RonTopofIt

Are you a no bs security guard?

Paul Blart, Mall Cop — Safety never takes a holiday.

Yes? Man, you are in luck.

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…

Free Flapjacks!

For those of you that enjoy themselves some free AND flapjacks, it’s your lucky day. Ending at 10:00 p.m. tonight, the International House of Pancakes is serving up a free short stack of cakes*

* 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!

Door to door decisions

This post on the Sacto 9-1-1 blog warning Sacramento about the dangers of door to door solicitors hit home with me. What to do with solicitors in my neighborhood is a hot topic of discussion.

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?

Recycle this!

I went to my parking lot recycling spot (awesome site, btw, 2004 & 2005 “News” articles) on Saturday to cash in some bottles and cans that had been piling up (why give that money to the County, right?) only to find out that their hours had been dramatically cut recently. Why? It’s good for the bottle, right? It’s good for the can, right? It’s what Oprah wants us to do!

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…

Continue reading “Recycle this!”

Don’t mess with Texas

I received an email this morning informing me that the Sacramento Cowtown Marathon is holding a contest to change their name. Why? Because they have to!

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. Weâ€™re ready to forge ahead proud to leave this outdated â€˜descriptionâ€™ 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.

How Convenient

The Air/Water machine at the 76 Station on Watt & Fair Oaks — 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 luxuryâ€¦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.”

Aw, SNAP!

I’m just now reading this article on sacbee.com from Monday about the increase in food stamp use in Sacramento.

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.

I want to ride my bicycle, part deux

The Sacramento Business Journal reports that Sacramento ranks fourth in the U.S. and first in California for bicycle commuting among the 70 largest cities.

“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?

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