Author: RonTopofIt

RonTopofIt is a complex personality, as are most of the small breed of modern day renaissance millionaires. He wishes more people were like him and yet believes that it takes all kinds. You've met RonTopofIt many times, you just don't remember him.

If a comment falls in the forest

The Internet continues to push the topic of online comments around like a kitten with a ball of yarn. We all know it helps generate traffic as nothing makes people happier than voicing their unhappiness anonymously online. We even battle with it here. But, we’re not claiming to be journalists or news people. There’s a difference.

At any rate, the sacbee.com has figured out the perfect solution to this problem: Just hide them!

Let’s get straight to the point. You can now decide for yourself whether you want to see comments on sacbee.com. We’ve added a button (see below) at the bottom of every story and blog post that allows you to turn comments on and off.

Click the button and ALL comments on ALL stories are hidden from view. Click the button again and ALL comments reappear. The site will retain your preference to hide or show comments every time you visit as long as you have cookies enabled in your browzer.

Browzer. Nice.

Whatever you do, don’t un-hide those comments. There’s nothing to read here, these aren’t the comments you’re looking for. Stay classy, Sacramento.

“Supernanny” has great idea

So, we’ve all heard by now that the casting team of ABC’s popular parenting show “Supernanny” will be interviewing families from 12 to 5 p.m. on August 23rd in Roseville, CA. Cool, right? Parents with rambunctious little ones can audition to have their lives improved by their “behavioral expert.”

The show is looking for families of all types who need help from Supernanny Frost, who is a “behavioral expert,” said Tiffany Dejillo, a Supernanny casting producer.

The casting call is being held at Pump It Up, an indoor inflatable party destination located at 10556 Industrial Ave., Suite 100, Roseville.

Hmm, really? Anyone that has been to one of these inflatable Thunderdomes will tell you that even the most “normal” kids can quickly get out of hand as they bounce around haphazardly, high on birthday cake, leveling anyone in their path.

Am I alone in thinking that opening up this facility to kids that may or may not have behavioral issues while their parents talk to casting producers is a dicey idea at best and should be video taped to air as its own reality show?

“Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in!”

Jus’sayin.

What’s classier?

Cbs13.com reports of an incident in Folsom Tuesday night involving the stabbing of a customer by a convenience clerk over the soda machine being out of syrup.

The victim said after she had complained about the fountain soda machine being out of syrup, the clerk refused her service. Their argument led to a that ended when the clerk allegedly used a 2″ to 3″ knife to stab the customer. The victim was taken to the hospital with non life threatening.

“…led to a that”
“…was taken to the hospital with a non life threatening.”

Just publish it and forget it…no one reads this stuff anyway, right?

Where’s the Dope?

Ah, there it is...
Ah, there it is...
From the Sacramento Bee’s Crime Blog we learn that a CHP pilot spots marijuana garden in Folsom.

Authorities seized 96 marijuana plants worth more than $76,000 after a California Highway Patrol helicopter pilot spotted them growing along a popular bicycle and walking trail in Folsom. In a Thursday news release, Folsom police said the plants were found along the trail in the Sibley Street and Glenn Drive area. (See photo below supplied by the Folsom Police Department.)

Thanks, Folsom Police Department. I see it now!

Cash for Clunkers Explained

I have been thinking about this Cash for Clunkers program for quite some time and was meaning to write about it on this here web log. Luckily, the folks over at cockeyed.com did the work for me and wrote up a great article. Nice work, guys.

As the owner of a clunker that still manages to get good gas mileage, I was disappointed to learn that I do not qualify.

The fine print

I was reviewing my monthly cell phone bill the other day. I receive it online so I usually take a quick peak at the charges and make sure nothing out of the ordinary is going on. I came across the “Sprint Surcharges” listing and thought I’d click the “Show Details And Explanation of Charges” link. Good night. And I quote …

Sprint Surcharges are rates we choose to collect from you to help defray costs imposed on us. Surcharges are not taxes or amounts we are required to collect from you by law. Surcharges may include: Federal USF, regulatory charges, administrative charges, gross receipts charges, and other charges incurred to recover costs associated with governmental programs. The amounts, and the components used to calculate Surcharge amounts, are subject to change.

Seriously. No euphemisms? No fancy technical terms? Just one notch away from “We are being effed by the man, so we are now effing you.”

If you review your SMUD bill, you may also come across the “Monthly Service Charge” of $5.00. You know, a charge to bring you electricity or gas which they charge money for and receive a profit from. Who couldn’t use $5.00 extra a month for funsies?

Have a deeper look at your monthly bills and let me know if you come across any similar charges.

P.S. Simply by calling a few of my regular service providers and inquiring I was able to reduce a few monthly charges. Remember, they won’t come to you to offer you a savings. It takes work, but is worth it in the long run.

I want to buy a gun today

The sale of firearms locally is on the rise because of the budget.

“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.

Cbs13.com illustrates

If you were to read an article about how most Sacramento parks will be closing their bathrooms (you know, because of the budget) next week would you wonder to yourself, “Bathrooms? I don’t follow.”

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.

Most Californians …

Turns out, according to Maria Shriver, that most Californians want it all.

“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?

Because of the budget …

Have you noticed how everyone’s favorite new crutch phrase is “because of the budget” to justify/explain away everything that is going wrong in our state? It only recently surpassed “due to the recent economic downturn” and totally leap-frogged “and the worst has yet to come” to reach the top spot.

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.