Phil and Daniel Rudnick hope to put Buttonwillow on the map by creating a world class concert and festival center, in praise of the Yeti cooler and correcting the record on the old Padre Hotel

 * ... MUSIC FESTIVAL: Is Kern County ready to host its own Coachella-style music festival? Phil and Daniel Rudnick believe so and are trying to push through a plan to build a world class music festival venue off 7th Standard Road and Interstate 5. The venue would house up to 65,000 concert

goers and provide shuttle buses, RV parking for 700 vehicles, camping areas for another 2,200 people as well as security, stages, toilets, showers and food booths. The best part of it all? It won't cost the taxpayers a penny because all costs are picked up by the Rudnicks. Stay tuned as this is headed for a a Nov. 7 hearing with the county. If you support this idea, and I do, contact your supervisor to let him or her know. For more information go to the projects website CalCentre.com.

 * ... REMEDIAL CLASSES: It looks like the California State University System isn't the only public university system to scrap the concept of remedial classes. Colorado, Indiana, Tennessee, West Virginia and Florida are also rethinking the concept, which has come under attack for being an ineffective way to gauge student preparedness. Consider this from The Wall Street Journal: "For the class of students who started in 2009, the six year graduation rate across the California State University System was 66 percent for students who didn't need any remedial classes. It was 45 percent for those who took remedial classes in both math and English."

 * ... YETI COOLERS: Have you heard of the Yeti cooler? It is a basic plastic cooler but is so popular in some parts of the country that people pay up to $1,300 for the top of the line Yeti Tundra 350. A country song has been written about the Yeti ('Buy Me a Boat' by Chris Janson) and Miranda Lambert swears by hers. Yeti coolers started off as favorites of hunters and anglers, but burst into widespread popularity a few years ago with the introduction a stylish soft cooler that goes for the princely fee of around $300.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Get a head start on preparing for winter by beginning your seasonal depression on the first day of fall."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "I just read that Hugh Hefner passed away, but I only read the obituary for the articles."

 * ... PADRE HOTEL: Memo to 23ABC KERO TV which erred in a story on earthquakes by saying the Padre Hotel was constructed of brick and would be at risk of collapsing during a quake. Said Brett Miller, whose company renovated the Padre and now owns and operates it: "The Padre survived the big one because of the reinforced concrete structure. They have done a disservice to us by not fact checking."

 * ... MEMORIES: Did you know that John Philip Sousa and his "distinguished band" arrived by train and performed at the old Bakersfield Operation House (the old Hill Theater) on Nov. 1, 1909? An advertisement in the Bakersfield Californian announced that "the March King is in excellent health and a thoroughly enjoyable concert is a firm expectation of the local lovers of the best in music." Thanks to the Facebook page Kern County of Old for posting this.

The eighth annual Latination art show kicks off First Friday, thieves target a fancy new cooler and Colin Kaepernick ups the ante in his anti-police campaign

 * ... LATINATION: It wasn't that long ago when the biggest thing going downtown was the occasional street fair featuring kettle corn and classic cars. But thanks to the vision of a handful of creative people who live and work downtown, Bakersfield now has a wildly popular First Friday that is at the same time whimsical, intelligent and fun. This Friday is perhaps the biggest of the year because it features Latination, an annual art show celebrating our west coast culture in oil, canvas and sculpture. This is the eighth year of Latination, the brain child of Don Martin, owner of Metro Galleries on 19th Street. Martin had some 150 entries and the winner will be announced at Metro Friday evening. Things will get under way around 5 p.m. Friday and won't end until the crowds disperse.

 * ... YETI COOLERS: Can you guess what is one of the hottest items for thieves today? According to The Wall Street Journal, it is the Yeti cooler, an expensive, bear resistant cooler that has been targeted by thieves across the country. A standard sized Yeti goes for around $400 and some models top $1,200. They are so prized that some folks are referring to the Yeti as the "Redneck Rolex."

 * ... KAEPERNICK: Colin Kaepernick has upped the ante in his very public protest against what he calls institutional racism among police. First he refused to stand for the national anthem (that prompted fans across the country to burn his jersey) and now he was spotted wearing socks depicting a pig wearing a patrolman's hat. What is it they say about karma?

* ... JOHN BROCK: Congratulations to Joe MacIlvaine, the retiring president of Paramount Farming who will be the recipient of the John Brock award this year. The award goes to prominent local business people who have displayed leadership and support of the business school out at Cal State Bakersfield. He will receive the award next Thursday during a dinner at Seven Oaks Country Club.


* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Letting someone in your life is like turning off the antivirus, downloading a file from the internet, installing it and hoping it is not a virus."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Dating in middle age is a bit like Terminal 5 at Heathrow. Too much baggage to handle."

 * ... PETROLEUM WIVES: The Association of Petroleum Wives (AP W) is having a reception Friday,  September 9, for new and past members who want to be involved with this philanthropic group. The organization is open to spouses of folks who work in the oil and gas industry. The reception starts at 6 p.m. at The Petroleum Club. Call (661) 301-0907 or (661) 241-3507 for tickets and reservations.

* ... BAD FORM: When I lamented spotting a profane bumper sticker the other day, Ken Schmitz joined in my lament about the state of civil discourse.  "I read your item in Bakersfield Observe" about the *UCK TRUMP" bumper sticker. I spotted the same sentiment, this time on a gray pickup with four inch letters in the rear window. Welcome to the intolerant and low class world of progressive politics in America."

The eighth annual Latination art show kicks of First Friday, thieves target a fancy new cooler and Colin Kaepernick ups the ante in his anti-police campaign

 * ... LATINATION: It wasn't that long ago when the biggest thing going downtown was the occasional street fair featuring kettle corn and classic cars. But thanks to the vision of a handful of creative people who live and work downtown, Bakersfield now has a wildly popular First Friday that is at the same time whimsical, intelligent and fun. This Friday is perhaps the biggest of the year because it features Latination, an annual art show celebrating our west coast culture in oil, canvas and sculpture. This is the eighth year of Latination, the brain child of Don Martin, owner of Metro Galleries on 19th Street. Martin had some 150 entries and the winner will be announced at Metro Friday evening. Things will get under way around 5 p.m. Friday and won't end until the crowds disperse.

 * ... YETI COOLERS: Can you guess what is one of the hottest items for thieves today? According to The Wall Street Journal, it is the Yeti cooler, an expensive, bear resistant cooler that has been targeted by thieves across the country. A standard sized Yeti goes for around $400 and some models top $1,200. They are so prized that some folks are referring to the Yeti as the "Redneck Rolex."

 * ... KAEPERNICK: Colin Kaepernick has upped the ante in his very public protest against what he calls institutional racism among police. First he refused to stand for the national anthem (that prompted fans across the country to burn his jersey) and now he was spotted wearing socks depicting a pig wearing a patrolman's hat. What is it they say about karma?

* ... JOHN BROCK: Congratulations to Joe MacIlvaine, the retiring president of Paramount Farming who will be the recipient of the John Brock award this year. The award goes to prominent local business people who have displayed leadership and support of the business school out at Cal State Bakersfield. He will receive the award next Thursday during a dinner at Seven Oaks Country Club.


* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Letting someone in your life is like turning off the antivirus, downloading a file from the internet, installing it and hoping it is not a virus."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Dating in middle age is a bit like Terminal 5 at Heathrow. Too much baggage to handle."

 * ... PETROLEUM WIVES: The Association of Petroleum Wives (AP W) is having a reception Friday,  September 9, for new and past members who want to be involved with this philanthropic group. The organization is open to spouses of folks who work in the oil and gas industry. The reception starts at 6 p.m. at The Petroleum Club. Call (661) 301-0907 or (661) 241-3507 for tickets and reservations.

* ... BAD FORM: When I lamented spotting a profane bumper sticker the other day, Ken Schmitz joined in my lament about the state of civil discourse.  "I read your item in Bakersfield Observe" about the *UCK TRUMP" bumper sticker. I spotted the same sentiment, this time on a gray pickup with four inch letters in the rear window. Welcome to the intolerant and low class world of progressive politics in America."