North Dakota embraces fracking and it puts the entire state to work, and a liberal anti-gun state senator is arrested on firearms trafficking charges

 * … FRACKING: I received this note from a reader who wanted to weigh in on the debate over hydraulic fracturing. Listen to Michael Jacobsen's words: "Greetings from Bismarck, N.D.! As on online subscriber to the Californian, I found it amusing to read your column about the environmental group that claims that fracking causes earthquakes. If that's the case, North Dakota should be like Jerry Lee Lewis's song

'Whole lot of shakin going on.'  Maybe someone should ask them to come to the 'Oil Patch' in Northwestern North Dakota. The unemployment rate in the Williston area is .7 percent (no joke).  Statewide, the unemployment rate is 2.4 percent. The state is prospering and people in Bismarck can make $10.50 an hour at fast food places. The wages are even higher in Dickenson and Williston. One lady from Dickenson said most of the young people will accept no less than $18.50 an hour for a part time summer job. True, there are accidents that occasionally happen, but these are usually taken care of quickly. There have been earthquakes in N.D., but not related to fracking. On an unrelated note, I will be moving to Bakersfield in a month or so. My beautiful bride, Sharon, is there right now looking for a place to live. We hope to meet you sometime." Welcome back home Michael!

 * … KARMA: How appropriate is it that state Sen. Leland Yee, who prides himself as a gun control advocate and has spent years writing anti-gun legislation, is arrested and charge with conspiracy to traffic in firearms? What is it they say about karma? (photo by the Associated Press)

* … BAD FORM: Darlyn Baker was in the drive through lane at the downtown Starbucks when this happened: "As I turned the curve getting closer to paying, to my surprise and dismay was an empty Starbucks cup someone had tossed in the flower bed. Unbelievable!  Surely the car in front or behind them had to see them tossing it out, assuming they were not the only one in line. I guess some feel entitled and don't give a flying flip about littering."

* … JURY DUTY: Superior Court Judge David R. Lampe responded to the reader who complained about jury duty. "I sympathize with those who are called to jury duty who experience delays and excessive waiting, he said. "I ask all of the jurors who come to my court to please be patient with the process. While we respect efficiency, it cannot be our highest value. Our most compelling ethic is fairness. We judges have to 'get it right,' and that takes thoughtful deliberation and time. What we ask of jurors is their time, even if that includes sitting and waiting while matters are being conducted outside of their presence. We cannot instruct all prospective jurors 'en masse' because the parties have the right to be present, and every case is unique, even if there are common legal principles. We judges hear the case at the same time as the jurors, and so there is a lot that goes on in the courtroom that jurors do not hear. We cannot try the cases twice, once to the judge and then to the jury, which would make things less efficient, rather than more. Our jury system is unique and precious. Laws are merely abstract notions, until they are applied by the courts. Everyone should keep in mind, when those laws get applied, they might be applied to you. With that perspective, I am sure most would desire a calm, careful, fair, and deliberative process where the common will of the citizens of the community decide the question. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, the American jury system is a terrible form of justice. It is just that all of the others are so much worse."

Has Gosford road become our version of the German autobahn? And who posts pictures of themselves smoking pot, posing with guns and flashing gang signs? Youthful indiscretion or just plain stupid?

 * … GOSFORD: The recent accident on Gosford Road that took a Rohnert Park man's life was beyond senseless, especially if it's true that a 22-year-old man was speeding and he caused it to happen. Betsy Gosling was in the Town and Country Shopping Center at the time.. "I saw

the most horrendous collision I have ever seen. I heard the fire truck siren coming, several women standing on the northbound sidewalk, one appeared to be very emotionally upset. There were two cars in the northbound lanes, completely destroyed, one upside down… As I  attempted to maneuver through the debris across the southbound lanes, I prayed for God to  have  mercy. My prayers are for all those  families involved, especially the family of the man who was killed," she said. "What is it going to take to stop this reckless driving? My daughter describes Gosford, going south, as the 'autobaun' Bakersfield Police at that intersection issuing tickets might help. Possibly  the victims would consider donating those cars to the CHP and place them on the high school grounds for the kids to see what happens when you speed on city streets and run red lights... SLOW DOWN and live." Witnesses said the Civic was speeding, but the investigation is continuing and police have yet to bring charges. (Bakersfield Californian photo)

 * … WRECK: When horrific accidents like this happen, people will often search social media sites like Facebook to learn more about the people involved. And sure enough, it wasn't long before people were sharing links to a Facebook page of a young man with the same name as the driver of the white Honda Civic. Who knows if it is the same person, but this is a lesson in what many people think is appropriate to post for all the world to see. This particular Facebook page owner posted pictures of himself flashing gang signs, posing with weapons, presumably smoking pot, and with cash and drug paraphernalia strewn about a countertop. Whoever owns this account - and I stress there is no certainty it is the same person involved in the accident - should grow up and take these photos down. Youthful indiscretion aside, it's simply bad form.

 * … JURY DUTY: Steve Robinson was sitting in jury duty recently and had plenty of time to think about the process of what he called an inefficient system. "All of us dread the inevitable summons, but the most agonizing component of jury duty is not the task itself, but having to waste a day observing a part of our civic duty that can be streamlined.  Reporting time is 7:30 a.m. but the earliest you get called to action is 9 a.m. You then sit in a room for two more hours before you enjoy a two hour lunch. After lunch, you sit for two more hours and are then sent home at 4 p.m.  If you get called to a courtroom, you then sit for the better part of an hour listening to juror instructions. Wouldn't it be a better use of time to use the 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. time period to read jury instructions to an already captive audience in the juror room so the judge could just call the prospective jurors into his chambers and get down to business?  On the other hand, is it too much to ask for courtrooms to organize themselves in a way so they are prepared to call prospective jurors first thing in the morning rather than make hundreds of people wait an entire day to see if they are called to duty?

 * … TUNNELS:  Yet another reader remembers the tunnels that snake under downtown Bakersfield. Said Ronal Reynier: "I remember seeing the entrance to one when years ago they tore down the old 'REX' theater. What I most remember is the painted billboard that was exposed on the wall next to it.
I do not recall the name of the establishment. but it advertised a 'Free lunch, with a 5 cent (10 cent?) beer.' I have no idea when it was painted, but have wondered about it for years. I believe that
the Bakersfield Californian took photos of it at the time. I have wondered what type of lunch you received with that beer. It had a drawing of a sandwich on a plate with pickles, I believe. It was faded but quite a work of art. Was it done for free beer?"