Raising Bakersfield is our new site which lets local parents share tips, find family events, buy and sell stuff and more.

Here's a post from a father who witnesses an apartment fire at close range while his wife and kid are in Phoenix.

To find out more about this unique community of friendly and fun parents, check out our site.

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Staff Sgt. Brian Cody Prosser died in Afghanistan in 2001.

His service and sacrifice prompted a former schoolmate to join the military and try to pick up where Prosser left off.

Read the tribute here.

At our morning news meeting we talked about the ban on driving while using a cell phone which goes into effect tomorrow.

A few interesting points were brought up:

The fine is pretty nominal, so will it really deter people?

Will local law enforcement really crack down on the miscreants who insist on ignoring the ban?

Will the ban lead to more drivers texting while driving, as this practice isn't illegal?

Does the ban apply to the police?

Here's our story on the new law with all the relevant details.

Meanwhile, the L.A. Times says the ban won't improve road safety at all.

But perhaps most importantly of all, will the new law result in more dillweeds wandering around with those idiotic Bluetooths strapped to their ears?

A businessman uses Burritophile to find Los Tacos de Huicho for lunch and is mightily impressed.

Check out his post here.

Have to agree. The big spinning stick is mouth-watering.

And here's more reviews for this fine Mexican restaurant on our Inside Guide.

As a massive lightning-sparked wildfire races its way toward Big Sur, NASA has captured the action on its satellites.

Check it out here.

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This blog poster is onto something (and on something).

The post calls to attention the Bakersfield Blaze's logo and it's uncanny resemblance to a marijuana leaf. And then there's the name 'the Blaze.'

'High'ly suspicious.

See the post here.

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Fact: Filling your piehole with McDonald's and capping it off with a post-lunch cigarette is not good for you.

Fact: Exercising at lunch is good for you.

Nebulous: Exercising outdoors with the current air quality might be worse for you than a Big Mac and ciggie.

I say that because I just got back from 45 minutes of outdoor exercise and my lungs feel like I imagine Bob Marley's would after a particularly heavy session.

— Andrew Mockett

Thanks to b.com blogger soxford for getting this discussion going.

In light of Bakersfield's awful air quailty (made worse by the smoke and haze from surrounding wildfires), is it time to put a stop to July 4 fireworks?

Join the discussion at soxford's blog here.

An Oildale man puts a bathtub in his tree to cool down in the summer.

His reasoning: "This is Oildale, so you know how that is."

Read and watch the video here.

What's odd about this clip is the KGET reporter is actually the Stockdale bible kid in 5 years time.

See for yourself.

An NPR reporter takes her $300 government rebate check and takes a trip to Bakersfield.

Once there she experiences the Bakersfield Speedway, eating Basque food and being called a hooker.

Listen to her account here.

Thought some of you bloggers might get a kick out of this story.

The Orange County Register (California's fifth-largest newspaper) is outsourcing some copy editing and page layout duties to India.

Read the story here.

Haven't heard of any similar plans at The Californian.

Seems even kids who are years away from driving are mad about rising gas prices. That's what happens when mommy cancels cable so she can afford to fill up her car.

And you'd better reserve one of Bakersfield's downtown city lofts, because everyone will want to move downtown soon seeing as no one can afford to commute from the outlying areas. Northwest Bakersfield now looks even less appealing. So says this story.

Our gas prices map might help.

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Hate to harp on about gas prices and stuff, but I saw my first Smart car in Bakersfield last week. I've seen loads in Europe and they look just as silly there, but with rising gas prices the fuel-savvy Smart car owners might be having the last laugh.

Our intern is working on a story about the Smart car, while Growth and Economy's John Cox is looking into local scooter/moped sales for an upcoming story.

Meanwhile, PureAmerican wants to take it a step further and use his golf cart on the roads. Read his blog post here.

And then this from a Bloomberg story:

"Consumers purchased an average 9.45 million barrels of gasoline a day in the week ended June 20, down from 9.71 million a year earlier."

Read the whole story here.

Our driving and vehicle-purchasing habits are changing. And that's a fact.

Former Federal Reserve boss Alan Greenspan said today the U.S. is on the 'brink' of recession and our chances of slipping into a recession are above 50 percent.

That's why he gets paid the big bucks.

Anyway, here at bakosphere we're all about saving you money (and wasting your time)!

Find the cheapest gas in town with our map.

And we find and post deals from throughout the city at our Cheapskate blog.

Does he?

Here's is an excerpt from his post:

"I love this place, except for all the people that came here and tried to make the Bakos change."

Read the whole post here.

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Odd opening sentence about this former local high school basketball player.

Read his entry here.

"Obscene in the Extreme: The Burning and Banning of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath" is a book by Rick Wartzman about Bakersfield's successful efforts in keeping Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize-winning book out of our libraries.

You can read the mini review here.

The book has not been released yet, but you can pre-order it on Amazon here.

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Are we the only ones annoyed by those self-important nimrods walking along with a flashing blue earpiece stuck to the side of their head? Apparently not as evidenced by this man's anti-earpiece blog (er, language warning here)!

And of course, who isn't annoyed by the recent sweltering temperatures. Saturday's high of 109º or 110º was ludicrous and our squash plants were pretty much decimated on one day.

And lastly, bars/restaurants which don't turn the AC on. Spent a grim hour in Mama Roomba on Friday night and it was Iraq-hot in the dining room. Even the Red Stripe was lukewarm. Pizzaville is the same — swamp cooler only action. But at least the beers are ice cold and only $1.25 a mug. Nothing to get annoyed about there.

Pismo is currently 98º.

Bakersfield is currently 96º.

Wasssuuuuuuuuuuuuuup!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(temps taken at 2:05 p.m.)

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PureAmerican wants a local street named after race car driver Kevin Harvick, a la Merle Haggard and Buck Owens.

Do you agree? Go here to join the discussion.

And if you want to find out how the NASCAR star did at Bakersfield Speedway last night, click here.

As long as you could get back at that speed.

Thanks to Bake Town for posting this video.

A Tampa condo complex will try a new tactic to sell its units.

One pool is being set aside for nude swimmers, sunbathers and hot tubbers.

Can't see this idea catching on in Bakersfield, in The Springs for example. The sunburn would be a factor for starters.

And then there's those darn Google Earthers just looking for another party to crash!

Still, if you need a place to rent you can check out our Classifieds.

We had layoffs at the Californian about a year ago, so we sympathize with what's going in over at KGET 17.

Read the story of their layoffs here.

Quoted in our story of the layoffs is Tasha Cox, former director of KGET’s 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts.

She has written a blog post praying for a rewrite of our story. Read her post here.

We couldn't find any mention of the layoffs on their KGET's Web site.

The same holds true of 29/58, and KERO 23.

Perhaps stories will appear during the day.

PLEASE IGNORE THESE IF YOU'VE HAD ENOUGH OF GAY MARRIAGE, but Bakersfield and Kern County have come in for some stick over this issue.

Nowhere is this more pronounced than in the murky waters of the blocean (just made that word up).

Anyway, here are a couple of blogs using the gay marriage issue to dredge up tired 'ol stereotypes of Bako and its residents.

There's the Yellow Blankie, which seems more scared of slandering anyone than posting an orginal thought.

And there's Out in Jersey where the writer waxes lyrical of a region he probably has never been to:

"Kern county, a god-fearing, god awful stretch of utterly classless, dust covered strip malls and fast food joints and whose biggest claim to fame is an air force base and a bauxite mine"

Jersey? JERSEY? Remove the plank from thine own eye!

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So, gay marriage day passed without incident and had it not been for the hordes of media it may have passed without notice!

Check out this great bakersfield.com video of the media presence here.

It's a bit disappointing, not that the day passed without incident, that was nice, but what on earth are we going to discuss until November?!

We're a bit bored of gas and food prices. They're high. We need to change our habits a bit. Blah, blah.

What's left to discuss? Should bloggers take the day off?

It's not deserted by any means out here at gay marriage central, but the crowds have died down, the sole protester has left and the hot dog vendor still hasn't showed up.

Along with the sense of normalcy we mentioned earlier, there has also been a real feeling of relief. Relief that for many of these couples after years of loving each other they could finally make it official, and also perhaps a sense of relief that the anti-gay marriage crowd didn't show up to spoil their day.

Bakosphere is heading back to it's office cocoon. It's warming up and we don't do well in the heat.

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A woman shows up with a sign in Spanish saying marriage is between a man and a woman. A reporter and photographer congregate around her.

A few minutes later two BPD officers show up and get a quick translation from a bystander.

The reporter continues talking to her and soon after she is told to go to the sidewalk by the police, which she does.

Check the Politics Anyone blog in a few minutes for more on this short-lived protest.

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The sun's getting in bakosphere's eyes and it's making it slightly tricky to see the screen, but the scene out here at gay marriage fiesta is harmonious and happy.

The newly married couples are positively beaming, as you can see from this Your Words article written by a newlywed moments ago. Her story is here.

If the media is not outnumbering the general public, we're close to it. As annoying as it might seem, it adds a celebrity feel to the whole event.

And who hasn't wanted to be a celebrity for a day?

No sign of National Enquirer or the protesters. Champagne is noticeably absent too!

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Well, we didn't get the wrong day. It's getting busier by the second out here. No protesters.

We spoke to a couple who'd come to reaffirm their vows after 28 years of marriage. 

Their story is here.

If normalcy is what everyone out here was hoping for, that's what they've got. So far.

Bakosphere has secured a lovely spot in the shade slap bang in the middle of the action. We'll probably have to fight for our spot once the National Enquirer shows up.

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Bakosphere rarely leaves the cozy confines of its cubicle, but we braved the elements today and headed to the county clerks's office to soak up the gay marriage scene on this historic day.

So far, there's been a couple of weirdos trying to bum a smoke, Jose Gaspar doing a live TV broadcast, and we're sitting down with Reed Saxon of the AP in Los Angeles who's here taking photos for the Associated Press.

It's pretty quiet out here so far. No sign of protestors.

Did we get the wrong day?

Blogs allow everyone to have their say.

This time tomorrow gay couples will be picking up their marriage licenses at the county clerk's office.

Or will Ann Barnett's employees call in sick?

As much as gay couples and supporters would hope, it's not going to be a normal day. The media circus (us included) will be there too. One would imagine there will be protesters. And perhaps a police presence to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Any predictions?

Local TV tries to find Ann Barnett.

Then the police are called!

Watch the TV new show here.

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This is either very cool, or rather creepy depending on whether you're a tech geek or stalker.

Google has street-viewed Bakersfield, meaning you can drive the streets of Bakersfield using Google maps.

I drove to my house. My car wasn't in the driveway. My lawn looked a bit dry. There was a strange man crawling through my window. I was transfixed!

Our Growth and Economy team is working on a story about bikes, and how the stores that sell and repair them are doing brisk business.

I caught up with John Cox, who's writing the story, as he headed out to shoot some video of a morning bike commuter.

He said most people say they are doing it for the fitness. Some say they are concerned about the price of gas.

I asked if anyone has said they're doing it for the environment. He said no.

 — Andrew Mockett

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Well I haven't, but almost every kid who grew up around here went at some point during junior high. Re-live those carefree days (not forgetting the pimples and awkward relationships) with our video of the kids at camp. You'll wish you were 12 again.

And while you're at it, check out an audio slideshow of the best local photos of the week and an explanation of why the photos were picked.

Kern is a nasty county!

Kernville is a mean place!

Bakersfield is ugly!

Who dares level such accusations? This blogger. That's who.

Calling our county clerk a "bureaucratic weenie," columnist Patt Morrison writes that Bakersfield has an opportunity to become a real "gay mecca."

Read her column, "Aisle Denial in Bakersfield" here.

She references lots of our stories which is nice.

We're kind of like that Utah town which banned bikinis at its public swimming pool. All of a sudden everyone's interested.

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It's 4:20 somewhere.

As locals debate gay marriage, rising gas and food prices and who'll be playing at the Kern County Fair, a new report released by the White House today might put all those issues on the back burner.

Pot is the strongest it's been in more than 30 years.

If that's true, then had "Up in Smoke" been filmed today it probably could have been produced on half the budget.

Check out our Inside Guide where you can find and review the best munchies in town.

KPPC talk show host Patt Morrison did a radio segment today called "Marry-Go-Round" in which she talked to three county clerks (Contra Costa, Butte and Merced) and Bakersfield Californian county government reporter James Burger. Apparently Kern County's own clerk, Ann Barnett, wasn't available for the show.

The Butte County clerk explains cost was the factor for her decision to halt all marriage ceremonies after June 17. She says the timing is unfortunate, but her decision has nothing to do with any personal agenda.

We wonder what Barnett would have said had she gone on the show. But Burger represented for our neck of the woods. Take a listen and tell us what you think! FYI, the marriage segment starts about 15 minutes in, and the Kern County section is about 35 minutes in.

http://www.scpr.org/program...

PS ... if you have trouble listening with Real Player, click in the link for the Podcast and download it to your iTunes.

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Bakersfield is full of glorious surprises.

This photo was taken by Californian photographer Felix Adamo on Monday.

It shows the Bakersfield Hash House Harriers stopping for a quick portrait on 18th Street before continuing on to the Silver Fox lounge for some drinks after their annual Red Dress Run. The " Drinking Club with a Running Problem" is part of a larger international organization.

You can view their Web site here.

Tired of rising gas prices? Perhaps carpooling is in your future. This site could make things easier.

Or you could try this site.

Somehow, in Bakersfield we can't see carpooling catching on. However, if you added up your miles from a northwest neighborhood to downtown (for example) then divided it by 2 (your carpool share), carpooling would probably make a lot of sense. We're thinking about $15 a week, or 2 Sequoia sandwich trips. And let's face it, if you can't be bothered to make your own sandwich and bring it work, chances are slim you'd go through the added inconvenience of carpooling.

In the market for saving pennies on gas? Try our gas map.

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This little girl was wandering around the Kern County building on M Street Tuesday morning. I'd say she's several months old.

Melinda Herrera, a county security guard, found a rope and tied the pup to a newspaper rack. The caramel-colored pooch has water in a bowl, unless she decides to knock it over and bat it about like a hockey puck.

I followed her to a nearby home, and the woman said she thinks the dog lives on K Street, in a blue-and-white house. But I didn't have time to scout around the 'hood looking for it.

The pup is cute and friendly — she let me carry her for a good distance and didn't seem to mind. She feels clean, too, so she must belong to somebody.

Herrera said she would call county Animal Control to pick up the dog. Perhaps there's room in one of your homes — and hearts — for this little one.

— Jenny Shearer, staff writer

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Is it just us, or is this disagreement a classic? Two bloggers argue about who has spent the most time abroad.

Blogger1: "I've also stopped believing your insistence that you've been to Europe.  I think the closest you've been to Europe is the food aisle at World Market.  IF you've ever been there, it's because you naively bought into a timeshare in the '90s that you can't unload now."

Blogger2: "a summer in germany with some derelict students doesn`t give you a right to spout off on the country or people,everything you say will be denounced, You are just a scab to us that do have commerce and lifelong friends from both the east and west, you just spew the wrath and you were a sore spot acting like a American when you were there, you were not welcome or anything special...you were not in the Disneyland section of "it`s a small world-Germany".you were in thier land and a foreigner...much less a Ugly American, you were spotted and heard half a block away, you didn`t abide or care to learn any of the customs or traditions of the culture, you stood out like a sore thumb and I feel sorry for the "students " that had to apoligize to their friends when you left."

Blogger1: You're the American dork that any European can spot from a mile away.  Sitting there at Le Deux Magots, with your trucker hat and Nikes on, coughing up 60 Euros for your cheap french wine and pretending to read Voltaire.  Then you throw on your Oakleys and wander the ancient streets of Paris, irritating the Parisians on their way to work because you don't understand the street signs and you keep wandering into traffic.  Then you go to the Louvre, and bore anyone within hearing distance with your incessant bragging about how knowledgable you are about art.  Guess what?  Hanging two Thomas Kinkaid posters in your trailer doesn't make you an art expert.

Blogger2: Oh..so savage and are you bitter, hit a nerve,, some memories awaken... you seem quite shackled and longing..How can you comment on things you have never experienced even though they call you,,, poor girl... Oh sorry again, couldn`t spot me a mile away, been doing very well for years over here, I can leave that town on a whim and do often... I may not be there at all... you better take note of the time differences my little world traveling savage...ohhh so bitter you...Tcuss

Follow along here.

A column in the Los Angeles Times talks about Kern's gay marriage issue and argues that Ann Barnett's decision to stop performing civil marriages highlights the ideological extremes within California.

Read the column here.

A local blogger writes about the elephant in the room at Trouts for the 2nd Annual Bakersfield Country Music Awards.

Anyone wanna guess where this photo was taken?

When you've lived in Boston, San Francisco and New York, you have very right to sigh when you end up back in Bako!

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So, Ed Jagels and his "target gang unit" are going after the "shot-callers." Well, don't forget the "ballers." And what about those with "20-inch rims on the Impalas."

Only one question came to mind when the sheriff's department released a video showing the May 23 crash, which killed 29-year-old Deputy James Throne. Why?

And just when you thought the price of everything known to man had gone up, the City Council says water, sewage and trash rates will increase. Frankly, that's rubbish and it stinks.

A summer intern at the Barstow newspaper reflects on her first day on the job.

Read her post here.

Your Big Mac won't have tomatoes on it today because McDonald's just announced it won't be serving sliced tomatoes at any of its restaurants over concerns about Salmonella food poisoning linked to uncooked tomatoes.

From the Associated Press:

McDonald’s will continue to serve grape tomatoes in its salads because no problems have been linked to that variety.
The source of the tomatoes responsible for the illnesses in at least 16 states has not been pinpointed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said at least 23 people have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.

Those tomatoes I've got growing in the back yard are looking better by the minute!

— Andrew Mockett

Not an hour ago we said we were tired of the gay marriage issue, but it would be remiss of us not to pass along this story from the L.A. Times.

There's nothing new in it, but it quotes a couple of our bloggers.

We're sure your checks are in the mail!

(And here's a local TV news video on Ann Barnett refusing to answer questions)

And another video of LGBTQ Chair Whitney Weddell talking to Channel 17 Monday morning  and a Channel 23 report that Kern County High School District Trustee Ken Mettler has sent out requests to all his supporters to pack the supervisors meeting Tuesday to demand that no licenses ever be issued to same gender coulples.

"We're in Bakersfield" though apart from some churchy references, we're not sure what you're doing here.

And here are some photos of the Veterans Memorial in Bakersfield.

One man's Bakersfield Trip Highlights include a local creamery.

And finally, local swimmer Gabe Woodward chats about juggling a family while focusing on the biggest sporting event of his life.

Has anyone else had enough Ann Barnett and the gay marriage issue?

The cost of gas has also been discussed to death.

But what about the weather. It's forecast to be 99 degrees today. At last, something else to talk about!

Queeristan says it's time to "lawyer up."

Box Turtle Bulletin says County Clerk Ann Barnett is not honest.

Whitney Weddell tells KGET Barnett threw a temper tantrum.

Good As You calls Barnett's actions "homo-hostility."

Haven't found any blogs out there yet that support Barnett's decision to stop performing all marriages, straight or gay, at the county clerk's office. Anyone else seen any? We do strive for balance here ....

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We're absolutely positive Ann Barnett's decision to stop solemnizing all marriages in the County Clerk's office on June 13 had nothing to do with the fact that the gays would be arriving in her building on June 17.

A mere coincidence surely.

(that's Ann on the left on the photo)

Barnett's decision is being heavily debated on our Politics Anyone blog, so no need to weigh in here. Here's the link to the blog.

And if you still want to read more about Barnett and gay marriage, check out Californian columnist Lois Henry's blog here.

The Box Turtle Bulletin enters the Kern County gay marriage debate. Here are the opening lines of the blog post:

"With an economy based in argriculture, manufacturing, and oil refining, it’s no exageration to say that Bakersfield stinks. Literally. And with a high rate of poverty, one of the nation’s worst cities for ozone and particle polution, and a reputation for red-necks and bigots, there’s little to encourage one to visit."

Read the entire post here.

Meanwhile an Atheist in a mini van publishes her gay marriage letter because she doesn't think it would be accepted by a newspaper.

Start washing the car with a bucket, not a hose.

Turn those sprinklers on only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Schwarzenegger has finally declared a statewide drought. He said at a press conference today, "it's drier than Gandhi's sandals."

He didn't actually say that, but anyway, get ready for water rationing.

Californian columnist Robert Price wrote about water rationing in Bakersfield recently. It might come sooner than he thought.

It's Wednesday morning, slightly overcast, much cooler than usual for this time of year. In a word: Lovely!

An out-of-towner has reservations about attending a Bakersfield wedding, and is then blown away by what she sees. Check out the gorgeous photos here.

Meanwhile, taking a walk on the seedy side of life for a moment, this stud will put on a white tie for the occasion. If someone can tell us what this mean we'd be much obliged: THROWS BLACKS & PARTIS. See the post here.

A blogger brings up an interesting point: Can you scuba dive in Isabella Lake? Our question is why would you want to scuba dive in Isabella Lake?

And this question came over on e-mail to Ask The Californian:

"There are a bunch of huge pine trees that are surrounding something. I am not sure what street they are on but I can see them from Panama Lane just before Buena Vista Rd. I have asked lots of people what was in there and I have heard that there is a lake in there, there are several homes and I have also heard a  very rich family lives in there. I just want to know what those trees are hiding?"

What are they hiding?

You can read other Ask The Californian questions and answers here.

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The niece of fallen deputy James Throne went into a tattoo parlor to have her uncle memorialized on her arm.

Here's the story and pictures.

Throne was honored with laughter and tears at his funeral Friday. Our coverage of the occasion can be found here.

We like the Throne ink, but not all tattoos are such a good idea. Here's Radar's gallery of the most idiotic.

A co-worker at the East Valley Tribune in Mesa, Ariz., pays tribute to his friend and colleague, Chris Page.

Page was the entertainment reporter at The Californian a few years back and took his own life recently.

Here's our story following his death, and his former editor's remembrances here.

One of our favorite bloggers has brightened our Monday morning with his Buck/Beatles love mash-up.

Thanks, Dr. BLT.

Listen to the recording here.

To kick off this Monday morning blog roundup we have a local appraiser offering his views and predictions for Bakersfield's housing market. Read it here.

But really, who cares that the price of their house has plummeted? What's really got bloggers mad is the Ford dealership owner in Mojave who told non-Christians to sit down and shut up.

Here's The Underground Believer's latest rant.

And here's another post on the same topic from the way of the woo blog.

Here's our story on the matter in case you missed it.