Category: Misc

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”

Demographic fun from Zillow

I didn’t even think about the fun one could have with the Demographics features on that new Zillow thing until my wife pointed it out. This is how one can learn that Boulevard Park folks are more likely to be females working for non-profits, or speak Gujarati. Or that New Era Park is lesbian-friendly, or that Elmhurst is home to the Humble Class. Or that there is a neighborhood called Brentwood (it’s over near the Exec Airport) that has a freakishly flat age distribution and lots of Puerto Ricans who speak Hindi and Laotian. The possibilities are endless.

Community real estate features on Zillow

Real estate site Zillow.com announced two new community features yesterday, including Neighborhood Pages, which allows residents to create content about their neighborhoods. Not just cities, but neighborhoods, like Alkali Flat or Richmond Grove or Poverty Ridge. And there is a main Sacramento page with one piece of content, a photo by yours truly.

That main page has links to all the covered neighborhoods, so make sure to check yours out.

A plea for niceness

Three run-ins with idiots this weekend reminded me that our area has a real rudeness problem. I was asleep at the wheel earlier this summer when news arrived that area drivers are some of the worst in the country and I think our stupid and reckless driving can spill over into stupid and rude encounters. I was having trouble formulating this until I read TalkingPocket’s comment.

My favorite (i.e. least favorite) kind of rude idiot is the kind who is rude while in the giving or accepting of a favor. They come in two varieties: the rude favor acceptor and the rude favor giver. The rude favor acceptor usually comes in the form of a pedestrian who waves you on when you pull up to a Stop sign (usually clearly marked for cars with a red Octagonal sign). Dude, guy, buddy, I’m tryin to throw you a bone here.

Continue reading “A plea for niceness”

World War Z: Where does Sac make its last stand?

zombiesHeyMeg brings up an excellent point today about inevitable zombie attack, one that deserves more than a passing mention. Also it’s Thursday and everybody needs a little pick-me-up on Thursday afternoon. For more clarification I turned to her husband, The Game Guy, who asks:

If Zombies attack, where’s the safest place in Sacramento to hide out/what’s the best escape route.

I mean, contemporary wisdom would say Arden Fair mall, but I don’t think that’s such a great idea – given its land-locked location, and close proximity to soon-to-be jammed freeways.

And K Street Mall is looks like its basically infested with zombies right now, so I think it’s something worth thinking about.

I say secure the levees. Get to high ground.

I want to ride my bicycle…

I want to ride my bike. Watch out people, I’m all hepped up on Endorphins.  Is anyone else riding his or her bike to work these days? I am lucky enough to access to a bike locker and locker room at my work, which is a completely awesome perk that no one else seems to use. I always have the whole place to myself.  So, after a totally refreshing and fun commute to work I have a nice little bit of alone time to drink coffee (yes, I have a latte holder on my handlebars) and shower before facing the office. Just wondering how many other SacRaggers out there are commuting with bikes these days. Any odd experiences? And another question, most likely to be answered by RunnerGirl, any ideas of how to get that Queen song out of my head? (… I don’t wanna be a candidate
For Vietnam or Watergate
Cos all I want to do is
Bicycle bicycle bicycle …)

FREE annual RT pass

If you are an RT commuter, make sure to check whether your employer belongs to a Transportation Management Association. I inquired with the South Natomas TMA here at the widget factory about purchasing monthly RT passes at a discount and was told that those are not offered. Because free annual passes are offered to anyone who asks. That’s a $1000 perk. It’s definitely worth a call but obviously there are several different commuter groups in town with different agreements so YMMV.

Movin’ On Up: Where would you want to live?

Here’s the assignment:

We have a new Supervisor at my company moving to Sacramento from Albuquerque, NM.  He will not be my direct supervisor, so I can afford to be honest with him.  As a Sacramento native, I have been asked to help this new transfer in finding the appropriate part of town in which to live. 

Here are the parameters to keep in mind:   Our new resident is male, 35 years of age, single, no kids, in a professional job with a professional salary, he’s not at all “stuffy” (in fact quite the opposite).  He’s looking to rent or perhaps buy a condo and will probably have to go to El Dorado Hills and the airport with equal frequency (one or two times per week). 

Where do you think he should live?