Long term exposure to smoke proves harmful to your skin, Samuel Van Kopp addresses the chaos of Afghanistan and celebrating the Midway Palm

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not represent any other company or publication.

 * ... SMOKE DANGER: Have you ever thought about how your skin might react to all the smoke in the air from the California fires? Well one researcher at The University of California San Francisco did, and what Dr. Maria Wei and her team learned is not good news for anyone who lives and breathes wildfire

smoke. The New York Times said the "eczema and wildfire study focused on that disease because afflicted people have an impaired skin barrier, meaning they would be more likely to have a reaction to smoke." The study noted that those living in smoky areas went to see dermatologists more often and about half those surveyed suffered from eczema. Retailers have discovered the problem, but the researchers warned people to be wary of topical marketed as providing "pollution protection."

 * ... AFGHAN PULLOUT: Few people can appreciate the chaotic scene at the Kabal airport more than the members of the U.S. military who served there, along with Afghan allies. And few things put the danger of the operation in perspective than the suicide bombs that took the lives of 12 Marines on Thursday. For a fuller perspective of how some of our servicemen and women view the situation on the ground, go to Spotify to listen to my interview with former 1st Lt. Samuel Van Kopp, a Bakersfield native who suffered traumatic brain injury during a 2012 suicide bombing. Von Kopp argued we have a moral obligator to airlift to safety all the Afghan people who aided the United States, whether they were interpreters, cooks, drivers or clerks at U.S. installations. To do anything less, Van Kopp said, would be to invite other allies - in Taiwan, Japan and across the world - to doubt U.S. promises of mutual aid. Listen to the Bakersfield Observed podcast with Van Kopp on Spotify or pick it up on Kern Radio.

Bakersfield's Samuel Van Kopp, a veteran of the Afghan war, talks about the chaos of the withdrawal and our responsibility to those who helped ... https://tinyurl.com/pt9fu9se

* ... CHICK-FIL-A: The lone Chick-fil-A in Bakersfield, located at the corner of California and Stockdale, is closing for two months for a major kitchen remodel. A second Chick-fil-A is planned for Rosedale Highway, in the old Pier 1 building, but there is not exact date on when that will open.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I hate when your kid needs help with their homework and you have to try and learn math in 10 minutes." 

 * ... MIDWAY PALM: If you have ever driven on Highway 99 you may have missed the significance of a lone palm tree standing in the median near Madera. Located just south of Avenue 11 just outside the city limits of Madera, the Midway Palm denotes the halfway point between the border with Mexico and Oregon. The Midway Palm represenst Southern California whereas the Midway Pine is intended to represent Northern California.

* ... MEMORIES: I spotted this old picture on the Kern County History Fans Facebook page. Enjoy.

Hiker captures a fire at Democrat Hot Springs

 Bakersfield resident Adam Kahler captured some quintessential California photographs when he was hiking near Democrat Hot Springs and witnessed a fire fighting helicopter battling a local blaze. Enjoy these "only in California" shots.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy seeks to address the fears of the right wing of the GOP, expect strong Santa Ana winds this winter and beware of the latest scam making the rounds

 * ... MCCARTHY: Now that Rep. Kevin McCarthy has officially entered the campaign to become the next Speaker of the House, there is no shortage of experts offering him advice. One opinion

column in The Wall Street Journal summed it up nicely with this: "One of his strengths is that he is on good terms with much of the caucus, most of whose members see him as willing to listen. Mr. McCarthy's ties stem from another potential strength: he is a political animal ... (but) the worry about Mr. McCarthy is that he's too much the political animal... (and) the bigger question is whether the rump GOP caucus gives a new speaker a change. Mr. Boehner is leaving, but the rest of Washington remains." McCarthy has been quick to try to reassure the conservative wing that he has the "courage to lead the fight for our conservative principles and make our case to the American people."

* ... SANTA ANA WINDS: Fall is here and winter is coming, and that means we are all looking forward to the expected El Nino and the strong rains it will bring. But fall also ushers in the Santa Ana winds, and that means the likelihood of even more fires across the state. According to The Los Angeles Times, "climatologists say there is evidence that this Santa Ana's season could be serious: They have seen a higher frequency of high pressure systems over Southern California this spring and summer." That means we can expect the Santa Anas to blow in by November and December, followed by rains from El Nino in January and February.

 * ... AIR QUALITY: All those winds and fires can really damage our air quality, and more and more folks around town have taken to wearing surgical masks to help filter out pollutants. But experts say there is little evidence these masks work. Said The New York Times: "Gases can penetrate masks, but certain highly rated masks divert a significant share of particles from the air." So save your money on those surgical masks and instead spend time outdoors when the pollution levels are lower.

 * ... SCAM: Here's yet another scam that the Bakersfield Police Department says is making the rounds about town. If you get a call from someone claiming to be from BPD who says there is a warrant out for you for missing jury duty, hang up. The first thing they ask for is your Social Security Number and credit card information. Beware.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: From the comedian Albert Brooks: "I’m trying to get excited by the discovery of water on Mars. I wish they found it in California."

 * ... KUDOS: Hats off to Kate (McWhorter) Carlson, a 2005 Stockade High School graduate who has been elected to the University of Massachusetts at Boston Hall of Fame for volleyball. While at Stockdale she helped the Mustangs win two Valley Championships.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You may be a Bakersfield old-timer if you remember the huge "weather bird" poster that sat on top of the Sill Building off Chester Avenue. Under the "weather bird" was a Coca-Cola sign that read: "Thirst Knows No Season."