What to do?

There’s a lot of exciting things going on this weekend. The Active 20/30 club is hosting the 14th Annual Festival of Beers at Stramler Park. The Black Crowes are playing at the Fox Theater Saturday night. The Park at River Walk is having its Grand Opening Friday night and all day Saturday and will include beer & wine tasting, live music, food, and a fishing derby. Plus there’s the Kern Valley Bioregions Festival, and BBQ at Yokuts Park. Suddenly Bakersfield is bustin’ at the seams with cool stuff to do.

I picked a great weekend to leave town didn’t I? I’m heading for Malibu people! Try and have fun without me.

We're No. 1...in apathy!

It’s a little hard for me believe that this is still considered “news” but the headline on today’s paper reads, “We’re No. 1…in smog.”  Yeah, yeah, yeah.  Tell me something I didn’t know.  Sure, past reports have put us in second, or third, but I never bought it.  It only takes a couple of trips down the grapevine to get a pretty good idea of how unclear our air is.  That’s why I’m always taking pictures of clouds.  I’m keep thinking, “Look!  It’s the sky! Quick – that a picture before it disappears under a thick blanket of goop again.”

So, according to this new study by the American Lung Association, Bakersfield now takes the lead in having the worst air around.  Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside is in second.  That means that Bakersfield, a city with roughly the same size population at Long Beach, around 450,000, has more ozone pollution than L.A, with a population of roughly 9 million, and Riverside, with a population of over 4 million.  What the hell??

The biggest reason for all of this, or course, is those wonderful mountains we have surrounding us on three sides.  Makes for a nice little catch-all for crap.  Crap being the stuff released into the air from all cars and trucks driving up and down I-5, agricultural pollution and, or course, just plain ol’ people pollution.  

I know that the first two have a lot to do with our bad air, they have a WHOLE lot to do with it.  But I gotta tell you, I don’t think another city exists that contains so many people who just really don’t give a rats ass.  Some people care and try to do their part, but over all I find most people’s apathetic approach to improving our environment extremely frustrating.  They read the news, grumble about our air, then hop in their gas guzzlers and park it in the drive through lane.  

From what I can tell, they sure don’t seem to be worried about the air around here, good, bad, or otherwise.

Favorite New Search String

I know it gross, but I can't help it... I think it's funny.

Make it Stop

As most of us who keep blogs already know, keeping tabs on the site meter can provide hours of entertainment.  It’s fun to see who’s reading what and from where.  And, if you’ve been reading this blog for longer than say, one day, you’ve probably noticed how I sometimes feature a “Favorite New Search String” showing the link that someone used to accidentally end up clicking on my blog.

Most search strings are pretty run of the mill and mostly have something to do with what’s going on in Bakersfield lately.  Occasionally I get some funny ones, and occasionally I get some weird ones, and then sometimes, more often than I care to mention, I get some pretty sick ones.  And by sick I mean perverse.  And by perverse I mean having to do with child pornography.  Seriously, grossly, sick, sick, sick.  I find it disturbing.

Yesterday I showed a friend the stats from the one of the more recent perverted search strings I have found.  She pointed out that my site meter provides quite a bit of information and suggested that I report the incident.  Excited, I began to look for the best way to do so.  The only thing I’ve found so far is this website, run by the Nation Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  It’s okay, but it doesn’t quite fit my needs.  
So I decided to reach out to you all to see if you have any suggestions.  What is the best way for me handle this situation, and to whom should I turn over this information to?  

Any advice you can give will be greatly appreciated.  

No Go

Just as a suspected, the proposed plans to build an eight lane freeway through BHS. According to an article in the local section today, building the freeway in that location would also mean “having to move the nearby rail yard” which has been deemed too costly. I can’t help but wonder, besides tearing down the industrial building at BHS, and relocating the railway, wouldn’t they also have to move Mercy Hospital, the police station, and a host of other businesses in order to build an eight lane freeway through that section of town? Is it really just moving the railway that would be so costly, or is it really that it was a dumb idea to begin with?

Besides, I still don't get why we need another east-west freeway. Last I counted we already had two.

Libel Schimibel.

I received a comment yesterday from a reader who, to say the least, was none too happy with my post about Josh Kobdish. In case you missed it, this is what my concerned reader had to say:

You should rethink this little article. This little blog can/will get you sued for libel and/or defamation of character. A lawsuit you would lose since Kobdish has not been convicted of any charges yet your blog states the allegations as if they are facts. At this point, the charges are allegations and not facts. Even if he is later convicted of doing everything he has been charged with, YOU are NOT off the hook. You can still be sued.Considering Kobdish has pleaded "not guilty," you had either revise this article to point out that everything in it regarding Kobdish is alleged, or simply delete it if you cannot figure out how to write it without committing libel and defamation of character.

My initial reaction to this comment was, dude – chill! As most of you already know, a good portion of my blog is devoted to me reading the news and then retelling it in my own words. This often does not sit well with people, and I’ve accepted that. It goes with the territory. Nonetheless, I thought I would look into the whole issue of libel and see if maybe I wasn’t really skating on thin ice. I found several blog posts discussing the issue, including one where a dude really did receive legal notice to remove his post or be sued.

The most interesting and most comprehensive post I found was this one, by Ratcliffblog.
After reading what Mitch had to say, I’m not too terribly worried. After all, they would be hard pressed to convince a judge that my “little blog” (his words) can cause anyone’s reputation much damage (except perhaps my own, of course.) I also found a couple of other interesting posts regarding The Cost of Free Speech and Letting the Libel Law Die.

From what I can gather my readers comment that, “Even if he is later convicted of doing everything he has been charged with, YOU are NOT off the hook. You can still be sued” is incorrect. All I said in my post was that he had been arrested and then described the alleged charges. Obviously he has have not been convicted yet. Duh!

I try to make a point of not offending people, and when it does happen, I am usually apologetic. But I can’t help but get my hackles up from time to time when people seem to want to threaten or attack me.

I would love to hear what you all think.

I’m confused.

Other than the big old trees downtown, where are all the trees that would garner this honor?

Wondering

Is it just me, or does this guy not look a whole lot like Will Ferrell? Or a least a character he would play.

Does this make any sense at all?

How scary would this be?

How cool is this? My cat wouldn't be caught dead with a pug on her teet.

Party in the Park

Hello friends, I’m back! I hope y’all had a nice weekend. Mine was great (minus the 12 hours I spent sitting on a hard plastic chair feigning interest.) A very dear friend of mine had a BBQ Saturday night and I got to spend some time with friends I haven’t seen in ages, and make some new ones. After the meat was cooked and we stopped tearing at the flesh with our teeth, grunting and snarling, we placed some fire wood on the coals and had a nice little camp fire. Then we spent the rest of the evening revolving around the fire, trying to keep out of way of the smoke. I’m pretty sure I inhaled the equivalent of one months worth of a pack a day habit, but it was totally worth it.

When I woke up the next morning reeking of camp fire smoke I, most understandably, went directly to the bathroom for a shower. That was when I discovered that the drain in my shower would no longer and do want it was born to do. Drain. Nope, nothing doing. Not even an entire bottle of Draino was going to make a difference. So, did the next best thing. I began calling all my friends desperately looking for place to bathe. Luckily, I found one nearby.

Once I got the stink off of me, I headed to Beale Park to participate in a birthday party for my friend’s two-year old little girl. My friend, Autumn, had dutifully attempted to cover as much of the graffiti and tagging as should could with plastic little Sponge Bob table clothes, but there was nothing she could do about writing on the beams and covering overhead. She had a hell of time taking pictures without getting any tagging in the view.

At one point during the day, I walked with the children to the playground. (There was a Hello Kitty bounce house in use at another party across the way, and the kids at my party were DYING to desert us and infiltrate the other party. I am now convinced that those things should come with a giant tarp strung up on all sides to block the view. And perhaps include a serious looking security guard instructing children, ‘Nothing to see here. Move along. Just keep it moving. That’s right.’) Next to the sandy area the children I was with played in, was another, smaller area were I noticed two tiny, little boys sort of play fighting. Nearby was a small group of teenagers egging them on. I say “sort of play fighting” because they really were trying to get in the best shot and/or take each other down, no doubt in hopes of gaining the admiration of the older children nearby. One of the boys was maybe 3 or 4, and the smaller one was maybe 2 or 3. They were that small. I bring all of this up so you can better appreciate what happened next. The somewhat larger boy, after knocking the other on his itty-bitty ass, shouted to him, with perfect clarity, “F- you Asshole!!” To which the tot responded, “F- you!” That was about the time I had a heart attack.

As the supervising teens hooted and hollered, and the blood drained from my face, I gathered the children in my watch and headed back to the safety of our party patio. There I told my friend what had happened and made some hysterical threats to call CPS. She shook her head and reminded me that they probably wouldn’t do anything any way.

It makes me sad, and a little scared to see children being raised this way. And it makes me appreciate how wonderful my son is even more.

That's Not Good

The first thing I thought when I saw the headline on today’s paper which reads, “Abuse suspect kills himself” was, ‘I wonder which one? The one accused of abusing the Ukrainian boys, or the one in the foster home accused of molesting young girls?’ Turns out it was neither. The man who shot himself to death in the backyard of his Rosedale home was Stephan Erbacher, father of Justin Erbacher. He had not yet been arrested, but the police were on their way to get him. According to the paper, he “would have been arrested on two counts of ongoing sexual abuse of a child” amongst other things.”

The investigation into Stephan Erbacher is separate from his son’s investigation, but something tells me this really isn’t gonna help Justin beat the charges against him.

In the news...

Where to begin? Sooo much to blog about, so little time… Let’s see….

Twenty two year old Justin Erbacher was arrested recently and charged with the sexual molestation of five young girls. There’s confusing information about the victims and the foster homes they lived in with Erbacher, but the most confusing thing of all is that one of the victims, a 13 year old girl, was also arrested. She is suspected of “fifteen felony counts of sexual abuse” but the Police refuse to say exactly what crimes she is being charged with.

Speaking of sexual abuse (and really, I’d rather not) another local man was arrested recently and accused of molesting three boys he adopted from the Ukraine. John Krueger says that he is innocent and the website he has showing pictures of the boys and telling people how they too can adopt a kid is really innocent. Krueger claims that the charges are bogus, despite the fact that this is not the first time a young boy has accused him of molestation. It happened once in 1991 and another time 1996. That tells me that either Krueger has very bad luck or he really is a creepy child molester. I guess we’ll find out which it is soon enough.

------------

The Son’s trial is back in the news this week. Two people testified on Tuesday that Officer Maxwell pulled out his gun on them during a routine traffic stop. Yesterday another witness testified that she watched as Maxwell stuck his gun in Sons face and threaten to shoot him rather than talk to him. Uh, yeah. I’d call that pretty threatening.

------------

Kern County Sheriff deputy Brian Carr testified yesterday in the preliminary hearing for the three remaining officers charged with beating James Moore to death on August 15, 2005. Carr said that he was disturbed by what he saw when he arrived at the downtown jail to book his prisoner. Moore was shirtless, shoeless, shackled, his eyes were swollen shut, and he was bleeding. Carr watched as “more than a dozen” officers escorted Moore to a patrol car and try to shove him in. Moore resisted (I wouldn’t want to go anywhere with those people either) and that’s when all hell broke loose. The officers knocked Moore down and began beating the crap out of him. Carr left to finish booking his prisoner, and when he returned he saw Moore lying on the ground all bloody. Unable to dismiss what he had seen, Carr wrote a memo to his supervisor a few days later which sparked the investigation into homicide. I imagine the three deputies in question are hoping to receive much better treatment than they dished out should they be found guilty.

------------

The sludge company that has been dumping its product all over Kern County are threatening to sue if Measure E passes in November. I don’t really get how intimidating people is going to win voters over, but whatever. Responsible Biosolids Management held a press conference of sorts earlier this week, meaning they had a conference call with The Californian. The president of the company, Jon Coffin, admitted that a lot of their problems come from bad public relations and even went so far as to say that he wished Sen. Dean Florez, leader of the anti-sludge movement (pun intended) was on their side. I don’t foresee that happening, but maybe they should try hiring a publicist. Disembodied voices threatening financial ruin doesn’t exactly give people the warm fuzzies.

------------

There’s an article in the paper today describing how a greater number of Kern County students are being accepted to the University of California. That’s good, right? Well sure, but we’re not talking UCLA, or Berkeley or something, we’re talking UC Merced. Now, I’m sure this going to piss a few people off, but isn’t UC Merced sort of the joke of the UC system? I mean, of all the great UC’s, who anyone chose Merced over the others? Sure, maybe a few. Like the people who already live there. Merced is like Bakersfield’s ugly step sister. I’d rather live in Madera.

Just kidding.

Favorite New Search String

I love this line.

Wow!

If only drivers in Bakersfield could handle the Garces Circle as well as these people.

A Few Must Haves

Own a peice of history and find out what they're really talkin' about when the refer to the "Bakersfield Sound."



Everybody should have one of these hangin' over the couch, shouldn't they?



Just becuase it's called "The Bakersfield Collection."



Even if you don't smoke, how cool would it be to own this little baby?
Or this one, if you prefer.



And if someone asks you where you got that cool lighter, you can just give them one of these.

Oops!

I read the paper first thing this morning and decided I had a lot of good blog material, then I got on computer and started reading other blogs. Then I started checking out all the winners of the 2006 Bloggies. Then I started playing weboggle. Then I started checking out cool gizmos and stuff I can do to make my blog fancier. Then I had to go to work.

Now I don’t have time to blog at all.

Favorite New Search String

Another one for Waist High.

Not the best idea he ever had

Talk about a tumble from the top – it’s looking like Bakersfield native, Josh Kobdish wrote the book on it. Kobdish was arrested recently after a string of very strange robberies. Kobdish first made headlines in town back in the mid 90’s for his athletic prowess. He graduated from North, went straight to Fresno State with a full football scholarship and even signed a contract with the 49ers. (Evidently they didn’t pay him enough.)

According to the paper, the first robbery took place last Friday morning at the Supreme Bean drive thru. He rolled up, ordered a cappuccino and then said, ‘Hey, as long as you got the drawer open, why don’t you go ahead and give me all the cash.’ (You gotta hand it to him, if you’re gonna rob a business, why not do it in the drive thru? Ya got the getaway car right there and everything.)

Apparently Kobdish was pleased with his new found way of acquiring cash, cuz he tried to rob another drive thru coffee stand later that day. The person working the booth, was less than impressed with Kobdish, and refused to give him the money. Can’t you just picture it?

“Give me the money!”

“No!”

“GIMME THE MONEY!”

“NO!!”

“Ah… come on! Can’t you just give me a little money?”

“Beat it loser.”

Kobdish’s robbing rampage continued through the weekend and included Akira’s Japanese restaurant, and a Del Taco (drive thru, of course.)

While reading all about this in the paper today, I couldn’t help but remember the time I was robbed. I was in high school, I think it was my junior year, and I went to Manning’s Yogurt on Ming Ave to visit my friend who worked there. We had plans to go out and party that night (a.k.a. drive around aimlessly looking for something to do) so I showed up a little before closing time to enjoy some yogurt and keep my friend company.

I was leaning on the counter talking to her when a curly haired dude walked in. I remember he seemed to be acting a little strange because he said he wanted a small yogurt, but with his hands he indicated that he wanted a large. My friend and I just looked at each other and continued chatting while she fetched his treat. After handing the yogurt to the man and punching the price into the cash register she told him how much he owed her, at which point the man put the yogurt down said, “Well since you’ve already got it open, why you don’t go ahead and give me all the money?” To which we both replied, “Huh??”

The man explained again that he was robbing us and instructed my friend to give him all the money. We just froze. Then he told us that he had a friend standing outside with a sawed off shot gun pointed right at us. Still skeptical, I turned around to look for the other guy, asking, “Where? Where is he?” That was when he grabbed me and told me if I moved again I was going to be shot. Then he told my friend if she didn’t give him all the money that “You’re friend is gonna die.” That was about the time my friend turned purple and started handing over all the cash.

If I remember correctly, ours was the first in a string of robberies that went on for several months. All the places he robbed were small; yielding no more than a couple hundred bucks. Eventually he was caught and we were called to testify at the trial. That was weird. The man had cut his hair, and shaved, and had on a nice suit. He didn’t look much like the guy who had robbed us, but it was hard to say for sure. Luckily, some of the other victims were better witnesses than I was. The dude was found guilty and locked up for I don’t know how long.

Too bad Kobdish didn’t hear this story BEFORE he tried his hand at crime.

Two down, Three to Go

A second sheriff’s deputy has taken a plea deal in the case of against five deputies for beating James Moore to death.  According to bakersfield.com, “Angel Bravo pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of assault under the color of authority and was sentenced to three years probation.”  The second deputy, Lisa Romero, received the same deal last February.    It looks as though prosecutors are going to use the testimony of these two deputies to go after the remaining three officers for murder. In the mean time, they remain on paid administrative leave - which basically means they helped beat a man to death, but still got to keep their jobs.
Man, those dudes most have some great benefits.  

Told ya so!

More proof that Waist High has a dirty, filthy mind and I am an innocent, little lamb. I stared at this picture for a full five minutes trying to figure out why she emailed it to me. This isn’t in Bakersfield… what the? Ooooohhhh!

It does kinda look like the Flicker Dr sign.

Blog Power - Activate!

Ahh… the power of the blog.  You can use it to warn people that you’re a crazy sicko hell bent on eating the dead, OR you can used it to advertise the fact that you want someone to give you a house because you’re unable to keep a job long enough to buy it yourself.  

And here I’ve been wasting all my time writing about Bakersfield.  I may not have a giant red paperclip, but I do have a Hot Wheel version of the Oscar Mayer Weenie Mobile.

Anybody wanna trade me for it?

Favorite New Search String

This one's for Waist High.

Fields of Dreams

When I think back on my childhood growing up in Bakersfield, most of my earliest memories are vague, yet some how still distinct. I can’t really be sure sometimes if it’s because I was so young or it’s because I’m really just remembering the stories that were told to me over the years. I think the truth most lie somewhere in between.

I distinctly remember our home; newly built, and most certainly on a very strict budget. There was no carpet (or at least not for the most part) and my brother and sister would sometimes place me on a towel and run full speed down the hallway while I clutched the cloth tightly in my fists, squealing with delight. There were times, perhaps more than a few, when control was lost, corners were met, and tears were shed. Undoubtedly my big brother was punished; for being the oldest and hurting his baby sister. But I never cared. I never blamed him for a thing. It’s funny to me how t pain is so easily forgotten while the fun; the unabashed joy of careening recklessly across the linoleum sticks with me.

I often complain about the cookie cutter, track home, “white flight” neighborhoods popping up all over Bakersfield, but the truth of it is, I grew up in a neighborhood very similar to those. There were no fancy names back then; no walled in areas, or four models to choose from, but the premise was the same. It was a middle class, white bread neighborhood on the very edge of town. And I mean the VERY edge of town. Besides the Jr. High built right next door, there was nothing else.

Nothing else except miles and miles of dirt fields. Fields full of tumble weeds, dirt clods, cacti, sumps, penny toads, fire ants, and lizards. Fields full of adventure, exploration, imagination, and wonder.

Don’t get me wrong. It was very often hot, and sometimes it was boring. Dry, tedious, long, and slow. My mother would make us go outside to play, then lock door behind us so she could get her cleaning done. The days seem to last for weeks, and the weeks seem to last for years. Sometimes I remember that feeling – that mind set – like life never changed. The only difference was when the sun shined bright, and the fog hung heavy. My childhood seemed to go on forever.

Now, sometimes, I wish that it did.

Human Hybrids

Thanks to Alex, who sent me the link to this hilarious website! Order yours now!

Because I love my son.

Poop for Peace is this Friday. Please take a momment to remember all the people all over the world who poop, just like you do. (do. hee hee!)

Paul says "Viva la Poop for Peace day! Viva!! Viva!!"

The Natural

I was shocked and appalled when I heard the news this morning that people were complaining about Robert Price’s new picture in the paper. A friend called me and asked if I had seen the paper yet, and when I told her I hadn’t, she explained that Price’s column was all about the people who had written to inform him of their distaste for his photo. I nearly sprayed the coffee I was drinking all over my kitchen.

I know everybody has their own taste, and to each his own, blah, blah, blah, but come on!
One person actually called him “repulsive.” What does it say about our society when people want their newspaper men to look pretty and polished? Isn’t it bad enough that women are expected to be skinny, tan, while at the same time touting a DD cup size? Why is it considered unattractive when people look natural, unpretentious, and (as far as I’m concerned) honest?

I’ve said it before (several times actually) and I’ll say it again. I think Robert Price is an attractive man. I think his wife is a lucky woman. I think the people who criticized his photo are crazy.

And I think when the consultants show up to try and give Robert a make over, he should give them all the middle finger.

A Mini-Photo Tour

I’ve been thinking for awhile that I would walk around downtown and take pictures of my favorite houses. So, while I was running around yesterday taking pictures of the protest, I paused a few times to take some photos of some of the houses I like best. These are not my #1 favorites, but just a few I passed on my walk that I thought were nice.

Many of you make recognize this house. It was Colonel Baker’s daughter’s house. Her name was Nell and she is also known as the first artist in Bakersfield. Her work can be viewed at the Kern County Museum.



This house is near the Baker house and until a few years ago I liked it because it looked like a scary old hunted house. It was grey and dilapidated and the yard was all overgrown, and I liked cuz it was kinda spooky. Then somebody bought it and fixed it all up and now it just looks cute.




These are a couple of houses on 18th Street were I like the architecture. I don’t know, they’re just sort of different and quaint.






And finally, this is the one and only Brownstone apartment building in Bakersfield and, as far as Bakersfield goes, the people who live here pay an exorbitant amount in rent. The apartments are beautiful, but there’s no way in hell I’d pay that much to rent a place.




So, that’s it for now of my photo tour. Like I said yesterday, I took some time off from work, and I ain’t gonna waste a minute more of it cooped up in my office blogging.

What are your favorite houses in town? If you let me know, I'll take a picture and post it for you.

Favorite New Search String

Maybe, if they had spelled it right, I would've been #1.

Stupid is as Stupid does

Watching the news tonight I was dispointed to see the media give a group of skin heads press time. While being interviewed they claimed that they were only against the people who immigrate illegally, and that as long as they come here legally, it's okay. Lemme see... shaved head, rebel flag, and a t-shirt sporting the logo "Smart Ass White Boy."

Something tells me these guys are not that accepting of immigrants. Legal or otherwise.

Magill

It's like she gets into these poses on purpuse cuz she wants me to take her picture.

The March is ON!!

I decided to take a few days off of work, so when I woke up this morning the first thing I thought about was what I am going to do with all my new found free time. Then I remembered the protest planned for today, so I quickly got dressed and hustled down to Paul's house. He lives right down the street from Jastro Park, and when I asked him if he wanted to go down there with me to support the protestors, he got all excited, ran back in the house, and a few minutes later came out looking like this.




















Then he grabbed a plastic bag so he could pick up all the recycling that he knew would be left behind.

When we first got to the park, things were still getting organized.















A lot of people had American flags, and Mexican flags, and United Farm Workers flags, but this dude had the biggest flag of all.



That was about the time the helicopter showed up and started circling. It was close to 11:00 at the time; it’s nearly 1:00 and that damn helicopter is still circling. It’s driving me nuts.



Anyway, I ran down the street to take pictures while Paul picked up empty bottles and cans.



I thought it was cool that there was a mix of ethnic cultures and background there, and for the most part everyone seemed to be getting along.







There were a few people standing around protesting the protesters, but I didn’t take any pictures of them. I did, however, take a picture of this guy - who obviously didn’t have a clue about what was going on.



Then I ran back down the street to try and get some pictures of the whole street.



At the pace these people are walking it's going to take them all day.



I finally decided to walk home and lie down for a while.



Cheering protestors is hard work.

Flashback

I love that song "Smoke on the Water."

Notes from No where

All hail broke loose in Bakersfield yesterday. I was on my way home from work when I noticed the little white beebees bouncing of the hood of my car. We have been having the most bizarre weather. When I got home I found Paul in his kilt. He said his pants got wet and he didn’t have anything else to wear.

Paul went to the Scottish Festival last weekend with some friends and ate haggis. He said he liked it but it had a nasty after taste. (How do you like something with a nasty after taste?) Anyway, now he’s all excited about registering with one of the local clans, what with that 20 billionth percentage of Scottish blood he has and all. The next thing I know he’s going be hucking telephone poles around.

So, a couple of half naked PETA protestors showed up downtown yesterday sporting a sign reading “We’d rather bare skin that wear skin” and little else. Needless to say, they stopped traffic – cuz you know, no body here has ever seen a half naked woman before. Nobody. Ever. A few meat eaters also showed up to stage a counter protest. They wore nothing but a leather thong. (Okay, not really.) But they did have a crudely drawn sign with what appeared to be a cow with its head cut off, spewing blood. The sign read “Meat is delicious.” Just based on slogan and artistic merit alone, the meat eaters are clearly the winners in this debate.

If this post seems pointless and wandering it’s because it is. Let’s just say I’m distracted. Very, very distracted.

Favorite New Search String

I’m #1!!! I’m #1!! I’m #1!!

Clearly...

the sign reads "Flicker"...













not (cough), that other thing.














Thus ending the "Great Flicker Street Sign Debate" forever.

Amen.

UPDATE!!

Photos courtesy of the Waist High collection.

(Please don’t beat me up!)

Classic!

It’s amazing so many conservatives moved here with this sign heralding their arrival.







Thanks to Waist High for the photo!!

Fun With Sherman

The great thing about tortoises is you can mess with them...



and they don't even notice.

W.U.D.

Here comes the storm.

It makes me sad

I don’t know if it’s the time change, another bout of insomnia, or the fact that I threw my whole schedule out of whack the other day when I stayed till 3:30 AM talking on the phone, but I’ve dragging my butt around for days now. The only thought I can sustain or longer than 10 seconds is, “I want to lie down. I want to close my eyes.” I’ve found this zombie like state of mind to not be very conducive to blogging, but I’m gonna give it a go anyway.

There have been a lot of tragic deaths around the county lately, besides the passing of the Buckster. It all started with a string of local soldiers killed in Iraq. The first was 21-year-old Specialist Clay Farr, who was killed by a roadside bomb in Bagdad on Feb. 26. He was a graduate of Centennial High School, class of 2003. The next week, Adam Zanutto, 26, of Walker Basin, died at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., nine days after he was injured in a roadside bombing outside Baghdad. Finally, 24-year-old Shafter native Army Staff Sgt. Ricardo Barraza was killed during a combat mission in western Iraq on March 18. Three young men in as many weeks – three families torn apart.

This weekend two young girls lost their lives in separate car accidents. Five year old Monique Paniaqua was driving a gas powered go-cart Sunday afternoon around her north west Bakersfield home when she crossed paths with a Dodge Durango. She was rushed to KMC where she later died of her injuries. The driver of the Durango was arrested, but police say he was not at fault for the accident. Earlier that same morning 17 year old Samantha Giltner passed away after being struck while trying to turn left onto Ming. Gliltner, a popular Stockdale High School senior, was hit by fellow classmate Aaryn Sprayberry. Although Sparyberry was arrested for driving under the influence, police do not believe he was the cause of the accident.

I have refrained from talking much all of the tragic deaths going on lately cuz it tends to ruffle some feathers, and that is not my intention. I just want us to all be mindful of each other and to appreciate all life, no matter how small.

My heart goes out to each and every one of the families.

Ok, Let's Try This Again

For those of you are interested, I am planning on going to see The Filthies this Friday night at Sandrini’s. I’ll be the one in front making an ass of myself. If you haven’t seen them yet, you should definitely get your butt off the couch and come down.

You might even get the chance to meet some of the other Bakersfield Bloggers.

I love Dr. Seuss

Somebody from work sent me this poem today. Luvin't!

Unhappiness is…

…sitting in a desk that was designed to hold a fifth grader.

…sitting in said desk for 8 hours straight.

…people who know everything there is to know about everything and want everybody to know it.

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I survived my class this weekend. One down, four more to go. I hope my ass survives.

And I mean that literally.