Recent Blog Posts: Bakotopia

I'm going to recede for a while...

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 21:48:24 PST

So I've got a lot of homework and stuff to finish up... my semester ends in mid-december so until then I doubt I will be very active on here. But dont fret precious, I'll be back soon. So until then, leave me any thoughts or feelings and I'll respond when I get a chance. Take care until I get back. :)

P.S. If there are any good plays going on, somebody be kind enough to let me know... I have been intrigued by the local theater lately... particularly the Empty Space Theater thanks to Mr. Munoz.

Love is in the Air

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 16:52:19 PST

We went to Don Vinos again for their free wine tasting. This time it was a little different than the last time I wrote about here:

go here for my last Don Vinos experience: www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/twinkie/847

You see, last time, in the middle of all the goofiness and stinky purses, Dorp and I decided to put Goocher on the spot and set her up with J__. Just to be goofy. And to put her on the spot. We weren't really serious about it. I don't think? Well, maybe we were a little bit serious. But mostly we just wanted to be goofy. And we wanted to put her on the spot.

She was soooo pissed at us. hahaha Which is what we trying to do, piss her off. But him, well he was a good sport. Which I actually expected him to be, since he's such a great guy!

He came to check on us, and I’d commented something really dumb, laughing the whole time I was saying it. I don't remember exactly how it went. But it went something like this:

”Hey, J__ Dorp and I were thinking since YOU’RE single, and Goocher is single, you two should hook up.”

Dorp says something, which I don't remember right now.

He says something too. Can't remember that either. Whatever...

Dorp and Goocher feel free to chime in here with the correct conversation because at this point, I know I’d sampled one too many wines off the list and my memory is fuzzy.

The important thing is he is such a good sport and just goes along with it. Goocher just sits there gritting her teeth and smiling politely at J__ while pinching me and Dorp and whispering empty threats about killing us if we don’t shut the hell up. Of course we don’t shut the hell up. We know she won't kill us. She loves us.

So we keep egging him on and finally he politely asks her for her phone number. She gives it to him VERY reluctantly. So he says, “look at her, you’re forcing her to give me her number. It’s probably not even her real number.”

She says, “It’s not fake” at least I think that’s what she said. I couldn’t really understand her because she was talking though her teeth.

J__ says, “ If I call it right now will I get a complete stranger on the other line?” He's laughing. See Goocher, he thought it was funny too.

Dorp and I can’t stop laughing. And I have to go pee so bad but don’t want to miss out on anything.

She says, “IT’S MY NUMBER. WHY WOULD I GIVE YOU A FAKE NUMBER?”

He calls her bluff and dials. Her phone rings. She looks annoyed/embarrassed? hard to say at this point and says, “See it’s meeeeeee” and hangs up. He walks away to help other customers. That’s that. End of story. I mean it’s not like he’s really gonna call, right? RIGHT? I mean…. Right?

Wrong. He called. They hit it off. They have been dating ever since.

So yes, we went to Don Vinos again. But this time Goocher got both our very needed "girl time" but she also got to visit with her man.

Coming Soon: Before they Were the Beatles: My Interview with the Quarrymen

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 16:33:50 PST

This just in:

You may have heard the rumors, and I'm here to confirm them. I recently had the exciting opportunity to interview the band from which the Beatles were born: The Quarrymen. I bet there are even a few Beatles historians that were not aware that this band is still together, long after the Beatles broke up. But they once performed with the Beatles and were good friends of John, Paul, George and Paul. They will share their memories with all of you.

Stay tuned to my blog n roll site for more information.

Light, Time , and Distance

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 15:31:02 PST

Is light a form of cold fusion plasma? The particals of light are traveling so fast that that they are held is a suspened animation and become a stream and the frcition from the speed of the stream creates the light that we see. The heat is latent heat that is fuling the friction. The heat from light that we see could come from the fact that when the stream hits an object say the earth it is compresed into a wave form. When this happens the friction from the sudden commpresion is released as waves of heat and the light partical glow that is when it becomes both heat and light and is both a partical and a wave . That could be were a rainbow get it's colors. The sudden innercia momentarily fractures the light into it's indavidual visibal components. Light is The Twin Paradox .

Rachel/Zoso : ) A Bakersfield belly dancer and instructor.

My New Favorite

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 13:15:49 PST

Sometimes I fixate on one thing and that's all I will eat or drink. My new favorite is the Starbucks "Grandma's Turkey Sandwich" It's filled with roasted turkey, cranberries and stuffing on whole grain bread - It is supper yummy!

The Office

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 11:34:16 PST

Jim is back, but now Karen is in the picture.

What is Pam to do? I feel so bad for her. I must have missed something in the previous episode, Jim's seeing someone? Is he officially seeing Karen? I was completely thrown off by that. Aww... poor, poor homely-looking Pam.

A Question About Time

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 02:00:37 PST

I am not that good with modern physics, but I do have a question about time zones. Between the mountain and pacific time zones their is an hour difference. If you stand one side of the line and say it is 4:00 PM in the mountain time zone and then you step over the line into the Pacific time zone and it is 3:00 PM Have you just traveled backwards in time? If you stand with one half of your body in one time zone and the other half in the other time zone, is one half of body an hour older then the other half? If you stand on the line that separates the two time zones what time is it? Does time exist on this line?Humans live moment to moment. With more then six billion people on the planet, do we all share the same minute or do we each have our own minute? If we each have our minute that is more then six billion minutes stuffed into on 60 second period. Or do we each get aproxamatly one sixth billionth of a minute each? Just curious?

Rachel/Zoso : )

Calling alll Bakotopians to rally for the OHV Park meeting on January 23rd @ Kern County Supervisors Offiice

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 22:03:59 PST

We need all Bakotopians who ride, jump and race motocross, dirtbikes, trials and quads to be at the OHV Park meeting on January 23rd @ Kern County Supervisors Offiice to show support and be prepared to help overcome obstacles.
The last postponement comes at the request of the state’s Parks Department as officials investigate concerns that the park would contribute to Valley Fever outbreaks. So does walking two pit bulls on a leash in the dirt...

FYI: The 11,000 acre off-road property is located north of Round Mountain Road near Poso Creek, just 30 minutes north of Bakersfield.

Kern Off-Highway Vehicle Association
You can help by donating, make checks payable to:
Friends of Kern Open Space
a Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation
PO Box 81422
Bakersfield, CA 93380-1422

E-mail:
info @ kohva.comIf anyone knows how to get more publicity for this please contact me or Mr. Taylor. I am also considering performing research to determine if California has any special funding for people who are disabled and need to use speacial sports, speacial equipment and facilities to help them rehabilitate themselves and increase their body mass, or range of motion through recreational activities. If anyone knows about programs that may be beneficial please contact Joseph Damiano at aweb4you@gmail.com.

Is There Room for Intelligent Design in the Classroom?

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 21:55:44 PST

Some people consider it pseudoscience, a complex hoax designed by the conservative Christians to smuggle the Bible into the classroom. Some people, on the other hand, believe it to be a viable theory that is worthy of classroom consideration. Quite frankly, I don't care what "some people" think. I want to know why you think on the subject. Does Intelligent Design make sense as a theory? Is there room of Intelligent Design in the classroom?

You know the blog n roll routine. After listening to the song, and reflecting on the lyrics contained therein, and after reading what I have entered right here on this blog space, make a comment. Say it respectfully, say it in the spirit of intelligent debate and dialogue. But by all means, speak your mind, before somebody else speaks on behalf of your mind.

BTW, the song featured here, Handful of Dirt is from the Daniel Sisco CD:
Daniel Sisco Sings Dr. BLT's Handful of Tunes.

For more information, visit:
http://www.drblt.net

I'm also at myspace.com and Phantom Tollbooth, to name just a couple.
http://www.tollbooth.org

Look at my happy feet go!

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 15:32:00 PST

I finally joined a gym, and man, do I feel better. I feel 5 lbs lighter already.

I don't know what did it. Maybe it was because I knew the elderly man would be using our apartment complex treadmill yesterday like he has been for the past five months. That man has ruined my routine. For the past two years I'd been using the treadmill at our apartment complex. I didn't really have problems with anyone else using it when I needed to, at least not really. Not until this man showed up out of nowhere. I was tired of trying to beat this man to the gym so I began jogging around the running track at a nearby school until the soccer kids started practicing every day inside and around the running track. Well, so much for that. So guess what? I stopped working out. I gave it up altogether. I felt the pounds packing on. I felt so disgusting that I looked for comfort in chocolate chip cookies, ice cream, candy, hamburgers, pizza, french fries, Hostess cupcakes, whatever... until earlier this week.

I convinced my fat ass that it was time to make a change, so I began using the treadmill at my apartment complex again. The elderly man was still using the treadmill daily, but I'd wait for him to get done. Yesterday, however, I decided I would wait no longer, so I took my chubby butt to a nearby gym. Yeah! (*cyber five*) The best part about it is that it isn't a meet market. No half naked woman with make-up on their face running around, no one sitting on equipment chatting away, no big, bulky men intimidating me in the free weight area. It is totally family oriented and I love it. And the best part?? There are 14 treadmills and when I arrived at 5:30 p.m. only two were being used. Tralalalala... I loved that! I'd have the hardest time finding a treadmill at 24 Hour Fitness and they had that stupid 20 minute rule. Grrrr...

I'm so excited, though. I'm even looking forward to going tonight. What?? When have I ever looked forward to going to a gym??

Pretty soon, fellow Bakotopians, I will be a skinny bitch. Nicole Ritchie will have nuthin' on me. Ha! Okay, so basically that means, I'll have to lose about 100 lbs, but with my newfound motivation, who says I can't do it?

Phishing For Your Identity

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 13:59:58 PST

Who hasn’t received an email directing them to visit a familiar website where they are being asked to update their personal information? The website needs you to verify or update your passwords, credit card numbers, social security number, or even your bank account number. You recognize the business name as one that you’ve conducted business with in the past. So, you click on the convenient “take me there” link and proceed to provide all the information they have requested. Unfortunately, you find out much later that the website is bogus. It was created with the sole intent to steal your personal information. You, my friend, have just been “phished”.

Phishing (pronounced as “fishing”) is defined as the act of sending an email to a recipient falsely claiming to have an established, legitimate business. The intent of the phisher is to scam the recipient into surrendering their private information, and to ultimately steal your identity.

It is not as easy as you think to spot an email phishing for information. At first glance, the email may look like it is from a legitimate company. The "From" field may have the .com address of the company mentioned in the e-mail. The clickable link even appears to take you to the company's website, when in fact, it is a fake website built to replicate the legitimate site.

Many of these people are professional criminals and have spent a lot of time in creating emails that look authentic. Users need to review all emails requesting personal information carefully. When reviewing email remember that the "From:” field can be easily changed by the sender. While it may look like it is coming from a .com you do business with, looks can be deceiving. Also keep in mind that the phisher will go all out in trying to make their email look as legitimate as possible. They will even copy logos or images from the official site to use in their emails. Finally, they like to include a clickable link that the recipient can follow to conveniently update their information.

A great way to check the legitimacy of the link is to point at the link with your mouse. Then, look in the bottom left hand screen of your computer. The actual website address to which you are being directed will show up for you to view. It is a very quick and easy way to check if you are being directed to a legitimate site.

Finally, follow the golden rule. Never click on links within the text of the e-mail. If you are truly concerned that you are missing an important notice regarding one of your accounts, then type the full URL address of the website into your browser. At least then you can be confident that you are, in fact, being directed to the true and legitimate website.

What Ever Happened To Thanksgiving?

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 10:00:58 PST

It’s obvious this holiday has disappeared! I think it was mid-September when the Halloween decorations started to appear in the stores. As soon as Halloween rolled around Christmas had taken over. No one thought twice about turkey, stuffing or decorative pilgrim salt and pepper shakers. How could they when twinkling lights, dancing snowmen and jolly old Saint Nick, blinded them. I like Thanksgiving, because its good holiday to spend time with family without any expectations or worries. I like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade too, if I can get up in time to watch it. But unfortunately, quality time is a hard concept to commercialize and sale to a thirsty consumer market. So while I’m a huge fan of Christmas, I can’t help but feel slighted for Thanksgiving. Perhaps this holiday would like a little attention. Maybe it would like a few more decorations or a longer shelf life? All in all, Thanksgiving is just next week and the day after will mark the biggest Holiday shopping day of the season. So before you bundle up to find the best Holiday sales take a second to reflect and figure out what you are thankful for this year…Also, check out www.bakersfieldlife.com (You'll love it, I hope!)

Hysteria reminds me when I camped out for a PS2

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 09:40:20 PST

Seeing people camped out in tents outside Circuit City waiting to buy a PlayStation 3 on my way to work today reminded me of the time I stayed up all night outside a store to get a PlayStation 2 a few years back. Here's an old blog I wrote last year thinking back on that night when the Xbox 360 came out:

There’s something nostalgic about video games that turns grown men back into children.
Maybe that’s what possesses adults and teenagers to wait in line for hours or even days to get a new video game system.
While talking to excited gamers waiting in line a day before today’s nationwide release of the Xbox 360 console, I had a flashback.
Five years ago I was one of them.
After sporadically playing video games in college since my childhood Nintendo days I decided I wanted to get back in the game.
I had to have a Playstation 2. But after hearing of supply shortages similar to those afflicting the new Xbox 360 consoles, I knew I had to act fast.
So I enlisted my most trusted shopping expert — my wife — in determining a game plan.
Somewhat surprisingly she suggested we (not I, but we) camp out overnight to make sure I got one. How cool is my wife?
We got there around 2 a.m. if memory serves and waited in the car for about 15-20 minutes. But soon after realizing there was another car idling in the parking lot waiting, we decided to brave the cool wee morning hours.
Our mad dash for the front of the store ensured our spot as first in line — and a cold slab of concrete to sit on for the next several hours.
There we sat bundled up with winter jackets and sleeping bags as others slowly added to the growing throng.
It was cold and we were tired, but I don’t recall sleeping. I was too excited. Those in line anxiously chatted about how sweet the revolutionary new system would be. It could play older Playstation games and DVDs, had a memory card and you could even prop it up sideways.
When the doors finally opened the select few of us who were at the front of the line — and guaranteed a game system — ran for the electronics department like giddy little kids who couldn’t wait to get home from school to play their favorite video game.
Suffering from the affects of sleep deprivation, I was sufficiently groggy upon returning home. But I still managed to spend a few hours playing video games before finally trudging off to bed.
I don’t think my video game playing adversely affected my relationship with my wife, with the exception of a few stern looks telling me when it was time to shut the system down.
But I can see how that could happen.
I saw on a national TV report this morning that some college students have banded together and formed a support group for girlfriends of video game players.
Playing video games can become an addiction.
I’m Ryan Schuster and I was addicted to Playstation.
“Hi, Ryan.”
I know, I know, I’m a nerd.
I used to try to pretend that it wasn’t so, but as I approach 30, I have stopped trying to fight it and embraced my own nerd-doom.
At one point I was spending almost every waking hour at home playing Playstation (which I was able to do because my wife and I worked opposite shifts).
Sometimes I would get to work a few minutes late because I had to finish a game before leaving home.
But the arrival of my daughter about a year ago threw a monkey wrench into my video game playing.
These days changing dirty diapers and playing peek-a-boo with my daughter trumps finding the new Grand Theft Auto cheat codes.
Sometimes I miss the action, the adrenaline of playing.
But I guess we all have to grow up eventually, even if it takes us 29 years and a night camping out in front of Target to do it.

Leaf Love

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 08:43:57 PST

I plucked a leaf from your
Father's front yard
To hear the messages
It sends me

There are fissures in its
Fragile skin that has
Survived throughout
The blistering summer

I touch its edge and a tiny
Fragment rests its tired self
and returns to my earth page
I say a prayer

The outer edges retreat first
I turn it over and notice,
there is more green left than
I had noticed before

The leaf cornucopia
Yellow and curled up, its
Horn singing "look at me!"
So I do

I exhale into it and am racing down
A waterslide, laughing with Emma and
Katherine and Sam and the children
on Hawthorne Avenue, my braids flying
behind me as I run the playground in
search of David Been and Mark Ortman
Where did they go?

My soulself gasps for air, giggling.
The leaf's life on the tree, spent
Its life, now through me --
Resurrected

What? No Room at the Best "Inn" Buy for Baby Jesus? (sneak preview of new protest song)

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 07:03:07 PST

It seems like history is repeating itself again. Well, sort of. If Best Buy were an Inn, and Bakersfield were Bethlehem of yore, would Mary, Joseph, and the Christ Child be turned away, along with the shepherds, the wisemen and the three kings? It seems to me that there are no wise men to be found at Best Buy this year, and there will be no Christmas cheer. It has been stolen by the Grinch and replaced by a politically correct holiday greeting. What are your feelings and opinions about this? Voice them here, before the grinch tries to silence them. Also, BTW, what do you think of my modern form of folk protest rock I call "poke"?

For more information:

http://www.netscape.com/viewstory/2006/11/11/best-buy-bans-use-of-merry-christmas-in-advertising/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.afa.net%2Fpetitions%2Femail%2Fbestbuy_11102006.html&frame=true

lyrics:

Best Buy Inn
words and music by Bruce L. Thiessen, aka Dr. BLT (c) 2006

history repeats itself
where baby Jesus has 'bin shelved
like Santa Claus
and his tiny elves
I won't shop there myself

the Best Buy Inn
is closed my friend
to baby Jesus
and his kin
the shepherds and
the three wisemen
they cannot get in
at the Best Buy Inn

if you're walkin'
down the isle
and you flash
that Christmas smile
you'll be banned
just like the babe
it ain't my kinda place

the Best Buy Inn
is closed my friend
to baby Jesus
and his kin
the shepherds and
the three wisemen
they cannot get in
at the Best Buy Inn

just like it was
in the old days
just like it was
in days of yore
no place could be found
in Bethlehem
just like the
Best Buy Inn

the Best Buy Inn
is closed my friend
to baby Jesus
and his kin
the shepherds and
the three wisemen
they cannot get in
at the Best Buy Inn