Fresnans get defensive

Another list came out recently ranking America’s smartest cities and Sacramento came in at T35 with Oklahoma City.

Metro Area Population: 2,109,832 – Daily Beast IQ Score: 84

On paper, Sacramento has a lot going for it, intellectually. It’s the capital of California, a draw for the Golden State’s best and brightest. And it’s just 90 minutes east of the Bay Area, which almost topped this list. Yet Sacramento wound up with below-average scores for almost every one of our criteria.

We do have a lot going for us, you know, on paper. It’s hard to swallow our IQ score of 84 (the winner, Raleigh-Durham, had a score of 170!), but when you consider they included college education, presidential voting turnout AND nonfiction book sales in their study it starts to make sense. Two out of three ain’t bad, right?

Fresno finished last (IQ of 3!) and the Fresno Bee’s Mike Osegueda took issue with it.

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Old Soul to open coffee shop in old Oak Park Starbucks

Old Soul Co., who run Old Soul and Weatherstone in Midtown, announced on their blog yesterday that they will be opening a coffee shop in the site of the Oak Park Starbucks which closed earlier this year. There will be a party to celebrate the opening on Monday from 11 am – 4 pm. The location is at Broadway and 35th Street.

That location sure didn’t stay vacant for very long even despite the recent economic downturn you may or may have not heard about. This is great news!

Where was I? Rainbow

October 13, 2009 - Sacramento, CA
October 13, 2009 - Sacramento, CA

Due to the overwhelmingly lukewarm response to my new “Cap’n Obvious” category last week, I would like to add another one labeled “Where was I?” We will snap random photos about town and we’ll test your knowledge of the 916 by asking that you tell us where we took the photo. Some will be easier than others. I rate this one a 5 out of 10.

With yesterday’s storm we were treated to a lovely rainbow.

Art Vault Auction

One of the pieces available at the KVIE Art Vault Auction: The Ocean's Rhythm by Suzanne Bell
One of the pieces available at the KVIE Art Vault Auction: The Ocean's Rhythm by Suzanne Bell

FREE!

Now that I have your attention… KVIE Public Television is holding a rare, free event tomorrow (Wednesday) night from 5:30 to 8:30PM. They’re opening their art vault for a one-time public auction. Did I mention? It’s FREE.

The auction offers an opportunity to purchase some amazing artworks at affordable prices. You’ll find pieces ranging from just over $100 from artists including Steve Aldridge to price points over $1,800 from artists like Julio Reyes. And in KVIE’s classy style, they promise a wine and cheese reception.

You can preview a sampling of the art and buy select pieces online in advance. Just visit their website. You will also need to RSVP in advance–space is limited. Same website.

Why do I love a blustery day?

IMG00243
Outside Sac Rag World Headquarters

I suppose it’s possible that I don’t want to know the answer to this question, but why is it that a blustery Northern California day like today fills me with happiness? I don’t think I’d want a steady diet of it, e.g. the Pacific Northwest, but something about a windy rainy day in these parts makes me incredibly joyful inside.

I’m sure I’m not the only one. Is it only because that means there is turkey and presents in my near future?

Bikes and Brews

If it’s October, that means Oktoberfest! Enjoy the brewed bounty of the season from brewers like Rubicon, Hoppy and Pyramid this Thursday with an Oktoberfest Bike Crawl. Bring your cruiser or 10-speed, rent a bike for the occasion for only $15, or ride in style in a pedicab sampling fall’s best beers and free appetizers. At each location there will be prizes, giveaways, and drink specials. And remember, it’s a furlough Friday this week, so you state workers can really let your hair down. Pre-party starts around 5pm, with the crawl starting at 6. Meet-up is at 1013, 12th Street. Cost is $20. Check out http://www.grubcrawl.usa.com for more info.

Alternatively, hit up Sacramento Brewing Company, Flaming Grill, and Sam’s Hof Brau, for some hardcore suburban Oktober’ing if you happen to be closer to that neighborhood.

Believing in the “Skyscraper Fairy”

Esquire IMAX
cc, by happyshooter

Sometime Sac Rag commenter William Burg has a great op-ed on the front page of the Sac Press today: A 10-Step Plan To Fix K Street, Or: The Legend of the Skyscraper Fairy.

1. Accept that the Skyscraper Fairy does not exist.
Many landlords along K Street have no apparent interest in maintaining or improving their properties. Some are convinced that as long as they own the land, the magical Skyscraper Fairy will give them uncountable millions for the land where their decaying buildings sit, and will replace them with shiny new skyscrapers. Thus, they have little interest in maintaining or tenanting their buildings. The result is under-utilized or vacant buildings whose facades continue to crumble.

He has some wonderful ideas (my favorites: streetcars and a permanent farmer’s market) and offers them in a hopeful manner. It leaves me a bit depressed, though, as I am skeptical that the politicians and developers currently working on Downtown will ever attach themselves to anything but the status quo.

Go Bold this Second Saturday

Raw and vibrant, "The Hunger" reflects the passion in the paintings by Santiago Proano.
Raw and vibrant, "The Hunger" reflects the passion in the paintings by Santiago Proano.

Sometimes you have to exit the beaten path to find brilliant artists. This Second Saturday, I recommend heading to a most unlikely spot to view the works of a bold and commanding Sacramento artist: Santiago Proano at the Marco Fuoco Gallery on 6764 Folsom Blvd. at 7PM.

The gallery is part of an interior design business, which is the perfect locale for an artist whose paintings pop straight off the wall, leaving colorful, intense emotions that will complete any vibrant home design. Proano’s art is not the kind to be tucked into the corner of a room. It’s the sort of art that sets the tone, calls you in, and tugs at your mind.

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Witchapalooza

This weekend, Cal Expo gets a head start on the Halloween season with the inaugural Witchapalooza. Music, street entertainers, celebrities, inflatable rides and, of course, spooky things abound to support several local charities. The best news is the bargain price for family fun — admission is only $5 and kids 12 and younger are free. Many of the attractions are geared towards fans of fantasy fiction, so if you have a kid, or are a kid of any age who loves to read about wizards, vampires or ghosts, you’ll find something at Witchapalooza to tickle your fancy.

Check their website for all the details, but some intriguing features include appearances by film legend Malcolm McDowell, the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer Kristy Swanson, and paranormal romance author and lycanthropy expert Eva Gordon. Awesome shopping opportunities are available from dozens of vendors, including costumes from Badger’s Den, one of the best suppliers of historical reenactment and fantasy supplies in the US, and Whimsic Alley, a recreation of numerous shops from the world of Harry Potter. Several contests have prizes, including a costume contest for both kids and adults, and patrons will have the opportunity to win $500 in cash. Steampunk culture will also be featured, including demonstrations of strange and fantastic gizmos.

Country Day moving to the grid

Newton Booth SchoolThe Sac Press reports that Country Day School is close to signing a lease for the old Newton Booth school building. I had not followed this story so I had no idea, but as a former Newton Booth resident I am glad the school will be getting some use. Country Day’s student newspaper The Octagon reported in March (in a very well written article! Kudos, Page Editor Calvin Fernandez) that the school “hasn’t historically gotten along with its Sierra Oaks neighbors,” another fact of which I was not aware. I wonder why, and I wonder how they will get along with the Newton Booth folks.

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