I spent Saturday night in Lancaster hanging out with a buddy of mine listening to a grunge rock band at a bar called Maxdon's.
The band, "Going for Broke", was shaking the timbers with a high energy sound that generated a small mosh pit by the end of their set.
It wasn't the kind of place I've visited in a few years, but one that use to see my shadow a long time ago.
I didn't have enough 'ink' to blend in with the crowd, but no one really stands out when your head is bouncing in unison with the beat and the mosh pit is bumping into the band and people seated up front.
Trying something new again at the age of 44.
Not old by presidential standards, but old enough to know better. Hopefully.
The Democratic National Convention (or the spring break of the campaign) is in full swing with the GOP waiting for their turn.
Inspirational speakers, party unity, lobbyists galore and the candidates make-all or break-all address to the nation.
Not a bad week.
I watched the DNC on opening night with anticipation and curiosity.
I'm trying to block out everything I've been inundated with at the station over the past six months about the candidates strengths and liabilities and give each man his chance in the spotlight.
Looking at the two candidates, I am reminded of the 1992 presidential election between George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
Older, more seasoned political veteran versus a young, engaging and energetic newcomer.
Bush was a former VP and head of the CIA, while Governor Clinton wailed on his saxophone on "Arsenio".
I'm not sure if Obama plays a musical instrument, but he's singing a song of 'change'.
I'm not afraid of change (hence the grunge concert), it's the 'direction' that both candidates are proposing that has me sitting up and listening intently.
Not that much of what any candidate says has any bearing on what they will actually be able to accomplish once they become President, but it's a start.
I'm just hoping for a little more clarity when the convention's are over.
And not the ear-ringing, mosh pit crashing confusion that political campaigns seem to emulate.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Friday, August 8, 2008
Mike's Traffic Rules Part 2
I call it the Golden State drag strip.
It's the mile and a half raceway from the stop light at Golden State Ave. and 'F' Street, heading northwest, until the two-lane road merges just before you enter northbound Highway 99.
Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines.
The line of cars is constantly shifting before the light turns green, almost like they are trying to jockey for position at a dead stop to create some kind of advantage before the flag drops.
The race usually begins civilized enough, with cars pulling away at a pretty good click.
Once the field reaches the river bed, the acceleration picks up with the drivers in the left lane looking over, trying to predict who might be trying to jockey for position once the traffic begins to merge.
The speed limit is 65 mph, so it's ripe for this type of behavior.
There are some drivers in the right lane who are actually traveling faster than the rest of the pack, only to veer off at the Airport Drive exit.
That always baffles me.
BUT that leaves a hole on the right for the Andretti and Mears clones to break out of the draft and try to sling shot ahead down the final straightaway.
By the time the cars are lining up single file for the on-ramp to northbound 99, it's a good bet that most of the cars are going 10-to-15 mph faster than the traffic on the highway.
In fact, I've watched on numerous occasions, from back of the pack, as the sudden flickering of brake lights ripples from the lead car all the way back through the field.
The sudden braking makes it even more dangerous to try and merge with semi-trucks that inevitably swerve into the middle lane to avoid the high-speed conversion.
Sometimes it's even worse when you turn it around.
Drivers entering the Golden State Ave. on-ramp from southbound 99, go through an 'S' turn before crossing Airport Drive and racing the final straightaway to the light at 'F' Street.
But this race doesn't end there.
No, it continues over the Garces Circle with cars now making quick lane changes to the right, as they line up for the on-ramp to Highway 178 just past 'Q' Street.
This race usually involves more people being cutoff and riskier moves than the westbound raceway.
It's unfortunately one of the faster corridors to get from Highway 99 to central Bakersfield and with that, probably the most dangerous.
Maybe it's time to slow the field down to 55 mph.
Blame it on gas prices and trying to raise your mpg's instead of your mph's.
It's the mile and a half raceway from the stop light at Golden State Ave. and 'F' Street, heading northwest, until the two-lane road merges just before you enter northbound Highway 99.
Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines.
The line of cars is constantly shifting before the light turns green, almost like they are trying to jockey for position at a dead stop to create some kind of advantage before the flag drops.
The race usually begins civilized enough, with cars pulling away at a pretty good click.
Once the field reaches the river bed, the acceleration picks up with the drivers in the left lane looking over, trying to predict who might be trying to jockey for position once the traffic begins to merge.
The speed limit is 65 mph, so it's ripe for this type of behavior.
There are some drivers in the right lane who are actually traveling faster than the rest of the pack, only to veer off at the Airport Drive exit.
That always baffles me.
BUT that leaves a hole on the right for the Andretti and Mears clones to break out of the draft and try to sling shot ahead down the final straightaway.
By the time the cars are lining up single file for the on-ramp to northbound 99, it's a good bet that most of the cars are going 10-to-15 mph faster than the traffic on the highway.
In fact, I've watched on numerous occasions, from back of the pack, as the sudden flickering of brake lights ripples from the lead car all the way back through the field.
The sudden braking makes it even more dangerous to try and merge with semi-trucks that inevitably swerve into the middle lane to avoid the high-speed conversion.
Sometimes it's even worse when you turn it around.
Drivers entering the Golden State Ave. on-ramp from southbound 99, go through an 'S' turn before crossing Airport Drive and racing the final straightaway to the light at 'F' Street.
But this race doesn't end there.
No, it continues over the Garces Circle with cars now making quick lane changes to the right, as they line up for the on-ramp to Highway 178 just past 'Q' Street.
This race usually involves more people being cutoff and riskier moves than the westbound raceway.
It's unfortunately one of the faster corridors to get from Highway 99 to central Bakersfield and with that, probably the most dangerous.
Maybe it's time to slow the field down to 55 mph.
Blame it on gas prices and trying to raise your mpg's instead of your mph's.
Just Say What You Think
It was a different beast entirely.
When Ralph first called me about filling in for him on his radio talk show, I hesitated.
It wasn't the 3-hour time slot.
It wasn't the format.
It was tossing out my opinions and observations that made me pause for a moment.
That's not what I do at ABC23, that's not my job.
I present both sides of a story (or try to) and let you develop your own opinion on the matter.
I've got plenty of opinions and the people I've worked with at KERO for the past 17 years have heard me utter those thoughts plenty of times.
But "The Ralph Bailey Show" isn't the newsroom.
I had a good time sitting in for Mr. Googlie Mooglie (sp?) but every time I started to go off on a tangent, I found myself pulling back and censoring my comments.
A knee-jerk reaction perhaps.
To off-set the opinion-filled format, I scheduled a host of guests to talk about a variety of topics.
It was great having Chuck 'The Iceman' Lidell call in to talk about his upcoming UFC fight and his brothers inaugural brawl at the Pure Combat event in Visalia on Friday, August 15th.
I'll be doing the ring announcing for that show, so get your tickets now.
But I'll be following a script of sorts for that show too (with some ad-libbing thrown in).
Those who are close to me know where I stand, what I stand for and who I stand with in my life.
If I get the chance to fill-in for Ralph again in the future, I'll try to loosen the reigns a bit more.
Let you "really know what's going on".
Give a side of the story "you're not getting anywhere else".
Boy howdy!!
When Ralph first called me about filling in for him on his radio talk show, I hesitated.
It wasn't the 3-hour time slot.
It wasn't the format.
It was tossing out my opinions and observations that made me pause for a moment.
That's not what I do at ABC23, that's not my job.
I present both sides of a story (or try to) and let you develop your own opinion on the matter.
I've got plenty of opinions and the people I've worked with at KERO for the past 17 years have heard me utter those thoughts plenty of times.
But "The Ralph Bailey Show" isn't the newsroom.
I had a good time sitting in for Mr. Googlie Mooglie (sp?) but every time I started to go off on a tangent, I found myself pulling back and censoring my comments.
A knee-jerk reaction perhaps.
To off-set the opinion-filled format, I scheduled a host of guests to talk about a variety of topics.
It was great having Chuck 'The Iceman' Lidell call in to talk about his upcoming UFC fight and his brothers inaugural brawl at the Pure Combat event in Visalia on Friday, August 15th.
I'll be doing the ring announcing for that show, so get your tickets now.
But I'll be following a script of sorts for that show too (with some ad-libbing thrown in).
Those who are close to me know where I stand, what I stand for and who I stand with in my life.
If I get the chance to fill-in for Ralph again in the future, I'll try to loosen the reigns a bit more.
Let you "really know what's going on".
Give a side of the story "you're not getting anywhere else".
Boy howdy!!
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