Vegan Restaurant

Jetta: The restaurant is in Carmichael near College Oaks and Auburn. My friends will meet us there. Tonight is half-off night: they don't do coupons there, but everything is half-off. It's 100% vegan and it's great. You can't order any meat or dairy or egg product. I know that is very unusual for you and will make your mouth fall off.

Marc: Can I order any baby back spare ribs?

Jetta: No, you can't order any baby back spare ribs. This restaurant has only real food, the stuff you should have been eating all along, and not the artificial crap that you are used to eating everywhere else. You'll love it.

Marc: Can I order a milkshake?

Jetta: No, you can't order a milkshake. But they do have tofu and eggplant. Do you like tofu and eggplant?

Marc: I don't like eggplant and I'm so-so about tofu.

Jetta: You'll love it!

(pulling into the parking lot)

Marc: Is that the restaurant there, the one with the "Donut Happy" sign?

Jetta (sarcastically): That's right, they put a vegan restaurant in a donut shop! No, it's over there, labelled "vegetarian restaurant"!
------------------
(Apparently the place is called Noble Vegetarian).

The food was excellent, including the eggplant, and the noodle plate with the vegebeef strips that I had. And half-off, the price was more than reasonable. Afterwards, we decided to all become rich by patenting tofu donuts.

Stick Management

This afternoon, I spent time sweepeing leaves and clipping small branches and various sticks from the trees and bushes around my house. Can't say I even properly started - the tree canopy is still full of broken stuff I can't reach. And most of the leaves are still up in the trees.

The neighbor lady is moving out to West Sacramento - like all the other next-door tenants, the high rent here eventually killed her.

Autumn is here and it's now crystal clear: 2009 was a banner year for sticks!

Capital Choreography Competition

In a special tribute at the Capital Choreography Competition (the emotional heart of the spectacle), Sacramento Ballet's great ballerina Kirsten Bloom danced the Rose Adagio from Act I of Tchaikovsky's 'Sleeping Beauty' (before departing for maternity leave).

Here, at left, she accepts the audience's standing ovation, and below, a standing ovation from her fellow dancers.

Nice show tonight (and also, previously, on Oct. 17th) at the Crest Theatre in Sacramento! Three works were premiered, in this order:

"Almost A Story Ballet", by Viktor Kabaniaev;

"On Frail Wings", by Amy Seiwart; and,

"The Ratio", by Matthew Neenan.

In the audience voting portion of the show, I reasoned that when the audience was presented with three works of approximately equal merit, at voting time, the audience would always favor the third one, because it was the last work presented and the freshest in their mind. The third work was the odds-on favorite, all else being equal. So, to be fair, in my mind, it was important to vote for the first work presented.

Nevertheless, the audience tripped me up. The audience ultimately favored the second work presented. The judges, however, chose the last work presented as the contest's winner.

In all fairness, all three works were great! Everyone's a winner in a show like this!

I Doubt This Ended Well

Tonight in West Sacramento, driving into Sacramento from the west on Highway 50, I could see and smell lots of smoke pouring out a car being towed by Jack's Towing Company. The back of the towed car had been smashed and the smoke seemed to be pouring from the rear wheel wells. Perhaps the car was in 'park' rather than 'neutral', or maybe the wheel wells were damaged, or the parking brake was on? In any event, nighttime and all, the driver of the tow truck was blithely ignorant of the catastrophe developing immediately behind him.

I pulled up beside the tow truck on the right and started flashing my high beams, and honking. But before I actually got the driver's attention I was compelled to exit the highway (the right lane there is a must exit for Jefferson Blvd.)

I wonder what transpired from all that?

Kylie Fan Shares Vegas Story

Via YouTube, a Kylie fan who was also at the Las Vegas concert at the Palms Pearl Concert Theatre on October 3rd shares his most-unusual experience about queueing early and meeting great people. The 'Better The Devil You Know' video he refers to is here:

HI! MY NAME IS RUBS, SHORT FOR RUBEN. THANKS FOR YOUR EMAIL. DUDE, FIRST OF ALL I STAYED IN LINE SINCE 1 P.M. ALL THE WAY UNTIL THEY LET US IN AND THEY PUT OUR WRIST BANDS. YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE ME IF I TOLD YOU THAT BETWEEN ME AND THESE TWO GUYS FROM ALBURQUERQUE NM (I HOPE I SPELLED THAT RIGHT!) WHERE LETTING SECURITY IN AT THE BEGINNING, BUT THEN THEY DECIDED TO HAVE SOME DRINKS AND LEFT THAT DUTY TO ME. WELL, AS SOON AS I TOOK OVER, I LET THE MALE DANCERS IN, LATER THE BAND MEMBERS, THEN THE TOUR MANAGER, THEN HER MAKE UP STYLIST, HER PROMO & PUBLISIST. I WOULD HAVE LET KYLIE'S GAY HUSBAND IN, THE WILLIAM BAKER GUY, BUT HE DECIDED TO ENTER FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF WHERE I WAS. THEN, IF YOU GO TO KYLIE'S OFFICIAL WEB PAGE, OR EVEN ON YOUTUBE, I MET THE GUY THAT GOT PROPS FOR DRESSING LIKE A LEAPORD. HE WAS FROM CHINA, CAME ALL THE WAY FROM NEW YORK, AND FROM THE FIRST SHOW IN I BELIEVE IT WAS SAN FRANSICO. PS THE GUY GOT AN AUTOGRAPH DEDICATED BOOK FROM KYLIE @ THE END AND I ALSO MET THE FAN THAT WAS DRESSED AS FOOTBALL KYLIE FROM THE NEW YORK BLOG! AFTER THEY LET US FORM IN LINE NEXT TO THE DOORS, A NEAR RIOT ALMOST STARTED WHEN THIS LADY TOLD US TO COME BACK @ 7 WHEN THE DOORS OPENED, AFTER HER BOSS HAD TOLD US TO GET IN LINE. SUFFICE TO SAY, I WAS VERY BLESSED TO HAVE GOTTEN SO CLOSE TO ARTISTIC, NON STUDIO MAGIC, HUMAN PERFECTION. I TELL MY FRIENDS HERE IN EL PASO THAT IF YOU TAKE THE VOCAL POWER OF WHITNEY HOUSTON (BEFORE DRUGS THAT IS)+THE ENERGY OF A JANET JACKSON CONCERT+THE PRODUCTION VALUE OF A MADONNA CONCERT = KYLIE! I CAN HONESTLY SAY I CAN DIE IN PEACE SINCE I HAVE SEEN ALL OF THE GREATS MENTIONED. BY THE WAY, IN THE BETTER THE DEVIL YOU KNOW, I'M RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE GUYS WHO THREW THE BALLOON IN THE CROWD, AND ON STAGE, THEY WERE FROM OKLAHOMA!

Leave Us Alone; We're Busy

We said leave us alone!:

WASHINGTON - Federal investigators are scrambling to determine what happened aboard a Northwest Airlines jetliner whose crew flew 150 miles past its destination while air traffic controllers, other pilots and even a flight attendant back in the cabin tried to get their attention.

Investigators don't know whether the pilots may have fallen asleep, but National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Keith Holloway said today that fatigue and cockpit distraction will be looked into.

...The crew told authorities they were distracted during a heated discussion over airline policy, the NTSB said.

Wednesday night, the airliner with more than 140 passengers aboard zoomed past Minneapolis at 37,000 feet at what was supposed to be the end of a flight from San Diego. Worried about who was actually at the controls, officials asked the crew to prove who they were by executing turns after they finally were contacted.

On the ground, police and FBI agents prepared for the worst, and the Air National Guard put fighter jets on alert at two locations as the drama unfolded.

Pilots from two other planes in the vicinity were finally able to reach the pilots using a different radio frequency, a controllers union spokesman said. A flight attendant in the cabin also was able to contact them by intercom, said a source close to the investigation who wasn't authorized to talk publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

By that time, the Airbus A320 was over Eau Claire, Wis., and the pilots had been out of communication with air traffic controllers for over an hour. They turned back and landed safely in Minneapolis, the plane's scheduled destination.

Sunland

Deborah writes:

Here's a favorite sign from Tucson, AZ.

"When Donna Lee's Studebaker broke down on the beach she took it in stride and was glad she brought her suit."

Art Imitates Life Imitates Art

Deborah likes neon, as seen here in "Diving".



And the neon diver still dives in Mesa!

"This Love" - The Veronicas

Exploring The Early History Of Hip Hop, With The Aid Of A Banjolele

Twenty percent of your midterm score will be based on this material.

Cheney's Recent Comments

Joan Walsh has the best take:

Where do I begin? How does a man who spent much of his vice presidency hiding in a secret bunker get off accusing the president of being "afraid"? How does a guy who got five deferments from service in Vietnam, because he famously had "other priorities," call someone else a coward? (Still, Chickenhawk Cheney had no problem sending other people's children off to die in needless wars.) How does a guy who dropped the ball on the Afghan war, letting Osama bin Laden escape and the Taliban retrench, blame someone else for "dithering" on Afghanistan?

I Like The Pugnacious Democrat

It's time to give Alan Grayson his due. We need stand-up representatives like him!

One of the most annoying things about periods of time when Republicans dominate national politics is having them question the patriotism of anyone and everyone who doesn't think exactly like them. Having a Democrat do the same could be problematic in the end.

On the other hand, we have just one Democratic officeholder doing it now, when we have (or have had) EVERY Republican officeholder doing it, aided 24/7 by the Right Wing Noise Machine. Turnabout is fair play.:

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL), however, believes that an enemies list is exactly where Fox belongs.

"Fox News and their Republican collaborators are the enemy of America," Grayson told MSNBC's Ed Schultz on Wednesday. "They're the enemy of anybody who cares about health care in this country, the enemy of anybody who cares about educating their children, the enemy of anybody who wants energy independence or anything good for this country. And certainly the enemy of peace, there's no doubt about that. They are the enemy."

Time To 'Think Of England'

OK Marc, it's time to think of something else besides women dancers - something like traffic engineering, for example, and this excellent example of a cloverstack interchange.

Unmata Tribal Fest 09

But I wasn't really looking for Kings dancers, as nice as they are. Instead, what I wanted to learn was - within a local Sacramento context, of course - what are the points of contact between Belly Dancing and Hip Hop?

This video single-handedly answers that question.

Sacramento Kings Dance Team Auditions

From July.

No, nothing to object to here, no sir!

Rogue Arctic Elephant On Questionable Rampage Impales A RINO

Movement conservative Sarah Palin chooses a different path than party conservative Richard Nixon took to win power within the Republican Party. Nixon worked within the party at all times, no matter what he may have felt. Palin doesn't see the need for that discipline. That's a bad sign for both Palin and for the Republican Party. Palin will no doubt learn the hard way about defying her party's elders (feeble as they may be these days) on important matters like endorsements:

Former Alaska GOP Gov. Sarah Palin on Thursday endorsed Conservative Party nominee Doug Hoffman over Dede Scozzafava, the Republican Party's choice, in the special election for New York’s 23rd congressional district.

“The people of the 23rd Congressional District of New York are ready to shake things up, and Doug Hoffman is coming on strong as Election Day approaches! He needs our help now,” Palin wrote in a statement that will be posted on her Facebook page late Thursday.

“I am very pleased to announce my support for Doug Hoffman in his fight to be the next Representative from New York's 23rd Congressional district. It's my honor to endorse Doug and to do what I can to help him win, including having my political action committee, SarahPAC, donate to his campaign the maximum contribution allowed by law,” Palin continued. “Our nation is at a crossroads, and this is once again a 'time for choosing.'”

Scozzafava has been plagued throughout her campaign by grassroots conservative activists who have questioned her credentials, and Palin is the latest in a slew of prominent national conservatives who have weighed in for Hoffman.

...“Political parties must stand for something. When Republicans were in the wilderness in the late 1970s, Ronald Reagan knew that the doctrine of ‘blurring the lines’ between parties was not an appropriate way to win elections,” she added, launching into an attack of the Republican Party.

“Unfortunately, the Republican Party today has decided to choose a candidate that more than blurs the lines, and there is no real difference between the Democrat and the Republican in this race. This is why Doug Hoffman is running on the Conservative Party's ticket,” she wrote. “Republicans and conservatives around the country are sending an important message to the Republican establishment in their outstanding grassroots support for Doug Hoffman: no more politics as usual.”

PC Run Amok

I agree that PC has run amok in Waiau. Rural communities have their own standards that should be given precedence here. As much as I like rabbits, in New Zealand, the original Paradise For Birds, they are pests. Rabbits there need to be flung, stomped, broken, and ground into a fine powdery meal. Do you see what they - rightfully - do to Cane Toads in Australia? Why should rabbits be any different?

In the contest, which is held each year to coincide with the start of the pig hunt, children see how far they can throw a dead rabbit.

But the RSPCA said the rabbit-throw sent a message to children that dead animals were fun and could legitimately be used as a form of entertainment.

Charles Cadwallader, animal cruelty inspector, said the rabbit-throw was also cruel.

"Do you throw your dead grandmother around for a joke at her funeral?" he said.

However, not everyone in the town agrees with the ban.

The organiser of the pig hunt, Jo Moriarty, said the decision to can the event was political correctness gone mad.

"You know, the children of the community here are fantastic, they love their animals," she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Ms Moriarty said children communities like Waiau had a better respect for animals because they are brought up with them.

Rabbits are considered to be pests in New Zealand.

The country has more than 30 million wild rabbits, which cause an estimated $22 million worth of damage. In Waiau there are farmers employed full time for rabbit eradication.

Theater Fundraising Meeting

Last night, the DMTC Fundraising Committee met. Committee members had different ideas regarding how best to raise funds, but there was general unanimity on the idea that the theater should have just as much money as possible! I'd issue a report to that effect, but it's probably best to just shut up and raise money.....

Yes, can't forget, the upcoming DMTC Karaoke (10/24) and Poker (11/7) fundraising nights!

We're Number One!: In Australia, They're Still At The Drunken Riding Mower Stage

A motorized menace:

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) -- A Minnesota man has pleaded guilty to driving his motorized La-Z-Boy chair while drunk. A criminal complaint says 62-year-old Dennis LeRoy Anderson told police he left a bar in the northern Minnesota town of Proctor on his chair after drinking eight or nine beers.

Prosecutors say Anderson's blood alcohol content was 0.29, more than three times the legal limit, when he crashed into a parked vehicle in August 2008. He was not seriously injured.

Police said the chair was powered by a converted lawnmower and had a stereo and cup holders.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Heather Sweetland stayed 180 days of jail time Monday and ordered two years of probation for Anderson.

The Internet Neighborhood Is A Cozy Place

After posting the blog entry about the "Cary Grant" biography, the author Marc Elliot E-Mailed just to say hi!