A writer explores the barrios and neighborhoods of east Bakersfield, my search for the best watermelon margarita in town and Motel Radio will appear at Temblor Brewing Co.

 * ... CHRIS ARNADE: Chris Arnade is a former Wall Street investor who for the past year has been traveling the country visiting the poorer areas of our nation to learn more about the issues that divide us. After driving from the east coast he ended up in Kern County recently where he spent time in east

Bakersfield visiting his favorite haunts for the poor: small churches, the local McDonald's and neighborhoods. His reports appear via Twitter and his last two tweets were these: "The US right now is massively divided. The biggest division is race. Even after Obama. The next biggest division is education." And he added this: "I have rarely seen as large a homeless community, relative to town size, as here in Bakersfield."

* ... MARGARITAS: Here's a followup valentine to my friend Dee Rhodes, who challenged me to find the best watermelon margarita in town. One reader, Derek Vaughn, wrote that "the watermelon margarita at Nuestro Mexico is the best I have ever had. They ran out of watermelon one day and the owner went to the store and bought more so he could make them for all of us." Blair Budai, a lighting specialist, chimed in that Centro 18 "serves one that is amazing. I think the best include jalapeño." While having lunch at Eureka Burger in the Southwest this weekend, I ordered one off the menu and it too was outstanding.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Fish don’t seem that stupid to me. If a burrito dropped out of the sky and hung in mid-air I would probably eat it."

* ...MOTEL RADIO: Looking for some fresh and inspiring music this week? If so check out the New Orleans-based band Motel Radio that will be appearing at Temblor Brewing Co. on Thursday evening. Grab a bite in Temblor's restaurant and then enjoy this evolving group featuring Americana music. The music starts at 7:30 p.m. and get your tickets online at www.passingthroughprouctions.com.

 * ... GARTH BROOKS: How about this for popularity: The Garth Brooks concert scheduled for the California Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles sold out in just 30 seconds, breaking the fair's record for the fastest one-day sell out. Brooks added a second show that is now scheduled for 10:30 p.m. on July 27. Tickets will be on sale at noon on Thursday, June 29.

 * ... GOODWILL: Goodwill Industries is opening its sixth store in Bakersfield this week, going into the space of the old Orchard Supply building at Ming Avenue and Ashe Road. This new space occupies 18,000 square feet of the building and will employ 28 people.

 * ... DAN BLOCKER: John Rodenburg wrote to remember the time that Bonanza star Dan Blocker (Hoss Cartwright on the show) frequented Bakersfield. "Regarding your recent columns concerning Dan Blocker, my mother Johanna Rodenburg believes he was grand marshal of the Bakersfield Christmas Parade in 1960 rather than 1961. I have no reason to doubt her as her memory of such past events is both legendary and scary. She was at the parade that night, standing at the old Foster Freeze at Chester and 10th Street in extremely foggy conditions. She also noted that Lorne Greene of Bonanza fame was part of that same parade. "

YouTube reaches one billion hours a day of usage, further threatening traditional television, Nuestro Mexico enjoys a solid fan base and the Merrill store signals it is leaving the Outlets of Tejon

 * ... MASS MEDIA: Here's a startling statistic: Across the world, viewers of YouTube are watching more than one billion hours of videos a day. Yes, one billion hours of video every day. And we wonder why the old guard 'mass media' (local and network television, print etc) has seen such an

erosion in viewer and readership over the past decade. As noted in The Wall Street Journal: "It represents a 10-fold increase since 2012, YouTube said, when it started building algorithms that tap user data to give each user personalized video lineups designed to keep them watching longer." The billion hour mark "underscores the wide lead of the 12-year old platform in online video-threatening traditional television, which lacks similarly sophisticated tools."

 * ... NUESTRO MEXICO: I stopped at Nuestro Mexico recently and was heartened to see it continues to enjoy a loyal dinner crowd. Located in the same cozy 21st Street building that formerly housed La Costa Mariscos, Nuestro Mexico is home to some of the best chips and salsa in town, not to mention tacos and seafood specialties.

 * ... OUTLET MALL: The Merrill shoe store in the Outlets at Tejon is going out of business and it is offering some killer deals. Everything in the store has been discounted by 60 percent, so if you are in the market for some hiking or running shoes, it is worth the drive down Highway 99 to score a deal.

 * ... MCCARTHY: Last week I wrote to express sympathy for Republican congressmen (like our own Rep. Kevin McCarthy) who face unruly crowds at town hall meetings. If the meetings cannot be civil, I argued, why hold them at all? It triggered the expected blowback, including this note from reader Wade Eagleton: "For a person of influence and community standing to defend Representative McCarthy decision to freeze out his constituents, locking his district's office door and refusing to hold town hall meeting  during this critical time of change I cry foul. I call you out declaring shame on you. Shame on you for undermining the process of free expression and protest which is the definition of democracy." Thanks for the note Wade, but I never endorsed McCarthy "freezing" out constituents.  Your words, not mine. On this one we will have to agree to disagree.

 * ... MORE KMAC: Yet another reader, Alicia Ortega-Welch, send me this: "I was one of those candelight protesters. It is my right to protest. These past seven seven weeks I have marched for the first time in my 64-years of life. Mr. Beene, I assure you that at 4 foot, 10 inches tall I did not pose any threat to the in-excess-of-6-feet tall men guarding Mr. McCarthy's home that evening. I respectfully and peacefully held my candle in memory of all the citizens who will loose their health insurance and lives. Yes, I can not sit quietly this time. If all I can do is peacefully march, I will do so."

 * ... MEMORIES: Richard Alsop reacted to my piece on the late Dan Blocker of Bonanza fame appearing in Bakersfield. Said Alsop: "I saw your piece referring to Dan Blocker. I was 13 in 1961 and had a friendship with Cousin Herb's son Rusty. As I remember Cousin Herb's house was the two story on the south side of Bell Terrace at Highway 99. I think it's still there."

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And finally Carol Penfield added this: "The clip about Tri-Valley Rambler brought back memories. I started to work there in 1969. When it was at 26th and Chester, we got to watch the Howell House being moved around the Chester Avenue Circle to the Museum. It took several days. Still there when it sold to Valley American, and when it moved to 149 Union Avenue next to the old Motor City location. It was sold in early 1972 and closed in May, 1972. That ended that job."