Aaron Davis comment-63142 2012-02-02T18:41:32Z 2012-02-02T18:41:32Z Easy come, and easy go/ Just like an old song playin' on the radio/ Now these hard times will come, hard times will go/ Life keeps movin' along, easy come, easy go. Aaron Davis 2012-02-02T18:41:32Z Tennessee Colonel comment-58695 2011-10-15T15:29:31Z 2011-10-15T15:29:31Z I went up from Sacramento town To the Sierra gold fields Dreaming just how a rich man feels Now my darling dear, listen here For I think that it's fair to warn you That I return to claim your hand As the King of California Tennessee Colonel 2011-10-15T15:29:31Z Carol Gale comment-58659 2011-10-14T14:18:45Z 2011-10-14T14:18:45Z X and Knitters frontwoman is the incredible and beautiful Exene Cervenka. Carol Gale 2011-10-14T14:18:45Z Scott Holbrook comment-58583 2011-10-13T17:19:28Z 2011-10-13T17:19:28Z Excuse the typos & questionable grammer - I try, and I do hope you will come up and join in the fun - Come early and stop in Old Town - grab a cold one at the Auburn Ale House! Scott Holbrook 2011-10-13T17:19:28Z Roni Deutch comment-34684 2010-08-11T20:51:02Z 2010-08-11T20:51:02Z How unfortunate! I love children, and hate to have read that they were secondary victims of this arson. Roni Deutch 2010-08-11T20:51:02Z mrEd comment-34560 2010-08-10T02:21:51Z 2010-08-10T02:21:51Z The fact is that we don't know who did it or why... it could have been adults for all we know. Studies do show that organized youth activities decreases youth crime. Perhaps Auburn is the only place immune to social funding cuts, but I doubt it, so it's likely there have been cuts in youth activities there as there have been elsewhere. I never indicated their should be no accountability or responsibility; I was responding to the knee-jerk punishment response from the previous post. If you also think there are ample programs for youth and the solution is a caning stick... well... good luck with that. mrEd 2010-08-10T02:21:51Z Scott Holbrook comment-34550 2010-08-09T21:34:46Z 2010-08-09T21:34:46Z We are blessed in the Auburn community to have numerous youth activities, In fact the park where this happened includes a public swimming pool available at real low cost, we have youth team sports, activities such as ping-pong, we built a skate park, we have open gym time for free - hell we have lakes and rivers my kids go to all the time, we have driving ranges, movie theaters. These kids (I am assuming here) have tons of stuff they can do, we have a free to attend Boys and Girls Club, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Future Farmers, we have an off road motorcycle area, we have performing arts programs- that excuse does not fly MrEd - we are not talking about kids smoking pot or other harmless bored kid activities - we are talking crimes that are hurting people & sending them to the hospital, and others that are costing thousands of dollars putting them into the felony area - For all I know this was a prank to put on You-Tube - it is getting worse and worse -I think we need to have serious consequenses for parents and kids - Make them think very hard when they light that match - Making excuses and blaming society allows for acceptance and excuse of bad behavious - we need to instill individual responsibility & accountability! Scott Holbrook 2010-08-09T21:34:46Z mrEd comment-34545 2010-08-09T20:58:05Z 2010-08-09T20:58:05Z Often it is a lack of youth activities programs that lead to this sort of destructive behavior. Unfortunately funds for such youth programs are cut to accommodate the wealthy by way of tax cuts and/or funding pro-corporate wars overseas. Perhaps instead of brutalizing the perpetrators of this crime, as suggested above, we should take a hard look at our priorities when it comes to public funding and such that might otherwise occupy youth more positively in the community. mrEd 2010-08-09T20:58:05Z Robert Horowitz comment-34542 2010-08-09T20:44:41Z 2010-08-09T20:44:41Z A little Singapore-style caning would fix their wagon. All the vandalism at the newly fixed up schools around Sac makes me sick. What is wrong with these people? Perhaps this type of behavior could be deterred by a good, old fashioned ass whooping, televised for everyone to see... Robert Horowitz 2010-08-09T20:44:41Z Scott Holbrook comment-34540 2010-08-09T20:30:14Z 2010-08-09T20:30:14Z Turn in Vandals! Scott Holbrook 2010-08-09T20:30:14Z kcastro comment-34180 2010-08-03T23:16:19Z 2010-08-03T23:16:19Z dont trust any aamco the only thing that will be true is you parting with a lot of money for nothing. kcastro 2010-08-03T23:16:19Z kcastro comment-34179 2010-08-03T23:14:54Z 2010-08-03T23:14:54Z you are so true but thats only the beging i know i was a manager for twenty years at diffrent aamcos aamco corp is always looking for ways to teach there dealers and managers was to rip you off with out the customer knowing about it for prof and facts i can be reached at huntingandfishingtv@hotmail.com or 805-925-3346 thank you keith. kcastro 2010-08-03T23:14:54Z Sarah Kay Hannon comment-25326 2010-04-21T20:27:52Z 2010-04-21T20:27:52Z Gafffney definitely has a lot going for her. She opened for musician Kaki King a year ago January at Harlow's and did great! Sarah Kay Hannon 2010-04-21T20:27:52Z Lindol French comment-25230 2010-04-20T20:54:49Z 2010-04-20T20:54:49Z Very cool, I shall stop by. Lindol French 2010-04-20T20:54:49Z Geoff Samek comment-9651 2009-06-19T14:01:11Z 2009-06-19T14:01:11Z Change has been made. Geoff Samek 2009-06-19T14:01:11Z Scott Holbrook comment-9646 2009-06-19T04:25:37Z 2009-06-19T04:25:37Z Ok Ok - I saw it "invided"!! I'm beggin' for a pitty edit Scott Holbrook 2009-06-19T04:25:37Z Scott Holbrook comment-9642 2009-06-19T04:12:41Z 2009-06-19T04:12:41Z I hope this is not an abuse of the priveledge, and I do hope you all come! Scott Holbrook 2009-06-19T04:12:41Z Scott Holbrook comment-8786 2009-06-04T13:37:14Z 2009-06-04T13:37:14Z Not that anyone checksm back on this issue but now the ACLU and Sacramento's Jewish Community Relations Council are chiming in on this issue, there is a front page article on todays (June 4) Auburn Journal as well as more letters to the editor. www.auburnjournal.com Scott Holbrook 2009-06-04T13:37:14Z Matthew Keys comment-8633 2009-06-01T05:27:17Z 2009-06-01T05:27:17Z PS: For anyone wondering WHEN the event is, it's June 19th. Matthew Keys 2009-06-01T05:27:17Z Matthew Keys comment-8632 2009-06-01T05:24:45Z 2009-06-01T05:24:45Z Kate is awesome. I saw her open for Eric Hutchinson back in January at the Blue Lamp and thought she was amazing. If you love great music with a homegrown feel, check her out. Matthew Keys 2009-06-01T05:24:45Z Top Cat 2808 comment-8549 2009-05-29T23:25:11Z 2009-05-29T23:25:11Z For Lincoln and Darwin to have shared the backwards views of their time and place does not make racists out of them. From a fairly recent Washington Post article: Henry Louis Gates Jr.: If a man used the N word, liked blackface minstrel shows, loved telling darky jokes, referred to at least one black man as "boy," and called Sojourner Truth "auntie," how would you describe him? If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck. However, this was the early Lincoln, He changed under the pressures of the presidency and he grew in terms of race relations, eventually beginning to embrace the idea that some -- only 200,000 out of 2.2 million -- black men should be allowed to vote, in the final speech that he delivered, 3 days before he was assassinated. In fact it was this very speech, overheard by John Wilkes Booth, which led to Booth's decision to assassinate him. But Lincoln was a "recovering racist," making his commitment to abolish slavery and his enormous affection for and loyalty to his "black warriors," as he called them, even more impressive. While you are certainly more right than me on this topic, I think that Lincoln cannot have been the "hater" than conferring a moniker of Racist on him implies. Re Darwin, this from wikipedia: Darwin did not share the racism common at that time: a point examined by the philosopher Antony Flew, who is at pains to distance Darwin's attitudes from those later attributed to him. Darwin was strongly against slavery, against "ranking the so-called races of man as distinct species", and against ill-treatment of native people. Darwin's views on social and political issues reflected his time and social position. He valued European civilisation and saw colonisation as spreading its benefits, with the sad but inevitable effect of extermination of savage peoples who did not become civilised. Darwin's theories saw this as natural, and were used to promote policies which went against his humanitarian principles. Top Cat 2808 2009-05-29T23:25:11Z sas comment-8372 2009-05-27T04:39:46Z 2009-05-27T04:39:46Z If you delve deeply into land that has in the past been donated with the stipulation that the gift bear the name of the gifter, I think that most of us would take issue. In the same light, there are countless buildings, Airports and schools that honor individuals that are loved and respected by many yet elicit a negative reaction by others. If its believed that his name is so notorious that the benefits cant possibly outweigh the negatives incited by the name on a plaque or sign then politely decline for the good of all. I wonder how many people have any idea who William Shockley is. I'll hazard to guess that most of the families who use this park will never give the name a second thought. He will as so many before him, be no more than a landmark. sas 2009-05-27T04:39:46Z rwneill comment-8371 2009-05-27T04:33:54Z 2009-05-27T04:33:54Z I've never been convinced that Shockley was a "racist". He was first & foremost an applied scientist/engineer. Like Einstein, his politics were oddball, perhaps naive, and he could be far left on one issue & far right on the next. His notion that human genetics should be centrally planned to enhance the intelligence of the species through the generations by applying scientific principles had been the central theme of the popular novel "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley. In that novel, humans were supposedly happier precisely because they were pre-programmed genetically prior to birth so that they would love the jobs they would ultimately end up doing for their whole lives. They wouldn't have to waste time trying to "find" themselves or their ultimate purpose/contribution in the world. "Although Shockley was concerned about both black and white dysgenic effects, he found the situation among blacks more disastrous. While unskilled whites had 3.7 children on average versus an average of 2.3 children for skilled whites, Shockley found from the 1970 Census Bureau reports that unskilled blacks had 5.4 children versus 1.9 for the skilled blacks. Shockley reasoned that because intelligence (like most traits) is inherited, the black population would, over time, become much less intelligent countering all the gains that had been made by the Civil Rights movement. Shockley's published writings and lectures to scientific organizations on this topic, such as the National Academy of Sciences, were partly based on the research of Berkeley psychologist Arthur Jensen, Cyril Burt and H. J. Eysenck. Shockley also proposed that individuals with IQs below 100 be paid to undergo voluntary sterilization." Shockley donated substantial quantities of his own sperm to a sperm bank with the hope of brightening the prospects for future generations. This is not racist but a mis-placed belief, spawned in the social turmoil of the 1960s & only after he had been in a very severe auto accident, that somhow a world of high-IQ persons of all races & both genders would miraculously yield a BETTER result overall than mere random reproduction among lower-IQ, lower-skilled contributors to the human species. Perhaps you can leave the name of the park as it is & just write Shockley off as an eccentric old coot who survived a nasty traffic collision in the days BEFORE seat belts even existed... rwneill 2009-05-27T04:33:54Z thsas comment-8370 2009-05-27T04:07:19Z 2009-05-27T04:07:19Z That sounds interesting. Put up a sign with a different name than the requested one, and let the family take the land back. That should please the offended. thsas 2009-05-27T04:07:19Z Tony Sheppard comment-8362 2009-05-27T00:59:57Z 2009-05-27T00:59:57Z If the conditions of the gift are not met, the family may be able to sue to get the land back. A similar instance occurred in Miami, if I recall correctly, where a park that was left for public use was used as the site for a ticketed international tennis tournament, essentially blocking open access to that area during that period. Figure this out in advance - you don't want to develop the land with a parking lot or restrooms or something and then have it returned to the family after spending public money on it. Tony Sheppard 2009-05-27T00:59:57Z Scott Holbrook comment-8356 2009-05-26T23:10:22Z 2009-05-26T23:10:22Z There is no mechanism to return the property. Once the property was accepted, the trustees the same day finalized the transfer - as they wanted it off their plate as soon as they could. Scott Holbrook 2009-05-26T23:10:22Z Scott Holbrook comment-8354 2009-05-26T23:00:11Z 2009-05-26T23:00:11Z Here is a clip from racismreview.com: http://www.racismreview.com/blog/2009/02/16/abraham-lincoln%E2%80%99s-racism-in-context-reflections-on-his-era-and-ours/ ".......Yet, virtually none of the current discussions of Lincoln –in this hagiographic mood the country is in–seriously focuses on Lincoln’s extensive racist framing of U.S. society and what that has meant, then as now. Most historians dealing with Lincoln now touch on his racism, but only a few like Lerone Bennett, Jr., in his much debated but pathbreaking Forced into Glory, get to the heart of the matter. Even left historians seem to lack the conceptual tools to make sense out of Lincoln’s deep racism. Their discussion usually focuses a few of Lincoln’s views and actions, with an argument he got less racist over time–and not centrally on the much bigger picture of racial oppression being the foundation of the nation, then as now, and on the white racial frame that was essential to rationalizing that foundation, then as now. And not centrally on how the war and Lincoln, and the war’s aftermath, were shaped by and shaped that systemic racism and its rationalizing frame. And what it meant that Lincoln stayed very racist in his views to the end. Lincoln was a willing servant of that foundational racism. Several years before he became president, in his famous debate with Senator Stephen A. Douglas, Lincoln demonstrated that he operated out of a strong version of the white racist frame. For example, he argued in that debate that the physical difference between the “races” was insuperable:...... As far as Darwin, most people do not realize the full title of his writings - he believed in "Favoured Races" - from what I understand a foundation for Eugenics Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species, published 24 November 1859, is a seminal work of scientific literature considered to be the foundation of evolutionary biology. Its full title was On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. - (from Wikipedia) Here is a cut from the University of Hawaii website by a Mr. Lienhard - "Did an older and wiser Darwin leave this youthful racism? He did not. In fact, he was sexist as well as racist. He said we'd be in trouble without the law of equal transmission of characteristics to both sexes. Without it man would've grown so superior to woman as to be a different species. Darwin shares a birthday with another great man who held equally racist ideas. That was Abraham Lincoln. Like Lincoln and the rest of the white race in the 1800s, Darwin never doubted the superiority of his kind. Like Lincoln, Darwin became a hero in the cause of human rights despite himself." Did an older and wiser Darwin leave this youthful racism? He did not. In fact, he was sexist as well as racist. He said we'd be in trouble without the law of equal transmission of characteristics to both sexes. Without it man would've grown so superior to woman as to be a different species. Darwin shares a birthday with another great man who held equally racist ideas. That was Abraham Lincoln. Like Lincoln and the rest of the white race in the 1800s, Darwin never doubted the superiority of his kind. Like Lincoln, Darwin became a hero in the cause of human rights despite himself. http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi617.htm I suppose I could have phrased my comments differently, but overall I stand by my comments - They did hold views that many would consider racist. This of course was in a different time, and knowledge available was not the same as it was today. I do not want to "smear" any of the people noted in my comments, as all had a major impact on all of us and where we are today. Scott Holbrook - sorry I did not log in I stand by the comments made within the content Scott Holbrook 2009-05-26T23:00:11Z beerzie comment-8353 2009-05-26T22:47:46Z 2009-05-26T22:47:46Z If 3) and 4) are not options, give it back. Racists should not be honored by having their names attached to public parks, whether they donated the land or not. beerzie 2009-05-26T22:47:46Z Top Cat 2808 comment-8350 2009-05-26T22:11:03Z 2009-05-26T22:11:03Z How did Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln get smeared by way of the Auburn park!? Charles Darwin is supposed to have been as nice a man as you are ever likely to meet. If, on the margins, he accepted some of the blarney of his time, that is not racism. Abraham Lincoln is known to have liked jokes, including ones we might snear at as being sick, but he was kind to everyone and well thought of by those who came to know him. And, must I add, he emancipated the slaves. There is no basis for calling Lincoln a racist. Top Cat 2808 2009-05-26T22:11:03Z thsas comment-8319 2009-05-26T17:58:32Z 2009-05-26T17:58:32Z If it is an offensive gift, do not accept it. thsas 2009-05-26T17:58:32Z Geoff Samek comment-8313 2009-05-26T04:43:28Z 2009-05-26T04:43:28Z This is an interesting topic of conversation however I would like to admonish users to tread lightly in this comment section. This will likely be a contentious and lively debate, but please keep it civil and refrain from personal attacks and offensive language. Geoff Samek 2009-05-26T04:43:28Z Susan McKee comment-7253 2009-05-06T22:40:08Z 2009-05-06T22:40:08Z last time I checked we had many neighbors and friends of Mexican heritage, who could remind us that this land belonged to others before we came here. But instead, they share their wonderful traditions of fun and hospitalityl Susan McKee 2009-05-06T22:40:08Z Dale Kooyman comment-7248 2009-05-06T20:09:02Z 2009-05-06T20:09:02Z Was Irish St. Pat's day any different? Booze was a major draw there too. How about Chinese New Year--smaller but still a celebration? Now if we celebrated one holiday from each of our diverse cultures who live in Sacramento, look at the fun (besides booze) and education we could have and the great food we could eat? Dale Kooyman 2009-05-06T20:09:02Z The Parrhesiac comment-7228 2009-05-06T15:22:46Z 2009-05-06T15:22:46Z We should not be Celebrating a Mexican holiday...or Mexican heritage, last time I checked this is America. Like other holidays, Cinco de Mayo is nothing but another day to market crap and sell alcohol, there is simply no other reason to celebrate a Mexican holiday. The Parrhesiac 2009-05-06T15:22:46Z Dan comment-4923 2009-03-22T14:24:40Z 2009-03-22T14:24:40Z Use Firefox. Dan 2009-03-22T14:24:40Z Scott Holbrook comment-4890 2009-03-21T21:17:34Z 2009-03-21T21:17:34Z Hope it's for the music, not the free beer! Scott Holbrook 2009-03-21T21:17:34Z TotalDerelict comment-4888 2009-03-21T18:33:37Z 2009-03-21T18:33:37Z Sounds like fun! Hope it don't rain. I'm a comin' up, if I can find a ride. TotalDerelict 2009-03-21T18:33:37Z Colleen Belcher comment-4885 2009-03-21T17:57:26Z 2009-03-21T17:57:26Z That's quite an offer that you make Scott - first beer on you for readers of the Sacramento Press! I've been to Auburn a couple of times to hike the beautiful waterfalls in the summer. I can't say I've been to any of the restaurants or been a part of any of the nightlife, though. This is a great article on the many things Auburn has to offer. If I didn't know better, I'd think I was reading it in a magazine. Thanks for sharing the little nuggets of Auburn with the rest of us. I enjoyed reading this and hope to make my way up to Auburn to check out some of the places you listed. Colleen Belcher 2009-03-21T17:57:26Z Scott Holbrook comment-4871 2009-03-21T02:28:44Z 2009-03-21T02:28:44Z Wishin' there was a spell check on the write screen! Gotta remember to cut and paste - Happy Hour at the Ridge starts at 4! again please come on up Scott Holbrook 2009-03-21T02:28:44Z Scott Holbrook comment-4624 2009-03-15T03:36:12Z 2009-03-15T03:36:12Z amen! I believe it was a route similar to Business 80 - The Nut Tree in Vacaville, The Milk Farm (Dixon?), Shakeys in Sac & the Brown Cow in Penryn were all stops on the way to the mountains - all fond memories - All now gone! Scott Holbrook 2009-03-15T03:36:12Z William Burg comment-4562 2009-03-13T17:06:16Z 2009-03-13T17:06:16Z Scott: The original Shakey's Pizza was on J Street in East Sacramento, not too far from the original location of The Beat if you know where that was. If your route to the mountains took you down Highway 40 via the Tower Bridge, you would have had to detour off of 40 to J Street, then took the Fair Oaks bridge to get back on track towards the mountains. I grew up in the suburbs of Sacramento in the 70s and 80s, and Tower Records was pretty much my lifeline to interesting music and culture. I spent a whole lot of time haunting the Citrus Heights store near Birdcage, the Watt Avenue store, and sometimes (after light rail went in and I could take it downtown) the store on K Street and 8th with the amazing mural. KVMR is a real treasure, between them and KDVS Sacramento is flanked by some incredible musical resources. William Burg 2009-03-13T17:06:16Z Scott Holbrook comment-4539 2009-03-13T13:53:51Z 2009-03-13T13:53:51Z I spent much more time at the Columbus and Bay weird corner store than most other Tower stores, I loved the giant posters they had out - I pass it semi regularly now and it is sad to have it gone. I agree on clerks, and highlighted their importance in another article. Music snobs are my favorite people - I just don't care what kind of music they are snobby about, as long as their passion is honest to themselves. These days I find the top 10 lists of "internet" places like CD Baby, Miles of Music (MOM), Village Records.. provide the best source of discovering new music - Or even better, listen to KVMR 89.5 FM, or www.kvmr.org check out their schedule for genre's you like - then find out how to buy the music & buy it! - Thanks for the info Wm - I lived in the Bay Area back in the 60's and early 70's - on our way to the mountains, we used to stop at a cool pizza parlor with a big organ, was that the Shakey's you speak of - in our town Shakeys used to play black and white comedy movies & have ragtime music - just one more of those early influences that shapes my likes today! Scott Holbrook 2009-03-13T13:53:51Z William Burg comment-4546 2009-03-13T05:34:47Z 2009-03-13T05:34:47Z Maybe it's just because I'm a music snob, but personally I consider record-store clerk attitude to be one of the hallmarks of a good record store, vs. most chain record stores (or Sam Goody or Wal-Mart) where they couldn't give a darn about your purchase because they don't know anything about music. Typically the same clerks who will belittle a bad purchase will compliment a good one. But this was more than just record store snobbiness--this was scene credit. I was kinda awed by folks who worked there, and they always seemed to have good record collections (no doubt in small part to the seemingly high tolerance for employee pilferage at Tower stores.) I applied once or twice, but wasn't cool enough... William Burg 2009-03-13T05:34:47Z Harry Osibin comment-4545 2009-03-13T04:52:03Z 2009-03-13T04:52:03Z "working at Tower Records was a badge of honor" In SF at Columbus and Bay the attitude was so thick among the workers at Tower that they would diss your purchase LOUDLY if they did not approve. Harry Osibin 2009-03-13T04:52:03Z William Burg comment-4521 2009-03-12T16:01:38Z 2009-03-12T16:01:38Z The sign will go into storage at the Sacramento Archives, with some other famous neon like the original Shakey's Pizza sign. I don't think I have any photos, but I too have a lot of memories of flipping through the record racks at Tower Records (back when all they had were records, plus some cassette tapes) and indulging my love of reading at Tower Books. Tower was never afraid to stock the unusual, the underground and the interesting, in addition to the big sellers, and that depth of merchandise is what elevated them above other music store or bookstore chains. There was a time in Sacramento when working at Tower Records was a badge of honor about as cool as being in a band, and along with StateNet and EMH, Tower's distribution warehouse in West Sacramento was one of the places you could get a job if you had pink hair, piercings and tattoos back in the days when having pink hair, piercings and tattoos were still uncommon (and unsettling) enough to keep one out of other jobs. William Burg 2009-03-12T16:01:38Z Scott Holbrook comment-4224 2009-03-06T14:56:19Z 2009-03-06T14:56:19Z Thanks Kevin - I look forward to someday listening to, or preferably reading specifics! I really wish you well and great success'. Scott Holbrook 2009-03-06T14:56:19Z Kevin Johnson comment-4223 2009-03-06T06:28:08Z 2009-03-06T06:28:08Z Scott, I'd welcome you to drop by City Hall or come to a Town Hall. There's plenty I'm working on (specifics!) that I'd be glad to share. But don't underestimate the value of listening! Kevin Johnson 2009-03-06T06:28:08Z Scott Holbrook comment-4198 2009-03-05T23:57:08Z 2009-03-05T23:57:08Z I stand by my observations & comments. A look at the few comments shows I am not alone on my opinions, prior to election you had months and months of time to get a pulse of the community & to evaluate priorities. There was a unanimous vote of the council, what was your role, did you draft the aganda item? What are you doing to build consesus? A town hall meeting is great, especially in a feel good way. People are going to tell you they are upset about crime, teacher layoffs, quality of education, concerns about their safety & crime..... I am sure you will hear and emphasize with their concerns, but what are you going to tell them YOU are going to do about it in concrete terms? What policy changes are you going to propose and when? We hear you goals, but what steps are being taken to reach them? What are the benchmarks? Raising issues is easy, but I have not heard one "new" issue raised by you, nor have I heard anyone upset at you for raising them, the concerns I hear are what is going to be done to fix them . Facts are, numerous things need fixing & there is not enough money to fix them. Please Please Please could you provide some concrete planned proposals. Could you provide 1 policy change that you could introduce to help the gang problem, 1 policy issue that will improve the education system, 1 policy change that could help the business climate. State not paying taxes on their buildings good point, one that has been discussed often, but what do you propose to change that? Thanks for the response, look forward to another with some level of specifics. Assuming I am still welcome into Sacramento, would love to discuss issues with you, but I am more of one do do it over a beer or Margarita (or possibly a good cup of coffee) vs a town hall meeting! Also please come up to Auburn, lots of great places to enjoy there too. Good Luck & Keep Smilin'. Scott Holbrook 2009-03-05T23:57:08Z Kevin Johnson comment-4187 2009-03-05T16:47:58Z 2009-03-05T16:47:58Z Thank you for your commentary. I appreciate and respect your point of view. Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton are national leaders, and I am honored that they are coming to Sacramento. Rev. Jackson has a 40 year history of community organizing with PUSH/Rainbow coalition, and I was pleased to have Congresswoman Doris Matsui and Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg join with us to launch Volunteer Sacramento (http://www.handsonsacto.org/AboutUs/index.php/VolunteerSacramento.htm). Rev. Al Sharpton is a leader in education reform, part of the same coalition as NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Jeb Bush, John McCain, as well as progressives (http://www.educationequalityproject.org/). As for your comments about his activism, I think he says it best himself: "An activist’s job is to make public civil rights issues until there can be a climate for change. So when people get angry at me for raising these issues and making them public, well, that’s my job! That’s what I’m supposed to do. If I could not get the public’s attention on an issue, then I’m not a good activist." As for my first months in office, yes, I have convened Summits on education, crime, volunteerism, and gang violence because I believe it's critical to hear what the community is saying beyond the confines of City Hall. That's the other reason I've held Town Halls and community office hours, and why I'm online every week at News10 taking community comments, and calls on KFBK every week (not to mention reading the comments to my posts on sacramentopress.com). I find it extremely productive to listen to what the community is saying. I am proud of my work to building consensus on the City Council to protect public safety, including the unanimous vote to reject additional fire station brownouts and keep police on the beat. I have kept my promise to focus on the core issues of public safety, economic development, and education and am confident we will have significant changes in policy (remember, I've been in office only about 90 days!). Again, appreciate the feedback. Come down to my Town Hall meeting coming up -- I'd be glad to talk to you in person. A full schedule is on the city website, http://www.cityofsacramento.org/mayor/index.html. Kevin Johnson 2009-03-05T16:47:58Z Harry Osibin comment-4154 2009-03-05T01:04:13Z 2009-03-05T01:04:13Z Agree completely. No comment about Jackson/Sharpton. They are not analogous to Coulter/Hannity. More like McClintock/Pombo. That's splitting hairs. The mayor needs to politic in the city and in the region. He needs to lead council and start to work on city problems including escalating violence and property crimes due to the economy. Strong mayor or not. He's still going to be held accountable. Harry Osibin 2009-03-05T01:04:13Z Susie Shields comment-4132 2009-03-05T00:54:43Z 2009-03-05T00:54:43Z I think the mayor wants despirately to be successful and keeps getting ahead of himself. He wants to do so much so fast that he's really not focusing on anything in particular. I think aligning himself with Jackson and Sharpton is a mistake. Sure, they'll generate publicity, but will people take them seriously? I would hope the mayor would stop worrying about being so visible and start worrying about being accomplished. Slow down, take a deep breath and focus. Susie Shields 2009-03-05T00:54:43Z Scott Holbrook comment-4104 2009-03-03T14:45:44Z 2009-03-03T14:45:44Z It is all in the eye of the beholder, though my wife will quickly answer no to that question! Others do it a heck of a lot better than I Scott Holbrook 2009-03-03T14:45:44Z Colleen Belcher comment-4078 2009-03-03T00:39:58Z 2009-03-03T00:39:58Z Great review of the show. I like your "high octane psycho country" description. Are you a musician yourself? Colleen Belcher 2009-03-03T00:39:58Z Scott Holbrook comment-3909 2009-02-27T14:28:44Z 2009-02-27T14:28:44Z Sorry about the bad link & thanks for the quick fix Geoff! I stumbled upon the site when I Googled Kate Gaffney, another site largeheartedboy.com came up. This site turned out to give a link to archive.org. I am really enjoying the site and wanted to spread the word, Scott Holbrook 2009-02-27T14:28:44Z Geoff Samek comment-3897 2009-02-27T06:02:03Z 2009-02-27T06:02:03Z Thank you, the link has been corrected. Thanks to Dan as well. Geoff Samek 2009-02-27T06:02:03Z William Burg comment-3904 2009-02-27T03:09:35Z 2009-02-27T03:09:35Z The site is archive.org, not archives.org as posted in the article above. As a researcher, historian and scholar, I have made use of archive.org sources (they have links to a lot of long out of print Sacramento history books) but they are available for everyone. One of the nifty things about the Internet is the way that it democratizes information, making documents that were either obscure or just not available into something anyone can see--or hear. William Burg 2009-02-27T03:09:35Z Colleen Belcher comment-3885 2009-02-27T01:03:38Z 2009-02-27T01:03:38Z Good catch. Thanks for the correction. I had never heard of it, thanks for the background. Colleen Belcher 2009-02-27T01:03:38Z Dan comment-3883 2009-02-27T00:49:22Z 2009-02-27T00:49:22Z Internet Archive, at archive.org, has been around for more than a decade. The link that this article provides, archives.org, is a spam site. Dan 2009-02-27T00:49:22Z Colleen Belcher comment-3882 2009-02-26T19:10:58Z 2009-02-26T19:10:58Z How did you come across the archives? A random Internet search? Did a friend tip you off? Thanks for sharing this with the rest of us! Colleen Belcher 2009-02-26T19:10:58Z stillfresh comment-2653 2009-01-22T21:51:05Z 2009-01-22T21:51:05Z apostrophe "s" is not the plural form for margaritas. stillfresh 2009-01-22T21:51:05Z Mark Forsyth comment-2647 2009-01-22T18:55:58Z 2009-01-22T18:55:58Z True that Zack. Although I'm well past the 21 year limit, I think it's terrible that there are no venues downtown for the under 21 crowd. I've been to several shows in Carmichael at The Boardwalk, a mixed age venue, and it is usually packed with mostly those of the under 21 demographic. Mark Forsyth 2009-01-22T18:55:58Z zack paladini comment-2564 2009-01-20T23:11:43Z 2009-01-20T23:11:43Z i'm only 19, and i hate the fact that i can't get into shows that are 21 and over. i feel that i should be able to support local music regardless. im not 21, but please, let me in!!!! zack paladini 2009-01-20T23:11:43Z Pyerse Dandridge comment-2103 2009-01-10T10:06:10Z 2009-01-10T10:06:10Z Yes, it is about time. DRM is pretty much the reason I refuse to touch itunes. Pyerse Dandridge 2009-01-10T10:06:10Z MarkStaneart comment-2078 2009-01-10T04:53:27Z 2009-01-10T04:53:27Z My experience and fond recollection of my musical awakening in the 70s is similar to Scott's, although I’m a little older and started younger. I still can remember the radio I was hearing before I could walk, and I was aware of rock and roll early enough that Elvis Presley was a latecomer. As a teenager, I detoured through what Utah Phillips used to call “the great folk music scare,” which led me to Peter, Paul and Mary, which led to Bob Dylan and to - - - well, you know the rest. In high school, new music came to us exclusively via AM top-40 stations. We bought seven inch 45s—the hit with a B side—for 79 cents and played them on monaural phonographs. I still have some. Later we started buying 12 inch albums—12 songs for about $4, and by the late 60s, Thom O’Hair and others had discovered that the FM band sounded better, it could broadcast in stereo, frequencies were available for the asking, and people actually liked hearing those other songs on the album besides the “hits” which the record labels promoted. They broke the back of AM top-40. The artists reinvented The Album as a distinct art form. Instead of a random collection of songs, it could have a beginning, a middle and an ending. I haunted the original Tower Records at 16th and Broadway in Sacramento where we could grab albums from the rack, crack the seal and take them into a little booth to preview. I first heard the Alice’s Restaurant Massacree with the four part harmony in one of those booths. I regret the dying of the record stores, too, but I don’t regret the death of the corporate record labels that shamelessly exploited the artists and the listeners for profit. Cultural changes have a way of cycling back around, but things are never quite the same again. Right now, the single is back in the form of downloads, and the album is dying as sure as the record stores are folding, but I expect the album will make a comeback with some future generation of artists. Cultural shifts don’t happen in a vacuum. Along with the record stores, book stores and newspapers are dying, too, and the young consumers of popular culture are not at all like us in the 70s. Like Scott, I love to share music. Younger folks still have a soundtrack to their lives, but sharing it doesn’t seem as important as it seems to us. They select hundreds or even thousands of songs (singles) to put on their personal listening devices and listen alone with cheap little headphones. I once had a conversation about good sound with my grandson, age 13 at the time. Naturally, I praised the virtues of filling the house with sound from a powerful amplifier through a pair of quality speakers, but he said none of his friends care about that. They’re only interested in electronic equipment that packs more and more functions and gigabytes into smaller and smaller packages. They’ve never heard of a MacIntosh amplifier. They want something that holds a few thousand songs, makes phone calls, shoots photographs and movies, does Email and text messages, plays videos and video games, wipes your ass, makes you a cup of coffee and fits in your shirt pocket. They don’t care if doesn’t do any of those things well. I’m hesitant to say that popular music these days sucks, because that’s what my parents’ generation said about the music I liked as a kid. I can say, however, that music and culture in the late 60s and early 70s rendered the term “popular music” obsolete. “Popular music” isn’t what the people want to hear anymore; it’s what corporate advertisers sell. If the quality is low, it’s because those Madison Avenue cats never did have any taste anyway. Good music, even memorable music, is being made all the time in every idiom. The hard part is, as it always has been, to find it and make sure the artists can get paid. MarkStaneart 2009-01-10T04:53:27Z Susan Arroyo comment-2052 2009-01-09T00:42:31Z 2009-01-09T00:42:31Z I was very sad when tower records closed. I learned how to use turntables when I was 16 and I love the way vinyl feels and sounds way more than an I pod. My favorite thing about buying a cd is getting to look at the cover booklet, I just don't get the same feeling when I buy an I Tune. I hope R5 and other stores will make it. Susan Arroyo 2009-01-09T00:42:31Z Jonathan Mendick comment-2041 2009-01-08T19:29:36Z 2009-01-08T19:29:36Z I liked this article, because I am biased against people who are not "album people". Records are an important part of music, and I just don't see them going out of style, even with the advent of torrenting/downloading/music sharing. Take Hip Hop for example. Clubs are so popular nowadays, Hip Hop and dance records have to be pressed for even the most modern tunes so that DJs can spin at the latest club. Of course, there are digital DJs too, but they can't use the record as an instrument like the true Hip Hop DJ does. Digital DJers are usually just party rockers. Jonathan Mendick 2009-01-08T19:29:36Z Scott Holbrook comment-2014 2009-01-08T06:37:38Z 2009-01-08T06:37:38Z Thanks for the comments & I hope you all realize I live in Auburm, while part of the greater Sacramento area, a far drive from R5, the Beat or for that matter Dimples. I work quite often with "Americana" bands out of Texas, Nashville etc - flat out they can not afford to go on the road. My son is heavily into Metal, last summer I took him to Reno to see the "Summer Slaughter Tour" (it played in SF @ the Fillmore - no Sac stop) the Reno Promotor lost heavily. Buying directly from artists is great, but again how do you hear about them. If you are into Americana, maybe you can Tune into KVMR between 12 & 4 on Saturdays, or on Thursday afternoon - what about the rest of the time (I really suggest folks look for local internet radio station wildwestradio, for which a good friend runs.. Yes the times they are a changing, but the options are diminishing. Itunes is cool, and maybe you will by 1 song from a emerging artist - but now you do not buy an album, or rather a collection of several tunes an artist feels passionate enough to put out on the product. Die hards like most that respond to this post are the type to research, track down and persue new music, but the masses remain clueless. Just like on tv instant gratification is being pushed on us. You have one brief moment to make it, if you miss that chance well.... In the nostolgic days artists had multiple album contracts & a commitment to the artists once signed. Many 1st releases failed, but by the second or third then success may come. Again Sacramento is soo lucky, from Jerry Perry who I give nothing but great respect to - to Dave and the gang at the Palms - to Paul and the crew at the Grass Valley Center for the Arts - combined with stations like KVMR, Sac State we do have opportunites that most of America does not (being earshot from SF does not hurt either) Yes there are great music any given night - but it is not the midlevel touring band. Even bands from SF & LA are much fewer. Dave Insley came up and tried for a while, but wound up heading back to LA (he even played some Sammies)- artists need to be able to work 5/6 nights a week to get bye. While Sac is keeping pace surrounding areas are not, even Reno has lost many of its venues in recent years, not to mention promoters. I stand firm that an outlet, that reaches beyond major population areas needs to exist - with human interaction to help music expand. David Byrne had a great article in a recent Wired Magazine about the changing times & how artists need adapt & change their business model. Change may come full circle, but the question remains where does Grandma go if she lives in Auburn, Placerville........ I think that people need to quit buying as much on itunes, go out of their way to support independent music stores, if you like internet, don't buy a song buy a cd from one of the many resources out there Amazon is a clearing house, again look at the internet record stores, find one that supports your tastes & buy from them every now and then. I like Williams take - again support music, it is so important. It is so dissapointing when I go and see artists come into town & maybe 10-15 people show up - again thanks for the comments, I would love to hear about some good new music - especially if you are know the likes of Todd Snider (comming soon to Marilyn's I think), Fred Eaglesmith, Unknown Hinson, Flaming Lips, Jimmy Lafavre, Waybacks, Bill Kirchen.... Scott Holbrook 2009-01-08T06:37:38Z Ben Ilfeld comment-2010 2009-01-08T05:35:36Z 2009-01-08T05:35:36Z This is basically a compromise between apple and the major labels, at least on paper. For a long time now the majors despised 99c pricing across the board. And as of last year, Apple was officially against their own DRM system. While they dilly dallied, I got my music from amazon.com and lala.com. Both offer significant advantages like always being 99c or less and always being DRM free. Oh, and they tend to have higher bitrates (though to be honest I don't hear the difference). I have also heard that you can strip DRM from your old iTunes collection for 30c a song. Now that is an interesting story. Anyway, bravo for apple and the majors for all coming to their senses about this. Ben Ilfeld 2009-01-08T05:35:36Z David Watts Barton comment-1991 2009-01-08T00:34:46Z 2009-01-08T00:34:46Z Also, some good news today regarding iTunes downloads. They've lowered some prices as low as 69 cents (others have gone up from 99 cents to $1.29) and more importantly, perhaps, they've removed DRM copy-protection from ALL their downloads. David Watts Barton 2009-01-08T00:34:46Z Pyerse Dandridge comment-1990 2009-01-08T00:05:50Z 2009-01-08T00:05:50Z And not just itunes, Amazon.com, LimeWire, BitWare, etc. These sites make it so much easier and cheapier to download you music right into you mp3 player or computer. Pyerse Dandridge 2009-01-08T00:05:50Z Raoul Kleven comment-1985 2009-01-07T22:30:02Z 2009-01-07T22:30:02Z As much as my sympathies are with small record stores, I can't deny how terribly convenient itunes is. True, there's no interaction with a music clerk (of course, that isn't always a benign sort of meeting. Usually, but not always) but having the flexibility to pick three or four songs out of an album is pretty seductive. Is only buying songs as singles necessarily a good thing, though? What happens to the idea of a cohesive album of songs that are designed to be appreciated together? Raoul Kleven 2009-01-07T22:30:02Z William Burg comment-2006 2009-01-07T20:54:15Z 2009-01-07T20:54:15Z There is a documentary called "I Need That Record!" about the demise of independent record stores. Both the film's producers, and after-movie commentary by local audiophiles Scott Soriano and Dennis Yudt, mentioned strategies that could help the independent record store in the future. Combining brick-and-mortar sales with Internet sales is important, in order to limit the negative effects of Internet sales the simplest tactic is to offer customers a choice of whether to order online or come in to shop. The other feature of a good indie record store is that it becomes a community of music lovers, in a way unlike the music section at Best Buy could ever be. The staff and the customers become friends, the space becomes a hangout, ideas get traded and merchandise gets sold based on recommendations and shared interests instead of whatever's on the Top 10. Record stores that are surviving in the current climate are ones that are willing to take on these changes, instead of sticking to the traditional pattern, or trying to follow the big-box pattern and failing because they don't have the volume or the connections that big chains do. William Burg 2009-01-07T20:54:15Z Paul Cox comment-2000 2009-01-07T19:53:45Z 2009-01-07T19:53:45Z And don't forget the old record store that used to be at 7th and K and moved to 16th and Broadway. And then in Old Sacramento, there is a record store in one of the building cellars, that has some awesome finds! Paul Cox 2009-01-07T19:53:45Z David Watts Barton comment-1980 2009-01-07T17:37:55Z 2009-01-07T17:37:55Z As someone else who grew up in the '70s and watched the music scene and record business change - and as a former Tower clerk and as one of the Bee music critics mentioned in two recent posts about the decline of record stores - I feel your pain. But I also think that you're seeing the glass half empty rather than half full. Yes, many smaller record stores have closed (and big ones, witness Tower). But as you noted in passing, the Sacramento area has some remaining record stores - and in my opinion, The Beat, Dimples and yes, R5, are actually BETTER record stores than Tower was. The passing of time has lent a rather rosy tint to our memories, but honestly, take a look at the offerings at the above stores and I don't see what you could complain about, either in terms of selection or relatively speaking, price. And that's ignoring the internet. Jeez, Amazon.com is a goldmine if you're looking for unusual stuff - I got a rare copy of Roy Harper's "HQ" - the English version - on Amazon.com, after futile searches in area (and even New York) record stores. And I got it for $7! Then there's the option of buying records straight from the artists themselves, cutting out the record label and enriching the artist by many multiples of what they'd otherwise get. AND because of new technology, you can listen to tracks before you buy them. Even get them for FREE if you don't want to observe such moral niceties. Ditto radio. Radio back in the presumed golden age of the 70s sucked. KZAP, beyond its first few freeform years, was a joke. I listened to Bowie, Roxy, Iggy, Little Feat, Joni Mitchell, etc, and KZAP basically ignored most of them, or played their one or two biggest hits. Terrible radio. KSFM "Earth Radio" was somewhat better, but compared to internet radio stations like we have now (radioparadise.com comes to mind), KZAP was bland and unimaginative and beholden to the programmers. And now we've got shows like Blue Dog Jam on KXJZ on Saturday nights, and KVMR in Nevada City and KDVS in Davis. Eons better than KZAP even at its best. Finally, concerts. Sacramento has always been a second string town for touring live music, often passed by for the Bay area. But we have more venues now when they do come, and a greater number of promoters. Wee've got a free concert every Friday night in Cesar Chavez Plaza, with entirely local bands. And the quality of our local acts has never been better, and I say that as someone who's been watching (and interviewing, and being) local acts for better than three decades. You can go hear original live music any night of the week in this town, at a variety of venues. You may not have much company at points - people in this town still prefer their video machines to live events - but that's no reflection on the quality of the music being played. Sorry to jump on you, I understand your nostalgia, and sadness at your local record store closing. But I do think that focusing on the good old days doesn't get anyone very far. As Dylan sang, "The times, they are a-changin'," and he approved. He also sang, "Those not busy being born are busy dying." There is a lot to enjoy and myriad ways to enjoy it (I didn't even talk about the wonderful world of YouTube, where instead of waiting for a slick video to come around on MTV, you can select whatever you want, even old film of Pink Floyd on French TV or Bruce Springsteen playing with The Arcade Fire.) I didn't really put this all together for myself until I read your post, and I saw that there was a choice to be made: Love what is, see the positive, or yearn for the past, in sadness. And it made me realize that, for me, there has never been a better time to be a music fan - because we've got 50 years of great rock-ish music to choose from, and dozens of ways to experience it. Let's celebrate that! And thanks for contributing, and provoking such a passionate response in me. I look forward to reading your next post. David Watts Barton 2009-01-07T17:37:55Z