What’s classier?

Cbs13.com reports of an incident in Folsom Tuesday night involving the stabbing of a customer by a convenience clerk over the soda machine being out of syrup.

The victim said after she had complained about the fountain soda machine being out of syrup, the clerk refused her service. Their argument led to a that ended when the clerk allegedly used a 2″ to 3″ knife to stab the customer. The victim was taken to the hospital with non life threatening.

“…led to a that”
“…was taken to the hospital with a non life threatening.”

Just publish it and forget it…no one reads this stuff anyway, right?

The Mentalist comes to Sacramento

the-mentalist-bigWhen I heard that the hit CBS show The Mentalist was coming to Sacramento, I immediately had high hopes for the things that he could accomplish. I imagined him strolling to the Capitol, using his mind tricks to convince our Legislators to compromise instead of sticking to hard line political goals. I saw him hypnotizing the Governor into donating $1000 to the general fund every time he blamed someone else for our budgetary failures rather than using his bully pulpit to encourage California to spend money wisely. I envisioned him using his powers of divination to foresee a Sacramento with sound levees, a bustling K street and a decent taproom downtown. I heard him calling to me in a soft, ethereal voice, “Stickie, I want to cast you in a minor supporting role in my hit television series.”

Which one is the most likely? Unfortunately, it is the last one on that list, as producers of The Mentalist are looking to cast more than 100 Sacramentans for an upcoming shoot. If you would like your shot to appear on a hit show, read on!
Continue reading “The Mentalist comes to Sacramento”

North Korea pardons Ling and Lee

Apparently Bill Clinton worked his notorious charm on Kim Jong Il himself and the journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee will be freed. The latest is actually that Bill Clinton has already left the DPRK but so far nobody knows whether the journalists were with him. Naturally we should all monitor Twitter for the real news about the situation, like this gem from Mandy V.:

Twitter / Mandy V.

It’s Voting Time

votedIt’s that time of year again, Sacramentans. Time to vote for the Sacramento News & Review’s “Best of Sacramento.”

Now, in previous years, we at the ‘Rag have been more that solicitous in our asking for your vote for us for “Best Local Blog.” And we will be no less solicitous this year.  But, to start off the voting season, I thought I’d throw a few food and entertainment related ideas your way to prime the pump if you will. Feel free to follow your conscience when voting, as always, but if you’re stumped, these choices probably deserve it as much as anyone:

Best Comedy Club– Sacramento Comedy Spot

Best Bakery– Backer Back in Town & Country is turning out some of the best European breads in town, ditto for Grateful Bread on Fair Oaks Blvd

Best Barbecue– Anything but Texas West. I vote for Big Joe’s BBQ in Citrus Heights Continue reading “It’s Voting Time”

Local coffee? Sure, I’ll have some with my local breadfruit.

Overheard today: “Sorry, we don’t have an espresso machine, but all of our coffees are local.”

Really? I wasn’t aware that any coffee plantations had opened up near the causeway. What I think the young madame meant was that the coffee was roasted locally, probably from Temple or Old Soul, the former being nice, the latter being just one step up from industrial solvent. Of course, she might have meant that it was brewed locally, like right behind her on the counter, in the “local” coffee machine. Either way, I don’t think either really jives with the whole “eat local” campaign.

I opted for fizzy water.

“The Adventures Of The Ganglians And Pete”

Heckasac has a video of Sacramento psych/noise pop band Ganglians playing their song “Hair” on the immortal show “The Adventures of Pete & Pete.” That’s not exactly what’s happening — the video is a mashup of the Ganglians song dubbed over the original track by members of the band Polaris, who did most of the music for the show. (But if you have never seen the members of the band Ganglians, like me, it would have taken you 20 minutes, like me, to figure out what was going on. Good thing I was Ace Blogger on this one and not my usual Post Now Google Shit Later Hack.)

However, the Ganglians song could be from 1994 — it has a sort of California garage mid-90s vibe. It reminds me of Further, an LA band from that era. The Ganglians tune is probably not for everybody, but I dig it a lot.

Beckler claims to be “too old to have watched Pete and Pete” but you’re never too old to enjoy that show. I don’t think I’m younger than Ms. Heckasac, but also I don’t actually think of “Pete and Pete” as something of my past. It seems like one of those things that you’ve either never heard of, or you love it so much you don’t go a week without thinking about it. Right? Right? Anyone?

Where’s the Dope?

Ah, there it is...
Ah, there it is...
From the Sacramento Bee’s Crime Blog we learn that a CHP pilot spots marijuana garden in Folsom.

Authorities seized 96 marijuana plants worth more than $76,000 after a California Highway Patrol helicopter pilot spotted them growing along a popular bicycle and walking trail in Folsom. In a Thursday news release, Folsom police said the plants were found along the trail in the Sibley Street and Glenn Drive area. (See photo below supplied by the Folsom Police Department.)

Thanks, Folsom Police Department. I see it now!

Disturbing headlines of the day

Awful slideshow: Images In Baby Dismemberment CaseIn the “Most Viewed Slideshows” section on KCRA.com at the moment: Children Found Alive In Trash Bin and Images In Baby Dismemberment Case. I hate to sound so preachy, but what the fuck is wrong with you people??? (Not you people, of course.)

I don’t really mean that. I understand the “rubbernecking” tendency that is burned into human nature. But isn’t there also an “avoidance of deep mental disturbance” tendency also? How does this stuff even get made into slideshows, anyway? Are those things auto generated or what? Wouldn’t somebody somewhere have to decide Yes this makes a good slideshow to push out to the Hearst TV affiliate sites (guessing there on how it works).

Keith Lowell Jensen’s first comedy CD available now

Keith Lowell Jensen: To The Moon... Live at Lunas
Keith Lowell Jensen:
To The Moon...Live at Luna's
Local comedian and Renaissance man Keith Lowell Jensen‘s first comedy CD, “To The Moon… Live at Luna’s” is now available on Amazon.com.

I’ve never actually caught Keith’s act, and I’m not sure the “Coexist Comedy” thing is my cup of tea, but I have been a big fan of stand-up comedy since I was a kid, and I have an affinity for the Renaissance man. KLJ is all over the map and I love that.

Watch this here web log in the near future for a review of the album.

Is Sacramento Safe… from the Undead?

So a couple of years ago, a “Cool” person from this website and I fiddled around with the custom map program on Google Maps to plan ahead for any local catastrophe that might occur in the event the Dead walk.  One can never be too careful- especially when zombies are involved.

What I didn’t realize was that the map was made public for anyone to edit and add.  I check two years later, and it’s been viewed by over 80,000 people and contributed to by people from all over the US (mental note, if you happen to be in the mid-west, head to Wisconsin).

I post it here now for fellow ‘Raggers to contribute and pass on to others who might want to make suggestions of Hot and Cold Zones to avoid becoming a brain casserole.