Skip to main content

S 2015 01 01

Page 1

c:> cash for sac’s Neediest kids c:> New Year’s resolutioNs for the 916

>>>>>>>>>>>>

page 11

>>>>>>>>>>>>

page 6

c:> JoeY garcia, behiNd the wheel >>>>>>>>>>>>

page 16

Sacramento’S newS & entertainment weekly

|

Volume 26, iSSue 37

|

weDneSDay, December 31, 2014


2

|

SN&R   |  12.31.14


24

I will be hacked It’s happened so many times I’ve lost count: Over the years my online financial security has been stolen, repeatedly. Credit card numbers galore and even checking account information. It used to come as something of a shock. Eventually, however, that shock gave way to banal irritation: Oh look, another credit card number stolen, another stupid Internet shopping spree at my expense. Why couldn’t hackers spend my hard-earned money on something better than embarrassingly low-brow porn (A “xxx panties” site —I mean, really?) and online gaming. The last time involved $1,400 worth of charges at a bargain-basement shoe store in, of all places, Kansas. After that incident, I gave a verbal affidavit to my bank over the phone and within 48 hours all charges had been reversed and I had a new credit card number. Easy, right? Yes and no. While it’s gotten to the point where the banks will, with hardly any questions asked, remedy the situation each time, the truth is that I (along with the millions of other consumers who find themselves in a similar situation) ultimately pay the price for each transgression. In increased retail costs, higher consumer fees and, of course, an ever-dwindling sense of trust. You don’t have to be Jennifer Lawrence or Sony Pictures to understand how unsettling, costly and dangerous a problem this really is. This week’s feature story (see “You will be hacked” by Chris Parker, page 12) outlines just how pervasive hacking is—and how poorly equipped banks, retailers and the government are to stop it. I’m not stupid—I know today’s cheap shoe spree could easily become tomorrow’s stolen Social Security card number. Short of keeping my money and sensitive data in a lock box hidden beneath my bed, however, I’m not convinced I have any means to stop it from happening.

Rine, Patti Roberts, Ann Martin Rolke, Steph Rodriguez, Shoka Creative Director Priscilla Garcia Art Director Hayley Doshay Junior Art Director Brian Breneman Production Coordinator Skyler Smith Designers Melissa Bernard, Brad Coates, Kyle Shine Contributing Photographers Lisa Baetz, Steven Chea, Evan Duran, Wes Davis, Luke Fitz, Taras Garcia, Bobby Mull, Shoka, Darin Smith, Lauran Worthy

Our Mission To publish great newspapers that are successful and enduring. To create a quality work environment that encourages employees to grow professionally while respecting personal welfare. To have a positive impact on our communities and make them better places to live.

Chief Marketing Officer Rick Brown Advertising Manager Corey Gerhard Senior Advertising Consultants Rosemarie Messina, Joy Webber Advertising Consultants Joseph Barcelon, Meghan Bingen, Lee Craft, Teri Gorman, Dusty Hamilton, Dave Nettles, Matt Richter, Lee Roberts, John Saltnes, Julie Sherry, Kelsi White Senior Inside Sales Consultant Olla Ubay Ad Services Specialist Jovi Radtke Director of Et Cetera Will Niespodzinski Custom Publications Editor Michelle Carl

Co-editors Rachel Leibrock, Nick Miller Staff Writers Janelle Bitker, Raheem F. Hosseini Assistant Editor Anthony Siino Entertainment Editor Jonathan Mendick Editorial Coordinator Becca Costello Contributing Editor Cosmo Garvin Editor-at-large Melinda Welsh Contributors Ngaio Bealum, Daniel Barnes, Rob Brezsny, Jim Carnes, Cody Drabble, Deena Drewis, Joey Garcia, Blake Gillespie, Becky Grunewald, Lovelle Harris, Jeff Hudson, Jim Lane, Garrett McCord, Kel Munger, Kate Paloy, Jessica

28

$

BIG TOBACCO

TELL

KISS ASH!!

’13

(EXCLUDES TAX)

EXP 1/15/15

DAILY HAPPY HOUR 3-6

1115 21st St • Sac

BANGKOK@12

(Next to Lucky Cafe)

916.469.9300 www.KissMyAsh.net

THAI RESTAURANT

900 12TH ST | SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 443-5588 | BANGKOK12RESTAURANT.COM

NEWS

President/CEO Jeff vonKaenel Chief Operations Officer Deborah Redmond Human Resources Manager Tanja Poley Business Manager Grant Rosenquist Accounting Specialist Nicole Jackson Accounts Receivable Specialist Kortnee Angel Sweetdeals Coordinator Courtney DeShields Nuts & Bolts Ninja Christina Wukmir Lead Technology Synthesist Jonathan Schultz

NEWS FEATuRE STORy ARTS&CuLTuRE NIgHT&DAy DISH STAgE FILM MuSIC ASK JOEy THE 420 15 MINuTES

Senior Support Tech Joe Kakacek Developer John Bisignano System Support Specialist Kalin Jenkins 1124 Del Paso Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95815 Phone (916) 498-1234 Sales Fax (916) 498-7910 Editorial Fax (916) 498-7920 Website www.newsreview.com SN&R is printed by The Paradise Post using recycled newsprint whenever available. Editorial Policies Opinions expressed in SN&R are those of the authors and not of Chico Community Publishing, Inc. Contact the editor for permission to reprint articles, cartoons or other portions of the paper. SN&R is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. All letters received become the property of the publisher. We reserve the right to print letters in condensed form and to edit them for libel. Advertising Policies All advertising is subject to the newspaper’s Standards of Acceptance. The advertiser and not the newspaper assumes full responsibility for the truthful content of their advertising message.

Sacramento Vedanta Reading Group

57

A CARTON

CHECK OUT

OUR VAPE

TO MY

BRING IN THIS AD

Custom Publications Managing Editor Shannon Springmeyer Custom Publications Writer/Copy Editor Mike Blount Custom Publications Writer Brittany Wesely Executive Coordinator Jessica Takehara Directors of First Impressions Courtney DeShields, Matt Kjar Distribution Director Greg Erwin Distribution Services Assistant Larry Schubert Distribution Drivers Mansour Aghdam, Daniel Bowen, Russell Brown, Nina Castro, Jack Clifford, Lydia Comer, John Cunningham, Lob Dunnica, Chris Fong, Ron Forsberg, Joanna Gonzalez-Brown, Aaron Harvey, Wayne Hopkins, Brenda Hundley, Greg Meyers, Kenneth Powell, Wendell Powell, Lloyd Rongley, Lolu Sholotan

OUR SMOKES ARE ONLY

STILL PAYING $40-$60 FOR A CARTON OF SMOKES?!?

BEST THAI |

gREENLIgHT

coveR design BY haYleY doshaY

THANK YOU FOR VOTING US AMONG THE TOP TWO RESTAURANTS SERVING

BEFORE

OPINION + letters

Bites is on vacation this week.

rac hell@ n ews r ev i ew . com

ANY ORDER OF $25 00 OR MORE

STREETALK

05 06 08 10 12 16 18 19 23 24 26 33 35 47

26

21

18

—Rachel Leibrock

FOR $500 OFF

December 31, 2014 | Vol. 26, Issue 37

Every Friday 7:00 - 8:30 pm · Free admission

DEPARTMENT

PLUS TAKE AN ADDITIONAL

Sacramento Yoga Center @ Sierra 2 Community Center, Room 6 2791 24th Street, Sacramento The whole world is your own. — Sri Sarada Devi Parking in back

3OFF

$

Tue-Sat 11am-7pm with mention of SNR. Sun 12pm-6pm New Customers Only. (closed Mondays) Exp. 1/14/15. must be 18+ to purchase

For more information please see www.SacVRG.org

Membership required. Member RYO of Nevada Assoc. Inc./a Chumash Owl Clan Native American Group

|

F E AT U R E

STORY

|

A RT S & C U LT U R E

|

AFTER

|

12.31.14

|

SN&R

|

3


LEGENDS OF MOTOWN TRIBUTE SHOW JANUARY 18 • 7PM

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

SACRAMENTO SPORTS HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY JANUARY 23 • 7:30PM

AIR SUPPLY

JANUARY 30 • 8PM

80’S REWIND MUSIC FEST PRESENTS

4

|

SN&R   |  12.31.14

JOHNNY CASH & PATSY CLINE TRIBUTE

FEATURING JOHN & DEE PRICE FEBRUARY 28 • 8PM

GLADIATOR CHALLENGE ST. PADDY WHACK MARCH 14 • 7PM

CHIPPENDALES

WAR

MOONWALKER REFLECTION OF MICHAEL

MARCH 21 • 8PM

THE MUSIC OF ABBA

TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL JACKSON MARCH 28 • 7:30PM

SUPER VALENTINE’S JAM

APRIL 3 • 7:30PM

FEBRUARY 14 • 7PM

APRIL 24 • 7:30PM

ARRIVAL FROM SWEDEN FEBRUARY 13 • 8PM

JANUARY 9 • 8PM

FEBRUARY 27 • 7:30PM

INFORMATION SOCIETY & BOOK OF LOVE JANUARY 31 • 7:30PM

FEBRUARY 6 • 8PM

THE TUBES

HERMAN’S HERMITS WITH PETER NOONE

FEATURING THE S.O.S. BAND, CLUB NOUVEAU & KID ‘N’ PLAY

JO KOY

D.L. HUGHLEY


“I realize not everything is a crisis.”

Asked at the California State Railroad Museum:

What is the best thing about getting older?

Rhonda Tracey

Cassaundra Ervin

Bill Tracey

technical support

safety manager

The kids are grown. I enjoy my job more now as an older person than I did when I was younger. There is less tearing between home and work. I am able to finish something before starting something else. There are way too many distractions when you are younger: the children, the home, the husband who needs support.

student

We are so much smarter, wiser. There is a wealth of experience that makes life so much easier. ... Now I am a little bit calmer and don’t get so upset at life. There is not as much drama. It was about 10 years after I retired from the military, it was a lot calmer. I sleep great!

Brandy Shelafoe

John Whitford

nanny

I have more freedom. Pretty much, I feel I can do what I want. I can go to a bar that is for 18 and over. I can go out past 10 o’clock instead of having to be inside at 10. I can hang out with friends and go to parties and stuff like that.

Tracy Martin-Suits

truck driver

You get more trust and you can be yourself. At 15, you can’t really express your life without being judged. No matter what other people think, ignore them and live life to the fullest. Live each day like it is your last.

retired

If you are lucky enough to have a job, you get paid. Some younger folks have a little bit of a hard time earning because they have to work their way up. I [can] bring my kid to Old Sacramento and enjoy the time. It would have been a different experience in my 20s.

I think I am a calmer person than I was 10 years ago. With the help of my daughter, I realize not everything is a crisis. You have to stand back and look at the whole picture. I wish at 22 years old I knew what I know today.

ON SALE NOW!

CALIFORNIA’S LARGEST OUTDOOR SPORTING & TRAVEL SHOW RETURNS TO SACRAMENTO

January 8 – 11 at

Cal Expo

5,000 Gallon Aquarium Demo Tank

8 Theaters & Presentation Venues Sporting Dog Area

Kids 15 & Under – FREE!

More than 600 Exhibitors See over 600 Exhibitors, Demos & Seminars

Hunting | Fishing | Travel | Kayaks & Boats | Camping | Weekend Youth Fair ALL NEW!

2 ATV Test Tracks | Hourly Demos & Seminars at 8 Locations Every Day | Outdoor Product Showcase | & More!

Buy Discounted tickets on

For more information or to purchase tickets online visit: Sacramento.SportsExpos.com BEFORE

|

NEWS

|

F E AT U R E

STORY

|

A RT S & C U LT U R E

|

AFTER

|

12.31.14

|

SN&R

|

5


YOU’RE WELCOME, NATURE.

RECYCLE THIS PAPER. 6   |   SN&R   |   12.31.14

2015: A to-do list In the business of editorializing, we all too often respond to the immediate crisis or issue rather than taking the time to think big-picture. These resolutions are, we hope, an antidote to that sort of immediate response, still bearing in mind our commitment to the planet, the community and each other. We resolve, in 2015, to be more supportive of Mayor Kevin Johnson when he’s right, and to make a point of providing editorial backing for his good ideas. At the top of the list are two proposals he’s recently supported and that we think deserve wholehearted endorsement: an increase in the minimum wage for Sacramento workers, because no one should work full time and still not make enough to live on, and the use of body cameras for Sacramento police officers, because accountability and transparency from public servants—especially public servants with guns and the authority to use them—can only be for the good of both the officers and the public. We also resolve that we’ll keep close watch on how the city, We resolve to be more county and state governments supportive of Mayor manage tax dollars and how Kevin Johnson when politicians are raising money. If no one’s watching, transparency he’s right. doesn’t matter much. We resolve to get outdoors more in 2015 and explore the natural abundance of the region. The best way to make decisions about public policy for protecting the environment is to have some firsthand knowledge of what we stand to lose if we don’t care for it. It’s only by visiting our own watershed, delta, forests and wetlands—not to mention farms—that we’ll really see the effects of climate change and drought. We resolve to remember that the failures of our economy and resources fall hardest on those least able to cope. We will reach out—in words and in deed—to the neediest among us, our homeless neighbors and our fellows who struggle with mental-health issues, with poverty and with physical disabilities. We will strive to help others not because they’ve earned it or because they deserve it, but simply because they need it. We resolve to take a few moments every day to practice quiet gratitude, both for our own health and for the peace of those around us. We resolve to be part of the solution. We may not be pleased with how some things happen—the arena deal, for instance—but that doesn’t mean that we don’t want the ever-changing downtown to succeed. So we resolve to support sensible, sustainable development that creates livable, walkable communities throughout Sacramento and to look for the ways that our quality of life can be improved. We resolve to do our part to keep Midtown janky, Del Paso Boulevard artsy and the local music scene full of enthusiastic, dance-like-nobody’s-watching audience members. We resolve to fill the local theaters, buy our books at real stores and eat good food grown locally. We resolve to have a first-rate, locally roasted, cuppa joe on a regular basis, and to hit Rick’s Dessert Diner on Second Saturday without griping about the long line. We resolve to shamble our way through the annual Zombie Walk, wave our rainbow flag at Sac Pride, eat too much baklava at the Greek Festival, wear a costume at Sac Anime and eat a hot dog at a River Cats game. In short, we resolve that in 2015, we’re going to enjoy Sacramento the way it deserves to be enjoyed. Ω


YOU NEED HEALTH INSURANCE!

The myth of the “make jobs” rhetoric Re “Men at work” by Cosmo Garvin (SN&R Bites, December 24): A big shout-out to you for toeing up to the task of challenging the myth of the “make jobs” rhetoric that is scripted and employed by business-as-usual to pretend projects that damage the planet, exploit labor or rip off the consumer are somehow justified by claims they will “make jobs”—claims that our government often throws tons of money at for support letter of on vague promises that “making jobs” will actually be the week the case, without any evidence or controls assuring that jobs of any consequence will actually be created. The “make jobs for Sacramento” ballyhoo surrounding the new arena is no different. If one looks at the mayor’s own Sacramento First Task Force’s “Final Report – The Critical Path” (2010), you will find buried in the Appendix (p. 47) the “Executive Summary” analysis indicating that the six proposals presented to that group would have provided only an average of about 229 direct, city-resident jobs total out of the 4,000-plus jobs bandied about by supporters of the project. Of those jobs, some 3,700 of them were identified as temporary, phased jobs during construction, and only about 1,300 of those would be within the City of Sacramento. What would have remained after construction were about 229 jobs total, within the city, most of them seasonal and entry-level positions. That was the great “Make Jobs! Medicine Show” of 2010. Keep in mind, those arena plans were about twice the size of the current arena project. So go figure what “make jobs” really means with our current arena undertaking or why, perhaps, the city is so reluctant to come forth with actual job-creation information, data with which they are likely to be already well acquainted. “I think we’ll get [the arena-jobs report] before March.” Really? Yes, we think so too. That should give our politicians just enough time to bury the real jobcreation figures with some of their own homegrown smoke and mirrors. But give our elected officials credit: That much they know how to do.

Finding the health insurance plan that works for you can be difficult and stressful, but we’re here to help FOR FREE. We serve close to 350 people (like you) every week. Whether it’s Covered California or Medi-Cal, we’ll find what works best for you.

Red Slider

S a c ra m e nt o

Barnes vs. Sondheim

Lighting the fuse

Re “Into the Woods” by Daniel Barnes (SN&R Short Review, December 25): I read your review of Into the Woods to a pair of friends who are theater musicians. When I got to the part where you described Sondheim’s music as “utterly appalling,” they looked at me as if I had just grown a set of antlers. Surely you, as a cultured person, are aware that in the theater world, Sondheim is revered more than any living person, and Into the Woods is one of his most beloved works. I will grant that his music can be challenging for many people, but as a critic, you’re supposed to be on the side of quality. If you honestly don’t agree with the acclaim for Sondheim, that needs to be the subject of a separate essay. You can’t just casually dismiss him any more than you could comment in a concert review, in passing, that Beethoven’s music is beneath contempt. Mark Stivers Sacramento

Re “When cops kill” by Nick Miller (SN&R Feature Story, December 11): As a teenager in the late ’60s, I saw a lot of disrespect toward the police. The common slang was “pig,” and it slid off the tongue as easily as any other word. Don’t ask me then if it was deserved, as I was barely out of my childhood years. I know better now. But back then, as now, when told to put your hands and arms down and turn around or get on the sidewalk, you did it or else. Noncompliance, ranging from any polite question to outright hostility, can be likened to lighting a fuse on a powder keg. Once lit, it can be put out early, but gets tougher the longer it burns and has a predictable outcome. Joe Rothwell Sacramento

S

Email your letters to sactoletters@ newsreview.com.

@SacNewsReview

Facebook.com/ SacNewsReview

@SacNewsReview

BEFORE

|

NEWS

|

F E AT U R E

STORY

MS:

UL ITE F P L E H R UPE

|

to ID nse or Pho address e ic L ’s r e iv rrent • CA Dr ill with cu b r ) e th o / b or taxes tu s y • Utility a (p nts e of incom n docume o ti u a z li a r • Proof natu irth for yo r b o f o n o te ti a a r d er and • Immig rity Numb u c e S l ia c usehold • So or your ho s r e b m e and m

CALL 916.455.2391

Or just walk into either location listed below! Gender Health Center

Midtown Collective

2020 29th St., Ste. 201, Sacramento, CA 95817 M-F 9am-9pm Weekends by appointment

1914 P St., Sacramento, CA 95178 Wed-Sat 11am-6pm Sun 11am-4pm

A RT S & C U LT U R E

|

AFTER

|

12.31.14

|

SN&r

|

7


• Have 2 or more of the following symptoms: - Cough, sore throat, headache, nasal congestion, body aches and pains, or fatigue All study-related care is provided at no cost and payment for your time and travel will be provided. To learn more about the FAVOR study, please contact:

ALLIED CLINICAL RESEARCH at 916-281-2262 and/or email alliedclinical@gmail.com

w w w. n e w s r e v i e w. c o m

• Be 18 to 80 years of age

Gift certificates to local merchants for up to 50% off

To pre-qualify for the FAVOR study, you must:

Favipiravir research

Fashion

Frames

50

%

off

Sacramento

2563 Fair Oaks Blvd., (Loehmann’s Plaza) 916-480-9985

Auburn

12124 New Airport Rd., (Next to Walgreens) 530-889-9985

SiteforSoreEyes.com *With purchase of lenses. Free 2nd pair of prescription eyeglasses can be chosen from our large special frame selection with single-vision clear plastic lenses. Exclusions may apply. Not combinable with insurance. At participating locations. See store for details. Offer expires 1/31/15.

THE EYECARE STORE NEXT DOOR.

59 COMPREHENSIVE EYE EXAM

$

(\H ([DPV DYDLODEOH E\ 6WHUOLQJ 9LVLRQ&DUH 2SWRPHWULVW D &$ OLFHQVHG 9LVLRQ +HDOWK &DUH VHUYLFH SODQ FRQYHQLHQWO\ ORFDWHG QH[W WR 6LWH IRU 6RUH (\HV 6LWH IRU 6RUH (\HV GRHV QRW HPSOR\ WKH RSWRPHWULVW QRU GR WKH\ SURYLGH H\H H[DPV 8   |   SN&R   |   12.31.14 Site for Sore Eyes • Sacramento News and Review • Job# 011342 • 2C, 4.9â€? x 5.67â€? Runs: Dec 4 • EGC Group 516.935.4944

SN&R

Plus, 2nd Pair FREE*

Gift certificates to local merchants for up to 50% off

Most of the time, nothing good comes from having the flu. Except now. If you get the flu, OR have the flu already, you can help evaluate an investigational medication that may help end flu symptoms more quickly.

End-of-life decisions A good life ends with   a good death

How does one have a good life? A good question. But not the question that I thought I would be considering when I met recently with a group of doctors and nurses to discuss endof-life decisions. These medical professionals specialized in palliative care, medical care that relieves pain, symptoms and stress caused by serious illness. These doctors and nurses, who had collectively seen thousands of patients faced with terminal illnesses, were meeting with me and the News & Review Custom Publications editor to discuss l end-of-life decisions. by JEff VonkAEnE Over the last several years, we have established a j e ffv @ne wsr e v ie w.c o m separate publications division at the News & Review that creates mini-newspapers for clients. While we have produced around 200 of these sponsored publications, this was the first time that we worked with a health organization wanting to help the community understand end-of-life decisions. So we started asking questions. What procedures are But like a soldier who most often done? What are the is still courageously common myths about the end of Where are the breakdowns fighting a futile war, life? in communication? the caring doctors and These intelligent, knowledgenurses can only practice able caregivers had a lot to say. They spoke about the extreme medicine within our difficulties of effective commucurrent system. nication about death. That it’s so much easier to give false hope. That the system is set up to do things when really there is not much that can be done or should be done. About the joyful times when they could help someone If you don’t live out their final months without pain, and able to see that have an advance new baby or go to that wedding. That medical studies have directive, it’s easy shown that patients in palliative care tend to live longer than to create one. Five Wishes is a highly patients who are receiving more aggressive treatments. In our several-hour discussion, the caregivers repeatedly customizable advance directive said how important advance directives were. Doctors, who created by the of course have a good understanding of medical odds and the nonprofit organization Aging with impact of aggressive treatment, generally avoid extreme endDignity. Learn more of-life measures for themselves. I asked each of the doctors at www.agingwith and nurses: On what percentage of your patients do you dignity.org. perform end-of-life procedures that you would not want done on yourself? The common answer was 75 percent. Three out of four patients. And the doctors clearly care for Read Melinda Welsh’s story about their patients. They would like to reorient their profession. But how physicians like a soldier who is still courageously fighting a futile war, the make different end-of-life choices caring doctors and nurses can only practice medicine within than the rest of our current system. So they do. us at tinyurl.com/ They, like other medical professionals I have spoken with, DocsEndOfLife. are clearly upset about Sarah Palin’s ridiculous death-panels argument. Doctors being compensated for consulting with Jeff vonkaenel patients about likely outcomes became a politically toxic issue. is the president, So we now have an inhumane system that pays doctors for CEO and doing things that should not in their opinion be done, but will majority owner of the News & Review not reimburse them for time spent helping patients to have a newspapers in better understanding of their condition. Sacramento, Chico I am hoping to have a good life that includes a good death. and Reno. I left my discussion with the good doctors and nurses believing that they could help me. It would help if our politicians also learned the concept of “First, do no harm.� Ί


by SN&R staff

SCORE KEEPER Sacramento’s winners and losers—with arbitrary points

Jesus vs. Roseville

Six of one, half-a-dozen of another

A charity group, aptly named What Would Jesus Do, recently returned to Roseville’s Saugstad Park to feed the homeless after months of absence, and did so in direct defiance of orders from the city, according to The Bee. The group has been distributing food in the park for decades but was ordered to vacate the park due to “nuisance” issues. We say more power to those who offer love and support to people who need it most.

Proposition 2 officially takes effect on

+ 2,000

+ 888 G.O.A.T.

ph ot oil lu st ra

tio n by ha yl ey do sh ay

Critics and President Barack Obama alike have called it their favorite show. It’s got a great, GIFposting Tumblr account dedicated to it. And The Walking Dead’s producers hire its former cast members with flesh-reanimating relish. We’re talking about The Wire, yo, the most important social document put on screen since Zapruder switched on his camera. If you were lucky enough to have access to HBO Go this past weekend (or borrowed someone’s log-on info), then you were able to binge on all five masterful seasons in high-def. And you’re probably just now realizing that nothing will be that good again.

THINK FREE.

January 1, and with it, higher egg prices. It’s unclear by how much exactly— some estimates are by about 20 cents per dozen—but this is likely a small price to pay for more humane chickenraising practices. And tastier, healthier eggs. Yup, those bugs that chickens end up eating while they roam cage-free are exactly what make those yolks so rich and protein-packed.

Everything YOU COULD WANT!

+ 60

Party, responsibly

Shades of Spider-Man

Worried about scrambling for a cab or Uber once the clock ticks 12 on New Year’s night? The Sacramento

On Friday night, we attended the opening night of Dirty Dancing, a touring musical brought to the Sacramento Community Center Theater by California Musical Theatre. The good: It was pretty much a packed house. The bad: Twothirds of the way through, a set piece came crashing down, pretty close to an actor’s head. The rest of the show was canceled and tickets refunded. We’re glad everyone’s OK, and the rest of the shows (through January 4) will continue as planned. But we won’t be running a review, and feel bad for the 2,000-plus people robbed of a 1987 Patrick Swayze/Jennifer Grey-inspired flashback set to “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.”

Regional Transit District is extending light rail service to 12:30 a.m. and 12:45 a.m. on three of its downtown lines. Revelers can take these late-night trains to the Meadowview, Watt Avenue and Folsom stations, and maybe make some new friends during the journey.

+ 2,015

BEFORE

|

NEWS

Welcome Home! www.stonesfair.com/gs Greystone

- 1987 |

F E AT U R E

STORY

Riverview Ranch

2763 River Plaza Dr Sacramento, CA 95833 (916) 923-6300 |

A RT S & C U LT U R E

|

|

2505 5th Street

|

Lakeshore

1175 Lake Blvd Davis, CA 95616 (530) 757-7926

AFTER

|

Davis, CA 95618

|

(530) 758-2200

Eastlake

Stonegate Village

1420 Lake Blvd Davis, CA 95616 (530) 758-5253

12.31.14

2950 Portage Bay W Davis, CA 95616 (530) 756-2950

|

SN&R

|

9


phOtO by niCk miller

The new art of the city A megacenter designed to house the Sacramento Ballet and other creative groups may finally be on point for development The Sacramento Ballet and other arts groups aim to turn an old, currently unused adult by school in Midtown into a major community Brooke Purves arts hub. As many laud the plan, its fate currently awaits the city manager’s recommendation and city council’s vote. The proposed center, the Studios for the Performing Arts Operating Company, is designed as a megacenter where several arts groups would share practice space, resources and ideas. It will also host free summer camps and internships, and donate various performance tickets to the community. According to public records, in 2006, the city committed $14 million in grant and bridge funding from the Community Reinvestment Capital Improvement Program bond to the SPA. Back then it was planned that the Studios Operating Company, an organization developed to secure and operate the campus for the project under a board of directors, would be given cash to get the ball rolling, but the rest of the grant would be reserved until the SOC could fulfill its own fundraising commitment. The project’s initial timeline was projected at three years. In 2008, however, the economy turned sour. Richard Rich, president of the SOC board of directors, said the group was able to solicit a large chunk of change before donations slowed to a trickle, but it wasn’t enough. In 2009, the city loaned $10 million of the Studios’ $14 million to the Crocker Art Museum Association, to be repaid in 2014. In 2013, however, the city instead refigured the loan to include various provisions including that $2.5 million be redirected from the Crocker to the SOC, with payments starting in 2018. That, plus an additional $2.5 million from the California Environmental Protection Agency fund, would replace the original bridge funding guaranteed in 2006. In the meantime, the Studios set its sights on the vacant Fremont School for Adults, located at 24th and N streets in Midtown. In December of 2013, the city negotiated a lease on the Fremont building from the Sacramento Unified School 10

|

SN&R

|

12.31.14

Although other major arts groups are no longer involved, the Sacramento Ballet still has plans to use this former adult education school as part of the Studios for the Performing Arts Operating Company.

District. In turn, the city then negotiated a sublease with the SOC. Not wanting to wait for the Crocker payments to kick in, the SOC board of directors also asked city council for gap funding to start construction at the Fremont site immediately. Permits were filed and plans drawn. But then, nothing happened. For months. When council did finally address the issue again it was this past October, after Mayor Kevin Johnson directed City Manager John Shirey’s office to recommend a strategy to address the funding issue. The item, however, was then withdrawn from the November 13 and 18 meeting agendas with no report. In early December, Johnson asked Shirey to make a recommendation, setting a report deadline for the end of January, just days before the ballet’s lease at its current K Street location is set to expire. Shirey, for his part, has already suggested a decision. “I doubt we will be providing a loan or loan guarantee for the project,” Shirey wrote in November in an email to SN&R. “We have little debt capacity for doing so.” Still, Shirey also hinted that while the city might not loan money to the Studios, such a decision would “not … rule out the possibility that we will make an additional grant to the project.”

Other key political figures have indicated support. City Councilman Steve Hansen and Mayor Johnson have both given the project verbal backing. “We definitely have the capacity as a city to fund it,” Hansen said, adding that the Studios is “a project whose time has come.” For now the SOC and city council seem to be banking on an “If you build it, they will come” strategy.

“ I’m convinced this is not an issue of funding, but of belief. If City Hall believed in the benefits the way the community does, we’d be under construction very soon.” Richard Rich president, Studios Operating Company The deal with the city requires an 80-percent occupancy of the 31,000 total square footage of the Fremont space, with minimum five-year leases from different local arts groups. In addition to the Sacramento Ballet, the California Musical Theatre, the Sacramento Philharmonic

and the Sacramento Opera all committed to being part of the Studios in 2006, when funding was fresh and construction under way at the original location. But CMT withdrew from the partnership in 2013. Likewise, Laurie Nelson, president of Sacramento Region Performing Arts Alliance board of directors that oversees the recently merged Philharmonic and Opera, explained to SN&R via email that the alliance is working on growing itself as an organization. “[The alliance is in] no position to commit to anything right now,” Nelson told SN&R. Even without the other big players, however, the Sacramento Ballet is still strongly tied to the project. Rich is also on the ballet’s board, and according to the October council report, has letters of intent from enough arts groups to meet its occupancy requirement. “I’m convinced this is not an issue of funding, but of belief,” explained Rich in an email. “If City Hall believed in the benefits the way the community does, we’d be under construction very soon.” The mayor, for his part, has set the stage for the rest of the council. “A city’s soul ties to its arts community,” Johnson said during the October council meeting, “and we’re front and center on this and want to make it happen.” Ω


Cash for kids

BEATS

A revived federal entitlement program frees up money for  Sacramento’s foster children. Will it be spent wisely?  Flipping a script that’s been recycled numerous times over the last decade, Sacramento County is suddenly flush by with millions to spend on the area’s Raheem F. Hosseini neediest kids. Credit goes to a rejiggered entitler a he emh@ ment program with a wonky name: newsr eview.c om Title IV-E. It refers to a federal pot of money that counties spend on foster children. The catch is that, previously, the money was largely restricted to out-of-home care for children already in the system and couldn’t be spent on services often credited with steering them out of it. In 2006, California embarked on a pilot program with the federal Administration for Children and Families, which administers the fund, to find out what would happen if those strings were cut. Los Angeles and Alameda counties received temporary waivers to spend Title IV-E money more freely, with mixed results. Both counties reduced the number of children in their respective foster systems and increased the number of family reunifications within a 12-month period, according to a Sacramento County staff report. But that’s where results diverged. While Alameda County reduced the number of kids entering its foster-care system by 44 percent, Los Angeles was unable to put a dent in its rate. And though the number A reworked federal of kids re-entering Alameda’s child entitlement program welfare system dropped 37 percent, has made more money available Los Angeles’ rate jumped 26 percent. Despite the inconclusive results, for counties like Sacramento to draw the waiver has been extended throughdown their foster out the state, with Sacramento County populations. But if signing on in September. foster rates go up, It’s easy to see why: Not only the counties will have to pay. does obtaining a waiver provide broader spending discretion; in

BEFORE

|

Sacramento’s case, it kicks in an additional $12.55 million through June, and about $16.7 million annually for five years after that. “To me, this is one of the grandest opportunities since I’ve been on this board almost 20 years,” Sacramento County Supervisor Don Nottoli said during a December 2 meeting. “We can really do something here that can be a tremendous positive for this community.” The logic behind the waiver is such: It frees up local control over federal resources to help at-risk kids return home or get adopted, rather than languish in foster care and juvenile hall. But, says supervising assistant public defender Arthur L. Bowie, that depends on whether government agencies actually spend the money on children instead of their own decimated budgets.

“To me, this is one of the grandest opportunities since I’ve been on this board almost 20 years.” Don Nottoli Sacramento County Supervisor

services for children ages 6 through 17, like home visitation, parenting classes and support groups. Probation is slated to scatter $1.35 million on expanding outside therapy and treatment programs for at-risk youth and their families, including kids who are deemed chronically delinquent or violent. The expanded programs will reach an additional 225 minors, said probation division chief Brian Lee. Nearly $2.2 million will go toward creating 38 full-time county staff positions, including 24 in the Department of Health and Human Services. County staff plans to return later this year with additional funding recommendations. “This is a step, but we have a lot more steps, and I’d like to see us run toward that goal,” said Nottoli. Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna pressed consideration for what’s become a legacy issue: the disproportionately high mortality rates among Sacramento’s black children. “Of all the health issues out there … this is the one that continues to leap off the page,” he said. Noting that the First 5 Sacramento Commission, which uses tobacco tax money to fund programs for children age 5 and younger, has outspent the county since this public health crisis was identified two years ago, Serna suggested concentrating on third-party homicides, since they generally affect children older than 5. Gail Johnson Vaughan, executive director of Mission Focused Solutions, also pushed for more aggressive spending. The nonprofit advocates for permanency in child-welfare cases, an area in which the county struggles. According to Vaughan, 1,039 local foster children have been in care for more than three years, while 716 of them have been in care for more than five years. “Foster care is intended to be a temporary service,” she told supervisors December 2. “The developmental clock for these children moves far too quickly and will not wait.” Vaughan said the county-supported Destination Family program has been successful in helping this population, but only has a caseload capacity of 48. “It’s time to expand this program to serve more youth,” she added. “These are your children. They are waiting.” Ω

“It does provide valuable flexibility in providing services to needy families. Yet, it has received criticism in some counties as well,” said Brenda Dabney, director of the Children’s Law Center of Sacramento. With an eye toward avoiding such criticism, local officials put their spending proposal before stakeholders. The October gathering drew representatives of “various community organizations, child welfare advocates, staff, and labor,” a staff report states. In December, supervisors allocated $5.14 million—less than half of what’s available—splitting most of it between the county’s Department of Health and Human Services and Probation Department, which operate Child Protective Services and juvenile hall, respectively. Roughly $2.95 million will funnel to outside contractors, according to a review of the proposal. The Child Abuse Prevention Council will dispense illuStration by brian breneman $1 million on community-based   N E W S   |   F E A T U R E S T O R Y   |    A R T S & C U L T U R E

|

AFTER

Crest closure A notice from Sacramento County’s Environmental Management Department announced to would-be moviegoers that the Crest Theatre had been shut down due to a “temporary suspension of health permit” on December 23. The violation, according to a checked box on the sign, cited “insect/rodent infestation.” According to information posted on the county’s website, the historic theater violated code pertaining to its food prep area. A detailed report is not yet available. A December 10 report, however, cited for “vermin and animal contamination” in the theater’s snack bar area. Such violations aren’t necessarily uncommon and could just signal growing pains for the theater, which recently underwent a change in management. In October, Crest owner Robert Emerick ended his business relationship with CSLM Inc., the group that had operated the Crest since 1986. CLSM and Emerick could not agree on terms, including facility improvements and rent. Crest manager Yulya Borroum emailed SN&R late Christmas Eve with an update on the closure. “Crest snack bar was closed for 24 hours,” Borroum wrote. “We corrected the problem, and it is now reopened by the county.” (Rachel Leibrock)

Runaway regulations New interim regulations released by the California Department of Social Services aim to soften some standards for runaway and homeless youth shelters, while still watching out for the needs of a vulnerable population. “At first glance, [the changes] seem to be a really positive step,” said Suzi Dotson, executive director of Wind Youth Services in Sacramento, one of only 33 shelters serving the nearly 200,000 homeless youth estimated in the state. California Coalition for Youth executive director Paul Curtis said California was one of two states in the country without licensing standards. Until now, California shelters for youth either operated as group homes—the standards for which are designed for foster youth, a different population—or were unlicensed. Neither option was preferable, he added. Most of the regulations outlined in a CDSS release address things like standardizing staff-to-youth ratio and making sure bunk beds are only two tiers high. But Dotson noted that some regulations will allow shelters to better address the complexities of youth homelessness. Under the new standards, for example, California’s youth shelters will be considered a special subcategory of group homes, and won’t require “needs and services plans” for each resident, a requirement that potentially diverted time from providing immediate services. Designed for long-term residents, the plans don’t make sense when some minors stay at a shelter for a few days at a stretch, Dotson said. Wind and other shelters operating as group homes either filled out the plans or applied for waivers. Other than reapplying for licensing under the new designation and revising the program statement, Dotson doesn’t expect any barriers to the way things are currently run. In fact, in addition to the additional time available for assessments and case management, Wind will be better able to serve LBGT youth by offering rooms based on a resident’s preferred gender. “We definitely have a disproportionate amount of LGBT youth that stay with us, especially transgender,” Dotson said. LGBT youth make up anywhere between 15 and 40 percent of homeless youth, depending on location, according to the California Homeless Youth Project. Wind serves from six to 10 unique individuals a month, and provides outreach services to another 70-80 homeless youth. A transition-age center serving homeless Sacramentans ages 18-24 opened December 22 and is already at capacity. A final version of the regulations, which follow Assembly Bill 346, The Emergency Youth Shelter Act, is expected sometime this year. (Brooke Purves)

|    12.31.14

|

SN&R

|

11


BY CHRIS PARKER

you WILL BE

HACKED

12   |   SN&R   |   12.31.14


each year internet hackers steal millions of people’s credit-card info, social security numbers, passwords and more. Why can’t banks, retailers or the government stop them?

This story originally appeared, in longer form, in the Phoenix New Times.

t wasn’t a very

i

happy holiday  season for  Sony Pictures

PricewaterhouseCoopers report, the number of detected information security breaches globally has increased by half over the past year. The extent of network security problems has been put into sharper focus over the past 18 months, beginning with Edward Snowden’s revelations on the pervasiveness of state-sponsored spying and cybershenanigans of the sort hinted at by the Stuxnet worm that hit Iran’s nuclear centrifuges. This was followed by 2013’s series of holiday retail thefts at Michaels, Neiman Marcus, Target and other retailers of more than 40 million credit-card numbers, the largest theft until the Home Depot breach in April. The Home Depot and Target hackers found their way onto the retailers’ systems by acquiring a third-party vendor’s credentials—in the case of Target, from a Pennsylvania heating, ventilation and air-conditioning company. Once inside, they were able to use vulnerabilities in Windows to load malware onto the point-of-sale terminals that scan personal cards. Thereafter, every card scan was recorded and secretly published online for the thieves to scoop up. “This is worrisome because this follows a classic route where open-source researchers see malware that targets the POS terminals that retailers use for swiping cards,” said Richard Stiennon, author of Surviving Cyberwar. “Retailers ignored that information because they weren’t looking for it. They’re just not looking outwards at new threats.” And it’s no longer just big-box retailers facing such threats. In the past several months other POS malware has been discovered

Entertainment,

which was hacked  recently and had  sensitive internal files  compromised. Five movies—four of them unreleased—were leaked along with personal data, including executive salaries, release schedules, employee criminal background checks and passwords (kept securely in a directory titled “passwords”). As a result, the company’s entire network was shut down, and employees couldn’t use their computers or laptops for more than a week. While there were some resulting high-profile scandals—embarrassing emails, shocking financial revelations—the most notable consequence, perhaps, was Sony’s initial decision to cancel its theatrical release of The Interview, Seth Rogan and James Franco’s “political” comedy about the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, amid fears that its system had been infiltrated by North Korean hackers. The irony of the Sony Pictures situation, however, is that its leaky security was exposed three years ago by two Arizona men in concert with LulzSec leader-turned-stoolie Sabu, a.k.a. Hector Xavier Monsegur. Then, the group released names, emails and passwords of 75,000 people. Raynaldo Rivera, 20, and Cody Kretsinger, 24, were convicted in BEFORE

About 17 million Americans suffered  identity theft last year, or about   7 percent of those over age 16— with a total loss at about   $25 billion.

|

NEWS

|

2013, sent to prison for 12 months and ordered to pay $605,663.67 in restitution to cover Sony’s associated costs, including a full security overhaul that doesn’t appear worth the money spent. The Sony Pictures mishap is only the latest in a disquieting trend of high-profile computer incursions, from The Home Depot and Target to JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Apple’s iCloud. Nearly everywhere we turn, our personal information, photos and credit-card information are getting compromised. In September, The Home Depot revealed that a cyberattack in April had exposed more than 50 million customer credit cards and email addresses. Consumer information never has been more imperiled, and yet very little is getting done to address the issue. In fact, although identity theft runs rampant, fraud seems little more than an entry in the ledger for companies that write it off as a business expense. “Identity theft is kind of like flu deaths,” said Mark Patton, a University of Arizona computer researcher. “We freak about one Ebola death but just accept the fact that 40,000 people a year die of the flu. We’re just so used to identity theft that we’ve stopped putting out screaming headlines.”

F E AT U R E

STORY

A problem of enormous significAnce’ Seemingly we’re racing toward a society where our watches pay bills, our cars drive themselves and our appliances are connected to the Web, yet even today’s relatively simple networks can’t remain secure. What’s going to happen when the number of network access points increases a millionfold? “This is a problem that has been building in magnitude and potential harm for 40 years,” said Julie Ryan, a George Washington University informational security researcher. “It only recently got so tightly coupled and so intertwined in our normal everyday life that it started becoming a problem of enormous significance.” Good luck trying to apply a comprehensive fix. “Up until now, there has been very little incentive for commercial businesses to spend an awful lot of time and money getting into security,” Ryan said. The latest government numbers suggest about 17 million Americans suffered identity theft last year, or about 7 percent of those over age 16—with a total loss at about $25 billion. Fraud has doubled in the United States over the past seven years, and cybercrime has increased across the board. According to a recent

|    A R T S & C U L T U R E

|

AFTER

at more than 1,000 commercial businesses. “The mom-and-pop stores, our hairdresser, dentist office. None of them has security that would detect a breach,” Stiennon said. “We’re entering a phase where every pointof-sale terminal that’s running a version of Windows is going to be compromised.” The cyberthreat is hardly limited to retail. In September 2013, a Russian group started holding personal computers hostage with malware dubbed CryptoLocker. The software freezes the victim’s computer unless the correct key is entered. More than a half-million individuals and companies were struck, including a Massachusetts police station that paid a $750 ransom to remedy the situation before European law enforcement arrested the Russian perpetrators in May. Individuals aren’t the only targets of such cyber-ransoms. In June, Nokia acknowledged that several years earlier, a blackmailer had acquired the encryption key for its Symbian smartphone and threatened to reveal the source code. This would’ve been disastrous, making it simple for hackers to find its vulnerabilities and subsequently load customers’ phones with malware. Nokia teamed with the Finnish police, and the code never was released. But the perpetrator still got away with millions in ransom money. Perhaps the most disturbing revelation came in August when it was discovered that hackers had infiltrated JPMorgan Chase’s computer

“You will be hacked” continued on page 14

|    12.31.14

|

SN&R

|

13


“You will be hacked” continued from page 13

raynaldo rivera, one of two men convicted in 2013 for hacking into sony Pictures’ computer system, now works in game development.

networks, acquired high-level security access and moved about the system undetected for two months. Nine other financial institutions were also infiltrated, including Fidelity Investments. Only a hacker slipup (using the same IP address for attacks on different Chase servers) outed them and prevented an eventual breach of the bank’s accounts system. Still, the hackers made off with personal (but not account) information of 83 million individuals and businesses, as well as a catalog of every program run on JPMorgan’s computers. The hackers can check that list against known vulnerabilities to find other means of access. JPMorgan now is in the process of switching out all its software. The attackers made use of previously unknown vulnerabilities (also called “zeroday” exploits), which suggests greater proficiency than the run-of-the-mill hacker, and the possibility of state sponsorship. Indeed, there are indications they’re part of an extensive Russian cybercriminal underground with ties to the Russian government. This and uncertainty over the hackers’ motivations has even the White House spooked. “The question kept coming back, ‘Is this plain old theft or is [Russian President Vladimir] Putin retaliating [for sanctions]?’” a White House senior official told The New York Times in October. “And the answer was, ‘We don’t know for sure.’” Former National Security Agency chief Keith Alexander—who now has his own cybersecurity firm— warned that this could be a shot over the bow by Russia to head off further sanctions. A large cybertheft from an institution the size and stature of JPMorgan damages confidence and could lead to a financial crisis. There’s also a chance the break-in is related to another emergent hacking group, Fin4, which steals credentials and insider information. The group acquires executive email addresses and sends fake emails designed to trick the recipient into clicking a link that loads malware or uses a fake login to snare credentials. A recent report suggested that the group might feature former investment bankers, based on their heavy use of insider Wall Street nomenclature in the emails. They’ve primarily targeted health and medical-device companies whose insider information on new trials, breakthroughs or impending acquisitions can cause especially steep short-term spikes or dives in stock prices. Adding to the sense of general paranoia was a Europol report in mid-October of chatter on the so-called Dark Web, in the difficult-totrace chat rooms where criminals congregate. The European law-enforcement agency’s moles suggest that Russian gangs are planning a massive $1 billion cyberbank heist.

14   |   SN&R   |   12.31.14

Such news doesn’t exactly fill consumers with shopping confidence. “I would have to say right now that we’re losing the war in terms of security,” Patton said.

Network war games Every few months, there are reports of newfound software vulnerabilities. In April, there was Heartbleed, a coding bug that could reveal previous website users’ passwords and encryption keys. Some called it “catastrophic.” It was patched, but then, in September, came Shellshock, which the National Institute of Standards in Technology rated 10 out of 10 in terms of severity. You need only access an infected website to be attacked with malware, and there is little that can be done to ensure a site isn’t compromised or to protect yourself if it is. How did we get in such a mess? Some of it is endemic to the complexity of creating computers and software, especially without the same agreed-upon standards and practices. Not only are there millions of lines of code, but the programs need to be compatible with a whole universe of programs and platforms. In the case of the Shellshock bug, it was legacy code around for years that hadn’t been properly debugged, and the error went unnoticed. This doesn’t surprise Raynaldo Rivera, one of the original Sony Pictures hackers who lives in Phoenix and now works in game development. “Who really wants to look at old batch code all day?” Rivera asked. “That’s what it comes down to. I could create something cool and new, or I could stare at old code and hope I get something.” Security was an afterthought for most companies through the millennium, in part because there were so few people who really understood network security. Indeed, Richard Stiennon reports that the U.S. government has spent the past 14 years developing a network-centered warfare platform with an informational grid, sensors and precision-guided munitions without giving any thought to the network’s security. “When they started designing it, security by obscurity was good: The Chinese are not going to get a hold of our software. So even if they down one of our jets, it will be hard as hell for them to compromise them,” Stiennon said. “Since then, the Chinese have stolen the design data for a dozen weapons platforms, airplanes and missiles systems. Odds are, if they stole the software, they can find the vulnerabilities.” Network security really began to change thanks to computer enthusiasts and a predecessor of Anonymous, Cult of the Dead Cow. The group was deeply involved in network

security and released a series of tools around the millennium to probe networks for holes and vulnerabilities. It also inaugurated a style of network war games where teams would compete to break into each other’s computers. It’s by now a well-established given in the industry that those best at network security generally have spent significant time trying to break into systems. Rivera took part in similar network security “games” while in high school. “Some schools claim they can teach it, but really they don’t for the most part; all they’re doing at best is guiding,” said Rivera, who attended the University of Advancing Technology in Tempe, Ariz., before his arrest. “Most people in network security have experimented themselves,” he said, “or had someone who knew something help them out.” The tools were released publicly in the early 2000s, with the intent of making them available to any administrator interested in testing their network security. Since then, they’ve also been taken advantage of by those with more nefarious intentions. In fact, the tools have evolved dramatically in the past few years to the point where they’re not only widely available but pretty much point and click, giving rise to what are known as “script kiddies.” Rivera said, “A script kiddie is an individual who doesn’t understand the underlying technology. They download scripts that can attack these servers without having to know anything about it. They just know that if they put the URL in this thing and push go, they’ll get some outcome if it’s vulnerable.” Added Ryan, “You can go online and find a virus-creation tool that you can, with zero knowledge whatsoever, simply point and click and design a malicious software tool, and you can find forums that talk about this stuff and enthusiasts who don’t intend to do bad things but are just really interested in understanding how things work and are motivated to share information with each other.” These are what are known as “gray hat” hackers, because the allegiances aren’t as cut and dry. A white hat works in security, and a black hat typically is motivated solely by profit. Gray hats often act out of a (perhaps misplaced) sense of justice. They’ve been involved in releasing information about software vulnerabilities and bugs publicly, sometimes rationalizing it as necessary to ensure quick action. This is an unfortunate riptide in the ongoing security crisis. Gray hats serve a very important function of exposing weaknesses for the sake of it rather than quietly profiting and letting bugs proliferate (essentially the NSA’s

approach). Perhaps because of the difficulty of catching devious black hat hackers, law enforcement has focused more on the gray hats, whose greatest crime oftentimes is little more than criminal mischief. Meanwhile, an empire has grown up around the illegal exploits of the black hats. It boasts a sprawling infrastructure of hyperspecialized con men offering their skill and wares on underground bays, on sites hidden by Tor, an anonymizing browser. Sites such as Swiped traffic wholesale in credit cards and identities at anywhere from a quarter to 100 bucks for freshly stolen cards. (Indeed, security companies watch these sites to determine whether their clients have been hacked.) An entire production chain has developed to diffuse risk among the bad actors, Patton said. “The people who write attacks and then sell them, that’s pretty safe; they’re not actually committing the crime of launching the attack. Then there are people who use the attacks to steal credit cards, but they don’t actually try to use the credit cards; [they] sell


PhoTo coUrTesy of raynaldo rivera

them in bundles online to people who buy credit cards and convert them into cash,” he said. “Then there are other people who maybe don’t do credit cards, but they do bank accounts. ... There’s a lot of specialization online.” Many of those trafficking in stolen cards live in Russia. One of the most notorious hackers, who goes by the name Rescator, is said to have sold over 5 million credit cards between December 2013 and February 2014 alone—all allegedly booty from last year’s Target hack. Though the FBI knows the identities of some of the perpetrators, it’s had little luck bringing them to justice. “The reason there aren’t very many criminal prosecutions for cybercrime is that it’s difficult to pursue cross-jurisdictional prosecution.” In 2008 and 2009, the FBI made its own run at Russian hackers, sparked by what was described as “unprecedented cooperation” from the Russians. In the end, nothing came of it. BEFORE

|

NEWS

|

At least for this country. U.S. officials suspect the Russians used the FBI to identify promising hacking talent that could be recruited to do the state’s bidding. This presumably in exchange for looking the other way at felonious activities, which they judiciously keep outside Russian borders. According to Ryan, many Russian hackers are former scientists and mathematicians who found themselves out of work when the Soviet Union fell. The rise of state-sponsored cybercrime is a particularly worrisome aspect of the current environment. Early indications have suggested the North Koreans might’ve been responsible for the recent Sony Pictures hack, supposedly in retaliation for The Interview, in which celebrity talk-show hosts are recruited by the CIA to assassinate Kim Jong-Un. Iran created its own cyberarmy, with which it’s expressed a desire to get vengeance on the United States and Israel for their roles in unleashing the Stuxnet worm upon the country’s nuclear centrifuges. A report published recently suggested that Iran’s cyberarmy was involved in at least 50 attacks in more than 16 countries, including a San Diego Marine Corps computer network. The same uncertainty surrounding statesponsored attacks afflicts the commercial world as well, but nobody likes to admit that they’ve been hacked. (Note that the eight other financial institutions struck along with JPMorgan remain unnamed.) Banks have conflicting interests in confessing the level of threat. “They’re very carefully not telling anybody else because they don’t want to make it look too big so that other people are encouraged to jump on the bandwagon,” Patton said. “But they also don’t want to lie and make it sound like it’s smaller than it is.” While we have a pretty good handle on the amount of identity theft out there, bankfraud losses are harder to finger. This fuzziness plays a role in capitalization. If you don’t really know how much potential loss is out there or how much you’re already preventing, then how can you possibly determine your all-important return on investment? Given the uncertainties, most banks and retailers use a risk-management approach that examines vulnerabilities and exposure and calculates a number—as they do with the financial markets. Then they’ll either invest more to change the number or buy more insurance. That’s a problem for Stiennon. “It doesn’t work that way in cyber. You can’t know what your exposure is because that attacker is not going to give up. So even if you’re perfectly patched, the attacker will just use a zero-day vulnerability,” he said. “Banks, in general in the United States, have been focusing too much on risk models and not enough on threat models.” Maybe that’s because it’s not the hacked institutions that bear the cost of the

F E AT U R E

STORY

illegal egress, but their customers. Insurance He also suggests that a way around the ultimately covered a substantial portion of spate of POS and other credit-card attacks on Target’s exposure, leaving it with a pre-tax retailers may be to rethink our approach to bill of about $140 million, or 0.2 percent of financial transactions. last year’s $73.7 billion in revenue. “Is it possible to make my payment “It’s you and me who pay the cost,” Ryan without leaving my financial information said. “Every time a successful exploit is done, with the merchant?” he asked. “Can I talk to a fraction of a cent is added to the cost of my bank directly and my bank talks to these things that we buy, or a fraction of a cent in merchants regarding my approval? My bank a credit-card fee. Yeah, there is some bad has my personal information; why do I have publicity, but in the end, the cost is a passto ... give it to the merchant?” through to the consumer.” Whatever the developments, few believe For their part, the credit-card companies these security problems will be solved herald the incipient arrival of chip-and-PINquickly. Rather, Patton says most institutions style credit, debit and ATM cards. Instead price it into their operating costs. of just a metallic strip, these cards have an “The stuff that’s happening, it’s expenembedded microchip and are authenticated by sive, but it’s not like it’s going anywhere. So entering the personal identification number. people are getting credit-card information (Other “smart cards” are chip-and-signature.) and they’re selling it. And the financial It makes it very hard to clone the card, but it institutions have a budget to absorb a certain requires merchants to add whole new pointamount of loss every year,” he said. of-sale terminals for all their registers at $500 Some of the issue is built into the incenapiece. tive system. If it’s hard to see the advantage, America is the last major country to it’s hard to invest. abandon the magnetic strip. The rollout begins in earnest next year, ahead of the major U.S. credit-card issuers’ October 2015 deadline. Experts say stores won’t be ready in time, but they have an incentive—after the deadline, liability for fraud shifts to the least compliant party, merchants. Unfortunately, chip-and-PIN is not the Julie Ryan panacea it may once have informational security researcher, The George Washington University been. Patton saw a British bank’s presentation at a security conference in the Netherlands a couple of months ago. Unfortunately, those capable of addressing “When they introduced chip-and-PIN, it the issue of computer fraud—banks and went down to $350 million that year, and after retailers—have little incentive to make costly that, they just found different attack vectors changes when the fraud’s already covered by [so] now it’s back at [the original level],” he consumers. said. “Chip-and-PIN is not the solution.” “Not only do the cardholders not know Of course, that’s just human nature. what it’s costing them, even if they were If there’s a way to make money, people able to create savings, it wouldn’t be passed will figure it out, and if there’s a way to through to [them],” Patton said. monetize shady cyberbehavior, certain This is the idea that resonates most with people will find it. Ryan. Noting the indifference with which In November, Arizona State University security has been handled and the general computer scientist Gail-Joon Ahn chaired unwillingness of companies to heavily invest, the 21st Association for Computing she suggests that we insist that everyone Machinery’s Conference on Computer and who safeguards personal information, creates Communications Security in Scottsdale, Ariz. software or operates networks have a little Ahn is involved in creating a secure more skin in the game. mobile wallet and has secured several patents “I’m hoping a new generation of for the technology. lawyers will develop a legal strategy of Another of Ahn’s research projects negligence and liability, because that’s the involves an unsecured “honeypot” server that only thing that I believe will really change waits like flypaper for malware to strike. The the culture,” she said. Ω idea is to study it, identify its signatures and, using social media, try to identify its origin.

|    A R T S & C U L T U R E

“ It’s you and me who pay the  cost. Every time a successful  exploit is done, a fraction of  a cent is added to the cost of  things that we buy, or a fraction  of a cent in a credit-card fee.”

|

AFTER

|    12.31.14

|

SN&R

|

15


SN&R  advice  columNiSt  Joey  GaRcia  RevS  iNto  2015  with  Some  iNSiGht  aNd  NaviGatioN  tipS  oN  how  to  be  a  betteR,  kiNdeR  peRSoN  behiNd  the  wheel by  Joey  GaRcia

16   |   SN&R   |   12.31.14

!


A BrAziliAn meAt vAcAtion See DISH

w

19

Buy these AlBums in 2015 See MUSIC

ith apologies to French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre: Hell isn’t other people; it’s other driv-

ers. Drivers like me. Or the old me, anyway. Although my passion is to live fully from a refined set of spiritual principles, I frequently drive too fast. I’ve also honked in frustration at motorists who I’ve decided are not up to speed. A few years back, when another motorist and I collided, I remained convinced it was not my fault, despite the insurance adjustor’s assessment to the contrary.

One of my guiding life principles is from Zen Buddhism: “How you do anything is how you do everything.” By applying this ancient wisdom to driving, my ego skidded to a stop. The problem is not other drivers; it is my pattern of overdoing, of trying to squeeze 60 minutes from a half-hour. Or as a friend observed: “You’re always leaving when you should be arriving.” It’s true; I often walked out of my house at the time I was scheduled to be at my destination, leading to me hurtling along the streets in Indy 500 mode. Finally, I began meditating on which part of my ego navigates when I’m behind the wheel of my Honda Civic. When the healthy ego is present, love for neighbor is balanced with love for self. Other times, the wounded ego is the driving force, responding to perceived slights by becoming a bully or behaving like a victim or letting the mind wander instead of staying present behind the wheel. Along the way, I learned that common traffic violations offer character insights worth keeping on our radar. Here are a few revelations:

|

NEWS

|

33

Taking up more space that needed is a sign of a flabby thought process. Let’s remind ourselves that we are enough and there is space enough for everyone. reD lIgHt vIOlAtOrS: Racing through a red light fills some drivers with a sense of satisfaction at beating the system. But it also reveals their unwillingness to respect the social good by consistently balancing their own needs with the needs of the community. After all, saving two minutes is not worth the gamble of losing a life.

CHAngIng lAneS wItHOut SIgnAlIng: Drivers who do this literally signal their untrustworthiness. Communication is key to healthy relationships in a community. Yes, sometimes other drivers take our signal as a cue to speed up and refuse to let us slip into their lane. But isn’t it better to be honest, even if other drivers are mean or oblivious?

BlOCkIng emergenCy veHICleS: That motorist you see blatantly disregarding sirens is struggling with an inability tAIlgAtIng: In to face serious probmost situations, lems. They haven’t following learned a simple another vehicle truth: Life too closely includes the texting or is a selfunexpected. talking by phone while centered By tuning demand for out distress driving represents attention. signals on a fear of aligning Some the road, people even we ignore one’s mind, body and feel a rush warnings spirit in the present of adrenaline that attempt when they to pierce our moment. perpetuate denial prior the aggression. to full-blown Instead of intimipersonal crises, dating another driver, too. Tackling trouble love your neighbor and as it arises strengthens change lanes. Otherwise, it’s our capacity to make wise and like living in denial of your own power compassionate choices, leading to a signifito leave a negative situation. cant drop in negative drama in our lives. unDer tHe InFluenCe OF SOCIAl meDIA: Texting or talking by phone while driving represents a fear of aligning one’s mind, body and spirit in the present moment. Doing this we split our focus, avoiding the reality of the chaotic lives we created, and driving us deeper into denial. Spiritual disciplines, like hatha yoga, Buddhist meditation or Christian contemplation, when engaged daily, unify mind, body and spirit in the now. OCCuPyIng twO PArkIng SPACeS Or twO lAneS: Drivers struggling with low self-esteem compensate by trying to appear physically larger.

DrIvIng unDer tHe SPeeD lImIt: When we putt-putt-putt along, we force other vehicles to abide by our

BEFORE

preferences. It’s passive-aggressive driving and that’s why other drivers honk, tailgate or swerve dangerously as they change lanes to avoid us. Driving slower than the traffic flow causes others to understandably become angry at being controlled.

See ASK JOEY

F E AT U R E

STORY

|

DrIvIng SAnS SeAt Belt: People who are anxious about other people’s expectations struggle with the inner conflict of desiring security but fearing entrapment. A better option? Release the belief that security is confining. Notice how life is enhanced when we feel secure and stable. lItterIng: Drivers who trash roadways often fear that nothing matters, including themselves. With their self-esteem so low, they believe they deserve to live in garbage. After they clean out their self-hate, they will contribute to keeping our roads beautiful. The same is true for drivers who

A RT S & C U LT U R E

|

Pot’s 2014 highs … And lows See THE 420

35

litter because they expect someone else clean up their messes. FAIlure tO yIelD: Competitive personalities jockey for the most powerful positions in work, love and on the road. Drivers who refuse to yield risk safety and social harmony to be first in line. Funny thing is, their failure to yield demonstrates an explicit lack of leadership skills. True leaders possess the humility and confidence to follow others when necessary. That includes following the flow of traffic. unDer tHe InFluenCe OF AlCOHOl Or DrugS: People who cannot manage the depth of their emotional history prefer to remain out of control. Drinking or drugging before driving permits these drivers to sleepwalk through life. Confronting their pain and healing it frightens them more than the possibility of causing harm or death. But it shouldn’t. Suffering invites us into the path of the wounded healer, the one who mends her or his own brokenness then shares the experience. Wounded healers transform the world. DrIvIng wItHOut InSurAnCe: Failure to maintain financial responsibility for a vehicle signifies a profound inability to believe in a future. Don’t confuse this with the spiritual experience of living in the moment. It’s a childish blindness that kills positive forward momentum. Change comes when we engage in a daily gratitude practice in which we remind ourselves how much we personally benefit from contributing our share for our community’s benefit. Ultimately, steering attention to our daily commutes transforms driving into a spiritual practice. Every car trip becomes an opportunity to stop stumbling into attitudes and behaviors that traffic in aggression or distraction. Sure, there are emergencies that require us to be scofflaws—rushing a sick child to the emergency room, for example—but those superhero situations are extremely rare. Ordinary moments reveal our truth: How we do anything is how we do everything. Ω

ILLuStRAtION BY PRIScILLA GARcIA

SPeeDIng: Racing down the roadway feeds the self-important attitude that we are above respecting rules that apply to everyone else. We can shift that ego-centered focus by gifting ourselves the time we need for travel. Leaving the adrenaline-fueled frazzle behind is an act of self-love. We accept that we have done what we can to be responsible, but not everything is under our control.

26

the frenemy zone

Joey Garcia writes SN&R’s “Ask Joey” relationship advice column. She is also the author of When Your Heart Breaks, It’s Opening to Love: Healing and Finding Love After an Affair, Heartbreak or Divorce. Joey hopes to stop driving herself—and you—crazy on the road. Learn more at www.joeygarcia.com.

AFTER

|

12.31.14

|

SN&R

|

17


For the week of December 31

It

seems like Sacramento has always been a trendsetter of sorts when it comes to geek culture. We’ve had a healthy (if not contentious) Star Trek band scene for more than a decade (see “To boldly go” by Cosmo Garvin; SN&R Feature Story; August 21, 2003). We’ve got copious cosplay fanatics (that’s “costume play” to newbs). There’s the television documentary series Beyond Geek (www.beyondgeek.com) airing on PBS, showing a bunch of local geeky stuff. We have a recently completed Kickstarter campaign to fund a table-top gaming bar called Save Point Tavern  (www.savepointtavern.com). We even have a  c o m m u n i t y c a l e n d a r c a l l e d S a c G e e k s  (www.sacgeeks.com), and multiple anime and comic-book conventions every year. The list goes on.

Now this weekend, people can channel their inner geeks with a pair of awesome events. One is billed as “the first ever Sacramento MegaGame ”  (www.sacramentomegagames.com), happening Saturday, January 3. It’s a massive part-social game, part-table-top game that can accommodate up to 100 players in teams of five. Registration is already closed, but people can still watch the 16thcentury Japan-based battle by purchasing $10 spectator tickets (bonus: no need to read the novel-size player handbook). It lasts about six hours, starting at 9:30 a.m. at the Fair Oaks Community Clubhouse, 7997 California Avenue in Fair Oaks. Elsewhere, SacAnime (www.sacanime.com) returns this weekend, from Friday, January 2, through Sunday, January 4, at the Sacramento Convention Center (1400 L Street) and the Sheraton Grand Hotel (1230 J Street). This one also has plenty of games (console gaming, table-top, cards and even “cosplay chess”)—plus art, music, fashion shows, karaoke, exhibitors, panels, workshops and special guests (including Peter Cullen, voice of Optimus Prime in various Transformers shows and films). Hours and ticket prices vary; head to the website to find out more.

weekly PIcks

Walking With Dinosaurs

5K Resolution Run

Thursday, January 1, through Sunday, January 4 Eager Jurrasic World fans rejoice: It may be another six months before the movie comes out, but this weekend, massive animatronic DINOSAURS dinosaurs— including a 36-foot-tall Brachiosaurus—will be roaming an arena amidst a show based on the hit BBC series that covers dinosaur evolution. $31.38-$73.38, times vary, at Sleep Train Arena, One Sports Parkway; www.dinosaurlive.com.

—Deena Drewis

Saturday, January 3 2015 is the year of really   committing to those fitness goals, right? Right. Ease into it with a 5K that benefits Renaissance Group International, an organization dedicated to helping youth leadership in South Africa. Your New Year’s Eve hangover will be  RUN gone by then, so no excuses. Free-$35,   9 a.m., at Crocker Park, 211 O Street; http://5kresolution.org.

—Deena Drewis

Early Works by Peter Wedel Saturday, January 3, through Saturday, January 31 Wedel, a longtime local artist, has made a name for himself and has had his artwork shown in the Los Angeles Punk Museum, amongst other ART places. His paintings are striking, erotic and funny. This exhibition is a celebration of the Midtowner’s early work from the ’80s, when the only people who knew about him were us Sacramentans. Free, various times, at Little Relics Boutique & Galleria, 908 21st Street; www.littlerelics.com.

—Aaron Carnes

Post-holiday e-waste drop-off Sunday, January 4 If you’ve got old electronics cluttering  your house and garage, there’s a green solution that benefits all parties involved. Grab that old toaster that bit the dust and the Dell laptop that froze up years ago and put ’em to use. All proceeds will benefit the Roseville Utility Exploration Center, RECYCLING which strives to educate its community about recycling, conserving energy and more. Free, 10 a.m. at the Roseville Utility Exploration Center, 1501 Pleasant Grove Boulevard in Roseville; www.roseville.ca.us/ explore.

—Eddie Jorgensen

18

|

SN&R   |  12.31.14

Finding the Really Hard Ones Sunday, January 4 If you’ve ever wanted to find out where you came from or simply wanted to track down a loved one, genealogist James Baker will offer a free lecture on new techniques GENEALOGY and strategies for finding and mining data. From simple search-engine analysis to property records, he will help those willing to listen and learn. Thank your local library again for this one. Free, 2:30 p.m. at the Sacramento Public Library Central Branch, 828 I Street; www.saclibrary.org.

—Eddie Jorgensen


! W NE

Get a Brazilian Flame & Fire 963 Pleasant Grove Boulevard in Roseville, (916) 790-5750, www.flameandfire.com We’re not sure if buffet dining is actually popular in Brazil, but Brazilian food food in the United States is often served in the context of an all-youby Jonathan Mendick can-eat style of service called rodizio. One popular place to find rodizio in the states is at j o nathan m@ a churrascaria, basically a Brazilian barbecue newsreview.c om joint. Put the two concepts together, and what you get is a fancy Brazilian barbecue buffet. That’s a simple way to describe Roseville’s Flame & Fire, where for $45 (or $25 for lunch), you can get all the meat you can eat, plus an unlimited salad bar (a salad-bar-only Rating: option costs $29 for dinner, or $19 for lunch) HHHH and a few other hot food items. On a recent weeknight, a server promptly Dinner for one: sat us at white-clothed table, and a waiter took $45 - $55 drink orders (a red table wine, and a ginger ale-esque Brazilian soda called Guaraná Antarctica). She also handed us cardboard tokens with the words “yes, please” printed on one side and “no, thanks” on the other. These signal for roaming servers (dressed as gauchos—kind of like Brazil’s cowboys) to come around with spits of meat and slice pieces onto our plates, she explained. First, we made a visit to an impressively diverse salad bar featuring leafy green salad, broccoli salad, pasta salad, fruit salad and potato salad—plus olives, cheese, sliced deli meat and a few other rotating items. Nearby, a few other hot food items sat in buffet trays: feijoada, a Brazilian black bean and pork stew, and a version of beef stroganoff. Made with what tasted like coconut milk, the stroganoff was the more flavorful of the two—almost resembling the flavor profile of a Southeast Asian tom kha stew. Tip: kick up the feijoada with farofa, a dry flour-based seasoning mixture that adds flavor and texture. When we returned to our table, we found a Still hungry? pile of warm foccacia bread and plate of fried Search SN&R’s plantains—delicious but dangerous for our “Dining Directory” appetites, considering we hadn’t even sampled to find local restaurants by name any of the barbecue yet. We flipped our tokens to “yes, please” or by type of food. Sushi, Mexican, Indian, and the onslaught of gauchos and meat began. Italian—discover it Various servers told us which meats were their all in the “Dining” section at favorites, which was helpful because 12 types www.news were paraded by our table that night: sausage, review.com. bacon-wrapped filet mignon, bacon-wrapped chicken, picanha (top sirloin), fraldinha (bottom sirloin), garlic picanha, lamb chops, tri-tip, Parmesan pork and Parmesan chicken. The quality of most meats was incredibly high, with the fraldinha and the tri-tip among the juiciest and most flavorful. Unfortunately, the Parmesan pork and chicken came out overcooked and dry. Strangely, the baconwrapped chicken was more tender than the bacon-wrapped filet mignon. After all that meat, slices of cinnamonglazed pineapple on a spit was all the dessert

BEFORE

|

NEWS

|

F E AT U R E

we could handle. A few weeks later, however, we returned to try the lunch menu. The selection is slightly smaller than the dinner one (with approximately eight meats offered instead of a dozen), but we did get to try one that wasn’t available on the first visit: a perfectly cooked pork tenderloin that oozed flavor. We also sampled a tasty caipirinha with an intensely refreshing lime flavor. And for dessert (there was room this time) we ordered “papaya cream”—basically fresh papaya blended into ice cream. Service remained just as efficient and friendly.

?

The quality of most meats was incredibly high, with the fraldinha and the tritip among the juiciest and most flavorful.

Check out SN&R’s new Dish section. More reviews. More news. More everything. It’s bigger, better, fresher, tastier.

With its cornucopia of options, Flame & Fire is a nice introduction to Brazilian food. Even though it’s all-you-can-eat, the quality shines through. It’s mostly meat and veggies, so you won’t feel gross after eating a lot. And the experience of paying so much for a buffet (and having costumed servers come to your table) makes eating here seem like a vacation—even if it’s a little more Las Vegas than São Paulo. Ω

Every-holiday cooking

Think of a holiday cookbook. Are visions of eggnog and pineapple-festooned ham popping to mind? First, ew. Second, Vegan Holiday Cooking from Candle Cafe ($22.99, Ten Speed Press) is not that kind of holiday cookbook. It’s actually for all the holidays, including the Fourth of July, like with red, white and blue margaritas, a libation that means freedom—from animal cruelty, ya’ll. The book’s trio of authors include the co-owner, executive and pastry chefs from New York City’s lauded vegan Candle Cafe restaurants. Holidays can be such food-based events, so this book could be quite handy in creating less social-pariah-ish moments when it comes to sharing meals—and not having to pass on the sweet potato latkes for Passover.

STORY

On stands January 15

—Shoka

|

A RT S & C U LT U R E

|

AFTER

|

12.31.14

|

SN&R

|

19


Where to eat?

Here are a few recent reviews and regional recommendations by Janelle Bitker, Ann Martin Rolke, Garrett McCord, Jonathan Mendick and Shoka updated regularly. Check out www.newsreview.com for more dining advice.

Blackbird is back with chefowner Carina Lampkin again at the helm. It’s located in its original space with a similar aesthetic, though with more focus on beer and bar food to better complement the seafoodinspired dinner menu. A burger served with house pickles, seven-day house-cured bacon, cheddar and sweet ’n’ chivey “awesome sauce” make for one of the city’s best burgers, no question. Chowder fries, however, are nifty in theory—fries covered in bay shrimp, bacon and parsley, then doused with chowder. It’s a play on poutine, but a lack of acid and serious sogginess issues mar it from being a landmark dish. Better yet? Fish tacos featuring fried pollock served with pickled cabbage and chipotle crema. These and a beer will remedy any bad day you’re having. American. 1015 Ninth St., (916) 498-9224. Dinner for one: $10-$30. HHH1/2 G.M.

Midtown Block Butcher Bar This place serves the holy trinity of European cuisine: meat, cheese and alcoholic beverages. Most of its boards and plates are balanced using three basic tastes: salty (meats and cheeses), sweet (honey and jam) and sour (pickles and vinegar). The charcuterie boards impress visually and on the tongue. A recent selection included shaved almonds, neat piles of meat,

Capital Dime Restaurant With a new chef and menu, this Midtown eatery has transformed into a farm-to-forkthemed place for smart bar bites and appealing sandwiches and salads. Try the bacon lollipops, perhaps the tastiest little creations ever put on a stick. Here, salty rib bacon is slathered with melted brown sugar and whispers of cayenne and cinnamon more hushed than the juiciest of rumors. Sweetpotato pierogis are tasty, puffy packets of potato drizzled with sour cream and shredded-duck confit. A duck burger with fig jam and plenty of crispy onions makes for a gamy change of pace, but the rib bacon whiskey burger—with crunchy lumps of house-made pickle, cheddar and a landslide of crispy fried onions—just might be the best burger in town. American. 1801 L St., Suite 50; (916) 443-1010. Dinner for one: $15-$25. HHHH G.M.

Goldfield Trading Post This new eatery rustles up much nicer chow than your usual cowboy fare with a menu that features dishes with names like Grandma’s Meat Loaf. Grandma knows how to make some meat loaf, that’s for sure: slabs of beef ground with bacon are glazed with a sweet sauce, served atop the cheesiest mashed potatoes this side of Wisconsin. The Gold Panner’s Pork Chop was flat-out fantastic, oozing juicy flavor from its fire-kissed crust. House-made cinnamon applesauce for dunking was a perfect accompaniment. Any good country bar worth its salt pork has chili on the menu, and Goldfield is no exception. It’s made with chunks of tender chicken rather than ground beef, with plenty of nuggets of gold corn and black beans to boot. American. 1630 J St., (916) 476-5076. Dinner for one: $5-$10. HHH1/2 AMR

Harry’s Cafe It can be difficult to decide what to order here— there’s one menu for breakfast, and another with general Chinese and Vietnamese meals. Oh, and the breakfast menu has a subcategory for “Asian Breakfast,” featuring Hawaiian favorites such as Spam and loco moco (rice topped with hamburger patties, eggs and gravy). Whatever the option, portions here are huge, especially the heaping plateful of fried rice, which has a playful texture. Recommended from the Chinese food menu: Stir-fried green beans, hot and sour soup, beef chow fun in black bean sauce and ginger beef that’s piping

hot, tangy, spicy and slightly salty. A nice way to heat up the belly on a cold night. Or, try ginger beef over rice. Asian. 2026 16th St., (916) 448-0088. Dinner for one: $10-$15. HHH1/2 J.M.

Izakaya Daikoku Izakayas are to Japan what pubs are to England: a place to grab a cheap drink and some easy grub. The purveyors behind I.D. hope to bring this Eastern swagger to Sacramento with a menu that’s rich in options. Agedashi tofu is the big hit here: deep-fried cubes of delicately soft tofu served with a soy dashi broth form squishy pillows of flavor. The hamachi collar is also recommended. Served with lemon and ponzu, it’s a boastful dish that exemplifies simplicity. The okonomiyaki is the biggest pull— it’s a traditional Japanese pizza made of cabbage and savory pancake batter. Each is buried under mayo, katsu sauce, and bonito flakes resulting in a rich, greasy mess that leaves you feeling heavy but guarantees you’ll sober up quickly. Japanese. 1900 S St.; (916) 662-7337. Dinner for one: $15-$20. HHH G.M.

East Sacramento Fahrenheit 250 BBQ This barbecue joint ups the ante with attentive table service and high-end ingredients. Chef Jacob Carriker serves Southern staples such as pulled pork, brisket and ribs, plus the very California addition of smoked tri-tip. There’s also chicken and

trout—all smoked in a 7-foot hand-forged steel behemoth. The pulled-pork sandwich is moist, smoky and falling apart with tenderness. The halfchicken is a bit dry, but benefits from a shot of sauce. The tri-tip is well-smoked, but not as good as the brisket, although it still makes for a very nice addition to the Market salad, with baby greens, grilled zucchini and onions, and cornbread croutons. Barbecue. 7042 Folsom Blvd., (916) 476-4508. Dinner for one: $10-$15. HHHH AMR

Land Park/ Curtis Park Boba Cafe For starters, try the scallion pancake; it’s salty, crunchy on the outside and chewy inside. Or, order the pan-fried beef bun, which with its doughy, crunchy wrapping strangely resembled the texture of a Taco Bell Crunchwrap, only smaller, with a much richer flavor. Also worth sampling: pork dumplings served as a firm dough wrapping filled with a rich pork broth and a small ball of meat. The “Taiwan Style Stewed Pork Over Rice,” a red-braised pork, is a tender, deep-red colored pork marinated in earthy aromatic spices and copious amounts of soy sauce. Paired with an egg and a heaping pile of rice, it’s one of the most comforting rice plates in Sacramento. Chinese. 5131 Freeport Blvd., (916) 455-1687. Dinner for one: $5-$15. HHHH J.M

Thai Food vegan & gluten free options

HAPPY HOUR 4:30-6PM $3 TAP BEER

LIVE MUSIC. DRINKS. ART 2ND THURSDAYS | RENEWAL | JANUARY 8, 2015 SACANIME COSPLAYERS GET 10% OFF ENTIRE ORDER. MUST BE IN COSTUME TO RECEIVE DISCOUNT.

◀YELP PAGE

2502 J ST | SACRAMENTO, CA | 916.447.1855

st e B he

T

Slice in Midtown IS AT PIZZERIA URBANO HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS

Slice + Craft Beer just

6.50

$ #crockerartmix

crockerartmuseum.org crockerartmuse crockerartmuseum.org seu um.org g 20

|

SN&R

|

12.31.14

Call Ahead - 916-447-1255

1050 20th St. Sacramento

#LATENIGHTPIZZA

Pangaea Bier Cafe Just as European wines are made to be enjoyed with food rather than sipped alone, the current tsunami of European-style microbreweries feature drinks often best quaffed alongside a well-crafted meal. Pangaea Bier Cafe recently stepped up its food game to satisfy that need with a revamped menu that includes an ever-changing rotation of seasonal, slightly upscale pub food. Try the Buffalo wings: They’re deeply flavorful fried morsels with a thick glaze. The mac ’n’ cheese is creamy, with a bit of beer in the sauce and a crunchy topping of herb-flecked breadcrumbs. The sliders are gorgeous little mouthfuls with Tillamook cheddar and housemade pickles. The main-course cheeseburger, one of the best we’ve had in ages, is made from a custom blend of brisket and chuck. This is a juicy patty that holds together, yet bursts with flavor. The locally made brioche bun bears up well, and the house pickles and cheddar simply gild the lily. American. 2743 Franklin Blvd., (916) 454-4942. Dinner for one: $10-$15. HHH1/2 AMR

South Sac Bodhi Bowl This Vietnamese eatery’s menu is all vegetarian and mostly vegan, with plenty of high notes. The Heavenly Noodle is a can’t-go-wrong salad comprising snow-white vermicelli noodles with cooling mint, cucumber slices, houseroasted peanuts and jagged pieces of faux beef. The “beef”

YOU’RE WELCOME, NATURE.

Blackbird Kitchen & Beer Gallery

mustard, pickled cauliflower and beets, served with small slices of bread. The ’nduja sandwich is startlingly spicy and salty, with rich melted cheese and ground meat spread between pressed slices of bread. Or try the pressed serrano ham, manchego cheese, arugula and salsa sandwich—it’s like a cross between a cubano, a breakfast panini and a torta. Elsewhere on the menu there are fine cocktails, an intimidating whiskey list, and a small but diverse selection of beer and wine. European. 1050 20th St., (916) 476-6306. Dinner for one: $10-$20. HHHH J.M.

RECYCLE THIS PAPER.

Downtown


Kansai Ramen & Sushi House This place serves its own take on ramen and sushi, with varying degrees of success. The kakuni ramen, which features three thick slices of braised pork belly in lieu of the house ramen’s thin slices of chashu, boasts a nice, sweet marinade; tender consistency; and copious flavor. The sushi rolls here are Western style—aka loaded with toppings. Try the Mufasa roll. With crab and avocado on the inside and salmon and sauce outside, it’s particularly tasty, seasoned in sesame oil and baked—a somewhat unusual technique for sushi. Japanese. 2992 65th St., Ste. 288; (916) 455-0288. Dinner for one: $10-$20. HHH J.M.

Natomas

the veggies, a light boost of piquant flavor from a “pepper plant sauce,” and won’t leave you feeling overly stuffed after eating it. American. 8928 Sunset Ave. in Fair Oaks, (916) 241-9365. Dinner for one: $10-$20. HHHH J.M.

The Waffle Experience Hold your forks—these aren’t your mom’s buttermilk beauties full of syrup. They’re traditional Belgian liège waffles, which are closer to bread than pastry. Open for breakfast and lunch, the menu offers choices that include breakfast creations and dishes labeled “Two Hands Required”—i.e., waffle sandwiches. All are packed with flavor. The “Eggcellent” consists of applewood bacon, fontina, egg, arugula, and sun-dried tomato aioli sandwiched between fennel seed waffles. It’s messy, but worth the extra napkins. American. 4391 Gateway Park Blvd., Suite 650 in Natomas; (916) 285-0562. Dinner for one: $10-$15. HHH AMR

Dad’s Kitchen The cooking at this Guy Fieri-approved joint is consistent and at times technically terrific. Try the Dad’s Burger (lettuce, red onion, tomato, Aleppo chili aioli, and a beef patty encrusted with blue cheese and bacon). With a firm and chewy bun and a sauce with kick, it’s one of Sac’s best burgers. Or get the Hot Blonde. It’s like a subtle, healthier version of a club sandwich, with organic chicken, avocado, spinach, cucumber, roasted onion and Swiss cheese—all set between sourdough bread and grilled on a panini press. It boasts a crunchy texture from all

egg, sausage and bacon, tiger prawn, pickled veggies, and the most amazing slider. American. 1310 Fulton Ave., (916) 487-1045. Dinner for one: $15-$25. HHHH G.M.

Elk Grove

Danielle’s Crêperie This eatery, which specializes in French and American, serves a ton of breakfast and lunch options (pancakes, waffles, omelets, quiches, crepes, sandwiches) and diners can order them at any time of day. A chocolate crepe is huge and could make for an entire (sugary) meal itself. A Nutella filling option would also be nice. Savory crepes are a good option; try the Crab and Spinach Crêpe. With crab meat, spinach, garlic and a cheesy French Mornay sauce, this is rich haute cuisine at a bargain price. French and American. 3535 Fair Oaks Blvd., (916) 972-1911. Dinner for one: $10-$20. HHH1⁄2. J.M.

Arden/ Carmichael

IllustratIon by Mark stIvers

actually is slightly sweet, plenty umami and pleasantly inoffensive, as far as fake meat goes. Nearly everything here has a faux-meat product or tofu element. So, sorry diners with soy allergies—it can’t even be escaped in the papaya salad. Not an issue? Soldier on with the Hot & Sour soup, a not-too spicy sunset-orange broth that teems with a tomatoey and citrus flavor, chunks of pineapple, semicircles of trumpet mushrooms, cubes of fried tofu and slices of faux crab. Or, try the stir-fried Eight Fold Path. It features al dente celery, red bell pepper and triangles of the most savory, salty, dense tofu perhaps ever. Vietnamese. 6511 Savings Place, Ste. 100; (916) 428-4160. Dinner for one: $10-$15. HHHH S.

Field House American Sports Pub Launched by the same team that raised Shady Lady Saloon, this spot brings a bit more culinary hope to an often forgotten part of Sacramento. The whiskey burger is a mighty sammich of perfection with smoked Gouda cheese and bacon that serve as excellent counterpoints to the achingly sweet maple-bourbon glazed red onions. Fries-slashchips arrived pencil-thin and fiercely crispy. If you visit for brunch, don’t miss the signature bloody mary: a 32-ounce bloody mary that doesn’t skimp on the horseradish. It’s served with skewers of beet-pickled

Lola’s Lounge The dishes here bring together Latin American favorites with modern presentations. There are Spanish tapas, for example, including bacalao, a buttery mash of potatoes and salt cod served in a mortar with toast and Spanish olive oil. Argentinean-styled empanadas are exquisitely flaky and crisp, encasing juicy shredded beef and chopped hard-boiled egg. A garnish of cilantro puree adds the perfect balance of fresh herb. Lola’s Plato de Quesos makes for one of the most interesting cheese plates in the area. It includes Catalan mató, a fresh cheese similar to ricotta, served with honey and a crisp cracker. Blue cabrales and aged castellano sheep’s cheese garnished with spicy mustard, green olives and sweet apple complete the line-up. Elsewhere on the menu, a generous portion of cubed raw tuna is gorgeously presented with fried rice crackers dusted with chile and Szechuan pepper. Eaten with a smear of aioli and a sprinkle of “caviar” from finger limes, it’s a menu standout. Latin American. 9085 Elk Grove Blvd. in Elk Grove; (916) 685-5652. Dinner for one: $10-$15. HHH1⁄2 AMR

Super winter tea

December brought Sacramentans some strange weather: lots of cold and rain interspersed with random days of warm sunshine and high pollen—basically perfect conditions to give us cold, flu and allergy symptoms. Fortunately, there’s a honey, lemon and ginger tea recipe that can help relieve runny noses, sore throats and upset stomachs. First, the simple (leafless) “tea”: Just peel and slice some ginger, and boil it in a pot of water. It’s widely known that ginger helps relieve stomach aches. Pour a cup of this into a mug, then squeeze in a wedge of lemon—which will help with a sore throat. Adding a spoonful or two of local honey also helps soothe the throat and fight allergies. If it’s a hot day, pour this same drink into a cup full of ice for a zingy lemonade (and you can even add a shot of liquor to turn it into a cocktail). —Jonathan Mendick

w o Sn Let it

FREE CHAMPAGNE TOAST AT MIDNIGHT

NO COVER

SUPER DUPETR TOP SECRE MENU ITEM #6

strawberkrye cheeseca

WELLS (7PM-CLOSE)

2 TACOS & BEER (DOMESTIC)

DRAFTS (7PM-CLOSE)

*bartender’s Choice

DRINKS CIROC VODKA (10PM-CLOSE)

VAMPIRE PENGUIN

2019 O STREET | 916.442.2682 BEFORE

|

NEWS

|

F E AT U R E

STORY

6821 STOCKTON BLVD #110

907 K STREET (SAC) & 130 G STREET (DAVIS) ELK GROVE LOCATION COMING SOON! WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/VAMPIREPENGUIN916

SHAVED SNOW & DESSERTS

Vegan Friendly!

|

A RT S & C U LT U R E

|

AFTER

|

12.31.14

|

SN&R

|

21


SHOP LOCAL AND SAVE GIFT CERTIFICATES TO LOCAL RESTAURANTS, RETAIL SHOPS AND BOUTIQUES FOR UP TO 50% OFF

SN&R READERS SAVE ON TIX!

Alley Katz: $20.00 for $10.00 Beauty by Thread: $20.00 for $10.00 Cafe Napoli: $10.00 for $5.00 Baguettes Deli: $15.00 for $7.50 Cali Slice: $25.00 for $12.50 Sip California Wine Tasting – Napa: $60.00 for $30.00 Sip California Wine Tasting – Sierra Foothills/Lodi: $70.00 for $35.00 SacAnime – Winterfest Friday Pass: $30.00 for $15.00 SacAnime – Winterfest Saturday Pass: $40.00 for $20.00 Beers Books: $20.00 for $10.00 Blue Lamp: $20.00 for $10.00 Shine: $10.00 for $5.00 Woodland Opera House “A Christmas Carol”: $25.00 for $12.50 Godlike Rehearsal Studios: $50.00 for $25.00 Godlike Rehearsal Studios: $325.00 for $162.50 Sei Bella Boutique: $25.00 for $6.25 Starlite Lounge: $10.00 for $5.00 Smokeless Smoking: $20.00 for $10.00 Professional Auto Worx: $180.00 for $72.00

AND MORE... Check out our website to get great deals on concerts at Ace of Spades, Goldfield Trading Post and Harlow’s.

22

|

SN&R   |  12.31.14

12/31

Brodie Stewart Band @ Goldfield Trading Post: $15.00 tix for $7.50

01/02

SacAnime @ The Convention Center: $45.00 tix for $22.50

01/03

Kevin Russell’s Cream of Clapton @ Harlow’s: $12.00 tix for $6.00

01/03

Karega Baily & Mark Noxx @ Harlow’s: $15.00 tix for $7.50

01/08

International Sportsmen’s Exposition: $15.00 tix for $7.50

01/09

KRS-One @ Harlow’s: $20.00 tix for $10.00

NO SERVICE FEES!

SN&R

W W W. N E W S R E V I E W. C O M


Arts imitate life Sacramento is seeing hard times both on and off the stage When the Sacramento Theatre Company’s Michael Laun gave a pre-show speech at a performance of It’s a Wonderful Life earlier this month, by Jeff Hudson he described Sacramento as “our own little Pottersville.” As I reflected on Laun’s comment, I recalled the untold thousands locally who lost their homes to foreclosure in recent years, and many thousands more who barely escaped that outcome. Photo by barry Wisdom PhotograPhy

As everyone knows, the play’s story features George Bailey as the head of a family-operated credit union, a bighearted (and often forgiving) lender helping working-class folks own a home, a man who considers suicide when it appears he will go bust financially. After the events of the past decade, this story clearly resonates with Sacramento audiences in ways that other holiday standards (like Scrooge) apparently do not. Other local theater companies went with surprisingly similar choices this year. Buck Busfield wrote an original piece (Spinning Into Light) set in a failing textile mill in a 1950s company town, a dangerous place where the machinery periodically mangles an employee. In the version of the show I saw on opening weekend, the finale included an announcement that the textile mill would close, and all employees would lose their jobs. (That ending got cut after the first weekend, and an existing scene in which prospective lovers exchanged longing looks became the new ending.)

Jerry Lee (right) and Tyler Wipfli play the Baileys, who try to help working-class folks in Sacramento Theatre Company’s production of It’s a Wonderful Life.

BEFORE

|

NEWS

|

F E AT U R E

Capital Stage revived The Santaland Diaries, a solo show depicting the misery of a cynical temp worker performing with forced joviality as a Christmas elf in a department store (based on an essay by David Sedaris, who packs the Mondavi Center in Davis whenever he visits). Do you think there is a common theme here? I do. We are in the midst of an economic “recovery” that is simultaneously a shakeout. Things are humming in Silicon Valley, which has a highly educated and entrepreneurial workforce (and some of the highest home prices in the nation). Newly rich tech titans are scooping up homes and sometimes evicting longtime renters (who in some cases have staged street protests). Many Bay Area municipalities have an average home price over $1 million. The economic recovery’s new jobs are primarily for the college-educated; consequently, inland counties have seen fewer of them. The California Department of Finance recently released statistics showing that only 28 percent of Sacramento County adults have a bachelor’s degree (as compared with 79.8 percent in Palo Alto). Sacramento now faces the prospect of having 70 percent of the workforce competing for a dwindling percentage of jobs for applicants with a high school or a community college diploma. The unemployment rate in some Bay Area counties is already low (3.9 percent in Marin County, 4.1 percent in San Mateo County), but it is only recently that unemployment in Sacramento has finally dipped below 7 percent. And unemployment in Sacramento is still higher than in an economically distressed Bay Area city like Vallejo. Other Central Valley cities still have double-digit unemployment: Stockton and Modesto are at 10.7 percent. This economic scenario is reflected in the arts—on and off the stage. Locally, the Sacramento Philharmonic and Sacramento Opera have staged no performances this season, and gone on “hiatus” (though behind-the-scenes efforts are under way to revive both). It’s not that the classical audience has disappeared. Touring orchestras at the Mondavi Center routinely draw capacity crowds. But funding a professional orchestra in Sacramento (and performing in the aging, acoustically dubious and expensive-to-rent 2,400-seat Community Center Theater) has long been problematic. And there just aren’t enough local companies or private donors to turn to for philanthropic support. On the bright side, Sacramento’s small Actors’ Equity Association theater companies, which perform in cozy venues seating 100 to 270, face a somewhat easier task. They are able to cobble together sponsorships from local law offices and lobbying firms to keep their smallcast productions on the boards. Which helps explain why the local theater scene is so much healthier than the “serious music” scene. Ω

STORY

|

A RT S & C U LT U R E

It’s SN&R’s toheck-with-yourresolutions-let’sindulge guide. Over the holidays we enjoyed all the good stuff—tasty food, excellent drinks, lots of rest—but why stop now? Eating, drinking, gambling, comfy clothes and much, much more—SN&R will guide you through all the fun ways to live life to the fullest in 2015.

5 |

AFTER

|

12.31.14

|

SN&R

|

23


Slapstick and despair Inherent Vice A disclaimer: I refuse to remain rational and objective about my cosmic love for Paul Thomas Anderson’s paranoid doper fantasia by Daniel Barnes Inherent Vice. From the moment that the neon green title flashed on the screen and Can’s “Vitamin C” pulsated on the soundtrack, this movie and I located the same karmic thermal. I want to frolic about in a giant pile of this film, like Dorothy Gale in the poppy field. I want to roll up, smoke, snort, shoot up, and scarf down an entire tray of Inherent Vice. I want to revel in its sun-blasted slapstick and paranoid despair, to soak up its gloomy and intoxicating vision of post-Manson Los Angeles as Paradise Lost.

5

A stoner Marlboro Man?

1 Poor

2 Fair

3 Good

4 Very Good

5 excellent

24   |   SN&R   |   12.31.14

To many other viewers, this shaggy-dog detective story will offer only a maddeningly impenetrable text and far too much mumbling— Inherent Vice stands to be the most divisive Paul Thomas Anderson film in a career not exactly devoted to consensus-building (remember that Anderson’s most broadly accessible effort to date has been a love letter to the 1970s porn industry). In most of the red herring-heavy mysteries that Inherent Vice draws from, the ever-growing pile of plot twists usually makes the story inscrutable by the third act; here, we are already playing catch-up by the time Joanna Newsom’s phantasmic narrator Sortilège finishes her first sentence. But what inspired inscrutability, and what a strange and wonderful world to get lost in! We are confused, but only because Inherent Vice is a film about confusion, a “we blew it, Billy” drug-haze satire of counterculture commodification. Out of Thomas Pynchon’s novel, Anderson constructs an equal-parts daffy and melancholy milieu of hippies, burnouts, cop actors, drugdealing dentists, undercover saxophone players, heroin babies and pussy-eater specials. Joaquin Phoenix stars as the stoned-outof-his-gourd private detective Larry “Doc” Sportello. As the film opens, Doc is awoken from his usual stupor by the appearance of his ex-girlfriend Shasta Fay Hepworth (a heartbreaking Katherine Waterston). She lays “some heavy

combination of face ingredients on Doc,” as well as a story about her missing land-developer lover and the mysterious forces that may be threatening her life. Doc pursues the case, and with his gentle nature and bong-rattled comprehension skills, he makes for a perfect noir patsy. No matter how lost we are in the narrative, Doc is always a little more lost, never more so than when the frazzled ends of the mystery occasionally fit together. Anderson constructs Inherent Vice as a succession of two-person verbal encounters, sometimes presenting separate square-offs within the same shot. It’s practically the opposite of the eager, open-kneed visual invitation of Boogie Nights, and yet austerity has never looked more sumptuous. Working with his longtime cinematographer Robert Elswit (he also shot this year’s Nightcrawler, a more modern vision of the Los Angeles underbelly), Anderson visualizes the 1969 San Fernando Valley as a cross between a folk-rock album cover and a gas-mask hallucination. With their many absentee fathers, compromised artists, robber baron capitalists, and would-be messiahs, the films of Paul Thomas Anderson portray the California Dream as an oft-repeated fall from grace of Biblical proportions. All pinned to the wall and linked together with an intricate series of colored strings, the Anderson oeuvre begins to form an alternatehistory book of Southern California as spoiled paradise, stretching from the oil field power struggles in There Will Be Blood to the millennium apocalypse anxieties of Magnolia, and now the “square is hip” conspiracy at the heart of Inherent Vice.

More than anything, Inherent Vice is an acting feast. More than anything, Inherent Vice is an acting feast, from Benicio del Toro as a cocktailswilling maritime lawyer to Josh Brolin as a civil-rights-hating cartoon cop, and even the most minor characters feel fully realized. Phoenix is a magnetic mumbler, and he crafts some marvelous physical comedy—in one scene, Doc is cracked on the back of the head, and instinctively turns to throw an ineffectual punch as he falls to the ground. It’s as though Doc is so drug-addled that it takes him an extra second to realize he’s already unconscious. Inherent Vice has a similar lingering effect—for all its dizzy detachment, the film packs an insidious emotional wallop, one that may not be felt until well after impact. Ω


by daniel barnes & JiM lane

4

Big Eyes

2508 LAND PARK DRIVE LAND PARK & BROADWAY FREE PARKING ADJACENT TO THEATRE

Director Tim Burton and writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski tell the story of artist Margaret Keane (Amy Adams) and her husband Walter (Christoph Waltz), who made a fortune in the 1950s and ’60s marketing her paintings of wispy, hugeeyed waifs while claiming to have painted them himself. The look is brighter than the usual Burton film—all breezy California sunshine and vivid retro fashions—but the underpinnings are as dark as ever, fraught with subtle psychological abuse and manipulation, encapsulated in Waltz’s unctuous smile that never quite spreads as far as his shifty, empty eyes. His Walter is the epitome of the oily small-time con man who hits it big, while Adams’ Margaret is a sweet spirit at first confused by Walter’s dishonesty, finally finding the strength to assert herself. J.L.

5

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

The Homesman

When we think of the “revisionist Western” genre, the implication is usually one of Peckinpah-esque ultraviolence or Dead Man artiness. Tommy Lee Jones’ unexpectedly devastating The Homesman, while hardly lacking for flashes of brutal violence or moments of equally brutal introspection, takes a slightly different approach. It is a film about the western landscape as a psychological nightmare, and in its deepest and darkest moments, The Homesman questions how insanity should be defined in a world as savage and lonely as the one it depicts. However, this is also a full entertainment, filled with rich and moving performances, bawdy humor, powerful visuals and a genuine empathy for the forgotten heroes of history. Jones, who adapted the Glendon Swarthout novel along with screenwriters Kieran Fitzgerald and Wesley A. Oliver and also gives a great performance here, only leads the viewer down comforting alleys in order to ambush them with ugly truths. D.B.

2

The Interview

We’ve been had. Only last week The Interview looked like a symbol for the limits of free speech in the world of omnipresent surveillance and cyberterror. Now that Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen’s idiots abroad comedy has been made available to the world via VOD and a smaller-scale theatrical run, it all seems like an elaborate head-fake designed to turn a toxic, sloppy, drastically unfunny comedy into a headline-grabbing, day-anddate release experiment. James Franco stars as a fatuous TV host and Rogen plays his pro-

BEFORE

IMITATION GAME WED/THUR: 11:00AM, 1:45, 4:30, 7:10, 9:40PM

VISIT FANDANGO.COM FOR FRI-TUES SHOWTIMES

FOXCATCHER

“MOVING, ENGAGING AND DEEPLY SINCERE.”

“BEAUTIFULLY ACTED.” - Manohla Dargis, NEW YORK TIMES

- Andrew O'Hehir, SALON.COM

The key to the code is “QWERTY.”

WED/THUR: 10:40AM, 1:20, 4:10, 7:00, 9:45PM

WED/THUR: 11:30AM, 2:10, 4:45, 7:25, 9:50PM VISIT FANDANGO.COM FOR FRI-TUES SHOWTIMES

Foxcatcher

Late in this third and final chapter of Peter Jackson’s horribly bloated adaptation of The Hobbit, Orlando Bloom’s familiar elven warrior is assured, “Legolas, your mother loved you … very much.” Instantly, I backtracked—had the issue of Legolas’ mother come up in either of the previous forgettable chapters of The Hobbit? Even if it had, why bring it up now? Just an extra flourish of cheap sentiment to pad out a film built entirely around a battle with nebulous stakes that we could care less about? Or another pathetic attempt to encode The Hobbit into Jackson’s cinematic Lord of the Rings cycle? (“Oh, so that’s why Legolas was always portrayed as a happygo-lucky, adventure-loving cipher without any mommy issues—they were already resolved!”) Nothing else to talk about in this long and dismal cartoon, except that I’m reasonably certain there were more than five armies. D.B.

5

THE

VISIT FANDANGO.COM FOR FRI-TUES SHOWTIMES

FOR ADVANCE TICKETS PLEASE VISIT FANDANGO.COM

Steve Carell stars in Bennett Miller’s compelling Foxcatcher as the real-life billionaire John DuPont, heir to a legendary American fortune and a paranoid schizophrenic who murdered wrestling champion/ coach Dave Schultz in 1996. At first glance, Carell looks like a “stunt” choice for the part of DuPont, but it is inspired casting by Miller (Capote, Moneyball). With his awkward compulsion to be both father and brother, benefactor and lover, boss and buddy, DuPont has a lot in common with Carell’s heretofore most iconic role—Dunder Mifflin regional manager Michael Scott on TV’s The Office. While this is the darkest and bleakest role that Carell has ever played, he uses his comedy-honed physical and vocal chops (and generous amounts of makeup) to disappear into the role of the pale and paunchy DuPont. Miller and cinematographer Greig Fraser (Zero Dark Thirty) abet Carell by giving Foxcatcher the teeming, sweat lodge claustrophobia of a wrestling room. D.B.

2

“ENGROSSING.” - Lou Lumenick, NEW YORK POST

|

NEWS

5

The Imitation Game

During World War II, the eccentric, socially challenged math genius Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) leads a British cryptography unit charged with cracking Nazi Germany’s Enigma code, a hitherto unbreakable cipher that has defied all efforts to unravel it. Graham Moore’s script takes a few liberties with history, and his multiple-flashback structure is a bit awkward at times, but director Morten Tyldum smooths it all out into an expression of Turing’s psychological complexity. Cumberbatch’s masterful performance towers over the picture, but he has plenty of sturdy support—Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode and Allen Leech as co-workers, Charles Dance and Mark Strong as higher-ups, and (most especially) Alex Lawther as the teenage Turing, in a performance that complements and enriches Cumberbatch’s own. J.L.

ducer, a couple of bumbling slackers recruited to kill the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un. Franco and Rogen can be very funny, but here they engage in the sort of one-note racist and homophobic hijinks that should be beneath them by now. If the villain were a fictional creation like Sacha Baron Cohen’s Admiral General Aladeen from The Dictator, there would be nothing worth talking about. D.B.

2

Into the Woods

In this Disney-fied adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s Tony-winning musical, a selection of Grimm Brothers characters that includes Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Prince Charming and Cinderella come together in an attempt to reverse a witch’s curse. The Sondheim music is still utterly appalling, but at least it’s unmemorable, a monotonous series of tuneless and barely differentiated refrains masquerading as musical numbers (only one sequence—the princely preen-off “Agony”— sticks out). However, the appeal of Into the Woods was always the surprisingly dark book, and while James Lapine adapted his own stage material for the screen, he guts the second act, and the finished product plays like an attempt to make a movie of Shrek the Musical without buying the rights. A strong cast of theater vets and movie stars with passable voices do their best, but director Rob Marshall has the insipidly literal sensibility of a born hack. D.B.

3

The Theory of Everything

Jake Kasdan’s 2007 genre parody Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story so effectively skewered the hoary tropes of movie biopics, any film employing them with a straight face risks looking ridiculous. Cliches are not mandatory for the genre—films as diverse as Todd Haynes’ I’m Not There and Mike Leigh’s upcoming Mr. Turner have tossed aside biopic crutches while still landing emotional and intellectual impacts. But James Marsh’s straight-faced biopic The Theory of Everything is engineered for maximum awards season appeal, and so it crams in as many those conventions as it possibly can. The film might be unwatchable if not for the excellent performances from Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne as Jane and Stephen Hawking. Redmayne especially does bravura work—he becomes Stephen Hawking, body and soul—but The Theory of Everything doesn’t have the imagination or ambition to be anything more than his showpiece. D.B.

4

Top Five

A standup-comic-turned-moviestar-in-dopey-comedies (Chris Rock, who also wrote and directed) submits to a ride-along interview with a reporter (Rosario Dawson) to publicize his latest movie, an

|

F E AT U R E

STORY

CREST THEATER SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA 1013 K STREET, SACRAMENTO, CA 95814 ONE NIGHT

JESSIE ES BRIDG

TICKETS ON SALE AT CRESTSACRAMENTO.COM, BOX OFFICE and TICKET FLY ALL SEATS RESERVED, PRICES $45.00 / $85.00 and MEET AND GREET $125

H

O

*30% *20%

L

with

I

D

A

Y

OFF ALL LIQUIDS OFF HARDWARE

THROUGH JANUARY 5TH

BUY 2 GET 1 FREE! ON NXNW E-LIQUID

Wild

Director Jean-Marc Vallee follows up last year’s Oscar fave Dallas Buyers Club with another blatant awards grubber in Wild, based on the memoir by Cheryl Strayed. Reese Witherspoon plays Strayed, who in 1995 hiked over 1,000 miles along the Pacific Crest Trail, exorcising the demons that occupied the space left by her mother’s untimely death. Much like Dallas Buyers Club, Wild is a mix of unguarded rawness and mawkish calculation, equal parts honest inspiration and mercenary ambition. Witherspoon is very good, not just deglamorized but immersed, and Laura Dern is every bit her equal as Strayed’s mother (another “dream Mom” role for Dern to match her turn earlier this year in The Fault in Our Stars). The editing, cinematography, sound design, nonlinear Nick Hornby script and PCT scenery are all exquisite, so perhaps the entire project is just a little too Hike, Pray, Love for this particular critic’s taste. D.B.

|

s bider a e h &t

Unbroken

Directed by Angelina Jolie and adapted from the Laura Hillenbrand nonfiction bestseller about Olympic-athlete-turnedWorld War II-prisoner-of-war Louis Zamperini, Unbroken is a contemptible and unrewarding film, a depersonalized catalog of beautifully photographed torture and suffering. Even still, the most damning criticism I can levy against Unbroken is that despite boasting a script by Joel and Ethan Coen (with co-writing credits for fellow script doctor legends Richard LaGravenese and William Nicholson), there is nothing remotely Coen-esque about this movie (wit and intelligence are most sorely missed). It goes on like that—Jolie assembles a fabulous group of collaborators, including composer Alexandre Desplat (The Grand Budapest Hotel), the Coen Brothers’ house cinematographer Roger Deakins, editor William Goldenberg (Zero Dark Thirty), and rising star Jack O’Connell (Starred Up and the upcoming ’71) as Zamperini, but their collective harmonies are soulless and contrived, and Jolie makes for an indifferent conductor. D.B.

3

THU. JAN. 22

ONLY DOORS: 6:00 P. M. SHOW: 7:00 P. M.

attempt at a serious drama about the 1791 Haitian Revolution. This raunchy, witty, smart and cheerfully profane comedy just may turn out to be Rock’s Annie Hall. Not that it’s as good as Woody Allen’s 1977 breakthrough—not quite—but in the sense that Rock shows, as Allen did back then, unexpected depth and perception about celebrity and personal relations to go along with his edgy comedy riffs. His conversations with Dawson crackle with intelligence and sexual chemistry, and a parade of guest artists—some playing characters, others as themselves—is folded into the mix with a minimum of awkwardness. J.L.

2

ents Pres r e h Mot

A RT S & C U LT U R E

*DOES NOT INCLUDE AUTHENTIC MODS

916.917.5332

1809 S STREET, SUITE 99 • SAC, CA 95811 |

AFTER

|

12.31.14

|

SN&R

|

25


New local music picks to perk up your ears Your (short) guide to new 2015 albums   from Sacramento artists

WEDNESDAY

Grand Opening No Cover Charge FINE DINING

with Chef Anderson

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

with Lee Diamond along with other Guest Entertainers

6:30pm • 1107 FRONT ST. 916.862.5923 WWW.CLUBDORO.COM 26   |   SN&R   |   12.31.14

Spring will be an important season for local metal fans. Look for death and grind band Plague Widow’s first full-length Within the Void of Human Life; blackened doom metal band Bog Oak’s debut, tentatively called Wilderness Survival; and video game-inspired, mathcore Journal’s third album. Bog Oak is relatively new, but its first EP A Treatise On Resurrection And The Afterlife received rave reviews on the metal blog circuit. Journal’s currently unnamed record, meanwhile, will be its first since Unlorja in 2010. Expect another concept album, but this time following a single character’s quest for meaning and purpose. The Bar Fly Effect’s (pictured) debut record is expected sometime mid-2015— the punk band’s first release since its much-loved 2013 EP and ode to drunken debauchery What Happened Last Night. In April, expect roots-influenced, bluesy rock duo Said the Shotgun’s debut Snake Oil as well as feel-good band Element of Soul’s next mix of reggae, blues and rock, Inspired Frequencies. Element of Soul plans for release parties in both Placerville and Sacramento. On the more experimental end of things, Gentleman Surfer promises a third record after a year of near-inactivity. No other details on that. But in the summer, Martin Birke’s electronic project Genre Peak will release tentatively-titled fourth record Cell by Cell. It’ll feature an ever-evolving, impressive cast of creatives, including Steve Jansen (Japan), Matt Malley (Counting Crows), Charlie Woodward (Strinx), Lesley Braden (Fast Arrow) and jazz guitarist Henry Robinett. photo courtesy of bar fly effect

DECEMBER 31ST

It’s just barely 2015, and already the year promises loads of exciting releases from local artists. Perhaps the most highly-anticipated record by Janelle Bitker will come from Sea of Bees. Julie Baenziger’s third full-length album Build a Boat to the Sun j a ne l l e b @ drops in May or June, a full three years after ne w s re v i e w . c o m Orangefarben. The record will continue Sea of Bees’ slow tread away from folk, but still feature Baenziger singing and playing most of the instruments. Amber Padgett is on the record again, as well as Kacey Johansing (Yesway), Geoffrey CK (Sunmonks) and Jason Quever (Papercuts). Oh, and that beloved 1907 pump organ returns, too.

“Which way to the best year ever?”

CK’s Sunmonks is also finishing up its debut full-length, due out the second half of 2015. No name yet, but there are apparently some epic eight-piece horn arrangements. On Friday, January 23, at the Fox & Goose, Be Brave Bold Robot will celebrate its release of Press E to Continue, a name chosen by the person who donated $300 to the folkish band’s Kickstarter campaign. It’s an eclectic album, with six full band recordings, a few covers, some electronica and—get ready—frontman Dean Haakenson rapping. Perfect segue into local emcees. Andru Defeye, the pioneer of Sacramento’s guerrilla rap movement of 2014, drops Villain, billed as an autobiography of sorts, in February or March. He was one of the few local artists selected to play the inaugural TBD Fest, along with DLRN. Speaking of which, the synth-fueled hip-hop duo slates its long-awaited Neon Noire (Deluxe) for a mid-February release, with guest appearances by Stevie Nader, Nami Ramo and SOOSH*E!. Rapper Brutha Smith will release Effigy on Tuesday, January 6, at the Blue Lamp. He says the concept album will be his most personal yet, digging into a traumatic past that he’d always kept private before. Dylan Phillip will also drop his next record, Authentic Originality, sometime this month.

Rapper Brutha Smith’s new concept album will be his most personal yet, digging into a traumatic past that he’d always kept private before. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list, mostly because that’d be impossible to compile. There’s way more new music to come, so perk up those ears and consider making “support Sacramento’s music scene” your New Year’s resolution. Ω


2708 J Street Sacramento, CA 916.441.4693 www.harlows.com

NYE WITH LOVEFOOL

COMING SOON JAN 9 · 6PM · $20 ADV

MIDGE URE

THE BAY AREA’S FINEST PARTY BAND PLAYING HITS FROM THE 80’S, 90’S AND TODAY. LOVEFOOLLIVE.COM FOR VIP ACCCOMMODATIONS CALL 916-441-4693. DOORS OPEN AT 9PM

(VOCALIST OF ULTRAVOX)

THE UNFORTUNATE BASTARD ALL AGES

JAN 3 · 5:30PM · $12

KEVIN RUSSELL’S CREAM OF CLAPTON

JAN 9 · 10PM $20 ADV

KRSONE

JAN 3 · 10PM · $15 ADV

KAREGA BAILEY MARK NOXX JAN 5 · 7PM · $20 ADV

JAN 15 · 6PM · $20

BROTHER’S KEEPER FEAT. JOHN POPPER & JONO MANSON

AL KOOPER

DUPLIX

ACE OF SPADES

1417 R Street, Sacramento, 95814 www.aceofspadessac.com

ALL AGES WELCOME!

COMING

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21

FRIDAY, JANUARY 2

HED PE/ POWERMAN 5000

THE ENGLISH BEAT

SOON

KNEE HIGH FOX WHITE MINORITIES SLAVES OF MANHATTAN

MARTIN SEXTON

01/30 02/04 02/08 02/10 02/11 02/13 02/14 02/17 02/18 02/19 02/27 02/28

FRIDAY, JANUARY 23

SATURDAY, JANUARY 3

G-LOVE & SPECIAL SAUCE

SAGE THE GEMINI KEAK DA SNEAK

MATT COSTA

FRIDAY, JANUARY 9

SUNDAY, JANUARY 25

TIG NOTARO

TYLER FARR TUESDAY, JANUARY 27

SUNDAY, JANUARY 18

THE EXPENDABLES

WAKA FLOCKA JOEY FATTS

FORTUNATE YOUTH – KATASTRO WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28

TUESDAY, JANUARY 20

SILVERSTEIN

SAVING ABEL

MAIN EVENT - FAIR STRUGGLE PICTURE YES

1/4 J. Sirus 1/7 Zyah Bell & The Funkshun 1/8 Show Stoppers Mixer 1/10 Hilarium (comedy & music) 1/16 Joy and Madness 1/17 Whitey Morgan 1/21 Eric Bellinger 1/22 Portland Cello Project 1/23 Apple Z 1/24 The Ting Tings 1/28 The New Mastersounds 1/29 Sage Francis 1/30 Will Kimbrough 1/30 Duran Duran Duran 1/31 Super Huey 1/31 Hip Service 2/03 The Motet 2/04 Nothing

BEARTOOTH - HANDS LIKE HOUSES - MAJOR LEAGUE - MY IRON LUNG

03/01 03/09 03/10 03/11 03/17 03/21 03/22 03/24 03/28 04/09 04/15 04/19 04/21 04/25

Lindsey Stirling Partynextdoor Hell Yeah Logic Hozier Stick To Your Guns Motion City Soundtrack Zion I Suicide Silence August Burns Red Black Veil Brides & MMF Spice 1, B-Legit, Richie Rich, Celly Cell, San Quinn & RBL Posse In Flames Coal Chamber Motionless In White Flyleaf Walk The Moon Rebel Souljahz The Devil Wears Prada Dan & Shay Chelsea Grin Apocalyptica Reverend Horton Heat Royal Blood Enter Shikari Parmalee

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT ALL DIMPLE RECORDS LOCATIONS AND ARMADILLO RECORDS, OR PURCHASE BY PHONE @ 916.443.9202 BEFORE

|

NEWS

|

F E AT U R E

STORY

|

A RT S & C U LT U R E

|

AFTER

|

12.31.14

|

SN&R

|

27


02FRI

03SAT

03SAT

03SAT

Sandra Dolores

Sage the Gemini

The Silent Game

Karega Bailey

Shine, 8 p.m., $5

Ace of Spades, 7 p.m., $30

Day two of the new year is a time many of us  stop for a second and take a breather before  jumping into that resolution to save more  FOLK money, drink less and learn French.  But anyone familiar with the local  scene knows that few musicians hustle as  hard as singer-songwriter Sandra Dolores,  who during any given week seems to be playing a good number of the city’s music venues  either as a solo act or as part of the duo  Cover Girls. Dolores’ style, both on vocals  and guitar, are pleasantly evocative of Joni  Mitchell. Ruby Faye and Meghan Bone join her  in the night’s lineup. 1400 E Street,   www.sandradolores.com.

—Deena Drewis

Shine, 8 p.m., $5

Sage always had performing flair, acting in  high school before ditching that to pursue  music full-time. He made noise from the jump,  scoring a viral hit on MySpace at age 16 with  “You Should Know,” which logged more than  three million views. He kicked around and  hooked up with the HBK Gang, and then burst  out last year with singles “Red Nose” and  “Gas Pedal,” complete with their own dances.  That was enough to earn the 22-year-old  from Fairfield a deal from Republic Records,  which released his April full-length debut  HIP-HOP Remember Me. His blunt,  restrained delivery bounces  over psych-tinged beats fit for the partyready, lyrical mood. 1417 R Street,   www.facebook.com/SageTheGemini.

—Chris Parker

Harlow’s Restaurant & Nightclub, 10 p.m., $15-$20

Local rock outfit the Silent Game seems  like a trio, but appears to have a fourth  member. In addition to a bassist, guitarist  and drummer, a fourth member is listed  as “Powerbook G4 PPC,” and contributes  “strange noises.” It’s a welcome addition,  ROCK too, as all the electronics and  computer bloops and bleeps fill  out the standard rock tunes into something  more layered and interesting. Clearly these  guys are influenced by OK Computer-era  Radiohead. Their music falls into the same  electro-indie-rock territory as Radiohead,  as well as other alternative rock bands from  this time period, though the Silent Game  lands on the mellower side of the equation.  1400 E Street, www.reverbnation.com/ thesilentgame.

Karega Bailey says he owes his current   success—as a teacher, rapper and spoken  word poet in Washington, D.C.—to the excellent community support he received growing  up as one of eight children in his Sacramento  family. That’s why he’s so intent on giving  back and delivering motivational speaking  within his art form. His raps are soulful, politically minded and geared toward empowering  youth and sparking social change. Just listen  to his superpersonal and haunting track “For  Black Males Who’ve Considered Homicide  When They’ve Lost Someone They Love,”  about the death of Bailey’s  HIP-HOP older brother. And watch for  his new record Peace King, dropping later this  month. 2708 J Street, www.karegabailey.com.

—Janelle Bitker

—Aaron Carnes

RESTAURANT •• BAR BAR CLUB •• RESTAURANT COMEDY COMEDY CLUB

VOTED BEST COMEDY CLUB BY THE SACRAMENTO NEWS & REVIEW!

FRIDAY 1/2 - SUNDAY 1/4 FROM SHOWTIME AND COMEDY CENTRAL!

EDWIN SAN JUAN YOSHI OBAYASHI, CHRIS GORE

WEDNESDAY 1/7

SACRAMENTO COMEDY SHOWCASE THURSDAY 1/8 - SATURDAY 1/10 FROM E!’S CHELSEA LATELY!

JOSH WOLF

LIVE MUSIC Dec 31 NEW YEAR’S EVE WITH THUNDER COVER $5

WITH SPECIAL GUEST JIFFY WILD THURSDAY 1/15 - SUNDAY 1/18 FROM THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON AND CHELSEA LATELY!

BRET ERNST

KRIS TINKLE, JUSTIN HARRISON FRIDAY 1/23 - SUNDAY 1/25 FROM MTV’S GIRL CODE!

CARLY AQUILINO COLLEEN WATSON

THURSDAY 1/29 - SATURDAY 1/31 FROM TWO BROKE GIRLS!

JONATHAN KITE DAN GABRIEL

THURSDAY 2/5 - SATURDAY 2/7 FROM LAST COMIC STANDING AND THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN!

Jan 3

ISLAND OF BLACK & WHITE

Jan 9

GUITARHEAD

Jan 10 THE CITY CATS jan 16 HUCKLEBUCKS jan 17 CHRISTIAN DEWILD

27 BEERS ON DRAFT TRIVIA MONDAYS @ 6:30PM OPEN MIC WEDNESDAYS SIGN-UPS @ 7:30PM KARAOKE THURSDAYS @ 7:30PM

TOMMY JOHNAGIN

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! TWITTER.COM/PUNCHLINESAC • FACEBOOK.COM/PLSAC

WWW.PUNCHLINESAC.COM

CALL CLUB FOR SHOWTIMES: (916) 925-5500

2100 ARDEN WAY • IN THE HOWE ‘BOUT ARDEN SHOPPING CENTER

2 DRINK MINIMUM. 18 & OVER. I.D. REQUIRED.

101 MAIN STREET, ROSEVILLE 916-774-0505 · LUNCH/DINNER 7 DAYS A WEEK FRI & SAT 9:30PM - CLOSE 21+ FACEBOOK.COM/BAR101ROSEVILLE

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE CLUB BOX OFFICE WITH NO SERVICE CHARGE. 28   |   SN&R   |    12.31.14

Ultimate new year’s eve BaSh! country muSic dj in the Back karaoke up front mechanical Bull midnight champagne toaSt and Balloon drop with prizeS & money!

free late night BiScuitS & gravy great dinnerS including prime riB, aSian riB-eye, garlic chicken & jumBo Shrimp! newly remodeled, great Seating, Bigger BathroomS and new air conditioning!

FREE! SAT JAN 10 • 7PM Frances Ha SAT JAN 17 • 7PM Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close SAT JAN 24 • 7PM The King’s Speech SAT JAN 31 • 7PM Philomena WED FEB 11 • 7PM A River Runs Through it

get $10 off your ticket at the door with this coupon! or get your tickets online through stoneyinn.com

FREE

1320 Del paso blvD

916.446.5025 • FIRSTUMCSAC.ORG 21ST ST & J • JAZZ ALLEY THEATER

Stoneyinn.com | 916.927.6023


04SUN

07WED

08THURS

08THURS

The Howl

Zyah Belle & The Funkshun

Be Calm Honcho

Tango Buenos Aires

The Colony, 8:30 p.m., $7

Harlow’s Restaurant & Nightclub, 7 p.m., $7

One of Chicago’s most ambitious young acts,  the Howl embarked on a tour the day after  Christmas that extends into January. One  listen to the band’s magnificent new-ish  “Sputter” single should make fans of angular,  post-punk and rock smile with glee. The  quartet’s first EP, 2012’s 900 Feet Beneath,  started a buzz strong enough to warrant a  full-fledged tour and now the band is making  the rounds again. If you’re a fan of anthemic,  harmony-driven fare with wavering time  signatures and peaks and valleys, there is  POST-PUNK no reason this Sunday’s  show should be missed.  Also on the bill are Mad Judy, Soccer Babes  and Simpl3jack. 3512 Stockton Boulevard,  www.facebook.com/thehowlchicago.

—Eddie Jorgensen

Apparently all it takes is for D’Angelo’s Black  Messiah to drop and everyone flips out about  neo-soul. But in the nearly 15 years or so  SOUL/HIP-HOP since D’Angelo’s  last album, female  artists like Jill Scott, India Arie and Erykah  Badu have more than held down the fort.  On the West Coast, we’ve got our own upand-comers like Los Angeles’ J*Davey and  Sacramento’s Zyah Belle & The Funkshun.  Belle grew up in Vallejo and on some tracks,  her Badu-esque voice evokes the sadness of  a muted trumpet. Other times, she’s rapping  over old-school instrumentals like Quincy  Jones’ “Summer In The City.” Also performing are Rocca Varnado, Mr. Erik James, and  KO & Eli. 2708 J Street, www.facebook.com/ MsZyahBelle.

Crocker Art Museum, 5 p.m., $5-$10

Harris Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m., $31.50-$62.10

To kick off 2015, Crocker Art Museum’s Art  Mix event features indie-rock quartet Be  Calm Honcho. Riding on the success of its  debut album, Honcho Dreams (Crossbill  Records, 2014), the group is celebrating the  release of the first single from its upcoming  sophomore album. The essence of folk music  is overlaid with a hard edge. It’s not quite  AC/DC meets Bob Dylan, but more like metal  ballads meet surf music meets old-school  INDIE rap beats and classic rock—edgy  and just hard enough. Be Calm  Honcho’s tunes pay homage to the West  Coast with “I Love CA” and “Pretty on the  West Coast.” Bonus: drink specials, dancing,  games, art talks and art-making. 216 O Street,  www.becalmhoncho.com.

World music has always been a challenging  genre for talent buyers across the United  States. What works in one major market like  San Francisco may not always work for the  next, and vice versa. Thankfully, the music of  WORLD Argentina has garnered a large  audience given its combination with dance. Although tango’s roots are  largely a mix of Spanish and well-crafted  African fare, its beginnings go back far to  the time of the original cowboys known as  gauchos. This production pays homage to the  late First Lady of Argentina, Eva Perón, and  features the overtly talented Tango Buenos  Aires dance troupe. Get your tickets in  advance. 10 College Parkway in Folsom,   www.harriscenter.net.

—Trina L. Drotar

—Eddie Jorgensen

—Jonathan Mendick

BEFORE

|

NEWS

|

F E AT U R E

STORY

|    A R T S & C U L T U R E

|

AFTER

|    12.31.14

|

SN&R

|

29


NIGHTBEAT BADLANDS

2003 K St., (916) 448-8790

THURSDAY 1/1

FRIDAY 1/2

Tipsy Thursdays, Top 40 deejay dancing, 9pm, call for cover

Fabulous and Gay Fridays, 9pm, call for cover

SATURDAY 1/3

BAR 101

Saturday Boom, 9pm, call for cover

SUNDAY 1/4 Sin Sunday, 8pm, call for cover

ISLAND OF BLACK AND WHITE, 9:30pm, no cover

101 Main St., Roseville; (916) 774-0505

BLUE LAMP

Reggae w/ Wokstar and guest deejays, 10pm, $3

1400 Alhambra, (916) 455-3400

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 1/5-1/7 Mad Mondays, 9pm M, call for cover Open-mic night, 7:30pm W, no cover

PLOTS, CHARA CHARIS, BONEY-JAY, LOW CARD, MUTANT TEDDY BEAR; 4pm, BRUTHA SMITH, TASK1NE; 8pm Tu; STEVIE NADER, VINNIE GUIDERA; 8pm, $7 call for cover QUART OF BLOOD TECHNIQUE, 8pm W

THE BOARDWALK

9426 Greenback Ln., Orangevale; (916) 988-9247

CENTER FOR THE ARTS

CHILLBILLIES, LORRAINE GERVAIS, KATE HAIGHT, PETER WILSON; 8pm, $12-$15

314 W. Main St., Grass Valley; (530) 274-8384

Drop Dead Red with Tell the Wolves and Madison Ave 10pm Friday, $8. Harlow’s Alternative rock and blues

COUNTRY CLUB SALOON

RANDOM STRANGERS, 9pm, no cover

4007 Taylor Rd., Loomis; (916) 652-4007

THE COZMIC CAFÉ

594 Main St., Placerville; (530) 642-8481

Open-mic, 7:30pm, no cover

DISTRICT 30

JONNY MOJO, 8pm, $8 DJ Julian Pierce, 10pm, call for cover

1016 K St., (916) 737-5770

DJ Billy Lane, 10pm, call for cover

DIVE BAR

Deuling Pianos, 9pm, no cover

FACES

Kamikaze Karaoke, 9pm-2am, no cover

Hip-hop and Top 40 Deejay dancing, 9pm, $5-$10

MARTY COHEN & THE SIDEKICKS, 8pm, no cover

ISLAND OF BLACK & WHITE, DELTA CITY THE F STREET STOMPERS, 9pm, $5 RAMBLERS, SCOTT PAUL GRAHAM; 9pm

DJ Shaun Slaughter, 10pm, call for cover

DJ Crook One, 10pm, call for cover

1022 K St., (916) 737-5999 2000 K St., (916) 448-7798

FOX & GOOSE

1001 R St., (916) 443-8825

BILLY MANZIK, 9pm W, no cover Hip-hop and Top 40 Deejay dancing, 9pm, $5-$10

Dragalicious, 9pm, $5

Kamikaze Karaoke, 9pm M; Latin night, 9pm Tu, $5; DJ Alazzawi, 9pm W, $3 Open-mic, 7:30pm M; Pub Quiz, 7pm Tu; Northern Soul and Cornhole, 8pm W

G STREET WUNDERBAR 228 G St., Davis; (530) 756-9227

THE GOLDEN BEAR

2326 K St., (916) 441-2252

HALFTIME BAR & GRILL

ROCK OF AGES, 9pm-midnight, $5

THIRD STAR WEST, 9pm-midnight, $5

DROP DEAD RED, TELL THE WOLVES, MADISON AVE; 10pm, $8

KEVIN RUSSELL’S CREAM OF CLAPTON, J.SIRUS, LUKE TAILOR, THE PIFF DAWGZ, BROTHER’S KEEPER, 8pm M, $25; ZYAH 7pm, $12; KAREGA BAILEY, 10:30pm, $20 HIDEANDSEEKZOO; 7:30pm, $5 BELLE & THE FUNKSHUN, 7pm W, $7

LP SESSIONS, KEVIN KIERNAN, AGENT 922; 8pm, $5

BACK ALLEY BUZZARDS, KARL?, JAY SHANER; 8pm, $5

HARLOW’S

2708 J St., (916) 441-4693

LUNA’S CAFÉ & JUICE BAR

Joe Montoya’s Poetry Unplugged, 8pm, $2

MIDTOWN BARFLY

Dubstep, glitch-hop, house and electron- That Thing on Friday, EDM, ic deejay dancing, 9pm, call for cover 10pm-2am, $5

1414 16th St., (916) 441-3931 1119 21st St., (916) 549-2779

NAKED LOUNGE DOWNTOWN

670 Fulton Ave., (916) 487-3731

Goth, darkwave, industrial, electronic deejay dancing, 9pm-3am, call for cover

Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

Swing dancing 7:30pm Tu, $6; Salsa lessons w/ Nicole Lazo, 7:30pm W, $5 Jazz session, 8pm M; MLEO, ERIN RAYGUN, VSPT; 8:30pm W, call for cover

WHISKEY AND STITCHES, HOLLOW POINT STUMBLERS, 50-WATT HEAVY; 8pm, $7

1901 10th St., (916) 442-3504

ON THE Y

Nebraska Mondays, M; Open-mic comedy, 8pm Tu; Comedy night, 8pm W, $5

JAMES ISRAEL, JOHN GRUBER; 8:30pm, $5

1111 H St., (916) 443-1927

OLD IRONSIDES

Post your free online listing (up to 15 months early), and our editors will consider your submission for the printed calendar as well. Print listings are also free, but subject to space limitations. Online, you can include a full description of your event, a photo, and a link to your website. Go to www.newsreview.com/calendar and start posting events. Deadline for print listings is 10 days prior to the issue in which you wish the listing to appear.

Trivia night, W, call for cover

JOSH BUDRO BAND, 9pm, no cover

5681 Lonetree Blvd., Rocklin; (916) 626-6366

List your event!

Industry Night, 9pm, call for cover

GOLDFIELD TRADING POST 1603 J St., (916) 476-5076

J. Sirus with Luke Tailor, the Piff Dawgz and Hideandseekzoo 7:30pm Sunday, $5. Harlow’s Hip-hop

DJ Whores, 10pm, no cover

HEATH WILLIAMSON, 5pm M; Karaoke, 9pm Tu; Open-mic, 9pm W, no cover Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

Open-mic comedy, 9pm, no cover

Karaoke, 9pm Tu, no cover

THE PALMS PLAYHOUSE

13 Main St., Winters; (530) 795-1825

THE PARK ULTRA LOUNGE 1116 15th St., (916) 442-7222

PARLARE EURO LOUNGE 1009 10th St., (916) 448-8960

Top 40, 9pm, no cover

Top 40, Mashups, 9pm, no cover

DJ Club mixes, 10pm, no cover

PINE COVE TAVERN

Battle of the Musicians, 9:30pm-1am Tu, no cover

502 29th St., (916) 446-3624

PISTOL PETE’S

140 Harrison Ave., Auburn; (530) 885-5093

Karaoke, 9pm, no cover

Karaoke, 9pm Tu, W, no cover

PJ’S ROADHOUSE

GUITARHEAD, 9pm, $5

5461 Mother Lode, Placerville; (530) 626-0336

POWERHOUSE PUB

614 Sutter St., Folsom; (916) 355-8586

THE PRESS CLUB

2030 P St., (916) 444-7914

Ignorant!, 9pm, no cover

Top 40 w/ DJ Rue, 9pm, $5

OLD SCREEN DOOR, 10pm, call for cover

VOLKER STRIFLER, 3pm, call for cover

Top 40 w/ DJ Larry Rodriguez, 9pm, $5

Sunday Night Soul Party, 9pm, $5

SUPERNAUT, INFINITE VASTNESS, RED HOT CALI PEPPERS; 8pm Tu, $6

SHADY LADY SALOON 1409 R St., (916) 231-9121

Hey local bands!

Want to be a hot show? Mail photos to Calendar Editor, SN&R, 1124 Del Paso Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95815 or email it to sactocalendar@ newsreview.com. Be sure to include date, time, location and cost of upcoming shows.

SHENANIGANS

705 J St., (916) 442-1268

Comedy Night and DJ Selekta Lou, 9pm, $5

SOL COLLECTIVE

Curandismo Series presents Atava Garcia Swiecicki, 2:30pm, $15

2574 21st St., (916) 832-0916

STARLITE LOUNGE

1517 21st St., (916) 706-0052

STONEY INN/ROCKIN’ RODEO 1320 Del Paso Blvd., (916) 927-6023

TORCH CLUB

904 15th St., (916) 443-2797

Open-mic w/ Sandra Dolores, 9pm, call for cover

CHAIN & THE GANG, G. GREEN, SCREATURE; 8pm Tu, call for cover

BILL MYLAR, 5:30pm, no cover

Dead Hooker’s Ball, 9pm, call for cover

Country dancing, 7:30pm, no cover; $5 after 8pm

Country dancing, 7:30pm, no cover; $5 after 8pm

Country dance party, 8pm, no cover

Comedy open-mic, 8pm M; Bluebird Lounge open-mic, 5pm Tu, no cover

PAILER AND FRATIS, 5:30-7:30pm, no cover; SHANE DWIGHT, 9pm, $8

MOFO PARTY BAND, 9pm, $8

Blues jam, 4pm, no cover; TUBALUBA, 8pm, $5

Acoustic open-mic, 5:30pm W; JACKIE VENSON, BRIAN ROGERS; 9pm W, $5

All ages, all the time ACE OF SPADES

THE ENGLISH BEAT, MARTIN SEXTON; 7pm, $20

SAGE THE GEMINI, KEAK DA SNEAK; 7pm, $30

SHINE

SANDRA DOLORES, RUBY FAYE, MEGHAN BONE; 8pm, $5

THE SILENT GAME, ONCE AN EMPIRE, RICH CORPORATION; 8pm, $5

1417 R St., (916) 448-3300 1400 E St., (916) 551-1400

30

|

SN&R

|

12.31.14

Open-mic, 7:30pm W, no cover; Open jazz jam w/ Jason Galbraith, 8pm Tu


WWW.GOLDCLUBCENTERFOLDS.COM

GREAT FOOD

LUNCH SPECIALS

WED Dec 31st – SAT Jan 3rd

BRANDY ANISTON

Heat Up Your Night On RedHot TRY

REAL PEOPLE REAL DESIRE REAL FUN

FORE FRE

GET ON TO GET OFF

OVER 225 XXX MOVIES

CHATLINE TM

916.480.6227 Try for FREE

Ahora en Español

For More Local Numbers: 1.800.926.6000 www.livelinks.com Teligence/18+

Try it for free

916-480-6210

FREE TRIAL

More local numbers: 1-800-777-8000 Ahora en Español/18+ www.guyspyvoice.com

Discreet Chat Guy to Guy

916.480.6215

PURE GOLD SHOWGIRLS

HAPPY NEW YEAR’S! WE’RE OPEN STORE OPEN 10AM · CLUB OPEN 5PM

WATCH THE FIGHT JONES VS. CORMIER SAT. OCT 25 FIGHT ON 135" HDTV

UFC 182

#

Xbiz Best Scene Award WED10PM, 12:30AM THURS 10PM 12:30AM

FRI 9:30, 11:30, 1:30am SAT 9:30, 11:30,1:30am

916.480.6200

AUDITIONS

DAILY

More Local Numbers: 1.800.700.6666

18+ redhotdateline.com

916.631.3520

STORE SIGNING FRI & SAT 6-8PM AMATEUR CONTEST/AUDITIONS EVERY MONDAY

WARNING HOT GUYS!

FRIENDLY ATTRACTIVE DANCERS HIRED DAILY CALL 858-0444 FOR SIGN UP INFO

FREE ADMIT w/Ad $5.00 VALUE

Valid Anytime With Drink Purchase

Sacramento

916.340.1414 Davis

$0.49 - $9.99 BIRTHDAYS:

(530) 760.1011

Print ads start at $6/wk. www.newsreview.com or (916) 498-1234 ext. 5 Phone hours: M-F 9am-5pm. All ads post online same day. Deadlines for print: Line ad deadline: Monday 4pm Adult line ad deadline: Monday 4pm Display ad deadline: Friday 2pm

WE BUY USED ADULT DVDS BACHELOR / DIVORCE PARTIES 916.858.0444 FREE to listen & reply to ads!

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

FREE CODE :

11363 Folsom Blvd, Rancho Cordova

Sacramento News & Review

858-0444

For other local numbers call:

(Between Sunrise & Hazel)

M-Th 11:30-3 • Fri 11:30-4 • Sat 12-4 • Sun 3-3 Gold Club Centerfolds is a non-alcohol nightclub featuring all-nude entertainment. Adults over 18 only.

BEFORE

|

NEWS

|

STILL

1-888-MegaMates

TM

AIRBRUSH MAKEUP ARTIST COURSE For: Ads. TV. Film. Fashion. 35% OFF TUITION Special $1990Train & Build Portfolio. One Week Course Details at: AwardMakeupSchool.com 818-980-2119 (AAN CAN)

BEWARE OF FAKE CHECK SCAMS Fake check scams are clever ploys designed to steal your money. You can avoid becoming a victim by recognizing how the scam works and understanding your responsiblity for the checks that you deposit in your account. If someone you don’t know wants to pay you by check but wants you to wire some of the money back, beware! It is a scam that could cost you thousands of dollars. For more information, go to www.fraud.org/scams. This reminder is a public service of the N&R

Africa, Brazil Work/Study! Change the lives of others and create a sustainable future. 1, 6, 9, 18 month programs available. Apply now! www.OneWorldCenter.org 269-591-0518 info@OneWorldCenter.org (AAN CAN)

W/COUPON REG. $12.69 AD EXPS 1-31-15 1 PER CUSTOMER

$1,000 WEEKLY!! MAILING BROCHURES From Home. Helping home workers since 2001. Genuine Opportunity. No Experience required. Start Immediately www.mailingmembers.com (AAN CAN)

s t or y

|

A R T S & C U L TU R E

|

AFTER

|

Special rates for seniors. Private upscale home w/ shower. By appt only in Fair Oaks (Sunset & Minnesota). *82-916-961-3830

$40 1-hour

Vibrational Massage Private 29-Jet Spa Ann 916-722-7777 CMT

* ALL AREAS ROOMMATES.COM Lonely? Bored? Broke? Find the perfect roommate to complement your personality and lifestyle at roommates.com! (AAN CAN)

Are you facing eviction? Attorney with 20 years experience defending tenants rights. No charge phone consultation. Call David Wolff 209-800-8832

Oriental Magic Hands

Jason Shimomura CMT 601-1292 (9am-9pm daily)

MELLOW MASSAGE

Take a pause for the cause & have a mellow massage. $25 cash/hour, no questions asked.

916-372-7334 916-599-9588

Get a Great Massage! Sauna, Spa & Yoga Citrus Heights

916-729-0103

12.31.14

DISH TV Starting at $19.99/month (for 12 months) SAVE! Regular Price $32.99 Call today and ask about FREE SAME DAY Installation! CALL NOW! 888-992-1957 (AAN CAN) PREGNANT? THINKING OF ADOPTION? Talk with a caring agency specializing in matching Birthmothers with Families Nationwide. LIVING EXPENSES PAID. Call 24/7 Abby’s One True Gift Adoptions. 866-413-6293 Void in Illinois/New Mexico/Indiana. (AAN CAN)

The Cabin

24/7 Customer Care 1(888) 634.2628 18+ ©2013 PC LLC 2579

fe a t u re

Delightful massage!

Chinese full body mas-­ sage. Natomas area (916-706-4890) appt only.

FREE!

EDUCATION/ INSTRUCTION

+ – 5 DAYS OF BIRTHDAY

SPORTS ACTION ON OUR GIANT SCREEN TV

Online ads are

*Nominal fee for adult entertainment. All advertising is subject to the newspaper’s Standards of Acceptance. Further, the News & Review specifically reserves the right to edit, decline or properly classify any ad. Errors will be rectified by re-publication upon notification. The N&R is not responsible for error after the first publication. The N&R assumes no financial liability for errors or omission of copy. In any event, liability shall not exceed the cost of the space occupied by such an error or omission. The advertiser and not the newspaper assumes full responsibility for the truthful content of their advertising message.

FREE ADMISSION, DRINKS & VIP

FULL SERVICE RESTAURANT

FIVE PACK DVDs

3000 SUNRISE BLVD. #2 · RANCHO CORDOVA, CA

9:30 PM - $450.00 CASH PRIZE

25,000 ADULT DVDS

9

DANCER

|

SN&R

|

31


MASSAGE THERAPISTS adult CASH FOR CARS: Any Car/Truck. Running or Not! Top Dollar Paid. We Come To You! Call For Instant Offer: 1-888-420-3808 www.cash4car.com (AAN CAN)

Notice of caution to our Readers! Whenever doing business by telephone or email proceed with caution when cash or credit is required in advance of services.

Absolute Deluxe Massage Red Crystal Red Lace Massage. $70 for 2 hours, Incall also, outcalls always. Great hands with a great girl. Marvelous lemon or plain oils. In call special $38. Call til late 916-256-7093 Outcalls/In Peppermint Patty Beautifully Done. Be happy with your peppermint stick massage! Quiet & comfortable. Afternoon/ Eve/Late Night. Holly & Crystal (916)256-7093

Be touched! She puts the Mmm in Sensual Massage. Upper thigh massage included. Daily/Nightly appts until 3am 916-256-7093

RECYCLE THIS PAPER.

Seeking and intimate unrushed, relaxed encounter? A Come enjoy a FBSM in an upscale/private location. Massage table, candle light, soft jazz music & hot oils incl. Shower avail. Loc. Marconi. Call Lisa 916-678-9926

All massage advertisers are required to provide News & Review a current valid business license or somatic establishment permit issued by either the city or county in which they are operating in in order to run a printed advertisement. *Upscale Exotic

AUTO INSURANCE STARTING AT $25/MONTH! Call 855-977-9537 (AAN CAN)

Massage* By a petite blonde w/a sinful appeal. experience my touch. I’ve got just what you’re looking for. Relax, & let me take care of the rest. Enjoy my unrushed touch in my clean quiet home. (916) 812-5330

more adult online

www.newsreview.com

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING WITH US, PLEASE CONTACT CLASSIFIEDS AT 916-498-1234 EXT. 1338.

MASSAGE THERAPISTS

All massage advertisers are required to provide News & Review a current valid business license or somatic establishment permit issued by either the city or county in which they are operating in in order to run a printed advertisement.

YOU’RE WELCOME, NATURE.

A1 Feeling

Full body massage • Deep tissue • Swedish • Hot stone • Hot oil • Back walking 9am-10pm 7 days a week

30

$

• Swedish Massage • Deep Tissue Massage • Pain Relief • Backwalking • Chinese Therapies • Shower Available • Walk-ins Welcome

/30min

40

$

/60min

odels

FOOT FETISH! I love to have my feet worshipped.(916)741-3668 https://tinyurl.com/NXEHDKF

These are m

SUBARU SALES & SVC Recondit. Subarus. Saints Automotive in Garden Valley. saintsauto.com (530)333-0491

• Additional Parking in Rear

Open 7 days a week 10AM-11PM

NEW MASSEUSES!

Coupleses 916.448.5315 & eLlcaodmie! We accept:

Massage Therapy

Certified Massage Practitioner Maggie

Combination Massage Open Daily 10am - 10:30pm Walk-Ins & Couples Welcome

Actual CMT Not a model

MASSAGE THERAPISTS

MASSAGE THERAPISTS

New Massage Therapist $ OFF w/ ad 5

the

BESgTe! massa

This is a model

3210 Fulton Ave

massage advertisers are required to provide 916.487.8241 oPen 9AM-10PM ws & Review a current valid business /license omatic establishment permit issued by either city or county in which they are operating in in S p e c i a l er to run a printed advertisement.

5 OFF

$

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING WITH US, PLEASE CONTACT CLASSIFIEDS AT 916-498-1234 EXT. 1338.

Violet Massage 3260 J St #A Sacramento 95816 (916) 442-1888

THE BEST MASSAGE YOU CAN GET

NEW STAFF!

5 OFF

$

1 hour or more. Reg. $40/hour

This is a model

30 min = $30 60 min = $40 (foot & body combo) Deep Tissue - Swedish - Back Walking Chinese Massage - Walk-in - Appt. Gift Certificates available

MASSAGE THERAPISTS

Friendly, Skillful Massage Therapists

Massage Kea

32

|

Ethan

★ Cottage Way Arden Way

Fulton

80

2548 Cottage Way - Sacramento 916.568.6888 - 10am–10pm daily

El Camino

Flamingo Massage 2264 Fair Oaks Blvd #102 Sacramento 95825 (916) 646-1888

1116 24th St

Midtown Sacramento, 95816 Between K St. & L St.

SN&R   |  12.31.14

All massage advertisers are required to provide News & Review a

All Credit Cards Accepted

New Opening

• Thai • Swedish • Showers Available • Walk-ins Welcome

916.449.8888

• Gift Certificates Available M-F 9am-9pm Sat/Sun 11am-9pm Closed Wednesdays

9:30am–10pm Daily 1714 16th Street Sacramento, CA 95811

916.429.7270

1355 Florin Rd, Ste.13 Sacramento, CA 95822

This is a model

GREEN JADE MASSAGE THERAPY

$5

$30 - 30 MIN | $40 - 60 MIN | $60 - 90 MIN

Vibrational

T a n T r i c

m a s s a g e

OFF

ACCUPRESSURE DEEP TISSUE SWEDISH

GOOD DAY SPA 7271 55th St. #D

916-851-1118

New Management!

MASSAGE

*this is a model

916.395.7712

11275 Folsom Blvd. #201 • Rancho Cordova

This is a model

ANNA

• 7 Days a Week 10am–10pm • Sauna & Shower Available • Free Chinese therapies • Reflexology • Deep Tissue • Swedish

Sacramento 95823

Fashion Massage

w

this is a model

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING WITH US, PLEASE CONTACT CLASSIFIEDS AT 916-498-1234 EXT. 1338.

This is a model Must present this coupon. Exp 1.15.15

2860 FLORIN ROAD SACRAMENTO 95822 DAILY 9AM-9PM 916.231.9498

AnTelope

9am-9pm Daily Ann, CMT

$80+

916.722.7777

29-Jet Spa • Body Shampoo • By appt.


MEN’S MASSAGE 60 $

Frenemies without benefits What do you do when the person who was always your best friend starts treating you like a closet friend? My best friend and I used to do everything together. But she started blowing me off and hanging out with other people. Now she says “Hi” but doesn’t stop and talk to me at school (we go to community college). But when I’m home she blows up my phone with texts about problems she has with by Joey ga rcia her friend group or with her family. I spend a lot of time a skj oey @ ne wsreview.c om helping her and thinking we will be close again but she just ignores me the next day at school Joey or when I need help. What should I do? knows that real love Be your own best friend. Learn how is rarely the to listen to yourself, how to enjoy low-hanging fruit. hanging out on your own and how to encourage, motivate and inspire yourself. Oh, I know that it’s easier to try to cast another person in the role of best friend. But if you do, you will miss the opportunity to deepen your appreciation for who you are and what you really need from others. And, while it is very sweet to provide solace to a friend, it’s best to offer that support as a

Give your support with no strings attached, no expectations that kindness will be reciprocated with kindness. gift. In other words, don’t expect something in return. Give your support with no strings attached, no expectations that kindness will be reciprocated with kindness. That’s hard to do. It requires a spiritual maturity that comes from—you guessed it—learning how to be your own best friend. Once you are happy in your relationship with yourself, new friends will find you.

Got a problem?

Write, email or leave a message for Joey at the News & Review. Give your name, telephone number (for verification purposes only) and question—all correspondence will be kept strictly confidential.

How can someone do something that can hurt a family so badly but in their mind it was with a good intention? Has the person been diagnosed as a narcissist? If so, it’s natural for narcissists to be so self-involved they justify any behavior that suits them. Outside of that realm, a person who is deeply in denial (and therefore out of touch with reality) could

Write Joey, 1124 Del Paso Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95815; call (916) 498-1234, ext. 3206; or email askjoey@ newsreview.com.

SAUNA + MASSAGE*

*Exp 1/7/15 Call for details

A N A U T H E N T I C K O R E A N S PA E X P E R I E N C E

also behave in a manner that is hurtful while not realizing the harm caused. Once cleared of emotional blocks, these people are profoundly sorrowful about all of the pain they have caused. The other possibility, of course, is that those who were hurt saw the crisis hurtling toward them but chose not to intervene. That’s right, their own denial contributed to the collective wound. If you investigate along these lines, these individuals might say something like, “The thought crossed my mind but I didn’t think he (or she) would actually do something like that.” This is often a convenient way to shrug off responsibility and dump blame directly on someone else. Yes, it’s true that every thought we have is not accurate. But we must be internally meditative so we can compassionately consider whether a thought is intuitive, instinctual, truly honest or a lie. The capacity to think clearly is the fruit of spiritual growth. Why do we have to forgive those who have hurt us deeply? Can we choose not to and just ignore them or forget about them? We forgive for our own sake. Forgiveness allows us to move out of the state of being a victim and expand into experiencing ourselves as equal to others. In the process we accept that we have also hurt others, although not necessarily in the same manner or degree to which we have been hurt. But no, we can’t simply ignore or forget about the person who we say has hurt us. Our brains don’t function that way. So tune your heart to this mantra instead: Ultimately, every experience happens for our personal evolution. Sometimes, those who have suffered the most have the most love and wisdom to offer others. Ω

Oa s i s S au n a

✙ ✙

Korean Body Scrub

Steam Sauna

Skin Care

Hot Tub & Hot/Cold Pool

Natural Rock Hot Room

Contact Ad Services for advertising in fo r m e onn this special section (916

Open 10am - 10pm FREE SPA USE W/ MASSAGE PURCHASE 9345 La Riveria • Sac 95826 GIFT CARDS AVAILABLE! Contact Sunny at 916.539.4226 7 days a week

Contact Ad Services for advertising information in this special section (916) 498-1234

Your Downtown Service Shop

SMOG CHECK

3175

$

OIL

$60

CHANGE

EMISSIONS DIAGNOSTIC

2699

$

(reg 49.75) most cars. Call for details. Same day. Fast In/Out $

w/repairs at time of service. (reg $120) most cars. For renewal reg. only. Call for details.

Call for details.

916 554-6471 2000 16th St Sacramento

Use your smart phone QR reader for more specials

M-F 7:30 -5:30 Sat 8 -4 sacsmog.com Bring in any competitor’s smog check coupon and we will match it - plus give you an additional $5 OFF Contact Ad Services for advertising information

in this special section (916) 498-1234

We offer complete automotive service & repairs

Meditation of the Week “Together with the culture of work,  there must be a culture of leisure as  gratification. To put it another way:  people who work must take the time  to relax, to be with their families,  to enjoy themselves, read, listen  to music, play a sport,” says Pope  Francis. Will you resolve to have  more fun?

Lube, Oil & Filter

$

1598

$3 addition for multi-grade oil Good at Fulton location only Most vehicles savings of $7 1700 Fulton at Arden Way, Sacramento

Brake Special

$

3000 OFF Call for details Good at Fulton location only

481-1192 OPEN MON-SAT 8-6 • SUN 9-4

www.ardeneconolube.com

BEFORE

|

NEWS

|

F E AT U R E

STORY

|    A R T S & C U L T U R E

|

AFTER

|    12.31.14

|

SN&R

|

33


WHAT’S INSIDE: The 420 35

5 GRAMS

$

4 GRAM 1/8THS STARTING AT $20 8 GRAM 1/4S STARTING AT $40 WIDE VARIETY OF CLONES 5 JOINTS FOR $20 14 NEW KINDS OF WAX

HORIZON COLLECTIVE

3600 Power Inn Rd Ste 1A | Sac, CA 95826 | 916.455.1931 December 31, 2014

Open 10am - 7pm 7 days a week

Find dispensary listings online at newsreview.com/sacramento


Taking stock of this year’s harvest

Bring in any competitor’s coupon* and we’ll beat it by $5 *That is CA Medical Board Standards Compliant. Must present competitor’s ad. Some restrictions apply.

Hempy New Year! Can we get one of those end of the year recap things that people do around this time? —Luke Enbach Heck yes, you can. And away we go: Low: Local politicians trying to hold on to prohibitionist policies. I’m looking at you, Fresno and Placer and Sacramento counties. No dispensaries allowed, and patients aren’t allowed to grow their own BEALUM meds? For shame. Placer gets a small pass because by NGAIO they do allow some growing, but still. Try to get it together, you guys. High: Weed keeps winning elections. Alaska, a s k420@ ne wsreview.c om Oregon, Washington, D.C. All have legal weed now. Sweet. Way to go, activists! By the way, 32 states now have laws allowing the medicinal use of marijuana. If you are too stoned for math, that’s dang near two-thirds of all states in the entire United States. Overgrow the government, indeed. Low: Los Angeles continues to hate the future. A few months ago, a judge in L.A. shut down the cannabis farmers market. And just a few weeks ago, a judge in L.A. shut down a medical-marijuana delivery app. I know L.A. is just now Overgrow the getting around to dealing with all of the dispensaries government, indeed. it has, but can city officials not see the writing on the wall? I went to a farmers market in Lake County and it was great! I have also been to a few in Washington state and they were also fantastic. Just slap a tax on the weed sold at the market, and a small city fee per delivery on the app, and there should be no problems. How hard is this to figure out? High: Great cannabis events on the West Coast. All of the events I hit this year were amazing. Good weed, great music, fantastic people and no fights. Apparently, marijuana promotes peace. Special shouts out to the Emerald Cup in Santa Rosa, and the Southern Oregon Hemp and Music Expo. Low: Eh, not much else to complain about, really. Obama just pardoned or commuted the sentences of (I think it was) eight people doing serious time for nonviolent drug offenses. That only leaves about 100,000 other nonviolent drug offenders in custody. But I guess it’s a start. High: Growing weed outdoors. This year I have seen Ngaio Bealum and smelled and smoked and enjoyed so much incredible is a Sacramento cannabis that was grown the old-fashioned way: using comedian, activist dirt, water and sun. You don’t need much else. The and marijuana expert. harvest this year has been incredible! The Emerald Cup Email him questions at ask420@ (an outdoor-grown cannabis competition) received 671 newsreview.com. entries from around the state, and I heard they were all fantastic. I feel like outdoor pot definitely tastes better than indoor pot. Plus I think it’s more environmentally sustainable, as long as you aren’t polluting the watershed or stealing water. Overall, this has been a good year for marijuana, and a great year for marijuana law reform. I wish you all a happy Kwanzaa and a great new year! Ω

VOTED BEST 420 PHYSICIAN IN SAC! ’14

420 MD MEDICAL MARIJUANA EVALUATIONS

WINTER COMPASSION SPECIAL

39 49

$

$

RENEWALS

NEW PATIENTS

Must bring ad. Limit one per patient. Some restrictions apply.

Must bring ad. Limit one per patient. Some restrictions apply.

916.480.9000 2 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU

2100 Watt Ave, Unit 190 | Sacramento, CA 95825 | Mon–Sat 10am–6pm 2633 Telegraph Ave. 109 | Oakland, CA 94612 | 510-832-5000 Mon–Sat 10am–6pm | Sun: 12am-6pm RECOMMENDATIONS ARE VALID FOR 1 YEAR FOR QUALIFYING PATIENTS WALK-INS WELCOME ALL DAY EVERYDAY 420 MD OPERATING IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE MEDICAL BOARD OF CALIFORNIA

YOUR INFORMATION IS 100% PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT ONLINE 24/7 AT

www.420MD.org B BE EF FO OR RE E

||

N NE EW WS S

||

F FE EA AT TU UR RE E

S ST TO OR RY Y

| |    A AR RT TS S& &C CU UL LT TU UR RE E      | |    A AF FT TE ER R

| |    12.31.14 12.31.14

||

SN&R SN&R

||

35 35


FREE HALF 1/8 WHEN YOU BRING A FRIEND*

SIMPLY THE BEST Winner 4 years in a row!

TH

’13

’13

’13

Best Medical Marijuana clinic - Sacramento News and Review Readers’ Poll ’13

’13

’13 ’14

’13

NEW PATIENT SPECIALS & GIFTS!

WILL MATCH ANY LOCAL CLINIC PRICE WITH COPY OF THEIR AD THAT IS CA MEDICAL BOARD STANDARDS COMPLIANT

1404 28th Street | 916.469.9182 Corner of 28th & N, Midtown Sac Open 10am-9pm 7 days a week www.GreenSolutionsSac.com

GET APPROVED OR NO CHARGE! 24/7 Verifications! HIPAA Compliant 100% Doctor/Patient Confidentiality

DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO

/greensolutions420 /greensolutionsmidtown

2015 Q Street, 95811 • (916) 476-6142 OPEN Monday through Saturday 11am to 6pm • CLOSED SUNDAY

*$50 min don. exp. 1/7/15

valid through 01/31/15

E-Ciga r Starter ette Ki US Vap t & E-Liqui or df only 19 or !

*

30% OFF GLASS Holiday Specials Come into Twisted this Christmas season and pick out something special for your loved ones. We have everything for anyone with the alternative lifestyle. Come check us out to see what specials we have going on for our customers this holiday!

Glass • Vaporizers • Oil Rigs • Carrying Cases • Clothing • Jewelry

15% OFF

FOR ALL MEDICAL MARIJUANA CARD HOLDERS. EXP 1/30/15

TWISTED SMOKE SHOP

*WITH THIS AD. OFFER VALID IN ANY OF OUR STORE LOCATIONS. EXP 1/30/15

SERVING SACRAMENTO SINCE 1995 SACRAMENTO'S LARGEST SELECTION OF E-LIQUID

36

|

3718 J ST

1120 FULTON

6093 SAN JUAN AVE.

DOWNTOWN SAC

ARDEN-ARCADE

CITRUS HEIGHTS-NEW!

CITRUS HEIGHTS

(916) 457—4141

(916) 514-0660

(916) 722—4141

(916) 729-4141

SN&R   |  12.31.14

7777 SUNRISE BLVD.


BEFORE

|

NEWS

|

F E AT U R E

STORY

|

A RT S & C U LT U R E

|

AFTER

|

12.31.14

|

SN&R

|

37


FREE 1/8 S A T U R D A Y

S P E C I A L

TH

WITH ANY $40 MIN DONATION

Cannot be combined with other offers. Strain determined by HHWC. Expires 1/7/15.

CLOSE TO FOLSOM, FAIR OAKS & ROSEVILLE

SHINGLE

SPRINGS’

gle

hin

SS Rd

Rd ck Next to ro u D T-Bonez Cycle

COLLECTI

VE

Great selection of quality concentrates

New patient specials!

50

HOTTEST

MUNCHIE MONDAYS: TOP-SHELF TUESDAYS: WAXY WEDNESDAYS: HASHTAG THURSDAY: FREE J FRIDAY: SUNDAY FUNDAY:

BUY ANY 2 EDIBLES GET 1 (free of equal or lesser value) ALL $50 1/8THS CAPPED AT $40 BUY 3 TOP-SHELF FULL MELT FOR ONLY $90 ALL BUBBLE HASH IS ONLY $15 PER GRAM GET A FREE JOINT WITH ANY $10 MINIMUM DONATION 4 GRAM 1/8THS ALL DAY

4020 DUROCK RD, STE 1 • SHINGLE SPRINGS, CA (916) 757–0980 • OPEN MONDAY – FRIDAY 10AM TO 8PM SATURDAY 10AM TO 8PM • SUNDAY 10AM TO 6PM

38

|

SN&R   |  12.31.14

Closed New Year’s Day


BEFORE

|

NEWS

|

F E AT U R E

STORY

|

A RT S & C U LT U R E

|

AFTER

|

12.31.14

|

SN&R

|

39


40

|

SN&R   |  12.31.14


BEFORE

|

NEWS

|

F E AT U R E

STORY

|

A RT S & C U LT U R E

|

AFTER

|

12.31.14

|

SN&R

|

41


DOCTOR’S ORDERS

CO-OP

• Best Quality • Best Service • Best Prices • • Top of the Line Concentrates •

NEW PATIENTS RECEIVE A FREE GIFT VIP Text Club RALEY

Join & get a gift, discounts & more. Text Doctors to 71441 1704 MAIN AVE | SACRAMENTO, CA | 916.564.2112

For complete menu & more specials visit

DOCTORSORDERSRX.COM MON-SAT 10AM TO 9PM | SUN 10AM CLOSED NEW YEAR’S DAY

TO

6PM

@DOCTORSORDERSRX

VOTED

T S E B GRAM O R P S D R A PATIENT REW

Scan the QR Code to score a freebie from Two Rivers

MAIN

Buy 3 1/8ths get 1 FREE*

20% off

any edible*

10% off

any concentrate* *EXP. 1/7/15. CANNOT BE COMBINED W/ ANY OTHER OFFER.

TWO RIVERS WELLNESS

4G 1/8THS starting at $20!

$

Scan to join our club & get a free gift coupon & future savings

TOP SHELF 1/8THS 10 TOP SHELF GRAMS

$

SUNDAY SPECIAL: 4G 1/8THS (ONE PER PATIENT) SELECT GIFTS FOR NEW PATIENTS •EDIBLES•TINCTURES• •CONCENTRATES•PREROLLS•

GOLDEN HEALTH & WELLNESS 1030 Joellis Way, Sac

916.646.6340

Arden Way Arden Mall

/TWORIVERSSAC OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 9am – 9pm 42

|

SN&R   |  12.31.14

me

Joellis Way 160

Blu

/TWO_RIVERS

nfe

ld D

r

315 NORTH 10TH STREET SACRAMENTO 916.804.8975 TWORIVERSSAC.COM

35

CLOSED NEW YEAR’S DAY

BELL

80

Monday–Saturday 10am–8pm Sunday 10am–6pm Closed New Year’s Day

Ask how to join our Mobile VIP Group. Join & get REWARDED!


NEW YEAR’S SPECIAL

BUY ONE 1/8TH GET 0NE 1/8TH FREE

10 CAP

10 CAP

35 CAP

$

$

$

ON ALL GRAMS

ON HASH

35 CAP

$

ON ALL 1/8THS

ON ALL CONCENTRATES

FREE GRAM FOR NEW PATIENTS FREE GRAM FOR REFERRALS

SAFE ACCESS 916-254-3287 SAFE CAPITOL COMPASSION

BEFORE

|

NEWS

Norwood

Northgate

Kelton

Main Ave

135 Main Avenue • Sacramento CA, 95838 | Open Mon thru Sat 10AM–7PM • Now Open Sun 12-5 |

F E AT U R E

STORY

|

A RT S & C U LT U R E

|

AFTER

|

12.31.14

|

SN&R

|

43


ABOVE ALL DISPENSARY

DELIVERY 9AM-11PM DAILY WE TAKE YOUR MEDICINE SERIOUSLY

we have

Honey Sticks

$20 OFF

variety of flav

ors!

purchase of $100 or more.

1/8 STARTING AT 20 OZ STARTING AT $100 THS

$

$25 RENEWALS NOW WITH AUTOMATIC RENEWAL PROGRAM expires 01/15/15

NO FEE FOR DELIVERY

BY APPOINTMENT

ONLY

*Minimum order $45

Roseville, Rocklin, Loomis, Folsom, N. Highlands, Citrus Heights, Orangevale, Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Rancho Cordova

PROFESSIONAL, DISCREET, SAFE

(916) 342-4130 WWW.ABOVEALLDISPENSARY.COM

WWW.TAKECARE420.COM TEXT OR LEAVE A MESSAGE AT:

VOTED BEST EDIBLES!

$100 $125

ABOVE ALL DISPENSARY

ONLY AT

CC101

855.979.WEED or

(9333)

916.572.5215

OPEN MON-SAT 11AM-6PM

Get Your Recommendation! North Of Hwy 50 @ Bradshaw & Folsom Blvd RENEWALS

40 $50

Photo ID Available for $15

$

W/ COUPON EXP. 1/7/15 SNR

- Mon-Sat 10am-6pm

NEW PATIENT

Blvd om s l o F

S Watt Ave

Florin Perkins Rd

Power Inn Rd

44

✪ |

6435 FLORIN PERKINS ROAD

SACRAMENTO, CA | 916.387.6233 MON-SAT 10AM TO 9PM | SUN 11AM TO 8PM | www.cc101sac.com CLOSED NEW YEAR’S DAY

SN&R   |  12.31.14

Bradshaw

BEST FOR PTSD | CHRONIC PAIN | INSOMNIA TEXT CC101 TO 71441 FOR A FREE GIFT ON YOUR NEXT VISIT

Elder Creek Rd

- 24/7 Online Verification

W/ COUPON EXP. 1/7/15 SNR

HIGHEST THC | HIGHEST CBD

CC 101

- Physician Evaluations

50

- Walk-Ins / Appts ’14

- Cultivators Welcome

Routier

HIGH TIMES CANNABIS CUP WINNER

Sun 11am-5pm

’13

CANN-MEDICAL

9719A Folsom Blvd. Sacramento, CA 916-822-5690 • www.cannmedical.org


free gram

MENDO’S MEDS New Members get a

FREE GRAM OF BUD (your choice)

with donation of $35 or more

*FREE GRAM IS HOUSE CHOICE.

on your first order

OFFER NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER OFFERS OR DISCOUNTS EXP 1.31.15

TOP-SHELF OUTDOOR: $ 35 PER 1/8TH

We deliver to Placer and Sacramento Counties Most deliveries completed in under an hour

LIMITED TIME ONLY:

2416 17TH STREET 916.231.9934 | deltahealthwellness@gmail.com SACRAMENTO, CA 95818 | 9AM-9PM DAILY

Receive a 10% Discount when you mention this ad

$60 minimum for deliveries

GRAMS @ $5 - $10 1/8 TH @ $25

View our menu on Weedmaps

LONES C le Now Availab

916.800.4204 | Mendosmeds.org | Mon - Sat 9am-7pm |

@ @mendosmike

Voted Patients’ Choice ’14

AMC

Alternative • Medical • Center H I G H E S T M E D I C I N A L S TA N D A R D S

4 G 1/8 T H S O N A L L H I G H E R T I E R S ★ WE OFFER DISCOUNTS FOR VETERANS ★ TEXT AMC TO 40691 TO RECEIVE A COUPON FOR A HOUSE WARMING GIFT!

EdiPure Har

var d

St

1220 Blumenfeld Drive, Sac, CA

3015 H Street Sacramento, CA 916.822.4717

HOURS: 9am–9pm everyday

*Doctor’s recommendation & CA I.D. required

BEFORE

|

NEWS

|

F E AT U R E

STORY

|

(1 Min From Arden Mall) | 916.564.1100

I-80

nW ay

OPEN Mon-Sat 10am to 9pm

Blu

FOR REVIEWS & OUR MENU, VISIT WWW.WEEDMAPS.com

me nfe

ld D

r

Arde

Fee

Dr

W

N S

E

Sun 10am to 6pm | Closed New Year’s Day

@alternative_medical_center

A RT S & C U LT U R E

|

AFTER

|

12.31.14

|

SN&R

|

45


HAPPY NEW YEAR!

’14 BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE

Now that you have received your physician’s recommendation for medicinal cannabis, what’s the next step? The specialists at Abatin Wellness encourage you to come by and see for yourself. We provide ample parking and safe access to our clean and secure, state-of-the-art facility. Our staff delivers professional and compassionate patient care in a secure environment. We screen all of our medicine to ensure it is free of pesticides, molds and bacteria. We also test our medicine for its cannabinoid potency levels and always carry CBD rich varieties. We offer a wide variety of strains that fit into every patients’ medicinal criteria and budget. We take great pride in knowing that our minimally-processed, minimally-handled medicine is right for you.

Abatin Wellness, the next step in medicinal cannabis.

2100 29TH STREET 916.822.5699 WWW.ABATINSACRAMENTO.COM

46

|

SN&R   |  12.31.14

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 10 A.M. TO 7P.M.


by Jonathan Mendick

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Most

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

Deathwatch beetles have a peculiar approach to the mating game. Their seduction technique consists of smacking their heads against a hard object over and over again. This generates a tapping sound that is apparently sexy to potential partners. I discourage you from similar behaviors as you seek the kind of love you want in 2015. The first rule of romantic engagement is this: Sacrificing or diminishing yourself may seem to work in the short run, but it can’t possibly lead to lasting good. If you want to stir up the best results, treat yourself with tenderness and respect.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Maybe

you have had a dream like this: You’re wandering around a house you live in, and at the end of a long hallway you come to a door you’ve never seen before. How could you have missed it in the past? It must have been there the whole time. You turn the knob, open the door and slip inside. Amazing! The room is full of interesting things that excite your imagination. What’s more, on the opposite wall there’s another door that leads to further rooms. In fact, you realize there’s an additional section of the house you have never known about or explored. Whether or not you have had a dream like that, Taurus, I’m betting that in 2015, you will experience a symbolically similar series of events in your waking life.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

Dieterich Buxtehude (1637-1707) was a German composer whose organ music is still played today. He was a major influence on a far more famous German composer, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). When Bach was a young man, he decided it was crucial for him to experience Buxtehude’s music firsthand. He took a leave of absence from his job and walked over 250 miles to the town where Buxtehude lived. There he received the guidance and inspiration he sought. In 2015, Sagittarius, I’d love to see you summon Bach’s determination as you go in quest of the teaching you want and need.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The Greek

god Zeus had seven wives. Themis, Leto, Eurynome and Hera were among them. Another was his older sister Demeter, and a sixth was his aunt Mnemosyne. Then there was the sea nymph Metis. Unfortunately, he ate Metis—literally devoured her—which effectively ended their marriage. In 2015, Gemini, I encourage you to avoid Zeus’s jumbled, complicated approach to love and intimacy. Favor quality over quantity. Deepen your focus rather than expanding your options. Most importantly, make sure your romantic adventures never lead to you feeling fragmented or divided against yourself. This is the year you learn more than ever before about what it’s like for all the different parts of you to be united.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

Even in normal times, you are a fount of regeneration. Your ever-growing hair and fingernails are visible signs of your nonstop renewal. A lot of other action happens without your conscious awareness. For example, your taste buds replace themselves every two weeks. You produce 200 billion red blood cells and 10 billion white blood cells every day. Every month the epidermis of your skin is completely replaced, and every 12 months your lungs are composed of a fresh set of cells. In 2015, you will continue to revitalize yourself in all these ways, but will also undergo a comparable regeneration of your mind and soul. Here’s my prediction: This will be a year of renaissance, rejuvenation and reinvention.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Here are

three of my top wishes for you in 2105: You will have a clear, precise sense of what’s yours and what’s not yours ... of what’s possible to accomplish and what’s impossible ... of what will be a good influence on you and what won’t be. To help ensure that these wishes come true, refer regularly to the following advice from Cancerian author Elizabeth Gilbert: “You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day. That’s a power you can cultivate. If you want to control things in your life so bad, work on the mind. That’s the only thing you should be trying to control.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

“Sometimes I can feel my bones straining under the weight of all the lives I’m not living,” says a character in Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. If you have ever felt that way, Aquarius, I predict that you will get some relief in 2015. Your bones won’t be straining as much as they have in the past because you will be living at least one of the lives you have wanted to live but haven’t been able to before. How you will handle all the new lightness that will be available?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Author Robert

Moss has published 27 books. When he talks about the art of launching and completing big projects, I listen attentively. There’s one piece of advice he offers that would be particularly helpful for you to keep in mind throughout the first half of 2015. “If we wait until we are fully prepared in order to do something, we may never get it done,” he says. “It’s important to do things before we think we are ready.” Can you handle that, Leo? Are you willing to give up your fantasies about being perfectly qualified and perfectly trained and perfectly primed before you dive in?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

“Erotomania” is a word for the erroneous fantasies people entertain when they imagine that a celebrity is in love with them. Laughable, right? Just because I have dreams of Game of Thrones actress Lena Headey texting me seductive notes doesn’t mean that she genuinely yearns for my companionship. And yet most of us, including you and me, harbor almost equally outlandish beliefs and misapprehensions about all kinds of things. They may not be as far-fetched as those that arise from erotomania, but they are still out of sync with reality. The good news, Pisces, is that in 2015 you will have the best chance ever to become aware of and shed your delusions—even the longrunning, deeply-rooted kinds.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The fish

known as the coelacanths were thought to have become extinct 66 million years ago. That was when they disappeared from the fossil record. But in 1938, a fisherman in South Africa caught a live coelacanth. Eventually, whole colonies were discovered in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa and near Indonesia. I foresee a comparable phenomenon happening in your life during the coming months, Virgo. An influence you believed to have disappeared from your life will resurface. Should you welcome and embrace it? Here’s what I think: Only if you’re interested in its potential role in your future, not because of a nostalgic attachment.

You can call Rob Brezsny for your Expanded Weekly Horoscope: (900) 950-7700. $1.99 per minute. Must be 18+. Touchtone phone required. Customer service (612) 373-9785. And don’t forget to check out Rob’s website at www.realastrology.com.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “Nothing

brings people closer than business,” said

|

NEWS

Brezsny

composer Arnold Schoenberg. You could be living proof of that hypothesis in 2015, Libra. Your drive to engage in profitable activities will be at a peak, and so will your knack for making good decisions about profitable activities. If you cash in on these potentials, your social life will flourish. Your web of connections will expand and deepen. You will generate high levels of camaraderie by collaborating with allies on productive projects.

salamanders reproduce by laying eggs, but the alpine salamander doesn’t. Females of that species give birth to live young after long pregnancies that may last three years. What does this have to do with you? Well, I expect you to experience a metaphorical pregnancy in the coming months. Even if you’re male, you will be gestating a project or creation or inspiration. And it’s important that you don’t let your incubation period drag on and on and on, as the alpine salamanders do. I suggest you give birth no later than July.

BEFORE

PHOTO by Johnathan Mendick

by ROb

For the week of January 1, 2015

|

F E AT U R E

STORY

Aimee Brenner (left) and Collin Samaan took their first spin on the veggie trike in September.

Farm to trike Collin Samaan and Aimee Benner often complete each others’ sentences—just like many other married couples. This duo’s the pair behind the West Sac Veggie Trike, a rolling farmers market of sorts that hawks fresh produce, and other local products ranging from baked goods to coffee. Their year-old business is a somewhat perfect fit for the pair’s combined expertise: Benner comes from Shingle Springs and has a farming background, while Samaan grew up in Fair Oaks, and has been a professional cyclist for years—even after a car hit his bike and nearly killed him about 10 years ago. On a recent rainy weekday morning, they ordered a cup of coffee at Insight Coffee Roasters (which can be purchased from the trike), pulled out a box featuring some of their favorite products and chatted with SN&R about how their fresh fruit sometimes even wins out over the ice cream truck.

What’s in that box? Aimee Benner: Right now, since it’s holiday time, we have a gift box that features these awesome gourmet salts. We also have raw, unfiltered honey. And then we just started carrying Sassy Oh Baking Co. cookies. It’s like a chocolate-chip lavender and they also have a peanut-ginger-lime cookie, and ... Colin Samaan: An oatmeal-coconutalmond cookie. Benner: And it’s all vegan. Samaan: And this [pulls out soap] is locally made soap, and all the ingredients are just listed right on it. Benner: Our produce always changes. We source it from different farms, it’s not just one farm. Samaan: Lots of fruit in the late summer, apples in the fall, citrus in the winter.

|

A RT S & C U LT U R E

So it’s like a roaming farmers market? Benner: Yeah. People ask us if we go to the farmers market to sell stuff. But that’s not our thing. We started out going door-to-door in the neighborhoods of West Sacramento. Samaan: She means riding down the street with music—gypsy jazz—and going, “Hey! Get your veggies, fresh, local veggies!” And waving.

How long ago did you start? Benner: We started in September. Samaan: September? August? July? Sometime. Benner: We started at a local West Sac cyclocross race. Samaan: Then we did TBD Fest. That was a great showing and introduction to our community. We got to meet with the city manager of West Sac, and then the mayor, Christopher Cabaldon. It was really great seeing them in that kind of situation. Actually, when we lived in Fair Oaks, we kind of tried to do a similar thing. Benner: We delivered apple pies in Fair Oaks by bicycle. Samaan: We called it Simply Better Service. Benner: Now we have the veggie trike which is built by John Lucas of Cycle Trucks in West Sacramento, so we were really lucky to have been given the opportunity to do this. Samaan: He built the trike in China and it’s portable. It was sitting in his backyard for like five, six, seven years. And I was like hey, what can we do with this thing?

Put veggies on it? Benner: They do it all around the world. John, who built the bicycle, has traveled to China, the Philippines, all around the world, and says everyone sells that way. |

AFTER

|

Samaan: He had the idea. Benner: And Collin loves riding bicycles, and I work on an organic farm, so it was kind of like the perfect opportunity. Samaan: It was like connecting all the dots. Benner: It just all basically fell into line. We weren’t like “Hey, we’re going to start a business.” And now, we work with local farms, like Sara Bernal over at West Sacramento Urban Farm. We buy produce from her and other local farms. So it’s really nice to be able to work with other small business, and that’s why we expanded into other products. We’re going to the community and we’re like, “Hey, we got these awesome products. Do you need it? Try this out.” And people are just really excited about supporting the community, so it’s worked out.

What’s your top seller? Samaan: I’d say the lettuce and the garlic salt right now. Benner: From Abbott Organics, the same people that make the salt, they also grow organic lettuce. It’s butter and crisp lettuce, so it’s a gourmet blend. Samaan: And the honey. And Insight coffee was gone off our shelves in a day. Benner: And we’re just hoping to expand with more products that are local. Samaan: It’s been evolving. Like in the fall, fruits sold out instantly. Kids would come up to us instead of the ice cream truck, and they’d spend their money on fruit. And I’d give them samples and it was such a fun feeling watching them as the ice cream truck pulled up behind me, and they’d go, “Hey, we spent all our money on fruit; no ice cream today!” It was pretty funny. Ω

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ westsacveggitrike.

12.31.14

|

SN&R

|

47


STRINGENTLY TESTED

SAFEST MEDS IN TOWN

NOT ALL CONCENTRATES ARE CREATED EQUAL concentrates have been found to contain high levels of toxic solvents left over from the manufacturing process. ALL OUR CONCENTRATES ARE TESTED SAFE RCP is the only dispensary that tests 100% of the concentrates that we sell to ensure your medicine is safe.

ONLY THE BEST PASSES THE TEST! Why we test. What we test.

Our tested products prostringentlyvide patients with the information needed to make an intelligent and

t To ensure patients are not ingesting harmful molds, bacteria, pesticides or solvents.

safe choice when selecting medical marijuana.

We test for: t Potency (THC, CBD and CBN) t Fungus t Bacteria t Mold t Pesticides t Residual solvents

t To provide potency and cannabinoid information to help patients make informed decisions. t To enable dispensaries to make informed recommendations to patients. t Provide a new level of safety and compliance with impending state regulations.

Tested Cannabis is your best assurance that you know exactly whaty

OPEN 9AM -9PM EVERY DAY ($67 (/ &$0,12 $9( ‡ 6$&5$0(172 &$

(916) 925-5696

NOW OFFERING EXPRESS PICK-UP FOR ALL OUR PATIENTS


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
S 2015 01 01 by News & Review - Issuu