Pro marijuana organization targets Supervisor Mike Maggard in radio commercials, Celeigh Chapman unveils a new album and Lisa Green's son joins the ranks of attorneys

 * ... MAD MIKE: A radio commercial attacking Supervisor Mike Maggard has hit the airwaves, taking him to task for opposing the legal regulation of marijuana. The ad says "Mad Mike" Maggard endangered the public by opposing the sale of legal pot under strict regulations. In the absence of regulations, the ad argues that taxes will go up and crime will increase as the sale of cannabis is

pushed underground. Expect more of this type of blowback from the supervisors' decision not to allow the legal sale of cannabis. Meanwhile, the American Legion endorsed the legal                   sale of cannabis for medicinal purposes, citing research showing an overwhelming number of combat veterans use marijuana regularly to control pain and get off opioids doing so.

* ... LISA GREEN: District Attorney Lisa Green has a lot to be thankful for, but perhaps this Thanksgiving was more special than most. Green reached out to me to share this: "In 2006 my middle child, Andrew, became interested in mock trial while he was a student at Bakersfield High School.  When the other coaches found out I was an attorney, they asked me to help with the team and so began my first of approximately eight years coaching mock trial at BHS (I continued to coach well after Andrew graduated). The really cool thing, is, last Friday Andrew passed the California Bar Exam and in doing so became my first mock trial student to actually become an attorney. Anyway, as you might imagine Jeff and I are so proud of him." As you should be, Lisa. Congrats to you Andrew.

 * ... CELEIGH: And congratulations to Celeigh Chapman, an East High and USC graduate who has produced a new album called "The Winner." Chapman, 32, now lives in Los Angeles and is part of the fabric of the SoCal country music scene.

  * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "My husband let me sleep in late and then made me pancakes. Someone please let Dateline know my death was absolutely premeditated."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "If you speed up yoga, you then have breakdancing."

 * ... FALL FOOD: Here are a couple of my favorite culinary tips for Fall: try the lamb lollipops from Pyrenees Cafe, absolutely mouth watering, and the tortilla soup at Mama Roomba. Both perfect for a crisp fall day.

 * ... FAVORITE PIES: And speaking of food, an annual survey of the most popular Thanksgiving Day pies is out and once again pumpkin pie reigns supreme However, it appears that pumpkin is more beloved by Baby Boomers than millenials so a change may be coming. But for today the most popular pies are pumpkin, pecan, apple, sweet potato and chocolate in that order.

 * ... GOOD FORM: And finally, here is some good news to start your day, compliments of Jim and Diane Hankins. "My wife and I attended the Western Band Association (WBA) Championship competition at Buchanan High School in Clovis. Hundreds of wonderful young people from high school bands all over Southern California competed. The splendor and choreography of the bands reflected the untold hours of rehearsal and practice in the months leading up to this championship of the best of the best. Bakersfield was proudly represented by Bakersfield High and West High. The best part of the night was when my wife and I were sitting in the bleachers, the entire West High unit filled in all around us. It was a treat for us to be surrounded by so many enthusiastic young people. They were so full of good cheer and energy. Not one curse word was uttered during the time they sat around us. When competing bands took the field, many West High members shhhh’ed the group. All then watched, cheered and applauded for their competitors."

Updating that list of things we are thankful for, Taft College pitches in to help victims of the hurricane and Leticia Perez gets a statewide honor

 * ... GIVING THANKS: Have you done a self audit about the things you are thankful for? I have, and it starts with two healthy adult children, a cadre of friends who uplift me and provide a

sympathetic ear when I am down, a job that challenges me and work colleagues who always make me laugh, a doctor (Dr. Raj Patel) who walks me through the mine field of middle age, and a pair of tabby cats (one inside, the other out) who always great me with soft purrs and kisses.

 * ... MORE THANKS: Add to that all the local business owners who go out of their way to provide me with top flight service and food: Claire from Uricchio's Trattoria, Rod and Julie from Pyrenees Cafe, Jake from Jin Sushi, Meir from Cafe Med, Victor from Mama Roomba, Jeff from Salty's BBQ, Shauna from Muertos and Sonny from Mexicali.

* ... TAFT COLLEGE: Did you know that the Taft College baseball team has eight players from Puerto Rico? In solidarity with these athlete-scholars, the campus is holding a campaign to raise $10,000 for hurricane relief aid.

 * ... LETICIA PEREZ: Congratulations to Kern County Supervisor Leticia Perez who will be sworn in as president of the California State Association of Counties later this month in Sacramento. The organization is a lobbying, advocacy and service organization representing the state's 58 counties at the state and federal level. It deals with issues as diverse as health care reform, water and climate change and the budget. Perez is the first Latina to ever head the lobbying group.

 * ... KUDOS: Hats off to CSUB political science professor Jeanine Kraybill, who edited a new book coming out exploring the new age of hyper partisan politics. The book is titled "Unconventional, Partisan and Polarizing Rhetoric... How the 2016 Election Shaped the Way Candidates Strategize, Engage and Communicate." Kraybill is a professor of religious studies and political science and appears on my radio show (KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM) every Thursday.

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Just when I thought this year couldn’t get worse, I heard a grown woman describe time spent doing art projects as a 'crafternoon.'"

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I'm going to make Thanksgiving bearable this year with my super laid back Xanax cranberry sauce."

 * ... PIE RUN: Don't forget the Pie Run on Thanksgiving morning out at Hart Park. It's the perfect way to start the holiday with a quick run (or hike or walk) into the hills overlooking the park and returning to connect with old and new friends and enjoy some hot coffee and plenty of pastries. Get there before sunrise (follow the tail lights in front of you) and start the day with some exercise.