Power: 1.3-liter rotary engine, 212 or 232 horsepower

Mileage estimate: 16-22 mpg                                   

Price: $26,435 – $31,930

Standard features include: antilock brakes; stability control; xenon headlights; stereo with CD changer and 9 Bose speakers; 24-hour roadside assistance; center console; Bluetooth hands-free phone capability; fog lights; power windows, doors, mirrors

2009 Mazda RX8

Review By Jeffrey Weidel

 An innovative sports car with an attractive appearance and some high-performance characteristics, the 2009 Mazda RX-8 is one of those vehicles people buy for the sheer delight of driving. And it’s affordable enough, ranging from $26,435-$31,930, that the car payments should be manageable. Continue Reading »

April 24 – 26, 2009, from 9:00AM to 5:00PM, is the Haggin Oaks Golf Expo at 3645 Fulton Ave, Sacramento, CA 95821.  If you love golf, this is your chance to see and test all the hottest new equipment and maybe meet a few golf celebrities.  There will be a 7,000 square foot tent filled with 150 vendors and all the latest golf gadgets.  If you need more info click on this link to Haggin Oaks Golf Expo or call (916) 481-GOLF.

Haggin Oaks Golf Expo

So you thought the Drive In movie was long gone.  You thought it went by the wayside with other fond memories……..8 track players, phones with cords, gas that cost less than a dollar, mail that came in an envelope instead of a computer…..well, you get the picture.  But not so, the Drive In Movie is alive and well here in Sacramento, and just for tonight it’s free.

Sacramento 6 Drive-In, 9616 Oates Drive (of 50 & Bradshaw) is free tonight.  The gates open at 6:00PM, movies start at 8:00PM. 

The movies showing will be:

• Madagascar 2
• Bedtime Stories
• Paul Blart: Mall Cop  

Sacramento 6 Drive In Theatre

On April 29, 2009, Ice cream lovers will have the opportunity to enjoy their favorite Baskin-Robbins flavor for only 31 cents while paying tribute to local fire heroes of all ages.

Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop is partnering with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), the nation’s leading non-profit association representing the interests of the volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services.

As part of the event, Baskin-Robbins will make a $100,000 donation to the NVFC National Junior Firefighter Program, which provides departments and youth alike with the resources, tools, and information they need to help develop, grow, enhance, promote, and participate in their local junior firefighter program.

Participating Baskin-Robbins stores will help raise additional funds for local firehouses by inviting fire departments to the event to collect donations. Click on this link to find a local Baskin-Robbins.

For a good deal and a good cause help those Junior Firefighters lick their budget problem for only 31 cents.

Baskin Robbins 31 Cent Scoop Night

Luxe Salon & Spa is giving away free hair styles and makeup to all job interviewees in their “Style it Forward” Campaign.  Anyone going on a job interview knows that appearance counts.  In this hair-splitting job market, it could be the determining factor for getting hired.  This is why Luxe Salon & Spa, a full-service midtown salon and spa in Sacramento, has announced “Style it Forward,” an unprecedented free hair styling and makeup offer for anyone going on a job interview.

The staff at Luxe came up with this idea in light of the hard economic times around them and after seeing some of their own clients going through the tough interview process. 

Open hours for the “Style it Forward” campaign are 9:30am until 4pm Tuesday through Friday, by appointment only.  Please call the salon at 916-443-1400 to schedule your free time, and be sure to mention Style it Forward.

Luxe Salon & Spa is located in the heart of Midtown, 2115 J St, Sacramento CA 95816 and offers a wide array of services including hair, skin, massage, tanning, permanent makeup and manicure/pedicure. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday 9am to 8pm, Saturdays 9am to 5pm, Sunday and Monday by appointment only. 916-443-1400, www.luxe-midtown.com

The Disney movie “Earth” opens today, Earth Day, and just from watching the trailer I am ready to contribute my dollars to see the movie.  Besides seeing the movie Disney has promised to plant a tree for every person who buys a ticket to see the movie the opening week.  So take advantage of Disney for Earth Day; see the movie and plant a tree. 

I don’t know how everyone else feels about this documentary type of movie, but I am truly fascinated by how amazing the Earth and it’s animals (including people) and its plants function together.  I watched that whole series called “Planet Earth” on the Discovery Channel, and if you haven’t seen it, it’s truly amazing.

Stockton Asparagus Festival

San Joaquin County’s most prestigious agricultural product inspired the creation of the Stockton Asparagus Festival 24 years ago. The Stockton Asparagus Festival is a three-day, multi-event, food, and entertainment festival, which celebrates asparagus.

The festival features two performing stages, an Asparagus Alley with the best deep fried asparagus found anywhere, one of the finest celebrity chef cooking demonstration kitchens, a fabulous Spear-Its of the Valley wine and beer pavilion, a craft show, 600 booths, displays and exhibits in the show.

It is ranked by some of the finest culinary critics in the country as one of the best food festivals in the West. That’s because Asparagus Alley offers delicious and unique dishes for all tastes.  Because the asparagus is grown locally, it’s the freshest you can get. In fact, much of the asparagus is cut fresh every day!

In 2008, over 45,000 pounds of delicious asparagus was enjoyed by all. From delicious deep-fried asparagus (45,000 orders), Asparagus Tri-tip Sandwiches (9,000 orders), Asparagus Burritos (4,000 orders), and pasta dishes (8,500 orders), to refreshing drinks and more, the Stockton Asparagus Festival offers bushels of different treats sure to please!  Click on this link for recipes you can use to make your own tasty treats with the bundle of asparagus you bring home.

Deep Fried Asparagus Eating Contest

My personal favorite event is the Deep-Fried Asparagus Eating Contest which will be Saturday at 12:00PM at the main stage.  Last year’s winner, Joey Chestnut, who downed 8.8 pounds of the culinary delight, will be spearheading this year’s competition in hopes of retaining his crown.

Great Spear It Run Stockton Asparagus Festival

On Sunday morning at 8:00AM the Kaiser Permanente sponsored Great Spear-It-Run will kick off the last day of the festival.  Might be a good time to work off some of those deep-fries asparagus calories from Saturday’s competition.  Click on this link for entry information for the run.

For more information click on this link to Stockton Asparagus Festival.

Stockton Asparagus Festival

On Sunday, April 26, 2009 from 10:00AM to 6:00PM at Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Blvd., Sacramento, CA is the 18th Annual Festival de la Familia.  This year’s festival celebrates more than 20 Latino cultures all in one place, at one time, for one fun-filled day with no passport required.

There will be non-stop entertainment with a whole host of family friendly events.  Get your taste buds ready for some authentic Latin food while you tap your toes to some genuine Latin music.  You can view arts and crafts or create your own and learn about Latin heritage.  If it’s Latino you can find it at Festival de la Familia a celebration of families for all families.  More than 200 vendors are participating in this year’s event.  Tickets are only $6 and children 12 and under and seniors 60 and over are free.

Festival de la Familia 2009

The City of Sacramento has experts to tell us how to turn that patch of weeds in the back yard into a vegetable garden that will not only help feed our families in an organic way, but give us the satisfaction of creating something with results we can be proud of.  Or maybe you would like to skip the veggies and plant some nice fruit trees for shade and something sweet to eat.  They have classes to tell us everything we need to know to turn our thumbs green and grow some good stuff for the family.  They can even tell us what to do about those pesky little critters that want to help us city farmers eat our crops.

There are several classes so click on this link for information about places dates and times, or call 808-6789.

Free Garden Classes

Tomorrow April 21, 2009, from noon to 4:00PM the California Job Journal presents Diversity HIREvent Career Expo with Medical Annex.  Job fair held in Convention Center’s Exhibit Hall at 1400 J Street, Sacramento, CA.

This event is free to job seekers, so if you’re part of the double digit unemployment figures come tomorrow and check out all the job opportunities.  For a look at the employers attending click on this link.  For more information the organizational website is http://www.jobjournal.com or call (888) THE-JOBS.

Career Expo