Category: Misc

Sacramento brewers best in state, again

28 beers and ciders from Sacramento were recognized at the 2009 California State Fair Commercial Craft Brew Competition.

Sac Brew Master Brewer Peter Hoey is proud of his creations! (photo courtesy of Rick Sellers & Tracy Bethune, Pacific Brew News)
Sac Brew Master Brewer Peter Hoey is proud of his creations! (photo courtesy of Rick Sellers & Tracy Bethune, Pacific Brew News)

The 2009 California State Fair has faded off into fond memory, but you can still enjoy many of the beers that were honored at this year’s Commercial Craft Brew competition. In case you are confused by the judging results, beers (and ciders and meads) are entered into one of 28 categories (and 93 styles), are awarded both a designation of overall quality (gold, silver, bronze) and and an overall ranking in their beer style (1st, 2nd, 3rd). Congrats to our local brewers and thanks for all the great beer!
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Spare me the labor

Labor Day is one of the few holidays I can think of where you celebrate something by not doing it.

Rancho Murieta Online has a few suggestions on things to do on this upcoming Labor Day weekend, in case you were becoming overwhelmed with all the options for the holiday.

In case you would like to spend Labor Day by walking down streets and randomly explaining the history of Labor Day to passers by, check out the Department of Labor website on this very topic. If you could do this in a mailman’s uniform sitting at a bar, you’d be my hero. Cheers.

California has a garage

Jimmy Kimmel Live did a funny bit about the “Great California Garage Sale” coming soon to a broke state near you.

“This is a win-win for the state and for shoppers,” Schwarzenegger said in a statement Tuesday announcing that a selection of items also would be sold on eBay and Craigslist. “Together we are eliminating waste and providing great deals in this tough economy.”

Wow. Big Scary Knives.

Can we leave negative feedback? What would yours be? Apparently their eBay approach is raising some eyebrows.

UPDATE: Items are going fast after day one.. Final sales are over 1.5 million.

“Success For Every Student By Name”

Success for this student by name: Melvin Van Nerdlinger
Success for this student by name: Melvin Van Nerdlinger

It’s that time of year again, with schools opening from Rocklin to Dixon, and so I return to one of the biggest educational mysteries of the Sacramento region: the enigma that is Sac City Schools’ motto: “Success For Every Student By Name.” I have blogged about this before, when at the time I thought it was merely the motto for the open enrollment department. But with Sac City’s website undergoing a redesign for the new school year (actually I believe it’s been completely re-engineered, not just redesigned) that motto is right there staring me in the face, daring me to either stand up and challenge its naked lack of sense or sit politely and accept that the Emperor’s new motto is quite beautifully crafted.

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Some State Fair Weirdness

Put this on the ballot - When the budget is late, we have to fly this above the Capitol.
Put this on the ballot - When the budget is late, we have to fly this above the Capitol.

As encouragement for you to head over to Cal Expo for the California State Fair, I will entice you with some little tastes of what you could be enjoying if you were there right now. But first, a huge congrats to the state’s most famous purveyor of deep fried treats and his new bride! Chicken Charlie got married at The Fair today on the promenade stage in front of his food stand. The wedding cake? Totally fried cheesecake, and it was delicious. Mazel Tov, and thanks for sharing the special day with us!

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Urban Farm Celebrates Autumn Equinox

Soil Born Farms
Soil Born Farm: “A Day On the Farm”
by Annie&John via Flickr

Some folks wait with giddy anticipation for their latest movie rental to arrive in the mail. Others look for letters from Mom. Me? I pace the front porch waiting for the arrival of my seed catalogs. Well, apparently, it’s still too early for those. But I got something equally exciting yesterday: my invitation to the Soil Born Farm AUTUMN EQUINOX CELEBRATION!

What better way to party than with a gang of dirt-loving, plant-hugging gardeners? Weeds and wall flowers won’t stand a chance with this bunch! The affair promises live music, strolls under the stars and through the gardens on Hurley Way, and seasonal, organic food prepared by some of Sac’s finest chefs. The Waterboy, Grange, Hawks, Old Soul, and plenty of others are turning out to provide yummy eats. They’re even serving up wine and organic beer.

In case you haven’t heard of the wildly popular farm yet, Soil Born Farms started in 2000 when two ambitious youngsters left a note in the mailbox of a local landowner, asking permission to grow crops in exchange for fresh produce. With a nod and a handshake, the farm began.

Today, there are two farms: one on Hurley Way and another in Rancho Cordova. In addition to growing food, they educate youth and reconnect them to the land. On Saturdays, you can volunteer at their American River Ranch in Rancho Cordova and discover farm life first-hand. You can also sign up for one of their monthly gardening seminars to learn about pruning fruit trees or composting with worms. Or, if you just want to eat their juicy heirloom tomatoes already, you can sign up to receive a weekly box of fresh farm goodies year-round. The fun never ends!

It’s pretty cool stuff, and it’s happening right here in urban Sac. If you want to join the fun, hurry and get your ticket to the Autumn Equinox Celebration, held Saturday, September 19 from 4:30 to 8:30 P.M. They anticipate a sold-out event. You can call the farm at (916) 363-9685, or purchase tickets at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op, 1900 Alhambra Blvd.

Keith Lowell Jensen’s “To The Moon … Live at Luna’s”

Keith Lowell Jensen: To The Moon... Live at Lunas
Keith Lowell Jensen:
To The Moon...Live at Luna's
Some of the best stuff on Keith Lowell Jensen’s debut comedy CD, “To the Moon … Live at Luna’s” comes at the beginning of the record; Jensen turns a throwaway Light Rail Drivers joke into an extended piece about remixing the joke for different audiences, and segues from that into a great series of jokes about performing in small town “comedy clubs,” building to a great bit about parents who bring their kids to bars, with a classic R-rated punchline. In fact, beneath his “alt comic” veneer there are lots of classic comic skills behind KLJ’s act. He does pretty slick segues (except for one groaner, you’ll know it when you hear it) and keeps his bits threaded into the act, such as his comment about the phrase “I’m just saying.” He seems very comfortable mining his personal life for his act, with some raunchy jokes about his wife’s pregnancy and his own childhood and educational experiences at “Success High.” But he seems equally comfortable in lots of other areas like Windows Vista and tech support.

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David Cook gives The Fair what it needs

David Cook, in a photo that has been approved by his corporate overlords
David Cook, in a photo that has been approved for publication by his corporate overlords
Friday’s opening of the State Fair was capped with an appearance from American Idol David Cook. This was, without question, one of the funnest musical moments I have witnessed at The Fair in years.

Why? RELEVANCE! Most bands that play The Fair are either blasts from the past or up and comers. Cook is NOW, baby. The vibe from the audience was amazing as Fairgoers had the rare privilege to see someone playing Cal Expo whom they are listening to, today. And, as icing on the cake, he and his band met expectations and rocked the house.
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CA State Fair -Open!!

Long time readers of The Rag know that we are big fans of the Big Fun. As you read this, the 2009 California State Fair is open for business! Check us out for tips and reviews over the next couple of weeks.

Why do we love the State Fair? It is difficult to succinctly say, but it has something to do with loving California. The fair is a great place to learn about the myriad reasons that make California the greatest place in the world to live. Check out the agriculture, the art, wine, the thrills, and the spirit of fun that permeates Cal Expo for the next few weeks. It is especially obvious if you have been a patron at other fairs around the country. Every fair has rides and shows, but we’ve got bits and pieces of California wrapped up in a microcosm.

This year’s theme is Weird, Wild and Wacky, which I hope the organizers have taken to heart. Amid a down economy, a dysfunctional government and a dry summer, we need some fun here in Sacramento. Let’s party.

This Friday, the fair features American Idol David Cook on the Golden One Stage. For those of you that scoff at the contest, you have not seen that Cook is a soulful rock musician with a good band, decent songwriting and a strong possibility at a (gasp) legitimate music career. I’ll be there to see how he does.