Author: Runnergirl

Das Haus

As I run, bike, and drive around the greater 95864-95825-95821 ‘hoods, I see countless houses that have no resemblance at all to the original neighborhood homes. While a number of remodels have been completed beautifully that complement the vibe of the neighborhood, there are some which I’m sure make the collective neighbors’ skin crawl.

I’m talking mostly about “architectural fusion” elements that combine too many features that flagrantly do not go together.  Construction on some of these homes has been shoddy — I honestly saw a drooping balcony on one house in Arden Oaks.

Now I’m not saying every neighborhood should dictate exactly how a homeowner remodels his or her house, or telling people what color they can and can’t paint their house, but there seems to be a lack of common sense, eye for design, and courtesy to others who have to live next door to some of these abodes.

Please feel free to be specific about what you’ve seen recently — anyone in the Arden Park neighborhood can probably share their sentiments about one particular recent remodel.

iFeliz cumpleanos a ‘Comidas de Sac’!

Our very own sac-eats is 31 years old today — such a pup!

May the coming year bring him a new restaurant that features gourmet mayonnaise sandwiches; all-you-can-drink Pellegrino; and live music in the stylings of Django, Cannonball Adderly, JJ Johnson, and Bill Dendle/Eddie Erickson.  

*Note to any native speakers of the Spanish language, please forgive my loose translation of “sac-eats,” and please feel free to offer your own translation.

Colin Quinn: A Geographically-Challenged Jerk

I spent today at the Metro Chamber’s annual Perspectives event, and this year’s theme was “Great Minds Don’t Always Think Alike,” so it was no surprise that someone as flagrantly conservative as Rush Limbaugh would be followed up by someone like Colin Quinn.

I’ve long been a Colin Quinn fan, going back to his Remote Control days; however, today cast him in an entirely different light.

While there were a reported 3,100 people at today’s event, like most happenings in Sacramento, lots of people know each other. Anyone who has lived here for any length of time know that the six degrees of separation is practically non-existent in the 916 (and parts of the 530.) So, these 3,100 people are more of a community, rather than a random grouping of strangers — and this made Colin’s comments especially cutting because they were pointed at one of our own.

What could he have said that was so bad?

Continue reading “Colin Quinn: A Geographically-Challenged Jerk”

Natomas Flooded in Media Controversy

This controversy over free publications makes me think of ripping down someone else’s “Vote for me!” student council campaign sign and replacing it with your own:

A Natomas media rivalry has turned ugly, with owners of two local publications each claiming the other has stolen stacks of the competitor’s periodicals from the rack.

In one case, Natomas Journal publisher Will Craig was caught on surveillance tape in August picking up a stack of N Magazines from the South Natomas Community Center, replacing them with his own newspaper and dumping the rival publication in an outside recycling bin…

Craig said he simply was sending a message to the people connected with N Magazine because he believes they have been stripping his racks for 21 months.

I understand, only remotely, that it’s important to the publishers to tell advertisers what their circulation is and where their publication is offered; however, doesn’t getting rid of the rival’s rag artificially increase the number of publications being taken?

At least he’s recycling them.

Happy Birthday, Light Rail!

Sacramento’s starter line opened 20 years ago, and Regional Transit is celebrating by offering free rides all day on Friday, September 14th.

Sure, our light rail system doesn’t get you EVERYWHERE you want to go, but think of it as an actual 20 year old:

– It thinks it can do everything

– It still mooches off others for funding

– It still hasn’t quite decided where it wants to go in life, but definitely has big aspirations

Like many modern 20 year olds, it is also bilingual. “Empuje para abrir las puertas.”

So, get on out there and ride those rails — you never know what you’ll hear!

Since it’s been a while…

Allow me to give a few brief “Right Awn!” shout-outs to some deserving parties:

  • Thanh Thai, who saw smoke coming out of a neighbor’s garage, got out of his car, and pounded on the door until the occupants — a mom, her 16 year old daughter, three-year-old son, and FOUR of her daughter’s friends who’d spent the night — got out. Had it not been for his neighborliness and quick action, this story could have had much worse results than a gutted house (which is bad enough as it is.)
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Sacramento: I read in today’s Metro section that the clubs are now accepting students for the after-school programs for the coming year. Not only do the clubs provide a safe environment for the kids, have required homework time before they can play, offer a multitude of games and activities, plus a hot meal, the cost is only $12 per child for the entire school year. Yes, you read that correctly. That’s not $12 per week or per month; it’s for the entire school year.
  • Did you know that Yuba County grows 99% of the plums for dried plums (formerly “prunes”) in the U.S. and 60% of the world’s supply? No wonder they come off as just regular folks there in Yuba County.  They are having a rough year, however, with warm temps in March hindering the ’07 crop.

Raging Bulls

OK, I don’t want to turn this into a discussion on whether rodeos are form of animal cruelty — I just want to point your attention to this story from the Bee’s website.

A couple bulls got loose at the fair and trampled an officer who was protecting fair-goers from said bulls. A rodeo clown also saved a young child from certain harm by scooping up the tot and hopping over a fence. The police officer suffered broken ribs, some abrasions, and a minor concussion. The clown remained unscathed (and I presume he piled into a Volkswagen with the rest of the clowns afterwards.)

While all of this had to be truly frightful for those involved and for those who witnessed the incident, I can’t help but smile when reading this quote, “Fair spokesman May said he was not aware of the child’s rescue and did not know the clown’s name.” Jingles? Sunshine? Patches?

It’s not quite as good as a quote about cleaning a chimichanga off a chandelier, but it does come close.

Hey winners!

You’ll each be glad to know that The Sac Rag was represented well at this past Sunday’s Streets of London Pub Quiz.

With the mental power of sac-eats, Stickie, and RunnerGirl — plus two of Stickie’s most attractive and charming friends — we answered the most questions correctly and brought home the top prize (and the ever-important bragging rights.) We scored 28 out of 30.

Continue reading “Hey winners!”

New Local Distinction

You heard it here first!

It’s been a while since we’ve had a “Right Awn!” so might I nominate the Discovery Museum in Old Sacramento? Today it will join a distinguished list of museums that are official affiliates of the Smithsonian.

The goal of the affiliate program is to create vital relationships with communities by working with local museums and educational institutions. This new status will give the Discovery Museum access to borrowing artifacts from the Smithsonian to have on display here, plus access to other resources from the venerable institution. Continue reading “New Local Distinction”