larger view

There are good things about the Internet -- and there are bad things.

Buck, Billo and Maxi's video performance of "Streets of Bakersfield" is weird, lifeless and kinda creepy.  

The trio uses a photo of the famous Fun, Sun, Stay, Play sign as backdrop for a performance in which to stumble through the words and music, all the while seemingly wearing cement boots to prevent any physical exertion. 

But the lamest part is the performers spend the entire song looking offscreen, presumably to a karaoke machine showing the lyrics (although it could be a gunman out of view, because their performance looks like it was against their will). Billo, looking clueless as he hunts for the right chords, mouths a few words here and there, often off the beat. 

"Buck" closes this adventure by telling us that Dwight Yoakam -- who performed a duet with Buck Owens' on a remake of the song -- was in fact from Bakersfield. Really. Um, not so fast, Bucko. Yoakam was from Kentucky and later of LA. He visited here a lot and loved the Bakersfield Sound, but never lived here. 

If you love this crud, there are 100 other interpretations of country songs on their YouTube channel. But don't say we didn't warn you. 

The Bakosphere is filled with posts and Tweets from people traveling to or through Bakersfield. And maybe it's just us, but most of those posts  tend to be full of hate. 

That's why we were pleased to read a post from the Heart 2 Heart blog titled "Roadtrip to Bakersfield -- Come along!" that captures a family's daytrip from Victorville into Bakersfield. Stops included Valley Plaza, Murray Family Farms, the Apple Shed in Tehachapi, but the post also describes local sights seen from the car. 

What's refreshing is the blogger is -- are you sitting down? -- overly happy and optimistic, and looking for the positive. While the post borders on being overly innocent, the author actually enjoys her family and finds joy in discovering new things. 

Wow. That's downright odd in a world of angry cynics. It's good to start off the day with a bit of optimism from a fresh set of eyes. 

Loading...

Larger Map

larger view larger view larger view larger view

This may be a stretch, but I think the so-called Bakosphere can stretch to the Central Coast on these very hot summer days.

Castello della Costa d’Oro on the coast just north of Cambria has been “unveiled” after 14 years of construction. My first thought was, um, Hearst Castle is THE castle on the Central Coast. And it probably will remain so, but the slideshow and interactive tour capturing the beauty of Castello della Costa d’Oro (aka Golden Coast Castle) have to be seen to be believed. I don't think this kind of opulence has appeared in the area since the Hearsts left San Simeon.

This place is stunning and magnificent in so many areas, from the architecture and landscaping to the fine art and classic automobiles inside and out.

The 35,000-square-foot “castle” is a wine estate built by real estate developer Khosro Khaloghli on 80 acres. No word on the cost, but from the looks of it, budget didn't seem to be an issue.

Some highlights beyond the enormous rooms, patios, entryways, etc.:
•    12 painted mural domes
•    16 wall murals
•    33 interior and exterior marble statues
•    More than 50 fifty marble and onyx columns
•    2-story wardrobe closet
•    Secret passageway that leads to a wine cellar
•    Helipad
•    Automotive pavilion designed for up to 30 classic cars and motorcycles

larger view

The Bakersfield Condors are looking for a "tagline" or theme to help shape operations heading into this season, team prez Matt Riley says. 

In his latest Front Office Forum video, Riley also is asking for input on promotional nights; giveaways; and specialty jerseys that can be worn in games then auctioned.

Anyone who knows marketing knows that the Condors are very good at what they do, and it's refreshing that they're reaching out to the public for fresh takes on the mission. 

Mark Martinez, local radio talk-show host and CSUB professor, has a bit of fun on his "Mark Martinez Show" blog by quoting an article by Frank Rich of The New York Times that likens Sarah Palin to Al Sharpton. Ouch! 

In a post titled "Explaining Palintology," Martinez questions the "increasing hold that Sarah Palin has on the GOP." 

"So what makes Palin the star of the party?" Martinez writes. "In a few words, her ability to tap into the Republican's (sic) sense of resentment and victimization."

Quoting a liberal columnist like Rich is to be expected, but Martinez also includes a jab from Peggy Noonan, whose Saturday column in The Wall Street Journal warns that Palin rising to GOP leadership is a scary scenario. 

Yeah, yeah, Mento Buru needs publicity like we all need warmer temperatures in the Big Bake.

But Nick Belardes of FaceNews has put together a fun 10-minute video on Mento that coincides with the band's upcoming CD re-release of its early tunes. 

The video has some interesting tidbits, including the band once being flown to Ridgecrest for a gig; singer Matt Munoz recalling seeing "The Little Mermaid" at The Nile Theater back in the day; and Paul Perez finding out first from The Californian that he had been accepted into the band (nice communication skills, Matt-o!). Plus musical snippets throughout. 

The haters at Men's Health magazine have again dissed Bakersfield.

This time they give Bakersfield a D rating among America's 100 top sports towns. That D earned us 77th place, ahead of Modesto (79), Los Angeles (91), Sacramento (95) and ... drumroll, please ... Fresno at 98 with an F ranking. Miami ranked last, at 100.

The top 5 were Arlington, Texas; Aurora, Colo.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Indianapolis; and Columbus, Ohio.

The criteria was "a tally of how many people attend baseball, basketball and football games (college and pro), as well as who's showing p at high-school sporting events. Next we factored in NASCAR attendance and who's catching their sports on TV and Radio, all from SimplyMap. We ended up by looking at the number of people vying for tickets to any sports, who is buying the most team apparel, and finally, how many people call themselves foam-finger-waving fanatics, from Scarborough Sports Marketing."

Huh?

I guess our "poor" ranking in essence means we have lives?

KERO, Channel 23, has taken a look back at the making of Michael Jackson's music video for the song "Childhood," which was shot in forest near Mount Pinos, in southern Kern County, in 1995.

The station interviewed local residents who remember the four-day shoot as being very secretive, and Jackson as a quiet guy who came out of his trailer only for filming at night. 

MMA fighter Lavar Johnson was among the victims in Sunday's shooting at a family reunion in Bakersfield, and a variety of blogs and Tweeters are tracking his recovery at a Bakersfield hospital. 

Johnson -- who is from Madera, just north of Fresno -- was shot once, but is said to be in good condition after two surgeries. 

Johnson was something of a big deal in MMA (mixed martial arts), and had a 12-3 record fighting as a heavyweight. 

A comment in this Examiner.com post alleges the bullet passed through his body but remains lodged in his forearm. Sherdog quoted a text from Johnson's manager in reporting details of surgery that occurred Monday. Another site, called FiveOuncesofPain, didn't do any original reporting but collected info from a variety of sources.

You can watch Johnson beating Dave Huckaba in this Jan. 22 fight. 

We're not sure what to call it anymore since the KernCountyNascar website has disappeared, but the unfinished racetrack at Interstate 5 and Enos Lane had at least one racer taking spins recently.

Photos posted on LateModelRacer this week show weeds are starting to take over the track, which is partially paved and which features some seating. It's an unfinished track, but one that's still clean enough for a local dirt-track racer to take a few spins in his truck.

And as one of several posters noted, there's enough work complete that if someone bought the track for pennies on the dollar, they might be able to build it out and make a go of it once the economy rebounds.