Oil production across the country surges to new highs and the country is now producing 83 percent of its energy needs, and former Bako mayor Mary K. Shell throws some love at the downtown Post Office

 * ... OIL: Thanks to fracking and other new methods of extracting oil, our country is now producing more than 7 million barrels of oil a day, the highest since 1993. And, we are growing closer to total oil independence. According to a story distributed by the Bloomberg news service, the United States is now producing 83 percent of its total energy needs. "Production grew by the fastest pace in U.S. history last year and will accelerate in 2013 as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, unlocks crude trapped in formations such as North Dakota’s Bakken shale," the story said. "The state boosted production 40 percent last year through October, Energy Department data show. Texas was up 23 percent, and Utah rose 11 percent."

* ... DARNELL:  Steve Darnell, vice president and general manager of the Buckley Radio stations in Bakersfield, is leaving to become sales manager of Clear Channel radio in Fresno. Darnell joined Buckely in 2002 and was a member of West Rotary. The Buckley stations include KKBB, KLLY, KSMJ and KNZR.

 * ... LOFT LIVING: The finishing elements are being installed on the 1612 City Loft project in downtown Bakersfield. All nine units have been pre-leased and residents are expected to be moving in within the next month or so. The project, which is in the building formerly known as the Hay building, has been in the construction phase for the past year. Some of the residents include local Realtor Adam Belter, KBAK reporter Tom Murphy and long-time Walker-Lewis employee Stephanie Gonzalez and husband A.J.

 * ... OVERHEARD: At a local Starbucks a customer who had bought a coffee for a young homeless man outside remarks: "Well that was unexpected. He said he really wanted a hot chocolate."

* ... POST OFFICE: Former mayor Mary K. Shell speaks for many when she talks about the outstanding service at the downtown Post Office. "The employees are exceptional! They make it a practice to let you know if you can mail or ship something at a better price and they greet each customer with a smile, especially when the waiting lines are long  In addition, I can’t forget to thank my letter carrier, Ralph, who’s been on the same 93301 route for maybe ten years or more.  He gets mail to me even with a mangled address, in rain, fog or blistering heat!"

 * ... CRABFEST: The hottest ticket is in town next week is for the Crab and Rib Fest to benefit the St. Francis Parish School.  It is already a sellout with some 400 people expected to head to the Kern Country Fairgrounds next Friday for the annual event that raises tens of thousands of dollars for the Parish.

Spending too much time on Facebook? You may be a narcissist at heart, "obsessed with self image and shallow friendships." Or so say some researchers

 * ... FACEBOOK: If you're spending too much time on Facebook - posting pictures of your latest love interest or announcing to the world what you did today - you likely have extreme narcissistic tendencies. That's according to the British newspaper The Guardian, which reported that researchers have established "a direct link between the number of friends you have on Facebook and the degree to which you are a 'socially disruptive' narcissist, confirming the conclusions of many social media skeptics." Surprising? Maybe not when you consider all the folks who post updates of their latest boyfriend or girlfriend, achievement or interest, but then that's the nature of the beast isn't it. But he Guardian added: "People who score highly on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory questionnaire had more friends on Facebook, tagged themselves more often and updated their newsfeeds more regularly. The research comes amid increasing evidence that young people are becoming increasingly narcissistic, and obsessed with self-image and shallow friendships."

* ... SPOTTED: Jim Hankins and his wife were stopped at a red light last weekend in the fast lane of northbound Stine Road at Wilson. "We could see a box like object in the middle of our lane on the other side of the intersection. I contemplated how I was going to maneuver around it. We then saw a well dressed older gentleman get out of his car in the southbound left turn lane. He pulled a box fan from the lane to the center divider, reentered his car and made his turn when the light turned green. My wife and I swelled with pride for our neighbors in Bakersfield. Kudos to that gentleman."

 * ... CLOSE CALL: Here's a story you really don't want to experience yourself. Duane Keathley, a partner at the local CB Richard Ellis commercial property group, was headed to Mammoth recently with his 17-year-old son Robert, a student at Bakersfield Christian High School. Thirty miles south of Bishop, at around 9:30 p.m., Keathley's new black Chevrolet Suburban slammed into a cow crossing Highway 395. "The airbags went off in an instant and it all happened in a flash," he told me. "Robert asked me if I was okay and instantly the OnStar system came on and asked if we were okay. The CHP was there in two minutes." The Suburban, the airbags, OnStar and the CHP all performed as expected and father and son continued, rented a car and enjoyed a fly fishing trip that held its own special memories.

  * ... BASQUE FOOD: Gary Corbell tipped me off to a story in the latest Smithsonian magazine titled The Basque Revolution. "The first two paragraphs spoke of Bakersfield, Merle Haggard, Buck Ownes, Dewars, Luigi's, Pyrenees, Benjis, Wool Growers and Noriega Hotel. Interesting reading to know that the Basque influence has helped put Bakersfield on the national stage. My only regret is that they did not mention the Chalet Basque especially when it was owned by J.B. and Maria. At that time, in my opinion, the Chalet was second to none in Basque cusine in Bakersfield." (photo of Noriega's courtesy of The New York Times)

 * ... POST OFFICE: How is your service at your local local Post Office? Carole Cohen wrote to defend local postal employees, whom she described as "kind, courteous, and extremely helpful.  I especially enjoy visiting the downtown post office. The lines are short, there is always plenty of help, and they have - on more than one occasion - gone way out of their way to find me an appropriate shipping box, pack my items for me, and look for the most expedient and inexpensive way to ship.  All this without knowing from day to day whether or not they will have a job!  Hats off to anyone who deals with the public on a daily basis and can maintain their sense of humor as well as provide good service."