Post a Comment On: Bakersfield Observed

[Image] * ... OBAMA VIDEO: Ryan Newbrough, a Stockdale High product who went on to graduate from Harvard, has a huge hit on his hands with a YouTube video that expresses his generation's disappointment with President Obama. The video, viewed more than 300,000 times, was created by Newbrough and his Harvard classmate, Justin Monticello. It speaks to the high hopes young people had for Obama four years ago that some feel gave not been fulfilled. The two appeared on CNN recently and were subjected to a combative interview by CNN host Alina Cho. The video is sung to the Gotye hit "Somebody that I Used to Know."

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   * ... BAKERSFIELD SOUND: Local residents Scott and Shana Wood were in Nashville recently to take in the Bakersfield Sound exhibit, the tribute to the late Buck Owens and the Fender guitar-influenced twang that changed country music forever.  "So nice to see Nashville acknowledge the contribution of Bakersfield talent to country music! Made me even more proud to be from Bakersfield.  Nashville is a great place to vacation and I highly recommend making the trip to see the Bakersfield Sound Exhibit."

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* ... SPOTTED: Reader Linda Welch spotted a woman driving a large black Ford pickup on Olive Drive on a recent morning: "She was talking on her cell phone, smoking a cigarette or something else, drinking her coffee and eating a taco... The only thing missing was a bunch of kids not in car seats."

 * ... REALLY BAD FORM: Rhaya Lemons was driving west on Highway 178 when she came up on an older, red Ford in front of her. "First a cigarette was tossed out," she said. "Then the ashtray was emptied. Then a fast food bag. And last, but not least by any means,  a diaper in your honor sir. Everything thrown from that vehicle hit my car window but the diaper. This driver made quite the good toss with that 'over' the roof of his car. Bad form. "

 * ... THE OAKS: Southwest resident Bobby Blackmon wrote to complain about cars being egged in The Oaks and Haggin Oaks. "Yesterday when leaving the house for breakfast with my wife I found my vehicle had been hit at least three times on the hood and door. While driving to the car wash, instead of breakfast I noticed many cars throughout The Oaks and Haggin Oaks had been hit. Do these people not realize this is doing real damage to vehicles which could need expensive paint jobs to repair the damage of these pranks? Hopefully these people get caught so the neighborhood can be safe from weekend property damage and vandalism, not just dirty cars!"

   * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From reader David Moren: "Wow that Bakersfieldism about testing TV tubes at Thrifty's in Hillcrest brought a smile and many memories of my childhood. As kids my brother and I would ride our bikes to the Hillcrest shopping center almost daily. I can remember taking a tube that dad had pulled out of the TV and told us to go test it. The old tester had a small but complete inventory of tubes in the cabinet underneath the testing sockets.  Also spent many hours in the sporting goods aisle there. And the comic book stand. Then off to Fiddler's store to browse the toy department. Stop in at the barber shop next to the post office, always got a piece of Bazooka Joe bubble gum from the barber after a haircut, or Pipkin's store for prescriptions when mom was with us. Up to W.C. Grants to check out the pet department and a cookie from Smith's Bakery. What wonderful memories."