Category: People

Local boy makes ape

Budding hometown movie star Colin Hanks stars in “King Kong,” a movie about a torrid love affair between a young blonde actress and a monstrous gorilla. I caught Colin on Conan the other night and he gave a great interview–great energy, good stories. Not unlike a certain other world class actor. And no, I am not such a Sac homer that young master Hanks’ screen time is enough to make me want to see this enormous piece of Hollywood poop. Or haven’t you seen the commercial with the Coldplay song? Oh Peter Jackson, you had me at “no-one tosses a dwarf,” but you lost me when King Kong fought a frickin T-Rex. Remake my 24-foot tall arse.

Noriyuki “Pat” Morita Passes Away

The Sac Rag sends its condolences to the family of former Sacramento resident Noriyuki “Pat” Morita who died of natural causes yesterday.

After the war ended and the internees were released, there were many more hard years. Eventually the family resettled in Sacramento and opened a restaurant. It was called the “Ariake Chop Suey” (after the area in Japan where Morita’s father was born). They served Chinese food in apredominately black section of town. Morita and his father worked 14-hour-days in the kitchen and his mother, aunties and cousins served the food.

Does anyone know more about this restaurant and where exactly it was located?

UPDATE: It was on Fourth Street.

They Say the Neon Lights Are Bright

As much as I’d like to mock his decision to take his one-man crusade to rid this country of Judeo-Christian God references to the stage in his hometown of Elk Grove, Michael Newdow probably made the right choice. How else are people who just aren’t politically and/or religiously motivated to agree or disagree with him going to have an opinion about him, if he doesn’t buy out a high school theater and show what an idiot he is through song and dance?

I keep reading, as in today’s recap of the musical even in the Bee, that Michael Newdow is a smart man. In his own words, his musical revue was meant to educate the public about the Constitution, but he just seems to me like a guy with a middle school education. Something about Newdow really brings out the snob in me. For example, when I hear him talking about the Constitution and Democracy I can’t help but remember the words of a 10 year old I tutored in the fall of 2000, who told me that Al Gore should be president over George W. Bush because Gore was vice president, and vice president was higher than governor.
Continue reading “They Say the Neon Lights Are Bright”

Tina’s Thoughts

If you’ve lived in Sacramento for a long time, Tina Macuha is one of those local media people, like Stan Atkinson or that Australian guy on KWOD, whose voice and/or image gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling, like Sacramento is a thick wool blanket, smothering the very life out of you. Tina’s current haunt is the traffic desk at Good Day, where every morning she posts an Oprah-esque quote, fresh from the HP Laserjet (today’s was “Feed Your Soul” or something). Her “Sign of the Day,” I see it’s called as I read her bio.

My gut reaction is annoyance, because so often the phrase makes no sense or gives helpful advice only for someone who had just recently said to themselves, “you know, what my life really needs right now is a pat answer to a question I wasn’t asking.” But then the Sacto homer in me kicks in, and I wonder why she has to resort to printing these things up herself and littering her little workspace with them. From the morning show on FM 102 back in the 80s to being an original “Good Day” host, Tina Macuha owns this town. Couldn’t they maybe spare a nice plaque or frame or something? Maybe a graphic?

Tom Duhain: King For a Day?

Tom Duhain; Edward Woodward
Left: KCRA’s Tom Duhain;
Right: “The Wicker Man”‘s Edward Woodward

I had never seen the cult classic “The Wicker Man,” which has been in rotation on IFC, until last night. The resemblance between KCRA’s solid reporter Tom Duhain and Ed Woodward’s Christian martyr Sgt. Neil Howie is too great to pass without comment on The Sac Rag. As you can see in the picture, however, Duhain’s standard expression is the smile of the ultimate news professional, and I don’t think Woodward cracks a smile once (who can blame him, with all those filthy heathens, right?).

Local company to help destroy television

Via Bob Shallit, apparently a local company called ISO Talent (in search of) is going to be providing reality shows with “colorful contestants.” Meaning the next time I want to smash teevee good with club, it will have a local angle!

Check out their “Coming Soon” website (I assume this is them)… “If you are the owner of this web site you have not uploaded (or incorrectly uploaded) your web site.” Nice!

Only in Sacto

Almost had a shopping cart collision with State Senator Debra Ortiz last night at my local supermarket… If I told you the only products in her basket were Jack Daniels and pregnancy tests, not only would it create quite an uproar, it would be a bold-faced and irresponsible lie.

Land Park Icon Slandered

From Walt Wiley in today’s Bee:

“Cinderella Man,” that boxing movie receiving all the talk now, is not at all kind to Land Park’s own Max Baer, who ends up looking like a dandified thug in the movie….Max Baer Jr., who grew up in Land Park and went on to fame as “Jethro” on television’s “The Beverly Hillbillies,” has been quoted as being irate over his dad’s portrayal in the movie directed by Ron Howard, who was “Opie” on “The Andy Griffith Show.”

Ha! Take that, Oscar winner Ron Howard–in Land Park you’re still just Opie. Not even Richie!

I think it’s interesting that in taking on another historical character with Russell Crowe, A Beautiful Mind, he glossed over the subject’s rabid anti-Semitism. You heard it first on The Sac Rag–Ron Howard is a dirty player and he is gay for Russell Crowe!