Analysts see no end to the global oil glut and work continues on the Bakersfield Music Hall of Fame

 * ... OIL: The price of oil has dropped by almost 60 percent since its peak, but U.S. and global producers are maintaining production. In an analysis of the global oil glut, the Wall Street Journal noted that the world's biggest suppliers have yet to curtail production, almost guaranteeing the price

will remain in the $40 per barrel range and possibly sink below that. Saudi Arabia, for one, is maintaining its production as a hedge against new Iraqi and Iranian oil expected to hit the market. The Journal called the result a type of "energy industry version of trench warfare, with producers all trying to gain an inch of market share no matter the cost. And it is producing winner and losers around the world, luring American drivers into gas guzzling pickup rucks while sending the Venezuelan economy into chaos."

 * ... CRIME: If you have a "lock" mechanism on your garage door, make sure to use it. Police say thieves are having a field day around town by making their way into garages by forcing the overhead doors open by hand.

 * ... ZIGGY: Hats off to the folks over at Cal State Bakersfield who made the right call in promoting Kenneth Siegfried as the new athletic director. Known as "Ziggy," the personal and quick witted Siegfried has the energy, experience and youth and he has bonded with this imperfect community we all call home.

 * ... 24th STREET CAFE: I rewarded myself after a Sunday morning 10-mile hike with a trip to the 24th Street Cafe, one of our town's iconic homestyle restaurants that is always busy and never seems to disappoint. My recommendation: eggs benedict accompanied by biscuits and gravy and a cold Bloody Mary.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Knowledge is like underwear. It is useful to have it, but not necessary to show it off."

 * ... HALL OF FAME: Work continues on converting the Bakersfield Sound Studio into the Bakersfield Music Hall of Fame, and this weekend a huge new sign went up at the front entrance. Funded by Kyle Carter and his wife Kim McAbee, herself an accomplished musician, the Hall of Fame will recognize Bakersfield's rich musical heritage. The building is located the corner of Q and 23rd streets.

 * ... CALTRANS: Someone at Caltrans wasn't paying attention when they created, and installed, a sign on Highway 46 near Paso Robles that reads: "Groved Pavement." Thanks to Margaret Scrivano Patteson for passing that along.

House Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy denounces proposed Iranian nuclear deal a "sham"

 Rep. Kevin McCarthy, House Majority Leader, addresses the proposed nuclear deal with Iran.

 "In my conversations with people in our community as well as with my colleagues in Congress, there remains continued focus and concern on the ongoing review of the Iran agreement. Yesterday, the

Associated Press released the text of a secret draft agreement between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency regarding inspections at the Parchin military site.

 "Congress should not be finding out about the details of a secret side agreement with Iran through media reports. The House has already demanded that the Administration give Congress the text of these agreements, as is required by the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act that the President signed into law. On its face, this agreement seems to give Iran much too much authority in determining how and when inspections happen at the Parchin military site. Though President Obama claimed that this agreement is not based on trust but on verification, this side deal makes it look like the exact opposite. We cannot and should not trust Iran with any authority to police itself, whether at Parchin or elsewhere.
These secret side deals reveal that Iran nuclear verification is a sham.

 "However, in another development that we should focus on is this Administration’s proposal for additional regulations on oil and gas production.

 "Earlier this month, President Obama unveiled his plan to cut carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants. In his speech announcing this regulation, he referred to the threats of job losses and higher energy bills as the 'same stale arguments.'

 "However, this week’s announced proposal of more regulations on America’s energy production could indeed have similar effects. But so as not to bore, here is a fresh reason the President’s plan is unnecessary: What the president wants to achieve with more government intervention is, well, already happening thanks to free-market forces.

 "The President’s own Environmental Protection Agency has reported that methane emissions from natural gas production have decreased by 38 percent since 2005. That’s right. In the heart of a natural gas boom in our country, methane emissions have actually gone down.

 "But this isn’t the first time that intended goals of a White House regulation are already being achieved.

Two days after the White House announced its ‘Clean Power Plan,’ the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that carbon dioxide emissions reached a 27-year low in April 2015.

So thank goodness for innovation and ingenuity. Without it our environment would be less healthy and the great American energy renaissance non-existent. We should pocket these important achievements and continue to build on a safer and more energy secure country. We should not swamp energy producers with new bureaucratic and unnecessary rules to achieve a goal that is already being accomplished without government intervention.

Tempers rise on the first day of school, KBAK steals an anchor from KGET and a good citizens dresses down a litterbug in a city bus

* ... BACK TO SCHOOL: The rush to get our kids back to school this week brings out the worst in some of us. Listen to this rant from reader Mike Glinzak: "This morning, the first day of school at Centennial Elementary, I witnessed the worst parking of MANY I have seen today when mommies brought their kids to school. The white SUV shown was parked and left unattended for 10 plus

minutes at the corner of Westdale Drive and Cardigan Avenue while a perfectly healthy young woman took her apparently perfectly healthy 8-year-old to class. When she returned, I told her she was illegally parked and was blocking the intersection and handicapped street crossing. Her comment: 'I didn't know I was parked illegally'  REALLY! ... I know this is a problem at many schools, but after living across from Centennial, I see the same dangerous conditions occur several times a day. Complete disregard for parking in NO STOPPING zones, created so school buses can have proper sight lines in the area, parking in front of fire hydrants, double parking, and of course, parking in an intersection at a 45 degree angle between two streets."

 * ... BILL THOMAS: The public slap down that former Congressman Bill Thomas gave to City Councilman Terry Maxwell has been brewing a long time, and chances are this is not the last we will hear of it. Thomas is immensely proud of the $600 million-plus in road improvement funding he arranged before leaving office, and the 24th Street widening process is among the crown jewels on the project list. Maxwell opposes the project, which led to the rare public rebuke from Thomas, who singled out Maxwell as the member of the City Council who most loves hearing his own voice.

 * ... BAD FORM: There are few things that get past the attention of my downtown neighbor Bettina Belter. So it shouldn't surprise anyone that when a passenger in a GET bus casually tossed a wad of garbage out the window, she chased the bus down to the downtown terminal to let the driver know "that a passenger had just broken the law and trashed not only my 'hood, but our city."

* … DOGS: Liz Keogh had this response when she learned her dog was on the list of the breeds deemed "least obedient." Said Keogh: "That explains it! My 'problem child' is a beagle/dachshund mix. I suppose it could be worse: he could be a beagle/borzoi mix."

 * … SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I love sleep because it's a time machine to breakfast."

 * … LOCAL TV: More musical chairs among the local TV anchors. It looks like one of KGET's weekday anchors, Rachelle Murcia, is headed to KBAK, which recently lured Erin Briscoe away from cross-town rival KERO TV. She will share the anchor desk with incoming anchor David Gonzales.

 * ... JURY DUTY: A few thoughts after spending some time on jury duty this week: there is no quicker mood killer than getting caught in the jurors' parking lot by a slow moving train; the healthiest snack in the courthouse vending machine seems to be spicy "flamin" Cheetos; and somebody, somewhere, must have an idea how to speed up the selection process.

Researchers find walking improves your mental capacity, the list of the 'least obedient dogs" and recognizing the nation's top public universities

 * ... WALKING: If you needed some encouragement to exercise more, consider a new study from the Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Center as reported in The New York Times. In a controlled study of

otherwise healthy people who were put on a walking regimen, mild exercise not only improved overall health but also improved our ability to think clearly. "In general," the paper said, "most of the exercisers showed improvements in their thinking skills, especially in their ability to control their attention and to create visual maps of spaces in their heads, two aspects of cognition that are known to decline with age." So there you have it. Grab your walking shoes and make it part of your routine.

 * ... DOGS: Does your dog have a mind of its own and does whatever it wants? If so it may be on the list of the the "least obedient" dog breeds as reported on the website iheartdogs.com. The top 10 least obedient breeds include the Beagle, Borzoi, Welsh Terrier, Dachshund, Pekingese, Bloodhound, the Bulldog, Basenji, Chow Chow and the Afghan Hound.

 * ... COLLEGE RANKINGS: Students are streaming back to colleges across the nation so it must be time for the annual rankings of the best public universities in the nation. And once again California performs well. According to USA Today, here are the top ten in descending order: University of North Carolina, UC San Diego, University of Michigan, College of William and Mary, UC Berkeley, University of Virginia, Air Force Academy, West Point, UCLA and the Naval Academy. (file photos of Michigan, Berkeley)

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: The local restaurant Valentien's displayed some savvy advertising on one of the hottest days of the year when it posted this on Twitter: "It is WAAAY too hot to turn on your oven at home. You should absolutely eat dinner at a restaurant tonight."

 * ... COST OF WATER: I noted this fun fact in the latest water bill from Cal Water Service. One gallon of tap water costs .0003 cents, where one gallon of bottled water runs $1.21, a gallon of Coke sells for $2.58, a gallon of milk $3.39, a gallon of gas $3.42 and a gallon of your favorite latte, $32.

* ... BARGAIN BOX: I am a big fan of the Assistance League and what this organization does to help the needy in our community. So here is how you can help. The League's Bargain Box Thrift Store has reopened and is fully stocked with clothes and other items. The store is located at 1824 Q Street, and all proceeds help support the philanthropic programs of the Assistance League, including its signature Operation School Bell which provides school clothing to local students.

Embattled Bakersfield College president Sonya Christian picks up some support from the public and new faces coming to KBAK TV

 * ... SONYA: It looks like the Kern Community College District's trustees are encouraging Bakersfield College president Sonya Christian to seek work elsewhere, but there is a loud chorus of those who support her in our community. This note, from local historian Gilbert Gia, reflects how

many folks feel. Said Gia:"What a shame that the KCCD board encouraged an acclaimed leader to seek other work. Are seven changes of president in ten years not enough? And has BC's ascendant excellence under the leadership of Dr. Sonya Christian interfered so terribly with the needs of the other two colleges in the system? Step back and get some perspective."

* ... EL NINO: Ronal Reynier weighed in on the chances that California will experience a strong El Nino this winter: "Every day now we read and hear the predicted El Nino could be as strong or stronger than the one in 1997. It was just 18 years ago; do you remember? Seventeen people died and there was $550 million in damage. Should we be worried? No, the simple reason is so far this year weather forecasters' have been wrong 95 percent of the time. Each time they have forecast rain
we have received enough to spot-up our car's windshields or none at all. People who can afford and choose to live next to our beaches, on cliffs and on hillsides, know the risk and gladly take them. I only wish I was one of them. Come on El Nino; we may not be ready for you, but
here in the valley we welcome you."

* ... ANCHORS: KBAK TV has hired longtime Los Angeles news anchor David Gonzales to anchor its evening newscasts, replacing Kurt Rivera who left the duopoly a few weeks ago after his arrest in a domestic incident. The gig for Gonzales is temporary while KBAK searches for a permanent replacement, but I am told he could stay if things work out. Gonzales is married to long time Los Angeles news director Nancy Bauer-Gonzales. Meanwhile, KBAK is losing another evening anchor, Courtney Bryant,  who is moving to St. Louis to join KMOV.

 * ... RADIO: Speaking of local media, popular morning deejay Tony Manes (Tony in the Morning) has left KGFM and moved with his family to Fresno, where his wife landed a new job.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "It’s hard to trust humans; even the blind prefer to be guided by dogs."

* ... DOGS: Susan Peninger dropped me a note about a good program sponsored by the Kern County Aminal Control facility on Fruitvale. In her words: "With all the negatives surrounding animal control and issues related, I thought I’d share something positive. I received a renewal notice for one of my dogs and on the postcard was information I wasn’t aware of; I’m certain I’m not alone in this so maybe this could go in your blog. Every Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at the Kern County Animal Control facility on Fruitvale there’s a rabies/licensing clinic for county residents. Rates differ for altered and unaltered dogs, so proof of spaying/neutering is needed.  Microchips are FREE and anyone over 62 can license at a reduced rate. The staff was friendly, helpful and the line went quickly.  This is definitely a one-stop operation and one that people should take advantage of to ensure the safety and health of their pets."

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy travels to Israel and returns warning the proposed nuclear deal with Iran is a dangerous idea

 House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield gives us his weekly report from Capitol Hill:

 "As I have written before, one of the pressing issues facing our nation and the world before Congress is our concerns with the agreement with Iran that is being put forth by the Obama Administration.

 "Despite the continual concessions the Obama Administration made to Iran during nuclear negotiations, one concession in particular poses large risks for regional stability and the safety of our allies in the medium-term: the eventual lifting of the arms and missiles embargoes against Iran.

 "Under the agreement the embargo against arms would be lifted in five years and against ballistic missiles—the kind that can carry a nuclear warhead—in eight years. But it looks like even these small delays are only a parchment barrier without the threat of real enforcement. Even Secretary Kerry revealed, “The arms embargo is not tied to snapback. It is tied to a separate set of obligations. So they are not in material breach of the nuclear agreement for violating the arms piece of it."

 "I have always said that if Iran ever obtained a nuclear weapon, the world would never be the same. That is why I traveled to Israel this week to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other leaders along with traveling to the Golan Heights and other parts of the Middle East to see first-hand what is happening in the Middle East.

 "We were able to meet with United Nations observers and other military advisors to get the latest updates on our battle with ISIS and the civil war in Syria. While I have traveled to the Middle East in the past, we continue to see a reoccurring theme of what happens if American leadership is perceived as weak.

 "Earlier this week, we toured an Iron Dome battery, a key pillar of Israel’s military defenses. During the summer of 2014 as Hamas indiscriminately launched rockets at civilian population centers, the Iron Dome protected innocent lives by intercepting roughly 90 percent of Hamas’s rockets. As we visited the towns of Ashkelon and Sderot near Gaza, we saw firsthand that without the Iron Dome, many more people would have lost their lives. Congress stands united with Israel, not only in support of its Iron Dome defenses, but also in preserving Israel’s security and ensuring the safety of its people. In these dangerous times, Israel can always be certain that the American people are by their side.

Forecasters believe this winter's El Nino will be a whopper, and before your send your kids off to college, make sure you check out the top party schools

* ... EL NINO: The signs are improving that California will experience a significant El Nino this fall and winter, so strong that one forecaster is predicting a "Godzilla El Nino" event. In fact, The Los Angeles Times reported the "strengthening El Niño in the Pacific Ocean has the potential to become one of the most powerful on record, as warming ocean waters surge toward the Americas, setting up a pattern that could bring once-in-a-generation storms this winter to drought-parched California... After the strongest El Niño on record muscled up through the summer of 1997, the following winter gave Southern California double its annual rainfall and dumped double the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, an essential source of precipitation for the state’s water supply."

* ... PARTY SCHOOLS: Now that so many local families are preparing to send their children off to college in the fall, it's time to review yet another list of the top party schools in the country. Starting from No. 10 down to No. 1, the list goes like this: Tulane, University of Illinois, Louisiana State University, Iowa State, Penn State, Colorado, Arizona State, University of Georgia, West Virginia and the top party school, University of Wisconsin at Madison.

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: A sign at a Nebraska elementary school ushers in the school year with this message: "School resumes August 12. Resistance is futile. You will be educated."

* ... BAD FORM: Carol Knapp read a story recently about how texting and walking can lead to weight gain, and then she witnessed this: "When I was going into Walmart two weeks ago I was in a hurry... (but) I couldn't get past a woman who was texting leaning on her cart in the doorway. She was moving at a snails pace. She was about 150 pounds overweight. Leaving Walmart I was unfortunate to get behind another woman in the doorway speaking on her cellphone moving almost as slow... she was about 50 pounds overweight.  I hope I don't pack on the pounds now for making these rude comments but I bet I eat as much if not more than these two women.  I think I am able to keep the pounds at bay because I move at a faster pace and I also mow my own yard, dance and I don't text.  I used to belong to Weight Watchers so I know the struggles with the pounds so I am really not try to insult anyone."

 * ... GOOD FORM: Plez Taylor Jr. was at Red Lobster recently to celebrate his wife Vivian's birthday as well as their 67th wedding anniversary. "When we asked for check was informed a young couple had pad our check," he said. "It really made our evening and wish there was a way to thank them."

  * ... SNAILS: And finally, my friend Mary Helen Barro submits this interesting tip for your flowerbeds: "My flowerbeds were a breeding ground for snails, until landscaper extraordinaire Olga See of O’See Em Bloom on Calloway Drive introduced me to Cocoa Shell Mulch, which she sells for about $11 a bag. When cocoa beans are roasted, the shells separate from the beans.  The roasting process sterilizes the shells, which makes them weed-free and organic.  Within a few weeks, my garden was snail-free.  The flower beds look lovely, and my garden smells delicious!  The recycled cocoa bean hulls also help retain moisture, which means less watering, and also reduce weeds organically, so I don’t have to use chemicals.  Be careful, though if you have dogs, since cocoa mulch contains caffeine and theobromine, which could be toxic. Thanks to Olga See, my flowerbeds are now snail and bug free!"

Polls show a majority of whites now believe more change is necessary to protect minorities, remembering Frank Gifford and more on the rash of burglaries around town

* ... RACE: In the wake of several high profile shootings of black Americans by police, there seems to be a major shift in how white Americans feel about race. Two polls, one by Pew Research and the second by the Washington Post/ABC News, concluded that a majority of white Americans

now believe more change is needed to protect minorities. According to The Los Angeles Times,"the shifts are significant. For the last several years polls had shown that fewer than four in 10 whites said the country needed more change to achieve equality." That has grown significantly, and the largest shift in attitude has come among Republicans, where the number of people who feel more change is needed has grown 15 percent.

 * ... GIFFORD: Here's something about the life of the late Frank Gifford you might not know, compliments of Rick Van Horne's book Halley Street Heroes. Said Van Horne: "Frank Gifford (Bakersfield High and Bakersfield College) was a first round draft choice in 1952, (but) also in that draft was Gifford's good friend and high school teammate Bob Karpe. In the same draft also was legendary Taft College coach Al Baldock. Baldock and Gifford were teammates at USC." (file photos of Gifford, Karpe)

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Fear the man wearing velcro strapped sandals, for he has nothing left to lose."

 * ... BAD FORM: Here is another sign of the times. A woman posts a note on Facebook looking for a small urn bearing the ashes of her father that was stolen along with other items during a burglary at her home.

 * ... LOST MAIL: Ever wonder why your mail service is spotty sometimes? Consider this note from reader Elton Kelly, who took the time to compliment two employees of the Stockdale Highway post office (Darlene and her supervisor Brad) despite what happened. Turned out he was waiting on a package from eBay that was shipped to the Stockade Highway office but ended up downtown. But rather than send it to Stockade just a few miles away, it was shipped to Pasadena, then to Santa Clarita, then to Opa Locka, Fla., back to Santa Clarita and finally to Stockade, a journey of eight days. "Granted this was only an eBay purchase but what if it had been my stroke-medications or replacement-parts for my wife's insulin-pump? Something needs 're-thinking' and fixing."

  * ... BURGLARS: With all the reports about burglaries and car theft, here is a bit of good news from Nancy Bellue. "One morning I recognized that a certain car had gone around and around our block many times while I was on the driveway getting my kids into the car, etc.  Then, as I drove on down the street I asked myself, 'What if that was a burglar who saw me load up and leave home?' So, I circled back home, locked the kids in the car, and (foolishly) went to my front door and hollered into  the house where the bad guy was, sure enough! He hadn’t had time to pack up anything...  hearing me he ran out the back door.  In court later (I had his car license  number) i was told ’sorry’… I should have given him time to steal SOMEthing, as evidence. Recently at our son’s home in Westchester, the perp walked in at 6 a.m. (construction crew forgot to lock up), robbed a few electronic toys quickly and drove away…. but, happy, stupid, and high on meth he came back for more an hour later! Kelly welcomed him that time, and began a conversation, all the while snapping iPhone photos of the guy and his car, which he forwarded to the police immediately. They caught him an hour later and he was sent back to jail!"