Twitter Book "Small Places" Now Has 2,000 Followers - By N.L. Belardes

My Twitter book, "Small Places" (twitter.com/smallplaces) is a literary fiction novel uploaded to the micro-blogging site, Twitter.com. You can get updates on your cell phone. That's cool because you can follow along wherever you are: taking a walk, in a line at an amusement park, sitting on your couch, cooking dinner, riding a New York subway, or driving to Vegas.

I've done a couple of interviews for the twitter book, including a lengthy interview on Social Media World. It's only 10% uploaded and already up to about 2,000 followers.

I've uploaded 5,500 words of the twitter book, so there's a lot more to come in the comedy novel. - n.l.

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N.L. BELARDES is a journalist, blogger and videographer. N.L. writes several media blogs, including Noveltown's Paperback Writer and ABC23's Nick 2.0. His work has appeared on the homepage of CNN.com and other news sites all over America. You can purchase Lords: Part One, which describes the infamous Lords of Bakersfield. They still creep the city long after they and a 1977 Central California dust storm ravaged the area. N.L. welcomes humorous notes and news tips to his MySpace.

Gaylen Young of KGET 17 talks Noveltown and more - By N.L. Belardes

Full report coming soon of my interview with Gaylen Young today, talk of The Noveltown Review, and about the new Metro Art Gallery opening tomorrow night...

Watch Gaylen talk about the story he's working on:

Interesting news question while Bakotopia on KRAB radio with Meathead and Rocky Nash - By N.L. Belardes

Just what is a media blog? Is Paperback Writer news? And just what is the value of Bakersfield's leading media blog?

Conversation I heard a few minutes ago on KRAB radio with Rocky Nash and Meathead about whether the news was at Backstage for the first Bakotopia CD release party.

Meathead: Was the news there?

Matt Munoz: No

Meathead: Well they should have been.

Isn’t Bakotopia itself the news? They are owned by the Bakersfield Californian. Or did they mean television or major newspaper representatives? And yes, a Californian photographer (He contracts with them, so is it safe to say he works for the Californian?) was there. Personally, I think the Noveltown media blog, Paperback Writer is news/media/etc. Noveltown posted an article/interview, and photos from that night.

Hmm...

And if Paperback Writer isn’t news, what is it? Just a blog? Every news site has blogs these days. Are blogs media/news?

What does the Paperback Writer blog mean to you? Do tell. I’m interested what Noveltown readers think.

Oh, and yes, I heartily support the Bakotopia CD! I just think the radio comments make for an interesting discussion! Support!

A Bakersfield Cowboy and his Dog - By N.L. Belardes

I didn't stop to talk other than to scratch the puppy's head for a moment. I didn't even ask the cowboy's name.

But that wasn't what was important. It was the moment. A young guy and his best friend--the beginning of their friendship, really.

It could have been on the outskirts of town on a ranch. It was timeless but only lasted a few moments. I was on my way on a sidewalk in a strip mall...

Reminded me of the dog I used to have... Do you have a pet story to share?

Who is ripping off whom? The Fresno Bee or The Fresno Undercurrent? - By N.L. Belardes

Just stumbled onto an interesting conversation titled, "Mike Oz vs. eavesdroppers." Just when you thought Fresno Famous and Modesto Famous were all the debacle, in comes a miffed Fresno Bee reporter who admits the Bee is ripping off the Fresno Undercurrent. Apparently the Bee is starting their own little niche market free paper modeled after the Undercurrent. Of course, the same reporter is leaking info onto myspace saying the Undercurrent got it all wrong. But why leak info onto the Internet?

Is the Fresno Bee going to try to destroy the Undercurrent? Or is this just healthy competition?

Maybe not, but it sure seems like in today's age journalists should understand that every word on the Internet practically becomes public information. Anyway, read the drama for yourself and you decide who is ripping off whom.

Big Anna Nicole Smith Bakersfield connection on Bakotopia: Smith's hairstylist reveals sadness to Matt Munoz - By N.L. Belardes

Looks like Matt Munoz over at Bakotopia got the big scoop. I remember being at the Montgomery World Plaza when Karmahitlist played their last show. I met Sandy Serrano briefly. Her then boyfriend, Seantastic talked to the crowd about my novel. I was flattered. But the relationship was falling apart with both the band and Seantastic and his girlfriend (More on Karmahitlist and more...)


Seantastic (Sean Starkey) used to date Anna Nicole Smith's hairdresser

I remember hearing at the time about an Anna Nicole Smith connection too. Word on the street was Seantastic was hanging out at Anna Nicole Smith's house. I had no idea his girlfriend was her hairdresser. At the time it was all about Seantastic being a rock and roll star. I considered trying to do a story on the connection. But you know how time flies. Now Matt Munoz has Bakotopia's biggest scoop yet. I thought my Fresno Famous/Modesto Famous scoop was big. Not even close. Read on...

It was in the wee hours of Jan. 10. Sandy Serrano needed to catch an early morning flight back to the U.S. from the Bahamas, but she would not board her plane without first saying goodbye to her friend and client, Anna Nicole Smith.

She went to Smith's bedroom where little Dannielynn Hope, then 4 months old, was already awake. And like so many other times over their two-year relationship, Serrano, a native Bakersfield resident who since moved to Southern California, becoming the personal hairstylist to the model/actress, bid Smith farewell with a kiss and a hug, also saying goodbye to Dannielynn, until the next time.

But there would be no next time, for that day would be the last Serrano would ever see Smith alive.

(Read the full article)

**There's also an audio clip with Serrano on the post.

The story of Korn's Jonathan Davis and a Buck Owens guitar - By N.L. Belardes

Jonathan Davis and Buddy Owens at Bakersfield's Crystal Palace
image by Joe S.

If I were a musician I'd want one. It's patriotic, colorful and a fine piece of craftmanship. I'd like to call it a Buck Special...

Buck Owens had one of his signature red, white and blue guitars made for Jonathan Davis of Korn at the beginning of 2006. He wanted to give it to Davis at that time. “That night Jonathan came in for dinner, but Buck was sick,” said an anonymous source. “So they waited for the right time…” It was a basic Buddy Owens night singing Buck Owens classics at Bakersfield’s Crystal Palace. “There was good energy, the whole Davis family was in there, brothers and step-brothers.”

“Toward the end of the show Buddy got him up there. Jonathan Davis said nice things about Buck Owens and Bakersfield. He mentioned that he always dreamed of getting one of those guitars as a musician.”

And he did.

Then Buddy tried to get him to sing but Davis wouldn’t do it—he politely refused. His thanks were really brief and he got off the stage.

The anonymous source indicates it may be a rumor that Davis brought guitar to the airport. He was flying to New York to be on MTV’s Unplugged. Was he going to use the trademark Buck Owens guitar on MTV’s classic show?

It wasn’t in a protective case and so he couldn’t take the guitar on the airplane…

Is this story true of Korn and Buck Owens true?

Maybe one of the readers of this blog knows the answer…


MTV Unplugged "Freak on a Leash" (Featuring Amy Lee)
Better quality MTV format

*Korn's Unplugged CD hits shelves on March 6th. You can pre-order here. More info on the unplugged gig featuring covers of the Cure and Radiohead. Track listing.

Bakersfield Underground News Syndicate Four comin' at ya! But no Ed Jagels parody this week - By N.L. Belardes

I like this show better if it's just Rickey and Jason. The acting is getting... I mean newscasting is...

Well, just watch it... you can judge for yourself. I also think they should pick on Ed Jagels each week, especially since their fellow filmmaker Dane B. has been picked on by Ed Jagels in the DA's online diatribe (This week written by a Taft officer).

PIPEHEAD ARCHIVES

PIPEHEAD is a saga, an ongoing story about life. It’s also a comic about faceless bugs that live in a soup factory. They have no identity other than they know they’re alive. They’re surviving. They care about each other… They sometimes die and get boiled in big vats of soupy goo. They're bottom feeders...