I started attending the Banff Mountain Film Festival screenings in Davis in middle school as a way to relate to my hyperactive dad. I tagged along with him to lots of cool things I didn't fully appreciate. I remember sinking with embarrassment when he whispered loudly at me for texting during a screening of "Touching the Void" at the Crest Theatre. He'd take me to the Banff Mountain Film Festival in Davis, and I'd complain that his old farty mountain friends smelled like body odor. Secretly, I loved every second. The short films and documentaries are fast-paced, shot in the most exotic corners of the world and feature the most compelling, gutsy and mentally strong individuals. The audien

The House of Plight, which provides a refuge for single mothers and their children, opened its doors to the public in a housewarming celebration on March 20, 2010. The program is an extension of Commissioned II Love (C2L) Outreach Ministries and Discipleship Centers Inc., a nondenominational outreach ministry and nonprofit. Startup funding for The House of Plight came from college students at Consumnes River College in Sacramento, Savannah State University in Georgia, and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee, where C2L has campus ministry divisions. "The vision came from our pastor, Lardina King, who has a real heart for single mothers" said marketing and public

The organic purist, eco-conscious, thigh-conscious and dietary trendy may rejoice that Rick's Dessert Diner on K Street has a new neighbor with a new selection of baked treats. Sugar Plum Vegan, a vegan and wholesale bakery that offers fair-trade coffee and organic ingredients, has opened its doors for service. The cozy spot, situated below what was True Love Coffeehouse, has just enough capacity to hold five small tables and a very friendly staff, unfazed by transition issues with the ATM and continuous stream of customers placing to-go orders. "We want those that are hard core vegans as well as those who are just curious to feel comfortable here" said Owner and Chef, Melissa Sugar. T

Projecting archival photographs above stacks of albums, Jorae described the familial and political relationships of a generation of children marginalized by two cultures. On Sunday night, a dozen history buffs arrived at Time Tested Books to partake in an informal discussion with local author and educator Wendy Rouse Jorae about the research behind her recently published book, "Children of Chinatown: Growing Up Chinese American in San Francisco, 1850-1920." Jorae wrote her dissertation for the University of California, Davis on the pioneer generation of Chinese Americans in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Her interest in the subject was sparked as a history student in Sacramento where she bec

Saturday, The Smiths/Morrissey cover band This Charming Band (TCB) will be performing at East Sacramento's Blue Lamp. TCB, originally from Los Angeles but now calling San Francisco home, formed in 2005, when front man "Orlandissey," newly aware of his Morrissey-impersonation skills, posted a Craigslist ad seeking fellow The Smiths tribute musicians. "We believe that the music of The Smiths still interests people and brings them together because the words of Morrissey and the music of Johnny, Andy and Mike are timeless" Orlando said. "Morrissey's lyrics transport you into 'his' England where love, acceptance and kindness are lacking and so desired which one could argue is true in our pres