Recent Blog Posts: Bakotopia

Local Election Reaction - 2008!

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:01:41 PST

Local Election Reaction - 2008!
Bakotopians sound off after a historic voting turnout on Nov. 4

By Matt Muñoz, Bakotopia Editor & Bakotopians

As you read this, Kern County may still be in the process of counting the over 44,000 voter ballots floating in the balance, but as far as Bakotopians are concerned - it’s over!

We asked for your reactions to this year’s winners and losers! These are just a few, as many are scatteredt throughout the site!

Thanks!

Also printed in Bakotopia magazine, issue 41, 11-13-08

Too early for some seasonal Supertramp? Dr BLT's cover of Dreamer/White Christmas

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 08:39:59 PST

If you love Christmas, and you love Supertramp, you might enjoy the Dr BLT cover posted right here today. This Supertramp/Bing Crosby medley is from the forthcoming CD, Ice and Snow:

To find the song and the CD, hit the music link at:

http://www.drblt.net

NBC/WSJ poll: Obama holds significant lead

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 07:55:16 PST

Its all over....Brake out the champagne....Obama wins...The fat lady is singing.......

NEW YORK — With just a day left until Election Day, Democratic Sen. Barack Obama holds a statistically significant advantage over Republican Sen. John McCain in the race for the White House, according to the final NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll before the election.

Obama leads McCain by eight points nationally among likely voters, 51 to 43 percent, which is down three points from his 53-to-42 lead in the poll nearly two weeks ago.

To put Obama’s eight-point edge into perspective, the final NBC/WSJ survey before the 2004 presidential election had President Bush with a slim one-point lead over John Kerry, 48 to 47 percent.

Bush went on to win that election, 51 to 48 percent.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id...

Masters of Malfunktion with guest Kama Ruby

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 22:48:49 PST

bakersfieldjazzworkshop to BAKJAZZWORKSHOP
show details 8:31 PM (2 hours ago) Reply

OK - First of all, make sure you go vote on November 4th, if you haven't already! Then, while you are waiting to see whether your candidate won or lost, come on down to the Nile for some great music, as we have a very, very special musical performance planned!

Our featured act, The Masters of Malfunktion, will be performing some funky, cool, jumping arrangements of some very great tunes, with some surprises that you don't usually hear at the Jazz Workshop. (I've heard this rumor about a reggae version of a Led Zep song...er, uh, well, you'll just have to come down to see if it's true!) And to top it off, they'll be joined by that very sultry singer, of whom we just don't hear enough at the workshop, Kama Ruby.

Hope to see you there!

Bakersfield Jazz Workshop @ The Nile Bar & Grill
1721 19th St., Bakersfield, CA 93301
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Hear It! Learn It! Play It! It’s all about the music!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (free admission, donations accepted)
:

6:30 PM – 7:30 PM, BEGINNING LEVEL JAZZ JAM SESSION

Bring your own music stand and a Real/Fake Book.

7:30 PM – 8:30 PM, FEATURED GUEST ARTIST:

The Masters of Malfunktion, featuring Kama Ruby

Check out this hot, funky, bluesy quartet comprised of Paul Perez (sax), Matt Bhone (drums), Mike Bhone (bass), and Pat O'Oconnell (guitar), joined for the evening by that sexy, sultry, smoky singer/actress Kama Ruby!

Here's some more info on some of the band members, plus see the attached photos:

http://www.cannonballmusic.com/paulbio.php

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=251131363

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=332055881

8:30 PM - 10:00PM, OPEN JAZZ JAM SESSION

For intermediate, advanced, and professionals.

Please bring a Real/Fake book and vocal charts in your keys
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Want to learn more about the BJW?
Watch Steve Eisen, founder/director/CEO of the BJW explain what it’s all about at this link:

http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=29663792

For more info:

www.bakersfieldjazzworkshop.com

www.myspace.com/bakersfieldjazzworkshop

or call (661)444-0853.

Back in the U.S., and back in trouble

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:21:20 PST

Illegal criminal aliens who are repeat offenders deserve to be arrested and held in prison for a long time...Below are just a few of the thousands of illegal criminals that raping our daughters, Burglarizing our homes and selling drugs to our kids and killing American citizens in drunk driving accidents.............

By James Walsh.. Federal officials have sent Jose Trinidad Sanchez-Azpeitia packing to his native Mexico three times since 2003. Yet the illegal immigrant keeps coming back and getting into trouble, including convictions for drug possession, damage to property and fleeing a police officer.

He has lots of company. In the past month in Minneapolis, federal officials indicted eight men in a growing effort to slow the revolving door of illegal immigrants who return to commit other crimes. They included:

•William Contreras-Lozano, twice deported and with a drug conviction.

• Angel Espinosa-Lozano, deported three times, convicted for selling cocaine.

• Fausto Cesar Alvarado-Sagastume, returned five times to his native Guatemala, convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl.

• Napoleon Borjas-Arias, deported four times to Honduras since 1992, convicted of drug possession and burglary.

• Miguel Campos-Cardoso, arrested Sept. 4 on suspicion of possessing drugs and driving while intoxicated. Police discovered he's been deported before.

All were indicted for unlawful reentry after deportation, a felony. Officials hope that lengthy prison sentences will keep the offenders from coming back when they're deported after their release.

"We have a much more aggressive criminal alien program than we've ever had," said Scott Benneke, director of Detention and Removal Operations for the Minnesota office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

http://www.startribune.com/...

Blvd of Discrimination

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 20:07:33 PST

As I was driving down Tehachapi Blvd and Red Apple road I passed sign after sign telling me to vote to take away my fellow American citizens right to marry...The yes on 8 signs are plentiful from k-mart to the end of red apple.At least 50 signs. We are treated to large ply wood yes on 8 signs at each intersection. As I drove past each sign I have to tell you that I really felt sadden and sorry for the people that support prop 8. Promoting discrimination and feeling Morally right in doing so is very confusing to me. I do believe that all men are created equal and the tittle to prop 8 reads '' Eliminates Right of Same Sex Couples to Marry''.........Taking away the rights of other American Citizens because you don't agree with them is wrong. Prop 8 is the most expensive proposition ever. People and groups from something like 36 countries have funded one side or the other of prop 8. .......The polls are close and the results could go either way......I will be voting No on 8 because I feel it is the right thing to do......This whole mess reminds me of something a wise man once said....''Forgive then for they not know what they do''

No on 8

Movin on up!

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 13:35:06 PST

As some of you know I am the band manager for Suck*ah Punched. Last night was their first show, they played at a ska fest at Jerry's Pizza. They rocked the show. It was so amazing to see the great response from the crowd. Apparently they impressed Tim Gardea because he is allowing them to play the Aiden show at Jerry's Pizza on november 12. Again we need to sell tickets. The drummer was a band newbie and it was his very first time onstage. I am so proud of him he did a great job. I played the role of cinematographer(sp?). I will be getting together a nice edited version of the video I made to post up on here and on myspace. Things are going well and I can only hope the band can keep getting better and "mastering their craft". We are all excited to be playing with Aiden and we are also super nervous. If you guys are up for it come show some love for Suck*ah Punched, support local music, and see Aiden. Hope to see you all at the show and if you need tickets message me :D

Come Election Day: Is the end of Bush's term really cause for celebration?

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 08:56:06 PST

Find out in this song. If you want to hear the whole thing, and write up a review, hit the music link at:

http://www.drblt.net

Praying for Election Day miracles

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 00:06:31 PDT

Do you believe prayer will help McCain/Palin win the white house???
Is Obama really Satan ???
Will McCain lead all these religious folks to the promise land ???
Do these religious folks scare you as much as they scare me ???"
Is GOD a fundamentalist Conservative republican ???These people believe so !
WWJD ???

Religious Americans turn to a higher power on the candidates' behalf

AP news They're fasting on the steps of the Florida Capitol, hoping God will hear their pleas to put an abortion opponent in the White House.

Prayer warriors will staff the get-out-the-vote command center Tuesday at Ebenezer A.M.E. Church in Fort Washington, Md. A rabbi is distributing a prayer to be said in the voting booth. Prayer circles are seeking courage and protection for Barack Obama and his family.

The faithful are busy as Nov. 4 nears.

While politicians are making their final pitch to voters, religious Americans from across the political spectrum are appealing to a higher power on the candidates' behalf.

"We have just days to pray that someone who upholds the sanctity of life and marriage between one man and one woman will win," said Pam Olsen, co-pastor with her husband of the International House of Prayer in Tallahassee, Fla.

Olsen, who personally supports Republican John McCain, is organizing a marathon of prayer, fasting and Bible reading at the Capitol starting Saturday until the state's polls close.

"The outcome is up to God," she said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id...

Goodbye!

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:44:31 PDT

Dear Red States:

We've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue States with us.

In case you aren't aware, that includes California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all of the Northeast. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of the new country of New California.

To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states. We get stem cell research and the best beaches. We get the Statue of Liberty. We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom. We get Harvard. You get Ole' Miss. We get 85 percent of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama. We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the red states pay their fair share. Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of single moms. Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once.

If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their children's caskets coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq , and hope that the WMDs turn up.

With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80 percent of the country's fresh water, more than 90 percent of the pineapple and lettuce, 92 percent of the nation's fresh fruit, 95 percent of America's quality wines, 90 percent of all cheese, 90 percent of the high tech industry, most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy League and Seven Sister schools plus Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT. With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88 percent of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92 percent of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100 percent of the tornadoes, 90 percent of the hurricanes, 99 percent of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100 percent of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia. We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you.

Additionally, 38 percent of those in the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62 percent believe life is sacred unless we're discussing the war, the death penalty or gun laws, 44 percent say that evolution is only a theory, 53 percent that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and 61 percent of you crazies believe you are people with higher morals than we lefties. LOL.

Finally, we're taking the good pot, too. You can have that dirt weed they grow in Mexico

Peace out,

Blue States

(author unknown)

fall

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 11:02:44 PDT

Changing seasons

I love the fall. Sweaters, bundling up with a nice cup of tea, the rain...oh and reformulated gasoline. I'm getting 50+ mpg. WOOOOOOO! Suck on that.

I'm growing as a person

So having a job has reminded me that there are some cases in which I shouldn't say what immediately pops into my head. For example, when customers say things like:

That is so hot
Could you check on my muffin

and of course

Could you help me out? I'm sorry I'm just not used to taking this much all at once.

sigh

My heroes

Rusty Hatfield: Rusty was at an art event talking with this guy. I asked "Wait don't you not like that person." and he said "Yup. I hate him. He's an ingrown hair on the taint of the human race. The world would be a better place without him." I was confused as he was having a pleasant chat with the ingrown hair. When I queried Rusty about this he said "Well I'm not going to be rude." Rusty Hatfield with the power of politeness.

Thomas Robinson: He was approached by a producer to shoot a pilot for a reality show. So they followed him around for a few weeks with a camera and a boom mic and just generally made a nuisance of themselves. Finally when at a karaoke night sick of being told what to wear and what he could and could not talk about he told them to take a flying leap. Because he wasn't so desperate for his 15 minutes that he'd put up with this kind of poop. Thomas Robinson with the power of a backbone.

Matie Fricker: She runs a sexuality resource center in New Mexico. Yes they sell dildo's but it's more than that. They sell resource material on how to improve your sex life (books, dvd's etc). They sell gourmet chocolate and cook books to make a perfect romantic evening. They sell fun and undirty greeting cards. So it's a lot more high class than say...well anything we have in Bakersfield. The city of Alberquerque has a rule that your store stock can't be more than 25% sexually explicit. When the city fathers came to check up on her she showed them detailed documentation and gave them an unfettered tour of the store. They weren't exactly pleased but she was within the legal limits. They even gave her a stern talking to that the spirit of the law doesn't mean that she can have 24.9% sexually explicit stock. Now instead of saying yes it does and if they want her to have less than they need to change the law and calling them uptight puritans then booting them out the door; she smiled and said thank you for your feedback. Matie Fricker with the powers of preperation and tact.

Anectodal evidence

I hate to make a borad generalization but I have noticed that how happy you are as a person seems to be reflected in how you take your coffee. For example. The person who orders the tall coffee black seems to be much happier with their life than the person who orders the tall half caff soy sugar free upsidedown caffee macciatto no foam extra shot affogoto style with half a scoop of protein powder.

I'm just saying.

A few stories that made me chuckle

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 11:01:36 PDT

Balls
Todd McFarlane is a famous comic book artist and avid collector of sports memorabilia.

His character Spawn earned him millions of dollars. But millions of dollars is not something you want to give an obsessive compulsive collector.

He spent essentially every penny he had to obtain Mark Maguire's record breaking home run balls

He was very proud of himself until Barry Bonds beat that record in the same season devaluing his collectibles.
But he wasn't upset. He just licensed more properties wrote a few more books got back in the black and then spent most of his money on Barry Bonds record breaking balls.
Only to see the price of those devalue with the steroid controversy.
So
Another way to look at this is
Todd McFarlane blew his wad twice on the useless balls of Mark Maguire and Barry Bonds.

Careful what you wish for

Caroline John was a respected actress on the British Stage back in the 70's.

But respectability doesn't pay the bills. She heard there was more money to be made in television but couldn't land a job because everyone thought she was too high brow. That somehow she was too respectable for TV. So she had a series of photographs of herself commissioned in a bikini. She landed the job of Liz Shaw on Doctor Who. She then had to spend the next few years trudging through the Welsh country side during winter in a mini skirt and thigh boots.
She wasn't very happy with the work but she was happy with the money.

Stupid jokes.

Did you hear about the guy who accidentally took an aphrodisiac and a laxative at the same time?

He didn't know if he was coming or going.

A farmer and his wife are inspecting livestock for sale. They are shown a prize bull who performed stud services with over 100 cows that year alone. The wife said to her husband. "100 times. That bull could teach you a thing or two." The farmer replies "It wasn't all with the same cow."

What were the actual last words Jesus Christ spoke?

I can see my house from here.

I Wanna be that Kinda Christmas Fool: New song inspired by Chad Vegas initiative

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 10:30:16 PDT

Here's one of the first songs you will find on my new Christmas CD, due for release in early December, but the song is now available at my website:

http://www.drblt.net under the Ice and Snow CD.

This song was inspired by Chad Davis's successful effort to give Christmas back its rightful name in schools. Check out the sample on the play station attached here, and check out the lyrics below:

That Kinda Christmas Fool

we used to celebrate

Christmas at my school

but now they try to tell me

it's against the rules

but there's a man who brought back

Christmas to this town

back in our schools

though some call him a fool

Chorus:

if it's a fool that tells you

Merry Christmas

if it's a fool that says

God be with you in the coming year

if it takes a fool to bring back

Christmas to our schools

then I wanna be

that kinda Christmas fool

we used to put up pictures

of the Christ child and the angels

in the classroom

and we used to sing

Hark the Harold Angels

and Joy to the World

now we try to hide it

from the boys and girls

(chorus)

if you think you're gonna take away

Christmas from our schools

then jolly old administrator

lean your ear my way

and don't you tell a single soul

what I'm about to say

'cause we're gonna bring back

Christmas Day.... (chorus)

Trick or Trout's?

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:23:59 PDT

This one's for all of my haunted honky-tonk friends. Happy Halloween!

I Would Make A Bad President,' Obama Says In Huge Campaign Blunder

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:14:23 PDT

Man what a idiot...........

TALLAHASSEE, FL—In a campaign gaffe that could potentially jeopardize Sen. Barack Obama's White House bid, the Democratic presidential nominee told nearly 8,000 supporters Tuesday that, if elected, he would be a terrible president.

The blunder, captured by all major media outlets and broadcast live on CNN, occurred when the typically polished Obama fielded a question about his health care policy. Obama answered by saying he would give small business owners a tax credit to help them provide health care for their employees, and then added, "Now, I'm not completely certain that my plan would work because, overall, I think I would make a bad president."

According to sources, before those on hand could fully process what Obama had said, the Illinois senator continued to stumble, claiming that, were he to win the general election, he'd have absolutely no idea what to do.

"My youth and inexperience would definitely make me an awful president," said Obama, whose seven-minute misstep was further exacerbated when he called himself "no expert" on the economy. "To be perfectly honest, I'd be worried about putting me in charge of the most powerful military in the world because I'm not any good when it comes to making important decisions. Also, I'm not sure how much I care about keeping this great nation of ours safe."

"I'm an elitist, I hate Israel, and I want to lose the war in Iraq," Obama concluded, and then, seemingly unaware of the magnitude of his blunder, smiled, gave a thumbs-up to the stunned crowd, and urged his supporters to get out and vote on Nov. 4.

Immediately following the speech, Obama campaign officials released a written statement alleging that their candidate's comments had been taken out of context. In addition, Obama's top adviser David Axelrod claimed that the senator was quoting former president Abraham Lincoln when he said, "I am not the guy to head the executive branch of the United States government. Trust me. I'm really not."

Beltway observers agreed that the gaffe could come back to haunt Obama on Election Day.

"This might very well be the sound bite voters have in their heads when they step inside that booth on Tuesday," ABC political analyst George Stephanopoulos said. "It's just not the message you want to send to voters when you are up in the polls. Saying that you would make a bad president, especially when your entire campaign has been built around the idea that you would make a good president, doesn't play well with independent and undecided voters."

"Also, swing states like Ohio and Florida have historically leaned toward the nominee who thinks he'd be a good president, rather than the nominee who thinks he'd 'probably just screw everything up worse,'" Stephanopoulos added.

An analysis of historical documents supports Stephanopoulos' claim, and confirms that the past 55 winning presidential candidates—with the exception of a dying Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1944—all strongly maintained they would be good or great presidents throughout their campaigns, and never hinted otherwise.

"I think Sen. Obama may have opened up a slight window for John McCain here," New York Times reporter David Sanger said during Wednesday's taping of Charlie Rose. "If the McCain camp can find some way to exploit this miscue, it could have the potential to be a real game-changer."

However, a CNN poll taken moments after Obama's speech revealed that the candidate's misstep may have simply gotten lost amid the 24-hour news cycle. Though most citizens said they would prefer a candidate who thinks he'd be a good president, 23 percent said they would still vote for someone who thinks he would make an okay president. Furthermore, 35 percent of citizens said they would vote for a nominee who promised to be a serviceable, or even a so-so, president.

Forty-two percent of citizens polled said that, at this point, a "just plain bad" president would also be good enough.

"I am more certain than ever that I will vote for Obama," Windham, NH resident James Kilner said. "This is the first time I have really connected with a candidate, mainly because I think I would make a pretty bad president, too."

As of press time, the McCain camp has yet to respond to the potentially damaging blunder. However, many feel this is exactly what the Arizona senator needed following a mistake he made earlier in the week when he said that "a vote for McCain is a vote for mass genocide."