We got a press release the other day for "Joel Harden's Mogul," a game that claims to be the first realistic real-estate board game, and it's also "family-friendly!"

Joel Harden's Mogul™ teaches the following terms & concepts during the course of gameplay:

Mortgages - Credit - Interest Rates - Institutional Investments - Speculation - Prenuptual Agreements - Money Management - Use & Occupancy Taxes - Environmental Concerns - Non-Credit Tenants - Downpayments - Liability Insurance - Operating Statements - Depreciation - Closing Costs - Deeds - Zoning - Property Taxes - Assemblages - Due Diligence - Amortization - Credit Tenants - Unsecured Loans - Promissory Notes - Cap Rates - Title Insurance - Appreciation

Wow, that's a lot of concepts to have in a board game. I don't think Twlight Imprerium III, Junta or Civilization have any of those, and all those are more complex.

But here's my favorite part:

Details about the game include:
Release Date:  November 3
Price:                $199.99
 Age:                15+
Players            2-4
 

Seriously? Two hundred dollars? A big-box game from Fantasy Flight, packed with hundred of pieces, a modular board and sporting an established and popular brand such as Warcraft or Civilization, tops out around $90. And those are games for real gamers. This guy is trying to compete for the Wal-Mart market against Monopoly, and meanwhile his game won't support more than four players!

— James Geluso

owns small collection of board games

won't be buying Mogul

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Do you know what Sherri Blunt accomplished?

Read about her new position and the achievements of other locals in this week's People in Business column.

Then submit your news.

People in Business announces new hires, promotions, awards, professional achievements and other business “people news” in Kern County. Submissions can be mailed to The Bakersfield Californian, business editor, P.O. Bin 440, Bakersfield, CA 93302; faxed to 395-7519; or e-mailed to business@bakersfield.com. Sorry, photos that are submitted cannot be returned. For information, call 395-7345 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

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We just had to share this photo from Associated Press photographer Frank Franklin II.

Here's his caption:

"An ice sculpture titled 'Main Street Meltdown,' is melting on the 79th anniversary of Black Tuesday, the stock market crash that caused the Great Depression, as pedestrians pass by Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2008 in New York. The sculpture is the work of artists Nora Liganno and Marshall Reese and is the fourth in a series addressing political issues."

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Zillow's third-quarter confidence survey of homeowners is out. Half the people surveyed didn't think their home value had gone down, despite declines for nearly 75 percent of houses in the last year.

Folks in the West (us) and South are doing better accepting their homes have lost value than those in the Northeast, Zillow's "Home Value Misperception Index" — also called the "Not My Home" index — showed.

Here's a link to the survey if you like such things.

The 18th annual Bakersfield Business and Technology Expo is from 4 to 8 p.m. today at the Rabobank Convention Center, 1001 Truxtun Ave. A mixer with 10 food providers starts at 5:30 p.m.

A seminar on making the most of your customer service commitment will be given by Cynthia Pollard Communications from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m.

The Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce event offers more than 140 exhibitor booths.

The $5 tickets are available at the chamber, 1725 Eye St., and at the event. Call 327-4421.

Just this afternoon we were checking out Berry Petroleum's Web site, bry.com. It's a really useful site, if you're interested in Midway-Sunset crude oil prices and you don't get dizzy over steep cliffs.

For the brave hearts out there, we recommend going to the home page and clicking on the red numbers (perhaps not the best color to have chosen). Your browser will take you to a page where you can look at Kern oil prices (posted by ChevronTexaco) over time. We were drawn to the option of charting Midway-Sunset over the past year.

Here's what it looks like: From the left (a year ago on the timeline) there's an up-and-down trail like some hikes we've been on in the Sespe Wilderness. Nothing a fit middle-aged person couldn't handle on a cool afternoon.

Then, in about February, the switchbacks begin. At this point the experienced hiker is chugging from the water bottle. It's a long climb and, by the time you get to June or so, you've stopped looking at the wildflowers. Any small clearing looks like a good place to set up your tent.

Then comes mid-July and the steepest downhill slopes you ever want to see. Your knees are aching by the middle of last month (hiking downhill, as anyone will tell you, can be just as taxing as lugging a pack uphill). In late September there's another peak to climb, but after that you'd better watch your step or you're going face first into poison oak.

Our question is, how is the local oil industry dealing with this kind of workout?

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Our latest map for homes that sold in Bakersfield from Sept. 1 to 7 is ready for a peek.

We regularly publish single-family home sale transactions that occurred between individuals, as well as foreclosures.

Check out what homes are going for, color-coded by price, with information from First American Real Estate Solutions compiled by reporter Jenny Shearer.

Highlights for Sept. 1 to 7:

• 95 homes are new on the map.

• Priciest? One sold for $385,000 in the 93312 ZIP code. It was 2,411 square feet.

• Cheapest? One sold for $43,000 in the 93304 ZIP code. It was 850 square feet.

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Do you know what the man on the left accomplished?

Read about Oscar Baltazar and many other people in the local business community in our weekly People in Business column.

Then submit your own notice for next week's list.

People in Business announces new hires, promotions, awards, professional achievements and other business “people news” in Kern County. Submissions can be mailed to The Bakersfield Californian, business editor, P.O. Bin 440, Bakersfield, CA 93302; faxed to 395-7519; or e-mailed to business@bakersfield.com. Sorry, photos that are submitted cannot be returned. For information, call 395-7345 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

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Here's a press release from the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce:

Meeting the Challenge: 12th biennial Oil & Gas Conference addresses energy concerns and related issues

Designed to provide an informal forum where oil and gas operators can dialogue with regulatory agencies, the 12th biennial Oil and Gas Conference takes place on Thursday, Oct. 30, 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Marriott Hotel (formerly the Holiday Inn Select).

The morning session kicks off with regulatory and policy updates by agencies including the Bureau of Land Management, California Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources, and the Central Valley Regional Water Control Board of California plus a presentation on Greenhouse Gases and a Low Carbon Future: What AB32 means to you.

The conference concludes with the annual Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce Energy Committee luncheon. Keynote speakers are Gaurdie Banister, Jr., President and CEO, Aera Energy LLC; Bruce Johnson, Vice President, Chevron North America Exploration & Production; Todd Stevens, Vice President of California Operations, Occidental of Elk Hills, Inc., and Fred Holmes, Independent Oil Producers’ Agency. With concerns about energy and related issues at the forefront, speakers will focus on how their companies are Meeting the Challenge.

For conference and/or luncheon registration, call 661-635-0559. Advance pricing is $60 per person for the conference and luncheon or $30 per person for the luncheon only. Cost at the door is $65 and $35, respectively. Proceeds benefit the R.M. Pyles Boys Camp.

It's almost a well-no-kidding report at this point, given the national outlook from Detroit lately, but the Michigan-based corporate advisory and restructuring services firm Grant Thornton LLP has put out a rather glum assessment of the threats facing U.S. new car dealerships.

The firm said more new car dealerships will close this fall and into 2009 "as weak sales, increased operational costs and the credit crunch continue to take their toll." It said 2,700 U.S dealerships would need to close just to maintain last year's sales level of about 750 units per dealer.

Oh, and it gets worse: "Now, with light vehicle sales on average predicted to drop to the 13.7-million unit range in 2009, the firm estimates that 3,800 dealerships will need to close."

Yeah, OK, granted: Some of the no-kidding factor stems from the fact that the first time we at Money Talks heard of the report was this week (it's dated Oct. 1). But we certainly were aware of the liquidity trouble at GM and Ford,  not to mention local talk of steeply slowing sales around Bakersfield.

We won't bore you with the report's details, in case you're not a car dealer, but the Grant Thornton folks say one way dealerships might survive is by working with their real estate assets. Things like arranging sale-leaseback deals and/or setting aside a portion of their land for other uses not related to car sales and servicing.

Still, it was those four-digit numbers that made our head swim. Could some of those short-timer dealerships be in Bakersfield?

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We quickly got on the horn today after reading reports that Circuit City was considering closing at least 150 stores in a bid to avoid filing for bankrtupcy. And now we're glad we placed that call, if only for selfish reasons.

The news was good, but that's not our point. James Bengal, manager of the Bakersfield Circuit City at 4230 California Ave., said that to the best of his knowledge there were no plans to close his store. It's too profitable, he said. "All I can really say is I know this store isn't closing."

Relief. Too many stores are closing right now, and too many people are about to be out of work around here. (Way too many are unemployed already).

Here's what we're referring to about the selfish glee. Last week we headed out to local Mervyns and Linens-N-Things stores (both chains are going out of business nationwide), and managers there wouldn't so much as speak to us face to face. The stores' employees told us all they could but wouldn't go on the record — which is understandable, given how uncertain these workers' employment was about to be.

Let's hope we don't hear about any more store closings soon. But if we do, let's hope managers are as upfront as Bengal was. Regardless of whether the news is good or bad.

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Shoe Pavilion is on its way out.

Reporter Courtenay Edelhart is out talking to customers, but here's what we know so far.

The stores plan to clear inventory in liquidation sales lasting about 10 to 12 weeks.

And that means one more store at the Bakersfield Plaza on California Avenue will bite the dust. Last week it was the news of Mervyns' bankruptcy. When will it end?

For now, it's sale time for shoppers.

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Our latest map for homes that sold in Bakersfield from Aug. 25 to 31 is ready for a peek.

We regularly publish single-family home sale transactions that occurred between individuals, as well as foreclosures.

Check out what homes are going for, color-coded by price, with information from First American Real Estate Solutions compiled by reporter Jenny Shearer.

Highlights for Aug. 25 to 31:

• 109 homes are new on the map.

• Priciest? One sold for $480,000 in the 93311 ZIP code. It was 2,948 square feet.

• Cheapest? One sold for $33,000 in the 93308 ZIP code. It was 906 square feet.

What do you think of the prices? Are you trying to buy or sell?

— Christine Peterson

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Do you know what Eric Roiko, the man on the left, accomplished?

Read about him and others in this week's People in Business column.

Then send your announcement for next week's list.

People in Business announces new hires, promotions, awards, professional achievements and other business “people news” in Kern County. Submissions can be mailed to The Bakersfield Californian, business editor, P.O. Bin 440, Bakersfield, CA 93302; faxed to 395-7519; or e-mailed to business@bakersfield.com Sorry, photos that are submitted cannot be returned. For information, call 395-7345 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Saturday was grocery shopping day, and even though, luckily for me, I am not forced to cut back my grocery spending, I found myself being quite cautious.

I gave up buying cut flowers LONG ago. My co-workers can attest to the fact that they're no longer on my desk at the start of each week.

But this time:

• No boxed cookies at the bakery. $4.99 or so? Too much.

• Grapes. They came up as $8.01 at the checkout counter. The store's "club" card brought it down to a reasonable price once I swiped that, but I was just about ready to have the clerk remove the grapes.

• Canned soup? Yes, I bought it, and bought a ton of it. Ten cans for $10, or a dollar each. I stocked up as this was the best price I'd seen in a long time.

• Soda? The brand names I usually buy were WAY too expensive. One 12-pack of store brand was all I would break down and buy.

I still spent $59, which seemed like a lot of money for what I got.

What are you cutting back on at the grocery store? Any hints for fellow shoppers?

Share them here. And if you're willing to be interviewed for a story on this topic, write to reporter Jenny Shearer.

— Christine Peterson

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Our latest map for homes that sold in Bakersfield from Aug. 19 to 24 is ready for a peek.

We regularly publish single-family home sale transactions that occurred between individuals, as well as foreclosures. Check out what homes are going for, color-coded by price, with information from First American Real Estate Solutions.

Highlights for Aug. 19 to 24:

• 68 homes are new on the map.

• Priciest? One sold for $840,000 in the 93312 ZIP code.

• Cheapest? One sold for $75,000 in the 93305 ZIP code.

Here's what I noticed on this week's map — many, many more homes for $200,000 or much, much less.

Falling, falling, falling ... when will it end?

— Christine Peterson

Nearly 12,000 Kern County residents who qualify for federal economic stimulus checks but still have not filed for them have only until 11:59 p.m. Wednesday to do so.

This group consists primarily of veterans and senior citizens who in 2007 received at least $3,000 in federal benefits, IRS spokesman Victor Omelczenko said.

These people normally would not have to file a federal tax return. But if they want stimulus checks of $300 for individuals, or $600 for a married couple filing jointly, they need to file a form 1040A, he said.

“It would be wonderful to get all those economic stimulus payments to all those who qualify for (them),” Omelczenko said.

Qualified residents can file the form online at www.irs.gov, or visit the Bakersfield IRS office at 4825 Coffee Road. The office is closed Monday for Columbus Day, but is open to assist filers from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday.

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On Oct. 6, The Bakersfield Californian ran a story about Bakersfield-based Dewalt Corp.  cancelling the Chevron credit card it had used to fuel its fleet of cars since the 1970s over objections to a "bank handling fee" the civil engineering firm deemed unreasonable.

An administrative assistant in Dewalt's accounts receivable department said when she called customer service to question the fee, she was told it was a fee of 1 percent of the credit card balance charged to customers who pay their bill by paper check as opposed to electronically.

In Dewalt's case, that was $24.55 in August and $24.24 in September.

Dewalt president Jeff Gutierrez considered both fees excessive, refused to pay them, and sent an agry letter to the credit card issuer directing the bank to close the credit card account.

Fleetcor Technologies Operating Co., based in Atlanta, issues fleet cards for Chevron, as well as BP and CITGO. The company did not get back to the newspaper in time for the story's deadline, and neither did Chevron Corp.

But we asked some industry experts if Fleetcor's fee was out of line. The consensus was that the fee was high, and that charging a percentage of a credit card balance to process a paper check was not standard industry practice.

Well, we have an update.

Dewalt checked back after the story ran to let us know that Fleetcor had offered to permanently waive the bank handling fee on future statements and forgive the two fees the company had refused to pay.

So all's well that ends well, at least for Dewalt.

We weren't able to get a response from GE Money, based in Kettering, Ohio, when we called them to inquire what their policy is on processing paper checks sent through the mail. GE Money issues most of Chevron's consumer credit cards.

Just curious. Anybody out there notice any mysterious new fees on their Chevron statement, or for any other credit cards?

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This week's People in Business column is SHORT.

We have one person, Evett Seibert, to feature this week. Read about her here.

We usually have at least 10 submissions, sometimes more. Is this a sign of the economic times? Are businesses just not hiring right now?

If anyone out there has an announcement, now's the time to submit for next week's list.

The details ...

People in Business announces new hires, promotions, awards, professional achievements and other business “people news” in Kern County. Submissions can be mailed to The Bakersfield Californian, business editor, P.O. Bin 440, Bakersfield, CA 93302; faxed to 395-7519; or e-mailed to business@bakersfield.com. Sorry, photos that are submitted cannot be returned. For information, call 395-7345 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

— Christine Peterson

A new Filipino restaurant called Kubyertos has opened at 3401 Chester Ave. Building D Unit A, in the plaza known as the Ice House.

Kubyertos means “spoon and fork” in English, manager Gloria Esteban said.

The quick-serve eatery is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. It opened in late September, and “the response has been really amazing,” Esteban said.

Filipino specialties such as pancit, barbecue pork and chicken, and lumpia are served.

— Christine Peterson

T-Bones Steak House, serving exclusively Certified Angus Beef, has opened at 8020 District Blvd.

The restaurant, which serves family-style meals with meat, potatoes, beans, salad and bread, also dishes up chicken, fish, lobster, crab, shrimp, appetizers and has a children’s menu. Food is cooked outside on an oak barbecue, said Jeremy Tucker, who owns T-Bones with his father, Don Tucker. Full catering is also available.

The restaurant will have a ribbon-cutting at 4 p.m. Monday.

T-Bones is in the spot that formerly was Amigo’s. The eatery is open 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 4 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 2 to 9 p.m. Sunday. Call 398-1300.

— Christine Peterson

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In honor of National Boss Day (that's Thursday, Oct. 16, as blogger laurah points out) author Patricia King and her PR folks sent some tips from her book, "Monster Boss."

Here are some excerpts:

"If your monster is looking for food, feed it something besides your own head. Some creatures are datavores˜a big meal of charts and graphs often satisfies them. Serve up a few pie charts for dessert and you can put them in a splendid mood."

and this ...

"There are many critters out there, especially among top-level managers who can take in nourishment only through their egos. If he responds to flattery, spread it on. Try a thin layer and see how thick you can go before he gags on it."

Other ideas?

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Do you know what Roz Korman, the person on the left, accomplished?

Read about the San Joaquin Bank operations manager in this week's People in Business column.

Then submit your own accomplishment for next week's listing.

People in Business announces new hires, promotions, awards, professional achievements and other business “people news” in Kern County. Submissions can be mailed to The Bakersfield Californian, business editor, P.O. Bin 440, Bakersfield, CA 93302; faxed to 395-7519; or e-mailed to business@bakersfield.com. Sorry, photos that are submitted cannot be returned. For information, call 395-7345 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

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Our latest map for homes that sold in Bakersfield from Aug. 11 to 18 is ready for a peek.

We regularly publish single-family home sale transactions that occurred between individuals, as well as foreclosures.

Check out what homes are going for, color-coded by price, with information from First American Real Estate Solutions compiled by reporter Jenny Shearer.

Highlights for Aug. 11 to 18:

• 118 homes are new on the map.

• Priciest? One sold for $925,000 in the 93314 ZIP code. (It was 4,251 square feet.)

• Cheapest? One sold for $58,000 in the 93308 ZIP code. (It was 1,310 square feet.)

Any comments today on the prices? Notice how there are more and more black pushpins, showing homes that sold for less than $150,000.

— Christine Peterson

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42718750.pdf

Arnold has been asking Hank Paulson for $7 billion, NOW, the LA Times reports. (The letter, which The Times got, is attached as a PDF; click the  blue box to download).

Yikes. Wow.

Anyone worried?

-- Gretchen Wenner, staff writer

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RPXMonthlyHousin~.pdf

Another day, another housing price decline report....

Today's, from RadarLogic, doesn't include Bako (sniff sniff). But July's numbers, it found, showed prices dragged down by foreclosures, especially in California and the southwest.

You can download the PDF by clicking on the blue box.

-- Gretchen Wenner, staff writer

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The biz section (that's us) now has a Twitter account: BakoBiz

It's just been loaded with its first tidbit.

So follow along if you're so inclined!

-- From us, the B-Team