When the Central Valley feeds the nation, California's drought belongs to all of us, and more on those scams about town

 * … DROUGHT: A friend directed me to an essay that really puts the California drought in perspective. The writer, Steven Johnson, correctly notes that folks on the East coast often sneer at California and its water woes but they miss a single important fact: The Central Valley consumes 80

percent of California's water because of farming, and those farmers provide 25 percent of the food that the entire country consumes. Said Johnson: "In other words, even if this drought is a sign of climates to come, California has plenty of water to support its lifestyle. It just won’t have enough to support its crops, without significant changes to make those farms more water-efficient. It seems bizarre that a region like the Central Valley with just six million people — barely more than 10 percent of the state’s population — should use 80 percent of the water. But then you realize that the vast majority of people benefiting from that water don’t live in California at all. The Central Valley takes up only 1 percent of the landmass of the United States, but it produces 25 percent of the food we eat, and almost half of the fruits or nuts we consume. California is running through its water supply because, for complicated historical and climatological reasons, it has taken on the burden of feeding the rest of the country. The average Times reader sneering at those desert lawns from the Upper West Side might want to think about the canned tomatoes, avocados, and almonds in his or her kitchen before denouncing the irresponsible lifestyles of the California emigres. Because the truth is California doesn’t have a water problem. We all do."

 * … HUMOR: Today's one liner comes compliments of the great Henny Youngman: "Do you know what it means to come home at night to a woman who'll give you a little love, a little affection, a little tenderness? It means you're in the wrong house, that's what it means."

* … SCAMS: Here's the latest internet scam, this one from my friend Gene Bonas: "You consistently warn your readers of scams going around. Here's a new email scam I recently received from Bank of America. It was listed as 'Irregular account activity.' The email looked legitimate since it used the BOA logo. I opened the attachment that asked for my online ID and passcode. Then, it asked for my full name, address, social security number, answers to security questions, and other information I felt BOA already had. Without responding, I called BOA and asked them about my account while informing them of the email I received. I was told the email was a scam and to send the entire email to their fraud address. Another example where due diligence is a must!"

 * … DINNER: Tickets are still available for the annual Vino Amore dinner set for Saturday, April 18, at Monsigner Leddy Hall at Garces High School. Luigi's Delicatessen will cater the event and Croads Vineyards will supply the wine. Cocktails at 6 p.m. and dinner art 7 p.m. This is an East Rotary fund raiser for some worthy local causes.

 * … HEAT: With the summer heat coming, Shafter resident Sandra Larson posted this question: "I asked a woman who cleans homes for a living if it is harder work in winter or summer. She said summer. I asked if it was because of more dust and she said no. It is because so many people who aren't home while they clean don't leave the air conditioning on and won't allow it to be turned on by the cleaning crew. I have to admit I was shocked by her answer. "

 * … SPONSOR: And finally, my thanks to Mary Christensen of Watson Realty for sponsoring this blog and supporting the work we do here. Mary was a friend long before becoming a sponsor, and I have used her to both buy and sell residential property. Our community is blessed with many good Realtors, but I don't know of any who work harder than Mary C."

Starting off the new year with some kindness from strangers, a new build-your-own burger joint heads to Bakersfield and some happy news for the owners of Happy Jacks downtown

* … NEW YEAR: I spent a week on the East coast with friends - a good time to refresh and get ready for a new year - but it doesn't take long for this homebody to yearn for familiar surroundings. Traveling these days can be tense, and it's always the small acts of kindness and compassion that we remember.

My thanks to the honest folks at US Airways for finding my cell phone that I mindlessly left on the plane, for my cat sitter who never failed to snap a daily picture of my tabby to remind me she was safe, for my hosts who so graciously shared their home for the holidays, and for all the friends who make coming home so special. Happy New Year!

 * … EATERY: If this new year is anything like 2014, we can expect yet more new restaurants opening around town. The first out of the blocks is a chain called PizzaRev, a build-your-own pizza concept that is popular in the Los Angeles area. The chain is opening two outlets in the Southwest, one in Gosford Village and the other at the Parks at Riverwalk. The group hopes to hire 70 local employees and promises to donate to charitable causes.

 * … BURGER: In my eternal quest to find the best burger in Bakersfield, Jon Crawford wrote to recommend one served by the NV Cafe on F Street. Said Crawford: "We have found that the NV Café, not too far out of your neighborhood, has several good burgers (with grilled onions is my favorite) and at a half pound allows me to take half home for another meal. They have great sweet potato fries – but, I think it is very difficult to ruin sweet potato fries. Unfortunately, they are open only for week-day breakfasts and lunches. Please don’t take my word, as I am a very poor judge of food goodness." I will take up the challenge, Jon, thanks for the recommendation.

 * … HAPPY ENDING: Frances Rosales, who along with her husband own the popular burger and pie eatery called Happy Jacks, recently enjoyed a happy ending when her lost dog of six months showed up. "Someone stole Romero, a pomeranean, out of your yard six months ago," she told me. "We had almost given up hope when we got a call from Visalia that he was found on the freeway. Thanks goodness he was microchipped." Romero, weighing half of what he did earlier, was reunited and is now back to running the household.

 * … FIAT: A keen-eyed friend was watching a Fiat commercial recently when he noticed some familiar locations in the shoot. It turns out Fiat filmed the commercial near the old Bakersfield train depot on Baker Street, but erected a sign saying "Palermo, North Dakota." Look for it.

 * … CRIME: I ran into former county supervisor and Bakersfield mayor Mary K. Shell the other day and she shared some news about the window of her neighbor's truck being smashed. "You just can't be careful enough." she said. Which is a reminder: if you park outside, never leave valuables or garage door openers in your car.

 * … ZINGER: A friend shared with me some of the famous zingers from the legendary Henny Youngman. Among them: "A wife says to her husband, 'You're always pushing me around and talking
behind my back.' He says, 'What do you expect? You're in a wheel chair.'"