Paperback Writer - thenovelist's Blog - Bakotopia

'Avatar' Animator Joins Crew Of Film 'The Lackey' Shot In Downtown Bakersfield

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:42:01 PST

Shaun Piccinino, who has directed and stunt-coordinated Spike TV’s No. 1 show “Deadliest Warrior,” (and post-production on “Robot Chicken”) has announced that crews are near completion of principal photography for the action-drama “The Lackey,” a film which he co-wrote and is directing on location in Bakersfield, Calif. Piccinino also said Bradley Alexander, an animator from James Camerons 3D sci-fi epic "Avatar" (2009), has joined the visual effects crew.

Employing state-of-the-art Red One camera technology used in the films “Lovely Bones” (2010) and “District 9” (2009), three independent media companies are on board with the “The Lackey”: Cinescope Media (Bakersfield, Calif.) Under The Wing Pictures (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Hectic Films (Bakersfield, Calif.).

More than 300 movies have been filmed in Kern County since the early era of filmmaking. Crews took to gritty Bakersfield locales to shoot in Brock’s alley off Chester Avenue in downtown Bakersfield, as well as local hotels, shops, Sandrini's (a below-street-level bar), and even in a dead-end back alley behind Pyrenees Café in Old Town Kern.

Piccinino said the actors blended with the retro, gritty backdrops. “We wanted the characters to look like they hadn’t bathed in three days,” he said. “The cool architecture in downtown [Bakersfield] has a blast from the past.”

In the same genre as two popular movies from 1998: “Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels” and “Run Lola Run,” “The Lackey” follows the cockney-accented Jude St. Clere, a lowly, albeit dependable fist-throwing crime thug surviving in the urban-immigrant milieu of European, American and Polynesian drug gangs. One last dirty deal, a lot of fights, and tossing down a few less swigs of the bottle can only help St. Clere make some good of his life after he realizes a dark secret.

Piccinino stunt coordinated the film’s action-packed fight scenes and stars as St. Clere. The film is co-directed by Jason Sanders and co-written with Steve Pisa. Also appearing is Jeremy Dunn (Regular on TV’s “Cold Case,” “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (2008), “The Green Hornet” (2010)), David Pires (Series regular on “General Hospital” and “Port Charles). Also: Paul Wolverton, D.T. Carney, Rickey Bird, Sonny Sison, Robin Steffen, Orlando McGuire, Nick Belardes and Lauren Parkinson.

Visual effects supervising and shot reviewing will be done by Pre-visualization/animator Bradley Alexander of “Avatar” (2009), “Transformers” (2007), "The Kingdom" (2007), "X-Men: The Last Stand" (2006), "Underworld: Evolution" (2006), “War of the Worlds” (2005), “Star Wars: Episode III” (2005), “Star Wars: Episode II” (2002) and more.

“The Lackey” is slated for a summer 2010 release. Its hard-hitting trailers can be viewed online at www.thelackeymovie.com.

Random Writers Workshop

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 09:48:58 PST

The Random Writers Workshop is growing! We started with five people in WEEK 1. Now in WEEK 5 we have twelve people signed up for tonight's workshop. It's exciting to see writers coming out of the woodwork to talk about their passion for writing.

Here's some info on tonight's session... - Nick

********************************************

Are you an aspiring author? You have ideas but you don't know how to get them down on paper? Having trouble developing a character for a short story or novel? Dialogue getting you down? Or maybe you're just wanting to know how you should dust off that manuscript you have laying around and whether you should get it to a publisher?

In Week 5 of the Random Writers Workshop we will be discussing TIPS FOR GETTING PUBLISHED. This week's special guest is author/associate publisher Brenda Knight of Viva Editions and Cleis Press. Her advice for the class will be read by discussion leader Nick Belardes. Past discussions have covered narrative, how to start a novel, and dialogue and have included professional writers such as Greg Olear, Hazel Dixon-Cooper, Gina Frangello and Jonathan Evison.

COST: $8
TIME: 6:30 p.m. writing and social time. 7:30 p.m. lecture/discussion. Always be prepared to do some writing just in case.
PLACE: Russo's Books at the Marketplace, 9000 Ming Avenue.
FACEBOOK: Lots of updates, so join on our FAN PAGE.

Bakersfield Town Hall Meeting On Health Care Reform

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:27:24 PDT

There’s a new Bakersfield-bred form of McCarthyism, only this doesn’t reek of paranoia of communists and a belief that intellectuals are of the Devil. It should be duly noted this is a different McCarthy too, in a different era, and one who simply believes in a sort of transparency for big government lawmaking.

On Wednesday night at the Icardo Center on CSU Bakersfield campus, two plainclothes police officers watched closely from the front row. One said, “I thought I was going to get bored, but McCarthy is a good speaker.” The officer was clearly packing at least one gun beneath his button-up shirt.

In fact, there were lots of cops in the building, probably to protect the few democrats in the house as the crowd’s “boo” power seemed near riotous at times.

But the officer was right. There was no sleeping during this town hall meeting that U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy said was one of the ten most important held across the U.S.

McCarthy said it was the largest town hall meeting he ever put on before jumping into ideas about the federal government’s need for transparency, and putting health care reform into the free market system to try to drive costs lower.

The idea of transparency has been a strong McCarthy theme for some time, though it was especially strong Wednesday night. He even ended by saying, “No matter what bill comes before you. Ask for transparency.”

Of course with that said, some folks in the audience seemed to take the meeting back in time to another McCarthy era, that of 1950s Sen. Joe McCarthy, as more than one person yelled “Communist!” (not at McCarthy, but in remark to either bill H.R. 3200 or democrat policy). There were other related words said with a bit of vitriol that included “Soviets” and “czars.” One man made sure to criticize the Obama administration with a dose of witch-hunt paranoia: “How can a self-proclaimed communist become an adviser to the President?”

McCarthy seemed to dodge most of word-inflamed bullets, grasping onto the sensible side of the Republican party that still recognizes a need for health care reform. He even said a few words about Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), who died on Tuesday night, and said he knows how it is to lose someone he loves. He said his heart goes out to Kennedy family.

The overall temperament of the Bakersfield town hall meeting on health care reform was mostly well behaved. There were few moments calling for McCarthy’s calmest tone, as only a couple of people jumped up and spoke out of turn.

Post your thoughts. Or READ MORE

Bakersfield Condors Mention Bakotopia On ESPN Radio

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:44:50 PDT

I made an appearance on ESPN1230 radio with guest host Kevin Bartl of the Bakersfield Condors. We talked weird sports superstitions, the Cleveland Browns and the trivia book Random Obsessions. Bartl was overjoyed that he was listed in the book twice.

Make sure to watch the video as Bartl and Hop from ESPN banter about the Raider Nation, and as I ask if any of the Condors regularly “yak” before games.
******************************
NICK BELARDES is managing editor for www.facenews.org and author of Random Obsessions and Lords: Part One.

Explore Cavernous Possibilities Of Love In Cheryl Klein Novel ‘Lilac Mines’

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 09:02:00 PDT

BOOK REVIEW:
'LILAC MINES', BY CHERYL KLEIN

Three love stories told over three generations. “Lilac Mines” by Cheryl Klein with its city and mountain settings and hints of ancestral ghosts is the kind of sweeping tale you expect from James Michener. Only in this case, Klein’s book is about women, women’s issues and queer issues.

Some readers might think they’re going to be completely out of touch with Klein’s new work. They might expect feminist literary theory to roar through their brain and rattle their very foundations. But like any reader of Klein’s vivid prose, just prepare to be pulled into a love story.

“Lilac Mines” revolves around one character, Felix Ketay, a 25-year-old fashion magazine writer who who faces an inner battle with stereotypes and love after getting dumped by her lover and beaten by two frat boys on a West Hollywood street. In fact, there are such strong feelings of love in “Lilac Mines” that straight people, queer people, any people can grasp what’s going on.

“I do think love is universal, and that the job of fiction is to convey experiences that may be unfamiliar to some readers (whether that’s queer love or space travel) in a way they can empathize with,” Klein said in an interview with Face News.

Above: Cheryl Klein.

Klein said her work promotes the idea that people don’t need to all be just alike in order to deserve kindness. She added, “At the same time, I’m wary of using universality as a way to smooth over genuine differences. While loving someone of the same gender may not be very different from loving someone of the opposite gender, unless you’re loving them on a desert island, your experience in society is going to be really different as a queer person than as a straight person.”

Asked about stereotypes and Felix’s necessary transformation in the novel, Klein reflected on her own struggles within gay and lesbian society and how Felix captures some of those realities. “Before I worked up the courage to come out, I basically had to convince myself — via a variety of personal and cultural role models — that being queer was cool. Which is arguably a necessary step. But ultimately you can’t base your entire identity (sexual or otherwise) on being cool, and this is the journey Felix needs to take too,” Klein said.

Klein admits with the character of Felix associates the older generation of gay women with bad haircuts and spelling “women” with a Y. “In fact, they paved the way — however imperfectly — for her generation, and an identity based on the appreciation of a shared history will serve all of us better in the end,” Klein said.

“Lilac Mines” was published by Manic D Press (San Francisco, Calif.). A quick tour of their catalog of engaging and often quirky books reveals curious titles for lovers of literature and oddities. With titles like “Avanti Popolo,” “Quakeland,” “Stencil Nation” and “Fears Of Your Life” you can’t help but want to start ordering some of the gems from this quarter-century-old publishing company.

“What I really love about Manic D is that, like so many small presses, they’re more interested in interesting literature than books that fit into a neat marketing niche,” Klein said.

She said Manic D is savvy enough to market their books in creative ways that are ultimately successful. “Manic D publishes all kinds of fun, edgy and unflinching books, from novellas about OCD goth girls to memoirs by Bigfoot,” Klein said.

Klein has also written the 2006 novel “The Commuters.” You can find more about her on her website.

Order “Lilac Mines” directly from the publisher: Go now!

**********************************
NICK BELARDES is managing editor at Face News and author of the book of oddities "Random Obsessions" and the novel "Lords: Part One."

Also printed in Bakotopia magazine, issue 62, 9-3-09

2009 Lowrider Nationals Was Smokin' Hot

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:41:49 PDT

Who knew that Matt Munoz could look just like Robert DeNiro? I didn't. But after I shot footage at the 2009 Lowrider Nationals, I suddenly realized that the Bakersfield Mento Buru bandleader wasn't just Ricky Ricardo. Just take a look at that thumbnail image.

And it's all a result of fast cars, glorious Hummers, hydraulic-freakin'-cool lowriders, hopped up engines and a few hot Lolitas. Isn't that right, Bobby D? OK, so I didn't film any of the Lolitas. But what I did shoot for Bakotopia and Face News were some fine vehicles that I'm telling you took some hard work in garages all around the U.S. to put together.

I saw one group of car-building experts were from Arizona. You gotta love the desert baby. Speaking of the desert, it was damn hot at the Kern County Fairgrounds. Didn't matter. It was worth the show.

I'm talking glitter paint-covered Monte Carlos, souped up Impalas and my favorite: a cherry red Super Sport that was just asking for bikini-clad babes to be polishing the hood on a chill Central Valley day.

What else is there to say? Watch the video. It's hot.

"Where's the hot girl contest video?" - Matt M

Lakers In Bakersfield As Bako Jam Resurrect From Dead?

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:50:14 PDT

I don't know whether the Lakers are officially affiliating with the Bakersfield Jam, but it sure is seeming that way after Friday's press conference. Team owner Stan Ellis hinted on it at least twice at the media event.

While I wrote about my journalist thoughts on the whole enchilada on Face News, I am my typical skeptical self whether the Jam's decision to come back and hold NBA caliber games out at the Norris Road facility will work.

Of course I will be there to support. I really do want to see semi-pro sports in Bakersfield flourish, and it should be nothing but good times out at the Jam Center, a million-dollar facility originally a state-of-the-art training center.

We'll see what happens. You can decide for yourself what you think by watching an edited video of the press conference.
*********************************************
NICK BELARDES turned TV/online journalist after blogging his way to success. His articles and essays have since appeared on the homepage of CNN.com and other news sites across America. His book "Random Obsessions: Trivia You Need To Know" is due to hit stores in August 2009. His Twitter novel, “Small Places” is the first original literary novel on Twitter and has been featured in the Christian Science Monitor, Mashable.com, Metroactive.com, Bohemian.com, NPR and more. He has also written "Lords" about the Bakersfield urban myth Lords of Bakersfield. His new homepage at nickbelardes.com offers weird true stories and more.

Speaking on Writing/Getting Published on Saturday

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 09:56:04 PDT

I'll be speaking on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. in Fresno at the River Parkway Trust's "River Rock" event, featuring Puerto Rican Poet Victor Hernandez Cruz. The event is hosted by American Book Award winner T.Z. Hernandez, who has performed in Bakersfield a few times in recent years.

I'll be speaking on author platforms and how to get published in today's tanking economy.

There's still room at this awesome "Respite by the River" event in Fresno. So, if you're interested in writing, want a Saturday day trip. It's only $5 per carload.

Click here for more info.

Or contact me...

****************************
N.L. BELARDES is a journalist and videographer who manages Face News in central California. His bizarre trivia book, “Random Obsessions” is due to hit store shelves in late 2009. His work has appeared on the homepage of CNN.com and other news sites all over America. You can purchase Lords: Part One, which describes the infamous Lords of Bakersfield. N.L. welcomes humorous notes and news tips to his MySpace or Twitter.He also has the twitter novel, "Small Places," a literary micro-blogging corporate mockery that you can get a sentence at a time via the Web or cell phone.

Weekly Report On Nothing: French Fries Edition

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:13:16 PST

Let me just start off my French-fry-eating new year by saying I grew up on a shitty southside Bakersfield street that at least didn't have carjackings.

Talk about crazy memories that whole fiasco brought up. That guy did not deserve to get shot in my old hood! It got me to even dig up a photo of my dead parents, rest their souls. Ahh, the old casa on Geneva Avenue. I remember its egg-stained walls very well.

Hey. Which one of you rat bastards is hiding the Bakersfield beaver family? Cough those furry fuzzballs up! Sorry. I'm pissed about that. I keep reminding people there are THREE beavers, not one. Hello? THREE.

I entered the underground lair of Norfolk, crept far beneath Front Porch Music to take some photos, a video, and followed up with a mesmerizing listening session of their debut album, "71 Functions Of Consciousness." I don't know about you, but my lame brain can only entertain about 12 functions any given day. Go buy their album, or go to one of their CD release parties at The Gate (Jan 9) or the Basement (Jan 10).

Oh yeah, as I sit here staring eye to eye with a French fry the size of Godzuki let me remind you that casualties are mounting in the Mill Creek Park Project. You name them: dead ducks, dead kitties, rebar-head-stabbed workers, possibly torn down historic buildings, local Chinese culture and heritage ignored, all in the name of revitalization. Federal building. (cough) Did I say that? I mean it's wonderful to rejuvenate... FEDERAL BUILDING... (cough cough) What?

OK, get some advice. Because I can't give it worth a damn. Especially about boinking coworkers. Or soon-to-be boinkers.

And somebody tell that chuko boss of Bakotopia that I appreciate him putting on his Indiana Jones hat and helping me dig up that fossil, Brian Jones Was Murdered. Great team effort! They belongggg innnn a museuuummm!! No, seriously! Their good!

Don't forget to tip Indiana Mattotopia. He's your Bakotopia product manager for god sakes.

By the way, I missed my goal of 50 views on my last blog here. I am going for 12! That's attainable!
*****************************************
N.L. BELARDES is managing editor for FaceBakersfield. His work has appeared on the homepage of CNN.com and other news sites all over America. You can purchase Lords: Part One, which describes the infamous Lords of Bakersfield. His Twitter novel, “Small Places” was recently featured in the Christian Science Monitor. His bizarre trivia book, “Random Obsessions,” is due to hit store shelves in late 2009. He’s also a contributing writer to TheNervousBreakdown.com.

Weekly Report On Nothing

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 11:52:09 PST

My weekly report on nothing has grown by leaps and bounds. A whopping 38 readers clicked on what little I had to say about last week's news. This week? Don't worry. I have even less to say.

Sixty years of Central Valley pro ice hockey took a suicide leap when the division-leading Fresno Falcons shamefully folded. What are Fresnans going to give up next, grapes? or have a Saroyan book burning? I vote for Fresno to just tear down their Bulldog Stadium . TEAR DOWN THAT WALL!

Don't worry, there's a new Highway 99 rivalry. And speaking of great Bakersfield Condors news, looks like the YouTube video I uploaded of head coach Marty Raymond throwing a tantrum was voted one of the Best Videos of 2008 by the U.K.'s Guardian newspaper.

In other Bakersfield sports news, I got all teary eyed when following Bakersfield Jam b-baller Mateen Cleaves around. Don't read this if you're just another bastard Grinch.

Looks like Hectic Films is starting up their war machines again after a hiatus. Get your action zombie flick going on, baby. Or an axe to your zombie-infected head. That's what I did on the set.

At my kid's show with the Blufs, Nick Alvarado got a booboo, while a girl named Tuesday listened to a song by the same name.

Speaking of feel good moments, does anybody know who the hell Sergio DeDios is? This Latino puppetmaster is telling damn good Mexico tales from yesteryear as one of the Irresponsibles.

Sure, there's all that murder crap, teens getting gunned down, gang folks getting arrested and even a tale of UPS hate, a bizarre Christmas tale of a girl getting buried alive in a Fresno vineyard, and there's a joke in here somewhere about a Fresno topless bar losing its liquor license.

I'm aiming for 50 views on my weekly report. I can do it.

Don't forget to tip your Bakotopia product manager.
*****************************************
N.L. BELARDES is managing editor for FaceBakersfield. His work has appeared on the homepage of CNN.com and other news sites all over America. You can purchase Lords: Part One, which describes the infamous Lords of Bakersfield. His Twitter novel, “Small Places” was recently featured in the Christian Science Monitor. His bizarre trivia book, “Random Obsessions,” is due to hit store shelves in late 2009. He’s also a contributing writer to TheNervousBreakdown.com.

Weekly Report On Nothing

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 16:48:43 PST

Looks like you might get one more of these out of me before Santa comes to Bakersfield and eats all of Bakotopia's milk and cookies. More nothing that is.

There was a great post out of Fresno that sparked a wintry-themed commentary from me. And yes, it was filled will all the grinchy sarcasm I could muster. But why not? I was pondering what Santa might leave beneath Bakersfield's Christmas tree. Give Matt a bigger office and bring more jobs to the area. I'm telling you, Bako needs many presents.

I added some fun sports videos over on the sidebar. DeMarcus Nelson got bumped up from the Bakersfield Jam to the Golden State Warriors. You can watch him getting an NBA-style foul. Then there's a wacky Condors video where mascots slugged me and face-washed my camera. They have it coming to them. I'll trip those fluffy bastards before they start their next race on the ice...

I'd been wanting to write about that taboo subject of suicide as I had been reading reports from around the country. KGET beat me to it but I still added my own two cents in a news article about the devastating affects of the economy on Bakersfield families.

Will somebody please tell me why the hell oil tanks are so close to homes here in Bakersfield, especially when they're mysteriously exploding and all oil officials can say is, well, the oil industry is hazardous... If it's so hazardous, then go build tanks of flaming oil miles from Bakersfield proper. Local media couldn't even agree where the giant tanks exploded...

Thank goodness there are teenage heroes in our midst, because I've had my fill of local alleged teenage killers on the loose.

There was just so much going on over the last week. Chowchilla chicken capers, possible orange crop freezes, lemons spilling on highways, hit-and-runs on kids, and the guy who impersonated a Bakersfield cop. Just when you thought that old toy sheriff's badge belonged in a trash can.

I've been feeling completely irresponsible, so I posted in the nonfiction group I started called The Irresponsibles about a completely whacked out trip to L.A. where I spoke with a poet, wandered into a barber shop with Jay Jones, now with Fox News in San Diego, and generally caused a ruckus.

It's all a bunch of nothing. I'll tell you more about it next week.

Don't forget to tip your Bakotopia product manager.
*****************************************
N.L. BELARDES is managing editor for FaceBakersfield. His work has appeared on the homepage of CNN.com and other news sites all over America. You can purchase Lords: Part One, which describes the infamous Lords of Bakersfield. His Twitter novel, “Small Places” was recently featured in the Christian Science Monitor. His bizarre trivia book, “Random Obsessions,” is due to hit store shelves in late 2009. He’s also a contributing writer to TheNervousBreakdown.com.

Weekly Report On Nothing

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:40:16 PST

I decided to write a report here on Bakotopia once a week. Sort of an editorial about what's going on that may or may not be worth turning an eye to. Read along, click along, clap along or just watch the videos over on the sidebar...

Bakersfield news has been its usual strange roller coaster ride: shootings, court stories, random bits of strangeness. OK, the Space shuttle landed in Kern County again -- minus one $100,000 tool bag. Fresh & Easy opened their hip grocery store chain in Bako. I popped in on their opening and all the media were gathered like bugs on produce while folks outside chattered in the cold holding onto green carts like a giant midget car race. Me included. I ate a tofu burrito sample and talked to their twitter expert and marketing guru. The mayor was there lurking and there was a sort of "Key to the store" moment that seemed kind of like a game show.

The new downtown Bakersfield trolley is a kick. I was expecting a huge San Francisco Rice O'Roni treat. It's small, but fun. And it's a start. I just hope they got the bell fixed after the mayor broke the chain off. Hilarious video. Why am I the only one who posted that hilarious footage online?

Who would have thought a salsa Virgin Mary stain would be such a popular story? People have been flocking to it. Could be the sense of hope we all need during the holidays. There's hope in salsa like there's hope in the Lotto. Hey, if there's a line to this woman's house I just want to know if there's free chips and salsa like Kuka's had at First Friday.

I wrote some nonfiction about glue machines, pink glue, crazy Davey and life in the late 80s.

Rockwell, the Lord of Trout's, marched two giant horses outside his Oildale bar to make a point about strength in community. Imagine if he used rhinos, or marched a flock of ostrich?

I guess I got all opinionated on the "day without a gay" story. Really, locally, there is no story. Gays in Bakersfield mostly hide under rocks. I just don't think they're calling in sick around town. If they are? Well someone please give that person an award. But I'm guessing local gays just want to WORK during the holidays like everyone else.

In Fresno, their roller derby girls hung up their skates, while their ice hockey team attendance is down. Not in Bakersfield where people still love their teddy bear toss. The Bako Jam is getting under opposing rival coaches' skin already. The coach of the Utah Flash busted his clip board at the Rabobank Arena. Poor sport.

That's all I got. It's just a lot of nothing anyways.

Don't worry, I'll give you a whole new list of nothing next week...
***************************************************
N.L. BELARDES is managing editor for FaceBakersfield. His work has appeared on the homepage of CNN.com and other news sites all over America. You can purchase Lords: Part One, which describes the infamous Lords of Bakersfield. His Twitter novel, “Small Places” was recently featured in the Christian Science Monitor. His bizarre trivia book, “Random Obsessions,” is due to hit store shelves in late 2009. He’s also a contributing writer to TheNervousBreakdown.com.

Calling Dr. Meth Head. Calling Dr. Meth Head... Report Please... Stat!

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 10:14:26 PDT

It's scary folks. The numbers are there. Doctors, surgeons, family physicians... They could be crankin' it up as much as those meth heads you live next door to...

I know, it's a touchy subject in the light of the recent arrest of Dr. Jeff Freesemann who was charged with transporting drugs, etc.

Yet several local nurses have spoken out on a related topic: doctors on drugs. What are the statistics? One out of ten doctors face drug or alcohol addiction during their career, statistics suggest...

Excerpt:

According to an article on the American Medical Association Web site, as many as one out of ten doctors will face drug and/or alcohol addiction throughout their career. Such addictions, the article states, are often not revealed to employers.

But what does that mean in the shadow of the recent arrest of the former chief of staff of San Joaquin Community Hospital and the potential related web of healthcare professionals, including physicians, who may be facing drug addiction in Kern County?

While recently, Dr. Jeff Freesemann and his wife have been arrested for transporting and selling drugs, and that the doctor may have treated patients after drugs were allegedly seized from his home, nothing has come out in the Bakersfield media on whether Freesemann has battled any kind of substance abuse.

And that goes for the healthcare professionals he may have supplied drugs to as well, as it has not been determined whether local healthcare professionals have frequented the local nightclubs where Freesemann’s alleged drug supplies were used.

Read the full article

VIDEO: CSUB Economist Talks Stock Crash

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 09:51:02 PDT

Yesterday's historic stock market crash may or may not be a sign of consumer hell to come. I went to CSUB and spoke with the department chair of the economics department to see what he had to say about America's production economy versus the financial sector. I also spoke with some students around campus to get their opinions.

Excerpt:

Monday’s historic 778 point Dow Jones industrial average drop was the largest in U.S. history, causing a financial panic that could result in economic recession, according to CSU Bakersfield Economics Professor Dr. Donald Olsen.

“It [stock market crash] was in response to the failure of the Congress to pass the legislation that investors were hoping would shore up the financial system of the United States,” Olsen said in an interview with Truxtun Avenue. “So investors became extremely pessimistic.”

He said the major stock market downturn happened from those investors bailing out of stocks and bonds.

A major question, Oswald said, is whether the Congress is able to restore confidence by putting together legislation that will help fund a government program create liquidity for financial markets...

Read the full article and leave a comment there or here.

SOUND OFF: Roadside Memorials A Hassle?

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 09:45:26 PDT

One woman said the two dozen roadside memorials destroyed on Taft Highway on Monday weren't so bad. In fact, she said they were a reminder to drive safe on a very dangerous road.

Excerpt:

Cal Trans took down more than two dozen reminders on Monday that Taft Highway is one of Kern County’s bloodiest roadways, citing safety reasons.

The two-lane highway is the artery linking Taft with Bakersfield and is a potential deathtrap for commuters faced with the possibility of head-on collisions, hazardous low visibility from dusty and foggy days and scary bends in the road.

Over the years many memorials built of crosses, flowers and signs had been placed along Highway 119. Some commuters used those memorials as an important reminder to drive safe.

Read full article and leave a comment there or here on Bakotopia. - n.l.

Oildale Woman Gunslinger, Red Chalk Penises, Car Bombs And More...

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 08:48:48 PDT

An Oildale woman shoots another Oildale woman to death. It's a scary world out there I'm telling you. And last night I went out to the scene of a possible car bomb. Busy night in the world of news.

And if you want really weird commentary, go help me solve why there was a red chalk penis on a sidewalk... - n.l.

Just How Deep Does The Alleged Doctor Drug Dealer Scandal Go?

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 07:14:03 PDT

None of the local media seems to really be digging into how deep the local doctor drug scandal is going. Does it involve supplying the local affluent with more than prescriptions of aspirin and bedtime stories?

I examine what the local media has to say in the article, "Prominent Doctor, Wife’s Arrest In Local Drug Ring Raises Questions"

Excerpt:

If anyone needs fodder for a crime movie screenplay, now’s the time to farm Bakersfield news. Why? It’s just not boding well for the ex-chief of staff for San Joaquin Community Hospital, his wife and others recently arrested for being part of a drug ring involving local nightclubs and more.

News of Dr. Jeff Freesemann, 46, and his wife Shelly, 43, both of Bakersfield, allegedly going the way of the local druggies and criminals, just keeps churning up storylines. According to Bakersfield.com, they will be charged on Friday with the transportation and possession of various drugs.

Read the full article

Dead Cat At The Old Folks Home

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 06:56:15 PDT

Isn't there enough death at senior living facilities without a dead cat having to rot for six days outside of one?

Oh man, if I see this cat on my morning walk again today I'm going to hurl chunks.

But whose responsibility is it to clean up this roadkill?

Read the full story and post a comment.

Or post one here for the Bakotopia community...

Shock Jock Steals Signs, Matt Munoz Of Bakotopia Quoted

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:24:29 PDT

Our hero of Bakotopia.com, Matt Munoz, was quoted in TruxtunAvenue.com's first ever news article (The site is in a beta test mode).

Come and see what Munoz has to say about KERN1410's Scott Cox being suspended after admitting to stealing Chad Vegas campaign signs.

Read: KERN 1410 Host Scott Cox Suspended, Admits To Stealing Chad Vegas Signs

- n.l.

What's The Toughest Job You Ever Had?

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 08:47:30 PDT

I think I can name about a million jobs that were tough. OK, I'm exagerrating. But I've dug ditches, been a welder's helper, worked in three hellish factories and even worked a bottle washing machine at an old dairy.

In my story, "Moths In Cotton Fields" I talk about building a pipeline.

This was crawling into the blackness before a dream. I scooted along on my belly. Blue smoke wafted from deep inside the pipe. It was the kind of darkness I always feared: claustrophobia, crawling, scooting, shuffling, following the line, knees scraping metal.

Read the rest of the story

Feel free to leave comments here or over on the story itself.