The top reasons people hate flying: rear seat kickers, misbehaving children, body odor and people who take off their shoes and socks. And will cyber threats keep you from viewing the new Seth Rogan comedy The Interview?

 * … AIR TRAVEL: What do you think is the most annoying thing about air travel? There is plenty to complain about (cramped seats, delays, high prices, baggage fees) but according to a new national

survey, the most annoying travelers are the "rear seat kickers" followed by parents who allow their children the run of the cabin. In third place were passengers with horrific body odor. My personal beef: folks who take off their shoes and socks while they sit next to you.

 * … THREAT: The people who hacked Sony Pictures Entertainment are threatening an attack on movie theaters that show the Seth Rogan comedy The Interview, based on a screenplay revolving around a scheme to kill North Korean strongman Kim Jong-un. The hackers have already released a boatload of embarrassing personal emails and are promising a "Christmas surprise" with even more data. This is cyber bullying at its worst and - however good or bad the movie is - I hope this doesn't intimidate people from attending.

* … ACHIEVER: Hats off to Malcolm Rivera, a 2013 graduate of Arvin High School and a recipient of the Gates Millennium Scholarship, which will enable him to double major in medieval studies and political science with a minor in Latin. Malcolm was among the students who represented California at the 2013 National 'We The People competition' in Washington, DC. and he now attends UC Davis.

 * … EAST HIGH: Many people aren't aware that East High School is home to an impressive collection of art, donated to the school over the years. Mike Warner, the school's archiving teacher, reached out to explain what happened to the art.  "The paintings were always in the library," he said. "Their significance and background had been lost over time. Several of them were in a storage closet in the library, while others were on display (but neglected.) Thanks to the efforts of librarian Dawn Dobie and Principal John Gibson the paintings were appraised and cleaned up. We discovered that we do indeed have a valuable collection of original artwork. Once the paintings were cleaned they were warehoused for a few years by the Kern High School District. Now all of the paintings are once again on display in the EBHS library. The public is invited to check in at the front office and visit the library during regular school hours. Since our library is frequently reserved for school activities, it is a good idea to call ahead. The school’s number is (661) 871-7221."

 * … SPOTTED: On a friend's Twitter feed: "Teens, you should not being getting drunk. You’re annoying enough as it is."

* … KINDNESS: This act of kindness was shared by Cherryl Biggar: "A FedEx truck happened to be driving down our street as we were attempting to load a large chair into our SUV this morning.  The driver stopped, jumped out of truck, ran over to assist, wished us a Merry Christmas, jumped back into his truck and took off. I want to thank the driver, Frank, for the very nice gesture!"

 * … KIWANIS: John and Judy Henderson gave a shout-out to Westchester Kiwanis which recently "took forty-one needy kids shopping at East Hills Walmart. These children came from six different charitable organizations. Chaperones were Kiwanis members, their families and friends. One chaperone came from Aberdeen, Scotland…Yes, good things happen during the holidays."

The millenial generation has a negative savings rate, a reader weighs in on the best burgers around town and the hysteria over hydraulic fracturing reaches an airport bar in Denver

  * … SAVINGS: If you have children under the age of 35 (this is the millenial generation) a recent report about their lack of ability to save money may not surprise you. According to the Wall Street

Journal, this generation has a negative 2 percent savings rate, making their position in the world "increasingly precarious despite five years of economic growth and sustained job creation. A lack of savings increases the vulnerability of young workers in the post recession economy, leaving many without a financial cushion for unexpected expenses."

 * … FOODIE: Bryan Kelley wrote to send his recommendations on the best burgers in town after I visited Ethel's Corral. "I can only hope that you ordered the (Ethel's) buffalo burger. THAT is the reason you brave the rattlesnake signage! Trust me on burgers… I do not carry around 75-plus vanity pounds from eating at salad bars. Ethel's buffalo burger, Lie-n-Den backyard burger, Happy Jack's California burger. Simple." (photos of Lie-n-Den burgers)

                                                                                               
 * … BAD FORM: I was verbally accosted over the issue of hydraulic fracking at a Denver International Airport bar this week when a stranger learned I was from Bakersfield. "You are causing earthquakes, contaminating water and poisoning the earth!" he bellowed. I found another pub and left thinking the oil and gas industry needs to do a better job in telling its side of the story.

* … KART RACING: Heard the other day that Mason Marotta, a CSUB student and 20-year-old son of Mike and Lynda Marotta, is heading to Spain for the world championships in kart racing. Mason was invited to join the Rotax Team USA for the World Game Final in Valencia, Spain, competing against drivers from more than 60 counteis. The race is Nov. 25-29.

 * …COACH: The East Bakersfield High School community lost one of its own recently with the death of former head football coach and teacher Armando (AJ) Vazquez. He was beloved as an inspirational teacher and coach who always displayed a positive spirit. Keep his family in your thoughts.

 * … GOOD NEWS: And finally, kudos to the Stockdale Christian Band wind ensemble which is raising money to play a concert at Carnegie Hall in the spring of 2016. Said band chair Donna Johns Hylton:  "Giving these young students an opportunity to perform at a prestigious concert venue as Carnegie Hall will create lasting memories and a positive ripple effect in our community." she said. "The band performed at Disneyland Friday and now fundraising is in full swing to reach the $600,000 goal by spring of 2016 for instruments and the trip! I'm thrilled to be chairing this wonderful cause for these young musicians!"

Chain Cohn Stiles buys a landmark building in downtown Bakersfield, a golf tournament raises $200,000 for charity and a trip down memory lane for readers recalling the good old days

* … DEATH: The law firm representing the family of Nancy Joyce Garrett, the 72-year-old woman killed in an early morning crash with a Kern County sheriff's deputy, is waiting for a Highway Patrol investigation before deciding whether to file suit. That was the word from Matt Clark, a partner

at Chain Cohn Stiles, who appeared with me on First Look with Scott Cox Tuesday morning. Garrett was a beloved grand mother who spent her last night with her family at a Los Angeles Dodgers game. Clark said the extended family was so close that they shared breakfast once a month, and the day she was killed it was her turn to host the family breakfast. The CHP investigation could take several months before the decision is made whether to go to trial. If a lawsuit is filed, it will be the second fatal accident in a short period of time involving a Kern County Sheriff's deputy on North Chester. (Facebook photo of Nancy Garrett)

* ... CHAINLAW: And speaking of Chain Cohn Stiles, the law firm has just closed escrow on a 30,000 square foot building at the corner of Chester Avenue and 17th Street (1731 Chester). The plaintiff's law firm, which has been headquartered in the Bank of America tower downtown for more than 20 years, will renovate the building and use the ground floor for its main offices. Dave Cohn, principal partner, said the firm has been looking for its own home for several years now and he expects the renovation to last several months. Cohn said the firm was committed to staying downtown to continue in its revitalization. The building was originally constructed in 1899 as a bank but has morphed through the years, its last incarnation as the downtown headquarters of The Goodwill. (Chainlaw file photo)

 * … MEMORIAL: I am always impressed by the generosity of this community, and it was certainly on display recently at the Larry Carr Memorial Golf Tournament benefitting the Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Foundation. The tournament raised an impressive $200,000 to benefit the Robert A. Grimm Children’s Pavilion for Emergency Care at the Lauren Small Children’s Medical Center. Hats off to BMHF board chair Rogers Brandon, golf committee chair Jenny Waguespack and two big sponsors, Valley Republic Bank and Terrio Therapy.

 * … MEMORIES: Cheryl Rodriguez of Arvin responded to an earlier reader's mention of a theater south of Lamont. "In the 1950s that was known as the south Lamont Drive-In and the road he referred to was located next to Robert A. Teller's plum orchard. Mr. Teller was my grandfather. The Lamont post office and the South Kern Court now stand where the orchard was. The drive-in sign remained for many years after the theater was torn down. Also, there was the Rancho Theater in Arvin. It had a beautiful moving neon wagon wheel sign high atop the building. That sign was replaced a few years ago by a pizza sign. This was a slap in the face to longtime citizens who regarded the wagon wheel as a historic icon."

 * …. DRIVE-IN: And finally, one last memory of the Lamont drive-in compliments of Carlos Luna. "Regarding the theater located south of Lamont after you crossed the rail tracks and heading
towards Weedpatch, it was the Thunderbird Drive-In. ... Furthermore, Lamont also had a walk in theater on main street next to the school. Pretty good for a small town way back when."

 * … MORE MEMORIES: I need to correct an earlier writer who referred to a wonderful old business called Mom's Bakery. John Pryor reminded me the correct name was Mother's Bakery and it was located on the west side of Baker Street just south of Kentucky Street. Said John: "Owned by the Mellas family, they were famous for delivering a truly 'baker's dozen' of any item.  If you ordered a dozen doughnuts, you always found 13 in your sack! One of their sons, Angelo Mellas, was a classmate at East High where he was a student leader and fierce lineman on the Blades football team -- including our senior year when we beat the Drillers (20-19) for the very first time."

East High gets ready for its annual Hall of Fame dinner and a Central Coast troubadour comes to The Metro Galleries for a house concert

 * … EAST: East Bakersfield High will hold its Hall of Fame banquet on Saturday, March 1, at the Marriott Hotel. Some of the notable inductees this year include Dennis Lockhart, now president of the

Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta; Paula Hochhalter, arguably the best cello player in the country;  Chuck Wall, creator of the 'Random Act of Kindness' campaign; and Mark Hutson, the winningest high school basketball coach in the history of the Central Valley.

 * … SINGER: If you are looking for something different to do this weekend, you might consider dropping by The Metro Galleries on 19th Street to enjoy a house concert by Dan Curcio, a San Luis Obispo troubadour. The cost is $25 and that includes light snacks and refreshments. Doors open at 6 p.m. Sunday.

 * … ROTARY: Twilight Rotary will host its third annual fund raiser - "Luck Be a Lady Tonight" - on Saturday, March 22  at  p.m. at the Bell Tower Club. It's a fabulous party and a great fundraiser for local charities. The band Wrenwood will be performing along with the opportunity to enjoy professional gaming tables, dancing, auction items and a scumptious dinner. Tickets are only $75 and can be purchased through Jeni Moore (661) 319-687.

* … TUNNELS: The tunnels that run under Bakersfield have always fascinated me, though I have never actually seen one. Mike Doolittle wrote that he was a professional inspector some 40 years and remembers them well. "As I remember it, I entered the tunnels in the basement of the old Western Union (18th or 19th street) and ended up at the old Salad Bowl restaurant on Chester Avenue. The tunnels were big enough to drive a semi-truck through."

* … MORE TUNNELS: And there was this from Patricia Davis Kelley: "The tunnels that supposedly existed in downtown Bakersfield are a reality! My mother, Carol Rummel, used to play in them and get candy there. She went to school with the Yune children and would play with them after school… a lot of the Chineese living in Bakersfield had below ground quarters as it was cooler. My grandmother used to admonish her to come right home after school and not go down there for the candy. She has pointed out several times to me as we drive around where a lot of these tunnels were, or maybe still are. Mom will be 98 this August, but just stopped working a few months ago, so her clarity of mind astounds me. She is continually pointing out to me where businesses used to be and where a lot of the pioneers used to live around town. As for the Chinese cemetery, we live on Terrace Way, the home was built in 1928, down the street from the house built by the Ragland Dairy people; she and my step father Harry Rummel bought here in the early 1960s and has pointed out many times the location for the old cemetery."

Is China contributing to the San Joaquin Valley's air pollution? And tune in Tuesday at 9 a.m. for my interview with Monsignor Craig Harrison

 * ... IDLING CARS: Jon Crawford wrote to add his voice to those concerned how idling cars contribute to pollution. "I am in agreement with Gerhard Schmidt’s comments about idling cars at the Costco gas pumps. What he didn’t add was that cars use somewhere between one and two gallons of gasoline while idling. That means that at the low end, they are burning 6 cents of gas for every minute they wait in line at Costco [or at a long stop light]; making any wait uneconomic, unless one shuts off their

engine. A few years ago, I did some rough calculations along this same line and concluded that idling at our fast food places’ drive-thru lines result in burning 20-gallons of gas each hour per place. That’s a lot of wasted gasoline in Bakersfield. There’s more. If these customers walked from the parking lot to the inside counter, they would collectively burn some 150 pounds of fat every 12 hours these places are open; which may be one of the bigger causes of our fair city’s high rate of obesity."

 * ... POLLUTION: And speaking of air pollution, did you read the story in the Sunday Californian by Steven Mayer? It is a fascinating read that says researchers now believe that China may be contributing to the Valley's bad air. If that is correct, and high levels of ozone are being transported across the Pacific Ocean from China, then the Valley could be being unfairly punished. Said Mayer: "This research raises serious questions regarding the annual assessment of a $29 million pollution penalty paid primarily by Valley motorists in their vehicle registration fees - a cost borne each year when the district exceeds the federal standards." Stay tuned for more on this.

 * ... FATHER CRAIG: Monsignor Craig Harrison will be my guest on First Look with Scott Cox on Tuesday at 9 a.m.. We'll talk about the death of his father, dealing with long term illnesses and get his take on comments by Pope Francis about married or gay priests. The show airs on KERN NewsTalk 1180 and is video streamed live on Bakersfield.com.

* ... EAST: If you went to East Bakersfield High School, remember the 75th anniversary celebration set for October 12. It will be homecoming when East plays Tehachapi High and the celebration will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Karen Strong Cunningham, class of 1976, is organizing some of the events for the graduating classes from the 1970s.

* ... MEMORIES: Phyllis Smith wrote to say she was born and raised in Bakersfield and early on lived on H Street just a house away from a place called Higdon's Tenth Street Grocery. "My mother used to give me a dime to go there and buy a loaf of bread. It was usually white bread from Golden Crust Bakery locally. This is where she did her grocery shopping. There are so many stories about Bakersfield.  Thank you for printing them for us to enjoy."
 
 * ... MEMORIES: And this From Sara Lynn Adams: "My father, Joe Adams, worked for Gus Ergo very many moons ago and lived in the Oleander area too.  My father was Gus's 'delivery man' and  he would take groceries to their houses and got to know the neighborhood quite well.  I think in those days my father made 14 cents an hour. My father knew all the people in the neighborhood, and would help them with grocery shopping, lawn mowing, and other chores...When my father was old enough he went to work for the railroad, and the railroad would get shipments for stores, and some freight would be damaged... the railroad would give the employees a first choice of the damaged goods. My father bought a dining room table, which Gus Ergo in turn exchanged his dining room table for.  My mother still has the dining room table my father exchanged with Gus 60 plus years ago."

Former state Senator Roy Ashburn leaves the Republican Party over differences on immigration and gay rights, talks candidly about his rise and fall in state politics

 * ... ASHBURN: I had a long talk with former state Senator Roy Ashburn this week and it is good to see him rebounding from his personal and political setbacks. In an hour-long, no holds barred interview on First Look with Scott Cox, Ashburn spoke candidly about his DUI arrest in Sacramento

and his decision a week later to come out as being gay. He also revealed that he is no longer registered as a Republican because of the party's stand on immigration and gay rights. Was he hypocritical while in office? "I lied and disappointed people," he told me. "I was not honest." The hardest decision after his DUI arrest: calling his mother and telling her he was gay. In another surprise Ashburn told me his younger brother died of AIDS 20 years ago, making the telephone call even harder. With the emotional weight of a secret life behind him, Ashburn is now refocused and happy. Are politics behind him? "I don't have a need to be in public office," he said. "But I wouldn't rule anything out."

 * ... SPOTTED: The rash of pedestrian deaths on our roadways is not surprising when you view something like this: An elderly Hispanic woman with five young children in tow, including one in a stroller, is seen jaywalking across a busy Ming Avenue near the Bank of America office at midday.

* ... ACHIEVER: Kudos to Dr. Lauren Rodriguez, a local girl who has started her medical career at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Lauren is a product of Bakersfield High School, Stanford University and the University of Michigan Medical School. She also has done research in Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico and Macedonia. She is the daughter  Richard Rodriguez, a music teacher at Curran Jr. High, and Cheryl, a math teacher at Warren Jr. High.

 * ... EAST HIGH: East Bakersfield High School is looking for former cheerleaders to help the school celebrate its 75th anniversary. Angie Wise says the reunion is set for October 12. If you cheered for the school, contact her at (661) 871-7221, extension 72265.

* ... MEMORIES: One last memory of Gus Ergo's Beale Park grocery store from Stan Scrivner, who grew up in a house next to the store. "Gus Ergo opened his store at 303 E Street in 1928... I remember the old gas pump out front with the glass top that we could watch the gas move around in. And there
was the canvas awning across the front of the store that Mr. Ergo would unroll every morning and roll back up every evening. Gus Ergo died December 16, 1967, and Sally, his wife, ran the store until
1974. She sold it to a couple who tried to make a go of it but, they couldn't so she took it back. Later she sold it to Joe and Josie Mendoza. They converted it into an apartment and it burned down. I loved living next door to Mr. Ergo's store, as well as across from the Ergo family, and I hated it when my dad called to say it had burned down. So many memories up in flames."

Petty thefts, robberies and burglaries soar in Bakersfield and the collective shame of the litter in our community

 * ... CRIME: Did the news that the number of thefts and robberies have spiked recently really surprise anyone? There is hardly a neighborhood in town that hasn't seen an increase of petty thefts, car break ins and home burglaries. Prison realignment has dumped thousands of "non violent "offenders on our streets, but it doesn't make the person who returns home to find the house ransacked feel any better. What can we do? Police Chief Greg Williamson appealed for more community support, which to me translates into active community watch programs and constant communication with the police when you see something suspicious.

* ... LITTER: You know our litter problem here is bad when a visitor from Oregon takes the time to write a letter to the newspaper about how terrible we look to outsiders. "Of all the areas we have traveled in California as well as all over the USA, the trash around Bakersfield was deplorable. Surely the citizens care about the impression they are making," wrote Marcia Nashem of Bend, Ore.

 * ... OVERHEARD: An employee at a local grocery store is overheard telling a customer about shoplifters."The most common things they steal here are meat, cheese and coffee. Hard times."

 * ... DIETS: A recent study by the New England Journal of Medicine seems to confirm what we all know: dieters who eat earlier in the day rather than later lose more weight. In otherwise almost identical groups with the same caloric intake, those who ate dinner before 3 p.m. lost more weight than those who ate later. "Weight loss," a story in The New York Times said, "should focus not just on calories and nutrients, but also the timing of food.

* ... EAST HIGH: I have already mentioned that legendary broadcaster Don Rodewald is being inducted into the East High School Hall of Fame, but I neglected to mention the other honorees. They include Cornel Jordan, Don Galey, Rick McLeod, Manuel Oroz, Vernon Bell, Ruscel Reader, Bob Boyer, Terry Moreland, Ed Granillo, Dean Jones and Larry Press.

* ... MEMORY: Jack Moore is a third generation Bakersfieldian whose grandparents owned the Speedway Market. His own father regaled him with stories of the old Union Avenue Plunge and the mischief of his youth. "My dad was quite a rambunctious kid.  I am guessing that there were homeless people back then that lived down on the river and a friend and my dad would shoot at them with bow and arrows. He always referred to them as bums and they would get chased off.  He would also throw oranges at the cars and trucks pulling into the Orange Grove Trailer Park where they lived. My dad eventually went to Bakersfield Union High School for a year, about the time that Frank Gifford was becoming a football star."

* ... MEA CULPA: I screwed up in reporting on the success of Stacy Vanderhurst, a 2003 graduate of Centennial High School who went on to graduate from Notre Dame and is now completing her doctorate at Brown University. I erred in saying she graduated from high school a decade earlier.

Rumors of Billy Cowan's death are premature and remembering the Blackboard and other local icons

 * ... ALIVE AND HEALTHY: Billy Cowan, one of Bakersfield's premier athletes who went from Bakersfield College to the Chicago Cubs, is alive and well, thank you. Apparently there is a well traveled rumor that Cowan had died, but Californian sports reporter Jeff Evans says it couldn't be further from the truth. Apparently the rumor is so strong that Cowan's family has been inundated with calls offering their sympathies. Now 73, Cowan graduated from East High and played baseball and basketball at Bakersfield College before going to Utah on a basketball scholarship. He went on to become the starting center fielder for the Cubs in 1964 when he hit 19 home runs and was ranked ninth in the National League with 12 stolen bases. He played in the majors from 1963-72 and was once traded by the Braves back to the Cubs in 1966 for a utility infielder named Bobby Cox (the same Bobby Cox of the Atlanta Braves who will be a Hall of Fame manager one day). He will be inducted into the East High Hall of Fame in February.

.... THE BLOG: Risa Bletcher to wrote to say she enjoys this blog but thinks it has become too "clubby," mentioning places like Luigi's where some folks have not visited. She'd like to hear more about these places: the old Blackboard, Maison Jaussauds, the Coachlight Inn, Andre's, Stan's, the Tam O'Shanter, East Bakersfield High, Jefferson and Beale parks and "my all time favorite and neglected, Hart Park. Let's hear about all those wonderful places!"

* ... WHO KNEW? Did you know that in the 1980s Valley Plaza had a Hickory Farms store approximately where ladies' undergarments are now sold at Victoria's Secret?

 * ... MEMORY: Linda Welch wrote to remember "those wonderful rooftop antennas. You had to go outside and rotate them and you might have to put a clothes pen on them" to clear the signal. "Thank God these are not the good old days!"

 * ... SPOTTED: Woman driving a new, white Lexus 570 SUV blows through a red light at Oak and 24th streets, one of our city's most dangerous intersections. Memo to the driver: let's hope it's not your son or daughter driving the car you plow into.

 * ... CHEZ NOEL: Don't forget the 21st annual Chez Noel Home Tour sponsored by the Assistance League of Bakersfield. It will run Friday and Saturday between 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. with tickets going for just $35. This is a great chance to see some of our community's lovely homes, so make sure you check this out. Call the Assistance League at (661) 861-9223 for more information on tickets.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Donna James says you may really be a Bakersfield old timer if you remember when "the location of St. Francis School was the pasture for Dr. Christopher Stockton's milk cow!"