Sac Press lays off two, including Barton

Yesterday David Watts Barton reported on Sacramento Press that he had been let go by the new media company, in a story RanSACkedmedia.com had reported the day before. Also let go was Director of Events and Marketing Denise Coleman, according to RanSACkedmedia.com.

Barton, who before his stint at Sac Press was a longtime Bee entertainment writer, was the guy who interviewed me in November of 2005 and I’d say that kind of put us on the map. (“Heckasac calls bullshit.” Ha, good times.) He has some interesting things to say in the piece, about the growing pains at the Press and its commitment to citizen journalism. I think it is reasonable to speculate that a cost cutting move like this could/would be done in pursuit of a major outside investment, as DWB suggests.

This citizen wishes both of these folks good luck in the future.

Best in the West cocktail competition

Good luck to Ella‘s bar manager Chris Dooley who will be representing Sacramento in SF Cocktail Week’s Best in the West competition tonight. Chris will be tasked with creating a signature cocktail that represents Sacramento’s dining culture using a palette of challenge ingredients including passion fruit, grapefruit, basil, coffee, cucumbers, ginger, Absinthe and peach. Knowing Chris and his cocktail stylings, judges can expect something seasonal and fresh that not only tastes delicious, but looks beautiful and smells enticing.

The devil is in the gay details


Geraldo Rivera , right?

Interesting reporting of this story by KCRA and the San Diego Gay and Lesbian News. I know, I know, if we compare KCRA to the SDGLN one more time, but nevertheless, hear me out.

From KCRA.com:

A former porn star was convicted by a jury Wednesday of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon and other violent charges, the Sacramento District Attorney’s Office announced. He was convicted for punching his ex-girlfriend repeatedly and slamming a lid of a toilet tank on her head, the district attorney’s office said. Marc Anthony Donais, also a former model, committed the crime in 2009 after confronting his former girlfriend about his suspicions of cheating, the attorney’s office said.

From SDGLN.com:

Gay porn star Ryan Idol, aka Marc Anthony Donais, was convicted of attempted murder on Tuesday by a Sacramento Superior Court jury. Donais, 45, was accused of using a toilet tank lid to batter his ex-girlfriend in the head in an attack at the woman’s home on Sept. 5, 2009. The adult film star, who identifies as bisexual although he performed in gay porn, and the woman had broken up before the incident. During the trial, Donais testified that he thought his ex-girlfriend had a knife when they were in the bathroom, where she was taking a bath. He said he hit the woman in self-defense. Jurors, however, didn’t buy his argument.

Interesting clarification of Mr. Idol’s occupation, huh? At the Sac Rag, we often want to write about topics that may not be directly related to Sacramento, so we force (make up) an association just to “qualify” it for print. Do you think this is what the SDGLN is doing? Or, did KCRA omit this clarification of the type of work Mr. Idol did intentionally because they think their audience would be offended?

Product Review: Sleep Number® bed by Select Comfort


Some people sleep with their eyes open, no judging!

The folks at Select Comfort recently asked the Sac Rag to take the Sleep Number® bed for a spin and let our readers know what we thought. I thought this was a great opportunity as I’ve always been interested in the concept (two air mattresses that you can adjust from firm to soft with a wireless remote control) and the TopofIt’s bed was starting to show its age. So, I offered to take the challenge and I haven’t looked back since.

We were provided with a queen-sized version of the Sleep Number® p5 bed. This included the “Modular Base” which replaces the traditional box spring and can be incorporated into your existing bed frame (I have a wooden frame, and the delivery guys made it work easily and the bed is very stable). Speaking of delivery guys, they arrived on time (after calling to tell me they were on their way) and had the bed up and running in 30 minutes. They explained everything there is to know about the bed and even shared a few stories about their Sleep Number beds and how to find your sleep number. It couldn’t have gone smoother.

Since the bed is perfect for couples, Mrs TopofIt and I immediately began the process of finding our sleep number. Ideally, you should visit your local Sleep Number bed store and experience the technology available to determine your exact sleep number. In the Sacramento area, there are stores at Arden Fair, Westfield Galleria at Roseville, and Westfield Solano.

Continue reading “Product Review: Sleep Number® bed by Select Comfort”

See food inspection placards on your smartphone

All greens for Midtown... from this height at least

Remember how much fun we had 6 years ago talking about food inspection results? Yeah, I do too. Good times. Well now there’s an app for that. Except it’s not an app, it’s a mobile-friendly website. But it does use the GPS feature of your phone to show you the placards of restaurants near you. Pretty neat!

Six years ago was before there was a phrase “there’s an app for that” right? Good times indeed. By the way, Rice Bowl seems to be back in the green.

Mmm, seven-layer cake

R & R Wellness sells potted plants.
Gew, Master Kush, Trainwreck, Grand Daddy, the Purps, and more!

Back in June, police raided a medical pot dispensary in Sacramento. Because, you know, it’s legal to buy it, it’s legal to own it and, if you’re the proprietor of a medical marijuana store, it’s legal to sell it.

The owners of R & R Wellness on Quinta Court are accused of abusing Proposition 215, the 1986 Compassionate Care Act, specifically regulations regarding turning a profit, said Officer Chris Trimm, spokesman for the Elk Grove Police Department. The probe started when Elk Grove police found an indoor pot-growing operation at a home belonging to one of two men taken into custody, Trimm said. “It’s like a seven layer cake and we have to dig into every layer,” Trimm said. “All of that ties into this.”

Apparently running a pot store like this requires you to do it for the good of helping people feel better after smoking your product. But, it’s America remember, and people like to make money and stuff. Continue reading “Mmm, seven-layer cake”

Help Sean get off the IMAX roof

At 8am today (September 15, 2011), Sean O’Brien will take his perch atop the IMAX Theater on K Street. He is not coming down until 100 men sign up to be a Big Brother for a local kid. Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater Sacramento is in desperate need for 100 heroes who want to step up and make a difference in someone’s life.

Will you? It is going to get pretty hot up there.
Continue reading “Help Sean get off the IMAX roof”

CAKE performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live

CAKE performed four songs on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night. Watch all four together here along with a little commentary about the band.

You couldn’t escape from Cake on Jimmy Kimmel’s show last night (Sept. 14). The Sacramento band played four songs on the vast outdoor stage the show sometimes uses, including three cuts (“Sick of You,” “Mustache Man (Wasted),” and “Long Time”) from the current Showroom of Compassion. At this point, 20 years into their careers, the band members are probably sick of their music being described as “quirky,” but it’s hard to avoid that description as you work your way through the tracks here.

The “quirky” thing reminded me of my favorite Deep Thought by Jack Handey.

Laurie got offended that I used the word “puke.” But to me, that’s what her dinner tasted like.

CAKE performs two shows at Freeborn Hall in Davis on October 6th and 7th.

Daddy, what’s an “A**hole?”


Updated with video and reference to “cursing.” Hmm.

More classy journalism in the form of headline writing. Fox40 brings us this story about a Sacramento Council Member apologizing for calling citizen an a**hole.

It was during a heated debate September 6th, when the City Council was discussing Oak Park redistricting, that Pannell lost her cool. She told the angry crowd that she would be on the ballot in 2012. “I’ll be there,” replied Margo Rose-Brunson from the crowd. “I’ll be there,” Pannell repeated. And then she turns away from her mic, and perhaps believing it to be off she says, clearly but under her breath, “A**hole.”

“And perhaps believing it to be off…” Awesome. I mean, who knows, right?

I get that you want to tell the story, but perhaps the headline could have read “Sacramento Council Member Apologizes for Calling Citizen a Bad Name.” Or, “…Apologizes for Using Foul Language.”

And, yes, I am officially a curmudgeon.

Two Rivers Cider Anniversary

Cheers to Vincent Sterne for 15 years of great cider! (photo courtesy of Pacific Brew News)
Congratulations to Two Rivers Cider Company for 15 years of success. We are lucky to have one of the highest rated cider companies in the United States here in our backyard. Sacramento has also greatly benefited from their generosity, especially in the bicycle community, with their constant presence at charitable functions and their organization of the annual Thanksgiving Day ride.

Two Rivers will be celebrating tonight at One Speed from 5-8pm with four rare, barrel aged ciders (Wallonia, Hay-on-Wye, Chica Vieja, and the unnamed Bourbon Cider) and a variety of other surprises. Come join them and hoist your glass to fifteen more years of fantastic cider!