Mix 96 is a “Land of Confusion”

Going on 4 days now of being woken up to the plaintive voice of Mr. Phil Collins on Mix 96. (Oh, me not listen to Mix 96, me only not change station on clock radio.) I haven’t been writing down song titles before today (“Hold On My Heart” at 7:04 a.m.) but I’m pretty sure I caught a “Groovy Kind of Love,” and you know there was a “One More Night” in there somewhere.

Something is going on here. Mix 96 is trying to tell me something Phil Collins-related. Am I supposed to go on a personal mission to reunite Genesis? Am I destined to start a parody religion in honor of Mr. Collins? Or maybe am I just supposed to look twice, since on the surface it appears to just be another day for my wife and me in paradise? I need answers.

Sac-centric Yahoo! Groups

As a prominent local blogger, I’m always on the lookout for online sources of local gossip. When I discovered today that most Yahoo! groups publish their message archives as RSS feeds, I was excited at the prospect of getting choice scoops right from the keyboards of Sac’s most dedicated nerds. Well, Yahoo did not let me down (for the first time ever). I present to you a list of 250 Yahoo groups catering to Sacramento residents. But before you click that link, maybe you’d prefer to play my new game “Is it a Real Sacto Yahoo Group or Not?”
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Kinda cool at 55 Degrees

Capitol Mall’s new venue for politico, lawyer and banker types was named 55 Degrees to reference the best temperature for wine storage. After visiting there a couple times, I think the name is more apropos for its room temperature. Truth be told, I’m always cold in restaurants, and 55 Degrees is not any colder than the rest – but all the modernist touches give it a cool, almost sterile, environment.

The restaurant is walled by glass, and nearly everything inside has right angles – even the appetizer plates. It’s quite a contrast from the still popular Il Fornaio just across the street. Unlike Ilfo’s large bar area with lots of tables and even a couple little sofas, 55’s cocktail area is comprised only of the actual bar – a very square bar. So, 55’s bar is fine for two people, not so fine for larger groups or socializing. It is a full bar, but the stock of hard stuff pales in comparison to the wonderful wine list.

I like 55 quite a bit – the appetizers are delectable! the service is fabulous! – and am sure I will end up there with my boyfriend for many post-work cocktails (mostly because he works in that building). But if I’m doing downtown drinks with the girls, we’re headed to Il Fornaio.

GOLD LINE DOWN! But Sac driver saves the day.

This morning I arrived at my stop along the new “Gold Line” (formerly Sunrise line) on the light rail. You know, the one that’s been expanded to go to Folsom. When it runs. Everyone was milling around and there were about 5 times as many commuters as normal. After a few minutes it was clear that a) the train was not coming and b) it had not come for a while, leaving so many extra commuters waiting at my stop. Rumors were flying – that the train had just stopped one stop up, that there was some kind of threat to the train, etc. There was an RT truck parked but no RT worker and no sign posted with information. Finally, just as I was contemplating the bus map to figure out an alternate way to work, a bus driver came up and shouted that the whole line was down both directions and had been for over an hour. She said the stop before ours had at least 100 people waiting, so even when the train started again it would take several passes before we could fit on.
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Smart drivers 1, jackhole drivers 0

Stalled Vehicle

Sacramento freeways lend themselves to aggravation. There’s something about the process of merging in the River City that just doesn’t work the way it should. Too many lanes to merge? Shoulders that are too large and inviting for “cheaters”? Stupid people that simply don’t understand the concept? I’m sure we’d all agree it is a combination of the three. Well, my friends, yesterday’s commute home was one where justice was served. I was making my way onto Business 80 (Capital City Freeway still?) as I do every weekday evening via the J/I street onramp. Anyone that makes this move knows that people just LOVE to try and cheat their way through usually by driving on the side of the road for as long as they can ultimately cutting someone off and being forced to stop traffic and merge (force) their way in. It’s traffic, remember, that’s a lot of cars going the same way at the same time. Short story long, I witnessed this dude in a BMW behind me weaving in and out of traffic making every effort to advance his ride. He was receiving gestures from other drivers and basically increasing the level of stress in an already tense moment. Well, as is rare in this day and age, our smooth operator was rewarded for his behavior with a blown radiator and was forced to pull over and request assistance from the driver’s he had moments ago irritated. Booya.

Rancho Cordova is rated NC-17.

A while back, Mrs. TopofIt observed how common it was to see kids in public places during school hours.

Well, my blogger-in-law, your voice was heard through the Sac Rag megaphone, and the powers-that-be have listened. Rancho Cordova is thinking about locking all kids down during school hours.

But, I wonder if the cops should also be locking down the adults in Rancho as well, although for other reasons than you think…
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‘Operation Boo’ Targets Offenders

Well tonight’s the night for walking around and asking for candy, and as we all know there are some major creeps out there. But don’t worry, Sacramento’s on the case. The article is short enough, I’m just going to post it in its entirety:

Law enforcement officials are hitting the streets to keep children safe from sex offenders on Halloween.

“Operation Boo” will put parole officers out among the trick-or-treaters, knocking on doors and checking up on high-risk registered sex offenders, who have been warned to turn off their lights and not answer the door on Halloween.

“We physically go to the home and knock on the door … to see if they are complying with that. If they answer the door we have a problem we have to deal with,” state parole administrator Rick Burrows said.

Some parents said it is comforting to hear that agents will be on the streets.

“So, if a sex offender were to open the door and try to get my child in the house, they wouldn’t be able to. The best measure is for parents to be active on Halloween with their children,” parent Tuesday Airola said.

Where to start? Since these offenders are definitely able to follow society’s rules, why not just make it up to them not to do something that is perfectly legal, like answering the door for any reason. Second, I’m not sure how paragraph three will work.
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The Day the Lights Went Out in Southport

Spent an idyllic Sunday late morning at Dave’s Pumpkin Patch in West Sac. Did the usual family guy stuff; snapped some nice photos, petted farm animals, walked amongst the pumpkins, stared in horror as subdivisions actually appeared to spread into the farmland. The weather was wonderful, one of those days in Sac that makes you remember weather can actually be nice, rather than just a giant thumb pressing down on you every day. Didn’t plan on putting the CoolDMZ hat on, preferring the blissful anonymity of being just another citizen, rather than one of its foremost chroniclers.

And then everything at Dave’s Pumpkin Patch went haywire, and as you know my friends, that’s when CoolDMZ goes to work.
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