Ken Burns’s latest epic-length documentary addresses World War II and its effect on 4 American towns - Sacramento among them. The series profiles, reportedly with great accomplishment, the war’s impact on those who fought and those who waited at home. The 15 hour, 7 part series debuts on Sunday evening on KVIE. World War II veterans are dying at a rate of 1000 every day. That’s living history, falling away, leaving us adrift without its influence. Whatever we can do to hold on, perhaps we’ll be better off in the future knowing their past. And it has that Sacramento focus.

It has come to my attention lately that a number of cars in the Pocket and around Freeport Boulevard have license plate frames displaying the following:

KA 4993

What does it mean? Is it someone’s initials and last 4 social security digits? Is it the number of people Killed in Action in South Sacramento (no wait–that would be KIA and the number would be higher)…? Is it the equivalent to a secret handshake? Is it the code to a Swiss bank account? Maybe it’s something I have to program into TiVo to be shown the truth, the light, and the way?

Does anyone know what it means?
UPDATE: Big thanks to RAH62 (see comments) who posted a link to a board that suggests KA4993 is a call sign for CHP. I feel so much better now that I’ve been following so many cops or cop family members. Thank goodness I haven’t tapped any of their bumpers by accident!

A Friday night approaches. Do you have anything planned? A night of PBS? Oh for heaven’s sakes, get out of the house. Go watch some improv. Hmmmm, you wonder, where might one do this? Good question. The Sacramento Comedy Spot. Just so happen the Sacramento Comedy Spot offers up some free and funny fare Friday. Flyer to follow:

Records houses an extensive collection of LPs, and with a name like “Records,” you’d expect that. What you wouldn’t expect, or I didn’t at least, was there library of movies. Interested in Ki-duk Kim’s Bad Guy, Kinji Fukasaku’s Battle Royale, Chan-wook Park’s Lady Vengence, or Tetsuro Takeuchi’s Wild Zero? I wasn’t either, until I happened upon them in Records. If you want a movie that’s… well… odd, go to Records. They do odd. And, they’re all rentals! So if you hate the movie you’re only out three bucks.

Records offers those cinematic peculiarities Blockbuster and Hollywood don’t have the space to house. Peruse their shelves, and you’ll find some gems mixed in with some “what-the-hell-is-this-schlock.”

I haven’t yet written about the death of Satendar Singh, a young man who died as a result of injuries on July 5th here in Sacramento. I haven’t written because of the media furor and the extreme opinions on both sides of this case. I thought anything I had to say would add fuel to the proverbial fire. But now I have to say something, because I opened my mailbox today.

Currents, which touts itself as an “Asian Pacific American Newspaper Serving Sacramento and Yolo Counties” and which normally arouses my interest by discussing local cultural events and festivals, leads its September 2007 issue with the headline: “Satendar Singh Killed in Hate Crime.”

I find it amazing that the people who supposedly are serving the community already know the entire story behind the death of Singh. They know it was a hate crime. They know the young men accused are members of an anti-gay evangelical group–but wait, aren’t most evangelical groups anti-gay? (Doesn’t make it right, but it’s certainly not “new” or unusual.) In fact, the staff at Currents is so responsible, they printed the photos of the two “Russian-speaking” individuals who are being implicated in Singh’s death. One of the individuals, who is “at large” and suspected to be in Russia, has a WANTED sign over his head. Perhaps we can round up a lynch mob and get a posse ready to dispense some knee-jerk justice here? Oh yeah, he’s allegedly in Russia–so if you see him…?

None of this changes the fact that there was a tragedy and that a young man is dead. I will not minimize the horrible loss to the Singh family. But one man’s death does not justify condemning an entire community for the crime or accident, depending on who you choose to believe.
(more…)

I rarely go to Jimboy’s on 29th Street. It’s usually because of my restricted diet. Well, I went there today after nearly a year or more of not going. It’s crowded, but I am not sure why. They’ve lost a customer, even a rare one, today.

I asked for no beans, no guacamole, and no olives on a taco salad. I then noticed that the receipt said no sour cream, no guacamole, no olives. I went back and explained my dilemma to the cashier who explained to a worker my concern–in Spanish–but it was clear she was trying to explain what I wanted.

I was handed a takeout salad and I peeked at it–it looked “okay” with the exception of a Godzilla size dollop of sour cream. Brought it back to the office. The salad had chicken on it. Over-peppered, over salted. Oh, and there, under the chicken, was the half forgotten dollop of beans that someone appeared to have scraped off, but they gave it to me anyway. I almost didn’t notice it under the thrall of overripe tomatoes. No wonder the lady at the counter didn’t look me in the eye when she handed it over. Sloppy, people, sloppy. (P.S. This is not the first time they have made a mistake like this–but it is the last straw–or bean–for me.)

I’ll spend my money elsewhere next time, thank you.

I was here, in Sacramento, and had recently started a new job.

Earlier in the year, the State Capitol building had been assaulted by a speeding big rig. I remember the feeling of disorientation, as my small family had kicked a soccer ball one Sunday on that very lawn of Capitol Park just a few days before. The building was in repair for months afterward. I suspected things wouldn’t be the same–we wouldn’t be able to play ball on the lawn anymore–and it turns out I was right. But it wasn’t the speeding truck carrying evaporated milk that changed the way local government looked at its people. It wasn’t the truck that changed the way the people looked at their government.

9/11 happened.

We haven’t played soccer on any government grounds or near any government building since 2001. I doubt we ever will again.

The Sac Bee has announced its 17th Annual Photo Contest:

And now it’s time to share. The Bee’s 17th annual Travel Photo Contest kicks off today, and you have until Oct. 16 to enter. A panel of judges chosen by The Bee will critique the entries (digital only) and choose winners in one of two categories: California, and The Rest of the World. The work of the winners will be published in the Nov. 4 Travel section.

Each contestant is allowed one entry in each category. So pull out those digital files and send your best shots to us via the sacbee.com/travel Web page, where you’ll find complete rules and instructions.

Besides getting published in The Bee, winners in each category will receive cash prizes: First, $100; second, $75 and third, $50.

Check out the complete rules here.

Good luck!

p.s. Again with the odd rights-language. The full contest rules state that “all entries become property of The Sacramento Bee.” Yet, after listing what the Bee will do (post the photos for up to a year - but, um, check last year’s winners and try to find the credits), the rules state “All other rights remain with the Contestant.” After the Bee claims the entries as its property - what rights remain?

Passing some cheery time on the elliptical machine, reading the Entertainment Weekly fall movie preview issue, I cam across a discussion of the trouble a director felt during the screening of his movie in “California farm country.” Into my head popped images seen at blurring speed along the 5 or 99. Carefully plowed rows, lines of grape vines, groves of almond trees - all in places outside of already small places like Lodi or Modesto. Maybe Stockton.

At the end of the article, however, the writer brings things full circle by commenting that the fear the director felt during that Sacramento screening was unwarranted.

Wait, what?

Sacramento is the farm country? Here? Really? I felt initially miffed; insulted that Sacramento got pegged instead of the clearly inferior Stockton or Modesto. Tracy, anyone?

Then, walking to my car this morning, my nose filled with the warm, earthy scent of summer farmland - grass and cow and agriculture.

Oh, right. California farm country. Here we are.

We went to the State Fair about a week ago and oohed and ahhhed the bungee ride (looked like rubber bands flying) like most fair goers. But reading today’s Sac Bee article about the “unexpected shredding” of one of the cords and that two teenage girls were stuck in the malfunctioning ride gave me serious goose bumps.

Is a bungee thrill like that worth the risk? Ask the two girls who were in the ride when the cord shredded. Ask the parents.

It surely is a State Fair to remember–for those kids. And I won’t be letting mine ride a ride like that any time soon. No matter how much they whine and plead. I’d rather have them whining than have nothing at all.