Category: Misc

More fun from Sac City open enrollment

Since the public were waiting for a follow up to my uproarious earlier post… The timeline for Sac City USD open enrollment just got 100% more confusing with this recent update to the SCUSD website:

This notice is to inform all families that applied during the Open Enrollment period for the fall of 2009-2010, the anticipated timeline for Open Enrollment notification letters for families will be mailed during the week of Monday, March 23, 2009. If any additional changes in timelines are to be made, an update will appear on the website. [Emphasis mine]

The timeline will be mailed out on Monday? Maybe they should announce on the website that they will be mailing out fliers that say to go to the website to find out when they are going to mail the announcement.

(I’m sure they meant that the timeline is that the announcements will be mailed on the 23rd…)

Jesuit Hires First Female Principal in School History

Not only is new principal Brianna Latko the first female principal in Jesuit High School history, she’s also the first non-Jesuit, or lay person, to hold the post. As a JHS alum myself, I can say definitely that no matter what, one big change is coming: the new principal will probably smoke a lot less camel straights than did principals during my day, not because she’s a woman, only because it would be almost physically impopssible to smoke that much on what is now a smoke-free campus.

For a full review of Ms. Latko’s bon fides, as well as a strangely placed list of all the people that didn’t get the job, sorry Joe Potulny, check out the official press release here.

Downtown to get mermaids??

We would be remiss if this planned testament to d-baggery were allowed to go unremarked:

[San Francisco nightclub owner George] Karpaty’s K Street proposal has some novel elements: a pizza shop with staffers doing “dough acrobatics,” a dance club targeting the 30-and-up crowd, and a bar featuring a built-in aquarium with women swimmers costumed as mermaids.

I’m trying to find the local news clip touting the mermaid idea as being “straight out of the movies” — the movie in this case being the totally relevant “Analyze This” from 1999. I’d like to see this idea carried forward into a whole block of ’90s movie-themed d-bag hangout spots. For example, a “breakfast any time” Vegas diner joint, a “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” juice bar, or perhaps a “Crying Game” hot dog shop run by women.

And let’s not forget the “dance club targeting the 30-and-up crowd.” Who really wants to see that?

UPDATE: Budget passes, gas tax cut

Yay budget. I’m not sure what you commenters were looking at, but I was ahead of all other news outlets in calling the delays. Did you think the delays were from my not having the right info? 🙂

I’m a little confused as to why there was so much discussion about getting constitutional amendments on the ballot. Since when does getting a proposal on the ballot require almost crashing the system? Isn’t it conventional wisdom by now that part of the reason we’re in such trouble now is that it is too easy to get initiatives on the ballot? It seems like the three budget-reform amendments would have been a lock with or without Maldonado’s vote. I bet if you polled average folks most people think legislators already don’t get paid if they are 100 days late on one of their most important work tasks, almost resulting in the crumbling of one of the world’s largest economies. Now the Democrats are in the odd position of appearing to need to be convinced that they shouldn’t.

I’m also confused as to why Federal stimulus dollars (“Obamabucks” — I’ve just coined that) were added to the mix so late in the game. Were they going to give back some of it? Were they planning to divert the money to something that wasn’t part of the budget? I’m sure somebody can explain. This whole thing has been so disheartening that I must admit I haven’t been following it as closely as I could have.

The (un)official haiku contest of The Sac Rag

In these troubled times, expressing ourselves artistically is how we survive — the hope of a new sunrise (and perchance that Laurence Fishburne can deftly fill William Peterson’s shoes.) RunnerGirl thusly introduces The Sac Rag haiku competition.  That’s right — with no authorization from our esteemed founders, I am going all rogue and am offering the grand prize of a genuine canvas bag from THE actual Mood Fabrics in New York City, as seen on Project Runway. You can only buy these at the Mood store.

Here are the rules:
1. Your entry must follow the traditional 5-7-5 syllable structure of haiku
2. It must address a current event
3. Entries must be received no later than noon on Friday, February 13.

Here is an example to get you started:

Obama, save us
Billions* and billions, like stars
We’re shovel-ready

*Assuming you pronounce it like “bill-yuns”  and not “beel-ee-ons”

OK. GO!

SCUSD open enrollment slogan QUIZ

Quick, which of the following is the slogan of Sac City Unified School District’s Open Enrollment program?

A. “Success for Every Student by Name”

B. “Choosy moms choose SCUSD”

C. “Moving kids upward onto the future”

D. “Knowledge for all, free lunch for most”

E. “Enroll you’re kid today” (sic)

Continue reading “SCUSD open enrollment slogan QUIZ”

Not all Peet’s Created Equal

We love our Peet’s coffee around these parts, that’s for sure. But even we, at The Sac Rag, may have to admit that the greatest coffee purveyor in America has reached its saturation point.  Point in evidence: the newish Peet’s establishment on Howe Avenue between Hurley and Arden now brews its coffee “to order.” What do you mean, “to order,” you say?

What I mean is that no longer is there fresh, strong-brewed coffee every 30 minutes at this particular Peet’s outlet, nor is there the generous free-cup-of-coffee-if-you-have-to-wait-for-it-to-brew policy. According to the sluggish waif working at the counter, the traffic at this particular store isn’t strong enough to support have coffee always ready to go for customers.

No ready coffee? At a coffee shop? This seems a bit asinine to me, but I guess it saves them money during the slow hours.  Still it seems a huge departure from the ethos of Alfred Peet and his artfully brewed yet simple cups of coffee, always ready to be poured at his Berkeley coffee shop.

What say you raggers and peetniks?

Predictions for 2009

  1. The bespangled cube dropped for the New Years celebration is burgled from city hall. By Heather Fargo.
  2. Mayor Kevin Johnson rings in the new year by asking the city council to change the title of his office to “Sultan.”
  3. The Kings win 7 games in a row at home after getting the NBA to OK a new “rimless” basket for the visiting team.
  4. The Grant High Pacers take on the Dillon Panthers after the Pacers acquire the ability to appear on television. Grant QB Kapeli Koniseti shines and is offered his own variety show that appears after the new Jimmy Fallon Late Nite. The show is called “Last Call with Carson Daly.”
  5. The Haines Brothers open a restaurant serving only fried potatoes crafted in the French style. It is panned widely for only serving to d-bags.
  6. The switch to digital TV in February brings a new program to CBS13 titled “Chris’s Burrous” in which anchor Chris Burrous examines animal habitats.
  7. The Sacramento Bee’s editorial board is taken over by its commenters, and “ardenparkboi84” is named the new Managing Editor.

Hiding in Plain Sight

Seen today: one of the craftiest law enforcement vehicles ever on I-80 at Truxel, a dark blue late model Nissan Maxima, with grill and rear window flashers, pulling over another vehicle.

Now, when I think non-descript police vehicle, I think Crown Vic. But a Nissan Maxima? That’s brilliant. I’m not sure whether the car was police or CHP, but it was totally bizarre to see a common suburban four-door import change before one’s eyes into an enforcer. It was like watching real live Transformers.

All I know is that when the cops start using Camrys, the criminals will have nowhere to hide.
Afterthought: Is the plural of Camry, “Camries”?