Tag: The Local Angle

Lost: the local angle

21Q’s Sam McManis beat me to the punch last week on the Lost promos for News10 starring TV’s Sawyer:

He looks into the camera with that Sawyerian smirk and says, “Don’t trust ‘The Others.’ Watch News10.”

The viewer can easily detect the barely-disguised ennui actor Josh Holloway (Sawyer) is nursing having to do promos for every ABC affiliate from here to Baltimore.

Quipped one friend of 21Q: “Yeah, Henry Gale is totally a KCRA guy.”

If you’re a “Lost” fanatic, you’ll get the reference.

Which I technically still am, but I don’t. Even with the ennui it’s still better than those Colusa Casino radio spots starring Carlos Santana.

UPDATE: Sam McManis emails:

Now, the implication by my colleague who made the Henry Gale/KCRA quip was that “The Others” aka “The Man” aka “The Establishment” would watch KCRA whereas the good guys would watch warm-and-fuzzy News10.

Yeah I don’t know why I didn’t get that. Although I like to think that Sawyer would be all over this here weblog, since he is the premiere provider of snark on the island. And thinking of him hunching over a keyboard hunting and pecking is almost as funny as when he wears glasses.

It ain’t over until the big dog barks

MaceyWant a local rooting interest in the “Super Bowl of dog shows,” the Westminster Kennel Club show? In tonight’s finale in Madison Square Garden, root for the Akita. Ch. Redwitch Reason To Believe (known to her friends as Macey) will be taken into Best In Show competition by Laurie Jordan-Fenner, part of an Elk Grove family of professional handers.

If the team takes the top prize, it arguably won’t be the biggest win for this family. Last year, Larry Fenner handled an Australian shepherd to Best In Show over more than 20,000 other dogs (Westminster is limited to 2,500 because The Garden is a relative tiny venue) at the four-day English canine entravaganza known as Crufts.

The Jordan-Fenner clan may be local, but Macey comes from a British line of Akitas who have won big all over the world. Her win in the Working Group last night makes her only the second Akita in the show’s history to advance to the final seven.

Update: Make that two locals. Larry Fenner won the Herding group with Bouvier des Flandres. But neither dog took Best in Show.

Sac fitness ranking: #17

Pipeworks
“up to the ceiling…”
by nudiehead on flickr.com

Sacramento was named to the top 25 fittest cities in America last week by Men’s Fitness magazine, which has the most horrible website ever.

“The survey examines lifestyle factors in each city, including fast-food restaurants per capita and availability of gyms or bike paths.”

I mean, Sacramento just executed the way Sacramento did in practice. Some people are saying that Sacramento didn’t earn this honor. But Sacramento can’t worry about what other people think, because at the end of the day, Sacramento is just responsible for Sacramento. And Sacramento just wants to get fit!

Java City-mouse, Java Country-mouse

(NOTE: This is post #1000!! –Ed.)

Breaking Story: It has come to the attention of the editorial staff at sacrag.com that the Java City in Loehman’s plaza has closed. That’s right, the perennial hangout for the Armenian, Greek and Russian organized crime lackeys in this town has closed.

How could this happen, you ask?  Well, those of us in the gustatory press might say that it was long overdue, since Java City’s coffee tastes like monkey piss mixed with coagulated blood. But, the word from my source across the road at Peet’s is that there were problems with “the lease.”

Nevertheless, this means double the traffic at the Lyon’s center Peet’s, which may make some alterations necessary. On the bright side, my reliable source (Michael) says that the space formerly occupied by JC will now be a branch of the venerable San Francisco institution, Boudin Bakery Cafe. I know, awesome, isn’t it?  I’m looking forward to that chowder in a breadbowl–as long as it doesn’t taste like monkey piss.

The Shins’ Sacramento connection

The Shins interviewed by Jim Krasinski, Filter Magazine
Yes, that’s Jim from The Office

I’m a huge fan of The Shins, the earnest yet quirky indie rock outfit featured as the band that can change your life in the otherwise unwatchable “Garden State” by Zach Braff. I’m excited about their new album, “Wincing the Night Away” (which you can stream on Scenestars), out January 23 (my birthday) on Sub Pop, and their appearance this weekend with host Jake Gyllenhaal on Saturday Night Live. (Sub Pop is excited about that too.)

And then I realized that, as they would say on the local news, The Shins have a Sacramento connection. Continue reading “The Shins’ Sacramento connection”

“So much for world peace” or “Who wants to talk Project Runway?”

This was the punchline delivered by one of the news anchors on the Good Morning Today it’s Early show yesterday after running a story about, ahem, current Miss USA Tara Conner. Of course, no one got it and he had to explain that she’s being scrutinized for her underage drinking, drug use, and same sex lip locking (not that there’s anything wrong with that! well, she was Miss Teen USA, but she was 18! we think, not sure if she was at the time, but let’s not split hairs here) and that typically that’s the answer contestants give when asked…just as I will do now, he let it go and moved on…but I laughed, talking head, dude, I laughed!

Today, cbs13.com ran a story (lucky for me as I’ve been itching to rant on the subject and needed the “local angle” to pitch to my editor at headquarters) about a local beauty queen’s reaction to Donald Trump’s decision to let Miss USA keep her title as long as she agreed to enter rehab. Continue reading ““So much for world peace” or “Who wants to talk Project Runway?””

Sully don’t surf

In my house, it’s notable when Sacramento is mentioned on TV or in a movie, even in passing. When it happens during one of my favorite TV shows it’s practically cause for a gala event at Spataro. On last night’s “Veronica Mars” our gal is on the case of the missing boyfriend: Sully, from Sacramento. Don’t think we didn’t cross our fingers and hope V, Wallace and the gang had to make a field trip to pick up some clues from the downtown plaza or the Crocker!

Top Model fever, round two

A buddy of mine scored awesome seats to last night’s outstanding A’s game, so I missed the opening night of The CW and with it the premiere of “America’s Next Top Model.” My wife informs me that, building on the success of Sara from Davis in the last cycle, Norcal is going for 2 consecutive finalists with A.J. from right here in Sacramento. Right awn Sactown! (Where did that guy go, by the way. Let me know if you’ve seen him.)

So how ’bout it, peanut gallery… anybody do A.J.’s hair or go to high school with her? Let’s get the scoop.

The other shoe falls

Taking a break from our regularly sheduled arena-gate programming to report that my electric bill arrived yesterday.

My billing cycle runs nearly from the beginning to the end of the month, so it included the entire run of the heat storm. My house is about 1,200 square feet, and I did try to conserve energy. Even at that, the air conditioning ran 24/7 for at least a week. Setting it at 78 … 80 … 82 didn’t help — it still ran 24/7.

And it cost me: $190.66 for the month of July.

Yes, it’s a hit. But I take consolation from the fact the SMUD is one of the least expensive energy outfits in the state — we’re paying one-third less than PG&E customers in West Sacramento, for example — and, of course, I’m grateful that I had air conditioning (thinking of the people who didn’t, and died) and could afford to run it.

So I guess I can’t kick much. But you’re still going to hear a lot of howling across town as people open those envelopes.

Hope August is relatively cool.

Housing markets: Sacramento vs. 25 other cities

The Wall Street Journal has a nifty chart online spotting housing trends in 26 cities, Sacramento included. Although most of the WSJ content is available only to subscribers, it appears this piece is open to all, at least for now.

The chart lists Sacramento as a falling market with a 136 percent change in inventory of available homes. What struck me, though (although it didn’t come as a surprise, really) is how relatively low-priced many other cities are. Example: Three bedroom, two bath “lakeside lodge” in Jacksonville, FL, for $195,600. In Houston, $139,900 will get you four-bedrooms and 2,392 square-feet.

But having spent time in both Jax and Houston, I have to say: If you think summer in Sacramento is miserable, try north Florida or Houston. C’mon, you know it! Let’s have the Sacramento motto:

It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.