Bakosphere - bakosphere's Blog - Bakersfield.com http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/bakosphere Where Bakersfield and the Web collide Where Bakersfield and the Web collide en-us A compendium of silliness http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/bakosphere/32121 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/bakosphere/32121 <p>FOXNews is currently airing a segment about Fort Lauderdale kite surfers playing around as Tropical&nbsp;Storm Fay approaches. One is in critical condition after <a href="http://www.wjno.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=244038&amp;article=4117332">slamming into a building</a>. An hour ago when we first got to work the mayor (or some official) was saying residents are not complacent about Fay because &quot;there's a lot of intelligent people in Florida.&quot; That's like saying there are too many intelligent people playing on the Kern&nbsp;River for anything bad to happen.</p> <p>We also read last night that Dana White (founder of UFC) said his sport will eventually be bigger than the NFL and bigger than World Cup soccer. <a href="http://www.411mania.com/MMA/news/82820/Dana-White-Speaks-On-Tito-Ortiz,-Donald-Trump,-UFC-vs.-NFL,-More.htm">He said a few other things</a>, notably about fighter Tito Ortiz, who used to wrestle at Cal State and is now dating porn star Jenna Jameson.</p> <p>And lastly, a dead horse is found in an empty Bakersfield lot. Thanks to Eyewitness News Channel 29's Carol Ferguson for <a href="http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/27112394.html">getting to the bottom of this mystery</a>. All it took was one quote from a neighbor and we felt suddenly enlightened:</p> <p><em>&quot;It's not too good,&quot; Doven Dabor said. &quot;That's not too good.&quot;</em></p> <p style="text-align: right;">&nbsp;</p>


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Credit: bakosphere


Title: tito.jpg
Caption:
Credit: bakosphere

 tito.jpg bakosphere Lock your doors, the helicopter is hovering http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/bakosphere/32099 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/bakosphere/32099 <p>Today's tip of the day:</p> <p><a href="http://www.bakersfield.com/619/story/525002.html">&quot;If a helicopter is hovering overhead, shining a light on your house, you should definitely lock your doors.&quot;</a></p> <p>&mdash; Sgt. Tim Melanson, supervisor of the Kern County Sheriff's Air Support Unit.</p> <p>The great ghetto bird video is <a href="http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1529573207/bctid1733275739">here</a>.</p> The story behind Radio Free Bakersfield http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/bakosphere/32080 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/bakosphere/32080 <p>Every week we link to the Radio Free Bakersfield podcast which promises (and unfailingly delivers) 60 minutes of twang, crunch and oomph.</p> <p>So imagine our delight when the man who puts this podcast together e-mailed us thanking us for the kind words and providing some background to the show and its name.</p> <p><a href="http://www.myspace.com/pronouncedwhorehay">Here's Radio Free Bakersfield's site</a> (this post will be better enjoyed by clicking on the link and having the music caressing and poking you in the background).</p> <p>In Jorge's own words:</p> <p><em>&quot;RFB was named by John from Bang Cartoon when we were discussing the<br /> kind of music I'd be playing on the podcast when it was being<br /> conceived over two years ago. Since I was in a band at the time called<br /> the Spahn Ranch Boys, I wanted to call it the Spahn Ranch Dance Party.<br /> We were discussing the Bakersfield Sound as being an influence on SRB<br /> &amp; other bands I planned on playing; he came up with RFB. Sounded<br /> catchy enough, so we went with both. Of course, it hardly covers the<br /> variety of music on the show as it's grown, but it's become sort of a<br /> brand now.<br /> <br /> And yes, it has been brought to my attention about the pirate radio<br /> show with a similar name that apparently existed years ago...what can<br /> I say? RFB was on show 35 or so when I heard about that--I even said<br /> something on a show at the time that we were not affiliated with them,<br /> by request of the gal who told me about it (apparently she was a DJ<br /> back then). From what I understand, they no longer exist &amp; haven't for<br /> some time. Had I known about that in 2006, we'd have gone with SRDP.<br /> Believe me, I had no clue the show would have lasted this long or that<br /> anyone was gonna be listening to it. I didn't even know what a podcast<br /> was when John offered me the slot. That answer your question?</em></p> <p>And here's what John from Bang Cartoon said:</p> <p><em>&quot;'Bakersfield' is synonymous with honky tonk country ass music in my<br /> mind...and 'radio free' is always a rebellious term...so I just put<br /> the two together.&quot;</em></p> <p>RFB&nbsp;is righteous!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> A $7 beer and Bakersfield's cost-of-living illusion http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/bakosphere/32070 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/bakosphere/32070 <p>I paid $7 for a Guinness last night at the <a href="http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Business/TiltedKiltPubEatery">Tilted Kilt</a>. That in itself should go down as one of the greatest crimes this city has ever witnessed.</p> <p>But it was more than that. It was more evidence that, accommodations aside, it's no cheaper to live here than it is San Francisco, or L.A. or San Diego. Our cheap cost of living is mostly an illusion.</p> <p>We pay the same gas prices as the bigger cities to the north and south. Eating out costs about the same, as does filling up the grocery cart. And in all my statewide travels I don't think I've paid $7 for a draft beer unless it was in a ritzy nightclub.</p> <p>I'm not blaming the Kilt and it's tattooed and moley legion of workers. It seems a nice enough place and it was busy on&nbsp;a Sunday night so its obviously doing something right. They were showing the Olympics on one of their many nice TVs and most of the male clientele appeared interested in the global events of the night.</p> <p style="text-align: right;">&mdash; Andrew Mockett</p> Vampire books for teens and other book recommendations http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/bakosphere/31962 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/bakosphere/31962 <p>The time for summer reading may be at the end, but the Kern County Library has put out <a href="http://www.kerncountylibrary.org/HTML/using/staff/b_teen_dracula.html">a list of recommended</a> vampire books for teens - just in time for autumn and Halloween! (gosh, it is right around the corner, isn't it?)</p> <p>If you have a recommended reading list, share it with the library's <a href="http://kerncountylibrary.blogspot.com/">&quot;Staff Suggests&quot; blog</a>. They offer lists for kids, adults, travelers, book clubs and more. What's better? It's FREE reading!!!</p> You fill in the blanks! http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/bakosphere/31888 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/bakosphere/31888 <p>Quick contest.</p> <p>Looking for best suggestion as to how U.S. gymnast Jonathan Horton got the XXX award.</p> <p>Here's bakosphere's effort to get you started:</p> <p>&quot;Horton caught in uncompromising position with the pommel horse.&quot;</p>


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Credit: bakosphere


Title: x-rated.jpg
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Credit: bakosphere

 x-rated.jpg bakosphere 'Where's my newspaper?' http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/bakosphere/31869 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/bakosphere/31869 <p>Anyone who thinks the print product is dead should head downtown to our newsroom and help answer the phones!</p> <p>A production problem has <a href="http://www.bakersfield.com/hourly_news/story/523267.html">delayed delivery of The Bakersfield Californian</a> until around 10 a.m. and the phone is ringing off the hook.</p> <p>Estella from support services is handling the switchboard like a woman possessed. It's an Olympic-type performance in her cube.&nbsp;She's amazing.</p> <p>I'm half hoping she'd tell the next caller, 'sorry, we don't do newspapers anymore.'</p> <p>But that's probably not a good idea.</p> <p>So anyway, newspapers by 10 ish.</p> <p>Our huge apologies.</p> The next b.com blogger's meeting http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/bakosphere/31821 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/bakosphere/31821 <p>It's at Pizzaville on Saturday.</p> <p>Go to TomW's blog for <a href="http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/TomW/31810/#c_291590">details and discussion</a>.</p> Burgers in Beijing: BC's own Bird's Nest http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/bakosphere/31807 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/bakosphere/31807 <p>Watch the Olympic athlete stuffing a McDonald's burger in their piehole.</p> <p>But wait, isn't that BC's Memorial&nbsp;Stadium in the background? Channel 29's investigative reporter has discovered that <a href="http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/26893714.html">yes it is</a>.</p> <p>And a word to the wise. It's OK for Olympic athletes to eat McDonald's because they are burning thousands more calories than you and I. Just because <a href="http://www.nypost.com/seven/08132008/news/nationalnews/phelps_pig_secret__hes_boy_gorge_124248.htm">Micheal Phelps eats 12,000 calories a today</a> (roughly one and a half double cheeseburgers) it doesn't mean you should do the same.</p> <p>Apparently Ronald McDonald wanted to choose a time when the stadium would be empty, so the shoot was filmed during halftime of a BC football game.</p> <p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-DHbxjLA-k">Commercial here.</a></p>


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Credit: bakosphere


Title: mickyds.jpg
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Credit: bakosphere

 mickyds.jpg bakosphere Bringing the Olympics to Bakersfield http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/bakosphere/31767 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/bakosphere/31767 <p>We were chinwagging in our morning meeting about ongoing plans to revitalize downtown when a co-worker had the audacious idea of submitting a bid to host the Olympics in 2020.</p> <p>We missed the deadline for filing a bid for the 2016 Olympics and 2012 has already been awarded to London.</p> <p>You've only got to watch some of the Games from Beijing to see what it did for their city, and we've certainly got a steely law enforcement in case protesters or journalists get out of line.</p> <p>But to host an Olympics you need appropriate venues. Here's a tentative list:</p> <p>Swimming and diving: McMurtrey (Bonus: Gold medalists get a free trip down the slide)</p> <p>Track and field: BHS stadium (Bonus: The dirt track is older than the Games itself)</p> <p>Rowing: Buena Vista Lake (Bonus: Losers must swim from their boat to the shore)</p> <p>Fencing: Martin Luther King Jr. Park (Bonus: There's some weapons left over from the last gang fight)</p> <p>Any more venue suggestions?</p> <p>(The winning city is expected to be announced by mid-2013, which gives our city council almost enough time to get going on this)</p>


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Caption: A gold medal, not a gold pair of shorts, would earn you a free trip down the McMurtrey slide.
Credit: Henry A. Barrios


Title: gold medal.jpg
Caption: A gold medal, not a gold pair of shorts, would earn you a free trip down the McMurtrey slide.
Credit: Henry A. Barrios

 gold medal.jpg A gold medal, not a gold pair of shorts, would earn you a free trip down the McMurtrey slide. Henry A. Barrios