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.

Sacramento radio throws in the towel

Although I really don’t know anyone that regularly listens to FM radio anymore, I did notice that the local station (93.7) that airs the “Howard Stern Show” recently switched formats in preparation for his December departure to satellite. Now I am not saying I listen to the Stern show, that’s like admitting you shop at Wal-Mart…sort of…I just happened upon this radio station while my iPod’s FM transmitter was syncing up, yeah, that’s what happened.

This new format you ask? Jack FM. Just one visit to their lame Web site will give you an idea of the cheese that is Jack. And this name thing for radio stations really bugs. It’s not new, I know, but come on, it’s a radio station. Here’s a good article about the switch (it’s to the sacbee! and it’s good! it CAN happen).
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Fun with labels

So it appears the “person of interest” in the Christie Wilson case had some of her hair in his car and is now being considered a “suspect” (Reader’s note: Still no word, like at all, on the missing Rio Linda foster mother).

At our last Sac Rag staff meeting we were laughing about this term “person of interest” and how it has made its way into our lexicon in recent years. I found an interesting article from 2004 that discusses it and brings up some great points.

“It’s a sloppy, irresponsible term,” said Ted Gup, journalism professor at Case Western Reserve University and a former Washington Post reporter. “Once you cast a pall of suspicion on someone, you can’t subsequently say, “I didn’t mean anything by that.’ It’s like trying to get the toothpaste back into the tube.”

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Nanny 911

Who doesn’t love them some craigslist? Have a pair of concert tickets you wanna sell? Check out craigslist.com. Looking to find that special someone? Craigslist.com is for you. In need of some daycare for your toddler? Please, steer your internet browser clear of craiglist.com. While they have a section devoted to this topic (http://sacramento.craigslist.org/kid/) and I am sure there are plenty of reputable, competent caregivers on there, I’d like to share a litte anecdote with you.

I was sitting at soccer practice a few weeks ago along side many of the other parents who enjoy watching their little ones run around aimlessly occasionally bumping into a soccer ball. I noticed this younger, college aged gal thumbing through a textbook (moving her lips as she read, not a good start). A sister maybe? Perhaps a nanny?
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What defines you?



Plant a Tree, Be a Hero

Over in the Arden/Arcade side of town local folks have been promoting a tree planting program for quite some time. Adopted from the popular program in the oh so popular Arden Park, the Arden/Arcade extension has gone door to door with flyers asking for volunteers to help. This might sound all well and good, but much like a “boo gram” there is a little something else at play. This time, something a bit offensive.

For example, on their website their tag line reads (with photos of streets with and without trees, sure hope you don’t live on of those “belows”:

“Trees Define A Neighborhood. What street would you like to live on?

Another example (#2 on What You Can Do To Help):

ENCOURAGE YOUR NEIGHBORS TO PLANT- If you want to be a hero on your block, give away free trees

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News10.net’s straight shooter

I like to poke fun at News10.net. It’s no secret. I also like to reference their Web site a lot, too. I realized today that props need to be handed out. That is, I finally figured out that, while often times typo laden and haphazard, their internet news producer puts out some great “news” and deserves some Sac Rag love. Her name is Elizabeth Bishop. Along with a few other folks, it appears that she writes the copy for the Web site and presumably (because, you know, who watches News10?) provides a different angle than what you would get watching News10 on the TV.
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A rant of another color

Not to get too rant heavy here at the Sac Rag, but please take a notice of the headlines on News10.net right now. While everyone seems to be up in arms over this missing woman who was last seen at Thunder Valley Casino last week (uh, her boyfriend waits 2 days to go looking for her? for another post…), no one seems to be talking about (notice how it is 3 stories down on the home page) the Rio Linda Foster Mother who has been missing for eight days! Where’s the 40-45 person search party for this foster mother of three? Well, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department has taken a missing person report. I’ll let you connect the dots here, but I think News10.net needs call a quick staff meeting and discuss their priorities.

Email Rant

We have a running joke at work that involves mass emails. From time to time we’ll receive a message that is well intended and genuine, but invariably one person (to start with) will click “Reply All” when they should have just clicked “Reply.” This results in a flood of idiocy (my new band name, if I, like, had musical talent, and a band) with one reply all after the other trying to stop insanity. For example:
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Airport of choice?

I was reading this article from the Sac Union today (that’s right, “The Union is back…watch US GROW).” and wondered what the H E double hockey sticks they meant by this:

This figure represents the number of people who have chosen Sacramento International Airport as their airport of choice in the 12-month period from September 2004 through August 2005.

So these 10 million people don’t just live in town, but drove from locations far and wide to fly out of our fair “international” airport?

At any rate, I’ve been making frequent trips to SMF as of late and I must admit that it is easy to get to, easy to pick up/drop off, and not nearly as far away as Denver’s. Holy cow, what a mess that place is.