Interesting article. One thing to keep in mind, the real difference in Yelp scores is fairly small. The best restaurants are usually no higher than 4.5 stars (there is currently only 1 restaurant with a reasonable number of ratings over 4.5, that one is the Kitchen) and the worst are rarely below 3, so the magnitude of the "Yelp impact" is limited. Another thing to keep in mind, the Yelp score probably has a close correlation to the quality of the restaurant and an extremely close correlation to public perceptions about the restaurant. No duh, right? Well in terms of the econometrics that is a really big deal. Unless very effectively controlled for, what the study is likely telling you is that good restaurants, which happen to have good yelp scores, make more money.

I pay about $12/mo at 24hr fitness (2 yrs, prepaid). I get far more than I pay for. They have perfectly good equipment in a more than adequate space. If you can't get fit there, you're just looking for excuses.

"Monterey Bay's premier nightclub, featuring acts from around the world. Artists such as Neil Young, Papa Roach, Emmylou Harris, Ice T, Nirvana, Alanis Morissette, No Doubt, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Pearl Jam have graced the Catalyst stage in years past. The main dance hall is 5000 square feet, not including balconies, and can hold 800 people. The bar downstairs is 100 feet long, starting in the front room and extending into the concert area. A large selection of beer and liquor is offered here. Upstairs is the game room with another bar, 6 pool tables a jukebox and arcade games, as well as a lounge." http://www.catalystclub.com/

Interesting stuff ... Jim, at the heart of the matter, it doesn't seem like you really disagree with Jason. His belief is that a large venue would be a much bigger risk than a medium venue -- which to me, seems obvious. Your argument is that a larger venue would have greater potential -- which to me, again, seems obvious. More potential v more risk. Given the regions repeated failures, seems like the safer bet is the smarter bet in this instance. Just FYI, P.S. = Post Script You're going to want to add another post, not another script ...

Bummer that the wine bar never got started ... I was looking forward to it ...

For what it's worth, SPOA isn't a union, it's a professional association ...

Ben -- it's the name more than anything else that suggests this site is a part of the Press ...

I sympathize with your concerns and will leave to Stonewall and Sen Steinberg to discuss their own endorsements. The actual Democratic Party of Sacramento County invited every candidate in the county that is registered as a Democrat to request endorsement. Every candidate that submitted a questionnaire was invited in for an interview. The Democratic Party did come to the same conclusion as Stonewall in this race, endorsing Patrick Kennedy, but it was not without an exhaustive and open process.

I wouldn't take anything for certain ... Ray Tretheway, Patrick Kennedy and Ryan Chin all have tough fights ...

A significant, but incomplete draft exists, according to the Mayor's staff.

"There’s one thing for sure: our charter is antiquated. And I mean really bad. So we must redo that charter. We must have a discussion about what the structure of governance of the city of Sacramento is going to be." http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/27488/Tretheway_Ashby_support_public_input_in_charter_change To the best of my knowledge, she's never specifically said that she would support it -- but she has said things that lead one to believe it is likely, like the quote above.

There are two main (and related) issues with timing. 1. When this Mayor was elected, it was to exercise a certain set of powers. The people who voted for him did so with the understanding that the powers he currently has are the powers that they were giving him. 2. As a change that is going to affect the city for decades to come, not just through the term of the current Mayor, the discussion should happen in that context. Far too many people think about it as whether or not we should give THIS mayor more power, which is only a small part of the issue. By holding an SMI vote in conjunction with the Mayoral election, it makes it clear to voters that the vote for Mayor powers is separate from the issue of who holds the office. Further, some find it more than a bit disingenuous to run for an office -- asking voters for a certain set of powers and then immediately, once in office, asking for more power. Although the Mayor claims he brought the issue up during the campaign, there is no public record of him doing so in any public venue. The only time anyone has been able to find he mentioned it was buried in a multi-page pamphlet, and referred to as something we should look at down the road.

Wait, I thought transparency is a good thing? As far as they way in which they are being transparent -- the Mayor has asked them to weigh in on something and they asked staff to ensure that they will have the information necessary to do so. Good for them ...

That's a good question, William ... a very good question ... The United States Constitution is quite a bit older than the Sacramento Charter and has been ammended far fewer times and much less recently ... is anyone advocating wholesale change there?

I don't believe that's what they meant. America's houses of worship, of all religions and denominations, have always been at the forefront of the fight for racial equality. What is far more radical, unfortunately, is fully including the LGBTQI community. Very few churches can claim that.

Yep: http://bossmayor.com/2010/02/sag-signs-on-to-tea-bagger-movement.html

It has been a great business, here in Midtown ... I hope after the legal issues are resolved, they can look into finding a new location and starting up again.

I don't disagree -- Evan originally tried to sign up for an account as the Democratic Party of Sacramento County (or something to that effect), but they don't allow that ... I'll ask him to add a little line at the bottom clarifying.

Hi Ronald, To clarify -- this article and any that are published on the website you referenced are researched and written by several folks, including myself, on behalf of the Democratic Party. Evan is the Executive Director for the Party. SacPress requires a specific individual to be named, which is why it says it was written by Evan. I hope this clarifies the situation. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. We aim to be entirely open and transparent at the Democratic Party.

Can't wait to get my boxes of Samoas!