Remember how we said “You heard it here first”?

I’m sure you do. If you don’t remember, pay attention: You heard it here first.

RonTopofIt has been keeping us all up to date on this missing woman, and commented on the fact that there seems to be disparities in the attention that some missing persons get over others.

Two whole weeks later, KCRA finally picked up on the disparity issue. Too late though KCRA, you’ve been scooped by almighty Rag of Sac. What exactly are you doing during work?
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Fun with labels

So it appears the “person of interest” in the Christie Wilson case had some of her hair in his car and is now being considered a “suspect” (Reader’s note: Still no word, like at all, on the missing Rio Linda foster mother).

At our last Sac Rag staff meeting we were laughing about this term “person of interest” and how it has made its way into our lexicon in recent years. I found an interesting article from 2004 that discusses it and brings up some great points.

“It’s a sloppy, irresponsible term,” said Ted Gup, journalism professor at Case Western Reserve University and a former Washington Post reporter. “Once you cast a pall of suspicion on someone, you can’t subsequently say, “I didn’t mean anything by that.’ It’s like trying to get the toothpaste back into the tube.”

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Folsom RT Woes

Apparently the huge popularity of the newly opened Folsom light-rail line caught Regional Transit off guard, too. I know that nobody likes the backseat urban planning guy (especially when he doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about), but I’d like to know how something as large as a commuter rail line gets completed without a clear picture of how it’s going to be used. Survey, anyone? Polling? Calling random numbers? Anything ringing a bell?

But from the picture of RT this article paints, I guess the lack of user sampling is not the biggest obstacle RT faces.

Last week, a consultant for the south line extension told an RT committee it now looks like capital costs for that extension will be $150 million – a whopping $38 million more than anticipated.

And that’s not the only project over budget. If the people at RT misplace their tickets, they might want to look up their collective ass.
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Nanny 911

Who doesn’t love them some craigslist? Have a pair of concert tickets you wanna sell? Check out craigslist.com. Looking to find that special someone? Craigslist.com is for you. In need of some daycare for your toddler? Please, steer your internet browser clear of craiglist.com. While they have a section devoted to this topic (http://sacramento.craigslist.org/kid/) and I am sure there are plenty of reputable, competent caregivers on there, I’d like to share a litte anecdote with you.

I was sitting at soccer practice a few weeks ago along side many of the other parents who enjoy watching their little ones run around aimlessly occasionally bumping into a soccer ball. I noticed this younger, college aged gal thumbing through a textbook (moving her lips as she read, not a good start). A sister maybe? Perhaps a nanny?
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I don’t get it.

A day after this hit the headlines, KCRA reports about this in Elk Grove.

Under a plea agreement, the attempted murder charges were dropped, and Howard pleaded guilty to the child endangerment charges.

Does this rub you the wrong way at all? It shouldn’t because, you know, strangling and setting fire to your children isn’t really attempted murder.

It really doesn’t make any sense, but hey, thanks for getting to the bottom of that one, KCRA!

It’s a little suspect…

Again with the unhelpful suspect decriptions, Sacramento.

Victims described the men as 22 to 29 years old, 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall with thin builds. One was wearing a black beanie and another had his hair in braids, [Police spokeswoman Michelle] Lazark said.

Okay, so the first one is a Sailor and the second one is a Viking? As I’ve said before, fashion comments do not make for good suspect descriptions. After all, when I hear “beanie” I sometimes picture the multi-colored pinwheel hat (like the one Calvin gets hoping it will make him fly–by the way, thanks SacBee for rerunning Calvin).

No wonder we’re known as bad drivers.

I found this piece from today’s Sac Bee extremely disturbing. Who the hell blogs from their car while racing a train?

While on the one hand I can appreciate the fact that the writer is one bad-ax-muther-trucker for being able to blog while he’s fighting the maniacs on Highway 50, to blog while driving is maniacal as well. Who authorized that story anyway? No wonder Sacramento has such a bad reputation when it comes to driving ability, or really, with anything to do with a motor vehicle.

This story will only promote bad habits on the road. I DEMAND that the Sac Bee publish a retraction to this story. They should also publicly hail the Sac Rag as the most trusted name in fair and balanced reporting in Sacramento in a full page ad in the Lifestyle section. WHO’S WITH ME?

Conversations on the Light Rail

Friends, I’ve taken the liberty of creating a new category (did I need CoolDMZ permission for this?) to house my records of bizarre commuting experiences. For example, conversations overheard on the light rail. For example of that, the following: At 7:30 a.m. a completely wasted woman sitting behind me had the following to say on her cell phone: “I’m going to go to Folsom and get me some new KSwiss as soon as it does…. he said he want a baby, that dumb F-**ker don’t even know that he’ll be lucky if he gets to eat dinner at home tonight and he thinks I’m gonna give him a baby…” Rinse, lather, repeat for my entire morning commute. And for yet another example,
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What defines you?



Plant a Tree, Be a Hero

Over in the Arden/Arcade side of town local folks have been promoting a tree planting program for quite some time. Adopted from the popular program in the oh so popular Arden Park, the Arden/Arcade extension has gone door to door with flyers asking for volunteers to help. This might sound all well and good, but much like a “boo gram” there is a little something else at play. This time, something a bit offensive.

For example, on their website their tag line reads (with photos of streets with and without trees, sure hope you don’t live on of those “belows”:

“Trees Define A Neighborhood. What street would you like to live on?

Another example (#2 on What You Can Do To Help):

ENCOURAGE YOUR NEIGHBORS TO PLANT- If you want to be a hero on your block, give away free trees

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Finally…RAW has come BACK to Sacramento!

Alright stop cheering. WWE’s in Sacramento tonight, at Arco. Anyone else check this out, or better yet, was anyone there? In fact, is anyone even here?

I’m in the midst of watching the show on TV, taped live today at Arco Arena in our own “a**hole” of a town (according to Vince McMahon). Here is your blogcast of the event as it went down on TV:
Continue reading “Finally…RAW has come BACK to Sacramento!”