Kings. Folks predicting the team to be a sleeper playoff team are out there, but most are non-believers. The Sactown Royalty preview by Greg Wissinger urges caution but acknowledges some improvements in Robinson, James Johnson and Chuck Hayes’s health.

Last year a .545 winning percentage was the cutoff on the Western Conference playoffs. I think that is a more realistic goal for 13-14, but I don’t think an improvement of 100 percentage points and a 35 win season is out of reach this year. Go Kings!

News 10 to broadcast Kings games

I’m really excited to learn that News 10 will broadcast some Sacramento Kings games this season. As a cable cord-cutter, the biggest issue that I run into is a lack of live sports. I’m not an avid TV sports viewer so it’s not a big deal, but I do miss being able to tune in and check out the Kings. Hopefully this helps expose more people to this squad which I think is going to be pretty exciting.

Before you get too excited, it’s actually just 10 games that will be aired on News 10. Here is the list:

  • Sunday, Nov. 18 vs. Brooklyn Nets (3 pm)
  • Sunday, Dec. 16 vs. Denver Nuggets (3 pm)
  • Friday, Dec. 28 vs. New York Knicks (7 pm)
  • Saturday, Jan. 12 vs. Miami Heat (7 pm)
  • Friday, Jan. 25 vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (7 pm)
  • Saturday, Feb. 2 at New York Knicks (4:30 pm)
  • Saturday, Feb. 9 vs. Utah Jazz (7 pm)
  • Friday, Mar. 1 at San Antonio Spurs (5:30 pm)
  • Saturday, Mar. 23 at Denver Nuggets (6 pm)
  • Saturday, Mar. 30 at Los Angeles Lakers (7 pm)

Source: Local ABC station to broadcast select Sacramento Kings games this year [Cowbell Kingdom]

It’s official: Kings home court will be “Sleep Train Arena”

The Kings made the announcement a short while ago:

The Sacramento Kings have just announced a new naming rights deal for the building formerly known as Arco Arena turned Power Balance Pavilion. While negotiations with local mattress retailer Sleep Train collapsed last month when the Maloof family refused to guarantee the Kings would stay in Sacramento past this season, the two sides returned to the table and hammered out today’s announced deal.

It’s a multi-year agreement, and apparently the new signage will be up in November. Personally I will have no trouble calling it Sleep Train Arena. Lots of “sleep” related jokes can be made as well. Let’s just hope they are more along the lines of “The exciting Kings put a sleeper hold on the Memphis Grizzlies tonight” and not like “The woeful Kings looked like they were sleepwalking tonight”…

(hat tip: Cowbell Kingdom)

KCRA: “Bullying is a choice”

What choice did he have?

Let me start by saying I don’t think bullying is funny. But let me continue by saying that I think KCRA’s new “Bullying is a choice” campaign is hilarious.

Bullying, it’s not a one size fits all problem and there are no easy solutions. But it’s a problem that can no longer be ignored.

There’s no one correct stance, according to KCRA, but I’m supposed to “take a pledge” against it. And the silly word choice doesn’t end there. The page is titled “Bullying Resources, Education.” Is this offering tips on how to get full wetness with your swirlies? Maps to find groups of people playing Magic: The Gathering? Shouldn’t someone have suggested that it should say Anti-Bullying Resources? Continue reading “KCRA: “Bullying is a choice””

Mustard Seed Spin supports homeless kids

This weekend the Mustard Seed Spin will have hundreds of riders touring the American River Parkway. The ride, which has been around since 2005, raises money (100% of rider fees) for the Mustard Seed School, a school for the children of homeless families run by the Catholic organization Loaves & Fishes.

Online registration is closed but it looks like you can still register at REI or on the day of the event, which is Sunday at 11:00 AM at William Pond Recreation Area. I’ll be there, either as a rider or handing out water and protein goo.

Public Access show goes 3D with new episode

Local YouTuber and Wallpaper drummer Arjun Singh has a new episode of his “The Public Access Show” up, and this time he’s going into a new dimension: the 3rd Dimension. The new episode, released Sunday on YouTube, is in 3D.

Singh filmed the entire episode using 2 cameras, so it is “shot in 3D” rather than converted. The whacked-out, offbeat humor translates well to this new dimension, where up is down and nothing is as it seems. Singh’s “Advanced Drumming Techniques” sketch is here, as well as Muppets, high fives, and a showpiece sketch set in the “Star Wars” ‘verse. RanSACkedMedia.com is a fan too.

Continue reading “Public Access show goes 3D with new episode”